Making Dolly Carriers

I'm making Blythe carriers for the ACFDC trunk show!

 

These are the type of carriers that are meant to protect your doll inside another bag.  So they are fairly slim in profile.  But you can carry your girl and a few accessories safely inside another tote or purse for a day trip to the beach (or wherever your travels take you)!  You can consolidate items and have no fear of her being damaged by other items in your purse. 

 

As you can see, these carriers are tailored to the size of Blythe's proportions with a bigger space at one end for the head.

 

And they have a quick easy closure that is an elastic loop and a large, decorative button. 

The inside is lined with 100% cotton flannel to protect dollies pretty face!  

And it's a perfect fit for her!  So cozy!

Also, there is a pocket on the front for a few of your girl's essentials, like shoes that may like to slip off or an extra pair, plus a comb, hat or extra dress!

I'm making them in different designs to suit different tastes.

I hope you like them!

By popular demand: Peanut Butter Pie!

photo credit: Kimberly Munn

This is a real crowd pleaser!  It's a perfect cool desert for summer.  And it's no-bake!

I use a few name brand ingredients.  I suspect they are widely available.  But you can probably find substitutes if these aren't available in your area.  I think that you can really taste the difference in quality with some ingredients, which is why I'm listing here my exact ingredients.

This is the best peanut butter for pies!

These are the two toppings.

This is the pie crust.

Without further ado--

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

1 ¼ cups  creamy peanut butter (I like Skippy with the turquoise lid.)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 prepared graham cracker crust, 2 extra servings size (larger size)

Hershey's Shell Topping

Hershey's Double Chocolate Sundae Dream Thick & Delicious Sauce

Whipped cream

Directions

1. Pour half of half of Hershey's Shell Topping in the graham cracker crust and swirl it around to coat sides.  Be careful that the crust doesn't slide out of the pan.  It's only a little tricky. Put crust in freezer to harden chocolate.
2. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth (all sugar lumps disappear). Mix in peanut butter and then vanilla, scraping down sides to mix completely. Fold in half whipped topping, smoothly to mix for consistency.  Fold in the rest of topping.
3. Spoon into pie shell.  Freeze until firm.  After a few hours you can put it in the refrigerator for a softer pie.  Or you can keep it in the freezer for a more ice cream type texture.
4. To serve, slice smallish pieces, because it is very rich.  Swirl chocolate sauce on top and finish with whipped cream.
   
   Here's the recipe to print.

Enjoy!

The fresh taste of Pesto is perfect for summer pastas!

Pesto and summer just seem to go together.  Pesto is fresher and lighter than traditional sauces.  And you don't have to heat up your kitchen with a long cooking bolognese.  Not to mention so much faster for those summer eves when you spent a little too much time lingering at the beach.  

I love to make a big batch of pesto and save some in a jar in the refrigerator for later.  It's great on pasta, pizza or bread.  I like the traditional flavor of pine nuts.  But some people substitute walnuts or even omit the nuts all together.

I'm giving you two recipes today.  One for the pesto, and the other is for Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad.  If you don't want to make the pesto from scratch, you can still make the pasta recipe by substituting store bought pesto.

 

Pesto

¼ c. pine nuts

4 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 c. lightly packed basil leaves

½ c. grated parmesan

¾ c. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper, basil, and cheese in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to chop the basil.  With machine running, add the oil gradually and continue to process until creamy and smooth.  Use on pasta, pizza or bread.  *Here's the recipe to print.

 

Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad

1 lb. box Barilla Campanelle

1/3 c. pesto, or more to taste

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

¼ t. salt

¼ t. garlic powder

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1 pack (approx. 10 oz.) grape tomatoes, halved

1 (8 oz.) container fresh mozzarella pearls

small handful of basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta as directed.  Drain.
2. Mix pesto, olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl. Add pasta and toss to coat.  Fold in tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil chiffonade.  *Here's the recipe to print.

Enjoy with a cool Chardonnay or crisp Apple Cider!