Monday, December 09, 2013

Schwarzer Peter - My German Granny's No-Bake Bars


I had such a hard time titling this recipe & this post. 

Why, you ask?

Because the name of this recipe is in German & the translation doesn't make any sense. 

Let me explain...

As a girl, I grew up having these bars at Christmas time. My German Granny made them almost every year & my mom carried on the tradition as well. 

When I got married, this recipe was one that I copied from my mom's handwritten recipe cards. It was obviously one that my Granny had written out for my mom because there were only a list of ingredients & no instructions. I guess Granny expected her girls to remember all the steps or just to figure it out. I don't know why she wrote out recipes that way. I wish I had a chance to ask her while she was still here.

Years passed. My mom hadn't made these bars & neither had I. The tradition had faded.

Then this November, when I was going through my Christmas recipes, I found the long-forgotten Schwarzer Peter recipe! I had a look through the ingredients, deemed them common enough to purchase without too much hassle, & decided to bring the tradition back to life!

Okay, now how to make it. All I had were a list of ingredients & the memory of what it looked like when Granny & Mom used to make it.

Thank goodness for Google.

After a bit of searching (and finding out I had been spelling it wrong), I found something similar, with fantastic instructions. The ingredient list was slightly different though, so all I used was the preparation. You can see that recipe HERE.

So, back to the title...

Schwarzer Peter, translated means Black Peter. No one seems to know where the name came from, but the layers in the bar are very dark brown... and maybe someone named Peter concocted it? Who knows.

It is a very simple bar to prepare & no baking required. Just be prepared for the chilling time. 

They are delicious! Not overly sweet, with the taste of coconut & rum (if you choose to use rum flavouring). :)




Schwarzer Peter (German, no-bake bars)  {Print recipe}
Instructions adapted from German Deli
Yield: approx. 30 bars

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup confectioner's/Icing Sugar
½ tsp. rum or coconut extract
5 Tbsp. cocoa
3 eggs, beaten lightly

2 boxes of social tea cookies

Place coconut oil into a double boiler. On low heat, melt coconut oil. Stir in icing sugar, extract, & cocoa until dissolved. Then slowly incorporate the beaten eggs. Remove from heat. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool until it is no longer liquid but still very soft. Like soft frosting.

In a 13x9 baking dish, line the bottom with one layer of social tea cookies. Spread ⅓ of the chocolate on top of cookies, repeating layers. You will start & finish with the tea cookie layers with chocolate in between each layer. 

Refrigerate over night or for several hours to set. 

Cut into bars. 

Store in the refrigerator or they can be successfully frozen.




I hope you'll give these a try & I also hope that you see why they were a tradition with our family for so many years.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
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And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy the Christmas Season!




Wednesday, December 04, 2013

A Christmas Giveaway


Last week, you, my dear readers, helped me reach 500 fans on Facebook
Thank you so much!

In return, I wanted to say thanks by offering you a chance to win some of my handmade Christmas crafts.




This prize includes:

10 gift tags
2 gift card holders - great for giving cash, gift cards, or small gifts
pinwheel hoop art
1 polka dot garland - wrap a gift, hang in a doorway, or on your Christmas mantel









I hope you'll join in the fun & enter my Christmas giveaway. It will be open until midnight, Monday, December 9th, 2013, central standard time.

**Giveaway open to residents of Canada & the continental U.S.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be chosen on December 10th & notified by email.

Thanks for celebrating with me & good luck!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Mini Sheet Music Wreath Tree Ornaments


Do you make your own Christmas tree decorations, buy them all, or maybe mix it up between the two?

I like to mix it up. 
This year I'm changing up my colour scheme from silver & blue to silver & turquoise with a shot of red.

These little sheet music wreaths hung on your tree are the perfect way to feel like your craftiness contributed to your Christmas decor.




What you will need:
-sheet music (i like to use vintage because of the "yellowed" look)
-a hot glue gun & hot glue sticks
-cardboard cut into circles
-a printer to print the word "joy" or some letter stickers
-paper
-glitter glue
-ribbon to hang them




Start by cutting the sheet music into rectangles. Roll the rectangles, making one end narrower than the other. Use hot glue to secure the narrow end.

