Cookies, Candy, and Goodies, OH MY!

Chocolate dipped pretzels, pretzel rods, sugar cookies, m&m cookies, amish cashew crunch, chocolate pecan toffee, chocolate peppermint bark, and white chocolate cranberry cookies!!

(click to enlarge)

Happy Holidays to you all!
As you might guess from the above picture that there's been more cooking than crafting going on in the Sweet Repeats Studio Shoppe lately! I've been knee deep in chocolate and cookie dough all week during my vacation!
Tonight we are having a little get together--here's the menu:
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Chipped beef dip with bread
White Pizza Dip
Veggie Platter
Shrimp Platter
Taco dip
Honey BBQ Chicken Fingers
Chips
Cookies
Candy
and whatever else my peeps bring!
MMMM
Can't wait.
As you can see, this is not a calorie friendly menu. grrrrr.....and as you can see there are no pics of me in the photo collage--that's because the pics of me are really getting bad LOL. Although a diet is not in the question today or tomorrow--by the new year, I need to change my tune!! But for now, I shall enjoy!

I also wanted to extend thank you's to some good mail received and pictured above:

A n adorable red and white apron from Raesha
Darling crocheted ornament from Paula
Fabulous lavender flower pin from Heidi
Lovely handcrafted earings from Nancy
Not pictured but recevied-a gift of PIF from Breanna-a gift cert to extend a loan to third world country entrepreneur....how cool is that??
Thank you ladies for filling my heart with friendship and my mailbox with goodies. You all make me feel so good with your generous acts of kindness and friendship.

And now, to spend time with my family in preparation for Santa coming tomorrow. I heard on the news today that our Governor temporarily lifted the customs ban on allowing reindeers in NC and has notified the FAA to allow red sleighs to fly in what has been no fly zones the rest of the year. Phew. I was getting worried. :)

Hope your holidays are grand-here's to an even better 2008!

A little this, a little that: Altered clipboards and Almond Cashew Crunch

It's not like I don't have anything else to do, I mean I'm blogging when I should be candy and cookie making right now. (You'll see PART of my mess in pictures down the post). Ya. I'm, very, very good at procrastinating. And then stressing out about my procrastinating. But in any case, I thought you'd like to see some of my projects I've been doing for gifts. I still need to get to a Meme Rebecca challenged me to--so that will be coming later in the weekend when I procrastinate again next. :) Featured in the above photo is a combination of my cinnamon apple ornaments and bottle cap magnets/sans the magnet. I've been using the ornaments to top packages and as freebies in my last couple Etsy sales. I absolutely love them. I'm definitely making a batch or two of them for a future craft show.

I completed 3 altered clipboards-two for guests that are coming for Christmas Day.

And the third, a pink, green and brown one for my work Secret Santa. She's into crafting and scrapping so I figured she wouldn't mind a hand made gift. The tag on this one is from Raesha-a tag I received in her tag swap earlier this year. Don't you all love making or receiving fancy tags?? They are the ultimate in instant gratification. So quick and can be easy (some are more intricate than others), and they are wonderful to top your packages with or to use in projects like this or altered journals.

Okay, here we go-getting to what I should be doing. Cooking and candy making. Well the good news is, I have 3 batches of this recipe made up. The bad news is, I messed up one of the batches...I mean, it's not bad but I've mad better. In this particular recipe, it called for butter and I only had margarine. In this picture is my batch that I used margarine. It turned out great. The batch I made with real butter next--it turned out MUCH darker and way more greasy. Hmmmmm. I think I had two high of a heat on that one. The last batch I went back to the margarine and it turned out good again. (((Scratching my head....you would think the butter would have been best)))

Ta-da and it's done.

You're looking at Amish Cashew Crunch.
Here's the recipe:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (you can sub margarine)
1 tbs light corn sryup
1 container of cashews (reg size..sorry don't know the ounces)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. On LOW heat (I have an electric stove so I had it on about 4), heat butter, sugar, and corn syrup to 290 degrees (hard crack stage). You can stir this regularly to ensure everything is well mixed and the mixture doesn't burn.
Once it hits the correct temp, quickly add your cashews and spread onto the cookie sheet. Let cool and then break into pieces.
I store mine in the fridge with wax layers separating the layers.

This is next.
What was I thinking????
Yikes.


