Friday, December 23, 2016

Challenge #24 Christmas Traditions and Recipes

Not Turkey Again?!
In many families, roast turkey is served for Christmas Day dinner. If yours is one, I bet you've heard the words, "Not turkey again?!" many times. Well, try some of the following recipes and they won't complain for a long time!
For some yummy leftover ham recipes, scroll down further for the answer to the age-old question, "Not ham again?!" 

BBQ Turkey Pizza
-Pat Martin
Pizza crust

BBQ sauce
Toppings: leftover turkey, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup cooked & crumbled bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
blend of shredded mozzarella & cheddar cheeses
Place pizza crust on pan or stone and cover with BBQ sauce. Add your toppings and then your cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees F/204 degrees C until cheese is melted. Yum!

Turkey Hot Cakes 
  -Kathy Toscano
2-1/2  cups leftover turkey
2   cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups Stuffing
1 Egg, beaten  
Salt & pepper to taste
**Mix above in large bowl and chill in fridge for one hour. 
Heat 1/4 cup oil and 2 TBSP butter in large or electric frying pan. 
Form leftover mix into flattened balls and heat until browned on both sides.
Drain and serve with or without leftover gravy. 
Depending on the size of your flattened balls, makes 16-20 fry hotcakes.

 Personalized Turkey Pot Pies
  -Pat Martin
4 cups leftover turkey chopped
Assorted canned vegetables (whatever your family likes-I use peas, carrots, green beans, sliced potatoes & mushrooms)
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, thinned to gravy consistency with milk
Refrigerated pie crusts (each package I buy has 2 crusts, which is enough for 2-1/2 pot pies)
Using oven-proof bowls (like Pyrex or Corning Ware), cut out crust to line bottom of bowls. 
Pour ¼ cup thinned soup in bottom of bowl, then add by small handfuls turkey and veggies, adding more soup as you add. 
This is where your family’s personalizing comes in (I don’t like peas, daughter doesn’t like mushrooms, etc.) 
Top with crust and cut holes to vent (I carve each person’s initials in crust). Bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden brown (remember, everything is already cooked!).
If you’re trying to cut carbs, just skip the bottom crust and put on a top crust.


Turkey (or Chicken) Croquettes
  -Pat Jung
3 c leftover turkey/chicken, chopped coarsely 1 can cream of chicken soup (do not thin)

Mix together the above and chill for at east two hours.
When ready to cook, heat oil in shallow pan (I use electric frying pan), enough to cover half of each croquette.
Place one bowl each flour, 2 beaten eggs, bread crumbs next to container of turkey mix.
Using an ice cream scoop, form balls of the mix and roll each in flour first, egg second, bread crumbs last (I place mine on a cookie sheet and pop into freezer until I have enough for a full pan).
Gently place each croquette in heated oil until browned on both sides (remember, the turkey is already cooked). Drain on paper towels and serve with creamy chicken gravy:
1 can cream of chicken soup, thinned to gravy consistency with milk. Heat, stirring often.
I often serve these with leftover mashed potatoes.

********

Now it's time to "ham it up" with these leftover ham recipes:

Breakfast Muffin Sandwiches
-Sue Watson
Leftover ham slices, warmed up
English muffins, toasted
Cheese slices
Eggs, overeasy, overmedium or scrambled
Cook eggs individually to each family member's choice.
Toast muffins.
Add cheese slice, ham slice and egg.
Happy Day-after-Christmas!

Crustless Ham & Cheese Quiche
-Marie Traficanto

4 cups leftover ham, cut into bite-sized pieces
24 oz small curd cottage cheese
12 oz cheddar cheese,cubed
6 eggs
6 Tbsp. Flour

Paprika to sprinkle on top
Mix all together, put into a buttered or cooking sprayed 9"x13"  glass casserole dish. Sprinkle paprika on top.  
Bake at 350 degrees 45-50 minutes.  
(All photos credited to CanStock.com)

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Challenge #24 Midway: Optional Theme...Welcome to the North Pole

Hello there folks! It is time to get on with the midway for Challenge #24. Just 10 more days and the big day is here.

Right now though, it is time to see what the Merry Maidens have been up to with their images from  Limited Runs, our guest sponsor for this month!

http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca

Check out the beautiful images that the team worked with this month for the midway of the challenge. Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to the page they are located on in the Limited Runs store...

Balancing Elf (Christmas, section: 41-50)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas


Santa Headshot (Christmas, section: 71-80)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas

Penguin Cupcake Set (Christmas, section: 21-30)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas


Vintage Santa (Christmas, section: 71-80)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas

 
While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called Welcome to the North Pole.  Check out the preview...


Everyone who links up a minimum of two cards during the month of December will earn ONE of the digital papers from this set. The specific paper up for grabs will be shown during the winner announcement post. Additionally, one random winner will earn the full set of papers.

Have your say in determining which paper will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month by completing the poll in the sidebar on the top right hand side.
I'm also attempting something new here that might get more poll participation. I've built in a link up right here that allows you to 'like' a particular paper. I'm still going to keep the poll for now as I have no idea whether or not this will work.

DIGI PAPER POLL
Please click "like" to choose the ONE paper that you would like offered up to participants who link up a minimum of two cards during the month of December. Poll will be open until December 31st, 11:59 p.m.



Now check out what the Merry Maidens and my Co-coordinator Pat came up with to inspire you. Clicking on the names will take you to the individual blogs where you can check out the details for all these wonderful cards.


http://patacakespages.blogspot.ca/




http://www.fstampaholic.blogspot.com/


http://www.granmargaret.blogspot.com.au/


So if you haven't entered already, what are you waiting for? It is time to link up your Christmas and other holiday cards for December. Whether you choose to link up two Anything Goes themed cards simply to earn your free paper this month, or you choose to also follow the optional theme to have a chance at the sponsor's prize, it is completely up to you! 

Here is a refresher of the details for this challenge...

Please remember that this is a CARDS ONLY link up. While we've had some lovely tag entries in the past, we've sadly had to disqualify them.

Challenge #24

Optional Theme: Welcome to the North Pole
Welcome to the North Pole. On the left is the road that will take you to Santa's Workshop. Follow to the right and you'll find the Penguin Pavilion. Unfortunately, its Santa's busy season and with just 24 days until the big event, the elves are just too busy to take you on a tour. However, you are more than welcome to take a look around by yourself. Just be sure not to touch anything or you will end up on Santa's naughty list. Oh, and be sure to grab a cup of cocoa and a candy cane from Mrs Claus before you head back home.
In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, be sure to include an element that might be found in the North Pole (fantasy version of course). Examples include: elf type images, Santa, Mrs Claus, presents, toys, images that have a sign for the North Pole in them, penguins, reindeer, polar bears, etc.  If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize.
Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $10.00 gift certificate from Limited Runs.


If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab.  As this is a unique kind of link up where we have both an anything goes Christmas option and an optional theme to follow, be sure to read all the details and rules you need to know in order to participate, by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

You can find the Challenge Details Summary along with the link up for Challenge #24 by clicking HERE.

 Don't Forget, if everything goes according to plan...

  • Be sure to join us on December 23rd when Pat will be here to share a Christmas Tradition.
  • Next up it will be time for our new challenge to start on January 1st.
  • Then, the winners from Challenge #23 will hopefully be posted on January 8th.
  • Other special posts may be published throughout the month.  Be sure to sign up to have our posts delivered by email or follow us through Bloglovin' so you don't miss a thing!
the_12_moc_linkup@outlook.com

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Challenge #22 Winner Announcement

It is time to announce the winners and our top three Stocking Stuffers from Challenge #22. We had an incredible 115 entries in October! Are you one of those lucky peeps?! Let's find out!




Monika, you are the winner of three (3) images from the Crafty Sentiments Designs store, our guest sponsor for October (chosen by Mini Web Tool), based on all eligible participants (i.e., those entrants who followed the optional theme).

Monika, please send an email to the_12_moc_linkup {at} outlook {dot} com (or click HERE to bring the address up in your email program), with the subject, "12MoC Challenge #22 WINNER" to make arrangements to receive your prize. Please note that it may take me several days to get back to you. Thank you for your patience. In the interim, please grab a copy of the winner badge below for your blog.






Next, it is time to get on with showcasing the top three. With so many wonderful entries to choose from, it is always such a difficult task for the design team. We did however settle on three awesome creations. So, without further ado, here are our Stocking Stuffers for Challenge #22:

 MEG





Congrats to our top three Stocking Stuffers! Meg, Anet and Lisa Lynn, please grab a copy of the badge below for your blog.





Everyone who links up two cards each month is eligible to receive a free digital paper. All those who linked up two cards during the month of September were mailed their paper earlier this month. If you thought that you had linked two, but did not receive a free paper, please contact us and let us know and we'll look into it for you.

The eleven individuals who linked up a minimum of two cards each during the month of OCTOBER, qualifying them to receive the digital paper from that month, will receive the lights paper which garnered 75% of the votes. I have included the watermark of it, below...


To all of you who linked up during October, thanks ever so much! We are so happy to have all of you with us and hope that you'll continue to link up your holiday cards throughout the final month of 2016!!!

Papers will be sent to the email address that qualifying participants used when they added their cards to the Link Up.

As always, we are going to have a random draw from all the entries and give out a set of six digital papers to one lucky individual. The papers are all made so why not have an extra prize! Here is the watermark for the full set...


The winner of the An Eclectic Christmas 2 Mini Kit is
(chosen by random.org)...


Mel, as you were originally entitled to receiving the freebie as you entered two cards, I will instead send you the full set when I do the mailout.

Well folks, that is it for today. While you are here, please be sure to check out the details for our current challenge going on now (if you haven't already), with the Optional Theme this month of "Welcome to the North Pole". You can find out all the details along with the link up, by clicking HERE.

Also, be sure to join us during the fourth week of December, when Pat will be here to share some more holiday traditions or another recipe! Don't forget, we also have a DT Call going on right now. Click HERE for details if you are interested in applying. Other special posts may be published throughout the month. Be sure to sign up to have our posts delivered by email or follow us through Bloglovin' so you don't miss a thing!

Until next time,

Thursday, December 01, 2016

Challenge #24: Optional Theme...Welcome to the North Pole

Hello and welcome to The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Wow! Can you believe it?! The big month is finally here! The month you have all been working extremely hard towards, in order to avoid year-end Christmas card panic. It is hard to believe that in just a few weeks Christmas will be upon us once again! How did you do this year with meeting your card quota? Me? I've nowhere near completed the number that I need; however, given the fact that our address book has been missing for over a year now, I don't really have many addresses to send them to even if I did get them made. Though I have a feeling, I'm going to be printing out a series of digital cards anyway.

Moving on....have you seen our DT Call yet? So far, we haven't had much response so hopefully there are a few people out there who might be able to join us. You can find all the details you need for applying by clicking HERE.

Right now though, as it is the first day of a new month, it is time for our next challenge to get started! Here is what you need to know...


The Basics

While you can find out ALL the information you need to know in order to participate in the challenge by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page (or by clicking HERE), here is a refresher of the basics.
  • Anyone can link up as many Christmas and/or December holiday themed cards (including Happy New Year's cards) throughout the month with an ANYTHING GOES theme.
  • Every person who has linked up a MINIMUM of two (2) cards will be eligible to receive a specially designed Christmas themed digital paper.
  • Each month there will be an OPTIONAL theme to follow.  Anyone who submits a card adhering to the monthly theme, will have the chance to win a prize from that month's guest sponsor.
  • Every holiday card you submit to the link up, earns you one chance to win a special digital Christmas kit that will be offered up after the year is complete.
Now that the basics are out of the way, how about we get on with the details of Challenge #24.

Challenge #24

Optional Theme: Welcome to the North Pole
Welcome to the North Pole. On the left is the road that will take you to Santa's Workshop. Follow to the right and you'll find the Penguin Pavilion. Unfortunately, its Santa's busy season and with just 24 days until the big event, the elves are just too busy to take you on a tour. However, you are more than welcome to take a look around by yourself. Just be sure not to touch anything or you will end up on Santa's naughty list. Oh, and be sure to grab a cup of cocoa and a candy cane from Mrs Claus before you head back home.
In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, be sure to include an element that might be found in the North Pole (fantasy version of course). Examples include: elf type images, Santa, Mrs Claus, presents, toys, images that have a sign for the North Pole in them, penguins, reindeer, polar bears, etc.  If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize.
Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $10.00 gift certificate from Limited Runs.

Talking about Limited Runs, it is time to refresh ourselves with the details of this great  returning sponsor...

http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca
Limited Runs has a LARGE calorie free sweet shoppe filled with over 120 different cupcakes, something for almost every occasion. It's not all cupcakes there are tons of  Christmas, Halloween, Backgrounds, Fairies, Critters and More to see. The store has gone through a re-vamp with new digital stamps added in all the time so pop in an take a look around things. Everyone knows you can't enjoy a cupcake without a coffee so there is a place to even pick up a cuppa. There's always a little something for everyone to enjoy and grab the monthly freebie so you can sample before you buy and add to your collection.
Check out all the fabulous images that the Sleigh Belles got to work with this month for the start of the challenge. You'll get to see the images that the Merry Maidens worked with at the midway. Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to the page they are located on in the Limited Runs store...


Santa Headshot (Christmas, section: 71-80)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas

Penguin Cupcake Set (Christmas, section: 21-30)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas


Igloo Penguin Cupcake (Christmas, section: 11-20)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas

Red Nosed Reindeer (Christmas, section: 71-80)
http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca/search/label/Christmas
 
While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called Welcome to the North Pole.  Check out the preview...


Everyone who links up a minimum of two cards during the month of December will earn ONE of the digital papers from this set. The specific paper up for grabs will be shown during the winner announcement post. Additionally, one random winner will earn the full set of papers.

Have your say in determining which paper will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month by completing the poll in the sidebar on the top right hand side.

I'm also attempting something new here that might get more poll participation. I've built in a link up right here that allows you to 'like' a particular paper. I'm still going to keep the poll for now as I have no idea whether or not this will work.

DIGI PAPER POLL
Please click "like" to choose the ONE paper that you would like offered up to participants who link up a minimum of two cards during the month of December. Poll will be open until December 31st, 11:59 p.m.



Now check out what the Sleigh Belles came up with to inspire you. Clicking on the names will take you to the individual blogs where you can check out the details for all these wonderful cards...

http://susanrenshaw0404.blogspot.com/


http://indianainking.blogspot.com




http://craftinghelen.blogspot.co.uk/


So what are you waiting for? It is time to link up your Christmas and other holiday cards for December! Whether you choose to link up two Anything Goes themed cards simply to earn your free paper this month, or you choose to also follow the optional theme to have a chance at the sponsor's prize, it is completely up to you!

If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

We have a packed month as usual; so, Pat and I and the rest of the gang hope to see you back with us soon!
  • Join us on December 8th or 9th, when we hope to publish the names of the winners and top picks from Challenge #22. 
  • Then, be sure to join us again on December 15th, for our midway post where you'll get to see cards created by the Merry Maidens!
  • Then during the third week of December, Pat should be here to share a Christmas tradition and.or recipe with us all.
  • Other special posts may be published throughout the month.  Be sure to sign up to have our posts delivered by email or follow us through Bloglovin' so you don't miss a thing!

CHALLENGE DETAILS SUMMARY
Each month we'll include a summary of details for the particular challenge taking place. If you are new, please be sure to familiarize yourself with all the details and rules in the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page.  Please note that dates and times listed below are for this particular challenge only:
  • Cards for this challenge will be accepted from 6:00 p.m. (18:00 hrs), December 1st - 11:59 p.m. (23:59 hrs), December 31st, 2016.  
  • If you wish to receive the free digi paper being offered up for this month, you need to link up a minimum of two (2) Christmas or holiday themed cards
  • This is NOT a progressive challenge. You can jump in at any time.
  • Only a maximum of three (3) entries will qualify for the draw for this month's prize of a $10.00 gift certificate from Limited Runs.
  • No backlinking.
  • Make sure when entering your project that you mention The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up in your post with a link back to this blog.
  • Please remember to link directly to your blog post where we can see your creation, and not just the generic link to your blog.
the_12_moc_linkup@outlook.com

We look forward to seeing you participate!
Link Up Below:

Okay so I'm trying a new link up. Only problem is that you can't see it in preview mode so I don't know if it is set up properly. If you have any problems linking up, please be sure to leave a comment.

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up Challenge #24
Please link up your Anything Goes Christmas and/or December holiday themed CARDS with the optional theme of Welcome to the North Pole, below. Be sure to add FT after your name if you followed the theme.  Please see above for all the rules and details.