Shut the Front Door Sunday! Trying out a Pinterest Idea

I haven't been using my oven for the past few weeks. It'd had a thorough cleaning after the infamous glass pan explosion a few weeks back (I've yet to admit to this story on the blog, yet). Toaster oven, stove top, microwave, all have been put to good use...I was somehow afraid that I'd cause an explosion if I used the oven again. Some remaining glass would explode, or some cleanser residue I'd managed to leave behind catching fire (non-toxic but still flammable)....I finally braved the chance to use it when I unrolled a package of crescent rolls and had some processed food fun. Minus any explosions!

I confess, I love Pinterest...I think I spend more time searching for craft ideas on it than I do Google (poor, lonely Google). So many "pins" of ideas that I would have never thought of ...like how to make a meal out of a crescent roll or two.

I love crescent rolls, so I figured anything that I made with them had a chance to taste great. I had seen a few pinned recipes that I played around with and added my own flair to and viola...a quick, tasty dinner or lunch to take to work.

The ingredients I used are above...I decided to get the larger sized crescents but the smaller ones would work just fine (just use less filling). My favorite combo was the pizza roll up I made with a tablespoon of pizza sauce, half a stick of string cheese and some pepperoni.

The turkey/cream cheese with mustard roll up was tasty, as well.  I found that I actually preferred the lunch meat with the cream cheese instead of string cheese.

I also made a dessert roll up with some cream cheese and chocolate chips. Mmmm, yummy, if I do say so myself. Not particularly healthy but cheaper and probably slightly better for me than if I'd gotten some fast food. :0)

So, what fillings would you use in your crescent roll up?

Here We Go Loopty Lou...

My sis was worried that little G needed a warmer hat with ear flaps to get through his first mountain winter. I knitted up the Loopy Pixie Hat from the book, Baby Beanies by Amanda Keeys using Vanna's Choice "Oatmeal" yarn. I didn't completely follow the pattern, opting to make and sew on the ear flaps after the hat was done.

Is he not too too cute?!

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round

So many items that I've knitted or handmade lately have been for Christmas gifts so I can't post pics just yet BUT I have some items from earlier in the year that I was just too lazy to post. A favorite super easy but super darling "pinwheel" blanket pattern made it's way through the knitters in our family .

My mom did hers in a variegated yarn.

I used Simply Soft yarn by Carron and made a matching set of blankets for fraternal twins my girlfriend delivered earlier this summer.

My knitting niece, E, made a mini-version with just one skein of yarn for her baby brother.

Little G tested and approved!

The pattern comes from page 37 in  Knit-a-Long by Larissa and Martin Brown though I did see a pattern on Ravelry that gave a similar pattern and design instructions. You can use any size needles and any weight of yarn.

It's "Sew" FLUFFY!

I adore the movie Despicable Me. I love how Gru goes from this evil, hurting villain to a kind and doting father. I also love that it's about three sisters. The youngest, Agnes, cracks me up. I wonder why I can relate?! LOL My favorite scene is probably when Gru wins the big unicorn for Agnes at the amusement park. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!!!"

In all honesty, that is the expression is what I want to squeal when I make something uber-cute. Well, it may not be literally fluffy, but you get the point!

When I was growing up, the youngest of three little girls, we had good friends who lived just down the street and around the corner. So many of my childhood and school memories involve the Scott girls. We've kept in touch over the years, along with other girls that were in the girl scout troop my mom led for Karyn's class. While my sisters were having girls, the Scott girls were having boys. Then this past year, everything changed. Both of the Scott sisters had daughters and Karyn had a boy. No one saw that one coming!

One of the sisters had asked that if she had a girl, could I make a bonnet pattern I'd pinned on Pinterest. It was my joy to make matching bonnets for the girl cousins. My trusty sewing tutor was on hand to assist me. She and L had helped pick out the patterns/colors we used. They were feminine without being too cutesy. When we made them up, I almost shrilled with delight! So fluffy!!

Here's little Miss Rachel and her mama modeling one of the bonnets. I made her's a "3 to 6 month" size. I also made up some newborn sized bonnets on my own. So precious! Phat Cat was the unwilling model.

 And yes, even without the bonnet, he is quite "fluffy"...hee hee!

Life Sew Sweet

I absolutely couldn't wait to see my nieces and new nephew. So much was my anticipation that I took Thanksgiving week off of work and drove out to Arizona the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I told my sister not to tell E or A because I wanted to surprise them. And surprise them I did! What fun to see the shock on their faces. :0)

My oldest niece, E, loves crafts, just like so many other members of our family. She got her first sewing machine this year and has been eager to work on learning to make her own clothes.Though I've yet to sew more than a pillowcase dress, I know from experience how important it is to sew straight lines. So, I sent word that she should practice sewing on paper. It's what I did in Home Ec so many years ago. You don't use thread, you just sew along lines and get a feel for the process of sewing and the pressure needed to get a slow but steady speed going. And practice she did!

I absolutely couldn't wait to sew with her, though I knew we probably wouldn't get to any clothes sewing. I brought pieces for a simple bag (remember this?) that required straight lines. She did a fabulous job! The next day we were at Walmart and she spotted a pattern for another type of bag and I thought..why not give a try?! Truthfully, patterns still intimidate me! But I was up for the challenge and plus, the pattern was only .99 cents and fabric at Walmart is cheap. I found material for my bag for $1.50 a yard!

We studied the pattern, we pressed out wrinkles, we cut, we sewed...we made bags!

We had quite a "helper" during the whole process. Miss I couldn't resist seeing how she could contribute to the process. So interested and curious. We set very firm rules about what wasn't safe and then let her drag over her Elmo stool to watch and "help" us as only a two year old can. Sewing is thirsty work, so Miss I made sure we were well stocked for a tea party, too. (LOL)

We had plenty of other crafting that week (thread and yarn were in abundance!)...along with plenty of food and family time as we celebrated Thanksgiving together with my folks, other sister and other niece.

So much fun. So many handbags sewed! (Four completed plus we started a fifth!). Ahhh. So many memories made. Life can just be "sew" sweet when you share it with the ones you love. ;0)

Homework

My extended family is a heavy proponent of education. They probably starting talking to me about college around the time I hit jr. high. When I transferred out of state to work on my Bachelors, they gave me practical and thoughtful going away gifts. My grandma made me extra pillow cases and assembled a mini-sewing kit. It was complete with an old fashioned tomato shaped pincushion with an attached little strawberry. I still have the kit, though I've used up or lost a few pieces over the year.

When I was taking my a-mazing sewing class earlier this year, the teacher gave us some simple homework assignments.  Sew, at least ten hours a week. Visit a fabric store, for at least one hour a week. (It sounds so hard, isn't it?!) And, make a large pincushion. I can't say how much I LOVED these homework assignments. ;0)

I wanted to have a little fun and I thought back to my classic red pin cushion.. I saw a darling kitty print at Joann's and knew just what I wanted to do. The cushion itself was pretty basic. Just rectangles and some polyester stuffing. For a touch of whimsy, I used a mouse pattern from Spud & Chloe's Visit to the Farm and knitted one up in brown. Then sewed.it onto the pincushion.

So cute, if I do say so myself! It makes me smile every time I see it. Can you blame me?

Fat Cat Cooks...Hash Brown Scramble!

I've been on a cooking kick lately. 

I'm not a fan of cooking for just myself and getting tired of the same leftovers time and time again BUT it does save money to make your own meals. In the effort of making my own version of some of my regular meal out splurges, I've created a favorite "go to" meal-in-one-pan dish I refer to as Hash Brown Scramble. 

Originally I was trying to make a breakfast burrito but in all honesty, it doesn't need a tortilla. It's great just hot out of the pan. It's super easy and only takes a few ingredients.

A single serving consists of:

One small baked potato

Two strips of bacon (I use turkey bacon)

One egg

One tablespoon of milk

Shredded cheese 

Ketchup (optional)

Cut up the baked potato and the bacon into bite sized pieces. 

Fry in the pan, using the bacon grease to brown the potato.

When the bacon is close to being done, beat the egg and the milk and add mixture to pan.

When the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat and add cheese.

I add ketchup since I'm still not uber-crazy about the taste of egg. (::shrug::)

I'm hungry just looking at the picture. No really, it's dinner time and in all honesty, I think I'm going to go whip up a serving of Hash Brown Casserole! Yum!