Just ‘cause you can’t man the BBQ doesn’t mean you can’t help out at your Memorial Day cookout! Side dishes are just as important as whatever Dad’s grillin’ over there, and this quick and easy recipe will help make you the star of the party!
Cool Coleslaw
This coleslaw takes no time at all, so throw it together the day of the party at least two hours before you serve it—it’ll get soggy if you do it the day before.
What You’ll Need:
2 Packages of broccoli slaw (1 lb. each)
1 Cup of your favorite bottled Ranch or Caesar dressing
¼ Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
What You’ll Do:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing and lemon juice. (If your bottled dressing is thick, you may want to add extra lemon juice.)
2. Taste the dressing to see if it needs sugar, salt, pepper or cayenne pepper.
3. Toss the dressing in the slaw until it’s evenly coated.
4. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate until serving time.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Treasured Chests
Despite Pandora's experience to the contrary, lovely little boxes tend to harbor far more treasure than trouble. And there's no reason the containers themselves shouldn't rival their contents in elegance and allure.
An A-list of embellishments -- velvets, ribbons, and blossoms; embossed papers that mimic the textures of shagreen, leather, and lizard skin; glossy spray-on auto touch-up paint contrasted with delicate rice-paper cutouts; and romantic inscription panels inspired by the labels on vintage French pillboxes -- can transform packages that seem pedestrian into true gems. Add a few equally refined elements inside to keep everything from brooches to billets-doux safe, snug, and in place and the final results of your handiwork may feel too pretty to part with. What better way to let someone you love know how very special he or she is?
Well Contained
A Shaker-inspired oval wooden box lined with velvet ribbon holds smaller variations of itself, romantic repositories for family heirlooms or favorite baubles. The exteriors of the small boxes are brightened with salmon-colored milk paint, a coating traditionally used by American rustic-furniture makers.
Plain wooden boxes can be transformed into sleek luxury his-or-her jewel cases or desk accessories by covering them with papers embossed to resemble lizard skin, leather, and shagreen, the sharkskin favored by Louis XV.
Wooden Box How-To
1. Lightly sand exterior of an oval Shaker-style wooden craft box with fine-grit sandpaper; wipe clean. Apply 2 coats of milk paint if desired.
2. Select ribbon, measure inside perimeter of box, and trim ribbon to this length. (If box is deeper than the ribbon is wide, cut 2 lengths; if shallower, trim ribbon).
3. Apply paste-style glue, such as Yes Paste, to inside wall of box. Align edge of ribbon to top rim, and press so it adheres smoothly and ends abut cleanly. (If 2 lengths are needed, align first to bottom edge, then glue second ribbon on top, aligned with top edge.) Let dry.
4. Trace bottom of box on archival mat board. Cut 1/8 inch inside the line. Test to see that mat board oval fits into box; trim as needed. Place board on wrong side of lining fabric, and cut an oval 1/4 inch wider all around. Apply fabric glue to board, and affix it to reverse side of fabric. Smooth fabric. Glue down cloth edging on back side. When dry, fit panel, fabric side up, inside box.
An A-list of embellishments -- velvets, ribbons, and blossoms; embossed papers that mimic the textures of shagreen, leather, and lizard skin; glossy spray-on auto touch-up paint contrasted with delicate rice-paper cutouts; and romantic inscription panels inspired by the labels on vintage French pillboxes -- can transform packages that seem pedestrian into true gems. Add a few equally refined elements inside to keep everything from brooches to billets-doux safe, snug, and in place and the final results of your handiwork may feel too pretty to part with. What better way to let someone you love know how very special he or she is?
Well Contained
A Shaker-inspired oval wooden box lined with velvet ribbon holds smaller variations of itself, romantic repositories for family heirlooms or favorite baubles. The exteriors of the small boxes are brightened with salmon-colored milk paint, a coating traditionally used by American rustic-furniture makers.
Plain wooden boxes can be transformed into sleek luxury his-or-her jewel cases or desk accessories by covering them with papers embossed to resemble lizard skin, leather, and shagreen, the sharkskin favored by Louis XV.
Wooden Box How-To
1. Lightly sand exterior of an oval Shaker-style wooden craft box with fine-grit sandpaper; wipe clean. Apply 2 coats of milk paint if desired.
2. Select ribbon, measure inside perimeter of box, and trim ribbon to this length. (If box is deeper than the ribbon is wide, cut 2 lengths; if shallower, trim ribbon).
3. Apply paste-style glue, such as Yes Paste, to inside wall of box. Align edge of ribbon to top rim, and press so it adheres smoothly and ends abut cleanly. (If 2 lengths are needed, align first to bottom edge, then glue second ribbon on top, aligned with top edge.) Let dry.
4. Trace bottom of box on archival mat board. Cut 1/8 inch inside the line. Test to see that mat board oval fits into box; trim as needed. Place board on wrong side of lining fabric, and cut an oval 1/4 inch wider all around. Apply fabric glue to board, and affix it to reverse side of fabric. Smooth fabric. Glue down cloth edging on back side. When dry, fit panel, fabric side up, inside box.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mother's Day Coupon Book
Mom can relax this Mother's Day once you hand her this book of coupons redeemable for chores and special favors!
Your mom will appreciate this gift and remember it forever, and she'll love when you help her out with the dishes, or take out the garbage. Use our coupon designs or make your own by simply filling in the blank!
Don't forget to visit our main Mother's Day page and to make mom a handmade card to go along with this wonderful coupon book.
What you'll need:
½ sheet cardstock
2 paper fasteners or stapler
Hole punch or sharpened pencil
Paper cutter
Stickers, foam stickers, markers, or anything else you would like to decorate with
Patterns (optional)*
How to make it:
Print out our coupon patterns, as many as you like.
Fill in the blanks on any of the coupons that are not filled out.
Use a paper cutter or scissors to cut out the coupons.
Use a pencil to sketch around a coupon onto the cardstock, about 1/2" larger than the coupon.
Cut the cardstock using the sketched line as a guide, cut two pieces for the cover and the back.
Use a hole punch or a sharpened pencil to poke holes in the coupons and the cardstock and assemble with the paper fasteners. Or you can simply staple the booklet together.
Decorate the front cover with markers, stickers, foam stickers, or whatever else you like.
Tips:
This craft is a favorite that Mom might want to save. Make two sets so she can keep one and use the other!
Instead of cardstock, you can use construction paper.
If using glitter glue to decorate the cover, be sure to allow for ample drying time.
Foam stickers are available at your local craft supply store.
*Go to kaboose.com for the patterns.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Twig Frame
Supplies needed:
Twigs
Twine or string
Glue (hot glue works well)
A photo for framing
Collect 2 bunches of twigs. One bunch (about 6 to 8) should be about 2 inches longer than your photo. The other bunch of twigs should be about 2 inches wider than your photo.
Arrange the twigs so that they surround the photo and extend outward about an inch in each direction. Tie the twigs at each corner using twine or string, making an "X" pattern.
Glue the photo onto the back of your twig frame. Hot glue works the best.
Glue a small loop of string to the top batch of twigs for hanging the photo.
Twigs
Twine or string
Glue (hot glue works well)
A photo for framing
Collect 2 bunches of twigs. One bunch (about 6 to 8) should be about 2 inches longer than your photo. The other bunch of twigs should be about 2 inches wider than your photo.
Arrange the twigs so that they surround the photo and extend outward about an inch in each direction. Tie the twigs at each corner using twine or string, making an "X" pattern.
Glue the photo onto the back of your twig frame. Hot glue works the best.
Glue a small loop of string to the top batch of twigs for hanging the photo.
Family Tree
Supplies needed:
Sky blue and green construction paper
Crayons or markers
Scissors
Some yarn
A hole punch
Styrofoam or paper cup
A lump of play dough or other clay
Glue stick
Find a twig with many branches.
Put a lump of clay in the bottom of a paper or styrofoam cup. Insert the twig securely so that it remains upright.
Cut out big leaves from the green construction paper. Each leaf will represent a person in the child's family and should be big enough to write that person's name on the leaf. Cut enough leaves for each of the child's siblings, parents, and grandparents (or more!).
Write the name of each person on their leaf. You might want to include the relative's relationship to the child, like "Grandma Joan Smith." Punch a hole on the end of each leaf.
Tie the leaves to the tree. The child's generation goes at the top of the tree, the parents at the second level, and the grandparents at the bottom.
For an alternative project, use photos, and paste them on the leaves. Or use cut-outs of leaves, fruit (like apples), and/or flowers to represent the people.
Sky blue and green construction paper
Crayons or markers
Scissors
Some yarn
A hole punch
Styrofoam or paper cup
A lump of play dough or other clay
Glue stick
Find a twig with many branches.
Put a lump of clay in the bottom of a paper or styrofoam cup. Insert the twig securely so that it remains upright.
Cut out big leaves from the green construction paper. Each leaf will represent a person in the child's family and should be big enough to write that person's name on the leaf. Cut enough leaves for each of the child's siblings, parents, and grandparents (or more!).
Write the name of each person on their leaf. You might want to include the relative's relationship to the child, like "Grandma Joan Smith." Punch a hole on the end of each leaf.
Tie the leaves to the tree. The child's generation goes at the top of the tree, the parents at the second level, and the grandparents at the bottom.
For an alternative project, use photos, and paste them on the leaves. Or use cut-outs of leaves, fruit (like apples), and/or flowers to represent the people.
Miniature Japanese Garden
Supplies needed:
A small piece of very thick green paper (for the base of the garden) roughly 10 inches square or bigger
Blue, brown, orange, and green construction paper
Paper egg carton
Glue
Scissors
Markers or crayons
Some tiny pebbles
Start with a small square of very thick green paper to make the base of the garden. A piece about 10 inches square (about 25 cm) works well.
Cut some blue paper to make a stream through your garden and glue it to the green base. Glue on a small paper goldfish. A strip of brown paper makes a nice bridge across the water.
To make a tiny pagoda, use 3 paper egg carton sections. Cut each section's wide part so that it has four legs. Glue the three sections together as shown in the picture to the right.
Glue the pagoda to the garden's base.
To make a tree's trunk, roll up a small rectangle of brown construction paper and glue it to form a tube. Cut a few short slits on one end (you'll use these to glue the tree to the garden).
Open up the slits and glue to the garden's base.
Cut some leaf-like shapes from green construction paper and glue them to the tree trunk.
Glue some small pebbles on the garden base to make a little rock garden.
A small piece of very thick green paper (for the base of the garden) roughly 10 inches square or bigger
Blue, brown, orange, and green construction paper
Paper egg carton
Glue
Scissors
Markers or crayons
Some tiny pebbles
Start with a small square of very thick green paper to make the base of the garden. A piece about 10 inches square (about 25 cm) works well.
Cut some blue paper to make a stream through your garden and glue it to the green base. Glue on a small paper goldfish. A strip of brown paper makes a nice bridge across the water.
To make a tiny pagoda, use 3 paper egg carton sections. Cut each section's wide part so that it has four legs. Glue the three sections together as shown in the picture to the right.
Glue the pagoda to the garden's base.
To make a tree's trunk, roll up a small rectangle of brown construction paper and glue it to form a tube. Cut a few short slits on one end (you'll use these to glue the tree to the garden).
Open up the slits and glue to the garden's base.
Cut some leaf-like shapes from green construction paper and glue them to the tree trunk.
Glue some small pebbles on the garden base to make a little rock garden.
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