Big game = Pinterest win!

On Sunday, my husband and I went to his parents' house to watch the big game. His parents were rooting for the Broncos and we wanted the Panthers to win. Our little rivalry made the evening pretty fun, and of course there was also a lot of delicious food!
My mother-in-law, Renee, made sloppy joes, four bean salad and had chips, veggies and cheese.
We brought "Crispy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms" (a request by my husband) and "Pepperoni Pizza Rolls." I found both recipes on pinterest.

The stuffed mushrooms came out REALLY well! The recipe is from mantitlement.com. I only had half the number of mushrooms, but I made the whole recipe for the filling, so we will use it on crackers or for a dip. For the 8 oz. of crab meat, I used a can of premium crab meat- fancy, I know! The bread crumb topping made A LOT, so I probably should've halved that. (The extra bread crumbs are going in the venison meatballs I'm making for dinner.)

The Pepperoni Pizza Rolls, like the website describes are a marriage of garlic knots and pizza rolls. I mixed up my standard pizza dough recipe, which is a half white half whole wheat dough. The garlic-herb butter with the parmesan cheese on top? ::drool:: We heated up a jar of the pizza sauce we canned and had it on the side to dip with. This recipe is from twopeasandtheirpod. I am definitely making these again!

 

What tasty food did you have at the big game? I'm always open for recommendations.

 

On my agenda for today: baking cookies. Because:

 

a.) My husband packed the last of them in his lunch

and

b.) I need an excuse to turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen.

 

Stay warm. <3 

faraway places, like Connecticut

People say that your college years are some of the best. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that until after college. All of your friends that you love and have been with for four years all of the sudden move away to faraway places, like Connecticut.

Keeping up with friends after college has, at times, been a struggle. With your life going one way and friends going another, making the effort to cross paths is hard.

One such friend lives nine hours away.
The last time I saw her was about two years ago, which involved her going to another friend's wedding that just happened to be near my hometown.

For the 30th commemoration of her birth, I sent her some love.

Over the Summer, I taught myself how to crochet Solomon's knot, also known as the Love knot. It is very delicate and lacy. I used a variegated sock yarn. I have made other gifts with this yarn because it is so soft and beautiful. The cowl I crocheted, isn't so functional, as it is very thin, but it is pretty. Sometimes pretty is all you need.

Jocelyn, I hope you feel loved today
and I hope that our paths cross again soon.

Happy Birthday!

<3
 

cookies & cards

 

He loved cookies

& he loved playing cards.

 

Thinking of Grandpa. <3

making our house homey

The past few months, my husband and I have been making our house homey. Our ranch style house was built in the 50s and some things are just as they were from the beginning. Most projects have been low cost i.e. painting, switching out light fixtures. Some projects are going to be major renovations i.e. kitchen and bathroom.

In the kitchen, I painted the ceiling and walls. Last week, I made some valances for the windows. (I don't have a before picture, but there used to be large wooden valances over the windows.) After looking at a few stores, we realized two things: a.) valances aren't real popular because there weren't a lot of styles to choose from and b.) valances are expensive! When we returned home, sans valances, I remembered a bag of curtain remnants I had! The fabric was a tan cotton, nothing special, but would definitely do the job.

I scoured pinterest to find ideas for the valances. I did an inverted box pleat, but I didn't like how it looked, so I scratched that design. I opted for a straight curtain valance and added gathers.

We have also started hanging up artwork. If there's only one thing a college art major can do, it's have something to put on the walls. Yes, that may be a low blow, but for this former art student, it holds true. I may not have a high paying job, but I have colorful walls with pretty things to look at.

I also made a curtain for over our farmhouse sink.

 I love our sink; it is huge. I also like that I can look out at the barn.

What do you like about your house that makes it homey? <3

A very Barry Christmas

Last week, my husband and I drove up to my parents' house for Christmas. With three older sisters and families of their own, it is always a special time when we are able to get together.

I finished up Christmas presents right up to the very last day. I had a take pictures quick before I wrapped them for the trip. I made a Lego pouch, an Elsa crown with braid and an Amish puzzle ball. (I made another puzzle ball on the drive up, so that was after these pictures were taken. Amazingly, that little bugger took me about three hours to do! Yes, I was still getting the gist of it, but still...)

My other nephew, even though I made him the Minion hat, was sad that he didn't have a Lego pouch like his older cousin, so I will be making one for him, too.

 

 

The Lego pouch was a pattern from ravelry.com by Liat Cohen, under the name "Lego Wallets." I made the large Lego and hand stitched the zipper.

 

The Amish puzzle ball was a pattern from lookwhatimade.net. I crocheted the Mini Puzzle Ball.

 

The Elsa crown was a pattern from overtheappletree.blogspot.com. My braid wasn't as long, and I did a fish tail braid instead of a regular three strand braid.

 

 

 





As soon as my two niece's opened up their gifts, they immediately put on the hat and crown.

It was a fun time of playing, tickling, movie watching and cookie eating.

I am so blessed with the family I have been given.

My heart is full.

<3 

 



Date-Nut Bars

Our Christmas was wonderful and relaxing. My husband and I slept in (7:30 am- is sleeping in for us) and ate biscuits. Well, cinnamon rolls. My Grandma's recipe. Growing up my Mom would make a double batch- that is about 12 pans- and give them to our neighbors and each of my sisters and I would give a pan to our teacher. We would eat those "biscuits" every Christmas morning and my Dad would make "Christmas eggs." (A big pan of scrambled eggs with lots of cheese!) When we go to my parents' this week, we will have them when we celebrate Christmas with all my family.

One gift I was really surprised and happy to receive was the box set of Little House On the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love reading about life in the 1800s and how simple, yet extremely difficult it was. Thank you to my wonderful, Mother-in-law!

This year, I didn't bake as many Christmas cookies as I normally do. I'm afraid to even tell you that I didn't make cut-outs this year. I know! What is wrong with me?? I participated in two cookie exchanges and that gave me the variety I needed for the Season. Because of Christmas parties and gatherings, I've had a cut-out or two, so my craving for them has been met. (And not having cut-outs in the house is better for my lack of self-control.)

There a few cookies that make me think of Christmas: frosted cut-outs, Spritz, Pepperkakar (Swedish gingerbread) and Date-Nut bars.

I don't think my Mom always made Date-Nut bars. I don't remember them much growing up, but then again, I was a super picky eater and so I probably just blocked them out of my memory because they had dates in them. I didn't even like raisins as a kid. What was my problem??

Now, being almost thirty, I love Date-Nut Bars! They are chewy, with a wonderful blend of spices. Even though my Mom has made them and they will be at her house when we visit, my husband wanted me to make a batch. The recipe is my Grandma Waite's Molasses Crinkle cookie with walnuts and dates mixed in. To make them into bars, the dough is shaped in a different way.



Date-Nut Bars

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

1/4 c. sugar

2 1/4 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. ginger

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. dates, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix shortening and sugars. Add molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients.

 

 

Stir in walnuts and dates until well incorporated.

 

 

Divide the dough in half and flatten out each half into a rectangle.

*My Mom usually brushes water on top of the dough, and sprinkles on sugar. This step was somehow left out when I asked for the recipe. Waah, waah...

Bake for 14 minutes.

 

 

Once out of the oven, cut it in half down the middle and into small bars.

The dough will continue to bake on the sheet, so if it looks under done in the middle, it will set up just fine.

Allow to cool before breaking the bars apart.

 

 

Or don't.

It's really hard to wait.

 

 

What cookies make you think of Christmas?

 

<3

Christmas [post]card for 2015!

Here is our Christmas [post]card for 2015!

 

"Let every heart prepare him room"

 

Transferring my image to the wood.

 

Starting to carve...

 This year, I used a piece of wood for the print in lieu of linoleum, so my letters aren't as crisp or sharp.

I changed the "2015."

 

First proof.
I added more hearts afterwards to fill in some spaces.

::DRUMROLL::

 

I opted for a rainbow roll because they are wonderful. The print looks entirely different in a rainbow roll compared to the solid black of the proof.

Every year, we add more people to our Christmas card list. Last year, I printed 40, this year was a little over 50. (I need to invest in a small relief press, so I can crank these puppies out with more efficiency and even pressure. If anyone knows of a place to get one, let me know!)

 

From our family to yours,

we hope that you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

<3

Grandpa's shirt

I recently made two pillows for a coworker. Her father had passed away last year and wanted something for her family to remember him by. She found a picture of a shirt turned into a pillow.

She gave me two shirts and I bought two throw pillows for the forms. I cut the shirts into two squares and sewed them right sides together. Because of the buttons I could turn them right side out. If they ever need washed, you just unbutton the shirt and throw it in the washer.



I made little tags for them that say:

"This is a shirt I used to wear.

Whenever you hold it,

know that I am there.

Love, Grandpa"

 

 

This is something you could make in time for Christmas. It's only straight sewing- easy peasy! Make something memorable this Christmas <3

Christmas party fun!

Don't you just love to get together with friends to craft, eat good food or participate in a cookie exchange?

[I pick D- all of the above.]

Last Wednesday, our ladies at church got together and did just that.

For the exchange I chose,  Mom's Molasses Sugar Cookies. These are one of my favorite cookies. They spread out nicely with good cracking throughout. Around Christmas however, they take a slightly different form...

 

The sprinkles came out a little fast...

 

Cookie exchange!

For our craft time, we made cute ornaments, fueled by [lots of] hot coffee.

 

 

I'm doing another cookie exchange at work and I think I'm going to make the same kind.

Isn't it the most wonderful time of the year? <3

 

Hello, Minion!

I have two gifts done so far: a Hello Kitty hat and a Minion hat.

I think hats with earflaps are [SO] cute!

This hat pattern is from www.repeatcrafterme.com and I looked at www.crochetincolor.BlogSpot.com for the Hello, Kitty hat.

I'm still trying to figure out what to make for the other two nephews and four nieces. My family isn't getting together until after New Year's to celebrate, so I do have some extra time.

I'm all about practical gifts; things that can be used or worn.
(Preferably sewn or crocheted.)
Any suggestions? <3

Gramma Cather's Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

 

Gramma Cather's Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

 

2 c. water

1 c. quick oats

3 T. butter

 

1/3 c. warm water

1 package yeast (2 1/4 t.)

1 T. sugar or honey

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

4 3/4- 5 1/4 c. flour

 

Vegetable oil

 

 

 

 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add oats. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons of butter. Allow oats to cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup of warm water (110-115 degrees) with 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Let it proof for about 5 minutes.

Add oats, brown sugar, salt and 4 cups of flour. Mix well.

Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes.

In mixing bowl, pour a tablespoon of oil (any neutral cooking oil).

Place dough in bowl and turn, covering all the dough in oil. Rise for 1 hour.

Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

Shape into 18 balls. Place in 2 greased 9" round pans.

Let rise for 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Brush with butter and cool on wire racks.

 

 

This recipe was requested by my sister, Alice.

 

When my husband saw what I was typing he said, "You're giving away the family secret??" If other people can be enjoying this homemade bread, then yes. <3