Congratulations

A retirement card for our daughter's FIL based on SCS Sketch Challenge SC364.

Here is a similar card using basically the same sketch with a few adjustments and embossing folders.

Santa Christmas

Clean and simple Santa Card. My inspiration came from coupons I received in mail from Macy's. I used Stampin' Up! Real Red and Basic Black card stock. The gold card stock is DieCuts with a View. The "Merry Christmas" stamp is from the "Come to Bethlehem" stamp set from Stampin' Up. I ran the belt through my Big Shot machine with the Square Lattice embossing folder. The belt buckle was made using two square spellbinder dies.

Something Old... Something New...

I've got batches of dsp yet I keep ordering more and more. Here are a few Christmas projects using some of the retired dsp from Stampin' Up. I saved a few cans after opening green beans to bake a Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving Dinner; I wanted to recycle them for the cans of Snowman Soup. I just received my Candy Wrapper  die from Stampin' Up! and made a few of the candy wrappers and filled them with Hershey's chocolate Kisses. I am placing them in candy dishes around the house for additional holiday decorations.

More views:

Holiday Sweets

Coconut Pound Cake

Look at my 'Holiday Cake'!  I do not like coconut but I love coconut cookies and  coconut cake if the coconut is incorporated into the batter.  Delish!  I found this great recipe for a coconut pound cake at allrecipes.com.  It was quick and easy and DH LOVED it!  We almost ate the entire cake within one week.  Needless to say I will  only bake this one for special occasions and only when we are having company over so that we can share the calories with them.

Here is the recipe if you are interested in baking one:

Coconut Pound Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1  1/3  cup flaked cocunut
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

 Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (I used my Pampered Chef fluted cake pan.  Check out yesterday's post for stoneware seasoning if you need to season yours).
2. In a large bowl, cream together 2 cups sugar and the butter.  Fold in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding another.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, milk, flaked cocunut, and 1 teaspoon coconut extract.  Beat into the creamed mixture.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 1 hour, then cool on a wire rack for just a few minutes, then place on cake platter.

Glaze:  Mix together 1 cup sugar, water, 1 teaspoon coconut extract and walnuts.  Boil for 1 minute, then pour over warm cake.

Seasoning Pampered Chef Stoneware

I own a Pampered Chef 'fluted' cake pan and it has gone unused for more than 8 years.  I really wanted to use it  but I knew that I really needed to season it well so that my cake would easily come out of the pan.  I googled it and found a great 'seasoning recipe' for this cookware and it really works.  I was able to season my cookware one night and bake in it the very next.  Check my blog tomorrow for the recipe.

• Clean and dry your stoneware.
  
• Mix together 2 parts Crisco and 1 part salt
• Generously apply to total surface.
• Place in a 250F oven and bake for 30 minutes
• Let cool and smear the melted mixture over the stoneware surface again
• Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes.
• Let cool; smear the melted mixture over the stoneware surface again,  to oven and let sit in oven overnight.
• Next day, wash stoneware with dish brush under hot running water.  Dry and your stoneware is seasoned and ready to use.  

I own several pieces of Pampered Chef stoneware so I mixed together the amount specified in the recipe I found (1/4 cup salt, 1/2 cup Crisco).