This is the most basic butternut soup recipe I know. I realize that for some it is too basic. But, you can always jazz it up if you like. I am a big believer, though, that when learning to cook you should know the basic recipe BEFORE the fancy pants one.
I don’t peel and dice the butternut squash. Instead, I have everything in one giant pot. gasp! .And…I have only 9 ingredients…that includes the salt! But, this is the truest, most simple Butternut Soup recipe I know. (If you have other great ones…shoot them my way!
Yummy yummy yummy! We serve ours with a dollop of sour cream and a bit of cheddar cheese. Okay, let me know when you have tried this!
If you all have some other fun variations on Butternut Soup, let me know! This family would eat it all year!
This DIY hair tool organizer post was created over 3 years ago (before the site’s name change). And it shows. I’ve updated much of it, added a video, and improved many of the pictures but many of the originals remain. This organizer is incredibly useful and practical for me and, I’m sure, for many of you, as well.
Start out with a board. You can use whatever type of board you have on hand just be sure that you’ve measured the space you have to hang it on the wall and that your board will fit. Also, make sure that all of your hair tools will fit into the space you would like them. You don’t want to do all this work to have a hair tool organizer that doesn’t work! It would be a good idea to lay out your hair tools and mark where you want them to be with a pencil. A little extra planning is always helpful!
You need a package of these…aluminum step flashing. I bought these when we lived in the middle of nowhere and found these at my local hardware store so they can’t be too hard to find. And it was I think $4.00 or something-inexpensive? You could also look where sheet metal is located at your home improvement store. I’m sure they have something similar. Or ask.
Now see how my board is a nice size for that flashing. Maybe you are scared because they don’t fit as nicely on your board? No biggie; they cut quite easily with your basic heavy duty scissors and can be attached easily with upholstery tacks. It works…really.
The upholstery tacks scratch the metal easily so be careful.
I have no idea what they call those things. I found them at the hardware store and knew they would be perfect. My guess is they hold pipes somehow.They come in various sizes.
I got 2 small ones for my small curling iron and straightener and 2 large ones for my large curling iron and blow dryer. These need to be screwed in with nice sturdy screws (that they come with) so that they can attach into the wood behind the metal.
Keep going up your board until you have this!
Note: After I put in each holder I double checked the placement of the hair tool before moving on to the next.
I covered the bare wood with Duct Tape to make it pretty! If you’re really smart, you could paint the wood before adding the flashing and screws. I wish I had done that and probably will, after the fact. sigh.
I have a surge protector just under the vanity this is over to have them all plugged into at once.
I can just turn it on and leave it in the holder.
That metal works great at keeping the heat from burning down my house! Now it is time to DIY a makeup organozer!
A reader kindly let us know that the clamps are called “pipe clamps”. Thanks!
Happy happy day, lovelies! Today I’m passing to you the recipe for my one-pot ( I use my worn-out dutch oven) sweet potato chili. This chili is a family favorite that makes it to the menu rotation at least twice a month. Mostly at the request of Katie, to be honest. That girl ADORES this chili recipe.
Truly, she can’t be blamed. This chili is sweet and spicy, warm and fresh, and chock full of nutrients that make your body feel taken care of. It also takes only a little over half an hour to make. Fast, fresh and simple. It reminds me of my grandma’s chili but with a fresh, new update. Kid’s love the mild sweetness of sweet potatoes (have you tried sweet potato fries? kids love them!) and YOU’ll love the nutrients of sweet potatoes.
I prefer to use grass-fed ground beef in this chili recipe; but I’ve successfully used ground turkey, chicken, chuck, and even gone meatless without losing any of the yummy flavors. Adjust this recipe to your families needs and tastes… it will still be delicious!
I serve this chili with sliced avocado, sour cream, and cilantro every time. In my opinion, the toppings are mandatory. The silky avocado, tangy sour cream, and flavorful cilantro are the PERFECT topping to this chili.
Tip:
Having a chili “topping bar” is the best way to get kids to gobble up any chili recipe. Make the basic recipe and set out bowls of toppings. They add their favorites and YOU don’t have to worry about picky eaters-score!
I’m a busy working mom, like many of you, and adore recipes that use real ingredients to create delicious, simple, and fast treats for my family. Although you have seen versions of a slow-cooker chocolate cake that use a cake mix and pudding mix, can I encourage you to try making this recipe instead? I would love you to take the extra few minutes to use real ingredients that you have touched and measured for yourself. This chocolate cake is ridiculously fast to make and will become a family favorite that you are happy to get in your crockpot before you head out to work, schedule it, and have it ready to be eaten after dinner or for your kids when they get home from school.
This chocolate cake is utter magic. Magic because it is utterly decadent and rich, magic because the frosting is created while the cake cooks in the same pan!, but magic mostly because this delectable cake is made in the slow-cooker!
I often question the practicalness of some slow-cooker recipes. Especially the ones that are for 3 hours and then done. Or for 2 hours and then you add something and cook for an additional 2 hours. Isn’t the idea of a slow cooker to allow you to set supper up to be cooking while you are working? Who the heck works 3-hour shifts? Eh, it must just be me that doesn’t see the value in 1400 Slow-Cooker Recipes.
(You are going to start to stir the batter and want to yell at me that something is wrong. There isn’t. The stuff is thick! Just stir it gently with a wooden spoon until the giant chunks are gone and call it a day. Put it into your greased slow-cooker and let the magic work. It works out, promise!)
This recipe I get. When I eat this cake with it’s built-in frosting I understand why slow-cooker recipes exist. In the 3 hours this cake is cooking, the frosting is cooking up too. It SELF FROSTS itself. No really…when you cut the cake, you automatically get frosting! BAM!
But is it good? I have had my share of slow-cooker recipes that I didn’t think were worth the trouble. They were only so-so. But this. THIS is mouth-watering! I use a couple of special ingredients to keep this cake rich, full of flavor, and lighter in calories. It isn’t light and fluffy like my homemade chocolate cake instead, it’s rich, fudge-y, and dark. THIS is the cake I use for ice cream sundaes, coffee dates, and regular appearances on the meal menu.
Stout.
Using a dark, rich alcohol like stout allows me to remove the milk from the cake recipe, quite a bit of the sugar, AND contributes a wonderful rich flavor to the cake. Using stout works fantastic for this slow-cooker recipe because the slow-cooking time allows that alcohol to foam and bubble to the top of the cake, mixing with the sugar and chocolate, and creating a delicious frosting.
Nutella.
Now, you can use peanut butter (this is better for the calorie count!), almond butter, or cookie butter in place of Nutella. However, for the richest and most decadent flavor, and when making this for your kids, use Nutella. Obviously :).
(Do NOT stir in your boiled stout topping. Simply pour it on top and leave. Really. It all works out.)
Some of the tools, apps, and companies that I use for my personal organization or for NellieBellie...
Shoot Fly Shoot | When I realized how necessary taking good photo’s was to the success of my site, this is the photo class I took and loved. I recommend this to everyone and still watch the video’s occasionally for refreshers.
CoSchedule | I use CoSchedule to keep my editorial calendar organized, help me see what content I need to create for the week, and schedule some of my social media messages. It also allows me to keep my team organized easily. Pomodoro Timer | On days that it is a struggle to stay on task, I employ this timer. Mine is set to 25-minute intervals. I find I can do anything for 25 minutes. And don’t mind telling others to wait that long for my attention. Day Designer | This is my personal planner that I have used for a couple of years. I also highly recommend Planner Pads | because of their wonderful funnel system that keeps distracted people focused! HostGator | Although I now use a much larger hosting company, I successfully used hostgator in the young years of NellieBellie and still recommend them for those starting blogs. They have good customer service and solid hosting. StudioPress Themes for WordPress | These are the WordPress themes that I have used almost exclusively for all of my blog development ( for the many years I did that) and for NellieBellie. They are clean, well designed, and full options. HostGator | This is the hosting company I used when I first started and still recommend for new and small blogs.
Personally, having a minimal lifestyle and capsule wardrobe have dramatically increased the free-time that I have. It has allowed me more time for work AND play. Although not everyone can make the choices we have…our story may give you ideas for small changes you can make to help you on your dream.
Working on a business, rather than a blog.
Everyone has a blog. Your grandma probably has a blog. Heck, MY grandma probably has a blog. Having a blog isn’t anything special. But, what you DO with your blog can be.
In my case, my blog was simply a way to show my talents and give me a platform from which to jump from. It allows me to create content for magazines, newspapers, e-books, developing cookbooks, speaking engagements, photography classes, and more. My blog is, in essence, a giant adjusting resume. It PROVES my expertise. Sure, I could keep adding and adding content to add to my expertise (and I do!), but for what? I need to DO something with gathered expertise. Expertise for the sake of expertise doesn’t further my future. Sure, more people coming to my site brings me additional ad income, that’s true. But ad income isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (ad income is becoming less and less a guaranteed source of income for websites) and certainly isn’t going to build me a long-lasting brand and career. I need more.
Waking up in the morning and treating NellieBellie as a business is what has allowed me to become successful in this creative space. I am a successful blogger, sure. But I am so much more. NellieBellie continues to morph and grow into other places then this single address on the internet. Places that produce even MORE opportunities to grow. Every opportunity brings a level of growth on a financial level, skill level, brand level, networking level, and more. Building a business is ultimately building NellieBellie into the future.
Sure, there are those that don’t want to make money or a career at blogging. I get it. I have a couple of things to say to that…
Don’t. Every person needs a hobby.
And a hobby is, by definition, something you don’t NEED to do to meet your financial needs. No need to explain.
Bloggers that make money are no longer bloggers.
Do NOT for one second think that those bloggers you see making money with their blog are spending a few minutes banging out a post, sticking it up on the internet, and sitting back while the bucks roll in. These people are business-minded individuals with mad skills. They are skilled entrepreneurs that have used their internet address to push their message and brand. They are content creators, magazine authors, book authors, web design specialists, social media marketers, and a million other skill-sets that are marketable to the business world at large. They have worked like crazy for every. single. inch of their success. For real.
I’m relieved.
It is really, really hard to make a career at blogging. Especially in the year 2015. The internet is so heavily saturated with new GOOD blogs that want a little piece of the pie they have been eyeing. Sadly, they will never see a dime. I’m asked often to help someone start a blog to help them make money. I tell them…only if you don’t want to make any significant profit for at least 2 years. That is why I’m so thankful that you DON’T want to make money at blogging. It’s dang hard. Especially if you start now. And I don’t want hard for my friends.
(my small office at move-in day)
Adopt business hours, business dress, and a business environment.
One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first realized the profitability of NellieBellie (remember, this was a couple of years ago…when blogs still had a chance at being something) was not creating honest to goodness work hours. And sticking to them. I kept telling people that one of the best parts of working as a blogger was the ability to stay in my pajamas and work from home. There are a couple problems with that statement, for me personally…
At that point in the journey of NellieBellie I was no longer just a “blogger” and should not have classified myself simply as that. Not that being a blogger is less than something else. But, it didn’t do justice to my work. I should have classified myself as a content creator. Or, at that time, website developer. Or even a social media strategist. But, I didn’t see any of those skills in myself at that time. Nevermind that I was building 5 websites a day…I didn’t see myself as a website developer. Nevermind that I was creating content FOR magazines and websites that never saw a moment on my site…I didn’t see myself as a content creator. I simply underestimated my value. And in so doing, allowed others to underestimate my value. Which didn’t allow me to grow as I should have. How can I become something I don’t believe I can?
Thinking that “staying in my pajamas” was something to strive for. Do you know how bad it is for your psyche not to develop a good morning routine? To dress well. To put on your “face” and otherwise be the best version of yourself you can be? Again, I was setting myself to be underestimated completely. By myself and by others. I was the very thing keeping myself from being the best. I was my own worst enemy.
Believing that “working from home” was the ultimate goal. I believed, at that time, that working from home was the ultimate in the measure of success. This came partly from my conservative upbringing and environmental culture that believed women working away from home was secondary to men doing so. Not intentionally, in any way. And I’m all for women staying home if they desire. In my case, I thought that working AND being at home was the ultimate in culture’s eyes. But I wasn’t truly working from home very well, it was utterly the worst thing for me. But, at that time, I knew what other’s view as success and didn’t realize it wasn’t my own measure of success. Now, I rent a small office space only minutes from home and physically go to work at least 3 days a week. GOING to work is something that I wasn’t raised to believe would ever be for me. Being able to do it feels amazing, successful, and SERIOUS.
