A Day of Creativity

I've been on vacation this past week, loving the time off and enjoying myself immensely!  Today I got to spend the entire day in my craft room which is a good thing as I have a holiday order from a gal for 20 Christmas cards.  I haven't posted my card creations in a while so thought this would be a good time to do so!

And here's a few non holiday cards as well ...

Road Trip!

It's time for an annual event. One that I look forward to every year. Once a year in October, my two sisters, niece, two scrapbook friends and I all take a three hour road trip south to Kansas City for a weekend FILLED with giggles, crafting, munching, an occasional wrong turn and shopping!  In past years we've attended the CKC Convention where they have classes and vendors. But every year the event seems to get smaller and smaller, so this year we've opted to do an all day / all night class at one of our favorite scrapbook stores in Shawnee, Kansas.




This store is like nothing we have locally, and the gals are all so friendly and they have ALL of the newest products on everyone's wish list.  And during their crop they have giveaways every half hour, lots of munchies and also serve us dinner.  So all that is left for us to do is CRAFT and SHOP.  It's gonna be FUN!

Pineberry Shortcake?

I love Pinterest.  I find the MOST unusual things!  Take pineberries, for example.  I had never heard of them before now. 






The pineberry is said to combine the shape and texture of a strawberry with a flavour and smell closer to that of a pineapple.

They are grown in glasshouses, pineberries start off green, gradually turning paler as they ripen.

When the fruit is sweet and juicy enough to eat, the flesh is almost totally white but studded with red seeds - the reverse of the usual variety.

Discovered wild in South America and rescued from extinction by Dutch farmers.  They are smaller than most commercially grown strawberries, measuring slightly less than an inch.  Their growing season is March/April. 

I haven't seen these in any of our local grocery stores, but might check Whole Foods next spring to see if they carry them.

The Perfect Halloween Appetizer!

I saw these darling deviled eggs and just had to share with my blogging friends.  What a quick, delicious and PERFECT appetizer for those Halloween parties! 





~~***Thai-spiced Deviled Eggs***~~

Ingredients:

6 Eggs

2 Tablespoons thick coconut milk, cold (not low fat) or mayonnaise

2 Teaspoons Thai Curry paste (we used the Thai Kitchen brand)

1 Teaspoon ketchup

½ Teaspoon paprika plus more to sprinkle

½ Teaspoon spicy mustard

¼ Teaspoon Sriracha or other red chilli sauce

Salt to taste



For the pumpkin look -

Paprika
1 spring/green onion



Preparation:

Cover the eggs with an inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for a minute, then cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain and then fill the pan with cold water. After 5 minutes, peel the eggs. Slice each egg length-wise and gently remove the yolks.

Place the yolks and all the other ingredients in a small bowl and mash until very smooth. Mound the yolk mixture into the egg whites or transfer it to a ziptop bag and pipe it out. Wet your finger and pat the surface of the filling smooth. Using a toothpick draw lines to make the 'pumpkin' indentations.

Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Cut up the green part of the onion to make tiny stems and add them to finish off the pumpkin look.

Perfect stuffed eggs from:  http://www.foodista.com/recipe/RBMZQ6CT/thai-spiced-deviled-eggs

Isn't She Crafty !!

Okay, I admit that my daughter has no desire to be any sort of artist  ...  or cook  ...  or designer.  She is always telling me that the only reason she has a kitchen is because it came with the house.  And it's not that she can't cook ... it's just that she chooses not to cook.  And even though I have one of her artistic creations from the fifth grade hanging up for all to see, I don't think she's picked up a bottle of Elmer's glue since that spectacular creation was made.

So when she called me last week and said ... "Hey, mom, do you have any popsicle sticks and some styrofoam I can use for a project?"  Well, I almost cried for joy ... the tables were turning. Maybe with the birth of her to gorgeous children and becoming a fabulous mom, some sort of dormant creative gene was coming to life after all.  So with a little bit of guidance, here's a project she created for an auction event they are having at her workplace.  I think she did a FINE job!!!

Paper Smooches Blog Hop

September DT Blog Hop over at Paper Smooches ... you're gonna have fun.  Go and check it out!






http://papersmooches.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-dt-blog-hop.html

Soup is Good Food

With the arrival of fall, also comes soup weather. 





Chilly evenings that just call out for a nice bowl of steaming soup. 





And there really is nothing easier than making soup.  Some good  stock, your favorite vegetables, a rotisserie chicken or leftover pot roast, maybe some wavy noodles, and a handful of fresh (or dried) herbs, and voila ... you've got soup! 





You can make it even easier by throwing everything into the crockpot and letting it cook all day while you are at work.  There is NOTHING better than coming home and opening up the door and having the aroma of chicken soup hit you full in the face!





You can find some of my favorite soup recipes on my pinterest board here: 

http://pinterest.com/lillianchild/soup-s-on/


And if you want some easy peasy crockpot recipes, check these out:

http://pinterest.com/lillianchild/crockpot-ease/


Now, with any good bowl of soup, you will want a loaf of fresh crusty bread.  Me ... I'll pick up a loaf at Panera on my way home from work, but if you have time to make your own bread, even better!!  And don't settle on a sleeve of crackers - go for the gold and get some really good oyster crackers to add to your soup.  And maybe some fresh grated cheese to go on top ... oh the possibilities!

An apple a day means fall is on its way!

Around here we have several apple orchards within an hour's drive and every year we make it an event to go to several.  You can pick your own or just grab a basket already to go.  And FRESH apple cider is always a MUST.  I love making apple butter every year and sharing with family and friends.  And apple pan pie, and applesauce, and apple fritters, and apple pancakes!  And of course, there is NOTHING better than eating an apple fresh from the tree ... so crisp and sweet and juicy!  Some of the orchards also offer up treats like caramel apples, apple donuts, apple pies and of course we always get their homemade kettle corn to eat with the apples on the trip home.  YUM!

Hubba Hubba Hubby!

Rarely do I get a photo of my husband, Sterling, looking relaxed and happy ... although he is both of these things most of the time.  Thank you to my sister, Gloria, who took this photo last week at our niece's birthday party.  And what makes this photo so authentic is the Bud Light he is holding. (grin)  I was temped to photoshop it and put a can of soda in his hand, but then nobody would believe it was him! 

The Wonderful World of Art Journaling!

Look what arrived at my door recently.  I just recently started creating with Faber Castell products ... I have some of their pastels (amazing to work with) and gelatos (so fun).  And now I can learn some new journaling techniques with this amazing set !!




I was the lucky winner of this set by becoming a follower over at Cheryl's blog: 

http://cherylswindow.com/art-journaling-with-design-memory-craft-faber-castell/

Go over and check out Cheryl's amazing blog and give her a shout out !!!   Let her know I sent you!  She's got some fabulous workshops ... look at this delightful project:




OH MY !!!!

And just take a look at her altered cargo case !




Yep ... just takes your breath away! 

Thanks, again, Cheryl, for this amazing giveaway prize!!!!

Driving Miss Paisley

Over this past weekend, we had several family events.  Here's Miss Paisley riding around in a Fisher Price toy steering the wheel like she's been doing it all her life (nine months worth).  HA!


Look at the tongue concentration action in this one!

Look dad, I'm driving!

Is there a GPS system on this thing?

Paisley ... your hands should be at 2 and 4 ... not 1 and 7 ... !!

In the blink of an eye she will be asking mom and dad for a REAL set of keys ... !!

Happy Birthday Hailey!

My darling niece, Hailey, just turned 3 and we had a delightful family celebration on Saturday for her special day!  Here's a fabulous photo of her with her parents, Matthew and Magann!  Magann is OFFICIALLY Hailey's stepmom now, as we were given the wonderful news that she and Matthew were secretly married back in May with only a handful of family knowing about their private ceremony.  We are all so very happy for them and welcome Magann into our crazy family! 

RAK Prize !

Holy papercrafting creativity, Batman.  Look what I received in the mail today!  Talk about an amazing RAK (and for those that don't know what a RAK is, it's a random act of kindness)!  I recently enjoyed Paper Haus Magazine's first official blog hop!  They were celebrating the launch of their very first issue of a fantastic new mixed media publication. It's packed full of fall inspiration, with projects from all your favorite designers and a surprise special guest as well!! And the best part - this publication and all the inspiration you'll find within is completely free!


http://www.thepaperhaus.com/   


One of the blog hop participants was Sabrina and she offered up this amazing prize on her personal blog.  And I was chosen the winner.  Thanks again, Sabrina for going to all the trouble and expense of sending this prize package to me.  I'm going to really enjoy it!  

Go and give a big shout out to Sabrina at her blog here:  

http://sabrinaalery.blogspot.com/    






Thanks again, Sabrina ... you just made my day!  And congrats on your upcoming family addition!  Hope all goes well !!  Hugs!!

Fruit Pasta !

One of the vendors at the Parker Farmer's Market is a company called Pappardelle's Pasta (http://www.pappardellesonline.com).  They have THE most amazing pasta!  This year we picked up some of their Fanciful Fruit blend.





Flavors: Lemon, Lime, Raspberry & Tangerine/Orange Gemelli


This pasta is all in the same Gemelli shape. Toss this unique fruit pasta blend with seasonal fruit and a fresh lemon-zest/yogurt sauce or a raspberry vinaigrette dressing for an exciting summer pasta salad.

Here's a recipe we're going to try!
Fanciful Fruit Pasta Salad with Two Citrus Fruits

½ lb. Pappardelle’s Fanciful Fruit Pasta
½ cup chilled fresh orange wedges
½ cup chilled fresh pink grapefruit wedges
½ cup chilled mango, diced

Fresh Low-Fat Orange Zest Dressing

1 cup chilled plain low-fat yogurt
1 small can Mandarin oranges and juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
¼ cup orange juice concentrate

1. Cook pasta in 6-8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain, rinse in cold water and, if time allows, refrigerate overnight.

2. In food processor or blender, combine all Fresh Low-Fat Orange Zest Dressing ingredients (except for the orange zest). After mixing well, add orange zest and fold into dressing. Chill dressing for 2 hours so flavors are well blended.

3. One hour before serving, toss pasta with fruit items and dressing, and serve on bed of greens. A great complement is to serve with fresh blueberry muffins and honey butter (1 cup of butter, whipped with ¼ cup clover honey, chilled overnight).

Singing in the Rain

While we were in Colorado, my son took us to the Southlands shopping district in Aurora.  It's unbelievably HUGE ... so many amazing stores and restaurants ... they even have a two story Barnes & Noble - my favorite place to go for a relaxing afternoon!  On Main Street was this unique umbrella display ... and get this ... it actually RAINS underneath these umbrellas ... what a unique piece of artwork ... visually stunning!

The Original Steakburger

My husband and I just got back from a road trip to Colorado to visit my son and his wife.  We always have such a wonderful time.  The first night my son cooked us a delicious dinner and we sat on the patio and enjoyed the mountain air!  The next morning we went to a new breakfast place called Snooze ... love the name!  It has a very unique breakfast menu and everything we ordered was AMAZING!  We then had to stop at IKEA ... can't go to Denver and not visit that BIG BLUE BUILDING!  We loaded up our rental car with our purchases and then headed over to Crate and Barrel where I found some oven ware bowls that will be perfect for french onion soup!!  The town of Parker was having their annual bbq festival so we got to sample some award winning bbq for dinner, and of course made our annual trek to Swirls for some frozen yogurt afterwards.  Sunday we went to the weekly farmer's market in Parker.  This is one of our favorite places to go when we visit the kids.  The vendors are so friendly and there are SO MANY wonderful things to choose from.  My son drove us down to Colorado Springs in the afternoon and then we continued on to Cripple Creek, which was about another hour around the other side of Pike's Peak.  There was some fire damage visible from the road, but mostly the vistas were full of beautiful pines and aspens.  A few aspens were already starting to turn their colors.  Monday we had a leisurely day just enjoying my son and awaiting my daughter-in-law to return to town so that we could spend a few hours with her before we headed up into the mountains to Black Hawk.  Spent a few nights enjoying the mountain vistas and a few pulls on the slot machines and then headed back to Omaha on Wednesday.  Gotta love a 9 hour road trip!  About the time we were driving back to Omaha, my daughter and her family were flying in to Parker to visit Mark and Chrysty and spend a week in Colorado as well.  We normally all go at once, but this year we split up our time.

Here's a pic of Paisley having lunch yesterday at one of their favorite places!

I think Paisley is going to question her parents in about 20 years and ask "what were you thinking"???!!!!

A Sweet Poem I Had To Share!

In a pickle!

We're gearing up for football season, and I wanted to share my "go to" dip recipe.  I've made this so many times, and it's ALWAYS a HUGE hit.  SO simple and SO dang delicious.  Make a batch and let me know what you think!

Dill Pickle Dip





Ingredients



8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 to 1 cup dill pickles, depending on how pickly you like things

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

dill, for garnish, if desired

pickle juice

Instructions

Chop the pickles into very small pieces.

Combine with the cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed. Splash in a bit of pickle juice to thin the dip out a bit (around 1 tablespoon, but more is fine, dependent on your taste).


Can be served with chips, crackers or toast points.

Aw Shucks!

Isn't it fun to live in a town all your life, and still be able to discover a diamond in the rough restaurant?  That just what my hubby and I did for lunch today.  If you live near or around the Omaha, Nebraska area, you simply must put SHUCKS on your "places to eat" list. They have THE most awesome seafood this side of Boston, hands down.  A bit on the pricey side, but fresh seafood in the Midwest is going to come with a bit of sticker shock.  It's just the price we have come to expect having no beach front property nearby.  But talk about FRESH and delicious!



