cinnamon popcorn...

This recipe is addicting. Consider yourself warned!

Over the holidays, cinnamon popcorn became a new family favorite. 

We DEVOURED it. So i decided to whip up some for the new years party my husband and i are attending tonight.

   I first tasted a version of this recipe a few weeks ago that my friend Cindy made for book club.  I think she makes double the cinnamon sauce and bakes it longer so it's crunchier.  My rendition is a bit softer--not sticky, but not too crunchy either.  And I added peanuts.  (Which was the best idea EVER.)

Cinnamon Popcorn

Preheat: 250

Time: 30-40 minutes, plus cooling time

Ingredients:

1 bag butter flavored microwave popcorn

1 cup dry roasted peanuts--optional, but highly recommended!

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 squares white almond bark (or substitute white chocolate chips)

Directions:

Pop bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions.  (I use smart pop 94% fat free...you don't need massive butter flavor here.) Spread on large parchment-lined baking sheet, removing unpopped kernels.  Spread peanuts over popcorn.

Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium microwave safe mixing bowl.  Slice butter and place pats on top of cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Drizzle corn syrup over the contents of bowl.  Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir in vanilla and baking soda.

Drizzle cinnamon sauce over popcorn and peanuts.  Bake for 20 minutes at 250 degrees, stirring popcorn halfway through.

Melt almond bark in a small microwave safe bowl or liquid measuring cup according to package directions.  Drizzle over baked popcorn.  Allow to cool until chocolate has set.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

scalloped potatoes & ham...

we had an abundance of leftover christmas ham.  i cubed it and threw most of it in the freezer to add to soups, scrambled eggs, or fried rice later.  but my husband and i whipped up this comforting, hearty dish to warm us up during the crazy snow storm we got last night.

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Preheat: 350
Ingredients:
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cubed ham
6-8 red potatoes with skins on, thinly sliced (we used a mandolin.  it can cut super thin, even slices...and it's fun to use!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
cooking spray

Melt butter in medium sized skillet.  Saute onions in butter.  Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and flour.  Cook 1 minute.  Add milk.  Cook until think and bubbly.  Remove from heat.

Lightly grease a large casserole dish.  Layer half of potato slices and ham in bottom of dish.  Cover with half of sauce.  Repeat.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and sprinkle top with shredded cheese.  (We used cheddar because that's what we had on hand...but I think Swiss would be amazing.)  Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

resolutions...

hello, blog friends! 

sorry i've been MIA lately...

still fighting that nasty cough and can't seem to shake it.  as soon as i'm back to my old self, i'll get cracking on some seriously neglected projects (and show you some of my sweet christmas loot :) ).  

in the mean time, i've got new year's on my mind...

do you make new year's resolutions?

i don't really.  whenever i have a goal i want to accomplish, i don't wait until january 1st.  i just decide right then that i have a new goal.

but there is something great about a brand new year full of possibilities.  

2010--the good & bad--will be neatly packed away...

and 2011--fresh & unblemished--will stretch before us.

that's a good feeling. 

(can i just say that, i'm so done with 2010?)

i can understand why people would want to take the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives.  so maybe i'll set some goals this year, too.

they say that people who write their resolutions down are more likely to achieve them, so i've made some lovely new year's printables. 

(i'm not sure who "they" are...but you know what i mean.) 

 print one out, write down your goals, and hang your pretty list in a prominent place where you'll see it often.  let's make 2011 a good year.

*personal use only please!

a thought on christmas...

source
"Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and baubles of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful.

It is peace. It is the peace which comforts, which sustains, which blesses all who accept it.

It is faith. It is faith in God and His Eternal Son. It is faith in His wondrous ways and message. It is faith in Him as our Redeemer and our Lord.

We testify of His living reality. We testify of the divinity of His nature. In our times of grateful meditation, we acknowledge His priceless gift to us and pledge our love and faith. This is what Christmas is really about."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Season for Gratitude"

     UAdd a Note 

     UAdd a Note 

seasons greetings...

 sending love & warmest wishes from my little corner of blogland...

may your christmas be merry & bright!

 (i sent christmas cards after all.  hooray!  thanks to shutterfly for the free cards...find this design here.)

zippidee-do-dah...

i love blogging.  bloggers are fun and funny and creative and generous...giveaways all over the place!  and my lucky streak is still alive. :)

thanks to ashley of make it and love it, a sweet little charcoal/yellow zippered pouch is headed my way...

 she has as tutorial on her blog, if you want to make one of your own.

 thanks ashley!

a thought on the grinch...

source 

If we look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, we can surely find it. Like the Grinch, we can grumble and complain, becoming cold and cynical about what we see around us. Nevertheless, if we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes—perhaps even with the eyes of a child.

The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings. If we do the same, we can, with the Grinch, proclaim: “Maybe Christmas . . . doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!”

Our heart may not grow three sizes as the Grinch’s did, but our heart will change. Our eyes will open to the miracles all around us—at Christmastime and throughout the year.

