Brian Francis's Blog, page 24

Reader Recipe: Baked Frankfurters

This month, I’m spreading the caker love. Throughout February, every recipe will come from Caker Cooking readers. It’s my way of saying “thank you." I sincerely mean that to both of you. Your enthusiasm and support make the cholesterol, edema and irregular heartbeats worthwhile.

Speaking of heartbeats, nothing gets one racing more than a hot wiener, especially when it's rolled in cornflakes. This recipe comes from Eartha, who discovered the cookbook, Cooking with Love and Cereal, at a thrift store of all places! Eartha said she was drawn to it because of the glamorous photo on the cover, although I think the poor girl looks like she's in pain. (Apparently, the girl was the taste tester, so that explains things.)

I didn't have the highest expectations for these, but I'm here to tell you that Baked Frankfurters are surprisingly delicious. They taste kinda like pogo dogs which means you can get your carny fix in the off-season. I'm still a little confused, though. Are Baked Frankfurters an appetizer? A main course for cakers who live next to railroad tracks? A late night snack that gets washed down with a Coke Slurpee and tears? Who cares? It’s up to you! Remember: the best wieners are the ones with flexibility.

Check out Eartha's own blog, Ranch Dressing with Eartha Kitsch.

Thanks, Eartha!

10 frankfurters
1/2 cup catsup
2 cups crushed cornflakes crushed into 1/2 cup of crumbs

1. Dip frankfurters in catsup.
2. Roll in cereal.
3. Put in greased or foil lined, shallow pan.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, until hot and crisp
5. Serve with catsup and mustard, if desired. Serves 5!

Variation: Substitute ½ cup mustard or mixture of 1/4 cup catsup and 1/4 cup mustard for the catsup in step #1.

Source: Cooking with Love & Cereal

February is Reader Month

Seeing as how February is the month for love (well, for some people), I thought it only fitting to spread some love to Caker Cooking readers.

Throughout February, I'll feature caker recipes that readers have sent me. That's right – you could find your dish on Caker Cooking! Can you think of anything more thrilling?

Wait. Don't answer that.

I gotta go open some cans now. See you Monday.

Yum Yum Bars

Maybe I’m out of step with the times, but it seems like the idea of having company over is becoming a thing of the past. When was the last time you heard someone say, “I had company last night?” For me, it’s a statement as rare as “That Khardashian episode went deep” or “Wow, your muumuu is really slimming.”

So when I had the opportunity to entertain company last week, I jumped at the chance. I dusted off the tea mugs, plugged in the electric fireplace and Mother even put on a fresh housecoat. I decided to take a chance on a new caker recipe and told my guest that if she gave it the thumbs up, I’d put it on the blog.

Well, you’re reading this, so that means Yum Yum Bars were tasty as all-get-out. These squares combine melted caramel, salted nuts and chocolate. If you’re not already onboard, time to check your pulse. The only downside? Unwrapping 50 caramels. I lost two Lee Press On nails in the process.

Karen, it was a pleasure meeting you. And thanks for the company.

¾ cup butter, melted
1 package chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup evaporated milk
6-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup nuts
50 caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix first 3 ingredients together. Put ½ mixture in 9” x 13” pan. Bake for 6 minutes. (See note) Remove from oven and cool a little before spreading chocolate chips and nuts on top of baked mixture. Melt caramels in evaporated milk, pour over baked mixture. Put other ½ of cake mixture on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°. Do not cut right away. Better undercooked.

Note: I cooked it at 350°.

Source: Paterson Memorial Presbyterian Church 75th Anniversary Cookbook

Lynda's Pina Colada Muffins

Good lord, cakers love muffins. Our favourite is bran (in spite of the hayish aftertaste), but we’ve also been known to indulge in a banana or carrot muffin or sometimes a “morning glory” muffin. They’re like the kitchen sink of muffins. Once, I found an eraser in one which came in pretty handy.

When I saw this recipe for not just Pina Colada Muffins, but Lynda’s Pina Colada Muffins, well, I just knew these would be special. Any caker recipe with someone's name in the title implies legendary status. Especially since it wasn’t Lynda who submitted the recipe. It was Nettie.

So imagine my disappointment when Lynda’s Pina Colada Muffins turned out gummier than grandpa. “Maybe I was supposed to drain the can of pineapple,” I thought. The recipe didn’t say either way. So I made them a second time with a drained can. Better, but still gummy. My taste testers thought they weren’t bad. “But good enough to be named after someone?” I asked. The response was a half-hearted shrug.

Linda-with-a-y, I’d like nothing more than to report your muffins were the bomb, but a caker never lies. I can only wonder – did I do something incorrectly? Or did Nettie get the recipe wrong? Maybe the good people of Cobalt, Ontario just like really damp food. In any case, I’m heading out to make love at midnight in the dunes of the cape.

½ cup white sugar
1 ½ cup flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon rum
1 10-ounce can crushed pineapple
½ cup coconut
¼ cup margarine
½ teaspoon salt

Measure sugar, egg, margarine, yogurt and rum. Beat until blended. Stir together dry ingredients and add to other mixture. Stir until barely blended. Add pineapple and coconut. NOTE: sour cream may be substituted for yogurt. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Yield 12 large.

Source: Cherished Recipes, Cobalt Public Library

(Thanks to Sarah for loaning it to me!)

Broccoli Soufflé

Like Blanche Dubois, I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers. (I’ve sometimes depended on their money, but that’s a whole other blog post.) So when a pair of Caker Cooking readers sent me a cookbook they found at a garage sale, I was reminded of the (Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed) milk of human kindness.

I’ve mentioned before how much cakers love broccoli and this soufflé (taken from the cookbook) was a triple threat of “Hot Damn!” I’m talking Cream of Mushroom soup, broccoli and Velveeta! In fact, it was so good, it didn’t even make it as far as the kitchen table. I inhaled it at the counter.

The other day, the pair announced their engagement and that got me thinking pretty deeply. Marriage and broccoli soufflé share some similarities.

1) Both take the right mix of ingredients
2) Sometimes both are so good you can’t make it as far as the kitchen table
3) Both can leave you gassy (but it usually clears up by morning)

Now if only Mother would get off my back about the whole finding-the-right-girl thing with me. Apparently, there’s a bow-legged third cousin with an under bite that Mother feels is a good candidate, but I'm standing up to her. For once.

Paul and Bianca, congratulations. And may your soufflés always rise high.

1 bunch broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 well-beaten eggs
½ cup butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
8 crushed soda crackers
¾ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 cup grated Velveeta cheese

Cut up and cook broccoli until tender. Mix together soup, eggs, mayonnaise, onion, melted butter and cheese. Add ½ of crushed crackers. Add chopped broccoli and mix well. Put in casserole dish. Add remaining crackers on top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350°.

Note: I cooked it closer to 40 minutes.

Source: What’s Cooking at St. Joseph

The Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake

For those of you who listened to my interview on CBC’s The Next Chapter, you know that Tomato Soup Cake generated a fair amount of chatter. Cakers can't get enough of it. Maybe one day, Tomato Soup Cake will be rightfully recognized as a hallmark of Canadian cuisine, alongside harp seal pie and fiddleheads.

So imagine my shock while reading a Heinz ketchup bottle the other day (one of my New Year’s resolutions is to read more) and I saw a recipe for something called "The Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake."

“Mother of mustard!” I exclaimed to my hash browns. “Them folks at Heinz are putting the squeeze on Tomato Soup Cake.” I did what any proud Canadian would do – put my muskrat hat on, danced a jig to the Irish Rovers and then canoed to the dry goods store to rustle up the ingredients.

So…was The Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake better than Tomato Soup Cake?

All in all, it tasted pretty good, kind of like the offspring of carrot cake and spice cake with a special guest appearance by red velvet. But it’s a lot of work. I used, like, three bowls! Plus, I kept wanting to stick chicken fingers into it. Suffice to say, I'm happy to welcome The Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake to my vinyl tablecloth-covered table, but I don’t think the folks at Campbell's have anything to worry about.

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground ginger
1/2 cup (125 mL) Heinz Tomato Ketchup
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
2 tbsp (30 mL) red food colouring
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs

(There’s a cream cheese frosting recipe on the Heinz website. I saved myself the dirty dishes and bought store-made frosting instead. I also bought TWO containers. There's nothing worse than cutting into a cake and seeing a dental floss-thick ribbon of icing in the middle.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Stir the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger into a bowl. Stir the ketchup, water and colouring in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Beat the butter and blend in the sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and ketchup mixture. Beat on low, scraping down the bowl as needed, until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until the centre springs back when touched lightly. Cool the cakes for 15 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool completely.