Continue making the rolls until you have enough to form a wreath shape.




Print the word 'Joy' in your favourite font on your printer. You will want two - one for each side of the ornament. Mount onto the cut circles & trim around the circle with scissors.

Working on the back of one of the circles, first glue a loop of ribbon to the centre so you will be able to hang your ornament.

Next, take the rolls that you've made & start gluing them to the back of the circle. I find it the easiest to make a cross with 4 of the rolls - think north, south, east, & west - then fill in the gaps. You may have to squish the ends down as you glue them to cut down on bulk.

After you've glued all of your rolls, glue on the second circle so both sides look the same. It also covers up all that hot glue. :)

Now, use whatever colour glitter glue you like to add glitter to the ends & around the middle circles. I like to use Stickles because the bottle has such a fine tip that makes it easy to apply.

Let dry.




Now you're ready to hang them on your Christmas tree to enjoy all season long!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy the Christmas Season!




Monday, November 25, 2013

The Story of a Vintage Dresser #DIY #Makeover


Happy Monday, friends!

Today I have a story to share with you. 

I like to call it the Story of a Vintage Dresser...




One summer (this past summer in fact), a young lady (that would be me) was looking for a new dresser for her master bedroom. The thing is, she wanted something original & with a bit of character.
AND she didn't want to spend a load of money.

Not asking much, was she?

Enter the superhero, Kijiji.

While browsing Kijiji's furniture selections one day, she came across this old gem.




The bones were great, but it needed to be brought into this century. 

After purchasing it for $80, now began the work of updating this piece.

Sanding...




Adding legs & a coat of primer...




One coat of grey...




The second coat of grey...




New handles...




And she's done & in her new home!




The End. :)

One last Before & After...



I love the lines of this piece & am super, super pleased with how it turned out! 

One little tidbit that you may or may not have noticed: After putting on the new handles & living with the dresser for a week or so, I noticed that the bottom right handle looked a little different from the rest. After looking a little closer, I saw that sure enough, that handle was the antiqued version of the handle style I had chosen. It must have gotten mixed up in the wrong drawer at Home Depot. I have since replaced it with one that matches the rest.

Just keeping' it real. :)

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!



Friday, November 22, 2013

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards - Day Five: Felt!


Thanks for joining me for the fifth day of our series!

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards



Here's a super simple way to use felt on your handmade cards.




These felt wreaths from Stampin' Up! make Christmas cards very, very easy!
I simply tied a little bit of baker's twine around it in a bow, then adhered the wreath to the card with glue dots.


Products used:

Cardstock: Stampin' Up!
Felt wreath: Stampin' Up!
Baker's Twine: My Mind's Eye
Sparkly Letters: Making Memories
Red Jewels

Thanks so much for joining me for this series. 
I hope you have a great time in your Christmas preparations!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!




Thursday, November 21, 2013

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards - Day Four: Twine!

Welcome to day four of...

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards!



For those of you who are just joining me, you can find day one, two, & three HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Today I'm showing you a simple way to use twine on your handmade cards.




Do you ever finish making a card & sit back, thinking, "It needs something else"? 
Often, that elusive "something else" is a bit of texture or something that adds dimension. 
Ribbons, buttons, gems, & twine can all add that little finishing touch.

For this card, I finished everything & simply wrapped the twine around the card a couple of times before tying it into a knot. 

Simple & easy! (You know me - that's my motto!)



Products used:

Cardstock - Michael's
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Happy Holidays greeting - Echo Park
Scallop punch - Stampin' Up!
Ribbon - My Mind's Eye
Twine - bought at Walmart 


Thanks for joining me these past few days. Tomorrow we finish the week off talking about using felt accents on your Christmas cards. I hope you'll join me!

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards - Day Three: Washi Tape!

It's day three of...

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards!




If you missed day one & two, click HERE & HERE.

