Pizza for the Birds!

It's pizza....for the birds! With the holidays and winter time, I always like to help out the wildlife! A great way to use stale bread, and they look cute hanging from outdoor trees! Put them by your window to see all the different types of birds stop by. This is also super easy and a good craft to make with kids!

Just a slice!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are birdseed, peanut butter, scissors, stale bread (use thicker bread like halved sandwich rolls or something, so that they hold up. Don't try with plain sandwich bread), and paperclips.

Step 2: Use the scissors to cut out triangles like pizza slices. Spread with a good layer of peanut butter.

Step 3: Take the birdseed, and if you want it faux-pepperoni, place a bunch of seeds in small clumps and press down. You can just coat the whole thing with seed if you'd like.

Step 4: Un-bend your clip, so that the outside piece of wire is bent at 90 degrees, and the top still retains a hook for hanging. Stick this through the slice.

That's it! Go hang on a tree outside, and wait for the birds.

All images copyright Allison Cooling

Strawberry Basil-Ade

My second recipe post- another summery drink!

It's 100+ degrees in Chicago. This summer calls for 'em.

This time, it's my take on a strawberry-lemonade-basil combination. I thought if strawberry and basil went together, and strawberry and lemonade went together, and basil and lemons go together....

wouldn't they all compliment each other?

Turns out the combination is very exotic-tasting. Well, at least for a suburbanite like me. 

Anyways, I used sweet basil that I grow on my deck. Do not use other types of basil (like Greek basil or Thai) because these are spicier and I really don't know how your drink would turn out!

Again, feel free to alter some of the measurements to fit your taste; like my last drink, there are no totally specific measurements.

This drink is NOT going to be super sugary sweet and fake tasting, like many bottled lemonades and such. We are using real lemons here people, and no corn syrup. It will be more like a tea of sorts!

This makes one drink.

Step 1: Gather ingredients. You need a half of a lemon, a leaf or two of sweet basil, and a handful of strawberries. The strawberries I used were from my garden, so they were the size of grapes! If you use bigger ones, it will give it more good strawberry flavor, so that's ok. I used an organic lemon so it was a bit smaller as well.

If you don't like the flavor of basil, feel free to swap in raspberries or maybe even mint, but I can't vouch for the taste here. Experiment!

Step 2: Place all chopped ingredients (except lemon) in bottom of glass. Squeeze lemon juice over top, discard lemon.

Step 3: Muddle with a wooden spoon or if you're fancy, use a muddler.

Make sure you muddle till everything is a pulp, get all the juices out.

Step 4: Add in 6 oz of water. You can also swap regular water for club soda if you like the fizz! Mix.

Step 7: Now, strain this mixture through a fine sieve into another cup, pressing down to get all the juices through. Rinse out your first cup, and pour the strained drink back into the cup. Sweeten with honey, raw sugar, or whatever you like. I only used about 1.5t and it wasn't very sweet, but that's how I like it. If you want it sweeter, add more.

Add ice, garnish with a lemon slice!

It turns a beautiful color!

All photos and instructions copyright Allison Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations.

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated!

Kenneth Jay Lane Strawberry Necklace

Sweet! This cute necklace by Kenneth Jay Lane looks like a piece of candy! Best of all, you can make it yourself and save about $115. Super sweet!

Red is traditional, but I am NOT a traditionalist.

Yes, mine is turquoise. Why not?

All you need is some leftover polymer clay and a few more "ingredients"....

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are Sculpey Polymer Clay, Triple Thick Gloss Glaze, a paintbrush, Gold Acrylic Paint, a long chain, and Round Stud Rhinestone Nail Art Decoration. You will also need a length of thick wire or a headpin with a loop, and a jumpring.

Step 2: Shape your clay into a strawberry shape. Roll into ball and gently pinch the one end to make it elongated. No, make about 8 little teardrop nuggets, these will be for the strawberry petals. 

Step 3: Flatten those teardrops and attach them to the top of the strawberry. Flip them up a little at the end to mimic a real strawberry. Take your length of wire or headpin with the top looped and stick through the top of the strawberry, press down far to secure. Make sure only a little bit of the loop sticks out, so that it's not totally noticeable. After baking, you can add some superglue around this spot if you like to make sure the wire won't pull out of the strawberry.

Step 4: Take your little stud decal; pick off one of the gold studs and press into your strawberry. Continue all around to add seeds on all sides, make sure you press the studs far down to secure.

Now bake your strawberry. I do about 125 degrees in a toaster oven for 25 minutes or so. Paint the top petals with the gold acrylic paint, and cover all in a clear lacquer to finish. Add to chain with a jumpring.

Delicious- you're all set!

Pineapple Mint Virgin Mojito

Yes, my first recipe post.

Excited?

Inspired by the summer coming, I've created a virgin "mojito"-type recipe that's light and refreshing. 

This makes one drink.

Yum.....

I used spearmint from my garden...

Step 1: Gather Materials. Needed are pineapple chunks, a lime slice, some mint leaves, seltzer water, sweetener and ice.

Step 2: Place everything but the water and ice into a glass.

I only used one chunk of pineapple, use more for stronger flavor. There are no "exact" measurements here!

Muddle together with a wooden spoon, nothing fancy needed here! Muddle everything 'till the pineapple is completely mashed with the mint and lime. Now, pour in 6 oz. of seltzer water.

Strain over a fine sieve into a measuring cup.... (I don't like to have things floating in my drinks! :) )

And pour the liquid from the measuring cup back into your original glass (you can quickly rinse out the original glass after straining to make sure it's completely clean, yes I am a little OCD!)

You will have a pale mint green drink. Now, add your sweetener; I used only a teaspoon of raw cane sugar. If you like it sweeter, just sweeten to taste. Again, no exact measurements here!

 Top with ice. And maybe a skewer of mint, pineapple, and a lime slice to top it off!

Delicious!

Add a monkey and umbrella and you're in paradise!