Eeeasy Key Lime Pie..

So..
I am participating in a "Flavor of the Month" over at Bake at 350..

July's theme: Pies.
Me.. personally love 'em. EVERY kind, ala mode, please..
I chose to do a favorite of mine, and wherever I seem to take it.
It's perfect for summertime.. the flavor is so refreshing, and it is soooo easy to make.
I hear it is popular in Texas.. ;)
Here ya go..



Crust:
I like to use a graham cracker crust, pre-made is awesome, but you can crank out your own favorite if you so desire. It is tasty with both! I usually do it the easy way in summer.. more time to play!
(If you are using a smaller, traditional size pie shell, you'll need two.. just warning you! ;D)

Filling:
1- 16 ounce tub of Cool Whip
1- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (Hello!! Whole milk + sugar.. how can this get any better.. I'll have a can!)
1/4 cup key lime juice (I like to buy it in a bottle, pre-squeezed and all.. Nellie and Joe's is my fav.)
green food coloring (optional)
whipped cream and limes for garnish

Here's why I LOVE this recipe..
IT'S EASY.
NO slaving over a juicer.
NO standing over a hot stove.
NO oven necessary.
It comes together so fast.
It's great for BBQs and other spontaneous events.
See.. perfect for summer!

Dump your Cool Whip into a large bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, the key lime juice, and the food coloring (if you are going to add it, do it NOW!). Fold all ingredients together thoroughly.
Spoon it into your pie shell, and let it set in the fridge for an hour.
Slice it up, garnish it, and enjoy!

I have made both, a traditional in the kitchen for a day Key Lime Pie, and this.. love 'em both, but I will totally take this one in the summer months!

Thank you..

I have been trying to get over my boo-hooish-ness.. I had a little pity party, someone knew I was having a rough time..
I have angels all around me.. this particular angel chose to remain anonymous...
To whoever you are, wearing that halo, thank you.

Gettin' it done..

Silly me, wondering where the hey the month of July has gone..
Figured I had better get some more done.. I have been busy crocheting a scarf of ALL things to be doing in July!

A Card..

We are going out to dinner with Clint's bride-to-be as a pseudo bachelorette party..
Can you guess what her gifts might be? ;)

In the mood...

These came together quickly using some of the new tips and techniques I learned in my recent class.. I still can't believe that I am doing digital!!
I am, however, excited about some recent purchases at a Stampin' Up! party I went to.. does anyone else out there get excited over a new paper trimmer? ;)

Collages..

Sadly our lessons for this class end today. :(
I haven't done today's lesson yet.. I am dragging it out as long as I can!
Here is yesterday's project:

Storyboards..

Day 12 has brought yet another invaluable technique..
Storyboards.
I think I might just enter the throes of depression when this class ends..

3..

Yay! I am up to three...

Day 11..

Today's lesson was on selective coloring.
I had already figured out another way to achieve this look, but she taught a new way, that is much easier as far as being able to edit your mistakes at the same time.
Like I have said a gazillion times before: she makes it so easy and so fun!

Homework is SO fun!

The only homework that I ever remember really loving to do, was art class. Maybe that's why I love this class so much!
I had some catching up to do, and I was looking forward to doing it..
So here goes!


And now, onto the quilt, again...

Summer Day elements..

Here's the source list for some of the digi elements used on this layout:
- Alpha brushes: Vibe Alphabet by Art Warehouse.
- Stitching: Stitched by Anna White No. 1 and Stitched by Anna Circles No. 2 by Anna Aspnes.
- Brushes: Graphic Pop Clusters Brushes and Stamps No. 3 by Katie Pertiet.
-Twill Ribbon: Basic Twills: Summertime by Katie Pertiet
- White frame: White Rounded Corners Frame Kit from House of 3.
- Fonts (from top to bottom): Alabama (hot day), You Are Loved (ice cream), Pea Weenie (sisters), Action Jackson (good times); all found at DaFont.com.

Another one...

Here comes the "too much info" train...
Woooo!! Woooo!!
I cannot sleep tonight (this morning, really..)..
Being a woman is awesome.. insomnia, headaches, and blessed cramps.
If I were preggers, I would have funner discomforts.

Here's 1 for July..

This one was not a template, took longer than I would have liked! :)
I saw a digi lo in July's CK by Paula Gilarde, titled, "Pedal On", and LOVED it!! I scraplifted the main foundation, and had to go and download just about ALL of her digi elements..
Well worth it!

TTV challenge..

Lesson for the day was TTV. For the challenge, we were to combine many things that we have learned already.
I highly suggest Jessica Sprague for all your self-paced online class needs..
Seriously, she's awesome!
She really knows her stuff, has awesome tutorials, a community that answers questions for you, many MANY references for where to go to find the best in everything digi..
She makes it fun!
Best of all, every class you ever sign up for and take (which a lot are free, by the way..) will be available to you, FOREVER.
Endless, awesome information, there, for you, FOREVER!
I am loving it..
Can you tell?

Takin' a break..

From unpicking the quilt.. I am really developing a love/hate relationship with that thing.
I love the colors in it, and the fact that it will dress-up a big girl bed..
I HATE that it is not working the way I hoped it would..
Oh, well..
So I am giving my eyes and fingers (and scissors) a much needed break, and doing some homework. :)

Hand tinting and mask clipping:


Textures/overlays:

Textures/overlays + frame:


I love all that I am learning!!
And someday, that blasted quilt will be done..

More cupcakes...

Are you sick of butterflies?
I'm not.. :)


I don't think butterflies, or chocolate cupcakes for that matter, will ever get old...

More homework..

But it's sooo fun!
I should probably be doing something more productive during nap time, but I love playing with my new-learned tricks.
Today's lesson is a more subtle technique, so there are befores and afters..


Okay.. they didn't turn out as large as I would have liked side-by-side.. but you can click on them.
I hope you get the idea!! :)

Homework..

The good kind..
Remember the link I had up to your right?.. it was a couple of weeks ago..
I am learning SO much!! I feel so smart..
Day one's assignment:
- photo
- frame
- word art


Day two's assignment:
- photo
- digital brushes


She makes it so easy...

My review..

This is the spray adhesive that is supposed to make a huge shortcut in quilting.. a "cheat" of sorts.
Grandma is probably shaking her head..
Regular price on this little can of "cheater spray" was $14.99, but that, my friends, is what coupons are for!
The idea was to adhere the squares onto the top of my quilt-to-be and machine quilt it without the worry of pins. I still wanted to be sure that my batting, backing, and top piece stayed where I intended them to, so I left one pin in the center of each of my squares.


I folded the squares, sprayed the back of each one, and stuck them back down.
I did notice that some over spray was getting onto the quilt top, didn't worry about it, until...
I actually started sewing, what I thought might take me the afternoon on my machine, turned out to be not that, at all.
The over spray is sticky.
Check out my fingers...

It sticks fantastically to the presser-foot on my machine, which makes for little to no sewing actually getting accomplished. I finished one side and not even half of the top before I called it quits.
Perhaps, if I had taken each square off, taken them to a separate location, sprayed them, then brought them back and placed them, I wouldn't have this issue. But I already marked it out, pinned them down, and wasn't in love with the prospect of re-placing 204 4x4 inch squares after I had already done it.
Meanwhile, I am sewing each one on, by hand, the way I was taught..
I am sure Grandma was smiling down when I went to the craft room to retrieve her quilting kit.
She probably smiled a little bigger when I slipped her thimble onto my finger.
So much for short-cuts!

Sunday dinner.. Homemade Pizza.

Yesterday, we enjoyed a totally non-traditional Sunday dinner..
No chuck roast or ham here.. no chickens were roasted.
We were layin' back taking it easy..


We made pizza!
Our (my) favorite dough recipe involves 6 ingredients:
- yeast
- water
- sugar
- flour
- salt
- olive oil
You take a cup of warm water, and add a tablespoon of yeast. Add a teaspoon of sugar and let it activate.
Meanwhile, mix two cups of flour with abut a tablespoon of salt.
Add your yeast/sugar/water mixture to the flour and salt, and mix well.
After it is well combined, drizzle about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil, and knead until smooth.
Let raise for 30 minutes. Bake at 500. It cooks fast, so watch out!
Depending on how thick you like your crust, it will make between one and two 13 inch pizzas.
We like it thin around here, so we get two pizzas.
We buy our mozzarella in a big block, and slice it, none of that puny grated stuff, that makes a nice cheesy layer of melted goodness...
Our toppings usually stay the same, I was bummed cause we didn't have any black olives in food storage.. Merrill wasn't too broken-hearted.
Meanwhile..


I am working on Peyton's quilt.
I'll share details on that soon. :)

Christmas in July..

Christmas sprinkles are good for somethin' around here in July..
I kinda neglected the decorative fourth of July musts in my arsenal of sprinkles and such. I admit, I wasn't really planning on making anything special for the holiday after the day I had decorating a bazillion cookies, but this morning when I woke, I had the urge for chocolate cupcakes and loads of butter creme frosting..
So I went for it.

My personal tip is to grab one, and eat it over the kitchen sink, with your back to any doors or hallways, that way the kiddos can't see, and then, you don't "have" to share. You can quickly deposit the evidence into the sink, brush the crumbs nonchalantly from your mouth, and no one is the wiser. ;)

But I didn't have sprinkles.. well, I did. In my Christmas mix. So I got the red and the white.. no blue in this house though.. plenty of pink! ;)

I love to use Betty Crocker's Super Moist Butter recipe cake mixes..
At the risk of sounding much like Paula Deen, a stick of butter makes everything better!
It makes a very moist cake and or cupcake.
I like to fill 'em..
As a young'un, my mom had a cool electric cookie press that had the "filler" attachment. That contraption kicked the bucket a looong time ago. I prefer to use my 18 inch decorating bag and my very large 4B Wilton tip. This bad boy has extra capacity, so I just fill it, and go.
I stick the tip into the cupcake until I see no more silvery tip, and squeeze until the top of the cupcake looks like a mini Grand Canyon. Or, sometimes I hold it and stop once it feels sufficiently heavy.

See my little chocolaty Grand Canyon?

I color the rest of my frosting, and because I am lazy, fill the same bag, unwashed with my colored frosting. I pipe it onto the tops and cover any trace of the frositng injection.

We all love them!

Happy Fourth!!