tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29318424189449163502023-11-15T23:47:02.835-08:00Five Crafty SistersFive Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-30826975354679756562013-07-11T14:32:00.004-07:002013-07-11T14:32:57.358-07:00Allison: Pancakes and BatterHello again! How was everyone's holiday? We spent ours in Utah at my husband's extended family reunion. It was fun to see everyone and have some time away in a cooler climate (100 degrees in Utah was still cooler than AZ). The 12 hour car ride with an active ten-month-old, and impatient two-year-old was interesting, but we survived! At least we know what to expect when we do it all again next month for MY family reunion... in Utah. :) <br />
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Here's the dilemma I face at least 3 mornings a week. I go to make breakfast for my picky two-year-old, and she requests pancakes. Hmm... most people have Bisquick in the pantry. For some reason, I never do. I think it has something to do with the fact that I can never find it at the store. Lazy... do we need to discuss this personality trait of mine again?? Back to the story. I never have it, and my daughter LOVES pancakes. She likes about 3 breakfast foods, and 2 of them involve a sugary liquid topping. I've made pancake mix from scratch, but it always takes longer then I'd like to spend mixing/concocting, while my brain is still waking up. <br />
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So the other morning, I decided to make pancakes. I used the recipe that Shauna had posted <a href="http://i%20replaced%20hna.%20fisher%20%28who%20was%20going%20home%29.%20%20her%20parents%20came%20to%20pick%20her%20up%20and%20spoiled%20us%20by%20doing%20a%20thanksgiving%20dinner./" target="_blank">here</a>. These pancakes are so good! Perfectly fluffy and moist. After making about 6 pancakes, I realized I had a ton of batter left, a two-year-old that had lost interest in her breakfast, and no desire to make any more. At about this point, I remembered a pin on Pinterest. So I grabbed a Winton frosting bag (found at any store with a cake/cookie decorating section. I've also bought them at Wal Mart), and these handy-dandy bag clips (Ikea- love them!), filled it up, and stuck it in the freezer. That was about a week ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04FyccVSdh-67OcpN7nYGfDEq1M1tDcrPI4eOu_TOieB-93FW7WJS3EM6v_lgzd_w0ZtlTx_DCJZ2VJA43lFMPfJp0mIwfGqSSrwgvp2LsP1jI3pkUw41LcDh1cxUMMrXkQAA0RAcMN8/s1600/pancakebatter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04FyccVSdh-67OcpN7nYGfDEq1M1tDcrPI4eOu_TOieB-93FW7WJS3EM6v_lgzd_w0ZtlTx_DCJZ2VJA43lFMPfJp0mIwfGqSSrwgvp2LsP1jI3pkUw41LcDh1cxUMMrXkQAA0RAcMN8/s640/pancakebatter.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horrible picture, but a GREAT idea!</td></tr>
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So last night, I thought that maybe I'd try making pancakes the next morning. So I took the bag out, placed it in the fridge, and asked my good husband if he'd take it out when he got up with the kids. To make a short story unnecessarily longer; it worked! That one frosting bag made about 5 medium pancakes and one happy little girl. And the best part: throwing away the bag after it was empty, with way less dishes to wash. I plan to always have some batter in the freezer from now on.<br />
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Back to how amazing these pancakes are... They're so good! My only irritation with the recipe, is that it calls for buttermilk, which I never have in my fridge. But after I found this recipe for buttermilk substitute, I may never buy it again. Here it is:<br />
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Add 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill to cup line with milk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Done.<br />
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This recipe calls for two cups of buttermilk, so I just added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (out of vinegar) to a 2 cup measuring cup, and filled the rest with milk. I'm sure buttermilk tastes better, but this worked great for me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My patriotic cuties.</td></tr>
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I have lots of projects to share, so I'll be back again soon. Hope everyone has a great week! <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">A</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">l</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">l</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">i</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">s</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">o</span><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">n</span></span></span><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-86023887799261476342013-06-21T22:38:00.002-07:002013-06-21T22:54:47.039-07:00Allison: Baked Taquitos Hello, all! I've been trying to get a post up all week, but it just hasn't happened. So now I'm squeezing one in Friday night. This one is kind of a cheater post, but I HAVE to share this recipe. <br />
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As I've stated in past posts, I've kind of been the baby shower queen the last few months. I'm still planning on sharing more details from each of those get togethers, but couldn't wait any longer to pass this beauty along: Baked Chicken Taquitos from the ladies over at <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/" target="_blank">Our Best Bites</a>. I was fortunate enough to attend <a href="http://tofw.com/events" target="_blank">Time Out For Women</a> this last year, here in Phoenix, and heard Sara and Kate speak. Not only are they crazy talented in the kitchen, but these ladies are fun-ny! I know a lot of people have been enjoying their recipes for years, but I'm a little late to the party.<br />
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Back to the taquitos... The third shower I threw was for my friend, Jenn. After pinning down a theme, I needed to narrow down the food. I was secretly hoping that Jenn wanted Mexican, as I'd found a few recipes that I was excited about. When she did indeed mention "Mexican" as an option, I was thrilled! I had found this <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/" target="_blank">recipe</a> for taquitos on Pinterest, linking me to the Our Best Bites' site. I tested them early, and immediately knew they'd always be on my go-to list. Here's my favorite part: they freeze well!! You can jump on over to their site to get all the details, but I'll list them here also, with a few of my modifications:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;">Baked Chicken Taquitos</span><br />
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1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese <span style="color: #cc0000;">(room temperature is easiest to work with)</span><br />
1/4 cup green salsa <span style="color: #cc0000;">(I used a 4 oz. can of green chiles)</span><br />
1 T fresh lime juice <span style="color: #cc0000;">(mine wasn't fresh...)</span><br />
1/2 t cumin<br />
1 t chili powder<br />
1/2 t onion powder<br />
1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder<br />
3 T chopped cilantro <span style="color: #cc0000;">(I was out of cilantro and green onions one of the times and I made these and they turned out okay. But of course they give them a little something "extra".)</span><br />
2 T sliced green onions<br />
2 cups shredded cooked chicken<br />
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese <span style="color: #cc0000;">(I used whatever was in the fridge, and they were still amazing!)</span><br />
corn or flour tortillas <span style="color: #cc0000;">(I used the small fajita flour tortillas, and it made around 12-15 taquitos)</span><br />
kosher salt<br />
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Here are some quick instructions:<br />
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*Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.<br />
*I mixed the cream cheese, green chiles, lime juice, and all the spices together, then added the chicken and cheese.<br />
*If you microwave the tortillas for a little bit, they're easier to work with. <br />
*Spread a spoonful of the mixture on the first third of the tortilla, then roll it tightly up, placing the taquito fold down on a plate.<br />
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These girls are my heros... I love that they include directions to freeze the taquitos for later use:<br />
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*Place rolled taquitos (on a plate or pan) in the freezer until they're firm/frozen, then transfer them to a freezer bag and save until the craving hits, late at night. :) <br />
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When it's time to cook/devour:<br />
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*Place taquitos on a tinfoil-covered pan. Brush with olive oil, or spray lightly with cooking spray. (I tried both of these methods, and I couldn't tell a difference.) Sprinkle with kosher salt. <br />
*Baking time with vary, depending if they were fresh or frozen. I found 12 minutes to be a good jumping off point. Then I would just check on them until the ends had started to brown.<br />
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**I did try these with a beef mixture too. I mixed a pound of ground beef with taco seasoning then added refried beans, and salsa to the desired consistency. I LOVE how they turned out, but I think I still prefer the chicken.<br />
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I PROMISE that these are amazing! The crunch is very satisfying, and the salt adds just a little something extra. I love that I can bake up a whole batch at once, or grab just a couple for a snack or meal. For me, a spoonful of sour cream is the perfect way to finish these off.<br />
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I know I'll probably always have these in the freezer (I have a batch there now!). I hope you all get a chance to taste these in the near future! It's highly probably that various friends reading this post will receive these at some point. :) Have a great week!!<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">A</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">l</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">l</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">i</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">s</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">o</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 36pt;">n</span></span><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-75262516491311740522013-06-11T13:17:00.001-07:002013-06-21T22:55:50.552-07:00Allison: Father's Day and The Perfect CookieHello, and welcome to my third week of posting IN A ROW! Okay... I'll stop counting. Let's just assume that I'm back to posting at least once a week. <br />
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This week, I wanted to post early in case anyone is totally stumped on what to gift the important fathers in their lives. I was pretty stinking proud of myself for coming up with the "Cookie of the Month Club", which I wrote about in last year's <a href="http://fivecraftysisters.blogspot.com/2012/06/allison-cookie-of-month-club.html" target="_blank">Father's Day post</a>. If you missed it, hop on over there and check it out. Basically, I made a batch of cookies each month, and mailed my father at least a dozen of said cookies, with a little label attached, and a picture of my adorable little one. The cookies were "from her", though obviously mom did the work.<br />
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I really enjoyed creating these packages each month. I don't always get the chance to communicate with my amazing father as much as I'd like, so this was a great excuse to "correspond" with him regularly. I only missed one month (April, I think), but made up for it with two packages the next month. From what I can tell, he's really enjoyed having the packages arrive at his office each month (I don't think my brother, who works with him, is complaining either). <br />
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Hard to believe, but I just finished my last batch of "Grandpa's Cookies", as my two-year-old calls them. Just for the record, your little ones will enjoy this gift as much, if not more, than the person receiving it! Isla was a great sampler for me each month, and never had anything bad to say about my cookies. :) This month, I was scouring my Pinterest "cookie" board, and couldn't find one I was really excited about. There was an intriguing half chocolate cookie, half peanut butter cookie that I was tempted to try, but the refrigeration time didn't correspond with my slim window to get to the post office before nap time. But while on Sally's blog over at <a href="http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/" target="_blank">sallysbakingaddiction.com</a>, I came across a recipe she calls "THE Chocolate Chip Cookie". I've never been a huge fan of Chocolate Chip Cookies (I know... I'm the only one...), but I figured a traditional cookie might be a good ending to a year of cookie recipes. So, I gave it a try. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! For someone that's not a fan of this type of cookie, I admit that this recipe is amazing! They turned out nice and plump (not flat like most), chewy and moist. I LOVED her suggestion to add a few chocolate chips to the top of the dough (before baking) to make them more attractive. I think she and I would be great friends. :)<br />
