Saturday, April 20, 2013

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert ~

Hello, lovely friends!

 Have I got a dessert recipe for you today!

This may or may not be my third blog post in featuring a dessert in recent months. If I end up weighing about 400 lbs. with this pregnancy you now will all know why!

 I was given this recipe by my wedding photographer. She made us an amazing lunch on the day I came over to her house to edit our pictures with her. She actually served a light brunch with the most amazing chicken salad recipe I've ever had. That will be a post for another time though! This recipe was on the other side of the page so I asked her if I could have it. I usually make this dessert about once every summer since we've been married. It's a hit wherever we go!!



Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert Recipe ~

24 Ice cream sandwiches (2 boxes)
1 14 oz. jar caramel sauce
1 14 oz. jar hot fudge sauce, heated
1 container whipped cream, thawed
Peanuts or Pecans (I almost always go with peanuts)

Place 12 sandwiches in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Spread caramel sauce evenly over sandwiches, then spread hot fudge sauce evenly over sandwiches. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Top with 12 more ice cream sandwiches. Spread whipped topping evenly over sandwiches. Drizzle the rest of the caramel and hot fudge sauces over the whipped cream layer. Top with more peanuts. Cover and freeze for at least one hour. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

Source ~ Glenda Adams from Montgomery, Alabama. 
I have no clue who she is or what magazine this recipe was featured in. Whoever you are, you're amazing! I have definitely changed up the recipe and the ratios a bit over the years though making it a bit more my own. 


This is all you need for the dessert (plus a knife to cut the ice cream sandwiches to fit your entire pan)


Layer 1 ~ 12 ice cream sandwiches


Layer 2 ~ With fudge, caramel, and peanuts


Layer 4 ~ 12 more ice cream sandwiches


Yep, a whole whipped cream layer!


Drizzle the rest of the caramel and the fudge ~ I don't use all of the sauces. I always have some left over.


Finally top with peanuts. This dessert is super rich as you can probably imagine. That's why I use peanuts instead of pecans. I like the salty sweet mix the best with my desserts.

Enjoy!

Love,


Linking with ~ 

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays the Scoop
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
VMG206 ~ Link Party
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
Saving4Six ~ Think Tank Thursday
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Seasons of a Homemaker ~ Seasons on Sunday

Monday, April 15, 2013

White Bread Box ~ With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Hello, dear friends.

 I have finally painted my first piece with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I have been wanting to try this paint ever since I started blogging and I've seen some beautiful transformations with this paint on so many blogs.


I bought this paint for the nursery so that I can more safely paint the baby's dresser/changing table and book shelf while pregnant. 


The bread box and a set of shelves (for the nursery) were my practice pieces to familiarize myself with using the paint.

(I just love my workbench by the way!)

Painting the bread box ~


I found this bread box for $7 at a re-sale shop ~ I could not believe my luck when I saw it and for that price! I had been looking for this exact style and I didn't really think I'd ever find it.


My husband spray painted one coat with white spray paint for me this past fall. The weather turned bad quickly so I gave up and told him that I would try again when I could actually paint myself . He was a good sport about it though!


I then painted with one coat of the Old White and let it dry overnight. This isn't really necessary, I believe it could be dry and ready for a second coat in about 30 minutes.

The next day I painted my second coat and then applied the clear wax about an hour later

I liked the paint, and the clear wax but I was kind of confused about the HUGE deal everyone has been making about it. Again, I liked it well enough and the lack of odor was great but I wasn't quite getting it yet...then I added the dark wax.


Here's the difference between the Old White and the clear wax on the front and the Old White, clear wax, and the dark wax on the top and the sides. I fell in LOVE! 


What I love is that I you can get this textured, aged look by simply applying the dark wax with a clean rag. No sanding to get the look that I love so much. The color is amazing! You can mix the clear and dark to get a lighter aged look too which I may do for the changing table and the bookshelf.

 It all just depends on how much of the dark wax that you use then you wipe it off immediately. If a spot is too dark you can just rub some clear wax over it and seal your color in.

I might not have needed to do that second coat after seeing how dark the wax is and how much it looks distressed anyway.

The color is amazing and I'm sure my pictures do not do it justice. This color is so drastically different compared to everything else that I've ever painted white before. The texture, the look, the color, everything. I'm comlpetely sold now! I'm not sure if I'll always be able to afford this paint but it is a life changer. I can't wait to use some of her other colors now.

I let the piece cure for 24 hours before I started using my bread box.

The finished product ~



A closer look at the color as I'm sure my photography as always leaves a lot to be desired!


Another view

What I used for this project ~

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old white
Annie Sloan Clear Wax &
Annie Sloan Dark Wax
Clean rags
                            A Purdy paint brush (a suggestion
 from my blogger friend Elyse over at Shabby Sweet Tea.)

My Resources ~

Amanda at One Girl in Pink

These ladies are simply wonderful and they have both answered many questions and given me some great advice. Thanks to you both! 
Check out their blogs. You will love them both!

I can only imagine how much more I would love using the paint if I could also use the Annie Sloan brushes. I guess I know what to ask for for my birthday and Christmas now! 

My next project for this week is the dresser/changing table and the bookshelf. I'm excited as I'll be using some Provence mixed with Old White and I may try mixing the clear wax and the dark wax for a lighter distressed look. There are so many amazing possiblities with this paint.

Wish me luck!

Love,


Linking with ~

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays the Scoop
Knick of Time Interiors ~ Knick of time Tuesdays  
Les Chateau Des Fleurs ~ Monday Link Party
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage ~ Feathered Nest Friday
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
The Country Farm Home ~ Country Whites Weekend
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight



Monday, April 8, 2013

Cherry ~ Blueberry Pie Recipe

Hello, dear friends!

 I've been making this cherry blueberry pie recipe for a few years now so I thought I'd share it with you today. We had this pie for Easter Sunday and everyone seemed to like it.

 Anyone who truly knows me knows my love for pie. It's hard to say exactly when this passion started. I clearly remember 'helping' my Mom in the kitchen when I was little. I always got to eat the little scraps of pie dough afterwards. I also remember her peach pie being my very favorite and it still is. My older sister became the pie baker later on and I really only baked cookies, brownies, and cake (all made from scratch of course).
 I think it was after the movie 'Waitress' came out in 2007. Shortly after that I discovered Grand Traverse Pie Company and my passion truly began. My pies may not be the prettiest but I sure do love them anyway! I've finally found my go-to pie crust recipe and  I'm loving to mix different fruits together now too. Enjoy!!


Cherry-Blueberry Pie:

Filling ~
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBSP. corn starch
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries


(Note: The photos are of the recipe doubled)

Garnish ~
1 egg white
1 tsp. water
2 tsp. sugar

1) Make your pie crust (recipe below)

2) Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir in pie filling and blueberries. Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

3) In a small bowl, beat egg white and water with fork until blended. Brush over top crust (discard any remaining egg mixture). Sprinkle crust with 2 teaspoons sugar. Cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

4) Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown, removing foil during last 1o minutes of baking if necessary to brown edges of crust. Cool 2 hours before serving.

(Recipe Via: Pillsbury

Classic Pie Pastry ~


Ingredients for double-crust pie:

2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached)
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shorting (I use butter flavored)
6 to 7 TBS. cold water

Or

Ingredients for single-crust pie ~


1-1/4 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup  shortening (Butter flavored)
4 to 5 TBS. cold water

Directions ~

 1)In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in the shortening until mixture is crumbly (or just use your amazing Kitchen Aid Mixer like I do): Gradually add  water, tossing with fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

2) For a double crust, divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal, and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake according to to recipe directions.

3) For a single crust pie, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trip pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of pie plate; flute edges. Bake according to recipe directions.

(Recipe via: The Taste of Home Cookbook)

Mom's never fail crumb topping ~

Mix: 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour

Cut in: 1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 TBS.)

Until crumbly.

Yep, that's it!

I wish that my pies looked as perfect as hers! Sigh...Someday!


Note to Self: When deciding last minute to do a crumb topping version instead of two double crust pies ~ remember to bake it in your deeper pie pan so that you won't get all the mess. Your pie will look a lot prettier!


Ah, pie! 

There's just nothing like it! Nothing says "homyness" to me like a fresh pie out of the oven!

Love,


Linking with ~

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuedays the Scoop
Cutesy Crafts ~ An oldie but a goodie link party
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
Funky  Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight

Monday, April 1, 2013

Nursery Project #1 ~ Beatrix Potter Decoupage Bunny

Hello, dear friends. 

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter holiday with family and friends. I know that I did.

My first craft project for the nursery has been completed and I'm super excited to share it with you!

Many of you already know that the nursery theme is Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter and all things bunnies.

Decoupage Bunny ~

I started out with this ceramic bunny that I found at Tuesday Morning for 7$. 

I've actually been looking for an unfinished bunny since last Easter when my cousin gave me this whole idea.


I used matte Modge Podge, a foam brush, a tray, and some damp cloths for this project. Also, my four free library books for the book pages ( a gift from my Dad).


I ripped up several book pages then soaked them in Modge Podge just before I would form them to the bunny, one piece at a time. Overlaying piece by piece to cover up any uncovered spots still showing through.

This was a really messy project as you can see!


Here's the bunny almost completed. Forming the paper to the ears, tail, and face were the hardest parts.

After I covered the whole bunny with the book pages I then brushed on a layer of the Matte Modge Podge over the entire thing and let it dry for about thirty minutes.


The off white bow and the eyes are the final touch! I had the ribbon on hand (from the dollar store) and the eyes were a last minute purchase (a little over a dollar for the package of beads).

I just love how the bunny turned out! I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive about how I would like it once completed. 

I think the splashes of spring colors from the book pages will really stand out in Olivia's neutral colored nursery.


Front view

I am so excited that my husband is going to start painting the nursery tomorrow! I will soon be able to start putting these items in the room!

Please feel free to ask any questions if there's anything that I was unclear about in this little tutorial.

Have a wonderful day!




 Linking with ~

Do Small Things With Love ~ An Oldie but a Goodie link party
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays The Scoop
Knick of Time Interiors ~ Knick of Time Tuesdays
TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
Ivy & Elephants ~ What's it Wednesday
Saving4six ~ Think Tank Thursday
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage ~ Feathered Nest Friday
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Seasons of a Homemaker ~ Seasons on Sunday
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight