Hummus Melts

Okay, I can't take credit for this recipe. I found the link on pinterest, you can find it here. I don't usually post to other people's blogs, but this is way too amazing to keep to myself!! I especially like it with my spicy hummus and grape salad on the side. So, check it out and enjoy!!!

Spring Grape Salad

This is a great, fresh salad that only takes minutes to make and tastes great anytime! I love it because we usually have the ingredients and it's so easy to make. These are the amounts that I use for my husband and I:

1 cup grapes
2 Tablespoons Mint
2 Tablespoons sliced Almonds (or nuts of your choice)

Slice the grapes in half lengthwise. Take your mint and slice it into thin strips.

Last, take all of the ingredients and toss them together. Enjoy!

Black Bean Lime Salad

This stuff is super popular at our house. As soon as I make it, we eat it. It's so fresh and light tasting, what isn't to love? Here is what you'll need:

(1) 15-ounce can of black beans--drained and rinsed
(1) can corn--drained and rinsed
(1) Red bell pepper, diced
(2) Garlic cloves, minced
(1) Shallot, minced (or can use a red onion if you prefer)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon lime zest
4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Simply mix everything together in bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving, or even over night. Stir and serve!

My husband likes to add tomatoes or avocados to his sometimes. They taste great, but only add if you're planning on eating the entire container because they get kind of funky! If you leave them out the salad will be good for a few days, that is if it doesn't all get eaten before then! Enjoy! :)

Using Crates for Shelves

  This is a simple, quick, and cheap project that anyone can do in an afternoon. Most of us can always use an extra shelf or two and this is an inexpensive way to get some. Depending on how you hang the crate, you will either have a solid bottom shelf or one with slats, such as in my photo above. If you need a flat bottom, you can always add a piece of wood, plastic, or anything else you can find. :)

  Okay, to get this project started! You will need a crate of your choice. My local Michaels Crafts sells full size crates (approx $13 I believe), 1/2 size crates (around $7 ish), and 1/4 size crates like the one above ($5?). I can't remember the exact prices, so I could be off by a dollar or two! Don't forget to bring your 40% coupon with you to make them even cheaper!

  When you purchase them, the crates are unfinished so you'll need something to make them beautiful.....unless you like this look of course. I personally used spray paint for this round because I wanted them to match my freshly painted photo frames. Simply take the crates outside and spray them down...easy! 

  It took me three coats of a quick drying spray paint to get them how I wanted them. Also, since I'm hanging mine I did not paint the "bottom"of the crate (which goes against the wall). 

  Now all you have to do is simply screw them into the wall. I just run the screws through the crate and straight into the wall. 

  If you don't want to use spray paint you have other options. If you want them to have a more "wood" look, then I would suggest staining them. My local craft store sells stains directly next to the crates and other unfinished wood projects. You can also use wall paint. If you do though, I would suggest watering the paint down some so that it isn't so thick. This way it'll go on easier and turn out much nicer!

  There are so many things that you can do with these crates. You can put multiple of them together on the wall to create a larger shelving area. Or screw a bunch of them together and create a bookshelf. They don't have to be shelves either, you can decorate them and use them for anything that you want. I love their versatility. And their price too!

Spray Paint Addiction

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I have an addiction to spray paint....using it only in the way it is supposed to be used. :)

I've been repainting an endless pile of items (new and old)to use in our new house. I posted previously about making 'wordy wine bottles' here but wanted to share my new ones.

Notice the beach theme? :) I love this project because it's so versatile. You can use any words or designs that you want and any color. You can combine the words with chalkboard spray paint or just do a color by itself. And of course you don't have to stick to wine bottles, the small ones here are beer bottles and any glass will do. You can make some fantastic accent vases with any glass you can find, and for next to nothing.

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Recycled Picture Frames

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Every time I move or redo a room, I end up with a stack of photo frames that I can't use for various reasons. Usually they're the wrong color. This time, I ended up with a large stack of black frames with white mats. Previously they'd been used around the house, but in the new "fresh" house we no longer wanted black frames. Instead of tossing them out or donating them, I decided to repurpose them into the white frames we wanted.

First I pulled out the glass and the mats. Then I simply laid the frames on a cloth (outside!) and sprayed them with white spray paint. 

I let them dry and then sprayed them again. Next I decided since the frames were now white, I no longer wanted the mats to be white. So I picked up some spray paint in shades similar to what I'm using to decorate the room. And I sprayed the mats their new color. And viola! Frames that look brand new and match my room.

I ended up needing more frames through out the house than I already had, so I had to pick up some more. I buy the vast majority of my frames at Michael's Craft store. This is because not only do they constantly have them on sale for 40% off, but they also always have "bonus" coupons for an additional 25% off your entire purchase of frames! I also gave the new frames a new color mat with my spray paint to make them more colorful and pretty.

The moral of the post is, try redoing your old frames before you give up on them! A quick (and cheap) dose of spray paint makes them look like brand new frames. This is also an easy way to make mismatched frames look as if they go together. If you frames of different colors and sizes, make them all the same for consistency. 

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Herb Bread Rounds

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Before you run away, bread is not scary!!! I used to be terrified of the mere thought of baking bread. Until I tried it. And succeeded. So, give it a try. Just follow the directions and you'll be fine.

This is a recipe to make two round loaves of bread. You can use any type of dried herbs in it that you want, or just make it plain.

Ingredients:
8 cups of flour (I use a bread flour, but wheat or an all purpose white flour will work too!)
1 package of dried yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for top of bread)

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

*Please note, all items in italics are optional and can be switched around to your taste*

Mix together your yeast, flour, salt, and herbs until well blended. Mix in the 3 Tbl olive oil. Gradually add your water, mixing well. I like to use either a small wooden spoon or my hands. 

Lightly flour the counter or another surface to work on. Put the dough on the counter and knead it for 10 minutes. It should be pretty smooth and well mixed together. 

Move your dough to a new bowl and cover it with a damp dish towel so it can rise. It will need to rise for about 1 hour until it is twice the starting size.

After the hour, move your dough back to your work surface and knead it so that the air comes out of it. This shouldn't take very long at all. Now you want to divide your dough in half. Take each half and work it into a round. The sides should be mostly smooth.

Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray or put a light coating of oil on it. Place your rounds of dough onto the cookie sheet and cover them again with a dish towel. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take your rounds and cut "stripes" across the top of them. Not too deep! Brush the top of the round with some olive oil and then sprinkle your sesame seeds onto it. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then (without removing the bread) reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes longer. You can tell it's done because it'll be a nice brown color. If you pick up a round and tap the bottom with a knife or spoon, it should sound hollow when it's done. 

That is it! Your bread is done and ready to eat!