Recipe of the Week #163-Pizza Bites

Pizza Bites
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp Italian seasonings
2 cans (16.3 oz) biscuits
2 cups finely chopped pizza toppings (your choice- pepperoni, cooked sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc.)
1 cup marinara sauce
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Grease Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, garlic salt, and Italian seasonings until combined. Set aside.
Remove biscuits from cans. With each biscuit, cut a slit in the side, and use your fingers to open up the biscuit to form a pocket for the toppings. Place a pinch of cheese into the pocket, add a teaspoon of marinara, then add pinches of your pizza toppings, and add a final pinch of cheese. Press the dough together with your fingers making a good seal.
Dunk each pocket in the butter mixture and set it in the pan. Repeat with each pocket. Pour any remaining butter over the top of the biscuits. Bake for 30 minutes or until biscuits are browned. Remove and let sit for five minutes.
Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

My boys totally loved this! We made two batches- pepperoni and Canadian bacon. They've already asked for me to make it again.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! 

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, Too Much Time on My Hands, and
Between Naps on the Porch.

Doctor/ Nurses Day Gift DIY

Doctors' Day is March 30 and Nurses' day is May 6.
I don't know if you'd have a reason to give a gift for either of these days,
but if so, here's a simple idea.

It's a large candy bar that looks like it's wearing a medical coat.

You just need to trim a piece of white paper so that it's slightly shorter than the candy bar.
Then you want the paper to be just long enough to overlap itself by about 1/2".
(I used copy paper)

Fold the two top flaps back making it look like the flaps on a medical jacket.

Finally, just add two buttons and a name.
I used a label maker to make my name strip.

Some of the nurses at my work made these for our doctors last Friday.
The doctors seemed to really like them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For his mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118:29

This post is linked to Tatertots and Jello, Life with Lorelai, Skip to My Lou,
 and The Dedicated House.

Doily Garland DIY

I love doilies and garlands,

so I blended the two today and this is what I got. . . 

a doily banner.

 I got these colorful doilies at Michaels in the $1.50 bin.

I love the bright and happy colors.

To make it, all I did was fold the doilies in half -

 and tie them together with small pieces of twine.

Too cute. Too easy.

Give this a whirl if you need a little color in your life. :)

I'm going to have to try this with vintage doilies.

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

You are my God, and I will praise You; 

You are my God, I will exalt You.

Psalm 118:28

This post is linked to Tatertots and Jello, My Repurposed Life, Funky Junk,
and Simple Nature Decor.

Thrifty Thursday #159

Do you have one thrift store that for some reason is your favorite?

Perhaps it just seems better than the rest?

I do.

The staff who works there is friendly, it's clean and organized,
and doesn't have that funny secondhand smell:)

It's also where I get most of my good finds.
 Here's what I found there this week. . . 

I fell in love with this burlap bag- especially when I saw it was only $1!
It's about 12" tall.
I plan to turn it into a small decorative pillow.

I got this wooden plaque for fifty cents.
My mom has a collection of these in her kitchen, so I'll give this to her.

I got these three vintage atlases for ten cents apiece.

 

The graphics are great.

What will I do with three of them, you ask?

Well, I gave one to a friend.

The other two are sitting on a shelf in my closet just waiting to be turned

 into jewelry or a bunting or a scrapbook layout.

Less than two dollars got me some good stuff, huh?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, 

and whose hope is the Lord.

Jer. 17:7

This post is linked to Embracing Change and The Crafted Sparrow.

Lovelies That I Love

This week's Lovelies That I Love features new paper products.

You can use them for all sorts of crafting projects- especially for my favorite. . . scrapbooking!

Take a look at what I found.

I love this paper by Websters Pages.

It's called Dream In Color.

It looks like a real photograph- and an awesome one at that.

Think about what you could do with it- frame it or print a quote on it.

How about these rockin' stamps from Tim Holtz?

Love them. Actually I love anything by him.

He seems to have the Midas touch in the paper crafting world. All his stuff is awesome.

Check out these tags from American Crafts.

I am a huge fan of tags- any size and shape.

Don't ask me why. .  .

This is a kit that comes with everything you need to make a mini album.

Love it.

Quick and easy- totally my style!

I love this set of word stickers by Authentique.

One of my go-to products on nearly every paper project I do is word stickers.

They're so versatile.

Even if you don't paper craft, you could use these on gift tags- perhaps even the above tags:)

There now. Wasn't that fun?

Don't you just want to get your hands busy now?

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

I will praise You, for You have answered me

 and become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21

This post is linked to Too Much Time On My Hands, Today's Creative Blog, and Ivy and Elephants.

