Making a Jewelry Display out of a Lamp Shade

I am hoping this old lamp shade will work to display necklaces and pendants.  I tore off the old fabric and wrapped it in vintage trim.

Baking: Jumbo Brownie Butterscotch Expresso Cookies

Ingredients

• 2-2/3 cups (16 ounces) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (11-1/2 ounces) Butterscotch chips

Directions

• In a large saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat,
• stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and, if desired,
• espresso powder until blended. Whisk into chocolate mixture. In
• another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt; add to
• chocolate mixture, mixing well. Fold in chocolate chunks.
• Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking
• sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until set. Cool on
• pans for 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about
• 1-1/2 dozen.

Adapted from Taste of Home recipe

Updating a Gold Framed Picture

The textured, ornate and carved Very Gold frame was easy and quick to revamp-  I just Quickly and lightly painted it with a foam paint brush.  I mixed a creamy white acrylic paint with a light brown acrylic painted called Fawn unlit I got a light taupe color.  

I think it’s a completely different look.

 I very lightly went over the the top of the textured frame with taupe paint on a foam brush and then painted the really shiny part of the frame with a thicker layer of paint.

Adding a Little Spring to my Winter Wreath

This took about 30 minutes.  Odds and ends of some vintage ribbon, sewing notions, and Lace - all in off white, some pearl pins and beads, a foam wreath form, some moss, a doily,  and a little bird that I had in my craft stash.  I just wrapped the foam wreath with some fabric trim and pinned it into place,  then pinned a doily on that and then added some lace flowers, a pile of moss, and the bird for decoration.  It fit perfectly inside my evergreen wreath on the front door.

Vintage Baking Recipes: Hip Padders

I love the name of these Chocolate Bars found in one of my many spiral bound vintage cook books.

 Aunt Pat's Bars or HIP PADDERS

I found that there are many variations of this bar recipe - just look up Hip Padders

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 to 2 cups oatmeal


Filling:
6 oz chocolate chips
6 oz butterscotch chips
1 T butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts

Cream butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Add egg and beat until fluffy.  Add sifted flour, salt, and soda.  Then add oatmeal.  Reserve 1 cup dough for topping.  Press rest into 9x13 inch pan.

For Filling:  Blend Chips, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in heavy saucepan until melted.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.  Pour over dough.  Drop reserve dough by dabs onto filling.   Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Making Scented Vinegar to use in Natural Cleaning Recipes

I have used Plain White Vinegar for a long time for cleaning my kitchen, floors, bathrooms... It is cheap and natural cleaner.  The past few weeks I have been mixing up some natural cleaning recipes found on Pinterest and many of those recipes call for vinegar.  And along with all the cleaning recipes, I found a great way to use things from your kitchen to make a scented Vinegar.  - It is so simple.  The hardest part is waiting for it to steep for 2 weeks.  I filled a glass jar full of orange peels, lemon peels, lime peels, ginger root pieces, cinnamon sticks, and some apple cider mulling spices and then I just poured plain white vinegar in the jar until it was full.  I placed the jar in a dark cabinet for 2 weeks and then strained the vinegar into another Jar.

Note:  Do not use Vinegar on Granite Counter tops!!

Floor Cleaner:

1 cup Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soap- (I am loving the Dr. Bonner's Peppermint Castille soap from Trader Joes)
1 Cup Washing Soda ( Purchase or bake a shallow pan full of baking soda in 400 oven 30 min)
2 Gallons of Hot water

All Purpose Spray Cleaner:

1/2 tsp washing soda
1/2 tsp Castille Soap
2 Cups Hot Water
20 Drops of essential oil

Shower Cleaner:

Mix half Dawn Dish Soap and Half Vinegar

Bathroom and Surface Cleaner:

Place a spray nozzle on a bottle of peroxide and spray.  Let set 2minutes and wipe clean