California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK's) Awesome Artichoke Spinach Dip Recipe Pictorial

Brown the Onion & Garlic in Olive Oil and Butter

Sprinkle in the Flour & Stir

Add in the Chicken Stock...

Add in the Cream (I used Organic Milk)...

and then the other ingredients according to the recipe.

If it seems to "watery", then turn up the heat, keep stirring, 

do NOT leave the stove, turn down the heat when it thickens.

If it's too thick, add some more milk/cream/half and half until it's the right 

consistency.  It should be kinda thick, sorta Thicker than Elmer's Glue.

 

Last step, Add in the Spinach, Sour Cream, and rest of ingredients. 

Try this on Toasted slices of Baguettes or French Bread

...a bit more filling than the chips.

I've made this California Pizza Kitchen Spinach Artichoke recipe twice already. Each time I made it, People Raved about it. I mean it. It's absolutely to "die for". Yum Yum.

When we go to CPK, we sometimes splurge and get this dip. It's delish!  This past Christmas, I decided to make a hot gooey dip for our family Christmas dinner party.  I did some internet research and found this recipe.  I made it, tasted it, and knew that everyone would just love it...it tastes just like how it does at the restaurant. And I was right, everyone loved it. My younger brother even wanted to keep the leftover dip...that's how good it was. 

My sister-in-law told me that CPK had a recipe book. The very next day, I used my Border's 40% off coupon and got their Pasta, Salads, and Sides cookbook. It had this very recipe that I had found on the internet. 

Recently, I made it again because I just wanted to. I shared it with some of our friends....they loved it. OK, enough said. Go and make it the next time you need to prepare a hot dip...like the Superbowl game, Oscar night, the next family get together. It has a lot of ingredients but nothing you probably don't already have or can readily get. And, while it does take a little longer to prepare than your normal dip, it IS well worth the extra effort. 

Here's to a bunch of Happy Tummys!

Here's a link to the recipe online...just Click HERE.

Do-It-Yourself Nature "Stamped" Cards

Today, we're going to learn how to stamp using these simple materials:
1) acrylic paint
2) paint brushes
3) water in a dish (to clean brushes)
4) paper towels
5) used paper or envelopes
6) Blank card & envelope
7) leaves, flowers...whatever you find in your yard (or neighbor's yard when they're not looking)
All things you can find around your home.

Lavender leaves...interesting shapes and kinda sturdy

Ferns...great to use bc they're very sturdy

Jimmy chose these leaves to create with

My loveable assistant Jimmy brushing acrylic paint onto the leaf.
Just use the paint "straight" without adding water
so it'll be thick and leave a good impression.
Place leaf, paint side down, on your card....where ever you want to "stamp".

Using paper or envelopes that are in your trash (or recycle bin), place it over the
leaf and rub lightly over the leaf...to help transfer paint to paper while keeping your hands free of paint.

Lift up leaf and voila! A pretty imprint of the leaf.

Then, start overlapping the leaves to create an interesting design.

You can also "stamp" different colors over each other...another
layering technique.

Ta Dah!

Our paint station for the day.

Okay, my fingers got a bit "dirty" when I was loading up the
leaves with acrylic paint.
Wash your hand under water and rub and the paint comes off.

Our Cards and Matching Envelopes.
Ready for Father's Day.
Lucky dads. :)

The Nature Stamped Cards and Envelopes

I've been wanting to photojournal this art project for awhile. It's very simple to do and Easy to clean up. Just water and towels for clean-up. Other stamp design material: try flowers, feathers, cut apple or other fruit, cut sponges, whatever you got around your house.

This is a great Summer Art Project for your kids. Your kids will love this. They can even do hand prints on the cards! Send the cards with a handwritten note off to their grandparents and aunts and uncles just to say "Hi!" Create several Birthday cards and have them ready for all those kiddie birthday parties this summer.

Great project for both adults and kids alike...Creating...it's good for the soul. ♥