Joyful Baking - Chocolate Covered Raisins

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

   Moving into our house meant we have an official laundry room!!!!!!!! Could you feel my excitement in those words. MY OWN WASHER AND DRYER!!! Yeah!!! We have been lugging our laundry to laundry matts or to the small washer and dryer room at our apartment for 3 years now. Now all I have to do is bring it down stairs in my cute wicker basket. I love doing laundry now (this feeling will soon pass, I am sure of it) Anyways because I am still me, and buying a house did not suddenly knock out my thriftyness I found an almost brand new washer and dryer on Craigslist for $350.00. I was so excited to find them both for that price. WAHOOO!!! I found this set the day before Thanksgiving, and Mr Joyful Thrifter was working. I quickly called my dad and asked if he would be willing to help me to pick up my new toys. He kindly agreed AND he also installed them for me. He is so cool.

To thank him for helping me the day before Thanksgiving I made him one of his favorite snacks "Chocolate Covered Raisins."

Homemade Chocolate Covered Raisins

• 1  1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 ounces of raisins

1. Melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
2. Add raisins and stir until well combined and mixed together.
3. Spread out on a cookie sheet that has been lined with waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours or until firm. Remove from the waxed paper and enjoy!
4. I like the chocolate on these to stay firm so I suggest storing them in the refrigerator, that is if you can avoid eating them all.

(recipe Via Lynns Kitchen Adventures)

Technically these should be cute little droppings with one raisin covered in chocolate, but some where down the line I messed up the recipe. That being said I actually made my dad Chocolate Covered Raisin Balls. They still tasted great, and he really liked them.

I think these yummy treats would make a really yummy Christmas gift too.

How do you thank people in your life for going above and beyond to help you out?

Smiles,

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Oakland Home Tour

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

  More fun from our visit to Oakland. It was so much fun to walk up the stairs to my sisters vintage home. I loved when the creaky door opened (yes it has wonderful old home sounds) I was welcomed by a beautiful living room full of charm. We loved looking around their place at their decorations and cute furniture.

My favorite chair in the house! So comfortable.

Oh this kitchen! So cute.

 

Their sweet little deck. My favorite is the rug because it looks homey even on the balcony. 

THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING US IN YOUR HOME! We love you two.

Smiles,

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Oakland Visit - Around the Neighborhood

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

   We had such a wonderful weekend in Oakland. Mr Joyful Thrifter and I went on a walk and got some really fun pictures. We love road trips, and this was a really fun one. Have you been on a fun mini road trip recently? If so I would love to see your pictures, so please post your link on my Facebook page so I can go on your adventure.

Outside of my sisters apartment.

I Loved the entrance to this house. It is so romantic looking. 

One of my favorite little gems we came across was this sweet "Little Free Library" box. What a fantastic concept to have on a busy street. Share a book or leave a book. 

Tomorrow I can't wait to show a home tour of my sisters vintage apartment.  :) She and my brother in law have wonderful taste, so I can't wait to show you their home.

Smiles,

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Oakland Road Trip Adventure - Small Sample

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

  Road trips are so much fun, and a road trip where family is on the other end is the best. We had this awesome 5 days off in Mr Joyful Thrifters schedule and we took advantage of the opportunity to visit my sister and her husband in Oakland CA. We knew this opportunity would not happen again for awhile, so we literally packed and hopped in the car to head up. It has been so fun exploring this wonderful new area.

The view from our window in the morning was so nice with the rain falling. 

Loved this flower shop down the street from their house.

Smiles,

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A Bride-to-Bee - My Best Friends Bridal Shower

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

  My best friend is getting married, and I got the joy of throwing her a bridal shower. Once we picked a theme it was so much fun to plan this special day for her. She found online the idea of a "Bride-to-Bee" shower and I instantly loved the idea. We rented a beautiful club house, which made it easy to fit a large group of people. However it made it a little tricky for me to decorate and make it look pretty. Originally we were going to have the shower outdoors with a pool side view, but the weather had a different idea.

My decorations cost about $5.00 because I found most of it at the dollar store, and revamped them. I wanted my sweet friend to have a "throne" where she could sit and open up her presents. I had to come up with a way to "decorate" the walls without putting nails on the walls. I L-O-V-E how this came out. It softened up the area, and became a lovely focal point of the shower. 

I brought furniture from home to make it homey. 

A "throne" fit for a beautiful bride-to-bee :)

The room had lovely light!

The brides mom made all of the food, and it was fantastic. 

We set up a scrap booking table so our guests could make a page for the happy couple. 

Honey soap and honey scrub was the lovely party favor. 

Friends :)

Smiles,

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Joyful Baking - Sage Chicken, Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

 During this fun new phase of my life I have so enjoyed trying new recipes. This one is one of my favorites lately. It is chalk full of wonderful flavors, and the house smells amazing when I make it.

 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 leaves of Fresh sage
• 1/4 Olive oil
• 3 Chicken Breasts
• Cooking spray 
• 12 ounces red potatoes, cut into wedges 
• 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 8 ounces) 
• 
  Preparation
• 1. Preheat oven to 400°
• 2. Combine 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, sage, and olive oil in a small bowl.
• 3. Chop potatoes and Butternut Squash
• 4. Poor mixture on potatoes, squash, and chicken mix with your hands.
• 5. Bake Potatoes for 15 minutes. 
  6. Place chicken in pan with the potatoes and squash
  7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender
  
  
   
  
  
  
  ENJOY! Be ready for your house to smell amazing! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Smiles,
  

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Pyrex Addict?...It Might be True

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

   We are loving our new home so much. It has been such a joy to live in this home. Things I have learned so far about living in our house and moving:

1. This house makes some funny noises! When the wind blows especially.
2. Cooking in my new kitchen is so much fun.
3. Unpacking boxes is way more fun then packing them.

The biggest thing I learned during this move is that I have A LOT of Pyrex. I knew that my collection was large, but it did not hit me how LARGE until we packed it all up and then unpacked it.

My kitchen was covered in Pyrex for days until I could find new homes for it all. If I am being honest I have yet to find homes for it all yet, but hopefully in time I will have new storage for it. 

Have you ever had to move THE PYREX before?

Smiles,

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Moved!! FINALLY!

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

We are officially moved into our beautiful new home, and now we have internet so I can update you on the fun decorating adventures I will be going on. Pulling out the For Sale sign was such a fun experience for us! We were so proud to say we bought this home, and we get to live in it. Home ownership is going to be a new journey we are going on, but we can't wait to see what it brings. 

Smiles,

The Joyful thrifter

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The Firsts of Life

Hello Fellow Thrifters and Friends,

   Wow life lately has been full of firsts. Some good and some bad, but all have brought me lots of wonderful lessons. Some lessons are meant to be personal, so I won't be sharing those. However the first that I am most excited about sharing is that Mr Joyful Thrifter and I are officially homeowners! Wahooo! Because of this wonderful event it has kept me from my little blog world. I have been packing up a storm. When Mr Joyful Thrifter comes home the boxes accumulate like bunnies.

It is a little frustrating having everything in boxes, but the end result will be wonderful. We can't wait to be homeowners. I will post pictures when the internet is set up at the new house of our new living digs. 

I hope you all are well and finding lots of treasures!

Smiles,

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