Mmm mmm Monday~

Brownies...yum.Here is a super easy/fast recipe for brownies. Grab a box of brownie mix (told you it was easy!) Instead of using the 2/3 cup of oil that the recipe called for on this box, I used applesauce. You cannot even tell the difference--honestly! Anywho, cook according to the box. I used a 13"x9" pan so it took me about 25 minutes to cook.

Once the brownies have cooled completely..... whip up this yummy frosting to add on top. This frosting is more on the "peanutty" side rather than the "sugary" side....so if your needing something sweeter, this isn't the frosting for you.

Peanut Butter Frosting~

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

5 Tbs. butter (not the real stuff)

1 tsp.vanilla

mix all that together-- then add up to 1/3 cup of milk depending on how thin or thick you want this frosting to be. NOTE: do not add all the milk at once or you'll end up with a thin/runny frosting.... pour a little milk in at a time so you can control the thinkness of the frosting. I prefer thicker.... so I added only about 1/4 a cup of milk. It made the frosting very thick & fluffy, almost like a meringue. Then just smooth the frosting on top of the cooled brownies in the pan and cut into squares.

There is an online Carnival Soiree on March 14th that is being hosted by Lisa from Faerie Enchantment. This day long Blog Event and Giveaway goes from sunrise to sunset..... here is a little excerpt from the announcement from her blog: Make sure you wear your Carnival best, think rainbows and pointy harlequin hats, Pageant Queen gowns, or Mermaid dress, top hats in every color and tutu's complete with pixie wings.What to expect:-Carnival Tea-Games-Tokens-Giveaways consisting of my collage cd: Circus Follies and an altered poker chip kit.-Free Circus images/ephemera-Carnival party pictures-Circus projects-Stories

Sounds like fun huh? Everyone should pop on over and have a lookie-lou and consider joining in the fun! Now, I already have a top hat.... but it is black, sounds like I'm needing a colorful top hat! So, I'm making myself a new top hat. So far not to shabby! Now I'm just needing some color... and a tutu, I must have a tutu~

Pink & pearl garland

Here is a little something I whipped up recently. You know those strings of beaded garland that are about 18' long that you can pick up super cheap at Christmas time? Well, I crocheted around each bead on this long strand of beaded garland. Kinda cute huh? Its a great project to work on while watching t.v..... something you can just mindlessly work on and before you know it-- its finished! I'm going to add this (and several more) to my Christmas tree next year. Here is the easy-peasy instructions just incase someone out there wants to give it a try~

First of all, your needing to attach your crochet thread to the end of the garland with a slip stitch or knot, whichever you prefer. Once the crochet thread is attached you simply chain 4 stitches then make a sc in between the next two pearls. Thats it....just continue with the ch 4 and doing a sc in between each pearl. At the end chain 12 or more then come back down the other side doing the same ch 4/1 sc in between each pearl. Easy-peasy~ Once your garland is completed.... you could go back up and down each side again adding 5 dc in each ch 4 space and a slip stitch in each sc space. This makes a wider garland, but I was wanting a smaller/simpler garland for my own tree~

Hall tree~

This hall tree I have had for about 5 years. It was originally a dark-dark wood which I painted white. I closed in the bottom part and made it into a cat bed :-) It has been like this for a looooooooong time. Never quite finished.... I've dragged it out to sell at yard sales...I guess $30 bucks was to much to ask for it...cause I always had to drag it back in. Now that I've added some brown paint to it making it look a little more "shabby" and of course covering the cushion for the cat bed (not that they have EVER slept in there) I'm liking it! and its no longer for sale lol

Here is a close up of the cat bed.... it doesn't look so "obviously" distressed with paint in person!

Trash to Treasure party~

Jen over at Sanctuary Arts at Home is hosting a "Trash to Treasure make over party"..... I am contributing my $1 dollar dresser that I recently made over. Here is the before....and here is the after.Here is the original post of the transformation with a tutorial on how I did it. The appliques were made using joint compound.... peeked your interest?...come for a lookie-lou!

Mmm-mmm Monday~

Here is a pretty tasty peanut butter cookie recipe that has oatmeal in it. Makes for a chewy/crispy cookie :-)

Peanut butter cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup oats

Cream together the butter, white & brown sugar, eggs and peanut butter. Add to the mixture the flour, baking soda and oats. Once thats all blended together drop by rounded teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. These suckers spread super large. So, I would suggest the rounded scoop be no bigger than a quarter. Once you have 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, take a fork thats been dipped in white sugar to compress the cookie ever so slightly to make the criss-cross pattern on top. You don't want to flatten them anymore than you have to as these will spread... and you'll end up with an overcooked cookie! Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Easy-peasy and oh so yummy!

Very Vintage Easter basket swap...

Heidi over at Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly is hosting a "Very Vintage Easter Basket Swap~
You've got until Sunday, March the 8th to sign up. What are you waiting for? You know you want to!! Come join in on the fun~