Wedding Cake #3: Audrey & Mike

This is my third wedding cake...this time for a very sweet woman, friend and student of mine, Audrey.

It was an honor to be just a wee part of this special day.

Best part of this cake was the inside...Audrey had requested a banana cake and I played around with a recipe until it was a winner.  This recipe works well for a wedding cake, but is also great in smaller versions or even cupcake/muffins.  I added coconut to my cupcake/muffins and loved it!

Buttermilk Banana Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temp.

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk

4-5 small very ripe bananas (aobut 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter & flour two 9" diameter pans with 1 1/2" sides.

Sift flour and baking powder into bowl.  Add salt and mix.

Beat butter, then slowly add sugar until light and fluffly.

Add one egg at a time, beating between each one.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.  Do not over-mix.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, approx. 35 minutes.  Transfer to rack; cool 15 minutes.  Invert cakes onto racks; cool completely.  These freeze very well.  After completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap very well.

Option:  I poked the cake all over with a toothpick and poured a butterscotch syrup over the cake.  This made for a very rich and moist cake.  If you do this step be sure to place a round of waxed paper or parchment paper over the top before you wrap with plastic wrap.

Butterscotch Syrup

1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ cubes butter
2 Tbsp white corn syrup
¾ C. buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients but vanilla in saucepan. Cook 7 minutes, stirring every so often, barely boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Store in fridge. Reheat to serve.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

{this is deadly good}

6 oz. good-quality white chocolate, chopped.

12 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 cup butter, room temp.

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 tsp. coconut extract

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Melt white chocolate over double-boiler until melted.  Let cool to room temp, about 5 minutes, it will be slightly warm to the touch.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffly.  gradually beat in the melted white chocolate.  If you put this in when it's too warm, then it will not be smooth, which happened to me on a test batch, but to be honest, it was still delicious, so DO NOT throw it away!  :)

Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth and mixed in.  Will store in the fridge for a few weeks. 

Enjoy!

Christmas Cheer at the Neals

I want to thank everyone who came to my home last week for a little Christmas Cheer; I was truly touched that you would take the time, the miles AND frustration of finding my place to come.


{Audrey, Cindy & Becky entertaining each other!}

It was so great to see everyone there in a non-classroom setting. The best part for me, was to see how quickly you all connected, despite never having met before. Nobody has the generous heart like a card-maker!





 



{Some of my South Jordan Gals: Judy, Charm and Julie and that's Cari Lyn from West Jordan regaling them all!}

D

Dana (Centerville) brough her daughters and the cutest grandsons EVER.  Their cuteness only partially matched by Dana's handmade hats!

Everyone got to meet my cat, Booger.  Even though he looks oblivious deep down inside he was thrilled with the company.

Some of you (towards the end) got to meet my chickens too!  Thanks for seeming even slightly interested!

Some of my American Fork 'local' gals, Cheryl, Becky and Kim!

{Janis and her friend, Kathy from Sandy}

Because some of you have requested recipes, here is a few:

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
1 Chocolate cake mix

1 small (3.9 oz. ) pkg. instant chocolate pudding
½ cup sugar
3/4 cup veg. oil
¾ cup water
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine 1st 3 ingredients, stir with a wire whisk to remove large lumps. Add next 3 ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in chips. Pour into well greased (I like to use the spray with the flour added) bundt pan. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until cake is baked through. Cool 10 minutes in pan, remove onto wire rack, cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Mini Brownie Cheesecake bites
This is hard because I didn't really use a recipe, I just made it up. 
Mix up a brownie mix.  Pour a mini cupcake pan about 2/3rd full with brownie mix.
Mix 2 8 oz. pkg of soft cream cheese, 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar.  Fill the rest of the pan with this mixture, over the brownie mixture.  bake for approx. 20 minutes or until cheese cake on top is set.  It won't be brown though.
The trick it seems is to really grease the cupcake pan.  I made them again a few days ago and had a bear of time getting them out properly.
The best part is decorated the top of these little sweeties with a whirl of piped whipped cream.  For the party I put on a fresh raspberry, but the other night I did chopped candy cane and added mint extract to the brownie mix.  It was also good.

Stuffed Mushrooms
This is pretty funny; I put these glorious little bites into the over around 6:40pm.  The doorbell rang a few minutes later and I completely forgot about them until about an hour later.  Little burnt yucky bundles, but some of my guests (who are either very kind or don't have taste buds) liked them.  LOL  They really great though, when cooked properly.  Again, didn't use a recipe, so this is general.

30 - 40 mushroom caps (I used Cremini, but white button works)
1/2 cup onions, chopped
4 cloved garlic
4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup crab
1/2 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated or shredded

Clean off mushroom with paper towel or a mushroom brush.  Pull the stems out and set aside. Place mushroom caps on cooking sheet.  Make filling.

Saute onions, chopped mushroom stems in butter for approx 5 minutes until they are soft.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.  Add rest of ingredients and mix carefully and cook until heated through.  Fill mushroom caps until they are mounded.  Cook at 375 for 20 minutes approx, or until tops are bubbly and golden.  I also shredded some additional cheese on top.  ENJOY!

A new friend, a new cook book and a great idea!

A few months ago, through serendipitous Studio 5 events, I met Nancy Miles.  It was really a happy accident!  Nancy is a warm,  vivacious, intelligent and witty woman who loves to cook and loves sharing her passion with people. 

Nancy is busy as a bee promoting her cookbook, In Good Taste.  Maybe you've seen her?  Book signings, Classes, TV appearances?  Her energy amazes me.

The concept of Nancy's book is truly original, I've never seen anything like it.  Hundreds of people have come forward to say that it has been an inspiration to them to collect treasured family recipes that have been served in their ancestral homes and at traditional family gatherings for generations. After all, what really brings us, as families, together in our lives but love and association over great food? And nothing is more important than family. Use this book not just for its wonderful recipes, but for your inspiration to follow through and gather your own historical recipes for your loved ones.

When you buy In Good Taste, you will be given a special website access key that will allow you to download the Family History Cookbook template with easy to follow directions to help you create your own pages with photos, historical information, and recipes.
I'm happy to report I have two of her cookbooks here for a give away!  So please leave a comment and share a favorite family recipe that you would put into a book like this and I'll pick winners on Sunday night.

And some more exciting news for Nancy that I'd like to share. During the Holiday season you can Host a Home Cooking show with Nancy, which includes a cooking demonstration, samples and a book signing.

Invite friends and family for an exclusive evening of food, family and fun!  Bring a family favorite recipe, along with a picture of the person who gave you the recipe, and learn how to create your own Family History cookbook.  You can purchase cookbooks that evening for yourself and as a gifts for a special price of $15 (reg. $25).

Sound like fun?!  Shoot Nancy an email and book a night before they're all gone! 

Don't forget to visit Nancy's website and read about her and her publisher, New York Times best seller, Richard Paul Evans.  Have you read his new book?  Nancy has a recipe in it that plays an important part of the story!

Home Décor Hero

Most of you know my penchant for economizing. It's not that I'm cheap...really. I just hate wasting things. If there's a better way I want to know about it! So, you can imagine how excited I was when I spyed this brilliant re-purposing idea from Sande Kreiger, designer extraordinaire and sweet friend.

Sande is my home décor hero. She is really good at taking risks and putting her personality in her surroundings. This project is no exception; as much as I love the project, the story behind it is even better.

Part of my job with Studio 5 is passing along tidbits that I think people would like to know about. Clearly this fits the bill. You can hear about it on the Studio 5 video below.

You can also read Sande's original post on her blog.

Thanks for the inspiration Sande!

Studio 5: Baklava, Better Bugs & the "Bomb"

Gee, not sure where to start! They sure kept me busy on Studio 5 yesterday. And as much as I loved preparing for and sharing my segments on Baklava and Things with Wings, I have to say the highlight was completing my Minute-to-win-it task in under 60 seconds and helping Leslie Cuppitt win a Cricut Cake Machine!

