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Coffee Filter Wreath {Tutorial}

I did it!! I FINALLY did it. I have had making a coffee filter wreath on my to-do list for nearly a year. Seriously!! Like I had the kids drawing on them long before we moved. I took their creations & tucked them away in my craft tote for the move & finally decided to do it. Push came to shove when I realized that March was here & I needed to update our mantle for spring. Hello- the red berries of winter needed to go right?! So I carved out a couple hours one afternoon & got to work. I am so happy I did. We spent the weekend getting the mantle changed out & I love how it turned out.

These images are of the wreath on the front door because it’s still pretty dark in the house with the overcast skies. I really don’t recommend putting this coffee filter wreath outside unless your door is very sheltered from the weather. I would imagine it wouldn’t be as pretty if it got all wet & soggy. 🙂

This thing is HUGE. I took one full pool noodle & another half of one & taped them together.

Made the wreath about 30″ across when complete & completely dwarfed my 10 foot tall front door.

I just love the pops of color between the white filters & the color details on the ones the kids colored.

Here it is above the mantle.

Have a FABULOUS Tuesday!!

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Raspberry Marmalade {Recipe} ~ Your Best Weekly

By Kleinworth & Co 14 Comments

Last week you guys sure impressed & inspired me!

Highlights from last week are………

Tea Ring from Yolanda @ Peanut Butter & Jelly

Free Downloadable Photoshop Template from Tish @ le mie photo

YUMMY Chicken & Gnocchi Soup from Kimberly @ A Fresh Perspective

Chocolate Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie from Tamar @ Randomosity

Pork & Poblano Pozole from Sarah @ Faith, Family & F-Stops

Thank you all for sharing last week!!! You KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!!!

These were awesome!!

I decided to try making the marmalade that Jaymi posted a couple weeks ago. We have a citrus allergy here in this house so I had to choose something that wasn’t going to give us all a reaction. So I chose the raspberries that I picked up at Costco. I have a huge obsession with loading my cart with as much produce as I can when I am there. Just wait until I can shop at the farmers market here instead. I am going to go gangbusters with the fresh, locally grown produce.

Print Recipe

Raspberry Marmalade {Recipe}

Ingredients

2 cups fresh fruit
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Wash, hull fruit.
Put in a large saucepan with water. Cover & let sit over night.
In the morning place 2 metal spoons in the freezer.
Place pan on stove, start heating on high.
Add sugar, mix & bring to boil.
Add vanilla.
Boil about 45 minutes to 1 hour on high.
After 45 minutes, place a little bit on the frozen spoon & put back in freezer for 3 minutes.
Check your spoon, it should be neither hot or cold.
Tip spoon- if it runs, boil another 5 minutes. Check again on the other spoon.
It's cooked enough when it doesn't slide off.
Turn off heat- let sit 5 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars- refrigerate overnight.
Makes about 12-15 ounces.

The kids loved putting this on their waffles in the morning. Both jars were gone in record time.

It would also be great over vanilla ice cream or on a cheesecake.

Now it’s time for you to share!

Everyone is Welcome as long as you link back to Kleinworth & Co. or Button Up. (Buttons HERE)

Please also connect with me on Pinterest and/or Twitter

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St. Patty’s Day Cupcake Jars & Free Printable

By Kleinworth & Co 14 Comments

Happy Thursday Everyone!

I have been running around here like a headless chicken this week- but I wanted to share with you all the FREE printable that I created for you. You may have already grabbed it in my sidebar- that’s so awesome. But I wanted to share these cute little St. Patrick’s Day cupcake jars that I use the printable on over the weekend. This makes the best little gift for your neighbor- or if you are like me- treats that are going to the firehouse. So go ahead & grab it & get creative!

Free Printable Checklist Templates

Just take your cupcakes, stick them in the jar- pipe a little frosting on each one before adding the next.

Then just add the printable cupcake decoration topper & then tie another on around the jar with bakers twine for added flare.

Easy, simple & oh so adorable.

You could also string them all up as a garland for a simple St. Patrick’s Day decoration too.

They are just so happy! Who wouldn’t love to receive a jar stuffed with cupcakes??!! 🙂

DOWNLOAD FILE

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend |Little Things Thursday | Inspiration Gallery|Show & Share

Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake ~ Your Best Weekly

By Kleinworth & Co 13 Comments

I am having so much fun seeing what you all have created. You all amaze me!

Here are some of the FABULOUS things that were shared last week!!

Triple Chocolate from Yolanda @ Peanut Butter & Jelly

Adorable Valentines from Kimberly @ A Fresh Perspective

Dipped Oreos from Tiffany @ June Makes Six

& this AWESOME photoshop tutorial from Melissa @ Serendipity is Sweet

Thank you all for not only sharing your creativity with me each week (it truly warms my heart) but for being oh so fabulous ALL THE TIME!!!

You guys ROCK!!!!!!!

For mine this week- I thought I would share with you the Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake I made for the boy’s birthday. It was so easy that I may be doing these more often than a traditional frosted cake. It was so good too. Plus- it would be great to make for St. Patty’s Day!!!

Print Recipe

Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 box cake mix
eggs oil, water according to pkg instructions
1- 1.5 qt ice cream- mint or other flavor
1/2 bag chocolate chips
1/2 tbsp shortening

Instructions

Prepare box cake mix according to instructions.
Bake in spring form pan.
When done let cool completely.
Remove cake from pan- leaving on the bottom round piece.
Using a long thin knife or cake leveler & remove the top portion of cake to make it flat.
Put the sides of the pan pack on, cover & freeze until cake it firm. About 1 hour.
Remove ice cream from freezer & allow to thaw & get just soft enough so it's spreadable- about 20-30 min depending on how warm your house is at the time.
Once cake is frozen & ice cream is soft start adding the ice cream to the top of the cake, smoothing out along the way. Do this until it reaches the top of your pan. Return to freezer to set.
Once ice cream is firm again- use a knife & run along the sides to remove it from the pan. Then remove the spring form from the cake again.
Combine your chocolate chips & shortening in a small bowl & microwave for 30 second intervals until melted & smooth.
Drizzle melted chocolate on with a spoon in whatever pattern you desire. It should firm up (like magic shell) almost as soon as it hits the frozen cake.
Return to freezer until ready to eat.
Let sit out about 15 minutes before serving so that the cake is soft but the ice cream is still somewhat firm.

Enjoy!!!

Link: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Gallery | Show & Share

Now it’s time for you to share!

Everyone is Welcome as long as you link back to Kleinworth & Co. or Button Up. (Buttons HERE)

Please also connect with me on Pinterest and/or Twitter

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Whimsical Marbled Valentine Cookies

By Kleinworth & Co 16 Comments

Oh boy. Can I tell you something???

Michael’s is DANGEROUS!!

I was in there the other day to pick up one thing- hot glue sticks. I ended up walking out of there with $50 worth of stuff in my cart. One of those things were these ADORABLE heart shaped cookie cutters. I wasn’t going to do any more Valentine’s Day treats. I really wasn’t. I have plenty of candy in the house. I didn’t need these. But once I bought the cookie cutters- well…. I obviously had to make the cookies.

I decided to not make these as carefully as I normally would have tried to do.

Yep- I purposely decorated these quick & IMPERFECT to give them a more whimsical feel. I felt it added to the marbled dough.

They were fun & didn’t last too long either.

You can print the recipe HERE.

Only thing to change is to add a couple dabs of gel food color & hand kneed in so it doesn’t color the whole batch throughout.

Then roll out instead of ball up & cut & bake according to recipe. Allow to cool before icing.

Want more Valentine cookies- you can make these

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe HERE!

When you pull them out- just push in the chocolate heart before the cookie cools.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | This or That Thursday | Little Things Thursday | Inspiration Gallery|Show & Share

Dish Soap Bottle

By Kleinworth & Co 13 Comments

Dish Soap Bottle

Do you re-purpose things in your house? Do you search out for things that would work well as other items? Well, something I have been doing a lot of over the last several years is re-purposing things. We started doing it mainly because we didn’t have a lot of disposable funds & I still wanted to be crafty & make things. I had to make due with the things I had on hand, so I started looking at things with a fresh set of eyes. Before anything goes in the trash I take a look at it & try to think of another way it can find a new life first.

Do you remember when the olive oil style (tall skinny bottles) soap dispensers became really popular It was so many years ago & they wanted what seemed like a ridiculous amount of money for them. So at the time I decided to take an old liquor bottle & liquor dispenser spout & create my own. It worked well for a while but I started noticing that for one- the tall bottle wasn’t very sturdy & would get knocked over quite a bit. On granite counters, that can be all bad. I also started noticing that the soap would start taking the finish off of my chrome spout. It didn’t look good & it was always goupy anyhow.

That is when I decided that I didn’t need to have the things that were super trendy at the time- I needed something that was more functional for me. I started taking notice of all the bottles we were bringing in the house & when I found that the olive oil bottles not only were less likely to knock over but also had their own pour restrictor built in-well YAY! It was a no brainer for me to re-purpose olive oil bottles & turn them into dish soap dispensers. The flow is perfect every time, they are easily cleanable & I don’t’ have to feel bad about tossing a glass bottle.

Dish soap bottle made out of an old olive oil container makes me happy!

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Almond Joy Cream Delight Bars

By Kleinworth & Co

I am a coffee NUT I tell you. Last week we ran out of our usual SUPER STRONG coffee from Costco & couldn’t get back there to pick up some right away. We had to go several days with some regular (what they called strong) coffee that was beyond weak. I was going through withdrawals So you can imagine how seriously I take my creamers too. I love them in my coffee & I love to use them (& the flavors I love so much) in the other things I make.

I have completely fallen in love with the current flavors available from International Delight & had to pick up a few. This also meant that I was already dreaming up recipes while I was standing in line at the checkout counter. So while I was standing there waiting, I found the Almond Joy bars that just happened to match the flavor of one of the creamers that I was buying. That really got the gears turning. So I decided to add them to the cart & get creative when I got home.

Print Recipe

Almond Joy Cream Delight Bars from Kleinworth & Co.

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp International Delight Gourmet Coffee Creamer - Almond Joy flavor
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 Almond Joy fun size chopped
1 12oz bag chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray.
In mixer combine butter, sugars, eggs & Almond Joy International Delight Gourmet Coffee Creamer mixing on low for 1 minute.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt & half the chocolate chips.
Stir in slowly to wet mixture on low speed.
Scrape bowl to ensure all ingredients are blended.
Transfer to baking dish, pressing down & flattening out to cover bottom of pan.
Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips & Almond Joy pieces on top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Let cool & then cut bars into 3 inch squares.

Almond Joy Cream Delight Bars

These are so good. You can’t go wrong with chocolate chip bars. Rich, chewy & oh so delicious!

The kids would barely let me take the time to photograph them before they were beating down the door of the studio to get some.

If you make this recipe- please leave a link or tag me on Instagram @KleinworthCo

Looking for more yummy bar recipes?

Monster Cookie Bars

Monster Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Seven Layer Bars : Yummy Bar Recipes

Peanut Butter Seven Layer Bars

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Don’t miss these great ideas from these bloggers….
Chef in Training – Caramel Pretzel Magic Bars
Sugar Apron – Delicious Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs
Natashas Kitchen – Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Simple Valentine Wreath

By Kleinworth & Co 12 Comments

Thank you to all of you that joined me last week!! I really truly appreciate it!

Before I get on to sharing my Valentine’s Day Wreath, Here are a couple things from last week that caught my eye…

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix- Lite from Sarah @ Faith, Family & F-Stops

your best weekly

This is great for when I need cocoa but don’t want the guilt.

Healthy Egg White & Avocado Salad from Jaymi @ Live Love Travel

your best weekly

I soooo need to make this. It looks fabulous.

Heart Banner from Kim @ Little by Little

So clever Kim! We have a thing for doilies here so I will definitely have to make this.

You all amaze me with your talents! I am so grateful for your friendship & support. Loved seeing all you shared last week!

Since it’s now February- I needed to update my front door. The January wreath just wasn’t as Valentine-ish as I wanted. I was needing something that said “Love” & shows that we are just one month closer to spring. The white & silver wreath of January is out. So I took a plain grapevine wreath & wrapped it with some funky vintage red & white ribbon & added a lace bow. I had this little heart decoration which was just far too small for this super tall front door. So I added it to the middle. Super simple Valentine wreath. I only had a few minutes & had to work with the supplies I had on hand at the time. So there you have it.

Simple Valentine Wreath

What did you create this week???

Everyone is Welcome as long as you link back to Kleinworth & Co. or Button Up. (Buttons HERE)

Please also connect with me on Pinterest and/or Twitter

Now it’s time for you to share!

Link: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Gallery | Show & Share

Sarah Halstead | Jenni from the Blog | Project Alicia | Live & Love Outloud | Parenting by Dummies

Finding the Light- Selfie Experiement

By Kleinworth & Co 2 Comments

I shared a few of these with you yesterday but I also have this one that I submitted to this week’s Paint the Moon’s P52 photo challenge for the This is Our Life series. This week the prompt is Finding the Light. After living in the desert for nearly 13 years- moving to the Northwest was quite a change. Seems like I really took all the available light I had for granted & all I do now is search for the light. I am so happy where we are now- getting to experience seasons, but the change has me learning photography all over again. I decided to do a little practice with the light on a cold snowy morning- working on a few selfies. Loving low key photography lately. I’m calling this set Finding the Light- Selfie Experiment. I think finding the light is a challenge for any photographer but after living where we almost always had more than enough- it’s been a different experience for me. I am certainly pushing myself to new areas. I was happy to learn from Annie that she too struggles with finding the light. Knowing that such a talented photographer like her struggles with the same thing gives me a little glimmer of hope that I am not alone in this new journey. You can view her comment on this image here. (processed with PTM- Eclipse)

Want to join in this weekly photo challenge- head on over to see Annie Manning & get the scoop.

Huckleberry Honey Lip Scrub {DIY}

By Kleinworth & Co 16 Comments

There was something that we learned very early on when we arrived up here. Huckleberry ANYTHING is HUGE here. They make it in all sorts of things & so we have been periodically picking up new things to try out. I am just chomping at the bit to get to these farmers markets I have heard so much about. I also hear that there are a bunch of farms here where I can just go picking – really looking forward to that.

One of the things we were quick to pick up was some Huckleberry Honey. A long while back we switched the kids off peanut butter & jam sandwiches to peanut butter & honey sandwiches to help cut out the sugar that might be in the jam. Yes I know that honey has sugar- but it’s natural sugar. Plus down in the desert we all had such horrid allergies that we wanted to add local honey to our diet in hopes it would help with the allergies. It did help to some extent & the kids became very fond of having more honey in their diets. So when we saw the huckleberry honey here we had to try it.

I have been wanting to make some lip scrub for a while now. The kids are not as good about keeping their lips hydrated as I am. It drives me batty, especially when I am processing pics of them & I am viewing the images full size on my screen & see that their lips are dry. So I decided to stop putting it off & make some lip scrub for them. Only I decided to use the huckleberry honey in place of regular honey.

It’s super easy- smells divine & works like a charm!

How to:

1 tsp honey

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp sugar

Mix together in small bowl until combined. Transfer to airtight container.

I re-purposed an empty jar from a sample of face cream that I had used up.

That’s it! I told you it was simple.

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Your Best Weekly ~ Game Day Snacks

By Kleinworth & Co 16 Comments

Welcome everyone to the very first Your Best Weekly!
I am so looking forward to seeing all the things you have created & I will feature some of my favorites here each week.

Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas? With the Pro Bowl behind us & my FAVORITE team- 49ers going to the Super Bowl this year- my mind is on football 24/7. I am a HUGE football fan & it’s not uncommon for the neighbors to hear me hollering at the TV on game day- I’m very passionate about my football. I have to tell you though- I am not just a bandwagon fan here. I have loved the ‘9ers since I was a little girl. They are the team I have always followed. THEN when we moved to Nevada 13 years ago we became Nevada Wolf Pack fans. (just because we now live in ID has not changed that) We watched Colin Kaepernick since the day he walked on the Mackey Stadium field. He gave me the best birthday I have ever had in 2010 by beating the mighty Boise Broncos (who happen to be our second fav college team) in a game that is still talked about to this day. When he was drafted by our favorite team- we were ECSTATIC Watching him excel & succeed here & taking our team to the Super Bowl this year- yea, we are on Cloud 9. It’s been amazing.

So in honor of the big game this weekend I want to share with you these- that we will definitely be making on Sunday.

garlic bbq smokies, Your Best Weekly ~ Game Day Snacks

Print Recipe

Garlic BBQ Smokies ~ Game Day Snacks

Servings:

Ingredients

2 packages Smokies
1 large bottle BBQ Sauce we use Sweet Baby Rays
1/4 cup mustard
1 can beer
1 tbsp minced onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce or Yoshi sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 stick butter
Salt Pepper, Season Salt

Instructions

Add all ingredients into slow-cooker
Sprinkle with salt, pepper & season salt to your liking.
Simmer on low for 2 hours- stirring occasionally.
Turn off & let sit for 15 minutes before serving to thicken sauce.
Great reheated & will keep for several days refrigerated in air-tight container.

Notes

Make these in the air fryer - Place the smokies in the air fryer in a single layer and sprinkle with desired seasonings. Brush with desired sauce and then sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook at 340 degrees for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

**for extra WOW - wrap with a partial strip of bacon before cooking.

Valentine Cinnamon Rolls

By Kleinworth & Co Leave a Comment

Valentine cinnamon rolls are a festive Valentine’s Day breakfast that’s always a big hit at our house. They’re a great way to start the day and make the house smell delicious.

This is one of my favorite cinnamon roll recipes for two reasons. They’re absolutely addictively delicious and they’re so much fun with their playful heart shape and pretty sprinkles.

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Black & White Champagne Overlay Conversions

By Kleinworth & Co 11 Comments

On Tuesday I shared with you my images of Mini-Me so I could show you the new Champagne textures from Life n’ Reflection. I decided to play with the images a little more & converted them to black & white. As much as I love them in color- OMG, I am just loving these conversions. Her quiet beauty is something that takes my breath every time. She & I are so much alike in our personalities. We understand each other without saying a word. I just love this girl to pieces. She is becoming quite the young lady.

Black & White Champagne Overlay Conversions 20130108_21-copy2-web

Black & White Champagne Overlay Conversions

I don’t usually go back & re-process images.

But I am so glad I decided to do these black & white champagne overlay conversions.

I’m loving how they turned out.

ALSO: I am offering this elliptical scarf & matching hat in various colors in my Etsy store.

Available together or separate. Working on inventory now.

At the moment they are made to order.

Also- there is still time to sign up for my workshop beginning Jan 20th.

email me at chichomeschoolmama[at]att[dot]net to sign up.

Have a FABULOUS weekend!

Linking today: The Long Road to China, Photo Story Friday, Friday Photo Journal

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

By Kleinworth & Co 14 Comments

Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas? We have this thing. Every time we make a ham we always be sure to save the hock & use our food saver to freeze it. Then when we are ready we thaw it for a day & then make Split Pea soup in the slow cooker. It’s so easy & a great way to be sure we are not wasting any food. Since we already had the ham for another meal & most of the ingredients we keep on hand at all times, the only thing it really costs us is the bag of split peas which is less than $1. It’s great because we eat this for a couple days, then we bust out the food saver again & freeze the rest. It works out great because the frozen amount is just perfect for when we want to do soup & sandwiches for a quick & easy dinner. So really- we are able to stretch a $15 ham into at least 6 meals for our family of 5 when you count the initial meal, a dinner of leftovers & the random ham sandwich along with the soup for 2 days & then the leftovers. Not too bad. Like I mentioned before- this year I will be all about how I can stretch my dollar at the store & learning to get more creative with our meals. This is a great way to do that.

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

Print Recipe

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

Ham Chunks or ham hock with remaining ham
1 bag dried split peas
1 stick butter
Seasonings to taste salt, pepper, garlic powder
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced onion flakes
1 cup water
32 oz chicken stock

Instructions

Put all ingredients in your slow-cooker on high heat & let sit for 5-6 hours.
Stir occasionally.
About an hour before it's ready- remove ham bone & make sure the ham pieces are bite size. Pulling apart any chunks that are too large.
It's ready when peas are tender & soup is thick.
Serve with oyster crackers if desired.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | This or That Thursday | Little Things Thursday | Inspiration Gallery

Re-Purpose Ornaments {DIY}

By Kleinworth & Co 17 Comments

I have been wanting to add some new decor to the house. It was bugging me for a long while before we moved. We had been discussing a massive purge long before we knew we were relocating & so when we found out we took that as the perfect opportunity to offload some stuff. Things, furniture, decorations that we had picked up along the many years we obviously grew tired of. We had been dragging them along & continued to display them just out of a lack of having anything else to decorate with. We didn’t even like these things anymore. They didn’t reflect who we are now, our current tastes & they certainly were not in keeping with the current trends. It’s not like they were timeless- so really, why on earth were we displaying them in our home.

It felt so good to let it all go when we started the moving process. When we arrived we immediately set up Christmas decorations. As you saw last week when the Christmas decor came down we had to address the mantle. It is much smaller than our last one & I really wanted to do something different with it anyhow. Like I said- we were ready for some changes in our home. This also carried through to the little accent touches on the coffee & end tables. I held on to the favorite photos, packed away a huge box of photos I was tired of displaying & made a list of the frame sizes so I can start planning on what I need to print to fill them.

I also needed something more than photos on the tables. I needed some visual interest. At this same time I was thinking about what I would do with all the Christmas ornaments that I wasn’t planning on using anymore. I had replaced pretty much everything that we had used for years- changed things up a bit this past year. So here I was with all these ornaments that didn’t fit in the totes & I really had no reason to keep them. Until I decided to re-purpose them.

Re-Purpose Ornaments {DIY}

This is what I started out with.

A little rope & some hot glue. There you go- super simple. I added a little twine on a couple because I originally wanted to do them with the twine. I lack the patience to work with such intricacy. It was way too time consuming to try to wrap these with such thin twine. So that was when I switched to the rope. Much quicker & I like how it turned out much better. Mixed with some cinnamon scented pine cones to carry the rustic feel throughout the cabin & tie it in to the mantle decor. Worked out well & I was able to re-purpose something which always makes me feel good.

Re-Purpose Ornaments {DIY}

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Weekend

Sarah Halstead | Jenni from the Blog | Project Alicia | Live & Love Outloud | Parenting by Dummies

Champagne Overlay from Life n’ Reflection

By Kleinworth & Co 19 Comments

I had the privilege of receiving these fabulous Champagne overlay textures along with the Love Spell overlay from Kristy at Life n’ Reflection. It really gave me an excuse to pick up the camera for something other than the landscapes that I have been so focused on since we arrived here. Other than the occasional snapshot of the kids I really have not done any “sessions” of any kind with them since before we started packing back in November. Yeah- I know- it was more than time. I had so much fun playing with these & it felt so good to sharpen my skills just a bit.

I LOVE these & I think they are my new favorite textures.

Mini-Me has been really under the weather for what seems like forever. (Although it’s really just about 2 weeks) She has been hit by whatever & it really took her down for the count. We have spent many nights up with her & I think we are all looking forward to everyone in the house being back to 100% soon. She was just to the point where the color was back in her cheeks again so I took the few moments to bundle her up & headed outside. We really only spent a total of 10 minutes at best out there, the show was coming down pretty hard & so I only took a handful of images. Here are a few of them- with the awesome Champagne texture.

Champagne Overlay from Life n' Reflection

Also- for you- my lovely readers & friends…

Kristy has been so kind to offer you all this Love Spell overlay for your use on your Valentine images.

lifenreflection_goodie_lovespell love spell

Head on over & give her some love & download your file.

I decided to give it a try on this image.

Champagne Overlay from Life n' Reflection

Adorable!!!!

Also- there is still time to sign up for my workshop beginning Jan 20th.

email me at chichomeschoolmama[at]att[dot]net to sign up.

Linking with: 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Around the World & Sweet Shot Tuesday

Rustic Winter Mantle {DIY}

By Kleinworth & Co 10 Comments

When we first moved here it was the first week of December so we immediately set up for Christmas. So once Christmas was over I was sitting here pondering how I wanted to decorate our little family room in this cabin once the Christmas decor was packed up for the year. One thing I knew for sure was that we wanted to keep the wreath of red berries- but it needed to be larger & anchor the fireplace better. When we got here I just sort of threw it up there on the existing hook to get it out of the way while we unpacked. It just sort of stayed there after that. Brainstorming was in overdrive.

So clean slate- wanting to keep the rustic decor of the cabin carried through.

I created another, much larger wreath (like 2 feet+ diameter) & decorated it with burlap.

I anchored the berry wreath inside it with a small bit of raffia to add a bit more texture.

It was that simple & is a much better size for the space .

I wanted to keep the burlap texture carried through onto the mantle itself along with pine cones.

It wouldn’t be OUR mantle if it didn’t have the pics I did of the kids last summer.

(I really need to update those)

A little ribbon added for more color splash & to mix it up a little. My vase of the pine cones wasn’t as tall as I would have liked so adding a small wood basket underneath was just was it needed.

A few candles for added visual interest & some flowers & we are good for now.

Already brainstorming on the next season’s decor.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Happy Hour

Sarah Halstead | Jenni from the Blog | Project Alicia | Live & Love Outloud | Parenting by Dummies

{DIY} Lip Salve

By Kleinworth & Co 5 Comments

I have this thing about my lips. Ever since I can remember I have had to always keep balm of some sort on my lips. I have a tube, pot or ball of it tucked away in every spot in the house so that I can always have one within arms reach. I buy them in bulk & I can’t get enough. One thing though is at night- I need something thicker but not quite as heavy as going with straight petroleum jelly because I don’t want breakouts. So I came up with a DIY solution that works quite well for me.

You know how annoying it is when you get down to the bottom of the lip balm & there is so much left but it’s stuck in the tube.

I decided to utilize that part when making my DIY lip salve.

Scrape it out of the tube with a chop stick or other thin device. In this case these EOS lip balms have a cross bar type plastic that makes it a real pain to get the rest out. So in this circumstance I snipped the plastic part out with wire cutters (you can use strong scissors too). Then I put all the unused balm into an empty little pot from some other balm I had purchased a while back that has since been used. I really like the little pot so I just keep using it when I make more. Sample sized pots from other things like face cream (washed or course) work well too.

-Then I pack the rest with petroleum jelly so it’s filled to the top.

-Microwave for 1-2 minutes & be careful when you remove as it will now be in a liquid state.

-Stir with your chop stick or stir stick until the lip balm & petroleum jelly have combined.

-Carefully put the lid on & put in freezer for about 30-60 minutes for it to firm up.

-Remove & it’s ready to use.

Perfect consistency- just thick enough to last through a whole night’s sleep but not too thick to give your complexion woes.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | This or That Thursday | Little Things Thursday | Happy Hour

Macadamia Nut Bark {Recipe}

By Kleinworth & Co 5 Comments

For years I have wanted to make bark during the holidays. Remember when I told you that I have this list of holiday treats I want to make?? Yeah- this has been on it for a really long time. I really don’t know why I never got around to making it before. I guess I always thought it would be more time consuming than it really is. Or maybe I already had so many treats in the house that I really didn’t NEED to make anything else. I don’t know- but I can finally cross this one off my list & probably move it to the yearly staples list of things I just automatically do. It’s so quick, no-bake & SIMPLE. I can see me making many variations of this Macadamia Nut Bark {Recipe} for other occasions too throughout the year. This is a great thing to make as food gifts for friends for all sorts of occasions. There are so many gatherings we will have coming up where I can tweak this to work as a quick & easy treat to bring. Anything that looks like it took a ton of time but is simple gets an “A” in my book.

Print Recipe

Macadamia Nut Bark {Recipe}

Ingredients

2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/4 Cup White Chocolate
1 Cup Melting Chocolate I used red
1 1/2 Cups Crushed Macadamia Nuts

Instructions

Pour each chocolate in a glass, microwave safe bowl.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Starting with the semi-sweet chocolate, put in microwave for 60-90 seconds stirring half way through until melted.
Pour onto parchment & spread out to a thin layer.
Next do the same with the white chocolate but instead drop in spoonfuls all over the top of the semi-sweet chocolate.
Then do the same as the white chocolate with the colored melting chocolate.
Take a skewer or stick of some sort to pull through to swirl the chocolates together. ( I used a chop stick)
Sprinkle the nuts over the top & press in just a bit.
Transfer to freezer for 30 minutes to set.
Remove & stab with a sharp object in random places to break apart.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!!!

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

Sea-Salted Fudge

By Kleinworth & Co 10 Comments

Semi-Sweet chocolate fudge topped with sea salt makes this Sea-Salted Fudge. A classic fudge recipe is easy to make & so incredibly creamy & delicious. The absolute perfect blend of salty & sweet.

Sea Salt Fudge

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Candy Cane Candle

By Kleinworth & Co 10 Comments

I love having candles around the house, especially this time of year. They bring such a coziness to the room that is just so wonderful when it’s chilly & snowing. What I’m not too fond of is the labels on the jars. So I was sitting here one day looking at all these candles with these labels trying to figure out how I was going to remove them without making a huge mess, or a way to cover them up. Then I looked over & saw this huge box of mini candy canes my mom had bought while she was here for the gingerbread house making. We tucked them into a cabinet & then forgot to use them for the gingerbread house. I’m not all that fond of eating candy canes- but I just love looking at them. So I decided to see what I could do with them & these candles.

Print Recipe

Candy Cane Candle

Ingredients

20-30 Mini Candy Canes
1- 7 oz Candle
1 Rubber Band
1 Ribbon of Choice

Instructions

Wrap candle with rubber band.
Stick the candy canes in the rubber band all the way around making sure they are tight.
Wrap ribbon over the top of the rubber band to cover it.
This is a great craft for the kids because it's quick & simple. Plus they are great helpers when it comes to unwrapping all those min candy canes. 🙂

The cool part is that when the candle has been burning for a little while & it starts getting warm the candy canes become more fragrant- so be sure to choose a candle scent that will work well with the peppermint. I was using vanilla sugar cookie so it worked out great. This is a super easy project to get the kids involved in. I had mine unwrapping all those tiny candy canes to speed up the process for me. The whole thing took me less than 20 minutes & that was only because I was waiting for them to get those wrappers off. 🙂

Be sure to come join me this Friday to share all your holiday goodies for the last

12 Days of Christmas- Holiday Bucket List Linky Party

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

Sarah Halstead | Jenni from the Blog | Project Alicia | Live & Love Outloud | Parenting by Dummies

How to Display Christmas Cards

By Kleinworth & Co 8 Comments

Like most people, we receive a lot of cards through the month of December. We started off trying to just dedicate a counter space to them. Then it took over an entire sideboard table. Before long it was just too much to dedicate a flat space to. We decided we needed to think of something else to display them but have them out of the way. Several years ago we decided to start hanging them on the door. I took a big ribbon & made a bow- then tied it to the door like a gift. I keep a hole punch & a baggie of ribbons near where I open the mail & whenever we get a new card they get a punch & tied on to the door.

Now I know this looks sad- only 2 cards on there right now. That is because we just moved in to our cabin a week ago. By the end of the month the whole door will be filled & I will have run out of space. When I take them down I keep each year’s cards bundled with the ribbon so when I start setting up next year I can look back & see just how much everyone has changed & remember what everyone was doing.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to join me for my 12 Days of Christmas- Holiday Bucket List Linky Party

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | This or That Thursday | Little Things Thursday

12 Days of Christmas Bucket List, Free Printable

By Kleinworth & Co 2 Comments

With all the changes in our lives right now, I am starting to get excited about all the new things we will get to experience in our new home. The holidays have never quite been like I had always dreamed of. It’s hard to be festive when things don’t feel like the holidays. So- now that we will have some true seasons I can really embrace the activities that come with the changing of the calendar. There are so many fun things to do during the holidays but I really wanted to go with the 12 Days of Christmas theme & not make it too overwhelming. There are already so many things to do this time of year.

Free Printable Checklist Templates

Because we are inching ever so close to moving day- I am not spending a lot of time in the office.

But I did create this 12 Days of Christmas Bucket List, Free Printable for you!!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Hope you will join me in checking at least a few of these off the list this season.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

The Long Road to China, Fall & Photo Story Friday

Give Thanks ~ Free Thanksgiving Printable

By Kleinworth & Co 5 Comments

First- before I say anything else- I have to give a MASSIVE

THANK YOU

to my dear blogging friends. Yesterday I started receiving these Target gift cards in my inbox & at first I wondered if they were legit. You know how you get those spamy emails. But one had a message that was very detailed & knew a lot of personal info about me & things we are doing. So when I asked the sender if she had sent it- she let me know that a bunch of you- my AWESOME FRIENDS- got together & decided to send me Target Housewarming gifts. That is the NICEST thing I think anyone has ever done for me. I mean, seriously- the fact that you all got together & collaborated to do that for me just has me near tears. I am so touched!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just love you guys so much- I can’t even express how this makes me feel & how THANKFUL & BLESSED I am to have you all in my life.

Free Printable Checklist Templates

With all the moving & whatnot going on around here- I have not had a lot of time to take & process pictures.

I will sure be happy when we are settled. But I didn’t want to leave you hanging here.

I created this Give Thanks ~ Free Thanksgiving Printable for you all so you can have something for your Thanksgiving festivities!

DOWNLOAD FILE

Love you all- thanks for hanging with me as we make this life transition.

Linking with: 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Around the World & Sweet Shot Tuesday

Finale ~ 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Day 7

By Kleinworth & Co 4 Comments

Welcome to Day 7 of my 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Holiday Recipe Series

This past week I took a much needed blogging break to prepare for our long distance move. Over the past 6 days I shared with you some recipes that have been part of my family traditions & so has Danelle. We hope that these recipes become memory makers for you & your family too.

7 days of memory making, holiday recipe series

Did you miss a post this week?? You can find all the links to all 14 of these fabulous recipes here today. We have it all covered, appetizers like Beer Bread, Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip & a Green Onion Cheeseball. Cookies for every craving- Sugar Cookies, Hot Cocoa Cookies & Four Spice Crackles. German Sweet Chocolate Pie, Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, Snickers Cake Mix Bars & Chocolate Nut Clusters. These are all quick & easy recipes that are sure to be the hit of your holiday gatherings this season.

7 days of memory making- holiday recipe series

Here they are…………

Red Velvet Brownie Bites

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

German Sweet Chocolate Pie Recipe

German Sweet Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Truffle recipe

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

sugar cookies recipe

Sugar Cookies

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Four Spice Crackles

Four Spice Crackles

Snickers Cake Mix Bars

Snickers Cake Mix Bars

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Beer Bread Recipe

Beer Bread

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Green Onion Cheeseball

Green Onion Cheeseball

Hope you all have a FABULOUS Thanksgiving!

Thanks for joining me this week.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

Sugar Cookies ~ 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Day 4

By Kleinworth & Co 8 Comments

Welcome to Day 4 of my 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Holiday Recipe Series

While I am taking a MUCH NEEDED break from my usual blogging routine this week in preparation for prepare for our long distance move. I have teamed up with the FABULOUS Danelle from Let’s Dish Recipes to bring you some really great recipes this week.

7 days of memory making, holiday recipe series

The holidays are just not the holidays without Sugar Cookies. Yes I do make the regular kind that you roll out, cut into shapes & then frost. I swear- I do that…..sometimes. But when the hubs asks for Sugar Cookies & I just don’t feel like that kind of mess- I go this route. This recipe is easy, quick & you just roll them in a ball like you would Snickerdoodles. The frosting is quick & everyone is happy. You can make these as easy or as complicated as you have time for & that is what I love about them. PLUS they are chewy. They never last long. Hubs likes to have some with his morning coffee & then I find him grabbing a few more throughout the day.

Print Recipe

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:
3 1/2 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 sticks 1 cup Butter
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Sugar to coat
Icing:
1 cup Confectioners Sugar or more to get a thicker consistency
1 1/2 tbsp Water
3-4 drops Food Coloring
Colored Sprinkles Sanding Sugar- optional

Instructions

Cookies:
In a bowl, stir together flour & baking powder. Set aside.
In mixer bowl, beat together butter & sugar until fluffy.
Beat in eggs & vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time to make stiff dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Scoop a ball of dough, roll into a ball & roll in sugar to coat.
Bake on non-stick cookie sheet for 8 minutes
Cool completely on pan before transferring to a wire rack
Icing:
In a small bowl, mix sugar & water to form a thick, smooth icing. Adding more sugar as needed.
Stir in food coloring to desired shade.
Transfer to piping bag & decorate as desired.
Let dry completely before stacking

Don’t miss my other favorite cookie recipes!

Softest Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Homemade Biscoff Cookies

Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Be sure to try these AMAZING cookies from Danelle too

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Hot Cocoa Cookies

AND

Four Spice Crackles

Four Spice Crackles

Check back tomorrow for Snickers Cake Mix Bars & more.

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

Chocolate Truffles ~ 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Day 3

By Kleinworth & Co 11 Comments

Welcome to Day 3 of my 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Holiday Recipe Series

I am taking a MUCH NEEDED break from my usual blogging routine this week in preparation for prepare for our long distance move. But don’t worry, this blog will not be abandoned.I have teamed up with the FABULOUS Danelle from Let’s Dish Recipes to bring you some really great recipes this week.

For me- the holidays are just not the same without Chocolate Truffles. They are so decedent & rich- I can’t get enough. For years I wanted to make some. I always thought they would be too time consuming or difficult. Then I came across a recipe similar to this one & realized that these were something I could easily put together. I tweaked the recipe to fit my tastes & here you go.

I love this Chocolate Truffle recipe because it’s so simple & so quick – which makes them a must in my book. They give the appearance that I spent a ton of time slaving away in the kitchen but that is just not the case. These won’t last long- I promise.

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffle recipe

What other truffle recipes do you suggest?

Print Recipe

Chocolate Truffles

Crazy easy - 3-Ingredient chocolate truffles for any occasion!

Prep Time20

Chill2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: chocolate, truffles

Servings:

Ingredients

20 ounces Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate 20 total squares (1 ounce each)- divided
8 oz cream cheese
Decorations like sprinkles nuts or crushed up candy canes

Instructions

Melt 8 of the chocolate squares in a double boiler. Let cool to almost room temperature but still in a liquid state.
In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy.
Blend in the melted chocolate. and then refrigerate until firm.
Shape into balls, scooping with a melon baller works well. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Chill for 1 hour.
Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler.
Dip truffles in the melted chocolate to coat.
Return to the baking sheet & sprinkle with decorations or immediately dip & roll into your decorations.
Refrigerate on the lined baking sheet for at least 1 hour to firm up.
Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Be sure to check out my Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows too.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for a Day of Cookies

German Sweet Chocolate Pie ~ 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Day 2

By Kleinworth & Co 12 Comments

Welcome to Day 2 of my 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Holiday Recipe Series

As I mentioned yesterday, I am taking a MUCH NEEDED break from my usual blogging routine this week in preparation for prepare for our long distance move. But don’t worry, this blog will not be abandoned. I have teamed up with the FABULOUS Danelle from Let’s Dish Recipes to bring you some really great recipes this week.

7 days of memory making, holiday recipe series

Welcome Danelle!!!! So honored to have you posting here today in my space.

I was so excited when Gina asked me to share some favorite holiday recipes this week at Kleinworth and Co. She’s always sharing delicious food, and beautiful food photography, and I can’t wait to see what tasty treats she has in store for us this week!

Today I’m sharing a German Sweet Chocolate Pie recipe that my mom first started making for the holidays back when I was a teenager. She found it on the bottom of the Cool Whip lid and it’s been a family tradition ever since. I’ve been making it for my family for the past 18 years.

Sometimes we have it for Thanksgiving, sometimes for Christmas, and sometimes for both! Which is really easy to do, because this pie goes in the freezer, which means I can make two pies at once for both holidays! And it’s so nice to have a make ahead dessert when you’re going to be busy in the kitchen with other things.

German Sweet Chocolate Pie

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

German Sweet Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

4 ounces Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 8 ounce Cool Whip topping, thawed
1 graham cracker pie crust

Instructions

Heat chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted.
Beat sugar into cream cheese
Add remaining milk and chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.
Fold in whipped topping and blend until smooth.
Spoon into crust.
Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Garnish with additional whipped topping and chocolate curls, if desired.
Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving.
Store any leftover pie in the refrigerator.

This recipe also works well with a traditional baked crust, and you can certainly make your own chocolate crumb crust, although I usually use a pre-made one. I definitely recommend using the German Sweet Chocolate though. It give the pie a very distinctive chocolate flavor. I’ve always been able to find it in the baking aisle near the other Baker’s brand chocolate.

In contrast to so many holiday desserts, this is not too sweet or rich, which means I can easily eat more than one piece! Although that may not be a good thing. I always get compliments and requests for the recipe when I serve this pie to company. I hope you and your family will love it too!

Check out another MUST MAKE Holiday recipe courtesy of Danelle

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Chocolate Truffles.

Looking for more great pie recipes?

Oreo Banana Cream Pie

Oreo Banana Cream Pie

Mocha Cream Pie

Mocha Cream Pie

Easy Pie Crust - Perfect Every Time from kleinworthco.com

Easy Pie Crust – Perfect Every Time

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Red Velvet Brownie Bites ~ 7 Days of Memory Making- Day 1

By Kleinworth & Co 9 Comments

Welcome to Day 1 of my 7 Days of Memory Making ~ Holiday Recipe Series

I am taking a MUCH NEEDED break from my usual blogging routine this week in preparation for prepare for our long distance move. But don’t worry, this blog will not be abandoned. I have teamed up with the FABULOUS Danelle from Let’s Dish Recipes to bring you some really great recipes this week.

Thank you so much for joining me as I share with you some of our family’s favorite recipes during the holiday season. I wanted to kick it off with these Red Velvet Brownie Bites. I really love red velvet ANYTHING & the hubs really loves cream cheese frosting on just about anything. So these have become a HUGE family favorite in this house. They are SO GOOD! I know that when I look back on my childhood memories of the holidays most of them are tied to food in some way. I remember making gingerbread houses or popcorn balls with my mom. She also makes the very best fudge in the world. My goal during the holidays is to create those same sort of memories with my kids in hopes that they want to do the same when they are grown. These Red Velvet Brownie Bites are definitely something I know they will make with their families.

Print Recipe

Red Velvet Brownie Bites

Ingredients

Brownie ingredients
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter- diced
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips I actually used the squares
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. liquid red food coloring
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Icing
8 oz. cream cheese - room temperature
4 tbsp butter - room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
White sparkling sugar opt.

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 325. Use either non-stick foil or just use regular foil & then spray with non-stick spray & line a metal 9"x9" baking pan. (please do this- as it helps remove the brownies from the pan later on. This is a step I contemplated skipping & doing it how I would normally do it- but I decided to follow the instructions & I was happy I did)
Stir butter & chocolate in a heavy large saucepan over low heat until all is melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar & then eggs- one at a time. Stir in vanilla, salt & food coloring. Sift flour & baking powder (I usually just run a whisk through it for a few stirs & it works perfectly) & stir in & blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake until puffed & dry looking- or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some moist batter attached. (about 30-35 minutes). Cool completely in pan on a rack. (I was impatient & stuck mine directly into the freezer to cool it faster)
Beat cream cheese & butter until lightly fluffy. Add vanilla & lightly mix. Add confectioners sugar & beat to combine. (if it's too thick- add a splash of milk)
Using the foil as an aid- lift brownies from pan & place on cutting board. Remove foil from sides. Spread cream cheese over brownies & add sparkles. Cut brownies into bite size pieces. To get a cleaner cut- wipe the knife after each slice. In the future - I will probably cut the brownies first & make a little more frosting so I can pipe it on each bite. I think it will be more aesthetically pleasing & keep the fingers cleaner when grabbing for one.

Check out Danelle’s

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Danelle’s German Sweet Chocolate Pie

Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend

Keyboard Shortcuts for PC & MAC

By Kleinworth & Co 2 Comments

As most of you know, my work for the product photography side of the biz has been keeping me busy. When I have 300+ processed images to produce for a client I am always looking for ways to speed that process up by finding shortcuts. There are many keyboard shortcuts that I use quite a bit. I love them because it keeps me from having to go up to the menu bar for every process that I am doing. I get asked quite often by my readers how I process images & these shortcuts are a huge part of it. I would be lost without them because my time in processing would increase & really, who wants to spend all that time in the office? I know I don’t. I do try to nail just about everything in-camera, but there are always minor tweaks I like to make. Normally that isn’t an issue- unless you are looking at doing it 300+ times. I’m sure you wedding photogs know what I am talking about here. Massive amounts of images to sift through. So anyhow- I thought I would create for you all this nifty cheat sheet for all the keyboard shortcuts – the ones in dark brown are the ones I use most frequently. The ones in light brown are ones that I have only used a couple times if at all- but I wanted to make the list complete. The cool part is that a good portion of these work in other programs too. Things like open, copy, paste, cut, select all, print, save- these I use when processing documents, surfing the web & all sorts of other things. If I am on the computer there is a good chance I am using them as much as I use my mouse or tablet stylus.

So here they are- for PC & for MAC. Free to download/print for your use.

Free Printable Checklist Templates

DOWNLOAD FILE

Here are just a couple things I have been working on.

Have a Happy Tuesday everyone!

Linking with: 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Around the World & Sweet Shot Tuesday

How to Reduce Image Noise

By Kleinworth & Co 9 Comments

Last week I shared with your this image of myself that my son took with his little Kodak camera. There I was photographing the caramel apples & he snapped this shot of my under the table. Look at all that noise in this shot. YIKES. His camera does not handle back light too well. But I really wanted to use this to illustrate how I set up my food shots for last week’s post. I thought I would share with you today how I was able to reduce the image noise just a bit to make it a bit more usable in my opinion.

This is what it looked like when I opened it in ACR. I adjusted the contrast, clarity, blacks & vibrance up just a bit & reduced the brightness.

This deepened those black areas that were speckled with light, giving the image a slightly smoother look.

Then I used one of my oldies but goodies actions from My 4 Hens called Superb. It’s a black & white action but it gives a nice hazy layer (vintage feel) which sort of counters the grainy areas. It gives a haze over the whole image instead of the noise being more prominent in some areas than others. The next thing I did was reduce the size for the web. The fact that it wasn’t blown up to full size made a huge difference. The bigger those noisy pixels are, obviously the more prominent they will look. I then sharpened just a bit & that was it. While it’s far from perfect- I was happy I was able to make it to where I could live with it.

Linking with: 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Around the World & Sweet Shot Tuesday

Food Photography – Behind the Scenes

By Kleinworth & Co 11 Comments

One thing I get asked quite often is what my set up is for food photos. This varies quite often depending on the feeling I am trying to evoke when shooting, so it’s hard to tell you a standard, straight forward answer. However, that being said, while I was working on the images for the YUMMIES I will be sharing with you this week, my son thought my methods were funny & took this shot. I think he thought I would be upset that he took it & I’m sure he figured he could use it as some form of leverage at some point in the future. But I actually was happy he took this because it shows the lengths I go through to get the shot I am after & works great to illustrate my point here today.

So here I am in our media room. I like the light in there because these windows face north & I get the most beautifully consistent bright light all day long. So most of the time I start in there. I set up my stand with my black side of my reflector in the back. It’s propped against my tripod. (sometimes I will use white but lately I have been loving the more dramatic styling) You can see all the things I had taken off the food during prep sitting up on the pub table above me. Now I really wanted to use my 85mm for these. I love what it does to my food images. It does such a SWEET job – I just love it. Unfortunately I’m working with a cropped sensor camera & so 85mm is more like 100+. So I didn’t have a lot of room to move around while keeping the light where I wanted it on the food. So I got a bit creative & climbed under the table for a few. I also stood on top of the pub chairs to get some above angle shots. Sometimes I will set up everything on the floor so I can get those above shots. This time I knew I really wanted more from the side shots & I didn’t want to lay on the floor to get them. Although I have done that plenty of times too.

Now- given that this shot was taken with my son’s point & shoot & I’M SURE he had it on auto- this image was extremely noisy. So bad that I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to use it. So while it’s still noisy by my standards- next week I will share with you how I was able to save it so I was able to use it here today. Be sure to check back for that.

Linking with: 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Around the World & Sweet Shot Tuesday

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Raspberry Marmalade {Recipe}

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Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake Recipe

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Enjoy!!!

Link: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Gallery | Show & Share

Dish Soap Bottle

Almond Joy Cream Delight Bars from Kleinworth & Co.

Ingredients

Instructions

Looking for more yummy bar recipes?

Link: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Gallery | Show & Share

Garlic BBQ Smokies ~ Game Day Snacks

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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

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Linking with: Live Laugh {Linky} Thursday | The 36th Avenue | I’m Lovin’ It Party | One Creative Weekend | Inspiration Weekend

Sarah Halstead | Jenni from the Blog | Project Alicia | Live & Love Outloud | Parenting by Dummies

Macadamia Nut Bark {Recipe}

Ingredients

Instructions

Sea Salt Fudge

Candy Cane Candle

Ingredients

Instructions

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

What other truffle recipes do you suggest?

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

Instructions

German Sweet Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

Instructions

Looking for more great pie recipes?

Red Velvet Brownie Bites

Ingredients

Instructions

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