2010

Hanging the Stockings

December 8, 2010 by beth 8 Comments

One of the hard things to explain to children at Christmas is how Santa enters your house if there isn’t a fireplace. (A magic wall? He has a house key?) This also makes it a bit of a challenge when trying to hang up their stockings without a mantel. Our home doesn’t have a fireplace or mantel, so I needed to get creative when I was figuring out where to hang the stockings this year.

Enter a little trip to Home Depot, some spray paint, and a bit of hot glue.

I grabbed four of these decorative wooden blocks…

2-3/4 in. x 2-3/4 in. x 1 in. Pine Rosette Block 32243

Image from Home Depot

and spray painted them red.

I attached leftover picture hanging clips to the back of

the blocks with super glue.

Using some of my yards and yards of gold wedding ribbon,

I folded the ribbon in half and hot glued it.

Next the ribbon was glued to the back of the block in a loop.

Right before the ribbon was glued completely, I threaded the stocking onto the loop.

Once everything was dry, the stockings were hung

on the wall with a small nail.

The blocks were 98 cents each, and I used ribbon and spray paint I had on hand. So for about $4 (or less if you already have some blocks), the stockings are up and waiting for the Big Man to fill them with gifts…a little Diet DP and some peanut butter M&M’s for me, please!

I’m linking up!

HookingupwithHoH

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Free Stylin’ Your Christmas Cards

December 6, 2010 by beth 2 Comments

First, thank you to all who have joined the Christmas Gift Exchange! If you would still like to join, e-mail me @ freestylinbeth (at) gmail (dot) com before Dec. 15th, or leave a comment with your e-mail address. Also, Stephanie, who left the first comment, PLEASE contact me…I need your e-mail address!

Okay, so on to the fun! Today’s post is especially for my younger sister who called the other day and asked, “How can I display my Christmas cards this year?” I gave her a few suggestions and wanted to share them with you, too. So grab your cards, and the ones you may have saved from previous years (or the ones you forgot to send out)

and let’s get started!

#1. Make a graphic art statement.

I hung the cards on the wall in a grid pattern or T shape above the entry table. Because they all follow the same lines, whether vertical or horizontal, they look uniform even if they aren’t the same size, shape or color. This idea is great for most spaces - from a small area to a long entry wall.

(I used blue painter’s tape to hang the cards.

This helps to keep the paint ON the walls when you remove the cards later.)

#2. Display the cards on a wreath.

Either nestled into the branches, hung by wire, or connected by spray painted clothespins, these cards can hang out on any wreath around your house. This wreath is in our living room above the TV.

#3. Frame cards like a work of art.

Some cards are so beautiful, you want to frame them. My uncle and aunt send such cards every year, and I keep the cards to frame and display around my home each Christmas.

I used a cream linen napkin as my background, taped it to the back of the frame, and then taped the card to the napkin.

#4. Make a winter swag.

Using clear wire, colored ribbon, raffia, or twine, you can swag plastic snowflakes interspersed with cards above your headboard, across a mantel, or along a bookshelf.

#5. Turn a card into an ornament or gift tag.

(For this idea, I used the card my parents sent out last year. I love it because it reminds me of my two sisters and me.)

After cutting the card into a circle, punch a hole in the top and attach ribbon. Hang it on the tree…

Or on a gift.

And this present CAN come with little J’s oatmeal bowl if you want it to.

These ideas can be used in just about any space in your home, and they are all FREE because you are using the cards you’ve received throughout the years.

I love displaying really special cards – like ones from close friends, or loved ones who have passed. And people enjoy seeing their card displayed when they come to your house.

So, to my sister, (and maybe you!), I hope this helps you find a fun way to show off the cheerful, beautiful, or silly cards you may receive in the mail this year.

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Free Stylin’ Gift Exchange!!

December 1, 2010 by beth 6 Comments

So, the last day of Thanksgiving break, I took the kidlets to Ikea (Why? Because I had been home all week, and, let’s be honest, I needed to get out of the house before I torched the place!). I love Ikea more than I love most things in this world. It is my happy place – my Disney World. (I even thought of publishing a flyer with few “insider tips” on how to make the most out of your day (yes, I mean DAY) at Ikea. Lemme know if you’d like to read it. (I’m only sort of kidding…)

Anywhoo, I fed the boys, checked Pickle into the kiddy playland (awesome), and pushed J along in the stroller until he fell asleep. Then I found a really cute fake living room and parked it right there. I grabbed a Christmas catalog and a pen, and started jotting down cute Christmas ideas. And maybe I snoozed a bit. Yeah, I was that lady. Sleeping kid, sleeping mom. In the fake Ikea living room. It was heaven. Too me, at least.

