confessions of a scrap lifter

Easter and Baby Braden

2011-11-22T11:34:00.001-08:00

I had some Easter photos to do but no Easter paper so I cut out some eggs on the Cricut.

I like this one the best. I just made rows and rows of eggs.

I love the way this one turned out. The paper is from a Martha Stewart pack of papers I got a long time ago. I was so proud of myself for creating the folded flower. It took me a couple tries and it is still not 100% but I was happy.

December Daily goodies

2011-11-20T13:40:00.001-08:00

I found some snowflake stamps and some kaleidoscope embossing powder at Michael's the other day. I am going to be using that and some Christmas tape from Martha Stewart. I should take some pictures because I was super excited about the Christmas tape. It is just what I wanted. He He.

December Daily

2011-11-17T18:45:00.001-08:00

I took these photos with my phone so they are not the best. These are the embellished squares for my December Daily layouts. You can't see in the photo but I stitched on them all.

I have all my squares cut up at 4x4. I love this echo park paper. It is good sturdy double sided paper. The paper with all the numbers is my fav.

Stuff

2011-11-17T18:35:00.001-08:00

These pages are always hard for me to leave alone. I always feel like I need to add something to that big white space.

This is the first page for my December Daily. I spilled some water on my desk so it got wet. I am hoping that will flatten out in my album. I have never done a page without a picture before.

Some super quick pages I did for our Bloomsday photos. I took way too many photos as usual.

The numbers for my December Daily. I am planning on scrap lifting an page from Ali's Life Artist book. I will tweak it a bit. These are stickers from echo park. I am a sucker for the cute stuff.

Tuesday November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T17:08:00.001-08:00

Today I got all my little bits ready for my December Daily. I took a few photos with my phone and I will try and get them on here tomorrow. All I need now is some white paper and perhaps a snowflake stamp. I am scraplifting a page from Ali Edward's Life Artist book. I am going to have to tweak it a bit since the layout would have me taking 7 pictures each day and I doubt I would keep up with that. I just hope I can keep up with the journalling.

Busy Scrapping

2011-11-10T15:49:00.001-08:00

I haven't put any of my pages on here in a while. These are a few I have done lately. This one is a scrap lift from Elizabeth Kertchner's 52 challenge book. I used up a bunch of old paper that I had. I know I have said this before but just cut up that paper you have been saving. I have had some of this paper for over 10 years. Waiting for what.

I love the stickers on this page. I believe they still have it at Paper Pals. It is filled with birthday celebration stickers. I love how cute they are. I am a sucker for the cute.

This one is another scrap lift from the 52 challenge book. I don't think it is one of Elizabeth's and in the original LO it was butterflies and not animals.

I purchased the Amber Project Life and decided to do my 2009 photos. I have scrapped a few pages from this year and I just add them in along with the Project Life.

I got the Turquoise edition of Project Life to do my 2011 book because the Amber edition seemed a bit girly. Now that I have it I really like it. It just seems fancy to me.

I got these page protectors from Becky Higgins line and I am thinking it is the design F. I was originally thinking of using them for photos of Abi's artwork. I had taken a lot lot of pictures at this Easter party and these divided page protectors worked perfectly.

I then used some We R Memory Keepers 4x4 divided page protectors for the pictures that I couldn't cut down to a 3x4 size.

Well that is about it. I have been really going to town and trying to get caught up. I still have 2008 photos to scrap. I am caught up to April on both my 2009 and 2011 Project Life books. I have purchased the paper for my December Daily but I haven't come up with what I want to do yet. I should post some pictures of what I did last year. I am thinking that I will end up doing it that way again. I have also been smashing. Yes my house work is going to pot. Really I have mostly been doing all this while Abi is in school or at night when she is in bed.

December Daily

2011-11-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

I bought a bunch of Christmas paper at Paper Pals the other day. I went for the cute stuff. I just gravitate towards it. Now I need an idea on how I am going to do it. I have been looking on Flickr but haven't found anything. Of course I love Ali's style but the Studio Calico kit is like $70. I like to do what Ali does but I also like to put my own spin on it. I should post some photos of my last year December Daily. I just used my Project Life page protectors and that worked out well.

Smashing

2011-11-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

I bought my smash book from Paper Pals yesterday. I started smashing yesterday and I know I am going to get hooked on this. I am just doing whatever I want with no worries about how it looks. It is fun. I don't think I will post any pictures on here because I have put some personal stuff in there. If there is anyone in the Pullman area that is smashing and wants to share some of the little note cards then post a comment. I bought the entertainment and quote books and there are three of every design so it would be great to do a swap.

Project Life Amber

2011-11-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

I got Project Life the Amber edition about a week ago. I have been doing my 2009 photos with it. It is kind of a girly theme but I really like it. I am using Turquoise for 2011. I believe this is the only way that I am going to catch up. I know we are not suppose to care about catching up but I do care about it. I want my memories documented. I forget so much. I can not rave enough about this project. So far I have gotten 2 friends hooked on it.

Tiny Stapler

2011-10-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

I bought myself a Tim Holtz stapler today that uses tiny staples. How can I be so excited about a stapler? He He. Coming soon. Layouts covered with tiny staples. Of course I saw them on Ali's blog and had to have it.
I also so much want to get the Studio Calico kit for doing December Daily. In the past 2 years I have used my stash. What to do? What to do? I also want to take the December Daily class at Paper Pals. I also want to get a smash book and start smashing.

December Daily Love

2011-10-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ali has a post about her December Daily today. I am so excited for this project. This year I am going to be oh so ready. Last year I thought I was ready but by December 6th I was out of it. It is Abi's birthday on December 15th and we had a bunch of company last year. This year we are going to be in Canada for Christmas but I am going to stay on top of this project. I will take a bunch of pictures when I am home. I just finished last years December Daily a month ago. Last Christmas was not my favorite. I think that is why it took me so long to get it done. Our laptop with all my photos on it also crashed after Christmas so I lost a bunch of photos. Luckily I got some off my Mom's camera but it still really bummed me out. This year it is going to be super great. "We're gonna have the hap hap happiest christmas since Bing Crosby tapdanced with Danny fucking Kaye."
What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Trying out the new style

2011-09-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

{SQUASH AND CHICKPEA CURRY}

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced gingerroot

3 tbsp mild curry paste

2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash

2 cups diced peeled potato

1 can (19 oz/540 ml) chickpeas, drained andrinsed

1 can light coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

¼ cup natural cashew butter or peanut butter

¼ tsp salt

2 cups packed shredded Swiss chard

1 cup frozen peas

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or 1 tsp driedcoriander

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; fryonion, garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7minutes. Add curry paste; cook,stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add squash, potato ad chickpeas; stir tocoat. Add coconut milk, broth, cashewbutter and salt; bring to boil. Coverand simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30minutes.

Gently stir in Swiss chard and peas; cook,stirring, until Swiss chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coriander.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

PER EACH SERVING: about 217 cal, 6 g pro, 8 g total fat (3 gsat. fat), 32 g carb, 5 g fiber, o mg chol, 543 mg sodium, 4% calcium, 11%iron, 50% vit A, 23% vit C, 25% folate.

Slow Cooker Method: In slow cooker, combine squash, potato andchickpeas. In large skillet, heat oilover medium heat; fry onion, garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally, untilonion is golden, about 7 minutes. Addcurry paste; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add to slow cooker. Add coconut mild and broth to slow cooker;stir in cashew butter and salt. Coverand cook on low until vegetables are tender, about 4 hours. Stir in Swiss chard and peas. Cover and cookon high until Swiss chard is wilted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coriander.

What's Cooking?

2011-09-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

{PASTA FAGIOLI}

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces (about 2 cups) small pasta shells
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces and washed
2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add pasta and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat through. Ladle in to bowls; garnish with Parmesan.
Per Serving: 260 Calories; 5g fat (1g salt); 13g protein; 48g carbohydrate; 8g fiber; 791mg sodium; 0mg cholesterol
Makes 8 servings Prep 15 minutes Cook 16 minutes
From: Family Circle

{SPANISH RICE}

2 tbsp olive oil (can use up to ¼ cup)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 tsp salt
In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened. Ina separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
From: Simply Recipes

{HAWAIIAN-STYLE SWEET-AND-SOUR ROASTED PINEAPPLE AND BELL PEPPERS}

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 medium red bell pepper, cubed (1 ½ cups)
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges (1 ½ cups)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp dark or light brown sugar
1 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes, optional
1 tbsp lime juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange pineapple cubes, red bell pepper cubes, and red onion wedges on ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and vegetable oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toss to coat.
Roast pineapple mixture on center oven rack 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sweetened coconut flakes, if using, then drizzle with lime juice. Remove to serving bowl and toss well to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Per 1 cup serving: 108 calories; &1g protein; 5g total fat (1 g saturated fat): 17g crab; 0mg cholesterol; 3mg sodium; 2g fiber; 12g sugars
From: Vegetarian Times

Just a few recipes I have tried lately. The Spanish Rice one is so good. I usually put it in the rice cooker and skip the last part of the directions. Enjoy.

Quilt Pictures

2011-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the quilt that belongs to my Mother in law. Her mother made it for her about 30+ years ago. It is totally falling apart. Some of the fabric has totally disintegrated. The white fabric is so fragile it rips when you touch it. So I am going to take it apart and put it back together with the salvageable fabric. I am seam ripping them all apart. It is going to take me a long time. I work on it at night while watching TV. It is a good way to keep me from eating at night.
The quilt design is called Pineapple. I think it is a challenging design. I am not a quilter so we will see how this goes. I fixed my husband's quilt that his Mom made him but it wasn't as bad as this one. Wish me luck.

Am I crazy?

2011-06-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am working on restoring an old quilt of my mother in law's. I wanted to put a photo on here but I am having trouble. This quilt is in rough shape.

iPhone

2011-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

I hadn't realized how long it has been since I have posted. My husband and I received our iPhone on Saturday and it has been play play play ever since. It is highly addictive. I have done other things but I am on that thing way too much. So I guess I can post a recipe today. Talk to you soon.

{SAUCY CHICKEN}
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cooking oil
½ cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ oz dry onion soup mix
3 lbs chicken parts, skin removed

Mix first 7 ingredients in bowl. Arrange chicken, meaty side up, in a single layer in small roaster. Spoon sauce over top being sure to get some on every piece. Cover. Bake in 350 oven for 50-60 min until tender.
Serves 6
From: Jean Pare

Busy Busy Busy

2011-06-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hosted Mom's group. Wow. I was busy cleaning up in the morning before everyone got here and then again after everyone left. I was also in a bit of a bad mood so that did not help. So I guess that is why I didn't even remember that I am trying to post daily. If anyone is reading this blog they probably wonder if I ever live up to my promises. Last night I was working on organizing some yard sale stuff. The Mom's group is having a yard sale on Saturday so last night I was getting that all ready. I did make vegetarian stew last night and it was very good. For sure a repeat recipe. I will get that typed up and posted soon. I got it off the Weight Watcher's site. I am making another recipe from there tonight so we will see how that goes. Tonight I will be finishing pricing my yard sale items and getting ready for the day. Yipppeee. Here are some recipes. Have a lovely day.

{TRADITIONAL SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE}
2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¾ cups packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup finely chopped pecans, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Place the sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla). Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. Fold in ¼ cup pecans. Scrape potato mixture into an even layer in an 11x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup pecans; top with marshmallows. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until golden.
From: Cooking Light Magazine
Makes 16 servings

I never had this thanksgiving traditional dish till I moved to USA. My family didn't have this at our dinners. We were really missing out. This is one of my daughter's favorites. I make it often.

{CANDIED WALNUTS}
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups raw walnut halves
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Test for doneness. If not quite toasted enough toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.
Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is medium amber. As soon as the sugar is melted and the color is medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.
As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely.
Makes 1 ½ cups
From: Simply Recipes

I use to get these at Trader Joe's and when we moved here I couldn't find them. Now I get them at Winco in the bulk section. I have a wonderful salad that I put them on and I am sure that I have posted that one before but I can not find it at this moment. It is called Carrie's Spring Salad. It has a poppy seed dressing. Yum Yum

Muscles still sore

2011-06-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today was my second spin class. My legs were sore from Monday's class. I really like it. I sweat like nobodies business. I just wish my bottom wasn't so sore. Anyway. I forgot to post yesterday so I will add 2 recipes today. I did work on my friend's book the other night but I still don't have it complete so I will work on it again tonight.

{CHIPOTLE BEAN NACHOS}
1 spray cooking spray
1 tsp canola oil
1 medium shallot, or 1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
15 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp chili powder, chipotle variety, or more to taste
20 items baked low-fat tortilla chips
7 tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp variety
1/3 cup salsa
3 tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced, plus extra leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat oil over medium heat; then add shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, salt and chili powder; mash with back of spoon or potato masher to make a pulpy mixture. Remove from heat; set aside. Place tortilla chips on rimmed baking sheet. Spoon bean mixture over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon salsa over top; immediately sprinkle with cilantro. Yields five topped chips per serving.
From: Weight Watchers

When I made these I used those scoop chips. It worked well that way. They were very good for a healthy option for nachos.

{THAI NOODLES}
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated angel hair pasta
¼ cup peanut sauce
½ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
½ cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
½ cup preshredded carrot
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well; return to pan. Add peanut sauce and next 4 ingredients. Divide pasta into 6 equal servings. Top each serving with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
Per serving: CAL 229; FAT 9.1g; PRO 8.6g; CARB 29.1g; FIB 2.3g; CHOL 24 mg; IRON 1.3mg; SOD 225mg; CALC 21mg
From: Weight Watchers

My step-son likes this one. The stuff for this salad (cilantro, carrots, peanuts) tend to settle to the bottom of the bowl so really scrap it up from the bottom.

Sore Muscles

2011-06-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

I started a Yoga/Spin class this morning. It was very good but I am a wee bit sore. Probably not as sore if it was just a spin class. I believe the yoga stretching afterwards really helped. So tonight I am going to work on my friend's shower book and will hopefully have something to post. So for now here is a recipe. Maybe I should rename this blog to "the girl who hardly has time to scrap". I guess that wouldn't be accurate. I could scrap a lot more but then I would be neglecting my chores and my family.

{CHICKEN, BLACK BEAN AND CORN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE}
1 2 /3 oz Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce Mix or equivalent product (1.62 oz package)
6 oz canned tomato paste
8 cups water, divided
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup green peppers, chopped
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cup uncooked yellow cornmeal
1 spray cooking spray
15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz canned yellow corn, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken breast, skinless, diced
1 ½ cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare enchilada sauce according to package directions using tomato paste and 3 cups of water. (You will end up with 3 cups of sauce total.)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove 1 cup of onion mixture and place in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Stir 3 cups of water into remaining onion mixture and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, add cornmeal to remaining 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Gradually add cornmeal mixture to boiling water-onion mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is thickened, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Coat a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over bottom of dish.
Spoon beans, corn and chicken into reserved onion mixture; combine thoroughly.
Spread half of enchilada sauce over cornmeal layer. Top with all of bean mixture and then remaining enchilada sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 45 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. (Note: This recipe is a bit saucy. For a firmer consistency, reduce the amount of enchilada sauce by ½ to 1/3.)
From: Weight Watchers

My husband actually made this dish and it was very good. Of course. Why would I post it if it wasn't?

Lots & Lots of Recipes

2011-06-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

I typed out a bunch of recipes this weekend so I will have a bunch of recipes to post this week. I am currently working on a scrapbook for my friend's baby shower so I am hoping to have something to show you soon. For now here is the recipe of the day:

{PUMPKIN-CARROT CAKE}
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
¾ cup raisins
½ cup grated carrots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (flours through salt). Place egg and egg white in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, butter, and orange rind; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in raisins, carrot, and cranberries. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 1 square)
Calories: 219; Fat: 6.4g; Fiber: 2.9g

From: Cooking Light Magazine

All the recipes that I post on here are recipes that I have tried and liked. I made this one for a baby shower and it turned out well. I think it would be great with a cream cheese frosting. Oh that sounds so good. I started Weight Watchers today so I am going through withdrawl.

Recipe

2011-06-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

{BROCCOLI CHEESE FRITTATA}

2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds)
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 small onions, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup water
1 ½ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
3 large whole eggs
9 large egg whites
½ ounce grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
2 ounces goat cheese (1/3 cup)
Cooking spray

Cut broccoli stems into ½ inch pieces, and cut florets into 1-inch pieces; set aside. Melt butter in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions; cook until translucent, about 5 min. Add broccoli stems, and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 min. Add florets and water, and cook until broccoli is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 min more. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Wipe out pan; coat with cooking spray. In the bowl of an n electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and egg whites. Beat until extremely light and foamy, 8 to 10 min. Heat pan over med-high heat. Fold Parmesan and broccoli mixture into eggs. Add to pan; dot top with goat cheese, Cook, without stirring, for 2 min. Transfer to oven; bake until top is golden brown and frittata is set, about 30 min.
Makes 8 servings.
128 Calories; 103 mg Calcium; 5g fat; 87 mg Cholesterol; 381mg Sodium; 12g protein; 4g dietary fiber
From: Cooking Light

This one is a bit of work but very good.

Challenging

2011-06-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

I already posted these on the Paper Pals blog but I thought I would put them on here as well because I haven't posted a scrap page for a long time. This paper was a bit of a challenge for me because I have to get over the fear of covering it up. It has words and images all over and I don't want to cover those up. I just had to do it. It took me a long time to come up with an idea. The page above used up a ton of photos that I cropped with my square punch. 14 photos on one page.

This page was a lot of embroidery work. I stitched around all the photos. I also made charms out of the stickers and then hung them from loops I had made from the ribbon. It was a bit tedious and I would do it differently if I did this again.

I had so few scraps to work with on my cards. I wanted to cut some stuff out on the Cricut but I just didn't have enough paper. I really like the thank you one. It is plain and simple.

Saturday Post

2011-05-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am going to be super busy this weekend so I thought I would set this up early. Have a great long weekend.
{ASIAN BEEF-NOODLE SALAD}

Dressing
½ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp grated ginger root
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp each salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes
Salad
8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 lb sirloin steak, grilled and cut into strips
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
½ cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Rinse well with cold water and drain again. Transfer spaghetti to a large salad bowl and toss with remaining ingredients. Add dressing just before serving and toss again.

