Shrimp Mousse

If you're looking for something a little different for your holiday parties that's sure to impress, this is it! Don't be afraid, I swear it's awesome! Shrimp mousse and variations of it have been around forever. This spread always makes me think of my grandma. Which could be because she used to make it or the jello mold presentation is reminiscent of 50's housewives. Either way it's great and you'll definitely want to hold on to this recipe.

• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. Knox gelatin
• 1/4 c. chopped onion
• 1/4 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. cooked shrimp, chopped

In medium saucepan, combine tomato soup and cream cheese over low-medium heat. Stir in gelatin and remove from heat. Add onions, celery, mayonnaise and shrimp. Mixed well, pour into a mold greased with mayonnaise. If you don't want to use a mold just pour into a container you can cover and place in refrigerator. Chill for at least a couple hours to allow gelatin to set.

This makes enough for a crowd, so get lots of crackers to serve with your shrimp mousse! 

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Crochet Gifts 2014

I show my love for family and friends by giving handmade gifts! I figure they are sick of the same old stuff and handmade means you get something one of a kind and hopefully useful. Here are some crochet gifts I made this year along with links to the free patterns(photos are my own). 

Dragon

I did make a few alteration to the pattern as advised by others on Ravelry

Pattern by Lucy Ravenscar

Purse

I've had this pattern saved on Pinterest for a while but was overwhelmed by the chart pattern. I got over it and love how this turned out!

Pattern by Pierrot Yarns 
If you're interested in trying this pattern check out my tutorial to accompany the chart pattern. 

Puppy

This beagle puppy is so cute as are all amigurumi patterns from this designer. I found eyes and nose at Hobby Lobby

Pattern by Mary Walker

Button Infinity Scarf

These beautiful wood buttons are very reasonably priced at Hobby Lobby

Pattern by Fiber Flux

Brain Waves Beanie

Love all patterns from this designer and this one is free!

Pattern by Playin' Hooky Designs

Shell Stitch Cowl

Pattern by All About Ami

Ribbed Button Cowl

I didn't double up the yarn I used for this as the pattern called for and it came out just fine.

Pattern by Creative Jewish Mom

Color Block Earflap Hat

This is my go to earflap hat pattern. For this hat I changed it up a little by making longer in the back.

Pattern By Repeat Crafter Me

Bacon Scarf

My kid has this thing with bacon because of a ridiculous YouTube music video. He's going to LOVE this!
Pattern by Drunken Aunt Wendy

Hooded Cowl

Special request from my teen son.
Original design by me...pattern coming soon!

Want to see my crochet creations from last year? Click here

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Ham And Broccoli Breakfast Strata

This is an awesome breakfast idea for a crowd. I make this every year for Christmas morning. It's so nice to just throw it in the oven and not have to worry about it. You do have to prepare it the night before, so plan ahead!

Ingredients

• 12 slices day old bread( I used wheat bread because that's what I prefer, white or wheat is fine. I take bread out morning before and lay slices out on a cookie sheet to dry out)
• 5-10 oz frozen chopped broccoli(spinach is also great too!)
• 3/4 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese 
• 2 c. cubed ham (8 oz)
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 6 eggs beaten
• 3 1/2 c. milk
• salt
• pepper
• poultry seasoning

Directions

Night before...grease 13x9 casserole dish. Cube day old bread and place into dish. Thaw and drain broccoli or spinach. If I'm using broccoli, I'll usually throw in the whole 10 oz pkg. If I'm using spinach, I just do half of package(5 oz).  Spread veggies, ham, onions, cheese on top of bread cubes and mix it up a little with your hands. In a bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Pour egg mix over all ingredients. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning on top. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In the morning...preheat oven to 350. Bake uncovered 55 minutes. Last few minute of baking add some more shredded cheddar to top.

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Gifts Kids Can Make

Get kids more involved in gift GIVING!

When my kids were little, we would take them to the grandparents, aunts and uncles to spread holiday cheer and of course to exchange gifts. At that time, they were still little and it was pretty much all about the kids. I found them having the attitude of, "I'm here, where's my present?" Ummm, I don't think so!

How do you teach kids it's better to give than to receive? Who am I kidding, we all love to get gifts! We did it by implementing a family gift exchange. We exchange names every year at Thanksgiving, the kids exchange names with the kids and the adults exchange with the adults. It's tons of fun and it's a great way to get the kids excited about giving, not to mention way more economical than buying a present for every single member of the family! In addition to the gift exchange I have my three children get or make gifts for each other as well. The kids end up happy to get their own gift but are really excited to see the reaction that their gift they gave gets.

Another way to get kids more involved in gift giving is making homemade gifts. It gets them away from the idea of ‘material’ gifts and helps them start thinking about meaningful gift ideas instead. There are some great ways to give homemade gifts that people will really want and use. Here are a few ideas that would be great for kids to do themselves or at least help out with...

Photo Gifts

I'm a huge fan of photo gifts. I take tons of pictures throughout the year and now is a great time to get them out of your computer for everyone to see. Sites like Shutterfly have tons of beautiful photo gifts you can personalize. Your kids could absolutely help pick out their favorite photos from the year and make something like a photo book or a calendar for the grandparents, OR...hand over your camera!

While browsing through Shutterfly I was trying to think how you could make all these awesome gifts more kid friendly. Here's the secret, your photos don't have to be of people! Let your kids take photos of their gift recipient's favorite stuff! It could be a special toy, sports equipment, favorite places or even pets. Their pictures could be compiled into a holiday calendar or poster collage. They could even take one special picture and put it on a blanket, pillow or cup. There are so many possibilities!

Here's a project that my boys have been working on for their sister. They're taking her Barbies and making a calendar.

Put Kid's Artwork On A Pillowcase
I saw this great DIY idea to transfer kids artwork on to tea towels and it got me thinking, how else could kids share their unique artwork? My oldest son loves to draw and I wish more people could see and appreciate his art. Here is a homemade pillow case he made as a gift for his brother. 

Soap
Melt and pour soap is crazy easy. You can purchase the soap base and scented oil at almost any craft supply store. Let the kids pick out and experiment with different add ins. Melt base in microwave, add the scent oil and any other add ins, then pour into molds. See my Honey Almond Chamomile Recipe here. If you did clear glycerin soap you could even stick a prize inside for fun soaps for kids!

Bracelets

Bracelets are fun and easy, plus they are great for girls or boys. I spent hours making friendship bracelets when I was a kid and now they are back in style. Here are some creative tutorials I found online:

1. Zipper Bracelet: BRIT+CO
2. Friendship Bracelets: Art Projects For Kids
3. Soda Tab Bracelet: All Free Jewelry Making
4. Paracord Bracelet: Instructables

Sock Creatures
Make stuffed creatures out of stray socks! This project is better for kids a little bit older that can handle a needle and thread. I found this book Stupid Sock Creatures at my library and my kids really had fun with it. See the sock creatures my kids created and my tutorial for a sock monkey here.

Personalized Headphones Or Phone Charger

You can't go anywhere without seeing someone on their cell or with ear buds in. My kids go through headphone like crazy! It seems like either the head phones or the phone chargers are always lost or getting mixed up with someone else's. You can easily personalize these with embroidery floss! All you "not crafty" people, never fear...it's so easy, your kids can do it! You only have to know how to tie a knot! Tutorial here.

Yummy Treats

I usually go way overboard with Christmas cookies...along with everyone else. What if you gave ready to bake cookie dough instead? That way your friends, neighbors, teachers, family could bake it later after they've eaten all their other Christmas cookies! See how I make mine here. Last year as an alternative to cookies I made various flavored popcorn. There are a billion recipes on Pinterest for everyone's taste. Toss it in a cute container and it's the perfect gift! Kids love to help out in the kitchen and the popcorn especially is really easy.

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DIY Reversible Wood Backdrop

I've been wanting a wood photo backdrop for my blog and Etsy photos for a while now. After some Pinterest inspiration and a trip to the hardware store, I finally figured out a nice and still cost effective way to do it!

So first of all, I came across this great tutorial on Pinterest from Love And Olive Oil for a distressed photo backdrop...check it out. If my way doesn't work for you maybe theirs will. I found the wood supplies that they referred to in their tutorial, but after I added it all up, it was more than I wanted to spend. While at Lowes, I ended up finding these square pieces of wood, 23"x23" and just under 1/4" thinkness. They were only about $5 a piece, now we're talking! With some power tools at home, I could make this work! I had some scrap wood already to use for the center pieces. Since I had paint and any other supplies I needed already, all together I only ended spending just under $10!!! 

This wood is pretty thin so cut carefully because it may split. I didn't mind if the cuts weren't perfect because I was going for the rustic look anyway. I cut this into six pieces, but it's up to you how wide you want the pieces to be. 

After cutting the wood, I pieced it back together in the order it was cut so if the lines weren't perfectly straight, it wouldn't be obvious. Now I just used a nail gun to attach the cut pieces to the center pieces. flip over and do the same for the opposite side. At first I thought just the two pieces for the center between the two sides would be fine, but after I had it together I realized that since the wood is thin, I needed another piece in the middle for support, especially if I put something heavy on here.

I painted one side white and the other side is a kinda grey stain. I did this by watering down some acrylic dark grey craft paint, brush it on one board at a time and then use a clean cloth the wipe the excess.

This backdrop is perfect for my Etsy photos!

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