Monday, November 8, 2010

The Soup Nazi: Potato Soup

T came home two weeks ago, breathless with excitement over a purchase he had made at Wal-Mart.

"Um, that's a really big bag of potatoes." I said, eyeing the lumpy sack he was clutching.

"Yeah! It's 15 pounds." he replied, dumping the bag ceremoniously on the kitchen table. "It was only 6 dollars!"

I didn't realize that one could experience such heights of joy over potatoes.

So I guessed we'd be eating a lot of potatoes and started looking for some new recipes online. I found a great potato soup recipe on AllRecipes.com that I thought I'd share with you today.

Golden Potato Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes (I was in too much of a hurry to cube anything. I just chopped 'em up into bits)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used onion flakes)
1 cube chicken bullion
1 cup water
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded American cheese
1 cup chopped ham

Directions:
1. In a large stock pot, add potatoes, celery, onion, chicken bullion, water, and parsley flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables become tender.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and milk. Once it is well blended, add to soup mixture and cook until soup becomes thick. (I added slightly more flour to make a thicker soup)
3. Stir in cheese, cooked ham, or hamburger, and simmer until cheese is melted. (I added the cheese to the individual servings because T is weird and hates cheese)

I'm going to make a confession here. When I took the girls to buy the soup ingredients, it was a Saturday morning at Wal-Mart, which is a death sentence in and of itself. We looked all over the place for chicken bullion, which they did not have. Seriously, who doesn't have chicken bullion? Apparently Wal-Mart.

So by the time I was ready to visit the deli for the ham, I had two whiney kids and no chicken bullion, and we were also late to a birthday party. So I made a short cut. I bought canned ham. I did. It's true.

And you know what? It wasn't horrible. You couldn't really tell too much of a difference because I tried to chop it into small pieces. It was either canned ham or wait in line at the deli while the kids ransacked the bakery.

I went for the easier route.

And here was my result:

This is a fantastic Fall weather comfort food recipe!

Now for the other 13 pounds of potatoes....

(If you have any clue at all as to where I found the inspiration for this blog's title, then you know exactly where this post is going.)


*Come and join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish, sponsored by Bush's Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury, and Westminster Crackers.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Saturday Stop and Shop

Happy Saturday! If you stopped by to join the Weekend Bloggy Reading party, it's still on!

I hope you'll grab a coffee/mocha/latte/chai/tea/hot chocolate and do a little window shopping with me.

~The Cat's Paw
Barbara's handmade coil style basket would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving buffet. Imagine it holding some fresh rolls or apples.

~Crafty Girls Workshop
This Sugar Pop Charm Pack could make all sorts of delicious things for someone's Christmas stocking!

~Laura Jane Designs
Laura Jane is featuring some beautiful work this week. She really has a flair for creating some eye catching banners. My husband blessed me with a blog makeover for Christmas last year...maybe you could add one to your Christmas list?

~McKenna Layne Designs
As you can see from her button on my sidebar, Melissa is currently offering all Serenity Now readers 15% off the purchase of Holiday photo cards when they use the code SERENITY. There is a great variety to choose from!


~one9designs
I'm always impressed with Kristin's newest designs, and this month is no different. I love how unique this rutilated quartz piece is. Swoon!

~RJ Charms
Until November 15th, Serenity Now readers can get FREE SHIPPING as well as 10% Off of an order! Just just use the code "serenity." If you need some help getting in the Christmas shopping mood, try these snowflake earrings and you'll be singing "Frosty the Snowman" in no time!

~The Shabby Chic Cottage
How much fun would it be to display this Flirty Girl Table Runner on the breakfast table while family is in town for Thanksgiving? If I ever get to host my own Thanksgiving in my own home (no, I'm not bitter, ahem), I'd choose something like this to make breakfast dressy!

~Stitch Sense Designs
It might not technically be winter yet, but it sure feels like it here in Virginia! Nadir's shop is ready to help you battle the cold with cute handmade items like this Colorful Cowl.

~Willow House
Carmella's Yuletide Votive Holders are 25% off today. How cute would they be displayed during a family and friends Christmas gathering?

~Blessings Unlimited
I love the Blessings Blocks and so did The Nester. Reading about her party is what sparked my interest in the company! I love that the package comes with a little booklet that has a list of words you can spell with the blocks and shows you which colors to put together. Mine say "Welcome" right now!

*Don't forget the big Silhouette Product Giveaway...winner will be announced on November 10th! You can get 25% off all Silhouette Accessories by using the code SERENITY!

{Happy Shopping!}

Friday, November 5, 2010

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

{What are you doing this weekend?}

My super-observant readers might notice that it looks slightly different here today. I had my friend Lauren at Designer Blogs widen my sidebar to make my Sponsors area more compact. Hopefully my sidebar looks more organized now! Lauren works fast, and my blog was all worked up overnight!

Michaela Byrd and I have plans after preschool drop-off to stop by the hospital and see a friend with a brand-new baby. My sister and my new (and first!) niece just drove into town yesterday and I'm hoping to spend some time with them in between the two Blessings Unlimited parties I have this weekend. I'm enjoying the extra income, and I am in. love. with the products, but I think I'll keep December free. I just want to sit down with a mocha and read some magazines. Can I get an "Amen?"

Today is the fun day where I share a few of my favorite posts from around Blogland this week, and you get to link up the best post from your own blog this week.

All I ask is that you please include my party button within your post (code is below) OR a link back to me within your post. Don't make me be a meanie and delete your link from the party. Pretty please?

Here are some of this week's favorites:
sources below

~Jen shared an adorable Christmas Subway Art Pillow in a guest post at I Heart Naptime.

~I wonder if Kate would notice if I snuck into her uber cool Raspberry and Teal Office to hang out? I'm going to err on the side of caution and admit that would classify me as a stalker.

~Holly gave readers a preview of her boys' divine Playroom.

~And me?
I gave you a Follow-Up to My Candy Corn Addiction, I shared the Joy of Hobby Lobby with you, and I gave a little tutorial on how I made an Ornament Silhouette T-Shirt. I still have a great Silhouette Product Giveaway going on. Head over to check it out!

Time to link up your best post of the week to share! Let me know if you need help getting your link to appear.

Here's the button code if you'd prefer to use that instead of a link-back:
Weekend Bloggy Reading



Party is open until 10 pm on Sunday night. Please let me know if you need help getting your link to appear on the list!

{Happy Weekend!}

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ornament Silhouette T-shirt

I am *that girl* who waits until Thanksgiving (and Black Friday!) are over before busting out the Christmas decorating, baking, carols, and projects. It's hard to be me when so many bloggers are showcasing their fabulous Christmas crafts, but I guess I'm a traditionalist. I like to finish out Fall and this season of gratitude before moving on to the "most wonderful time of the year!"

That said, this is most likely the only Christmas-related craft you will see from me before Thanksgiving. As most of you know, I'm hosting a Silhouette Product Giveaway this week along with a discount on Silhouette products. I thought it might be nice if I took the time to show you guys one of the products I got to try out and give it a little review. Want a sneak peek?


I'll admit, I was really skeptical when I pulled the heat transfer material out of the packing box. I don't own a Silhouette machine, and I had a hard time imagining how even the most accomplished crafting diva would manage to create an intricate design using only scissors. Hmmm...

As I tried  to think of something simple I might be able to pull off, Jen's Painted Ornament Pillows came to mind. Light bulb moment!

I bought a red, long-sleeved t-shirt from Wal-Mart's Garanimals line for $3.50, some permanent fabric glue, and some thin Christmas themed ribbon from Michaels. Time to get to work!

I found some ornament silhouette clip art photos through Google and printed them in different sizes using MS Publisher. This is where having an actual Silhouette machine would have been handy, but didn't ruin the project for me.

I placed my ornament cut outs on the unrolled heat transfer paper to trace and cut out (they give you quite a lot!):

Once I had the shapes cut out on the transfer paper, I peeled the plastic off and laid the shapes out with the clear paper over top.

I recommend using a thin (!) kitchen towel to lay over the clear paper when ironing...this ensures that the heat will adequately adhere your transfer paper to the shirt. The Silhouette directions said to hold the iron firmly in place for 45-60 seconds. I found that it took several passes before my shapes were all the way stuck on the shirt.

Hmm...kind of bland, huh?

Time for some bling! I eye balled ribbon and rhinestones, using fabric glue to press everything into place by hand.


And the final product?

  
Michaela Byrd looks like she's ready for a Holly Jolly Christmas, doesn't she? (She certainly has the jolly part down)

Final verdict? I give the Heat Transfer Paper a B+. Having the use of a Silhouette machine would have opened up a world of options for cut outs. I felt somewhat limited in that I knew I'd do better with solid shapes...I have the cutting skills of a preschooler. Being able to do use more intricate designs in a wider variety of colors would have bumped this product up into the A range, but the product itself is fairly easy to work with and I was impressed with the amount of paper that came in the package.

{Are you still in Fall celebration mode, or are you ready to bring on the Christmas?}


Linking to Weekend Wrap Up party and the Crazy Christmas Crafter Link-Up.


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Ooh Heaven is a Place on Earth (Called Hobby Lobby)

Oh, Belinda Carlisle, you were right...we can make heaven a place on Earth. And it has mediocre parking and wonderful, swoon-worthy deals.

