Quick and Easy Blender Salsa - My Favorite Pinterest Recipe Find So Far

One of the best recipes I have found on Pinterest, so far, is a Quick & Easy Blender Salsa recipe.  Now, please do not misunderstand me, I have found a TON of really good recipes on Pinterest.  This just so happens to be the one I make EVERY week!

Born and raised in Texas, I know good salsa when I taste it.  This is the best I have made at home, by far!

Whether you like it mild or super spicy, this recipe is for you and your family.  My boys' love it as well!

As far as I can tell, MountainMamaCooks.com provided the original recipe and it was pinned by someone who made it.

I have searched for a true, restaurant quality, Tex-Mex salsa for years.  My search is finally over.  This recipe is made in the blender.  The first time it took me about thirty minutes total.  Now, I have it down to a fine art.  I can make two batches in less than five minutes!  It really is that easy!

It is a lot better if you let it chill for a little while before you serve it.  However, my Hubby loves it so much, he NEVER waits!

In the beginning, I made one batch at a time.  However, I quickly found it only lasted one or two days with the Hubby loving it so much.  He would literally drink the stuff if I would let him!  LOL

Now, I make two batches every week.  Since one batch leaves a blender about 3/4 full it makes quite a bit.  No worries.  It is always gone by the end of the week.  Now for the best part.  Not only is it super easy, it is also super HEALTHY!  Now of course, this depends on what you eat it with... LOL

I have copied the recipe for you here.  The notes in ( parenthesis ) are my personal revisions to the original recipe.  


Quick and Easy Blender Salsa

1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 10 oz can original Rotel
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped (1/2 regular to large onion)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed (2 cloves minimum)
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (Depends on how spicy you like it.  I add a whole Jalapeno, seeds and all.  It usually has a mild to medium spice.  Keep in mind I live in Texas though!  LOL)
1 teaspoon honey 
1/2 teaspoon salt  (3/4 tsp. to 1 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed (I buy one package of cilantro and use 1/2 of it)
juice of 1 lime 

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Season to taste. Serve with chips, eggs, nachos or over tacos.

Give it a try.  It is less expensive to make and much tastier than the store brand salsas.  

Hope you enjoy it!  :)


If you are more interested in crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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Bling Bling Wooden Cross Project

The latest crafty creation project was super fun and turns out easy as well.  The idea began while visiting the crafts store.  I noticed they had beautiful, decorated wooden crosses in all sizes and most colors with all kinds of embellishments.  Light bulbs start flashing in my head!  It is time to make my own wooden crosses with bling bling, stones and/or fabric patches. 

The project began by going back to the crafts store and purchasing plain wooden crosses in different sizes.  Turns out this is the only item I needed to purchase.  All of other items were already in my craft room.  So easy... I tell ya!

Usually I find it is much easier and time efficient to work on several projects at one time.  For example, I will paint a few things and let them dry while starting to work on something else.  The cross project was no different. 


The first night I hand painted the crosses with black or brown paint.  Two brown and one black cross later, it was time to let them dry and move onto another crafty creation for a while.  The embellishments and bling were added the next day.

Another option you might consider... spray paint!  I choose to hand paint mine for a higher quality finish.  However, if you are short on time or an expert at spray painting, which I promise you I am NOT, it may be more time efficient for you to spray paint the crosses.

The next step was deciding how to decorate the crosses.  The creative process began.  Venturing outside for crafty inspiration, I grabbed some old, dry tree stems, rocks, etc.  Grabbed my camera and went to the craft store for creative ideas.  In the long run, I decided to go with fabric cross patches and bling bling. 

Once the fabric cross patches were made and added to the wooden crosses, it was time to add the smaller embellishments and bling bling.   
 

Choosing to make a variety of crosses, some were embellished with a butterfly, a smaller wooden cross or turquoise stones and lots of bling bling. 

 

The next go round will definitely include different colors and embellishments, such as natural, outdoor elements, but for now, this beginner is quite pleased with the results.  It was fun working on them.  Give it a try, create your own bling bling cross decorations!   Hope you enjoy.


If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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Latest recipe... Walking Taco Casserole

Today, I made a brave attempt at cooking a NEW recipe for my Hubby's potluck dinner party.  It is pretty scary trying a new recipe for a large group of people.  After attempting several recipes from Pinterest and ending up extremely pleased with ALL the results, I plunged head first.  No back up plan, no alternative strategy in mind, the grocery store was my next stop.

After buying enough ingredients to make two casseroles, a semi-back up plan evolved.  Make both casseroles tonight and keep one for us at home.  Of course, this gives us the opportunity to try it before we present it at the party tomorrow.

With the plan worked out, the cooking began.  The recipe is actually very simple and straight forward.  The ingredients were also very easy to find.  The original recipe did not call for any additional seasonings.  However, I added salt and pepper on this first attempt.  In addition, along with cheddar cheese some delicious Mexican four blend shredded cheese found it's way into the dish! 

Walking Taco Casserole

(originally from Pinterest, revised)

Brown 1.5 lbs ground beef with 1/3-1/2 of large onion, chopped.

