I just realized that the colors are pretty hard to see. The front is a minky fabric with brown, green, and black dots. The back is like a satiny (it is horrible that I don't know fabric types) and has the green and brown stripes. It is SO fun!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fast and simple
This little blanket is for a friend's little boy. It is pretty simple. They gave me the fabric and I simply sewed it together. This blanket is a good snuggle blanket size. I LOVE the colors!
A Whole Lot of Pink
This blanket is another one that I did for my wonderful friend Niki. One of her daughter's is having a birthday this weekend, and I was fortunate enough to be able to put together this twin size beauty for her.
The style and layout is similar to the "California Twin" that I put together and posted about for Niki's son a couple weeks ago. This one is just slightly smaller. The following pictures show the overall view, a close-up of one of the squares, and part of the back with part of the front. For the back of this one, I incorporated the colors from the front-making the color scheme flow from front to back. Though pink is not my favorite color, I LOVE the way this turned out :)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Spicy Shrimp and Pasta Casserole
So, if you don't like shrimp or seafood, don't stop reading! We love shrimp and seafood and I am always looking for new ways and ideas to prepare it, AND most of them you can totally substitute chicken in for the shrimp. This is one of those...therefore, be happy you kept reading.
If you like spice, shrimp (chicken), and pasta, this is a VERY delicious meal. We LOVED it, and it was VERY filling. It is one of the few casseroles that when made in a 9x13, we actually had enough for an entire second meal.
Here is what you need:
2 lbs shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined (frozen "preready" shrimp works too)
16 oz of salsa
9 oz Angel hair pasta (about 3/4 of box)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp red pepper
1/3 Cup chopped parsley
1/3 Cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 Cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 Cup half & half
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (I used a Colby jack blend)
1) Preheat oven to 350. Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, Swiss, feta, parsley, basil, and oregano. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
2)Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread half of pasta in the bottom. Cover the pasta with the salsa, 1/2 the shrimp, and then cover it with the Monterrey Jack cheese.
3) Add the remaining pasta and then the remaining shrimp. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
If you like spice, shrimp (chicken), and pasta, this is a VERY delicious meal. We LOVED it, and it was VERY filling. It is one of the few casseroles that when made in a 9x13, we actually had enough for an entire second meal.
Here is what you need:
2 lbs shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined (frozen "preready" shrimp works too)
16 oz of salsa
9 oz Angel hair pasta (about 3/4 of box)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp red pepper
1/3 Cup chopped parsley
1/3 Cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 Cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 Cup half & half
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (I used a Colby jack blend)
1) Preheat oven to 350. Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, Swiss, feta, parsley, basil, and oregano. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
2)Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread half of pasta in the bottom. Cover the pasta with the salsa, 1/2 the shrimp, and then cover it with the Monterrey Jack cheese.
3) Add the remaining pasta and then the remaining shrimp. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
Easy Egg Breakfast Frittata
I LOVE breakfast foods. I very seldom cook breakfast though because I am just plain too busy in the mornings. Most of the time when we get breakfast "meals," I am cooking them for dinner. Anyway, again, thanks to Pinterest, I came across this extremely simple breakfast idea. It is one of those that you read and instantly think, "Why did I never think of that?" So, yesterday (Saturday), my running buddy was out of town so I was actually home in the morning. I decided to give this incredible breakfast a try.
Here is what you need (6 egg frittatas):
4 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup half & half
1/2 tsp salt
Various mix-ins (I used shredded cheese, diced peppers, shredded bacon, ham, and Parmesan...go with what you like)
1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk together the eggs, half & half, adn salt. Evenly distribute the eggs between the muffin tins.
2) Evenly distribute mix-ins between muffin tins. (If you have kids like mine that LOVE to help, this is a perfect opportunity!)
3) Bake the Frittatas until they are puffy and edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy!
**This is perfect if you have kids that are "picky" because you can tailor each muffin tin to various likes and dislikes. My 3 year-old LOVED this and he HATES eggs. (Additional note: I doubled our recipe.)
Here is what you need (6 egg frittatas):
4 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup half & half
1/2 tsp salt
Various mix-ins (I used shredded cheese, diced peppers, shredded bacon, ham, and Parmesan...go with what you like)
1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk together the eggs, half & half, adn salt. Evenly distribute the eggs between the muffin tins.
2) Evenly distribute mix-ins between muffin tins. (If you have kids like mine that LOVE to help, this is a perfect opportunity!)
3) Bake the Frittatas until they are puffy and edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy!
**This is perfect if you have kids that are "picky" because you can tailor each muffin tin to various likes and dislikes. My 3 year-old LOVED this and he HATES eggs. (Additional note: I doubled our recipe.)
Granola
This granola recipe is another from Pinterest (Have I mentioned how much I love getting recipes from Pinterest?). I absolutely LOVED this granola, and so did my 3 year old. It is a "crunchy" granola, but it has really really great flavors and there are so many possibilities for add-ins with fruit or whatever.
Here is what you need:
3 1/4 cups Oats
1 1/4 Cup wheat flour
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup flax seed
1 Cup or more chopped almonds and/or pecans
1 Cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamon
1) Preheat oven to 300. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, flax seed, coconut, and nuts. Set aside.
2) In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and water and heat until it is bubbly. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and then stir in salt, vanilla, and other spices. Mix Well.
3) Pour mixture over the oat mixture and stir it well until everything is well coated. Let stand 5-10 minutes (I didn't do that)
4) Spread mixture onto a large cookie sheet, separating larger clumps. Put into the oven and bake 15 minutes. Remove and stir it, breaking up larger clumps again. Return to oven and bake again for 15 minutes. Then stir it. Bake another 15 minutes or until granola is uniformly golden brown and dry. (Total bake time appx 45 minutes)
5) Cool completely and store in an air tight container.
**Enjoy as snacks or breakfast. Serve with your favorite fruit or yogurt.**
Here is what you need:
3 1/4 cups Oats
1 1/4 Cup wheat flour
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup flax seed
1 Cup or more chopped almonds and/or pecans
1 Cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamon
1) Preheat oven to 300. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, flax seed, coconut, and nuts. Set aside.
2) In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and water and heat until it is bubbly. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and then stir in salt, vanilla, and other spices. Mix Well.
3) Pour mixture over the oat mixture and stir it well until everything is well coated. Let stand 5-10 minutes (I didn't do that)
4) Spread mixture onto a large cookie sheet, separating larger clumps. Put into the oven and bake 15 minutes. Remove and stir it, breaking up larger clumps again. Return to oven and bake again for 15 minutes. Then stir it. Bake another 15 minutes or until granola is uniformly golden brown and dry. (Total bake time appx 45 minutes)
5) Cool completely and store in an air tight container.
**Enjoy as snacks or breakfast. Serve with your favorite fruit or yogurt.**
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Pumpkin Pie Granola
This granola is super yummy and super soft (chewy) at least as of now...it is only Day 1 of making it. I am sure it will "harden" as the days go on. Seriously though, can you go wrong with something called Pumpkin Pie Granola? Not to mention that you can add in the white chocolate chips? Yum!
Here is what you need:
4 Cups Oats (I used Old Fashioned)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or other spices that "add" up to pumpkin pie spice)
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 Cup pumpkin
1/2 Cup applesauce
3 Tbsp Mable Syrup (I actually had the maple, so I used it. I don't know if substituting in regular syrup would work or not)
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup teddy grahams (optional)
1) Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray it down. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl and wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Once they are mixed, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything is well-coated.
2) Pour onto the cookie sheet and spread out the best you can (it is very moist). Bake for 20 minutes. Take out and stir and break up large clumps if needed. Bake another 20 minutes. Take out.
3) Let cool completely and then mix in the white chocolate chips (I am sure regular would work too) and teddy grahams if you choose. Store in an air tight container for a week.
*Suggested serving size: 1/2 Cup for 150 calories
I used the white chocolate chips (YUM!) but I did not use the teddy grahams. Also, when I make it again, I will definitely add more cinnamon, but I am cinnamon kind of gal.
Enjoy!
PS...this is curteous of Pinterest...again....
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Blanket Pricing Sheet
Pricing is based on style, size, and non-sale cost of fabric.
For a light-weight 2 layer blanket:
Baby Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $42.00
Baby "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $45.00
Chenille Baby Blanket $50.00 (4 layer blanket.."machine quilted" look)
Reversible Baby Blanket $52.00
Reversible Twin Blanket $130.00
Twin "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $80.00
Twin Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $70.00
Throw Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $55.00
For a slightly heavier weight, 3-layer blanket:
Baby Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $47.00
Baby "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $54.00
Reversible Baby Blanket $62.00
Reversible Twin Blanket $140.00
Twin "Block" Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $90.00
Twin Strip Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $80.00
Throw Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $65.00
All Sizes (approximately):
Baby Blankets (except Strip Blanket) 45''x 45''
Baby Strip Blanket 37"x37"
Twin Blankets 60"x90"
Throw Blankets 50"x70"
Prices are subject to change based on fabric cost and availability. Most blankets are made with flannel, but fleece, minky, and cotton can all be used, which may affect price. Other sizes also available.
Prices do NOT include shipping. If shipped, an additional $10.00 will be added.
Basically, this is a guideline. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Please check out my Sewing Projects album in my profile on facebook or search this blog for a "visual" of all blankets.
For those of you that have already ordered, thank you so much for allowing me to assist you!
For a light-weight 2 layer blanket:
Baby Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $42.00
Baby "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $45.00
Chenille Baby Blanket $50.00 (4 layer blanket.."machine quilted" look)
Reversible Baby Blanket $52.00
Reversible Twin Blanket $130.00
Twin "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $80.00
Twin Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $70.00
Throw Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $55.00
For a slightly heavier weight, 3-layer blanket:
Baby Strip Blanket (regular seam or rag) $47.00
Baby "Block" Blanket (regular seam or rag) $54.00
Reversible Baby Blanket $62.00
Reversible Twin Blanket $140.00
Twin "Block" Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $90.00
Twin Strip Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $80.00
Throw Blanket (Regular seam or rag) $65.00
All Sizes (approximately):
Baby Blankets (except Strip Blanket) 45''x 45''
Baby Strip Blanket 37"x37"
Twin Blankets 60"x90"
Throw Blankets 50"x70"
Prices are subject to change based on fabric cost and availability. Most blankets are made with flannel, but fleece, minky, and cotton can all be used, which may affect price. Other sizes also available.
Prices do NOT include shipping. If shipped, an additional $10.00 will be added.
Basically, this is a guideline. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Please check out my Sewing Projects album in my profile on facebook or search this blog for a "visual" of all blankets.
For those of you that have already ordered, thank you so much for allowing me to assist you!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
I take no credit for this recipe. This one is totally a Pinterest pick. If you like mushrooms, peppers, onions, and beef (the basics of a Philly Cheesesteak), then this recipe is for you. It is easy and yummy.
Here is what you need:
1 lb ground beef (hence the sloppy Joes part of the title)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
1 package sliced mushrooms
1/4 Cup steak sauce
1 Cup beef stock
seasonings
Buns
Cheese of choice
1) Brown the ground beef in a skillet. When it is browned, add the onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add in the steak sauce and beef stock and other seasonings of choice. (I am a Mexican spice loving girl, so I added in chipotle pepper, green chile pepper, and cayenne...may seem weird, but we love spice)
2) Let the mixture simmer and broth cook down.
3) Toast buns (if desired). Serve the meat mixture on the bun with a slice of cheese.
We LOVED this and it was a perfect "match" since we LOVE Philly Cheeseteak but are currently trying to conserve our stock of steaks.
Here is what you need:
1 lb ground beef (hence the sloppy Joes part of the title)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
1 package sliced mushrooms
1/4 Cup steak sauce
1 Cup beef stock
seasonings
Buns
Cheese of choice
1) Brown the ground beef in a skillet. When it is browned, add the onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add in the steak sauce and beef stock and other seasonings of choice. (I am a Mexican spice loving girl, so I added in chipotle pepper, green chile pepper, and cayenne...may seem weird, but we love spice)
2) Let the mixture simmer and broth cook down.
3) Toast buns (if desired). Serve the meat mixture on the bun with a slice of cheese.
We LOVED this and it was a perfect "match" since we LOVE Philly Cheeseteak but are currently trying to conserve our stock of steaks.
Chocolate Coconut bars
Ok, note #1: If you don't like coconut, you will NOT like these. I was introduced do these little heavenly cookies at Christmas when a friend brought them on a goodie plate. The recipe is a Martha Stewart one and my friend gave me the link. Anyway, I am passing on the yumminess again.
We LOVE these. They are very rich though.
3 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup melted butter (I had to use WAY more than that to keep the crumbs from crumbling...no pun intended)
1 Cup pecans (I left off since I am not a huge nut person)
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
1/2 Cup butterscotch chips
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 Cup coconut
1) Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, rotating at 5 minutes. (I only baked for 6 and rotated at 3 minutes) Take out and let cool about 20 minutes.
2) Sprinkle the graham cracker crust with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans. Evenly pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Sprinkle with coconut. (if you don't like butterscotch, just use chocolate chips...I used a mixture of both but definitely I used more than the 1/2 cup each.)
3) Bake 10-15 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted. Cool, cut, and enjoy!
We LOVE these. They are very rich though.
3 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup melted butter (I had to use WAY more than that to keep the crumbs from crumbling...no pun intended)
1 Cup pecans (I left off since I am not a huge nut person)
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
1/2 Cup butterscotch chips
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 Cup coconut
1) Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, rotating at 5 minutes. (I only baked for 6 and rotated at 3 minutes) Take out and let cool about 20 minutes.
2) Sprinkle the graham cracker crust with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans. Evenly pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Sprinkle with coconut. (if you don't like butterscotch, just use chocolate chips...I used a mixture of both but definitely I used more than the 1/2 cup each.)
3) Bake 10-15 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted. Cool, cut, and enjoy!
"California" twin blanket
This blanket was a blast to make. It is for my wonderful friend Niki's son's 8th birthday. I told her all along that I would try to have it finished "on time" but that I couldn't promise anything because I only had 2.5 days.
Well, I got it done! This blanket was a "new" undertaking for me in the sense of fabric patterns. I am getting to where I like experimenting with color, but this one had the color, the print, the circles, the plaid...I wasn't sure, but Niki picked them and I sewed. I LOVE it!
Happy 8th birthday Joe!!!
Well, I got it done! This blanket was a "new" undertaking for me in the sense of fabric patterns. I am getting to where I like experimenting with color, but this one had the color, the print, the circles, the plaid...I wasn't sure, but Niki picked them and I sewed. I LOVE it!
Happy 8th birthday Joe!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)