An Unusual but Delicious Salad, More Jewelry and Some Help with Laundry

Hi everyone.  I want to start right off by telling you about a fantastic salad that may sound slightly unusual but it is delicious. 

I read about a similar salad several years ago and played around with the ingredients, adding and deleting components and came up with this.  Cook some bow tie pasta(any shape you have would work).  Drain it well and rinse with cold water.  Drain again and put it in a large bowl.  Add chunks of Swiss cheese, cantaloupe melon, and ham.  I took a ham steak that was fully cooked and cut it up so it the chunks would have substance.  I don't think deli ham would work.   If you have leftovers from a nice ham dinner, you are in business!  After tossing the pasta and other ingredients, add poppy seed dressing to taste.  I like it swimming in it.  Also, when you refrigerate the salad, it will soak the dressing up, so you may have to add even more later.  There you have it-easy and oh so good.  I took this to a potluck and there was none left at the end of dinner.  Let me know if you like it if you try it. 

On to my jewelry for the week.  I purchased a watch face and many interchangeable stretchy bands a while back.  Now that I am making jewelry like a madwoman, I had to increase my wardrobe of watchbands.  This one was as easy as it gets.  While in JoAnn Fabric store, I saw these beads already laid out for me.  The cats absolutely sold me.  I just put them on stretch cord, crimped the ends and added lobster claw clasps to each end.  Isn't it cute?  I am so big on personalizing accessories to my taste.  I love it when I find a craft that lets me do that. 

 The last thing I wanted to share are these cool dryer balls I made with info from Leslie at Seasoned Homemaker .  They were inexpensive and easy to make.  I love anything that makes laundry day better and cheaper so I was all in.  I do find that these make my drying time less so that is a good thing!  When I am taking my laundry out of the dryer, one will get hung up in a pant leg or fitted sheet and will fall on the floor when I shake the clothes into the  laundry basket.  You can't imagine how my cat goes crazy trying to get to it before I can corral it back into the dryer for the next load.  She thinks it has to be one of her toys and that I have stolen it!

I hope you all have a great week.  I am trying to get some things done around the house.  I tend to be kind of "unstructured" when I am off for Summer vacation.  I stay up way too late, I sleep in until 8, I stay in my robe until 11.  Generally, I am like a teenager!  I need to start getting a little more done.  That is my job for this week:to complete a to-do list.  Wish me luck!  Take care.  Nancy     

FNSI and my Craftaholics Swap

Hi everyone!  I am thoroughly enjoying my Summer vacation but it is flying by!  I was so excited to participate in FNSI last night.  First before I show you what I worked on, I want to thank Wendy from Sugarlane Quilts for taking over the hosting duties.  I also want to thank Anthea from Hibiscus Stitches for donating some really great gifts we participants have a chance to win.  I decided to work on something quick and really useful. 

I made these twist ties from fabric and pipe cleaners.  They are so useful and very easy to make.  I learned about them from Karen at Sew Many Ways.  If you click on the link, it will lead you to her tutorial.  I am thrilled to finally have long twist ties for my iron cord and large bags of frozen food.  In the past, I twisted two small twist ties together and they would always come undone.  Now, I no longer have to deal with that and they are really cute.  I customized the fabric to the room I would use them in.  I will definitely be making more! 

I also wanted to share the gifts I made for my swap partner in the Craftoholics gift exchange.  I swapped info with my partner and discovered her favorite color is purple so I made her earrings and a sunglasses case in her favorite hues. I tried a really cool technique for the first time on the earrings.  I wire-wrapped  a crystal briolette for each one.  It took several tries but I was happy with the results.

I am sad to report, I never received a gift in exchange.  I am not sure I understand how people can sign up for something like this and not follow up on sending their partner a gift.  I understand that things come up, but you should email the person and let them know.  I am not sorry that I put time and effort in making and sending her a gift, but I was sad that she didn't care enough to do the same. 




I have been working on jewelry a lot lately.  I have been learning a lot from the kits I receive. 

This was two separate kits.  It is a coil bracelet and a two strand necklace with earrings and a ring.  I have worn it and received many compliments. 

I wanted to share an amazing recipe I tried from Sweet and Savory Sarah on the Tasty Kitchen blog.  It is almond cake and it is to die for.  If you are an almond extract fan, this cake is for you. 

It is super moist and the glaze is so good.  I have a friend who loves the almond butter cookies I make at Christmas and I may have to make this for her Summer birthday! 

Speaking of birthdays, today is my youngest son's birthday.  He turns 19 today.  We took him on a two hour car ride yesterday to have him experience the best all you can eat buffet around.  He is such a fan of those things and is actually entertaining to watch as he loads his plate numerous times!  Where he puts it, I have no idea as he is not a big person!  The buffet happens to be at a huge casino so he also got to play keno for the first time and he enjoyed it.  We had a nice day.  My other son came as well as my mother and father in law and my sister in law.  It was wonderful to have everyone together. With both of my sons over 18, we seldom can do things as a family all together anymore. 

We have a graduation party to attend today and I have to make my son's birthday cake as the family is coming over tonight for cake and ice cream.  I hope you have a wonderful week.  Take care.   Nancy