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Monday, March 29, 2010

Secret Cheesecake Chicken Madeira Recipe





4 chicken breasts

Marinade:
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
2 tsp. brown sugar
pepper (to taste)

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. balsamic vinegar
1 can (about 2 c.) beef broth
1 Tbsp. butter
pepper (to taste)

Topping:
12 asparagus spears
4 slices provolone cheese
4 slices mozzarella cheese (go to the deli section, they will give you 4 slices of each cheese. It's less expensive this way)

Place chicken between 2 pieces of Saran Wrap and pound until it is about 1/4" thick. Place chicken in a ziploc bag, place bag in a bowl big enough to hold the chicken. Combine marinade ingredients and pour in the bag. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours. About 20 minutes before chicken is done marinating, heat oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces to about 1/4 of it's original volume (when it is done, the sauce should be dark brown in color).

While the sauce is simmering, place chicken in a lightly greased glass dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). While chicken is baking (you kinda need to know how to multi-task with this recipe.. haha) prepare the asparagus. Bring a saucepan, filled about half-way with salted water, to a boil. Toss in the asparagus and boil for about 4 minutes. Quickly remove the asparagus and drop in an ice-water bath. Remove chicken from the oven (when it's finished) and layer on one slice of provolone cheese, a few asparagus spears, then one slice mozzarella cheese on each piece of chicken. Set the oven to broil and broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and starts to brown a little. Right before serving, spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken.


Monday, March 22, 2010

How to convert your GSD files to SVG

I own the old blue wishblade machine and I have the new cricut expression which I LOVE so much more! I was out on-line purchasing GSD files today and found that it would not open with my wishblade software. So I did the loading and updating of new software version etc. but found out that since the files I purchased was created using a craft robo machine the GSD files won't read on my updated software. GEEZE! So found out this cool way to convert my GSD files to SVG files to cut on my Cricut:

The easiest way I've found so far is this. Its a few steps but they arent hard.

1. open the .gsd file in whatever program you used it for (example I used the craft robo 5.10 software).

2. Do a screen shot. I just hit print screen.

3. Paste that into your photo editing program and crop as close to it as you can. Then save as a .jpg

4. In inscape open the .jpg picture. I then trace that and save it as an .svg file.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Pixie Cottage Design Team Call


The pixie cottage is looking for new design team members there are senior and junior design team member positions as well as a tutorial specialist, a scrap book designer and a sketch artist. You can find out more right here!


This weeks Michael's Coupon

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Comparing the Scor-Pal to the Martha Stewart Scoring Board - VIDEO!

Thanks To prairiepaperandink she did an awesome comparison video that I wanted to share with you.



Also take a peak of here detailed comparison and pictures on her blog here:


The Scor Pal is currently available in our store. The Martha Stewart will be back in stock soon. I will post a note when they finally arrive.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Easter Layout Title Ideas

Easter LIST of titles...
Basket full of eggs
Baskets & bunnies
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Easter egg dips
Easter Egg-citement
Easter-ific
Egg painting zone
Egg-cited for Easter
Eggs-actly
Eggs-cellent
Eggs-tra Special
Eggstravaganza
Get crackin'
Have a sp’egg’tacular Easter
He is Risen
Loads of eggs
You crack me up
A basket of precious eggs
Basketful of goodies
Bunny Love
Bunny treats
Easter Fun
Easter parade
Egg Hunt
Hippity hoppity easters on its way
Hoppy Easter
In my Easter bonnet
Loads of eggs
Bunny Business
Funny Bunny
Eggs for Sale - Cheep!
Pastel Pals
All Ears
Bunny Parade
Oh "Hoppy" Day!

One cute Easter Chick
The Thrill of the Hunt
Eggstatic
Eggspecially Cute
An Egg-stra Fun Day
Spring Flings and Easter Things
Sweet "Egg"scape
Color Me Happy
An Egg-stra Big Mess
Another Eggscuse for Chocolate
Art to the Eggstreme
Basketful of Goodies
Basketful of Love
Baskets and Bunnies
Bunny Crossing
Carrot patch
Bunny Treats
Bunny Love
Easter Eggspert
Easter Hoppenings
Egg'stra Cute
Eggsposed
For Peep's Sake
Painting Eggs done Cheep
Scrambling For Eggs
Some Bunny Loves You
What an "Eggscellent" kid
You Crack Me Up