Fresh Brewed Every Morning

Baked Granola

2020-04-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

If you love the crunch, texture and flavour of granola, you'll love this delicious treat!

Baked Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup oat-bran flakes

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup sesame seeds (I buy roasted sesame seeds)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 chopped walnuts

1/3 cup coconut oil (slightly melted)

1/3 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I'm somewhere in between) lol

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp maple extract

few drops of almond extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl combine oats through to walnuts. Mix well. In another bowl stir tigether coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, maple extract, almond extract. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Halfway through baking (at 25 minutes) remove baking sheet from oven carefully mix up the granola. Put baking sheet back in oven and bake 25 minutes more. Granola will be nicely browned. Let cool for 20-30 minutes and add cra/raisins. Store in glass container or airtight container.

~Loved ones gather in the kitchen

Fall/Halloween Pocket Letters

2016-10-11T16:51:00.002-07:00

BOO!! I love this time of year, I love Autumn, I enjoy working with the Fall colors, especially the orange hues! So having said that here are a few Pocket Letters I made for friends. And also some Halloween cards, tags, and envelopes.

I made this Halloween PL for my dear friend Iley!

And this PL for my friend Roxy and owner of the crafting community called YourPaperPantry.

I made this Pocket Letter for the Sherri Baldy PL Design Team

I used the colored printable called "Garden Time" available HERE

I truly have been enjoying the Autumn theme going on here and the best part it's not even over yet!!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

Christina

Homemade Granola Bars

2016-09-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

These granola bars are packed with protein and have a nice crunch to them with the added rice cereal! Perfect with my coffee in the morning, an afternoon snack or on the go snack!

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups whole rolled oats
1 1/2 cups Crisp Rice cereal ( I used gluten free Kellog's Brown Rice cereal)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup almond butter or peanut butter ( I used a blend of cashew, almond & chia seed butter)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 almond milk
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup currants

Line a 9x9 pan with tin foil and lightly grease.
In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, almonds, and coconut flakes.
In a large saucepan add coconut oil, almond butter or peanut butter, salt, almond milk, honey and brown sugar, stir and bring to boil over medium high heat. Boil for a minute or so. Reduce heat and simmer or gently boil for 5 more minutes and stirring often. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture over the oat/cereal and stir until everything is well
combined. Add the chocolate chips to the mixture and mix well.
Place the oat mixture in the prepared pan and press in firmly with a fork.
Refrigerate the pan for about 2 hours.
Remove the granola mixture from the pan and peel away the tin foil. Slice into bars.
I like to wrap each bar in plastice wrap and put them in a freezer safe container.

Dry Ingredients

Wet ingredients

All mixed together

Don't forget to lick the bowl!

line pan with foil.

Press down firmly with a fork and
refridgerate for 2 hours.

Remove foil and cut into bars.

So delicious!!

Ready for the freezer!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christina xo

Cranberry Biscotti

2016-07-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today's post is a Cranberry Biscotti recipe that I got from my recipe book called "The Kitchen" The Four Sisters Inn. A few years ago I vacationed in Monterey California and stayed at the Gosby House Inn and purchased their cookbook.

Cranberry Biscotti
Ingredients:
13/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups unblanched almonds, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl mix together the olive oil, sugar, extracts and eggs. Mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well combined and then fold in cranberries and almonds.

Wet both hands with cool water and divide dough into halves. Roll dough into two 10-12 inch logs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops of logs are light brown and beginning to crack. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275. Cut logs on the diagonal 3/4 thick. Lay biscotti cut side down and bake for 20 minutes. Or bake for 10 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven and turn over biscotti so that the other cut side is down on the sheet. Bake for another 8 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and let biscotti cool on the sheet.

Recipe courtesy of Gin Yang, fan of Four Sisters Inn.

Pocket Letter "Hot Java Mamma's"

2016-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
This is my Sherri Baldy Design Team pocket letter for June.
The paper I used is a printable paper pack called 'A Spot of Tea'
You can check out all of Sherri's designs here http://tinyurl.com/zo7kcnr
The paper reminds me of summertime, kinda like a picnic! :)
If you click on the image you will get a larger view.

