Win a Cricut Expression 2

Want to win a Cricut Expression 2??!! I sure do!!  Head on over here and enter to win a Cricut Expression 2 Anniversary edition from FaveCrafts!


Good luck!! 

New Background

I have been wanting to make my own blog background for a while now, and thanks to a tutorial here at the Cutest Blog on the Block, and the tutorial here at Beta Templates on " How to Add Your Own Image as Blog Background in the Template Designer", and the completely adorable kit "Sunny Daffodils" I got from this blog train. I DID IT!! What do you think?

Start the blog train to download it yourself, start here:






I also learned how to center my header text here (I plan to put an image there eventually, but haven't quite gotten around to that!) . This was a much needed change in my blog layout! I am so happy for the being able to Edit the CCS.


I am so grateful for all of these talented people who share their tips, tricks and hints on how to customize blogs, and for the people who make such beautiful digital scrapbook kits! 


Valerie


Click HERE to see where I party


http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Creme Brulee

My husband's favorite dessert is Creme Brulee. So, instead of paying for it at a restaurant. I decided to learn how to make it! So far, this has been a fail proof recipe! I got my original recipe for this here. But with the ingredients I had on hand I had to tweak it a bit, this is what I have come up with that works for me:

Creme Brulee

Ingredients

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 6 large egg yolks
•  hot water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the cream, vanilla into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. (if you put this into the egg mixture when it's too hot, it will curdle the eggs)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. 
4. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. 
5. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. 
6. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. 
7. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. 
8. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. (I have found that it takes a bit longer in my oven- closer to 50 minutes).
9. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
10. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. 
11. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the pictorial-how-to:

Place the cream, vanilla into a medium saucepan set over
medium-high heat and bring to a boil.Remove from the heat, 
cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the
egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color.

Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.

Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan.

Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins.

Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Divide the remaining 1/2 cup sugar equally among the
6 dishes and spread evenly on top.

We also like to use turbinado sugar on the top instead of white sugar

The torch we used (got it at Amazon)

Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top

(white sugar)

The turbinado sugar 

Yummy crunchy layer over smooooth and creamy! Yummy!

This is definitely one of our favorite desserts! :) Hope you try it!


Thanks,


Valerie

Places I party:

Sweet Summertime {Freebie Printable}

With summer just a hop, skip and a jump away (ok, it's already ARRIVED in southern Arizona), I thought I would make a little printable for summer. I played with the colors a bit, so feel free to print the one you like best! Enjoy! Oh and I made them to fit an 8x10 frame. 

Where I party!
Today's creative blog
http://www.sistersofthewildwest.blogspot.com 
thanks,


Valerie

Fabric Bookmarks

So, I saw this tutorial from Skip to My Lou, and loved it! I don't have any "teacher appreciation" gifts to create, but I sure have a couple of appreciation gifts to give, so I thought I would try it out! My first one (red) wasn't exactly what I was trying to make (and it turned out a bit short), BUT I think the blue one turned out pretty cute!

The only difference in my flowers were that I used hot glue, I didn't have any fabric glue (ok, I did, but it didn't hold fast enough for my patience!).

Go check out the tutorial and make some yourself! :)

Thanks for reading all about this "mess" (which it really wasn't!),

Where I party!

Valerie

More Onesies

I had 2 more onesies to decorate... so, I did! I think they turned out pretty cute. I used a tutorial for the tie from Crap I've Made, and even used her pattern. I didn't sew it, and hope that doesn't matter in the long run.

I think they turned out kinda cute!

ha, I saw this and thought it was so cute... and to replicate!

The tie.

Thanks for reading about my mess,

Valerie


I am linking up here and here:





This post was featured:

Only Child {Big Brother} T-Shirt

So, I saw this idea the other day when I was looking for ideas for the "big brother, little brother" shirts I made (miss the post? see it here!). My brother called (the dad to these two kiddos) and our conversation about the oldest of the 2 (who's only 18 months)...

"How's David doing with his new brother?"
"Good, but he's spending lot's of time in Time Out!"
"Why?"
"Well, he's used to being 'King of the House', 'The Only Child", and now... not so much!"


LOL! Poor kid, so I made him his own shirt:

The back

The front (can only find pocket-tees for some reason)

The back

Hardly a mess, except for the first one I printed (onto the cloth no less) turned out Lavender... grrrrr....

Thanks for reading about my mess,

Valerie


I am linking up at these parties

and here too: