Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!

I made these little treat packs for my sons class.  The number I needed to make kept going up and so by the time I was done two of his closest friends had to get their loot in plastic Halloween bags (sad face).

To make these I used orange 12 x 12 card stock, the stamped images from the Workshops On The Go Spellbound Cricut Kit, and the dimensions and ideas from this kit along with the Cricut Artiste Collection Cartridge to make the boxes and faces.  The paper is all from my stash; paper not cookie.  

Inside we filled food safe plastic bags with candy from you guessed it:  Bulk Barn!

Now off to trick or treat across the city in the snow and see friends.

Now, don't worry it's not that awful outside it's only -7 degrees Celsius and with the windchill -13 (which correlates to about 19 degrees Fahrenheit and with windchill about 9 degrees), and my dear friend made us hot chocolate before we headed out to the next stop.

 Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Halloween Placemats

While playing in my stash the other day (fabric - not cookie) I found this fabric.  Almost every fall I participate in an event called the Northern Alberta Quilt Shop Hop.  One of the stores on this journey is the Chicken Coop in the metropolis of Mundare, Alberta.  Wikipedia quotes this town(?) as having a population of 712, but I think that was on a school day and the teachers from other towns were counted too...  The Chicken Coop is an awesome quilt shop.  As part of the Shop Hop the owner Val packages up fat quarters into neat little plastic bags for a very reasonable price, and she also does up packages with 2 one meter cuts of coordinating fabric.  When I found the package with the 8 Halloween fat quarters in it and the 2 one meter sections of Halloween fabric I decided now was the time to make place mats.  I have a pattern that calls for 8 fat quarters squared up and stacked on top of each other.  A template is then placed on the top and all eight layers are cut at once.  The first cut from the pile stays as is, the second cut the first fabric goes to the bottom of the pile, the third cut, two fabrics go to the bottom of the pile, and so on until every place mat will have 8 different fabrics making up the top.  After these were assembled I used the ghost fabric to back the place mats, quilted them, and used the spider web fabric to bind them.  A fairly quick and easy project and looks awesome on the table!  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Oh S"crap"! It's Monday

Alright, so it's Monday, and I am crafting with food again for Oh S"crap" It's Monday!

Last night I had to make muffins for lunch this week and so I used 3 bananas from the freezer and my Banana Chocolate Chip muffin recipe, except that instead of chocolate chips I used the last of the blueberries hiding in the crisper!

Quite tasty I have to admit. 

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

And Sunday is Soup Day...

It's starting to get cold outside, so today seemed like a perfect day for Minestrone soup in the crock pot.

This is definitely one of my "crafting" with food projects because this is what I do:

- add jar of pasta sauce to crock pot

- add 4 - 6 cups of water 

- add 2 chicken bouillon cubes

- add vegetables (mystery ones and left overs from bottom of fridge work well like onion, carrots, beans, corn)

- one can of kidney beans

- one can of garbanzo beans

- one can of tomato soup

- spices that you like to taste in soup

- cook on high for 6 - 8 hours

- I then add 1 cup of small pasta

- cook until pasta is done

- I then add cooked  Veggie Ground Round

- heat through and Enjoy!

This recipe makes lots so you will have left overs for the week.

Here is a picture from the river valley near my house today:

Yes, that is snow in the picture!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

 

Kathy

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today my son and I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They are delicious!

We used up the last of the frozen pumpkin from the freezer.

Below is the recipe for these cookies:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup mashed pumpkin

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons ground flax seed

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together in order, and fold in the chocolate chips.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Enjoy with milk.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Fresh Baked Buns

Last evening I realized there was no bread in the house.  Surprise.  

I have been at home all of this week due to having pneumonia, so no grocery shopping was done.  Now, the quick solution would have been to go to Safeway, but I decided it would just be easier to make buns.  So, I did.  They were delicious if you want to know!

Here is how I haphazardly make buns:

Quick and Easy Buns

1 cup warm milk

4 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup warm water 

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

- mix all of the liquids together and sprinkle sugar and yeast over the warm liquids (not too hot, not too cold)

- once yeast has a "foam" to it, pour liquids into a warm glass bowl and add flour a bit at a time, will take about 4 - 5 cups dependent on the day and the climate of where you live.  

- once the dough does not stick to the side of the bowl take the dough out onto the counter and knead for about 5 minutes, dough should not be sticky.

- cover bowl with dough and keep in a warm place until doubles.

- punch dough down and shape into 12 round balls, and place in buttered 9 x 13 pan and let rise until about doubled.

- bake at 350 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes.

- brush with small amount of butter immediately to give tops shine.  Enjoy!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Christmas Card # 3

This is the third card for my planned Christmas Card Making Party with friends.

 The card base is Cherry Cobbler card stock, along with a layer of Gumball Green, and pieces from the Snow Festival Designer Series Paper.

The stamp set is Snow Much Fun, the greeting is from the Border Banter stamp set.

The buttons are left overs from a couple of Christmas catalogues back!

I colored the snow man in Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green. Of course there had to be some glitter, so I made the snow and the snow ball from the glitter. 

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy     

Knitted Dish Towel

I found the pattern for this Dishtowel on a blog called Traci Knits.  I followed the pattern exactly for this first one, and it turned out a decent size 9 x 13" as she indicates in the pattern.

I used Lily Sugar n' Cream Yarn that I picked up at Joanne 's in Great Falls Montana, because although this awesome 100% cotton yarn is made in Canada, it is cheaper to purchase in the US.  

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Hot Chocolate Christmas Package

I know it's not even Halloween yet, however that has never stopped Costco from having the Christmas stuff out early.

I found the case of Christmas flavored Hot Chocolate packages there on the weekend, and decided that this year instead of just a ribbon and tag, I would make a quick gift wrap for the packet when giving out to co-workers etc.

I used a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock (probably my favorite color - my car, camera, phone, casserole dishes, small appliances...).

I cut the card stock at 4 1/4 x 11.

I scored it at: 4 7/8, 5 1/8, and 10".

I used the scallop edge framelit for the fold over edge. The snowflake image stamped all over is from the Make a Mitten stamp set.

I used the Windows framelits for the center image, paper is from the Snow Festival Designer Series Paper set and Very Vanilla.

The hot chocolate mug is from the Scentsational Season stamp set.

I closed the package with a self adhesive piece of velcro from the dollar store.

Here's what it looks like inside:

And yes, I did drink one of these while making this craft as it is trying to snow outside!  Could be worse, I could be in Saskatoon today.....

Check out this picture of Saskatoon earlier today!  Ah, to be home.....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

 

 

Kathy

Oh S"crap"! It's Monday

So, it's Monday which means Oh S"Crap"!

For today's use of scrap I have two pieces of random brown.  The brown layer was run through the Cuttlebug with Stripes Embossing Folder, and then the raised stripes were sanded to give a different color/look/feel to them.

The random piece of orange was cut and I used the Scallop Trim border for it.

The main feature of the card is the Wonderfall stamp set.  The images are stamped in Versa Mark, then clear embossing powder and then the colors are sponged on.  I used Old Olive, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso, Chocolate Brown, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango and Peach Parfait.  Three wooden buttons with hemp twine and TAH DAH!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Casserole Carrier

A while back I found these casserole carrying kits at Sew Divine and of course got one.

These are genius as they require two fat quarters and a bit of binding and yardage to make the carrying handle and you are done.  Of course you quilt the batting inside, but it really is a quick and easy project to make.  

Hmmmm, maybe some of those random Christmas fat quarters can be put to good use as Christmas presents....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

More Christmas Cards

I am working on trying to make some cute, and easy, but pretty Christmas cards for a group of friends to make.  This is one that I came up with last evening. 

Gumball Green Card base, the tree paper is from the Snow Festival Designer Series Paper pack, and a piece of Primrose Petal.