Get off the internet!
This is utterly the WORST time killer. The worst!! Being a business that lives almost entirely on the internet, social media, and email spaces you would think that staying connected to all of those places is vital.
Exactly the opposite!
If you are a blogger that wants to create real, honest, genuine content you need to log-out and STAY logged-out for huge chunks of your productive hours. Otherwise, you are spending so much time distracted and connected to outside of your productive place that you don’t create content. Or if you do create content, it’s disjointed and less than it can be. You will waste away your opportunities online. Shut it down.
DO your business. LIVE your life. BE with people. From these places you will create your best and most authentic content. And your business will thrive.
Invest in your business.
Think of your blog as any brick and mortar business…it takes initial start-up investments. Sure, you can start a blog without a dollar invested but if you want it become successful you WILL have to invest some money and serious time. AND lots and lots of energy. Just like any start-up. Thinking that a successful blog doesn’t require that is utterly wrong.
Ask any successful blogger how much time and money they have spent to get where they are? How much did they spend before they turned a profit? They will all do this…
Laugh. Make a joke about how stupid they were and how patient their husbands were. And then tell you it was hours and hours (they really don’t know how many… it was so many) and hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Just like a true start-up.
Then. Then– when you DO get your successful blog up and running you have to CONTINUE to invest. You will have to pay to automate, hire help, maintain your site, pay for advertising, the list continues. Not doing those things isn’t an option if you want to simply maintain the level you are at. To grow? You got it…you have to spend MORE money, time, and energy.
Just like any brick and mortar business.
Do you get where I am going with this? A successful blog IS a business. Not “kind of like”. It IS absolutely and completely a business. With taxes and accounting and all.
Not treating it as such is a complete and utter mistake and recipe for failure. 100% guaranteed.
Take yourself seriously and force others to do the same.
I’ve touched on this in the other points but I need to stress, stress, stress the need to take yourself seriously. If you don’t see yourself as a business person full of skills that are valuable to the business world…start! The minute you take yourself and your brand seriously forcing those around you to do the same, things will move.
Realize that your time is valuable. Force your family to recognize your business hours. Try to say no to friends that ask for favors during business hours. Turn off your phone, if necessary. These habits will take time to develop, especially if you don’t have any of these habits already developed. Just start. Get up in the morning and put on your power outfit, turn on some inspirational music, head to your desk (or office…if you can!), shut the door, shut off your phone and notifications, and work.
If you have never tried a Moscow Mule…it’s quite manly. When I say manly I mean…it packs a bit of a kick. That, I assume, is from the vodka. Or the ginger beer. So, our version mellows it out just a bit. Adding cranberry juice and a wee bit of sugar takes the manly away and makes it just…man?
I am so very happy it’s New Year’s Eve! That means the holidays are just about over. Not that I don’t love them….I really do. But after about a week of friends, family, parties, and my children being at home, I am ready to get back to the start of work. Maybe that’s just because my job is fun. But either way, too much vacation is enough to make a person insane. Or need a cocktail. A strong one. Like a Moscow Mule cocktail. Well, truly…we are calling it a Moscow Unicorn because it has been girlified for my “dignified” tastes.
If you have never tried a Moscow Mule…it’s quite manly. When I say manly I mean…it packs a bit of a kick. That, I assume, is from the vodka. Or the ginger beer. So, my sister’s version mellows it out just a bit. Adding cranberry juice and a wee bit of sugar takes the manly away and makes it just…man? Um, okay, that’s strange. Either way, Moscow Mules are way more delicious when we take away the “mule” and insert “unicorn”. You need to try this drink! So simple and good. Just like our favorite cocktails should be.
We really love that the moscow mule uses only one type of alcohol, which makes the run to the liquor store much less expensive. And the fact that it doesn’t need a shaker or any fancy cocktail tools is definitely a bonus!
This is a great drink to have for your New Year’s party because it is so easily adaptable. It can be as strong or as weak as you like, and it can easily be made virgin for kids who might be at the party. Just add this gentle drink in among your traditional, stronger cocktails and everyone will be excited to try it!
Maybe you aren’t into drinks with alcohol? That’s okay. No judgement. If you love ginger, try my ginger tea…guaranteed love! Or good old hot chocolate is always a winner! And we have quite an extensive list of coffee drinks you can make without needing a fancy espresso machine or anything.
Learn how to make a drink umbrella with this easy tutorial! Super easy and fun addition to your next party!
I have a dream. A dream of warmth, pretty cocktails, cabana boys, and lying about. In my dream, all of my cocktails –every single one- come with a cocktail umbrella. Probably a pink one. And delivered by a cabana boy whilst I lay in the warmth and chat with Nate. I don’t hear children in this dream. I don’t see dirty dishes or bills (nope, this dream is paid for) or grass that needs mowing.
Today I have an itty bitty part of my dream fulfilled…
Supplies for cocktail umbrella:
paper
scissors
wooden skewers
hot glue
tinsel garland (optional)
To Do:
Cut paper into circles about 3 inches in diameter (I used a mason jar as a guide)
Cut a slit into the circle up to the center of the circle.
Form the cocktail umbrella from the circle. Hot glue into place.
(I cut my skewers in half but use the size you prefer!) Hot glue the umbrellas onto the skewers.
For extra fun…cut up a bit of tinsel garland. Put a dab of hot glue on the top of your umbrella and dip it into the tinsel.
Now you too can have a dream worthy cocktail umbrella for your cocktail! Cheers!
Now you know how to make your own drink umbrella’s! Make a stash for New Year’s or parties and keep them in a drawer. Drinks are always better with an umbrella…wouldn’t you agree? Why not check out our great cocktail collection and include pretty umbrella’s for the glasses? Fun!
This is a quick and easy dessert that serves just one. Perfect for when you are looking for a sweet midnight snack or your kids want an after-school treat. You can make up a microwave brownie-in-a-mug in about three minutes with ingredients you already have in your pantry…
And you can mix up the whole brownie recipe IN the mug (no extra dishes…score!) with a few quick and easy steps…
Seriously, this brownie was about 3 minutes. Including the cooking! Kinda like a glorified Easy Bake recipe…don’t you think? Please tell me I’m not the only one old enough to remember those guys. With their dangerous exposed light-bulbs, super expensive mixes, and little girls begging their parents for one?
Walah… a tasty, chocolatey, gooey brownie! All made up during the next commercial!
[yumprint-recipe id=’261′]
If you are looking for fast, easy, and simple recipes like this you shouldn’t miss our Lazy Baker ENTIRE CATEGORY full of short-cut recipes. Like pull-apart breads, petit fours, and even Grandma’s fudge. These recipes are meant for those that are a bit gun-shy in the kitchen and still gaining confidence in their cooking skills. We hear ya. No need to fuss and stress…use our cheater recipes to look like a kitchen super star!
Plain clutches are quite easy to find at thrift stores and are very inexpensive probably because they are dull and sad clutches, eh. But when we finish them they are original and beautiful pieces that you will be complimented on again and again (believe me, I get complimented all the time!). Why purchase something new when you can give life to something old? Save the planet and maybe revamp something you already have in your closet! So, I want to clarify that we aren’t making the clutch itself but rather revamping it into something new and fresh.
The clutch I used for this is a basic white clutch that I found at the local vintage shop in a bin FULL of clutches and wallets. The suede is from a large craft store, as well as the E6000. Feel free to use leather if you like, but DO NOT skip using the strong adhesive. Any super strong adhesive similar to E6000 will do but is absolutely essential to making this bag something you can use daily. I am not about creating pretty things that can’t be used. This is meant to be pretty AND practical!
Gathering the supplies truly is the hardest part of this whole project. Putting the pieces together is a bit time-consuming but not hard, at all. Simply decide how long and how wide you want your fringe to be and cut your material accordingly. Because the material can often be a bit expensive, take your time figuring out what you want to do. Measure twice, cut once as my Grandma always said.
My grandma would be pleased with this project. She always had bags of leftover fabrics and bits and bobs for us to make things with when we visited her. We never came up with anything as sophisticated as this clutch but we still had fun glueing bits to paper. Our favorite…making doodled people with fabric clothes and hair.
Remember that you will need a wee bit of fabric at the very top of the fringe that is NOT cut and is used to glue your fringe on to your bag. Do NOT cut that part.
After you have measured your fabric and decided if you want your fringe to go all the way across your bag, or across the sides, or hey… you want little bits of fringe all over it is time to cut tiny little strips into the bottom of the fabric. This creates the fringe. And yes, it is a bit time-consuming. Grab Netflix and settle in for a bit. It’s not difficult, just takes a while.
Lately, I’ve been watching Game of Thrones and am admittedly a bit addicted. Remember back to the world without Netflix or DVR or on-demand movies? Sigh. I miss that time. Although, then I wouldn’t be able to watch Game of Thrones whenever I feel like. So, there’s that.
After you have created your strip of fringe you simply use that strong adhesive to carefully glue it in place. And repeat the process as many times as you wish, in as many colors as you wish, for as many bags as you wish.
If you have to piece two pieces of material together to make one pieces be sure to glue the seams well so they don’t catch and pull apart.
I haven’t given you step by step directions for creating my specific bag because I don’t want you to. I want you to make one that YOU have designed. I will, however, tell you that my bag uses Sharpie fabric pens to create that graphic design. And I created a tassel by wrapping a strip of fabric around a giant bundle of strips of fabric. But there is a great tutorial for making tassle’s on Tatertots and Jello that would be great! You can find that HERE.
Some ideas for creating your own design:
covering the entire front of the bag in fringe
running fringe along only the side and hanging suuuper long fringe from the corners
adding a strip of extra long fringe only at the bottom of the bag
using all one color fringe EXCEPT one single strip of a different color-cool!
making shapes into fringe
trying different fabrics (what about denim?)
bedazzling the fringe!
using long fringe and then adding beads to the end of it (simply knot them on)
Have you re-vamped something in your closet and made it new? I’d love to hear about it. Tell me about that skirt you dolled up, or the sweater you made sweet elbow patches for. Or… maybe you took this tutorial and freshened up a bag you had laying around being sad. Whatever it is, I’d love to hear how you gave something old new life!
Is there anything that reminds you of the holiday’s more than the spicy flavor of gingerbread or the smooth creaminess of eggnog? Those two flavors make you want to grab a family member and sing carol around the Christmas tree… don’t they?
Well, at least in my house.
Although, off topic…have you ever made or had homemade eggnog? Yeah. I just can’t. Google how it’s made and then come back to me and let me know what you think. I want to talk about all tasty cookies and not get you weirded out.
Umm, yeah. About those cookies :). I make a classic gingerbread cookie that always makes my Christmas cookie making list. Always.
You CANNOT say you are a Christmas cookie maker and not make gingerbread. Sorry, folks…it’s the truth.
But then I go one step better. And put eggnog on top of the gingerbread cookies. Smooth, creamy eggnog. In frosting form. I KNOW!!! Don’t you just die.
It’s easy, really. I can hear you thinking there are too many steps or it’s too complex for you because you aren’t a food blogger and spend all your time in the kitchen like me.
First, I have teenagers, a business, a husband, NINE brothers and sisters, FIVE bro and sisters-in-law, a dog, and live in MN where we shovel 452 days of the year. I don’t have time for silly stuff either.
This eggnog icing is fast and easy. And tastes like heaven. No silly stuff, I promise!
Okay, so the addition of little pearls on the star edges might have been overkill. But, I was watching Games of Thrones and needed a reason to “work while I watch”. Putting little pearls on one by one takes time! I got an entire episode in while I did them :). Sometimes you gotta be clever. And, let’s be serious…the pearls make the cookies prettier. Which makes you click over to see the recipe. Which makes you hear about this yummy frosting. And the frosting makes your life better while still being simple. Which makes me good at my job.
Yay pearls!
So YOU can skip the little pearls. But DON’T skip the frosting. Please. Try it!
This is the most basic butternut soup recipe I know. I realize that for some it is too basic. But, you can always jazz it up if you like. I am a big believer, though, that when learning to cook you should know the basic recipe BEFORE the fancy pants one.
Plain clutches are quite easy to find at thrift stores and are very inexpensive probably because they are dull and sad clutches, eh. But when we finish them they are original and beautiful pieces that you will be complimented on again and again (believe me, I get complimented all the time!). Why purchase something new when you can give life to something old? Save the planet and maybe revamp something you already have in your closet! So, I want to clarify that we aren’t making the clutch itself but rather revamping it into something new and fresh.
