Almond Gooey Bars - Tutorial

Almond Gooey Bars - a family favorite!

Years ago my mom came across this recipe in The Cake Mix Doctor cook book.  It's been a family favorite ever since.  My kids have even been known to request these in place of a birthday cake! 

The recipe I have on hand is a handwritten one that my momma copied down for me. 

Almond Gooey Bars

Crust

1 yellow cake mix

1 stick butter melted

1 large egg

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 tsp almond extract

Filling

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)

2 large eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1 stick butter melted

3 3/4 powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the crust ingredients for 2 minutes (with electric mixer) until smooth...

Pat evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 and set aside.  I like to use a miniature rolling pin...

Then, beat cream cheese until fluffy...

Then add eggs, extract, and butter.  Beat 1 minute.  Next add the powdered sugar and beat for 1 more minute...

Until it becomes a nice whipped taffy texture...

Poor the filling over the crust...

Smooth it out, and put it in the oven @ 350 degrees for 45-47 minutes...

When it's done the top will be brown and very crispy.  You will be tempted to remove a small square and eat it right away - I highly recommend that :O).  But for the rest of the pan I would suggest letting it cool completely before cutting your squares, as to avoid them all falling apart...

Enjoy!

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Twirly Play Skirt - Tutorial

This is a more basic version of the Twirly Tulle skirts that I've been making.  This was completely made from scraps my mom gave me!  I always love FREE! 

It's loosely based on the Skirt Pattern that I posted the other day.  My daughter is 3, so the measurements I will give you are based off of her size. 

Start with one strip that is 36" in length and 7" wide (for the waist), and 2 strips that are 31" each and 9 inches wide (for the bottom).  As well as any trim that you would like to add to each...

I ironed and then hemmed the 2 - 31" strips...

Flipped them over and sewed on the trim...

Sewing both edges of it.  When I made the Twirly Tulle skirts I actually used Stitch Witchery for both the hem and the trim.  It causes the skirts to hang a bit more stiff, and I wanted this one to ruffle a bit more...

Then you sew both short ends together and iron the folds out flat...

With both short ends sewn together you will have a full loop...

Set the bottom pieces aside.  Sew the trim onto your waist piece in the desired place...

Then sew the short ends together forming your loop...

Go back to your big loop and ruffle the top edge to equal 35 1/2".  You will need it to ruffle to the size of your waist piece (you lose a 1/2" when you sew the ends together on the waist)...

Then you will sew a stitch that holds the ruffle in place...

Then with both pieces inside out, and right sides lined up inside, you will sew them together with a zig zag stitch....

So that when it is turned rightside out it will look like this...

Am I clear as mud to this point?!  Next, you will fold the top edge over by about 1/4" and iron it.  Then fold it over again to accommodate the space needed for your elastic and iron it again.  Then you are ready to stitch the casing for your elastic...

Leaving a 1-2" hole for the elastic to thread through (cut elastic 1" smaller than child's waist)...

Once you have it all the way through, overlap the elastic and sew it together...

Once you have the elastic sewn, then stitch up the hole, and stitch the elastic in a couple of places to prevent it from twisting.  Then you will have your finished skirt...

I, of course, had to make a flower to attach to it.  I cut my circles.  I'm getting pretty quick with these.  Now I just draw one circle and then fold the material for how many I want....

I was going to put it on a broach pin so that it could be removable, but it was too floppy.  I just stitched it on...

Remember the headband I made the other day out of this same material?  Well, she broke it in half, so I'll have to make another one :O)...

Click HERE for a full list of parties I link to!

Folded Flower Tutorial

To make the folded flower, start by using scraps of black felt that you have leftover from when your dear mother made your husband his Elf costume for Halloween....

Find round based items to trace.  If you only want one layer of petals then stick with one item.  For this particular flower I used 3 layers of petals...

Trace 4 circles of each size (I used a pencil for the pink and brown material, but needed the chalk for the black)...

Cut out the circles...

Take your largest circle and fold it in half...

Then fold in half again...

So that you have a triangle type shape...

Put a small dab of hot glue on the inside edge...

Then press the edge together...

Take one of the four smallest circles that you cut (or cut a small circle if only doing one layer).  Poke a hole through the center (I used a pencil for the pink and brown flower, and a nail for this one)...

Glue your first triangle to the small circle leaving the small hole visible...

Continue with the rest of your large circles.  At this point you can slip your fastener through or repeat the steps with your remaining circles making layers.  I offset each layer...

I used this little black fastener...

Poke it through the small hole you made.  Squish the flower down as tight as you can and press out the fastener on the back side...

My flower was so fluffy with using felt that the cute little fastener was swallowed up...

At this point you can turn this baby into a broach, glue it to a frame, or - in our case - glue a gator clip to it...

And then grab your daughter as soon as she walks through the door from dance and beg her to model for your tutorial... 

Most all materials work great, just make sure to have some sort of felt on hand, or other sturdy item you can cut into a circle to glue your triangles to....I would think a small cardboard circle would work just as well.


For a full list of parties I link to click HERE!