Come On Get Crafty: Hydro-Dipping

So, I first saw this video for hydro-dipping a few months back and thought holy shitsnacks, that looks pretty easy (and awesome!!). 

Being the busy little procrastinator I am, it took me a few months to procure some paint and mugs that I liked, but I finally gave it a go today! Here I am to share my thoughts on my first attempt and some tips on what worked and what didn't!

First off I'd like to say, I now want to hydro-dip anything that will stand still long enough. Hell, I might even throw the dog in there if he gets feisty. It takes a little finesse, but what a cool effect!

I chose plain, square-bottom white coffee mugs that were $1.99 each from Walmart, and some cheap nail polish in matching colors. I also picked up a few fine point paint markers in matching colors in case I wanted to add little details or wording when they were done. I actually really like the end result, with the exception of the fact that I would like to learn how to control the placement a bit better in upcoming projects.

Things that I learned during this crafty experiment:

• Nail polish on water dries exceptionally fast - so work quickly!
• Nail polishes with glitter in them do NOT work well and ends up with a very blotchy/muddy appearance when dried, which is sad, cause I totally wanted glittery mugs! I am now determined to find a way!
• Rolling the mug from side to side in a long pan works best to cover the entire mug with color. 

Wanna start dippin'?! You will need:

• Whatever you would like to hydro-dip. Hydro-dipping can be done on a variety of materials, including glass, which allows you to decorate mugs, bowls, plates, vases, mirrors, frames...the sky is the limit!
• A few colors of nail polish - avoiding glittery formulas.
• A large plastic container (Your container should fit whatever you will be dipping)
• Foil or wax paper to dry your creation on!

To Do:

1. Fill the container 2/3 full with luke-warm water
2. Apply 2-3 drops of eah nail polish on top of the water randomly, dripping colors over one another and using a toothpick to drag, swirl and alter the nail polish however you like. Work quickly!!
3. Slowly dip your chosen object into the water, rolling it to cover all sides with nail polish evenly. If you are dipping a piece that will not be used for food - like these mugs - you may completely immerse the piece for full coverage. 
4. Lift out of the water carefully and place on foil or wax paper to cure fully (I left mine for 24 hours).
5. Revel in your amazingly gorgeous finished project, you crafty little thing!

Have you tried hydro-dipping? Share your experience! What did you dip? How did it turn out? What are your tips and tricks for perfect dipping?

I'm baaaaaack...and just in time for Wordless Wednesday, too!

...because there are no words...

#nomnom Bangin' Turkey-Veg Skillet Meal: packed with protein, not calories! You're welcome.

Helloooooo rowdy peeps! It has been halfway to forever since I had the chance to post. Ya know, life and all that fun, crazy, unexpected stuff. But, the temps are dropping, the snow is coming (much as I despise it) and the cooking bug is baaaaack! I'm so psyched to be back, sharing some new, awesomely savory, surprisingly healthy recipes, fun crafty ideas and much more. So let's dive in with this amazeballs recipe I made the other night: the oh-so-simple, totally scrumdiddlyumptious Bangin Turkey-Veg Skillet Meal!

My mama had given me the recipe for a super easy, super delish skillet meal from Del Monte a while back, and I decided to pick that sucker apart and make it my own. The original recipe called for ditalini pasta, but I wanted to cut out the carbs, so I subbed cauliflower florets. I also wanted to create a little bit of sauce, so I added a splash of Buttermilk Ranch dressing and a bit of chicken broth before simmering. The results, a saucy, delicious meal packed with flavor instead of carbs and calories. Want to ad your own twist? Make it spicy, add different veggies or boil up some rice to go with it. Anything goes with this amazingly easy meal!

Banging Turkey-Veg Skillet

1lb ground turkey, chicken or lean beef
1 bag frozen cauliflower florets
1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can diced Basil, Oregano & Garlic tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp onion powder or 1 small, finely diced white onion
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or italian blend cheese
Squirt of Buttermilk Ranch dressing or other sauce/spice (optional)

Boil/steam cauliflower until tender. While cauliflower is boiling, brown the ground meat with the onion/onion powder, minced garlic salt and pepper. Drain. Add drained green beans, tomatoes and 3/4 cup of chicken broth. Stir well, cover and simmer on low heat for 6-7 minutes. Once cauliflower is done, drain, stir in with meat and veggies in skillet, cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes until all veggies are tender. Remove from heat and serve immediately sprinkled lightly with shredded mozzarella or italian blend cheese.

What easy, healthy meals do you love, and how do you tweak them? Cauliflower, rice, chickpeas: what's your go-to healthy sub?

Come On Get Happy...It's Hump Day!!

Congratulations! You've successfully survived half of your work week! Now sit back, relax and take 5 minutes of "you-time" to laugh it up...so you can survive the second half of your work week and make it to the freakin' weekend!

For those times when you just wanna smack your co-worker: 

The Smackwich

For those situations where a regular slap fight just won't do: 

The Boob Slap Fight

For all you Star Wars Fan out there: 

Pissing off the Emperor

For those times you just need to mess with people at work: Throwing dummies out of windows 

And finally, for those days when things just won't go right: 

The Bullfrog Fiasco

I hope you all enjoyed! Now get back to your Hump Day and make it a good one!!

Peace & Love

Chocolate Lovers, meet Triple Chocolate Brownies. You're Welcome.

Triple. Chocolate. Brownies. Yes, they are sinfully amazing. And yes, you will look like an absolute goddess of all things chocolate when you arrive at your next event with a pan of these babies (and all from a simple box of brownie mix and some strategically placed semi-sweet chocolate chips). With semi-sweet morsels in the batter and a layer of melted chocolate on top, these brownies will cure your craving for chocolate in a instant...and have you begging for more! Have half an hour? Then you have just enough time to create a rich, delectable pan of chocolaty goodness that is guaranteed to impress even the most devoted chocolate lover!

Triple Chocolate Brownies

(aka the most amazingly rich, chewylicious brownies you'll ever put in your face!)

What You'll Need:

1 box of Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix

2 eggs

1 bag of semi-sweet morsels

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

What To Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350* and spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9 pan. 

2. In a large bowl, stir together brownie mix, eggs, water and oil until well mixed. Add in half of the bag of semi-sweet morsels and stir well. 

3. Pour brownie batter into the greased pan and cook for approximately 22-24 minutes (the box suggests cooking for 24-26 minutes, but I like my brownies chewy-gooey in the middle, so I usually take 'em out a few minutes early.)

4. About 1 minute before brownies are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and pour the rest of the bag of semi-sweet morsels evenly across the top of the brownies. Put the pan back in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the morsels begin to visibly melt. 

5. Remove the brownies from the oven and use a large spoon to smooth the melted chocolate chips into a "frosting" on top of the brownies. 

Serve warm with ice cream or a scoop of peanut butter on the top for a perfect winter treat and store the rest (if there are any) in an airtight container for up to a week (or even freeze some for later!!) 

Have a favorite dessert recipe that's always a hit?? 

Peace & Love

The Busy Morning Breakfast Solution: Homemade Wake-Up Wraps!

Confession: I am sooooooo not a morning person. Like, at all. But, one thing that I've always enjoyed doing is getting up to see my hubby off to work with a goodbye kiss and a cooler packed with crazy-good chow for the day. After trying scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, muffins and banana bread, I decided to take a tip from Dunkin Donuts and try making my very own wake-up wraps at home. My hubby is a total routine man, and he loves how easy it is to customize different flavors and combinations of wraps and how simple it is to heat up once he gets to work! I, on the other hand, love them for how easy they make my mornings. Even half-asleep, it takes me less than 5 minutes to whip up a few wraps, and then he has a nice, hot breakfast and I get to make a cup of coffee and settle in to start my day!

