Gooey Butter Cookies!

1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1 egg
1 8oz package of cream cheese softened
1 stick of butter softened
1 yellow cake mix
Powdered sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in dry cake mix. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Lightly coat cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drop dough by the teaspoon-fulls into bowl of powdered sugar and roll them to cover completely. Place the dough balls onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 12 minutes or until a light golden brown. Makes aprx 4 dozen cookies.

Variation: Substitute the yellow cake mix with a devils food cake mix. Both versions are really yummy!!!

I got the recipe from my good friend Tami! She made them for us last summer and we loooooved them! If you cook them longer than 12-13 minutes they will be more cake like cookies rather than soft and chewy. Both are good though! Enjoy! Let me know if you like them!

Another infamous moment from Bo!

I guess Boaz really liked his lunch. I gave him cheese, pepperoni, Turkey Bacon, crackers, and Raspberries. He had eaten all the raspberries I gave to start off with so I gave him a few more, needless to say I think he really liked them! The funny thing is when I got him up this morning he instantly asked for a bath, I said no we will have one tonight or tomorrow. Well he got one, I think he did it on purpose. LOL!



What a Ham.



Look at it this way, since it was everywhere, the counter, the floor, and the highchair, my floors got mopped! Clean and Sparkly!

Fun Fact about us! Coffee addicts.

Jason and I have come to notice the different tastes between different brands, blends and roasts of coffee. So here are some tips and some of our favorite coffees:

1: Grind your own beans,the taste of the coffee is so much more fresh!

2. For a stronger coffee taste use a french press.

3. Store coffee beans in an air tight container, that way they do not get dried out and will retain their flavor, the bag it comes in is not good enough and is not air tight.

4. Spend the $2-$4 extra dollars and get a quality package of coffee. The better the quality of the bean the more you will enjoy your coffee experience!

Our favorite brands and roasts of coffee:

1. Caffe Verona- Bold roast by Starbucks

2. Sumatra- Extra bold roast by Starbucks

3. Original Blend-Medium Roast by Duncan Donuts

So what are some of your favorites?

Did your child ever do this?

Bo did not get his afternoon nap today, because we were out all afternoon running errands. Usually he takes little naps in between stops, however, that did not happen today. So when we got home at 4:15 I set him in his highchair to eat something before he went down for his late nap. He was munching away when I walked into the living room for a couple minutes and when I didn't hear him talking I looked at Jason and asked if he thought that Bo fell asleep? So Jason peaks his head in and sure enough Bo had fallen asleep. This all happened within just a couple minutes of me walking out of the kitchen. He was really tired, so I took him upstairs to sleep a little more comfortably in his crib.

Decorating question?

So this coming Friday we are hosting our Church Christmas party at our house and I am going to be decorating and preparing for it all week. Jason even took Friday off of work to help me out!
My question is:
What are some Holiday decorating ideas that you have used in the past that people have loved?

You can post all your ideas and answers in the comment section of this post! Thanks and I can't wait to see all the fun ideas!

Recipe of the week:

Chinese Chicken Salad:

Grill time: 8-12 minutes
Total prep time: 30 minutes

Salad Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
1 cup roughly chopped cashews
1 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup copped fresh chives

Dressing ingredients:
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp black bean sauce with garlic
1 tsp minced garlic-about 2 cloves
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp mustard powder
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. lightly coat the chicken with oil. Season evenly with chili powder, salt and pepper. Grill Chicken over medium heat. Remove from grill and let cool until you can handle it with your fingers.

2. Using your fingers, pull the meat apart into shreds roughly 1-2 inches long. Place in large bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients. Mix well

3. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Add enough dressing to the salad to lightly coat the ingredients. Mix well and serve immediately. Serve at room temperature.

Makes four servings.

This is a really yummy cold salad! We love it, plus it's healthy! I hope you like it as much as we do. Try it and let me know what you think!

By the way, I was able to find all the ingredients at my grocery store down the asian/mexican isle.

New promotions and retired list

Free Shipping on all orders $70 or more from December 9-December 23.
The free shipping special is good on retiring stamp set orders as well.
All stamps sets that are retiring are offered at a 10% discount.

The following link will take you to a list of the retiring stamp sets.

Retired Stamp list

Visit my website to place your order today. Stampin' Up is guaranteeing that your order will ship by December 16th to arrive in time for Christmas. Therefore your order must be placed by December 16th. You can also find the current promotions and flyers on my website.

My website

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!

Online Store...

I have started a new online store for all my crafts and handmade goods. If you or anyone you know is interested you can visit my store at the following link:

http://www.shophandmade.com/Store/Ajbindewald

I will be updating my store on a weekly basis or as stuff becomes available. Check it out!

Cards

These are a few of the new cards that I made a couple of weeks ago.

Mini Notebooks

These are some mine notebooks that I altered. I covered them all with SU paper except the second one. Added some ribbon and there you have it. They are perfect for your purse, or to use at your desk!

Magnetic post it note holders, and card sets!

I think these are just cute! I covered a 4x4 cardboard coaster with SU paper! Addeda cute library clip, some ribbon, and then your post it notes!






The first card set is made with the Organic Grace stamp set, riding hood red, SU paper, and old olive ribbon! This is a set of eight.


This set was made with the pocket silhouettes, SU paper, Baja Breeze and old olive card stock. This is a set of eight.

Desktop post it note holders

I made these using the plastic picture frames available at walmart. The paper and stamps are all SU.

Chocolate tins:

These are a few Chocolate tins that I made for my recent craft show.
There are 12 pieces of chocolate nuggets in the tin. Tins can be purchased at papertreyink.com

These tins are currently for sale at my online store:
http://www.shophandmade.com/Store/Ajbindewald

Busted...

Bo thought Joel needed to learn how to cook. What's for dinner?



So I was feeding Joel one morning and Bo was playing in the family room, so I thought....I walked into the kitchen and found that Bo had taken my canister of powdered sugar out of the pantry and decided to play in it. He even got measuring spoons, a cookie scoop and a spatula out of the drawer. This was one of those situations where you just can't help but laugh, even when you are trying to be serious.

Busted.

Some of my favorite pictures as of late!

Cute boys!

HUH...

So funny.

At the circus!

Sale-A-Bration

Get Ready For Sale-A-Bration!!! 

Dates effective: February 1-March 31

Customers: Receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 purchase.

Hostesses: Receive a free Sale-A-Bration product with a $300 or more workshop, in addition to the normal hostess benefits.

Recruits: Choose any retail stamp set (a value up to $47.95) from the current catalog when signing up during the promotion.

Contact me to book your Workshop or Stamp Camp. I have Several dates available for you to choose from. Hurry before they are gone!

Gift Giving Guide

Are you in need of some gift ideas? Well look no further, click on the Holiday Gift Guide and you will find gifts in the $10, $25, $50, and $100 range. Stampin' Up! has many gift ideas, some of which include stamps, accessories, scrapbooking supplies, Decor Elements for your home, Christmas decorations and much more. Browse there list and you will be able tofind that perfect gift for everyone on your list!

Holiday Extravaganza

Check out these great bundled deals from Stampin' Up! One stop shopping for the crafters and scrapbookers in your life. Click on the shopping Cart to view all the great specials!

Thankful List

Ok Karen thanks for the inspiration!

I don't think, in America today, we give and say Thanks enough. There is so much to be thankful for and we take so much of it for granite. So here are some of the things that I am Thankful for:

-Jesus, for washing away and Forgiving my sins.

-My Husband who is the most amazing man, who cares and provides for us.

-My boys, Boaz and Joel, they never cease to put a smile on my face.

- My Parents who always strive to glorify God in all that they do.

-My Siblings who are each unique in there own personalities and I love them for that!

-My Family-in-laws who offer encouragement and support.

-Stampin' Up! which is my creative outlet and favorite past time.

-Being able to stay home with my kids. Jason goes to work so I don't have to. I love being home! Thanks Jason!!!

-Starbucks, my morning addiction.

-My small Group who has challenged me and my faith.

-My friends who are always fun, crazy, loving and encouraging!

-The Military, thank you to everyone serving overseas who are unable to be with their families over this Thanksgiving Holiday.

These are just a few things, I know that there are plenty more.

May God continue to point us to the cross and His Son. May He continue to show us Grace and Mercy, for they are new every morning!

Weight loss

Hi people,
I subscribe to a fellow stampers blog and she had a great post today! I thought I would share it with you. She has inspired me and I have actually been doing some of what she recommends, So check it out and let me know what you think. Also if you have any great weight loss, healthy lifestyle tips that you would like to share, then you can post it in the comment section of this post! I can't wait to hear from you!

http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/11/16/my-time-to-share-my-weightloss-stuff-before-after/

Pizza

Over the past few months Jason and I have really been trying to eat healthier foods. Sometimes it is really hard and other times it gets really expensive, but we try it anyways. I like the way it makes me feel, I have more energy and I must say that it is helping with the whole weight loss thing. Anyways, here is a recipe for pizza that I got from my friend Tami and we have come to really love it and I thought I would share it with ya'll:
For the crust I either buy one pillsbury refrigerated crust or an organic thin crust. I use whichever I have on hand.

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves minced
4-5 tbls olive oil
Italian seasoning
1-2 Chicken Breasts
1/4 of a red pepper
1/4 of a yellow pepper
1/4 of an orange pepper
1 small zucchini
1 small squash
1 tomato (optional)
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take crust out of package and place on cookie sheet/stone/pizza sheet, whatever you have and or like to use. In skillet, cook chicken in a little olive oil and Italian seasoning. Once cooked place on cutting board, and using a food chopper, chop up the chicken. In a small prep bowl combine minced garlic and olive oil. Slice all veggies (I slice mine really thin using a medallion). Now with a basting brush, brush on your olive oil and garlic mixture onto crust. Add cheese, chicken and veggies. Top off with a little Italian seasoning. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Bake time will vary, it depends on how many toppings you put on.

This pizza is very yummy, we never have any leftovers. It also has lower calories and less fat than your typical pizza. Enjoy and let me know what you think!!!

November Stamp Camp

November 14th from 6-9pm
Fee $15-covers all supplies needed for 5 projects.
This month we will be learning the technique of Cracked Glass.
***Special: Spend $50 and receive a free pack of 8 1/2x11 colored card stock.

Please RSVP if you are able to attend or Just give me a call if you would like to place an order!

Rub On some Cheer! Promotion!

Rub-Ons Promotion

Dates: November 10-30, 2008

Promotion Details:
Spend $20 and qualify to purchase any Rub-Ons assortment at 20 percent off ($8.76 per package; regularly $10.95):

Item #	Page #	Rub-Ons Description
111416	178	Chateau Bella
111417	178	Word Flurries
111414	178	Hidden Garden
111277	178	A Perfect Day
110283	179	Take Note
111806	179	Chills & Thrills
111804	179	Chit Chat
111415	179	Greatest Moments
111805	179	School Days
110282	179	Anchored
112844	11*	Old Saint Nick
112843	17*	Season of Cheer
112735	39**	Hidden Garden Blossoms

Death by Chocolate...Players1

Our Small group decided to have a murder mystery dinner party. This one was called Death by Chocolate. Jason played a chocolatier and I was a biographer. There was also a spanish dance instructor, fitness instructor, an anti chocolate protester, a deputy taster, lawyer, accountant, a Husband to the deceased, and a daughter to the deceased. We had a blast, and all the interaction between everyone was quite humerous. If you are interested in playing and hosting this murder mystery, let me know because we do not mind lending the game out!!!

Mark and Marla Cleveland

J.R. and Abby Harris

Death by Chocolate...Players2

Chuck and Sue Procko and Shelby Procko

Eric and Leslie Owen

Chuck and Sue Procko