Recipe: Sausage Stars

Not only are these sausage stars easy, they are insanely addicting! I had blogged about them before (a long, long time ago), but thought they were worth another blog post.  Yes, they are that good.  Yes, you will gain 5 lbs. from eating an entire pan of them.  And yes, you can thank me (or yell at me) later  :)

Sausage Stars

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
1 1/2 cups grated Monterrey jack cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
1 cup prepared ranch dressing mix (make sure to use the dry ranch packet)
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced olives
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 package fresh or frozen won ton wrappers
Vegetable oil

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

After cooking the sausage, blot it dry with a paper towel.  In a large bowl, combine sausage with cheeses, prepared ranch dressing, olives and red peppers.  Set aside.

Lightly grease a mini or regular muffin tin and press one won ton wrapper in each cup.  Brush won ton wrappers lightly with vegetable oil.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Fill won ton wrappers with sausage mixture.  Bake 5 minutes or until bubbly.  Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Bon appetit!

DIY Wooden Name Sign

A few weeks ago I decided to paint a sign for our foyer to give it a more personal touch.  A few years ago I made a sign for my sweet friend Miranda, but never got around to making one for myself!  So, a lazy Saturday presented itself and I drug out the paint and went to town.

Here is what you will need:

• Piece of wood or an old sign you want to repaint
• 2 color of acrylic paint (or any paint will do)
• Paint brushes
• Computer and printer
• Ball point pen
• Wood stain (optional - I didn't use it on this piece)

Let's get started...

Sand the piece of wood and dust off sanded remnants.  Paint the wood a solid color.  I used a premixed gray acrylic paint I found at Hobby Lobby.  You may need to do two coats depending on your paint color.  Let it dry completely.

While the paint is drying, print out the letters needed in the font you'd like on your computer.  Place them on the wood where you'd like the wording and trace the outline with a ballpoint pen, pressing down a bit to make an imprint on the wood.

Paint the traced letters with your second paint color.  You may need to do two coats (I did!).  Let that dry and then enjoy your finished work!  If you want a more antique look, try using a wood stain on top of the completely dry paint (I've used Minwax Provincial 211 in the past).  Wipe the stain on, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it off.  Ta-da!

This would be a great gift for a friend or newly married couple!  Simple and heartfelt  :)  Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!