Per serving (based on 6 servings): calories: 340; total fat: 7.6 g; saturated fat: 2.1g; protein: 25g; carbohydrate: 46g; fiber: 6.3g; cholesterol: 46mg; sodium 619 mg

From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry

Cheesy Bean Casserole

2011-05-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

I do have a new assignment from Paper Pals to work on and I plan on starting that today but for now I am going to post another recipe.

{CHEESY BEAN CASSEROLE}

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
2 cans (14 1/2oz) no-salt whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced fat sharp cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion to skillet and sauté until tender. Stir in beans and next 3 ingredients. Cook 3 min or until thoroughly heated. Spoon into an 8 inch square baking pan; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 min or until cheese melts, let stand 5 minutes.

From: Weight Watchers

My friend, Erin, brought this yummy dish over for us after we had our daughter. What a wonderful gift. She even made cornbread to go along with it. So yummy.

After Thanksgiving Recipe

2011-05-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe is meant for using up your leftover turkey. I have made it often with chicken. It is so yummy.

{TURKEY CURRY}
2 tbsp butter
3 cups finely chopped peeled Golden Delicious apple (about 2)
2 cups finely chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground red pepper
½ cup fat-free milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
6 cups chopped cooked turkey breast (about 1 pound)
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add apples, onion, and garlic to pan. Cover and cook 12 min or until onion is tender. Add curry powder, salt, & red pepper to pan. Combine milk and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; add to pan. Stir in broth. Reduce heat, and cook 4 min or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add turkey and juice to pan; cook 5 min or until turkey is thoroughly heated.
Makes 8- 1 cup servings
Calories 143; Fat 3.4g; Protein 18.3g; Carb 9.7g; Fiber 1.2g; Chol 55 mg; Iron 1.2 mg; Sodium 316 mg; Calcium 37 mg
From: Cooking Light Magazine

Lisa Congdon Kitchen Plate Wall

2011-05-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

Well I don't have much to share today except for this inspiring wall of plates. I want to do this along with the other millions of things I want to do. I just love the look of all the different shapes, sizes and colors. What has inspired you today?

Oh let's just do a recipe!

2011-05-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy day of organizing and getting stuff ready for a yard sale my friend is having. I love getting rid of stuff. So tonight I made this super fast chili. I have more than one chili recipe but this one is fast and good. Enjoy.

{QUICK CHILI}

Sauté in a stock pot:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Add:
2 cups ground beef or chicken, cooked
1 can (19 oz/540ml) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) Romano beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz/796 ml) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (5 ½ oz/156 ml) tomato paste
2 cups water
1 can (10 oz/284 ml) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 to 2 tbsp chili powder (as desired)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt

Bring to boil, then simmer 20 minutes uncovered, stirring often.

From: Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes by Laura Kalina and Cheryl Christian

I have already failed!

2011-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

My goal of daily post has failed. I guess I can just say that I took the weekend off. I took on the project of painting my daughter's closet this weekend. We live in a house that was built in 1938. I love our house. While cleaning up and taking apart some shelves that someone had made in the upper portion of her closet I found tiny bits of newspaper. I couldn't find the date on any of them but one of the headlines had Stalin in the title. Old stuff. I am almost done with the project but I need some help from the husband. This project has been on my to do list for a long time. When I painted her room after we moved in it took me a weekend and I had her sleeping in our room. I didn't have enough time to do the inside of her closet so I just did the outside and called it good. Since my husband was away this weekend I had her sleep with me so she didn't have to breath those paint fumes. Now on to the next project...

I don't know what kind of paint that pink paint was but it took 4 coats to cover up.

The before pictures. The 2 boards were shelves in the upper portion of the closet. I also painted inside the lower part but I didn't take a before picture. Oops.

Almost done. I just need to put the doors back on and get my husband to help me with the shelves in the upper portion of the closet.

Recipe Time

2011-05-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of blog surfing lately. AKA procrastinating doing other things that need to be done. I love it when blogs are updated daily. Like Ali's blog. The majority of the time she has daily updates on both projects and her life. So I thought I would try that for a while and see what happens. I have been working on my Project Life but I don't have anything done enough to take a picture of. I am trying to make it simpler this year. So as a post for today I am putting up a recipe. That is going to be my last resort for getting something on here daily. Let's see how long I can keep this up.

{SPICY PINEAPPLE CHICKEN}

*Saute 5 to 7 minutes in a large frying pan:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips,
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips,
*Add:
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) pineapple chunks with juice
1 cup salsa
2 tbsp cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger or ¾ tsp ground ginger
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Continue to cook stirring frequently, until chicken is heated through. For a thicker sauce, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water and add to pan. Heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings
From: Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes

This one is super easy and fast. I think it is because you use salsa. I always use cilantro when I make it because I love love love cilantro. Cilantro is high on the list as a healing herb. Sounds good to me.

hello

2011-05-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well I must confess I have not done a lot of scrapping lately. I have sewed some curtains for my studio and now I am working on lining those curtains. I did however start my 2011 Project Life yesterday. So I have photos printed from Jan to March. Let's see how long it takes me to catch up. I also bought a bunch of super cute paper from Paper Pals about 2 weeks ago so I can make a shower album for my friend Alison. So I will have some stuff to post shortly. I am going to a friend's house tonight to do some scrapping. I am hoping to post what I did tomorrow. See you soon.

Square Bears

2011-05-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

My Mom came for an Easter visit. While she was here we made these little square bears for Abi for Easter. My Mom did most of the work. We made a little pocket in the momma bear so the baby could ride along. Because the baby was so tiny and the fabric was so thick we couldn't make arms and legs for the baby.

Sharpie Paint Pen

2011-03-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

About 3 years ago now I painted all our trim and floor boards white. Well this is what most of them look like now. So I got the idea to take my Sharpie paint pen and just do some touch ups. My daughter even wanted to help color on the walls.

Voila! Looks a lot better. It is a bit addicting. Those dings stand out like red flags. I could get the paint out and fix them that way but I think this is a great solution if you get a little ding and you don't want to dig out the paint.

Last One

2011-03-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is my last page to post from my retreat at the Lodge. It was the first page I started when I got there. I must admit that this was a redo. I had scrapped these pictures and I really hated the page. I know that is a no no. I like this one much better.

Continued

2011-03-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

More pages from the Lodge. The top 3 were fast and easy. The two page layout took a bit more time because I stitched a grid that the pictures sit in. It really doesn't show up in the photo. I also had stamped a title and I didn't like the way it looked so I covered it up. The journaling is with a slick writer. I believe that is what it is called. I love this pen. Not the best for small writing but if you are writing something larger the ink looks like you embossed your letters. I really like it. "I like it a lot." Ta Ta for now.

More Pages from the Lodge

2011-03-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just a few more pages from my weekend at the Lodge. I have wanted to do the Daddy page for a while. It is my goal to scrap all my daughter's first year. I keep on saying I am getting close. I have to break out of the habit of wanting to scrap every single picture. It is just crazy. I don't have the time for it. I have already gotten Project Life for this year but have not printed off my 2011 photos yet. I got the turquoise edition but I am thinking of getting the amber edition to do my 2009 photos. Perhaps for my 2009 photos of my daughter. The amber edition does kind of have a girly feel to it.

Growth Chart

2011-03-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

I made a growth chart for my daughter's room for a project we were challenged to do for Paper Pals. I got to use the Claudia Hellmuth's Stamps-Bloom. They come as a foam stamp set and then a clear stamp set. You can use them together or separate. I have been looking at a growth chart at Land of Nod for a while and thought this would be a perfect replacement.

I am not much of a stamper so it was a challenge for me. I made a few mistakes. The stamp set is designed to look like off register printing. The red flower that I stamped is a bit too off but I got better on the other red flowers. I stamped the flowers first with the foam stamps and some acrylic paint I had. Then when the paint was dry I stamped over it with the clear stamp with black dye ink.

I save my cardboard backers. I cut 3 of them down to 8x12 then taped them together on one side. As you can see one piece of cardboard has been used under a paint project.

I then glued 2" strips of cream paper to the entire length with the Yes glue. I wanted it to have a decoupaged look.

I just spread this glue on with my fingers. Washes off with no problem and it doesn't leave your paper bubbly.

As you can see I had too much paint on my stamp and it slipped when I pressed it down. I also had a bit of paint on my finger that got on the paper. I will show you how I fixed that.

If you spread the paint out well and make sure you don't get too much on your stamp it works out well. I spread it out on wax paper.

Here is another mistake. As I was lifting up my clear stamp I dropped it and it fell here. I tried to restamp it to see if I could do something with it but I ended up covering the whole thing up.

Here is what I covered my little boo boo up with. The little blue dots I painted on were to cover up the paint that had gotten on the paper from my fingers. I just circled them with a black pen.
This was one of my favorite leaves. It was a learning experience. I just marked the numbers on the side with a pen and painted on the measurement marks. I tried not to get too fussy. When I was finished I painted around the edges with black paint and then mod podged the whole thing. I punched two holes in the top and threaded some ribbon through.

More from the Lodge

2011-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pages I did whilst at the Lodge. I know they look so simple you are probably saying: "Why didn't she get more done?" Well I didn't so get off my back. We got a cute package of paper goodness that I made one of my favorite layouts with. It is the memories one. Those little birdies make me happy. Along with chocolate mini eggs. Oh I could eat my weight in those little goodies. Then I would have a migraine the size of Texas. Would it be worth it?

Palouse Divide Lodge Retreat

2011-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

In February I got to go to a scrap booking retreat at the Palouse Divide Lodge. It was wonderful. I got 31 pages done. I had a misguided belief that I could do more. I don't know what I was thinking. I am pleased with what I finished. When I say 31 I am counting each of the pages from my two page spreads of course. It takes a while to upload so I am thinking I will post a few at a time. There is nothing very elaborate about these pages. I just wanted to get them done. I am happy with them.

Let's get something on here

2011-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well I have been kind of out of the blog world for a while. If I get busy in one area of my life then another part falls apart. I need to find a good balance. These are a couple pages I did for Paper Pals as well as some cards. I am starting to think that My Mind's Eye is one of my favorite. I still love Cosmo Cricket.
These two pages are actually going to go in my Project Life album. If there are pictures that I really like and want to scrap separately then that is what I do. I have one more cute photo to do for last years album. I still haven't started on my 2011 Project Life album but I also haven't gotten any pictures for this year developed. I need to get my act together.
The Paper Pals Design Team also did another project using these really cool stamps but I am waiting to post that till it is posted on the Design Team blog. Oh boy. Something to look forward to.

I WANT OUR LAPTOP BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

I am feeling so unconnected right now. This is helping with my resolution of spend less time on the computer but I am missing out on keeping up with my emails and my blog. I have a few things to post. Some of them are already posted on the Paper Pals Design Team blog and others are not. Angela posted my bio on there and then her and Karen said such nice things about me. How uplifting to have people say nice things to you. I should pay it forward. Okay enough of my gum flapping. Here is some stuff to look at.

This was a scraplift from Scrapbooks etc. pg. 33-August 2010.

This was my latest Paper Pals assignment. Of course you know what I am going to say. I love this paper. I especially love that orange honey comb. There was a full sheet of banner stickers and I tried to use them on everything and there was still a lot left over.

Such a fast and easy layout.

Okay if I was better at Photoshop I could blurr out my daughter's naked body better than that. Sorry. It looks like my 4 year old scribbled on there.

I am still here

2011-01-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Our laptop is still sick. I am using our computer downstairs but I don't get down here as much. So I won't be posting as often. I got my photos for some of December so I will do some December Daily stuff soon. I am also doing Ali Edward's One Little Word class at Big Picture so I will have stuff to post for that.
I had just uploaded some photos on our laptop before it crashed so some of my December photos are gone gone gone. I am trying not to think about it too much. We will see what happens.
Happy New Year.

So Very Sad

2010-12-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

Our laptop has crashed. I can't even tell you how sad I am. I had just uploaded all my Christmas photos on there and my December Daily journaling. I have so much stuff on there. My husband is working on fixing it. For now I will use the computer downstairs but it just isn't the same. I really loved our laptop. I have journaling for scrapbook pages I haven't done yet. I have my stretch the sketch on there. I have photos of all my scrapbook pages from the last year. I have recipes on there. It just makes me sick. I need to find a online backup site and never let this happen again. I am not sure what will become of my December Daily. The holidays got crazy and all I kept up with is pictures. I think I may have even missed some days. Every time I think about it I just get sadder and sadder. Okay no more bringing others down.

Frustrated

2010-12-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

I ordered a bunch of photos from Winkflash and I messed up. I somehow did not select my December photos. I was so excited the other day when my photos got here and then I discovered that I only had three photos from December. I don't know what I was doing. Actually I do know what I was doing. I have a small child that talks and talks and talks. I love that she talks so much but at times it makes it hard to concentrate. I am guessing that is what happened. Silly me. I am going to order some more. I just can't wait. I so desperately want to put my December Daily together. I have been keeping up with the journaling and the taking of photos. I just need my photos.

Confessions and a recipe

2010-12-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

I must confess that I am a few days behind on my December Daily journaling. I plan on catching up today. I am so excited for my pictures to arrive. Then I will really be able to show something off. Ali's December Daily is just so amazing.
I made this soup the other night. Wow it was good. I got a Cooking Light book from the library because I was getting bored with my cook books. I like Cooking Light recipes. So here it is:

{CHUNKY POTATO-AND-SWISS CHOWDER}

Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 ½ pounds)
1 cup cubed carrot (about ½ pound)
1 cup cubed yellow squash
2 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup hot cooked wild rice
1 cup half-and-half
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add leek and garlic, sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in potato and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Discard bay leaves. Place half of potato mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Return pureed potato mixture to pan; stir in rice and remaining ingredients except parsley. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 ½ cups)
CALORIES 302; FAT 9.5g; PROTEIN 12.4g; CARB 43g; FIBER 4.2g; CHOL 28mg; IRON 2.3mg; SODIUM 693mg; CALC 209mg
From: Cooking Light

I also must confess that I misread the recipe when I was making my grocery list so I forgot to get squash. I had some extra potatoes so I just added them instead. It turned out good.

December 8

2010-12-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

I finally stamped my journal cards. They looked a bit plain so I wanted to jazz them up a bit. So far I only have up to December 5 printed out.

I am going to use these blank journal cards to write something about each picture. I realized as I was journaling about the day that I didn't have specific journaling about the pictures I had taken. I may use number stamps to identify the pictures or some of the arrows that came with my Project Life kit.

I really like the way this journal card turned out. I may keep these same stamps throughout or I may switch it up a bit.
Now to get back to my daughter's birthday party. I will post some pictures of my decorations when I am all done.

December 6 & 7

2010-12-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is a busy week for me. I am throwing a Robot themed Birthday party for my daughter's 4th. I am trying not to leave everything to the last minute so I am doing as much prep before hand as possible. I ordered some photos from Winkflash yesterday so I am super excited to get them and get caught up on the DD. I fancied up my journal cards tonight and will take some pictures to post tomorrow when I have more light. I love this project.

December 4&5

2010-12-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

I am feeling such a strong urge to go get some photo's developed so I can do a bit of my album. I am not sure how long I can hold off. I usually wait till they have a sale or until I have a ton of photos. I have been keeping up with my journaling and I upload my photos every day. I had to tweak my word document a bit. The 3x4 spaces were a bit too big so I cut them down to 2.9x3.9. This works much better. I also printed out a graph paper design on both sides of my cardstock. I have decided to include a bit of my own writing to tell the story of the pictures. My journaling does not always reflect what is going on in each photo.

I found some graph paper in word and printed it out on both sides of some white cardstock

I then printed out the other word document I created on top of the graph paper. I am typing up my journaling in each box. I took a bit of playing to get it how I liked it. I then just cut out my little cards.

Here is what the cards will look like when I am done. I corner rounded them because I love that look. This particular card is too large so I had to fix it. I left a bit of space at the top and bottom on my fixed cards so the corner rounding didn't cut my letters off. I will sew my 4x6 photo sleeve in half so I can slide in my journaling cards and the other decorative 3x4 cards. On the journaling cards that I have fixed the small bit of space that is left at the top and bottom may get a stamp or some kind of embellishment. I will work on this tonight and update you tomorrow, just in case you are patiently waiting.

December Daily-Dec 2 & 3

2010-12-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

I continue to keep up with the journaling. I am also taking pictures of things that I don't usually take pictures of. I am also trying to remember not to focus too much on the getting it all down and focus on the living it. It is such a magical time for my daughter right now.

December Daily-Day One

2010-12-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

I do have some photos to upload but Abi has the camera right now. She loves taking pictures. I sure am glad we got her her own camera for her birthday. I even have a file for just her photos. Some of them are so cute. I will one day print them out and scrap them. One day. Just like all the other things I am going to do one day.
So for December 1st I have done my journaling. I formatted a word document with 6-3x4 squares. I journaled about yesterday and started today. So far I have filled up 5 squares. I also wrote out our December Wish List.

December Wish List:
○ gingerbread houses
○ decorate cookies
○ see Santa at the mall
○ see Santa at the tree lighting
○ see Santa come by the house
○ wrap presents
○ Chuck’s party
○ Larson family get together
○ take Christmas photos on Christmas day
○ watch a whole bunch of Christmas movies
○ go to Lewiston to see the Christmas lights
○ make a snowman
○ make an igloo
○ try to make gingerbread cookies
○ fondue on Christmas Eve

I plan on downloading my photos and then planning my December 1st page or pages. I will print out my journaling once I have filled all 6 of my squares. I am also keeping a lined journal handy so I can jot down things that I think of during the day. I love this project.

December Daily

2010-11-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

I finally started my December Daily. I am trying to use my stash. I have had this paper for a while. I scrapped Christmas 05 with it but I still had a bunch of stuff left over. Perfect for my December Daily. Since I am doing Project Life this year I wanted to stay with that theme. I have made 31-4x6 cards with every day in December on them. Then I made a bunch of 3x4 decorative cards. I created a word document were I will do my journaling on 3x4 cards. I then cut up some pattern paper at 4x6 and plan on using them to mount my photos on. I am going to try hard to take at least 3 photos a day. I know some days I will have more and some less but I hope to keep up with at least what we do on a daily basis.

Here is my stacks of cards. I used up some letter stickers and other stickers. I stitched on all of them.

I slid my cards in my Project Life photo sleeve just to give an idea of what I plan on doing. The only problem with these photo sleeves is that some of the 3x4 pockets are not exactly that size. I also am not sure if I want to stick with this layout. So I am going to try and stitch on my 6-4x6 photo sleeves to make 3x4 pockets. If Ali can do it I can sure give it a try. I will keep you posted.

I cut out some snowflakes on the Cricut and misted them with silver. I plan on putting them on my daily cards and will post that photo once I finish. I hope to keep you updated on the whole process.

Bad Bad Blogger.

2010-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

My daughter is turning 4 in December. We are having a Robot Birthday Party. These are the invitations I did for the party. I used the Robot cartridge. I scratched out my personal info in photoshop. My stepson told me it looked horrible but I didn't know how else to cover it up. I used googly eyes and stamped a #4 on the robots screen. I also used pinking scissors on her skirt. There are a lot of pieces to these robots but they turn out so darn cute.

Just a simple page I did. I was feeling rather uninspired for this page but it turned out okay. It was a Martha Stewart pack I got. So far I have stuck to my personal promise of not buying anymore stacks. I love the paper when I buy it and then after doing a few layouts with the paper I am tired of it and want it to go away. I am also not buying anymore white core cardstock. I don't like the way it looks when I cut it out on the Cricut. Bazzill paper only please. Quality not quantity. I have a lot of stuff I have to use up though. Okay enough of my boring talk.

Check this out!!!!!

2010-11-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

Look at what I got this weekend at an estate sale. Are you jealous or what? $5 for the letter press drawer and $0.50 for a bag of wooden spools with more than this pictured. I am thinking of doing the Ali Edward's project with the drawer.

I DID NOT SCRAP LIFT THESE

2010-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard correctly. The girl that likes to scraplift did not scraplift these ones. I looked through my magazines for inspiration and got some ideas. This one started with the idea of an Advent calendar or Ali's December Daily. I sewed a grid on the page and then filled them up with journalling. The journalling was from 2007 so I didn't keep up on it as well as I do these day. There are some missing spots. The paper is from We R Memory Makers-MERRY January. The colors are so perfect together. Greys, blue, tan, mustard... I had a happy accident with my snowflakes. I punched them out then sprayed them with some silver mist then dusted some clear embossing powder on them. While heat gunning them they started to get darker on the edges. I really like the way they look. Kind of like dirty snowflakes.

One craft I could get into in quilting. I refuse to get into another craft. I can't afford it and I don't have the time. So here is a good option. I just quilted on my page. I just cut down the pictures and then pieced it all together. I frayed the edges of my paper then sewed each piece down. I also sanded the edges of my photos. I used glossy accents on some of the words and picket fence on the others.

I actually had fun with the cards. They were easy to do with the big chipboard words. I love that snowman. The "Thanks" card is another chance for me to quilt. I want to do this again. I love the way it looks. The "Unique" card is a bit of a late night I don't know what to do card. I don't know if telling someone they are "unique" is an insult or not.

I wrote my journalling in pencil then wrote over in pen. Can you tell the difference between the writing at the top and the writing on the bottom? I always have the overwhelming urge to put little lines on my letters. I think it looks better. What do you think? I guess it doesn't matter because the journalling on top looks better to me. It is a bit of work especially when I have this much journaling

A close up of the quilted page. I attach the paper to the cardstock with just a tiny bit of glue in the center so I don't sew over the glue. That will gum up your needle.
Thanks for dropping in.

So much talent out there

2010-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I was just blog surfing. It is incredible how many talented people there are out there. It is overwhelming.
Well I haven't kept up with my recipe a day. I guess I just wasn't ready. I have a few recipes to post and some pages and cards that I did for Paper Pals. I know I have already posted them on the Paper Pals Design Team blog but I want to put them on here too. Is that okay? Good.

Let's do the recipes first.

{RED CHILE-CHEESE ENCHILADAS}

¾ cup fat-free cottage cheese
2/3 cup (2 ½ ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups Red Chile Sauce
Cooking spray
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced fat extrasharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process 1 minute or until smooth. Combine cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, onion, and salt, stirring well. Spread ¼ cup Red Chile Sauce in bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tortillas over sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread ½ cup cottage cheese mixture evenly over tortillas; top with ½ cup Red Chile Sauce. Repeat the layers once with 4 tortillas, remaining cottage cheese mixture, and ½ cup Red Chile Sauce. Arrange remaining 4 tortillas over sauce, overlapping slightly; spoon remaining ¾ cup Red Chile Sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 squares.
CALORIES 162; FAT 5.4g; PROTEIN 8.8g; CARB 20.1g; FIBER 2.1g; CHOL 14mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 30.5mg; CALC 201mg
From: Cooking Light

{GARLIC-HERB MASHED POTATOES}

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
¼ cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (such as Alouette Light)
½ cup fat-free milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes; prick several times with a small knife. Place on a microwave-safe platter. Microwave at HIGH 6 minutes or until tender. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Add cheese and remaining ingredients, and mash to desired consistency. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ½ cup) 2 points
From: Weight Watchers

Starting on the recipe a day again-ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

2010-11-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

{OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN POT PIE}

2 serving’s butter-flavor cooking spray
1 tsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp paprika
1 tube reduced fat crescent rolls dough, unroll 4 rolls
¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed
½ tsp salt, or more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup fat-free evaporated milk, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch round shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, until tender, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Stir in paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Add vegetables, broth and chicken. Cover and simmer 15 min. In a small cup, combine flour and ¼ cup of the evaporated milk; stir into chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 min. Stir in remaining ¼ cup of evaporated milk and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Spoon chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Unroll crescent rolls and arrange dough around inside edge of baking dish to form a border with a hole in the middle. Bake until rolls are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.
5 points per serving
From: Weight Watchers

I really liked this one. I had never made chicken pot pie before I made this one. I don't use many frozen vegetables. When it asks for them I will just get the fresh stuff. I only like the taste of frozen peas and spinach. Everything else taste frozen to me. We all have to have our quirks.

Spooky Pages

2010-11-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I love this paper. It is basically done you just have to add the pictures. I didn't do much on this page. I did pop open the doors and add some glossy accents.

I got the whole pack of these Halloween papers because they are so cute. How can you resist? I love the little people and the little pumpkins. This was a scraplift but I don't have the magazine right now. Pretty simple and easy grid.

This one is not a spooky one but I had to add it. This was the page that I started and then took apart and redid. I am okay with this page. Not anything that spectacular but it is done. My goal is to scrap every single picture I took of my daughter in her first year. I am getting closer but there are some pictures like these ones that I find harder to scrap because I don't remember much about what was going on.

I'm back

2010-11-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while. I need to get back into the recipe posting. I do have a few scrapbook pages to post. I had a scrap night last night with a friend but I really dislike the page I started and I am going to redo it. So please excuse me for my little break.

Roasted Veggies

2010-10-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

{ROASTED VEGETABLES}
5 large carrots, sliced into fries
3 sweet potatoes, sliced into fries
2 red bell peppers, quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat to 450 degrees. Place two large rimmed baking sheets in oven while preheating. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until vegetables are evenly coated with oil. Remove baking sheets from oven and tumble vegetables onto sheets and spread out. Roast 25 to 35 minutes, switching trays half way through roasting.
Makes 6 servings
From: Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes by Laura Kalina & Cheryl Christian
Note: I have made with 1-2 tbsp of pesto mixed in with the vegetables and some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top before baking.

I made this last night along with the fettucine. I believe I already posted this recipe. Good stuff.

This one is in the oven right now

2010-10-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

{ZUCCHINI LOAF}

2 eggs
½ cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Beat eggs till frothy. Beat in oil and sugar. Add zucchini. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl add 5 remaining dry ingredients and stir well. Pour dry mix into wet mix. Mix well. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.
From: Mom

My daughter and I just made a double batch of these. So yummy. Could it have to do with the 1 cup of sugar? My neighbour grows zucchini but does not eat it. What is up with that? Is she trying to be like Weezer on Steel Magnolias? She gave me a bunch of zucchini a while ago so I just ground it up in my little food chopper. (I love my food chopper.) I froze it in little 1/2 cup containers and just take a couple out when I want to make a loaf. I do it mostly because my daughter loves to help me bake or cook. She always wants to help.

December Daily and yummy salad

2010-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

{ALMOND-CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDER SALAD}

Dressing ingredients
¼ cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp freshly grated orange peel
Salad ingredients
1 lb chicken breast tenders
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs
½ cup smoked almonds, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cups mixed baby salad greens
2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments

Orange-teriyaki-honey dressing
Whisk together teriyaki sauce, olive oil, honey, vinegar and orange peel.
Chicken salad
Season chicken tenders with pepper. Beat egg with teriyaki sauce in shallow bowl until well blended. Place flour in shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs and almonds in another shallow dish. Dust both sides of chicken with flour, then dip into egg mixture and finally coat with almond mixture. In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until no longer pink in center, turning over once and adding more oil as needed. Divide salad greens among 4 dinner plates. Arrange chicken and orange segments on greens. Serve with orange-teriyaki-honey dressing.
Serves 4.
From: Kikkoman

I made this last night. Thursday is our salad night and I was getting so bored of our regular salad so I thought I would try this. It was so good. My husband really liked the chicken. I cooked my chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes because it was not completely thawed and because I don't like cooking in hot oil because of the spray and mess. I also used Romaine lettuce because we use to eat the spring mix all the time and I just got tired of it. It turned out really well and I will make it again. I was not sure about the orange segments because I am an apple not an orange person but it was good.
Ali Edwards has already done her December Daily. Should I start mine too? I have to come up with a plan. I missed a few days of taking pictures last year. December is my favorite time of year because of Christmas. I don't want to miss out on the documentation of it this year. We are celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday and I have already got out my Christmas Cd's because I am starting right after Thanksgiving. It is not too early. I love Christmas and want to spread it out as much as I can.

ALFREDO LIGHT

2010-10-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

{ALFREDO LIGHT}

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups skim milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz dry fettuccine pasta

I n a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until golden brown. In a small saucepan, stir together milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper over low heat until smooth and thick. Stir into onion mixture. Continue to cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. Continue cooking until the past is al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with sauce. Serve
From Winco Foods

This one is a great tasting light recipe. I really do prefer this over the super creamy fat filled alfredo sauces.

Oops forgot about yesterday

2010-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

{QUICHE}

1 store-bought pie crust
½ cup chopped onion
1 package of frozen chopped spinach
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
3 strips of bacon chopped up

Sauté onion until transparent. Squeeze out excess moisture from spinach. In a bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cheese, onion, spinach, bacon, salt and pepper. Prick the bottom of the pie crust several times with a fork. Put in the oven at 350 degrees until it becomes a really pale brown. Put the egg mixture in the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Swing the dish and if the egg mixture looks fixed, it’s done.
From: Fumika

One of the mom's from my Mom's group gave me this recipe a long time ago. I finally made it last night and I think it may be one of my new favorites. It was super easy to make and good. She had made it for a baby shower and didn't have the bacon in it. It was good without the bacon if you want a vegetarian option. Sorry about yesterday. I totally blanked. It was kind of a busy day yesterday. My mom is coming on Friday and then I am going up to Canada for a while so my daily recipes will probably not be so daily. I had a craft night last night with some of the girls and I worked on my Project Life. I just have to do some journalling and then I am caught up again on all the pictures I have for 2010.

Yesterday's and Today's Recipe

2010-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

{CHICKEN ENCHILADAS}

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
2 quarts homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, halved, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 green or red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ¼-inch strips
Enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
Pepper and Tomato Salsa
Sour Cream

Place chicken in a large pot and pour chicken stock over it. Add enough water to cover if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through and very tender about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool, and reserve the stock to use for enchilada sauce if desired. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, and shred; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until the slices start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add peppers, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside. When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, dip tortillas into sauce, one at a time, to soften, and place side by side on two baking sheets. Divide the shredded chicken and pepper mixture among the tortillas. Place cheeses in a bowl, and toss to combine. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Roll up tortillas, and place snugly seam side down in a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof baking dish. Top them with the remaining enchilada sauce and with the remaining grated cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve with the salsa, sour cream, or both if desired.
Serves 6 to 8 people
From: Martha Stewart

I have only made this once. I used some precooked chicken and enchilada sauce from a can. I have not tried to make the sauce myself.
{ZUCCHINI PIE}

2 tsp olive oil
1 pound (about 2 or 3) green zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp coarse salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 pound (about 2 or 3) yellow zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup freshly chopped dill
¼ cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 large eggs plus 5 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tomato, thinly sliced
2 ounces low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add green zucchini, half the scallions, half the garlic, ½ teaspoon marjoram, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini has softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove form hat; transfer to a large bowl; set aside. Rinse skillet; repeat process with yellow zucchini and remaining teaspoon olive oil, scallions, garlic, ½ teaspoon marjoram, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to bowl with cooked green zucchini; let sit until cooled. Drain and discard any liquid. Add dill, parsley, and eggs to zucchini; stir to combine. Pour into a 9 ½ inch round, deep baking dish. Cover with tomato; sprinkle with feta. Bake until set, about 1 hour. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Serves 6
PER SERVING: 146 CALORIES, 8 G FAT, 186 MG CHOLESTEROL, 8 G CARBOHYDRATE, 336 MG SODIUM, 12 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER
From: Cooking Light

I have also only made this once. It was a lot of prep but it was yummy. I believe at the time I could not find yellow zucchini so I just used all green.

TEX-MEX CHICKEN SOUP

2010-10-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

{TEX-MEX CHICKEN SOUP}

3 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 (15.5-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) container refrigerated fresh salsa
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)
Points value: 3
Prep: 3 minutes Cook: 13 minutes
Per serving: CAL 180; FAT 3.2g; PRO 25.3g; CARB 11.7g; FIB 3.5g; CHOL 60mg; IRON 2.3mg; SOD 923mg; CALC 78mg
From: Weight Watchers

Super fast and easy recipe. My step-son likes this one. That is always a plus.

PARTY HO RS D'OEUVRES

2010-10-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

{PARTY HO RS D’OEUVRES}

6 tbsp margarine or butter
1 small onion, minced
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
¼ pound fontina cheese, shredded
1 6 1/8 to 6 ½ ounce can tuna in oil, drained
1 3 ounce package cream cheese
¼ tsp pepper
1 large egg
9 sheets phyllo

About 2 hours before serving or early in day: In 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, in 1 tbsp margarine, cook onion until tender. Remove from heat. Squeeze spinach dry; stir in with fontina, tuna, cream cheese, pepper and egg. Cut tack of phyllo, (each sheet about 16 ½ by 11 ½) length-wise into 5 strips. Place strips on waxed paper; cover with damp paper towels. Melt remaining margarine. Brush 1 strip phyllo lightly with margarine. Place 1 heaping teaspoon spinach filling at end of strip. Fold one corner of strip diagonally over filling, forming a right angle. Continue folding. Place, seam-side down, in jelly-roll pan; brush with margarine. If not serving right away, cover with foil and refrigerate. To serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Makes 45 ho rs d’oeuvres. About 50 calories, 3 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium.
To freeze up to 1 month: Freeze unbaked pastries in jelly-roll pan, then store in freezer in covered container with waxed paper between layers. Bake frozen pastries 20 min in 425 degree F preheated oven.
From: unknown source

I haven't made these in a really long time. They are a lot of work but they are very good. I have never found fontina cheese. I just use feta instead.

Will the recipes ever end?

2010-09-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

{BRUSHETTA}

1 baguette, split lengthwise
1/3 cup Italian dressing
3 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Dried basil to taste

Heat broiler. With cut side up, toast bread lightly under broiler. Combine dressing, tomatoes and onion; spoon over toasted bread; sprinkle with cheese and basil. Broil 2-3 minutes until heated through. Cut into 5cm slices. Makes 20 slices.
From: Mom

This is a fast simple one. I believe it may be a Kraft recipe. I am thinking that people are getting tired of recipes. I guess I need to get busy and do some scrap pages. I am enjoying the fact that I am getting my recipes typed out but perhaps I am boring my huge blog audience.

Recipe

2010-09-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

{CARRIE’S WONDERFUL SPRING SALAD}

Romaine lettuce
Shredded parmesan
Candied walnuts
Dried cranberries
1 apple
1 pear
Dressing
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp chopped onion
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Add all the dressing ingredients together, except oil and poppy seed in a blender. Slowly add oil then poppy seeds. Toss over salad.
From: Dayla Bergh

This is my all time favorite salad. My wonderful friend Dayla brought it over for us shortly after we had Abi. That is one of the best gifts ever when someone brings you a meal after you have had a baby. I have made this salad many many times. I love it. The dressing will keep in the fridge but the whole salad mixed together just becomes a big mess if you try and save it.

Why am I doing this?

2010-09-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to type out all my recipes so I can hand them down to my daughter and also to make it easier for when people ask for the recipe. What I need to do is start taking pictures of the food. Lately I have been using a lot of recipes out of this cookbook my Mom lent me. It is called Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski. I am going to put one on here today that I made last night. I thought it was really good. It also took me a while to make so we didn't end up eating till 7pm when we usually eat at 5:30pm. So my hunger probably helped but I also believe it is just a good one.

{MEXICAN LASAGNA}

1 ½ lbs extra-lean ground chicken
1 cup each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup frozen or canned corn
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cups your favorite tomato pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 ½ cups packed shredded light old (sharp) cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 cup light sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large, non-stick pot or skillet, cook ground chicken, onions, green pepper, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as its cooking. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with ½ the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, followed by ½ the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream.
Makes 8 servings
PER SERVING
CAL 319; TOTAL FAT 7.9g; SATURATED FAT 3.7g; PROTEIN 31g; CARBOHYDRATE 30g; FIBER 5.5g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; SODIUM 749mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I of course used ground turkey. I use ground turkey for a lot of recipes. I also added a bit more cheese than called for. I know it is suppose to be a healthy recipe but come on people now. I love cheese. I think I could probably be a vegetarian but I would really not be able to handle being a vegan. I need my cheese. Since I didn't add my recipe from yesterday I will add that too.

{PIZZA DOUGH}

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flax meal or ground flaxseed
1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp) Fleischmann’s quick-rising yeast
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup very warm water
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp liquid honey
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tbsp cornmeal
In a medium bowl, combine both flours, flax meal, yeast, and salt. Mix well. Measure warm water in measuring cup, and then stir in olive oil and honey. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Spray another medium bowl with olive oil spray and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, spray a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil spray and dust with cornmeal. When dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to prepared pizza pan. You can top it with your favorite toppings at this point and bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Or, prick crust in several places with a fork and bake untopped for 6 minutes. Remove crust from oven, top with your favorite sauce and toppings, then slide pizza directly onto middle oven rack and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes 1 12 inch pizza crust
PER SERVING (1/8 CRUST)
CAL 122; TOTAL FAT 2.8g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; PROTEIN 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 21g; FIBER 2.6g; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; SODIUM 148mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

Also from the same cookbook. This is a soft pizza dough and it is healthy.
Are you getting tired of my recipes yet? Are you wondering if I scrap book anymore? I got some recent pictures from Winkflash the other day that I need to catch up on with my Project Life. I am so excited for her new designs and all the new goodies she is going to have. Yippee

Recipe of the day

2010-09-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

{WAFFLES}

Blend of sift together
1 ½ cups pre-sifted flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Combine
2 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup melted butter or margarine

Add liquids to dry ingredients. Beat just until smooth. Heat waffle iron as directed by the manufacturer. Pour batter into hot waffle iron. (About 1 cup of batter for a 9” square iron, and ½ cup for a 7” round iron.) Bake until the waffle stops steaming. Serve hot, with butter and syrup.
Yield: 3-9”waffles or 6-7” waffles.
From: Purity Cookbook

This recipe is from a Canadian cookbook first published in the 60s. Our waffle iron beeps when the waffles are done so I don't have to watch them. We had these this morning. I usually add a tsp of vanilla to the mix. I like these much better than the mixes you buy in the store.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

{KEN’S SPICY CURRY CHICKEN}

2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
2 tbsp green curry paste (I use 1 tbsp)
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Over medium heat, whisk coconut milk and curry paste together in a large saucepan. Simmer for 5 min. Stir in chicken broth, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, and chicken. Season with fish sauce and basil. Simmer for 10 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked, yet still tender.
Serves 6
From: all recipes.com

I haven't made this one in a while. It is a great one pot meal. I only use half of the curry paste because I am a wimp when it comes to hot stuff. You can use light coconut milk but it turns out runny and just not as rich of course.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

{BEST EVER MEAT LOAF}

2 eggs
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 slices bread crumbs
1 onion shredded
½ cup grated cheese
1 ½ lb ground beef
Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard

Mix together with the exception of topping. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes then take out of oven and add the topping. Bake for the remaining 15 minutes.
From: My Aunty Adele

This is one of those recipes that I don't even look at anymore. I don't shred the onion because it makes me to teary eyed. I just chop it up well. I usually use a bit more cheese and some garlic powder and seasoning salt. I also use ground turkey most of the time. Thanks for stopping in. Stay classy San Diego.

Recipe of the day and some pages

2010-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

{GARLIC-HERB MASHED POTATOES}

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
¼ cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (such as Alouette light)
½ cup fat-free milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes; prick several times with a small knife. Place on a microwave-safe platter. Microwave on HIGH 6 minutes or until tender. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Add cheese and remaining ingredients, and mash to desired consistency. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ½ cup)

Per serving: CAL 117; FAT 2.2g; PRO 4.1g; CARB 20.6g; FIB 2.8g; CHOL 8mg; IRON 0.7mg; SOD 203mg; CALC 65mg
From: Weight Watchers
Another yummy fast recipe. I actually don't microwave my potatoes for this one. I just boil them. When I do microwave potatoes I wrap them in papertowel and do them 3 minutes then flip them then another 3 minutes.

Just thought I would add some photos of my recent pages. Super fast pages. With all the recipes I have posted people might think this is a recipe blog and not a scrapbooking blog. The Easter pages are going to go in my Project Life scrap book. I have ordered more recent pictures from Winkflash but other than that I am caught up for 2010. Can you believe it? I am sure you are sick and tired of me talking about Project Life but I have never been caught up before. Of course I am still way behind on previous years but I am trying not to focus on that.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

{OVEN FRIED CHICKEN}
3 slices 100% whole wheat bread
2 tbsp barbecue chicken seasoning, divided
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp dried thyme
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup fat-free egg substitute or 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and 6 skinless chicken drumsticks
Olive or canola oil cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Move oven rack to bottom third of oven. Tear bread into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse on and off until bread is reduced to fluffy crumbs. You should have about 1 ½ cups bread crumbs. Transfer bread crumbs to a shallow bowl and add 1 tbsp barbecue chicken seasoning, parmesan cheese, and thyme. Mix well and set aside. In another shallow bowl, mix together flour and remaining barbecue chicken seasoning and set aside. Pour egg substitute into another shallow bowl. Working one chicken piece at a time, roll it first in flour mixture, and then dip it in beaten egg. Shake off excess egg, then coat chicken in seasoned crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. (It can get messy, so hang in there.) Spray chicken pieces with a light coating of cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, until crumbs are lightly browned and chicken is no longer pink in the center.
Makes 6 servings. One piece of chicken per serving.
PER SERVING: CAL 250; TOTAL FAT 7g; SATURATED FAT 2g; PROTEIN 23g; CARBOHYDRATE 11g; FIBER 1.4g; CHOLESTEROL 113mg; SODIUM 776mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I made this one for dinner tonight. Chad enjoyed it. I am going to try it again with boneless chicken breast.

I did two pages last night at the craft night but I just need to add the journaling and then I can post them. Thanks for stopping in.

Craft Night

2010-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

I get to go to a craft night at a friend's house tonight. I am so excited. I plan on working on some pictures of my daughter. Ha Ha. Do I ever do anything else you ask? Not very often. I should do Cathy Zielske's class about scrapping about me. Anyway. Thank you for checking in.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

{GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF}

Sauté in a non-stick pan:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
2 cups fresh or 1 can (10 oz) mushrooms, reserve juice
Add and simmer until heated through:
2 cups ground beef, cooked
1 tbsp paprika
1 cup liquid (juice from canned mushrooms plus beef broth to make 1 cup)
Mix together:
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt

Stir into stroganoff. Heat until sauce thickens.
Makes 4 servings
From: Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes by Laura Kalina and Cheryl Christian

I serve this over whole wheat egg noodles. I also make it with ground turkey. Very yummy for a healthy meal.

Another recipe a day late

2010-09-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

{CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SOUP}

1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 2 large)
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups small cauliflower florets
1 ½ cups peeled, cubed sweet potato
1 ½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked brown and wild rice blend
1 cup evaporated 2% milk
½ cup packed shredded light Swiss cheese (2 oz)

Heat butter in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic. Cook and stir until leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, sweet potato, curry, and cumin. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot with remaining soup and mix well. Sir in cooked rice, milk, and Swiss cheese. Heat soup for 1 more minute. Serve hot.
Makes 8 servings
Per Serving: CAL 142 TOTAL FAT 3.7g SATURATED FAT 1.7 g PROTEIN 8g CARBOHYDRATE 20 g FIBER 3g CHOLESTEROL 16mg SODIUM 448 mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I made this soup for dinner last night. This is my favorite soup. It tastes so good. I have not been able to find light shredded swiss cheese so I just get a block of swiss cheese. I also prep the veggies beforehand. It makes the process a lot easier. I will post another recipe later today. Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

{SWEET POTATO FRIES}

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ¼ pounds), cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl; toss well. Arrange potato in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 475 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning once. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about ½ cup).
POINTS VALUE: 2
Per serving: CAL 120; FAT 3.6g; PRO 1.7g; CARB 21g; FIB 3.2g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.7mg; SOD 174 mg; CALC 33mg
From: Weight Watchers

This is a really simple recipe. I usually just use rosemary that I have on hand rather than buying fresh rosemary.

Vacation Photos Done

2010-09-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

I started working on my vacation photos on Sept 10 and finished on the 18th. I think that is pretty good for 27 pages and about 128 photos. I planned out what I wanted to do with the with the photos shown in this post. I kept it super simple. I even used the back of the double sided paper which is something I have never done. I did it in steps. First I cut out the photos and mounted them on cardstock or directly onto the pattern paper. Then I added the embellishments and words cut out on the Cricut. Then I went back and added the journalling strips. I know they are not fancy pages but I am so happy to be done our vacation photos.

Recipe of the day a day late

2010-09-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

{PEANUT AND SQUASH SOUP}

1 ½ tsp peanut oil
4 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
¾ cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 5 ingredients (through coriander) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper, stirring well to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
CALORIES: 264; FAT 11.2 g: PROTEIN 11.3 g; CARB 34.6 g; FIBER 6.4 g; CHOL o mg; IRON 2.3 mg; SODIUM 621 mg; CALC 11mg
From: Cooking Light December 2007

Sorry I am late. The computer was occupied when I wanted to use it yesterday. Excuses excuses. I have made this soup a few times. It is very filling and very good. It is good with a dollop of sour cream on top. I steamed the squash first.

Recipe of the day

2010-09-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

{CABBAGE CHICKEN SALAD}

1 head shredded cabbage (12 cups)
2 bunches chopped green onions
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey cubed
2 packages Chicken flavored Raman noodles-raw
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing:
4 packets artificial sweetener
¼ cup white vinegar (tarragon)
¼ cup salad oil
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 packets broth from noodles

Combine cabbage, onions and chicken in large bowl. Lightly toast almonds and sesame seeds in non-stick pan, sprayed with non-stick spray on med. High heat. Let cool. Add raw noodles to cabbage ix by breaking into small pieces. Add cooled toasted almonds and sesame seeds to salad mix. Mix dressing and add to salad. Chill.
Makes 10 servings-each 2 cup serving equals 5 points. I have always ½ the recipe because it makes a really big salad.
From: Kellie at Weight Watchers.

This recipe is from the Weight Watchers leader here in Pullman. I have made this many times. It is very good. I have never found the tarragon vinegar and just use white wine or regular vinegar.

Promises Promises

2010-09-16T16:06:00.001-07:00

I like to pretend that I have a huge blog audience. Almost as big as Ali Edwards. I know how crazy I sound. So here are some pictures of my Project Life that I promised a while back. This one is done. I know I keep on saying how easy this is but it is because it is true. A 7 photo LO with journalling done.
For this one I cut out "friends" on the Cricut. I am keeping the theme the same. I use the real dial size on the Cricut the Plantin cartridge and try and keep the size at 1 1/4. I took a whole lotta photos of my daughter's gymnastic recital but I managed to get them all in on these two pages. Those pictures would have sat around forever before. 16 photos on the two pages and I did some journalling about the recital. I also did some labels that I pasted onto the photos. Another page done. In the Project Life kit she includes some double sided pattern paper. The bottom sections on the page dividers is some of the paper that I cut up. This page is the start of the process. I decide which photos I want to put on the page and then cut them up. Then I will decide which journalling cards and paper to put in the empty slots. On the photos on the bottom I will mount it on some of the pattern paper that comes with the kit. This page is almost done. I have a note in the top left pocket about a correction I want to make. So far I have journalled on every single day. It gets to be a lot of journalling but I liked that day in the life concept. Some of the journalling I paste on the back of a card or picture and put "journalling on the back". Here is another page in progress. Some pages have more jouralling and some have more pictures. It just depends on the photos I take. I don't plan it. I am very pleased with this project and would highly recommend it. I am sure if you have been reading you get that point already. Another in progress page. A completed page with some letters cut out on the Cricut. You can see the month dividers that come in the kit on the left side of the page-they are transparent. Another finished page. This one is a work in progress. I am going to cut something out on the cricut and you can see my journalling strips that I need to glue on. Finished. Finished.

Recipes

2010-09-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good about updating my blog. I have been scrapping. My envelope system has worked very well and I am close to being done all our vacation photos. I will post that soon. I know I said I would post my Project Life stuff soon too so I will add some of those today. I am trying to type out all my favorite recipes and so I thought since I am typing them out why not post them also that way I can post a recipe a day. This recipe is from Becky Higgins and it is so good. If you want to make it lower fat you can use fat free cream cheese and fat free crescent rolls and fat free mushroom soup. If you want to make it fat full then add feta and chopped up bacon to the mix that you wrap in the crescent rolls. So good. Either way these things are good. You should check out her blog for other great recipes. So far I have only made these from her blog but there are others I want to try.

{CHICKEN PILLOWS}

2-3 pieces of cooked chicken breasts, diced
(or 2 cans of chicken if you’re in a pinch for time)
8 oz. cream cheese
Salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
6 crescent rolls
stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk

Combine first 3 ingredients. Add a spoonful of mixture on crescent roll. Wrap around and pinch the edges. Dip in melted butter and then roll in stuffing mix. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce (combine soup and milk in saucepan over low heat until smooth and creamy).
From: Becky Higgins’s blog

I think I have discovered an easier way

2010-09-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

So this is what I am doing with my summer vacation photos. I have divided them into days and put each day in a separate envelope. Then using my sketch ebook from Ella I found sketches for all my photos. I wrote some on sticky notes and some right on the envelopes. How fast is that going to be?

I am going to put these vacation pages right in my Project Life book. Here is July 4th. I have 22 pictures from that day-4 easy layouts ready to go. I am trying to make this as easy as possible. I will put some pictures of my Project Life up her shortly. I have taken some pictures of that process also. Not counting my vacation photos I am caught up to July with my photos from this year. It is blowing my mind.

I wish I could have a full day of uninterupted scrapping

2010-09-01T14:42:00.001-07:00

This paper is so detailed and pretty but it is a challenge for me. I feel like I can only work in the space were there are no flowers or swirls. But how can you not use this paper? Just look at it. I added my own special touch which is not that visible in the photos. Moving on.

The cards-which I usually struggle with. I just never feel like they are good enough. Get over yourself.

Project Life-Project Super Easy

2010-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

These are the the pages I have done so far for my Project Life. I am now working on pictures for the month of April. So all my pictures up to April are scrapbooked. Can you imagine that? Does it blow your mind? It is amazing me. I am loving it so much. The wonderful joy of this whole thing is I am still able to do my traditional scrapbooking. I set aside some pictures I had taken of Abi on Easter to do a separate page. Plus I just have my little box of supplies and I am good to go.

So much fun

2010-08-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

My assignment for Paper Pals. They are all My Mind's Eye product. Of course I had fun working on them. Scrapping is really just so much fun.

Project Life and other projects

2010-08-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

I found the before picture. My husband had placed it in another file. So the rest of the story is below.

I got my Project Life last week in the mail. I was so excited. I really thought a long time about getting this. I researched prices. It really is a good deal. There are a ton of journal cards that come in these little boxes. I cut up the boxes to use also because they were just too cute. I will post some pictures of what I have done with my Project Life kit. I got this tray from a yard sale for $0.50. I had taken a before picture but now I can't find it. Anyway. I spray painted it yellow and put all my Project Life goodies in it. Do you know about Project Life? I got it off Amazon and it is from Becky Higgins. I believe it was designed as a project were you take a picture a day of your life and then scrapbook them. I am using it in a different way. It comes with a 12x12 binder and a ton of photo sleeves. Enough photo sleeves to hold 365 photos I guess. I haven't counted. They are divided photo sleeves that hold 4 horizontal 4x6's and in the middle of the page there are 4 pockets for 3x4 journal card or decorative cards. On some of my pages I have cut photos down to that size and slipped them in there. I don't know if I am describing it well enough and I should put my pictures up. I had photos printed off only up till March but I caught up from Jan to March in two nights. All my photos from Jan to March. There were a few from that period that I had made scrapbook pages for already. This product is so versatile. You can use it however you like. Check it out. If there is anyone in the Pullman area that would like to get together and do our Project Life together please let me know? If you are so behind in scrapping and never think you will catch up but don't want to give up then you really need to give this a try. You can still do traditional scrapping. That is my plan. Where is the before picture? Of course I didn't take one. So now you will never know how hard I worked on this dresser. We got it at Palouse Treasures for $40. I sanded it and covered it in 4 coats of paint. I spray painted the knobs with silver spray paint. I would have liked to get new knobs but that really adds up fast. I like the way it turned out. I also painted our head and foot board. Now I am waiting to find some matching nightstands. Until I do our bedroom is not done.

projects projects projects

2010-08-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

The cream part is the old curtain. They were tab curtains. I removed the tab and used some of those curtain clips (love those) to attach them to the rod. Then I bought some fabric and just sewed a rectangle for each side and slid those right into the clips along with the curtains. So very easy and I like the way it turned out. I had to do something different for our other two windows because the closet gets in the way of a curtain rod.

So this is an after picture. Sorry. One of these days I will get this uploading thing figured out. I didn't like the way the top panel looked so I put three pleats in them and sewed them onto the roman blind. We started painting our bedroom way back in June. Of course I didn't take a before picture of the bedroom. These are the curtains that I made. I just used some old curtain panels I had and made them into roman blinds. Then I made a little valance. I was not crazy about the valance part so I fixed it. As seen in the photo before this one. The after shot again. I got these two lamps from Palouse Treasures. I spray painted the bases with a brushed nickel and covered the lamp shades with some sale fabric I found at Joanne. The only thing I am not happy about is when the light is on you can she how the edge of the shade is darker were I folded the fabric over.The lamp base before. The shade before. I just pulled off the ruffled fabric and put some spray adhesive on the lamp shade and rolled the fabric on. I had made a pattern of the shade by rolling the shade on some paper with a pen held close to each edge.

Live your best life

2010-04-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Saw this in an Oprah magazine:

To live content with small means: to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly... to listen to stars and buds, to babes and sages, with open heart; await occasions, hurry never.. this is my symphony. -William Henry Channing