THOUGHTS ABOUT CRAFTING / COOKING
RECIPES & REVIEWS
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Pumpkin muffins are a recipe you can feel good about eating! The pumpkin muffins are super moist and so easy to whip up! Only 2 ingredients spice cake mix 1 can of
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How to Get Smooth Silky Hair
The easiest deep hair conditioner
The temperature is cranking around here seems like the moisture is being sucked out of everything! My hair is really feeling the damage the most it seems. There are so many things our hair goes through like being in the sun, applying styling products, blow drying, curling, chlorine the list goes on and on. With my hair looking dry and frazzled I started researching for a deep conditioner treatment.
Online there are hundreds of deep conditioner options that you can try but I really didn’t feel like walking around with a raw egg on my head or paying a fortune. I finally came across a treatment that many were talking about and I knew I had to try it.
Coconut Oil
I did a little research, here is video you can watch if you want or the shorten version below.
Get some coconut oil and a spoon. I just happened to grab some at Trader Joe’s for $6. Coconut oil is sold in most grocery stores I seen it where the cooking oil is sold.
Wear a old shirt or something you don’t are that much about while doing this deep conditioner treatment.
I scoop out about that much on a larger kitchen spoon because I have longer hair. Below is what my hair look like before. I take out about this much in my hand and rub my hands together till it melts then I add it to my hair.
I pull my hair in a ponytail and set for at least 30 minutes but you can also leave this in your hair over night. If you leave this in you hair over night just put a grocery bag on you head or a shower cap. I tried this once but It wasn’t very comfortable to sleep in. After you sit just jump in the shower and wash your hair twice and condition your hair. You can then style as usual.
Below is what my hair look like after my hair had dried before I had styled it. I really like how my hair feels now.
Culinary School Tips and Tricks
If you love to cook food, you do not have to spend thousands on culinary school. There are certain things you can do which can help ensure that you are all set for these basic skills.
Sharpen your knives
This is one thing that every culinary school teaches. If you want to make sure that you can chopping skills increases. All you have to do is practice and also try to keep your knives sharp. This can help avoid pressure which can be the reason for missed cuts on your fingers.
Use the right peeler
This can be surprising to some but there are a lot of different types of peeler which can be used for a lot of different vegetables. It is important that you know which peeler is meant for what to help ensure that your vegetables are peeler easily. Also, keep a note about the sharpness of the peeler to help ensure that you can peel your vegetables faster.
Mise en place
This is a french term which means putting in place. It is always a better idea to first get your ingredients out and place them properly before you start out cooking. This is one way to you can work on your cooking skills in a much more efficient manner.
Dry meat and fish with paper towels before you cook
If you want to have the crisp skin on the top and tender meat inside. This is one method which can help you achieve the crisp skin you are waiting for. By tapping the meat with the paper towel, you are absorbing the top layer of moisture which can lead to the top layer turning crispy.
Do not always crank up the heat
Even if you are in a hurry. This is one of the worst ways to cook food. It is always a better option to cook your food slowly to help ensure that you get the aromas right. Also, cooking food in lower heat helps the food cook in the right temperature without any danger of burns. This gives the food to soak in this own flavour for a longer time for the best tasting dish.
Put some thought into how you cut your vegetable
There is a reason why people cut smaller or bigger pieces of vegetable. This is not just for visual presentation but also there is a logical explanation. Smaller cuts will cook quicker and can give you dish the right texture. Also having diagonal cuts will ensure that you vegetable is al dente, a process where the thicker ends are not completely cooked through.This make the whole dish much more satisfying to eat.
Make Some Homemade Stuffed Bell Peppers
You could say I am excited about the bell peppers growing in my garden. When I saw that they were on sale at Kroger I knew I had to make some stuffed bell peppers. I love making a recipe my own, it’s fun for me to see what I can add and how it going to turn out.
Ingredients
3 large or 4 bell peppers color of your choice
cheese shredded or velveeta
1 lb. sausage or hamburger (I used medium sausage)
tomatoes
spices: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (I usually look in my cabinet and see what looks like will fit the recipe)
optional: cooked rice about 1/2 cup (I didn’t have any rice and the peppers turned out fine.)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
Tops taken off stuffed peppers
1. Cut the tops of your peppers and clean out the insides to make a the peppers look like a bowl.
2.Blanch your peppers for 5 minutes
3. Cook you sausage and add spices, drain, then add tomatoes and cooked rice
4. Place your peppers in pan and fill with sausage filling then add your choice of cheese on top cook for 15-3 min. until it is heated through and the cheese is melted.
Let me know if you have questions, of course this can be adapted for any family so use your imagination that’s the fun of cooking! I usually try to use what I have on hand and try not to buy to many ingredients that I will only use once.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
My little brother just had a birthday, so I asked him what he wanted and he requested his favorite chocolate crinkle cookies! These are a rich decant cookie that anyone who likes chocolate is sure to love!
Preheat oven 350 degrees F
Ingredients
1 box of moist chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick of butter at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
powered sugar for rolling
Recipe adapted from here
Instructions
1. Blend room temperature butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl with a hand mixer until well combined
2. Add vanilla and egg to the mixture until incorporated
cream cheese mixture blended
3. Add the cake mix a little at a time. I usually add in three different parts
4. Refrigerate mixture for 2 hours. Then roll the cookies in teaspoon size balls and roll in powered sugar.
rolled chocolate crinkle cookies
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes I like mine more like a cake but you can cook them for less time if you like a gooey center. Be careful when placing in the oven so none of the cookies roll off the pan* I speak from experience 
The cookies are messy but totally worth it! Make sure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature and you should have no problem getting everything combined. I have made these more times than I can count and they never disappoint.
You can add more powered sugar if desired once they are finished. I usually do not add anymore because once these are cooked the powered sugar turns into a glaze/icing so it is like you are eating a miniature cake.
I also recommend heating them in the microwave after they have been cooked for a few days, it will give them the fresh out of the oven taste.
I think my brother is going to really enjoy these chocolate crinkle cookies!
Happy Baking!
DIY Burlap Wreath
If you’re looking for an easy craft project this is it. It is simple and affordable. I love that it did not take me days to complete either. It could dressed up easily with any season as well.
Supplies
5 inch burlap 10 yards or 12 yards if you want a fuller wreath
wire wreath form
scissors optional
other decorative items to add, like flowers, bows (jute twine or wire to secure it) optional
The supplies can all be found at your local craft store Michaels, JoAnn’s, Hobby Lobby or the supplies could be ordered online. I found the wreath form for $2.99 and the burlap ended up being around $6 with the 40% off coupon that I had. It ended up being a
Under $10 Wreath!
It is a very simple process once you get the hang of it. You are basically creating different shaped loops by pushing them from the back of the wreath form to the front.
I alternated between the top middle and bottom row. Fill in the width of each section with loops. If you want a fuller wreath then you can squish more loops in each section. Continue to work your way around the wreath until you end up where you started then loop the burlap back in.
Make Your Own Gummies
Gummies or fruit snacks are a great snack to make. My favorite part about this recipe is that you can make gummies in any flavor or shape! I also really like the gummies are simple to make because you only need three ingredients. Your kids will love these gummy fruit snacks!
I found this recipe on Pinterest here from Six Sister’s Stuff.
Ingredients
1/3 cup of water
2 {.25oz.} packets of gelatin unflavored
1 {3 oz.} package of Jell-O any flavor
Simply add the ingredients to a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat until everything is dissolved then add to container of your choice. Let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes in your tray. Once you first take them out of the mold you will notice they are sticky but the longer the gummies sit the less sticky they get.
I would recommend letting them sit for longer. Some other variations you could use for this recipe would be replacing the water with fruit juice or using sugar-free Jell-O. If you use the sugar-free you will just end up with less fruit snacks.
You can find molds at Wal-Mart, Michael’s or the dollar tree. Look for trays that can be used for chocolate molds or ice-cube trays. The silicone type of mold works really well.
I ended up getting the two above trays full of gummies. My little cousin tried these and loved them. These gummies do not stick around our house very long so you might want to make more than one batch.