But yea the Holidays! Their coming and I’m so excited so I’ve really been thinking up all kinds of crafts I want to make. So far I have my applesauce cinnamon ornaments.

My family is opting for applesauce cinnamon, cloth, and any kind of ornament that’s unbreakable due to a cute 1 year old we have walking around the house! I’m sure he’s gonna wanna touch the tree LOL!

Today I’m going to finish wiring my applesauce cinnamon stars and then I have to paint the bottoms of the hearts. Lots to do!!!

Since I planned to wire wrap before I made this batch I made the ornaments pretty thick at 1/4″ wide.

Please excuse my red fingers in the photos, it’s from the red food coloring.

The wire I used is 24 ga craft wire that I bought at Ben Franklin.

Bend the wire eyeballing the length you want the loop to be.

Twist the longer part around the shorter part.

Place the wire behind the star (wherever you want it to be).

This is the back of the star. I turned the wire to the left here.

I’ve wrapped the wire around the front and to the back.

I tucked the wire under the wire forming the hook to form a catch.

Now I just wire away however I want. This is a simple design but it has to be wired in such a way so that the ornament can’t slip out. This is the back view after I finished wiring. See how I wired over the hook wire? That’s to keep the hook wire in place.

Here it is all wired up. I took the end of the wire and wrapped the hook wire again going up and back down.

This is how the back looks finished.

I can use this to hang on our Christmas tree or I can use it as a package ornament, or as an ornament on a flower or wreath arrangement.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Natural Maui Sea Glass Jewelry
Natural Maui Sea Glass Earrings
Natural Maui Sea Glass Pendants

Here goes! Lots of pictures!

Our good friend Alice of Sweet Savory Life is back with another fun recipe, this time from Tasty Kitchen member Miss Mischief. She also patiently shows us how to properly fill, seal and fry wontons, so you can take this idea and run with it! But please listen to Alice and don’t run where there’s a pot of hot oil. Take it away, Alice!

I love the versatility of wonton wrappers. Most commonly used in Chinese cuisine, wontons are often filled with a savory pork and cabbage filling then boiled as part of a delicious soup or deep fried as an appetizer. However, I’m seeing wonton wrappers being creatively used as an alternative to traditional ravioli pasta dough or fried in strips to use as crunchy croutons on tops of salads. This time, we’re going to fill them as a sweet bite-sized treat. Today I’m happy to share with you an easy chocolate-hazelnut-filled dessert everyone will love.
If you’ve ever been to a crêpe bar/restaurant, one of the most popular fillings is Nutella and bananas. There is something irresistible about a chocolaty hazelnut spread as smooth as creamy peanut butter but as decadent as chocolate ganache. Now imagine this filling paired with the wonderful flavor of banana then deep fried in a paper thin shell. What you have is a crispy golden brown morsel filled with heavenly goodness.
This recipe by Miss Mischief for Nutella Banana Wontons is so easy and yet it is a crowd pleaser guaranteed to disappear quickly! So let’s get started!

Here is what you’ll need:
1 package (12 Oz. Package) wonton wrappers, thawed
2 cups Canola Oil or Peanut Oil
1 jar (13 Oz. Jar) Nutella hazelnut spread
2 whole bananas, sliced thinly (you should be able to get 24 pieces/per banana
1 whole egg, beaten
4 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar (3 tablespoons sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon) or powdered sugar
This recipe works best if you streamline each step.

Line a few cookie sheets with wonton wrappers side by side in single file rows.

Thinly slice bananas so each banana makes approximately 24 pieces. The best way to do this is by scoring the tops of each banana but making dent marks with your knife. Keep dividing and marking the banana in successively smaller halves, repeating the process until you have 24 pieces. After you’ve scored each one, cut along your marks. The picture above shows I’ve scored 12 pieces on each banana which were approximately ¼” thick. But I found these were too big and realized I should have cut them even smaller. Ideally, each slice should be about 1/8” thick (.3 cm).

Open up a ziplock bag and fold the top over itself.

Place the bag in a cup with the edges overlapping the rim of your mug. Spoon approximately ½ cup of Nutella into the mug.

Tip: To remove as much Nutella as possible from the spoon, place your fingertips on the outside of the bag and use them to scrape off as much spread as you can against the spoon as you lift it up and out of the bag.

Snip one of the bottom corners of the ziplock bag. This will become a make-shift pastry bag. Seal the top edge. Point the bag with the cut tip facing down and twist the top of the bag so most of the Nutella is pushed downward until the spread meets the opening (think toothpaste).

Pipe a small Hershey Kiss sized dollop in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Place a banana slice over each dollop and press down slightly.

Prepare the egg mixture by beating the egg. This will be the glue which will hold the wrapper together.

Place a filled wonton in the palm of your least-used (non-writing) hand. With your other hand, dip your pointer or middle finger in the egg mixture and use it like a paint brush to wet two adjoining sides of the wrapper.

Fold the wet sides over the dry ones to form a triangle. Using both hands, pointer fingers, and thumbs, glue the wonton sides together by placing the edges between your fingers and pressing down along the seams to seal them.

Place completed wontons back on a cookie sheet.

Pour oil in a medium-large, non-reactive frying pan, skillet, or pot and set burner to high heat. To check if your oil is ready to use, carefully flick a drop of water in the pan. If it starts sizzling upon contact, your oil is ready.

Using a metal spatula or a large spoon, place as many wontons into the hot oil as your pan will fit without them overlapping. Fry each side until golden brown. It only took me about 15 seconds per side so be sure to not leave your pan unattended. Because we’re not cooking raw meat like a traditional wonton, what you’re really looking for is a golden crispy color when frying these. Your cooking times will vary and it’s best to eyeball your wontons by color as a time measure.

When wontons are done frying, carefully remove them and place them on a cooking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat the frying process until all the wontons are cooked.

To finish these wontons off, coat them in cinnamon sugar. The best way to do this is by placing cinnamon sugar in a small bowl with tall sides. Place each wonton inside the bowl and give it a gentle shake back and forth. Turn the wonton over and repeat.

Or you can sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of each wonton for a beautiful effect on one side.

Allow wontons to slightly cool for a few minutes before serving them.

Didn’t I tell you you’d have a crispy golden brown morsel filled with heavenly goodness?

Just for fun, place one wonton in a bowl of ice cream for a fancy treat.
A few tips and suggestions:

• When deep frying anything, be sure to use a cooking oil such as peanut, canola, or safflower which can handle high heat and has a high smoking point.
• Do not use too much Nutella or thick banana slices. It’s difficult to fold the wrapper over itself and seal the edges if there is too much filling.
• Always attend the stove while deep frying. These wontons cook very fast (under 30 seconds each side) and will burn if left unattended.
• Never use wet utensils when frying. If water droplets come into contact with hot oil, it will splatter and you may get burned or your clothes may become oil-stained.
• Recipe makes 48 pieces. Serving suggestion is 2 wontons per person. Realistically, a person could easily eat between 3-5 of these, so plan accordingly.
• Coating these with powdered sugar looks better but the cinnamon-sugar mix tastes better.

Many thanks to Tasty Kitchen member Miss Mischief for this fabulous recipe!

I’ve been looking for other ways to marinade spare ribs and this looks perfect!

Natural Maui Sea Glass Jewelry
Blue Sea Glass Earrings

Times: Prep 10min, Cook 3min, Total 13min.

Level: Easy Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 sides pork spareribs (about 6 pounds), separated
• 1 (28-ounce) can chunky tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Place the spareribs in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Reserve 6 tablespoons for BBQ Pizza.

Pour the mixture over the spareribs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Oh yummy! I love desserts that are creamy and with fruits. I think I’d leave the booze out and instead of nuts add crushed graham crackers.

Natural Maui Sea Glass Jewelry

Times: Prep 15min, Inactive prep 30min, Cook –, Total 45min.

Directions

Toss 3 sliced peaches with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; set aside until juicy, about 30 minutes. Whip 1 cup heavy cream until it thickens, then beat in 4 teaspoons brown sugar. Add 4 teaspoons bourbon and beat until soft peaks form. Layer the peaches and cream in dessert glasses; top with toasted pecans.

I’m posting my favorite recipes here at Crafty Craftee Crafte:>D WAHM. This is lentil soup, I love the way I can puree it to the consistency of my choice.

Natural Maui Sea Glass Jewelry

Times:

Prep30 min, Inactive Prep –, Cook 45 min, Total: 1 hr 15 min

Level: –, Yield 6-8 servings

• Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
  • 1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
  • 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

  Directions

  Place the olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the onions are translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

The darker Annie heads are ones I made up a while ago the lighter ones I sewed and stuffed a while ago but just got around to dying it the day before yesterday. The dye I used was from coffee grounds not instant coffee so it didn’t turn out as grungy…but grungy is what I like.

To the coffee dye I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and orange flavoring. See the tags? I’m going to redye them when I get the instant coffee dye made…it’s too light. Can’t hardly tell they’ve been dyed except for some cinnamon grounds.

All they need now is some ribbon to hang from a tree or it can be used as a package tie on or a Christmas pin.

This is such a simple craft to make but it’s so nice and the creator of this pattern – Primraggs.com only asks that you give her the credit for the pattern. What a great deal!

Sprinkled some cinnamon powder

The round ones on the gold wire are leftovers that will be used as one of the materials for a Christmas garland. The tiny pieces from the holes I put in the hearts will be dried and collected to use in a potpourri mixture that will also include dried orange peels.

After it’s all dried then I’ll add ribbon and it’ll be ready to adorn a Primitive Country Christmas Tree…or any Christmas tree!