Crafty. Quirky. Fun.

Illustration Sites

2008-07-25T16:36:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

By recommendation of my friends I decided to start doing artwork for some illustration sites. They both have really great artists with awesome talent.

Check them out they're here:

illustration friday

Monday artday

Great Ideas, but don't know where to start

2008-07-24T11:36:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

I probably haven't mentioned this before, but I'm a webmaster among other things. I'm great at graphic design, but haven't a clue as to building programs. I have a great idea for a web 2.0 program, but don't know where to start and who I can get to help me. And then I have no money to pay said people that are developing the software, which makes the problem even worse.

I'd just like to say it drives me crazy when I know I have a good idea, but can't make it myself. Does anyone else feel that way?

Having a sucessful party

2008-07-21T12:13:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

I recently had a wonderful 4th of July Party and wanted to share it with you. Parties are all about fun and relaxation. Give your guests lots of options, so if someone doesn't want to do something, it's okay because there are lots of activities.

When you have a party, it's pretty typical that everybody doesn't know everybody. People tend to gravitate towards a group that they already know and mingle. To avoid this, you of course must first introduce everyone, but also switch up people. If you're having a party with one dining area, make sure to put name tags on plates so guests know where they are sitting. You also get to place people next to someone they might not know, and otherwise wouldn't get to meet.

If you're having a cookout, have a game or two going outside plus places for people to sit and relax. Some great ideas are: Frisbee, badminton and ping-pong

Have a lot of food and drink options. You may love the standard hot dogs and hamburgers, but some guests might be vegetarian. If you can't do veggie-burgers, try other options like a pasta salad.

A giant cooler full of beer might be great for the guys, but most ladies prefer something a little lighter. Try wine coolers, mixers and of course some non-alcoholic beverages.

You can decorate on a dime, and have those decorations be functional too. By having a luau theme, those tiki torches will not only look great, but keep those pesky bugs away too.

Having a theme makes the party more interesting! From Christmas in July, to a luau, to a zen garden... no matter what your theme is, the party will become more interesting for guests.

Ask your guests to do or bring something interesting. Whether it's dressing up to match your theme, or bringing a conversation piece, it will get the party off to a good start.

Consider inside activities if you get rained out. Backyards are great for activities, but sometimes mother nature can get in the way of your party. If you'd rather not do a tent, prepare your house for guests. You can get an electric grill for inside to prepare "cookout food". Decorate your home to get people in the mood. Even if it's as small as the plates and napkins you choose, it can make a difference.

Consider a multi-player game system like the wii for parties. This was a big hit at my party. It started getting dark out and everyone went inside. We brought out the wii play games and guitar hero and everyone had a blast. But be careful, you may have trouble getting people to leave.

Think about doggie bags or gifts. Even if it's small, it's a nice gesture. I'm sure you don't want to be left with a ton of food in your fridge, so small chinese take away boxes would be perfect for desserts and food. You can get these at most craft stores in a huge array of colors. If you're afraid of the contents leaking through the box, I'd suggest lining the box with wax paper first.

You can have stickers made to put on the boxes, or get a stamp to make guests remember your fun party. Good luck!

Photo Album Keychain

2008-07-15T10:51:00.004-04:00

I saw this really cute idea for a key chain. Rather than some cheap plastic nonsense that you normally would throw on a key chain, this photo album is cute, pretty and makes an awesome gift. You can give it as a Wedding Gift, a Baby Gift, A "Best-Friends" gift or anything else you can imagine.

I would suggest either using a heavy card stock or a leather or suede. It will look nice and hold up longer than card stock.

What You'll Need:
- Small photographs
- A hole punch
- A shape punch or craft scissors with funky cut shapes (sometimes in the scrap booking section of a craft store they have funky shapes already cut for you, buy a bag for this project.)
- felt or fabric
- card stock
- leather or suede
- A metal bead chain
- glue
- stamps, stickers, beads, felt animals, or (I suggest) scrap booking elements.

What to do:

- Find a shape punch that you like. Lets say a flower shape and cut out one for the front, back and one for every inner photo. You can either mix card stock and leather or just do all cardstock. Remember for each end piece of card stock, cut two pieces of felt or fabric for each (4 total) to cover the white. For each inner piece of card stock you'll only need 1 piece of felt for the back.

- Glue the felt to the back of each inner piece of card stock and the front and back of the end pieces. Leather will not need any felt.

- Take your photos and cut them to your shape. Glue to the front of each inner page. (So if you used card stock you should now have a photo front and a felt back.) If you used leather/suede you should have a photo front and a leather/suede back.

- Decorate the front of your photo album with the elements, glitter,etc. you want.

- If you don't like the edging of the card stock you can add either a thin ribbon, glitter, etc. to the edge to hide this.

- Take your small hole punch and punch a hole in the top of each of your end and inner pages.

- Take your metal ball chain and put it through the front, inner pages and the last page. Then close the chain.

-Give as a gift to someone special!

Contest on My Website?

2008-07-15T10:41:00.002-04:00

I guess this is more like a poll question than anything else to all my readers. I'm thinking of putting a contest on my website. It will be called the Ugly Logo Design Contest. Pretty much the concept is people from everywhere can submit their logo to me. As you all know a lot of companies out there either don't have a logo (they just choose a random ugly font and call it a day) or, they had their little cousin billy design it for them because he took a fingerpainting class in kindergarden.

What I want are really bad logos to be submitted. I'm also thinking of a story to go with the logo, so it's not just based on votes, it's also based on the story that goes along with the logo. I'll put up the logos on my site and everyone can vote. The winner will have a new logo created by me. Everyone gets to vote, but I get the finial say in who wins because I don't really have a way to check ip address and see if someone's casting 100 votes for their logo on the same day. I'm still working on the programming. I'm not to tech savvy in writing javascript, so it's a little tough, but hopefully I'll get it done soon.

So do you guys think that it's a good idea? Should I do this contest? Add a comment and let me know!

Bug Bite Treatment

2008-07-15T10:15:00.003-04:00

So, this past weekend my bf invited me on his boat. I did express some concern over going. I knew that this was the season for greenheads. For those of you that don't know the joy of greenheads (a.k.a: horseflys) here's the rundown on them. They look like flys, but much larger and also have a greenhead, hence the name.

What they should really be called are, "Greenheads, bloodsucking demons of death". Okay, so it's kinda dramatic, but they're really awful creatures. They breed in marshes and come out in July to bite victims. They're vicious and laugh in the face of bugspray. They were making my bf's dad bleed all over the boatdeck.

I thought I wasn't allergic to anything, but I must be somewhat allergic to these things. I ended up with big red itchy bumps wherever they bit me. And they bit me everywhere. So the first day (Saturday) I was fine other than the bumps and I thought it would go away. Then it got super-itchy and I couldn't stop scratching. Sunday night I borrowed my friends calamine lotion and practically took a bath in it. I felt like it didn't help at all. So I looked up calamine lotion on wikipedia and found out that it doesn't really do anything....great. No wonder why I couldn't stop itching when I had chickenpox as a child. Thank you FDA!

So I went to the store on Monday and got some cortisone to put on the bites. It helped on some of them. Mostly my bumps have gone down from that and home remedy (and all the power I have in my body not to itch)

So I would suggest if you have bad swelling use cortisone or benadryl to cut it down, but to stop the itch white vinegar works great. Someone told me that white vinegar also works well on bruises, but found out it doesn't do a thing. Trust me, I tried it. However, witch hazel does work well on bruises.

I also found out they make a special spray for greenheads that people that work in marshes use. I've never seen it anywhere but apparently it actually works. If I do find that bugspray I'll get it and let you know how it works. (but I will test it on someone else first, because I'm not dealing with this giant red bugbite thing again!)

So I'm kindah a lazy postah

2008-07-15T10:10:00.002-04:00

Sorry Ladies and Gents,

I didn't really realize that a lot of people actually read my blog until I got a really nice email from a fan in Cincinnati. It made me so happy and feel bad that I don't post as often as I should to this blog.

Sooo, because of that I'll try really hard to bring you guys new content more often. I want everyone to have new fun things to look forward to on this blog. Whether it's a new recipe to try, or a fun new craft or just me ranting about something silly.

A Travesty in the Design World

2008-06-25T15:46:00.003-04:00

I've decided to address a real problem that I've seen lately in the advertising world. I do Graphic Design and Illustration work and am devastated every time I run across a bad ad. These are the ads that a company or business gets from little cousin billy that took an art class in middle school. Because little cousin billy can draw a stick figure and knows how to make a great collage (oh and let's not forget that it's free) he's the perfect candidate for their so-called logo, website or print ad.

Let's see what you get for free here: a shitty logo (that's probably just a stupid font), a horrifying print ad, and a website that has garish colors and horrible navigation... Wow what a deal!

Okay people I know that sometimes it can seem a hefty price to pay a quality artist to make your logo, print or web ad and website. But what you get in return is this::

-A beautifully designed logo that reflects your business accurately.
-A quality ad that makes your customers feel like you are a professional in what you do.
-A great website that is clean, clear and easy to navigate.
-Better business because your customers don't think you're a cheap dirt ball that cuts corners wherever he can.

Your ads, logo, website, etc. is a reflection and extension of you and your business. If you put out cheap and unprofessional stuff to the public, they'll think that's what you'll provide them.

Another gripe I have is that people think that graphic designers and illustrators do this stuff for fun. Okay, yeah so we have talent. We went to school for it just like all the doctors, lawyers, contractors, etc. out there. We put up big bucks to get a degree and get educated in how to make YOU, our customer money.

Do you really think that the logo that little cousin billy makes for you will be as good as the one a professional makes for you? Would you let little cousin billy install central air in your home? No, okay keep him away from your logo too!

Get a professional to do your design work! http:www.jenniferlena.com

Also, if you are paying too much for hosting every year, say more than $100 / year, you're paying way too much. I'll let you know how to get hosting for less.

You can contact me at: jenniferlena1 (at) gmail.com

Summertime Quesadillias

2008-06-16T19:14:00.003-04:00

Hi All,

Haven't posted in a while because I wasn't really getting any comments. Didn't think anyone read my rants. Apparently you do!

I had some great Quesadillas the other day. My BF made them, they were awesome. Not your usual mix of ingredients, but super delish!

What you'll Need:

For the Quesadillas
-Tortillas
-Goat Cheese
-Corn(already cooked)
-Cucumber (chopped)
-Salsa
-Sour Cream
-Red Onion(minced)
-Cilantro(chopped)
-Chicken (optional)

Yummy Chili-Lime-Tequila dressing

1 /4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup Tequila
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoon lime zest
2 teaspoon Chili Powder

Instructions:

1.) Heat up your grill.
2.) Grill your chicken
3.) Take a tortilla and fill it with a mix of the cucumber, sweet corn, chopped cilantro, minced onion, goat cheese, & chicken.
4.)Top with another tortilla and place the tortilla "sandwich" on the grill. Grill until you get nice grill marks on either side.
5.) In the meantime mix all your dressing ingredients in a bowl.
6.) Put your Quesadillas on a plate and drizzle with your dressing, then top with sour cream and salsa.
7.) Cut and serve.

*Note: as a yummy variation, use your dressing as a marinate for the chicken. Marinate the chicken by placing it in a plastic bag and pouring in the dressing. Refrigerate overnight. Then remove from the bag and grill.

Guilt-Free Gello for a cool summer snack!

2008-04-21T12:11:00.001-04:00

Want a cool summer snack that you don’t have to feel guilty about? I found a great way the other day with my homemade “gello”.

2 cups fruit juice (or healthy juice)

½ cup of sugar (or for a sugar free healthy solution try 7 packages of stevia*)

2 packages of unflavored gelatin

A small bowl

A glass container to pour “gello” into (or a mold)

A pot

Take ½ cup of the juice (I used a veggie/fruit juice combo with no sugar added) and add the packages of unflavored gelatin.

Heat the remaining 1 ½ cups of juice and sugar or stevia in the pot until it starts to boil. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Add the gelatin mixture to the sugar-juice mixture that’s cooling and mix.

Pour into your molds or container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

About 10 min cook/prep time and 1 hour cool time.

* Q: What the heck is Stevia?

A: Stevia is an all natural plant leaf that tastes sweet. It has zero calories and no sugar. It has not been altered from its original state (other than being ground into granules for easy use in our food and drinks). However it is sweeter than sugar, so be careful. Pretty much the sweetness of 2 tbs of real sugar equals the sweetness of 1 tbs of stevia.

Q: Why are you knocking sugar substitutes like Splenda? I thought it was made from real sugar?

A: Okay this is a sinister way to cover up the awfulness of what they do to it. Yeah it starts off as sugar, but it doesn’t end as sugar. Pretty much they alter the molecules of sugar and replace them with CHLORINE. Yes, the same stuff you clean your pool with. While I personally have not done any studies on the effect of eating chlorine, I can’t imagine ingesting large quantities of it to be good for you; not to mention what happens to it when it gets heated up in an oven or the inside of a body at 98.6 degrees?

Cute Idea for party/event drinks and favors

2008-04-01T10:43:00.002-04:00

I came up with this really cute idea for anyone that wants to have a party or an event and give their guests a cute gift to remember it.

What you will need:
- martini glasses
- glass paint & brushes (the best kind is the paint you can bake on)
- stencils & tape
- rock candy sticks (optional)
- pre-printed hang tags (optional and you can do this on your computer)

Take your martini glass and place your stencil of whatever you like (I prefer an initial but you can do animals, symbols, etc.) and tape it to your glass. I prefer glasses that have a letter design on the inside, go whomever is drinking out of it can read the letter.
Paint the design on the glass with your glass paint & then follow the instructions on the bottle on how to bake the image on. Usually you can do this with any oven.
Once out of the oven you can add your swizzle stick (the rock candy stick) and the hang tags.

Make this a fun event by having a signature drink that matches the rock candy stick. One idea (as you can see in my picture) might be a cosmopolitan with a pink stick.

Spring on Ice

2008-03-31T14:36:00.003-04:00

I'm really happy that it's officially spring. However, with that said mother nature hasn't gotten the memo yet (well, at least in New England).

How does one so excited to celebrate the spring, actually get a taste of it with all this rain and cold? Simply by going with the cold.

Make everyday drinks and get-togethers fun and springy by adding flowers!

How to make flower ice cubes

-Organic non-toxic flowers
-water
-ice cube tray
-freezer

Fill your ice cube tray half full of water and put in freezer. Once frozen pull out of the freezer and add a flower. Fill the tray with the rest of the water and re-freeze. Enjoy your pretty ice cubes in your favorite drink!

How to make a flower bowl

-two bowls (one larger than the other)
-organic non-toxic flowers
-water
-freezer
-weight

Fill the larger bowl with water and then place the smaller bowl inside the larger. The small bowl might float a bit, so add a small weight to the small bowl to push it down(and in turn push up the water in the larger bowl). Place the bowls in the freezer.

Remove the bowls when frozen and remove the small bowl. Press your flowers against the sides of the ice bowl and add some more water to the bowl (a much smaller amount this time). Put the small bowl back inside the larger one and add the weight. Re-freeze the bowls.
Now you should have an icy bowl that's pretty to display your punch or eat some treats from!

Elegant Easter Egg Party Favors

2008-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

Elegant Easter egg party favors are fun and whimsical. You can customize them in any way your want, but the method is the same. Fill your elegant favors with candies and other goodies for your guests.

Things You’ll Need:

Plastic Easter eggs
Glue
Finely ground glitter
Candy
Spray paint primer
Antique white spray paint kit
Newspaper
Wood gel stain
Clean white T-shirt or rag

Step 1:Lay out sheets of newspaper on a table outside or in a well ventilated area.

Step 2:Take your plastic Easter eggs apart and lay them out on the newspaper. Stand them on their flat side.

Step 3:Spray the outside of the eggs with primer. Let this dry. You may need to apply two coats to completely cover the eggs.

Step 4:Turn the eggs over and spray the insides with two coats of primer.

Step 5:Stand the eggs on their flat side and spray them with an antique white spray paint kit from the hardware store.

Step 6:Paint the inside of the Easter eggs with the white paint once the outside has dried.

Step 7:Rub a coat of a light wood gel stain onto the eggs once the white paint has dried. This will darken and antique them and is an optional step.

Step 8:Put the plastic Easter eggs back together.

Step 9:Create fine lines of detail with a fine-tipped white glue. You can create scrolls, hearts, flowers and more.

Step 10:Sprinkle a fine antique silver or gold glitter on the glue lines. Shake the excess glitter off the egg and onto newspaper. This will allow for easy clean-up.

Step 11:Let the glue dry on the eggs and load them with Easter candy for your party guests.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

2008-03-04T09:59:00.003-05:00

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up soon. Even though I’m not Irish, my mother always makes a traditional Irish dinner every year. I hate to say it, but I think it’s awful. Not her cooking so much, but the bland taste of Irish food. I’ve been scouring the web looking for Irish food that’s a little more exciting than the boiled cabbage, potatoes & corned beef I get every year. I hope that this makes your St. Patrick’s Day a bit yummier as well.

On the Menu

Beef and Guinness Pie

Fresh Ham with Cracklin and Pan Gravy

Potato and Cabbage Bundles

Country Rhubarb Pie

Irish Lace Cookies

Great Ideas for a Free Valentine's Day!

2008-02-07T09:47:00.000-05:00

Are you a Cheapskate, but still want to express your love on Valentine's Day? Now you can thanks to these great tips I found on e-how!

Steps

Step One

Leave a note on her pillow, a note on her dressing table mirror, a note on the breakfast table, and a note on her car's steering wheel.

Step Two

Find a classic love poem and write it on the bathroom mirror.

Step Three

Bring her breakfast in bed - with a love note on the tray.

Step Four

Draw a heart on her makeup mirror.

Step Five

Use a can of water-soluble, non-toxic aerosol paint to write a message of love on the grass in your yard.

Step Six

Call her favorite radio station and request a romantic song during the time she drives to work.

Step Seven

Change the welcome message on your answering machine to an expression of love.

Step Eight

Show up at her workplace, meet her as she takes her break, and whisk her away to a lovely park. Have a picnic lunch, complete with candle and rose.

Step Nine

Write her a long letter, one in which you recall the most emotional parts of your romantic history.

Step Ten

Print out "I Love You" posters on your computer, put them on your garage door and on light posts around the neighborhood.

Step Eleven

Ask her to watch the sunset with you - and promise her your love will burn longer than the sun.

Step Twelve

Open the windows, put her favorite romantic song on the CD player, and invite her to dance under the stars.

Show Him the Romantic Flame Still Burns

Steps

Step One

Put a note on the bathroom mirror promising to share an afternoon delight.

Step Two

Fill his car with balloons, each with an "I Love You" message inside.

Step Three

Find his car at work and leave a note on the steering wheel suggesting a romantic rendezvous. Meet him with drinks and snacks and a love note.

Step Four

Meet him after work wearing your sexiest outfit and tempt him away to lover's lane. Carry along a bottle of sparkling water and a basket of canapés.

Step Five

Leave him a series of notes to follow so that you meet in a romantic place.

Step Six

Leave a trail of paper hearts, each with a loving message, from the front door to the bedroom for him to find as he comes home from work.

Step Seven

Cook his favorite dinner and serve it by candlelight.

Step Eight

Wrap up your prettiest negligee in a fancy package, complete with a note that promises a romantic evening.

Step Nine

Or decorate your bedroom in a theme - tropical island, old West, ancient castle - that appeals to his interests.

Step Ten

Light candles in your bedroom and lay out a romantic picnic on your bed.

Step Eleven

Scatter Hershey's Chocolate Kisses all over the bed.

Fun and Flirty Valentine's Day Party (Part 2)

2008-01-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Since I couldn't fit everything in 1 post, here I go with part 2. Onto the drinks!

I'd make a pretty pink punch for guests. I have recipes in other posts on this site. If you want to give your guests a chuckle you can use these awesome playboy bunny ice cube trays in your punch, the ice bucket and drinks that call for ice. You can also make a drink list for guests that includes funny named drinks for the occasion:
Sex on the beach
Screwdriver
etc.
Don't forget drinks that invoke the season from their color or traditionally "romantic vibe"
Cosmos are a pretty pink color and orange and peach mimosas seem romantic and sophisticated because of the champagne in them.
For more fun take gummy sugarcoated hearts, cut a small slit in the side and put on the edge of your drink glasses.

-Fun Friends:
The most important factor in any party is to have your fun friends come and visit you. You're getting together to enjoy yourselves, talk & reminisce.

Setting the mood:
Got a pool? While it may be to chilly to swim in, clean it out. Get some pink and red rose floating candles, light them and set them in the pool. Make sure you have mood lighting inside as well. Burn candles and use lots of back lighting to create a romantic ambiance in the room.

If you liked my modern asian twist with the "fortune cookies" in Part 1 you might also like the idea of hanging pink paper lanterns around the table, outside, and anywhere you'd like to add some color.

Hosting a Fun & Flirty Valentine's Day Party

2008-01-16T10:02:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately how fun it would be to host a Valentine's Day Party. I don't know anyone that has actually ever had one, so I think I should be the first to start this tradition. You should only either invite couples or invite couples and an even amount of singles of the opposite sex. This way you can encourage mingling of the singles (and you don't have to worry about single friends whining that they don't have a date on Valentine's Day).

We have a lot of things to cover to have a great party. Some things include:
-Atmosphere
-Food
-Drinks
-Fun Friends
-The Right Day

Atmosphere:
To set the perfect Valentine's Day mood, great music and decor have to invite the guests into the theme. Choose music that isn't too cheesy(step away from Barry White), but is mello, happy and fun all in one. Make sure the music doesn't overpower your room, you want guests to enjoy themselves and mingle; they can't do it if they have to shout over the music.

Atmosphere also means the right decor. Small things can sometimes bring the biggest impact. On a Coffee Table place a book that invokes thoughts of love or romance and toss some chocolate kisses ontop of it. Fill shallow crystal or glass bowls with pink and red candy. In my previous post I added how to create pretty "fortune cookies" out of paper. You may also use pink and red felt for this. Go to any craft store and get fortune cookie boxes in pretty patterns to match your theme. You can do really fun things with these "cookies" You can play games where people open up the fortune cookies and have to do or say something based on the paper inside, perhaps charades. You can just have cute notes and quotes about love and use the take out boxes as party favors.

Cover the table in either pinks or reds. Once again scatter chocolate kisses over it. Add some pink throw pillows to couches. To dress up chairs buy some inexpensive pink or red tulle and make big bows on the backs of the chairs with the tulle. Use a Red or Pink Charger plate under your serving plates.

Food:
Purchase sheets of paper slightly larger than 81/2 by 11" (maybe 9 x 12) that are either a pink or red color. Print off menus from your computer in a fancy font and attach this white sheet to the front of the colored sheet of paper. Place one menu on each guests plate.
Make sure your menu invokes "love" by either choosing cute twists on names or just going with traditional romantic foods.

Example Menu:
appetizer -
Mozzarella, Basil & Tomato
Slice up your (FRESH!!!)Mozzarella into thin circles and cover your plate with them. Now slice up your tomato into circles as well and place on top of the cheese. Take leaves of basil and place one leaf ontop of each tomato. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Salad - Mesclun Greens topped with Goat Cheese Croutons, Roasted Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Vermont Salad topped with Spiced Pecans and Cider Vinaigrette, Baby Spinach Salad with Bacon, Gorgonzola Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers and Balsamic Vinaigrette, or Classic Caesar Salad.

Entree -

1.) Roasted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary jus and a wild mushroom and Merlot demiglaze

2 racks domestic lamb, chine removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 cups Merlot
2 cups demi-glace
Arrowroot
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

Serving suggestions:
Garlic Bread Pudding, recipe follows
Sauteed wild mushrooms and seasonal green vegetable

Remove the fat cap from the lamb racks, leaving a thin layer of fat on top of the meat, and clean the fat and skin from the bones and wrap the bones in aluminum foil. Cut the racks in half (leaving you with 4 (4-bone) servings).

Heat a large skillet over high heat, season the racks with salt and pepper and sear fat side down in the hot skillet until well browned. Turn the racks, fat side up and place in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. You can use a probe thermometer to check the temperature. (At Siro's we roast the racks in a 325 degrees F convection, 20 to 25 minutes to get to medium).

When the racks are at the desired temperature, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

While the lamb is roasting, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and saute the shallots and garlic until soft. Add the Merlot, turn the heat down to medium, and reduce by half.

Heat the demi glace and rosemary in another saucepan and let simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Stir in the reduced Merlot mixture a little at a time into the simmering demi-glace until you can just begin to taste the wine in the sauce.

At this time we combine a little arrow root with cold water and stir it into the sauce to give the sauce a little bit of a shine and some thickening. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the sauce onto 4warm plates, cut the lamb in half and serve with Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding, Sauteed wild mushrooms, and a seasonal green vegetable.

Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
8 whole eggs
3 eggs, separated
1 quart heavy cream
2 heads roasted garlic, recipe follows
3 cups sourdough bread, crust removed, cut into 1-inch cubes, and air-dried overnightSet a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When hot add the onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, scallion, and minced garlic. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, mince the rosemary and briefly rub in your hand before adding to the vegetables. Cook for 2 more minutes, season with salt and pepper and let cool.

Combine the whole eggs with the egg yolks and beat well. Stir in the heavy cream and the roasted garlic puree until well blended. Combine the cream mixture with the vegetables and the dried bread cubes and mix well.

Allow the mixture to stand overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the bread pudding one third at a time and mound in a greased large muffin tin (you should get 4 to 6). Bake in a 350 degree F oven 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown.

Roasted Garlic:
2 heads garlic
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oilTo roast garlic, cut the tops off the garlic heads and simmer in 1 cup of milk for 10 minutes. Drain, season with salt and pepper, and combine garlic with 3/4 cup oil. Place in a tightly covered pan and roast for 2 hours in a 275 degree F oven. Uncover and let cool. Strain the oil to remove unwanted garlic skin. Squeeze the garlic from the heads and place in a small blender and puree, adding the strained oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the oil into the puree.

Sides: Seasonal Veggies & Herbed Couscous

Dessert: Strawberry & Cream Cake
*Make a white cake
*Slice in half after cooled and set top aside
*Spread cool whip over the bottom piece and add sliced strawberries
*put the top back on and spread the cool whip over the top and sides.
*put strawberries in a heart shape pattern in the center of the cake and drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cake.

Part 1 of 2

Pretty Fortune Cookie Placecards/Gifts

2008-01-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

Fortune Place Card How-To
1. Print messages or romantic quotations centered onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock, oriented horizontally. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Turn strips over, and calligraph first and last names 1 inch from each end. Notch ends.

2. To make the "cookie," cut patterned paper into a circle 5 1/2 inches in diameter (if you like, make a cardboard template using a compass). Roll circle into a loose tube. Overlap ends about 1/2 inch and secure with doublesided tape. Hold the tube so that the top flap is pointing down and facing away from you. Slip a fortune into the tube with the name toward you. Fold the tube inward and secure with double-sided tape.

Make your Own Gift Boxes

2008-01-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Are you bored of wrapping presents the old fashioned way? Would you love to give a gift in an interesting package or a custom paper? The wait is over you can now! I ran across these free box templates online that you can print from your computer. Make sure you purchase a heavyweight paper or cardstock in a print or solid color you like. There are hundreds of patterns and papers to choose from. These are great for brides looking for custom boxes for their wedding. You can even purchase a plain paper and stamp your initials or logo onto the paper before constructing the boxes. The choices are limitless.

Here's the template link:

Paper and more Templates

My Holiday Rant

2008-01-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Okay so Christmas is over, New Years is barely over and yet the stores are already two months ahead....Valentine's Day stuff is already packed into the retailer's stores.

Can't we get over our hangover in peace without having to worry about what to get our Valentine?
I just went broke a week ago from Christmas!

*sigh* They're always pushing the products. And the worst part is I'm semi-giving into what they want. But I'm doing it in my own way. Rather than going out and spending a ton of money on a singing dancing bear holding a tacky light-up heart... I'm going to bake and decorate.

You'll be seeing more and more "valentine related" recipes from me and fun little crafts, but I refuse to give in to the stupidity of buying the crapy bs junk they sell in stores. It's probally all made in china anyway, which doesn't really help our economy... especially since we're due for a recession. So if you're money cruched like me and want to enjoy the holiday without feeling pressured by retailers to buy their crap, stay tuned. I'll be posting all kinds of fun stuff for you to do.

Click on the "Valentine's Day" channel from the list of posts I've written. You'll see all my posts associated with the subject. Happy crafting!

Chocolate Cream Puff Hearts

2008-01-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

Puffs:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
½ cup margarine or butter
1 oz. (1 square) semi-sweet chocolate
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs

Filling:
2 cups whipping cream
2 to 3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup caramel ice cream topping
¼ cup chopped pecans

Recipe

Directions
Heat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets. Lightly spoon
flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium saucepan,
combine water, margarine, chocolate and salt over medium
heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add
flour, beating vigorously until mixture leaves sides of
pan; remove from heat. Place mixture in large mixing bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating with electric mixer at
medium speed for 1 minute after each addition; beat until
smooth and glossy. DO NOT OVERBEAT. To form each puff,
spoon about ¼ cup dough onto greased cookie sheet. Using
table knife, form heart shape by placing knife at edge of
dough and pulling inward ½ inch. Using knife, shape bottom
of puff into point. Bake at 375 F. for 40 to 45 minutes or
until puffed and browned. With sharp knife, pierce side of
each puff to allow steam to escape. Remove from cookie
sheets; cool on wire rack. In large bowl, beat whipping
cream at highest speed until soft peaks form; add powdered
sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/3 cup of
the caramel ice cream topping and pecans.

To serve, split puffs; remove filaments of soft dough. Fill
each puff with about 1/3 cup filling. Drizzle remaining
caramel ice cream topping over tops of puffs.(Remember you are the artist here. If you would like to top the cream puffs with chocolate, raspberry, cool whip, etc. it's up to you! Do whatever combo you love!)

Makes 12 puffs

*note: If you have trouble getting the puffs to form in a heart shape you may want to take a metal heart shaped cookie cutter, grease it and place it on the pan. Fill the cookie cutter as if it was a mold with the 1/4 cup of dough. Bake as usual. When puff is done, remove the cookie cutter and viola, you have heart shaped puffs.

Wishing You a Wonderful New Year!

2008-01-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and safe new year! To kick off 2008 we'll have to start by committing to resolutions. Or at least give it our best effort.

I hope to lose weight and make lots of money... haha let's see if it happens.

I'll have lots of new fun stuff for you guys and gals looking to have a fun little project to make or bake... at least that's a resolution I know I can keep.

Holiday Punch with Snowflakes

2007-12-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

I say why have the traditional ring or just normal ice when you can have pretty, festive, snowflakes. You can even add a drop of food coloring or add sugar to the mold before freezing to make the color and sparkle enhanced.

1/2 gallon sherbet
1 lg. can pineapple juice
1 (2 liter) bottle 7-UP
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale

Place unthawed sherbet in punch bowl about 1 hour before serving. Add cold pineapple juice, 7-UP, and ginger ale just before serving.

Use orange, strawberry, lime, or raspberry depending on holiday and color desired.

For Snowflakes:

Purchase Candy or Soap molds in the shape of snowflakes and fill them with some of the punch. Place in freezer until frozen. Place in punch bowl just before serving.

I found snowflakes online here: http://www.spiritcrafts.net/sncaemcamo28.html

*Also, keep the snowflake molds afterwards to garnish desserts with chocolate snowflakes.

Almond Raspberry Heart Cookies

2007-12-17T13:18:00.001-05:00

These delightful cookies are made with a cream cheese cookie dough rolled in coarsely ground almonds, and they're filled with a dab of seedless raspberry jam. If you would like a smooth finish, you may decide to super-finely grind the almonds or go without them altogether. For the health-conscious guest, you may choose to purchase all organic ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (8 ounces) butter, softened
1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
4 ounces slivered or blanched almonds
seedless raspberry jam

PREPARATION:

In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth; slowly beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and flavorings. Stir flour into the creamed mixture just until blended. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a cookie sheet or line with silicone mat or parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground.

Shape dough into small balls; roll in the ground almonds. Flatten each dough ball and cut out two medium sized hearts for each cookie. Now take every other cookie and cut a smaller heart in the center. Place all the cookies on prepared baking sheet. With a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon, drop a bit of the raspberry jam in each solid heart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and filling is bubbling. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool. Take the "hollow" hearts and place them on top of each solid, raspberry covered heart.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Snowman Cheese Ball Appetizer Recipie

2007-12-12T14:22:00.001-05:00

All holiday appetizers should be this fun! This adorable snowman is made of a delicious spread of seasoned cream and Cheddar cheeses.

Make-Ahead Snowman Cheese Ball

3 (8-ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons basil pesto 1 tablespoon grated onion 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard 2 drops red pepper sauce 1 (4-ounce) container whipped cream cheese, softened Decorations (see Success Hint), if desired Assorted crackers, if desired

Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts.
Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto.
Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.
Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.
Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.
About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.
Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman.
Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired.
Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 7 cups spread.

Do-Ahead Tip:
You can make this cute little guy up to 1 month ahead!

Success Hint:
Use your imagination to decorate this whimsical snowman! You can use fresh rosemary and dried cranberries (crown), chopped olive pieces or raisins (eyes and buttons), pimiento or red bell pepper (mouth), radicchio or carrot ribbon (scarf), and asparagus spears or celery sticks (arms).

Nutritional Information: 1 Serving, Calories 42 (Calories from Fat 35 ); Total Fat 4 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 45 mg; Total Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 2 g% Daily Value: Vitamin A 2 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2 %; Iron 0%. Exchanges: 1 Fat.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of General Mills, Inc.