Easy Spinach Dip

I wish I had a picture, but I don't.

We had Mom's Night Out the other night with our MOPS group (and we are going to the MOPS Convention this weekend - YEAH!!!! - I can't wait) and I made an Easy Spinach Dip (my friend Mary gave me the recipe).

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 envelope of Ranch dressing mix
16 oz. sour cream

Thaw and dry your spinach (between paper towels or with a dish towel), then add the Ranch dressing mix and the sour cream and mix well. Done! Yes, that's it. It is that easy.

You can serve it with chips. I made my homemade sour dough bread (yes, I'm starting it a little early this year) and broke it into bite sized pieces and served that with the spinach dip.

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags

Last year I made these 'Trick or Treat' bags for the boys for Halloween. The thin plastic bags never last, the orange and purple plastic pumpkins are big and bulky (not good to store for a year), and these are durable, washable, easy on the environment, easy to store and cute. Here are all 4 of the bags. I got the idea and pattern/instructions here.


I added a 'name plate' out of solid black fabric. I embroidered each of the boys' names on the black fabric (before sewing it onto the bag) in glow-in-the-dark embroidery thread.


I used black nylon webbing for the handles (just had that on hand). The Halloween fabric was on sale (and I thought it was cute). It was kind of busy though, that's why I used the black fabric for the 'name plate.' [If the fabric you use isn't so busy you could embroidery the name right on the fabric itself (without making a name plate first). Do your embroidery before you line the bag, that way the bag can become reversible.]


This is the lining of the bag. Very colorful fabric (goes well with the Halloween fabric on the outside), but not Halloween. It can be reversible and used at any time.


I used a scrap piece of corruplast (corrugated plastic) instead of cardboard or plastic canvas. It is more durable and again I had it on hand (you can't beat free).


Here is the corruplast inside the bottom of the bag. It just makes it sturdier and gives the bag a good squared bottom.



What do your kids use for a Trick-Or-Treat bag? I've heard of using pillowcases, that's a neat idea too. {You could make your own (out of cute Halloween fabric), see instructions here.}

**NOTE: We don't actually go 'Trick-Or-Treating' for safety sake. Our church usually sponsors a 'Trunk-Or-Treat' and the boys go there.

Smile

"You're not fully dressed, until you put on a smile."
~Unknown

Happiness

"Happiness is a choice."
~Jena

Chocolate Crescents

Most of my pictures are MIA. Not sure where they went (this time it was my computer instead of my camera).

I took a can of refrigerated crescent rolls, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and powdered sugar.

I unrolled the crecent rolls and spread chocolate chips over them and then rolled them up. Bake them according to package directions and when you remove them from the oven sprinkle with powdered sugar.

DELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Wedding Gift

I am working on recipe cards and holder as a wedding gift.

I found this cute box at Hobby Lobby. It is the perfect size to hold 3x5 index cards and it was 1/2 off.

I got this recipe card stamp set from a friend of mine (she's a Stampin' Up rep) and I bought it from her used (part of a discontinued series) at a great price. Then I bought a couple of packs of 3x5 index cards (I did not get the unruled - I'll explain later).

I took white card stock and measured 3x5 to make dividers. I then took a large spool of thread and traced the top half of the spool to make my 'tabs' on the dividers. I then cut them out and stamped a 'category' on each tab.

I then took the back side of a lined index card and stamped the recipe card on it. [The reason that I used a lined index card, instead of unlined, is in case the recipe was too long to fit on the stamped side of the card, when she turned the card over to continue the recipe, she would have lines to keep it neat - I do better with lines, so I like them.]

There is a square hole on the stamp of the recipe card. I believe it is for the category stamp, but I wanted to put my own twist on it (I have trouble following all the rules). I purchased an alphabet stamp set (1/2 off at Hobby Lobby) and I put the Bride-To-Be's initials in the empty spot.

I still have quite a few recipe cards to stamp (I just do a little at a time). I also plan on filling out a few to start the bride off with some recipes.

If I knew the colors of the Bride-To-Be's kitchen, I would have tried to make the 'tabbed dividers' in those colors. I am still contemplating, taking a highlighter to them to make them easier to see.

Monkeying Around

A few years ago I purchased a 'Sock Monkey' kit from Hobby Lobby. (Just a little bit of nostalgia - I had one as a child.) I started it and then it got pushed to the back of my craft room, things got laid on top of and in front of it and it well...it was forgotten.

I saw some 'Sock Monkey' fabric and I wanted it, so I searched for it and ordered it here. My boys reminded me that I had a 'Sock Monkey' and asked me if I had ever finished it. I hadn't, so I looked and dug around for it and found it. It took only a few minutes to finish it (why I never finished it, I will never know).

So, I have one UFO (unfinished object) completed. Now to start a new project with my 'Sock Monkey' fabric. (I ordered it on Tuesday, Sept. 1 and I received it yesterday - Thursday, Sept. 3. I got it in 2 days!!!! Wow!!!!) I can't wait!!!

*I'm not doing so good. One of my personal goals this year was to finish several of my UFO's and I haven't finished that many - AT - ALL. I keep starting new ones (some I finish and some I don't - which adds to my UFO pile). Oh, well. I still enjoy it regardless.