Sweet Saturday: Key Lime Pie Squares

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! I hope you're having a lovely weekend! :o)

While I may not have a tropical vacation planned for the summer, this sweet treat certainly whisked us away to a confectionery paradise. Key Lime Pie is a beloved dessert, but sometimes bars are the way to go. The perfect alternative? This fantastic summery delight!

Key Lime Pie Squares!

This recipe did not stay bookmarked for long. Only a few days went by before I whipped these up for my family and they were a HIT. The filling is a flawless combination of sweet, tart, and creamy... everything a Key Lime dessert should be. Rather than a typical graham cracker crust, these beauties are made with a gingersnap crust. I melted a little, being the ginger lover that I am. I decided to crush Anna's Ginger Thins to make my crust and it was an excellent choice. The bit of spicy warmth from the gingersnap crust pairs so well with the bright Key Lime filling. I used just over a box to make the required 2 cups of crumbs.

Speaking of the filling! Another atypical component to this recipe is the addition of a tiny bit of cream cheese, which isn't often used in the pie. The recipe creator is truly brilliant. Just enough is used to make these delightfully creamy with a bit of tang. I was fortunate to have Key Limes available to me, so I used fresh juice for the filling. If you cannot find any locally, I suggest using the highly-regarded Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice. You can't miss the bright and chipper bottle.

The only change I'll make next time (and there WILL be a next time) is to add a dollop of freshly whipped cream. :o) I was too rushed this go around, but thankfully no one seemed to mind. ;) Give yourself a piece of paradise and bake this incredibly simple, flavor-packed dessert.

Have a sweet weekend! :o)

Key Lime Pie Squares
Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups finely crushed crunchy gingersnap cookies (or graham crackers)
3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted (or if using unsalted, just add in a couple pinches of salt)

For the filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 large egg yolks
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not fat free)
½ cup key lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest (approximately 1 lime)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides, and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the crust: Pulverize the crunchy gingersnap cookies into a fine crumb with a food processor. (If you're like me and don't have a food processor, simply put the cookies in a Ziploc baggie and crush with a rolling pin.) Pour into a medium sized bowl and mix with the melted butter. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes as you make the filling.

Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, scraping down the sides as needed. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest until combined. Pour into the warm crust.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the bars begin to brown. Allow the bars to cool at room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator to chill completely, at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, lift the bars out of the pan using the aluminum foil overhang. Cut into squares. Store squares in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week.

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

A Love for All Seasons

Happy Friday, my dear friends! I hope you've had a blessed week. :o)

Today I'm sharing the card I made for my sweet dad for Father's Day. It was a wee bit later than I had planned, but he lovingly said he knew it would be worth the wait! Thankfully, he does indeed love it. :o)

For his special card, I veered away from some of the more typical 'masculine' themes to truly make it tailored to his favorite interests. He loves nature and cherishes his flowers, so I made that the primary focus. His heart is filled with so much love that it was vital to include a lot of hearts. Not only is he so special to me, but he is so special in general.

Because of that, I didn't want the front to be exclusively for Father's Day... I put that sentiment inside. Rather, I wanted to showcase what his love has always been toward me and my four older siblings...

A love for all seasons. :o)

The patterned papers are from the fantastic Heidi Grace Daydream paper pad, which I love for its whimsical take on nature. The hearts and branches pattern atop the woodsy base looks so lovely in person. Love is falling down upon the heart-shaped trees I created, just as he endlessly showers us in fatherly love.

The trunks of the sweet trees are a cut file from the Silhouette Online Store, appropriately titled cute tree by Sarah Bailey. I love the branches! Each treetop is a classic heart shape, filled in with seasonal delight. To have nice-sized trees, I made this a tall card (approximately 4''x7'').

The leaves are from my Cheerly Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish die, with two shades for Spring and three for Autumn's splendor. The Summer tree, backed with a heart full of sunshine, is decorated with Wild Orchid Crafts pink mist roses and a sprinkling of rhinestones. That tree is popped up with foam tape for dimension, as it is his favorite season. He gets so much joy from his beloved flowers. :o)

The Winter tree is covered in Core Couture snowflakes, which are the negative cuts from an EK Success border punch. Each one is centered with a tiny rhinestone for an icy sparkle. Even the popped-up grass border is blooming with love, courtesy of a super old Fiskars punch. :o)

The computer-generated sentiment sits atop a Spellbinders Fancy Tags Three die, to which I cut off the bottom part for spacing purposes. Many times he has laughed at me as I chased butterflies around his backyard, so I added a sparkling Martha Stewart small monarch to the corner. Her glittering trail is reminiscent of the sparkling love he has passed on down to me. Maybe that's why I'm so sparkly. :o) He has this card front and center on his living room hutch and loves it something fierce. I am so thankful for him and love him with all of my heart. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope you have a sunshiny weekend ahead. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Charisma Cardz~ Pink and Green
 *Created With Love~ Favorite Things (flowers, hearts, and rhinestones)
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Father's Day or For a Man
 *Dream Valley Challenges~ Father's Day/Masculine
 *Inspire Me Fridays~ Anything Goes
 *Lady Anne's Challenge~ The Great Outdoors
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes

Praying for You Sympathy Card

Hello, my sparkling friends! Thank you for your incredibly sweet words on my first mini album. I was feeling some serious bloggie love. :o)

Speaking of which... a new month means a new recipient for the beloved I Feel the Love Project. For June, we are honoring a precious child, known as Baby Mason. At only six months old, he passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident. :( A drunk driver's tragic choices cut short this beautiful life.

We are creating in the name of love for Baby Mason's parents, Yvette and Santiago Villega, Jr. Any type of encouragement card is perfect. I needed a few days to settle on a direction because my mind was all over the place. Sympathy cards are innately challenging for most crafters, myself included.

I pressed on to create a tangible hug out of paper. In this time of oppressive darkness, I chose to send them sparkles. Every speck of glitter and every rhinestone is meant to be a sunbeam. All it takes is one glimmer of light to break the darkness, right? (I didn't want to risk anything, so I used five million.)

An angled view to better show the sparkly bases, foiled pattern, and dimension... if only there was a magical way to capture Shimmer Spritzed-flowers.

This card actually began with the gold. Our prayers are stored up in Heaven in golden vials, so this creation was inspired by that Truth. I wanted this card fully enveloped (embraced!) in golden prayers. The glitter paper is from Jo-Ann's, though I do not know the brand. I opted to pair it with green and peach, which is a first for me. The beautiful patterned papers are from Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings collection, which I've been anxious to use. (The golden loopy border beneath the middle panel is a cut file from Bird's Cards.)

Rather than going my typical "100% nature" route for sympathy cards, I wanted to make every inch of this about the prayers we are saying for this grieving family. Turning to the sweet artistry of Elisabeth Bell to visually deliver my actions, I chose this adorable stamp titled "A Child's Prayer." She is colored with Copics and cut out with a Spellbinders Labels Four die. Some Star Dust may have fallen on her peachy nightgown...

Sparkles were added to the tiny bows on her braids and I couldn't resist adding a heart-shaped one to her teddy bear's paws. He's praying with all of his fuzzy little heart, too. I heat-embossed a simple flourish with gold embossing powder, providing a touch of movement: divine power swirling around us as we offer up our selfless intercessory prayers. A lightly-sponged border of Dried Marigold distress ink surrounds our prayer warrior with a heavenly glow.

The butterflies are a We R Memory Keeper's cut file from the Silhouette Online Store. I made them solid instead of designed so they could properly sing their praises. It is so vital to praise in all things. These singing butterflies are hovering above their golden shadows, encouraging the precious parents to lift up their hearts in song.

A collection of peach and white Wild Orchid Crafts flowers provide a touch of nature's beauty. Lilies, hip rosebuds, and tiny rosebuds are extra sparkly from Shimmer Spritz. A sprinkling of rhinestones and a pearly heart stick pin complete the arrangement.

Lastly, I turned to my beloved Tiny Tags 2 and matching metal dies from My Craft Spot for the perfect sentiment. I adhered it with a heart rhinestone because you can never put too much love onto (or into) a card. The shiny gold ribbon that it rests upon is from my stash.

Sweet Baby Mason is safe in Heaven, but his parents desperately need our love.

Thank you for fluttering on by! I pray your day abounds in hope. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Emboss It (Heat-embossed flourish alongside image)

 *Charisma Cardz~ Tons of Layers

 *Created With Love~ Anything Goes

 *DL.Art~ Thankful Thursday Linky Party (Anything Goes)

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *No Matter Which~ Bingo (Die Cuts-Flowers-Sparkle/Glitter)

 *Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes

 *Sarah Hurley Challenge~ All That Glitters is Gold

 *Stampin' for the Weekend~ Cute

A Special Mini Album (My first!)

Hello, my cherished friends! As predicted, my little blog has been silent for a bit. This special project required a lot of time to come to fruition and I thank you for your encouragement along the way. :o) I've missed you and cannot wait to see what you've been up to!

I had it on my heart to create a mini album for 22-year-old Ashley, one of the recipients of May's I Feel the Love Project. She is battling her second form of cancer, which breaks my heart. She fought it off as a child, but 15 years later was diagnosed with a completely unrelated rare form of cancer. I badly wanted to make her something extra special. I hope she loves this and feels every ounce of love that I packed into it.

Because this is a picture-heavy post due to the nature of the project, I'll resist telling the tales I'd love to share... the reasons for the choices I made, the sappy inspirations, etc. All that truly matters is that my and God's love sparkle brilliantly through it. Hopefully that will be made clear from the pictures alone. :o)

Ready to see my first mini album?! It was a JOY to create, particularly since it is for such a worthy cause. I'll never know Ashley personally, but I like to think we're connected through my daily prayers for her.

99% of the designer papers in this album are from Graphic 45's Secret Garden collection, selected specifically for Ashley. I wanted to give her a beautiful garden. :o) The gorgeous shimmer I added to every flower and butterfly throughout does not show via photograph. This album is so very sparkly in person. Naturally! :o)

A better view of the spine covering is at the end of this post... I used a Crop-a-dile for the first time! *swoon*

This is the only time I'll show photo/journaling mats/tags. Most of the pages contain 2-3 that pull out, double-sided for extra storage of special moments.

Don't worry, I eventually ran out of time to show each page side-by-side. ;)

I couldn't resist sharing a close-up of this intricate fan. I adore it and hope Ashley does, too. It is a cut file from the Silhouette Online Store, which I adorned with some of my favorite things: rhinestones, crinkle ribbon, and a Wild Orchid Crafts rose.

Above is a garden gate, with the background paper one of my all-time favorites. I popped-up the embossed gate and set the photo mat just above the foam tape. This, and the lace lining one side, enables Ashley to switch out pictures whenever she likes. They nestle in nicely without requiring any type of adhesive.

My first gate-fold! The lacy heart opens up to reveal a decent sized photo mat, which is lined at the bottom with a border so she can swap out pictures.

A tab at the top pulls out a circular mat, which easily goes in and out of the frame that is popped-up only on the lower half. These Prima flowers are especially gorgeous in person, thanks to  their beautiful shades and a hefty dose of Shimmer Spritz. I went through ¾ of a bottle for this album. ;)

The sweet little envelope is a cut file from the Silhouette Store, which opens up to a tiny surprise. I tucked a note inside to remind Ashley how loved she is. :o)

And these goodies are stuffed into the main pocket. Scriptures and sunshiny words for her to keep in or out of the album. (I snuck presents into her present... ha!)

The last page, kept simple to hold a large mat for an extra special photograph. The butterfly is leaving a trail of sparkling love with a few rhinestone hearts. That glistening love extends far beyond this album.

I poured more into this project than anything I've previously done. Two bouts of cancer at only 22 is unacceptable. I've prayed for this gift to deliver healing love. And that waves of joy and grace overtake Ashley every time she holds this as she heals in His perfect love. She will beat cancer once again and will be filling this album with new pictures for decades to come. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkly weekend of love, blessings, and all things beautiful. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Celebrate the Occasion~ Use a butterfly on any project
 *Craftin' Desert Divas~ Linky Part (Anything Goes with Ribbon/Twine)
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *Divas by Design~ Tie a Ribbon
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ For the Girls
 *Frosted Designs~ Punches (I used a few, including the spine border on each page)
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Bling it On
 *Love to Create~ Read All About It! (Book, bookmark, or something to do with reading)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

A Father's Love...

Hello, my dear friends! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. :o)

Today I'm happy to share a Father's Day pocket card that I made for a very special dad named Reggie, who is the recipient of May's I Feel the Love Project. Each month the amazing and talented Madison highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of some extra love and sunshine.

This month we are honoring an amazing father who strengthens and encourages his family during heartbreaking tribulation. He has faced a parent's nightmare not only once, but twice. For the second time he is helping a beloved daughter battle cancer.

I had no sentiment stamp that expressed what was on my heart, so I typed up my own. Since his beautiful children are in on this Father's Day surprise, I wanted them included in the sentiment.

"A Father's love shines through the hearts of his children." In their family, that couldn't be more true.

A closer peek:

After printing the sentiment, I cut it out with a Spellbinders Classic Circle. I used Dried Marigold distress ink to create a small nature scene with a stamp from the Tim Holtz Artful Flight set. I sponged around the circle's perimeter to surround it (and him!) in heavenly warmth. The circle is set upon a scallop base that I cut out with my Cameo, using one of the scallops in a Lori Whitlock Nested Shapes Set.

The patterned papers are from Pebbles and Basic Grey, which I thought worked well for a masculine card. I fussy-cut extra leaves to layer them with foam tape in the corners for extra dimension. The satin polka dot ribbon is from Papertrey Ink.

A little surprise is tucked in the pocket. This card is not only from me, but it will be from Reggie's children, too!

I cut out eight Spellbinders Nested Hearts, layering the small and medium ones to create four main hearts... one for each of his children. They are heavily inked with Barn Door distress ink and secured together with a jump ring. I get the feeling their hearts always beat as one. To avoid difficulty in fitting them in the pocket, only the first heart is adorned with red sparkles.

The four hearts don't merely represent the loving hearts of Ashley, Andrew, Raelynn, and Ryan, but they are also a personalized gift! I lined the backs with a filigree patterned paper, light enough to beautifully showcase handwritten messages. The fronts are bursting with red love, while the backs will be filled with heartfelt words from each kid. I realize the rhinestone one will be a wee bit tricky to write on... but a touch of sparkling love overrides a few sloppily-written words. ;)

The love they have for their father is truly tangible. That's why I wanted to incorporate them into my creation via sentiment and a special little surprise that Reggie can keep wherever he wishes. It will always remind him that his gorgeous love is shining brightly through his family... and that our heavenly Father's love is shining through HIM.

The family, in their Ashley's Angels shirts:

His daughter Ashley is currently battling cancer. She successfully defeated it as a child... but in January, 15 years later, she was diagnosed with a completely unrelated cancer. This month we also have the option of creating for her. While I work on that, my little blog may be quiet for a bit. Although I'll be visiting you all regularly, of course. :o) I have something special in mind for her, but it will take some time as I've never done it before. Cue panic. But the Lord will help me bless her with this special gift. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! Have a blessed and beautiful day. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *Crazy 4 Challenges~ Photo Inspiration (The orange stamped central focal point)
 *Creative Cutting Challenge~ Father's Day (The scallop base file was cut with my Cameo)
 *Cupcake Craft~ Lots of Layers
 *DL. Art~ Thankful Thursday May Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pause Dream Enjoy~ Happy ______ (I chose Father's Day)

Sew Special: Mother's Day Card

Happy Wednesday, my talented friends! I hope you're having a beautiful week! :o)

I took advantage of some crafty time to make a Mother's Day card for my dear mom. :o) She loves fashion, pearls, and all things textural. I've long wanted to make her a dress form card, so I went that route. :o)

"Sew Special"

She loves a pun and she is sew very special to me. The background paper is a favorite from the Glitz French Kiss collection.. the fabric appearance is spectacular in person. This design began with the dress form, which is a cut file from a Ladies' Accessories collection in the Silhouette Online Store. The top was made from a gorgeous design from the My Mind's Eye Blush collection, which you may need to enlarge to see the prettiness. I used my favorite American Crafts crochet lace trim for the skirt, to which I added a Wild Orchid Crafts pearl strand for extra femininity.

For the middle of the card, I layered Wild Orchid Crafts cream Guipure lace with the same lace as the skirt. I wanted lots of texture on this one!

A little bit closer view to show the dress form and the pearls that accent the entire lower half. (I had serious photography issues with this one.)

The frame beneath the dress form is a cut file from a Princess Silhouette collection. I love everything in that little set! The musical paper is from the Glitz Pretty in Pink pad, while the exterior is the same as the outfit top. Everything throughout this project is inked with Walnut Stain distress ink. The frame and dress form are popped up with two layers each of foam tape for a lot of dimension. I really wish I had a picture from the side... I was too rushed.

A peek at the sentiment and spool of thread:

The computer-generated sentiment is cut out with a Tiny Tag metal die from My Craft Spot. I circled the hole with tiny pearls and threaded it with the floss I wrapped around a Spool of Thread cut file. For the needle, I used a fancy Wild Orchid Crafts pearl crown pin.

Lastly, I created a corner flourish of sorts with Recollections pearls, attempting to mimic some pretty Prima ones I've seen online. I sewed around the card's exterior, which I always love but especially wanted to incorporate given the theme. I hope my mom loves her card. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkly day of sunbeams and blessings. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Celebrate the Occasion~ Mother's Day
 *Craftin' Desert Divas~ Linky Party: Puns!
 *Created With Love~ Mother's Day
 *Cut It Up~ Mother's Day
 *Love to Create~ For Mom or a Special Lady
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Craft Spot~ For Mom
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Pretty Little Ribbons~ Lace
 *Silhouette Challenges~ Anything Goes

Sweet Saturday: 1 XXL Chocolate Cookie

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. :o)

Chocolate cookies are innately amazing... but sometimes you want one that's massive in size. Massive as in *just* under six inches in diameter:

This is pure decadence. The first time I shared it with my mom... the second time, with my sweetheart. Everyone is wild about this cookie. I love giant cookies because there's so much gooey interior to enjoy. The inside of this one just so happens to taste like a fudgy brownie. :o)

With such a small amount of each ingredient, this comes together quickly (NO mixer required), and before long you can satisfy that persistent chocolate craving. It also makes for an impressive treat without hours of invested time. Sometimes you need these types of recipes. :o)

Plus, this treat is simply fun. Especially when topped with bright sprinkles of happiness. :o) There's something so beautifully sweet about sharing a dessert with someone you love... soon I'll be sharing this with my niece. :o)

Thank you for stopping by! Have a sweet weekend! :o)
*****

1 XXL Chocolate Cookie
Yield: 1 large cookie (or four smaller cookies, if desired)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown)
2 Tablespoons beaten egg (crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tablespoons)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1 Tablespoon, divided
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix the softened butter and sugars together with a spoon or fork until creamed. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet and mold into a tall ball using a spoon. (Dough will be sticky.) Dot the top of the cookie with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips. Add sprinkles on top, if desired.

Bake for 14-15 minutes, or up to 16 minutes. (Mine is always perfect at 14... do not overbake this beauty!) The cookie will appear very soft, but will firm as it cools. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

Note:
You may make four smaller cookies using this recipe. Simply divide the dough into 4 smaller mounds on the cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction