Make it Yourself Mondays: Appetizers

With the holidays upon us, and football season already here, appetizers are a hot commodity.  I am not a big fan of making them though.  I seem to always turn toward my staple recipes.  With my hubby having a football party at the house, I decided to try something new.  I am so glad I did.  The recipe that follows is adapted from this sausage cheese ball recipe:

2 lbs. ground sausage.  I used mild but I'm also a wuss.
1 1/2 C. all purpose baking mix.  I made my own or you can always use bisquick.
4 C. shredded cheddar cheese.  Calls for sharp but I used a mixture.
1/2C. of each onion and celery, diced
1 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together with your hands and roll into 1 inch balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Verdict:  Definately will make again and again.

Handmade Holidays: Vanilla Extract with a Twist

There are many people/places on the internet that are showing you how to make your own vanilla extract to give as gifts for the holidays.  The basic ingredients are vanilla beans and vodka.  I wanted to 'jazz' this project up a bit to make it all my own. 

I'm a cherry fan:  dried cherries, cherry pie, cherry soda, fresh cherries....basically the 'bubba gump' of anything cherry.  So, the last time I was at the liquor store, I bought CHERRY flavored vodka instead to do a little experimenting with.  I still had to let my mixture sit for a minimum of two months.  It is finally finished and ready for a taste/smell test.  Let me tell you, this is yummy.  There is just the right hint of a cherry background flavor to perk it up.  I guess you could also use the juice from your maraschino (?) cherry jars but I couldn't give you an exact measurement.  Cherry flavored vodka took the guesswork out for me.  These little treats are ready for Christmas gifts now. I'm thinking black forest cake is the first big dessert on the menu with the extract!

***Just as a little side note:  I also tried to do this with orange flavored vodka but wasn't thrilled with the results.  For whatever reason, the vodka wouldn't soak up as much flavor from the vanilla bean so I just totally canned that one.

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Series starting Monday

 

Starting next Monday, November 7th, I will be starting my very first series:  Make it yourself Mondays.  My focus for now is going to be on household items we use on a regular basis.  Some of my entries will include, cleaning products, beauty regemins, herbal items, health and wellness. 

We are a nation of consumers and most of the time we aren't even aware of some of the products we are ingesting/exposing ourselves to that can be detrimental to our health.  While we are still, in essence, "consuming" something,  we will be fully aware of what it is.  Yes, we need to purchase supplies to make whatever it is we are making, but why leave it up to "those people" to decide what the ingredients are?  We will be much better off making these items ourselves not only for the quality of the ingredients, but also the quality of the item itself.  Anything that is made with our own two hands gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment.  We really do desire to do the best job we can possibly do.  The end result will be worth every penny.  So, please, join me on this journey.

$20 Kitchen Chair Re-do

I'm almost embarrassed to show just how dirty our kitchen chair cushions have gotten.  Amazing what happens in such a short amount of time when you have kids, huh?  So, here is my before:

 Dirty, dingy, dusty, boring, and in need of an up-do....BAD!








And the after:

 Colors are bright, fresh, and match my kitchen beautifully.

I caught an amazing sale at Joann's for this fabric.  The boldt was being clearanced out and was half off.  Plus, the weekend I picked it up, they offered and additional half off.  That $20 total included the batting for underneath and additional screws/staples needed to re-attach.  A big kudos to my wonderful hubby for helping me tear out all the staples.  That was pure torture!

My Soup-er Secret Ingredient

I love soup.  My biggest problem is that its not always cold enough down here in Florida to really enjoy.  However, this year it seems, the weather is cooling off a bit early and the brisk mornings are making me crave the stuff.  So, I have been spending this morning preparing some of my favorites for the freezer.  They are soo easy to make and, once all your veggies are prepped, you are pretty much done, other than watching the pot. I have a confession to make though.  Sometimes the broth for your basic soups (think chicken noodle or veg. beef) can be thin and, to fill me up, I need something more without just eating more fresh bread with it.  My big secret?  I will add a can of cream of 'something' soup or a container of Imagine brand organic gravy.  This makes the soup a little more heartier and adds and extra depth to the flavor.  And if you need an extra reason to add it, this makes the broth stick to the bread you're dunking all the more easier.  So...there you have it...my secret is out!

*** My apologies to the photo source. The website is down and would not link up for me***