Keep Your Tea Warm With A Felted Tea Cozy

Posted on November 15, 2011 by simply0637
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We have a wonderful tea house in our town www.silvertipstea.com and on a cold afternoon it is delightful to go there, pick a tea and indulge in one of their homemade soups!  A close friend of mine is my companion more times than not in joining me for a pot of afternoon tea and her birthday is coming up – so I thought what better gift than a tea pot, tea cozy and some of her favorite loose tea from the Silver Tips.  This was another project that I wanted to make re-using one the the sweaters from the church bazaar that I had felted.

How To Make A Tea Cozy

Items Needed

Felt or fabric, enough for 2 pieces of pattern
Material for lining
Batting, if not using felt
Matching thread
Sewing machine
Fabric, roving, etc for design on cozy – if you choose to do
Fabric, bead, etc for handle
Sewing machine

1. First thing you need to do is measure your tea pot so you know how big to make the pattern.  Take a measuring tape and measure around the spout, tea pot and handle.  Once you have the measurement, divide in half and add 1 – this gives you the width you will need and it also takes into account the seam allowance.  My tea pot was 21″, divide by 2 and add 2 – my width is 12 1/2″.

2. Now you need to determine the height.  Measure over your teapot. Place the tea pot on the table, go from back to front, going over the lid. Divide measurement by 2 and add 3 inches. That’s the height for all pieces.  My tea pot was 14″ divide by 2 and add three, height is 10″.  Remember to write your measurements down!

3. You can make a paper pattern to use to cut out the fabric, but I just drew on the felt.  I figured when I make this again – the tea pot might not be the same size.  Your choice.

Before Washing

After Washing

 

 

 

 

 

I measured along the bottom for the width and then drew a line up each ending point.  Taking the center point of the width – I measured up the height and put a center dot.  Using a large plate I measured the curve for the top – drawing the curve to match up with the outside lines.

4. Cut out the pieces and if you are going to do a design this is the time to do it.  I chose to do some needle felting using a leaf stencil.  Pinning my felt onto the felting pad I took out my felting needle and roving – choosing different colors for the leaves.  I chose to do both sides.

 

 

 

 

5.  Now for the lining – I chose a nice calico cotton material.  I cheated a little and did not sew the lining separate and then sew together.  When I cut the lining out I made the bottom a little longer than the felt piece.  Take the end of the lining and turning it under I sewed 1 piece of lining to each felt piece along the bottom.

6.  Turning the felt pieces so that right sides are facing each other and the right side of the lining is facing out – pin and sew along the edge.  I did a 3/4″ seam.  I then trimmed along the seams.

7. Turn the piece right side out.  Now you need to do the a handle.  I chose to use some glass beads.  Finding the center point on the top of the cozy – I strung beads and secured on the inside.  The tea cozy was done!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

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Happy, Happy Birthday to Stella!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by simply0637
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Birthday Dinner

 

Stella’s turned 8 over the weekend and it was a continuous birthday celebration.  Dinner Friday night at her favorite restaurant, Saturday was her actual birthday party and Monday is the celebration at school.

 

 

Her party Saturday was at the local bowling alley – the kids had a great time bowling, laughing, playing and just having fun.   They all had great scores, the side bumpers didn’t hurt.  After bowling for about an hour, it was off for the food and cake.  It is so interesting to listen to the different conversations that the kids had.    The cake was a Carvel cake, which  brought back memories for me of birthday parties from long ago, with an ice cream cake with the cookie crumbs in between the layers of ice cream – it was so special to have a Carvel cake for your birthday!  For a birthday gift – the bowling had all the kids sign a bowling pin, what a great idea!

Stella decided that she wanted chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting for her school birthday party.  Many of the kids have allergies, but I am not sure what they are – I do know that one of Stella’s friends, who has been in her class a couple of years – is allergic to so many things, that they usually have to call her mom and let her know what the ingredients are or send it home.  One of her allergies is to eggs, but I could not remember if she was also allergic to dairy.  I took an eggless cupcake recipe and made some changes to it.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
1 3/4 cup milk or water (I used milk)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl Vinegar
1/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan.  Depending on how much you fill the cups this will yield 12 – 16 cupcakes or 2 round cake pans.

2. Mix all the ingredients together, except the chocolate chips.  Make sure it is well blended.

 

 

 

 

3. Add the chocolate chips and mix.

4.  Fill the cupcake cups.

5. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Vanilla Butter Frosting (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/28/vanilla-cupcakes-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbl vanilla

1. Cut up the butter and place in a bowl.  You can use a mixer or a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment.  I used a mixer.  On medium-high, cream the butter for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl a couple of times.

 

2. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar on low to medium.  Once it is all mixed in with the butter, increase the speed to high and whip it all together.

3. Add the vanilla and blend well.

 

4. Time to frost the cupcakes and decorate.  This recipe states that it is enough to frost 12 cupcakes, but we frosted 33 and had leftover.  You can store the leftover frosting in the refrigerator in a sealed bowl.  When you want to use again, bring it to room temperature and give it a quick whip with the mixer.

 

 

 

 

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Frying Up Some Pumpkin

Posted on November 11, 2011 by simply0637
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Right before Halloween, my neighbors Pasquale and Liz had their pumpkin stolen.  I can’t repeat how I was told my Pasquale, but I am sure that you can figure out some of the adjectives and descriptions.  He was so mad and he went all around the neighborhood looking for the stolen pumpkin.  I am sure it was some of the kids from the international exchange school up the road.  I asked him why was he so upset and was told that after Halloween they take the pumpkin and fry up the “meat”.  I had never heard of this and was very interested to learn how to do this and to taste it, so I told him that I would not carve my pumpkins and save them for him.  This week I had my lesson on preparing and frying up pumpkin meat.

 

 

Fried Pumpkin

 

 

1. Cut the top off the pumpkin and then cut the pumpkin in half.  Take out the stringy inside and then peel the skin off.  Peeling the skin off the larger pumpkin was a chore and I got a couple of nicks on my fingers.

 

 

 

 

2. Slice the pumpkin and place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  I let mine sit in the fridge for about 5 hours.

 

3. I then took my tray of pumpkin over to Pasquale and Liz’s house to watch and learn.  Now the pumpkin needed to be sliced.  As Liz and I struggled to do this, Pasquale had his words to say to us and then we put him to work.  Pasquale is a butcher so he made easy work of slicing the pumpkin.

4. Lay the slices in a colander and sprinkle some more salt on them.

5. Pour about 2″ of oil into a pan – we had 2 going, one for me and one for Liz.  Once the oil is good and hot, place as many slices as you can in the oil.  The color of the pumpkin will change slightly.  Turn the slices until both sides are lightly brown.  Place on a lined plate, either paper towel or paper bag.  I think we fried pumpkin for a good hour, if not longer!

 

I could not believe how good these were, none of us could stop eating them.  They are good right out the oil, ok, let them cool a little bit, sprinkled with a little bit of salt or really delicious with some vinegar.  Stella loved them.  There was no way that I could eat all the ones that they sent home with me.  I kept them covered and then the next night, lined a cookie sheet with some tin foil and placed them in the oven at 350 degrees, watch them because they cook fast – again they were delicious.  I don’t think I will ever carve another pumpkin, but keep them to do this after each Halloween.  I am not a huge fan of fried food, unless of course I am at Jazz Fest in New Orleans and then how could I not eat some fried food!, but every once in awhile it is great to indulge in some oil!

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Things to Put In Your Reusable Lunch Bag

Posted on November 10, 2011 by simply0637
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I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give a go at making reusable snack bags and sandwich wrappers.  I repurposed an old pair of Stella’s jeans, the quilt that Bernie, the dog, ripped and then some fabric leftover from a quilt I made awhile back.  I based the sandwich wrapper on one that we use and really like, the snack bags – I made one like the old fashioned sandwich bags, before zip lock and then some pocket ones.

Jean Sandwich Bag

Materials Needed

Old pair of jeans
A piece of scrap fabric
Thread to match
Sewing machine

1. Taking a pair of old children’s jean, cut the leg below the knee.  I kept the top part to make a purse later.  I then cut the piece – cutting the hem off and then cutting the leg into 2 pieces. Cut one piece 5″ (height) x 5 1/2″ (wide) and the other piece 7 1/2″ (height) x 5 1/2″ (wide)

 

 

2. Taking the smaller piece, turn the top over, once, press and then turn again, press and sew.  Making a nice finished edge.

 

3.  Taking the piece of some leftover fabric, I cut 2 pieces, the same width as the jean piece and 2 1/4″ in height.  Pinning right sides together, sew the length of the top and bottom, trim the seam, turn right side out and press.

 

4. Attach the fabric strip to the top of the shorter jean piece, just sewing across the top.

 

5. Using the same leftover fabric cut a piece 7 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.  Pin right side of leftover fabric to right side of larger jean piece.  Sew together, trim seam, turn right side out and press.

6.  Taking the smaller piece with fabric strip, place right side on top of the larger piece of jean, on jean only side.  Sew sides and bottom together, trim seams, turn out.

 

7. You will need to decrease the top of the larger piece so that it fits nicely into the baggy part.  I just turned the jean over the fabric and sewed a seam on both sides.

 

8. Taking the top part of the bag, place inside the baggy part and then flip the fabric strip over – this closes the bag just like the sandwich baggies before ziplocs.

 

Quilt Snack Pouches

Materials Needed

Old quilt
Velcro
Matching thread
Sewing Machine

1. These are simple and fast.  I made an assortment of sizes and the size depends on what you are going to put inside.  The quilt I used had a border, which I incorporated into my pouches and the “trim” looking top.  I cut 6 pieces – 2 pieces 5 3/4″ x 5″, 2 pieces 5 3/4″ x 5 3/4″ and 2 pieces – 7 3/4″ x 5 3/4″

2. I then cut 2 pieces of velcro (hook & loop) for each piece.  Making each piece of velcro almost as long as the width of the bag would be after sewing together.  I then pinned them on, with the top of the velcro about a 1/2″ from the top of the bag.  After pinning both sides on  I then put them together to make sure that they would line up once the bag was sewn together.

3. Sew the velcro on each piece.

 

4. Pin the right sides together and sew.  Trim seams and turn right side out.

 

5. Your bags are done – simple and useful!

Reusable Sandwich Wrappers

Materials Needed

Fabric
Plastic liner
Velcro
Matching thread
Sewing machine

I made 2 of these and will give the directions for both.  I based the pattern off a sandwich wrapper that we have and use frequently.  It is and octagon shape.  I am giving the measurement for the height and width and then you will have to go from there to make the octagon pattern. The wrapper is 12″ x 12″.

1.  I cut the quilt material the same size as the pattern, but the fabric I cut adding 1″ all the way around.

 

2. Cut the plastic liner the same size as the pattern.

 

 

3. Cut 2 pieces of velcro (hook and loop).  I cut mine about 2 1/2″ long.  Taking the rough part of the velcro place it vertically on the right side of the bottom of the sandwich wrapper.  Place it in the center of the wrapper with the bottom of the velcro about 1 1/4″ from the bottom.  Sew on.

Now I am going to split a little bit since the quilt sandwich wrapper was finished differently than the animal wrapper.

4 Quilt.   Placing the plastic lining on the wrong side of the quilt, along with paper on the plastic, sew around the edges of the wrapper leaving an opening at the top of the wrapper to turn it right side out.  Once you are done sewing, pull the paper off, trim seams and then turn right side out, this will take some patience – since the plastic sticks to itself.

4 Animal.  Place the plastic lining on the wrong side of the fabric.  With the fabric, turn twice to make a nice finish and pin.  When you get to the center of the top, cut a small incision in the fabric to place the soft piece of velcro.  Sew all the way around the wrapper.

 

 

 

 

5 Quilt.  Sew the opening of the top, securing the velcro.  Your quilt sandwich wrapper is done.

 

 

 

 

5 Animal.  Your sandwich wrapper is done.  What I like about these wrappers is that it also serves as a place mat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Making a Reusable Lunch Bag

Posted on November 9, 2011 by simply0637
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Since I started yesterday discussing school lunches, I figured I would continue with the school lunch theme.  Yet, another project that I wanted to do with one of the sweaters I felted and also for a Christmas gift was a reusable lunch bag – I figured now was the perfect time.  This project is a full weekend project or a several evening one.

How to Make A Reusable Lunch Bag

Materials Needed

1 large sweater, felted (see Turn a Sweater Into A Purse, October 2011 – for directions on felting a sweater)
Wool roving
Felting needle
Felting pad
Stencils
Matching thread
Cardboard box (for template)
Plastic for lining (can be purchased at fabric stores)
Velcro
Sewing machine

Directions

1. Felt sweater

2. Using a cardboard box cut out the template.  I re-used an UPS box. Cut out the front, back, side, bottom and pocket templates.
Measurements
Back 6 1/2″ x 14″
Front 6 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
Side 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
Bottom 9 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
Pocket 5 1/2″ x 5″

 

3. Cut out the felt pieces as follows: Back – 1 piece, Front – 1 piece, Sides – 2 pieces, bottom – 1 piece and pocket 1 piece.  Make sure you place them so you know which is which – I left them with the template pieces. I pretty much used the whole sweater.  Keep the pieces that you did not use – you will need for the strap.

 

4. I decided to do some needle felting on the lunch bag.  Chose an apple and a banana for the front – it is a lunch bag, hopefully for healthy food.  I put a BIG M on the back for the name of the recipient – figured it would be easy to find.  The pocket I was not sure what to do for a design, but with Stella’s help we decided on a tree (since were helping to save one), a bird and the sun.  It is hard to see what is the right and wrong side of the felt, but try to have all the pieces match by using the right side of the fabric.

5. Next is sewing the velcro on.  Cut 2 pieces of velcro (hook and loop) each about 3 1/2 ‘ long.  On the wrong side of the back piece of the bag, measure down from the top about 2″ and center, sew on.  On the right side of the front piece, measure about 1 1/4″ down from the top,center and sew on.

 

6. Now to sew the lunch bag together.  You want to stitch the wrong sides together – so the seam is showing as the edging.  Start by sewing the front and then the back to the bottom.  Then you will sew the sides to the bottom.  Starting from the bottom sew the sides to the front and back.

 

7. Decide which side you want the pocket on and then attach. I found that it was easier to attach by hand sewing, but that is up to you.  I sewed it by matching up the sides of the pocket with the inside seam of the lunch bag.

 

8. For the handle I chose to use the bottom of the sweater, the part that has ridges.  I cut mine 9″ x 2 1/2″.  Starting 2″ from the end I folded the pieces over and stopped 2″ from the other end.  I sewed the folded part together on the sewing machine. Then I pinned it on the top of the bag and sewed the ends on.

9.  I decided to line the inside of the my lunch bag with plastic, but you could choose not to.  I did figuring the the plastic would catch any spills and could be wiped or washed.  You will need to cut the following out of your plastic (this is usually found with the oil cloth at the fabric store).  Using the same templates that you used for the felted bag.  1 – bottom, 2 – sides and 2 – fronts.  The plastic comes lined with paper, keep the paper with the cut out pieces.  You will need to have the paper when you sew it on the machine, if not the  plastic will stick and the needle and foot will not move.

10. Sew the plastic pieces together.  Sew the front pieces to the bottom and then the sides.  Again, starting from the bottom up sew the front and back (which is really the other front) to the sides. Once you are done sewing, tear the paper off – it does so easily. Keep the paper, you will need to use in the next step.

 

11.  Place the plastic bag inside the felted bag.  You are now going to sew the top to the inside of the bag.  You will need to re-use some the paper you just ripped off.

 

Your bag is now done!

Lunch Bag with Liner

Back of Bag

Side of Bag

 

 

 

 

 

Your Reusable Lunch Bag

 

 

 

 

 

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School Lunch Incident

Posted on November 8, 2011 by simply0637
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I am not sure what the school lunches are like where you are, but ours have a lot to be desired!  Stella has tried school lunch a couple of times, pizza and mac and cheese and decided she never wanted to buy lunch again.  We pack her lunch and put thought into what goes into it.  The school has a policy that what is packed in a lunch needs to be nutritious and no junk food or sugary foods – but I think they should really look at what they serve the students.  I make a lot of what we eat and one time I made fruit bars and it was sent home because it was considered a sugary snack – I could not believe it!

This year Stella starts school at 7:30 which means that we eat breakfast at 7am.  There are 3 grades in her school and school let’s out at 2:10, so they have to have 3 lunch periods, since Stella is in the youngest grade they eat lunch first- at 10am!!!!  At 10am people are having brunch not lunch – I think it is really ridiculous. If they are lucky they get to have a working snack around 1pm, but depending on the day that does not always happen.  By the time Stella gets home or to after school she is STARVING and we do not eat dinner until about 6pm.

Each night Stella packs her lunch, which includes her water bottle, spoon, yogurt, cheese stick, 2 fruits (usually an apple (from our tree) and either apple sauce or cranberry sauce) , chips (usually pirate booty) and a snack – this week it is dried strawberries.

Stella came home from school yesterday telling me that she needed a $1, of course I asked why.  She told me that she had forgotten her lunch in her classroom and the teacher that had cafeteria duty would not let her go back to her classroom to get her lunch, but made her go to the office and borrow a dollar so she could buy lunch.  I was none too happy.  Stella’s classroom is 2 doors from the office, so that did not make any sense or the fact that she was not allowed to go and get her lunch, but had to buy lunch.  They are given 45 minutes to eat lunch and have recess, so by the time she had gone to the office, stood in line to buy lunch she had very little time to eat her lunch before she was shooed outside to recess.  I asked her what she had for lunch, since most every meal served is meat based, she told me a PB&J sandwich, banana and milk.  The milk is not organic, the banana was fine, but the sandwich is served on white bread and who knows what kind of jelly and peanut butter they use – I am sure they have sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup in their ingredients.  I was really upset and emailed her teacher, who was at a meeting so was not at school, but she said she would take it up with the office and that she could not understand why she was not allowed to go and get her own lunch, since she is well aware of my thoughts on food and nutrition.

Another thing that I have noticed this year is that many days Stella brings about half of her lunch home with her.  When asked why I am told that there was not enough time for her to eat her lunch before they were told to go outside for recess.  Now I believe in recess, but I also believe that children need to have proper nutrition and food in order to be at their best to learn.  Stella told me that they are told they have to go outside at a certain time, well I of course contacted the school on that policy and now I am told that the children can choose to finish their lunch before going out to recess and that they are not forced to go outside at a certain time.

We all want to believe that education and our children are important to our government and society, but it seems,yet again, it comes down to money.  If our children are the next generation, shouldn’t we be nourishing both their minds and their bodies?  Shouldn’t we be teaching them about supporting their local communities, that money and cost is not the only reason to choose to buy or not to buy something.  We have our schools failing, test scores decreasing, an abundance of overweight children and childhood diseases that are increasing at an alarming rate – it has to stop and we need to start supporting our children and the next generation every way we can – food being a top priority.  Check out this video http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/5429.html and also go to www.slowfoodusa.org.

And to end on a cheerier note – Stella’s artwork was chosen to be featured at the local library and there was a reception this weekend for all the artists.

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Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce

Posted on November 7, 2011 by simply0637
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I have been craving pumpkin raviolis ever since I made all the pumpkin puree awhile back.  I decided to take a short cut and use wonton wrappers instead of making the pasta myself.  This saved on time, especially since Stella had a soccer game Sunday afternoon.

 

Ravioli Face


Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree (can use can)
4 ozs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh, finely grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
Wonton wrappers
6 Tbl butter
Fresh sage
Bread crumbs

1. In a medium bowl, mash the pumpkin, cream cheese, parmesan, egg and some salt and pepper.  I found that I had to add some bread crumbs since I had used defrosted pumpkin puree and it was a little to liquidy.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3. On a cutting board or the counter – lie about about 16 wonton wrappers.  Spoon a tablespoon of the pumpkin mixture in the center of the wrapper.

 

4. Fill a small dish with water, using your finger rub water around the edge of the wonton wrapper. Place a wonton wrapper on top, pressing out the air and seal around the edges by pushing down – if it is not sealing use a little more water.   Place on the lined baking sheet.

5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

 

6. In a small saute pan, melt the butter over low heat – once the butter begins to brown add the sage, tearing the leaves.  After about 20 – 30 seconds, take the pan off the burner.  Let the sage infuse into the butter.

7. Working in batches, cook the ravioli in the boiling water until they float to the surface about 3 minutes.

8. Using a slotted spoon, take the ravioli out of the boiling water.  Place on plate and drizzle with butter sauce.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.  Grab a fork and enjoy!

Stella had so much fun helping me make these, actually she did most of the ravioli making.  Stella LOVED these and had 2 helpings!

 

 

 

 

 

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Ahh, Friday – Some Thoughts

Posted on November 4, 2011 by simply0637
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As I sit here and reflect back on the week – several items pop out, so I figured today I would take a moment to write about them.  I have posted on my recipes, crafts, gardening, etc, but not really on my day to day life – which is probably like a lot of yours.  My days are long and fully packed!  My hands or brain need to stay busy – so relaxation for me is knitting, reading, researching – now don’t get me wrong I do on occasion sit down, put my feet up and enjoy a good movie – probably not as often as I should.

So my thoughts for the week – you may not agree with them all, but this is what I have been doing this week and thinking about.

In the mornings here it is a mad rush to get ready and out the door for school.  Some mornings are more difficult than others.  One day this week was particularly difficult – Stella was being slower than normal and my patience was wearing thin and then I was brushing her hair to see that she had decided to cut her hair, almost to the scalp at the very center of her forehead hairline – that was the last straw for me – I lost it!  As I asked why she had done it and was told because – I had to walk out of the bathroom – I was upset, Stella was crying and telling me it was her hair and she could do with it what she wanted – WOW – that stopped me cold – she was right – it was her hair and if she wanted to cut it all off, she would be the one that had to live with it.  Sitting at the table eating breakfast – we decided to have a do-over morning – I quickly went through the morning, time to get up, brush teeth, are you dressed, breakfast is ready, etc. – this got us both laughing and changed the mood for the rest of the day.

With all the news about OWS (Occupy Wall Street) – I have thought about the difference between the 1% and then most of us.  There is only so much that can be sucked out of us to keep benefiting the ultra rich and GIGANTIC corporations.  Today, I will be going to close my accounts with 2 big banks and open an account with a local credit union.  A friend of mine who is very involved in OWS told me to leave$0.99 in my accounts – so the bank is aware of why I closed the account, will they care?  If enough of us speak with our money – maybe they will get the hint – look what the petition did to get Bank of America to cancel their plans to charge $5 a month for use of your debit card?! Here is a great quote I came across: “Washington is a place where men praise courage and act on elaborate personal cost-benefit calculations.” – J.K. Galbraith

Now I come to food – when did it become ok for the government to tell me what I could and could not grow or consume?  Or control what type of seeds could be used in farming?  Probably when lobbying became more important to their fundraising than what is important to the people they represent.  I would really like to be able to by raw milk products, but in the state of New York it is illegal.  I could travel to Connecticut, but then I would not be supporting my local farmers.  I am sure that you can find articles where farmers have had their farms raided and been told that they do not have the choice to consume what they produce.   Check this article out for case in point: http://www.anh-usa.org/judge-to-work-for-monsanto-law-firm/ So I am trying to support my own beliefs – I now have my milk, eggs, and other dairy products delivered to my door from local farms – in glass bottles none the less and am pretty much only buying organic products – yes I have had to look at my grocery budget – but do I really want to keep putting GMO’s and chimeicals into my body or Stella’s – NO!

This is probably enough, but just one more thought.  I was trying to remember this week when the last time was that I put gas in my car.  I am fortunate to live in area that I can walk to many things, but when I was working I would go to other stores that seemed more convenient, but really did not go along with my philosophy or what I talk about with others – support local.  Was it really convenience or was it cost?  The bigger chains offer lower prices – mainly because they can buy in bigger bulk – which cuts their cost.  Now that I am not full time employed – I look at how I spend my money and my time and found that I am supporting my local businesses more and more – and I get to walk there!  If I can not find an item at one of my local businesses I am more likely now to go on line and find a company that I support their business philosophy than to go to one of the chains near me.

So off to finish the laundry and to the banks!  So since no pictures today – I will leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes and hopefully they will produce pictures in your mind as you think about them!

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. – Henry David Thoreau

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?  Satchell Paige

Had there been a computer a hundred years ago, it would probably have predicted that by now there would be so many horse-drawn vehicles it would be impossible to clear up all the manure.  K. William Kapp

Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination. Roy M. Goodman

 

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The Oatmeal Is Ready!

Posted on November 3, 2011 by simply0637
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What better way to start the day than with some hot oatmeal!  And even better is that this oatmeal cooks while you are sleeping in your crock pot.  My Aunt shared this recipe with us and I made it for the first time Sunday morning – when the snow was on the ground and something warm was needed to get the chill out after getting out of a warm bed.  I do not have a timer on my crock pot, but I invested in a timer that I can plug it into .  The original recipe said to cook for 7 – 9 hours, but I found that was too long in my crock pot and that about 4 1/2 hours was perfect.

Slow and Delicious Oatmeal

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/4 c maple syrup or brown sugar (optional – we used brown sugar – not packed)
1 Tbl melted butter or coconut oil (we used butter,  but once I can replenish our supply of coconut oil – will use that – having a hard time finding it)
1/4 tsp salt (used sea salt)
1/2 t cinnamon (I don’t measure and just shake on)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped apple (we do some with the skin)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I substituted dried, unsulfered apricots)

 

1. Grease your crock pot – I use butter.

2. Measure out all the ingredients and cut the apple – mix together in the crock pot.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Cook on low (I do about 4 1/2 hours, but the time will depend on your crock pot – recipe states 7 – 9 hours or overnight). Set the timer. Don’t forget to unplug the timer once you are done – it will keep drawing electricity.

 

 

4. Enjoy some extra time in the morning and a hot breakfast!

This recipe makes enough for Stella and me to have it for 2 days.  The leftover from day one is placed in a bowl in the fridge – the next morning I put it in the steamer and heat up.

 

 

 

 

Stella LOVES this oatmeal.  In the winter we switch over to oatmeal – usually I soak it overnight, cook in the morning, add flax meal, a little bit of cinnamon, brown sugar and some dried fruit (nuts in mine) – but I think this will be the new recipe we use for the winter.  I am going to try throwing in some of the dried blueberries that I preserved this summer – probably when I get up in the morning, which is an hour before we eat.  Will also try some flax added to it.  Highly recommend this one!

 

 

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Posted in Recipes | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Getting the Garden Ready for A Long Winter Nap!

Posted on November 2, 2011 by simply0637
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I started prepping the garden for winter last week and ran out of time – looking at the extended weather forecast I figured I could finish this past weekend since it said Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the high 50’s.  I went about my week, then on Friday morning I was checking my emails and read one from Stella’s soccer coach saying that practice may be cancelled on Saturday because rain and snow was expected.  SNOW – was he joking!?  I  checked the weather and YES we were under a winter storm warning for Saturday, with the possibility of 3-5″ of snow.  It was a mad rush to change my plans for Friday so that I could finished putting the garden to bed.  I was a mad woman, running errands, going to a scheduled meeting and then home.

I needed to harvest the sweet potatoes, which I had attempted to do 2 weeks earlier, but felt the potatoes were too small and needed some more time.  The yield was a little disappointing and will not get us through the winter.  Last year we had soooo many that I add some leftover come spring to sprout for plants and gave some away – not this year.  I will put a couple aside to start plants with for next year, but none will be shared.  Sweet potatoes are a tropical plant and I think because our summer was not that hot, compared to last summer, that the crop did not do as well – could also have to do with the fact that I put them in the ground later this year than last.  I was able to cure them in the sun for a couple of hours and am hoping to put them back out in the sun before I put them up.

Then it was off to the carrots – I had harvested one bed during the week, but still had another bed to go.  I love the smell of fresh picked carrots!  Hard to explain, but if you have never grown carrots and buy from the farmers market or store – trying growing some – you will not go back – the smell, color and flavor – wonderful!

 

 

 

 

Earlier in the week I cut the heads off the sunflowers and put them to dry.  I will use the seeds again next year and give some away.  I am also going into Stella’s classroom since they are doing the plant cycle in science and will bring the heads in to show the kids about the seeds and saving them for the following year.  I do not dry and roast the seeds, but if I keep getting the size of the heads I have been getting – may be something that I need to start doing.

 

 

 

 

Now to prep the beds – to the composter I went, filling bucket after bucket of compost to add to the beds.  That done – I turned the soil, which also aerates it, pulled out any old plants and weeds, took out the markers and put all that away for next year.  I cut back my perennials, brought the geraniums down to the basement – going to try and winter them and the other plants into the house – where to put them -that is another issue, but things will get moved around and they will find their winter home delightful.  Looking at the yard now – a little depressing.

 

 

 

 

I remembered to plant the garlic this year – finally after 3 years, I will have garlic come next year!  Very exciting.

The forecast said that the snow was to start in the evening on Saturday, but about 11am the snow started and it kept coming – big, wet flakes.  Within in an hour it was covering the ground.  I went to bed at 11pm and it was still snowing!  When it was all said and done we had about 10″ of snow!  Glad I did everything I did not Friday.

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Posted in Garden | Tagged , , | 2 Comments