EGG CARTON FLOWERS, GROWING EASTER GRASS IN EGG CARTON BASKETS,SWEET POTATO BURRITOS & MARCH GIVEAWAY!

MARCH GIVEAWAY!

I have started a Monthly Giveaway. I will be drawing names from
followers that comment. The drawings will be on the 1st of each month!

The March Monthly Giveaway is this adorable Mouse Pin Keep

Each time you comment on a new post gives you another chance to win the Mouse Pin Keep

EGG CARTON FLOWERS

More snow is coming next week. I want it to fill like spring, at least in the house, so my great-granddaughter and I made Egg Carton Flowers. We had a great time and she was so proud of her flowers!

Supplies for Egg Carton Flowers:

egg carton
craft paint & brushes
green & yellow chenille stems
small yellow pom poms or pony beads
shaped green chenille stems
toilet paper roll
Tacky Glue

INSTRUCTIONS:

I cut the carton apart and my great granddaughter began painting.

We put a small hole in the bottom and stuck a green chenille stem through and then attached a folded yellow chenille stem by bending the green one over, then added a plastic pony bead to the top of the yellow pipe cleaners. On some you can hot glue a medium sized pom pom to the inside of the flower.

Make leaves by using the shaped green chenille.
Attach the leaves by bending them around the stem. Add a dab of Tacky glue to the underside of the flower to keep the green chenille stem in place.

Paint a toilet paper roll to make a vase. A 1 3/4" circle punch makes a perfect bottom for the toilet paper roll--just Tacky glue it on. Fill the 'vase' with rocks to keep it steady.

Viola’ Spring Flowers. We had such a lovely afternoon making the Egg Carton Flowers!
Adapted from Skip to my Lou

GROWING EASTER GRASS IN EGG CARTON BASKETS

To get ready for Easter, we’re recycling egg cartons into fun little baskets. Grass seed grows pretty fast, but I am starting early, in hopes to enjoy it a little before Easter is over. This is such a fun project for small children. Some of my great grandchildren will be here tomorrow to make this!

Supplies for Growing Easter Grass:

egg carton cups
paper strips – 1/4 inch wide 7-8 inches long
stapler/glue dots
clear plastic wrap
dirt – potting soil works great
grass seed – any kind available in the garden section of the store. Mine is Kentucky Blue grass and is what we use for our outside grass to fill in holes.
markers or color pencils to decorate

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut apart your egg cartons into singles and trim the edges. Use the markers to decorate the egg cup. Decorate the paper strips then attached them with glue dots. But if you want to make sure they stay secure, staple them on. Add a layer of plastic wrap to the bottom before adding the dirt, just to keep the egg carton from stealing all the soil’s water.
Next, fill the cups with dirt and add a layer of grass seed. Top them off with just a little bit more dirt. Then water them good, you will need to keep them moist. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with foil and place them in a sunny location.

SWEET POTATO BURRITOS

Shake up taco night with these nicely spiced burritos

INGREDIENTS:

2 sweet potatoes (11/2 lb. or so total)
3/4 tsp. ground cummin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper (optional)
2 TB. lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
1 15-oz. can black beans drained & rinsed
1 cup corn kernels drained
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
6 whole wheat tortillas

Optional Fillings:

1/2 Cup chopped olives
1 Cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Cup shredded sharp cheddar or Chihuahua cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. Or, if you're in a hurry, microwave the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool. Reduce oven heat to 350°. Scoop the insides out of the potatoes into a bowl and mash with the spices and lime juice. Stir in the beans and corn. Add salt to taste if using. Spoon the mixture in the tortillas along with any optional fillings you desire. Roll up and bake for 10 minutes until heated through.
Recipe from Emily Sommer.

NO KNEAD MULTIGRAIN BREAD IN A JAR & DIPPING SAUCES

MULTIGRAIN KIT

My friends over at Our Best Biteshas done it again!!! This blog is wonderful and you should put it on your favorites list.

This bread is fabulous and the kit will make great hostess gifts or Christmas gifts… If you're giving them as gifts, it's nice to pack them in something…Try brown lunch bags and fancied them up a bit with some ribbon and some labels.
With the directions for making the bread…
To get the recipe & directions click on
OUR BEST BITES

Then to top it off you could have a copy of this book for your very own! While you are there sign up for the giveaway…

QUICK BREAD FOR DIPPING

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups self rising flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
12 oz beer

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray loaf pan with non stick spray. Mix flour and sugar in bowl then pour in beer, mix well. Spoon batter in pan. Bake in 375 oven for 50 minutes. Pour a little melted butter over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese then bake about 10 more minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes before removing and slicing. You can also mix in about 1/2 cup of shredded colby jack.

DIPPING SAUCE RECIPES

Bread dipping is the new, healthy alternative to crackers and cheese which have been a staple, but often overused, appetizer. A tasty trend, filled with breads and flavored oils and sauces in the olive oil dipping dish will be an instant winner.

OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE

Experiment with other herbs, spices and seasonings, like sage, rosemary, sea salt, crushed chili pepper, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, olive or sun-dried tomato tapenade. Make sure you use a GOOD BRAND OF EVOO!! It might cost a little more but it is well worth it in the taste.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fine quality extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
Sea salt & coarse cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients and let it sit, unrefrigerated, overnight.

BREAD DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley (Italian best)
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all except oil and lemon juice in a small food processor or coffee bean grinder.
Chop briefly until all about the same size.
Stir in olive oil and lemon juice.
To serve, combine about 1 1/2 t.
herb mixture to 3-4 T olive oil mixture on a small dish.
Dip sliced bread in mixture.
Makes 1/4 c. of herb mixture.

BREAD DIPPING SAUCE MIX

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients in grinder and grind evenly if you like - if not, mix well.
Store airtight.
When you want to use it - mix 1 tablespoon of this mixture with extra virgin olive oil. You can adjust the flavor the way you want.
Dip warm bread into mixture and enjoy!

BALSAMIC VINEGAR & OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed dried red pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and red pepper. Add olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until emulsified. You can also use a food processor to mix all the ingredients if you like.
Be sure to gradually whisk or blend the oil into the vinegar, you create an emulsion (an emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that usually don’t combine so readily or smoothly.)

MARSHMALLOW POPS RECIPE-NEW GIVEAWAY!!!

MARSHMALLOW POPS

This is a perfect simple craft to try with your kids or grandkids next time the kids are bored and want to try something new. It is fun doing this with the grandchildren & their little ones!!

INGREDIENTS:
20 lollipop sticks (found at cake decorating or craft stores)
20 large marshmallows
1 cup (6 oz.) Premier White Morsels
1 cup (6 oz.) Milk Chocolate Morsels
Decorating icing
Assorted Candies and Chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

PUSH each lollipop stick halfway through a large marshmallow; set aside.

MELT white morsels according to package directions. Immediately dip 10 marshmallow lollipops lightly in the melted morsels for a thin coating. Set stick-side-up on prepared baking sheet.

MELT milk chocolate morsels according to package directions. Repeat dipping process as above with remaining marshmallows.

REFRIGERATE marshmallow lollipops for 10 minutes or until hardened. Use decorating icing as glue to decorate with assorted candies.
Recipe from Nestle's

NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY

Now For The Rules Of The Giveaway!!

Someone very lucky has a chance to win a;
"$25 TARGET GIFT CARD"
Just read & follow the rules!!!!
PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!- read the rules or you are just wasting your time entering.

This is a problem...People don't read and they DON'T follow rules.

This giveaway is open to all my readers, near or far.

RULES TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

1. You must follow my blog.(If you already follow you have step #1 out of the way)
2. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to my blog.
3. Come back and leave two (2) seperate comments. One comment with a link to your blog & one comment with what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving!!

This will give you 2 chances to win the $25 Target Gift Card!

I know you think this is a lot to do but it could mean $25 in your pocket to spend for Christmas!

Cut off for entering is Midnight CST, Sunday-November 29th….I will draw the winner on Cyber Monday, so be sure to check to see if you win!

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY COMING SOON!!

I will be posting another giveaway soon, so keep checking to see what it will be this time...It will be something everyone can use...Thanks to all my followers and the people that take the time to read my blog...I really love it when you comment...Have a good week!

A Fat Quarter Bundle of Red Rooster's Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals GIVEAWAY!

WOW, Brenda from Pumpkin Patch Primivies Quilt Shoppe is having a fantastic giveaway. Stop by and check it out. Just click on the name of the shoppe to go there...The drawing is on Halloween, so don't wait too long....

PEPPERONI PIZZA DIP, BLT RANCH DIP, CHEESY SPINACH & BACON DIP, CHEESEBURGER DIP,BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP RECIPES!!

These Dip recipes are just the thing for a hungry football crowd.

MAKE SURE YOU SIGN UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!

PEPPERONI PIZZA DIP

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 tsp. Turkish oregano
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 Cup pizza sauce (or 1/2 Cup tomato sauce mixed with 1 tsp. pizza seasoning
1/2 of a pepperoni sausage, chopped small (not sliced), about 1/2 Cup
1/2 Cup sliced green onion
1/4 Cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper. Spread in a 9-inch pie pan.
Spread the pizza sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the pepperoni, onions and peppers. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Make sure the cheese is not in one lump in the middle but sprinkled evenly over the dip, so it doesn't bake together and make it hard to get the dip out. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes until golden. Serve with crackers.
Recipe by Robin Lincoln

BLT RANCH DIP

If you grow your own tomatoes or the ones you see at the farmers market are too good to pass up, here's a recipe for using them up. It tastes so much better with garden ripe tomatoes so use them if you can. This is a perfect take-along dip to any gathering, but you may want to double it - it will go fast.

1 TB dry buttermilk ranch dressing base
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TB. water
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
2 Cups chopped tomatoes (about 2 large)
lettuce and crackers as desired

DIRECTIONS:
Put the dry buttermilk ranch dressing base, black pepper and the water into a bowl, stir and let stand about 5 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended. Fry the bacon, let it drain, and crumble it into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, seed them, and chop them into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces. Fold the bacon and tomatoes into the dip. Refrigerate until serving time. If you use low fat sour cream and mayo, serve within a few hours, as the dip will get watery overnight. If you use regular mayo and sour cream, it is even better the next day! Stir before serving. Serve on a bit of lettuce with your favorite crackers.
Recipe from Penzy

CHEESY SPINACH AND BACON DIP

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:
Microwave all ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.
Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up fresh vegetables.
Rwecipe from Church Cookbook.

CHEESEBURGER DIP
A great hot dip for football parties.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. lean groundbeef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (16 oz) refried beans - regular or fat free
1 jar chopped green chiles
1 cup prepared chili sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Saute the ground beef and onion in a skillet.
Drain off the fat and place the beef mixture in a crockpot.
Stir in the refried beans, chiles, chili sauce and shredded cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the sour cream
Serve warm with tortilla chips or corn chips.
Recipe from Church Cookbook.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

INGREDIENTS:
2 (10 ounce) cans Chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages Cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Hot sauce, such as "Franks Red Hot"
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch Celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat
until heated through.
Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing.
Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.
Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly.
Serve with celery sticks and crackers.
Recipe from Church Cookbook.

BIG CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY!!! LOTS OF GOODIES!!!

IT'S A GIVEAWAY!

MAKE SURE YOU READ WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GIVEAWAY**

SOME HAVE NOT DONE THIS....

It's a giveaway...Just because.

Just because...I have 300 posts
Just because...I have 147 Followers
Just because...My 74th Birthday is October 29th
Just because...You are all very special to me.
Just because...You always say the sweetest things.
Just because...You are who you are.
Just because...I like you and cherish your friendship.

MY GIVEAWAY GOODIES TO SOME LUCKY PERSON!

RUSTY SCALES

TWO POUND KRAFT CHEESE BOX

FIFTIES CROCHET HOT PADS

OLD FARMHOUSE PICTURE

GLASS CLOCHE WITH WOOD TRAY

Now what do I have to do to win this
CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY?

Put a LINK to this GIVEAWAY on your blog, start FOLLOWING my blog and then leave me a COMMENT that you have done this.

If you are already a follower all you need to do is POST a LINK to this GIVEAWAY...
**Put a LINK to this GIVEAWAY on your blog, start FOLLOWING my blog and then leave me a COMMENT that you have done this.**

INTERNATIONAL BLOGGERS YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE POSTAGE FOR SHIPPING TO YOUR COUNTRY...

The drawing will be November 1st at High Noon CST...

Please make sure I can get hold of you if you are the winner...If I haven't heard from the winner in five (5) days I will pick another winner!

Dirty Pantry Cake-Chocolate Oreo Cake-and The Winner Is!!!

Oh, my!!! I won the apron drawing over at Aunt Daisys Shoppe~ how exciting!!! Check this shoppe out and while you are at it check out her blog Because Nice Matters…Look at the towels she redone…You will be glad you did….How very clever!!

Dirty Pantry Cake:

Not for eating, Just looking

2 Cups of Applesauce
2 Cups Cinnamon
¼ Cup Salt

Mix all together till it forms a stiff dough. Grease large bundt cake pan…..Press dough into the pan, making sure there are no air bubbles…Bake on the lowest setting for 18-24 hours.
Tap out cake, making sure that it has dried enough to easily come out of the pan…Be careful not to break it….Place on cooling rack and cover with dishtowel. Allow to stand & dry for another 24 hours…Using Spice Fragrance Oil, drench the top and sides of the cake…With gloved hands, rub
ground nutmeg & cloves into & all over the cake…
Allow to dry out for another week…It might crack slightly as it dries…this is normal and adds to the primness of the cake…
Once dried, you can leave it this way or dip the top in hot scented wax to frost the cake.
Wrap with aged cheesecloth around girth of cake and tie off with dirty grungy butcher’s string…You can also use kraft wrapping paper cut into a circle big enough to come up to the top of the cake and tie with the butcher’s string or waxed hemp….Looks wonderful displayed on an old bread board and it smells so good…

CROCK POT “ROTISSERIE” CHICKEN:

1 whole roasting chicken
4 Potatoes
Seasonings
Wrap potatoes in foil. Place in bottom of crock pot.
Lightly spray chicken with Pam. Season as desired.
Place chicken, breast side down, on top of potatoes.
Cook on HIGH 4 hours.
***Onions, carrots, or any other veggies can be added

CHOCOLATE OREO CAKE:

Serves-16....WW Points 4

Ingredients:
1pkg.Devil's Food flavor cake mix
12oz.diet soda
2 egg whites

Filling:
4oz.fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup Splenda
1 cup Cool Whip Free
6 reduced fat Oreo cookies,coarsely crushed

Glaze:
2squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 Tbsp. light margarine
Methods/steps
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, diet soda and egg whites. With an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide mixture evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for about 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out of pans and cool completely on wire rack.
To make filling, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixture until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip and cookies.
Place cake layer on serving plate top-side down. Spread evenly with cream cheese mixture. Place second cake layer on top.
To make glaze, place baking chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Blend in margarine. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes for mixture to thicken slightly.
Spoon glaze over top of cake and serve. Refrigerate any remaining cake.
Nutrition Information:
198 Cal., 4.6 g. fat, 0.4 g. fiber

RUN, JUMP, HOP, SKIP, CRAWL TO THIS!

great giveaway site...You won't be sorry you did.....They have some awesome giveaways, 32 to be exact, to click on and sign up for and they must be at least a $25 value gift....So click on Tons Of Free Giveaways to go there.....

Anthropolification Boyer Cream Cardi GIVEAWAY!!!! GIVEAWAY!!!!

Click on the link if you want a chance to win this look alike sweater...The original sells for over $100....Hurry the drawing is March 8th...

Anthropolification Boyer Cream Cardi GIVEAWAY!!!! GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hark The Hearld! Ethan Has Drawn The Winners.....

of the Great Giveaway:....Boy did I learn a lesson!...When doing a drawing you had better put the names in the pot as they come in....It took me till after 11pm last night just to print out and then cut out the names for the drawing and then another 2 hours to fold every last one this morning....I know you have been waiting to see if you won.....My great grandson Ethan just did the drawing and Drum Roll Please....

Love The Prim Look!
Is the winner of the Apple Pie & Nativity...

Prim 2 Pink!
Is the winner of the Vintage White Bowl, Red & White Mitten, Red Christmas Balls & the Rustic Nubby Candle & Holder..

Peddlin Treasures!
Is the winner of the Swedish Angel Chimes & Candles..

Tami!
Is the winner of the Red Bag of Coal....

Please email me at oodlekadoodle_okdo@yahoo.com with your address, so I can send you your prize....
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who took part in this giveaway....I appreciated and enjoyed your stories about your fondest memory of a Christmas...