Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

New Year - New You!

If your New Year's resolution is to set goals for 2010 , then the Project Girl has a downloadable goal chart that is perfect for you.

Just follow this link, download, and start setting your 2010 goals today!

Basic Grey Giveaway

Bree at GETSKETCHY has posted a wonderful opportunity for one person to receive the entire collection of Basic Grey "Origins". What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year!

Here is all you have to do to get entered into the giveaway:

• Become a follower = you are entered 1 x (if you are already a follower, don't worry you're already entered)
• Post the FREE BASIC GREY Blinkie with the link back here = 1x
  (post a comment here with the link to your blog)
• Dedicate a blog post to this contest = 1x
  (post a comment here with the link to your blog)
• Tell your friend about us = 1x
  (they will have to leave a comment here saying who sent them)
• Twitter about this contest = 1x
  (send us a tweet about it to GETSKETCHY or leave a comment here telling me you did)
• Participate in the TRASH TO TREASURE challenge = 5x

Good luck!

Project 12

Have you heard about Project 12? Project 12 started out as a compromise to the yearly challenge of taking 365 photos. The Project 12 challenge is simple. The idea is to create a layout on a monthly basis which recaps what you’ve been doing. Whether you took 31 photos, no photos, or 100 photos, simply choose your favorites that best described what you were doing that month, and create a layout.

Scrapbook & Cards Today, in partnership with designer Davinie Fiero and sketch artist Becky Fleck, are pleased to offer its readers Project 12 on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog!

Here is how it works:
Becky will post on the blog a beautiful double page sketch on the last Saturday of each month for use the following month. Davinie will post a page example to get your creative juices started!

When the new sketch is revealed, everyone who has sent us (Scrapbook and Cards Today) an image or a gallery link of their completed page for the previous month, will be entered into a drawing to win a fabulous prize from one of our advertising partners!

In order to be entered into a challenge simply create a layout and link it to the monthly challenge thread by the 20th of the month or send it to Scrapbook and Cards at ideas@scrapbookandcards.com with “Project 12” in the subject line. That means January’s sketch will be due on February 20th and so on. For a second chance to win, link your layout to Davine's blog at http://davinie.blogspot.com/ and the corresponding challenge thread.

The first sketch and official launch of Project 12 was on December 26th! Without further ado, below is the January sketch for the Project 12 challenge, 2010:



Here is the timeline of new sketch releases and reveal dates for the year!
January sketch and official launch: December 26th
February sketch: January 30th
March sketch and January reveal: February 27th
April sketch and February reveal: March 27th
May sketch and March reveal: April 24th
June sketch and April reveal: May 29th
July sketch and May reveal: June 26th
August sketch and June reveal: July 24th
September sketch and July reveal: August 28th
October sketch and August reveal: September 25th
November sketch and September reveal: October 30th
December sketch and October reveal: November 30th
Final album reveal and prizes: January 15th, 2011

Holiday Greetings

Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday. Wishing you and those you love all the good fortunes of life, health, happiness and peace throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas and may God bless you all!

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

I promise after the holidays I will start back on papercrafting and start posting projects instead of just recipes.

The following recipe is an adaptation from Betty Crocker that will wow your taste buds.

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing (I use Hidden Valley Light)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Ramono, or Asiago cheese (I use a Ramono/Asiago combo)
1 can (14 oz) or 1 jar (12 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 box (9-10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze to drain
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I use a combo of Colby & Monterey) for topping

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix mayo, dressing, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
• Stir in artichokes and spinach.
• Spoon into a 1-quart casserole.
• Sprinkle with Monterey cheese.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve warm with baguette slices, crackers, or veggies. Refrigerate unused portions. This can easily be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

New Company - My Time Made Easy

Opening very soon is a new company/store called My Time Made Easy. Some of you may already be using Lauren Meader's templates to create fabulous paper craft projects that she created for Papertrey Inc. Now Lauren has created a new company with online store that will be selling her own stamp, template and digi paper.

Here are a few of her creations:

Scrapbooking & Crafting Friends

I would like to take the opportunity to invite everyone to join the Scrapbooking and Crafting Friends Group. There are a great number of wonderful ladies that share their talents, expertise, and completed projects. Some of the mini groups include altered arts, card makers r us, use your paper scraps, and weekly color challenges.

