Giveaway at Eighteen 25

A while back I told you about Eighteen 25's all-original jewerly made locally here in Utah.  They also offer free shipping and now they're having a St. Patrick's Day giveaway. 

Click here for details!  And good luck!

Wallpapered Glass Coasters

You can appreciate vintage wallpaper without hanging it on your walls: Simply use scraps of your favorite paper to decorate glass coasters. Have a local glazier cut and sand 1/4-inch-thick glass into 3 1/2-inch squares. Use clear-drying decoupage glue, such as Mod Podge, to affix a paper scrap to the bottom of each coaster. Look for beautiful old wallpaper at tag sales or stores that specialize in vintage wall coverings. You can also use decorative paper

Stick Art Nature

To make a winsome window decoration, take up a collection of natural beauties -- leaves, grass, flower petals, and ferns work well -- and help your child arrange them on the sticky side of a piece of clear Con-Tact paper. (You may want to tape down the Con-Tact paper to keep it from moving.) When he's done, place a second piece sticky-side down on top of the objects and press to seal it. Trim the edges (we cut ours into a circle), punch a hole in the top, and hang it in a window with a short length of ribbon.

Materials

• Nature objects found on a walk (leaves, grass, flower petals, and ferns work well)
• Clear Con-Tact paper
• Tape

• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Ribbon 

Instructions

1. Take up a collection of natural beauties, and help your child arrange them on the sticky side of a piece of clear Con-Tact paper. (You may want to tape down the Con-Tact paper to keep it from moving.)
2. When he's done, place a second piece sticky-side down on top of the objects and press to seal it. Trim the edges (we cut ours into a circle), punch a hole in the top, and hang it in a window with a short length of ribbon.

Quick and Spicy Beef Penne

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

2 cups Pace® Picante Sauce

1/2 cup water

1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta, cooked and drained

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• Cook the beef, onion and carrots in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.
• Stir the picante sauce in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding the water if needed until desired consistency.
• Place the penne and cilantro into a large bowl. Add the beef mixture and toss to coat.

DIY Mercury Glass Vase

 

 

 

 

 

                   

 

                   

Easily give a plain glass vase the lustrous look of mercury glass. Simply spritz the inside of a glass vase with water -- some of the water will bead, and some will run down inside the vase. While the vase's interior is still wet, spray it with a coat of Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. Let dry before spraying another coat. The finished texture is a "mirror" image of mercury glass and will add sparkle to any table setting

Egg Decorating with Alum Foil

Materials

• Eggs
• Aluminum foil

• Acrylic paint

Instructions

1. First, crumple and uncrumple a large square of aluminum foil, then coat the foil with acrylic paint
2. Set the egg in the center of the foil and loosely wrap it. Gently press the foil against the egg, then remove the egg and let it dry. Repeat with other colors, if you like

Mini Chocolate Cheesecake

                                    

12

foil baking cups

12

thin chocolate wafer cookies (from 9-oz package), crushed (2/3 cup)

12

oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened

2/3

cup sugar

2

teaspoons vanilla

1/4

cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1

whole egg

1

egg white

1

oz bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Topping

1/3

cup fat-free hot fudge topping

Fresh raspberries, if desired

 

• 1 Heat oven to 325°F. Place foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. With back of spoon, firmly press slightly less than 1 tablespoon cookie crumbs in bottom of each foil cup.
• 2 In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in cocoa. Beat in whole egg and egg white until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Divide cheese mixture evenly among crumb-lined foil cups.
• 3 Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on cooling rack 15 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from pan; cool 15 minutes longer. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled.
• 4 To serve, carefully remove foil baking cups. Spread fudge topping on cheesecakes. Garnish with raspberries. Store cheesecakes