Creating Inviting Entryways

Angela Ingo, that fabulous lady that I took the Community class from, appeared on Studio 5 again yesterday. She had 6 great tips for creating an inviting entry. Take a look:

Great Temple Pictures for a $teal of a deal!

Last night my mom and I went to a Temple picture making party at my cousins house. We had so much fun and the pictures are GoRgEoUs!! I am so excited for mine. I got mine as a early christmas present from my mom. If you are looking to a great gift this holiday season this is totally on my top 10. I have seen these same pics at Deseret Book for over $200 and at Costco for about $100. I got mine for $46! Such a great deal. I did mine through a class but I would think that you could just purchase them and make them at your house for the same price. I would email them just to check and be sure :)

For more info go to  http://poppyseedprojects.com/Temples.html They also have lots of other cute projects for just about anyone on your holiday list or things that would be great for any Super Saturday!

Holiday Ornament Tradition

Hallmark.com

When I was younger, my mom was obsessed with Hallmark and buying their ornaments. Each year for Christmas she would get us each an ornament of something that we like or have liked. At the time when she bought these for us I thought it was kind of lame. I thought what am I going to do with all of these ornaments.

I remember one year I was obsesses with Jeeps and so when Jeep had their 60th anniversary she bought me a Hallmark, a Jeep Wrangler ornament.  I totally loved it!

Now that I have my own family I have a special tree that I put them on and everytime that I take on and off the tree I remember those Christmas's when I got the ornaments (Hallmarks are especially nice because they put the year on them). It is something I am definitely going to start with my own little family :)

HoLiDay DeCorAting with Tia Pan Trading

Oh how I love Tia Pan Trading! I am so, so, so excited that they are testing out having a store in Orem. It is so much nicer than having to go all the way up to West Jordan. Anyways, they were recently on Studio 5 and had some great ways to decorate for the Holidays!

Holiday Traditions

My family is still quite young and so I am always on the hunt for new traditions to start. What are some holiday traditions that you or your family has? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Tasy Cookie exchange Recipe

I know a few people who do a cookie exchange with friends and I thought it totally sounds like a great idea! I will post more about some fun ideas for cookie exchange parties later but here are some fun recipes I found on bhg.com for your cookie exchange.

Christmas Sandies

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter, softened
• 1/2  cup powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  cup finely chopped dried cranberries*
• 2  teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
•   White, red, and green nonpareils 
  

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar. Beat until combined, scraping bowl. Beat in vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in cranberries, lemon peel, and any remaining flour (use your hands to work in flour, if mixture seems crumbly). Shape mixture into 1/2-, 3/4-,or 1-inch balls. Roll dough balls in nonpareils. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes for about 1/2-inch balls, 13 minutes for 3/4-inch balls, or 15 minutes for 1-inch balls, or until bottoms of cookies are light brown. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Makes about one hundred forty-four 1/2-inch cookies; seventy-two 3/4-inch cookies; or thirty-six 1-inch cookies.

*Tip: Place dried cranberries in a food processor. Cover and process until finely chopped. Or finely chop cranberries by hand.

Hot Chicken Salad w/rice

My mom got this recipe from someone in her ward. It is so good and extremely filling. It is kind of like a Hawaiian Haystack minus all of the toppings but a lot more flavorful! We made it on Sunday for dinner and even though I didn't have celery or onions, it was still way yummy.

Hot Chicken Salad w/ rice

Ingredients:
2-3 pieces of chicken

3 Stalks celery chopped into bite size pieces

4 oz Sour Cream

1c Mayo

1 Can cream of Chicken

3 T lemon juice

½ onion chopped finely

½ t Garlic powder or salt

Crushed potato chips

1 ½ c uncooked rice

Method:

Boil chicken, then shred or cube. Add celery, sour cream, mayo, cream of chicken, lemon juice, onion and garlic powder. Mix well. Put in 13 X 9 pan, cook at 375 for 10 minutes. Top with crushed potato chips, then cook for another 20 minutes. In the mean time prepare Rice as directed on package. Once cooked serve rice and top with chicken mixture.

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar

Cookies in a jar a great cheap and easy gifts for neighbors and friends because usually you already have all of the ingredients on had. Here is a great recipe I found on www.momswhothink.com

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup raisins


Assembly:
1. Sift together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and salt, then place in the bottom of a 1-quart glass mason jar. Tamp down the flour mixture so it is packed in firmly.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order given, making sure to pack down each layer firmly before adding the next. Screw the lid on the jar. Decorate the lid with ribbon or fabric.


Attach the following directions:

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies
Note: Store this jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months before using.

