tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46292179426961820582024-03-12T19:54:35.452-06:00Mothers of InventionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger712125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-37582255562067158742011-05-14T08:13:00.002-06:002011-05-14T08:32:52.275-06:00Sewing<div>Finally got some sewing done. I think I jumped in a little too far too fast, but that is usually what I do! I got it in my head to make some business card holders for the kids at my church to use for memory verses. At the beginning of every service someone gives a small talk with the kids all coming up front. Do your churches do that? Well, I have done it once before and have been asked to do it again. This time I am doing it on Ephesians 4:29 "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths..." I am tying it in to talking about reading the bible and learing memory verses.</div><div>Ta da...</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb0HOsnjAA0/Tc6PCMtrFJI/AAAAAAAAAX0/CmqXY6YMKl0/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb0HOsnjAA0/Tc6PCMtrFJI/AAAAAAAAAX0/CmqXY6YMKl0/s320/IMG_1335.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606575854058149010" /></a>I learned a whole lot making these. As you can tell, they are horribly flawed, but will work just fine. I managed to tangle the thread horribly, locking up the motor. Broke a needle, and cut the heck out of my thumb! (best bet is to keep your fingers away from all those fast moving parts!) But, I managed to make 18 of them (more than enough) and as my kids think they are amazing, I am hoping the other kids at church are happy as well.<div>I found the pattern on <a href="http://schlosserdesigns.blogspot.com/">www.schlosserdesigns.com</a> which I found via Craft Gossip. </div><div>I also learned that there aren't ANY shops near me that sell cute fabric. And that even the ugly fabric sold at the shop near me is expensive!</div><div>I hope that whatever I make next I can get a little better about making everything neater and straighter. Any tips??<br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLnWF9eJRf8/Tc6PB8kvcUI/AAAAAAAAAXs/Cmw-Fusx5qc/s1600/IMG_1334.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLnWF9eJRf8/Tc6PB8kvcUI/AAAAAAAAAXs/Cmw-Fusx5qc/s320/IMG_1334.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606575849725718850" /></a><br /></div></div></div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338179192033070099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-42350116843249570592011-05-09T05:38:00.004-06:002011-05-09T05:47:21.669-06:00Hello friends!<div><br /></div><div>:-) It has been a long month, but I survived and am back!<div>My in-laws came in early April and we traveled with them to Wales. Have I mentioned my love of Wales???</div><div>Anyway, just 2 days after returning from Wales I left with the younger 2 kids for America. My little sister got married the same day as the royal couple. (yes, after living here for 4.5 years I spend the one big royal event in Ohio. Sigh.)</div><div>I have not been cooking, but plan on making up for lost time this next week and letting you all know how it goes even though it is a bit late!</div><div>I did want to let you know that I have been doing some knitting - (though not a whole lot!) I thought I would post an update on my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TinaMH/lithograph">Lithograph</a>.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT--9lLioCE/TcfTONKUKwI/AAAAAAAAAXk/wXyNfd2sFHI/s1600/IMG_1328.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT--9lLioCE/TcfTONKUKwI/AAAAAAAAAXk/wXyNfd2sFHI/s320/IMG_1328.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604680502290426626" /></a>I have finished row 5 and am partway through row 6. I love how it is coming together and might just give it a real go and finish it up in the next month or 2. The hardest part is that it is a cotton blend. I find cotton very hard to knit with and it just kills my wrist. After a few days of knitting it I have to put it aside. Makes for slow going!<div>Can't wait to show it to you all finished!!!!</div><div>:-) Hopefully by the end of this week I will have some sewing to show you!</div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xe3zrolOnsk/TcfTNzS2x4I/AAAAAAAAAXc/GSnfIR32WwY/s1600/IMG_1329.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xe3zrolOnsk/TcfTNzS2x4I/AAAAAAAAAXc/GSnfIR32WwY/s320/IMG_1329.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604680495346927490" /></a><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span></div></div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338179192033070099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-45508043111944395982011-05-02T20:38:00.002-06:002011-05-03T10:29:52.934-06:00Frayed Cutout AppliqueWhat a great and easy idea! Super fast for last minute needs, or to reuse a shirt with a stain.... need I say more?<br /><br />Check it out at <a href="http://icandyhandmade.blogspot.com/2011/02/icandy-tutorial-frayed-cutout-applique.html">iCandy</a><br />Cool!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-34909840089161490442011-04-08T12:57:00.000-06:002011-04-08T12:57:20.301-06:00Chicken Verde<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Let me give you all a moment to recover from the shock that I am actaully posting a recipe for this months recipe war....better?....take some deep breaths! I may not be able to try all of your recipes as written, but I tried a new ingredient just today for lunch and the result was so good, I just had to share. I don't know why it is called Chicken Verde though...there is green from the peppers, but really the dominant color is the red from the tomatoes. The ingredient I had never used is poblano peppers.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3lbJmpAMrE/TZ9Xtv6aGZI/AAAAAAAACL4/2jYOJfY2lGA/s1600/220px-PasillaKnife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3lbJmpAMrE/TZ9Xtv6aGZI/AAAAAAAACL4/2jYOJfY2lGA/s1600/220px-PasillaKnife.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I know they're a pretty normal and common ingredient, but frankly? I'm scared of peppers. I love my bell peppers of all colors, and I like salsa that someone else makes (doing all the pepper dirty work), but hot and spicy just isn't my thing. These peppers are not too spicy, though! They have a different, deeper and more earthy flavor from green bells, and don't get all mushy when cooked. I'll be using them again for sure. So, here's the recipe:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 Chicken Breasts</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">6 Lg. Tomatoes, chopped</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 Lg. Onions, chopped</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 Poblano Peppers, chopped</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2-3 Cloves Garlic, chopped</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Salt</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pepper</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Lime Juice</div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Boil chicken breasts in just enough water to cover for 45-60 minutes. During last 10 minutes of boiling, heat together the tomato, onion, garlic, and poblano peppers until tomatoes become saucy, adding a bit of the chicken broth as needed. Remove chicken from water and shred. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste (I used one small lime) to tomato mixture, plus enough of the chicken broth to come just to the top of the other ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4-K3dDlkkNc/TZ9XzaCyzxI/AAAAAAAACL8/qpxmaEVpA94/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4-K3dDlkkNc/TZ9XzaCyzxI/AAAAAAAACL8/qpxmaEVpA94/s320/041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><em></em><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Yum!</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to admit that I was skeptical of boiling the chicken for almost 2 hours by the time this recipe was complete, but it was so tender and good! All the flavors blend together and create the most delicious meal! I think this recipe would be really forgiving, too. You could increase/decrease any of the ingredients according to your individual tastes. I personally left the black pepper completely out!</div>Johannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00436720646561133434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-72935187223345128972011-04-06T18:39:00.003-06:002011-04-06T20:02:52.056-06:00Osso BucoI have never had this......I am kind of timid to try veal so I thought I would <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">post</span> this recipe in hopes one of you would try it, love it, then I would make it. I have NEVER cooked with veal before. This recipe is from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hawai'i's</span> Best Local Dishes by Jean <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Watanabe</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hee</span>. It also got voted for one on the best recipes that was tasted for this dish! <div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error"><br /></span></div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Osso</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buco</span> </div><div><br /></div><div>6 veal shanks </div><div>1/3 cup of flour </div><div>1 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">teaspoon</span> salt </div><div>1/4 teaspoon pepper </div><div>2 Tablespoons olive oil </div><div>1 cup finely chopped onion </div><div>1 cup carrots, cut in rounds, 1/4 inch thickness </div><div>1 cup finely chopped celery </div><div>2 cloves garlic, minced </div><div>1 can tomatoes (28ounce) coarsely chopped </div><div>1 cup white wine </div><div>1 teaspoon dried basil leaves </div><div>1 teaspoon thyme leaves </div><div>1 bay leaf </div><div>3 Tablespoons chopped parsley </div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected"><br /></span></div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Wipe</span> veal shanks with a damp paper towel; set aside. Combine flour, salt and pepper; coat veal and shake off excess flour. Heat olive oil in heavy pot. Saute veal until nicely browned on both sides. Remove from pot and keep warm. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot. Saute for about minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, thyme and bay leaf. Mix well and bring to a boil. Return veal to pot and simmer, covered for about 2 hours. Add parsley, transfer to a serving dish. EAT!</div><div><br /></div><div> ***May substitute veal shanks with BEEF shanks...which I have never cooked with either!***</div>Kainoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028164564630506237noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-14817741694873340642011-04-06T12:46:00.000-06:002011-04-06T12:46:39.814-06:00Harira: Moroccan Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Harira is a typical soup in Morocco, so I made this soup recently in honor of my trip last Christmas and it definitely reminded me of a lot of the food we ate there. This particular recipe is from Emeril, found on FoodNetwork.com. See the original <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/harira-moroccan-chickpea-stew-with-chicken-and-lentils-recipe/index.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I had never cooked with lentils before, so that was my new ingredient. In fact, before this I'd only tried a dish with chickpeas once before, so there was a lot "new" for me in this soup. I skipped the chicken, as there was plenty of protein in the soup already, and the version I had on my vacation had no meat. Also, most of what I read said that if adding meat, lamb or beef are more traditional, so you could try that instead if you'd like. I don't think I used quite as much stock as it called for and I threw in extra beans and rice because it didn't look like much. In the end, they plumped up, absorbed practically all the liquids, and I would be hard pressed to call it a soup anymore. When I make this again, I will pay more attention to the measurements and maybe add extra stock just in case.<br />
<br />
All in all, I thought it was excellent! Obviously if you're not into bean based soups it might not be your thing. Sorry about the long ingredient list (especially after Joanna's post below), but it's mostly different spices. I measured out each one and then later thought I should've just used the "45 spices" mix I bought at the market. Next time!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"></span><br />
<h1 class="fn" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #3d3d3d; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; font: normal normal bold 161.6%/1.6 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; height: auto; line-height: 1.19em; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 14px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/harira-moroccan-chickpea-stew-with-chicken-and-lentils-recipe/index.html">Harira: Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Chicken and Lentils</a></h1><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"></span><br />
<h2 style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">Ingredients</h2><ul style="margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/4 pound dried chickpeas</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 tablespoons olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 cup diced onions</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup diced celery</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 teaspoons ground ginger</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 teaspoons turmeric</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 teaspoon ground black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 1/2 quarts rich chicken stock</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/4 pound dried green lentils</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup long-grain rice</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/fn20/imgs/bltccc.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 2px 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Cilantro sprigs, for garnishing</li>
