I'm baaaaak and I'm getting into my creative mode again now that I have a new Cricut cutting machine.  My old one broke and unfortunately it cannot be fixed.  I didn't realize how sad I would get just looking at that old machine knowing it wouldn't cut properly (I tried and tried and tried, but would just get frustrated and quit).  I didn't want to spend the money on a new one (very expensive) but when I added up how much I've spent on papers and tools and my new Gypsy (LOVE the Gypsy...but that's for another post), I couldn't justify NOT buying a new one.  It's the same model, but it is turquoise and I got it on sale, DOUBLE BONUS!

Now I have a thousand ideas running through my head and not enough time to create.  But every night I'm making something and soon all of my thoughts will be on paper.  LITERALLY.

Here are a few of my most recent cards and creations:

These "fashion" ones are from one of my new favorite Cricut cartridges - Forever Young.  Most of the outfits are either sparkly (white) or shiny (pink).  Last night I finally tried cutting fabric and I LOVE IT!  I will definitely be making more fashion cards using real fabric now.





This is for a 9 year old girl


Thinking of You for a co-worker going through a tough time


DANCE! The blue dress is cut from fabric.


And finally, WOOF!  This is for a friend's new dog.  The dogs along the border is a cut out, so you are peeking through to the tan inside card.
 
Here is the inside of the card


I also made a small frame for my friend's dog which I'll post later.

I'm having so much fun, my real job seems to be a way to pass the time before I can get home and create more!!

Lately my son has been surprising us by trying most new foods that we put in front of him.  he doesn't always eat them, but at least they make it to his lips!  On a whim last week I made him a veggie burger and he ate 3 bites.  That's progress for him! 

Unfortunately we aren't a super healthy family.  We like convenience and taste.  That doesn't always translate into healthy.  But in an effort to get more veggies into the little munchkin, I thought I would trick him a little with zucchini nut muffins.  As I was making them this morning I kept thinking "what a waste of ingredients; these are going to taste awful!" but boy was I surprised!

He didn't eat an entire muffin, but I still see him walking by his dish and picking it up to take a bite here and there.  Success!  And hubby and I had more than our share, so to trick my husband was a bonus too!

I got the recipe from FamilyOven.com  

Zucchini Nut Muffins  

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 35 mins 

Serves: 24

 

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups zucchini , grated
• 3 cups flour , sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts , chopped

 

Directions

• Beat the eggs until they are light and foamy.
• Add the sugar, oil and zucchini.
• Blend well with a spoon.
• Mix the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture; blend well.
• Add the nuts, and spoon into greased muffin tins.
• Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes.

Next time I may add carrots or cranberries.  As this recipe stands I don't think it needs anything (they were nice and moist) but I want to try to come up with other healthy variations.  Though with all of that flour and sugar, they probably aren't really "healthy" but in my mind they are because of the veggies.

Happy eating!

Over the weekend I was meandering through Target and I ventured down the scrapbooking aisle, which I really should not have done.  I already have loads of paper and embellishments which are just sitting in my new tackle box, screaming to be used.  But I still found myself drawn to the pretty colors of card stock, racks of elements that are "just right" for this idea or that one, ribbons that would look so pretty streaming off a wedding card.  But I knew I shouldn't buy anything more.
Then I saw it.
It was so pretty in all of it's white, glittery goodness! 
That's exactly what it was....white glitter paper!  And it was my inspiration to finish off my anniversary card.

This was my original design, which obviously needed something:


Then some Cricut cut outs on white glitter paper + faux rhinestones turned it into this:

I added several flowers streaming from the top of my ribbon (which I did not change, however the lighting in the pictures makes it look completely different.  It is a silver ribbon overlayed with a white lace.  You can see the lace well in the first picture and the silver well in the second one).  I added a glittery heart at the end, then put red and clear/silver stones in each piece.  I'm pretty happy with it, especially since I got some red on there and I love the look of red and silver.
I feel that this one is complete now.

