sisterlings

Peace

2010-07-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

This year my Bible study group began a year-long study on the book of The Revelation. We began our study of the end times with 2 Thessalonians last year, then Daniel, and then in January we began a four part Precept course in The Revelation.

I must say that prior to embarking on this "end-times journey", I didn't really like talking about the end times, or really even reading about them. I always felt like I didn't know what everyone was talking about, and I would get really nervous and scared about what could happen to me or my family. And if I'm going to be completely honest, I could hardly even read about Christian persecution in other countries. It's sad, I know, but I would get almost physically ill hearing about what other believers were going through.

I am now 3/4 of the way through my study. I still have many unanswered questions, and I'm glad I have one more study to go. It has been a study full of charts, lists, and time lines. While I have not become an eschatology expert, I have been given a great gift, and that is the gift of peace! I no longer fear the future. I can't come to any conclusions yet, but I realize that the world is so much bigger than I thought, and God is sovereign over all! Best of all, I can now read about my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world who are being persecuted because of their faith in Christ. My fear has been replace with compassion and an urgent need to pray for them. I am amazed again and again at the power of the Word of God, and it's life changing applications for our lives.

ginger-peach jam

2010-07-02T15:20:00.003-07:00

It is so nice to have homemade jam to put on the breakfast table. This time of year, fresh fruit and berries are in abundance, so take advantage and make some jam! So far this year I've made raspberry, strawberry and last night I tried a new flavor...ginger peach. Yum.

Let me clarify that when I say jam, I mean that I made freezer jam. It is so easy, and there is no boiling of jars or parafin wax involved. It will keep 3 weeks in your fridge, and up to one year in your freezer.

And besides fresh fruit, all you need to make it is pectin & these cute jars.

I use the recipe right on the back of the pectin package. The peach recipe called for:

Three pounds peeled & crushed (with a potato masher) peaches

(I threw in two tablespoons minced crystalized ginger. Look for it in the bulk section at your supermarket)

Bring the peaches/crystalized ginger mixture to a boil. Add 1 & 1/2 cups sugar. Let it sit ten minutes. Add pectin from package and stir three minutes. Pour it into your jars and let them sit for 30 minutes.

Voile!

Serve it to these beauties for breakfast for the next year : ).

decorating with embroidery hoops

2010-06-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told you about Palouse Treasures?

One of my favorite things to pick up at the Treas was embroidery hoops. They usually ranged in price from $.25-$1.00. Lately sis Meg and I have been decorating with them quite a bit. Hopefully this post will be part one of two (and Meg will supply post two...hint...hint. I'm dying to see what she did with her hoops). She has three little boys and a part-time job, and just moved into a new house, but I can' t imagine why she can't find time to blog.

I recently used them to make this arrangement in Natasha's room. I apologize for the pictures; the lighting in our rental house is pretty much horrible.

Here is the story behind each piece.

I copied this owl from Pottery Barn. He is made out of felt (Meg and I went a little crazy with felt last year.)

This one is a little freehand embroidery I made last year, on a whim, when I was really into embroidery hoops, buttons and sewing on linen.

Doesn't this towel look vintage? It's not. I stole a set of these kitchen towels it in a family giftexchange last Christmas. A friend of Darren's Grandmother made it. The towels were way too cute to use in the kitchen, so I framed this one for Natasha's room.

There are lots of other uses for embroidery hoops, including:

1. framing an initial or embroidery you have sewn and giving it as a gift.

2. framing a fabric remnant. I like to use retro Christmas fabric in my giant embroidery hoop at Christmastime.

The possibilities are endless! How have you decorated with embroidery hoops...Meg?

birthday cake how-to

2010-06-28T17:29:00.003-07:00

Want to know how I made...this?

If not, read no further.

This is obviously Natasha's second birthday cake. She loves Mickey and Minnie. I documented the making of her cake last February, and then I got busy for...like...five months. Oops. Better late than never!

I think it's easy to make a cute birthday cake at home, but some people don't believe me, so here is a tutorial (FROM A NOVICE...)

1. First I baked two heart cakes, both from boxes, using a 12-inch Wilton heart pan my friend Jocelyn gave me last year. (She is a really thoughtful gift-giver, and figured since Natasha and I both have birthdays in February, we needed a heart pan. Thanks Jocey!) I wanted the cake to be pretty inside when cut open, so I think I made one red velvet layer and one cherry chip layer. Sorry. It was a long time ago.

**CAKE TIP #1: After your baked cakes have cooled, wrap them in saran wrap and freeze them, overnight if possible. This makes them incredibly moist and also easier to frost. Thanks Jody for the tip.

**CAKE TIP #2: When using a pan larger than 9", your cake will need help to bake evenly. Cut up strips of an old dish towel and soak them in water, then wrap the strips around the outside of the cake pan before baking (I used metal kitchen clips to secure the strips.)

2. For the base of my cake, I turned over the cake pan I had used to bake. This gives the cake height and makes the presentation more dramatic. To protect thebottom of the pan from knife-cutting-marks, I traced the shape of the pan onto wax-paper, cut out the wax-paper heart and put it on top of the pan, under the bottom red layer of cake.

3. For the filling, I used

pudding. I had heard that makes cake even more moist, and boy is that true! I used a box of van

illa pudding and prepared it according to the directions on the box. I also added red food coloring to make the filling pink. Then I spread the pudding onto the red cake. There was pudding left over, so I stored it in these monkey cups from the dollar store and the kids ate it for dessert.

4. Next I added the top layer to my cake. I don't know why the saran wrap ripped the top of this layer off; if you have the answer, please let me know.

5. When frosting, I do the top of the cake first.

Pile a bunch of icing in the middle of your cake. Spread it out from there. Crouch down and look at eye level, turning the cake around gradually to make sure the top is level.

**CAKE TIP #3: for easier icing, microwave your frosting in ten-second intervals until soft but not runny.

**CAKE TIP #4: buy one of these spreaders from The Pampered Chef. Thank you to my sister Kelly who keeps me supplied with Pampered Chef products! I have a large spreader for cakes and a small one for cupcakes. So worth it.

6. Then I ice the sides. This is where the pampered chef tool really comes in handy, an

d where using the pan as a base for your cake is key. After you carefully pile a bunch of icing on the

side, use the edge of the froster to slide it along the cake, using the pan-base as your guide. You can get the sides perfectly flat, even and flush with the bottom of the pan (don't worry about making a mess. I cleaned it up later with a paper towel.)

7. Beautiful. Although next time I think I will make the top perfectly flat. For some reason, I thought those swirls on top kind of looked good...at the time.

8. Decorate the top. I highly recommend using your kids favorite toys to decorate the tops of their cakes!! I've done it for every birthday cake I've done so far (I use their toys to decorate for their party, too. When Wes turned five, we lined all his transformers up across the back of the cake table after wrapping the table itself in leftover transformer wrapping paper...from his fourth birthday. Am I frugal or what?).

9. Result: One happy child. And lots and lots of happy guests who will shriek "you made this?!?!"

People are so easy to please : )

Me gusta Tortilla Soup

2009-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is from the amazing cookbook that Kelly gave me, entitled "101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker". I make this soup all the time. I have served it to company, too. It gives me a chance to use one of my two beautiful soup tureens, which is the REAL motivation behind it. Everyone hearts it! I double it, BTW:

Tortilla Soup:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use chicken thighs), cooked and shredded

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth

2 cans (14 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, chopped, with liquid

1 cup medium salsa

2 tbsp dried cilantro (never been able to find it at the store)

1 tbsp ground cumin

3-4 flour or corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips

cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients except tortilla strips in greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or on low heat 8-10 hours. Ladle hot soup into individual serving bowls over strips of flour tortilla and grated Montery Jack or cheddar cheese. Makes 6-8 servings.

Serve with tortilla chips with guacamole and sour cream.

The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing...

2008-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

After being virtually snowed in for the past three days, here's what I've accomplished:
many, many crafts and projects- ZERO household duties, cleaning, and laundry...

But don't worry. I'm catching up on laundry as I type, and vow to have the house clean and ready for you, Sam, when you get here on Friday.

These nice little pillows are filled with whole, raw flax seed and scented with 100% essential peppermint oil (found at a natural food store).

The flax seed retain heat really well, and are easily warmed up in the microwave. I warmed mine up the other night, when it was freezing, and put it under the covers at the foot of the bed. It warmed the covers quite well, and it was nice that I didn't have to wake up to unplug a cord (like you would with a heating pad).

They can also be stored in the freezer, in a ziploc bag, to be used as a cold pack. The peppermint is a fresh, non-overpowering scent that is cooling and not too sweet. It kind of smells like a peppermint tea bag. I got the idea from a pattern online for a rice heat therapy bag, but heard from a friend that the flax seed feels nicer and can be bought in bulk at Winco for 96 cents a pound. If you're going to make these, follow the pattern for the rice bag- she gives great instructions. I don't know if she mentions this in her tutorial, though: use 100% cotton fabric and thread, as synthetic materials may melt in the microwave. What a disaster that would be...

I also attempted to sew some beanies, which will hopefully fit the little heads I made them for (I tried them on the boys for size, but we'll just have to wait and see...) They look much cuter on a head...

More Magnets

2008-11-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

I hope my mother in law isn't reading this-

Here are some little name magnets I made for part of her Christmas present- there's one for each of her 7 grandkids.

This is a great handmade gift for those who like to display photos on their refrigerators- and who doesn't love personalized gifts?

These magnets are small, so you need very little paper and supplies.

You don't have to do names, either. Look at what you have and go from there- a set of little coordinating square magnets would be cute, with simple ribbon or buttons attached, or a monogram, like I made here- with a letter "H" sticker.

Supplies:
magnet strips or sheets (found at a craft store)
paper (card stock is best, but any kind will do)
ribbon
brads
vise grips or pliers
glue stick
hot glue gun
Mod Podge (I used the glossy finish)
scissors, paintbrush

For the name magnets, I bought a roll of magnet strips, and cut them into 2 1/2 inch pieces. One side is sticky, so just adhere your first layer of paper to it and trim the edges off. Here they are:

Next, print your names on whatever paper you want (I just used white computer paper). For mine I used a 36 pt. font size. Cut out the names and glue to a different color of card stock or paper, offsetting the left side so that you can add an embellishment. Trim the edges so that it will be centered on your magnet, with the background paper showing on all sides.

Next, glue your name tags to the magnets. Get out your Mod Podge and paint an even coat over the top. Take care not to brush too many strokes over the name, because the ink could bleed.

I painted mine right on the fridge, so that they would remain flat and not warp or bubble up whilst drying.

Cut your ribbon and get the brads or buttons ready to glue on. I used brads, twisting the prongs off with my husband's trusty vise grips.

Apply a second coat of Mod Podge, if desired. When the magnets are completely dried, wrap your ribbon around the left side, adhering it with hot glue on the back of the magnet. Flatten the glue out with your finger while it's still hot, so that it doesn't form a hard glob on the back (which would prevent the magnet from laying flat on the fridge). Next, using hot glue, stick the brad on the center of the ribbon, and there you have it- finished product!

This was such an inexpensive project. All I had to buy were the magnet strips (which I have a ton of left over) and more Mod Podge (I have a bottle of matte, which I'm pretty sure dates back to high school. I wanted a gloss finish for these.)

2008-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

How funny is this title??

This is an actual section from Great Grandma Evans' "The American Woman's Cookbook"- circa 1949. This section is a particularly entertaining read. Did the majority of people back then really have maids? I know Grandma Evans didn't!

I love this cookbook- it's a family treasure full of old, crisp little newspaper clippings she had tucked between the pages, and notes about recipes she frequently used. I usually pull it out around Christmas to look through the cookie recipes and then find myself reading through it, imagining an era not that long ago- yet so vastly different from the times we're living in now.

This book has some very strange sounding recipes that I'm sure were popular fare during that time period...."Prune Chiffon Pie"- hmmm, sounds interesting. And then there's one I found for "Jellied Consumme with Sherry"- some sort of broth and sherry jello- again, very curious sounding...don't know if I'd ever try that one!

Growing up, we always used the sugar cookie recipe out of this cookbook- Sam's handwriting is in the page's margins: "bake 8 minutes instead of 12 so they don't BURN."- so funny.

Here's the recipe for popovers- when was the last time you had these??

Popovers
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 TBSP melted butter
Sift flour and salt together. Beat eggs and add milk, butter and sifted dry ingredients. Beat until smooth with electric mixer. Fill greased muffin pans 1/2 full and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce temp. to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer. Makes 8 popovers.
*Make sure your milk and eggs are at least room temperature or warm before mixing. It's best to let the batter rest for an hour before baking, too.*

Another recipe I wanted to share is from my friend Michelle- she's shared several easy, family friendly recipes with me that I use all the time. Here's one of my faves. Its like a cross between an apple pie and apple cobbler, and such a cinch to prepare. Thanks, Michelle!

