Saturday I spent the whole day at our Project Linus Make a Blanket Day. I could not BELIEVE how many people were there! Nearly 200 ladies, with their sewing machines, irons, ironing boards, rotary cutters and mats, cutting, ironing and sewing away at quilts! We were set up in a very nice mall, we had a vacant store to set up our potluck lunch, which was HUGE and delish! There was an area for the quilt contest (called Boo-Boo Kids), an area for labeling of finished quilts, a quilt shop set up an area where you could win prizes for finishing a Lotsa Pops (PDF) block to be assembled with others' blocks into finished quilts, just so MUCH going on! There were knitters and crocheters working away and people cutting and tying fleece blankets too. I was very interested in the fleece blankets that had a crochet edge so I think that will be my next Linus Blanket goal. I got 20 blocks done for my string quilt. Now it's time to assemble!
My Project Linus in-progress quilts are:
Purple string quilt
Batman and Robin panel quilt
Puppies toddler-sized quilt
and now I need to find some fun fleece to add a crocheted edge to. :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How to Eat Soy and Like It!
First off, this isn't a comprehensive guide to soy foods. I am just relaying some experiences I've had with soy products in the hopes that it will help you if you'd like to try cooking them yourself.
If you've tried to cook with tofu and didn't like it, chances are it was you, not the tofu. (No offense and all, but it's easy to screw it up.) It was the way you prepared it, seasoned (or didn't season) it or bought the wrong type for the application you were trying it in. Tofu is not terrible. There was a time when I thought it was. But tofu, it wasn't you, it was me.
If you are a tofu newbie or have tried and failed to cook it properly, I suggest you first try dishes at restaurants. They know what they're doing (hopefully) so you'll know it wasn't your tofu skills if you don't like it. You will notice that their tofu is usually NOT bright white and is usually has much more texture than tofu straight from the box. From this we infer that they must work some magic on it to create the lovely chewy, brown skin, tender (but not dripping wet) innards and delicious flavors that can be found. How do we create that ourselves? We will soon find out!
If you've shopped for tofu, you know there are at least a couple of different types available. Each type is good for different types of dishes. The main categories available in most grocery stores are:
Silken tofu- great for blending into a smoothie to add protein or mixing half and half with sour cream and seasonings to make a low-fat dip!
Soft/Medium tofu-Excellent for crumbling into pasta dishes and casseroles.
Firm/Extra-Firm tofu-The best for keeping its shape in stir fry or when baked as slices.
Stir-Fry and other ideas for Firm and Extra Firm
Number one rule-you cannot just plop the tofu out of the package, cut it up and add it to your stir-fry, you will be grossed out and disappointed. Half of tofu cooking is actually tofu preparation.
If your tofu comes packed in water, you will need to drain that water off and press the tofu to remove even more water. Place the block of tofu between a couple of paper towels and put it into a colander. Put a small plate or saucer over the tofu and weight it down with a can or two of veggies or soup. Leave this set-up in the sink or over a bowl to drain for at least 15 minutes. Then you're ready to cut!
I like my tofu cut into small pieces because it gives more surface area to get crispy and delicious. Larger pieces will result in crispy outsides and tender, juicy insides so go with what you like.
Coat the pieces in cornstarch. Just toss them in a plastic baggie with a few tablespoons of the stuff to complete cover.
Then fry the pieces in a non-stick skillet with a tiny bit of olive or vegetable oil over medium high heat. Don't move it around too much, leave the pieces to cook on one side for a good long time, then flip them all to a new side to create a great crust.
When my tofu is just about done, I like to scoot it over to one side and cook some other veggies in the same skillet. This keeps the tofu warm. One of my favorite things to do with crispy tofu is make a wrap sandwich so I cooked up some onions here.
Then I plop it all onto a burrito and add whatever I have in the fridge, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, sour cream, salad dressings, and salsa are all ideas. Tofu prepared in this way can also be stir-fried with veggies and served over rice!
To add even more flavor to the tofu, you can marinate it before cooking. Tofu, like a sponge, soaks up whatever flavor you put with it. The easiest way it to used a bottled marinade made for meat! But you can also throw together some soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, etc and make your own. Marinated tofu can be fried like above, baked, grilled, so many options!
Another trick to try with tofu is to freeze it! Freezing tofu changes the texture and makes it more crumbly. This "ground meat" texture makes it great for adding to casseroles and such where you don't want identifiable triangle or square shapes in your food. Ok, it's great for when you're trying to "hide" it in things. :)
Soft Tofu Ideas
Soft tofu fits in excellent with Italian food! It's a great substitute for Ricotta cheese but you can't substitute it for ALL the cheese because you still need something with flavor. I love making stuffed shells (when I have spare time on my hands), ha ha) and half cheese (ricotta, parmesan and mozzerella mix), half mashed soft tofu works out great.
Silken tofu is great for using in smoothies! (Soft tofu works too but you might have to blend it a bit more to work the lumps out.) You can either make non-dairy smoothies with just tofu, fruit and flavorings or slip some tofu into your yogurt smoothie to get the soy benefits without too much difference in taste.
Other Soy Products
There are a lot of "fake meat" type products out there, some soy based and some not. These are great substitutes with lower fat! I love crumble-type products for adding to casseroles, spaghetti sauces and tacos. Soy flour can be a great addition to baked goods that adds protein and soy isoflavones. But you can't make baked goods with only soy flour because it contained no gluten. I can usually substitute soy flour for about 10-20% of the white flour in recipes. But here's a tip, when using soy flour in cookie dough, do not eat the dough raw, it tastes terrible! Soy flour is used in a TON of manufactured foods so why not try it in your own kitchen! It's great for thickening sauces and gravy, and I've read that in fried foods, like doughnuts, soy flour reduces the amount of fat that is absorbed by the dough.
I'm no soy expert but being vegetarian I am always trying to sneak more protein into my diet. (I should really try to sneak more iron in too, maybe I'll do some research and write about that too!) I hope this has helped those of you who have limited experience with Tofu and other products like it. And while I'm in the kitchen, I'll show you my new cabinet hardware!
My dear, sweet husband spend most of one afternoon removing the handle and two hinges from each door and replacing them with these fun nickel ones we both like! Here's the before picture:
If you've tried to cook with tofu and didn't like it, chances are it was you, not the tofu. (No offense and all, but it's easy to screw it up.) It was the way you prepared it, seasoned (or didn't season) it or bought the wrong type for the application you were trying it in. Tofu is not terrible. There was a time when I thought it was. But tofu, it wasn't you, it was me.
If you are a tofu newbie or have tried and failed to cook it properly, I suggest you first try dishes at restaurants. They know what they're doing (hopefully) so you'll know it wasn't your tofu skills if you don't like it. You will notice that their tofu is usually NOT bright white and is usually has much more texture than tofu straight from the box. From this we infer that they must work some magic on it to create the lovely chewy, brown skin, tender (but not dripping wet) innards and delicious flavors that can be found. How do we create that ourselves? We will soon find out!
If you've shopped for tofu, you know there are at least a couple of different types available. Each type is good for different types of dishes. The main categories available in most grocery stores are:
Silken tofu- great for blending into a smoothie to add protein or mixing half and half with sour cream and seasonings to make a low-fat dip!
Soft/Medium tofu-Excellent for crumbling into pasta dishes and casseroles.
Firm/Extra-Firm tofu-The best for keeping its shape in stir fry or when baked as slices.
Stir-Fry and other ideas for Firm and Extra Firm
Number one rule-you cannot just plop the tofu out of the package, cut it up and add it to your stir-fry, you will be grossed out and disappointed. Half of tofu cooking is actually tofu preparation.
If your tofu comes packed in water, you will need to drain that water off and press the tofu to remove even more water. Place the block of tofu between a couple of paper towels and put it into a colander. Put a small plate or saucer over the tofu and weight it down with a can or two of veggies or soup. Leave this set-up in the sink or over a bowl to drain for at least 15 minutes. Then you're ready to cut!
I like my tofu cut into small pieces because it gives more surface area to get crispy and delicious. Larger pieces will result in crispy outsides and tender, juicy insides so go with what you like.
Coat the pieces in cornstarch. Just toss them in a plastic baggie with a few tablespoons of the stuff to complete cover.
Then fry the pieces in a non-stick skillet with a tiny bit of olive or vegetable oil over medium high heat. Don't move it around too much, leave the pieces to cook on one side for a good long time, then flip them all to a new side to create a great crust.
When my tofu is just about done, I like to scoot it over to one side and cook some other veggies in the same skillet. This keeps the tofu warm. One of my favorite things to do with crispy tofu is make a wrap sandwich so I cooked up some onions here.
Then I plop it all onto a burrito and add whatever I have in the fridge, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, sour cream, salad dressings, and salsa are all ideas. Tofu prepared in this way can also be stir-fried with veggies and served over rice!
To add even more flavor to the tofu, you can marinate it before cooking. Tofu, like a sponge, soaks up whatever flavor you put with it. The easiest way it to used a bottled marinade made for meat! But you can also throw together some soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, etc and make your own. Marinated tofu can be fried like above, baked, grilled, so many options!
Another trick to try with tofu is to freeze it! Freezing tofu changes the texture and makes it more crumbly. This "ground meat" texture makes it great for adding to casseroles and such where you don't want identifiable triangle or square shapes in your food. Ok, it's great for when you're trying to "hide" it in things. :)
Soft Tofu Ideas
Soft tofu fits in excellent with Italian food! It's a great substitute for Ricotta cheese but you can't substitute it for ALL the cheese because you still need something with flavor. I love making stuffed shells (when I have spare time on my hands), ha ha) and half cheese (ricotta, parmesan and mozzerella mix), half mashed soft tofu works out great.
Silken tofu is great for using in smoothies! (Soft tofu works too but you might have to blend it a bit more to work the lumps out.) You can either make non-dairy smoothies with just tofu, fruit and flavorings or slip some tofu into your yogurt smoothie to get the soy benefits without too much difference in taste.
Other Soy Products
There are a lot of "fake meat" type products out there, some soy based and some not. These are great substitutes with lower fat! I love crumble-type products for adding to casseroles, spaghetti sauces and tacos. Soy flour can be a great addition to baked goods that adds protein and soy isoflavones. But you can't make baked goods with only soy flour because it contained no gluten. I can usually substitute soy flour for about 10-20% of the white flour in recipes. But here's a tip, when using soy flour in cookie dough, do not eat the dough raw, it tastes terrible! Soy flour is used in a TON of manufactured foods so why not try it in your own kitchen! It's great for thickening sauces and gravy, and I've read that in fried foods, like doughnuts, soy flour reduces the amount of fat that is absorbed by the dough.
I'm no soy expert but being vegetarian I am always trying to sneak more protein into my diet. (I should really try to sneak more iron in too, maybe I'll do some research and write about that too!) I hope this has helped those of you who have limited experience with Tofu and other products like it. And while I'm in the kitchen, I'll show you my new cabinet hardware!
My dear, sweet husband spend most of one afternoon removing the handle and two hinges from each door and replacing them with these fun nickel ones we both like! Here's the before picture:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Friday the 13th!
Happy Friday the 13th! Whenever this day happens, no matter what month, I consider it my lucky day because I was born on Friday the 13th! (In March, but I'm not particular when it comes to lucky days!) Also, Happy Valentine's Day weekend! Our 9th anniversary is on Tuesday so we like to make tstretch the celebration out all the way from the 14th to the 17th. We call it Valentersary, of course!
I've just updated my Tutorials list (see the button to the left) to include the most recent posts with fun projects but if you haven't visited in a while, you might want to check it out and see if there are any you've missed.
Did you know I'm on Facebook? I know, it took me forever! Just let me know if you want to be Facebook buddies.
And last but not least, this is a random picture of Sully at Christmas, opening his stocking presents, because I didn't want this post to be pictureless.
I've just updated my Tutorials list (see the button to the left) to include the most recent posts with fun projects but if you haven't visited in a while, you might want to check it out and see if there are any you've missed.
Did you know I'm on Facebook? I know, it took me forever! Just let me know if you want to be Facebook buddies.
And last but not least, this is a random picture of Sully at Christmas, opening his stocking presents, because I didn't want this post to be pictureless.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Soup Swap, the swapping
The soup swap at work went off without a hitch! Everyone took turns choosing a soup to add to their pile until they were all gone. I got 5 great soups including pumpkin black bean, lentil, leak and potato, a Mexican posale, and sweet potato curry. Yum!! I gave out awards to the first soup picked and the last soup picked, a wooden spoon with a bag of candy attached.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Fabric Binge
A few months ago (well, when the after Christmas sale emails started flooding in) I went on a bit of a fabric binge. I just couldn't resist the great prices!! I bought quite a bit at eQuilter and some oilcloth from Mendels. My apologies that some of them are wrinkly, I didn't feel like ironing until later. Yes, I pre-wash and iron all my fabric. I know that's kind of a sticky subject for some people (especially quilters) but it's years of home ec lessons I can't shake.
