Gifts in a Bottle

Yesterday I got an email from a friend who needed an idea for a grandchild that was graduating from 6th grade. I told her I would get back with her. My first idea was for a "Candy Bar" card....you know, how you get a poster board, write a note to them with candy bars included for some of the words. (i.e. You're always full of Snickers and Laffy Taffy. I love you Mounds. etc.)

But when I called my daughter, she said there were new ways to do candy cards. The first one is to get a gallon craft can (like at Hobby Lobby)....they are see-thru and fill it with all the candy. Then make a label for the front of the can that is your candy letter. Highlight the candies in colors.

You're always full of Snickers and Laffy Taffy. I love you Mounds. Skittle on over to my house for Hugs.

I love the paint can idea....

But THEN, Brandi shared me with the idea that Heather Davis (thank you, Heather, and happy belated if you are reading) had shared with her, that she had seen on Good Things Utah. It is to make gift bottles.

This is just a little example:

Get a clear 2-liter bottle. You might have to drink all the Root Beer out of it or have a party but you need it empty and clean. Take off the label.

After I washed mine out, I took a hair dryer to it so it was nice and dry inside.

Don't worry about getting off the adhesive strip that adheres the label because you're going to cut it (carefully!) with an x-acto knife. X-zacto? X-ray-Ou-ray knife? You know, one of those cutter blades. The show said to make a slit in the bottle, about 5 inches or so. One instruction that I read elsewhere said to cut a T. This is where you will stuff your bottle.

First stuff the bottle with confetti to make it colorful. Shake it around.

Now stuff in your toys and candy. You can't use huge things but small toys, gift cards, candies, hair products, skin care, all work great! You can make them for little kids, birthdays, big kids.

Make a label to put on the bottle over the incision. (I put double stick tape on my incision) You can put a mailing label over the incision and actually mail the bottle. How fun would that be???
This label isn't cute because this isn't my real bottle. When the kids get a bottle, they will go nuts trying to figure out how big things got in there! My mind is going nuts thinking of fun things I could do with this technique! Here's the link online to watch a video from the show:

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Packages-in-a-bottle/cXGoJtdI6UKAoWi-ZlFDWg.cspx

The Big Heart Day!!!! Yeah!!

Valentine’s Day!!! Yesterday someone said they hardly ever paid attention to Valentine's Day! What??? What??? What did she say????? And miss out on all this fun?????

The snow fell with a blizzard but today is beautiful! Creative Cooking was so fun ( we had a great group...about 15 people that I adore!) but it is always a little hectic and I was pooped afterwards, then trying to stay awake in religion class. I think the food turned out great...except I scorched my favorite thing right at the end! So no one got to taste how great it was. So I expect everyone reading this to make it this week. I know it is fondue but just get a big spoon and dip it in and eat it up. It is that good. Really, it is! Chocolate Almond Fondue. Look for the recipe at the end. And if anyone from Creative Cooking is reading this, I didn't give you the complete recipe printed off. Sorry! For some reason you just weren't meant to have this dish or recipe. I guess it was just meant for me. To eat, by myself. Large spoon in hand. Alone. Licking and smacking.
Here are cute Valentine's that Lisa Davies made for everyone! She's our Ward's Martha Stewart. She's over the top wonderful!
Here is a blurry picture of the chocolate cups. They are delicious as well!!!!

So, tonight Cathy and I are making a special dinner for our sweetie pies. I’ll go to Costco and get really fine steaks. Fat tenderloins. I sear them in a hot skillet with some olive oil. Just sear them well on both sides. Then I stick them in the oven (same pan...so it needs to be oven-proof) and bake them at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, I then saute some mushrooms in a couple of tablespoons of butter and olive oil. Lots and lots of mushrooms. I break up bleu cheese (about a fourth of a cup to a third) into about ½ cup of mayonnaise and put it in the microwave for about a minute. Then stir that bleu cheese mixture into the mushrooms. For people that don’t like bleu cheese, I have substituted cream cheese for it or ranch dressing. When you take the steaks out of the oven, let them rest for a few minutes before cutting into them, or the juices will just run out all over. After a few minutes, sliced the steak on the diagonal and kind of fan it, then spoon the mushrooms over top. It is heaven on earth.

