{A birthday card & a recipe you don't want to miss}

I can say you don't want to miss this recipe because it's not mine---it's my mom's. Frankly, MOST of my "you don't want to miss this" recipes are my mom's! She's an amazing cook. BUT, first the card---you must wait for chocolate!

A friend of mine has a birthday today---I'll admit, I'm actually pretty bad about sending birthday cards---crazy, I know. I send a lot of 'thank you' & 'thinking of you' cards, but I'm bad about birthdays! This friend was the one on our faculty this year that made sure EVERY person in the lower school had a card signed by everyone else on their birthday---I COULD NOT miss sending her a card. I was inspired by Nichole Heady's card from earlier this month when she challenged her design team to use fabric on their cards---I bought some muslin the other day and decided to try it. I LOVE IT! It adds such fun texture---oh, if only I could sew a straight line, I'd pull out that sewing machine! Someday....

Anyway, I started with a 5" square card in New Leaf. I added some patterned paper from the Snorkel line. I used heat n' bond to put cardstock on the back of the fabric to give it some stability. I cut my fabric using a Labels 2 die by running it through the Cuttlebug until it cut through (maybe 8 or 10 times?). Then I stamped the stems from Everyday Button Basics onto a piece of cardstock and placed it over my fabric shape and punched holes using my paper piercer. I sewed the stems using a basic backstitch with some DMC floss (3 strands). Then I stamped some leaves directly onto the fabric and sewed buttons on as my flowers. I am going to LOVE this set ( I say that every month, I know)---I adore all my buttons...I'm sure I've moved into the thousands by now....it's Papertrey's fault. BUT, I digress----I added birthday wishes from Mini Messages on the right corner and tied some twill around the card. I thought of several things to add, but I liked it like this---and, my friend will like it---and this is why I made it! Details are below---but I'm going to make you scroll down through the yummy Hot Fudge Recipe....

It's not often that my sweet husband asks me to make food for him---especially dessert. He likes dessert, but he's not crazy about it, so he rarely asks for anything. SO, when he does, I make it---after a recent visit to my mom's house, he asked me to make this--Homemade Hot Fudge----I felt like I HAD to make it---right?

You start with chocolate chips in a double boiler (or baking chocolate, but this is what I had).
Then you add a stick of butter & melt it---hey, I didn't come up with the recipe---my mom did.
Next, a cup of sugar---ditto above---just wait until you see then NEXT ingredient
Add one cup cream---cook for 5 minutes.

Oh my----now, you need to test it and make sure it's OK---it may take a few recipes to get it just right---just keep testing it---I'm sure you'll find just the right recipe! :0

I tested it on Joshua and a friend he had over---they said it was fine---I needed to check for myself.
THIS is how I will serve it to my sweet husband tonight---bless his heart~sorry for the blurry pictures--I think my camera was obstructed from the unusual amount of drooling....

Thanks for looking today---the written recipe is below---

Speaking of recipes---have you been to the Tasty Kitchen? I'm in love---really. I knew I loved Ree when I first 'met' her (The Pioneer Woman), but this site is amazing---I'm going to add this recipe to the site right now---enjoy your evening! Thanks for stopping by~

Mama's Hot Fudge

10 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips eta:I realized in the middle of the night that I had used the whole bag of chips and not just 6 oz. that the recipe calls for---hmmm, I think I'll stick with the 10 oz. It's soooo smooth this way. (also, the 10 oz. of the 1 2 0z. bag was because several had been eaten out of the bag before I got started---me, 2 boys at home---trouble)
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/8 t. salt (I just realized I left this out and it tastes fine--but mama adds it!)
1 cup cream

In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. Add butter and melt, stirring constantly. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add cream and cook for five minutes. Store in refrigerator and heat as needed---or just eat it right now---it's up to you!

Stamps: Everyday Button Basics, Mini Messages Paper: New Leaf Cardstock, Vintage cream cardstock (under fabric), Carbonation patterned paper-Snorkel Line (Cosmo Cricket) Ink: New Leaf Accessories/Tools: Cuttlebug (Provocraft Spring Rain buttons, Summer Sunrise Twill (PTI) foof-a-la buttons, DMC thread,) Labels Two dies (spellbinders)