Oh the Cuteness!

Alright, recipe time! I have just a few I want to share, starting with the snacks: Mini Meatcakes (Recipe makes aprox. 36 mini meatcakes, maybe more.) I was inspired by a large-size version of these I found at Whole Foods once upon a time. I was so bemused by the idea, but theirs were pretty bland. I just made this recipe up as I went along, so feel free to improvise with the spices as it suits you! 3 lbs ground beef 1/2 of a white onion, very finely chopped 2 stalks celery, also very finely chopped. 2 eggs 1/2 cup herb-garlic breadcrumbs 2 cloves of garlic, mashed 1/2 teaspoon each seasoned salt and pepper 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 package of garlic-herb instant mashed potatoes, made according to box's instructions You will also need either mini muffin tins or little individual silicone baking cups, mini muffin liners, a pastry bag, and a large star tip for it. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except mashe...

Happy How-Tuesday! This week I have a paper CD case, easy pots de creme, and a little diagram for tying ties. I always thought making pots de creme was difficult but our old friend The Pioneer Woman takes the guesswork out of it for us in this great photo tutorial/recipe. This is a video tutorial on how to make a paper CD case with a closure using just a piece of printer paper, the CD, a pen, and scissors. It is quite fun to watch and a useful thing to memorize. Watch it here. Lastly, here is a link to a diagram of the 4 standard ways to tie a tie . A useful thing for the guys, sure, but it is great to know how to do this for girls as well, so we can tie our guys' ties when they don't remember how. ;)

Whew! I finally finished the editing of all the photos from the housewarming party! You can check out the entire set on my flickr here.  It was an amazing party. I really hope everyone had a good time, I know I did! We decided to make it a mid-1960 ' s themed cocktail party, so we asked people to dress in the period and bring hors d ' oeurves that were very 60 ' s. Everyone brought amazing food and drinks, and in addition Dennis and I made some fun stuff and big jugs of cocktails! Here are a few highlights: Alex looked amazingly lovely. Taken by Vanessa. Look at Adam! He has a vintage bowling shirt and the greatest pants I have ever seen - hounds-tooth polyester bell bottoms. Swoon. All of the rest of these were taken by me and Aubrey on my camera. Here is the jug of drowning mermaid (recipe is coming in part 2), and all the drink accouterments including paper straws, swizzle sticks, and frilly shiny things that served no purpose whatsoever...

This week I have links to teach you how to make a cone out of bacon (lol), a box pouch, and sponge balls for the pool! Yes, that is bacon. I cannot lie - I want to make these really, really bad and experiment with different fillings. Here is the how-to! This sweet little pouch looks complicated to make but this is a great tutorial that really breaks the process down. Check it out here. And lastly, these little sponge balls are a great idea for a kids party at the pool or beach and a much nicer alternative to the traditional water balloons. Here is how to make them.

Hi all! I think I may have missed a week in there somewhere, but i have a bunch of new goodies to share! This week we have a recipe collection of condiments, a braided headband, and home made hair removal wax. If you have ever tried home made mayo then you know how amazing the difference can be compared to the junk in the jar they try to pass off as mayo. I have made it before and it really is super easy, and this page has recipes for ketchup and mustard too! Check out the recipes here. I love braids lately. I have been growing my hair out in hopes that I will someday be able to braid it. But until then, just like last week, I can relish the new braided accessories popping up everywhere. Here is the tutorial for this one. And lastly, I love making cosmetics at home. They are way cheaper, waste less packaging, and are free of the nasty and often questionable chemicals. This is a great recipe for sugar wax for hair removal, and I love that it is made from stuff we all have in ou...