These two are destined to become skirts for next fall. I just LOVE the veggie print, won't it make a fun skirt?!
Next we have some halloween fabric (Halloween apron, I'm thinking), some Katy Jump Rope prints I will work into my scrappy log cabin quilt and really cute Schol Day Fun which I think will make an adorable centers for quilt blocks, such lovely muted colors.
These are Christmas fabrics I bought to restore my holiday stash. I made a lot of reusable gift bags this year and nearly ran out of red and green! The ornament print is also going to be the back of my wall hanging made with the blocks from a swap I was in for ornament pieced blocks.
And here is my bargain of all bargains. I got this Pampered Pooch quilt kit on ebay for a song! It has everything you need to make the 64" x 64" quilt top, including two jelly rolls, fabric for all the borders and extra for placemats. I have always loved this fabric line, it combines two things I love: dogs and retro prints! And here is what I have completed so far. I know, not much but I'm working on it at my leisure!
And while I was taking pictures around the craft room, I thought I'd take a picture of the bulletin board with all of Sully's ribbons. Now that we are in more advanced classes in our shows, we don't get quite as many blue ribbons as we used to in the easier classes that we aced frequently, but Sully still manages once in a while to win himself a ribbon and a toy
These two are destined to become skirts for next fall. I just LOVE the veggie print, won't it make a fun skirt?!
Next we have some halloween fabric (Halloween apron, I'm thinking), some Katy Jump Rope prints I will work into my scrappy log cabin quilt and really cute Schol Day Fun which I think will make an adorable centers for quilt blocks, such lovely muted colors.
These are Christmas fabrics I bought to restore my holiday stash. I made a lot of reusable gift bags this year and nearly ran out of red and green! The ornament print is also going to be the back of my wall hanging made with the blocks from a swap I was in for ornament pieced blocks.
And here is my bargain of all bargains. I got this Pampered Pooch quilt kit on ebay for a song! It has everything you need to make the 64" x 64" quilt top, including two jelly rolls, fabric for all the borders and extra for placemats. I have always loved this fabric line, it combines two things I love: dogs and retro prints! And here is what I have completed so far. I know, not much but I'm working on it at my leisure! 
And while I was taking pictures around the craft room, I thought I'd take a picture of the bulletin board with all of Sully's ribbons. Now that we are in more advanced classes in our shows, we don't get quite as many blue ribbons as we used to in the easier classes that we aced frequently, but Sully still manages once in a while to win himself a ribbon and a toy
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lovely knitting paraphernalia
This post is LONG overdue. Quite a while ago, I won an online giveaway at Darcy's Knotty Knitter. I won the most gorgeous Leslie Wind shawl pin which I use on my shawl at work when it gets unbearably cold in the library and the most amazing thing, a cable needle necklace! During our trip to Ohio, I was working on a cable item for the county fair. I was using whatever I had handy (the handle of a crochet hook) as a cable needle and as we were driving, it kept falling under my car seat! This was SO frustrating! I cannot tell you how many times I sighed and flailed my hand around searching for it under there. Even a regular cable needle could get lost easily but the cable needle necklace is amazing! If only I had known about them before our trip!
This is a picture of a recent project, a cable hat. I love that the with the cable needle around my neck, it's is always right where I need it. I don't have to carry around a bag of knitting accessories or sit in one place where my tools are. And when you work the stitches off of it, you can just let it fall where it wants, it will be ready and waiting the next time you need it! It is awesome! This would make a very sophisticated and useful gift for a knitter. She will even engrave a message on the back for you.
This is a picture of a recent project, a cable hat. I love that the with the cable needle around my neck, it's is always right where I need it. I don't have to carry around a bag of knitting accessories or sit in one place where my tools are. And when you work the stitches off of it, you can just let it fall where it wants, it will be ready and waiting the next time you need it! It is awesome! This would make a very sophisticated and useful gift for a knitter. She will even engrave a message on the back for you.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Bartering!
I did a private swap with Jessica of Patisserie Jolie Bath Products. I sent her a pillowcase pinnie in this super-fun colore scheme chosen by her.
And she sent me four of the most lovely soaps! I love handmade soap, I just can't get enough! She was so kind, I had only chosen 3 "flavors" but she was extra generous and sent me not only a fourth soap but also a pressed penny for my collection!
Thank you so much to Jessica for the lovely trade!
And she sent me four of the most lovely soaps! I love handmade soap, I just can't get enough! She was so kind, I had only chosen 3 "flavors" but she was extra generous and sent me not only a fourth soap but also a pressed penny for my collection!
Thank you so much to Jessica for the lovely trade!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Soup Swap, the cooking
In preparation for the soup swap at work, I spent this afternoon cooking a HUGE pot of soup! I had never made this recipe before so I wanted to make it today so that I could try again if it was bad. Great news: it is terrific! I picked this recipe for My Favorite Carrot Soup particularly because it says it freezes well. I tripled the recipe and it went all the way to the top of my biggest stock pot so I transferred some of it to another pot for the initial cooking. After pureeing it, I mixed it all together and added the last ingredient, orange juice! This recipe also has peanut butter and ginger in it, a really unique taste but still savory from the onion, garlic and spices. (See what soups I got in return at my post Soup Swap, The Swapping.)
All pureed and lovely! Another great thing about making it today is that I can participate in Joyously Living Life's Blogger Soup Swap! 
Here they are on my freezer, there are two more behind these.
And for dessert! Actually, this is a cake we made last weekend so....there's none left but it was darn tasty! It's a chocolate blackout cake, the recipe is from Cook's Country. It is a homemade chocolate layer cake with scratch pudding filling and frosting and cake crumbles on the outside.
Carrot Soup
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 lbs carrots, peeled and chunked
* 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
* 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 3 tablespoons peanut butter
* toasted pumpkin seeds (optional) or chopped cilantro, garnish (optional)
1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Saute onions with ginger, cumin, and cayenne until onions are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic when you think there is about 45 secs to 1 minute left to achieve the soft onions [Do not let the garlic burn].
3. Add salt, carrots, potatoes, and broth and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Add the peanut butter.
6. Puree the soup. This is most easily done with a hand-blender right in the pot.
7. Stir in orange juice.
8. Ladle in bowls and garnish if desired.
9. This soup freezes very well in tupperware. I'm sure it will freeze well for many months, however I don't know for sure because mine has never stayed frozen for longer than a month due to being eaten!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Book Cover Postcards
Old Reader's Digest Compilations have some wonderful, subdued colors and lovely wallpaper-looking patterns. I used some to create some postcards and thought I'd share it since it's so simple.
Remove the book's cover at the spine with an exact-o knife.
I created a simple document with corner decorations and a line down the center. Use images of old postcard backs for inspiration. Print these out and cut them to fit the book covers.
*UPDATE*
Here it is, the .png fle of the back for your use in creating postcards. It's pretty simple but I hope you enjoy! (Don't forget to click on the image for a larger version.)
A great place to find some lovely, vintage-looking goodies to add to your back is Briar Press, which I found via Design Freebies.
Adhere your printed backs to the inside surface of the cover with gluestick or scrapbook adhesive.
I didn't mind the raw edge (it gives it a bit of a vintage book shop/estate sale feel) but if you'd rather have a finished look, glue a length of coordinating ribbon along the edge.
Grab a cup of tea and you're ready for a little sit and sip. Write a little note to a friend, the perfect evening activity this winter!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Winner, winner, tofu dinner!
I got a record amount of comments, 90 in all! Thanks so much everyone for commenting and entering the contest! Drawn the old-fashioned way, using real paper ballots, the winner is:
5acre Designs
Here is her comment:
"I would love the Pillowcase Pinnie pattern. I like the retro apron look and would love to make one for myself. Very cute! Have a Blessed and Happy New Year!"
A lot of commenters mentioned that the Pillowcase Pinnie has a retro vibe or that it reminds them of their mom/grandma. Which is wonderful and definitely an inspiration I drew from as I remember my mom wearing lovely cobbler style aprons during noodle-making season! See her noodle recipe here.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Oven Trouble
Went home for lunch today, popped in a pizza and the element in our ancient wall oven burned out! It was quite a fireworks show! So now we can't bake our celebratory cake. :( We were going to make the Cook's Country Chocolate Blackout Cake. What are we celebrating? We hit 50 sales over at the Make-Do Mercantile! Whoopee! But now we have to settle for ice cream novelties. Everyone cross your fingers that the fridge doesn't go out too!
I have in the works some great tutorials for this year! I am working on one all about tofu and how to make it edible! And I've got one almost done that will make anyone who likes to send out unique mail! Any suggestions for things you might like to learn? Things that I might know. Oh, I'm also working on a Dog Shows 101 for those who don't know the first thing about the different events at a dog show and how they are run. I thought since I mention it so often, I should probably explain for those who aren't dog show people.
I have in the works some great tutorials for this year! I am working on one all about tofu and how to make it edible! And I've got one almost done that will make anyone who likes to send out unique mail! Any suggestions for things you might like to learn? Things that I might know. Oh, I'm also working on a Dog Shows 101 for those who don't know the first thing about the different events at a dog show and how they are run. I thought since I mention it so often, I should probably explain for those who aren't dog show people.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Valentine Card Swap
Myspace Graphic Codes
Do you still like those little Valentine's that you used to get in grade school? I love them! So I am hosting a swap for them on Swap-Bot. Come join me, we'll be sending out Valentines to 10 "classmates" and getting that many back!
Myspace Christmas Graphics
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Whirl Into Winter Giveaway
UPDATE: WOW! 90 comments! A record here at CorgiPants! Thanks so much everyone for commenting and entering the contest! Drawn the old-fashioned way, using real paper ballots, the winner is:
5acre Designs
NOTE-Please make sure you follow the rules and answer the question completely, otherwise you will not have a chance to win. You need to tell me which one you would choose and why.
I am participating in the Whirl Into Winter giveaway. One lucky winner will receive my Pillowcase Pinnie pattern OR Black Forest Scoodie pattern (their choice), available at the Make-Do Mercantile!
Entries will be accepted January 1, 2009 through January 14, 2009 (midnight). Just add a comment on THIS POST and tell me which one you would choose if you won and why. Please make sure you leave an email address or have it posted on your blog so that I can contact you should you be the lucky winner! The winner will be chosen on January 15 and will get their PDF pattern immediately after they respond to my email. Then they can start crafting away!
5acre Designs
NOTE-Please make sure you follow the rules and answer the question completely, otherwise you will not have a chance to win. You need to tell me which one you would choose and why.
I am participating in the Whirl Into Winter giveaway. One lucky winner will receive my Pillowcase Pinnie pattern OR Black Forest Scoodie pattern (their choice), available at the Make-Do Mercantile!
Entries will be accepted January 1, 2009 through January 14, 2009 (midnight). Just add a comment on THIS POST and tell me which one you would choose if you won and why. Please make sure you leave an email address or have it posted on your blog so that I can contact you should you be the lucky winner! The winner will be chosen on January 15 and will get their PDF pattern immediately after they respond to my email. Then they can start crafting away!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Corgi Christmas
Hey all you Corgi people, The Watching has been posted! Millie created a blog for it, complete with pictures! And for those not so ingrained in the Corgi world, The Watching is a wonderful yearly tradition. Millie Williams writes a wonderful, touching story each year which includes memorials of all the loved ones who passed this year.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Not my weekend
This has not been the best of weekends. It hasn't been the worst, for sure. Just annoying at best. On Saturday I slipped on the ice and hurt my ankle and my butt! Sunday I sneezed through a box of tissues, rubbing my nose and face raw in the process. Today I stayed home to recuperate from the achy-sniffly-sneezing-coughing and because it was too cold to start my car! Wind chills have been below zero here this weekend. Right now it's 14, wind chill is 5. And last week we had an ice storm that hasn't melted away yet and left LOTS of branches down around here! I got a few last-minute presents crafted up today but mostly I just slept and listened to Christmas music. Mike took me to the library to get some new reading material so that's what I'm up to tonight. I am thinking about doing on of these reading challenges I've been seeing online. I like the read your name one where you read books whose titles spell out your name. Or the Support You Local Library challenge. There are lots here. 
Not this weekend but last, we had our holiday party for my work. I made this dress a couple of years back for a wedding but it has spaghetti straps, not very winter-friendly. I ran out and bought 1/2 yard of velboa (on sale, 40% off) and made a quick shrug and I was set. (And I do mean quick, it was sewn into a tube, then one seam in the middle of one side to create the arm openings, so easy!)
Club Little House arrived but I haven't had time to document all the wonderful little littles! Everything was so dreamy, lovely packaging, lovely items, I loved it all!
And speaking of packages, our tree seems to be shrinking, the bottom has disappeared behind all the presents! I don't know if we just got each other large gifts or what but despite the recession, I think this is our most gifteriffic Christmas yet!
Not this weekend but last, we had our holiday party for my work. I made this dress a couple of years back for a wedding but it has spaghetti straps, not very winter-friendly. I ran out and bought 1/2 yard of velboa (on sale, 40% off) and made a quick shrug and I was set. (And I do mean quick, it was sewn into a tube, then one seam in the middle of one side to create the arm openings, so easy!)
Club Little House arrived but I haven't had time to document all the wonderful little littles! Everything was so dreamy, lovely packaging, lovely items, I loved it all!
And speaking of packages, our tree seems to be shrinking, the bottom has disappeared behind all the presents! I don't know if we just got each other large gifts or what but despite the recession, I think this is our most gifteriffic Christmas yet!
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Barter Bunch
I love to barter! Online or in "real life", I love exchanging goods and services for things that would normally cost me cold hard cash. I'd rather save that for mortgage payments and groceries. Strangely they won't accept my home made dog biscuits in exchange for a month's car insurance either. But maybe you will! I'd love to barter with you! If you do any of the crafts that I don't/can't and would like something that I do make, let me know! And I encourage you to sign for the Barter Bunch, and post a list on your own blog, complete with the Barter Bunch badge. Offer up some of your specialties in exchange for someone else's hand crafted lovelies. I'm open to swaportunities with a due date after Christmas.What I Can Do:
*Sew-clothing, toys, handbags, I have lots of vintage patterns and a big fabric stash! Most recent projects include recycled wool sweaters into the cutest mittens, fancy dish gloves with oil cloth ruffle, pillowcase pinnies and black forest scoodies (of course!) Felt foods also a specialty.
*Quilt-free-motion quilting, foundation piecing, yo-yo's
*Knit-hats, shawls, scarves, can incorporate beads, NO SOCKS
*Crochet-yarn and thread, doilies, amigurimi, hats, scarves, bags, jewelry, play food
*Handmade dog collars/leashes
*Home baked dog treats in LOTS of flavors like peanut butter/banana, cinnamon cranberry, and sweet potato
*Cross stitch/embroidery
*Miniature polymer clay food (great for dollies or I can make jewelry out of it for you)
What I would like in return:
*Soap-cold process vegetarian soaps, fun colorful melt and pour soaps
*Other body products like lib balm, lotion, sugar scrub, etc. all vegetarian please
*Glass-lampwork beads, fused glass jewelry, blown glass, shiny and colorful!
*Ceramics/pottery, I love porcelain/ceramic jewelry and simple bowls/vases
*Knit socks
*Resin jewelry
*Scented candles- in tasty food smells like chocolate, cinnamon buns and sugar cookies
*Gooco/printed stationary and notecards
*Tatting
*Your own quilting (table runner, wall hanging, coasters, etc.) and aprons. I can't get enough!
How it works:
1. Post your own list of what you can make and what you would like in exchange on your blog.
2. Sign up via Mr. Linky, linking to THAT post so that we can find it easily.
3. Once you post your list, other bloggers can contact you and offer up barter proposals. You and that person arrange the swap terms including deadlines and monetary values.
4. To find others who make things you might want, you can check out each of the members who sign up via Mr. Linky.
5. No pressure, if someone offers you something you don't really need/want/have use for, politely turn them down or offer up a different idea for what you think would be a good barter.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Early Holiday Festivities
Earlier this month, Mike was awake before me (as usual) on a Saturday morning. Once a reasonable hour rolled around, he opened the drapes in the bedroom and surprised me with this!
Snow! It's all melted now but it was a nice big dump!
The cookie exchange went off without any major hitches. Cookies included sugar cookies, spritz, 2 types of brownies, snickerdoodles, no-bake cookies, toffee chip, and chocolate chip.
Our new white tree was all decorated for the occasion.
Every year I give away a prize for finding the pickle ornament but because it's white I thought it would be too easy to find so we played Christmas Bingo instead. What a fiasco! Let's say just Bingo will not be making a re-appearance next year! Check out my igloo cheeseball.
Complete with black olive penguins! It was a fun night and the only time each year I see some of my friends so it was great to get together.
Snow! It's all melted now but it was a nice big dump!The cookie exchange went off without any major hitches. Cookies included sugar cookies, spritz, 2 types of brownies, snickerdoodles, no-bake cookies, toffee chip, and chocolate chip.
Our new white tree was all decorated for the occasion.
Every year I give away a prize for finding the pickle ornament but because it's white I thought it would be too easy to find so we played Christmas Bingo instead. What a fiasco! Let's say just Bingo will not be making a re-appearance next year! Check out my igloo cheeseball.
Complete with black olive penguins! It was a fun night and the only time each year I see some of my friends so it was great to get together.
Friday, December 5, 2008
How to Host a Cookie Exchange
One of my favorite holiday traditions originated with my mother in law. Every year her women's group from church has a giant cookie exchange and inevitably when we visit for the holidays, her basement is FULL of cookie tins, tubs and containers filled with all sorts of goodies! So, inspired by those wonderful goodies, I started hosting my own. Here are two different ways to organize, the way they do it (for a large group) and the way I do it (for a smaller group) and some tips for hosting your own.
I have been hosting my cookie exchange since 2001. In the beginning, the guest list was usually under 10. With such a small group, I asked that everyone make one dozen cookies for each participant and pre-package them on paper plates or in disposable plastic containers. Everyone also make a spare dozen for eating during the party and those were brought in pretty containers to display on the sideboard. At the end of the night, after warm drinks and watching classic claymation programs on the tivo, everyone goes home with a dozen cookies from each guest, more than enough to share with friends and maybe even make up a few packages for the mailcarrier and garbage men.
My standby recipes for cookie exchange night
Wassail Punch-makes the house smell amazing!
Sweet and Sour Faux Meatballs-I make them in the oven, then keep them warm in a large crockpot so everyone can dig int throughout the night.
Cheeseballs! One year, my theme was cheeseballs of all kinds.
In Wisconsin, the women's group is so large that if everyone made a dozen cookies for each participant, you'd need wheelbarrows to haul them there. And to haul them home for that matter! They do things a bit different. (And to tell the truth, the past couple of years, I've done it this way too since it works well if you're not sure exactly how many people are coming and therefore don't know how many dozens to tell people to make.) Everyone makes a set amount of cookies, I think 4 dozen is a good amount but I think up north they make 8. As guests arrive, their cookies are placed on a table together. Once everyone has arrived, the fun begins. I have everyone introduce themselves and their cookie as we surround the table, each with an empty container. At the signal, everyone starts grabbing cookies and rotating around the table so that everyone gets some of each. You keep going around the table until all the cookies have been snatched up.
Tips:
Have your guests bring recipe cards for their cookie so that everyone not only can make them if they'd like but also know the ingredients in case they have any allergies or have loved ones with allergies.
It's always good, as the hostess, to have some extra plates and cling wrap for people to take their goodies home.
I love paper invitations but Evite is my best friend when it comes to getting people to RSVP because it makes it so easy for them.
Request that when they RSVP that your guests also state what kind of cookie they are thinking of bringing. This keeps you from getting all chocolate chip cookies.
A game of some kind gets your guests to interact with each other, especially if they don't all know each other. Every year we play find the Christmas pickle and those who are returning guests from previous years remember this and it gives them a topic of conversation. The Christmas pickle is a tree ornament that I hide in the tree and whoever finds it wins a prize.
And when the party ends, I love to send my guests home with a handmade favor. I think everyone can use a new ornament for their tree and since your cookie exchange will probably be before Christmas, they'll even get to put it up and enjoy it this year! Here are a couple I've given away, candy cane hobby horses
and polymer clay ribbon candy ornaments.
If you want to have a cookie-themed event but don't want to eat ALL those cookies, consider inviting friends over for a Drop in and Decorate party, the brain child of a wonderful lady named Lydia! We do these at work and the idea is to get together, decorate cookies and then donate your works of art to a local shelter, food pantry or other charity that serves people who could use a pretty cookie to cheer them up. We do this about 4 times a year, because shelters need food all year round, not just at the holidays. Here are some of our spring cookies! Lydia has written a great series of blog posts on how to host an event!
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