Munchie Monday- Red Velvet Cupcakes

It's Munchie Monday again  folks. The last time I went to Walmart here in Lockhart I purchased this cupcake mix for I think $2.50, great deal for a dozen!

I followed the instruction on the box for the cupcake mix and the frosting. It was pretty simple to make.

My bowl of "Blood" lol!

The mix you add egg, water and oil. Mix it till its all wet. Pour it in each of the prepared cupcake holder about 1/2-2/3 way full. Pop them into the oven and wait.

Let them cool on a cooling rake. I made the frosting while they were in the oven. 

My hair tie as a rubber band lol.

I think I made it to early and that's why he icing looks bad lol. Icing that you make at home doesn't like me :(.This can with a pastry bag to put the icing in and you can make the icing go into the cupcake as well as on top.

The cupcakes are so moist and tasty and for about $2 for a dozen cupcakes you can't go wrong.

That's it for Munchie Monday this week. Come back tomarrow for Garden Tuesday. Tag/follow me on Instagram.

Do Your Own Wednesday- Doggie Fashion

Hi guys and welcome back to Do Your Own Wednesday. Sorry that this is going up on Thursday. This week we will make a dog collar. I decided to make this collar for my dog Sarah. You can read more about her on Throwback Thursday. I kinda of  followed B*Spoke instructions to make the dog collar. 

What you will need:

Nylon webbing

D ring

Plastic clip

Plastic slider

Coordinating thread

I used things that were 1" widths but you can use any size if you have a smaller or larger dog/cat.

On B*Spoke they attached ribbon to the nylon webbing but I didn't find any ribbon that was wide enough to fit on the webbing. I purchased a half yard of hot pink webbing and it was the perfect length for my dog but you can measure your pets neck and I would at least 3 inches to that length.

Directions:

1. Un-clip the buckle and put the webbing through the female part of the buckle and leave about 2 inches  on the underside. Sew close to the buckle several times.

2. Slip the D ring through the other side of the collar and slip it between the two pieces of webbing. Sew back and forth on the open end several times.

3.On the other end slip the webbing through the plastic slider then though the other part of the clip. Then go back and slip the webbing through the bottom side of the plastic slider.

4. Now fold in back over an sew in place. Be careful not to sew through the other part of the collar.

5. I used a lighter to burn the frayed ends of the webbing careful not to burn the collar.

6. Attach tags and size it to you dog. Now your dog or cat will have a styling new collar. 

Sarah and I can't wait to go for a walk now that I can actually see her collar LOL. I hope that you and your dogs enjoy this cool collar. Happy sewing!

xoxo

Rita!

Throwback Thursday- Sarah Turns Two! Plus Changes.

River day picture!

Yesterday we celebrated  two years of owning my little dog Sarah. We found her wondering the street in Buda one night and she came running to me and brought her home and no one ever claimed her. She is the greatest dog I have owned in a long time. She is full of energy and loves to play with tennis balls and squeaky toys. She has grown some not to much since I got her, she has though gotten longer hair.

Christmas 2012. First tennis balls!

The picture above I love even though it's blurry because it shows her true self which it sometimes a blur LOL! Living in Texas we try to take her to the river as often as we can because it gets hot and she loves to talk to people. Sarah doesn't really like to swim but she will walk into like belly deep water and stand there. Sarah is just a great dog and I think if we didn't spay her she would be a great mom but I have a lot of dog and I believe in spaying and neutering, instead of breeding. 

When I first got her, her hair was SO short!

Two things that I really hope that yall take away from this is to spay and neuter your pets and to adopt from a animal shelter. I have decided to changes things up a bit on the blog. I will be doing Throwback Thursday every other week and I will be adding a new "series" called, wait for it....Thirsty Thursday! It will be non-alcoholic drink "series" because I'm only 20 and legally can't drink. I already have a few drinks planned, so stick around to make some yummy drinks!

That's it for today's throwback. I hope yall enjoyed it. Let me know if you guys have any pets and what they are I would love to hear from you guys, comment below. Follow me on Instagram!

xoxo
Rita!

Do Your Own Wednesday- OOPS!!

I went tubing today and I forgot to finish and post today's blog. I will have it up tomorrow, so you will have two post to read. I'm so sorry guys for letting you down but it will be better tomorrow.

xoxo

Rita!

Garden Tuesday-Oops Wrong Ones!

Welcome back to garden Tuesday! If you guys remember in my Garden Tuesday post I had mentioned  that I had two Large Red Tomato plants....well they aren't those tomatoes! When I first started the seeds I had a little greenhouse that my mom got for Christmas and the seeds did great in there BUT, it was sitting outside one day and the wind knocked it over and all the seedlings got mixed up! I tried to put them back where I thought they belonged...well looks like I didn't succeed at that LOL.

So the plants that I thought were Large Red Tomato plants were actually one Pierce's Pride tomato which I bought on Heirloom Seeds, but I can't find it on there anymore. The second one is Rouge D' Irak Tomato.

I have not actually tasted either tomato yet, but I will let you guys know how they taste in next weeks blog.

I have gotten quite a few tomatoes that grasshoppers have eaten almost all the way. The grasshoppers have eaten some leaves off of my jalapenos, poblanos, basil and even my tomatillos. I use no pesticide what so ever but if any of you guys know of a inexpensive organic type of pesticide please let me know.

Once again this week I got quite a few jalapenos and tomatillos. I also got a handful of Black Cherry tomatoes (not pictured)

Garden tip of the week:

When planning your garden give your plants plenty of room from each other. If you don't do that you will have to climb and search for the produce.

That's all for now folks. I would love to see what your gardens look like tag/follow me on Instagram.

xoxo
Rita!

Munchie Monday- It's a dogs life for me.

This week's Munchie Monday is not for people but for the four legged people of this world. As you guys can probably tell from the title I'm talking about your dogs. I am so excited about this one because this is a special treat for one of my dogs, Sarah, who on Wednesday will be two years old. More about it in this weeks Throwback Thursday!

I got this recipe from AllRecipes.com I did half the recipe because it makes 4 dozen when you use a cookie cutter like they used. The cookie cutter I used made about 40+/-. I'm kinda glad I didn't use the full recipe. 

Here is the half recipe:

Ingredients:

Into the oven the bunnies go!

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons AND 2 teaspoons of margarine

1/2 cup of boiling water

1/4 cup AND 2 tablespoons of cornmeal

1 teaspoon of white sugar

1 teaspoon of beef or chicken bouillon granules

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

I burned a few :(

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325*F (165*C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes, while you grease cookie sheets.

2. Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, a little at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.

3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing flour as needed until dough is smooth and not sticky. Roll dough out to a 1/2" thickness and cut with a cookie cutter and place 1 inch apart on the greased cookie sheets.

4. Bake 35-45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving.

Sarah say they are yummy!

My doggies LOVED them!! They would've eaten all of them if I let them.

Can we have some more?

That's it for Munchie Monday. I hope your doggie friends enjoy these amazing treats! Let me know how they come out, tag me on Instagram.

xoxo

Rita!

Throwback Thursday- Chopped My Hair Off!

Hehe you can see cow feed bags in the back.

This weeks Throwback Thursday is from last week and I chopped off my hair! I absolutely LOVE this hair cut it's perfect for summer. It's so light and because my hair is wavy and has a lot of texture I don't even have it style it!

I went to Premier Cuts in Kyle, Texas right next to the HEB Plus. They do a fantastic job and are so very nice. I have been to them before and to others and I ALWAYS go back to them because they do the cut that I want correctly. I recommend them to anybody and everybody who needs a hair cut. Follow me on Instagram!

xoxo

Rita!

Do Your Own Wednesday- Keep That Can Cool

Since this Saturday is going to be the first day I thought I would show yall my take on making a soda can cozy.

Yarn:

Carron Simply Soft  medium weight

Hook:

H (5mm)

Abbreviations:

Ch- Chain

DC- Double Crochet 

SC- Single Crochet 

SLST- Slip Stitch

I use the pattern from Love Me Do Crochet Shop Blog as the basis of my pattern. Row 1-4 belongs to their blog and is NOT mine. I know that their pattern is for a coffee cup cozy but it basically works for my pattern as well

Bottom of the cozy.

Row 1- Ch 4, and SlSt into beginning chain to create a loop. Ch 2, (counts as a DC), and then make 11 DC in the loop, join to the top of the CH 2. (12 DC total)

Row 2- Ch 2, make a DC in same stitch as the CH 2 just made, then make 2 DC in each stitch around, join to top of chain 2.

Row 3- Ch 2, make a DC in the same stitch as the CH 2 just made, then (1 DC in the next chain, 2 DC in the next), repeat the parenthesis all the way around, join.

Row 4- Ch 1, make 1 SC in front loops only in each stitch all the way around, join.

Row 5- ch 2, DC all the way around; join (repeat till desired height)

Once you reach the height you want: CH 1, SC all around; join and fasten off. Weave in ends

Now that yall know how to make your own soda can cozy, go make one for your friends and family. 

xoxo

Rita!

Garden Tuesday- Wish I Had A Storm Warning

So this past weekend we had a storm blow in and my garden took a good hit from it. Luckily just a few weeks ago I staked up my tomato plant really well so the wind won't blow them over. My tomatillos got beaten up some but they perked back up quick. I had a few of my poblano plants and jalapeno plants  blow over some, luckily the didn't break off so I just re-staked them.

Garden Haul: 

Poblano peppers are in the top right corner.

From Friday to yesterday I got a TON of things from my garden! I got 3 poblano peppers for the first time ever!! 

Garden tip of the week:

Purchase those plastic things that kill the weeds and grass. In my garden the grass grows SO FAST! Next year we are planning to cover around the cinder blocks with that plastic and add river rock type gravel and maybe another small raised bed!

That's all for this week everybody. Happy Gardening!!

xoxo

Rita!

Munchie Monday- Chicken Parmesan

For this third week of Munchie Monday I will be showing yall my take on Chicken Parmesan! I can't believe this is already week 3 wow! :) I made this for two people but the recipe stays the same.

To make the chicken Parmesan you will need:

4 skinless chicken breasts (I use only 2)

1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan

3 large eggs (I used fresh eggs from my hens (: )

1/4-1/3 Olive oil

1 jar (16oz) spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon crushed oregano

1 8 oz package of mozzarella cheese

3 cups of cooked pasta (I used rotini but you can use any pasta like ziti or penne)

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 13" x 9" x 1 3/4" baking dish

Aren't the eggs colored pretty?

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (176*C). In a shallow bowl combine bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Crack the eggs in another shallow bowl (I only had one :( ) and beat thoroughly.

2. Dip chicken in the egg letting excess drip of, then chicken in bread crumb mixture, turning it to make sure it coated well. Repeat till all chicken is done.

3. In a skillet heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add two chicken pieces; saute 5 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown. Remove to plate with a paper towel to catch the oil drippings. Repeat with remaining chicken, add oil if needed.

4. In a small bowl or your baking dish combine spaghetti sauce and oregano; mix thoroughly. If you haven't already pour sauce into your baking dish. Arrange chicken in sauce mixture and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

5. Remove foil and top each piece of chicken with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Place bake in the oven uncovered for 10 minutes.

6. To serve: Toss cooked pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the parsley. Transfer chicken to individual plates and divide pasta among the plates. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

That's this weeks Munchie Monday! Let me know if you make this delicious Chicken Parmesan and tag me on Instagram. tasty

xoxo

Rita!

Throwback Thursday- Country Heart

I was 6 in this picture and my brother was about 14. As yall can probally tell I grew up country! I lived on 30 acres of land with longhorns, horses and chickens. You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl! 

That's all for now. Sorry its so short!

xoxo

Rita!

Do Your Own Wednesday- First Time Furniture Painting

I bought this desk last your at a local auction and painted it all nice a cute. Today I will be sharing my first ever furniture painting experience with yall!

Supplies: 

Desk

Paint Painter’s Tape

Paint

Brushes

Newspaper (So you don't get paint and Polycrylic everywhere)

Sandpaper

Polycrylic 

Screwdriver 

Knobs

Take off all the knobs so they won't get in the way. The surface of my desk was a really smooth surface so I used rough sandpaper to rough up the surface all over. After that I painted the base color all over. I put five coats on the top and 2 coats of paint everywhere else.

It took me so long to figure out the chevron pattern and I finally Googled how to do it and found this website that explained it in the easiest way possible. I also taped the edge of the desktop to avoid the white and brown paint from getting in any unwanted areas. After I covered what I needed in tape I painted the chevrons. I alternated brown and white. I put two coats of each color chevron.

 Peel the tape off when the paint is still kinda wet. Do Not wait till the paint is dry it will stick to the tape and peel off with the tape. I did not know that at the time and I had to do touch ups. Touch up if needed.

After all the paint is dry (I left it overnight because I finished when it got dark) I applied the polycrylic. I put about ten thin to medium coats on the top and about five coats everywhere else. After the Polycrylic dries (took mine about 3-4 hours), I applied the knobs and ended up with a super cute desk. 

Colors I used all satin finishes:

Coffee bean brown from Home Depot.

Plain white.

The blue was one I got from a gift bag for my cousins baby shower and took it to Home Depot to get it custom matched.

I got the knobs at True Value in Lockhart for $2.49 and the polycrylic for $19.99.

I absolutely LOVE this desk and I still use it very often as a sewing table. This desk is without a doubt my favorite piece of furniture that I own! I hope yall enjoyed this weeks Do Your Own Wednesday. What are some of your furniture painting tip? 

xoxo

Rita!

Garden Tuesday- Weeds!

The bottom  right black cherry tomatoes.

Last week I introduced yall to my garden, and I said that I haven't gotten any ripe tomatoes. Well this week I got some!! YAY! I got 2 large red pink tomatoes that I don't know what they are and I got 7 black cherry tomatoes. I also have a few more large tomatoes that will be getting ripe soon.

Yesterday I spent a good 30 minutes to an hour weeding. I absolutely HATE weeding but it's something that if you have a garden you will have to face. Most of the weeds that were in the garden was grass so it wasn't to bad, but still I don't like weeding.

As I was weeding I found my cats foot prints going through my garden LOL.

Garden tip of the week is:

Purchase soaker hoses for your garden. That's what I use and it make watering so much easier. I'll turn them on just enough so just a trickle is coming out and leave it for about 10-15 minutes and my garden is nicely soaked.

That's all for this week folks! Happy Gardening!

xoxo

Rita!

Munchie Monday- Honey Wheat Bread

This is an old bread recipe that I found in my grandmothers recipe. Its super yummy & great for toast and sandwiches.

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 cup of warm water

1/4 cup of honey (microwave the honey to make it more liquidity)

1 tsp dry active yeast

2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 - 2 cup of white flour

4 Tbs Sunflower seeds

1 Tbs oats

1. Combine honey & water in a large glass or plastic bowl. Add yeast & let sit for 10 minutes or till frothy.

2. Add 2 cups on whole wheat flour stir until there are no dry clumps. Cover & let sit for 30 minutes.

3. Stir in salt, sunflower seeds & 1 cup of white flour. Mix till the dough pulls away from the bowl. Place dough on a lightly floured surface & knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth. Add remaining flour to prevent sticking. Return dough to a light greased bowl & cover for 1 hour in a warm location. I ran a kitchen towel under the hot tap & covered with that.




4. Place dough on the lightly floured surface and form into a log & place in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle the oats over the top and cover for 1 more hour. Preheat the oven to 350* F (176*C)

5.  Place bread in preheated oven for 30-45  minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

That is this weeks Munchie Monday! Happy Baking! :)

xoxo

Rita!