DIY Cooking at Home

Before I get to my Monday morning roundup of easy projects to make with concrete, I need to share the following. Here's the state of our house right now. Carpet cleaners just left so all of our side tables, lamps, etc. are piled in the dining room, fans are going, and I'm trying to keep 2 kids and a dog corralled upstairs. One of our bathrooms is a disgusting mess because we had a leak in our tub. so there are tools everywhere, a shop-vac in the hallway...And last but not least, we are trying to finish our kitchen shelves so all of our dishes and glasses are on the counter. Yep. It's Monday. Let's talk about something fun instead. I've been wanting to make some pavers for our flower beds so I was inspired to round up a few great outdoor projects made with concrete. I've never made anything with concrete before, but it seems easy. Please let me know in the comments if I'm right, or if I should be prepared for a more-involved process. Here are the a...

Hi there! I'm excited to show you my latest project because, quite frankly, I haven't crafted anything in awhile! I made a piece of weatherproof, outdoor wall art and it hardly cost a thing, guys. So here we go: Outdoor Wall Art Nap Rating = 3 naps Tools & Materials Wood pallet Vinyl tablecloth (or vinyl by-the-yard from a fabric or craft store) Printer Pencil Scissors Scotch tape Freezer paper Iron Spray paint Newspaper Painter's tape Sharpie marker Staple gun Steps First, locate a silhouette image or a quotation you would like for your art. I chose a silhouette of Ohio because I wanted this to be something we could keep up all season, but I wanted it to be kinda patriotic, too, because of our big, annual Fourth of July party. Resize your image to fit nicely on the size pallet you have and print it out. Because of its size, it will print out in tiles. Starting in the top left corner, piece together the tiles of your image like a puzzle, cutting off the skinny...

How big is your sweet tooth? Mine? Pretty big, although I waffle between craving salty stuff and sweet stuff. But our oldest daughter doesn't have just one sweet tooth, she's got a whole mouth-full. For her birthday, which happens to be on the first day of spring, I made this delectable strawberry cream cake from scratch, and it was so delicious! It was such a perfect cake for spring, especially with strawberry season right around the corner. We'll be sure to gobble up the rest of this springtime dessert post-birthday celebration in no-time flat. But with all of the sweets laying around our house--from leftover birthday cake to Girl Scout cookies to all of those suckers handed out at the bank--I sometimes worry about our kids' teeth. Aquafresh ® toothpaste  protects tooth enamel from damage caused by sugar acids and also protects teeth against cavities. Products like this, along with regular trips to the dentist and brushing twice daily, of course--allow us to enjoy ...

Hey, hey! So, seeing as how June is such a popular month for weddings, I thought I'd round up some wedding gifts you can DIY for that special couple. You may just want to make an extra for yourself while you're at it. via via via via via via via via via via

Hey there! Last weekend we went to a picnic potluck at our friends' house for Memorial Day, and I made one of my favorite summer salads: Greek Macaroni Salad. I love it because it comes together quickly, doesn't spoil as easily as traditional macaroni salad or potato salad, and of course, tastes great! It's better for you, too, because it doesn't contain mayo. Greek Macaroni Salad 1 c. uncooked macaroni 1 small can chick peas, drained 1 small can sliced black olives, drained 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese 4 roma tomatoes, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice 1/2 c. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine the chick peas, olives, feta, tomatoes, and onion in a medium-sized bowl. When the macaroni is finished cooking, drain it well, and add it to the other ingredients. For the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper...

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you get to enjoy a parade somewhere today to honor those who've fought for our freedom. I just want to spend time with my family today, so I'm keeping this short but sweet, with an emphasis on the sweet. Here is a reprint of two s'more recipes we've tried and loved. If you make either of these today, make sure you get the camera out...pictures of the kids eating s'mores are always keepers. Cinnamon Toast S'mores Cinnamon graham crackers Marshmallows (I burnt mine a little which just added to the toast-y flavor, I think) White chocolate chips Butterscotch chips ...and these... Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Graham crackers Marshmallows Mini Reeces' Peanut Butter Cups

Hey there! Way back when, I showed you how we turned a closet into a home office . Little did I know how much time I would be spending in there in the days to come. Life happened , and as it turns out, I'm now a librarian-turned-freelancer-slash-business-owner. The freelancing part is my dream job. LOVE it. The business owner thing goes against everything in my personality (I'm more of the type who enjoys a steady paycheck); but, running this thing alongside my husband has its definite plus-side, and most days, underneath the weariness, we understand that we're on some sort of adventure that we wouldn't change for anything. Anyway, since I now spend lots of hours in my office, I was finding that it had some shortcomings. I still have quite a few things to tweak to make it function just perfectly, but here are a couple of things I've done recently to make it work harder and look better: I spray painted some cardboard file boxes navy blue and added some metal ...