CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE KICKOFF

Good morning my little bloggies! How are you doing this Tuesday morning? I'm good really... had some good experiences with my freecycling yesterday and I got some cleaning and sewing done too! Got a couple of new things to share with you... cats, crafts, etc...



(I snapped this picture of Miracle last night while he slept... isn't that too cute!?) First off I am proud to announce that the baby cats Miracle and Gizmo that have been exclusively in the bedroom are now free to roam the whole house.. and Rebel and Princess are totally ok with it! YAY! In fact Rebel is playing with them! No more hissing and fighting DOUBLE YAY! LOL...



We call Miracle Rebel's "mini me" cause he looks JUST like him... so its Dr. Evil and his Mini Me (for those of you who have seen Austin Powers LOL! DON'T MIND THE MESS IN THE BACK... I had a wild hair to pull everything out of the closet so that's what you see lol! The only one who has a bit of a problem with the babies is Pitts, but he'll get over it. Rebel actually stood up to Pitts like he was "defending" the babies yesterday when Pitts started hissing. It was pretty wild. Rebel wanted to start coming in the bedroom about a week ago (I think he just got tired of not being able to be with Mama... I mean he is my baby LOL), so I let him in under special watchful eye! He hissed a little bit a few times and was "redirected"... just like a kid. So the door gate was removed during the day only. At night he had to go. But a couple of nights ago I decided to leave the gate open and see how the night went. All was well so the gate is gone and the babies are beginning to venture into the rest of the house. But they are still coming back to the bedroom and sleeping on the bed with me at night LOL. Yes my cats are very spoiled! The itty bitty baby, Mittens, is doing well too. Her wounds have healed, I weaned her from the kitten milk and even from the wet food, and she is on dry food and water. She is completely box trained and she is relocated... to DD's room. There was a bit of an issue with Miracle and Mittens, so my DD asked if Mittens could live with her in her room. After an hour of discussing how important her care was and what all to do, we "baby proofed" her room and away she went. They are having fun being roomies LOL! So all is well in the land of the cats!

One of the freecycle "trades" I had was to pick up 2 mystery boxes. I kinda like mystery boxes because you are always surprised. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don't. Well in these boxes were some great items I will be able to use! I got a baby wipes warmer, baby monitor set, and some baby bottles! All these items will come in very handy when I start watching my little visitor on a regular basis! YAY! I also received some jeans in good condition, 3 very nice watches, some new packs of paper, and a few other things I think I can utilize. Once I took what I could use, I freecycled the rest. I also had another pickup of around 3-4 weeks worth of coupons from a lady right down the road. Freecycle is a great thing and I encourage you ALL to join your local groups! Visit Freecycle and find the group closest to you. Just be a courteous freecycler and people will be more willing to trade with you and recommend you to others. If you say you will pick up, then follow through promptly. Reputation means alot there.



Then I got to thinking that since I needed a sturdy diaper bag for when I take my little compadre out with me somewhere, why not just make one. (Sorry for the bad picture... taken with my bad phone LOL). I took a pair of old dark blue jeans I don't fit and made a booty bag and adorned it with "It's A Boy" ribbon! I have pockets on the outside for holding juice bottles, etc. and planty of room in my "big butt jeans" for diapers, wipes, food, toys, etc. I also made a couple of burp rags I normally make and sell as well. I think its cute and I filled it last night with all kinds of goodies! We are ready to hit the road jack! Sturdy denim and poly-webbing straps... oh yea, won't have any problems with this bag LOL! I plugged in the baby monitor I got on freecycle and it works great! I also sterilized the wipe warmer and the bottles (did not come with nipples though). I washed the bottles with soap and water and then sterilized them in a big soup pot of boiling water. (Remind me to get nipples and a bottle brush LOL) Wow has it been a long time since I had to do all that! But it's like riding a bike I suppose... You really never forget how. Its kind of exciting really... LOL.



Ok well it's that time. Its the first day of the Christmas Challenge YAY! I hope this is going to be so fun that I will want to keep going for the next year LMAO! Kidding! Ok, so I have decided that today I am going to do gift #1 which is a kitchen set. (I can't tell you WHO it's for, because most of my family members pop in and read from time to time. LMAO) I have a beautiful floral material that I will be using to make all the kitchen essentials of pot holders, oven mitts, etc. I am gonna pair that with a book made from all my recipes for soups... a custom cook book if you will. The cover will be printed on custom paper to match the fabric. Finally when I am done with all the sewing, I will go and purchase one or 2 larger cooking utensils... a ladle and maybe a wooden spoon... and tie that to the package with a color coordinated bow. Isn't that a neat gift? I know I would love to get something like that! (Oh shoot, I just realized that once you see the material, my family at least, will know who its for LOL! Man I didn't think about all of that LMAO! Will have to ask who all reads my blog... hmmm... I know mom and Dad do at the very least!) I'm rather excited!

Now aside from the gifts I am giving, I got baby on the brain, as you can probably tell... and I'm trying to prep to have a baby in the house again after over a decade! I was thinking about when my kids were babies and how my mother used to LOVE putting DD in those little Bonnets! OMG we couldn't go anywhere without her trying to put one on DD's head LMAO! Well I found on my thrifty fun site, an easy way to make some rather unique bonnets using bandanas! I started laughing uncontrollably and immediately thinking of my mother! Now you may want to make these as a gift, and that would be cool too... Make sure to visit the site page for great step-by-step photos too! So here it is, the



Craft Idea of the Day: Bandana Bonnets

Materials:

Bandana
thread
ribbon 59"
elastic 3" 1/4-1/2 wide
fuseable web
iron
sewing machine

Instructions:

Step 1: Iron Bandana to get out all store wrinkles. (You can also wash and dry to get out all the starchy stiffness if you desire)

Step 2: Open Bandana up wrong side facing up. Fold one edge toward the middle 6inches. Bring other edge to meet it. Iron in new creases.

Step 3: Apply fuseable web to the back of your ribbon

Step 4: Center Ribbon over seam where the two edges meet. Iron ribbon into place over the seam. Be sure to follow factory directions for your fuseable web. The smaller of the two sides is the front of the bonnet and the larger is the back of the bonnet.

Step 5. You are now going to make the casing for the elastic at the back. You will sew a straight line from one edge to the other about 1/2 and inch from the fold. At this time you can also use the machine to add a decorative stitch to your ribbon or you can hand embroider over the ribbon to make it more secure.

Step 6: And here is where it gets a bit tricky. Thread your 3 inches of ribbon into the casing. Gathering as evenly as you can. Secure your elastic together by sewing over the two ends a few times. Release the elastic and with needle and thread close the gap that remains over the elastic.

Finished!

By Hanane from Garland, TX

Alright, for today's FANTASTIC EDIBLE FLOWER I want to discuss the rose... my personal favorite flower! The rose is a beautiful focal piece that is also pleasing to the palate. Now I am sure many of us have heard of "FLAN", a very popular dessert of hispanic origins. Well, this recipe makes a fabulous flan, giving you the scent of roses with every bite.



Rose: Rosa rugosa or R. gallica officinalis

Tastes like: sweet, aromatic flavor, stronger fragrance produces a stronger flavor. Be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals. Rose hips are also edible.

Interesting Facts about Roses

The rose is the favorite flower of 85% of Americans.

In 1986, then President Ronald Reagan signed legislation making the rose the official National Flower of the United States.

George Washington bred roses at his home.

A fossilized rose, which was 35 million years old, was found in Florissant, Colorado.

Over 900 acres of greenhouse roses are harvested in the United States every year. 60% of these are grown in California.

Florists sell millions of roses each year in the United States. The two biggest days for sales are Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Christmas is the third highest day for rose sales.

Columbus’ crew picked a rose branch out of the ocean on October 11, 1492. This signaled the presence of land. The very next day, Columbus discovered America.

Rose hips contain more Vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.

Ancient Romans believed that white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell when she was mourning Adonis.

Shakespeare referred to roses over fifty times in his works.

Mythology says that roses grew thorns when Cupid accidentally shot an arrow into a rose garden.

The oldest rose in the world has flourished for over 1,000 years on the wall of Hildeshiem Cathedral in Germany.



Rose Petal Flan

Ingredients

Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp water
Custard
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rose water*

Special items needed

4 6-ounce ramekins

*Rose water can be found in Mediterranean markets and also Whole Foods in the baking department. According to the Doña Tomàs book you can also make your own by boiling a cup of rose petals (fresh from a garden, not store-bought, no pesticides, no fungicides) in a cup of water with a tablespoon of honey, for 10 minutes. Let steep overnight and then strain. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Method

1 Have your ramekins ready, near the stove. When you pour out the caramelized sugar you will want to work fast. Place the sugar and water in a small, thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat. As the sugar beings to melt, gently stir with a wooden spoon to break up unmelted lumps. Once the sugar has melted it will begin to turn golden and then darker brown. As soon as it turns a strong shade of reddish brown, remove the pan from the heat, working quickly, evenly divide the sugar between the ramekins, coating the bottom of each ramekin. Place the ramekins in a 2-inch deep baking dish.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, on medium high heat, mix sugar and milk until the milk is warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved (about 120°F). Do not let the milk boil. Remove from heat. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and rose water. Temper the egg mixture with a little (about 1/4 cup) of the warm milk mixture, whisking as you add the milk. Add the egg mixture back into the pan of milk. Lower the heat to low and whisk the egg mixture in for a minute until the egg mixture is fully incorporated.

3 Pour custard mixture into the ramekins, up to about 1/4-inch from the top edge of the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

4 Bake on the middle rack until centers of flans are gently set, about 45 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)

5 To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve. If you have refrigerated the flan over night and the flan won't easily release, you can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds (10-15) to loosen it.

Serves 4.

As an added bonus, I am bringing you ANOTHER recipe that is very popular to use roses with!

FLOWER JELLY

2 1/2 cups apple juice OR white wine

1 cup fresh rose petals or scented geranium flowers and leaves

4 cups sugar

1/4 lemon juice

1 - 2 drops food coloring (optional)

3 ounces of liquid pectin

fresh flower petals (optional)

Bring juice or wine to a boil and pour over petals. Cover and steep until liquid has cooled, then strain out flowers leaving only liquid. Combine 2 cups of this flower infusion with sugar, lemon juice and food coloring. Bring to a boil over high heat and as soon as the sugar has dissolved, stir in the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, and boiling for exactly 1 minute. Remove the jelly from the heat and skim off any foam. Let jelly cool slightly and add more flower petals (if desired), then pour into sterilized jars. If petals do not stay suspended, stir jelly as it cools until petals stay in place. Process in hot water bath or seal with paraffin. Yields: 4 - 5 half pints

Alright folks, I am gonna leave you for today. I want to hear how many of you are starting your Christmas Challenge today and what you are doing... let's have some fun with this! I am gonna go start sewing my little hands off, so you take care, be safe, and SMILE! See you tomorrow... HUGS!

FRUGAL FIXES

Well a bright and early Good morning to you out there! How are you doing today? I am tired really… tired of all the weird dreams I have been having. But other than that, I am doing ok. I had the incurable munchies again yesterday and I hope they do not continue through today! I took care of this problem almost 10 years ago! But thanks to the fact I have a teen daughter, it haunts me still LOL!












I didn’t do any sewing last night for reasons I would rather not discuss in fear of becoming angry again. So, being motivated each time I peered in my kitchen, I cut the lemons out of the rest of the scraps and finished putting the fabric appliques on the top portion of the cabinet doors. I came home and the DH had the bottom cabinets all scrubbed and ready for the yellow checker board painting… which also didn’t get done either cause I couldn’t find my tape! UGH! Anyway, don’t the top cabinets look absolutely fabulous? I think they are just too cool! (I pieced 2 pictures together to make the panoramic shot so you could see the whole thing… I know terrible chop job, sorry LOL!)

Ok time to bring the frugality to the Frugal Mom site. I found this article about some quick fix remedies for common problems. I admit, I am even guilty of a few of these LOL. But it’s a way to temporarily fix an issue, maybe if just long enough for you to get home to fix it properly or until your next paycheck when you can afford to fix it. Either way, it’s an interesting article.



9 Easy Wardrobe Fixes Using Everyday Office Supplies
by Kaboodle.com, on Wed May 12, 2010 10:21am PDT

Often the worst wardrobe mishaps—a missing button or broken bra strap—happen as you are running from meeting to meeting or chained to your desk with no sewing kit in sight. However, you can avoid a Janet Jackson-esque wardrobe malfunction and keep your chic office outfits looking tailored by using common office supplies. Here’s how:

1. Wardrobe Malfunction: Missing Button
Quick Fix: Double-Sided Tape
Let tape temporarily do the work of a button by taping the sides of your shirt together where the missing button reveals too much. Bonus: Unlike using the stapler to close your shirt, tape won’t permanently damage your cute blouses! You can also close the peek-a-boo space between buttons in the same way to prevent your bra or skin from showing.

2. Wardrobe Malfunction: Scuffed Shoes
Quick Fix: Sharpie
Touch up unsightly nicks and scuffs in your favorite pumps or hottest boots by coloring in the marks with a Sharpie of a similar color.

3. Wardrobe Malfunction: Broken Bra Strap
Quick Fix: Paper Clips or Key Ring
If your bra strap has snapped, simply tie the strap onto one end of a paperclip and hook the other end onto the metal loop at the base of the bra. You can do a similar MacGyver-like trick using a key ring.

4. Wardrobe Malfunction: Bad Hair Day
Quick Fix: Paper Clips
Most of us have experienced a midday bathroom break during which the mirror showcased surprisingly frizzy or flat hair. Or perhaps you got caught in the rain on your way to the office. This is another instance paperclips can come to the rescue. Use them as bobby pins or barrettes to create an emergency up-‘do or pin back unruly bangs. Who knows, you may even start a trend.

5. Wardrobe Malfunction: Runs in Pantyhose
Quick Fix: Wite-Out or Liquid Paper
Much like nail polish, Wite-Out will keep a dreaded snag in your tights or hose from spreading. Just dab a bit onto the frayed ends to halt the unraveling.

6. Wardrobe Malfunction: An Exposed Stiletto
Quick Fix: An Eraser
Few things are as annoying (and dangerous) as trying to walk in high heels that are missing the rubber or plastic covering of heel base. Prevent a slip by inserting the heel into a thick eraser or gluing a slim slice of a pencil-top eraser to the exposed metal. The pink rubber might not go perfectly with your favorite pumps but it will save you from a fall on hardwood or tile flooring until you make it to the cobbler.

7. Wardrobe Malfunction: Undone Hem
Quick Fix: Stapler or Masking Tape
No pins in sight to keep the hem of your pants or skirt from falling down? Simply staple the hem to your desired length. Thick trousers or jeans will be able to withstand the staple with minimal damage. Just be careful when removing them so as not to tear the material. A kinder, gentler, but less secure bet is lining the hem with masking tape.

8. Wardrobe Malfunction: Chipped French Manicure
Quick Fix: Wite-Out or Liquid Paper
Who hasn’t painted their nails with Wite-Out just for fun?! Use the stuff on your chipped French mani and you’ll look as if you’ve just come from the nail salon.

9. Wardrobe Malfunction: A Stubborn Zipper
Quick Fix: Pencil
There’s no need to battle a stuck zipper. Instead, color it with a wooden pencil, which will help lubricate the track so you can easily slide the zipper up or down. Genius!

Isn’t that kind of neat how someone came up with these practical remedies? Here are some other quick fixes to make note of…

-Another hair-fix: Twist your hair into a bun and use 2 pens or mechanical pencils as chopsticks to hold it up.

-Don't have time to make it into the tailor to hem skirts or pants? Use duct tape. Adjust the hem to the desired length, place duct tape, and iron over the fabric!!! It lasts through washing numerous times.

-Letter openers, the long straight kind, also make a nice bun holder. Often the metal ones even have a decorative handle.

Alright today is another day for recycled crafts. And this one is aimed at mom’s with little kids who love to color but either break the crayons or color down to “Crayola nubs” LOL! DO NOT throw those away! Keep a jar specifically for tidbits of crayons and when you have enough, you can do this neat craft.



Craft Idea of the Day: Rainbow Crayon Cupcakes

Materials:

Crayons
Cupcake cups
Oven
Oven mitts

Directions:

These recycled crayon cupcakes are great to make for little fingers who struggle to hold little crayons.

Drawing time is a rainbow of colors as your child runs them across the paper releasing all the mixed colors.

You can use inexpensive whole crayons or recycle all those broken pieces in the bottom of the toy box.

This crayon cupcake project is great for schools and groups to recycle their broken pieces.

Preheat the oven to 250 deg F

Remove the paper wrappers from the crayons and put the crayons into a cupcake cup and place the cup cake into a cupcake or muffin tray for support.

Allow them to melt in the oven, melting time may vary depending on your crayons brand so make sure you watch the crayons and once melted take them out.

Allow them to cool before touching.

Peel off the cupcake paper and use as normal.

**Note** You can also use shaped molds such as hearts, stars, etc.

Well gang, its time for super scrumptious pie! Yep, we are on the backside of the hill of “Unique Pizza Week” sadly... day 5. Only 2 more days left. But we have had some fun huh? Today is a special pizza for the potato enthusiast. Its called the Baked Potato pizza and let me tell ya, it gets rave reviews! The sour cream, bacon, onions and cheese make every bite taste just like a loaded baked potato. Try it on for size… you just might be surprised!



Baked Potato Pizza

Ingredients

1 (6.5 ounce) package pizza crust mix
3 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Prepare crust according to package directions. Press dough into a lightly greased 14-in. pizza pan; build up edges slightly. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5-6 minutes or until crust is firm and begins to brown.

Cut potatoes into 1/2-in. cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Add potatoes and toss. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Ok ladies and germs, its time for me to get off of here and get dressed, take the kids to school, and head out myself. I’ve had loads of fun with you today and I hope you have to. I’ll see you back here tomorrow for more exciting adventures in blogland! HUGS!

SEW CRAZY 4 POTATO PASTA

Top of the morning to ya my little chickadees! How are you doing this morning? I am good. I got a lot accomplished in the last 36 hours (Tuesday night and yesterday people LOL wakey wakey already LMAO) and I always feel pretty spectacular after some serious crafting sessions LOL! I know, it was supposed to be my day off, but you and I both already knew it wasn’t going to happen LOL! I got lots to share with you today! Take a look!



I started the day yesterday morning with a quick trip to my local Wally World and it yielded some pretty awesome results! This load cost me $17.86! YAY! I had $4 off on Women’s and $3.00 off on Men’s coupons for the Nivea Body wash (which were $3.97), $1.50 off any Whiska’s dry cat food (on sale for $2.97), $3.00 off each the BIC Comfort 3 Advanced and Soleil (which were on sale $2.88 each YAY!), Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Ziploc bags coupon AND a $1.50 off 2 bags (which the quart size and gallon size boxes were $1.97 each and the sandwich size was $1.34) and then the milk, cheeses, and allergy meds were “generic” so those were all regular price. I think it was a great buy! Think I need some more of these coupons LOL! Factor out the generic stuff and I really only paid $5.93 for everything! COOL HUH? Coupons are a wonderful thing! I’m already planning another super duper trip and have ordered more coupons from the Coupon Clippers! LOL!

Oh and to Tabitha, about the carrots… I paid a little less than $11 for the 25 pound bag of carrots. That breaks down to about .44 cents per pound. It’s A LOT cheaper than the grocery stores here. Normal price on a pound bag of carrots runs about $1, and occasionally you can find them on sale for 49 cents per pound (but that’s rare). So, even when they are on sale, I still save about a nickel a pound by buying in bulk.



Here you see a pair of hand towels I picked up at the Dollar tree that I embellished with the fabric from my kitchen curtains! All 3 curtains are up now and the hand towels are decorated. Making the towels sparked another idea with my lemon fabric!



Remember how I said I had to still buy the wallies for the cabinet doors? Well not anymore! I took the fabric scraps and cut out the whole lemon pictures and then spray glued them on the cabinet doors! This not only saves me money (no more buying the wallies), but I used up (didn’t waste) the scraps AND guaranteed that the wallies are something I like AND that they match! Pretty smart, huh?



Remember when I went to JC Penny with those latest $10 coupons and got some shirts? Well this is the Coca-Cola purse I made out of one of those free T-shirts I got! I also used some more “scraps” out of the green crate for the Fabric challenge. I think the really cool part is the fact I used the “printed shirt tag” on the inside as a pocket! Cool, don’tcha think?



Here you have “The Snack Sack”. I cross-stitched this picture about a year ago with a kit I got clearanced and never knew what to do with it… until today! I applied the same method as the T-shirt purse with adding matching fabric on the top and bottom of the cross stitched picture and then proceeding normally to make a purse.

While on the purse topic… the start of the lucky lotto bag has not gone so well! Note to viewers… the modge podge didn’t dry and it ruined the one side I started… so now I have to collect more non-winning tickets to redo the one side. The other side, however, worked well with the spray adhesive. I found a funky fabric backing that I spray glued on the back of the tickets. I’m gonna let it set for a couple of days to make sure its stuck good… meanwhile, I got some more $2 and $4 winners that I need to cash in for more tickets LOL… anybody got any losing $2 tickets? LMAO!



This is a present (here’s hoping she doesn’t read this before I get over there this morning LOL!) for my mother. It’s a Hippie walker tote! It has a velcro strap that she can just wrap the flap over the bar on the walker and it will hang in front… suitable for the mail, papers, or bounce rollers LOL or whatever she wants to put in it (even snacks LOL).



Here is the matching cell/hanging pouch. She can hang this too on the walker and put her cell phone in it when she is walking or whatever else she might see fit (why do I get sudden images of candy bars and such? LOL). I am trying to make things somewhat easy for her and I knew that, as she is a self-professed “hippie”, she should LOVE this fabric!



Well it has begun. Normally I always have more than one project going at once. I have officially started sewing for Madison’s room today. She never could decide how she wanted to decorate her room and when she finally did, I got all the stuff and told her to clean her room. She did and then I had to hold off due to family emergencies. But now I can get back on course and begin working on her stuff (just have to get her to clean the room again LMAO!). I made 2 pillow cases out of the room fabric tonight. Now I just have to buy new pillows LOL!



I pulled out a piece of fabric from the green crate and just kind of stared at it a little while. What to do… what to do… well I decided on can wraps. They have the playing cards on them and I think would be a great give away/favor at a poker night party. Or they could just be for someone who likes poker!



Remember that oh-so-precious veggie peeler my caring father got me? LOL! Well yesterday I played with carrots (sadly I didn’t finish prepping the 25 pound bag though) but I conquered POTATOES! Oh boy was that fun! Now, if you paid attention to the Wal-Mart shopping picture, you would see milk, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and ricotta cheese… what does that normally make? Yep, LASAGNA! Now I am not real big on lasagna believe it or not, and my mother not liking pasta actually made this idea pop into my head! That spiff-a-licious peeler makes for some really THIN slices of potatoes… so why not make some potato lasagna? It took me 1 and a half hours to prep from beginning to baking but it actually turned out really good… the pan weighed a ton, and after dinner so did my tummy! LOL! I took step by step pictures in case you guys and girls wanted me to post my recipe on how I made it. Maybe a good thing for someone needing/wanting gluten free?

Sew, are you feeling a little crafty now looking at all my crazy sewing stuff? GOOD! LOL! I think this might be an interesting thing to make for hospital donations. Now, I don’t know if mom remembers, but in the hospital I was joking with mom about making a Foley cover because she was embarassed and didn’t want anyone seeing it. She was always trying to cover it up with a sheet (she’s such a proper lady LMAO). Well sure as the sun is hot, I found an actual site that gives instructions on how to make a Foley Bag cover (a.k.a. as a catheter bag cover)!! I think it would be a good thing for patients who are on dialysis, etc. Give them a little bit of “dignity” back if you will. Click the title to go to the page and see all the pictures, etc. I found the link on my Free Sewing patterns page… I should’ve guessed! LOL…



Craft Idea of the Day: Donatables: Catheter Bag / Foley Bag covers

Materials

14" x 32" rectangle of opaque fabric
2 - 18" pieces of some material to use as ties - or make them from fabric

Instructions

1. Fold larger piece of fabric in half length-wise.

2. Make a casing on each narrow end for the ties. Do this by folding over edge twice and ironing flat.

3. Open up the folded and ironed ends, and fold the fabric right sides together so folded ends are together. Sew up the sides to just 1/4" under the first ironed fold. Trim the bottom corner and iron the seams flat.

4. Fold the top casing over so that the cut ends on the sides do not show. Sew close to the edge making the casings and making sure the ends of each one are not sewn shut.

5. Cut two roughly 18" pieces of some sort of tie... I used satin cord for this one and have used ribbon and even bias tape for this. Thread one piece through each casing so that two ties stick out on each side. These will be used to tie the cover to a wheelchair or bed rail.

NOTE: I have tied some other finishing touches that I like better than the above. Just make the bag and hem the opening instead of making it into a drawstring top. Then do one of the following:

 Use 2 strips of blanket binding. Sew on each side of the hemmed opening, folding the ends to make the binding neat. Be sure you sew along the edge so there is plenty of room for the drawstring. Finish the drawstring as above.

 Sew bias tape along the sides of the bags leaving extra bias tape at the top. Cut it long enough to be a tie. Then sew another piece of bias tape from about 1 inch from the top of the bag. Cut the second piece to march the length the first piece. Tie off each as above. See photos below.

The sizes in this pattern can be somewhat flexible. The finished width should be as close to 13" as possible, the bottom to top not much more. How much tie you use depends on what you use.. since I used satin cord I made them longer to be sure they can be tied snugly. You could also use some other type attachment... Velcro for example.. so long as the strip of Velcro's fabric is long enough to reach around the bed rail or wheelchair arm.

I made this up as I went along and am not an experienced seamstress, so feel free to make and suggest improvements. Email me at hathorn@drizzle.com

This pattern is yours to use and republish.. but we would really appreciate if you would let people know it was from NW Wings of Love www.nwwingsoflove.org.

OK it’s that time again! Time to tempt your taste buds with a slice of heavenly deliciousness! Its PIE TIME! YAY! Day 4 of the Unique Pizza Week brings you a sweet treat today. A fruity dessert that’s sure to please your crowd! "Refreshing sliced fruit and creamy whipped topping over a tender cookie crust - delicious, impressive, and easy. Enjoy! Kiwi and peaches may also be added to pizza if desired."



Fruit Dessert Pizza

Ingredients

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup sliced banana
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Press cookie dough evenly into a 12 inch pizza pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Spread whipped topping over cooled crust. Arrange fruit in a decorative pattern. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ok everybody. Its time for me to get off here and get dressed so I can go to work! I hope you enjoyed the inside scoop as to what I did on my day off. Have fun in whatever temptations life may lead you to today… just remember to be safe! Until tomorrow… HUGS!

CARROT CRAZY

Good morning children! How are you doing this humid May day? Good I hope. Today is my day off… I think I am supposed to relax, but since I don’t know how to do that, I plan on doing lots of things- from sewing to painting to cooking even! Are you sure you are ready for this? LOL!



Last night I don’t know what hit me, but we went crazy… we as in ME LOL! I got the curtains done for my lemon kitchen! YAY! Now I just have to order wallies and paint sponge lemons along the top of the walls. Oh and paint the checkers on the bottom counter doors LOL! But isn’t it cute?? You can even see my lemon hand soap dispenser I found at, of all places, get this… The Dollar Tree! Go figure right?! LOL!



This is our supper from Monday night. I wanted something quick and easy, so I diced up some chicken breasts, halved some cherry tomatoes (from the garden of course) and Brussels sprouts and threw it all in a skillet with some whole wheat Penne pasta. For the dressing… fat free zesty Italian salad dressing. Oh it was really quite yummy!



Here you see all the non-winning scratch off lotto tickets I have been collecting to try to make the purse. Let me tell you, this will be one expensive purse by the time its over LOL! This is all the pieces taped together to form each side, bottom, strap, etc. Pray this works… it will be one spiffy purse if it does!



Last nights dinner… Dirty Rice with a fresh salad. Doesn’t that look absolutely delish? I needed something quick and easy last night as the DWTS results show was on… which depressed the tar out of me!



Ok, funny story time LOL! I was making soup for my mom and Dad on Monday and I was peeling some carrots at their house. I made a comment on how I loved their potato peeler as it was so easy to use and how I needed to get one. Now, as the frugal mom I don’t spend a lot of kitchen gadgets even though I cook for armies of people all the time. I had me a little $2.88 potato peeler from the local Wally world which, quite frankly, SUCKED! It was hard to use and being that I have CTS, I dreaded having to peel veggies. Mom & Dad’s made it so easy! Now I am one who, if I find a good product, I am gonna let you know and folks… GO GET YOU ONE OF THESE! Spend the $10 or whatever to get you one of these Kitchen Aid Vegetable Peelers! Remind me to do something very special for my Dad!! This was one of the best gifts ever!



SOOO LOL… by the end of last night my DH was teasing me that "my OCD was kicking in" because I had reduced about 15-20 pounds of carrots into 36 cups of prepared carrots… either sliced or shredded! I made 6 bags each of 1 and 2 cup portions of both shredded and sliced carrots and put them in the freezer for future use. Stir-fry, soup, casseroles, whatever I may need carrots for I will have them ready and waiting! (I had to have peeled close to 50 or more carrots LMAO! My hands are STILL orange this morning despite washing them for like 30 minutes LOL. And I so lost the white shirt I was wearing... nothing is gonna get that orange out LMAO!) Buying in bulk and then taking the time to prep them and store them is both time and money saver! You can do this with potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and lots of other veggies and fruits too! How do you think I can feed so many on next to nothing? I’ve been doing this for years and the news is just now telling you about it.

That’s my frugal tip for the day. Buy in Bulk. I recommend investing in at least one (like in my case more the better LOL) chest or upright deep freezer. Then you can buy produce and meats in bulk and prepare/process them yourself and cold store them for use all year long… even off season when they are like 2-3 times what you have paid! Oh I would buy tons more freezers if I had a place for them! LOL I know that sounds silly, but with how I cook and shop and how many people I am normally feeding/cooking for, it would be ideal! I could have one or 2 for just fruits and veggies and a few for meats LOL… chicken would have its own freezer, cause we go through a LOT of chicken LOL! Then you have those BIG hunks of meat like hams, turkeys, and briskets, etc. that go on sale really cheap during certain parts of the year. Bulk meat cuts would have their own chest too LOL! Yes I know that I sound either very organized or very anally retentive, depending on which way you look at it LMAO! I buy sugars, flours, etc. in bulk as well. If you make things like jams (home canning, etc.) you tend to use quite a bit of sugar, and when you cook from scratch like I do, sugar never enters this house in things smaller than a 25 pound bag (unless I got a small one free with coupons LOL!). When you are like this family, certain staples in bulk is always better! If you have a smaller family, think about going in half with someone else and splitting the cost AND the product. You will save money in the end! For instance, flour… I pay a little less than $8 for a 25 pound bag. That works out to about 32 cents a pound! I have seen 4 pound bags well over $3 at some stores! $1.28 for me for that same 4 pounds thanks… you see? So Buy in bulk kids… but watch WHAT you buy in bulk! Some things are more expensive per ounce when bought in bulk and make sure you can use it all in some way before it goes bad… or else you just wasted money!

Ok, time to get crafty! Now last night, I had a proud mommy moment! My daughter made her first “Dammit Doll” and gave it to me! AWWW! But I am not bringing the Dammit Doll back today. I am, however, bringing you another stuffed treasure!



Craft Idea of the Day: The Original Rockford Red Heel Sock Elephant

Instructions:

TURN SOCK INSIDE OUT.

Cut 3-1/2 inches off rib of sock. Starting 3 inches from the heel, sew a 1/8 inch seam on each side of the center line and across the end of the ribbing. Cut the sock between the seams and about 1-1/2 inches farther to make an opening for the stuffing. Turn sock right side out.

Head and Body:
To shape the head, stuff foot of sock nice and plump and tie off loosely at the neck with ribbon. Insert 1-1/2 inch circles of cardboard in feet and stuff. Finish stuffing, sew legs and slit in the crotch, making one seam on underside of the body and the other up toward the tail.

Legs:
Cut the second sock as shown, about 5 inches long. Turn inside out, seam along one side and across the foot. Insert pieces of cardboard in fee, stuff, and attach near the front of the body.

Mouth:
Cut off complete heel from the second sock. Stuff it lightly and sew it to the head. Stitch across the center to shape the mouth.

Trunk:
Open flat strip of sock so it is about 1 inch wide at one end and 6 inches at the other. Round the wide end. Fold in half lengthwise, inside out, and seam along one edge and around the narrow end. To bend and hold the trunk in various positions insert a piece of wire through the length of the trunk. Insert pipe cleaner tusks.

Ears:
For each ear, cut two pieces in the shape of the ears. Seam and turn right-side out. Sew on level with the highest point of the trunk.

Eyes:
Sew on moving eyes, buttons (my personal favorite), felt, or embroider with black thread. (For very small children be safe and embroider the eyes.)

Tail:
Make a short roll of the material and sew into place.

Trim:
Trim is optional. A fringed strip of bright material can be placed over the back, or tassels may be sewn on. Rickrack, little bells ribbons or beads naturally give the toy a more festive, circus-like appearance.

I'm happy to report that my preferred source for the original Rockford Red Heel Socks is back in business! I don't have any business interest with them other than they've always had a good supply at the best price. So if you need socks for your project click on the link below.

Click HERE to get the original Rockford Red Heel Socks

Alright kids, its time for super yumminess! PIZZA TIME DAY 3! First off, my doll Hazel says she is gonna make a pizza for the church function… I think that’s awesome! I also read you have a bread machine. Well I have an added bonus recipe to make your pizza making easier! Here is a homemade pizza dough recipe especially for your machine!

By: Marian Collins
"A crusty, chewy pizza crust! Our family's favorite! Try make two pizza crusts at once by removing the dough from the machine once it hits the rise cycle and place in a separate bowl. Now you are ready to begin the second crust!"



Pizza Crust for Bread Machines

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle. Remove after rise cycle and use with your favorite pizza recipe.

Now I have dessert pizzas, Chinese pizzas, and even a baked potato pizza planned for this week, but for the flavor of the day… we go Mexican! WOOHOO! If you like the Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas, you HAVE to try this one on for size!



Jimmy’s Mexican Pizza

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray.

Place beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.

Lay one tortilla in each pie plate, and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over each one, and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the plates from the oven, and let cool slightly. Spread half of the salsa over each top tortilla. Cover each pizza with half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place half of the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the jalapeno slices onto each one.

Return the pizzas to the oven, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before slicing each one into 4 pieces.

Alright folks, I might just have to go make me a homemade pizza for lunch cause I have something very special planned for dinner! I’m off work today, so tonight is experimental dinner night WOOHOO! LOL my gang loves experiment night! So go grab you another cup of Java as you walk out the door to work. I’m gonna grab a cup of get-off-my-butt and get to work! I gotta go pick up some cat food and stuff first but then I am free all day to craft like crazy and drive you nuts tomorrow LOL! Be safe and have a terrific day! Until tomorrow… HUGS!

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

Well good morning my faithful flock! Sorry I did not post an entry yesterday, but I finally got to see my mom at the hospital YAY and I was there all day for almost every visitation! It was great to see her. Hard... but great! It started as a tough morning but got better as the day progressed. They had moved her to ICU yesterday... not because of her condition, but because they were closing the TCU unit and putting all their patients together. As I headed home last night, my Dad, who stayed with her of course, texted me saying she was being moved to her own regular room. YAY! She's got generally good vitals (except when she gets herself all fussy and her BP goes up LOL) and she wants to come home. But she still has some issues so it might be a few more days... but she is definitely getting back to the old mom we know and love. She even griped at me yesterday afternoon! YAY!!!!! I love it! LOL...

I'll be the first to admit that I have been would up tighter than a $2 watch this week... juggling 3 households among the mass hysteria and worry of everyone including myself. Its a hard job and it makes me admire my mother that much more. I am kinda a "see it to believe it" person, so even though Dad kept saying she was ok... I had to see it. And I did YAY! Sooooo.... have you ever felt such a weight lifted off of you like you were carrying the world and suddenly someone took it off your back? Yea, that's what happened last night. I had a hard time leaving the hospital... I sat on the bench outside for maybe another 15-20 minutes before I walked to my car. I got in the car and started balling... a relief cry. Then I just felt soooo tired. I don't really remember the drive home, but I sat on the bed and that's the last thing I remember... I was OUT! Shoot, I woke up in the same clothes and everything... so I have to shower and change this morning LOL! If there is a stage past pure exhaustion... I found it and lived it 200%! LOL.

So I'm excited to report that things are much better and improving each day! Hopefully soon, she will be home and on the road to recovery. I'll still be logging alot of hours away from home, but I do it because I love my family. Whatever she needs, I'll be there! So how are things on your end of the world? Tell me... what did you do for Earth Day? I miss my friends here online... sit down and chat a while!

So when I get a moment to actually sit down and relax, there are a few crafts that are going to be top priority. First is my kitchen... my mommy got my fabric like I mentioned and its gonna be a very special kitchen! Then there is my DD's room. She finally has it all organized and picked up where I can do the redecorating. And then there is birthday party stuff for DD... remember its a big 16 this year! So I NEED to start coming up with ideas! One of my band "kids", DD's BFF, turned 16 on Friday so I owe her something special as a belated Happy Birthday... I feel bad about missing it, but Katie is a good kid and she cried when Madison told her about Nana... so she understands. So anyway, since the kitchen will be redone soon, I found this craft for a utensil holder using a clay pot. Its simple, cute, and versatile.



Craft Idea of the Day: Kitchen Utensil Holder

I bet you never thought about using a flower pot to hold your kitchen utensils! This project is so easy. It won't take but a few minutes. This is the perfect utensil holder. It won't burn if you forget and leave it sitting on the stove. It won't tip over and it holds a lot of tools! You can custom match it to your kitchen decor.

Materials Needed:

one 6 inch clay pot
enamel paint (any color)
decals or paint to decorate if you wish
Paintbrush (if you brush the paint or if you paint a design)

Directions:

Just get a 6 inch clay flower pot and paint it any color you wish. I recommend enamel paint because it makes clean up from kitchen splatters easier. It may take more than one coat because the clay is very porous and absorbs the paint. Let the paint dry. Then you can apply decals. If you are artistic you can paint on a design. If you prefer, you can use a stencil .Use your imagination.

This craft would make a cute wedding shower or housewarming gift filled with all kinds of tools.

Then of course you all need to eat! Hopefully you have done some reading and catching up on things you might have missed or getting some ideas for crafts and foods. But today I bring you another recipe to enjoy (trying to get back SOME degree of normalicy here!).



Monkey Bread Muffins

Ingredients

1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough, separated and cut into six pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon water

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter 6 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Combine the apple pie spice and white sugar in a small bowl; roll the biscuit pieces in the mixture to coat. Divide the coated pieces between the prepared muffin cups.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Allow the mixture to boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit pieces.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 8 to 12 minutes.

Ok gang, again I thank each and every one of you for your support during this hard time. I am gonna get off here and see what the day brings. So I will see you tomorrow... Peace, Love, and LOTS of HUGS!

HOME CRAFTING

Howdy do on this chilly Thursday morning? I am quite sore and confused actually. I’m wondering where is this rain we were supposed to get? I just got the cold part! But other than that LOL, I am pretty good. I hope this finds you well in whatever land you hail from… I know I have a Canadian, East Coast, and Ohio reps present… but the other ones of you lurk and don’t send a shout out, how am I supposed to know where you are representing? So where are ya from!? Come on in… sit… chat with us. I love to talk to my readers! But if not, if ya just come here to read, that's ok too!

Ok, so I didn’t get any sewing done yesterday sadly, BUT I did manage to get some organizing done. Working on the house is just as good as crafting… lets say I was crafting on my house! LOL! See I had this big Rubbermaid tub full of Christmas ribbon in storage that now needed a new home. So it’s just kind of been sitting here in the living room getting under foot. Well I have tons of other ribbons too I use in my crafting (making bows, etc.), and since Dad put up a screen door for me, a spare piece of pegboard. I also have some wooden dowels and some rods for the board…. Hmmm… I got it!



TADA!!! Presenting my Ribbon Rack! I hung a lot of my “everyday” ribbons on the dowels and hung the dowels on the pegboard! Pretty snazzy huh? That allowed me to put all the Christmas ribbons in the 2 drawers I almost emptied. PLUS its organized for easy access (just spin and clip) AND I can see what I have and what I might need! I think it looks kind of professional! I saw one similar to this in a store once. LOL! I was quite proud. And before you ask, yes this is only PART of what I have! I have 2 more drawers full, and a box or 2 still full too LOL!

So then I was perusing the web yesterday and I found an interesting article under my local news. It was called “33 Things to Do in Houston for $2 or Less” featured by our local Channel 11 News. I was thoroughly happy to see this article for multiple reasons! First being it’s a positive article for a change! I don’t look at the news much because its always littered with hate, murder, and just plain ugliness and sadness. Then the fact that this is an article of FRUGALITY! YAY! Cheap entertainment… and considering I am fixing to start mapping out our summer excursions… it was like finding gold! And lastly is more of a hope. I hope this article inspires people to get out with their families and enjoy some quality time! Stop being so cooped up behind those stupid video games and TV shows and get outside and enjoy life, ya know? Its too short… use it wisely! I know I TRY to do at least 1 special thing with my kids each summer, even if it doesn’t cost a lot. Last summer we got to go to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Creamery (YUM!!!!) and the Jersey Barnyard. We all had a GREAT time and it made memories for my kids that they can have forever. Hopefully they will do the same with their kids, ya know? We would have done more, but I got injured and it put me down for the whole summer, which sucked! But I can walk again (somewhat LOL) and I plan to have a better year this year! I am planning for the zoo, maybe the museum, the Mrs. Bairds Factory, the Dr. Pepper Factory, and a few other things… SHHH! Can’t tell ya yet… you’ll leak it to the kids! LOL! I don’t like to tell them and get their hopes up and then something happens where they get disappointed. Not cool… so I just surprise them! But in secret, I already have it all planned out LOL cause that’s how I operate best! Anyways, if you are in the Houston Area or might be visiting the Houston area, I typed up the list for you to see… admission is free unless I made a note! I’m sure you can Google each one to learn more… many have their own websites. Shoot, I know at least 1 of these is on my Bucket List (which I plan to be conquering some of them this summer LOL!).

33 Things to Do in Houston For $2 or Less

1. Art Car Museum
2. The Orange Show- $1
3. Lee & Joe Jamail SkatePark
4. Sam Houston Boat Tour
5. Houston Center for Photography
6. Discovery Green
7. Lights of Buffalo Bayou
8. Contemporary Arts Museum
9. Beer Can House- $1 admission for grounds, $5 for private tour
10. Miller Outdoor Theater
11. Museum of Fine Arts Houston- free all day on Thursdays
12. Buffalo Soldiers National Museum- $2
13. Dunham Bible Museum
14. Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
15. Holocaust Museum
16. Project Row Houses (Black 3rd ward)
17. Gulf Greyhound Park- $1
18. Buffalo Bayou Art Park
19. John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science- free admission on Thursdays 2-5 p.m. There is an admission charge for special exhibits during these Free Family Thursday hours. The price for Planet You is $3 per person. The price for Backyard Monsters: The World of Insects is $3 per person.
20. The Heritage Society
21. Kemah Boardwalk- just to walk around is free, but the rides and restaurants DO cost… some getting kinda pricey! They have carnival like games, lots of rides, and great shopping and food! It’s only 12 miles from me, so we know about this place VERY WELL! LOL!
22. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft Garden
23. The Water Wall
24. The Jung Center
25. Houston Museum of Natural Science- The permanent exhibit halls are open free for patrons every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Special Exhibitions require paid admission.
26. Byzantine Chapel Museum
27. Lawndale Art Center
28. The Menil Collection
29. The Children’s Museum of Houston- Free Family Nights are offered every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m
30. Rothko Chapel of Houston
31. Houston Public Library
32. Blaffer Gallery
33. Rice Gallery

So, plan on getting outside and expanding those lungs with some fresh air this summer! If you aren’t in the Houston area, you can probably contact your local Visitors Center for information about what all is available in your area… or just Goggle it! LMAO! I plan to have a very full summer this year!



Ok sticking with the “Home crafts”, I painted the door and jam that my Dad installed with a couple of coats of primer. I have to do the trim on the next dry and sunny day so it will match the house. After dinner was completed I painted more of the squares on the cabinets in the kitchen. I also started on the trim of the lower cabinets too. I will get them all done eventually to where the only thing left to do is order then put the wallies on and put up the new curtains, etc!

Ok, so what kinds of crafts are in store for today? More sewing I think because I have special “secret agent” plans for Friday LOL! Plus taking a day or sew (LOL) break I think will keep me from getting burnt out on sewing and losing my Mojo! Can’t have that. Now I am not sure I will be making any of these, but I know they are a very popular item, especially with young mothers.



Craft Idea of the Day: Shopping Cart Cover

Things You'll Need:

1 yard of coordinating fabric
4.5 yards package of 1-inch elastic
2 yards of coordinating bias tape

Make the Inside of the Shopping Cart Cover

Step 1: Measure and cut two identical pieces of fabric with the following dimensions: 1 times the width of a cart's seat and 2 times the depth wide, and 1 times the length and 2 times the depth long.

Step 2: Use fusible interfacing and fuse a layer of batting between the two pieces of fabric.

Step 3: Make a box by cutting squares out of the corners and baste the corners together to make a box shape. Use bias tape to finish the edges.

Step 4: Cut two holes for legs In the front of the "box" about 6 inches in diameter. Baste around each opening and sew bias tape around the leg holes. Baste the top edges of the "box" together then measure the total length around the top.

Make the Skirting of the Shopping Cart Cover

Step 1: Take two pieces of fabric and cut them 1.5 times longer than the distance you measured around the top of your "box" and 1.5 feet wide.

Step 2: Sew the two pieces, wrong sides together, along one long side. Press the seam and flip to right sides together.

Step 3: Stitch 1.5 inches from the original seam leaving a 2-inch space to feed the 1-inch wide elastic. Feed the elastic through the pocket you made using a safety pin as your guide. Attach the two ends of elastic together by sewing an "X" into both ends.

Step 4: Baste around the raw edges of your skirting and gather. Make sure you end up with a length equal to the length you measured around the top of the "box."

Step 5: Pin and sew the gathered fabric to the wrong side of the top of the inside of the "box." Trim and finish the edge with bias tape.

Okie dokie… I had a couple of emails asking me to share how I cooked the roasted veggies cause they looked "absolutely heavenly” LOL! Alrighty, here ya go gang… but remember, this will work with all kinds of veggies, not just the ones I used, so feel free to substitute or even add to the list!



Roasted Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

olive oil
1 large yam, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup baby carrots
2 zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices
2 yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into medium-large pieces
4-6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the yams, potatoes, and carrots into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning and toss to coat thoroughly. Spread onto the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While that pan roasts, in the same bowl, place zucchini, onion, squash, bell peppers, and garlic and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place second pan in the oven Continue baking until all of the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.

Once tender, remove from the oven. Toss the roasted summer veggies with the potato mix in a large bowl until combined.



Now you HAVE to have a main dish right? Well I saw this recipe and I had to try it! Now I HAVE to share it with you LOL! Jean’s 88c chicken inspired me to share this one with you LOL! So, if you have a thing for yummy chicken, you might want to try this one on for size! I know that even I could go for another pan of this delish chicken every time I make it LOL! It goes great with peanut noodles too! YUMMY!!!!!!!



Baked Asian-Style Honey Chicken

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped green onions
sesame seeds to garnish, optional

Directions

To Marinate: Arrange chicken pieces in a 9x3 inch baking dish. In a small bowl combine the onion, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and honey; mix together and spoon mixture over chicken. Cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour, turning pieces once.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Bake chicken for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over and top with green onion, then continue baking for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through and juices run clear. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds to garnish. Serve immediately.

OMGoodness… aren’t you so incredibly hungry now? I know I am drooling! Alrighty, I need to go check my plants to make sure the cold and wind did not break or kill them and then I need to get started on the crafts, so I will let you go for now. Meet me back here tomorrow for more fun and ideas, ok? HUGS!

IT NEVER FAILS

Well a big HOWDY from Texas! LOL Hope ya’ll are doing good this morning! I am doing well… my plants are good, my kids are good, and my house is getting a little back to normal. Ok, Jean… whatcha talking about that the “Spunky Renee is on vacation?? I happen to be right here thank you very much! LOL!

Ok so remember how I said it was gonna be a lazy day yesterday? Well… it wasn’t. It never fails that I can’t sit still long enough to “relax” if you will. I always have to be doing something and yesterday was no different. I started by looking up lemon stuff on the computer but not finding much for that. SOOO I got annoyed, got up and dressed and went window shopping. I picked up some cat food at Petsmart then I went to Hobby Lobby. They didn’t have lemon anything except 1 overpriced, fake plastic lemon!



I did however get an idea for the centerpieces one of my customers wants me to make. She was telling me how the party is going to be black and either gold or silver… she couldn’t make up her mind. So it was a little frustrating for me with no determined color scheme. Well when I was walking around the store I saw these centerpieces of flowers in colored terra cotta pots. Hmmm… ok lets think classic… weddings, anniversaries, etc. What do they all have in common? Black & White! So I painted a small Terra Cotta gold, used white silk roses with black and gold tiny buds and added some silver star garland rolled in spirals. I might add some ribbon but I’m not quite sure yet. What do you think? Is it pretty and classy or funky and tacky?



Ok, so remember I told you I want to do my kitchen in the Lemon theme? Well I am trying anyway. After Hobby Lobby, I wandered to the next store into the hardware, paints, etc. I was looking at the paint sample cards. I found one called “Lemon Peel” and I fell in love! That is the paint color for my kitchen! I got a quart mixed up for me and then paid and left. Let me tell ya, its pretty bright! LOL… This picture just shows the first step… I will post new pictures each time its updated until its done.

Then I got some gas for the car and went and picked up the kiddos. I put together the centerpiece and was going to clean some more when I get real faint and had to sit down. My head hurt, I was ill to my stomach, and it was just like someone hit me with a bag of bricks. OOOPPS. Uh silly me forgot to take my meds that morning or eat all day… uh oh… so I tested my sugars, which were a naughty really low. Ok, stop what I’m doing and get to munching… starting with a candy bar! Good thing I have secret stash LOL… but honestly it was like eating mud… not very appetizing!

So, what’s on tap for today you might ask. Well, I figured after the kids get done in the doctor’s office, I might stop buy Pier 1 or Ikea or whatever it is down the road and see if maybe THEY have lemon stuff. The kids only have a half day today, so I’m not even gonna rush and try to get them back before school lets out. Maybe I should take them to the beach or something… its supposed to be a beautiful day and it shouldn’t be too crowded being a weekday. Hmmm… it’s a thought. After we’re done in Galveston with whatever we plan to do, I figured I would come back and paint more in the kitchen and maybe do some planting. Tomorrow starts April Autism Awareness, so I also have to clear out the table so I can do some mass sewing! My daughter is letting me use her machine… isn’t she so sweet? I was thinking about maybe putting a link on here so that my readers can buy some of the stuff if they wanted. What do you think? Would you like that? Remember, I contribute part of the purchase price to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.

Ok so, while I was painting my kitchen yesterday, I got to reminiscing about when my DD was little and always wanted to help me in the kitchen when I was making cakes, cookies, etc. It was more like she just wanted to lick the bowls LOL, but to her it was helping! Then of course she’d get batter all over her and we’d have to change clothes. Well that made me look at aprons… and it inspired today’s craft. And the artisan just “happened” to use a dish towel with, of all things… LEMONS! LMAO! Go figure! So if you have little kids, grandkids, etc. who like to help you in the kitchen, try this one on for size… kids size! LOL!



Craft Idea of the Day: Kids Dish Towel Apron

Supplies:

1 dishtowel (mine measured 18" x 28")
one package of double fold bias tape--extra wide
thread to match
ribbon or trim (optional)

Instructions:

Lay out the dishtowel with the shorter edge on top and measure 4 inches in from each top edge, and measure 9 inches down each side edge. Draw a line between these two marks and cut on the line using scissors or a rotary cutter.

This is when you would add any ribbon or trim. In this example, it is added at the top and the bottom of the apron.

Now you need to open up your bias tape and pin it to the edges of the apron.

You will want to pin the bias tape to the apron so that there is a 15-inch neck hole and 22-inches of bias-tape hanging at each edge for ties. Now you can sew the bias tape to the apron.

Now fold your bias-tape over to the back of the apron (the neck-hole and tie bias-tape pieces will be sewn to themselves) and sew.

Finish the edge of the apron with a parallel seam and you are done!

I just thought that was the cutest thing. It would also go great if you bought a young girl her first easy bake over, or something like that. It would be a great gift for all kinds of events even if you don’t have kids of your own, but know someone who does.

Ok, now as you know, after our beloved crafts, its time to eat! WOOHOO! I love this part LOL! Well it’s casserole week peeps! So today I am bringing you another super delish pan of homemade yumminess!



Delicious Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients
4 skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cup cooked rice
6 ounces sour cream
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed broccoli & cheese soup
1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen broccoli florets, thawed/drained
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Bring to a boil the chicken breasts, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and enough water to cover. Cover, reduce heat to medium low; simmer for 35 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. Cool chicken, remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, soups, broth, onion powder, garlic powder, cheese, broccoli, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked rice and chicken. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a resealable bag, shake together crushed crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle crackers over the top.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Ok I’m drooling already! YUMMY! Ok folks, I’m gonna hop on off of here and wake the kids for their doctor appointments this morning so I can get on the road. I will be talking to you all tomorrow… same blog time… same blog channel! Peace, Love, and lots of HUGS!