Yummiest Chocolate Chip Biscuits

December Challenge attempt was these Choc Chip Biscuits

The recipe was so easy and will be made forever more in this house.
Todd who is the big choc chip biscuit eater in this family has given them the big Thumbs up!

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

barely adapted from Anna Olson, Food Network Canada
Ingredients:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.
4. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)
5. Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Makes approximately 3 dozen. Try not to eat them all.




Pinterest original site

for Biscuit recipe

was Apple A Day.

November Pinterest Challenge

Well as you can see, the blogging has been on the backburner over the Christmas period, due to lack of time. The monthly pinterest challenge wasn’t blogged about but it was done. So to bring up to date here is my November pinterest challenge…………..

Peanut Butter and Jam (or Jelly to the Americans) Cupcakes

Now these cakes were sooooo rich, but yummy. I think if I made them again I would just leave enough for 1 helping then freeze the rest and bring out in a week or so as they are not something that everyone kept going back to as they were so heavy and rich. I gave the rest of ours to friends and their kids loved them!

I sourced the recipe from the site The Girl Who Ate Everything, whose original source was from the site How to Eat A Cupcake.

Now as usual their photo and my photo are sooooo different that if I wasn’t telling you they were the same cupcake (they are I promise) you would not know. Actually after looking at the original photo’s I noticed she has made hers in the little cupcake liners where I used the large muffin cake liners, so that’s probably why we found ours so rich they were too much cake in one eating! So note to self – when making these again use the smaller liners.

My icing is very different looking as well, I think the heat here really affected the outcome. But like I say they were very yummy and I will make them again.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes


6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
strawberry or grape jelly

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Insert 24 liners into a medium cupcake pan.

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Mix in the vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.

5. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! Cool cupcakes in the pan. Once cupcakes are cooled you can either pipe the jelly into the center using a decorating tip or just use an apple corer to take out the center of the cupcake and fill with 1-2 teaspoons of jelly. Decorate with frosting below.

Peanut Butter Frosting

3/4 cup smooth
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
mini NutterButter cookies for garnish

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes using a decorating tip or a ziploc baggie filled with frosting with the corner cut off. Top with a teaspoon of jelly and garnish with NutterButter mini cookies.

Ok here it is........

Well here is the lemon meringue cupcake.

Terrible, terrible photo but they tasted oh

so good!  We had visitors who were

hanging to eat them, so the photo was

very quick.

Now it doesn't look so great, my oven

only cooks on high, so I was hard

pressed to be able to get the meringue

to cook through without the tip

burning :-(

And I should have cut one in half

to show the lemon butter, but like

I say people were waiting.

I made 14 cup cakes and an

apple slice.

Left over about 3 pieces of

slice and 2 cupcakes, between

8 people.  So I'd say the verdict

was they were pretty yummy!

Now to the recipe.

The only thing the same in

the recipe from kokken 69

was the meringue.

I used my basic cupcake recipe

that I use all the time.

Then I used Woolworths homebrand

Lemon Spread.

Followed by Kokken 69's meringue

on top.

Keep an eye out over the weekend

and I will post my basic cupcake

recipe which I have been

using for over 20 years.

So that's the October Pinsperation

Done & Dusted!

Pinsperation for October

Well I just realised I have to do my pinsperation

for October!

Now I was going to attempt something

crafty but the month has gone so QUICK!

So I thought I would go another cooking insperation, and have chosen the following:

Lemon Meringue Patty Cakes - OMG!

The above photo and recipe was taken

off Pinterest and originated at

kokken69 blogspot.

So Emma that's my inspiration

for October.  Does anyone

else want to join in?

I still have a couple of days left

in the month on the weekend so

will see how I'm going for time

and I may also pick something crafty

to try and get done :-)

My sisters pinterest attempt....

Well I called for others to link their pinsperations and this is what my sister decided upon -

These beautiful cupcakes you can find over at sweetapolita.

http://sweetapolita.com/2011/08/licorice-delight-vanilla-almond-anise-cupcakes/

Here is my sisters attempt Emma made vanilla cupcakes with buttercream icing and
iced them the same.  Don't they look great!

Emma is a professional photographer head over to her new blog Beaumont Photography for a look at some of her work.

My first pinspiration is.................

This beautiful looking Mint Slice from

sisterstuff blogspot.  They actually call

it a mint brownie,

I'm going to change it a little.  I make an apple

slice that uses a pkt cake mix in the base, which

is verry yummy, so I thought I would give

this a try using a pkt chocolate cake mix.

Sooo I will make this this weekend and post

back to you with how it went......

PINSPERATION

Soooo now I've introduced those of you who weren't aware of pinterest to it, here is the next step.

I was discussing with my sister the other day (who introduced me to pinterest) that we do a hell of a lot of pinning but not much of anything else.

So we decided to set a monthly challenge.  We originally thought fortnightly but the way our lives are so busy lately thought monthly better, than this gives us the option that if we have the time to do something else we will.

So that is my challenge to you! 

Message me with a link to what you have picked to make/do from your pinterest board this month, when it is completed email me a photo of the finished product.

MMmmmm (Kristy deep in thought here).  Will have a look through my boards and get back to you with what I have chosen :-)



War on Debt Challenge

I fell on the wayside with this as we have been in Darwin for the last 2 weeks so it was really hard to keep following it, I did a couple of things in Darwin, but would like to finish the challenge off this month.
14. Trying the chux in the bottom of the fridge to keep the vegies fresher longer.
edited to add this really does work, came home from a 2 weeks in darwin and the strawberries are still fine as is the broccoli.

15. Waxed my own eyebrows.

16. Made some strawberry jam in the breadmaker to use up old strawberries

17. Cut my own fringe, will stop annoying me until I get to town for a cut. I know not a complete SS as will still professionly get it done, but will save money as not as many haircuts. (I only get my hair cut 2-3 times a year so it's not too bad.

18. Well this one is in Darwin - bought water and chips etc for the bar fridge in the hotel as hubby always drinks and eats them and they are triple the price.

19. Darwin - was going to buy a new dress to wear to a big dinner (flash - over 500 people) but ended up realising the one I owned was fine and it was probably a year since I wore it last and no one would remember me in it. (or really care for that matter)

20. Darwin - went to buy the step board and weights for the Wii and then went away first and thought about it. Can't really afford it at the moment, I don't use the Wii fit enough as it is, and my son already owns weights that I can use. So gave it a miss. This happened with quite a few things shopping that week so was quite proud of myself.

21. Darwin - we stayed up there for a work conference, so accommodation and meals supplied, but only if eaten at that hotel through day and re-imbursed meals at night if not eaten there, I made sure we had breakfast there and lunch everyday and if we had a meal out at night we would be re-imbursed, so apart from drinks (which we paid for ourselves) we made sure we didn't pick at food anywhere else and only ate at meal times. Sounds petty I know but it all adds up.

Well that is all I can think of at the moment will have to keep thinking up challenges each day over the next month.

Keesh's Inspiration Challenge No 16

Wow it has been so long since I stamped! I got my November swaps

finished last night and made a start on the December cards and will

get those out in next Tuesdays mail. I am really pleased with them

and will have to post them over the next couple of days.

It's also been a long, long time since I did a challenge and when I saw

this one today of Keesh's I thought that's pretty, I wouldn't mind

having a go at that, wonder when it's due? Oh oh that would be

tonight, so I thought why not I'll give it a go.

The photo does not show how bright it is and it is REALLY Bright! I had a lot

of fun making this card and used lots of different stamps and card.

The big flower was Petal Pizzaz, then the wheel was from of the mini catties,

the centre one was stamped with the Polka Dot background as was the green

card. The green card was then punched with one of the SU stampers. The

middle one had strips of white sewn on so they were similar to the pink and

white stripe in the quilt. I know I should give more detail but I am soooooo

ready for bed. I'm going to take a photo in the morning to see if it shows the

colour better.

Here is a close up of the flower, the sewing and the punching. Thanks for looking everyone and to all a goodnight.

Makeesha Byl's Colour Challenge #8

Well I'll see how I go with the details, as my keyboard is playing up and I
have been having trouble typing. Above is the latest colour challenge
for Makeesha Byl, and I actually had a play with 2 cards this week.

I gotta admit these aren't colours I would naturally grab together,
the pumpkin and celery yes, but the pink is a lot brighter than the
one I would grab, but I gotta admit, they look bright and funky.

The first one was using the little sheep from the Pun Fun set.

Here is a close up showing the spotted background and the new su punch

as well as the always versatile Certainly Celery ribbon, whoops nearly forgot

also the CC brads.

And here is a side view to show it at a different angle.

This card is again using the Pun Fun set as well as the cupcake wheel

which are both in the new catalogue.

As tyou can see the background on this is using the happy birthday

embossing folder with my Cuttlebug. The little bird is holding a sign

which says Happy Bird-day which is raised up and also a little cupcake

which is raised.

Close up of the bird and it's sign.

The punches used around the bird are not Stampin Up, or the

cuttlebug folder, but all other products used are SU.

Thanks again for the challenge Keesh.

2 Challenges in 1

Well it's been awhile, talk about time

starved. I have been so

unbelievably

busy and this week is going to be just

as bad, so my regular blog checkers

please be patient with me.

