3 Ingredient Pancakes (No FLOUR!!!)

This pancake recipe I found on Pinterest is delish! I made them this morning and just thought I would share. I make them often and my husband can't tell the difference between them and normal pancakes.

2 eggs whisked
1 banana mashed
1/3 cup old fashioned oats(uncooked)

Mix together and cook on griddle or skillet. I have mine with organic raspberry preserves. smile emotico

*yields 4 medium pancakes

DIY Plant Markers in 5 Minutes!

It's been forever since I've been on here, but I wanted to share a little DIY project I did today!  

The end of school was hectic and I wanted to take it easy this week before I go on vacation....so I thought!  So much for relaxation!  I have organized the entire house, and I ended up getting busy in the garden planting all kinds of goodies!  I have my raised gardens planted with veggies, flowers and herbs on the back deck, and big planters with flowers in the front of the house!  Oh, and today I bought a Hydrangea plant to add to the front landscaping!  Whew!  Now, I'm ready for the beach!

This project seriously took me 5 minutes to do!  

These plant markers are ok...

...but, isn't this much better!!!

I researched lots of plant markers today on pinterest and was set on painting spoons with chalkboard paint and using white paint to label them.  I set off to the thrift store...(because that's where I buy everything for my projects!)....all I found were 2 old spoons and lots of forks and a few other trinkets in a bag for $2.  I bought the bag and was hopeful I could find something to do with them.  I had even thought I may have to go to Wal-Mart for some popsicle sticks or something...  I forgot the popsicle sticks and had all of these forks when I got home.

I took a rubber mallet and started whacking them in my kitchen floor!  This took just a few seconds to do!  

I remembered on Pinterest that lots or people were using wine corks and I have them readily available...don't judge me!

After I pierced all of the corks, I went to find a writing utensil!

My trusty, oil-based Sharpie did the trick!  I just love the fine point ones!  These are perfect for those coffee mug projects as well!

The finished product!  Just stick the forks in the ground and they are ready to be admired! I'm pretty pleased with these, and so glad that it took just a few minutes to do!

I also like these for marking seeds that haven't come up yet!!!

Thanks for reading and don't forget to pin anything you like!!

Happy planting!

-Rachel

The After Picture

Why The After Picture?

Many have asked why I named my blog and Etsy shop the way I did...

I'm writing this as an explanation, of sorts, to show my journey to       "The After Picture". 

Where shall I begin....I guess I'll start at the "before picture".

Being from a single parent household, I grew up very poor monetarily but rich in so many other ways.  My clothes came from a thrift store, not because they were "cool" but because my Mom had only a few quarters ever so often to buy me a few items of clothing.  I remember when my mom gathered some random wood pieces together to make me a set of bedroom furniture.  She carefully painted each piece (some found at the dump) and added knobs that she had found at the flea market.  Again, not because it was the "cool" thing to do, but because she wanted me to have a decent bedroom.

Have you found out what I am rich with??  You're right....my mother's love!  She raised me, my brother and sister in a way that in some ways made us grow up fast and in other ways gave us protection and strength to overcome hardships that we would face us in the coming years.

Years down the road, I got married and had to move all of my "stuff" that I had collected over the years to my husband's house.  I brought my "old" broken down chest of drawers from my childhood to find that there was no room anywhere for it in the new house. 

One day, Jon (my husband) had it loaded up ready to take to the dump....Ummmm.  HELP!  In a few minutes I had to talk him into keeping it around.  Uhhhhhh...  "I'm going to try to repaint that and maybe try to sell it," I said to him.  (Thinking to myself, "I can do this".  "I've seen my mom paint plenty of stuff, right?" "Anything to save it from the dump!!!") 

I knew I couldn't let it go to the dump.  I felt like it was a symbol of sending my childhood to the dump.  

He let me keep it of course and I began my journey to "The After Picture".   

As a foreigner to this territory, I started out by gluing and nailing it all over to make it more sturdy.

I gave it several coats of primer.

The gray paint that I used went on so smoothly over the primer.

The piece was kind of plain so I bought these wood details at Lowe's to give it some visual interest.  They are so easy to glue on with wood glue!

I made sure to do the same paint technique on them as well. (After the wood glue dried of course!)

I was so proud to have finished this all by myself!  After looking and looking at it, I decided it needed something....hmmmm....but not sure what.  Oh, I've got it!  I'll distress it!  But how?  I decided to get out some of my husband's sandpaper and went to town on it.  I sanded all over. Making sure to sand heavier in the areas that would naturally receive more wear.

Now look!  So perfectly distressed!  Like a pair of your favorite blue jeans!

This was my first item listed and sold on my Etsy shop a little over a year ago.  It now lives with a nice family in Louisiana!

This piece (and my life story) was the inspiration of my Etsy shop turned Blog.  I never took any before pictures of it.  I was so excited to get to "The After Picture" that I just forgot I guess.  

Remember, in life who cares what the "before" picture was.  Just that "The After Picture" leaves a lasting impression.

What about me?  Do I miss my childhood piece of furniture?  Sure I do!  When I think about things lost, sold or given away from my past I think of the wise words of one of my cousins.  When asked about his past he said, "I have the pictures in my head."

You see, certain things from our past can get ripped from us whether it be choice or chance.  Parents can get taken from us or they can just up and leave.  The family farm can get sold. Or, in my case, a simple, measly old dresser  can almost get thrown in the dump.  Don't spend your life dwelling on the past.  Do your best.  Work hard. Keep the pictures from the past "in your head" and move on!  We are all striving for a better "after picture".  Don't give up!  God has a plan for us all!

That's my story!

Here's to your happily ever after...picture!

-Rachel

P.S.  If you are a parent reading this, never underestimate the influence you have on your child.  Good or bad.

Thrifty Thursday: 4 Ingredient Biscuits

4 Ingredient Biscuits:

ROLLING PIN AND BISCUIT CUTTER NOT REQUIRED

I decided to share my biscuit recipe today for "Thrify Thursday" because what is more "thrify" than biscuits?!  Also, because I'd rather be in the kitchen baking than in the garage redoing furniture during this snowy week!

Grab these ingredients and lets make some biscuits!

• White Lily Self-Rising Flour 
• 2 cups and extra for the cutting board
• Organic Low-fat Milk
• 3/4 cup
• Organic Greek Yogurt (plain)
• 2/3 cup
• Earth Balance Natural Plant-Based Shortening
• 5 1/2 tbsp. 

(Feel free to substitute any kind of milk for the milk I used.  You can use sour cream instead of the greek yogurt.  You can also use regular shortening or butter instead of the shortening I used.)

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 and put the 2 cups of flour into a medium sized mixing bowl.

2. Cut the shortening into the flour.

Your mixture should look like this.

4. Put the 2/3 cup of yogurt and the  3/4 cup of milk into the mixture and stir until combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX!

5. Put your extra flour on a cutting board or sheet like I have here.

6. Place dough mixture onto your board.  

7. Sprinkle the top with flour as well.

8. Knead and form your dough into a 6"X6" square.  Just use your hands. No need for a rolling pin!

 DO NOT HANDLE YOUR DOUGH TOO MUCH!  THE KEY IS TO BE GENTLE!

9. Take a knife and dip it in flour. (This helps the dough not stick to your knife.) Make four cuts in your dough.  This should give you 9 biscuits.

10. Place your biscuits on a sheet tray.

11. Oooops!  I forgot!  You need a 5th ingredient!  Butter!  But who doesn't have butter, right?  You need about 2 1/2 tbls. of butter.

12. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so.

13. You will not want to skip this part...Paint the butter on the top of each biscuit with a basting brush.

14.Place your biscuits in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  Checking the bottoms of your biscuits.  As soon as the bottoms get brown, turn your broiler on high.  (This helps your biscuits to not be so tough on the bottom.)  Broil the biscuits until they are golden brown.

Here you go!!  Yummy biscuits!  

These are perfect straight out of the oven but I won't judge you if you decide to slip one for an afternoon snack.  Don't forget the honey!

We had ours today with gravy, eggs, and turkey sausage links!

Yuck! Do you think I could talk my husband into cleaning up this mess!

Here's to your happily ever after...picture!

-Rachel

Pirate Cupcakes

Make these easy cupcakes for your next Pirate Party!

To make these you will need:

• gold coins (from oriental trading or a party store)
• light blue gel color from Wilton
• your favorite buttercream icing recipe
• your favorite yellow cake recipe
• brown sugar

Follow these easy steps:

• bake cupcakes
• mix icing with blue dye
• put icing on cupcakes and dust with brown sugar on 1/2 of the cupcakes
• finish with the gold coins
• enjoy!!!

Hover over the picture to pin to your Pinterest account!  Thanks for stopping by!

Thrifty Thursday: Frame Redo

It's a FABULOUS FRIDAY Y'ALL!!  Especially when they call school off for me!  I meant to write a "Thrifty Thursday" post yesterday, but totally came home and passed out after work!  I think I am going into hibernation mode!  I love the cold, but I think my body is wishing for summer and flip-flops!!  Today, it's like 10 degrees outside.  Too cold for painting.  Monday was a different story. It was 50 degrees or so and I was off school for Martin Luther King Day!  When it's a nice day outside, I take advantage of that and breakout the paint cans!  As you will start to notice...most of my projects include spray paint!

Here is a frame that I just had to paint and distress.  I have big plans for this piece!  I have chicken wire and clothespins that will turn this frame into a picture display center for my living room!  I think this will be great to change out pictures and other seasonal items easily.  I will post more pictures as soon as I get the chicken wire in!

This is what it looked like before.

I found it in my mom's garage!  She is a total pack-rat!  Sadly, I have taken after her and now my husband has to suffer!  

I spray painted it with a flat, white paint.  Spray paint dries really fast so this project took no time to do!

Pour some tinted mixing glaze in a paper cup.  You only need a few tablespoons for this project.

Start in one corner of the painted frame.

With a paintbrush, cover the entire corner with the tinted glaze.  Make sure that you fill in those cracks really well.  This will help show all of those intricate details better.

It is very important to not let it dry.  Immediately start wiping it off with a paper towel, rag, or old sock.

Keep rubbing it in until it is perfectly distressed!

You will want to do the same thing with the sides of the frame.  I just do a messy job of painting on the glaze.  This project is great for people that have a hard time with precision.  The quicker and messier you do this project the better!!

Here it is!  The AFTER PICTURE!

As I said before, I will post more pics to show you how I turn this into a picture board using chicken wire and clothespins!!

Stay Warm,

Rachel