November 7, 2020

Carrot Cake Overnight OatsMaking overnight oats in mason jars is great if you have a busy schedule or need to feed your whole family in the morning. This version of oatmeal is made in a jiffy but tastes extraordinary. Since it's packed with fresh grated carrot, Greek yogurt, flax and chia seeds, it's full of nutrients. However, it tastes exactly like a decadent carrot cake. Enjoy!

 

Peanut Butter Filled Brownie CupsA friend of mine gave me some brownies the other day and they were heavenly. They reminded me of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in brownie form.

 

Chili Fish CakesEverybody loves spicy in the house. We also love that street food style cooking with sweet savory gravy like sauce. The twist is, I put the spicy flavor into the fish cake and not in the sauce.

 

Seafood "Alley" TacosEver price a lobster or shrimp taco? Some places charge $8.99 for a two taco shrimp plate or $9.99 for a two taco lobster plate. I made these homemade seafood tacos for less than $.50 per taco. I call them "Alley" tacos because they are cheaper than a street taco!

 

Simple Bat Garland/Bat Wall DecorationsYou can make Halloween decorations without spending money with items you already have at home. I made this simple bat garland and made extra to decorate the walls.

 

Chicken Curry and RiceThis is one of the best meals I ever made! The combination of the coconut milk and the tomatoes made a wonderful sauce. Instead of spinach, I used Swiss chard from my garden.

 

Bubble-Up PizzaAn easy deep-dish pizza made with refrigerator biscuits and whatever toppings you like.

 

Baked Peach HalvesIn our area, peaches are out of season, however, you can still buy them in the grocery store. They are hard and not good for putting in a paper sack to ripen. I don't know where they are coming from but they will soon be gone. I was not planning to buy any more. My daughter brought some home from the grocery store. I decided to try baking them and they came out so good, we had them 3 nights in a row. Next time I go to the grocery store, I will be buying peaches if they still have them.

 

Swag Decoration For LessWe have a vinyl arch in our backyard. It's pretty plain, so I decided to spruce it up with simple supplies (faux flowers/fillers, zip ties, and a bow).

 

Carbonara Ala PobreThe community quarantine still continued upto now. Number of Covid-19 cases is still rising in my town so we were advised to continue to stay at home. Because of this, everyday, we discover things we weren't able to do or eat before since we now have more time and boredom has made us go beyond what is seen inside the four corners of our homes.

 

Sweet Taro Pudding with Coconut MilkThis is a delicious and easy Vietnamese dessert to make especially if you love taro like I do! It is much more cheaper versus purchasing at the store.

 

Plastic Fabric Cell Phone CoolerI made a cell phone cooler for keeping my cell phone cool in hot weather.

 

Zucchini Spiral Noodles with Fresh Tomato SauceI love this time of year when all the vegetables are harvesting. The squashes are getting so big and always on sale! I have been finding myself adding fresh zucchini and summer squash to many dishes. I hope you will like this one! It is light and delicious! I purchased a Spiralizer! I love it!

 

Sweet Potato-Squash BarbecueSweet potato and squash are usually added to meat as extender to patties in home kitchens. Now I'm using it to make an alternative for meat. I have some egg yolks that which are not used in making my Swiss meringue. This is perfect for my recipe today which I call squash potato barbecue.

 

Scrappy Funky DollThis doll is made from scraps of muslin, fabric, and felt.

 

Easy Crab CakesIf you have canned crab meat on hand, these crab cakes are extremely easy to make, quick and tasty! You will have a meal ready in less than 10 minutes. (1 pound can yields 6 generous sized crab cakes.)

 

Storing Sugar Pills For DiabetesI am diabetic (Type 2) and sometimes when running errands, my blood sugar levels will drop. Doctor recommended that I keep some sugar pills on hand but that big bottle of 50 does not really fit my purse. I took one of my prescription bottles and put 5 tablets in it. Now it fits my purse and I don't have to worry about having a sugar crash while out.

 

Spicy Sausage PenneThis is one of our favorite family meals. It looks like it takes a long time to prepare but it is actually done in about 30 minutes, which includes cooking time!

 

Rainbow Unicorn Wall DecorationHere is an inexpensive and cute rainbow unicorn wall decoration made from paper, glitter paint, and some tulle. For a more sturdy unicorn, you could use white cardboard.

 

Onion Garlic JamA neighbor friend gave me a bag of red onions. I don't use red onions too often so I needed to find a recipe so that I wouldn't waste them. I found this recipe and tried it out. This recipe could also be used for white onions if you want a flavor that is less strong.

