Pattitudes

Chocolate Carrot Cake

2012-02-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

This is month six of Mom's Crazy Cooking Challenge. I'm happy to say that this is my fifth time participating!

This month we're making Chocolate Cakes. This was a hard one for me. I have a terrible sweet tooth and my husband doesn't share my passion for baking. I'm also trying so hard not to have sweets around me because if they are I will eat them. I've been known to have cake or pie for breakfast. That's why I don't like this stuff around me. I have no self control. I guess that's a lie. If I really put my mind to it, I can go months without anything sweet. I've done that many times.

I went back and forth trying to decide if I was going to drop out this month. It's so hard to bake things and not have anyone to share them with. Then I thought chocolate cake! How can I not make a cake? I love to bake! Well, obviously you know my decision, I'm blogging.

I set my mind on making a Chocolate Carrot Cake. I thought carrots = healthy, right? We have rules as to where we can find a recipe, so that proved to be a challenge. Then I found MOCHACHOCOLATA RITA! What a fantastic blog name!

Rita made this cake in a loaf pan. I was all set to make a big ass cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan, take a couple pieces out and send the rest to work with my husband. Rita used a loaf pan since she halved the recipe. I decided to use an 8 x 8-inch pan and I'm not sharing!

I left the vegetable oil out and substituted Chobani Greek Yogurt. I wasn't quite sure how much to substitute, so I just went with my gut instinct and used 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons. You can see Rita's recipe here. Below shows how I adapted it.

Chocolate Carrot Cake
2 eggs
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Chobani Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt - I used less
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups grated carrot
A couple handfuls of semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Jimmies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease cake pan. Place eggs, sugar, vanilla and yogurt in mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and yogurt until pale using an electric mixer. Add in flour mixture and mix well. Add carrots mixing well. Pour half of the batter into baking pan, scatter chocolate chips over top and top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I thought this cake had a great taste and texture. It was very chocolaty and moist. I also loved the crunch of the carrots!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out all the great recipes in this challenge!

Mod Podge Canvas

2012-02-06T08:30:00.000-06:00

Today I thought I'd share a canvas I made for one of my daughter's for Christmas. I had a photo of her dog that she had asked me to do something with (quite awhile ago I might add!). I love photos of her dog Lou because he has the best expressions. I will say however, this is not one of my favorite photos of him! By the time I was finished it was starting to grow on me!

I gathered all my supplies together. I didn't use the piece of corrugated paper I originally cut (shown on the bottom left of the photo).

I painted gesso around the edges where I was planning to use acrylic paint and hung the canvas to dry.

After painting the front

and back, I hung it back up to dry.

Then I used Mod Podge to add the patterned paper, photo and the "pawsitively adorable" that I cut out from some of the paper. I forgot to take a photo of that part!

Here's a photo of her opening the gift on Christmas Eve.

Mr. Lou is quite the character!

Products used for this project: 5x7 stretched canvas, photo, embellishments, Mod Podge, Making Memories Acrylic Paint in Espresso, Patterned Paper from We R Memory Keepers: Friends Forever and BasicGrey: Max & Whiskers, Letters from EK Success.

This post is linked to these parties: All Things Fee, Craft-O-Maniac, Around Tuit, Inspire Me Monday, A Marvelous Mess, Made by you Monday

Thanks for stopping by!

Easy Slow-Cooker A.1 Swiss Steak

2012-01-28T08:11:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe in an email I received from Kraft Foods, so we tried it for dinner last night. It's as easy to prepare as the title says! The bonus is that you can toss it all in the crockpot and forget about it. That's my kind of recipe!

We liked it, so I'll be adding it to my rotation of dinner recipes. I replaced the Original Steak Sauce with the Thick & Hearty. The steak sauce really compliments the flavor in this recipe.

Easy Slow-Cooker A.1. Swiss Steak
(Adapted from Kraft Foods)
2 lbs. boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce (I used a 10 oz. bottle of Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce)
1 onion, sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used Del Monte Basil, Garlic & Oregano No Salt Added)
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water

Toss meat with steak sauce: place in slow cooker. Top with onions and tomatoes; cover with lid.

Cook on LOW 9 to 10 hours (or HIGH 4 to 5 hours).

Mix flour and water. Stir into meat mixture; cook, covered 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

This post is linked to these parties: Friday Potluck, Food on Fridays, ffa Friday!, Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Have a great weekend!

Green Smoothies

2012-01-25T21:34:00.000-06:00

The other day I saw two recipes for green smoothies on Pinterest. I've been doing alot of pinning lately. I really like that I don't have to save things as a favorite on my computer. I like setting up boards for different categories to access at a later date. It is soooo addicting though.....I can get lost for hours in my own little world!

I've also been under the weather for pretty much the whole month of January. I ended up getting Shingles. Quite a few people told me how awful they were and quite frankly I didn't believe them. I had no energy, not much of an appetite and pain. That was what I questioned most of all. I really didn't understand why there would be all this pain. Well, now I know! When it was really bad I either felt like someone was sticking me with needles or throwing scalding hot water on me. And if that's not horrible enough, at times it felt like someone was taking a knife and just jabbing it into my sides. Needless to say, it's been a nightmare. It seems that for every step I took forward, I would take five more backwards. When I'd feel pretty good, I'd be up doing things. Soon after I'd know that I'd overdone it.

I've done little blogging, no crafting and very little cooking. I think I'm finally over the hump. I still have a little pain, but I feel alot better than I have. Hopefully I'll be back up to full speed soon. In the meantime check out this smoothie. It's so good with tons of different fruit possibilities. I found the recipe here.

I really liked this one. It has a nice thick texture to it. Right after I made this one I came across another recipe. It's basically the same, but uses pineapple instead of an orange and it uses water.

This version is not quite a thick, but I loved the taste! I like the mix of banana and pineapple.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I'd like a smoothie with spinach in it.

I've made quite a few of these in the last week or so. I love them! The site that was referenced for this one is Green Smoothies Power Blog. I didn't find the recipe there though. There are alot of variations. The person that pinned this one on Pinterest had this recipe included with it:

Take two handfuls of baby spinach, 1 cup of chunk pineapple, 2 bananas, 1 cup of yogurt and 1 cup of filtered water. Blend and enjoy!

If you enjoy smoothies and can get past the fact that they are green, you will love them! They're pretty filling, so I've just had them for lunch a few times. You can't even taste the spinach. I like how healthy they are!

This post is linked to these parties: Whatever Goes Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Full Plate Thursday, What's Cooking Thursdays?

Thanks for stopping by!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup ~ Crazy Cooking Challenge ~

2012-01-07T11:00:00.005-06:00

The theme for this month's "Crazy Cooking Challenge" is Chicken Noodle Soup!

December's theme was fudge, but I had to skip that one. Fudge is so tempting for me since I love it so! I knew if I made fudge early in the month (the challenge is always on the 7th) there wouldn't be any left for anyone else. I played some mind games with myself this year and made a fudge that I wasn't really crazy about. It helped, I didn't have any!

Now, I am not a soup maker by any means! I guess chili classifies as a soup and I do make that alot. I did try chicken noodle quite a few years ago. It must have been pretty unmemorable since I never tried again!

I've been sick this week and didn't know if I would get my soup made. I had planned to make it earlier this week, but just couldn't. After some more rest today I decided to go ahead with it. I knew it would be nice to be able to have something easy to warm up and eat!

One of the rules for this challenge is that we have to find a recipe from another blogger. I found this one from Monica over at The Yummy Life. I swear it was designed with me in mind! The carrots and celery get diced up so tiny in the food processor you can't even tell that they are in the soup! Perfect! I'm not fond of alot of cooked vegetables, I like most of mine in the raw form. I didn't use celery in this recipe, I substituted celery seed. I had planned to use celery, but I couldn't buy a small enough amount. I even tried a salad bar and they didn't have any! We just don't eat enough of it for me to buy. I also left out the salt. I figured there was enough sodium in everything else without me adding more.

Saute garlic, onion, mushrooms, carrots, and celery (if using) until soft, approx. 5-7 minutes.

Sprinkle flour, oregano, pepper, thyme, and poultry seasoning over vegetables.

Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in broth and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Add chicken.

Add noodles.

Add milk.

Cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Enjoy! I cooked mine a little longer so my soup is a little thicker. I loved it!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Servings: 8 (1-1/2 cup servings)
adapted from Monica at The Yummy Life

•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 garlic clove, minced
•1 cup diced onions
•1 cup diced mushrooms
•1 cup diced carrots
•1 cup diced celery (I used celery seasoning)
•1/3 cup flour
•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
•1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
•6 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
•1 teaspoon salt
•2 cups cooked shredded chicken (shred a rotisserie chicken or cook your own*)
•1 (12 oz.) can evaporated skim milk
•2 cups uncooked pasta (whole grain recommended)

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high, add olive oil. Saute garlic, onion, mushrooms, carrots, and celery until soft, approx. 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle flour, oregano, pepper, thyme, and poultry seasoning over vegetables. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in broth and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes. Add chicken, milk, and noodles; cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Be sure to stop by The Yummy Life and check out all the recipes!

I'm the official "Pinterest" pinner for the Cooking Challenge. I pin all the recipes from the challenge to separate boards each month. It sometimes takes a few days, but I get it done! If you'd like to check out past recipes, here's the link to my boards: Pinterest.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mod Podged Car Coasters

2011-12-28T12:56:00.001-06:00

I gave this set of coasters I made to my brother for Christmas. He liked them so much that he asked me to create a set of six using another image for him.

I found these coasters for a steal of a price, but I needed to make them a little more presentable!

My first step was to cover the edges with Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Gesso.

I then added some of Claudine's Charcoal Black Studio paint and some Extra Time Studio Slow-Dry Medium onto my craft sheet.

I swirled them together with one of my brushes. I bought the whole set of Ranger brushes at Archiver's and I love them!

I painted over the gesso with the Studio charcoal black paint. I didn't need to paint the whole coaster because I knew I was going to cover the center with cardstock. I added two coats of paint and made sure it was completely dry before starting the Mod Podge process.

Before I started my project I chose what patterned paper I wanted to use. This is an older collection from Graphic 45 called "On The Boulevard & Haberdasher" from the "A Proper Gentleman" collection. I love all of their collections! I don't care how old any patterned paper is that I use from any manufacturer. I use whatever fits what I'm creating at the time and what I like. Since I'm a paper hoarder, I have to use what I have!

I gathered all my supplies to start the Mod Podge process. That handy dandy roller on the top right in the photo is actually something I bought years ago from Pampered Chef. It's supposed to be used to rolling out pizza dough. I think I used it once! One day I needed something to smooth out a project and well, the rest is history! It's become a handy tool in my craft room. I use it alot!

This is where you have to work quickly because you don't want the Mod Podge to dry. First I spread a layer of Mod Podge onto the coaster.

I added it to the back side of the paper I was putting onto the coaster.

I smoothed the paper on the coaster. I didn't cut my paper to go to the edges since I wanted the black to show. Once the paper was on, I added another coat of Mod Podge.

I then added the car I had trimmed out and another coat of Mod Podge.

You can see where it's starting to dry in this photo.

All four are ready to completely dry.

I wanted to rough up the edges a little, so I sanded them.

I sanded them so that the original color would start to peek through. You couldn't even tell that it was pink. After the coasters were completely dry, I sprayed them with a clear acrylic sealer from Plaid.

I love working with Mod Podge! Coming up in another post is a canvas I made for one of my daughters for Christmas.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

Products I used for this project: Purchased coasters, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint, Gesso & Extra Time, Graphic 45 Patterned Paper - A Proper Gentleman Collection: On The Boulevard & Haberdasher, Mod Podge.

This post is linked to these parties: Made by you Monday, Tip Me Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday

Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge

2011-12-23T08:27:00.001-06:00

I love fudge! My favorites are anything to do with chocolate or peanut butter. I chose this recipe for my husbands Christmas party. Since I'm not a fan of this type of fudge I knew it would be ideal to make so I wouldn't be tempted to have any! Last year I made cappuccino fudge and cinnamon fudge. The post I did for cinnamon fudge has been one of the posts with the highest hits this year!

I found the recipe for this funfetti fudge here. I'm certain hers probably looks a little better than mine! Her photos are gorgeous!

Here's what you need to make this fudge:

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3.5 cups white chocolate chips
3 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Rainbow Sprinkles

Here's a little trick I learned from Pinterest. When you're going to line a pan with foil, turn it over first and mold the foil to the bottom.

Then it will fit perfectly in your pan. I'm surprised I never thought of this!

Pour milk and white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2-3 minutes, or until white chocolate is almost completely melted. DO NOT OVERHEAT. Stir until completely blended, melted, and smooth.

Immediately add vanilla and almond and combine thoroughly. I love the smell of almond!

Stir until all is blended.

Add a handful or so of rainbow sprinkles and fold in quickly, because they will melt. Work quickly so they don't melt.

Transfer to an aluminum-foil lined 8×8 inch baking pan for very thick fudge, or a 11X7 pan (recommended). I used the latter. Let set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Once set, peel off foil and cut into cubes and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place.

This post is linked to these parties: Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Free For All Friday.

Thanks for looking!

Pretzels, Pretzels and More Pretzels!

2011-12-22T11:13:00.001-06:00

By the time I finished dipping pretzels for my husband's Christmas party, I was covered with chocolate! I did all this last weekend because he needed everything for this past Tuesday. Sunday was a loooong day! I started early, forgot to eat breakfast and had a bowl of soup for lunch. By the time dinner time rolled around I didn't want anything to do with food. I was in bed by 8:30 PM. That's way early for me as I'm a night owl.

I found this recipe on this blog. I think I saw it on Pinterest first and followed the link. I chose this recipe because it's easy, cute and looks festive. I guess you can make them with Rolo's too. I think the mixture of caramel and chocolate sounds wonderful, so I may try making them next time.

All you need are round pretzels, but I think you could use square ones too!

Preheat your oven to 225° . You'll need: Round Pretzels, Hershey's Kisses, Holiday M&M's. Spread the pretzels on a baking sheet. I covered mine with parchment paper to help with the mess.

Place a kiss in the center of each pretzel and bake for 3-4 minutes, depending on your oven. I only left mine in for 3 minutes.

Immediately (that's why it's important to have everything ready to go!) place an M&M in the center of each kiss and push it down. I wiggled mine a little so that the chocolate hits the sides of the pretzel. I refrigerated each batch to let them set.

I could have used an extra set of hands while making these. This would be a perfect activity to do with kids.

Since I had a big mess going on in the kitchen.....

.....why not dip some pretzel rods and

some pretzels!

I made enough for an army! That's what you have kids and brothers for! I packed everything up and when they're here for Christmas they can take a bag of treats home with them.

This post is linked to these parties: Full Plate Thursday, Turning The Table, Sweet Treats Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring. Be sure to stop by these blogs and check out all the wonderful recipes and crafts!

Thanks for taking time out of your day to stop by!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 21 - Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T21:35:00.001-06:00

This is the final day of my "21 Days of Christmas Cards". I absolutely adore this collection of patterned paper from BoBunny! The colors are so rich.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing all the cards I sent out this year. I also hope that some of my cards inspired you in your card creations.

Supplies used for this card: PTI in Vintage Cream and Kraft, Patterned Paper from BoBunny: Noel Cheer and Noel Ornaments, American Crafts Ribbon, Hero Arts Pearl Gemstones, Jute, Button, Memento Ink in Bamboo Leaves, Stamps from TPC Studios: Christmas Greetings, EK Success Open Scallop Edge Punch.

No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes

2011-12-20T09:48:00.001-06:00

These are soooo delicious! I sent these to work with my husband this morning.

Actually, I sent all of the above with him!

I love cheesecake and I should make it more often. It seems I never use my cheesecake pans. These were super simple since you just use muffin tins.

Here's what you'll need:
(adapted from Kraft Foods PHILADELPHIA® No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes)
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
12 chocolate sandwich cookies
sprinkles (optional)

Place cookies on bottom of 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.

Gently stir in whipped topping.

Spoon cream cheese mixture into muffin cups. Top with multi-colored sprinkles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I'll be posting the other recipes over the next few days. Stop back soon!

This post is linked to these parties: Made By You Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 20 - Merry Christmas Wreath

2011-12-20T06:44:00.001-06:00

I'm getting an early start with my blogging this morning so I can hopefully finish up some last minute stuff today.

This card is secretly my favorite! I was trying not to give favoritism to one card over another, but I just love how this one turned out.

For the background I used a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder called D'Vine Swirls. I made the wreath out of snowflakes. I took two nestabilites and diecut a circle with a very slim edge. I did that so I would have a circle to adhere the snowflakes to. It also helped to keep the wreath round. If I hadn't done that, I know my wreath would have turned out lopsided!

Supplies used for this card: PTI in White and New Leaf, Bazzill in Hillary, Nestabilities, Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Stamp from Inkadinkado, Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls Embossing Folder, Hero Arts Art Flowers, Hero Arts Pearl Gemstones.

Thanks for looking!

This post is linked to these parties: Take-A-Look Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday, Get Your Craft On! Tuesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 19 - Season's Greetings

2011-12-19T22:03:00.001-06:00

I'm caught up! This is day 19 of my "21 Days of Christmas Cards". For this one I used a patterned paper from last season called "Jovial: Winter Garden" by BasicGrey. Because I like black, I love the different colored flowers in the background.

I buy alot of paper as most scrapbookers do. I think we're called "paper hoarders". Most of the paper is so beautiful and even though it may not be the latest and greatest, I'll be creating cards and projects with it for years. I don't want to waste it!

Products used for this card: PTI in Pure Poppy and Ripe Avocado, Patterned Paper from BasicGrey: Jovial: Winter Garden, Memento Ink in Lady Bug, Baker's Twine, Stampendous Dot Sparklers, Hero Arts Clear Stamps: Joy To All - CL460.

Thanks for stopping by!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 18 - Peace On Earth

2011-12-19T21:49:00.000-06:00

Day 18! Actually this is day 19 and I'll be posting that card next! I'm behind by a day! I'm nearing the end of my Christmas cards. This one uses a Stickeroo from Penny Black from the Christmas at Dusk sheet. I love the colors on the black background. Obviously this doesn't fall in with the traditional holiday colors, but I love it!

Products used for this card: PTI in True Black and White, Penny Black Stickeroo: Christmas at Dusk, Bazzill in Cardinal, Stamp from TPC: Christmas Greetings, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, Ribbon, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers.

Thanks for looking!

American Cancer Society: Birthdays

2011-12-19T21:12:00.001-06:00

We all want to have alot of birthdays. We all know people that have beaten cancer and will have many more birthdays to look forward to. Take time out during the holiday season to remember those loved ones who had fewer birthdays, but made the most of them. My family and I will be remembering my mother who passed away at the age of 59 from ovarian cancer.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 17 - Rejoice

2011-12-17T21:13:00.001-06:00

This is my second to last card to share that used Stickeroos from Penny Black. I'm really happy with how they've all turned out. Each sheet gives you several options. You can make multiple cards from each one. I did pick up some non-holiday sheets that I'll probably use for birthday's etc. The patterned paper is the Wonder Collection from Authentique.

Supplies Used: PTI in New Leaf and Pure Poppy, Wonder Collection from Authentique, Stickeroos by Penny Black - Joy To The World, Jute, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers, Stickles in Stardust.

Thanks for stopping by!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 16 - Poinsettias

2011-12-16T09:36:00.001-06:00

This card is so simple yet I'm very happy with how it turned out. This is another Stickeroo from Penny Plack and the patterned paper is from the Wonder Collection from Authentique. In one of my previous posts I lied....! I said I was done using the Authentique Wonder Collection. As I write my post I realized how untrue that was because I still had several more cards that I used it on.

Supplies used for this card: PTI in True Black, Pure Poppy, Viva Pearl Pen in Red, Wonder Collection from Authentique, Stickeroos from Penny Black - Joy To The World, Stickles in Stardust, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers.

Thanks for stopping by!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 15 - Peace

2011-12-15T21:21:00.000-06:00

The cards for the next few days are ones using Stickeroos by Penny Black. What an easy way to create cards!

For this one I backed the sticker on black cardstock and used my EK Success punch for the edge. The background pattern is from the Wonder Collection from Authentique. I finished it off with some stickers on the stars and Baker's twine.

Supplies Used: PTI in Pure Poppy and True Black, Wonder Collection from Authentique, Baker's Twine, EK Success Open Scallop Edge Punch, Stickles in Stardust, Stickeroos by Penny Black - Joy To The World.

Thanks for looking!

This post is linked to these parties: Share The Wealth Wednesday, Show and Tell Wednesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 14 - Holiday Cheer

2011-12-14T21:05:00.000-06:00

Here's my final card using the Wonder Collection from Authentique. It's also another super simple design. I still have some patterned paper from this collection that I haven't even used yet. Since I love it so much, I'm going to have to think up some designs using it.

Supplies used: PTI in Kraft, Hero Arts Pearl Gemstones, Hero Arts Art Flowers, Authentique Wonder Collection, Ribbon, Stamp from Penny Black - Holiday Cheer- 3735D.

This post is linked to these parties: Whatever Goes Wednesday, Share The Weatlth Wednesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 13 - Merry Christmas

2011-12-14T08:26:00.002-06:00

Whoops! I forgot to post my card yesterday! I should probably take advantage of automatic posting, but I prefer to manually do it myself. I have my posts ready to go, I just have to remember to post them!

I really love how this card turned out and it's one of my favorites! I did use Stickles on Santa's hat, cuffs and the bottom of his coat. I'm not sure if that shows through on the photo very well. The patterned paper for this card is from the Authentique Wonder Collection. It's such a wonderful collection. If haven't seen or used their paper, I highly recommend checking it out.

Supplies used for this card: PTI in Ripe Avocado, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo, Felt Flower, We R Memory Keepers Glitter Brad, EK Success Open Scallop Edge Punch, Bazzill in Red, Authentique Wonder Collection, Stickles in Stardust, Stamp from TPC Studio - Christmas Greetings.

Thanks for looking!

This post is linked to these parties: Tip Me Tuesday, Get Your Craft On! Tuesday, Tuesday Confessional.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 12 - Warm Winter Wishes

2011-12-12T21:56:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorites! I know it's just a simple design, but I love the mix of patterns and I love the string behind the poinsettia. I found that I love using just regular, plain old kitchen string in my projects. Very economical too! I love the look of it and you can change the color so easily.

Supplies used for this card: PTI in Pure Poppy, Authentique Wonder Collection, Memento Black Tuxedo Ink, Stamp - Stamps By Judith - E-211, Kitchen String, Hero Arts Pearl Gems, Hero Arts Art Flowers.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're enjoying my cards!

This post is linked to these parties: Made By You Monday, Making The World Cuter Monday, A Round Tuit.

No Place Like Home For The Holidays!

2011-12-12T16:53:00.004-06:00

If you're not in a holiday mood yet, you will be after you watch this video! It's so upbeat and awesome!

When I first saw this video for some reason it brought back memories of childhood. It's probably just the music. After I watched it the first time it reminded me of flash mobs where people start standing up and singing one by one.

I would have loved to have been in the Chicago mall where this video was filmed. What fun would that be?! Just to be able to watch something like this live would be fantastic!

I'm betting that you won't be able to watch this just once! There definitely is "No Place Like Home For The Holidays!".

"This post is sponsored by T-Mobile".

Interesting Finds On Pinterest

2011-12-12T10:33:00.001-06:00

I love scrolling through Pinterest. Here's some interesting finds I made this morning:

Key Lime Pie Fudge

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Snowman Cupcakes

Source: confessionsofacookbookqueen.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Beautiful Holiday Tag By Kimber McGray

Source: scrapbookandcards.com via Scrapbook & Cards Today on Pinterest

Good Advice

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Terry @ on Pinterest

Cool Ideas - DIY Window Frame

Source: coffeewiththemrs.com via Sandie on Pinterest

Gorgeous Card Ideas - Christmas Card By Libby O'Regan

Source: psastampcamp.blogspot.com via Libby on Pinterest

Hope you're having a great start to your week! I feel like I'm coming down with a cold or something, so I'm taking it easy today.

Thanks for stopping by!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 11 - Merriest Wishes

2011-12-11T18:45:00.002-06:00

We've made it to Day 11 of my "21 Cards Of Christmas!". I hope I've inspired you a little in your cardmaking. Christmas cards are one of my favorites to create. One thing I really tried to watch this year was the use of thick embellishments. It's so hard to mail those cards. I tried to set those ones aside for my husband to use since I knew they wouldn't be mailed.

I was able to get alot of mileage out of the Wonder Collection from Authentique. I made quite a few cards from only a few sheets of cardstock.

Supplies Used: PTI in Ripe Avocado, Authentique Wonder Collection, Flora Doodles by Petaloo, Stamp from Hero Arts Clear Stamps - Merriest Wishes - CL113, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot.

Thanks for looking!

This post is linked to these parties: Think Pink Sundays, Sunday Blog Love, Sunday Linky Party.

New Tags!

2011-12-10T20:34:00.001-06:00

I've added six new sets of Holiday Tags to my Etsy store! For more information, click here.

Thanks for looking!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 10 - Christmas Greetings

2011-12-10T11:00:00.001-06:00

Here's another simple design for Day 10 of the "21 Days Of Christmas Cards". While at Scrapfest this past September I bought the Icing Sugar Candi by Craftworkcards after watching a demo of them. I like their description of them: Just Like Brads But Legless. They come in all colors, but I bought the white. That way I can make them whatever color I want for projects. They are very economical too! There's probably well over 100 in a bag.

