May3

Buttercream Icing

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

Happy Birthday to me, turning a whopping 35 years old!!

In celebration, I am sharing a recipe for buttercream icing that I use often this time of year. All of my kids and myself have spring birthdays, so I use this one for decorating cupcakes or birthday cakes. I found it in an old Wilton cake decorating booklet and it is always a hit!

I would recommend actually decorating with it when it’s a little bit chilled. This is from a batch of cupcakes I just did for my daughter’s class (Her birthday is the day after mine).

These blue frosted ones are from my son Andrew’s 10th birthday party, which was this past weekend.

I may be getting a little birthday-ed out.

The recipe is fairly simple. Not the healthiest, but extremely tasty!

Buttercream Icing

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1 lb. (@4 cups) confectioner’s sugar

3 TB milk

Cream butter and shortening together. Add in vanilla and salt. Follow with confectioner’s sugar, adding in 1 cup at a time. Finally, add milk and beat until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired. Store in refrigerator when not in use. Makes 3 cups of icing.

Apr13

DIY Sheer Curtains

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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I’m back…. this time with another show and tell of handmade curtains I had made for my daughter’s room recently.

The inspiration for these came from this cool sheer fabric I found at either Goodwill or thrift store probably a year ago.

Here’s a more close-up look at this fabric.

I have no idea how old this fabric is, but it had a nice vintage look to it with all of these world travel locations and icons.

I didn’t have quite enough to make two full sets of panels, so I used sheer pink chiffon to help complete these, doubling it up and making a loop for the curtain rod to go through.

Where they join I sewed on a green grosgrain ribbon and zig-zag stitched it with pink thread. I already had the green pull-down blinds for her windows, so it matched up nicely. (I think–I’m always questioning my own taste.)

I do have to admit that I never really had much experience working with sheer material. My vintage material wasn’t too tough to work with, but the pink chiffon was a little too “slippery” to work with for my taste.

All in all though, I was pleased with how these turned out and rather enjoy making curtains.

Apr6

New Spring Curtains!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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With the approach of some *possible* spring weather, I’ve been on a curtain-making binge.

Yep, 4 of our rooms now have different curtains hanging in them. I’m a little nutty like that when I get on a kick. Today I’ll be sharing the ones I made for our living room.

Oh, and by the way, I hardly spent a thing to make them. Store-bought curtains can be so stinking expensive! I’ve priced them out before and even if you think you’re getting an okay deal, that’s sometimes just the price for one half of a window. With an overflowing fabric stash, I raided it and found something unique for each of the rooms.

For this pair, I used a linen white tablecloth that my mother trash-picked for me last year. It was still in its packaging, so don’t be too grossed out. (Good job Mom!) She knew I may find a good use for it, and so I did:

It was in perfect shape, so I cut it in half and used that white linen as a base for my curtains. My other ones were much more formal-looking valances. I was looking for something more casual and bright, so the white fit the bill for that.

To add some pops of bright color, I embellished these with some quilting squares I had won off of Ebay. They are Amy Butler fabrics–I forget the name of the collection, but thought they were very pretty. Basically I sewed a few together in a strip, then sewed them near the top of the curtain. I have a bunch left, so I may make a matching pillow to go with.

I love the colors and designs in these squares!

For some finishing touches, I sewed on a length of orange grosgrain ribbon to the top and a length of green to the bottom of the squares.

Hanging with my handmade curtains are lace panels that I’ve had for many years.

All in all, I am enjoying my new curtains and think they definitely give my room a different look. You never know what you can come up with when thinking a bit outside of the box!

I may be sharing some of my other curtain-making adventures in the near future, so stay tuned!!

Mar27

Camouflage Cupcakes

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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I can’t believe that my “babies,” my twin boys, are turning 6 this week!!

Right now they are pretty much obsessed with anything related to guns, army, soldiers, etc.

Sooo… I thought they might dig some camouflage cupcakes for their big day.

And what better way to top off a camo cupcake than with an army guy?

Pretty cool, right?

I know tons of little (and big!) boys who would love these. No girly or fussy cupcakes for these dudes!

Here’s a little rundown of how I made these….

Start off by mixing a white cake mix in one bowl and a chocolate cake mix in a separate bowl.

Line a bunch of cupcake tins with your paper liners.

Once they’re mixed, set out 2 more empty mixing bowls. Put a spoon in each bowl.

Now, to get the whole swirly, multi-colored camo thing going on, you’ll end up making 4 different colors/variations.

In one bowl, mix equal parts white and chocolate.

In the second, do white with just a bit of chocolate and add green food coloring.

For the other two, just leave them plain chocolate and plain vanilla.

Now, simply add dollops of each color kind of randomly in your cupcake tins.

Since I made two complete cake mixes, I had plenty of batter, so I took the rest and did a small cake as well, using the same method.

Here’s what they look like fresh out of the oven.

I think they look better with a swirl of icing, and of course, an army man!

Happy Birthday to my littlest men!

Mar20

Plain Turtleneck To Easter Cardigan

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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There’s a mystery that I ponder every spring: Why do clothing companies make little girls’ Easter dresses either sleeveless or short-sleeved when Easter is usually still cold?

This bugs me every year! Sure, my little cutie can wear a pretty new Spring dress, but I usually have to cover it up with a white sweater.

Well, this year her white sweater is too small. Instead of buying a new one, I revamped a white turtleneck that’s been lying around in the back of her shirt drawer. (Hence the wrinkles in the first picture!!)

My first move was to trim off the ends of the sleeves and get rid of the turtleneck portion. I then cut up the middle of the front the whole way.

After that I hemmed up all of those edges that I just trimmed up, turning each in about 1/4″, then another 1/4″ and sewing.

To add some finishing touches, I made a flower embellishment using a flower trim that I cut apart (found at Wal Mart in the ribbons and trims section, sold by the yard.)

I also added a white grosgrain ribbon around the neckline.

The result is a pretty, “new” white cardigan that my little girl can wear with her Easter dress, or as a layering piece with other spring items.

Mar13

Citrus Cleaning Spray

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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As you may know, I’m an avid fan of homemade cleaning products. I regularly use (and love!) my laundry detergent, fabric softener, tub and shower cleaner, and multi-purpose cleaning spray.

Well, I’ve come up with another one that I am quite fond of.

This spray is also multi-purpose, and I have used it on everything from counters to mirrors to whatever else needs a good cleaning. Since it contains vinegar, which is a natural disinfectant, I would much prefer using this over something commercially made and chock full of chemicals.

Yes, the older I get, the more I am a little perturbed by the store-bought options out there. My son Andrew, whom we have dubbed “the Professor,” studies all kinds of science-y stuff. He reads labels and questions what is in our food, what we put on our bodies, etc. Just as an aside, last summer he was reading the label for a bug spray and has since been on a mission to make insect repellent that is safer for people to spray on their bodies. I have to see what we can come up with!

I can assure you that I have no reservations about spraying this in my house.

You only need two ingredients to make this: white vinegar and citrus peels. That’s it.

I used the peels from several oranges and put them in a quart mason jar. Any other citrus would work beautifully too. Using white vinegar, I filled the rest of the jar and covered it. Then I left it sit for about two weeks, strained off the peels, and poured the liquid into an empty spray bottle. If you leave it to steep for longer, I imagine that it would be even darker in color. Then I busily sprayed away!

Happy (Almost) Spring!

Mar7

No-Bake Energy Bites

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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If you’re on the hunt for healthier snack options that actually taste good, then this recipe is for you.

A bonus (besides the fact that they’re healthy) is that you don’t even have to turn the oven on to make these.

Just mix, chill, and roll. Sweet.

The first time I made these they were gone in less than a day. My crew gobbled them up and pronounced them good.

The second time around I just went ahead and made a double batch. No messing around for this Mama, especially when it’s something they all like.

They are great for lunch boxes as well.

No-Bake Energy Bites

1 cup oatmeal

2/3 cup coconut

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients in, mixing well by hand.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes, the roll into balls. Store in the fridge.

Feb14

Meyer Lemon Curd

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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I’ve never done a thing with Meyer lemons before–that is, until this last weekend when I whipped up this beautiful lemon curd.

Yes, I realize that the word “curd” can be a bit of a turn-off, but trust me, it is extremely tasty!

Lemon curd is like a cold spread, thick and almost pudding-like in texture. It is great on biscuits, bread, scones, and we even had some on waffles. (Pretty much anything bread-like.)

If you are asking yourself “What in the world is a Meyer Lemon?,” then I can tell you what it actually is. A Meyer Lemon (as opposed to an ordinary one) is a lemon that has been crossed with a mandarin orange.

I have an extreme love for anything lemony, and I enjoy having good lemon curd once in a while. It makes me feel fancier than I really am

Though it sounds fancy, it really just takes some basic cooking skills to make. Oh, and you can use this with just regular old lemons too. Here’s the recipe I followed:

1 cup granulated sugar

Lemon zest from 2 lemons

3/4 cup lemon juice

4 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, cut in pieces

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and lemon zest. With your hands, crumble these together until sugar is nice and fragrant. (It smells SO good!!) Add in juice, eggs, yolks, salt, and butter and whisk well. Cook over medium-low heat for at least 5-6 minutes. It will eventually turn nice and thick and will coat the back of a spoon. When it gets to that point, pull off the burner. Strain the curd and then chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving. This will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Enjoy!

PS-Since I wanted to maximize the use of these lemons, later on that same day I used the halves that had been squeezed already to bake around a roasted whole chicken. It was yummy!

Feb9

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Wafers

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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If you need a fresh little Valentine treat idea for all the festivities this coming week, then you’re in luck!

Of course, almost anything dipped in chocolate and topped with sprinkles is good in my book;)

These are pretty much self-explanatory to make, but I’ll give you the quick run-down:

I took these strawberry wafer cookies and nuked some chocolate chips until they were nicely melted.

(For the record, I highly recommend using Wilbur milk chocolate wafers for melting, I just didn’t have any on hand at the time.)

Then I just dipped the ends in the chocolate and let them dry on wax paper.

While they’re still a little wet, pile on the pretty sprinkles!

I didn’t package these yet, but I imagine they would be cute in a little treat bag with ribbon or something along those lines.

Or, as I mentioned in the beginning of my post, they would be easy to make for a Valentine’s party.

Happy Heart Day!

Feb5

I’ve Got My Eye On You!

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Quiver Full of Blessings

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I have another quick, easy, and handmade kiddie Valentine idea for you…

It literally took about 10-15 minutes to make a bunch.

The supplies are minimal too. All you need is cardstock, glue, cutter/scissors, googly eyes, and a printer.

I printed out my saying, “Valentine, I’ve had my ___ on you!” on basic white paper. Afterwards, I cut it out and glued it to a rectangle of folded colored cardstock.

The last step? Glue on that googly eye right where there’s a blank spot.