Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Anita

I don’t use my slow cooker nearly enough! I’m not sure why… Taking a few minutes in the morning (or even the night before) to brown some meat and chop some vegetables can make the rest of a busy day just a little less stressful by knowing that dinner will be ready when you are. 

I found this recipe for Pasta e Fagioli soup on Pinterest. It takes less than 15 minutes of prep time and you can cook it on low in your slow cooker for up to 8 hours.  Perfect for a busy day of work or running errands. Pair it with a piece of Italian bread and you have a hearty dinner that will fill you up. 

Just a little tip – I like to use these slow cooker liners to make clean up a breeze. 

Waiting for the hamburger to finish browning so I can add all this to my slow cooker…

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All set to cover and turn on low for the day…

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I didn’t have any ditalini pasta in my pantry, so I used rotini instead – still delicious! And here it is ready to eat…

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This recipe makes a big pot of soup, so save the extra for a quick lunch or freeze it for another dinner on a hectic day. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Oh…It’s a Robot!!

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Anita

Oh…It’s a Robot!! These words were uttered by a very cute 3 year old girl as she was scrolling through my pictures. 🙂

To be a bit more precise, it’s BB-8 from Star Wars in crochet form. The free pattern is found here on Ravelry. He works up quickly and is sure to make the day of your favorite Star Wars fan.

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A good friend asked me to make him for her and she squealed with delight when I gave him to her! It makes me so happy when the things I make bring joy to others. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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The Best Sugar Cookies

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Anita

These are the most yummy sugar cookies! They are soft, light, and just wonderful with homemade buttercream icing and sprinkles!

As you can see by the photos, I made these for Valentine’s Day, but you can change the shape of your cookie cutter for any holiday (Easter is coming!) – or just use a round cookie cutter and make them any time. 🙂

You’ll want to line your cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper so the cookies will slide off easily.

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Soft Sugar Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1  1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 eggs

Cream together until smooth.

  • 3  1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Mix together and add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover dough and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface and cut out with cookie cutter. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet or non-stick baking mat 6 to 8 minutes. Cookies will be pale in color. Let cool completely on cooling rack before icing.

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Buttercream Icing

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 lb powdered sugar (or more if needed)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons milk
  • food coloring if desired

Cream butter with vanilla until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add milk as needed to make icing spreadable. Add food coloring if desired. Make sure icing is not too thin; add more powdered sugar if needed.

I added a little red food coloring to make the icing light pink for my Valentine cookies. I topped them off with sprinkles and some of them with dark chocolate hearts – because you can never have enough chocolate. 🙂

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This is a great recipe to make with your little ones – let them decorate their own cookies just the way they like them!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Cream Infinity Scarf

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Anita

Does it still feel like winter where you are? Here in Alabama we’ve gotten a little break from the cold and it feels like spring is just around the corner – but I’m sure the weather is just teasing us! In case old man winter is still hanging around your area, here’s a warm infinity scarf that will help take the edge off the chill while adding a cute accessory to your outfit. 

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I found this great pattern from Hooked on Crafting while perusing Pinterest. What did I ever do before Pinterest was available?!?!? Seriously, I find so much great inspiration there – it’s a crafter’s paradise. But I digress…

This is a very forgiving pattern, meaning that gauge is not important. You can adjust your yarn weight and hook to make a lighter or heavier scarf. As she suggests in the pattern, softer yarn works best for better drape.

I used a cream color worsted weight yarn and an H hook to make my scarf. I’m sorry that I don’t have the info on which brand I used, but the yarn was in my stash and the label had gotten lost. It is a very soft yarn similar to Caron Simply Soft. It could very well be that brand – it’s one of my favorites! I love that my scarf is so neutral that I can wear it with almost anything! And doubling it up makes me feel all warm and cozy. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

 

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Rubber Ducky Baby Card

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Anita

A very special friend just had her 2nd little girl!! Her sweet sister hosted a fun baby shower for her so, of course, I made a card for the occasion.

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The stamp, embossing folder, and punches are all from Stampin’ Up. I stamped the rubber ducky with brown ink on white card stock, colored the image with Copic markers, and punched it out with a circle punch. I then layered it to a scalloped circle punched from pink card stock. I embossed a panel of white card stock with the heart embossing folder and layered it to pink card stock. I tied the panel with yellow gingham ribbon and attached it to a white card. The stamped image is attached to the card with pop dots.

Every baby needs a rubber ducky – even if it is only a stamped one. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Valentine Heart Lollipops

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Anita

I found this cute idea on Pinterest from The Idea Room. They looked so sweet that I just had to give them a try. She gives great directions on how to make them – so simple to do. If you have left over candy canes from Christmas this is a great way to use them!

Here’s what they looked like after I added the melted vanilla candy (I used candy melts from the cake decorating section of my local craft store) and sprinkles.

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I packaged them in little bags (also from the cake decorating section) and tied them with red and white bakers twine. They are so cute in my painted mason jar!

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Wishing you a sweet Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Last Minute Valentine Card

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Anita

Only 5 days until Valentine’s Day! Here’s a quick and easy, last minute card for your special Valentine. ❤

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The stamps, die, and punch are from Stampin’ Up and the embossing folder is from The Paper Studio at Hobby Lobby.

To make the card, emboss a panel of white card stock with the heart embossing folder. Attach a piece of red polka dot ribbon to the panel and tie with a piece of twine. Attach the panel to turquoise card stock and attach to a red card. Stamp three hearts with red and turquoise ink. Die cut with heart die and attach to card with pop dots. Attach a heart button to center heart. Stamp sentiment with turquoise ink on white card stock, punch with oval punch, and attach to card.

You can easily change the sentiment from “friends” to another sentiment to make it the perfect card for your Valentine. ❤

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

 

 

 

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Crochet Heart Dishcloth

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Anita

Do you need a little something for your kitchen, or for a friend, that says Happy Valentine’s Day without all the calories? I found the pattern for this sweet dishcloth on All Free Crochet. It also includes patterns for a hot pad and pot holders.

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The dishcloth whips up quickly with cotton worsted weight yarn so you still have time to make a couple before Valentine’s Day gets here!! Mine doesn’t lay quite as flat as the picture in the instructions, but I kind of like the ruffly edge. 🙂

Right now, I’m using it to decorate my little kitchen cart. It goes perfectly with my red KitchenAid mixer! 

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I may decide it’s just too cute to actually use for washing dishes! 😉 ❤

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Decor, Gifts, Uncategorized, Valentine | 1 Comment

Painted Distressed Mason Jar

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Anita

I’ve seen these painted distressed mason jars everywhere and decided it was finally time to try my hand at painting them. Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I chose this beautiful red paint – added bonus, I use red in my everyday decor so I can use this pretty jar all year!

I picked up this Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint at Hobby Lobby.  It’s an 8 ounce jar and of course I used a 40% off coupon!!

Before applying any paint, wash the mason jar thoroughly with warm soapy water. Rinse and dry completely. Then apply a thin coat of paint to the outside of the jar. This is the jar after one thin coat of paint applied with a 1″ wide paintbrush. I applied a total of 3 coats, making sure to let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. 
 

After the last coat of paint was completely dry, I sanded the raised areas on the jar to give it a distressed look. I wiped the jar with a soft cloth to remove the dust after sanding. Then I sprayed the jar with 2 light coats of a matte finish sealing spray to protect the paint. 

And here’s the finished jar…

 

I’m really liking the way this turned out! I think I will have to make more…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Valentine Tag

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Anita

What says Happy Valentine’s Day better than a treat bag full of chocolate? To make it just a little more special, I added this sweet tag. 

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The stamps and punches are from Stampin’ Up. Stamp the heart and sentiment with red ink on white card stock and punch out. Attach sentiment to heart. Punch a circle from red card stock and attach heart to circle with pop dots. Punch a larger circle from patterned paper. Attach heart circle to patterned circle. Attach entire piece to scalloped circle punched from red card stock. Punch a tiny hole in the top and tie to treat bag with red and white twine.

A perfect little treat for your special Valentine! ❤

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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