I pray that during this season and always, we will see the purity of the story of the Savior’s birth and feel sincere gratitude for His life, teachings, and saving sacrifice for us. May this gratitude cause us to renew our determination to follow Him. May it also lead us to draw closer to our family, our church, and our fellowmen. And may we look steadfastly forward to that blessed day when the resurrected Christ will walk the earth again as our Lord, our King, and our blessed Savior.

--Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Seeing Christmas Through New Eyes

sickly...

i'm home sick today.
i thought i had avoided all the bugs coursing through our neighborhood.  apparently not.  grrr.

in honor of my sickly status, i laid on the couch and made a cute treasury-- cure for the common cold...

i also had an item make it to the etsy front page last week!!!
i neglected to post about it in all of the "send out orders/get ready for christmas" craziness...

 

 

i'm also working on a custom nursery art order for a {very patient} friend. 

(hi meghan!)  

a post on that coming soon...

gingerbread white chocolate blondies...

The first time I ate one of these blondies, I exclaimed, "These taste like Christmas!" and they have been my go-to holiday treat ever since.

They are rich and well-spiced and delicious.  have made them for the women's Christmas social at church for the past two years...the plate always comes home empty. I got the recipe from a friend, but it's an adaptation from a Martha Stewart cookies recipe. (No wonder it's so good!)

Personally, I think they are good fresh...but they are AMAZING the next day.  You can make them for a holiday party or event ahead of time with no worries!

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies

Preheat:  350°

Cook Time:  30 minutes prep, 25 minutes bake time

Ingredients:

2 ¾ c. plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 ¼ c. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ c. packed light brown sugar
½ c. plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 c. unsulfured molasses
1 bag white chocolate morsels

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 12 x 17” inch, rimmed baking sheet with  non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment.  Set aside.

2.      Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl and set aside.

3.      In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down as needed.  Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.  Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. By hand, stir in white chocolate. (It's a really stiff batter, so it takes some muscle!)

4.      Spread batter evenly into prepared baking sheet and bake until golden on edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; cut into squares.  Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

we have a winner...

 congrats to Kelly O....our SMS! giveaway day winner!

thanks to all who entered.  you can still go to my shop and use coupon code SEWMAMASEW at checkout to receive 10% off your entire purchase.  the code is good until tuesday, december 21st.

today...

for the SMS! giveaway...go HERE.

***

new reversible headbands were listed in the shop today!

now i've got to go make a dessert for my ward relief society christmas social later this evening.

(perhaps, i'll share the recipe tomorrow...it's a good one!)

then, i need get things set up for this afternoon's art lesson...

i got a new student this month--a BOY!

(can i tell you how fun it has been talking about dinosaurs for a change?!  i love girly stuff and all...but i was getting a little princess-ed out.)

what we're wearing...

for the SMS! giveaway...go HERE.

****

 if you're looking for some last minute gift ideas (or just sick of what's in your closet), here are some recent purchases that i think are worth sharing.  i'm not getting compensated to write this either...i just like this stuff!

you know modbe is back, right?  they went out of business a few years ago, but downeast bought them and brought them back.  and i couldn't be happier.  i bought this dress about a month or two ago...

if you are tall, buy this dress.  NOW.  it's called the long & lean dress for a reason.  i'm 5'10" and it's the perfect length.  plus, it's cute (...at least that's what the husband tells me).  and the fabric rocks...not too thin, great drape.

speaking of husbands, mine gets a lot of free tees and polos from vendors at work.  which is fine...if you like a company logo on everything you ever wear.  i, however, feel there are some occasions which an actual shirt that doesn't involve business promotion is in order.  so i took matters into my own hands.

i picked up these bad boys at old navy for 8 bucks each....yesssss. they look great on their own or under a graphic tee...and my husband likes them!  in fact, complimented me on my outfit constructing abilities.

it's nice to know i'm good at what i do. :)

more DIY holiday ideas...

for the SMS! giveaway...go HERE.

****

i didn't get around to making 3/4 of the holiday decor i had planned on this year.  oh well.  i'm loving all of these christmas-y tutorials scattered throughout blogland, though.   i HAVE to share at least a few...

check out this red-nosed wreath tutorial by megan at in words in pictures.

i love how she started with entirely different wreath-making intentions, but allowed it to turn into something else.  so fabulous.

this magazine christmas tree is so simple, but totally genius.

get the lowdown on how to make it over at green eyed monster.

big box detox was inspired by how about orange to make these felt gift bows.

creativity inspires creativity.  LOVE. IT.

these marshmallow snowmen at cute food for kids would be a great family craft...too cute.

and last, but certainly not least, we head to the creative chicks archives circa. 2008...

if i had seen this darling gift garland last week, i definitely would have been all over it.

i am SO making this next year!

new domain!

drumroll, please...

you are reading www.stayathomeartist.com!

yep, that's right.  this little blog is all grown up.
sniffle.
i'm so proud. haha.

feel free to update your feeds and readers and whatnot.

(but kaceykendrick.blogspot.com will re-direct you automatically.
so don't worry.)

