More Cards from S. Elle Designs

So I am at that stage in my life where seemingly every one I know is either having weddings or babies.  So you may start to see a very common theme in the things that I create.  I usually find most of my inspiration from the happenings around me.  Since I (unfortunately) have to work full time until I can make this crafting shindig a legit money-making business, I usually only have time to make the cards and crafts that I need at that moment.

Maybe one day... I'll have enough time to create and bring you all the ideas in my head... but until then, some of my little crafties to hold you (and me) over.

Treat bags (to match baby shower invites seen in previous card post)

Butterscotch Chocolate Oaties

I know it has been forever since I originally talked about it, but finally, I bring you, Butterscotch Chocolate Oaties!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup softened butter

3/4 graulated sugar

3/4 cups brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups chopped old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. 

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Chop oats in food processor until most oats are chopped.  It's okay to have different size oats.  By processing the oats, it'll give the cookies a different texture.  Add processed oats, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips to mixture. 

Drop rounded tablespoons on an ungreased baking sheet and bake about 7-8 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Everyone loved these!  Even after all the gifts, I still had a whole bunch of cookies left, so my husband took them his office and he said they didn't even last 5 minutes before they were all gone.  Hope you enjoy them too!!

S. Elle Designs

So I know I've been slacking on posting this last month and a half.  But as usual, got all caught up in the holidays.  But now I'm back!!  And I've been working on a couple projects.  I know I promised to post my recipe for the treats I gave for Christmas.  And I will!  But I'm really excited about some card projects and I wanted to share them with you all. 

So now for the projects...  I'm venturing into the world of card making. Here's pics of some of the stuff I've been working on.

I hope you guys like them!!  I am so excited about getting into making cards.  I'll be posting more as I do them.  But I wanted to keep you all updated with the crafty happenings in my life.  Until next time!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Since it's finally December, I don't feel like I crazy for having my house all decorated.  And yes...  we did buy our real Christams tree on Black Friday.  The Hubster and I were out and about and thought bringing home a Christmas tree along with out Black Friday deals sounded like an amazing idea.  Since I already had all the garlands up in the middle of November, the tree was the only thing that was missing. 

Last year we lived in an apartment, so getting a 3 foot tree and proping it on an end table was perfect, but this year, our house could definitely accomodate a large tree. Soooo...  we bought an 8 foot tree.  Haha, it definitely didn't seem like that big when we were standing in the tree lot, but once we lugged that bad boy into our living room, we realized that we just purchased a beast. 

And then...  I realized I had to put lights in the whole thing...  That took me two evenings to accomplish.  Trying to get that whole thing lit in just one night was way to intense for me.  Not to mention the fact that we actually ran out of lights, since we didn't anticipate the Goliath that is our Christmas tree...  But the tree has been lit, and the ornaments hung.

Cookie Revelation

Sooo.... Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies trial 2, not as successful as I had hoped.  Very positive responses for both trials, though.  But testers favored trial 1.  So as promised... here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (one stick) plus 6 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2  cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oats (I used Quaker old fashioned oats)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup toffee chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
Process oats in food processor until in small pieces.  Add oats, chocolate, and toffee.  Mix well.
Drop dough in rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely.

Lots of people liked this recipe, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.  So, onto the next recipe, and I'm thinkin butterscotch!!

Why I cook

It is nights like last night that remind me why I love to cook, bake, and entertain.

Yesterday was Veterans' Day.  The day was emotionally tougher than I had expected, seeing as my husband came home from his most recent deployment only a short six months ago. Although it was inspiring to see all the Veterans' Day comments and thoughtful words my freinds were posting as their Facebook statuses, it takes a whole different meaning when you can picture faces when some one mentions "those who gave the ultimate sacrifice."  Appreciation is something you can never be shown enough of, and sadly most people try to show it when it is already too late.

So I invited some of my friends, family, and Marines from Hubby's unit over to our house last night for a big 'ol steak and potatoes dinner.  I can't describe the joy that I feel when I see the smiles on people's faces when they have full tummies and a warmed heart.  Having laughter from those I hold close fill my house.  Seeing the sparkle in people's eyes when they tear up from laughing so hard.  That is why I cook. If I can make one person happy just by throwing some stuff on the stove, then count me in. 

It's the littlest things that you often find the deepest sense of satisfaction. And for me, that's filling bellies and making smiles.

Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies, trial 1

Christmas cards are designed, printed, and stuffed.  Just need address lables and stamps.  I. Love. Christmas.  Sending the cards, naturally, will have to wait a few weeks until after Thanksgiving.  But considering how life happens and all the extra fluff and stuff we don't normally expect usually delay plans, I usually like to get my Christmas cards done early.  But now that Halloween is out of the way, and I usually just attend Thanksgiving, I can start to focus on all my sweet treats that I give out to the fam bam as gifts.

So, creating sweet treats begins.  First on my list, perfecting my Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal cookies.

I wanted to make something different this year. Last year my new treat was the peanut butter brownines, so this year I had to come up with something good.