Staining the Playset

Last week I stained our playset.  We built it last year from a kit (we aren't quite as cool as Mommy with a built-from-scratch playset).  The playset came with a "color treatment" but the wood wasn't stained and was starting to show a little wear.  We sanded the areas that were showing wear and made sure it was all cleaned (sprayed it off).  

We used Penofin stain (we used it on our fence 5 years ago too).  It isn't the cheapest stain, but it lasts.  We used about 1 1/2 gallons.  

To mask of the parts we didn't want stained (handles, "rocks", etc.) I used Press and Seal (saran wrap).  I tried newspaper first but decided that the press and seal was much easier/faster to use.  

We used a tank sprayer (like you would use for weeds) to apply the stain.  It is probably not as efficient as brushing it on, but it is much faster.  

In the process I learned to stain the inside first and then go back and do the outside (top to bottom).  Read the label on whatever stain you use to find out specific instructions for application.

Local Gem: International/Farmers Market

There are lots of local stores, groups, parks, etc. that can be great resources.

Today's local gem is an International Farmers Market.

The market carries tons of fruits and vegetables, both local and international, with several different varieties of each.  They have fresh, as in still swimming fish, with a fish counter with cleaning services.The market also has natural foods, and my favorite, foriegn sweets and juices.

It's good to know there's a store full of variety and possibilty.

Fresh Fruit Salad

During Spring and Summer we often have Fruit Salad as a dinner side dish.  There's just something about fruit when its warm outside-- it's lite, it's sweet, it's cool.

As a "dressing" to "glue" the salad together I use either:

2T Cool Whip

1T Orange Juice

Or

2T Cool Whip

2T Fruit Yogurt

Either one ties all the fruit together and makes the salad taste great.

Edible Cookie Dough

Okay, so in my opinion, all cookie dough is edible, but...eating something with raw eggs in it does mean there is a risk of salmonila.

With that in mind, when I really want cookie dough, and not cookies, I make egg free dough.

It's Simple!

Just substitute each egg in the recipe with 1/4 C of milk.

Happy doughing!

Homemade Cooked Jam

I came across strawberries on sale for $1/lb!!!  So I bought several and made some jam.  I have made freezer jam before but never cooked jam.  It wasn't hard to do and I don't have to worry about them taking up space in the freezer.  You will need: fruit, sugar and pectin (not instant).  Then you just follow the directions that came with the pectin.  I made 3.5 pints (7 cups) of jam with 3 lbs of strawberries.

To "crush" my strawberries, I just threw them in the blender.  You can make them as coarse or as smooth as your family likes it.

Also, the pectin tells you to process the jam in a water bath.  I was recently told by several people that water bathing jam is not necessary, they will seal and keep just fine without.  I didn't water bath mine.  Some people turn the jars upside down to help them seal better (I was told that wasn't necessary either).  I did turn mine upside down just in case.  They sealed just fine, but my jam is now stuck at the top of my jars. :(  Maybe next time I won't turn them upside down to seal.

DIY Watering Can

I wanted to buy a watering can last year but never did.  I saw this awesome idea to make your own watering can.  Yay for FREE things!

All you need is a bottle with a lid (I used an juice bottle) and a drill with a little drill bit (mine was 1/16").

Take the lid off of the bottle and drill several holes spaced out all over the lid.  It is best to turn the lid upside down and drill from the inside so that it is well supported.  I put it on a scrap piece of wood so that my work surface didn't end up with holes in it.

Drill one or two holes in the handle of the bottle.  This allows air flow into the bottle so that you can pour water continuously.

Ta Da!  An awesome DIY watering can made in about 2 minutes.

As a note, the first time I was going to make this I tried using a hammer and nail to punch holes in the lid.  Turned out to be not such a great idea.  The lid cracked and I had to wait for us to drink more juice.  The drill worked great.

Consignment Sales

This weekend there was a kids' consignment sale.  Oh how I love the consignment sales!  It makes me so happy to get awesome deals.  Maybe I am just cheap, but why not get perfectly good things for super cheap instead of buying brand new things for 10 times more money?  I got all of the stuff in the picture for $14.  I got a few pairs of shoes too that are already put away.

Where I live they hold the consignment sale twice a year (April and October).  The sales have all things kid: clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, bedding, strollers, etc.  They even have a few hours at the end of the sale when a lot of the stuff is half off.

Do a little googeling and see if there are consignment sales where you live.  It is a great way to save some money, especially when kids are really little and grow out of clothes so fast.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

I tried a new bread recipe yesterday.  It turned out really good.  We already ate a whole loaf (which is a lot for two adults, a toddler and a baby)!

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

2 tsp. yeast
1/3 c. warm water

1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. boiling water
1 1/2 c. buttermilk (or 1 1/2 c. milk plus 1 1/2 T. vinegar)
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 Tbs. salt

1. Combine water and yeast. In a separate bowl, combine the oats and boiling water. Let both mixtures stand 8-10 minutes. The yeast should look creamy and foamy.

2. Place all ingredients except salt into a mixer. Knead with dough hook for 2-3 minutes, then let rest for 20 minutes. Add salt and knead with dough hook in mixer on medium for an additional 15 minutes.

3. Turn the dough out into a well oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat it, then cover and let rise for approximately 1 hour or until it has doubled.

4. Punch down the dough and cut in half. Talk one half and place on a lightly oiled (sprayed) surface and press into a rectangle shape.  Fold into thirds, letter-style, smashing it with the side of your hand after each fold to distribute the dough evenly.  Fold the bread in thirds again, this time going the other way (90 degrees from before) then roll up. Pinch the seams closed and place seam side down into your prepared loaf pan.  with the other half of the dough.

5. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle a few additional oats onto the top of the loaf. Very gently press into place (this makes it look pretty, but I would be fine without it). Let rise in a warm place for an additional 30-60 minutes.

6. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the internal temp reaches 190-200 degrees.

Resourceful Leftovers

Sometimes our leftovers aren't say, a casserole, but one of the sides. 

Use them up by finding another dish for them to go into.

Case in point--leftover Polish Sausage.

I chopped up the sausage and added it to Spaghetti Sauce instead of using ground beef.

A few dashes of extra spices and Voila!

Roll Your Own Coins

We have a piggy (frog) bank that we always put our change in.  It was getting to the point that we couldn't put more in (it took us several years to get there).  I was going to take the change to one of the machines at the grocery store but that charge 10%.  Ouch!  The next time I was at our credit union I asked if they would accept change, they said they did but it had to be rolled.  They gave me all the paper rolls that I needed for free.  An evening watching TV shows and rolling change later we have $63.50 all ready to deposit.  That saved us $6.35!!  Wahoo!

If you have a lot of change laying around, see if your bank will take it, even if you have to roll it.

Non-permanent Picture Hanging

Whenever I hang light weight things on the walls I use 3M Command strips because they're not permanent but they hold well.

I use the strips for hanging canvases (like above), wood words, foam-core posterboard backed portraits...anything light. And depending on the items weight i may use only 1\2 a strip.

When you want to take something down just pull it off VERY Slowly and the Command strip will do its stretch thing and release from the wall.

No nail holes.

How to Remove Armpit Stains

I have quite a few undershirts that have armpit stains so I don't really like to wear them but I am too cheap to buy new ones.  Today I decided to see if I could get the stains out.  I found somethings that worked pretty well, it wasn't perfect but I would say significantly improved.  I am thinking that if I did it one more time, it would look good as new.

Here is what you need:

Hydrogen Peroxide

Blue Dawn Dishsoap

Baking Soda (optional)

Mix one part Dawn to two parts hydrogen peroxide.  I just mixed mine in a little bowl, you could mix it in a spray bottle too.  Then put a little bit of your solution on the stain (I put on enough to saturate it).  Now sprinkle on a little baking soda for added kick (if desired) and scrub it a little bit with a nail brush.  I scrubbed inside and out which may have been overkill but things were not pretty.  Let the solution sit for awhile (I let it sit about an hour) and then wash as you normally would.

Happy stain removing!

Layered Chicken Cordon Bleu

 No more chicken flattening!

I'm all about easier and quicker dinners, hence this layered no fuss version that tastes just as delicious.

 

Layered Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients: Chicken, Ham, Swiss Cheese, Bread Crumbs, Grated Parmesan, Basil, Garlic.

 Directions:  Layer Chicken, Ham, and Swiss Cheese.

Top with mixture of Bread Crumbs, Grated Parmesan, Basil, Garlic--drizzle with melted buter.

Bake at 350 deg. for 30 min or until Chicken is cooked.

 

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries were on sale and that means time to make some Strawberry Shortcake!  We use a recipe that Uncle's mom created.  It includes strawberry sauce which I personally am ok without, but you can decide how you like it.

