Well, we got word last night that Thursday will be the first day with our little visitor! DH and the kids better be doing some super heavy duty cleaning today while I am away! So much to do and not a lot of time to do it! When my day is done with mom today, I have to go home and do lots of cleaning and such (ya know those things I am not real fond of anyway LOL). I want a safe and happy visiting place for the little man to be. Ah babies, babies, everywhere! First kids, then cats, then bunnies, and now back to kids! The circle of life LOL! Ain’t it great?
Speaking of great… you wanna see the greatest thing? I mean so incredibly cute its almost unbearable?! LOL… Look… this is Miracle and Rescue playing together! I normally have been using the bed as a playpen for the bunny to exercise, and miracle was being nosey, so I let them “meet” LOL. I figure if Miracle can see what the white ball of fluff is, he will be less likely to harass her in the cage… I am hoping anyway! LOL… and I have to remember a salt wheel for Rescue… it’s the one thing I forgot. I remembered when she started licking me LOL!
How about this for cute! My mother harvested this the other day… think it was Sunday when I was over there. She actually got some potatoes to grow! And those green things are okra and on top are some elongated bell peppers! Isn’t that so cool! I’m jealous of the potatoes and the okra LOL! My okra plants are still kinda babies… not growing to incredibly fast, but hopefully soon! And I’ve never grown potatoes before so I can’t really be too jealous LOL! But I think it’s so cool!
So are you ready for today’s craft? With only 177 days left until Christmas (and 27 until I start working on that countdown), I am beginning to think of ideas for everyone. I have big problems with gifting the GUYS in my family most of the time… My Dad buys whatever he wants whenever he wants then tells me he doesn’t want anything (he better watch out, I got a jar of nothing now LOL!), and my first brother… well he’s a very unique person… HARD to gift. My baby brother is easy… he just likes food LMAO! There are 2 things I make (and one of them ONLY at Christmas time) that he absolutely LOVES and REFUSES to make himself LOL! Buttermilk Pie and Crepes! So he asks for nothing but those every year! LOL! I have even given him the recipe so he could make them, but he “claims I do something special to them… like stick my finger in the batter or something.” LMAO he is such a nerd LMAO! But I love him and what he doesn’t know is I will be getting his GF to learn to make them this year too! LMAO! But all year long I hear hints of Buttermilk pies and crepes to annoy me… but it just makes me laugh LOL! Anyway, so if you are like me, gifting for guys tends to be a major pain in the butt! So today I am bringing you something for them that they should like… guys like their cars and music right? Well why not make them a CD holder for their car. You ever see those ones you can buy in the stores that hang on the visor? Yea… those are so easy to make, its not funny! And you can make them for women too… its great! So here is your…
Craft Idea of the Day: Visor CD Holder
Materials:
Cotton fabric or a non scratching fabric (Novelty Prints are great for gift giving)
Craft weight fusible interfacing
Thread
1" wide Elastic ( 2 - 7" Pieces)
Cutting Instructions:
Cut 2 pieces of fabric 12" by 7" (Back both pieces with fusible craft weight interfacing)
Cut 10 pieces (all with the right side of the fabric facing up) to the measurements shown in this diagram.
Directions:
Note: All Directions use 1/2" Seam allowance!
On the angled edge of the pocket pieces, press under 1/4" and press under again, to enclose the raw edge. Stitch the hem.
Starting 1/2 from one end, place the pockets an even distance from each other with the last pocket lining up with the end of the 12" by 7" piece. Placement should be approximately 5/8" apart. Pin the pockets in to place.
Starting with the end pocket, stitch the pocket to the backing piece along the straight edge of the pocket. Once the pocket is stitched, fold it back out of the way and stitch the straight edge of the next pocket. Repeat until all the pockets are attached.
Lay all pockets flat and press. Baste the edges to hold the pockets in place.
Lay the elastic on top of the pockets 2" from each end. Stitch the elastic in to place in the 1/2" seam a allowance.
Take the second 12" by 7" piece and place it right sides together, on top of the pocket section. Starting on a 12" edge, stitch around the edges, leaving a 2" to 3" opening to turn the CD holder right sides out.
Trim the seam allowances (except at the area you left open) and the corners to eliminate bulk. Turn right sides out. Turn elastic to the back side.
Press the opening seam allowance inward, and press the whole CD holder flat.
Top stitch 1/4" from the edge all the way around.
You will want the wide part of the pocket to be at the bottom. Adjust the direction you place the pockets to have a holder for the drivers side and the passenger side of your vehicle.
Well kids, its time for another day of Dollar Store Dining! Today we will be tickling the taste buds with some frugal sides and soups! I tell you when I first picked up this book, I was like OMG are you serious? Some of the recipes in there are pretty smart… that led to my desire to try them! Just reinforced what I have believed for a very long time… that you can make a meal out of just about anything and that it doesn’t have to be expensive to taste or even look good! I admit it… I am a Dollar Store Junkie LOL! And I am lucky that where I am at, we have a few different ones all around us! So when browsing through this book, a couple of soups and sides jumped out at me from the 29 interesting choices this book has and I wanted to bring them to you today. I hope you like them… eat & enjoy!
Alu Bhaji (Savory Fried Potatoes)
Makes: 4 servings
Cost: About $3.99
These are a great accompaniment to Naan (a baked good) and also make a good filling for Chapatis (an hors d’oeuvres). When serving with Naan, include a yogurt dipping sauce to balance this great snack. Since it is also delicious when cold, it would be a nice variation of potato salad for a picnic.
Ingredients:
1 cup Spice Box dried chopped onions (use fresh onions if available)
2 (15 oz.) cans of Libby’s whole white potatoes
1 tablespoon Albergo olive/canola oil
1/4 teaspoon El Pique cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Spice Box turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Spice Box Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon Baja Pacific salt
Directions:
1. Soak dried onions in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drain.
2. Rinse and drain potatoes. Boil in hot water to heat through without allowing the potatoes to get mushy. Remove from heat, drain, and dice.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry cumin seeds until aromatic.
4. Add onions and fry until golden.
5. Add turmeric and chili powder. Stir, then add potatoes, sprinkle in salt, and toss to mix well. Serve hot or cold.
(***HELPFUL HINT*** A slice of raw potato will keep down the pain and swelling of a bee sting.)
Ham Chowder with Sweet Potato Biscuits
Makes: about 8 servings
Cost: about $7.99
Ingredients:
Biscuits:
2 ½ cups Cinch pancake mix
1/3 cup Imperial Margarine, softened
1 cup S&W candied yams, rinsed, drained, and mashed
½ cup Springfresh milk
Chowder:
1 (15oz.) can of Libby’s whole white potatoes, mashed
1 (10.5oz.) can of Baron cream of chicken soup
1 (15oz.) can Libby’s corn
1 cup of Libby’s cooked diced ham
1 (15oz.) can Veg-All mixed vegetables
1 ¾ cups Springfresh milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. For the biscuits: Mix all ingredients until a soft dough forms.
3. Place dough on a flour-dusted surface and roll to coat.
4. Shape into a ball and knead four times.
5. Roll to one-half-inch thick. Cut with a 2 ½ cutter dipped in a pancake mix to avoid sticking.
6. Place biscuits with edges touching on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
7. While biscuits are baking, combine all chowder ingredients in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.
8. Place chowder in serving bowls and top with 2 biscuits. Serve hot.
(***HELPFUL HINT*** In the United States, the terms yams and sweet potatoes are used interchangably but in truth, they are very different. They may both be roots, but a yam comes from the yam family and needs hot moist weather to thrive. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family and are more abundant in the States since they can withstand colder weather. The USDA requires food with “yam” on the label to be followed by the term “sweet potato”. Chances are, unless you have specially sought out a yam at an international market, you probably have never eaten one.
Well folks, that would be all I have for today! I might just make a visit to the Dollar Tree, which is right across from my mom’s therapy office, while she is in with the doctor to see what kind of tasty treasures I can find. It’s a HUGE store and one can get in lots of trouble in there LOL! They have a full out freezer section as well as non-perishables LOL… okie dokie, so I am off to take mom to therapy. You have a wonderful day and I will see you again tomorrow! HUGS!
Baby animals....how cute! You are so lucky. I used to have a rabbit a long time ago. It was wonderful. Cute names too! And very good that your getting the babies used to being around each other when they are young. That way they grow up together and wont be hard to handle around each other.
ReplyDeleteI also like shopping in Dollar stores. There are multitudes of possibilities for meals in there for cheap. I have, over the years, made many dollar store delights, and surprisingly enough, they do carry some name brand foods and condiments. YAY for all things frugal!
Thats a pretty cool craft today. And very suitable for a guy gift. Keep up the good job.
It looks like our area is going to catch some rain bands from Tropical Storm Alex so I'm probably gonna get wet today. Hope everyone has a good day and try to stay dry out there. Til next time.....