The image is from the Snow Much Fun Stamp Set.  I used my blender pens to color the tree in Gumball Green and some Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details for the ornaments.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Fold Out Christmas Card

This is the last card that I made at Karina's class the other night.

I love the fold out center with the remnant ornament leftover on the inside.  Brilliant!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Ornament Christmas Card #2

This is another card that I made at Karina's class the other night.  

This is one is so classically pretty, I am going to have to order the flocked paper now....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Ornament Christmas Card

This is one of the cards that I made at Karina's the other night.  I think I might have to make a few more of these for Christmas as they are pretty neat!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

A Red Eye Craft - Almost

Yesterday evening after work I attended Karina's class on how to make these ornaments.  If you think you've seen them, they are on the front of the Winter Mini Catalogue from Stampin Up!

I am so glad I attended the class as I probably could have made this on my own, however, it would have taken a lot of glue dots and sticky strip to achieve the same results!!

I think I will make more of these.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Oh S"crap"! It's Monday...

Okay, so who is sick of that turkey by now??  I know I am.  

This casserole is my last attempt at getting rid of that stuff.  Here is the recipe:

Turkey Broccoli Casserole:

4 cups chopped up left over turkey

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 cups of broccoli (fresh or frozen)

1 package chicken flavored rice 

1 1/3 cups of milk

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped celery

1 chopped onion

1 can chopped water chestnuts

Mix all ingredients together.  Bake at 350 F for 1 hour in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle French Fried Onions on top and bake another 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Canning Soup

Today I began to use up the left over turkey.

What better way to use it and the broth up?  Turkey soup!

The broth and left over turkey meat were combined with tomatoes, carrots, onion, and celery, and a wee bit of sea salt.

I boiled it up, added to jars, and then processed for 10 minutes in boiling water.

Easy Peasy.  When it's time to use I will bring this mixture to a boil and add either pasta, rice, or potatoes and boil for 10 minutes and have a hearty soup for dinner quickly.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Baked Doughnuts - Second Attempt

Practice makes perfect I have been told, so I decided I had better keep working on these baked doughnuts to get the batter and filling of the pans down.  As you can see my second batch (front row) I succeeded!!!

Today I used the recipe for baked doughnuts from the Alisa Burke blog I found on Pinterest.  

I found that in Alberta they will take 15 - 20 minutes to bake not the 7 - 8 as listed in her recipe, but other than the baking time they are a good baked doughnut!

Now off to see what else I can find.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

 

Kathy

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Last evening I decided to make these Pumpkin Doughnuts that I discovered while on Pinterest.  Of course I am a Robin Hood flour girl, so I used that rather than the blogs brand.  I also used Watkins Cinna-Cream Sprinkles for the top after they were baked. 

I apparently over filled the pans as I do not have the nice holes in the center that the original blog post does.  I have two different sized doughnut pans.  The mini pan I bought about 12 years ago from a colleague who was selling them for some ind of a promotion or something.  The mini pan is not very good and I think I will get rid of it now since I got the big doughnut pan from Gifts and Gadgets made by Wilton and it is a far superior pan!  Who would guess???

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

D-O-G Bowl

This is the D-O-G bowl that my son painted at Crock A Doodle in Spruce Grove last week.

Originally his plan was to paint a red bowl and write D-O-G on it just like the red plastic one that Henry Huggins got for his dog Ribsy, however, when he saw the bone shaped one, that was what he had to have.

He used three different shades of brown to make it look like a bone, and then asked that I print the D-O-G on it in small letter though.  

So far, both dog and cat have been quite happy with the bowl!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Cat Bowl with Feed Me App

Last week my son and I went to Crock A Doodle in Spruce Grove and painted pet food bowls.

I made this one for the Mr. Paws (a.k.a. Sir Thomas Cat) that has a "feed me" app.  When the bowl is empty of food you are notified!!!  : )

I painted the paws on the side and since it still looked like more should be on the bowl, I painted M-E-O-W all along the bottom edge.

Mr. Paws is currently enjoying a bowl full of Iams Kitten food.  When we got him from Paradise Pets they recommended the brand that he was being fed there.  I got a bag of this which he did sort of eat, but since I had used Iams with Mr. Kit E. Kat and he refused to eat any other food after that I got Mr. Paws a bag of Iams too.  Since then he has refused to eat the food I brought from the pet store, so he is now officially an Iams cat!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Stamp Set of the Month

For the month of October the Stamp Set of the Month that I chose was the Wonderfall stamp set.

These are the cards that Karina made to coordinate with the set.  

I love them all!  Thanks Karina, the colors are all beautiful!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving for today!

My card for today is made from Soft Suede card stock and layered with Dotty for You paper.

The stamped image is from the Autumn Labels Twenty Two stamp set, colored with my Copic Markers and some random brads I found, then cut out with the matching Spellbinders die.

I stitched around it to give it at more homey and handmade touch for today.

Eat up, there must be pumpkin pie somewhere out there.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Fall Kitchen Towel

This is again a truly red eye craft.  I completed it at 0130 this morning!

When my son and I had gone last weekend to Gifts and Gadgets I found a package of three fall colored flour sack towels, and I decided I would get them and applique leaves on them with fall fat quarters I have in my stash (fabric not cookie).

TAH DAH!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last weekend while out running errands my son and I stopped by Gifts and Gadgets in Spruce Grove.  This is such a fun place to visit.  Every kitchen thing you could image and more is found in there, and you have to ask the staff where to find things because there is so much stuff there and yet it is still clean (no dust - with the stuff they have you'd think items would be old and forgotten, but they are not)!

While there my son found a kid apron with cats on it (very similar to my oven mitts) and thought he needed this for the kitchen.  The price was reasonable and he had been good through the experience, so I agreed.  Today he had to bake and use his apron, so he made, all by himself Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies.  He even put the batter onto the cookie sheet, all I did was put them in and out of the oven.

He was so pleased with himself (and still is).

The recipe for these is:

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup non hydrogenated margarine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mashed banana

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips (his have more - because he was mixing and measuring - I did not comment)

Mix in order of ingredients.  Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy Thanksgiving

Last evening I went to Greenland Garden Center and made this fabulous centerpiece!

If you look closely you will see the bright orange "bowl" under the arrangement.  It's a PUMPKIN!

It's so brightly fall colored and festive for this holiday weekend.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Benefit # 12

Here is my last card of the Benefits of Benfits of Cleaning the Craft Room project.  

The teddy bear s so cute!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

 

Kathy

Benefit # 11

Here's card # 11 of my Benefits of Cleaning the Craft Room project.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Halloween Treat

On Saturday evening we went as a family to see Hotel Transylvania.  We all enjoyed it, even though we had to wait 45 minutes in line after we got our tickets to get into the theater!  I think everyone wanted to see it...

When we got home, I decided to make this popcorn treat I had seen on Pinterest, but apparently did not save the link to it.  So, I made it from memory.....

2 batches of popcorn from the popcorn popper

1 block of Bernard Callebaut white chocolate - melted over double boiler

2 handfuls of candy corn (Bulk Barn)

1 handful of purple/green/black sprinkles (Bulk Barn)

- mix together and spread out over a large piece of parchment paper

Enjoy!  This stuff is really tasty...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

What's For Dinner???

Chili!

Last night this timeless question was asked at our house.  I defaulted to my quick dinner solution, Vegetarian Chili.

Here is the quick and very easy recipe:

Vegetarian Chili

1 small onion

1 medium carrot

- chop onion and grate carrot, saute in small amount of non-hydrogenated margarine over medium heat

- add:

1 jar pasta sauce

1 can corn niblets

1 can kidney beans

small chopped green peppers (green and red work nicely)

- heat until warmed through 

- add:

1 tbsp taco seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1 package Yves Veggie Ground Round

- heat until warmed through

Serve with salsa, sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips.  A very hearty dinner for this time of year.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy