Paper Straw Easels

How cute are these little paper straw easels? And they're super quick, inexpensive, and easy to make - win, win! I think I'll use them on a buffet or dessert table labeling different dishes, or as place card holders - I think it'd be fun to print out a photo of your guest and stand it on this easel in front of their place at the table (not that I do place cards very often but this is a cute idea just for something different). 

To make this small easel you need 3 paper straws - cut into 2 pieces that are 11 centimeters (a little over 4"), 1 piece 9.5 centimeters (a little over 3.5"), and 1 piece 7.5 centimeters (3"). Note: I do not use metric numbers very often but the instructions gave both cm and inches and it was just easier to use my ruler and cut in centimeters!

Glue the 2 longest pieces together at the top with a drop of hot glue; then glue the 7.5 cm (3") across the bottom of the front for the shelf; finally add the middle size 9.5 cm at the back for the anchor leg.

I'm not crazy how the top of the 3 straws coming together looks, if it's going to be covered with a picture or something then it's fine but if the top is going to show I like it better with a short piece of ribbon glued around the top of the straws. 

I made these out of silver paper straws from the dollar store, they'd also be cute with colorful, patterned, or striped straws (which I see everywhere - grocery store, craft store, dollar store...you could easily make stands that match your party or dinner decorations).

You can vary the sizes of easels by cutting the straws longer or shorter, play around with what looks right for your purpose. 

click here for source 

My Sis is Hungry: French Onion Soup with Cauliflower

This recipe was in a Costco magazine from 10/18; it caught my eye because I hate the traditional mushy wet bread floating in french onion soup and if I'm ordering it at a restaurant I always ask them to leave it out (I know, I know, can't tell you how many times I've heard "but that's the best part"!) - this recipe replaces the bread with cauliflower (side note: what starch can't they replace with cauliflower? It's definitely a thing!) so I thought I'd give it a try for this week's "my sis is hungry" meal. Here's what she thinks about it:

Who makes soup when its 95 degree’s out?  Oh that’s right, my sister does – who coincidentally keeps her house at a brisk 60 degree’s in the summer.  As a side note- I can almost see my breath in there.  You can splash the warm soup up onto your face to get warm. 

Anyway..I digress.  So soup at the end of July.  Shockingly delicious.  The husband did not enjoy her tampering with a thing as perfect as French Onion Soup with what appeared to be cauliflower,  one bite confirmed it.. yep cauliflower.  So weird!!  Let me say though that this soup was AMAZING.  The broth was just slightly creamy, not salty like some FO soup can get, just the right amount of onions.  If you removed the cauliflower this would be the perfect French O soup.  So good it could be served in a restaurant.. minus the weird cauliflower… which sadly still tasted ok in it.  Not sure in a soup that tastes this great just “ok” is appropriate tho.  I’d leave the cauliflower out and just eat the amazing rest of the soup.  And if you are eating it at my sisters in July maybe splash some up on your face for warmth. 

*Jill here - for the record my house isn't 60, she's being dramatic. And also for the record, I cannot advise you to splash soup in your face for warmth (insert eyeroll)! I followed the record except for a couple small changes that really really adds so much to french onion soup - I substitute some of the traditional beef stock with chicken stock. Seriously, it makes a big difference. If you don't want to do the whole 'cauliflower low-carb' thing just put the bread on top and skip the cauliflower step. The other thing I do is to chop up some of the onion in small pieces instead of leaving it all sliced - adds a lot to the texture.

1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
2 lb. onions (recipe calls for Vidalia, I used sweet yellow), halved lengthwise, then cut at least 1 lb. in thin slices and chop the rest
1 t. salt, divided
black pepper to taste
1/3 cup white wine
2 t. dry sherry
2 T. flour
4 cups beef stock
1 cup chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
5 cups small cauliflower florets (about 1 lb)
2 cups (5 1/2 oz.) coarsely shredded gruyere or swiss cheese

In a dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1/4 t. salt and pepper to taste and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes.

Add the wine and sherry, increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, and remaining 3/4 t. salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to meld thee flavors. Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Add the cauliflower florets and simmer until crisp-tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

When ready to serve, adjust an oven rack about 6 inches from the heating element. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of soup into each of 6 ovenproof bowls. Top each with 1/3 cup cheese, place on a sheet pan and broil until golden and bubbling, 3-4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings. (note: we didn't put these in the oven to melt the cheese!)

Sweet Potato Corn Bread

I made the slow-cooker bbq chicken (click for the recipe) the other day and this was suggested to serve with it - I've never made corn bread with sweet potato in it so figured what the heck I'd try it. It really changes the flavor and texture (as you can imagine) but we all liked it and it did go perfectly with the BBQ chicken. One note tho is I'd store leftovers in the fridge, I left it out for a couple days it got weirdly soggy - otherwise this is good option if you're looking to change up your stand-by cornbread recipe.

