Merry Christmas.....

.....from my house to yours.

Grape and Gumdrop Trees

Are you looking for a unique way to serve grapes at a holiday party?

At an event I hosted earlier this week, I served grapes arranged to create trees:

Using styrofoam bases,I covered them in foil then used toothpicks cut in half to adhere the grapes to the styrofoam.

I also made a gum drop tree using royal icing to adhere the gumdrops.

These trees would be so fun to let children create too!

Little Red Wagon - Christmas Tags!

My challenge at Little Red Wagon this week comes just in time for Christmas wrapping and that is to make a tag.

I host a Christmas tag swap every year so today my tag is the one I made for the swap:

I used a variety of products from my wagon on this tag:
- Tim Holtz dress form die(borrowed)
- a winged heart stamp from which I cut the wings out of to attach to the dress form
- Tim Holtz Christmas tag
- twine
- tiny (!) bells
- glitter pen(for the wings and 25)
- music note stamp by Stampabilities
- brown and cream ribbon

These were so much fun to make!

If you have time to make a tag this week please link it up at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!

T'is The Season

Today a couple of cupcake adorned cards!

The cupcake stamp is by Stamping Bella, the cupcakes are coloured in copics and pencils.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace

I've had this bingo card for awhile and finally used it on a card:

Now i wish I had more!

Thanks for stopping by.

Little Red Wagon - We Wish You a Pink Christmas

I'm back today with this week's Little Red Wagon challenge and Regan wants us to create a pink themed seasonal card.

Love these papers I dug out of my wagon so I'm hoping this card has enough pink on it:

Please play along by linking up your pink and seasonal card over at Little Red Wagon.

We love to see what you create.

Christmas Cards

Over a few posts this week I'm going to share some Christmas cards I've made.

This first group uses a beautiful wreath stamp by Memory Box(click the photo to enlarge):

Background papers are a mix of Basic Grey and Lily Bee.I kept embellishments to a minimum so that they stay flat for mailing, some holly and a twine bow along with a doily!

Thanks for stopping by!

Classic Creme Brulee

One of my favourite desserts is creme brulee.

It is also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream.

Its origins are uncertain, there have been debates as to whether the dessert's origins lie in France or Britain.

The earliest known reference of creme brulee as we know it today appears in François Massialot's 1691 cookbook and the French name was used in the English translation of this book.

In the early eighteenth century, the dessert was called "burnt cream" in English.

In Britain, a version of crème brûlée (known locally as Trinity Cream or Cambridge burnt cream) was introduced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1879 with the college arms impressed on top of the cream with a branding iron.

In Catalan language, Crema catalana is a Catalan dish similar to crème brûlée. It is traditionally served on Saint Joseph's Day (March 19th)although now it is consumed at all times of year.

Regardless of what it is called or originated, most people love it!

I made it some years ago but wasn't really happy with how it turned out.

My Mom mentioned to me that she had tried a recipe from Canadian Living that was terrific. So I decided to make it the dessert for my tropical themed dinner(vanilla is grown in the tropics).

And I was not disappointed, it turned out great! I really liked the creamy texture, firm but not pudding-like.

Classic Creme Brulee

Ingredients

3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar, sifted

Preparation

In saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat until steaming hot. In bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar; very gradually whisk in cream. Whisk in vanilla.

Skim off foam. Divide mixture among eight 3/4-cup (175 mL) ramekins or custard cups.

Place ramekins in 2 large shallow pans. Gently pour boiling water into pans to come up halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until edges are set but centres still quiver and small knife inserted into centres comes out creamy. Remove from water; let cool on racks. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until chilled and set, or for up to 2 days.

Fill two shallow pans with enough ice to surround ramekins; nestle chilled custards among cubes. Pat surface of each custard dry; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Broil 6 inches (15 cm) from heat for 2 to 6 minutes or until sugar bubbles and turns dark brown, rearranging pans and removing each ramekin when ready. Chill, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes before serving, or for up to 3 hours.

Additional information :

Tip: When broiling the Crème Brûlées, watch them constantly, because caramel turns from amber to black very quickly. Enjoy the crunch and creaminess of Crème Brûlée within 3 hours of broiling, before the caramel melts.

Also at my Mom's suggestion I served it in small mason jars(but forgot to get a photo) which provided just the right amount of creme brulee.

Enjoy!

Little Red Wagon - Home for the Holidays

I'm back with this week's Little Red wagon challenge, to create something with a house on it.

I used the Papertrey Boards and Beam set again this week to create a couple of simple cards:

I stamped them in black, added some glitter, green boughs/wreathes and a sentiment.

Easy peasy right?

So break out your houses and link up your project over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!

Tropical Recipes

Today I'm sharing the recipes I made for my tropical dinner from a while back.


We started with a Toopua Blue Lagoon Cocktail(Bora Bora)as found on Food.com.

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

3 ounces vodka
1 1/3 ounces blue curacao
3 1/3 ounces pineapple juice
2/3 ounce lemon juice
4 teaspoons sugar
ice
2 lime wedges
Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients (except lime wedges) into a cocktail shaker, with ice, and shake.
2. Strain into two margarita glasses, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Next was Chilled Pineapple Soup which I like better when it was freshly made rather than letting it chill for a few hours. It is served on the Royal Carribean cruise ships.

Chilled Pineapple Soup

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds (905 g) chopped fresh ripe Pineapple
2 cups (280g) sour cream
1 cup (250ml) ginger ale
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1 cup (140g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (35g) unsweetened flaked coconut

1. In a nonreactive bowl, combine all the ingredients together, except the coconut. Transfer mixture in batches to a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour soup into a clean nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

2. Meanwhile, toast the coconut: In a dry skillet over high heat, toss or stir the coconut, taking care not to scorch it, until lightly browned. To serve, divide the cold soup among chilled soup bowls and garnish with coconut.

Then I served Tropical Baked Chicken(also from food.com) with a tropical themed salad(from allrecipes.com) and Basmati rice. The chicken is seasoned with cinnamon and baked in orange juice which gives it a unique flavour.

Tropical Baked Chicken

Makes 6 servings

3 lbs chicken pieces( I used boneless chicken breasts)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers or 1/4 cup red bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

Directions:

1. Position rack in the center of the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Mix together Dijon mustard, basil and honey.
4. Smear the chicken with this mixture.
5. Arrange chicken, skin side down, in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer.
6. Sprinkle the pieces with finely chopped onions, bell peppers, butter, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and paprika.
7. Pour orange and pineapple juice around the chicken.
8. Bake, basting once, for 30 minutes.
9. Turn the chicken skin side up, season with salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and paprika, and all of brown sugar.
10. Bake until the chicken is tender and golden, about 20 minutes longer.
11. Add more orange juice or pineapple juice if the pan seems dry.
12. Pour the juice into a small saucepan and boil over high heat until it becomes syrupy.
13. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.


Tropical Salad

Makes 6 servings

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 (10 ounce) package chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped and toasted macadamia nuts
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a cruet or jar with a lid, combine pineapple juice, red wine vinegar, oil, pepper and salt. Cover and shake well.
In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, pineapple, macadamia nuts, green onions and bacon. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted coconut.

And, of course, there was dessert but it will be featured in a separate post!

Hope you enjoy these recipes.

Little Red Wagon - Trim the Tree

Over at Little Red Wagon this week Tammy is challenging us to use a tree on our project.

I created a card with a small Christmas tree on it:

So if you have chance link up your tree adorned creation over at Little Red Wagon.

We love to see what you create!

300 Best Canadian Bread Machine Recipes

I'm back with another cookbook review, 300 Best Canadian Bread Machine Recipes published by Robert Rose.

Recipes have been developed by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt both bestselling authors.

This book contains all the info you need for both old and newer models of bread machines. And it has traditional and innovative recipes including low-fat, international and gluten free. Most recipes indicate different loaf sizes so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

My daughter Brittany is the designated bread baker in our house and chose to make Salsa bread.

It was yummy and nothing beats fresh, hot bread of any kind.

Other recipes include Asiago Herb Loaf, Maple Banana Flaxseed bread to name just a couple. We're sure to be making lots of bread over the upcoming winter months!

Little Red Wagon - Boy oh Boy!

Hi all!

This week Jan has chosen masculine theme for the challenge at Little Red Wagon.

I was inspired by cards in the Take Ten magazine to create this card:

And it really did only take ten minutes to make, gotta love that!

If you can link up your masculine inspired creation over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!

Tropical Themed Dinner

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a tropical themed dinner and thought I'd share some of the decor and recipes over the next couple of posts or so.

I used bright gerbera daisies in a pineapple vase to create a centrepiece.

Be sure to fit a container in the pineapple so it doesn't leak(learned from personal experience).

Then I used some brightly coloured napkins that I folded into an orchid shape and adorned with a silk orchid.

I added mini tropical umbrella  and bamboo chargers on a green tablecloth lined with grass skirts.

Here's a look at the menu, I'll feature most of these recipes in subsequent posts.

But today I'll share a cheese ball formed in to the shape of a pineapple.

This can be done with any cheeseball recipe with the cheese shaped into a barrel. Pecan halves are pressed in and topped with the greens of a pineapple.

Recipes to come soon, thanks for stopping by!

Little Red Wagon - Texturize!

Hi all!

Things continue to be really busy around my place but I do have a couple of cards I made that fit Joanne's challenge to texturize using embossing folders.

The first uses a newer chicken wire embossing folder as well as the older swiss dot folder:

The second uses an older holly folder:

After not having used my folders for a while I've quite enjoyed digging them out and using them again!

And if you can, link up your textured creation over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by!

Little Red Wagon - Colour!

Hi there!

Long time no post!

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind!

So finally, here's my Little Red Wagon post for this week.

Dee wanted us to colour an image, I choose an image with very little colouring, a major cheat I know!

I think it is cute though.

And if you can link up your coloured images over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!