Coffee Filter Butterflies Craft

June 8, 2020

This craft is easier than it maybe first seems and produces really pretty paper butterflies. One thing about doing art with kids that is intended for decoration, (or that you would like to just as a by-product be decoration) is providing them with a color palette. In my ideal, everything in the house is pretty, so I like the kid crafts I make to be genuinely beautiful too. One of the best ways to do that is harness a concept of certain hues that will all look good together.

I really liked coffee filters as an art material so this has prompted an immediate desire to brainstorm other ways to use them for crafts. Kind of like a possible less expensive tissue paper? Would have to price check but I think it is. Especially how with the below method you can make  any color you’d like readily!

And this is a great celebration of summer crafting because one step is easiest when you have some nice bright sunshine for your papers to dry in! And a real butterfly may float by while you’re making them.

MATERIALS

  1. two coffee filters
  2. tape
  3. markers
  4. spray water bottle
  5. scrap of cardboard
  6. pipe cleaner

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Tape coffee filters to a table. (You may want a bleed sheet underneath). Color on coffee filters with regular kid markers. Shapes, a design – anything works.
  2. Place colored coffee filters onto a scrap of cardboard (perhaps outside) and spray with water until all of coffee filter is wet.
  3. Place coffee filters in sun to dry.
  4. Fold coffee filters like an accordion (separately).
  5. Twist pipe cleaner around center of accordions to connect them. Fan out paper. Adjust pipe cleaner to look like antennae.

In my experience, kids thought these were really exciting and special and the way they came together at the end was fun reveal.

You may also like this painted binoculars craft, how to actually do some art with children, and favorite kid art supplies that make it easy.

This craft is easier than it maybe first seems and produces really pretty paper butterflies. One thing about doing art with kids that is intended for decoration, (or that you would like to just as a by-product be decoration) is providing them with a color palette. In my ideal, everything in the house is pretty,

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LEMON HERBED POTATO SALAD

May 18, 2020

This post is from my dear friend, Elyisa Moccia: This lemon and herb potato salad is a perfect side dish to serve alongside whatever is on your grill or in the smoker. Not only is it delicious, but I love preparing it. It’s quick and simple to make and I love the smell of all the fresh herbs as I’m chopping. This recipe can easily be cut in half to serve for dinner for your family, or make the full recipe ahead of time and bring it to a cook out with friends. My husband always requests I make a full recipe for leftovers for lunches or for standing in front of the fridge with a fork for the quick bites he sneaks and doesn’t think I see. I love how flexible and “no fuss” this potato salad is; without the mayonnaise base it can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled depending on your preference. It’s a fantastic addition to your spring and summer side dish rotation, and makes a great dish to pass at get togethers or to add to a meal you’re blessing a family with. I hope you love it as much as we do.

One of the things that I love most about living in the midwest is that we get to fully experience each season. Once I start to see the changes outside my window, my palate seems to change right along with it. When sunny and warm days start to replace the crisp chill and gray skies, I start to crave bright and fresh flavors.

At my house, we begin to grill as often as possible and attempt to eat the majority of our meals outside on the patio to soak up all the sun we missed all winter long.

Lemon Herbed Potato Salad
Serves four

2 pounds petite medley potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 and 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 and 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring stockpot of water to boil. Season water with approximately 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt. (Adding salt after water is boiling will prevent stainless stockpots from pitting.)

Place potatoes in boiling water and cook until fork tender, about 6-9 minutes.

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.

Drain potatoes and allow to cool for 5 minutes. While potatoes are still warm, but not hot, gently fold in herbs and shallots. Gradually incorporate vinaigrette into potato salad.

Allow to sit approximately 20 minutes for the vinaigrette to flavor potatoes. This dish can be enjoyed at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold the next day. Fold potato salad again just before serving for best distribution of vinaigrette.


LEMON HERBED POTATO SALAD
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds petite medley potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup green onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 and ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 and ¾ teaspoons salt, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. Bring stockpot of water to boil. Season water with approximately 1 and ½ teaspoons salt. (Adding salt after water is boiling will prevent stainless stockpots from pitting.)
  2. Place potatoes in boiling water and cook until fork tender, about 6-9 minutes.
  3. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
  4. Drain potatoes and allow to cool for 5 minutes. While potatoes are still warm, but not hot, gently fold in herbs and shallots. Gradually incorporate vinaigrette into potato salad.
  5. Allow to sit approximately 20 minutes for the vinaigrette to flavor potatoes. This dish can be enjoyed at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold the next day. Fold potato salad again just before serving for best distribution of vinaigrette.

