Tag Archives: Holiday

Healthy Tex-Mex Cilantro Chicken Spinach Quesadilla Recipe (Dairy, Red Pepper, Corn, & Gluten-Free) Easy Appetizer for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

May 2, 2015 Leigh 1 Comment

This cilantro chicken quesadilla is the latest in my healthy undercover veggie series because it gets spinach haters to eat like Pop-eye. And you don’t have to strong-hold the recipe to make it gluten-free and dairy-free… just switch out a few simple ingredients so that everyone may enjoy it. This makes it the perfecto appetizer for a fabuloso Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. It’s one of my favorite delicioso lunches because it’s so quick and easy to make. So let this recipe send you to Tex-Mex heaven too… guilt free!

Ingredients (for each quesadilla)

2 brown rice tortillas (or any variety of wrap you like)
a few ounces gourmet vegan soy-free cheddar shreds (this kind doesn’t have canola, soy, or milk casein protein… but try any variety of cheese you like)
½ sliced baked chicken breast (see my sautéed greens with chicken recipe for instructions, or use any ground meat)
1 ounce thawed frozen spinach (or use less fresh spinach)
⅛ of a diced onion (or use green onion, leeks, dried onion…)
a few sprigs of fresh cilantro (or dried, to sprinkle with the onion or top as garnish)
optional spices: sea salt, ground peppercorns, garlic powder (to sprinkle inside the quesadilla)
½ diced tomato (or salsa to top the finished quesadilla with)
optional: vegan unsweetened yogurt or sour cream topping
optional: guacamole topping (try my spicy recipe that’s free of red pepper here)

Instructions:

First gather all the ingredients then wash and chop the veggies. (I’ve used frozen spinach here because it’s easy to keep on hand for impromptu meals, being frozen means it’s retained all of its nutrients, more quantity may be added than if using fresh, and it doesn’t need to be washed and dried before cooking. Microwave it if you like, but definitely chop it into smaller bits.)

Lightly spray a skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. (Here I’ve used a ceramic variety, but the non-stick types work well.) Line it with your first layer of tortilla, and then sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over it.

Layer the chopped spinach over the cheese. Then dust it with spices according to your preferences.

Scatter the diced onion across the spinach layer. Add cilantro if not using it as garnish… or do both!

Then distribute the chicken over the onion. (Think about cooking extra chicken to slice and freeze for easy last minute lunches like this one.)

Add the remainder of the cheese. (An even layer acts like a glue for the tortilla.)

Top with the last tortilla and press it down with a large spatula as it cooks through. (Using a cast iron press is another option.) When the quesadilla has heated thoroughly enough to stick together, flip it over quickly with a large spatula. This side won’t take as long to cook… it will be done when it has browned nicely.

Transfer the finished quesadilla to a cutting plate and slice into equal triangles like a pizza. Serve it in the round or stacked in a pretty arrangement like this.

Offer bowls of toppings like guacamole, yogurt, sour cream, salsa, diced tomatoes, and fresh cilantro… or add dollops and sprinkles to each slice.

I like to smother flavor toppings onto each triangle then grind fresh peppercorns over the top… and the cilantro is not only a pretty garnish but adds a distinct burst of flavor.

Keep a bunch of these warm in a low temp oven to serve all at once for your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta… or just make them for yourself as mouthwatering meal that only seems indulgent!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Holy guacamole! I’ve been seeing a new commercial that erringly pronounces the G in that green goodness over and over and over. If any of you out there are now wondering which way is right way to say it… think Fozzie Bear and begin the word with “wocca”. “Muchas gracias amigos!” on behalf of my Texan ears. 🙂

P.P.S. And if you crave more Tex-Mex… try my “Nacho Average Fiesta Dip” & Spicy Nachos Compuesto (Dairy, Corn, Red Pepper, & Gluten-Free) Easy Appetizer for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.

Parties & Tablescapes

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Tablescape Party Décor Ideas (with Easy DIY Craft Links)

May 1, 2015 Leigh 2 Comments

Take an armchair vacation to Texas and join me for a Cinco de Mayo celebración exploding with color. Then recreate the fabuloso fiesta in your own home for any occasion calling for mirth and margaritas! So slip on your serapes and sombreros ‘cause we’re gonna have a hot time in the old town tonight!

Sunlight streams through the vibrant papel picado banners crisscrossing the window. Handmade tissue paper flowers hang between each cut panel.

A burro piñata presides over the extravagancia, standing atop a small serape adorned with its own bouquet.

Extrema pink and green fiesta flowers drip from the chandelier in an overhead centerpiece that leaves room on the table for brillante woven baskets.

Tortilla, chip, and buñuelo baskets sit squarely at the center of the celebración flanked by paper flower buds and upcycled luminarias providing illuminación.

