Friday Flickr Inspirations: Valentine's Day Hearts

feltsewgood

my artistic side

kreinikgirl

such pretty things

scrapdemon

cake girl

apple & eve

punkie pies

Tea on Tuesday: Strawberry-Lavender Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted bread flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
2 teaspoons lavender
2 1/2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the strawberries and almonds, and toss gently to combine.

3. In a small bowl, microwave 1/2 cup cream on HIGH in 30-second intervals until cream simmers. Add the lavender to the cream, and let steep for 5 minutes; strain.

4. In a separate small bowl, mix together the honey and the lavender-infused cream. Pour the honey-cream mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until dough just comes together (dough will be sticky).

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch square cutter, cut 12 scones. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush tops with remaining cream. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 scones.

~~ yummy recipe and photo from: Tea Time Magazine ~~

Pink Saturday!

Hello everyone! I have been missing Pink Saturdays and am glad to finally be back! I'm rather glad to see the holidays wind down and the new year always seems to be a new beginning. I know I'm looking forward to spring and getting rid of this cold wintry weather! So today I thought I'd think about the best kind of spring...a pink spring, of course!

Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and join in all the fun of visiting Pink Saturday bloggers!

Hope you're having a fabulous Pink Saturday and remember to "think pink spring"!

Hugs,
Sheri

FRIDAY FLICKR INSPIRATIONS: PIN CUSHIONS/PIN KEEPS

tanyawhelan

adriannasboutique

lauriescharmingdesigns

lollihops

jillianhaupt

misspriss4595

leafpeople

sweetmemorymakingmom

beths bagz

gina2424

Tea on Tuesday: Creamy White-Bean and Sage Soup

Ingredients:
4 ounces bacon, finely diced
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon prepared roasted garlic
4 cups chicken broth
4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 sprigs fresh parsley
8 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon black truffle oil
Garnish: additional black truffle oil and ground black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

2. Add the onion and roasted garlic to the bacon drippings in the pot, and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth, and bring to a boil. Add the beans, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves; cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

3. Remove the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves from the soup. Using a blender, puree the mixture in batches until smooth.

4. Return soup to the pot, and add cream, butter, lemon juice, white pepper, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in truffle oil. Ladle soup into individual serving dishes, and drizzle each serving with additional truffle oil and a sprinkle of black pepper, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

~~ yummy recipe and photo from: Tea Time Magazine ~~

FRIDAY FLICKR INSPIRATIONS: PAPERCLAY

OK, I admit it. I've become fascinated with paperclay! I keep seeing all these great creations and I want to give it a try!littlesomethings1

sleephollowfolkart

applehillsdolls

ambitionsdesign

ginnydiezelstudios

thesnippets

thepolkadotpixie

holidaysparkle

What city do you a belong in?

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

Wishing you...

Tea on Tuesday: Apple Cakes with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded peeled apple
1/4 cup chopped pecans
LEMON SAUCE:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons butter

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg white until combined. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to shortening mixture just until combined. Fold in apple and pecans (batter will be thick).

Divide between two 8-oz. ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice and butter until blended. Spoon over warm cakes.

Yield: 2 servings.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: tasteofhome.com~~

A beautiful Snowbird!

My friend Jan at Rose Haven had a "STROLL THE SHOPS" Feature on her blog the first of December. Every day, Monday thru Friday, through Friday, December 11th, Jan was strolling through some Etsy, eBay, Bonanzle and Blog shops that she had bought from, had been busy "peeking" in or otherwise drawn to. There were links to follow to the shops, where you could see what they have to offer...learn a bit about the seller and even peek at some of the "pretties" Jan's purchased.
One of the beautiful giveaways was from Cathy Scalise of Treasured Heirlooms! I can't believe I won one of her sweet creations! I have admired her work in Romantic Homes magazine and I drop by her blog to check out her dreamy creations all the time.

Here she is...a beautiful pink and aqua birdnest creation...how lovely! She really is too lovely to hide away and only bring out at Christmas, so I'm going to leave her out year-round!

Thank you Jan and Cathy for offering this wonderful giveaway!! I truly hope all my friends had a lovely Christmas and I wish you much happiness and joy in the New Year!!

Hugs to all,
Sheri

It's Christmas Day!

Wishing you a day full of Joy, Love, Family, and Happiness! from our House to Yours!

Tea on Tuesday: English Trifle

I make English Trifle every Christmas--but last year I did a "light" version and it was just as good! I always make it a day or two before we plan to eat it because the flavors blend together and become awesome! You can save some calories, and we'll be the only ones who know! :) ENJOY!

Ingredients:
* 1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 cup cold water
* 1 prepared angel food cake (8 ounces), cut into cubes
* 1 cup mashed strawberries
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
* 1 cup sliced firm bananas
* 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
* 2 cups cold fat-free milk
* 1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1 fresh strawberry

Directions:
* In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Pour half of gelatin mixture into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until slightly thickened. Let remaining gelatin stand at room temperature.

* Place half of cake cubes in a 3-qt. trifle bowl. In a small bowl, combine mashed strawberries and sugar; spoon half over cake.

* Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Cut pineapple chunks in half; arrange half over mashed strawberries. Toss banana slices with reserved pineapple juice; arrange half of slices over pineapple. Top with 1 cup sliced strawberries. Spoon refrigerated gelatin over fruit. Refrigerate trifle and remaining gelatin mixture for 20 minutes.

* In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread half of pudding over trifle. Repeat all layers. Top with whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds; garnish with the strawberry.

Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 155 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 274 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: tasteofhome.com~~

Happy Birthday to me!

Yep, it's that time of year again...that glorious time of year when I acknowledge I'm 39.999 again today. :)

When I was younger, birthdays seems spoiled because of it being so close to Christmas...you know how it went, birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper and the yearly "oh we just got you this for your birthday because Christmas is next week". Somehow I always felt gypped, you know.

But the older I am, the more I like having a birthday around Christmas. It's makes the two inseparable with holiday lights, Christmas lights, holiday music. Everyone seems to celebrate. Now that I'm older, and my family has passed on, it's a sad time of the year for me, one full of memories. So I'm happy to have the lights and music and even the funny memories of years gone by.

I was supposed to be in Pigeon Forge, TN, this weekend. My husband and I have made it a tradition to go down and look at all the Festival Lights every Christmas & do a bit of shopping. Nothing like creating new memories and new traditions with someone you love. However, the weather had different plans for us this year! We are supposed to get atleast a foot (yes, 12"!!) of snow starting around noon today!! So I will be "snowed in" for my birthday this year. I can't even remember the last time we got more than a few inches of snow, especially in December! And they're saying we might just see more snow on Christmas Eve. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!

I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!

Hugs,
Sheri

Friday Flicker Inspiration (a day early): Christmas Wreaths!

jeffwoelker

irememberlove21

thewreathwitch

almostbunnies'

EnchantedRoseStudio

SophieRoseDesigns

TheShoppingSherpa

njchow82

artcreations