Craft Time: Paper Christmas Lights Garland

I found this adorable craft idea from Stubbornly Crafty as it circulated through my social media feed, and I thought this would be the perfect photo prop for outdoor Christmas tree farm sessions.  Lights without the lights!  Genius!  Plus, this will make a great addition to the rest of my brightly colored Christmas decor throughout my house.  The directions seemed easy enough, and I wouldn't need to put too much money into this little project, so this craft was a winner for me.

The photo sessions I want to use this prop for are scheduled for tomorrow.  Naturally, wanting to be prepared, I bought the supplies tonight - the night before!  Ha!  No big deal, I thought.  It's just cutting some paper.

So, this was just cutting paper and punching holes, but the gray top pieces took some major time.  Part of the problem was I could only cut a couple of pieces of card stock at a time.  Another contributing factor to my dismay was my cheap hole puncher.  My hand was hurting!  Nevertheless, I pushed through the pain - somehow - and got the job done.  

I'm a little skeptical about how well the shape will hold up, but ultimately, this is a bright and fun garland that can be used many different ways.  Also, the kids could definitely help make this craft.  I suggest giving them the hole puncher!  ;)  All kidding aside, my four year old would have no problems folding the paper or stringing the lights onto the twine.  My little one has been in the bed for a few hours now, so she has no idea what I was doing with the colored paper.  I'm thinking this would be a great way to bring back our Elf on the Shelf since she hasn't joined us yet.

I can't wait to see my girl's face in the morning!  She is going to love this!  Stay tuned for images from my photo sessions, too.

'Til next time...

Hello, there!  Welcome to my newest blog and latest venture.  Just so you know, this blog was all my husband's idea.

I'm not sure if anyone would want to see my recipes, most of which are created using the foundation of others' recipes.  Nevertheless, I suppose I can give this idea of my husband's a shot.

Hold on, folks! Let's see what happens.


First up is some leftovers.  I'm totally fine with heating up leftovers and eating them just as they were; however, every now and then, change is good.  My responsibility for Thanksgiving this year was sweet potato casserole (I used Ruth's Chris's recipe, but I used coconut sugar instead of the white and brown sugars.  Also, I used a gluten-free flour. We aren't a gluten-free household, but I do buy some of the products.  We've tried out Paleo, sticking with it for awhile, and we still use many of our favorite Paleo recipes.)  Turns out, I cooked way too many sweet potatoes, so I left a few in the fridge for later.

Today, I decided to make my Sweet Potato and Salmon Cakes.  These scrumptious little fish cakes are quick and easy, plus the daughter loves them.  Bonus!  You can make most of the mixture ahead of time (remember, I'm using leftover sweet potatoes) and keep in the fridge until your ready to cook.  We ate these with a side salad.


Sweet Potato and Salmon Cakes

1 lb. Salmon filets
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 sweet red bell pepper
1/4 cup onion
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, for frying

1.  Cook sweet potato.  I like to bake mine, but you can cut in 1 inch pieces and boil in water until fork tender.  Once cooked, mash with a fork and let cool.

2.  While the potato cooks, dice the red bell pepper, onion, and celery and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add panko to the veggies.  Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay.

3.  Cook salmon.  If boiling the sweet potato, after removing potato, reduce heat to a simmer and place skinless salmon in water until opaque and cooked through.  You can also bake the salmon with the skin on at 350 with salt, pepper, and some Old Bay for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked, flake salmon with a fork and add to veggie mixture.  Fold in sweet potato.  Add more seasoning to taste.

4.  At this point, you can put the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  Otherwise, beat the egg well and add to the mixture.

5.  Heat a nonstick pan to medium and add olive oil.  Using your hands, gather some of the sweet potato and salmon mixture into your hands and form into patties.  Add to the pan.  Fry 4-6 minutes on the first side, and 3-4 minutes on the other side.

6.  To keep warm, have a sheet pan in a 280 degree oven and transfer cooked salmon cakes from the pan.

This recipe will yield 8-10 small cakes, and they reheat well in the oven, if they last that long!  Play around with the recipe if you are feeling adventurous.  You might sauté the onion, celery, and red pepper to add even more flavor.  Also, adjust the Old Bay seasoning to your taste.  A little more won't hurt!

Enjoy and let me know what you think!