Hero Hostess Summer Picnic Blog Hop

Welcome to the Hero Hostess Summer Picnic Hop! If you've been following along, you should've arrived from Deborah Nolan's blog. Hero Arts will be awarding prizes randomly drawn from all comments. For a chance to win, simply leave a comment on any of the blogs along the hop on any day this week, including the posts at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning! If you find a broken link, you'll find the master list of hop links at the Hero Club Blog. Please report any broken links to blog@heroarts.com.

My card features a beary cute couple picnicking at the beach. Don't you love the sparkly water? Teehee! I used four different Hero Arts stamp sets to create this little scene: an Archiver's exclusive stamp and die bear set (previously used here and here), Smile, You Are Hip and It's Your Day. I put one of the cameras from Smile on the girl bear's lap and I stamped the glasses from You Are Hip on the boy bear. The sentiment is from It's Your Day.

A picnic isn't complete without delicious food so I'd like to share one of my beary favourite recipes. LOL! I make this quite often because it's quick, easy, nutritious and oh-so-delicious.

BLUEBERRY OAT BARS

• Time: 30 minutes
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup Quaker Oats, uncooked quick
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

How to make it

1. Heat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Grease 11 x 7-inch baking pan.
3. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, baking soda and salt.
4. Add butter and mix until crumbly.
5. Reserve 3/4 cup mixture. Press remaining mixture on to bottom of prepared dish.
6. Bake 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, combine blueberries, granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water in medium saucepan.
8. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes uncovered and stir occasionally.
9. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Mix well.
10. Gradually stir into blueberry mixture. Cook and stir about 30 seconds or until thickened.
11. Spread over partially baked base to within 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
12. Press topping down into blueberries slightly.
13. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
14. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.
15. Store tightly covered.

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I've been fortune enough to have had several Hero Arts projects picked up for publication in various issues of Paper Crafts magazine. As a way of giving back to the stamping community and to thank Hero Arts for their generous publication incentive program, I'd like to offer the following prize to one of you! Just leave a comment here on this post by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 26th and Random.org will choose a winner to be announced here on Saturday, July 27, 2013.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your next stop along the Hero Hostess Summer Picnic Hop is Sarah J. Moerman!

Sources:

InLinkz.com