How To Cut A Fresh Pineapple

I just bought my first fresh pineapple and I wasn't sure how to cut it up. I found this video and the whole process was actually pretty easy! I had never heard the tip about turning it upside down so the sugars re-distribute. I didn't do that (I wanted to eat it NOW) but the bottom was much sweeter than the top. I'll be buying these more often :)

Homemade Carrot Cake

I made this cake for my mama's birthday yesterday. She's been talking about carrot cake for awhile so I decided to attempt to make one from scratch. I'm not a big fan of this kind of cake, but it turned out really well (it's not my favorite, but I'll still eat it!). I made it into 2 rounds and frosted it with a maple cream cheese frosting. I tinted part of it orange and green and decorated the top. Please excuse the soggy carrots - the frosting was really soft even after adding a ton of extra powdered sugar. I liked the frosting :)

These are the 2 recipes I used:

Sam's Famous Carrot Cake

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Moon over the mountains

I snapped this picture early this morning as the sun was coming up. I looked outside and saw the moon just above the mountains. A few minutes later, the moon was gone! The snowy covered peak to the right is Pike's Peak (14,110 feet). There's not a cloud in the sky and it's supposed to be 50* today. Sounds like a good day for a walk :)

Today's date is 3,2,1,0 (3-2-10). I like nerdy stuff like that!

Happy Valentine's Day (+ a week and a half)

I've been meaning to post the Valentine card I made for my hubby - how does life fly by so fast sometimes?!?!



I bought this cute 'Juggle Monkey' digital stamp image from dustinpike.blogspot.com. He has great stuff and it's really cheap, sometimes even FREE!! I bought my hubby Valentine boxer shorts that look just like this only in reverse colors many, many years ago - one of the reasons I wanted this image.



The 4 hearts and the monkey's face and bowtie are cut out and raised with pop-dots. The whole image is colored with Copic markers. I printed the 'Wild Thing' background on the computer and then cut it out with a Nestabilities die. I Cuttlebugged the embossed hearts, added a ribbon, a rub-on message and some heart brads. I had so much fun making this card. I also added 5 'Monkey Money' scratch off tickets inside - we hit the mega jackpot and won $1. We have decided to go all out and blow the whole thing at once. We're risky like that.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.....if you can remember back that far!! :)

Stamps: Dustin Pike digital image 'Juggle Monkey'
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Real Red, White
Accessories: Red grosgrain ribbon, rub-on message, heart brads, pop-dots, crystal effects, Copic markers, printer, Nestabilities Labels One, Cuttlebug hearts folder

Superbowl snacks

This is the only way I get involved in anything football - fun shaped food.

I made these goodies for my hubby to take to his army unit during Superbowl weekend. I found football shaped pretzels and knew I wanted put them in Chex Mix (I love that stuff!!). I also made boiled cookies and shaped and decorated them like footballs. They are made from dark chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter so they are practically health food :)

Boiled Cookies

4 Tbsp. butter

2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 cup milk

Heat in large pot over medium heat until boiling. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups quick oats

Stir until combined and drop Tablespoon sized cookies onto foil. Cool until firm.

*These are a favorite cookie from my childhood. I turn 8 years old everytime I taste one :)

Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Cornbread

I LOVE pumpkin. Like, really, really LOVE it! I've been hoarding the cans that I got late last year because all the stores around here are out! I got these recipes from my friend Kim (thanks Kim!!) and I'm so glad she shared them with me!! The pumpkin in the chili just made it rich and gave a depth of flavor - it didn't taste or look pumpkin-y. I left out the ground beef and added a can of drained and rinsed dark red kidney beans and black beans to give it some protein. I also used the full can of pumpkin (small can) and added more water. We always eat our chili over rice. Something I had never done until a chili cook-off at work. I added sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion and black olives on top.

The chili was good, but the Pumpkin Cornbread was AWESOME!!! It was more like pumpkin cake with cornmeal :) It was moist and sweet and slightly crunchy. I ate some of the pieces straight from the oven while still warm and some I spread on raw honey. Both were wonderful.

Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Cornbread

What's wrong with this picture?!?

We went out of town for the weekend and these table and chairs were outside of our hotel room. I thought it would make for a funny picture. It was only about 30* (if that!) and it was very windy. After the picture was taken, I went back inside and changed into warmer clothes so we could go shopping. Dorky stuff like this makes me happy :)

Stay warm!!

Quilting Forever, Housework, Whenever!

This saying made me laugh because I am not a quilter, but I LOVE to clean the house!! These sweet little cherries make me smile. They remind me of a slot machine :) I used my new Tartan Cuttlebug folder - it came in a pack with 5 other folders and I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but I do! I added the faux stitching around the message panel. That's about the extent of my sewing ability - LOL!! I covered the cherries with crystal effects so they're nice and juicy.

I'm off to mop the floors (one of my favorite chores!).

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Quilting Forever
Accessories: Scallop scissors, Cuttlebug - Tartan, grosgrain ribbon, crystal effects, Copic markers
Paper: SU Real Red, Bella Rose, white

Sew the Seeds of Spring

Another card using my Whipper Snapper set "Springtime Quilt" by Anna Wight. I glued 4 squares of paper together and then cut them out with a Spellbinder die (label 1) in my Cuttlebug. Since it was 2 pieces of paper instead of one, it cut it out and embossed it in one step - cool!! I also embossed the background using my new Cuttlebug Folder "Tartan". The main images were colored and cut out. The bird and tree are raised with pop-dots. I 'threaded' the button with a strip of paper - a tip I learned from Anna! I do not sew so this is a perfect solution for me. I also don't like the look of nekkid buttons on my card. I didn't have a leaf that was the right green so I made my own. I cut out a piece of green paper and added veins with a Copic marker. I curled the leaf slightly so it didn't look so flat.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt
Accessories: Prima flower, button, Spellbinder die, Cuttlebug, paper piercer, pop-dots, stickles
Paper: SU

Tea Bag holder

I made this tea bag holder with my new Whipper Snapper stamp sets. I knew I wanted to make something with a tea bag when I first saw this tea pot image. I LOVE tea and it just goes with a warm, cozy quilt. The tea pot is cut out and covered with crystal effects to make it shiny like ceramic. I added the zig-zag 'stitching' to the borders - I am not a sewer and do not own a sewing machine, but the card needed something to finish it off. I'm happy with how it turned out!

The ribbon and tea pot image are on a belly band keeping the card closed. It slips off easily so the card can be opened.

I added a 'quilt' to the inside left and the message on the right. This brand of Earl Grey is my favorite!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt and Quilting Forever

Accessories: Brads, grosgrain ribbon, Copic markers, crystal effects, tea bag :)

Paper: SU Kraft, night of navy