Iced Coffee

My friend, Em, was visiting a couple of weeks ago and when we were out and about she picked up an iced coffee at Starbucks.  As I snuck a few sips I was reminded how much I love that stuff and then started thinking, why doesn't my inner barista do some magic at home and make a little iced coffee to beat the (way too early) spring heat! 

What you need:

2 cups of deliciously strong coffee 

(I make my coffee in an stove top espresso maker)

2 cups of milk (preferably 2% or whole milk)

2 T Sugar

Pour 2 cups of hot, strong coffee into

the vessel you will store the iced drink in

and add 2 tablespoons of sugar, stir until

dissolved.

After sugar is completely dissolved

in the coffee, add 2 cups of milk and

you are set to you!  Cool in refrigerator,

and serve over ice.  Makes 4 delish glasses.

Keeps well for up to 3 days. 

As for me, I am off to sip my iced coffee and read on

a blanket in the backyard, while my little sweets naps. 



Glitter Eggs

Might I start off by saying if there was an award for the worst blogger in America, over the last month and a half, I would nominate myself.  Many apologies.  I have been sick.  I think (knock on wood) I am on my way to feeling like my old self, so fingers crossed the blogging juices will be flowing at top speed.

So, this little glitter egg project started because when I was home in Minnesota for Christmas, my mom and I stumbled upon the cutest ceramic egg trays, and my mom kindly decided that they needed to be mine.  As many of you know, I have absolutely nothing to do with real eggs (it's a story that goes way back...) so why on earth would I covet little egg trays?  Well, because I pictured the little dishes filled with all things bon bons, dipped homemade marshmallows, mini desserts and well...glitter eggs. 

Such a quick and easy project (definitely rates high on the messy-hands-kind-of-project scale, but who the heck cares...glitter and glue clean up real quick). 

These are the little trays, in all their glory on a metro

rack in our kitchen (our sweet friend, Jay, kindly

likens the things I store on the metro rack to the

Julia Child's exhibit at the Smithsonian).

Started the project with 4 plastic eggs, glue & glitter.

First, I drizzled glue on one half of the plastic egg.

Then, I used my finger to spread the glue evenly

 around the glue half of the egg.

Make a little 'glitter nest' and set the spread glue side

down and repeat the glue steps on the other side. 

Then roll completely in the glitter. 

Notice the tiny dot of glue?  I just touch up the little

missed spots last, then set the eggs aside to dry. 

Done & done.  I betcha if you tried to buy glitter eggs

in a shop you would pay loads...these cost no more the

 10 cents a pop to create.  Get after it! 

Spring Fever Shopping!

I have a major case of spring fever!!!  It has been in the 70s-80s for the last week, and looking ahead the high temperatures aren't going anywhere!  Yikes, it's only March!!!  While we are soaking up every moment of this glorious weather, I can't help but fear what is to come.  Last summer in Oklahoma was like a daily trip to the sun.  It was a heat blast.  I had several months of seasonal depression and cabin fever, and I am just not ready for that again (and with it coming on so early this year, I fear that it might be worse?!?!!!). 

As Logan takes her daily snooze, I have cozied up with the laptop and put my memorized credit card number to good use (of course Zac dies everytime I say, 'how cool that I know the number, security code...by heart!').

 Shopping...all in the name of spring (oh, and a fun little trip to California with the hubs,  Yay!)

First of all, I found this cutie shirtdress.  It just screamed

SPRING and HAPPY when I saw it.

Then I found these cork shoes, that in my mind will look

adorbs with the dress.  We shall see. 



I put the items in my virtual shopping bag, then googled online discounts and found one for 20% off and free shipping.  Not too shabby, huh!

Easter Tree!

Well, I am a woman who likes to use and reuse...and this is a perfect example of the way I do things.  First of all, I acquired the sticks when a windstorm whipped through Oklahoma (which happens weekly, I swear!).  I sprayed the beautiful sticks in hot pink and then plopped them in the most amazing dry vase (that my mom made for me from a tin ceiling tile, that needed to be replaced).  So, for many months this vase of stick beauties sat on a chest of drawers in my bedroom...then I decided they needed to make their debut in the main living area at Christmas (see below).

Vamping up the dining room with a splash of pink.

I loved them so much in the dining room, that I decided they were Valentine's worthy!  I just removed the green sparkly deer and felt present...slowly, these sticks are leading the life of a cat.  2 lives down, 7 to go...

On to the third life, as a fantastic little Easter Tree.  I was planning on making little eggs to dangle from the branches, but I found this set of eggs (packaged so nicely in the paper green grass, which also brought new, spring life to the vase) at Ross for $4...at that point I eliminated the need for me to do any egg crafting...yay, Ross!!!

So cute, huh.  Oh, and the little pedestal table is a treasure that I picked up the Goodwill, and gave it a spray of the same hot pink. 

Ice Cream Sandwich Time!

In honor of the 80 degree weather we had yesterday, I thought it was high time I get back in the kitchen and whip up a little treat for the heat!  Can't wait for you all to make them and report back! 

Ingredients:

Box of brownie mix (any box that yields a 9x13 pan)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg (again, I use carton, so then 1/4 cup)

Ice cream (pick your fave)

Mix above ingredients together. 

Use a small scoop to drop 12 brownie blobs onto

a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

The batter will make 24 cookies, so I have a second baking

sheet lined with the parchment ready to go in when I pull the

first one out, because these need to cool completely on

the baking sheet (vs. being transferred to a rack for drying)

After the cookies have cooled, place 2 on a piece of foil

topped with parchment paper and use a large scoop

to cover one cookie with ice cream. 

This is when you can make it your own...what's your

favorite ice cream?  Put 'er in the middle instead

of the vanilla ice cream. 

One other way to make it your own: roll the ice

cream edges in sprinkles, crunched up cookie bits,

toffee pieces or mini chocolate chips

Fold the parchment around the ice cream sandwich,

which prevents the foil for sticking to the ice cream

(lessen learned a few years ago, when I pulled a stack

out of the freezer for a party).

Voila!  Pop in the freezer and you officially have

tasty treats on hand! 

Delish!  If I do say so myself!