Hello My Name is Crystal

2009-11-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Button Up!

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

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Wanna Win Some Free Jewelry????

2009-10-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday, October 26th Giveaway Today is featuring Crystal B Jewelry! If you want to enter to win something -- no strings attached, then click here on Monday. Not, today, not tomorrow..... MONDAY. (Well.... if it's Monday, then you can click here.) You'll be glad you did.

Giveaway Today is a great place to check out a variety of great shops you might otherwise miss. If I were you, I would start following their blog.

I've been working on some new designs using couture flowers. Let me know what you think, will you??

More Cupcakes!

2009-05-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted a recipe for Key Lime Cupcakes and I forgot to include this great find I just have to share with all the cupcake connoisseurs out there.

Cupcake Social

The link is: http://www.cupcakesocial.etsy.com/

Cupcake Social has thee cutest cupcakes liners and toppers around. Trust me, I've been hunting for a while now.

Check out these little floral liners .......

And these polka dots!

That's all I'm going to show you or I'll ruin your fun when you browse the site. If you want to spruce up an ordinary cupcake one of these little liners will do the trick. Guests will think they are going to partake of something special -- even if all you used is a store bought mix. Presentation as they say, is everything. (Well that's not really true, but it sure helps!)

One more thing. I just have to add a little tip for scooping batter into the cups. Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop that has the mechanism to release the ice cream (or the batter in this case.) Using a scoop ensures that all your cupcakes look uniform and that you don't overfill the cup. If I use this scoop, I can consistently make 24 cupcakes with a little batter left over. If I try to eyeball it with a spoon -- well, that's another story.

Cupcakes!

2009-05-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's Spring and I have a hankering for cupcakes. Last year at this time, I hosted a cupcake exchange with a few of my "Martha Stewart" friends. Every single one of them is a great entertainer and FABULOUS cook! If you have friends who love to cook, hosting an exchange is a lot of fun. It gives you an opportunity to have a party and try out several recipes at the same time. The only rule is that everyone must bring a copy of their recipe to share along with the finished product to taste.

We spent the entire week before our exchange concocting new, and trying out old recipes. My favorite was one that I didn't even share at the exchange (I thought someone else might make them) --- Key Lime Cupcakes. If you love lime, you have to try these. I recently made them for a baby shower and they were a hit (with the citrus lovers).

If you give these a try, send me a post and let me know how you liked them!

Crystal's Key Lime Cupcakes

1 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lime juice (use the large green limes, not key limes)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cupcake tins holding 24 cups

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, lime zest and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, buttermilk lime juice and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture than add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and beater often.

Scoop batter into prepared cup cake tins about 2/3 full (an ice cream scoop works well for this). Bake cupcakes about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.

Frosting

1 stick butter, softened and cut into 1 inch slices
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon milk or cream
Pinch salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Place the powdered sugar in the mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and beat to combine all the ingredients. Turn the mixture to medium and beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk. If the frosting is too runny to pipe, add more powdered sugar.

Bracelet Winners!

2009-04-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

The winners of the bracelet giveaway are:

Lily Bean Designs and ........ GreeneGinger. Congratulations!! Send me an email and provide me with your mailing address and the bracelet you would like. You have 24 hours to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you by then, I will select a new winner.

Thanks everyone who participated. Check back next month as I will be giving away earrings!

Would you Like to Win a Free Bracelet??

2009-04-07T15:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, March was one busy month. I'm in the process of writing all about it, but it's going to take me some time. While you are waiting .... come have some fun and participate in my "giveaway."

On Friday, April 10th, I'm giving away a free bracelet (of your choice) from my Etsy shop. There will be 2 -- count em', 2 lucky winners!!! Here's how to participate:

1. Go to my Etsy shop and mark me as one of your "favorites." Look at all my bracelets and decide which one you like best. Come back to my blog and post a comment with your name, and the bracelet you like. Here's the link to my shop: http://www.crystalbeutler.etsy.com

2. The lucky winners will be chosen using http://www.random.org/. I will post the names of the winners on Saturday, April 11th at 10:00 Pacific Standard Time. You have 24 hours to claim your prize by emailing me at: crystalbeutler@yahoo.com. If I don't hear from the winners within a 24 hour period, a new winner will be selected.

3. You must be at least 18 years of age in order to participate.

Wouldn't YOU like to be the lucky winner of one of these!

Spring Cleaning

2009-03-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

Company is coming and I'm in major Spring cleaning mode. How does my house get this disgusting?? I can't figure it out. It seems like I just had all the carpets and the windows cleaned, and yet, when I look a round, everything looks dingy and unorganized. Is it me or my kids???? I think it's a little bit of both. My older friends gently remind me that in a few years, when my house is empty and my kids have gone off to college, that I will be missing those piles of shoes by the front door and the fingerprints all over the refrigerator. For now, I'm just going to have to trust them.

This weekend I'm tackling my children's bathroom. It seriously looks worse than the gas station restrooms we visit as we drive across the desert. The only thing that's missing is the big hand dryer. When I opened the doors under the sink, I almost had heart failure!!

First the sink & cabinet: I've come up with a handy idea to lessen the disgust under the bathroom cabinets. I'm lining them with peel and stick vinyl floor covering tiles. They look much nicer than dirty stained particle board, and the cleanup is super easy. On to the drawers. Yuck!!!! Magic erasers (one of my FAVORITE cleaning supplies) really help clean off the toothpaste, makeup, hair gel and gunk that attaches itself to everything! Then it's on to the outside. A coat a paint to brighten everything up, and some new knobs. Voila! It's like new again. Amazing how something so simple can make you feel like you are back in control.

Now, on to another issue .... towels. Why is it that every towel I own is on the floor in my kids rooms????? Every towel!!! Am I alone or does this happen to anyone else? It drives me insane. So, I've got an idea. I'm going to buy two new towels for each of my kids. I'm embroidering their name of each of their towels so there is NO MISTAKE as to who owns what. I'm also installing new hooks -- with a big sign that says "hang wet towels here." I'm pretty sure both my kids know how to read -- do you think they will get the hint????? I'm hoping this lessens the battles over towels, and the loads of towel laundry. If not, at least the bathroom looks cute.

And last .... I'm sewing a new shower curtain and hanging up some art. I found some cute Amy Butler fabric that is calling my name. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of the week. Check back and hold me accountable if you don't see a picture of it posted by March 15th!! (Well, you better give me until the end of May just to be safe. You know how I am!)

Soup Weather

2009-02-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

I know, it sounds crazy, but it's been a little chilly here in Sunny Temecula. It always gets me in the mood for soup. I'm a huge soup fan. Last month when I was in Utah, my father in law, Grant made this delicious squash soup for a big family gathering. It had a wonderful nut garnish that was a little savory, and a little sweet. I haven't stopped thinking about it. But here's the problem. . . . I can't get Grant to hand over the recipe! I guess I should give him a break because he is, after all, a newlywed. Well, I've taken matters into my own hands. I made up my own recipe for butternut squash. I have to say that I think it turned out pretty good. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Butternut Squash Soup
with Pecan Butter Garnish

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into chunks (it's about 4 cups)

large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cube butter
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange
3 cans chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half (optional)
2 teaspoons sugar

In a large stock pot, melt butter. Over medium heat sauté onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sugar and half and half. Bring ingredients to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer until the squash is soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pot from the stove. Working in batches, blend the squash mixture in a blender until it is smooth. (Or, if you have an emulsifier, use that instead of the blender). Return the soup to the pot and add the half and half and sugar. Thin the soup with a little water or chicken if it seems too thick. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Compound Pecan Butter Garnish

(Grant FINALLY gave up the recipe)

1 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped very fine

Mix the butter and the honey together until well combined. Add the nuts. Place the nut butter on a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a thin log about 1 inch in diameter. Refrigerate the log until firm. When ready to serve, cut the log into 1/4 inch slices. Float one slice in the center of each individual serving of soup along with a little fresh spring of thyme.

Serves 6

Notes:

Peeling squash is the only bad part of making squash soup. If you've never peeled a butternut squash, here's how I do it. Slice off the top and bottom of the squash with a knife it will be steady as you peel from each end. Stand the squash upright on a cutting board. Peel the neck of the squash with a vegetable peeler. Use a knife around the bulb part. Cut the neck off the squash and cut into big chunks. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop the neck into big chunks.

If you are a soup lover, and you don't have an emulsifier, this is one of my "must have" kitchen tools. It's so much easier than trying to blend hot liquids in a blender. You can blend everything up right in the pot. You can purchase a fairly inexpensive one at Walmart, or a nicer one at Kohls for a few dollars more. (In case you are wondering, my really nice one broke, so I bought another one at Walmart and it gets the job done.)

You can buy fresh nutmeg and a little nutmeg grater at World Market. It's much cheaper than buying a little bottle of the ground stuff in the grocery store, and the taste is far superior.

If you have a small family, don't despair. Freeze half for another meal! Just add a little milk or water to thin it out when you reheat it.

My kids are big complainers when I try to get them to eat something new -- especially if it's a weird color, like orange. They loved this!

Banners by Lyndsay

2009-02-07T09:27:00.001-08:00

Looking for someone to doll up your blog? Lyndsay Johnson, graphic designer extraordinaire is your girl! Check out her business blog by clicking on the Banners by Lyndsay button to the right of this post. She has amazing designs and they are so affordable!! Not only that, she's in the process of creating an Etsy store with hand made invitations and other paper items. I can hardly wait. I'll let you know when it's open so you can pay her a visit.

It's Free and it's Fun

2009-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ever checked this website out -- Give-Away Today? If not, you should. They give away really cool free items Monday through Friday. You can read on the site how it all works. Click on the button here on my blog and it will take you to the site.

By the way, Crystal B is going to be featured on the site sometime before Easter! If you want some free jewelry you can enter to win!