tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19812748887031747152024-03-13T05:43:52.883-04:0052 Week Pinterest Challengeochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-70735062365349015582012-12-23T22:15:00.003-05:002012-12-23T22:16:01.588-05:00Week 22 Theme...Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!<br />
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For this week since it is Christmas and it will be a busy few days, the Pinterest Challenge theme will be Elf on the Shelf. This year we decided to introduce Elf on the Shelf to our toddler, mostly because Pinterest had some great ideas on places to put him and things he could do. Really I think Pinterest should be making some of the profits of Elf on the Shelf. It ended up being a great success, our two year old loved to get up every morning and find our Elf, he named Snow. <br />
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This week I will be sharing all of the crazy things and some boring places our Elf traveled too. If it wasn't for Pinterest our Elf would have just moved back and forth between a few shelves. Check back this week to check out our Elf. <br />
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And Have a Merry and Safe Holiday! <br />
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ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-71067554764272281492012-12-22T14:03:00.000-05:002012-12-22T14:03:10.817-05:00Scrabble Necklace TutorialOnly 3 days till Christmas! Everyday I get a little more excited.<br />
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This week I have been working on homemade Christmas Gifts, inspired by Pinterest of course. I saw this Pinspiration a few months ago and have been really excited to make this for my friends for Christmas. A personalized necklace with their initial on it. LOVE IT!!!!<br />
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The thing with Pinterest pins is sometimes you don't click on the picture to see where the link leads to. So when I was ramping up to go buy the supplies and get to work on this gift, I got on Pinterest and clicked the pin and it went to a page to buy this necklace for $36.99! Well that is a little too rich for me. I searched all over the internet to find a tutorial on how to make a Scrabble tile necklace, and fail. I have never made jewelery before, but I figured how hard can it be.<br />
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So with the help of this Pinspiration, and for a fraction of the cost of one, I made 12 necklaces. Here is how...<br />
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First I went to an antique shop that sold Scrabble tile pieces for $0.25 each. You can also find the tiles on Esty.com, or you can just use your own scrabble game if you want. <br />
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Once I had all the tiles, I went to Michael's in search of a chain of some sort. I'm not a huge fan of fake chains, I didn't want my friends to have green necks. So I found a great alternative, and it came with the clasps I needed to make the necklaces. I went with waxed cotton cord. Each package came with enough hardware to make 5 pieces of jewelry for $3.99. I had to buy 3 packages.<br />
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Next I used my neck to guesstimate how long I wanted the necklace to be, once I finished one necklace I went and cut the rest in relation to how much longer or short I thought it should be. Then I set a side 2 crimp hardware pieces (included in chain set), 1 clasp (included in chain set), and 1 0.35in/9mm jump ring ($2.99 for a 85 pieces), for each neckalce.<br />
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For each necklace I used needle-nose pliers and crimped on the end pieces to both ends.<br />
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Then I used the pliers to open the ring on one side of the crimp hardware and applied the clasp, then closed the crimp ring <br />
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The next step I had a little help with. My husband drilled all the holes in the Scrabble tiles with a 1/16" drill bit.<br />
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Lastly, I used the needle-nose pliers to open the 9mm jump ring, put it through the drilled hole in the Scrabble tile, closed the jump ring. Now it's time to put the tile on the necklace. And Ta-da...<br />
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I did find that the wax cord was having trouble straightening out (like it had kinks in it), since it was wrapped around the board that it was packaged with. So I put it between a dish towel and ironed it at medium heat, and it worked like magic!<br />
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This was sort of a Pinterest Success, definitely an Olivia Success! I made one for me and I love it, I think my friends will love it too!ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-41146577080249446732012-12-21T18:13:00.001-05:002012-12-21T18:13:21.539-05:00Neighbor Christmas GiftsI'm getting so excited about Christmas, only 4 days away! I had a very successful shopping week, and successful Pinterest homemade gifts week. Now I just have to start wrapping and then I will be all ready for Christmas.<br />
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This weekend I am going to start giving out some of the Pinterest Pinspiration project gifts. The first Pinspiration was for a neighbor gift. We have the world's best neighbors and they deserve the world, but instead they are going to get these cute inexpensive gifts I made. :) <br />
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My inspiration came from this Pinterest Pin:<br />
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They just made Chex Muddy Buddies, added Christmas M&Ms, and put in a container. Since they used Starbucks Frappuccino Containers and I didn't have those, I went with a different container.<br />
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Muddy Buddies are so easy to make, here is the quick recipe (also found on the back of a Chex box)...<br />
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<b>Chex Muddy Buddies</b></div>
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9 cups of Rice Chex (or Corn Chex, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex, even Cinnamon Chex is great) <b></b></div>
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips</div>
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1/2 cup peanut butter</div>
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1/4 butter or margarine</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla</div>
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1 1/2 cups powdered sugar</div>
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1 bag of milk chocolate M&Ms</div>
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1. Measure out 9 cups of Chex in a large bowl and set aside.</div>
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2. In a medium, microwavable-safe container, add chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter\margarine, and vanilla. Microwave uncovered for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. </div>
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3. Pour smooth mixture over cereal, until evenly coated.<br />
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4. Then pour cereal into a large Ziploc bag (2 gallons, although I used a 1 gallon and it worked just fine).<br />
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5. Add powdered sugar to the bag. Seal the bag, then shake until well coated. Once that was finished, I added the mix back to the bowl (after I cleaned it), and added the bag of M&Ms.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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6. Once it was all cooled, I added it to the containers I bought. I cheated a little, because last year my friend gave us Chex Muddy Buddies in a Christmas Tree container, so I found more of them at Walmart for $1.98 each.<br />