This card was to get 2 challenges done

at once. Leah Weir has a colour

challenge using Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss

Whisper White and Regal Rose.
Makeesha Byl has a Sketch Challenge going.

And here is my entry..............

This is the first time I have used this set, and I am really happy with

the way it turned out.

I loved the colours that Leah chose, but I must admit the Regal Rose

had me stumped, it just seemed off with the rest of them, bit hard to

tell in the photo, but I ended up sponging the edges of each flower with

the Regal Rose.

I actually sponged all of the colours onto the stamp, as all of the new

ones don't have pens and it was the only way I could think of to get

the different colours onto the stamp.

The Kiwi Kiss and the Tangerine Tango around the edge have both

been stamped with the grass stamp from the Inspired by Nature set

in Kiwi Kiss, I just felt that it needed it to finish it off. The whisper

white has been backed with the Riding Hood Red and the flower has

as well and then it was also backed with the Tangerine Tango.

I then used the Kiwi Kiss ribbon across the card with a bit of twine

to break the Kiwi Kiss.

Thank you Leah and Makeesha for your challenge.

TFL,

luv

Kristy

Kristina Werner Colour Challenge #51

Kristina Werner's latest color challenge - Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose
More Mustard and Whisper White.

Whipped this up this arv for Kristina's latest colour challenge. Got to be
honest and say I had made a card like this earlier in the day for someone's
birthday but different colours. Love the way it turned out so used the
layout again for Kristina's challenge, with a few small changes.
Mustard is not usually a colour I would go for, but it looks good with the

Regal Rose and Choc Chip. That's why they call them challenges I spose

so you go out of your comfort zone.

The stamp set is Just Jawing, which I love, but must admit haven't seen it

around all that much. With teenagers in the house, figured it would be a

great one for cards for that age as there isn't too much around aimed at

that group. The background is Gratuitous Grafitti, which goes great with

this set, it really sets it off. I also used this on the eyes and stars.

Here is a close up showing how the skull is raised, also the hearts and stars.

The you rock was rolled over a pen and stuck with the curve facing up to

look like it's blowing in the wind.

TFL

Luv,

Kristy

Here is the photo hopefully!

Well at last here is all of the views of the card. I spent over 3 very
frustrating hours last night, just to get the bottom shot loaded in
time for the closing of the Stamp With Us challenge and I just
made it! What is going on! Every time I try uploading a picture
to blogger to put on my blog the internet drops out. Anyway I
have just spent another couple of hours loading these 2 photo's
of the finished card on.
The first is the close up of the cake icing and shows how I embossed
the flowers from the Always heart onto the icing of the cake, and
added a pearl for a cherry on top!

The second is a side view to show the ribbon and the layering and how
the card which the cake is on and the cake itself is raised.

And the last photo is the one that finally loaded last night. Whew!
This is a front view of the card and all the details are in the post
below. The cake the SWUS girls used for the challenge looked so
rich and delicous, and so made me want to go and whip some up.
But alas it was a very busy week and I didn't have time. HA HA!
Seriously, doesn't it just make your mouth drawl..............
Any way I wanted to keep with the essence of the challenge,
by using the cake, using choc chip and by giving it a rich feel.
Even though this was last minute (that will teach me) I love how
the cake Whoops! I mean card has turned out.

TFL

luv,

Kristy

Stamp With Us Challenge No. 3

Wow I have had so much trouble loading this photo for the challenge,
I am trying two different ways at the moment so will probably
end up with it loaded twice after trying for an hour the normal way.
Well as you can see by my previous post this is for
Stamp With Us's latest challenge, taken from the picture below.
Now I am going to be short and sweet explaining this as I am
worried it is going to drop out.
Card used is Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip, DP is
SU Prints Close to Cocoa.
The stamps used are bold birthday, baroque motifs and Always.
The only place where it is not obvious is probably the flowers
from the Always heart that I embossed on the cupcake. The Choc
Chip card was run through the corrugator
to give the cup case base effect. Pearls were added for decoration.
I will try and add more detail tomorrow if it lets me, but for now
I am just trying to make the time for the Challenge.
Well this looks like the best I can get tonight, I tried adding
photo's of other angles of the card but no go. This is better
than none. Hope you like the card girls.
I'll try completing the post tomorrow.
Cheers,
Kristy

Stamp With Us Challenge #3

I am having so much trouble loading my photo's. Blogger let
me load this photo of Stamp With Us's Challenge picture, but
I have been unable to load the photo's of the card as the
internet keeps dropping out.
All I can think of is posting a second time and see if that will
let me load the card.

Stamp With Us Challenge #2

Stamp With Us DT next Challenge was to create a birthday card.

The colour hasn't come out very well in these photo's

as we had big heavy fog and I was having trouble getting

decent light, cause IRL this card is bright, bright, bright.

Here is vision of the card side on. Which shows

you the grass and all the different layers.

The card was made using all SU products.
Stamp Sets: Bugs and Kisses & SAB '07 - '08 Lot's of Thought
DP: East Coast Prep
Card: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie,
Glorious Green, Whisper White.
Ink Used: Basic Black, Glorious Green, Pumpkin
Pie, Tempting Turquoise, coloured using SU
Markers in the same colours.
Accessories: SU Squarish button, SU Striped Ribbon
Staples and majic Mount, Cuttlebug.

Well girls I hope you like my card, cause in the
busy work week, I have had this week it was
so nice to sit down and relax and create.

TFL

luv,

Kristy

Stamp With Us

Woo Hoo! How exciting! I made Stamp With Us's first
Fave Five for this card.
I'm so excited.
Their next challenge in their challenges for a design
team member is to make a birthday card. So watch
this space.

Thanks Girls.

Stamp with us challenge.

Well the girls over at Stamp With Us
Monica, Natalie and Zoe have issued
everyone with a challenge to use the
image on the left to make a card.
Entrants in the challenge get to get
a chance to be chosen on the Stamp
With Us design team.
Now that has always been a dream
of mine to be on someone's DT.
So I thought what the hell I'll give it
a go. I wanted to make a couple of
cards for it but I have just run out of time. So here is my challenge
card.

This is the SU Garden Whimsy set, and it was one of those sets that
when I first saw it in the American catalogue, that when it hit the
Australian I just had to have it! So when it came out it was one of
the first sets I bought and I do love it, it's a really pretty set, but
I have only used it once before at a card day and it was to make a
copy of the one in last years catalogue, so I've been itching to have
another go with it. I used the new in colour card and ink Kiwi Kiss,
Baja Blue and Pink Pirouette and old olive ribbon which i folded and
stitched down.
I used the weathered stamp on the background. Each layer was stitched
down.
I kindy glitzed the butterly, flower and lady beetle to give it a bit of bling.
Well girls thanks for the challenge and I look forward to the next one.

Thanks for looking, hope you all have a great night.

luv,

Kristy

Kristina Werner Colour Challenge #48

Don't you just love the colours in
Kristina Werner's latest challenge.
Choc Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Blue
and Whisper White.


And here's my creation.


In this card I got to accomplish 3 things I've been dying to try.
1. Use the new SU in colours
2. Try these great flowers I have been seeing everywhere
3. Try the folded ribbon technique

Here is my flower, these are fun
to make and are so simple.

The DSP I used is from Die Cut
with a view. The ribbon is Choc
Chip from SU as is the brad in
the centre of the flower, the for
you stamp is from the new SU
set Fresh Cuts.

I really enjoyed making this card, it was such a change to make a
card with out stamping (not much anyway)!

Thanks again for the challenge Kristina.

Makeesha's Inspiration Challenge #6

Makeesha's Challenge




Well when I first saw the challenge I thought well that's not my cup
of tea. LOL
Just joking. I went through my stamps looking for a cup one, but
couldn't find any, then I came across Maude, and I thought that's
it, that's just so how I feel this week.

Actually the first thought when I saw the picture on
Makeesha's blog was friends.
Isn't it funny how people interpret things. Anyway there is
nothing better than sharing a cuppa with a friend.

I so feel like Maude this week. My husband and son
went up to Dundee beach for a camping/fishing trip,
I thought yay the house to myself, I can stamp all weekend,
eat what I feel like, sleep when I like, clean when I like, etc, etc.
I have been soooo crook. I just have the worst headache,
sore eyes, sore throat, sore chest and now have been
vomiting all afternoon. Sniff, Sniff. Yesterday
I forgot to fill the generator and after it ran
out of fuel and I refilled it, it wouldn't start.
Lucky I knew how to start the backup generator,
these are BIG generators girls and are pretty
scary when your on your lonesome.
So then I had to get a mechanic
out to fix the main one and even he had trouble,
but it's going now thank god.

So Maude!

Anyway back to the card, I felt so much like Maude,
right down to the wrinkles, and what about Fannie,
don't you just love those stretch pants, (I know all
about that as well) (sitting here laughing)..........

Well of course I had to pick these stamps.

There's that cup. This set is from Art Impressions and always brings a smile to my face.

Then I was putting my new stamp sets away and look at what I found!
A little cup from the new SU set It's a loop thing.
This was made on a little gift card using the pumpkin Pie DSP from the old
catalogue. If anyone needs anymore info on any of the cards, flick me an
email, cause I'm about to hit the couch!
Check back tomorrow, I have some easter things I've been making.