Rabbit Under Glass

It was almost an Easter disaster of epic proportions. How is the Easter bunny supposed to deliver eggs and baskets when he's headless? Alas, it happened, at my hand, in my dining room. 

Thankfully, the headless rabbit was repaired after a few seconds in the microwave, which melted his head back to his body, and Easter was saved!

Okay. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. And if you think I put a real rabbit in the microwave...ew.

Here's what really happened:

No real bunnies were harmed during the set up for this photo.

But, as earlier reference, I saved this bunny, put him back with his colony of fellow chocolate friends, and continued making my Easter display.

I came up with this idea after seeing jars of jelly beans on display in a store. If you could display jelly beans in a jar, why not other Easter candy? And, what if that jar was an apothecary jar?

I call this "Rabbit Under Glass."

Here's the great thing about this Easter table top display: not only is it fun to look at, but once everyone has seen it, the kids (or all of you big kids out there) will enjoy eating it. Typically, kids (and again, some of you big kids) are told "Don't touch!" Can you imagine the look on their faces when you tell them to dig into this? Beats the heck out of looking for plastic eggs filled with pennies.

And - just like everything I feature on my blog - this was super easy. Apothecary jars, Easter candy, arrange, done. Fab in a flash.

Regardless of your Easter plans, this will sweeten them right up.

Deviled Eggs Done Delicious

Deviled Eggs were an acquired taste for me. When I was young, I dismissed deviled eggs by putting them in the category of "old lady foods." This category included any lemon dessert (ew) and that cold broccoli salad with bacon, raisins and mayo (yuck). If this is still the case...well, then I've turned into an old lady. Starbucks' lemon loaf is one of my favorites, and whenever there's a family pitch-in dinner, I'm the first in line for the broccoli salad.

Easter is a popular time for deviled eggs, either because they're served with the Easter meal or because it's a great way to use up those dyed Easter eggs.

Now, I did my research to bring you a simple & tasty Classic Deviled Egg recipe. Plus, I added 2 more twists of my own creation in case you want to stray from the every day. All will be a hit on your table, I assure you.

First, let's boil these babies. According to the American Egg Board, here's the way to a perfect hard-boiled egg:

• Add 1 dozen eggs to your saucepan or stock pot and add water until the eggs are just covered.
• Bring water to a boil, then cover.
• Remove pan from heat and let stand for 12 minutes.
• Done!

After the eggs have cooled, peel off the shell, cut them in half and reserve the egg halves while placing the yolks in a bowl.

Photo courtesy of www.tasteofhome.com

CLASSIC DEVILED EGGS

12 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
Fresh dill

Mash the 12 egg yolks. Mix in mayo and mustard with yolks. Add salt & pepper to taste as desired. You may also add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of olive oil for a smoother consistency. Pipe (using a plastic baggie with the corner snipped) or spoon in the egg halves. Top with fresh dill.




GREEN EGGS & HAM

• Instead of mustard, sub in 1 tbsp of prepared pesto
• Instead of dill, top with fried prosciutto

FIREY DEVILED EGGS

• Instead of mustard, sub in 2 tbsp of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
• Add more Sriracha to taste if you like it blazin'
• Instead of dill, top with green scallions

Daddy likey his Deviled Eggs hot!

Take A Peep

Easter is the single most important holy day of the Christian Church, as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Additionally, the Orthodox Church celebrates Easter in correlation with the Jewish Passover during the same season.

But, since you're on Fellow Does Fab, I'm pretty sure you didn't come here for religion class. So, let's talk about the really important things...like Easter wreaths made out of Peeps. Yep, I said Peeps wreaths. 

Peeps have over a quarter of a million "Likes" on Facebook. (I'd kill for half of that, and Fellow Does Fab is a real person, while these are marshmallow creatures with no soul. I say that because have you ever looked into that dark, brown, irregular chocolate dot called a Peep eye? No soul.) 

Over 700 million Peeps are sold each year.
That's basically the population of Europe.
So, the next time you bite the head off of a Peep, think of a European.

You either love Peeps or you tolerate them. Truth be told, the texture and taste doesn't do much for me, but I sure do like to watch those little buggers puff up when you cook them in the microwave!

That said, just because you don't like to eat Peeps doesn't mean you can't enjoy them this Easter season. If you've seen a Peep wreath, it's a fun sight to behold. When I saw one of my friends had mastered the task, I asked if I could share her tricks of the trade, and here they are.

TRELA'S PEEP WREATH

-1 plastic-wrapped straw wreath from the craft store
-Toothpicks
-Approximately 100 PEEPS (25 - 4 packs)

Gently bend the 4-pack of Peeps to follow the circle of the wreath, and attach them using 1 toothpick per Peep. (It's not necessary to separate each Peep from the 4 pack, as allowing them to stick together actually works better.)

Start by placing Peeps on the INSIDE of the wreath first, and once you finish the first inner circle, work your way out.

You should be able to complete your Peep wreath in about an hour. After, allow it to lay flat for at least 2 - 3 days undisturbed, and the Peeps will harden on the toothpicks. Hang wherever you need a ray of Easter Peep sunshine. 

Who says marshmallows are all fluff?

Top O' The Tortilla To Ye!

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day! I think there's a little Irish in my ancestry, but regardless of my roots, everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Any excuse to drink beer and engage in festive frivolity, right?

That said, I found an excellent idea to pass along to roll out the green carpet for this year's leprechaun-y holiday.

I've often made my own homemade tortilla chips because they're easy, tasty and most often more heathful than fried tortilla chips. Flour tortillas can be easily transformed into chips by cutting them into triangles, spraying with oil, adding your own seasonings and baking in the oven. Bam.

Now, David Dial over at the cool blog SpicedBlog.com has taken this idea to the next level by - wait for it - using cookie cutters to theme your tortilla chip shapes. Brilliant! David uses spinach tortillas to keep his shamrock chips green for St. Pat's. He also has a ton of amazing Irish-inspired recipes posted for the season, so check those out as well.

Cut into shapes, spritz with cooking oil or brush with olive oil, and sprinkle
with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes, until the chips are crisped (but not browned).

I'll be using this idea for many more holidays as well. Think about bunnies at Easter, stars for your Oscar party, hearts at Valentines, pumpkins in the fall...the possibilities are endless. 

Hope you enjoy this little tip as much as I did.

Slainte!

Sweets for Your Sweet

Happy VD - um, well, I mean...Valentine's Day, all!

Last year on Valentine's Day, I posted a dessert recipe with booze and fruit...because, who doesn't need a little booze and fruit on the most-commercially-romantic day of the year, right? This year, I'm going back to an oldie but goodie: chocolate. Straight-up, pure, no-fuss chocolate.

The base of this sweet treat has only 3 ingredients. If you can work a microwave, you can make these, because it's all about the temperature. 

I adapted this from a recipe featured in Taste of Home. Instead of whipping cream, this recipe uses sweetened condensed milk, which I could just drink from the can because it's so thick and slightly sweet.

Fellow's Truffle Bites
YIELDS 12 - 16 TRUFFLES

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract


In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 15 - 30 second intervals, removing the bowl and stirring each time, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. (Do NOT overcook.) Stir in the vanilla and chill for 2 hours. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the chocolate and gently roll in your hands to make 1-inch balls.

To finish, roll the truffles in the ingredient of your choosing:

• CLASSIC: cocoa powder
• CRUNCHY: ground peanuts, pistachios or almonds
• SWEET: coconut flakes
• CARNIVAL: sprinkles (only if you're dating a clown)

Lots of love to you and yours this Valentine's Day.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Leaving too many walls in your home bare is like sending your child out into the streets naked. We all need a little accessorizing to feel pretty, and walls are no different.

Eek - I'm naked! Help!
Photo courtesy of fellow blogger Probably Not Martha

I'm not suggesting you crowd every available inch with a photo, frame or collection, but an artful installment of these items can make a great, eye-catching element of your home. I was recently inspired by a beveled mirror collection from Grandin Road, and along with that, I found some interesting examples of wall groupings.

A nightmare on a bad hair day but a great way to
use light & reflections to open up a space.
Photo courtesy of Grandin Road

Empty frames add interest when the background is bold.
Otherwise, frame a swatch of wallpaper, fabric or paper
with a bold print.

Because dogs are always in style. Woof!
Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs

Retailers like Grandin Road and Ballard Designs offer lots of options here, but keep your eyes peeled for vintage frames and prints on sites like Etsy and Ebay as well as local auctions or antique stores. It's likely you can score something just as chic on the cheap.

How great is this empty frame with photos on a
mini-clothesline? Super simple. I'm surveying walls in
my house to make one of these.

Deck the walls with what matters to you, whether that be photos of loved ones, art, mirrors or vintage frames. It's like giving your wall a new wardrobe. And don't you feel better when you're wearing something fabulous?

Super Bowl Party Confessions

I have a confession.
I've never, ever in my life made chicken wings.
(That is, until the Super Bowl came 'round.)

According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 1.25 billion chicken wings are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday. And I'm proud to say I made 16 of those.

My Super Bowl soiree was last minute and cozy. Regardless of size, I wanted to ensure the first impression of the food table would score a first down, so I covered my table in indoor outdoor carpet. A quick trip to the home store - in my case, Home Depot - was successful. The helpful staff cut a piece for me, right off the large carpet roll. After about $12, I had enough carpet to cover the table plus a fancy sharp utility knife for cutting it to the right size.

The grass IS always greener...especially when it's plastic.

 

And, after the Super Bowl party, I now have an affordable and really unique table topper I can use for a summer barbecue or any festivity where I want to bring the great outdoors in.

Korean BBQ wings, fig & sopressata pizza, chicken nuggets with
3 sauces, salty snacks and a goal post tower of sweets.
Touchdown!

As mentioned, I'd never made chicken wings before, and after poring over online recipes, I found one of the more simpler recipes for Teryaki wings with about 8 ingredients. I started in the Asian foods aisle to pick up soy sauce, and that's when it called to me: Bibigo Korean Sauces. Why buy 8 ingredients when one jar had it all?

I tossed the wings in a crockpot, added one jar of original Korean BBQ Sauce and cooked the wings on medium for 4 - 5 hours. Before serving, I put the wings on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler for about 3 - 4 minutes, just until the skin started to crisp. I was happy with the tasty results given how easy this was and imagine that any bottled sauce (BBQ, buffalo and more) would work well.  

A closer look at what's playing the field. This is the
half-time shot before all of the food was gone.

I even allowed a Papa John's delivery item to be served from my table (*gasp!*). Chicken nuggets were offered for those who like meat but don't like the bone. I added ramekins of honey mustard, ranch and BBQ sauce for dipping. When artfully arranged on a plate with the other homemade food, they fit right in with the theme.

Regardless of which team you're rooting for, everyone can agree a winning spread makes the game.

Cheers!