Cook Scrap Craft

From me to you

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Gluten-Free in Newark

2012-02-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

Dear People with Celiac,

If you find yourself at the Prudential Center for any sporting event and you don't know what to do about food, head over to section 6 where you will see this:

It has gluten-free hot dogs and Italian sausages on gluten-free buns (!!!), packages of gluten-free pretzels, gluten-free cookies, and gluten-free beer. Yay!

A Quote

2012-02-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

There was a challenge on the Studio Calico blog to incorporate a quote or song lyric into a scrapbook layout or card. I didn't know what I wanted to do yet because I didn't know what quote I wanted to use. And then someone brought in a box of Baci chocolates at work. I unwrapped one of them (of course I was going to eat one!) and there was some printing on the inside of the wrapper. I thought it was information about the company and I wanted to find out more, so I took a closer look. It was a quote! About love! I knew I had to use it on a Valentine's Day card! So here it is:

The quote is: Love me for love's sake only. - E. Barrett Browning

Auf Deutsch it is: Liebe mich nur der Liebe willen.

Look at all the stuff I've made

2012-02-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

I haven't cooked anything new lately, nor have I done anything crafty aside from scrapbooking. I swear I have crafty projects that are bookmarked on my computer (I do not use Pinterest) but it's just finding the time to sit down and do them ... or really it's more of I'd rather scrapbook and I have lots of pictures to scrap. Here's another sample of pages I've done recently:

"The Story of Us" is for a challenge at Once Upon a Sketch. We had to do a layout about the man we love and use the provided sketch. I used up some Bo Bunny Valentine's Day stuff.

"Family Game Night" is another one that uses Echo Park Life is Good papers. This is for a sketch challenge at Studio Calico. I had that WISH Bingo card in my stash and have been waiting for just the right opportunity to use it. I thought it fit well with these papers.

"Who Dat?" is for a scraplift challenge at Scrap Our Stash. I went to a media event a few weeks ago and had to get a visitor's pass. I gave the security guard my driver's license so he could read my name but apparently he was illiterate. He put my first name down as Angela. ????? Where did that come from? The last name was sort of close, but not really.

Featured layout at All About Me

2012-02-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

Hey all - One of my layouts is featured over at the All About Me challenge blog. The challenge for last month was to do a layout about someone you love. I, of course, chose my husband! :) Click on the above link to see my layout (and two other great ones). The February All About Me challenge should be posted by now, so check that out, as well.

Bad blogger

2012-02-04T08:56:00.005-05:00

Wow! I haven't posted anything since Monday! I didn't schedule any posts to go live this week. What was I thinking? Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to remedy that for next week. Things have been busy.

Here are two layouts that I should have shared with you earlier, but, well, too bad. I did these for sketch challenges, though I can't remember where I entered either of them. I hope I figure it out so I can check back to see if I won!

"New Stadium" was made using supplies I received from Kat.

And "Sneaky Dog" was made using a kit I got for Christmas. (I think I entered this one into a PageMaps sketch contest.)

Alright - off to get my breakfast on!

Scrappy Goodness

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Not only did I discover a Tuesday Morning store (the store that had cheap scrapbook stuff) near my in-laws' house (which isn't too far from me), but I also got lots of scrappin' done over the past week. Here's a little sampling of what I've accomplished:

This is a two-pager based on a layout by Jill Cornell:

This is based on a layout by my mom! These are pictures of fallen trees and branches around our house after the snowstorm that hit the East Coast in October.

And this is one that used up the last of my "pet" paper that I got at Target a couple years ago. I created the layout before I had the pictures, so it was really easy to complete.

Studio Calico Sketch Challenge

2012-01-28T21:36:00.001-05:00

I know. I was supposed to blog yesterday in keeping with my every other day tradition, but I didn't. So sue me. That means I owe you one and boy do I have lots of scrappy goodness to share with you. But first is a layout I did for Studio Calico's Sunday sketch challenge (which is due Monday).

I took some liberties with the sketch because I had to make it work with the pictures that I had. This uses Echo Park papers and stickers, Bazzill cardstock, My Little Shoebox letter stickers, Making Memories letter stickers, and some other stuff from unknown brands. These pictures are me and my co-workers at our holiday lunch last month. Go visit the Studio Calico blog to see the original sketch and, if you have time, you should enter the challenge for your chance to win some SC goodies.

Me in my 28th Year

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a layout for a challenge at Burlap & Buttercups to do a year in review-type layout for 2011. I already had this idea in my head to do a layout using pictures from my 28th year of living (because from 0-1 is your first year of living), which was inspired by a layout from former Getting Scrappy With scrapper Kari Ann. And this challenge gave me the extra oomph I needed to get the layout finished up. My mom gave me this paper (I think it is American Crafts) that already had the colored grid and the word "me" on it. So I just added the pictures, a few embellies to keep it simple, and letter stickers. For the word "year", I used my new Xyron (a Christmas present) to turn the non-adhesive and very thin letters into stickers. That Xyron thing is awesome and perfect for letters like that, as well as other small embellishments that aren't stickers.

Scrappy Sunday

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

After a delicious Sunday brunch of chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon (from a restaurant), here is what I was able to scrap on a full stomach:

Most of these were done with Echo Park Life is Good papers. The first one has some My Little Shoebox Destination banner pieces on it.

What did you do on Sunday?

Snowy Saturday

2012-01-21T09:43:00.004-05:00

Well, it's snowing here today. The plows keep coming through and the snow keeps piling back up again. I was supposed to go to book club this afternoon, but it got postponed until next Saturday. So I'm here at home all day and I guess that means I'll have to ~~clean the house~~ scrapbook. :)

Here are a few really simple layouts I put together recently. This first one is based on a layout by Jenny Moore:

And these next two are based on layouts from Jill Cornell:

(This one is a two-pager.)

What's different about these layouts compared to others I've done is that I put these layouts together even before I had the pictures! Really, I was desperate to get some scrapping done, but I didn't have many pictures to scrap at the time. So I just cut out 3x5 or 4x6 or 2.5 x 2.5 shapes from white paper and used them as place fillers for pictures as I scrapped. I think it worked out really well! Have you guys ever done that - scrapped without having the pictures?

Jingle Belles Sketch

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. I already have one of my Christmas cards for this year finished. Thanks, Jingle Belles!

The new challenge (which ends at 6pm EST on January 25) is to use the provided sketch to complete a card. Well, I finished my December Daily album and had some leftover scraps that were the perfect size for a card, so that's what I used to make this:

Of course there is only a placeholder for the picture at this point. It's way too early to pick out the Christmas card picture!!! But eventually I'll put that in. I'm actually thinking of making this sketch the go-to sketch for all my Christmas cards this year. I really like it and it was easy to do.

If you want to join in on the fun, head over to the Jingle Belles blog post to see the sketch, make your card, and then link up your work to that blog post. A randomly chosen participant will win a $15 gift certificate to Pixie Dust Paperie Shop. Pretty awesome prize and all for getting a head start on your 2012 Christmas cards! Can't beat that!

Chili Con Corny

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

This was the Chili Con Corny I wrote about from the Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids Cookbook! It was really good! And I love Fritos, so any excuse to use them in a meal is fine by me. We had lots of leftovers, though, and I think by the end of the week my husband was sick of eating chili. (He called it the chili that wouldn't die. Oops.)

I Don't Love This

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

So last month, I tried a new hair thing. I read in Glamour magazine about pin curls to get "boing-y curls" so I thought I'd try it out. I wore my hair in pin curls while I went out running errands on a Saturday, but when I took out the bobby pins, this is what I got:

Not exactly the "boing-y curls" I was hoping for. It looked more like Shirley Temple got assaulted with a crimper. So, of course, I had to make a scrapbook layout about it:

I've been wanting to use the film strip for a long time!! So cool!! I also used up some scrap paper and letters. Most of the stuff on here is Valentine's Day stuff, but I was able to use it in a non-holiday way. Moral of the story: don't listen to the crap Glamour magazine tells you. Or hire a personal stylist.

Banana Ice Cream

2012-01-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

Some of you may think it's too cold right now for ice cream, but if you can't wait until temperatures rise, here is an easy three-ingredient recipe for Banana Ice Cream that is healthy and delicious. "I hate cooking!" Missy says. "I'm forever watching food shows, and I'm fascinated by watching others cook. I, however, am no Rachael Ray. Ha ha!"

Here's what you do:
Cut a few bananas into small chunks and freeze them. Put them into the food processor and blend. Add some honey and peanut butter.

Enjoy!

Again, a big thanks to Missy for being part of Cook Scrap Craft this month. Don't forget to check out Missy's blog, Little Nugget Creations, and her Scrapbook.com gallery for lots more scrappy inspiration!

Inspiration from Missy

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

While going through my sketchbooks, I came across one of Missy's layouts that I had never done before! So I decided now would be a good time to try it out. Here is Missy's original layout:

click here to view in Missy's Scrapbook.com gallery

Here is my take on Missy's layout:

I angled my pictures and used some scraps from an old paper pad. I also folded a piece of fabric that I'd gotten in a giveaway package months ago to make it (sort of) look like a napkin. That seemed appropriate for a layout about a restaurant.

(And seriously, if you ever find yourself in Williamsburg, Virginia, check out Second Street. That French dip sandwich was so good! And I'm in love with sweet potato corn chips. For some reason, those were only available on the gluten-free menu, but I asked if I could have them and they gave them to me.)

***

How will Missy's layout inspire you this week? Show us in the comments! And come back on Friday for, you guessed it, a recipe! In the meantime, don't forget to visit Missy's Scrapbook.com gallery and blog.

Getting Scrappy with... Missy!

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

click here to view in Missy's Scrapbook.com gallery

Welcome to the FIRST Getting Scrappy with... of 2012! We are starting the year off with Missy Whidden. Missy is the Weekend Warm-Up Coach at ScrapFIT and a design team member of Sweet Peach Crop Shop, Paper Thrills, and Challenge Me Happy.You can find out more about Missy when you visit her blog, Little Nugget Creations. She's also got a large gallery over at Scrapbook.com with lots of great-looking scrapbook layouts, so check that out, too! But first, let's get to know Missy a little bit better.

What are your favorite scrapbook manufacturers?
I love Echo Park, American Crafts, My Mind's Eye, and DCWV. I love all brands, though, and tend to gravitate towards the patterns and colors rather than the manufacturer.

When did you start scrapping?
The summer of 2006 right before my oldest daughter was born.

Why do you scrap?
I love preserving memories, and I love being creative! I love the photography aspect and the challenge of making photos work in a layout.

How has your style evolved over the years?
Oh, gosh! I used to just use deco scissors and stickers on every page! As time passed, I discovered inks, distressing...even simple things, like ribbon, brads, and flowers. Once I got my Cricut, I discovered a whole new scrapbooking world! Now I have so many gadgets and trinkets. I never would have thought to use something like bubble wrap as a stamp five years ago! Just visiting blogs and seeing others' work has helped me realize what kinds of materials are out there.

Where else do you get your creative inspiration?
From others' work and blogs, and also from my photos. I love working with challenges and sketches, as well.

Do you have a favorite technique that you use on layouts or something that you think of as your signature?
I love distressing and inking the edges of almost everything. I also like to use buttons with twine tied in a bow on them.

How often do you scrap about yourself (or scrap pictures that you are in)?
Hardly ever! I ususally scrap photos of my girls, and sometimes I might be in a photo or two. My new scrappy goal is to scrap more about myself!

Where is your favorite place to scrap?
My craft room is my favorite place to scrap. I am able to leave things out in progress on my desk, so I'm scrapping throughout the day when I have moments here and there. I also scrap after the kids are in bed.

click here to view in Missy's Scrapbook.com gallery

My scrap room is actually our formal dining room. I have my big IKEA desk with my computer and the supplies that I use all the time - pens, ink, glue, etc. I have two big 5x5 cubby shelves against the wall that hold all my paper stacks and other supplies. I have a smaller table that holds my photo printer and Cricut. I have two cubes with six drawers on top of a filing cabinet, and a smaller wooden shelf that holds all my smaller things, like bling, small punches, some flowers, buttons, etc. I love having my own scrap cave!

Any tips on keeping all those scrap supplies organized?
I try to organize my papers by collections and color. Random papers are by color. I have so many loose sheets from random collections! I try to clean up my desk after every few pages and put everything back in its proper place. This helps me start my next page fresh. I also keep all my border punches in a door-hanging shoe rack. That way I can see them all and they don't take up shelf space.

Do you have any other crafty hobbies?
I enjoy altering picture frames or other things, like shadow boxes.

For blog readers who may live in the same area as you, are there any local scrapbook stores that you can recommend?
I live in a super small town, and we have no local scrappy stores! Michael's is about it, and it's about 30 minutes away. A Hobby Lobby is coming soon to a town about 45 minutes away! I'm super excited!

Well, I just found out that you can order online at ArchiversAnnex.com, which is great because I don't have one of those stores near me! What are some scrapbook items that you really, really want right now?
More Cricut cartridges and more paper collections!

***
Big thanks to Missy for being part of Cook Scrap Craft this week! Come back on Wednesday to see how Missy inspired me (and how she can inspire you). In the meantime, don't forget to visit Little Nugget Creations and Missy's Scrapbook.com gallery.

Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids Cookbook

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, we got the Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids cookbook. It's pretty awesome! Because the recipes are for kids, they are easier to prepare, which makes it great for weeknight meals. Take a look at some of what we've already made:

This might look like spaghetti, but it's not. It's Spaghetti Lasagna. SO GOOD!

And over here we've got a delicious tuna noodle bake:

Yesterday we had egg and bacon cups!

Tonight's dinner is going to be Chili con Corny: chili with Fritos! Yum!

Silly Storage

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another not-so-new idea. Am I the only one who saves the sour cream or cream cheese or butter containers? My husband looks at me like I'm crazy every time I clean one out, but they really do come in handy for all sorts of things! Right now I am using two cottage cheese containers to hold a small bit of chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

I just wrote on top what I had inside and stacked them in the pantry. They are just the right size for smaller portions of leftover stuff. Do you do this, too?

Scrapbook Steals

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back, blog readers! I hope everyone had a good Christmas holiday. I've got lots of pictures to scrap and some wonderful new scrapbook goodies! Can't wait to get started. Here's a look at some of the stuff I got for 50% off during my shopping trips last week.

The Bazzill cardstock pack and American Crafts Thickers were from Big Lots. Each was about 50% off the original price. Love it! I wish there was a Big Lots near us.

I got these great Making Memories letters and another pack of American Crafts Thickers for cheap at a store called Tuesday Morning. The Thickers were more than 50% off. Again, can't beat that deal! I don't have Tuesday Morning stores near me either. Humph!

If you have either of these stores near you, go check them out for great deals! There wasn't a lot of Thickers at either store (I happened upon the last few packs) but that's probably because the Thickers are so popular. You'd probably have to check back in once a week or whenever the stores get new shipments to see if you can find more of a selection. Where do you guys like to go for cheap scrapbook stuff?

Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes

2011-12-22T08:45:00.000-05:00

Back before my husband was diagnosed with Celiac disease, one of the meals I liked to make was Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes using smoked sausage and Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potato mix. Unfortunately, the Au Gratin Potato mix is not gluten-free, so we haven't been able to eat it in a really long time. Until now! I used this recipe for Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes and just subbed in all-purpose gluten-free flour and added cut up pieces of sausage. It turned out really good! I thought it tasted pretty much like how the Betty Crocker version tastes. I would definitely make it again! However, I had way too many potatoes. I cut the recipe in half and just used two Idaho potatoes, but they were really big, so I think next time I'll try to get smaller potatoes. (Sorry for the not so good picture.)

Happy holidays, by the way! The blog will be on winter break until January. See you in the new year!

December Daily Interruptions

2011-12-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

I know we've had some interruptions on the December Daily blogging, but I didn't want to neglect the Getting Scrappy With feature and there were just other things that I needed to share. But we're back in the saddle again with some DD pictures. (You'll notice that I skipped a few days. Don't worry - I've got pictures for EVERY DAY in December, which is very exciting for me because I didn't think I'd have a full DD album this year.)

Dec. 18 - presents are wrapped

Dec. 19 - finally a holiday drink at Starbucks. Peppermint Mocha!

And in advance, Dec. 22 - The Christmas List airs on ABC Family at 7 am EST/6 am CST. If you're up that early and don't have to go to work, ch-ch-check it out! It's such a silly movie, but I love it—bad acting and all!

It Is Dangerous to Be Right When the Government is Wrong - Book Review

2011-12-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

According to Andrew Napolitano, the government is wrong pretty much ALL the time. Over 15 chapters, he details all the ways the U.S. government violates citizens' natural laws and acts contrary to the Constitution. Taxes? Wrong. Making laws about who we can and cannot marry? Wrong.

Napolitano gives many interesting examples as he details all the rights the government takes away from us. For example, the government can't make private businesses do anything. Napolitano points out that while the government forces most private businesses not to discriminate in hiring practices, this is not across the board. Does the government force Major League Baseball to hire women? No. So why does so-and-so business have to? Why does the government even care? These are private businesses. If they want to hire only men, that's their prerogative. If they don't want to sell their goods to Hispanics, they don't have to. Most rational people would say that these aren't good business practices, but it is the right of these private businesses to run their companies however they see fit even if it harms their bottom lines and gives them a bad public image. Why is the government interfering?

Napolitano writes that the government's role is to protect freedom. "That connotes protection from force and fraud, but it surely does not connote punishing the politically unorthodox, transferring wealth, regulating personal private behavior, stealing property, or manipulating currency," he writes. But those are the exact things the government does in an attempt to "protect freedom."

Within each chapter there are sections divided by subheaders. I felt that Napolitano used these subheads a little too much in the beginning of the book, giving the book a choppy feel. Also, some of the material toward the end of the book was a little boring and sprinkled with too many legal terms that I've only ever heard in Legally Blonde (which means I have no idea what they mean). But overall, the book brings up a lot of great questions and challenges what we know about the government. You may not agree with everything Napolitano says. Because he is a judge, I almost felt that sometimes he was being a little devil's advocate/lawyerly. But I do like that the book isn't liberal or conservative. It's not about politics. It's about pointing out hypocrisy and getting a discussion going among American citizens.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Catching Up on Some December Dailies

2011-12-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

Dec. 12

Dec. 13

Dec. 14

Dec. 15

No holiday party is complete without: sparkling grape juice

My favorite Christmas song/album: I am quite a fan of "O Holy Night" by Sandi Patti and "Joy to the World" by Mariah Carey

My favorite seasonal recipe: chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

The perfect New Year's Eve outfit includes: my pajamas

At the parties, I'll be drinking: We enjoy sparkling grape juice out of plastic wine glasses

Eggnog, good or bad? I don't know if I've actually ever HAD eggnog.

Did you ever take pictures on Santa's lap at the mall? There is actually a picture of me as a child on Santa's lap on our mantel.

Gingerbread Latte or Peppermint Mocha: What about the Caramel Brulee Latte? Starbucks brought that back, didn't they?

Worst gift I ever got: I have no idea.

Best gift I ever received: I get a lot of good things as gifts. Uhm, last year I was kind of obsessed with our popcorn machine.

My family has this weird tradition: We always make a stop at Walgreens to pick up some random ingredient we forgot to buy beforehand.

My best bargain find for a gift this year: We redeemed credit card reward points to get Amazon gift cards and then we used the gift cards to buy people presents.

If I could only buy all my gifts from one place, I'd shop at: Target

Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman: Frosty

My favorite holiday memory: putting up the tree

My favorite Christmas movie: White Christmas - so bad it's good!

The best part about holiday decorations is: the lights - I like things that twinkle

Rip off the wrapping paper or neatly pull off the tape: rip it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life: Miracle on 34th Street, although it bothers me that Natalie Wood's character is supposed to be so smart and advanced at her "progressive school" and yet in the letter that she writes to Kris Kringle, her handwriting is ATROCIOUS and she can't even spell the word "believe" correctly. OKAY??

It doesn't feel like the holiday season until: I start wrapping those presents and watching the Christmas movies.

All I want for Christmas is: scrapbook supplies and clothes

Pulled Chicken BBQ Wraps

2011-12-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

Today Seppa is sharing with us a healthy and delicious chicken recipe. She discovered this recipe when she was going through her weight loss. "So yummy and healthy at the same time!" Seppa says. Sounds good to me! Here it is:

Pulled Chicken BBQ Wraps
1 cup diet cola
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
3 tblsp. steak sauce
1 tsp. dehydrated onion flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
whole wheat tortillas
romaine lettuce

Combine diet cola, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce, onion flakes and garlic powder in heavy sauce pan. Gradually bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Season chicken breast with salt an pepper, grill or broil until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and pull apart into shredded bite size pieces. Combine chicken and BBQ sauce. Mix evenly to coat. Spoon about 1 cup of filling into the tortillas. Add romaine, roll up and enjoy!

***

I didn't get to make this one because my husband doesn't like BBQ chicken. (Who did I marry????) But for all of you barbecue and chicken lovers out there, this sounds like a great one to fire up on the outdoor grill (come summer time) or on your George Foreman!

Want to share your favorite barbecue/chicken recipes? Post in the comments below!

Thanks again to Seppa for joining us this week on Cook Scrap Craft. Don't forget to check out her Scrapbook.com gallery and blog for lots of great creative inspiration.

Inspiration from Seppa!

2011-12-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

Today's inspiration comes from Seppa's layout "Sam & Seppa". I really liked the simplicity and the squares (I love squares), so I thought I'd try my hand at it, too!

Here is my take on her layout. (You can't really see it in this picture, but I used orange misting spray on this one.) I had an 8x8 pad of Basic Grey paper that I used to cut the squares, the strips of paper, and the orange title tag. The little white flowers are from an old American Crafts collection.

How has Seppa's layout inspired you? Share with us in the comments section! And for more inspiration, check out Seppa's Scrapbook.com gallery and her blog! Come back on Friday for a healthy and delicious recipe!

Getting Scrappy With... Seppa!

2011-12-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays and welcome to December's edition of Getting Scrappy With. This month our featured scrapper is Guiseppa, aka Seppa, a very talented scrappy with lots of wonderful scrapbook layouts and other projects in her Scrapbook.com gallery and on her blog, My Creations. She designs for Fancy Pants, Zva Creative, Samantha Walker, and the Let's Capture Our Memories sketch team. And now we're going to get to know Seppa a little bit better!

click here to view this in Seppa's Scrapbook.com gallery

What are your favorite scrapbook manufacturers?

Besides the ones I design for I really love Cosmo Cricket, Pink Paislee, American Crafts, and Echo Park. I could keep going though.

What are some scrapbook items that you really, really want right now?

I love new product and since Winter CHA just took place...give me one of everything baby!

When did you start scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking about 16 years ago when I was pregnant with my son. Like anyone, I want to preserve family memories, but I also love the creative process and seeing the end result. Scrapbooking makes me happy.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?

I love going online to find inspiration as well as in magazines.

How has your style evolved over the years?

Well, I think for the most part I tend to stick to a simple design. That is how I started. But since then I have developed a love for embellishing. I have added more embellishing to my designs.

I am a 12 x 12 scrapper all the way. I used to scrap 8.5 x 11 but changed over to 12 x 12. Got to fit more embellishments on a page!

How often do you scrap about yourself?

Every once in awhile I scrap about myself. It is much easier to do it now that I have dropped about 60 pounds. I hated being in pictures and having the focus on me. Now, I love to do it!

Congrats on your weight loss! That is a fantastic accomplishment! Is there a technique that you think of as your "signature"?

I would like to say that my signature is dimension. I love layers and dimension on my pages. Pop dots are a staple at my scrapbooking table. I don't ever create a page without using pop dots.

click here to view this in Seppa's Scrapbook.com gallery

I've started using pop dots more. They are great! Where do you scrap and what does your scrap area look like?

I share an office with my husband (I really need my own room). That is where I do all of my scrapbooking. I usually scrap during the day when my husband is working and the kids are at school.

I don't think there is anything real pretty about it but I do have a place for everything. It's just that not everything is in its place right now. [I use] lots of storage bins and shelves. I do have a homemade clip it up. It is just a stand that has two wooden dowels that have metal clips attached and it holds all of my embellishments. It is a great way for me to see what I have.

Do you dabble in any other creative projects?

I have started to dab a little bit into sewing. I have made some blankets and small sewing crafts. The Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team I am on has opened me up to how fun sewing can be.

For my blog readers who may live in your area, can you recommend any good local scrapbooking stores?

I have a couple of really good scrapbooking stores near me [in Utah]. One is called The Book Table, located in Logan. The other is Carolee's Creations, home of the Adornit Brand. All the locals should stop by. Carolee and the Adornit girls are super sweet. I love them!

***

Thanks for being part of Cook Scrap Craft this week, Seppa! And to all the readers, you know how this works: Come back on Wednesday to see more of Seppa's scrapbook work and on Friday, we'll share with you a yummy chicken recipe.

December Daily 11

2011-12-11T14:45:00.001-05:00

Dec. 11: We went to see a Gingerbread Wonderland today! It's a local gingerbread house (and other creations) show at an arboretum. Local adults, kids, families, scouts, and school groups create something out of gingerbread and candy and enter it into the show. Visitors then vote on what creation they like best. Here was our pick for No. 1:

It was based off of Angry Birds, but it was called Merry Birds and instead of green pigs, there were reindeer! SO CUTE! It was very hard to choose which one we liked best because there were so many great contenders. Here is another one I liked:

A Harry Potter gingerbread creation! Someone also made the house from Up, complete with colored marshmallows attached to dry spaghetti for the balloons coming out of the chimney. Very creative stuff.

December Daily 10

2011-12-10T18:48:00.001-05:00

Dec. 10: I spent the afternoon baking Chocolate-Peppermint Wafers. (More like Chocolate-Peppermint Sugar Cookies because I used Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix instead of the Real Simple from-scratch dough - WHATEVER!) These cookies are being sent out as gifts for family members. Yum!

December Daily 9

2011-12-09T21:16:00.001-05:00

Dec. 9: Just making some cookie cutter Christmas ornaments while watching Frosty the Snowman (and The Santa Clause) on TV. "Oatmeal!"

I also made a holiday card for the challenge over at Siehled With a Kiss. Here is how I interpreted the card sketch:

I used some product packaging on this card, which was very resourceful of me, and a bunch of scraps. I'm glad to have an extra holiday card on hand in case someone unexpected sends us a card. That always happens every year!

December Daily 7 & 8

2011-12-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

Dec. 7: I love Christmas music! This year, if I was making Christmas mixes for people, this is what the playlist would be:

1. The Chipmunks Christmas Song - Alvin and the Chipmunks
2. Jingle Bells - Barbra Streisand
3. Chestnuts Roasting (The Christmas Song) - The Carpenters
4. SNL Christmas song - Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan
5. So This is Christmas - John Lennon
6. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
7. Ding a Ling the Christmas Bell - Lynn Anderson
8. Nutcracker Suite - Mannheim Steamroller
9. Joy to the World - Mariah Carey
10. Oi to the World - No Doubt
11. Winter Wonderland - Phantom Planet
12. Ay Ay Ay - Ricky Martin
13. Merry Christmas Everybody - Steps
14. Carol of the Bells - The Vienna Boys Choir
15. Run Rudolph Run - Hanson
16. Let It Snow - Michael Buble
17. Got Something for You - Best Coast, Wavves
18. You'll Never Find My Christmas - Bishop Allen
19. Toy Jackpot - Blackalicious
20. Electronic Santa - Blazer Force
21. Tiny Tree Christmas - Guster
22. Get Down for the Holidays - Jenny O
23. Mrs. Claus Ain't Got Nothin' On Me - Little Jackie
24. An Angel Gets its Wings - Trisha Yearwood and Vince Gill

Dec. 8: Christmas cards have started coming in! I've got them hanging from our (real) tree branch as part of our mantel decor. Wahoo!

We Interrupt This December Daily for a Giveaway Announcement!

2011-12-07T08:06:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Some of you may be done with your holiday cards and some of you may not. But no matter where you are in the card-making process, there is a new card-making challenge and giveaway over at Siehled With a Kiss. There are four ways to enter the giveaway:

1. Follow Mary Pat's blog and leave her a comment
2. Use the card sketch that she created or create your own new holiday card and post a link to the blog post. (This must be a NEW card.)
3. Post about the giveaway on your blog or Facebook page and then leave a comment on this blog post telling Mary Pat that you shared the news.
4. "Like" the Facebook page Siehled With a Kiss

The deadline is December 11 at noon EST. The winner will be announced on the 12th. And what will the winner win? A $25 gift certificate to StopandScrap.com! There will also be three second prize winners - $10 gift certificate. Yay! Good luck!

December Daily 6

2011-12-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

Dec. 6: Just a little holiday decoration at my desk courtesy of my parents.

December Daily 5

2011-12-05T19:57:00.001-05:00

Dec. 5: Sharing my favorite holiday cookies with my co-workers.

December Daily 4

2011-12-04T15:30:00.001-05:00

Dec. 4: Just finishing up Christmas cards! This year every card is different. I used prompts from Jingle Belles to help me complete my cards. If you need inspiration and encouragement to get your Christmas cards finished in time for next year, then you definitely want to check out Jingle Belles in January for all-new card-making challenges.

December Daily 3

2011-12-03T21:35:00.001-05:00

Dec 3: We got our Christmas tree today! We went to Lowe's and bought a Fraser Fir. It's somewhere between five and six feet tall. It fit in the backseat of my car! We have so many ornaments, I think next year we might have to get a bigger tree.

December Daily 2

2011-12-02T20:51:00.001-05:00

This December Daily isn't as hard as I thought it would be... so far. (Getting this vertical picture to upload vertically in Blogger was very hard, however.)

Dec. 2: If only I carried cash on me, I would have donated. These guys really put on a show! Too bad I can't add video to my scrapbook album.

December Daily

2011-12-01T19:58:00.001-05:00

I wasn't going to do a December Daily album because I wasn't sure that we'd be doing a holiday activity every day of December until Christmas. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that it would still be okay if I did a Sort of December Daily mini album. So here is the picture for December 1:

Dec. 1: The gifts we ordered for people (primarily using Amazon gift cards - thanks credit card reward points) have started arriving!

Are you doing a December Daily album? If you don't know what that is, here is a link that will show you an example of one by Ali Edwards, how to put it together, and explain a little bit about what it is.

Using up scraps

2011-11-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share another layout that I was able to create pretty quickly over the holiday weekend. I found a sketch that I liked in my sketchbook and went through my scrap bag to find some papers and embellishments that would go together and BAM. DONE. Love. It.

One sketch, Two layouts

2011-11-27T07:42:00.000-05:00

I love when I have free time to scrapbook, and I love it even more when I'm able to use up scraps and create multiple layouts in record time. What I like to do is take a sketch and create one layout, then use leftovers from that layout to create another similar layout. It's easy and saves time, especially if you're behind on your photos, which I always am. Check it out:

These layouts are based on a sketch from Once Upon a Sketch. I did the Deep Fried Oreo layout first, realized that I still had half of that striped paper to use up, so I decided to do the sketch again with a different picture and embellishments. Sweet! What are some of your favorite scrappy timesavers?

Black Friday, Black Friday

2011-11-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

Somehow I don't think actually shopping on Black Friday would be as entertaining as this commercial. (Scroll down past the story to see the video. And I apologize for getting this song stuck in your head. It's better than the original, which Rebecca Black apparently took off of YouTube. Hmm.) I also don't think people look that put-together after waiting in line for hours outside in the cold. I'm sleeping in today. How about you?

My Second Turkey

2011-11-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here it is, folks. My second turkey made for our Multi-Holiday Party last weekend. This year I basted the turkey with an apple cider glaze. (Found the recipe in Real Simple.) It gave the turkey a nice golden look but I didn't really think it affected the flavor of the turkey at all. Oh well. The smell of apple cider boiling on the stovetop did make the kitchen smell nice. Are you preparing turkey this year? How do you like to make it?

Recipes Without Pictures

2011-11-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few things that we've made recently but didn't take pictures of.

First up: Real Simple Lemony Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta
This was pretty easy to make. Instead of lemon zest, I just used lemon juice. I'd use less black pepper or no pepper at all. Too hot for us.

Next: Bacon-Stuffed Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Feta cheese, sour cream, pepper, and oregano get stuffed into chicken breasts. This was the first time I'd cut into chicken breasts for stuffing. (Be careful when cutting the hole into the chicken. Don't cut off a finger. I think the proper way to do it is to hold the chicken with your non-dominant hand, palm-down. Then with your cutting hand, slice into the chicken. Does that make sense? Google it. Maybe there will be pictures.) I think it turned out well. We both liked this one. Even though I didn't have the entire chicken breasts stuffed, the flavor of the stuffing really got into the chicken during the baking process. I made instant mashed potatoes instead of homemade. I mean, really? Homemade mashed potatoes? Please. I added some onion powder at the same time that I added the potatoes to the boiling water. This is a REALLY filling meal. It's heavy. Drink with water. Maybe even leave out the mashed potatoes. Or take one big chicken breast and somehow cut it into two so that your chicken isn't so big. Ours were HUGE. We also used a brand called Tender-N-Juicy because it was on sale. Best. Chicken. Ever. I don't know if other stores carry it. I'd never heard of it before this. But the chicken was so juicy! It was awesome.

Third: Real Simple Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
I followed the hints in the comments posted on this recipe and didn't brown the meat beforehand. Just roll it in flour (to help thicken the sauce) and put it in the slow cooker along with everything else. I cooked nothing in the skillet as the original recipe suggested. I also didn't use dry red wine. Instead, I added more beef broth. This was really easy to make gluten-free and really easy to make period. I cut the recipe in half, which meant that the cooking time got cut in half, so keep that in mind if you don't want 8-10 servings. I can't wait to have this for leftovers! (Also, I didn't use thyme or bay leaves.)

Black Bean Salsa

2011-11-18T08:52:00.000-05:00

Deana is sharing with us a favorite recipe that she takes to parties or makes when she entertains at home. "It makes a TON," she says. "I will use the leftovers the next day to add to lettuce and make a quick salad." So without further ado, here it is: a recipe for Black Bean Salsa.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can shoe peg corn, drained
1 large tomato, diced (drain juice)
1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilis, drained
1 onion, chopped (Vidalia is best)
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp. cumin
cilantro to taste
juice of a lime
(chopped black olives are optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.

***
Thanks again to Deana for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week! Don't forget to check out Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery and her blog. And also don't forget to let me know if there is a specific scrapper that you'd like to see featured or if you have questions for any of these scrappers!

Inspiration from Deana

2011-11-16T08:54:00.000-05:00

click here to view in Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery

This week's inspiration is going to be a little different. Instead of doing a scraplift, I'm going to "lift" a technique from Deana and use it on my layouts.

Deana mainly types her journaling, which is something I don't tend to do. I always get the size wrong, plus I don't mind writing everything out by hand. Although, that does get problematic when I write something on a journaling spot and misspell a word. I like the look of typed journaling, though, and want to incorporate it more into my scrapping.

Here's what Deana has to say about her typed journaling:

"If I'm printing my journaling onto a sticker, journal tag, etc., I'll print onto regular printer paper first. Then I'll adhere my sticker, tag or whatever I'm using onto the journaling I just printed and send it back through the printer.

Other times I'll insert a journaling box onto my page using Word and then type my journaling inside that box.

I'm sure there's a more exact science to this for getting the sizing right, but I usually just keep changing the font or area of my text and then reprinting until I get it right!"

And here is how I used typed journaling on my page:

I always like the look of journaling on thin strips of paper, so that's what I did here (making sure to leave lots of space around each line of text to make it easier to cut after I printed it). This layout is about the 25 songs I listen to most (as of last month) on my iPod, plus three honorable mentions because I've been listening to those songs a lot, too, but clearly not enough to make the top 25 list.

How do you guys journal? Do you handwrite or type? What are your tips for typing out journaling? Share with us in the comments!

For more journaling and design inspiration, check out Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery and her blog. And come back Friday for a fun party recipe.

Getting Scrappy With... Deana!

2011-11-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

click here to view this in Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery

Welcome to November's Getting Scrappy With! This month is filled with COLOR! I love looking at Deana's layouts on Scrapbook.com because they are so bright and cheery. Plus her designs rock! You can find her on Scrapbook.com under the moniker DeanaB, but she also has a blog called Divalogues. She's been designing for Nikki Sivils since Nikki started her business and she is an Emeritus Designer for SRM Stickers. So let's dig into the colorful - and Zumba-filled - world of Deana!

What are your favorite scrapbook manufacturers?
Nikki Sivils and SRM Stickers are obvious favorites because I design for them, but I also love working with Bella Blvd, Echo Park and American Crafts. If it’s cute, fun, and colorful, I’m in love!

What are some scrapbook items on your wish list right now?
I really want ALL of the new Bella Blvd lines. I especially love Making the Team and Christmas Wishes. I also want the new Amy Tangerine line from American Crafts. To be perfectly honest though, I really should use what I have before buying more new stuff.

When did you start scrapping?
I’ve been making scrapbooks for as long as I can remember but really got into it after I attended a Creative Memories party in 1999. When I discovered the online world of scrapbooking in 2007, I was officially obsessed!

How has your style evolved over the years?
My style has thankfully changed quite a bit since that Creative Memories party, but I will always have a love for multi-photo layouts with lots of journaling!

Why do you scrap?
I scrapbook to have a place to put our photos and to tell as many stories as possible. Secondary to that, it's a creative outlet for me. 99 percent of my pages have journaling on them. Without that, someday someone would be looking at our photos and wondering, “Where was this? What happened? What was said?” I look back at pages all the time and think to myself that had I never put that story on paper then I would've never remembered those details at a later date.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?
Online scrapbooking galleries, Pinterest, blogs, magazines… everywhere!

click here to view this in Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery

Aside from using lots of color, do you have a favorite technique that you use on layouts or something that you think of as your signature?
I’m definitely into creating “scenes” on my pages, so paper-piecing is a technique I use quite a bit.

How often do you scrap about yourself (or scrap pictures that you are in)?
I’d say it’s about 50/50. I’ve been making chronological scrapbooks for my daughter since she was born so she definitely has a bigger collection of books! But if there’s an event I’ve been involved in or something I want to remember about myself or my husband, I’ll just add those pages to separate books.

Where is your favorite place to scrap?

I always create in my craft room, any time of day or night, depending on whether I’m feeling inspired or not! You can see lots of photos of my craft room on my blog. I mention some of the ways I organize my products in that blog post link, but my favorite way to keep everything organized is to keep it behind closed cabinet doors. I have a hard time trying to get inspired to create if there’s too much clutter around.

Do you have any other crafty hobbies?
I make lots of cards! I own a sewing machine, but only use it for paper projects. One of these days, I really need to make something with fabric!

What is one thing you will miss about the summer?
Hanging out with my daughter! I miss her when she's in school.

***
Thanks Deana for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week! Don't forget to check out Deana's Scrapbook.com gallery and her blog. And keep checking back with Cook Scrap Craft all week long for inspiration from Deana and a yummy recipe!

Need help planning Thanksgiving?

2011-11-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

We are having some people over for a Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day party and, as the hosts, we are in charge of the turkey. Last year we hosted an early Thanksgiving party and it was my first time making a turkey. Thank goodness for the Thanksgiving Planner from YumSugar. If you're hosting Thanksgiving, this is the planner to download. (It's a PDF file.) It tells you what you need to do up to two weeks in advance so that you're not running around like a chicken (or turkey) with its head cut off the day of your party. It was super helpful to me last year (as was my Betty Crocker Cooking Basics cookbook, which has a section on cooking a Thanksgiving meal) so I recommend checking it out!

Are you hosting Thanksgiving or another holiday party? Got any preparation tips to share?

More Snowtober Pictures... After the Snow

2011-11-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

I ran out of scrapbook adhesive so I don't have anything scrappy to share with you this week. Instead, I'm going to show you more pictures of our yard after "Snowtober." We're still waiting for the landscape/maintenance crew to come around and clear out the trees and branches, but I can't really fault them for taking so long. Our Association office didn't get power back until Friday.

This is the three that the snow bent down.

I don't like that the branches are touching our gutter. Who plants a tree that close to a house anyway?

Here are some branches that have split.

There is a tree down there. Thank goodness it fell away from the house.

Across the street

Another view of the tree right next to our house. WHO PLANTS TREES RIGHT NEXT TO A HOUSE?

Tangy Ranch Chicken

2011-11-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

This recipe for Tangy Ranch Chicken comes from the blog Tomorrow Farm Fiber Arts. And it is SUPER easy. Ranch dressing, mustard and brown sugar come together to coat chicken breasts. Here are some helpful tips to note before making this recipe:

1. If you are on a gluten-free diet, make sure your ranch dressing is gluten-free. We like Ken's.
2. I had ginormous chicken breasts, so I cut one into two pieces.
3. You have the option to grill the chicken or broil it. I chose to broil it. Just put the chicken on a baking dish and place that in the oven with the broiler on.
4. The recipe states that it will take 10-15 minutes for the chicken to cook. It took my chicken 25 minutes. (Does anyone else have this problem when cooking chicken? It always takes me longer to cook chicken than recipes state. But I don't have this problem with other food.)
5. I made the dressing mixture the night before and let the chicken marinate in it overnight.
6. If you're going to serve the chicken with the extra dressing mixture, warm up the dressing mixture in the microwave for 20 seconds.

This is definitely something that we would make again! We had ours with salad, but this would be good with rice or potatoes, too.

And there are tons of other recipes linked up to that blog post, so check out all of them!

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Redux

2011-11-05T08:04:00.000-04:00

We are finally in the month of November, which means THANKSGIVING! Last year I posted information on how to do Thanksgiving gluten-free. I hope it was helpful! I'm going to repost some of the tips and links from last year as a refresher for my followers and for those new to the blog who didn't see these tips the first time around.

1) If you're doing a gluten-free Thanksgiving, read the packaging on the turkey you pick. Not all turkeys are gluten-free. And even if they say gluten-free, the included gravy packet might not be gluten-free.

2 and 3) It's easy to make your own gravy using pan drippings from the turkey. It's also easy to make your own stuffing using gluten-free cornbread. Bob's Red Mill makes a tasty cornbread mix and then you just need gluten-free pork sausage (Jimmy Dean), gluten-free chicken broth (Progresso), and an onion (or not). The recipes for both the gravy and stuffing can be found here.

4) Also, read this from The Savvy Celiac if you have guests bringing gluten-free items. A lot of good points that I did not think about.

More gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes:

Gluten-free Girl and the Chef - Pumpkin Pie

Gluten-free in the Country - Dinner Rolls

Hey, That Tastes Good - Green Bean Casserole

If you have any gluten-free Thanksgiving or holiday recipes, please share them with us in the comments!

Snowtober

2011-11-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

So over the weekend it snowed on the East Coast. A lot in some places. And it knocked out the power to thousands of people, including us.

We were in Virginia for a wedding on Saturday when it snowed, so we weren't trapped inside our house, but when we came back on Sunday....

After I took this picture, our neighbor pulled down the branch so that it wasn't left hanging.

This tree has sort of popped back up but it is still leaning. Thankfully, away from the house.

We've got another tree on the side of the house with broken branches that, thankfully, fell away from the house. (Who plants trees right next to a house?) And there was no power, which meant no heat. So we booked it to my in-laws' house, which did have power but no cable, TV, or internet. Thankfully our power came back Tuesday (and the ground beef in our freezer is still frozen and edible) so we were able to move back into our home and resume as normal. But there is still a lot of destruction, mainly downed trees and power lines, and many roads are closed. Not to mention that a lot of people still have no power and might not get it back until Friday. The hotels in our area were completely booked. And it's not even winter weather season yet.

Here are some other destruction pictures near where my in-laws live in New Jersey. Mike's dad said it looked like a nuclear bomb site.

Get Crumby!

2011-11-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Many of the recipes I make call for bread crumbs. Because I need to use gluten-free bread crumbs, this can get expensive. But I have a way to make my own bread crumbs should the need arise. This isn't a new idea. Maybe some of you already do this to save some money at the grocery store. But if you own a small food processor, just take the ends of a loaf of bread, tear them up, place them in the food processor, and pulse until the bread pieces are small crumbs. This works great for us because my husband always ends up with one loan end piece of his gluten-free bread. What are you gonna do with it? Make bread crumbs! I own a Procter-Silex Food Chopper, which is great for chopping up all kinds of things. If you don't own one of these inexpensive devices, might I recommend you get one? What are some cooking shortcuts that you use in your house? Share in the comments!

Halloween mini album

2011-10-30T08:16:00.000-04:00

So here's what I did while I watched the World Series: made a Halloween mini album! A long, long time ago (two years, maybe?) I won a prize pack of Nikki Sivils Halloween scrapbook goodies, including a cute ghost chipboard album. I didn't know what to do with it at the time, but then I had a bright idea! Wouldn't it make a cute album for showcasing kids' Halloween costumes throughout the years? Brilliant! Doesn't matter that I have no children and who knows when we ever will. At least when we do have kids (ya know, when we're 50...) this album will already be done and ready to go! TIME SAVER! So here's what I came up with:

Title page - a picture will go in the big "O" in "Halloween."

Some other pages:

There are 12 pages total so that's 12 Halloweens. And if our child is still Trick-or-Treating after that (hey, my last Trick-or-Treat was as a freshman in high school. I was Baby Spice.) then I'll figure something out.

The only problem is (aside from not having a child yet) there are no holes in the ghost chipboard for the metal clasp. So I can't really make this an album yet because I can't attach the metal clasp to bind the pages! Any thoughts on this one? What tool do I need to bore holes into the chipboard? And why didn't the stupid thing just come with holes??? Is mine defective?

Not a Scraplift

2011-10-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

Usually I do a lot of scraplifting in my scrap work. I find it easier to start with a sketch or someone else's layout as inspiration. But occasionally I'll come up with a design on my own, such as with this layout. I sketched out this one with these pictures in mind, although I didn't know exactly what papers or embellishments I wanted to use. Everything on this, except for the Mr. 3,000 letters and the yellow cardstock, is from the July Hullaboo kit from Lucky Girl Crafts, which is sadly going out of business. And I got the last July kit. :) The papers worked perfectly with the summer baseball pictures. I cut out the paper banner, which is hard to do with larger scissors. I should really invest in smaller scissors for the fussy cutting. Oh, and if you were wondering, yes those pictures are from the Yankees game when Derek Jeter got his 3,000th hit - plus a couple more.

A Pizza for Me

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is a black bean pizza. Oh man, it's SO good. I got the recipe from Fitness magazine a couple months ago. It was part of a feature called Takeout Fake-Out. I liked the look of it in the pictures and so I cut out the recipe and put it in the recipe folder of my shopping binder with hopes to one day make the pizza. Well, that day finally came.

I didn't make this gluten-free because I didn't think my husband would like a pizza without pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. This pizza has cheese, corn, avocado, black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and refrigerated pizza dough. It was pretty easy to put together (You'll need a rolling pin for the dough) and definitely delicious. The black beans give it a meaty flavor, and I love the way the chili powder tastes mixed with all the veggies. Go here for the original recipe. I left out the tomatoes because I don't like them and the scallions because I'm not sure what those are. Instead of cheddar cheese I used Monterey Jack because it was what we had in our fridge. Can't wait to have the leftover pizza slices for lunch during the week!

Dusting off the Crockpot

2011-10-24T08:20:00.000-04:00

And I do mean that literally. Our six-quart Crockpot had a thin layer of dust on top of it. Gross. Guess we don't use it very often, huh? The last few times we've used a slow cooker, we've used our little two-quart guy. But if you're making something like soup or stew, the bigger guys are going to be able to hold more, even if you're only making the soup for two people. Anyway, enough of my rambling. What did I make in the big Crockpot? Crockpot Tortilla Soup. This is a recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking, which pretty much has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to make in a slow cooker, even lasagna.

This recipe utilizes chicken, veggies, chicken broth, and spices. I didn't have green peppers or onions, so I just threw in some onion powder. I didn't have garlic cloves so I just threw in some minced garlic. I didn't have any cayenne pepper so I just left that out. Our cooked chicken was poached. And if you're doing this gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free chicken broth. I like Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock (which is basically the same thing) but you can't get it in Target's grocery section. (We just got a revamped grocery in our local Target and I was doing our shopping there because they gave out coupons galore, but I still had to hit up A&P for the gluten-free chicken broth/stock.)

This was super easy, as are most slow cooker recipes. I got it started in the morning and then let it cook on low for eight hours while I went to a pumpkin sling (see picture at right).

We garnished with sour cream and tortilla chips and a little bit of cheddar cheese. It's kind of like a supreme chicken taco only in soup form. And it made the house smell so good while it was cooking. Yum!

What Do You Scrap?

2011-10-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

Recently I had a conversation with someone about scrapbooking and a very interesting question was posed to me: You don't have any kids, so what do you scrap?

Uhm, EVERYTHING?

It's true. My camera (and now my iPod Touch) go EVERYWHERE with me. Baseball games. Concerts. Outings with friends. Weddings. Vacations. My feelings. If there's a chance to take a photo, I will take that photo. And then scrap it.

So I made a layout about all the things I scrap, using up some leftover photos that never made it onto layouts but that I couldn't just throw away. (I love the one of my dad holding my wedding bouquet, but the wedding album had enough photos.) The layout was also a good way to use up some scrap supplies in my stash, including letter stickers. I've had those sparkly pink letters (from the Target $1 spot) for more than a year and spelling "what" finally used them up. Woo!

If you don't have kids either, then what do you scrap? Or for every scrapper out there, what do you scrap?

October Quote Challenge

2011-10-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

My entry for Scrap Our Stash's October Quote Challenge is up on the Scrap Our Stash blog today. My quote inspiration came from C.S. Lewis. You can see it and read all about it when you click the link! Check it out and see what all the other entries look like, too. (You might find some good quote inspiration for your own layouts.) You have until the end of October to enter your own quote-focused layout. The winner will be offered a Guest Design Team spot for the month of December.

The Front Door

2011-10-18T08:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! We have outdoor decor!

Pepperoni Puffs

2011-10-16T08:19:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a different way to do pizza, then check out this recipe for Pepperoni Puffs. These were really yummy and easy. Plus, I was able to make them gluten-free! Hooray! Here is our gluten-free adapted recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pepperoni (We used slices and cut them up into smaller pieces.)
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Directions:
1. Grease a muffin pan. (The original recipe calls for a 24-cup mini muffin pan. I don't own one of those, so I just used a regular 12-cup pan. The puffs weren't as puffy, but they still tasted good.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder. Whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni. Let stand 10 minutes and preheat oven for 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Stir the batter and divide among the muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, microwave pizza sauce until warm. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

White Wedding Cake Cupcakes

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Kat says that she's more of a baker than a cook, and so she's sharing with us her favorite cupcake recipe. This recipe for White Wedding Cake Cupcakes comes from the website Recipe Girl. A tip from Kat: she thinks they are best when they’re a day old!

These are really tasty and very soft. I adapted the recipe to make it gluten-free: just used a box of Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix and all-purpose gluten-free flour. For the frosting, I used a can of Betty Crocker Whipped Cream Cheese frosting, which is gluten-free.

Don't make fun of my frosting skills. The gluten-free stuff doesn't rise as much as regular stuff, so the cupcakes were a little deep in the cupcake liners. And that makes it hard to get the knife on top of the cupcake to frost. I ended up frosting the liners more than the cupcakes! If you're fancy, you could use a pastry bag or fashion one out of a Ziploc bag. But I don't have time for that sort of thing. I do have time to eat the cupcakes! Yum!

***

Thanks to Kat for being part of Cook Scrap Craft this week! Don't forget to visit Kat's blog and Scrapbook.com gallery for creative inspiration! And let me know if there are any questions you have for the scrappers or if there is a particular scrapper you'd like to see featured.

Inspiration from Kat!

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

One thing that I like about Kat's layouts is that they don't get too fussy. I love the simplicity in her layouts! There are so many layouts that I wanted to scraplift, but I chose this one. Kat wrote that it took her only 10 minutes to put together, so I decided to see if I too could make a 10-minute scraplift layout. Success! And I like the way it looks AND it used up some scraps. So here is Kat's layout:

And here is my layout in 12x12 form:

I used part of some scrapbook packaging to create the journaling spot. And, actually, the patterned paper on this and the letters and the heart sticker are all from Kat! So thanks to her for the inspiration and the supplies!

***

Show us how Kat inspired you in the comments section! If you want more inspiration, visit Kat's blog and Scrapbook.com gallery. And don't forget to check back here on Friday for a special treat!

Getting Scrappy With ... Kat!

2011-10-10T08:57:00.000-04:00

click here to see this in Kat's Scrapbook.com gallery

This month's featured scrapper is long overdue! Kat, or HappyGRL as she's known on Scrapbook.com, has been a follower of my blog since the beginning. In fact, we both became followers of each other's blogs around the same time because we both started our blogs around the same time. (You might remember her for the cute ornaments she made.) I really like the way Kat uses pictures on her layouts. She'll take one picture and put it twice or three times on her layout. Maybe two of the pictures will be in black and white and one will be in color. It definitely inspires me to play more with my pictures and not just the scrapbook materials. You can become a follower of Kat's blog, too, but first it's time to get to know Kat better with the Getting Scrappy With... Q&A!

You started scrapbooking at the end of 2008. What keeps you scrapping?

I love the hobby. It relaxes me and I really have fun doing it. I love looking back on my old projects and I hope that my future family will too!

I look back at some of my old pages and cringe, but I’m still glad I have those pages and the memories preserved.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?

I get a lot of inspiration from magazines and Pinterest (love that site!). I scraplift a lot of the layouts that I love. I consider that to be the ultimate compliment to a scrapper.

We'll get to the scraplifting later! Do you have a favorite technique that you use on layouts or something that you think of as your signature?
I love paint splatters. The majority of my layouts have that tiny, messy effect on them.

What are your favorite scrapbook manufacturers?

I love Crate Paper and Sassafras – both companies come up with excellent color combinations and patterns.

How often do you scrap about yourself?
I am in most of the pictures that I scrap. I would say about 15 percent of the layouts I do are just about me. It was hard to start scrapping myself, but I think those are pages that people (future kids?) will want to see someday.

Are you on any design teams?
Yes – Punky Scraps, The Creative Type, and Butterfly Crafts

Where is your favorite place to scrap? Is there a certain time of day that you prefer to scrap?
Because of my job, I do most of my scrapping on the weekends, when I don’t have to work. I scrap on the floor of my scrap room, even though I have a desk.

click here to see this in Kat's Scrapbook.com gallery

What does your scrap room/area look like?
A disaster area! Ohmigoodness, it looks like a paper/embellishment bomb went off in there!

I hung a paper towel roll from the ceiling and poked holes in it. I have all my ribbons hanging from that. I also bought those plastic drawer thingies you can buy at the hardware store that are typically used for holding nails, screws, etc. I put all my different embellies into those.

For blog readers who may live in the same area as you, are there any local scrapbook stores that you can recommend?
Unfortunately, my favorite store, The Pink Pineapple, closed about a year ago. There is another store in my area, Ever After Scrapbooks, that I go to occasionally.

What is one thing you will miss about the summer?
Flip-flop weather

But after summer comes fall and winter. What are some scrapbook items that might find their way on your Christmas list?
After seeing the CHA releases, I want sooo many things. At the top of my list is the Studio Calico Classic Calico line and the Crate Paper Random line.

***

Thanks for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week, Kat! And to everyone else, don't forget to check back later this week for inspiration from Kat and a yummy dessert. In the meantime, check out Kat's Scrapbook.com gallery and her blog for lots of scrappy inspiration.

Italian Sausage and Potato Roast

2011-10-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: I don't actually like peppers and onions. But I do appreciate the flavor they give to other foods during the cooking process. Therefore, when I saw this recipe for an Italian Sausage and Potato Roast, I knew that we had to try it. I DO like sausage and potatoes, and this recipe was a great way to get rid of some potatoes that were making our kitchen countertop their home and overstaying their welcome. You can follow the above link to see the full recipe on the A Few Shortcuts website, but here are some tips from me to you in regards to this recipe:

1. If you don't like peppers and onions or the flavor they give to other foods, this is not the recipe for you.
2. I purchased sweet Italian sausage as opposed to hot or mild sausage. It was definitely not spicy. Just right.
3. For those out there who eat gluten-free, Premio brand Italian sausage says "gluten-free" right on the package. Apparently Johnsonville and Shadybrook Farms brands are also gluten-free, but I like to support companies that make it easy for me when I'm at the grocery store.
4. We didn't have garlic salt, so we just used regular salt and some garlic powder.
5. This is a very easy dinner to make during the work week. I cut up the onion and peppers Sunday night, put them in separate containers and placed them in the fridge. I set all the non-refrigerated ingredients out on the counter the night before we were to have this so that it would be easy for my husband to find everything we needed and throw it all together. And really, once everything is cut up and ready to go, all you do is throw it together on the baking sheet.
6. It's helpful to put foil down on the baking sheet - EASY CLEAN-UP.

Freeze Those Balls!

2011-10-05T08:42:00.000-04:00

MEATballs, that is. (Har har.) One of the most easiest meals to make is spaghetti and meatballs. And did you know that you can make meatballs ahead of time, then freeze them until you want to use them? I read about it in the October Real Simple (which also includes several different recipes that use meatballs aside from the traditional pasta version). You can make your meatballs any way you want. To freeze, place the uncooked meatballs on a parchment-lined (I used wax paper) rimmed baking sheet until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw before cooking. As Rachael Ray would say, How easy is that??

What else do you guys freeze until you're ready to make and eat it? Share in the comments!

The Wienermobile

2011-10-03T08:02:00.000-04:00

Lest you think all I've been doing lately is cooking, here is a scrapbook layout I made recently. Back in July, my husband and I were driving down the highway when we saw a weird-looking car ahead of us. My first reaction was, "Is that the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile?" But what would the Wienermobile be doing driving down a NJ highway? But, sure enough, as we got closer to the weird car, it WAS the Wienermobile! Of course I had the camera with me, so I took some pictures from the car. I have NEVER seen the Wienermobile in person, so it was very exciting for me. This layout is based on a sketch from Kathy, who was last month's Getting Scrappy With... scrapper. And the layout was for the September grid challenge over at Scrap Our Stash. Have you guys ever seen the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile before or did you have one of those whistles?

Fitness Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

2011-10-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

We've been cooking up a storm here, and I've got another great recipe to share with you. This one came from Fitness magazine several months ago, but we just now got around to making it. I adapted the recipe a bit in order to work with ingredients that we had in our fridge and pantry. Here is a link to the original recipe.

And here is our version:
Chicken and Bacon Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Ingredients:
at least 1/2 a chicken breast cooked however you like it (We had some leftover chicken that had been floured and fried from another recipe.You could also do poached chicken.)
4 slices of bacon
1/3 cup buttermilk, shaken (Again, another way to use up leftover buttermilk.)
2 tbsp. mayo
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. black pepper
bag of Romaine lettuce

Directions:
1. Cook bacon and crumble into large pieces.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayo, cider vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, salt, sugar, and black pepper.
3. In a larger bowl, put in lettuce, chicken, and bacon.
4. Pour the dressing on top of salad and toss well.

We topped ours with a little bit of Monterey Jack cheese because we had some. Feel free to add whatever you want on yours. Or follow the original recipe exactly and you'll end up with tomatoes and croutons and other things that make the salad healthier. Our version - probably not so healthy, but that's okay.

This is a really tasty salad. I loved the flavor of the bacon with the dressing. It would make a nice salad if you're having people over for lunch. It does not, however, make good leftovers. The dressing makes the lettuce soggy and it's just not good. So if you need to, cut this in half so that you don't end up with too much.

Real Simple Beef Quesadillas

2011-09-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

Well it has really been a month of new recipes, I've gotta tell ya. And most of them come from Real Simple. Here's one we made the other night for beef quesadillas. I had to tweak the recipe a tad to make it gluten-free and work with the seasonings that we had. Here is the original recipe, along with a side dish of watercress and corn salad. Yeah, I didn't make the side.

Adapted Real Simple Beef Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus four teaspoons of canola oil
1/2 pound of ground beef
2 dashes of paprika
2 dashes of onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 corn tortillas (The only ones I could find were small and came in a package of 10.)
1 1/2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef (preferably defrosted, although I made it with frozen beef and defrosted/cooked in the oil), paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink.
2. Heat broiler. Brush one side of each tortilla with one teaspoon of the remaining oil. Place two tortillas oil-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top with beef mixture, Monterey Jack, and remaining tortillas (oil-side up). Broil until crisp and the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Corn tortillas are a different beast than flour tortillas. It took a little longer to get them crispy.)

You can serve with or without sour cream. I cut each tortilla into fourths to make them bite-sized.

If you're the kind of person who can't work with pinches and dashes of seasoning, well, I'm sorry. I took the seasoning bottle of paprika and dumped two quick swipes over the beef. The same with the onion powder. Feel free to use less or more seasoning depending on your palate. Honestly, I think I got the onion powder right (what a wonderful aroma!) but I would probably use more paprika. And add more cheese. I think I skimped on the cheese. But hey - now we can't wait to make them again!

Cranberry Scones

2011-09-27T08:31:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've posted this recipe before, and really, I'm too lazy to go back through my 300+ posts to find out, so excuse me if this is a repeat. But it's a good one to repeat.

This is a scone recipe that came on the packaging for my scone dish that my mom gave me. It's supposed to have cranberries in it, but sometimes I make it with chocolate chips because I LOVE chocolate chip scones. (Okay, I love chocolate chips, but...)

And this is the recipe I was telling you about that will use up the buttermilk you have left over from the Crispy Popcorn Chicken recipe. (Because you did make that recipe, right?)

Let's get to it—
Ingredients:
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups flour (THIS IS NOT A GLUTEN-FREE RECIPE.)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. butter

1 cup of frozen or dried cranberries (or chocolate chips or frozen blueberries)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375. Coat pan with cooking spray. (I coat mine with canola oil.)
2. Beat the egg with the buttermilk and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the butter, rubbing it in with fingers. (Yes, this gets messy.)
5. Lightly stir in the sugar and cranberries (or whatever you're using).
6. Stir in the buttermilk/egg mixture with a fork until a soft dough forms.
7. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface (parchment/wax paper works well) and knead five times.
8. Separate into eight pieces and fit into a pan. (This is if you have the special scone pan. If you're just using a baking sheet, separate the dough into eight equal-sized circles.)
9. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes in pan.

Oh, these are so delicious. And this time, I sprinkled raw sugar on top for some added sweetness and texture. That was the right move!

New Badge

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed a new badge on my blog that looks a little something like this:

That's right! I participated in the Sketchy Thursdays 9.15 sketch challenge and, though I didn't win, my layout was picked as one of the week's faves. :) You can see my layout (look for my name—and me in the picture on the layout) and all the winners and faves here. Yayness!

And don't forget to check out the 9.22 sketch challenge. The winner gets a limited-edition autumn Distress Ink ink pad.

Giant 3 Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-04:00

Kathy says that she loves to bake, and one of her favorite things to bake is a recipe for Giant 3-Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies. "They are huge, not good for you, but completely heavenly," Kathy says. Here's what you need and what to do:

Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined; mix in vanilla.
3. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just incorporated. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop 1/4-cup mounds of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 4 inches apart and away from edges of pan. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
5. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Kathy says that the key to making these cookies is to have the dough be cold, and not over-handled when you put it in the oven. If it gets too warm, the cookies go flat. Five minutes in the refrigerator before cooking helps. She also rotates the trays halfway through the cooking time.

I tried to make these using all-purpose gluten-free flour and... the result was not good. I did what Kathy said about putting the dough in the fridge first and the cookies still turned out flat. I didn't try it with regular flour because then I would have had to eat the cookies all by myself (not that that's a bad scenario...) so if you use regular flour and have success let me know! Also, if you adapt this to make it gluten-free, let me know, too. I'm sure there are people reading this who are better at the chef know-how than I am. I just assumed that gluten-free flour would do the trick, but sometimes that's not always the case.

And feel free to share with us your favorite cookie recipes (regular and g/f) in the comments section!

Thanks to Kathy for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week. Don't forget to visit her blog and Scrapbook.com gallery for lots more inspiration!

Inspiration from Kathy!

2011-09-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

In one of my sketchbooks (yes, I have three), I had two of Kathy's layouts sketched, so I decided to try my hand at both. (I had a lot of time on my hands during the hurricane/tropical storm.) So here's what I got:

This is Kathy's layout "Whoo-ligans", which is just so stinking cute!

I took the cloud-like shape idea and added one to my multi-pic layout.

And the second one I lifted is a two-pager based on Kathy's "Pumpkin Stroll" layout. Blogger won't let me add the actual image, but here is the link to Kathy's layout. And because Kathy said she liked sketches, I've provided the sketch I did based on her layout so you can see what I was working with.

I used a stamp to make the top row of circles.

I'd love to see how Kathy's layouts, be they the ones above or ones from her blog or Scrapbook.com gallery, inspire you. Post links to your work in the comments! And come back on Friday if you like chocolate chip cookies.

Getting Scrappy with Kathy!

2011-09-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

Finally! Getting Scrappy With is back from summer hiatus. Aren't you excited? Of course you are! You get to see more great work from more great scrappers and hopefully get inspired with your scrapping and crafting.

This month's featured scrapper is Kathy aka Ekskou on Scrapbook.com. I came across Kathy last year through perusing the Scrapbook.com gallery and ended up sketching several of her layouts into my sketch book. I liked them so much that I knew I wanted Kathy to be featured on my blog. Kathy recently started her own blog, My Happy Place, that you'll definitely want to start following because you'll find lots of great scrapbook inspiration there. But first, let's get to know Kathy a bit more, shall we?

What are your favorite scrapbook manufacturers?
Oh, there are just so many. I LOVE Echo Park and Little Yellow Bicycle. They really raised the bar this year! I also love Bo Bunny and Maya Road. My new obsession is from My Favorite Things. Their Die-namics are awesome for die-cutting.

When did you start scrapping?
I’ve always been crafty. In high school I had books that I put some pictures, ticket stubs, etc., in. I also used to make invitations and party favors. I really started scrapbooking in 2003. I had just left my job to stay home and a good friend dragged me to a home party and was convinced I would love scrapbooking. She was right!

click here to see this in Kathy's Scrapbook.com gallery

How has your style evolved over the years?
My style has morphed significantly over the years. I started out very basic, corner rounders, stickers, border strips. When I started hanging out at my LSS [local scrapbook store] more, I got more into the techniques of things—layering, stitching, distressing, inking. Now I incorporate a whole bunch of techniques—LOVE stitching. You’ll find some on most of my layouts. Layering is a must and I like clusters of embellishments—buttons, chipboard, flowers. I love it all!

What size pages do you normally scrap?
I’m almost exclusively 12x12. I do create some 2 pagers, but mostly for classes I teach.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?
I get inspiration from my friends, fellow DT [design team] members and scanning blogs and galleries. I LOVE sketches. They give you a starting point without requiring you to do something a certain way. I’ve also taken a few technique classes for scrapbook teachers.

What design teams are you on?
I’ve been designing for my LSS Right at Home Scrapbooking in North Attleboro, Mass., for the last two years. I teach a layout class there and also create layouts for another club at the store. I also started on the marketing team at Let’s Capture Our Memories this year, as well as designing for the very cool iPod app Sketches2Scrapbook.

How often do you scrap about yourself?
Practically never. My friends always tease me about my camera shyness. I’ve been asked many times if I actually participated in whatever activity I’ve scrapped. When I do include myself, I make sure to point out that see, there are actually pictures of me, I do exist.

Is there a favorite place or time of day that you like to scrap?

My favorite place to scrap is in my kitchen, in the morning. We remodeled a couple of years ago and have a huge island with wonderful lighting. It also allows me to multitask if I need to!

What does your scrap area look like?
I do have a scrapbooking armoire with some additional shelves to store my scrap supplies, but I really must admit that my dining room table looks like a fire sale at a scrap store. I usually have so many projects going at once that it’s just easier to keep it all out. My goal is to eventually turn the guestroom/toy room/den into a permanent scrap space, but for now, I’m a bit all over.

My current project is to change the way I store paper. For years I did it by color, but I’m slowly switching over to sorting by manufacturer. I have tons of little containers, baggies… I can find everything I need, but not sure if someone else could!

Why do you scrap?
It’s a creative outlet. I also love playing with my scrap supplies. When my daughter was young, I used to do Girl Scouts with her, but now that she’s a teenager, I needed another reason to play with glitter, without looking strange. As a bonus, my family’s memories are saved!

click here to see this in Kathy's Scrapbook.com gallery

For blog readers who may live in the same area as you, are there any local scrapbook stores that you can recommend?
I live in Massachusetts, and I would highly recommend Right at Home Scrapbooking in North Attleboro, Mass. They have a huge selection of papers, embellishments, you name it. They also have tons of great classes. Lisa and Sharon (the owners) also organize fabulous crops and get-away weekends.

The first day of fall is at the end of this week. What is one thing you will miss about the summer?
The lack of a tight schedule. Don’t get me wrong. We still have places to be, but during the school year it’s so hectic. I only have one child, and no idea how folks with more than one handle it all!! We’re busy every day after school. I will miss the ability to sit and do nothing!

And with the arrival of fall comes holiday preparations! What are some scrapbook items that might appear on your wishlist?
Right now I’m excited for the new Little Yellow Bicycle lines (ALL OF THEM!, but especially Winter Twig) and Maya Road has some fabulous chipboard sets and trims that are on my must-have list!

Thanks for being a part of Cook Scrap Craft this week, Kathy! Don't forget to check out her blog and her Scrapbook.com gallery, and then come back later this week for more inspiration from Kathy.

Real Simple Crispy Popcorn Chicken

2011-09-17T10:23:00.000-04:00

We had this meal the other night for dinner. I saw it in a Real Simple issue and thought, "We haven't had chicken nuggets in a long time." So we tried this recipe! The original recipe can be found here. Here is our gluten-free adapted version for 2 servings:

1.5 chicken breasts, cut up into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
canola oil

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. (Or any other seasonings/herbs you want. Next time we might add some grated parmesan cheese.)
2. Dip the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and then the flour.
3. In batches, fry the chicken in a 1/2 inch canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden and cooked through.
4. Drain and season with salt. (Oops, we left out the add more salt thing.)

We served this with french fries and corn, but it would also be good with rice, barbecue sauce or whatever you like to eat chicken with.

I didn't take a picture because our last few batches were getting kind of burnt. We were running out of canola oil in the skillet and I wasn't sure if I should pour more oil on a hot skillet to keep the chicken from going black instead of golden. So if you're making this, maybe keep an extra skillet on hand in case you run into our problem. The first three batches of chicken came out awesome. :)

And if you're wondering what to do with leftover buttermilk, I'll post a very good scone recipe later. That's how I plan on using the rest of our buttermilk.

National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (2 days late!)

2011-09-15T08:13:00.000-04:00

So I kind of missed National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution designating September 13 as the day. In honor of that day, here are some stats about Celiac Disease culled from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website:

September 13 is also the birthday of Dr. Samual Gee, a pioneer in Celiac Disease research.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. Essentially the body attacks itself every time a person with Celiac consumes gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with Celiac Disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.

As recently as 2000, the average person with Celiac Disease waited 11 years for a correct diagnosis. Celiac Disease can be difficult to diagnose because it can present in a variety of different ways. The only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Half of all people with Celiac Disease do not show symptoms of the disease.

One in 133 Americans have Celiac Disease.

An estimated 3 million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from Celiac.

Delay in the diagnosis of Celiac Disease can result in damage to the small intestine, which leads to an increased risk for malnutrition, anemia, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, osteoporosis, miscarriage, congenital malformation, short stature, and disorders of the skin and other organs.

Celiac Disease is linked to many autoimmune disorders, including thyroid disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, liver disease, collagen vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome.

The burden of the disease over a four-year period per patient:

Females: $4,019
Males: $14,191

The Celiac Disease diagnosis rate may reach 50-60 percent by 2019, thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of Celiac Disease.

Gluten-free sales reached more than $2.6 billion by the end of 2010 and are now expected to exceed more than $5 billion by 2015.

To find out more about Celiac Disease and see if you might have it, visit the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Adina for Life

2011-09-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

Just tried a new beverage and it was super yummy! The company is Adina (which "is dedicated to producing great-tasting, better-for-you, fair trade beverages, using only natural and/or USDA organic, directly sourced ingredients from around the world"), and it's got a new product line called Holistic Zero. These are fruit and herbal infusion drinks that are certified gluten-free (hoorah!) and contain no caffeine or calories (double hoorah!). The company was handing out free samples on the sidewalk so I grabbed one because I always take anything that is given to me for free, especially if it's food. Of course, as I walked away with it, I thought, "Hmm, this could be poison from terrorists. BUT I'll drink it anyway because it's free."And boy am I glad I drank it. I had the Mandarin Melon Berry and it was so so so good. You can get the products at Whole Foods and other natural food stores, as well as some gas station convenience stores and grocery stores. The full store locator is on Adina's website. Because I got mine for free, I can't tell you how much these drinks cost, and I'm sure it varies from location to location anyway. I'd like to try the Wild Black Cherry, so maybe next time I'm at Whole Foods buying gluten-free pizza crusts, I'll pick me up a bottle. Yum!

Also got two free Fiber One granola bars the same day! I love free samples in New York.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

It was a Tuesday. We were just a few weeks into my senior year of high school. We had a scheduled half day due to teachers' meetings in the afternoon. All of our classes were 20 minutes long that day, so I was in my third period class earlier than normal. It was Newspaper, and we were sitting around not doing much work due to the shortened class times. There were TVs mounted to the wall in the newspaper room, but they were never on. Suddenly, my Western Civilization teacher from junior year, Mr. Whelan, came running into our classroom. He tried to get the TVs to turn on but they didn't work. It was either him or another student who told us that on the radio there was a report of a plane crashing into a building in New York. We didn't think much of it, and then the bell rang so we changed classes. My next class was Chamber & Show Choir. By this time, everyone knew something had happened. My choir teacher, Mr. Varwig, let us go into the empty cafeteria to watch the news on the TVs that were stationed there. That's when we learned that a second plane had hit another building in New York, and those buildings were the World Trade Center towers. For the rest of the day, it was all anybody talked about. My Novel teacher told us, "This day is going to be like the day when JFK was assassinated. People are always going to ask, 'Where were you?'" So she (Ms. Jackson was her name. People always sang the Outkast song to her, much to her chagrin.) made us write down where we were so that we would never forget. School let out and I drove home to eat Kraft mac and cheese and watch the news to find out what else had happened - and so much had - since the last time I'd seen the news in fourth period. I lost the paper that Ms. Jackson made me write, but I still remember.

Saint Clare's Foundation Breast Cancer Walk

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

Hello scrappers, cookers, and crafters. On September 18, I'm going to be doing a breast cancer walk to benefit the Saint Clare's Foundation in New Jersey. The foundation is dedicated to raising funds for services and programs, construction and renovation of facilities, and state-of-the-art technology for the Saint Clare's Health System. This is the 10th year that the Saint Clare's Foundation has sponsored a breast cancer walk. As with all breast cancer walks, the walkers themselves donate money and ask others for monetary donations. If you'd like to donate through me, please visit this my personal walker webpage. You can donate online or print out a form and mail your donation. Thanks for supporting Saint Clare's and helping it put cancer on the run!

2001-2011

2011-09-07T06:08:00.000-04:00

The latest challenge at Once Upon a Sketch is to create a layout based on the provided sketch, use a year for the title, and journal at least two lines about why this year was important to you. I chose to do my layout about the year Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American came out.

My husband and I recently saw the band in concert, and the band played Bleed American in its entirety to celebrate the album's 10th anniversary. The songs still sound amazing, and "The Middle" is still one of my all-time favorite songs. I got some good pictures at the concert - love the top one with the lead singer and the lighter.

Journaling reads: Hard to believe it's been 10 years since Jimmy Eat World released its Bleed American album. I loved that album during my senior year of high school. I still count "The Middle" as one of my most favorite songs, and it still sounded great 10 years later!

What year was important to you? You have until September 14 at midnight (Australian time) to enter! There are two great prizes to win - some Prima flowers and some clear stamps!

Sketchy Thursdays 9.1 sketch

2011-09-05T05:42:00.000-04:00

I love long weekends! I get so much scrapbooking (and wallpaper removing and housecleaning and paint sample buying) done. Here's one of the latest layouts I made for my June vacation album. It's based on the 9.1 Sketchy Thursdays sketch.

When we were at Martha's Vineyard, we saw the Flying Horses Carousel. It's the oldest operating carousel in the country. I was super psyched to ride it, but when we got there, it was closed. Thanks for not updating your website, Flying Horses Carousel. Because generally when I read "we're open" on the website, I assume it means you're going to be open. Can you tell I was a tad ticked? I really wanted to ride the stinkin' carousel!

How are your vacation scrapbooks coming along? I went to Michael's and got an American Crafts D-ring album for 50% off so I finally have somewhere to put our Florida layouts. Saturday I've gotta go use a 40% off coupon to get more page refills for the album. :) If you go to Michael's this week and make a purchase, you get a 50% off coupon with your receipt that is valid 9-11 through 9-17. Good deal!

I Survived Hurricane Irene

2011-09-03T08:14:00.000-04:00

I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt that said that. It looked professionally made, so I'm wondering if it's some type of charity thing. I'll have to look into it.

Anyway, we survived. Not a lot of damage where we lived, which was good. This was about the extent of it:

That tree branch fell over Sunday afternoon. That's the street behind our house. We lost power at midnight Sunday but got it back 10:30 Sunday morning. So not terrible. Can't say the same about other parts of New Jersey. If ever there was a time that I'm glad we moved, it's now. Parts of our old town were evacuated due to flooding, and I'm not sure I would have been able to get to work due to flooded roads along my old bus route. As it was, I was able to go to work every day this week (as were my co-workers), so things are pretty much back to normal for us.

Love You More - Book Review

2011-09-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

Jennifer Grant and her husband already had three young biological children. But a tap on the shoulder from God was all it took to realize that they would be adopting a fourth child. Love You More is the true story of the process the Grants went through to finally bring home their new daughter Mia.

Written by Jennifer, the book gives lots of background information on the Grant family and how Jennifer and her husband came to have three children and live in the suburbs of Chicago. This background information helps explain why Jennifer and her husband ultimately decided to bring a fourth child into their family through adoption. It really reiterates the fact that adoption is not an easy or simple decision. The Grants didn't just say, "Hey, let's adopt a kid!" There were many factors that shaped the Grants' decision: past experiences traveling to poor countries and seeing poor children and orphans, friends going through the adoption process, and faith.

Love You More is really an adoption guide as much as it is one family's story of adoption. Grant writes that she doesn't like to give advice about adoption, choosing rather to tell people her story and her experience with the process. I think this book gives a realistic portrayal of what people can expect from the adoption process, not just the paperwork and the waiting, but all the emotions and questions.

At the end of the book, Grant does offer some adoption advice, or tips, and helpful websites for those thinking about adopting a child. There are also discussion questions for book clubs or small groups.

This is a good book for anyone contemplating adoption or in the middle of the process, but even if you have no interest in adopting a child, Love You More will still keep your interest. It's a very well-written, moving story about what makes a family.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

More Hurricane Layouts

2011-08-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

I will most likely do a layout on the hurricane (as I will also be doing for the earthquake that happened last week), but for now, I'm working on my June vacation album. Here are pages 2 and 3 of when we were in Plymouth. The papers and letters are Sassafrass Lass. Again, apologies for the poor color quality. These papers are really very vibrant in real life.

On the second page, I have a pull tag behind the pictures. If you pull it, then you'll pull out a page from the Plymouth visitor's guide with info on the Plymouth Rock. (Might be the real rock, probably not.)

And then here's a fun card I made with the scraps. Love that little monster guy.

I'm pre-posting these b/c I don't know what's going to happen with power outages and whatnot, so I'm not sure what the post-hurricane effects are like when this posts. Hopefully we'll all be getting back to normal. Stay safe everybody!

Hurricane Scrapbooking

2011-08-28T08:15:00.005-04:00

No, not a whirlwind of scrapbooking. Hurricane Irene. Because our weekend has been spent just sitting at home preparing for the worst (wind, rain, damage?), I've got a lot of time to scrapbook. Here's a layout I finished up this weekend. It's based on the layout "Play Ball" by Jill Cornell. I liked this paper with the little menu thing at the bottom because this layout is all about cheap food I've eaten this summer.

The journaling reads: During the summer, we have half-day Fridays. We get out at 1:30 but my bus isn't until 3:00 so I have plenty of time to try new lunch places.

I've only had two half-day Fridays where I stuck around for lunch. And both of those days were cheap pizza days. I got the special at 2 Bros. Pizza - 2 slices and a soda for $2.75. Not bad. And then I had a coupon for a free pizza slice with the purchase of a Big Gulp at 7-11. Again, not bad. I like cheap food! What about you?

I'm finally getting to my June vacation pictures. Here is the first page of that album. My mom and I went to Cape Cod and stopped in Plymouth, Massachusetts on the drive there. This is the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought over the Pilgrims. This is based on sketch 134 at The Scrappiest. The colors on this look much better in real life, but I'm dealing with not great weather and lighting conditions and when I tried to brighten the picture with photo editing software, it just looked worse. So believe me when I say, the colors on this really are nice.

And then if you scroll down, you'll see that I was able to make two cards with my scraps. Go me! That's something that I need to do from now on. I think it would really help get rid of my scrap stash.

Anyway, good times with hurricanes and tropical storms. I hope my fellow East Coasters are staying safe this weekend.

10 Questions

2011-08-26T08:36:00.000-04:00

1. When do you feel happiest?
When I'm being productive. Even if that means just getting caught up on laundry and watching Mad Men while I fold it.

2. How do you take care of yourself?
I try to exercise when I can. I take a multi-vitamin. I try to get enough sleep at night and usually end up catching up on sleep on the bus ride to and from work (and I'm STILL tired).

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?
When I see a show like Hoarders, that motivates me to want to keep our house clean.

4. What do you do for fun?
Read. Scrapbook. Watch TV and movies. Travel. Sleep.

5. What intimidates you?
Large groups of children.

6. What is something you're proud of?
My mad cooking skills

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________
I never buy clothes without a gift card or coupon.

8. Favorite vacation spot:
Anywhere that is not here.

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10)
8

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know _____________.
You'd know that I don't text because I don't have a data plan.

Your turn!

Journal to your heart's content

2011-08-24T08:20:00.000-04:00

Journaling on scrapbook layouts tends to be difficult for some people. They don't know what to write. They don't know how much to write. They don't know where to write. They don't like their handwriting.

If you're having issues with journaling, whether it's on a regular page or a more personal layout for your Book of Me, then maybe you want to read this really great journaling tutorial at the Scrapbooking From the Inside Out blog. I bookmarked this a few months ago and really wanted to share it with you all.

First, there are some questions you can ask yourself before you start to journal that will help you decide what kind of journaling you want, how you want to do it, and where you want to put it. (Hidden journaling, don't forget, is always an option if you're journaling something personal that you aren't ready for others to read.)

Then there are five steps to take to getting the journaling just right. You don't immediately put the journaling down on your page. Practice first on a piece of notebook paper and edit it until you get it just the way you want it.

This is a really great journaling tutorial/advice blog. Do you guys have any advice to add?

A challenge and one for me

2011-08-22T08:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday when I wasn't cleaning and giving furniture to our neighbors, I actually had time to scrap! I put on some Mad Men (finished season 2) and Tangled (cute!) and got busy. The first layout is for the 8.18 Sketchy Thursdays sketch challenge. These are pictures from Memorial Day weekend when my husband and I planned on painting our bedroom. The only problem was the wallpaper border. And that took three days to get off. Needless to say, the fourth and final day of our four-day weekend was not spent painting, but giving our sore muscles a break. I thought the rub-on "The Story So Far..." fit nicely as a title. Most of the papers are Bo Bunny. I cut the little circles out of some Bo Bunny patterned paper.

This next layout is for my Book of Me. A few months ago, I was on the Scrapbooking From the Inside Out blog and someone posed the question/topic of repeating a mantra or something in your head. I saved the blog comment I made and turned it into a layout: "I am CONSTANTLY "in my own head," if you will. I rehash conversations or make up how I think a conversation will go. I go through mental lists or talk myself into or out of something. I daydream A LOT. I don't have one phrase that I repeat over and over. (There's too much else going on in there for just one thing to get put on repeat!) I think that is why I am so quiet - I'm thinking to myself instead of saying it out loud to other people. In school, I didn't answer many questions because I was too busy thinking about how I would answer instead of just raising my hand and saying something. I think A LOT."

I printed out the journaling, which is something I never do, and it was a huge pain because a) My computer won't connect to the printer so I had to email it to myself and open it on my husband's computer to print, b) I didn't leave enough space between the lines so when I cut it all out, I had very thin strips of journaling and c) I only have glue adhesive and not the easy-to-cut adhesive squares, so I used ribbon glue instead because it is thin, which worked, but was still kind of messy. All in all, I like the way both layouts turned out. Woo hoo!

I desperately need to go out and get more 12 x 12 scrapbook albums. I keep wasting Michael's coupons. I have a whole stack of layouts that need to be put away, but I just never can get over to Michael's.

Have you guys been up to anything crafty?

Soda Stream

2011-08-20T08:58:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I received a Soda Stream soda maker to review. At first I was skeptical because I've seen stuff like this before and never believed the soda could taste like the real thing. But I brought it home and gave it a whirl and... it tastes just like real soda! It's also kind of addicting.

Here's how it works without getting too technical:
1. You carbonate the water in the special liter bottle using the carbonator.
2. You pour flavoring into the carbonated water. There are TONS of soda flavors - lemon-lime, cola, root beer, cranberry-raspberry.
3. Give the bottle a shake.
4. Drink up!

It's super easy to use and best of all, none of the flavors are made with high-fructose corn syrup AND none of the diet flavors are made with that nasty (and migraine triggering) chemical aspartame. Yay! I can drink diet soda again! Right now I'm enjoying diet cranberry-raspberry soda. Yum!

You can buy Soda Stream machines and soda mixes at the Soda Stream website or Bed, Bath & Beyond (among several other stores). They are a bit pricey. On the Soda Stream website the Genesis machine, which is what I got, starts at $99.95 for just the machine, the 1-liter carbonating bottle and the carbonator. Bottles of the soda mix make up to 12 liters of soda (or the equivalent of 33 cans) and run anywhere from $4.99 to $9.99. You can also buy more carbonating bottles if you want to have different flavors handy. A twin-pack of carbonating bottles costs $19.99 at the Soda Stream website. (You can probably get most of this stuff on sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond or Kohl's, which also sells the soda mix. And we all know that everyday is sale day at Kohl's.)

But the cost is worth it and you'll actually save money in the long-run. You do have to replace the carbonator after making about 60 liters. Most Bed, Bath & Beyond stores let you bring in your old carbonation unit and exchange it (for a fee - it appeared to be $14.99 at a BB&B in NY) for a new one. Or you can do the buying and exchanging at the Soda Stream website, which has different exchange/reorder options and costs a bit more than at BB&B. To exchange a carbonator and get a spare one, it's $44.99 on the Soda Stream website. (None of the Kohl's near me do the exchanges.)

This is definitely something I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own (so thanks to the PR folks for getting a hold of me) because it is rather expensive to start out. But maybe you could ask for it for a Christmas gift or a birthday gift or a wedding gift (or you could gift it to someone for one of those occasions). It's a lot of fun, it's easy to do, and there are a range of delicious soda flavors to choose from. Like I said, I'm kind of addicted to it.

Would You Buy This for Your Daughter?

2011-08-18T08:56:00.002-04:00

Allow me to get on my soapbox for a minute here. I just read a blog on The Huffington Post titled "Would you buy this for your daughter?" The author was in the Juniors' section of Target and noticed that all of the bras geared toward teenage girls were push-up bras. Why do teenage girls need to be two cups larger?, the author asked. And then she makes a point that I have been making (inside my head) for years:

In a nation where we're dealing with sky-high teenage pregnancy rates, where we claim to be trying to get girls to have more positive body image and value themselves based on intellect and achievement rather than looks, are these garments sending the right message? ...

America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are, on the other we're being marketed makeup and clothing that obviously turns us into someone different.

How can we tell our teenagers not to have sex or that you don't need to show it all off in order for people to like you when the only message our teenagers are getting from movies, books, TV shows, magazines, clothing stores, and advertisements is SEX?

Grrr to society.

Stamps - Where to put them?

2011-08-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

No pictures to share with you. I did some scrapbooking... last week... and just never took pictures of the pages. That meant that I didn't even get one uploaded for a challenge. Darn it! I've just been kind of busy lately, which is also the excuse for lack of posts. What can I say? It's summer. I'm doing stuff.

Anyway, because the bedroom is painted (see previous post), we can move on to our (my) next paint project - the office/scrap room. This means that I need to start thinking about some organizational items for all my scrap supplies. I already know that I want to buy some peg board (where does one buy peg board?) to hang my spools of ribbon. But stamps are causing me the most annoyance. Right now, my clear stamps are hanging out in a plastic bag. Probably not the best place to put them because they tend to stick together making it hard to find what I want. So I'm putting this out to all of you scrappers - how do you organize your clear stamps? I'd love to hear your ideas on this one. I figure if my stamps were better organized, I might actually use them more.

I would also use stamps more if they were self-cleaning. Does anyone else loathe cleaning off the stamps once you're done or is it just my lazy self?

Final Step!

2011-08-08T20:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my parents, the bedroom is finally painted!!!

We also have white blinds now on the windows, but I don't have a good picture of that. :)

It's Freezing!

2011-08-01T09:20:00.002-04:00

Whenever fruit goes on sale 2/$5 or buy one get one free, my husband buys it. Therefore, we now have blueberries and strawberries hanging out in our freezer just waiting to be made into smoothies. We froze them for a variety of reasons: to make them last longer, to act as "ice" in the smoothies b/c our Magic Bullet Blender doesn't chop up regular ice cubes very well.

I know that we're nearing the end of summer (can you believe it's August already?) but it's still smoothie season. (Is it ever NOT smoothie season?) So here's what you gotta do if you're planning on freezing your berries. Localfoods.com was an informative website that helped me out. I remembered an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown where he placed blueberries on a baking sheet to freeze them, and I wanted to double check that my memory served me correctly. I was right - or Alton Brown was right. Rinse the berries under cold water, remove any stems, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Make sure the baking sheet fits in your freezer.) After a couple hours, when the berries are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. I did the same thing with strawberries, although you have to cut those up first.

This also works with other berries, and you can use them in smoothies or even in baking. So tell me, what's your favorite type of smoothie?

Udi's Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns

2011-07-30T08:16:00.001-04:00

We FINALLY got to try Udi's gluten-free hot dog buns. (They make hamburger buns, too.) We've been wanting to try these things since Udi's released them in May, but it wasn't until this week that the Whole Foods near my office actually had them in stock. I was really excited!

Eating them... well, they aren't the greatest, which surprised us because Udi's does awesome gluten-free bread. It makes better grilled cheese sandwiches than regular bread, I think. Anyway, these hot dogs were just a little too thick. It was like too much bread and not enough hot dog. We're going to try them with meatballs and make meatball sandwiches. I'm hoping that those turn out better, so we'll see!

Has anyone out there tried Udi's hot dog and hamburger buns? What did you think?

Women's Health Care and Your Taxes

2011-07-28T08:44:00.011-04:00

I found this article online last week and wanted to share it with you. My favorite line is when the author, Maureen O'Danu, writes that "so-called pro-life" groups have condemned a proposal by the Institute of Medicine to make certain services totally and completely covered for all U.S. women. These services include birth control (including sterilization); screenings for gestational diabetes, cervical cancer and HPV; counseling to help women prevent pregnancies and to help women space pregnancies further apart; counseling and equipment to promote breastfeeding; annual well-woman visits; counseling and screening for HIV and other STDs; and screening and counseling for domestic violence.

O'Danu writes: I say 'so-called' pro-life in this context because by any standard, the guidelines would clearly save lives, and improve the lives of women and children. When an organization stands against improved health care for women, it cannot accurately be termed 'pro-life'.

These groups are raising the old argument that they shouldn't have to pay taxes for something they're morally opposed to. Hey, what a great idea! I propose that those of us who are really pro-life stop paying our taxes toward:

Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
The imprisonment of large numbers of US citizens for non violent drug offenses in the so-called 'war on drugs'
Subsidies to oil companies, mining companies, and others who through negligence cause the deaths of thousands of humans and other creatures on a regular basis
'Faith based' 'pray away the gay' therapy paid for with Medicaid funding that has been shown to actually be harmful to participants.

I agree with O'Danu on most of this and that is my personal opinion. If you don't agree, that's fine. But I thought the points O'Danu made throughout the whole article on how women (especially poor women) are treated when it comes to our healthcare were interesting. You can go here to read the whole article on the Technorati website.

More Scrapbook Layouts

2011-07-26T08:08:00.000-04:00

More layouts to share with you! The one to the right is one of my favorites right now. It's a combination of just the right sketch and the right papers.

The two below are a two-pager about two Yankees games we saw in April and May. One game it rained and was miserably cold. The second one was sunny and wonderful!

What have you guys been creating lately? (And it's okay if it's not scrapbook related!) Share in the comments section!

Another Sketchy Thursdays layout

2011-07-24T10:24:00.001-04:00

I had time again this weekend to do a layout for Sketchy Thursdays latest sketch challenge. Wahoo! These are pictures of giraffes at Six Flags Wild Safari. You drive through the "safari" and all these animals (with the exception of the monkeys, lions/tigers, and some bears) just roam free right next to your car. The giraffes stopped traffic for awhile because they were eating leaves and stuff off of people's cars. We had a baby giraffe come up and start licking our windshield. It was so cool! I added a journaling tag behind the pictures so that it didn't take away from the patterned paper too much.

If you want to participate in this week's challenge, head over to the Sketchy Thursdays blog. You have until July 27 to get your layout entered. The prize is a 12x12 kit of October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker line. Very nice!

The Waiting Place - Book Review

2011-07-21T06:57:00.001-04:00

We've all been there before - the waiting place. Some of us are still there. Whatever it is you're waiting for, chances are Eileen Button has waited for it, too, and written about it in her book The Waiting Place. As Button puts it in the introduction, this book is for "those who wake up one day and find themselves repeatedly sighing and thinking, This is so not the life I dreamed of living."

Waiting for a new job, waiting for a sick loved one to die (and what he was waiting for), waiting for a friend to make up her mind, waiting for her mother's acceptance, waiting for her children to grow up. These waiting periods and many more comprise this collection of personal stories.

The first few chapters I didn't really like. I wasn't understanding how the stories Button told fit in with the waiting theme. But a few chapters in and the stories got good. (I guess you could say I was waiting for this book to get good. Ha.) The gist of these stories is that waiting doesn't have to be such a bad place. Sure, sometimes when God closes a door, he slams it in your face (p.109) and we can never get a glimpse into our futures, which sucks. But if we look at it in a negative light, we miss some really important things. "We can wait all our lives for the next stage to come," Button writes. "Or we can choose to see the waiting place for what it often is: unexpectedly magical and holy." Yeah, it's hard for us to accept this and there will be many times that we forget this. But hopefully, we can open up this book and pick one of Button's stories and remember.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

15 minutes - what can you create?

2011-07-19T09:57:00.001-04:00

Back again! I told you I've been doing more scrapping than blogging, so I wanted to show you some of the layouts I've created. I've been trying to adhere to my 15 minutes of creativity every day and I've gotten some layouts and some cards done. Have you guys been doing the 15 minutes challenge?

Again not the greatest pictures... maybe I should start using my husband's camera for layout pictures. What have you guys been creating lately?

7.14 sketch challenge

2011-07-17T09:55:00.000-04:00

Hello! Sorry it's been awhile in between posts. I've been doing more scrapping than I have blogging. I finally got back into the Sketchy Thursdays challenges with the 7.14 sketch challenge. Here is my very simple take:

Sorry for the not-so-great picture. I broke my camera (sad face) and have been using my iPod Touch to take pictures of my layouts. (Luckily my husband's camera still works or we wouldn't have gotten great pictures of Derek Jeter hitting his 3,000th hit!) If you want to play along with the 7.14 sketch challenge, then visit the Sketchy Thursdays blog. The prize is a Scenic Route kit from Paper Lovelies. The deadline is Wednesday!

Getting Scrappy With...

2011-07-11T07:02:00.002-04:00

According to my calendar, it's the second week of July, which means I owe you a Getting Scrappy With. Well, you're not going to get one this month. Ha! I'm taking a break with that for the summer while I get some more scrappers lined up. If you have a favorite scrapbooker, let me know. It doesn't have to be someone famous. It can be a friend you met on Scrapbook.com. That's where I found most of my favorite scrappers. So please let me know in the comments if there are any scrappers you'd like to see featured and if you have any questions for them. :)