Keeping Things Simple...

Homemade Valentine candy, day 2

2012-02-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of making Valentines candies - they will look like this in the end:

I took my mixture out of refrigerator and it looked like this:

Gorgeous. As chocolate can be.

So, what you need now -

small size pretty baking paper cups

1/2 cup cacao for dusting

wax paper

cookie tray

Line your cookie tray with the wax paper. With a tablespoon, make equal sized mounts of chocolate mixture and place them on your cookie tray leaving about 1" of space between them. This is your future candies, so count how many you will get.

Place the same amount of the baking cups on a tray or a flat plate. Pour your cacao on a separate plate. Now - this is messy.

Dust your hands with cocoa and roll each portion of your mixture to form a ball. Carefully place it in a baking cup. Continue until all the rolls are dusted, perfect in shape and asking to be eaten :)

Refrigerate them to harden. I have to say, mine are little too soft and I am thinking about freezing them. So it might be because I used a fat free whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream. Well, at least I will know.

Nevertheless, they taste very good to us chocolate and coffee lovers :)

Treat for your Valentine

2012-02-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

I am making a secret little Valentine treat for my husband. I've decided on homemade chocolate truffles. He is not a big fan of chocolate but he can eat a candy or two from time to time. To me, Valentine is about chocolate, so chocolate it is.

This type of candy are very easy to make and you can play with the ingredients to make your treat special. You will need a couple of days to make them since the mix require some chilling time. I am making it with you - so I am on a day 1 :)

Here is how - day 1

The ingredients:

12 oz small size semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 tea spoon instant coffee

1 table spoon of rum or your Valentines' favorite liquor.

Place the chocolate chips in a bowl. Boil the whipping cream, add instant coffee and pour the liquid over the chocolate chips while boiling hot. Quickly mix with a wooden spoon to make the mixture smooth. Add rum and mix thoroughly. Let it cool and chill it in refrigerator overnight.

We will continue tomorrow :)

Be true to yourself

2012-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is my first finish for 2012, Be True by Plum Street Samplers.

The winter evenings are dark and chilly right now and I feel really cozy all wrapped up by a fireplace, stitching.

This little sampler took just a couple of evenings to stitch and it was quite enjoyable.

I love the rustic look of it and I am now thinking of how to finish it. A pillow, an ornament or a framed piece? It will look great any way I finish it!

How did we start making socks

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

We started making socks about 6 years ago.

We lived in the Pacific Northwest at that moment, on the Olympic Peninsula where the weather is a bit too cold for me. It rains a lot so even though we lived in the banana belt zone there, we still did not get a lot of sun.

Even without a lot of sun the summers were glorious.

So it was one of the chilly fall mornings when I suddenly realized how much I hate slippers. I just don't feel comfortable running back and forth on the carpet and I definitely don't like to have my first cup of coffee feeling cold when I am barefoot!

The store bought socks were nice but slightly too tight on top and they were either too long or too short. I did not like the colors and I was just feeling uncomfortable and had to think of something!

My best solution was I ask my mother, who knits, to make me a pair exactly as I like it. My first pair was in bright colors and helped brighten a dreary / gloomy day. My mornings were peaceful and quiet again.

I was so happy with my socks that my mother made a bunch for my neighbors and we gave them as gifts for Christmas. Everyone loved them and asked for more!

Now we are making them from several types of yarn. Since I am using them to walk around the house, I like to use a durable acrylic yarn. It is coming in lively colors, acrylic yarn is easy to clean and care for. The socks are thick, warm and strong. They are also great to wear while gardening, perfect to wear inside of clogs or resin boots and machine washable!

The socks you wear with your regular shoes have to be thin enough to feel comfortable but warm. Wool is best material to use in this case but the nature of wool is fragile. Socks get a lot of pressure inside your shoes so to prolong the life of your hand knit item is better to use a blended yarn of wool and polyester.

There are many ways and types of material that yarns are made of and they all have a special purpose. We use many of these blends in our products.

Have happy feet and stay warm this winter!

Happy new Year!

2011-12-31T09:25:00.001-08:00

Have a wonderful New Year, everyone!
May all your wishes come true!

New Year resolutions game for the party

2011-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Have you thought of your New Year resolutions yet?

I haven't decided yet on mine but I already have something in mind.

For the last couple of years we have this fun game of picking just one New Year resolutions from a list. Since there is an element of surprise present for everyone it is fun to entertain your guests at a New Years Eve party.

It works like a fortune cookie. Make a list of resolutions, print it and cut it into little strips about the same size.

Fold it at least 4 times and place in a pretty box. Let your guests pick one! Just remember to make about 50% more resolutions than you have planned guests, you may have some unexpected friends to stop by.

I am playing in this game too and for the second year in a row the resolution I picked for myself was: Eat more vegetables. Gosh! Why not the Caribbean trip one? Oh maybe, I am doomed and should really watch my diet :)

We will see what I pick this year.

I made a list of resolutions for you to print. Add your own and have some fun!

Have a happy New Year,

Tanya

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone! Peace, Joy and Happiness to you!

My best wishes for the holiday season,

Tanya

December surprises

2011-12-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Who does not like to get gifts! I certainly do and this December I've received several lovely surprises.

First of all, I won a giveaway, a wonderful necklace made of a recycled computer part from the ReComputing shop on Etsy.

This necklace became one of my favorites, it is light weighted, pretty and suits to many of my outfits. Thank you Natalka, for this. I received a lot of compliments on this lovely unusual jewelry!

The second gift was a complete surprise. I received the cutest little ornament for my Christmas tree with my name stitched on. A little lavender sack was added to the package so as soon as I opened the envelope I could smell the wonderful aroma!

All my stress is gone with the lavender aroma! Thank you, Lana (bellecoccinelle), for this wonderful hand made gift! It is hanging on my tree right now and it is just glowing with the reflections of the Christmas lights!

The third gift was a part of our Christmas gifts team exchange. Love, love, love it!

All of my favorites are gathered together: a dark chocolate, a bag of coffee, little perfumes and very attractive turquoise beaded bracelet.

This is a very thoughtful gift. Thank you, Lena (sfbeads), for getting all these lovely things for me. I am really enjoying the card, too - it's like a little reminder to forget all your worries.

Thank you so much to all of my Etsy friends, I am really happy that we have met, in person or in virtual reality. Merry Christmas to all!

To live self-sufficiently

2011-12-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

There is something interesting I saw recently. We visited my friend on the way to our day trip up north and found out that her vision of a lifestyle has changed. The young city girl who was planning to become a model suddenly started a small poultry farm.

She is always getting these new ideas which are intriguing me.

She is growing a shitake mushroom in her kitchen.

She is learning how to deal with quail, chickens and ducks. She is juicing pomegranates from her garden to fill her kids with nutritious minerals & vitamins. She bakes bread from scratch in a morning and works hard in a day time.

Where is she getting time for all of this?

Anyway I started to think more and more about it. This is the way to live organically and also learn the basics of living. Farming is a lot of hard work but it makes you happy.

What would you do to live self-sufficient way?

The holidays with galafilc

2011-12-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have been in Europe right before the Christmas once. It's wonderful and it's truly feels like you are in a fairy tale city. Every house is decorated with care and falling snow is just making this picture even more magic.

Holiday time in Poland, where Galina* (galafilc) is from, is beautiful. So I asked Galina to share with us some holiday thoughts and it truly put me into a Holiday spirit!

1. What does December mean to you?

December means winter for me and snow and the holidays.

You have to think of gifts, you have to think of what to cook for your holiday table. Here in Poland you will receive your gift on Christmas eve. At night the family will gather together around the holiday table to greet Christmas and share the meal. By tradition the number of dishes on the holiday table are 12. The meal is simple but sophisticated. Some believe the 12 dishes will bring you luck in the coming year. The guests will share the oblatok, wish happy Christmas to each other and then will be looking for the gifts under the Christmas tree.

2. What 3 things give you the most Holiday spirit?
The Christmas tree, of course! I love it when it is decorated with colorful ornaments and lights. The gifts are carefully wrapped in a pretty paper or hidden in a packages. The aroma of cinnamon, clover and candied fruits which is widely used in cooking at this time of year. You can find them in a poppy seed roll or a Christmas cake but also in some dishes with fish and vegetables.

3. What warm things you would always recommend to have in your wardrobe?

I would always have a good warm sweater with a big collar in my wardrobe. Of course, colorful scarves, hats and mittens. The bright colors will help to brighten the gray days and the dark nights.

Some warm socks are should always be on hand. They are even warmer when made by your mother or a grandma :)

*Galina is a creator of many wonderful felted scarves, jackets, mittens and so much more! Visit her shop to see for yourself!

Cranberry sauce/ relish

2011-11-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

If you did not purchase a cranberry sauce yet for your Thanksgiving dinner this easy recipe will help.

You will need:

6 cups of fresh cranberries

3 medium size apples

2 cups sugar

2 table spoons water

1 table spoon of lemon juice

2 table spoons brandy

Prepare the fruits: wash cranberries and discard all berries that have the signs of spoiling. Peel your apples, core it and chop into small cubes, about 1/2".

Place cranberries, apples, sugar and water into a wide stainless still pot, cook on a medium heat stirring often to avoid burning on a bottom. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook about 10 minutes longer. Add some lemon juice, fold it into the sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Carefully add brandy, stir and bring to a boil. It is ready to be served, hot or chilled - perfect for your turkey!

I like to smash the berries during cooking to get a thicker jam like consistency, but it is up to you. I also like to use gin instead of brandy, either will work.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Wine charms DIY

2011-11-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

These wine glass charms/ tags might be your last minute touch for your Thanksgiving dinner. All you need to do is print it, cut it out and leave them within reach of your thirsty guests :) They sure will thank you for this!

They were created by Irina from graphicland shop on Etsy for my pre-Thanksgiving party last Saturday and they were very useful since we had around 40 guests here!

Irina kindly gave me permission to share them with my blog readers so here it is!

Please enjoy this last minute craft and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Snowflake to cross stitch, free design

2011-11-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

The holidays are in the air and it's time to think of decorating our homes. I stitched this very simple snowflake design for my tree and thought I would share it with you.

I finished it as an ornament but you can put it on a post card or use it for the elegant accent winter linen pillow. As the ornament it will looks lovely on a door knob or a Christmas tree.

I used evenveawe fabric in my design, some DMC colored cotton threads and golden metallic thread, Swarovski Crystals, a tassel and some ribbon. Feel free to decorate your work as your wish!

If you are needing some of the materials I will sell some of mine - please let me know!

Happy Holidays!

Best gift for men

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

I sold my last pair of black fingerless gloves this morning and noticed this comment my customer made: "I cannot find gloves like this anywhere, and I like to wear them when I play guitar in cold spaces. Thank you!! :)"

So I thought one more time of how useful this type of gloves are. They are great for a fisherman or a hunter,

they will warm your hands up while you are driving in cold weather,

the outdoor photographer will find out that this is a blast.

It was historically used for the sellers of outdoor markets in Europe but it's got a different use now. If you wants to do things outdoors and want your hands to be warm but still need the use of your fingers, these are the gloves for you!

I am not even mentioning typing at a cold office or sometimes just being in a cold house. Have warm hands and a warm heart!

So I went through our feedback just to see one more time what our customers who purchase gloves from us think of them. Here is just some of them:

Super fast shipping. great quality. my husband loves them. thanks!

Very nice gloves - my son loves them! They may have been his favorite Christmas gift.

He loves the gloves and actually wears them! wooot! thanks so much for the awesome work.

These were a gift and my son and he absolutely loved them. Great communication, prompt shipping...the gloves were very well made! Thank you so much!

The men in my family love these gloves.

Thank you dear very much! I bought this gloves for my brother birthday. He is so happy!

Well constructed and warm

Thank you ever so much, Tanya, the gloves are *exquisite* - not to mention the packaging, which was very thoughtful of you. Keep up the great work!

I am one satisfied customer! Beautiful work, lovely packaging, and the personal note was a nice touch! My husband will ove his Christmas gift :)

Lovely service! Prompt service and delivery, packaged well, and they're comfortable to wear!!

These fit really well and the knit is flawless. My husband says they're the best gloves he has ever had! Thanks!

These are JUST what I wanted for my hubby!!! Beautifully crafted, too! Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

Well received by the fisherman! Good fit, and the color won't scare the fish. Nicely knit.

Worth every penny!

We are still accepting the custom orders on men's fingerless gloves. Stay warm this winter!

Have a Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

A red umbrella

2011-10-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

What can be more inspiring than a splash of red on a rainy day!

There is no rain here. But I woke up this morning wishing we would have some. So I was searching for the inspiration and found this gorgeous photography print form the lucysnowephotography shop.

Lovely soft grays and a red spot... just gorgeous, don't you think?

I wish I was there...

Cozy time with cozy coffee

2011-10-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Winter knits for home are very cozy. Soft cable knit pillows and blankets are making you want to stay in bed forever. Little life pleasures like a cup of coffee will wake your up and fill with energy.

So why not think of cozy coffee?

If you like your coffee out of French Press, this pretty coffee pot cozy will keep it warm until you are ready for the second cup.

It is made of wool and acrylic yarn and feels so soft! The cheerful raspberry color will lift your mood on a gray day and may remind you of a warm summer full of sun, fun and sweet berries.

This is my vision of cozy home in a colder time of year. What are you planning to do for your home decor this winter?

Chicken soup

2011-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

The chicken soup my mother cooked was delicious but always the same. It had some potatoes, some onions, some egg noodles and chicken in it. It is tasty and warming your soul when it's cold outside but this soup is not diet friendly.

This soup is different from what my mother makes for variety and better for diets. There is no starch in it so it is safe to eat if you are on a diet.

Here is my recipe - try it at home and you will love it, too!

You will need:

1 cup cubed boneless skinless chicken breast

8 cup water

1 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup sliced carrot

1 medium onion

1/2 cup wild rice or country mix

1 medium tomato, chopped
Salt to taste

Boil the water, add chicken breast, celery, carrots and onions. Add rice and cook all together until the rice is tender. Add chopped tomato, salt and cook about 10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Ode to a pumpkin

2011-10-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

What would you do with your pumpkin?

You can put it on your porch and celebrate a Fall with it's bright color.

You can cook it and enjoy the sweet flavor.

You can carve it and put a candle in it to scare the evil spirits on Halloween night.

You can draw a picture of it and maybe, make a greeting card.

You can make a colorful pumpkin-like beads and put it on a chain to make a necklace or a pair of earrings.

Or simply knit with the pretty pumpkin colored yarn and enjoy the warmth of your hand knit creation!

Our knit wrap made it to the front page on Etsy

2011-10-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Our white lace shoulderette was on a front page of Etsy last Saturday!

Thank you, MayaHoney, for your lovely treasury!

My birthday

2011-10-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

I had a really great birthday this year.

I was not planning to celebrate it and did not think people were going to remember it but they did!

I have receive a lot of calls, emails, cards and cute gifts.

I even got two surprise parties from my friends this year!

It is so nice of all of you, thank you so much. I really had a great time!

Plush pastels and morning coffee

2011-10-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

I just finish making these new cup cozies and I just love them. The soft pastel colors are making them so feminine and pretty!

When I was making them I was thinking of a blooming garden covered with a sudden snow and a girl looking through the window with a cup of hot coffee in her hands. She is in a warm house but it's cold outside. She is not in a hurry today and can just relax with her cup of coffee and a book by the fireplace.

Oh, a cat! I missed a cat!

The furry ball is right there, next to her. Just sleeping tight and seeing sweet dreams about the warm summer and lazy days in the garden.

It is all going to happen soon, it's October already! I can not wait for the cozy time to begin.

Halloween fun ideas and the free bag toppers' graphic from GraphicLand

2011-10-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween is all about the fun and treats and it taste better when it comes in pretty wrappers or has a nice tag. So I contacted one of my favorite graphic shops on Etsy, the GraphicLand, to get some new ideas and inspirations for the coming holiday. Irina, the owner of the shop was very kind to answer some of my questions and she also made a Halloween bag topper especially for my blog readers.

1. What does Halloween mean to you?
Halloween is not widely known in my country as in America. When I came here, I had heard about this day, but I had never celebrate it. So all what I know, I absorbed here - in America.

The holiday didn't become the day which we celebrate in my family, but it's definitely a fun day for me. I like the costumes, the tradition of trick-or-treat... :) And the most I like is the fun that people have around. My favorite thing about Halloween is to get a camera and to go to downtown to take picture of costumed people while they are trick-or-treating :)

2. Would you share some tips with us on how to use your images for Halloween?
I would love to share bag toppers* images for Halloween. I really believe they are going to be useful to decorate party favors. You just need to print, fold them, and attach to plastic bags with stapler. Hope you'll like them. :)

* These bag toppers were designed to fit a clear self sealed bag about 5 1/4" by 7 1/4"

3. Name 3 things you would always use for Halloween party.
I would say spooky decoration, good friends and family, and of course a lot of food and fun. :)

New designs at Socksandmittens for fall and winter season

2011-09-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

We are adding some new assortments for the coming season in our SocksAndMittens shop. There are going to be more new designs and colors and as always, we are happy to accept custom orders.

Leg warmers are our new item for this season. They are great to wear with your high heels or boots and they look really cool!

Our scarves this year are going to be bulky and in natural colors. I just love the look of a scarf-cuddled person!

The wraps are warm, romantic and simply gorgeous.

Please visit our shop to see the new selections!

Comfort time, comfort food

2011-09-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

As the temperature goes down so is my desire to have a healthy salad. I am trying hard but my body is asking for soups, potatoes, meat and bread. This is all about the change of season!

I'd really like to share with you an easy recipe today. You can make it in no time, just like I made it last night. It's called corn goulash.

You will need:
ground beef, about 1 lbs
1-2 spoons of light olive oil
1 middle size onion, chopped
some mashed potatoes
1 can of cream style corn
some shredded cheese, I used mix of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack
salt and pepper to taste
rectangular baking dish

How to:
Brown beef, add chopped onion and cook about 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Drain the grease if any. Spray the sides and bottom of the baking dish with a cooking spray and transfer meat & onion into the pan.

While the beef is cooking cook and mash the potatoes. Add some milk, butter and seasonings to taste. Spoon it evenly on top of meat & onion mixture.

Evenly spread the cream style corn on top of mashed potatoes and add some shredded cheese on top.

Preheat the oven and bake at 400'F for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted on top.

You are done, enjoy!