It was fun yesterday to think about our love "beginnings." David was working for his cousin for the summer we got married (August.) The work was arranging for some big financial package and his "paycheck" kept getting postponed. The check from the client was always in the mail. The weekend we got married, his cousin promised him he’d deposit money in our account as soon as it came...and that David was good to write checks. So David did. He went out and bought the materials to build a water bed for our apartment among other things. We were getting married in Idaho, but living in Utah which meant we had to get our marriage license in Idaho. Our plan was to get off in good time on Friday, to get to the courthouse in Blackfoot or Idaho Falls, to get our license. In those days, you had to have blood tests to get married. David had gotten his a couple of days before but we hadn’t picked up the results. When we went to the doctor’s, the blood tests had been misplaced. We couldn’t be married without them. I remember it being frantic...and we finally ended up with my doctor forging documents for us to take. My doctor was sort of a quake so this doesn’t surprise me in retrospect. But that put us WAY behind schedule. We then sped off to Idaho. It was afternoon and we had barely enough time to make it. When we got to Ogden, I realized that I had left my going-away outfit hanging on the bedroom door! David thought we should just leave it. We turned around and went back....what was he thinking????? He wasn’t too happy..... So then we were REALLY late.....we actually just barely made it across the border and ended up getting a marriage license in Malad, Idaho! We were just lucky they had a courthouse. And it was minutes before they closed. Whew!

We were married the next morning in the Idaho Falls Temple. Afterwards we had a dinner at The Riverside, a steak house across the street from the temple. That night David’s parents hosted a reception at their ward in Blackfoot. The turnout was incredible and it was fun to meet David’s friends from high school. My colors were royal blue and lime green and white. The bridesmaid dresses had empire waists, a white scooped collar, were long to the floor and made either out of royal blue gingham or lime green. Oh, and there was a strawberry applique on the collars and they wore white floppy hats. I apologize to all of you that had to wear them. Peggy was my maid of honor and my sister-in-law, Cher (my brother’s wife) and two roommates that I had in Salt Lake, Vicki Jensen and Susie Button. I just found out a few months ago that Vickie is first cousins with my friend Debbie Stowell! It is such a small world!

Our honeymoon consisted in staying one night in Pocatello (yikes!) and the next night in Salt Lake. Both hotel stays were gifts. We had a small, outdoor reception in Salt Lake at my church. It was kind of like a little garden party. I hadn’t lived in Washington for several years and all my friends from home had scattered so it wasn’t a big affair in Salt Lake. But it was perfect. I had dried flower bouquets which worked really well for two different days. It was during the hippy- era and dried flowers were big. So were big floppy hats. Sorry again, girlfriends, for dressing you up like that!

We soon discovered that the check David’s cousin had deposited in our account bounced so we started off marriage in the hole. We were so poor but so dang happy and so crazy about each other. We lived in a little apartment on the very east end of Center street in Provo, the last complex before you went into the State hospital. Right next to where the water park is now. But the apartments are still there. David was just starting his Junior year and I got a job as a secretary at Dean and Peay Construction company. Besides their large home building projects, D & P also had almost 300 apartments that we managed from the office as well.

We loved our little apartment....we had a folding table and 3 folding chairs (one didn’t match) and a water bed and that was the extent of our furniture. Oh, and cinder block book shelves. So.....our lives and lifestyle has changed quite a bit from that time. For me that time in Provo was my "training" time...my first calling was in the Ward Relief Society presidency, and then the Stake. Here I was a clueless Mormon girl, and I had the marvelous opportunity to learn from the best and learn quickly! We made such marvelous friends the years we were there (5!!!)....Pretty Patty Petty and her husband, Tom were our first "young married" friends....and we are still close to this day.

On my wedding day, I remember being in the Celestial room, and a man came up to me and whispered in my ear, "I hope you never lose that beautiful smile." I thought he must have been someone in David’s family but he wasn’t. Well, whoever he was or is, I can say I’m still smiling. We’ve had our share of challenges but that is what life is about. Hopefully we’ve learned a thing or two. And for a Valentine? I’d still choose David. Even though he has manure on his boots. Even though he wears boots. He’s mine!

