Andes Mint Cookies Recipe

I found this recipe on Pinterest (where else?!) on the Six Sisters Stuff website. This is a great site; it is six sisters who created this blog to share recipes, crafts, and how to's with each other.  I recently gave them the Most Versatile Blogger Award.  Check them out; I think you will like them.

My son Zack has always loved Andes Mints so this recipe was perfect for a treat for him.  This morning, my granddaughter Kylie and I made them as a belated birthday gift for him (with help from brother A.J.).  The recipe is so easy: It only has 4 ingredients. Here's what you need:

1 box of Devil's Food or chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 box of Andes Mints

1.  Heat oven to 350. 
2.  Mix together cake mix, oil and eggs.
3.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. 
4.  Bake 8 minutes (the original recipe said 6-10 but 8 worked best for us).

While the cookies are baking, unwrap all the candies. Make sure you do this or you will be scrambling to do the next step.

5.  As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, place an Andes Mint in the center of the cookie. Let them sit for a few minutes so the chocolate will melt.
6. Once the candy has melted, spread chocolate over the top of the cookie.
7. Eat them up YUM!

Based on the size of our spoonfuls, this recipe made 36 cookies. We were fortunate that we had another box of Andes Mints because there are only 28 mints per box. We had a second box so we were able to make all the cookies. I suppose you could substitute another chocolate candy, like miniature Snickers or Milky Way.  I would cut those in half though because they would be too much candy for the size of the cookie.

 Here's my sweet granddaughter Kylie who made these cookies with me. They were really simple to make and we had alot of fun. And these cookies are so good!

Broccoli Slaw Salad Recipe

I really like broccoli salad but it always seems like alot of work for me. I know it's really not but it does take some time to clean and cut up the broccoli.  In my quest to work smarter and faster, I created this recipe for broccoli salad.  It is really yummy and quick to throw together.

1 bag of broccoli slaw
1/2 cup Sweet Vidala Onion Dressing
1/3 cup raisens/cranberries and nut mix
1/4 cup bacon bits
2 dashes of ground mustard
salt and pepper

I love this slaw mix. This is shredded broccoli, carronts and cabbage. There are other versions of this (just broccoli and/or broccoli and carrots mix). It doesn't matter what kind you get. It's a matter of preference. 

Put about half of the dressing in a large bowl and add the bag of broccoli slaw. I do this because you want to make sure the veggies on the bottom of the bowl will be covered.  Toss in the rest of the dressing and mix well.  I used tongs to flip it around to mix. Because the veggie mix is shredded, this worked better and was more manageable than using spoon.

Toss in the nuts and bacon.  I used this cranberry nut mix that I got on sale at Big Lots but you could use any mix.  And if you don't like nuts, you can just use cranberries or raisens.  I finished it off with just a few dashes of dried mustard.  I like the bite that dried mustard brings to this recipe. NOTE: If you don't have dried mustard, DO NOT use regular mustard. It just isn't the same! Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like to let the finished mix sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors blend together.

You can add more or less of any of these ingredients to suit your taste. The salad throws together in a few minutes and I love it!  It's become my latest food obsession and I make a new batch of it every few days.  Try it, I think you will like it.

Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls Craft A Week #27

I think religious iconography is fascinating. I love how different cultures interpret and convey their religious beliefs. I grew up in Southern California and, while I was not raised Catholic, I have a strong appreciation for Catholic artistic interpretation of religious symbols. I've always thought that Sugar Skulls for the Day of the Dead are particularly cool.

If you aren't familar with the Day of the Dead, it is a National Mexican holiday that takes place on November 1-2. The holiday focuses on praying for and remembering friends and family members who have died. For more information on Day of the Dead, please go to Mexican Sugar Skull.

One of the traditions that occurs during Day of the Dead is honoring lost loved ones with Sugar Skulls. These are supposed to represent those who have passed.  While they are traditionally made from sugar (hence the name Sugar Skulls), I made some out of painted rocks. I think they will make nice worry stones.  What do you think?

This is a picture of my Sugar Skull and crocheted rocks. It's getting a little crowded on here; think it's time to do some gifting. (Cydnee, which is your favorite?)

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #26 Owl Will Always Love You Crochet Blanket

Several weeks ago I found a post on Pinterest of some really cute crocheted baby blankets that have a stuffed animal head attached.  In my family, we call these "woobies". A woobie is like a favored blanket or snuggly toy.  Here's the picture I found. Aren't they cute?!

I so loved the idea, but when I clicked on the link, the pattern was written in Swedish. I tried Google translate but the terms didn't really translate completely so I was creative in my creation. (If you are interested, the original posting can be found here:  http://brittasami.blogspot.se/search/label/Snuttefiltar%20%28gratis%29.

I thought they were all cute but I decided to try my hand at the Owl - and gave him the title of "Owl Will Always Love You". Here's how Owly came out:

Isn't he sweet?  I like how his wings look like little hands.

Since he was a pilot project, I used the yarn I had on hand. It is all acrylic yarn (not my favorite but easy to work with). The varigated is some vintage yarn that Shana got me a few years ago. (See, I knew I kept it for a reason). 

I tried to follow the directions for the owl head, which I was able to loosely comprehend. I did so much modification though that I wasn't able to write down all the changes I made. I was a little frustrated but then had an epiphony!

It occured to me that all I had done was make a large granny square and put a stuffed animal head onto it.  I then realized that I could make a woobie of any kind....all I have to do is find a cute animal head and put on a blanket. See what I mean?

The next one I make, I will write up the pattern. But seriously, you can make a woobie of any kind based on what animal you like. I trolled Crochet Pattern Central and found lots of possibilities.  I want to make my new grandson Marcus Robert a sleeping kitty in honor of our family cat Bailey. 

UPDATE 3/28/12: Owlie is now posted on my etsy store for purchase. Check back often because I'm making a series of these woobies.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #25 Charm Necklace

I am very blessed with having 7 grandkids (the 8th is due any day now).  Here's a picture of some of them, along with my neighbor Molly. Aren't they cute?!

The kids know that I love jewelry. They are all so thoughtful and have given me lots of kid picked jewelry through the years.  I so enjoy wearing the special pieces they've sought out for me.  Here's some of the beautiful treasures they've given me for various occasions.

I love all these pieces but found it was hard for me to wear them all very often.  Not wanting to play favorites and have it seem like I prefer one piece over another, I decided to figure out a way to combine them.  (There's also a charm that Breanna gave me, as well as wish box charm that I love).

As you can see, I have a mix of things: Hearts, friendship charms, vampire protectors (crosses), a bear, and some other various items. After much thought, I combined them into the following.

I LOVE how this came out! Now I have components of 8 separate pieces of jewelry that I can wear at the same time. I also love the eclectic nature of this piece and how I was able to recycle all this into another piece. For some reason this picture makes it look more gold than silver but that is not the case. These pieces are all silver in color.  Isn't it cute?  This may be my new favorite piece.

I spruced the piece up with a good scrubbing of toothpaste.  You know that trick, right?  Any kind of toothpaste works as a jewelry cleaner.  Just squirt toothpaste in your hands, rub them together, and rub that into the jewelry. I also take a toothbrush and give a good scrub. Then rinse well and your jewelry is now bright and shiny.

Happy Crafting!

Versatile Blogger Award

How awesome is it that I just received the Versatile Blogger Award!  I feel so honored for the recognition and acknowledgement.  Thanks so much to Robin Hartman of Snips and Snails for giving me the award. 

 

Pay It Forward; this is how it works:

• Thank the person that nominated you, and give a shout out to them on your blog with a link to theirs.
• Share 7 random facts about yourself.
• Send the blog award to 15 other bloggers whose blogs you love and appreciate, and let them know they won the award.

7 Random Facts About Me:

• I have a 3 legged dog named Marcella.
• Will and Grace always makes me laugh.
• I spend way too much time on Pinterest.
• My motto is live, love, laugh, and learn. (Most people leave off the learn part).
• My mom is one of my very best friends.
• I have a new grandson due to arrive any day now (welcome Marcus Robert)!
• I've been "green" since the concept was first around in the 1970's.

The following are the blogs that I'd like to receive the Versatile Blogger Award. These are some of my favorites. Check them out; I'm sure you will agree.

 

Repeat Crafter Me
Alli Crafts
I'm Topsy Turvy
The Purl Bee
Flax and Twine
Can't Stop Making Things
Maiden D'Shade
Craft Gossip
Saved By Love Creations
The Painted Hive
A Dog In a Sweater
Polish The Stars
Six Sisters Stuff
A Little Glass Box
Empress of Dirt

States I Have Been Website

I found this site on Pinterest and wanted to share. I know not everyone is on Pinterest so I thought I'd I wanted to post here as well. It's real simple: Check off the states you've visited and it creates a map for you.  I thought I was relatively well traveled but by the looks at my map, I'd better get out there more. Here's my map.

Seriously, I'm missing so much of the U.S.! I have driven through some of the southern states on my two cross country trips but I don't really consider that I visited them.....driving through doesn't seem like visiting to me. I'm thinking I should plan a road trip!

You can create your own map by clicking this link:  Visited States Map.  How about you; are you as well traveled as you thought?

Craft A Week #25 Crocheted Monster Hats

One of the beauties of having small children in your life is the ability to dress them up in fun ways. You only have a short window of time to influence their clothing choices and I take great delight in playing with that. (David Sedaris, in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim writes a very funny story about how they dressed up his little brother when he was an infant. If you aren't familar with David's work, I highly recommend you exploring it. I listen to his books on cd while driving - guaranteed to make me laugh out loud).

I had a request from Breanna, my youngest, to make this hat for her yet to be created babies. (Bre is 23, not married, not pregnant, and not planning it anytime soon). She just loveed this hat and wanted one to tuck away for future use. I must admit, they are really cute and funny.  It was easy to fill her request.

This is the toddler hat without flaps. Isn't it cute?!

I think this red and brown hat will be the perfect compliment to the red Ugg-like slippers I made last week. This hat is said to fit a 9-12 month old.

I found this idea on Pinterest (of course).  The link for all the instructions can be found at Repeat Crafter Me. I took Sarah's advice and used the basic ear flap hat instructions located on Alli Crafts. This pattern is really straightforward and works up quick.

This is my favorite. I love the brown and green combo. Reminds me of a chocolate mint cookie (monster).  Bre says these hats remind her of the one eyed monster from Monsters, Inc.

In absence of any little people, I enlisted Pooh Bear to be a model.  These hats are so cute and simple to make. They are a great way to use up stash yarn.  Another Super Simple craft!

UPDATE:  Here's the monster hat on a real live (and adorable baby). Thanks little man for being my hat model!  I plan to post these on my etsy shop later this week. I haven't had time to create the write up.

Update: Here's more cuteness for your day....puppy in a hat! Isn't she adorable?  This is a puppy, named Penelope, that my daughter Breanna is fostering. Bre works at an animal rescue organization and fosters puppies til they are ready to be adopted. Such a great cause.

Happy Crafting!

My Etsy Shop is Finally Open For Business!

Clearly I've been on a crafting mission as of late. Part of my motivation is that I just love to do crafts; it really is how I express myself. Some people write, other people paint.  Me, I craft. If you've read and followed this blog, you know I've created alot of things. While I am sure my friends and family LOVE receiving my home made goodness, there's a limit.  (Seriously, how many hand crocheted animals can one kid have)?

Thanks to the wonderful encouragement I've received from friends, I decided to open my own Etsy shop. I only have a few things listed right now but there will be more to come. If you (or anyone else you know) wants me to make something particular, please let me know. You know I'm happy to do custom orders.

Here's the link to my shop:  Ant Bea Etsy Shop.  Come visit my shop!

Craft A Week #24 More Crocheted Rocks

A few weeks ago I posted some rocks that I crocheted "little sweaters" for. Those were done with a natural crochet cotton and have a delicate, lace-like look to them.

I wondered what kind of look the stones would attain if they were crocheted with colored, variegated embroidery floss. Here's how they came out:

Pretty, aren't they?

They remind me a little of Easter eggs.

I didn't use a pattern; I just free handed. Some are more detailed than others, and I like that look.

Happy Crafting!

Necklace from Ear Rings

I am gearing up for Yard Sale Season. Here in the Mid-Atlantic Region, yard sales are abundant from April through August. We have some amazing sales in my area; entire neighborhoods have sales on the same day. It is a fun, community based event and an absolute blast. (Hot dogs for breakfast, anyone)?!  My oldest daughter Shana and I tend to spend our Saturdays together yard saling...and treasure hunting.

Because you never know what you will find when you go saling, I start the season out by making a list. I write down the grandkid's sizes, ask people I know if there's anything in particular they are looking for, and make my own personal list. I love most things vintage....purses, household goods, decore and, of course, jewelry.

One of my favorite things to look for are clip-on earrings. I don't use them as earrings though. I use them as necklaces.  Take a look:

This is just a clip-on earring hung on a chain.

Isn't it pretty?

See how the earring has the clip? This allows you to clip the earring onto a chain and you don't have to worry about it falling off.  Sometimes I also clip them onto a lapel and use as a pin.

This is one of my favorites. The flower petals are enamel.

This is actually a pin but I like it better as a necklace. Again, all you do is clip the chain through the fastener on the back of the pin and you are good to go.

I got this pair of earrings at the end of last season. Aren't they adorable? I need to pick up some gold chains to hang them from. The best part of findng earrings in a set is that you have a ready made gift for a friend. I have a dear friend (Denise) and I love to find a sest of earrings. I keep one for myself and give one to her. How perfect is that?

You can usually find clip on earrings for super cheap because people don't use them anymore. I don't think I've ever spent more than $1 on a pair. Can't beat that bargain!

Craft A Week #23 Crocheted Baby Uggs

The latest edition to our family is due within the next few weeks and I am really getting into the baby mood.  It's been awhile since we've had a tiny one (the next youngest is 4 1/2). Babies bring such a sense of renewal, promise and hope to the world. I  just love, love, love them!

While I have been crafting alot lately, not much of it has been on baby things. My mom is the queen of baby blanket making (seriously, her work is an art form) so she had those covered. Since our little Marcus will be born in the spring, the immediate need for bulky sweaters is out too. So in my quest for baby adorableness, I found the following.

Aren't these just too cute?! They were such a big hit in my house that I promised my youngest daughter (who is not married, pregnant, or planning a baby in the foreseeable future) that I would make her a pair and put away for her future baby.

These remind me of the Uggs I have.  I only had these buttons on hand but I think they would look so cute with an oversize wooden button, don't you?

 I found the pattern here:  I'm Topsy Turvy. The instructions are straightforward and really simple. I used an "F" hook and mine ended up measuring 4.5" on the sole. I'm guessing they will fit a 9-12 month old baby so Marcus will just have to grow into them. I was concerned about making them too small so I went bigger. It could also have something to do with the yarn I used. My yarn was thicker than the baby yarn recommended in the pattern; it was thicker and has some wool in it.

There is also an adorable little girl pattern (with a scalloped edge). These are also so cute. I may have to make a few pairs of thesejust to keep on hand for a baby gift.

Pictures and Quotes

I have several Pin Boards devoted to quotes and what I call "truths". These are just random musings and observations of others that speak to me. Some are funny, some are sad, some are inspiring, and some are just me.

I'm gearing up to work on some collages and want to incorporate some of these quotes into them. I also found a great website that has alot of cool art (A Man With A Past).  I played around with some in Photoshop and, for a first round, they came out pretty neat. My plans are to use these as the backdrop of the collage and embellish them with various media. I may need to use a different program though because I can't figure out how to change the font but I like them all the same.

This is for my dear friend Denise (HUGS)!  I think it looks like us, don't you D?

This is one of my all time favorite sayings. Love it!

This is just so sweet. The words and picture seemed to fit nicely.

My absolute favorite! This is my son Zack and his daughter Kylie. It is such a beautiful quote (from Robert Munsch) and a beautiful picture. I think I may just print this out as is, frame it, and give to Zack for a belated birthday gift. Brings a tear to my eye.

I'll post my collage work as I progress. Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #22 Broomstick Crochet Bracelet

In one of my pinning expeditions, I found a beautiful bracelet done in Broomstick Crochet. I've been a crocheter for 35 years but never heard of this stitch. The stitch seems complicated but once you get the hang of it, it is rather simple and very, very pretty.

I love how you get a different look depending upon the kind of yarn used. These came out so pretty that I may just have the motivation I need to finally open my Etsy Shop!

These were made with hemp. I found the hemp much easier to use if it is soaked in water a few hours before trying to crochet with it. The bracelet on the right was created with the softened hemp. It gives a much smoother look than the one on the left.

I like the lacey effect this technique creates.

Here's a close-up of the hemp bracelet.

This bracelet was made from Sugar and Creme yarn.

This was made from soy yarn. It is much smoother (and lighter).  I would really like to see these with cool, vintage buttons. All I had on hand were these wooden beads. I think these are pretty but my style is more vintage. Guess I have something else to keep an eye out for when yard saling and thrift shopping.

The link I found on Pinterest gave a pattern that was rather awkward to do. Rather than follow those instructions (which called for keeping the stitches on the "broomstick" or large crochet hook I used), I caste on the stitches (as instructed in the following link) but then removed ALL stitches from the "broomstick" while working them. If you are careful with the stitches, they won't unravel. I found it just too difficult to try and work the stitches while keeping them on the post.

Here is a good tutorial for Broomstick Crochet:  Yarn Lover's Room.  Don't be intimidated by the stitch; it's really pretty simple. So simple that I think I'm going to teach my 9 year old grandson.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #21 Chunky Toddler Crayons

I have a total of seven grandkids and at least one or two come visit every few weeks. I LOVE having them come stay - and I even enjoy the stuff that comes from kids. I'm talking about army men, Matchbox cars, dolls and doll clothes,and last but not least, crayons! I have a coffee tub for crayons but there's always at least a few that don't seem to make it back into their proper place. 

Yesterday I was harvesting up the errant crayons (many of which were broken) and it struck me.  Let's turn this into a craft project!  I decided to snap them into pieces and melt into chunky toddler crayons. This was another super simple craft and they came out so cute.

Just take the paper off the crayons, break them up, and put into muffin tins or other molds.  I sprayed a little cooking spray before adding the crayons just to be sure they would not stick. I was a little worried about mucking up my pans, which proved to be unwarranted.  I put the crayons directly into my heart shaped muffin tin.

I also had these super adorable hard boiled egg shapers that I used as well. If you are not familar with these, they are plastic molds (these are a bear and a rabbit). If you hard boil an egg, peel it, and put into the mold while it is still warm. As it cools, the egg takes on the shape of the mold.These are used in Japanese miso boxes (or by me for super cute hard boiled eggs).

I forgot to take a picture of the empty mold before melting the crayons (hence the green wax). The molds are made of plastic but because these are melted on such a low temperature, they are fine in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Melt the crayons for about 10 minutes (or until they are melted).

 Aren't they pretty?

I left them in the molds for a few hours (while I ran errands). Make sure they are cooled completely before you try to remove them from the molds. The heart shaped crayons just popped out, however, the bunny and bear needed to go into the freezer for a bit to loosen.

These came out so nicely, if I do say so myself!

I LOVE these!

Lesson learned though: Be careful when removing these from their molds. One of the bunnies lost the tips of his ears (I think because I hit it too hard on the counter). They are still adorable!

None of our grandbabies are toddlers anymore (or yet) but I think I shall get some clear plastic party bags from the Dollar Store and save for a toddler gift that I'm sure I will need sometime in the future.

This really was a super simple craft and would be great for kids to do. It's such a neat transformation and a great way to repurpose broken crayons.

Happy Crafting!