A vist back to summertime

Today I have an absolutely adorable old Woody album from Pinecone Press. I bought this back in August at the Scrapbook Expo...well first I bought 2 cute bus albums for my grandbabies (one not yet born but was due any day) even though they aren't even in school yet (yep I am a planner and some would say a bit of a hoarder) because they were like nothing I had seen before and lets face it they were just too darn cute to pass up. These kits are way cool. I desperately wanted to buy this Woody album but really didn't have any pictures and I was trying to be logical about it when I mentioned it to my son as it would be perfect for his room and he told me he was heading over to the beach the next day, perfect..he took pictures and I bought the album. And now that all my other scrapbooking chores have been met I finally was able to dedicate some time to completing this. Now what you see is a kit that Pinecone Press sells you and I just embellished it here and there from my ample supplies of stuff.

Hard to tell but there is a small acrylic page where the surfboards are.

As you can see I dug out some sand and shells that I had saved from way back when.



Here is some Magic Scraps glitter mesh that I just unpackaged for the first time to use on this page. Sometimes I love that I hang on to stuff I figure I will never use again, because it always seems to come in handy. And those cute little Jolee Crab stickers never go out of style.



A combination of die cut star fish, real shells and a fish sticker really help to add dimension to the details. 





And my son did love this. You just never know with boys whether you should or you shouldn't especially mine because what's cool one day is out the next. Glad I asked before I bought the album because it sure was hard to resist. I think they sell these albums on line if you are up to completing one or even some of the other great products they have.

Back To Business

So I went to Oregon for Christmas, but we don't officially celebrate Christmas until this Saturday. Mostly our trip is to visit with my in-laws and my hubby's family. Basically on Christmas Day we have a visit fest as everyone comes by to have my father-in-laws breakfast (Waffles with Strawberries and Whipped Cream) and catch up by visiting with everyone. It's a bit hectic sometimes but always so nice to visit with everyone since we only get up there twice a year. So when we get home I do a second Christmas which is with my kids and grandkids. This is probably the normal Christmas that most people celebrate with their families. But it's a good thing because it gave me a few days to finish up some crafty gifts. One of which was these hearts.

If you remember I have been making these 3 hearts for my dd. The first one was of my oldest grandson (First Heart,) the second one I can't show you because PaperCrafts picked it up for publication but this is the last one of my youngest grandson, Marshall. I was hoping to get a better picture of him but decided this really captures him perfectly. Mr. Smiley..always so happy and content so it will have to do.

I did show my dd the one heart that was being sent off for publication but she doesn't know (unless she checks in here) what the other two will look like until she opens her Christmas gift.

Off To Oregon For Christmas

Wishing all of you and your family a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year! Sharing a few photos taken from Oregon over the years. Sometimes there is snow and sometimes there is not, but this year..there will be tons! Always nice to visit but always glad I am not there when it all starts to melt. 

My First Layout of my newest grandson

Yippie, I am finally getting a layout done of the littlest add on to our family. His name is Marshall and is now just barely 4 months old, so I can't believe I actually got a layout done. Usually it takes almost a year before I get to them (i.e. Zack's Christmas layout from last year..LOL). I am using some way old products for the page like scenic route pp, the American Crafts velvet thickers and Heidi Swapp die cut letters along with some K&Co heart stickers.

Last Day of Holiday Treats + A Christmas Layout

Ok you foodies, I was going to post photos and recipes for the last two items Pinwheels and Lemon Pound Cake but I will just point you to the links of my recipes (King Arthur Flour). I will tell you the Pinwheels call for Cinnamon Oil. I didn't have any so skipped it but this recipe really needs more cinnamon in it so if you don't have the oil it calls for it does use 1 T of Cinnamon, but I would push that to 1-1/2 or 2 T

The batch I made was ok but it really needed more cinnamon flavor and also I would suggest a little icing drizzled on top. Personally for me, this was the first year I used this recipe and I just thought it was a lot of work for not much flavor. The second recipe is the Lemon Pound cake..and OMG is this cake wonderful. I added 1 T dried Orange Zest and 1 C chopped fresh cranberries to the recipe..if you want the cranberries I suggest 1-1/2 or even 2 C..there were only a scant few in my slices. The glaze is what sends this cake over the top so be sure to make it, but don't worry about the sugar it calls for..you can use regular sugar as I did and it turned out fine, otherwise you can run regular sugar in your Cuisinart chopper and pulse a few times to get the superfine sugar they call out in the recipe. Happy Baking

Lemon Glazed Pound Cake

Cinnamon Bun Pinwheels

And now for a bit of eye candy. I made this layout of my middle grandson, Zack. He is turning into such a cutie and I can't wait for this years Christmas photos. He is almost 2 now. This layout was from pictures I took last year. PP was from Echo Park's Christmas line and a few older items, like Scenic Route rubons (I sure miss that company), K&CO puffy stickers, and  Jenni Bowlin Diecut journal spot (It originally said Wednesday but I took care of that with my trusty little dynamo maker)

Holiday Treats - Day 7

Today for your pleasure I am posting a recipe for Cherry Almond cookies and Divinity (bottom of the post and alas not photo since I didn't plan on sharing and gulp these are long gone)



I first made this cookie last year and decided (just for me) I needed to add this to my usual cookie list. I like the tart dried cherry paired with the crunch of the almonds..and of course a little bit of sweet icing for the top doesn't hurt either.

