What's The Word, Bird.

Hello everyone!

Jumping in with this week's creation for the Delightful Inspiration Artist's Challenge! The freebie that Faith provided to us is called 'Whimsical Cardinals', which is available in the Designed2Delight shop for those who did not play along last week.

I have been in a very colorful mood lately, and the rainbow of color just flowed from me! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Happy stamping!

Sherrie

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Whimsical Cardinals Card

A2 or 5-1/2 x 4-1/4 inches

stamps: D2D Whimsical Cardinals; Inkadinkado sentiment

paper: misc. scraps; SU cardstocks

ink: SU Classic Markers, Old Olive, Pure Poppy, Marina Mist, Only Orange

etc: blue rhinestones, sewing, Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon, scallop border punch, foam dots, tombow adhesive

Some Christmas Cards!

Hello!

Just sharing some snapshots of Christmas cards I created this weekend for family and friends. These were fairly quick and easy, and without a lot of 3D for mailing purposes. It can get spendy mailing chunky cards! Although, these are square and did require the additional surcharge for postage.

Sorry about the messy craft space there as well! I've been busy with Christmas prep (as we all are) and have not cleaned things up much.

Inside each card is a simple square of white cardstock for personal messages, as these are only 4 inches square.

Happy Holidays!!

Sherrie

{Happy Birthday Faith!}

Today is Faith Skrdla's BIRTHDAY!

The Designed2Delight design team has prepared a surprise blog post for her on our new Card Idea blog! Please feel free to check out all of the gorgeous birthday cards the team has created for Faith, and leave a little birthday wish for her there as well!

Happy Day Faith!

It has been an amazing year, playing the weekly Artist's Challenge and being on the D2D Design Team!

You are a wonderful person to design for, and so fun to know!

I wish you much success and happiness!

Sherrie

Designed2Delight Poppy Thank You Card

Hey!

I took a big step away from my Christmas cards, which I actually had to shove to the side, to create this wonderful Thank You card. The red and green was getting to me, and I needed a bright D2D creation to kick in my mojo. I think the bold combo of Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, and Peach Parfait was quite a trip in the opposite direction, don't you? Aaahhh, I feel much better!! :)

This is the 'Poppy' digi from the 'Beautiful Life' set, available at Designed2Delight Digital Stamps.

I LOVE it!! Can't you tell? I printed it out to 5 x 3.5 inches directly on patterned paper, and cut out the images.

A look inside:

Those are scraps from creating the card front, and I mirrored the sewing from the card front inside to create some balance.

Alrighty, that's all I have for today!

I hope you are not sick of Christmas preparations yet! I am almost done shopping, and my cards are well, almost finished! LOL! I need about 10 more, then to get them in the mail on time....yikes! I have not even started baking treats yet, and I have a list a mile long 'to-do' still.

It will get done! (deep breath)

Have a GREAT day!!

Sherrie

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Poppy Thank You Card

5-1/2 inches square

stamps: D2D 'Beautiful Life' digi set; Great Impressions sentiment

paper: SU! cardstocks, SU! dsp from hostess stacks

ink: SU! markers, printer

etc: SU! pearls, Walmart trim, sewing machine, foam 3d dots

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 12}

Hello again! Welcome back to another Warm & Cozy Winter Recipe!

Today's recipe is a fairly common one, with many variations available. But this one is the BEST!

No Bake Chocolate Drops

(from my mom, who got it from her mom, who may or may not have added her own touch)

ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. milk

2 c. sugar

4 Tbsp. cocoa

3/4 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. coconut

3-1/2 c. oatmeal

instructions:

In large saucepan melt butter; add milk and sugar. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let boil 2 minutes then reduce heat to low. Stir in cocoa and peanut butter until smooth. Add vanilla, coconut and oatmeal, mix well. Remove from heat and drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper working quickly before mixture cools and dries too much to form cookies.

Makes 48

I like to use this recipe during the Christmas season because there is no baking involved, and it's more like fudge than cookies. I usually make several types of holiday cookies, and this one fits right on the plate next to them! (And does not last long!)

I have seen this recipe on many websites and cookbooks, but most do not call for the peanut butter. It makes a world of difference to add it! Yum!

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I've got another yummie cookie recipe for you tomorrow!

See you there!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 11}

Hey there!

I hope you have found a recipe or two to add to your box! If not, hang tight, here come some more!

Today's recipe is FANTASTIC! Grab a pen and paper, you are gonna want this one. It is THE favorite of my kids and husband!

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole

(from the Better Homes and Gardens website)

prep time: 20 minutes, bake: 25 minutes

ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 6.9 ounce package chicken flavored rice and vermicelli mix

1 14 ounce can chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes (2 medium)

3 Tbsp. canned diced green chile pappers

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1-1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in rice and vermicelli mix (including seasoning packet); cook and stir for 2 minutes.Stir in broth and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes (liquid will not be fully absorbed).

2. Transfer the rice mixture to a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, chile peppers, basil, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.

3. Bake, covered, in a 425F ove rfor 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Make Ahead Directions:

Prepare as above through step 1. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 425F oven about 40 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Honestly, you can skip the baking time on this one for a faster meal, but the baking does help meld the flavors together nicely. I always add way more cheese than the recipe calls for, and sometimes we use this as burrito filling along with lettuce and sour cream, in soft flour tortillas. It is so good!

And, did I mention cheap? This meal will cost you about $7.oo to make, for the chicken, rice mix, broth, and veggies. Most of us have an entire cupboard of spices already, so we get off easy there, and get to put them to good use!

It's a keeper! Give it a try!

Thanks so much for stopping by! And, thanks for all your sweet comments, I am so glad you are finding some new ideas for your families.

See you tomorrow!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 10}

Welcome back to another day of fantastic food!

Today I have a main-dish, cold salad for you to try. It utilizes the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas, so that is good for the wallet! :) And the stomach!

Turkey Almond Salad

(old, well worn newspaper clipping)

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ingredients:

3 c. cooked and cubed leftover turkey

2 c. shredded cabbage

3/4 c. diced celery

1/4 c. sliced green onions

1-1/2 c. chow mein noodles

1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

dressing:

2/3 c. salad dressing or mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. prepared mustard

1-1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

preparations:

In a large bowl, toss together turkey, cabbage, celery, onions. In another bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour over turkey mixture. Chill for several hours. Just before serving, add the chow mein noodles, almonds, and sesame seads; toss to mix. Makes 6 servings.

This salad is crunchy, sweet and salty! And, I assume, healthy!

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Thanks so much for popping in and taking a peek at my recipes. If you ever have a question, please ask!



Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 9}

Don't you love recipes that are easy and inexpensive, but pack a punch!

You are going to love this super easy, super cheap, and absolutely beautiful Coconut Pie!

Enjoy!

Easy Coconut Pie

(from my mom, origin unknown)

ingredients:

2 c. milk

1/4 c. margarine, softened

4 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. Buisquick Original baking mix

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flaked or shredded coconut

instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease glass pie plate, 9 or 10 inch.

2. Stir all ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Refrigerate any remaining pie.

Makes own crust. Top with whip cream.

Wow, right? Super easy to put together, and boy, is it delicious! I love this pie, as does my husband, my oldest son, my father-in-law, and so on!! It does not get any better than this!

Check back tomorrow for Day 10 of Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 8}

Happy Wednesday!

Here in Washington state we are enjoying an abundunce of early snowfall, building snowmen, and having snowball fights! We are running low on cocoa and cidar, but we have our wood stove to keep us warm through the night! No worries! :)

The next recipe on the roster will accompany the hot cocoa and cider perfectly!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Squares

(newspaper clipping)

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ingredients:

2 tubes (8 ounce each) refrigerated cresent rolls

2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 c. sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp. cinnamon

preparation:

Unroll one tube of dough and place in a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Seal seams and perforations; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over dough. Unroll remaining tube of dough and place over cream cheese mixture, sretching to fit. Brush butter evenly over top; sprinkle with cinnamon and remaining sugar. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until done. Cool; cut into small squares. Makes about 3 dozen.

How easy it that? And delicious too! Inexpensive? Oh yes! Perfect!

Give it a go and let me know how it went!

Tomorrow's recipe is a super easy coconut something!!

See you there!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 7}

Happy Tuesday!

~

Today's recipe is a 'stay in your pajamas all day' kind of comfort food! Enjoy!

Cheddar Ham Chowder

(from old magazine clipping)

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ingredients:

2 c. water

2 c. cubed peeled potatoes

1/2 c. sliced carrots

1/2 c. sliced celery

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

2 c. (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can (16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

1-1/2 c. cubed fully cooked ham

preparation:

In a large saucepan, bring water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and papper to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat; do not drain. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Blend in flour. Add the milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir into the undrained vegetables; return large saucepan to the heat. Add corn and ham; heat through, stirring occasionally. Makes 6-8 servings. (2 quarts)

What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is. You have a pot of heart warming chowder in no time at all, and don't forget the cornbread muffins! I always double this recipe to feed my hoard of men! :)

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This is a great recipe to have when you need to use up all the left over ham from Thanksgiving or Christmas.

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If you love cinnamon as much as I do, then you'd better check back tomorrow for Day 8!

Hint, hint!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 6}

Happy Birthday to me! :)

Thanks for joining me again today for another sweet recipe! I really am enjoying sharing them with all of you, and do hope you find time to try them!

Today's recipe is perfect to fill little 4 ounce mason jars and decorate with paper crafting supplies, to give as gifts to the 'ice cream lovers' in your life!

Praline Sunday Topping

(from an old country life magazine)

ingredients:

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1-1/4 c. packed brown sugar

16 large marshmellows

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

dash salt

1 c. evaporated milk

1/2 c. chopped pecans, toasted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ice Cream

preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add brown sugar, marshmellows, corn syrup and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until marshmellows are melted and mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, pecans and vanilla; mix well. Serve warm or cold over ice cream. Store in refrigerator. Makes 2-1/2 cups.

This topping looks gorgeous in little jars, and is oh-so-yummy on ice cream! If you want to get in good with your father-in-law, I highly recommend seving this to him with a slice of pie! :)

Okay, Day 7 switches gear to a wonderful main-dish chowder! Hope to see you there!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 5}

Hey all!

Are you enjoying these great finds? Sometimes it is so hard to figure out what's for dinner, so I know first hand how exciting it can be to have something new! I hope these recipes will inspire you!

Sweet Cherrity Pie

(another magazine clipping from way back!)

ingredients:

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped nuts

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. cold butter or margarine

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

preparation:

Combine flour, nuts and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Reserve 1/2 cup of crumb mixture for topping. Using a spoon, firmly press remaining crumbs into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; chill. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and extract until smooth. Spread over crust. Fold the whipped cream into the cherry pie filling; spoon over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Refridgerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Yum!

This is a great pie for the holidays! It is so creamy and rich! No one will refuse a slice!

I do not know why people buy prepared pies at the grocery store, when homemade is so much better tasting, easy to prepare, and extremely cheaper!

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You will need a large bowl of vanilla ice cream for Day 6's recipe! :)

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 4}

I'm back again!

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Today's recipe is a potatoe side-dish which goes perfectly with chicken, pork, or beef. We love potatoes here at my house, especially with cheese! Here goes:

Party Potatoes

(cut from some old magazine)

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ingregients:

8 large potatoes, peeled

2 c. (16 ounces) sour cream

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1-1/2 c. (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

preparation:

Thinly slice or cube potatoes; place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil; cover and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and cool completely. Place the potatoes in a greased 3-qt. baking dish; add remaining ingredients. Cover and bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Makes 6-8 servings

One thing I do with this recipe is skip the cooling of the potatoes. After the potatoes are through boiling, I drain them and add them to the casserole dish immediately. Then, I bake them for about 30 minutes covered; then 10 minutes uncovered. Why wait? We're hungry!

Also, try 'fat free' sour cream, soup and cheese if you are worried about all the calories. It still turns out rich and creamy! :)

I hope you give this one a try. It is a very tasty, economical recipe, which can become a staple in your arsenal!

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Tomorrow is Day 5, and I have a beautiful pie to share with you! It is perfect for the upcoming holiday gatherings!

Designed2Delight Artist's Challenge {December Freebie #1}

Alrighty, I finished my card using the first free Designed2Delight digital stamp of December! This gorgeous Poinsettia stamp was so fun to work with and color! I could not help but try to create a white flower with touches of pink. You know the ones, right? They are so pretty!

I printed the image out 3 times on watercolor paper to create the three layers of the flower. I added some very watered down and soft touches of SU!'s Blushing Bride to the petals, and used Pear Pizzazz for the leaves and flower center.

The black outline of the image inspired the black card base, sentiment, and button thread. It adds a lot of contrast in real life.

Here's a little look inside!

 Be sure to grab this freebie before it is too late! We would love to see your holiday projects created with it! And you will receive another free digital stamp from Designed2Delight just for playing this week!

Stop back by my blog tomorrow for Day 4 of my very favorite Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes!

Have the most creative day!

Sherrie

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Christmas Greetings

4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches

stamps: D2D digi 'Poinsettia"; SU! Grateful Greetings (sentiment)

paper: SU! 2010 Hostess paper pad; Whisper White, Vanilla, Basic Black cardstocks; watercolor

inks: SU! classic markers

etc: SU! Decorative Label and Scalloped Trim punches, MS snowflake punch, Pear Pizzazz ribbon, buttons, thread, SU! pearls, clear embossing powder, pop-up foam dots

Did You Hear The BIG News? Designed2Delight Has Gone Rubber!

Can you believe it? Faith's amazing images are now going to be available in red rubber cling stamps!

 And what's more, the stamps are exclusive to rubber! You will not be able to get them in digi format, which makes them so much more precious!

 Her first set 'Love Ya a Latte' is available through The Pixie Cottage, and retails for $12.99!

 But, YOU COULD WIN IT!!

Right now TPC is having a bit of blog candy, and this beautiful set is the prize!

Click Here to Sign Up!!

~

Also, today marks the start of a new month of Designed2Delight Stamp of the Month Challenges. This gorgeous 'Poinsettia' digi is FREE FOR EVERYONE!

Create a project with this digi and upload a link in the widget provided by December 9th, at 11:59 pm EST, and you will receive the next freebie in your email box first thing Friday, December 10th! And the challenge starts all over again like that each week!

It is so exciting and fun! Don't miss this opportunity to jump in!

I have a project in the works this morning using this beauty, and I hope to have it posted tonight or early tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 3}

Welcome back to another day of my most favorite recipes!

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I hope you will get a chance to use these wonderful food ideas, and when you do, be sure to let me know how much you loved them! Today's recipe is the ultimate Winter comfort food!

Crock Pot Pear Crisp

(given to me at my local fuit orchard)

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ingredients:

4 ripe pears

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 stick butter, unsalted, room temperature

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 handful of oats, about 1 cup

preparation:

Cream the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and cinnamon, mix well. Add oats and mix again, put aside. Peel pears and dice into 1 inch cubes, place in crock pot. Evenly top with oat mixture. Set the crock pot to LOW and cook for 4 hours. Best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Love the crisp? You can easily double the recipe for company!

What I love about this recipe is that you prepare it before dinner, and the whole house smells so yummy! The kids clean their plates so they can have dessert! It is SO delicious!

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Like I said...no 'diet' food here! LOL! No one should deny themselves fresh and exciting food! Just watch your portions, and maybe do a few crunches before hand! :)

See you tomorrow for Day 4!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 2}

Back for more? Great!

I think I should mention here that NONE of the recipes posted on this blog can be considered 'diet' food! LOL!

Here we go:

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

(swiped from the wrapper of a 10lb. bag of sugar years ago)

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ingredients:

1-1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. corn meal

1 Tbsp. baking podwer

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/4 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 c. oil

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

instructions:

350F; Grease or paper line 18 muffin cups. Mix all dry ingredients; mix all wet ingredients, then combine until moistened. Fill cups 2/3 full, bake 18 to 20 minutes

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For Cornbread:

Pour batter into a greased 8 inch square or round pan. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This is my MOST FAVORITE cornbread recipe in the world! I will never use another! It is cake-like and sweet. It melts in your mouth, it's so good! My entire family loves it! Whenever I make homemade soup, stew, or casseroles, I serve this cornbread with butter and honey. And, whenever we are having company over for dinner, my husband asks me if I am making cornbread!

You've got the recipe now, go try it! I promise, you will throw away all of your old ones!

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Come back tomorrow for Day 3! It's gonna be a sweet one!

Warm & Cozy Winter Recipes {Day 1}

Hello you!

It's the first day of December. It's snowing. There is Christmas music on the radio. The fire is crackling in the wood stove. It's nice and cozy inside. So what's a gal to do (besides paper crafts!)? Bake of course!!

 I thought it would be fun to share some of my most cherished recipes with you! Some are family recipes, and some are just random recipes I have gathered over the years. I will post a different one everyday this month, so get your index cards ready! I have tried all of them, and can assure you that they are fabulous!

Cozy, warm, and comforting!

Best Ever Banana Bread

(from the kitchen of my Aunt Patti Wilkinson)

makes 2 loaves

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ingredients:

3/4 c. shortening

1-1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

3/4 c. milk

2 c. mashed bananas (4-6) -six is best!

2Tbsp. lemon juice

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3-1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

instructions:

Mash bananas and lemon juice, set aside. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat thoroughly until very light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beat after each addition; fold in bananas and nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire rack.

I love that this recipe makes 2 loaves of bread! We eat one, and freeze the other! It's wonderful for breakfast too!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for Day 2 of my all-time favorites!