My kinda math...

Just wondering...

( I Created this by cropping a vintage image and adding the words on paint.)

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

Here is a sample of a little treat I baked up for a dear friend of mine, her friendship is one of the things I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving, and however many guests she ends up with...

And one more picture with a little brighter light, I think...Can you tell they are turkey shaped???   :)

Anyways, most of them have a pumpkin filling, some of them have a pumpkin and butter rum cream swirl filling and one of them has an apple butter rum cream swirl filling. I am thinking it would be fun to offer a surprise for the person who gets that one, that way they get two surprises in one!

I got this idea from looking around Bakerella's site...she got the idea to make pie pops from Luxirare...and so the fruits of one woman's labors are spread afar! I didn't do pops because mine are pretty good sized and slid right off the sticks! But, I can't wait to try making some cake pops next. If anyone reading this has made them let us know and throw in any tips you can think of, as well. A lovely sister of mine helped me with the filling when she was over this past weekend. She made the pumpkin swirl cheesecake tart recipe that I have posted on here somewhere. It was just as good as it sounds and looks really cool so make sure you check it out. It is easier to make than it sounds. But we had almost enough filling for two pie shells so I saved it and added some extra stuff to it and wah-la! Pie pop filling. Can I still call them pie pops since I left the sticks out? Hmmm...

Hope everyone has a very blessed Thanksgiving and has much to give thanks for!

Parade of Paper...Now Open!

Announcing it here: Parade of Paper is now open! I have finally opened an Etsy shop to showcase my handcrafted and personalized cards and paper embellishments. Check me out!

Owl Fun

Messing around in my craft room and came up with these things...what do you think?

Do you get it? "Owl" be right back...! Corny, right? But kinda cute, maybe? I would like to attach some kind of ribbon or something to the top of it so it could be hung on a door knob or something. So it would make a good gift for someone who has a cubicle or office, see?

A couple of fun bookmarks...can you read the second one? It says, This book is a hoot!
They are really simple and done on recycled card stock bookmark paper and, unlike my craft room, these look better in person...I really have to practice more with my lighting and settings!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Tart

My sister, who hates pumpkin pie [ I know! How un-American, right? ;) ] and cheesecake, sent me this recipe because she had this dessert the other night and said it is amazing. But Deb inspired me to share a recipe and I just wanted to pass this one on for anyone who wants to like pumpkin or cheesecake but hasn't figured out how to yet...
 

INGREDIENTS
1 9" PASTRY CRUST
3/4 CUP SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK, DIVIDED
1 8OZ BLOCK CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED
4 OZ BLOCK-STYLE 1/3-LESS-FAT CREAM CHEESE (NEUFCHATEL), SOFTENED
1 T VANILLA EXTRACT
1/4 t. SALT
2 LARGE EGGS, DIVIDED
1 LARGE EGG WHITE
2/3 CUP CANNED UNSWEETENED PUMPKIN
1/2 t. GROUND CINNAMON
1/4 t. GROUND GINGER
1/4 t. GROUND ALLSPICE
 

METHOD
PREPARE AND BAKE THE PASTRY CRUST IN A 9"INCH ROUND REMOVABLE-BOTTOM TART PAN. COOL CRUST COMPLETELY ON A WIRE RACK.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 300 F. COMBINE 1/2 CUP CONDENSED MILK AND THE CREAM CHEESES IN A MEDIUM BOWL; BEAT AT MEDIUM MIXER SPEED UNTIL SMOOTH. ADD VANILLA, SALT, 1 EGG, THE EGG WHITE, BEAT UNTIL COMBINED. SPOON 1/2 CUP CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE INTO A SMALL BOWL; ADD 1/4 CUP CONDENSED MILK, 1 EGG, PUMPKIN, CINNAMON, GINGER, AND ALLSPICE, STIRRING WELL WITH A WHISK.
POUR REMAINING CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE INTO PREPARED CRUST. POUR PUMPKIN MIXTURE OVER CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE; SWIRL TOGETHER USING A KNIFE (MARBLE). BAKE 300 F FOR 50 MINUTES. TURN OVEN OFF; COOL TART IN CLOSED OVEN 45 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM OVEN; COOL COMPLETELY ON A WIRE RACK. COVER; CHILL.

The person who sent the recipe, to my sister, mentions that she does not have a tart pan and so has used a regular 9" pie pan or dish and that has worked well also. I haven't made it yet myself but since I love pumpkin pie and cheesecake, unlike my dear sister, I am sure it will be wonderful and I will take a picture and add it in whenever I get it made. Enjoy!

Where are the gifts?

My original idea for this blog was to put up store sale info and other freebies or tips that I found as a sort of offering or gift for anyone who happened upon this blog. It hasn't quite worked out like that but maybe some of my pictures or meanderings of mind will inspire or motivate or encourage someone and that is like a gift, yes? I will keep trying to find tips or freebies, though, and hopefully have some of them to post in the future...if you have anything you would like to offer the world in general leave it as a comment and maybe, just maybe, the seeker shall find it.

Crafting Cave?

Well, this is as neat as it probably ever will get! This is my craft room and while it's not huge, 7'x11', it is still a wonderful space that I love and am very thankful for...I didn't have any space like this in my last home so I really do appreciate it. Just wanted to share some photos of it so my dear friends can see where the "magic" happens...also this is where I go when they call and I need some privacy...it's the physical version of a "chat" room, huh? ;)

I do my sewing projects on the right side of the room and my paper projects on the left side of the room. Yes, the walls are 3 different colors, with the middle color blended into the top and bottom color...I should get some close-ups of that because a dear lady helped me with that and we really loved how it turned out. Anyways, I have nice window I can hardly see out of because my paper organizer is parked in front of it, but I just peek around it and I can see who's coming or going up and down my street and what the kids are doing in the front yard.

This is a closer view of the sewing side as seen from the paper side. I scoot the machine to the edge of the table top, turn my ipod up and put the pedal to the metal...just kidding, but only on that last part! As you can see I have lots of material to work with, pun intended, stacked all the way to the ceiling, in fact. My beads and jewelry stuff is on the top of that little white cabinet near the right edge of the picture and then, over by the doorway(which you can't see but there isn't a door there anyways) there is more material, a huge bolt of some really great stuff I got mega cheap at a home redo store, with flowers thrown in where they fit because I also make some flower arrangements for some events and if I stick them in boxes I forget I have them! Here is another angle of the sewing side as seen from the entrance to the room...

Next come some shots of the paper side...

 Here is a closer view of the paper side of the room, though I have more material under the desk in the big 3 drawer bin you can see and the green topped bin is sitting on another 3 drawer organizer, with more material! in it and that rolls around, so I can get into the storage closet behind it. I tried to take a real close-up of the paper area so lets see if I can upload it...

I still need to paint the cabinet support but I don't mind the raw wood for now. It kinda brings an "organic" element into the space, huh? ;)
I'll close with a taller(?) view from the room entrance...

This way you can see more of my super pretty cherry floor. I rarely get to see this much of it, myself! If you love it leave a comment! Well, I guess you can leave one even if you don't love it...