Friday, February 17, 2012

Recipes

I have been in such a slump and tired of the same ol' same ol' recipes.  Thanks to my neighbor, I have been inspired to meal plan!  So, I have climbed the book shelf and scoured the recipe books, the internet and of course Pinterest!  So, I thought I would share a few recipes with you!  I will do them in different posts (so that you keep coming back -  :-)  he he! 

Last night for dinner we had:

Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stir-fry -


Ingredients:
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp Thai Kitchen fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp oil, divided
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 cups cubed assorted colors bell peppers (1/2-inch cubes)
  • 1 red chili pepper, chopped (optional or to taste)
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
  • 1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Pineapple & Chili dipping sauce
  • cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Directions:

Mix chicken and fish sauce in medium bowl. Add cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and
ginger; stir fry 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, chili pepper if using and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp. Add sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. Return bell pepper mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Garnish with cilantro.


I could not find the Thai Kitchen Pineapple & Chili dipping sauce, only Chili dipping sauce and to keep the spice level down for the kids, I did not add in the pepper - I served it over rice - it was super yummy!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Studi J - Better Together


12" × 12" Better Together Layout

Kit: Pemberley
Pattern: Elegant Showcase™
Photos: 1 vertical, 2 square
Colors:  Bamboo  Colonial White  Desert Sand  Honey  Indian Corn Blue  Outdoor Denim

Technique

  • Using My Stickease® borders to mat photos
  • Sending layers forward, backward, to front, and to back

Preparation

  1. Select Pemberley kit.
  2. Select Elegant Showcase™ pattern.
  3. Select Kit Mix 1.

Putting the Layout Together

  1. Change Bamboo cardstock to Colonial White cardstock.
  2. Change yellow B&T paper to Bamboo cardstock.
  3. Change Indian Corn Blue cardstock to dark blue B&T paper.
  4. Change multicolor floral B&T paper to dark blue B&T paper.
  5. Change brown B&T paper to multicolor floral B&T paper.
  6. Change vellum background of title and journaling wells to Bamboo cardstock.
  7. Add 1/8" Bamboo photo mat to rightmost photo.
  8. Drop photos into photo wells.

Finishing Touches

  1. Change color of toggle accents as follows:
    • ribbon to Desert Sand
    • brads, buttons, photo hanger to Cocoa
    • button threads to Colonial White
  2. Add the following My Stickease images to left page, resizing, rotating, and cropping as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
    • brown heart (Large Accents) at 120%
    • four blue and yellow cross-stitch borders (Borders) at 100%
    • two flower sprigs (Medium Accents) at 100%
    • leaf sprig (Medium Accents) at 125%
    • cream rose (Large Accents) at 150%
  3. Add the following My Stickease images to right page, rotating, cropping, and resizing as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
    • blue pennant (Tags) at 70%
    • yellow pennant (Tags) at 65%
    • two blue and yellow butterflies (Small Accents) at 45% and 60%
    • two blue and yellow cross-stitch borders (Borders) at 100%
    • four-petal yellow flower (Medium Accents) at 100%
    • flower sprig (Medium Accents) at 30%
    • leaf sprig (Medium Accents) at 50%
  4. Create title as follows:
    • new text area: “better” in 72 pt. Handmade font, no background, Cocoa text
    • quick-title: “TOGETHER” at 55%, 15 px. spacing
  5. Add new text area “We are:” in 32 pt. Inkling font, Indian Corn Blue background, Colonial White text, center-aligned, centered top-to-bottom.
  6. Add journaling as desired in 22 pt. Elementary font, Bamboo background, Cocoa text, center-aligned.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Studio J - Super Hero



12" × 12" One Super Girl Layout

Kit: Superhero
Pattern: Elegant Context™
Photos: 2 vertical, 1 square
Colors:  Black  Cranberry  Moonstruck  Sky  Sunkiss Yellow  White Daisy

Technique

  • Rotating and swapping pages
  • Creating a custom title using a combination of My Stickease® and new text areas

Preparation

  1. Select Superhero kit.
  2. Select Elegant Context™ pattern.
  3. Select Kit Mix 4.

Putting the Layout Together

  1. Swap left and right pages.
  2. Rotate left page 90 degrees.
  3. Rotate right page 270 degrees.
  4. Rotate comic strip B&T paper pieces on each page to vertical position.
  5. Change vellum background of title well to Cranberry cardstock.
  6. Drop photos into photo wells.

Finishing Touches

  1. Change color of toggle accents as follows:
    • ribbon to Sky
    • buttons to Cranberry
    • button threads to White Daisy
  2. Add the following My Stickease images to left page, resizing, rotating, and cropping as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
    • blue starburst (Large Accents) at 175%
    • left parenthesis (Large Accents) at 100%
    • right parenthesis (Large Accents) at 100%
    • yellow star outline (Medium Accents) at 80%
    • “Able to leap” sentiment (Quotes) at 100%
  3. Add the following My Stickease images to right page, rotating, cropping, and resizing as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
    • yellow star outline (Medium Accents) at 125%
    • star swoosh (Medium Accents) at 135%
    • “Incredible” sentiment (Quotes) at 100%
    • “Faster than” sentiment (Quotes) at 100%
  4. Create title as follows:
    • type one space in the title well to hide the “Add title” reminder
    • new text area “one” in 85 pt. Tickled font, no background, Black text
    • use quick-title tool to create “SUPER” at 120%, 8 px. spacing
    • add new text area “girl” in 85 pt. Tickled font, no background, Black text
  5. Add White Daisy running stitches and zigzag stiches at 100% as desired.
  6. Add journaling as desired, using a mixture of scaled Arial and Typewriter fonts, vellum background, Black text.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Pinterest!

Yikes, do you have a pinterest account and love everything?  I do.  I have found tons of cute little girl skirts, fabulous scrapbook layouts, my dream home, and tons of quilt patterns.  Well, in all of the pinning I have done, I have decided, it is time to start making something that I have pinned!  In reading a blog today,  I discovered that I need to start bookmarking and making note of where I find things.  In the blog www.every-little-day.blogspot.com, I found a link of 25 different cute skirts - dated 8-27-2011.


Well, I would like to make some of these skirts, so I need to start printing out instructions on how to make them.  I am going to the quilting store in a week and need measurements for all of the fabric.  Looks like I am going to be pretty busy!