Quick & Easy

I thought about making a smart remark about the title of this post, but I'll leave it at that. You get my drift....ha
I haven't posted in a LONG time. Life has been a little hectic and I am sure it will not slow down until the school season is over. Since moving to Florida I have decided to substitute teach. That way I can see how their school districts and curriculum are like. Im still trying to get used to it all. The other day my wonderful cousin in NJ sent me a picture of the snow they got the night before. I asked my students who has ever seen snow. Majority of them have not. Obviously I went around and showed them the picture. THEY LOVED IT!

ANYWAYS .....So since it has been a while since my last post, this post will be dedicated to several recipes that I think you should definitely try out. Hope you enjoy them.  Check out my food board on Pinterest. I have 2. One is recipes that I want to try and the other is of recipes that I have tried and liked.

1. Sour Cream Bake- Pioneer Woman
This is SO good and leftovers are just as good. Mine doesn't ever come out of the pan this pretty, but golly it is just as good.

2.  Pepperjack Cajun Chicken
This asked for frozen spinach. I used spinach leaves from a bag. Ya, know in the produce isle by the bags of salad. It was less messy doing it that way. I found the cajun spice easily at Walmart.

3. Salisbury Steak- Crockpot
ANY recipe that I can start before work and come home to the house smelling YUMMO and dinner being done makes me a very happy person! What I love about this site you can make the serving sizes larger or smaller and they will give you new measurements.

4. Pepper Steak
This one is soooo stinking easy, it's not even funny. It has great flavor and is even healthy for you. Ya can't go wrong there.

5. Black Bean Tacos
This was really simply but also it got a little tricky. Be careful when flipping over the tacos, because the beans will fly everywhere.... TRUUUUUST MEEEEE. We usually always buy flour tortillas but this recipe calls for corn. So the change was really nice and delicious of course.

There you go. You now have 5 new recipes to try out. Hope you enjoy them, because they really are scrumptious. 

Recipe Redo- Taqueria Style Tacos - Carne Asada

Who doesn't love TACO's! I could eat Mexican food every single day. We have this resturaunt we we like to go to because they put this amazing, creaming, mushroom/pepper sauce on top. It is possibly my favorite. Having a margarita along with it makes it even better!

Original Website HERE

• 3 pounds flank steak- Eye of round steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar- 1/4 cup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce- 1/3 cup
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
•  
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
•  
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped -
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped- Had jalapenos that are sliced up in a jar already so I used those instead.
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 dried New Mexico chile pods- Did not use
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
•  
• 1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas- Flour tortillas
• 2 cups grated cotija cheese (optional)- Did not use
• 2 limes, cut into wedges- Didn't have any, but I am sure it would be great

Directions

1. Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.I marinated for 24 hours.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 1 chopped white onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toast chile pods in the skillet for a few minutes, then remove to a bowl of water to soak for about 30 minutes. <---Did not do.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
4. Place the tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapenos, and 4 cloves of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. 15 minutes. Place the roasted vegetables, and soaked chile pods into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated. I cut them into very fine cubes.
6. Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Used microwave. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add as much cheese as you like.  Garnish with lime wedges, and serve. <---- Did not add these.

Warming Hearts- One blanket at a time

As some of you know I do something every Christmas to give back. Earlier this year I started "Warming Hearts" and donated to a cancer treatment center. Well this year for Christmas I am creating blankets for an outpatient hospital here in Lakeland, FL for children with cancer. So if anyone would like to help out please let me know! You can help with squares, create blankets, or donated money to buy yarn. Everything Helps!

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SQUARES. THE RULES: NORMAL GRANNY SQUARES. 12in x 12in
SOLID COLORS SQUARES (the square in one solid color!). In the Shades of RED, BLUE, GREEN, PURPLE, PINK, YELLOW, and ORANGE. 
Granny square example

This is how I am doing it. Each blanket will have a color theme. If it is RED then that blanket will be made up of different shades of red. The blankets will be about 36in x 48in. 
My plan is donate them in December. I am starting now so I am able to donate as much as I can. 
If you are wanting to help you will mail me your items and I can add put it all together. Thank you all!

I created a registry to raise money for "Warming Hearts". Please take the time to check it out and spread the word. http://warminghearts.mydagsite.com/

Please contact me: nlamort@hotmail.com 

 

I decided I am not doing all of them in granny squares but I am still sticking with the color themes. I got tired of doing granny squares after the first blanket :) You can still donate squares though and I will still put them together.

Traveling Gnomes

 MEET STITCH and SHELLY!

If you want to be added to the list follow the rules on The Traveling Gnome. You must sign the Agreement forum then you must go to the Sign Up forum. Once you have done that I will add you to the Travel List. Unless you see a mistake on the travel list concerning your name do not post on that forum.

• Your job is to contact the person before and after you. 
• You will give the person before you YOUR address.
• You will get the address from the person after you.

I will post the list below as well as on the the Travel List forum. If you subscribe to this blog you will receive notification of updates where as on Facebook you have to keep checking back and forth. So please subscribe here to make it easier to see the list.

Pictures will be posted on their Facebook page. Check it out!

