Breakfast in Bed: Housewarming/Hostess Gift Idea

My littlest sister and her husband spent the beginning of this summer driving across the country to start a graduate program out east (stopping in Chicago for a few days along the way, yay!) They moved all their belongings from Washington state all the way to New York without having a clue as to where they'd actually be living.  A few weeks ago I talked to them and they had finally found a place to live, hooray!  Isn't that always so stressful.  So I put together a little package to welcome them to their new home, cause after moving in and starting school in less than a week's time it is nice to have some happy mail arrive on your doorstep.

I thought it would be fun to send them a little "Breakfast in Bed" package so they could spend at least one morning relaxing and not stressing about school, work, or unpacking...sounds nice, right? Here is what I included in case you may want to do the same for someone you know :-)

I made a batch of our favorite dry waffle mix because who doesn't love a good waffle mix for breakfast! This recipe is seriously amazing and makes the crispest waffles I've ever made...I'll share the recipe with you later, promise!

I placed the mix in a mason jar with some twine, a paper doily, and a simple kraft tag I made using a paper punch. On the backside of the tag I wrote the ingredients needed to make the waffles, just add in and stir...so simple!

We love, love, love using unsweetened coconut flakes at our house. I thought this would be a fun waffle add-in to include....they are soooo good toasted and added in to pancakes or waffle batter...or just to eat plain, yum!

I used a clear food-safe bag, tied it with twine, and placed it in a cute little berry basket I found on Etsy.

I filled food-safe glassine bags with mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallow bits for more fun batter add-ins. Just tape the bags closed with some Washi Tape and they are ready for giving!

I filled two Kraft paper bags with some gourmet tea bags and a packet of Italian Roast coffee...those are definitely breakfast must-haves in my opinion!

Then I clipped each bag with a paper doily, a little tag, and a mini clothespin.

I also added a few packets of Starbuck's Peppermint Hot Cocoa cause it's always nice to have options, right!

I bought some fun muffin mixes and just wrapped them in a paper doily and twine to make them look fancier then they really are, ha! I also added a few cute paper muffin liners I found over at Pick Your Plum...love that website!

And, since this is Housewarming gift, I included a few Chalkboard Dipped Wooden Spoons using this tutorial.

 And a Rustic Chalkboard Easter Egg made using a wood slice from this tutorial here.

Then I packaged everything up in tissue paper and sent it on it's way.

PS. I wrapped the chalkboard egg in tissue paper too...just figured that wouldn't make for an exciting photograph!

Thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,

TUTORIAL: Chalkboard Paint Dipped Wooden Spoons

I was packaging up a gift to send out to my littlest seester and her husband a few weeks ago (more on that fun gift in another post!) and decided that there was a definite need for some cute wooden spoons in their housewarming gift.  

Enter in those cute dipped spoon that have been so trendy in blogland. I love the idea but wanted a bit more functionality out of them, like say dipping them in chalkboard paint so you can write cute little sayings on them, hello! now that's right up my alley!

These are super easy and I love how you can personalize them for gift giving :-)
Here's how you can make a few of these babies...

Chalkboard Paint Dipped Wooden Spoons

Chalkboard paint of your choice (I like Martha Stewart's line but you could always make your own like the tutorial found here.)
Wooden spoons
Painter's tape or Washi tape
Foam brush
Chalk

Martha's paint is pretty rad (remember how I used it here and here), she has some fun color options beside the standard black...which would also look pretty cool on these here wooden spoons. I chose the green as it went with my housewarming gift colors :-)

All you do is mark off the boundary of the paint dipped end with your washi (or painter's) tape. Measure if you want the colors to be even steven throughout your spoon collection! Paint one coat, wait an hour to dry...a mason jar works great as a wooden spoon holder...and then paint an additional coat of paint (that's two coats peeps!)

Let the paint cure for 24 hours and then grab a piece of chalk to condition your new chalkboard space. Wipe it off and then pick some fun words to scribble on your new dipped wooden spoons!

Enjoy gifting these beauties or keep a them for yourself....I may or may not have made a few for me too, hey they are too cute not to keep! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2: The Hippotatomus Foodimal and Giveaway!

**Today's post is written as a Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Foodimals Featured Contributor, this is a sponsored post and I have been compensated for writing it.  However, all opinions are truthful and my own. This post contains paid links.

Did you see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs when it came out a few years ago?  I thought it was so fun to see one of my favorite books as a kid come to life on the big screen.  I remember there was always a waiting list to check that book out of my elementary school library...ahhh, good times :-) I love that I can share that fun book and now the movie with my own children, such a cool feeling to be able to do that.

Well, Sony Pictures is at it again and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 is coming to theaters soon, hooray!  In the sequel, the food is alive! Sony Pictures team has create a whole bunch of fun characters made of food, called "Foodimals", and I'm going to bring one of them to life just for you!

Please, take a look at Exhibit A....

This is the Hippotatomus. It's a potato that's a hippo, hipPOTATOmus, it has chives teeth and a butter tongue.

To make the Hippotatomus you will need:

1 potato
1 scallion (or chives)
1 pat of butter
2 peppercorn (optional for eyes)

1. Scrub your potato, prick it all over with a fork, and cook it in the microwave for about 6 minutes with 2 tablespoons of water or until it is tender inside.

2. Once the potato is cool to the touch, cut a small slit at one end for the hippo's mouth. The size of the slit will depend on the size of your potato!

3. Chop the green end of the scallion into 1/2 inch pieces and push a few of them into the potato towards the front of the mouth, these will be the teeth.

4. Add the pat of butter inside the slit (mouth) for the tongue!

5. Cut two small triangular pieces of the potato skin at the top of the head and fold forward to make the hippo's ears.

6. Add 2 peppercorns for the eyes.

7. Enjoy your Foodimal...hello, Hippotatomus, how cute are you!

Sony Pictures is offering my readers the chance to win ONE Sony Reader (e-book reader) {valued at $129.99} and ONE copy of the original "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" movie!

Enter below with the Rafflecopter widget or by clicking the link HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  
This post may contain paid links.

BOOK REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Gooseberry Patch Stitching for the Kitchen

Today I am part of the Gooseberry Patch book tour for their newest book, Stitching for the Kitchen. This book marries two of my most favorite things...cooking and sewing....so I was more than happy to review it!  The minute it arrived in the mail I promptly sat down on my porch and flipped through it noting all the fun projects I wanted to make while my kids ran through the sprinklers.

Like this Appliqued House Trivet...so cute! How fun would this be for a Christmas gift!

And I love, love, love this Warm and Toasty Toaster Cozy.  I want it just for me!!! I can see my girls wanting to play house with it :-)

The book has 30 easy projects from sewing to embroidery as well as it has recipes sprinkled throughout it that many times correlate with the project.  Like a recipe for Super Simple Parkerhouse Rolls that would be just lovely in the Divided Bread Basket project.  How's that for nifty?  It makes this book just perfect for gift giving...you could make a project and then add the recipe for a bridal shower...or make a project and make the recipe for say a housewarming!  Awesomesauce!

The book also included a techniques section which offers embroidery techniques as well essential techniques for making all the projects.  Plus all the embroidery designs are included and there is also a pocket at the back with all the patterns....woot! Gotta love that!

If you'd like to win a copy of Gooseberry Patch Stitching for the Kitchen you can enter via the rafflecopter widget below or CLICK HERE now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS. here is the line up for the book's blog tour in case you wanted to follow along...there are projects, book reviews, and giveaways going on and coming up soon!

July 22

Gooseberry Patch

July 23

Momma Young At Home

Craft Gossip

July 24

Old House Homestead

Green Eyed Momma

July 25

Sew Serendipity

Prairie Flower Farm

July 26

Smashed Peas and Carrots

Marsha's Spot

July 27

Wild Olive

Only From Scratch

July 28

Pam Kitty Morning

Blue Nickel Studios

July 29

Glued to My Crafts

Susie QT Pies Cafe

July 30

The Crafty Princess Diaries

Gramma's In the Kitchen

Two Maids A Milking

August 1

Vicki O'Dell

Homesteader's Heart  

August 2

A Creative Being

Delightful Country Cookin

RECIPE: Peaches n Cream Popsicles

We have been loving creating fun popsicle flavors this summer and one of our favorites has been using deliciously sweet peaches that we seem to find perfectly ripe in all the grocery stores right now.

There is just something about a perfectly ripe peach.  Biting into it and having that sticky sweet juice drip down your arm. They are even better in popsicle form when found in nice fleshy chunks mixed among some sweet cream...nom!

This recipe for Peaches n Cream Popsicles is a lovely one...and is a tried and true favorite because of  the fact that you can switch out the peaches in place of so many lovely fruits of summer.  Raspberries? Strawberries? Blackberries? Or hey, why not a mix of them all!

Peaches n Cream Popsicles (makes about 10 medium popsicles)

2 cups diced fresh peaches (you can remove the skin if you prefer)

1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar or white granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

12 oz plain Greek-style yogurt

To make a simple syrup which we will be using in this recipe, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Let the simple syrup cool before use. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the yogurt and chilled simple syrup. Pour the yogurt mixture into each popsicle mold so that it is about 1/3 of the way full.  Place the molds into a freezer so the yogurt mixture can set, about 30 minutes. Add the diced peaches to the remaining yogurt mixture and mix well. Pour this mixture into the molds leaving a small amount of room at the top to allow for expansion. Place popsicle mold top and sticks into each molds and freeze for 4-5 hours.  Thaw molds and Enjoy!

Mmm....like I said, there is nothing like a sweet ripe summer peach, can you just smell that!  YUMMY!

Chop up your peaches so you have about 2 cups of sweet, drippy goodness and set aside.

Make your simple syrup by mixing together equal parts of water and sugar.  For this recipe I used 1/2 cups of each.  Cook in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling and the sugar is dissolved.  Let the simple syrup cool.

Once the syrup is cool add all of the simple syrup to 12 oz of greek-style yogurt. Mix well. Pour the yogurt/syrup mixture into the bottom of each popsicle mold filling them about 1/3 of the way full.  Freeze for about 30 minutes so the yogurt can set.

Add the diced peaches to the remaining yogurt and mix well.

Once the yogurt has set, pull the molds back out and pour the peach/yogurt mixture into each mold leaving a small amount of space at the top of each mold to allow for expansion while freezing.

Place popsicle mold cap on top and sticks into your mold and freeze for 4-5 hours.

Then, run your molds under warm water and free your newly made and uber-delicious Peaches n Cream popsicles!

Happy Summer Eats to you!

Thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,