HOMEMADE MARACAS

Here is an easy and fun craft for kids and adults....

I remember playing maracas in music class at school..

we used to compete with other kids on who got those as opposed to

who got to play the triangle or the sticks that you click together...

My favorite was the triangle...it was fun and we thought we

were quite the musicians back then...

....here are the easy instructions for making these...

http://tinytappingtoes.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/an-easy-musical-craft-for-young-children-back-to-school-maracas/

INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY

Oh my gosh!  Where do I start with this one...

..today, August 31, 2013

is

INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY !!!!

...shout it loud and clear from the rooftops...

(well at least I'm excited about it)

I love bacon...bacon....bacon...gimme some bacon !!

Seriously, as a child I refused to eat it.  I thought it was just nothing but

fat and couldn't understand why everybody loved it so much...

....now it's one of my friends...yes I know it's considered 'unhealthy'

and I know I have to limit how much I eat it ....

but I can still have fun with honoring this holiday ?

My recipe box of family recipes has a lot that involve bacon...

bacon hotdish...Spanish Rice with bacon...bacon omelet...

bacon pizza and on and on...

...my personal favorite is hamburger and bacon casserole where

you use both...yum...

so anyway...in recognition of International Bacon Day and since I

couldn't sleep long last night I set out to find some unique things

about bacon that I could put on here...

...first I started on a 'unique' recipes including bacon search and came up with these...

Bacon Brittle

Doesn't this look good...(here is that sweet and salty combination again)

...you can find this recipe here...

http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-brittle-366128

__________________________________________________________________________

Here are a few simple little bacon recipes I also found at the same website...

Bacon Butter

(isn't this one tempting...it would be so good on crackers)

..so easy to make too...

This is how you make this one:

1.  Cook 2 slices of bacon.

2.  Drain and chop into small pieces.

3.  Blend 1 stick of butter, bacon drippings from pan and 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

4.  Stir in the chopped bacon.

(Note: I am going to try this without the maple syrup)

_________________________________________________________________________

Bacon Buns

1.  Chop 1/4 cup cooked ham and 1/4 cup crumbled bacon.

2.  Place one tablespoon in the center of a refrigerator biscuit. (like Pillsbury)

3.  Fold in half and crimp edges together.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

__________________________________________________________________________

Bacon Banana Bread

Add 1/2 cup crumbled bacon to your favorite banana bread recipe.

___________________________________________________________________________

Bacon Oatmeal

Stir 2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and  crumbled bacon into

2 cups of oatmeal.

___________________________________________________________________________

So there is my contribution to the recipes for International Bacon Day...

...but wait...we are not done celebrating this day yet..

...how about some fun bacon gifts for bacon lovers on your list...

_____________________________________________________________________________

Bacon Soap

(who doesn't need this huh?)

___________________________________________________________________________

....cute cute...

Bendable Mr. Bacon

___________________________________________________________________________

..this would wake me up in the mornings...

(can't guarantee it would be a hit with your fellow-employees though)

Bacon Flavored Toothpaste

__________________________________________________________________________

...and here is a must of course...

(especially if you are the one bringing home the bacon in the family)

Bacon Wallet

_____________________________________________________________________________

I want these on my Christmas tree...how about you?

Bacon Candy Canes

___________________________________________________________________________

...here is the link for all of these gifts and many more 'bacon gifts'

http://mcphee.com/shop/

___________________________________________________________________________

So there you go...I could go on with this forever but...

anyway...hope you all enjoy your International Bacon Day !!!!

....if you have unique recipes or bacon gifts please share with us in the

comment section....thanks !!)

HOMEMADE HAPPI MEAL

Here is a fun and cute idea...and healthy...

(the fries in this one are actually apple sticks)

...this is not only how to make the nuggets but you also

get templates for making the boxes...

a Homemade Happi Meal...I think kids would love this one...

don't forget to add a little toy

(not sure if the real ones still have that or not)

....here are the instructions along with a recipe for the food part....

http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/01/homemade-happi-meal.html

ENGLISH MUFFIN FRENCH TOAST

Doesn't this look good..

I have always made French Toast the old-fashioned way

with bread and it's great but I think this looks very good too...

I like English Muffins many different ways but I haven't

thought of using them for this...

...recipe is here...

http://www.food.com/recipe/english-muffin-french-toast-175886

FREE PRINTABLE LUNCH BOX CARDS

I think one of the things kids and working people look forward to

most Monday through Friday is their lunch break..

