Matcha Green Tea Donuts

Don’t let the name scare you. I never make donuts because they seem like too much work. And matcha? I’m better off just drinking tea with some Hostess donuts. This was such a simple recipe.

Donuts
What you need:

• Vegetable Oil
• Pop ‘n Bake Buttermilk Biscuits (Yes, the one in the tube. I used Pillsbury)

Directions:

1. Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep frying pan that will allow the donuts to float and keep them off the bottom. Heat oil to 375 F, or as long as the oil bubbles when the dough is put in than you’re good!
2. Take the biscuits out of the tube. Take a bottle cap and place it in the center of the donut. Push down and twist enough so that the center comes out. Save the center of the donut to use as donut holes!
3. Make sure the oil isn’t on high or else you’ll burn your donuts (I may or may not have burned my donuts). I turned the burner to Medium. Place the donuts in the oil. Cook on one side for about 30 seconds.
4. Using a slotted spoon or tongs turn over the donuts and fry for an additional 30 seconds, or at least until you think they are baked all the way through.
5. Place them on a paper towel covered plate.

Glaze
What you need:

• 1 1/2-2  teaspoon Matcha Green Tea Powder*
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Place Matcha Green Tea Powder and powdered sugar in a bowl.
2. Pour in boiling water and whisk ingredients together until smooth.
3. Dip donuts into glaze. Make sure to keep them on a plate or newspaper. The glaze will slide off and get messy, so you want something that will be easy to clean.
4. Done!

I don’t even want to admit how many I ate. They were so good. The next day the Matcha green tea taste really came out.

*The Matcha green tea is really hard to find if you don’t want to order online. SOME Starbucks MAY sell it, but I wouldn’t take your chances. You may be able to find it if you have a local Asian Supermarket, Whole Foods, or World Foods market (like Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati). My hometown has none of those, so I was really at a lost. I ended up finding it at Heinen’s, a local fine foods grocery store, but it was not easy!

Last Minute Wrapping Paper DIY

I bought my mom a Mother’s Day gift that came in the mail. I was just going to give her the package without wrapping it because I ran out of my spring-ish wrapping paper that I used for Haley’s baby shower, and I really didn’t want to go out and buy more. Plus, I hate wrapping paper because you end up throwing it away anyways. I thought about just using wrapping paper, but then I decided I would spice it up a bit. I ran several ideas through my head, but realized that this project would be the most simple.

What you need:

• Spray paint
• Newspaper – I chose paper with more writing than pictures
• Leaves, Flowers, any kind of silhouetted object

I chose the orange spray paint because I had it lying around. I used it for one project, but, let’s be real, when am I actually going to use bright orange spray paint again? It ended up looking more autumny , it’s all I had because we didn’t have too many flowers around our house and the daffodils died already. :(

Instead of spray painting on my porch I actually took the time to put down cardboard and I sprayed on the grass because at least if it gets on the grass it will eventually be cut. Then I put the leaves face down (makes them heavier so they won’t fly up while spraying. Then I lightly covered the paper with a coat of spray paint. I took the leaves off right away so they wouldn’t dry to the paper and let the paper dry for about 20 minutes.

Hint: You don’t need to tape the leaves down, but I would spray them before putting them down so that  they are heavier and won’t fly up. Make sure you don’t do this outside on very windy days or you’ll have a heck of a time trying to spray paint.

Then you’re done and you can wrap your gift! The best part? It was COMPLETELY FREE!

Milk Glass Vase DIY

This is a super simple DIY. I am obsessed with neutral colors and pops of color, so I love milk glass. Plus, finding milk glass vases when thrifting makes me so happy because they are very easy vintage pieces.


What you need:

• White GLOSSY spray paint
• Various jars and vases
• Newspaper or a drop cloth.

Make sure before you start that all labels are removed from the jars. I usually soak mine and scrub the labels. You can you rubbing alcohol to remove any left over glue. Make sure you wash your jars and let them dry completely!

Next, I laid down the newspaper and put the bottles on it to keep from spraying the porch (which happened anyways. Oops!). Between every coat I waited at least a half hour, but I would wait at least an hour. Make sure you coat the vases evenly. Follow your spray paint instructions for temperature and distance which spraying should be done.

Once your jars are completely dry they are ready to be used! I can’t wait to put flowers in them to add pops of color to my cocktail cart!

When You Meet an Online Blogger in the Real World

Things are getting better since last week. I miss Macy a ton, but my crying has shortened. This past weekend I made it up to several stores to by more succulents and cacti to pot. I put it off until the weather was nice because I didn’t want to deal with the dirt and stuff in the cold weather. On a whim I also picked up a cilantro plant since I love cilantro, but I never really eat it fast enough when I buy it at the grocery store (Any tips on how to trim and use the cilantro would be appreciated!).

New additions and old plants!

I went to Lowes on my third stop of the day. I was looking for the succulents and they had some, but nothing I really wanted. Then I looked over at the area I had seen them in months before and realized they had more of what I wanted. I walked over and looked at them but there were two people already standing there. I looked at them and realized that the girl was Kaylah from The Dainty Squid. She is one of my favorite bloggers, and I was kind of in shock when I saw her.

Now, being me, I was too nervous to say anything. I kept dueling it out in my head on whether or not I should say anything. But alas, I didn’t. They left and I was stuck kicking myself. I’m one of those people who believe “celebrities” should be left alone, but it was still cool to see a real life blogger. As I waited in line to check out I hoped she would get in line behind me, but they didn’t.

I headed over to Target afterwards and as I was walking into the store I saw them pull in. It was like a sign that I should have said something, but again, I was too scared. Eventually, I did e-mail her telling her I saw her at Lowes. She responded telling me she thinks she saw me walking into Target! This world is so small. Part of me feels like I came in contact with a celebrity.

Blogging friends, have you ever met or seen a popular blogger out and about in the real world? Who was it? How did you react?

12 Thanks: V. 4

I am writing this post with a very heavy heart, and continually crying as I do so. This month I am thankful for the best dog in the entire world. Unfortunately, we had to put her to sleep yesterday. She was only 7 years old.

We do not know what entirely happened with her. She had been acting really strange this month. She would get into moods and just sit and stare. She wouldn’t respond and she didn’t have the excitement and energy she once had. Last Tuesday morning I had to stop by my house (I was pet sitting next door) to get something before I went to sub. I looked all over the house for Macy because usually I give her a hug and a kiss in the morning. I couldn’t find her then I happened to look by out garage door and she was just laying there. She didn’t wag her tail or anything. It was really strange because she NEVER lays there. I wanted to get her up and get her to my parent’s room. She got up and took a few steps then collapsed on the floor. I rushed to my mom’s room and woke her up and told her what happened. We tried to get her up again but then she collapsed before getting to my parents room. Eventually she made it and we let her be.

After subbing I went back home. She seemed to be slightly better, but her back legs were still giving out. We were so confused because she was so young and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. My mom tried to bring her to the emergency vet, but they were closed. We decided to just see if it would just wear off and she would be fine in a few days. The next few days she appeared to be getting better. She was still collapsing when she would try to walk up stairs, but she gave no other indication she was sick because she was still eating and drinking. She just seemed to have less energy and didn’t have the same excitement when she saw new people.

This will haunt me forever, but on Saturday evening I was sitting on my neighbor’s back porch with their dog and Macy was on the leash next door. Macy was whining and staring at us because she wanted to join. I wasn’t wearing shoes, so I didn’t want to go across the yard to get her. It kills me that I didn’t. I just thought, “I’ll be home tomorrow then I can spend time with her.” As I walked inside Macy was looking our direction until she was sure we weren’t coming back. Then she went around the corner and towards our back door.

Yesterday, I went back home to bring my stuff back and change for work. Again, I looked for Macy. She was down in our family room. My mom tried to help her up the two stairs onto the main level and it was so hard to watch because she could barely do it. A little bit later Macy was laying down in front of her water bowl, which was weird. I realized she didn’t have a lot of water so I got her some more. She started drinking it while she was laying down. She couldn’t even stand up. When she was done she just laid there. It was an effort to get her to get up and go in my parents room. Then I left for work.

My mom decided that it was time to bring her to the emergency vet. I was at work when my mom told me she brought her. She texted me that Macy was very anemic and they think she was bleeding internally, but she was still waiting on the test results. I didn’t hear anything else. Right before I got off I got a text from my next door neighbor saying she was really sorry about Macy. I knew that my mom had Macy put to sleep and I started crying right there. When I came home I ran straight to my mom and asked and she said she had to be put down. I was devastated.

We don’t know what really happened to her. She was filled with so much fluid that the vets couldn’t even do an ultrasound. She would have needed surgery just to figure out what was wrong, which could have shown she had a tumor or something anyways. It is terrible, but it’s for the best. She was suffering so much. I just can’t believe she is gone.

I could barely get out of bed this morning because I knew when I opened the door she wouldn’t be there. Every morning I gave her a hug and kiss and this would be the first I wouldn’t. This is also going to be my last post labeled “dog.”

I am so thankful for her. She was my best friend when I didn’t have many friends. She went on so many car rides and photo adventures with me. I couldn’t wait for the weather to get better because I wanted her to take her on so many walks this summer. I lost one of my best friends. She was a great dog and will be missed so much by my family. I’ll definitely miss her Macy-isms and her patience when she would let me take pictures.

RIP Macy 4.28.13

Cocktail Cart DIY

This is my absolute favorite DIY project I have ever done, and I’m sure it will take a lot to top it. I am in no way an alcoholic, I just enjoy having a glass or two every so often. I’m also really interested in learning about mixed drinks. I have been wanting to create a cocktail cart for a while, especially since moving back home and not having anywhere to keep my wine.

I have been keeping my eye out for a cart every time I was at a thrift or antique store. One day, in January, I was going out to my car after work. I spotted the cart (pictured below) randomly in the parking lot behind the restaurant. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My adrenaline started pumping through my body. It was dark out, but it’s still a busy area so I didn’t want to look creepy putting it in my car so I had the carver help me do it! Luckily, he’s a nice guy and was glad to do so.

Unfortunately, I realized I accidentally deleted the before and during pictures. I am so mad at myself, but luckily I was able to scrounge up this Instagram picture. It’s horrible quality, but as you can see it was really dusty and rusty. Plus, it was an ugly color and the surface wasn’t even.

What you need:

• Cart
• Sandpaper, possibly a scraper for tougher spots
• Killz Odorless Interior Based Primer (Wal-Mart)
• Rust-oleum Spray Paint in Night Tide (Wal-Mart)

I wasn't sure what color I wanted to paint it. I'm obsessed with neutral colors and pops of color. I knew I wanted the cart neutral because then I could just put colorful accessories and containers on it. I really wanted a gray color, but Wal-Mart didn't have what I wanted (or thought I wanted). I couldn't decide between the Fern or Night Tide, but in the end I chose the dark blue. I'm glad I did because I feel like it is more neutral and it looks really great on the cart.

Instructions:

1. First, I spent several days scraping off paint and sanding down the surface. This was a long tedious project because the person before me had done a really bad job of painting the surface, unless it was used to hold paint cans. There was drips and parts was yellow and the other part was white. I am usually really impatient, so I forced myself to take my time. Still, I could have spent more time, but my hands were really not taking it, plus it was January and cold.
2. I wiped down the surfaces for any extra dirt, spider webs, and rust that was still on the surface.
3. I used the Killz Odorless Interior based primer on the entire surface and let it dry.
4. Then I used the Rust-oleum spray paint and painted several coats. I ended up using to paint cans. (Note: really listen to the can and don't paint under the temperature recommended. Being impatient I did, and ended up have the paint bubble up multiple times. I had to sand those spots down and repaint them. It was a mess.)

I had the cart painted for several months before I did anything. I would buy accessories here and there, but I didn't supply the cart until recently. Like I said earlier, I am not into alcohol at all. Whenever I go out I usually ask what other people are buying. I ended up asking people what they like because I had no idea where to start when stocking my cart. I also asked what kind of accessories I needed. I then made a list that I would take with me so that I could keep my eyes open when I went to stores.

I would suggest supplying the cart with things YOU like. Although I don't really know anything about mixed drinks I do know I hate Tequila, so I won't put it on my cart. I still need a lot of accessories, like bottle opener, cocktail shaker, etc. But I'm so happy with what I do have so far!

I love that my friends are so supportive of my DIY-ing! My friend, Mackenzie, sent me bitters, drink markers, and a muddle for my cart!

My aunt sent me a ton of win glasses that people left at the vacation home in Napa as well as the book Retro Cocktails! There were so many glasses I couldn't even fit them on my cart!

I already made my first drink, and I'm so excited for many more to come! I love this cart so much. It really is my pride and joy. The day I finally finished it I texted my friend telling him I couldn't stop staring at it. I really couldn't. I love it so much!

What do you think? Any suggestions for your favorite drinks or must have cocktail cart items?

Cleveland International Film Festival Pt. 2

Here are some of the photos from the photo adventure I blogged about yesterday!







When they were building the new stadium years ago bricks were being sold which you could buy and have personalized. My dad bought one and had my and my siblings names engraved on it. Every time I'm there I try to stop by and see it. It definitely brings back memories of growing up going to games! I love my Tribe.



I love the juxtaposition of this photo with the large menacing "new" stadium in the background with the old cemetery in the foreground.

Random pennies left on the rock.