LOVE - You Can Do It!!!!

I made this yesterday and they are so easy that I need to make many more for all kinds of holidays!!!!

I love the white wooden letters that stand on their own (bought from our regional craft chain Pat Catan's) but you can find different kinds at various craft stores.

Appropriate scrapbook paper -

Cut the scrapbook paper to just the size you need.  And, if there is a pattern you especially want to show - make sure that is part of what you cut.  (By cutting it down to the size you need it is easier to handle and you doesn't wrinkle the spare area for future uses.)

I sprayed the "right" side with a glue - but you could apply Mod Podge to act as a glue.  I would use whichever you have on hand.

Put your piece of scrapbook paper on top of the glued letter -

Repeat the process for the rest of your letters and then let them adhere.  If I have plenty of time then I like to let them sit overnight, but with these I was in more of a hurry and let them sit for a couple hours.

Take an X-Acto knife and start to cut around the letters.  You will have rough edges -

Then, take a little sanding block.  I bought mine at WalMart.  Sand the edges of the paper to smooth things out -

Apply Mod Podge over the paper to help seal the edges.  If you have any papers sticking up on the edge then you can press them down with the Mod Podge.

Let them dry -

Gathered any embellishments that coordinated with the colors and theme and hot glued them on -

So easy and the possibilities are endless -

I have also made these for Halloween -

And, of course, Christmas -

While I was busy making these I noticed that Lucy was taking advantage of it being a sunny day.  I think she must be anticipating a trip to the south because it looked like she was working on her tan and making sure that she didn't have any tan lines --

What??

I am linking to Between U and Me - Crazy Cute Thursdays.  Just click here to see more crafts, projects & recipes.

I am also linking to Sew Many Ways - Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party.  Click here to see sewing, knitting or craft projects.

Green Bean Bundles

When I first started reading blogs I saw that many of the gals served this at their parties - Green Bean Bundles.  I was fascinated with it but none of the blogs I saw had a recipe so I Googled to find one.  I have made this several times and also brought it to a family Christmas gathering this year.  It seemed to go over well.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it after it was finished in the oven or when it was on the food table - you know how hectic things are getting ready!!!

Green Bean Bundles


2 cans whole green beans, drained
1 stick butter
1/2 lb. bacon
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash of pepper

toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in half.  Take 3-4 whole green beans and wrap with bacon.  Insert toothpick to hold bacon around green beans.  Put them in a baking dish.

Make a glaze of brown sugar, garlic powder, butter, and pepper.  Pour glaze over green bean bundles in baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes.  I kept them covered for the first half - then without the last half.

Here the green beans are prepared to be wrapped --

Wrapped up --

In the baking dish --

Here is the glaze -- but I just realized why they were a bit different than I remembered -- this glaze that is pictured was made melting the butter but you really shouldn't do that.  It is much better to have a thicker glaze than a runny one --

I just wrote on the recipe -- do not melt -- next to the butter!!!!!  That was a hectic day - the day after Christmas getting everything together!!!

There has never been an empty box in our home that Lucy has not tried out --

I am linking to Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesdays.  Please click here here to see other recipes, crafts & projects.

Tortilla Roll-ups & Our Super Bowl Food

We had so much food for the Super Bowl (and there were just 5 of us!!) and I had so many things going on during the weekend that on Monday morning (really Sunday night when I went to bed!!) I said that I am going to eat better/healthier (at least until the next party, right???).

One of the snacks I made were Tortilla Roll-ups -

Tortilla Roll-ups


1 pkg. of 10 large flour tortillas
2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
small can diced green chilies
small can diced black olives
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. onion powder

Picante Sauce

Blend the softened cream cheese with the green chilies, black olives, and spices.  Spread a heaping tablespoon (not measuring spoon, but serving spoon) of the mixture on the flour tortilla.  Roll them up and sealing the end with a little cream cheese, if needed.  Place in a covered container in the refrigerator to harden (I will sometimes do this overnight -- but at least several hours).

Slice into bite size pieces.  I like to serve this with Picante Sauce on the side.

This was a Super Bowl food request from my oldest grandson.  I have a nephew that requests this at the annual 4th of July party that his parents throw.

Here is the cream cheese --

All the other items just dumped in --

Mix it all up --

Put a heaping portion on each tortilla --

Use a dinner knife to spread it to the edges --

Roll it up --

Put them in a covered container to refrigerate --

When ready to cut - place on your cutting board --

I like to trim the ends off mine and discard --

Slice them and put in a container or on a serving dish --

Now, take a look at all the other foods we had.  Besides tortilla roll-ups we also had shrimp --

Little sausages wrapped in crescent rolls (youngest grandson's favorite!!) --

Veggie tray --

Meat/cheese/olive tray --

Ribs, mashed potatoes & corn --

Don't those ribs look good?  Mr. Cardigan made them --

Lucy was like -- Where's my food???  I'm ready!!!!

I am linking to Inside BruCrew Life - Trick or Treat Tuesday.  Just click here to see other recipes, crafts or projects.

Beef Stroganoff

I know that I hadn't made this for quite a while - like several years - so Mr. Cardigan and I decided to have it for our evening meal on Christmas Eve this year.

Beef Stroganoff


1 1/2 lb. round steak
4 oz. can mushrooms, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. oil
1 tsp. salad mustard
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
16 oz. of tomato sauce
1 C. sour cream

wide noodles

Cut meat into 2" cubes.  Brown meat in oil.  Add mushrooms and onions.  Drain grease.  Add remaining ingredients except sour cream - only add 1 tsp. sour cream.  Simmer for 1 1/2 hour.  Then, add rest of sour cream and heat thru.  Serve over noodles.


All in the sauce pan ready to cook for 1 1/2 hr. --

Sour cream has been added and just heating it thru --

You can see our Christmas Eve meal also consisted of a salad, deviled eggs & rolls --

I will be posting our Super Bowl spread very soon (I had trouble uploading pics today so went with a post that had lesser pictures).  As you can see -- Lucy doesn't even want to see any more food -- too much Super Bowl food yesterday!!!!!

I am linking to A Southern Fairytale's  Recipe Linky Party.  Just click here to look at all the amazing recipes!!!!

Decorate a Frame

Another inexpensive and easy gift idea -

You can do this with a frame you already have or find one on sale or at a discount store.  If you have a nice assortment of ribbon then you can just go thru your stash and find some coordinating rolls.  I had bought the pin at Hobby Lobby a while ago with the intention of using it for this.  Look around and see if you have any pins, large buttons, etc. to use to put as an accent piece in the middle of the ribbon.  Keep you eye out for these when you're shopping to add to your stash!!

I assembled what I was using -

I cut the ribbon to the sizes that I needed.  If I was using any as loops (all but the top ones on this) then I hot glued the loop together.

I hot glued each piece of ribbon on top of the other.  I also hot glued the pin to the center of the ribbon.  If you are also able to pin it on that would be good, too -- then add some hot glue to make it secure.

Just hot glue the ribbon securely to the frame and let set -

You could make some nice holiday frames with the appropriate holiday ribbon, too.  Just make sure that there is still enough room in the frame to display a picture and that the ribbon doesn't take over half the frame because that could easily happen!!

Recently the grandsons did a little bit of traveling and were borrowing a couple suitcases.  After we brought them in - you know who - could not resist checking them out!!!!!  They would make nice comfy beds for Lucy, wouldn't they???

I am linking to Flamingo Toes Think Pink Sundays.  Please click here to see recipes, crafts & other great ideas.