Homemade Guacamole

According to Authority Nutrition, here are the top 12 reasons to eat avocados:

1. Avocados are incredibly nutritious
2. They contain more potassium than bananas
3. They are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids
4. They are loaded with fiber
5. Eating them can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels
6. People who eat avocados tend to be healthier
7. The fat in them can help you absorb nutrients from plant foods
8. They are loaded with powerful antioxidants
9. They may help prevent cancer
10. They may help relieve the symptoms of arthritis
11. They may help you lose weight
12. They are delicious

Guacamole Recipe

3 large avocados

¼ cup chopped onions

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

¹/3 cup chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or fresh equivalent)

½-¾ teaspoon salt

dash of red (cayenne) pepper

juice of ½ lime

Using a sharp knife, slice avocado in half lengthwise.  Remove the pit with a spoon. Use the spoon to scoop the avocado out of the peel and into a bowl.  Mash the avocado.  I have a hand masher but you could use a fork as well. Mash it to the consistency your prefer.  I prefer creamy but you could also leave it chunky. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, salt and red pepper.  Stir to combine.  Add the lime juice and stir to mix it in. Cover and put in the refrigerator.  You can eat it right away but it tastes better when left to sit for and hour or two to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy!

If you like to decorate your planner here are some free Halloween Planner Stickers. I’m not one who likes the scary and gory part of Halloween. And I am certainly not honoring the pagan devil worshiping celebration of Samhain.  I prefer to decorate with my cute candy corn dolls and happy smiling pumpkins. My kids used to like to dress up but it was always princesses and pokemonor other cartoon characters. Now that they are grown I enjoy handing out candy to the neighborhood children.  And I certainly enjoy my pumpkin spice flavored foods! What do you enjoy about Halloween?

Here are some interesting Halloween facts (if you would like to read more, click here):

• Halloween candy accounts for one quarter of the candy sold in the U.S. annually
• The first jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips
• The largest pumpkin on record is 836 pounds
• In 2014 an estimated $3 billion was spent on children’s costumes
• Candy corn was invented in 1898
• Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday after Christmas

Just click on the picture below to get your free sticker download.  It is a png file which can be used with the Cricut or cut by hand.

 

I got a text from my daughter at the beginning of summer - "Mom, if you are not too busy this summer I have a few projects for you to do".  My daughter teaches pre-k and  I teach 5th/6th grade.  During the summer months I do like to work on "projects".  Sewing, baking and gardening are how I like to spend my time.
Milk crate seats (5 of them) for her small group table was one of the projects she asked me to make. I looked online and found quite a few websites with directions on how to make them.  The only problem was all the milk crate seats seemed to have the cushion attached to a piece of wood which was then laid on the milk crate.  If you've ever worked with or been around 4-5 year-olds you can see why this would be a problem.  Spills, accidents, boogers ... you get the picture.  The cushions I made for her classroom are both removable and washable.  My daughter really liked that the crate chair cushions would be washable!
If you don't have a mom that will make milk crate seats for you, I decided to do a tutorial of my process so you can make them for yourself.

Materials for Seat Cushions -

Makes 1 removable cushion for milk crate size 15" x 13 ½"
½ yard Foam - depending on how much money you want to spend you can buy 1" or 2" thick
1 yard Cotton Material, washed and dried
5 sew-on snaps or velcro

Directions:

1. Cut foam to fit the top of the milk crate. These crates go open side down.
2.Place foam in center of fabric and trim fabric so that there is 9 inches of fabric on all sides of the foam.


3.  Leave foam in center of fabric (wrong side up)  and using a washable marker draw squares coming off of each corner of the foam.  These squares should be 9" x 9".

4. Cut 8 strips 1" x 12" for the ties.   Pin ties lengthwise right sides together and sew with a 1/8" seam across one small edge and down the length. Turn right side out.   Here is a great tutorial on how to turn skinny tubes of fabric. You could also skip this step and use grosgrain ribbon for the ties.

5.  Take 2 ties and pin unfinished end on right side of fabric about ¾" down from the right angle you drew.
6. Fold fabric right sides together matching the lines of the square. It will form a triangle.
7. Sew down the line. I reinforced the area where the ties are by reversing my machine back over that area.

8.  Use pinking shears to trim off the extra piece of fabric that forms the triangle.
9. Press the seam open.

10.  Make a 1" hem around all the edges.  Press under 1" and then fold edge under and press that down so you have ½" seam. Sew along the edge of the inner fold.
11. I put a thin layer of batting on top of the green foam so the green didn't show through the white on the fabric. This is optional. With batting side down place foam inside fabric. Pull fabric around foam so that the top is smooth.
12. Add snaps or velcro along long edge of opening.  Also add snaps to the points that fold over.


