11 ways to spice up your instant noodles!

This post comes straight from the college kid handbook, yummy instant noodles. Now most people use instant noodles or noodle bowls as quick pack lunch, something to grab and go. But having had my fair share of dehydrated goodness it started getting a little bland, so I started looking for ways to make them that much better. I actually found quite a few really good ways to give them a boost.

1. Try adding fresh or frozen veggies. I usually use frozen corn, peas, or carrot chunks. But you could also use spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever you like. I HATE the dehydrated veggies that tend to come in your noodle bowls so I just take them out and add my veggies of choice.
2. Try adding your favorite sauce, depending on the flavor I sometimes use peanut sauce, hot mustard, soy sauce, or just hot sauce to give it a bit of a kick.
3. Add frozen shrimp or other meats, such as shredded chicken, tuna, ground beef, pieces of steak or pork.
4. If you like tofu, try adding some into your instant noodles. Tofu absorbs the flavor of what it's cooked in, so before you add water to your noodles, throw some tofu in the bowl or cup to give it some texture.
5. Try making your own flavor combinations, instead of just using the packet that is supplied, add 1/4 of a bouillon cube and whatever spices you fancy. If you like East Indian food try adding some curry.
6. To really switch it up don't use the noodles to make soup, try making them into pad Thai. Just instead of using your regular rice noodles, use these instead for a quick dinner.
7. Use them to make spaghetti, just cook up your noodles and microwave a can of tomato sauce, add your favorite spices and there you go.
8. Try adding an egg, cook an egg and place it on top, super yummy!
9. Make them into a creamy pasta salad.
10. Try frying them with your favorite ingredients to give them a bit more texture, they make a really yummy stir fry!
11. Make it into trail mix, fry your noodles, add dried cranberries and other fruit, some slice nuts, and some smarties.

So that's it, that's all for my ramen minded friends, so till next time! ( oh and if you didn't like this post here's a free bowl of noodles for you!)

Roasted Pepper Soup and Chocolate Cream pie

Everyone likes soup, right? Ok, good because that is what todays post is about, I found this recipe years ago, on a little known blog such as this. Unfortunately the blog was deleted, so now I go from memory, but today I decided to write it down for you. This is Roasted Pepper Soup, super yummy hot or cold, and perfect when you need a pick me up! It's super easy healthy, and delicious, it will defiantly be a winner at your table!

Roasted Pepper Soup

serving size: 6-8

What you will need:

• One large soup pot
• Blender
• Spoon
• 6 cups of chicken or veggie broth(At least enough to cover your sweet potatoes)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 or 3 bell peppers (I like using the yellow and orange, but you can also use red.)
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 6 stalks of celery
• 5 carrots
• 1/2 an onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream for garnish

So let's get started, first cut your peppers into 1/4, then take out the insides. Then lay them flesh down, skin up, on a small pan. Put them on broil or about 200C. Leave them in until the skins are dark brown or black.

But while our peppers are broiling, peel and chop your sweet potatoes, just a medium size chop should do it.

Now put the sweet potatoes, broth, and water all together in your pot, and turn the burner to medium. Next chop the rest of your veggies, don't worry to much about the size, it all gets pureed any way. They should look something like this:

By now your peppers should be done, so take them out and let them cool. Once the are cool enough to touch remove the skin, it should just peel off, then chop them up too. Now add the veggies and the roasted peppers. Let the water boil, until it looks kind of like this:

Once your soup is boiling, turn it down to a simmer, let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. If you don't like pureed soups you can eat it just like this, but I highly recommend you puree it. Now using a blender, food processor, or a hand held blender, basically anything that will get the job done, you puree until there is no visible chunks. You might have to search around a little. Now finally, serve with a little dollop of sour cream( makes a HUGE difference)

MMMMM, yummy! It is one amazing healthy soup that you won't be able to get enough of! And maybe for dessert a little chocolate cream pie? Just to reward that good behavior!

Easy glass bottle candle holders!

This week has been SUPER busy, so I have lots to show the people of the world including upcycled root-beer bottle candle holders.


So to start off the glass bottle candle holders! Which look beautiful!


What you need:

1.  Glass bottle ( wine bottle, beer bottle, olive oil bottle ect.)
2.  Medium to thick yarn or rope
3.  Nail polish remover
4.  Lighter
5.  Sink of ice cold water
6.  Sand paper or emery board

I used the rope and burn method but if you want smoother easier to sand edges, or if you have kids, I suggest this method. The second method allows you to make the edges less sharp ( we don't want anyone getting hurt.) So here's what you do.

1. Fill your sink with ice water, add maybe 6-12 ice cubes.
2. Take your glass bottle and wrap the string around the bottle where you want it to cut. (You might want to wrap it more than once.)
3. Tie the string and cut any loose ends, then simply slip off the string.
4. Soak the string in nail polish remover.
5. Put the string back on the bottle.
6. Hold the bottle over the sink and stand back.
7. Light that sucker on fire, roll the bottle to make sure all the fire is spread around the bottle.
8. When the flame starts to wean dunk the bottle into the ice water, and it should just fall apart.
9. Sand the rough edges.

This video is a good version of the steps above.

What I did with mine was melted a candle down to fill the space, but you could put a tea light inside, or make your own candle using scented bees wax and a new wick. Anyways here's how mine turn out. Hope you guys liked my latest tutorial!

For all the bakers out there....

Hello blogosphere, I have been thinking about cakes today, round cakes, square cakes, themed cakes, tall cakes, short cakes, and even cupcakes (I LOVE CUPCAKES). But this got me thinking about doing a post on what else, cakes! Over the past couple years I have collected some great ideas and recipes for all things cake. So here are some ideas for your next party,wedding,or event!


I love themed cakes, I think they give a party a nice kick, remind everyone of why they are gathered.(Also they make you look super skilled!)Like this monkey cake I made a few years ago for a jungle themed party! Super easy, a chocolate cake base,wagon wheel ears, oreo eyes, and M&M nose, the rest is just icing.

Another idea I just love for themed parties is baby shower cakes! Like this toy blocks cake. But my personal favorite baby shower cake are the rubber ducky cakes. Like this one (left) using fondant, but if you don't like the taste of fondant or are just incapable of using it, like me, they also have really nice frosting rubber ducky cakes. 


I LOVE CUPCAKES, as previously mentioned. But I find that they are under utilized, most people just pop em' in the oven and frost em', but there are so many cute ideas for cupcakes, such as these burger cupcakes from Bakerella.

Which are just plain adorable! But if you are looking for something a little more grown up, you could try these margarita cupcakes!

But the point is, you can NEVER run out of ideas when it comes to cupcakes, with endless flavor combos!


Another thing you can try for your next kids party is this lion cake from parenting magazine. Using fuzzy peach rings for the ears and chow-mein noodles for the mane! Isn't it fabulous!

Also if you decide to do fondant last minute here is a marshmallow fondant recipe. But if you are a first time fondanter, I commend your brave soul but HIGHLY recommend that you buy your fondant from a local bakery, Michael's, Walmart, or other local baking supply store. Fondant is very hard to work with especially if you are new to it, and the marshmallow fondant is even more difficult than the regular fondant.


Anywho till next time blogosphere!

First Post!

This is my new blog, I know, very exciting right! So I thought I would start off with my latest DIY project. I have had two empty picture frames for forever, so when I got up yesterday morning and saw them I said to myself, "These frames have sat empty long enough!". The first frame was easy enough to fill.

 A month or two ago I found this flower on the street, I pressed/dried it and then just used a scrap piece of paper for backing and framed it,and it looks great! 

But I had some trouble trying to find something to fill the second frame. The only dried flowers I had on hand were small or broken. So I turned to the internet to get some creative ideas. Using the materials I had on hand, which as it turned out to be, construction paper (a great staple for the wannabe DIYer or craftster), scissors, and an empty frame. After about an hour of misguided searches, failed attempts, and ideas that were WAY out of my league, I found this great construction paper collage idea from Steven Andrew. 

What shocked me is that it was SO 
easy, and looks really cool. It's a great craft idea for kids or someone looking for something different to hang on their wall. All you have to do is take four or five sheets of different coloured construction paper, or even add a pattern in there and chop away. The key is to spread it around,cut small pieces and mix in the different colours. I used red, yellow, white, light blue, and a dark blue. 

I had a lot of fun doing these,and hopefully by next week I will have finished my root beer bottle candle holders, I am UBER excited for those! Until next time good-bye!