Shield of Protection: Our Pearl Harbor

Shield of Protection: Our Pearl Harbor: This is a guest post from Misty Liu. She and her husband have been all over the country and in Australia for the past 15 years educating ...

BLOCKBUSTER BURGER

BLOCKBUSTER BURGER

great photography

Can I shout out how successful I feel to have found something my hubby enjoys that does not include animal protein!
Since I am allergic to ALL wheat products (& loads of other things) at the moment, I plopped this baby on a bed of mixed greens with a drizzling of salad dressing. YUM!!!! My hubby consumed it as it was meant to be consumed, as a sandwich with cheese, brown mustard and a piece of lettuce. Both were equally satisfying. One of my favorite foods, avocado, is officially a HUGE NO NO in the house for the time being. I am determined to be able to consume avo's once more in this lifetime!!!

HERE is where I found the recipe but THIS is the original source. 

Tweaks:
-I used green lentils instead of black lentils. Worked great for us
-I cut the recipe in a third. Made about 8 burgers 3-4" in diameter
-I sprouted my lentils for 3 days- no leaves or tail but it has been fine (I am too impatient to wait)

FUN bracelets for all ages

THESE 

WERE INSPIRED

BY THESE

linenlaceandlove

THAT WAS INSPIRED BY THIS

Pulp Stone Bracelet

I seriously LOVE Anthropologie, but who doesn't. Anytime I see "Anthro" inspired anything, I have to "check it out." When I saw THESE I knew I had to attempt one or two or three. ;) After all, the how to was laid out for me.

The 1st attempt took several hours because of- "Mom, I need this. Mom, I need help. Mom, I'm hungry, etc...." 

I became quite proficient and didn't take very long to have several of these babies completed. In other words, simple to make. As a matter of fact. I helped 6 teens make these all at the same time. They were quick learners :)

I don't like heavy jewelry but I like the layered look. Layering these makes a fun look without the weight. Plus, each one comes out looking like a one of a kind creation.

Original instructions

Tweaks-
1) I used most of what I had in the embroidery floss pile plus found some prettier aka more expensive floss at the store
2) I started out w/24 gauge wire, dropped down to 20 gauge (wire snapped after several attempts to get on my wrist- too much bending) and found my happy medium at 22 gauge wire. I too could not find a rope that worked
3) I used charms but also found some cute flat, oblong and/or round beads. I made my own rings with the wire or in some cases I used head pins. 

ring made w/head pin straight through the bead & looped with a round nose plier

ring made w/bracelet wire that was then strung through the seed beads

6) I used jewelry cement 

-The hook and eye enclosure did not work too well for me. The hook kept coming out and making the hook part tighter didn't work either b/c then it was too hard to get into the "eye." So, I opted to splurge and put a clasp on the ends. I'm thinking of trying a big bead with a loop as an enclosure. The clasps can be a little cumbersome to get on if you make your bracelet more form fitting like I do
-cost of making these was minimal- all under $3, most under $2

 lobster claw clasp is easier & more secure for some reason

--I used seed beads instead of floss and I really loved the way it came together. Seed beads did not add much weight but did add some "texture." Seed beads are not created equal. Many of the holes were too small for the wire to fit through but don't give up. You'll find just the right fit eventually ;)

I BELIEVE

FREE READ

INSPIRING READ

LIFE CHANGING READ

image from: LDS

Have you ever wondered what friends and acquaintances believe in or what their beliefs are or why they choose a certain way of life? I do, every time I meet someone new. I wonder what my life long friends & extended family members believe in but don't always ask aka have the courage to ask :/ 

There are many beliefs; political, religious and everything in between; in my extended family & circle of friends. We may disagree on a plethora of things but there is one thing that is constant. LOVE!

THIS FREE ENSIGN magazine, geared towards adults and family, can be downloaded as a PDF (once on page scroll down to bottom right PDF button) and read at your leisure. The articles change monthly and are just as uplifting and motivating as the month prior. 

image from: LDS

NEW ERA is a FREE youth/young adult periodical, published monthly with different messages, that has many inspiring stories for youth to learn from and live by. Scroll down once you are on the page and tap  "read articles."

the FRIEND

image from: LDS

We all need a FRIEND and young children are no different. This fun and interactive monthly magazine can provide hours of great reading and activities that are wholesome, educational and worry free for parents.

Meat Lovers Delight

I am NOT a meat lover. Never was. Never will be.

I am giving this meal a 5 out of 5 stars rating. 

Why?

Read on ;)

This past weekend 6 out of the 9 family members were together. It wasn't a long weekend get together but I take whatever I can get. I cooked all day Saturday so that the kids could have some meals for the upcoming week. One of the meals I eked out was this French Dip Sandwich.

I LOVED the ease of dumping the ingredients in the crock pot, hitting the "low" button and not thinking about dinner for the entire day. Hence, the 5 outta 5 rating. PLUS, all 6 consumers of dinner enjoyed this meal :)

You can't have French Dip Sandwiches without French Bread

 Since I have become an almost regular bread maker, I don't like spending the $$ on store bought bread. Have you seen the prices of healthy, aka no preservatives/ingredients you can pronounce/limited number of "ingredients" in the recipe, store bought bread these days---about $4 for ONE tiny loaf---NO THANKS! I'll make my own for pennies, or better yet, I'll get the hubby to make the bread for pennies ;) Hubby, who is from South Jersey (Philly)/BEST BREAD IN THE USA area, made 3 dozen of these babies and gave them a 2 thumbs up. Although he would like to "tweak" them a little to get a more crusty on the outside, spongy on the inside texture, he enjoyed these nonetheless.  

** I served roasted potatoes, yams and asparagus so I could get my vege "fix"

BIG Flavor in 1 Tablespoon

I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD!

JUST LOOK HOW YUMMY THAT LOOKS! If you could smell how good this looks, you would dive in. I just love, love, love Mexican. I used to say "Tex-Mex" food was the best. But, then I had Mexican cooking straight from the cute Mexican lady cooking in the back of the "divey" restaurant/joint while residing in Texas. This was back in the day, long ago when horse and buggies were the mode of transportation ;)
Anyway, back to the article at hand. I tried several homemade taco mixes I found online and was minimally impressed. I KNEW there was something better out there (of course, I was not willing to stand in the kitchen trying to figure it out myself).
The flavors of this mix comingle together to create a very rich, very scrumptious experience.
THIS will now be in the house for ETERNITY!!!! I kid you, NOT!
Your palate will NOT be disappointed. It's worth every penny you spend purchasing all the ingredients.

I use this on my bean quesadillas, tacos, chili, tortilla soup, as a rub, etc...OH, the possibilities...

*TWEAKED*
-3/4 tsp of crushed red pepper
-3 tsp of pepper
-I usually use less then what recipe calls for to a pound of meat/chicken. I have one person who does not enjoy spicy.

 Guest blogger, Claire, is posting her first entry here on pinterestmadeandmore.blogspot.com.
Here is the link for instructions on how to make all of these.
how to make these ornaments

* You will have to go to the link to get the instructions and reviews on these. The entire family was impressed with how these turned out. "Claire" spent many hours fashioning these and it showed. It's hard to choose which is my favorite but, IF, I HAD to choose one it would be the vintage jewelry ornament, made with a beloved Aunt's necklace. It brought tears to my eyes when I opened the box. The picture does NOT show the true beauty of this ornament.