The Seasoned Homemaker

Pasta Sauce Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease I knew what I couldn’t eat (anything with gluten), but really had no idea what I could eat.

One of the first foods I discovered was Tinkyada gluten-free pastas. However, I needed something to slather over my pasta, hence I created a basic pasta sauce recipe that can be used in a variety of pasta-slathering ways.

My first sauce wasn’t that great, but over the last few years I’ve perfected it and now it is perfectly wonderful. Of course, I try to use as many veggies from the garden as I can.

This recipe involves a slow cooker, so you know it’s going to be easy. There’s a little chopping or you can take the fast train and chop in a food processor, which is what I always do. Why take a bus when you can fly!

First thing, gather a few ingredients. You’ll need an onion, a bell pepper, 2-3 carrots, 3-4 cloves of garlic, a small package of mushrooms, and some basil and oregano.

Chop up (or food process) your veggies nice and small.

Use a knife to chop the herbs.

Next, slice the mushrooms.

Cook the veggies in 1-2 T. olive oil until they are soft and toss them into your slow cooker. Next, saute the mushrooms until they are cooked and then toss into the slow cooker.

I am going to assume that you don’t have home-canned tomatoes, so the next step includes the kind from the grocery store. This brand from Costco is a reliable gluten-free source.

You will need to add to the slow cooker the following:

4 Cans Diced Tomatoes (15 oz.)
2 Cans Tomato Sauce (15 oz.)
2 Cans Tomato Paste (6 oz.)

Now, toss in the herbs, 1 T. of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir, cover, and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Which is plenty of time to run out and get a mani-pedi.

***Leslie's secret for speedy preparation (aka The Lazy Way). I occasionally toss EVERYTHING (except the mushrooms) into my Cuisinart, hit the 'On' button. When it is blended, I pour it into my slow cooker, add the uncooked mushrooms, and set in on low. Then, I go shopping for fabric.***

This makes a lot of sauce, so you are going to want to store it according to your family’s size. Because it is just me and Mr. Seasoned Homemaker, I put up sauce in 16 oz. Ball canning jars. It makes enough sauce for about a month. For a family, use the 1 quart Ball canning jars. These are always available at Walmart and have a ga-zillion other uses.

Leave at least 1” of head space at the top and, once cooled, you can freeze the sauce for a future date. A sturdy freezer bag will work, too.

Because this is a simple sauce, I can now doctor it up. Sometimes I add Italian meatballs. I occasionally pour it over eggplant parmesan or use it in lasagna. Save some and use it as a pizza sauce.

Tonight, I am going to cook up the last of the zucchini and swiss chard from my garden, plus a few sauteed mushrooms. Once the veggies are nice and soft, I will mix in my pasta sauce.

Next, I will blend the sauce over some cooked gluten-free angel hair pasta. Top with an appropriate cheese and we have a meatless dinner.

Here is the written version to just cut and paste into Word.

Leslie's Homemade Gluten-Free Pasta Sauce

2 T. Olive Oil
1 Onion (chopped)
2 Carrots (chopped
1 Bell Pepper (chopped)
2-4 Cloves of Garlic (depends on your taste)
2 C. Sliced Mushrooms
1/4 C. Chopped Fresh Basil (add more for dried)
1/4 C. Chopped Fresh Oregano (ditto)
4 Cans Diced Tomatoes (15 oz.)
2 Cans Tomato Sauce (15 oz.)
2 Cans Tomato Paste (6 oz.)
1 T. Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook veggies in olive oil until tender. Add to slow cooker.

Add in chopped herbs followed by the cans of tomatoes, stir well, cover and cook for 5-7 hours on low. Timing will depend on your slow cooker.

Sauce can be divided into smaller portions, cooled, then frozen for up to three months. To thaw frozen pasta sauce, place in refrigerator overnight. Reheat in pan on low for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly.

Slather over your favorite pasta!

Choosing Fabric for An Apron

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It’s safe to say that I have spent a lot of time matching fabrics to aprons.

Today, I want to talk about how I go about putting two fabrics together to create an apron that I will love.

For aprons, I ALWAYS use a 100% cotton in a quilting weight from a quality fabric manufacturer. A few examples would be Michael Miller, Windham, and Moda.

I have been wanting to remake a few of my aprons in current fabrics and redoing all of my pattern’s cover pages. Starting with my Urban Chic Apron Pattern, I’ll show you how I chose the fabrics for this project.

The process begins with me being drawn to a particular fabric.   It may be the color or design. In this case, I love both. The combination of yellow and gray still excites me, so the colors are perfect. I am also drawn to the modern design in the print and the fact that it is a stripe.

Another thing to consider is the size of the design. Since I want a large print for the apron skirt, this fabric works perfectly.

Decision made; I’m going with this fabric from the Echo Collection by Windham Fabrics. Besides, I'm a huge fan of the designer, Lotta Jansdotter.

The next step is choosing a companion fabric. Since this fabric is part of a collection I will want to see what fabrics are available and start there.

From the same line, I tried this smaller gray and white print. I’m not really in love with it because it looks like chicken feet, but it would definitely work. However, I’m going to keep looking.

My second try was another fabric from this line, but this time I used a different design that will pull out the yellow in the fabric.

Technically, this fabric works. The print is smaller than the one that will be used in the skirt and the colors go together well. Also, I love the dandelion since that is my logo.

When I put them together they just don’t work for me. The skirt fabric has a lot of white and so does the dandelion fabric. If I used this in an apron it would be too bland. Since I want my apron to be on my pattern’s cover page, I’m thinking bland won’t work for me.


Third try. Again, I went with something from the fabric line, but this time I went with a large print on an orangey background. I love the orange print, but not with the gray and yellow. If these were pillows in my living room it might work, but not for an apron.

I will use the orange fabric elsewhere since I really like it.

Fourth try’s the charm. The minute I put these two fabrics together, I knew that I would like them in an apron. The gray and white print is a smaller version of the skirt print. The gray is a little more saturated color so it will stand out some. Also, I like that it is a stripe.

With the Urban Chic Apron Pattern I need a fabric for the bodice top and also for the hem band. This fabric gives me the option of running the stripe in a different direction at the hem.

Notice how I ran the bodice and pocket band in the same direction, but the hem band and the pocket are running in different directions. This is why I like the striped nature of this design. I gives me options with the pattern.

Matching fabrics with patterns really is easier than you think.

An Ambitious Undertaking

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:01:00 +0000

A few weeks back I received an email from Deb, one of my Etsy customers. She had purchased the Tutu Tote Tutorial and in her email mentioned something about making Tutu Totes for ALL of the children in her daughter's dance class.

Such a generous idea. Especially for someone who also mentioned that she is 'brand new to sewing." I, who am not new to sewing, would not attempt to make these bags for everyone in a dance class.

Nevertheless, I didn't want to squish Deb's dreams so I made a few suggestions which she took to heart and plowed through.

Later, we shared more correspondence mentioning replacing the grosgrain ribbon in the pattern with sequin trim. Since I believe using things with sequins is similar to wrestling a greased alligator, I pretty much steer clear of them. Still, I didn't want to crush Deb's dream, so I suggested she try using invisible thread to attach the trim.

Isn't it amazing what you can accomplish when someone believes in you. Look at all of those bags. AND, there's even one for the (likely) only boy in the dance class.

So, let's recap. Deb, who is a sewing newbie, bought a tutorial from moi, resized it, added a difficult trim, and then reproduced it 21 times. She even included her daughter in the process.

Congratulations, Deb on a project well done. I think you are now ready to move onto apron patterns!

I’ve Been Squashed

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:09:00 +0000

There is this day in the life of my garden that I dread.

I am going along fine with all of my squash plants growing, blooming, and producing. There are bees everywhere and I feel like a gardening success.

It’s so beautiful, I could weep.

Then, this happens. Literally, overnight. I walk outside and my (formerly) perky little squash plants look like I didn’t water them for a week. What gives?

I know what did this and it has nothing to do with water. The despicable, evil, downright nasty Squash Vine Borer is the culprit.

The insect that breaks my gardening heart year after year.

He’s such a sneaky little devil because you don’t know he’s there until your squash is done in.

Through cover of night, a moth flies over and notices this healthy squash plant. It then swoops down and plants one of its eggs on the stem of MY squash plant. And, the egg looks like a piece of dirt so I never even notice.

The egg matures and a slimy little worm emerges that now makes its life mission the destruction of my zucchini.

Once it hatches, the little devil begins burrowing down the stem, prematurely ending my hopes for zucchini bread.

There are dusts and sprays that will prevent squash homicide, but my garden is organic and that stuff will never come near it.

I know other organic gardeners that watch their squash like a hawk. They will slice open the stem and remove the creature. Gross. Not.happening.here.

I’ve hidden a few plants in another part of the yard to see if I can prolong my squash agony.

In the meantime, I’ve read about people who get so much squash every year that they secretly leave it on their neighbor's front porches at night.

A girl can dream.

SEWING STUDIO REDO

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:42:00 +0000

It all started because a cockroach found its way into my laundry room and onto a shirt that I was planning to iron.

Unbeknownst to me, that cheeky little beggar was clinging to said shirt. Once in my studio, he jumped off the shirt and into the disaster called my sewing studio.

Lots of places to hide. I could barely go in there knowing I might have to share the place with such a disgusting creature.

Holy Junk Room, Batman!

So, this weekend while Mr. Seasoned Homemaker was visiting his mom, I decided that I would find the fiend and send him on to his Maker.

Easier said than done. Look at this place. And that doesn’t include the closet which I have to admit, would make a fine home for a cockroach family.

First, I pulled everything out of the closet, found my little friend, and gave him a blast of EcoSmart Ant and Roach Killer. He is at peace, now. However, the room has a strong scent of clove oil.

I can see how horders get started. In the top of the closet (next to my little friend) was the following:

* A box of my husband’s ski clothes
* SAT/PSAT Prep Books (I used to teach this)
* Various textbooks from past teaching gigs
* Thirty-five years worth of photos in albums
* A large stuffed lamb
* A container of sewing machine oil

This is embarrassing. I have all kinds of sewing-related items scattered around the room and a shelf full of unrelated (and unnecessary) stuff.

All have now found new homes, except the lamb. I really like him, so he gets to stay.

First, in the corner of the closest sat my old, mechanical sewing machine which I don’t want to part with, yet. It’s temporary plastic cover was coated in spider webs. Gross.

So, I dashed off to Walmart and scored this Universal Sewing Machine Cover for $23. Perfect.

Next, I wanted to wrangle some of my other rulers and pinning mats. A while back, Mr. SH had hung the towel rack holding the tissue paper.

A few nails later, I had some things off the floor and up on the wall.

Next, the top shelf. I put items up there that I can easily get to, but don’t need every time I sew.

The closet floor wasn’t too cluttered, just dusty and spider-webby. Here I put the old Kenmore machine, my Bernina’s carrying bag, and an Omnigrid case I carry to sewing classes.

Easy to get to when I need them, but I don’t need them very often.

The next thing I tackled was the open shelves to the right of the cutting table. I tend to toss all sorts of sewing related paper here.

This is a totally inefficient way to keep up with ideas and inspiration. So, off to Target I went where I picked up a few things to help with this problem.

Three magazine organizers ($5 each) plus three plastic paper holder things ($1 each) to help me sort future projects.

I took the three black magazine organizers that I already had and went through everything. I created six different categories (because I have six organizers).

* Bookzines
* Original Designs
* Machine Manuals
* Embroidery Design Sets
* Oversized Patterns
* AccuQuilt Go Baby Templates
* Three binders

While far from perfect, the room is much more functional. I was also able to think through some other ideas.

The first thing I want to tackle is getting a few more shelves over the cutting table, plus a pegboard to hold scissors, rulers, and a variety of everyday items.

I’m thinking of skirting the front of the table so I don’t have to see the mess underneath.

Adding more shelves over the cutting table will allow easy access to some things, but still keep them within easy reach. I think I will move embroidery stabilizers to the future shelves. That will give me more room for fabric storage.

Finally, I need to organize my scraps. I could use a few ideas here, so feel free to chime in with your suggestions.

Phase One of Operation Clean Up Your Mess, Leslie complete. Now, me and my lamb are going to relax with a cup of coffee.

Books, Books, Books

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:13:00 +0000

The other day my daughter Kitty made a comment about the number of books on my nightstand. Something like, “Sheesh, Mom, ya’ think ya’ got enough books, there.”

By my mind’s estimation, there is no such thing as too many books! I’m a reader, what’s the big deal.

Truly, each of these books has a purpose and I pick them up and read from them all the time.

Book #1 is the best example. How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons. Notice my tomato. We’ve have had a ton of rain this year. I’m successfully growing lots of veggies right now, so this book is on the back burner. But I like keeping it close by since I never know when the rain will stop falling and I will need this information. I will get back to it later in the summer before I put in the fall garden.

Book #2 Fabrics A to Z by Dana Willard of www.danamadeit.com is a reference book. I will be referring to it in my ongoing blog posts about matching fabrics and patterns. So, this one needs to be close by and not shoved into my over-populated-hard-to-find-anything bookcase.

Book #3 I, Iago by Nicole Galland is still in process. The book is about a character in Othello and this review made me want to read it. I will likely make it a summer read since I LOVE Shakespeare.

Book #4 David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to DLSR Photography. Here’s a real page-turner (insert sarcasm). I keep this book close by and sometimes in the evening I teach myself one more thing I have yet to learn about my camera. Honestly, without this book I might as well draw pictures for this blog. That’s how complicated my camera is. I will try to digest a small tidbit at a time. Little by little I am becoming a better photographer.

Books #5, #6, and #7 are all health and nutrition related. Book #5 Eat to Live can probably be shelved. The book has some great thoughts on how to loose weight and improve overall health. Unfortunately, I have an issue with the author not encouraging the use of locally grown or organic foods. I believe the he has since updated the book to include these thoughts. I will probably look into this once I whittle my stack down a bit.

Book #6 The Healing Code is one of those books that I want to take my time reading. The author surmises that all illnesses proceed from stress and then gives suggestions on reducing stress. I read a little here and a little there. So far, I really like what the author has to say. I should discipline myself to get this one finished this week.

Book #7 Earthing. What can I say; I think outside the box when it comes to overall health. In this book, the author wants us to ground our bodies to the earth’s magnetic field. I’m just getting started with this, but I like what I read. Sheesh, I really gotta get reading, don’t I?

Books #8 and #9 are about the Orthodox Church and how it is growing in America. Because I have a family member who is interested, I want to be informed.

Book #8 At the Corner of East and Now by Frederica Mathewes-Green. I cannot say enough about this author. I love her writing and passion for Orthodox traditions. She places you in the middle of her life and faith and you are delighted to experience it. I am almost finished with this book. I think I will miss this writer so, I am procrastinating. Bunny’s Blog for a full review.

Book #9 Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy is on my ‘need to read’ list. I want to finish Mrs. Mathewes-Green first (and I am almost there) before reading this. If you are interested, see the review here.

And, finally book #10. The Warden by Anthony Trollope. My book club is reading two of the books from the Barchester Series. I am thoroughly enjoying every delicious moment. This is the main reason I haven’t finished Book #8. FMI – read Bunny’s review.

Now, that you have seen my messy book pile, let me here from you. What are you reading?

Gluten-Free CHICKEN TETRAZZINI RECIPE

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:42:00 +0000

aka Chicken Spaghetti. It's a casserole. I make a lot of casseroles?

Why? My dad hates casseroles. Probably has something to do with being on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. So, I never ate them growing up. I actually remember the first time I ate a casserole; it was at my best friend's house and her mom had made Tuna Casserole. I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. I was hooked.

I married a man who also loves casseroles. We raised kids on weekly casseroles.

When I discovered I had Celiac Disease and could no longer eat anything with gluten if I expected to live, I began converting family favorites into gluten-free recipes.

When I discovered that nutrient-depleted foods may have caused my problems, I began incorporating methods to add nutrient-dense foods into everyday recipes.

Today, my gluten-free, nutrient dense version of Chicken Tetrazzini. The full recipe will be at the bottom of this post.

Prior to making your casserole, you will need to either roast or boil a whole chicken. Debone cooked chicken and set aside the meat. For a more flavorful chicken and broth, simmer the chicken in a pot of (filtered) water with 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, and 1 whole onion. Remove the chicken and veggies and save the broth for the recipe.

Dice the deboned chicken. You should have 4-5 Cups of chicken for your cassarole. Note: I usually use 2 Cups of chicken since we are attempting to eat less meat. AND, have you seen the cost of an organic whole chicken? Yikes! It's like $15.

Cook gluten-free spaghetti, drain, and set aside. Because gluten-free spaghetti is a little more delicate than other pastas, do not overcook or it will be mushy.

Dice mushrooms. Melt butter in pan.

Saute mushrooms in butter and set aside.

Make the sauce. Put corn starch in a measuring cup and slowly add 1 C. chicken broth. Pour into sauce pan and slowly heat, stirring constantly. As mixture begins thickening, slowly add remaining cup of broth. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning (Frontier Organic Spices are available in bulk at health food markets). Blend spices into sauce and gradually add yogurt and cooking sherry. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Mix one-half sauce (about 1 ½ C.) with mushrooms and spaghetti.

Pour into buttered 9 x 13 cassarole dish.

Mix remaining sauce with chicken and pour over pasta mixture.

Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Put casserole into 350-degree oven. Bake 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered, until top is lightly browned. It should be bubbling along the sides.

I understand that the cost of some of these ingredients can really add up. If you are wanting to convert your cooking to include more nutrient-dense foods, then start small. Begin by making your own broth and purchasing small amounts of the spices and the corn starch from the bulk section at a health food market. Choose one or two organic ingredients to incorporate into your casserole.

Chicken Tetrazzini

12 oz. Pkg. Organic Gluten-Free Spaghetti

½ lb. Organic Mushrooms

3 T. Organic Butter

2 T. Organic, non-GMO Corn Starch

2 C. Organic Chicken Broth (Homemade is best)

1 C. Organic Yogurt

3 T. Cooking Sherry

4 C. Cubed Cooked Chicken

½ C. Parmesan Cheese

½ t. Garlic Powder

½ t. Onion Powder

½ t. Poultry Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Cook spaghetti and set aside. Saute mushrooms in butter and set aside. Put corn starch in a measuring cup and slowly add 1 C. chicken broth. Pour into sauce pan and slowly heat, stirring constantly. As mixture begins thickening, slowly add remaining cup of broth. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning. Blend spices into sauce and gradually add yogurt and cooking sherry. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Pour into buttered 9 x 13 casserole. Mix remaining sauce with chicken and pour over pasta mixture. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered, until top is lightly browned.

As Julia says, Bon appetit'

CHOOSING A FABRIC FOR A PATTERN

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Picture this: You are in a fabric store looking at patterns. You see one that you absolutely l-o-v-e. Something like this one.

A simple style with just a few options. Choosing a fabric should be a snap.

Weeeelllll, not so fast. You look around the fabric store and all of the sudden your brain freezes. You don’t even know where to start.

I've given this dilemma a name: Fabriphobia, [fab-rih-foh-bee-uh], noun. Inability to match fabrics and patterns.

Why does choosing a fabric suddenly become an impossible task?

Fear not,the answer to this dilemma is easier than you think. All you need to do is flip the pattern envelope over and look on the back at some of the fabric suggestions.

The starting place when choosing a fabric is to look at the first few pre-approved fabric suggestions. All of these suggested fabrics are wovens: cottons, lightweight denim, poplin, twill, and even wool. Most of them fall into a category called bottom weights.

Generally speaking, theses types of wovens are great for beginners. Things to avoid would be stripes or plaids that might need matching. You would not want to use things that would be slippery such as silks or satins. Another category to stay away from would be napped fabrics like corduroy or velvet.

Now you are ready to dive in and pick a fabric.

The denim below is an 8 oz. denim, perfect for a denim skirt. In the fabric store, this same information will be labeled on the top of the fabric bolt. Look for Fabric Content, Fabric Weight, Fabric Width, and Washing Instructions.

It also suggests that the fabric would be good for a skirt. Ipso facto: This fabric would work well with the above pattern.


The 6.9 oz. twill below is similar, but a little more lightweight.

It also lists that it is “perfect for stylish jackets, dress, skirts…”

Now that you understand the type (bottom weights) of fabric you need to look at, what about fabric design and pattern.

All you need to do here is look at the picture on your pattern envelope. In the first picture at the top of the page you will see a khaki (think bottom weight/twill, denim, poplin, wool, etc.) skirt and a patterned skirt.

The khaki skirt tells you everything you need to know: simple bottom weight fabrics are perfectly suitable.

Look closely at the fabric design in the short skirt. Is it a large print? Not really, it is what I would call an all over design.

These two things tell you everything you need to know. Look for a plain twill/wool/woven fabric or something in a similar weight with an all over print.

Throughout this process,you are not alone. A fabulous resource for choosing fabrics is a website I love called Pattern Review.

It is free to join and you can just put the pattern number into Advanced Search and you will see what fabrics people have used and any problems they might have encountered when sewing up the pattern.

Being able to shop on the internet before heading to the fabric store makes this process a whole lot easier. Start by browsing online at patterns to get an idea of what you have in mind.  Then, head over to Pattern Review and see what fabrics are being used for your specific pattern.

You will be amazed at how simple this process becomes by doing just a little bit of homework before you head off to buy patterns and fabrics.

No more wandering around the fabric store with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look on your face.

Making a Mother's Day Card

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Things are starting to slide back into place here and I had a little time today to fit in one more idea for Mother's Day. A handmade card for Mom.

I know that there are tons of pseudo-scrapbooking ideas on how to make one-of-a-kind cards using all sorts of paper cutting devises and the better part of a day. This is not that kind of card.

This is a whip-it-together-in-a-flash-with-what-you-have kind of card.

Here are the deets:

Take a piece of card stock. About ten years ago I bought a package with 250 sheets of this slightly flecked card stock. I've been using it ever since. If you need to purchase card stock, pick up a single piece at your local craft or office supply store.

Find the center. Using standard size 8.5" x 11" card stock, the center would be 5.5" from the top edge. I marked mine with a Frixion pen, but light pencil marks work, too.

I wanted to find the center so I can print a message on the front of the card above the applique.

Open up Word (or any word processing software) and write a greeting. Notice below that I found the center on my side ruler and that is how I centered the message on my card stock.

I also used two different fonts. Choose one that works best for your card. I used Charlamagne Std. for Happy and Day in size 36 font and CAC Pinafore in size 69 font for Mother's.

I decided to continue the bird theme on the cards. Following the directions on the back of a package of Steam-A-Seam 2, trace out the design and apply it to the back of a favorite fabric.

Before adhering, line up placement of your design on the front of your card. Remove the paper backing and iron the design onto the card stock. Don't use the steam setting on your iron if you've used an inkjet printer for your message.

In order to make your design stand out, I suggest straight stitching around the design. This is simple to do and really makes the design stand out. Because the sewing machine needle actually pierces the card stock, it is a good idea to back the design area with a tear-away stabilizer such as Sulky Tear-Easy which costs under $3.00 for a small piece at Joanns (and is even cheaper with a coupon). I've secured my stabilizer with a spray adhesive. If you don't have this, no worries, just carefully place the stabilizer underneath the design before stitching.

Top stitch the design slightly in from the edge. Use a 3-3.5mm stitch length. Remember, every time the needle pierces the paper it leaves a hole, so take your time.

Carefully remove the stabilizer. I added the eye by using a fine point Sharpie pen. A small button would also make a great eye.

Next, I folded the card in half. Since the inside of the card now has stitching and bits of stabilizer, I want to cover it up. For this, I'm going to cut a piece of matching fabric sized to fit the inside of the card using a rotary cutter with a pinking blade. If you have pinking sheers this works, as well. Leaving raw edges would be nice.

Glue the fabric over the stitched half of the card, covering the stitching and stabilizer bits. Let it dry for at least an hour.

Happy Mother's Day

Free Craftsy Video

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:49:00 +0000

Are you familiar with Craftsy? It is an online platform that offers instructional videos and interactive workshops (they carry this one AND this one by moi!). Craftsy also has a pattern section that carries instant downloads of my tutorials.

Want to show off something you've made? Just open a free account and upload your pictures. You will eventually get some followers.

Do you desire knowledge of cheesemaking? Well, they have a video for that. How about woodworking? Yep, that, too.

Currently, I have seven video tutorials that I have purchased (on sale, of course). I love the ability to take notes during the video and ask the instructor questions. Also I can go back and watch the video as often as necessary - which can be pretty often, with me.

This week, Craftsy offered this video for FREE! The course is perfect for someone new to sewing or someone who is self-taught. Need a refresher on machine needles? Are you correctly placing your bobbin in the bobbin case? How about troubleshooting a thread nest? The video even discusses 'vintage' sewing machines along side current machines. It's all there and it's free.

Take a minute and join Craftsy then access this awesome video course.

Mother's Day Gift Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I have, amid the chaos around here, managed to put together a Mother's Day Gift Idea. This is more idea and less tutorial. However, it does involve some applique and sewing which makes it fun to create and fun to give.

If you are short on time this week, like me, then this simple project is right up your alley. All I did was take this adorable lime green tea towel that I purchased at a local quilt store and embellish it with an applique from a book called The Garden Song from Art to Art which is available here.

If you are new to applique, I have a few tutorials here and here that cover the basics. If you run into a jam, just email me and I'm sure I can help.

I originally tried making the tree out of a limey-er (sp.???) green and that didn't work. I found this broween ( brown-green) fabric in my scraps stash and I liked it much better.

For the bird, I thought: Blue Bird of Happiness. It's really the Aqua Bird of Happiness, but it was the best blue I had on hand.

For the flower I chose a fabric that I could semi-fussy cut for the tree.

Once the design was secured to the towel, I used a narrow zigzag to stitch it down. On the bird and flower I used white thread; on the tree I used a lime green to cause it to pop out.

The ruffle was the easiest part. I folded my fabric selvage to selvage and cut a strip 1" wide. I set my machine on the longest stitch (5mm) and straight stitched right down the middle. Then, I pulled up the bobbin thread, gathering the strip. Next, I pinned the strip to the towel. I reduced the stitch length back to 2.5mm and sewed the ruffle to the towel.

I did all of this before breakfast today.

Because the design is copyrighted and you would need the book to recreate it, I've also included a similar design I had on my computer. You can access it here. The same idea would apply and you could add a fussy-cut flower and ruffle to make it cute. I also think some miniature rick rack would look fabulous added to the seam of the ruffle.

Enjoy,

Doing Some Laundry and Gardening

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:09:00 +0000

On my blog-about-it list today is a note do a "Mother's Day Tutorial." I have one lined up. Since you don't see it, I thought I'd give you the dirt.

I'm doing laundry. Not my laundry. My daughter Kitty's laundry. Her washer is in ICU right now and not expected to recover.

Did I mention one of kids woke up vomiting on the day of the washer's death?

A secondary leak was found when the leaking washer was moved out. Plumbers are now at her house.

I'm currently washing load number two - which takes forever on the 'Sanitary' setting - see above for explanation.

So, no Mother's Day Tutorial today; however, the garden is coming along nicely.

We pulled the last of the root veggies. Did you know that letting a toddler pull a carrot out of the ground will cause him to want to immediately eat it? Kids crunching on carrots - priceless.

I also made a very nice beet kvass with these beauties. I'll explain what a beet kvass is someday.

I'm getting large numbers of onions out of the ground, daily. They are either drying on my back porch swing or sitting in a basket on the kitchen counter. There are probably ten times this amount still waiting to be pulled. Yikes! What was I thinking...onions with everything!

I plucked my first tomato of the season. It's a Roma paste tomato. I always pick tomatoes before they fully ripen and let them finish inside. Otherwise, insects (like those vicious stink bugs) will ruin them.

There goes the dryer...I'm off to start another load. Did I mention that Kitty uses cloth diapers?

Mother's Day Giveaway and a Gluten-Free Baby Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:04:00 +0000

First of all, thank you to everyone who participated. It's nice to know someone is listening.

The final winner of the Mother's Day Giveaway is Jen@thecraftingfiend.

Please contact me at sugarpiechic [at] gmail.com and let me know which pattern you would like.

Changing the subject entirely, last Saturday I co-hosted a Happy Hour Couples Baby Shower for a gluten-free friend. Since I, too, have Celiac, the other hostesses wanted someone with real understanding to be in charge of the food. I was happy to do this.

It's not as hard as you think. I used Betty Crocker gf cake mixes for the mini-bundt cakes. They were decadently delicious!

I fried up some Okra Fritters. One of the hostesses had me say they were "veggie fritters." She was afraid no one would touch them if they knew they were okra. Ha! There wasn't even a crumb left on the platter.

We also had a gf blueberry cobbler, some fabulous homemade roasted strawberry ice cream, fresh fruit, and lots of gf chips with guacamole and hummus.

Of course, there were gifts.

Notice the burp cloths and pillow.

Mother's Day Giveaway - Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:08:00 +0000

First things first...

Today's winner is Brenda from Songbird Designs! Congratulations, Brenda. Email me at sugarpiechic [at] gmail.com and let me know which pattern you want!

This is the last day of the giveaway and I can say that it has been really fun. I hope you've enjoyed it, as well.

Today's topic is a little different. I wanted to talk about having a crafting business.

A little over four years ago I was contemplating aprons. I was also looking for a way to earn a little bit of money to support my sewing and crafting ways. Then, I heard about Etsy. In a flash I chose a name, opened a store and began making and selling aprons. What I didn't know was the path this would lead to...

The thing about setting forth on a new path is all of the unexpected things you learn along the way. I already knew how to sew, but I also learned a few new things.

I have learned how to write, copyright, and publish a pattern. I have learned how to set up {with help} and write a blog. I have learned {am actually learning, still} how to use a DSLR camera and am becoming a bit of a shutterbug. I have learned how to use photo editing software and, I swear it has melted my brain in some places. I have learned how to use digitizing software for machine embroidery. As I continue further down this road, I know there are going to be lots more opportunities for growth.

So, today's first contest entry is this:

1. First Chance Entry: In the "Comments" section below, leave a comment telling me what kind of crafty/sewing/anything you can dream of business you would start. Just say something like, "I would like to have a ___________________ business."

2. Second Chance Entry: Subscribe to my blog and then leave a comment below in the "Comments" section saying you have done so. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me this.

3. Third Chance Entry: Visit my updated Facebook page and "Like" me. Come back and leave a comment below in the "Comments" section saying you have done this.

I am looking forward to learning new things, but also sharing this incredible journey with you.

MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY - Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Congratulations to today's winner Sherrie...contact me at sugarpiechic [at] gmail.com and let me know which pattern you have chosen.

Today, one of your entries will take you to a different place. Have you noticed this symbol at the top of my page?

That 'P' is for Pinterest. It is a place to 'pin' things you like onto 'pin boards' you create. So, today, for one of your entries I am sending you to my Pinterest site and giving you an entry for becoming one of my Pinterest followers. Here's what you do...

1. Visit my Pinterest site. You will notice that there will be 16 different 'pin boards' that have labels such as Party Time!, Food!, etc. Go to my pinboard labeled "Sewing and Craft Rooms" and check out the awesome sewing and craft rooms I've found.

For your entry, notice at the top the Facebook "like" symbol. To get 1 entry just click on the FB "like" thumb's up and then leave a comment below saying, "I liked you on Pinterest."

That will be your first entry.

2. For a second entry you will need to visit my Etsy shop, Sugar Pie Chic, and leave a comment telling me what your favorite pattern or tutorial is in my shop. If your name is chosen, then you get your favorite item.

3. Want a third chance to win, subscribe to my blog and then leave a comment saying you have done so. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me this.

If you need more instruction on how to do this, visit yesterday's post which will better explain the steps to getting an entry.

Fair warning...If you have never been on Pinterest, you will become addicted....

Mother's Day Giveaway - Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:22:00 +0000

And, the winner of today's giveaway is Tonya at tepr. Send me your email at sugarpiechic (at) gmail.com and pattern choice and I will send your pattern right away.

So, I've noticed from some emails that a few of you are having difficulty with how to enter. A few are not even entered because you've emailed me, but not posted in the Comments section. So, for today's posts/entries I will walk you through each step.

First, scroll down until you see something that looks similar to this at the bottom of this post:

Or this if there have been comments:

Second, below, in italics, is one of today's steps to getting an entry.

1. To enter the contest today you will need to visit my Etsy shop, Sugar Pie Chic, and leave a comment telling me what your favorite pattern or tutorial is in my shop. If your name is chosen, then you get your favorite item.

Third, in order for your entry to count, you must visit my Etsy store and then come back to this blog post. Underneath this post you will find the comments box which looks like this:

Fourth, Click on the 'comments' box below and leave me a comment saying something like, "I think that the Retro Chic Apron Pattern is about the cutest thing I've ever seen and I would die a thousand times to own this." Or, you could say, "I hope I win, can I get the Tutu Tote Tutorial if I do?"

Fifth, once you've done this, the 'comment' will show up in my email. I will then hear my phone jingle, telling me I have an email. I will then click on the email and post your comment.

That's all there is to it. So, let's get entered...

1. See #1 above

2. Want a second chance to win, subscribe to my blog and then leave a comment saying you have done so. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me this.

To get a second entry, you will need to become a subscriber. Scroll up to the top of the page; on the right-hand column is this box (above). Just fill in your email and hit 'subscribe.' Then,scroll down to the 'comments' section (circled above) and say, "I'm now a subscribed reader to this blog." I will get an email allowing me to include this comment in the contest.

Doing this will now give you a second entry.

3. But wait, you have a third chance to enter. Visit my updated Facebook page and "Like" me. Come back and leave a comment saying you have done this.

This is such an easy step. Follow the link in red that will take you to my Facebook page. Just click on the button. It is that simple. If you are not a member of Facebook (and don't plan to become one) then skip this entry, all together.

To recap, you can have up to three entries into each day's drawing. You don't have to do all three, you can do Entry #1 by visiting my Etsy shop and then commenting in the 'comments' section saying that you did this.

Doing that one step will give you one entry into the daily drawing.

Following through with Entry #2 and Entry #3 will give you two more opportunities to win.

So, enter with confidence and tell your friends, too.

Mother's Day Give Away - Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:36:00 +0000

And the winner is Melody who said she liked the Urban Chic Apron Pattern.

Please contact me with your email address and I will send you your pattern asap!

To enter the contest today you will need to visit my Etsy shop, Sugar Pie Chic, and leave a comment telling me what your favorite pattern or tutorial is in my shop. If your name is chosen, then you get your favorite item.

Want a second chance to win, subscribe to my blog and then leave a comment saying you have done so. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me this.

But wait, you have a third chance to enter. Visit my updated Facebook page and "Like" me. Come back and leave a comment saying you have done this.

Good luck,

MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY - DAY 1

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to my first give away. To give you a little hand with Mother's Day, I am giving away something from my Etsy shop Monday through Friday of this week.

What am I giving away, you ask? Well, that depends upon you.

To enter the contest you will need to visit my Etsy shop, Sugar Pie Chic, and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is in my shop. If your name is chosen, then you get your favorite item.

Want a second chance to win, subscribe to my blog and then leave a comment saying you have done so. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me this.

But wait, you have a third chance to enter. Visit my updated Facebook page and "Like" me. Come back and leave a comment saying you have done this.

Beginning Tuesday, I will choose a winner each day. Be sure to check back daily to see if you have won. I will post each day's winner's name the following day. Email me if you've won!

MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:01:00 +0000

Maybe you’ve noticed, but Mother’s Day is almost two week’s away.

To help you along with this, next week from Monday through Friday I will be giving away things from my Etsy store.

So, check back daily beginning April 30th – May 4th.

Jambalaya Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Little known fact...I am 100% of Cajun descent and able to trace may ancestors all the way back to Acadia. I even was invited to and attended the 300th anniversary of my family living in St. James Parish, Louisiana.

We’re buried all over their church cemetery. Practically in the Mississippi River. You can’t get much more Cajun than that!

So, today I will be sharing with you how to make true, authentic, and real Jambalaya. Oooooeeeee, Cher, yo’ gonna burn yo' tongue it's so spicy.

As a bona fide Cajun I feel it is my duty to share our ‘national anthem.’ It is sure to add some spice to your Cajun food.

“Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo, 'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio, Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o, Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou...”

While you tap your feet and sway to the zydeco tempo…

Here’s what you need:

1 lb. Sausage (I always get a spicy sausage, but mild works, too)

1/2 C. diced onion

1/2 C. diced bell pepper

1/2 C. diced celery

(FYI, in Cajun cooking this combo is called the Holy Trinity)

2 T. diced garlic

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 C. Chicken Stock (mine is homemade, but packaged will work)

1 C. uncooked rice*

(*I use short grain brown rice that has been soaked for 4-7 hours, but unsoaked white rice will work fine)

1 T. unsalted butter

Seasoning Mix:

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

3/4 t. white pepper

1 t. sea salt

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. rubbed sage

2-3 bay leaves

Here’s what you do:

Dice the sausage and saute’ in 1/2 T. butter.

Dice the onion, bell pepper (I got carried away and used red and green peppers), celery, and garlic.

Remove the sausage from the pan and saute’ the veggies in the remaining butter.

Add the rice and stir it around until it appears slightly translucent.

Add the sausage back into the pan.

Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock. (Homemade stock is best; I’ll post a recipe soon)

Add the Seasoning Mix and bay leaves.

Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cover. Let cook for 30-40 minutes. I prefer to cook this in a 5 Qt. Le Creuset dutch oven; you may have to adjust cooking times if you use something different.

Check about half way through the cooking and add a bit more chicken stock if it is dry and the rice seems to need more liquid.

Serve hot. With beans. I usually cut up an avacado because it helps with the spiciness. You won’t sweat through your clothes.

Simple, easy, and spi-cy. One of my family’s favorites.

Tutu Tote Trio by Sugar Pie Chic

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:02:00 +0000

You may or may not know this, but a few of my patterns are now available at www.youcanmakethis.com. This has been great for more exposure plus the patterns are available as an instant download. Perfect for those of you who don't want to wait for me to manually send them (via Etsy).

Recently, YCMT contacted me about sending them the actual bags for a video they were producing. They send these out in weekly emails. Very cool.

I Finished the Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:10:00 +0000

Warning: Quilters, hide your eyes; my quilting skills are on display and I wouldn't want to blind anyone!

Waaaay back in August, I created a quilt top thinking I’d get a head start on a matching quilt for my youngest grandson. He would be turning two in January and a big boy bed wouldn’t be far behind.

A good friend with real quilting skills had offered to help me finish the quilt. And-then-life-happened and she had to help her aging parents. I was on my own for this one.

So, the quilt top sat for months. Then, I found this online machine quilting class on Craftsy. When it was half off, I jumped. Slowly but surely, I have been watching and taking notes.

I eventually got the batting and and the backing pinned. I redid them twice.

And then I folded the quilt up again and it sat for a few more months. L-I-F-E. The quilt actually had a very interesting life. I would move it around from room to room.

At first, the quilt sat folded on the guest bed. Then, I had guests, so I tossed it on a chair in the dining room. Then we had a dinner party and it was tossed on a chair in my bedroom. And this went on for months with the quilt visiting every room in my house.

E-nough! I had the house to myself this weekend and, by golly, that darn quilt was going to get finished.

At first, I stitched in the ditch. I actually thought that stitching around the 12 x 12 squares would be enough. Naïve – I should have to wear a scarlet “N” for thinking this.

I used blue masking tape to mark off the stitching lines. This was in the video and excessively useful.

I have a new respect for quilters. I really thought this would be an easy project. Seriously! How does anyone get a quilt into the machine’s throat?

I learned a lot with this project.

1. Maybe, I should have started with a smaller quilt and worked my way up to a twin size quilt. I will begin working on my scarlet “N” straight away.

2. I think I like quilting. The finished product is really nice.

3. I could’ve bought two twin size bedding sets at Pottery Barn for what I spent on the total project. Is there a source for "How to make a quilt without spending all of your retirement income?"

4. My sewing machine has lots of “quilting” features that were really useful. Who knew?

5. There really is no room in my house to do a such a large-scale project. I may have to take over the garage next time. Mr. Seasonedhomemaker better look out.

6. Once you wash and dry the quilt, all of your mistakes seem to magically disappear. Well, at least some of them do.

I feel a bit like Jacob in the Bible – he wrestled with God and lived, but walked with a limp the rest of his life.

Well, I have wrestled with quilting and survived, but am not untouched. I think I may always sew with a slight limp.

APPLIQUE BABY GIFT

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Well, it’s that time again. I need a baby gift. And I’m teaching another applique class next week. Perfect timing. Like blending peanut butter and chocolate.

Thankfully, I know the baby’s sex, name and nursery theme. Bless those mama’s who share. My life just got easier. AND, the nursery theme is owls. Doing a happy dance, now!

It took me all of 5 seconds to find this adorable owl embroidery design. Ten seconds if you count the time it took to purchase and download. I added the baby’s name in my software and then did a bit of housework while the design stitched out.

I also wanted something that had a raw edge design to it. Rather than hunting this down, I printed out one of the larger designs from the set, since, the design set comes in three sizes. Then I traced it out.

Picked out some cute fabric scraps from my stash.

Traced the designs BACKWARDS onto the back of a fusible web (Steam A Seam 2, Wonder Under, etc.)

Ironed the fusible web pieces to the back of my fabric.

Cut out the designs and ironed them onto a pre-fold diaper. (Oops,I forgot to snap a picture of this before stitching.) I also drew a couple of legs with a water soluble marker.

Straight stitch around all of the raw edges and stitch the legs.

Now, isn’t he adorable!

Excess is never enough! Of course, there will be a burp cloth with the baby’s name in large letters. See here for how-to directions.

How cute is that!

BEEF BROTH UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

I didn’t have a picture of unfrozen beef broth to show when I posted the how-to directions.

Behold, the finished product. It simmered off and on in a crock pot for 36 hours and this is the result. A rich, dark brown beef broth. Why would anyone consider using that pale stuff in a carton when such deliciousness awaits you.

Notice the little bit of oil rising to the top. After chilling overnight in the fridge, I may (or may not) skim it off.

Since all of my wide mouth Ball jars were in the freezer holding beef and chicken broth, I pulled out these repurposed yogurt jars. Notice the amount of space between the broth and the top of the jar. V-E-R-Y important to leave ample space or the jar will burst in the freezer, you will cut your hand when you go to pull it out, and then bleed all over your brand new jeans...

A Gardeners Song

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It’s always nice when your hard work starts to pay off. A veggie garden is the perfect place to experience this. Everyday is a wonder filled with deliciousness just waiting to be picked. These sugar snaps will soon be saute’ed with mushrooms and salt in some olive oil. Mmmm.

Tomato plants are filled with hard green tomatoes waiting for the warm Texas sunshine to coax them into turning red.

Peppers have tiny little fruits that will grow and then ripen into shades of green and red.

The onions burst from the soil as though eager to show me how they prosper in their bed.

Beans and cucumbers climb towards the sun.

Zucchini and crookneck squash hide their harvest from anything that would snatch it away.

Okra and eggplant hold a promise for the future…