Hand Painted Shoes

I recently started painting some shoes for my daughter. I thought it would be fun to do something for Halloween.




This is my first test pair, which I am pleased with. I am going to try to sell a few through a local shop. But if anyone is interested, please email me at thesqueakycart@aol.com The shoes are $20, plus shipping and I can customize them to anything you need.

I am planning on opening an Etsy store very soon.

Halloween Hair Barettes for Sale!

These are leftovers from some I made last year. I have limited quantities of these. I will be making some more in a few days. If anyone is interested in purchasing them, please email me at thesqueakycart@aol.com

All designs are $6 shipped.


I have 2 bats available: 1 purple, 1 green (not pictured)



Trick or Treat Pumpkin ( only have 1)



Polka Dot Pumpkin (2 available)

Labor Day!

I am participating in this link up over a 5 Minutes for Mom. The question being asked is concerning Labor Day plans and/or traditions?

We really have never had any plans for Labor Day, even growing up. Growing up in the South, we always started school in August. It was always just a nice day off. We would usually do some sort of cooking out, but that was pretty much it.

My husband has the BBQ bug bad! Saturday, we were looking at meat smokers. I think he has found one for around $230 that he would be happy with. He has been trying out different types of smoking woods. This week's experiment has been Cherry wood. He also has been experimenting with spices, to create his own meat rub.

So far, we have smoked ribs, chicken breast,







and
chicken wings.

He is making plans to smoke a pork butt and beef brisket. He also has been researching different types of BBQ sauces. He has plans to start making his own sauce.

For Labor Day, The grill master will be manning the grill for 6 hours, while 2 racks of ribs smoke. If I were to win a years supply of ketchup, it would be put to good use, making BBQ sauce.

Tailgating Wing Sauces Review

My family is absolutely crazy for hot wings! For my Terrific Tailgating feature, I had the opportunity to sample Tailgating Wing Sauces.

We prepared a batch of smoked wings for the taste testing. It takes around 2 hours to smoke wings on the grill. This is my favorite way to prepare wings. You get a crispy texture on the outside, with tender, smokey flavored meat on the inside.


Tailgating Wing Sauces offers 5 flavors: Medium, Hot, Spicy Garlic, Parmesan Garlic, and Teriyaki.

Right off, I knew which sauce my husband would appreciate most.


He is a huge fan of Parmesan Garlic wings. When you open the bottle, you are greeted with the aroma of garlic. The Parmesan Garlic sauce is a very thick sauce, it coats the wings beautifully. You can see the Parmesan cheese and bits of herbs in the sauce. I would consider this a milder sauce, it does not have a peppery heat, but it does provide a nice bite.

My children really love the Teriyaki Sauce. It is a sweet and tangy sauce, a little salty tasting. It has no heat to it. It was delicious on the wings, but I would love to use it in a stir fry or to baste kebabs.

My personal favorite was the Spicy Garlic. I am the person who likes things the spicier the better. The Spicy Garlic sauces has that wonderful garlic aroma paired with a spicy peppery heat. If you like something more on the spicy side, this would be the sauce for you.

Both the Medium and Hot sauces are more traditional hot wings sauces. I enjoyed both of them, but my favorite would have to be the hot.


No hot wing is complete without some blue cheese to dip into. Tailgating Wing Sauce has a Bacon Blue Cheese dipping sauce. This is a very mild blue cheese paired with smokey bacon. It was delicious with the wings and would be amazing on salads.

Of course all of these sauces were great on wings, but they can also be used on chicken, ribs, pork, or burgers. I can't wait to experiment with the sauces on other foods.


Disclosure: I was provided with samples for the purpose of this review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed are my own.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This is a photo scavenger hunt in progress. If you would like to play along, click the button. This week's items are: Landscape, Power Lines, Newspaper, Pose, and Hobby.



1. Landscape



2. Power line





3. Newspaper



4. Pose




5. Hobby
My husband and I build to scale remote controlled R2 Units. This is our own custom colored droid.

Getting to Know You Sunday

1. Do you like seafood?

I hate seafood. I had a bad experience when I was like 5 years old involving clam chowder and my cabbage patch doll. Needless to say the Cabbage Patch doll was never the same afterwards.

Now that the Gulf of Mexico is jacked up, you couldn't pay me to eat seafood.

2. Are mermaids hot?

Maybe the girls are, but I always thought Aquaman was kind of creepy.

3. Have you swam in the ocean?
Yes, but I will not do it anymore. The ocean is a cess pool.


4. If you got stung by a jellyfish, would you let a stranger pee on you?

If it were an emergecy, then yes probably.


5. Have you ever pee'd in the ocean?
I think everyone has, at least once in their life. Plus all of the fish pee. That is why the ocean is a cess pool.

6. Can you make a cute fish face? (Show a pic..if you want)

No, I don't think so.

7. When you see the lobster tank at the grocery store do you just have this overwhelming urge to set them free or cook them up?

I would love to set them all free while blaring Born Free! That is why I will not eat lobster, the way you have to cook them is cruel.

8. Are you afraid of sharks?
I think sharks are fascinating creatures. Do I want to swim with them or get into a shark cage, nope. I will watch the fools do it during Shark Week.

Touchdown Sunday and Terrific Tailgating- Vegetarian Style

Now when you think tailgating foods, you don't necessarily think vegetarian. We almost always think of filling up the grill with burgers, ribs, and chicken. I have a few recipe ideas that will help you incorporate more vegetarian recipes into your tailgating menus.

Chips and dip are one of the easiest ways incorporate vegetarian dishes: hummus, guacamole, spinach/artichoke, salsa, or tzatziki are all vegetarian friendly.

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 container (6 oz.) Greek style plain yogurt
1/4 c chopped cucumber
2 tbsp. chopped red onion
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Mix all of the ingredients together. I like to let mine chill for about an hour before serving. But, you could mix and serve. You can use this sauce on burgers, gyros, or just as a dip with fresh vegetables or crackers.




I always like to prepare with a small Crudité platter. Celery and carrot sticks are a most have, if you are serving wings. You will also need lettuce, tomatoes, and onions for those burgers. Add some cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini or squash, and bell peppers. These will add some color and variety, along with a few more options for your vegetarian tailgaters. If you are grilling, grill up some of the vegetables to make veggie nachos or quesadillas.

Don't forget to pick up some portabello mushrooms. Brush with some olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper. Grill until tender. These make great veggie burgers!

Prepare some salads as a side dish. The 4 Ingredient Vegan has a wonderful Fiesta Rice Salad. This is one of my favorite salads, it is easy to prepare ahead of time, and travels well.

Fiesta Rice Salad
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup frozen corn kernals
1 can (15oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cilantro salsa

Pour 1 1/4 cups of the water into a small saucepan. Add the rice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool

Combine the corn and the remaining 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until corn is tender. Drain. Add the corn and black beans to the rice. Stir until evenly combined. Let cool to room temperature. Add the salsa just before serving. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

If you can not find cilantro salsa, use your favorite salsa plus 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro.


Happy Tailgating!