Chocolate-Almond Pudding Fondue
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 cups milk
5 oz. milk chocolate chips
1 egg YOLK, beaten
½ tsp. almond extract

Place sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium high. Gradually wisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn down heat and then fold in the chocolate and stir until smooth. Put a little with the egg yoke to temper it (warm it up) and then gradually add the yolk mixture back into the sauce . Then add the almond extract. I love almond so I added more.

Then sit back and eat the whole pan with a spoon. You don't even need to dip anything in it. But if you insist on eating it correctly, try fresh strawberries, bananas, kiwi, grapes, pound cake pieces, cheesecake pieces, rice krispie treats.

You'll love it! And, thank you Ann, for the quote:
"When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight." -Michael Bridge

Cleaning House

Of course you know I'm not going to talk about "real" house cleaning. That wouldn't be fun to do much less talk about! I'm still reading Valentines and wanted to share a couple more.

That tall cylinder is Gayle's "do anything you want" coupon. In front is Libby's cute cookie in a tin with a poem.

And this is Kathy's. Kathy that is still mad, I'm sure, at me for publishing a picture for all my great-great-great grandchildren to see. And anyone else who reads this. She's WAAAYYY cuter than that. And did I say she is funny? I told her in my love note that finally I have an idea for the great American novel. It is her life story. If anyone reading this thinks "I'm" a little off, a little bit unconventional, a little bit loopy, then you should meet my friend, Kathy. Kathy can match me story for story and then some. We could be telling a story about her, with her there, and she'd be laughing and then puzzled and say, "Wait! I think something like that happened to me once." Hell-oooo! I just adore her. She is an amazing woman. And as loopy as we are, we connect so spiritually and share a special bond. She and some of her family went on a humanitarian trip to Peru and helped build a school or something. She then realized that she wasn't as good of a builder as she was a gardener. So, for years, she planted a zillion pots of hanging baskets. Took care of then tenderly each year, saving slips from plants from year to year to save money. In the spring, we'd pick up our fabulous baskets and all the proceeds were donated to the foundation. We are talking thousands of hours of work and thousands of dollars donated! Yay, she's THAT kind of girl! Below is her Valentine. I remember when she painted it in a watercolor class that we took about 3 years ago...the class we got kicked out of for talking too much. Imagine that!!! But this picture is of two little girls and represents friendship. The kind that we have in Bucket group. Love it!

Then, since I'm on a posting picture frenzy (ha!), I wanted to share a gift that my daughter gave me for my birthday. It is a cookbook that she and her girlfriends put together. For those who are into "scrapping" this probably isn't new to you, but it was to me and I just adore it! I love the scrapbook dividers and the varied funky ribbons for pulls. And not to mention the fabulous collection of recipes inside.... Thank you, punkin.....

Last night David and I went to the temple. Nice evening together. And I didn't mention yesterday that David went to the gym (he gets up at 5:30 to go to the gym. Is this insane?) and then came home to snow plow our driveways for over an hour so they would be clean (well, safer) for my guests coming. That was SOOOO appreciated! I love him. I think I'll keep him.

And then, Brandi picked up warm rolls at this gal's house that lives in Herriman that makes goodies for a living....these rolls literally melt in your mouth. Perfect to order for a party or holiday. Honestly, they melt! And Heather W. dropped my magnets off so Brandi could bring those as well. You might want to check my last post for more information and pictures about the magnets. You can make your own or check out Heather's information in her blog at http://heatherdwhite.typepad.com/

This morning I was suppose to watch the little girls but Brandi's patient didn't come home from the hospital so her session was cancelled. So, I've been able to re-read Valentines, get caught up on emails, re-set the Valentine's table for the next party, read my chapter a day of scriptures before I'll be going to class at 1:00. Oh, and Cathy and I got caught up on all the news on the phone since she missed Bucket yesterday. The snow keeps turning on, then off, outside. The fireplace is going. I've eaten Annette's sugar cookies for breakfast. Life is good.

Jubalani!!!

Today I hosted "The Bucket Group." In case you don't know what this is, that might be because Valene and I made it up. We started this group over a year ago. Long before "The Bucket List" became popular. This was organized as a group of woman, that get together once a month, and we each take our turns hosting. Whoever hosts provides lunch and decides the activity or conversation that will "fill our buckets!" It is wonderful. It is a blessing in my life!

I sent messages to everyone several weeks ago, with their "assignments" to make or buy Valentines for each of us- that reflected their own personalities. In each Valentine was a heartfelt note from each of us to each other. Last month, Valene hosted and had a love letter for each of us from our husbands (see Today!!!! ). It was just so amazing and I have been reflecting on how important it is to not just love, but to pass it on!

I had old-fashioned Valentine bags for each person. Then, after lunch we went around the table and shared our Valentines. It was tender and fun. Several were hand-painted, several handmade, several were bought, cookies and candies were made. And each had a tender note addressed to us personally. It was better than when we were in elementary school. And no smelly boy was kicking us under the table. And we didn't have to raise our hand to go to the bathroom.....

Here's part of the bucket group. I'm not showing the picture from the other end of the table since "I" would be sitting there.....

That is Annette Burgess on the right. She is on the YW's General Board. Next is Zella, my cousin. Her claim to fame is being Heather White's mom. And her husband is YW's General President. And his counselor is Annette's husband. Boy, it gets complicated....Cute Diana Webb is at the back. Funny Kathy is back and right. She's not going to like this picture. My editing tool isn't working. Sorry, Kathy! Happy Valentine's Day anyway! Kisses! Okay, you're STILL mad??!!!!

Here is my stash! I wanted to share one in particular. Sheron (I adore you!) doesn't do "crafty" things. She says. You would not believe how lovely her Valentine was! She and her husband lived in Africa while her husband served as a mission president. She made a photocopy of an African hankie with a beautiful pattern and made her card from that. On the back of the card, she sewed a pocket, in which she made a beaded bookmark that slipped into the pocket along with our "love note." She called the card, "Jubalani!" which is Zula for "Happiness/Rejoicing." That is what this day has turned out to be. A day of happiness and rejoicing- women, one for another! Karlan is our master card maker. Her card was beautiful. Annette made little bags of homemade sugar cookies from an old recipe from her grandmother's. She told a little about the recipe. Just perfect. Along with her card, Valene (my favorite cook) gave us each a little bag with heart-shaped fudge in it! Gayle gave us each a coupon to do whatever we like for an hour, without needing to ask for permission! And a yummy Cummings chocolate sucker. Smily faces are Zella's signature logo. They make her happy and she shared many with us! Each card was lovely and unique as well as the gifts!

Here is Sheron's amazing African Valentine.....Here's the little treasure in a pocket on the back....
Erica wasn't here today but her Valentine had a picture of her riding a horse as a little girl, and inside was a darling essay about how horses have been a healing gift in her life Diana teaches us that trials don't have to be victorious in our lives. She deals with her MS in such a courageous way. It doesn't define her. She is a wonderful artist. Then she lost the use of her right hand. But she learned that her "art" was in her heart and her head, not her hand. Now she paints with her left hand. This bouquet is her's. She is an avid scrapbooker, before scrapbooking was even cool! She also teaches at the Institute at LDS Business College.

I had Heather White make me up some cute magnets that said "LOVE" with "Pass It On" through the middle.They were darling! The ladies loved them! The thought is to be a reminder of how important it is to not just love other people, but pass it on, by expressing that love. I encouraged everyone to write, not just give, a Valentine to those who are important in our lives. Pass it on!

Before we started, while we were waiting for a few, most of us had the chance to visit and share our feelings about President Hinckley and than also express our love and excitement about the new presidency just called yesterday. We shared many a story concerning these remarkable men, President Monson and Eyring and Uchtdorf. (Now we are all going to have to learn how to spell THAT one!)

The salad that I served today was one that Brandi gave to me. It actually came from Taste of Home, the issue this year that had the cute cupcakes on the front. (And thank you, sweet daughter, for driving fresh warm rolls across the valley to help me out today!)

Sesame Almond Romaine Salad

1/2 c. butter, cubed

1 T. sugar

2 pkg. (3 oz.) ramen noodles, crushed, discard seasoning packet

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup slivered almond

2 bunches romaine lettuce, torn

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 T. soy sauce (although I used Teriyaki and I'll use it each time....)

In a large skillet, melt butter and sugar over med. heat. Add noodles, sesame seeds and almonds. Cook and stir 6-8 minutes until browned. Set asdie. In a large bowl, toss romaine and onions. Toss in noodle mixture and drizzle and toss with dressing just before serving. Crunchy and delish!

Sweetheart Boxes (eyn loshn iz keynmol nisht genug)

(Disclaimer: If you live in the Copper Creek area, in my daughter's Ward, please stop reading right now. I mean RIGHT NOW! I know it is tempting to keep reading but I'm telling you STOP RIGHT NOW!!! Or the Valentine Fairy will stomp on you! Got that??!!!!)

Buy your boxes of candy. Measure cardstock to fit as a snug wrap around the box. For this sweetheart's box, we used 8 inches by 4 1/4 inches. We then used double-sided tape or scrapbooking adhesive to tape the back of the overlapping paper. You should then have a cylinder that slips over the box....kind of press the edges because you want it to be a box without a top or bottom.

Using a regular hole punch, punch a hole in the front center and one matching at the back center (like in photograph.)

Now cut a length of ribbon (we used black grosgrain) longer than the double length of box. Wrap it around like in photo. I put just a titch of double stick tape on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.
Hello! Sorry about the glare from the camera! Some boxes of Sweethearts are just plain show-offs and demand center stage! Regardless, start to slide that show-off box of hearts down into the paper box you have just made. Don't push all the way down. See how you can see the ribbon peeking through the hole. It wants to get pulled out of the hole so it can be a star.

Using the tip of your scissors or bobbypin (what are those????) or your stylus or your chin tweezers or your....you get the idea......pull the ribbon out on both sides.Now push the box of hearts completely down to the bottom of the cylinder. I tied the two black ribbons (one on each side) together once, then added just about 3 inches of red ribbon and tied it in as well. Just to make it a little catchier. Catchier? Is that a word? If it is not, then it should be. Like, my hairdo is catchier than your hairdo. My vacuum is catchier than your vacuum. Catchier. I like it. Feel free to use it 3 times a day for the next month and it will become a part of your vocabulary. Like my good friend, J., who likes to remain anonymous. Her new thing, among other new things, is learning Yiddish. She also does other things I'm not allowed to share. We send each other important messages like: "I'm farfufket and farshadet. Farshtay?"
"Vat? Mamash!" Sometimes when you are friends, you just have to step up to the plate. She learns Yiddish, "I" have to learn Yiddish. You learn pig latin, "I" have to learn pig latin. See how that works? I say "catchier" which means "you" say "catchier."

Oh yes, I digress. Again. We're making Sweetheart boxes. See how cute the little ribbons are poking all around up top? Kind of looks like my hair. Looks like maybe it could use some "Redkin Hardware 16" gel up top to kind of settle it down.....

Now that you have your little heart boxes hidden away, and you are asking yourself, "Doesn't this woman REALLY have anything better to do with her time?" I'm saying, little treats make me happy. I like fru-fru. Fru-fru makes me happy and makes me smile. I love the song, "If you chance to see a smile." Don't be a frowny face. Now, tell me, if you got this little fru-fru Valentine, wouldn't you KNOW someone loved you? Wouldn't you FEEL special. Well, there you go.....

Now feel free to embellish the front of the box anyway you would like. Be creative. That is what your right brain is dying to do. It gets sick of the practical left brain always being sensible. How do you say sensible in pig latin??? Yiddish?

Brendalyn came over while I was making these little babies and she got excited to do them as well. She just got called to their Ward's Primary presidency. (Ann, are you listening????) We are (together...since I am always conning her into helping me with "my" projects, I'm happy to help her do hers!) going to make the little paper covers out of black and make the pulls on the side....so it looks like a book. The label on the front will say something like:

"The Scriptures. There is something sweet waiting inside."

That will be so cute! See, I can see all who are reading this are thinking....Some are thinking, "Ah-ha!!!" Some are thinking, "No way!" Some are thinking about real important stuff. I'm thinking about fru-fru. Cause that's the kind of girl I am! Happy almost Valentine's day to you!

(The Yiddish phrase at the beginning means something like "One language is not enough." True. True. There are many languages of love. Some are fru-fru. And that's okay. There are many languages of truth. Of community. Of messages on Sweetheart hearts......)