Why, it’s GREASE lightning!
One of my favorite movies of all time is GREASE!
I remember when I first saw it. How, right before my cousin let me watch it, she had asked me if I had ever seen it. I remember I kept thinking how dumb a movie would be that was called Grease? I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Now, I know the entire movie, word for word, song for song, and dance move for dance move!
Now, let me just say that I have this incredibly crafty friend. She always does these themed Family Nights with the coolest ideas and I am just so jealous of how she pulls these things together.
I have been wanting to do something like that for the longest time but just couldn’t get it together and come up with anything……. UNTIL a light bulb finally went off. “DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER NIGHT”!!!! This “theater” would be showing Grease!
So, I got to work!
I went to Lowe’s and bought 3 Large sized moving boxes that we would later turn into their “cars”. I let the kids pick their colors, so I left with 2 cans of spray paint and then just used some left over paint we had around the house for the 3rd one.
Here is the one for my Purple Girl.
Little man had to have black.
And there would be no other color for Em than blue…… light blue. 😉
I ran by the grocery store and picked up some white paper plates that I spray painted black. These would be the wheels.
Next, we cut little white circles from drawing paper for the center of the wheels.
We found this great post from Parenting.com that shows you step by step how to cut a card board box into a car! What are the odds?
You can check the same post out here.
I hot glued red plastic plates to the front for head lights and hot glued the wheels on as well. You can’t see it, but I also cut out rectangles from the red plastic plates and hot glued them onto the back for brake lights.
(At the Drive In, waiting for the food they “ordered”.)
(Hot dogs, French Fries, and the one and only Glass Bottled Cokes.)
I was really surprised at how spacious the boxes were. They were able to sit their food down in front of them and still be comfortable.
Which proved to be VERY disappointing for Buster, who was hoping someone would drop something…… anything!
We even had room for pillows. 🙂
The BEST thing about this “Drive-In” was
that it only cost me $25 !!!!
The Breakdown:
Cars: $10.00
Movie: $5.00
Food: $10.00
I can’t remember ever having a fun family night that only cost me $25. That was the cost for our entire family.
Granted, we stayed at home. However, being able to do this and have something the kids could play with even after Family Night was worth it for me. It took me the afternoon to make the cars, but the longest part was allowing time for things to dry.
Plus, this “Drive-In” was extremely FUN!……….. Rain or Shine!
XOXO,
Esther
No Comments
Loaded Potato Soup
I don’t know what is up with the weather lately. We have been getting so much rain this Summer!
Usually, we are talking about how much we wish it WOULD rain during the Summer, but instead, I find myself wishing it wouldn’t as much.
One thing I crave when we get rain is SOUP, regardless how hot it is outside! Not sure what it is, but my brain just seems to be wired like that.
I did a previous post once on a soup I fix when it rains a lot called Hamburger Soup. If you want to check that post out, you can see it here.
This one, however, is a “doctored” up version of my Mom’s regular Potato Soup. I LOOOOOOOVE my Mom’s Potato Soup!
It is the perfect comfort food for me because my mom used to make it all the time.
Her’s is a basic Irish version, but it’s easy to make it Loaded Potato Soup! You just add everything that you would normally add to a traditional Baked Potato.
Of course, I would probably refrain from adding any crazy things like salsa. Yup, wouldn’t add salsa…………….
And from the scratching you are doing to your noggin right now must mean I’m the only nut that adds salsa to their Baked Potato. *Moving ON!
I added Shredded Cheese, Crumbled Bacon, Sour Cream, and Chives. I swear I even saw the owls on this kitchen towel smile when I did it. They even knew how good this soup was. 😉
So, without further Adieu, I would like to share the recipe with you….. ‘Cause I wuv you that much! 😉
Recipe: Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients:
– 7 or 8 Large Russet Potatoes, Skinned and Diced
– 2 Large Onions, Chopped
– 3 Tbsp. Butter
– 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
– 2 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
– 6 Cups Milk, (I used Skim)
– 2 Cups Water
– Cheddar Cheese, Crumbled Bacon, Sour Cream, Chives for Topping
Directions:
– Heat a large pot over medium high heat.
– Add onions, butter, and olive oil to pot and saute’ onions until “translucent” and softened.
– Reduce heat to medium.
– Add potatoes and stir well.
– Add flour, one tablespoon at a time and stir to coat in between adding flour. (work quickly because potatoes will try to stick to bottom of pot)
– Add milk and water to pot and stir.
– Simmer soup for 40 – 45 minutes until potatoes have softened and soup has thickened.
– To serve, top each bowl of soup with preferred toppings.
*Tip: If potatoes have softened and soup is not as thick as you would like, thicken by adding a 1/4 cup of Cornstarch to 1 cup of soup liquid in a separate bowl. Once thoroughly combined, add to soup pot and stir continuously until soup thickens. However, keep in mind that soup will definitely thicken once you add all your toppings.
No Comments
Peach and Blueberry Fruit Crisp
The other night, we had my brother’s sweet girlfriend’s family over. We were meeting them for the first time, so we were very excited! We did really simple cookout food. Just hamburgers, pasta salads, baked beans, deviled eggs…… and a Peach and Blueberry Crisp for dessert!
I had never made it before and I usually NEVER do a new recipe for company. Especially company I have never met!
We put everything together a few hours before everyone got there so we could spend time with everyone without having to worry about slaving over a stove in the process.
We blanched the peaches in boiling water first, then transferred them quickly to cold water. *This helps the skins peel off really easily. Then we sliced them in big chunky pieces…… added some extra goodies like lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar etc. and then tossed in some blueberries and layered on the bottom of a stoneware baker.
I could have just ate the dessert as it was then and there, but instead…… we added some more goodness!
Yummers!
The kids wanted to help me so I let them spread the crumble for the “crisp” part on top.
I love recipes like this that allow the kids to jump in and help, and allow me not to worry. You really cannot mess this topping up. It’s very easy! Just spread on top like you want! Then pop it into the oven for 45 minutes!
This is what it looked like before going into the oven……………
Now! Let me just take a “sidebar moment” to tell you something.
I rock in Dance Central 3.
Yes, I ROCK!
You may be asking yourself, “What on earth does that have to do with a Peach and Blueberry Crisp?”
Well, I’ll tell you.
After the crisp had gone about 45 minutes, my mom and I decided to check on it. We both decided that the topping wasn’t “browned” enough for our taste. SO! We thought, let’s broil it on low for a few minutes!
Just about that time, my oldest daughter started to say she was the best at Dance Off 3 and knowing this was untrue, I decided to challenge her to a duel! I looked at mom at that point, and she said, “I got this! Go! Go show your 9 year old who is boss!”
Well, in the middle of my 3 minutes duel, I smelled something……….. I didn’t smell the sweet aroma of a perfectly browned Peach and Blueberry Crisp bubbling away in the oven.
NO!
I smelled something far worse! It was the UNPLEASANT aroma of a perfectly BURNT Peach and Blueberry Crisp BURNING AWAY in the oven!
“MOM!”, I yelled.
(*Mom was no where to be found!) Mom had actually gone outside to tell everyone it was time to eat and walked away for a minute too long and POOF! *Sorry I called you out mom! I may have just lost my one and only reader! 😉
Well, there was only one thing to do. We did what every other smart, honest cooks would do………
We scraped off the burnt parts……….
REdid the topping………..
Plopped that stuff back on…………….
And put her back in the oven for 8 minutes and kept on truckin!
And may I say it turned out just fine!
And no one knows about our little mishap but ME, MOM,
And mom’s dog, Pepper! 😉 Shhhhhh!
Recipe: Peach and Blueberry Fruit Crisp
Ingredients:
– 2lbs. firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
– 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
– 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)
For the crumble:
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup granulated sugar
– 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
– 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions:
– Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
– Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or one large baking dish. * I used a 13 x 9 in. pan.
– For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar salt, cinnamon, and the butter into the of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until the butter is the size of peas. *If you do not have a mixer, no problem! Just mix well in a bowl and break up the diced butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter resembles small peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is browned and juices are bubbly.
– Serve warm or at room temperature. Vanilla ice cream goes great with this!
No Comments
Office Makeover
You know those days when you fly away to an exotic destination and forget the mess that you call an office?
Or better yet…… Snap your fingers and it’s clean, organized, and redecorated?????
Then you ACTUALLY WAKE UP and realize that it was all one mean dream? That you aren’t actually about to board a plane to your dream vacation. That you don’t possess magical powers that allow you to snap your fingers and things just fix themselves. No! The reality is that you have to go through every cluttered box you own and piece by piece, organize it!
BLAH!
Well, luckily……… that’s not how I role.
I love looking at organized stuff and my things may have some rhyme or reason to why they are all grouped in one general location, but I am definitely NOT a self professed organizer.
Oh yes, I have very ambitious thoughts from time to time, but then I get distracted by more important things…… like ice cream and chocolate.
I am, however, VERY happy with the way it turned out!
The lighting was hideous the day I tried to take these pics, thanks to all the rain we have gotten.
It’s not completely finished yet. I still have a few things left to do, but for the most part it’s complete.
I wanted more of an open concept than the one I had before. Before, the desk on the right was in the middle of the office, which really cut off the room visually.
I’m still brainstorming with ideas for that open wall above the desk, but nothing concrete yet. I’ll update once I’ve decided.
Also, as you will notice, my lovely hubby still needs to go and finish painting the baseboards. (I’ll do a post soon on how to build up your baseboards for practically nothing!)
I am notorious for painting my ceilings. It gives the room such a custom look. Plus, when you have high ceilings, the height can make your room seem too empty. Painting your ceilings can either give you the illusion of higher ceilings or lower, depending on the color you choose. Painting the ceiling a neutral tan color in this room, really “cozied” it up for me.
Paint colors:
Benjamin Moore’s At Sea – Walls
Benjamin Moore’s Bleeker Beige – Ceiling
High Gloss White – Trim
On the left side of the room is where all the organizational stuff is. I decided to not have any closed storage. This kept things open for me to just grab when I needed. Instead, I chose to go to Target and Homegoods for all my containers and idea boards.
I found the 3 shelf bookcases at Walmart for only $17 each. When it came to the idea boards on top, I almost splurged on Pottery Barn. The thought of spending over $700 on boards that I was going to hang on the wall, made me sick to my stomach, so instead, I went to my trusty ole’ Homegoods store to see what I could find first. I’m so happy I did! Not only did I find something, in my opinion, prettier……… They were far CHEAPER! I only spent $40 on the big one in the middle, and $20 each for the ones on the sides! Woot! Woot!
I felt like the colors were perfect. Lighter is what I was going for. So, when I start to put my ideas on the board, they will really POP!
I am so happy that most stores in general are really starting to amp up their office storage. All the designs are so nice these days. You can find cute stuff everywhere! AND CHEAP!
I got the brown storage boxes and multi colored file box from Target.
The cream colored baskets (set of 3), grey woven boxes (set of 2) from Homegoods.
The black boxes from Walmart.
Pattern file folders from Office Max.
This table was a MUST have! I could see in my mind what I wanted and how I wanted the office to turn out. I just couldn’t find a white pedestal table to go in the middle…….. that I could ACTUALLY afford!
I found plenty online! But they were all a small fortune and I just didn’t want to spend it.
Then, one night when I was searching Target’s website, I found it! Their new line Threshold, had the perfect one. It was so late and I was literally about to go to bed. So, when I saw that it was only $120, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me! It happened to be on sale because I think it is normally around $150. Plus, if you use your Target red card, which is the Debit card, you get free shipping even if it isn’t supposed to be. Not to mention you get the 5% discount.
I’m in love with it! The great thing is that it is a dining table, so it can double duty as extra eating space if you ever have people over! 🙂
This chandelier was originally meant for the girl’s room at our previous house. I had just bought it when we decided that we were going to sell our home. So, I held onto it hoping that I could find a nice spot for it here. So happy that it worked out for the office. I think it gives it an unexpected chic feel.
I have big plans for these two pieces if I can sweet talk the hubby into it. Two words……. MILK…… PAINT!
I want all the furniture to maintain a lighter look, so that black is driving me crazy………. (PATIENCE ESTHER!)
I picked these cute knobs up at a local gift shop in Pawley’s Island.
I have to say, I REALLY enjoy drinking my coffee in my office now.
Apparently, I’m not the only one! 😉
Happy Saturday Y’all!
XOXOXO!
-Esther
No Comments
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
You must be logged in to post a comment.