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I'm excited to give our neighbors their Christmas gift. I think the Chex Muddy Buddies are delish, and the containers are super cute; so I think it's a Pinterest Success. But the neighbors might not think that :Pochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-91174594162179142602012-12-16T23:02:00.001-05:002012-12-16T23:06:22.259-05:00Week 21 Theme...Christmas is right around the corner, NO LITERALLY it is just about a week away! Every year I am so wrapped up in everything Christmas time has to offer, that I get so behind on gift buying. This year seems even worse; I have some major shopping to do the next eight days.<br />
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Since we are a family on a single income, I like to make some sort of inexpensive homemade gifts for friends and neighbors. Thanks again to Pinterest, there are a million and seven ideas for homemade gifts. Maybe my homemade gifts can step it up a notch this year, with the help of some Pinspiration. <br />
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This week's Pinterest Challenge is to make homemade Christmas gifts for my friends and neighbors. I'm going to have to find time somehow in this busy shopping schedule this week to complete this task, maybe I should be looking a Pinterest Pins on time management instead. :P<br />
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I am looking forward to seeing what I can create on a budget, and hopefully it won't be too lame, so people will actually like it. ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-78812594459613883432012-12-15T11:01:00.002-05:002012-12-15T11:01:41.725-05:00Peanut Butter Kiss CookiesFor this week of Christmas cookies, I made one other Pinterest cookie. Since I love my sweets and I eat too many cookies, I only tried out two recipes.<br />
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My sister use to love to make these cookies at Christmas time, and I use to love to eat them. So I tried my luck with this Pinterest pin, <a href="http://ladolcivita.blogspot.com/2009/12/peanut-butter-kiss-cookies.html">Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies</a>:<br />
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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies (Makes about 30ish):<br />
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- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter<br />
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp<br />
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
- 2 large eggs<br />
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
- 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour<br />
- 1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
- 1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling<br />
- 30 chocolate kisses, unwrapped (I had about 36 cookies, so I needed a few more kisses)<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.<br />
2. Mix peanut butter and butter until smooth with an electric mixer, or stand. Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.<br />
3. Place granulated sugar on a plate. Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball, then roll into the sugar. Place on cookies sheets, 2 inches apart.<br />
4. Bake until the cookies begin to puff up, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, gently press in chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Then return to the oven and bake for about 2 to 3 minutes, until cookies are golden and cholocate is soft.<br />
5. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.<br />
6. Then Enjoy!<br />
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These cookies are amazing, just as good as when my sister makes them! This was a Christmas tradition success and of course a Pinterest Success! ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-297427261771085282012-12-15T10:40:00.000-05:002012-12-15T10:40:53.454-05:00Colorful Swirl CookiesThis week I have done a little Christmas baking. Thanks to Pinterest I tried a couple new recipes.<br />
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This Pinterest pin was my inspiration for one of the Christmas cookies I baked, <a href="http://ouritaliankitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/colorful-swirl-cookies.html">recipe here:</a><br />
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Mine looked nothing like this beautiful master piece, and they weren't the best sugar cookies. But since I love cookies, I ate way too many of these mediocre cookies. <br />
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<u><b>Colorful Swirl Cookies</b></u><br />
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- 2 cups of flour (The recipe that I followed, used regular flour, but the recipe they followed said cake flour. So maybe it would have tasted better with cake flour?)<br />
- 1/2 tsp of baking powder<br />
- 1/4 tsp of salt<br />
- 2/3 cup of unsifted powdered sugar<br />
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar<br />
- 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter<br />
- 1 tsp of vanilla<br />
- 1/2 tsp of food coloring your choice (and/or 1/2 tsp of any desired extra extracts) <br />
- 1 1/2 cup of holiday sprinkles (I only used about 1/4 cup of sprinkles) <br />
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1. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars. <br />
2. Add in butter and vanilla extract, mix until smooth. <br />
3. Remove half of the dough and roll it between two pieces of wax paper. About 9 x 11 (I think mine was more 11 x 11) and about 1/4 inch thick (I just eye balled it).<br />
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4. Then with the remaining dough in the bowl, mix food coloring (if you use a water based food coloring add a little bit of extra flour). Also add extra extract if you want, I added a little bit extra vanilla, but you could use mint, or lemon, or whatever you like.<br />
5. Then roll out the second half of the dough, the same way as the first half. Then refrigerate for about 2 hours.<br />
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6. When firm, remove the top sheet of both halves of dough, brush the uncolored dough with water using a pastry brush. <br />
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7. Now put the two tops together and trim around the outside, to make straight even lines. Then roll up the dough into a long log, and roll into sprinkles.<br />
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8. Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours. Once refrigerated you can slice the dough log (1/4 - 1/8 inch slices) and start baking.<br />
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9. Bake at 350 for 15 - 17 minutes. Let cookies rest on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a cooking rack to finish cooling.<br />
10. Then enjoy!<br />
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This dough was so hard to work with. It was either too hard and cracking, or too soft and melting; there was no in between stage. Plus, they didn't taste the greatest. I mean I ate them like they were amazing, but they weren't. Also they crumbled everywhere. You can even see in my finish picture the sprinkle layer was parting from the cookie. So I think I have to call this a Pinterest Fail, maybe? ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-12728247992583081542012-12-09T22:24:00.000-05:002012-12-09T22:24:53.767-05:00Week 20 Theme...You my have noticed I love sweets, and I love to bake. Most of the Pinterest food pins I post are all delicious sweets. <br />
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So I can't have a month of Christmas fun without a week of baking Christmas cookies! This week I will be baking up some new cookie recipes for cookie exchanges and get togethers. <br />
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Baking is one of my favorite things to do around Christmas time, so I can't wait to try out some new Pinterest inspired treats. Hopefully I don't eat them all before they reach their destinations. ;) ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-85791261315500745222012-12-08T17:49:00.001-05:002012-12-08T17:52:30.771-05:00Christmas Center PiecesThis year I decided to update my Dinning Room table center piece, with the help of Pinterest of course.<br />
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I loved all the glass containers with ornaments in them, like in this Pinterest Pin. <br />
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Since I have a bunch of glass vases, I decided to use those and to add some Christmas floral to them. So I used the ornament in a glass container as my Pinspiration, but also got a little bit more creative.<br />
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I started with a plain glass vase and filled it with plain ornaments I found at the dollar store:<br />
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Next I added some very glittery Christmas floral (from Michael's) to the vase:<br />
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Then I placed it on a gold platter (also from Michael's), added some ribbon, hot glued some of the floral, ornaments and cinnamon scented pine cones to the platter:<br />
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Here is the front view:<br />
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Here is the back view:<br />
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I did make two for my table, still not sure if I love the two of them there together. I might move one to another table, but I'm not sure because it is starting to grow on me. <br />
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I did veer off of the original pin, but since it was my inspiration I will still call this one another success. ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-34809178377740398782012-12-08T17:35:00.002-05:002012-12-08T17:53:05.289-05:00Oh Christmas Tree!This week the Chapmans have been working on Decking the Halls for Christmas. We are still not completely finished, but I am finished with a couple of Pinterest inspiration crafts.<br />
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The first Pinterest Pin was a craft that my girlfriends worked on at a craft party. I wasn't feeling too well so I wasn't able to go, but I did steal their Pinspiration to create one at home. <a href="http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-ornament-tree.html">Here is the craft they did:</a><br />
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For the tree here, the artist hot glued tinsel around the foam cone first, then glued the ornaments all around it. I figured since the cone was green like a tree, I would skip this step.<br />
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Here is how I created my ornament tree:<br />
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I started with a foam cone from Michael's and started hot gluing lots of ornaments (from the dollar store) around the cone.<br />
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I thought it would look cool if I used lots of different sizes. Hhhmmm, not so much. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz8RkaVF2sX_6lcjghk6LB77bk_eDwj18E7g6rNYAjSRJKJ2X7QVrrOQKs_oUh0vFtsGweGXlwOFtASm4uvXSsn2jrzI74hu26Y5VlJfNxZbufn7XEi_eqTEXT2WZydkMpTw6kTYtiGtS/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz8RkaVF2sX_6lcjghk6LB77bk_eDwj18E7g6rNYAjSRJKJ2X7QVrrOQKs_oUh0vFtsGweGXlwOFtASm4uvXSsn2jrzI74hu26Y5VlJfNxZbufn7XEi_eqTEXT2WZydkMpTw6kTYtiGtS/s320/IMG_1117.JPG" width="168" /> </a></div>
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But once I added the bow, put it on a silver platter, and added some left over Christmas floral (from my other project) to it, I think it looked pretty nice.</div>
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I ended up making two more little ones, and only used one size ornament. With the three all together, I think it came out pretty amazing. Especially since the big one was a little questionable for a while.<br />
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Here is what our stocking display looks like, with our beautiful trees...<br />
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Overall it was a Pinterest Success. If I had it to do all over again I would have used the same size ornaments for the entire large tree so it looked a little more uniform. That's what I get for trying to be creative. <br />
<br />ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-1567487274189645392012-12-02T21:09:00.003-05:002012-12-02T21:10:35.711-05:00Week 19 Theme...It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well, not at the Chapman House. <br />
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This week we plan to Deck the Halls (and the rest of the house too)! With a little Pinterest help, our home might just be a little more merrier this year. <br />
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I love this time of year and I am excited to create some Pinterest Christmas crafts for around the house. I haven't picked out any particular crafts yet, but I'm sure I'll pick at least one by the end of the week. If not then this would be a really dull week :) <br />
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Check back later this week for all the Christmas Cheer!ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-48377931977499827682012-12-01T10:11:00.000-05:002012-12-01T10:11:05.454-05:00Christmas Advent CalenderToday is December 1st, which means it's time to start the countdown 'til Christmas. What better way to count down than with an Advent Calender?<br />
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Thanks to Pinterest, there are about a million ideas on how to make an Advent Calendar. The main Pinterest Pin that inspired me was this pin. <a href="http://kimberlypetersen.typepad.com/photos/things_i_made/advent.html">More detail here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnt56oJRoIrUIW4OSDzABhMEacKpLP2sgthasEepOeBE_GHmuQAQQ2ekXKbPEE7RxK_R8BzC6mK2L2dXL-HVrcrdaA1F6zo18AgYZTfcNVzMV340_q_fT55lroys34dCHHYc92hsYTAu8/s1600/140596819586465790_bEppi6kv_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnt56oJRoIrUIW4OSDzABhMEacKpLP2sgthasEepOeBE_GHmuQAQQ2ekXKbPEE7RxK_R8BzC6mK2L2dXL-HVrcrdaA1F6zo18AgYZTfcNVzMV340_q_fT55lroys34dCHHYc92hsYTAu8/s400/140596819586465790_bEppi6kv_c.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>
I loved this advent calendar because each day they have a Christmas family activity, rather than just having a chocolate or candy cane for each day.<br />
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For my advent calendar I used my foam board that I used for my Pinterest Halloween Costume for the background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTx4TZpUM2yuiADumBjrKhu6pNu-M2zpNrEl7nBzZgjcXZnuBsBf04kzcQ1vBzqVjvP3KpA4NTdUnAYwI-OdRECQiBSosj_mf9vUnLx0keoBQnlNqKGOZvkO3eAyZ8i7l3nJpWBsIKiTz/s1600/IMG_3235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTx4TZpUM2yuiADumBjrKhu6pNu-M2zpNrEl7nBzZgjcXZnuBsBf04kzcQ1vBzqVjvP3KpA4NTdUnAYwI-OdRECQiBSosj_mf9vUnLx0keoBQnlNqKGOZvkO3eAyZ8i7l3nJpWBsIKiTz/s320/IMG_3235.JPG" width="174" /></a></div>
I also purchased some Christmas stock paper for $9.99, and cut out 3.5" x 5" pieces of paper. I decorated each of the pieces with some more paper and a number.<br />
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The stock paper I bought actually had a page with numbers, so I cut out all 25 numbers. This took me forever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTIP4MTJpL75V9XTyjT1DJtDRgxsU1RcXvWP0YR7tyOW7Y4l44b_Zc7Q8auY1DbCgxsNPs0OjZcO-lEGaM0g1NFL5Vx5Gg8_SAXviYAzrqzwCGPrv4_v3PcLSi92fZD28N9YWQ7rg3C1S/s1600/IMG_3264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTIP4MTJpL75V9XTyjT1DJtDRgxsU1RcXvWP0YR7tyOW7Y4l44b_Zc7Q8auY1DbCgxsNPs0OjZcO-lEGaM0g1NFL5Vx5Gg8_SAXviYAzrqzwCGPrv4_v3PcLSi92fZD28N9YWQ7rg3C1S/s320/IMG_3264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Next I used a glue stick and glued all 25 pieces equalish distance apart. I only glued the right and left sides and the bottom, so that it was like an envelope.<br />
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I also cut out 25 pieces of the stock paper into 2" x 3" pieces , punched a hole in the top and then tied some ribbon in each hole. This was for each day's activity, which I printed out and glued on the smaller pieces of paper. These are to go into each day's "envelopes".<br />
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Here is our list of 25 family Christmas activities (The first and last one are the first and last activity, but I mixed the rest up, so each day would be a surprise):<br />
1. Adopt and Name Our Elf on a Shelf.<br />
2. Make Paper Snow Flakes.<br />
3. Make hot chocolate.<br />
4. Make the house smell like Christmas.<br />
5. Read a Christmas Story.<br />
6. Go out for a Christmas Treat.<br />
7. Make a treat and share with a friend.<br />
8. Make wrapping paper.<br />
9. Visit Santa Claus.<br />
10. Decorate cookies.<br />
11. Color a Christmas Picture.<br />
12. Do something nice for someone.<br />
13. Make a new Christmas Ornament.<br />
14. Play a game with the family.<br />
15. Call a friend or relative we haven't talked to in a while.<br />
16. Sing Christmas songs.<br />
17. Send a letter to Santa.<br />
18. Donate a Toy.<br />
19. Tell a Christmas Tale.<br />
20. Drive (or walk) around and look at Christmas Lights.<br />
21. Watch a Christmas Move and eat Popcorn.<br />
22. Enjoy Candy Canes.<br />
23. Share favorite past Christmas Memories.<br />
24. Have a Picnic by the Christmas tree. <br />
25. Put out milk and Cookies for Santa (don't forget about the reindeer).<br />
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Here is the final look of our Advent Calender:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTk5RudynzbWALAuQYUO_FLW1Iifquaah0_S22ZhQHDuR5qjaGpjCfUMxQLpVhoAxxpcHIWsaM3KDQHyZqxhdNguWC_2xvaFCJAY_rL4QcMVBfEY6Frq3otQWlg9tRgpF3Q6qXvLFlYAL/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTk5RudynzbWALAuQYUO_FLW1Iifquaah0_S22ZhQHDuR5qjaGpjCfUMxQLpVhoAxxpcHIWsaM3KDQHyZqxhdNguWC_2xvaFCJAY_rL4QcMVBfEY6Frq3otQWlg9tRgpF3Q6qXvLFlYAL/s400/IMG_3266.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
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I think it came out great, and I'm excited to do all the activities with my family! I just love this time of year. Another Pinterest Success!ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-92069525403873021642012-11-25T20:15:00.001-05:002012-11-25T20:21:44.176-05:00Week 18 Theme...December is less than a week away, which means it's time to start getting into the Christmas spirit. <br />
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For this week's theme I am going to use a collaboration of Pinterest Pinspirations and create an Advent Calendar. My first Christmas Pinterest Pin, I'm exited! <br />
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I found an advent calendar pin that has a fun family activity for each day up until Christmas, instead of just a chocolate or candy cane each day. I am definitely going to work that into the design. <br />
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I'm looking forward to all the Holiday Season's Pinterest Challenges. ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-78405117774660415592012-11-24T17:00:00.005-05:002012-11-24T17:00:59.716-05:00Mini Apple PiesMy Thanksgiving desserts had a theme: mini. I wanted to make individual, personal desserts. So along with my mini cheesecakes, I made mini apple pies. You can't have Thanksgiving without apple pie!<br />
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My Pinterest Pinspiration came from this Pinterest Pin. <a href="http://www.littlebitfunky.com/2011/10/what-i-made-for-monday.html">Recipe found here. </a><br />
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<b>Mini Apple Pie</b></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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- Eight cups of apples (I used 7 large granny smith apples, it was about 3lbs of apples)</div>
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- 12 Tbsp of flour </div>
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- 1 1/2 cup of sugar</div>
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- 4 Teaspoons of cinnamon</div>
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- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of nutmeg (I used in between the two)</div>
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- 4 Tbsp of chilled butter (Cut into 24 equal pieces)</div>
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- 2 boxes of Pillsbury Pie Crust (chilled not frozen)</div>
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This recipe makes about 24 mini Apple Pies.</div>
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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.</div>
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2. Peel and Cut all the apples into 1/2 inch bits. Then mix in the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make sure all the apples are evenly coated.</div>
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3. Grease a cupcake pan, then roll out the pie crust and cut circles to cover the bottom of the cupcake pan. I had to try a bunch of different circle sizes, and still think mine were too small.<br />
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4. Next fill each lined pie crust cavity with the apple filling. Then put 1/24 of the chilled butter on top of each pie.<br />
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5. Roll out the remaining dough, to create a cover for each pie. I cut little circles. <br />
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6. Place in the 400 degrees preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown.<br />
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7. Once cooled down, top with some ice cream and enjoy!<br />
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Everyone loved these mini Apple Pies, and there was much less of a clean-up with individual pies. The only problem is between peeling and cutting all the apples, and rolling out the dough a few times, these pies seemed to take forever. So they were very, very tasty, just pretty time consuming. It's a Pinterest Success, but I'm not sure if I will ever make these again. ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-45248659725610633652012-11-24T16:15:00.001-05:002012-11-24T16:42:03.099-05:00Mini CheesecakesThanksgiving was a huge success this year, mostly because I was only in charge of desserts. I have to thank Pinterest for my delicious desserts; without Pinterest my desserts would have been store bought from Publix.<br />
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The first Pinterest Pin I decided to make was Mini Cheesecakes. Here is my Pinterest Pinspiration for these amazing bite size snacks. <a href="http://texasfarmersdaughter.com/delicious-mini-cheesecakes/">Here is where the recipe is from.</a><br />
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<b>Mini Cheesecakes</b></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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- Two 8-oz packages of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)</div>
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- 3/4 cup of sugar</div>
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- Three eggs</div>
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- 1 tsp of vanilla extract</div>
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- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (I used an actual lemon, not from a bottle)</div>
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- Dash of lemon zest (I used about two pinches)</div>
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- Mini Nilla wafers (not reduced fat, the other recipe says they float, I just took their word for it)</div>
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- 1 can of pie filling (I used strawberry, but you can use whatever you want)</div>
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This recipe makes about 60 cheesecake bites.<br />
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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</div>
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2. Mix together, with an electric mixer, cream cheese (make sure it is room temperature, you can also microwave them for 10 seconds), sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest until smooth.</div>
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3. Line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners and place a mini Nilla wafer face-up inside each one. </div>
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4. Scoop cheesecake mixture onto wafers, filling the cup about 3/4 full. I found a tablespoon of the mixture was just about perfect.<br />
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5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.<br />
6. Refrigerate. Once chilled, scoop on pie filing on top of each mini cheesecake, then chill once more before serving.<br />
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7. Then enjoy!!!!<br />
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Theses were a huge success, everyone loved them and they were gone pretty quickly. I definitely will be making these again, they were quick, easy, and amazing! Pinterest Success! ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-87156442310824812012-11-18T20:53:00.000-05:002012-11-18T20:53:01.745-05:00Week 17 Theme...<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Happy Thanksgiving!</h2>
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Week 17 falls on Thanksgiving week; since it will be a busy week of traveling, spending time with loved ones, and shopping, I figured I would make this week an easy week. </div>
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Even though I am almost 30 and have a family of my own, I still get to go to my Mom's and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, with little or no hassle to me. I was only asked to bring dessert. Easy enough. </div>
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For this week's Pinterest Challenge I will be making two Thanksgiving desserts. Hopefully the recipes are as tasty as they look. </div>
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Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Be sure to eat lots of food!</div>
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-35387438246703681252012-11-17T19:34:00.000-05:002012-11-17T19:34:33.471-05:00Random Acts of KindnessThis past week Xander (my two year old) and I have been going around the community and performing random acts of kindness. This Pinterest Inspiration come from this blog. <a href="http://ticklestogiggles.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-birthday-was-awesome.html">CLICK ME. </a><br />
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Our first random act of kindness was inspiration by the main Pinterest Pin, giving a little thank you to our mailman. Don't mind the super dirty and rusty mailbox, I like to think of it as vintage.<br />
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Our next random act of kindness was to place a few dollars around the kid's section of the Dollar Store (also an idea from the Blog). I put a $1.07 in Ziploc baggies to cover the tax of the toy too. I tried to put all the bills at eye level of a child, so it would be a fun find for a kid.<br />
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We also borrowed this random act of kindness from the Pinterest Pin. Xander and I delivered cookies to the Fire Station. This one was my favorite, more because we got to see their reaction. They were so thankful, they even let Xander see the Fire Truck and gave us a goodie bag with fire safety activity books.<br />
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Xander didn't really want to be away from Mommy, so he isn't too thrilled in this picture. But he LOVED the fire truck when I was with him.<br />
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We also went through the drive-thru at Starbucks and treated the car behind us to a coffee. Again, we didn't get to see their reaction, but the cashier sure seemed shocked with our random act of kindness.<br />
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Xander and I also deep cleaned my husband's car. This random act of kindness was for my husband, but I'm sure the community will appreciate the cleanliness driving around town. <br />
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This week was really fun, and I hope to continue to do more random acts of kindness throughout the holiday season. Another Pinterest Success! ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-35228996336949460462012-11-11T17:16:00.001-05:002012-11-11T17:16:23.391-05:00Week 16 Theme...With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this week I am celebrating with being thankful, and giving back to the community. I found an amazing Pinspiration, a women and her two kids (one was Xander) went around their community doing random acts of kindness. <a href="http://ticklestogiggles.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-birthday-was-awesome.html">You can check her blog out here</a>.<br />
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I have been looking forward to this week for a while, what better way to be thankful than to give back. I am going to capture as many photos as possible. I can't wait to share all the exciting acts of kindness Xander and I have planned this week. We are going to complete a few from the Pinterest Pin, and I have a couple others I want to do.<br />
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Be sure to check back for our week of giving thanks to our community. ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-17457925650382910402012-11-09T14:42:00.000-05:002012-11-09T14:43:03.966-05:00Organizing the PantryThis week has been a week of full force organization. I have even inspired friends of mine to full force organize this week. I'm glad I have started the organization movement. I think after this week, I'm OK with whatever messes are lurking in the other closets around my house. I mean if I organized everything, what would I do for the next 37 weeks?<br />
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Here are the scary before pictures of my pantry and spice\can food cabinet...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9MZ07tIrMPmQdbNsAJRPU4lc5G41PcGT9ve7PQHA68OcKO1IL1TRGgG3_Cw-KdURFFBhRKxSErQYxhyUoIv7iST3q1cVIQaXzrxmyGuFZWjZvf1PIvrB4cReZ9CitSoz0M_gEw2tcgrL/s1600/IMG_3069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9MZ07tIrMPmQdbNsAJRPU4lc5G41PcGT9ve7PQHA68OcKO1IL1TRGgG3_Cw-KdURFFBhRKxSErQYxhyUoIv7iST3q1cVIQaXzrxmyGuFZWjZvf1PIvrB4cReZ9CitSoz0M_gEw2tcgrL/s400/IMG_3069.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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The major problem in the pantry were all the small appliances, but now that I have moved them to the extra space in the linen closet, things are looking up. And some of the food did get trashed because it was hella expired, so that cleared up some room too. <br />
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My Pinspiration for organizing my pantry come from these two pins...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD5vgQfbGRFwDId_8e2bwO4qhd_qYbZxHfhaW_MBViLtkAysaJaHjDRJdhxR-5RUV1-SyRG4lffgcfLBI31rr4NYKgRw9ikgtYmXzE0B9sy2jPZxdOcC_-MPMa5Q9P0LsT84GqoxhyphenhyphenzYo/s1600/pantry_org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD5vgQfbGRFwDId_8e2bwO4qhd_qYbZxHfhaW_MBViLtkAysaJaHjDRJdhxR-5RUV1-SyRG4lffgcfLBI31rr4NYKgRw9ikgtYmXzE0B9sy2jPZxdOcC_-MPMa5Q9P0LsT84GqoxhyphenhyphenzYo/s320/pantry_org.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
It seems the main idea for organizing a pantry is canisters and bins. Since we are trying to get all the processed food out of the house and we are buying more whole foods, I love the canister idea. It's much nicer than the bags of rice, beans, nuts, oats, granola, etc. The only down fall is all those canisters can get pretty expensive. So I started with a small collection from Walmart and Ikea, but even then, the total was still about $40.00. With time I will add more, and I will add those nice wicker bins, instead of the plastic ones I found for a dollar at Walmart. I don't want have to move to the poor house and organize all over again. :P<br />
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Here is the final product of all my organizing hard work this week...<br />
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They don't look as nice as the Pinterest Pins, but they are more organized and much easier to find things. Really both the pantry and the cabinet just needed a little TLC. So another Pinterest Success!<br />
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-58046508384183856232012-11-07T16:47:00.001-05:002012-11-07T16:47:44.680-05:00Organizing the Linen ClosetI want to start this post by saying: PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE ME! I keep a pretty will kept house and every one thing has it's place. The problem is some of the places are behind close doors, which in my mind means it's fair game to be a hot mess. Normally I don't post my absurd messes all over the Internet, but for the good of the blog I will. But I repeat: PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE ME!<br />
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Here is a picture of the linen closet I am going to work my Pinterest Challenge magic on...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvC62RTjwHA4-e2vk9G0cb_KVwrDRNvdaDQF15-1gw6Y1yORWvY-WQGYuYH0WcKI9xpUb3SYGinH8rapuZkC0k2uI2tKwJy9_A5hMVnTMtA6dmDG1kX7IHWnitXRxfn3_isokUbghgdbZ/s1600/messy+closet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvC62RTjwHA4-e2vk9G0cb_KVwrDRNvdaDQF15-1gw6Y1yORWvY-WQGYuYH0WcKI9xpUb3SYGinH8rapuZkC0k2uI2tKwJy9_A5hMVnTMtA6dmDG1kX7IHWnitXRxfn3_isokUbghgdbZ/s400/messy+closet.JPG" width="220" /></a> </div>
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PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE ME! Please do not judge that there is an avalanche of blankets about to take it's next victim. Please do not judge that when I folded the sheets or towels, I just literally threw them in the closet where ever there was room. Please do not judge that my linen closet also holds an assortment of food. Okay now that we have that all covered, wait till you see what it looks like in the end. </div>
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I would love to tell you my linen closet looks just like my Pinspiration, but seriously who's closet looks this good. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9AQjFzi1M54IYRQQ493vjgWr7TJbkMcQ1GYu0FCYmP9K4rfXv1khePwU1u1jRQwBM1ddloMlIgeZuBxDj6RROliD-omCKwiMemwkX1vSl_Kibma5fZbeu7aiHbjtL4dHbuynFGb9VRr_/s1600/organized+closet+ocd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9AQjFzi1M54IYRQQ493vjgWr7TJbkMcQ1GYu0FCYmP9K4rfXv1khePwU1u1jRQwBM1ddloMlIgeZuBxDj6RROliD-omCKwiMemwkX1vSl_Kibma5fZbeu7aiHbjtL4dHbuynFGb9VRr_/s320/organized+closet+ocd.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is pretty fancy stuff. I mean all their towels, sheets, blankets and toilet paper match. I have a more "realistic" closet. So while this was my Pinspiration, my real inspiration was to make me not want to cry every time I opened the closet door.</div>
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I did pin a few other helpful tips for organizing my linen closet. The best Pinterest Pin was to take the bed sheets and extra pillow case and store them in the pillow case of the set. I mean this is freaking genius. Then the entire set is together when you want to use them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc5mCokJy6oO0sjoPuMqILCD5iCk7SpYyISSyApkk0iorqx0l64mnEQhldkR3-rb0OKrSsq5u-D5WfYEfsLU9LFDu6H5UQlNBtJTZ2pwrgsjaM-PtBXaHkTkxNUZRA885CwKJJInMKFSR/s1600/sheets+in+pillow+cases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc5mCokJy6oO0sjoPuMqILCD5iCk7SpYyISSyApkk0iorqx0l64mnEQhldkR3-rb0OKrSsq5u-D5WfYEfsLU9LFDu6H5UQlNBtJTZ2pwrgsjaM-PtBXaHkTkxNUZRA885CwKJJInMKFSR/s1600/sheets+in+pillow+cases.jpg" /></a></div>
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Although mine doesn't look as neatly presented as this Pinterest Pin. I don't know how they put in a bed sheet, a fitted sheet, and a pillow case and still look that flat. This is what a more "realist" view of the same situation looks like. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY5wvzK0TLjbmhAC9eolWKZu2UqcKUsrbF5majMw-PyQH6ntjTAQFWtW6TurVlTLur20gFxccL0qmhzHIW0NbRVLdbJFCc2azSIohaEpaS-j2Jjx8TWkzclunF5LVearXkq-I5vlosoRu/s1600/sheets+in+pillow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY5wvzK0TLjbmhAC9eolWKZu2UqcKUsrbF5majMw-PyQH6ntjTAQFWtW6TurVlTLur20gFxccL0qmhzHIW0NbRVLdbJFCc2azSIohaEpaS-j2Jjx8TWkzclunF5LVearXkq-I5vlosoRu/s320/sheets+in+pillow.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not as nice, but still does the job. And like I said it's an amazing idea!</div>
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Since I am organizing the pantry this week as well, I have found room in the pantry for the extra food I was hoarding in the linen closet. I did decide to keep bathroom products, utility products, and other nonperishable products in the linen closet. I found some bins at the dollar store, to organize those items. I was inspired by this Pinterest Pin...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbWwzROXsIHGxILZ7BCQaw_7X4c8xZJt1GXimQDcRU8BKxJ288eeMyznBENXHqDOm_duldEhGy40yEiat3eRM_K7rXjKHIC2Kx0o9og2Yn2XpEwlOWDDQKUwPYr50RuwOWv1MzzTTbLoR/s1600/organizing+with+bins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbWwzROXsIHGxILZ7BCQaw_7X4c8xZJt1GXimQDcRU8BKxJ288eeMyznBENXHqDOm_duldEhGy40yEiat3eRM_K7rXjKHIC2Kx0o9og2Yn2XpEwlOWDDQKUwPYr50RuwOWv1MzzTTbLoR/s320/organizing+with+bins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I even found similar baskets, but in white. I just didn't think I needed to label the baskets, since you can just look and see there is a hodgepodge of items in each basket.<br />
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So after all these pins and a little organization, here is the final look of my linen closet...<br />
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Really I think just folding the towels made it look a 100% better. I did get two large storage tubs from Target ($12.99 each) to contain all of those blankets. And since I am cleaning the pantry, some of the appliances that were in there made it's way into this closet, since I had so much extra room. Even after that there is still extra room. <br />
<br />So there you have it, another Pinterest Success. Next up with be the pantry and spice\can food cabinet.ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-23296937582109898032012-11-04T17:33:00.000-05:002012-11-04T17:33:09.068-05:00Week 15 Theme...With the Holidays coming, I thought I would try another week of organization. Get some rough areas in the house organized before Thanksgiving and Christmas come. I started my Pinterest Challenge with organizing one drawer in my bathroom. I have managed to keep that draw in order for over three months now.<br />
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This time around instead of one drawer, I am going to organize a linen closet, a pantry, and a cabinet for spices and canned goods. Talk about the mother load of messes! I have my work cut out for me this week; especially once you see what I am up against.<br />
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I am extremely embarrassed to share pictures of these closets and cabinets. There is a reason they have doors on them: to keep the mess contained. I will share without even straighting up a little, so check in this week for the before and after pictures of my Week 15 organization Pinterest Project.<br />
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Also be sure to follow my blog or subscribe via news feed.ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-19552467198385689822012-11-01T10:57:00.000-04:002012-11-01T11:14:11.056-04:00Halloween CostumeSince we have been with child, my husband and I haven't dressed up for Halloween. We haven't been to many Halloween raves since our son has been around. Not that we have been to any raves, we are kinda lame, but that's not that point.<br />
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This year, thanks to a great Pinspiration, I, along with my husband decided to get into the Halloween Spirit. We mostly used what we had around the house, but did make a few small purchases at the craft store. Here is the the Pinspiration for my costume of a Human Pinterest Board... (<a href="http://partiesforpennies.com/2012/10/halloween-costume-ideas/">Blog here)</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucTqMGV_bg2ojEwc2p1dFu3k9Z7KvUuXOPDPmfuQx5KscJzt1-Y45fF_RqGGqlsHXmMHCpAeOA0yKK4eiC2PF27BlX9qUhtB7D28JObA9NMpGs9JJvS8ik0ZtlgQ8Mdvujvr1zTtQ_DN9/s1600/Halloween-Costume-Human-Pinterest-Board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucTqMGV_bg2ojEwc2p1dFu3k9Z7KvUuXOPDPmfuQx5KscJzt1-Y45fF_RqGGqlsHXmMHCpAeOA0yKK4eiC2PF27BlX9qUhtB7D28JObA9NMpGs9JJvS8ik0ZtlgQ8Mdvujvr1zTtQ_DN9/s320/Halloween-Costume-Human-Pinterest-Board.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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I thought this costume was unbelievably perfect for this year, since I am doing the 52 Week Pinterest Challenge. I had mostly everything I needed to make this costume, I just purchased a sheet of foam board so that it wouldn't be as heavy as using a cork board. I did add a few of my own pins on my board, so I was a walking advertisement. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnC_YwS1ZcufXzZZaJo6Xyw2u-5kG0K-z3EsnH6flk6jRpSV-WrWRT_ZLOx6FMPRYAWbu99SaqfnpqoM1x5ljc6WJuc9WgibHVJ57loiP6gTvU-P13jSRCzFUQXnMGCRieKAfEXVZ-Ns1/s1600/IMG_3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnC_YwS1ZcufXzZZaJo6Xyw2u-5kG0K-z3EsnH6flk6jRpSV-WrWRT_ZLOx6FMPRYAWbu99SaqfnpqoM1x5ljc6WJuc9WgibHVJ57loiP6gTvU-P13jSRCzFUQXnMGCRieKAfEXVZ-Ns1/s640/IMG_3019.JPG" width="321" /></a></div>
Here is a little closer picture of the board. All I used was foam board, ribbon, printed on card stock paper, hot glue (for ribbon), tape and push pins. Mostly items I had around the house.<br />
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My costume was a huge hit around the neighborhood, so it was another Pinterest Success!</div>
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And now for the rest of the family's costumes. Here is my husband's costume, he went as Ryan Lochte. And my son who went as a Cowboy. Looking good boys!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7HebAJZD4EbOGdyhhe5fkMFAe4azEdmOBV7A0Qke7MC4CtbQ2ZXchaaaNXnA-63ulawH3N1hTTksBBeluZ_gOuWq1ymxjGcUFo4XhZ8rZPBV7uOAkFL1mIvLFGc0EBm-uBBgbtNFdFky/s1600/IMG_3062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7HebAJZD4EbOGdyhhe5fkMFAe4azEdmOBV7A0Qke7MC4CtbQ2ZXchaaaNXnA-63ulawH3N1hTTksBBeluZ_gOuWq1ymxjGcUFo4XhZ8rZPBV7uOAkFL1mIvLFGc0EBm-uBBgbtNFdFky/s400/IMG_3062.JPG" width="197" /></a></div>
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ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-85885013658551123172012-10-28T21:59:00.001-04:002012-10-28T22:02:20.507-04:00Week 14 Theme...This week happens to be the week of Halloween. So the theme of this week is going to be my Halloween Costume.<br />
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I have found the most amazing costume on Pinterest to make, and I can't wait to walk around my neighborhood and Trick or Treat. Good thing I have a kid or they might tell me I'm a little too old to be trick or treating.<br />
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Be sure to check back this week for my amazing costume.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">HAPPY HALLOWEEN! </span></div>
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-53141922539692233622012-10-27T21:01:00.002-04:002012-10-27T21:01:46.599-04:00Pumpkin Monkey BreadMy last Fall food recipe for this week of Fall foods is for Pumpkin Monkey Bread. I made this bread for a Halloween play date and it was a huge hit. I loved it a little too much, at least that's what my scale tells me.<br />
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Here is the Pinterest Pin for this amazing delight. <a href="http://sugarcrafter.net/2011/09/23/pumpkin-monkey-bread/">(From this blog)</a><span id="goog_1737656665"></span><span id="goog_1737656666"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYpYA_HgGQUq6cneEM9W0eDvxEnXAXFf62n0jqWBl7ymFEgjJI6aaSm4WtA6HyNCbW2bDf1Zjl0MzZ0QCdWSXNcBallSIr5aujs971YvOAvCyN0dfIc2DkgH6rvfXW6K-JiUqEsZa9vmL/s1600/monkeybread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYpYA_HgGQUq6cneEM9W0eDvxEnXAXFf62n0jqWBl7ymFEgjJI6aaSm4WtA6HyNCbW2bDf1Zjl0MzZ0QCdWSXNcBallSIr5aujs971YvOAvCyN0dfIc2DkgH6rvfXW6K-JiUqEsZa9vmL/s320/monkeybread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Pumpkin Money Bread</b></div>
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For the dough:</div>
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- 3 1/4 cups of flour (you might need a little extra for kneading)</div>
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- 1/2 tsp of salt</div>
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- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon</div>
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- 1/4 tsp of nutmeg</div>
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- 1/8 tsp of cloves</div>
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- 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter (melted)</div>
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- 1/2 cup of warm milk</div>
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- 1/4 cup of warm water</div>
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- 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree</div>
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- 1/4 cup of sugar</div>
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- 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast</div>
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For the coating:</div>
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- 1 cup of sugar</div>
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- 2 tsp of cinnamon</div>
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- 3/4 stick of butter (melted)</div>
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For the glaze:</div>
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- 2/3 cup of powdered sugar</div>
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- 2 Tbsp of pure maple syrup</div>
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- 2 tsp of milk</div>
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1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and spices.</div>
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2. Then in another large bowl, mix together milk, water, pumpkin, melted butter, sugar, and yeast.</div>
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3. Then add the wet ingredients to the center of the dry ingredients, stir (or mix with a standup mixer with the dough hook) until the dough comes together. Then knead on a lightly floured surface for 6 - 8 minutes (or just let the standup mixer do the work). </div>
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4. Now cover the dough and let it rise for an hour. </div>
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5. While rising, mix together the sugar, butter, and cinnamon for the coating. Also spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. </div>
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6. Once the dough is doubled in size, break off pieces of dough, then shape into a ball. Dip each ball in the coating and place equally around the bundt pan.</div>
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7. Once all the dough is in the pan, cover the bundt pan and let the dough rise again for another hour. </div>
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8. Once the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bake the bread until golden brown, 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 - 10 minutes before turning the bread onto a platter.</div>
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9. While cooling, mix together powdered sugar, milk, and maple syrup. Once it has cooled turn the bread onto a platter and add the maple glaze while it's still warm.</div>
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10. ENJOY!!!!!!</div>
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I have to say this is one of the best recipes I have found on Pinterest, but I'm impartial because I love me some carbs. This bread is so delicious, my mouth is watering just uploading these picture, I'm so sad it's all gone. :'(</div>
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This was a Pinterest Success! But a diet fail. </div>
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-10881719626942421432012-10-26T16:57:00.002-04:002012-10-26T16:57:52.924-04:00Homemade Apple CiderI was so, so, so, so excited to make Homemade Apple Cider. I LOVE Apple Cider. It is one of my top reasons that I love the Fall.<br />
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The Pinterest Pin for Homemade Apple Cider <a href="http://www.themeltaways.com/2012/09/19/slow-cooker-apple-cider/">(See Blog Here)</a>...<br />
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This might be the only Pinterest Pin picture that my pictures look better than. Although I wish I had this amazing glass.<br />
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This recipe is very easy, it's just very time consuming since you cook it in the slow cooker.<br />
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<b>Homemade Apple Cider</b></div>
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- 12 Apples (I used a 3lb bag of macintosh apples, there were 13 apples)<br />
- 4-7 cups of water (I used about 7 cups)<br />
- 1/2 - 3/4 of Sugar (optional) (I used a little more than a half a cup)<br />
- 1 tbsp of Cinnamon (I added more later)<br />
- 1 tsp of All Spice (I added more later)<br />
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1. Core Apples and cut into quarters. I just used an apple slicer.<br />
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2. Place apples, spices, sugar and water in the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the apples. This is a little tricky since apples float.<br />
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3. Cook apples in the slow cooker for 5 - 6 hours on low. After 5 hours I tasted my cider and it didn't taste very appley, so I decided to put the apples through the food processor, and let the cider cook on high for 1 more hour. I don't recommend this, it will make the final draining process much harder than needed. And it looks pretty gross.<br />
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7. Once it's done cooking, put the cider through a cheese cloth and a metal sieve. I did them at the same time, to save time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkbbB_Pb7ZbsWnR99UzWfKEeYPScnJZGOcnc7ln-hpijHtFjk9TcH9gzOFXM6aPM0fsrTucnGjgaoTSchoW8ZBCWv4MkAI6Mb7IzLCxmovbe7_sYPQ8DKmBBd8OPHyXY79aoKyzPpdMFg/s1600/IMG_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkbbB_Pb7ZbsWnR99UzWfKEeYPScnJZGOcnc7ln-hpijHtFjk9TcH9gzOFXM6aPM0fsrTucnGjgaoTSchoW8ZBCWv4MkAI6Mb7IzLCxmovbe7_sYPQ8DKmBBd8OPHyXY79aoKyzPpdMFg/s320/IMG_0957.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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8. Then you can take the cheese cloth and squeeze out any extra liquid. </div>
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9. Next you will take the liquid that has been drained and put it through a mesh sieve. My process would have been quicker if I had a bigger sieve, and probably much quicker if I didn't puree the apples.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6WOBB6IknbSgjVkQ0lax-rwwpXRREv6YbTqQcbM4tZqLYfPDFZvVUvTxSUlJ3VqSALLQD0jEmWyZ6dRvtAiewoLhO8mOIE7NlatlxdDcfz84EOMtXLNMLUnvyzN03nxdkkTciN9Mbuuu/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6WOBB6IknbSgjVkQ0lax-rwwpXRREv6YbTqQcbM4tZqLYfPDFZvVUvTxSUlJ3VqSALLQD0jEmWyZ6dRvtAiewoLhO8mOIE7NlatlxdDcfz84EOMtXLNMLUnvyzN03nxdkkTciN9Mbuuu/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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10. Once all the liquid is through the mesh sieve, you might want to do it one more time. After all that time and all that work, this is the fruit of your labor. Not very much.</div>
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11. Enjoy chilled or warm. I prefer it warmed.</div>
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This was seriously the best Apple Cider I have ever had, it was just a lot of work. So it was definitely a Pinterest Success, but I might just stick to the store bought Apple Cider.</div>
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Since I had all that pureed apple, I thought I would try another Pinterest Pin. This one was for homemade fruit roll ups made with fruit puree. <a href="http://www.loveumadly.com/2012/04/100-pure-love-for-100-real-fruit-snacks/">(See here)</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bo19tatV876meIVdbh9LlIYrMllZkK0HnCZPu76mHiQAwy82BdRHx6-j72NjTpN7BcRtXTx1eI1rCW5h6LxNhyIiIf6XwZzPpcA_REXQKl-2LGFzcKIJvBh_6Amzx2KS3PGW74YeNVQg/s1600/Pin_fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bo19tatV876meIVdbh9LlIYrMllZkK0HnCZPu76mHiQAwy82BdRHx6-j72NjTpN7BcRtXTx1eI1rCW5h6LxNhyIiIf6XwZzPpcA_REXQKl-2LGFzcKIJvBh_6Amzx2KS3PGW74YeNVQg/s320/Pin_fruit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since I already cooked the fruit and pureed it, all I had to do was spray a cookie sheet and then add the puree mix.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-RIkyCN2svC3Lo7UwxAhI_LkMRezSBaSTPQDTN3CYpnveB4aa7fBZELNeONhm4BOuBc4W2GcQAuYQaV_H0jpn3fGGKBIBx-AUyNMTBZuCcJk0CrIVMs_QZORCUOJMfCtbE2XbEKn4NBN/s1600/IMG_0960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-RIkyCN2svC3Lo7UwxAhI_LkMRezSBaSTPQDTN3CYpnveB4aa7fBZELNeONhm4BOuBc4W2GcQAuYQaV_H0jpn3fGGKBIBx-AUyNMTBZuCcJk0CrIVMs_QZORCUOJMfCtbE2XbEKn4NBN/s320/IMG_0960.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I put it in the oven for 5-8 hours on the lowest temperature (mine was 170 degrees) and I cracked the door. This will dry out the fruit and it will look something like this. (I think I could have dried them out a little less.)</div>
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Then you can cut the fruit with a pizza cutter and wrap it in wax paper to serve.</div>
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They don't look very appealing, but they are actually really good, and my toddler loves them. So any way to get a toddler to eat fruit is great to me. Pinterest Success! </div>
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981274888703174715.post-21914564229652003602012-10-26T15:41:00.000-04:002012-10-26T15:41:29.520-04:00Pumpkin Cream Cheese BarsThis week I have been busy in the kitchen, preparing some of the best Fall Foods. The first recipe I made was Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars. They are aren't too fattening of a treat to indulge in.<br />
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The Pinterest Pin linked to this blog. <a href="http://tjstestkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/pumpkin-cream-cheese-bars.html">Go here.</a> The writer said she whipped up this dessert in a pinch with ingredients out of what was in her pantry and refrigerator. I say that is very crafty, I wouldn't have the first idea of things to "throw" together in a pinch. I need direction.<br />
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<b>Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Random </span>ingredients<span class="Apple-style-span">:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">-1 Box of Angel Food Cake Mix (One Step Kind, basically the box says just add water)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">-1 can of Pumpkin Puree (15oz)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">-3/4 water</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">-1/2 tsp Cinnamon</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">-1 8oz package of Cheese Cheese</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb84zfdnBERq2Y03e-YVqE7ixLewk7TNeqGLsN9k5L8t5rZ3aNeofhhH1YhyG3qZaQY3xR2JJRMyQrd0tSYZysXcKeYO2PtXsZC-VMO-T6IgYB8bp2wUGPhp7FW0oU2tdp53uoubnmcpe/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb84zfdnBERq2Y03e-YVqE7ixLewk7TNeqGLsN9k5L8t5rZ3aNeofhhH1YhyG3qZaQY3xR2JJRMyQrd0tSYZysXcKeYO2PtXsZC-VMO-T6IgYB8bp2wUGPhp7FW0oU2tdp53uoubnmcpe/s320/IMG_0968.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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1. Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, water and cinnamon. </div>
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2. Separately mix cream cheese with a couple tablespoons of water to make it smooth and thinned out. </div>
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3. Grease a baking dish.</div>
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4. Fill the baking dish with HALF of the pumpkin\cake mix, and HALF of the cream cheese mix. </div>
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5. Run a knife through the mix, making figure 8's for a fancy design. </div>
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6. Then put the rest of the pumpkin\cake mix in the baking dish and the rest of the cream cheese mix. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">7. Again run </span>a knife <span class="Apple-style-span">through the mix, making figure 8's for a fancy design. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03rGPhISg60m8FM_8sBw3B29EUBjstfYe8U6sjDmy1S7tnT3Ms3CCzCuyCfM9QMWK1JGO2cnfInyLHQ_S7ORJrOZFl_ApsJoYEdCQ7ZJBw62dX6Z3ZFzlwxWApc9gn11ORuGAv_agGqyi/s1600/IMG_0969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03rGPhISg60m8FM_8sBw3B29EUBjstfYe8U6sjDmy1S7tnT3Ms3CCzCuyCfM9QMWK1JGO2cnfInyLHQ_S7ORJrOZFl_ApsJoYEdCQ7ZJBw62dX6Z3ZFzlwxWApc9gn11ORuGAv_agGqyi/s320/IMG_0969.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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8. Bake for 35 minutes on 375 degrees, or until a toothpick comes out clean.</div>
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9. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut and enjoy. </div>
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I did add some more cinnamon to the top of mine and swirled it in. I am not the biggest fan of angel food cake, so I did not love these bars. But my husband and friends said they were pretty good. So I'll say it was a Pinterest Success for them. </div>
ochapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465422455162312010noreply@blogger.com0