Source: heinz.ca

The Best (and Worst) of Caker Cooking

What a banner year it's been for Caker Cooking! I’ve heard from cakers coast-to-coast, made some apple head doll friends and even got interviewed on the CBC! I also have a line of preservatives coming out, but more on that later.
Needless to say, it was pretty hard when it came to choosing my favourite caker dishes from 2012. It's like asking me to choose between plain and rippled. Beta and VHS. Blanche and Dorothy. But I persevered and managed to narrow it down to the dishes that had me going back for thirds.  
So, without further adieu, here are my five best caker recipes from 2012:
Tang Pie When Caker Cooking reader, Bob, sent in this recipe, I didn’t give it much thought. Then I made it. Life as I know it is now divided into two sections: pre-Tang Pie and post-Tang Pie. Best eaten frozen.




Lemon Fluff Sometimes, I forget all the crap I’ve eaten over the years. So imagine my surprise and delight when I remembered – in the midst of making it – how much I love Lemon Fluff. There’s a good four inches of foamy yellow heaven in every bite.




Big Mac Sauce Perfect for those nights when you don’t feel like putting on the track pants and heading out to McDonald’s. This sauce makes any homemade burger taste that much more special. It also makes a great moisturizer. 








Ritz Skor Squares The Battle of the Skor Bars champion! (Now there’s a sentence you don’t hear every day.) Caker Cooking reader, Carmelle, showed me the path to paradise is paved with Ritz crackers – as if there were any doubts.






And my best recipe from 2012 is…
Potato Casserole The dish that kicked Schwartzies Hash Browns’ butt to the curb! I literally fell in love and I’m thrilled to announce that Potato Casserole and I are now expecting. If it’s a boy, we’re calling him Spud. If it’s a girl, Velveeta Louise.





Because everyone likes to trash talk, here are my five worst caker recipes from 2012:
Cheese Snacks Do stale bread cubes dipped in cheddar cheese soup sound good to you? Apparently, I missed the memo.





"This is Terrible - the Soda is Overwhelming!" Cherry PuddingWhen a caker woman preaches, y’all need to listen, m’kay?







Ribbon Salad I thought this would look pretty. Instead, it looked like rainbow barf.






After Dinner Mints It’s not that they tasted bad. But any recipe involving icing sugar and mashed potatoes deserves to be publicly shamed. Just go get yourself some After Eight Mints and call it a day. (Silver-plated holder optional.)





And my worst caker recipe from 2012 is…
Special K Meatless Roast Pretty much guaranteed to send any vegetarian into the streets screaming for meat. 
Come on back in January! I've got a ton of new cakery in store for 2013.

God help us all. 

Caker Christmas 2012

I can't think of a better way to celebrate surviving the Apocalypse than by eating caker food. So it's only fitting that my annual Caker Christmas party took place the day after the end of the world. (To be safe, I held off getting supplies until late Friday. No point spending a good $20 on food if no one's around to enjoy it.)

This year, I switched things up and went with a vintage theme. All recipes had to come from cookbooks from the '50s and '60s. The goal was to make the food more “edible.” (Not my words.) After serving my Italian guests a vintage cocktail (Tom Collins was the most popular) and giving them a tour of my Christmas crafts (they seemed to like the macaroni tree best, but no surprises there), we settled in to eat. So was the food more edible? Read on to find out.

Snax
Someone picked out everything but the Cheerios. I hate that. These weren't bad.

1/4 pound margarine
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups Cheerios
2 cups Shreddies
1/2 package bite size cheese flavoured pretzels or pretzel sticks

Melt margarine; add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings and mix well. Place remaining ingredients in one large pan. Pour margarine mixture over them. Mix gently but thoroughly. Bake in 250° oven for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container.

Source: Trenton Memorial Cookbook, The Women's Auxiliary of the Canadian Armed Forces, 1969

Cheese Ball
I had to cheat with some of the appetizers because I couldn’t find many recipes in my vintage cookbooks. Maybe past generations didn’t eat before they ate like we do nowadays. I put my ball on the pine cone tray I bought during Bazaar-o-Rama.

1 package cream cheese, room temperature
1 package Imperial cheddar (red container), room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons finely chopped green onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped celery
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cream together cream cheese and cheddar. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Shape into ball. Wrap loosely in foil and chill until firm. Then roll in either caraway seeds or chopped walnuts.

Source: Let's Break Bread Together, The United Churches in Canada, 1988

Chips n’ Dip
A tub of sour cream and a package of onion soup mix never done no potato chip no wrong. Just let this sit in the fridge overnight. Thanks to The Vintage Cabin for my glam chip n’ dip set.

1 tub sour cream
1 package onion soup mix

Source: Every caker basement party in the '70s.




Macaroni and Cheese
I thought this one would be a safe bet. How can you can go wrong with Macaroni and Cheese? Turns out you can. Pretty darn bland. Velveeta, you have forsaken me.

1 7-ounce package long macaroni
Salted water
¼ pound Velveeta cheese, diced
¼ pound mild cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water. Drain. Place in baking dish. Stir in cheeses and butter. Mix egg, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Source: The Beta Sigma Phi International Cookbook: Casseroles, 1969

Ravioli Buffet Casserole
At this year's party, I learned that some Italians weren’t allowed to eat Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee as kids. Tragic. Needless to say, people were making up for lost time with this casserole.

1 15-ounce cans Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Beef Ravioli
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup sliced fresh or canned mushrooms
½ pound beef sirloin
1 10-ounce package frozen green beans
½ cup beef bouillon
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Arrange ravioli in 2 tiered rows around edge of 8x11 baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Sauté mushrooms until golden. Remove from pan. Melt remaining butter. Add beef. Brown well. Return mushrooms to pan. Add green beans, breaking block in pieces. Add bouillon and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, cook gently for 10 minutes. Mix flour with enough water to make a thin paste. Add to liquid. Cook until thickened. Spoon vegetable mixture into centre of baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: The Beta Sigma Phi International Cookbook: Casseroles, 1969

Frankfurter Crown Casserole
Can we all just agree that no good has ever come from splitting a wiener down the middle? Especially when the tips turn out looking like old man fingers.

2 slices bacon
½ cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
3 cups sliced cooked potatoes
1 cup cut cooked green beans
½ lb. frankfurters, split lengthwise and cut in half.

Cook bacon in skillet. Remove. Crumble bacon. Cook onion in drippings. Stir in soup, water, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and beans. Pour into a 1 ½ quart casserole. Stand frankfurters up around edge. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Top with bacon.

Source: The Beta Sigma Phi International Cookbook: Casseroles, 1969

Potato Balls
Being a caker event, there had to be ball-shaped food. These potato balls got mixed reviews. Some thought there were pretty good. Others found them dry. I found them round, which was good enough for me.

Take 1 large spoon cold mashed potatoes. Put small dab of butter in middle of and roll into a ball. (Flour hands if necessary.) Beat 1 egg. Add 2 tablespoons milk. Roll potato balls in this mixture then in crumbled Corn Flakes, soda cracker crumbs or dried bread crumbs. Put balls in greased oven dish. Cook for 30 minutes in 350° oven.



Source: What’s Cooking, Trinity United Church, 1954

It was gone before I could take a picture.Savory Succotash
I didn’t have high hopes for this, especially considering it was made by my Greek friend. (She was the one who melted hard Werthers candies last year to make Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares. She also made Impossible Pie look like an iron.) Anyway, score one for Greece because Savory Succotash was voted "Best Tasting Dish" of the night! The prize is a Chevette. 8-tracks not included.

1 1-pound can (2 cups) French-style green beans, drained
1 1-pound can (2 cups) whole kernel corn, drained
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup shredded sharp process American cheese
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Combine first 7 ingredients. Place in a 10 x 6 x 1.5” baking dish. Combine crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over top. Bake in a moderate oven (350°) for 30 minutes or until crumbs are toasted.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1953

Grasshopper Pie
Most of the Italians seemed to like the refreshing minty taste of this pie and were relieved to hear it contained no grasshoppers. Be sure to use Kraft Marshmallow Crème like the recipe says or else bad things will happen to you in life!!!

24 cream-filled chocolate cookies, finely crushed
¼ cup margarine, melted
¼ cup milk
few drops peppermint extract
few drops green food colouring
1 jar Kraft Marshmallow Crème
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Combine cookie crumbs and margarine. Press into 9” spring pan, reserving ½ cup of mixture for topping. Gradually add milk, extract and colouring to Kraft Marshmallow Crème, mixing until well blended. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Freeze. Makes 8-10 servings. If desired, substitute ¼ cup green Crème de Menthe for milk. Omit peppermint extract and colouring. Be sure to use Kraft Marshmallow Crème – it’s the new jet-whipped kind made with real egg whites.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1953


Broken Glass Torte
This should’ve been named Torte of Broken Dreams, because it died before it even had a chance to live. As soon as the spring form pan sides were released, it spread out like a bad rash.

1 pkg. lemon gelatin
1 pkg. orange gelatin
1 pkg. lime gelatin
1 pkg. raspberry gelatin
1 ½ cups hot water only for each pkg.
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 cup hot pineapple juice
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
lady fingers or fingers of sponge angel cake

Dissolve each Jell-O separately in 1 ½ cups water. Chill ¾” thick in pans. Cut into cubes ½” thick. Soften plain gelatin in cold water. Dissolve in hot pineapple juice. Cool. Fold in whipped cream into which the sugar and vanilla have been added. Blend coloured gelatin cubes into the whipped cream mixture. Line large spring form with lady fingers or sponge cake. Add cream mixture. Chill. To serve, remove sides from spring form and top torte with plain whipped cream, or cover all with whipped cream. Then cover with coconut plain or tinted. Makes 12-16 servings. May use graham cracker crumbs on top and bottom.

Source: Coffee Club Cook Book, 1960

Lemon Soda Cracker Squares
These tasted as exciting as they look.

Prepare a lemon pie filling as per instructions on the package, but using ½ cup less water than is called for in the recipe. Set aside. Combine the following ingredients into crumbs:
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup coconut, desiccated
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda
10 soda crackers, crushed
Press half of the crumbs into a greased 8x8 square pan. Cover with lemon pie filling and then the remaining crumbs. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Source: Trenton Memorial Cook Book, The Women's Auxiliary of the Canadian Armed Forces, 1969

There was another dish, called Green Rice Bake which everyone thought was pretty good. But I was too drunk distracted and forgot to take a picture. It was tasty, though. Here’s the recipe:

2 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups milk
¾ cup packaged pre-cooked rice (Minute Rice)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 cup shredded sharp process American cheese
½ teaspoon garlic salt
Combine eggs and milk. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 10x6x1.5” baking dish. Bake in slow oven (325) 35-40 minutes or til firm.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1953

All in all, most of the Italians agreed that this year's menu was the tastiest Caker Christmas ever. (A couple of people looked disturbed, but they were first-time guests.) As for the sodium-induced edema, well, let’s just say there were a lot of unzipped boots walking out the door at the end of the night.


From my caker house to yours, all the best for the holiday season. And may your Carousel o’ Cards always be full.

Brian

Rum balls

There’s no point denying it – cakers love booze. Especially around the holiday season. In fact, a recent industry report revealed the top five most popular caker alcohols. They are (in order of preference):

5) Blue Curacao
4) Kahlua
3) Bailey’s Irish Cream (but only the homemade kind because the real stuff is way too expensive)
2) Any wine that’s pink

And at number one…(drumroll please)

1) Rum


I have a hunch that cakers love rum because it’s so versatile. We douse our fruitcakes with it, add it to our eggnog, and even dip our balls in it. Speaking of, these rum balls are pretty easy to make (I suppose that goes without saying), but just make sure you wet your hands with either water or (hiccup) more rum before rolling them in your hands. Otherwise, the sprinkles won’t stick.

I’m off to get a perm for tomorrow night’s Vintage Caker Christmas party. And then I have to clean. Seriously. You don’t know how stressful it is cleaning your house for Italians. They check the light bulbs for dust.

Come back on Monday to see all the party highs, lows, and well, probably more lows.

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons rum
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
Dissolve chocolate and milk in double boiler. Stir in rum. Add crumbs. Mix well. Let sit overnight. Roll into balls and dip in chocolate sprinkles.


Source: What’s Cooking at St. Joseph

Carousel o' Cards

There's nothing more heartwarming than opening your mailbox to find it filled with holiday cards and letters from family and friends. Everyone seems so happy. You never see so many exclamation marks at any other time of the year!!!

Rather than stick your cards in a basket – or worse, the recycling bin – why not make a Carousel o’ Cards to display that paper love in all its glittery glory? I can’t think of a better way to tell the world, “Look at all the people who think I’m worth a stamp!!!”

You just need a large can, some yarn and – what else? – gold spray paint. Oh, and cards. But you’ve got those coming in by the truckload these days.

Instructions

Take a large can (I used a tomato juice can), cut out the bottom and top lid and then spray paint the crap out of it.








Loop yarn all the way around it.









Et voila! Simply slip your card through a yarn string.









Hopefully, you fill yours up. In my case, I don't show the other side.