Memorial Day Weekend

 Thank You to all who have served!

Everyone here at Pig In Mud...

Wishes you a nice Memorial Day Weekend!

Spiced Olives in Tomato Juice -Appetizer or Charcuterie Board

I've made a few different marinated olive recipes on the blog, but I have to say this is the most robustly flavored one to date... These Spiced Olives in Tomato Juice pack a big garlic punch and the crushed pepper flakes help back that up:@) The olives will drink up the flavors more as the days go by, and some comments really say to give it the full 10 days. I've even seen this recipe referred to as The Christmas Olives. So if it's holiday fare, you know it will be great as we're entertaining and throwing a couple steaks on the grill this summer. I'm even thinking about using it to top some pasta with chicken... My only suggestion, give it a good 30 minutes at room temperature before serving so the olive oil has a chance to loosen back up. Don't hesitate to give this a try folks, if you love garlic, you'll like these olives!

Perfect for charcuterie boards, cocktail parties, and along side a hearty sandwich on game day. My best suggestion: I would eat these within the 10 days, I wouldn't store them longer. And with the Christmas reference above... This will ~loosely~ be my Christmas in July post for this year. But don't wait until the holidays to make them:@)

And a tip: If you don't have tomato juice on-hand, substitute half tomato sauce, half water.

Other olive recipes: Pepperoni, Cheese & Olives in Italian Dressing - Lemon & Herb Marinated Olives - Marinated Almond Stuffed Olives - Garden Tomato & Green Olive Salsa - Marinated Mozzarella Cheese & Olives - Citrus Marinated Olives - Bloody Mary Tomato & Olive Salad

Spiced Olives in Tomato Juice-from Taste of Home

7 oz jar green olives with pimento

1/2 C tomato juice

1 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1. Drain olives, discarding liquid.
2. Mix everything else in small bowl, pour into jar of olives.
3. Cover and refrigerate 3-10 days, turning jar daily.
4. Drain before serving.

🌴🦩🎅Happy Christmas in July,

Eat well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Happy 4th of July!!! And Baseball Bling...

One of the great things about being from Philadelphia is, my baseball team colors are red, white and blue... That plays well with the summer holidays:@) I'm not a big jewelry person but I do like to have a few fun bracelets to wear on game day. My Eagles charm bracelet last update is here, and now I’ve gathered a few ~very inexpensive~ stacking bracelets in Phillies colors.

Made from craft beads I've gathered over the years, and some stretch bracelets bought on-line. It's just fun to look around to see what I might be able to add as time goes on... Ya gotta support your team-Go Phils!!!

It's a long season,

but it's been fun so far:@)

Links: Free Barbie Clothes Pattern Sheet ~ How to Make a Barbie Necklace ~ Barbie Foam Finger ~ Barbie's trip to the Phillies game.

⚾Let's show our colors, 

enjoy a hot dog, and

Have a Happy 4th of July:@)

Barbie 4th of July Crafts Round-Up 2024

When I was a kid, folks would decorate their bikes with streamers and balloons for the 4th of July and join the local parade. Do people do that any more? I think I even remember baby strollers being decorated. Here's my little wink and nod to what seemed like simpler times:@) 

We're only days away from the 4th of July and I thought it might be fun to post a Barbie crafts round-up of ideas... Most are no-sew projects that come together quickly using scraps and items from your crafting stash. Let's celebrate the holiday ~and~ help keep the kids busy:@) Click the links for tutorials and free patterns.

Hairbands:

**A round-up of all Barbie headband crafts, with instructions, can be found Here.

Clothes:

Headband Top with (or without) Dangle Earrings ~ No-Sew Hankerchief Top 

 Crochet Dress ~ No Sew Swing Top 

Bathing Suits:

Balloon Bathing Suits ~ No-Sew Ribbon Bathing Suit

Miscellaneous:

No-Sew Aprons ~ Felt Tie 

Uncle Sam Hat from Recycled K-Cup

These silly Pipe Cleaner Glasses whip up in minutes and you can glue on any desired embellishments. I used star sequins, you could use beads, rhinestones, buttons, felt, glitter, stickers or anything else from your craft stash.

 *You know it's hot outside when it looks like even Barbie is sweating😓 ...or is she melting???

✂What I did: 

1. Wrap pipe cleaner around a pencil or knitting needle (size 13 here), and twist to secure the circle.
2. Move over a bit and create the second lens.
3. Fold each side back to make the arms of the glasses and trim to size. 
4. Glue on decorations.

 A quick side view:

Links to Other Crafts:

Oversized golf hat  ~  Free shorts pattern for Ken  ~  Barbie glasses embellished with glitter  ~  Simple skirt from ruffle  ~  Barbie necklace

From all of us here at PIM,

We Wish You a Very 

Happy 4th of July -Enjoy!

Easy Cake Mix Bars -a.k.a. Last Minute Any Occasion Bars...

This idea was too simple to pass by without trying... These Easy Cake Mix Bars are a tasty treat that starts with a boxed cake mix. The original idea was to mix sprinkles into the batter mimicking a funfetti cake, I like adding them to the top of the batter for a more colorful presentation:@) I will suggest that you take a minute to press the sprinkles down gently into the batter before baking though. The recipe calls for a jelly roll pan, I used a 9x13 (a lot of other commenters used that size), I will try the 15x10 next time and update this post. This is the kind of treat that comes together quickly but will appeal to most people because it tastes like birthday cake, and let's say it, sprinkles are just fun! Don't hesitate to give it a try folks, I think you'll be pleased. And they are perfect not just for birthdays or sleepovers...

Change up the color of the sprinkles for holidays...

🏈And of course game day:@) 

While sprinkles or jimmies are best, I only had nonpareils in red, white, and blue so that's what I used. They worked fine too:@)

Try different cake and chip flavors, 

you know your crowd:@)

Easy Cake Mix Bars-from here

Yellow boxed cake mix

1 egg

1/2 C milk

1/3 C oil

1 C white baking chips

1/3 C sprinkles/jimmies or enough to cover top

1. Combine cake mix, egg, milk and oil. Mixture will be think.
2. Stir in chips and sprinkles if not saving them for the top.
3. Spread into greased 15 x 10 x 1" pan. Some comments have used a 9 x 13.
4. If adding sprinkles to the top, add them now.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Enjoy a snack and Have a Happy Day:@)

Paper Napkin Hankie Skirt for Barbie, Kids Craft

When I started making Barbie posts back in 2013 my hope was that they'd give folks inspiration for easy, quick projects to do with kids. This hankie skirt from a paper napkin has to be one of the easiest ideas yet:@) What I love about it the most is, you can use any color or seasonal napkin you have or would like. Lunch napkins make long skirts and cocktail napkins make shorter skirts. This is an economical project for a sleepover or birthday party, and a great way to kill a little time waiting for dinner to be ready.

Of course I had to make an Eagles one too😎

This was a cocktail napkin.

What I did:

1. Items required: Paper napkin, scissors, tape.
2. Simply make a dot 3/4" from the corner of the napkin (the corner that would be the center of the napkin when unfolded). Note: Standard Barbie = 3/4", Curvy Barbie = 1"
3. Draw a curve, cut the corner of the napkin off.
4. *For the summer print napkin, I did round the corner off of the bottom too.
5. Slip the doll's legs through the hole, scrunch napkin around her waist and tape around waist to create a waistband. The tape can be washi tape, making tape, duct tape, or anything handy.
6. Done!

You can make any size napkin work. The lunch size makes a nice full skirt that kind of reminds me of the 1950's poodle style. You could always cut the other corners to make a rounded skirt if desired (as I did in the first picture).

Thinner, cheaper napkins work best (Walmart, Dollar Tree). I wanted to show a Christmas one too but I only had a sturdy, name brand dinner size napkin. The napkin was too big and the paper was just too thick to drape, it didn't work. $1 napkins are better!

My Barbie Pinterest Board HERE.

✂Let's keep the kids busy and 

Have a Happy Day😉

Two Ingredient Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips -Retro Recipe

This Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips Recipe has been around forever and was on my to-try list for a long time. As we're looking forward to warmer weather (hello...  Mother Nature???) I thought it was time to whip some up. This is a light and creamy dessert or snack, and honestly, a pretty one too:@) I like the foamy fluffy tops. Choose any flavor of sugar free Jello, and maybe even a make a couple colors for a Mother's Day Brunch. The only other ingredient we need is non-fat plain Greek yogurt, it will add a little tang. This is a diabetic friendly, low carb, low Weight Watchers points, treat. Ma tried this with me and we both give it a thumbs up. Don't hesitate to give it a try folks, I think it will appeal to most. 

A great way to use up that last yogurt that may be flirting with the expiration date:@)

📌All of my Pinterest Boards here.

Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips

Four serving size sugar free Jello, any flavor

3/4 C boiling water

1 C ice water, add ice, fill to equal 1 C

8 oz yogurt

1. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. 
2. Add ice water to Jello, stir.
3. Add yogurt and Jello to blender, blend on high for 30 seconds.
4. Pour into glasses or bowl. Makes 4 servings.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Nora Fleming Minis for Any Occasion (Literally...)

To cap off Baseball Week I wanted to share a collectible that's new to me... Have you heard of Nora Fleming Minis? The idea is, you pick a base, anything from a serving dish, to a paper towel holder, to a charcuterie board, and then add the mini. Mini's are small figural pieces that commemorate any occasion, every holiday, and just about every day... I scrolled through the Amazon page, and counted roughly 22 bases and 136 minis to chose from. You can go to Amazon or find her web page here. Now, I'm not saying this is an inexpensive gift, but it is certainly one that can be added to over time:@) There is even a scalloped edge square that's blank so you can write whatever message you'd like on it.

How it works:

More examples:

And I'll leave you with...

📌All of my Pinterest Boards here.

Just sharing a fun idea,

Have a Happy Day:@)

Coastal Blue Cotton Table Linens -Dollar Tree Alert!

Popping in to let everyone know that Dollar Tree has some beautiful coastal blue striped napkins and a table runner, they are with the Easter and Spring items in the $3 to $5 isle. ~Gorgeous~ Not only great for spring, but I can see them in a beach or nautical type setting too. Even perfect for the summer holidays with a pop of red... A pretty light blue with denim type blue. $3 for a set of four 100% cotton napkins...

And $5 for a full 72" cotton table runner.

Hard to beat:@)

The other spring colors:

Grab it when you see it, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Vintage Santa Ornament-Thrift Store Rescue & 2023 Christmas Tree

I wanted to share this year's favorite thrift store find... This o~l~d Santa ornament! Goodwill had bags of assorted balls on the shelves. He was just tossed into a bag and luckily, still in good shape (for his age) patiently waiting for me:@) I left half the balls there for them to re-sell, and in addition to Santa brought home four more balls for the tree, and...

Eight mini glass ornaments for a 4th of July tree!

This was a fun find indeed:@)

My Christmas tree this year:

The Dollar Tree Spirals are the star:@)

Too much egg nog???

I hope your holiday includes a fun surprise too!

Have a great day:@)

Oversized Felt Tie Craft for Ken (Barbie) -Any Holiday/Occasion

These Oversized Felt Ties for Barbie, Ken and Action Figure Dolls come together in no time and the real fun is embellishing them for the occasion. The most time consuming part is waiting for the glue gun to heat up... Use up little scraps of felt in your desired color, and add beads, sequins, glitter, pom-poms, etc, for decoration. I love this idea for adding a little seasonal or holiday fun to doll play. And let's face it folks, guys just don't like to dress up much, I think Ken looks great in his easy clown costume for Halloween:@)

Here's my original,

he's ready for the St. Patrick's Day parade:

✂What I did:

• Cut a rectangle of felt 4" long by 1" wide.
• Fold top over about 3/4" and hot glue lower edge down. Be sure to leave a tube (or sleeve) towards the top so you can feed ribbon through the hole. *Suggestion after I made mine: It would be easier to lay a 4" piece of ribbon or thin piece of felt on the tie before you glue the lower edge down.
• Fold the two sides of the back together, glue the tie together where you glued the lower edge in the step above.

• Fold bottom in half towards the back, measure up about 1/2" or so from the bottom and cut a tip into the bottom of the tie.
• *If you didn't lay your ribbon on the felt before gluing in step 2 above, feed it through the hole with a needle or safety pin.
• Hot glue a little velcro to the ribbon to secure the tie on doll. 

And the 4th of July:

Make something just for fun and...

Have a Happy Day:@)

Teriyaki Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Grill Pan Vegetables -Homemade Teriyaki Sauce & Barbie's 4th of July

My crew is in agreement, the best way to cook a tenderloin is on the grill, and we have several different types of homemade marinades here on PIM. But an old favorite is this Teriyaki Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grill Pan Vegetables. Once you make a homemade teriyaki sauce, I don't think you'll ever go back to the bottle folks:@) And I do like to leave the meat marinate overnight, longer is better! As for what vegetables to grill, peppers and onions are a must, from there anything goes... Zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli are all good options.

This truly was a lovely meal,

and a nice way to use up some snow peas from the garden:@)

Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced-I use a garlic press
1 tsp ground ginger-Pick up a new jar if you've had it for a while
1 Tblsp molasses
~Mix well

For Dinner:

One unflavored pork tenderloin

3 large bell peppers, colors of choice, large chopped

1 large sweet onion, large chopped

1 small zucchini, 1/2" chunks

20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

handful snow peas, optional

1. Add teriyaki sauce to large zip top bag and add tenderloin. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
2. Heat grill to medium high.
3. Remove meat from bag, place on plate. Add vegetables to bag and coat in sauce.
4. Grill meat: Think of it as a rectangle, 4 minutes on each side. Remove to carving platter, cover with foil for 10 minutes.
5. Towards end of cooking time add vegetables to heated grill pan. Stir occasionally until cooked to your desired level of doneness.
6. Add veggies to serving platter, add carved meat and pour any juices over everything.

And Barbie hopes you have a nice place

to cool off this 4th of July too:@)

Pic in my solar fountain 2022.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)