DIY: Make your own chalkboard paint in ANY color!!

Chalk Board Paint is SO expensive!!! SO happy for Martha Stewart whose tutorial you can read here. She recommends that you use latex paint, but we tried it out with acrylic paints with much success. Here's how you too can create your own chalkboard paint...

 Supplies: 1/2 cup acrylic paint (choose any color you like, or mix colors together to make the perfect shade!), 1 tablespoon unsanded grout (this can be purchased at most hardware/home improvement stores, we got ours at Home Depot), mixing cup or bowl, spoon, paint brush and an object or board you plan to paint on.

 1. Measure out your paint and grout. The unsanded grout is a fine powder so be sure to work in a well ventilated area.

2. Stir the grout into the paint until no lumps remain. 3. Paint your surface with your new custom chalkboard paint! The paint will begin to harden once it is mixed, so only mix what you need at one time as it won't store as well as other paints.

 

 

Once your chalkboard has fully dried be sure to slate the surface before using it for the first time. To slate a chalkboard lightly rub chalk along the surface and then lightly rub it off.

 

Thanks to Martha Stewart for the tutorial and "A Beautiful Mess" for sharing!!!

Stay Crafty Out There~
Bree and Jess

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Single Mom's Crazy Rantings: Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day 2012:
     I found myself moving into a house I knew I was not going to make a home. Two weeks prior to the big move date my husband at the time said to me that he didn't know if I WOULD be moving in. Our lease was up at our apartment, I had 3 young children and I stay home with them. I have no money and not a lot of family. Normally the feelings that run through you on a moving day is excitement, exhaustion, frustration and visions of the home you can't wait to make yours. All I felt was fear. Should I be thankful for being "aloud" to move in? Appreciative? I wore a mask the whole day, spread a fake smile across my face and held back the tears. I know this will end, then where will we live?

Two weeks before Memorial Day 2012:
     Yet again, my husband doesn't talk to us, he slept on the couch again and who knows when he left for work. I pulled up, shaking, to talk with my mom. She has no idea what's been going on...
HA...fuck I have no idea whats been going on.
The tears come before the words tumble out of my mouth. I tell her about how bad things have been, how I just brushed it off for so long, about how he just came home one day a different man, about how on Mother's Day he told me he no longer loved me and about how we have no place to live in a few weeks.
"Can we, if I need to, move in with you?"
I hate asking for help, never do it, and it killed me to ask.
Of coarse she was in shock in tears and supported me with whatever I needed to do.

Memorial Day 2013:
     I find myself happy, full of life, smiling and laughing CONSTANTLY! The kids and I live in a tiny above the garage mother-in-law apartment, we have a huge yard, live out of town in a peaceful environment. Things are not easy, there are many times I feel defeated and scared. I work 7 days a week and try to run a photography business on the side. None of the hard times matter though when I look at how far we have come.
     "A Single Mom's Crazy Rantings" is me and my life.(I like to talk a lot, lol) I had to step away from the blog for a bit because when you only have a few moments to spare I needed to take those moments with my kids and for myself. I still talk with a lot of mom's fighting to save their marriages, have lost their marriages in the daily life struggles and mom's that are just on their owns in hopes that one piece of my experience can help them in theirs. Though people tell me all the time I inspire them or they look up to me, it shocks me to know that my little life can help someone else's. That's the real purpose of this blog installment. And speaking of inspiring people, it was another mom that got me inspired me to pick the blog up and write more. Thank you Jamie <3
     Feel free to follow the segment or any other part of our blog. I'll be writing this as a diary installment dating back sometimes as needed.

With Love and Laughs~ Bree :)
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New Recipes: Day 4

The Bacon Horseradish Burgers, minus the horseradish were super yummy and easy!  Even my 5 year-old ate most of hers.  There were no leftovers!  Here's an updated list of recipes:

1. Skillet Vegetable Lasagna
2. Cheesy Rotini and Chicken Skillet
3. Bacon Horseradish Burgers
4. 2-Step Creamy Chicken and Pasta
5. Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
6. Easy Chicken Parm
7. 2-Step Skillet Chicken Broccoli Divan
8. Warm Spinach and Rice Chicken Salad
9. Fiesta Soup
10. Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie
11. Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
12. Chicken Wellington
13. Wild Roasted Chicken Wraps
14. Warm Chicken Caesar Wraps
15. Southern BBQ Chicken and Rice
16. Monterey Chicken and Rice Quiche
17. Pocket Meals on the Run
18. Mexican Dip
19. Southwest Steak Salad
20. Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
21. Chef's Salad
22. Cobb Salad
23. Ham and Asparagus Strata
24. Pesto Stuffed Porkchops
25. Dave's Oven-roasted Porkloin

Chicken Wellington
from Perfect Meals, a mini cookbook from Uncle Ben's and Tyson Foods 1997

1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup Uncle Ben's Brand Instant Rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
4 Tyson IFF Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts, thawed
1 container (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  In medium saucepan, combine water and bouillon granules.  Bring to a boil; add rice.  Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in spinach and bell paper; mix well.

2. Flatten each chicken breast to about 1/4 inch by pounding between two pieces of waxed paper.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place 1/4 of rice mixture on each chicken breast.  Roll up, tucking in edges.

3. Divide crescent roll dough into 4 squares.  Press each square to measure 6x6 inches.  Place chicken in center, fold dough to enclose chicken; press edges to seal.  Place on greased baking pan, seam side down.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and chicken juices run clear.

Serves 4.

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New Recipes: Day 3

The Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas were delicious! I would call them more creamy than cheesy and the picante sauce I used was a bit too spicy for my daughter but overall we really enjoyed it.  I was able to squeeze in two more enchiladas in my dish as well.  I served it with plain white rice but it would be really good with some spanish-style Rice-a-roni.  My husband said that "the fresh, diced tomatoes were exquisite.". Direct quote lol! 

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas via Campbell's Kitchen

 

Tonight we'll be having Bacon Horseradish Burgers, minus the horseradish because of the spicy factor.  It's another Campbell's Kitchen recipe!

 

What You'll Need

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (11 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Bean with Bacon Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon horseradish
6 slices Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
6 Pepperidge Farm® Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds, split

How to Make It

1. Shape the beef into 6 (1/2-inch thick) burgers.

2. Cook the burgers in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Pour off any fat.

3. Stir the soup, water and horseradish in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the burgers are cooked through. Top the burgers with the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve the burgers and sauce on the buns.

 

* I plan on using just a pound of ground beef divide into 4 patties and serve it somewhat open-faced.

 

Mmmm! Can't wait for dinner! :)

Jessi and B 

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