A new spark of creativity...

...at least for a little while! Really, it's the spark of energy (and maybe a spark of time?) that I need. The creativity is usually there. ;>

I finally put a scoring board to use that my mom gave me last month -- it's become one of my new favorite tools and makes card-making SO much easier. Here are two very simple cards I made during Charlotte's afternoon nap today. I was thinking "autumn" and "summer" with these two. Maybe I'll come up with a "winter" and "spring"!

Past project: Magazine File

I thought I'd post a couple of pictures for a project I made back in April (I've made several more of these since then). Since I now get several different magazines, I was looking for a cute solution to store them. I dressed up a plain, white cardboard magazine file (these can be purchased in sets of five at Ikea - very inexpensive!) with some paper of my choice. I glued the paper on with matte mod podge glue, then brushed another coat on top of the paper. To cover up the bottom and edges of the file, I used my hot glue gun to attach some ribbon. Very easy!

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I truly thought I had posted this recipe way back this summer when I first tried it, but after looking through old posts it appears that I didn't -- so here goes! I based this off another recipe I found while searching online. The idea is to recreate those delicious cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster (which, IMHO, is probably the only thing I really like about said restaurant). After trying these, I have to say I might like them a teensy bit more than RL's. Which means I don't have to go buy a meal there just to get the free biscuits anymore! ;>

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

4 cups Bisquick (or comparable baking mix)

4-5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp dried parsley (3/4 tsp. if fresh, which is always best -- but not typically most practical)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (however, I think I just used non-stick spray). Combine bisquick, cheese and water in a mixing bowl. Mix until firm -- just make sure not to over-mix it! Use a large cookie scoop (or medium sized spoon) to scoop dough onto cookie sheet, a couple of inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Add the garlic salt and parsley to the melted butter and brush generously over the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.

Risotto with Spaghetti Squash and Mushrooms

My sister-in-law (who is an amazing cook) made this dish for Thanksgiving this year -- it's amazingly tasty and rich, as well as easy to make! I scaled the recipe down a little, and here is what I made for dinner the other night.

Risotto with Spaghetti Squash and Mushrooms

1 spaghetti squash (small-ish in size. cut in half, place face down on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and bake at 400 F for about an hour or until soft, then scoop out the flesh).

1 package mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups arborio rice (you can find this in most grocery stores -- Trader Joe's seems to have the best price)

1/2 cup half and half

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, butter

Saute spaghetti squash and mushrooms in a little butter and olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.

In a separate pot, saute arborio rice in a little olive oil (stir rice around to coat) for 2 minutes. Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly until absorbed. Only add about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time! When broth is fully incorporated and the rice is cooked (al dente is best), add the sauteed veggies, half and half and cheese until combined and thoroughly heated.

Can be served either as a main dish or side dish. Yum!

Makes about 4-5 entree sized servings

A wedding

I took a few photos when attending a good friend's wedding in October. Here are a few recent edits!