To make your oatmeal raisin spice cookies use the contents of this jar plus:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Empty the jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, blend the mixture thoroughly.

3. Stir in butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix until completely blended.

4. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Makes 36 cookies.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I have totally been on a soup jag lately, craving everything from chili to chicken noodle to cream of broccoli. Here is a great recipe for Cream of Broccoli soup that I found on allrecipes.com, that I am going to try tonight for dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh chopped broccoli, steamed and divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups skim milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a food processor puree 1 cup steamed broccoli, garlic, and 1/4 cup chicken broth.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add the flour, and stir until mixture thickens and starts to brown.
3. Slowly add remaining 1 cup chicken broth and milk, stirring often. Allow mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes. Then add the puree mixture and the remaining 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli. Heat through, and allow to thicken for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

 For nutritional information or more recipes from allrecipes.com click here

Up on Blu-Ray for $9.96

My husband and I rented the movie Up today. It was so, so good!!! Has such a great story and music. People of all ages from little kids to Grandma's and Grandpa's will love it. On pinchingyourpennies.com they have found a link for a $10 off coupon. Right now at Walmart they have Up on Blu-ray for 19.96 and with the $10 off coupon it makes it only $9.96 for Blu-ray!! It will totally make a great Christmas gift for my family!    Click here for the printable $10 off coupon.

Way cute! Acorn Cake

I found this handsome cake idea on brightideas.com. I thought it would be such a cute cake for any Thanksgiving dinner, to add a little variety to the usual pumpkin pie.

Acorn Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes (18.5 oz. each) Devil’s Food Cake mix
• 1 container (16-ounces) prepared vanilla frosting
• Brown food coloring (or green and red to make brown)
• 1 ½ cup prepared chocolate frosting
• 3 cups SNICKERS® Brand Miniatures
• 2 pieces TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bar Minis
• 1 1/2 quart oven-safe glass bowl
• 1 (9"x13") cake pan
• Waxed paper

Method:

• Prepare both cake mixes according to box directions. Divide batter between buttered oven safe glass bowl and buttered and waxed paper lined oblong cake pan.
• Bake both cakes in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 40 to 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
• Cut both cakes in half. Use photo as guide to cut the flat cake into bottom portion of acorn. Use half moon shaped cake as acorn top. Push cake against the straight edge of flat cake to form acorn.
• Tint vanilla frosting beige with several drops of brown food coloring. Cover bottom of acorns. Cover acorn tops with chocolate frosting. Arrange SNICKERS® Brand Miniatures around acorn tops, using a TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bar Minis for the stem. 
  

To see full nutrition facts and other helpful information about this recipe click here

Elegant Luminaries

I found these Elegant Luminaries in a little booklet I got from Homemadesimple.com. I thought they would be a cute inexpensive, if not free, and a great addition to any holiday table. They could also be used just about anytime of the year. So cute!

Materials: 
-Glass vase or hurricane
-Stones
-Gourds, pine cones, or juniper berries
-Floating candle.

Directions:
Fill a wide mouth vase or hurricane with water. Add stones, and gourds, pine cones, or juniper berries. Insert and floating candle in a seasonal color.

Thats it, so simple! You could make this for just about anytime of the year. Like for summer you could maybe insert some seashells that float, for a beach party. Or some small spring flowers, for an Easter party, or even a wedding.

Candy Cane Bath Salts

I am a total bath person! I love to bath with wonderful Bath salts. When I was totally pregnant I had bought some wintergreen bath salt that was for aches and pains and totally became a huge fan of bath salts. I found a great recipe from the momswhothink.com website for Candy Cane Bath Salt. This would totally be a fabulous Christmas gift for just about anyone (even my husband likes to take the occassional bath).

Candy Cane Bath Salts
Ingredients:
3 cups of Epsom salts
3 Teaspoons of Sweet Almond Oil
9 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
1 drop of red food coloring ( more if you like)
1 drop of green food coloring

Directions:
To make the salts separate each of the three cups of salts into three bowls. Separate each teaspoon of almond oil into three bowls. Into one bowl of almond oil add the drop of red food coloring, into the second add the green. Into each of the three bowls of oil add three drops of  peppermint oil. Mix each bowl well. After mixing pour each of the bowls of oils  and coloring into one of the bowls of salt. This will leave you with a bowl of green a bowl of red and a bowl of white scented salts. Let sit for a few hours covered. To create the candy cane effect layer layers of each color, a layer of red, a layer of green , a layer of white, over and over until you fill the jar.

Homemade Peppermint Coco Mix

I drink hot coco on a regular basis during the winter. There is just something cozy about it! Here is a recipe I found on www.momswhothink.com for some Homemade Peppermint Coco Mix, I am so excited to give it a try. Heck if its tasty it is probably a whole lot cheaper than the store bought kind. Also, I thought it might make a cute neighbor gift this holiday season. You could totally make it put it in one of those cellophane bags and then put the bag in a cute holiday mug. Oh, I love the holidays!

Homemade Peppermint Cocoa Mix
Ingredients: 3 (4 1/2-inch) peppermint sticks
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Measure all ingredients into a blender, grind until powdery and well blended. Vacuum Seal Mix or store covered. Per Mug: 1/4 c. mix, boiling water to fill.

For more awesome Homemade gift Ideas click here

Cute Sweater Beanie Hats for girls

I saw this a few weeks back on Studio 5 and totally wish I had a little girl that I could make one of these for! These look so easy to make and the best part is they are made from old sweaters! Totally cheap or even free if you already have an old sweater! Take a look!

You can find step by step instructions by clicking here.

Way Tasty Fruit Dip

Last weekend we had our Adult Halloween party and my sister-in-law made some way tasty, yet so naughty dip that I couldn't stop eating. We dipped apples, or graham crackers but, I am sure you could dip whatever kind of fruit you would like in it. This would be a great appetizer for any holiday party! I am not sure what to call it so I will make up a name :)

Sinfully Tasty Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 pkg skor bits

Method:
Let cream cheese come to room temperature (so its easier to work with). Then add brown sugar and Skor and mix well. Serve with apple slices or any other tasty treat you can dip

Spell it out

Today on bhg.com I found some a super cheap, fast and easy way to spice up your Holiday table.  They just used come cookie cutters to spell out the word JOY, then added some miniature ornaments on the table and then dust over the arrangement with fake snow. I am not totally sure how the got the candles. You might be able to use those little wax pebble things that you can make candles out of, or an even easier way would be to use white tea light candles.

For more great ideas check out Better Homes and Gardens

Ok, I dont know if I am hungry or what but I thought these Oreo Truffles from Kraftfoods.com looked way tasty! The look like they wouldn't be too hard make and take to a party or even on a plate to neighbors this holiday season! Wouldn't those be cute with a little bit of crushed peppermint stick on top?

Easy OREO Truffles

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Method:

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.
DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator

 

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

I LoVe pumpkin and just about anything that is made with it. I made found this recipe at KraftFoods.com last year and made this pie last year for Thanksgiving, it was HeAvEnLy!

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided

1   HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided

2 pkg.  (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup cold milk

1 cup  canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp.  ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided 

 

Method:

POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.
BEAT dry pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin and spices with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into crust.REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

10 Simple Ways to add Texture to your Home

After taking a room make over community class last week I have been really trying to look at each of my rooms to see what I can do to improve them. In my main family room area I have a LOT of dark browns, my sofas, my entertainment center, my book case and even a lamp table are all almost the exact shade of chocolate brown. I came across this article from Right at Home, that I think my help me and it might help those of you who might be in the same boat.  Since all of my stuff is about the same color and texture the room seems seems a little flat. Here are some suggestions that I had never thought of:

Go tonal. Decorating a room in all the same tone is a wasted opportunity. "Tonal color variations add instant visual interest,” says Rosemarie diSalvo, an interior designer and partner at diSalvo Interiors of New York. Using only one shade of a color looks flat; choose two or preferably three and mix them between accessories, furniture and paint. Try a subtle two-tone effect on a wall, with the lighter shade on top and subtly darker shade below, perhaps even separated by a molding.

Accent one wall. There's no need to spend money wallpapering an entire room when one textured wall is all it takes to peak visual interest. My cousin suggested that I paint on wall maybe just a shade or two darker than what I already have. That way you dont have 50 thousand different colors in your house.

Get scent. Scent is an important part of a room's texture, but not if it's overpowering. A subtle option is would be on of those Sentsys, which melt into a pool of scented oil wax to gently yet quickly fill the room with fragrance.

Don't repeat a texture. When it comes to fabrics, those four words are one of diSalvo's biggest mantras. For example, "If you have pillows on the sofa in the same color family," she says, "make sure they're not all the same fabric." Instead, look for a variety of textures—chenille, silk, linen, leather—to automatically add interest to the entire space.

Layer lighting. "Come up with a lighting plan that takes into account how a room will look throughout the day." DiSalvo suggests having overhead lighting, task lighting (for reading and working) and soft tabletop lighting for evening—and adjusting your scheme accordingly to how and when natural light comes into the room.

For the full article from Right at Home click here