Supplies used: PTI Cardstock in Pure Poppy, Authentique Wonder Collection, Stamp from TPC Sutdios - Christmas Greetings, Holly Embellishments from Recollections.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Saturday Spotlight, Show and Tell Saturday, Saturday Is Crafty Day.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 9 - Tis The Season

2011-12-09T19:22:00.001-06:00

Here's the card design for Day 9 of the "21 Days of Christmas Cards". I wanted to create some simple designs using patterned paper from the Wonder Collection by Authentique. Today's design and the cards that will post in the next five days accomplished that.

Supplies used for this card: Kraft PTI, Authentique Wonder Collection, Button, Baker's Twine, Ribbon, Stamp - Unknown.

Thanks for looking!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 8 - Joy, Joy....

2011-12-08T20:44:00.001-06:00

This is Day 8 of my "21 Days Of Christmas Cards". I really don't want to pick a favorite, but I'm really drawn to this card.

I have absolutely LOVED using this collection from Authentique! It's their Wonder Collection. I was able to create quite a few cards from just a few sheets of this gorgeous paper! I'll be posting the others in the next few days. I still have paper left. I guess I'm going to have to get some more cards made!

Here are a few more cards that are the same, but I just mixed the pattens up:

Supplies used for these cards: PTI Cardstock in True Black, Ripe Avocado, Bazzill in Cardinal, Penny Black Stamp - Joy, Joy... - 3017F, Authentique Wonder Collection, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Barn Door and Black Soot, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Show Off Your Stuff Party, Share The Wealth Wednesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 7 - Merry Merry Christmas

2011-12-07T11:01:00.001-06:00

This is Day 7 of my "21 Days Of Christmas Cards". For this one I created the same card using green and red.

I just randomly used my Quickie Glue Pen to add glitter to the dots on the tree. I used the Sizzix Framelits Fancy Labels to diecut the shape that I stamped the tree image onto. As I looked back through all the cards I made, I noticed I used that die quite alot! It's one my favorites.

Other supplies used: Patterned Paper from BoBunny called Tis The Season, PTI Cardstock in Pure Poppy, New Leaf, True Black and Vintage Cream, Tim Holtz Alterations On The Edge Scallops Die, Glitter, Sizzix Framelits Fancy Labels, Hero Arts Stamps - Merriest Wishes - CL113, Memento Ink in Bamboo Leaves.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Whatever Goes Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Share The Wealth Wednesday.

Merry Christmas Cards

2011-12-06T22:21:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law emailed me to let me know that she loved the Christmas card I had sent her. Then she asked if I had any extra cards she could purchase. I did, but I wasn't sure that she'd like them. I know she likes the more traditional green and red cards. I had a few left that were in those colors, but I also had a few in kraft, white and black.

She did purchase a few of what I had, but wanted to know if I could create a few more. I was able to whip these three up last night and get them in the mail to her today. I hope she likes them!

The Penny Black Stickeroos I used helped to create these cards very quickly. I also love that the Hero Arts Stamp set I used had the sentiment "Merry Christmas" in three different fonts. This set is called "Holiday Sayings" . I've found it to be a very versatile set that I've used frequently. I've used it so much that the stamps are discolored, but they still work beautifully.

I used stickles on all the cards, but I'm not sure it comes through in the photos. It's so hard to capture that sparkle when I take the photo.

Products used on these cards include: PTI in New Leaf and Pure Poppy, Penny Black Stickeroos: Christmas at Dusk and Together in Christmas, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot, Memento Ink in Lady Bug and Black Tuxedo, Stickles in Stardust, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers in Red and Gold, Patterned Paper from Graphic 45: 'Tis The Season from the Christmas Emporium Collection, Hero Arts Clear Stamps: Holiday Sayings - CL343.

This post is linked to these parties: Tip Me Tuesday, Get Your Craft On!, Tuesday Confessional, "Tute" -in Tuesday.

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 6 - Embossed Holiday Greetings

2011-12-06T17:25:00.001-06:00

This is Day 6 of my "21 Days Of Christmas Cards".

I love that embossing folders make it so fast and easy to create cards. If I would have made all of them using this design I would have been done in no time!

I used a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and then used Tim Holtz Distress Ink over the top of the cardstock.

Other supplies used for this card: PTI Cardstock in New Leaf, White and Pure Poppy, Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Gold Brad, Memento Ink in Bamboo Leaves and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.

This post is linked to these parties: Take-A-Look Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday.

Thanks for looking!

Tags, Tags and More Tags!

2011-12-05T11:07:00.001-06:00

I created alot of tags this season!

I've had so much fun doing so!

I think it might just be my newest addiction!

Obviously I can't use them all, so I added them to my Etsy store. I've been fortunate enough to have sold quite a few sets! There's still some available if you're interested.

Thanks for looking!

21 Days Of Christmas Cards - Day 5 - Snowflakes

2011-12-05T09:06:00.002-06:00

I'm really happy with how this card turned out. I love the different patterns that I was able to have show through the snowflakes. I made several of this one and the patterns are all a little different. This design is so versatile to use for different types of cards.

Supplies used to create this card: PTI Cardstock in White and Pure Poppy, Snowflake punches by Martha Stewart, Stamp from Penny Black - Each Friend - 3261F, Patterned Paper from We R Memory Keepers White Christmas - Wrapping Paper, Winter Mittens and Ho Ho Ho, Memento Ink in Bamboo Leaves and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot.

Thanks for stopping!

This post is linked to these parties: All Things Fee, Round Tuit, Made By You Monday.

21 Cards Of Christmas Cards - Day 4 - Holiday Greetings

2011-12-04T09:26:00.002-06:00

I love kraft, red, black and white together. That was my inspiration for this card. This is Day 4 of my "21 Cards Of Christmas".

This card was such an easy one to do assembly line fashion, so I made several.

Supplies used to create this card: PTI cardstock in Kraft, White, True Black and Pure Poppy, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot, TPC Clear Stamps - Christmas Greetings, Stampendous! Dot Sparklers.

Thanks for stopping!

This post is linked to these parties: Think Pink Sundays, Sunday Scoop, Sunday Blog Love.

21 Cards Of Christmas Cards - Day 3 - Noel

2011-12-03T08:51:00.001-06:00

I love how simple this card is but yet how festive it looks. This is another Penny Black Stickeroo. I think I'm really loving how versatile, quick and easy these stickers are to work with! I wouldn't use them for all cards I create, but it's just nice to have the option to do so.

Although it's hard to see, I did add stickles to the berries and leaves. I used a Quickie Glue pen to add glitter to the letters in the word Noel. I'm sorry but I don't know the manufacturer of the Noel stamp. It's a wood stamp that I bought a few years ago.

Thanks for stopping!

This post is linked to these parties: Show and Tell Saturday, Check Me Out Saturday.

21 Cards Of Christmas Cards - Day 2 - Merriest Wishes

2011-12-02T06:52:00.000-06:00

This is card #2 in my "21 Cards Of Christmas" series. This card was created specifically for my sister-in-law who loves penguins! When I saw this Penny Black Stickeroo and it had a penguin on it, I knew I had to buy it!

I did use stickles on the hat, scarf and holly, but I'm not sure if you can see it very well in the photo.

Other supplies used for this card: Penny Black Stickeroos - Together In Christmas - #10-186, PTI in New Leaf and White, Bazzill in Black, American Crafts Ribbon, EK Success Open Scallop Punch, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, Hero Arts Stamps - Merriest Wishes - CL113, Hero Arts Hero Hues Metallic Decor.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Free For All Friday!, Delicately Constructed Friday!!, Feature Yourself Friday.

21 Cards Of Christmas Cards - Day 1 - Christmas Greetings

2011-12-01T09:06:00.002-06:00

This year I'm calling my card blog posts "The 21 Cards Of Christmas". This will be my first post with card #1. I'll be posting all of them throughout the month of December.

I was actually going to streamline my cardmaking this year by only creating a few designs and making multiples of each. The last few years I've made way more designs than I needed to. I also found that I was still sending cards out the week before Christmas. Well, my husband told me he wanted 15 different cards for his employees so that upset my whole system this year! I'm happy to report that everything worked out. I started earlier and didn't let myself work on anything else but cards. I wanted to get them all finished, get photos of them and start getting them in the mail by the Monday after Thanksgiving and I accomplished that! Now I can start on some other projects I've had on the back burner.

For today's card I used something I've never used before: Penny Black Stickeroos. What an easy way to create cards! I'm not sure I'd use them for every card since I like stamping my own images, but the ones I chose worked beautifully. They're perfect for people that are just starting out and don't have alot of cardmaking supplies.

This Stickeroo is called Together In Christmas - #10-186. I did apply stickles on the poinsettia, but it's hard to see in the photo.

Other supplies used for this card: PTI Cardstock in Pure Poppy and New Leaf, Baker's Twine, Bracket Punch from EK Success, Star Dust Stickles, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, Stamp from TPC Studio - Christmas Greetings.

This post is linked to these parties: Show Off Your Stuff: Sewing and Crafts, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday.

Thanks for stopping!

Lazy-Day Overnight Lasagna

2011-11-30T09:58:00.001-06:00

I am a sucker for lasagna and I will try any recipe for it that I come across! Normally I make it totally from scratch. When I came across this recipe, the title caught my eye. Using a jar of tomato pasta sauce and not cooking the noodles really speeds up the process of this recipe. What's also nice is you can put this together, put it in the fridge and it's ready for the next nights meal. I used a pasta sauce from Barilla. Instead of using sliced mozzarella cheese, I used shredded. I also used ground beef instead of sausage.

My favorite types of lasagna are chicken and seafood. I haven't made either in quite awhile so I think I may have to pull out my recipes and make them. We thought this recipe was great and my husband said he would definitely eat this again. I thought it was so easy that I will make it when I'm craving lasagna and don't have the time to make it totally from scratch.

Lazy-Day Overnight Lasagna
Adapted from a Pillsbury Recipe from Casseroles & Slow Cooker Cookbook Magazine
12 servings

1 lb mild bulk Italian pork sausage or ground beef
1 jar (26 to 28 oz) tomato pasta sauce
1 cup water
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 egg
8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
1 package (16 oz) sliced mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain well. Stir in pasta sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, chives, oregano and egg.

In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish or lasagna pan, spread 1-1/2 cups of the meat sauce. Top with half each of the uncooked noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 1-1/2 cups meat sauce and remaining noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover; refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover baking dish; bake 50 to 60 minutes or until noodles are tender and casserole is bubbly. Cover; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

This post is linked to these parties: Foodie Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, What I Whipped Up Wednesday.

If you're interested in participating in a Christmas Card Swap and Blog Hop check this out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pork Chop Bake

2011-11-29T18:12:00.001-06:00

I found this recipe in a 2007 issue of Casseroles and Slow Cooker Recipes by Pillsbury. I didn't change anything except that I used Healthy Request Cheddar cheese soup, Almond milk and cut back a little on the salt.

This is a pretty versatile recipe in that you can just make the potatoes as a side dish without adding the meat. Next time I'm going to use chicken breasts in place of the pork chops.

Toss the broccoli and onions together.

Mix in the potatoes, soup, sour cream and milk.

Spread in baking dish, cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Brown the chops.

Add chops to the top of potato mixture. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pork Chop Bake

6 Servings (1 Pork Chop and 1 Cup Potato Mixture Each)

1 bag (20 oz) refrigerated cooked shredded hash brown potatoes

1 can (11 oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

6 bone-in pork chops (1/2-inch thick)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix potatoes, soup, sour cream, milk, broccoli and onion. Spoon mixture into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 3 of the pork chops; sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 5 minutes each side or until pork is browned. Repeat with remaining pork chops, salt and pepper.

Remove foil from baking dish. Place pork chops evenly on top of potatoes, overlapping slightly. Bake 25 to 35 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly and pork is no longer pink in center.

This post is linked to these parties: Made By You Monday, Homemaker Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday Confessional

Chicken Parmesan Bake

2011-11-22T09:00:00.002-06:00

I found a new recipe to try for Chicken Parmesan. I'm not even sure how I came across it, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was through Pinterest. It looked sooo delicious I couldn't resist trying it! Click here to see a video of it. I left the hot red pepper flakes out because the hubby wouldn't be able to handle it.

This dish had a wonderful taste and the aroma as it baked drove me crazy! This recipe has been added to my "make again" list. I'm not sure if my husband was as impressed with this dish as I was. He mentioned that it was "spicy". I'm not sure where he's coming from with that one because nothing spicy was added. Both of us thought this dish was a little "heavy". I think it was just because of the crust of croutons on top.

Add chicken breasts to dish and spread marinara on top.

Sprinkle on the basil. I highly suggest fresh. I was unable to find fresh basil at my local store, so I was forced to use dried.

Add your first layer of cheese and the croutons.

Add remaining cheese and it's oven ready!

Look at that beautiful color! Dig in!

Chicken Parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5, but they were huge!)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish spread the oil oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle on the hot pepper flakes, if using. Layer the chicken breasts on top. Spread 2 cups marinara sauce over chicken. On top of the sauce, sprinkle chopped basil and then 4 ounces of the mozzarella and 2 ounces of the Parmesan. Spread the 5 ounce package of garlic croutons over the cheese. On top of the croutons sprinkle the remaining cheeses. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until chicken is done.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays At The Table, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, Tea Party Tuesday.

Beer and Beef Crockpot

2011-11-21T19:22:00.002-06:00

I am so far behind in my blogging! I've been working on creating Christmas cards and not working on my blog. Every year I get them in the mail so late. This year I told myself they're going out much earlier. The last few years I've blogged about each card as I made it. This year I'm getting them finished, in the mail and then I'm going to blog them. Less stress for me that way!

I found this recipe that I made last week on the blog Dee Dee's Delights. I've never cooked anything with beer, but I've always heard it makes everything taste fantastic! As a matter of fact, I can't stand beer. I despise the smell of it. I've also never had good experiences when I've had a beer as it always makes me sick. I couldn't even tell you when I last even had a sip of beer. All that aside, I was bound and determined to try this recipe.

I know so little about buying beer, I didn't even know if you could buy one can. I found that I could, so I picked up a big honking 24 ounce can. I have to admit I felt a little odd going through the check out with my one can of beer. I actually felt like I needed to justify why I was buying it. I didn't want the check out person to think I was going to bust it open and chug it all the way home. So, I told her it was for a recipe I was trying. I also wasn't sure if I should use light or regular, so I went for the regular full-fat version.

We LOVED this recipe! We're definitely having it again.

Here are the steps:

Add your beer to the crockpot and then start preparing the beef.

Cube the beef.

Coat in flour.

Brown in half the butter.

Transfer beef to crockpot.

Melt the rest of the butter.

Saute the onions, garlic and tomato paste.

Add this onion mixture to crockpot.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Beer and Beef Crockpot

2 cups beer
3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
1/2 cup plain flour
2 -3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
cayenne (optional) or crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Add the beer to the crock pot, turn the control to high. Cut the beef into cubes, coat with the flour and brown in half of the butter, you might have to do this in batches. Transfer the browned beef to the crock pot.

Using the rest of the butter brown the onions, add garlic, tomato puree and cayenne if using. Add to the crock pot together with the bay leaves and salt and pepper. Now turn the crock pot to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender.

If you want to thicken the sauce add about 2 tablespoons of flour made into a paste, about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir that in, you will have to turn the crock pot on high for this.

You can also find Dee Dee's Delights on Facebook.

On another note, I was lucky enough to attend one of the Taste of Home Cooking Schools last Monday! Yes, a week ago! I told you I'm behind in blogging! I've wanted to go to one of these since they started doing them. For one reason or another it just never worked out. Guy Klinzing was the Culinary Specialist and he's quite the entertainer. I went with four friends and we had fantastic seats! We sprang for VIP tickets and sat in the front row. They had so many giveaways and they plated all the food and gave it away. Unfortunately none of us won anything. Included in our VIP ticket however, was a cookbook. We felt so "special" because we were able to do a meet and greet with Guy and have our cookbooks signed! I'd definitely go to one of these events again, but if I never get the chance at least I can say I went to one.

This post is linked to these parties: Mangia Mondays, Homemaker Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, A Marvelous Mess, Made By You Monday, Tasty Tuesdays.

Thanks for stopping by!

Salmon Baked In White Wine

2011-11-12T08:02:00.001-06:00

I love salmon, but I don't eat it as often as I should. I found this recipe over at Cooking Nuggets and decided to try it.

I picked up a Chardonnay with the aid of a helpful employee at the liquor store. I would have chosen sweet and he said to use a dry wine.

I added a little more wine than the recipe called for. My pieces of salmon seem so large I thought it needed more. I had plenty left for leftovers. I could get my husband to eat it once, but I had it for two more meals! I swear the leftovers were better than the first night I had it.

The salmon had a great taste. I'll definitely use this recipe again.

Salmon Baked in White Wine

Salmon fillet – boned and skinned

seasoning salt- I couldn't find Montreal Salmon Seasoning so I used a salt-free savory all-purpose seasoning from McCormick.
1/3 cup of white wine - I used more

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for bout 15 minutes or until the fish starts to flake with a fork.

Thanks for stopping by! Pattitudes is now on Facebook. Check it out here.

Dee Dee's Delights is having a "Virtual Tailgate" party on Facebook today. I think there are going to be some amazing recipes posted! Check it out here! I'm linking up!

This post is linked to these parties: Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Sassy Sites!: FFA

Have a great weekend!

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-07T11:00:00.001-06:00

It's that time again! The Crazy Cooking Challenge! This month it's mashed potatoes.

I don't even remember the last time I made them. It's not that we don't like them, it just seems like alot of work for two people. We'll be eating these for a couple of meals.

The rules are the same as the past two months, you have to find a recipe from another blogger. This was a challenge for me! Every recipe I came across either had too many ingredients, seemed too bland or just didn't interest me. Then I stumbled upon this one from Feels Like Home. I knew it was the one I wanted to try.

Cube potatoes

Saute onion while potatoes are cooking. I added a little minced garlic.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, evaporated milk, onion, salt, and pepper.

Blend well.

Add creamed mixture to potatoes and mix well. I like my mashed potatoes a little lumpy. I also like to leave the skin on. For this recipe I peeled them.

Transfer to the crockpot.

These potatoes had a wonderful texture and the taste was heavenly! I can't wait to eat leftovers!!

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
8 oz low fat sour cream
5 oz evaporated skim milk (1 small can)
1 small onion, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste
Milk & butter

1.Add potatoes to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
2.In the meantime, saute onion in a small skillet until onion is translucent. If you skip this step, the onions will be crunchy in your finished potatoes.
3.In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, evaporated milk, onion, salt, and pepper until blended. Add to mashed potatoes and mix well.
4.Transfer mashed potato mixture to the crock pot. I used a 4-quart crock pot.
5.Can be cooked on low up to 4 hours. Re-moisten with milk and butter if needed.

Be sure to stop by all the blogs listed and vote for your favorite!

Fun Giveaway!

2011-11-03T11:10:00.001-05:00

These notecards and and fabric flower hairclip are so cute! Check out City Girl, Country Heart here to see how you can have a chance to win them!

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

2011-11-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

I think I've mentioned what a wonderful thing Pinterest is....like only about a million times! I keep asking myself why I have a million cookbooks when I have the Internet at my fingertips. I guess the easy answer would be that I absolutely LOVE paging through the books. I don't think I could ever get rid of them nor could I just look for recipes online.

This recipe came from Pinterest! I repinned it from Jessica Fralick who had pinned it from Chloe W. I could go on and on but originally it came from Six Sisters' Stuff. I did make something similar to this once, but I like this version better. You can check it out here.

In the recipe from Six Sister' Stuff she used frozen chicken and a Hawaiian barbecue sauce from Target. I used fresh chicken and Hickory & Brown Sugar barbecue sauce.

That was only because I couldn't find a Hawaiian one. I was pretty happy that I reviewed my ingredients I was going to use beforehand. Turns out, I bought the wrong stuff! I bought a marinade. Time being on my side I was able to run to the store before I had to get everything in the crockpot.

This could be one of the easiest dinners I've made!

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce
20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!

Place frozen or fresh chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.

As you can see from the above photos, I didn't follow the rules. Story of my life! I added the pineapple first, then the barbecue sauce. I'm happy to report it turned out fine!

Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice.

You can see my Pinterest page here. I've also set up a Facebook page for my blog. You can check it out here. Follow me on both if you like!

This post is linked to these parties: Made by you Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays At The Table, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tuesday Confessional, Tea Party Tuesday, Foodie Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Pins, Pins and More Pins.....

2011-10-22T09:42:00.001-05:00

Today I thought I'd share some of the items I've seen while on Pinterest this past week. I haven't pinned all of these that I'm sharing, but it sure has been fun checking them all out.

From We Heart It:

You can help but smile.

From Pour Toujours on Etsy.

I loved my Spirograph! Played with it for hours.

Craft Inspiration. This beautiful frame from Tammy Tutterow.

Food, Glorious Food. This Cinnamon Apple Caramel Trifle from I Still Want More Cupcakes.

Lots of words. This one from Polyvore.

Last but not least, I have to share some talent from one of my blog friends. Susie McGuire creates beautiful mini albums. If you're looking for inspiration for your projects check out her creations.

I hope I've given you a taste of what you're missing if you're not on Pinterest. You have to have an invite in order to set up an account. I encourage you to find someone you know that uses it and start pinning!

Have a great weekend!

Caramel Apple Scones {The Improv Cooking Challenge}

2011-10-20T07:00:00.004-05:00

I'm so happy to have been invited to participate in another cooking challenge! Sheryl from Lady Behind the Curtain has started The Improv Cooking Challenge.

For this challenge we are given two ingredients. This month it's caramel and apples. I found this recipe last year in a pamphlet I picked up at the grocery store. I had planned to make them, but never got around to it. When I got the invite I knew exactly what I was going to make.

I was only able to get photos from the point where I cutting in the butter until it resembled crumbs. I have a naughty cat and I was fighting to keep him out of the kitchen and forgot to get my camera. Thankfully he can't jump from the floor to the counter anymore. We have a battle whenever I'm in the kitchen. He thinks he needs to be on the counter with me. That's one thing I will never get used to...ever! I have to line the counter with things so he can't jump from the table. It's not always pretty when he does, as sometimes he and whatever is on the counter both go sliding off.

Here I've added the caramel and apples.

Those additions make the dough so much easier to work with!

Just spread some flour on your counter.

Roll out the dough.

I used a biscuit cutter for the first batch.

The second time I rolled out the dough I cut them into wedges.

The recipe says to bake 15 to 20 minutes.

I baked them for 22 minutes. I wanted a little color but I didn't want them too brown.

I've never made scones before and they turned out just as amazing as I imagined they would! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Sometimes when I've had a scone they seem to be hard and dry. These were flaky and delicious! The only change I made to this recipe was to use Silk Coconut Milk. I love cinnamon, so next time I'm going to add cinnamon and a few other spices such as nutmeg and cloves to the batter.

I think it depends on how you decide to cut them as to how many scones you'll end up with. I was able to get 17 circles and 8 wedges out of this batch.

The recipe says to frost them with the caramel. I didn't do that because storing them would be difficult. I'll frost them one at a time since I'm the only one that will be enjoying them. My husband won't even take a bite! I'm also going to freeze them because Lord knows I don't need to eat these all at once! It's too bad I wasn't into blogging and doing recipe challenges when I worked in the Twin Cities. I could have shared these with my co-workers and they would have loved them!

Be sure to stop by Lady Behind the Curtain and check out all of Sheryl's wonderful recipes. You can get there by clicking the link below.

Caramel Apple Scones

1/2 cup Marzetti Old Fashioned Caramel Dip, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
4 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 apples, peeled and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut butter into dry mixture until it resembles crumbs. Whisk together milk and eggs; add to crumb mixture and fold until most dry ingredients are incorporated. Add apples and 1/4 cup of the caramel dip and gently fold into mixture. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll dough to 1/2" thickness and cut dough as desired. Place scones on prepared sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, depending upon size of scones. Cool slightly and ice the tops of scones with the remaining caramel dip. Serves 12.

Be sure to check out all the wonderful blogs below! It will be so fun to see all the different recipes with "Caramel and Apples"!

Recipe Pocket Mini Book

2011-10-18T13:10:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to share a little mini album that I created. I'm calling it a Recipe Pocket Mini Book. I saw this book last year in the PaperCrafts Magazine "Holiday Cards & More" issue. If you have that issue it's on page 109. It was designed by Kim Kesti. My version is a little different than the one Kim created.

The photo above shows the front and below is the back.

This little book accordion folds.

There are four pockets on one side.

....and four more on the other side.

I used the So Delish collection from TPC Studios. The papers I used are called: Spice Rack, Utensils, Stripe, Everything But The Kitchen Sink and What's Baking.

I diecut the cork and cardstock with my scalloped circle Nestabilities. The stamped words are from a stamp set from Fiskars called Recipe Madness. The edges on the pockets were cut using my EK Success edge punch called Brackets. The letters that spell "Favorite" on the cover are from Jillibean Soup called Kraft Mini Black Alpha Cardstock Stickers. The letters that spell "Recipes" on the cover were diecut using letter dies from Sizzix called Cat 'n Mouse.

This is a super simple little mini to make:

You'll need two 5" x 12" strips of cardstock that you will score every 5 inches. You'll end up with two-2" flaps. Adhere one of the two inch flaps to one of the five inch squares of cardstock. That will give you one long accordion strip. I cut another five inch piece of cardstock and adhered it to the other two inch flap to create my front cover. Decorate as desired.

It's a cute little mini book. I didn't design it as a permanent holder for recipes. It will be a place to temporarily hold a recipe until I can decide if I want to make it or toss it. I'm constantly clipping recipes from magazines, etc. Instead of just piling them up, I thought this would be a perfect place for them. It would also make a great gift for someone.

