Feb 23 2013

My New Sewing Machine

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This post has been a long time coming.  Right after Christmas I finally pulled the trigger and bought this beautiful sewing machine. First thing I did was pull it out of the box onto our kitchen table and proceeded to Instagram it and text my sister.  And there it sat, untouched for weeks. Finally I have started my first project with it and can’t wait to share it next week!

Sewing Machine

I had done a lot of research over the past year deciding which one to go with. My mom swears by Janome, so I narrowed my search to my top 3 picks nearly a year ago. I ended up choosing the most expensive one (of course!) the Janome DC5100 Computerized Sewing Machine.  You can get it on Amazon for $599, a great price for such an impressive machine! I can’t wait to share many projects to come.  For a sneak peak into my crafting, or to see a million pictures of the cutest 15 pound Chihuahua…

Follow me on Instagram @justtwocraftysisters

@Heather_28 on Instagram

Feb 20 2013

Mac ‘n Cheese Bites

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Have I ever told you that I am obsessed with Mac ‘n cheese? Yes, I know it is one of those comfort foods that one should outgrow after the age of 5, but I just love it so much! For the Super Bowl this year, I made a delicious batch of Mac ‘n Cheese Bites from a recipe on Food & Wine. I am now waiting for any excuse to make them again.

Yummy Mac & Cheese Bites

Ingredients (makes 24 mini bites):
1/2 Pound Elbow Macaroni
1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter, Plus More For Brushing
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Flour
3/4 Cup 3% Milk
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar
8 Slices of American Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

Ingredients for mini mac & cheese appetizer

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot on the stove top, cook your macaroni according to the box.  Make sure to not over cook as you don’t want the pasta to be mushy.  Drain and set aside. Continue reading »

Feb 19 2013

Navy Dining Room

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Even though we have about 4 more months until we move into our first home, I keep finding myself day dreaming and planning out each room. To keep me occupied, I have decided to create a few mood boards with ideas for each room to mull over until the big day finally comes. To start this off I have worked on a design for our dining room. We have never really had a dedicated dining room in any of our apartments so this seemed like a fun one to start with. The overall look we want is simple, modern and clean.  We want to go with a few bold choices, like navy walls, but pair it with classic simple pieces like white accessories and black furniture.

Navy Dining Room Mood Board
Mood Board Breakdown:

1. Alex and I have been wanting to paint a room bold, and being that we have always lived in cream, bland apartments together we are ready to step it up in colors in our new home.  While browsing ideas on Pinterest, I stumbled across Lucyina Moodie Stylist’s Navy Dining Room.  I love the black furniture against the bold navy walls with touches of white for contrast. For more dining & kitchen ideas, follow my Home Decor – Kitchen/Dining Room board on Pinterest.

2. Our current dining room table is a hand-me-down, that while practical and looking a lot better after we refinished it 3 years ago, is not really in line with our style. For this dining room I really want a glass table. One option we found is the Granas Table & Chairs from Ikea.  What I really like about is the price tag, under $200 for table and chairs.  The seats on the chairs do leave something to be desired, but that would be a weekend project changing them out with a nice cream or white padded seat.

3. As for art on the wall, we are thinking of moving the Just Two Crafty Sisters Original Map Canvas Art from the living room to the dining room.  Navy rooms look great paired with bright white and pops of yellow, so this might be its new home soon. Continue reading »

Feb 18 2013

Taco Cupcakes

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One of the best parts of Super Bowl Sunday is getting to try out fun appetizer recipes.  I had been waiting for an excuse to try and make taco cupcakes after seeing Emily Bites’ recipes on her blog.  With a few tweaks to the recipe to suit my taste and utilize ingredients on hand, they turned out soooo goooood!

Taco Cupcakes Appetizer - Yum!!

Ingredients (make 8 large cupcakes):
1/2 Pound Ground Beef (I normally prefer 97% lean, but used 80% since that was all they had at Safeway)
1/2 Cup Fresh Salsa
1 Cup Black Beans
Queso Dip
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Guacamole
Wonton Wrappers
Olive Oil Spray
1.5 Teaspoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
3-4 Dashes Cayenne
1 Teaspoon Season All

cupcake taco ingredients

Continue reading »

Feb 18 2013

Mealtime Monday: Pesto Chicken & Shrimp Skewers

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Welcome back to Mealtime Monday.  Almost two months in and I haven’t missed one yet!  This time I am sharing a delicious little creation inspired by SkinnyTaste.  Gina has a recipe for pesto shrimp kabobs that is super simple, so I decided to do a twist on it adding chicken, veggies and my homemade pesto.  Pair with some pilaf rice, YUM!

Garden Pesto Chicken & Shrimp Skewers. Yum!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast
Raw Shrimp (Peeled and Deveined)
Bell Pepper
Onion
Pesto (Click here for my homemade pesto recipe)
Olive Oil Spray Continue reading »

Feb 15 2013

Superbowl Appetizers

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I know, I know, this is a little late.  Life has been so hectic with between work and going through the process of buying a house, that I have been neglecting my poor little blog. So, it is time to catch up, starting with our delicious spread from Super Bowl Sunday.

Super Bowl Appetizers

Our menu included:

1. Spicy Little Smokies: This year we found out that Aidell’s make mini sausages and bought a double pack with chicken apple and spicy. We used the spicy only, but made the same simple sauce with grape jelly and chili sauce as last year. So Yummy!

2. Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip: Same great dip as last year. In case you missed it before, here is the recipe.

3.Ham & Cheese Crescent Log: This ended being more of a lunch than an appetizer, but could be used as either. It was a recipe created out of what we had on hand, left over ham and sliced swiss cheese. Recipe coming soon!

4. Taco Cupcakes: Can I just say, these taco cupcakes were AMAZING! I cannot wait to share the recipe in the next few days. I mean, queso, meat, guacamole, yum! Click here for the recipe!

5. Mac & Cheese Bites: And finally, delicious little bites of cheesy goodness. I saw these on Pinterest months ago and patiently waited for the right moment to indulge. Click here for the recipe!

So there you have it. A great afternoon of overindulging in yummy snacks while watching some football :)  For more appetizer ideas, follow my Appetizer board on Pinterest!

Feb 11 2013

Mealtime Monday: Philly Cheese Steak Bell Peppers

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Welcome back to Mealtime Monday.  This week we tried Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers.  I found this idea on Pinterest from the blog Peace, Love & Low Carb.  So simple and and tasty!!  Definitely something we will have again soon.

Philly Cheesesteak Bell Pepper

Ingredients:
2 Bell Peppers
Roast Beef Lunch Meat
Provolone Cheese
1/2 Onion, Diced
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Philly Bell Pepper Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut your bell pepper in half and remove insides.  Place bell peppers into a pot of boiling water.  Boil lightly for 5 minutes.  Remove from water and set aside on a paper towel. Continue reading »

Feb 4 2013

Mealtime Monday: Chicken Stir Fry

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Here we are with another Mealtime Monday! Being that we tried so many new recipes for the Superbowl this week, I am sharing a recipe of mine that has evolved over the years, instead of a new find. I love stir fry and vary up the way we make it from time to time, but always revert back to this recipe as my tried and true. I tried to be as accurate as possible with measurements, but being that I don’t follow a recipe on this one it can vary a bit each time.

Yummy Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 large chicken breast
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1/2 an onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup snow peas
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2/3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • crispy wonton noodles
  • cooked white rice

Directions:

1. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a hot skillet. Toss in a raw diced chicken breast.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Continue reading »

Jan 31 2013

Our First Home

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Things are finally looking up in our quest for our first home!  In a few short months we will be the proud owners of this beauty!!

New Home

Let me start with a little background on our home search.  The housing market here has been insane!  We started looking in the beginning of October, with hopes of being in our new home by March 31st.  We quickly learned that this would not go as smoothly as it does on all the home shows on HGTV.  First off, right now in our area of California it is a seller’s market.  Interest rates are low and home prices are starting to turn back up at a rate of about 15% over last year.  The increased demand to buy right now is only hindered by the lack of available properties on the market. This shortage has only gotten worse the last few months with homes selling in under a week.  CRAZY. So far we had found 4 homes we liked and put offers in on, only to be crushed each time we did not win the bidding war.  It is hard to compete with cash investors snapping up the few homes out there.

In all this frustration and turmoil, we have finally had a beacon of light shined upon us.  After going out to lunch last week, my Uncle called me to let us know they are considering selling their house.  This house is exactly what what we were looking for; 3 bed, 2 bath, open concept, updated, immaculately cared for, great neighborhood, near parks and near a good elementary school for the future. After discussing it a bit more over the weekend, we came to an agreement and we are starting the process of buying our first home!!  It is going to be about 5 months before we move in to give them time their new home to be built, but I could not be more excited for what the future holds.  Expect to see planning and mood boards coming soon as we start planning out how to make our furniture work in the space and make the house our own. :)

Jan 29 2013

Mealtime Monday: Jalapeño Popper Chicken

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Happy Monday everyone…oops it’s Tuesday!  With it being our Blogiversary today, I had to push Mealtime Monday to Tuesday so that we could have a stroll down memory lane and check out a few stats from our first year. Now on to a delicious recipe from Skinny Taste.  Are you starting to see a trend?  I found Gina’s blog a few months ago and I am obsessed!  Everything we have tried has been amazing and this recipe is no different; Skinny Taste Jalapeno Popper Chicken.  I will admit that I adjust the recipe a little bit, making it a bit less healthy than the original.

Jalapeno popper chicken dinner

 Ingredients:

  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 jalapeño diced without seeds
  • 3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar (I use Tillamook)
  • 2 tbsp scallions, diced
  • 1 large chicken breast pounded thin & cut in half
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • Juice of 1 1/2 limes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • olive oil non-stick spray
  • salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450°.  Prepare a glass baking dish by spraying it with a coating of cooking spray.  In a bowl, mix together olive oil, lime juice, salt & pepper.  Set aside. Continue reading »