</ul><h2 style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 2px;">Directions</h2><div class="instructions" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Pick over the chickpeas, cover with cold water, and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with cold running water. Drain and set aside.</div><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken in batches, and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring well. Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.</div><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Add the rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and return the soup to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.</div><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.</div></div></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590721793137071184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-37664374531989521182011-04-06T12:05:00.001-06:002011-04-06T12:07:30.648-06:00Grilled Salmon Paprika<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/grilled-salmon-paprika/">GRILLED SALMON PAPRIKA</a></span><br />
<br />
My new ingredient is smoked paprika. I've been hearing about it for several years but always resisted purchasing it. I finally bought some and this is the recipe I'd like to use with it. It smells divine! I can't wait to use it. I found the recipe at <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen</a>. I really like finding recipes there because it seems like most people have the same sort of mindset about food that I do: make it tasty, make the recipe short, make it quick, but make sure it's tasty.<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/"> Pioneer Woman</a> is good at making recipes with about 5 ingredients and I really like that. Many, many of her posters at Tasty Kitchen seem to do the same thing. I make my menu almost exclusively from Tasty Kitchen recipes. So thanks to elenaspantry at Tasty Kitchen for the recipe!<br />
<br />
<h1><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/grilled-salmon-paprika/">Grilled Salmon Paprika</a> * </h1>Added by <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/members/elanaspantry/">elanaspantry</a> on August 19, 2010 in <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/categories/main-courses/fish/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Fish">Fish</a>, <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/categories/main-courses/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Main Courses">Main Courses</a><br />
<div class="card-body"><div class="card-content"><table cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><b>Prep Time</b> <time datetime="PT10M" itemprop="prepTime">10 Minutes<br />
<b>Cook Time</b> <time datetime="PT8M" itemprop="cookTime">8 Minutes </time> </time></td><td class="middle"><br />
</td> <td><br />
</td> </tr>
<img alt="" class="borders the_recipe_image" itemprop="photo" src="http://static.thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/files/2010/08/grilled-salmon-paprika-420x281.jpg" width="410" /> <h2>Ingredients</h2><ul class="ingredients" id="ingredients-85732"><li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1-½ pound</span> <span itemprop="name">Salmon Fillet, Cut Into (6) 4 Ounce Pieces, Leave Skin On</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1 Tablespoon</span> <span itemprop="name">Smoked Paprika</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">½ teaspoons</span> <span itemprop="name">Ground Cumin</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span itemprop="name">Celtic Sea Salt</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">¼ cups</span> <span itemprop="name">Agave Nectar</span></span></li>
</ul><h2>Preparation Instructions</h2>Rinse salmon, pat dry and place in an 11 x 7 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin and salt. Drizzle agave over salmon, then sprinkle with paprika mixture. Marinate for 30 minutes to 5 hours. Grill salmon (skin side down) for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat, then turn over. Grill on other side for 3 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. </tbody></table><table cellspacing="0"><tbody> </tbody></table><table cellspacing="0"><tbody>*Obviously that's not my picture, and this is not my recipe. Please follow the link to Tasty Kitchen to visit the author of the recipe. </tbody></table><table cellspacing="0"><tbody> </tbody></table><table cellspacing="0"><tbody> </tbody> </table></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-46680585129978811132011-04-06T11:42:00.000-06:002011-04-06T12:10:58.812-06:00Apple Fennel Slaw - My Recipe War entryI found <a href="http://guiltykitchen.com/2010/05/30/apple-fennel-slaw/">this</a> recipe by <a href="http://guiltykitchen.com/">Guilty Kitchen</a> at the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen</a>.<div><br /></div><div>It uses my "something new" ingredient of fennel (or anise as I saw it labelled in Safeway). I almost didn't submit this recipe. I had to buy quite a lot of the ingredients because I didn't have them on hand and I hate to make you all go out and spend lots of money. I actually didn't use the poppy seeds because it was $5 for a small container. And I used dried chopped onions instead of the powder because it was way cheaper. (If you do this, triple the amount of ground onion called for.) But I did splurge on Grey Poupon and buttermilk.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also didn't use the fennel tops because I tasted a piece and it seemed so tough. But, then the slaw didn't seem to have enough of the fennel taste.</div><div><br /></div><div>After I had put it all together and tasted it, I didn't think it was so special and really thought about testing out another recipe. I ate a small bowl, and then another, and then another. And then I realized that maybe I didn't realize how great it was because it's so different from what I normally eat.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's quite brilliant actually. The vinegar and mustard paired with the crisp sweetness of the apples and the slight taste of licorice is addictive. It's refreshing.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I hope you like it!