Friday, November 12, 2010

Christmas Album Beginnings…and a Sweet Treat

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Good afternoon, dear friends!

A no-school Friday at our house!  Such a lovely, relaxing day!  I’ve got some delicious looking Gingerbread Cinnamon Buns raising on the counter right now…I’ll let you know how they are next time!

A Christmas mini-chipboard album’s beginning…here’s the cover…

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I love this vintage Merry Christmas print!  This is found in Crafty Secrets’ “Christmas” Creative Scraps…

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…so many fabulously festive images—front and back!

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I painted the frame with a mixture of green acrylics to get the desired shade…sanded it to age it a bit, added a smattering of Martha Stewart snowflake glitter for a bit of winter sparkle, and added some button “holly berries” and leaves…

…all framed with platinum Stickles, of course!

One more page to share today…

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This one, wrapped up like a gift…a sweet Crafty Secrets’ retro Santa and a retro me, sitting on  another  Santa’s lap at a church Christmas party back in 1964…

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I love seeing my Mom’s caring hands reaching out to make sure I’m securely perched…

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…a few stitched-up red buttons and some holly berries at the top finish it off.  I love these Christmas papers from the Graphic 45 Christmas collection.

Now, for a little treat!

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I love collecting the best of holiday baking magazines each year—so many amazing recipes to be found!

This one caught my eye and I just HAD to try it!  Didn’t have a couple of the ingredients, so I improvised, of course! (my favorite thing to do!)

So, here’s the original recipe, and I’ll tell you what I changed…

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APPLE –RAISIN COOKIE BARS

4 cups granola cereal

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped dried apple

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13x9” baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of pan.  Grease foil; set aside

In a food processor, combine granola, flour and salt; process just until mixture is combined.  Add butter; process with sever on/off turns just until mixture is combined.  Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle dried apple and raisins over crust.  Pour or spoon sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.  Bake about 20 minutes more or until top is golden brown.  Do not over-bake.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Use the foil to lift cooled bars from pan.  Cut into bars.

(Recipe courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens “Ultimate Cookies & Bars” magazine)

Okay…I didn’t have the two main titled ingredients—dried apples or raisins!  So, I decided to substitute white chocolate chips (of course, right?!) and dried cranberries.  The results?  AMAZING!  I also used a maple-pecan granola, and all the flavors blended together beautifully!

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Well, that’s it for me today.  I hope you have a glorious weekend, and I’ll see you soon with something new…

Julie

22 comments:

  1. love the vintage christmas images. so pretty. i'll have to try those apple-rasin cookie bars. they look delicious.

    hope your weekend is lovely.
    xo
    ~molly

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  2. Just had a quick catch up - not sure how I've managed to miss so many posts! Lots of delightful projects from you as usual Julie, you are the queen of vintage for sure! Love these first couple of album pages, beautiful details to enjoy. Have a lovely weekend, my friend!

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  3. yummy~ I think I will have to make that one. Your cards are lovely. Hugs, Diane

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  4. I love you album you're working on Julie. the Santa photo of you with your chubby little legs is so cute !!
    The goodies sound wonderful too. Nan

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  5. Terrific projects and such a great photo. I love those bars full of fruit....ooh yummy. Annette x

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  6. Hi Julie, I love your little chipboard album... where do you find those cute chipboard books??? Your recipe sounds wonderful! And the photo of you on Santa's lap is too cute!... xoxo Julie Marie

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  7. CINNAMON BUNS???!!! Seriously?? *Sigh* I can just see it now. Beautiful cards scattered across the table, being created. A warm, fresh from the oven gooey treat in one hand, a bottle of stickles in the other. "Oh Dreamboat" you say to your wonderful husband of a zillion years. "My hands are full, can you please pull the hair off my long swan-like neck?? I need to call and congratulate our beautiful daughter, she did find a cure for e-bola you know"...........But I am NOT jealous!! :-)

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  8. I love your vintage images, and you did a beautiful job on your album. TFS

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  9. Hi Julie, that books looks like it is going to be Fab! And I love the picture of you on Santa's lap, so cute. Have a great weekend, Nan

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  10. What a beautiful beginning to what looks like will be a fab album!! Love the cookie bars also! I can't wait to dig out my decorations and enjoy the lovely card you sent me last year Julie! It is one of my treasures!! (as are you!) Have a wonderful weekend sweet friend! Lots of love coming your way!! xxoo

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  11. Hi Julie! Your album is going to be a real treasure when it's done. It's looking just beautiful!...How cute are you on Sant's lap?!!
    ...oh gosh, does that recipe look delish! xo Paulette

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  12. Julie, you stay so very busy! I love all of your creations... including the one in the kitchen. I always keep craisins on hand. I add them to our hot cereal or use them in our bran muffins.
    Have a great weekend, sweet friend.
    Karen
    Ladybug Creek

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  13. Yummmy....you my friend make me very happy today...I love all this Christmas! Plus yummy treats to go along with it all.

    Hugs for a great creative weekend...fill it with JOY!
    xoxoxoxo

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  14. OHHH the Santa pic is adorable! LOVE that!

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  15. It's always such a TREAT to visit you, Julie! I can smell those wonderful TREATS baking away and they're making me hungry. Also, I love the beginnings of your new chipboard album...what FUN!
    Have a great weekend and week!
    Hugs,
    Coralie

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  16. Oh how precious, Julie! And I love the picture of you on Santa's lap--how priceless!!!
    XO

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  17. julie,

    you know how to live! i can just imagine how fun it would be to hang out with you, crafting to the sweet smells in your kitchen!

    love all of the images in this post.

    and now i'm hungry, too!

    happy weekend ~

    xo
    elyse

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  18. A beautiful person (inside & out), talented artist, wonderful cook... what area aren't you perfect in sweet friend? Another amazing post of creations, images, vintage photos & food. LOVE IT! HUGS!
    Charlene

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  19. I do love your blog! I am rather new to blogging and I try to follow the blogs I like.
    Your's is terrific! I just love vintage! Keep up the wonderful work please!

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  20. Julie,
    Your blog is such a beautiful, comfortable place to be. Such a sweet start to your little Christmas album and I can't wait to see it when you're done. Your food always looks so GOOD!!!
    Thanks for your kind comment on my post at Vicki's blog :)

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  21. Lovely creations...
    I think I'm going to try YOUR version of the bars...sounds yummy :D
    ~victoria~

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  22. Hi Julie,
    A delightful "Santa & Me" moment. Love how your mom coiffed your hair. If you didn't tell us the year, I would still have been able to guess approximately...the super short dresses were so in vogue at the time. :) Love this photograph, and all the elements of it! Your chipboard album is coming out lovely, can't wait to see your additional pages.
    Maureen

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