Washi tape has got to be one of my favourite craft supplies ever! It's just to fun to use on all kinds of things!




  For this card, I started out by trimming the white card stock to layer on to the blue card base. Then I made sure the top & bottom lines of wash tape were straight. After that, I crisscrossed the rest.  The main reason I wanted the top line to be straight to make it easier to line up my stamp for the greeting! ;)



Products used:
Card stock: Stampin' Up!
Washi Tape: Martha Stewart crafts
Stamp: My Mind's Eye
Buttons
Embroidery floss

The simplicity & fun colours of this card are what I like most.

I hope you have some fun with washi tape on your handmade Christmas cards!

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards - Day Two: Cork!


Welcome to the second day of...

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards!



If you missed yesterday's post, check out day one - Glitter - HERE!

Today, we talk about

Cork!

Cork isn't something that's used a lot in card making, but because of that, using it adds an element of surprise & charm.



To make the cork tree, I found a template online, cut it out & traced it onto the sheet of cork. Then I simply cut out the tree shape. The sheet of cork I used had adhesive backing on it already.

Adding some adhesive backed gems & a button to the top makes it look even more Christmasy!



Products used:
Cardstock - Michael's
Doily - Dollar store
Cork sheet - Michael's
Gems - Michael's
Button - Unknown
Baker's Twine - My Mind's Eye
Christmas Wishes Rub-on - Stampin' Up!
Stitching with sewing machine


The cork adds an element of nature to the card. I love the woodsy feel!

Make sure you come back tomorrow for Washi Tape!

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!




Monday, November 18, 2013

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards - Day One: Glitter!


Christmas is coming on fast! 

I'm feeling the need to start preparation as of yesterday. What about you?

I know those of you who make handmade Christmas cards have perhaps begun already or maybe are already finished. However, lots of us are still working on it! 

Whichever category you're in, I hope you will come back to be inspired every day this week.

Because....

I have a new series for you:

Five Days of Handmade Christmas Cards!



Like the song, 'The 12 Days of Christmas' I wanted to showcase the use of a specific craft supply with each day's card. 

Here's the rundown:
Monday: Glitter
Tuesday: Cork
Wednesday: Washi Tape
Thursday: Twine
Friday: Felt

So today we begin with

Glitter!



We all know that glitter can be the messiest craft supply out there, but it also packs such a punch to almost any craft project. 

So, wanting to keep the mess to a minimum, I used pre-glittered products to this card: patterned paper & ribbon.

No muss or fuss! It also cut down on the time taken to make the card - that's definitely a plus!




Products used:
Cardstock - Michael's & Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper - Striped glitter - My Mind's Eye, Sheet music - unknown
Gold Shimmer Vellum - unknown
Ribbon - My Mind's Eye
Merry Christmas Rub-on - Stampin' Up!
Ink - Stampin' Up!


Let Christmas preparations begin!!

Make sure you check back every day for even more inspiration. 

See you soon!

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Bean & Sausage Soup - A fall favourite!


What kinds of things do you up to on these cool fall or cold winter evenings? 

Maybe the kids have been playing football or hockey in the backyard, maybe you just came in from a long day of running errands or Christmas shopping.

When you come inside out of the cold & it's time for supper, there's not much to beat a bowl of hearty soup. 

It's comfort food at it's best.




Bean & Sausage Soup serves 6-8 

1 ring of kolbassa sausage (or whatever kind of sausage you like), sliced
1 medium onion, diced

2 cups chicken stock
1 can mixed beans, drained & rinsed
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
½ tsp. celery seed
¼ tsp. ground pepper
2 bay leaves
salt to taste

Combine sausage & onion in a large soup pot. Fry slowly until onion is clear & soft.

Add all remaining ingredients & stir well. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. A cup or so of water may be added to thin the soup if desired. Add salt to taste. Remove bay leaves & serve hot.



For more comforting, soup recipes, click on these links:








Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 
or follow along on FacebookPinterestInstagram, or Twitter
And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)


Enjoy Your Day!







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