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Today was Josh's Christmas party at school so I went and they asked me to bring my art work to show the students and explain what it is that I do. I just have to say, the children were absolutely precious!! They were oooooing and awwwing me, asking questions, like "Do you paint dogs on motorcycles, too? How do you do that??? Your the best artist ever! (((LOL))) One of my lady portraits got a response of "That looks just like you"....LOL I had fun explaining to the kids how you do some of the techniques. One of the teachers even remarked that she wanted to purchase one--she's going to look on line and make a decision. :) Speaking of selling things--My embossed tags are just about sold out. One set left! Whoooohooo. I even sold one to a person in Spain! How cool is that???
After the party, I dropped off a couple of paintings at a print shop of a customer of ours and he's going to give me a great price on some high quality prints. He's much more reasonable on the cost per print as well as the proofing price/set up fee that I've found online. I'm siked. Most places want anywhere from 25 -150 for a set up fee; and prices for prints are about 15-50 depending on size (or higher). You have to sell several just to get your set up fee back, so I haven't gone that route yet. His set up fee is 7.50; and prices of prints are lower to start with than online; which still doesn't leave a lot of room for profit but its the fact that I can expand my product life greatly which entices me all the while still offering a good price.

If you haven't stopped by my etsy shop lately--please check it out!
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Have a great rest of the week!

50th Post, Let's make some ornaments and get fat on candy! HO HO HO

Well it's my fiftieth post, and I wish I had some words of wisdom to share but I am brainfried today from a long day of work and then some Christmas shopping this evening. I want to thank everyone that reads my blog. I have been blessed with meeting wonderful people all across the country who are so kind with their comments, inspiring with their own ideas, and supportive in my endeavors and comforting me during my trials and tribulations! I hope to keep writing regularly because it's definitely inspired me to keep plugging away with my crafts, encouraged me with my thrifting, challenged me with my writing, and connected me to many lovely new friends that I may have never have met otherwise. I also have used this blog (and other blogs that I have found and enjoy to read) as cheap therapy when times are a little more chaotic than I want them to be--I always seem to relax as I sit and write on my own blog and read others. Anyway, thank you again for reading my blog, commenting, and for all your wonderful inspiration that you provide me whether you realize it or not, it has made a difference in my life!

Today I wanted to feature Patti- a friend I met through Taste of Home's recipe bulletin board. She is a very sweet and talented lady with 3 very handsome sons who keep her extremely busy! One of the things she has been working on is a holiday craft show. These gingerbread ornaments are just the cutest things! I love them. The best is that they are easy to make, they smell delicious, and they last from year to year. Wouldn't they make great gifts or ornament toppers? You can get cinnamon at the dollar store or Big Lots for a dollar or less. I think she also puts a wax coating on them after she is done, dipping them in a double boiler used soley for the ornaments from year to year.

Non-Edible Cinnamon Ornaments

This is a very fun and easy craft project to make with children. Makes wonderful smelling ornaments and pretty "package tie-ons!"

Makes 1 dozen, depending on size (1 serving).

1 cup ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup applesauce

2 tablespoons glue

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix in the applesauce and glue. Work the mixture with your hands 2 to 3 minutes to form a ball. If mixture is too wet, add more cinnamon. If mixture is too dry, add more applesauce.2 Lightly dust a clean surface with cinnamon. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and use a toothpick to make a hole at the top for hanging with a ribbon. (you can also use a toothpick or mini cookie cutter to make a heart or buttons on the gingerbread man)

3 Dry in a slow oven 200 degrees F (100 degrees C) for several hours, or air dry in a sunny spot for 4 or 5 days. When dry, decorate with gingham and/ or ribbon

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I'm making this again for the holidays. It is a little softer/lighter than peanut brittle. I like cashews better anyway. Wrap the pieces up in a cute holiday bag and give as goodie favors for your holiday gathering!

Amish Cashew Crunch

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 cups cashews

Lightly butter a cookie sheet.In a heavy pan cook and stir the butter, sugar and corn syrup over low heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Cook until it starts to turn golden brown (290 degrees F on a candy thermometer) like peanut brittle.Remove from heat. Quickly stir in cashews. Pour out onto prepared cookie sheet. Cool completely.

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Another quick holiday candy favorite:

Easy Peppermint Bark

2 pkgs 12 oz. vanilla chips ( I used 2 packs wilton vanilla chips)

24 hard peppermint candies, crushed (or chop up candy canes)

(optional a drop of peppermint flavoring)

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, tinfoil or parchment paper.Place candy coating in an 8 cup microwaveable bowl. Microwave uncovered for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until almost melted. Stir until smooth.Place peppermint candies in a heavy plastic bag and crush with rolling pin or bottom of heavy saucepan. Pour crushed candies into a wire strainer. Shake strainer over melted coating until all of the tiniest candy pieces fall into chocolate. Reserve larger pieces. Stir to mix well. Spread mixture evenly on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with remaining larger candy pieces. Let stand 1 hour or until cool and hardened. Break into pieces.

You can also top with pink or red sugar crystals.

Recipes from here , my favorite cooking site. You can search for anything, ask for help and make some friends along the way.

*********Thank you Patti for sharing your crafts with me!!************