Happy Valentines Day to all my readers! I LOVE sharing my fun projects with all of you!

Have a fabulous day of Sharing your Love!!

Sale-A-Bration Starter Kit Sale

	Q&A Q: What happens if I become a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration? A: When you join the Stampin’ Up! family during Sale-A-Bration, you not only get the Starter Kit at a huge discount, but you eligible to get your choice of a package of Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download each month of 2012.  Here’s the scoop: Discounted Starter Kit      It’s a bit of a secret, but the Starter Kit is the best deal in the entire catalog with more than $425 worth of stamping products and supplies for only $215 During Sale-A-Bration, the Starter Kit is an even more amazing deal since it is on sale for only $150. Plus, you get a bonus gift each month when you place a demonstrator order! 10 Free Designer Series Papers or Digital Downloads     You know how special you feel when you receive a card or a gift for no particular reason, just because someone cares? Well, you can have that feeling up to 10 times in 2012! When you join Stampin’ Up! during Sale-A-Bration, you can receive a free package of Designer Series Paper or a free Digital Download each month of the year. You can select your choice of Designer Series Papers ($13.50 or less) or Digital Downloads (any price) starting the month after you join! That’s an additional $135.00 value added onto the already amazing Starter Kit bargain! Here’s the nitty-gritty on the free goodies: Each month you can choose to order Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download for My Digital Studio, and you can switch back and forth so you aren’t committed to one format for the whole year. Of course, you’ll only continue to receive the free products from March-December 2012 as long as you remain an active demonstrator (shipping fees may apply). Online Sign-up    Since you don’t want to miss out on a single month of free Designer Series Paper or Digital Downloads, you can sign up online right now! It’s the fastest and most convenient way to get started! Whether you sign up online or by traditional mail, you can customize your Starter Kit so you can receive the products you love most! You can substitute the stamp sets, card stock and ink colours, for like products so that you get your kit your way! What’s Next?      Does the idea of joining Stampin’ Up! sound interesting, but you are afraid of a big commitment? I often here that from potential team members, and they are always surprised at how non-threatening the real thing is! Well, you aren’t marrying Stampin’ Up! and there aren’t any big scary commitments. Once you purchase the Starter Kit, it is yours, end of story. You have until June to make your minimums in order to remain active or you go inactive. That’s it. Nothing scary, and no penalties or sales requirements to keep your kit. You choose how to make Stampin’ Up! fit you, your way. You can remain an active demonstrator by placing the minimum order each quarter, build a business to support large or small goals, or go inactive if you choose. Whatever you choose, you don’t lose anything because you started out with such a great deal on the Starter Kit, plus you’ll get your extra free products each month in addition to access to all of the great Stampin’ Up! demonstrator resources. Think of your first few months as a trial period, an opportunity to see what it’s like to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. I think once you join, you’ll love it and want to stay! Questions? Please contact me today, I’m happy to talk over the opportunity with you!
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Hi Stampers,

If you follow me on Facebook you saw my post about Making Whoopie pies for our Sweets and Stamping Crop last night. They were a big hit and I wanted to share the recipes with you. Enjoy...

Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies with White Chocolate Raspberry Fluff Filling
Makes 24 two-inch whoopie pies

Adapted from the Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies and Classic Marshmallow recipes in the Whoopie Pies cookbook written by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.

For The Cake:

1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup unsweetened Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For The Filling:

1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 drops Red Food Coloring (optional)
1 packet of White Chocolate Raspberry Daiquiri Mix (Dove Chocolate Discoveries)

Instructions
To Make The Cakes:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of wax paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and the remaining ½ cup milk and beat until completely combined.

Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets; repeat, spacing the rounds at least 2 inches apart. (Note: You can use a spoon to drop the batter but the cookie scoop helps keep the cookies round and even.)

Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the rounds spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To Make The Filling:

While the cakes are cooling, In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, staring on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar, 2 drops of red food coloring, and the White Chocolate Raspberry mix, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

To Assemble the Whoopie Pies:

  Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake. Use a pastry bag with a large round tip to pipe the filling onto the cake for a smooth neat look or use a spoon and spread the filling on. Top with another cake flat side down. Gently roll the edges of the Whoopie pie in pink decorative sugar to decorate. Repeat with remaining cakes and serve.

We also made Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (can you tell it is almost Valentines Day!) :)

I found the recipe for theese Whoopie Pies on Sand and Sisal (Kim Wilson's Blog)

I like that the cakes used a cake mix (instead of being from scratch) so they went together VERY quickly!

I wanted a more classic Cream Cheese filling for these Whoopie Pies though. (Kim did more of a frosting filling.) So I used this recipe for the filling from BHG.

Cream Cheese Filling

1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 an 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
7 ounce jar marshmallow creme

Directions In medium mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in marshmallow creme.

Whoopie pies are quickly becoming on of my new favorite sweet things!! I love that you can combine cakes and fillings for so many different possibilities!

What's your favorite Sweet flavor combo??