Glittered Silhouettes

Silhouettes always reminded me of Grandmothers houses, where you sat on the divan instead of the couch, ate pot roast for supper and the closets smelled of moth balls.
I have been seeing silhouettes are all over the design blog world lately.
Okay, fine.
But we'll do it my way.
With sparkles.


I actually got this project done in a reasonable time, which normally means less than a year.
I always tend to have far too many unfinished projects.
Don't we all.
I just get excited when I see something new.
And excitement means "Oooh, look at that. I need that."
Which means a new project of course.
If you are one of those people that always finish one project before you start another and have a place for everything and everything in it's place, well then give me a few pointers on how you have become this craft superhero, because I evidently am the screaming weakling about to get devoured by the evil Half-done-pile Monster.
I have 3 (grown) children, but I only did silhouettes of my daughters. Besides I don't think my son would like this idea since when he was little he hated that his clothes always came out of the dryer with glitter on them from all of his sisters stuff.
This was really quite easy and will be going at the entry in their old rooms so I made them in colors to match.

DIRECTIONS
This takes a couple days for dry time if you are painting frames too.

I started with profile photographs.

Blew them up at Kinkos to 200% and 250% to get the right size on the regular copy machine, and did a reverse image on one.
Then cut them out carefully.
Traced them onto brown and black art paper.
Cut the tracing out.

Next is spray glue (Super 77).
Then glitter (Martha Stewart) to match the paper.

Let dry.
Carefully remove excess glitter with a soft brush.
Use double stick tape to adhere to backgroun paper, using a clean paper as a pressing aid.
Place in frames and....
Ta daa!

I took a bajillion photos but there was no way to get one without glare since I don't have a professional studio. I tried inside, outside, bright sun, no sun. So try to imagine the glittery cuteness of them before the glass okay. No glare glass also means no pretty photo. Oh well, they really are cute.
Just an added note...I took the glass off, you could not really see the sparkle, and sparkle was the whole point.

The frames were from Goodwill, $3 each. Not bad frames but sad, sad pictures. Who makes all this crap?

I painted them for each room and rewired for hanging vertically.

Broccoli Apple Slaw

I have worked at a supermarket for 31 years, 10 months and 4 days. How do I know this you ask? I know this because it has been 31 years, 10 months and 4 days. Many years ago we read in a newspaper that somewhere the nice young men in their clean white coats took a checker away in a straight jacket to the happy home. Be nice to your grocery checker, it is a tough job.

It is hot and sticky today and I am crabby when I am hot. The day the hot flashes start is going to be one scary look into hell for everyone I'm afraid.

A cool shower, a cool drink and a little white dog. Yeah, that's all I need. And a pool, with a gorgeous man rubbing my neck, and reality is good once again. And to set my alarm for 5am, so I get up for work tomorrow. Oh yeah, and a winning Mega Millions ticket. That's all I need.

Trying to beat the heat, or at least ignore it a little, requires a different plan in the kitchen. Hot ovens just make hot people. Salad, fruit and lot's of fluids do the trick pretty well for me. And ice cream.

I had this at an American Legion dinner and loved it. It is quick and simple. Where it comes from originally? Not a clue. I made a couple changes of course.

BROCCOLI APPLE SLAW

1 pkg broccoli slaw
1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, or 1/2 c of diced red onion
2 apples, julienned, tossed in a little orange juice and drained
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c slivered almonds
1/2 c roasted sunflower seeds
1 pkg ramen noodles, broken up

1/8 c red wine vinegar
3/8 c olive oil
1/4 c sugar
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper

Mix the first 7 ingredients.
Mix the dressing and pour over salad.

That was tough huh?

Makes about 6 cups.

You can also add the zest of 1 orange into the dressing

Candie's Banana Creme

Ooohhh...
What is this?


Could it be?
Yes, yes, yes it is.


Banana pudding.
White trash cooking at its best.
Banana pudding is sort of in the same category as jello molds and rice krispy treats.
You feel guilty because it is so easy but also heroic because everyone loves it.
So here we go.
Perfect for 4th of July or potlucks (the pictures are of individual ones I made).
This feeds a huge crowd.
Huge.
Huge belly's will happen, count on it.
3 - 9" X 13" pans or one roasting pan.
Candy was the meanest woman I have ever known, but a pretty good cook, this came from her.

