The Attack of the Average Recipe

I love to cook. And I'm super picky about who I get my recipes from, because some chefs clearly do not write or test their own recipes. #inagarten #jamieoliver

Some people are SUPER reliable and have thoroughly tested, always yummy recipes #altonbrown #marthastewart #giadaeventhoughitpainsmetosaythat

Twice in the last few weeks I've tried recipes that clearly weren't tested, and it made me quite sad. Especially since I am in the business of giving "recipes" for cards online - I would never tell people how to make a card I hadn't made myself - I'd be terrified it would be wrong, and also - that would mean I hadn't had the fun of making it myself. Just doesn't really make sense to me.


So since tomato season is coming up, I thought I'd share a recipe I've personally tested and loved, so as to correct the bad recipe juju in the universe. I made this last summer with the 80 million pounds of Sun Golds we grew.

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Yellow Tomato Jam

(makes 3.5 pints or 7 half pints)

4 pounds Sungold

3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Cut Sungold tomatoes in half. Combine tomatoes and sugar in non-reactive pot and stir. Let sit for at least one hour, or until the tomatoes release their juice. Prepare canning pot and jars and place on high heat; add lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil 35-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have softened and syrup is thick.

Pour jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings. Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from pot and let them cool on a kitchen towel. If jars don’t seal properly, tuck into fridge for use. The rest can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

I cut this in half and it made 2.5 half pints and is LIFE CHANGING. My favorite way to have it is on a grilled cheese, but it's also really great just on a toasted English muffin.

After you've had some of this delicious jam, I think you will feel super creative and want to make an adorable card in three minutes.

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I am still obsessing over the stencil brushes, and I wanted to use them to create a hyper-realistic shadow out of the negative space of a die cut. And since the Easter Lamb was still on my desk after my class last week, he became the subject of my experiment - MUAHAHAHAHAHA. I even did surgery on him before performing experiments - I don't like greetings attached to my image stamps.


SQUEE - look how cute this is!!

The stamp is Easter Lamb, and I cut him out with a die from Dies by Dave. Then I used that negative space as my stencil with the Clarity Stamp Stencil Brushes to make a perfect shadow, that covers the adorable box die from Mama Elephant (All Prettied Up) and spills onto the ground. The sentiment is from Grateful Bunch.This is inspired by Linda Callahan's sketch on Freshly Made Sketches.

I did this card in three minutes, and here's the video - enjoy! This video is now part of my Master Class on Shadows & Reflections.


He's such a cutie, and I think everyone should have a little baby lamb in a cardboard box. I feel quite certain that would bring about world peace.

Happy Daylight Savings Time, by the way! Yay for it not getting dark before dinner anymore! I will vote for anyone for president who decides THIS is the time we will always have. #moresunplease If you want to stick with the dark times all year long then we just can't be friends.

I opened registration for my summer retreat this week and I only have a few spots left, so you'd better hurry. We are in a different retreat center this time and my celebrity chef is returning to cook you three hot meals and amazing desserts! We also have a spa room with a masseuse you can book, and of course amazing classes, prizes and fellowship with some great humans. Registration details are here.

See you soon!

Loveyameanitbye.