Thanks for stopping by!
Christina xo

Enjoy the Little Things - Pocket Letter

2016-05-11T14:59:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by. Today I have another Pocket Letter to share with you. The background paper is from the Sherri Baldy printable collection called 'Enjoy the Little Things'

Sherri Baldy MyBesties Shop

I love using Sherri's colored printable because firstly I don't have to color the images myself, but more importantly I have arthritis in my hands and it saves me alot of pain in my hands from the back and forth movement in my wrists when coloring the images. It's Win Win! If you haven't heard of Pocket Letters then I might be exposing you to an incredible new addiction! It’s a form of mail art started by creator Janette Lane. It's an amazing snail mail trend!

Janette's Blog

Click on Janette’s blog (link above) to learn all you need to know to get started on your own pocket letters, or do a Pinterest search and you will find no shortage of inspiration!

Christina
xo

St. Patrick’s Day

2016-03-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night. May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you!

Coffee/Friendship Pocket Letter

2016-02-23T19:20:00.002-08:00

Coffee with a friend is like capturing happiness in a cup! ♥
Sharing February's Pocket Letter for the Sherri Baldy My Besties 3D and more Design Team.

I love creating Pocket Art and I love putting together these nine individual pockets of art for friends!
One creates a pocket letter and sends it to their “pocket letter pal” who sends one back. They are filled with goodies you can take out and use, or just leave as is. I store mine in a 3-ring binder.
For the background I started out using predesigned and colored printables by Sherri Baldy Designs. Click HERE to see the printable.

Once all pockets are cut out (21/2x31/2) I start to embellish. Most items I use are from my stash/supplies in my craftroom and sometimes I will buy something new to go with a theme I am working on. I forgot to take a picture of the back but I am still working on that. I'm adding fun little things to the back pockets, I included some glitter, sequin, lace, tea bag, chocolate, gift card for Starbucks as well as a letter.

I love making Pocket Letters! The idea behind pocket letters is a cross between a PenPal and a scrapbook. Each individual pocket is an art, a unique creativeness... the possibilites are endless... sometimes I think I'll stop making PL's and then I make another!

Thanks for visiting!

Fun Things to Do (OTHER THAN MOVIES)

2016-02-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

So what can you do instead of being a couch potato??
Here's a list of a few ideas. This might be a good challenge for us!

1. Go to an airport, and watch planes take off together.
2. Invite friends over for dinner. It’s a great excuse to try out a new recipe…or clean your house…
3. Go mini-golfing.
4. Play cards!
5. Shop for all the ingredients and bake a pizza together.
6. Write a list of things you dream of doing in the future together.

7. Bring $5 to the mall and see who ends up with the best buy.
8. Take goofy pictures together.
9. Create your own city tour, and visit historic landmarks.
10. Visit the local animal shelter and pet animals. (If only my hubby wasn’t allergic!)
11. Visit the local art museum.
12. Check out the local farmer’s market.
13.Go watch the sun set somewhere lovely.
14. Go to a coffee shop and catch up on life. Sometimes it’s nice to just talk.
15. Hang out at the library and read some books, or pick up some to take home.
16. Become a kid again, and play games at the arcade.
17. Go bowling.
18. Have a water fight! Splash a little water at each other.
19. See a local sports event – even if it’s a school sport.
20. Go for a fun bike ride.
21. Volunteer together at the pound, homeless shelter, or your favorite nonprofit.
22. Try a new restaurant or explore a new place you haven’t visited nearby.
23. Take a road trip to visit friends.
24. Write out your bucket list with each other.
25. Visit a candy store or ice cream parlor, and spend time talking and enjoying sweets.

StampinUp Sale-A-Bration 2016

2016-01-25T14:26:00.001-08:00

The holidays are over. The tree is down. All of the decorations have been packed away for next year. Hopefully Santa brought everything that was on your wish list. But, just in case he didn’t have enough room in his pack for all the Stampin’ Up! supplies that you had listed, here are some great projects that will fill up your winter with ideas and inspiration.

Sale-A-Bration is a great opportunity to earn free products. That’s right – free. Isn’t that a great word after your holiday season? For every $60 spent, before taxes and shipping, you will receive a free, exclusive Sale-A-Bration product.

So brighten those long winter months with ink, stamps, and paper. No better way to spend a snowy day then inside preserving memories or making cards to brighten other people’s days.

This special is from January 5th to March 31st. Sale-A-Bration products are exclusive to this promotion. You won’t be seeing these items again. Remember you earn free products when you spend $60, so now is the time to check off that wish list.

Products shown on the Sale-A-Bration brochure on pages 16-19 are limited-time products available only until February 15th.

Web site: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/christinabetts/

Canadian residents only!

Click on the link below to view the Brochure online.
http://tinyurl.com/hf425ax

Around the House

2015-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered PicMonkey! If you've never heard of PicMonkey before, its essentially an online tool that allows you to do basic photo editing without downloading any kind of software. I can't really offer any kind of review as the collage above is my first attempt using this free online photo editor. But in time I have a feeling I may become a huge fan!

The collage I created above are random photo's I snapped using my iphone during September and October. Hope you had a great October and looking forward to a busy, cold fun filled November!

Christina
xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

2015-10-11T12:50:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

I have so many things (and people) to be thankful for, I don’t know where to begin. I love Thanksgiving this weekend, the leaves are still on most of the trees and the colours all in their glory, the reds, oranges and yellows against the backdrop of those evergreen trees is amazing.

Here in Blind Bay its a bit windy today, so one big gust of wind and that will be the end of that real quick, so we enjoy it before it blows away. So in keeping with my personal philosophy, dessert should come first!! My friend Jonathan asked me what I am thankful for.... Pumpkin Pie!!

We are coming together at my sister's home for our Turkey feast! I'm bringing the pumpkin pie and my sister is making an apple pie! Oh my, must wear my yoga pants! LOL

More pictures and recipe included below!

xo

Christina

The picture above is the unbaked pumpkin pie ready for baking. Look how lovely the little pumpkin cut outs are for the crust. I bought little halloween cutters at the dollars store.

Hubby stole my iphone and snapped some random pictures!

My kitty Indy was looking for some treats!

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie

2 unbaked pie shells ( and extra dough for a fancy crust if you choose)
3 cans (398ml) of Pure Pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons whiskey or brandy
5 ounces of evaporated milk
5 ounces of whipping cream

Heat oven to 425 F
Place rack in centre of oven.
In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and spices.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs and whiskey.
Add the spice mixture mixture and the pumpkin pure to the egg mixture.
Add the evaporated milk and the whipping cream and whisk or beat until throughly combined.
Pour into pie shells and bake for 15 minutes at 425 F.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool.

Notes and Tips
How to tell the pie is done: Take the pie out of the oven when the majority of the pie looks shiny and set on top. It should jiggle a little like jello, but not much more. The middle will still look wet on top. This is okay, it will continue to cook as the pie cools on the counter. And, as a final test, grab a toothpick or thin knife then plunge it into the pie, about 2 inches from the edge. If it comes out clean, the pie can be taken out of the oven. From there, it is very important the pie sits until cooled to room temperature. During this time, it will continue to cook and set. We usually end up waiting 2 hours or put it in the fridge overnight. Or, cut the slice anyway and cover the end with whipped cream. It will still taste great.

Again here’s to a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

StampinUp Retiring Products April 21-June 2, 2015

2015-04-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

Stampin' Up! has released the list of retiring products and not only are there some of my favourites on there, but they're at AMAZING deals - up to 50% off!

SHOP NOW in my Canadian online Stampin' Up! shop and don't miss out!

Happy Stampin' and Creating!

Christina
xo

Sale-A-Bration is HERE, stampers!

2015-01-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

The Occasions Catalogue has a ton of crafting ideas! : http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/christinabetts/catalogs

Check out the Sale-A-Bration brochure. It’s simple – one free product for every $60 you spend (before tax and shipping) All FREE products are shown in the brochure. http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/christinabetts/catalogs

Happy 2015, stampers and crafters and scrapbookers! I hope your new year is off to a great start. And . . . it's about to get even better! January 6th was the FIRST day of the new Occasions Catalog AND Sale-A-Bration! Yes, the Sale-A-Bration celebration starts early this year. I LOVE this promotion . . . stock up on the basics, buy some new toys, and get FREE stuff in the process! It's the most wonderful time of the year!!! :) Read more below . . . and be sure to contact me if you have any questions!

Here are important dates for you to remember:**Sale-A-Bration runs January 6 - March 31, 2015

**the Occasions catalog runs January 6 - June 2, 2015

Online versions of the Occasions catalog and the Sale-A-Bration brochure are linked above.

I will be placing orders in January and March - if you are local and want to get in on those orders, email me! OR you can order ANY time from my Online Store.

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx?email=cabetts%40telus.net&phone=(250)+675-2115

Thanks so much everybody! {{hugs}}

Christina

Email: ca.betts (at) hotmail (dot) com

Seize the Present

2014-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

SEIZE THE PRESENT
adapted from UCB word for today

We spend too much of our lives in the junkyard of regret. We focus on what might have been, could have been and should have been. Maybe we think that by replaying it enough we can change the outcome. But we can't. The only thing you can control is what you do in the present. The more you replay yesterday, the further you get from today's opportunities. And the further you move from today's opportunities, the tougher the road back becomes. Opportunities never look as good coming as they do going. And they wait for no one, so you need to be attentive and grab them. They come in many forms, and they can come from any direction. But one thing's for certain: they can be seen and seized only in the present. Whatever has happened in your life, has happened. And since you can't undo it no matter how hard you try, wipe the slate clean and go on to what's next. We all make mistakes. Our Heavenly Father is a God of second chances--and third, fourth, and fifth ones too! 'They are new every morning' (Lamentations 3:23 NIV). Today is a gift--that's why it's called 'the present'. So repent of the past, seize the present and start living again!

Halloween Card - Double Double Toil and Trouble

2014-10-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

For my project I created a fun Halloween card and box envelope.
My design paper is from StampinUp

Embellishments are from my stash. The challenge from YPP is to make a project of your choice using one of the Hocus Pocus Cat images for a chance to win one free collection from their site. Tim Coffey's sisters are now selling their adorable digi artwork on a new website ILoveDigis.com.

Here's my YouTube video showing the process.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Wishing you all a fabulous day!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

2014-10-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Fall is upon us here in Beautiful BC. As I sit here looking at out the window watching the sun shine it's way through the tree branches and noticing an occasional leaf float from a tree to the ground I'm feeling nostalgic. I can't help but think back to my youth, walking home from school and hearing the crunching of leaves beneath my shoes. I really do love this time of year.

Top ten why I love Autumn!

1. Seasonal Superfoods
2. Halloween
3.Thanksgiving
4. Bathingsuit season is over.
5. No Humidity
6. Warm fires
7. Hockey
8. New Styles
9. New Starbucks flavored coffee
10. My favorite shows are back on TV!!

How about you: Why is this your favorite time of year?

As always, thanks for visiting by blog ♥
Christina

Come, Little Leaves
by George Cooper

“Come, little leaves,”
Said the wind one day,
“Come over the meadows
With me, and play;
Put on your dresses
Of red and gold;
Summer is gone,
And the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves
Heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering,
One and all;
Over the meadows
They danced and flew,
Singing the soft
Little songs they knew.

Dancing and flying
The little leaves went;
Winter had called them
And they were content-
Soon fast asleep
In their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle
Over their heads.

Christmas Card Challenge for September

2014-09-30T14:09:00.003-07:00

Hello dear friends!

It's time to play again with our Christmas Card challenge over at yourpaperpantry.ning.com with Linda Lapotka as our hostess.

We've been making 5 Christmas cards each month since January and every month has been a different theme or challenge.

Christmas time is just around the corner now, and I have at least 50+ cards finished!

The challenge for September was to use a Christmas embossing folder. Good thing I have 2 embossing folders on my shelf! LOL!

Here is what I came up with.

I used the Provocraft embossing folder called Christmas Countdown.
Then inked the edges with Stampology ink pad in Ruby.
Then rubbed white gesso lightly over the entire surface with my finger.
Hot glued on some pretty lace trim.
Stamped 'Season's Greeting" and added little button embellies.

Thanks for visiting!
Christina

Check Out The New & Improved Blitsy!

2014-08-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

The shortest distance between you and low-cost arts and craft supplies is Blitsy.

And it just got a whole lot shorter.

The new and improved Blitsy now loads much faster than our previous site, works great on mobile, and has dozens of new craft categories for you to browse, shop and buy based on your unique crafting interests.

So check out Blitsy, Click around and save!

Christmas Card Challenge

2014-08-27T12:43:00.004-07:00

For the month of August I have created another set of 5 Christmas cards. I am a member of a crafting community called Your Paper Pantry. yourpaperpantry.ning.com Membership fees are $1.00 a month. I joined a group called "Christmas All Year Card Challenge" we are challenged each month to make 5 Christmas/Holiday cards so when the season rolls around, we have all our cards ready to address, stamp and send. The challenge for August was to use sequins or brads on our cards. So here's what I came up with.

The Christmas tickets were purchased from www.cuddlybuddly.com

On the sites navigation bar at the top of the page click on 'Digital Crafts' and then click on "Card Sentiments" you'll find a wonderful selection of printable sheet sentiments to use again and again. And... very affordable!

The vintage girl images are from my stash and are available for you to save and print to your computer at the bottom of this post. From my printer settings, I set it to print wallet size and nine per sheet of 81/2 x 11 cardstock,

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Love always!

Christina

Follow My Heart Wood-mount Stamp Set -- by Stampin’ Up!

2014-07-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

Only available for a limited time! Regular price ~~$19.95~~ Now $11.99
Follow My Heart Wood-mount Stamp Set -- by Stampin’ Up!

Free Printable - Jar Tags

2014-07-17T20:47:00.001-07:00

Hello all my sweet followers! Long time no hear or see! It's hot, sunny and it's summertime and the beach takes presedence over craft time! LOL I hope everyone is having a great summer so far!!

Debbie over at Ephemera's Vintage Garden has an adorable freebie this week. It's called the 'Jar Of Hearts Tags' It's a sheet of shabby chic jar tags, made to coordinate with the 'Love Is Chic' collection. You could use them as labels or gifts tags, or to embellish journals, greetings and scrapbook layouts. They are super sweet and I can't wait to print and cut them out.

I have a ton of lace that has been sitting in drawers for much too long and I thought wrapping the lace around the tags and displaying them on my shelf would be a better alternative. And oh so pretty to look at!
I glued the tags back to back to give them extra strength. Pretty right!?

Click HERE to visit Debbie's web site to get your free jar tags! Thank you so much Debbie! ♥

Free Vintage Ephemera (Printables)

2014-05-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

Another collage set from Women's Weekly Magazine dated 1939 - 1954.
I will be posting more so keep coming back and checking. You can scan these and use for your personal use/projects. Click on the image to enlarge and save to your computer. In your photo editing software reduce to fit 81/2 x 11 sheet and print them out. Or, you can print them out any size you wish!

Free Vintage Images from Women's Weekly 1939-1954

2014-04-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Vintage images from Women's Weekly Magazine dated 1939 - 1954. You can print these and use for your personal use/projects. Click on the image to enlarge and save to your computer. In your photo editing software reduce to fit 81/2 x 11 sheet and print them out. Or, you can print them out any size you wish!

'Blitsy' Online Crafting Store: Ships Globally

2014-04-15T11:54:00.003-07:00

Blitsy ships around the globe!
Hello all my peeps!

For those of you who haven't heard of Blitsy they are an online store that offers AMAZING deals on products we all use and love. You can even shop on Blitsy and have your items sent to another country if you want to send a purchase out as a gift. If you haven't shopped Blitsy.... seriously, go do it NOW!! LOL

This is a great place to buy products at discounted rates. Not only do you get to shop there, you get referral points/dollars from your friends for them signing up. Signing up is free.... REALLY! There is no catch here! Better yet, if you purchase I'll get $10 online credit to their store for you purchasing. Then, you send referrals to your friends and receive the same offer. How cool is that????? You can get merchandise for FREE! And every Sunday they offer “brunch” where you can get an extra 30% off!

Seriously... if you have a stencil addiction, Tim Holtz addiction, marker addiction, paper addiction, sticker addiction etc... you will be gloriously Blitsyfied!!

As stated on their website,

"Blitsy brings you the best craft supplies at up to 70% off. We are on the frontlines of the crafting industry, discovering and delivering the latest designs and trends from your favorite brands. You’ll find steals on products for paper crafting, needle crafts, kids, fine arts, jewelry, and so much more"!

Blitsy
Here is my personal link:
https://blitsy.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/10024/
Go check it out! Use the above link to sign up and I'll get $1 for referring you to the site.
Hope everyone's had a wonderful day!

Thank you!!!
Hugs!