This week's Menu

Now That I'm doing the Dave Ramsey thing, I've got to be more thoughtful about the shopping list.
I was sitting here in front of the computer planning out the meals for the week, and I realized that most of the recipes were on Pinterest.  I don't mind looking them up on my phone everyday when I go to cook, but since I was clicking on all the links anyway to check to see what ingredients I needed from the store, I decided I might as well post a weekly menu with links to the recipes I'm going to use.

Monday
Stew (MIL recipe in the crockpot) recipe at the bottom of this post!!
Rolls
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Tuesday
Stuffed Zucchini
Caesar Salad

Wednesday
Lemon Angel Hair Pasta w/chicken and spinach
Garlic Bread

Thursday
Rice and Beans
Pico de Gallo
Tomato, avocado, lettuce and red onion salad

Friday
Leftover/pizza/hot dogs or whatever is in the fridge day

Saturday
Chili
Corn Bread (Jiffy)

Sunday
Pork tacos
Tomatillo Dressing

Maybe that will give you some good ideas for dinner this week... Yes I know it's a very fallish menu, I can't help it if I'm trying to convince the weather to get cooler with my cooking!
Anyway, one thing I know for sure, I'm going to be glad I only have to go to one place in order to find all the recipes I need this week!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

This is the recipe for (Brian's)Mom's crock pot beef stew that we have enjoyed for years. It is one of my favorites.

• 1 pkg stew meat (remove any fat, I also cut up the large pieces into smaller sizes)
• 2 or 3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 2 or 3 potatos (peeled and cubed)
• 1 onion (sliced and halved)

Put all of the above in the crock-pot, starting with the meat first. Then add:

• 3 Tbs Kitchen Bouquet
• 2 Tbs tapioca (it thickens the stew)- I actually don't add this
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes

Let cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. About one hour before serving, open lid and add:

about 3/4 bag of petite frozen peas (more or less depending on taste)

Stir slightly. Put lid back on and finish cooking. This is best if it cooks for a long time.

Bathroom sign

I had this idea for a fun sign for my daughters bathroom. I wanted to make a vintage looking beach sign that said "No Lifeguard on duty"

With all the construction going on around us, I knew I could get the wood for free. I wanted aged wood, so I started looking for a pallet. I found one that was already tore up, so I just grabbed three of the slats off of it. At home, I cut about a 2-3 foot section out of each with my hand saw. I glued the three pieces together, side-by-side. They were really really warped. 

Hand saw and wood glue

All the heavy things I had lying around ;)

I stuck them under a piece of plywood, and put all the heavy things I could find on top of them. I let it sit this way for a day...

Half way through the day I took all the bricks off, added more wood glue to any gaps, and then turned the boards over. I put all the heavy things back on top and let it sit for the rest of the day.

Success! They were perfectly imperfect! and very stuck together. The variation in the tops was still bothering me, so I sanded it down in a few places to match a little better.

After sanding, I gave the top a rough spray with some antique white spray paint and let it dry.

To do the lettering, I used Microsoft Word. I printed out the letters in the font I liked (stencil) at the size I liked (190). After cutting them out, I placed them on the board and used painters tape to keep them there. Then, I used a method I learned on Pinterest... I traced over the letters, pressing down kinda hard on the pencil. Which left an indentation on the board of the outline of the letters. It worked really good in the places that the wood was soft, wherever the wood was really rough or hard, it was a lot harder to see the indentations. But I really like this technique and will definitely use it again. I used the indentations as a guide to paint the letters. I used acrylic black, blue and white paint mixed together to get a nice gray color.

After the lettering dried, I gave it another sand with my orbital sander. Just a light one to take away the freshly painted look. I did streak a tiny amount of gray and blue paint here and there with a small dry brush. I also rubbed some gray paint on the edges with my finger. Then, I gave it a light coat of stain. I used minwax 'Provincial 211' and a paper towel to apply it. I'd dip the paper towel and rub it back and forth length wise, mostly wiping off whatever I could. Then, I used the paper towel to stain the edges... Done!

(To hang it, I used 2 short wood screws and some wire on the back of the sign.)

Distressing a Frame

My sweet daughter is the artist behind this beautiful picture. I knew that I couldn't frame it in just any old frame... and it was an odd size (18x11) so my dad and I made a frame from some old scraps of baseboard he had leftover from his basement.  I wanted the frame to highlight and compliment the picture without drawing attention to itself- so the picture would be the star! I decided to distress the frame.

I find the best way to get good results when distressing is to start with a really really good paint. Let the paint dry thoroughly and then add a second coat. This base coat is the one you will want to have peak through the other colors. You will be sanding, scuffing and rubbing off the other colors, but you want this one to stay.

  

Once the base coat has dried, you will apply the main color with a dry brush. I used a nasty old brush that was hard as a rock. It doesn't really matter as long as it will put paint on unevenly. So if you are using a nice brush make sure to only put small amounts of paint on and even brush it back and forth on a paper towel to get off any excess paint. Then, start applying the paint until you have enough of the base coat peeking through to go for the style you want. I usually add some brown  paint to my main color, but don't mix it in (see the above picture) so that the paint looks aged. I also use my finger to swipe paint unevenly on the sides. After I'm satisfied with the coverage, I like to add some definition to the edges and indentations on the frame by adding some brown paint mixed with a glaze medium.

I use the glaze medium so that the paint is thinner and takes longer to dry. I sand off a little of the top layer of paint to reveal the base color. I sand almost down to the wood on the edges of the frame. Then I apply the brown/glaze/paint with a q-tip. I work quickly and wipe away excess with a paper towel. You want the glaze to sit long enough to get into the cracks and set, but short enough to be able to wipe off the extra stuff that is outside of the cracks. Don't worry, it's easy and you'll get the hang of it. Once I'm done with this step, I stand back, look at it and decide if it needs anything else. I usually like to swipe some of the top color on with my finger (not mixed with any brown) randomly across the frame. And I'll usually take a piece of steel wool and sand off the edges here or there to let the base color show through. It's totally up to you how distressed you want it to look.  And that's it! Let it dry, add you picture and hang it on your wall!

Chocolate Mint Cake

Ingredients:
1 box Devil Food Cake Mix (with water, eggs and oil)
1 container of Duncan Hines frosting creations frosting starter
1 packet of mint chocolate frosting creations frosting mix
1 package Andes Mints
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream

Mix cake according to package directions. While mixing, chop up half of the package of Andes Mints and add them to the mix. Cook in two round cake pans according to package directions.

Mix the Duncan Hines frosting creations starter and mix together according to package directions.

When the cake has cooled, frost the top of one of the cake rounds. Then, stack the other round on top and use the rest of the frosting to coat the sides and top. Put in the fridge.

In a glass measuring cup heat the 1/3 cup of heavy cream in the microwave for about 30 seconds on 40% power. After it's heated, add the chocolate chips and about 6 Andes Mints. Stir until smooth. You may need to put it back into the microwave for 10-20 seconds at 40% power - but be patient and stir it will get super smooth. (be careful not to burn the chocolate by putting it in the microwave for too long!) you just made ganache!

When the cake has cooled a little, pour the ganache (the chocolate mixture you just made) slowly on the top center of the cake. Let the chocolate work it's own way spreading across the top and dripping down the sides.

You can garnish with the rest of the Andes Mints and some fresh mint. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat.
Enjoy!

Refinishing a Kitchen Table

Take the table legs off.
Use stripper to remove the old polyurethane and stain. I like gel stripper, I coat the table, let sit for 15-20 minutes and then scrape off the finish. Then, repeat and repeat until all the stain and poly is gone.
Turn the table over. Sand and paint the base and legs the color you prefer. You could also use spray paint.
Use painters tape to keep paint off of the stripped wood.
Sand stripped wood, sand again.  Make sure ALL of the poly and stain is gone.
Apply the stain of your choice. You can apply multiple layers and different types of stains to achieve the color you want. I always stain a small piece of scrap wood with the different stains and layers (labeling as I go right on the wood) as a test to see what combo I like the best. Then I use this as a guide to choose the stain for the table.
If you want a shiny, durable finish, use polyurethane. I use water based. Poly is very finicky, clean the surface with mineral spirits before the first coat. Also, you can thin the poly with mineral spirits, this takes longer to dry, but gives you thinner, easier to work with coats. Sand with VERY fine sand paper between coats of Poly. Let dry thoroughly between each coat.  I usually waited at least 24 hours. Sanding with Steel Wool 000 gives a very fine sand, and produces a very smooth finish. Make sure to wipe off the table with mineral spirits after each time you sand. Once the poly is smooth enough and thick enough after it has dried- you are finished with the poly coats.
Reattach the legs and enjoy your new table.
I usually let my furniture sit for a good week before I bring it into the house so the paint and stain can harden and set.

 

 

Couch BEFORE and AFTER!

You read that right....  After!!! I finished the couch, I finished the couch!

duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duuuuuhhhhh! (you read that with the "and now presenting" music running through your head)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I'm so happy it's done....  I took tons of pictures, and I plan on doing a reupholstery tutorial if there is any interest.

Old Frame/New Frame

 Do you have some old frames that look, well, outdated?? I've done it once, and I'll probably do it hundreds of times. Just give that old frame a couple of coat of Krylon indoor/outdoor paint- the colors you can choose from are amazing! And don't make the mistake of buying it from the craft store. Walmart sells it cheap. Do the spraying outside far from anything you don't want overspray to get on. I spray my frames in a box with a drop-cloth underneath, usually in the garage if it's too hot/cold/windy outside. Tape off any part that you don't want painted, the glass didn't come out of these frames, so I had to tape them off.

Add a beautiful piece of art (this one is an original by my daughter) and hang in the room of your choice. This technique also comes in handy when you have a bunch of mismatched frames that you want to hang together and look cohesive. Spray paint! It's amazing ;)