Wood Working Obsession: picnic bench

Look below. I did not buy this picnic bench, I made it!!! Of course with some help of my very talented friend (angie) and a very talented woman who comes up with these amazing plans. Have you heard of her website? Knock-Off Wood. If you haven't, go check it out. She looks at a piece of furniture and makes her own plans and posts them. For free!

So, I've never even used a drill or a miter saw before, but with some teaching from my friend and with some easy instructions, we were able to build this in less than 2 hours. And the best part. It only cost $13.

I do plan on painting it pink . . . someday. But for right now. This little girl below . . .

is very happy with how it turned out. She seriously eats on it for every meal and snack.

Dessert Obsession: red velvet cupcakes with a twist

So, what do you make when you're invited to a "24" series finale get together? It's gotta be something that Jack would approve of. And I think he would've loved this. Red Velvet cupcakes/cream cheese frosting with a squirt gun in the middle. Very fitting.

Oh, we'll miss you Bauer.

Giveaway results: cupcake stand

Okay, so it's been a busy weekend. Sorry.

But the winner of the cupcake stand is Jaleen who said that her favorite cupcake was "vanilla with funfetti frosting". Yum. I really need to find a cupcake bakery near me. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. If you're sad that you didn't win the cupcake stand and really want one, go check out my etsy shop here.

Congrats Jaleen!

Food Obsession: homemade strawberry jam

I'm a huge fan of homemade strawberry freezer jam. Growing up, my mom used to make it every summer. It's the only strawberry jam I'd eat. It was delicious, loaded with sugar, and I just couldn't get enough of it.

When I went away to school, I called my mom one day to get her "secret" family recipe. Little did I know, this recipe wasn't a secret. She just followed the easy instructions in the fruit pectin box.

Since I discovered this, every summer I get out my jars, load up on fruit pectin and sugar, bring out my pounds of strawberries and make this delicious freezer jam. It really is easy. All you have to do is:

1. Wash and dry containers and lids

2. Wash fruit, crush in blender, and place 2 cups of the crushed strawberries in a bowl

3. Measure 4 c. of sugar and mix into the 2c. of crushed strawberries; let sit for 10 minutes

4. Get out the fruit pectin and then follow the instructions (the one I have, says to mix 3/4 c. water and one box fruit pectin into small saucepan. Over high heat, bring to boil, and boil one minute, stiring constantly)

5. Stir pectin into fruit and continue to stir for 3 minutes

6. Quickly pour into prepared containers, wiping clean top edge. Fill to within 1/2 inch from top. Cover at once with lids. Let stand at room temperature, for 24 hours and then store in freezer and regrigerate after opening

I made two batches of strawberry jam today in less than an hour. How easy is that. And the real reward will come tomorrow when I actually get to eat it!!!

*** for those of you who are watching your sugar intake, they also have a fruit pectin that contains instructions for a "lighter" stawberry jam

100 followers giveaway

So . . . because my blog reached 100 followers, I'm doing a giveaway! Woohoo! It's about time, huh. I made this little cupcake stand (above) that I'll be giving away.
(dimensions: 6.5 in across and 3 in high)

Rules:

This giveaway starts Thursday, May 13 @ 2:00 p.m. (PST)

and will end on Thursday, May 20 @ 2:00 p.m. (PST)

the winner will be announced Friday, May 21 on this blog.

One entry per person. One winner will be chosen randomly. (The winner will need to leave their e-mail address in the comment section so that I can contact that person. If not, a new winner will be chosen.)

All you have to do is:

1. be a follower (just sign up on the side if you are not one already)

2. tell me what your favorite cupcake is (mine is red velvet . . . yum)

Thank you for following!!!

Dessert Obsession: Frozen Mango Dessert

I found this recipe years ago. Just forgot where I found it. oops. Anyway, it uses one of my favorite fruits - - mangos. A few years back, I lived in El Salvador and ate them almost daily. Loved them and I still do! Hope you love this dessert as much as I do! This time of year, mangos are a little cheaper, so take advantage of them.

Frozen Mango Dessert

filling:

3 mangos (peeled and chopped)

1 1/4 c. sugar divided into 3/4 c and 1/2 c

1/4 c fresh lime juice

1 8oz container of 50% less fat cream cheese

1 8oz container of fat free coolwhip

topping:

1 large mango peeled and thinly sliced

2 Tbl. sugar

2 Tbl. fresh lime juice

crust:

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (10 whole crackers)

2 Tbl. sugar

3 Tbl. light butter (melted)

-bake crust in a springform pan (9-10 in) at 375 for 8 minutes. take out and cool.

-puree mangos with 1/2 c. sugar; put aside.

-mix cream cheese and 3/4c. sugar in bowl (beat well)

-mix puree mixture in cream cheese mixture at low speed until well combined

-fold the whipped topping into the above mixture until well blended

-pour mixture into cooled crust

-cover with foil and freeze until firm (4 hours)

Enjoy!

Spray Paint Obsession: framed chalkboard

So I've been working on this project for quite some time. Just needed to buy and cut ply board . . . so that's why it took forever. Anyway, I walked into my favorite thrift store in vegas, months ago, and saw this frame on the top shelf. I asked how much it was and the guy said $5. I'll take it! Although it was a beautiful painting (they had painted this picture on the glass - - is there a name for that type of art?) I just wanted that frame. Imagine that.

And what was I going to do with it? Well, I wanted to make it into a chalkboard for my daughter to put in the livingroom. I know. I know. I have an obsession with chalkboard spraypaint. I had the perfect spot for it though.

So . . . I removed the glass painting (still have it - - not sure what to do with it),

spray painted the frame white with a few coats,

bought ply board and cut to size of glass,

spraypainted with chalkboard spraypaint with at least 2 coats,

placed the ply board in the frame and placed nails around it so it would stay in.

And there you have it. A fancy, little chalkboard for my daughter to color on that's hidden behind the couch . . . so she'll stop coloring on our hdtv (no joke).

Have you ever used chalkboard spraypaint?

linking to:

You're So Crafty Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Making the World Cuter Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Made by You Mondays, Metamorphosis Monday, Made it Monday, The DIY Project Parade, It's so very Creative