Holiday How-to's: St. Patrick's Day

 St. Patrick's Day will be here in just one week, although most celebrations are probably happening over the weekend just before it.  Even if this isn't a big holiday for you and yours, there are plenty of simple things that you can do to make the day special and fun.  

What does St. Patrick's Day make pop into your mind?  For me, it's the color green, shamrocks, corned beef & cabbage, rainbows, and beer!!  All of these (with the exception of the beer, of course) can be geared toward a kid-friendly crowd or a bunch of rowdy adults.  

Green someplace on your body is an absolute necessity if you don't want to get pinched.  If everyone at your party already has on their green, you could add some variety to this game by picking a taboo word, (cheers, beer, leprechaun, etc...) to use instead.  Catch someone saying it in conversation and pinch away!!  It's always best to pick a word related to the festivities, but still very common in everyday speech so that it's more difficult to not say it.  

If you are lucky enough to find an actual four-leaf clover, hang onto it.  Mostly you will run across the much more common 3-leaf variety.  I spent plenty of time optimistically looking as a kid, and it's comparable to finding a needle in a haystack.  A much easier (and quicker) way to find one is to just make your own. 

You can find all of these on my Pinterst board.  Above are shamrocks cut
from a spinach leaf, below are green peppers, and to the right is an
adorable hair-do that I was not able to replicate myself, but if you have
any skill at all with hair, you should be able to manage it.

Next on my list is corned beef & cabbage.  I am more of a sauerkraut than cabbage kind of gal.  Even though I am not a huge fan, it has kind of become tradition since every restaurant on the parade route in my town has it ready to eat and usually (bonus!!) for free.  I wish I had a recipe to share with you, but unfortunately the only one I had that I actually loved the taste of has been lost.  (sad face)  As soon as I can find it, or a similarly good one, again I will put it in a safe place to share with everyone another year.  Until then, I will be leaving that cooking up to someone else!!  Do you have a favorite recipe for this dish?  Please feel free to share with all of us below or on my Facebook page.


  Now for my favorite...RAINBOWS!!  While I do like the color green, I prefer this excuse to use lots of colors to decorate and party with. 

 One of my successfully attempted pins from the past is simple to execute, but it does take a little extra time to separate, color, & layer the cake batter.  The actual recipe link is included, but the picture is the product my very own handiwork!!  

Rainbow cupcakes

Here is another pin that worked when I tried it.  Skittles Vodka!!  These turned out to be a LOT of work, but the shots were super yummy.  I wasn't able to find cheesecloth to strain with, so I did coffee filters.  I do NOT suggest this to you.  I believe the cheesecloth might have made things go a little quicker.  This year I believe I will try my hand at making colored ice cubes to be added to a clear beverage.  If it works, I will put pictures up on Instagram.  (and Facebook, and Twitter!!)  

"Taste the rainbow!!"  Skittles vodka shots

One more idea I would like to share in the rainbow section of this post is this adorable rainbow of fruit.  This pic is from my Pinterst board because I don't think there will be enough people at my home this year to eat all of the fruit I would need to buy to make this.  Personally, I would switch the mini-marshmallows for a yummy fruit dip.  My fave is simply 1 block of cream cheese & 1 small jar of marshmallow creme mixed together.  

Rainbow fruit and "gold coin" bananas

And finally, beer!!  I myself am not a big beer fan (unless hot wings are involved), but it's hard to not have just one green one on St. Patrick's Day.  Wanna know the big secret?  Drip a drop of green food coloring in the bottom of a mug, then pour in the beer.  Super-duper simple!! 

 Last year we stumbled across an alternative much more interesting to me.  We decided to watch the annual parade from a local winery which was offering their delicious wine blend in green for the day.  Yet another option, green mimosas.  While the same trick would work, this time I added a dash of Blue Curacao to the champagne and orange juice mix to give it this tint.  These are great for a pre-parade brunch.

Green "Casa Cooler"

Green Mimosa

  Well, there are a few ideas I want to try, and a few that have been successful for me in the past.  Please feel free to share your ideas, too.  I LOVE finding new things to try!!

Taste the Rainbow...

Rainbows are often seen in a lot of St. Patrick's Day pictures.  The end of the rainbow IS where a leprechaun hides the pot of gold!!

   

These treats are adorable, fun, and I am betting absolutely delicious!!  

The link gives instructions for making these as shots using vodka, but they would work just as well as jigglers so that  the kids can enjoy them, too.  My favorite part about this treat is the cherry stem sticking out of the top.  Pretty & functional!!

And now, cupcakes!!  I made these last year for St. Pat's, but too late to use them in a blog.    

The cupcakes above were made by me, but you can get the instructions from the Family Fun website.  The shamrocks are green gumdrops.  To shape these, first flatten the gumdrop.  Sprinkle sugar on them if they get too sticky to work with.  Once flattened, you can cut them into the shapes you need. 


Recently, I saw a picture of what must have been pudding.  (There was no caption with the picture, so hard to tell for sure.)  They had made different shades of pudding (my best guess, add food coloring to vanilla) and layered them in clear plastic cups for the rainbow effect.  I would top this with a golden coin!! 


Another snack idea I love are these fruit kabobs.  Pretty, tasty, and healthy.
                                


All of you Pinterest addicts may recognize the Skittles Vodka below.  I looked at a few different blogs about this project, and this one was the most detailed and easy to follow. 

For the kiddos, I would stick with different flavors of kool-aid. 

                              

Superbowl Yum-Yums !!

     This year it's most likely me and a couple of teenagers watching the game at my house on Superbowl Sunday.  (Unless, of course, they get a better offer than hanging out with Mom.)  That doesn't really call for lots of decorations or plans, just lots of food!!  I am going to make game boards, but we'll see if they are in the mood to play.  (I always am!!)

     Our snacking staples are generally Little Smokies, Rotel Dip, a veggie tray (for the appearance of "healthy" on the buffet), and maybe some sort of dip in a bread bowl.  Hot wings are a favorite, too, but we have to order out for those.  This year, I want to try some new food, and this is a link to the recipe that looked the most scrumptious to me:

                           

BUFFALO CHICKEN BITES

    I LOVE hot wings, and we've almost always got some cooked chicken in our fridge already, making this a perfect recipe for me to try.  These sound yummy, I love that they are baked instead of fried, and rolling them into balls is something my kids might actually help with.

     For dessert, I'm kind of feeling like some plain and simple cupcakes.  Maybe brownies.  We'll see.  If you are feeling like putting a little more effort into your sweets, try one of these:  

                                                      COCOA KRISPIE FOOTBALLS 

STRAWBERRY FOOTBALLS

     Both of the kids still living at home with me are football fans, but not for either of the teams playing this year.  I personally am looking most forward to the commercials, the half-time show, and "The Voice" that will be on after the game is over.  (Woo-hoo!!)  I hope everyone finds something they can enjoy about the game.  It's a great excuse for a celebration, and I live for those.  

     I would love to hear the new recipes you are trying this year, or even your absolute, can't-do-without-it old favorites.  Maybe I can try one of your recipes next year!!       

                                                                                                                                                      

Keep the kids busy at Thanksgiving...

     At most Thanksgiving gatherings, there is plenty for the adults to do.  Cooking, setting the table, watching football, or just catching up with each other.  The kids can probably find plenty to do, too, but if you have a few things prepared to keep them busy, maybe they can stay out of trouble!!

     Coloring placemats are one of my favorite things to use anytime I am making a place setting for children.  They are easy to make, and add an activity to any celebration.  For this holiday, I printed a placemat with 2 sides.  Thanksgiving on the front, and pre-Christmas on the back.  The front has pictures to color, but you could also find word games or puzzles for free online to print out.  The most important part is the box for each person to write what they are thankful for this year.  The back is a Christmas Wish List.  Those Black Friday circulars are full of gift ideas and toy catalogs.  There are spaces for both gifts "To Get" & "To Give."

(made by Events DEE-signed)

     I LOVE this tablecover idea from the  Sweet Paul Blog.  You can get this type of wrapping paper at your local dollar store.   

(from Sweet Paul blog)

     Simply draw the placemats directly on the paper, put out some crayons, and let the kids decorate the entire table cover.  After dinner, you can either cut out each child's artwork for a keepsake or, if the table is a mess, just fold everything up in the paper and throw it all away in one quick sweep.  Then the table is ready for board games, or maybe some after-dinner crafting.

     Always have a couple of board games for indoors, and a couple of outdoor game ideas along with balls, frisbees, etc... in case you are lucky enough to have nice weather.  We still have Thanksgiving in my grandparents 2-bedroom house, even though the family has grown to 20+, so if we can send the kids outside, that's just one more enormous thing to be thankful for!!  The kids' table can be board game central, or they can set up in a spare room on the floor.

     Some kids will want to help in the set-up.  There are plenty of simple napkin folds that a child could master.  You can always find tutorials on YouTube.  This one from Danielle's Place is adorable.

(from Danielle's Place)

     Maybe they could help with a very simple appetizer that requires no cooking. This does the double-duty of keeping the kids busy and the adults from sneaking any turkey while everyone waits!!   Most children can arrange pre-cut vegetables or cheese squares onto a plate.  Another cute idea I found on Pinterest (I LOVE that site!!) is to put fruit pieces on skewers and make this Fruit Gobbler from Family Fun Magazine.  They used a cantaloupe, but I think a small pumpkin would be great.

(from Family Fun Magazine)

            I hope some of these ideas will work for you, or at least get your own imagination flowing!!

      

Quick & Easy Mummy Cupcakes

     These cupcakes are super easy and quick to make.  Perfect for a last minute homemade Halloween treat!!  All you need is cupcakes, white icing, and some candy corn (or any small candy for the eyes.)

     The cupcakes in the picture are chocolate and cherry chip.  For the mummy wrap, just pipe on plain white icing in strips, leaving a slit for the eyes.  I used candy corn for the eyes by cutting off the fattest stripe and inserting the pointy part into the cupcake.  The leftover candy corn makes a perfect tray garnish. 

     Hope you all get to have a fun Halloween!!    

Dollar Junction Inspiration - 4th of July

I LOVE walking through Dollar Junction for inexpensive things to spark my creativity!!  If I spend a couple of dollars and an idea doesn't work, I'm not out too much money.  If the idea does work, I either have a very inexpensive new idea, or a base for a project that works, and I can confidently spend a little more to make it just right.

This time through, the red, white, & blue was catching my eye.

Okay, I admit it, I am usually drawn to the candy aisle.  The wrappers have done most of the decorating for me already!!  Just plopping these in a bowl on a table looks plenty festive, but I did think of a couple of different possibilities.

Tying the curling ribbons around the Tootsie Pops, I was trying to make the streamers look like bursting fireworks.  It seemed to look better when I didn't curl them, but cut them plenty long.  I used red hots in the bowl to hold the sticks up.  You could even hold the stick between your palms and twist back and forth to make the ribbons "fly."

This red pot with the star border fits right in with a "star-spangled" theme.  It was too deep for the sucker sticks, so I placed a shorter bowl on top of old ribbon spools to make it sit higher. 

These tootsie rolls look great in this star dish (also found at Dollar Junction!!)  If you place them under the upside down dish, you can put a candle or other decoration on top.  Looks good, but the guests can't really get to the candy.  Hey, perfect for saving a few for yourself after the celebration!!

Above is just another option combining both kinds of candies.  Below, I was attempting to make a tootsie roll star, but it could also easily be decorated as a "4th of July guy."  You know, a couple of googly eyes in just the right spot.  

•                    

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't use the fudge-filled candy stars in any of the photos.  Well, I re-learned an old lesson with those.  If you are shopping on a warm day, DO NOT leave any type of chocolate in your hot car.  I ended up with a red, white, & blue lump!!  Still tasty, but not very pretty.  The bright side is that it was only $1 lost, and I've got enough time to get back to the store before July.  The stars would be great sprinkled on cupcakes or used to decorate sugar cookies.

I really hope some of these ideas sparked a little of your own creativity.  What holiday things have you found lately to inspire you?

I'll plan, so you can party!!

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Wordless Wednesday !!

Garden Week

According to holidayinsights.com, this week is GARDEN WEEK.  Above is a photo of some garden cupcakes I made for a friend with instructions from one of my very favorite cupcake books, "Hello Cupcake."  You can read more about them at hellocupcakebook.com  I highly suggest picking up one of their books.  The ideas are brilliant, yet the instructions make it seem so simple.  The vegetables in the picture above are all CANDY!!  I also used their tips to make this rose cupcakes from Starbursts and sugar...

If you are lucky, the weather this week is beautiful in your area, and maybe you can actually get out and do some gardening.  At least take a walk and enjoy the beauty of Spring.  If it's rainy or chilly out, maybe you can whip up a batch of these cupcakes to keep you in the GARDEN WEEK mood!!

Food ideas for Superbowl Sunday

Maybe you're not a big football fan.  Maybe your team didn't make it to the bowl this year.  So what?  Superbowl Sunday can still be a great excuse to have an amazing Sunday evening with your friends, eating lots, yelling at the tv, and actually looking forward to commercial breaks for once.  (Why can't the advertisers try that hard all of the time?)

You can always go for an elaborate spread, but it really isn't necessary.  The most important things for a Superbowl party are a clear view of the television, and plenty of snacks around throughout  the entire game for constant munching.  If you feel like decorating, the teams provide you with the color scheme.  If your team isn't playing, that doesn't mean you can't use their colors.  A true fan stays loyal to their team, right?

Staples around my house for football game food are generally:  Rotel dip, Little Smokies, Cheese and Summer Sausage, and sometimes a veggie tray with Ranch dip.  (Mom tends to throw that last one in after seeing all of the meat and cheese that is being consumed in one sitting!!)

Now for dessert, a simple one that everyone seems to love is Rice Krispie Treats.  For this occasion, use Cocoa Krispies, and shape the treats into footballs.  Top off with white icing "laces" and you're all set.  You can actually do the same thing with brownies.  Just cut into football shapes.

This year I have been looking for some new things to try.  My cousin Rhonda brought this dip to a family gathering, and it  was a new favorite for everyone.  It's like chicken wings in less-messy dip form!!  Here is the recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1 cup Ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 oz. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, and buffalo sauce until blended. Stir in chicken and colby jack cheese. Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake, at 350 degrees, 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

You can serve with any chips or crackers you prefer, but I like to serve it with Tostitos tortilla chips.  If you are a blue cheese fan, you can also substitute that for the ranch dressing.

Now for dessert, a simple one that everyone seems to love is Rice Krispie Treats.  For this occasion, use Cocoa Krispies, and shape the treats into footballs.  Top off with white icing "laces" and you're all set.  You can actually do the same thing with brownies.  Just cut into football shapes.

Well, that's probably what we will be doing.  I would love to hear ideas from the rest of you.  What are your favorite football foods, and what new things will you be trying this year?