Handcrafted Comfy & Cozy Holiday Pack--2Seeds Holiday Auction

We recently donated the following "Comfy & Cozy Holiday Pack" of handmade goodness to the 2Seeds Network Holiday Auction!

Holiday pack includes: hand crocheted circular scarf, holiday tea (obviously the only item not hand made!), pumpkin pie hand scrub, snicker doodle candle, and spiced nuts!

If you're looking for some really cool and unique Christmas presents, you should check out the auction! And....it supports a really awesome cause--agricultural development and food security in Tanzania. Check out the organization to find more! www.2seeds.org

Also, if you're interested in ordering any of these items as holiday gifts, just shoot us an email!

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Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie

We're really behind on posts...but don't fret we have lots to report from our end!

Since this is REALLY easy, I couldn't resist posting right away.

If you're like me, you have more than your fair share of leftover turkey, dressing, etc. etc. etc. after last week's festivities. I was trying to brainstorm what do with all these leftovers and ran across the most perfect idea (and it definitely appeases my husband's love for "goulash"!)--Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie!

There are several recipes out there, but this is what I did:

• grease a baking dish (whatever size fits your leftovers!)
• add stuffing (I used about 2.5 cups)
• add turkey (I used about 2 cups)
• add gravy (not sure how much I used, I just poured on what I had!)
• add corn (this wasn't leftover, but I had some frozen corn that I used--half a bag)
• add mashed potatoes (I used about a cup)
• bake at 325 for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown

Let is cool a bit and enjoy!

For the leftovers of the leftovers, I think I'll add a little salsa or tomatilla sauce (what can I say, I'm a love of all things Tex-Mex).

Stay tuned for lots of holiday related posts soon!

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Crochet School!

In the spirit of crocheting, I ran across this awesome blog (thanks Pinterest). And, I'm happy to announce that I'm now participating in CROCHET SCHOOL!! How cool is that?!

First Crochet Project Complete!

With inspiration from the cooler fall days and from these awesome girls, I decided to try my hand at crocheting! Sure, I've crocheted little squares, but I've never actually finished anything. So, I thought why not try a full scarf?! I found some awesome yarn on sale at Michael's and gave it a-go!

Here's the final product:

I now know what I'll be working on this weekend :)

Kelly and I have lots of updates that we need to post, including our wine party (from what seems like ages ago!), our wreath making party (so so so much fun!), and Luke's ghost costume. Stay tuned.....

Fall Decor!

Even though it's still 90 degrees out, I am getting in the fall mood! Football, tailgating, leaves changing color (though it's probably due to lack of water and not the fall weather!), and fall decorating.

Today has been a fantastic lazy Sunday--which means Redskins and Texans football (Texas friends, don't kill me!) and crafting.

I recently bought a small canvas and decided to make a fall themed "c" to place somewhere in the house. This one is really simple; the only supplies are a canvas, fall-ish pictures from magazines (the new Living has some great pics!), modge podge, and burlap. I covered the canvas with the pictures and then cut out a "c" using scrap burlap. Once the canvas was dry, I modge podged on the c.

Here's the final product:

Stay tuned for more fall decorating craft ideas, as well as Halloween goodies and lots of baking!

Upcycled Bottle Cap Wine Glass Charms!

I recently attended a wine party with some friends, and in preparation for the party I thought it would be fun to make affordable, cute and personalized wine glass charms for everyone! I knew I wanted to make something “upcyled” and this is what I came up with: Bottle Cap Wine Glass Charms! I had seen similar ideas for magnets and keychains using bottle caps, but never glass charms.

So, here is the first attempt at making the charms. They are pretty simple to make, but a little time consuming.

Supplies Needed:

• Bottle caps (I used beer caps from the bar…yes, they have been washed and sanitized!)
• Scrapbook paper or any kind of paper for the inserts
• Alphabet stamps and ink
• 1” circle die cut
• Glue (I used tacky glue, but I think just about anything would work)
• Epoxy Resin—this is the primary expense for the project. I found mine at Home Depot. Be sure to purchase the recommended rubber gloves, stirrers and mixing cups. I know that Hobby Lobby and other stores also carry various epoxy resin products.
• Wax paper
• Drill and small drill bit (this is only needed if you’re doing the charms)
• Thin ribbon or jute (which is what I used)

Here is the step by step process I used. I did this project in stages, so the pictures are taken on different days (and on some days, I just didn't have enough hands to take pictures...the project can get messy!).

Step 1: Wash bottle caps if they’ve been used. Make sure they are completely dry before starting.

Step 2: Cut out your circles from the scrapbook paper

Step 3: Stamp the 1” circles with the initials (or stamps) of your choice

Step 4: Glue the circles into the bottle caps. Note, be sure to let them completely dry before storing them. I didn’t let my first batch dry completely and the ink bled.

Step 5: Arrange bottle caps on wax paper.

Step 6: Mix epoxy resin according to box instructions (note—I did mine in small batches because it starts to harden very quickly, making it difficult to work with).

Step 7: Pour epoxy resin in each of the bottle caps. Make sure that you get a full coverage on the paper; I didn’t do this on some and had some problems. If you get the mixture on the sides, it should wipe off easily before the resin is fully hardened (and you can break it off if it does harden all the way). Let the resin harden completely before moving to next step.

Step 8: Drill a small hole in the top of each bottle cap. Thanks to my awesome husband, Aaron, for doing this step for me! If the back of the cap is rough you can sand or file it down.

Step 9: Use your ribbon or jute to make the connector. Use enough so that you can easily tie it on to wine stems later. The jute frayed really easily so I put a little piece of tape on the end to make it easier to put through the hole.

Step 10: Apply to wine glass stems and enjoy your evening!

The end product was a hit and I can’t wait to make more charms and to try magnets and gift label. After these are perfected a bit, I will add them to my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OtyKaiCrafts?ref=pr_shop. Friends and family watch out—these may be your Christmas presents!

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Back in Action!

Sorry for the delay in posts...it's been a little crazy in our baking and crafting world (work, sickness, traveling, etc!)...and, unfortunately, we haven't been doing very much baking and crafting together!

We do have a couple of really fun posts in the works, so stay tuned!

"Dinner at the Cunningham's" Recipe

Another Kelly original! This one is to die for!!! Try it....TONIGHT!

Just the other week, friends and I were invited over to my dear friend Danielle's house for dinner. Her wonderful husband Doss was to cook us a magnificent meal of grilled chicken goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and a yummy butter-wine sauce to top it all off...and that was where all the inspiration began: dinner at the Cunningham’s.

I have decided to call this dish "Dinner at the Cunningham’s." I know, it is totally original, and you are probably jealous of my creativity.

Now, let us get down to business. There are three elements to this dish: (1) the chicken, (2) the beurre blanc sauce and (3) the arugala salad. Here is what you will need:

Makes 4 servings

2 Bunches of Arugala, cleaned and stemmed

3 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

4 Chicken Breast, pounded out to an even thickness of a 1/2 inch

8 ounces of Crumbled Goat Cheese

2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, minced

1 Tbsp Fresh Sage, minced

1/2 Cup of All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio

1 Tbsp of White Wine Vinegar

1 Small Yellow Onion, diced

1 Cup of Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

16-20 Sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped and hydrated

2 Tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar

First things first, clean your Arugula. Arugala is a very very VERY dirty green. To ensure you have removed all the dirt hiding inside that spicy little piece of vegetation I suggest you give a triple dip...at least. Fill a large mixing bowl with water and submerge your Arugula within it. Repeat this step, fill and dunk, until the water is clear of any dirt. Take your Arugala and lay it over a dry dish towl. Roll the Arugala inside and set it aside to dry.

Now for the chicken. Move an oven rack about 6 inches underneath the top heating element, and turn on the broiler. Put your flour on a large dish. Place a large pan over medium-high heat, and drizzle in 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Be careful not to add the olive oil until you are just about ready to go with your chicken. Olive oil tends to smoke quickly over higher heat. Take a paper towel and blot your chicken to make sure it is nice and dry. This will enable you to get a good sear on that sucker. Next sprinkle the breasts with salt, pepper, thyme and sage, and press firmly into the chicken. Lightly dredge the breasts in the flour and gently place it onto your pan. Let the chicken cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the breast, until it is golden brown and cooked through; about 8 minutes total. Sprinkle your chicken with about 1 ounce of the goat cheese, place it on a broiler pan and set aside. Reserve the remaining goat cheese for the arugala salad.

And then came the time for the fancy-smancy beurre blanc. Sounds way harder than it is folks. Don't you worry about a thing. Add your wine, white wine vinegar and onion to a small sauce pan over high heat, and let it boil away until reduced to about 2-3 Tbsp. Once reduced, turn your heat setting down to low. Add your COLD unsalted butter cubes, about 4 at a time, and whisk away. As soon as the butter is dissolved, add more. Repeat until all the butter has blended in, and is just barely thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, remove from heat, and set aside.

*TIP: Don't add a stick at a time...don't even add a Tbsp at a time...I repeat, add about 4 butter CUBES at a time. The sauce will not come together otherwise.

Pop the chicken in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, begin to assemble your arugala salad. Mix together the red wine vinegar and the remaining olive oil, and pour over the greens. Sprinkle in the rest of the goat cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad, making sure the goat cheese and the dressing is evenly distributed. Divy it up into four portions and plate.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and place it on the bed of the arugala salad. Smother it with your beurre blanc, and serve.

Viola!

There it is my friends! Something to eat, something to enjoy, and, as always, something to entertain the taste buds.

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