What brought us to this establishment was a promotional coupon good for a free appetizer up to $9.  I have picked up fresh seafood from Absolutely Fresh Seafood in the past and knew since this restaurant was associated with this business that we could probably expect something good. We ordered the shrimp cargot … fresh large shrimp in garlic butter and covered with gouda cheese and then broiled until the cheese is gooey and crisp on top. Oh yeah .. SWIMMING (pardon the pun) in calories. It came with fresh sour dough bagettes slices for dipping. Sterling ordered their jambalaya and was NOT disappointed.  Ever since Mother's Good Food closed down years ago, we haven't found any place that compared.  Well, problem solved!!  I ordered a ½ portion shrimp po’boy sandwich with a cup of lobster bisque for my luncheon entree. Good gravy, it was beyond delicious!!!

To quote Arnold … “we’ll be back” !!!

Pucker up - It's National Lemonade Day!!

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

But regardless of what life has given you, get your pitchers ready!  Why? Because today is National Lemonade Day!

And with the lazy days of summer coming fast coming to an end, what better reason to enjoy this sweet/sour drink of sunshine!





But there's really only ONE way to make this ... using FRESH lemons ... I'm sorry, but while the concentrate will do in a pinch, there is nothing to compare to the original fruit ... unless, of course, you use fresh limes instead (see an earlier post of mine on limes!)





Here's my simple "go to" recipe for making this sparling beverage:

Ingredients


1 cup sugar
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)

1 cup squozed lemon juice  (squozed is my own personal word for fresh squeezed)

3 to 4 cups cold water

Method

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.  This is definitely the secret to good fresh lemonade - don't just add granulated sugar to water and lemon juice - it'll never dissolve properly!

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.  I've also added lemon zest from the fruit to add even more pucker!

3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength.  Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes.

Pour over a glass of ice and ENJOY!!!

Wonderment

I saw this photo here:  http://toocutethings.blogspot.ca/

The look in this child's eyes, with her nose pressed up against the glass ... just made my Monday a little better.  This website has SO MANY adorable photos that will just melt your heart.

King of Rock 'n Roll

Has it really been 35 years ago today since we lost this music icon?  I remember my folks taking us to the drive-in movie and watching Elvis on the screen singing his way into every young girl's heart.

Popcorn the Bear!

Kathy over at Kathy's Double K Krafts participated in  The Crafter’s Companion Birthday Blog Hop this past week.  Here is her delightful project.  I was SO impressed with her coloring and paper piecing  talents on this sweet sweet project. 





The blog hop was also offering up prizes ... and guess what?  I WON from Kathy's blog!!!  Thank you Kathy for this darling Popcorn the Bear - "Party Time" stamp set!!





Now RUN ... don't walk, over to Kathy's blog and give her a shout out.  And check out her FUN blog while you are there.  Tell her I sent you over!

http://kathysdouble-k-krafts.blogspot.com/search/label/Crafter%E2%80%99s%20Companion%20Blog%20Hop

And then go and check out the birthday week specials over at Crafter's Companion - you're gonna fall in love with their products!

http://www.crafterscompanion.com/

Happy 5th birthday to Crafter's Companion!!

Happy Birthday to my niece, Trisha!



I know the photo says happy birthday Avlyn, because it was taken a few months back for Avlyn's 2nd birthday ... but this is such a nice photo of my niece, Trisha, and her husband, Craig, with my adorable grandniece, Avlyn.  Happy Birthday, Trisha! 

Sterling's Cookies

My husband, Sterling, makes some of the best chocolate chip cookies!  And he has a following.  I've brought them into the office several times during the past several years and everyone smiles in delight at the sight of them.  They have even requested them for special occasions.  Maybe THIS might be an idea for his retirement plan!  The cookies are soft and moist - very cake like - not too sweet, but chock full of nuts and chips!  He won't divulge the recipe, but I've watched him make these and I can be compromised for the right price (chuckle).

It's so hot ...

IT'S SO HOT in NEBRASKA



.....the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.

......the trees are whistling for the dogs.

.....the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance

.....hot water comes from both taps.

.....you can make sun tea instantly.

.....you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

.....the temperature drops below 90 F and you feel a little chilly.

.....you discover that in July it only takes two fingers to steer your car.

.....you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

.....you actually burn your hand opening the car door.

.....you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 A.M.

.....your biggest motorcycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death"?

.....you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.

.....the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.

.....the cows are giving evaporated milk.

.....and, the farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs