Best-Ever Taco Salad

Need a little something to get you feeling like you are "south of the border?"  This recipe is one of my favorites and with Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, it makes me imagine walking on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I've been missing the beach again, with gulls sailing over my head, waves lapping as the sun rises on Banderas Bay. Sigh!

It's More Than A Photo

How many times have you sat down at your work table and tried to think up something to create? Often I start an idea and then trash it, or start something else and am unable to get those ideas down just the way I imagined them. When I finally settle down and focus, I realize that I connect most of my art to what my heart and head are telling me to do. It is way easier to just begin and see what happens.

My latest collaborative project entitled "Self-Portrait involves a page of my past, the present, and my future. This page will be my second page, obviously a non-traditional photo of the Adams Family. I really had fun working with some digital art, and adding faces of my family.

"It's never too late

to become the person

you always meant

to be."

February Recipe

Honestly, I don't know whether I enjoy baking the food I create or coming up with new recipe cards! This is an old recipe I received from a friend when I worked at General Motors. It is a yummy cake, especially if you are a chocoholic.

CREDITS: "January, 2011 Calendar" by Becky Loyall, Whymsical Musings and Moonlight Journey.

It's Never Too Late

Self-Portrait, 1948

"Anybody who has survived his childhood

has enough information about life

to last him the rest of his days."

~Flannery O'Connor

CREDITS: Background images from Moonlight Journey.

I love creating these colorful recipe cards, but I especially cherish my time at our local scrapbooking store where we exchange these cards on the first Thursday of each month. Sometimes we share tea or coffee from lovely china cups, but mostly we share the food described on our recipe cards.

But more than this store setting or our delicious goodies, we chat . . . everything from the decadent dessert someone brings, to what matters most to those of us that share these recipes.

I have come to realize that the food we prepare can bring us together and the simple breaking of bread among friends is that which nourishes our souls, more than simply a late afternoon snack.

TIP: Use a pretty plate;

it makes good food taste even better.

Set a pretty table;

it makes a simple meal

an occasion to celebrate

the everyday.

Merry Christmas to You

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

A holiday wouldn't be complete without creating a special Christmas card and mailing them out to family and friends. This extraordinary angel image is available through Moonlight Journey's 2010 Calendar. You can personalize, crop and edit in a snap and mail them out in just a few days. By the way, don't miss out on a cyber sale at their site!

Thank you all for your kindness and devotion in visiting my blog this year. Merry Christmas everyone!

November Recipe Card

One of the best ways to cheer up a friend is with an old-fashioned sweet treat. And this one was introduced to me at a dinner party many years ago. This brownie recipe is not only beautiful in appearance, but down right spectacular in taste.

By either placing this recipe in a Christmas baking dish, or cutting them up individually and placed on a seasonal plate, you will be hooked. You can pass out a batch of "good cheer" to those that are in need of some extra love.

CREDITS: Images from Moonlight Journey "Vintage Ladies Holiday Pennant Banner" and Creative Memories.

Pretty Gift Card Holders

Packaging gifts is something I like to do. I do have some loved ones that are hard to buy for or prefer giftcards or cash. I love to give people what they really want, but I look for ways to make it special. Call me fussy, I just challenged myself for unique ways of giving giftcards and cash.

I simply cut two squares of fabric (good side outward), stitched around three sides leaving an opening, and then used pinking shears to add a pretty edge. I didn't want the giftcard to take center stage, but rather blend in nicely with the paper art. Embellishing each pocket with a scalloped 1-1/2" edge on the end of the opening, and the latest images from Moonlight Journey called "Vintage Angels" work beautiful for Christmas gifts. Just imagine the possibilities, It's a great way to use up some tiny scraps of paper too!

I'll tell you that if you are making one, it's addictive. I started out making nine, and made six more that I want to coffee stain. This is a great project to make in mass so that you have gift holders on hand when you bring that giftcard home from the grocery store.

CREDITS: Lisa Super at anartsygirl.blogspot.com. and MOONLIGHT JOURNEY "Vintage Angels"

September Recipe Card

A few years ago, I was given a treasured gift by being invited to join a recipe card club. Once a month, 12 of us get together to share laughter, stories, and an empathetic ear. There is a wide range of age, style, and circumstances. Officially, we are there to exchange our recipe cards, but, in reality, for us it has meant so much more. Something magical comes together in a creative way. The best part is that we bring food! We believe it would be "just plain wrong" for there to be a lack of treats and drinks any time women get together.

I used to frequent this wonderful restaurant back in the 70's. It was called the Magic Pan. Well, over the years the restaurant closed, but I managed to conjure up the recipe by sampling this salad each visit. It may not be the "exact" taste, but it comes pretty darn close. Whenever, I bring this salad to someone's house, it is definitely a big hit.

Sweet Photo Panel

Gosh! You have probably been wondering where I've been. It's been shockingly weeks since I posted. For a starter I went on a three day/two night digital scrapbooking retreat with my friend Sherry. She is so talented, and lucky for me, shared this amazing technique to blend your photo with paper. I used Creative Memories Storybook Creator. I am so excited to continue my education with this user friendly software. It just seems like conventional scrapbooking takes so much more effort compared to whipping up a digital page in minutes.

These are my grandkids, Ethan and Lauren. I love this sweet image of them.

I promise to post soon.

May Recipes

~ Apricot Bread ~

This Apricot Nut Bread recipe was given to me by my Mom, and probably tops the list as "one of my favorites!" For some reason, it seems like I mostly bake it during the winter at Christmas.

Due to the fact that spring is finally just peeking around the corner, this is a great chicken salad recipe that I create on a sunny summer day. It makes me think of vacation, with a little hint of "south of border." I sometimes omit the clove ingredient.

~ Chicken Salad Riviera ~

CREDITS: MOONLIGHT JOURNEY'S "SENDING PANSY DREAMS" ENVELOPE, AND "FAIRY BOOKMARK AND BOOKMARK ENVELOPE"

Jane's Tomato Basil Soup

My mom has to be my "official" introduction to the kitchen. She let me scoot the kitchen chair up to the side of our beige Formica table, add some ingredients to the batter after she had already thoroughly mixed it. "Just making sure I did it right," she used to say and give me a smile. It made me feel very important and grown up! Making favorite recipes bring back these memories and helps me feel very satisfied with a yummy food creation in the present.

"Eat food. Not too much.

Mostly plants." ~ Michael Pollan

My sister, Jane, gave me this great recipe. I really like the flavors in a good tomato soup, especially when you add fresh basil. Bon Appetit.

CREDITS: "SENDING BUTTERFLY KISSES" FROM MOONLIGHT JOURNEY.

March Recipe Cards

This biscotti recipe has been in my family nearly 40 years. I used to make these cookies for my son, Brad, when he was a toddler. They are easy to make, and have a truly amazing anise flavor.

It's funny how these simple little cookies have created such a lasting and constant memory of my small little boy all these days of my life.

Enjoy!

CREDITS: STORYBOOK CREATOR 3.0 BY CREATIVE MEMORIES, "TEA TIME" ENVELOPE BY MOONLIGHT JOURNEY.

One World One Heart Giveaway

This will be my third year

participating in the

"One World One Heart" event.

I love flying all over the world

and checking out

some of the best blogs ever!

These two weeks will allow

you to meet people

that you probably would

never have discovered,

if this event was unavailable.

It is such a fun way to find some

fantastic inspiration. I will miss that

this will be the final year. Sigh!

I really should introduce myself

more than I have in the past.

Perhaps this will entice you

to share my life and art,

and we may even become friends.

Ever since I was even a child,

I have always loved doing artistic things.

I spent a number of years

making fabric quilts

and began knitting

when I was ten years old.

Then came more than a decade

of traditional scrapbooking

my heritage family photos.

I even spent a number of years

designing layouts

for a local scrapbook store.

My biggest leap in art

was discovering

art journals, ATC's and Altered Art.

That is when I really got hooked.

I love any kind of paper,

old photos, especially sepia toned ones.

I adore all Somerset Studio publications.

For as long as I can remember,

I have always liked old things.

I enjoy taking photos, assembling vintage

style collage art,

and sometimes I even cross

over to Country Western and Gothic themes.

There's nothing like reading a good mystery novel

and stories of the "Old South."

When I first purchased my

Canon SLR digital camera,

there was another huge turning point

in my artistic career.

I became obsessed with

learning more about the beauty

of digital art, and promised myself

I would become proficient at this.

Since that opened so much

visual excitement for me,

I began posting some of my

digital creations and then

was asked to become

a design team member

for Moonlight Journey.

It's been uphill ever since.

Their images are just stunning

and motivating to me!

Recently, I have been involved in a

monthly artistic recipe card swap.

My family recipes are

slowly evolving into

treasured little pieces of art,

which are dropped lovingly

into protective sleeves especially

for a recipe card binder.

This process has

triggered my desire

to become a better cook,

get all my recipes organized and copied

for future generations.

Plus, I can appreciate

the importance of eating more

natural and organic foods.

Over the years,

I have become more

in tune with the true beauty

of nature, friends, family,

art in a whole new way, and

less about what I don't possess.

Afterall,

it is much more important to

truly enjoy the present.

And ta da , for my prizes!

Prize #1

Mittens, Woodland Colors

25% Wool & Acrylic, Washable

Prize #2

Garter-Stitch Wrist Warmers, Dusty Rose

100% Acrylic

Please leave a comment

and a way to contact you.

On February 17, I will email you

for your address

and then mail you

your gift within 3 days.

I sincerely thank you for

stopping by and

sharing your talents!

Come back and visit me anytime.

Nancy

A huge thank you so goes to Lisa Swifka, for all your devotion to this galant extravaganza. Without you, this would not be possible. To link back to the participants in OWOH, click HERE.

January Recipe Cards

Above recipe card by Nancy Van Hoose

"Alice in Wonderland" images

available through Moonlight Journey.

Above two cards created by Sherry Reiber

Some of the images above

available through Sherry on

her Creative Memories website.

When my sisters and I were growing up, my mom was the best cook. Oh, how all of us remember some of her specialties like Beef Stroganoff, Lemon Meringue Pie, or fresh Apple Pie. I remember my mom for her Spanish rice.....which caused me to wish I could go to a friend's house for dinner on the days it was prepared. But always on my birthday, she made me a Burnt Sugar Cake, which I absolutely loved with "Mrs. Purdy's Creme Frosting."

Once again this year, I have joined a recipe club where a dozen gals exchange their family recipes artistically on a 5" X 8" card. It is more than just getting a beautiful card. It is a monthly retreat where we tell our stories, share our talents, our skills, our secrets, and how each of we women journey through our lives.

Many thanks to each and every one of my recipe card friends for letting me get to know you a little bit more, hear about your gardens, farms, and discover different lifestyles than my own.

And so, let me share 12 months of some of favorite recipe cards in the future year. I regret that I cannot post each and every card I receive due to time restraints.

Country Music Cards

"Music

washes away

from the soul

the dust

of everyday

life."

Sometimes finding the time to create art becomes a little more difficult. I have so many ideas, and just not enough time in the day. With the holidays now past, I can once again focus on all my unfinished projects and all the new stuff I need and want to begin!

These cards are a work in progress for my art group. Every month I need to muster up 15 cards using a rubberstamp that all of us are required to use.

For the month of January, our stamp was this chair image from Paperbag Studios. I thought it might be fun to try something a little bit "country."

The stamp image was scanned and digitally enhanced in Creative Memories Storybook 3.0. Then I added a background, a banjo and a cowboy boot image from Deviant Scraps. The card itself was cut from a Martha Stewart paper pad called "Bandana," which I distressed with a Tim Holtz distress ink pad called "Rusty Hinge."

CREDITS: PAPERBAG STUDIOS, MARTHA STEWART, TIM HOLTZ, DEVIANT SCRAPS, & CM STORYBOOK 3.0.

Mini Christmas Card Banner

Making this miniature Christmas pennant banner is not very complicated, when you use these adorable digital collage sheets designed by Becky Loyall of Moonlight Journey. I printed each tiny banner approximately 3" in height. They have recently added "craft projects" to their line of beautiful art. As soon as I saw this digital pack, I just knew I had to do something cute with it.

I think it just might turn out to be a very special Christmas card!

"Go ahead--it's Christmas--

decorate every little thing in the house."

~ Mary Engelbreit

CREDITS: "BELIEVE" pennant craft project from Moonlight Journey, "Vintage Market Alphabet" from Tim Holtz Alterations die cuts, "Christmas Cheer" Grand Adhesions from K & Company, Ranger "Stickles" in turquoise, and sari ribbon.

Mad Tea Party Brownies

Little did I know when I started an art journal a few years ago, that it was the beginning of a journey towards a series of of recipe cards with an "Alice In Wonderland" theme.

The roots of these cards came through the inspiration of my artist friends, Deb and Teri, when we began designing our "Mad Tea Party" books. That book still is a work in progress for me! Hopefully, within the next few months, I can present to you some of my special recipes focused on this "through the looking glass" theme.

CREDITS: MOONLIGHT JOURNEY "ALICE BRAG BOOK" DIGI PAK

A Witches Life Art Tag

As the bewitching hour of October 31st fast approaches, I stirred up these art Halloween tags using a digital collage I created a while back and placed them into a scanned Mason jar photo I had. I further embellished them with black fun fur yarn and silken black vine ribbon.

CREDITS: WORD AND WITCH IMAGES FROM MOONLIGHT JOURNEY

Witch Society Halloween Cards

Once upon a time the witches rode

In sinister and ominous parade

Upon their sticks at night, and queer lights glowed.

With eerie noises by the goblins made;

And many things mysterious there were.

For boyish cheeks to pale at through the grime

That held them brown and shadows queer would stir--

Don't you remember? -- Once upon a time.

~ James W. Foley

These "Witch Society" Halloween cards were created over the past several weeks by using some Martha Stewart holiday papers, and Ravenhead Manor Recollection sheets and frames. I love how they work so well with images from Lynne Tears and Becky Loyall of Moonlight Journey. The background within the frames "Extract of Witch Hazel" were stamped with an image from Tim Holtz's Haunted Mansion Collection CMS091. I glitzed them up with silver and gold mini glittered stars and tied with recycled sari ribbon.

Happy Haunting,

Nancy