I think it is such a nice idea to secretly put a little card for them

in their lunch bag that they won't see until they start eating....

it really adds a nice little something to their day...

..so I made a few sets of 'lunch box cards' to share here with

anybody who wants them...

...you can just click on the links below for a .pdf file to print them...

...this first set is an owl theme which everyone seems to like...

I'll keep the other sets secret until I post them...more fun that way!

...these are also fun to just slip into a greeting card for

birthdays, holidays and any occasion you give a card for too...

I hope you have as much fun with these as I did making them...

..here are the links for you...

Lunch Box Cards 1

Lunch Box Cards 2

Pin the Tail on the Piñata

Here is an updated version of the birthday party game

Pin the Tail on the Donkey..

I remember playing that as a child.  It was fun but I also

remember when kids would get carried away spinning you around

to confuse you on where the donkey was and getting very sickly

feeling from the dizziness!  I guess everybody thought that

was part of the fun of the game ha ha!

This is a cute printable of this game that I think kids

will love...

...here is the link where you can print it...

...have fun!

http://www.studiodiy.com/2013/06/20/pin-the-tail-on-the-pinata-free-printable/

PRINTABLE SEWING CARDS

I remember having sewing cards as a young child and I absolutely

loved them...I would spend a long time with them thinking I was pretty

grown up because I could sew!

I gave some to my daycare kids over the years but

when my oldest granddaughter was little I searched all the stores

for them and they were very hard to find then.  I finally did find some 

though... I guess they are not

so popular anymore and I don't know why because they are great...

they take concentration and help with coordination and so many 

good things that are important for kids....plus they are a lot of fun...

I was happy to come across these printable ones...

they are very cute!

(I do recommend kids be supervised closely when using these)

...you can print these and get instructions here....

http://www.minieco.co.uk/printable-sewing-cards/

WHITE CHOCOLATE GRAPES

I went searching again for recipes that include grapes in them and

this is what I found this time...those grapes right now are so delicious

I just can't get enough of them...at least it's a healthy type of food!

....this recipe would be nice to use on an appetizer tray for a

get together and also just to keep on hand for snacking on now and then..

...they would be good without the peanuts too but that sure would be a 

nice way to display them on the table...

What you need for these:

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons shortening

1 pound grapes (seedless)

1 cup finely chopped peanuts

...that's it and here are the easy directions...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chocolate-grapes/

PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY BANANA POPS

Yum...

We used to slice bananas in our Rice Krispies for breakfast

and it was delicious...here is another way, and fun way of

combining them together...

Here is what you need:

2 large bananas

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 cups Rice Krispies

popsicle sticks

...directions are here....

http://bakingbites.com/2013/08/peanut-butter-and-honey-banana-pops/

PEANUT BUTTER BACON COOKIES

Sometimes I add a recipe here because it's so different it fascinates me..

...enter....

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies...

I saw this and said  'wait a second...what did that say?!'

I have seen recipes for regular flavored cookies that included bacon..

but this is the first one I have seen with peanut butter...

...a couple days ago I called a recipe wild and crazy...

I think this one has to be filed under the same...

it's that new sweet and salty combination again I think...

...if any of you try this one, or already have please leave us a comment and let us know

how you liked it...

...have fun with it...I might get brave and try it too...

...here is where you can get the details of this recipe..

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peanut-Butter-Bacon-Cookies/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bacon%20cookies&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe%20Hub

GRILLED PUP

These would be popular if served as an appetizer at any get-together I think..

...and they are pretty easy to make too...

...it's just 1/4 of a buttered hot dog bun with cheese and Lit'l Smokies on top...easy as can be...

I was thinking adding a little slice of dill pickle would add some color and extra flavor too...

or a little bit of any type of hamburger topper, even a little slice of onion or green pepper....

..lots of possibilities here....

...you can get oven temp. and all at this link....

http://www.hillshirefarm.com/recipes/grilled-pup.aspx

POPSICLE STICK HARMONICA

How cute! I have never seen this before but it would be so fun to do

with kids..they could make them for the whole family and everyone would have

a fun time making music together....

...the materials to make it are all so inexpensive and easy to

find which makes it an even more fun project...

...my husband likes to play the harmonica so I think I will make him

one of these for an extra fun little gift at Christmas!  ha!

...enjoy everyone!

...here are the easy instructions...

http://www.housingaforest.com/popsicle-stick-harmonica/

PRINTABLE MEDICATIONS CHART

As a person who takes many medications per day I thought this would

be something very useful for myself and for others like me...

I keep my medications sorted out in weekly containers, one for morning and

one for night time, but I will still keep one of these just to be sure...

...this will also be helpful for keeping times of insulin doses etc...

not only useful but very prettily-made....

not sure if 'prettily' is an official word but I like it and it seems

appropriate here !

..there are printables for this in a big choice of colors too...

...here is where you can get this one to print...

...look around while you are there...

this is just a fantastic website if you like printables...

...they are just great...

I was so impressed with it that I put a button over there--------->

....that will take me and my viewers right to it!

http://www.kidscraps.com/MoneySavers/MedicineCharts/MedicineCharts.htm

PRINTABLE PAPER GLOBE

I think this is a really neat craft idea...

...this paper globe can be left as is or it could be colored...

..maybe when I make it I'll just color the water or something to

make it unique!

...it would look nice in a child's room and it's also a good learning tool..

...it doesn't look difficult to put together either...

..you can get this here...

http://joachimesque.com/globe/

PRINTABLE BIBLE PEOPLE

I came across this website a few nights ago and I was so impressed

with this project ...

..these are printables of each of the most known Bible people...

...they would be great for a Sunday school room or as a way to teach your

own children about the Bible and the people in it...

..each one has the name of the person on it...

..I can't say enough about it except like I said,  it is very impressive...great idea...

(there are a lot of printables in this download so it takes quite a while to download all

of them but it is worth the wait....I usually open it up and then go do something else

for a bit and come back to it.  That way it has time to load all of them).

This is where you can find the actual printables...

Thanks to activitymom.com for these

http://www.activity-mom.com/2012/09/bible-people-printable.html

CARAMEL CHEETOS

I know the 'sweet and salty' taste is an in thing now but Caramel Cheetos?

...who would have thought of this....

..they call it a wild and crazy recipe but I think it must be a delicious snack...

....if you can make caramel Chex and chocolate covered everything, then why not...

I'm going to try this one soon...

This is what you need:

2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup butter (or margarine)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 package crunch Cheetos (20.5 ounce)

...directions are here:

http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/12/caramel-cheetos.html

BE AN ANGEL DAY

Today - August 22, 2013 - is

BE AN ANGEL DAY

...you can read all about the start and meaning of this special day here:

http://www.guideposts.org/angels/earth-angels-be-angel-day-helps-inspire-kindness

...it is quite interesting...so read it and then go do something nice for someone

who needs help or just needs to know they are loved...

COCONUT-PINEAPPLE LOAF CAKE

I wish I had some of this right now!!

...with a nice scoop of  Cool Whip on top..

...this loaf cake is as pretty as can be...
...leave it to Martha to come up with this huh!

So I don't miss any important ingredient in this one with re-typing it

I am going to just send you on to the recipe page...

http://www.marthastewart.com/339863/coconut-pineapple-loaf-cake?search_key=coconut%20pineapple%20loaf%20cake

BACON ONION APPETIZERS

This is a very easy recipe that is so good...

it goes great with pasta, soup or pretty much anything...

...and they go together so quick you can have them ready

for the table in a short time....

...I'm going to just send you on to the website where I got this one...

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/76910099/bacon-onion-appetizers/

CLOTHESPIN BOOKMARKS

Here are some bookmarks that I made to put in our grandson's birthday card....

they are quick to make ...

I apologize for the grainy photos...my lighting wasn't the best when I took them...

..first of all you can click link below to print 4 of them...

Bookmarks

After printing cut apart and fold each one in half...

....glue a small sized clothespin like below to the middle edge of the backside of marker ...

(I bought these little clothespins at one of the craft stores but I think most places that have a craft department probably sell them or some that are similar.  I recently saw that Hobby Lobby has them.)

....after glue dries, glue the top half onto the top part of clothespin so that it is enclosed

inside the bookmark...

....you might want to put something on top to hold it in place until it dries....

...and that's it...your bookmarks are done...now you can start using them by

just clipping the clothes pin to the top or sides of your book pages and the smiley

face will always remind you of where you left off....

Enjoy!

STICK WITH MOZZARELLA SNACK

I have been trying to post this for half an hour and for some reason it

just gets all messed up...I suppose it could be because my brain is still

half asleep, but I will blame the computer instead...

...anyway...

...hopefully I (or the computer) will get it right this time...it looks so good...

you can't get a recipe much easier than this...

I could even eat them without the dipping sauce ...

what a great night time TV snack these will be....

Only 3 ingredients:

String cheese

Ritz crackers

Pizza sauce

1.  Cut cheese sticks into 6 pieces and place one on each of 6 crackers.

2.  Cover with a second cracker.

3.  Microwave until cheese starts to melt.

4.  Serve with sauce for dipping.

...thank you people at Kraft Recipes for this one....

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/stick-mozzarella-snacks-95089.aspx

Happy Birthday to our grandson Jake !

BACON CHEESEBURGER MACARONI

There is no casserole or 'hotdish' like it was called when I was

growing up that would compare to my family's recipe.  That is still

my favorite but I do enjoy trying these new ideas and there's something

about the word 'Cheeseburger' that seems to attract people's appetite..

so here is an easy one to try soon...this is very close to my

childhood one ....cheese and amounts of ingredients are a little different here...

Ingredients are simple:

8 ounces elbow macaroni (cooked and drained)

1 pound ground beef

6 slices bacon (cut into 1" pieces)

1 can condensed tomato soup (10 3/4 ounce)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

...directions here:

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Bacon-cheeseburger-macaroni-369072?columns=4&position=2%2F13

...funny...love this one!

I don't usually re-post too much that I see on my facebook

but some of them are just too cute not to share....

CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES

Even though we have temps forecast into the high 80s and even 90s this

week, for some reason I still have that feeling of fall being so close...

it's strange how we have been so nice and cool the past couple of weeks

and then boom!....back to hot and humid summer...

I never have been a fan of heat and humidity and maybe that's why I keep

thinking fall now...

I just love everything connected to autumn...

and when I came across these delicious looking caramel apple cupcakes I decided

I have to put them here on my blog...they just fit in so well with my 'cooler' thoughts

right now...

...look how beautiful they are...and I like the idea of the stick ...cute!

..recipe is here:

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/09/caramel-apple-cupcakes.html

OREO CHEESECAKE BITES

How pretty are these...they would look great on a buffet or dessert table....

I love pretty desserts like this...

...I'll just link you to the recipe for this one...

Enjoy!

http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/cookbook/o/oreo-cheesecake-bites.html

Just a cute little something I found on my facebook this morning...

Unchained Melody is my all time favorite song...so I had to post it on here....

TATER TOT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

My husband asked me if I had a recipe for a Tater Tot Bacon Casserole...

I told him no but I bet I could easily find one...

...well here it is and it looks delicious..

...this would be good not only for breakfast but as a side for any meal I think...

...here is the link for ingredients and directions...

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Tater-Tot-Breakfast-Casserole-Recipezaar?columns=4&position=1%2F5

DECORATIVE ROLLING PINS

A long time ago I made some rolling pins for Christmas gifts that I wrote

recipes on...they were a lot of fun to make and everybody enjoyed the

gift...now I came across this little project that I think is really awesome...

...I am thinking how fun it would be to make one of these for each holiday and

hang them accordingly...

(any kind of cord or wire would be easy to attach to the handles for hanging)

...you can get such cute paper for all occasions and they would be

so cute....

...and how great they would be for wedding or shower gifts....

...you could even add the bride and grooms name and wedding date onto the paper...

...how about making one for each family member's birthday and hanging the

appropriate one up for the week of their birthday...again you could add their

name and birth date...fun, fun !

...this is another project that has just endless possibilities...

..these are fun and easy to make...

...instructions are below..

http://www.writeclickscrapbook.com/write_click_scrapbook/2009/11/a-is-for-appreciation.html

FIVE MINUTE CREAMY COCONUT PIE

Look at this beautiful coconut cream pie!

I will never get enough coconut...I absolutely love it..

...I have known some people who did not like it but I sure do...

...anyway...on with this great recipe...

It is not hard to make...

...here is the recipe....

http://www.keebler.com/recipe-five-minute-creamy-coconut-pie-1156.aspx

CRAYON CLOTHESPINS (very cute idea)

Well I must say...this is a pretty cute idea...

glue crayons onto clothespins and you can use them

anywhere...make them magnetic for the fridge etc., 

or use them to hang up you or your child's artwork...

very clever way to add cuteness and color to any room...

love this one!

...a little bucket filled with these would make a great 

gift for teacher too...

...easy instructions are here...

http://everydayisanoccasion.com/tutorial-tuesday-magnetic-clothespins/

MARSHMALLOW & PEANUT BUTTER SNACK

...and the easy and yummy recipes go on and on and on...

...I was saying to my husband...where did our mothers and grandmothers

get their recipes etc. from all those years ago...

I'm sure there was not an abundance of recipe books and magazines around for them back then...

and yet the recipes from house to house were similar...

I know at some point one person created one and probably passed it on to their

relatives and kids and all...but how did it travel to be a widely known recipe??

For my mother there were magazines that she had access to and probably got some

cooking ideas from reading those, but for my grandmother I have always wondered about this...

it just fascinates me to think of what life was like back then...they had to be

amazing people...

...but now...on with the easy and yummy recipe I have for you...

..direct from Kraft Recipes...

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/marshmallow-peanut-butter-snack-95090.aspx

BACON WRAPPED TATER TOTS

This is a fun idea for appetizers or as a side for a breakfast

or supper...you could get the whole family involved wrapping

these up with the bacon...

You only need 3 things to make these:

1 bag Tater Tots  (good that I proof read my posts..first I typed 'bad Tater Tots' by mistake..ha)

2 pounds sliced bacon

6 slices American cheese

Here are the directions for putting them together...

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/130244/recipebacon-wrapped-tater-tots

AVALANCHE BARK

Whoa! Doesn't this look good..

I think pretty color combinations in some foods make them look

so delicious...not sure if that makes sense but if a picture of food looks

pretty most likely it will be great tasting too...

...this one kind of reminds me of the 'tan fudge' that my mom used to make

for us...very sweet but it was so good!

...my internet is being difficult for some reason tonight so I am just

going to send you to the place I found this at...

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/11/07/avalanche-bark-recipe-rocky-mountain-chocolate-factory/

FRIED BOLOGNA CASSEROLE

We like bologna, and mashed potatoes, and cheese....so why

not put them all together...

...this casserole is really good if you like the above things...

I have made ring bologna in the oven many times over 

the years with mashed potatoes and cheese on it

and it's great...this is just a different shaped bologna...

Here is all you need:

8 slices bologna

3 tablespoons butter

1 chopped onion (I would say this is optional)

4 cups mashed potatoes (warm)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions here:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fried-bologna-casserole/

SUMO WRESTLER PLASTIC BOTTLE BOWLING PINS

Ha ha! What can I say about these....except how cute!

...it's amazing what you can do with a something so simple as a

plastic bottle and a little paint...

I think any kid would love bowling with these little guys...

Instructions are here:

http://www.sugaranddots.com/2013/03/sumo-wrestler-plastic-bottle-bowling.html

SEEK AND FIND I SPY BOTTLE

I just love simple ideas like this...

when my granddaughters were little they had a plastic bottle

with colorful beads inside that my niece had made....they loved it

and it would fascinate them every time they picked it up...

when they got a little older they had fun helping me make something

similar for their baby brothers...

we filled it with beads and jingle bells and pom poms and just about

anything they found in my craft containers..those were a big hit too...

...I came across this one last night and I like the idea of not only putting

little toys in it but making it into a game to see who can spy the most first...

cute idea...

I also think it's neat how she added 'fillers' such as rice or peanuts to

disguise the toys and make them a little more of a challenge to find...

(I would definitely glue the cover on for safety)

Thank you Stephanie!
Her website with more instructions is here:

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2012/02/make-your-own-sensory-seek-and-find-i-spy-for-the-kiddies-cars-squinkies.html

PRINTABLE CHILDREN'S BRACELETS

These are printable children's bracelets that I have been working on

for a while and finally got them finished...

...for printing I suggest using either photo paper or

a card stock....after I print them I cover them with either clear contact paper

(like you can buy in the shelf liner section of the stores)

..or, I also found that it works well to use the clear packing tape...

either of these methods will make them a little stronger and since they

are just paper they will last longer then...

These should work for all young children.  If they are too long they can be
cut smaller, just remember to save enough for the ends to overlap and be taped together...
I have included a sample print that has just one bracelet on it so you can
try it before printing a whole sheet of 10...just in case it doesn't work for you...

These are great as a little reward for your kids, they are also fun for teachers and
Sunday school teachers to hand out...
I also have one that says 'Potty Training Pro'
that is fun to give as a little award too.
...if anyone is interested in that one just leave me a comment and I will
post it for printing....

...also if you have any special requests for lettering on them let me
know that too and I will make them....

Hope you all have fun with these...if so I have other printable items I have
made that I will be happy to share on here...

..I am including a blank one that you can use to write your own
messages on...

...links for printing are below this sample page...

God Loves Me Bracelet

Good Job Bracelet

Good Listener Bracelet

My 1st Day of School Bracelet

Sample Print

Write Your Own Bracelet