It's difficult to give exact conversion information on translating traditional oven recipes to the crockpot. Below you will find some general guidelines for converting your favorite recipes to the crockpot. Since crockpots vary, you should consult your owner's manual for instructions.

• Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 degrees F. and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees F. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2-1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8-10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food. You will have to judge your recipe accordingly. For example, beef cuts will be better cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours to get a more tender texture, where chicken can be cooked on HIGH 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

• Reduce the amount of liquid used in most oven recipes when using the LOW setting, since the crockpot retains all moisture that usually evaporates when cooking in the oven. Add liquids for sauces about an hour before done. You will normally end up with more liquid at the end of cooking times, not less. A general rule is to reduce liquids by half, unless rice or pasta is in the dish.

• Spices may need to be reduced or increased. Whole herbs and spices increase their flavoring power in crockpot cooking while ground spices may have lost some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole leaf and herbs will probably need to be reduced by half.

• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, Chinese vegetables and milk do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauces or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using LOW setting (or 1 hour on HIGH). If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.

• Browning meats before cooking is a personal choice. It's not necessary but it will reduce the fat content of some meats if you brown it before cooking.

• Sautéing vegetables (like onions, etc) is not necessary, (except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed prior due to its strong flavor). Just add them to the pot with everything else. You may wish to reduce quantities of stronger vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crockpot with their full flavor.

• Dry beans can be cooked overnight on LOW as an alternative to soaking. Cover with water and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Drain and combine with other ingredients. Be sure beans are softened before adding to any sugar or tomato mixture.

• For best results, use long-grain parboiled/converted raw rice in recipes, and use standard liquid amounts instead of reducing the liquid. For mixed recipes requiring pasta, it's best to cook the pasta separately to al dente texture and add just before serving.

• For soups, add water only to cover ingredients. If thinner soup is desired, more liquid can be added at the end of the cooking time.

General Oven to Crockpot Cooking Time Conversions
Oven Crockpot
15 to 30 minutes 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW
35 to 45 minutes 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW
50 minutes to 3 hours 4 to 5 hours on HIGH or 8 to 18 hours on LOW
Note: Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on LOW.

You look over and mom has left a crockpot full of comforting food out on the kitchen counter.

Viola!

Call your band "The Crockpot."

Unfortunately the name is already trademarked by Rival.

I wonder how long it will take them to get notified about that.

This Crockpot is homeless however. If you have a home for them please let them know.

Side comments: 16 and they are in college? And I love it that they are playing in the Smokefreerockquest in a town named Marlborough!

Here is a quote from the article:

"They have talent, instruments and original music but four Marlborough Boys' College students have nowhere adequate to practise their tunes leading up to August's Smokefreerockquest competition.

The Crockpot, featuring Casey Grieve, Joseph Scoon, Graeme Nelson and John Malkin, all 16-year-old, year 12 students, are hard at work refining two original rock tunes to perform at the competition.

It will be their first entry into the Smokefreerockquest, which will showcase Marlborough bands in Blenheim on August 18, followed by a national event in October.

"We all want to make it and it's a big dream of ours," said Casey. "In our song, Life, we are just saying follow your dreams and don't care what people say."

Read about them here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4095153a6008.html

I shall Spritz!

SO GOOD!!!

So, I'm slurping away and I think to myself. HA! I shall Spritz!

I shall make some Spritz valentines cookies!

So I excitedly open my box of my new Spritz cookie press to find what valentines disks I have.

And what a shock I got!

I looked at the ONE disk that has a heart on it and it is such a weird shape!

Check it out...it looks like a "Y".

What a WEIRD heart shape!

If you look at the example above it has a "Y" in it!

WHY??? Why does it have a "Y" in it???

How is that attractive???

There is a gazillian different shapes for Christmas but Valentines?? not so much!

I love Spritz cookies though. Don't you?

My mother-in-law has one of those old-fashioned Spritz presses. She has tiny little disks that make little teeny camels and such for Christmas. Her's twists the dough out.

I have a Spritz gun.

The gun is great but there are some definite tricks to it.

First off, get a good Spritz recipe. Some of them call for too much flour and are impossible to extrude in a gun. And make sure and make the kind with almond extract. SO GOOD!

Here is the one that I have:

Swedish Cookies
(Recipe for cookie press)

1 lb Butter
1½ C Sugar
5 Egg yolks
1 t Baking Powder
11/8 t Almond Extract
5 C Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in one yolk at a time. Blend in almond extract, baking powder, and flour. Divide and mix in colors if desired. Put through press. Add sprinkles or candies before baking. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Look at all of that butter! mmmm!!!

If you can, work the dough by hand. The softer the dough, the easier it will be to extrude your cookies through the press. NEVER put your dough in the fridge. Make your cookies right there and then!

But, if you color your dough with food coloring, you are not going to want to work your dough by hand. You will have colored hands for two days. ha!

And when you extrude your cookie and it doesn't fall, you can gently prod it with a little toothpick.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies. You can color the dough or add sprinkles before baking.

And WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK!

Don't let the edges brown or you have overcooked them. However, don't undercook them either. It takes a good even heating oven. I love my oven. I'll have to take a pic of it for you!

------

On to another topic. Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to go to the antique store to find some vintage valentine postcards. SIGH!

Well, I DID go to the antique store for some valentine postcards and there was nary a one!

BOOHOO!!!

There were great postcards of old movie stars and old buildings, etc.

But the valentine cards were either snapped up or just weren't there.

So, I thought I would look on ebay.

Yep, lots of vintage valentine cards there if you want to pay $10+ a PIECE! YIKES!!!

So from here on out...I'm on the lookout for inexpensive vintage valentine postcards!

If you spot them, let me know will ya?

-----

Oh, by the way I stopped by my local Goodwill and snapped up a few things.

Found an awesome vase that I am going to convert into holding my breadsticks.

And I found some great plastic apples. I don't know what I'm going to do with those yet.

And I found some red streamers! Never used and for cheapola!

Perfect for the party!

WOOOHOO!!!! We had a lot of people at our little "grandma" house!

We sang Happy Birthday to Bryan! Who turned the big 4-0.

We ate!

We played team Jeopardy!

The Salmon Swans were there!

The Kids were there!

The cookies were there!

And then they weren't there. ha!

Everything was home made! Well, almost everything. :-)

Thanks everybody for helping us celebrate Bryan's Birthday, Valentine's Day, and our new home!

And I have been asked for my secret yummy cut-out cookie recipe several times and it's none other than Martha Stewart's great recipe!

So, the other day I decided that my buddy Julie needed some cookies.

And I love making cut-out cookies.

I found a cute cat shape and traced it out with tracing paper. Then I laid the paper over the dough and with a sharp knife I cut them out.

I made the royal icing for the white tuxedo shirt and the dots and stripes.

I tried a store-bought gel for the whiskers and eyes but I didn't like it. It wouldn't harden and I was afraid that when I packed them in the box to be shipped that they would be smeared. So, I opted to make a black royal icing and used my smallest piping tip that I had.

The whiskers and eyes didn't turnout perfect but hey, close enough.

Julie liked them so that's what counts. :-)

**********

OK. A lot of people have been asking me for my recipe for my cut-out cookies. It turns out that I am not the only fan of these wonderful cookies. :-)

And the best recipe I have found so far has been from none other than Martha Stewart.

This recipe makes a very tasty chewy cookie. They have a really good flavor to them. And they don't break your teeth trying to eat them. But they are firm enough to pack/ship and to frost with ease.

I also like her royal icing recipe. It makes plenty of icing and it uses meringue powder instead of egg whites so it's safe to eat.

I got the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook for Christmas and it is a GREAT baking book. Lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions. You know that everything Martha does has to be the best!

Go get one of these from my Amazon link below:

"Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook" (Martha Stewart)

Sugar Cookies pg. 82

Makes about 3 dozen. (Most of my cookies were about 2 inches.) You can garnish these cookies simply with sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking, or bake them first and then cover with Royal Icing.

4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature (Take your butter out earlier.)
3 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Colored sanding sugar or sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Royal Icing (Page 389, optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.(I set the timer because it's really amazing how creamy it gets after 5 minutes.) Add eggs, vanilla, and salt; mix on medium-high speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour in two batches, mixing until just incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and pat into flattened rectangles; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. (Usually I make the dough the night before.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line Large baking sheets with parchment paper (Or the silpat, see below). On a lightly floured work surface, roll out on rectangle of dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Using a small offset spatula, transfer shapes to prepared sheets, placing about 2 inches apart. Chill in freezer or refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes. Set scraps aside. Repeat process with remaining rectangle of dough. Gather all the scraps and roll out again. Chill 15 minutes; cut out more shapes, and place on sheets.

(My tips on rolling out dough. First off, get a decent rolling pin. See below. Second, only take out of the refrigerator the dough that you are currently working with. Let the rest of the dough chill in the fridge. Lay some parchment paper on the top of the dough that you are rolling. It keeps you from having to use flour for your pin.)

Decorate cookies with sanding sugar or sprinkles, if using, before baking. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden around the edges and slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with Royal Icing, if using. Top icing with sanding sugar or sprinkles, if using. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Royal Icing

Makes about 21/2 cups - if not using immediately, transfer to an airtight container (icing hardens quickly when exposed to air), and store at room temperature for up to one week. Beat with a rubber spatula before using.

1 pound confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar to you newbies)
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Liquid or gel-paste food coloring (optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, meringue powder, and a scant 1/2 cup water on low speed. Beat until mixture is fluffy yet dense, 7 to 8 minutes.

Test the consistency by lifting a spoonful of icing and letting it drip back into the bowl; a ribbon should remain on the surface for 5-7 seconds. (For some reason it takes me longer than the 7-8 minutes above to get a 6 second ribbon.)

To thin the icing for flooding ( filling in areas with a thin layer of icing), stir in additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

To tint icing, dip a toothpick or wooden skewer into food coloring, and gradually mix it in until the desired shade is reached. ( A little food coloring goes a long way. )

Here are tools of the trade that you can purchase at amazon:

"Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla Extract 8-oz." (Nielsen Massey Vanillas**)

(Repeat after me. I will buy good vanilla. I will buy good vanilla. I will buy good vanilla. I am telling you that part of the biggest difference with my cookies is the GOOD vanilla. Unfortunately, good vanilla is usually the most expensive vanilla.)

"Wilton 8 oz. Meringue Powder Mix" (Wilton)

"Wilton 12 Icing Colors Set" (Wilton)

(This is a good starter set. I have this set.)

"Xcell Spring/Summer Sanding Sugar, 4 Colors" (Xcell)

"KitchenAid KSM150PSPK Artisan Pink Stand Mixer 5-qt." (KitchenAid)

(Get a KitchenAid that is at least a 5-qt. And get the attachment head just in case you want to have a flour mill down the road. Your a big girl now. Get yourself a real mixer.)

"Vic Firth Baker's Rolling Pin" (Vic Firth USA)

(Don't get a french rolling pin. Those are great for pies,etc. But for cookies you want the long thick round rolling pin. And for Pete's sakes don't get the ones with the handles.)

"Roshco 100-Piece Plastic Cookie Cutter Set" (Roshco)

"Wilton Cake Decorating Master Tip Set" (Wilton)

(This is the one I have and I LOVE it! And it comes with two couplings. Don't be a schmuck and forget to get the decorating bags to go with this set. See the bags below.)

"Demarle Silpat 11-5/8-by-16-1/2-Inch Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat" (DeMarle)

(Never have to use parchment paper again! Buy at least 2.)

"Chicago Metallic Commercial Cookie/Jelly Roll Pans, Set of 2" (Chicago Metallic)

(The classic cookie sheets. I use these all of the time.)

"Wilton Stackable Cooling Rack 3-pc." (Wilton Industries)

(I do not have these. I have some great ones from Pampered Chef. However, I am fascinated that these stack! What a great idea. My cooling racks take up way too much space. I have a small kitchen.)

"F. Dick 4 1/2 inch Offset Spatula, Stamped, Short/Wide Blade" (F. Dick)

(Get a decent spatula. Get one that is offset and WIDE. Makes for picking up cookies so much easier. And for Pete's sakes don't get a slotted one.)

"Wilton Disposable Decorating Bags, Pack of 24" (Wilton)

(Currently I am using the disposable decorating bags. But if you want to wash you can get the featherweights.)

"Piping Bag - Featherweight - 14"" (Wilton)

Don't faint or anything but I actually SEWED something with my sewing machine!

Ever since I terminated my previous direct sales company, "The small gold sack company" I have been feeling very domestic. It's been good therapy.

And I am optimistic about my new direct sales company, "The Tasty Home company."

(Note to reader: Most direct sales companies will not allow you to advertise online. And mentioning their real name is "advertising." Don't get me started.)

I made a mending bag for my Sister-In-Law aka "Murphy." http://www.murphyhorner.com

I filled it with all sorts of mending goodies (buttons, needles, threads, mini-scissors, etc) and made it nice and small so she can store it under her couch and grab it when she wants to mend at a moments notice.

It was supposed to be for a Christmas present. (I drew her name this year) but I was derailed when my grandmother & mother showed up unannounced at my house for a two week vacation just before Christmas and then the "small gold sack" company gave me stress throughout most of January.

Let's just say I had a hecka late Dec/early Jan.

Here is another view:

I loved putting on the red tassle. (what is it with me and red lately?)

That is my Brother brand sewing machine. It sews sooo nicely. I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination but I like to have a sewing machine handy when I feel a craft coming upon me.

I also made a fun little felt needle book and tucked that inside of her mending kit.

I chain stitched an "E" on it for her given name "Elisabeth." Which she has shunned since "Murphy" came along. Personally, I like Elisabeth. But to each her own.

I decorated it with buttons and these two cute scissor buttons that I found.

And then for a sweet treat I made her some button cut-out cookies.

These are a lot of fun to make. Just take two circle cut-out shapes and use a round lollipop stick for the button holes. Also, I found that rolling them in colored sugar before you bake them (I didn't have the right kind of sanding sugar at the time) really made them tasty and chewy. Of course, you could always color the dough and leave off the sugar but I'm telling ya the ones that were rolled in the colored sugar were the best!

I used a new to me Martha Stewart cut-out sugar cookie recipe that I will post later. It is a really yummy and different recipe. Nice and soft/chewy not the usual "break your teeth" sugar cookie.

Even "Murphy" commented on what a tasty cookie it was.

-------------

On other news...I spent a good portion of my "work time" this last week looking for trade shows to participate in for my new direct sales company.

Here is the deal, it is called "first right of refusal."

Trade shows get snapped up by direct sales companies and the trade shows only allow one vendor per direct sales company so if your team does not grab them FIRST you are SCREWED.

So, I am having to shell out the bucks on some upcoming trade shows so that MY team will be the ones at the Trade Shows.

Do you know how irritating it is to go to a Trade Show and have consultants from another team at your company's booth???? GRRR!!!!

It is a consultant eat consultant world out there.
-----------------

All of the evites were sent for Bryan's birthday party next saturday.

If you didn't get your evite let me know.

However, what I CAN tell you is that the other day we smoked our mixer.

Yes indeedy, Mr. B (see below) aka "the husband" volunteered to make "something" for me while I was working on my secret projects. (the something shall be revealed later)

And this "something" involved using my mixer.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, as he was mixing away, I walked into the kitchen to this horrible burning electric smell.

The mixer was smoking!

(Love my husband but the man couldn't smell it and he was standing next to it.)

Now, this was not some tough item he was mixing. This was nice and creamy recipe!

Our mixer should not have been smoking for PETE's SAKE!

(Further proof that most kitchen appliances were made by men. SIGH)

So, in a FIT of FRUSTRATION and an unfortunate timing of going to Costco. I bought the Mixer of my dreams.

A BEAUTIFUL Kitchen Aid 475 watt Professional Mixer. OH YEAH BABY!!!

She is in a beautiful sports car red color!

I have wanted one of these babies for YEARS!!!

So, I promised myself that I would somehow earn the money to purchase one all by my self.

And I am 2/3rds of the way there already! woohoo!

I bought it and now I am paying myself back by selling old stuff on ebay.

Out with the old and in with the new!

WooHOO!
------------------

On Business News...

I have finally gotten a glimpse of "THE business" catalog and WOOWEE it is GOOD!!!

It's a good sign when you want everything on every page. :-)

Think, Williams Sonoma meets Potter Barn at Target Prices. YEAH BABY!!!

I made a great find!

And you wish you had some of these!

But, I am working on a secret project that will be revealed later. heh heh.

Let's just say I am cleaning up my craft area! woohoo!

But yesterday I went to Safeway and found some GREAT red felt planters that they were blowing out the door for 50 cents!

I had already purchased a tulip from Trader Joe's and it fit perfect in the new planter.

Isn't it beautiful? Perfect for that valentine/birthday party!

Bryan worked on our orange tree today. He has been trimming it up. It was LOADED with oranges. Which is great but since there is just the two of us it is too hard to eat all of them. And I don't want to spend my entire life juicing them. ha!

But are they good! mmmm!!!

You wish you had some of these babies let me tell ya!

These are non-sprayed, organic, super-juicy, wonderful oranges! mmm!!!

And take a look at that beauty of a bowl I put these oranges in.

That is some Italianware from my friend, Melinda!

She carried that bowl came straight from Rome on an airplane and it is absolutely beautiful!

Thanks Melinda!

Speaking of Italianware, the new "tastey" party plan company that I am doing is going to have a line of Italianware. Can't wait to get started in that company!

I made low-carb chicken enchiladas in the crockpot.

I LOVE my crockpot!

I'm sure I'll be throwing something into the crockpot for the valentine's party. Maybe some yummy sweet & sour meatballs or something. mmmm!!!

I shall Spritz!

SO GOOD!!!

I can't wait to try some hot chocolate in these wonderful Taste of Home Entertaining mugs!

Can't you just imagine the whip cream slurping over the edge of those delightful mugs!

Anyways, I digress...

So, I'm slurping away and I think to myself. HA! I shall Spritz!

I shall make some Spritz valentines cookies!

So I excitedly open my box of my new Spritz cookie press to find what valentines disks I have.

And what a shock I got!

I looked at the ONE disk that has a heart on it and it is such a weird shape!

Check it out...it looks like a "Y".

What a WEIRD heart shape!

If you look at the example above it has a "Y" in it!

WHY??? Why does it have a "Y" in it???

How is that attractive???

There is a gazillian different shapes for Christmas but Valentines?? not so much!

I love Spritz cookies though. Don't you?

My mother-in-law has one of those old-fashioned Spritz presses. She has tiny little disks that make little teeny camels and such for Christmas. Her's twists the dough out.

I have a Spritz gun.

The gun is great but there are some definite tricks to it.

First off, get a good Spritz recipe. Some of them call for too much flour and are impossible to extrude in a gun. And make sure and make the kind with almond extract. SO GOOD!

Here is the one that I have:

Swedish Cookies
(Recipe for cookie press)

1 lb Butter
1½ C Sugar
5 Egg yolks
1 t Baking Powder
11/8 t Almond Extract
5 C Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in one yolk at a time. Blend in almond extract, baking powder, and flour. Divide and mix in colors if desired. Put through press. Add sprinkles or candies before baking. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Look at all of that butter! mmmm!!!

If you can, work the dough by hand. The softer the dough, the easier it will be to extrude your cookies through the press. NEVER put your dough in the fridge. Make your cookies right there and then!

But, if you color your dough with food coloring, you are not going to want to work your dough by hand. You will have colored hands for two days. ha!

And when you extrude your cookie and it doesn't fall, you can gently prod it with a little toothpick.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies. You can color the dough or add sprinkles before baking.

And WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK!

Don't let the edges brown or you have overcooked them. However, don't undercook them either. It takes a good even heating oven. I love my oven. I'll have to take a pic of it for you!

------

On to another topic. Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to go to the antique store to find some vintage valentine postcards. SIGH!

Well, I DID go to the antique store for some valentine postcards and there was nary a one!

BOOHOO!!!

There were great postcards of old movie stars and old buildings, etc.

But the valentine cards were either snapped up or just weren't there.

So, I thought I would look on ebay.

Yep, lots of vintage valentine cards there if you want to pay $10+ a PIECE! YIKES!!!

So from here on out...I'm on the lookout for inexpensive vintage valentine postcards!

If you spot them, let me know will ya?

-----

Oh, by the way I stopped by my local Goodwill and snapped up a few things.

Found an awesome vase that I am going to convert into holding my breadsticks.

And I found some great plastic apples. I don't know what I'm going to do with those yet.

And I found some red streamers! Never used and for cheapola!

Perfect for the party!

He has a birthday on January 4th.

And being the wonderful wife that I am, I want to throw him a big party for the big "40."

Woohoo!

I love to throw a good party!

Bryan said it was OK for me to turn it into a valentine/birthday party. He is a romantic at heart.

And I LOVE Valentine's day. Don't you? All of that red! I love red. I could swim in red!

And honestly, I don't think people have enough Valentine's day parties. Why aren't there more Valentine's day parties???

I know that couples love to be together and alone on Valentine's day but like our party...we are having one on a Saturday before the actual day. Which, by the way, is on a Tuesday. What an inconvenient day for a Valentine day.

I just purchased some decoration items for the party today.

I decided to go the paper plate route.

I would love to have a lot of red serving plates. But I don't....yet. ha! At least, not enough for 20 people!

I went to my favorite Hallmark store and purchased some wonderful paper plates, napkins, paper tablecloths, and some ADORABLE little baking cups.

The napkins are shaped into red hearts and the baking cups have hearts and the words like "yummy, treat, delicious" on them.

As for the baking cups, I'm not sure if I'm going to do cupcakes or not. I don't think so.

I might make some little chocolates and fill the baking cups with them.

It all depends on how much time I have.

And you have to be careful when you make a chocolate cupcake in certain white baking cups. It's hard to read the writing or see the decorations on the cup sometimes with a chocolatey brown background.

Tomorrow, if I behave myself and get my work done and my walking done, I am going to go to an antique shop and see if I can find some vintage valentine cards. I LOVE THOSE!

They are so much better than the modern ones. I love the ones where the woman and the man are swooning over each other! And they have some of the very best verses on them!

I did come across ones that could be sent as e-cards. how fun!

http://honeymoons.about.com/cs/valentinesday/l/blvalcards1.htm

OH! And The other day I found some BEAUTIFUL red chargers at Pottery Barn.

But be careful to make sure your chargers can have food on them. My red chargers are not meant for food to be directly eaten off of them. But I got the heart-shaped paper doilies to place on my chargers and I'll put the food on top of that!

One of the things that I am just so depressed about is that I can't seem to find my Royal Albert 3-tier cake server. We moved and now I can't find it to save my life. I so want it to be part of my tablescape. SIGH!

I could just burst right into tears! I purchased it while on vacation in Victoria, Canada for a song!