I am taking a quick break from "recycle month" because I just got word from Diane that my brand new e-book (Not So) Sweets is now available in her CraftyPod shop! 

Some of my all time favorite desserts are included - Cream Puffs, Mousse, Panna Cotta and Linzer Cookies.  

I used to spend my entire allowance each week buying cream puffs at a little bakery that just happened to be on my way home from school!  But once I moved 500 miles away from that little bakery, I had to learn to make my own cream puffs!

And Panna Cotta - that was definitely love at first bite!  But I had a hard time finding it on dessert menus at restaurants so I learned to make it myself so I could have it when I wanted it instead of waiting until it appeared on a menu!

Now that I cook for family and friends with sugar restricted diets, I have worked to make sugar free and low sugar desserts that are just as yummy and delicious as the ones I used to make with sugar.  The fact that my sweetie can not tell if these deserts have been made with Splenda or with sugar is my measure of success!

Besides being almost sugar free, the good news about this selection of sweet treats is that they are easy to make!  I used to think that Cream Puffs just had to be difficult to make.  They are NOT!  Cream Puffs are easy to make.  And so is Panna Cotta and Cheese Blintz and Chocolate Mousse!

I made a point of adding three cookies to this book. Who doesn't love cookies? And think how much they would be missed if you couldn't have them - especially at Christmas!  I am thrilled that after much recipe tweaking I am finally able to make yummy Christmas cookies for my daughter once again! And I have recently discovered that low sugar cookies are very welcome on cookie trays I deliver to office parties.

All measurements are given in US and in metric.  And tips for working with sugar substitutes like Splenda, notes about the best chocolates to use when trying to reduce sugar in a recipe, and a tutorial for making crepes are all included.

(Not So) Sweets is available - as it happens, just in time for Easter  -  in Diane's CraftyPod Shop where you can read more about the book and view the table of contents.  Visit CraftyPod to read about the book from Diane's perspective.  But as you are reading, keep in mind that she has failed to mention her roll in making this little book a reality.

(Not So) Sweets is a collaboration!  I created, tested and photographed the recipes, but Diane is the editor, designer and publisher, cheer leader and holds the enviable position of being "first taster".  Without her efforts, talents, and encouragement, this little book would not exist.

I hope you'll enjoy baking with less sugar!

You are looking at a part of my stash of crafting supplies I have been carefully saving during the past 12 months - boxes, tin cans, glass jars, canisters, egg cartons. Part of the reason was of course was to build up a crafty stash but another reason was to get a good visual picture of just how much stuff we buy and then throw away.

I am devoting the month of March - and maybe part of April because I have an Easter project or two to share - to the subject of crafting with what is normally considered trash.

However, today I want to start the ball rolling by touching on an aspect of this whole recycling, repurposing, reusing issue that I feel is very, very important, and that has been on my mind a long time - purchasing unnecessary packaging. In other words, avoid buying tea bags in a box when there are alternatives available to purchase those tea bags without a box.

We are all becoming better consumers by making or buying reusable shopping bags.  But how often are we stuffing them with items that, once purchased, are just a few days away from the recycle bin or the dump?

And think about it - just how many oatmeal boxes, glass jars, tin cans, or plastic bottles can we realistically repurpose?

The answer seems to me to be - not very many and certainly not as many as pass through our hands in a years time.  Don't misunderstand - I am all for repurposing!  But there is a limit to how many items even the most energetic among us can repurpose.

One solution to this problem is to bring home less "trash" in the first place by purchasing as many products as possible without packaging.  Food items especially produce a huge proportion of the cartons, boxes and bottles that wind up in landfills.  But there are many, many food items that can be purchased without packaging.

Here are a couple sobering things to think about:

            1)  The very next time you visit the grocery store, or a drug store for that matter, take a good look around.  Almost every single thing you see, once the contents have been consumed or used, is destined for the land fill.  And you are standing in only one store, in one city, in one state. Blows you mind doesn't it?

            2)  On occasion I help some very good friends with their business of running estate sales. Relatives have taken what they want to keep and the rest is left for the seller to either dispose of or sell. Stack after stack of items saved with good intentions over many years, everything from styrofoam meat trays to paper bags to cottage cheese cartons, almost always wind up going straight to the land fill.

So, if there are alternatives to purchasing food items with less or no packaging at all, it seems  as if it is worth seeking them out. And many, many super markets these days do offer one very good alternative - bulk food bins.

Even for busy working mothers, purchasing pasta from the bulk food bins takes very little more time and effort than buying a box of pasta.

And an added bonus - most purchases in this department actually reduce the total grocery bill not only because the food items are usually less expensive but also because you can purchase only what you need.  I really like that part especially when I am needing to purchase items I rarely use.

Save those spice jars you have already purchased, clean them and refill with spice purchased fron the bulk bins.  How often do you need cloves?  If you purchase your cloves from the bulk bins, you can buy a tablespoon of cloves if you want! And it will cost you just a few pennies!

In addition to lessening your contribution to the land fills, another upside of purchasing from the bulk food bins is that many of the food containers that you must purchase can be repurposed into storage containers for your bulk food bin purchases - my favorite re-use project because it falls under the category of "sustained reuse"  as opposed to "temporary reuse".

So to encourage you to start thinking about all the items you can purchase from the bulk food bins, here is a list of some of the bulk items available in supermarkets near my home. (Some of the items listed are typically only available in plastic bags, but I have included them anyway in order to demonstrate the variety of foods available in the bulk food center.)

Spices and dried herbs
Cake flour (and of course all purpose, bread, whole wheat flours)
Brown sugar
Granulated and powdered sugars
Pancake Mix ( and other quick bread mixes like muffins)
Corn Meal and Polenta
Cornstarch
Biscuit and corn bread mixes
Dried soup mixes
Powdered Milk
Bread crumbs
Bread for stuffing
Coconut
Chocolate - in bulk - semisweet for baking
Cocoa powder - dutch and natural
Breakfast Cereals (like Cherrios, Fruit Loops, Corn Flakes...)
Oatmeal (instant to steel cut)
Grains (barley, flax, tabouleh, rice)
Pasta of every kind
Tea bags
Chocolate chips
Dried fruits(raisins to pineapple)
Nuts
Honey

Dried beans, lentils, peas

Generally speaking, your purchases must be placed in plastic bags and these are usually provided in several sizes near the food bins.  The bags can be recycled or, as many very creative crafters are now doing, they can be made into very useful household items - even spun into yarn! Re-visit Matt Embrey's post on Craft Stylish - lots of interesting ideas here including a link to this post for making "plarn"(yarn made from plastic bags).

Another alternative is to either save and reuse the bags for future purchases or take a supply of sturdy zip lock bags with you - they will stand up to being reused many times much better than the thin ones the market provides.

I would love it if some of you would consider jumping up on this little soap box with me and offer tips for reducing the amount of unnecessary packaging we buy.  I am hoping by the end of the month to have lots of new ideas to share in a post.  Each reader who shares an idea I use in the post will of course receive credit and a link to their own blog.

I really, really want your input, so please join in and leave me some ideas in comments.

Grab a cup of tea and a few cookies and come sit with me while I share a sneak peak at my beautiful copy of Joan Gorman's very first volume of her brand new e-book series Stitch Village. 

Joan's blog, Nini Makes, was one of the very first I subscribed to when Diane sent me out into the internet to begin my blogging education!  I loved taking long walks with Joan in the English country side and sitting at her kitchen table as she talked about what her lovely children were up to or shared a favorite recipe.  But my very favorite times with her have always been those afternoons she invited me into her studio and shared her excitement over her latest embroidery pattern or hexie project or a new  project for Green Parent.

And it was right there in a sunny corner of that studio, when she picked up a stack of mid-century vintage needlecraft booklets intending to pack them for her move to a new home that the idea for Stitch Village flashed through her mind.  As most of you know, it is impossible to simply pick up a stack of treasures such as these without taking a few moments to quietly sit and page through a few copies before consigning them to the box.

It was during this quiet moment that Joan decided that once she got settled in her new home, she would begin sharing her love of needlecraft by creating a series of e-books patterned after those lovely vintage booklets she had turned to so many times for inspiration.

This gorgeous Swedish Lykke Horse in one of five projects offered in this first volume of Stitch Village which features some of the delightful creations Joan has made for family and friends. Other projects include an iPod Cozy, a Recipe Binder, Spotty Storage and the beautiful Gracie Doll.

Future volumes will feature designs and patterns created by many other designers.  And each volume will remain true to the original mid-century needlecraft booklet format.

Canisters and glass jars recycled into adorable Mushroom storage containers for all those small items we all accumulate like buttons, threads, beads and baubles!

March is "recycle project" month here on Gingerbread Snowflakes and I plan to repurpose several of the oatmeal and cornstarch and coffee creamer canisters I have collected this year into Mushrooms!  I know I can do it because Joan's instructions are perfectly clear, well written and easy to follow.  And she provides step by step photography so there should be no questions!

Be still my heart!  The Gracie Doll!  I am smitten! 

I have never forgotten the happy hours I spent as a little girl, sitting on my bed playing with two beautiful hand made dolls sent to me by my grandfather.  Sadly, they have been lost.  Joan's Gracie doll, made for her sweet daughter, brought those memories flooding back and since I am NOT yet too old for dolls, I am going to make a Gracie doll with lots and lots of dresses!

To help ensure success in completing any project in her book, Joan's e-book includes a resource list for tools and supplies, a link to a free video library of common embroidery stitches, help for face painting and great tips for making and attaching hair.  Even a brilliant tip for working with tiny patterns.

But, just so you know - Joan is not the only pattern maker in her family! 

Recently, Joan posted these two adorable patterns designed by her daughter, Gracie!  And they are free!  All you have to do is write and ask for them and they will be sent to you via e-mail!

The minute I received mine, I dropped every single project I have been working on, transferred the designs to muslin and made these two little hearts for my Valentine Tree! 

Thank you Gracie!  I can not walk by my little tree with out smiling and thinking of you!

Stitch Village Pattern Collection can be ordered in her Village Shop!  And Joan gives us more detail into how Stitch Village Pattern Collection came about and offers a peak inside of her book on her brand new blog, Stitch Village, where she plans to keep us posted on new pattern and e-book offerings.

You may also wish to check out Diane's review on CraftyPod!

Tammy over at Tamdoll's Work Space nominated me for the Creative Blogger Award over a month ago! 

And now, just as I am finally ready to accept, I suddenly realize I was nominated last year by Chris at Prism Trail!  However, since I have already selected my nominees and prepared the text and digitized the images before realizing this, I am going to accept again! 

I really, really want to share my nominees - all new or almost new bloggers that are doing a great job and deserve the award! 

And I am very excited about sharing a part of me few people know about with the hope that some of you will be inspired to follow in my footsteps!

I am - or was when I was a bit younger - an avid backpacker!  I have had a non-stop love affair with mother earth and her secret wild places since I was 9 years old and took my first hike on a mountain trail while attending Girl Scout camp.

Instead of telling you 7 other things you don't know about me, I thought it might be fun to take you to my most favorite places - places you probably have never been to visit!  Some can only be reached by backpacking miles into the back country;  and others, while easily reached by car,  are a long, long way from where most of us live. Despite the relative remoteness of most of my secret wild places, I sincerely hope that at least some of you will be inspired to seek out and experience the magic, peace and renewal waiting patiently for you!

I am including links to every spot I mention; however, please feel free to write me with any questions you might have.  I welcome your inquires with open arms!

Photo disclaimer!  Some of these images have been digitized from very old slides taken in route using grainy film and without the aid of a tripod!  Just so you are prepared for inconsistencies in quality!

So, without any further chatter from me, let's go hiking!

You may already know about this one if you have been following my blog for a while.  The Hoh Rain forest in Olympic National Park, Washington State.

There are two lovely day hike trails that are very easy  - one is even wheel chair accessible. However the entire park is crisscrossed with a multitude of back country trails, and well maintained roads take you to every major attraction! I promise, you will feel as if you have just landed in Jurassic Park!

Mt. Baker from Artists Ridge Trail, Mt. Baker-Snoqualomie National Forest, Washington State.  Take your car right to the top and day hike along a ridge with fabulous views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. A great jumping off place for backpacking into Cascades National Park.

William O. Douglas Wilderness near Chinook Pass,  Mt Rainier, Washington State.  Great jumping off spot for backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail or for fairly easy day hikes through alpine country. We have seen lots of children on this trail.

Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah.  It is easy to find spots that are so quiet your ears will hurt from the lack of stimulation!  Bike trails and hiking trails abound, but the park service also maintains excellent roads throughout the parks.

Desert regions of the Southwest.  Favorites - Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona; Jushua Tree National Park, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. Spring is the best time to visit.  Don't even think about summer!!

I have hiked Grand Canyon trails to the Colorado River, at the very bottom of the canyon, many, many times.  Descending into the canyon is like traveling back in time millions, and millions of years. Climbing out of the canyon feels like it is taking millions and millions of years!

My favorite trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon however, is through Havasu Canyon to the Colorado River.  Breathtaking water falls reward your efforts and your tired feet and your sore legs! If the bottom of the canyon doesn't beckon you, there is a fabulous campground just two miles from Havasupai Village. Lots of water falls there too!

Pertified Forest National Park and Painted Desert, both found in Northern Arizona. Another favorite spot to get completely away from it all and listen to silence. Well maintained roads take you to several trail heads for hiking trails. You don't have to go far from the trail head to find the silence.

Green River Lake in the Wind River Range, Wyoming - one of the headwaters of the Colorado River. This gorgeous lake is accessable by car - if you don't mind gravel roads!  And it is the trail head for wonderous journeys into the mountain country.

During a backpack trip with Diane, we found an entire hillside completely covered with ripe, wild strawberries!  Millions of them!

Spectacular views of dramatic mountain ranges and alpine lakes await hikers entering the Wind River Range at Big Sandy near Pinedale, Wyoming. This area is a backpacker's paradise! And the sheer granite pinnacles appeal to rock climbers.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.  Not so crowded if you go in June or September.  For someone like me who is in love with mother earth, this is the ultimate place to experience her power and wonder. For a quick trip to see Old Faithful link to the Old Faithful web cam!

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.  I backpacked the back country trails every summer for 10 years. Week long, 40 mile trips through alpine meadows filled with wild flowers and tiny alpine lakes and stunning views of surrounding cliffs and peaks. This image was taken in the Alaskan Basin, part of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and adjacent to the National Park.

My sweet patient daughter, Diane, at Hurricane Pass - 10,300 feet - with the east side of the Grand, Middle and South Tetons peaks behind her! 

It never for one minute occurred to me that she would not share my enthusiasm for wild places so I took her on many of my trips.  She never complained. But about ten minutes before we reached the top of this pass, she turned around, looked me squarely in the eye and said " Mother, this had better be awesome."

And it was! She sat on an outcrop overlooking Cascade Canyon and the Teton peaks beyond for most of the rest of the afternoon. 

There she is!  Can't you see her sitting right at the edge of that snow field at Hurricane Pass in the top center of the image? 

Actually this image looking south into Cascade Canyon was taken from the north end - 8 miles away from the pass.

Are you exhausted yet?  Need a break? Grab a cup of tea and a couple cookies and let's visit my nominees!

I am supposed to choose seven. Very difficult thing to do - to narrow it down to seven!  So I decided to stick to fairly new blogs.

This and That -  Avital uses her photographic passion to share her life in Israel and her adventures in the world of craft.  Here is a sample of her amazing and spectacular photography.

At Home In Mexico - Angie shares a lively and intimate look into every day life in Mexico and often shares the craft projects completed by her students.

Eurolush - Eurolush takes us on a photographic journey through her life in Germany and her travels to other lands. Don't miss Lucerne, Switzerland!

When Pigs Fly - Anne writes a charming blog filled with excellent tutorials including the most well written tutorial for making a chile ristra on the internet!

Make and Meaning - a collaborative effort by some of our superstar craft bloggers.  I am including it because I want to be sure everyone who reads my blog signs on to read Make and Meaning.  The content is well written, thought provoking and pertinent.   Don't miss this one.

And since it is a collaborative effort, I am exempting them from passing along the award. 

Three Pumpking Little - Sandra's blogging style is best described as eclectic!  Something new and fresh every post! Like this must try Black Bean Soup!

Wool's Happenin' - Jill's blog is brand new!  Check it out! And don't miss this amazing tutorial for making a heart shape basket for the door.

Ok - so I guess we have to deal with the "rules" so the nominees know what to do next:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for the award and link to their blog.
2. Copy the award to your blog.
3. List 7 things people don't know about you.
4. Nominate 7 bloggers, link to their site and leave a comment on their blog advising them of the nomination.

I hope you will enjoy visiting my nominees as much as I do!

And thank you Tammy for thinking of me and nominating my blog!  I had a lot of fun sharing my adventures and my nominees!

We have been experiencing so many, many interruptions in service while with Clear that we feel we have no choice but to go through the process of finding another provider.

I will begin posting again once the new service is in place and I can be relatively certain that everything I am working on won't be lost because we have blinked off line again.

I will do my best to respomd to e-mails, but I am staying away from blogging and commenting until the new service is in place and has proved itself roadworthy!

Hopefully that will be soon!

In the meantime, I will be nesting  -  and hatching new projects!

Peggy Alter, chocolatier and accomplished pastry chef invited Diane and me to her unofficial Valentine's Day open house to make chocolate boxes!

You can read Diane's version of our play date here!

After months and months of work renovating a lovely Portland gingerbread house built in 1890, Peggy is ready to open her doors. It has long been her dream to provide a comfortable and relaxed space for "making with chocolate"!  She will be officially open two weeks before Easter!

The entry wall is lined with certificates, awards and even a letter from Hillary Clinton!  And check out the arch.  Peggy forced plaster through a pastry tip to create the edging detail!  Totally cool!

As you step into the original parlor, you are greeted by a case filled with kits and chocolate blanks to make chocolate houses, boxes, place cards...

and lollypops...

and cards...
 

and chocolate sculpture...

and molding chocolate!

Next stop - the "work stations" which Peggy keeps stocked with all kinds of candies, edible decorations, edible "glue" (some kind of magic bonding confection), glitter and even edible paints! And all the tools you could possibly need while you are working!  Peggy is always there to offer suggestions, demonstrate technique or answer questions if you need.

Forgive my obvious enthusiasm!  I just think this dream of hers is the coolest way to play with family and friends and I get pretty excited every time I talk about it!

But you wanted to watch Diane build a box - not listen to me!  Right??  This is the box before it was built!

She really wanted to be certain I captured the gold glazing on the surface of the white chocolate!  So fussy! Please be sure to let her know I did a great job of capturing it!

Now I'll be quiet and let you watch her build for a bit.

She totally loved the gilding material.And I totally love her box!

When Peggy opens for Easter she will have chocolate Easter egg kits available.

And chocolate Easter houses!

I took Diane's advice - which she gave as she watched me taking a ton of pictures - and put several other images in the flicker pool!

Diane and I had so much fun with the chocolate house kit in December we could hardly wait for Peggy to finish construction and open her doors!

It's a great place to bring kids.  And not expensive!  Lollypops are only $3.95 and $5.95 and that includes the little candies and glitters she provides for decoration!

Just as a reminder for those of you who don't live here in Portland, you can still play with chocolate boxes and houses and molding chocolate!  Check out her online store - Chocolate Craft Kits!

I hope I'll run into some of you at the Chocolate Craft Studio!

To answer the question so many of you have asked - YES the chocolate is delicious! It was thoroughly tested by my trustworthy chocolate taster - my sweetie - and passed with flying colors!  According to him, the chocolate is excellent!

I've been a bit occupied these last 10 days!  Baking cookies for all the lovely people who refer our wedding photography services to brides!

We bake, wrap and deliver close to 2000 cookies every Valentines!

Last year I posted several of my favorite recipes from this project.  And my Double Frosted Brownies here!

I added a couple new cookies this year I am very excited to share.  I promise to post the recipes by the end of this month! Especially the Potato Chip Cookies.  Yum!

And - while I was busy baking....

My pussy willows exploded!  A lovely French variety that is pink when it first opens.

And my orchid opened!  We will have this blossom around to enjoy for at least two months!  Orchids take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to bloom, but when they do, they aren't in a hurry to leave!

Now! Take a quick look at my flicker pool!  See the Danish woven paper hearts?  Angie (At Home in Mexico) just taught her class to make them and posted some of the results! See the full story here!

She kept them simple and let the girl's imaginations run wild!  Some are decorated with markers - one even a clock!  And don't miss the bows!  I love the bows!

Thank you , Angie, for going to all the trouble to share these with us.

Next time - watching Diane build her white chocolate box!

Sweethearts at fourteen.  Sweethearts still!

First date - "The Creature from the Black Lagoon".  Romantic huh?

We met in science class.  That's us in the back row!  I loved learning about science.  He loved explosions!  Nothing's changed!

Happy Valentine's Day to my Sweetheart.

Happy Valentine's Day to each and every one of you in my new, crafty family!

The recipe for this yummy, dense, jam covered almond and chocolate torte found it's way into my recipe box many, many years ago.  The cake is very simple to make and frosting it couldn't be easier - simply cover it with jam after baking?

When I make this torte on Valentines Day, I bake it in two little 8" heart pans - one to eat and one to give!.  But a 9" or 10" spring form pan is recommended.  The recipe makes 1 - 9" or 10" cake or 2 - 8" heart cakes.

Chocolate Almond Torte

3/4 cup unsalted butter
7/8 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 cup slivered almonds
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
Raspberry Jam - about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

Set your oven for 325 degrees.

Prepare a 9" or 10" spring form pan by lining it with foil.  Generously coat the foil with butter. (Same preparation for two 8" pans.)

Grind the slivered almonds until they are very fine. 

Beat the butter and sugar together.  Add the egg yolks and mix just until incorporated. You do not need to do a lot of beating as this is a dense cake.

Mix in the flour and almonds.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the cake batter.

Place the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. (Reduce baking time to about 25 to 30 minutes if you are baking in two 8" heart pans.)

Remove from the oven, let sit on a cooling rack for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Transfer the cake to a serving plate by placing  the serving tray over the top of the cake pan and flipping them over together.  The cake will be on the serving tray with the foil lining still in place.  Gently remove the foil.

Cool the cake completely.

Cover the top and sides with the jam and add some shaved chocolate on top if desired.

Tip for frosting any cake!

When you are ready to frost a cake,  place several strips of wax paper on the serving plate before putting the cake in place, making sure the entire outside rim of the plate is covered. 

(If the cake is already on the serving plate, slip the strips of wax paper under the edges of the cake.)

The paper will be easier to remove later if it only extends about 2" under the edge of the cake.

Now you can frost your cake without a worry about making a mess on the serving plate! 

When you have finished frosting, gently pull the strips of wax paper out from under the cake.

Happy Valentine's Day!
 

Since we are all celebrating "Love" these next 8 days, I want to share a gift of love that I just received from Chris!

Yes!  I am one of the thrilled and lucky people to receive some of these fabulous polymer tiles Chris recently posted pictures of on her blog Prism Trail! 

I nearly fainted when my sweetie returned from the PO, envelope in hand with a big smile on his face!  He couldn't wait to see what was inside anymore than I could!  He enjoys her blog and especially her sense of humor and his curiosity was stretched to the limit by the time he got home.

I am sharing her beautiful tiles in a very static display hoping it's simplicity will encourage you to take time to appreciate each one! She has used so many different colors, even mixing more than one color in a single tile. And so many textures, patterns and glazes.  Eash and every one a perfect little work of art.  I have them displayed in a shallow dish for the time being and love touching them and moving them around into different compositions.

And look at this one! While the other tiles measure from 1/2" to 1 1/4" across, this beauty measures 3" x 3"!   I loved this when I saw it on her post!  I still can't believe it actually now lives with me!

Looks like I am going to be making more frames!

Thank you Chris, for sharing your art and your heart. 

Happy Valentine Day my friend.