DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint
We all love using sidewalk chalk, but have you heard of using sidewalk paint? It’s easy to make, and just like its chalk counterpart, you can jut rinse it off with water once you’re finished. Here’s the recipe from About.com. Thanks to One Perfect Day Blog for the cute pic!
What You’ll Need:
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
- Approximately 12 Drops of Food Coloring (Adjusted until you get your desired color)
- Jar With Lid
- Paint brushes, Foam Brushes, and/or sponges
Instructions:
- Measure the water, cornstarch, and food coloring and pour into a jar. Place the lid on the jar tightly, then shake jar until the paint is completely mixed.
- Repeat #1 for every color you want to use and paint with.
- The paint is now ready to use!
- Use paint brushes and foam brushes to make roads, games, and even huge murals on your sidewalk. You can also make fun shapes using sponges.
- If the paint gets a little too dry, simply add a little bit of water.
- When you’re done playing, rinse off with water or wait until it rains again. It will wash off skin and clothes, too!
Recipe: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos
This recipe is an almost exact copycat of the Cheesecake Factory Skinnylicious Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos – Only 250 calories in 3 “tacos” and so delicious! You can add or take out ingredients you don’t care for to make it your own!
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4-in long, 1-in thick strips
- 2 teaspoons Mediterranean Spice
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup Red-Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Tzatziki
- 12 butter lettuce leaves
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions:
- Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon Mediterranean spice and place on grill. Cook, basting with balsamic vinaigrette and turning once, until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Season chicken with remaining teaspoon Mediterranean spice and remove from grill; set aside.
- Place shredded romaine lettuce and red onions in a medium bowl; drizzle with red-wine vinaigrette and toss to combine.
- Divide mixture evenly among butter lettuce leaves and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon tzatziki.
- Top each taco with 1 piece of chicken and garnish with chopped tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives. Season with parsley, basil, and oregano; serve.
DIY Wire Bow Ring
Wire rings are HUGE right now. You can buy them on etsy for $10 or more, OR spend a few bucks and a few minutes and make as many as you want in any size! Make them for your kids, midi rings, toe ring… Endless ideas. Thanks to My DIY for the tutorial. If you are more of a visual person, she has a step-by-step picture tutorial in addition to other wire ring designs.
What You’ll Need:
- Round Jewelry Pliers
- Wire (you can get any kind you want, but sterling or gold will last longer)
- Chapstick tube or other small, rounded item
Directions:
- Cut 6″ of wire to start your ring.
- Right in the center of your wire, wrap it around your finger that you want to wear it on. Then use a Chapstick tube to make it evenly rounded.
- With your round pliers, grab the top and bend over the top of the pliers to create the right loop of the bow.
- Next grab the bottom wire and bend over the top of the pliers to create the second loop.
- Adjust the wire so your loops are even.
- Take the end of the left loop, and wrap around the center, through the ring.
- Trim the ends of the wire evenly to a shorter length and file the edges if they are sharp.
Recipe: Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
Doesn’t this Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole by Rachel Ray look AMAZING? It’s simple, too. Be sure to PIN IT and/or share it to your Facebook page so you don’t lose it!
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Maple syrup and bananas, for serving (Optional: butter or margarine for taste)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup and orange zest. Add the toasted bread cubes into the egg mixture. Add in walnuts and combine.
- Line the crock of a slow cooker with aluminum foil then spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour the bread and egg mixture into the slow cooker and dot the top with the cubed butter.
- Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 3 hours or set to low for 5 hours.
- Serve French Toast topped with maple syrup, sliced bananas, and more walnuts and butter if desired.
Recipe: Homemade Nutella (Even Better Than Packaged!)
If you love Nutella and want to try to make it yourself? The recipe below by Brown Eyed Baker is amazingly somehow better than the Nutella you buy at the store!
Recipe makes: 1½ cups Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (or 8 ounces) hazelnuts
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375* F. Spread the hazelnuts out on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until dark brown and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Keep a close eye on them, as they can go from perfect roasted to burnt in a short amount of time. Transfer the hazelnuts to a medium-sized bowl.
2. Once the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, place a second bowl upside-down on top of the bowl with the hazelnuts. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to remove the skins of the hazelnuts. It may take a few times to get all of the skins off; each time, remove the hazelnuts that have lost their skin to the bowl of a food processor, then continue shaking.
3. Process the hazelnuts in a food processor until their oil is released and they form a smooth, loose paste, 2 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl often.
4. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, hazelnut oil, vanilla extract and salt and process until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. The mixture will loosen and become glossy. Transfer the spread to a jar with a tight-fitting lid or an airtight container. You can store it in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 1 month.