Christmas 2011 Crafted Gifts!!

This year I had tons of ideas to hand make gifts for people, all of which included sewing.  Now I haven't been sewing that long, but I seem to be getting better with each project.  The first thing I completed was for my sister in law, Lydia, who loves the Atlanta Falcons.  Last year at their grandparents', her grandmother had made me a tote bag that Lydia also really liked, and I asked for the pattern to try to make it one day.  So when Lydia said she'd like something Falcons related, I knew instantly that I'd make her this bag for Christmas.  When my sister was here for Thanksgiving, she saw it too and thought it was really awesome, and now wants one for the New York Jets. lol.  Maybe for her birthday....this year she got something else (further down on this post).  And maybe one day I'll make myself a Hokie one!  Here is the bag, took me about 2 days to make it.

So the next project I worked on was for my mother in law Susan for Christmas.  Again, I got this idea from her parents' house at Christmas last year.  They had this really cute placemat/table runner set that was snowmen and was quilted.  So my idea was to make her a table set, but I didn't exactly know what fabric I wanted until I went to the quilt store.  I saw this striped snowflake pattern and loved it!  (I love snowflakes anyway, and this was really cute.)  Then I found a complimentary fabric to use with it, along with a stencil to do the quilting.  Second project ever to actually quilt, and it turned our really well I think!  Final product was 1 table runner (more like a table center piece) and 6 placemats.  Only 4 are in the picture because there wasn't enough room on my craft table lol.  Here are a bunch of pictures:

And last but not least is a New York Jets santa for my sister Ashley.  I searched forever to try to find a decent Jets fabric to use, but all of the team logo fabrics were way to "cheeky" to use for a nice old-time Santa Claus, so I went with using the Jets' colors instead, and then made a Jets football for him to hold.  For the football, we found an ornament at Hobby Lobby (my favorite store ever!!) and then spray painted it white, and painted "Jets" on it with some green accents.  Maybe once I get to NY next summer, I'll find something else to accessorize him with, but we'll see.  Here is the Santa, made in a day.  And I finally took the time this go-around to make templates so future Santa's won't take nearly as long, or use as much material!  :-)

That concludes my Christmas gift post.  If you see anything you like, let me know!  :-)

Another Baby Project Completed!

It seems like all of our friends are expecting these days, which is great!  I love making baby stuff, and especially had a great time making these items for our friends Adam and Nicole.  They are expecting their first child about mid January. 

The first is a baby afghan, in a square for swaddling should they choose.  I was sneeky when I asked her what colors she was thinking for the nursery.  We had gone to a quilt shop to get fabric for my mother-in-law's Xmas gift (next post), and I just brought it up so she could show me about the shades she was thinking in the fabric. :-)  Then I got some yarn and started right away!   Here is the afghan, measuring about 30" square, using the Caron Simply Soft brand.  And after you wash it, it is soooo soft!

Entire blanket

Close up of the mini squares

Close up of the edging

So with her green theme, she wanted to add some brown in there as well, but the brown I found just wasn't the right shade, hence the shades of green.  But when I think of that color combination, I think trees, and then the thought to make a monkey popped into my head!  So I searched online, and found a free crochet pattern to make a sock monkey.  Rather than making him brown, I used more green to match the blanket and it was super cute in a different color.  Here he is!!  I think he's just adorable. :-)

And I hardly ever get to take pictures of the couples with the gifts I make for them, but I was fortunate enough to give this to them in person, and snag 'em for a picture!  :-)

Breakfast Casserole! Mmmm....

I love breakfast casseroles, but I really dislike the ones that have that sponge-like texture to them.  It's a weird consistency and kind of gross in my opinion.  Then one day for a food day when I worked at the bank in KS, my friend Katy brought in this one.  I had to have her recipe!  It's so tasty, no sponges, and even has a slight kick to it!  Yummy Yummy!  So here is the recipe, along with a picture.  You can prepare it the night before as well (except for the eggs and cream part, do that in the morning).  Just make, let all ingredients cool before combining, stick in the fridge and complete the eggs and cream part in the morning, bake as directed! (I had to do this for Thanksgiving since I didn't want to get up at 5 AM just to make breakfast lol) Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

·         1 bag frozen hashbrowns

·         2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese

·         2 cups shredded Colby/Monterey jack cheese

·         1 pint whipping cream

·         6 eggs

·         2/3 cup butter, melted

·         Breakfast meat of choice, I use about 1 ½ packages of Jimmy Dean’s Sage sausage in the roll

Directions:

1.       Put hashbrowns in a 13x9 pan and pour melted butter on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

2.      Brown/cook the breakfast meat.

3.      Layer cheese over hashbrowns then add breakfast meat.

4.      Mix eggs and cream and pour on top of casserole.

5.      Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Thanksgiving (Finally!)

Okay so I know it's been a while since Thanksgiving rolled around, but I've been busy! 

My sister Ashley flew in from VA all the way out here to AZ to come visit, and my grandparents came into town as well (they're already in AZ, just a little drive to get here).  They visited for a few days before and after Thanksgiving, so we got to spend lots of family time together.  We went wine tasting once before, and once after Thanksgiving, which was fun (there isn't a lot to do around here anyway!) and we found a great white wine from Kief-Joshua Vineyards for Thanksgiving dinner....while Ashley oggled the one owner behind the counter, who reminded me of one of my brother's friends from HS.  Anyway, sorry Ash, I think he's got a girlfriend. :-p  Here's a picture of an American flag blowing in the wind right outside of Sonoita Vineyards and their picturesque view:

So Thanksgiving Day came around, and with 5 adults to feed, I had to come up with something that would be somewhat easy to make in the morning.  I decided on a breakfast casserole recipe from my friend Katy in KS and always popular cinnamon rolls!  (The breakfast casserole recipe will be in a separate post for easy searching later.)  Here's a picture of breakfast!

Now time to stuff the turkey!!  This was Chris's job, since we got a ginormous 26 pound bird this year!  We had to put the roasting pan and rack in the sink in order to get it all in there without having a turkey wind up on the kitchen floor!  Check out the wingspan on this thing!

And now for the finished product after many hours of cooking, along with our dining room table set up and all the deliciousness of the serving table:

And what Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be complete without some dessert??  I had to yoink these pictures from my sister because apparently we didn't take any of the desserts.  They were all so delicious!! :-)

And thus concluded our Thanksgiving Day...and I will leave you with a picture our puppy (small horse), Lane, snuggling on Ashley's lap (who you can't see lol).  

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and pumpkin pie is a standard dessert for the American population for this holiday.  I am not a fan of pumpkin pie....the flavors are nice, but the consistency is gross to me.  I believe I made this for the first time two years ago for a food day at the bank in KS....they were my guinea pigs since I had never made it before.  It had rave reviews and lots of people asked for the recipe.  I made another one about a week later to share with my family for the holiday and now I make it every year.  My hubby likes the pie, so if he really wants it, he can make it, but I will always make the cheesecake.  Here is the picture, and the recipe.  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! :-)

Mmmm!!  One of my favorite cheesecakes. :-)

Ingredients:

·         1 ½ cups crushed gingersnap cookies

·         1/3 cup butter, melted

·         2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened

·         ¾ cup white sugar, divided

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         3 eggs

·         1 cup canned pumpkin

·         ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies and butter.  Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides, of a 9 inch springform pan.  Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Set aside to cool.

2.      In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and vanilla extract just until smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each one.  Set aside ¾ cup of the mixture.  Blend ¼ cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

3.      Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top.  Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4.      Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan.  Allow to cool before removing pan rim.  Allow cheesecake to cool completely before chilling at least 4 hours before serving.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

So here's another crock pot recipe for all you folks out there.  I only have one picture of it finished in the CP, but trust me it tastes pretty good! :-)  I made this on Monday, November 21, 2011 to welcome my sister and grandparents on their arrival to spend the holiday with us.  If you make it, I hope you enjoy! :-)

Finished Dinner

Ingredients:

·         2 large chicken breast

·         1 lb potatoes

·         2 carrots, sliced

·         2 stalks of celery, sliced

·         ½ med to large onion, diced

·         4 cups of chicken broth

·         1 ½ TBSP flour

·         ¾ TBSP dried thyme leaves

·         ¾ TBSP garlic powder

·         ½ bag frozen peas

·         1 ½ cup Bisquick

·         ½ cup milk

·         2 TBSP melted butter

·         1 TBSP snipped chives

·         2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.       In a 4 quart crock pot (or larger), mix potatoes, carrots, celery and onions.  In a bowl, combine the chicken broth, flour, dried thyme and garlic powder until smooth.  Pour over vegetables in the crock pot.

2.       Add the chicken, put the lid on and cook on low 6-7 hours.

3.       Chicken will be done; remove and shred.  Return chicken to crock pot and stir to combine.

4.       In a bowl, combine Bisquick with milk, butter, chives, and parmesan cheese.  Mix until combined; do not over mix. 

5.       Turn crock pot on High.  Add frozen peas and stir to combine.  Drop spoonfuls of dumpling mix into the crock pot (this will be more difficult with a smaller crock pot, works pretty well in my 6 quart size).  Cover and cook additional 30 minutes.  Dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted into the dough removes cleanly.

Crock Pot Brunswick Stew

Although the first two posts were about crafty projects, I think most of my posts will be about recipes.  I do crafty stuff all the time, but completed projects take a while to finish, and then have to get to the people I made them for first.  Recipes are much faster, so here's my first recipe post.

Even though we're currently in the desert in AZ, I really wanted to find a good recipe for Brunswick Stew since it is Fall and I wanted it to feel more like Fall (and not the 80 degree weather that's outside the door).  I did a Google search and after looking at a bunch of different recipes, I came across this one, funny enough, from some other lady's blog.  She had created it from two other recipes and said it was the most authentic version she's tried.  Well after reading the ingredients, it did sound really good, so I decided to try it.  Let's just say, it is delicious!  The friends we had over that night really liked it too!  It makes TONS though!  It filled my 6 quart Crock Pot, and after 4 adults (2 of them Army guys) I still have about 7 cups leftover!  This is great for a big crowd, or you can make it and freeze some for another day.  Here's the recipe as I made it:

So if you decide to try it, let me know what you think! :-)

Ingredients:

·         3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of fat

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         Approx 5 medium sized red potatoes, chopped

·         2 carrots, chopped

·         1 - 9 ounce package frozen lima beans

·         1 - 9 ounce package frozen corn

·         1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

·         2 cups chicken broth

·         3 tablespoons brown sugar

·         1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce (or another one of your choice)

·         10 ounces bottled chili sauce (Heinz or store brand)

·         1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

·         2 tablespoons cider vinegar

·         2 teaspoons dry mustard

·         1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

·         1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

·         3 tablespoons butter cut up into pieces

The prep area and ingredients

Directions:

1)      Season trimmed pork with salt and pepper and place in 6 quart slow cooker.

2)     Add chopped onion, potatoes and carrots, frozen lima beans and corn, tomatoes, chicken broth, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce, and butter.

3)     Cook on low 8 hours. 

4)      Remove pork from slow cooker and shred. Return shredded meat to slow cooker and stir, cooking about another hour on low.

5)      Serve with corn bread or a biscuit!

The finished product.  Mmmm Mmmm!!

More Past Projects

I found the rest of my pictures!  Some of them were on my phone and some on my camera that hasn't been downloaded in months.  So here's the rest of what I have pictures of....

The Alabama Santa Claus....I knew I had a picture somewhere!  I must not have had my camera handy and used my phone instead.  It's hard to make it look collegiate when Bama's colors are red and white...so he just looks more like a Christmas Santa Claus....but trust me, the intention was Bama.

This next one is the first baby blanket I successfully completed and it stayed together after washing!  I tried another one, but it didn't work very well and fell apart, so I made this one instead.  This was completed around February 2011 for my friend Charlene, whose little girl Brynn was born the end of March.  It's white sparkly yarn for the main part, and a mint green for the trim to match the car seat/stroller they bought.  The flower colors are purple and white for K-State.

My first Santa Claus I made....a VT Santa as a tree topper for my Christmas Tree.  I love the orange fabric on this one, and I completed it sometime in the fall of 2009 because I had it on my tree while Chris was deployed that year. 

It was the same year I made my Mom and her husband Daniel a Coca Cola Santa Claus, however I did not take any pictures of it for some reason.  The next year, 2010, I had enough Coca Cola fabric leftover to make them a Mrs Claus for Christmas, and I did take a picture of her.  All the same materials as the Santa were used, so I'm sure they look really cute together!

And the last one for this entry is a VT baby quilt I made for our friends Sam and Becky who are expecting their first child the end of this month.  They've chosen to wait to find out the gender until the baby is born, and since they both went to VT, I thought this was the perfect gender-neutral gift.  They have already recieved it so I can post it now.  I completed it at the end of October 2011, and as my very first quilting attempt, I think it turned out pretty well.

I think this concludes all the past projects I have pictures of.  When I started all this, I didn't think I'd make that many so I guess I didn't think I'd need pictures.  I've been taking them ever since, and once a project has been completed and given to the intended person, I will post it here for you to see. 

Happy creating!

A Few Past Projects

So here are a few past projects I've done, but not nearly all of them.  I'll have to find the pictures of the others somewhere.  This first one is a scarf I crocheted for a friend at Landmark National Bank, Brenda S.  One of my first crochet projects completed!  I believe it was around the timeframe of February 2010 because I finished it for her birthday.

This next one is the Mrs Claus I made for my mother in law, Susan, for Christmas 2010.  It is Auburn colors since she works for Auburn University.  I also made an Alabama Santa Claus because her husband Bill is an avid Bama fan....not sure why I don't have a picture of that one though....anyway, here is the Mrs. Claus.

When I worked at Landmark National Bank, my last Christmas there (2010) they decided to play Secret Santa and Judy C was who I picked.  This was really fun because she and I were the only ones from our floor who played and we worked close to each other, so trying to bring stuff in was tricky.  Her final gift (it was a 3 day thing with small things the first 2 days) was a Kansas State colored stuffed Christmas tree with silver bells.  Here it is!

And last but not least from this set of pictures, is a Santa Claus I made for my very good friend Becky W, who I also met at Landmark.  At one point, she posted on FB a status about making 5 things for friends during the year, and if you wanted something you had to post the same thing on your FB.  So I signed up for it and she wanted something from me too....I knew I had to get this done before we moved to AZ in June 2011 because I didn't want to mail it, and although it took her forever to "decide," I think I knew all along she wanted a K-State themed Santa Claus....so here he is. :-)  Completed in May 2011.

That's all I have for now...I know I have more pictures somewhere, so I'll have to dig them out and post later. 

Happy creating!