BUNCO

Does anyone else LOVE girls night out? One month I was looking for new Bunco score cards. I found this awesome set from http://www.tipjunkie.com/party-ideas/bunco/bunco-party-free-printable/

I went with her color scheme and found a few feather boas that I made into decor and a hair bow for each lady. It wasn't extravagant but it was a fun way to change up the normal Bunco night.

 And seriously, who doesn't enjoy the opportunity to serve delicious food. This is the

Kneaders French Toast you've probably seen on Pinterest. Take the time to make it! So good! And the omelets are easy and yummy too.

I got my printable from here:

http://printable.tipjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/10/shindig-parties-bunco-freebie.pdf

Wreck it Ralph Movie Party

 My twin boys turned 6 this year and they wanted to have a Wreck it Ralph party. We decided to have a Wreck it Ralph Outdoor Movie Party. I found images online (personal use only) and created an invitation that looked like the movie poster. I used Photoshop to add the writing (the font is Sonic-Advanced) and printed them from Costco.

Envelope

 The night came and we had a great set up. My sister has a movie projector and we used a white sheet for the screen. Of course we had a treat table that I liked to call "Sugar Rush"

I pre-bagged all the candy so that they could just grab the bag and stay seated for the movie.

 We made cupcakes and dipped them in sprinkles for a "Sugar-Rush"topping

 In the movie there are many references to different candy. 

I made the labels with Internet images, sonic-advanced font, and Photoshop.

 (all personal use)

 In the movie there is a Nesquik-sand pit that Felix falls into so of course we had to have Nesquik for our drink.

 You can't have a movie without popcorn

 For the "Thank You" I got Diet Coke and Mentos for our guests to recreate "Diet Cola Mountain" from the movie. 

Stripes and Chevron

I have always wanted to do something bold in my office. I wouldn't say that stripes are bold but what about purple stripes? I found a deep purple that made me nervous but I went for it. 

Starting at the top of the wall, I measured down 12 inches (measure whatever size works for you). Using my yard long level and a pencil I drew a line across the wall where my tape would go. After I marked the wall I tapped off the stripes. Using a paint tip from a friend I painted the edges of the tape with my wall color to prevent bleeding colors. Starting with the purple at the top I applied my first coat of paint and continued down the wall. After painting and letting the second coat dry the tape was ready to come off. I love the way they turned out and it is still my favorite wall in my house. 

I also LOVE my chevron wall. It was a lot of guessing but I finally got it measured out and taped. After it was all taped I noticed that it was not correct. Grrrrr. I wanted both the red and white to be equal in size but placing the tape incorrectly made it so that the red is thinner than the wall color. I still love the way it turned out but next time I will make sure I get it right. 

(I wish I would have wrote down my measurements but I didn't) 

Apple Crisp

Remember that "DELISH" Freezer Apple Pie Filling (click here if you need the post and recipe) from a few days ago .... it makes the most amazing Apple crisp!!  It really is amazing and a perfect fall treat!

 Start by placing one thawed bag of your frozen pie filling into a 9 x 13 pan.  You can also use 1 to 2 cans of store bought apple pie filling if needed.

In a large mixing bowl add: 

1 cup flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

and 1/2 cup melted butter

 Blend and Mix until crumbly.  

 Spread crumble over apples and Bake on 375 degrees for 25 minutes, until crisp.  

 Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, cool whip, or whipping cream. 

(To be honest, it is also yummy cold ...  eat it however you like it!) Enjoy!!

Trail Mix Bar

For one of our church Relief Society Activities we decided to have a speaker on Food Storage.  What an important topic, that most of us can all do better at, but so boring and BLAH.  The question was how do we spice up the topic and make it exciting????  After tossing around a few different ideas, we decided to stick with a rustic theme and create a "Trail Mix Bar".

The decoration was simple, but created the perfect feel for the night. CUTE and RUSTIC.  We gathered all the glass jars we could locate from our committee members to display all the different foods.  The green chevron table cloths were perfect for the rustic feeling.  We added lights and stumps of wood (in different heights) that helped to elevate and create different levels for a fun look.   Our banner was was made from card stock and jute.  Finally, we wrapped the jute around quart size canning jars to use as vases.

 We decided to use ice cream cones as the dish or holder for the trail mix.  We offered popcorn, pretzels, coconut, licorice, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanuts, m&m's, rice and corn chex cereal, almonds, craisins, and banana chips.  We served lemonade and water to drink.

A trail mix bar could be created and adapted for any fun party or activity you are having.  

Despicable Me Party

This year we celebrated Miss M's party Minion style. She was totally against the idea until I showed her the super cute minions I was making!! Using my Silhouette I create a little minion invitation. I started by making a capsule type shape. Through trial and error I found what I thought looked most like a minion! Then I went to the Silhouette Shape Store to try to find something that would work for arms and hair. I ended up using monster arms and hair! I welded the arms to the body and a minion was born!! Using circles and rectangles I made the eyes, goggles, feet, and over-alls! I also utilized the sketch pens on the Silhouette to sketch the invite!

I decided to make minion cupcakes. I had seen many pins on Pinterest. This is my version! I used a twinkie for the body and cut about 1/4 off one end. Then I used white smarties for the eyes and black gel icing for the eyes, goggles, and mouth. I wanted the birthday girl to have more than a cupcake, so I decorated 2 round cakes to put the minion cupcake on! {By the way...the new Cool Whip frosting is AMAZING!! I colored it and piped it onto the cake and cupcakes!!}

Freezer Apple Pie Filling

When the weather starts to cool down the idea of baking and spending time in the kitchen sounds new and exciting again.  It is time to put away the outdoor grill and get back into the school routine, prepare for the winter months, and get excited about the upcoming holidays. 

Freezer Apple Pie Filling (click for our favorite recipe) has been one of our family FALL favorites the last few years.  It's simple to make, tastes amazing, freezes wonderfully, and makes for a great treat during the winter months.

Apples are in season and ready to be picked or purchased.  Choose 6 to 7 pounds (24 cups of sliced apples) of your favorite apple variety ... Mom recommends Gala ... from the local farm, the grocery store, your backyard, or (if your lucky) from a friend or neighbor that is willing to give them away.

 We decided that it was well worth the investment to purchase an apple peeler, corer, and slicer.
 (Utah Friends we purchased one at our local Harmon's Grocery Store for around $30.)

Peel, slice, core, and then cut your apples.  Toss them with lemon juice and set to the side.

 Mix remaining ingredients in your large sauce pan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil and Stir constantly for 2 minutes.  

 Add apple mixture and bring back to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until apples are tender and sauce has thickened.  (About 6 to 8 minutes).  Cool for 30 minutes.

We added 5 to 6 cups of apple filling to a Ziploc gallon size bag.  We were able to get 4 to 5 bags out of one recipe.  Freeze laying flat and then thaw to use in your favorite apple crisp or apple pie recipe.

DELISH ... HAPPY FALL!

Pulled Pork Baked Potato

Has anyone ever heard of Rudy's? It is the BEST BBQ in Texas. Since I live in Utah I decided to try and test out my own version of Rudy's pulled pork baked potato. You heard that right. Pulled Pork Baked Potato. It's a super easy meal that I never would have thought to put together. All you need is...

Baking Potatoes

Pork

BBQ sauce

And any topping you like for a baked potato like cheese, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper.

To start off I used my crock pot to cook my meat. I used a 5lb pork roast from Costco. Cook on low for 6-7 hrs. My crockpot cooks hot so I didn't need that much time. Shred the meat and add the BBQ sauce. Once your potato is done cut it open, add your toppings, and place the pulled pork on top. 

Super easy and super delicious.   

Grape Juice

Home made, fresh grape juice? Yes please.

 I was able to pick grapes at my friends house for free so my cost was $10.00 for the jars. 

Using this fancy juice steamer I added the grapes to the top pot and water into the bottom pot. The middle pot is where the juice is collected. Steam on the stove for 60 minutes. I filled the grapes a little fuller a few times so I added 15 extra minutes onto the steam time.

Using the hose from the pot I filled the clean jars and immediately closed them and placed them upside down for 20 minutes. The hot juice placed upside down will seal the jar with out the mess and hassle of canning. Awesome.

I'm not sure how long it lasts on the shelf because it doesn't stay on the shelf for very long.

When you drink it you can dilute it with water or drink the juice straight from the jar. We like it straight out of the jar. Enjoy!

Halloween Party...

With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to share a fun and easy party that I created for my 7 year old's birthday party.  With the help of some "pinspiration" and my Silhouette Cameo, I was able to create this fun and festive party.

I went to Hobby Lobby to find some cute scrapbook paper to use for the invitation and the birthday banner. Then using my Silhouette Cameo I came up with this invitation.

The birthday banner was also made with cute scrapbook paper and my Cameo! 

 

I had a hard time deciding on a cake for her party. I finally decided and convinced the daughter how fun it would be to have a jack 'o lantern cake! I took two bunt pans to make the cake. (You can also see the cake balls I made!) I stacked them, then made a basic buttercream frosting, tinted it orange, and frosted the cake. I then took a green ice cream cone, turned upside down, and put in the center for the stem. I used gel icing to make the face and add some vines to the stem.

I went to Target to find the plates, cups, napkins, and table cloth. While looking around, my 3 year old spotted some "bones" aka a skeleton and convinced me they would be perfect for the party!

 I found this idea and knew I had to use it! I loved the guacamole vomiting pumpkin!

Mummy dogs were also a needed for the spooky party! I cut the hotdogs in half and using pre-made biscuits, wrapped them up and popped them in the oven!

 

The birthday girl still talks about her birthday party. And it has been a year!

{Happy Haunting}