Make Today Amazing!

Today is going to be AMAZING. And it's going to be amazing because I want it to be. I'm tired of having bad days all the time, and today WILL be different! I've already washed three vintage items and hung them to dry, had my coffee, opened the windows to let in this beautiful summer day, and played on the back porch with little J. Now we are off to the City to visit the local gardens and take some photographs of the flowers. I just know today is going to be 

great!   

I hope you all have a good day, as well. What do you do to make your days better? What do you do to turn a bad day into a good day?

Just Another Monday...

Wow, I am having some major writer's block. Sorry for the lack of posts...

So this Monday has been going well so far. I went thrifting this morning with little J, since big sis is staying at Grandma and Grandpa's for the week.  We found two very cute vintage dresses while perusing the shop, one a lovely bright green Hawaiian sundress with tiny white and blue iris all over, and a very interesting dress with a pleated skirt and flowing lace top. I'm excited to get them washed up nice and photographed for your enjoyment! I love finding vintage clothes but they are never quite my size. Though these dresses are a larger than most, the bust size on both is too snug for me.

I have also been working on my Instagram account, and I would LOVE if you would follow me! I update it more often than the blog with pictures throughout the week. You can find me at @theretrodaisy

Well that's all for now... Stay tuned for photos of the vintage dresses and a new simple recipe for easy pizza appetizer rolls this week!

Quick BBQ Corn

Looking for some oh-so-good corn on the cob without a lot of work? Be sure to try this at your next BBQ or on your next camping trip!

I think the reason this recipe is so easy is that you can do it in advance, just keeping all your foil-wrapped corn packets in the fridge or cooler, and putting them on the grill when you're ready. And once you put them on the grill, they don't need any more work than turning them once. No making sure they don't burn, or boiling them in a big pot of water. Just give a cob to each person, in the foil, and it's already buttered and ready to eat. 

You need one piece of foil big enough to wrap a corn cob for each cob.  And you'll need some butter and your choice of seasoning. I used "Organic No-Salt Seasoning" from Costco, which is nearly identical to Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute." You could also use lemon pepper, your favorite curry, or any other combination you have a taste for.

If you're using a charcoal grill, get it ready. If you're using a gas grill, you can turn it on right before you start grilling the corn.

After shucking your corn, lay out a piece of foil. Put some butter pats in the middle, sprinkle seasoning of choice on top, and put a corn cob on top of that. Wrap into a packet and set aside. Do the same for all corn cobs.

(I used salted butter, and my seasoning was salt-free, but feel free to add salt to your liking or have some ready at the table after they're cooked)

Wrap in a packet by holding long edges together and folding down like you would a paper bag, one or two times, so butter stays inside the packet. Do the same on the ends.

Put on upper rack of heated grill, or out of direct heat. I let them cook on the top rack for about five minutes and then put my meat on the grill. I turned them after ten minutes and they were ready within 20 minutes. They probably would have been ready sooner but the meat wasn't ready yet so I kept them on the grill so they stayed hot.

The foil will be hot hot hot! Let sit for several minutes before unwrapping and be sure to use potholders.

The corn is beautiful, buttery, and delicious.  The moisture stays in the foil packet rather than cooking out, so it stays sweet and juicy. 

I hope you enjoy this easy corn recipe this summer! It would be great to make these ahead to take to a picnic, on a camping trip, or any other outdoor eating event!

Old to Awesome!

I have had this old patio chair and table set on my porch for years.  We rescued them from the trash, and at the time they didn't look too rough. Several harsh winters later, the paint was faded and rust was showing. 

So today,  with a bit of elbow grease and some Rustoleum, I made my old set look new again!

Before. Faded and rusty, just needing an update.

After using a wire brush, I used Rust-Oleum Rusty Metal Primer and then Gloss Enamel in 'Sunrise Red.'

After using the wire brush for a while on some of the rusty spots.

With one coat of the Rusty Metal Primer. It went on nicely and dried very fast. Coverage was good. I ran out at the end but I did do a nice coat on all three pieces.

Once I put on the red it really made a difference! The red took longer to dry but it has a great shine to it and it looks great next to the red and green on the house. It really stands out!

Spray-paint tan lines... After scrubbing in the shower it's still there! I'm wearing closed shoes to work tomorrow!

Might I recommend you wear gloves not only while using the wire brush but also while spray-painting? This is my kitchen scrubber and the bristles are now permanently red. But for how nice the patio set looks now, the loss of a potato scrubber was worth it.

Please be sure to follow all directions on your pain cans if you decide to take on this project, and follow other safety measures to avoid injury. 

Review of Bentley Seeds

Check out my review here:  StuffStuff

My daughter, now 2 1/2, and I reviewed Bentley Oregano Basil and Parsley Seeds for StuffStuff about a month ago.

We had so much fun planting the seeds. Zia loved to help stick the seeds down in the soil and put a little dirt over top. We put little signs on the plant rows, and watered them carefully whenever they were dry. 

 Here's Zia putting dirt over the seeds with a plastic spoon. We used recycled egg cartons as planters.

 Baby J was enjoying the nice warm day in the sunshine while sister played on the deck.

 Zia examining the seeds carefully.

Our seeds are all planted. 

After weeks of watering and waiting, though, our seeds never even so much as had one tiny sprout! Every time we go outside, Zia asks, "Mommy, can we water the seeds? Water makes flowers grow!" But we stopped watering them last week because it was obvious they wouldn't be growing any. We were very disappointed to get dud seeds this year, as we were looking forward to fresh herbs in the kitchen through the summer. Maybe next year we will have success.

Thirst Light Lady Big Review

I reviewed this cute Thirsty Light Lady Bug through StuffStuff.com.

It is a metal stake that you put in your houseplants and it tells you when your plants need watered by blinking when they get too dry.

This works well and the flash is definitely enough to get you to water your plants. It's easy to use and looks nice enough. The price at over $11.00 is a bit high for me. It's not too bad if you need just one, but when you have lots of houseplants, it could get very expensive very fast. Also, my daughter, who is two, thinks it is very neat and though she hadn't been interested in my plants, now she is. I had to move it to a plant that was out of her reach because she was always taking it out of the dirt.

Pinterest Pumpkin Muffins {Myth} or {Fact}?

Pumpkin muffins with just a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin. It seems like it's too good to be true. Is this Pinterest Pin {MYTH} or {FACT}?

 I started this recipe fully intending to use just the cake mix and a 15 ounce can of pumpkin. I chose to use a spice cake mix for added flavor since pumpkin on its own isn't very flavorful. I added the two ingredients to my mixer bowl and started mixing. The batter got so thick it was more like a dough. I knew the muffins would turn out hard and chewy if I made them like this, so I added an egg for extra moisture. It was still too dry, so I added 1/3 cup apple sauce. It was getting better, but it was still too thick. 1 1/3 cups of milk later, and I finally had something resembling a cake batter. I poured it into my muffin tin and baked them for the time indicated on the box.

  20 minutes later The muffins were done baking! I popped them out of the pan and tasted one. The flavor was delicious, but since I had to mix the batter so long to get the consistency right, it had gone a little flat. Without the extra mixing I'm sure these would have been great! They tasted very rich even though they were relatively healthy (for something that has cake in it, that is).

  Conclusion

 This pin is a {MYTH}

 Don't make these muffins with a can of pumpkin and a boxed cake mix. It's just too good to be true. Your muffins will be way too thick and lumpy. Add a few more ingredients and your muffins will be much better. You're still getting away with making pumpkin muffins with a cake mix after all.

  Final Recipe

 1 box spice cake mix (or yellow if you don't want the spices or would rather add your own)
 1 egg
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
 1/3 cup apple sauce (or oil if you don't mind the fat)
1 1/3 cup milk or water

 Mix all ingredients with mixer on low speed until combined. Beat 2 minutes on high. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan (I used silicone liners, they work great). Bake at the temperature on your cake mix box (probably 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for the time indicated (anywhere from 15-25 minutes) until toothpick comes out clean.

 I hope you enjoy this recipe. Any Pinterest pins you would like tested? Let me know!

Bubbles!

It is amazing how entertained a little one can be with bubbles. It is a beautiful day out where I am, so we headed outside to use sidewalk chalk and blow bubbles. My daughter had so much fun! $2 for chalk that will last her for years, and $1 for a huge bottle of bubbles that will make it through this summer at least, and she had more fun than any time we spend a lot of money to do something. We also walked around the yard and looked for flowers (right now there's just dandelions, but she didn't care!) Now I have a tired little girl who has just eaten lunch and should take a nice long nap for mommy :)

Exciting News!

I am very excited to share this with you! Not only am I going to make this blog regular, I'm expecting my second child! We are thrilled to be adding to our family and I will be posting updates here on all the new developments. I will also be sharing more recipes, tips, and crafting information in the coming year. I quit my job last fall and have been working irregularly every since, but starting this week I will not be going back at all, so I will have lots of free time on my hands to try out all of the recipes I have been saving and I will have more time for crafting, too. I have so many ideas and I can't wait to get started. ' See you soon!! The Retro Daisy

Marshmsllow Turn-Out

My home made marshmallows turned out fantastic! I don't think I'll ever buy storebought ones again. I made vanilla ones and raspberry ones. I've also made some sugar-free ones, they weren't the greatest but I'm still working on the recipe.

Fun in the Kitchen!

For my adventure today, I will be attempting to make marshamallows!  I found a recipe that looks easy enough, so I'm going to try it out.  Azaleah and I walked to the grocery store this morning to get the ingredients.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Sorry for the long break

Well, hopefully I will be posting more often now.  Last week was my final day at my day job, I resigned so that I could spend more time with my daughter.  She is too important for me to spend so much time away from her. Right now our circumstances permit me to stay home, so I'm going to take advantage of it.

This is my second day home, and I'm loving it!  We went for a long walk yesterday, and today we have been playing a lot.  My daughter is just so amazing, and she's growing up so fast.  I can't believe it's almost been a year.  I wish I could have been with her full-time sooner, but I guess it's better late than never.

Azaleah loves it when I'm cooking, so hopefully I will be posting some of the great recipes that I have been trying shortly, and with pictures, too!

Thanks for reading.  I hope to offer more posts soon.

Winding Down Time

My husband just started a new job with a completely different shift.  He needs to be at work by 3:00 am!  That means he's awake by 2:00 and out the door by 2:40 (we live very close to where he works).  Since he's needing to go to bed so early, we moved the baby to her crib, since she's been sleeping in the bassinet in our room.  We didn't want her waking him up when she cries before falling asleep.  So when I wake up around 6:00 or so, I'm all by myself.  I never thought it would affect me so much, but it upset me for a few days.  But now I realize that since my husband goes to be by 7:00 and the baby soon afterwards, I have the house to myself for at least two whole hours at night!  It has been so nice, since I'm working and raising a baby I never have any "me" time anymore.  So I can catch up on housework, read a good book, watch TV, or just relax and wind down before I go to bed.  For this past week I have noticed that I have been in a better mood and am not so anxious any more.  The house is still messy, but it doesn't bother me as much as it did before.  So even though waking up alone isn't something I love, I am thankful for the time before bed to catch up on  taking care of myself so that I can be a better mother and wife when I am with my family.

Solid Foods

My Gloworm went to the Doctor's yesterday and now she can start eating solid foods.  Yay!  She has been wanting to eat all of the time, so hopefully this will help her with that.  I just can't get up every two hours at night to feed her all the time!  So she had her first bowl of rice cereal this morning.  She was a bit grouchy, but still seemed to enjoy that she was able to eat something with more sustenance than milk.  Now she is all curled up on my chest and half asleep with a nice full tummy.

For the past several weeks she has been staring at my food while I'm eating.  She can also hold her head up, open her mouth voluntarily, bring toys to her mouth, and doesn't have the reflex to stick her tongue out when you put something in her mouth.  So she showed all the signs of being ready to move on to eating solids.

I love to watch her grow up and progress.  Though I love her little, I want her to grow up and be a healthy, smart child and I don't want to hold her back by wishing she were still little.  I will love her no matter what size or age she is, she will always be my daughter.

Clean House!

It is SO NICE to wake up to a clean house!  With the new baby, a clean house has been a rarity.  I've had no motivation to clean.  This party yesterday really got me moving.  I cleaned the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the baby room.  Now I just need to tackle our bedroom and closet.  That will be a project.  I have clothes that don't fit anymore that I've been trying to sell on Craigslist and Ebay without success.  I really don't know what to do with them.  But that is all for another day.  I'm just glad that I have accomplished what I did and I'm going to enjoy my clean kitchen and living room.

Coffee Party Results

All the guests have just left my house.  The Bistro Baking party was a success!  I made a chocolate cheesecake with caramel sauce, devil's food cupcakes in my new Wilton heart shaped muffin pan, and homemade cappuccino mix.  I also had mini turkey & cucumber sandwiches so we didn't have all sweet things.  One of my guests brought a New York cheesecake, and it was delicious, too!  My Coffee-Mate sponsored party was a lot of fun and I enjoyed hosting it.  I think I will start trying to have more gatherings at my house after seeing how well this one turned out.

Ahhh...

Resting a bit after party preparations.  So far I have cleaned the kitchen, swept and mopped, done some laundry, wrote out eight recipe cards, made a chocolate cheesecake, and a cappuccino mix with Coffee-Mate's peppermint mocha powdered creamer.  Oh, and I gave Gloworm a bath, too!  Wow, I've actually accomplished quite a bit already.  Now it's time to tackle the living room and make some cupcakes :)

Coffee-Mate Party!

Coffee-Mate brand creamer is doing this new thing called Free Flavor Friday, and for  it they selected members of their mailing list to have a themed-party in their behalf.  I signed up and was selected to host a Bistro Baking Party.  They sent those hosting the parties a box full of things to make your party a success.  Mine included a red embroidered apron with the Coffee-Mate logo (very good quality, I may add); a stack of blank recipe cards and three with recipes printed on them; 15 coupons for free Coffee-mate for your guests; a Wilton silicone heart muffin pan; and a cook book that is set up like a photo album that you put your own recipes into. They also sent cups and napkins, as well as instant coffee and creamer single packs.  I haven't even had my party yet and I am already having so much fun with what they sent me!

Even though it's Free Flavor Friday, I am hosting my party today, Saturday, because I was unable to hold it yesterday.  I have so much to do!  Now it's time to put my Gloworm in her swing near me in the kitchen so I can make all the desserts I am planning on serving, including a chocolate cheesecake.  More to come later in the day!

Snow Day!

I'm so excited!  Where I work is closed for the weather for the first time since I've worked there (8 years!) I'm going to have a great day at home with my snuggly baby girl.  She's still sleeping right now.  Perhaps I will make cookies or some other treat that I never have time for.  I'm having some friends over this weekend, so I could try out a new recipe.  And then when my gloworm wakes up we can read a book together and play on her play mat to the smell of fresh baked goodies and the sound of snow falling outside.

Handmade Photo Cards

Last week I had a day off of work so I used it creatively.  I sent some of my photography to the photo lab and got some cards and photo corners at the craft store and mounted my photography to note cards.  I took them to work last week and several of my coworkers really liked them.  It was nice to get some appreciation for my photography.  While I do senior portraits and weddings occasionally, nature photography is my favorite medium.  You can do so much with it when you have the right lighting and a good eye for details.  After this little boost I've had, I think I'm ready to move on to bigger things, like listing the cards for sale on Etsy.