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family:ff-enzo-web-1, ff-enzo-web-2, sans-serif;"><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-family: Molengo, 'sans serif'; "><em>Servings: 6-8</em><br /><em>Prep Time: 20 minutes</em></p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-family: Molengo, 'sans serif'; "><em>Dressing:</em><br />1/4 cup light or reduced fat sour cream (NOT no fat)<br />1/4 cup 1/2 fat mayonnaise (such as Hellman’s)<br />1/4 cup buttermilk<br />juice from one lemon<br />1 tsp Grey Poupon mustard (or Dijon)<br />1 tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />2 tsp sugar<br />1 tsp poppy seeds<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />fresh ground pepper, to taste<br />1/2 tsp onion powder</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-family: Molengo, 'sans serif'; "><em>Salad:</em><br />2 small fennel bulbs (including tops)<br />1 1/2 tart apples (I used Pink Lady)<br />1/2 cup shredded green cabbage</p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: block; font-family: Molengo, 'sans serif'; ">1. In large bowl, prepare dressing by combining all dressing ingredients. Set aside.<br />2. Prepare salad by thinly slicing the fennel bulbs, apples (skin on) and green cabbage. Finely dice the fennel tops and add to salad bowl.<br />3. Mix well and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.</p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-15458394225121834062011-03-29T09:04:00.002-06:002011-03-29T09:13:36.653-06:00Recipe War for AprilLet's try this again! The theme is "Something New". Submit a recipe that involves an ingredient that you've never cooked with. It doesn't matter if everyone else has. I've placed the info in the sidebar in case anyone misses this info. <div><br /></div><div>I think it would be great if those of you with allergies or special diets would participate too, even if you won't be able to try everyone else's recipe. At least you would be contributing and helping us keep this thing alive. If fact, if you really can't try the other recipes maybe you could even submit a recipe that isn't particularly new to you, but has some really weird ingredient that you're sure we haven't tried cooking with. </div><div><br /></div><div>As far as I can tell, we're operating a pretty loose contest here with few rules. The main goal here is to try different things and expand our family recipe rotations. So, I'd like to encourage all of you to participate. </div><div><br /></div><div>And since some of us (not me of course! :) tend to wait until the end of the month to submit a recipe, I'd like to set a goal date for submissions. How does April 6th sound? That's next Wednesday. I'll try to remind everyone as we get closer. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-9941022102928960032011-03-28T08:35:00.000-06:002011-03-28T08:35:23.663-06:00Cinnamon Roll FocacciaI had no eggs, no breakfast meat, no cereal and no oatmeal. Breakfast was looking like beans and rice. Which probably would have been a mite more healthy than this recipe that I made, but not nearly as tasty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7XNdvZBcrOA/TZCcjIwj60I/AAAAAAAADDE/8pNKpmpJRIg/s1600/DSC06900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7XNdvZBcrOA/TZCcjIwj60I/AAAAAAAADDE/8pNKpmpJRIg/s320/DSC06900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>CINNAMON ROLL FOCACCIA<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">1 c. warm water</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ c. sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ c. oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ t. salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 t. or 1 packet yeast</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 c. flour</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ c. butter</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ c. brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 t. cinnamon</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 c. powdered sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 t. vanilla</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 or 2 T milk</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mix warm water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for about 3 minutes to let it bloom a bit then add the oil, salt and flour. Mix in mixer with bread hook for three minutes, let rest for 3 minutes, mix again for 3-5 minutes (depending how rushed you are). Take off bread hook, leave dough in mixer bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 30-40 minutes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat oven to 400. Spray with oil spray a 9x13 pan. Dump dough into pan and with fingertips coerce the dough to all corners of the pan, making it as even as possible and leaving score it a bit with your fingertips, so it looks like there pock-marks all over. Let rise for 10 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Melt 5 T butter. Mix in brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour over bread and spread evenly. Bake for 16 minutes. When it’s done, let it rest for about 5 minutes so that all the butter/sugar gets absorbed into the bread. Carefully put it on a cutting board and slice into 16 (or whatever) pieces – I like to use a pizza cutter for this.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Soften 3 T butter. Add powdered sugar and try to get as much of the butter mixed into the powdered sugar as possible. It should look like yellow lumps. Add the vanilla and 1 T milk. Stir it up really well. If it’s not fluid enough to pour over the focaccia add more milk. Drizzle glaze over focaccia and serve warm. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-31660000687088843362011-03-17T02:18:00.002-06:002011-03-17T02:30:11.890-06:00Where do I begin?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uaAhzwjbwq8/TYHEPRVCg6I/AAAAAAAAAXU/DQmaxdPcm5Q/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uaAhzwjbwq8/TYHEPRVCg6I/AAAAAAAAAXU/DQmaxdPcm5Q/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584960779544855458" /></a>Did you know that Mother's Day in England is earlier than in the US? It usually falls in March, but this year it is April 3. We usually celebrate the British Mother's Day around here. Didn't start off that way, but the kids do all their Mother's day crafts and activities at school and church for the British one, so it is more logical.<div>All of that to say that THIS is what I got/am getting for Mother's day this year!!!!</div><div>Isn't it lovely? I was aiming for the cheaper model, but my husband is the king of upgrades...</div><div>We bought it from a man who not only sells them, but has a repair shop as well. He delivered it to my house yesterday, set it up and showed me how to use it. Haven't paid for it yet. He wants me to try it out for a few days to make sure it is what I want. He will be here tomorrow to pick up either the check or the machine. Isn't that great?</div><div>So I am completely full of excitement, but have no idea where to start. I think I need to buy some scissors! And fabric! Goodness. I wish someone around me sewed. Don't know who I will go to for help! ha ha ha.</div><div>Anyhow - I knew all you ladies would be excited right along with me. :-)</div><div>Hope your day is as nice as mine!</div><div><br /></div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338179192033070099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-27963413722452018032011-03-16T07:38:00.001-06:002011-03-16T07:42:37.686-06:00Something InterestingI have a job! Okay, well, sort of. Tina's sister is getting married and Tina has hired me to make "The Most Beautiful Apron Ever" and some napkins for a wedding gift. So I thought I'd share what I'm going to make.<br />
