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Fried Soft Tacos in Coconut Oil are a Delicious Weeknight Meal

August 14, 2013 By Brandy 2 Comments

A childhood favorite dinner, fried soft tacos! Soft flour tortillas are fried in a shallow pan in coconut oil until golden on each side. Fill with taco meat, cheese and a variety of toppings. My mom used chili instead of taco meat for a mock Navajo taco. So yummy!

Did you grow up on fried soft tacos? I did and so did my husband. It is still my favorite way to have a taco, but I only make them on rare occasions because throwing thatÂ huge spoonful of shortening into the pan kind of makes my heart hurt. But they are oh so good!Â Recently I tried using coconut oil and they were JUST as good. So that is a better alternative.Â Â If Â you haven't had a soft taco this way, you need to try it. And make them for your family...a few times a year.

Fried Soft Tacos in Coconut Oil

I throw aÂ BIG spoonful (about ⅓ c.) of shortening or coconut oil into a hot frying pan. Fold your tortilla in half and toss it into the oil. When it begins to puff up and turn golden brown on the bottom, flip it over with some tongs and fry the other side.

Repeat for remaining tortillas. I usually do two at a time. Add more shortening if needed.

Drain on paper towels and fill with your favorite taco fillings!

Heaven on a plate right there.

The Tiny Bag {Toddler Backpack}

August 6, 2013 By Brandy 6 Comments

Little sister was feeling left out the other day when the older ones were getting their school backpacks out and trying on new ones. She even tried to get one of them to strap a lunch box on her back so that she could have one too.

That's when I decided that she needed her own. Being the crazy person that I am, I decided to make her one instead of buying one. She isn't even 2 years old and is such a petite little gal. I found a toddler backpack tutorial online and altered it quite a bit to fit her body.

Using scraps (flannel and cotton), and the fittings from Aaron's broken backpack, I created this little backpack for her. It zips open and has plenty of room for her toys and treats.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!"

Here is the tutorial I used from Crazy Little Projects. It is the perfect toddler/preschool backpack. Since Ruby is so small, I had to shorten it by about 4" and bring in each side about 2". I used a 9" zipper, and altered all side pieces and strapsÂ to be smaller as well.

I did my straps and strap fittings completely different than the tutorial. It just made more sense to have it patterned after a regular backpack. With the length adjustment straps at the bottom. You can see how I laced them in the photoÂ above.

The tutorial shows how to add a lining. Since I used a heavy fusible interfacing on each piece of fabric, and was running low on coordinating fabric scraps, I decided that the interfacing would be sturdy enough.

At times I thought this project was a nightmare, but then it would start to come together again and give me more confidence. I am always so grateful for those who share their tutorials. This one was just darling and she did a fantastic job with it.

RubyÂ has been wearingÂ her backpackÂ all over the house and even brought it to church with her.Â While she may want to tag along after her siblings, I'm thrilled to have her home with me for another 4 years!

DIY Lip Gloss

August 3, 2013 By Brandy 24 Comments

DIY lip gloss is incredibly easy to make. If you can melt and pour, you can make lip gloss. Like Burt's Bees? You can make your own version of their peppermint lip gloss yourself for a fraction of the price. Prefer something sweeter? Add your own flavorings and scents to create any variation you want! This post contains affiliate links.

First, you will need to gather your ingredients. I purchased some in the grocery store and the rest online.

Beeswax pellets: I purchased these on etsy for a couple of bucks. This small baggie will last me a long time.

Coconut Oil: You can find this at the grocery store in the baking aisle. I purchased Spectrum organic coconut oil. There are so many uses for coconut oil so even though you will only use a few tablespoons in this recipe, it won't go to waste.

Vitamin E Capsules: You can find a small bottle for less than $1 at the drug store.

Olive Oil: easily available at the grocery store.

Essential Oils: I purchased mine on E-bay, but you can find these from a variety of companies.

Flavor Oils: If you choose not to use essential oils, you can find a variety of flavor oils on etsy. Kaylee chose "Monkey Farts" to scent her DIY lip gloss. (It smells like bananas and fruit---in case you were curious).

Lip gloss tubes:Â I've purchased the lip gloss containers (screw on lids) from Bulk Apothecary for a great price, and you can find the lip gloss tubes like the ones above on Amazon.

Medicine syringe: This makes pouring the melted ingredients into the tubes quick and easy.

Microwaveable dishes: I used glass ramekins. Something throw away would be even better so that you don't have to clean them. Just toss them in the trash when you are finished!

Gathering your ingredients is the hardest part. Now that you have decided which types of oils/scents you'd like to use, let's makes some lip gloss!

This recipe makes 12 tubes with some to spare. I divided it into 3 small individual batches so that we could make a variety of scents: peppermint (think Burt's Bees!), lemon lime, and monkey farts. So each smaller recipe made about 4 tubes. If you want to leave it unscented or only use one oil, just make the whole batch.

You can mess with the measurements to make the lip gloss more/less firm. I've adjusted this one to make a consistency that I like, but if you'd like one even softer you can add an extraÂ tablespoon or so of coconut oil to your batch and experiment from there.

DIY Lip Gloss

makes 12 tubes

3Â Tablespoons. beeswax pellets
3 vitamin E capsules
4 Tablespoons. coconut oil
3 Tablespoons. olive oil
20-24 drops essential oil orÂ flavor oils

Place all ingredients (except for essential oils) into a microwaveable dish. Just cut the tips and squeeze out the oil from the vitamin E capsules. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until beeswax is melted. It will take between 60-90 seconds. Dip a small spoon in your wax, life it out,Â and let it cool. Test the consistency by running your finger across it. If you'd like it to be a bit more smooth, you can add your extra oil now. Microwave again, and re-test.

Add your oils to your liking.

Using your syringe (and working quickly!) fill your tubes all the way to the top. Keep adding individual drops of the mixture until it is almost over-flowing. The mixture settles and this prevents a dip in the center of the tube.

Let stand until firm and completely cooled before adding caps. This was such a fun project and I am looking forward to making more as gifts. Like I said before, experiment with your ingredients. I may try adding more oil the next time around to see what that does. My first batch was drier than I would have liked, but the second batch turned out great. It set up well, went on smooth and feels amazing. The peppermint makes your lips feel nice and tingly.

Kaylee added stickers to hers so that she could tell them apart from mine. We even made an unscented tube (the race car) for Aaron.

If you could choose any scent combination for a DIY lip gloss, what would it be? I'd love suggestions on what kind to make next time!

If you enjoy making your own beauty products, you may enjoy this collection of homemade beauty gifts that I put together below!

Homemade Beauty Gift Ideas

Reversible Placemat Tutorial

July 31, 2013 By Brandy 13 Comments

This placemat tutorial will teach you how to make a set of reversible placemats in under 30 minutes!Â Homemade placemats are incredible easy to make. They are a perfect beginning sewing project and make a great gift.

I've made lots of placemats over the years, and when I got to thinking about it I realized that most of the placemat sets that I've sewn have gone to friends and family who can sew and could easily make a set for themselves.

I think they are one of thoseÂ projects that many of us don't think about making for ourselves. So the next time you are looking for a wedding, birthday, or housewarming gift...think placemats. They make every table setting that much brighter.

This set was sent to my sister and her family as a housewarming gift. Her home is painted in cool blues and greys and I thought this fabric combination would look nice with her color scheme.

What makes these placemats so quick to make is the fact that you don't need to quilt or add batting or padding to make them sturdy. They are made with canvas (home dÃ©cor fabric). If you used basic cotton or calico, you would need something like interfacing or a light batting inside, but two layers of this nice home dÃ©cor fabric works great. You can find all sorts of fun prints at your local craft store. How much you buy will depend on how many you want to make. A yard of each will make at least 4. The fabric I have came in a 60" yard so I was able to make 6.

Reversible Placemat Tutorial

You will need 2 (14"x18") pieces for each placemat.

Lay your front and back pieces together, right sides facing.

Mark a section along one of the long lengths for turning them right-side out in a few mintues. This isn't completely necessary. You can just sew and make sure to stop with enough space to turn it later on, but if you are like me and start day dreaming while you are sewing, this will prevent you from needing a seam ripper if you sew the opening shut.

Starting at the bottom pin, stitch around the entire place mat with a ⅜" seam.

opening in fabric to turn right side out

Remove pins.

Clip your corners so that when you turn it around they will be nice and crisp. Reach you hand inside of the opening and turn your place mat so that the right sides of the fabric are on the outside. Push out corners and iron all seams nice an flat.

Fold down the flaps on your opening and pin to secure. Top stitch a ¼" seam around your entire placemat. This will keep the edges flat, reinforce your stitching, and close up the opening you used to turn it right-side out.

You now have one finished placemat. Continue on until you have 2, 4, or 6 finished placemats!

A fun set of placemats that are reversible too.

Now to decide which fabrics to use for the ones I make for our dining room!

Whether you are making a set of 2 or a set for a family, you can easily finish this project in 2 hours or less.

Nightgown Patterns for Girls: Knit, Flannel or Cotton!

July 22, 2013 By Brandy 24 Comments

Feminine, lightweight, and beautiful. These are the best nightgown patterns for girls for winter or summer. Includes cotton, flannel and knit options.

Both of my little girls love to wear dresses....every single day. I love that they want to be feminine and pretty. Last year Kaylee and I went to the Disney store and picked out a darling Rapunzel night gown. She loves it and has worn it a couple of timesÂ a week since, but I have noticed a trend over the years. Where did all of the simple nightgowns for girls go? The ones without characters all over them?

Nightgown Sewing Patterns for Girls

(Butterick. #6659)

UPDATE: Butterick. #6659 appears to be out of print. The rest of the nightgown patterns in this post are still available.

Ruffle Nightgown Pattern

What happened to the ones we had as little girls? Although, looking back, I think mine may have been made by my Grandma. Maybe that's why they didn't have Rainbow Bright or Carebears on them...although I'm sure I would have loved them just the same.

I wanted to make my girls little nightgowns that they can twirl around in and feel like princesses while they sleep. I used light cotton with the tiniest flower buds. Of course I added a ruffle to the bottom of each one. Worth the extra 10 minutes.

The hardest part was explaining to the girls that these were jammies. They wore them the entire day after I finished them. Sun up till sundown and then to bed that night.

We decided that Fluffy needed one too. My little Kaylee, who is almost 5, sewed up this little dress for her. It was our first real sewing project together and it made my heart happy! She had so much fun and kept letting me know that she could do it all by herself. She sat on my lap and fed the fabric into the machine while I controlled the foot pedal. She did a great job and I can't wait to help her sew more projects as she gets older.

We did not use a pattern for Fluffy's little dress, but you can find the pattern I used for my girl's nightgowns from Butterick. #6659. I bought it years ago for $.99 on sale at Joanns. Each nightgown took about a little over an hour to make.

1 Hour Nightgown Pattern

1 Hour Nightgown /Peasant Dress (click for more details)

This pattern is one of my absolute favorite nightgown sewing patterns for girls and comes together in about an hour. I share a couple different variations that I've made over the years in this post. It's called a pattern, but is more like a tutorial because it only has one pattern piece to cut out! So easy.

Knit Nightgown Pattern for Girls

Bellamy Nightgown Pattern (click for more details)

Another versatile pattern with a sleeveless option and varying lengths.

Flannel Nightgown With Night Cap

Nightgown and Night Cap (click for more details)

I used the same pattern as the 1 hour nightgown above to make each of my girls a Little House on the Prairie inspired nightgown and cap for Christmas. They LOVE their nightgowns, but especially the night caps!

Pillowcase Nightgown Tutorial

Upcyling standard pillowcases into dresses and nightgowns

If you are looking for a great beginner project check out this pillowcase nightgown tutorial from She Holds Dearly. I just love the vintage pillowcases that she used.

Canvas Summer Tote

July 8, 2013 By Brandy 3 Comments

I am so excited about my new summer tote. Don't get me wrong, the re-usable green grocery bag that I had been using was functional, but this one is just plain fun! It is perfect for afternoon outings when I need more space than my basic purse. It also hangs perfectly off of the umbrella stroller and stores nicely inside the cargo area on our bike trailer. This baby goes everywhere with me.

I made it with canvas so that it is nice and sturdy. It will also wash up really well and since I used a contrasting solid red for the bottom, it will hide dirt better than the floral canvas. I absolutely love this canvas fabric. I ordered a yard from Wholeport and it was plenty for the outside. I used a dark pink for the inside.

I made it an inch longer and wider than the pattern. I also made the straps 3" longer to fit my long torso. Oh, and it's REVERSIBLE. Nice.

This bag took me about an hour to make. It was so easy. Nothing I hadn't done before, but I wasn't sure how big to make the dimensions, and so I turned to Dana from MADE and used her Reversible, Lined, Color Block Tote Tutorial.Â Totally cut out all of the guess work and made it such a fun afternoon project.

***

IÂ occasionally will review an item or write a sponsored post with compensation, but only do so for companies relevant to my content on Gluesticks. In this post I received the canvas fabric in exchange for telling my readers about it.

Homemade Marinade Recipes

July 5, 2013 By Brandy 2 Comments

One of our favorite meals are kebobs.Â We love experimenting with different marinade recipes and packets for our meats and usually go back to our staple recipes.Â Â Lately my husband has beenÂ sometimes leaving the meat off of the skewers and using aÂ grill pan over the flame and they turn out just as good! I think they are fun to eat off of the stick though and the kids always seem to enjoy food from a stick.

This timeÂ I used green peppers, onions, and pineapple along with the beef and chicken breast.

Soaking the skewers overnight in water prevents them from burning when on the grill. Load them up with your favorite meats and veggies and grill to perfection!

I have a couple combinations for marinades that we have used for years.
When it comes to store bought marinades we like McCormick's White Wine and Herb and Mesquite.

Our Beef Marinade
(I use this for roasts and steaks as well)

2 c. hot water
¼ c. beef base
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. vinegar

Marinate 4-8 hours.

Our Chicken Marinade

1 c. chicken broth
½ c. soy sauce
½ c. Italian salad dressing
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. garlic powder

Marinate 4-8 hours

Soy Sauce

Yep. Just plain ol' soy sauce. It works great for all meats. We use it for tilapia, halibut, shrimp, chicken, and steak. Sometimes less is more.

Cardstock Busy Book {No Sewing Required}

July 2, 2013 By Brandy 4 Comments

Today I thought I would share our cardstock busy book with you! I made this several years ago for my kids and it has received a lot of use since. Some of the pieces are missing (like the snowman's mouth), but it still works and they still enjoy using it.

If you can't sew, don't enjoy sewing, or don't have time to pain-stakingly hand stitch page after page to make a quiet book, this style of book is for you. Now, this isn't to be confused with a "quiet" book.Â Since it is put together with a lot of velcro, it is a "busy" book 😉

3 rings keep it together. Nice and simple.

Each page as well as eachÂ accessory was laminated to protect it. Velcro sticky dots make attaching each piece super easy.

A manila envelope added to the back stores all of the accessories.

And there you have it! Coming up with the different layouts was so much fun. Here is a quick break down of the ones I created, but the possibilities are endless!

If you don't have a die cutting machine like a cricut you can still make one. There are all sort of fun scrapbooking pre-cut accessories at the craft store and the ones that were super basic like the stop light, you could just cut by hand!

If Â you are feeling a bit more adventurous, you can check out our otherÂ Quiet BookÂ that took a bit longer to make, but the kids love just as well.

Peanut Butter Pops {A Guest Post By My 4 Year Old}

June 11, 2013 By Brandy 4 Comments

We have a very picky toddler who doesn't care for protein and carbs. She isÂ a fruit/veggie and dairy kind of gal and so I have to try to sneak protein and good fats into her when I can. Last night I was making her a peanut butter pop (which she handed back to me) and Kaylee, my 4 year old, wanted to make one for herself.

Before I knew it, she had grabbed a spoon and was helping herself to the peanut butter. Then she said, "Can you make a video of me making a one so that I can show others how to do it?"

You'd think she was the daughter of a blogger or something.

So without further adieu, here is a guest post and video tutorial on making a peanut butter pop by Kaylee! A fun little treat that a kid can make all by themselves and customize it however they want.

Enjoy!