Monday's meal

There is a really awesome bakery near me called La Farm. I mean awesome, like featured on Oprah's favorite things list awesome. Needless to say it can also be a bit pricey. Seasonally they have this wonderful pumpkin bread. I adore it, but it's $6/ loaf and probably a bazillion calories. I only want a bit so I end up throwing it away or it spoils before I can eat it all. I guess I could freeze it, but that wouldn't be the same. So I thought I'd make up some of my own. This recipe is just your basic sweet bread recipe, you've probably seen it before or have one of your owns. I don't put nuts in mine since my dh is allergic, but you could have nuts, raisin or cranberries in yours if you like...go wild.

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 (15 oz) of canned pumpkin
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Whisk the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients until smooth and then fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until combined, but do not overmix. Place in loaf pan in the center of oven and bake until golden brown on top and toothpick in center comes out nearly clean. Approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and serve warm with a pat of butter.

My gift to me

So, 2009 is fast approaching and I've been thinking a lot about my health and continuing my weight loss. So, I started a weight loss blog to chronicle my journey. I call it Me...only thinner. I know, that's incredibly original...but you know it does say it all. I'm still me fat or thin...except you know, I'm trying to be thinner and healthier. I've got a clear plan, but I thought it would be helpful for me to have a record to reference and to keep myself focused. I hope to lose 25 lbs by the summer (June) and to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.

Happy Christmas!

I hope everyone enjoys the day and the time with the family! I'm excited because I'm home with my family and not at work this year. Our day started off bright and early...the kids were bursting at the seams to discover what Santa bought them. My kids are thrilled with their haul and declared it the best Christmas evaahhh! I tried to stay within a prescribed budget, yet get everyone a few quality things that they really wanted as well as needed. I started shopping in September, I used coupons and watched sales, even picking up a few things at thrift stores. I'm happy to say that I was finished by Black Friday and paid cash for everything. It's funny what the favorites turned out to be. Who knew that the simple wooden fold and go dollhouse from Melissa and Doug would be such a big hit. I purchased it for O. (using a 50% off coupon at AC Moore), but M. is enthralled with it too. I added a few extra pieces from Ryan's Room picked up reasonably at Tuesday Morning. S. seems happy after stating he just wanted clothes and cash, lol. E. has serenaded us on his bongo drums (thanks Grandma!)I'm proud to say that I did finish the scarf for O. that matches her coat. Of course M. was only interested in collecting more Thomas stuff this year and has little interest in much else...luckily I started early with my coupons to get him a few of the pieces he doesn't already have. All in all it's a good day because we're together and even with everything that's going in our world I feel grateful to have my family, health, food, shelter and to even have the ablility to be able to indulge a bit this time of year. Anyway, I hope Santa brought you something fabulous. I'm off to spend it with the family and play the wii!!! WooHoo, wii fit here I come!

Monday's meal

Well, I thought since I was on a roll of southern style dishes I would include a recipe for a perennial favorite. Biscuits, they're good in the morning, good in the evening...heck, they are good any time. My ds, M loves biscuits so much he would just about eat them every day.
Oh and never fear...if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, just make some by adding a tsp or so of lemon juice or white vinegar to the prescribed amount of milk and let it sit for about five minutes and you're good to go. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Now add the shortening, mixing until your mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out fairly thinly 1/2-3/4 inch thick, cut with a floured rim of a glass or a biscuit cutter if you have one. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

UFO List

From time to time I have to make a list. I am apt to start a new knitting project or cut out a bunch of stuff without finishing other stuff and these list just keep me focused. I have quite a few things on my list, but amazingly enough I've been plugging through some of them as of late. Let's see now...what to do, what to do. Well there's...
1. O's quilt. I'm making progress, but there is probably no one in the world that despises hand sewing as much I do. I'm on the binding... and it will certainly take me forever. I have allowed that if I finish this by her birthday, it'll be a miracle.
2. Gads of undies for the boys. I have so many knit scraps and they need new underwear that it just makes sense to make them some. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself
3. Cross front (ala Diane von Fustenburg) dress. I've had this cut out since the summer. I don't even remember what size I cut it out as. I hope it fits. The fabric is going to give me nightmares. It's the lovely thin drapey, clingy jersey that seemed perfect in theory. We shall see.
4. Cloth ballet slippers for me. You know I have a thing about going barefooted so I thought I'd make up a couple pair of these
5. Jean capri's for me. Again cut out in the summer and thinking that the size I cut out is probably too big. I don't know why I even bothered I buy jeans all the time at the thrift store...but I guess it's just to say, I made them. It'll be my first time making actual jeans. That's right, I'm a jean virgin.
6. Weekender Bag. I don't really have anywhere to go...but maybe if I make a bag, I will, lol.
7. Slipcovers. Ok...so they are not cut out or anything, but I've really been seriously thinking about them.
8. Finish knitting socks for me, E & O.
9. Finish O's sweater...ugh, this is one of those projects that I started off enthusiastically, but soon lost interest in. I shall return to it lest it be too small by the time I actually finish it.
10. Finish the tshirts I have cut out for the boys. I want these finished so they have some transitional clothes to go from winter to spring.

See there...just a few things.

Ten Thousand

Several months ago I decided to put a counter on my blog. I was curious...was I talking to myself? I didn't mind if I was but I thought there was a chance I might have a few folks that popped in from time to time to see how I was getting on. Well...I've had over 10,000 hits. In the world of blogging that's nothing, there are sites that get that in a day I know...but if you're little old me sitting at home in the wilds of Carolina (ok...not so wild, but you get my point) it seems amazing. I love the world of blogging. I've met so many incredible people through it. I've learned so much and had my thinking challenged for the better. Anyway, just thought I'd share my milestone. Oh and...ya'll come back now, ya hear.

Modeled Shot! O's Christmas Frock

Her she is in all her splendor as we were heading off to her Christmas program. I tried to capture a picture that showed her coordinating tights. They were so cute...but she systematically picked a hole in them and then unwound the threads...maybe she was harvesting for lace weight yarn, lol.

Simply Christmas

I had to post a picture of O's Christmas dress that I just finished today and share a funny story with you. I'm pleased with the outcome. It's a very simple pattern from the Martha Pullen favorite appliques book. Very straightforward. Well, I decided to embroider a super cute Christmas tree that I got from SewForum (love that site!). Normally it wouldn't matter, but since I wanted the design to be on the front I carefully marked the piece I thought was the front...notice I said thought. I go through 10000+ stitches, 5 thread changes, sew it up, making sure I carefully press, turn and stitch my hems, attach the rickrack to the hem and was just about to mark where the buttons went when I realized that I had stitched out the design on the back of the dress! I was so annoyed, lol! It turned out not to be such a bad thing as my first stitch out was not very good and I needed to really loosen the tension on it. The second attempt was much improved and I was super careful and applied the design to the front this go around. It's just in time for O's Christmas program tomorrow. Oh and aren't the Christmas tree buttons just the cutest. I got them in a bag of buttons from Chez Ami...perfect.

Monday's meal

Now, I love myself some food and the following is probably my most favorite comfort food meal. I make mine in my treasured Le Creuset fryer and the sight of all that deliciousness brings a smile to my face every time. I always find myself licking my fingers and scrapping the plate...it's that good. Just try it and see. Oh by the way, in classic southern style is should be served over rice with some biscuits on the side. If you have some collard greens too...well you're golden!

Smothered Chicken

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped onions (I like white, but yellow are good too)
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Dredge in flour, place in the skillet, and brown on all sides (note that chicken will not be fully cooked at this time). Set chicken aside, and drain skillet, reserving about 1 tablespoon oil.
Reduce skillet heat to medium-low, and stir in onions, celery, garlic. Cook about 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in the flour, and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in the chicken broth, season with cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil for approximately 1-2 minutes and reduce heat to low. Place chicken in the skillet, cover, and continue cooking for 30 minutes, until chicken juices run clear and gravy has thickened.

My super power is...

sewing fast under pressure. Let me explain. From a kids perspective I guess when your mother sews you take for granted that whatever you decide you want her to make can be accomplished lickety split. Case in point, yesterday M. reminded me that today was "PJ Day" at school. He excitedly told me how he would wear his pajama's and eat pizza for lunch. I smiled and suggested he could wear some of the flannel pj pants I had made him recently. He thought a moment and then said, "Well, you didn't make me a shirt for them". Ever quick on the uptake, I said "Oh, you can just wear one of your plain tshirts with them." For which he responded "I can't, we have to wear pj's." I attempted to explain how a tshirt could be considered pj's. Well...his little eyes welled up so finally I relented and said "Go upstairs and pick out some fabric and I'll make you a shirt." He came back with some scrap (of course it had trains on it...which he absolutely adores) that I was quite skeptical of getting even a shirt for a doll out of. I told him as much and then said I would see what I could do. Fast forward to midnight, I have traced out a tshirt pattern from my favorite Japanese pattern book, cut out the shirt and some pants and serged and top stitched them both. This morning he was all smiles. Of course since he was in bed when I was putting in the elastic I made it too large and had to take them in this morning. All total it took me about two hours to make the pj's but the smile I got was priceless.
I'll have to add a picture later. We were in too big of a hurry to get off to school this morning to get one.

Alright, so I might just have a problem

You may have heard that Linens and Things is going out of business. Well, I had been working on my goals list for 2009 and one of the things I hoped to accomplish was restoring some semblance of organization to my sewing supplies and fabric. So, I buzzed in there the other day and picked up some of the chrome shelving systems they had for sale ($36). I started off getting just one. Hmmm...I've ended up needing 3 plus a smaller shelf I relocated from the master bedroom. Not to mention that I didn't even address the 6 foot armoire that I have crammed full of fabric that I can't even get the doors to close on. I have a problem. I think it was easy to be in denial when the fabric was disorganized. I didn't realize how much I had. Ok...maybe I did, I just didn't want to admit it. I have stopped buying fabric in recent months and I will continue to buy very sparingly in the future. I don't know if I should go through it and try and sale some or just chock it up to the fact that it's my hobby and everything I purchased was because I really liked it and had some vision for it. I can say as I was going through it, nothing jumped out at me as something I now hated...I still loved most of it. Ugh, it really is a sickness. Anyways...I thought I'd share some pix. They were hard to obtain because the dimensions of my sewing room are so shallow and I couldn't get far enough away to photograph the shelving well. So here's a pix of my sewing room storage, 2 overflow shelves in the garage, one small shelf in the upstairs hallway. I photographed the uber stuffed armoire but it was so chaotic looking I thought I better not post it, lol.

Monday's meal

You might just think you stepped into that famous Ham store when you taste how delicious this ham is. Try it and see.

Fake out Honey baked Ham

Any brand spiral sliced ready-to-eat ham (5-7 lbs works well)
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups honey
2/3 cup butter


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stud you ham with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan. Place the corn syrup, honey and butter in a saucepan over low heat, mix well until all butter is melted and glaze is well blended. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
Brush glaze over ham, and bake according to manufactured suggestions for the weight of your ham (usually an hour to hour and a half). Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze, watch closely as it will caramelize quickly. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Out of the box

When it comes to clothing I'm not a risk taker. I'm a pretty plain, jeans and tshirt kind of girl. But, every once and awhile I see something that pulls me out of my little box. I saw these 3 corduroy coordinating prints at Hancocks awhile back and I knew just the pattern I'd use them for. I love the fabric. It's a bit crazy, a little retro and funky. Very nice hand, not too thick and great colors. I actually had cut this outfit out for O. at the beginning of the fall in a size 3. It just fit, as my girl has had a bit of a growth spurt and next time I'd be better off with the size 4. Anyway, I finished it last night and she tried it on. She loved it. I even broke out the old snap press and used snaps rather than buttons. Oh, and check out that top stitching. Which calls to mind that I need to read up a bit more on my camera features...I couldn't figure out how to do a real closeup without getting a really blurry picture...but you get the idea.

This is the last time...

I promise. I went to the Patsy Aiken attic sale today. I had said that I wouldn't buy anymore fabric, remember? Well I couldn't not get some...not when I had been waiting for the new stuff to become available. It's beautiful as always. I can just see O. in some of the outfits now. I even resisted by not getting every print that I wanted. I thought I was a very frugal minded shopper. You just tell me if you could have resisted all these great fabrics.

Monday's meal

Well, if you're like me, you find yourself doing a bit of baking during the holiday season. I love a good brownie. Nothing is better than to bite into a gooey chocolaty brownie in my opinion. I tend to like mine chewy rather than cake like, but I wouldn't pass up one no matter the texture.
Here's a nice recipe that's even better since it has two kinds of chocolate to make it just that more delicious.

White Chocolate Chip Brownies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 of cup of chopped nuts (your choice and optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, Grease a 9" square baking pan. In a bowl mix the flour and baking powder together and set aside. Combine sugar, butter and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the semisweet chocolate chips and the vanilla, stirring until the chips are melted. Let cool. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) beat egges until light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the chocolate mixture, followed by the flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Stir in the white chocolate and nuts (if using). Pour batter in the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of pan and a toothpick in the center comes out almost dry. Cool brownies in pan, sprinkle with confectioner sugar. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

Thrift Scores

I love a good thrift store and I hadn't been in a few weeks so I thought I'd run by a couple of my favorites this week, plus one new one. I've found some great stuff. I found a Coach bag...it might be a knockoff, I don't know...but it's a pretty good one if it is, I paid $4.95 for it. I found one of those yarn project folding baskets for $2.99. I found three sewing patterns for $.75, 2 yds of cotton fun polk a dot fabric for $2. A wonderfully seasoned cast iron skillet (not as big as the one was hunting...but perfect nonetheless) for $10 and a ton of clothes for O. and the boys. Sometimes I can find clothing so cheaply that it doesn't even pay to sew them...although I do like to sew still.
The thrifting brings me to mind that I'm going to have to tighten my belt significantly. Our tenants just gave notice last night and I don't know how long it will be before I will find some one to rent the place. I'm so sad to see them go. They were tidy, quiet and not once did they pay the rent late. I had one last hurrah before I knew they were moving out. I was at Tuesday Morning yesterday where I scored a ton of yarn and a Boye needlemaster set, but today I'm feeling like I should return everything. I'm not loving the needlemaster set and even if it's cheap, if it's not fun to knit on then it's not a bargain right? I'm used to addy's and knitpicks and the needlemasters don't seem very smooth or fast. I'm knitting a scarf for O. out of 100% wool and it's so grabby. I'll try a bit more and if I'm still struggling I'll return them this afternoon. I belong to a co-op and I was saving up for some Hiya-Hiya's, they are suppose to have an interchangeable set coming out.
I guess this a great motivation to continue with the deal a friend and I struck. We are pledging to shop our own stash for craft project. It's very reasonable for me to do so...in fact I don't know why I keep buying more stuff. I have so much yarn and fabric it's really insane. So...I'm saying it here, I'm on a moratorium. I have 2 co-op buys outstanding, but then no mas...I'm shopping at that exclusive boutique Chez Sabrina, lol.

Monday's meal

Well, it's just a few days before Thanksgiving, my most favorite holiday! I was thinking about dishes I had prepared thoughout my years of doing big holiday meals, you know the kind where you eat until you finally have to push yourself from the table and waddle to the couch until you can digest a bit of food and then come back for more. Well, the following dish is one of my favorites because squash is probably my most favorite vegetables. I love it in the summer, but hey why not enjoy it in the winter too? So...enjoy!

Squash casserole

4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp of minced garlic
3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled w/the drippings reserved
30 buttery round crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place squash, garlic and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl. Now cook your bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towel and reserve the drippings.
In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash mixture. Add the bacon and the drippings. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture.
Bake covered in preheated oven for 20 minutes, uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted.

I've Been Tagged!

Don't you just love the Internet? I never realized when I began blogging how many cool people I would meet and how interconnected our lives are. I just got tagged by one such mega cool mama, Chi-Chi of the blog Where there's a will there's a way. I so admire her style, prose and poise. You rock, mama! Anyway she tagged me so not only do I need to complete a list of requirements, but I need to tag seven others.

