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

Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins w/ a Brown Butter Maple Glaze

Yes! Fall is here and that means all the bakers out there are whipping up their favorite seasonal goodies of pumpkin and spice. I usually make a pie or a pumpkin cheesecake, which is always a hit. I love pumpkin just as much as the next but I get tired of making the same old pumpkin recipes every year. So I went in search of a recipe that was something special. Something I had never made before.

 

As usual I set my sights on the endless inspiration that is Pinterest.  I knew that If I was going to find something new and different, that Pinterest was where to start. It didn't take long and I came across this recipe for 

Baked Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts w/A Brown Butter-Maple Glaze

Just the name makes my mouth water.

You can find the recipe for those donuts by clicking on the link above. I used the same recipe for the donuts but made mini muffins instead. I had some extra buttermilk in the fridge that needed to get used and then I came across this donut recipe and the stars aligned. However, I did not have a donut tin to use and knew that time was not on my side (or the buttermilk's) and knew that I wanted to eat one of those donuts. So I did the next most logical thing and simply used mini muffin tins. If you have a donut tin already then I would certainly check out the donut method too. But if not then don't let something as silly as a shaped tin stop you from making magic.

MAGIC

 

That is exactly what happened when I made these muffins. Pure pumpkin mapley sweet magic.

I assume that had they been in the form of a donut they would have been just as delicious but I cannot speak on that.  I can say that these little muffins were light and airy yet moist at the same time. Not too sweet. Just the right amount of pumpkin and the buttermilk added a rich and light element that produced perfection in this recipe. The glaze added a little something extra but I would have been happy to eat just the pumpkin muffin without the glaze. THEY WERE THAT GOOD!

 I had a little batter left over from the mini muffins and just made a few regular sized muffins to eat for breakfast with my coffee.

 

Since this was my first time making this recipe or a baked donut for that matter, I didn't want to experiment or tweak the recipe. I played it safe and it paid off. However, this is a very versatile recipe and you could use it to make a variety of items. Let your imagination run wild.

I recommend trying out this pumpkin recipe if you are looking for something different this Fall season. I think I am going to try this recipe out in a pumpkin loaf next time. There really are a lot of possibilities. Go over and check out the recipe from the café sucre farine, where they have lots of yummy recipes.

 

As always

Enjoy your journey in the kitchen

 

Blessing to all

 

 

 

Hail Curls!!! How to love your curls

I naturally have curly wild hair. When I was younger I didn't like my curls so much and they didn't like me either. My hair was always a mix between frizzy curly locks and an afro of tangled mess. I never understood why I was being tortured like this. Why does my hair have to be so wild and unmanageable? If it was humid outside at all my hair would double in size and frizz. I knew that I liked curls. Other women looked beautiful with their curls but mine didn't look so beautiful. Needless to say, my hair in my childhood was a pain in the butt.

It wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the art of the curl and learned how to cultivate the most beautiful of curls. I had to do some experimenting and learning when it came to handling and styling my God-given locks. I learned many things about curls and taking care of hair in general.



First, I learned you have to love your hair. No matter what kind of hair you have, you should LOVE it, but especially the curls. Not all curls are created equal but they are all sensitive to normal hair care routines. Curls need extra special love and attention. When my sister or girlfriends want to scrunch their hair and ask how I always get mine to look the way they do, I tell them,

be gentle and love the curls.

Let me clarify. Curls tend to be a little drier than the average head of straight hair. Curls need a little extra conditioning and nourishing treatments. It is important to not wash your hair with shampoo to often because it can lead to dry hair. Second, curls need a good conditioner when you wash your hair as well as a good light-weight leave in conditioner. When handling your curls or wet hair, you have to take care to be extra gentle and not toss your hair about like a normal head of hair. You can't just put your hands in your curls and toss them around without purpose.

After you get out of the shower and your curls are still wet, use a comb, hair pick or your fingers to detangle your hair. Do so gently and don't comb too much. You don't want to use a regular brush on your curls because it can brake your hair more easily and in general it affects the integrity of the curl.

After you have combed out the tangles, gently toss your head of hair over and use a really good leave-in conditioner or mouse/gel. This is where it really counts to be gentle. With my product spread on my hands, I gently cradle the ends of my curls in the palms of my hands and softly scrunch the curls towards my scalp and gently close my hands around them and gently release. I do this a few times until I feel like I have given every curl a good scrunching and that the product is evenly distributed. I try to keep product away from my roots because it can weigh down your hair even more.

Now that your hair is scrunched, you can flip your head back over to the upright position and use your fingers to twist and manipulate the curls around the crown and frame of your face. This is just a little something extra to make sure that your curls dry how you want them to.

Next, you can simply let you hair dry naturally or you can use the help of a blow dryer. If you choose to blow dry your curls, I would only use a blow dryer if it has a diffuser attachment. The diffuser will ensure the best looking curls. It keeps your hair from getting too dry as well as provides indirect heat so that your curls don't get blown to smithereens. You can gently throw your hair back over and start blow drying the curls from underneath first, since they take the longest to dry and this will add a little extra volume. Now flip your hair back over and again manipulate the curls in front and blow dry any other curls by gently cupping and scrunching them as you dry.

As a last touch I like to use a anti-frizz hair serum or Moroccan oil. I rub about a dime size in the palms of my hands and gently scrunch the ends of my hair all over, paying attention to avoid the scalp. This will add an extra barrier from humidity and add a little extra shine to your curls.

If you have curls, you know exactly how challenging it can be to get the most out of styling them.
Curly hair is beautiful and a blessing, I have learned. All you need is a good routine for fixing your lovely curly locks and life seems to be right again. I hope that this helps anyone looking to make their curls more beautiful, bouncy and manageable. I wish I knew how to take care of my curls when I was a young girl and looked like Little Annie. But now that I do know, I want to share it and I wish you luck. Love your curls and they will love you back.

Blessing

 

My Pumpkin is turning 8

I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. After being 13 days passed my due date, 18 hours of labor and a c-section, I met the most beautiful baby I had ever laid eyes on. 9lbs 9.5oz of bouncing beautiful baby boy with a full head of dark hair and big brown eyes. "He is perfect", I said.



Handsome Happy Baby

 

He took his time and came out healthy and happy. He has always done things his way and marched to his own beat. I love that about him.

 

He has grown up fast and It's hard to believe how quickly eight years have passed. It makes me want to take more time and be more involved in every aspect of his life. Take the time to show him and teach him more.

 

It has truly been a blessing to watch this person grow. I appreciate his passion for drama and oh is he dramatic (he gets that from me). He has an enormous imagination, some mad video gaming skills and a great heart. I love this kid. He's my first and in a way he'll always be my baby. My big 4.5 ft tall 8 year old baby.

Logan is 8

Happy birthday to my sweet pumpkin. I love you and I am so happy and grateful God gifted me, you. I hope 8 is a great year for you!!!

Xoxo
Mommy

 

MINECRAFT CANDY POPS

I made these super fun and easy MINECRAFT Candy Pops from the youtube channel

Nerdy Nummies. You can watch the video on how to make these awesome treats by clicking on the link above.

Mine did not come out quite as good as hers. I was lacking the writing pens that she used and had to write tiny letter with a paint brush and chocolate. My chocolate seemed extra thick and that made it challenging to get a smooth finish. Overall, I would say considering the obstacles they came out really cute and most importantly they tasted amazing, were easy to eat and super easy to put in little bags and send home with the kids instead of big bags of junk.

I love Rosanna Pansino the host of Nerdy Nummies. I made another of her minecraft cakes last years for my son's 7th birthday and it came out really cute. Go checkout her youtube channel. Lot's of great baking tutorials for the video game lovers out there. Or at least for your children's love of video games in my case.

 

Have a blessed day to all

 



A song dedicated to my son: The Video Game Song

My son loves video games. I am sure there are a lot of people that could say the same thing. Video games are awesome, yes! They help to keep these mischievous little boys out of trouble and in sight for those mommy's that prefer to keep a mindful watch. They help with eye/hand coordination. They also tend to consume the minds and thoughts of those playing and it seems that video games are the only thing my son can think about sometimes. We had to make a rule that there is no talking about video games at dinner. He would go on and on about them If we would let him. Regardless of all the negative aspects that are associated with adolescent video gaming, there are still many positive benefits as well. Check out this article from Psychology Today about some of the benefits.

I tend to sing to my kids a lot. Well I tend to sing about everything. It drives them crazy, which makes me love it even more. So one day I was telling my son that he was going to game his life away and made up this funny little song. I would like to dedicate it to my son...against his wishes. And I sing it to him in a high pitched opera voice just to make it that much more fun.

I'm gaming my life away
If it was up to me
I'd spend all day in my underwear
playin' games
and I don't care about anything else

Mom Mom watch out
There's a Giant Mutant in Dead Trigger
If he gets me he will crash my helicopter
Just one more minute Mom,
there are zombies everywhere
Look at this .50 cal Mom
Isn't is awesome
I want to make a game called seven days to dead

There's a creeper coming my way
I'm using my new diamond sword to take him down
before he blows up my whole Minecraft town
I have to go mining for some diamonds and coal
I need to cook some meat in this oven I just built
I am going to use my enchanting table
to enchant my weapons and armour
Wouldn't it be so cool if we could build one of these roller coasters for real?
The creepers are coming so we have to hide
It is getting dark, we have to go inside

Mom, come look at my new cool armour
In Skyrim I can be a Nord...They also have these awesome Orks 
I have to find the EnderDragon
I'll use this bow with the enchanted flame
To set the dragon on fire and get loads of experience
and the portal opens and I get to go back home 

I'm gaming my life away
I can't tell you what day it is today
There is nothing that I'd rather do
than spend my day in front of the tube

I've got my wireless controller
I've got my favorite pillows on the sofa
I have no care in the world
cuz I'm building my own land and I have servents
that follow me around and do what I say
This is my favorite thing to do and
I never want to live in reality

                 The End

 

This is basically what my son sounds like on a daily basis. He talks a mile a minute (I know he gets that from me) and could never run out of things to talk about....as long as it is about video games. If it isn't about a video game he only talks a little less.

I sang this to my son and told him that I was going to write this song for him and he told me "you are going to sing this song to thousand of people and embarrass me if you tell them I am in my underwear." I told him, well it's the truth Darling and yes I am going to write it. So, much to his dismay I have dedicated this Video Game Song to my sweet boy. I love you to the moon and back.

Your Mom