Recipe of the Week #162- Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 14 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cubes chicken bouillon
3-4 oz low fat cream cheese, softened and cut into 1" cubes

Melt butter in a pot. Add onion and garlic, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes with their juices, sugar, bouillon, and milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a blender or food processor, blend soup until smooth. This may need to be done in batches.

Place back into pot. Add softened cream cheese and stir well. Allow to melt for 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

This soup is fantastic! It's so good that the next time I make it, I'm going to have to double it to have enough. I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches- yum!

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, 

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, 

which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:6

This post is linked to Skip to My Lou, Life With Lorelai, and Plucky's Second Thought.

Mini Album Monday #50- We Are Loved Album

A few years ago, I read about a great idea to show some family love.
The whole family sits around the table and everyone takes a turn to say
what they love about each other.
To make it even more special, a crown that says, "I am loved," should be worn by each member as the nice things are being said about him or her.

When I did this with my family, I recorded all the answers and put them into this mini album.

I started with an old piece of junk mail that was sent with a CD in it.

I removed the CD holder so that all was left was the case.

Then I painted it light blue and added some pattern paper to the cover.

The title was printed on a transparency which was then attached to the cover.

The interior pages are just one long strip of cardstock that is accordion folded

so that it would fit into the case.

I added a quote about family to the inside cover.

Then I placed the title on the first page.

Each family member has one layout.

On the left side, I placed a strip of pattern paper to add some color, then added a photo with a tab stating the family member's name.



On the right side, I printed out all the responses on colored cardstock.

Then I used letter stickers to write each person's name.



I took a photo of everyone wearing the crown and that's the photo I used.
I made a very simple crown- I just cut a strip of cardstock and added a heart
with letter stickers that said, "I am loved."

On each photo, I added a tag with each person's age at the time. 

How cute does my younger son look here? This was how he chose to pose.

I miss those days. . .  :)

I am not only glad that I did this with my family, but I'm so glad that I recorded the answers!

On this page at the bottom in parenthesis, I added this memory, "When it was Ethan's turn to wear the crown, he whispered, 'I know what I'm going to say!' which was funny because he wasn't supposed to talk about himself. Then he whispered to his brother, "Say cute!"

I wouldn't have remembered this moment if I hadn't written it down and it tickled me pink to read it.

Even if you don't want to make an album like this, try the activity.

Write down the responses in a notebook.

Someday you'll be glad you did.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

O Lord, my strength and my fortress,

my refuge in the day of affliction

Jer. 16:19

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, Tip Junkie, I Heart Naptime, and
 Between Naps on the Porch.

Orange Dreamsicle Sugar Scrub DIY

Remember the orange dreamsicles we used to get off the ice cream trucks when we were little?

This sugar scrub smells just like them!

 

Orange Dreamsicle Sugar Scrub

30 drops orange essence oil

3 tsp vanilla extract

4 tsp vitamin E

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup grape seed oil

Mix the vanilla, orange oil, and vitamin E.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and liquid mixture.

Slowly add the grape seed oil until you reach the desired consistency.

Place in an airtight container and use within a month.

This scrub can be used on hands, arms, feet, and elbows. 

Sugar scrubs always make such nice gifts.

I'm thinking of making this for my co-workers for Christmas.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

This is the day the Lord has made; 

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

This post is linked to Life with Lorelai and Tatertots and Jello.

Thrifty Thursday #158

Last week I showed you an awesome old Texas Instruments case
that I bought at a thrift store near my home.
Today I'm showing you my second big purchase from there.

It's an old radio!!

Well, actually it's the shell of an old radio.

Isn't it beautiful?

I'm not for sure yet what I'll do with it and it definitely needs some work,
but it's sure going to be pretty when I'm done with it!

Any suggestions as to what I could use it for?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Let your speech always be with grace,

 seasoned with salt, 

that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Col. 4:6

This post is linked to My Repurposed Life, I Heart Naptime, and Too Much Time On My Hands.

Layout of the Week #105

Do you ever pick up a piece of 12"x 12" paper that already has a title printed on it?

It looks so cute, then you get it home and wonder just what to do with it.

Well, today's tutorial will give you an option.

Don't turn away if you don't have a piece of paper like this- you can use letter stickers and add your own title to your paper.

Here's the layout we'll be creating.

Yours will be slightly different, as you'll be using paper you have on hand.

To make it, you'll need:

one piece of 12"x 12" pattern paper

one roll of decorative tape

paper for journaling (I used graph paper)

pen

several photos

paper trimmer

adhesive

optional: letter stickers for the title if your paper doesn't already have one

tiny brads

Start by placing strips of decorative tape around the edges of your paper.