First the rules:


So...let's see, seven random or weird facts about myself.
1. I despise coconut, I think it has the texture of hair and it makes me want to go ah, eh, ah, eh and wipe it off my tongue.
2. I never go barefooted. I hate it. Even in the summer I either have on flip flops, sock or slippers. As a result of always wearing slippers I go through several pairs/year.
3. I can't take naps. No matter how tired I am in the daytime I just can't sleep if the sun is up. It kind of sucks since occasionally I'd love to just take a little siesta.
4. I've suffered from migraines most of my life and I distinctly remember the very first one I ever had when I was about eight years old.
5. I can't eat any food that squeaks...you know that has a waxy skin...like pickles. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me and it sets my teeth on edge. I know...kind of weird, huh?
6. I've time traveled...Well sort of. When we lived overseas and were flying there, we crossed the international dateline. So behind us it was one day and ahead it was another...I lost a day so I traveled into the future essentially...even if it was just for a day, lol.
7. My most favorite books of all time are "Pride and Prejudiced" and "A Prayer for Owen Meany". I mean who doesn't love Pride and Prejudiced, it's timeless. Doesn't every girl want to find love? Doesn't every girl have a crazy, dysfunctional family...with a bad sister and a mother who is all up in your business? Ok...maybe it's just my family, lol...but I know that story by heart. And Owen...come on, you have to love this story of the triumph of the human spirit. Owen is an amazing fully developed character. One of the best written characters I've ever read and that's saying a lot since I read constantly.

That's it...my seven. I could go on. But, I'll save some things for another time.

Ok, I'm going to tag the following people.

1. Brandy of the blog The Baldwin Girls
2. Steph of Steph's Random Life
3. Dawn of Olabelhe
4. Mary of Confessions of a craft addict.
5. Tonya of Everything I've got
6. Samantha of The Handmade Dress
7. I want to tag Heather of the blog HeatherK, but when I went today she had posted that she was on hiatus and I couldn't leave a comment. Heather, I hope you see this and know that I'm thinking about you and hope all is well with you. Take care, mama!

I won! I won! I won!

Lot's of the craft type blogs have awesome giveaways and although I don't consider myself to be particularly lucky in that manner, I decided to enter one recently and I won! My prize finally arrived and I couldn't be more excited. It came from Dawn of the blog Olabelhe and it's the niftiest little portfolio and pencil roll ever. It's just so clever and just the perfect item for journal writing, list making me. I've told her that she definitely needs to sale these. Her craftmanship is superb and wouldn't you like to have one too?

A simple holiday

I haven't been online much this week as you can tell. In fact I've been hard at work crafting. I've been talking about how I want a scaled back, low key holiday. The funny thing is as part of a very consumer driven society sometimes it's hard for me to stay focused on that. So I thought I'd develop some rules to live by
1. A want
2. A need
3. Play
4. Read
So far, so good, right? Sounds like it should be simple. Yet, it's not. Coming up with thoughtful, not "crap" stuff is pretty hard...especially when you have four very different children to get gifts for. So, let's start w/O. I haven't figured out the want yet, although I might do a Barbie since she absolutely loves Barbie. I think the quilt is the need...well, sort of. For the play, the dollhouse and the read...a book of fairytales. Then there's S. as a tween he's got very specific ideas about what he deems a good gift, lol. But, I think I have him pretty well figured out. It's just not terribly frugal though. There's E & M. I'm not above regifting. So the other day I found a huge and I mean huge...probably at least a $100 worth of leggo for $5 at a thrift store. I'm going to get a nice big rubbermaid container and put them in and use my labelmaker to make a clever title for them such as "M & E's imagination kit". I've picked up a bunch of Thomas the tank stuff and sock yarn from A.C. Moore on sale. I did get a game for E. yesterday. I think he'll love it. I'll probably do the crayon roll & portfolio set if I get time, but that will be something extra.
I'm starting to feel like coming up with clever ideas is harder than just going shopping. But...I forge on. I'm almost done with one of E.'s socks. I hope I can finish before Christmas. I see on Ravelry where people finish socks in a few days...uh yeah.
Well, I just thought I'd check in, now it's back to my list.

Monday's meal

So much going on lately trying to knock out some handmade holiday gifts that I thought I better fire up the old crockpot. So, here's one that offers delicious stick to your ribs chicken with a Southwest flair.

Black beans and Chicken Crockpot

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can corn
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, your favorite kind
1(8 ounce) package softened cream cheese


Place the frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained. Turn crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
Add 1 package of cream cheese to the top and turn the crockpot down to low for about 1/2 hour. Finito! You can serve it solo or over chips for a delicious meal, enjoy!

Zen and the art of knitting

I have come to realize that I'm a process knitter. I'd like to say I'm highly productive and I have a lot to show for the amount of money I've spent on my yarn stash...but I don't. I don't really produce very much at all if I'm honest with myself. I knit quite a bit though. I like starting something and trying out new techniques, then when I get bored or want to try something else...I rip it out. When I knit, however poorly, the rhythmic action of working with my hands, yarn and a set of needles takes me to another place. It's really is kind of zen experience for me. I can lose myself in the knitting, in the intricate patterns that are produced from a seemingly simple pattern of loops and knots. I think about how for centuries women (and men too) have taken needles and fiber in hand and created. It makes me feel connected to the past through this simple craft. I think that might be why knitting is such the craze. It really is a simple thing too. Aren't we all just looking for a simple way to quiet our souls?

Holiday Gift Giving Goals

Of course with the holidays approaching, I've been thinking a lot about what to give. I committed our family to doing a less commercial, more thoughtfully given Christmas a few years ago and I have to say it's been much nicer in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I have or will purchase some items. I've have a wooden dollhouse for O., Leggo, trains and other items for the boys. But, I'd like to make a good portion of the gifts, but I don't know if I'll have the time to do all I want. I hope that I can accomplish a good deal though. But, what to make? O. should be easy right? I think because she loves to help me cook so much I'm going to make her a chef set with a hat, apron and oven mit. Of course I'm finishing the quilt and perhaps I can make a doll quilt for her Waldorf doll. For the boys? Hmm...that's a bit harder, I'll have to think about that. My friend Dawn of the blog Olabelhe had a great idea about an artist portfolio and crayon/pencil roll. I think I'm going to borrow that idea. I'll also probably do another bag or two for M.'s train collection to go in. I'm not sure what to make for E. yet, bedside knitting him a hat and socks. For S. I'm going to make a hoodie sweatshirt, some boxer shorts and lounge pants. Gosh with the length of that list I should be sitting at my sewing machine right now. I also wanted to make a couple things for my sisters. Thank goodness I started some of these items in the summer. I let you know how things go. Wish me luck!

Monday's Meal

I love to cook. I admit it. At our house we love pasta. Any good cook should know how to make a basic white sauce and a basic red sauce. They are so versatile and you can use them to make any number of dishes, don't be afraid to experiment. I thought I'd share some recipes for both a white and red sauce. The white sauce as you can see is very simple, but you can add cheese to it, or lemon and garlic and you have the start of a delicious meal...go wild! For the red sauce you can make a smooth or chunky style sauce. You can spice it up by adding more or less of your favorite herb. Add shallots or capers to the sauce or serve it over you favorite pasta. The possibilities are unlimited.

Basic White Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk


Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly to thicken to desired consistency.


Basic Red Sauce

2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup white wine


If you like a smoother sauce you can blend the following ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended and smooth; diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. If you like a chunkier style sauce just mix them all together well in a dutch oven and set aside until ready to add your other ingredients
In a skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil until they become translucent, about 2-3 mins. Add the onions and white whine to blended tomato sauce and cover, simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

My Bernina dream come true

Finally, finally I have acquired a Bernina. I'm thrilled! I found it on craigslist and maybe it was providence but it had just been posted. Perhaps no one else was looking for one or they were turned off by the fact that it was for sale without the power cord or foot pedal, but I was not. I drove over as fast as I could and claimed her. I paid $45 (I know, insane!) and although it doesn't have the manual, it did come with five of those very pricey Bernina feet that were probably worth way more than what I paid. I headed right over to Elegant Stitches my local Bernina dealership to get a cord. Two of the ladies were very excited for me and Brenda (the one who teaches the classes) even went over all the feet and what other things I could use them for with me. I found out that although the vintage cord for the 801 was for sale for $357, I could get the same cord used by the 1008 for under $100...better still one of the ladies from one of the machine list I belong to had one for sale for 1/3 of the price and it's on it's way, woohoo! I just love a new machine. I've spent the last few days giving her a bit of a spa treatment. As far as I can tell the only issue she has is a frozen darning lever. I will work on getting that unstuck, in the meantime I tested her out using the borrowed 1008 cord from ES and she fired right up...even the light bulb still worked.
I can't wait to find out why everyone says "Nothing sews like a Bernina, nothing".

It's here! It's here!

Remember me mentioning I had ordered a Super Automatic Espresso machine. Well, it arrived last night and my dh and I had anxiously unwrapped it to give it a test run. Ok...I have to admit it, I love it!!! Although, it might take me some time getting used to the strong brew. I'm a huge coffee drinker and I actually felt a bit buzzy after making myself 2 long shot mocha's this morning. I see my coffee consumption going way down, lol. There is such a huge difference in the quality of coffee/espresso you end up with. The Delonghi is so easy to use too. You simply do what the LCD tells you to do and before you know it you are sipping away. I'm going today to get a stainless steel pitcher to froth the milk in. I'm going to try frothing up some milk for a cappuccino so dh can have his favorite drink to.

Oh and I guess I can't forget to mention this. History was made last night. The first person of color was elected to the Presidency of the USA. I say person of color because I don't view him as an "African American" in the classic sense of the word, but I do see him as a person of color and I have to say I was beyond amazed that this country actually elected him. Many people will say that race isn't a factor in this country today, but I'm a black woman living in this country and racism is very much a factor in this country still. I'm cautiously optimistic about what his presidency could mean for our nation and I look on with hope in my heart.

Clutter Control Update

It's been awhile since I talked about my efforts to purge and get organized. I must say I've been doing pretty well. Things didn't turn out exactly how I had planned, however I learned a few lessons along the way. First off, I actually like my stuff. Of course I probably have more stuff than I should, but I'm not an impulse shopper, in fact generally I'm a bargain shopper and take awhile to make a purchase. I have come to realize that I don't want or desire a minimalist life. I want to have a life with purpose that is filled with the people and things that I love. For some it might seem like too much, but I've come to realize for me it's just enough most of the time. Of course I go through periods where there are too many toys lying around, too many clothes to wash or I need to take a break from buying yarn or fabric. But overall I'm okay with having material possessions. That's a huge realization for me. It seems sort of counter intuitive to other aspects of my life and my desire to lead a less consumer driven life. I think I combat that by recycling and reusing as much as I can in my life.
I have also come to realize that the key for me was not necessarily purging down to the bare bones...but purging excess stuff and getting what remained organized. I've been doing that by looking at our life with clear eyes. What do we need? What do we use? Could this be better used by someone else? I've been honest and realistic about what our needs are and that has been refreshingly liberating. I've also invested in some organizational systems and enlisted all my family members to play a part. Our home has never been so clean and organized. It feels good to reach a balance. It was surprisingly so much easier than I thought it would be. There's a new calm and sense of harmony in our home. I seem to have a bit more time with the kids and to do things we all enjoy. Maybe it's because I don't feel as stressed and overwhelmed by everything.
When I originally planned this blog post I thought I would talk about letting go of material things, but I think what I've been able to let go of has been so much more significant.

Monday's meal

I do love kitchen appliances. It's a fact. I even love that oft ignored appliance known as the bread machine. They are abundant in thrift stores. I think people buy them imagining the smell of fresh baked bread but get turned off by the shape of the bread or other factors. But, I'm one that doesn't mind and actually really enjoys my bread machine, in fact I own two. It's been awhile since I shared a recipe for the bread machine so I thought I'd share this one. Dust off that bread machine and get baking.

POTATO BREAD

This recipe makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf.
Cook a new or small russet potato in the microwave until soft and cut it into chunks. Do not peel. The machine will mash it during the kneading. Place potato into liquid measuring cup and add water up to
the level needed to measure 1 1/2 cups. Add ingredients in order as listed and then press start for basic or white setting.

6oz potato plus water for 1-1/2 cups
1-1/2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
1-1/2 tsp Bread Machine or instant yeast.

Superidity Duper!

After of months of agonizing research and reading every review and forum I could find. I have finally, finally bit the bullet and purchased my super automatic espresso machine and it should arrive on Tuesday. Woo Hoo!
It was such an overwhelming decision for me for some reason...I guess because it seems like a lot of money to spend on a coffee machine. But I do love some coffee and I drink a lot of it so I figured it would save me in the end. Now I considered going semi-automatic...in fact that's originally what I intended to do and was going to purchase a Rancilio...but dh talked me out of it. He said that he just wanted to push a button and I have to agree. The difference I realized between me and the folks that were posting to all the myraid of coffee machine forums is that they loved the process and really wanted to be "one with the bean". They really put a ton of thought in to getting just the right shot. It was a quest for them. It's not for me. I just want to stop going to caribou yet still enjoy the occasional mocha latte.
Anyway I can't wait for it to arrive and for me to fire the thing up. I'll let you know how it goes.

Unfinished Business

I'm issuing a public challenge to myself. Perhaps by putting it all out there I will be compelled to finish. I started a quilt for O. last year intending to finish it for her birthday. Well, it remains incomplete, many, many months later. I still have to quilt it and add the binding. I have to admit that while I love looking at quilts and admire the artistry and beauty of them...I'm not a quilter. I don't enjoy it, in fact I find it mindnumbingly boring. But...I started it and I should finish it. So...I'm getting it out of storage and I going to finish this thing for Christmas. You see I want our Christmas to be simple and I want the gifts to be thoughtful and lovingly given; and by george if I ever finish this quilt it will indeed be because I love that little wild haired girl! No excuses...the quilt must be finished.

Finito!

Meet Master Skywalker. E. insisted that he wanted to be Anakin Skywalker for Halloween and I was more than willing to purchase the costume. However, I guess a few others wanted to be Anakin too and I couldn't find a costume locally. I looked online to get an idea of what Anakin wore (basically a karate suit and a cape from what I can tell) and so I made one up. E. is thrilled with it and has been brandishing his lightsaber at his brother and sister all day. I'm just glad to mark another thing off my sewing list. Next up for me, a few bags that I have cut out and a couple of dresses.

My little ladybug

Well...one down, one to go. I'm making 2 of the 3 Halloween costumes for my younger kids. I don't know what I was thinking when I told them I would do this...ah, but what is a sewing mama to do but bite the bullet. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to craft stuff and I have a deadline (some how it takes away some of the joy of crafting I guess). As it is Wednesday and I still have the cape to finish for ds' costume, you see why I might be feeling a bit under the the gun.
Anyway today they wore their Halloween costumes at O's dance class. They were all so sweet. I grabbed a picture of O. in her mamamade costume before we headed out the door.
I'm still undecided as to weather I should attach black circles on to O's tutu, but otherwise I'm pretty pleased with her costume. It's by no means perfect, but she seems pleased with it and that's really all that matters, right.

All my lovelies

I have a fondness for things from the past in case you haven't noticed before now. Call me a retro gal. One of the things I really admire from the past are sewing machines. Not necessarily antiques, but vintage machines really tug at my heart strings. I love the simplicity and power. I love that they were built during a time when people really appreciated being able to sew and that you were suppose to be able to really bond and care for your machine. I love that some of the machines I adore today were loved and adored by someone else long before me, and yet they still have to ability to provide pleasure as well as function beautifully 50 or more years later. I've been collecting vintage machines for about five years. I still have a few that I want to acquire such as a Bernina 830 and a singer 201, but due to my space limitation I have to be pretty selective about what I bring home. I'm not a complete Luddite, I do have several modern machines...but these are my old gals...my lovely ladies. A couple are missing, the elna supermatic (it's staying at a friends house until I can go get it) and the pfaff 260...it's in the garage (I know...I don't love it, but I can't seem to part with it either).
I try and sew on all of them every few months since they all are great and I want them to stay in working condition. Nothing is sadder than a lovely machine in disuse. I have to admit that my favorite is the Viking. It's just an awesome machine. I think the singer 221 is the cutest thing ever. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for my rocketeer as it was the first vintage machine I got. Let's face it...I love them all. They all have a story.
Anyway, here are my gals. Enjoy.



I always imagine this machine came from a tailors shop. It's so strong and powerful and was in impeccable shape when I found it at a thrift store, all that was missing was the bobbin case which I picked up inexpensively. It came in the cutest maple desk, very retro. That's actually what I noticed first, I thought it was a small vanity table...but it was a Bu Nova. Even though it was in a thrift store, you can still strike a bargain. I talked him down to $25 and loaded her in the back of my SUV.



Singer 401, I got it from a friend that I traded for a purse I made her. I guess outside of my time it maybe ended up costing me $3.





This brown beauty belonged to a lady who loved to sew and loved this machine. I bought it from her son off of Craigslist. She had a stroke and can no longer sew. She had everything for it including the original box. She had all the feet and cams that were available for it and it was serviced regularly as apparent by the machine shop stickers on it. I adore it and I feel so proud to be able to stitch on a machine that obviously has provided so many years of pleasure. I love the stitch quality and that low gear feature...talk about power!



The Alden. It's just visiting me until I can find a base for it. I plan to gift it to one of the girls from Step up, but it came in a cabinet and it's not practical for them to have machines that aren't portable. It's a nice little Japanese class 15 clone. Cosmetically she's seen better days, but she does stitch well, so just goes to show you can't pass up that diamond in the rough.



Kenmore 47. It came from the same thrift store as the necchi. They seem to get a lot of machines in. I paid $8 for it in a cabinet. It's high shank and runs like a dream. It's the machine I let the kids use since it has the knee pedal that they can operate.



This machine from Montgomery Ward (remember them?) is also Japanese. It's a nice little stitcher although quite heavy for a portable model. I acquired it for my mother, but it's been living with me for about two years. I do take her to classes and also let some of the girls in Step Up that don't have machines yet sew on her. She the baby of the bunch, probably from the mid 1970's...but still very nice.



Ahhh, the rocketeer. She's my first love and I'll never part with her. She was the very first vintage machine I got. She came to me free from a friend who decided that she would opt for a "newer" and easier machine. Honestly, what could be simpler than a rocketeer. She's a beauty and she absolutely purrs. I love that she's gear driven. No belts to trouble myself over and once I got her oiled and lubed there was no stopping her. She's a dear!



Talk about cute as a bug...this 1030 is just that. It comes in a clam shell case and has a little fold out extension table built in. It's from the 1970's built by Jaguar/Maruzen of Japan as a 3/4 head machine to rival a singer 221. It's actually has a much more powerful motor than the singer 221 and if you find one that is in great working condition you'll be amazed at just how powerful this little number is. It weighs in at about 14lbs with the case. Mine is the basic model, it does a straight stitch, zigzag and if I remember correctly a four step buttonhole. Later models had a few fancier stitches. I'm saving her for my daughter. I think she'll absolutely love having this cutie pie to learn on.



Last, but not least is my singer 221 featherweight. It was a gift from my dh for my birthday. I found her on Craigslist. She wasn't a steal at $175, but she was long desired, in awesome condition with the case, all the attachments, accessories and the manual so I was more than happy to bring her home. What's to say about a 221. They make an absolutely beautiful stitch and are very collectible and desirable. Quilters love them because they are portable and the stitch quality is unparalleled. What's the secret...it only does one thing, but does it well. Since it doesn't do zz, you don't get that wavy look that you get with machines that zigzag too. Once you see the stitch that a straight stitch only machine can produce you'll never look at a stitch line the same. I think if you ever have a chance to own a FW you should. They are amazing in what they do. Sure, they don't have the most powerful motor in 3/4 head machine from singer of that era...but could anything else more fully embody Singer than a featherweight?

So there you have it. That's most of my machines. Of course I didn't photograph any of my modern friends, I'll save that for another time.

Monday's meal

If you know me, you know I love a good casserole. They are every busy mom's best friend. My go to meal when I'm short on time is spaghetti. We always have spaghetti fixings on hand and I can whip it up and serve it all inside 45 minutes. Every now and then I like to kick it up a notch by doing a variation of my tried and true, so that's where this meal comes in, it's baked spaghetti. Think of it as a lasagna made with spaghetti noodles. It's delicious and even better the next day. Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

1 package (16 ounce size) spaghetti
1 pound ground turkey (but you can use beef if you prefer)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar (26 ounce size) spaghetti sauce (your choice, but I like one with garlic and herbs)
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of monterey or colby cheese to sprinkle on top

Prepare a 13 X 9 inch casserole dish by spraying with non stick spray and set aside. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the turkey, garlic and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Add the spaghetti to egg mixture and toss to coat.
Place half of the spaghetti mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover and top with your cheese for topping; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Little Bill and the lost art of letter writing

You know that children's channel noggin? Well it's on at my house quite a bit. I like it...it's really is like preschool on tv, just like they say, lol. Last night I happened to catch an episode of "Little Bill" (hey you get sucked in) that talked about letter writing. LB noticed that members of his family were getting letters and he wanted one too. His father explained that to get a letter, he needed to write a letter. It got me thinking. I used to be a great letter writer and really enjoyed it. Now with email, instant messaging and free unlimited long distance I can't recall the last time I actually took pen to paper to write a letter. It's really is a lost art. So, I've decided that for my Christmas present to myself I will purchase some lovely stationary and make a point to write one letter a month to someone. I mean I should be able to handle one letter a month shouldn't I? I think I know just who I will start with. I think it's important to take time to do things in our life with purpose and that add a layer of richness that we sometimes forget about. I think writing on beautiful paper with a beautiful pen will make the letter writing experience all that more pleasurable.
There are a couple of places in town that sale papery (is that what it's called?) that I will check out and see what I can find. Oh, maybe I'll get one of those stamps off ebay that says "from the desk of..." or something catchier. Oh...now I'm excited. Letter writing, who knew?

Happy Halloween!

I've been very busy sewing Halloween costumes, but took a moment to crank out a sweet little A-line jumper for O. I took a page from the Martha Pullen and rather than do button closures I did ribbons. I think it came out super sweet. She picked out the fabric herself when we were at JA's recently. It's from the new Debbie Mumm line. I tend not to like things that are so specifically themed. I mean after next week it's not like she can really wear it again, right? But, I guess you're only young once and everyone should have a little purple ghost frock, right. I'll try and add a model shot if I can catch her in a photogenic mood.

Breaking Through!

I wrote a few weeks back about my falling short of my weight loss goal and how I needed to get back to the basics and buckle down. Well...finally after almost 10 weeks of struggling to break through my palteau, I've finally lost 5 lbs. I feel energized! Now I'm only 28 lbs away from my goal. I can see the light! I doubt I'll be there by the new year, but maybe I'll be closer still. I've tried really hard to drink more water and snack much less...it's a struggle every day, but I'm trying to stay the course. I still go to the gym every day that I'm not working. I've even came up with a solution on the days that I can't go...I'm breaking out the old dvd exercise programs and giving them a go. I have the whole Leslie Sansom series, I really like her style. I feel like I can finally start seriously thinking about what tatoo I want to get when I reach my goal and where I want to put it.

Monday's meal

Just the other day I happened to be at my local grocery store and scored a bunch of "red label" meat. That's when they mark the meat down that needs to sale quickly. That never bothers me as we have a large freezer and I love the savings. With the economy the way it is, you gotta save wherever you can, right? So...it's red label meat for me,lol. I like pork chops, but they can tend to be dry if you overcook them. I have a couple recipes for baked pork chops that are so easy and delicious that I thought I had to share. So, next time you're at the store, grab that pack of center cut chops and give this recipe a go.


Italian Pork Chop Bake


3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups grated Parmesan
cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup butter, melted
1 tsp of lemon juice
6 pork chops (I like center cut)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion power, salt and pepper, mix together well.
Add the lemon juice with the melted butter. Dip the chops in the melted butter and then dredge each chop in the bread crumb mixture, coating all sides thoroughly. Place the chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake 40-50 minutes , or until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Thrift Store Redux

I love a good thrift store and while my mother was visiting this week she was admiring my living room redo. As I was pointing out where I had acquired everything I realized that about 95% of everything in my living room was thrifted. I'm really proud of the fact that my home is comfortable and homey, yet didn't cost me much at all to put together. I'm always on the hunt for new and interesting pieces and as any true thrift store devotee knows it's all about the hunt. You have to frequent stores regularly. Sometimes it's hit, sometimes it miss...but it's all an adventure. So, I thought I'd take you on a little tour of my living room. First off you see the coffee table. That came from a thrift store in Fayetteville, NC. Awesome place to go thrifting because of the military presence. Frequently rather than move stuff they will donate it. The table is from "This end's up". It's one of those cargo style furniture stores and the table is nearly indestructible. As you can see the kids have painted on it and use it as there train/activity table. Talk about the distressed look, lol! I have the end tables too...but use them in other places in the house. The love seat came from my mom, who bought it off a friend who got it out of her physician husbands office. It used to be electric blue. I've had it reupholstered in cream...which was not at all kid friendly, so now I have an inexpensive slipcover from Surefit. Although not pictured, the couch is a very high end find from a local thrift store. Since I live in the state that is considered the furniture capital of the world sometimes they have to do something with samples and store models...lucky for me I scored a classically shaped, down filled couch. It's the best and oh so comfortable. The buffet, I just adore. Scored from craigslist (also a great place to find stuff). It's circa 1960's from what I can gather and has an immense amount of storage. I also got a 1970's storage wardrobe to use to hide away all the kids toys. Even the art work and mirror are from the thrift store. The curtains I made myself. I found a 33 yd bolt of Waverly upholestry fabric at a thrift store for $50. I had originally planned to make slipcovers for the couch and loveseat, but I think the little splash of red throughout the room is a better use of the fabric. The winerack bar in the corner is a really cool iron work piece picked up from Goodwill. I just love it for it's uniqueness and the fact that it can store 40 bottles of wine too.
So there you have it, my thrift store redux.

My silly ones!

I wanted to get a picture of O. in her Oliver + S lazy days skirt and her brothers insisted on being in the picture. It was hard to get them to stay still and pose for a picture. I thought they were pretty funny though. The lazy days skirt is really fun and easy. A great use for a small amt. of scrap fabric and something to do with all that ribbon and trim I've purchased, lol. I see many, many more of these in O.'s future.

Monday's meal

The weather is getting cooler and that calls to mind comfort foods. One of my favorite comfort foods is meatloaf. Paired with mashed potatoes and green beans I can't think of many other meals that brings to mind comfort food better.
There's many versions of meatloaf, and in my opinion they're all pretty good. Here's one version I thought I'd share.

Homemade meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (or if you can find it meatloaf mix)
1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers (such as ritz)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons steak sauce



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir the ground turkey, crushed crackers, Cheddar cheese, and onion soup mix in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk the eggs, ketchup, and steak sauce in a separate bowl until smooth. Mix the eggs into the meat until evenly combined, if the mixture seems too dry, add a little water. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven until the meatloaf is no longer pink in the center, approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

M.'s big day!

My youngest son turned 5 recently and to celebrate he invited a few friends to join him at the Little Gym. It was very nice. They did all the work, I just showed up with the cake and the check, lol.