Valentine Day Project 3 - DIY Starbucks Coffee

 I am a huge Starbucks fan. If you have read my previous posts by now you know caffeine is an inseparable part of my daily life. I live by the motto "But First Coffee". And so does my kid's teacher. When we got the wish list for homeroom teacher I saw the teacher mentioned Starbucks. Instead of getting a gift card I found a very nice pink coffee travel mug as a gift for her . It said valentine gift all over it. So I instantly got it. Instead of just wrapping it in a gift bag I decided to make a Valentine box for the teacher's gift . The kids are supposed to make valentine boxes to keep their classroom goodies in. So I took this teacher gift a step further . I made a Starbucks coffee cup with a planter and bowl . First I painted the  plastic planter  pink . I chose pink because I had that color at hand. Plus pink goes well with the valentine theme. Red would have been equally good . I inverted a white plastic bowl on top. But it did not look like whipped cream. So I tore bits of white tissue paper. Then scrunched these bits and added onto the outer part and bottom of the bowl with hot glue. Finally rolled a green cardstock to make a straw. Using my heart shaped punch I added the heart shaped sprinkles onto the whipped cream. The actual Starbucks cardboard cup sleeve came in handy. I glued two of those together and added this around  the planter. It also has the logo on it. I put the travel mug inside this planter ( Oops!I mean cup ) to disguise the gift. I hope my kid's teacher enjoys this DIY planter turned Starbucks coffee cup as much as she enjoys her actual travel mug . What are some of your favorite gifts for teachers ?

Valentine Day Project 2- DIY Truck Box

 My kid and I made this fun truck from a Kleenex box . This truck is to keep her school valentine goodies in. I loved the challenge to use an existing box and come up with a storage container . We were able to recycle existing trash, use supplies at hand and not spend a dime . On Pinterest I saw many shoe box projects . But I wanted to use something else . Kleenex box lying around the house looked perfect as it had an opening already to put stuff in. The Kleenex box is in the middle and is wrapped around in  3 pieces of cardboard. I used an empty diaper box to trace and cut the truck shapes for either sides . I made the top with another long piece of cardboard placed in between the truck shapes holding the Kleenex box.  I left the back flap open to put gifts in. It sort of mimics a trunk opening . Once the structure was ready I let my kid take over . The final decorations were largely my kid's creativity.  We used a heart shaped punch to add hearts on the top keeping in line with valentine day theme. My kid learnt to use the punch last year during our valentine project . ( check it here ) Of course we used scrap pieces of paper to punch out the heart shapes .The license plate reads "kisses ". The pink color, bunting and hearts made it all come together to look so  "lovely" in the end .

What kind of box would you use for your project ?

Valentine Day Project 1 - DIY Tshirt

Tomorrow is Valentine day. You all know that (I hope so !). I do not know if love is in the air but it sure is omnipresent in every single store, on shelves and all window displays. Ahh! the marketing strategies. 

Anyways we are supposed to wear red colored clothes for work tomorrow ( duh! ). I do not feel like wearing any of my current red sweaters or red tops. Guess why ? I do not know either. So keep guessing . Finally I decided on a DIY vinyl t shirt. Preowned but brand new plain red t shirt came in handy. Next I could not come up with any design to put on my t shirt. Heart, XOXO, hot air balloon seemed too cliche and not my cup of tea. Just then a cup of coffee literally came to my rescue. As I was sipping my coffee pondering about my outfit for tomorrow an idea started brewing in my mind. I had read this quote somewhere in the past. Given my love for caffeine ( and dependence on it ) it was just perfect. Instantly I pulled out my Cricut Explore 2. I found this SVG online for free which I tweaked a bit to change the font and placement. Voila! My outfit for tomorrow is ready. I used glitter silver HTV for the first time. I think the colors go so well together. I love the final outcome a lot . And who does not like a little sparkle and that too for valentine day . What do you all think ?

Chutney Cravings - Indian Style Cranberry Chutney

 Cranberries are very tart. They are rich in . Cranberries are a fall staple in grocery markets . I love this tart, tangy and sour chutney. It goes well with not just parathas or white rice but also as dip for fritters .It is even a perfect addition to the cheese board .This chutney can be made on stovetop or in an instant pot. for Instant pot start with saute mode and then cook on high pressure mode for 5 mins. Allow natural pressure release. Add very little water while cooking in an Instant Pot. 

Ingredients -

Cranberries (fresh or frozen )

Ginger

Oil

Cumin seeds

Asafoetida

Turmeric 

Dried red chillies

Salt

Jaggery 

Instructions -

1. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add a pinch of asafoetida, dried red chillies and turmeric. 

2. After tempering  add roughly chopped pieces of ginger. Saute for 3-4mins.

3. Add washed cranberries and mix well. Cover with lid and let them cook for 5-7 mins till they start popping. The skin comes off and then they start bubbling. Stir again and let them cook for additional 3-5 mins .

4. Once it cools add the mixture to grinder with salt and jaggery . Then pulse coarsely to desired texture. 

5. Serve with rice, parathas or enjoy with a toasted slice of  bread .

Pandemic Pantry - Bread Pockets

Bread pockets are such an easy thing to make. Perfect for making a batch before hand or even for to go meals. I love easy recipes with fewer ingredients especially when I have to make them in bulk.  It has been a current favorite at our house for lunch box for past 2 weeks. Best part is I made them in my Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer. So goodness of taste and healthy recipe all in one . Do give it  atry and let me know. 

Ingredients -

Whole wheat bread 

Olive oil 

Pizza sauce

Onion

Bell pepper

Carrots 

Corn 

Salt to taste 

Mozzarella cheese 

Instructions -

1. Chop all vegetables except corn finely for the filling .Heat oil and add pizza sauce. Saute it for 2-3 mins till it starts bubbling.

2. Add onion and saute till translucent .

3. Add remaining vegetables except corn and let them cook.

4. Finally add corn and saute for 1-2 mins.

5. Turn off the stove, add salt and then mix in shredded mozzarella cheese. 

6. While the filling is cooling down cut edges from brown bread slices. Then roll them flat with a rolling pin .

7. Once filling has cooled down stuff it into each slice and close edges with a touch of water . 

8. Preheat air fryer to 350F. Air fry for 5-6 mins and they are nice brown colored and crispy .

DIY Project - Dollar Tree Chalkboard Sign

 Chalkboard signs are all the rage. I so wanted to do a project with it for a while. And who does not love a project that costs nothing. My daughter had received this chalkboard sign from Dollar tree as a return gift at a birthday party. Miss N got her hands already on the sign and started her own version of design. So I had to quickly put it away and hide it . With Valentine's day approaching it was perfect opportunity to use this hidden away chalkboard sign. With my Cricut Explore Air 2 and vinyl rolls at hand here is what I came up with. I loved how the sign turned out. More so with the decor at the border by Miss N. Did you all love the sign ?

DIY Mason Jar Wood Sign - 2

 In my last post I shared my christmas decor using the wood sign  Now it was time to use the blanks for personalized signs . They make great presents be it for christmas /festive seasons or even housewarming . I made one such sign for a sweet couple who moved into their house recently . I had fun using textured vinyl for the first time. The instructions for this project are same as the ones in my previous post here. What do you all think ?

Tips-

1. You can use paint instead of vinyl .

2. Drill a hole at the top of mason jar to make a hanger using twine or ribbon . 

DIY Mason Jar Wood Sign - 1

 Wood signs can be used anywhere for indoor or outdoor display. They can be used for  rustic home decor, welcome sign , lake house, country decor.....you name it . I decided to make a wood sign for christmas decoration. I had blank mason jar wood signs that I had got off of Amazon. With some nice patterned vinyl I came up with this christmas decor. What do you think ? 

Materials -

Blank mason jar wood sign 

Vinyl

Twine

Hot glue gun 

Cricut explore Air 2

Embellishments (optional )

Instructions -

1. I measured the blank wood sign. Given the mason jar shape I decided to use two different vinyls. One for the lid and other for the jar itself. Once I finalized the size and shape on Cricut design space it was time to cut the vinyl

2. I cut the patterned plaid vinyl for the jar itself. The lid shape was cut using the oracle 651 permanent plain black vinyl .

3. After weeding the vinyl I applied it onto the wood sign. I used a scraper for smooth application .

4. I wrapped the twine around the neck of the jar/sign. It also helped me to make a hanger in the back using a loop of the twine.  used hot glue gun to secure the twine to the wood sign.

5. I added lettering using white vinyl .Finally the foam snowflake was a little embellishment for my sign to look more festive .

Tips -

1. You can use adhesive spray onto the wood sign before vinyl application . It will help adhere the vinyl better .

2. Embellishments are optional but they surely add to the beauty of the sign .

3. Do not shy away from patterned vinyl. Play with patterns and blank vinyl just like you would put an outfit together .

4. You can trace the wood sign shape onto vinyl instead of using a software like design space. 

DIY Personalized Name Wood Sign

 I love the look of family name signs. I have seen them everywhere on Etsy, Pinterest, Amazon. These signs bring individuality into a room. They also make a budget friendly gift especially if you are a DIY kind of person. I recently made this sign and cannot be happier the way it came out. As always my Cricut Explore Air 2 did the magic. The recipient family absolutely loved it. They thought it was professionally made and not my DIY art. That was the best compliment I have ever received . Now I cannot wait to try some more wood signs .

Materials -

Blank wood sign 

Vinyl

Transfer tape

Cricut Explore Air 2

Step by step instructions -

1. I used Cricut design space to finalize my design . I used couple different fonts. The sizing of the letters was based on the size of blank wood .

2. I used Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut the letters/names onto the black vinyl. I used Oracle 651 permanent black vinyl. 

3. After carefully weeding the letters I used Cricut transfer tape to make the stickers. Next I carefully applied them onto the wood sign. The Cricut XL scraper came in very handy for the smooth wrinkle free application. 

4. I applied the letters part by part , carefully scraping to remove any bubbles before I pulled out the transfer tape finally. 

4. I used my heart punch for the little red hearts. The red color was the perfect pop of color against the white background and black letters.  

Tips -

1. Use a good sticky mat to help cut and weed the letters.

2. I highly recommend using a good quality transfer tape to make the final stickers after weeding .

3. Do not skip using the scraper for a smooth application. Take your time to apply the letters onto the board . 

Pandemic Pantry - Baked Pasta Recipe

 This pasta recipe has been going viral for a quite a while now. Another viral Tik tok trend that I almost ignored. But glad I did not because the recipe turned out just delicious. My new baking dish made me finally  try this recipe.  I am so glad I gave it a try. Nothing beats a sticky , rich , cheesy pasta sauce recipe. It is a very easy recipe. Baking a block of feta with tomatoes sounds too easy. Doesn't it ? Best part is it can be made ahead of time if there is a big crowd to feed later. It is very filling and leaves people satisfied. 

Ingredients -

Cherry tomatoes 

Feta cheese

Olive oil 

Garlic 

Basil 

Instructions  -

1. In a baking dish add cherry tomatoes and a block of feta cheese in the center. Add olive oil and give it a toss. Sprinkle some salt. Bake at 400 for 30 mins.

2. Crank up the heat to 450 and bake for another 10 mins.

3. Add crushed garlic, basil leaves and red pepper flakes and mix well .The heat from baking will help cook garlic and basil. 

4. Add cooked pasta to above sauce and mix well. 

Tips - 

1. If  you do not wish to change temperature settings you can bake for 40 mins at 400. 

2. You can add spinach instead of basil leaves .Play with herbs like thyme or oregano if you have any at hand . 

3. A scoop of pasta water will help coat the pasta evenly and smoothly.