Winter Mantle Using a DIY Project

Here is a great idea to decorate your winter mantle. I used some of the same trees for my winter decorations and the highlight is the middle with individual pictures of our name. Angie took the pictures, framed them and gave them to us for Christmas. Each letter of our name has it's own picture and has significant meaning for us - I love it! This is a great DIY project and great gift idea for your friends or family.

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Vanilla Simple Syrup

If you like to add a little sweetness to your coffee, tea or other drinks, simple syrup is a great concentrated sweetener, and is quick and easy to make. In the Midwest it isn't exactly "cold drink" weather this time of year but it works in hot drinks or desserts too.  It can also be brushed over a cooled cake to keep crumbs from getting into the frosting. This recipe is for vanilla but you can use other flavors too, depending on what you are using it for and what you like.  I added some to my half-n-half for coffee creamer.
Here's what you need:

• 1/2-1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it, and what you're using it for, I used 1/2 c)
• vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, scrape and keep the seeds and pod 
• if you don't have vanilla beans you can use about 1 1/2-2 teaspoons of vanilla or other extract

In a small saucepan over medium heat add 1 cup of water, sugar,  vanilla seeds and pod. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, and strain (if the bean seeds floating in your drinks don't bother you, then you don't have to strain it). I used a coffee filter in a mesh strainer.  Pour cooled syrup into a container or jar with lid and refrigerate. It will keep up to 4 weeks.
Let us know what you use your simple syrup for, we love hearing your ideas!

~Simply Angie

Organizing Paper, Bills and Stuff!

Where to begin? It's a new year, how about a new organizing system? I don't know about you but during the entire holiday season, I really wasn't doing a very good job of keeping my papers organized. So for the past few days, I have been finding the papers that I had been stuffing into those "little places" everywhere! It drives me crazy when I do that! We sort of have an office in one of our extra bedrooms. I'm not really an "official office" type person. My room is first a music room and second a place to keep my bills and paperwork. I'm a messy musician. If you are a musician or if you live with one, I know you get this! Sheet music, equipment, cords, amps, mixers, wires everywhere! So, I began with all of that first. For my sheet music, I have tried notebooks, binders, portfolios, expanding files, boxes, etc., I've tried it all and I finally found a system that has worked for 5 days! Yes, this is a record! After many days of nagging asking politely, my husband finally carried an old vintage dresser upstairs and placed it in the closet of the music room/office. I cleaned out the drawers and put my microphones, cables, music books, and other musical equipment in there.
I needed my sheet music to be easily accessible so I decided to store my new pretty filing boxes on top of the dresser. (I bought 3 snap together filing boxes and decided my 3 large plastic totes were going away). Then the sorting process began - ugh! This lasted 3 hours! I had some pretty recycled file folders and labeled the tops A-Z. I organized each piece of sheet music alphabetically and it all fits into one box. I love it! All duplicates and songs I don't play anymore were recycled. This the part where you might need a fresh pot of coffee and take a break.
After my 8 hour break, I returned to my project and began sorting old and new bills, junk mail, and current files. I started with my second pretty file box and labeled the tops with specific titles such as Car Insurance, Utilities, Tax Info, Mortgage, etc. Again, it all fit in one box!
The third, larger file box is filled with 7 years of tax records, family history information, and research info on decorating, DIY projects, vintage items, craft ideas, etc.
Luckily, my husband had installed shelves in the closet so I used a large binder and plastic sleeves to store my product manuals. My banking information is stored in binders on the shelf. I also sorted my Cd's, kept only my favorites and stored them in a small fabric bin, some tape and office supplies in another bin, and a phone book and some envelopes on the same shelf. I also had to keep some extra framed artwork under the shelves, these are items I trade off with other art in our house according to the seasons. So even though it's not my first choice of storage, it makes the prints easily accessible.
By the time my organizing project was complete, I had thrown away 2 huge garbage bags of stuff, donated 1 bag, and 1 bag went to off to recycling land. My room is beautiful, calm and no more scattered papers stuffed anywhere! Remember not all projects are quick to complete, take breaks or you'll get frustrated and not finish. This project took 3 days to complete from start to finish but it was worth it!
Don't forget to share some of your organizing tips with us, we love to hear from you!
~ Simply Tammi

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

              Simply Homemade scalloped potatoes and ham!                                 

Last week at the grocery store they were having a special on ham so I made scalloped potatoes and ham with some of it and froze the rest for soup. I used the cream soup mix instead of the cream soup from a can. It was delicious and just as easy. Here's the link to our recipe for cream soup replacement.   

Here's the recipe for the scalloped potatoes and ham:

• about 5-6 potatoes
• ham cut in chunks, use as much or as little as you like
• 1 can of cream of celery or mushroom soup, or use the recipe above, it is equal to one can
• 2 T butter
• 2 T flour 
• 1 c milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice potatoes thin, I used my Mandoline Slicer to make them all the same. Cut the ham into small chunks and add to the potatoes in a greased or buttered 9x13 pan. In a sauce pan on the stove melt the butter, add the flour and milk and stir until it's thickened and smooth. If you are using canned cream soup add too, otherwise add the mix and water. When it's all mixed and smooth, pour over the top of your potatoes and ham, stir it to mix well. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half until the potatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

~Simply Angie