While I was going through the Christmas catalog, an Idea (love how it looks like Ikea) started sprouting. What if we had a little Christmas Gift Exchange? You, me, all of us?! Wouldn’t it be fun to trade a little somethin’ somethin’ with someone else from Blogland? Cuz I KNOW you make cute stuff…I’ve seen it. I’ve read about it. And I’ve been making a few things, and I have some extras to share. And this way, you can get to know someone else and get one more present under the tree (for yourself, a friend, a neighbor, the mailman’s vet’s ex-brother-in-law…you know what I mean).

So, are you with me? Wanna trade? If so, keep reading:

Here are the playin’ rules:
1. Leave me a comment, or send me an e-mail, to let me know you’re in. (Don’t leave your address, we’ll get it later.)
2. Let me know you’re in by Dec. 15th.
3. I’ll send you an e-mail with the name and e-mail address of the person YOU will send to. (You two can arrange where you send the gift to, and everyone on the Internet doesn’t have to know where you live.
4. Pick a gift from the cute things you’ve made this year to exchange. (You could choose a couple and let your person pick their favorite or whatever…I’ll never know.)
5. Your total should be no more than $10, including shipping. (This blog is call Free Stylin’, not Spend-Every-Dime-You-Have Stylin’!)
6. Mail the gift by Dec. 31st.
7. (Optional) Send me a picture, or blog about, the gift you received. Link it back to Free Stylin’ so we can all see what everyone got!

Image from Thrifty Fun

Now, you DON’T have to have a blog to participate! You can exchange all kinds of things: a craft you’ve made, a recipe with an ingredient or two, a pretty picture you took with your camera, your favorite quote on pretty paper, etc. Whatevs!

I’m really excited about this little party! I hope you want to come play along, too!!

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That’s How We "Roll" Part 2

November 30, 2010 by beth 1 Comment

Homemade Rolls

These are my mom’s AWESOME rolls. They are famous in our family, and she does such a fantastic job baking them that we beg her to make these little pillows of yummy goodness. (We also beg her to make them because they take so freaking long to rise!) But sometimes nothing beats one of my mom’s homemade rolls, and my kids LOVE them, too, so I carve out a bit of time on a Saturday or holiday and make them. And the smiles I get – oh! the smiles.

(By the way, here’s what my copy of the recipe looks like.

You can tell it’s been loved!)

See the tape?

When I asked my mom for permission to use her recipe for my blog, she was kind enough not to laugh at me and said, “It’s not my recipe. I got it from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.” Oh. And all this time I thought it was some take-it-to-the-grave, secret family recipe. Ha!

Here’s the recipe (and you can take it to the grave and keep it secret if you want):

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 c milk, scalded
1/4 c shortening
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour + 2 more cups of flour
1 egg
butter

And here’s a play by play on how it all goes down, and some tips and tricks learned through trial and error:

First, set your oven to warm (170-190*). (Do this now, cuz I promise you’ll forget.)

Dissolve yeast in warm water:

While yeast is dissolving, add milk to a medium pan and set it on medium heat. (Using a medium pan helps the milk to cool faster later.)

Scalding milk is cooking it right below the boiling point. You want to catch it before it boils. You’ll know the milk is ready when there are tiny bubbles along the sides of the pan, and a thin skin grows across the top of the milk.

Remove the milk from the heat and add sugar, shortening, and salt. Stir them all together, and let them cool to luke warm.

While the milk mixture is cooling, grab 2 bowls – medium and large, and one cookie sheet. Grease the large bowl and cookie sheet. To the medium bowl add 1 1/2 c of flour.

When the milk mixture is luke warm, add it to the bowl of flour.

*Now the recipe says to use beaters to mix, but I use a large spoon because my rolls were turning out wrong. Too many holes because of too much air in the over-mixing.

Once you’ve incorporated the milk and flour, add yeast and egg and stir.

Gradually add two more cups of flour. I put in one cup, stir a bit, add another cup.

First cup of flour

Second cup of flour

This is about the time that you need to use your hands to mix. It helps to scoop from the bottom where all the flour is hiding. Again, don’t knead too much - just enough to mix the flour in.

The dough will be sticky:

Place the dough in the large, greased bowl. Turn the dough so it gets the grease on it.

Now, if you are making the rolls tomorrow, cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough.

If you’re making the rolls today, cover the rolls with a thin cup towel and put it on the stove. (The warmed oven will help it rise.) Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2 hours later…

Now punch down the dough (this is always my favorite part).

**If you are making the rolls tomorrow, and it’s tomorrow, 1st preheat the oven to warm. Punch the dough down. Continue with the next step:

Lightly flour your (clean) counter or a cutting board. Put dough on floured surface and shape them as desired. We make our rolls into ball shapes.

Place the balls on the greased cookie sheet. Cover them again with the thin cup towel, place them on the still warm stove, and let the dough rise until it doubles in size – about 30-45 minutes.

**If the dough was refrigerated from yesterday, allow 1 hour 15 minutes of rise time.

45 minutes later:

If you can remember to (cuz often I don’t), heat your oven to 400* about 5 minutes before the dough rising timer goes off.

Bake the rolls at 400* for 12-15 minutes.

13 minutes later:
Add butter to the tops of the warm rolls.

Here’s the finished product:

Holy Hannah, it makes me want to eat one right now!

Luckily I have a few in the freezer. (Remember on Steel Magnolias when Darryl Hannah says she wants to make something that freezes beautifully? I love that movie!) These yummy rolls “freeze beautifully.” So you can make a bunch, eat some, and eat some later. (Like tomorrow.)

Happy Baking!

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That’s How We "Roll" Part 1

November 29, 2010 by beth Leave a Comment

Quick Rolls

So one of my all time faves in this world is bread. Really soft, warm, squishy bread. I would love to go to the store and buy a whole loaf of french bread and eat it – without sharing! Someday…in a perfect world where I don’t care about calories and carbs. Mmmm.

One of my favorite parts of the big holiday meals are the rolls. I heart me some rolls. My mom makes the best rolls around. But every now and then even she will cut a corner or two when it comes to time. And rolls – they take time!

When I was in high school, I took a cooking class for Home Ec., and we made some rolls called…(wait for it…) Quick Rolls. Just like it sounds. Quick Rolls. They don’t take all that long compared to other…ahem…not-so-quick rolls. My mom asked for my recipe, and she occasionally makes them instead of the ones she’s famous for (shh!). But only when she needs the extra time. (Don’t worry, I’m not telling off on her – she lets people know they are the quick ones!)

They are almost as yummy, I think. Almost.

So since the feasts are coming, and the parties, and the passing out of gifts to the neighbors, the mailman, the mailman’s sister, the mailman’s vet’s second cousin’s ex-brother-in-law, etc., I thought I’d share my Quick Roll recipe in case you’d like to eat them/try them/give them away/or freeze them for later.

Here’s the recipe:

Quick Rolls

2 c of flour

2 TB sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 c shortening

1 pkg yeast

1/4 c warm water

3/4 c buttermilk**

melted butter

**I normally don’t have buttermilk at my house, but my cute aunt taught me you can substitute 1 TB lemon juice or 1 TB white vinegar. Add it to the 3/4 c of milk, and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

Here’s a play by play when making Quick Rolls:

Preheat the oven to warm (170-190*).

Do this now cuz I promise you’ll forget later! (like me, maybe)

Dissolve yeast in warm water:

Make “sour milk” if you aren’t using buttermilk:

Stir dry ingredients into a bowl.

Cut in shortening until crumbly. (I use a fork because it’s so much easier to mix with.)

Add yeast and buttermilk, and mix well:

Grease a cookie sheet and flour your (clean) counter or cutting board. Turn out dough on floured surface and knead lightly.

Shape your rolls, and place them on the greased cookie sheet. Spray a thin cup towel with a bit of Pam, and place it over the rolls. Let them rise for 1 hour.

1 hour later:

If you can remember to (cuz often I don’t), heat your oven to 400* about 5 minutes before the dough rising timer goes off.

Bake rolls at 400* for 10 minutes.

When the rolls are finished cooking, butter the tops. Mmmmm.

The rolls I baked today are a bit large because we’ll use them for sandwiches, but of course you can make them smaller.

These are much faster than traditional rolls, so it makes it easier to bake them for dinner (or a snack, or breakfast, or to give away).

If you give out homemade jam at Christmas, you may want to make some rolls to pass out along side the jam. Or you could take them to your church or family Christmas party (without slaving away in the kitchen all day). Adding a little cinnamon and sugar could kick these babies up a notch, too, don’t you think?

Hope this gets you in the kitchen and cooking!

Happy Baking!

I’m linking up!