If you'd rather, you can use strips of pattern paper instead.

If your paper doesn't have a pre-printed title, 

then add a title to the right lower corner using letter stickers.

Now start cropping your photos to make them fit in the center space.

Keep going until your center space is filled with photos.

I made eight photos fit, but some of my are cropped quite a bit.

 

Write captions for your photos on your paper and  trim them to fit.

I placed mine overlapping some of my photos.

As an optional last step, I placed three small colorful brads at the bottom left corner of the second photo on the left. I also placed three in my title to dot the i's. 

This added a pop of color.

That's it- you now have one completed layout!

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

Continue earnestly in prayer, 

being vigilant in it with thanksgiving

Col. 4:2

This post is linked to Embracing Change, The Creative Collection, and Tip Junkie  

Recipe of the Week #161-Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp white sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp oat flour (made by grinding oats in a blender-grind, then measure)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cups mini chips or chocolate chunks
1/2 cups M and Ms

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add one egg.  Separate the second egg, adding the yolk to the mixture and keep the white in a separate bowl. Mix the eggs into the mixture and add the vanilla.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg white and beat for several minutes. Add to the batter and stir.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Combine with the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Add chocolate chips. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out the dough onto the cookie sheet. Place M and Ms on top of each blob of dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

These cookies really do taste like bakery cookies! They're big and thick and taste soooo good dipped into a cup of milk.

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Phil. 4:4

This post is linked to Between Naps on the Porch, My Girlish Whims, and It's Overflowing.

St. Patrick's Day Garland

Tomorrow is St. Patty's Day-

here's a ten minute project that you can do if you're feeling lucky. . . 

It's a paint chip garland.

 To make one, you'll need:

gold ribbon

7 small paint chips- mine are 3" squares by Behr- I got them at Home Depot

gold stickers

hole punch

 To start, punch holes in the top two corners of each paint chip.

I left mine in a stack and punched them all at once so the holes would all be in the same place.

Then add the letter stickers spelling lucky.

I left the outer two paint chips blank and placed the letters on the middle five.

String each paint chip onto your gold ribbon.

Voila! That's it!!

Another cute an quick garland idea is to use green tickets and make a chain like this.

I used light green and dark green tickets. 

Hope you all have the luck of the Irish tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

The Lord is my strength and song,

 and He has become my salvation.

Psalm 118:14

This post is linked to Plucky's Second Thought, Ivy and Elephants, Today's Creative Blog,
and Skip to My Lou.

Repurposed End Table

Yesterday I showed you the awesome Texas Instruments box that I picked up at a resale shop.

Right when I saw it, I knew that it would make the perfect. . .

end table!

My hubby was with me when I bought it.

Since he had the afternoon off and was in a helpful mood,

we stopped at a hardware store and picked up some casters.

Then that sweetie put them on for me that very night!!!

It's the perfect size- large enough to hold a remote control and a drink,

but small enough that it doesn't take up much space or jut out in the walkway.

Plus, we can use the inside for storage.

I am delighted with it.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col. 3:16

This post is linked to Miss Mustard Seed, My Repurposed Life, Funky Junk,
My Salvaged Treasures, and Today's Creative Blog. 

Thrifty Thursday #157

Great news!
 I discovered a resale shop very close to my home.

I've driven by several times, but I've never seen it open.

I happened to be out in the middle of the afternoon this past Saturday,
 and, as luck would have it, it's doors were open.

So, of course, I had to pop in to see what they had.

It was basically a huge garage full of stuff.
I looked all around, but didn't buy anything initially.
Later that afternoon, I took my hubby back.
Here's what we brought home.

It's an old Texas Instruments box.

The label says, "Warden Gravity Meter."

I have no idea what a gravity meter is, but I fell in love with this box.

It's about 21"tall and 12"wide.

I was attracted to it because of its size and all the awesome labels.

This one is a warning label.

I love the arrows and the Fragile sticker.

 The box itself is in great shape.

It even still has the original packing foam in the lid (I will be getting rid of that).

 From the minute I saw this guy, I knew just what I was going to do with it.
That's why I was willing to pay more than what I usually do when buying secondhand.
The fella was asking $75, but I got him to take $10 off the price because I bought another item.
You'll have to come back next week to see what else I bought.

Come back tomorrow to see what I did with this box.
Hint: it's now in my living room.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

And whatever you do in word or deed,

 do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

 giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Col. 3:17

This post is linked to Embracing Change, Life with Lorelai, and Simple Nature Decor.