Mokkans (soft gingersnaps)

My Christmas baking has begun.

These are cookies that are a must have at Christmas. It just wouldn't be the same without a gingersnap cookie. And these are so soft and chewy.


Cream together:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar



Add:
4 Cups Flour
4 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Ginger
1/2 cups molasses



Chill the dough for one hour.

Roll into balls

And roll in Sugar. Do not flatten when you put them on the pan.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Do not overbake.

I love the crisp sugary outer layer, but the inside is still so soft a chewy.

Super Simple Ball Wreath

For years I have been wanting to make a christmas ball wreath. I just always thought that they were really hard. But I finally heard about one that is so easy I would be crazy not to make it.

A friend of mine told me how to make this wreath and I am so glad that she did. I love it. Not only does it look so cute, but I really can't get over how easy it was to make.

The supplies are simple;
-Metal wire hanger
-glue gun
-Christmas balls in a variety of sizes (approx 80)
-ribbon

You can use one solid color of christmas balls or go multi colored. You can use glass balls or the shatter-proof ones.

Dig a metal hanger from your closet. Luckily I had one. If you need to get one, just take some clothes to the dry cleaners and they usually return your things hanging on a metal hanger.

Bend into into a circle. As close as you can get. Unwrap the top to open the hanger up so that you can thread the balls on.

Depending on what kind of balls you use and how the tops are attached you may need to put a dab of hot glue under the cap of each ball. Just to make sure that they don't come unattached while you are putting them on or afterwards.

Then you just thread each ball onto the hanger through the hole in the cap. Loosly arrange them as you thread them on. Use all the sizes you have and use the smaller balls to fill in open spaces.

Once you have filled the whole hanger make sure all the balls are arranged how you would lilke them and the majority of open spaces are filled. Push the balls as close together and as tightly as you can. Just make sure you don't break any. Bend the tips of the hanger to create a hook.

Then hook the two sides together and wrap smaller wire around the closer to ensure that it stay fastened.


I think it looks great. Just one thing missing...

...Ribbon.

You can tie your ribbon in a simple bow or get creative and make something complex. You could even just thread the ribbon inbetween the balls and tie a bow at the top and hang your wreath like that.

To hang my wreath I tied a short piece of ribbon at the top center (under my bow) and had an inch loop sticking out the top and used that as a hook to hang it on the nail.

I think the finished product looks so classy. I love it.


Perfect addition to my front entry.

Name blocks

I know it has been months since I have posted, but I am back. Summer was way to busy to be crafty and with a house that heated up to way to high tempuratures when the oven was on, there was no baking. But like I said I am back and ready to work.


I actually made these blocks awhile ago and never posted them. They are a really cute project that can be as simple or as difficult as you want.


I found these wood blocks at a craft store. Depending on what name or word you are wanting to spell, you will need a block for each letter. You can get various sizes, just depends on how big you want the blocks. Just make sure that the letters that you chose also fit the blocks.


You can paint the blocks any color you want. I chose to do cream with a pink stripe and dark chocolate brown on the backs. This is the part that you can make easy or hard. The easiest would be to paint them all one color. If you are more crafty and artsy paint different colors or different patterns. Also make sure that the color you chose will allow the letters to be seen.


I started by painting the fronts cream.



After I let them dry I took the easy way and used painters tape and taped where I wanted my stripe to be. I taped each block.



Then painted the exposed block pink.



Let it dry and peel off the tape. You can do any pattern you want or no pattern at all.



Each block is done.



It is hard to tell in this picture, but the backs have been painted dark chocolate.


Once it is all dry apply your letters. I also found these letters at the craft store. There are a variety of letters that you can chose from. And a variety of colors. So have fun with it.

Here are a few variations of blocks that you can do.

This is a long block that I have just painted black. I found different silver words in the scrapbooking section of the craft store, but thought that they would be cute on the block. Really easy, but it looks so cute.

This is the same size of long block as the one above. I painted the whole block cranberry color and then, using some embellishment glue, glued scrapbook paper to the wood and then stuck my letters on top of that.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

It has taken me awhile to get this recipe up here. Everytime I make it for dinner I forget to take pictures of some part of the process. I finally have them all.

The first year and a half I was married my husband told me atleast a few times a month to "Get Jen's sweet and sour chicken recipe". My husband first year of school he lived in the basement of his friends house and his friends wife was Jen. I guess she made this all the time and he loved it. Annoyed, I finally asked her for the recipe (along with several other of my favs she makes). I am so glad that I got it. I make it all the time.



With one boneless skinless breast for each person, dip each breast in a beaten egg, then in cornstarch.


Be sure to fully cover each breast with corn starch.


Pan fry the chicken breast in a thin layer of Oil ( I use extra virgin olive oil) over medium heat. You can use as much or as little oil as you want. I have fried the chicken with just Pam. It fries alright, but the oil adds a little more moisture for the crispy layer. But Pam does work.



Let each side lightly brown. Keep an eye on it so they don't burn. You can keep flipping the breasts until they are cooked through or you can just let them brown.


While the chicken is cooking in a large sauce pan mix together:
2 cups of white sugar
2/3 cups of vinegar
1 cup of water
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Soya sauce
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp water mixed with 2tsp chicken broth powder



Bring all ingredients to a boil over high heat. Let it boil while the chicken cooks. I usually let it boil for about 10 minutes. Then thicken it with corn starch.


Place in a oven safe dish. Spoon the Sauce over the breast a few times. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

You can prepare all the above steps that morning or the night before and then Bake before serving. But your cook time increases to 1 hour.

Before serving spoon the sauce over the breasts a few times. Serve with rice.

I don't even feel that the pictures do this recipe justice. The crispy outter layer is so good and the sauce is so sweet and is fantastic with Rice.

Served with a Salad or some steamed veggies, this is the perfect dinner.

Spring Fling Wreath

I love making wreaths. I always see flowers and think "I could make a nice wreath with those". I chose to stick to seasonal wreaths and to put them on my front door. Just gives the house a little festive flare. Whatever the season.

Because of our move and lack of a Michaels craft store in my new 'village'. I didn't get this wreath done intime for Easter like I wanted to. But it will be ready and waiting to go on the front door next Easter.

Start with your basic Grapevine wreath. Any size you want. They have different shapes and sizes, so just depends on what you feel like.

I chose these spring flowers because I wanted a spring wreath, but you can use any kind of flower you want. I have also made a "Festive Fall Wreath", so I used fall colored flowers for that one. I used 12 of these stems. 4 pinks, 4 whites, and 4 greens. How many you need will depend on the flowers and how big your wreath is. I originally only bought 9, then got part way finished and had to have my mom buy more and mail them to me.


From each stem you will be able to detach flowers or bunches.

Using a hot glue gun, apply glue to the base of the flowers and pressed into the desired spot on your wreath. Also I always put something underneath my wreath, just incase some glue drops down. I don't want to have to pick glue off my new table.


Arange the flowers anyways you want in the using the glue to keep them in place. Keep going allt he way around the wreath making sure not to leave any bare spots. When you are done, hold the wreath up and look to see if there are any spots that you would like filled in.

You can add leaves around it if you would like. For now I have chosen not too, but I may change my mind later. I love how full it looks.

The flower colors are so spring and so fresh.

Usually I put them on my front door, but I do think that it looks really cute at my front entrance with my Easter decor that I haven't put away yet.

Here is a photo of another wreath that I made. This is the Festive Fall Wreath. Like I mentioned above, I used fall flowers and I also used 'picks'. Those are the pinecones and fruit that you can see in with all the flowers. This fall wreath is by far my favorite wreath. I included it to show that you can make all kinds of wreaths for any season or any color.

Cute Clips

It has been long over a month since I have posted. We moved and I haven't really had a chance to do much else than pack and unpack. But we are here in our new house and I have already started to do stuff.

I figured it was about time that I posted a crafty idea.

I have seen clips like this at craft shows and in stores and I figured I could make my own. My sister-in-law makes them aswell. Her daughter has a bug clip to match every outfit she wears.

I will start with the most basic clip. It is really basic, but looks so cute.

Start with these metal Alligator clips. You can get them in beauty supply stores. I got mine off ebay.

Any color of ribbon you want. You can match any color to any outfit.

I think these little bows look so cute in a little girls hair. They can be worn as a barrette or they can be put over top of pig tails. Anyway you want, they are simple and cute.

Use a hot glue gun and glue the ribbon around the clip. You can glue ribbon on the bottom if you want or leave it open and just glue to the base, just past the pinchers or spring. I find that when there is no ribbon on the bottom, they hold better in the hair. Also, you can glue the ribbon tight against the clip in the pinchers or you can pull it over them. You'll see the difference in the next clip I cover with yellow ribbon.

Make a simple Bow. Measure your ribbon to twice as long as the clip and fold ends into the center and glue. Then wrap a small piece around the center and glue it.

Glue the bow to the covered clip and you are done. Easy to make, but so cute when worn.

The next clip is a little ladybug.

Start by covering the clip with ribbon. You can see the difference in the end of the clip from the last one I showed you. Instead of following the clip around the end, this one just goes from one pincher to the other. I actually prefer this look more.

Make two loops. Make one smaller than the other. It has to fit inside the larger loop. Glue the end at a 90 degree angle with the other end. so that the front is a point. You don't have to make these two loops the same color. It is also cute if you do different colors.

Cut a small piece of the edge off a small piece of ribbon. Using a match or a lighter burn the cut side (where it would fray). Don't let it turn black and burn, but you will notice that your edge will start to curl inwards. This is what you want. Do two pieces of this. These are the anteni.

Glue your two loops together and glue the anteni onto the top of the loops. Take and small piece of ribbon and wrap it around the tip of the ladybug. It makes the 'head' but also covers up where your anteni have been glued.

Then glue the bug to the clip. Theses can be worn alone in the hair or they can be worn on a head band.

Dragon Fly

Again, start by glueing ribbon around the clip

Take two pieces of ribbon. One slightly shorter than the other. Bring the ends into the center and glue to the clip. The ends are in the middle underneath and can't be seen

Make two anteni the same as with the lady bug and glue to the clip and then take a piece of ribbon, fold each end in 1/4 inch and glue over top of wings and anteni.

These are so cute. Again these can be worn in the hair or clipped onto a stretchy head band. My little girl has lots of hair and can wear clips like this, but when she was younger I would clip them to a stretchy head band and wear them like that.

You can choose any color combination you want. There are so many ribbon colors to choose from, you really could make a clip for every outfit!