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
• 3 T. sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425'. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

recipe found at myrecipes.com

Tip-sy Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Bag Hack

Here's one from Brooke - I had an open bag of chocolate chips on the counter and she asked if I have a water bottle. She then proceeded to cut the top off the bottle, feed the open end of the bag thru the cut bottle, folded the bag down around the top and screwed the bottle lid back on. Voilá, bag is sealed and when I need chips I can now pour them out thru the bottle top.

I said that this is a fine tip, but why wouldn't I just put the chips in a ziplock baggie? She said "you should put that in the post, 'cuz you're right" LOL!

I'm still posting because it's a creative idea and if you have open bags of chocolate chips, excess water bottles, and time on your hands, this might be right up your alley.

Friendship Bracelets...by Brooke

The kid didn't want to sit and type out the directions for making these pretty string friendship bracelets -  I got one photo and a quick video showing what she did tho... they are pretty simple and quick to make; watch her technique and then make a few for yourself - to give away or just pile on your own wrist :)

You only need embroidery thread (and a clipboard helps to hold the string while you're working on it); tie the strings in a knot down a few inches from the top, clip in on the clipboard, make the bracelet and tie a knot on the other end when it's long enough. Leave enough of a tail to tie the bracelet on to wear it.

Around the Campfire 🔥 (week 31)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what you might have missed at camp this week:

Posts ~

8/3: slow-cooker bbq chicken
8/2: diaper wreath
8/1: my sis is hungry: cowboy pasta salad
7/31: mexican street corn salad
7/30: Tip-sy Tuesday: guacamole toast
7/29: steering wheel cover
7/28: 🔥 (week 30)

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy but not worth an entire post ~

• read 'Class Mom' by Laurie Gelman, it's pretty fun and an easy read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, also read 'Turtles All the Way Down' by John Green - love the title, liked the book and plot for the most part but the main character struggles with mental illness that was a little hard to read. Overall tho I'd give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• my garden has gone bonkers and I spent way too much time trying to untangle the pole beans that have taken over the tomatoes, like they are vining themselves down the tomato plants and cages. apparently I didn't use tall enough supports for them to attach to! It's an overgrown monster jungle of a delicious garden full of beans and tomatoes. 
• I had a fit of rage over my clothes closet and literally tried every. single. thing. on and then packed up everything I don't like. It was organized before but it was so packed in I couldn't find anything. Much better now and I have clothes in order that fit and I like to wear. I did not hold each item to see if it "sparked joy" ala Marie Kondo whole "Tidying up" mantra, but I did try everything on to make sure it could stay. 

*Do you remember the series of photos I did for that creative photography class back in '16? if you do I'd be shocked LOL but after writing about picking beans I remembered this one and it made me laugh again - and I totally get why she wanted us to pick the beans, it's a never ending job!

That's all for me - check back next week to get some more ideas, tips, recipes, my sis has another review, and whatever else I get myself into! Have a great week :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor and chief bean picker

Slow-cooker BBQ Chicken

Al and Cathy came over for dinner and I was looking for something different to serve - saw this recipe and it got such good reviews (and I do love a hands-free all day cooking recipe!) that I decided to try it. I did make a couple changes, the original recipe called for bone-in chicken, after cooking it remove from the liquid, pick the meat off the bones and shred. That seems like a whole lot of work to me so I just used boneless chicken breasts and thighs. And I made extra sauce, thickened it with cornstarch mixed with water, then poured it over the shredded chicken. Delicious.

2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 lbs. total boneless chicken breast and chicken thighs
1 cup coke
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:

Stir together salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken. Place chicken in a large lightly greased 6-qt crock-pot.

Whisk together coke, ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl, slowly pour mixture between chicken pieces (to avoid removing spices from the chicken). Place lemon slices in a single layer on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on high 5 hours, or low 7 hours (or until done). Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred (or leave whole and just eat as is); discard lemon slices. Pour remaining sauce into a skillet, bring to a simmer and whisk in a combination of 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water; stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Pour over the shredded chicken and serve immediately.

I served it with sweet potato corn bread (recipe to follow next week); it'd be great in sandwiches and sliders, tacos, or served with mashed potatoes.

recipe adapted from southern living

Diaper Wreath

I love making these diaper wreaths for a baby shower gift - they can be as minimal or detailed as you want, it's a quick, easy gift to make, easy to personalize, easy to find the diapers and add-ons - what's not to like?

Start with a big wire wreath; the first layer is diapers - roll each one up and tie on using curly ribbon; then simply tie on whatever add-ons you have on top of the diapers, rolling things up if they are big like onesies, bibs, t-shirts, etc. Make sure you don't see any of the wire form underneath by fluffing the edges of the diapers a bit; finish by adding a big bow on top adorned with a little stuffed animal. 

Ideas for add-ons: socks, bibs, onesies, t-shirts, burp clothes, rattles, little toys, stuffed animals, washcloths, baby products like shampoo and lotion, soft bath sponge, gift cards - I like to really pack stuff on my wreaths! 

My Sis is Hungry: Cowboy Pasta Salad

I found this recipe for 'Cowboy Pasta Salad' on Pinterest and asked my sis if she wanted it for 'my sis is hungry' review this week, she did (because what's not to like about pasta with meat and veggies in a spicy creamy sauce that you can eat cold, at room temp, or warmed up? Also because why would she turn down free dinner LOL). Here's her take on it: 

No idea what today’s meal was called or what was in it but it was fantastic.  Sorry for the spoiler alert right out of the gate.  So good.

Jill’s instructions were that we could eat it cold or hot, there was optional bacon and jalapenos as well. of course we added both of those things because.. well.. why wouldn’t you?  Crazy not to .

We tried it cold first, it was good. But then after we heated it up- wow.  We don’t really love cold pasta so not a surprise to us that we preferred it hot.

The bowtie pasta was the perfect pasta for this.  Had great flavor.  Jill also left out the black beans for the husband, but that would have been good in there also if you were looking for a way to “fiber it up”. 

Loved this.  Husband gave it a 8- I’m going 8 ½.  I would make this again…. Or better yet I would eat it if she made it for me again. Yep- I’m a giver.

UPDATE ...  I took the leftovers and put on a good size pile of spinach (to try and make “healthier” and get those greens in!) This was fantastic also!! Can’t go wrong with this delicious pasta… yum.

Pasta Salad Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound mini farfalle or other small pasta
• 1 pound lean (90/10) ground beef
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 (4 oz.) can mild green chiles
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 3/4 t. garlic powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (note: this ended up being too much green pepper for me, I'll do 1/2 a pepper next time - and probably use a different color pepper, green isn't my favorite)
• 1/2 cup sweet corn, lightly cooked (I did 2 ears wrapped in plastic wrap for 1.30 minutes in the microwave, then cut off the cob)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup shredded mexican cheese blend
• 2 T. chopped cilantro
• 8 slices cooked thick bacon, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 6 T. chipotle salsa (or to taste)
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. yellow mustard
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper

Instructions:

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, adjust seasonings to taste; set aside.

Cook pasta until al dente (don't overcook) according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain. Put in a large bowl.

Brown meat with onion in a large skillet breaking it into small pieces. Drain off any excess grease (I didn't have any), stir in green chilies and the spices. Set aside too cool.

Toss the cooled meat mixture and the chopped veggies with the pasta. Stir in about 1/2 of the dressing. Fold in cheese and cilantro. 

When ready to serve, add the cooked bacon and remaining dressing, stir until everything is evenly incorporated. This pasta salad can be served chilled, room temperature, or heated thru.

Jill here: the original recipe calls for 4-6 T. diced canned jalapeño peppers and hot sauce to taste - I left them out (because the label says "hot" and I was too scared to add them LOL) but sent home with my sissy, she can add to her spiciness level. I changed the original recipe just a little bit, click here for recipe source. 

Mexican Street Corn Salad

I found this recipe at melskitchencafe.com when looking for an idea for a summer side dish - I cannot even begin to tell you or describe how good this is! Everyone loves it, I actually made it twice in one week we love it so much. I did it with both fresh and frozen (unthawed) corn kernels, I prefer the texture of the fresh corn but the frozen is a very close second. It took a lot longer to get a nice golden color on the kernels (I did it in a pan, not grilled) didn't grill the corn on the cob, just cut the kernels off and cook them in a skillet as directed for the frozen corn. It took me a lot longer to get a nice golden color than the recipe states, but it's worth the little extra time. Mmmmmmmm this is the best! 

 for the corn:

• 3 to 4 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels  OR 6 to 7 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 1 T. butter
• 1 T. oil

for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
• 1/4 cup sour cream (I used light )
• 1/4 cup copped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving if desired
• 2 T. lime juice
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. ground cumin
• 1/8 to 1/4 t. paprika (or smoked paprika)
• pinch black pepper

for the salad:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled cheese (like quest fresco, cotija, or feta)
• lime wedges or slices, for garnish if desired

                                     

Directions:

For the corn: for corn kernels, heat the butter and oil in a skillet until sizzling. Add the corn in an even layer and let cook for 1-2 minutes without stirring. Continue to cook, tossing, until sizzling and golden, another 2-3 minutes. For corn on the cob, brush the corn with oil or melted butter and grill over medium heat until golden and starting to char, 3-4 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob. 

For the dressing:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika and pepper. 

                            

Add the corn kernels and stir to combine well (I like to add the corn when it is still slightly warm). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. 

Sprinkle top of salad with cheese, additional cilantro, and serve with fresh lime wedges or slices. Salad is delicious warm, room temp, or chilled.

makes 6 servings

click here for original source