Friday, January 10, 2014

Cardabilities Sketch #90

Hello Friends -
Hope you are having a good week!

Snowy and freezing weather here certainly made for a different week!  Kids home for 2 extra days but work deadlines still stay the same.  How do we always manage to get it all done?  I have no idea - okay, well a few.  Like extra caffeine and much less sleep!

And now our Volleyball Birthday Party facilitator has fallen through.  Not sure what to do with this but there are 48 hours to figure that out - plenty of time!  Laugh with me, please!

So I need to work on making cards again, my stash is low (how low can you go? clap, clap)  Please remember - much less sleep.

Enjoy a little something I made for Cardabilities Sketch #90.

Happy Day to you -
Mary -

This is a 4.25"x5.5" card.
 
Sentiment Stamp {Birdhouse Set}/ Plank Background Stamp - Iron Gate Stamps
Cardstock - American Crafts, Bazzill Basics
Frame, Chipboard Bird - Pebbles
Corrugated Frame - Jillibean Soup
Ink {Timber Brown} - StazOn
Die and Embossing Folder - Sizzix
My Stash - Vanilla Paint
 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Coffee Talk - Baking

Hello Friends -
If you are somewhere with these freezing temperatures, please stay safe and warm!

Whew.  It shows 11 below zero this morning on my phone!  Brrr.  I dread when my poor little Ginger dog needs to go out.

So a little coffee talk this morning since I did not paper craft yesterday.  I baked.  A lot.

My husband is part of snow removal for "a major suburb north of Chicago".  As he was working yet another long shift because of our lake effect snow, I asked, "What can I do?"  "Make it stop snowing."  hahahaha!

So, I decided to bake the guys some treats.  Because it will be really cold soon.  Snow removal is not a fun job.  Even for as much as they do, still more is unrealistically expected.  And they are missing the Packers game which might be a big deal to some of them.

But alas, I did not have much butter (just a pound).  How did that happen?!

What can I make without butter and what can I make that yields quantity and easy to eat?

Sandra Lee {Semi-homemade} would be so proud!

I did have a few box mixes in the pantry that used oil.  I bake a lot from scratch but box mixes are necessary for when I am short on time.  And I buy mostly boxes with Box Tops because our school collects them.  A win, win in my book.

I always try to have on hand at least a dozen eggs, milk, butter and in the pantry all staples to bake cookies and some yeast.  I make a yummy chocolate chip cookie and soft pretzels.  What?  I do.  Part of my New Years Resolutions is to be less modest.

Let the baking begin!  I did have my 2 young helpers and that was good too.  They helped mix batter and do taste testing.

Here is what we made in a few hours:
12 cinnamon muffins
24 chocolate chip mini muffins
A pan of brownies cut in 16 squares and individually wrapped in wax paper
36 chocolate, chocolate chunk cookies
48 dipped pretzels
52 cut out gingerbread men made mostly by my youngest - I have the patience of a saint some days!
1 quiche for his breakfast when he got home.  He is a real man.  Who does not like eggs, ham and 3 kinds of cheese with pastry crust?

Have I mentioned that I have a small kitchen?  And that I do not have a dishwasher?  Well, there were a bunch of dishes to do too, though I try to clean as I go.

Hope you have a great day and do something unexpected if you can this week that will make someone know they are appreciated.

Happy Day to you -
Mary -

Cinnamon mufins
Only item that got a photo.
No time, must keep moving!