Easter Shirts

With my family we don't really go all in for the fancy dressing up on Easter.  We are much more laid back and these are DIY Easter Shirts that kiddos can make themselves are just what we needed to still be festive.

I started with a piece of foam that I cut out into an egg shape....

 Using a fabric marker I traced the egg onto the shirt....

 Then I mixed acrylic paint with a textile medium (can be found at craft stores) and painted the eggs on the shirts.  You could also use any kind of fabric paint. 

If you are using acrylic paint and the textile medium be sure to throw the dried shirts in the dryer to set the paint.  Per the instructions on the textile medium it needs to be heat set..

 Finally I let the kids decorate their eggs with the puff paint style fabric paint.

Now they have fabulous shirts that they can show off on Sunday while they hunt for eggs.

Foodie Friday Chinese Noodles

My kids and I love to eat chinese soft noodles with chicken but I certainly don't like all the MSG, sodium, and calories that are included.  I found this recipe via Familyfun.com and it's as good if not better than takeout.  You can certainly change up the veggies to your tastes.

Homemade Chicken Lo Mein

1/2 package angel hair pasta

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1/4 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)

2 Tbsp soy sauce (again low sodium)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger (I didn't have so I used ground from a jar)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 medium onion thinly sliced (I didn't use this)

*Optional Veggies:

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 can baby corn drained and cut into thirds

1 to 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized peices

*Instead of all these veggies I added the baby carrots and a bag of Birdseye Steamfresh mixed veggies that included the carrots, peas, broccoli, and water chestnuts. 

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until just tender.  Drain, rinse with cold water, then set aside

2. In a small bowl mix hoisin sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, ginger (if not using fresh), and garlic.  Set aside

3. Heat 1 Tbsp vegtable oil in wok or large skillet (use the biggest skillet you have) over medium heat.  Stir fry the ginger and onion and veggies until crisp (if using fresh)  remove from pan and trasfer to plate

*or cook the Steamfresh veggies and just stir fry the corn

4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in pan and stir fry the chicken until no longer pink

5. Add the noodles, veggies, and sauce to the pan with chicken and turn heat down

6. Using two spatulas or spoons lightly toss the mixture until heated through and combined.

Enjoy! 

Everyone liked this dish and there wasn't much leftover. 

Being Shared at:

Doll Bassinet

So this particular project was made for a claim in the Ongoing Wish Swap on Craftster and it stretched my sewing skills a bit.  I found the tutorial on Nothing Fancy who's bassinet is actually A LOT more fancy than mine turned out to be!  She quilted her peices before sewing them together and had the hood with lacy trim.  My hood did not like me.  I couldn't get the shape of it right and I was coming down to the wire of when I needed to send and I was running out of fabric.  So my bassinet is a bit more floppy and no so fancy BUT it works!  It holds dollies just fine!

 I also included a few felt dolly diapers.  All you need for these is a rectangle of felt, some velcro, and pinking shears.  Fold your felt in half, cut some leg holes, and add your velcro side tabs.

I would love to see if anyone else makes a bassinet and I would love some advice for making mine a bit more firm yet still washable for next time.

Manic Monday

Lando and his uncle Lucas

Mmmmm S'mores Bars

One of my true food loves are marshmallows.  Especially marshmallows paired with chocolate.  I love the holidays that produce chocolate covered Santas, hearts, and bunnies. 

I have many great childhood memories of summer campfires that involved roasting hot dogs for dinner and of course S'mores for dessert!  Nothing will ever compare to a true campfire roasted marshmallow S'more but these come pretty close.....

You will need:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars or one package of mini's

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

edit: I would use lots more of the marshmallow next time.....

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and 8X8 pan

 In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla...

In a separate bowl add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt....

Have your super cute helper whisk them together

Add to butter mixture and mix until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan...

Place the chocolate in a single layer over the dough.....

 Then layer with the marshmallow.....

 Break the remaining dough into pieces, flatten then cover the marshmallow.  Be sure to push all the edges together so no marshmallow is showing.

 Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until nice and golden....

 Cut and enjoy!

These are awesome right out of the oven or cold!  If you prefer them warm just pop em in the microwave for a few seconds. 

You can find the orginial recipe here

You can find a printable recipe here

Manic Monday

My dad in New Zealand

Friday Fix-Homemade Foaming Soap Refills

I keep meaning to take photos of this process but it never seems to get done!  My honey really likes the foam soap but I don't like the cost.  So thanks to the web I have found a way to make my own.  You will need:
1 empty foam soap dispenser (you will have to purchase it full but then can reuse it over and over)
1 bottle of liquid hand soap
Water

Fill your empty dispenser about 1/3 of the way full with liquid hand soap of your choice.  I find that Wally World tends to sell it pretty cheap. 
Add water, but not to the top as you will need to put the top back on.
Put the top back on and give it a little shake.
There ya go.  Liquid hand soap on the cheap!