Some Sewing and Not Your Usual Mac and Cheese

 Hi everyone and happy Sunday.  I have been a busy girl these days.  I have been sewing up a storm.  I am seriously hooked on these cool watchbands from Cluck Cluck Sew .  These are the second and third ones I have made and I have several more in mind to make next.  I also purchased a gold watch face for these bands so the sky is the limit.  I love custom accessories. 

The red one I made before has gotten tons of compliments.  They really are alot of fun.  I also have a create a watch face with several stretch beaded bands.  I purchased all of those but I am thinking I can make those bands as well.  I love jewelry but I have never really gotten into beading because I felt I did enough other crafts.  But I must admit, when I am in Michael's Craft Store, I glance at all the beads and think of what I could make with them.  I just may try a couple of the beaded bands yet! 

 

 

You know how I love to make cases for all my glasses(and there are many between reading glasses and sunglasses).  I found the instructions for this cute felt case on the Woman's Day website.  This case couldn't have been easier.  Felt doesn't need to be hemmed or turned right side out and the colors are so fun.  I may just have to make another one of these with the different glasses they showed to decorate them.   I just had to make the retro ones. 

 I want to share an upscale mac and cheese recipe with you before I go.  This one takes a couple of different cheeses and I loved it.  My family still has a different favorite mac and cheese that I make and I will share that with you soon.  For this one you cook a 16 oz. pkg of elbow macaroni as the box directs.  Meanwhile in a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and stir in 3 tablespoons of flour.  Stir in salt and pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.  Slowly add 2 1/2 cups of milk.  Bring to a boil  and stir until thickened.  Turn down the heat.  Add 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1 cup shredded mild cheddar, 3 oz. cream cheese, softened, and 1/4 cup crumbly blue cheese.  Stir until melted.  Add 1/2 cup sour cream and the cooked and drained macaroni.  Stir together and serve.  I know some people shudder at the above picture but I have to have ketchup on my mac and cheese.  Besides, for some reason I give you guys recipes for mostly white foods.  I don't know why that is besides the fact that I cook with alot of chicken and cheese!  The ketchup in the picture gives it color-how's that for reasoning? 

I am going back to work tomorrow after a week off.  Why do vacations fly by while the average work week drags?  That is the million dollar question! I have several projects waiting in the wings to complete so I am hoping to work on at least a cute Winter-themed one this week.  Before you know it, Spring will be here.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Take care.   Nancy

Wristlets and Another Chicken Dish

Hi everyone and happy Sunday.  We have some pristine, sparkly snow here after being on the outskirts of Nemo Friday night.  I actually enjoyed a snow day Friday from school-it was a miracle!  My heart does go out to the people suffering hardships and losses of property and worse from this storm.  We were fortunate not to get the brunt of it. 

I know I mentioned that my oldest son turned 22 on Friday.  I made him Twinkie cupcakes for his celebratory dessert.  They were off-the-hook amazing.  I wasn't as big a fan of Twinkies as a kid as many other people were.  I am a frosting girl and Twinkies just were missing that extra sugary oomph frosting provides in my book.  Well this recipe from the Lady Behind the Curtain's blog solved that problem for me!  I didn't get all fancy with the swirl to the frosting that she did, but they were oh so tasty and definitely satisfied everybody's sweet tooth.  You should try them. 

 On to my creative endeavors of the week.  I don't know if you ever watched Knitty Gritty with Vickie Howell, but I have seen every episode.  I loved that show, even though I tend to be a chicken knitter-making only flat projects.  I saw these wristlets designed by Marnie MacLean and I wanted to try them.  I bought the self-patterning yarn eons ago for the project and being a true sufferer of crafting ADD, I jumped to a different project.  Fast forward many years later, I came across the yarn and remembered what I wanted to do with it.  I searched for the instructions(in the above link) and cranked them out.  I am pretty happy with them.  They were fun and I am using them.  When I am on my computer in the early morning, my craft room where my computer is can get chilly.  Besides being on the computer, they keep my hands warm when I am knitting or crocheting, which I am on a major kick of right now.  I have 2 scarves on the go and another one I want to start(but I am resisting).  If you like to knit at all, you should check out Knitty Gritty reruns if you get the chance.  Vickie is a riot and she makes you want to pick up some needles and go!  Also, right now I am taping on my dvr a show called Knit and Crochet Now! which is on my local educational channel.  There is alot of inspiration out there, just look around! 

Lastly, I want to share yet another chicken dish-I swear Sam's Club should hire me to spread the word about the millions of things to make with their rotisserie chickens!  This is a hash brown chicken casserole I made.  It is easy to throw together and very good.  I took a 32oz. package of thawed cubed hash browns and cooked them in butter in a large frying pan.  I spread them in a sprayed 9x13 pan.  Then I sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste.  Then I layered some shredded rotisserie chicken over the potatoes.  Meanwhile, I combined in a large bowl: 8 oz. sour cream, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules, dehydrated onions to taste and a clove of minced garlic.  I stirred and poured over the chicken and potatoes.  lastly, I sprinkled with 1/4 cup slivered almonds and baked for 55 minutes at 350 degrees.  You could jazz this up by adding vegetables or mushrooms in the layers or roasted red peppers would have been nice too.  I was serving this to my oldest who doesn't like any of what I just mentioned, so I left it relatively plain.  It was even better the next day after all the flavors had a chance to meld. 

I am counting down to my next school vacation which is the week after this one.  I am hoping to do some sewing.  I hope you all have a fabulous week.  Take care.   Nancy

It Is The Season For Snowmen...and Hearty Casseroles

Hi everyone and here we are at Sunday evening again.  It is snowing softly here after having a nasty lake effect snow storm yesterday.  I love the snow.  I think it is so clean and pretty and it makes it so cozy to be indoors doing all of my favorite things: sewing, cooking and baking, crafting and watching movies with my husband.  He is watching the Super Bowl at a party right now and I have had a great afternoon putting the finishing touches on my latest project.

Don't you love it when you see something in a catalog and you end up making it yourself at home for next to nothing?  Such is the case with this adorable snowman candle holder. 

I saw it for around $20(not counting shipping) and I had to have it.  I made some changes to the original design to more suit my decorating style and taste.  I had my husband hack me off a block like I used for my sewing caddy.  Then I drew him a rough sketch of the size flat circle and carrot nose I needed. He was able to use scraps so the cost is zippo at this point. 

Fortunately I am a tole painter from way back so I have quite a collection of craft paint.  I chose the colors I wanted and painted the three pieces.  Then I sanded off the edges to distress them. 

I winged it with the facial details of the snowman, making them very simple.  I used a q-tip for this.  Then I used a burgundy color and another q-tip to rub red cheeks on him.  I used a stylus to put all sizes of white dots on the face and nose to simulate snow and glued him together with wood glue.  I brushed a coat of satin varnish on him and let him dry.  After that, I just popped in a battery-operated
candle and a candle ring I had from another decoration and there you have it.  I think it turned out cute and I paid very little for the candle. 

I want to share an amazingly cozy casserole I tried.  It is Chicken Cobbler and it is to die for.  I found it in a cookbook and it was a big hit.  You start out by cubing up some day old bakery bread(I used French bread)-you should have a couple of cups of cubes- and drizzle with 1/4 cup of melted butter.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese over the buttery bread cubes and toss.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine: 3 cups cooked broccoli florets, shredded cooked chicken meat(I used a rotisserie chicken), 1/2 cup drained and chopped roasted red bell pepper from a jar, a small jar of Alfredo sauce, and 1/2 cup sour cream.  Mix and transfer to a greased casserole dish.  Top with bread cubes and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly.   It is delicious.  Enjoy!

My oldest son turns 22 this coming Friday and I don't know where the time has gone.  He wants steak, loaded mashed potatoes and Caesar salad for his birthday dinner.  I am going to make him some Twinkie cupcakes I saw last week on a blog.  They look pretty unforgettable so I can't wait to try them.  I hope you all have a great week.  Stay warm and take care.   Nancy

Trying New Things

Hi everyone and happy Sunday evening!  I want to start out by saying I am so sorry to those of you who have left comments that I have not answered.  I am desperately trying to learn more about blogging and how to do things more efficiently.  Some established bloggers are very generous to give tips on how to do basic things(like responding to comments) and I am trying to learn from them.  Please be patient with me and keep commenting.  I will get it in gear soon! 

 I want to start out buy saying that I have been a busy girl this week.  I read alot of posts about making laundry detergent and I was intrigued.  I decided to give it a go and combined several recipes and added a little bit of my own idea and here it is.  I used 1 1/2 cup Borax, 2 cups washing soda, 1 cup baking soda and 1 1/2 bars grated Yardley English Lavender soap.  I put 2 Tablespoons of the detergent in the machine with running water before I add my clothes and so far, so good.  I am doing the math as to how cost efficient it is.  I am presently researching a homemade fabric softener recipe .  It may be difficult to find one that works. 

I also mentioned I had a horrible cold last week.  I was not wishing to be put on another antibiotic so I was pulling out all the stops to feel better and get through it.  I came across this tutorial for shower vapor discs and had to try them.  They turned out pretty good.  I found they melted very quickly in the shower so I am letting them cure longer in the jar I have them in.  Taking a good whiff of the jar when I remove the lid has been very nasal-opening!  I am a huge fan of essential oils so this idea appealed to me. 

I remembered some cotton crochet thread I have had for several years doing nothing, not earning its keep in my yarn stash when I saw this cool washcloth crochet tutorial on Aesthetic Nest.  Her instructions and pictures are perfect for a crochet newbie like me.  The multicolor one(which is folded in the picture) is from her pattern.  The white one is done in half double crochet and I got fancy and did a crochet border around it like I saw on a You Tube video.  I swear, you can find such great instructions for so many crafts out there.  All you need to do is look.  I have no excuse not to try a new craft anymore.  I have two knitted scarves I am working on, but I am drawn to crochet.  I am really enjoying it. 

  
Lastly, I want to share a delicious orange jello salad with you.  I had a similar salad at a party at our neighbor's house when I was young and I have been searching for something like it(from what I remember).  This is close.  I took an 11oz. can of mandarin oranges and drained them, reserving the juice.  I put the juice in a 2 cup glass measuring cup and set aside.  I boiled water in my tea kettle and right before it was ready, I heated the orange juice in the microwave until very hot.  To that juice, I added enough boiling water to make 2 cups.  I whisked in 2- 3oz. packages of orange gelatin.  I took 1/3 of a half gallon of orange sherbet with a vanilla ice cream swirl and added it to the very hot and totally combined orange gelatin mixture.  Stir that until all the ice cream melts.  Add the reserved mandarin oranges.  Pour into a jello mold sprayed with non stick spray or a pretty glass bowl that you won't have to unmold.  Refrigerate at least 6 hours.  It is very refreshing and tastes like a Creamsicle.

I just learned how to turn off that annoying thing on my comments that makes you type in the fuzzy nonsensical codes to prove you are a person and not a spamming computer.  I didn't even realize I had it on there until someone politely told me!  I hope you all have a great week.  Take care.  Nancy 

A Sewing Caddy and an Unusual Dinner

Hi and happy Sunday everybody!  I am excited to have tomorrow off from school so I will be sleeping in a little.  I am trying to shake yet another cold which is threatening to turn into a sinus infection.  Rest is probably going to do me good! 

I can't wait to share this adorable sewing caddy I made.  I got the idea from this tutorial from Flamingo Toes.  I love her blog.  It will be so handy to not have to get my sewing kit out just to grab a tool that I use frequently.  My husband cut the block for me out of scrap wood and I painted it and distressed it with a dry brush and sand paper.  I used little wooden spools for the legs.  I also used thumb tacks in place of the upholstery tacks she used.  I glued on buttons and a cute sewing machine button(shank removed) to dress it up further.  I love it and it will be handy.  I love cute things but I really love cute and useful things! 

I also wanted to pass along a recipe for pierogi casserole.  I love pierogies but it never occurred to me that a casserole of these flavors would be successful!  Think of it-potatoes and pasta?  I have died and gone to heaven!  Cook 9 lasagna noodles as the package directs.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl put 4 cups hot mashed potatoes(I used instant), 1/2 cup cream cheese spread with onion and chive, 6 thinly sliced green onions, 1/2 cup crumbled crisply cooked bacon, and 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and layer the pasta and the potato mixture.  On top, spread 1 cup shredded cheddar and another 1/2 cup chopped bacon.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through.  Uncover and bake another 5 minutes.  Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve.  We used it as a main course and served it with bread(more carbs!) and a Caesar salad.  It was delish.  The bacon was enough meat for me, but if you bring this to a pot luck or other gathering, it could be a side dish.  Enjoy! 

I hope everyone has a nice week and manages to stay warm and well.   I got a charm pack of Nancy Drew fabrics for Christmas and I am dying to do something with it.  Take care.  Nancy

Resolution Keeping and A Snowman

Happy Sunday evening everyone.  We have been busy around here lately-except for Mickey of course!  She has a life of leisure.  Every time my husband tries to lay on the couch to watch a game, Mickey is right there to stretch out with him.  I think he is as crazy about her as I am!  We have been very busy trying to organize our household.  I am a huge lover of organization and order, as is my husband so we decided to really try to make our life less stressful by making everything as neat as possible.  He has been tackling our desk and mountain of paperwork.  I can't get over how much we accumulate.  We are on the right track and things are going well.  A resolution that is actually being kept-who would have thought! 

The bare table in my kitchen has been driving me crazy so I sewed a table runner. 

Isn't he cute?  I got the idea from Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy .  I had to make one snowman instead of two like she did because my table isn't very big in the kitchen.  I also omitted the arms.  I am very pleased with how it turned out. 

I got in a hurry to finish it before dinner and wasn't paying attention and sewed it together face to face with the batting in the middle.  Have you ever done something silly like that when hurrying?  I was kind of annoyed with myself.  It ended up taking me longer to rip it out and redo the stitching.  Now I have a zillion tiny white bits of thread all over my floor.  Lesson learned-take your time!  All's well that ends well because with a little vacuuming, my craft room will be back to normal and I love the finished runner.  Finally my table has some color and character. 

I mentioned some time ago I would share my cream of broccoli soup recipe.  Because it is not a real recipe but a concoction I just throw together, I will give you the general idea and I am sure if you choose to make it, it will be fine.  I just cook frozen broccoli and baby carrots in chicken stock until tender.  Sometimes, I use water flavored with chicken bouillon cubes(quite a few) to cook my veggies in instead.  The result is saltier but that can be a good thing!  I cook whatever veggies I would like.  Sometimes I add potato cubes or cauliflower in the beginning and I almost always add frozen corn towards the end of the veggies cooking.  When everything is done to your satisfaction, you can add half and half to taste.  If you go this route, add a couple of pats of butter and you are done.  It is a thinner soup, but very delicious.  If you require a thicker soup, make a roux with 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons flour and slowly add 1 cup half and half.  I like to add shredded cheese blend if I intend to thicken the soup.  Add the thick cheesy goodness to your chicken broth based veggies and stir until thickened.  Either way it is awesome.  It is a great way to use up vegetables and I love that it is customizable for whomever you are feeding.  My oldest only likes potatoes in it-which makes it cream of potato soup! 

Our weather has been bizarre this last week.  I feel that Easter should be around the corner with the balmy temperatures we have had!  Maybe the madness will end and Winter will continue.  I have some snow days to hope for!  Take care.   Nancy

Happy New Year

I hope this Sunday evening is finding everyone doing well.  I had a good and fairly uneventful weekend-just the way I like it!  We put away our Christmas decorations and I put out all my snowman stuff.  Every year I try to make some things to add to my collection.  This year I will be making a snowman table runner for my kitchen table.  Actually that is in the works.  Today, I stitched a cute little pillow hanging I saw in a magazine. 

It is made of felt.  I used 4"x4" squares for the front and back and just traced a very simple snowman onto white felt. I used blanket stitching and basic embroidery for the features to finish him up.  I love the button color I used.  I had some satiny black rope trim that I used to hang him up and there you have it.  I can't remember what magazine I saw this in, but I recalled how cute I thought it was and thought it would be quick to make. 

He fits in quite nicely with all my snowmen!

I also found time to get in the kitchen this morning and make a yummy coffee cake.  It is a pecan cherry coffee cake and it was easy.

 Turn your oven to 400 degrees and spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.  Melt 5 1/3 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.  Pour that melted butter in the bundt pan and swish it around up the sides.  Sprinkle the melted butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar, 6 oz. whole maraschino cherries, and 1/3 cup pecans.  Set aside and prepare your batter: 2 cups Bisquick, 2 Tablespoons white sugar, 2/3 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 Tablespoons very soft butter.  Mix it by hand until smooth and spoon it over your sugar mixture in the bundt pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Immediately flip onto a plate.  Cool for a bit and glaze as desired.  As you can see from the picture, I desired much glaze! 

I have a tip for you about Bisquick.  A long time ago, when I was single and didn't bake as much as I do now, I went to make a Bisquick Impossible cheesecake for a party at work, and discovered my Bisquick had become "buggy" in the cupboard.  I had to run out to the grocery store and purchase a new box to make my cheesecake.  I talked to my Mom and she shared with me that she had experienced that once with oats so she kept her oats in the fridge from then on.  I decided to keep my flour, oats and Bisquick in the fridge and have done it ever since!  It has never affected the performance of any of these ingredients, and I feel better using it.  I used to keep my Bisquick in a clunky plastic container that poured and I usually made a mess trying to measure it for a recipe.  Well, I found something better!

This container is made by Oxo and I found it at my local Bed Bath and Beyond.  It was kind of pricey but it has been a lifesaver!  Measuring out my Bisquick is easy and mess free.  I just keep it on the bottom shelf of my fridge-right next to the canister of flour and the cardboard container of oats!

I also wanted to pass along a killer hot drink idea I found on another blog. 

  This is a picture of a hot caramel apple cider float and it is beyond good!  I found it on Shaken Together and had to give it a try.  I am not a coffee drinker and due to my newly discovered chocolate allergy, I had to give up hot chocolate.  I love my tea and my chai but sometimes you need something special to warm you up.  This is it!  The only problem I had is that I wanted one every night!  Proceed with caution-you will be hooked! 

I have several projects in the beginning stages, so I hope I have time this week to work on them.  It has been wintry here which is different from last winter.  It makes curling up in the evening and watching tv really cozy.  I suspect I will want to knit and crochet more instead of sewing.  The snowman table runner I am making should entice me back into my sewing room!  Stay warm everyone and take care.   Nancy