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I followed her recipe found <a href="http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/08/06/the-chocolate-chip-cookie/" target="_blank">here</a> to the "T", and found that they turned out just as she pictured. My only deviation, if you want to call it that, is that I used my cookie scoop. I LOVE using it for drop cookies, and find that it makes them almost perfectly round with a little less work on my part. Lazy... don't forget. :)<br />
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Sally described this as her "go to" chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I know it will definitely be added to my favorites. I hope you all try it out. I also hope you might consider adding someone special in your life to the "Cookie of the Month" club. I can't believe it's been a year since my dad's "induction", and definitely plan to send him an occasional package in the future. He has always been the most supportive and accepting father, always willing to offer inspired advice and to lend an ear to my silly problems.<br />
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On top of being lazy, I'm also cheap. So when I card shop for holidays like Father's Day, I almost can't stomach spending what they charge for cards that seem to be less and less creative each year. So when I found a similar card on Pinterest, as the one I made below, I knew I had a solution to my card dilemma. I laughed so hard when I saw this card idea! It took me about 10 minutes to make my own on my computer, print it off, and put it all together. I think my dad will get a good laugh, and then have to admit to himself that it's completely true. :)<br />
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Of course I admitted in the card, that my mom had a lot to do with my awesomeness too. :)<br />
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Before I end my post, I have to take a second to give a "shout out" to my second favorite father... my amazing husband, Brent. The minute he gets home from work each night, my VERY energetic two-year-old instantly wants to play with her daddy, and he always complies... even when his day has already been exhausting. He's my best friend, and the best daddy I could have possibly imagined for my little girls. My expectations were pretty high, after having an amazing father, and Brent definitely met that standard. I love your guts, Brent!<br />
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I hope you all have a great week, and look forward to spoiling the men in your life. Until next week...<br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-61554773776378665002013-06-07T09:58:00.001-07:002013-06-21T22:56:51.452-07:00Allison: Cara's Shower and Fruit SalsaHello, everyone! No one have a heart attack... this is my second week in a row posting. I just finished hosting my third baby shower in two months, and finally have a second to breath and LOTS of material to use for posts. <br />
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My church congregation has A LOT of pregnant women right now. I think I counted 8 babies due to be born between May and July. Crazy! A number of these girls were having their second babies, and assumed they wouldn't have showers. But one of my good friends convinced me to have a shower for my second, though I didn't think it was needed (especially having a second girl). But it was really fun to celebrate this second little one joining our family, and I was grateful for all the cute little clothes and gifts that would be just hers... not shared by her sister. Being the middle of five girls, I'm a little sensitive about hand-me-downs. :)<br />
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So it was now my chance to pay it forward, and convince more moms-to-be (for the second time), to celebrate their coming babies. It took some doing, but I was able to convince three of them to let me throw them showers. I didn't necessarily set out to throw that many showers, but each of these women deserved this celebration and I wanted to make sure they had it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Shower invite. I love Power Point (aka Poor Man's Photo Shop)!</td></tr>
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Cara was the first to deliver in this next batch of babies. This was her first girl, and I was so excited that she was willing to let me plan her shower. (I have to quickly thank Melissa for hosting the shower at her home. She was so gracious, and let me totally take over her house for a couple of hours.) I immediately thought of the theme "Sugar and Spice" when Cara said how much she loved everything girly. I still remember the rhyme I used to read in a book growing up:<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999;">Sugar and spice and everything nice</span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;">That's what little girls are made of.</span><br />
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The Food:<br />
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I need a theme when I plan anything, to help reign in the options. With the "Sugar and Spice" theme, I decided to plan foods with opposite flavors. For example: spice cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes, spicy turkey and sweet ham (for sandwiches), sweet kettle corn and white chocolate peppermint popcorn and spicy salsa and sweet fruit salsa.<br />
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I don't know why I had never tried fruit salsa with sugared tortilla chips before! It was so good and relatively easy. I used <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fruit-Salsa-and-Cinnamon-Chips/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">this</a> version on allrecipe.com as a foundation, but ended up tweaking it a little. Remember how I'm the lazy sister? Well this is my lazy version. :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Salsa-</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3-4 red apples (1 green for color)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">pint of strawberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2-3 kiwis</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chips-</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">small flour tortillas (fajita size)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">melted butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">cinnamon sugar</span></div>
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I followed the allrecipe.com version for the chips, but brushed melted butter on each tortilla with a pastry brush instead of using cooking spray. I also cut my tortillas into sixths before I coated them with butter. <br />
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For the salsa, I only used apples, strawberries and kiwis. The quantities really depend on how much you want. I ended up adding more kiwi and a green apple when I thought I was "done" to add a little more color. I also chopped each fruit into very small pieces to give it even more of a salsa effect. I then squeezed in a good amount of lemon juice and tossed the salsa until everything was coated. This kept the apples from browning. I made the salsa the night before, and it kept well until the morning shower ended. <br />
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I think of everything at the shower, the fruit salsa may have been the biggest hit. The cinnamon-sugar chips complemented the tart salsa perfectly. Despite the chips coated in butter and sugar, I definitely felt relatively guilt-free since I was consuming fruit at the same time. :) I hope you all get a chance to try this treat at some point. It was fun to make and fun to share. <br />
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Cara was spoiled at the shower, and is now enjoying her sweet baby Abigail. Next week I'll share more of the shower decor. Until then... have a great week!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-61829864220006212562013-05-28T15:34:00.004-07:002013-06-21T22:57:43.785-07:00Allison: Second Annual Girls' WeekendHello again! Sara's recent post motivated me to finally post again. I know how busy Sara is with prepping for a big move, so if she can find time, so can I. This post will be dedicated to the "Sisters" part of "Five Crafty Sisters". I promise to address the "Crafty" part next time. :)<br />
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We, the Platt sisters, just had our 2nd annual Girls' Weekend, this last month. Most of us (all the contributors of this blog) met in Utah and spent 3 days and 2 nights chatting, eating and spending time together. It was so much fun, and made me even more homesick for family. <br />
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This year, our mother was able to join us, and brought our father as a travel buddy. Our first night all together, we had a family barbecue and enjoyed time visiting with lots of nieces, nephews, in-laws and siblings. <br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Girls</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mama Platt, Micky (SIL), Allison, Shauna (& baby), Lisa, Sara</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who's that girl ruining all the photos?! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSJDV-DnX1tEt_hc92KD71YM81V-PuhAUtWi4uNc47SvUhZfOD2QKAsrBze0LnifxmZAHoVDwEV3lyzADjCUU6aek4saJETqcfI0lIuAZjHJycoYNSCYQA_Q6lLGbddnDGYnlEgahzLg/s1600/backseat+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSJDV-DnX1tEt_hc92KD71YM81V-PuhAUtWi4uNc47SvUhZfOD2QKAsrBze0LnifxmZAHoVDwEV3lyzADjCUU6aek4saJETqcfI0lIuAZjHJycoYNSCYQA_Q6lLGbddnDGYnlEgahzLg/s320/backseat+pic.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, Shaun... I love this picture! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Salt and Pepper"</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Boys</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Briant (brother), Papa Platt, Dave (BIL), Rich (BIL)</span></div>
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It was fun to see everyone and to be reminded of what an amazingly fun family I have. It also made me even more excited for our family reunion this Summer!<br />
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The rest of the weekend was spent talking some more, eating and eating and eating. We even got to throw an almost surprise baby shower for Shauna. She finally figured out something was happening as we tried to shop for baby clothes while she was with us. We weren't very subtle. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quality cell phone picture. Probably should have had her sit <br />
on the opposite side of the table. Oops!</td></tr>
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As we ate some delicious breakfast food, we talked about the future of this blog, and how much we've enjoyed contributing. As life gets busy, babies are born and technology doesn't always cooperate, we might not be as consistent as we once were, but we're trying. :) <br />
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I LOVED spending time with my sisters and appreciate our individual personalities and points of view. I'm committing now to post more regularly. We'll see if it happens. Have a great week!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #073763;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-56397225765767437572013-05-27T08:59:00.001-07:002013-05-27T09:07:44.314-07:00End of the Year Teacher Gift<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello blogging world! Oh, how I've missed you! </div>
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This past week, my little girl graduated from Pre-K (AND had her cast taken off, AND had her first loose tooth...big week for us!). </div>
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I have to admit, tears were shed. I wasn't quite prepared to experience the flood of emotions that I did as I watched Penelope give her sweet teacher, Ms. Amanda, a hug for the last time and then to see the tears in Ms. Amanda's eyes....very touching! Penelope had the most amazing teacher and I was so thankful that she was Penelope's first school experience. </div>
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Both Penelope and I have been thinking for along time about what we should do as a thank you for all the hard work Ms. Amanda put in this past year. We finally came to the following project. I am all about a heart-felt, homemade project to show someone how much you appreciate them. We actually went out and bought her a really cute coffee mug (she's an avid tea drinker) but I really felt that there was no heart in it so it is still sitting on my piano instead.</div>
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All of the materials needed for this project were in my craft supplies. For Christmas, I made my hubby a magnetic Scrabble game so everything was left over from that project. If you don't have these items just laying around, check your local Goodwill of DI game section to see if they have any Scrabble games. I know you can also buy some letter tiles at craft stores - I just like the real Scrabble tiles. The rolled magnet strip was purchased at Joann's. My kids love to make magnets so we ALWAYS have this at my house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUbklauXnpeGVGZW7vA2pitsedDTbXm6KhYcYd313p-aUiK6-Tkgy5Z8qbXkNGJVwgM1GK8Kx9DUUl79nrUrnPJ1DyTwv4OEXH3T-U3Dq4QDJ2Q2oLRxw3gfaWvH_K0OcPu5Mu3YjBmI/s1600/P5247324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUbklauXnpeGVGZW7vA2pitsedDTbXm6KhYcYd313p-aUiK6-Tkgy5Z8qbXkNGJVwgM1GK8Kx9DUUl79nrUrnPJ1DyTwv4OEXH3T-U3Dq4QDJ2Q2oLRxw3gfaWvH_K0OcPu5Mu3YjBmI/s640/P5247324.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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To assemble the magnetic letter tiles, simply cut a piece of magnet to fit the back of the letter tile and glue it on with the hot glue gun. The magnetic strip will have some adhesive on it but I have learned from previous experience that it needs a little extra glue to stay long term. </div>
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For my "cookie jar", I found a cool old jar in my collection and then found a metal lid that fit the top. Penelope painted the lid Ms. Amanda's favorite color. Then we stuck the letters to the lid, filled the jar with cookies and this is what you end up with...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BBLs6lWmPayKDO3FUBVTsY5vxzP1xzD3wuo0F0WLpaBcXilbc3fWnpkMsuhgOXa_X4DetPravMQINoRCTxSIHwpT5YEtASwV4wtOgg0NzdLTUuqIOgR9WXjeWQph4fJDxjEtXEFykfA/s1600/P5247322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BBLs6lWmPayKDO3FUBVTsY5vxzP1xzD3wuo0F0WLpaBcXilbc3fWnpkMsuhgOXa_X4DetPravMQINoRCTxSIHwpT5YEtASwV4wtOgg0NzdLTUuqIOgR9WXjeWQph4fJDxjEtXEFykfA/s640/P5247322.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a picture without the magnets on top. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZtRmYl6n_LXPVWyLThU0ubQbGRt9e7ImlqN2kE6D5Ixo3hZvE-Z2rDD84i1eC2yWs4T9PYTuSmT-T45ziMyPFuCqCfU2xi56q-cLDLPY-PkvKO2YXCTUZ865grAmPxVv5BlrfzhxrYs/s1600/PB+and+Chcocolate+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZtRmYl6n_LXPVWyLThU0ubQbGRt9e7ImlqN2kE6D5Ixo3hZvE-Z2rDD84i1eC2yWs4T9PYTuSmT-T45ziMyPFuCqCfU2xi56q-cLDLPY-PkvKO2YXCTUZ865grAmPxVv5BlrfzhxrYs/s640/PB+and+Chcocolate+cookies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We paired this gift with a homemade card from Penelope to Ms. Amanda. <br />
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As for the cookies, this is my new favorite cookie recipe - peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. I have NEVER liked peanut butter cookies until I found this recipe from my favorite cookbook<i>, <a href="http://www.grandcentralbakery.com/our-book/" target="_blank">The Grand Central Baking Book</a>. </i>Now, MY peanut butter cookies are my favorite cookies. I altered this recipe and added milk chocolate chips and it is even better!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies</span></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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* 3 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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* 2 teaspoons baking soda</div>
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* 1 teaspoon salt</div>
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* 1 cup butter, at room temperature</div>
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* 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling the cookies</div>
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* 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark</div>
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* 1 cup peanut butter, at room temperature</div>
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* 2 eggs, at room temperature</div>
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* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
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* 1 bag (or approximately two cups) milk chocolate chips</div>
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Directions:</div>
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1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Put one cup of sugar into a medium bowl for rolling the cookies.</div>
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2. Using a mixer with a paddle, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes, or until mixture is lighter in color and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and cream for another minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl several times during this process.</div>
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3. While the mixer is running, crack the eggs into a cup and add the vanilla. Do this to ensure you don't get egg shells into your dough. Reduce the speed to low, then slowly pour in the eggs, letting them fall in one at a time and incorporating the first egg completely before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once during the process.</div>
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4. Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. If flour or baking soda is clumpy, sift the dry mixture.</div>
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5. Gradually add the dry ingredients (in two or three additions) with the mixer on low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the chocolate chips.</div>
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6. I like to use a tablespoon scooper for my cookies so they are all about the same size. Scoop out your dough, using your hands, roll the dough into a ball then roll the ball in the sugar, coating completely. Place on the cookie sheet.</div>
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7. When your sheet is full of cookie balls, lightly dust your fork with sugar or flour before pressing to make a crisscross pattern and then press the cookies into 1/2-inch-thick disks.</div>
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8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are LIGHTLY brown. I discovered the reason I don't normally like peanut butter cookies is because most people cook them until they are crispy. I don't like that. I like a soft cookie. If you want it more crispy, cook longer; otherwise, allow the cookies to rest on the sheet for three or four minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool (although I ALWAYS have to have at least one hot, right-off-the-cookie-sheet, gooey cookie).</div>
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Yum!</div>
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Stay tuned the next several months for some big projects I will be working on in our new house we move into this week. They include reclaimed barn wood flooring and a new kitchen! I can't wait to show you!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Sara Jane</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-40535055603168602382013-04-01T14:25:00.002-07:002013-06-21T22:58:31.748-07:00Allison: 20,000 Views' Giveaway<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">**************** GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED ****************</span><br />
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Hello again! Doesn't that cupcake from Sara's last post look amazing?! Mmmm... Okay, I'm back. Our humble little blog has been running now for almost a year. Crazy! I have loved posting about my creative ventures, and sharing this space with my sisters. We just recently passed our 20,000 views' mark (can you believe it?!), and I can't think of a better way to show our appreciation to loyal readers than with a giveaway!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMrXPJJ4TsDU4w7doVVBzIOaKTMVOEKR7-E9El_XiwrIwUGBcFgZk0YQHWsNI5e9zap-wW8fFSX0uaBG2QNiZcvrz1T0hKt6YDqXKNOC0d0Aj1trLEIAJSrx2Racy3mbkHltFyzD9Qlw/s1600/carseat+tutorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMrXPJJ4TsDU4w7doVVBzIOaKTMVOEKR7-E9El_XiwrIwUGBcFgZk0YQHWsNI5e9zap-wW8fFSX0uaBG2QNiZcvrz1T0hKt6YDqXKNOC0d0Aj1trLEIAJSrx2Racy3mbkHltFyzD9Qlw/s400/carseat+tutorial.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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It's already broken 90 degrees here in Arizona, so it got me thinking about my most frequently viewed post: the Car Seat Cooler Tutorial (found <a href="http://fivecraftysisters.blogspot.com/2012/06/allison-car-seat-cooler-tutorial.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Having been viewed over 1800 times, I thought it would be fun to give one away this week. All you have to do is post the answer to this question below:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">What is your favorite Summer craft?</span><br />
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Post your answer to that question by Friday at midnight, and you'll be entered to win a car seat cooler of your own. The winner will be announced Saturday morning.<br />
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I will hopefully be selling these practical little "coolers" in our Etsy shop soon. Everyone have a great week, and a HUGE thanks for supporting our little blog!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Allison</span></span></b><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-41056709138417020642013-03-26T15:13:00.003-07:002013-03-26T15:24:17.268-07:00Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever tried a recipe that was just so delicious that you wanted to share it with the world? Well, I have one of those oh-my-goodness-this-is-amazing recipes. I found the original recipe <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/346088/boston-cream-pie-cupcakes" target="_blank">here</a> on Ms. Martha Stewart's site (so of course it will be heavenly, right?). Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNvkiqHyi6mH8f1EhjCkND-bfR3PKW6eGeXM0ibcA_oSR9cjcE75SEJxW2MxbjHJ9cHv_Va9JYnFq3EI0FO1z82fvJbZvJu8ZNhAxvJpn-qGQ7Bq0t9fYL0ATqgCFaYpNt0MexK3zM8M/s1600/2013-03-25_15-24-21_522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNvkiqHyi6mH8f1EhjCkND-bfR3PKW6eGeXM0ibcA_oSR9cjcE75SEJxW2MxbjHJ9cHv_Va9JYnFq3EI0FO1z82fvJbZvJu8ZNhAxvJpn-qGQ7Bq0t9fYL0ATqgCFaYpNt0MexK3zM8M/s640/2013-03-25_15-24-21_522.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Directions for cupcakes:</b></span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Ingredients</u></span></div>
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<li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
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<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">3 large eggs</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Vanilla Cream (directions at the bottom) - <i>I doubled this recipe to ensure I would have enough cream for all 20 cupcakes this recipe made. I was glad I did because we ate the extra cream :)</i></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Chocolate-Ganache Glaze (directions at the bottom)</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Directions:</u></span></div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You can either butter and flour a muffin tin or do like I did - use cupcake liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. </div>
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Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in dry ingredients.</div>
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Bring milk and butter to a boil. With mixer on low speed, add milk mixture to batter, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each halfway. Bake cupcakes until light gold, about 15 minutes. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Let cool. When my cupcakes were cool, I then took the paper liners carefully off of them.</div>
</li>
<li class="step last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.38em; text-align: left;">
On the Martha Stewart site, she cuts the cupcakes in half and puts the cream in the middle. That is a bit too messy to eat for me so instead I put the cream into a pastry bag and pipped the cream into the cupcake. It was super easy and very nice and tidy. After the cupcakes were all filled, I dipped the top into the ganache. I had a bowl of extra ganache on the side for those who like a little extra chocolate.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</span><br />
<h2 style="font: normal normal 100 20px/23px museo-slab-1, museo-slab-2, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Directions for Vanilla Cream</span></h2>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Ingredients for Vanilla Cream:</u></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;"><div class="ingredients recipe-section" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="item-list" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;">
<li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">2 large egg yolks</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4 cup sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Pinch of salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup whole milk</li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
</span></ul>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;"><div class="recipe-section instructions" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Directions</u></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;"><div class="recipe-section instructions" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="item-list" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ol class="content-multigroup-group-steps" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 18px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="step first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.38em; text-align: left;">
Whisk yolks until smooth. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add milk and start whisking. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring because the bottom of this mixture can burn easily.</div>
</li>
<li class="step" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.38em; text-align: left;">
Pour 1/3 of milk mixture into yolks, whisking constantly. Return egg/milk mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, again, stirring often, until thick, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla.</div>
</li>
<li class="step last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.38em; text-align: left;">
Pass vanilla cream through a fine sieve into a bowl (<i>I didn't do this and mine did not turn out too lumpy)</i>. Press plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1<br />
hour, or up to 2 days.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;"></span><br />
<div class="ingredients recipe-section" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h2 style="font-weight: normal; font: normal normal 100 20px/23px museo-slab-1, museo-slab-2, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 12px;">Directions for Chocolate-Ganache Galze:</span></span></h2>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 12px;"><u>Ingredients:</u></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 12px;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div>
<div class="item-list" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;">
<li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2/3 cup heavy cream</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tablespoon light corn syrup</li>
</span></ul>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 12px;">
<div class="recipe-section instructions" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><u style="font-weight: normal;">Directions:</u></span></h3>
<div class="item-list" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ol class="content-multigroup-group-steps" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 18px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="step first last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.38em;">
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan.Remove from heat, and add chocolate and corn syrup. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool, stirring often. I let my ganache sit for quite a while before dipping my cupcakes into it.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: museo-slab-1, museo-slab-2, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-26217055552884700622013-03-21T09:27:00.000-07:002013-06-21T22:59:25.679-07:00Allison: Toddler MuffinsHi! My name is Allison... I used to contribute regularly to this blog. Remember me? Yep, I'm back. I have no idea how, but time has just slipped away from me these last few months. It might have to do with sick babies and just daily life. But I have some creative opportunities coming up in the near future, and I thought I'd better get back in the habit of blogging.<br />
<br />
Anyone out there have really picky eaters in their house? I knew that my little Isla (2 1/2 years old) was picky, but lately, it's gotten so much worse! There are days where she'll skip lunch AND dinner. My skinny little girl seems to be getting even smaller, and it's started to worry me a little. She's definitely more of a snacker, and I've found myself giving her things I wouldn't normally, just to get her to eat something. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQs0ZvF-sBGs9PZbWV7UP_TUBSb_pnl0sno5Ygx1NqvYYeMSa3utCh8D_Uxtow7izFtZ800g2tcr85NHTlUgpECHL9YdWbX7vekumE_7oIPEpa5djICsji2QBWBbScwyl4b0FMhm3yk/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQs0ZvF-sBGs9PZbWV7UP_TUBSb_pnl0sno5Ygx1NqvYYeMSa3utCh8D_Uxtow7izFtZ800g2tcr85NHTlUgpECHL9YdWbX7vekumE_7oIPEpa5djICsji2QBWBbScwyl4b0FMhm3yk/s640/photo-10.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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So when I found this recipe <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Toddler-Muffins/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> for "Toddler Muffins", I knew I had to give them a try. Here's the best proof if they were liked or not:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG-UiB1gni_2Q58Cz0qfQlDyckN8vYkXBe9DX0CvAm7XrFRR8Z-gA-bdJk5dH_Niz02rtkMrAEm2ny2at2ZV4mGGEl3rq1mEN15hnnZ4z6rukLYfpbAShyphenhyphenfMdUZtBdarQ3pf4EDfSj6c/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG-UiB1gni_2Q58Cz0qfQlDyckN8vYkXBe9DX0CvAm7XrFRR8Z-gA-bdJk5dH_Niz02rtkMrAEm2ny2at2ZV4mGGEl3rq1mEN15hnnZ4z6rukLYfpbAShyphenhyphenfMdUZtBdarQ3pf4EDfSj6c/s400/photo-8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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She loved them and ate 3 for breakfast. The only foods we've been able to get her to eat for breakfast are cinnamon toast (or "sugar toast", as she calls them), and french toast with syrup. Can you find the theme here?? This girl definitely likes sugar (I have no idea where she gets that from)!<br />
<br />
I didn't modify the recipe too much. I didn't have oat bran in the house, but saw that others had substituted oats or flax seed. I had ground flax seed in my house (weird, I know), so I used a 1/4 cup and a 1/4 cup of oats. I'm sure a half cup of oats would work just great too. For the baby food ingredient, I'm sure any pureed veggie would work. I had a baby food pouch of pear and butternut squash that I used. I also only added a 1/4 cup butter instead of 1/2 cup. That seemed like a lot. They still turned out super moist and delicious. I also added raisins. Because of the bananas, they tasted a lot like banana bread. Yum! They yielded 24 mini muffins, with enough left over to make a mini loaf.<br />
<br />
Well, I hope this recipe helps some of you with little ones that have a mind of their own when it comes to food. I'm hoping to make a few more adjustments (maybe wheat flour?), or adding more veggies. Whatever it takes to get them eating their fruits and veggies, right? Until next time... have a great week!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: x-large;">Allison</span></b><br />
<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-77502926387011672902013-03-05T15:14:00.004-08:002013-03-05T15:14:32.726-08:00Sara Jane: Apple Cider Vinegar...Wart treatment???Alright folks, this is probably my most random entry ever but I have to share with you an exciting tip I received.<br />
<br />
My oldest daughter has had a plantar wart on her big toe for about a year. I feel like I have tried the over-the-counter salicylic acid (Compound W) 20 times in the last year. A few months ago, I gave up on this wart and decided I would try again later. However, when I went back to try again, there was ANOTHER wart on her other big toe. Ahhh! When I went to the store to get more wart remover, ran into a friend who said she had just seen something about apple cider vinegar getting rid of warts. What?!? I ran home and looked it up on the internet and sure enough, there were hundreds of testimonials that it would work.<br />
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That night I got to work. I made a q-tip size cotton ball, soaked it in the vinegar, pressed it against the wart and covered it with a band aid. All the testimonials said it did hurt pretty bad but within about 3 or 4 days the pain was gone and so was the wart.<br />
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The first night, no pain. The skin was definitely dying around the wart the next day though. The second day, however, my daughter was extremely upset by how bad her toe hurt. That night, it took her a long time to fall asleep because of the pulsing pain in her toe. The next day, more skin was dead and the wart was black. By the third day of trying this, I gave up because of her constant complaining. Abraham and I decided we had better take her in and have a doc take care of it. Better the doctor put her through pain than us, right?<br />
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So, here we are a week later (I waited a week so the skin on her toe could heal. I was afraid the doc would think I was a bit nuts :). Yesterday I took Penelope to the foot specialist and to my surprise, she praised the work I had done on her foot and said that Apple Cider Vinegar is actually one of the greatest remedies for warts if you can get through the pain. AND that wart that I have been working on for the last year is actually gone! All that is left is dead skin. IT WORKED!!!!!! As for the little wart on her other big toe, the doc put something on it and today it is killing Penelope :) Oh well...you can't win them all. <br />
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We are all about doing stuff the natural way when we can and I am so glad to have found this remedy. Has anyone else ever tried it and had good results???<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-47038733071525581172013-02-12T21:06:00.002-08:002013-06-21T23:00:35.618-07:00Allison: 14 Day of Valentines and Kids' CraftsHello! Remember me? Yeah... life has been a little crazy, but I thought I'd share a fun activity I've been doing all month. My husband, Brent, might be the hardest person to shop for... IN THE WORLD. He might counter saying that I'm the hard one to shop for, but don't listen to him. So I jumped on Pinterest for help, and came across a fun idea: "The 14 Days of Valentines". I saw a couple of variations, but the idea was the same: a gift/act/service each day for your significant other. <br />
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I won't go into what I did too much, but really enjoyed surprising my husband with goodies in his car on the way to work, or leaving fun notes for him to find on the front door, or on the bathroom mirror. My sweet husband LOVES sushi, so when I came across the candy sushi idea, I knew it would be perfect. I found a video tutorial <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O2FBKbo9R9Y" target="_blank">here</a>, and found it to be pretty easy, and kind of fun. My two-year-old was also a fan! I surprised him further with some actual sushi for dinner.<br />
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My husband thought it was fun, and I got the credit for being creative. </div>
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I tried to coordinate each activity with the day of the week. For example, Brent has meetings Monday mornings, not always allowing him time for lunch. So I packed up the girls, and we dropped him lunch at work. </div>
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Saturday morning, we made Brent breakfast. I saw this idea for pancakes, but had a little trouble with the hearts. :) </div>
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Here we are at day 12. I know it's a little early, but we decided to make Brent some Valentines. I knew that mixing my two-year-old with paint, might be a recipe for disaster... but it turned out okay. I saw the idea on Pinterest of using empty toilet paper rolls, shaped into hearts. But I had a hard time getting it to work just right, and decided to use a cookie cutter instead. It worked great, and Isla enjoyed creating this pretty picture.<br />
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Norah's valentine was a little easier, as she just laid there, drinking her bottle while I painted her feet. :) I like how it turned out.<br />
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Doesn't Brent have some cute little Valentines?? Two more days of surprises to go! What are you doing for your significant other? Hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day! <br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-26289042353600623052013-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:002013-03-25T12:48:04.388-07:00Allison: Valentine Wreath Giveaway!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello! I know... it's been too long. But I have a fun way to make it up to you. How about a give away? I was looking through my Valentine's board on Pinterest, and found <a href="http://mineforthemaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/heart-argyle-valentines-wreath-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this cute wreath</a>. I knew I had the supplies to make it, so I attempted one myself. A few months ago, I found some great 1/2 wreath forms at Target in their dollar section. They're great, because they lay flat against the door. I knew I'd have a reason to use them eventually. It's that very thinking that has my crafting supplies busting out of every storage space of my house.<br />
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It took me about 40 minutes to wrap the wreath in yarn (10 minutes here and there), and not much longer to cut out 12 hearts from scrap felt I had from other projects. I used a cookie cutter as my template and cut the heart out of a cereal box. (We're real sophisticated around here.)<br />
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I used a tiny dab of hot glue to secure each heart in place, until I could wrap them with yarn. It was such a fast and easy project! I was going to write up a tutorial, but after I finished, I clicked on the pin that had originally inspired me, and found a great tutorial found <a href="http://mineforthemaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/heart-argyle-valentines-wreath-tutorial.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Go figure. :)<br />
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So... here's the giveaway questions:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite way to spoil your significant other on Valentine's Day? </span><br />
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Or...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite way to be spoiled on Valentine's Day?</span><br />
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Leave a comment below, and Monday morning I'll randomly select a reader to win this cute, 9" Valentine's Wreath. I hope you all have a great weekend!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: x-large;">Allison</span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-38290979467837686852013-01-04T08:51:00.000-08:002013-03-25T12:47:17.610-07:00Allison: Christmas Card BooksHello, and Happy New Year! It feels like forever since I've posted and I figured it was time to get back in the routine. <br />
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I have many resolutions this year, but one that always seems to make the list is to stay organized. I thrive in an organized environment and usually feel completely lost in mess and disorder. Needless to say that with a two-year-old, I usually find myself in the later situation. <br />
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Post-Christmas is usually a time I feel a little stressed as the house is overflowing with new toys and gifts, and a plethora of decorations that need to be stored. I always feel a little sad as the cards and pictures from family and friends get taken down. Last year, I stumbled upon a fun way to keep those special cards organized and cherished for years to come: Christmas Card Books. <br />
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I simply organized the cards of each year by size, punched holes, scrapbooked a cover and held them together with rings. To personalize them a little further, I added a significant event or two from the year to the cover. I then store them with my other Christmas decor and now we can see how our friends have grown and changed each year. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHUt_6lxCjjn37CyazKWht8GnoAuezWqxscJpigVBTO0J_Z-sHiXc-Cy1Uf9kS-UxF3Xtfz2U_nXdyUOPlJ_ny8nP9wiYD8yeXrf0w7N9qEcAF4tRF7Qzc2EZXdE20P223gJ3oZM76gI/s1600/cardbook2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHUt_6lxCjjn37CyazKWht8GnoAuezWqxscJpigVBTO0J_Z-sHiXc-Cy1Uf9kS-UxF3Xtfz2U_nXdyUOPlJ_ny8nP9wiYD8yeXrf0w7N9qEcAF4tRF7Qzc2EZXdE20P223gJ3oZM76gI/s640/cardbook2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at Sara's adorable family!! :)</td></tr>
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I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to all this new year will bring. Have a great week!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-38690415272471318292012-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:002012-12-18T20:54:12.937-08:00Sara Jane: Microwave Caramels<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hey everyone. Sorry I've been a slacker. Our advent calendar kind of took over around here and its been fantastic :) Tonight, the advent calendar insisted we go caroling with our lovely friends. It was perfect! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For our goodies plate that we handed out while caroling, I made a delicious and simple caramel that I had to share with you. These caramels weren't the absolute best I have ever had but they were pretty stinkin' good and only took SIX minutes to make. Yes, you read that correct. SIX MINUTES! I found the original recipe <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-caramels-367414" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>6-MINUTE CARAMELS</i></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">1/4 cup butter</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"><br style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /></span></i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">1/2 cup white sugar</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">1/2 cup light Karo syrup</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">sea salt</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">Directions:</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">First, line a dish with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking oil. Next, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">Combine all dry ingredients in a large microwavable bowl. Mix together. Add butter. You don't need to mix it in. Just stick it in. Then, in the microwave, c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">ook for six minutes, stirring every two minutes. Be careful when you take the bowl out...its going to get hot! After your six minutes are up,</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"> pour into greased dish. Again, the bowl will be VERY hot so be careful when you do this. </span></span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">After</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> I poured my mixture into my dish, I sprinkled a good amount of sea salt on top because I like salt on my caramel. If you don't like salt, omit. </span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Since I needed my caramel to set quickly, I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After it had cooled enough that I could work with it, I took it out, cut it into little logs (about 2 inches by 1/2 inches) and wrapped them up in parchment paper. </span></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">There you have it. I hope you are all having a very enjoyable December. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Sara Jane</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-31238709571318972762012-12-14T10:52:00.001-08:002013-01-04T09:16:11.470-08:00Allison: White Chocolate and Candy Cane PopcornHello again! Just dropping in for a quick post. I just decided to make some goodies on a whim. Not really a good idea if you're home all day, and trying to lose baby weight. Hmm... But I have to share this treat with you! I made this last year too, and it is so addictive: White Chocolate and Candy Cane Popcorn. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XnOtbPfXJnvx4gW1dVi4WU82tmmiJR2dCR19fIdn7pn2BP0EbcQjr0xlLkefHRVrH10nn7xBBiN7J0cGxl2X5Ge9zJ_dIzbEd5ghQ2BKJMd3acrkjhz7HWEB7eGiOya3ZDjq5yANPOY/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XnOtbPfXJnvx4gW1dVi4WU82tmmiJR2dCR19fIdn7pn2BP0EbcQjr0xlLkefHRVrH10nn7xBBiN7J0cGxl2X5Ge9zJ_dIzbEd5ghQ2BKJMd3acrkjhz7HWEB7eGiOya3ZDjq5yANPOY/s400/photo-9.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
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Here's what you need:<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">*popcorn</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">*white chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">*candy canes</span><br />
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Pretty tricky, huh? I don't exactly have the amounts, as I kind of eye-balled it. Remember how I'm always talking about how lazy I am? Well, I cheated and used microwave popcorn bags, and made the whole process that much easier. The funny thing, is that both times I've made this, I've only had the single-serving-sized bags of the Orville Redenbacher's Kettle Corn (the low-fat/calorie kind). It still worked great, and even added a little more flavor. I think I used three bags (after burning one). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMFWP7kd8e1SVNoL-raemm85BuUpBGA37ef8k6pvcqYM52Ye4p4FzTseiKJNbThqAJRnmLxpL0yLcYssFBJxm6wZRnsCMyg8_sGl_i73MUfPpaI54RTAUC2OAn_8tSysuwaQnj_vYM0/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMFWP7kd8e1SVNoL-raemm85BuUpBGA37ef8k6pvcqYM52Ye4p4FzTseiKJNbThqAJRnmLxpL0yLcYssFBJxm6wZRnsCMyg8_sGl_i73MUfPpaI54RTAUC2OAn_8tSysuwaQnj_vYM0/s400/photo-10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I then used a double broiler to melt about 1/2 a bag of white chocolate chips. Once that was done, I poured the chocolate over the popcorn in a large bowl and used a rubber spatula to mix it together. <br />
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To allow the chocolate to cool, I poured it onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Finally, while the chocolate was still melted, I sprinkled crushed candy canes over the top. I always have crushed candy canes in my pantry. Never know when you'll need it! <br />
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Lastly, give it away quick, before you end up eating it all yourself. I think the whole process took maybe 20 minutes (and that was with some snacking). Enjoy!!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-65304059669744854952012-12-13T08:28:00.003-08:002013-01-04T09:18:08.423-08:00Allison: Christmas ABC BookHello, everyone! I know we've been a little unreliable lately with posts, but we're figuring it out. This is our first Christmas with a blog, and the balancing act is a little tricky. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g__67MeRyqwN1nHnpiK0OT3t9pv_ikrP1iX7be8qjkmucLAkFNjp2wqFWoJHPGugCWeiFROclhXTKhsgxYZEfoigOUT9oR5XxQEImf5wkilfnKHIRNV1hE5nZPcAsmey6-Am4iUlLDo/s1600/ABC+page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g__67MeRyqwN1nHnpiK0OT3t9pv_ikrP1iX7be8qjkmucLAkFNjp2wqFWoJHPGugCWeiFROclhXTKhsgxYZEfoigOUT9oR5XxQEImf5wkilfnKHIRNV1hE5nZPcAsmey6-Am4iUlLDo/s640/ABC+page+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today, I'm going to share the text from the cute ABC Christmas book that I posted some pictures of last week. This was such a fun project to put together as it brought back so many fun memories from my childhood. In case you didn't read my last post, this ABC book was a book that my Grandma Golda put together for each of the families of her children. The book includes a Christmas card for each letter of the alphabet, with a cute sentence. I remember sitting for hours and looking through this book. Sara and I have had ambitions of recreating this book for year. We've been collecting cards, but this year I decided it was time. Sara had given me the cards she had collected, so I made her a book first. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2QRMZFXyVCFAv2O2HZcIvEbVMPTQSDIcuXa0GbDynqOb8j9CL-10CSPIHxMd8SkR_mxYfqXSzR-nm6tB4slv6NMlxaAcw7STOQnRKY7Zd-uefagnVLhlzPJo3vNArQ4vlRfnorB__NU/s1600/ABC+photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2QRMZFXyVCFAv2O2HZcIvEbVMPTQSDIcuXa0GbDynqOb8j9CL-10CSPIHxMd8SkR_mxYfqXSzR-nm6tB4slv6NMlxaAcw7STOQnRKY7Zd-uefagnVLhlzPJo3vNArQ4vlRfnorB__NU/s640/ABC+photo2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was really easy to put together. I felt a lot of freedom to make it specific for Sara's family, and didn't worry too much about making it look exactly like my Grandmother's book. You can find the text <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xvPtM7Y9EgTDJvUnZxbzIc13kK5wBX4g4NpQIGwMFUo/edit" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
I used the font "Harrington". <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFcVflUPwdtOZ83YOUFLtYN6E39Z8hh2z8E-_SHwUhStrqEb2ABXPksQff2eNqxRUMar7JH10yeLxXw8c3azjnoxziB5bqE8t13jMcAPR-Dmh5LRcvcmjTaJLXwoxMcKxCEK-sHBbkgU/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFcVflUPwdtOZ83YOUFLtYN6E39Z8hh2z8E-_SHwUhStrqEb2ABXPksQff2eNqxRUMar7JH10yeLxXw8c3azjnoxziB5bqE8t13jMcAPR-Dmh5LRcvcmjTaJLXwoxMcKxCEK-sHBbkgU/s400/photo-8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I found this photo album at Joann's for $12.99. Of course I used a coupon and it ended up being closer to $7. I also used my favorite little paper stamp to round the edges of the letters and text (also from Joann's). As far as the lay out of the book... that's up to you. Have fun with it! The book only had 10 pages, front and back, (though inserts were available), so I doubled up on some pages.<br />
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I hope you all are wrapping up your Christmas gift shopping/creating (pun intended), and have some time to relax and enjoy the season. Until next week...<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-32059993554677584082012-12-06T08:36:00.001-08:002012-12-06T08:45:15.619-08:00Allison: Christmas Projects and Ornament BooksHello again! I've meant to post various times the last couple of weeks, but it just hasn't happened. But I have a few posts planned for the next week. <br />
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Christmas projects are in full swing here at my house, so I thought I'd share what I've been working on. Since we've been married, I've wanted to make our own family stockings. So this year, I finally started! I've completed Brent's stocking and my stocking so far. Two more to go! Here they are:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM8DwrrzbPSh3B8AedMoeipEtOimjYJ2fbos6dtO4aaNN9SD8vFBsCKKW15SF5Osqj0Rq7Jr-3ffFzQKLObiXLpK6RU3Z2y158H7rYzzSNQI7SoP9ri7h-IpVhtwMishGHFrP7G4ZDj4/s1600/stockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM8DwrrzbPSh3B8AedMoeipEtOimjYJ2fbos6dtO4aaNN9SD8vFBsCKKW15SF5Osqj0Rq7Jr-3ffFzQKLObiXLpK6RU3Z2y158H7rYzzSNQI7SoP9ri7h-IpVhtwMishGHFrP7G4ZDj4/s640/stockings.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent's stocking (left). Allison's stocking (right).</td></tr>
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Each ended up being such a quick project and so fun to make. I'm excited to see all 4 hanging above the fireplace.<br />
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I've also completed an ABC book that I gifted to my sister, Sara. We grew up with a similar book from my Grandma Golda, and Sara and I have talked for years about creating some new ones to give to our siblings. I'm planning a post in the next week or two to share the great text with all of you so that you can make your own. Start collecting Christmas cards! Here are a few pages:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGY8Oy7I6hsbWgbKkIiw_9BZHNQIqqzBIAWJuDP6CU6TnvHKsXkqI1lkqbVyEP4rKNc07XWIDLKECPUXr7iTgQCtJvvqOwLkABbLgc8Zq5itOQJxWb1Dp5FWlp0hIKvRq7Nx6kKvZPcGQ/s1600/ABC+page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGY8Oy7I6hsbWgbKkIiw_9BZHNQIqqzBIAWJuDP6CU6TnvHKsXkqI1lkqbVyEP4rKNc07XWIDLKECPUXr7iTgQCtJvvqOwLkABbLgc8Zq5itOQJxWb1Dp5FWlp0hIKvRq7Nx6kKvZPcGQ/s640/ABC+page+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupAaXMTJOzzvmHNWSK9vUQ0emJZrOnQGRLnlIweqVd0pmJtSmqh9joAtITYWiyh0zUsNlVEXBcgXcy02kKRKMQEB1519XzW176b2wKsfzG4Rfqsw7IcpDUqiGzz0o_YeSaAPJaYxNgHM/s1600/ABC+photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupAaXMTJOzzvmHNWSK9vUQ0emJZrOnQGRLnlIweqVd0pmJtSmqh9joAtITYWiyh0zUsNlVEXBcgXcy02kKRKMQEB1519XzW176b2wKsfzG4Rfqsw7IcpDUqiGzz0o_YeSaAPJaYxNgHM/s640/ABC+photo2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've also been working on our immediate family's presents. Both my family and Brent's exchange presents with one other sibling's family each Christmas. I decided to add a little more stress to my life by making them myself. I've wanted to make some kind of quilted project for my sister-in-law, Tammy (Brent's sister), so I made her and her family a Christmas tree skirt. It turned out so cute and I hope their family enjoys it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJoXE55wJajVklvRrJDMUd2ouThb9Suflc_MfnMETYijc9DwfHLyWvjrpfWBT774FxBS6MKT55iCStWSqCdWE6FOORQWi_0T8XlCFZIpmeq7ahrCsANH6w1ettD7KWuXb686KgTI8qHg/s1600/summerstreeskirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJoXE55wJajVklvRrJDMUd2ouThb9Suflc_MfnMETYijc9DwfHLyWvjrpfWBT774FxBS6MKT55iCStWSqCdWE6FOORQWi_0T8XlCFZIpmeq7ahrCsANH6w1ettD7KWuXb686KgTI8qHg/s400/summerstreeskirt.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm currently working on a gift for the family of my brother, Briant, but I'm not ready for pictures yet. And of course these cuties have kept me mildly busy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBnres00-JFXmZx0QMwDxlGfi5nmvRKA4n6WUjozsiePslRJHkGIKTT408cii5oOdANnGqDYeCFmtMy7KD6pu7Ob5abolDH5qr9sx9iGxxBpX5zSje-D2azHNDu0UzwUAgsVDpXOBdR8/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBnres00-JFXmZx0QMwDxlGfi5nmvRKA4n6WUjozsiePslRJHkGIKTT408cii5oOdANnGqDYeCFmtMy7KD6pu7Ob5abolDH5qr9sx9iGxxBpX5zSje-D2azHNDu0UzwUAgsVDpXOBdR8/s400/photo-7.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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See why I haven't posted lately?! But the project I wanted to share this week, are these family ornament books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03ZTkn6gdgB22pSde-zqqfi6iVxtrOrZ-oHT6aLQARxn82_LYbT3jCJyI-egevCqWHxplYkC3t9VmpajZTWASN-TH-iBsAFeVUtCC2zdq2e024wDiwvDeFlolMTzUa_89h3bmwEjrvo/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03ZTkn6gdgB22pSde-zqqfi6iVxtrOrZ-oHT6aLQARxn82_LYbT3jCJyI-egevCqWHxplYkC3t9VmpajZTWASN-TH-iBsAFeVUtCC2zdq2e024wDiwvDeFlolMTzUa_89h3bmwEjrvo/s640/photo-6.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Does your family buy special ornaments each year? Or maybe you have ornaments that have been handed down. I saw the idea on Pinterest to create a book with pictures of each special ornament and the story behind it. That way, years from now, the story of each ornament can be passed down. <br />
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Making these cute books was super cheap and easy. I found these little photo books for a dollar at Joanns, allowing me to change out the cover pages. Then I simply scrapbooked a small page with the title of the book. Easy! <br />
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Next, I took pictures of each special ornament, and through Powerpoint inserted the year and wrote out a simple description of the ornament and its significant.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmUEbF6ZcGp9tmWe112zhc3KuF1wLOYVozD35Pbb4YCqBUWYL-qPjoSWyWbHSgpeV39Tna4xiPoAhi0h0dHa1J11iWrq2hsiJUXRi9E4pCsdtJ-sagmJ6QiADvJaxxyfkpklhtXLwI_I/s1600/norahornament2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmUEbF6ZcGp9tmWe112zhc3KuF1wLOYVozD35Pbb4YCqBUWYL-qPjoSWyWbHSgpeV39Tna4xiPoAhi0h0dHa1J11iWrq2hsiJUXRi9E4pCsdtJ-sagmJ6QiADvJaxxyfkpklhtXLwI_I/s640/norahornament2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also think I might include a "family picture" of Christmas morning each year. I'm excited for the day that my kids will look through their books each Christmas, as they hang their special ornaments on the tree. <br />
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I hope you're all enjoying your Christmas projects, and not stressing out too much. Don't forget to remember the reason for the season. Have a great week!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-57135778600989620002012-11-24T08:52:00.000-08:002012-11-24T08:52:00.003-08:00Sara Jane: Pumpkin Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was full of family and food. </div>
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Last Saturday, I escaped for a few hours to go Christmas shopping. On my way out of town, I stopped by <a href="http://rubycakesbakeries.com/" target="_blank">Ruby Cakes</a>, a bakery that only has Gluten Free and Vegan sweets and everything is delicious! When I walked into the bakery, I spotted the scones. They had a pumpkin/cinnamon chip scones that looked heavenly so I grabbed one and headed out. The first bite into it was an explosion of flavors in my mouth. Along with the expected pumpkin flavor was a syrup with seeds and nuts. I can't even explain it. I was floored by how yummy it was. From then on, I have been wanting another one of their delicious scones but haven't had the time to go get one. </div>
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The other night, several hours after Ruby Cakes had closed, I REALLY wanted a pumpkin scone so I attempted to make my own. I altered my recipe quite a bit so I will repost the entire recipe here for you. I basically cut my original recipe in half, eliminated the milk and added the pumpkin. </div>
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PUMPKIN SCONES</div>
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<i><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />*3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and parchment<br />*1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling<br />*1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder<br />*1/2 teaspoon salt<br />*6 Tablespoons shortening<br />*1/4 cup butter<br />*1 can of pumpkin (I can't remember how many ounces but use the smaller can of pumpkin)<br />*1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice</i></div>
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<i><br /><strong>Icing:</strong><br />*2 cups powdered sugar<br />*1/4 cup milk</i></div>
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<i><br /><strong>Directions</strong></i></div>
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<i><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</i></div>
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<i><br />To make the scones: In a mixer, blend dry ingredients, shortening and butter together thoroughly until mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the pumpkin and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. If the mixture looks to be too dry, add a few tablespoons of milk; if it looks to be too wet, add about a 1/4 cup of flour. Be careful not to overmix. Flour hands and shape dough into a large circle about 10 inches in diameter. Cut into 6 pie shaped pieces and sprinkle with sugar. If you want to do a shape, like I did, roll out your dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick and then use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, rotating once halfway through the cooking time. Remove from oven and let cool completely.</i></div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">To make the icing: Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix for about 30 seconds or until thick. Drizzle scones with icing. Let icing harden before serving.</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">One more thing....I have a new favorite gift to give. <a href="http://stickygram.com/" target="_blank">Sticky Grams</a>. They are soooo fun! The site takes your Instagram pictures (which I am slightly obsessed with) and makes them into little magnets. I received the few that I made for my in-laws yesterday and I can't get over how absolutely adorable they are! Check them out!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Loves!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Sara Jane</span></span><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-88254443930171884942012-11-15T12:39:00.001-08:002012-11-15T12:44:10.326-08:00Sara Jane: Test KitchenIt seems I have been spending most of my days in the kitchen lately. It always happens this time of year and....I LOVE IT!<br />
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Last week, I had my 6th annual Cookie Swap! It was a blast. If you have never been to or heard of a Cookie Swap, you really must find one to go to. At my cookie swap, we each brought 6 dozen cookies and a dish to share. Then, for a few hours, we ate, gabbed and exchanged cookies. Always a highlight of the season for me! I am already planning next year's event (too early???).<br />
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For today's post, I am being your test kitchen. There are so many recipes on Pinterest that look too good to be true so I am testing them out for you. Some worked marvelously....others not so much. I will share the link to where the recipe is originally posted and then share with you any changes I made to the recipe and/or my review of the recipe. Here we go....<br />
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<b>PF CHANG LETTUCE WRAPS</b></div>
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I discovered PJ Chang Lettuce Wraps a few months ago thanks to my beautiful friend, Amy. I am in love with them. I would eat them daily if I didn't live so stinkin' far away from our PF Chang. I have, however, been known to crave them and drive the 1.5 hour round trip just to be able to fulfill that craving. Worth every mile, I tell you!<br />
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I always see recipes on Pinterest claiming to taste exactly like the original PF Chang recipe. I found one yesterday that made my mouth water so today, I tried it. The recipe can be found <a href="http://pinterest-pins.com/pf-changs-lettuce-wraps/" target="_blank">here</a>. I really didn't change the recipe at all other than I used ground chicken instead of whole pieces. Does it taste exactly like the original recipe....no. Is it good....yes! I can't quite figure out what is different so I think I will go grab an order of Lettuce Wraps at PF Chang and try to figure that one out. Do you see how much I love all you blogger friends :) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlKO95bKnsGyqDU06Ty5bRTG8weReu0CVzUmXGF7T2ubaLEZ0bgRvFy2iOt604zOlWt2KoOlVrwjZia7OqPoJ8Fz-Bhq0H5-wpzRaaDPPFAk1gYq6ziOnXsuZW9UQR_x1rwACaeFjLTs/s1600/PB156782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlKO95bKnsGyqDU06Ty5bRTG8weReu0CVzUmXGF7T2ubaLEZ0bgRvFy2iOt604zOlWt2KoOlVrwjZia7OqPoJ8Fz-Bhq0H5-wpzRaaDPPFAk1gYq6ziOnXsuZW9UQR_x1rwACaeFjLTs/s640/PB156782.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>PUMPKIN BROWNIES</b></div>
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This next recipe I saw just a few days ago. You've probably seen it, too. Check it out <a href="http://cookiesandcups.com/2-ingredient-pumpkin-brownies/" target="_blank">here </a>if you haven't. You take one boxed brownie mix and add one can of pumpkin to it and bake it as you would normal brownies. <br />
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I didn't love this recipe. In fact, I REALLY didn't like it. Here are my thoughts.<br />
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1. I love batter. This batter was not good. I mean, REALLY NOT GOOD! That should have been my first clue :)<br />
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2. The original recipe says to bake it for 25 to 30 minutes...it took me an hour and ten minutes to get the thing to set! Even then, it was super gooey (and not the good kind of gooey).<br />
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3. The taste just isn't quite right. I love pumpkin and chocolate together but you couldn't taste the pumpkin. <br />
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Bottom line...I will not do this recipe again. I would rather continue to make my brownies from scratch or, if I do use a boxed brownie mix, do it how they recommend on the back :)<br />
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<b>SINGLE SERVE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE</b></div>
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I try not to eat many sweets so we usually don't have many sugary items in our house. However, sometimes I get crazy cravings, usually involving chocolate, and when I do, I always go to this next recipe. </div>
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Some people call it chocolate chip cookies in a mug but this <a href="http://lacreativitedelafille.blogspot.com/2012/06/single-serving-deep-dish-chocolate-chip.html" target="_blank">blog </a>has the best version I have seen of the single serve chocolate chip cookie (and believe me, I have tried several versions). Does it taste exactly how a chocolate chip cookie SHOULD taste? Not so much but it is really yummy and always fulfills my craving for chocolate. I would change nothing about her recipe. I only should warn you that you may want to have a glass of milk next to you with this dessert.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3tvc5Kp0FwKtf9EMuRABsQGGxMsvPpu-_88gS9WRwtf_GGk8mnOX1jW_V3sbNPiZy10PpdL777_Rvxwsx6nzK_EHomcZONyWVdp0XaCElNbz96joM9JK9wzDcRVV10Ss_ZqVBYfsb9c/s1600/PB156786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3tvc5Kp0FwKtf9EMuRABsQGGxMsvPpu-_88gS9WRwtf_GGk8mnOX1jW_V3sbNPiZy10PpdL777_Rvxwsx6nzK_EHomcZONyWVdp0XaCElNbz96joM9JK9wzDcRVV10Ss_ZqVBYfsb9c/s640/PB156786.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>TAKE-OUT, FAKE-OUT BEEF & BROCCOLI</b></div>
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I don't remember loving broccoli as a child. If my memory is correct, it was Allison who liked it. As an adult however, I LOVE broccoli. I actually have a post ready about my (and my children's) three favorite ways to cook broccoli...another day. I really could eat broccoli for every meal. Yum! So, when <a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/09/12/take-out-fake-out-beef-broccoli-crockpot/" target="_blank">this </a>recipe popped up, I tried it right away. </div>
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The only thing I changed about this recipe is that after the meat was mostly cooked, I added 2 to 3 Tablespoons (I can't remember exactly but I think it was 3 T) of brown sugar to the meat and let it create a glaze on the meat. It makes it have more of the Mongolian Beef flavor but I like the sweetness. Other than that, I changed nothing! Make sure not to let your broccoli cook for too long otherwise it becomes super soggy. Serve over rice and maybe with <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/asian-noodle-chicken-salad/ccd7269d-efea-4737-8b54-363dec76b12a" target="_blank">this </a>salad (which is also a fav of mine).</div>
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If you guys can't tell, baking/cooking brings so much happiness into my life. I know there are so many people out there who really don't understand that but it is 100% true. Just remember, like I have said several times before, its OKAY to mess up and order your favorite pizza instead. That's how we learn and how we figure out what we like and don't like. I will continue testing out recipes and get back to you with another Test Kitchen Post beginning of next year. </div>
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QUESTION: Are there any recipes out there that you're wondering if they really work? Let me know and I'll try them out for you :)</div>
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Loves!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Sara Jane</span></div>
Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-51526138072085087482012-11-14T07:03:00.001-08:002012-11-14T07:03:48.137-08:00Allison: Fall & BakingHello! Something amazing has happened this last week: <span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Autumn finally arrived in Arizona! </span> Well, at least in the mornings. That chill has hit, and I've had to pull out my flannel pajama pants, and socks. Of course by about 11 am, it turns warmer, and I regret the socks. Oh well. But at least for the mornings, I'm happily chilled and ready for hot chocolate and a warm fire. What else usually hits me around this time of year? A desire to bake! So I scoured my "Cookie" board on Pinterest and besides being embarrassed by how many pins are there, I found my new favorite recipe: 5 ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DgLUvqPlJxV8glj1Pwlbpgt_lh_d2AohCrx8sJfKrqq2FJrqpxa2T8F4PIj6xDwB3Co0byO-QwBNZRfGfMozu1n73_6ZY3hPAi3uQQkpIvYWfUw9yvEOkGjY0pRqk3PW4zSRmbeKQ6M/s1600/pdcook3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DgLUvqPlJxV8glj1Pwlbpgt_lh_d2AohCrx8sJfKrqq2FJrqpxa2T8F4PIj6xDwB3Co0byO-QwBNZRfGfMozu1n73_6ZY3hPAi3uQQkpIvYWfUw9yvEOkGjY0pRqk3PW4zSRmbeKQ6M/s400/pdcook3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I found the original recipe <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/perfectly-peanutty/" target="_blank">here</a>, and had serious doubts about how good they could possibly be. With the base cookie only consisting of peanut butter, sugar and an egg, it doesn't make sense, but it works and I may never go back to the traditional cookie. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmYbQ70GyT_yrz96TlslEEmTGnjHylFfmpUqI5q1TbU_isP2D8slaAtfYpvhV9_tLs6MC5dWbVFtaKzE_gIi3E10M-3SyrdEAhyphenhyphenuj12C7rNhn6yLAiI8Smj_QCh_PVF9A91AgyCAepoc/s1600/pdcook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmYbQ70GyT_yrz96TlslEEmTGnjHylFfmpUqI5q1TbU_isP2D8slaAtfYpvhV9_tLs6MC5dWbVFtaKzE_gIi3E10M-3SyrdEAhyphenhyphenuj12C7rNhn6yLAiI8Smj_QCh_PVF9A91AgyCAepoc/s640/pdcook2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sort of forgot a before picture, but here's the aftermath. </td></tr>
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To make things even better, the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate, and then in chopped peanuts. AMAZING! The cookies literally fall apart in your mouth while the chocolate and crunch of the peanuts just add to the experience. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's the basic recipe:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 egg</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chill dough for half an hour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNP22GWLJWSa1DxBRsTWSQ4QufzM32uKQnvKqao2bhUaiRjZwTfZLdNqcqEn4Ia7y4Kdr81ylzyWrf_Zy6A4SEquv4UvjTkllL1ezrBS5bBQcQJJLKAFd6NabQNDY5BwjKgiJV4SzbxE/s1600/pbcook1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNP22GWLJWSa1DxBRsTWSQ4QufzM32uKQnvKqao2bhUaiRjZwTfZLdNqcqEn4Ia7y4Kdr81ylzyWrf_Zy6A4SEquv4UvjTkllL1ezrBS5bBQcQJJLKAFd6NabQNDY5BwjKgiJV4SzbxE/s640/pbcook1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These cookies are a little brittle, but that gives you a chance to sample your work. :)</td></tr>
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I didn't have baking chocolate, so I melted 1/3 of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double broiler on the stove (a glass bowl over a bowling pot of water). I also didn't have plain peanuts, but I had honey-roasted peanuts. I chopped them up and they worked perfectly. <br />
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I hope the rest of you are enjoying the Fall weather and changing leaves. Have a great week!<br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Allison</span></span></b><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-20650688613509807852012-11-12T12:21:00.000-08:002012-11-12T12:21:23.436-08:00Lisa: Thankful!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello, again! I hope everyone had a terrific weekend. We did here with our foot of snow that fell from Thursday night till Sunday morning! We made snowmen, forts, igloos and lots of snowballs! There was even talk about sleeping in snow caves but I think we'll leave that for another time. We didn't do sledding yet. We are waiting till there is a nice base on our favorite hill up American Fork Canyon. (Shaun, wanna go with?) That is a favorite tradition in our home. We sled and sled until everyone is thoroughly sick of it and then we have some homemade soup that we packed up with us. Good times!</div>
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Two weekends ago, my family got to participate in a 5K in support of my husband's Uncle Dean who was just recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2qSbulk_ERHc2phM64Phf6GjAuLcLd8ctcy-SD16rbV49W_xHml8VBeF1WoOCk-dOpCLEHrvB6TwG7zdUdxaWT45zfLT_jOjTlnR109WPa_5eldPIahUleSAO3p6awqfYLzRoKBca_U/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2qSbulk_ERHc2phM64Phf6GjAuLcLd8ctcy-SD16rbV49W_xHml8VBeF1WoOCk-dOpCLEHrvB6TwG7zdUdxaWT45zfLT_jOjTlnR109WPa_5eldPIahUleSAO3p6awqfYLzRoKBca_U/s640/26.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean, on the left, with some of children and their spouses.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This uncle and his family are amazing! Instead of looking at this as devastating, they have decided to pull together and be grateful for all that they have</span><span style="text-align: start;">. Being a family of runners and iron man competitors, they put together an opportunity for everyone to come out and support Dean with a Team IronDean 5K! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3VX6jgMhCl58_w7PVmKFFxItBFQE8Y6Tre-c0wZ_GH6A_s9ZuZ1jWH1yOWvlqQ8KY7co3C9r4a13pb3Z0bCbIP4eOZIB6c6F4orEK9Yw63M4oua93WHVxvWyCQLt1lB6SJofBYPBBtk/s1600/2012-11-03+07.44.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3VX6jgMhCl58_w7PVmKFFxItBFQE8Y6Tre-c0wZ_GH6A_s9ZuZ1jWH1yOWvlqQ8KY7co3C9r4a13pb3Z0bCbIP4eOZIB6c6F4orEK9Yw63M4oua93WHVxvWyCQLt1lB6SJofBYPBBtk/s640/2012-11-03+07.44.26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kids and their papa in the background!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNaI-Fmv_drYZeoalc3ILN0XjVq5cDQhglias9Dl-hKMjQk0ADEBPht_cHNEhz9S5onKo43NtFFvIzw42kmR1FIPfO9pCiNF0jy4Rg2YGf3223wVsVcjVrOJf6VchD5g52T4cwTcAn-g/s1600/2012-11-03+08.45.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNaI-Fmv_drYZeoalc3ILN0XjVq5cDQhglias9Dl-hKMjQk0ADEBPht_cHNEhz9S5onKo43NtFFvIzw42kmR1FIPfO9pCiNF0jy4Rg2YGf3223wVsVcjVrOJf6VchD5g52T4cwTcAn-g/s640/2012-11-03+08.45.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls and husband after the race.</td></tr>
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It was a cold morning but they had over 450 people out in support of Dean. It was wonderful to see them and see their attitude. They are inspiring!!</div>
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It was a great opportunity to have especially right before Thanksgiving. It helped me to remember how an "attitude of gratitude" can change a life! Earlier in the year, my family and I started a gratitude jar. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WBdU3O2EXp7B10wokNzNOpdKIJjklq_KWk-Qph33w0-pzbi9PnYg5EuanVSPSMRcx0V8TSY3paP3oBXr54njxrpndNA46DapSOX2MerCvGFpMMnY4U8QBypnzTEnP63wVlgzyW50rJQ/s1600/2012-11-12+10.16.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WBdU3O2EXp7B10wokNzNOpdKIJjklq_KWk-Qph33w0-pzbi9PnYg5EuanVSPSMRcx0V8TSY3paP3oBXr54njxrpndNA46DapSOX2MerCvGFpMMnY4U8QBypnzTEnP63wVlgzyW50rJQ/s640/2012-11-12+10.16.25.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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We write things we have done, things that are said and, overall, just things that we've experienced as a family and are thankful for. We plan on opening it on Thanksgiving and reading them out loud. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt9xWNwWbByCH0stcxaxeDl4FuEPEeWVmSjAnEeXQ9uPFoYN7MD_fXito9tJUfrfktBIVuuytroCaLRQf0x-wyrw3TViECy4fdjN2tU_VO3mBEwQaa2vRMKBWRIwno5ntkRH-s4YTRew/s1600/2012-11-12+10.16.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt9xWNwWbByCH0stcxaxeDl4FuEPEeWVmSjAnEeXQ9uPFoYN7MD_fXito9tJUfrfktBIVuuytroCaLRQf0x-wyrw3TViECy4fdjN2tU_VO3mBEwQaa2vRMKBWRIwno5ntkRH-s4YTRew/s640/2012-11-12+10.16.41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the quote on the jar says, "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of Life!" </div>
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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">Lisa</span></div>
Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-89211255944675513072012-11-08T19:55:00.000-08:002012-11-08T19:59:29.691-08:00Sara Jane: Thankful tree and Chicken Curry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November is always the month that I take a little more time to think about those things in my life that I truly am thankful for. I know I'm not the only one because my Facebook feed is full of what everyone else is thankful for, too. :) I enjoy reading what others are grateful/thankful for. It makes me smile.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When my oldest, Penelope, was just a little baby, I started a thankful tree and have been doing it ever since. It is nothing fancy. I simply cut out a brown tree trunk with a few branches and then everyday in November, we each write something (or in Penelope's case, 5 somethings) we are thankful for on simple little leaves. Our first tree was very small. Now, with five of us writing thanksfuls on it, the tree has become quite large. It takes up the entire side of my refrigerator. Not the prettiest site to see but it warms my heart whenever I see it.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The tree looks quite bare right now but by the time November is through, our tree (and refrigerator) is overflowing with leaves.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, the fun part. When November is through and it is time to put up all my fun Christmas decorations, we carefully take off all the leaves and put them in a labeled box. Each year we have done this, I have simply put the boxes in storage. This year, however, we are going to wrap the small box up and make it into an ornament on the Christmas tree. I really think it will be fun to someday look at these when my children are grown.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTvkBuL9mwck-cK6f3r7H71ZjtgWT_8Bj-NU8UD6rcNHvjYQksnKIoV8bgO22TBpGIgqYxXzkPCUxK0XKIbBIfTajPs-DTEfxyvB4zvKK_Ix9ODGfeL2j3AmOxweF7ufyix53s8m_Y88/s1600/PB086770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTvkBuL9mwck-cK6f3r7H71ZjtgWT_8Bj-NU8UD6rcNHvjYQksnKIoV8bgO22TBpGIgqYxXzkPCUxK0XKIbBIfTajPs-DTEfxyvB4zvKK_Ix9ODGfeL2j3AmOxweF7ufyix53s8m_Y88/s400/PB086770.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Now that Penelope writes, it is really fun to help her spell out what she is thankful for. </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I can't leave with out sharing with you my favorite recipe. Chicken Curry. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="apple-style-span">I never
knew I liked chicken curry until several years back when we went to our friend's house</span><span class="apple-style-span"> for dinner and they served
it. It was like love at first sight! Amazing! After this heavenly meal, the
search was on for the perfect chicken curry recipe that I could actually make. While trying to use up a gift card at Borders, I found a rather intimidating Indian cookbook called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Book-Indian-Cooking/dp/0681279966" target="_blank">The Complete Book of Indian Cooking</a>. It is now the ONLY curry recipe I use. </span><span class="apple-style-span"> The recipe may look
overwhelming at first, but don't be fooled. If you can follow directions, then
you can make this recipe. The spices can be found at most supermarkets. I buy
mine in bulk at a specialty store but I have also found them at Safeway and
Albertson's (they just tend to be more expensive there). If you really can't find the spices locally, try this ordering them online <a href="http://www.myspicesage.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. The spices that are in this recipe are always in my cupboard now and I do buy them in bulk to make sure I ALWAYS have them. I have made this recipe probably 100 times and have altered it a bit so I will give you my version of the recipe. Here you go....</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Eoy-LJHRniLHZiC8lcMG5Y-yD6gMtquM0HqO5oWpjQ8AWkOVdDcE5ZHdibv2th3Bew4aO1B1v1xeHYB4K5BT2UCoZbhdG4N0IB7Fu6Z9PNyquoTjY3G6CR-10_d_iKM3VawGgsjuyY/s1600/PB086775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Eoy-LJHRniLHZiC8lcMG5Y-yD6gMtquM0HqO5oWpjQ8AWkOVdDcE5ZHdibv2th3Bew4aO1B1v1xeHYB4K5BT2UCoZbhdG4N0IB7Fu6Z9PNyquoTjY3G6CR-10_d_iKM3VawGgsjuyY/s320/PB086775.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: #333333;">Chicken Curry</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
4 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
4 cloves<br />6 green cardamom pods<br />
1 piece cinnamon stick (2 inches long)<br />
3 whole star anise</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><br />
1 large onion, finely chopped</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><br />
4 cloves garlic, crushed (If you buy already minced garlic like I do, I add 4 teaspoons)<br />
4 tbsp <b>mild</b> curry paste<br />
1 tsp turmeric<br />
1 tsp five-spice powder<br />
3 lb chicken, skinned and chopped into bite size pieces </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><br />
14 oz. Canned tomatoes, chopped<br />
4 oz. Creamed coconut (sometimes I add an entire 14 ounce can for a more mild, soupy curry)<br /> 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped<br />
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Directions:<br />
1. Heat the oil in a pan at a medium high heat and fry the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, star
anise, and curry leaves until the cloves swell. About 5 minutes should do the trick. You will know its ready when you can smell all the spices.<br />
2. Add the chopped onion, and garlic and fry until the onion turns light brown. Add
the curry paste, turmeric and five-spice powder and fry until the oil
separates.<br />
3. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. When all the pieces are evenly covered,
cover and cook until the meat is nearly done.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and the creamed coconut. Simmer gently until the
coconut dissolves. Mix well. Fold in the chopped
fresh cilantro, then reheat and serve hot. I never find that this needs salt but if yours does, then add it.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">We usually eat our curry over rice but lately it just feels like too much food so I eat it as a soup instead. If you are feeling extra adventurous, try this </span></span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/naan-indian-oven-baked-flat-bread-recipe/index.html" style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">naan</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> recipe. It is delicious and goes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">excellently</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;"> with the curry.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">We had extra tonight, so we gave some away. </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One last thing before I end my longest post EVER! One month ago, we acquired our dog, Jack. I have never really been a fan of dogs but seeing that my husband and children all wanted one, I thought it was probably time we get one. We looked for months but couldn't find one that went well with our family. Then one day, everything fell into place and Jack moved in with us. This dog is incredible. He is gentle (well as gentle as a 105 pound boy can be) with the children and follows me everywhere. He has melted my heart. So, today, I am thankful for my new buddy, Jack. He has been the perfect addition to our family!</span><br />
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<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-16179761460165084902012-11-08T13:24:00.001-08:002012-11-12T08:30:32.017-08:00Allison: Fancy Cookies Part 2 & Giveaway!!<span style="font-size: large;"> ***************GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED******************</span><br />
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Hi again! This morning my friend, Amanda, and I were able to finish our cookies from yesterday. My two-year-old almost thwarted our plan with a runny nose, but we pushed on. Modern-day pioneers, huh? :) <br />
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After outlining and "flooding" the cookies yesterday, the royal frosting had finished drying completely overnight and was ready for a little more detail. If you didn't read Part 1 from yesterday, here's a <a href="http://fivecraftysisters.blogspot.com/2012/11/allison-fancy-cookies-part-1.html" target="_blank">link</a>. We used the same piping bag of frosting to add the veins on the cookies today. This part went really fast, though maybe I should have slowed down a little. :)<br />
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I thought this was such a fun activity to learn, that it made me a little sad that I hadn't tried it earlier. One of the many reasons I'm grateful for this blog, is that it forces me to be creative and to try new things. We've had this blog up for a little over 6 months now, and just reached 15,000 views today! That definitely deserves a giveaway to show our gratitude to all our friends, and new friends that take the time to see what we're up to. So here's the question for today's giveaway:<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">What is something creative that you would love to try/learn, but have been too scared to actually do?</span><br />
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If you answer that question before Monday morning, you could win a mini-starter kit to decorate your own cookies. This kit will include:<br />
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Meringue powder (frosting recipe is on <a href="http://fivecraftysisters.blogspot.com/2012/11/allison-fancy-cookies-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>)<br />
Disposable frosting bags<br />
2-Tips<br />
Gel food coloring<br />
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Thanks for sharing in this new venture. And a HUGE "thank you!" to my friend, Amanda, for teaching me. I can't wait to try decorating cookies again. Now I challenge you all to go out and try something new. Have a great day!<br />
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Allison</span></span></b>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-80688430747776550392012-11-07T15:36:00.001-08:002012-11-08T11:42:31.225-08:00Allison: Fancy Cookies Part 1Hello, again! I'm so excited to share what I did this morning. For awhile now, I've wanted to learn how to decorate sugar cookies. I'm not talking pre-made frosting and some sprinkles. Instead I've wanted to learn the fancy decorating with frosting that wouldn't cause all my cookies to stick to each other, and fun details. I've watched multiple tutorials, and pinned too many pins on Pinterest, but have been too scared and lazy to try (that's a bad combo!). <br />
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Then this last Christmas, my good friend, Amanda, brought the cutest cookies to our church cookie exchange, and we made plans to make some together. Then we both got pregnant and life got a little crazy. The cookies would have to wait. <br />
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Now that we both have newborns, and our two-year-olds are playing better together, we thought we'd give it a try. Amanda originally learned how to decorate the cookies with <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2009/12/04/how-to-decorate-with-royal-icing/" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> from Annie's Eats, making cookies using <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2007/12/12/christmas-cookies/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> and the frosting with <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2008/12/23/sugar-cookies-with-royal-icing/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, also from Annie. Amanda jokes that she feels like she knows Annie after watching tutorials and followings her tips. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26umdVoDtGTESTZu5R6IdAkF3tgAZh7hXDv98-k7Tk-X8-6rEstwKXLp6qaSfgWPltx4vpa_OEeKYlpdCpa-1wbvF1V0Bee15KonnSwNdne41-lqIP59t6oQ5Ui3oBze9HY246slkXoM/s1600/fallcookies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26umdVoDtGTESTZu5R6IdAkF3tgAZh7hXDv98-k7Tk-X8-6rEstwKXLp6qaSfgWPltx4vpa_OEeKYlpdCpa-1wbvF1V0Bee15KonnSwNdne41-lqIP59t6oQ5Ui3oBze9HY246slkXoM/s640/fallcookies1.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br />
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I think the hardest part to this whole process was actually trying it. I was surprised how easy it actually was, and how fast it went, once we got started. Prepping the frosting with food coloring and getting it to the right consistency can take a bit of time, but they turn out so cute, that the time is worth it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EqpkdtA5zvHRgBhORcFJ7mszZVzw0W20_-RfWfO9ezLsRK6-aMnc0-pbbJYnlgL6KgYmAEcDzeIxrwNKQLA-qEA8-cdDDbnkmrgudOwfl5fjB-UFEKMlaOJKHhNjrVhL6ItEA4Pk0XI/s1600/fallcookies234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EqpkdtA5zvHRgBhORcFJ7mszZVzw0W20_-RfWfO9ezLsRK6-aMnc0-pbbJYnlgL6KgYmAEcDzeIxrwNKQLA-qEA8-cdDDbnkmrgudOwfl5fjB-UFEKMlaOJKHhNjrVhL6ItEA4Pk0XI/s640/fallcookies234.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This middle pic is me trying to help still while I was nursing. :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
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Nap time was quickly approaching so we decided to finish the cookies tomorrow morning. Make sure to check out tomorrow's post to see how they turned out. <br />
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If you're interested in trying these fun cookies, I strongly recommend getting a group of girlfriends together and giving it a try. I can't wait to see the finished product! Until tomorrow... Oh! I also think we have to have a giveaway to celebrate 15,000 views to our blog! It's going to be a fun one, so make sure to enter tomorrow. So mysterious, right? :)<br />
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8918344807259749874" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 846px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Giddyup Std'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Allison</span></span></b></div>Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931842418944916350.post-36961634986175413992012-11-06T09:29:00.000-08:002012-11-06T09:29:23.684-08:00Lisa: Election NightHello, everyone! Happy Election Day to you all! My family and I are very excited about this time of year and today most especially! My daughter got upset yesterday when she thought I was going to turn off the news because she just wanted to hear as much as she could about the elections! It probably helped that when our ballots came in the mail this year, I let my two youngest help me fill in the candidates that we are voting for. They feel invested and interested which is what I'd like to teach them about elections in America! To help all my children (and my nephew who is now living with us!) understand the importance of voting and our democracy, I have a few other plans for tonight.<br />
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First of all:<br />
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<img height="491" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0BwK1uTYa0rUHZ3J3T29aWUNXSms&docid=9e3338c84a0b8b5920ec15350bd29b7d%7Cbe48958fddb3358fb91091fad6e47136&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="640" /><br />
I found a<span style="color: #990000;"> <a href="http://theteacherscauldron.blogspot.com/2012/11/election-week-continued-visual-plans.html" target="_blank">map</a></span> that the children can color red or blue as the exit polls come in and we can tally the electoral votes.<br />
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Another thing is to have a dinner with red and blue themes:<br />
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<img src="http://www.paisleypetalevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Paisley-Petal-Events-Mia-Love-Election-Party-23-600x398.jpg" /><br />
Drinks of red, white and blue.<br />
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I have some food planned but no pictures yet! I'll post them when I do. <br />
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Don't forget to get out and vote! Have a fantastic day!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Lisa</span><br />
<br />Five Crafty Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737316176533211163noreply@blogger.com1