Texas Teas: The good kind

Texas! You either love it or hate it. There is rarely ever an in between. At least that is the consensus that I have gathered. You may already know that I am from Texas. You may also have heard that Texans are prideful people. This is true.

Just in case you are one of those who maybe didn't fall in love with Texas, allow me to change your mind with a beverage.

The Texas Tea

You didn't know we had a tea did you? This isn't grandma's sweet tea that sat out brewing in the hot Texas sun all afternoon. This is the kind of tea that has no tea at all. You heard me right.

A Texas tea with no tea.

This is the kind of tea that makes you feel warm and happy inside. Maybe on the outside too!

I hope after you drink this delicious and sweet Texas Tea , you may find that there is at least one thing you can like about Texas!

Since we are in the midst of the holidays and everyone seems to like a good cocktail or hot toddy if you will, why not try out a new drink to celebrate.

I have had my share of Texas Teas from various places and not all are created equal. Some tasted nothing like a Texas Tea and I think some of the bartenders didn't even know how to make one.

I am here to spread it's greatness and make sure that the proper ingredients are being used in the recipe.

Ingredients:
2oz Tequila
2oz Rum
2oz Vodka
2oz Gin
2oz Bourbon Whiskey
2oz Triple Sec
2oz Sweet & Sour Mix
Splash of Coke

To make:
In a gallon picture over ice mix all of your ingredients except the coke and stir. Add the splash of coke and stir again. Pour over ice into individual glasses and enjoy. Sometime I like to add a tasty rim to mine with a little lime juice and sugar. It just makes it a little more fun

This recipe makes four small drinks or you can make 2 larger glasses. I like to go ahead and pour the tall glasses because I know I am going to drink it. Why play games with myself? These drink are very strong and dangerous. How can a drink be dangerous? Because they are that good. So good that you sucked down the whole drink in 5 minutes and 5 minutes later you are feeling how much you drank. So if you have never had one, try taking it slow the first round.

You may be thinking that a Texas Tea is a lot like a Long Island Iced Tea and you'd be right. It is exactly like a Long Island Iced Tea except the Texas Tea has Bourbon/Whiskey and is way better. The measurements are slightly different as well.

I don't need to convince you. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
You won't change my mind but I might just be able to give you one more reason to Love Texas.

Happy Holidays my friends and enjoy.

"Don't forget to drink responsibly and never drink and drive."
That is my little P.S.A.

Blessing to all

Transformation: Old into New

Lately I have been feeling like I have too much stuff in my life. Literal stuff. I have a small house and 13 years of accumulations scattered about in my bohemian laid-back style. I have been collecting things since before I was even out of high school. I have gotten rid of a lot of items over the years but I have also taken in several more. It's a constant cycle of furniture and nicknacks revolving through my doors. I'll get rid of that but Ooh I'll take this. I have to cleanse!!!

I have a tendency to take on other people's things. I am notorious for telling people in my family, "I love this piece. If you ever decide to get rid of it, I want it. So remember me." You know what? They always remember. "Stacee wanted this." Then I get the call and I become the new owner of giant overstuffed black couches, great-grandpa's antique chest, grandpa's rocking chair and my best friend's grandmother's exquisite buffet table. I mean this thing is good.

 

That is only the beginning. I love to repurpose and reuse. I can see the potential in almost anything. My house for instance took a lot of imagination and so far 8 years of constant transformation to become what it is today. She was built in 1961. I know that is only 50 years old but houses weren't built that well 50 years ago. Funny how century year old castles have more staying power than my tiny bungalow style pad.

 

Anyhow, the stuff. It is easy for me to let people give me their stuff when they are done with it because I love having items that have a history and I don't like to turn things away. Especially if It came from family. Also, I have always had a fondness of picking out items in people's trash cans that I know for a fact are not trash. They just need a little TLC and touching up. As you can see I provide the perfect environment for furniture and various items to accumulate.

 

All this accumulation of stuff has left me feeling weighed down and cluttered. I feel the need to cleanse and purge. I don't get this feeling to often. So I am going with it. As I have been going through my house and picking out the pieces that I simply don't use and really don't need, I make a pile for a future garage sale. I am doing pretty good with getting rid of tons of the tiny things like extra clutter in the kitchen and bathrooms. During this process of change and transformation, I have decided that some of the old things I have decided to keep need a transformation of their own. So I have started to take these items and give them a fresh coat of paint or new look all together. I still have a lot of items to make over but I have started with these and I am pretty happy about it.

 I really wish I would have gotten a picture of this chair before I started painting it but I was quick with the can and before I remember I was almost already done. I found this chair in someones garbage about a year ago and besides having a hideous paint job, it was in great condition. These are the good solid Adirondack chairs. They are sturdy and last. I just used a can of Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X ultra cover paint and primer spray paint in satin colored Lagoon. I got a great color and coat and only had to use one can. I am really happy with the color and I don't think my camera even captured the full rich and penetrating blue that is this color. It certainly makes me happy.  

 I also have this long wooden table in my bathroom that is just....plain! I absolutely love the look of a darker wood with a beautiful bright blue or turquoise. It reminds me of island living and the rich colors you find in a lot of island cultures. It feels like home.

All I did to this table was sand it, stain the top and sides with a dark stain and then I painted the legs a bluish turquoise color. I love it. It is very easy to turn a simple plain table into something beautiful and personal without having to go out and spend $100 on a brand new one. I think there are enough pieces of furniture already manufactured and floating around the world just waiting for someone to make them like new again. Wish me luck on getting rid of more than I keep.

‘Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation." — Elizabeth Gilbert

To decluttering and transformation 

Blessings to all

 

Make your own Christmas ornaments

For the past 6 years or so I have been using the same old red, gold and silver nautical stars and spiral ornaments that never fail to leave glitter all over my floor and kids. This year I decided that we needed a change and would do something totally different. I am not one to go out and drop $200 on a whole new ensemble for my tree. So I did what any one would do and I decided to make my own Christmas ornaments.

Not only do I get to save money but It is also a great way to get the kids involved in a fun family project. We had so much fun making these cute little ornaments that I have decided that we will make it a yearly tradition.

In the past I have used a salt dough recipe to make things such as this but I was doing a little scientific research on Pinterest and I found this new recipe popping up consistently. So I decided to give it a shot. This recipe for clay only uses three ingredients. Cornstarch, baking soda and water. I found it to be a really easy recipe and not too messy.

So this is what you will need to make this dough recipe and how to make it.

1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 cup Baking Soda
3/4 cup of Water

You will also need:
a medium saucepan
a silicone spatula (or stirring/scraping utensil)
a bowl and tea towel
silicone sheet or parchment paper
baking sheet
paints and decorations
1 drinking straw (It's to make a hole to hang your masterpiece)
String/yarn/twine

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

First, combine all three ingredients into your medium saucepan and cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has combined and come together in a thick mashed potato-like consistency. It usually takes about 7-10 minutes for the dough to thicken. Once it gets to that state then you can transfer it to a bowl and cover with a tea towel and allow it to cool to room temp before handling.

 

After the dough has cooled you can transfer to a clean counter top and knead to get all the lumps and air bubbles out. If the dough is a little sticky then you can add a little corn starch to it. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut out your ornaments. Don't forget to use the end of a straw to punch out little holes to hang your ornaments. Transfer the shapes to a silicone or parchment paper covered cookie sheet and bake at 175 degrees for an hour, turning over once halfway through. Once they come out and have cooled, you can decorate and paint them. Add your string of choice through the hole in the ornament and tie it in a knot. Now you can hang your special ornaments on your tree and enjoy them for years to come.

Some other great ideas to try out when making your ornaments are carving initials and names into them. You can also use stamps to put impressions on them. You can add beads and glass pieces to them as well. Also, try spray painting them using stencils.

As always, have fun in the kitchen and I hope that you enjoy this recipe and make it a tradition in your home.

Blessings to all