Time to bead!!!

I had a few moments free recently and decided it was time to clear out some of my bead stash. Leather wrap bracelets were the answer!!! Aren't they pretty? Both are for sale in my ETSY SHOP: www.etsy.com/shop/uniqueandnovel

Black/Bronze Crystal with Black Leather

Teal Pearlized Leather

Yesterday I sorted through some buttons looking for teeny tiny ones to make a button bracelet. When I finished and moved the box out of my way... I saw...

A heart for Valentine's Day!!! 

It formed all by itself... with no help from me. 

Weird!

Meanwhile... to keep my mind busy I have become OBSESSED with 2 new sites... PINTEREST and TOPHATTER. 

Pinterest - is a virtual bulletin board. You can have as many boards as you want, name them whatever you want, and pin whatever you want from any site on the web. PLUS... you can follow your friend's (or any one else too) pin and they can follow you. There are lots of tutorials on DIY projects and TONS of creative inspiration. Follow me!!!

Top Hatter - is a real time auction site. A lot of ETSY sellers auction their things, supplies, crafts, etc on this site. You have to be available for the auctions, and check out via paypal. I have my first lot of supplies going up on the block tomorrow at 10:00am. Check it out!

Check this blog on Monday to see what happened this weekend at my house. I'll give you a hint: It's the first thing I wanted to do when I bought this house a year ago. It's a DREAM COME TRUE for me!

Banana Bread Day!!!

By SPECIAL REQUEST... I baked some banana bread today. Not just any old banana bread... but the BEST BANANA BREAD in the whole darn Universe. Why is it the best??? Because it's not good for you... that's why.

Here's my super easy... yummy for the tummy recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese (softened)
2 (or 3) VERY ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 c Bisquick (or any other brand Buttermilk Pancake Mix)

1. With electric mixer cream the sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy. 

2. Beat in 2 mashed (or 3 if they are small) bananas.

3. Beat in the 2 eggs.

4. NOW... add the Bisquick mix... and quickly TURN OFF the mixer. THIS IS THE SECRET TO GREAT BANANA BREAD!!! You want the dough to be lumpy. Otherwise it will get gummy and taste AWFUL!

Notice the lumps??? 

5. Pour into a greased loaf pan (I use PAM spray). 

*Important.. don't forget to leave some batter on the beaters to lick while waiting for the bread to bake. Yes, REALLY! Salmonella poisoning be damned!

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

7. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from pan. TRY to wait until it's cool to eat. If you can't wait... then add some Vanilla Ice Cream for an extra special treat :-) 

This recipe DOES NOT double well!

Because this bread is so popular, I have to bake 4 loaves just so I get to have a piece or two. Some day I will invest in another loaf pan... but until then I bake them one at a time. For best results and a nice crunchy crust I use a clay loaf pan. Mine is from The Pampered Chef... but there are many different ones on the market that bake just as well.

ENJOY!!!

Where's the cold weather???

Did I hibernate through winter??? The calendar says February 1st... but the thermometer says it's Spring. What the heck???

I made Hot Chocolate sticks to share with my neighbors... to keep everyone nice and toasty warm. See????....

You thread one of these home made chocolate fudge squares on to a wooden skewer... top with a home made marshmallow square from a previous post... and ta dah... a Hot Chocolate Stick. The idea is to warm a cup of milk, stir the chocolate and float the marshmallow. 

YUMMMMM.... Down home goodness!

BUT... the weather is NOT co-operating and it's too damn warm to be drinking hot chocolate. 

I guess I should make a lemonade mix instead???

BTW... the weather isn't stopping me from EATING the chocolate squares... he.. he!

Whoopie!!!! More for me!!!!