Ingredients
Cookies
1/2 C (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 Large Egg
1-1/4 C All-Purpose Flour
3/4 C Chopped dried cherries
1/2 C Slivered blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Icing
1-1/3 C Powder Sugar, sifted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 tsp Water (plus extra if needed)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, extracts, cinnamon and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes then beat in egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 12 inches long and 1-1/2 inches in diameter. (I shape the dough using the wrap otherwise the dough tends to stick to your hands) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

Cut the log into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Don't worry if they are not perfectly round..they do tend to expand when baking..but if they are oval well they won't turn out round they just need to be sorta round to begin with. Transfer the dough to prepared cookie sheets spacing about 1 inches apart. bake the cookies are golden around the edges about and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.


For the Icing:
Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. I placed my icing in a plastic sandwich baggie, snipped off the corner and drizzled the icing that way, you can also use a spoon.

Divinity
4 cups sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

3/4 cup cold water

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir only until sugar has dissolved. Do not stir after this point. Cook syrup mixture until it reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, bringing it to a hard ball stage.

While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Once the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees F, carefully pour a slow steady stream of syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites, beating constantly at high speed. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until mixture holds its shape, approximately 3- 5 minutes. (I have done this recipe twice, once at 5 minutes and they were too dry and once at 3 minutes...a little too soft so 4 minutes should be about right) Stir in pecans.

Using 2 spoons, drop the divinity onto waxed paper, using 1 spoon to push the candy off the other. This may take a little practice because the technique is to twirl the pushing spoon, making the candy look like the top of a soft serve ice cream. If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water. You will need to work fast when making this type of candy. After you spoon the cooked sugar and nuts onto the waxed paper, you're done. Cool the candies on racks completely. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks

Back To Holiday Treats - Day 6

So with Christmas around the corner and having requests for more recipes I will try to put in two recipes per post to get them all to you in time. First up is Rugelach and later in the post Almond Bark (sorry no photo). Now I have two recipes and while these are the fig date in the photo I don't think it's the best filling so am going to give you my other filling recipe because it's that yummy.

Please be aware the recipe does call for the dough to be refrigerated overnight. I did but I imagine a good 4-6 hours would work or just 15 min in the freezer. Its soft and more delicate than a pie dough so thus the extra chilling time..when you roll it and cut it, it can tear more easily.

For the Dough

Whisk together in a separate bowl
2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C powder sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together in a mixing bowl
2 sticks (1 C) unsalted softened butter
1 pkg (8 oz) softened cream cheese
Minced zest of 1 lemon

Once mixture is combined add in Flour mixture from above. Shape dough into 3 8oz portions, flatten into disks, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

For the Filling
3/4 C toasted hazelnuts
1 C Apricot preserves
2/3 Golden Raisins
1/4 tsp salt

In a food processor Chop the nuts' then add in the preserves, raisins and salt. Puree until smooth. If you don't have a food processor. Chop the nuts finely, mince the raisins and mix with preserves and salt.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

Roll dough into 12" circles about 1/8" thick. (If it's not perfect don't worry)
Carefully spread filling over the dough leaving a 1/2" - 1" on the sides. Using a Pizza wheel or knife cut the round into 16 wedges; then roll each wedge into a crescent starting at the wide end and rolling to the point. Place crescents, point down on baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart.

Whisk together in a small bowl
1 egg
1 tsp water

Brush each crescent with egg wash and sprinkle with Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw) sugar. Bake crescents 20-30 min or until golden brown.


Almond Bark

This is a simple enough recipe and whatever you do don't let them refrigerate past the time in the recipe because you will discolor the chocolate and melt the salt . My hubby could not stop eating these. I could not find Marcona Almonds so plain unsalted, dry almonds work fine but would recommend giving them a few chops so they are not whole. Just will make for easier eating.

You will need

1/2 C Sugar
2 T water
1 T unsalted butter
1-1/2 C Marcona Almonds (reg almonds will do but make sure they do not contain oil)
1 lb (16 oz) Good quality chocolate (62%-70% cacao), finely chopped
Coarse Sea Salt for sprinkling

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (or if your like me and don't own one, aluminum foil) Combine sugar with 2 Tsp water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel is a dark amber about 5 minutes (don't worry if your sugar looks all dry and hard, with will eventually turn to liquid about 2 minutes before it starts to turn amber). Remove from heat, immediately add butter. Whisk until melted. Add almonds stir until well coated. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading out to separate nuts into one layer. Let cool. Break up any large clumps of nuts and set aside 1/4 of nuts for finishing. Stir chocolate in a medium bowl set over a sauce pan of simmering water until melted. Remove from heat, add nuts from baking sheet and stir quickly to combine. Spread chocolate mixture on same baking sheet keeping nuts in a single layer. Top with the reserved nuts and sprinkle with salt. Chill until chocolate is set, about 3 hours.

Break bark into pieces and store between layers of parchment or waxed paper.