Pretty little ladybug fairy!

Yup I finally finished my first homeade costume! People have said Ohhhh your sooo creative but really it was so easy to make. Making a tutu is surprisingly simple. Just a band of elastic (you do have to sew the ends together) and then using knots to attach the tulle. SIMPLE. Then two coat hangers with white pantyhose (spray painted red) and some black (glittered) felt for dots, and some glue, YOU HAVE LADY BUG WINGS! Then I took a head band, painted it black attached some cool pipe cleaners with little red poms glued to the end and youve got bug antaneas. Then Cameryn insisted that she needed a "bibbity bobbity booo wand" so we got one and made it work for a lady bug. Cameryn is sooo dang cute!!!!! LOVE IT!

My recipe:

Buttercream Frosting:

1 c butter (unsalted)
6-8 c powdered CANE sugar
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

When you need the frosting to withstand warmer temps you can do half butter half crisco or even all crisco but then you will need to add butter flavoring. The crisco stands up to warmer temps while butter tends to melt and turn messy really quickly. You add more milk to thin out the frosting and add more powdered cane sugar to thicken it. It is very important that you use CANE powdered sugar, sugar beat powdered sugar does not work as well or taste kinda funny. So just look for it to specify cane sugar.

New favorite find!

One of My Favorite new finds for cooking is Knorr Pesto seasoning. Its pretty much awesome. You can sprinkle it on buttered noodles, or throw in some cream cheese and or chicken, and it can really help spaghetti sauce too! I dont add a whole packet to spaghetti but it can really take my spaghetti sauce to that YUMMO!!!

SPLURGE!!!!

Ok. So Im super excited. I finally splurged and got myself a cake decorating kit, I even got the frosting dye, cake leveler and the almond and butter flavoring! Im so pumped. So this weekend I have to work but Im going to be doing a cake here pretty soon, but i need to make some frosting just to practice all the different things to do....thank god there are internet instructionals and hopefully I can figure it out! Now i just need to find the time to take some classes. My goal is to make the kids' birthday cakes!

hmmmm

So far this looks like just recipes....but it wont be. This was just stuff I could think of off the top of my head. Ive been kinda busy still trying to get settled in my apartment, get decor out and try to figure out a method to our madness of clothes....uhg. Hopefully after that I can find the time to do some creative stuff. I guess last night I did make some time for my chocolate chip banana bread, but it got a little burnt cuz Jaxon was screaming cuz I guess Bathtime wasnt as much fun as normal last night and he wanted out about the time I needed to get out my bread.....bummer. Its still edible but overdone..... :(

So I bought some curtains that are supposed to keep it dark in the room when they are pulled.....psshhhhh. The cheaper ones that I got for the living room do about the same! I wanted our room dark so maybe Jaxon will sleep in longer for us AND for the days that I sleep all day cuz I work the night shift occasionally. I still have such a long way to make our apartment feel like home......bah-hum-bug. I guess I should try to do that soon.....well maybe next week I have a few more days off next week!

My recipe:

Goulash

1 lb browned hamburger
1 large can of tomato soup
1 can corn
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 box of macaroni noodles cooked
1-2 T sugar
Splash or two of milk
garlic, cumin, pepper, and seasonings as desired

Combine all together and heat until all the cheese is melted and well mixed. This is a huge hit at my house. My husband even hates tomato soup but loves this. Sorry when I cook I tend to throw this or that into my meals.

My recipe:

Chili Spaghetti
(This is actually my Mother in laws recipe and my Hubbys FAVORITE!)

1 large can tomato sauce
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans
2-3 tsp sugar
1 package chili seasoning
1 lb browned hamburger
dash of cumin and pepper
garlic as desired
Cooked spaghetti noodles

Cook the sauce all together and let boil for 5-15 minutes until flavors can combine. Serve over the cooked noodles and serve with garlic toast.

My recipe:

Italian Pasta Salad

Colored Rigatoni noodles
1 can Rotel
Italian dressing
Chopped red onion
(optional black olives)

Cook the noodles and rinse will cold water until the noodles are cool and drain well. Add the other ingredients to the pasta. This pasta is fabulous and super duper easy!

My recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

1 bag of frozen italian meatballs
1 large jar of salsa
1 jar of apricot preserves
few red pepper flakes

Bake meatballs in the oven until done (as recommended on the bag). Pour the jar of Salsa and preserves into a crockpot. Start the cooking process while meatballs bake. Add in Pepper flakes. When the meatballs are done dump them into the sauce and leave crockpot on low. Perfect for pot lucks or yummy snacks.

Easy Caramel

Take 1-3 cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 Deep pot (stock pot)
Water

Remove the paper labels
Place unopened cans in the bottom of the pot
Fill the pot with water, at least 4 inches above the cans, and put the lid on.
Bring to a boil for at least 3 1/2 hours, with a steady boil.
Keep a very close eye on your water level (cans will explode if water level goes down) Add water as needed.
After the 3 1/2 hours turn off and let cool.
Once cool open up the cans and enjoy!!!!

Homeade Marshmallows

Homeade Marshmallows

1 c confectioners sugar
3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 c cold water, divided
2 c sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 T vanilla extract

Oil the bottom of a 9x13 pan and dust with confectioners sugar.

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 c cold water and let it stand to soften.

In a 3 quart saucepan cook sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 c cold water and salt over low heat with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture without stirring until candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over gelatin mixture. Stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
Beat with a mixer on high until white, thick, and tripled in volume (6-10 minutes).

In a seperate bowl and clean beaters beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Add in vanilla and sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into pan sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar over the top. Chill uncovered until firm (at least 3 hrs up to 1 day).

Run a thin knife around edges and invert pan over a cutting board. With a large knife or well oiled pizza cutter cut into one inch cubes. Sift remaining confectioners sugar onto pan, roll marshmallows into sugar, shake off excess and store in air tight container up to one week.

1st Post

This is my first post on my Random blog. I plan on keeping my thoughts, ideas, recipes I want to try and different things to try to keep myself busy but a good busy for relaxing! Hummmmdummm! There are recipes and craft ideas that I want to try or do so this is my way of keeping track of different ideas I guess.