Recipe Friday: Creamy Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad

George Duran developed this simply delicious recipe for Hunts. Tomatoes, fresh basil and goat cheese are combined to create a creamy dressing for a unique side salad.

Ingredients:

1 can (28 oz each) Hunt's® Whole Peeled Tomatoes, drained

4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  Bibb lettuce leaves, optional

Directions:

·         Place drained tomatoes in large bowl; cut into large pieces with kitchen scissors.

·         Add cheese, basil, shallots, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

·         Toss gently.

·         Cover; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

·         Stir gently.

·         Serve at room temperature as a side salad or in lettuce leaves, if desired.

Enjoy this as a light lunch with crusty bread or serve as a dinnertime side dish alongside your favorite entrée.

Bon Appétit!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

National Cheesecake Day July 30th

July 30^th is National Cheesecake Day so why not consider making a cheesecake for those you love!

PHILADELPHIA Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 Tbsp.  sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp.  vanilla

4 eggs

Directions:

HEAT oven to 325°F.

MIX graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

SPECIAL EXTRA…Top with fresh fruit just before serving.

PHILADELPHIA 3-STEP Low-Fat Berry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 HONEY MAID Low Fat Honey Grahams, crushed (about 1/4 cup)

3 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp.  lemon zest

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 cup  sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup  raspberries

2 Tbsp. strawberry jelly, melted

Directions:

HEAT oven to 300°F.

SPRINKLE graham crumbs onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Beat next 5 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.

POUR into pie plate.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours. Top with fruit just before serving; drizzle with jelly.

Lem'n Berry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup  COUNTRY TIME Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup  milk

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1   HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1 cup mixed fresh berries (blueberries and sliced strawberries)

Directions:

BEAT cream cheese, drink mix and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in milk. Whisk in COOL WHIP.

SPOON into crust.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Top with berries just before serving.

Have a terrific Cheesecake day!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Inspired to Scrap – Design Team Call

Inspired to Scrap is looking for designers!! No experience on a design team is required and everyone is encouraged to apply.  Please join the Inspired to Scrap message board so everyone can get to know you.  The term will be for 4 months (September-December 2011).

Designers will be asked to help plan and create sample layouts for classes, teach techniques, create blog posts, participate in challenges, post regularly on the message board, and promote Inspired to Scrap on their blogs and elsewhere. We will also ask our designers to commit to no more than one other design team while working with Inspired to Scrap.

As a thank you, designers will receive a scrapbooking package every other month during their term, one free class following their term, and they will be highlighted on the design team page of the website.

Please submit the following information to stacey{at}inspiredtoscrap.net by August 15th, 2011 with “Design Team” in the subject line.

1.  Your name, mailing address and email address

2.  Your blog and/or a link to your online gallery

3. A list of online communities you are active in.

4. Two layouts plus an additional project (layout or altered item) that reflect your current style.

5.  A blurb about why you’d like to be a designer and what you can bring to the team.

6. A list of other design teams you have been on or are currently on.

Call is open to scrappers in the U.S. and Canada. The new design team will be announced no later than August 20th, 2011 on the blog and message board.

Good Luck!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

For The Luv of Art ~ Card-a-Palooza

For The Luv of Art presents a fun event you'll want to be a part of....

So, to be involved just head over to the FTLOA Community where you'll meet a great group of people who love to craft and you'll have lots of fun!


Happy Crafting
Creativity Bug ~ Sue

My Scraps & More – Design Team Call

My Scraps & More is looking for 2 new design team members! The term for these positions will be September – December 2011. If you love challenges and friendly, fun sites, then this is the place for you! 

Design team members are asked to sign up and create examples for daily challenges issued on the message boards. Being active on the forums is also very important as we want this to be a fun place to go and share our hobby with others who are as enthusiastic as we are about scrapbooking. 

If you would like to be a part of our great team, please do the following:

1)  Become a member of the My Scraps & More message board. My Scraps & More would really like to get to know you and see how you fit into our community.

2)  Send Tammi two of your favorite layouts that you have recently (in the last 3 months) completed. Also send a NEW layout that you have completed using a sketch made by Heather, a design team member. You can view the sketch here. 

3) Please  provide Tammi with the following: 

Name, Address, Phone, email, blog

Why do you want to be a design team member at My Scraps & More? Have you been on any other design teams or are you currently a design team member of another scrap community?

All design team members receive a great discount on all products in the online store during their terms and periodically you will receive some scrappy goodies as well! As a design team member, My Scraps & More asks that you are not a design team member on another scrap site with an online store. At this time, because of shipping, My Scraps & More cannot take international team members.

Please send all applications to teajays@aol.com This design team call will end August 28th and the new team members will be announced by August 31st! 

BESTeam Weekly Feature - Poison Garden

This week’s BESTeam featured Etsy shop is Poison Garden.

Poison Garden is a collaboration of three artists charmingly eccentric and impressively crafty ladies who share a love for the romantic with a bit of an edge; Suzette the butterfly queen, Crystal the pumpkin tender, and Melissa the toad catcher.

Having never grown up at all, no decision was ever made between them as to whether they would like to be Victorian ladies, swashbuckling pirates, playful fairies, bloodsucking vampires, steampunk captains, or feathered Indians. As a result of this indecision, their outfits are quite colorful, resulting in endless commentary from the disapproving neighbors.

The Ladies spend most of their time creating the fantastical adornments of their vivid imaginations. They offer many handmade, vintage and revamped vintage items in several styles including Victorian, Neo-Victorian, Steampunk, Gothic and whimsical. Using found material, vintage jewelry, ribbons, beads, feathers, bones, crystals and more to bring you original jewelry, accessories, decor and artworks.

Much of Poison Garden’s ribbon jewelry and accessories have been lovingly stitched by hand. When ordering a handmade or vintage item, keep in mind that the stitching will not be factory perfect and vintage items will show signs of wear. Poison Garden strives to offer only the best they can produce or discover, and it is their belief that these little imperfections are what make the items special.

Neo Victorian cracked glass Necklace

Just the thing for a midnight stroll through the garden. This cracked glass tassel necklace drapes comfortably enough for a picnic, but would certainly be welcome at a formal dinner. made with icy cracked glass beads, accented by glowing blue crystals this vintage inspired piece is very cool and classy.

Garden Fairy Pink Lemonade Sun Catcher

Drink in the refreshment! You'll feel instantly renewed with this cheerful sparkly hanging in your window. Pink and white beaded strand with detachable glass drop.

 

Queen of Hearts choker

 

This listing is for a whimsical, Gothic, black ribbon choker with black and white striped trim. It is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, specifically the red queen. Choker comes to a point in the center and has a heart lock and red button center piece. Button and beaded hoop fastener, black button, red hoop. 

 

Eudora Whimsical Neo Gothic Necklace

 

This lovely Gothic butterfly necklace sparkles like moonlight dancing across inky waters. The detailed scrollwork of the wings is reminicent of old wrought iron gates. This all black piece even has gunmetal toned hardware. The centerpeice is the focal point, supported by a simple, elegant sinlge strand of highly light reflecteive, jet black beads.

These are just a few of the wonderful items in this shop’s collection, so make sure you stop by the Poison Garden Etsy shop for more. Don’t forget to check out the Poison Garden blog for great features, product reviews, and articles.

The Creativity Bugs love the opportunity to promote other artisans including the fellow Estians but especially the BESTeam group. These friendly, talented, and very hardworking individuals work together to promote their shops and help others with marketing, advertising, and tips and tricks for running an online business. If you are a seller on Etsy, have a blog, and either FB or twitter, then you might be interested in joinging the BESTeam. You can find information about the team, as well as apply for membership HERE!

Happy Shopping!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue 

Big Pictures Idea Festival

You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Classes this August!

Come join in for 12 fun-filled days featuring 12 of our talented instructors. Each instructor will be giving you a word of the day, which will inspire you, along with a downloadable template (in both printable and digital format) so that you can create a mini layout about that day’s word and how you applied it in your life. Finally, each teacher will leave you with an inspirational video message and a preview of the page they created with their word.

More fun with daily challenges and giveaways provided! Registration is completely FREE, and you’ll have forever access to the materials in class!  Click HERE to sign up for this amazing opportunity!

Happy Crafting!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue