Shortbread Tarts with Cheese 'N' Fruit

These are seriously THE BEST shortbread tarts E•V•E•R. The mixture of shortbread, cream cheese, lemon, and fruit are heavenly.

And really they are not that hard to make...at all.

I made these for my son's class last week when he had his school year-end celebration party. :) The kids sang some songs for their parents and family and then we had some goodies after.

I made 36 tarts, but probably should have made more. The tarts were a hit and were all gone in a flash! I got asked for the recipe and I said it was an ancient family secret. Shhh...don't tell anyone I'm sharing it with you! ;) Seriously, not a secret family recipe, but whoever invented these little babies is a genious!

My son, Mateo, who LOVES these tarts, asked if he could have another one, but I sadly had to tell him no because there were not enough to go around. But I told him I would make him his own little batch! :)




Here is the shortbread mixture pressed into the mini muffin tins ready for baking. This step is the most tedious of the recipe. But once you make these tarts a few times, you get your routine down pat and it takes no time to get the dough in the pan!




Here is the shortbread dough baked to perfection. These little tart shells are good to eat as is, but please refrain, as they taste even better when they are filled. :)




Next step, filling the tart shells with the yummiest cream cheese filling. Again, these taste so good, as is, with no fruit on top, but again, please refrain, as they even taste that much better with a bit 'o fruit on top! :)




Ah...shortbread dough baked, tarts filled, and now garnished with fruit on top. For the fruit, I used mandarin orange segments (from the can), fresh strawberries, and fresh kiwis. I also love it topped with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. So, so, so, so good! I'm really going to have to make these again really soon. :)




Here is the famed recipe. And it's from the Best of Bridge. :)
I love the Best of Bridge.

Their Butter Tart Slice recipe is SO good too! :) - http://mateoandtobias.blogspot.com/2010/12/butter-tart-slice.html


Shortbread Tarts with Cheese 'N' Fruit

Shortbread Tarts -
Use tiny muffin tins - approximately 1 1/2" diameter. This would yield about 3 dozen.
1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Mix ingredients in mixmaster. Don't roll but pat into muffin tins with your fingers to form shells. Prick the bottoms with a ford and back 20 minutes at 300° to 325°. During baking time, prick bottoms again if the shells puff up. These may be made in large quantity and frozen.

Cheese 'N' Fruit Filling -
1-8oz. package cream cheese - softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.

Now, fill tarts at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavours to blend. Top with fresh fruit (ie. kiwi, strawberries).

Inspiration Sunday - Summer Activities

School is officially out for summer break. I can't believe the school year went by in the blink of an eye and that we are already half way through the year. I think time goes by even faster the older I get! :)

So now that it is summer vacation, what sort of things will I do with the kids to fill their days with some fun? Fun, so they aren't say, "I'm bored!"



I searched the internet for some activities and these things caught my eye -

1. Make a scrapbook of things that you do this summer.
   
2. Have a picnic at your local park.
   
3. Bake some cookies.
   
4. Cut up an old greeting card picture and make a puzzle.
   
5. Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them out to friends.
   
6. Make an obstacle course in your back yard.
   
7. Make a treasure hunt.
   
8. Make a collage from magazine words and pictures.
   
9. Plant something.
   
10. Invent your own board game.
    
11. Sign up at your local library for their Summer Reading Program.
    
12. Learn some new outdoor games.
    
13. Make something from recyclables.
    
14. Make home made ice cream.
    
15. Organize a scavenger hunt.
    
16. Start a collection.
    
17. Camping outside in the backyard.
    
18. Take a field trip.
    
19. Build a fort outside.
    
20. Take an Alphabet Tour where you bring your camera and look for places or objects that start with each letter in the alphabet.
    
21. Go to the beach.
    
22. Cook with the kids a meal that they plan and help shop for.
    
23. Make sock puppets.
    
24. Make your own bubbles and have a bubble blowing contest.
    
25. Melt and create with crayons.
    
26. Set up Hotwheels races in the driveway.
    
27. Have a Lego building contest.
    
28. Use magazines to make mosaics.
    
29. Check your craft stores for make and take craft projects.
    
30. Make a tent in the living room.
    
31. Check out local VBS offerings.
    
32. Play "I Spy" as you walk around your neighborhood.
    
33. Collect Seashells. (then sort by color/size. etc. - make a seashell necklace or use the shells to decorate an empty jar)
    
34. Gather, paint, make pet rocks.
    
35. Have a pajama day, enjoy movies and popcorn (great for a rainy day).
    
36. Make some homemade popsicles.
    
37. Make musical instruments and have your kids put on a summer evening concert. An empty water bottle and some dried beans makes a great shaker; a plastic container and spoons become a drum; and pot covers can be cymbals.
    
38. Help your child make a card – from scratch – for someone they love.
    
39. Make playdough.
    
40. Build and decorate a birdhouse together.
    
41. With an insect book in hand, discover the creatures living in your garden, and learn about their benefits together.
    
42. Take a trip to your local farmer's market and teach your children about local fruit and vegetables. Don't forget to try new fare.
    
43. Go for a walk and collect leaves and flowers as you go. Back at home, use a field guide to help you find out what the plants are called.
    
44. Make and decorate papier-mâché face masks.
    
45. Encourage your child to create his own illustrated nature journal, keeping track of all the things he hears, sees, touches and smells outside over the summer months.
    
46. Cool off with water games, such as running through the sprinkler and water balloon fights.
    
47. Make things out of clay.
    
48. Make pretty paper sunflowers and create an indoor garden.
    
49. Learn a new word every day. Open a children's dictionary, then have your child close her eyes and point to a word. That word becomes the word of the day. Encourage her to use the word as many times as she can.
    
50. Pitch a tent your living room and allow the kids to enjoy the fun of camping without the hassle of a vacation.
    

Friday Etsy Favorites

School is officially out in our house. Bring on the summer vacation! This week's Friday Etsy Favorites are some creative and fun things for the kids to do this summer. ♥

1. asherjasper ► Needle Felted Monkey Ball
2. Knick Knack Wood Shack ► Small Portable Lego Travel Storage Box
3. The Enchanted Cupboard ► Rainbow Wooden Dolls and Mushroom Box
4. woodmouse ► Robot Blocks Toy Set
5. Pixiekids Toys, LLC ► Eco Friendly Felt Play Food
6. Siam Collection ► 4 Puzzle Set

Sale Number 200

This past weekend, I made sale number 200! I am SO thankful and SO excited about this. I opened up my Etsy shop last year on August 30, but didn't actually list anything until the beginning of September. After I hit 100 sales, my goal was to try to make 200 sales by my one year anniversary on Etsy. I feel so blessed to have met that goal early!

Here is a little bit about why I started my shop.

Since I was a little girl, I loved creating. I used to sew animals and design and sew clothes for myself (like my grade 12 grad dress). I also loved drawing, painting, you name it, I tried it!

Now, being a stay-at-home-mom, I started my Etsy shop as a way to express my need to create and do something constructive with the gifts that God has given me.

Before I had kids, I used to sell scrapbook layouts and embellishments on eBay. It was so fun to create different layouts and pieces to sell. I met some amazing and wonderful people through eBay.

Here are a few examples of what I used to sell.

The next three pictures are 12x12 pre-made scrapbook layouts that I used to create. Just add your pictures and journaling and you're done.








I also created embellishments like these tags that you could add to your scrapbook layout. Paper piecing used to be a big thing on eBay.
Not sure if it still is.








After my first child was born (and then my second), I stopped selling on eBay because I wanted to devote my time to being a Mom and enjoy every moment with my sweet children.

Now that my youngest is older, I found that I really missed creating. I didn't want to go back to selling scrapbook pages on eBay, so pondered what else I enjoyed doing. I love sewing. I love graphic design and art. I love photography. What could I do?

Well, I also love stuffed toys, so I started sketching out some animals to sew. I then created the pattern pieces for the animals. Next, I put the pattern to work and cut out some fabric and sewed the pieces together. With this came the birth of Cocoa Bear, and then Sammy Raccoon, Ribberty Ribbitz Frog, Tokala Fox, Swoops Beaker Owl, and Perth Crocodile.

I started designing wall prints for my kid's rooms and absolutely fell in love with doing this. I then decided to offer them for sale in my Etsy shop. I love color. I love typography. I love design. Wall prints were the perfect answer to my obsession with these three things.

So there I am today, at this present moment. I have so many ideas in my head, that I keep a journal with the ideas written down, so I don't forget them. Because if I don't write them down, I will surely forget!

I'm not sure where my shop will bring me in the future, but I have had so much fun and have met so many fabulous people through Etsy.

Thank you so much for making my dream a reality! ♥

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing all Dads a wonderful Father's Day today. May your day be filled with fun, laughter, love, and joy surrounded by your loved ones!




And this is what I made my wonderful husband for breakfast. Ah, breakfast in bed for him that is! Do I spoil him or what? :)



And no, it wasn't just a protein and carb breakfast...I did give him some strawberries too! haha! :)





Here are a few poems that I love.

What Makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,
He called it ... Dad


Happy Father's Day
A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He's proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong
In all that you do,
a dad's love plays a part.
There's always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes,
you're even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!
Thank you, Dad...
for listening and caring,
for giving and sharing,
but, especially, for just being you!
Happy Father's Day


A Father Means...
A Father means so many things.
A understanding heart,
A source of strength and of support
Right from the very start.
A constant readiness to help
In a kind and thoughtful way.
With encouragement and forgiveness
No matter what comes your way.
A special generosity and always affection, too
A Father means so many things
When he's a man like you.

Friday Etsy Favorites

This week's Friday Etsy Favorites is an assortment of beautiful and colorful items that are sure to bring a smile to your face. Love! ♥

1. Three Red Apples ► I Love My Bed - Textile Wall Art
2. Sarah McNeil ► Grey Knitted Rabbit Brooch
3. bubblewrapp'd ► The Be Set. Home Decor.
4. old new again ► Eat Kitchen Sign
5. a stitch of mine ► Rainbow Gusseted Reusable Snack Bag
6. Bobbi Lewin ► Turquoise, Green, and Brown Crochet Garland

Inspiration Sunday - Furniture Makeovers

I LOVE furniture makeovers. Some before and after pictures are absolutely astounding!

We have a dining room set that we received as a gift when we got our first house years ago. Since having kids, the chairs have really taken a beating. The worst are the spaghetti stains. No matter how hard I tried to scrub out the stains, you can still tell they are there.

Last summer, I decided it was time to reupholster the chairs. I wanted a bold color, so I settled on this rich, soft velvet feeling fabric. This was my first time reupholstering any sort of furniture. It was so much fun. I love the result. It has really changed the look of the chair and it's stain free...for now! :) And when I get bored of the color and texture of the fabric, I can change it up. (I love the color turqoise and I'm just waiting for the right fabric to come along!)

Talking about stain free...I also had some clear vinyl type material that I cut to fit the surface of the seat, so that when the kids are eating at the table, I can just fit the plastic over the seat and yay, no more worries about food falling on the chair! Woo-hoo!

Here's a before and after picture.





And here are some amazing furniture transformations. Stunning!


Before - This chest is just blah. It looks dated and worn.



After - Wow, I love how it was painted white and the top was reupholstered in green. What a difference!




Before - I like the style of this chair, but it definitely needs some updating!


After - What a change! I love the metal studs placed along the front of the chair. Although, I'm not crazy about the fabric (I would have chosen no pattern on the fabric and a brighter looking color. Leather would be nice too!), it's a far cry from the original!




Before - This vanity looks like it was well used and well loved.



After - What a difference some color makes! I love how the vanity was transformed into a desk. I also love the message board on the wall. Beau-ti-ful!




Before - This dated tv cart needs some loving.



After - I love how the tv cart was transformed into a night table. I love how the casters were replaced by legs. I normally don't like wall paper adorning furniture, but this is just plain lovely!




Before - This wardrobe cabinet looks well used and looks like it has been run through the mill!



After - Wow, you can hardly tell that they are the same cabinet! I love the bold 'I Love You' painted onto the cabinet. Very cool! The flower adds a unique touch also.

Friday Etsy Favorites

This weeks collection of Friday Etsy Favorites are so unique and fun!
Love 'em so much! ♥

1. Campfire Designs ► Starbucks Upcycled Spiral Notepad
2. Baby Jives ► Butterfly Ballet - Handmade Fabric Mobile
3. oktak ► Long Frame Purse - Black Dots
4. Mari Martin ► Sweet Green Frog Coasters
5. Hunter's Hideaway ► Set of 25 Manila Time Card Slips
6. Sea Pinks ► Little Green Felt Bird

My Peonies

Last Spring when we completely transformed our backyard (you can read about it here), my parents had given us some peony plants from their garden.

When I planted them in my garden they looked ok, but in shock. After a while the leaves were turning yellowish and then brownish. My heart sank because my parents had given these to us and I really wanted them to flourish in our backyard.

So I continued watering them, even though I thought they wouldn't make it. In the fall I cut back all the sickly looking branches (which was basically all of them!) to the ground and left them be during the winter.

Then mid-Spring of this year some shoots started sprouting up. I was amazed because I was already sadly thinking what I could plant in place of the peonies. Then more shoots started sprouting. Then leaves started forming on those shoots.

"Were my eyes deceiving me?", I thought.
No they weren't!
I was then doing the happy dance!

My happy dance turned into crazy dancing when I saw this.



Then my crazy dancing turned into even more crazy dancing when I saw this.



You don't want to ask me what my even more crazy dancing turned into when I saw this. Times that by 8 because there are that many more that look like this. Yahoo!

A Month in Photos - May

I have to admit that May was a total blur. Thank goodness for photos or I wouldn't even remember what we did! :)

We had a few sunny days here and there, so we had to take advantage of those days. Especially with trips to the beach digging in the sand and chasing geese.

This month was also haircuts for the boys which they love, only because they get a lollipop when they are done! :))

Inspiration Sunday - Sunny Days and Blue Skies

We have been having some consistent sun, blue skies, and warmer weather. Yay! We are finally getting our Spring - with Summer fast approaching.

In celebration, I thought I'd do an Inspiration Sunday post with some beautiful Etsy items to reflect this. So here you go! :)


Arctic Sky Necklace by Echoes of Norway




Sunshine Yellow Fabric Wallet by Tilly Whistle




Swarovski Rivoli Crystals Antique Copper Bracelet by Crystal Glow Design




Honeydew Earrings Champagne Quartz Oxidized Fine and Sterling Silver by Pole Star




4 Wrap Bracelet Blue on Blue by Haunting Beauty Designs




Bicycle Flap Dark Yellow Messenger Bag by Ikabags




Moss Aquamarine, Swiss Blue Topaz and Sky Blue Chalcedony Wire Wrapped Gemstone Pendant by christieg




Set of Felt Hair Pins in Soft Yellow and Ivory by ordinarymommy