Sunday, December 22, 2013

Recipe: Cranberry Feta Wraps


A holiday party...and we needed to bring an appetizer.

I wanted something easy and a bit festive.

So what's the solution?

Pinterest, of course!

I began looking at my Yummy board and found an old picture I had tagged of Cranberry Feta Wraps...don't they look yummy?

Cranberry Feta Wraps
Approximately 36 pieces

2 packages dried Sweetened Cranberries
2 containers Whipped Cream Cheese
2 cups Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/2 cup Chopped Green Onion
6 large Wheat or Spinach Wraps

1. Combine first four ingredients and mix well.
2. Divide and spread mixture evenly among wraps.
3. Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of two (2) hours.
4. Slice into 1-2 inch pieces and serve.

Variations:
Add a thin layer of ham to wraps before rolling.
Add a cup of chicken to cranberry mixture.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sewing: Hello Kitty's BowTie Pouch


Such a wee little one....

With big, beautiful expressive eyes!

We met at dinner a few months back...she was there with her parents, the only child at a dinner party.

I brought her a simple pouch...just a basic zipper pouch...and filled it with inexpensive Hello Kitty trinkets.  She loved it...Hello Kitty is her favorite.

And she made a request....

Next time we meet could I make a zippered pouch with handles and pockets inside?

Of course I can, little one!

But there was no bling...and it needed bling!  How do you appropriately bling a Hello Kitty pouch?

With a big, obnoxious bow tie!  It works, doesn't it?

Meet the Bow Tie pouch...in Hello Kitty fabric...with a pink polka-dot lining and two pockets (because a girl must have pockets for her phone and cards).

I'll be seeing her in a few weeks...I hope she likes it as much as I do!


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Recipe: Cherry Kiss Cookies


An awesome cookie any time of the year, but particularly for your Christmas parties due to it's festive colors...it's one of my favorites.

Cherry Kiss Cookies
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
Few drops of Red Food Coloring
2-1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Drained Maraschino Cherries, chopped
48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

My Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together first five (5) ingredients until you get a smooth consistency.
Add in Flour, Salt and Cherries...mix well.
Let dough rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Form balls and place on your parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Smush cookie balls with a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake 8-10 minutes until bottoms are light brown.
Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey Kiss into each cookie.
Let cool...if you can.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Family: Dear Texas....

Dear Texas,
Now that our daughter is stationed at Fort Hood, we paid your lovely State a visit over the Thanksgiving weekend to help her set up her first "adult" apartment.  Although I feel for the most part that you are amazing, there are a few things we need to get straight right off:

Those Boys and Their Big Trucks
It's true that everything is bigger in Texas.  Your natural beauty is so vastly breathtaking, and your churches are absolutely amazing pieces of art!  However, you sincerely need to do something about those boys and their big trucks!!!!  Like teach them how to drive without speeding, cutting people off, or parking without backing up into the parking space and blocking it off. PLEASE!

Barbecue
I expected better...a lot better!  But I can do barbecue better, and I'm a light weight...you should really get your restaurants to have a little respect for the art...maybe talk to my husband about it?  He's a master at the grill and smoker, and could definitely take down quite a few of your local joints easily.

IKEA 
Why in the world did you put an IKEA so close to my daughter's apartment?  Let's just say the credit card got an extreme workout...but my daughter is happy.

Most of all, please take care of her....she's the most amazing kid, working hard to help our soldiers and their families at the hospital.  You need to keep her safe while she's there.

Thank you!