Caramel Apple Wedges

YUMMY!!

I had to make a treat to take to our annual Pumpkin Carving Party.  I decided that I really wanted to have Caramel apples, but I did not want to take WHOLE apples.  Usually, some or all of the treat gets wasted in the "whole" form.  So I decided to try caramael apple wedges.

I took:


Caramels (one 14oz. package)
Apples - some granny smith, some gala (about 10 to 12 medium sized)
1 tbsMilk
lemon juice
craft sticks (or I like to call them Popsicle sticks)
wax paper


First prepare the apples:
Cut into fourth's

cut out the core parts (seeds, stem, etc)
dip exposed edges into lemon juice
(you could skip the lemon juice if you don't care that the apples turn brown)
line the apples in a few rows on top of wax paper on a baking sheet

Next, the caramel.....

unwrap an entire package of Kraft caramels.  (you can use another brand if you like, but I like the taste and texture of Kraft.)
place unwrapped caramels into a 2 cup glass measuring container.
(you need the whole thing full up to the 2  cup mark with caramels)

add one tablespoon of milk
microwave in thirty second intervals, stirring at each break.
repeat until the caramel and milk are well blended and smooth.

Now, the fun part!
Drizzle the caramel over the apple wedges ( mine would have worked better if I had let the caramel cool a little... it would have stuck to the surface better...but it did not effect the taste!)

poke the Popsicle stick into the middle of the wedge.

Pop into the fridge to solidify the caramel.

Tad-ah....Yummy.  I only tasted a half a dozen before I decide to share with my kids.

Lil' Pink Pin Cushion- tutorial

Here is my assembled items.  Fabric, an assortment of ribbons and lace and crushed walnut shells for the filling.

 

First you cut out a circle,  I just used a cereal bowl.

 

Next I sewed a few ribbons across the circle.

 

Thought you'd like to see a close up.

 

Sew around the edges, leaving a bout a 1 1/2 to 2 inch opening for turning and filling.  I also zig zagged the edge to make it stronger.

Turn the circle so the cute out side is displayed.  Then fill it full of crushed walnut shells.  Full, but not too full.  You still have to close the dang thing.

 

Stitch the opening closed.

 

Here it is all filled, but it is not finished yet!

 

 Next you take some sort of thick thread and sew six little stitches and make a pie shape.  I had to get out my needle nosed pliers to pull the needle and thread through the center.

It was that tough!

I grabbed an assortment of embellishments.  I did not use all of these, but you get the idea. 

Then embellish.  I glued the pieces right on top.  This covered up the knot from the stitching.Viola.

Beautiful pin cushion.

PS--this was a gift for my Beautygirl for her birthday.  She just turned 12 and I bought her a sewing machine.  She just LOVED both the machine and pin cushion!

Tag, tag, tag

I needed a way to lable the drawers for my Beautygirls room.  I am hoping for more orginazation -- not less.
So I made these little tags out of the linoleum counter top samples. 

First, take a tag

Trace around it onto a piece of fun paper.

Cut out the shape

Add glue to the tag (not the paper).  The wood texture tends to need a little more saturating than the paper does.  I also use Scotts quick dry white glue.  It is awsome!

Next, put the paper on the linolium so all of the edges line up.   Press it down.  Then flip the tag over...and run a brayer over the opposite side.  This evens out the paper, removes excess glue and bubbles.

I added a little pink file folder label to the top.  Last you will want some way of getting it to stay on the drawer.  My drawers are actually a metal file cabinet.  So I put a magnet on the back.  Like so. 

Here are a few other tags that were done with the linoleum samples .  These are beginnings of other projects to come....  So stay tuned.