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Happy Birthday

It's my birthday this weekend and I want YOU to have the gifts!

 

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Nutella Tarts

Nutella Heaven

If you have never tried Nutella... you must!

Nutella is made from hazelnuts and has the consistency of a spreadable peanut butter.

A lot of people spread it on bread and eat it for breakfast.

I like to eat it as a treat, with it's smooth taste, it's as decadent as dessert.

Nutella in cased in a tart-like shell with a heart on top is simply... Heaven!

I took detailed shots on how I made this tasty treat, but lost all of the photographs that were on my cameras memory card.  So, unfortunately I can only share the recipe and instructions.

Tart Dough:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Butter, cold, cut into 1" squares

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Jar Nutella Spread

In a large bowl add the flour, sugar and salt and mix together with a whisk. 

Cut the butter into pats and add the butter to the flour mixture.  Using a food processor, pastry blendor or just your good ole' hands to mix the butter and flour together creating small bits of butter and flour.

In a small bowl, add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix well.

Add the egg mixture to the flour bowl and blend together to make a fairly moist dough.

Add flour to your rolling surface and roll the dough out to about of an 1/4" to cut out your circles about 3" x 3" and place each circle in your small cupcake pan.

Add 1 teaspoon of nutella to each tart.*

This dough should make about about 20 tarts.

I saved some of the dough to cut out tiny hearts to top each tart.

*I would use a pastry bag to do this method. like I DIDN'T! :)

Spider Man

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I HEART this!

 I found this fun little gadget that applies your pictures into a few different shapes, like the heart you see here.

I heart all the bibs that I have made over this past year and if you heart my bibs too you can find them here at...

Amy Rose Designs

I also heart my Me Loveys and I made a heart picture out of them too and if you also love them you can find them here...

Amy Rose Designs

And if you also dig the idea of making a heart out of someone you love you can find this nifty collage maker here at...

Shape Collage

Oh yeah, and if you buy a bib or lovey in my store and mention the word "Shape Collage" in the buyers notes you'll get FREE shipping* on your order!

*Only free US shipping available for this offer- Good till  9/25 midnight PST

Jamba Juice in the HOUSE

Jamba Juice Freak?

I love Jamba Juice, and if you do too you can get a FREE Jamba Juice smothie by purchasing one at the regular price.  Don't wait to long, because this coupon expires on September 22nd!

Get your FREE Jamba Juice coupon!

Destination Unknown

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In the Works

A layer cake from Moda: Lumiere De Noel

I haven't done a quilt in quite a few years and never bigger than baby size, so I am excited and nervous to take on this task, which I hope to give as a Christmas gift.

I was really drawn to this collection, mostly by the French inspired theme and the color red.

Keep tuned as I cut with no pattern in mind and I just go by feel and the design of each square to guide me.

Why don't a have a quilt plan?  Because, what fun would it be to be prepared and that's how I roll, with things like this.

An Apple for Teacher

Give Teacher An Apple Bouquet

With the kids returning to school this week giving a thoughtful, creative and inexpensive gift to your child's teacher is a nice way to start off the new school year.

You'll need five apples, a bunch of pencils, a vase and a length of coordinating ribbon to go around the vase to be tied into a sweet bow.

You can find the complete blog post and photos to this bouquet at Make and Takes. 

FIVE Hour Tour

Last Saturday I went to a book signing for the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook by Ree Drummand. I was excited to get to meet her and get a signed copy of her cookbook. I had never been to this particular book store before and didn't know what to expect. Little did I know my book signing adventure would turn into a five hour tour.

As I walked in the door of the book store I was greeted with Ree's picture. I headed to the counter to purchase my cookbook. When you purchased your book you received a letter for a group you would be assigned to to get into line for the signing. I was in group H, which meant I would have a bit of a wait till my group would be ready to get into line. My poor husband had no idea what he was getting himself into! I decided to roam around while I waited and I discovered a whole new world in this book store.

They had several restaurants to grab a bite to eat at, tons of tables to chat and play games and below the book store there were stores to shop at.

I decided to grab a table and sit and read through my book. I happen to sit at a table with another "Pioneer Fan", which is what they called us over the load speaker and I began a conversation with the woman at the table.

Meet Staci, from Kennewick, Washington. Staci drove three and half hours, by herself, to be at this signing. Staci had arrived at the book store at 1 PM in the afternoon and the signing wasn't until 5 PM. She had gotten into group E, which wasn't much further away from my group. You are beginning to get the idea of how many people were at this signing. We began to waste away the time talking together. She was sweet, friendly and it helped to pass the time with her. It didn't matter that we had just met, but it always takes one common thread that pull people together to bond and ours happen to be Ree.

We chatted and not long after another couple arrived at our table with their cookbooks and we all began to talk. It was like the time when I was young, much much younger, when my girlfriends and me would line up in the early morning hours to score tickets for a concert, except this time round I got to sit on a chair indoors, away from the rain outside.

The table began to discuss the recipes in the book and which ones we had attempted and we were successful at. About an hour and a half later they announced they would be lining up group E and we said goodbye to Staci. My husband came to my table and sat down to do the wait with me till they called my group. We continued to talk, ate California Rolls from the Japanese restaurant and by then the "Big Band" showed up to play for the crowd. You heard me right. Every Friday and Saturday night the bookstore puts on a show with bands and the community can come and dance for free. I couldn't believe it, in one place they had books, food, stores, bands, and signings. I had wondered how the book store had arrived at their name and it wasn't until I saw the banners they had hanging up.

They were building their book store around one place, the community, in which they were located and to bring everyone together under one roof. Well, their concept made an impression and the community latched right onto it. By the time the band started to play the place was packed with people ready to dance. I sat and watched a variety of ages of this community dance to the big band sounds and enjoying themselves thoroughly. I decided to get some air and a few moments of quiet time and before I knew it it was time for my group to get into line. My husband accompanied me in line so he could take pictures of me talking to Ree while she signed my book.

Okay, here is where it gets weird! My husband always picks the perfect time to say the dumbest things to me. I am three people away from getting my book signed and he turns to me and says, "You're going to start blabbering at her aren't you?" I wasn't nervous to meet Ree, but now he had done it. He made me feel insecure about my sometimes ranting I do when I get nervous. What had started off to be be no big deal turned into an insecure tennis ball match in my head of me talking to myself, "Your gonna screw it up now. Your gonna blab and embarrass yourself and say something stupid!" Well, it worked and I did!

Ree was lovely, friendly and just as beautiful in person. If she thought anything about my crazy nonsense talk, it doesn't show in her face. I am glad I got my book signed, and got to meet Ree, even if it was on a five hour tour!

I do have to say a special thank you to my husband for hanging in there with me through a very long wait, for taking the pictures of Ree signing my book and whom I suspect has a crush on her (do see me any in any of the pictures? I'm just sayin'), and for being the same nut job I married and still love after ten years of marriage, even with his morphed idea of funny. 

The best part of my five hour book tour?


All of it!

All photographs have been watermarked

Roasted Garlic

Have you ever attempted to roast garlic before?

Have you ever eaten roasted garlic before?

It is easy to do, it can be used on a variable of recipes, it tastes good and it is healthy for you, garlic that is. If you haven't eaten roasted garlic before you have no idea what you are missing.

Never fear I am here to show you how to do this.

1 Clove of garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

With a sharp knife, cut the top of the bulb of the garlic.

See it's simple and easy.

Pour 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil on the tops of the garlic

and let it sit for two minutes to soak in the oil.

Pour another 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over the tops of the garlic.

Place the garlic on a oven proof dish

and cover with aluminum foil.

Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes,

depending on how many bulbs you are roasting.

This is what is should look like when it comes out of the oven.

Don't worry if yours is a little darker than mine,

ovens temperatures vary.

It still looks good no matter what angle you look at it.

Wait until the garlic cools before you handle the bulb.

If your as impatient as me you use a glove and a fork and pull them out.

Leave them whole and use them in Spaghetti sauce or Chicken Marsala.

Or smash them with a fork and use them on

pizza, focaccia bread, garlic bread or in dips.

As Eddie, from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation would say,

"It is goooooooooooood!"

Okay, I watch way to many movies and quote way too many lines. It's my job.

All photographs are watermarked.

Warming Up the Winter

Warm up the winter with our new line of leg warmers!

Made of the softest cotton these are perfect for the a newborn during the crawling months or use them for your toddler adding a splash of color to an outfit by wearing them on their arms.

Real men can rock polka dots!

Our Pinkalicious set for the girls is just as sweet!

Buy them at our store, Amy Rose Designs

* * All photographs have an embedded watermark