a little bit of everything

Needlework: Valentine Heart Barrettes & Pins

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:54:00 +0000

I found this cute little Valentine Heart pattern here and the snap clips are from the Dollar Tree. I simply sewed the valentine heart to the clip. This is the smaller of the hearts in the directions. Below are the larger hearts to which I attached a pin. I used a G crochet hook.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Materials:
Small amount of worsted weight yarn
G (4.5mm) or H (5.0mm) crochet hook
3/4 inch pin back
Needle and thread to match or hot glue

Small Heart Motif

Chain 4, make all stitches in the first chain. 3 trc, 3 dc, chain 1, 1 trc, chain 1, 3 dc, 3 trc, chain 2 slip stitch. Fasten off.

Sew or glue pin back to back of heart. Embellish with ribbon or yarn bow.

Large Heart Motif

Round 1: Chain 4, make all stitches in the first chain. 3 trc, 3 dc, chain 1, 1 trc, chain 1, 3 dc, 3 trc, chain 2 slip stitch.

Round 2. Chain 3, in first trc make sc and hdc, in next stitch 3 hdc, in next stitch 2 hdc, 1 sc in next four stitches, chain1 dc in trc chain 1, sc in next four stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch, 3 hdc in next stitch, hdc and sc in next stitch, chain 3 and slip stitch in joining. Fasten off.

Sew or glue pin back to back of heart. Embellish with ribbon or yarn bow.

Table Setting: Dessert Is Served

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:15:00 +0000

This table setting consists of dishes, place mats, napkins, water goblets, vases and the smaller porcelain balls from Homegoods/TJMaxx, along with slate place cards from Pottery Barn and a candle vigil light centerpiece from Crate and Barrel. The large porcelain balls, bearing the first initials of each member of our family, are from the Christmas Tree Shop.

And dessert was served! The brownie waffles and butterscotch sauce recipes can be found here.

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Needlework: Woman's Cable Cardigan Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:10:00 +0000

This woman's cardigan pattern is made with knitted worsted weight yarn on circular needles. I knit both sleeves at the same time to assure they will measure the same in the end. Since this is a raglan pattern, only the sleeve seams will need to be stitched. This pattern can be found in Leisure Arts "Knitted Seamless Raglans" leaflet 159, available on amazon.com.

For the scarf, I simply knitted the same cable pattern that is found in the sweater until I reached the desired length.
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Recipe: Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:20:00 +0000

Excellent appetizer that can be prepared ahead and baked just before
serving.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of thin asparagus spears
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed per package directions. (Reserve second tube for later use - return to freezer.)
1/2 cup butter, melted
Wedge of Asiago cheese, shredded (could also use Parmesan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375'.
Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Steam spears for a few minutes in the microwave to partially cook.
Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise.
Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Cover completely.
Lay one asparagus spear across the short end of dough and add about a 1/2 tablespoon of cheese along spear. Then roll dough, spear and cheese jelly-roll style and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Cover with damp towel as you prepare the remaining asparagus.
Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up.

Before baking, brush with more melted butter. (If using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle on outside as well.)

Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown and crispy.

Delightful to devour!

Note: You can make these a bit ahead and keep covered in plastic wrap on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator. I have done this for a couple of days with leftovers and they were still great.

Number Of Servings: Makes about 32 asparagus spears

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Needlework: Knitted Baby Dress

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:45:00 +0000

Here is a cute little dress I knitted for my granddaughter. It is made with the same yarn as a sweater set I knitted for her earlier, seen below. The pattern can be found in "Lovable Hand Knits, Infants to 4 Years" on amazon.com. It is called "Striped Poor Boy Dress, No. 3012 - I eliminated the stripes and added rosettes from Lion Brand Yarn, "Crocheted Rosettes/Flowers"
I made up the bag in the same pattern, k2,p2, as the dress.

The matching hat is crocheted and from Lion Brand free patterns online, Floppy Brim Hat. I added another rosette and took it in a bit on the top for the time being.

This set is similar to patterns which can be found here on this blog.

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Recipe: Enjoy Some Turkey Soup

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Thanksgiving means turkey and turkey means leftovers. I have trouble just tossing out the turkey carcass which is ideal for making turkey soup sooooo, soup it is ! This can also be frozen to enjoy at a later date.

Turkey Soup

(printable recipe)

Making Stock

1. Remove all the usable turkey meat from the turkey carcass to save for adding to the soup later.

2. Break up the leftover bones of the carcass a bit, so they don't take up as much room in the pot. Put the leftover bones and skin into a large stock pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Add any drippings that weren't used to make gravy, and any giblets (except liver) that haven't been used already. Add a yellow onion that has been quartered, some chopped carrots, parsley, thyme, a bay leaf, celery tops, and some peppercorns.

3. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to a bare simmer or just below a simmer. ( If you would like to have a clear stock, do not bring the stock to a boil, but keep the stock below a simmer, as the more you simmer, the more cloudy the stock will be.) Skim off any foam that may float to the surface of the stock.

4. Add salt and pepper, about 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper depending on how large your turkey is. You can always add salt to the soup later.

5. Cook for at least 4 hours, uncovered or partially uncovered (so the stock reduces), occasionally skimming off any foam that comes to the surface.

6. Remove the bones and veggies and strain the stock, ideally through a very fine mesh strainer.

7. If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by cooking it longer, uncovered, at a bare simmer or just below a simmer, to make it more concentrated and easier to store.

Making the Turkey Soup

With your stock already made, add chopped carrots, onions, and celery in equal parts. Add some parsley, a couple cloves of garlic. Add seasoning - poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram and/or a bouillon cube. Cook at a bare simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. You can add rice, pasta or noodles . Take some of the remaining turkey meat you reserved earlier, shred it into bite sized pieces and add to the soup.

For another version of a turkey soup recipe click here.

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Needlework: Flower Afghan

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:08:00 +0000

I made a couple of these afghans years ago and love the finished product. I came across the pattern recently in Red Heart's Afghans & Crochet Classics available on Amazon.com. It is called "Grand Gardenias" and can be found on page 72. The finished size is 47"x62" and each square measures
7 1/2". Because it is worked in squares, it is a nice project to take along when you are out and about.

After locating this afghan tucked away in the linen closet, I offered it to my daughter as this is the accent color in her family room. And she snapped it up. I was happy to see it get a second life in my daughter's home!
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Crafts: Using Chalkboard Paint to Personalize a Vase

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:45:00 +0000

I have seen chalkboard paint used many ways and thought I'd try my hand at blocking off an area on a simple vase I had and spraying it with a few coats of chalkboard paint. I would recommend covering the entire vase with painter's tape or paper as the spray does find it's way to uncovered areas especially when spraying in a cardboard box. It does however, come off easily with a scrubby sponge.

After seasoning the chalkboard area on the vase with the side of a piece of chalk, you can write any message you like depending on the occasion. This would make a nice addition to a gift of flowers for an event or as a hostess gift.

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Travel: Family Vacation Time is Here!

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:37:00 +0000

Enjoying a family trip to see Mickey at Disney World's Old Key West Resort in Orlando! So glad we made that Disney Vacation Club purchase 20 years ago....

Needlework: Stuffed Elephant & Duck Toys

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:00:00 +0000

I adapted these Elephant directions to make a Duck when my oldest daughter was born. Working in rounds, I fashioned "wings" to attach to the sides after stitching the front and backs together. I also added a "head" made in the same manner as the "body". Then I fashioned the "bill" and stitched it on for a mouth. I make this up as I went along so have no written directions for these changes. These directions are in the pattern's original colors and were taken from the December 1974 issue of Woman's Day Magazine.

BODY: Front Section: Starting at front with red, ch 2. 1st rnd: Work 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. So not join, but mark beg of each rnd. 2nd rnd (inc rnd): work 2 sc in each sc around (12sc). 3rd rnd (inc rnd): Sc in each sc, increasing 6 sc evenly spaced around (18sc). 4th through 8th rnd: Repeat 3rd rnd (48sc). 9th rnd: Sc in each sc around.

Continue to work even until piece reaches desired size. Break off.

Back Section: Work as for front section until piece is approximately the same size as the front section leaving about 15" length of yarn to sew sections together.

EARS: (make 2) Starting at narrow end with yellow, ch 6. 1st row: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across; ch 1, turn. 2nd row (inc row): work 2 sc in first sc, sc in each sc to within last sc, 2 in last sc (7sc); ch1, turn.

Repeat 2nd row twice more (11sc), then work even until piece measures about 1 1/2" from beg. Mark first and last st. of last row. Break off.

Border: 1st round: Starting in right marked st with red, work 3 sc in this st (corner made), sc in each st across to within left marked st, work another corner; continue to sc evenly around remainder of ear. 2nd and 3rd rnds: Sc in each sc around, working corner in center sc at each corner. Breakoff.

TRUNK: Starting at end with yellow, ch 2. 1st rnd: Work 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Attach red; break off yellow. 2nd rnd (inc rnd): With red, work 2 sc in each sc around (8sc). Sc in each sc around until piece measures about 2 1/2" long. Last rnd (inc rnd): Sc in each sc, increasing 4 sc evenly spaced around. Break off.

FINISHING: Sew ears to front section of body and stitch eyes with yarn. Attach trunk below eyes after stuffing with polyfill. Stitch or crochet front and back sections together leaving room to stuff with polyfill, then stitch closed.

And here is our oldest with her trusted duckies by her side....a little worse for wear and many years ago. These duckies are still with us today, tucked away in a memory chest....

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Featured: Stuffed Shells Featured on Sugar Bee

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:49:00 +0000

Thank you Sugar Bee for featuring my Stuffed Shells this week !

Recipe: Stuffed Shells

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:40:00 +0000

STUFFED SHELLS
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
1 box large shells
8 garlic cloves, minced, divided
3 tbsps. olive oil, divided
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
2 tsps. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups part skim ricotta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fontina or mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 400'. Cook shells al dente according to directions on box (9-10 mins.) Drain and cool under cold water when done.

Meanwhile, add 5 garlic cloves and 2 tbsps. oil to a dutch oven or deep fry pan; turn burner to medium-high. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add tomatoes and enough water (1/2 cup or so ) for a sauce that is neither thick or thin. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low an continue to simmer to blend flavors, about 10 mins.

Put basil, oregano, parsley and remaining 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsbp. of oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When garlic sizzles, add spinach; saute until warm, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ricotta and 1/3 cup Parmesan; adjust seasonings.

To assemble, spread about 2 cups tomato sauce in a 9x13 pyrex dish. Rill cooled shells with ricotta mixture using a spoon or a pastry bag with no tip. (Using a pastry bag is really the easiest way to fill the shells.)

Drizzle remaining 2 cups of sauce over the shells and sprinkle with fontina or mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheeses. Cover with a cooking-spray-coated sheet of aluminum foil.
Bake until bubbly, 30-35 mins. Remove foil, and, leaving pan on u pper-middle rack, broil until golden, 3-5 mins. Serve with remaining warm tomato sauce.
You can also freeze before cooking and bake at a later date, which is what I am doing.

Makes about 40 large shells.

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Crafts: Chalkboard Bookends

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:15:00 +0000

These bookends are sturdy and up to the challenge of holding upright a large collection of cookbooks of various sizes but they are not all that attractive. I decided to spray paint them with chalkboard paint and write my daughter and son in law's names on them. They have a substantial collection of cookbooks atop their kitchen breakfront which was crying out for some support.

Following the directions on the can, I did about 3 coats of paint allowing it to dry in between. After waiting 24 hours, I seasoned the bookends by running the side of a piece of chalk over the surface and wiping it off. An easy fix!

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Needlework: Raccoon Bears from a Raccoon Coat

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:54:00 +0000

I recently asked Vicki Mutascio to turn my mother's vintage 1930's raccoon coat into these adorable bears. Once again she did a magnificent job. The mink teddy bears from my mother's 1958 mink stole were a huge success so I decided to make room in the closet and do the same with this coat.

The photo above is of my grandmother and my aunt who is wearing my mother's raccoon coat probably in the early 1940's.

Vicki did a great job of incorporating my mother's initials, which were in the lining of the coat, into the large bear's paw. She uses the coats lining for all the bear's paws and includes any labels in the seams.

All in all, an adorable family of bears to share with my daughters fashioned from a coat which belonged to the grandmother they never knew.

To get in touch with Vicki, email her at vicandang@comcast.net. Her fee is most reasonable at $25 per bear.
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Events: Good Night, Irene!! And Good Riddens!

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:10:00 +0000

I hope everyone who has been affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm "Irene" is through the worst of it and doing well by now. We lost power with the onset of Tropical Storm "Irene" at 10 a.m. Sunday morning and are just now getting our power back.

Other than the loss of a couple of tree branches, we had no other damage but the overall loss of power to the area was amazing. It didn't seem like such a big deal but evidently Irene took it's toll on major wire connections over a widespread area.

We have been surviving with candles, flashlights, an old fashioned battery operated radio and some hard to find, well placed, ice in our freezer to try to stave off defrosting. We are most thankful to be returned to this century as I realize that I was not cut out for life in the

Little House on the Prairie. "Roughing it" is not for me.....

Recipe: Pasta Salad

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:50:00 +0000

This is a tasty and easy salad to make for those summertime cookouts. And leftovers keep nicely in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

12 oz box Bow Tie Pasta or any pasta of your choice, cooked al dente

WishBone Robusto Italian Dressing 8 oz. for 12 oz. box of pasta

Broccoli flowerettes, cooked al dente and cut small

Grape or Cherry tomatoes

Combine pasta, broccoli, tomatoes and dressing and enjoy! If making ahead, add enough dressing to just coat pasta and reapply before serving. Delicious!

