football food fare friday – jane’s chicken nachos

Football season is in full swing and Sandy has one last tasty recipe to share with you.

2 whole cooked chicken breast diced

12 oz cream cheese – room temp

2 jalapeno peppers minced

3 T chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 t ground cumin

1 t chili powder

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese

6 pitas halved

Preheat oven to 375′ and combine all ingredients.  Spread on pitas and bake for 5-7 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve with your favorite salsa.  (Mixture can be spread on pitas – placed in freezer to set and stored in ziplocs to cook at a later date.)

cover love

I have to say I like these covers better than the orginals…

John Mayer performing Free Falling – orginally by Tom Petty

Ryan Adams performing Wonderwall – originally by Oasis

Jamie Cullum performing High & Dry – originally by Radiohead

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berkley metromode feature

Recently I was interviewed about our great little town, Berkley for the oh-so-hip metromode online magazine. 

Berkley has been a fanstastic home for catching fireflies.  Our 8 years there have flown by and we look forward to many more. 

pumpkin caramel bars

Okay, we’re taking a football food fare Friday off to feature these tasty morsels I had the pleasure of indulging in this week. And what goes better with cool crisp evenings & falling leaves than pumpkins & caramel?

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
27 caramels, unwrapped (about 9 ounces)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts, divided

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixer bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; beat until blended (batter will be thick). Spread two-thirds batter into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Combine caramels and evaporated milk in small saucepan; stir over low heat until caramels are melted. Pour caramel mixture over baked layer; sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts. Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoons over caramel mixture; sprinkle with remaining nuts. Return to oven for 20 to 25 minutes (top layer will be slightly soft). Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Thanks Sarah for bringing over such an awesome autumn treat!

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rare bird finds feature

The birdies over at Rare Bird Finds showcased our boob lube for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

"Ladies, this Boob Lube soap is a friendly (and humorous) reminder to check yourselves monthly. Plus, 20% of the proceeds of Boob Lube to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer.  $14.95 at Catching Fireflies"

Thanks for spreading the word to all the gals out there!

guide to being a greeting card guru

Let’s say… your friend just had a bouncing baby.  You pick out an appropriate card, but want to say more than just congratulations, but word-smithing isn’t really your strong suit.  Well, have no fear because Words to the Rescue is here!

With the help of this handy dandy guide, you could write something funny like:

A new baby!  What more could you ask for? Other than sleep, that is.

or encouraging like:

Being a mom is no easy task.  Seeing the way you’ve lived your life, I have no doubt you’ll be a fantastic one!

how ’bout sentimental:

Miracles DO happen!  This one couldn’t have graced a more deserving couple.

And the ideas don’t stop there… other categories include: anniversary, apology, birthday, congratulations (on a variety of subjects), encouragement, get well, goodbye & miss you, romance & fun, sympathy, thank you and thinking of you!

This book has found a permanent place in my office so I can reference quick quips to make my cards more personal.  Here are some other favorite phrases I found:

Don’t think of yourself as old.  Chronologically gifted sounds much cooler.

Eight words for success:  Do what you love.  Love what you do.

Some say love is all you need.  From my experience, taking turns doing the dishes doesn’t hurt either.

When you return, I expect a full report on the joys of hospital food.

On a scale of marvelous to fantastic, you get a triple stupendous!

I wanted to send you a warm fuzzy, but couldn’t find one at the store so this note will have to do.

Pretty soon your friends & family will be calling you the greeting card guru.  Don’t worry we won’t share your secret!

football food fare friday – hot & sour smoked sausage

Looking to add a kick to your fall football parties?  Sandy has another sweet recipe that’ll have you hootin’ & hollerin’ for more!

2 lb. pkg Eckeridge smoked sausage (rope style) -sliced in 1 inch chunks

2 lg. sweet onions chopped in chunks

3 bell peppers chopped in chunks

2 cans sliced water chesnuts – drained

1 1/2 cans chunk pinapple in juice – drained

2 bottles of sweet & sour sauce (Lachoy is fine)

1 bottle of Frank’s Louisiana hot sauce

Mix all together and put in 9×13 pan, cover with foil and bake at 350′ for approx. 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Can serve with rice if desired. (can also be placed in foil packet & grilled until vegtables are tender)

Like to try new recipes in the kitchen?  Sandy is happy to share her tasty treats with you.  Simply sign up to receive these blog posts in your email inbox and pretty soon your family will be calling you queen of the kitchen!

whimsical witches

Remember the artist feature on Jackie Jameson last winter? Well, less than one year later, she has hit the big time.  Many of her collage works are featured in the most recent Somerset Studio magazine (including on the cover!)  Read her artist interview here.

We still have a sweet selection of her goods at our Rochester & Berkley locations, but she recently also opened an etsy shop.

Here are some of her latest Halloween goodies she has for sale.  Love the colors on this one!

And look at this cutie.

I am tempted to turn Tuesday & Piper into whimsical witches after seeing this funny one.

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break the spell of the typical

As I was trolling around the itunes store, I stumbled upon the hip foursome, Mute Math. After listening to a snippet of their oh-so-catchy song, Typical, I remembered hearing it before on one of HBO’s slick movie promo ‘commericials’.  I’m so happy I found this inspiring rockin’ tune  – now it’s on my ipod!

A review reads, "Every now and then a band explodes from the grassroots. Thanks to phenomenal Internet exposure that led to soldout shows across the country, Mute Math is just such a story. An inspired Alt-Rock band from New Orleans, Mute Math melds hip-hop–styled beats, moments of beauty and grandeur, big hooks, and vocals that pay homage to classic rock."

And some lyrics…
Come on, can’t I dream for one day
There’s nothing that can’t be done
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone

‘Cause I know there’s got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I’m feeling like it’s now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical

I’ve lived through my share of misfortune
And I’ve worked in the blazing sun
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone

I’m the typical
I’m the typical
Can I break the spell of the typical

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dewey the library cat

Hearing a story like this is just one of the many reasons why I’m proud that catching fireflies supports our local humane society.

I first heard about Dewey on one of my favorite shows, CBS Sunday Morning and couldn’t help to think of our very own Berkley store cat, Piper.

It sounds like Piper has many similar ‘duties’ as Dewey… the most important job being to remind us not to take life too seriously.

I love how one animal can touch the lives of so many people and now there is even a book sharing Dewey’s simple story that left a big mark on lots of hearts.