Enjoy your new milk crate seats!

Halloween is quickly approaching and the weather is getting cooler! What better way to celebrate than with this cute crocheted Halloween cat hat!

This hat will fit a toddler. You can skip the bow if you are making it for a young gentleman. The pattern comes from Crochet for You. So you can hop over to her blog for the directions.

To make the hat you will need:

1 small ball of medium weight black yarn
Small amount of orange yarn
Small amount of pink yarn
I crochet hook
H crochet hook
A tapestry needle for sewing nose, whiskers and weaving in ends

This hat works up really fast. You can easily make it in an evening then gift it to your favorite little one for Halloween!

Fall is a great time for making homemade treats. If you love to bake or give homemade gifts, these Fall Inspired Homemade Labels are for you! The round ones are 2" which fits perfectly on top of a mason jar. The oval labels are perfect for the side of a mason jar or a beautifully tied cellophane bag full of treats! 
 Just click on the picture below to access your free files. They are available in either pdf or png. Just print on sticker paper then they can be cut with your cutting machine or by hand. 

These cute images were purchased at The Hungry JPEG

Nothing says fall like candy corn! And these Candy Corn Cookie Bars are a perfect dessert to take to a Halloween party or share with your co-workers! This delicious recipe comes from Renee at Two In The Kitchen.

Candy Corn Cookie Bars 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1  1/2 cups candy corn

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Line a 13 x 9" baking pan with foil. Then spray bottom of foil with cooking spray.
In a medium size bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar and vanilla. Then add eggs 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
Add flour mixture into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time mixing well after each addition.
Mix in 1 cup of candy corn.
Spread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining candy corn on top of batter and press them down gently.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let them cool completely before cutting.


 For other delicious cookie bars try these!

 

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo I've created this Tortilla Warmer Tutorial. Simply slide your tortillas inside then pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Your tortillas will come out nice and warmed!
*this post contains affiliate links

Materials:

1/3 yard of cotton print fabric ( I used this chili pepper fabric)
1/3 yard of muslin
1/3 yard of cotton batting
matching cotton thread
I used bright yellow fabric for the back of my tortilla warmer because I already had some in my fabric stash. However, you can make the front and back from the 1/3 yard print fabric.

Steps:

Trace circles on your fabric.  I used one of my dinner plates which are 11" in diameter to trace the circles onto the material with a marking pen. Then cut out all of your circles.
       - 2 from your print fabric
       - 2 from your muslin
       - 2 from your batting

Pin fabric, muslin and batting together in this order:  batting, print fabric right side up, then muslin on top.

Sew around the circle with a 1/2 inch seam. Be sure to leave a 2"-3" opening for turning the fabric.

Next, trim the seam then clip the curves. I used my pinking shears to trim the seam then I clipped around the circle at about 2" intervals right up to the seam line. This helps the fabric lay flatter after you turn it. Be sure not to cut the stitching!

Reach inside the opening and turn it right side out so that the muslin and print fabric are on the outside and the batting is on the inside. Then you can either stitch the opening by hand or machine stitch it closed. Since this was just for myself I wasn't worried about making it look all nice and neat!

Repeat all of the above steps with the second piece of fabric, muslin and batting. Your will then quilt each finished piece by marking 1 ½" intervals on the fabric then sewing along those markings. Since my fabric was dark, I had to use a white marking pencil to make the lines.

Be sure to quilt both the front and back pieces.

Finally, sew the front and back pieces together with a ¼ inch seam, muslin sides together. You will sew about ²⁄3 of the way around leaving an opening to slide your tortillas into.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Enjoy!

Grammy Dee

MAY 3, 2017 AT 3:56 PM 

You did a great job on them even though they were just for you! Thank you for attending the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty. I shared your post.
Grammy Dee recently posted…Wednesday AIM Link Party #15Sarah

MAY 5, 2017 AT 6:23 PM 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Sarah recently posted…Alfresco May Day LunchMother of 3

MAY 5, 2017 AT 7:58 PM 

That is just darling! What a cute idea.
Mother of 3 recently posted…Weekly Wrap- Up: The Week Alec Made His Spring CupcakesCassie Smallwood

MAY 6, 2017 AT 9:24 AM 

This is a great idea! I like the idea that they keep from getting rubbery in the microwave and will also stay warm until you use them.
Cassie Smallwood recently posted…Stainless Steel Appliances For $15

Leanna

MAY 6, 2017 AT 10:53 PM 

This is a fantastic idea. What a perfect little gift for a shower, or in a Christmas stocking. Pinning.

