Happy New Year- 2013

Making Christmas Cards

 I am a little behind this year.   I needed to make a few Christmas cards really fast.  So yesterday I created these in a short time.
I think  I  will be sending the bulk of my Holiday Greetings this year as :  Happy New Year Cards.
I had already made the Merry Christmas Tags a few weeks ago so these cards were very quick to put together.  I used this really cool vintage embossed wallpaper for the background.  I just painted it with a a little pearlized white craft paint.  I used my new snowflake die and embossing folder to cut out the snowflakes.

Finishing up Christmas Cookies

Snow Globe Craft Project

Pickle jars,  white spray paint, vintage snowman ornaments, bottle brush trees, fake snow, hot glue,  a little glitter and about 10 minutes = super cute snow globes.


I just cleaned out some pickle jars from the fridge and painted the lids with white spray paint.  Next, I hot glued the trees and snowmen to the inside of the jar lid.  Then add a little snow and glitter to the jar. Now the fun part, Place the lid on the jar and turn upside down.  I loved filling the glass tree jars with snowmen and trees too.

Snowman Cookie Kits and Hot Cocoa mix Gifts

A No Bake Bar Recipe-

I  just found this recipe today- a good one for the boys to make for an after school snack.

These were very good and Easy.  We did not wait 3 hours for them to set up.  We just put them in the

freezer for 30 minutes.

No-Bake Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars...

Nonstick cooking spray2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
 2 cups Powdered sugar, divided

4 cups (roughly ½-inch pieces), broken small pretzel twists, divided
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
Directions

LINE 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Stir in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 cups pretzel pieces and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MICROWAVE remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread chocolate layer evenly over powdered sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining pretzel pieces, pressing down lightly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; peel off foil. Cut into 60 pieces. Store in covered container in refrigerator. http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/144864/No-Bake-Sweet--Salty-Peanut-Butter-Pretzel-Bars/detail.aspx

Creating Birthday Cards

Blessed with Beautiful Eggs Again

The hens have been molting and thus slowed down in their egg laying.  Gertie- our brown egg layer-
 ( I think her eggs are beautiful too) was the only only producing an egg about every other day.  I was so surprised to find a beautiful green egg the other day in the nesting box.
Since then we have gotten a couple more green eggs.

Vintage Ice Skates for Decorating

I have been seeing cute winter displays or Wreaths using vintage ice skates everywhere lately.  So I picked up a pair of old ice skates to use for my Christmas Decorating.  There were two pairs- a great classic white pair and these interesting looking mens black and brown pair.  Well, I chose the brown pair.  I removed the ratty laces and replaced them with some vintage plaid ribbon. Now to find a place to display them.

Christmas Cookie Baking

Fun Decorating the Tree with Vintage Felt Santas-

I found these cute retro Felt Santas last week. I decided to combine the with a few other vintage ornaments- wooden toys and elves- along with my collection of shiny brite glass ornaments. I topped the tree with a handmade vintage santa hat and used a red and white checked table cloth for the skirt.

Autumn Garland from Tim Holz dies

As I am putting away the fall decorations, I wanted to share the fall garland that I made using  the Tim Holtz sizzix Autumn leaves dies and embossing folder.  It was created with dyed coffee filters, twine, acorn caps, and brown beads.   I think it would be fun to use the same technique to create a holly leaf garland for christmas.

Here is where I found the inspiration for the garland: 

Sizzix blog I also created toiled paper pumpkins this fall- The best part is they are no sew and I just took them apart now that the Autumn decorating season is done. - I love that I don't have to store them.

Creating: Christmas Cards

Its that Time- I am about ready to start making this years Christmas Cards.  These are a few of the ones from that year.   

Crafting instead of Shopping on Black Friday

I spent most of Today making some more Leather Cuff Bracelets for a Local Shop.

Quinn's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Paula Deen Recipe from Food Network

Hope You Had a Wonderful Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving day Cooking and Eating at our own pace.- Just the four of us at home. We had a great time cooking together.  We each decided what we were going to make Thanksgiving Morning. The boys found some  great new recipes on the Food Network website

Quinn made a Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cade made Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Scot made a Balsamic Turkey with Apple Stuffing and an Apple Tart, I made a cheese ball, Cranberry Chutney, and a baked Ham.  

Cranberry-Orange Chutney
4 medium oranges
1/2 cup orange juice
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup crystallized Ginger - diced
1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 medium clove garlic- peeled
3/4 tsp curry powder
3/4 raisins

makes 6 cups
Remove outer rind from oranges to make 1/4 cup thin slivers.  Then cut oranges cross-wise into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Cut slices into quarters.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over moderate heat stirring until sugar dissolves and cranberries pop open. Remove from heat.  Discard Cinnamon stick and garlic clove.  Serve hot or cold.

Baked Virginia Ham

Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing

• 1 turkey (10-15 pounds)
• ½ cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
• 10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced in half
• 4 sprigs rosemary

1. Remove the gizzards (save in refrigerator for gravy)
2. Rinse bird well and pat dry with paper towels; then truss (tie legs together with string)
3. Place turkey breast side up in a roasting pan, then put rosemary inside bird
4. Drizzle bird with oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
5. Wedge apples around roasting pan to prop turkey up evenly –place 2 apple halves in cavity of bird
6. Place roasting pan with turkey, apples, etc. in oven on lowest rack
7. Roast at 325°, 15 minutes per pound; a 15 pound turkey requires 3 hours and 45 minutes
8. If skin begins to brown too soon, cover with foil
9. To check temperature stick a meat thermometer deep into thigh; at 175° it is safely done
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before carving
11. Serve

Serves 12

Cinnamon Apple Tart with Pecan Crust

4-5 medium Jonagold apples, peeled, cored and sliced ⅛-inch thick

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Pecan Tart Crust

1. In a large bowl, toss apple slices, lemon juice, arrowroot, honey and cinnamon
2. Fan apples out on top of uncooked crust, forming a circle
3. Layer more apples over circle and in its center
4. Cover tart with foil, and bake at 350° for 45 to 70 minutes, or until juices are bubbling
5. Remove foil and cook uncovered for 5-10 more minutes

Serves 6

Dried Beef Cheese Ball

2 (8 oz)  pkgs of cream cheese
4 pkgs of dried beef, chopped fine
1 T. Wasabi powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup minced onion
Reserve 2 packages  of the dried beef.  Mix the rest of the ingredients really well and shape into a ball. Roll in the reserved chopped beef.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve. Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Add butter and bananas to the pot. Cook bananas 5 minutes and add the juice of 1 orange to the pot, reserve the zest. Allow the juice to cook out, 1 minute. Add potatoes to the pot and the stock and sugar. Mash potatoes, banana, stock and sugar together until well combined. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper and orange zest, to your taste. Mash to combine spices and serve
.