It's a Monday

Sorting and sorting today. Paper, cardstock, tissue, napkins, stencils, rubber stamps, stickers, pencils, buttons, beads, playing cards, ribbon, lace, doilies and more. Done! Everything ready to put out for next year's valentine-making party. Back to basics, we will be creating cards.

Now on to think about Wednesday's collage class. I want to take a photo of the squirrel's nest out in back for my winter journal. I see him scaling the trees all these cold days, up to his big cozy home.

Valentines and valentines

With wanting to have my books of valentines and valentine photos from past year's parties together for yesterday, and not having done that, I am sitting back this morning and enjoying looking at everything that I have saved. What memories! Someone asked me about how many years ago I start having this, and I wasn't sure. I needed to consult my journals. Well, I see my first valentine get-together was in 2001! I did skip one year, and so this was my 8th party! The guest list back in 2001 was 10. This year it was 30! My friend, Pauline, brought her scrapbook of valentines and ephemera along yesterday for us to see and this inspired me to "get it together"! I am not going to put it all away until I have done that. It'll be ready for viewing next year. I also will research my recipes. Another book that would be fun to do!

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." Author unknown

By popular demand...

By popular demand, here is the recipe for "Chicken Puff Bake". It was in Family Circle magazine one time and I have been making it for years and years. It's just nice for a once-in-a-while supper or a fancy lunch entree.

Chicken Puff Bake

1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
1/2 t. salt
dash of pepper
1-1/4 cups milk
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 oz.)
1 can (4 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 jar (2oz.) diced pimento, drained
1 package (10 oz.) frozen French-style green beans, rinsed and drained
Topping (below)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking dish, 12 x 7-1/2 x 2 inches. Heat butter in saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in baking mix, salt and pepper until bubbly. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring. Boil gently and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients except Topping. Transfer to baking dish and spread with Topping. Bake until golden, 20 minutes.

Topping: Beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat 3 egg yolks until thick. Mix 1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix and 1/2 t. each salt and paprika; beat into yolks alternately with 1/2 cup milk and 1 T. oil. Fold in whites.

6 servings

The party!

It was time! Here comes the valentines!

Tulips! And first we had our valentine exchange.

and did I hear food?

There was "Mandarin Sesame Salad", "Chicken Puff Bake", "Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese", "Cookies and Cream Cake", "Lemon Bars" and homemade "Fannie Mae Fudge".

Then on with the papers and glue to make a "tag book" to put some of our valentines in.

Everyone got busy!

It was a "full house"!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

valentines

We're almost ready!

Rush, rush.

A very nice morning in LaGrange, with Laura and class, hearing and seeing demonstrations with a woman from Liquitex. Nice to see everyone in class too; friends that I have met there. I just had to go! Now scurrying to get ready for tomorrow...the valentine's party! It's 8:20 pm and I am still baking and putting prepared dishes in the refrigerator. Tables are up and now to bring out boxes of supplies from our past years. Tomorrow will be a blur.