Sauce

1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

1/2 small package strawberry jello

1/2 package strawberry kool-aid

Mix sugar, cornstarch, jello and kool-aid in a medium saucepan.  Add 1 cup boiling water, cook until bubbly stirring constantly.  Add 1 cup cold water, refrigerate until set.

Shortbread

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

2 c. Bisquick

2 1/2 T cornmeal

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs; mix.  Mix in milk and vanilla.  Add Bisquick and Cornmeal; mix until incorporated.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes in a greased 9x13 pan.

Serve your shortcake with the strawberry sauce (if desired), sliced strawberries and whipped cream (or cool whip).

DIY Eye Brow Darkening

I may have brown hair but my eye brows are BLONDE, both naturally, if you're wondering.  I used to use eye brow pencils once in a while but always felt it looked so fake.  Then one day my Grammy offered a solution--Just for Men's Mustache and Beard hair dye.  It works great.  And you don't have to apply it everyday;)

 Prep: Wax or pluck your eye brows. You don't want stray hairs being dyed.

1: Squeeze out equal parts color and developer.

2: Mix well.

3: Apply a thick layer to each brow.

4: Let set based on box directions.

5: Wipe off with a wet paper towel.

Clean-up: Use a cotton ball of Alcohol to remove dye from skin.  Rinse out applicator and pan to use another month.

Oven-Fried Chimichangas

Tonight was yet another Mexican Dinner Night.  We tried a new recipe that was really good (and not as bad for you as the traditional deep fried version).  

Oven-Fried Chimichangas

2/3 c. salsa

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken or 1 (12 oz) can chicken

1 c. shredded cheese

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 T. butter, melted

Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano and cheese.  Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Fold in the ends of the tortilla and then roll it up.  Place seam side down on a baking sheet.  Brush with melted butter.  Bake at 400 deg for 25 minutes or until golden.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and cheese on top, if desired.

Birthday Party Decorations

We have a Hello Kitty party planned for Miss Janey tomorrow, so I've been working on some special party decorations to hang around the house.

Hello Kitty String

1- Print out pictures themed to the party.

2- Cut out, and then connect by sewing--gently pull threads back as you sew a few inches, sew down a paper pic, sew a few more inches of empty thread gentle pulling thread back as you sew, sew down another paper pic....etc.

String of Tissue Paper Flowers

1- Make a handful of Tissue Paper pom-pom Flowers.

2- Before fluffing, attach tissue paper fans to a ribbon or string.

3- Fluff flowers and hang!

Tissue Paper pom-pom Flowers

I've made these tissue paper flowers a few times lately.  For Valentine's Day I made each of the kids a flower with a stem made from a pipe cleaner.  Now I'm busy making some to use as party decorations.

To make Tissue Paper Flowers:

1- Fold tissue to form squares, cut at folds.

2- Laying 8 squares in a pile, fold the stack like a fan, back and forth.

3- Staple through the middle of the 'fan', and cut edges to round off.

4- Fluff flower by pulling layers apart.

Not hard, but does take little time, especially if you are making several.

Try using multiple colors in 1 flower. 

Cleaning Rags

I have some microfiber kitchen towels that we were given.  I used them a few times but decided that I didn't really like them, so they just sat in the cupboard taking up space.  Today I decided to turn the towels into cleaning rags.  People always talk about using microfiber for cleaning.

All I did was cut my towel into fourths and then finish the cut edges (I used the serger but you could zig-zag on a regular machine too.)  Wala!  New cleaning rags!

Breakfast Burritos

My daughter requested a quesadilla for breakfast this morning, I wasn't sure that was the best thing....so we made breakfast burritos instead.  

Here's what you need:

breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, ham (we used turkey bacon today))

eggs

veggies (bell pepper, onion, tomato, etc)

tortillas

toppings (cheese, salsa, avacado...)

Cook up your meat and take it out of the pan (you could leave it in if it is sausage or cut into pieces), add your veggies that you want sauteed (onions, peppers), when those are ready add your scrambled eggs to cook.  Put the meat and eggs in your tortilla and add the toppings (cheese, salsa).  Yummy!

Headband out of a Sock

You read correctly...a headband out of a sock, in just 3 easy steps.

1- Cut a 1-2in strip of sock, horizontally, from above the heel.

2- Cut strips every 1/2in., in same horizontal direction, leaving the last inch uncut.

3- Stretch, firmly, you'll feel some threads pop

And its ready to wear.

You can make these out of any sock, the color options are endless.  You can even clip a favorite hair bow or flower on for extra "cuteness".

Easy Lasagna

I used to take the time to soften an layer lasagna noodles.  But no more.  My new "mix it all together" version is easier and more kid friendly.  Plus it takes a lot less time.

Easy Lasagna

9 oz.  Bow tie pasta or penne cooked
16 oz. Cottage Cheese
1 egg
1/4 C Grated Parmesean
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 1/2 C. Mozzerella or Cheddar
1/2 lb. Ground beef or Roll Sausage
1/2 C. Mozzerella, for top

Mix all ingredients in casserole dish and top with final Mozzerella.
Bake at 350 for 30+ mins. until sides are bubbling.

Hint: while I'm cooking noodles and meat I mix up everything else and put it in the oven to beggin heating.  This way the dish is done sooner: when you add the meat and noodles they're already warm. :)

Semi-Homemade Donuts

Our inexpensive, weekend, alternative.

Donuts

Canned buttermilk biscuits (not grand)

Oil--heated to 300 degrees

Cinnamon and sugar in a bowl

Remove biscuits from can and tear holes in centers.

Fry in heated oil, turning/removing when browned.

Set on paper towels to drain off some oil.

Coat in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Whole process takes about 15min for 1 can, 20min for 2 cans.

 

Chocolate Lasagna

My brother-in-law came to visit this weekend and decided that we needed to try this dessert recipe that he had come across.  I can't say no to dessert, so we did.  It is pretty yummy (even if the picture isn't the greatest).  The recipe that we found called it Chocolate Lasagna but we had discussions about other names instead (because apparantly "lasgana" makes some people think about noodle, which this does not have) some other ideas were Chocolate Strata and Chocolate Goodness.  Whatever you decide to call it, it is pretty addicting!

Chocolate Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
1 package regular Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies
6 Tablespoon butter, melted
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
3 1/4 cups cold milk
1 cup mini chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS
1. Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
2. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
3. Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the crust.
4. In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
5. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

Ladder Picture Frame

I saw this neat idea at the Children's Museum yesterday...

Using an old ladder as a series of picture frames.

Would be a perfect idea for a Fire Fighter Family, or maybe a Construction Worker's Family.

Just measure the space between rungs to figure out what size of pics you need.  Print them up and mount them on foam core poster board--for some depth--and hang.  I use 3M's poster mounts when hanging large foam mounted pics.

For some DIY Portrait helps go here.

Grilled Pizza

It is getting warm here, that means it is time to start grilling.  One of our favorite things that we started to grill last year was pizza.  Uncle was very skeptical the first time I did it, but there has been no looking back!  Oh how we love grilled pizza at our house!

You will need pizza dough, toppings, and a grill.

We have a gas grill, we preheat it and then set it to medium heat.  

Flatten out your dough (we make 3-4 smaller pizzas) and put it on the grill (top right pic) after a few minutes (3-4) it will be cooked on the first side (top left).  When it is done on one side, take it off and put it doughy side down (we like to put it onto a cutting board) and add your toppings.  Put it back onto the grill and let it finish cooking (another 3-4 minutes).  Then you are ready to eat your awesome grilled pizza!

DIY Hand-Weights

Sometimes I need lighter hand-weights than my 5 pounders...

Enter CANS OF SOUP!

 They make great weights that are light enough to get me through the workout, while still providing resistance. Two thumbs up!

Mongolian Beef - Crock Pot

We tried a new recipe for dinner.  I was excited when I saw this recipe because we always like to get Mongolian Beef when we go out for Chinese.  This wasn't quite the same, but pretty yummy (Uncle even said so without prompting).

1 lb. steak, thinly sliced (I used sirloin)

1/4 c cornstarch

2 T oil

1/2 tsp. ginger, minced (or 1/8 tsp. dry)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c soy sauce

1/2 c water

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c shredded carrots

3 green onions, sliced

addition green onions for topping

cooked rice

Lightly coat the steak slices in cornstarch and place in the bottom of the crock pot.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the steak.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.  Serve over cooked rice with additional sliced green onions on top.

DIY Children's Portraits

I just took the kids portraits and I'm in the process of editing them.

I've been taking my children's portraits for a couple of years now. While we did recently purchase a Digital SLR--an older model off ebay, to save money--our point and shoot camera works just fine. 

