Featured Freebies for the Week of September 26th

Hello and Happy Monday to Everyone!

Here are this week's free digital images or printables found on websites, blogs, or submitted to us from friends and followers:

GTC’s Crafty Corner is getting ready for Christmas with digital freebies including Christmas Holly, flying Rudolph, Gingerbread men, and Rudy.

GTC’s Crafty Corner  also shares a Halloween ghost digital image.

Lili Shrimp shares a magic mushroom house,  angel, and daisy girl digital images

Dustin Pike shares a frog, the headless horseman, and woodland deer digital images

Sliekje Digital Stamps shares Santa’s little helper, a little piggy, and a squirrel.

That’s all for this week!  Happy Crafting!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Recipe Friday: Chef Boyardee

Yes, you read that right! My friend Heather is hosting a Chef Boyardee party to reintroduce the product to the older generation. Chef Boyardee’s goal is to show that with a few tweaks and a couple of added ingredients, the whole family will love Chef Boyardee ravioli and Beefaroni.

So without further ado, this week’s recipes include Taco-roni  and  Ravioli Lasagna.

Taco-roni

This taco-inspired dish combines Beefaroni®, tomatoes, black beans, and corn, and is topped with cheese and crunchy tortilla chips.

 Ingredients

·         2 can (15 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Beefaroni®

·         1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes, drained

·         1 can (15 oz each) Rosarita® Premium Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed

·         1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1/4 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

·         1/2 cup broken yellow tortilla chips

Directions

1.       Place beefaroni, drained tomatoes, beans, corn and cumin in large saucepan; stir to combine.

2.       Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broken chips just before serving.


Ravioli Lasagna


Love the taste of lasagna, but don't have the time? Check out this new twist that's a timely take on a classic.

 Ingredients

·         PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

·         1 cup frozen loose cut leaf spinach

·         2 can (15 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Beef Ravioli

·         1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes, drained well

·         1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

·         1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese

·         1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8x8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes; squeeze spinach dry.

2.       Combine ravioli, drained tomatoes and Italian seasoning in medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is hot. Combine cottage cheese, spinach and black pepper in small bowl.

3.       Place half of ravioli mixture in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Happy Eating!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Wonderful Winter Paper Crafting Call

Scrapbook & Cards Today is pleased to announce its “Wonderful Winter” call. 

Scrapbook & Cards Today is a beautiful, seasonally inspired free papercrafting publication that can be found in both Canadian and US independent scrapbook stores. It can also be downloaded internationally, in its entirety and for free, by visiting www.scrapbookandcards.com.

Scrapbook & Cards Today would love to see your artwork—including layouts,cards, and altered projects with the following themes:

• holiday celebrations
• winter fun-both outdoors and in
• the "perfect" winter day
• Valentine's Day!

Scrapbook & Cards Today is also looking for:     

• winter cards
• gift tags
• holiday gifts
• well-balanced, double page layouts
• multi-photo layouts      

Are you perfectly organized or have you found a way that helps curb your messy ways? Share your tips and tricks with Scrapbook & Cards Today so you can help others in the same situation. Photos as well as written submissions are welcome.

Be a part of the fastest growing scrapbook publication! Submissions can be made at www.scrapbookandcards.com/submission1.html or atideas@scrapbookandcards.com.

Compensation includes a fabulous goodie box from our sponsors plus two copies of Scrapbook & Cards Today! Please include your name, address, phone number, email address and supply list. Please ensure that all files sent are under 500KB. Summer CHA artwork and projects will be considered. This call ends October 3, 2011.

Good luck to everyone that submits to this call!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Burlap and Buttercups Design Team Call

Burlap & Buttercups is looking for a talented designer who can create a minimum of four scrapbook layouts each month using the Burlap & Buttercups kit supplies.  This position will begin with the November 2011 kit.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have an active blog and be willing to post a link to the B&B site on your blog
• Be willing to post one scheduled challenge per month on your personal blog as well as B&B's blog introducing the challenge, and be willing to share comments about participants' entries
• "Like" the B&B Facebook page and follow our blog, serving as an active participant in the B&B "comments" area
• Complete at least one post on your personal blog each month which showcases the designs you completed using B&B's kit supplies
• Post B&B's kit reveals on your personal blog

Here's what Burlap & Buttercup offers to their new DT member:

• Free main kit and add-on kit each month
• At least two weeks to complete your projects
• Afeatured spot on the B&B blog, where we'll highlight your sketches and layouts
• Your bio and photo on our blog, along with a link to your own blog
• A wonderful opportunity to work with a talented team of designers and get to know others who share a passion for scrapbooking!

All applicants must live within the United States. Send the following information to info@burlapandbuttercups.com and include "Design Team Application" in the subject line:

• At least three samples of your original work
• A brief bio
• A list of any previous and current design teams
• Your mailing address
• Links to any websites or blogs where your work is featured, as well as the link to your personal blog

This call ends September 30, 2011, at 11:59 MST, and the DT member selection will be announced on October 3, 2011.

Good luck to everyone that tries out for the design team call!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Featured Freebies for the Week of September 19th

Hello and Happy Monday to Everyone!

Here are this week's free digital images or printables found on websites, blogs, or submitted to us from friends and followers:

RubberStamping About.com shares with us three cute spiders and a bubbling cauldron just right for Halloween

Digital Doodling shares Teenie all dressed up for Halloween digital image

Pixie Dust Studio shares Witch Hazel the adorable witch digital image

MyGraphico shares Yummy Candy, Happy Halloween, Halloween Odds and Ends, and Lovely Tickets printables

That's all for this week! Happy Crafting!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Recipe Friday: Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

This week's recipe is for Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne, which is perfect on a cold autumn night. The recipe was developed by Our Best Bites that they adapted from Martha Stewart.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)  (or Italian blend which contains provolone, mozzarella, and other white cheeses)

1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
• While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. 
• While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking for 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in shredded cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top.
• Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Halloween Dress Up Printable

I can't believe that Halloween is just around the corner! While the weather tells me the season is changing, it still feels like we just celebrated the 4th of July a few weeks ago.

Babalisme is getting into the Halloween spirit by offering an adorable Halloween Dress Up printable that I wanted to pass along to our faithful followers.

To download your free printable, just click here and then click on the Scribd button to choose between download and print.

While checking out Babalisme's blog, I also discovered the Halloweenies Minicard printable just ready for download.

All you need to do is go here to download.

Happy Crafting!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue