(Jenni) Christmas Cards

Card #1

I think this turned out cute. I had to make 12 for my card group. Now I have to go make mom's.

 This is one from last year. I still like it so I thought I would share.

This is card #2

Mom needed me to do hers so I came up with a mini candy bar holder. Super easy to make and I think this would even be a cute way to package earrings for a Christmas present.

Here are the measurements:
1)  Start with a piece of cardstock 2-3/4" x 8"
2)  Score at 3-1/4", 3-3/4", and 7-1/4"
3)  Fold along score lines
4)  Fold up the 7-1/4" score line and staple at the very bottom to create the tuck

Green paper 2-1/2"x3"

Stamped Santa paper 2"x2"

(Jenni) Like Mom Would Say.............That's MY Daugther!!!

Notice she is hiding.............

I know you are all wondering why?????

AND

Why is this on the craft blog???????

Sally has been eyeing the craft chalk for a few days. I wasn't done with it so I left it on the table. I should have known that she was waiting out for the right time to get into it.

Carl was babysitting and we came home to find Miss. Sally under the table COVERED in black chalk.

Is this not the naughtiest little face ever?????

Thayne was so mad....while all I could do was laugh and run for the camera.

My little daughter is quite the little crafter!

(Mom) Christmas Sewing

Let the Christmas sewing begin!!!! Mom truly makes me SICK!!! She makes the cutest things without using a pattern. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

I had to take step by step notes and pictures so I could make another one. Mom just laughed.

 Mom is also good at seeing material and putting it all together. Me, I just see the material. It's so so sad.

 I love to serge because I go F-A-S-T!!!!!

This is was just a fun picture of the cute little skirt coming together.

Can't wait for December to show off all the cute shirts and fun stuff being made.

(Mom's brownies from last year) JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING

Black and White Brownies

1 (19 oz. to 21 oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix

1 (10 to 12oz) pkg. white baking pieces

1 C. semisweet chocolate pieces

1/2 C. pecan pieces

1/4 C. butter, melted

3 TBPS hot water

2 C. sifted powdered sugar

1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C. pecan pieces

1.  Preheat oven to 350*. Grease the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan and set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Stir in half of the white baking pieces, all of the semisweet chocolate pieces, and the 1/2 cup pecans. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.
2. Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Sprinkle with the remaining white baking pieces, bake for 1 minute more. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
3. For frosting, in a small bowl combine melted butter and hot water; stir in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla.Beat by hand until smooth. Spoon over top of brownies. Sprinkle with the 3/4 C.  cup pecans. Cool about 1 1/2 hours or until frosting is set. Cut into bars. Makes about 36 brownies.

(Mom) Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie

I made this for the craft party!

1 Cup Karo light or dark corn syrup
1/2 Cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces
3 TBSP butter or margarine
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 Keebler Ready Crust Graham Cracker
1 can (21oz.) Raspberry Pie Filling (I also think raspberry jam would work)
whipped cream

COMBINE:
corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a bowl over med heat, stirring  until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
ADD:
chocolate and butter, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
POOR:
chocolate mixture slowly over eggs, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and pecans; mix well. Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Poor mixture into crust.
BAKE:
350* for 50 minutes, until center of pie is slightly puffed; cool at least 1 hour.
TO SERVE:
Top each slice with a little raspberry pie filling (or I also think raspberry jam would work) and dollop with whipped cream!

(Brittney) PUMPKIN GOODNESS

Here is my favorite fall treat. It is called pumpkins squares and they are so yummy!
Here is the recipe:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin
2 flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
and sometimes I like to add chocolate chips
*mix all the dry stuff together and then add in the wet stuff
bake @ 350 for 25-30 mins
for the icing
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powder sugar

I don't like to use all the icing because it is really sweet but it is so good.

(Carl) Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

We got the first snow fall this morning, and Carl wanted to celebrate with a grill cheese and tomato soup. As Carl's mother, I believe, there is nothing wrong with teaching my son how to cook. Carl loves to be in the kitchen. Ever since he was just a baby we have been cooking together. He even wants to learn how to make bread.
There is no recipe due to the fact that all you have to do is open a can, and grill a sandwich. I just wanted to post Carl being crafty in the kitchen.

Nut Cracker 2010

Mom called me and wanted to know if I waned to go to town for a fitting. Both of us had no idea what as in store for each other....................

Mom didn't know that I would be bringing my camera.
I took one picture and I think mom was really to take me back home. HAHAHAHA I told her I wanted to document this because it has been a big part of her life for the past 20 years, AND she has not made an appearance on the blog yet.

Picture #2
Mom was so ready to kill me. The smile on her face is not real at all!!!!!!!!!!!!

This girl was so excited and LOVED the dress. Mom did an amazing job, like always.

OK, then it happened......................... The girl left to change and Mom started crying out of no where. I didn't know what to think. The girl's mom asked what was wrong. Mom, still crying, told her that she was honored to be making a dress for the same family. (No big deal, RIGHT???)
Come to find out, two years ago, Mom was making the older sister's dress. Grandma J was in the hospital and not doing well. Mom was teaching and on the road to Idaho Falls 2-3 times a week. Mom was really going through a lot.
The dress had problems and the girl's mother had to fix it. The lady never said a bad word about mom's sewing and it really meant a lot to mom.
Mom, still crying, informed the lady of this, and told her there would be no charge for this dress. Tears were everywhere. (DID NOT SEE THIS COMING AT ALL, but I'm glad I did. I've seen Mom sew and use her talent to bless the lives of others. She has a BIG heart.)

(Jenni) FRENCH BREAD/ CHEESY GARLIC BREAD

You guys have to try this. It was so easy and boy did it smell good in the oven. I used my kitchen aid, therefore, there was no elbow grease involved!
Here is the recipe for the FRENCH BREAD. The really cool thing is there is a print option under the title of the french bread. Just print it out and start to bakin!!!

So while I was at it, I made the cheesy garlic spread. You know that great Johny Garlic Seasoning we all get from Costco..............well this is it! So easy!!! WE ALL LOVED IT!!! Click here for the recipe.

Sally was eating it by herself UNTIL she saw the camera..............what a turkey!!!

This was "THE LOOK" of put that camera way mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Dalea) Making Chocolates

Do you remember when we would used to go to Ashton for Easter and make chocolate suckers and other candies? I remember we used to have so much fun, that I wanted to do it again. Well we bought some Halloween pretzel and sucker molds last year on clearance. I was so excited, but who makes Halloween things in November. Well the Saturday before Halloween Kailee had some of her friends over when I got home from work. I decided while cooking dinner, why not let Kailee do suckers with her friends. I was thinking if I don't do it now it will be another year before we use the molds.

Scott still asks me what I was thinking cause I must have gone crazy to do them that late in the evening with a bunch of little kids. I probably was crazy, but they had so much fun, a little inpatient because you couldn't eat them right away but, they sure had fun swapping with one another when we were all done. It was alot of fun no matter how crazy I had to have been at the time!

After we were all done we all went and gave Scott the finger!

(the chocolate one of course)

Grandma Jensen's House For Halloween

I had NO idea that Grandma got so into Halloween. Did any of you?
We were on our way home from Yellowstone Nation Park and thought we would stop in for a visit.
Here is what we found:

Sally went by and they started singing and dancing. I for one, did not think it was funny.......you know me and dolls. Sally on the other hand LOVED it!!!

(Dalea) Pumpkin Carving

Kailee wanted to have a Halloween Party this year so we decided to have a few girls over to have some fun before we all went Trunk-or-Treating at the Church this year. The girls all had fun sticking there hands inside the pumpkin and feeling all the gooey messy insides. That only lasted soo long before the chore was left to me to finish. Then came the carving, let me tell you never carve pumpkins with 4 little girls they almost finished tracing there designs, with a little help from an adult. But then came the carving, again wouldn't it be more fun to run and play together rather than finish carving our desins. Scott helped the one that was 4. My next door neighbor helped finish her daughter's pumpkin who is 6 as well as one of the girls who is 7. I helped Kailee finish carving her Headless Horseman in cause you can't tell from the picture. At the same time i was trying to get everyone ready to leave for the church party and make homemade honey cornbread from a recipe i found online. It was sooo good. even though i messed up because as usual i have to many pans in the fire as Scott would say. i will share the recipe later when i remember to take a pic not only for the blog but for mom's cookbook she wants to put together. Share more later i gotta hit the hay.

(Sarah) Meeting the Challenge

So... this is probably as far as my decorating will get for Thanksgiving. But I have meet THE CHALLENGE! Yeah me! Do I get a gold star sticker now?? J/K

I think my cupcakes should count for the #2 challenge. :)

(Brittney) Wow its a hand turkey

Well here is my super cute craft!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a hand turkey. You can make it colorful or do Fall colors. Leave it plan or write things you are thankful for on it. I am sure this will look cute with the baby's hands or super funny with Nobrow's giant paws. Let me know how it goes!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Brittney
aka Bones

(Jenni) November 2010 Visiting Teaching

I saw this idea on a blog. I new I had to make it for VT this month. You can find it here along with the message. The template is already made up so ALL you have to do is print it off on colored paper and tie it to a bottle of vinegar.

It is a recipe for window cleaner. The talk was about a lady that thought her neighbor didn't know how to wash clothes because when she would hang them out to dry, they always looked dirty. One day her husband cleaned the windows without his wife knowing, and when the lady looked out her window she was so happy becuase the neighbor's clothes were clean. ALL along it was the dirty windows.

(Sarah) Suprise Filled Cupcakes

These are my yummy cupcakes. So easy to make and so much fun to eat! Plus if you use white papercups its a surprise everytime you open one because it also colors the paper! AWESOME!

All it is is a white cake mix divided into however many colors you may want, add the food coloring, and then SPOON into the papercups. Its best if you use the neon colors because the colors will be brighter. Also by using the neon colors when you mix them together to get purple it will be purple and not gray purple. I also learned the hard way to get more out of mix to spoon it in rather than pouring straight from the bowl.

Let me know how they turn out of you!

(Jenni) Calling All Sisters and Mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Ladies.............do you have your house looking cute for Thanksgiving? Brittney, do you have something cute in your dump????? I want to see.
CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to see.......it doesn't matter if it is wall hangings, window decorations, candles, WHATEVER! We miss out on visiting each others houses. I want to see what your family does. We can inspire each other.

I hope you are all enjoying some of the craft blogs I have found. On the right hand side I have a "I want to make list". Check out the kid turkeys.

I love you guys and I miss you. I am not trying to be a big pain in the butt (OK, maybe a little). I know you will love this once you get into it.

Jenn

This is my display in my front room. Still need to get out the window clings.

Carl loves to help put up the decorations for each holiday.

(Jenni) Dill Pickles

My friend, Cinda, had us over for dinner and we loved her pickles! We ordered cucumbers from Bountiful Baskets and went to work. We could have shared the 48lbs.........we both ended up with something like 36 quarts of pickles. They were super easy to make!!!

Dill Pickles

11 C. Water
5 C. W. Vinegar
1 C. Salt
Bring to a boil

In clean jars, place 2 cloves of garlic, tsp of Dill seeds (or one fresh dill head) and two dried hot chili peppers.

Cut cucumbers and place in jar. Fill with water/vinegar mixture leacing 1/2 in headspace. Water bath 20 minutes.

Thanks Cinda..............for teaching me how and sharing the recipe!

(Jenni) SPIDERS

This had to be my favorite Halloween thing this year. One night for FHE we made spiders together. Then we hung them around the house. One in front of the TV, one on the fridge, and two over the dinner table. It was fun.............will do again next year.