Mini Crab Stuffed Pitas

I love crab.  and most kinds of seafood.  Sushi is my favorite.  But it wasn't always that way.


Years ago, when my husband and I were dating, he decided that with his parents, he would take me to my favorite restaurant.  So I expected to go to my favorite restaurant, which is called The Mongolian Grill.  You can imagine my surprise when we drove into Red Lobster.  Somehow during our conversations about food and restaurant, I said "I've never been to Red Lobster" which my husband heard "It's my favorite restaurant."

So I ordered a dish I hated as I didn't really like seafood at that time, but didn't want to be rude so I barely touched it and had it packed up stating that I just wasn't that hungry all of a sudden.

I don't think I've ever been to Red Lobster since.

But I have acquired a taste for seafood.  Actually...I LOVE it.  And if you love it too, go and make these cute little mini crab stuffed pitas.  Cause anything mini is more fun. ;)

Disclaimer;  The crab I use is the artificial crab.  As much as I would love the real crab, this stuff is easier on the budget. :)

Ingredients

Crab
Ranch dressing
Chopped tomatoes
Cheese
Mini pitas
Salt
Pepper

Chop up the crab and mix it with some ranch dressing.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on them.  Slice open your absolutely adorable pitas.  Stuff them with some of the crab mixture and chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese.  Serve and enjoy!!

Peace & Love! :)

DIY Spring Burlap Bunting

I don't want to jinx it, but I think Spring might actually be here.  This is Canada though, so I can't put it past the weather to throw another ice storm or snowfall at us.  I told my husband to take the snow tires off, and then I told him if it snowed after that it would definitely be his fault. ;)

Nonetheless, it was time to change out my Easter decorations for some basic Spring decorations.  I really wanted to make a Spring bunting out of burlap.  So if you want one too, follow along to find out how to make your own Spring burlap bunting!

The supplies you will need:

Burlap

Scissors

Paper

Modpodge

Paintbrush

Freezer paper

Hemp Cord (or string of some type)

Silhouette, cricut, or an exact-o knife if you don't have a cutting machine

White acrylic paint

Iron

Sponge paintbrush

Glue gun

First thing you want to do is cut out a triangle template out of a piece of paper.  Use that template to cut out your burlap.  I wanted to spell Spring so I needed 6 triangles of burlap.

After this I modpodged both sides of the burlap.  This prevents the burlap from fraying and also stiffens it.  At first I was a little panicky because it didn't seem like the modpodge was drying clear, but I left it overnight and by morning it was perfectly fine.  So give it time to dry.

The next step was to use my glue gun, fold over the top of the triangles around my hemp cord, and glue it on.  I made sure to leave lots of extra string on both sides of the bunting.  I also cut the excess burlap off once I folded over the top so it wasn't sticking out on the sides.

Then I used my silhouette to cut out stencils from freezer paper for the word "SPRING".  If you don't have  silhouette you can just use an exact-o knife.  It will take longer, but it will work.  I ironed the freezer paper unto the burlap.

After that I painted the acrylic paint over the stencil.  I used more of a dabbing motion rather than stroking because I didn't want the paint to run underneath the stencil.

Let that dry for a bit, and then peel the freezer paper off of the bunting.  Hang where you want!

If you want a copy of that printable in the middle of the shelf, I found it over HERE.

Peace & Love! :)

Glade Coupon- Buy 1, get 2 FREE!

There is a fantastic coupon available over at save.ca.  Buy one Glade Aerosol or Ultra and get 2 FREE!!!  Last time I bought these air fresheners they were a dollar at Walmart.  So head on over and grab this awesome coupon if you are an air freshener user!! :)  Click HERE to get it.

DIY Rubber Boot Flower Pot

Do you ever look at your child's feet in rubber boots and wonder how a chunk of rubber can look so adorable?  Oh man....little feet in rubber boots leave me completely undone....

Photo Cred: Liza Carew

See how cute his little feet are??  I totally can't pull that off.  See?

Photo cred: Liza Carew

I totally don't have the same cutness factor...even with the exact SAME boots.

So, yeah, I'm weirdly attached to my kids' rubber boots.  Which means I don't like to get rid of them.  So I decided to upcycle one of my children's rubber boots into a flower pot.

The boot was cute on my child's foot, but the Ninja Turtles didn't really go with my decor.  