Vivid confetti outlines the fringed caliente pink placemats bordered with Mexican Lotería game place-cards.

Paper parasol toting wine glasses, tied with yellow jute and Lotería charms, await sangria sipping.

Exuberante cloth napkins are ringed with handcrafted sombrero capped raffia rings ornamented with red chilis.

Brillantes yellow plates evoking the sun are topped with multi-hued dishes suggesting serape patterns.

Even the chairs participate in the festividad by wearing their own serapes belted with rope.

Now tie a serape on yourself and sip some sangria for your own dose of party perfección!

¡Feliz fiesta ya’ll!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. For details on just how to fuel your own fabuloso fiesta, see my other Cinco de Mayo articles:

DIY Upcycled Can Tea-light Luminarias (+ Free Printable Template) & Tissue Paper Flowers Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Décor)

DIY Sombrero Napkin Rings & Serape Invitations + Loteria Wine Glass Charms & Place Cards Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Tablescape)

Healthy Tex-Mex Cilantro Chicken Spinach Quesadilla Recipe (Dairy, Red Pepper, Corn, & Gluten-Free) Easy Appetizer for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

“Nacho Average Fiesta Dip” & Spicy Nachos Compuesto (Dairy, Corn, Red Pepper, & Gluten-Free) Easy Appetizer for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Arts & Crafts

Easy DIY Upcycled Can Tea-light Luminarias (+ Free Printable Template) & Tissue Paper Flowers Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Décor)

April 30, 2015 Leigh 2 Comments

Light the Cinco de Mayo night by upcycling cans into tea-light luminarias (easy with the help of my free printable template), and adorn your tablescape with DIY fiesta tissue paper flowers. These crafts are perfect to bring the whole family in on, with luminarias for the strong folks and flowers for the kiddos. So hang on to your sombreros senoritas… we’re about to craft a fiesta!

As a kid, I was delighted by long rows of luminarias lighting the way to fiestas. I wanted to bring some of that enchantment inside by making miniature versions with tea-lights for the table.

I love upcycling free elements into something useful… and I do mean free because this project cost me nothing as the cans were just a leftover bonus from my dinner menu. The project made perfect use of the small tomato paste cans used in my recipes. (See my Meatloaf Cupcakes here, and my Nacho Average Fiesta Dip Here.) Waste not, want not… right?!

The best way to open the cans is by using an opener that doesn’t create a sharp edge, but rather a smooth top separated from the sides. Several well known brands sell this type of safe can opener. After washing the cans well, fill them with water, and place in the freezer overnight. Yes, you read that correctly. The ice is so much easier to hammer into rather than the traditional wooden branch.

While they’re freezing, print my piercing template (free for personal use). To do this, right click on the small image and select print. (You can also forgo employing the template, and use a permanent marker to freehand draw your own shapes onto cans before the freezing step.)

My mother actually came up a great tip for keeping your paper’s ink from getting soggy… try wrapping the iced can in clear plastic wrap before wrapping with the paper template. ¡Gracias Mamá!

Cut out the 3 identical templates featuring arrow pierced hearts and festive zigzag patterns. Wrap each one around an ice filled can and tape the edge.

Use identically sized nails to hammer into each dot on the template. (This is what makes it a good craft for the hombres in your life!) You only need to hammer the nails in far enough to make a hole, leaving them in or pulling them out as you go. Begin with the top of the pattern, because ice will chip out as you work on it. If too much pops out, simply add water and refreeze.

When the dots are done, so are you! Let the ice melt out into the sink then dry the can well. (Just be careful not to cut yourself on the sharp edges on the inside of the cans.) Now light them up compadre!

The luminarias add ambiance to a lunch of Tex-Mex Nachos made with my Nacho Average Fiesta Dip Recipe.

They also look lovely with another one of my recipes, Gluten & Dairy Free Chicken Spinach Quesadilla.

Here they’re featured in an upcoming San Antonio styled Fiesta tablescape next to some cascarones I’ll demonstrate how to make.

I think they look really lovely next to my fiesta flowers too… let’s make them together now!

Use any new store bought tissue paper, or upcycle some former gift bag tissue into something spectacular.

The size of the sheet you use will equate to the size of the flower you end up with.

Here I’m beginning with one sheet cut into two halves, one placed over the other.

You can actually stack as many layers of tissue as you like to add fullness. Here is a fuller flower next to one made with less layers.

Accordion fold these into a fan, short side to short side. (This part is a great hand-eye craft for the kiddos!)

Next, fold the bar over in half.

Cut an upside down V into the ends… this will make a prettier flower.

Take those trimmings and cut them into tiny pieces, then separate the layers. You just made matching confetti for the table… for free. You can also use this confetti for cascarones crafting in the future!

Green fuzzy pipe cleaner sticks make the perfect stems.

Wrap one around the folded portion and twist. You will be able to use the stem to hang the flowers with later.

Next pull apart all the layers.

Pull these slightly taut, in an arrangement that appears pleasing to the eye.

Wrap one end of the fuzzy stick around the base to secure your arrangement of the petals.

I tied some of them between panels of traditional papel picado in a fiesta banner for the window. The light streaming through them was much prettier in person.

I also used them to further adorn a burro piñata decorating a side table.

The larger flowers were easily strung onto a chandelier as an overhead centerpiece, leaving room for tortilla, chip, and buñuelo baskets on the table.

Now complete your tablescape with my Easy DIY Sombrero Napkin Rings & Serape Invitations + Loteria Sangria / Wine Glass Charms & Place Cards Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Tablescape).

Time to go ¡Fiesta! forever…

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Arts & Crafts

Easy DIY Sombrero Napkin Rings & Serape Invitations + Loteria Sangria / Wine Glass Charms & Place Cards Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Tablescape)

April 30, 2015 Leigh 4 Comments

¡Fiesta! Forever… or for at least one fantastic evening with easy décor crafts for your Cinco de Mayo tablescape. Toast the party with sangria filled glasses fitted with DIY wine glass charms featuring traditional Mexican Loteria images. Then, use those same images to make place-cards for the table. Dress colorful cloth napkins with handmade sombrero napkin rings, and craft matching serape invitations that shout, “Grab your sombreros for a Cinco de Mayo that’s nacho average fiesta!”

One inexpensive Mexican Loteria game will provide you with loads of craft material for the future. I’ve previously made beads with them (see how to do this here in my Halloween Necklace Craft)… glued them into collages and assemblages (see how to do this here in my Valentine Gift Assemblage Art Tutorial)… and I have some easy crafts up my sleeve to demonstrate in the future.

All you need to begin is a single game card sheet, scissors, a hole-punch, and Plaid Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. Cut the game card into single images as pictured.

Punch holes into a top corner of each piece.

Drizzle the Magic stuff over one side of all the pieces, then let it dry overnight. (Set it on some form of plastic to keep it from adhering to your surface.)

Flip them over and drizzle the other side, then dry overnight.

If needed, trim off any dripped over edges, and attach small metal rings to the holes.

Instead of using a jumbo jump ring to attach the charms to the glasses, I simply tied them on with jute bows. You can also skip the first metal ring, and just tie these if you’d like less dangling.

Here they are featured on a clear glass vessel topped with a paper umbrella.

The same charm and umbrella look different when placed on a purple goblet (from my upcoming San Antonio styled Fiesta tablescape).

The charm is an easy addition for a charming lunch of my Gluten & Dairy Free Chicken Spinach Quesadilla Recipe.

Matching Loteria place-cards for the table are really quick and easy to make.

Use the actual game cards or make a color copy of a set of them to cut out. I chose the latter so that I can remake them whenever I like… without buying a new game.

Cut paper cardstock strips to use as easel supports, and fold in half to make a V.

Then cut two slits to either side of the Spanish words. Slip a V strip into the slots you cut.

Then simply write your guests names on them with a marker. These would also make great food labeling cards for a buffet.

The Loteria cards add extra pops of color to the tablescape… and you can never have too much color at a fiesta!

The sombrero napkin rings are some of the cutest in my collection, yet were some of the quickest to make. Craft them yourself with braided raffia ribbon and tiny doll straw hats.

Transform the hats into sombreros with strips of fabric and dollhouse chili peppers. (I never use chilis in my recipes, but they do make delightful décor.) Use hot glue to attach a few peppers, and then wrap a fabric strip as a band.

Cut a six inch length of raffia ribbon for each ring. Slightly overlap the edges then hot glue them.

Glue the sombrero over the seam covering it completely.

Fill the rings with colorful fabric napkins.

I think they look really adorable on the tablescape… if I do say so myself!

Here the card and napkin ring add color to a lunch of Tex-Mex Nachos made with my Nacho Average Fiesta Dip Recipe .

They bring additional ambiance to another meal with my Gluten & Dairy Free Chicken Spinach Quesadilla Recipe.

Make fiesta invitations to match your napkin rings easily by following the earlier steps to turn a straw doll hat into a sombrero. Cut a 5.5 x 8.5 inch piece of textured cardstock and a 4.5 x 7.5 size of serape scrapbook paper. Print or write invitation instructions on vellum, then cut it to a size smaller than the scrapbook paper (like 4 x 7).

Hot glue the layers at the center of the top, and then glue the sombrero over it. I made some of these for a bridal shower years ago, and they mailed just fine. I got such a glowing response from the project that I decided to show you how to craft them yourself.

Next, bring more light and color to the celebración with my Easy DIY Upcycled Can Tea-light Luminarias (+ Free Printable Template) & Tissue Paper Flowers Crafts (for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Décor).

¡Viva la fiesta!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Recipes

Meatloaf “Cupcakes” & Mashed Potato “Frosting” April Fool’s Recipe (Allergy-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free) + Traditional Loaf Option & Hearty Meatloaf Sandwich

March 28, 2015 Leigh 1 Comment

Lay asunder mean-spirited pranks this April Fool’s Day, by celebrating with a merrymaking menu. Meatloaf “cupcakes” with mashed potato “frosting” are sure to bring smiles to the sourest of faces, but it can also be shaped into a traditional loaf… the way your grandma used to make it. This is the style that slices best into hearty meatloaf sandwiches, perfect for the next day’s lunch. And this allergy friendly recipe sticks together perfectly, without the need for egg, dairy, or gluten. Best of all, it’s sure to replace, “Are we really having meatloaf again?” with “When can we have meatloaf again?”

Meatloaf Ingredients:

3 pounds ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
½ almond milk (or any variety of milk)
1½ cups brown rice breadcrumbs (or any variety crumbs)
2 six ounce cans tomato paste (preferably organic)
2 tablespoons golden flax meal (or ground seeds)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt (or salt replacer)

◊ if making a traditional loaf… top with organic ketchup (which has sugar instead of corn syrup) before baking

◊ for meatloaf sandwiches… add gluten-free bread, lettuce, & veganaise to the ingredient list

Meatloaf Instructions:

Mix everything (except for the ground beef) together in a bowl well.

Add the ground beef, and mix it well with clean hands.

Fill a muffin tin with your meat mixture. I lined mine with naturally non-stick parchment baking cups, but use baking spray if placing directly in the tin. The easiest way to fill these is to make giant meat snowballs, and press them into each cup. This ensures no air pockets are included. Note that the meat will rise up and shrink in as it bakes.

If using traditional loaf pans, spray them with baking spray (like coconut oil spray) before filling with the meat mixture. Note that multiple small loaf pans cook more evenly than a single large loaf. Top the mounded mixture with a generous amount of ketchup. Bake in a 350ᵒ oven for about 30 minutes (depending on your oven’s temperament).

Remember to check the center of a large loaf, or the center of the innermost cupcake, for doneness. (I mention this because I’ve actually been served raw meatloaf at a dinner party… Yikes!)

Mashed Potato Ingredients:

2½ pound Yukon Gold Potatoes (preferable because of viscosity & natural butter flavor)
1 teaspoon sea salt (or salt replacer)
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder

◊ if not making this as a “frosting”… add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil & ½ cup almond milk for creaminess

◊ for garnish “sprinkles”… fresh ground pink peppercorns (which look red to me)

Mashed Potato Instructions:

Wash the potatoes with a veggie brush and quarter cut them for speedy cooking. Peel them if you’d like the “frosting” to look more like real frosting, but I chose to leave mine on in order to preserve vitamin and fiber content. Bring them to a boil in salted water, and then simmer. (My mother insists on boiling them the entire time, and it works, so anything you do to cook them is fine so long as they’re well cooked… because raw white potatoes are actually toxic.)

The potatoes are done when they’re fork tender. Drain out the cooking water.

Add in your spices… and mash away, mash away, mash away all. (Or use the easiest and quickest method invented… the immersion blender!) Add oil and milk only if you are eating this by itself as a side dish, because it will prevent it from being as sticky… which is a good thing when you’re using it as faux frosting on a meaty cupcake. (Eaten together, you really don’t miss the oil and milk, because you’re tasting it with the flavor of the meatloaf.)

Optional Serving Instructions:

Meatloaf will leach liquid with cooking, so drain your cupcakes before serving. I actually replaced the parchment cups on mine before topping them with mashed potatoes, but they look great without the paper for a non-April Fool’s meal. Top your cupcakes with potato frosting using a silicone spoonula if you have one. (It’s a spoon-like spatula… I nicknamed mine the “Count”.)

Cut a traditional loaf into servable slices for dinner and tomorrow’s tasty lunch.

Ketchup, veganaise, and lettuce on gluten-free bread make a hearty meatloaf sandwich that will clean you out of leftovers in a hurry!

Serve these meals with a healthy dose of super-greens. This salad has romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, cherry tomatoes, sprouted pumpkin seeds, and sprouted hemp seeds. It has a creamy ranch-style dressing made of unsweetened vegan coconut yogurt seasoned with chives, marjoram, coriander, pink peppercorns and sea salt.

Unfaithfully Yours (April Fool’s Y’all!),

Leigh

P.S. For other healthy mashed tater recipes, check these out:

Irish Colcannon / Herbed Kale Mashed Potatoes St. Patrick’s Day Recipe (Allergy-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Quick & Easy “Shortcut” Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Heart-Healthy & Dairy-Free)

Parties & Tablescapes

Leaping Bunny Topiary Spring Indoor Garden Party Décor Ideas for Easter or even Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches

March 26, 2015 Leigh

Say goodbye to winter storms and hello to spring splendor with a vivacious indoor garden party resplendent with leaping bunny topiaries! Put away the pastels and embrace vibrant carrot oranges and greens echoing this time of growth. Add apropos messages spelled out in hedgerow letters declaring the true reason for the Easter season. Give lettuce-edged napkins the bunny ear treatment as a tongue-in-cheek homage to all those cherished family photos. Layer chevron patterning with textural fibers to modernize the fête’s décor, forming an ensemble proclaiming, “Hello Spring!”

Crisp orange and white chevron fabric awakens the senses, making it the perfect underpinning for this little soiree. (My mother actually made this tablecloth, which is amazing for someone who has repeatedly stated, “I don’t sew.”)

Layered on that are round raffia mats placed as chargers. Rustic sage green plates are topped with orange salad bowls filled with fresh garden salads of baby greens like kale, spinach, and chard, with orange heirloom cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers, fresh parsley, sprouted pumpkin seeds, and crunchy carrot croutons. (Find the easy recipe for it here.)

Daily flatware is used, with the exception of the knives which have been exchanged with lovely patterned versions. (Mixing patterns is not only okay, but fantastic!)

Orange burlap bunny ears napkin rings hold lettuce-edge napkins matching the sage plates. (Learn how to easily make your own rings here.)

Understated water glasses were chosen as the only simple elements on the tablescape. Carrot lollipops with jute bows sit in place of dessert spoons. (Find them on sale at affiliate Oriental Trading Company. The link in the side bar adds a coupon with free shipping to your cart automatically.)

Baby leaping bunny topiaries sprout from burlap covered carrot pots above each place setting. (Learn how to craft them easily here.) Tiny printable carrots act as place-cards for each invitee. (Snag my free printables here.)

Big bunny mama springs from the center of the table in declaration of a beautiful life.

Orange twine wrapped Easter eggs sit on the grass beneath her. Twine and crepe carrots suggest growth of one’s soul.

Faith stands as the center of the celebration both literally and figuratively. (The hedgerow letters are bandaged with burlap and jute symbolizing that one may be battered, but not broken when one has such faith.)

The side table holds another hedgerow spelling Believe. It sits with an additional egg enmeshed in a swirl of vibrant chevrons and burlap lilies.

A green trunk elevates another bunny constructed of grapevines holding both faux farm eggs and green bird eggs.

Above that a carrot wreath with my topiary printable hangs next to my banner. (Find the carrot wreath at affiliate Cost Plus World Market whose sale link is in the sidebar.)

The end of my printable bunny and carrot banner sits close to a burlap carrot sign extending an honest welcome to all enter. (Get my free printables here.)

Take an idea or two, or use all of my craft tutorials and free printables for your own indoor garden party that declares, “Hello Spring!”

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)

Arts & Crafts

Easy DIY Leaping Bunny Topiary Craft Tutorials with Free Banner, Wreath, Place-card, Invitation, & Thank You Note Printables (for Easter, Showers, Luncheons, & Brunches)

March 26, 2015 Leigh 1 Comment

Make your own tabletop garden full of leaping bunnies for your next indoor garden party. DIY these easy projects 3-dimensionally or with my free printables… or mix and match the crafts as I’ve done here. Choose your own color and theme to embellish the bunnies with, or follow my lead and make burlap carrot pots to sprout your menagerie from. Better yet, keep the wraps, rosettes, and ribbons nonpermanent so the bunnies may be used again for another theme. Let these rascally rabbits transform your spring fling into a colossal cute –fest today!

I’ve seen faux foliage covered bunny and bird ornaments as well as topiary picks at several stores locally, and online the choices are endless. Using one of these ready-mades is the quickest way to craft a 3-dimensional creature topiary. (I’ll tell you how to make 2 other types later.)

Wrap small terra cotta pots with burlap fabric or ribbon, and cut after the overlap. Use dots of hot glue to adhere one side to the other. Avoid gluing the burlap to the pot if you’d like to reuse these with another theme, as I’ll be sure to do in the future. Trim the excess length off with scissors so that the pots sit flat on the table.

Add a length of ribbon around the top and tie it in a taut bow. This is not only decorative, but is a trick to keep the burlap securely in place without having to glue it permanently.

Fill each pot with a chunk cut to fit, from a large block of stryofoam. Wedge little chunks of stryofoam in between the large block and the wall of the pot until the large block has no wiggle room. This keeps your creation from drooping later.

Glue ground cover to the top of your moss. Do this by cutting the green edges to fit the pot, and gluing those edges to the rim. I used faux earth meant for a table runner, but I’ve seen similar stuff in the form of placemats as well. Other options are faux Easter grass, moss ribbon, Astroturf, green burlap, or grass printed scrapbook paper (for the printable topiary).

Cut stems, sticks, or dowels to jab into your ornaments, and wrap them with brown floral tape. If your animals are already on sticks, simply cut them to size with good sheers.

It’s easier to embellish your bunnies before potting them. Double-wrapped a length of jute (or yarn, ribbon, twine) around each bunny neck and knot it loosely. Slip a burlap rosette under the jute so that it sits securely without glue.

Make a pilot hole into the center of the green stuff. Do this carefully with any sharp point from an awl to a screwdriver. (I used a scissor side… but I have a tendency toward crafting dangerously.) Lastly, jab the bunny stick into the pilot hole.

Continue crafting the rest of your rascally rabbits.

Another option is cover a carved styrofoam shape with moss, as I have done with the larger bunny centerpiece. I’m not going to cover that in detail here because it took a lot more time, energy, and patience. If you choose to go that route, you can either purchase a ready-made animal shape, or carve one from a block of stryofoam yourself. Foam cutting knives are available that will make the job slightly easier.

One way to add foliage is to cover your creation with moss ribbon as I have done. This is a kind of moss covered carpet tape. Cut it into pieces and round the edges, so that the animal shape may be completed in an unseen patchwork. Adhere the patches with hot glue, pressing firmly.

Embellish it with a burlap ribbon collar and flower, and pot it in the same way as I showed you earlier. I wanted to reuse the bunny topiary again for future themes, so I did not glue the collar to the bunny. I simply glued the flower to one end of a length of ribbon, and then wrapped the ribbon around the neck. I began with the blank end and looped it underneath. The weight of the flower resting on top of the opposite ribbon end kept it firmly in place. It will look completely different with a another color of base wrap and type of collar embellishment.

The following are my leaping bunny printables (free for noncommercial use). Right click on the image you want to use, and select print. Choose color and photo settings for your printer, and print them on sturdy white cardstock.

To make a paper topiary from my printables, begin by printing and cutting out the two opposite facing bunnies.

Glue them together, back to back with a stick or popsicle stick in between. Pot the stick, as shown previously, and embellish it further with paper rosettes and ribbons.

Cut out the carrots to use as place-cards that rest on your newly crafted topiaries. I printed mine, 2 sheets to a piece of cardstock, so that they would be smaller than the banner carrots.

Another option for folded place-cards, is to print out the 5×7 invitations / thank you cards and fold them in half. Embellish them with tiny bows or paper flowers, and write guests’ names on them.

Adding my leaping bunny topiary printable to the center of an existing wreath is an easy way to update a piece you already own and make it fit perfectly to your theme. (This carrot wreath came from Le fidèLe Design’s affiliate Cost Plus World Market. Find a link to them with up to date coupons in the side bar.)

Make a banner with the bunnies and carrots by simply arranging them in a pleasing manner and taping the backs to jute, ribbon, twine, or yarn. I chose to criss-cross the carrots between the bunnies.

A loop at each end makes it easy to hang with clear thumbtacks.

You can also attach the carrots to readymade treat bags like the orange chevron one here. It’s filled with sprouted pumpkin seeds as a part of a healthy and tasty lunch. (See more of this along with the recipe here.)

(Find the bunny ears napkin ring tutorial here.)

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The Easter Bunny approves this message.

(This is one of the wild backyard bunnies visiting my porch!)

Parties & Tablescapes

Candyland Themed Party Décor Ideas (for Baby Showers, Children’s Birthdays, or Christmas Decorating)

March 19, 2015 Leigh 2 Comments

This Candyland theme was inspired by Mary, a dear lady who passed on long ago, but left her inimitable words of wisdom with me, “life is uncertain, eat dessert first,”…and she always did! So it is with her spirit of joie de vivre, that I unbound that creative kid within me that clamored for a sensory sugar high. To release your inner child, follow my 3 part DIY party decorating series (with easy project tutorials and free printables) as it’s a sure path to crafting your way to classic Candyland cuteness! Using some or all of the décor ideas (befitting kid’s birthdays, baby showers, and Christmas parties), you’ll be sure to delight the inner-child in your guests as well! While you’re at it, use my allergy friendly recipes and serving suggestions to fill your candy buffet quickly and easily. For now, let us escape to Candyland…

A Candyland village of (glittered) gingerbread houses sits nestled atop an icing laden hillside (of buffalo snow batting) dotted with (pom-pom) sprinkles.

(Faux) lollipop trees spring forth from gumball forest floors (in speckled metal pails) and (real) candy-cane thickets abound.

Gingerbread people (treat boxes) populate the village, travelling amongst the wellsprings of jellybean pools (in pink plastic pails).

A few “gingies” guard a fenced supply of the village’s juice-milk stores.

Gingerbread (banner) clouds float high amid skyscraping treat towers holding abundant soirees offering peppermint candied almonds, twisty marshmallows, pastel taffy, and (healthy) spicy guacamole shooters with pink pomegranate potato chips.

The towers’ penthouse floors encircle trios of cotton candy “cream” sodas with peppermint striped straws.

Round rainbow swirled plates and napkins stand by to serve Candyland visitors.

Boxed and wrapped candies sit ready for shipment to their final destinations.

Gingerbread peep billboards pop up to signal the way to gastronomical paradise.

Gingerbread (cookie) ladies and gentlemen hold snowball (cookie) fights in the village round, whist the tiniest of “gingie” tots toddle home with gumball treats over candy-cane cobblestones lain over pink velvet (cupcake) roads.

A low gingerbread fog sinks below the sugary iced hills perched above a pink (cloth) cliffside.

Around the bend, pink hard candy (lanterns) shine high above big rock candy mountains.

Glowing with hard candy (ornaments), they burst forth with pyroclastic explosions of candy treats spilling over pillowy white icing.

Hard candy (ornament) boulders tumble amid (faux) ribbon candy bushes and flowing streams of (real mega) candy buttons.

(LED) peppermint light posts illuminate the scene.

(Real) candy-cane thickets and (faux) cupcake bushes dot the camping site where gingerbread residents roast marshmallows in the midst of the pink (tablecloth) countryside.

A rainbow lollipop (lantern) arcs above the distant rock candy mountain (tree).

A lone home defiantly stands amidst the candy (ornament) strewn mountainside adjacent to a fallen (faux) ice cream cone log.

Waterfall (faux mega) candy buttons stream down the embankments whose vistas shout, “Welcome to Candyland!”

Wishing you a sweet life of seized moments in eating desserts first!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Learn how easy it is to construct your very own Candyland village in these 5 articles:

DIY Candyland Party Themed Craft Tutorial: Gingerbread People Banner, Treat Gifts Boxes, & Printable

DIY Candyland Party Themed Craft Tutorial: Hard Candy Lanterns, Candy Ornaments, & Conversation Heart Garland

DIY Candyland Party Themed Craft Tutorial: Game Board Treat Tower & Easy Buffet Display

Quick & Easy Candyland Confection Ideas: Pink Almond Milk Juice “Recipe”, Cotton Candy “Cream” Sodas, & Gingerbread Peep Pops

Spicy Guacamole Shooters / Avocado Appetizers Recipe (Allergy-Friendly & Nightshade Free = No Red Pepper or Tomatoes)

Arts & Crafts

DIY Candyland Party Themed Craft Tutorial: Game Board Treat Tower & Easy Buffet Display

March 19, 2015 Leigh

Craft your way to classic Candyland cuteness befitting birthdays, baby showers, and Christmas décor. This tutorial for a game board treat tower and easy buffet display are part three of a DIY party decorating series with easy projects and free printables. Using some or all of the ideas, you’ll be sure to delight the inner-child in all of your guests. Sweet!

These simple crafts all utilize the same teacher’s bulletin board banner strips in a licensed Candyland board-game pattern. I made two towers, wrapped six pots, covered two milk corrals and a bunch of food picks… and I still have many strips left over! All of this is from one package of super-cute and inexpensive banners that could not fit my theme more perfectly.

To cover food crates, all you need to do is measure the front width and cut a length off. Double a piece of tape onto itself to hold the cardstock in place during the party. Remove it to reuse later for another craft. One idea is to let the kiddos make thank you cards out of it.

Wrap a length of the banner to coordinate a plain metal bucket to your theme. Simply cut and tape the ends together.

These can be used to hold candy and prop up Gingerbread Peep Pops (see the Candyland Confections article here).

Make food picks by simply cutting the leftover banner end bits into colored squares.

Tape toothpicks or popsicle sticks behind them. These can also be used for place-cards if you like.

My treat towers begin with ordinary cupcake stands that are transformed into darling 3-D gaming creations.

To make your own, first find a commercially packaged stand in a matching color palette.

Cut the teacher’s border into two sections (so that they’re small enough to allow food to be placed once it’s completed).

I just followed the natural curve of the game path pattern.

Put the stand together as per the package instructions.

Hot glue the underside if you really want it to be super-sturdy.

Hot glue a strip to the outside rim of each level. Cut off the excess length.

If your ends don’t match up perfectly, just trim off the top edge to make them appear seamlessly adjoined.

These are what the towering creations look like when laden with sweet treats galore! (See my allergy-friendly Spicy Guacamole Shooters Recipe here.)

Check out the rest of my Candyland craft series: Gingerbread People Banner, Treat Gift Boxes, & Printables and Hard Candy Lanterns, Candy Ornaments, & Conversation Heart Garland as well as the final party post on Candyland Themed Party Décor Ideas.

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Arts & Crafts

DIY Candyland Party Themed Craft Tutorial: Hard Candy Lanterns, Candy Ornaments, & Conversation Heart Garlands

March 19, 2015 Leigh

Craft your way to classic Candyland cuteness befitting birthdays, baby showers, and Christmas décor. This tutorial for hard candy lanterns, candy ornaments, and conversation heart garlands are part two of a DIY party decorating series with easy projects and free printables. Using some or all of the ideas, you’ll be sure to delight the inner-child in all of your guests. Sweet!

Old-school paper lanterns may easily evolve into supersized hard candy confections with a few simple steps. Begin with any variety of sizes and colors (but choose lighter versions if you wish to light them). You can even find some in a candy swirl pattern like these red and white striped kinds in graduated sizes… or just start with white and add your own stripes. Craft paint is quicker, but marker works as well. Tie a loop of twine, ribbon, or fishing line to the top of each lantern to hang them by later.

Use a theme coordinating color of gift basket cellophane to wrap around each lantern. Be sure the ends overlap before cutting. I used opalescent pink so that the red stripes would show through as hot pink. This way I can reuse the lanterns later with a clear wrap as peppermint candies or without wrapping as striped beach balls in summer.

Tie a length of twine or ribbon to gather the cellophane at the lantern’s base. I actually used a pink and white yarn that mimics baker’s twine but is less expensive.

Pull the hanging cord straight out from the top of the lantern, and gather the cellophane around it. Pull the wrap taut around the sphere (like you would make a ponytail). Tie another bow around this end to secure it. (Note that you can now throw in some lit LED tea-light candles before closing it, but read on to find an easier way to light them.)

Cut off the excess cellophane from the “candy” ends so that it appears to be the right proportion.

You can set these on a table, integrate them into a display, or hang a grouping of various sizes to make a hanging centerpiece. I opted to hike up the chain of my chandelier with an S-hook to shorten it. (See a picture of how to do this here: Frozen Winter Wonderland Themed Christmas & New Year’s Eve Dinner Parties.) Then I attached the twine loops with a couple inches of wire to the chandelier at different levels. I turned the light on, and was immediately awash in a pink candy glow as the light filtered through the lanterns and cellophane. A plug-in up-light aimed squared at the lanterns will also cause them to glow in any location of your choosing. It’s much easier to do this rather than wait to light, close, and then hang your lanterns at the last minute. Of course, another option would be to purchase a light kit for each lantern then plug all those cords in… but who needs more trouble and expense?

The exact same method was employed to craft the hard candy ornaments using, well… ball ornaments.

The only difference was that I didn’t tie on twine hangers, because I elected to use them for table display instead. They would have been lovely hanging though. I can always add twine to string them on a tree or centerpiece later, because I intentionally left the round hanging eye stick out of the gathered wrap. It’s visually concealed by the cellophane.

I made “big rock candy mountains” out of lit white Christmas trees that appeared to glow from within. I then placed the “candy”ornaments on and around them.

Ribbon candy ornaments are another simple décor craft that can utilize bits of leftover ribbon or even old package wrapping for an eclectic mix. I used a portion of a giant roll from Costco that is actually reserved for another project. Real ribbon candy doesn’t have glitter and has stripes facing the other way, but I thought they were adorable anyway.

To make these, just hot glue a line onto the ribbon’s end, and tap it down to form a loop.

Keep repeating this action, forming more and more loops, until you reach a size that seems proportionate to a candy dimension.

Cut off the end, and glue it down to form the last loop.

Next, add a hanger if you’d like to. I used the same thin ribbon as the banner in part one of the Candyland craft series. Make a loop through one loop end of the “candy” and tie a knot. (This seems to be a much safer option, than metal hooks, around small children and pets.)

Hang these from Christmas trees, add them to a candy lantern display, or set them around a centerpiece like my “big rock candy mountains”. The “icing” bases in the picture were comprised of blankets of buffalo snow batting.

The last craft for the tree is a conversation heart garland that would serve equally as well as a banner for a Valentine’s celebration.

It’s so simple and inexpensive because it utilizes foam craft hearts and yarn (or thin ribbon, or baker’s twine if you like).

Begin by simply setting out your hearts according to color, so that you can string them in a pleasing order.

Use a ruler (or just “eyeball” it) in order to hot glue them back to back spaced 3 inches apart, sandwiching the yarn in-between.

Cut the yarn after the last “foamie”, and knot the ends to prevent fraying. (Click here to see the same method used on my kid-friendly “Glitter-ween” garland.)

Check out the rest of my Candyland craft series: Gingerbread People Banner, Treat Gift Boxes, & Printables and Game Board Treat Tower & Easy Buffet Display as well as the final party post on Candyland Themed Party Décor Ideas.

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Living Faithfully ~ Embracing Creativity