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Needlework: Child's Cardigan and Hat

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:45:00 +0000

This child's sweater is made on circular knitting needles and is knitted from the neck down so therefore it has no side seams. It can be found in "Knitted Seamless Raglans, 9 mos. to size 50" on amazon.com
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Recipe: Limeade and Rum Cocktails

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:13:00 +0000

These drinks are both tasty and refreshing to sip by the pool on a hot day. Or anywhere for that matter.

Simply fill a commercial strength blender about half way with ice. Add a can of limeade and then fill the can with rum and add that to the blender as well. Add a few drops of green food coloring to deepen the color and blend until the mixture forms a slush-like drink. Delicious!
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Needlework: Baby White Cable Cardigan Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:55:00 +0000

This cute sweater can be found in Columbia Minerva Book 766 "Beautiful Baby Book", Infants to Four Years available on amazon.com. It is called "Little Girl and Boy Blue" and comes in a pullover version as well. As you can tell, this particular book has a wealth of adorable sweater patterns.
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Needlework: Knitted Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:09:00 +0000

A recent email from Lion Brands contained this cute little bracelet which I thought I would try out. They came out pretty well. After knitting, I added a vintage button to each.
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Recipe: "New House" Chocolate Sugar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Tue, 10 May 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Our son and his wife moved into their first house so I baked these cookies with their house number to serve to friends and family who assisted on moving day. Adding chocolate to the basic sugar cookie only enhances the final product !

Chocolate Sugar Cookies
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Variation: Add 3 ounces of melted unsweetened chocolate along with other ingredients for chocolate sugar cookies. You will need about a cup more flour as well to attain the correct dough consistency.
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and milk. Sift flour and baking powder together, adding half of it at a time to the above mixture. Add vanilla. See Note.

Roll out 1/4" thick on floured board with floured rolling pin. Refrigerating dough in plastic wrap or wax paper for a short time will make it easier to roll out the dough.

Cut into shapes, place on ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle cookies with sugar. [Use appropriate color sugar for the occasion.] Chill cookie sheet after it comes out of the oven before baking next batch.

Bake in a preheated 375' oven for 10-12 mins. Transfer immediately to a rack to cool. These cookies freeze well so can be made in advance.
Note: You will probably need more flour - use enough to just keep dough from being sticky. Dough rolls out well and makes great cookies in any shape. Use food coloring to tint dough orange for Halloween, red for Valentine's Day, green for St. Patrick's Day etc. This recipe is also great for cutting out numbers or letters (monograms) for party favors.

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Needlework: Yellow Feather and Fan Baby Blanket

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:38:00 +0000

If you missed the last "Feather and Fan" baby blanket entry, here it is again along with a stuffed baby elephant toy. This blanket works up in a lacy pattern which is very delicate looking.

FEATHER AND FAN AFGHAN

Five 4 oz. skeins of knitting worsted

size 10 1/2 circular needles

Cast on 154 sts. K 6 rows for edge

Start pattern:

Row 1: K5 (border), K2 tog four times *(YO, K1) eight times; K2 tog. eight times

Repeat from * across to within 13 sts from the end. K2 tog four times, K5(border)

Row 2: K5, purl across, K5

Row 3: K across

Row 4: K5, purl across, K5

Repeat these four rows for 5 skeins, leaving enough yarn to end with 6 knit rows. It is helpful to use a marker for side borders.

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Holidays: Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:10:00 +0000

".......If flowers grow in heaven Lord, then pick a bunch for me, place them in my Mom's arms and tell her they're from me. Tell her that I love and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss on her cheek and hold her for a while"

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 01 May 2011 23:00:00 +0000

This recipe can be used for a loaf bread, bundt cake or baked in muffin tins. The taste resembles that of gingerbread and is delicious! Freezes well and great to have on hand.

Pumpkin Bread or Muffins
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup shortening (margarine or butter)
4 eggs
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin (1 can)
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Directions:
Cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured pans. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 350' for 30-40 mins. or until top springs back when you touch it.

Makes 2 loaf cakes, 12 jumbo muffins or about 24 regular size muffins.

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Needlework: Yellow Baby Cable-Raglan Cardigan and Hat

noreply@blogger.com (a little bit of everything) — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:07:00 +0000

This cardigan has a cable raglan sleeve and is made in one piece. It is shown with it's matching hat and both patterns #3004 can be found in "Lovable Hand Knits, Infants to 4 Years" which can be purchased on amazon.com.
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