My Cheese Volcano and Mac Soup in a Mug

Living in the dorms in college I discovered the wonder of instant mashed potatoes and easy mac. Those were my late night friends when the cafeteria was closed. No...it wasn't the most healthy or scrumptious thing I could eat but it was food, I was a hungry freshman, and I didn't really care. 

Now the thought of easy mac turns my stomach a little...it's not as bad as instant Ramen, but it's just not that great. But what do you do when you want Mac & Cheese, but you don't really want (or need) the whole entire pot or pan all to yourself? Pinterest has been full of "[Insert food item here] in a mug" recipes and one of those has been the instant mac and cheese in a mug. 

The Original Pin

The original blog this was featured on is no longer available, but I did find re-blogs of it all over. The instructions on each was pretty much the same: "Microwave 1/3 cup pasta (whole grain), 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup 1% milk, and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese on high for 2 minutes then stir."

Shannon sent us in this pin and her story. "I was hungry and there was almost no food in the house. I remembered this pin and looked it up. I clicked on the link but it gave me no further instructions on how to make it. It just gave me a list of ingredients and to microwave it. Not thinking too much about it I put all the ingredients into a mug and put it in the microwave. It was only in the process of putting it in the microwave did I remember when you're making easy mac that you cook the noodles then make the sauce, but it was too late.  The pin didn't say how long to microwave it so I tried for a minute at first. The pasta was barely cooked so tried 2 more minutes. It still wasn't cooked so I thought 5 minutes would do. It did, but just barely."

The Pinstrosity

"It got the job done in that I had something to eat, but my taste buds were not jumping around with joy. It wasn't terrible tasting but I probably would have been better walking to the grocery store 2 minutes away and buying some actual easy mac."

That's just not quite what I picture when I think of mac and cheese. She did say that she used regular pasta, not whole grain, and whole milk instead of 1% (because that's what she had on hand), but from what I've read, that shouldn't have mattered. So I decided to test the ingredients given in the pin and see what happened. 

1/4 c. of milk in with the 1/2 c. of water seemed like way too much liquid (especially as one full box of mac and cheese only takes 1/4 cup of milk and this is definitely not a full box worth of mac and cheese), but I stuck to the recipe anyway. I eagerly mixed everything up in my tallest mug, plopped it in the zapper, and came back after the 2 minutes were up to find this:

"Oh well," I thought, "I'm sure the rest that stayed in the cup is fine." So I pulled out the mug and looked in...

Cheesy chunky milk. MMmmmm. And the noodles were hardly cooked at all. I zapped it again (with more mac and cheese volcano action) and the pasta was slightly better, but not great. It was more like Macaroni Al dente cheese soup...with no flavor. I let it sit on the counter thinking maybe it just needed some "soaking time". That didn't help the matter either. The sauce didn't taste good and the noodles weren't cooked. Blech. 

So I'm callin' this one busted, done in, popped, and trashed. 

"Pin Busted" stamp created for us by Savannah 

But I was sure that someone somewhere had made mac and cheese in a mug and had a successful lunch, so I turned to Pinterest and found this:

The Original Pin

http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2013/04/homemade-single-serve-microwave.html

She says that you need a BIG mug, as in a soup mug, for this to work. That would definitely have helped my cheese volcano problem I had. So I cleaned out the microwave and searched my kitchen. I don't have a soup mug but I do have a glass 2 cup measuring cup, so I decided to give that a try. She also has you zap the noodles in water in the mug before adding the "sauce". This made a lot more sense, so I gave it a try. I didn't have Cheddar-Jack cheese, so I just had to use cheddar, but I figured this would give me an idea if it worked or not. So I followed the instructions carefully and this is what I came out with:

The Pin Win:

That looked WAY better than the first run through. I was excited about it. I stirred it all up good, and took a bite...and it was good. Not raving good, but good. Having the cheddar jack would have probably helped. But...it wasn't bad and it actually did work. No cheese volcano or macaroni soup. So, it can be done! Just not using that first pin. My only real complaint is that 1/3 c. pasta just didn't quite cut it. I think I need to go find a snack to add to my lunch. Hey! I think I have a package of instant mashed potatoes in my cupboard! I guess it's freshman flashback day today!

Today's Post

Today I'm testing a submission we were sent, but I'm testing it for lunch. Had I thought it through I would have tested it yesterday to post up this morning...but my brain didn't work that way. So check back in around lunchtime to see today's mug themed Pinstrosity. 

Mix It Up Monday: We've Been MUGged

Occasionally here at Pinstrosity we like to do a theme week and well you're  in for a treat this week, because we are at it again!!

It's Mug Week!!!!

(Cue audience applause and excitement)

It's like Shark Week only less terrifying and more tasty.

