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Monday, November 30, 2009

Carmelized Pecan-Apple Pie

This is from my Demarle at Home rep table talk issue! November 23, 2009 Congratulations Melissa Cunnington! Winner of the December "A Dish to Pass" Melissa LOVES this recipe. When she baked the pie, it brought out many smiles and "Ooh's" and "Ahhs"! Recipe: 10-12 med. tart apples peeled and sliced thin 1/2 c. sugar Lemon juice 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves 3/4 c. chopped pecans 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. butter 2 T. corn starch Pie crust (any will be fine): one for the bottom, one for the top 1 egg (whisked) The following Demarle at Home product was used: Fluted Pie Mold Pastry Brush Magnetic Measuring Trio Large Stock Pot Medium Baking Sheet Directions: Take the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and place into a large stock pot. Add about 1/4 cup of water. Simmer the apple mixture until apples are soft. Once they are soft take a small amount (about 2 T.) of cornstarch and mix with water. Add it to the apple mixture while it's simmering to make the juice a little thicker. Melt the butter and pour onto the bottom of the mold; add the sugar and the pecans and spread evenly on the bottom. Place one of the pie crusts over the top of the pecan mixture. Add the apple mixture and top the pie with the 2nd pie crust. Use the pastry brush to glaze the top of the pie with the egg mixture. Bake in the oven at 375° until the crust is golden (30-45 minutes). Take out of the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour. When pie is cooled flip it upside down onto a large serving platter and peal off the mold. Voila! A beautiful presentation and dessert everyone will remember! Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Deck the Kitchen!

I am making these wreaths for my Etsy shop. They are made with faux tarts and faux chocolate covered strawberries. Perfect for the kitchen! Hang in your kitchen on the wall or in your
window. Each tart is and strawberry is and made by me.
Be sure to check my Etsy shop in the next week! http://www.etsy.com/shop/jojoscraftshop
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Branch Out!

Branch Out is one of my favorite stamp sets. I love the way you can get a tree any color you like. I wanted a fall tree this time. I stamped the tree in Basic Brown onto my 4-1/4 " square of Very Vanilla CS. The leaves are done with Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, and Old Olive. I put some leaves on the ground as well. I used my blender pen and added some grass around the bottom of the tree. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the VV is layered onto a piece of Chocolate Chip CS and then to the base card.
I also sponged some Pumpkin Pie and Ruby Red on the background and edges to give it a look of a fall sky.
And do you get the fence?????? It is a border punch of birthday candles! What do you think?
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Yummy Fall Cupcakes!

My nephew leaves this weekend for the Air Force boot camp. My sister threw a going away party for him this past weekend. I made these! So moist and yummy!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients: 2 c. canned pumpkin 2/3 c. vegetable oil 2 c. granulated sugar 1/2 c. milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp. salt
Frosting : 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature 4 c. 10x sugar 1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners. (I use my Demarle at Home without liners for our personal home consumption, but use liners for company) In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gently whisk by hand until just combined, don’t use an electric mixer or overmix the batter.
Fill liners 2/3 full). Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting: In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon, mixing well.
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Want to make your own Christmas/Holiday cards?

I would love to show you and your family and friends how to make this card! It uses the same embossing folder for the backgrounds, but you get two different looks using two different techniques! Host a workshop with me so I can show you how!
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Rocky....a peeping Tom!

If you read my blog, you have met Rocky in the past. He came for breakfast yesterday. I was out of peanuts, so we have been giving him pistachios. (yes, he is spoiled) I was able to hand feed him some yesterday! Kind of scares me some though........brown finger nail polish may confuse him and think it's a nut! So later in the day..I heard this ruckus....has jumped from the top of your outdoor fireplace onto the window screen! Then back again! I ran and got the camera, and he was playing hide and seek with me! I was laughing to hard......cause every time I brought the came up to the window to snap a shot, he would duck down, then peek back up again! I think my photos tell it all!
Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Rocky- A peeping Tom!
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Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Heartfelt Blog Award

This is the Heartfelt Blog Award, and it was given to me byWezz from The World of Wezz.. Wow Wezz! Thanks so much! It made my day! Here is where Wezz picked me as one of her nominees. This is a very special award given to blogs that give you a nice warm homey feel, full of heart. I don't post as often as I'd like, but do love to share my passion for stamping, knitting, and just about anything! I love hearing from those of you who stop by too! So comments are really appreciated!
Here are the rules:
1. Display the logo.
2. Nominate up to 9 blogs that make you feel comfy or warm inside. 3. Link to your nominees.
4. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting.
5. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
This is going to be hard for me to only pick 9! There are so many wonderful people out there in blog land! But here goes!
1.) Fresh and Fun by Beate Johns. Beate is a demo for Stampin' Up! as well as a designer for other companies and is very big part of SCS. I love her spirit, and her talent has me with my mouth hanging open half the time. She is on my bucket list to meet one day. A very beautiful woman with a kind and generous spirit.
2.) The Craftiblog is done by a mother/daughter team. I love to see what they come up with! It's nice to see a the variety they have on here for those of us who dabble in a little of this and that!
3.) to be continued...........
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Friday, November 06, 2009

Demarle at Home November Specials

Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Applesauce- via the Demarle at Home Large Round Mold!

I bought 1/2 bushel of apples in WV on the way home from my knitting retreat a few weeks ago. They have been in the garage waiting for me to finish using them up. Connor has been home from school all week with the H1N1 virus so I stayed home today too to keep an eye on him and was in the kitchen a big part of the day! I made two Apple Crunch pies, and 4 rounds of Applesauce. I have never made applesauce before.....but will from now on! This was sooooo easy!
I used my Large Round mold from Demarle at Home! (click on the highlighted words to view the mold and other items I am referrring to).
The recipe calls for 8 apples. I can't remember what the ones I bought were called, but they a little tartness to them. Core and peel the apples. Place in the Lg Round Mold on top of a plate. Add 1tsp. cinnamon, and a sprinkling of nutmeg, along with 1/4 - 1/2 c. water. Stir. Cover with Octagonal Silpat and microwave for 10 minutes. Stir, then microwave for another 5-6 min., or until apples are tender. Mash with a potato masher! That's it! How easy is that! And it's yummy too!
But what else can you use the mold for you ask????? I make a killer cheesecake in this!
Bake a cake, roast a chicken, or veggies, or anything for that matter, and clean up is a breeze!
And here is a recipe for Lasagna Pie.
Happy Stamping & Knitting!

Monday, November 02, 2009

Ho ho ho blocks Paper: Card Stock Whisper White 8 1/2X11 Card Stock Real Red 8 1/2X11 Ink SHIMMER PAINT CHAMPAGNE MIST Accessories: Sizzix Big Shot Machine RIBBON GROSGRAIN POLKA DOT REAL RED 3/4" BIGZ ALPHABET SIMPLE LETTERS Instructions 1. Cover each side of two Décor Elements blocks with Real Red card stock (3" x 3"). Cover each side of third block with Whisper White card stock (3" x 3"). 2. Cut “Ho ho” from Whisper White card stock and “Ho” from Real Red card stock using Sizzix Big Shot and Alphabet Simple Letters Bigz die.3. Adhere Whisper White letters and winter scenes from the Holiday Mix Décor Elements to Real Red blocks.4. Adhere Décor Elements snowflakes to Real Red blocks.5. Adhere Real Red letters to Whisper White block. 6. Mix a few drops of Champagne Mist shimmer paint with 1 oz. of rubbing alcohol and spritz entire project.7. When blocks are dry, tie Real Red 3/4" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon (28") around Whisper White block.
Happy Stamping & Knitting!