Card Keeper Organizer

This is a Card Keeper that I made for my Dad for his birthday.
It has a page for each month of the year. Each page has a calendar for him to record birthdays, holidays and etc... and a pocket to hold cards.

I made these years ago but it was Tresa Black's lovely Keeper that inspired me to get in and make an updated one.

I used my Bind-It-All to punch and bind it. I used 1" O rings.
I used 3 thicknesses of cereal box cardboard for each cover.
All other supplies by Close To My Heart.
Paper: Good Times Stamps: Make It Count

Click Here for the tutorial created by Beate Johns.

WHAT IS A BLOG?

For my family members who are wondering what a blog is.
Here is a simple video explanation by the people at Common Craft.

Raining Cats and Dogs

It's raining cats and dogs at the moment.

My 9 year old is bummed because he wanted to go swimming and Wishbone is hyperventilating in her kennel. Thunder FREAKS our California native canine.

For myself, I love the weather. In California we didn't HAVE weather. Yes it was beautiful but every day the same is so... SAME. I love the Texas weather variety. Even after 7 years of living here it still gives me satisfaction. Of course it helps that by dinnertime it's a pretty safe bet that we'll have sunny skies and be back out in the pool. Floating under giant, white, puffy clouds in a big Texas sky.

So for right now I'll enjoy nature's fireworks and the rumble and crack that come with them. I watch the pool floats go skittering across the grass in front of the wind and marvel at how the rain can come sideways at the windows looking just like someone is standing out there spraying them with the garden hose. Soon the rain will lessen and the cardinals will be back to the feeder. As the storm dissipates and a power outage becomes less likely I hear the whirr of the Wii booting up.

How I love having WEATHER

My Work Cut Out For Me

Updated (more pictures) January 20, 2010.
See the first cleaned up section: Craft Room Shaping Up

On her blog: Capture The Memories, April290 is cleaning up her stamp room & calling for others to join in the clean up challenge.

I decided it was a good opportunity to get my room into working order.
I have my work cut out for me. It seems every time I get in here & get things on their way to being organized a major hurricane heads toward Houston. I promise not to buy any new shelving units this time, so we should be safe.

Here are the before pictures.
The first is what I intend to be my main scrapbook work station.

The second is the area I envisioned for working with machines, sewing, Cricut, Cuttlebug...

but I have found that I like the light better, here, next to the window (the worktop area is still in a cardboard box becuase I got it set up this far, then Hurrican Ike came barreling down on us and demanded my attention.

desktop close-up. See how the desk surface is even still in its box...

Window Wall.... lost more stuff... The kitty box sits in front of this so I have skinny little pathways. If I loose my ballance in here I'm gonna fall on a pile of stuff!

This last wall is the one I haven't even begun to think about. As I work things into the machine work area, I hope this will be a lot less crazy & that it won't be as hard to tackle as I anticipate.

Part of why I have just SO very much is I used to sell scrapbook supplies & when my mother passed away I got all the best stuff from her stash too.

I've burried this post at the back becuase I don't know that I want these messy pictures on the front page of my blog.

The Fragrant Hand: Recipe Listing

I'll try to keep up-to-date with a recipe listing and links.... prettier formatting in the future.
Last Updated: May 16, 2014 19 photos added

Tips:

Dress Up and Reheat (or just Reheat): Leftover Creamy Pasta
08/29/09How to reheat pasta in a creamy sauce, so the sauce won't separate.


Preparing Casseroles for the Freezer


Trimming Asparagus
at bottom of Chicken & Asparagus Risotto Recipe

A Note on lemon Zest
at bottom of Chicken & Asparagus Risotto Recipe

A Note about roux
all purpose technique for sauce making
at bottom of Creamed Spinach recipe

A Note about cooking Mushrooms
in body of Pumpkin Pasta recipe


How to de-glaze a pan
in the body of Pumpkin Pasta recipe

Pasta

Creamy Chicken Linguine Casserole


Shrimp Fettuccine with Pancetta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Green Peas


Pumpkin Pasta


Dress Up and Reheat (or just Reheat): Leftover Creamy Pasta
How to reheat pasta in a creamy sauce, so the sauce won't separate.


Baked Pasta Florentine


Meat Sauce for Pasta with Pork Ribs


Pasta Bake Improvisation (Dinner Experiment Pasta Bake)



Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes al Forno

Chicken

Basic Stew Recipe Chicken and White Wine


Chicken and Dumplings


Chicken Noodle Soup


Creamy Chicken Linguine Casserole

Five-Spice Chicken (boneless thighs)
This one is great for the grill.


Chicken & Asparagus Risotto Skillet (Boneless breasts)


Mughlai Chicken & Rice
This one I have made twice, & talk about the recipe, but actual recipe is a link to the recipes on another site. It's labor intensive but really good! Pilaf for a Curry Banquet (Aromatic Rice) could be served alongside another dish.


Tarragon Chicken

Pesto Chicken Grill Packets (boneless breasts)

Easy Picnic Chicken (chicken legs)

All Purpose BBQ Rub and (Beer or other) Can Chicken (whole chicken)
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/03/all-purpose-bbq-rub-beer-can-chicken.html

Ortega Chicken Casserole


Chicken Spaghetti (Casserole)

Creamy Artichoke and Garlic Chicken Bake

Chicken Georgia (boneless breasts)

Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

Yellow Rice and Chicken 2 Versions (Modern and Classic) (Classic is a Casserole) (bone in pieces)

Chicken Divan (Casserole)

Maple Orange Chicken Breasts (bone-in breasts)

Lemon Dijon Chicken (boneless breasts)

Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken (whole chicken)

Meat

Chuck Roast Barbeque


Quick Stovetop Jambalaya

British Beef And Onion Pie: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution


Crockpot Steak Tips and Mushrooms


Crispy Pork Cutlets

Meat Sauce for Pasta with Pork Ribs


Mexican Pulled Pork - Carnitas - easy version



Mexican Pulled Pork - Carnitas - old way

Sandwich

Oven Broiler Sandwiches
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2012/01/oven-broiler-sandwiches.html


Tip-of-the-Day: BLT with Avocado
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/09/tip-of-day-blt-with-avocado.html

Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Cheese (Grown up Grilled Cheese Panini) http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2008/09/dinner-grown-up-grilled-cheesepanini.html

Sides

Potatoes Stacy Ala April, Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2014/05/potatoes-stacy-ala-april.html


Green Pea Salad
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2012/08/green-pea-salad.html



Quick Stovetop Jambalaya
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2011/03/quick-stovetop-jambalaya.html

Grandma Black's Hawaiian Cabbage 3/12/10
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-st-patricks-day-grandma-blacks.html


Creamed Spinach (convince the spinach haters) 12/22/09http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/12/spinach-haters-creamed-spinach.html


Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes Great for Holidays! http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/12/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes.html


Zucchini Soup
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/10/zucchini-soup.html


Broccoli Casserole
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/10/broccoli-casserole.html


Aromatic Rice 01/18/2010
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/01/aromatic-rice.html


Rice with Onions and Garlic 08/08/09http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/08/rice-with-onions-and-garlic.html


Verdure al Forno - Baked Zucchini
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/05/verdure-al-forno-baked-zucchini.html

Beans with Bacon Onion and Almonds
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2008/12/green-beans-with-bacon-onion-and.html

Corn Avocado and Tomato Saladhttp://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/03/corn-avocado-and-tomato-salad.html

Zucchini Custard Bake
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/02/zucchini-custard-bake.html

Roasted Potatoes (with Artichoke Chicken Recipe) http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/01/artichoke-chicken-with-roasted-potatoes.html

Smashed Potatoes
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-for-dinner-smashed-potatoes-and.html

Sweet / Dessert

White Chocolate Pop Corn
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2011/12/white-chocolate-pop-corn.html


Sweet Pineapple Delight Cake
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/08/pineapple-delight-cake.html


Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding (Desert or Breakfast) http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2008/10/chocolate-chunk-bread-pudding.html

Oven Baked Pancake (Puffy Pancake)
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2008/10/oven-baked-pancake.html


Chocolate Pudding Cakehttp://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/08/chocolate-pudding-cake-no-eggs.html

Eggs

Make-Ahead Migas Breakfast Casserole


Perfect Scrambled Eggs Made Easy - Finally Eggs Explained http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/06/perfect-scrambled-eggs-made-easy.html

Quick Weekday Migas
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2012/05/quick-weekday-migas.html


24 Hour Omelet

Other

Basil Pesto
http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2009/08/basil-pesto.html

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