 

Super Stuffed Beef BurritoSomething my friends and family ask me to make all the time are my super stuffed burritos. I fill them with all the goodies and wrap them up really tight so nothing falls out. Follow my recipe and rolling technique to find out how I make these yummy burritos!

 

Tuna, Ham and Mushroom Pepper SteakBeen craving for burger steak but beef burger is too heavy. So the best alternative for fatty meat is either chicken or tuna. Tuna is lighter so let's try to recreate a burger steak using it.

 

Caprese ChickenI love caprese. I have tried all sorts of different ways of using tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese. And of course olive oil. How did we not know about this years ago? :)

 

Pork Hamonado Pepper SteakMy mom's specialty in the house is Pork Hamonado. It is seared pork, slow cooked with soda and pineapple juice and soy sauce. The taste is savory sweet and good. We had lots of leftovers at home and it stayed in the fridge for two days. I was thinking of transforming it into something different that is less sweet. What I did was recreate the recipe from hamonado to Pork Rib pepper steak.

 

Making Pastel Hair DyesYou can save lots of money mixing up your own shades of colour instead of buying multiple colours when you want to do your own ombre hair. Due to the pandemic, I've been finding ways to save money, but still have things like fun hair colours and styles. Follow along to find out how to get this thrifty yet beautiful mermaid-inspired ombre hair by making pastels.

 

Vegetables FrittersI had some odds and ends of vegetables to use up, so I improvised a recipe I found online to make these vegetable fritters with a sour cream topping.

 

Circle Faux Flower PlanterRecreate this cute circle faux flower planter for your desk, office/home. This could also be hung too.

 

Elevated Outdoor Storage for Miscellaneous ItemsWe have extra miscellaneous wall blocks and pavers that we have been storing on a pallet. Not a good idea because a pallet makes the perfect hiding spot/home for mouses to live in!

 

Tool Box for Car StuffNow that we can travel a little more now, I hope this will help you stay organized on the cheap. I got a small tool box at a thrift store, and simply filled it with things I had in the house or in the car but could rarely find.

 

Greek Lamb Patties Over RiceThis is an old recipe of my Mom's. I grew up loving lamb patties. It was a very inexpensive meal back in the day! Now it is a delicacy! But well worth each bite!

 

Tuna Patties AlakingWhen meat is too mainstream during meal time. Let's try a lighter version and improve our cooking skills using ingredients which are only available on the pantry. It's always our cravings that make me think of doing unusual recipes in my kitchen.

 

Durable Toys for Large and Medium Breed DogsIf you have ever wondered what a really durable toy for a dog is, look no further. The most durable toy I have ever seen, is actually a horse toy, but dogs play with them too.

 

Cherry Tomato BologneseWhen the pandemic hit, we started expanding our garden to grow our own food. One of our fastest-growing and most plentiful items are cherry tomatoes. A bit tired of salad, I tried making a bolognese sauce with them for pasta night. It was so incredibly delicious.

 

Creamy Baked Cheese SandwichQuarantine days feels like an everyday cheat day. You'll always crave for anything. Then people start sharing their cravings on social media and I would consider as my entry.

 

Triple Nut TartUsing coconut, pecans, and hazelnuts to make this nice autumn dessert.

 

Canning Jar Sewing KitThis is a miniature sewing kit, which holds a few basic sewing supplies, for the beginner seamstress. I put straight pins on the pincushion top, a pair of scissors, some thread, a measuring tape, some needles, and small scraps of fabric into the jar.

 

Red Pepper Parsnip SoupThis is a comforting and hearty soup with some awesome sharp flavours. Roast some red peppers, onion and garlic, then soften some fresh parsnips in broth. Puree it all together and add a hit of cream. This is a velvety delight for these upcoming fall days.

 

Ground Turkey Stuffed TomatoesThis is a pretty simple meal to make and is very flavorful. I like to pair this meal with rice. If you don't like ground turkey, you can stuff with ground beef, chicken or pork.

 

Gluten Free Fried DrumsticksOne thing I missed when I could no longer have wheat flour was fried chicken. It took me a while to learn how to make it gluten free and taste just as good. Using my new electric non stick frying pan, it turns out crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and finger licking good. My family loves it as well as I do. It's also good warmed over the next day. This is my simple and easy recipe for frying chicken.

 

Pepperoni Cheese BreadMost of the quick bread recipes I find are sweet quick breads. This was a nice change of pace to find a recipe for a savory quick bread.

 

Blended Green JuiceHere is a green blended juice recipe I have been enjoying lately. When blending greens you may experience foam/bubbles/froth - to help reduce it, I found adding some chia seeds works! The foam is not completely gone but it's a lot less.

 

Upcycled Bridal GarterI had a bridal garter that we couldn't even give away in my area. I made it into a skirt for a Barbie doll. I also cut off the long ribbons in the front to a more manageable length.

 

Crispy Cinnamon Sugar NestsThese delicious little sweet treats came about when I was making something with delicate phyllo dough and had several tiny scraps of dough left over from breakage. I couldn't bear to through them away, so I made these delightful little candied crisps.

 

Vegetarian Sweet and Sour on RiceThis recipe is made from TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein). Trying to make a vegetarian dish that tastes like meat can be tricky. I have found that lots of seasonings help to make it tasty. Less calories and healthier.

 

How to Repair a Card ShufflerThe machine worked great to begin with and then after a couple of days, it began to get slow and sluggish like the batteries were giving out. I thought to myself, this machine is not worth a toot and figured we had wasted our money and it would go in the trash.

 

Upcycled Wooden TableI got this table for free and upcycled it for about $5. (I already had basic supplies of paint, brushes, stain, varnish, and sandpaper. The only things I purchased was the vinyl and a small bottle of acrylic craft paint.) The top was not wood, but the legs of the table were, so I decided to do a combination of wood, paint, and vinyl for the top. It turned out rather unique!

 

Passion Fruit Iced Green TeaHow do you like to eat passion fruit? Passion fruit has low calories and is high in fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

 

Sticker Scrap Happy Birthday CardWhat do you typically do with your sticker scraps? You can use them! Here's how I made this simple birthday card for my dad!

 

No Bake Almond Butter Energy BitesDo you need a little extra energy to make it through the day? Here is a tasty no bake treat you can make yourself with simple and healthy ingredients.

 

Crockpot Toffee Apple CrispI had some toffee chips I wanted to use up and I also had a lot of frozen apple slices in my freezer. So I looked for a recipe and found this one to try out.

 

Pom Pom SpiderYou can make cute and simple spiders using pom poms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes. This craft can be done with kids and used in the spider hunt game!

 

Grilled Salmon on Cedar PlankHere is a very simple dry rub seasoning for your salmon to grill on a cedar plank. The cedar planks adds a nice smoky wood flavor and you don't need any oil. Plus it's much cheaper to grill your own salmon on cedar plank vs. eating out at a restaurant!

 

Ham and Cheese SlidersNot only are these sliders a family favorite here, but they're also budget friendly and quick.

 

Recipe Box MakeoverI have had this recipe box for several years and this is the third makeover. I like the box, but I change the color and design according to how my kitchen decoration theme is at the current time. It has gone from wood, to painted blue and pink hearts, to white textured, to pale green with an herbal theme!

 

Gluten-Free Breadstick RecipesWhen you need a healthy substitute for bread, these were great! I made changes to the original recipe which have been included in parenthesis in the ingredient list. I like to change recipes to use up things I have on hand!

 

How to Make Sugar Wax at HomeThis sugar wax recipe has been tried, tested, and true. After many failed attempts, this recipe has been proven to work, and so we're super pumped to share it with you! You only need three ingredients :)

 

Tea Cup Bird Feeder/Bird BathThis little piece will fit in perfectly with the glass sculpture flowers I made earlier this summer.

 

Personalized Photo SculpturesThis project is made from a picture and wood or heavy cardboard.

 

Herb Butter Lamb ChopsIt's easy to make your lamb chops super elegant with this quick and easy method. All you need to do is pan sear the lamb, then use its juices to make a pan butter with sizzling herbs. I used mint and parsley here.

 

Jack O' Lantern Candy DishI found this wonderful little glass dish at my local thrift store for .50. With some candy, ribbon, and paint, it was a fun project!!

 

Rainbow Happy Birthday CardI was cleaning out my garage and found this Behr interiors paint color booklet. Instead of tossing it, I was inspired to make a birthday card for my daughter featuring a rainbow heart punch out theme.

 

Roasted Carrots with Carrot-Top PestoThis is a beautiful side dish with vibrant flavours. Use the carrots' own greens to make a pesto to serve with it. I added a bit of mint and lemon to really make it pop. I used pine nuts, but you can use cashews or something similar, too.

 

Bug SculptureI made this with broken a patio chair and misc metal pieces. This is what happens when your husband stands on a patio chair, falls off, and it breaks! You make a bug sculpture! We used all of the chair except the seat which was actually the only part of the chair that broke and was unuseable.

 

Painted Happy Birthday BannerHere is another inexpensive, cute, and colorful "Happy Birthday Banner" you can make with paper, paint, decorative scissors, a hole puncher, and yarn. This is perfect to hang for a child's birthday!

 

Tied T-Shirt Memory QuiltRecycle old t-shirts into a colorful memory quilt.

 

Halloween Saltine ToffeeThis saltine toffee is just the sugar bomb you need for Halloween. It is easy to make and is a great gift. This version is made with white chocolate, but you can use any type of chocolate chips you like.

 

Asian Inspired Baked SalmonThis is one of those easy recipes to whip up that doesn't require any time to marinate in the fridge. I went a little heavy on the lemongrass (I absolutely love lemongrass) and fish sauce but it's just so delicious! You can add more or less red peppers depending on your spicy tolerance. This salmon pairs perfectly with rice and side soup!

 

Mushroom ChicharonThe best thing with staying at home for me is that I have a lot of time in the kitchen. I spend most of my time in cooking when at home. Here I am again trying to trick my son with this crispy mushrooms. He thought it was just crispy fried chicken skin and he ate all of it like popcorn.

 

Crock Pot Chicken Pot PieEasy meal to throw together in a crockpot made from mostly frozen ingredients and canned items.

 

Battered Fish Tacos with Fresh SlawThese tacos are filled with puffy, crispy buttermilk fried fish and a wonderfully refreshing cabbage, corn, and pepper slaw. The flavours are as vibrant as the colours presented. Enjoy!

 

Mask Chain HolderMy daughter works at a school and because of covid19 needs to wear a mask. At times, during the day, she isn't required to wear a mask and wanted a convenient way to keep the mask handy. Here is what I designed.

 

Peach BarsI had a box of fresh peaches to use and didn't feel like canning or freezing them. Although they were delicious, we weren't going through them very quickly, so I found this fresh peach bar recipe to try out.

 

Hassleback Potatoesaka Easy Cheesy "hassle" free dressed up baked potatoes.

 

Craft Stick Crate Gift BasketHere is a cute mini gift basket you can make out of simple craft sticks. This crate measures about 5.25" L x 2.75" W x 2.5" H. It is a great size for smaller gifts!

 

Chocolate Cowboy HatsThese chocolate cowboy hats are a wonderful edible craft. I am making them for my nephew's birthday/Halloween party where he will be dressing up as Woody, the cowboy from Toy Story (his absolute favourite). These only take a few food items and a bit of patience. They would also be awesome for a western movie lover or a baby shower!

 

Mini Baking Tin PumpkinsI saw the cutest mini pumpkins made from tins and did my own spin on them. Theirs was somehow glued together, but mine failed, so I improvised. I hope you like them.

 

Lid Pumpkin Wall HangingI have had this idea in my "to do" file for longer than I care to admit. I have seen these on line. So this week, I decided to just mark it off and share it with all of you. Just 9 components and about an hour of time (not counting paint drying) and it's done. Hope you like it.

 

Salmon with Avocado and Mango SalsaI got all the ingredients on sale, and thoroughly enjoyed this easy to prepare, gourmet meal. It is done in less than 30 minutes. I halved the recipe, and since I only had dried cilantro, used half the amount of the fresh called for in the recipe.

 

Making an Emergency Bug Out BoxThere's a new guy in my trunk...BOB (Bug Out Box). There is no way to miss what Oregon and Washington is going through right now. I came up with something that will help me, and perhaps you, sleep better at night. A bug out box. Here is why we need one. We may only have two minutes to get out..

 

Simple Light Mac and CheeseMac and cheese can be overwhelming in large portions so here is my take on a simple light mac and cheese. To complete this meal, I heated up frozen natural chicken strips and turkey bacon.

 

Baked Chicken with LemonNow that I have returned to work, I need quick and easy recipes that can be adapted to use cuts of meat that I have already. This recipe can be modified for the number of people you need to serve.

 

Transporting Helium BalloonsI buy lots of helium balloons. All of the birthday parties in my family are hosted by me, and I handle all of the decorations, party planning and food. Who doesn't love grandma's cooking!

 

Birthday Cake Gift BoxMake a simple greeting card and gift box in one for any occasion. Gifts made with great efforts are appreciated most. And no matter how simple it is, remember that it's always the thought that counts.

 

Noritake SetDoes anyone have the age of this set or its value? It's a full 12 place setting