I usually make my hubby 2 wraps each morning, one for breakfast and one for a mid-morning-munchies snack. He loves bacon the best, and if you are really in a rush in the morning, you can make your bacon (or other meats) ahead of time and store in an airtight container, or do like I do and find a pre-cooked one that works. With almost endless veggie/meat/cheese combination possibilities, a super quick and easy prep (or the option to make them ahead of time!!) and major portability points, this little breakfast idea will make your mornings way less painful (and way more delicious!)

Homemade Wake-Up Wraps

1 egg or egg white

1 small flour tortilla

1 slice of cheese (your choice, mozzarella and cheddar are my fave!!)

Your choice of meat (sliced ham, bacon, sausage patties, etc) *optional*

Your choice of veggies (finely diced and cooked into your eggs)*optional*

Prep (If eating the wrap now)

1. Put your tortilla in the toaster over with the slice of cheese on top. Toast until edges are crispy/golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from toaster oven and place on a plate.

2. While the tortilla is cooking, prepare your meat according to package directions and place on one half of the wrap. 

3. Cook egg whatever style you like, salt and pepper to taste. Add in any diced veggies you may want. 

4. Add cooked egg to the wrap, fold in half and enjoy! 

Prep (If making the wrap ahead of time)

1. On a square piece of foil, place tortilla with one slice of cheese and choice of meat (cook if raw, or use pre-cooked for a faster option!)

2. Cook egg whatever style you like, salt and pepper to taste. Add in any diced veggies you may want. 

3. Add cooked egg to the wrap, fold in half and wrap carefully in foil. 

4. When it is time to eat the wrap, simply open foil, open wrap so that it lies flat and heat in a toaster oven until golden brown/cheese is melted or heat in the microwave until hot all the way through.

Don't be afraid to experiment and try out new options with your wraps! Try them with egg whites for a healthier option, and a variety of diced up veggies, meats and cheeses to try a new wrap every day! :)

What simple breakfast options do you love to whip up on your busy mornings?

Peace & Love

Feelin' Stressed? 5 Tips to Help You Get Happy!

Life can get a little stressful sometimes, especially if you run around crazy-busy most days. If your life is anything like mine, some days I feel like I barely get one minute to breathe. Here, some tips that have helped me forget the stress and get to happy, ASAP!

1. Smile. 

Yes, even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. Smiles are contagious, and your smile, even if it's a small one, could improve not only your day, but someone else's too. Take a little break from whatever might be stressing you out, find something that makes you happy and smile away. You'd be surprised how much one little smile can change your day - and your outlook - for the better! 

2. Meditate.

I am new to the whole meditation movement, but can already say it has made a huge difference in my stress level. It can difficult to get used to meditating, especially if you're stressed or your mind is going at a million miles per hour, so I downloaded the Buddhist Meditation app from the Android App Store. It starts off at just 2 minutes of meditating per day and increases as you get used to it, and even sends you reminders each day so you remember to squeeze in that all-important "You" time! 

3. Move Your Buns!

When I'm stressed, the last thing I feel like doing is anything physical, but there is just something stress-reducing about a quick walk with the dogs, a short bike ride down the road or even a chill yoga session. You don't have to work up a major sweat, just take a break from whatever you're doing to get moving for as little as 5-10 minutes, and you'll feel your stress begin to melt away...

4. Get Creative!!!

This is my favorite way to nix stress. Taking a break to draw, write, read, paint, sing, dance - anything that gets your creative juices flowing - can do wonders to clear your mind, put a smile on your face and send your stress running for the hills. Pick up a paintbrush, break out a new book, draw a silly picture or paint your nails with a funky new color or design. You'll be feeling so creatively awesome, you might forget you were stressed in the first place...and have something creative to show for it! 

5. Get Together & Have Some Fun!

Having a no-good, very bad, stress-filled day? Being stressed out all alone is the worst, and chances are you aren't the only one stressing like crazy, so call up your best buds and go have some fun together! Go bowling, grab some drinks, play some games, catch a movie, hit the beach, just go have some FUN!! Your stress will seem like a distant memory once you're in a fun situation with friends, and you can even vent to 'em if you need to - bonus!!!


How do you combat stress on those no good, very bad days?

Peace & Love