Homemade "Craft" # 2

Wine Cork Wreath

I was given 2 ziploc bags of wine corks a few years ago.  In my collection of wine corks I probably had about another 35-40 corks.  These corks have been sitting around the house taking up space and only some of them being used as decorations in bowls or carafes.  

One night the ladies decided to get together for dinner and wreath making and a light bulb popped up above my head and I knew EXACTLY what to do with the wine corks!! 

Placing them one by one strategically, yet randomly, throughout the front and side of the olive branch wreath I hot-glued the corks. Finally I added a bow to coordinate with the season.  So I could change the bow for each season (or whenever I wanted to) I did not glue the bow to the corks.

Unfortunately I am unable to hang this on my front door (for now..) because the storm door squishes the wreath.  I have it hanging in our "retreat" (bar/mudroom) as a decoration.

For another craft, I'm going to do the same thing when I have enough corks for a smaller olive branch wreath so I can hang it in our house.  

Keep Your Head Up....It Can ALWAYS Be Worse!

You're human right?  You've had a few days in your life that have been just plain ol' BLAH! Those days when you just can NOT get out of a funk?  Let's prove that we can put the FUN in being in a FUNKY mood!

What's worse than forgetting to pluck your eyebrows before a date?

Not having any eyebrows at all.

What's worse than cleaning your bathroom?

Cleaning a bathroom in the mall.

What's worse than having an annoying song stuck in your head?

Not having a radio/iPod/CD to get rid of it.

What’s worse than running out of gas? 

Not having money to buy gas at all.

What’s worse than getting old?

Not getting old. 

Be thankful for what you have.

Feel free and comment on this post with "What's worse than..."

First Experience of Deer Camp

Happy weekend to all!!

This weekend will be my first experience of "Deer Camp".  I never heard of Deer Camp until I met my husband.  If you don't know what Deer Camp is, this is what I think I'm getting myself into:

All of the hunters (men and women) hunt during the peak hunting hours (all day? just at dawn and dusk?), sit around the camp fire at night, eat, drink, tell stories, and make memories.  The majority of the people who are going this weekend are family members and the rest are close family friends.

While the hunters are all out hunting, the women and children (I believe) will be making some crafty things, enjoying one another's company, eating, drinking, and making memories.  Like the hunters, the majority of the people that will be with the women are family members and close-family friends.

I'm very excited for my weekend as we have family all over the state coming to Clinton, MO!

Always a fun time spending time with family!!

Shout Out SHATurday #2

This Shout Out SHATurday goes out to Cortnie Deakyne, or as I still call her from childhood, "Dinky". HEY DINKY! 

Awkward Friend Photo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Nice hair!!"

 

 

Cortnie and I met when we were about 18 months old at Miss Joyce's house (our home-daycare). Since then we have been friends! Vacations, gymnastics, cheerleading, shopping, modeling at Marley Station Mall, zoos, sledding, dancing, laughing, family, wine, Barbie-land, Ocean City, and SO MANY MORE MEMORIES are what have created such a fun and loving friendship!

Now that we are grown and separated (physically by states) Cortnie is my most reliable wine-phone chat partner. Like good friendships should be, Cortnie and I can go months without chatting and once we get on that phone or sit on that bar stool the beat is back on because it has not been skipped one bit!

 

 

 

 

Great surprise visit!!

 

 

What were our parents thinking??

 

 

 

 

I am eternally grateful for this fantastic friend!!! Thanks for putting up with my SHAT for 26 years! You are the SHAT!

Recipe # 5

This recipe comes from "Giada".  When cooked to the right temperature (not over-burnt) these are SO DELICIOUS! You can make the dipping sauce that the recipe calls for but we are actually going to put the chicken tenders over a salad with blue cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, red onion, mushrooms, pine nuts, and poppy seed dressing or raspberry walnut vinaigrette.

This is the first time I'm introducing this to the kids and they aren't salad fans yet so I'll serve their with sweet potato fries.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (I NEVER have buttermilk in my house so I followed a recipe online for a substitute: 1 Tbsp white vinegar OR lemon juice in measuring cup.  Add enough milk to 1 cup line.  Let sit for 5 minutes. Use as much as the recipe calls for.)
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 18)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan 
• 3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic with the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and then the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small serving bowl.

Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken tenders and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken tenders to a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside for dipping.

Be Silly!!

Are there nights when you can't fall asleep because of a little voice in your head talking to you and reminding you to do things the following day?  Ellen Degeneres believes this little voice is your 'inner-child' playing with your mind because you haven't been silly lately.  Being silly will help this 'inner-child' come out and play and help ease some stress.  Due to Ellen's suggestions I have been able to find some child-silliness in our adult world: tag amongst coworkers in a restaurant (don't worry, one of the "home bases" was when we were taking orders, hide and seek with our children, playing bingo and other boards games at Thanksgiving.  

There are two 'i's in Silliness....So see some silliness in your day!

Take the time to be silly! Enjoy time being less-stressed!

Thanksgiving Parade Bingo

Thankful for Games! 

For 86 years the Thanksgiving Parade has been giving joy to those who are up the morning of Thanksgiving.  Some get to watch the parade and some do not because they are cooking the actual Thanksgiving dinner or they are hunting or they just don't want to watch it.  

                                            Float from Parade in 1930's

To those of you who have the interest in the parade or have people in your life who ARE interested in the parade....

Do you have kids or Thanksgiving guests that REALLY enjoy the parade on Thanksgiving Day?  Or do you have family members that come to visit and they have helped with their part in Thanksgiving dinner and you want to spend time with them but you really have to get Thanksgiving dinner ready and don't have time to chat as much as you would like to?  Well for the past few years I have made sure that my part in Thanksgiving dinner was completed so I could get out of my mom's hair while she made the rest of Thanksgiving dinner.  I was able to keep family members out of the kitchen with Thanksgiving Bingo! Every year it changes with the different balloon additions/replacements, performers, clowns, etc so I make different cards every year! Before Thanksgiving I run to the dollar store (for the kids or non-drinkers) or liquor store (for the Thanksgiving Eve-Caused Hangovers) for prizes.  

We play three ways: BINGO in a Line (Vertical, Horizontal, or Diagonal), Postage Stamp BINGO (4 in a corner), and Blackout BINGO (every item on card has been seen in the parade).  I use a bingo-card making program that generates random items from my Thanksgiving Parade list.  We usually use a pen or pencil to cross out each box but if you want to get fancy with stickers or markers, feel free!!

This year we will have over 150 items for our Thanksgiving Parade Bingo!

If you are interested in having your very own Thanksgiving Parade Bingo generated, please comment on this post with your email address, or you can email me at bigred6584@gmail.com, and tell me how many cards you would like emailed to you so you may print them.  

Have fun with it!!