Spoons make a difference!

For tonight's dinner, we are having pot roast with cheesecake brownies for dessert!

I used the crockpot, so I could set and forget it, LOL

While most pot roasts call for chuck, I got most of the ingredients when looking through a weight watcher's cookbook, so I used top round boneless beef roast.  I also learned a secret when cooking meats for a while.  Searing them adds flavor!

I also realized how much I love my wooden spoon!  It doesn't scratch the pans, nor will it melt from the heat!


I got the cheesecake brownie recipe from The Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I mostly use store brand items except for the chocolate.  I use the Gheradelli semi sweet chocolate bars.  What I noticed is that sometime between the publication of the book and now, the amount in certain cooking things has decreased, so I had to use a little math.  For instance, the recipe asks for 6 ounces of chocolate, however the chocolate comes in 4 ounce bars.  Same thing with the cream cheese, it asks for 12 ounces, but the cream cheese comes in 8 ounces.  Not too much,  just used 1.5 bars of chocolate and cream cheese.

Joy of Baking

Ahh, the Joy of Cooking! More like the Joy of Baking!
I got this book several years ago in the bargain area of the book store, I think...
I never really looked at it until we moved here.  I've made various types of breads and I even made cheesecake brownies.
My background in education leads me to love this book.  It is a well written job aid.  Yes, I used some nerdy jargon, LOL

I like that the book gives hints such as use water that is between 105 and 115 degrees farenheit on the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes before adding the other ingredients.  And when it references a technique, it tells you where to find it in the book.

To avoid copying and other legal stuff, I will just post the recipe I used and any changes to ingredients along with any lessons learned.

New Year's Eve

So, we decided to make some grub to celebrate New Year's Eve.  We went with appetizers instead of main dishes.  We had deviled eggs, chorizo cheese dip, and bacon wrapped weenies.  Since most people know how to make deviled eggs, I won't post a recipe.

The bacon wrapped weenies are Yummy and very easy to make.
You need: Li'l Smokies, bacon, brown sugar, toothpicks, crockpot

Cut the bacon into small enough pieces that will wrap around the weenie once.  Thread a toothpick to hold the bacon onto the weenie.  Place the weenie in a crock pot and repeat until weenies or bacon run out.  Add about 3/4 cup of brown sugar to the crock pot and set it and go.  You'll know when the dish is done when the bacon looks cooked.


For the dip, we decided it would be nice to have a dip, but since we didn't plan on it, we were brainstorming.  We came up with a tasty concoction

You need:  chorizo, chopped red onion, hot sauce, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, tortilla chips

Cook the chorizo and red onion.  While that's cooking, blend cream cheese (2 packages) and 1/4 cup sour cream in a large bowl.  Add the chorizo, salsa, and shredded cheese. Mix until well blended.  Eat with chips.  We didn't really take measurements, we went with what we like.  But it came out very good.  It may end up replacing the weenies for our appetizer that we bring to parties.

Smoked Sausage Biscuits

When we lived in Virginia, we'd occasionally go to Hardee's or Bojangle's and order smoked sausage biscuits.  Well, we don't have any near us here.

So we made our own at a fraction of the cost!

I made buttermilk biscuits following the Bisquick recipe and fried up some keilbasa. Very easy and cheap breakfast!

Trick Or Treat!

We got DS's costume a while ago.  He's going to be Yoda!  But, I was having a difficult time finding a Star Wars themed candy bucket.  Not that I really looked.  We only really go to Target.

We were at a shopping plaza and there was a Party City.  I decided to check them out.  I was bummed! They did not have any either!  But as I was getting ready to walk out, I noticed the birthday party aisles.  There were various items for parties for several brands and Star Wars was there.  I saw a Yoda green bucket, some stickers, and a Jedi Master ribbon.  I thought, Perfect!  The bucket is the perfect size for a toddler, as if he is even going to eat any of the candy!

While I was opening the stickers, I realized they seemed odd.  I then looked and saw the stickers were in fact tattoos!  I was not happy.  I then thought, maybe I can use the tattoo as a sticker.

It worked!  I'm so proud of myself!  I will post a photo with DS in full costume with his bucket once Halloween comes around.

After the success of the bucket, I decided to decorate DH's IPhone cover and his Nook cover.  He is a huge Star Wars fan and I can't really find any IPhone or Nook covers with Star Wars.

Unfortunately, DH found the IPhone and rubbed the tattoo, causing it to come off.  I will try to find a sticker to replace the Darth Vader tattoo.

Simple and Elegant

This card is very easy to make and still looks elegant.  Your friends won't believe that you made the card or how easy it was.

Here are the items needed for the card.  All of these items except for the mask can be purchased from the Stampin' Up! catalogue.  I made the mask from a sheet of acetate (which can be purchased from the catalogue), just cutting an oval with a razor blade.

Stamp Set:  Lovely as a Tree
Cardstock:  Midnight Muse {5 1/2 inch x 4 1/4 inch folded in half}, Whisper White {5 1/4 inch x 4 inch}
Ink:  Gumball Green, Bashful Blue
Stampin' Write Marker:  Chocolate Chip
Adhesive:  2-Way Glue, SNAIL
Glitter:  Dazzling Diamonds
Oval mask
Sponge Dauber
Stippling Brush

First, you want to place  your mask on the card stock so that the open oval space is in the center of your paper.  A helpful hint on keeping the mask in place is to use removable adhesive.  If you use adhesive, just use the eraser to get the excess of the paper.

Ink the stamp with Gumball Green and stamp the center of the oval.

Use the fine tip of the Stampin' Write Chocolate Chip marker to color in the trunks and limbs on the trees.

Use the sponge dauber and rub it in the Midnight Muse ink and then sponge the blue on the paper above the trees.  Make sure the oval mask is still in place. Lift the mask when finished.

Now comes the fun.  Use the 2-Way glue as a pen and go over the hills and place dots in the sky.  Sprinkle glitter all over the paper and then tip the excess off.  A helpful hint with applying glitter is to use a tiny spoon, like the ones you get from tasting samples at the grocery store.  I got my little spoons from going to a chili cookoff.  A stippling brush helps with getting the clumps off the paper.

I'll share a quick story.  The first time I demonstrated this card, it was for a class assignment.  I was taking Instructor Development Course provided by the Coast Guard.  The assignment was to teach a performance based skill.  Everyone in the group enjoyed making the cards and the guys used more glitter than the ladies.

Warm Winter Wishes

Getting in the season a bit early, it's not even Halloween.  Since, I plan on making cards to send out to friends, I better get started.  I enjoy making cards and sending them out, I hope my friends enjoy receiving them.

This is the first sample I made of the cards I plan on sending out to friends.  To save paper, I just created a card front.

The ice skates made me want to purchase this stamp set.  I am very excited to spend our first winter in a very cold place.  I know I may change my mind, but for now, I am excited!

I decided to use stamps from the holiday mini catalogue along with a few of the new in-colors.

Recipe List:
Stamp Set:  Winter Memories
Card stock:  Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White
Inks:  Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, VersaMark
Stampin' Write Markers:  Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green
Ribbon:  Raspberry Ripple Satin Stitched
Framelits:  Label Collection (3rd smallest)
Emboss Folder:  Petals a Plenty
Punch:  Modern Label
Brads:  Vintage Trinkets
Embossing Powder:  Clear Powder

Place the piece of Gumball Green cardstock into the Petals A Plenty embossing folder and run it through the BigShot.

Stamp the ice skate image onto the Whisper White cardstock.  This is a two-step process.  First ink the stamp with Versamark and then ink the image with the Raspberry Ripple ink.  Stamp the image.  Sprinkle Embossing powder over the image and shake off the excess.  Use the heat gun to the image.  You'll know when the heat gun is working because the image will become crisp as the powder is heated.

Use the marker to color in the leaves on the image.

Using the middle framelit, place it over the image and run through the BigShot.  Don't be alarmed when you hear a crack and see that your plate has the image of the frame.  After the image has been framed, cut off about 1/4 inch from the left and right of each image.  Using the sponge dauber, sponge the edges with Raspberry Ripple ink.

Run the Raspberry Ripple cardstock through the BigShot with the same framelit.

Attach the image to the Raspberry Ripple cardstock.  Poke a hole on the top and bottom of the image and insert a brad into each hole.

Using Versamark and Gumball Green ink, stamp Warm Winter Wishes onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock and then sprinkle embossing powder and heat.  Use the Modern Label punch to punch out the image and sponge Gumball Green around the edges.

Attach the ribbon to the Gumball Green cardstock.  Attach the Gumball Green cardstock to the Midnight Muse cardstock.  Attach the skate image and the words to the Gumball Green cardstock.