TREASURE CHEST with cake

Another Pirate themed project for you. I wanted to create a treasure chest that sat over the birthday cake. I had to be really creative with this idea because 1) I didn't want to spend too much money, and 2) I didn't want to light anything (or anyone) on fire.

I started with a generic Styrofoam chest just like you see above. I cut about 2-3 inches off the bottom of the chest so there was a huge opening at the bottom. The idea behind this was so the treasure chest could just be lifted straight off the cake instead of trying to lift the cake out of the chest.

Next I covered the entire chest in contact paper that had a wood grain print (see above). This was the most tedious part of the entire project because I had to make small incisions around the intricate corners so that the contact paper kept the treasure chest form. Some of the seams were a little sloppy but these will be covered up by aluminum foil so it wasn't a big concern.



Chest covered in contact paper with bottom cut out



You'll notice in the picture above I also added handles to the chest. These were purely for show and had no utility. The handles were created from wire and aluminum foil. Probably another piece of the project I could have spent more time on.

After covering everything in contact paper I used aluminum foil to look like metal brackets that were holding the chest together. I spray painted the foil with gold spray paint (I think regular silver would look good too), and then cut strips about 1-2 wide. These were then placed along the edge of the chest and secured with glue. As I mentioned before the foil does a nice job of hiding the seams of the contact paper.

Chest with handles and "metal brackets" created by foil

Next I used the thumb tacks to look like rivets along the foil. I'm not sure how many I used but I was pretty generous with my placement of the tacks. You'll notice above that I was pretty successful getting the overall look.

After the tacks came the sticks. I used regular skewers to secure the top of the chest in an open position. I thought about keeping the lid closed but it needed to be open so the candles didn't light the lid on fire. I simply cut the sticks in half, made aligned holes in both the chest and the lid, and then carefully married the two together. Keep in mind that you're working with Styrofoam and it is fragile! This part takes a little more finesse.

Viola! You have a treasure chest! The only thing left to do is to bake your cake and place the chest around it. You'll need to measure the bottom of your chest so you know how big your cake can be but that's the easy part ;)  I took a 9x13 sheet cake, cut in half, and stacked one layer on top of the other. After frosting I put gold coins and candles on the cake to really make it look like the chest was filled with gold. Here is the final product:



Aerial view of the chest filled with cake and gold coins

Paleo

My husband will tell you that I tend to jump on Fadwagons (fad bandwagons) quite regularly. Most would say that is an insult but I'm taking the optomistic high-road and embracing my ability to try new things :P 

Really I'm just trying to find things that work for me and my lifestyle; which is how I came to find Paleo. In all of the information I've read, I've learned that Paleo should not be considered a "diet" in the way that we view Slim-Fast as a diet or HCG as a diet, but rather in the more traditional sense as: "The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats". Paleo is viewed as a lifestyle change which goes against the modern McDonald's & Coca-Cola mentality that we've all grown up with. I like the idea of something that I can try to sustain long term instead of suffer through for 30, 60 or 90 days at a time.

For those that have been living under a rock - Paleo is also known as the "Cave Man" diet. The basic idea behind Paleo is if you can Kill It or Grow It then you can Eat It. Obviously this leaves a lot of items up for interpretation, and there starts the rationalization: "Well I can grow wheat and turn it into flour, so why can't I eat bread?". Sorry no - think more troglodyte, and less Aztec; Really get back to your roots - literally

Basics of Paleo (as gathered from various online sources)

- No Sugar - no forms of sugar - including pretty much anything that ends in the suffix "-ose"..glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc.

- No Grains - includes breads, pastas, noodles

- No Legumes - includes beans & peanuts

- No Dairy **this seems to be a point of dispute for many authors in the bloggosphere. I intend to read more about this but for now I'm non-dairy

- Things to Eat:

           - Veggies

           - Meat

           - Nuts

           - Good Oils (coconut, avocado, fish)

           - Fruit (select fruits)

- Avoid Caffeine

- Drink Lots of Water

- Avoid Alcohol

Obviously there are a lot more details that go with the above bullet points but these are the ones I've committed to memory. I'm by no means an expert at Paleo; there is still a lot to learn, and it seems like there are a lot of conflicting information about certain Paleo theories, but I'll continue to do my research on the topic, and find things that work for me and my lifestyle. Stay tuned for info on recipes, failures, successes, etc.

Are you trying Paleo? How is it going?

SHIP CUP

Time to share one of my many projects for the Surprise Pirate Party we threw for my aunt's 60th Birthday. My family is a big fan of flip cup so to celebrate the pirate theme I create a SHIP CUP table. Essentially it was a regular 6ft table made to look like a pirate ship that was still functional for the game of flip cup.

Supplies used:

- 1 gold/light tan plastic table cloth

- 2 dark brown plastic table cloth

- 1 white plastic table cloth

- 2 wrapping paper rolls

- 1 roll black duct tape

- 2 half inch dowel rods

- 1 inch diameter dowel rod
- Medium sized packing box - must be tall as the table

- large black permanent marker

Gold table cloth was used on the top. I drew what I thought a pirate ship would like from an aerial view. In hindsight many of my items weren't to scale. I recommend a few measurements or a reference point.

Using half of a cardboard box I created the bow and stern of the boat. This was just to give shape to the side table cloths. The boxes don't have to be pretty in any way.

Front of the boat from an aerial view. I tried to make it pointy but not too extreme.

Underneath I used dowel rods to fortify the structure. This kept the sides from folding in, and it made it more structurally sound for the amount of duct tape I put on it.

On the dark brown table cloths we drew wooden planks. Then these were used to wrap the pirate ship from bow to stern so it looked like the side of the boat. **Note** you'll have to strategically tape the sides of the table cloth to the inside table legs to keep the sides taut. Again, it doesn't need to be pretty.

Using the wrapping paper rolls and white table cloth I created the mast. The 1 inch dowel rod is useful to make the mast more sturdy.

 

Here is the view from the top while we played Ship Cup, and how the front of the boat looked when completed. This was a great addition to our pirate parrrrty!

Square One

Ok I'll be the first to admit that I failed miserably at maintaining my workout program and diet. I was so pumped when I first started. Junk-food and beer didn't even sound good because I felt so healthy and full of energy! Then came the cheats, the excuses, the justifications for just one little (fill in the blank with your favorite vice here). All of which ended in the inevitable down-ward spiral back to square one. *SIGH*

Well I guess if people didn't fail at diets/exercise then there would no longer be a need for a new, "latest-and-greatest-health-craze. How would Richard Simmons, Tony Horton, or Dr. Atkins survive if millions of us didn't yo-yo back & forth between high-school skinny, and busting the buttons on our relaxed fit jeans.

***VENTING DONE***

Like Puff Daddy once said "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"; especially No-Body like my current Body. I'm not going to let this small speed bump keep me from feeling good in my own skin, peppered with a bit of self-confidence.



Let's get back on this crazy train

All aboard!

Parrrrrty

Successful Surprise Pirate Party last night for my Aunt's 60th birthday! We had a pirate pinata, cake in a hand made treasure chest, Ship Cup (pirate version of Flip Cup), and many other fun games!

Pirate Post Signs

Another Pirate Party project completed! We took a regular cardboard box cut them into approx 4 inch by 12 inch sections. Then cut strategically to make them look like aged wood on one end, and a simple arrow on the other. Next we used a permanent marker to apply a "grain" and our favorite pirate words. Towards the end of the project we were cracking up over terms said in our best pirate accent - arrrrrrghh! During the party the plan is to attach these to a post to add a fun flair near the entrance. Stay tuned for more pictures!

Mustache Wednesday VI

Mustache Duck Tape?!?! Soooo excited to use this on a care package to my favorite peeps! I found this at Walmart (not my favorite store but I happened to be in there). Be sure to look for some near you!

Pirate Projects

Sneak peak at one of the Pirate themed projects I'm doing this weekend.
Stay tuned for pictures of the finished products!

Mustache Wednesday V

Can you believe it's already Mustache Wednesday V?! Wow time flies. Today's little gem is from Digby & Iona online store. I present to you:

The Inspector Clouseau Necklace

Such a dapper 'stache! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Mustache Wednesday IV

A perfect gift for any groom...

Aren't these awesome?! I think cuff links should be worn more often, and these would be a perfect addition to anyone's link collection.

Happy Mustache Wednesday!

Let's Do This

Day 15 - 2nd Fit Test & Progress Report

Day 15 -

Quarter of the way through! Woo-hoo!

Yesterday I took my 2nd Insanity Fit Test, as well as measurements, pictures, etc.

Let's take a look at the Fit Test progress I've made in two weeks:



Not too shabby! I think half the battle on the first Fit Test is just not knowing what you're doing. The real challenge will be on Day 30. Then we'll see if I've made true progress.

So far my weight hasn't dropped as much as I've wanted it to. I've been teetering right around the 190 mark which is still really heavy for my frame. However I've definitely felt a difference in how my pants fit! Even though I'm not shedding lbs like Ghandi I'm still losing inches which means I'm probably also gaining my muscle back. In two weeks here is my progress report:

Lost 6 inches in my waist and about 5 solid lbs (not water weight)

Hope your battle is going as well, or better, than mine!

ASU Rugby

Rugby season starts this week! I'm so excited to be back on the pitch coaching a great group of girls. If you've never heard of rugby then you should most definitely Google it. In my opinion it is one of the greatest sports ever created. It will finally be in the Olympics in 2016! Here's to a great season!

Happy Friday Everyone!

*This poster was created by our good friend and alumni Ashley George. Check out her website - she does amazing work!

Mustache Wednesday III

Mustaches aren't just for your face!

May I introduce you to:

     &

Now your fancy whips can also ride in style with their very own staches! Choose from a variety of different colors to match your vehicle's mood. Great for tailgating!

I know, these are a little silly and perhaps over the top but I'm sure you can think of someone that needs one of these for Christmas :-{] 

 

Northern AZ Wine Tour

This past weekend I went with my cousin on a Northern Arizona Wine Tour. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of excellent wineries in this area. My only regret is we ran out of time once we hit Jerome! We're already planning our next visit North so we can share these wonderful places with the rest of our friends and family.

If you live in Arizona, or are visiting and need an activity for a day, I would highly recommend this tour! There are two important steps before you begin 1) Find a DD! And 2) visit Arizona Vines and Wines website to get a comprehensive map of wineries. They also list a few of the wineries that are in Southern Arizona.

We left Phoenix at 10am and we were at our first winery, Page Springs Cellars  by 11:30am. Our plan was to stay in Prescott for the night so we started with 3 wineries just East of Cottonwood/Jerome and made our way West until they closed the last shop.

We visited:

• Page Spring Cellars
• Oak Creek Vineyards
• Javelina Leap Vineyards
• Pillsbury Wine Company
• Arizona Stronghold
• Caduceus Cellars
• Jerome Winery (planned to visit but missed closing by 10 min)

Flight of Wine at Caduceus

  



Oak Creek Vineyards

 



Fruit and Cheese Platter

  



Pillsbury Wine Company





Merkin Vineyard Wine





Caduceus Cellars





Arizona Stronghold

 




Oak Creek Vineyard





Vino Tartare



 

All the wineries we went to had fantastic staff and great wine! We agreed that our favorite place was Page Spring Cellars. We had the combo flight there (both reds & whites) and all of them were so smooth. I'll admit that we're not wine connoisseurs of any sort but after visiting 6 wineries we just couldn't find anything as good as our first stop.

A few tips if you go on this tour:

- Start early. If your goal is to hit as many places as possible then be sure to be up there by about 11am. All the wineries we visited opened at 11am.

- Bring water! We went on one of the hottest days of the year. While almost all of the wineries had water we still couldn't get enough in between tastings

- Stick to the wine map. Some of the wineries up there don't have actual tasting rooms. All of the ones on the wine map are open to the public

- Ask questions about wines that aren't included in your flight. We ended up with a few extra tastings because the sommelier wanted to show off a different label

- Check out a vineyard tour at least once. Learning about how they make the wine is extremely interesting!

- Bring snacks! The wine and cheese platter in the pictures was something I put together and brought with us. We asked the winery if we could enjoy our own foods and they said "absolutely!". Our platter was much bigger than anything they serve there, and definitely a lot cheaper.

- Realize each winery has a tasting fee - we spent $5-$10 at each location. That will get you an average of 5 tastings at each place, and usually they'll give you a souvenir wine glass

- Have fun! Don't take yourselves too seriously. After all they're just grapes!

Easy Healthy Yogurt Pops

These are by far the easiest (and healthiest) Popsicles to make. If you're on a diet, or just trying to eat better, these pops are a fantastic way to curb your sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

Plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup Blueberries

1 Kiwi
 Honey (optional)

• Mix fruit, yogurt, and honey into a bowl
• Transfer mixture to your Popsicle maker
• Be sure to pack yogurt in tightly or it leaves gaps in your pop
• Place in freezer for approximately 2 hours
• Enjoy!

I used honey in my pops because the plain greek yogurt is too tart for me. You could also use artificial sweetener, other flavored greek yogurt, or perhaps more fruit to make it sweeter.

If you don't have a popsicle maker you could put the mixture into smaller tupperware containers so they're ready to be on-the-go!

Hope you enjoy!



Sabotage

Just when I start doing really well I always find a way to muck it up! I slow down all my progress thanks to the 3 dreaded "E's" - Excuses, Exceptions, Errors.

This weekend was my cousin's birthday so, being the fun-spirit person that I am, we decide to go wine tasting and have a fun Saturday night out at the bars. Obviously I was already doomed as soon as this thought popped in to my head.

 Drinking + dumb eating habits + lack of sleep + no exercise = ruined progress.

I realize I have no one to blame but my self, but I was still disheartened when I weighed myself this morning and saw the "damage". I've been keeping a graph to monitor my weight and this snapshot really explains it all:

That small dip shows my rapid progress, and the sharp incline shows my rapid stupidity.
WHY do I do this to myself?!

My only saving grace is I'm still at the beginning of my journey so I just need to kick it back into gear. Today I'm back on the right foot and moving forward full-steam ahead!



Jalapeno Jelly Time

One hot Summer night, as I was wondering down the aisle at the super market, a box of Ball Fruit Pectin caught my eye. Being the A.D.D. child that I am, I fore go my nicely printed shopping list and decided to take a gander at the recipes on the back of the box. Mind you I have never done canning before so this isn't a normal everyday activity for me. I've pinned about 50 different recipes on my Pinterest board in hopes that one day I'd have the time (and patience) to make such an old timey creation, but I never thought it would take place on this random Friday night.

Now of all the recipes that are out there which one would you expect a person to choose? Strawberry jelly? Raspberry preserves? Cherry jam? If you've already read the title of this blog then I'm sure you've guessed the correct answer - JALAPENO JELLY. What sane being voluntarily picks such a recipe you might ask? Sanity is not one of my strong suits. It sounded different! It sounded easy! On some cheese and crackers it sounded delicious! So off I went to buy my supplies, and join the millions of domestic goddesses that have mastered the art of canning.

If you're new to canning as well then I'll share some of my pictures with you. It truly wasn't as hard as one might think. I'd give the intimidation factor about a 4. The 2 areas I struggled were: 1) Chopping 12 jalapeno peppers, I recommend gloves; and 2) knowing when the jars were done in the water bath. Since I didn't have an actual "canner" I used a large pot with a towel at the bottom to keep the jars from touching the heat source.





Ball Canning Jars



Canning Supplies. 12 jalapenos. Cilantro. Apple Cider Vinegar.



Dicing the peppers (use gloves!)



Ball Fruit Pectin   

Towel and boiling pot 

   

Jalapeno Puree

Food Coloring for effect

Ladeling into jars  

Leaving head room

         8 jars full    

Pulling the cans out of the water bath

   

Finished Product - so pretty!



I read in the instructions that the jelly can take up to 2 weeks to gel so I haven't had a chance to try an absolute finished product. I put a jar in the fridge to speed up the process but it still a little soupy. My first reaction to this recipe is VINEGARY. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it was just the first thing I noticed. I'm really pumped to try this out once it has completely gelled. I think I'll put it over some cream cheese and serve with Triscuits!


Ball Jalapeno Jelly Recipe: