Cranberry Almond BiscottiMakes about 3 dozen1 1/2 cups dried cranberries 2 eggs 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for topping 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups unbleached flour, or as needed 1 cup slivered , blanched almonds or shelled pistachiosPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cranberries in a ... continue reading...
Ikea Advent Calendar
Advent Calendari've been shopping a lot at Ikea lately. my neighbor and friend is from Sweden and she has been taking me there on her shopping trips. so, almost every other week i'm checking out Ikea's latest stock. their holiday stuff is now in the stores and i came across their fun christmas tree. they have it displayed with ornaments, but i thought it would be nice to add some advent envelopes. i bought the printed envelopes at my favorite ... continue reading...
Lemon Cranberry Chocolate Scones
Lemon Cranberry Chocolate Sconesi tried a variation on my last scone recipe. i added 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon oil, dried cranberries and chocolate chips. the result was a light and fresh version that was tasty. they turned out so different then the toffee version, but still had the fluffy texture. if you would like to try this version, just refer to my scone recipe posted on 10/24, and make the few changes. oh yeah, i left out the toffee. ... continue reading...
Cork Board Placemats
Make Your Own PlacematsThese cork board placemats are an easy project. You can personalize them and decorate them if you like. I love the Paper Source (their wrapping paper is thick and cute). As you can see, I have almost ever color that they sell. Ok let's get started, here are the supplies that you'll need.Some type of paper, here is the link, Paper Source. The paper needs to be big enough to cover the cork board placemat.Here is my original cork placemat. ... continue reading...
Yummy Scones
Light and Fluffy Scones these are amazing scones! my friend and neighbor gave me the recipe from Epicurious. it is an unusal recipe since it doesn't have butter, but rather has whipping cream in it. the key is to whip the cream before folding it into the flour mixture. also, the recipe calls for toffee candy which adds a unique flavor and makes it yummy. my husband loves these scones, he said the only way to eat it is to pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes and it regains it's ... continue reading...
Colorful Felt Garland
It's raining colorful felt balls!i'm totally falling for these very fun and colorful felt balls. i came across this trivet in a wonderful home and garden store in berkley. once i was home, i quickly got on the internet and found the instructions on how to make them. i tried making them but it was harder than the instructions showed. i would recommend that you buy them from Amazon, here is the link for the felt balls. i created a fun holiday garland using ... continue reading...
Personalized Photo Necklace
Personalized Photo Necklacei've been been wanting to make one of these necklaces for a long time and i finally got around to making one. it is a relatively easy project and a nice gift for the holidays! i designed a very simple style since i like very little on my necklaces, but you could use a different chain and add more beads on the chain if you like. have fun with the project and you can personalize yours with meaningful charms. here is how you make it, ... continue reading...
Halloween Banner
Halloween Banneri'm having fun with these banners! this one is an easy one and i got inspired by a display at the Paper Source store. on this project i just used scrapbook paper and cut out triangle shapes. then i had fun creating layers behind the glittery letters. i used fuzzy black ribbon that i bought at the Paper Source store. to hang the banner, i just folded over the top to create a seam in the back and threaded the ribbon through. then i taped ... continue reading...
Easy to Make Burlap Pencil Holder
Shabby Chic Burlap Pencil Holder i have childhood memories of making holiday presents out of burlap! too funny that it's making a comeback! this project is simple to make and the results are beautiful. i love how the silver from the tin can shines through the burlap. have fun creating this easy project...here are the materials you'll need for the project:you'll need burlap ribbon, nice that it comes with finished edges! i found it on amazon, here is their ... continue reading...
Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie with Vanilla Puddingthis recipe has an unusual ingredient in it...vanilla pudding. i think it keeps the cookie moist and almost doughy! it is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, which makes a nice combination. of course they freeze well, which is great for kids lunches. i feel like a squirrel getting ready for winter, i'm storing cookies and they are storing nuts. enjoy this cookie and thanks for visiting!Chocolate Chip Cookies1 cup and ... continue reading...
Amy’s Almond Cookies
Almond Cookies is Today's Happy Recipe. This is a wonderful recipe that I know you will love! So, it only takes a couple minutes to make and you have a perfectly baked cookie in 15 minutes. There is one other family favorite cookie that you might want to check out as well, these addicting Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies. ... continue reading...
Autumn Garland
Festive Autumn Bannerfestive banners seem to be pretty popular this season. so i decided to give it a try this week. i used craft paper, mat board and ribbon.you'll need card stock paper (you can find it at your local craft store, i totally love shopping at the Paper Source, here is their link, Paper Source), glitter paper, scrapbook paper, ribbon, stickers and other craft decorations. i ended up printing out the letters off the computer. you might ... continue reading...
Homemade Halloween Water Candles
Halloween Water CandlesAutumn is almost here, and with the longer evenings, candles are the best way to brighten your home. These candles aren't your typical candles. My son came across this idea, and I loved the concept. Of course, I added my touch to the design. I used some fun food coloring to the water and decorated the jars to make them festive for Halloween. The cool thing about this craft is that you can make it for any occasion. I used the craft glitter tape that you can ... continue reading...
Halloween Front Porch
Our front porch is ready for Halloween!i think i'm getting my neighbors worried about halloween....i put up my decorations so early this year! oh well.... here is a photo of our mantle. i used a black feather boa to add some fun to the decor! ... continue reading...
Cupcake Liner Twinkle Lights
More Twinkle Lights...ok, i just got inspired to make another string of lights for my daughter's bedroom.i love how they turned out. have fun creating your own set of lights, and thanks for stopping by!Meri Meri Birthday Yum Bake Cups, Set of 48 (Google Affiliate Ad) ... continue reading...
Cupcake Twinkle String Lights
Halloween Twinkle Lightsthis is a very easy project. the craft stores have so many fun paper cupcake liners that it is kind of difficult choosing just one design. i found some black and white polka dotted liners that i used for this project. i decided to double line my lanterns to make it fun and also add some support to the shades. so here are the materials you'll need... twinkle lights...fun paper cupcake ... continue reading...
Pumpkin Initial Craft Project
autumn pumpkin projecti saw a version of this on pinterest. i decided to make a few changes. i used a fake pumpkin that i bought at the craft store. here are the supplies you'll needi used a fake pumpkin, you can use a real one if you prefer. you'll have to spray paint it white.i bought this ribbon from michael's craftsit's difficult to tell from this photo, but this is black acrylic craft ... continue reading...
Classic Apple Pie
happy happy autumn... speaking of fall...my neighbor's apple tree has a ton of yummy apples hanging from its branches. our neighbor mentioned that we are welcome to pick their apples, so yesterday my husband climbed over the fence and picked a bag of them. i ended up baking two apple pies...one for my neighbor and one for us. i tried a new recipe from my america's test kitchen cookbook. preparing the dough was time consuming and somewhat difficult for me. if you look closely at my ... continue reading...