<br />
First the apron. I made this apron from some fabric I bought from Marie.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1L48NznaPU4/TYC8YtmCbLI/AAAAAAAADCk/Q4ZpXNEE3Og/s1600/DSC06518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1L48NznaPU4/TYC8YtmCbLI/AAAAAAAADCk/Q4ZpXNEE3Og/s320/DSC06518.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />
It's a really beautiful pattern. The original I cannot find online anymore but I was smart and saved the pattern to a Word document when I found it a few years ago. This is the picture from the original pattern. I'm sorry I cannot credit the picture taker. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A4Li7hztt2c/TYC7uHo9piI/AAAAAAAADCg/tOYKOHqzpLg/s1600/tea+party+apron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A4Li7hztt2c/TYC7uHo9piI/AAAAAAAADCg/tOYKOHqzpLg/s320/tea+party+apron.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>This is the fabric I purchased for the apron.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UyIJ00loweM/TYC88f4XmGI/AAAAAAAADCs/kYik_sHWlXQ/s1600/apron+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UyIJ00loweM/TYC88f4XmGI/AAAAAAAADCs/kYik_sHWlXQ/s320/apron+%25282%2529.JPG" width="214" /></a></div> Look at that baby boy! Isn't he the cutest!?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MTZOkjsCY-Q/TYC889madsI/AAAAAAAADCw/vXFzdl7DAKU/s1600/apron+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MTZOkjsCY-Q/TYC889madsI/AAAAAAAADCw/vXFzdl7DAKU/s320/apron+%25283%2529.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />
It's Moda Aster Manor by Three Sisters. It's fully lined. I'm so jealous. I might not be able to actually send it to Tina to give to her sister. She may have to fly out here and wrench it from my hands.<br />
<br />
The napkins. This is <a href="http://www1.macys.com/registry/wedding/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=482231&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results">the china</a> Tina's sister has registered for.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zjht39h7cyw/TYC7twPV2TI/AAAAAAAADCc/0nriM44jmq4/s1600/china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zjht39h7cyw/TYC7twPV2TI/AAAAAAAADCc/0nriM44jmq4/s1600/china.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Isn't it pretty? Fortunately I found this fabric at Joann's, on sale even!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_f0clYps7dc/TYC9PI7_6tI/AAAAAAAADC4/A7r8IJ24uuI/s1600/napkins+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_f0clYps7dc/TYC9PI7_6tI/AAAAAAAADC4/A7r8IJ24uuI/s320/napkins+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qocSyOwy9YM/TYC9OeHx0gI/AAAAAAAADC0/6eWa3Qzv7Qg/s1600/napkins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qocSyOwy9YM/TYC9OeHx0gI/AAAAAAAADC0/6eWa3Qzv7Qg/s320/napkins.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
They only had three yards of it and she's registered for 16 settings, so I'm not sure I can get sixteen 17 inch napkins out of it, so I will have to get creative. I am going to use a white broadcloth for the contrast color.<br />
<br />
And that's what I am sewing right now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-45282810357110127332011-03-04T10:54:00.003-06:002011-03-04T11:01:22.045-06:00Recipe War for MarchOk, it seems like we're off to a rough start. Only two entries for February. (And I'm only making Jo's recipe today. Four days into March.) <div><br /></div><div>I'll post the winning category in the sidebar for this month in case anyway misses the announcement in the comments. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've also added 6 days to the March poll since we had a tie. If you haven't voted, please do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Joanna won January's Recipe War. Woohoo! I know we used to have some prizes consisting of yarn and fabric, but I'm not so excited about these anymore. Especially since I've used up some of them in the past few years because I forgot I had set them aside for prizes. Oops! :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Does anyone have any suggestions about how we can get people motivated to participate? Maybe we could get some outsiders to join in. Does anyone have a friend who might want to play? Of course, that sort of makes the issue of a prize more urgent. </div><div><br /></div><div>Any thoughts? </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-3384740844163365462011-02-13T14:17:00.000-06:002011-02-13T14:17:14.411-06:00MujadaraMy recipe submission for this month is mujadara. We served it with pita chips, hummus and labne. The recipe that I used is <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/mujadara-rice-lentils-caramelized-onions/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Mujadara</span><br />
recipe courtesy of Confused Homemaker over at <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen</a><br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal">1 cup Lentils</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">4 whole Onions</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">3-½ cups Water</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 cup White Rice</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon Cumin</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon Salt</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">½ teaspoons Pepper</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<br />
Slice the onions. The onions should be sliced long, so they look like a rainbow versus diced into small pieces.<br />
Heat a pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and half an onion. Cook until onion is caramelized.<br />
Add lentils, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.<br />
After 20 minutes, add rice and cumin. Cover and simmer for additional 20 minutes.<br />
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the remaining onions. Cook until fully caramelized and blackened.<br />
Note: we used green lentils and yellow onions for this dish.<br />
<br />
My recipe for hummus is as follows:<br />
1 can chick peas<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
2 T of the liquid from the can of chick peas <br />
2 T tahini<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
juice of a lemon<br />
Whir it all up in a food processor or blender. Taste it to see if it needs more lemon juice or salt.When I serve it, I drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle it with some paprika.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strained_yoghurt">Labne</a> is a Middle Eastern kefir cheese with several different spellings, depending on which country it's from. The stuff I had was Lebanese. My neighbor gave it to us and I don't know where she got it from, so I hope you can find it. But it's still VERY good without the labne.<br />
<br />
For the pita chips, I buy thin pita, cut it up into pie shapes, spray it with olive oil spray and then sprinkle it with garlic salt. Bake at 450 for about 5 minutes or until crisp.<br />
<br />
They way we ate it was to spread the pita chip with a bit of the labne, put some mujadara on it, the top it with hummus. I liked it just from the bowl. It's very good though!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-90273789458610943242011-02-07T08:57:00.002-06:002011-02-07T09:18:51.414-06:00Valentine's IdeasHere are a bunch of ideas for Valentine's Day Decorating. I found them on the <a href="http://tipnut.com/">tipnut</a> site, which has a <a href="http://valentines.tipnut.com/">Valentines page</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.purlbee.com/valentine-heart-barrettes/">Valentine's day barrettes</a>- made with felt hearts for little girl's hair.<br /><br /><a href="http://peppermintplum.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentine-snowflake-garland.html">Valentines Snowflakes</a>- made from coffee filters and patterned paper.<br /><br /><a href="http://scraps-in-progress.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-sew-valentine-garland.html">Valentines Garland</a>- no sew fabric hearts<br /><br /><a href="http://curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/5784-Curbly-Video-Podcast-How-to-make-woven-fabric-hearts-">Danish Woven Hearts</a>- no sew woven hearts that can be filled with little candies.<br /><br /><a href="http://lavenderlimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/conversation-hearts.html">Felt Conversation Hearts</a>- felt version of the classic candies.<br /><br /><a href="http://granvillehouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/quick-easy-valentine-craft.html">Scrabble for you</a>!- cute if your into scrabble.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/nice-mice/">Heart Mice</a>- nice paper project using heart shapes.<br /><br /><a href="http://1442338852466924746-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/ourscoop/valentine-chair-backer-tutorial/ValentineChairBackerTutorialCpdf.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cpBZGqxDLgaPGPD6lOqaLUEhHEQ3CokbB0eMcJ1ey3qB2JC7vDwgtXiu1fg7c9qQNCe7GUPscXrxFg1lck9CB9fxlZATYp59_Q1uZJPZtxB55Jo7hn6C6OlQykqTwRzYQpOf1ZGq4Tq8mzQqXeFWSqrUBHTTZyIADKFI1DQMpt1cjBnxD5VT1GfIWWFKsCiauRLyyWe2nQsvYcRpr7Cs4lxPbA9XLbZ7wliVEdKszSCFzMpJlki10xRpX--oEyg7YPba09QAbJepY2DLN1F0o1RA2HbbA%3D%3D&attredirects=1">Valentine Chair Bags</a>- backpacks for the chairs, fill with treats for Valentine's Day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-58911639751599118152011-02-03T11:10:00.002-06:002011-02-03T11:16:30.732-06:00Mac and Cheese with Butternut SquashThis is a Rachel Ray <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html">recipe</a>. It's one of the few recipes that I follow as directed. Well, except that I can't find frozen butternut squash, so I make my own. I just steam a whole butternut squash and then pack in ziplocks and freeze until I need it. An example of why you should have a kitchen scale. If you don't have one, get one! You won't regret it.<br /><br />Anyway, you can't really taste the butternut squash, so this is an excellent way to sneak in some ... well I was going to say veggie, but I just looked it up and apparently it's a fruit. Weird. Fruit in mac and cheese? Well, it works anyway.<br /><br />1 pound macaroni with lines, such as tubatini or mini penne rigate<br />Salt<br />1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan<br />2 tablespoons butter<br />1/2 medium onion<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish<br />3 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />2 cups chicken stock<br />1 (10 ounce) box frozen cooked butter nut squash, defrosted<br />1 cup cream or half-and-half<br />2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Cheddar, grated<br />1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls<br />1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, eyeball it<br />Black pepper<br />Directions<br />Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.<br /><br />While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.<br /><br />Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-62203899039470416512011-01-26T14:30:00.002-06:002011-01-26T14:32:38.725-06:00Recipe WarHi! I've been a slacker and still need to make the recipes for this month. But I'm making the wild rice soup tonight and will make the dumpling soup this weekend. <br /><br />I've set up a poll for February, but I'm totally willing to change the themes if you guys don't like any of them. I had a hard time thinking them up and I just thought of some meats that I often see on sale but usually don't know what to do with. Let me know if you want me to add to it, or you can just add it yourself.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-18235147400677997752011-01-11T04:53:00.002-06:002011-01-11T05:07:42.263-06:00Creamy Wild Rice SoupThis is the only soup that I make on a regular basis that has not come from our recipe wars... :-)<div>It is originally a Pampered Chef recipe. I don't know if it is in any of their cookbooks, I received it in a pack of recipe cards as a party gift. My kids love this. I always double the recipe and the kids pack the extra for lunch in their thermoses.</div><div><br /></div><div>1 cup grated carrots</div><div>1 cup sliced mushrooms</div><div>1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery</div><div>1/2 cup chopped onion</div><div>1 TBS butter</div><div>1/2 cup all purpouse flour</div><div>4 cups chicken broth</div><div>1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk</div><div>1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (I use an entire box of Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice)</div><div><br /></div><div>Melt butter in saucepan, add in carrots, mushrooms, celery and onions. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.</div><div>Stir in flour. Gradually add broth and milk, whisking until blended. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK- I don't add mushrooms (ewwww) or celery. But I do add a bit extra onions and carrots. You can also add 1 cup cooked turkey or chicken along with the rice. I don't because I think it is almost better without and I like having a few meat-less recipes to fall back on.</div><div>Like I said, I use the boxed uncle bens rice. I have never tried it with just the wild rice and have no idea how this would taste. I add the entire box when cooked, which is more than called for, but I like chunkier soups.</div><div>This is excellent with some crusty bread. (though what soup isn't?)</div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338179192033070099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-4924170194540055482011-01-10T14:11:00.002-06:002011-01-10T14:16:45.872-06:00Wonton soupHere is my recipe.... <br /><br />Get in car.<br />Drive to Chinese place. If you are trying to enjoy time with no kids pick one further away from the house.... otherwise the one on the corner will work wonderfully.<br />Order your wonton soup.<br />Wait five minutes.<br />Drive home.<br />Eat. Or if you are like me, hand it to your husband and say look dear I made you dinner....<br /><br />That is the extent of my soup.... Yes that is how pathetic I am.... I don't eat much can you tell..... unless you call those instant noodle packs you buy at the grocery store as eating soup....<br /><br />I blame it on not liking boiled meat.... too chewy and hard to eat for me and the kids.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-31260908209774498992011-01-09T00:16:00.002-06:002011-01-09T00:30:11.528-06:00Beef Barley SoupI was going to submit <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/corn-chowder-with-chilies/">this</a> recipe for Corn Chowder with Chilies recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Except I didn't put the chipotle peppers cause I like to make food that my kids can eat. <br /><br />Anyway, that's not my entry, because tonight I made this super yummy beef barley soup. Everyone loved it, except for Caleb of course, who thinks onions are the worst. Weird kid. Apparently Shane was the same way, so I get to blame him for the trouble. He didn't start eating onions until he was in his 20's. Is that not the weirdest thing you've ever heard? <br /><br />Anyway. Here's the recipe...<br /><br />1 Tbsp butter<br />1 Tbsp olive oil<br />1.5 lb. beef<br />1 medium onion<br />8 c. beef broth<br />3/4 c. pearl barley<br />3 carrots<br />8 oz. frozen peas<br />4 oz. mushrooms<br />salt and pepper<br />(the beef, carrots, onions and mushrooms should all be cut up into bite-sized pieces)<br /><br />1. Heat the butter and oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and add beef. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on beef.<br />2. Cook the beef for about 6 minutes and then put in a separate bowl. <br />3. Add onion with a little more salt to the pot and cook until tender. <br />4. Add beef back to the pot along with the broth and barley. <br />5. Simmer for 30 minutes.<br />6. Add veggies and simmer for 1 hour. <br />7. Taste and add salt if needed. <br /><br />Serve with bread. <br /><br />I'm sorry I didn't take a picture. There were leftovers so I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow and add it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08988057035703045037noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-40954408144750746562011-01-08T17:03:00.002-06:002011-01-08T19:50:04.895-06:00Japanese-Style Dumpling Soup<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is my offering for recipe wars. I totally just made it up, but it's delicious and incredibly easy to make. I thought it was a little too salty when I made it with the bullion so use less bullion than is called for on the directions (usually 1 t. to 1 cup of water).</span><i><b> </b></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Japanese-style dumpling soup</b></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 quarts (12 cups) chicken stock, broth or water/bullion</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ c soy sauce</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 t. sesame oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 green onions (or ½ any other style onion)</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ t. ground ginger</div><div class="MsoNormal">frozen prepared mandu (Japanese or Korean style dumplings)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Combine all the ingredients except for the dumplings and heat over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the frozen dumplings and let them heat through. Serve with rice.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSjsyC3OjxI/AAAAAAAADAg/GfgfFgIIddw/s1600/DSC05755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSjsyC3OjxI/AAAAAAAADAg/GfgfFgIIddw/s320/DSC05755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-45551624443631454272011-01-04T18:31:00.000-06:002011-01-04T18:31:35.745-06:00AB's Ginger AlmondsI'll post my soup recipe for the recipe war tomorrow, since I'm making it for dinner and I can take pictures then, but for now I wanted to share this recipe I found from Alton Brown. I was very skeptical when I read the bit about the ginger (although, I probably didn't use as much as he calls for), but I'm telling you these almonds are absolutely <i><b>delicious</b></i>!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7if4VgeI/AAAAAAAADAM/7o7bdW0YMkM/s1600/almonds+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7if4VgeI/AAAAAAAADAM/7o7bdW0YMkM/s320/almonds+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><h1 class="recipe-title">Ginger Almonds</h1>Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009<br />
<div class="recipe-summary clrfix"></div><h2>Ingredients</h2><ul><li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon ground ginger</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/salt/index.html">kosher salt</a></li>
<li class="ingredient">2 teaspoons olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon dark sesame oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 dried arbol <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/chile/index.html">chile</a>, stemmed and broken into small pieces (I didn't have one so I used chili flakes, about 1 teaspoon or less)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 pound whole natural almonds</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/worcestershire-sauce/index.html">Worcestershire sauce</a></li>
</ul><h2>Directions</h2>Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.<br />
<br />
Combine the ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil and <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sesame-oil/index.html">sesame oil</a> in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the arbol chile and cook, stirring frequently, until the chile begins to give off an <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/aroma/index.html">aroma</a>, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently until lightly toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Add the <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/soy-sauce/index.html">soy sauce</a> and Worcestershire sauce and cook until reduced slightly and the pan looks dry, approximately 1 minute. Immediately remove the nuts to the large bowl and toss with the <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/ginger/index.html">ginger</a> mixture.<br />
<br />
Spread the coated nuts into a single layer on a half <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sheet-pan/index.html">sheet pan</a> lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan to a <a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cooling-rack/index.html">cooling rack</a> for at least 30 minutes or until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7j1LHVWI/AAAAAAAADAQ/ujShSRU8IS4/s1600/almonds+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7j1LHVWI/AAAAAAAADAQ/ujShSRU8IS4/s320/almonds+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7ltwYTsI/AAAAAAAADAU/vmGhP5RolUI/s1600/almonds+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_My-d8wHZF3g/TSO7ltwYTsI/AAAAAAAADAU/vmGhP5RolUI/s320/almonds+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-80986213362629611152011-01-04T14:35:00.002-06:002011-01-04T14:38:29.453-06:00Soup recipe warSo I would post my soup recipe here, if I had one, or was one that liked a lot of soups....and found one that I would post before actually trying it.....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-74512977699252397052010-12-27T15:02:00.002-06:002010-12-27T15:24:52.999-06:00Well, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, though it may seem like it. Kids have been off school and everyone has been feeling sick. (today is my turn) I thought I would pop on and make up for the last 2 weeks of missing my friday post by letting you all in on my last minute knitting. This was a big knitting Christmas for me, and I hope that next year I can get around to some of the others that I didn't get to knit for this year. <div>I also wanted to make something small for each of the kids, and managed to get it all done. Here are the children's gifts,<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBBfSyqGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/_1SVrXH3znc/s1600/IMG_0806.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBBfSyqGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/_1SVrXH3znc/s320/IMG_0806.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555472740430030946" /></a>These are some simple fingerless mittens that Katherine hasn't taken off since she unwrapped them. Such and easy little pattern, it knit up in only one evening.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBBK4SgEI/AAAAAAAAAXA/ulzeP2ChTbs/s1600/IMG_0804.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBBK4SgEI/AAAAAAAAAXA/ulzeP2ChTbs/s320/IMG_0804.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555472734950162498" /></a>Here is another small gift for Kate. She got an iPod for her birthday and I used some extra sock yarn to knit this case up. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBAis2dSI/AAAAAAAAAW4/t_3pd6XEwrk/s1600/IMG_0802.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBAis2dSI/AAAAAAAAAW4/t_3pd6XEwrk/s320/IMG_0802.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555472724164769058" /></a>A bunny for Aidan. I failed miserably at the sweater, but I think he is cute in his scarf. Aidan is 8 now and I think I am just eeking out the last bit of time where he enjoys cuddly toys.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBAdcK0cI/AAAAAAAAAWw/rDhqT2O6dXY/s1600/IMG_0801.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkBAdcK0cI/AAAAAAAAAWw/rDhqT2O6dXY/s320/IMG_0801.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555472722752623042" /></a>This was one of my favorites. A little bear in a basket. the bear has only the body, ears and eyes. No arms or anything. So cute. The little blanket is sewn in and attatches on one side with a button. I could make these forever. Elena likes it, but I think not as much as me!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkA_rJ2voI/AAAAAAAAAWo/D_ZxM0ZXXj8/s1600/IMG_0797.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SEvy17UKb_0/TRkA_rJ2voI/AAAAAAAAAWo/D_ZxM0ZXXj8/s320/IMG_0797.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555472709254037122" /></a>And finally, short of knitting a train for Jack I settled on some easy to make balls. These are a pattern called Catch. technically a hackey sack. They are filled with lentils and because of that are tons of fun to throw around. I think I have been playing with them more than anyone.</div></div><div>The gifts were a huge hit. I wrapped them all in plain brown paper, with no decoration and I think it made the kids even more excited to open them.</div><div>Hope you guys have gotten in some extra crafty-ness this year!</div><div><br /></div>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09338179192033070099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4629217942696182058.post-37844730050680511252010-12-27T14:39:00.003-06:002010-12-30T13:58:41.748-06:00Merry Christmas<span style="font-size:180%;">Well, I sure do hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.</span> I know we sure did around here. We didn't get all the cookies we wanted to baked, but we will as the weeks go on. Instead we spent a week with a kid down with the flu and were trying to stay out of the kitchen so we couldn't spread stuff around....<br /><br />Since I couldn't get out of the house, I did a few more present making than I thought I would, so I will go ahead and post those too. I made both girls and a six month old little boy we know one of <a href="http://judisdolls.com/babybows/babybows.pdf">these dolls</a>. If the kids weren't napping right now, I would get a picture of the ones I made, but they have been sleeping with them. I didn't do the hair, I simply made them bald babies. If I were to do them again I would add in the felt style hair like in the Black Apple dolls, but I didn't. I also sewed the seams instead of the tied version cause I thought Zoe couldn't be trusted....<br /><br />The other gift I made was some brown placemats for grandma. Grandma constantly gets after the kids for touching this or touching that with dirty hands, that it sometimes goes a little too far. So we bought some brown (Excuse me, the proper word according to the website would be espresso) placemats from bed bath and beyond similar to <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=126276">these</a>, and used some antique white paint to add names, year and hand prints for each of the grand kids. I think Grandma really liked them. The idea originally came from <a href="http://raisingolives.com/2010/11/personalized-table-cloth/">Raising Olives</a> website, where she shared how they have all the kids do one tablecloth each year to show the growth throughout the years. Placemats somehow just seemed easier... and since there is no assigned seats at Grandma's house, easy to move about.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1