***for the SMS! giveaway, scroll down...***

it's GIVEAWAY day!--closed

Sew, Mama, Sew! is a fantastic blog/shop full of fabric and patterns and great ideas.  every now and then they host a giveaway day--people all over blogland host giveaways of handmade items and/or crafting supplies and SMS! posts a giant list of all the bloggers participating.  well...TODAY is giveaway day!

you may remember that i won one of these giveaways back in may.  (thanks, toni!)  so i thought i would join in the fun and giveaway a handmade item of my own!

********************************

enter to win an item of choice from 

kaceface sewing & accessories!

go to my shop to see all of the options!

• to enter to win, simply leave a comment telling me what you do when you don't feel like doing your hair.  personally, i pull it back in a bun and wear a cute headband. the cuteness of said headband distracts people from my lamentable tresses. :)
• make sure you leave your email address so i can contact you if you win!
• for an additional entry, publicly follow my blog and leave another comment telling me you did so.
• the giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses in the US and Canada only!
• entries will be accepted until december 17th at midnight (mountain time) and a winner will be announced december 18th.
• the winner will receive an item of their choice from my shop...along with whatever other goodies i feel like throwing in.:)

good luck!

 *********************************

 also...

from today until december 21, i'm offering a 10% shop discount 

to all SMS! giveaway day participants.

enter coupon code: SEWMAMASEW at checkout.

go to kaceface.etsy.com to redeem the code!

2010 christmas message...

 illustration by Christina Smith

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

released the following 2010 Christmas message:

In celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ our thoughts turn to that sacred occasion when He was born “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). He promised: “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Truly, Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer who was “wounded for our transgressions … and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Our prayer this Christmas season is that the light and testimony of the Savior's divine mission will come into our hearts and be reflected in our lives and in our homes.

May each of us be blessed, not only at this Christmas season, but also throughout the coming year. May our faith in Jesus Christ increase as we follow His example in all we do and say.

make your own mistletoe tutorial...

i've never been thrilled with the mistletoe decorations offered commercially.  they're always too...plasticky.  (yuck.)

so i decided to make my own! 

for this tutorial you will need:

• mistletoe template (provided below)
• one sheet of green felt
• sharpie or fabric pencil
• pearl embellishments
• hot glue or fabric glue
• ribbon of your choice

i began by drawing some mistletoe sprigs to use as a template.  lucky for you, since i already drew them you don't have to!  just click, save, & print the image below.  (you can also resize it if you'd like yours bigger or smaller.)

next, cut out the templates and trace around them on your felt using the marker or pencil of your choice.  i traced the small one twice.  (and i flipped the template over so the leaves would face opposite directions.)  you could trace more sprigs if you wanted a larger grouping.

cut out your felt shapes and arrange the sprigs to your liking.  glue the stems and leaves where they overlap.

then arrange your pearl embellishments (found in the scrapbook embellishments aisle) to resemble clusters of mistletoe berries and glue them in place.

finally, tie a ribbon bow around the stems.  cut an additional length of ribbon--mine was 8 inches--and loop it to create a hanger.  glue it to the back.

you're done!  

hang your newly crafted mistletoe above the door...

i used a command hook for easy removal later on.

let the smooching commence!

i haven't even tried...

there have been so many fabulous treasuries lately that i haven't even tried to keep up with them all.  however, two fellow etsians contacted me about these yesterday...so fantastic!

 thanks to LovelyTiffy and PSProducts for putting together these stunning collections!

free "merry & bright" christmas printable...

still trying to get all your holiday decorating done?

i know i am! sheesh.

somehow christmas always manages to sneak up on me.

funny how that happens (every year).

if you need a little more christmas cheer hanging in your house, i've got just the thing...

you can never have too many free printables, right?

you know the drill...click, save, print & enjoy!

*for personal use only please!

time well wasted...

want some quick & easy winter fun?

check out make-a-flake.  

you won't be sorry.

more pretty books...

i posted about these lovely books about a year ago.  so gorgeous.

then yesterday, i stumbled upon these little lovelies...

how beautiful would these be all in a row on a little white bookshelf?

 the only one i'm not thrilled about is anne of green gables...

pink with frou frou cupcakes???

that is so NOT anne to me.

anne is violet vale and lovers lane and wood nymphs and poetry...

am i right?  (please tell me i'm right.)

all i want for christmas...

i have only asked for one thing this christmas...pearl earrings.

dangly earrings are NOT my thing.  they are often heavy and get tangled in my hair.  plus, i'd rather wear a flashy necklace then big ol' earrings.  i normally stick to sterling silver/round cz studs in varying sizes.  but, i've been thinking i'd branch out a little bit and rock some pearls--not pricey ones, just everyday wear kind of pearls.

i found some cute pearl sets (some on major sale!) and added them to my wishlist to help "santa" out. :)  i thought i would share them with you...you know, in case you've been wanting some darling pearls, too...

this set might be my favorite...


i like that it has a good mix of neutrals and fun colors.  plus, as of right this minute they are on sale for $19. how is that even possible?!

here's another cute set of various colors...


but i'd also be perfectly happy with one little pair of white pearls.  they'd go with anything and everything.

hopefully, i've made the nice list this year...we'll see!