{notice Brooke isn't in this shot? This is where she just couldn't watch and walked away!}

I am SORE this morning! But can I just say, if you EVER get the opportunity to do something that scares you and might possibly embarrass you...DO IT. Wow, that was SO fun.

{I didn't plan on sharing a picture of my practicing, or I would have worn something besides sloppy sweats and fuzzy socks, but I just couldn't resist how excited I looked here!}

My sweet friend, Charisse kept me company that day, helped me carry things and took pictures as well. Loved having her with me and I love how absolutely BEAUTIFUL she looks next to my goofy face!

ok, let's go ahead and watch my 60 seconds of excitement!

And now, for the...rest of the story. Here are my two planned segments. First, let's make pastry! Greek pastry, no less. I needed to come up with a recipe with honey and frankly, I can't think of one recipe that uses more honey than Baklava.

I'm don't have a big sweet tooth, but it makes it all the more surprisingly how much I love this sticky sweet treat. It's so addictive and highly dangerous to have made as much of this as I have over the last few weeks as I tweaked my recipe.

Please visit the Studio 5 website for the complete article, step by step photos and of course, the recipe. Oh, and be sure to try adding chocolate chips, it is killer! Takes it to an all new sweet level

If you love paper crafting things with wings, then watch the video and read the article to be inspired by some summertime projects and simple techniques to make 'better bugs'.

Thanks for watching and stay tuned for my next Studio 5 segment on June 8th!

*Sneak-peek winner: Ok, I really need to make my sneak-peek easier as no one guessed it completely. I promise, next time will be better! In the meantime, I think Shelley came the closest. She's from Las Vegas and here's her website if you'd like to get to know her better. Thanks for playing and try again everyone!

Studio 5: Christmas Cheer with Bite sized fun!

Here are some really tasty ideas for your upcoming Christmas get-together. You're all having one, right? Come on! It's easy; your home is already decorated and never looked so good, the Christmas carols are already queued up on your player, all you need are a few extra hours earlier in the day to cook and you're ready to spread some Christmas Cheer! Please visit the Studio 5 website for the recipes!

There is nothing like paper crafting to brighten up the holidays, and it doesn't have to be time consuming or big...in fact sweet small projects are the focus of today's studio 5 segment. Don't forget to visit the Studio 5 website to see pictures of all the projects and the article I wrote.

Don't forget my link to my friend Heather's very yummy Spicy Pear Jam that I had on air today.

Thanks to both Heather & Karen (you are SUCH an inspiration to me!) for their bitty nugget project ideas. They are SO darling and a bit hit at the studio.

Lastly, here are instructions to make the last 3 smallest projects, because I know you're all going to want to make them!

To create the nugget purse, cut a 1 ½” x 5” piece of red cardstock. Score at 1 ½”, 1” and again at 1 ½”. Corner round both corners of the last section. Distress edges of piece with ink if desired. Cut a 3/8” x 5” strip of patterned paper and adhere to middle of red piece. Punch two small holes in crease of first scored section on both sides. Thread 1/8” ribbon through, knot and trim for handle.
Adhere entire purse closed and embellish with a little flower, gem, brad, button etc…and a little gift tag printed on the computer.

To create the nugget wrap, punch a Scalloped Oval shape from cardstock. I used a Clever Lever Giga Craft punch by Marvy uchida, but you can use any similar shaped punch or even die-cuts. Score on either side of shape, approx. 1” for short ends. Punch a 1/8” hole in each end and thread a 5” piece of ¼” ribbon through holes. Adhere nugget to center of oval with a bit of adhesive and then wrap shape around the nugget and tie ribbon in a bow.

Students...does this look familiar? a smaller version of the large Hershey chocolate slide card we made in August. Thanks to one my students (don't hate me, I can't remember which one!!) for showing me the mini version they created, you totally inspired me to create this tiny Chocolate Slide: cut a 4” x 4 ¾” piece of cardstock. Score ¼” from one long end and 2 ¼” from the other end. Fold and then lay flat again. Stamp a sentiment on the bottom of one side, fold again and adhere along the bottom and side to create pocket. Punch 1 5/8” hole in top of pocket. Thread ribbon through both holes. Push chocolate into the pocket with the ribbon. Tie the ribbon into a bow in the front of pocket. Embellish front of slider with a tag, glitter glue, gems or punch out shapes. To open, just pull bow and it will reveal the chocolate without them having to untie the ribbon.

You can custom create your own little wraps and sliders depending on the size of chocolate you use, just alter the dimensions. Enjoy!

Winners: Sadie & Erin! You two were the closest with your 'small' guesses and won! I'll email you with your prize details! For everyone else, thank you so much for all your guesses, they were so good I might just have to steal them for next year!

Can I make 12 cards in less than an hour?

That was the question I asked myself as I drove home from a Dr. appt with my daughter on Wednesday morning.

My Card group is usually the 4th Wednesday of the month, but we always get a bit confused on the months where there are 5 Wednesdays. So, it wasn't until Monday that I realized, "wow, I have to get my cards done!". And unfortunately, there literally wasn't a moment between that realization and the drive home to do them.

I do what I have learned to do when confronted with seemingly impossible tasks: I tried.

And as a Mom/multi-tasker/blogger I also decided to document the trying with my camera. Fortunately, I had all the bits & pieces cut for one my Nifty Thrifty Christmas Card Class.
Here's how it went...

1. Gather supplies.
2. Fold card bases and adhere red base.
3. Cut printed image into tag share, adhere tag topped and punch hole.
4. Thread twine through buttons.
5. Thread ribbon through tag hole.
6. Tie buttons around ribbon to finish tag.
7. Apply foam squares (yes, they are tiny, ran out of big ones) to back of tag and adhere to front of card.
8. Take picture...done!

Now, before you think I may be the consumate, professional, never-make-a-mistake card maker, let me share the REST of the story.

I'm taking pictures of the cards and realized that I didn't apply the glitz (diamond glaze on the heart, sprinkle with glitter). So I do that. I'm thinking, yes, it will still dry in time.

Caught up in my optimism, no matter how poorly placed, I decide to add the glitter glue to all the dots on the antlers and noses. "Surely, those will dry too.". It's now 11:35am. I'm supposed to be at the restaurant at 11:45. I go get ready while they 'dry'.

2 minutes later (haha) they are NOT dry. So, I carefully overlap them on a cookie sheet, almost panic when I bring them to the car, because the wind is blowing, but manage to get them in the backseat, making mentals notes to, even though I'm late, NOT to break heavily or to take a turn too quickly.

I'm doing pretty good, when after (in my mind) gentle turn, I hear the whole pan slide across the seat! Now, ladies, this is how accidents happen. DO NOT DO THIS! They are, after all, just cards. Not worth my life, right? But nooooo, I pull over to the side of the road to make sure my babies are all safe and die a little when I see that not only are they still not dry, but the glitter glue is now smeared all over the place.

I take a deep breath, re-arrange the cards and drive on. A few minutes later I'm in the parking lot debating. Do I bring the cookie sheet with cards INTO the restaurant (Thanksgiving Point Harvest by the way, nice place, linen tableclothes, the whole caboodle)?

I decide I will look less foolish if I carry two cards, back-to-back between each of my fingers (think Edward Scissor hands). It didn't work. I didn't care. THIS is important!

Did it occur to me to leave them in the car to dry and get them later? Yes, it did. One, I really didn't want to brave the nasty cold, windy weather more than I had to. Two, I thought the group would most likely want to swap out while we were waiting for our food. See, I'm NOT entirely impulsive.

So, I find my group, with all my cards fanned out from my fingers, enjoy the smiles and smirks coming from all my friends, carefully place them down in a corner of the room and sit down.

Ahhhhh, such is life. Wouldn't it just be boring if we never tried to do impossible things?

Kansas City & Facebook

On my way back to Kansas City CKC (was there a year or two ago...I start to lose tract after a while!) Met a lovely woman their named Eva who was kind enough to take me to Liberty Jail. Hope to see her again!

I've also added a Q's Creative Card Class fan page to Facebook. I've had a few requests so I complied!

I actually started to think it might be a fun place to network with you all, so please sign up! My plans so far is to use the fanpage to keep you all updated on classes, but also create some photo albums with your versions of my designs. You've all been so kind to send me photos and I really want someone to put them, where everyone can see. Don't forget this is a place for you to post your own thought and comments!

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see my little Fanpage Update, where the latest comments will be posted.

Other than that, I haven't had much time to explore all the possibilities, but wanted to get it started.

Have a lovely fall weekend and I'll be back on Sunday!

P.S. For all my Kansas City fellow cardmakers...stay tuned, as I'll be posting a review of the trip when I get home and have a give-away for you all as well!

and it all began...

Let me start the day by introducing the person who started World Card Making Day: Jennafer Martin was the Managing Editor of Paper Crafts Magazine at the time and I don't think even she knew what she had started...here we are 4 years later with hobbyists, magazines, stores and manufacturers all over the world jumping on board to celebrate and promote card making.

Jennafer is now the Editor-in-Chief of Creating Keepsakes, so she isn't too far away in scrapbooking land, which you know is really only a hop, skip and a jump from card making (more on that later).

I have a special place in my heart for Jennafer, as she was really my first mentor in the magazine business. She is incredibly encouraging, supportive, energetic, creative, funny, hard working and a good friend. I know you most likely won't meet her in person, but the next best thing is reading this introduction blog at Creating Keepsakes. It's pretty funny.

You can also read more about World Card Making Day here.

More coming...go through a load of laundry in and come on back!

You're Invited...

I was chatting with Alice Golden this weekend about how much our "papercrafting for family" skills have waned over the years. Where we would once create elaborate ensembles for a birthday party, we're now lucky to get a proper invitation off.

It reminded me of my last-minute birthday party invitation I whipped up for Savannah's 12th birthday last year. I went to look at it, in my invite file (yes, I have one) and found a few others I took the time to scan and save. Thought I'd share them with you this morning.


We were going to see "Horton Hears a Who" for Savannah's birthday, so I grabbed some images from the HHAW website and created this very quickly on Photoshop. I added a little Ranger Glitter glue to the flower puffs (my only little 'touch') and I was done.



Here's another quick invite (I think they almost always are 'quick'. This is a few years old, but again, found a cute picture of a baby boy, did most of this on the computer, but did punch out a star and staple a little jute to the top. Sometimes my laziness amazes me :).



Another 'oldie'. This was another birthday party for Savannah, Hawaiian style. Both of these images are rubber stamps...way easy. I'm thinking now it would have been fun for Savannah to color in the surf boards, but if I remember correctly, it was pretty last-minute...again. Seeing a pattern here?


This was intented to be an email invite, so I created this in Photoshop. This is my handsome brother, Andy!




I love the story behind this invitation. One of Steve's co-workers was giving his wife a surprise trip to New York for Christmas and asked me to create a fun card to enclose the tickets in. Maybe I should make one for me and leave it on Steve's desk as a hint?



For a while, a few years back, I had a business making custom invitations & other papercrafting items. This was a very custom ensemble I made for a couple from Texas celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. The ensemble included a save-the-date card, an invitation, a thank you tag (for the favor), knapkin holders (the wreath) and a memory album.



I made this pocket invitation for my son's wedding in 2005. We had a really short planning window, so I had to keep it pretty simple.


My sister-in-law had a bridal shower for Tiffany, but I offered to make the invites.



Lastly, I created a wedding announcement/invitation for my nephew. I did most of the work in Photoshop, but wow, with such gorgeous pictures it was pretty easy.

So, Alice, now that I've reviewed a few of my personal (non-published) creations, I realize that maybe I've haven't been quite so neglectful. Then again, I could always take it up a notch. Savannah's 13th birthday is less than 2 months away, so I'd better get started. Those notches always a lot of work!

One more Christmas surprise!

After a tough day, I received such a nice surprise last night that I just had to share with you.

My friend, Brooks dropped by with a jaw-dropping gorgeous (I can NEVER EVER eat that) cookie. What makes this even sweeter is she got this idea from another friend of mine, Alisa Bangerter (you know, the creative diva!). I had posted a tv video stream from Studio 5 back around Halloween and Alisa had shown how to use Vintage wafer paper images to make amazing cookies.



Brooks (isn't she adorable?) outdid herself, these were stunning using vintage Christmas images. Can you see all the sparkly sugar she used to embellish? So, so pretty! I'm just so touched she thought of me and she didn't even know how yucky I had been feeling. Thanks Brooks!

An Angel to Watch over you

Festival of Trees is just a win-win event for everyone. Even if you're not in the market to bid on some of these amazing creations, you will certainly be inspired to go home and create a Christmas wonderland of your very own.

Not to mention scones...which I deliberately avoided because I'm still rolling around from the Pecan Pie at Thanksgiving!

It gives donors a chance to remember loved ones and all proceeds and I mean every last PENNY goes to Primary Children's hospital here in Salt Lake City.

I can attest to how wonderful a hosptial Primary's is because my youngest daughter spent several months there over several years and we were so impressed with the level of care, both physically and emotionally that we received. It's holds a special place in my heart.

So, when my friend, Heather asked for a little help with her donation, in memory of her Mother, Lila Smith, who died of Breast cancer, I knew I wanted to be a part of it (even in a very teeny tiny way!) I have donated a couple of trees in years past and know just how much work and money goes into this endeavor.

Heather did a wonderful job! You can click on the picture for a larger image. Her remarks on her Mother's memorial were so touching and I know her Mother is smiling up in heaven at the thought her daughter put into this.

These trees would make such an adorable Christmas scene for a girl's room. If you're anything like me, you'll be lucky to get just ONE tree up, but there are many people who literally decorate every room in the house and for them I am grateful because they make this event so successful.

















Thought I'd share just a smidgen of what the floor looked like! Oh my! What a beehive of Christmas activity!As an added note, PaperCrafts Magazine also contributed their own tree to the event and I was able to drop by just as they were putting the finishing touches on it.

All I can say is "WOW". It is a papercrafters DREAM! The tree is adorable with all it's lime green and bright red papercrafted ornaments, but just take a gander at all the papercrafting toys underneath!

What a perfect start to the holiday season. There is nothing like giving to feel the Christmas spirit. Hope you have found yours and if you haven't, go look for it!
Lovingly, Sue

foodie-yummy-stuff

I realize we may be past JAM season, but I have to share this recipe with you, because it's so GOOD and...because it would make such a nice hostess gift for Thanksgiving, all those spices!

My friend, Heather gave me a jar of this a while back. It looked a bit suspicious and actually sounded even MORE suspicious... Pineapple???? But, WOW! This is real 'foodie' yummy stuff. Best on a toasted slice of bread. Makes me want to plant a pear tree!

Spicy Pineapple Pear Jam

Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled finey chopped ripe pears (aobut 5 1/2 lb.)
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp ground Ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz can crushed pineapple

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to a dutch oven. ( I used our Le Creuset)
2. Bring mixture to a boil and stir constantly.
3. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 2 hours or until thickened.
4. Skim off foam with a metal spoon.(I didn't get any foam)
5. Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars, filling to about 1/4 inch from the top.
6. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims.
7. Cover quickly with metal lids and screw on bands~not too tightly to allow air to escape in water bath.
8. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (15 minutes at our altitude)

Thanks Heather!

Creative friend & Halloween Treats

I know a LOT of creative people. I also know a LOT of really NICE people. I'm lucky that way. I hope to share some of those people with you on this blog and I'd like to start with my dear friend and colleague, Alisa Bangerter. What better way to do that then watching this video of Alisa doing 'her thang' on Studio 5 (yup, we're TV buddies!). Actually, Alisa is Studio 5's Party, Holiday and Ideas regular contributor. She does a phenomenal job and I know you'll enjoy this segment, just in time for Halloween!

{Oh My Gosh, aren't those mummy twinkies adorable! And those wafer cookies? Amazing!}

Oh, and in case you're wondering...yes, Alisa is also a PC Pro for PaperCrafts magazine. She gets lots of opportunities to share what she loves. Aren't we ALL lucky? Sue

Goody Goblins & Monster Cookies

Not sure, but I think it's been 2 years since this I created this Halloween "Spooked" Treat box for PaperCrafts Magazine. I've had it high on a shelf with the best intention of using it ever since. So, it took a few years, but finally It's been put to good use!





















Steve made his amazing Monster Cookies (really, I call them that because they are SO big! but really you can google these as Texas Governor Mansion Cookies) Savanah and I (resident goody goblins) did a little doorbell ditching and tada! The "You've been spooked" box is now making the rounds of my neighborhood.
















Steve's Monster Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon. baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)


Directions:
Prep Time: 25 minutesBake Time: 17 to 20 minutesYield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)
1. Heat
oven to 350 F.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
6. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
7. Bake in 350 F oven 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.
Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes

Oh Canada!

It's Fall Break here in Utah, so we decided to head North (what were we thinking??) to visit my Mom who lives in Cardston, Alberta.

It's a quick visit, but it will include family, friends, my Mom's cooking, Tim Horton donuts, Swiss Chalet and copious amounts of Canadian chocolate bars and Canadian Oreos (more on that at a later date!).

Thought I would share my Canadian connection. My parents immigrated to Canada from Europe in the 1950's. I was born in Montreal, Quebec. I married an American (Idaho boy), but we lived in Waterloo, Ontario for 13 years before we moved back to the Rocky Mountains.
Still makes me happy to cross the border, see Canadian verbage on signs, listen to the CBC, measure things in celcius and kilometers, enjoy the rolling hills and fields of grain. I didn't grow up in this part of Canada, but if you can see a Tim Hortons (best...and I mean BEST donut shop in the WORLD!) then you feel at home, whether it's British Columbia or Newfoundland.

Until I get home...have a great weekend everyone! Sue
















Just a couple of pictures of nearby Waterton National Park and Chief Mountain. Simply breathtaking!

Fresh Peach Delight Cheesecake

One of the best gifts I've ever been given was 1 year after I moved to Utah. Two of my neighbors (Sharon & Vicki) brought me a nectarine tree for my birthday. I was thrilled and excited, because where I lived in Canada it was too cold to grow them.

It was just a small tree, but it grew so fast that we got fruit the next year and every year after that for the last 10 years. The tree is my husband's baby and he takes good care of it, thinning, spraying, netting etc... and I'm the lucky one who gets to bottle them, jam them, bake with them and eat them!

Between the nectarines and the peaches that my inlaws give me from their tree I'm always searching for peach recipes. Here's one I've had for many, many years. It's a nice light cheesecake and it really screams PEACHES!


Fresh Peach Delight Cheesecake

Crust
· 3 Tbsp. melted butter
· 1 ¼ Cup graham crackers Crumbs
· 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

Filling
· 17 marchmallows (or half a bag)
· ½ Cup milk
· 1 8 oz. Pkg of cream cheese
· 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
· 2 large peaches, diced. (or 3 small)
· ½ tsp. Vanilla
· 1 ½ Cup whipped cream (or cool whip)

Combine crust ingredients and put in a the bottom of a greased 8” spring form pan. Cook at 325 F. for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Make filling by melting marshmallows and milk for 1 minute in the microwave at high power. Stir and cook another minute or so, until all marshmallows are melted and combined with milk. Add vanilla. Beat Softened creamcheese in mixer until smooth. Gradually add the marshmallow mixture and lemon juice and mix until well incorporated. Mix in peaches. Fold in whipped cream. Put mixture into spring form pan.
Cool 3 hours or overnight to set. Enjoy!


I couldn't leave my peachy thoughts without showing you a card I created for my Father-in-law. For me, it's always a little more challenging creating a card for a man. I suppose it's because so much of the cute product out there is somewhat feminine. This card is also a testament to keeping your camera close by. Between blogging, scrapbooking and papercrafting I take ALOT of pictures!























I bottled my peaches on the deck to keep the heat out of the kitchen. I let the bottles cool on my table and when I saw the sun hitting them, they practically glowed. I knew I had to capture that.
To create my card I simple added my peachy sentiment (I know, it's corny!!) in PS, did a gradient overlay (orange to yellow), printed it out and pasted it on a card. Now, I just really, really have to SEND it...TODAY!

~see beauty.

World Card Making Day Celebration!

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I had an incredibly wonderful time celebrating World Card Making Day with some rabid papercrafters from Virginia (and a few from North Carolina as well) at All About Scrapbooks.

Virginia is a beautiful state with truly friendly people. I only wish I could have stayed longer.

Bob & his wife were gracious hosts who made Steven and I feel very much at home and valued.

The 25 gals who participated in the class were dedicated paper crafters who made the whole day fun, fun, fun! I can't remember everyone's names, but June & Sophie were just one of several mother-daughter attendees, Paula was my convenient side-kick (literally...I kept bugging her for samples) and I believe their resident card artist (yes, I'm still waiting Paula...please send me url!!).

Angie touched me when she told me how her military husband has kept every card she's ever made for him and Valerie was just a bundle of energy and enthusiam. Sue, who just moved from Alabama was excited to make new card-making friends, and Peggy, well you just made my day. After struggling all year with health issues, was well enough to attend the class with her daughter. You are a lovely person and are truly inspirational. I will always treasure the memory of this day and hope to see you all again one day.
























So, going backwards a little, day 1 of my sojourn to Virginia started in Virginia Beach. A little day diversion for my husband and I. We had perfect weather, the people were so friendly, the sky was brilliant and the food was yummy. But, the best part was just hanging out with my dear husband, Steve.


Thanks honey for spending 2 days in a cramped plane, putting up with my constant photography, shopping 'girl stuff' and hanging out with and actually enjoying all of us crazy card-makers! You are the BEST!

So, here's to next year ladies...seriously, I cannot wait. I know it's going to be even better. Sue

World Card Making Day...Latest Studio 5 segment

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Well, friends, after a really long day, I have arrived in beautiful Virginia. I'm so excited to visit one of our winning stores, All About Scrapbooks, here in Chesapeake, VA. We are going to have FUN! Making cards, meeting new friends, prizes galore and of course, chocolate...because I've decided you really can't papercraft without chocolate. it's the rule :).

So, check back, starting Saturday onwards on this blog and also my fellow PC Pros (Wendy Johnson, Alisa Bangerter, Kim Kesti and our fearless Susan Opel) to read and see our World Card Making Day adventures.

Take a minute to check out my latest Studio 5 segment, all about our latest and BEST special issue, Card Creations #6, some awesome birthday card ideas and of course, some chatter about World Card Making Day. It was a funny day at Studio 5...new table and the cards kept falling off and then just when I thought the segment was over...it wasn't! You'll notice I get 'real' comfortable and chatty and then this light comes in to my eyes as I realize that no, we are still on the air! Lots of fun.

Dearly hoping you are all making plans for creating cards this Saturday. Sue

Friends who love sushi

One of the benefits of having a friend who shares your passion for sushi is that birthday lunches are no-brainers. So we headed out to Yaponas (just minutes from my house...hooray!) for some of the best sushi I've had in Utah.

Deb fav: Spider roll.

My fav: River run.

Everyone's fav: Tobiko...flying fish roe. 'pops' in your mouth. I would eat it on everything if I could afford it.

I also love to watch the chefs prepare the sushi. It's mezmorizing.

Contrary to what it seems like I really do love Deb more than I love Sushi. She is a passionate, intelligent, caring person who I know is always a phonecall away when I need some advice or just a friendly hello.