Drain grease and pour into mixing bowl.

Add small can of Rotel green tomato chilies.  (*I used generic.)

Add 1 can of enchilada sauce.

Add 2 oz. cream cheese (optional) to the meat.  (*May add a tad bit more next time.)

Layer your casserole in the following order.

Frito's chips, meat mixture, shredded cheese.  (*Used shredded cheddar and Mexican 4-blend shredded cheese.)

Repeat layers once again.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly at 350°.  (*17 minutes seemed perfect.)

Garnish with lettuce, salsa, sour cream or your favorite taco toppings. 

Time to enjoy with family and friends!  :)

Moving forward, the next attempt will include additional spices and a tad more cream cheese.  

Overall, the Walking Taco Casserole was a success!  It turned out to be very easy to find the ingredients and execute the recipe.  The results were well worth it!

If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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Momma's Bling Bling Cowgirl Boots

My Mom asked me to add bling bling to her cowgirl boots.  A new, fun, crafty project is a challenge so I gave it a whirl. 

Little did I know Mom was giving me her FAVORITE cowgirl boots to play around with...  Now I don't know about where you are from, but here in Texas, we take our boots seriously!  The last thing on earth I wanted to do was mess us Momma's best boots.

It took some time to figure out the process.  For example, what type of glue would hold the bling best, what color of bling, what size of bling, how much space to leave between each, etc.   

Once my plan was worked out and I actually began adding the bling, it didn't take too long.  The hardest part is holding onto the tiny bling and making sure your spacing is even.

Here is the before pic:

 And here is the after pic:

They turned out pretty well considering it was my first boot project.  I am very curious to see how long the bling bling will stay on with normal wear and tear. 

Go ahead, give it a try.  Add some bling bling to your favorite boots!


If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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My Dad's Crafty Jesus Plaque

My Grandmother, on my Mom's side, was the very first arts and crafts person to influence me.  I remember her making my baby and toddler clothes, paintings, etc.  She was also a great cook.  My father was a very close second.  My very first memories include going to work with my Dad.  He was a custom cabinet maker.  Custom cabinets, hutches, tables, chairs, desks, you name it and he could make it out of wood.  I remember the smell of saw dust like it was yesterday.

Unfortunately, both my Grandmother and my Father have passed.  Now, fortunately, I am blessed to remember many of the things they taught me as a young child.  One of the things my father taught me how to make, and I still have it, was a Jesus Plaque.

My Dad was a very dedicated Christian man of God.  He raised my brother and I the same way.  As many men of God do, my Father volunteered and dedicated a large majority of his free time to the church.  He was especially fond of working with the Royal Rangers.  The Royal Rangers met every Wednesday night.  Daddy worked with the group my brother participated in so they could spend time together.  The Jesus Plaque was one of the projects he shared with the Royal Rangers.

Daddy included me because he knew I loved to make things.  He provided all the materials and invited the parents to attend as well.  The project required fire so I believe he wanted the extra backup!  LOL

Recently I decided it was time to try the project for myself.  I must say.  The results were awesome.  I ended up making two plaques.  One with a black background and one with a brown background.  The hardest part was burning the pictures in the wind.  The smell was terrible in my craft room so I had to move outside.  Wouldn't you know it, I picked the windiest day possible to begin the project.

Something to keep in mind, after you burn the edges of the Jesus picture, the picture itself is very fragile and will crack easily.  Also, I accidentally touched one of the pictures with a tiny bit of glue and it left a huge white blog.  Lesson learned:  use caution, do not touch your picture with sticky fingers before or after it is burned.  

(*Please Note:  Even though children are mentioned, this project requires adult supervision at all times and is not intended for children to attempt on their own.  In addition, it is wise to keep a wet towel and extra water handy or fire extinguisher close at hand, just in case the fire gets out of control.  It is very easy to drop the picture if it burns too fast.)

The Jesus Plaques look great on a simple stand.  However, just in case, I had the Hubby drill nail holes in the back for hanging.

Taking it one step each day, the project was completed in 4 days.  Not too bad considering I only spent about 30 minutes each day working on it.  Including the picture search and edit time, it took probably three to fours to complete.

The Jesus Plaque my Dad helped me make still hangs in my kitchen right above his picture.  It looks the exact same as it did ... years ago.  (A lady can't give away her age, now can she!)

Thank you Daddy!  You probably never knew what an impact you made on my life with the simple things you taught me.  To this day I love working with wood, any kind of wood.  The smell of saw dust brings back many fond memories and more than likely always will.




If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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Mom's Day

With Mother's Day quickly approaching, it was a must to finish my Mom's gift.  Finished it this morning.  Now, of course, she will read this so I can't tell you what it is or post pics yet.  However, I think I may have to make this gift for myself as well.  Too cute!  I can't wait to share with you all.

What do you plan to make or do for your Mom's day?

I try to come up with something different every year.  It is getting harder and harder since my Mom has EVERYTHING!!!

At this point, we are not sure what the Mom day plans will hold, but I am sure it will be filled with lots of great food and family fun.  Although, all Momma really needs is a kiss and hug from her boys'!

My children are truly a gift from God.  They make every day amazing, unique, fun, challenging and exhausting.  But, oh yes, I cherish being a Mom everyday.  Thanking God daily for my boys' has become a habit, which I hope to keep up for a very long time, if not forever!    

So here is to all you Mom's out there...  Whether your own children are grown, growing or still growing in your belly, Happy Mother's Day to you!  I hope you thank God and cherish your children every day.  In return, may your children bless you with lots of kisses and hugs on Mom's Day and all the days in between!

A new collection of crafty ideas for Mother's Day ideas are available on my Pinterest boards.  If you need some crafty ideas for Mom's day, go to  http://pinterest.com/craftsperhaps/crafty-mother-s-day-ideas/.


If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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What's Next...?

 
Crafty embellishments are next!  I finally finished updating my website.  Many items were removed for a more focused effort.  Party favors, pet supplies and handbags are just a few of the items deleted.  The new focus is on crafty creations, party supplies and personalized gifts.  Crafty embellishments are coming soon!   

I don't know about you but I have found crafty embellishments, bling bling and supplies are way too expensive.  My goal is to provide crafty embellishments at a reasonable price.  I love making them.  Lots of sparkle, glitter and bling bling make me very happy!

Cross iron on patches, sparkling bling bling flowers, glittery butterflies are some of the crafty embellishments I have made so far.

Also planning on adding more crafty creations as well.  Too many ideas and too little time!  This will be a day by day process so please bear with me... 

Go ahead and check out my website, www.ShopChristi.com, and see if you like the changes.  Hopefully, you will find it easier to browse and shop!

Oh yes, and still loving Pinterest!  Awesome site, you ought to check it out if you haven't already.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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The Beginning.... Crafty Bling Bling Hats and Visors

My bad.  I've been so busy playing on Pinterest and Facebook, I have failed to update my blog again!  My latest crafty projects have mainly been military hats, baseball hats and visors.

Due to recently teaching myself how to make iron-on and sew-able patches, I've been busy embellishing hats, visors, shoes, boots, shirts, jeans, etc.  The first hat was for myself, the boots were for my Mom, well I think you get the idea.  Now I have started receiving customized order requests!

It is so much fun I simply loose track of time.  Crafty creations are definitely my passion.

The inspiration for my first hat came from a hat I saw at the hospital.  My Mom was having surgery.  Jeremy, my brother, and myself wanted to find Mom a special gift.  We happened upon a jewelry and accessories event.  Several women were selling inexpensive items priced at $1, $2 and up.  Needless to say, it was huge hit with the women, teens and girls.

When I was shopping for Mom, since brother was no help at all, I found the hat!  I stopped in my tracks.  Knew instantly, I had to have one.  Then I found the hats with no embellishments, and thought I can make my own design!  Oh, the joy!

I love making my own crafty creations.  This hat had to be my next crafty creation!  I purchased a pink, vintage, military hat.

It took two months for me to give up on finding a cross patch I loved on sight.  The search included retail stores, craft stores, online stores, no one had a patch anything close to the one I saw at the hospital.

Then it came to me, make your own!  Off to the Michael's and Hobby Lobby I go.  A few hours later, I have my first cross patch.  I was so excited I made my husband pause his game to check it out.  Of course, he thought I had lost my mind!  However, by the time I finished my hat, he seemed pretty impressed.

So here you go, this is the first hat I embellished with a blue jean cross, my initial c on the side and a heart on the back.  Bling bling is included from front to back for an extra special touch.

Here is a pic of the back...

And then, I decided I needed flip flops to match (with a heart on the back, of course)...

And then my niece wanted a hat...

And then I received my first customized order request...

Now many hats later, this is my latest cross hat design.  It includes more of a 3-D look and stands out beautifully!   The colors were selected for a customized order.  I hope you like it....

And this is the back...

If you would like to see more of my crafty hat and visor creations, there are more pics available on Pinterest.  Have to say, I absolutely LOVE Pinterest!  The link for my Pinterest site is http://pinterest.com/craftsperhaps/ or you can click on the Pinterest link available below.

Due to requests, I started listing the hats and visors for sale on my website.  If you are interested in purchasing a crafty bling bling hat, visor or other customized order, please visit my website at www.ShopChristi.com.  The crafty creations currently available are listed in the Handcrafted category.

If you decide to place an order, please use coupon code: BUYNOW for a 10% discount.  Shipping is currently $7.99 per order (not per item) anywhere in the U.S. except for Hawaii and some parts of Alaska.  (Please note:  Shipping costs will be changing soon due to the increasing price for packing materials and shipping.)

A huge selection of iron on and sew-on patches have built up on my craft table, I will need to list some of them for sale soon!  Future goals include offering crafty embellishments and supplies on the site for your own crafty creations.  Be sure to visit www.ShopChristi.com often for the latest crafty creations and supplies!

If you are more interested in crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
Putting God first everyday in every way!
Live, Love, Lead

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

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