Giveaway: beck-a-boo Baby Boots

I've had so much fun making these little boots, so I decided to sell them! To get the word out, I'm going to give away this pair for free. Free. No delivery fee. No nothing. All you have to do is enter to win! Even if you don't have a baby of your own, enter for the give away and you can give them to your friend, adorable niece, granddaughter, neighbor or whoever as a gift. 

Here's how to enter:

Comment. Leave a comment with your email address. Easy as that, you've entered into the giveaway!

For 2 bonus entries:

 Follow this blog. Leave an additional comment telling me your a follower and you have another entry into the giveaway!

Blog/and or Facebook about this giveaway. Leave another additional comment with a link to your blog. 

Good luck! 

The contest ends a week from today, Wednesday, September 7th at midnight MST. e

Quiet Book: Sneak Peek

I started making this Quiet Book a few months ago, and I'm almost done! I only have two more pages to go, then I have to figure out how to put it all together. In the mean time, here's a little sneak peek of a few of the pages I've completed: 

Stay Tuned!

Two-Handed Hot Pad

Two-Handed Hot Pad

Heat-resistant fabric (or Insul-Brite batting)

Fabric (I actually used an outdoor canvas type of fabric to make it a little less resistant to kitchen messes).

Bias Tape

1. Cut.

(1) 6-1/2" x 50" piece of Fabric

(1) 6-1/2" x 50" piece of a different Fabric

(1) 6-1/2" x 50" piece of Insul-brite (if you have a heat-resistant fabric then you won't need one of the other pieces listed above). 

(2) 6-1/2" x 8" piece of Insul-brite

(2) 30" pieces of bias tape

(2) 6-1/2" piece of bias tape

(1) 5" piece of bias tape

2. Sew Fabric to Heat-resistant batting

To keep you heat-resistant batting place and to prevent from bunching you need to sew a checkerboard pattern to connect (1) piece of cotton and (1) piece of heat-resistant batting. The right side of the heat-resistant fabric goes to the wrong side of the cotton. Sew diagonal all in one direction about 2" apart. Then turn it around and go the other way. 

3. Extra Protection.

Take your small piece of heat-resistant fabric, measure 8 inches in from the end of the large piece of heat-resistant/other fabric and pin on the top and bottom edges. Sew in place only on the top and bottom edges. Complete on both sides. 

4. Attach other cotton fabric.

Sew the two long pieces of fabric together, wrong sides together. I sewed them together with a 1/4" seam allowance, and then zig-zagged the edges (or you could hem them with a serger if you have one). 

5. Sew bias.

Take the 6-1/2" piece of the bias tape and sew it on the end of the hot pad. Do this for both sides. Then fold in 8" and pin in place. 

6. Loop.

Take the 5" piece of bias and fold and pin in the middle of your hot pad. 

7. Finish.

Sew on the long pieces of bias on each of the long sides of the hot pad. 

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

I found this recipe on The Crafty Penguin, and the color of the frosting was what inspired me to make these delicious cupcakes. There's no added food coloring, just the blackberries! There are a few added steps in the cupcakes, but it's worth it, they're so fluffy and moist.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chopped up

1/2 cup boiling water

2-1/2 cup cake flour (I used all-purpose flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter (salted)

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs (separated)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

Prep: Line mini muffin pan with mini cupcake wrappers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

1. Sift the flour and backing soda in a separate bowl and set aside. 

2. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites and set aside. 

3. Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the chopped up chocolate chips. Continue to stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Put the bowl in the fridge to cool the chocolate until you are ready to add it to the batter. 

4. Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer for about 5 minutes. 

5. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, just until combined. 

6. Slowly mix in the chocolate. 

7. With a spatula fold in a 1/3 of the flour mixture. Fold just until combined. Fold in 1/2 of the buttermilk. Fold in another 1/3 of the flour. Fold in the other half of the buttermilk. And then the rest of the flour mixture. 

8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk until medium peaks form. (This may take about 10 minutes). Then fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix. 

9. Scoop the batter into the mini cupcake tins with a small ice cream scoop. Fill up about 2/3 high. 

10. Bake for 12 minutes. Check with a toothpick, it should come out clean. 

Blackberry Buttercream

1/3 cup butter

2 cups blackberries (1 cup for the buttercream, and 1 cup for decoration)

4 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter and mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add the blackberries. Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar until it has your desired thickness. Frost your cupcakes, and add a blackberry on top! Delicious and beautiful!

Baby Gift

My new favorite baby gift. 

Fresh Peach Pie

Fresh Peach Pie
6 fresh peaches
Peel. Slice. Set aside.

Crust:
1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

I used 12 graham crackers. I put them in a blender and they turned out perfect. Combine the crushed graham crackers and sugar. Stir in the melted sugar until mixed well and moist. Press into pie dish and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling:
1 cup peach nectar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 small package Jell-o vanilla pudding (cook and serve)
2 Tbsp. butter

Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan. (I couldn't find peach nectar, the closest thing I found was Orange Peach Mango Juice, and it worked great). Turn on medium heat, and stir. Do not bring to a boil. Heat until the mixture is thick and clear. Cool. (I put mine in the fridge for about 20 minutes).

Place your sliced peaches in your crust. Pour your filling over top. Chill in the fridge until you serve. There are few things as delicious as fresh peaches and a yummy graham cracker crust.