Grilled Cheese in the Waffle Iron

Today is National Grilled Cheese Day (who declares these things, really? I'm curious). To celebrate, I made my daughter a grilled cheese in my Winnie the Pooh Waffle Maker. It couldn't have been easier, quicker, or tastier than this!

I love this waffle maker. It was a Christmas gift a few years ago, and I love using it for everything from waffles, to cinnamon rolls, to sandwiches!

Everything comes out with Tigger on one side, and Pooh on the other, so it makes for a fun treat for my daughter.

Prior to putting it in the waffle maker, I did fold two edges of the cheese so that the cheese wouldn't ooze out onto the hot interior surface.

I then buttered the bread and closed the waffle maker. I waited about 60 seconds, and that's it!

She loved it! And it was fun for me, too!

How to Make Your Own Aromatic Shower Bombs

According to many experts, we may see record-breaking pollen levels this Spring. That is bad news for allergy sufferers, and I'm already feeling the miserable effects of all this pollen. I went in search of something to help clear my stuffy head, and I was lucky enough to come across this post.

I was lucky enough to already have most everything needed, so I decided to give them a try. I changed it up just a little, though, and I was very pleased with the results.

I decided to make shower bombs with three different scents, and I added food coloring to help me tell the difference once they were done. For one group, I used Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil, and green color. For the second, I used a Refreshing blend of Lemon, Geranium, Rosewood, Maychang, and Cedarwood oils, and yellow color. In the third, I used a Stress Relief blend of Lavender, Ylang, Black Pepper, Petitgrain, Pine, Clary Sage, and Vetiver oils, with a few drops of red color, giving me a nice pastel pink.

I mostly followed the original instructions, using 2 cups of baking soda, enough water to make a paste, and 20 drops of oil (total) for each batch. I also added 4 drops of color to each batch.

I then spooned the paste into the paper cups. Since I was in a hurry and wanted to use them quickly, I baked them at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, then turned the oven off, left them in the oven with the door shut, and waited until they'd cooled. They had dried by that point (and boy, did my house smell terrific!), so I took them out.

Time for a nice, long, hot shower!

A few lessons that I learned and will change the next time I make them:

• Don't fill the cups past the half-way point. I filled mine like I would normally fill when making cupcakes, and it was too much. The weight was too much for the paper cups, and they ended up sticking to the cupcake tins. Spraying the cupcake tins with non-stick spray probably would have prevented this, too.
• Instead of paper cups, I plan to use the foil baking cups next time. I think they will hold up better, and they'll be easier to peel off in one piece when I'm using them, rather than fall apart like the paper ones. I think they'll look nice, too.
• The original post said that you could put the bomb anywhere on the floor of the shower, and I agree. However, I get more scent when I put it toward the back of the shower, out of the direct path of falling water. It definitely lasts longer this way! My husband also suggested that it might be beneficial to plug the drain while you're showering, to get even more scent while you shower. I may try that, too!

Dyeing Easter Eggs with Natural Colors: An Experiment

I thought I'd try a little experiment with the Easter eggs to see if we could get some decent color by using all natural things that we had on hand. When I look around, I see so many lovely and vibrant colors in nature, I thought it would be simple to find something that might give us similar colors on our egg shells. I was mostly wrong this time, though.

I used Blueberry juice concentrate, beet juice (the liquid left after I cooked a beet), and crushed spirulina in water. I added vinegar to hopefully help set the colors, then heated them in the microwave (to hot, but not boiling).

I soaked the eggs for around 10 minutes, then pulled them out to dry. The results were readily apparent: only the beet juice is worth trying again. 

What's even more amazing is that the beet juice egg was brown to start with - such a lovely dark pink it is now! The spirulina egg just looked dirty, and the blueberry juice only highlighted the "A" I'd drawn on the egg in clear crayon. 

So much for natural egg dyes...we'll stick with the tablets again this year!

Make Your Own Peeps (Without All the Bad Stuff!)

Growing up, I always found a few Peeps in my Easter basket on Easter morning. I looked forward to it all year long...that crunchy sugar coating with soft marshmallow inside. Now, we can buy Peeps all year long, as they're usually themed for every holiday and not just Easter. While they're cute (and still just as delicious!), I thought it might be fun to make our own for a change, leaving out the artificial colors, corn syrup, and preservatives.

Peeps are pretty simple: shaped marshmallow covered in colored sugar. So, I started by making my own marshmallows. I'd never made marshmallows before, but I'll try most anything at least once. I found this recipe online and thought it sounded fairly straightforward. I didn't want to use corn syrup, though, so I substituted honey in its place. The only problem with using honey is that the marshmallows were honey-flavored. This is fine if you and your family like the taste of honey, but if you don't, you might want to try this recipe instead. I found it after I'd already made the marshmallows, and I'm definitely planning to use it next time I make something that calls for corn syrup.

Making the marshmallows was a lot of fun, and yes, it was messy, but not as messy as I thought it'd be!

Next, I picked out my cutting shapes and got the colored sugar ready. For the shapes, I just used my Spring cookie cutters, but you could also put the soft marshmallow into a decorator bag and use a piping tip to pipe chick shapes.

To make the naturally colored sugar, I used orange juice for yellow, strawberry preserves for pink, and blueberry juice concentrate for purple.

I simply put some sugar into a plastic bag, then added a bit of each juice until I got the desired color. I did like the results, and the juices gave the peeps a subtle flavor that was an unexpected surprise.

My marshmallows turned out a bit thick, and with my large-sized cutters, they made some huge Peeps!

Once I had the shapes, I just sprinkled them with the colored sugar. I then melted a bit of dark chocolate to add some detail, and used a toothpick to create the eyes and lines.

That's it! I used the extra marshmallow and cut it into smaller pieces, and drizzled the leftover melted chocolate on them. Both the Peeps and the marshmallows here a big hit with the family, and with me!

Even More (Yes, I Know!) T-shirt Yarn Crafts

Okay, my obsession with this stuff is never ending. I'm working on some necklaces that will allow the wearer to change out the beads and charms, but in the mean time...I bring you the T-shirt yarn watch!

This was really just so easy, I'm planning to make a few more.

Basically, I just picked up a few of these at my local craft supply store:

I used beading wire and findings to attach the watch to a piece of T-shirt yarn, then I wrapped it around my wrist.

The best part is that if I get tired of the orange, I can always just attach it to a different colored strand for a totally new look. I could also layer this one with another color for a different look. The possibilities are endless!

How to Get The Sweaty Smell Out of Your Work Out Clothes

Today's work out clothes are made of wonderful fabrics that keep you comfortable and "wick" the sweat away from your skin. The only problem with the fabric, though, is that it tends to hold that sweaty smell after a while. You don't need to toss your favorite running shirt as soon as you notice a lingering smell...just use these steps to freshen it up!

What You'll Need:

-Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (regular baking soda works well, too!)
-Tea Tree Oil
-A bucket or sink large enough to soak your clothing

Just put your work out clothes into a bucket or sink large enough to hold them, then sprinkle about 1 cup of washing soda on top. Add 15 - 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil, and add hot tap water (the hotter, the better) until the clothing is covered in water. Since you're using hot water, you may want to soak whites and colored fabrics separately.

The soda and Tea Tree Oil both work to remove the odor, and since the Tea Tree Oil has natural anti-fungal properties, it helps prevent any potential fungus-related issues, since fungi tend to love sweaty places (think: Jock Itch and athlete's foot - ugh!).

Leave the clothes soaking until the water cools, then wring the extra water from the clothing and wash and dry as you normally would. Afterwards, everything should smell much fresher! I do this for my work out clothing about once a month, and it really has made them last much longer.

If this doesn't do the trick, make a thick paste of washing soda and a little water, and apply it directly to your shirts' armpits, then wash.

More Experiments with T-shirt Yarn

In my previous posts, I made three types of scarves from t-shirt yarn. Now that Spring is near, I wanted to use some colorful t-shirt yarn to make a necklace or two, though.

I found a bright blue, solid t-shirt at our local thrift store for $1. When I last made my t-shirt yarn, I made parallel cuts to create many long loops (the dark green infinity scarf in this post). This time, I decided to make a continuous piece of yarn by removing the hem, then cutting a single layer all around the bottom until I reached the armpits.

This made a lot of yarn, a big heap of it.

My four-year-old daughter found it all very intriguing and wanted to help. Who am I to refuse? She also wanted me to make a video of her showing us all how to make it:

As you can see, we have a future McGalver on our hands, which makes me really proud!

I learned a very important lesson, though - as you turn your cut t-shirt into yarn, make sure you either roll it up into a ball as you go, stack it, or somehow otherwise keep it nice and tidy. If you don't, you'll end up with a big ol' knotted mess, like I did.

It took me an hour to turn this:

into this:

Once that was tidied up, though, I was good to go. I have had my eye on Sailor's Knot necklaces, like this one, for a while, and set out to learn how to make one like it.

I found a wonderful, step-by-step guide to the Carrick Bend (often used in Sailor's Knot necklaces) here. I viewed other websites and videos, but this one was, hands-down, the easiest for me to follow. I decided to try it using the t-shirt yarn, even though it isn't as stiff as the twisted rope that is often used in these necklaces.

This was the result:

I like it! I used 4 strands of yarn on each side, for a total of 8 when the necklace is finished. I also varied the knot a bit, too, by tucking the bottom 4 strands on each side through the back of the upper loops. I finished it by knotting each side, then adding a dab of fabric glue to hold it. I then used jump rings and a necklace clasp, and it was complete!

Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole

All this talk of Meatless March has inspired me to try out some new vegetarian dishes. I came across a vegan quinoa and black bean casserole that used non-dairy cheese, and I decided to use a few of my ingredients on hand to come up with a spicy version of my own.

Ingredients

-1 large Sweet potato, raw and diced 

-Whole Grain Quinoa, 1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked 

-2 cups cooked black beans 

-Ground tumeric, 2 tbsp  

-2 cans Cut Diced Tomatoes with green chiles 

-1/2 tbsp ground Oregano 

-6 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese 

-1 tbsp Basil 2 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese, part skim milk

Directions

Cook Quinoa and Black beans according to directions on label.

Spray a 9" x 12" casserole dish with non-stick spray and spread Quinoa into the pan.

Combine everything else, except the Mozarella, into a mixing bowl and stir to mix. Spread the mixture onto the Quinoa, then top with the Mozzarella.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serving Size: Makes 6-1 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 380.1

• Total Fat: 13.3 g
• Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
• Sodium: 398.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 46.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9.9 g
• Protein: 19.7 g

It was so yummy! I think it would be great on a bed of fresh greens. I'll have to try that with all the leftovers!

How to Make Your Own Stuffed Animal Hammock

A couple of days ago, I realized that my daughter has developed an addiction to stuffed animals. It's getting to the point that if we don't intervene soon, she very well may end up on a Preschool edition of Hoarders. Don't believe me?

I'm ashamed of this picture, and this isn't even all of them...more are already stored in tidy cubes along a wall behind me. These didn't have a home, though, other than the floor or bed, and I vowed to find some way to get all those little dust gatherers off the floor.

I have had my eye out for a toy hammock for some time, but the few that I found didn't appeal to me. So, I set out to try something on my own.

What You'll Need:

-1 pair of long, lightweight sheers or drapes (can usually be picked up for a couple of dollars at a Thrift store)
-8 small screw-in hooks

I started by screwing the first four hooks into the ceiling, near the corner but out a bit and at an angle. I didn't worry about measuring or straight lines - the fabric will cover the hooks.

Next, I took one of the sheers and laid it on the floor. I folded it in half to find the middle, then tied a knot about a foot up from the middle / bottom. I then tied a second knot near the top.

I hung this on the four hooks by pressing the four corners of the top of the tied sheer onto the four ceiling hooks. Yes, I ripped the fabric by doing this, but it should hold if you're sure to hook the fabric below the hemmed edges.

I filled both levels with the animals that my daughter doesn't usually play with, and made sure to leave a few peeking over the edges for a decorative effect.

I then placed the remaining four hooks into the two walls, and hooked the remaining sheer in a hammock fashion.

This bottom layer holds her favorites, and she's able to easily reach them whenever she wants. The best part of this solution (other than no longer having all these animals spread around the room) is that I can easily take it down whenever needed. I keep hoping she'll outgrow this stuffed animal obsession soon, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

How to Throw a Mad Men Party, Part 4 of 4: Decorations

Our party decorations were pretty simple: I searched Google Images for Mad Men Ads, found a few good ones, printed them, and taped them to the walls. Some of my favorites are from this page; they should look familiar to fans of the show. I also found quite a few entertaining, real ads from the era, and printed those as well. This is a great example:

We also wanted a great soundtrack to set the mood. A few months ago, my husband had the foresight to pick out a new television that allowed us to watch YouTube directly on the television. So, I chose the first hour of the Trololo 10 hours video for the first part of our party.

No one really seemed to mind, or notice, even, since they were just getting here, meeting and greeting everyone, and catching up. Once everyone was here and settled, my husband cut over to a playlist of 1960's-era ads. Alternatives this could be streaming Mad Men on Netflix through your Wii, or even playing episodes on your DVD.

As an added bonus, I made personalized wine glasses for all the ladies that came to the party. I used the same font I mentioned in Part 3 and printed out each name. I then cut the name to fit into a wine glass and taped it to the inside of the glass. I used a Pebeo Pen to trace the name on the outside of the glass.

These pens are wonderful for personalizing and painting on glass and ceramics. Just let the paint dry, then bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, turn the oven off, and leave the glass inside the oven until it cools. Once you do this, it's microwave and dishwasher safe. The Pebeo paints really do hold up well and last much longer than others I have used.

We had a great time at our party! We had a lot of booze left after our party, so we're thinking about having a premiere party on March 25. Too bad it's on a Sunday night, though...

How to Throw a Mad Men Party, Part 3 of 4: Menu

The menu for our Mad Men party was a mix of old and new. While some 60's party foods are still considered delicious, let's face it: not many people look at a shredded chicken and Jello salad these days and think to themselves, "Let's dig in!" So, I didn't think any of our guests would mind if we broke with the period and threw in a few modern snacks as well.

Drinks

My handsome husband was daring enough to volunteer to be the party's bartender for the evening. Since neither of us have experience with cocktails, we picked out six for our drink menu, from which the guests could all choose. I have to say, he did an excellent job and all the drinks were delicious!

I printed out the menu and we kept it at the bar for our guests. I used this font, to give it a retro feel. We also printed out a recipe list and instructions for each drink, so my husband would be able to mix them for us. This was our menu:

1. Old Fashioned: bourbon served on the rocks with muddled cherry, orange and Angostura bitters
2. Manhattan: Rye Whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters
3. Gin Martini: Gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive
4. Chocolate Martini: Godiva chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, Vanilla vodka, and cream
5. Gin Fizz: Gin, sweetened lemon juice, and sparkling water

We also included several varieties of beer and soda (including Heineken, placed in a silver ice bowl on the dining table as a nod to Betty's "Trip Around the World" party).

Food

Our Mad Men themed snacks included:

• Cheese and Grape Kebobs
• Several single serving sized bags of Utz potato chips and Mixed Nuts (Placed beside each other with an "Utz is better than Nuts!" sign)
• Jello salad - just Strawberry Jello, canned pineapple chunks and walnuts, presented on a bed of lettuce
• Candy Cigarettes

To round out the food, we had meatballs, quiche, fruit, veggies, hummus, crackers, and four types of dessert verrines.

Everything was a big hit, except for the Jello salad (and I didn't expect it to be eaten, to be honest - it was more for decoration).

How to Throw a Mad Men Party, Part 2 of 4: Dress

Who doesn't love to dress up, right? And the '50's and '60's fashions that we see in the Mad Men episodes are not only still very stylish and elegant, they're widely available as vintage clothing in local thrift and vintage shops, as well as online on sites such as Etsy and eBay.

For over a month, I searched for the perfect dress. I did find some gorgeous ones on Etsy, and some were on year-end clearance and priced to move. Unfortunately, though, vintage sizes run much smaller than modern sizes, so most of the stylish dresses were too small for me.

Every few days, I stopped by our local Goodwill second-hand shop to see if they had any vintage dresses for sale. Lucky for me, my local shop always has a good selection of dresses, and even though none of their actual vintage dresses were my size, I did find a lovely modern dress in a vintage style that reminded me of many worn to the office by Peggy.

I picked it up for $9, and found a pair of plain pumps for another $5. I added in a string of pearls (formerly my grandmother's), gold-tone earrings, and some beige stockings (the less sheer, the better!), and my party dress was complete!

Now, for the hair and make-up. I have really thick, shoulder-length hair, and I toyed with the idea of putting it up, Joan-style. I didn't have any luck, though - my hair was too heavy, and as the hostess trying to get all the food ready before guests arrived, I ran out of time to try any longer. Instead, I pulled the front back, with a bump, and left the very front section loose. I then pulled the loose section to the side and secured it with a bobby pin in order to give me a faux set of Peggy short bangs. I used my curling iron on the bottom sides to give me a little flip.

I didn't do anything too outlandish for makeup - I used liquid eyeliner on the top only, making sure to get the eyeliner as close to my eyelash as possible. I also put mascara only on the top. I used the brightest red lipstick I could find.

How to Throw a Mad Men Party, Part 1 of 4: Invitations

This past weekend, we had a few friends over for a Mad Men-themed party. I just can't begin to say how much fun it was! One of my friends is a Tupperware representative, and she recently asked if I wanted to have a Tupperware party. I thought about it, and I didn't just want to have a Tupperware party, I wanted to have a Mad Men party, complete with a Tupperware demonstration (and a Jello salad mold!). It's no coincidence that Season 5 will debut exactly a month from last night, either! I can't think of a better way to get excited about the new season.

I've been planning this party for a couple of months, so I'll break it into four parts: Invitations, Dress, Menu, and Decorations / Soundtrack.

The invitations were a cinch, thanks to Evite.com. They offer three Man Men themes from which to choose: Don Draper, Joan Holloway, and the entire cast. If none of those pre-made options suit your tastes, you can choose an "Upload Your Photo" design and use a Mad Men image that you prefer. This is what I chose, using the Film Strip design.

Evite makes it simple to send your invitation - simply complete your template with your party details, including location, date, and time, enter the email addresses of anyone you want to invite, and an email will go to them from evite on your behalf. The recipients can then RSVP and/or comment on the invitation, and you, as the host, will be notified with each person's RSVP.

In the hosts' message area of the invitation, I included this text:

All you foxes and cats get ready to put on your Betty Draper or Roger Sterling best and party Mad Men style. 

Dust off your bullet bras and skinny ties and join us for an evening of retro fun. Come and enjoy classic cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, jello salad, and even an old-fashioned Tupperware demonstration! 

Obviously, you can include a message that is specific to your particular party. Just have fun with it and your guests will be sure to be there!

How to Turn a Skirt Into a Tissue Holder for your Car

One of my pet peeves is the fact that my car doesn't have a good place to store a box of tissues. Most of the time, I leave the box in the floor, on the passenger side, where it slides back and forth while we zig zag through our curvy, rural roads.

Of course, the box is usually out of my reach every time one of us needs a tissue, so I went in search of a solution that would work for us. 

A little searching, and I found this. I have been in a sewing mood lately (as you can see in my last two posts), so before I bought one, I thought I'd try to make something similar myself.

My fabric scrap bag contains quite a few odds and ends. I'd even forgotten that I used to wear miniskirts, much less kept one, but I found this in my fabric scraps.

I thought it wouldn't be too hard to turn into a tissue box holder for our car. It even has a zipper in the back, which should make changing the boxes easier.

What You'll Need:
-Miniskirt with zipper in the back (this one was a size 7, for what it's worth)
-Webbing or heavy ribbon
-(Optional) Sew-on snap or velcro
-Tissue box

First, I sized it up by slipping the tissue box through the bottom, then doing a box fold along both sides, leaving a slit for the tissues at the top.

I pinned the four edges where the fabric is folded, then removed the tissue box.

I did four simple straight stitches (I used my sewing machine, but you could easily do it by hand) where I'd pinned.

Next, I put the tissue box back into the skirt and turned it upside down.

I folded the skirt down similar to how I'd wrap a gift in paper, then pinned along the center to hold it. I again removed the tissue box (this time from the top, by unzipping the zipper and slipping it out), then sewed a straight stitch where I'd pinned.

I placed the tissue box back into the skirt, and decided where to place the ribbon. I wanted the skirt's zipper to be on the bottom (out of sight), so I tucked the edges of the ribbon into the two folds on the top.

I removed the tissue box one more time, sewed the ribbon into place, then took it out to the car to see how it looks.

There you have it! Now I'll always be able to grab a tissue when it's needed, and the zipper makes changing boxes a cinch. I placed mine over my gear shift, but if you wanted to place it over your headrest, you could cut the ribbon in half and use either a snap or velcro to easily remove it.

Scent-sational Teacher's Appreciation Gifts!

Last year was my daughter's first year of preschool, and I had no idea there was such a thing as "Teacher Appreciation Week" (and Day!) until after it was all said and done. So, last year, I hastily picked up a potted plant at our local home improvement super store, added a quick "Thanks for making me grow!" tag, and gave it to her teacher for Easter.

This year, on the other hand, I'm ahead of the game. Teacher Appreciation Day isn't until May 8, 2012, but I finished our gifts today! Altogether, my preschooler has 5 teachers for Art, Assistants, and everything else. I think I may do something extra for her main teacher, but until then, I at least have these lavender sachets ready.

It was really very simple - all I did was use some fabric remnants to make a few little pouches by cutting them into rectangles, folding them in half, and sewing along two edges (with right sides together, leaving one edge open). I filled the open edge with dried lavender buds (but you could use potpourri if you don't have lavender), then closed the open edge with a top stitch.

Then, I tied them together with a bow, and added a card that says, "Thank you for being a SCENT-sational teacher!" I let my daughter sign her name on the backs of the cards, and they're all set!

Sure, it's not completely original (there are lots of other posts like this on the Internet), but I'm really proud of the fact that I finished something early! I'm (unfortunately) known for my procrastination, and I admit that I feel like I work better under pressure (I like to think of it as forced efficiency). But this time, I'm ahead of the game. Yay!

It feels great to get this off my to-do list!