To get things stared this week I thought we could do a roll call of the best mugs of Pinterest.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for all our mug recipes, experiments and conundrums!!

For all you non-morning people (Marquette and I fall into that category) this mug tells you when it's time to perk up!

http://likertise.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/morning-mug-video/

My personal favorite, Grumpy Cat! (also not a morning person...err...cat)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AfternoonCoffee

For all your cookie holding needs!

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/09/01/17-cool-and-unusual-mugs/

If anyone can name what movie this is seen in I will be super impressed!

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/09/01/17-cool-and-unusual-mugs/

For when you feel like you're running on empty.

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/09/01/17-cool-and-unusual-mugs/

Christmas list anyone?!

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/09/01/17-cool-and-unusual-mugs/

For our coffee lovers out there.

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/11/10/14-cool-tea-and-coffee-mugs/

Drink coffee, then use gavel.

(Pinned on Pinterest as a mug...but it's really a nut cracker). 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0PDoTFwMMJP5iIAP9GJzbkF?p=weird+coffee+mugs&fr=mcsaoff&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt

And this one is just fantastic...

http://imgfave.com/search/vintage

For the upcoming 4th of July festivities! 

http://www.vend.ly/25991

http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/originals/ec/49/e3/ec49e37a31535eaec875e2a47d05bd11.jpg

http://www.fancy.com/things/245848488867267061/Chalk-Board-Mug

And last but not least...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/559585_10151438083875331_117789825330_23348729_1221622332_n.jpg

So there you have it, the best (and worst) mugs of Pinterest!!

Stay tuned for mug week and have an awesome Monday Pinstrosipeeps!!

Father's Day Cards

Father's Day is tomorrow! Do you have the ties picked out, the cards ready, and dinner planned? Haha, me neither. We've never really done the whole tie thing for our Dad...at least not that I can remember. This year I found what I wanted to get my Dad...

http://www.bobcatstore.com/product.html?productId=1364

A remote control Bobcat Tractor with full functionality! My dad loves Bobcats...but this one was a little out of my price range. But I did find this at the Tractor Supply Co.:

http://www.amazon.com/Bobcat-Monster-Treads-Skid-Loader/dp/B004RCRTUQ  
(I couldn't find it on the Tractor Supply Co. website, but I did find it on Amazon).  

He got a kick out of it (I'm not patient with giving gifts and gave it to him a few days early), and now has his own toy to play cars with his grandsons. We're pretty low key around here, but it makes life fun!

 

Whitney sent us in her Father's Day Pinstrosity story and photo. Here's what she had to say:

 

"So, last year was my husband's first father's day and he was deployed. I sent him a home made card (from a pinterest idea) and it came out horrible. This year I totally went for the classic approach. Get a gift, pick up some steaks, make his favorite dessert, etc. I got home and realized I forgot a card. My husband doesn't appreciate a good store bought Hallmark anyway."

 

So she turned to Pinterest and found this simple and manly cute card:

 

The Original Pin

http://media-cache-ak2.pinimg.com/originals/b2/35/c5/b235c5e1fadd94148740f379533dd9f4.jpg

 

"So I saw the picture of that card, and it looked pretty simple. I don't have ANY type of card making stuff. I had some card stock scrapbook paper, a button from my sewing supplies, and archive glue. I put it all together how I wanted it. I'm surprised my lines were straight, but the glue? The glue kind of bent the card stock into a weird ripply pattern. This Is what I ended up with :("

 

The Pinstrosity

 

"Lesson learned. Leave out the card all together."

 

The wavy card may not be something you'd get at the store, but I'm sure most people will at least appreciate the thought and time that went into making a card. If you still need to whip together an awesome Father's Day card at home (I still want to get one made up for my husband to go with the balsa wood glider plane I got him...we really don't do serious gifts very well, lol), there are some things you can do to up your chances of success.

 

• Liquid glue can be rough. As Whitney found out with the archive glue, it can make the paper ripple and give it a school glue look. Glue sticks work wonderful for card making. You can also get the adhesive tape dispensers that work great, or even the glue dots (those are awesome and I've even seen pins to make your own glue dots).
• If you are using copy/printer weight paper, you will want to go sparingly on the glue and you will want to not add too many layers of paper embellishments or the card may come out floppy. If you have card stock or scrapbook paper, those work best.
• If you don't have decorative paper and you don't want to run to the store, you can find all sorts of great prints online that you can print on your computer paper and cut to the size and shape you want. You can fill a whole page with the embellishments you want, then just cut them out and attach them to the card.
• Before you glue your various embellishments on, lay them out just like you want them and take a picture with your phone/camera/computer/etc. so you can look back later and see what you did. If I don't take a picture of make a diagram, I inevitably forget just how I had things arranged and I end up moving things around. Sometimes it turns out better, sometimes I glue things on and then find I don't have room for the last piece because I glued the first pieces in the wrong place.
• There are tons of ideas out there for card making if you need design ideas. People are so dang creative and I love that they are willing to share their ideas with all of us.

Good luck with all your Father's Day celebrations! With siblings and cousins moving, my brother leaving, and summer vacations starting, we've had 3 weeks of company in and out of the house and it has been chaotic but wonderful. It all culminates tomorrow when we have all but one sibling here along with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends (my brother is leaving on a 2 year church mission and leaves this coming week, so we're getting together for a big lunch before he leaves). It's pure chaos with us all together, but I love it. I know my Dad is excited to have most of his kids together (one sibling will be missing) and even though we don't have a fancy gift for him, I think the "gift" of having his family together will be just perfect. I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day tomorrow!

 

 



Silver-wear

Jewelry has long been a form of self-expression. There are those who prefer rubies and diamonds hanging around their necks, and then there are those who prefer teeth and marmoset hands adorning their body. I've seen just about everything used as jewelry, from the normal real and fake jewels to an animal's unmentionables on hooks for your ears. It's always fun to have some unique piece of jewelry that no one else in your circle has, but some jewelry just goes too far. But on the other hand, sometimes you get really creative people who come up with unique jewelry that is really quite cute and fun. Take this ring and bracelet made from cutlery for example:

The Original Pins

http://kirstenerickson.blogspot.com/2012/04/spoon-ring-printable.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/101146498/silver-fork-bracelet-in-original?

I never would have thought of turning my spoons and forks into anything so cute. That's amazing. And the fork bracelet is almost like those survival bracelets..."simply" (hahaha) bend the fork back into shape and you have a workable tool for eating and self-defense when you're lost in the woods (I'm sure that bear will wait while you bend the fork back into shape). 

Karlie and Heidi each saw one of the pins above and decided to give it a go. They read the tutorials, watched youtube videos, and jumped right in. 

The Pinstrosities

"I have always loved these spoon rings but could never find one. When I saw this pin I was so excited to try it. I dug through my moms silver wear until I found a spoon she was willing to let me use. We had no problem cutting it to the right size, but everything after that...a disaster! We spent an hour in the garage trying the get the darn thing round. We used all kinds of tools, from needle nose pliers to a rubber mallet. Needless to say, I still do not have a spoon ring."-Karlie

"My sister and I saw this cute bracelet made from a fork on Pinterest, after watching a few videos where people made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world we thought hey we can do that!! So we went and got our forks, so excited to make them! Well let's just say after multiple hours we decided it was time to call it quits. Ha ha I think the picture explains it well!!" -Heidi

As these submissions show...making jewelry from forks and spoons isn't an easy project. The instructions for the spoon ring are fantastic and I gleaned some great information from there, but as the fork bracelet is from etsy there are no specific instructions for it (that would kinda defeat the point of putting it for sale on etsy, so I don't blame them). But there are numerous video tutorials on youtube that you can watch to show you the techniques. Here's what I've gathered:

1. These work best (and by best I mean way way better according to most of what I've read and watched) if you use actual silver silverware. Stainless steel can work, but it is going to be much much harder to get it to bend to your will. One site says "When you do go buy your silverware, make sure it is sterling silver and not stainless steel (it will say on the back of the spoon).  I didn't realize this at first, so my first attempt was with a stainless steel fork, and let's just say, it didn't work too well.  You'll know it's sterling silver if it says '900' or '925' on the back. "

2. Bending the fork/spoon into shape is the tricky part. For the rings it is suggested to bend it around a dowel rod (you can get these at Walmart, home improvement stores, and craft stores). Some silverware will be bendable with your bare hands, others may require being heated up with a butane torch (you can get a small one for crafting for under $10 at home improvement stores or some craft stores), and then hit with a mallet. You don't need to get the silverware glowing hot, but you will need to heat it up thoroughly to get it to be malleable. If you're working with a fork it is suggested to pound the fork flat (most fork tines are at least slightly curved) before starting to bend it to shape. 

Shaping anything metal is not easy. I'm not very good at shaping just plain jewelry wire and that's pretty easy to bend. I usually have to hand it over to the husband (he's really good at it).  It doesn't always bend like you think it will, and then if you try and fix a part of it, it doesn't just "go back" into shape. Before you jump into shaping your silverware I'd buy some heavy gauge wire and practice getting that into shape rather than "practicing" on your fork/spoon. 

I know...that's basically just two pieces of advice...choose your fork/spoon carefully and be patient when it comes to shaping. But that's pretty much it. It may take you a few tries to get just the piece you're wanting, or you may be one of the lucky ones to get it figured out on the first try. Either way, it makes for a fun piece of jewelry about which you can say, "Oh, thanks! I made it myself!"...and that's always fun.