New Catalog Open House, Saturday or Sunday, 1 to 3 p.m.

Drop by my house on Saturday or Sunday afternoon to get your FREE Close to My Heart Spring/Summer Idea book.  I've got ALL the new paper packs and other products on display.  You can browse the new art, sign up for upcoming workshops, have a snack and maybe win a prize!  For every $15 you order, you'll be entered into my Mystery Hostess Drawing.  Winners usually rake in anywhere from $80 to $100 in their choice of products.  If you can't make it by my open house, then visit my website, http://christina.ctmh.com and browse the new catalog online.  You can get into the hostess drawing simply by joining my February Open House and placing an order (you'll see the order listed on my home page--just click "join" and start shopping). 

We've finally got embossing folders!

I've been a fan of dry embossing for years, but we've never carried embossing folders in our catalog.  NOW WE DO!  And, to celebrate this event, we have a fantastic February Special:  Buy any two packs of cardstock (solid colors or combo packs) and get one of our new embossing folders FREE.  This special is only available while supplies last, which means that they expect to run out of embossing folders before the month is over (they'll restock at a later date), so ORDER now!  You can view our embossing folders on my website:  http://christina.ctmh.com/retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=691

Note:  these are 5 x 7 embossing folders and will work on Cuttlebug or Big Shot machines.  Check out my fox card in the previous post to see a card made with one of our embossing folders.

 

Sooooo. . .CUTE!

I'm completely enamored with our February Stamp of the Month, "Wild About Love!"  The fox images are so much fun to play with!  On the card below, I stamped my fox in Sunset ink and hearts in Lagoon and Smoothie.  The "Wild Thing" sign is stamped in Chocolate ink.  I used Sunset, Pear and Chocolate Cardstock and embossed the white cardstock with our new embossing folders (see this month's specials for incredible deals on our embossing folders). Get it now before the month is gone!  Remember that the Stamp of the Month is only $5 with a $50 purchase (or you can purchase it at regular price for $17.95). . .visit my website at www.christina.ctmh.com to order.

 

 

One more card for January Club

I've seen so many things made with the beautiful "Hello Tweety" stamp set (B1420, $9.95), but I hadn't yet worked it into one of my workshops yet.  This stamp set, along with lots of other cute stamp sets, will be retiring at the end of this month, so NOW is the time to purchase it.  If you'd like to see what other items are retiring, head on over to my website, http://christina.ctmh.com and click on "Shop" and then on "Retiring Items" to see photos of retiring products.  So many cute stamp sets. . .so little time!

We're on Cloud Nine in January!

You're going to love our fantastic January special.  With a $35 purchase, you can get the Cloud Nine Card Kit for only $15!  This kit includes a full stamp set with year-round images (compatible with the Cricut Artiste cartridge), card bases and envelopes , cardstock and patterned papers, metal accessories and FULL rolls of our new Teal Shimmer Trim and Gold Polka Dot Washi Tape.  You'll also get a color instruction guide. 

If you purchase this kit in January, you're invited to my Cloud Nine workshop on Monday, February 10th, where you can put together your cards together.  We'll be using Sunset and Lagoon inks, so if you don't have those, you might want to make those colors part of your qualifying purchase. 

Don't forget. . .you have to order it in January to do the class in February!

 

January Club Projects--we'll have you in stitches!

I have some fun projects designed for my January clubs.  If you'd like to come join us for club this month, we meet on Monday, January 13th, at 10 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.  Just give me at least a day's notice that you're coming!

Scrapbookers will be creating a two-page layout with the Sarita paper packet.  This "Best Day Ever" layout will work with all kinds of photos--wedding, vacation, etc.

Card makers will have "SEW" much fun this month as we play with our January Stamp of the Month, Cross-Stitch Wishes and the Stich Wonder stamp set (C1564).  These stamp sets really do look like Cross-Stitches and sewing stitches!

Some Banquet Recipes for You!

I've had several requests to share recipes from the Christmas Banquet back in December, so I'm finally getting around to it!  The most-requested recipes were the Parmesan Roasted Potatoes and the Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce, so I thought I'd post those two.  The potatoes actually come from one of our old church cookbooks. . .a recipe shared by Jean Fleming and Deanna Wylie.  The chicken recipe was one of the zillions I've found off the internet (I'm a bit of a recipe collector).

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes (a.k.a. Golden Parmesan Cheese Potatoes)

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (that's 2 1/2 to 3 lbs.)
1 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Combine Bisquick, Parmesan and ranch dressing mix in a large bowl or a Ziploc bag.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Toss the potatoes in the mixture (shake them in the bag if you're using a Ziploc).  Place them into a 9 x 13 dish.  Melt butter and pour it over the potatoes.  Bake about 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are tender and golden brown.  Note:  you can also sprinkle the ranch dressing mix on after the potatoes are in the pan--it will work either way.

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (4 halves)
3 T. butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 4 oz. can sliced pimientos
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan (you can use the jarred stuff, but freshly grated will probably give you a better flavor)
1/8 tsp. pepper

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.  Dip chicken in milk and then coat with crumbs (I added a little salt and pepper to the crumbs).  Add chicken to the skillet with half the butter and cook about five minutes.  Flip the chicken, add the remaining butter and cook another five minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Add broth to the skillet.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Stir in cream and pimientos; boil and stir for one minute.  Reduce heat and add parmesan, basil and pepper.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Serve chicken with sauce poured over the top.

Christina's notes:  Because I was cooking this recipe for 300, I made multiple batches of sauce in a separate pan, but it's better if you can make it in the same pan that the chicken was cooked in.  I cut the basil and pimientos down a bit, partly for cost reasons and partly because basil is a fairly strong herb, especially to those who do not love basil.

To help my chicken be tender and cook evenly, I pound it to an even thickness.  Use the flat side of your meat mallet, and don't obliterate the poor chicken!

ENJOY!!  Cook without fear!