DIY Tile Coasters

 

Looking for a cute handmade gift?  These do-it-yourself tile coasters are easy to make, adorable and TOTALLY cheap.  So easy, adorable and cheap that I suggest you make a set for yourself while you're at it!



Supplies need: 4x4" ceramic tiles (I bought them from Home Depot for 12 cents a pop), scrapbook paper or photos, Mod Podge, 1" foam paint brush, spray acrylic, sticky rubber circles (or felt & glue)

Cut paper: Cut your paper or photos in squares that are slightly smaller than 4x4", you'll want about 1/8th of an inch of tile bordering your paper.  I used six different coordinating pieces of scrapbook paper for my coasters.  I also made a set for an anniversary gift using the couple's wedding photos.  I think six coasters is a good number for a set, but 4 would be okay too.  Or 8.  Or 100.  They're kind of addicting once you start making them!

Mod Podge paper to tiles: Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the front of the tile and immediately apply a paper square to the center of tile.  Coat paper and tile with another thin layer of Mod Podge (be sure to go ALL THE WAY to the edges of the tile).  Let the Mod Podge to dry for about 10/15 minutes before applying a second layer of Mod Podge.  Note: Alternate the direction that you are painting the Mod Podge onto the tile.  The finish will be a bit smoother and look nicer!

Seal the coaster: Let the coasters dry overnight, then apply a layer of acrylic sealer.  I used the kind that you spray on like spray paint but you can also buy acrylic sealer that comes in little jars.  You could potentially skip this step if you plan on using your tiles for just decoration, but if you want them to last longer, I recommend you seal them.

Apply "feet" to the coaster: Since these are ceramic tiles, you won't want to put the coasters directly onto any nice surfaces without some sort of padded feet on the underside.  I bought a pack of little clear self adhesive rubber circles thingamajigs from Target for $3 and popped one on each corner of the coaster.  You can also use felt for this.  Either cut felt circles or cut a square of felt that is slightly smaller than the coaster and glue it to the bottom of the coaster.

Give 'em away: Wait several days before stacking the coasters so that the seal is completed... sealed.  I like to stack them up and tie a pretty ribbon top.

Besides being totally adorable, these coasters are a super practical idea.  We have been using this set for almost two years and they haven't fallen apart or worn out.  Whenever they get a little dirty, wipe them down with a damp cloth and they are as good as new!  Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go make myself a drink to put on my coaster...

Washi Tape Tea Lights

Whenever I'm shopping, I always find myself being pulled towards the crafting aisle by some unseen gravitational force.  Lately, my eyeballs have been drawn to Washi Tape.  Available in about 1.4 million different colors and designs, this stuff should be in every crafter's bag of tricks.  It's about as sticky as masking tape, which is nice because it's easy to manage and can usually be removed with little to no damage to your project if you screw up!

Today I made these little guys.  Super simple.  It took about 20 seconds per tea light.  I have a package of 100 tea lights that I bought at Ikea for $4.  Add a strip of washi tape around the metal tin and now you have a cute little candle to pop into your candle holder.

Have you used washi tape yet?  If so, let me know in the comments what you're using it for.  I'd love to try some more crafts with mine!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I have been seeing variations of this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip floating around cyberspace recently.   Eric and I both had it at our work potlucks.  It's apparently a big deal. Tonight we had leftover Spicy Bean Chili for dinner, so I thought it would be a good dish to pair with some of this majestic buffalo chicken dip.

I decided to use the recipe on the official Frank's website as a starting point for my own version of this spicy addictive dip.

1- Gather your things!  I choose to take the easy route (do you a see a theme in my cooking?) and use three 5 oz. cans of chicken, as well as Frank's Red Hot (and Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce, not pictured), light ranch, shredded Mexican style cheese and 8 oz. softened neufchatel cream cheese.

2. "Marinate" your chicken.  Some recipes call for actual shredded chicken and others say to use canned.  I'm sure you can safely go either route.  However, I did read in several reviews people complaining that the chicken had a metal/canned taste.  So after draining the chicken, I covered it with a few table spoons of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce in hopes of de-canning it.

3- Mix remaining ingredients together.  Mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of Frank's hot sauce, 1/2 ranch dressing, 3/4 cups of shredded Mexican cheese.  I also added in some creole seasoning, because I put THAT shit on everything.

4- Stir chicken mixture into cheese mixture.  Luckily, I've eaten this dip before, so I was quite sure this would taste good.  But at this point, this dip is looking pretty unappetizing.

5- Sprinkle with cheese.  I added another handful of cheese on the top, about 1/4 cup.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.  Pop this sucker into a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until everything is warm and gooey.

7- Eat it up!  As soon as I opened the oven, my kitchen filled with the delightful scent of cheesy heaven.  We ate this with tortilla chips, but you could serve this with tortilla chips, Fritos scoops, veggies, pita bread or crackers.

No wonder why this recipe is so hot right now.  It was quick, easy and delicious.  The only problem I can foresee, is that you will run out!  This serving size would probably be good for 6-8 people.  I would double the batch if you planned on serving a larger group.

Variations: Add sliced jalapenos or crushed red peppers to kick up the spice.  Throw everything in a slow cooker to bring to a potluck or party.  Sprinkle with blue cheese before baking.  Use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken instead of canned.

Snowpocalypse Spicy Slow Cooker Bean Chili

Snowpocalypse 2014 has made its way to Detroit!  Lucy seems to be enjoying the snow up to her belly. I'm more of an indoor cat, so I won't be making snow angels anytime soon.  While Eric has settled himself onto the couch to watch football, I've decided today is Chili Sunday!

Nothing makes my heart (and tummy) happier than a delicious crock pot meal, especially one that only takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

1 - Gather your ingredients.  The best part about this recipe is that you can make your chili as spicy (or mild) is you prefer by adjusting a few ingredients. I used six cans of various beans (great northern, pinto, hot chili and red kidney beans), two cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies, diced jalapenos, minced garlic, frozen bell peppers and onions, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, creole seasoning and crushed red pepper.

2- Drain beans.  I like my chili to be thick, so I drain the liquid from my beans.  It doesn't serve as a flavor enhancer and I'd rather thin it down with tomato sauce later on.

3- Add vegetables.  I use two cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies, a small can of diced jalapenos and a bag of thawed bell peppers and onions.  You could buy fresh veggies and cut them yourself, but let's face it, this is a lazy crock pot meal - ain't nobody got time for that.  (Note, if you want to make a mild chili, do not use a whole can of jalapenos.  Perhaps, omit the jalapenos altogether.  You could always add them as a topping when served in case someone in the house likes spicy and someone else doesn't.)

4- Add tomato sauce. I start with one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce and stir it in before deciding if I am happy with the consistency of the chili.  Some times I add another can.  This is purely personal preference and won't affect the flavor of your chili.

5- Season your chili.  The numero uno importante seasoning when making chili is cumin.  That is what makes chili taste like chili and not bean soup.  I sprinkle in some cumin, maybe 2 tsp.  Then I add about 2 tbsp. of minced garlic.  If you want mild (aka boring) chili, stop there.  But if you like it spicy, keep reading:  I then add about 1 tbsp. of crushed red pepper, 1 tsp. of chili powder, and 1 tsp. of creole seasoning.  I wish I could be more helpful, but I really just pour the seasonings in blindly.  You can't really go wrong with chili - but make a mental note for next time if you think you could add more or less of anything.

(Note: If you don't own creole seasoning, I suggest you invest in it.  It's similar to a Cajun seasoning and I use it in place of salt and pepper when I season almost everything.  It's also AMAZING on French fries.)

6- Cover and cook!  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8.  This is perfect to leave cooking while you're running errands in the afternoon or to come home to after work.

7- Nom nom nom.  When it's time to feast on your chili, we usually just eat it as is, but it's also delicious with crackers, sour cream, or shredded cheddar cheese on top.

The worst part of making chili is opening all the cans!  Remind me to ask for an electric can opener for my birthday.  Or a personal chef.  Whatever my mom can afford.

The best part of making chili is eating it for days!  We portion the leftovers into single serving containers and freeze them for quick and healthy lunches!

Variations:  Add browned ground beef, turkey or chicken.  Adding corn and taco seasoning will make it a south-western chili.  Serve over rice or noodles for a more hearty meal.  Simmer on the stove for 45 minutes if you don't have the time to slow cook.

No Crying, Pancake Muffins

I have a love hate relationship pancakes.  I love to eat them and I hate to make them.  Pancakes made by Amber usually end up raw or burnt and by the time I make enough edible pancakes for Eric and I to eat them at the same time, they're cold.  I just want to put the pancake in my mouth; I don't want to cry in front of the stove any more.

This morning as I was perusing my pins, I came across a blog post by a dad who is the breakfast rock star at his house for making these delicious pancake muffins.  So I decided to give it a whirl.

If you are already an expert pancake flipper, you might want to stick to the old fashioned way.  This wasn't a time saving recipe.  It took about 25 minutes to get the pancakes from the box to the table.

1- Make pancake mix.  I use the "just add water" mix in a box.  I'm sure homemade pancakes taste better, but I like easy. For 12 muffin tins, I used 1 1/2 cups of dry mix, which was 3 servings, according to the box.  (Feel free to share with me your homemade recipes in the comments though, I would love to try to make my own batter one of these days!)

2. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. This requires no explanation, I assume.

3. Fill muffin tins.  Fill the tins about 3/4 full with your pancake batter.

4. Top with mix-ins.  I sprinkled chocolate chips on half and left half plain.  You could add blueberries, cooked bacon or sausage, whatever you like.

5- Bake for 15 minutes at 350.  If the top is firm to the touch and not runny anymore,  you're good.  It may need a few extra minutes.

6- Eat me! We put butter and maple syrup on top.  I added sliced bananas to my plain pancake muffins.

The best part of this recipe was that it was EASY.  No pancake flipping induced anger ensued.  The muffins had the light and fluffy consistency of a pancake and were not heavy and muffiny.

I don't have a griddle, so I can only make 2-3 pancakes at a time, so these would also be good if you were cooking breakfast for several people, so everyone could eat HOT pancakes at the same time.

The Amazing No-Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

There are very things in the world I enjoy more than ice cream sandwiches, cake and not having to bake to enjoy a delicious (and not so nutritious) dessert.  The best part of this no-bake ice cream cake is that it's totally customizable.  If you like peanut butter cups, add some!  Caramel, fudge, bananas, sprinkles, whatever!  I kept mine simple, and used mini chocolate chips.

1- Make a base!  You can basically build this sucker to be however big you'd like.  I used 9 ice cream sandwiches (3 layers of 3) which fed 5 people.  I would say 2 sandwiches per person is a good guide to base your size by.  Mine fit on a dinner plate, but if you are going to make a bigger cake, you can use a 9x13 pan, or a piece of card board covered in foil.

2- Cover with thawed whipped topping.  I used the fat free version, because I am a firm believer that Cool Whip Free tastes just as yummy as regular Cool Whip.  (And I think most fat free foods taste like garbage, so trust me, it's delicious.)  About 1/2" is perfect.

3 - Layer it up! Add another layer of ice cream sandwiches, another layer of cool whip, another layer of ice cream sandwiches.  You can keep going, but three is a pretty decent height.  I would recommend you go wider rather than much taller if you want a larger cake.

4 - Freeze for about 10 minutes.  I don't know if this step really matters, because my cool whip was getting a little sloppy, so I popped the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes while I did a little cleaning in the kitchen.   This firmed up the cool whip a bit.

5- Frost the cake with whipped topping.  Cover the top and sizes of the cake with the whipped topping.  For my 3x3 cake, I used almost an entire container of Cool Whip.

6 - Cover with chocolate chips!  Or M&Ms, fudge, sprinkles, whatever floats your boat.  All of the above!  It will taste like heaven in your mouth!  Pop that sucker back into the freezer for at least an hour before serving so the whipped topping gets firm.  Slice, serve, chow down.

So there you have it!  The Amazing No-Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cake.  Your welcome!

Variations: Try using chocolate whipped topping or alternate between original and chocolate.  Put toppings inside each layer for extra yummy flavor.  Use flavored ice cream sandwiches (chocolate chip, neapolitan, etc.)