Lauren

MAY 8, 2017 AT 7:53 AM 

I love this! I have some that I bought a few years ago and they are absolutely the best way to warm tortillas. I’d rather make my own though AND wouldn’t this be a great part of a wedding or housewarming gift? You could add all kinds of ingredients/tools to create a Mexican meal!

Marie

MAY 8, 2017 AT 10:35 AM 

This is such a great idea! We love taco nights at home and this would be perfect for those dinners. Thanks so much for the tutorial!

Jess

MAY 8, 2017 AT 11:52 AM 

Such a neat idea!

I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Jess recently posted…Cooking and Crafting with J & J Link Up #96 and #95 Features

Beverly

MAY 9, 2017 AT 7:53 AM 

This is just so cute. Love this idea. Thanks for sharing at Over The Moon Party.
Hugs,
Bev

Kileen

MAY 9, 2017 AT 11:19 AM 

Great idea! Thank you for sharing at Ravenwould.
Kileen recently posted…Sew a Coin Purse & Personalize It with Embroidery

Janice Wald|MostlyBlogging

MAY 9, 2017 AT 1:43 PM 

Hi,
Thanks for bringing your post to last week’s Pit Stop.
Janice, Pit Stop Crew
Janice Wald|MostlyBlogging recently posted…123 of the Best Free Blogging Tools that Will Save You Time Blogging (2017 Update)

Amberjane

MAY 9, 2017 AT 3:47 PM 

This is so clever I need to get my sewing machine out

Teresa

MAY 9, 2017 AT 10:38 PM 

What a great idea! I’ve always just placed my tortilla on a paper plate to heat it, but this is much, much better. Thank you for sharing it! Pinned!

Debbie Kitterman

MAY 10, 2017 AT 1:30 AM 

this is a cool idea – I have seen these for baked potatoes, but the thought never crossed my mind to use them for tortillas! Brilliant and just in time for Cinco de mayo – which of course has already passed at the time of my comment – but still great idea… Also, Thanks for linking up with #TuneInThursday this past week.
Debbie Kitterman recently posted…The Sting of Rejection: Perseverance Series Part 4

Lori Leeper

MAY 10, 2017 AT 7:52 PM 

This is a terrific idea! I never thought of making one of these! Thanks for sharing at Dishing It & Digging It! 

JES

MAY 12, 2017 AT 2:01 PM 

This is a nice way to keep them warmed if you heat them on the stove too! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth!

Tina G.

JUNE 7, 2017 AT 2:02 PM 

These are wonderful and easy to make.
They also make great gifts!
The only thing I would add, is to only use 100% cotton fabric, thread and batting if you are putting these in the microwave. Using anything else could be a fire hazard.

roseannmhampton

JUNE 7, 2017 AT 6:59 PM 

Thanks for the tip Tina!

Cilantro lime chicken, when added to a salad makes a great summertime meal.  After the meat marinates it only takes about 10 minutes of cook time so it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.  You could also grill the chicken outside or use a cuisinart griddler.  I use dried cilantro in my recipe because it is too hot in my area to grow this herb right now! Did you know that fresh cilantro is known to be a natural cleansing agent, cleansing toxic metals from your body?  To read about more health benefits of this herb, check out Medical News Today.

Cilantro Lime Chicken & Dressing

Grilled cilantro lime chicken salad with cilantro lime salad dressing

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For the marinade

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
2. ¼ cup lime juice
3. 1 T lime zest
4. 1-2 tablespoons dried cilantro
5. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
6. ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia
7. ½ teaspoon salt
8. ¼ teaspoon pepper

For the salad dressing

1. ¼ cup olive oil
2. ¼ cup lime juice
3. 1 tablespoon dried cilantro (or substitute equivalent fresh)
4. 1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
5. 2 cloves garlic
6. ¹/8 teaspoon liquid stevia
7. a few dashes of red (cayenne) pepper
8. salt & pepper to taste

Meat

1. 3 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

1. Slice boneless breast into thin cutlets so that you have 6 pieces.
2. Combine all marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag.
3. Add your chicken cutlets and marinate for several hours.
4. Use a grill pan or frying pan and cook chicken about 4 minutes per side.

For the salad dressing

1. Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
2. Make a salad with ingredients of your choice.
3. Top with cooked chicken.
4. Serve with cilantro lime dressing.

By Roseann Hampton