Crafting, cooking, and blogging, oh my!

Crafting

Number 38 on my list is to make one Pinterest craft a month for a whole year.  I decided to put this on the list because I had 50+ cute ideas pinned on my Pinterest craft board, yet instead of actually making any of them, I just kept pinning.  Makes sense, right?

For my January craft, I decided to make a “Do It Yourself Treat Stand”.  Click here to read about the original idea, which came from The Crafting Chicks blog.

Yesterday, I bought a large plate, a medium plate, a bowl, and two candlestick holders from a thrift store for $3.20.  The dishes are clearly used…they are a bit faded in some spots and there are a few scratches.  I personally think this adds to their charm, but I’m a bit of a thrift store/garage sale junkie.  You could certainly use new and/or matching dishes if that’s more your style.  I love the bowl – it’s my favorite part of the bunch, although the rose plate (front left) has really cool edges.

This was a really simple craft to make.  Once I had all of my items, I just used a hot glue gun to put them together.

I love the idea of using it for dessert, but I decided to use this particular stand as a makeup/jewelry holder in my bathroom.  I’m sure I will be making another one for food in the future, though!  I adore this idea and want to make more!  You could use them for so many different things!  🙂

Cooking

Number 51 on my list is to make one new recipe a month for a year.  No problems with this one.  I actually made three new recipes this month!

First, I made homemade French bread.  The recipe came with my new breadmaker.  I’ve probably made about six batches this month.  It’s delicious!  After making bread by hand, I can’t believe how easy the machine is.  It’s remarkable.

Second, I made Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes.  This casserole was really good but next time I will probably add more cheese.

My third recipe was Buffalo Chicken.  I’m not sure if K and I were just really in a buffalo sauce mood this month or if I made this recipe simply because we already had the sauce.  Either way, this recipe was good.  Probably better than the first buffalo chicken recipe.  I served this with corn on the cob and broccoli.  The sauce was pretty spicy, but dipping the chicken in Ranch dressing really cooled it down and added to the flavor.

Blogging

I’ve added an About Me section to the blog.  Under this heading, you can read about the blog awards I’ve received – the Versatile Blogger and the Liebster Award.

I have also made progress on several items on my list, such as #45, #47, and #59.

-A