Hope to see you there!

Happy Birthday!

I just wanted to wish a very happy birthday to my fabulous sister!

Apple Cider Donuts

Just the other day I was remembering the wonder apple donuts that Bell's Apple Orchard (in Lake Zurich, IL) used to serve with fresh apple cider. After doing a search on the web, I found a recipe that sounds just like them. Just image a fresh donut served with hot cider or cocoa after a day of shoveling cold snow, building a snowman, or a long day of Christmas Shopping.

Apple Cider Donuts

These apple cider doughnuts -- dense, richly spiced and with a faint taste of buttermilk -- are adapted from a recipe by pastry chef Lauren Dawson from Hearth restaurant in New York City's East Village. Hearth serves the doughnuts with applesauce and whipped cream.

For the doughnuts:
1 cup apple cider
3 1/2 cups flour, plus additional for the work surface
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (low-fat or nonfat work fine)
Vegetable oil for frying

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider

For the doughnuts: In a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, gently reduce the apple cider to about 1/4 cup, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed (with the paddle attachment, if using a standing mixer) beat the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat until the eggs are completely incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the reduced apple cider and the buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Add the flour mixture and continue to mix just until the dough comes together.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and sprinkle them generously with flour.

Turn the dough onto 1 of the sheets and sprinkle the top with flour. Flatten the dough with your hands until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use more flour if the dough is still wet. Transfer the dough to the freezer until it is slightly hardened, about 20 minutes. Pull the dough out of the freezer.

Using a 3-inch doughnut cutter, cut out doughnut shapes. Place the cut doughnuts and doughnut holes onto the second sheet pan. Refrigerate the doughnuts for 20 to 30 minutes. (You may re-roll the scraps of dough, refrigerate them briefly and cut additional doughnuts from the dough.)

Add enough oil to a deep-sided pan to measure a depth of about 3 inches. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees. Have ready a plate lined with several thicknesses of paper towels.

For the glaze: While the cut doughnut shapes are in the refrigerator, make the glaze by whisking together the confectioners' sugar and the cider until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

To fry and assemble: Carefully add a few doughnuts to the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Turn the doughnuts over and fry until the other side is golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain on paper towels after the doughnuts are fried. Dip the top of the warm doughnuts into the glaze and serve immediately.

Makes 18 donuts & holes

Per doughnut: 201 calories, 3 gm protein, 33 gm carbohydrates, 6 gm fat, 31 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 200 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies (oh yum!)

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
*Beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
*Roll into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
*Drain cherries and reserve juice. Press center of each ball with thumb. Place a cherry in indentation.
*In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
*Bake for 10 minutes.

Yes, cover the cookies with the frosting mixture before baking. This is not a mistake as it makes the frosting almost fudge like.

Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes

Snowman

I just wanted to make a quick post and show off a cute snowman I made using the same concept as the pumpkins I made for Thanksgiving.

The large scallop cirlce is 3" (cut 9), medium is 2" (cut 7), and the circle for the head is 1" (cut 5). Trim the tops and bottoms of the 3", 2", and 1" balls so they sit flat and can easily be glued together. Use glue that is tacky and dries quickly. I used Alene's glue but you could also use a glue gun.

For the hat, I used two 1 " black circles glued together for the brim, a 1/2" strip of black paper (about 4" long), and two 3/4" circles glued together for the top of the hat.

The eyes are beads from my stash, the buttons are attached with pop dots, and the scarf was just a leftover piece of ribbon that I glued on at the very end.

Hungry Girl Hot Wings

I have been craving hot wings the last few days and wanted to find a recipe that wouldn't ruin my diet. I found a terrific recipe from Hungry Girl on her website and just couldn't resist passing it along.

HG's H-O-T Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings

Right Wing!
Ready for a crispy, hot boneless buffalo wing swap? You BETTER be. These spicy nuggets will blow your mind! And for an all-out b-wing experience, serve 'em with celery sticks and some low-cal bleu cheese or ranch dressing (mmmm!)...

Ingredients:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into 10 nugget-shaped pieces

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor

1 oz. (about 14 crisps) Pringles Light Fat Free Potato Crisps, Barbecue (or another fat-free BBQ-flavored potato chip)

3 tbsp. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

dash onion powder

dash garlic powder

dash cayenne pepper

dash black pepper

dash salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crush potato crisps completely and, in a small dish, mix with cereal crumbs. Add a dash of each of the seasonings and mix well.

Place chicken pieces in a separate dish, and cover and toss with Frank's RedHot.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray.

Give each chicken piece a shake (so it's not dripping with RedHot), and then coat it evenly with the crumb mixture.

Lay the battered nuggets on the baking pan. Place in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes.

Then flip the wings over, and return them to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked throughout. MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Serving Size:

5 wings (half of recipe) Calories: 175Fat: 1.5g Sodium: 1,153mg** Carbs: 14g Fiber: 4g Sugars: <1g Protein: 27g Weight Watcher POINTS® value 3*

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day with family and friends or volunteering at a soup kitchen.

Thanksgiving Table

As promised, here are the items I have been working on for Thanksgiving. The first is a toilet paper roll filled with wrapped candy, covered with tissue paper, decorate with paper, and an adorable Bitty Betty Turkey digi-stamp from Pink Cat Studios.

The second item is a hand made pumpkin created with 11 scalloped ovals (Marvy punch)trimmed in Tim Holtz Distressed Ink all glued together. I did not think of this idea and as soon as I can find the blog that I copied this idea from, I will link it here with the complete directions.


And here are the two together as a place setting.

Hope you enjoyed these two projects. Later in the week I will be showing a decorated box (or two) filled with homemade fudge. Perfect for holiday gift giving.

Update! ** I can finally give credit & supply a link for the adorable paper pumkins. Carol at the Chocolate, Crafts & Bears, Oh My! blogspot gives a wonderful tutorial on how you can make them using the Spellbinders nestible. If you don't have a nestible, you can you an oval scallop punch like I did.

HG's Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu

By popular request, I am posting a recipe for light chicken cordon bleu that I found on the Hungry Girl website. It is a favorite in my family and makes a great (easy) dinner that tastes fantastic.

HG's Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet

1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese

1 oz. (about 3 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham slices

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


• Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat tenderizer or a can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick.


• Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.


• Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it.


• Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese.


• Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.


• Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil.


• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.


• Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serving Size:

1 chicken cordon bleu (entire recipe)

Calories: 222

Fat: 4.5g

Sodium: 692mg

Carbs: 2g

Fiber: 0g

Sugars: 1g

Protein: 40g

WW POINTS� value 5*

New Challenge Site

Are you looking for some new challenges comes 2010? I just discovered a new challenge site that will be starting in the new year. Here is the details from Fussy & Fancy:

New challenges will be posted on alternate Fridays. "fussy and fancy" or "clean and simple"--all styles of cards/papercrafts are welcome. You may combine your entry with as many challenges as you like. Please enter only NEW creations; do not backlink to previous posts.

Post your entry on your blog with a link to our challenge before 9:00 p.m. PST (GMT -8) on the Thursday prior to the new challenge, and use the Mr. Linky widget to link to your project's post--NOT just your blog.

The winner of the prize drawing will be chosen byRandom.org, and will be announced on Friday mornings, and the new challenge will be set soon after. The Fussy and Fancy Friday Top 5 will be chosen by our Design Team, and will also be announced on Fridays.

Healthified Pumpkin Cheesecake

I will be back this weekend to post a few creative Thanksgiving craft ideas. To tidy you over and get you in the holiday mood, check out this yummy recipe for pumpkin cheesecake.


Healthified Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons apple jelly

Filling
4 packages (8 oz each) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tablespoons brandy, if desired
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup frozen (thawed) fat-free whipped topping, if desired
Ground nutmeg, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Coat sides only with 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbs. In small bowl, mix remaining 1 cup graham cracker crumbs and the apple jelly. Press in bottom of pan.

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes. Refrigerate 5 minutes or until completely cooled.

3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugars until smooth. On low speed, add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended.

4. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin, brandy, flour and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to cream cheese mixture, beating until smooth. Pour over partially baked crust.

5. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. With sharp knife, loosen cheesecake from side of pan. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate at least 8 hours.

6. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Cut cheesecake into wedges; place on individual dessert plates. Top each wedge with 1 tablespoon whipped topping; lightly sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 370mg; Total Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 29g); Protein 11g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 100%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 15%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 c Dairy
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Eat Better America

I just found a great site that helps you eating better. EatBetterAmerica has information on nutrition, exercise, health, and recipes. Here is a sampling of one of their recipes, that I know I am going to try tonight.

"Healthified" Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
1 box (10 oz) Cascadian Farm® frozen organic cut spinach, thawed, well drained
2 oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fat-free egg product
12 stone-ground wheat crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Muir Glen® organic Italian herb pasta sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 oz)

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick.

2. In medium bowl, mix spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon basil and the garlic until blended. Spread about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture over each chicken breast; roll up tightly. If necessary, secure with toothpicks.

3. In small shallow bowl, place egg product. In another small shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoon basil and the pepper. Dip each chicken breast into egg product; coat with crumb mixture. Place seam side down in baking dish.

4. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Pour pasta sauce over chicken; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted in center of chicken reads 165°F. Remove toothpicks from chicken before eating.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake uncovered 25 minutes. Add sauce and cheese; bake 8 to 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 450mg; Total Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 3g); Protein 38g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 80%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 15%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 5 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 4 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!

I haven't been able to do much crafting in the last couple of week's but I wanted to make sure I did make something special for my niece. I made this cute card using the adorable Itty Bitty Betty - Yummy Frogs digi stamp from Pink Cat Studios.

Following the diaper fold pouch demo from SplitCoast Stampers and the Itty Bitty Betty - Witches Costume from Pink Cat Studios, I also created this container to hold a few pieces of chocolate and a light up pen.

I sure hope she enjoys it!

Sunbeams Blog Hop ~ November 1st

Join the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps DT on November 1st for a fabulous 1-day blog hop featuring their newest line, The Sunbeams!

And don't forget to join in on their weekly sketch challenges at Sweet Stop Sketches. New challenges are posted every Saturday.

A Good Read

With the cold weather upon us in the Midwest, it is the perfect time to curl up and read a good book. What could better than combining a cozy mystery and crafting together!? Here are a few books to get you through those cold winter months:

Tragic Magic by author Laura Childs


The next Scrapbooking mystery takes readers back to New Orleans, where there are spookies, foodies-and crafty killers. Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbook shop, and her best friend, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion in the Faubourg-Marigny district into an unforgettable haunted house for those who flock to New Orleans for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela's crafty touch to make the Medusa Manor come to life in time for the upcoming horror convention. But Melody takes her house haunting too seriously-especially when her flaming body comes crashing through a tower window to 'welcome' them to the job. Sure there's been an increased trend in murder lately, but someone specifically wanted Carmela's client very dead. Carmela's in some deep gumbo again and needs to crop out a killer from the throngs of people flocking to New Orleans. Then maybe it won't be so hard living in the Big Easy.

Inked Up (A Stamping Sisters Mystery) by author Terri Thayer


Halloween is scarier than ever in Aldenville, Pennsylvania, when professional rubber stamper April Buchert discovers a dead body in a "haunted" corn maze. The police suspect the victim's husband murdered her, but April knew the couple, and she and the Stamping Sisters are determined to find the real killer before he catches another in his murderous motif.
Spin a Wicked Web: A Home Crafting Mystery by author Cricket McRae

Soapmaker Sophie Mae Reynolds and police detective Barr Ambrose are back in their third enjoyable adventure in small-town Washington State. Sophie has become involved in the Cadyville Regional Arts Co-op (CRAC), where she is learning how to spin wool from one of the other crafters. Then a fellow member of the co-op is strangled—using Sophie’s first skein of yarn. To make things worse, Barr wants to have a “talk.” While the first two mysteries in this series involved crimes that looked like accidents, this time it is a straightforward murder, and it looks like the killer is going to get away with it. Ultimately, of course, Sophie and Barr sort it all out, and along the way, we learn more about fibers, weaving, and soap lore, and we are entertained by McRae’s clever analogies linking weaving yarn and unraveling the clues that will unmask the murderer. The wide variety of interesting hobbies represented among the co-op members leaves the door open for Sophie Mae to explore additional crafts and more lovably eccentric small-town characters in her future outings.

Cutwork (Needlecraft Mystery) by author Monica Ferris

After an artisan is murdered at the Excelsior, Minnesota, art fair, everyone is on pins and needles. It's up to needlework shop owner Betsy Devonshire to figure out who had designs on the dead designer.

The Divine Influence

You have to check out the Divine Influence blog.


Divine Influence - We created this blog to showcase 'Divine' Crafty Creations from all parts of the globe! Especially picked and showcase by our very own Divine Gals! You will find some crafters are features more than once, this is because it's their 'creation/s' that are inspirational and not the blog that's being featured ;-)


Today's feature is Melissa from Creating from the Heart. I have been a follower of her blog for a while now and really love her designs. Here are a few items that were just published in CardMaker magazine:





If you agree that Melissa's does beautiful work, send her some love via comments on her blog!

Leftover Halloween Candy

I know that Halloween hasn't come yet, but here is a great idea for your leftover candy corn candy. They were a big hit last year at my family's Thanksgiving celebration and would make a great holiday tradition.



Turkey Cookies


1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped chocolate frosting
Candy corn
1 tube (4.25 oz) Betty Crocker® yellow decorating icing
Miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate baking bits
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
3. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
4. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
5. Frost and decorate 1 cookie at a time. After spreading frosting on cookie, add candy corn for feathers. Pipe yellow icing for beak and feet. Add baking bits for eyes; pipe black gel for center of each eye.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker website

Halloween Cookies

Here is a great idea for your next Halloween party or just to surprise your family with.




Candy Corn Cookies

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
Orange paste food color
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled

1. Line 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On work surface, place 3/4 cup dough. Knead desired amount of food color into dough until color is uniform. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
3. Divide remaining dough in half. Gently press one half of remaining dough into pan on top of orange dough.
4. On work surface, knead chocolate into remaining dough until color is uniform. Press over plain dough in pan, pressing gently to edge of pan.
5. Refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until firm.
6. Heat oven to 375°F.
7. Remove dough from pan. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 5 wedges. On ungreased cookie sheet, place wedges 1 inch apart.
8. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker website.

Candy Corn Pudding

I was doing some blog hopping this morning and came across this cute dessert idea by Jewels at PaperJewels




Candy Corn Pudding

Instant or cooked butterscotch pudding (bottom layer)
Instant or cooked vanilla pudding (dyed with yellow food coloring) for the middle layer
Cool Whip or whipped topping (top layer)

Wouldn’t this make a great treat for a Halloween party or even Thanksgiving?

While you are there, check out the rest of Jewel's blog. She has some great Halloween and fall projects.

Daily Deals

Here are a few great sites that you can check out daily deals on scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercrafting deals:

ScrapbookSteals
At ScrapbookSteals.com you'll find one hot scrapbooking product every day at 50-80% off until it sells out. It's not just a deal, it's a steal! A 'ScrapbookSteal'!

They offer one amazing steal a day at 9am MST until it sells out. Check back daily to see what's new.

PeachyCheap
Peachycheap.com is an online store that sells one scrapbook product at a time at an awesome price.

Here’s how it works:
· Peachy Cheap sells one deal per day until it is gone.
· Everything is discounted up to 99% off retail price so they sell out fast.
· Act fast or you will miss out, once they are gone, they are gone.
· Shipping varies depending on the weight and handling. Most packages ship within 2-3 business days.

Crop Chocolate
At CropChocolate.com™, we sell all-things scrapbook. But here's the catch, we only sell one item at a time – at a delicious price. Every day several items will be posted – so act fast – a limited quantity will be sold at deeply discounted prices. No time to let it temper.

Organize It!

I stumbled across a great new blog that will help me (and maybe you) get your house and life organized. Maria has created a blog called Project Organization (365 days of the year). She says the goal is to de-clutter, re-organize, and to turn a chaotic room into a Zen-sational area. Sometimes de-cluttering and re-organizing can be a spiritual experience. LOL!

Maria promises to post each day an organization challenge and when done, she'll post an update with a photo of the completed task.

Today's challenge is to fold, hang, and put away all your clean laundry. I know I have a few laundry baskets that have clean laundry in need of folding & putting away so I will be joining today's challenge.

Challenge & Win

Jennifer at Scrapbooking & Crafting Friends just posted a challenge for Non-Design Team members. Create as many NEW projects (it can be ANYTHING) using ANY FREEBIE(S) and/or any items you have already purchased from the MyGrafico.com Site. Each Project will count as 1 point. The Non-DT Member with the most points on October 31st at 11:59pm EST will win a Digital Stamp Set From MyGrafico.com

Just post your points here and your projects here

Good Luck!!

Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu

I just wanted to share this very yummy one serving chicken dish.

HG's Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
1 oz. (about 3 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham slices
salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat tenderizer or a can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.

Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it. Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese. Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.

Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serving Size: 1 chicken cordon bleu (entire recipe)
Calories: 222
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 692mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 40g

Check out this blog!

I just ran across a blog that I thought I would share with everyone. Practical Scrappers is a site dedicated to making use of the supplies that we already have on hand and are neglecting. Each week a challenge will be presented to use a specific embellishment or tool.

This week's challenge is called Office Supplies. Angela and Christine challenge you to take on Office Supplies of all kinds: brads, staples, file folders, legal or notebook paper, paper clips...you name it! We all have some of these in our stash - now show everyone how you creatively use them!

Online Virtual Crop

Susan at the ScrapyLand blog just posted some more details on the virtual crop coming up in November. It is going to be 24 hours of fun.

5pm to 5pm is Arizona time. Which on November 13th will be MST

Virtual Crop

Susan at the ScrapyLand blog posted that there will be a virtual crop on Nov 13th. So mark your calendars for an opportunity to complete challenges, win prizes, and create some fantastic crafting items while online chatting with a bunch of wonderful ladies. As Susan posts additional information concerning the virtual crop, I will update my blog.

Healthy Lasagna

I haven't had much time lately to make cards or scrapbook, so I decided to make a little change to my blog. From now on, I will be sharing recipes and healthy tips, posting crafting projects or ideas, and any other little tidbits of information that I think will be helpful. Of course I will still be posting cards and scrapbook page layouts.

To get the ball rolling, I am including a recipe for Healthy Lasagna that is very weight watching friendly.



Healthy Lasagna

Makes 12 servings

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb extra lean (90%) ground beef
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jar pasta sauce (approx 25.5 oz)
1 ½ Italian seasoning
1 egg
1 contaner (15 oz) reduced fat ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Place in cold water.


Meanwhile, in 12 inch skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until beef is throughly cooked; drain grease. Stir in pasta sauce and Italian seasoning. Heating to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, beat egg slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese until blended. Drain noodles. Spread about ½ cup sauce mixture on bottom of baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1 ½ cups of sauce mixture, half of the ricotta mixture, and ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and mozzarella cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spray 15 piece of foil with cooking spray and cover lasagna.

Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and make 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving – 240 calories (calories from fat 80)
Total Fat 9 g
Cholesterol 60 mg
Sodium 400 mg
Fiber 2 g
Sugars 5 g
Protein 20 g

For additional fiber (and veggies), add 10-16 oz drained thawed spinach and 2 cans drained mushrooms to sauce mixture.

It's a busy life!

I want to apologize to all my blog followers for being MIA the past week. My work has taken up most of my waking hours and I have been too exhausted to craft. Right now I am preparing for a weekend (Friday - Sunday) scrapbooking retreat, so I will not be blogging again until Monday. My camera is coming along on the retreat, so you will see some wonderful pages posted on Monday from all the ladies that attended the retreat.

Operation Write Home

I had to share the following post I saw on the DRS Designs blog this morning. It is for such a worthy cause that I knew there would be many who want to participate.



During the months of September and October DRS Designs will be collecting as many holiday and winter themed cards as you can make!!

To inspire you further DRS Designs will be offering a Total of 4 prizes!! Two prizes will be awarded at the end of each month (September & October):

Prize 1:

The stamper who has sent us (DRS Designs) the most cards during that month will win a $50 DRS Designs Gift Certificate!!

Prize 2:

We (DRS Designs) will pick our favorite card of the month that uses only DRS Designs Rubber Stamps and that stamper will win a $25 DRS Designs Gift Certificate!

Please be sure to get your card donations to DRS Designs by October 26th so they can be distributed in time for the holiday rush! Also, please be sure to include an envelope for each card donated.

Send to:

DRS Designs
217 Greenwood Avenue
Bethel, CT 06801

*************Remember - NO GLITTER for soldier safety reasons!!!*********************

Bat Favors

A few months ago I started to save the empty toilet paper rolls thinking that I could come up with a project for my niece and I to do together. After playing around a little bit, I came up with a Bat Favor for Halloween. Now that I have a prototype, I can't wait to print out more Whimsie Doodles digi-stamps to have her color to make more.

Supplies:

empty toilet paper rolls

snack sized Ziploc bags filled with wrapped candy

tissue paper

curly ribbon

pattern paper cut to 4.25" x 6" or 4.25" x 6.25" (depending on toilet paper roll size)

Stickles

Halloween Bits and Bites digital stamps - Whimsie Doodles

Here is the finished project:

And a close-up so you can see the cute bat digi-stamp:

Who wouldn't like to receive this as a party favor?!

Mummy Reese's Covers

After making the cute pumpkin Reese's covers the other day, I knew I had to make some more. This time I found an adorable Mummy digi-stamp from MyGrafico that I couldn't resist.

Supplies:

DCWV cardstock

2" Stampin' Up scallop punch

Stickles

wiggle eyes

'Halloween Ghoulies' digital stamp set - MyGrafico (Original art by Meljen's Designs)

These were really easy to print, add Stickles and wiggle eyes, and cut out. Can't wait to make more and give out for Halloween.

Sketchy Thursdays

Sketchy Thursdays is having blog launch prize-a-thon. Here are the details from their blog:

Day one of the Sketchy Thursdays blog launch prize-a-thon! One winner selected will win both of these new lines from Cosmo Cricket. The Boyfriend and Earth Love are quickly becoming must-have sets for scrapbooking! Personally, I love these two lines!

Here are the rules:

• All followers are automatically entered into every drawing (yeah!! we love our followers).

• Every post you comment on, you have a second entry into that drawing for that day.

• Want us to really love you?! Leave another comment telling us you talked about Sketchy Thursdays' prize of the day on a forum, your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and we'll count you again for that day.

• All winners for the prizes given away this week and next will be announced on 9/25.

So hop on over to the Sketchy Thursdays blog and sign up to become a follower. While you are there, read about the lovely ladies that make up the design team.

Pumpkin Reese's Covers

I finally got the chance to do a little crafting over the weekend and made some pumpkin Reese's covers.

Supplies:

Orange DCWV cardstock

Halloween Ghoulies by Meljen's Designs digi-stamps - MyGrafico

2" Stampin' Up scallop punch

white gel pen

double sided tape

Stickles

Reese's peanut butter cups

Here is a close-up so that you can see the Stickles on the stem and eyes.

Have some fun and create a bunch for your kids, co-workers, or someone that deserve a Halloween treat.

Halloween Pixie Stix

Ever since I saw these cute pixie stix on Angie's Chic N' Scratch website, I knew I had to give them a try for myself.

Supplies:

DCWV cardstock

co-ordinating ink

Just Batty stamp set - Stampin' Up

2" Stampin' Up scallop punch

hand held punch or white gel pen (for dots around scallop)

Pixie Stix

double-sided tape or pop dots

Halloween plastic cup or other container

Here is a close up:

And what they look like in a decorative container all ready for gift giving:

These were so easy to create and would make a great teacher gift, treats for your co-workers, party favors, and treats for the kids.

Patriot Day & National Day of Service and Remembrance

PATRIOT DAY AND NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE, 2009




BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


A PROCLAMATION

Through the twisted steel of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the scarred walls of the Pentagon, and the smoky wreckage in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, the patriotism and resiliency of the American people shone brightly on September 11, 2001. We stood as one people, united in our common humanity and shared sorrow. We grieved for those who perished and remembered what brought us together as Americans.

Today, we honor the lives we lost 8 years ago. On a bright September day, innocent men, women, and children boarded planes and set off for work as they had so many times before. Unthinkable acts of terrorism brought tragedy, destruction, pain, and loss for people across our Nation and the world.

As we pay tribute to loved ones, friends, fellow citizens, and all who died, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideas and ideals that united Americans in the aftermath of the attacks. We must apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security. We must also recommit ourselves to our founding principles. September 11 reminds us that our fate as individuals is tied to that of our Nation. Our democracy is strengthened when we uphold the freedoms upon which our Nation was built: equality, justice, liberty, and democracy. These values exemplify the patriotism and sacrifice we commemorate today.

In that same spirit of patriotism, I call upon all Americans to join in service and honor the lives we lost, the heroes who responded in our hour of need, and the brave men and women in uniform who continue to protect our country at home and abroad. In April, I was proud to sign the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Originated by the family members of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance is an opportunity to salute the heroes of 9/11, recapture the spirit of unity and compassion that inspired our Nation following the attacks, and rededicate ourselves to sustained service to our communities.
Throughout the summer, people of all ages and backgrounds came together to lend a helping hand in their communities through United We Serve. As this summer of service draws to an end, we renew the call to engage in meaningful service activities and stay engaged with those projects throughout the year. Working together, we can usher in a new era in which volunteering and service is a way of life for all Americans. Deriving strength from tragedy, we can write the next great chapter in our Nation's history and ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the promise of America.

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as Patriot Day, and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2009, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with other ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Awesome Accordian Album

If you are looking for some new ideas or are in the mood to craft tonight, head on over to the ScrapyLand blog.

Susan is going to be demonstrating live how to make what she calls "an awesome accordian album". Here are all the details:

1. Thursday, September 10th - 6pm PDT, 7pm MDT, 8pm CDT and 9pm PDT
2. You need a password, so please email Susan at scrapylandsusan@gmail.com
3. Supplies for tonight's "Awesome Accordion Album":

12" trimmer
Scor-Pal
adhesive
one 12"x 12" piece of cardstock, for interior pages
one 12"x 12" piece or contrasting cardstock
two 12"x 12" coordinating patterned papers, double sided/match cardstock
two 12"x 12" matching patterned papers, for your two covers
two pieces of chipboard 6.25"x 6.25" (cereal box, notebook backs, etc.)
coordinating 18" of ribbon - if ribbon is your "thing"
THEN, you can decorate using your favorite dies, after the show!

Hope you can join me and all the other ScrapyLand followers!

Batty for You

I purchased just after Christmas 7 hand creams for $2 at Tuesday Morning. I didn't know if I was just going to give them as gifts the way they came or decorate them. Well, after playing around with my Halloween stamps I came up with this gift for Halloween.

Details:

1 sheet of pattern paper cut into 2 3/4" circles (used Stampin' Up punch)
Batty for You stamp - Stampin' Up
1 sheet of black cardstock cut into 2" scallop circles (used Stampin' Up punch)
ribbon
colored jewels
white gel pen or tiny hole punch

Doesn't this make a cute gift idea?!

Where did summer go?

Can you believe that it is already September? I can't believe that August came and went so quickly. We have had a lot of rain in the Midwest that it doesn't feel like we got much of a summer. I guess the stores have already gotten into the fall bandwagon. No sooner did they pack up the school supplies, but now they have put out the Halloween items. Isn't that 6 or so weeks away? Of course, that put me into a Halloween and fall mood so I have been pulling out all my stamps to make some fun fall creations. Check out my blog later this week to see the Halloween items that I have made using Stampin' Up stamps and MyGrafico digi-stamps.

Anniversary Card

I haven't had a chance to do any crafting in the past week, but I did make an anniversary card 2 weeks ago for my parents that I forgot to post.

I decided to make my own pattern paper by randomly stamping on recycled paper. While the cupid stamp is from a Valentine collection, I thought she was perfect for an anniversary card. What do you think?