Tip-sy Tuesday: Candy Cane Forest Cake

Today's tip is really just a pretty inspiration picture for an easy Christmas cake! Frost the cake with white frosting, you wouldn't have to break out the decorating tips if you cover the top and sides with enough crushed peppermints no one will know it's just a pain cake underneath (!) and then add some candy canes. 

I might not have time to make this before Christmas since time is ticking by at break-neck speed, but I wanted to share the idea if you're in the mood to make a cake :)

12.10.23: 🔥 week 50

12.10.22: Christmas gift wrap ideas

12.10.21: santa gnome cupcakes

12.10.20: MSIH scalloped potato review

12.10.19: TT make a gift bag out of wrapping paper (it's easy and so handy, I make them all the time!)

12.10.18: Santa's wreath making workshop 

12.10.17: sweetly spiced pork tenderloin with butternut and pears

12.10.16: herbed angel hair pasta

12.10.15: wine glass snow globes

Christmas Tree Optical Illusion

This is not really an optical illusion but I'm calling it that since it's in the spirit of what I was going for when I learned we'd be home in Michigan for Christmas this year and I really wanted a taller tree but didn't want to buy one and have to store it (we aren't often here and I've been putting up 3 smaller 3' trees for quite a while now). So I put one tree on the mantle, and two trees on a short table underneath and 'created' what feels like a tall tree by stringing lights over all three to sort of connect them together. Might be a dumb idea, but I don't care -  I'm really enjoying sitting by our tall tree! 

I decorated each tree in a different theme, I could have combined all three for a more cohesive look but I like each tree having its own thing and think it works. Check out Georgie's tree art in the space between the 2 bottom trees as filler, it makes me happy to look at this every day! 

12.9.23: words

12.9.22: poinsettia place setting

12.9.21: jar ring present topper

12.9.20: scalloped potatoes

12.9.19: felt mitten gift tag clip

12.9.18: 🔥week 49

12.9.17: elf gift tags

12.9.16: k-cup snowman lighted garland

12.9.15: paper Christmas lights garland

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 49)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

12/1: 🔥 week 48

12/2: slow cooker bananas foster

12/3: TT: quick bbq sauce 

12/4: winter mum

12/5: homemade dry onion soup mix

12/6: diamond dotz

12/7: words (live loudly)

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

12.8.23: santa gift enclosure

12.8.22: candy melt pine tree cake toppers

12.8.21: catalina cranberry chicken 

12.8.20: TT: prosciutto (and a great pear/cheese/prosciutto appetizer)

12.8.19: 🔥 week 49

12.8.18: snowman place setting

12.8.17: crocheted cactus

12.8.16: origami gift card holder

12.8.15: framed glitter words

12/7 ~ Words

 

12.7.23: Quebec Chicken

12.7.22: Christmas tree pull apart bread

12.7.21: tip-sy tuesday: cheese

12.7.20: how to decoupage glass plates 

12.7.19: beef and beer stew

12.7.18: pumpkin snowman 

  

12.7.17: paper doily wreath

12.7.16: homemade crescent rolls

12.7.15: snowman gift box

Diamond Dotz

I told myself I couldn't start any new crafts until I finish all my half-finished projects I currently have going on in my craft room...but then I was up north camping and felt like making something - found a kit called 'Diamond Dotz' which I'd never heard of before and it seemed pretty easy so I bought it. And have found my new favorite thing to do!! 

It reminds me of a cross between paint-by-numbers and cross stitch - you stick 'diamond dotz' (which are little bead things that are flat on one side and faceted on the other) on a sticky canvas using a stylus tool with the end rolled in wax that makes it easy to pick them up and place in the correct spot.  Each color is given a symbol and you just look for the symbols on the sticky canvas - for instance maybe light pink is a triangle symbol, you look for the triangle symbol on the canvas and place a diamond dot on it. 

One tip is to not peal off the protective piece of plastic that covers the sticky canvas, only peal up the area you want to work on and then replace the film and move to a different place on the canvas. 

This is so fun and relaxing to do!!! Really, I love this new craft find 😊

so far I've bought 2 kits - the first one I've completed is this turtle 
from Diamond Dotz and it came in this box

the second one I purchased online came rolled up in a plastic bag, 
it has lots of creases in the canvas that I hope will come out as I work on it

stick the end of the stylus in the wax every now and then when
it starts being harder to pick up a bead

\

12.6.23: asian salad dressing 

12.6.22: cork santa hats

12.6.21: christmas tree/wreath

12.6.20: 🔥week 49

12.6.19: celery syrup

12.6.18: snowman treat holder

12.6.17: Grandma Jean's pecan pie

12.6.16: succulent terrarium

12.6.15: rocky road cookies

Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix

I'm making crockpot apricot chicken for dinner tonight which calls for dry onion soup mix - my niece is joining us but she can't have gluten so I googled to make sure onion soup mix is gluten-free. Turns out it has yeast extract so it isn't GF. Hmmmm - I could have just left it out I guess but then I googled to see if anyone has a homemade version and sure enough, there are lots of recipes. I picked this one and it turned out really good so I'm sharing it - not just for GF purposes but also just in case you don't have any of the store-bought mix on hand you can easily make your own with just a few spices. 

• 1 1/2 T. beef bouillon granules*
• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1/4 t. dried parsley
• 1/4 t. paprika
• 1/8 t. garlic powder
• 1/8 t. black pepper

Mix all together and store in an air-tight container. 1 recipe = 1 store-bought packet.

Notes: I didn't have bouillon granules so I added a little concentrated beef stock to the sauce ingredients (apricot jam and french dressing, click the link above for that recipe). I also added about 1/4 t. celery salt to the soup mix. 

12.5.23: pumpkin deer re-run

12.5.22: crocheted joy pillow

12.5.21: 🔥 week 49

12.5.20: Christmas wreath vegetable tray

12.5.19: MSIH: pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

12.5.18: snowman ornaments

12.5.17: add a pocket when gift wrapping

12.5.16: pumpkin deer

12.5.15: hand painted wine glasses

Winter Mum

I didn't ask Scott or Amy if it's ok that I share this fun idea, LeDonna sent me the pictures and I'm just going to show you anyway LOL.

This time of year, at least here in Michigan, the fall mums are dead (it's snowy and freezing cold!) and normally I'd have thrown them out by now but it's too cold to go do yard work hahha. I love how Scott and Amy transformed theirs into winter decor by spray painting the mums white and adding some bows. I love this and if I had white spray paint on hand I'd be copying their idea right now (in the garage, I already established that I'm a wimp and don't want to work outside right now!). 

12.4.23: snowman baggie wreath re-run

12.4.22: 🔥 week 49

12.4.21: defrosting the chest freezer

12.4.20: how to make tiny bows using a fork

12.4.19: cranberry sauce hand pies

12.4.18: snowman wreath

12.4.17: wine cork Christmas trees

12.4.16: pasta with roasted tomatoes and sausage

12.4.15: contact paper dog house

Tip-sy Tuesday: quick homemade bbq sauce

I made salmon two-ways the other day but didn't have enough bbq sauce so I did a quick google search and found this super easy recipe that literally took me one minute to put together - Dave didn't know I whipped up the sauce and commented later how good the bbq sauce was this time, he was so surprised when I told him I made it! This might be my new go-to sauce when I make bbq salmon in the future, even if I have bottled on hand. 

Mix together:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 T. light brown sugaar
• 1 T. white wine vinegar
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t. paprika
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (optional)

recipe for 'Quick BBQ Sauce' found at delish.com 

12.3.23: 🔥 week 49

12.3.22: sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds

12.3.21: creamy artichoke dip

12.3.20: MSIH: crockpot chicken stroganoff

12.3.19: TT: removing super glue from skin

12.3.18: tea light snow people

12.3.17: broccoli beef
12.3.15: make a wine cork trivet

Slow Cooker Bananas Foster

 Macey requested this for her birthday dessert - I don't like bananas and I've never made bananas foster but of course I'll make it for her haha! The dessert is usually bananas sautéed in butter and sugar and then topped with rum and flambeed, I was making this at her sister's house tho and didn't really want to attempt to flambe and catch something on fire LOL. So I googled for recipes I could make ahead of time that didn't require fire and round this one prepared in a crockpot, perfect solution! This is very easy to make, and everyone seemed to love it so I'd definitely recommend this recipe - the only change I made is to not add the coconut and nuts, judging from the comments they were not needed.

I'm so sorry I can't find the pictures I took - picture bananas in a caramel sauce topped with ice cream. Next time I make this I'll update with an actual photo and not just a description haha. 

Ingredients

• 5 medium firm bananas
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• Optional: Vanilla ice cream or sliced pound cake

Directions

1. Cut bananas in half lengthwise, then widthwise; layer in the bottom of a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker. Combine brown sugar, butter, rum, vanilla and cinnamon; pour over bananas. Cover and cook on low until heated through, about 1-1/2 hours.
2. Sprinkle with walnuts and coconut; cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with ice cream or pound cake if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving (calculated without ice cream or pound cake): 462 calories, 17g fat (8g saturated fat), 24mg cholesterol, 99mg sodium, 74g carbohydrate (59g sugars, 4g fiber), 3g protein.

recipe found here at taste of home 

12.2.23: words 

12.2.22: msih - king ranch chicken casserole 

12.2.21: fried beets 

12.2.20: popsicle stick snowmen by B 

12.2.19: poinsettia gift topper

12.2.18: 🔥 week 48

12.2.17: decorated the 'dog house'

12.2.16: kids Christmas party: gingerbread houses

12.2.15: DIY bell bottom jeans

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 48)

Dear Campers ~ 

Well I just inadvertently took a week off from blogging! Oops, sorry 'bout that - I know some of you wondered what was going on!! Anyway, I back-posted for the week lists of what happened on each day in years past - check them out and find some good new/old ideas hahah! 

Posts ~

11/24: 🔥 week 47

11/25: thru the years

11/26: thru the years

11/27: thru the years 

11/28: thru the years

11/29: thru the years

11/30: thru the years 

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

12.1.23: ramen noodle chicken salad

12.1.22: snowman ornament re-run

12.1.21: winter porch decor

12.1.20: TT: turkey stock

12.1.19: 🔥 week 48

12.1.18: pinecone snowman

12.1.17: wall pompom by B

12.1.16: quinoa salad