Freezer Peaches

Some of you might remember me talking about going to an orchard to get some peaches over the summer. They had "seconds" for sale which just meant they might of been bruised or had cuts in them. I was just going to slice them up to freeze anyways so we took a box of them....then she said how about two boxes for the same price....well DUH of course we will take them!! So we ended up with 172 peaches for 10 dollars!! BARGAIN!! So mom bought all the canning supplies and put me to work! It took me a few days but I sliced and peeled each one and put them in these jars with screw on plastic lids to keep in the freezer...now we will have that fresh peach taste all year! :)

I did not want to make a sugary syrup so I read somewhere online I could use white grape juice and lemon juice....seemed to work great! You just use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for every 4 cups of 100% no sugar added white grape juice. Just make sure you cover the tops of the peaches or they will brown! When your ready to eat or if you want to use them in a recipe just thaw...and you can use the juice that is leftover in recipes too so nothing goes to waste!



Hope some of you can give this a try!
Enjoy! :)

Another Birthday Card!

Here is another birthday card that I sent to my blogging pal Curt. This was actually done over the summer but I forgot to post it on my blog...whoops! I actually have found several today while searching through my computer so I will be showing those soon too!




The digi image is from Karen's Doodles and I colored Bigsby with my Copics. Then added some glossy accents to the juggling balls and a silver nailhead on the bike wheel.
I thought it turned out pretty good considering I'm not very good at making male themed cards!
I made this post BOLD but I don't think it really looks much different so does anyone know how to make my font bigger?? I can't seem to find that option...I only have bold and italic.

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - Anything with a digi
Cardmadfairy - Lots of layers
Crafty Sentiments - Happy Birthday
Creatalicious - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Let's Celebrate
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
Kaboodle Doodles - Lots of layers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays - Birthday

A Beary Special Birthday!

Here is the card I made for hubby! I just love this cute bear stamp from Whiff of Joy! Colored him with my Copics and added a bit of liquid applique to make the icing look puffy. Cut the main base with my Cricut Wild Card cart...it is actually an invitation but thought it made a fun card design!

*Click on pictures to enlarge*








Challenges:
Crafty Calendar - Bears
Crafty Sentiments - Birthday
Creatalicious - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Let's Celebrate
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
Fab N' Funky - A Hard Theme (Male card....so hard because I always want to use flowers or bling!)
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays - Birthday
TMITA - Someone Special

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Hubby had a birthday on Saturday and he LOVES peanut butter so I made him a new dessert I found online. I am not a huge fan of PB but I tried a bite after they were done and sure enough SUPER DUPER PEANUT BUTTERY!!! He was thrilled and he didn't even have to share with me! LOL!

Click HERE for the recipe!

Strawberry Shortcut Cake!

If you like strawberries and cake this is the recipe for you! The only thing I did differently was add more marshmallows at the bottom...one cup was not enough in my opinion! Click HERE for the recipe!

Click HERE for an alternate version that uses a box mix. It is also kid friendly for those of you that want to bake with your kiddos!



Enjoy!

Paper Bead Necklace For Fundraiser!

I saw this post HERE and immediately knew I wanted to help....the story just tugged at my heart strings. So I sent this necklace as a donation to help raise funds for Lyndall. You can view this item and others for sale by clicking HERE! Please consider helping Lyndall in any way you can!

*Click images to enlarge them*



The necklace is made out of paper beads, then covered with silver glitter and topped off with a several coats of UTEE.

Challenges:
Crafty Creations - Anything but a square
Delicious Doodles - Fresh new start (new technique)
Southern Girls - Lots of layers (paper, glitter, UTEE.....this could also be a birthday present but this particular piece is donated for a fundraiser)
Stamp Something - Anything goes

Award!

Isn't this such a pretty award?! I would like to send a special thanks to Linda over at Payne Holler Cards for awarding this to me! HUGS!

Here are 10 questions that I need to answer:

Q1) Name your favorite color? Blue
Q2) Name your favorite song? Uh....I don't have one.
Q3) Name your favorite dessert? Too many to list!! LOL!
Q4) What annoys you at the moment? That is a loaded question...but I will just say the economy and leave it at that.
Q5) Your favorite pet? I couldn't choose between the two so I will say my chinchilla Akina and my choc. lab Willie!
Q6) Black or White? Interesting question...not sure what this is referring too but since I am building a house I am thinking of furniture, decorations and stuff and I choose white hands down. In my current house we have alot of black and it is a pain to keep clean....dust just clings to it!
Q7) Your biggest fear? Failure
Q8) Best Feature? Smile
Q9) Everyday attitude? I'm not going to lie....it truly depends on the day!
Q10) What is perfection? Anything that I am completely happy with
Q11) Guilty Pleasure? DESSERTS!!! I have a serious sweet tooth!
Q12) When you're upset you? Usually vent to my best pal (Annmaree) or hubby
I always feel better when I talk and get it out of my system! :)

I am sending this award to the following people:

Becky
Merry
Annmaree
Michelle
Corry
Olga
Curt
Dawn
Lorraine
Leigh

WINNER!!!!

I want to send a huge thank you to those that wished me a Happy Birthday/Blogaversary! I truly appreciated all the comments! I was thrilled at how many of you entered my candy draw and also answered some of my questions! Plus I gained a few new followers...hope you are all here to stay too! THANK YOU AGAIN! :)

It took me awhile but I finally got through all the comments and verified all the entries for a total of 56! Hubby isn't here to draw from the lucky camo hat so I wrote them in order on a piece of paper and now I am getting ready to hit the button on random.org! Are you ready? Drumroll................................... and the winner is....................

True Random Number Generator

Min:
Max:
Result:
50
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#50 on my list is Mallika from India!!! She just happens to be a new follower too! Congrats Mallika! You have until Wed. Sept. 14th to contact me.

If the winner doesn't contact me by that date I will pick a new winner on Sept. 15th.

Thank you all for playing and don't worry if you didn't win this time because there will be more mini drawings in the future....as you know I do love my guessing games!! HEHE!

Tomato Freezer Jam!

Do you have a bunch of tomatoes in your garden? Try making some tomato jam and you do not have to "can" these you can simply put them in the freezer! :) I made two kinds...one with yellow pear tomatoes and the other with candy cherry isis. Delish! This stuff tastes great on biscuits, rolls, etc. but I also found out it is wonderful on pork!!





Tomato Jam in A Flash

This recipe makes 4 or 5 pints of yellow tomato jam which can be processed in glass jars or frozen and kept for several months in the freezer. Red tomato jam is also good, but yellow tomatoes are less acidic and offer a different flavor.

INGREDIENTS

•2 - 3 Pounds of yellow tomatoes
•1 Whole lemon, washed and sliced thin
•1 Tbsp white vinegar
•2 tsp ginger
•1 stick of stick cinnamon
•4 Cups granulated sugar
•1 Cup spring water


INSTRUCTIONS

•Wash the yellow tomatoes, but do not peel.
•In a large saucepan, place all ingredients together over medium high heat.
•Bring the pan to the boil and reduce heat to medium low.
•Simmer the jam for 2 hours, or until thickened.
•Remove pan from heat and take out the cinnamon stick and discard.
•Pour into canning or jelly jars and seal with lids and rings.
•Process the jars in a hot water bath for 20 minutes OR put them in the freezer!

You can also click HERE for the recipe!

Enjoy!

My Blogaversary/Birthday Candy!!!

*Candy now closed...winner will be announced soon*

Last month I celebrated my 2 year blogaversary and today I'm celebrating my 30th birthday! By the time your reading this I will be on my way to Lexington, Kentucky with my hubby for a little getaway!

As promised not long ago I have some super yummy and calorie free blog candy for my followers! I truly appreciate all the love you leave for me on my little ole blog...it warms my heart when I read your wonderful comments! So a big THANK YOU goes out to all of you! :)

Updated picture 8-30-11


How can you get your paws on the goodies??
The only mandatory thing you have to do is be one of my followers and leave me a comment! That is it...easy peasy right?

OPTIONAL but it will give you an extra entry for each one that you do (just make sure you leave a separate comment for each one!)
1. Spread the word either in a post or on your sidebar OR BOTH :) (you may use the candy picture).
2. Tell me what you like most about my blog.
3. Tell me if there is something you would like for me to change or if there is something you would like to see me post in the future.
4. When was your most favorite birthday and what made it so special?

You have until the end of the day on September 5th (Indiana Eastern Time) to leave your comments!
Good luck!!

Unstampabelles Challenge #3

Time for our third challenge over at Unstampabelles and for this month we want to see ANIMALS! We are also going to offer you an extra entry for the prize if you do the technique and for this month we want you to try out "dry embossing"! You have until September 30th to get your entries in and the new challenge will start on October 3rd. Remember you must have an ANIMAL on your project and "dry embossing" is optional but it will get you an extra entry!
Just remember......NO STAMPS at all! No rubber, digi, sentiments, etc.!

Our sponsor for this month is Cathy from Cathy's Creative Corner! She has kindly donated the following prize package!



Now for my DT card to get you started!


I used a polar bear chipboard piece out of a Basic Grey set called "obscure" and painted it with a Ranger acrylic paint dabber in "snow cap". Used some paper I got from my pal Annmaree along with some ribbon from my stash that I stuck on with my Tim Holtz tiny attacher. Drew on a little face with my Copic multiliner and added some Viva Decor pearls to the corners. Isn't that polar bear so adorable?

Your turn! I sure hope to see more of you over at Unstampabelles this month!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes
Delicious Doodles - Fresh New Start (new chipboard)
Penny's Challenge - Inspiration Photo
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes

Martha Stewart Punch Storage!

I wanted to show you my new Martha Stewart punch storage! Before I had them in these cups from IKEA but decided to buy a few of the really long metal bars from IKEA and store them on the wall and I LOVE IT! It is much easier to see what I have and grab what I want! :) Unfortunately my other punches (EK Success, Fiskars) do not work on this metal bar....does anyone have any other suggestions? I don't have that many so they are now resting in those cups but I would still like a better way to store them!

BEFORE


AFTER



* By the way you still have a few days to enter my candy drawing...it is a sticky at the top of my blog! * :)

One week left to enter my candy....NEW PICTURE!

I have updated the picture to include everything I am giving away in my Blogaversary/Birthday candy! You still have one week left and if you fancy a chance at winning go to my original post HERE!

Candy includes the following:
7 Gypsies book cover (you just punches holes and add a metal ring or ribbon to make a mini album!)
K&CO paper (6 sheets that fit the 7 Gypsies book and another 6 sheets sized for cards)
Sizzix sizzlit (frame) - Use it to emboss by hand, run through a Cuttlebug OR perfect for painting/misting!
Tim Holtz filmstrip - 1 foot
Butterfly ribbon roll
Martha Stewart - Vellum punch outs in an envelope
Making Memories - Combo stylus and paper piercer
Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo
Mini Glossy Accents
Distress Stickles - Rock Candy
Glue Dots - 4 sheets
Cuttlebug embossing folder - Distressed Stripes
Assorted Studio 112 stickers, chipboard, vellum quotes (Distributed by K&Co.)
Filmstrip rubber stamp from Rubberstamp Ave. (already mounted on cling foam)
Mini roses
Assorted Tim Holtz metal embellishments

WHEW! How is that for a prize? Hope to see a bunch more people enter....good luck!

Mini Meatloaves!

I'm always looking for new recipes to make for my dad and hubby so they have something easy to reheat for lunch while building the house. I found this great mini meatloaf recipe on my pal Becky's blog! Click HERE for the recipe! This was my first time ever making meatloaf and it was super easy and cooked up fast! The guys really enjoyed them and hubby said it was the best meatloaf he has had and I can make them again anytime! :)

Enjoy!

What We Bought.....

Some of you had some good guesses on what we bought. Even though it was an antique store they still sell newer items...some are even brand new. I'm not sure how old the item is we bought but it definately isn't vintage as it is in great condition! Here is that item that we HAD to buy!! An All American 941 Pressure Canner! :)



This thing is HUGE! The jar in front is a pint to give you a reference. It has two racks so you can have three tiers of jars....it holds 19 quart jars!! This brand is the best of the best here in the USA and retail you pay a pretty penny of 450 dollars!! Yep, you read that right....450 DOLLARS!! We only paid 70 bucks for this bad boy! I was so excited...it felt like an episode of American Pickers! LOL! So next year "WE" (hubby wants to can also!) will probably be canning anything and everything we can get our hands on! LOL!

Thank You! (Long post about our trip)

Thank you for the birthday wishes! Hubby and I are back from Kentucky and we had a splendid time! We went to a chocolate factory where we watched them make different candies like chocolate covered bourbon cherries (and we got lots of free samples)....YUM! Also bought some himalayan sea salt chips covered in chocolate....sweet and salty (a deadly combo)! HEHE! Then we went to a brewery....I gotta say I am not a beer drinker at all nor do I care for bourbon BUT Kentucky has this bourbon ale that is FANTASTIC!! We had 3 free BIG samples at the end of the tour and she gave me an extra for my birthday! Needless to say we walked outta there with a couple of growlers to go! I went to get a one hour professional massage and also got a free hand paraffin dip for my special day! The perks of having a birthday right?! Then we went to this amazing restaurant where I stuffed myself silly and then was offered a FREE dessert....who can turn down dessert? So I got this HUGE chocolate chip cookie with ice cream and caramel sauce! I'm pretty sure I gained 10 pounds in just a few short days! LOL! The next day we went to pick up a bourbon barrel for our new house....we are converting it into a bathroom vanity and it smells soooooooooooo good! Hubby thinks he will have me drinking bourbon soon since now I like it in beer, chocolate and I really like the smell but I am not crazy about the burn so I think I will stick to the wussy side of bourbon! Went to a winery but there was nothing too grand so we didn't buy anything. Plus all the wines seemed to be more expensive than what we are used to getting AND you gotta pay for samples which we usually don't do where I'm from either! Went to a distillery .... gosh I'm starting to sound like a lush aren't I?? I really don't drink that much...just felt like touring some different places! Anyways, the distillery grounds were gorgeous and the process of making bourbon is very unique! They gave us free labels....and of course at the end we got 3 free samples to drink AND bourbon chocolate! I can't believe how generous everyone was giving away free samples at all these places! I took some sips but gave the rest to hubby....that stuff is just too strong for me! On our way home we stopped at Bardstown where we ate at this cool tavern that was built in the late 1700's! See our trip wasn't all about booze....we actually got a taste of history! :) On our way out of town we passed this antique store....I had wanted to stop at one the entire trip but hadn't been able to so we turned around and all I had was 15 minutes before they closed. Well, as soon as I walked in there was this wonderful thing I HAD to buy.....stay tuned and I will be posting a picture soon! Any guesses on what I bought? I'll give you a hint....it is food related!

Pie and Winner!!

Did you have fun guessing what kind of pie this is? I really enjoyed reading what everyone thought!

The pie I have in the picture below is a concord grape pie!



Click HERE for the recipe! If you plan on making this pie it is worth reading the comments to customize a little more to your own tastes.

Now for the winner!! I put all the names into hubby's camo hat and had him draw out one and the winner is.......drumroll please.......................................

.............MICHELLE H.!!! Congrats! I will be sending you a little something in the mail! :)

Enjoy!

Diaper Cake!

I'm back to show you the diaper cake I made that matches the card earlier for the baby shower today! This was so fun to make and much easier than I had thought it would be. It was a little tricky holding the diapers all by myself but I managed. I looked up a few tutorials and then added my own twist to them. For the center I used two small travel sized baby powder bottles on top of each other instead of the normal paper towel cardboard or bottle. The base is usually made out of cardboard or plastic trays but I came up with the idea of using a 12 inch pizza pan! It worked perfect and made carrying the cake a breeze because it was so sturdy! The little rubber duck on top has a hole in the bottom so I used a small coffee stirrer in it and just poked it in between a rolled up diaper in the middle. I also had the idea to fold up the washcloths and pin them like diapers and just for something different I fanned the one that had ducks all over it!
Needless to say this was a big hit at the shower amongst all those women!





Challenges:
Creative Craft - Anything but a card
Phindy's Place - Something new
Sir Stampalot - Whatever you fancy

Baby Ducks!

I just got back from a baby shower and this is the card I made for my hubby's cousin. Didn't realize the ribbon was a little slanted until later but oh well ... it still turned out cute! :)

Challenges:
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes
Fab N' Funky - A Stitch In Time
Phindy's Place - Something New
Shopping Our Stash - Weakest Link (ribbon)
The Pink Elephant - Stitching
Woodware USA - Sketch (flipped)

Tasty Tuesday Guessing Game!!!

Alrighty....it is time for another one of my super fun guessing games! HEHE! Do you all have your thinking caps on? If not, you better go grab them because this week is a whopper! What kind of pie did I make in the picture below? All you have to do is leave a guess (you don't have to be right) for a chance to win a little surprise RAK from my stash! :) Good luck!



Blog Candy Alert!! ** Last month was my 2 year blogaversary AND I am celebrating my birthday (THE BIG 30!!) next Monday the 22nd so all my followers better keep an eye on this blog because I am gonna have some super yummy candy to giveaway!! **

Now lets see those guesses on that pie!
-Stacie :)