Swedish Apple Pie
About 5 apples, peeled and sliced
3 TBSP. Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
-Mix all of these together and fill a 9 inch pie pan.

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
-Melt butter and shortening and mix with remaining ingredients. (Mixture will be lumpy and pour slowly). Spread over top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the top is brown and crisp.

At Home, Will Craft

2008-11-09T15:07:00.001-08:00

Miles was sick yesterday, so I found myself stuck at home, unable to leave all day long. I decided to take advantage of the situation and quickly got to crafting, making some nice little scripture bookmarks and new zuzu baby tags.

The bookmarks are quite simple, and I found that although I don't have a special paper-corner cutter, I was able to round off and decoratively cut the corners just by using craft scissors. (You know, with the differently shaped edges?)

After downloading some new, free fonts from a free font website, I chose a couple of my favorite verses to use. I then searched Microsoft's free online clip art website for some coordinating pictures.

Here's some of the new felt clippies I made for zuzu baby- Sam, the tags are on their way to you...

Oh yeah, and a sweet little blue dahlia headband.

Blast and Retch

2008-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Man, last month I was looking at all the fake fruit I had sitting around, wondering what in the world I could do with it, when all of a sudden I had the best idea!

Then the November, 2008 Pottery Barn catalog came in the mail. There, on the cover, was my idea; I am not exaggerating. I wish I had documented it on the blog BEFORE I got the catalog. Then maybe I'd have some royalties coming my way...RABBIT!

This Holiday season, when you are decorating your table, consider using fake fruit for placecards:

1. Write out the name of each guest who will be attending the meal. Use any type of cardstock and pen.

2. Using decorative pushpins, pin each placecard onto a fake piece of fruit. And there you have it.

So I saw the best movie a couple of weeks ago. On Friday afternoons, after staff meeting and naptime, I have been walking down to the Library with the kids. It has been such a great way to enjoy crisp Fall weather, and all the colors of the season! At our Library, you can borrow up to six DVDs per week, and there is a great selection of Foreign Films, Academy Award Winning/Nominated Features, Non-Fiction Documentary type movies, and lots of kids choices, too. I started choosing four for Darren and I, and two for the kids (usually Baby Einstein). One of my favorites that I have seen so far was from Denmark, called "After the Wedding" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_wedding. Don't read the "plot" portion on this Wikipedia link, because it will ruin the whole thing!! I think you girls would love it. Suh!

p.s. Meg, button magnets = genius

Button Magnets

2008-10-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

If you make crafts or sew, you're probably like me and have a surplus of buttons lying around. Here's a fun way to turn them into cute little magnets for yourself or to give as a nice handmade gift.

I used buttons that I already had to make autumn and Christmas themed magnets. You can find so many cute shapes and different colors at the craft/fabric store, the possibilities are endless. This is a really inexpensive project- (especially if you use a Joann's or Michael's coupon).

All you need:
buttons of various shapes and sizes
embroidery floss (optional, but adds a nice touch)
"button" magnets (I found some at a craft store- 50 pieces for around $2)
hot glue gun

1. Thread and tie the embroidery floss onto your desired button.

2.Apply a dab of hot glue to your button and press onto a magnet. For a two tone look, hot glue a smaller button on top a larger one.

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

2008-10-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

With all the birds and squirrels scurrying around this time of year, what better craft to make with your kids than a pine cone bird feeder?
One scrub jay, a couple of finches and a squirrel had all partaken in a seed feast within about an hour after hanging ours from a tree in the back yard. Cole really enjoyed making the feeder, and both boys loved watching the different creatures eating the seeds. Here's how to make them, step by step:

Materials:
Large pine cones (I found mine at the park)
twine or other string
vegetable shortening
oatmeal or cornmeal
bird seed (I used some from Winco's bulk section)

1.Tie a long piece of string around the base of a pine cone.
2.Mix about 1/2 cup of the shortening with 1/2 cup oatmeal or cornmeal. (This makes enough to cover about 1 large pine cone.) Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, spread shortening mixture onto the pine cone, covering thoroughly.
3. Pour the birdseed into a shallow pan or dish. Place the shortening-covered pine cone into the dish of birdseed and cover, using your hands to scoop up and press the birdseed into the pine cone.
4.Your feeder is ready to go. Tie it to a tree branch and watch your fine feathered and bushy-tailed friends descend upon the tasty seed smorgasbord!

I caught this little rascal going to town on one of the feeders. Hey, leave some for the birds!

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

2008-10-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

I love fall!! This last Saturday, we took a trip to the pumpkin patch. Everyone picked out their own pumpkin. My rule is, you have to be able to carry your pumpkin (not Mom or Dad). This year, we had three cousins with us, so we had six pumpkins all together. I picked out a pretty big one, and Ty and Ryley had moderate sized ones. Our pumpkins only cost us $13, which is a steal when the grocery store pumpkins are $4.99 each!! Anyway, my favorite thing to do after carving my pumpkin is to prepare the seeds. This recipe is delicious! You can find it on Martha's website, but I'll post it here and save you the trouble. These seeds are good as snacks, or sprinkled on a salad. I always rinse my seeds really good after separating them from the pulp. Then I roll them in a towel to dry. This doesn't dry them completely, but it gets all of the excess moisture off. Once you have done that, you are ready for the recipe. Enjoy!

1 cup pumpkin seeds, prepared as above

3 T sugar, then 2 T sugar

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cumin

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, I don't use)

1 1/2 T peanut oil (must use, don't substitute)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread seeds on parchment. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Combine 3 T sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne in a bowl large enough to add the seeds later. Heat peanut oil over high heat. Add seeds and 2 T sugar. Cook 45 to 60 seconds (this varies; be sure that your seeds are toasty brown in color, otherwise they won't be crisp; I cooked mine close to three minutes this time). Transfer seeds to spices and stir. Let cool. Store for 1 week in container.

Lightsaber (Wightsaver) Tutorial

2008-10-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Since both Wes and Cole are going to be Darth Vader http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_vader for Halloween this year, I decided to figure out how to make my own Lightsaber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_saberfor the costume. I actually ended up making two, one green and one blue, but Wes annihilated both of them. I knew I had to make another one before October 31st rolled around, but I had to wait until I had both another empty paper towel roll and another toilet paper roll.

First, gather your supplies. You will need:
1.One empty paper towel tube
2.One empty toilet paper tube (please make sure the tubes are the same diameter...some aren't)
3.Glue dots, a glue gun, double sided tape, or another adhesive of your choice
4.Black sharpie
5.Red sharpie and scrap paper or red cardstock
6.Scissors
7.One piece blue, yellow, red or green 12"x 12" scrapbooking paper

Instructions:
1. Aligning one end of the paper towel tube flush with one end of the scrapbook paper, roll the sheet of paper all the way around the tube, tightly. One edge of the paper will be flush with one edge of the tube; on the other end, you will have about 1 and 1/2 inches of paper, which is perfect.
2. Using the chosen adhesive (glue dots are pictured, but hot glue works even better), glue down the edge of the paper onto itself, the full length of the tube. Use the force.

*Remember, one end will have the paper flush with the end of the tube; the other will have over an inch of paper longer than the end. THIS IS GOOD. 3. Using your Black Sharpie, color the toilet paper tube black. This is going to be the handle of your weapon. Since it will slide nicely into the end of the tube which has extra paper hanging down, you don't need to color to the very end of the toilet paper tube, although you can if you want to.

4. Once the toilet paper tube is colored, apply adhesive to one end (the uncolored one, if you left it) and slide it into the end of the covered paper towel tube...the end with the extra paper, as shown. You're almost finished!

5. If you have red cardstock, simply cut out a red circle and adhere it to the black handle, near the top of the handle. This is the power button. I used a Red Sharpie and colored a piece of scrap paper, then cut out a circle and used it for the button.

May the force be with you.

Pesto Pizza

2008-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe because it's a take on one of my favorite combination of foods- basil, tomato and mozzarella. Nothing speaks of summer cuisine more than a fresh caprese salad! Plus it's really easy to prepare if you use store bought pesto- but we all know how nothing beats the fresh, homemade stuff.
So with the rainy season finally beginning here in October (and no end of that in sight until, say, July 2009) here's a perfect way to bring that fresh summer taste into even the darkest of Northwest winter days.

I hadn't tried Boboli in maybe 10 years- or more, I don't know. Well, I'm glad I gave it another try. The thin crust is the only way to go, though.

1 large Boboli Crust
1/4 cup pesto
2 plum tomatos
4 oz. grated mozzarella
salt and pepper

Spread pesto onto pizza. Layer with sliced tomato and then cheese. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Bake in a 450 degree oven on a baking sheet for about 8-10 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Once again, a recipe from an old "Everyday Food" magazine.

Missus Smarty Pants

2008-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://http//www.missussmartypants.com/This website has been my best friend this last month. Not only have I learned some great things about style, I have also found the BEST CLOTHING DEALS!! Whoo hoo! At first, I didn't think that you faces would be interested in a website such as this, seeing as how you both are such great dressers. However, the deals are too great to pass up. I signed up for a year ($30), and I receive a Personal Profile Shopping Guide every week. To get signed up, I had to first choose my body type (that's easy, no hips, undefined waist, broad shoulders, slender legs). There are 5 different body types to choose from, and you can send in a photo of yourself if you can't decide, and MSP will decide for you. Once I had my body type (and paid my $$) I could view the shopping guides. She posts four at a time, starting with the most recent. Each week when she posts the new guide, the oldest one gets deleted. Each shopping guide includes four tops, four jackets or sweaters, four skirts or dresses, four pants, shants or shorts, four pairs of shoes, and four handbags, jewelry or scarves. At the end of each shopping guide, she puts one outfit together out of the articles of clothing she has chosen. Each weekly guide comes from a different store (Penney's, Kohls, Chadwicks, Coldwater Creek, Nordstrom, NY & Co. etc.). When I first signed up, I printed out the oldest guide on there (4 weeks old), and decided I'd look on there to see what I liked and what was available. I discovered that since it was a month old, everything on there was, for the most part, on sale or on clearance! I bought a few things in August, which meant I was mostly buying summer things at the end of summer. It worked out okay. I wore the things a few times, and now I have cute things for next summer. Some examples of good deals: a skort for $4, a knee length denim pencil skirt for $10, the short booties for $13!! I have added to my earring collection, which needed to be beefed up. Now, there have been things that I've had to return or exchange (which is pretty much how it is when you are shopping online). It's worth it though, because now I never wind up having the same clothes as all my friends. A bonus with each weekly shopping guide is an article. Here are some examples of articles: Bridging from Summer into Fall, One item 3 Ways, Great Winter Coats. Plus she helps you find your colors, and has a special article for talls and petites. Okay, enough said. If you're looking for great clothing deals, check it out!

Reusable Coffee Sleeve

2008-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

This is a fun and easy project that anyone can do, and is great to give as a gift to anyone who likes "green" alternatives to stuff we throw away a lot (like coffee sleeves). I happened to have an abundance of black and orange felt, so decided it would be appropriate to create a Beavers/Halloween inspired sleeve. It just so happened that I finished this little project yesterday, when Oregon State defeated No.1 USC in Corvallis- what terrific timing!

Paired with a Starbucks card, this is a perfect coffee lover's gift. I think it would be cute to make a monogrammed sleeve, or even a plain sleeve with different felt colors or stripes. The possibilities are endless, and all it costs is a few cents and very little time.

Materials:
coffee sleeve (to use as a template)
felt
embroidery floss
hot glue gun
scissors
needle

If you use a Starbucks sleeve as your template, make sure to cut off the top of the logo circle, so that you have a straight line across the top.

Using a fabric pencil or chalk, trace the outline of the coffee sleeve onto the felt. Cut out two identical felt sleeves (unless you have really thick felt, in which case one layer will probably work fine).

using a blanket stitch, stitch together the edges of the two sleeve layers.

Fold the felt sleeve like the paper sleeve, to make sure the size is the same. Using hot glue, attach the back flaps of the sleeve. *Sam also told me she has seen them made with velcro on the flap closures, so their size is more adjustable.*

I attached a little felt & button flower to the front of my sleeve.

You're done!

A goose, a monster and a chicken

2008-09-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

I had been eyeing a set of twelve goose napkin rings at Palouse Treasures (see previous entry on the Treas). I'm pretty sure napkin rings of this nature are considered "country", and while I have nothing against country decor, I wasn't sure if the geese would fit in on my dining room table. (Plus, they were 50 cents apiece, which isn't exactly a steal at a thrift shop.) Everytime I visited the store, however, I would stand and look at them longingly for a long time...so I decided to buy one, and repurpose her...as a ring holder! She now sits in my bathroom, looking up at the cieling forever, holding all my rings around her neck.

One of my favorite books, of all time, is definitely Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein. Shelley wrote it when she was only nineteen years old, which is remarkable in itself. She was competing with some of her friends to see who could write the scariest story...and, well, Frankenstein is scary. Just ask Meg about the part where the Monster runs towards Frankenstein across the snow...baaaaah! But this novel is also the compelling story of one creature's quest for love; somehow, because of how well the book is written, one ends up feeling sorry for a murderous monster, whose only real desire is for relationships with other people.

And finally, here is a chub recipe for the coming Winter...it is for your crockpot!

Sunday Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up and skin removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups chicken broth
6 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
Dumplings:
1 cup all-purpse flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk

**In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper; add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil; remove and keep warm. Gradually add broth to the skillet; bring to a boil.

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer the carrots, celery and onion; sprinkle with rosemary. Add the chicken and hot broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken juices run clear, vegetables are tender and stew is bubbling. Stir in peas.

For dumplings, in a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary. Combine the egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto simmering chicken mixture. Cover and cook on high for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmerin). Yield: 6 servings.

Feeling Crabby

2008-09-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

After crabbing last weekend, we came home with a cooler chock full of fresh crab meat- way more than we could eat in a couple of days. So on Sunday night, while watching the CW, I dug out about 2 1/2 pounds of crab meat to use in various recipes I had found. I froze a lot of it (which will really only work in dips or soups), and found a couple of great recipes for the remaining. The best one we tried was from "Betty Crocker's Bridal Edition Cookbook"- one of my favorite cookbooks that I received as a wedding present from Sam. Here it is:

Easy Crab Cakes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups soft bread crumbs
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3/4 pound cooked crabmeat, or 2-6 ounce cans crabmeat, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

mix mayonnaise and egg in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except oil and dry bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 6 patties, about 3 inches in diameter.

heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Coat each patty with dry bread crumbs. Cook in oil over medium heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and hot in center. Serve with lemon wedges or aioli mustard sauce.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2008-09-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine gave me a great tip for making banana bread. When your bananas are too ripe to eat, freeze them. When you are ready to use them, pull them out and let them defrost on the counter. Snip the end of, and squeeze the inside of the banana out into your measuring cup. The consistency of the banana is just right for perfect banana bread.

KELLY'S CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan (or mini loaf pans). (I use the Pam spray that has flour in it, it works great!!)

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake at least one hour, although I usually wind up baking for 1 and 1/4 hours. Use a toothpick to make sure it's done. Turn out onto your fantastic cooling rack to cool.

This will probably be in my Christmas goodie baskets, so don't get sick of it!!

Nut Wreath Tutorial

2008-09-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have a large one of these nut wreaths hanging on the door of my coat closet, right when you come in my front door. My sister Meghann made one before I did, after she saw one in Martha Stewart. I probably get asked about it more than anything in my house, so I thought I would post a tutorial on how to make one.

Supplies:

a. Equal parts Walnuts, Brazil nuts, Hazelnuts and Almonds. The amount that you will need depends entirely on how big the wreath is that you are making. I buy these nuts in bulk at Winco every Fall. Buy more than you think you will need, because you can use the leftovers either to decorate, or to make a mini-nut-wreath.

b. Hot Glue Gun and quite a few glue sticks.

c. A foam wreath, or any other kind of wreath form.

Step 1: begin glueing nuts in a ring right on the front of the wreath, alternating the type of nut you use as you go. Definitely start on the front of your wreath, as this will be the part people see first, and you can fit the nuts most closely together when you are just beginning.

Step 2: once you have completed one ring, begin another ring either just inside or just outside the ring you made right on the front.

Step 3: once you've completed three rings of nuts around the wreath, from the top it will look like it's finished. But if you look at it from the side, you can see that it needs the very outside and the center filled in.

Step 4: begin filling in the nuts around the outer edge of the wreath. Keep in mind that this is the part of the wreath that will be flush against a wall, so when glueing the nuts on this portion, make sure you're keeping the wreath down against your work surface. You don't want random nuts making the finished product sit up off of the wall.

Step 5: now fill in the center of your wreath. See Step four and follow the same instructions for keeping the wreath flat while you work.

Step 6: hang that nutty wreath on a wall, and admire your handiwork! Now, give it as a gift to your BFF, your MIL, or anyone else who will appreciate a handmade, artsy gift. This wreath measure 7" in diameter, from outside edge to outside edge. This is the smallest the wreath can be; any smaller and the nuts in the middle will almost touch on either side. I have made ones much larger than this, but keep in mind that the wreath can get very heavy if made too large!

2008-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

My favorite store on the Palouse is "Palouse Treasures". A splendid thrift store, it is the only place of which I know (say that with a Pooh accent) where most things cost less than the dollar store, yet are usually higher quality. The cool thing is that it is a non-profit organization to help the disabled and mentally challenged. It is, essentially, their store. The money that you use to purchase your new treasures goes right back to helping them. I love the staff and the volunteers. Everyone there is really nice!

With Fall rapidly approaching, I decided it was time to update our home's decor. I'm not completely into holiday-themed decorating, but I like to add at least a couple of items with a slight "Halloween" flavor. I found this little guy yesterday at "The Treas" (pronounced as if you are shortening Treasures; you Faces know what I mean) I decided that he looked festive with little berries coming out of his head. I picked up the berries while I was there, too.

I think these two items cost me a total of $1.00, or maybe even less.

The other thing I love about this store is that Wes loves to go there. They have toys strewn all over the store, so wherever I am in the store, there is sure to be a car nearby for him to drive around. If he asks to bring a toy home, all I have to say is, "what do you have to do to bring that toy home?" (He knows that the answer is "poop on the potty", and since that is the last thing he ever wants to do in life, he refrains from asking for any more toys...at least for the rest of that shopping trip.) This vintage lime green pillow is another item I snagged yesterday. It looks so nice on my bed with the purple chenille pillow mom gave me (do you guys remember that purple pillow from the condo??!).

I love getting scarves out and hanging them in the entryway to add another punch of Fall colors. My friend just brought back the orange Pashmina from Sienna, Italy, and the green scarf in the middle is the one you brought back from Peru last year, Kel! It's good to be globally concious when doing seasonal updating. Luckily the striped scarf on the right is a classic JCrew number, there to represent the good old US of A.

All in all, this decorating cost me about $2.00, and is nice and understated and un-cheezy. Just the way I like it.

If only this blog had audio...Sesame Street is on in the background, and Bert is doin' the pigeon.
Posted by Sam

Barbequed Chicken Pizza

2008-09-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

1 pound store bought frozen pizza dough
2 cups shredded chicken (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup store bought bbq sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper

preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 15-by-10-inch oval. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken and barbeque sauce. Leaving a 1 inch border, scatter chicken mixture over dough. Sprinkle with cheese, then zucchini and onion. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

This received rave reviews from Jon tonight. You may recognize it- it's out of an old "Everyday Food" magazine. I heart that mag!

Homemade "picture" frames

2008-09-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun and cute way to display your little one's artwork. The frames are made out of cardboard covered with fabric, and a plastic sheet protector attached in the center.
What you'll need:
scrap fabric
some sort of padding ( I used old torn up bath towels)
large cardboard box
ric rac or other ribbon for hanging
3 buttons per hanging
computer paper
nails
staple gun
hot glue gun
hammer

Cut out desired size of frames from a cardboard box (mine are about 10x15 inches- the sides of a Kirkland wipes box). Cover with your padding material first, and staple onto the cardboard(make sure your staples are not too long or they'll poke through the front!).
Next, cover with your fabric choice and staple on top of the padding.

Cut out your desired length of ribbon for hanging the frame- mine is about 20 inches long. Staple this on both top front corners of the frame. Hot glue a button so that it covers both the staple and the cut end of the ribbon.

Cut off the three ring tab of a plastic sheet protector. For the center of the frame, I first hot glued a plain sheet of computer paper to the fabric, then glued the back of a plastic sheet protector to that, so that the pattern of my fabric wouldn't be visible through any "artwork" displayed. Make sure your sheet protector is attached right side up, so that the paper won't fall out.

Okay, now just hammer in your nail wherever you want it, then hot glue a matching button to its head.

Voila! You're frames are ready to display your little Picasso's (or Jackson Pollock's) masterpieces!