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties: Made By You Monday, Tuesday Confessional, Take-A-Look Tuesday

Apple Butter Spice Muffins

2011-10-17T07:55:00.001-05:00

I felt like baking muffins yesterday. I came across this recipe in a "Fall Baking" cookbook from PIL that I had picked up about a month ago.

The only change I made was to use Coconut milk. I always use Almond milk but last week I decided to try Silk Coconut milk and I love it! It has a very good taste.

When I cut open this muffin I noticed that all the apple butter had gone to the sides. I guess each muffin will be a surprise! These muffins don't have a fluffy cake-like consistency. They are much heavier.

I liked these muffins and will definitely make them again.

Apple Butter Spice Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
14 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup apple butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in large bowl. Toss 2 tablespoons sugar mixture with pecans in small bowl; set aside. Add flour, baking powder and salt to remaining sugar mixture.

Whisk milk, oil and egg in medium bowl. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened.

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Spoon 1 teaspoon apple butter into each cup. Spoon remaining batter evenly over apple butter. Sprinkle evenly with reserved pecan mixture.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope your having a great start to your week!

This post is linked to these parties: Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays, Think Pink Sundays, Craft Catwalk, Sunday Blog Love, Mangia Mondays, Menu Mondays, Monday Craft Linky Party, Homemaker Monday.

Crockpot Pepper Steak

2011-10-14T20:28:00.001-05:00

I made the easiest dinner ever today! I found a recipe in an old "Prevention Guide" magazine called "Slow Cooker Recipes" from 2006. If I'm not scrapbooking, I'm reading recipes online or poring through anything cooking related. I scatter the books and magazines throughout the house. When the mess is more than I can handle I round them up, put them away, and start over again. My husband's a neat freak, so it totally drives him nuts! Not the cooking, but the mess.

This was so delicious! The only change I made was to use light soy sauce that was 50% sodium reduced. I also used canned diced tomatoes. I served mine over Jasmine rice and I absolutely love the fragrance. If you've had Jasmine rice before, you know what I mean!

Pepper Steak
Makes 8 servings

1-1/2 - 2 lb beef round steak, trimmed of fat, cut in 3" x 1" strips
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 large green bell peppers, cut in strips
4 medium tomatoes, cut in eighths, or 1 16-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup cold water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Brown beef in oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer to 4-quart or larger slow cooker.

In small bowl, combine soy sauce, onions, garlic, sugar, black pepper and ginger. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.

Add bell peppers and tomatoes (with juice). cover and cook 1 hour longer.

Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl to make paste. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: 290 calories, 28 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 740 mg sodium - made as the recipe suggests.

This post is linked to these parties: Cast Party Wednesday, Whisking Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Turning The Table Thursday, Chic & Crafty, Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday

Be sure to take some time to check out all the blogs listed above. I'm sure you'll find many recipes and crafts that you'll enjoy!

Christmas Pocket Mini Book

2011-10-11T11:24:00.001-05:00

I've made another mini book! I'm really getting addicted to these. My head is swimming with ideas for new ones. What I really need to do is finish some of the projects I have left from Scrapfest. I still have three at home to work on. I also have one that will be coming in the mail from TPC Studios. I think I mentioned in a earlier post that TPC was unable to attend Scrapfest because of Hurricane Irene.

Something else on my "to-do" list is to start my Christmas cards earlier than I ususally do. I'm trying to stay focused, but I get side-tracked easily. I've seen some sketches I'd like to try for cards, so I might start there.

This mini is probably one of the easiest I've ever created. I made five pocket pages from cardstock and added five photo mats. For the covers I used cardboard which I love. It's nice to reuse items that would otherwise be tossed. I have an endless supply of cardboard because my Humira shots for my Rheumatoid Arthritis are delivered by FedEx every other week. I had accumulated so much that I had to get rid of some. It was taking up too much space in my craft closet.

There is so much room in this book for photos and journaling. This book is so customizable for birthdays and other events. It would make a very easy gift to make for someone since it only uses three sheets of 12x12 cardstock, cardboard for the covers and cardstock for the photo mats. You can embellish it alot or just leave it simple. I may do some more embellshing to mine when I decide what I'm going to do with my books. I made a second one and inserted a solid green pocket page. That wasn't what I was going to do, but I ruined the paper and couldn't use it. I did a video of that mini and you can see it here.

This post is linked to these parties: Made By You Monday, Homemaker Monday, A Marvelous Mess

Thanks for stopping by!

Overnight Chocolate Chip Cookies - The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge

2011-10-07T11:00:00.006-05:00

I'm participating in The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Challenge for the month of October. Last month the challenge was finding The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. There were 58 bloggers that went out into blogland and found recipes to submit. If everyone participates this month, I hear there are over 100! Last months winner of "The Ultimate" Macaroni & Cheese recipe was The Shady Porch.

The rules are simple: Each blogger that decides to play along finds a recipe (for the theme of the month) from another blogger. You can't use a recipe from a celebrity chef like Paula Deen, Taste of Home, etc. You can use a recipe of theirs if another blogger has it on their blog. It's just a nice way to highlight another bloggers blog and increase traffic to your blog and theirs. Everyone wins because people are going to all the blogs to check out the recipes. We all blog on the same day and time each month.

Well, lets get started!

I chose a recipe I found over on the blog A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock 'n Roll. The recipe intrigued me since you make the batter, refrigerate it overnight and bake the cookies the next day. I wondered if you'd be able to taste the molasses. I also used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips just as she did.

The dough is very hard!

I weighed my dough. I wanted my cookies to be all the same size. Just a little anal I guess :)

Ready for the oven.

I followed the recipe exactly like she had on her blog. The first batch I baked for 9 minutes. When I took them out they looked a little undercooked. I put them back in the oven for another 2 minutes. I then let them sit for 10 minutes. They're good, but I needed them baked a little longer. If you like them this way, you'll love them!

For the rest of the batches, I baked them for 16 minutes, then cool for 10 minutes. To me, these are darn near perfect! They have a little crunch but they're still doughy.

I would definitely recommend this recipe. In fact this will more than likely be my "go to" recipe when I want to make Chocolate Chip Cookies. I think they're wonderful!. I also believe that I have found "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie" This recipe made 68 cookies (weighed at 1 ounce each) or a little over 5 dozen.

Overnight Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces dark chocolate chips

Stir the dry ingredients together with a whisk and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together well. Add the molasses and then the eggs, mixing well. Add the vanilla. Then gradually add the dry ingredients. Stir chocolate chips into the cookie dough. Drop by teaspoonful onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake in a preheated, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, oven for about 8-9 minutes. After they've cooled for about 10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove them and continue cooling on a cooling rack.

If you're interested in participating in this Crazy Cooking Challenge you can find out more about it here.

Be sure to check out all the fantastic recipes listed below. Don't forget to vote for what you believe to be "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Recipe". Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Mini Book

2011-10-05T09:12:00.003-05:00

I made a chunky

and I mean very chunky

Halloween Mini Book! I had cardstock from Canvas Corp that I received while at Scrapfest. In every class that you take you go away with alot of free product. I guess it's their way of thanking you for taking their class.

The diecut on the cover is one of the Fancy Tags from Spellbinders. I used alphabet stickers from Jillibean and EK Success. I used my We R Memory Keepers Cinch to bind the book.

I never make anything for Halloween. This was fun to make even if I had to do alot of improvising. I have no products or supplies that are Halloween related. I picked up a few items that I scattered throughout the book like the ghost ribbon shown above. I used four-inch chipboard coasters for the pages. I diecut the cardstock using my scallop square Framelits from Sizzix. I added alot of pockets throughout the book for photo mats.

For this page I got a little creative. The Happy Halloween tag is from a bag of spider rings I bought. I cut the ring off the spider and used my hot glue gun to adhere him to the tag to cover up the price. I used my circle Nestabilities for the back of the tag. I then used paper tape to cover up the date on the tag.

For this page I used a Tim Holtz Edge Die called Ornate for the top of the pocket. I also made my own paper bags. I have three in the book. I have some Kraft bags from Canvas Corp but I wanted them to be made out of the cardstock. I took one of the bags apart and used it as a template (shown below). You can kind of see the spider web peeking through on the right page. It's a sticker from Scrapbook 101. I also hot glued a spider to it.

Here I added one of the ghosts from the ribbon to the center of a Hero Arts flower. On the right I've added an accordion fold out book.

There are six spots for photos or journaling in the fold out.

Here I've added some bat ribbon and used it as a place for a photo mat. On the right I used a Making Memories chipboard shape as a pocket. I've added flowers with beads for the centers.

For the last two pages I left one blank and added the third bag with a tag. For the final page I thought I'd make a mummy which also serves a place to tuck a tag in. My husband laughed at my mummy. He said it looked like a board with eyes. Oh well, I tried! LOL :)

There are about 20 spots for photos or journaling in this little book. For someone who's really not much of a Halloween person I think it turned out pretty cute. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it!

I did add a video of this mini book to my YouTube channel if you'd like to check it out. Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to go to the linky parties below to be inspired by all the beautiful projects and wonderful recipes that are added to each party.

This post is linked to these parties:
Made By You Monday
All Things Fee
Creating Success Around the World - Made It
Inspire Me Mondays
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Inspiring Creativity
What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

2011-10-04T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm trying a new chili recipe. Whenever I made chili I always used ground beef. I'd say about 14 years ago I first made it with ground turkey. I was hooked! I always use the same recipe, so I thought a change was in order.

This recipe came in an email I received from Kraft. When I saw "three-bean" I was a little leery. I don't really care for beans and never eat them unless they are in chili. The only other kind I eat are green beans. That's it. I've always been picky about food. That's probably why I have one daughter that's like that. I think she's much better now that she's older.

I only use light red kidney beans in my chili. When I make chicken chili I use the great Northern beans. I think I've had black beans before, but I'm not sure. I'm living on the edge here in Wisconsin this week. The original recipe called for only 1/2 pound of ground turkey. I knew that wasn't going to cut it with my husband so I added a pound to the recipe. He's not the biggest fan of chili to begin with.

We loved this chili! It has a wonderful flavor. It's also has a nice thick consistency. This just might be the way I make chili from now on. My husband even said he could eat this again! That was music to my ears because now I'll make it more often. As a matter of fact he will be having leftovers because we have plenty left for another meal.

The only changes I made were to use shredded Mozzarella in place of Cheddar cheese. I used regular saltine crackers instead of Ritz crackers.

Three-Bean Turkey Chili
adapted from Kraft Recipes
makes 8 servings - 1-1/4 cups each serving

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (16 oz.) Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) great Northern beans, rinsed
1 tsp.chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese
40 RITZ Crackers

COOK turkey in large saucepan on medium-high heat 10 min. or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
ADD to slow cooker with all remaining ingredients except cheese and crackers; stir.
COVER with lid. Cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours (or on LOW 5 to 6 hours).
SPOON into soup bowls; top with cheese. Serve with crackers.

This post is linked to these parties:
Tuesday Confessional
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
A Marvelous Mess
Made By You Monday
Tasty Tuesdays

Fall

2011-10-02T19:39:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Bon Appetit Recipe Pocket Book

2011-09-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

Another project done and only four more to go!

Still working my way through all the class kits I brought home from Scrapfest that I wasn't able to finish.

This class was called Bon Appetit Recipe Pocket Book. The vendors for this one were Canvas Corp and Marvy Uchida.

Isn't this paper gorgeous! The kraft, black and red are really what caught my eye. Since this is one of my favorite color combinations AND it was a recipe book, I couldn't pass up this class.

The burlap tag and mini closepin are so cute!

There's ample room for adding more recipe cards to the 12 that were included.

I added the red twine throughout the book and the red button. I thought some of the pages needed that "pop" of color.

I also used some foam dots to add some dimension to some of the diecuts.

The back looks almost identical to the front.

This really was a fun book to make. As we worked, they brought projects around for us to look at and take photos. I left this class with so many ideas swirling around in my head!

We received this fun Halloween paper and a circle punch for taking the class! I think I see a mini book in my future ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties:
Whatever Goes Wednesdays
Inspiring Creativity

Blissful Mini Album

2011-09-25T22:10:00.002-05:00

Well, I finished another one of the projects from Scrapfest! Five left to go! This little mini album is called Blissful Mini Album and the vendor was Authentique. I absolutely adore this paper!

We were able to get the main structure of the album created in class like the pages and the binding, but the rest had to be finished at home. Forty-five minutes is not enough time to complete the project.

I'm actually happy that I was able to go through my stash of supplies to finish the book. My creation is based loosely on the instructions we were sent home with. I was able to "make it my own".

I made a flower for the cover using crepe paper in black and yellow. I then added a mini rose in the center from My Moments. The trinket pin is from Maya Road. I added some gems from Hero Arts.

There are 10 pages in this book. For the flower on the left I used a punch from Paper Shapers and a smaller flower punch I have. I used a gold brad in the center. On the right I used a charm pin up brad from Karen Foster and tied a bow with some seam binding. The butterfly was punched out using a Martha Stewart punch.

