Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Sketchbook Project - Trading Forever

The final date for the Sketchbook Project books is coming up. I believe it has to be mailed by January 15. Well I still have about 30 pages blank. I finally put something on the front cover tonight but not really happy with it. It doesn't "zing" I figure for someone to want to check it out from the library, it would have to draw their attention with "zing"/

I wish I had chosen a different subject. I started it rather late. Wasn't going to join. But couldn't resist. So I didn't have as many months to finish it.

I chose to do a lot of Zentangle-type things in it as I can do those quite fast. But now I am on overload with them. I'm using the card trades as my subject. I have samples of different trades inside but mostly the tangles.

I did finally find something to do with the wonderful stamps I had collected from the envelopes I have received. I even had something from the United Arab Emirates. So I pasted those into the book to show where some of the trade cards were sent and received from. I also devoted a double page to list the subjects of all the different trades I have participated in.

Now I am bored with it but have to force myself to finish and finish fast. That means everything else goes on hold. I won't be wanting to do any more tangles for awhile after this. And just watch them change the due date after I rush thru. They did that for the last one.

And just in case there is someone out there who isn't dieting, here is a recipe for something my sister-in-law served for dessert on Christmas Day. She sent some home with me and after reading the recipe, no wonder if was so wonderful. And I probably gained 20 lbs from it.

If you try it, let me know how you like it. Soooooo yummy. Worth a few added pounds. Not sure where she found it or what it is called. She had it cut in squares.

It's crescent rolls top and bottom, cream cheese and apricot jam in middle and pecans. Here is the recipe:

2 8oz cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan
2. Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Spread over the crescent layer. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese layer. Do not press down. Pour the melted butter over the entire pan. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden.

I added some apricot preserves over the cream cheese to give some additional flavor and put chopped pecans in the center and on top. I already had some sugar and cinnamon that I bought so I didn't have to mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. I just sprinkled from my container.

This is a great dessert to take to a pot luck as it seems everyone likes it.

4 comments:

Robyn Sinclair said...

Jeanne - fortunately I can't buy cans of dough here or I'd be tempted away from my diet by your recipe.

Just wanted to wish you lots of happiness in 2011. You have been so brave in the last year, you really deserve good times.

Unknown said...

I had all those same thoughts about the sketchbook project. I actually removed several pages from my book. When you think about it, who is going to sit down and flip through all 40-some pages of one sketchbook? People are going to pick one up and peruse it, then put it down and pick up another. Did they really change the deadline before? I rushed mine to the PO last week! Happy New Year, Jeanne, I know your book will be great!

Joan said...

Considering that I'm always dieting, I skipped right over the recipe...hopefully none of the calories stuck to me that way. lol I had thought about doing the sketchbook project and I'm glad I didn't. I think it would have taken up too much time. One of the women in my Wed evening skech group is working on hers. She has it almost finished...just adding details to some of the pages. It came out really good and if I were her, I'd have a hard time sending it away.

Teresa said...

Makes me tired just thinking about doing all those mini masterpieces for your trade. You're a trooper, Jeanne!