Suitcase Redo

I found this old suitcase at a yard sale and knew my sister would love it. Her birthday was fairly close and it was only $5 so I couldn't resist. Only problem was that it was wet inside and therefore also very moldy and smelly. yuck.
First thing we tore out all of the inner lining and doused the whole thing in clorox.

The wood that was left needing a little sanding to get the last bit of glue up and then we painted it this beautiful blue. On top of that we added a protective layer of clear coat (which stunk for days). My husband and I debated on whether or not to ditch the center divider thingy and in the end we kept it. First I taped a piece of cardboard to the existing bar.

Then I taped a layer of cotton batting around the entire divider.

I sewed a simple 3-sided cover to fit over the divider and then ironed the open side up into a nice little hem which I simply hot glued together to keep the cover in place.

Good bye yucky moldy suitcase. Hello beautiful.

Calzones

I made this giant calzone the other day and it was really good and pretty simple to make. I also made a couple for my baby girl's birthday party and it was a hit.

Thaw, and let rise, a loaf of frozen bread dough on a greased cookie sheet.

Once bread has thawed and risen, dump about 2 TBS olive oil over the loaf then smash down like you are making a pizza. Flip over a couple times to make sure olive oil is coated everywhere.

 

Along one half of the dough layer:
1/3 lb. sandwich pepperoni

1/3 lb. cooked salami

1 small tomato sliced thin

Green and or red peppers sliced very thin

Onion sliced very thin

1/3 lb. provolone cheese

Shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Fold dough over to cover ingredients and seal edges all around.

 

Sprinkle the top with:

Parmesan cheese
Diced garlic or garlic powder

Italian seasoning

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Serves at least 4 adults

Dip in spaghetti or pizza sauce. (I used a little bit of a jar of Ragu)

What I'm Reading

I know you're up in heaven, God,
and can hear my voice from there.
I'm just a little child.
Will you answer my short prayer?

This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano is such a beautiful little book. It follows a little child’s prayer from beginning to end and illustrates everything the child is feeling along the way. A child’s prayer is the sweetest thing and this book captures that special innocence. With its sing-song tone, I immediately was swept away with DeStefano’s words. I also love the illustrations. Each page is so pretty and filled with imagination. This is a book that I can see cherishing for many years to come as my daughter gets older.

My favorite part is that the book only tells one child’s prayer and doesn’t go any further.  It leaves the door open for the parent to step in with a discussion about their own personal beliefs about the importance of prayer and the power that can come with that. It would be the perfect opportunity to strengthen your child’s convictions on a regular basis.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

for my Bathroom

My sister has a really cool old tool box on the back of her toilet to hold extra rolls. My solution isn't quite as nifty, but it gets the job done.

I started with this wicker basket I thrifted and added some shiny blue spray paint I bought from Walmart for about a dollar.

And now my toilet paper rolls have a proper home :)

Now I am thinking I need something pretty for the walls.

Going Fishing Toy

I found this cute fishing game and thought it would be a great gift for two of my nieces. I followed this tutorial, but did things just a little differently. I meant for the game to work for a 2 and 4 year old, but I think 4 is as young as this would probably work for.

First I drew out my own pattern on a piece of printer paper and made just one fish to make sure I liked it and that the magnet was strong enough to hold up the fish. After that I did the rest factory line style and pounded them out.

The two fishing poles were made from cutting one cheap dowel from Home Depot in half and tying some yarn to one end. After I tied it I also used a little wood glue to keep it in place. The "chum" was just a small piece of material sewed in a circle with a magnet inside and the other side of the yarn securely attached.

Each of the fish were hand-stitched closed and I attached washers to their "noses". Lastly I hot glued some felt  numbers to each fish to make the game a little more interesting.

My nieces loved it. They are 4 and 2 years old. I think the game turned out way too advanced for the 2 year old, but she still had fun trying. And my 1 year old also loved gathering the fish and eating them. I think I may have to make up a bunch of softies just for her.

The magnets, washers and dowel I bought at Home Depot all for less then $5. The rest was scraps of fabric and batting from my stash.

Sweet Potato Pie

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I was with some of the crazies last night out shopping the midnight deals with my sis-in-law. I hope if you are doing the same you will be safe and able to score some great deals :) For now I will leave you with a family favorite recipe.

In my family, we never make pumpkin pie. We all agree that sweet potato pie is much better and is a must around this time of year. Plus it seems to be a healthier recipe than pumpkin pie although nothing about it tastes "healthy".

2.5 lbs. orange sweet potatoes (about 3)
1 stick butter
3 large eggs
1/2 c. Evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. regular granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Boil in enough water to cover until soft, about 15 minutes. Use an electric mixer to blend potatoes and the rest of the ingredients.

This will be enough to make two pies. I always use pre-made pie crusts found in the refrigerated dessert isle at the grocery store. Fill pie crusts with the mixture and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. The middle of the pie should be cooked thoroughly, but not cracking. Top with cool whip if desired.

When I made these pies for Thanksgiving I totally forgot about them and ended up taking them out 25 minutes late. Luckily, they didn't taste overcooked although they did end up with large cracks throughout. And if you will notice, this pie ended up with two little three year old finger prints... and even through all that it still came out just as yummy as always :)

Harvest Wreath

I have redone my wreath again. This time I bought a new straw wreath (about $3 at JoAnns) because I knew once I took the time to finish this one I would never want to change it up. I got the tutorial here and followed it exactly. I would have even done the exact color scheme, but decided to use the felt I had on hand instead. Oh and the yarn I bought from Walmart for about $2.80 and had a ton left over.

 I love how it turned out. I love the colors and the texture. I think in the future I may want to change up the colors of the flowers so they are simply pinned into place for easy removal.

And as always, my little helper is underfoot wondering what her crazy Mama is doing with the camera.

Chicken Bundles

I found this recipe while looking for something to use up some old ritz crackers. It turned out really good and definitely will be made again.

4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

10 ounces fresh spinach, torn

1 1/4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

Beat egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

Serves 6

*To make ahead: Assemble chicken bundles and place in baking dish as directed; cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, uncover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through.