And of course I couldn't get out of Target with just one piece of paper!  So I got some shiny reddish/pinkish paper as well.  Here is a birthday card that I threw together last night.  The top flower is actually three layers that pop out and there is a clear/silver stone in the center of it. 


I created that one with a specific person in mind, but I will probably use the inside saying on more cards since I think it's kinda cute.

Many women get chills down their spine when they racks and racks of shoes.
I get chills when I see this:

Last night I organized my card making supplies and as silly as it sounds, this picture made me giddy.  I got a large tackle box and even though everything didn't fit into the compartments, I was still able to separate things out pretty well.
I love being able to see most of what I have at a glance.

It took a while but I was still able to throw together these two cards.


The Anniversary card still needs a little "something" and I'm waiting to be inspired.  I don't want to throw on just any embellishment because I do like how the ribbon looks.  Hopefully I'll come up with something tonight.

Time to go create!

Last night my husband asked if we had any "Get Well" cards in house so he could send one to a male co-worker.  I am sure we did, as I am a hoarder and tend to hold onto everything.  Many times I've purchased a card with the intent to send it out right away, but then the moment has passed and the unsent card ends up in a pile on our desk or, if I felt organized that day, put into a special card box that I bought years ago which has dividers for each month and type of occasion.  This box has gotten pretty full.

But, since I've been in a crafty mood lately I decided to make one for him.  My inspirations tend to lean towards the feminine side (fabric embellishments in the shape of dresses and hats, embroidered flowers, whimsical party hats, etc) so I didn't have much in stock that would be appropriate for a man who just had gall bladder surgery.  I pulled out my Cricut cutting machine, which I admit hasn't seen much action since I got it as a gift almost three years ago, and got to work.  I don't have a lot of cartridges so it took a lot of time to pick something out that I thought was appropriate, but this is what I came up with.  Very basic and simple. 

On the inside I printed a simple "Best wishes on a speedy recovery"

I liked the texture of the paper that I used and I think I'll make more of these tonight, but do some that are blank inside so they are suited for any occasion.

Once I got started with the Cricut I wanted to play around with some other ideas that I had.  I ended up with something that has become my favorite and I think I'll be doing many more like it.

First here are all of the cards together:


These cards are using two different papers and I interchanged pieces of the flowers on each to create a striped and solid affect.  The flower also "pops" off the page and has a faux rhinestone in the center.
  
For this one, the "V" heart is raised from the page
 

And here is my favorite!
The "V" heart is also raised on this one, plus the four hearts at the bottom are actually peeking out from the inside of the card through cutouts that I made.
 

I'm going to experiment a lot with this tonight.  I have images of little babies crawling across the bottom of the card in pink and blue.  I've always wanted to try cards in this way but never thought of how to do it.

I was up until 1 am (on a work night!!) and still didn't want to put everything away since I was having so much fun.  I can't wait to get back to them tonight.

I made this recipe on Wednesday and there was plenty for two dinners for my husband and I.  I can't recall the size of the roast I got, but I think it was about 4 lbs.  I love pot roast and I grew up having it, but I can't describe just how flavorful (and easy) this one was.  It's a keeper!
My sister emailed me the recipe (in 2007) from the Food Network.  I think I'm a little behind in trying some things out.

Beef Pot Roast 

From: Sandra Lee, Food Network

 

Ingredients

• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen onions
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen baby carrots
• 1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms
• ½ lb small new potatoes, halved
• 4 lbs beef chuck roast, rinsed and patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• ¼ cup steak sauce

Directions

• Put onions, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes into slow cooker
• Season the roast with salt and pepper
• In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat on all sides in oil
• Add to slow cooker on top of the vegetables
• In small bowl, stir together cream of celery soup, onion soup mix, beef broth, and steak sauce.
• Pour on top of roast.  Cover and cook on high heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.

My adjustments:
I prepared this the night before, so my onions and carrots were probably defrosted by the time they went into the cooker.  I second guessed  myself and thought I probably should have waited and put them in the pot just before starting it, but honestly there was no harm done.  I didn't notice any ill effects.
I used a can of sliced mushrooms instead of fresh.  Crock pot cooking is all about the easy for me!
I used a whole can of beef broth (maybe 14 oz)?  It was at least 2 cups.
I also added some garlic powder when I seared the beef.  I'm Italian and that is a staple in my recipes!!

Here are some pictures that I took. I'm honestly not sure if these will look appealing to people or not, but if you are like me and you enjoy some good comfort food, these could make your mouth water.
Either way, it had some great flavor and I highly recommend the recipe.

In the cooker:

(there was a lot of au jus which was fairly thick on it's own, so if you wanted to serve a gravy with it you probably wouldn't need too much to thicken it.
In the serving plate:


Enjoy!

I have missed doing some of my paper crafts so the other night I pulled out my supplies....and organized!  Then I made a few cards just to feel like I've accomplished something. I'm happy with how these came out given the short time making them.  Next, I want to work with my Cricut a little more, but I have to have patience with that.



I love working with elements that pop out!

I've decided to get my blog going again (using this site, instead of my old one:  http://joatmon.braveblog.com/).  In the past I didn't have much to say.  But lately I find myself doing different things and wanting to tell someone about it...someone who may care more than my husband or two year old son.  So, here I am.

I'm going to start off with some recipes I've been trying out.  Today's menu:

Tequila Lime Chicken with Crème Brûlée Crème Brûlée for dessert
No, that wasn't a typo.  I got the recipe from the Nestle Coffe-Mate website and originally it was entitled Vanilla Caramel Creme Brulee because that is the flavor Coffee-Mate they used.  I did not have that in the house, but I did have their Creme Brulee flavor.  What luck!  So, I've adjusted my recipe to use that, but I have included the original below.

Since we haven't eaten dinner yet, I cannot comment on these recipes just yet.  But later I hope to take some pictures and will add some reviews.

{Updated} Okay, dinner is over.  My comments are in BOLD & Italics

Tequila Lime Chicken

From Food Network's Barefoot Contessa http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tequila-lime-chicken-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 4 split, bone in chicken breasts, or a whole cut up chicken
• 1 cup gold tequila
• the juice from 3 – 4 limes
• the juice of one orange
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

• Place all ingredients except chicken in a 9 x 13 pan. Mix well. Place chicken in and let marinate overnight.

• Grill or bake at 425 degrees on a rack until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees and the skin is crispy.

{Update}  Okay, this was much too "tequila-y" for me.  But in the recipe's defense I did not use as much chicken.  I only had 3 pieces of boneless chicken breast, so there was much more marinade than what I probably needed.  I also did not have the orange on hand so perhaps the orange juice would have cut the alcohol a bit.  I did however use fresh lime juice which is very unusual for me.  I am usually always using the fake stuff from a bottle. 

Vanilla Caramel Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vanilla Caramel Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer  (I used their Crème Brûlée flavor)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° f.
• Place coffee-mate, cream, granulated sugar and salt in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Beat egg yolks in medium bowl; gradually whisk cream mixture into egg yolks. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour mixture into four custard cups. Place cups in 13 x 9-inch baking pan; fill pan with hot water to 1-inch depth. Loosely cover with foil.
• Bake for 70 minutes or until gently set in center. Remove to wire rack to cool slightly. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each crème brûlée evenly with brown sugar. Broil for 2 minutes or until sugar is melted and carmelized. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until topping hardens

{Update} This was fantastic!!  My only complaint is that I have a nifty little kitchen torch which I've been dying to use, but I didn't realize it wasn't filled with butane yet.  I did use the broiler as the recipe suggests, but two minutes wasn't long enough and I think four minutes was too much.  Next time I hope I get to use the torch so I can watch it carmelize right before my eyes.  I can't wait to try this with different flavors.  
Now I have to make some Angel Food cake with the leftover egg whites.  Anyone know how long I can hold onto those?
   

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