Aug 31, 2012

Fall Subway Art - Free Printable!


I just love Fall! You may think I'm crazy, but I'm decorating for Fall this weekend! For some of you, not so crazy since it's probably already feeling like Fall in your state. But for my fellow Texans, yes, it's still in the 90's, but us bloggers gotta start early! I decided I wanted to share my love of Fall with all of you and what better than a free printable that you can use in your home!

Save image to your desktop and print!
This printable is for an 8x10 frame. When printing you will need to print at 100% and then trim the edges.

This is actually my first Subway Art piece and it was definitely fun to make! It gave me a chance to think about all of the fun things that my husband and I get to do in the next few months, I can't wait! Enjoy!






Aug 28, 2012

Chocolate Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake


Chocolate Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake, it's a delicious mouthful of ooey gooey goodness! My husband loves Tres Leches Cake, so with Fall quickly approaching I decided to combine his love of Tres Leches Cake and my love of all things pumpkin to create some sort of mouth-watering dessert. Mission accomplished! This recipe was a piece of cake (pun intended, hehe) and ooohhh sooo yummy! I don't think my husband will ever see Tres Leches cake the same, he literally screamed, "That was amazing!", after taking his last bite!

Ingredients

1 cup from a 15oz can of pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 jar Hershey's chocolate sauce (12.8oz jar)
1/2 jar Hershey's caramel sauce (12.8oz jar)
1 jar of whipped white frosting
2 small (2oz) bags of chopped pecans

**This is an EXTREMELY rich dessert! If you would prefer it to be a little less rich, try using 1/4 jar of the chocolate sauce and 1/4 of the caramel sauce.**

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 13x9 inch pan. In a large bowl, beat cake mix with pumpkin, water, eggs, oil, and spices with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes.

Remove cake from oven when done and immediately poke about 24 holes into the cake with a wooden spatula or spoon, about one inch apart and one inch deep. Quickly fill each of the holes with sweetened condensed milk and drizzle the rest over the top of the cake. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until the condensed milk is almost fully absorbed into the cake. Once absorbed, place 1/2 of the Hershey's chocolate sauce in the microwave and heat for about 20 seconds or until smooth. Pour the chocolate sauce into the holes of the cake. Pour 1/2 of the Hershey's caramel sauce into the holes of the cake. Cover the cake and place in the fridge for about two hours or until fully chilled. Remove cake from the fridge and ice. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with remaining caramel before serving. Refrigerate leftovers...if there are any!


Aug 27, 2012

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 46}

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 46}
Welcome to the party! Link up your tutorials, cooking, crafts, sewing, DIY tips & tricks, I want to see it all! After each link party I will feature my favorite tutorials from the previous link party, so check back to see if you've been featured! I feature several posts on {The Kurtz Corner FB Page} and pin your projects to my Tuesday Tutorials Link Party Pinterest Board so make sure you become a fan/follow me on Pinterest and check it out! You can connect with me here! But first, check out last weeks party features! If you were featured you can grab a featured button from my buttons page.


Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial from Im' Feelin' Crafty
Crunchy Edamame from According to L 
Cupcake Cookies from Sugar Kissed

Last Weeks Most Clicked Link
Hunger Games DIY Necklace and More from Rae Gun Ramblings

 
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Aug 25, 2012

Product Review + Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese!

Do you ever get tired of cleaning baking dishes or annoyed when you forget your bakeware at a friend's house? Duh, of course you do! Well, my friends over at Chinet sent me an awesome care package to test out and use when cooking that alleviates both of these problems! Chinet is now offering a new line of disposable bakeware that is perfect for anyone on the go. Chinet's Bakeware allows you to go from the oven to the table to the fridge and microwave. Unlike aluminum baking pans, it's sturdy and won't bend or break under pressure!  Take it to a party or holiday dinner, no need to worry about extra cleaning or leaving it behind. Did I mention it's made of 90% recycled materials? Needless to say, I am loving my Chinet Bakeware!

Now, I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, this stuff is super light weight and I wasn't sure how it would hold up in the oven. Boy, was I wrong! The dish came out as perfect as when it went into the oven. The food stayed hot and the bakeware remained sturdy. Best of all, they come with tops so you can store it in the fridge and toss it out when you're done. No more cleaning, yay!

