Strawberries

February 27th is National Strawberry Day

These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own.

There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Over time “strewn-berries” became “strawberries”. There was a time (and some gardeners still do this today) when strawberry beds were mulched with straw, insulating the plants over the winter, keeping weeds at bay during the growing season, and making them easier to harvest. Another sweet story tells of English children stringing the berries on grass straws and selling the “straw berries” in their neighborhoods.

My very favorite is a really good strawberry shortcake. Yummy! Another wonderful way was introduced to me during a class I was teaching in my home. It was very near my dear friend Mary's birthday at the time so she brought a birthday treat along with her. I think everyone else had eaten it before but I never had. It was simply beautiful strawberries dipped in sour cream, then into brown sugar and eaten. Oh my goodness! Nectar of the gods. Why had I never had this before! Most recently I went to a buffet while visiting out of state and they had fruit bowls that were sprinkled on top with powdered sugar. Once again I had never had it before. Delicious. I thought there whipped cream was biting the dust. The strawberries were my favorite in the dish but that powdered sugar was yummy on each of the fruits. Once home I bought some fruit (mainly strawberries) and dug out my rarely used powdered sugar and added it to my "cooking" repitroire. 

Quite some time ago the Paper Pumpkin Kit that we received at the end of the year was a calendar to make. We'll, I didn't need a calendar, I needed cards. So what I did was decorate the top of each calendar page and put it on a card. I use them as birthday cards. This one is for May so when I have a birthday coming up in May I will use a little circle stamp which came with the kit and encircle the date of their birthday. Some gave me their calendar pages cause they didn't want them so I have quite a few to decorate. I wish I could say that I got them all decorated but sadly I cannot. I pulled them out though when I was hunting this card and I've made it a goal to finish them all. 

Banana Bread...YUM

February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day

Bananas made their way west from Asia by traveling with Arab conquerors as long ago as 300 BC, and they have been growing in popularity every since. Theyfirst made their appearance in the United States in 1870 but for a long time, Americans saw the tropical fruit as merely that – a fruit, not an ingredient. From the time they started to become accepted and commonplace in the west, it took a little while (several centuries, in fact) forthis tasty fruit to be made into banana bread as people know it today. It was likely first developed and started to become popular back in the 1930’s, during the economic hardship of the Great Depression. Cultural historians suggest that the resourceful and creative American housewives of the era started making the recipe as a way of not letting overripe bananas go to waste. As it turned out, the riper the bananas were, the sweeter they were, and the better the taste of the banana bread. So it ended up being a very clever and innovative creation! The first printed recipe for this treat appeared in Pillsbury’s Balanced Recipes cookbook, which was published in 1933.

 Bakers know that to make sweet and delicious banana bread, they need to use fully ripe, mashed bananas and the finished product makes a tasty sliced snack. Toast it and add butter for an even more satisfying treat!

Even I can make a pretty tasty banana bread but alas I have no bananas. I do however have some bread and it turns out that February 23rd is also National Toast Day so I will honor the day with toast for breakfast. 

Kindness

 Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.  

The day  was initiated in 1995 in Denver, Colorado by a nonprofit organization called The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation. The event spread to New Zealand nine years later, in 2004, and the observance of the holiday became more and more widespread. 

One can never go wrong with kindness, and there can never be too much of it. The idea behind day is to cultivate feelings of kindness and brighten someone’s day. Every small act of kindness is significant. It may seem like a little thing but, like the domino effect, one act of kindness can lead to more positive outcomes. Don’t hold back from uplifting others with compliments and compassion on this day. 

Grouchy?

 Today is "Do a Grouch a Favor Day"

I can't say that I can think of someone around me that's being particularly grouchy right now but if you're dealing with someone I encourage you to do them a little favor. You'd be amazed at how a little kindness can change a person's attitude...sometimes immediately. Doesn't have to be anything big....a kind gesture letting them know that you care, a favorite piece of candy or candy bar given for no reason at all, cooking their favorite dinner, or a sweet note slipped in a lunch box. 

Now...A funny thing just happened. I was looking for grouchy clip art to include in this post and this picture popped up. 

As many of you know my brother very recently passed away. For years he would ride his bike up to the Vons store and go around with a cheery hello to all. His goal each day to make people smile. He knew them all, their names, their kids names, and what was going on in their lives. One of his greatest joys was ringing bells in front of the store for the Salvation Army. He wanted to give people a smile whether they gave or not and with yhat white beard, when kids came by he added a big "HO HO HO! It was so important to him that one if his doctors presented this t-shirt to him. It reads "Smiles Required"  He loved it. 

So there you have it. My little brother. I'm dedicating this day to him because I know there were so many times he turned a frown upside down for those around him. Along with me they're going to miss him. 

Valentine's Day

 Just a quick hello today to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. To those of you who have a Valentine I hope they make your day special. To those of you who don't I wish you a belated Galentines Day. It was yesterday of course but I was on the road home. I promise to post a "special" Galentine card for us next year but for now I just hope you all have a wonderful day. 

Classes and Sales

 I have realized that at the beginning of the new year I should have posted the info on the classes I teach. If interested you can sign up by contacting me by leaving me a message here in the comments or by email myredhen4@yahoo.com.

I have come to the beginning of a new year and at that time I like to get the information out there about my classes and crops so you know what's available. 

At the end there is info on something new for this year. 

I teach two classes each month. 

First of all, I do what I call "Paper Pumpkin Club "  

Stampin Up has a subscription program called Paper Pumpkin. For $22.50 each month you get a box with everything inside to create projects they have designed. It's usually cards, about 9 of them. You get full instructions and all the supplies need including an exclusive stamp set, a small square pad of one of their ink colors, and any adhesive or pop dots needed. In your very first kit you get a stamping block. You literally have everything you need to create your projects except scissors. 

Now when I get my kit I come up with alternate projects using the kit and I have a group of ladies who bring their kit along with them to class snd we make the extra projects that I design. The class is $10 and includes the instruction plus any supplies that I have added to the kit to make my alternates. 

The class is at 6pm on the second Wednesday of each month. 

Hope that explains it well. 

Secondly, I teach a class which I call my "Red Hen Roundup"

You sign up for this in rounds of four months each. For instance this first round will run from January thru April. You are then responsible for the whole round. If you are not able to come you still receive your kit and pictures of the cards we did in class. 

In this class I teach five cards that I have designed and I occasionally also teach some little treats like you might use at Halloween or Christmas. You bring your monthly kit, yourself and your basic supplies. You will also receive a kit from me with any extra supplies you need for the cards I teach in class. 

Again, if you are unable to come, you would receive your kit and pictures of each card.

This class is $25 per month and I teach both a daytime class at noon and a night class at 6pm both on the last Wednesday of each month. 

Now, something new....

I am adding a Technique Club this year. This is designed to learn some new techniques and have a record of them that you can flip through for ideas when you're crafting. 

At the end of each month you will receive from me, a card with a small example of the technique I'm teaching and written instructions on how to do it. In addition you will receive a link to a video I've made showing me making and explaining a card using the technique for that month. 

I'm storing all of my cards in a binder with sleeves to hold the cards and I will have a catalog of ideas. 

If you sign up by January 15th you will get a folder from me with the necessary pockets for one year of cards. 

Sometimes in addition to the instruction card I will send a fully made card using the technique and I will leave it unsigned so its all ready for you to use. I also plan on often sending along some materials you might need to try the technique out. 

This class is $12 per month and if you pay for the whole year up front I am making the price $125 which gives you nearly two months for free. 

I also host weekend crops several times a year at Springhill Suites. 

That's it for my classes but I did want to let you know that I plan on making a great effort on my blog this year so you might want to peek in and see if you might like following along. I plan on passing along some information, adding some stories and including cards and other crafting ideas. 

I pretty much have no followers right now since I have completely neglected it but I'm trying to change that. 

Hope to see a lot of you join me either by chatting or commenting here on my blog, in class, through online in Technique Club, or chatting ajustmy blog. I'd love to have you. 

Now one more thing....

I will occasionally be offering things for sale here on my blog and for the most part the cards I share on the blog are available for sale. I'd you see one you'd like just give me a shout and it can be yours. 

It's Raining It's Pouring

 Today, February 10th is National Umbrella Day and I'm mentioning it only as an excuse to share an umbrella themed card. 😁

Here's a couple more. Aren't they so cute?