My town's very first Hobby Lobby opened in October, and I can't believe I haven't shared about my first trip in!

HL had the decency to schedule their soft opening on a Friday morning, which is a preschool day for Natalie. After ditching dropping my oldest off at school, Michaela Byrd and I careened down the highway to make it in time for the doors to open. So did about 54776 other people.

My friend Meri and her youngest two met us in the parking lot, and the five two giddy shoppers headed inside. If you've never had the luck to venture inside a HL, I should tell you that it is a Mecca of crafty delights...

I had not been inside a HL in months, and the rush of delirious commercial joy that came over me can only be described as indescribable because I am eloquent like that.

So whether you are looking for a faux pumpkin with your monogram carved into it, or a tiny wooden acorn, HL is going to have it because they have pretty much everything, and it's probably on sale too.

I normally roll my eyes and mutter under my breath when I see retail shops drag out Christmas displays in mid-October, but not so at Hobby Lobby. Meri and I oohed and aahed over the aisles of ornaments, wreaths, crafts, tins, and wrapping papers.

I think this sign pretty much sums it up for me...

And shop we did. We piled all sorts of goodies into our cart because we couldn't help ourselves and the deals were good and we didn't want anyone else to get a hold of that super cute garden flag because step off, it's mine! I'm not kidding. HL is serious business, people.

Lest you think we forced our children to drag their tiny feet behind us, I have proof that they also had a very pleasant morning frolicking in the fabulousness.

I guess some people just can't handle the pressure...

We finished our perfect morning with mochas at the shop across the street. Michaela Byrd rounded out the ambiance by throwing a tantrum when the barista claimed they were out of donuts. It was lovely. I needed another trip to Hobby Lobby just to erase the memory.

I have since hit the HL once or five times over the course of the month. It won't be any different now, because I have my eye on some Christmasy things that. must. be. mine. Surely the addiction will fade over time. Right?

Right?!

*If you don't have a Hobby Lobby (which, by the way, doesn't know I wrote this and is not sponsoring this post, but I totally wouldn't mind if they wanted to send a little gift card action my way to finance the addiction), you can still get your craft on by entering my Silhouette Product Giveaway. Stop by and enter today! They're also offering 25% off of all Silhouette Accessories to customers who use the code SERENITY.

{Happy Shopping!}

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

And Then There Was One


It's totally your fault. Your kind comments regarding my Candy Corn Problem made me feel free and uninhibited in my gluttony. And I totally just ate that last one too.

But not to worry...

Because on Halloween, after a little of this

and a lot of this (yes, that is the Griswolds' house, and yes, my mother in all her wisdom gave them each a cupcake after Trick or Treating)

I have some of this

My refined palette only allows me to choose the good stuff.

PS. If I don't return emails today, it's because I have possibly slipped into a diabetic coma and the girls and dogs have taken control of the house.

PPS. I missed writing about Halloween yesterday because of the super terrific Silhouette Product Giveaway! Stop by and enter to win some neat products and get a 25% discount on all Silhouette Accessories!

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Monday, November 1, 2010

Silhouette Product Giveaway!

On Friday I mentioned that I had a cool Giveaway coming up, and today is the day, peeps!

Silhouette (yes, THE Silhouette) wants to give a product bundle away to one lucky Serenity Now Reader. They sent me a few items to try out and said I could share the love with you!

This Giveaway comes with:
  • 2 Heat Transfer Rolls
  • 1 Tattoo Pack
  • 1 Magnet Sheet

The best part about this Giveaway is that you don't have to have a Silhouette machine to use these items! 

As much as I prayed to the crafting gods that a machine might fall off the Silhouette truck and land on my front porch, I am still living in the Dark Ages with many of my friends and I don't own a machine. I'll share/review a project with you later in the week that I've been working on with my new Silhouette products.

Here are just a few things you can make (with your trusty scissors!) using Silhouette Products:

Temporary Tattoos


Custom Apparel

Magnets

To enter the Giveaway:
Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. Visit the Silhouette Site (mandatory to enter) and leave me a comment here telling me which specific project is your favorite.
FOR EXTRA ENTRIES, YOU CAN:
2. Visit the Silhouette Blog and Follow or leave a comment.
3. Tweet about this Giveaway with a link back to me.
4. Facebook this Giveaway with a link back to me.
5. Follow me here at Serenity Now or tell me if you are already a Follower.

(Giveaway open until 5 pm on November 10th. Open to U.S. Residents only)

Silhouette is also offering a special deal from now until November 13th at midnight:
*25% off of all Silhouette Accessories using the code SERENITY. 

Get ready to save some holiday cash and make your own projects this year!

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