A few things to remember: The lids are only made for room temperature and refrigerator use. Also, Chinet Bakeware should not be used for dishes requiring baking at 400 degrees F or higher. Check out Chinet's Facebook and Twitter for coupons, baking tips and promotions. Now, to share what I baked in my Chinet Bakeware!

Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) box seashell pasta
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
8-10 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

--------------------------------------------------

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10in baking dish. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and a dash of salt to keep them from sticking. Cook pasta for about 8 minutes until tender and drain. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to saucepan and cook with butter until a foux forms. Stir in milk, salt and pepper until well combined. Add in shredded smoked Gouda and increase heat. Stir mixture until cheese is melted and sauce is thick. In the 10in baking dish combine pasta and cheese sauce. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.


Recipe adapted from:

Aug 20, 2012

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 45}

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 45}
Welcome to the party! Link up your tutorials, cooking, crafts, sewing, DIY tips & tricks, I want to see it all! After each link party I will feature my favorite tutorials from the previous link party, so check back to see if you've been featured! I feature several posts on {The Kurtz Corner FB Page} and pin your projects to my Tuesday Tutorials Link Party Pinterest Board so make sure you become a fan/follow me on Pinterest and check it out! You can connect with me here! But first, check out last weeks party features! If you were featured you can grab a featured button from my buttons page.


Adorable T-Shirt Applique from The Whinthrop Chronicles
DIY Farm Table from Osie Moats
Globe Art from Little House in the Big D

 
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Aug 14, 2012

DIY Book Page Mirror


I am digging these upcycle projects lately! This one was really easy, and like my last upcycle project it didn't cost me a dime! Until last night my master bedroom wall had been barren. I knew it needed something, I just didn't know what. Trying to keep consistent with my shabby chic theme throughout the house, I remembered seeing a book page wreath on Pinterest and really liked that. But, of course, I wanted to make it different, something I could call my own. I remembered my mother-in-law had given me this adorable mirror, and I had yet to find a spot for it in our house. Bingo, the Book Page Mirror was born! 


This project is super simple and only requires a few materials. Here is what you'll need:
  • Cardboard
  • Book
  • Hot glue
  • Mirror
  • Scissors
Start by cutting the cardboard in to the shape you want. I used the mirror as my template, giving it an additional inch boarder, not the exact size of the actual mirror. Next, tear out the pages from your book and roll them into a cone shape. Don't worry about ripping them perfectly, I promise you won't see the edges once they are rolled. Flatten the small end of your cone, not the whole cone, and hot glue the flattened end so that it stays rolled. You will then glue the flattened part to your cardboard template. Create the shape you want, I made a sort of cat eye shape for mine with a larger top. There's no science to it. Just glue the cones where you think they look good! When the pages have all been glued and you are satisfied with your shape adhere the mirror to the cardboard. I used a small Styrofoam piece between the mirror and the cardboard so that it wasn't perfectly flush. Depending on how you plan to hang it will determine how you adhere the mirror. Luckily, my mirror had a chain, which meant the cardboard didn't have to support the mirror, otherwise the hot glue would have not been strong enough to hold it and the mirror up. If your mirror has a hanger on the back you could easily cut a hole in the cardboard before gluing it together. This will leave the hanger exposed and you can use it to hang on the wall. Ta-da! Simple right? And the best part? You probably have all of these materials just waiting to be used!




Aug 13, 2012

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 44}

Tuesday Tutorials Link Party {No. 44}
Welcome to the party! Link up your tutorials, cooking, crafts, sewing, DIY tips & tricks, I want to see it all! After each link party I will feature my favorite tutorials from the previous link party, so check back to see if you've been featured! I feature several posts on {The Kurtz Corner FB Page} and pin your projects to my Tuesday Tutorials Link Party Pinterest Board so make sure you become a fan/follow me on Pinterest and check it out! You can connect with me here! But first, check out last weeks party features! If you were featured you can grab a featured button from my buttons page.


Paris in Springtime Painted Window from Artsy VaVa
Baked Goatcheese with Honey from By the Porchlight
Laundry Room Chevron Makeover from Buttons Birds & BS

 
Only Four {Easy} Rules
1. Please be a follower of {The Kurtz Corner}
2. Link directly to your post, not your blog
3. No Etsy Shops, giveaways or personal link parties 
4. Please grab my button or use a text hyperlink & link back to my blog 
Please follow the rules, it's only fair & good blogging etiquette :)

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