Showing posts with label make it happenings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make it happenings. Show all posts

May 14, 2015

Make It Happenings Retreat 1 // The Crafts

Painted Wooden Signs
Instructor // Kim

4 Square Envelope Pillow
Instructor // Awbree
Reversible Fabric Headbands
Instructor // Kim


Gold Leaf Pots with Succulent
Instructor // Awbree


Metal Stamped Jewelry
Instructor // Kim

Tic-Tac-Toe Hoops
Instructor // Awbree

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May 13, 2015

Make It Happenings Retreat 1 // The Food

Thursday // Grocery Shopping

After unloading our cars at the house we set off for grocery shopping. We had a long list, we shopped and shopped for hours. 


It was Awbree's first time at a Costco, can you tell she was excited?


Of course we had to stop and get some Rita's.



Friday // Lunch

Grilled Cheese with Ham and Granny Smith Apples 

Lemon Orzo Salad
1 box Orzo, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water

Baby spinach

2 lemons

1 container of Feta Cheese

1 bag of Craisins

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Optional: Fresh Basil
Pour orzo into large bowl. Cover generously with olive oil to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach. Add in craisins and feta. Add the zest and juice from two lemons. Add fresh basil if you have it. Stir! Enjoy!

Lemon Honey Cookies
½ c sugar
7 T butter, soft
2 t grated lemon zest
⅓ c honey
½ t lemon extract OR 3 drops of lemon oil 
1 egg
1 ¾ c flour
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
¼ c plain yogurt
glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice  
Preheat oven to 350. Beat first three ingredients until light and fluffy. Add honey, lemon extract or oil, and egg. Beat until blended. Add in dry ingredients. Add in yogurt. Drop with spoon or use a cookie scoop to form small balls. Place on baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 min, until bottom of cookie is very light brown. Allow to cool on a rack completely. Mix glaze and brush onto cooled cookies.





Friday // Dinner

Mexican Chicken Bowls
Crock pot chicken, grilled onions and peppers, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado.
Chips & Salsa

Margaritas
Recipe for one batch, found on Meg Duerksen's blog, also known as "Meg-arita's":
1 can frozen limeade
tequila
triple sec
1 beer (I used blue moon) 
Pour the limeade into the blender. Use the empty limeade can as your measuring cup.
 Fill it 2/3 full of tequila, then 1/3 full of the triple sec.
Pour it in the blender. Fill your blender with ice. Blend until it is the right consistency.
After that is done, THEN you add one bottle of beer. Mix with a spoon. If desired, salt the rim of your glass and add a lime slice.
(DO NOT USE THE BLENDER after the beer is poured in. You will have margaritas all over the place.)
http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2010/05/margaritas.html 

S'mores






Saturday // Breakfast

Muffins (homemade by Betty Imboden, thank you!)

Cocoa Banana Muffins
Makes 12 MuffinsPreheat oven to 35012-cup muffin pan, lined with paper liners.
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1⅓ cups mashed ripe bananas, the riper, the better
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chunks
Turbinado sugar to top muffins

- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, bananas, and oil until well blended.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in chocolate chunks.
- Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with turbinado sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche


1 homemade or store bought pie crust
½ onion, chopped
salt + pepper
6 eggs
¾ c heavy cream or milk
¾ to 1 c steamed broccoli, chopped small
1 c grated cheddar cheese
Lay pie crust in pie pan, press on bottom to fill. Use a fork to press down the sides along the top edge and create a little pattern (pat yourself on the back, you are baking). In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream/milk together. Add in all other ingredients. Stir.

Bake at 350 for 45 min. Let stand for 20 min. Enjoy!
*You can make with any veggies, and can leave off the crust for a yummy gluten free frittata.

Granola/ Yogurt


Fruit









Lunch // Saturday // Packed Picnic

Chicken Salad on a Croissant

Apple


Mediterranean Terra Chips


Brownie




Dinner // Saturday

Liz's Salad with Lemon Chive Dressing
Lemon Chive Dressing
¼ c olive oil
2 t chopped fresh chives
½ t grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 T dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced
¼ t each salt + pepper
In small bowl, wisk together oil, chives, lemon zest & juice. Stir in mustard, garlic, salt + pepper.

Toss dressing with mixed baby greens or spring mix, add thinly sliced onion and croutons.
Pioneer Woman Baked Ziti
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Large Onion, Diced 
1 pound Italian Sausage 
1 pound Ground Beef 
1 can (28 Oz. Size) Whole Tomatoes, With Juice 
2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce 
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning 
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes 
Salt And Pepper, to taste 
16 ounces, weight Ziti Or Mostaciolli, Cooked Until Not Quite Al Dente 
1 tub (15 Oz. Size) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese 
1-1/2 pound Mozzarella Cheese, Grated 
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 
1 whole Egg  
Fresh Minced Parsley 
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
Add tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a different bowl to cool down.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps.) Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.
Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
(Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta before serving!)
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/11/baked-ziti/ 
Garlic Bread

Wine

Whoopie Pies (bought locally by Betty Imboden, thank you!)





Breakfast // Sunday

Unbelievable Blueberry French Toast Casserole

yield: 12 SERVINGS 
Minimal prep work and unbelievable taste! Let the refrigerator do all the work and wake up to sweet blueberry french toast casserole in the morning. 
prep time: 25 MINUTES 
total time: 9 HOURS, 20 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1 (12-14 ounce) loaf french bread, sourdough bread, or challah
1 cup (180g) fresh or frozen blueberries
8 large Eggland's Best eggs
2 and 1/4 cups (540ml) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract 
STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/3 cup (69g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (42g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Optional: extra blueberries, fresh fruit, maple syrup, and/or confectioners' sugar for topping

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or spray with nonstick spray. Slice then cut the bread into cubes, about 1 inch in size. Spread cubes into the prepared baking pan and top evenly with blueberries. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Pour over the bread. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 3 hours - overnight. Overnight is best.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove pan from the refrigerator.
Prepare the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle the topping over the soaked bread.
Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown on top. I usually bake it for 45 minutes because I like it softer. Serve immediately.
Make ahead tip: Prepare the topping in advance, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle over the soaked bread before baking. For freezing, prepare the recipe through step 4 (without preheating the oven) and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed.
Additional Notes:-This recipe can easily be halved in an 8 or 9-inch baking pan. The bake time will be slightly less, around 30-35 minutes.-Day-old, crusty bread is perfect for french toast casseroles. I typically use a loaf of challah bread that I slice and let sit out overnight.-Instead of blueberries, try strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. In the fall, try cranberries or thinly sliced apples or pears. So many options!
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/03/25/unbelievable-blueberry-french-toast-casserole/ 
Granola/Yogurt

Fruit


Muffins






Snack Bar // For the weekend


Trail Mix


Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls


Snicker Doodles


Fruit







May 12, 2015

Make It Happenings Retreat 1 // Paradise, PA 2015


The inaugural Make It Happenings Retreat in Paradise, PA was an overwhelming success! It was a beautiful weekend and we had such awesome guests. Everyone learned new crafting skills, got to relax, make new friends, and found some vintage goodies while we were out antiquing.


On Friday when then ladies arrived we had a delicious lunch (there will be another blog post with recipes!), and settled into the house while everyone got to know one another, then we went over all the amazing things that our wonderful sponsors sent to us.





After lunch, we had a photography workshop with Liz. She gave us all tips on how to take better photos, tips on lighting and composure and how to connect with your subject. We had time to ask her individual questions and to go off and take photos at the retreat house after her workshop. A few ladies have already told me how they are using their new photography skills while taking photos since the retreat. 


A little sprinkle of rain pulled us inside so we went over the two crafts for the night. A 4 square envelope pillow cover and the start of our personalized wooden signs.


After some good crafting time we had a mexican dinner and margaritas outside, then we opted to sit around the fire and get to know one another. A few ladies got in the hot tub, it was really a nice relaxing evening.




And of course, s'mores!


Saturday morning after breakfast we took a scenic drive through farms and the beautiful country roads to get to Shupp's Grove. Here there were dozens of vendors selling lots of vintage goodies. Everyone scored some great finds.








On the way back we stopped and had a picnic lunch at White Horse Mill Antiques.


After returning to the retreat house we shared our finds from shopping and got right to crafting. We had to finish our wooden signs from the night before, make reversible fabric headbands, a tic-tac-toe hoop, a gold leaf pot with a succulent, and make some metal stamped necklaces.











We took a break for dinner (and had some delicious whoopie pies for dessert!), then Awbree did a workshop on iPhone photos.



Many of us stayed up way too late crafting and chatting. 

Sunday morning we had breakfast bright and early, then Jen Lake who is on the 2015 Project Life team with Awbree (Jen lives in New Mexico, but just so happen to be from the Lancaster area and was on the East Coast for a doctor's appointment this weekend) came by to talk about documenting life, and why it is so very important. Jen was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, and has used Project Life to document her surgeries and life after her surgery. Jen has developed some complications and will be having another surgery in just about a week. You can read more about Jen on her website, www.jenniferlake.com or follow her on instagram @sunlightandair. 



To finish off our weekend we took lots and lots of photos and bid everyone farewell. It really was an amazing weekend! Thanks to everyone who was a part of it and made it so special.








And this is how we felt when it was done..
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Thanks so much to our amazing sponsors!!
(Click on their names for links to their pages)


Ava Anderson (Sandra Hodgdon)
Charlie Madison Originals
 
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