I started taking the kids portraits because:

• portrait studio prices are too high
• the length of time it took the studio to show you the pictures was a waste of my time
• the studio's need to up-sale you on collages, etc.
• photo prints are very cheap at Costco
• if I take the photo's I get to keep any and all of them
• I know how to use PhotoShop 

Now, I do have some education in photography, but in reality everything I know about taking successful portraits has been learned via trial and error.  And, DIY Daddy is a PhotoShop expert, but I've had to learn to do the PhotoShop-ing myself.  You just have to get out there and try.  The hardest part is getting the kids to smile and look at the camera, at the same time!  There are always some great out-takes (like my little thumb sucker down there).

Some portrait taking tips:

• Keep your framing tight--it's not a snapshot of a broad scene--get a close-up of the kids
• Carefully choose your backdrop--make sure there aren't 'ugly' things in the shot: cars, roads, phone lines, etc.
• Get some photo editing software--Windows comes with one called Paint
• Learn some basic photo editing--crop, levels, sharpening focus, collage making, frames, edge effects
• Get portrait ideas by doing an image search

After the actual shooting:

• look through, pick your favorites
• adjust levels and crop
• print sizes and quantities you want

Mud Room

We built a "mud room" addition to our laundry room (it is right by the garage so it is a good location, and just big enough).  I asked Uncle for some hooks on the wall and was thinking to get a little shoe shelf to sit by the washing machine so that things weren't always just laying on the floor, but he did better than that.  Much better.  Here is the mud room unit that we ended up with.  Pretty awesome if you ask me!  I especially like that there are two rows of hooks.  One row for jackets and one for bags for the grown-ups; and the kids can get to the lower hooks for their jackets.

I'll give you an idea of how we (mostly Uncle) built it, but not mass amounts of detail.

We measured the space in the laundry room and had five feet to work with so we decided to make five sections, each being one foot wide.

First, Uncle built the bench.  He used 3/4"x11" wood.  The top of the bench is 5' long.  Each of the six vertical supports is 18 3/4" tall.  He used the router to cut 1/4" grooves in the vertical supports to slide the shoe shelves into (the shelves are 1/4" plywood).  The grooves are 6" and 12" from the floor.  The vertical supports were attached to the top part of the bench with nails from the top.  To help keep the bench square (and for prettiness), we nailed bead board to the back of the bench.

To help keep the middle section in place, we routed out grooves in the top of the bench that were the same dimension and location as the vertical wood pieces of the middle section and 1/4" deep. (This is hard to see in the picture.)

The next step was to build the middle section.  We used 1"x4"s for this part.  We kept the two horizontal boards as they were (didn't cut into them at all) and cut notches into the vertical boards that the horizontal pieces fit into.  We used our awesome oscillating tool and the router to make the notches.  We nailed the horizontal pieces to the vertical ones from the back.

The vertical pieces are 41 3/4" tall.  The middle (vertically) of our two boards are 23 1/2" and 35 1/2" from the bottom of the vertical boards.

We slide the vertical boards of the middle section into the grooves that we made on the top of the bench and attached it to the bench by toenailing finishing nails in from the back (putting in the nail at an angle and using a nail punch to make the nail so that it doesn't poke out).

Next we added bead board to the middle section, nailing it on to help keep everything square.

We put furring strips across the front of the shoe shelves to give it a nice finished look.

We built the top section similar to how we built the bench.  We used 3/4"x9" wood for the top section so that it didn't stick out too far.  The vertical pieces are 16 1/4" tall.  We routed one groove in the vertical pieces 3 inches from the bottom for the shelves to slide into.  Uncle envisions this 3" space being used for papers (or maybe one day we will add little doors that flap down).  I plan to get some baskets for the uppermost section to store things like hats and gloves.  

The unit was a little too tall to fit through the door fully assembled so we had to finish assembly inside.  

Before we moved it in, we painted all of the pieces (three coats of semi-gloss white).

To assemble the top section onto the rest of the unit, we nailed the bottom horizontal piece onto the vertical pieces of the middle section.  Then we set the top piece (the one that we made kind of like the bench), with bead board attached to the back, on top of that and nailed it in from the bottom.  We put a furring strip across the front of the plywood shelves of the top section.  

We anchored the unit to the wall (screws into the studs through the horizontal pieces of the middle section), filled the holes with wood putty, touched up paint, added the hooks, and we were finally done.  We think that it turned out pretty awesome.  It has been done for a few weeks now and we have used it a ton.  It is so nice to have everyone's shoes and jackets right by the door.  It's nice to have a spot to put my "mommy bag" too.

Here is the laundry room before:

And here it is with the mud room unit all done!