Curtain Accessory

I've been wanting to change things up in my daughter's room for awhile now and finally got motivated to do so when we converted her crib into a toddler bed.  Hubby doesn't like the idea of painting the walls any color but white, so I was trying to find a way to add color without painting.  Vinyl decals are out because we have pretty heavily textured walls and I'm not sure they would stick well.  I bought some turquoise curtains but the black curtain rod was bugging me.  I decided to get creative and add a whimsical row of circles to the top of each curtain.  It took a little trial and error to find the best way to hang it, but I'm not very savvy when it comes to handyman-type work. 

I started with 8" and 6" cake circles, patterned scrapbook paper and spray adhesive.  I traced the circles onto the back of the paper and cut out the circles.  For each of my curtains, I used 2 - 8" circles on the ends and then 6 - 6" circles in the middle.  Simply spray the cardboard circles with adhesive and apply the paper, following the instructions for your particular adhesive. 

I inked the edges of all my circles with a small ink pad that I use for scrapbooking.  It gives the circles a little more definition and helps tie all the colors together. 

Next I took a piece of thin wood that was the length of my curtain rod and hot glued the cardboard circles to it.  I offset mine to make it look more fun.  To hang it, I just tied a piece of string around each end of the wood (but hidden behind one of the circles) and then tied it to the curtain rod.  Easy peasy.

Here's the before and after!

Mexican Villa

If you've ever been to Springfield, MO, you might have heard of a little chain of restaurants called Mexican Villa.  I can't say that much of their food is authentic Mexican, but it's comfort food for me.  Growing up, we ate there quite often and their cheese dip is my all-time favorite.  It's not your typical white queso dip.  I've been wanting the recipe for years but haven't had any luck searching for it.  A few weeks ago, my sister got a {supposed} copy of their enchilada sauce and cheese dip recipes.  I made both the other night and the enchiladas were *exactly* like they are in the restaurant.  The cheese dip was almost the same.  I think if I had added a bit more of the chili seasoning, it would have been perfect.  That's probably just a matter of taste, though.  It was very good, regardless.  I live 3 hours from Springfield now, so it's nice to be able to have Mexican Villa whenever I want!


***Update 3/21/2014:  I've found the original creator of this recipe!  Her original post can be found here!  Glenna, thanks for re-creating this awesome recipe for those of us not fortunate enough to live in Springfield, MO!  :)



Enchilada Sauce

3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
14.5 oz can beef broth
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Williams chili seasoning (found with the seasoning packets, not with the spice jars)

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour until thoroughly combined. Cook, continually whisking, for 2 minutes.  Slowly add beef broth, continually whisking until all is mixed in. Add brown sugar, and chili seasoning.  Continually whisk until sauce bubbles and thickens. Take off heat immediately.
To make enchiladas, fill small white corn tortillas with meat of your choice.  I used roasted, shredded chicken and thinly sliced raw onion.  Ground beef (with a bit of the sauce stirred in) or cheese and onion are the other options offered at the restaurant. 

Place rolled tortillas on individual plates or shallow bowls and cover with sauce.  Sprinkle liberally with freshly shredded white American cheese.  I like Land O' Lakes.  Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

The restaurant tops it with shredded lettuce and tomato, which is delicious, but I didn't have any on hand.  Next time I'll make sure I do, though.  Oh, and, be careful.  "Hot plate!"

Cheese Dip

To make cheese dip use a 1:1 ratio. One part sauce to 1 equal part grated white American or Monterrey Jack cheese whisked together for cheese dip.  I used white American, which I believe is what Mexican Villa uses.  Next time I will add a little extra chili seasoning to spice it up.  Enjoy!

P52 Week 8

This week was hard!  I've never really done a self portrait before so it was difficult to set the focus.  This one is actually out of focus but it was the best that I got.  On top of that, it feels pretty silly to pose for a camera when there's no one behind it!  I'll have to keep practicing this.