CANDIE'S BANANA CREME

1 large instant banana pudding
1 pint heavy cream
1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
3 large instant vanilla pudding
9 cups milk
1 16 ounce cool whip
3 boxes vanilla wafers
5 pounds bananas

First, place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a bowl of hot water.
In a medium mixing bowl, blend the banana pudding and heavy cream together, then place in freezer for 5 minutes.
In a really, really big mixing bowl, blend the vanilla pudding together.
Remove the banana pudding from the freezer and blend in the warm sweetened condensed milk.
Add this mix to the vanilla pudding.
Blend the cool whip into the pudding mixture.
Layer the pan with the vanilla wafers, pudding, bananas, then repeat.


I have also added layers of toffee pieces, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings, not all at once of course but who knows.

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

It's just another Mai Tai Monday.
I wish it was Sunday.
An I don't have to run day.
Cause that's my fun day.
Just another Mai Tai Monday.

Mai Tai's were originated by Vic Bergeron in 1944 and the Rum was supposed to stand out instead of fruit juices.

Well poo on them, I like the pretty, fruity Mai Tais.
With great girlfriends.
And flowers.

Mai Tai Monday went quite well.
A nice little girls get together.
Well, big girls actually.
You know, playing truth or dare, pillow fights in our lingerie, that sort of stuff.

Just kidding.

Though I do think that would be a really fun party when I am about 85.
Go out with a bang I say.
Embarrass your kids until the end.
You've earned it.

I made girly Mai Tai's, parasol's, fruit skewers, butterfly lollies, pink and orange straws.

MAI TAI'S GONE WILD
This is for each glass

6-8 oz pineapple & guava punch, (diluted by directions)
1/2 lime
Strawberries
Pineapple
Mint leaves
1 oz Dark rum
1 oz Coconut rum
1/2 oz Grenadine
Ice

This is actually better if you macerate the fruit in the punch for a full day. You can throw it all in the blender after that, or serve it with the chunks of macerated fruit or strain and use fresh fruit on the skewers. And if you want to get snockered then just add more rum. And call me.


Because the Mai Tai here is on the sweet side, the food should be a little spicy. Years ago I had the best Thai lettuce wraps. I love Thai food. The flavors just seem to explode in your mouth like a party. This is the closest I could get to what I remember. It wasn't exactly the same but I have gladly been eating the leftovers every day since.

THAI PORK LETTUCE WRAPS

3 lbs ground pork
2 small onions, minced
1/4 c ginger, minced
1/4 c garlic/ minced
1 t kosher salt
2 T cumin
2 T red pepper flakes
1/2 c sesame oil
1/2 c soy sauce

Limes, quartered
Cilantro, torn leaves
Mint, torn leaves
Green onion, sliced
Peanuts, chopped
Coconut, fresh or toasted
Bibb whole lettuce leaves, 2-4 per person
Spiced plum sauce (recipe below)

Brown the ground pork in a large saute pan.
Add onions, ginger and garlic, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
You can transfer to a crock pot at this point or continue on the stove.
Add salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and soy sauce.
Stir and leave in crock pot for 4-6 hours on low.
Add 1/3 of the spicy plum sauce to the meat.
Place cooked pork and extra spicy plum sauce in separate bowls.
Also place limes, cilantro, mint, green onion, peanuts, coconut and lettuce leaves in separate bowls.
Everyone makes their own adding the different toppings. Gently roll up and enjoy.

SPICED PLUM SAUCE

1 jar plum jam
6 T Tom Yam sauce

Simple, simple, simple.
Heat and stir.


I also made flower garlands. Hours of work! I absolutely love them. We have 3 different dollar stores here, and one is far better than the others and is corporate owned. This is where I bought most of the flowers. I suggest choosing flowers with layers of petals, some with varied colors, and interesting centers. Take them apart layer by layer but leave one or two layers on the center pieces. By taking the flowers apart you will get far more use and interest. I used 15 lb fishing line and hot glued a piece of the petal for some and sewed the fishing line through others. You will find what works best. I only made 5 of these because they do take a while. I used the rest of the petals randomly on the table. It was really pretty and I just put all the serving dishes on top. I made a garland with the leaves also and used it on the front porch.


To recreate the original Mai Tai if you are interested, have a look at the suggestions of ingredients from Beachbum Berry

Saint James 15-year Hors D'Age Rum
Appleton Estate Extra rum
Marie Brizard orange curacao
Trader Vic orgeat syrup
Trader Vic rock candy syrup
Limes
Mint

Banana Rum Bread Pudding

Break bread.
To share food humbly.
Daily bread.
Sustenance from God.
Bread.
60's/70's rock band.
Bread.
Hippie term for money.
Bred.
Sex.
Oops!
Okay...
Old bread.
Crumbs, croutons, french toast and bread pudding.
There is more but these are my favorites.


BANANA RUM BREAD PUDDING

4 stale croissants or good bread
3 c half and half
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 T vanilla
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
2 T dark rum
3 large ripe bananas, lightly mashed

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice the croissants into 1/2" pieces and then again into 1-2" chuncks.
Place into a buttered it in a baking dish (I used a souffle type).
In a separate bowl, beat together the half and half, eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices and rum.
Mash the bananas lightly and combine all ingredients together.
Pour over croissant pieces, stirring gently a few times.
Let mixture soak 30-45 minutes.
Bake at 325 degrees for 75 minutes or until edges are golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out nearly clean.
Let the pudding set until just warm 20-30 minutes.


Banana Rum Sauce

3 T butter
3 T dark rum
3 T dark brown sugar
2 T butter
1 banana diced
1 c toasted pecan pieces (I forgot this time)

In a small sauce pan melt the 3T butter, rum and dark brown sugar.
Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat.
In a frying pan, melt 2T butter, then bring heat to high.
Quickly caramelize the banana pieces in this pan.
Add rum sauce to bananas and remove from heat.
Stir gently.

Serve bread pudding with rum sauce, whipped cream, chocolate shavings if desired.
And my personal favorite...ice cold milk in a glass.
Serves 8

3 Stools Done - Amost

This X 3


becomes these....


I have lived in my house for 22 years, both married and single (I don't like the word divorced). I was divorced. Now I am single. It is a cute house (I am not into cute), but there are many things builders select that lack shall we say, taste? So I change things a lot. Personally a house is not my first choice for a home. I moved to 50, yes you read that right 50, different dwellings before I was even 18 so I am pretty open to variety. My dream home would be a loft or a warehouse on the beach with an outdoor shower, hardwood floors for dancing and lots of tall windows. Until then I just continue to paint and decorate whenever I get bored with what I have. Hence the 3 old barstools that just sort of functioned before. Now I love them. Why? Because they look much better and also because these are what I sit on when I am at the computer and my butt is happier now.

The process was not hard but it did take time for paint drying and adding the padding (I rhymed, go me). Plus I had to do them separately so I would have somewhere to sit. I love the wind and it has been windy every day which unfortunately doesn't work well with spray painting. I don't really prep or follow technique (I am not big on the clean up part either). I just sort of do, otherwise things would never get finished. Here we go....

Sand the stools?
Nope.
Instead spray a good coat of primer and hope it does the job.
Let dry a couple hours.


Then I used American Accents Stone brown spray paint and has a sort of spattered texture. It is the same as I used when I made my dining table and I wanted to unify the space. I also painted the entire stool because I may want to take the padded covers off at some point and do something different.
Let paint dry 1 day.
Another coat of Stone paint.
Let dry 3 days.



Then 2 coats of spray acrylic sealer, dry 1/2 day in between coats.
The next layers are....
Foam padding cut 2 inches larger all around the seat so it will wrap down the sides.
Batting cut about an inch larger than the padding.
Ruler shmuler, I just use the stool for measuring, placed upside down and draw a circle around it.
I used Super 77 spray adhesive to keep the padding and batting together.
Double sided fusible webbing cut the same as the burlap. This it to give some strength to the burlap and help it stay put to the batting,
Burlap cut about an inch larger than the batting. I can't find all the burlap with East Indian drawings so plain it must be for now. I will add something soon, I just have to decide what. Ideas are welcome.
Then carefully center everything, fold the fabric under and staple gun this sucker in place.

How in the hell do the pros upholster so perfectly?


I may attempt restapling the burlap or attach some rope around the edge under the seat.

One project down.
672 projects to go.

Bar Stool Project

sStill here.
This is basically a food blog, but I also enjoy table settings (coming again in October) and entertaining, interiors and some crafts.
I follow a lot of blogs, one being from Melissa at The Inspired Room.
She is having a project procrastinators party and I am in.
I am so in that I procrastinated my post and photo an extra day, so I think I win that part.
My project is three old bar stools, cheap ones, ones with other projects paint on them.
Nothing but good should come from this.
The plan is to paint them to match my dining table that I made with brown stone paint.
I had thought about stenciling numbers (1, 2 & 3) on top which I love but it doesn't really work with the rest of the room.
Instead I hope to make padded seat covers with some burlap that I drew some East Indian designs on.
I had used these over the back of the chairs for my table setting luncheon that I do every year and this time my theme was 'A Passage To India".
So I have two weeks, until May 14 to get this done.
Actually one week and six days because I am late already.
This is the before of one of the stools...


Yes those are weeds in the background, that is a whole other project.

Russian Cream

I love Easter. The bunny, the eggs, the candy, family and dinner, all of it. But especially the part about the sacrifice.
I am humbled by Christ.
I wish many sweet blessings upon all of you and those you love.
Happy Easter!

I am celebrating Easter with a few thousand people tomorrow. I really am quite popular if you didn't already know. People will line up to wait for a moment of my time.

I will be working in the Express Lane for your shopping pleasure.

Something my family has made often for Easter and Spring affairs is Russian Cream. It came from Sunset Favorite Recipes quite a few years ago. This is easy and perfect with strawberries or crisp lemon cookies. It is pretty when molded but quickly looks fairly tore up once everyone figures out how good it is. Just a spoonful on a berry and mmm. You can make individual ones if you prefer for dessert or a tea or shower. It always seems to take the guys a while to get to this and we ladies have sort of attacked it so they really don't get their fair share. Snooze = lose.


RUSSIAN CREAM
3/4 c sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 c water
1 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c sour cream
1 t vanilla

5 baskets strawberries

In a small pan, mix the sugar and gelatin.
Add the water and mix.
Let set for 5 minutes.
Bring to a full boil while stirring, careful not to boil over.
Remove from heat.
Let cool.
Add the heavy cream to the gelatin and mix.
In a medium bowl mix sour cream and vanilla.
Add the gelatin mixture to the sour cream and blend.
Pour into a lightly sprayed 4 cup mold.
Chill for about 4-5 hours.
Serve with strawberries and/or crisp lemon cookies.

Coconut Almond Fudge Bars

It was time for some baking. I have been devouring crappy sweets at work, AKA grocery store, and, really it all sort of sucks big time.
So what to make, what to make?
This....gooey and rich and yummy.
Yes, my own creation.
Applause is accepted.
And money.
Or winning lottery tickets.
Or rich wonderful husbands (not yours of course).
Islands.
Bentley's.

COCONUT ALMOND FUDGE BARS

1 1/2 cubes of butter
1/2 c sugar
3 c grahm cracker crumbs
7 oz jar of marshmallow fluff
16 oz jar of hot fudge
Large bag of sweetend coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk, warm can in hot water
1/4 c butter
1 1/2 c almonds, slivered, sliced or chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 1/2 cubes of butter.
Add sugar and blend.
Add grahm cracker crumbs and blend.
Press into parchment lined 11x15" baking pan.
Warm marshmallow fluff in microwave in 15 second increments till easily spreadable.
Carefully spread over grahm crust.
Warm hot fudge in microwave for 1 minute.
Carefully spread fudge over marshmallow.
Sprinkle coconut on top.
Pour warmed sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut.
Bake 25 minutes until coconut begins to brown.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter.
Toss almond in butter.
Sprinkle almonds on top.
Bake 20 minutes more until almonds begin to brown.
Remove and cool.
Cut into squares.


Now is there not enough stuff on there?

Links 4 Amazing Young Men

How cute are these guys?


Okay, what do you think when your daughter says she is bringing home a band?
Batten the hatches?
Lock up the virgins?
Bring in the Calvary?
I just get excited for someone to entertain. Although entertain is a very loose term for my house and town, there isn't much to entertain with.
Curtis, Eric, Robbie and Robbie (I went alphabetically so no one gets their feelings hurt).
Backwards...Robbie, Robbie, Eric and Curtis.
Mixed letters, one of each...BECIROTUS.
Had enough?
Oh one more, backwards mixed letters...SUTORICEB.
Okay I'm spent.

Any way, these are such great guys. Every one of them. Adorable, interesting, personable and very, very talented. They play Indie Rock. Robbie's voice is the kind that steals your daughter heart. Eric is on the guitar. Robbie plays bass. Curtis on drums.
And let me add, perfect guests. Did I mention that they are really cute?
I can't believe they called Modesto 'Cow Town'. That is pretty funny.

They left today to continue their tour in San Jose tonight, then on to...
April 1 - Grant and Green, San Francisco, CA
April 2 - Old Ironside's, Sacramento, CA
April 3 - Aragon High (noontime), San Mateo, CA
April 4 - Blake's, Berkeley, CA

Trust me, go see them.

They are in the music player thing on the right-->-->-->
Eric called it something but I can't remember so it is a music thing. You will figure it out.

Oops, their name is LINKS.
Sorry SUTORICEB.