I used paper lace under the sentiment on the left page and Hero Arts gems on both pages. All the photo mats were cut using Sizzix Framelits scalloped squares.

I just used some scrap cardstock I had laying around for all the mats. I ran the flower on the left through my crimper.

All the sentiments and images were diecuts that came in the kit with all the beautiful papers. I used Hero Arts flowers on the left page and added some vintage buttons. One of the neat things about Authentique is that there is a quote on the bottom of their cardstock. I used the quote above from Leo Tolstoy on my page.

I used my EK Success binding edge punch on a scrap for the page on the right. I also used some Tim Holtz trim below the photo mat and added some Hero Arts gems.

I'm so glad I took this class! I did load a video to YouTube if you'd like to check it out.

This post is also linked to these parties:

Thanks for stopping by!

Claudine Hellmuth: Your Inner Artist Canvas

2011-09-24T09:25:00.001-05:00

I really like the canvas I made in the class I took with Claudine Hellmuth at Scrapfest! I've worked with stretched canvas attached to wood before and I've also used Claudine's Sticky Back Canvas. It really makes a big difference however when you actually take a class and use it. After seeing Claudine demo her Sticky Back Canvas I really came home with alot of ideas that are floating around in my head. So many projects, will I ever have time to get them all done?!

The canvas that I've worked with is three-quarters inch wide. This is a chunky canvas and is two and a quarter inch wide. I really like it! I bought some canvas for a project, so keep watching for a post about it.

Of course I had Claudine sign my canvas!

Claudine has some new mini paints out that I fell in love with! Her products were flying off the shelf at Archiver's at the Mall of America so I was unable to buy them. Now I'll have to wait until my next trip to the Twin Cities or I'll just have to order them online. Where I live we don't always have access to the latest and greatest products :(

This is what I did buy of her products:

The Creative Mediums will be helpful with projects. I bought the "Bloom" foam and clear stamp collection. What appeals to me is the layering effect you get when using these stamps.

I also bought the Rock-a-Blocks. You can use them with clear acrylic, foam or unmounted rubber stamps. I've heard they work well for people with arthritis. Because Rheumatoid Arthritis had damaged my left wrist and my right one isn't much better, I have problems stamping sometimes. Hopefully these blocks will make it easier for me.

This is what I got for free just for taking her class:

You really come home with alot of free product in addition to what you buy. ....and I am by no means complaining about that! This is what I received just for taking the Tim Holtz Artful Journal class:

I've been loading some of the video that I took at Scrapfest to my YouTube channel. I still have more to load so keep checking back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapfest 2011

2011-09-22T22:36:00.002-05:00

I made it through Scrapfest 2011! I absolutely LOVED it! I definitely want to go again next year. This is the Artful Journal I made in the class I took with Tim Holtz. Scrapfest runs from a Friday through Sunday with registration starting on Thursday around 4pm. I wish it was longer!

Inside the front cover I added a tag that I had Tim sign.

There are alot of fun pages and pockets on the inside.

I really enjoyed this class!

Of course I had to have Tim sign the back of my book :)

I got in line at 8am and class started at 9am. I was third in line so I was able to get a great spot to sit.

I met a very nice woman named France from Canada. We were very lucky to sit almost dead center in the front row.

Here's a video I made showing pages of the Artful Journal.

Since I was so early I was able to watch Tim, Claudine Hellmuth and crew set up for class.

I really enjoyed all the product demonstrations. Every chance I had, I was up by Archiver's watching them in between classes. I didn't stand in line for any of the make and takes that were free with the registration fee. I really had no desire to do that. I went for the classes (I took eight, but one was cancelled) and the demos.

Tomorrow I'll post the canvas I created in Claudine Hellmuth's class.

Thanks for stopping by!

My Recipe Was Featured!

2011-09-15T09:12:00.000-05:00

How cool is that! My Enchilada Casserole was one of the featured recipes over at Tuesday Confessionals! The blog is called Confessions of a Stay At Home Mommy. Check it out. There are alot of fantastic recipes and crafts on her blog.

Enchilada Casserole

2011-09-13T14:06:00.002-05:00

I've found that it pays to clean up piles because you never know what you'll find! I've been in the middle of organizing, tossing and just plain cleaning up my craft room. Over the summer it really became a mess. I had actually started working on it way before summer, I just never finished. In the middle of tossing I found this recipe. This is a Weight Watchers recipe that has a Point Value of 8. However it's from the old Points system and not the new Points Plus. With the additions I made and the new Points Plus Value I'm not sure where it comes in at, but it's still a healthy choice so I didn't worry about it.

Here it is oven ready....

....and hot out of the oven

I followed the recipe exactly as it is below. The only thing different that I did was to use lower-sodium or no-salt products. It sounded a little blah just to add a little sour cream. So what I did is lay down a bed of shredded lettuce, add the casserole and then topped it with sliced black olives, green peppers, green onions, salsa, cheese, sour cream and cilantro. For the cheese I used a mixture of cheese called Fiesta Blend. It had Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla & Asadero. I had planned to chop some tomato and add that and I forgot. Surprising because I love tomatoes! We have leftovers, so I will for sure use them next time.

Enchilada Casserole
Weight Watchers Recipe
Points Value: 8 (from the old Points system)
Servings: 8

1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic
1 tsp reduced-calorie margarine
16 oz lean ground beef
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4 oz green chili peppers
8 oz reduced-fat tortilla chips
12 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion and garlic in margarine. Add meat and brown. Stir in soup, tomato sauce, tomato paste and chilies. Cook until mixture begins to boil. Place half the tortilla chips in bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour meat mixture over chips. Top with remaining chips and spread cheddar cheese over entire top.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes. Serve with no-fat sour cream if desired. Serves 8.

This post is linked to the parties shown below. Be sure to take the time to stop by them!
Homemaker Monday
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Mondays #30
A Marvelous Mess #30
Made By You Monday
Tuesdays At The Table
Made From Scratch Tuesday
Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits
Tasty Tuesday
Handmade Tuesday
Tuesday Confessional
Take-A-Look Tuesday
Tip Me Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

I'll be taking off for the 9th Annual Scrapfest 2011 at the Mall of America in a few days with a friend. I'm planning on updating with photos, but I'm not sure if I'll get a chance everyday. We have a full schedule with all the activities that are going on. I'm taking eight classes myself. I'm very excited because I was able to get into a class with Tim Holtz and Claudine Hellmuth!! Toss in lunch and dinner with relatives (mine & my friends) and dinner with some of my former co-workers, it's going to be crazy busy! So...if I don't get a chance to update, I will definitely do a blog when I get back and show everything that I created there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Macaroni and Muenster Cheese

2011-09-07T14:00:00.009-05:00

I was so excited to receive an invitation to participate a Linky Party called Crazy Cooking Challenge! The brainchild of this is Tina from Moms Crazy Cooking.

Here's how it works: Each month there's a theme and all participants search blog world to find a recipe from another blogger to make. It's a nice way to honor another blogger by making a recipe from their blog. We all post on the same day at the same time and then host a blog hop on our blogs. This month's theme is the Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese recipe.

I told my husband I was going to join this party and mentioned what we'd be eating. I've never been fond of macaroni & cheese, but didn't know until the other day that he wasn't either. Boy were we both wrong! We loved THIS recipe!

This mac and cheese recipe is from Melanie and her blog is Adorkable Recipes. What I like about it is the use of a white cheese since I don't care for cheddar. I followed the recipe exactly as it was on her blog. You will note that she mentions that she would decrease the amount of pasta the next time she makes it. We loved it just the way the recipes states. I don't care for the creamier texture. I loved the hint of garlic this recipe has.

Macaroni and Muenster Cheese
recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com
Serves 6

Ingredients
16 oz. short cut pasta (medium shells, cavatappi, elbow macaroni, etc)*
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup evaporated milk (2/3 of a 12 oz can)
8 oz (2 cups) Muenster cheese, shredded
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, for topping
1/4 cup cracker crumbs, for topping

*next time, I will try decreasing the pasta amount to 8oz, to allow for a creamier mac and cheese.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil water and cook pasta just shy of al dente. Meanwhile melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk. Add cheese and stir constantly until smoothly combined. Stir in salt, pepper and dry mustard.

Pour sauce over cooked pasta and stir to combine. Place in a greased 8x8 cooking dish. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter and toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake 20-25 minutes until topping is lightly golden.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out all the great recipes on all of these blogs. There are over 60 of us participating! Don't forget to vote for your favorite!

Christmas Memory Box Mini Album

2011-09-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

This album is based on the Halloween Mini Album I created. Secretly I like this one better. I'm more of a Christmas person!

This Christmas Emporium Collection from Graphic 45 is just gorgeous! I've already set aside some of the patterns that I want to use for Christmas cards.

I'm going to warn you...this post is going to be a little photo heavy. This mini is hard to photograph so I instead of stretching out the book I opted for two pages at a time. Let's get started!

Since the pages accordion fold, we're turning to the right first. This is the view as you untie and open the cover.

There are nine pages that turn to the right and eight that go to the left.

I've added lots of pockets and photo mats. This mini has room for 28 photos!

On some of the pages I just added some strips of cardstock that I used EK Success Edge Punches on.

Final page to the right. Now let's check out the left side.

I love pockets and photo mats! I also used the some of the tag sheets and sprinkled those throughout the book.

One can never have enough pockets, tags and mats!

I'm a confessed button lover! Some I tied ribbon through and others I left plain. I like using them both ways.

Final two pages.

Here's the back. I matted one of the tags and added it to the back cover. I like how the sentiment ends the book.

This post is linked to these parties:

Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party - 27
Chic & Crafty!

Delicately Constructed Friday!

Free For All Friday!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Featured Recipe!

2011-09-01T10:27:00.004-05:00

The Iced Coffee recipe I blogged about last week is one of the featured recipes on Miz Helen's Country Cottage this week! I was so surprised to open my email this morning and see an email from Miz Helen! I'm proudly displaying the Full Plate Thursday Red Plate this week!!

Check out all of the wonderful recipes that have been featured. I see that there have been alot of great looking recipes loaded this week too. Be sure to take some time to go through them!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Perfect} Iced Coffee

2011-08-26T18:43:00.002-05:00

I've read about this coffee long enough. When I came across it again yesterday on The Pioneer Woman Cooks! I knew I was going to make it. All I can say is this stuff ROCKS!

Make sure you have a large container. I thought I did but it turns out I didn't. I had to divide my coffee and water between two containers. I started the process about 2:30pm yesterday. I was just going to let it sit for the eight hours Ree recommends in the recipe. Instead, I let it sit overnight. I strained it this morning and refrigerated it. I'm so glad I was gone for awhile today so the coffee mixture could chill. If I would've been home it would have drove me crazy to wait.

This stuff is so delicious! I will definitely try to always have this ready to go in the fridge.

I made mine a mocha. I added a little chocolate syrup and I used some low-fat sweetened condensed milk for the sweetener. I also used fat-free half and half. Next time I might try my almond milk. I love hazelnut coffee so I may try using that in place of the regular coffee sometime. I think adding hazelnut syrup would also be delicious.

This stuff is so freakin' good! I'm glad I finally tried it!

My husband rarely tries anything I make as far as beverages or baked goods. He only eats what I cook for dinner. That's just because he has no choice: he can't cook. When he came home today, I begged him to take a sip of my iced coffee. He did. He made a yucky face! He has no taste!

Perfect Iced Coffee (from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!)

1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)
In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

This post is linked to these parties:
Cast Party Wednesday: Link Party #11
Whisking Wednesdays #14
These Chicks Cooked Link Party - Featuring Your Recipes from All Around Blogland #14
Full Plate Thursday
Turning The Table Thursday
What's Cooking Thursdays
chic & crafty!
Sweet Treats Party
Friday Potluck Recipe Hop#48
Foodie Friday
Food on Fridays
Fresh Food Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday

Thanks for stopping by!

One Stamp, Three Cards

2011-08-25T11:15:00.002-05:00

I took a technique card class last week and I really enjoyed it! I generally don't gravitate toward alot of new techniques when it comes to stamping. I know this sounds terrible, but I like the way I create my cards. I would prefer just to admire other cardmaker's work. I do emboss but it makes me uncomfortable. It doesn't always turn out how I would like it to. Taking this class took me out of my comfort zone just a little.

I used scraps from my stash for all three cards. What a fantastic way to recycle them. Of course if you could see my stash, I'd be here for years creating hundreds of cards!

For this card, I stamped the image on a piece of cardstock that had small squares. I don't have the name of the manufacturer for this paper. I used my new found love.....Inkssentials Enamel Accents from Ranger. I adore this stuff! I bought the two pack of black and white. It's so much more economical to use this rather than gemstones. Especially for mailing. I'll never quit using gems, but I like having the option of another product.

Secretly this one is my favorite, but I really like all of them. This technique was doubly hard for me because it was embossing and coloring! I'm not good at the coloring part which is why I never use markers. I was so apprehensive learning this one. Since Tim Holtz Distress Inks are used in combination with a waterbrush it was fun and easy. I'm not one to have alot of ink colors so creating this one at home was a bit of a stretch. I'm going to keep practicing with different stamps until I get better at it. For the flowers, I used Tim Holtz Trimmings and cut three of them apart. I inked them with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and add a Hero Arts Pearl Gemstone in the middle.

This one really has a piece of my heart, because I used black embossing powder. Black is one of my favorite colors and paired with this paper from Making Memories called Love Struck, it really stands out. I used black Fiskars Raindots around the bottom.

I'll be adding these cards to my Etsy shop in the next few days. If you're interested in them, check back to see when they're listed.

This post is linked to these parties:
All Things Fee
Creating Success Around the World
Inspire Me Monday
Inspiring Creativity
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party - 26
Turning The Table Thursday

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini Book Winner!!

2011-08-22T07:05:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered!

And the winner is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2011-08-22 11:54:42 UTC

#4
Emilee said...

I have a baby shower coming up and would love to give it away to my friend.
emileenreynolds@yahoo.com
August 19, 2011 10:25 AM
Emilee said...

I follow.
emileenreynolds@yahoo.com
August 19, 2011 10:25 AM

Congratulations Emilee! Email me with your address and I'll get the book sent off to you!

The Magic Of Oz Memory Box Mini Album

2011-08-19T10:02:00.001-05:00

I'm not really much of a Halloween person. I can take it or leave it. Just give me the chocolate.

I'm calling this my Halloween Memory Box Mini Album, thanks to the hubby. He always comes up with names for the things I create. I don't always use them or agree with them, but it's a nice gesture on his part.

Here it is opened up. There's plenty of room for photos, 12 pages total. The pages are 4-inches by 6-inches.

Each side has room for six photos.

This was just a test project for me. I'm going to make some more with different patterned papers that I'll be able to use for photos. I'm sure I tweak it a little to add more embellishments or even change the measurements.

I started scrapbooking and cardmaking later in life. My photos from when my children were small aren't as good as the photos taken today. I didn't even take as many photos back then as I do now. Call me a bad mom, but I don't even think I would have enough Halloween photos to fill this little book!

I'm giving away a Baby Mini Album. You still have time to comment and become a follower to qualify. The drawing closes Sunday, August 21st at 11:59 PM CST. Go here for all the details!

Thanks for stopping by!

This post is linked to these parties:
Inspiring Creativity
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party - 25
ffa friday!

Products used: Graphic 45 The Magic of Oz patterned paper, Various colors of solid cardstock, Sizzix Framelits - Labels, Fancy & Squares, Scallop, Ribbon, Stamps from A Muse Artstamps &n Stamps by Judith.

French Bread Pizzas

2011-08-16T08:03:00.002-05:00

We always eat the same pizza. It doesn't seem to bother my husband, but I like to try something different. I came across this recipe in an old circular I had picked up while in another town. I love paging through the magazines that you find on the stands when you enter a restaurant. You never know what you will find!

I didn't really make any changes to this recipe. I used Romano cheese instead of asiago, even though asiago is one of my favorites. I loved the flavor this pizza had. I think next time I make this I will back off on the Parmesan though. I like Parmesan cheese, but the amount the recipe calls for seemed to be a little overpowering to me.

The recipe made alot! We had pizza for two nights.

French Bread Pizza

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup grated asiago or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup finely diced red bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16 ounce) loaf French bread
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the first seven ingredients. Slice French bread in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into three pieces. Spread butter mixture over the French bread slices. Top with rotisserie chicken. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over chicken. Bake 8 to 12 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.

This post is linked to these parties:
Homemaker Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday #26
Made By You Monday
Tasty Tuesdays

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini Book Giveaway!

2011-08-14T07:55:00.006-05:00

As promised yesterday, here's your chance to win a baby mini album! The photo above is the one that you'll win. Below are the inside pages:

Visit yesterday's post for more details about this mini book.

In order to participate in the giveaway all I ask is:
1. You leave a comment telling me why you'd like to win this mini book.
2. Become a follower of my blog. If you're already a follower make sure to let me know that in your comment.

You'll have until 11:59pm CST Sunday, August 21, 2011 to be eligible. On Monday, August 22, 2011 I'll randomly choose a winner from the entries and post the lucky person's name. You'll have two days to contact me at palbertson@yahoo.com with your address. Please make sure to put "Mini Book Winner" in the subject of your email. If I haven't heard from the winner in two days, I'll select another winner.

Good luck!

This post is linked here:
ffa friday!

Baby Mini Albums

2011-08-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

I'm not the kind of person that makes a test design of something first. I just dive right in. Sometimes I regret my decision and other times I don't. I was getting ready to work on a mini book and since I had some baby cardstock left from another project I decided to do a test run first. The books above are what I created.

Since I have no use for a baby mini album, the lucky recipients of these two are my cousin Rhonda and my longtime friend Susie. They both have grandchildren and will get use out of these adorable books!

The pages of these books are each a little different. The photo above shows the pages of one and below are the inside pages of the other. There is an abundant amount of space for photos! Each book has six tags that can be pulled out from the top. The tags can hold a photo on one side and I have used a journal stamp on the opposite side. On the inside of each book there are spots for eleven photos.

I have a third baby mini album to give away. Check out my blog post tomorrow for all the details on you can win it!

I used alot of products for these minis including products I had in my stash. Here's a listing of products used: Patterned Paper from Little Yellow Bicycle, Some of the flowers are from Hero Arts and Prima, others are buttons and flowers I picked up at the Dollar Store and a Quilt Shop, Making Memories Button Brads, Miscellaneous Ribbon, Chipboard Letters from Dream Street papers, Ranger Liquid Pearls, Buttons, EK Success Edge Punches and Stickers, Bazzill Just The Edge Cardstock Strips, Stamps from Penny Black, StampCraft, Shabby Green Door and Door County Rubber Stamps, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Sizzix Framelits.

This post is linked to these parties:
Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Calling All Crafters

Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-08-08T07:08:00.003-05:00

This is my favorite chocolate cake and frosting recipe. The cake is very moist and the frosting is so creamy. In my opinion...it's the best! I thought I had misplaced the recipe. When I came across it, I made sure to put it in a safe place.

My plan was to make these for my birthday....two weeks ago! Life got in the way and I never got around to it. I finally had time to get them made and they were worth the wait! If I could just get my husband to have one.....

Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cups cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brewed coffee at room temperature

Peanut Butter Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in coffee (batter will be thin). Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely. For frosting, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips if desired. Store in refrigerator.

This post is linked to these parties:
Sweet As Sugar Cookies
MaFF Monday
Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday
Marvelous Mess #25
Mouthwatering Monday
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Muffin Monday
Made By You Monday
Menu Mondays

Mango Madness Smoothie

2011-08-05T08:49:00.001-05:00

I know I've been posting alot of smoothie recipes. I can't help it, I'm addicted. They're filling and I love them!

This one I whipped up because I'm trying to use up ripe fruit. I also had an orange that needed help since I had used the whole thing for zest in a recipe. I know...I could have just ate it, but that would have been too easy. Because I used a mango in this one, thus the name Mango Madness.

If interested, I figured the Weight Watchers Points at 3 PointsPlus for approximately 6 ounces.

Mango Madness Smoothie
makes about 24 ounces

1 cup strawberries, cut up
1/4 cup blueberries
1 orange, cut up
1 banana
1 cup mango, cut up
1 Tbsp raw wheat germ
3 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbsp orange juice
3 Tbsp light cranberry juice
1 cup ice

Toss all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth or consistency that you like. Enjoy!

This post is linked to these parties:
Full Plate Thursday
What's Cooking Thursdays
Sweet Treats Thursday
Chic & Crafty Party

Denver Omelette in a Mug

2011-08-03T08:51:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend I caught the Hungry Girl (Rise and Dine) episode on Food Network. I've got to watch that show more often!

This recipe is so ridiculously easy it's crazy! If you have to race out the door in the morning, you could always have everything chopped the night before so you could just pop it in the microwave.

I changed up the recipe a little. I rarely have cheddar cheese in the house, so I used a Laughing Cow Light Swiss Wedge. Since I was out of egg substitute I just used a regular egg. I had my omelette with a nectarine. Below is Lisa's recipe:

Denver Omelette in a Mug

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
1 ounce chopped 97 to 98-percent fat-free ham (about 2 slices)
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese
Orange slices, for serving, optional

Serving suggestion: Whole-wheat English muffin

Spray a large microwave-safe mug with nonstick spray. Add green pepper and onion and microwave until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Blot any excess liquid from the vegetables. Add egg substitute and microwave for 1 minute.

Add ham and cheese and lightly stir. Microwave until scramble is just set, an additional 45 to 60 seconds.

Let cool slightly. Garnish with orange slices and serve with an English muffin, if using. Eat up!

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 122 calories, 0.75g fat, 702mg sodium, 6g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 21.5g protein

This post is linked to these parties:
Made By You Monday {on Tuesday}
These Chicks Cooked Link Party - Featuring Your Recipes from All Around Blogland #11
Cast Party Wednesday Link Party #8
Turning the Table Thursday

Thanks for stopping by!

Iced Mocha Frappé

2011-08-02T07:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had some leftover coffee so I whipped this up. It's so quick and easy since there are barely any ingredients. I did change the recipe a little. I didn't use whole milk like the recipe states, I used almond milk. I don't know what the calories are in whole milk, but almond milk is only 60 calories per cup. That would lead me to believe my version would be less than what the recipe says which is 125 calories. You could make it even lower by using sugar substitute in place of the sugar. Enjoy!

Iced Mocha Frappé
Makes 2 Drinks

2/3 cup cold strong brewed coffee
2/3 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
4 tsp. sugar
2 cups ice cubes

In blender, combine coffee, milk, chocolate syrup, sugar and ice. Blend until mixture is smooth and ice is finely crushed. Serve immediately.

Each drink: About 125 calories, 3 g protein, 24 g carboyhydrate, 3 g total fat (2 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium.

This post is linked to these parties:
Homemaker Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Tasty Tuesdays
Cast Party Wednesday Link Party #8

Be sure to check out all the blogs listed above. You'll find tons of great recipes!

New Mini Book

2011-07-31T08:10:00.003-05:00

I am addicted to mini books! When I first started creating cards almost three years ago I couldn't get enough. I have quite the collection of them in my craft room and I still enjoy participating in card challenges. Just a little over a year ago I thought I'd try my hand at mini books and now I can't stop!

I used the Oxford Collection from BasicGrey for the pages.

Some of the patterns are so pretty that I didn't want to cover them up with alot of mats.

This mini is only 4-inches by 4-inches!

I embellished some of the pages using edge punches by EK Success and shapes from Nestabilities.

I used Liquid Pearls by Ranger to embellish this photo mat.

I used Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink on my ribbon and used a Trinket Pin from Tim Holtz on this page.

There are seven pockets that hold tags for photos.

On one side of each tag I used a journaling stamp from Unity Stamp Co.

Products used for this mini book: Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Unity Every Day Use Stamp - US-1012W, Nestabilities - Labels 8 & Classice Scalloped Circles, Ranger Liquid Pearls, EK Success Edge Punches, Tim Holtz Trinket Pins, Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, Patterned Cardstock From The Oxford Collection by BasicGrey, Flower On Front Cover From Petaloo.

Thanks for stopping by!

This is linked to:
Made By You Monday {on Tuesday}
Turning the Table Thursday
Chic & Crafty Party

Scallop Pesto Pasta

2011-07-30T15:36:00.002-05:00

We loved this dish! The only thing I did different was to add a garlic blend seasoning and some paprika to the scallops while cooking. I also used a multi grain pasta. This is something that I will definitely make again. Of course I made enough pasta for a small army, so I know what I'll be incorporating into my next meal! I never manage to cook just the right amount of pasta.

Scallop Pesto Pasta

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound sea scallops
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup prepared pesto

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper; add scallops in butter for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes on each side or until opaque. Drain pasta; toss with pesto. Top with scallops. Yield: 4 servings.

*Recipe from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Cookbook

This post is linked to these parties:
Turning The Table Thursday
What's Cooking Thursdays?
Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday
Friday Potluck
Food on Fridays
Foodie Friday
Simply Delish
Foodie Friday #19

Featured Recipe

2011-07-28T19:20:00.001-05:00

Check out all the fantastic recipes over at Feeding Four. My Frozen Mocha Frappuccino is one of the featured recipes this week for What's Cooking Thursdays? Thanks Keli!

Graphic 45 Transatlantique Mini Book

2011-07-27T20:42:00.001-05:00

I created a new mini book using the Transatlantique Collection from Graphic 45. I'm planning on using it for vacation photos.

It may look small and compact, but it will hold alot of photos!

There are 22 pages with an additional 18 pages that fold out. I have five pockets with tags for either journaling or more photos.

There's also five more pockets that I haven't created tags for. It'll be nice to have them if I need the extra space.

It was hard to get a photo of just how large it actually is.

I used blank chipboard that I cut to 4 x 6 inches for the covers and I used my We R Memory Keepers Cinch for the binding. I used envelopes for the pages. I have Tim Holtz and 7Gypsies embellishments that I plan to use when I complete the book. I'll also add ribbon, buttons and all the other fun stuff that will fit with my vacation photos.

Now if I could just get caught up with all the projects I'm involved with! I might find time to actually get my photos in my book.

Thanks for stopping by!

Products used for this book: chipboard, envelopes, Nestabilities Labels One, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Graphic 45 Transatlantique Collection Patterned Papers

This post is linked to:
Made By You Monday

Frozen Mocha Frappuccino

2011-07-22T07:52:00.002-05:00

This is such a refreshing drink on a hot, steamy day! I didn't figure out the calories, but I know it's less than what you'd buy at coffee shops. You can make it even lower by using a sugar substitute, fat-free milk, fat-free chocolate syrup and fat-free whipped cream. Just experiment with ingredients until you find something you like!

Frozen Mocha Frappuccino
Makes 2 - 16 ounce servings

1 cup strong coffee, chilled
3 Tbsp sugar
1 cup milk - I used Silk Almond Milk
2 or more cups of ice
3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
Whipped cream, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Here are a few options:
Use 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk in place of the milk and omit the sugar.
Use caramel topping in place of chocolate syrup for a Frozen Caramel Frappuccino.
Use instant espresso in place of coffee.

This recipe is linked to these Linky Parties:
These Chicks Cooked
Turning The Table Thursday
Full Plate Thursday
What's Cooking Thursdays?
Sweet Tooth Friday
Food on Fridays
Foodie Friday
Simply Delish
Foodie Friday
Fresh Food Friday
Sweets for a Saturday #27

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Lemon Red Potatoes

2011-07-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

I rarely ever make potatoes in the crockpot. That's all going to change now as these are my new favorite! For such a simple recipe, these potatoes pack alot of flavor. I did increase the amount of lemon juice than stated in the recipe. I also used bottled lemon juice rather than fresh squeezed.

If you're following Weight Watchers, this recipe would be 3 PointsPlus: 4g fat, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein.

Lemon Red Potatoes
6 servings
Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-quart

1-1/2 lbs medium-sized red potatoes
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I added a little more)
3 Tbsp fresh chives, snipped
chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cut a strip of peel from around the middle of each potato. Place potatoes and water in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on high 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Drain.
Combine butter, lemon juice, chives and parsley. Pour over potatoes. Toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper.

* Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good

This recipe is liked to:
Homemaker Monday
Mouthwatering Mondays
Menu Mondays
Melt In Your Mouth Monday #22
Tasty Tuesdays
This Chick Cooks

Microwave Potato Chips

2011-07-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

As I was perusing Pinterest the other day, I came across a photo of potato chips. What caught my eye was the title...microwave potato chips! Of course I had to click on the link to take me directly to the blog, Food Gal. I then made a mental note to try out the recipe. I pinned the photo to my "Food Love" board so I wouldn't forget. I think mine look pretty darn good, but Carolyn's look even better! I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes. I think next time I will slice them thinner.

You can check out Carolyn's recipe here.

This is what I did based on her recipe. I sliced about three small red potatoes, after scrubbing and drying them. I just left them on my cutting mat and drizzled Roasted Onion and Cilantro EVOO over them. Then I sprinkled sea salt over all. I took my hands and thoroughly mixed them up.

I sprayed a microwave safe plate with Pam and then spread a layer of potato slices. You have to play around with the amount of time you cook them. What worked best for me was three minutes, turn the potatoes over and then cook for two minutes. It will depend on the thickness and your microwave. As you can see from the photo below, my first batch doesn't look so good, LOL!

However, even though they looked burnt they had great crunch and taste!

I like that I can try different olive oils and I can control what goes into them. Also if I just want a few chips I can whip them up in no time flat!

This post is linked to:
Mouthwatering Monday
Menu Mondays
Made by you Monday
Melt In Your Mouth Monday

Thanks for stopping by!

Watermelon Blast

2011-07-17T14:10:00.004-05:00

This pitcher is a wonderful refreshing beverage on hot days like today.

It's called Watermelon Blast. The instructor for the "Summer Coolers" class I went to shared this recipe. When I first tasted it, I knew it would probably rank as one of my favorites.

I just love the mixture of watermelon, strawberry and lime.

The green specks are the mint which really add alot of background flavor.

Watermelon Blast

6 cups cubed watermelon

2 cups strawberries, cut up

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cups crushed ice

mint - I used the leaves from 3 sprigs

Sugar or simple syrup, to taste (I used about 1/2 cup simple syrup) *see below

Add watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, mint leaves, ice and sugar or simple syrup (if desired) into the blender pitcher. Blend on high speed, stopping to push fruit down if necessary. Serve & enjoy!

*Simple syrup is one cup sugar and one cup water. Heat in saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Cool and use in recipe if desired. Refrigerate. Will keep up to two weeks.

Lime Cooler

2011-07-16T12:18:00.004-05:00

At a class I took called "Summer Coolers" the instructor made an orange creamsicle float. I'm not a huge fan of ice cream because I don't tolerate it well. I did try it and it was delicious! I would definitely make it, but use a non-dairy ice cream.

This is what I came up with and I'm calling it a Lime Cooler:

Lime Cooler

Lime Sorbet
Ginger Ale
Heavy Cream, whipped - optional

Scoop the sorbet into a large glass and add ginger ale. Top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

I loved the taste of this and I'll be making more of these on hot days!

This blog is linked to:
Foodie Friday
Food on Fridays
Foodie Friday #17
Simply Delish
Sweets for a Saturday #26
This Week's Cravings

Mandarin Orange Chicken

2011-07-15T08:49:00.002-05:00

I made this for dinner last night. All afternoon the smell of chicken and onions wafting from the crockpot made my stomach grumble. We liked it but next time I think I would use more orange juice and less chicken juices when making the sauce. I just didn't think it had enough of an orange flavor to me. You never know how a recipe will turn out, I guess that's why it's call experimentation. I would definitely make this again.

If you are following Weight Watchers this recipe is 6 points plus per serving: 3.5g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 28g protein.

Mandarin Orange Chicken
Serves 4
3 or 4-quart slow cooker

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained, with 3 Tbsp juice reserved
2 Tbsp flour

Place chicken in slow cooker.
Combine onion, orange juice concentrate, poultry seasoning and salt. Pour over chicken.
Cover. cook on low 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken and keep warm. Reserve cooking juices.
In a saucepan, combine 3 Tbsp reserved mandarin orange juice and flour. Stir until smooth.
Stir in chicken cooking juices. Bring to a boil. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to thicken.
Stir in mandarin oranges. Pour over chicken.
Serve with rice or pasta.

* Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good

This post is linked to:
What's Cooking Thursdays
Full Plate Thursday
Turning the Table Thursday

High Energy Morning Shake/Smoothie

2011-07-14T14:00:00.001-05:00

This smoothie may look similar to the Mixed Berry Smoothie I made the other day. I assure you they are not the same, nor do they taste the same.

On Tuesday I took a 'Summer Cooler' class that was offered at the local College. Oh my! It was so fun! The instructor made five different drinks and tuille cookies. I went away with recipes for all of them plus a few more. We were also given alot of different ideas and many tips and tricks.

The smoothie I made today is adapted from her recipe. I've added more fruit and raw wheat germ and skipped the salt. I also call mine a smoothie versus a shake. In the overall scheme of things I don't think it matters. Hers was delicious and I like my version equally as well. They are so filling! I made this later this morning, so it's actually my lunch today.

This made about 24-1/2 ounces and if you are following Weight Watchers the PointsPlus per approximately 6 ounces would be 3. If this is too much for you to drink, you can save it in the fridge for maybe a day or freeze it in a container and eat it like ice cream. You could always put it in the little popsicle containers or use small dixie cups and just add a stick.

High Energy Morning Shake/Smoothie
Makes 24-1/2 ounces

1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
3/4 cup strawberries, cut up
1 peach, cut up
1 banana, cut up
1 orange, cut up
3 Tbsp low fat plain yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp raw wheat germ (optional)
ice

In a blender, combine all fruit and other ingredients. Mix well. Add as much or as little ice as you prefer. Pour into glass and enjoy.

Mixed Berry Smoothie

2011-07-12T08:37:00.001-05:00

I had alot of very ripe fruit to use up so I decided to create my own recipe. Even though I didn't use milk or yogurt this would still be considered a smoothie, I think. Maybe it's more like a slushy. It doesn't matter, I thought it was refreshing!

It's a little tart, but I actually liked it. You could add more honey or you could add some sugar to take the tartness away, just adjust to your taste. For those of you following Weight Watchers, I figured the Points Plus at 2 per serving. This recipe makes 32 ounces which would make 4 - 8 ounce servings.

Mixed Berry Smoothie
serves 4

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 strawberries, sliced
1 cup raspberries
1 banana
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1 teaspoon honey
2/3 cup light cranberry juice
2 cups crushed ice

Add all ingredients to blender and process on Smoothie if your blender has that button. If not, use whatever your blender manufacturer recommends. Pour into glass and enjoy!

I'm going to a smoothie class today. I'm hoping to get some ideas and new recipes. I look forward to sharing them!

This post is linked to:
Hearth and Soul Hop
A Marvelous Mess #21
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Raspberry & Strawberry Smoothie

2011-07-11T09:05:00.002-05:00

This is what I had for breakfast and it was fantastic....

.....in all it's raspberry-strawberry-almond goodness! If you love the taste of almond, it really adds a wonderful flavor to this smoothie. If you don't like it, just omit it.

Raspberry & Strawberry Smoothie
serves 2

1/3 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries, hulled
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup milk (I used Almond milk)
1 tsp almond extract (optional)
2-3 tbsp honey, to taste

Press the raspberries through a nylon stainer in a bowl using the back of a spoon. Discard the seeds in the strainer. (I skipped this step as I don't mind the seeds).

Put the raspberry puree, strawberries, yogurt, milk and almond extract, if using, into a blender and blend until smooth and combined.

Pour the smoothie into chilled glasses, stir in honey to taster, and serve.

This post is linked to:
Sweet As Sugar Cookies Sweets for A Saturday #25
Melt In Your Mouth Monday #21
Mouthwatering Mondays
Made By You Monday
Mingle Monday
Homemaker Monday
Mangia Mondays
Menu Mondays

Thanks for stopping by!

*Adapted from the book Delicious Smoothies, ISBN 978-1-4075-3308-7

Chinese Cookies

2011-07-10T08:00:00.003-05:00

I had a moment of weakness yesterday and made these.....

If you're looking for something rich, delicious AND simple enough to make with your eyes closed......try these! The combination of sweet, salty and crunchy is sure to please.

Chinese Cookies
makes 24 (or more) depending on how large or small you make them

1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch chips
1 (6 ounce) package chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
2 cups chow mein noodles
1-1/4 cups salted peanuts

On low heat, melt butterscotch and chocolate chips. Add noodles and peanuts and mix well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and refrigerate to harden.

Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

This post is linked to Sweet As Sugar Cookies: Sweets For A Saturday #25. Also to Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays #3.

*From the book Busy Woman's Quick & Easy Recipes, ISBN: 978-59769-002-7

Berry Smoothie

2011-07-09T14:32:00.002-05:00

I'm trying out a few new smoothie recipes. If you like cranberries and blueberries you'll love this one.

I used a lower calorie juice and low-fat yogurt.

Berry Smoothie
serves 2

1-1/2 cups blueberries
2/3 cup cranberry juice
2/3 cup plain yogurt

Put the blueberries and cranberry juice into a blender and process for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.

Add the yogurt and blend briefly again until thoroughly combined.

Pour into chilled glasses and serve.

This post is linked to: Sweet As Sugar Cookies: Sweets For A Saturday #25

*Adapted from the book Delicious Smoothies, ISBN 978-1-4075-3308-7

Cards From Mistakes

2011-07-08T12:10:00.001-05:00

The other day I scored cardstock incorrectly not once, but THREE times! I didn't want to toss it so I set it aside. I think I was just so engaged in watching the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial that I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.

Here are the two of the cards I've come up with. I'm still working on a third one. On both of them I used a strip of cardstock that I adhered to the edge of the card where it didn't meet the other side. I then used an EK Success Punch on the edge called Open Scallop.

In my email yesterday, I received the video of the week email from Hero Arts (you can check it out here). I was inspired by how the buttons were embossed, so this is my take on it:

I looked through my stamps, found one I liked, stamped on the button and embossed it. On the next card instead of embossing, I used Smooch and made dots.

I then covered the button with an iridescent sparkle glaze.

For the leaves I used a die from Sizzix called Branch with Leaves.

I used a stylus to give the leaves some dimension.

Other products used for these cards: PTI Cardstock in Rustic White, Buttons, Smooch, EK Success Edge Punch, Patterned Paper from Creative Imaginations, McGill Stylus, Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink, Clear Embossing Powder, Baker's Twine, Hero Arts Stamps - Find Joy - CL497.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!