Just so you know, when peanut butter goes bad, you can’t stir it.
Don’t throw it out, mix it with bird seed, make a suet. I wrapped it up with hemp string to hang in the trees. If you take this on, remember that the birds rely on these, so make a few and keep them up through the season. They need it. (Thanks Maureen for the reminder.)
Bonus: If you’ve never seen a bird struggling with peanut butter on the roof of it’s beak – you’ve not seen it all.
SMACK SMACK SMACK.
Filed under gardening, home projects
While we’re on the no-buying kick, can I give a shout out to the library? Our library
has a nice supply of craft, sewing, and cookbooks. I can go online and find a book at any library and it will be shipped to my downtown branch within a few days. How nice.
It’s been snowy here and although I’ve gotten a few projects done, sometimes it’s nice to make a fire and look at other people’s handiwork. Some of these books were good, but The Dressmaker’s Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques: Essential Step-by-Step Techniques for Professional Results by Lynda Maynard (http://amzn.com/1596682477) was excellent. Great step-by-step photos and detail on techniques I will be trying soon.
Check it out. Literally.
Filed under what not
This is my brother-in-law’s bday present. I couldn’t be there. I heard it was off-the-hook. (I-love-the-hyphen.) My sister rented the SF Mexican bus. She also got great party favors of flasks with good tequila. So I had to make a cool gift to fit in the South-of-the-Border. Lots of great online videos got my juices going.
If you are going to use a picture, make sure you make that printout from a laser printer – an ink jet print out will smear. I covered this with the all-too-cool Mod Podge. Also, I wanted a big-frickin-head, I used a beat-it-balloon from the dollar store.
I made it adult, by adding Advil Packets amongst the Mexican candy I found. I’m sure those packets came in handy come about 6:30am.
This is a sloppy project – great for kids – bad for carpet. Put a huge drop cloth down (an old shower curtain is my pick) and wear an apron.
Feliz Cumpleaños, Jason!
click for more photos
Filed under crafts
Love this website/catalog. Simple dresses, good fabrics. I saw this bag, and did my usual, “I can make that.” And I did. Not the beautiful leather, but a good bag with side pockets for water bottles and books. The fabric came from Monica Farrar. I think it was leftovers from her bedroom suite.
Click thru to see finished product
NOOOO!!!!!!
So like me to jump on a bandwagon, late…very late. In some very famous blogs, http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/ and http://www.dressaday.com/, bloggers have taken a project over a year and blogged about it.
My turn. I don’t think what I’m doing is going to shake up the world of crafting, but I’m hoping it will give me more focus on my projects. I am going to devote every project to the items I have on hand. No more running to Michaels, Joanns, and (heavy sigh) Mill End Fabrics.
Every year, Peter and I will take a month, sometimes two, to do what we call “eat down the freezer and the pantry.” We buy nothing but fresh bread and produce and make meals with what we have on hand. Now I have to craft down the fabric closet.
I will buy nothing for a project for a year, unless it represents less than 10% of the whole. But I really want to keep away from buying anything. Reverend Billy, from the Church of Stop Shopping, would be proud. Also take a look at these brave fashionistas that have vowed to not buy clothes for a year: http://freefashionchallenge.com/
I have a list of ideas I have on deck:
1. Totebag
2. Tablecloth/runner
3. Hat
4. Plushie
5. Felt project
6. Belts
7. Skirt/Pant
8. Burning man project
9. Jewelry
10. Throw
11. Christmas gifts
But the first thing on deck is: the website. I’m going to work this week on an overhaul the website’s graphics.
Let’s go!!!
Love getting together with my girlfriends to make christmas cookies. The recipes are below. The star of the show was the cute little “To Go” boxes. What a great idea. No tins. I hate tins. We decorated with hemp string, markers, and office supply dots. (Inspriration: Martha Stewart)
We served coffee, mimosas, a veggie tray and shrimp, to keep us out of the cookies.
Mom made the new apron.
Clipper Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes about 3 dozen, but they’re big!)
1c. unsalted butter
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp Frangelico
1 tbsp Kahlua
2 lg eggs
2 ½ c. flour
1tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2-11.5 oz. pkg milk chocolate chips
1c chopped walnuts
½ c. chopped pecans
½ c. chopped macadamia nuts
Cream sugars, eggs, liquids and butter. Add flour, salt, soda. Fold in nuts and chips. Scoop ¼ cup each, Bake at 350 for 16 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Spicy Gingerbread Cookies with lemon icing
6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulphured molasses
In a large bowl sift together first three ingredients.
With your electric mixture and the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar. Add the spices, then the eggs and molasses. Slowly add flour mixture; combine at a low speed. Divide the dough in to thirds; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°. Flour your work surface, roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut with your favorite cookie cutters into desired shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, approximately 15 minutes.
Bake until crisp but not darkened, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, decorate with course raw sugar, lemon icing and/or icing.
Lemon Icing
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon
Blend til smooth, put in a plastic bag. Cut the corner for drizzling onto cookies
Magic Bars
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
1-14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 heaping cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Melt butter in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle crumbs over them. Pour milk over crumbs. Top with the remaining ingredients as listed, press down slightly. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Buckeyes (A Burge Favorite, non-gluten style cookie!)
3/4 lbs of powered sugar
16 oz natural peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
12 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
melt in micro or double broiler
Blend PB, sugar and butter. Put in fridge to harden. Roll into 1.5” balls, put in freezer. Dunk PB balls into chocolate/oil melted mixture. Cool in fridge. i put platters of these in the garage to cool.
Filed under cooking, home projects
How cute is this?
Vintage fabric from the Sewing Guild’s fabric sale. Vintage buttons from my mom. And ricrac!
Project came from Better Homes and Gardens. Click on photo to get free pattern.
Click here for more photos
I am one of THOSE people. You know the ones. I torment my dog with accessories. Usually just a flower on her collar. Showing off her femininity. I made these as “necklaces.”
Filed under crafts
Dorky neckties. This was a fun repurpose. It took 12 ties and a 12” metal wreath frame. One of these stupid ties had a music chip in it. It kept going off as I was hand-sewing them on and mom thought it was the ice cream truck.
Click here for more photos
See the next post to see what I did with the remnants.
Filed under crafts
Click here for more photos
I hope that if you signed up to host Thanksgiving, you’re not regretting it now. It really is not that hard, as long as you have it all planned out. Rather than list the things to do, E-how did the work for us. This list includes doing a timeline. What time to put sweet potatoes in the oven, take the turkey out to rest, steam the veggies, etc. I can’t stress that one enough. You don’t cook a turkey every day, so plot it out. Seems dorky, but all your food will make it to the table hot! AND you could carve out time to take a leisurely walk with your guests in the afternoon or catch the big game.
I usually get my linens out a few days before (time to check for stains and holes.) I get my recipes in order and lay them out with shopping lists. I also like to make a dessert that you can make the day before, saves time and counter space.
Enjoy and remember it’s not about the food; it’s about the company and all the things we have to be grateful.
Filed under cooking
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