Selling Your Handcrafted Items

If you frequently receive compliments and requests for your needlework, pottery, jewelry, candles, quilts, furniture, toys or any number of handcrafted products then you already know there’s a market for your goods. Turning a hobby into a business is a natural progression. Cottage industries are being created everyday and with good reason. Designing and producing handmade items from your home is an affordable way to start a business.  There’s no additional overhead, you can make your own hours and creating an original piece of artwork with your own hands is extremely gratifying.

Online Auctions

Finding the right outlet to sell your handmade merchandise is fairly simple. There are several to choose from. Online auctions like eBay and artisan sites like Etsy and DaWanda are thriving. One of a kind, unique handcrafted products are always in high demand and these sites make the most of this fact. Artists who list their items often will soon find themselves becoming successful sellers with loyal followings.

Flea Markets

Flea markets are excellent places to test your product. Just about every community has a flea market or farmer’s market. Buyers are always looking for novelty items for themselves or loved ones. Consulting with local chambers of commerce or checking area periodicals will provide a list of neighborhood markets. Cost for a one-time set up or yearly membership is usually minimal and quite affordable. Don’t overlook indoor flea markets either. These have the added benefit of being a permanent set up and the weather is never a consideration.

Holiday Bazaars

The holidays are a hobbyist’s best time of year. Holiday bazaars, church sales and craft fairs are popular at holiday time. Sales at these venues are usually highly successful. People are in good spirits and looking for unique gifts. Gear your creative efforts towards holiday-related items. If your area doesn’t have any of these sales scheduled, consider coordinating one yourself. Put ads in the paper, talk to local schools and churches. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how many people will be glad to participate.

Many Americans take pleasure in a wide variety of hobbies. Earning money from an enjoyable pastime is an added bonus. A hobby can easily be turned in to a business. With a little bit of imagination, ingenuity and a quality handcrafted product you can tap in to this reliable outlet. Bringing the rest of the family in to the production process makes this a family cottage business. Many businesses started this way. Why shouldn’t yours?

MSG Migraines Anyone?

I've been a migraine sufferer since childhood. I had hoped my migraines would begin to get less frequent and would have stopped by now, but they seem to have gotten more frequent and even more intense lately. I began thinking about my diet and practically non-exist exercise regimen.

Sweets were never my favorite indulgence. I've always been partial to salty treats. I was thinking that maybe my salty diet was somehow contributing to my migraines, but then it hit me. What about MSG? I cook with chicken bouillon (pictured above) every chance I can and have never given the ingredients a single thought, or worried about what it could be doing to my health. When I read the label, I saw that MSG is the third ingredient listed, only after salt and cornstarch. Since I know that manufacturers list ingredients in descending order by weight, it's safe to assume that there's quite a bit of MSG in this particular chicken bouillon (and most others I'm willing to bet). There's a great deal of scientific and medical data that shows how bad MSG can be to our health.

As of today, I'm eliminating this seasoning from my diet. I love the taste of it in my recipes, but I don't love my migraines. They're monstrous thieves that rob me of pieces of my life.

Does anyone else have this problem? I'd love to hear your stories.

You can read more about migraine triggers in this informative guide written by Dale Kiefer.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables on Toast

Canned chicken isn't just for chicken salad sandwiches. You can use this low-cost meat in hot meals. I usually buy Walmart's "Great Value" version, which is priced under $2.00 a can and is just as good as any of the name brands. I promise you, you won't taste any difference.




I was trying to decide what to make for dinner and knew I had a can of chicken in my pantry. I was tired of the same old chicken salad sandwiches and decided to experiment. A desire for creamy chicken and vegetables on toast had me trying a new recipe.

I cut up two medium sized potatoes (skins on) and placed them in a microwave-safe bowl. I microwaved the potatoes for five minutes and then set them aside.

I made a basic, easy roux. I melted a generous amount of margarine in a large pot set over medium heat. I've had comments about my using margarine and not butter, but that's what we prefer in my house.  You can use margarine, butter or oil. I added about 3/4 of a cup of flour to the melted margarine and mixed it thoroughly with the margarine. Next, I slowly poured milk into the mixture and stirred continuously until it thickened into a delicious cream sauce.

I opened the canned chicken and added it to the cream sauce. Then I added the cooked potatoes. I microwaved about 2 cups of frozen peas for three minutes just to defrost them and then added them to the cream mixture. I added salt, pepper, garlic powder and powdered chicken bouillon to taste. Finally, I poured the creamy chicken and vegetables over toast. It was delicious, inexpensive and easy.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables on Toast

Flip UltraHD U260 Camcorder Review

Flip UltraHD U260



I was previously using an older Sony Handycam and the Sony GC1 Netsharing Cam to create my videos, but decided I wanted to step up to HD. Since money is tight and the holidays are coming I wanted something low-cost. When I saw the Flip UltraHD priced at just $58.99 at Wal-Mart.com I decided to go for it. It's got some pros and cons. These are the details:

· Shoot up to 1 hour of amazing HD video on the easy-to-use, pocket-sized UltraHD

· Press the big red button to start capturing vibrant HD video (720p / 30fps) on the super-simple user interface

· Comes with 4 GB of built-in memory, letting you capture up to 1 hour of HD video; no additional memory cards required

· Power up with the included standard AA batteries. And for even better charge time, try using the Flip Video Rechargeable Battery Pack (sold separately)

· Connect the built-in USB arm to your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software

· Use FlipShare software to organize and edit your videos, capture photos, send video greeting cards and create custom movies

· Share videos privately using FlipShare's attachment-free email or by creating Flip Channels; post publicly with direct video shares to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

· Watch your videos on your HDTV by connecting your UltraHD to your HDTV with the Flip Video HDMI Mini Cable (sold separately)

· Flip UltraHD White U260 Video Camera records high-quality H.264 HD videos that are compatible with most video-playing applications, including Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, and iTunes

· Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per seconds (fps) progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files

· Included in package: Flip UltraHD video camera, two standard AA batteries, user guide

All in all I would recommend this little camcorder to anyone wishing to include HD videos in their blog posts.

Here is a link to the: Flip UltraHD U260 Camcorder video review that I put together in the hopes it might help other people decide. The review includes a video I took with the Flip.

Easy Creamy Potato Soup from Instant Mashed Potatoes

Delicious Creamy Potato Soup Made from Instant Mashed Potatoes



Did you know you don't have to spend time peeling and cutting potatoes to enjoy a delicious hot bowl of creamy potato soup? You can easily and quickly make a pot of soup for your family using very few ingredients (pictured below).

Instant Mashed Potato Soup Recipe

2 tbsp. green onions chopped
2 tbsp. chopped celery

2 tbsp. margarine or butter
4 c. milk*
4 servings worth of dry instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. chicken and tomato boullion

Salt to taste

Garlic powder to taste

In a saucepan, saute onion in margarine or butter over low heat. Add milk, seasonings and instant potato flakes. Heat to almost boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Garnish with paprika, parsley or grated cheese if desired. Add milk (*or water) if it is too thick.

As always, use whatever you have in your pantry. I have green onions growing in my backyard, so that's what I use. You can use regular onions if you prefer. You can also substitute salt and pepper for the boullion. We love garlic so I usually add an extra sprinkle of garlic powder.

I use the boullion pictured above in a lot of my cooking. It's great in so many hot and cold dishes and it's also very inexpensive (just $1.34). This particular boullion is available in the Latin food section of most grocery stores.

*You can also reduce the cost and calories by substituting 2 cups of water for 2 cups of the milk. I promise you that you won't even taste the difference.

Wrist Pin Cushion From Recycled Materials

Wrist Pin Cushion from Recycled Materials

I do a lot of sewing and appreciate having a pin cushion handy. How much more handy can a pin cushion be when it's located right on your wrist. This recycled wrist pin cushion is made from all recycled materials. The base is a milk cap, the fabric is a recycled sweater and the elastic was removed from an old skirt. Here's the video tutorial:

Great Wolf Lodge Texas Video



Great Wolf Lodge Texas - Zachariah Barton Photos



We recently visited the Great Wolf Lodge here in North Texas and took some wonderful photos. I wanted to share them with anyone who may be planning an upcoming family vacation. I also wrote an article, Great Wolf Lodge Family Fun, for Suite101 which gives some great information about what the lodge has to offer families. Here's the Great Wolf Lodge Video I put together.

 

 

Easy Cornbread Recipe Without Eggs

It's finally chilly down here in Texas. After living in New York my entire life, I'm still amazed at my ability to continue wearing shorts and T-shirts well into October. Alas the time has come to pack away the summer clothes.

The chilly weather provides the opportunity to do something I thoroughly enjoy, however, and that's baking. So when I decided to make some warm and golden cornbread I was disappointed to discover I was out of eggs. My desire to have some warm cornbread forced me to get creative. I knew, from experience, that substituting applesauce for eggs can work in most cases, but I didn't have applesauce either. I still didn't let that stop me. I got the bright idea to use yogurt. I had some Dannon vanilla yogurt in the fridge, so I added a generous 1/4 cup to my basic cornbread recipe. Well, it was delicious! The cornbread has a nice, moist, less course, texture that I really enjoyed.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 to 4 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add all the wet ingredients.

4. Mix until fairly smooth, about a minute.

5. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

You can see how smooth the batter is.

I used a glass pie pan. Use whatever you have. Baking times will vary according to individual ovens and the type of baking pan used. I set my timer for 20 minutes and inserted a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. The toothpick came out clean so I knew the bread was done.  

The cornbread, fresh out of the oven.

My first piece with margarine. Notice how moist it is - not crumbly at all.

Primitive Raggedy Ann - Sewing the Face and Hair

I added the face and hair to the prim doll I made recently. Keep in mind that you can use what you have on hand. Use beads or buttons for the eyes if you like. I used red wood roving for hair, but you can make the hair from red embroidery floss or crochet yarn - bumby chenille works great! Look online to get an idea on face styles, but remember to be original. The beauty of creating primitives is that nothing has to be perfect and no two prims are ever alike. Be creative! Please send me photos of your prim dolls - I'd love to see them and share them here!

**This video was made using my older version Sony Handycam and I'm a bit unhappy with the quality. I should have used my Flip Video HD Camera. I plan on recording a video review on this great little camera, so please stay tuned. 

Quesadilla Making 101

If you want to make a plain, yet delicious, quesadilla you don't need to run out and buy special kitchen equipment. You can buy quesadilla makers, but why go to the expense? Quesadillas are simple to make right in a regular frying pan. Here's a brief, really simple quesadilla tutorial.

**Please note: I received comments about my use of margarine. It's true that most traditional Mexican cooks use lard when frying and cooking, but you can use whatever you have or wish to use. Lard, butter, margarine, oil or spray will all work. The idea is not to let the tortilla burn. Thanks!