So I spray painted it.  And added flowers.  I bought these flowers this past weekend which was Easter weekend.  Selection was slim and prices were high...so I wasn't too happy with my choice.  Maybe next batch of flowers that enter this house will look a little better.  Maybe some rainbow coloured daisies??   I will say though, it's amazing how much cuter these flowers look in the rubber boot than they did in the pot!

What about you?  Are you attached to your children's boots?

Peace and Love! :)

Sweet Red Pepper and Caper Quinoa Salad

It took me a really long time to learn how to say "quinoa."  I spent most of the time saying, "you know, that grain that's like rice...."

It's not even a grain.  It's a seed.  So apparently I didn't even have that part right.

For those interested, Quinoa is pronounce "Keen-Wa."  Sounds like something from Star Wars, in my opinion.

But, moving on....

I love quinoa salads.  Cold quinoa...mmmm.....it's so delicious, and you feel good after eating it because it's so healthy.  And there are so many different ways to make it.  Here is the most common way I make quinoa salad.

I make quinoa in the rice cooker. Once a friend of mine wondered why people owned a rice cooker if you could do the same thing on the stove, and rice is relatively easy to make.  I told her it was for people like me who successfully ruin rice on the stove every SINGLE time.

I also lit two kettles on fire on the stove, but that is a story is for another day.  Clearly I have problems working my stove.

Anyways, making quinoa in the rice cooker is so, so easy.  two cups of water, 1 cup of quinoa, push the cook button and BANG! You've got yourself some perfect quinoa.

After that, I throw it in the fridge and let it get nice and cold.

Then, I add some of my favorite ingredients.

Now not only do you have a delicious recipe for quinoa, but you will be able to pronounce it properly! :)

Peace & Love. ;)

The day the earth shook

Easter weekend.

It's here.

Today is Good Friday.  The day when Jesus was crucified.  The day He made the ultimate sacrifice for us.  For our children, for our spouses.  For me.

For ME.

Oh, how He loves you and me.  Will we ever understand just how much?  Will we ever be able to comprehend how much He cares for us?  That He would lay down his life....

That someone would lay down their life for ME.

I curl up on the couch, Bible open,  reading every word about that last supper.  Trying to picture what those last moments were like.  I read about Pilates, about the crowd...how they yelled "Barabbas" instead of Jesus when given a choice to pardon a man.  I read about how they whipped Jesus before His crucifixion, and I feel my stomach tie itself into knots as images play out in my mind.

Today, we remember.  We acknowledge.  We pause to think about His death on the cross. Because no chocolate bunny can come close to the love we were shown that Good Friday so long ago.  No pastel coloured jelly bean could fill us the way Jesus does.  Not. Even. Close.

The struggle.  The walk to Calvary.  The blood that was shed for us.

And for a moment, the skies were dark, the hope was lost....

Until three days later.

The tomb.  The stone rolled away.  The EMPTY tomb!  Hope has returned!

He has RISEN!  HE has RISEN INDEED!!!

May you and your family have a blessed Easter. May you fall at HIS feet in awe at HIS indescribable gift.  May you feel His deep, deep love.

How to Curl Hair with Rags

I love curls!!!   And I seriously can't get enough of little girls in curls.  The way their hair bobs when they twirl around...so adorable!  Here is how to curl hair with rags.

First, find an old bed sheet.  Cut it up into strips you can tie around the hair.  My strips were probably about 1 1/2 inches wide and 6 inches long.  I cut about 20 strips.

Then, go and find a super cute model.

Yep, she'll do. :)

Make sure the hair is damp.  Then I like to separate the top layer with an elastic.

Next, grab a section of hair. Take the very end of the hair and wrap it around the middle of a rag strip  couple of times.

Now, roll the hair up to the head.

Tie it up.  One knot will do, you don't need to double knot it.  

Now do that to the whole head.  

(there may have been a little brother who really wanted to be in the picture as well. :))

Side note:  How come kids can pull off anything?  I mean, that kid could go outside with rags in her hair and people would still think she was adorable.  If I go out with rags in my hair I would get some strange looks and possibly some people whispering to their kids to "stay away from the crazy lady."

Sleep on the rag curls.  Which are actually pretty comfortable.  Take them out in the morning.  Run your hand through the hair gently.  And there you go!  That is how to curl  hair with rags!  Now go, curl your hair, your child's hair, even your dog's hair! :)

Clearly someone thinks she's a movie star with all the sunglasses she wears....inside the house because one can never be too careful.

Peace & Love! :)