Stitch’s Travel List

1. Nina LaMort - Florida

2. Jan Davies-Bell - Canada

3. Sarah Chidister- Indiana

4. Heather Dellinger- New Jersey

5. Melissa Wheeler- England

6. Amanda Murphy- New York

7. Genny Leuthard Hubert- Minnesota

8. Claudia Shuttleworth- Maryland

9. 

10. Darla Unavee- Ohio

11. Carolina MB- Canada

12. Maritza Delgado- New York

13. Heather Wallace- Scotland

14. Jo Chatterton- Canada

15. Sandy Trail-Branch- Missouri

16. Melanie Wiitanen Collins- Massachusetts

17. Mary Jean Wilhelm- Indiana

18. Melanie Fawcett- Pennsylvania

19.

20. Sandra Lucre- Australia

21.  Manda Lynn- Minnesota

22. Stacy Wilson- Pennsylvania

23. Bobbie Asche- North Carolina

24. 

25. Margaret Scarborough- Australia

26. Ashley Amber Artechi- California

27. Ruth Horton Cliett- California

28. Nicole Cook- New Mexico

29. Kathleen Basile- New York

30.

31. Karen Johnson- Indiana

32. Brandy Walton- Alabama

33. Donna Sokolowski Lovell- Tennessee

34. Leslie Isaac- Canada

35.

36. Carry Stutler- Kentucky

37.  Peg Stafford- California

38. Jacqueline Farrow- Australia

39. Joann Schirmacher Johnson-Grubbs- North Carolina

40. Amber Eaton- Arkansas

41. Mary Foster- New Hampshire

42. Paula Arthur Riggs- Pennsylvania

43. Amanda Freitas Grant- Massachusetts  

44. Kim 'Longmire' King- North Carolina

45. Qui Trice- Indiana

46. Lisa Peterson Norton- Georgia

47. Evie May- Ireland

48. Becky Kolb- Missouri

49. Gitana Santana- Puerto Rico

50. Sarah Chapman- Oregon

51. Lillie Rice- Kansas

52. Shannon DeSoto Brewster- Louisiana

53. Fressia Espinosa Marzal - Sweden

54. Dana Pogue Hess- California

55. Nina LaMort- Florida

Stitch's WAITING LIST

1. Beth Sines- Ohio

2. Carmel Feaser-Washington

3. Laura Booth- England

4. Bobby Pam Bryant- California

5. Liz French- Virgina

6. Tiffany Jenkins-Dennis – Maryland

7. Teri Lemnah Johnston Tucker- North Carolina

9. Kady Herron- Texas

10. Sarah Symons Woodley- Oregon

11. Helen Young- California

12. Mary-Joe Firefly- Michigan

13. Kathy Lee Oldfield- Georgia

14. Larissa Bell- Texas

 

SHELLY’s LIST

1. Nina LaMort- Florida
2. Dana Hess- California
3. Bobby Pam Bryant- California
4. Carmel Feaser-Washington
5. Beth Sines- Ohio
6. Laura Booth- England
7. Gitana Santana- Puerto Rico (She will be in FL though)
8. Qui Trice- Indiana
9. Sarah Chapman- Oregon
10. Sarah Symons Woodley- Oregon
11. Lisa Peterson Norton- Georgia
12. Kathy Lee Oldfield- Georgia
13.  Becky Kolb- Missouri
14. Lillie Rice- Kansas
15. Shannon DeSota Brewster- Louisiana 
16. Kady Herron- Texas
17. Amber Eaton- Arkansas
18. Paula Arthur Riggs- Pennsylvania
19. Kim 'Longmire' King- North Carolina
20. Joann Schirmacher Johnson-Grubbs- North Carolina
21. . Jacqueline Farrow- Australia
22. Margaret Scarborough- Australia
23. 
    
24. Sandra Lucre- Australia
25. . Karen Johnson- Indiana
26. Carry Stutler- Kentucky
27. . Nicole Cook- New Mexico
28. Ruth Horton Cliett- California
29. . Ashley Amber Artechi- California
30. . Stacy Wilson- Pennsylvania
31. Melanie Fawcett- Pennsylvania
32. Marjorie Taylor- Pennsylvania
33.  Manda Lynn- Minnesota
34. 
    
35. Sandy Trail-Branch- Missouri
36.  Maritza Delgado- New York
37. Amanda Murphy- New York
38. Heather Wallace- Scotland
39. Carolina MB- Canada
40. Claudia Shuttleworth- Maryland
41. Sarah Chidister- Indiana

Food coloring isn't just for food. DYE YARN!

 HEY! Told you I would write up another blog about how to dye yarn. A few blogs ago I showed one way with Kool-Aid, but I am always looking for new ways and I came across this concept. I am such a visual person so that is why I love making blogs like this. WITH PICTURES

So here is what you'll need: White vinegar, bowls for each color, something to warm water in, food coloring, spoon, yarn (WOOL BLEND), book, and gloves are a good idea! I dyed my hands...several times.

Lets get this shindig started.

Grab a book and your yarn. (This is my favorite book, READ IT )

I always put the tail at one end.

Start wrapping it around and around and around. You can do this with the entire skein or how every much you want to dye. I usually do half  and that usually makes a baby beanie with some left over.

Now cut the yarn (if you didn't use the entire skein) Cut 2 pieces of yarn that is about 6 inches long. I like to use the same yarn that I am  about to dye.

Slide one of the pieces of yarn between the book and yarn and tie it. This will prevent it from getting all tangled in the end.

Do the previous step on the back of the book as well.

No it is time to prep for your dye. It really depends on what color you are wanting to make. The more water you use the lighter the color you will get. I usually use about 3/4 cup for each bowl. After filling my cup I stick it in the microwave for 1 minute.

While my water is heating up I pour about 3/4 cup of vinegar into each of the bowls that I am using. Then I add my dye and mix it with the vinegar.

 Once the water has been heated up, pour it into each bowl and mix it with the vinegar/food coloring.

Here's the messy part. If you noticed I stuck a rectangle plastic lid underneath the bowls. Its an easy clean up and keeps the dye off of the counters! Put part of the yarn into the dye. I use a spoon to help push it down in the dye. The longer you let it sit in the dye the darker it will get.

Once you get the color you want gently squeeze the yarn back into the bowl that you just used. This is where the gloves come in handy! TRUST ME. My hands are bluish as I type this :) I didn't have gloves

Now put the yarn into your other color. Use the spoon again if you need to.

TIP: I realized I didn't make enough of my blue color. So I heated up some more water and just did my mixing in the cup I heated it up in.

Then I poured it right onto the yarn.

TIP: Gently spread parts of the yarn apart to make sure the insides are all getting dyed.

Now your yarn is done! Well basically. I knew I was done using my first bowl so I dumped the dye out and rinsed it. I put my dye yarn into the bowl. HEY IT'S LESS TO CLEAN! Now it is time to bake it. This will help set the color. I microwave the yarn for 2 minutes on high.

 It is going to be SUPER hot so be careful! Your next step is to rinse under cool water. If you do not see any dye running out, then you're good to go. If you do, then you need to microwave it longer

I like to put mine in the dryer so it will dry quickly, but that is totally up to you.

See how it stayed untangled! Cut off the 2 strands that you tied around it.

Fine the end. Ignore that needle I have no idea why that is in there.

I like to wrap mine around my fingers.

and turn it into a ball.

I hope all of this is very helpful for you all. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Check me out on Facebook: Granny in Style

NO, that is not SPAGHETTI! It's custom yarn dye!

Im not going to lie, dyeing yarn is pretty darn fun! I love seeing the outcome! I wanted to share this craft with you. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have and will continue to do. I WANT TO SEE PICTURES when you do it :) Post on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Granny-In-Style/195714050446750

What you'll need

• Oven 250 degrees
• WOOL
• Kool-aid (1 pack of kool-aid will fill 4 ice trays) I used about 4 packs per skein.
• Vinegar
• Ice trays
• Gloves ( I didn't have them and my hands got dye all over them)
• Cooking pot (big enough to fit the skein)
• Water
• Casserole pan

SO here it goes. Pre heat oven 250 degrees
First you must have WOOL yarn. That is VERY VERY important. Put the yarn in the pot. Fill the pot with water, enough to cover the majority of the yarn. I covered about 3/4 of the yarn. Dump in a few cups of vinegar. I didn't measure, sorry. Turn the stove on medium high and sit the pot on there. Let the yarn "cook" for 30 minutes - hour. Rotate  the yarn if you need to to make sure all of it soaks up the mixture. Hope that all makes sense!

While that is cooking, I get the dye prepped. My ice tray has 16 ice cube slots. So thats how much dye I create. 1 packet will fill 4 ice trays. Here's the trick. I got my ice tray and filled 4 slots with water. I then dumped that water into a cup, so I can tell how much water is needed. I am a visual person so that is how I measured the rest of my dyes. Now that the water is in the cup put 1 pack of koolaid into the cup of water. Mix it. Dump that into 4 ice tray slots. Now fill up that same cup with approximately the same amount of water. (you dont have to be perfect) Dump in another pack of koolaid and put it into 4 more slots. Continue to do this with all of your colors. Put in freeze to freeze.

Next take the yarn out of the pot. I used a pair of tongs to do so. If you need to let it cool for a little bit. Once it is cool enough for you to handle, gently wring out some of the liquid. You do not have to wring it completely out so dont worry. Now gently loosen up the yarn and place it in the casserole pan.

When the dye is completely frozen place it onto your yarn. Any way you want to.

Now place in the oven. I cooked it for an hour. You can check on it. You want it to run clear water. You will be able to see that in the bottom of the pan.

After it is cooked carefully take the pan out. Run it under cool water. Make sure no dye is running out of it. If so then it needs to cook longer.

Now the boring part. Let the yarn dry. You can sit it outside to naturally dry or even throw it in the dryer on a very delicate cycle.

ENJOY!

This is one ball of yarn. Used 4 different colors.

That one ball of yarn, created this stylish hat

Red and Orange

Different shades of pink and red

Blue and purple with glitter wool