DIY Upcycled Kitty Cubicle

 I just turned the big 3..0.. on Wednesday (YIKES huh) No, but seriously I had a really nice Birthday and my future hubby got me some really awesome kitchen gadgets as well. Years ago, I'd have been highly offended by such gestures (inner feminist, ahem) but I really enjoy doing crafty "chick" stuff in the kitchen and around my house now. I had a former boyfriend buy me a blender for my birthday many years ago (17ish) and we'll just say the reception was not a warm fuzzy one ;) I was like what's next... a vacuum, what is this the 1930's?!? (lol) I find it SUPER COMICAL & WAY IRONIC, because I actually asked for a blender this year for my B-day, and I look forward to purchasing a new vacuum come tax time!!! Sorry (not sorry) EX (you know who you are) this wild child was just not ready to be tamed or ready for birthday blenders or the "girly" kitchen life then LOL! Anyways... I received a late B-day present via mail today, which happens to be a new set of 4 super cute soup bowls!

They are fiesty, but darling and they match my SW decor :)  (am I really saying this, I'd have slapped myself ten years ago for that very statement) WOW, how we change as time goes by, huh!??!

With these CRAZY changes, I've also become much more environmentally friendly and considerate of my carbon footprint on this lovely planet. That being said, I was sort of bummed when I opened this massive box FULL of packing peanuts (like aren't those things illegal now, seriously?!). To find four glorious, but nonetheless, small soup bowls in this HUGE box filled with those wretched packing peanuts made me a tad sad. With all this high tech stuff in the world, we still haven't discovered a more eco-friendly way of protecting soup bowls (banned packing peanuts, ELLO) and the like during shipping!?! SERIOUSLY, I haven't seen packing peanuts used for years!

I was able to fill 3 grocery sacks full of those lame things! I didn't have the heart to just go dumping them into the trash, so with my thrifty hippie wheels turning, I bagged them and decided to store them away for a future craft. Maybe fluff for a pet bed or a beanbag type chair, not quite sure yet, but I do know I wasn't about to throw them into the trash to go float around in the cosmos or rot in some hideous landfill. :/

As for the box, I had an immediate plan! It's almost Christmas (FYI) and you know who loves a good box??? CATS! Cats L.O.V.E. boxes. I've truly NEVER, met a cat that disliked a nice box lol. SERIOUSLY tho. If your cat is anti-box, you might want to seek medical attention because they are seriously ill! Why waste money buying your cat something it might not love, when a good box will be 99.9% effective in making them super happy this holiday season and chances are you have a nice box that needs a good home just laying about anyway?! As soon as I brought that over-sized, foam-filled box inside, my cats eyes lit up like it was already Christmas!

So commenced the way effective and SUPER cheap KITTY CUBICLE aka cat tent!

I had recently seen on Pinterest a cat tent. I thought to myself well what a glorious, yet way simple idea! However, this method involved wire hangers, tools, and just much more work than really necessary for my furry rascals. My cats were ready to just chill in the new box as is, but the cat tent inspired me when I saw that large box to take it up just a notch, since it is Christmas time for humans and ANIMALS after all! Personally, I'm always looking for a simpler, yet effective way of doing things. Call it lazy, but I call it crazy to put anymore effort/work/time/stress/ resources or the like into something unless it truly generates a better outcome! Hence, the kitty cubicle was born. No fancy tools or deconstructing of hangers necessary, just a decent sized box, scissors &or strong tape, staples, a large T-Shirt, and a normal, box-loving cat :)

What you need:

~A cute, large T-Shirt (that you are ready to re-purpose and that can be feasibly stretched across the size of the box you choose)
~Scissors &or Heavy Duty Tape (like a masking or duct tape)
~A basic stapler and staples (a heavy duty staple gun would work too, just be cautious that kitty might get stabbed by the staples if they go to far through the box, so you might want to either bend those larger staples or just use a smaller stapler)

And a box big enough to comfortably fit a cat or 2 in it. (my cats will find a way to squish into a shoe box, but you want a bigger box for safety purposes, a nice cozy sized box lol)

Gather your gadgets and supplies ^. No need to gather the cats, if you build it they will come (lol). No, but seriously they will! My three cats were very involved and wanted to hangout in the cubicle while I was building it LOL! WIN, well for them at least. For those constructing, not so much, but I could tell it was going to be a smash hit right from the start :)

1st tape down or cut off the open ended box flaps to your soon to be entrance for the kitty cubicle.

Next, simply stretch the T-Shirt over the box and align the neck hole with the open end of the box. If the shirt has a design element you are particularly found of & (or a stain you don't) want visible, align it now before any staples are committed.

Next pull the sleeves as snug or tightly across the box as possible and apply a few staples to the very ends of the sleeve. Penetrating into the box to secure. Just a few staples per sleeve ought to do.

Then, stretch the open ends of the T-Shirt tightly across the closed bottom of the box and secure with staples. You want it to be stretched as tightly as absolutely possible when stapling to avoid floppy loose ends or sagging. When the T-Shirt can't stretch anymore without heavy tension, apply staples as close to the T-Shirts edges as possible! I also recommend stapling the T-Shirt in direct opposites. Meaning, Top-Bottom, Side-Side just like when folding wrapping paper on a present.

Pull the fabric as tightly as possible the entire time and only secure the very edges with as minimal staples as possible. Though it is just a box covered in a shirt(lol), you don't want it to look like you got into a staple shootout with it or be a complete eyesore laying around! Last, but not least, back away vurry slowly and watch the cats curiously creep toward the magical kitty cubicle lol! So easy, and WELL worth the 10 minutes labor, old T-Shirt, and the few staples needed to construct this little play palace! I hope your furry family members enjoy this little creation as much as mine do. Furthermore, you could lay an old pillowcase or such in the bottom for bedding or watch them get jiggy with it by sprinkling a little catnip inside! Cats Christmas present~check :)

~My Kitty Cubicle was (P)inspired by this neat Cat Tent Bed found at http://www.practicallyfunctional.com/diy-cat-tent-bed/#_a5y_p=2507733 go give it a glance for further inspiration of your own :)

      

Quicker than Take Out Thai Peanut Butter Turkey Ramen

 
My fella loves Thanksgiving. As do I (of course guilt free fatty food, comfy gear, and football are REALLY my bag); Plus we really do have SO much to be thankful for, even though sometimes we neglect to recognize that on a daily basis! Anyways, he especially loves the heavy amount of high carbs in over-abundance on that glorious day/following week lol! The puddles of gravy atop mounds of buttery potatoes alongside globs of stuffing and of course the prized TURKEY. He is TRULY a meat and potatoes guy with a cup of gravy to wash it all down sort of dude! He barely touches the other veggies unless I sneak them onto his plate (no mercy lol)!

Enough meat for the furry family members too, HINT* dog/cat friendly recipe soon to come

Well, this year he decided to buy a 13+lb turkey for JUST US 2!!?! THAT'S A MIGHTY BIG BIRD for just two people, bless his mixed up heart, but that is like 7lbs of meat for each of us! I've never made a bird that big, just rinsing that beast off was a challenge lol. NO JOKE, it was about the size of my freaking puggle! Needless to say.... we have had leftovers for DAYS.  It's OFFICIALLY, time to revive, revamp, and morph this turkey into something way nontraditional. Time to take back my fridge and move on :)  Best part of it all was him seeing me cleaning off the rest of the turkey carcass and saying on day 5 of eating turkey leftovers.....

 "NO MORE TURKEY." (LOL) Hey buddy, FYI: I didn't get the 14 pound beast of a bird!?! Waste not, want not right ;)

(AND MORE MEAT 5 DAYS LATER lol)

 Honestly, I was WAY over the turkey too, so I decided to make something that tasted like anything BUT traditional turkey with the last night of dinner concoctions for this glorious bird (at least for now). I STILL have 2 sandwich bags (one for my critters) worth of meat leftover after eating turkey for 5 DAYS!! It's gonna chill in the freezer for later consumption because I'm burnt out on this bird lol! Anyhow, I always try to keep certain items in my pantry and fridge that can be used in a variety of ways. Noodles, peanut butter, & soy sauce are just a few of those staples I try always remain stocked up on because A. they are delicious, B. they are cheap and easy to work with, & C. they are versatile. That being said, I decided to go Chinese for our last day with this turkey and smother it in soy sauce and peanut butter :) You could smother a rat in peanut butter and it'd probably be delicious in my book, not that the turkey tasted like rat, but I didn't want it to taste like Thanksgiving Turkey anymore. This concoction definitely did the trick. It was easy, delicious, and cheap aka a THRIFTY TRIPLE THREAT type of dinner!

 Whatcha' Need:

1.5 -2 cups leftover (precooked) semi-shredded turkey (leftover chicken or pork would work well too)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce (a little soy sauce packs a strong flavor punch so it is MUCH better to add less to start with and add more later; adding too much will over power all the other flavors and can ruin the dish)
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Butter or Margarine
4 TBSP Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
1 cup frozen Peas and Carrots (broccoli would be good too)
1 package chicken flavored Ramen Noodles
2.5 cups water
A Splash of Lime Juice (opt)


Other seasonings:
Chili powder, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder (about a teaspoon of each depending on your taste preferences.)
(I like things a little spicy so I add a bit more chili powder and red pepper flakes, but these things could be omitted if you don't do the heat thing well)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (if you use chunky pb you could omit the peanuts, but they add nice texture/tang)
Chopped Green Onions for garnish (opt)

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine meat, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, seasonings, and a splash of lime juice. Mix to combine, cover, and put in fridge for 1/2 hour to marinate.

Doesn't look like Thanksgiving turkey anymo' :)

 Next, pour all contents of the bowl into a medium sized sauce pan, along with the peanut butter, brown sugar, and butter. Heat on low, stirring frequently.

 Meanwhile, in another small sauce pan place 2 1/4 cups water and 1 cup frozen veggies on medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about three minutes or until veggies are tender and rise to the surface of the water.

you can even see the steam in the picture ( I love my new camera)

 Add Ramen noodles and seasoning packet and continue to boil 2-3 more minutes or until noodles are done, but NOT MUSHY.

 Then carefully combine the contents of the small sauce pan ie noodles, veggies, and broth into the larger sauce pan with the peanut butter meat sauce and stir to combine all ingredients.
 

Its not the prettiest pic I've ever taken, but I'm still getting use to this camera and I promise it tastes YUMMY lol!

Turn off burners... and fold in green onions (opt) and chopped peanuts. 

BAM! You now have a delicious little dish to consume that tastes like take out and is done in about the same amount of time it would take you to order and get Chinese food. If you live in a small town like me... the nearest Chinese food place is like 30 minutes away (bummer) so this is def a recipe to keep in your easy, cheap and yummy meal archives. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Chow for now :)

Easy Cheesy Cornflake Carrot Broccoli Casserole

I dig simplicity. Like way deep kinda dig, especially when it comes to cooking or other tasks that can become rather mundane when done so frequently. No getting around the fact that we all gotta eat.Unfortunately, quite often we spend hours preparing these luxurious and lavish meals that are devoured in just mere minutes (bummer huh lol). However, a good meal doesn't always need to be some over the top, ultra time-consuming production to be yummy! Personally, I'm one of those people that when I notice flour or a 3 page ingredient list I start heavily reconsidering whether that recipe is truly worth all that complicated effort?!? I'm a life is too short/ain't nobody got time for all that fuss type of gal! Not to sound lazy, but seriously, is it really worth it on a busy weeknight to bust out flour, dirty 15 dishes, and make some completely elaborate concoction when you're tired and just want something in your belly?? Not so much! Good food with some nutritional value doesn't have to be some big all day extravaganza. AND it shouldn't break thee ol' bank either. When I'm border line HANGRY, I just want something cheap,quick, and easy, no fussin' if I mustn't type of grub ;) !

So here's an easy, breezy dish I'm mixing up that will take mere minutes of prep time and less than an hour to be in your belly. Purrrrfect for those nights when you don't feel like doing a darn thing, yet still need something warm and semi-nutritious to serve your loved ones. Plus +++ it only requires a handful of ingredients and minimal dirtying of dishes (HECK YEAH). Cheap, yummy, lazy weeknight dinner cheesy veggie side dish winner. (say that 10 times all fast like lol)

What ya' need:
1 bag frozen carrots (or fresh baby carrots if you'd prefer)
1/2 bag frozen broccoli
1 can condensed cream of cheddar soup
1 can milk
2 cups Cornflakes (any brand will do)
1 stick butter or margarine
Optional Seasonings~ red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, and Italian Seasoning Blend (approx 1 teaspoon + of each)

Allow veggies to semi-thaw or defrost a bit in the microwave depending on your level of urgency. I put mine in the mixing bowl I intended to use the night before and by afternoon they were good to go, but you could easily defrost them in the micro for a few minutes or on the counter top in a pinch. Having the veggies thawed just speeds up the cooking time and when your hangry, that is a def plus factor!

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine veggies, cheddar soup, milk and seasonings.

 Pour veggie mixture into an 8x8 greased baking dish

Then top with cornflakes.

Place butter in a microwave safe cup/dish and microwave approximately 30 seconds or until melted and evenly pour over cornflake-topped veggies.

Place in a preheated oven @ 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes uncovered and WHALA!! You now have an excellent and super easy side dish that would go great with pork chops or chicken breasts. This yummy little side dish is especially, great for a night when time is not your pal or minimal effort is desired. Easy, delicious and semi-nutritious. 

The sweet, crunchy cornflake topping really adds a nice little layer of texture and the warm cheesy veggies make you feel like you are eating something nutritionally sound that doesn't taste like an old shoe lol! Easy, quick, delicious, and semi-nutritious can't beat that with a big stick. Hope this super simple side dish eases your weeknight woes without compromising in quality! :) P.s. This would also be great with carrots and cauliflower if broccoli isn't your Fam's bag. Chow for now my lovelies!

(Furthermore.... OPPS :) I was so hungry that I forgot to take a fancy finished product pic, but it was way yummy and looked lovely before it was devoured, dang hangry blonde moment hehe).

Sneak Peak

(pic via photobucket.com)

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of an early (30th, YOWZERS) Birthday present via EBAY & the future Hubby, and IT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!!! Stoked would be a gross understatement. What is this glorious gift that has her so giddy you ask?!? Welp...it just so happens to be a REFURBISHED, high-quality, Nikon CoolPix S6500 digital camera that takes pictures like a gorgeous little beast. HE~(LL)~CK TO THE YEAH peoples! AMPED, PUMPED, and SOOO HAPPY are just a few of thy OH SO MANY FUZZY FEELINGS I have about this camera :) If you have noticed the sad, dreary, bleak, uninspiring,(the pic bashing could go on, but the past is the past lol)lame picture quality in any of my previous posts.... then you will clearly be able to appreciate the opposite qualities this lil gem of a camera has to offer! Almost equally as awesome as the picture quality of my new pride and joy, is thee rad fact that it is a rescue camera or refurbished as some might say. This meaning,someone's "trash" is now my beloved treasure and it is one less wretched item just rotting away for years in a NASTY landfill! I truly believe every little environmentally friendly decision and action we as individuals commit to/make adds up and it can truly make a big difference in the long haul! Every time you or I make an environmentally friendly decision, WE ALL WIN!!! Other than the super awesome environmental elements of buying used :) refurbished also means one can get a totally awesome product for half the price that we would normally pay for the exact same item brand spankin' new!!! HELLO. #WIN. Not only does the environment celebrate a slight, yet significant little victory when we buy used or refurbished products, we can also hit the thrifty jackpot by saving a significant amount of moola $$$ without having to sacrifice much, if any, in quality! If that's not major winning... I don't know what is folks ;) YUP, saving that mean green and going green one gorgeous pic at a time! Thrifty Tree Hugging like a boss.

(pic via photobucket.com)

(We've gotta do our part to keep this planet purdy peoples, IMAGINE~ just how sad this above pic would be if it was a landfill or covered in litter and garbage?! Another reason refurbished, re-purposed, and recycled items rock so places like this can remain beautiful) ...And not look like this sad mess below :(

(pic via photobucket.com)

Anyhow, something many folks probably don't know about me (even those nearest and dearest to my ticker) is that I am a super harsh critic on myself! An all or nothing type of gal. If something is not to THEE absolute best of my ability or the quality of standards I desire, I'm not satisfied with it and don't want my name associated with its' craptasticness. In other words lol, those shabby pics really had me bummed, and I decided to postpone any further blogging endeavors and ideaurs :) until I could produce blogs that I was genuinely proud of and eager to share with the "cyber world." So now that I've been studying up on my blogging game ;) and I have an adorable lil beaut of a camera, I genuinely look forward to sharing my quirky and eccentric easy kitchen concoctions, as well as, my money saving ideas and all around life hacks with ya'll! Also, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to say thanks to all of you for supporting my goofy little blog dreamzz and being patient while i get this work in progress a rollin'. You peeps are thee Bee's Knees and I hope you have a lovely Holiday! Ppplease, stay tuned for my soon to come, WAY AWESOME :) and OF COURSE EASY AND THRIFTY Christmas ideas sure to get you and your loved ones in the Holiday spirit (even Scrooges and Grinches should enjoy what I'm brewing up) all while doing so without having to refinance your home or sell off vital organs on the black market to have a holly jolly good time!

P.S. Here's just a sweet lil sneak peak of how much more awesome my pictures/posts are going to be....





(Notice the brightness of this picture unlike my previous photos! It doesn't let off that dimly lit creepy basement vibe which nobody's EVER eager about lol!)





&&& MY MEATBALLS LOOK LIKE MEATBALLS!!! It's the simple victories and little pleasures in life folks like meatballs that resemble meatballs lol! FYI these are my yummy...... Chicken Meatballs whose recipe is soon to come and sure to please, but you can't handle the truth just yet ;)

  

YUMS.



If you've seen my last two homemade creamer recipes you'll know what's happening here and just how much more vivid this shot is than the previous pics were!! Since pumpkin is all the rage right now :) I made my version of pumpkin spice coffee creamer and cut out the middle man and unnecessary mystery ingredients and additives. OMYES, and I even have some leftover pumpkin for a future recipe that's soon to pop up :)  (if your interested in my super simple and WAY more nutritious/delicious version of pumpkin spice coffee creamer feel free to drop me a line and I'd be more than happy to share it with you!)


And last BUT definitely not least (This handsome young lad is Hercules, my meat head of a Bulldog and future taste tester for a soon to come pet-friendly Christmas treat! He's pretty friggin' adorable, knows good grub when he tastes or smells it, and he hopes ya'll stop back by real soon to see what we've been up to over yonder kapeeshh hehe.)
 

Homemade Strawberries & Cream Coffee Creamer

I LOVE COFFEE AND STRAWBERRIES like Bubba from "Forrest Gump" loved his shrimp. (AND If you've never seen "Forrest Gump," you are truly missing out in life aka it's a CINEMATIC CLASSIC, MASTERPIECE kinda MOVIE!!!) I truly could rave for days about recipes and reasons for why I adore these two lovely gems: Strawberries & Coffee!! They make the world a better place in my book for 1001 different reasons! Coffee warms my cold, bitter soul (hehehe) even on the chilliest of morns, puts a lil' pep in my step, and is downright delicious among thee 998 other reasons to love it. However, before I ever had the pleasure of knowing the glory of coffee's deliciousness, I knew the splendor of strawberries. As a child, I was literally obsessed with this fantastic little red berry in nearly every way!!!

Strawberry Shortcake the character and the food were what my dreams were made of (still kind of are). Strawberry soda pop, strawberry ice cream, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry milk, strawberry yogurt and really any strawberry flavored sweets were my bag. I'd have fought you like a rabid raccoon over anything strawberry even scented markers and scratch n' sniff stickers, but that's neither here nor there (lol). For every Birthday I celebrated until about age 18, the go-to- dessert included strawberries in someway! Nearly all of my fondest childhood memories included strawberries somehow! Whether it was hiding strawberry pop tarts from my greedy, always hungry, growing brothers or the joy I felt when my mom brought home the fixings for strawberry shortcakes (those days I was on top of my own tiny, carefree world LOL) I lived for strawberries and probably would have died for them way back in my youngster days (not even kidding) LOL. So yeah...I hold strawberries BERRY near to my heart just like Bubba loved his shrimp. Today, I decided to combine two of my all time favorite flavors into one harmonious, EPIC masterpiece! Strawberries N' Cream Coffee Creamer <3 Even if your not obsessed with coffee or strawberries, this is a winner. MY FAVORITE HOMEMADE CREAMER THUS FAR!!!

~What you need~
* 1-14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 2 cups Whole Milk (or Whatever your dairy preference, but I can't assure you skim or less fatty milk is gonna be as amazing in this)
* 3 Tablespoons of Strawberry Syrup
* 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
*Clean Quart Sized Mason Jar or Similar Container, measuring and mixing utensils

Combine all ingredients and shake/mix well, the mason jar is easiest for shaking it up, but you could put it in almost any quart sized container with a lid and stir it with a spoon if you prefer! I find the mason jar easiest for storing, mixing and pouring the creamer plus it's rustic and way cute :) Makes me feel like a thrifty little pioneer of sorts lol! ANYHOW :) This creamer has a nice mellow strawberries and creme' flavor sure to put a smile on your face and start your morning off right (even if your not Bubba obsessed with Strawberries and Cream or Coffee). Cheers, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!! P.s. the fresher the ingredients i.e. thee MILK, the longer the lifespan of this creamer if refrigerated and stored properly, but if you like it as much as I do....you shouldn't need to worry about all that!! However, you might worry about how you'll ever enjoy another cup of coffee without it (JUST SAYING, It's kinda EPIC folks).

~Furthermore, the totally adorable Strawberry Shortcake Pics and the other high quality opening pic was not taken by moi, (I wish, they are lovely) My camera is obviously ol' school and drawing is not really a strong suite of mine.So if by some CRAZY odds these happen to be yours please don't sue me, they were labeled free images so sue Google... I'm thrifty for a reason LOL  :D <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13076521/?claim=g2gejfj8b2q">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>