 

This post is from my dear friend, Elyisa Moccia: This lemon and herb potato salad is a perfect side dish to serve alongside whatever is on your grill or in the smoker. Not only is it delicious, but I love preparing it. It’s quick and simple to make and I love the smell of all the fresh herbs as I’m chopping.

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SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS

May 11, 2020

This post is from my dear friend, Elyisa Moccia: Once weather in the midwest hits fifty degrees and sunny, we all put on shorts and get out our grills. Any opportunity to get outside before the weather might turn cold again, we take it. When we start having sunshine I begin to dream about all of the meals on the grill we have not had in months. I crave something bright and fresh to awaken my spring palate. These lettuce wraps with a sriracha lime aioli were one of the first recipes to come to mind. It checks off all the boxes to please my family at dinner time.

The taste of the charred vegetables, the sweetness of the grilled corn, the spicy flavor of the shrimp, and the cool crunch of the lettuce all wrapped up into a neat handheld wrap.

It’s as if that if I can make this recipe enough times I can will summer to come a little faster!

SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS
Serves six

1 and 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red onion, sliced
3 corn cobs
2 jalapeños, halved
1 and 1/2 cup avocado, diced
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 limes, juiced, divided
4 radishes, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 heads bibb or boston lettuce leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons  chili powder, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons pepper, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sriracha

Rinse thawed shrimp in colander, carefully insuring each shrimp is clean and appropriately deveined. Tails can stay on until after grilled. Once rinsed thoroughly, place shrimp in large mixing bowl. Mix shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 and 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, and juice of 2 limes. Refrigerate shrimp for 20-30 minutes.

In small bowl, mix greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sriracha, juice of 1 lime, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. You could add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin aioli to desired consistency to drizzle on finished lettuce wrap.

Place red onion, corn, and jalapeños on parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Place on one side of grill, flesh side down, leaving the other side of grill open for shrimp. Try to keep sections of red onion together to make for easy flipping. Check vegetables every 5 minutes, flipping vegetables and rotating corn as you begin to develop grill marks. I personally like the vegetables with some char marks.

About half way through vegetable grilling, place shrimp on open side of the grill. Once shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2-4 minutes, flip and finish cooking until shrimp is completely pink on both sides and tails start to curl.

Once removed from the grill, let shrimp and vegetables cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp tails by pulling off or cutting. Slice corn from the cobs and chop jalapeños and onion. Fold together corn, jalapeños, onion, tomatoes, radishes, and avocado.

Spoon vegetable mixture into lettuce leaves and place three or four shrimp on top. Drizzle with aioli.


SHRIMP LETTUCE WRAPS
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 and ½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 3 corn cobs
  • 2 jalapeños, halved
  • 1 and ½ cup avocado, diced
  • ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 3 limes, juiced, divided
  • 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons cilantro, minced
  • 2 heads bibb or boston lettuce leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 teaspoons  chili powder, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
  • ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 4 tablespoons sriracha
Instructions
  1. Rinse thawed shrimp in colander, carefully insuring each shrimp is clean and appropriately deveined. Tails can stay on until after grilled. Once rinsed thoroughly, place shrimp in large mixing bowl. Mix shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 and ½ tablespoons cilantro, and juice of 2 limes. Refrigerate shrimp for 20-30 minutes.
  2. In small bowl, mix greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sriracha, juice of 1 lime, 1 and ½ tablespoons cilantro, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. You could add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin aioli to desired consistency to drizzle on finished lettuce wrap.
  3. Place red onion, corn, and jalapeños on parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Place on one side of grill, flesh side down, leaving the other side of grill open for shrimp. Try to keep sections of red onion together to make for easy flipping. Check vegetables every 5 minutes, flipping vegetables and rotating corn as you begin to develop grill marks. I personally like the vegetables with some char marks.
  4. About half way through vegetable grilling, place shrimp on open side of the grill. Once shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2-4 minutes, flip and finish cooking until shrimp is completely pink on both sides and tails start to curl.
  5. Once removed from the grill, let shrimp and vegetables cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp tails by pulling off or cutting. Slice corn from the cobs and chop jalapeños and onion. Fold together corn, jalapeños, onion, tomatoes, radishes, and avocado.
  6. Spoon vegetable mixture into lettuce leaves and place three or four shrimp on top. Drizzle with aioli.

 

This post is from my dear friend, Elyisa Moccia: Once weather in the midwest hits fifty degrees and sunny, we all put on shorts and get out our grills. Any opportunity to get outside before the weather might turn cold again, we take it. When we start having sunshine I begin to dream about all of the meals on the grill we have not had in months.

READ MORE

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