Thankful Thursday: You Can Do Anything Embroidery Pattern

Fall is the season that many people focus on what they are thankful for.

 I am trying to do that everyday, all year long. 

This has been a huge year for growth and learning for me. I have learned tons of new crafty things which makes me incredibly happy. I was made to make things. I truly believe that that is my purpose.

In the spirit of making things, it is also play season for me. I am the only full-time adult with a large group of students. It can become overwhelming at times. I am also a bit of a control freak, so I have never been comfortable asking for help. This year though I am breaking that habit. I designed this embroidery pattern to remind myself that you can be a super woman without being a superwoman.

 Asking for help does not mean that you are weak. It means that you know your limitations.

You can download the pattern to remind you as you face your challenges.

How Tuesday: DIY Seed Tape

April showers bring May flowers, so now that it is May--bring on the garden!
There are times when I really enjoy getting my hands down in the earth and planting seeds and bulbs.
There are other times when I just want to get things in the ground.

I love the idea of seed tape, especially for tiny seeds like lettuce. The problem is that commercially-produced tapes are so expensive. This handmade tape is simple and inexpensive--a great craft to do with the kids!

Supplies: Cornstarch, water, crepe paper, seeds, paint brush

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup of water and heat over medium heat.
Stir frequently until a gel forms. This is your seed glue! 

Lay out you crepe paper--use white or kraft paper so
the colors don't bleed.

Dot the paper at intervals (as indicated by your seed packet)
with the cornstarch glue. Place your seed on top.

In the case of lettuce seeds, I just sprinkled them on top.

Fold the paper over to enclose the seed.
After the glue dries, roll them to prepare for planting.

Dig a furrow and you are ready to go!

Sunday Funday: Lace Bowls

Today is a simple post, a simple craft, and a simple joy. Now I can look at lace everyday without feeling like I am a doll or a Mrs. Havisham.

Using a lace bowl to display shells that we collected
on our last vacation.

Choose bowls of several sizes to match your doilies
or pieces of lace. Cover entirely with plastic wrap.

Totally saturate the entire doily in liquid starch.
I looked at the local grocery stores, pharmacies,
and Target and had to resort to buying it at Wal-Mart.

Drape each saturated piece of lace of the bowl
to mold it. Smooth down and shape as necessary.

A beautiful way to display items throughout the house.\\
I am using one for bananas in my kitchen :)

Sprucing up my storage: DIY Lace Ladies

As I may have mentioned earlier this week,  I may have an extensive lace collection. My favorite pieces are old and handmade, but they were languishing away in a storage box and not really being enjoyed or appreciated. That is until I came across this post by Creative Carmelina! 


I used her general idea, but utilized different ladies from The Graphics Fairy and slightly different materials and I am very pleased with the results!

I feel all fancy now. They are on display in my sewing area
to inspire me while I work.

I sized the graphics on my computer and printed them out in color.
It would also be fun to play around with sepia and back and white.

I attached each image to a heavier backing with a glue stick.
I did the first two on illustration board, but it was VERY difficult
to get clean  cuts. I applied the rest to a recycled shirt box from
my wrapping stash.

I added a 4 inch (okay, except for one that messed up) "leg"
portion to wrap the lace around.

Part of the stash! I used a tiny piece of tape to adhere
it to the legs and them put a pin in it to secure the end to the
rest of the lace.

Ready to display and enjoy!

Foodie Friday: Seasonal Feast

One of the best things about warmer weather is the food--lighter, greener, somehow tastier.
A picnic is one of the best ways to celebrate the season. 


Today, I am very pleased to be collaborating with Sara of The Cozy Herbivore on this delicious meal. Sara's recipes are always a delight for all the senses. Her food looks as lovely as it tastes. Fresh and seasonal are the words of the day.


For the main course, I was very happy to have the chance to make a wonderful asparagus tart for Food Network Magazine. Asparagus is one the world' most perfect foods and the spring is the time to indulge. 

Asparagus and Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 1/2 pound), thawed
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 cup grated comte or gruyere cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To accompany this yummy tart, I really recommend The Cozy Herbivore's Arugula Salad with Stinging Nettle Dressing and Quick-Pickled Radishes.

Sara says, "The peppery arugula pairs nicely with the mild green taste of the stinging nettle dressing and the sour crunch of the radishes. Please take care in handling fresh stinging needles-- always wear heavy gloves and use tongs to transfer fresh nettles to cooking water. I have included directions for blanching the nettles to remove the stinging silica hairs that contain formic acid, which is an incredible skin irritant. Makes: enough for 2 salads, with dressing leftover for tomorrow's lunch!" 

Ingredients:

for the pickles:

~2 small or 1 large cherry radish, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced into rounds

~1/4 cup champagne vinegar

~1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin

~pinch of sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

for the dressing:

~1 1/2 cup loosely packed blanched stinging nettles (see instructions below)

~1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar

~2 tablespoons mellow miso paste

~2 tablespoons agave nectar

~pinch of sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

~about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

to put it all together:

~2 handfuls fresh arugula

~2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese, divided

~2 teaspoons sunflower seeds or pepitas, divided

Directions:

1. Make the pickles: in a shallow bowl, combine champagne vinegar, mirin, sea salt & pepper. Place sliced radishes in bowl and set aside.

2. Assemble dressing. To blanch the nettles: bring a large stockpot of salted water to a rapid bowl. Place a bowl of ice water next to the stove. Using tongs, carefully submerge fresh stinging nettles in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove nettles from boiling water with tongs and immediately submerge in ice bath. Remove nettles from ice bath and place on a clean kitchen towel. Roll nettles up in kitchen towel and squeeze all excess moisture out. (The blanching water can be drunk as a tincture-- stinging nettle tea is a diuretic and is said to reduce inflammation)

3. Place blanched nettles, apple cider vinegar, miso paste, agave nectar, salt & pepper in a stand blender. With the blender running, carefully stream in olive oil until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Assemble salad: remove radishes from vinegar and discard vinegar. Toss fresh arugula in a couple tablespoons dressing. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, pickled radishes and sunflower seeds. Soak up that sunshine!

I can't wait for Sara to share more recipes with us. Follow her blog and/or on Facebook. You won't be sorry!

A refreshing way to wash it all down is Spiced Sun Tea. I love it and drink it all the time.

Ingredients:

8-10 tea bags (to make it even spicier I use Sunset Spice tea bags!)

1 3/4-inch piece peeled ginger, sliced thin (also, include any juice that oozes out while you slice it)

2 3-inch pieces of cinnamon stick 

10 whole cloves 

2 whole allspice 

7 cups water

Directions:

Place tea bags, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger and allspice into a clear container. I put my spices into a a muslin sachet so I don't have to strain it, but so what you prefer!

Add water, cap the bottle or jar, and set in a bright, sunny spot. Allow to steep for a few hours.. Personally, I like to brew it for as long as possible to get the strongest flavors.

Shake, then strain directly into pint glasses over ice. Sweeten with honey, if you'd like. Serve with lime and orange slices.

This is NOT what my Jeweler's Saw Was Made For: DIY Solar Jars

I am a big believer that just because something is functional doesn't mean that it has has to be ugly. I manage to spruce up many of the mundane items in my house just because I have to look at them all the time! I cover storage cans and jars with fancy paper, I stencil adorable animals onto my note paper, I match the curtains to the table legs in my studio. 


It is almost "stay outside as long as possible season" and I am looking forward to hours spent wrist-deep in the dirt and evenings basking in the glow of a hard days work and now, the light coming from my solar jars.


Like most people that I know, I have a batch of utilitarian solar lots from the big chain stores. Handy and functional, but not very attractive. Recently while browsing around pinterest I saw photos of these jars and decided to give them a try. Some aspects were a little trickier than anticipated, but I love the results!

My first finished beauty in the zen garden.

Okay, so this project has 2 decidedly tricky bits:
extracting the light mechanism and finding the right jar.
I tried to cut out the light and the solar panel with snips, scissors, an exacto,
a box cutter, a steak knife, and finally had success with my jeweler's saw.

After FINALLY extracting the lighting bit, it is time to mount it in the jar.
I used a swing top jar from IKEA that I had in the pantry, but think you could
also use an inverted wide mouth mason jar. It would be trickier since the light has to
charge the panel through the glass, but if you jar was wide enough and the light
narrow enough it would work. I hot glued my mechanism to the inside of the lid after making sure it
would close properly.

Many people use glass frosting spray once the have mounted the light, but
I layered a piece of vellum and a strip of brightly colored
tissue paper instead. If you wanted to make these for a party or
wedding you could use coordinating tissue.
In my next round, I may decoupage different colors of tissue
inside the jar for a mosaic look.

I popped into the pantry to see how the
jar would look at night. I am very pleased with
the result. I look forward to completing the set!

WIP Wednesday: Sleeping on Sunshine

Another sunny day here in CNY, another day at the physical therapist., another day without a run. 
I am not going to dwell on it--I am am going to embrace the sunshine. 


Right now, I am working on a fun new throw pillow for my bed that will have me thinking sunny thoughts:

I have embroidered the front of the pillow using several stitches,
including the back stitch, split stitch, whipped back stitch and
french knots. The beams are 4 different shades of yellow on an
orange cotton background.

I will be using the yellow cotton on the back and will be
doing the blanket stitch along the edge for some additional
decorative interest. I MAY attempt to put in a band between the front
and back.

I think it will look great nestled among my other handmade pillows and shams.
Check back Saturday when I hope to post the finished product!!

Foodie Friday: Spring Date Night Pizza

Friday night is date night in our house. And sometimes, the best dates are the ones where we just stay home and relax. This week, it was a pizza and Netflix kinda night. 


I am gluten sensitive, some I made a crust using a GF mix from Bob's Red Mill but there are tons of great recipes out there. You could also grab pre--made dough or crusts at your local grocery store. 

Ingredients

-Pizza dough or crust

-olive oil

-minced garlic

-asparagus

-heirloom tomatoes

-mushrooms

-roasted red peppers

-goat cheese (two 3 oz. tubes)

-basil

Instructions

-Prepare crust (I blind-baked mine at 425 for 7 minutes before topping)

-Slather the garlic-infused oil onto the baked crusts

-Slice tomatoes and mushrooms

-Rip basil

-Shave asparagus (I used a veggie peeler...you could also slice)

-Layer one tube of goat cheese over oil

-Add tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, and peppers

-Sprinkle on asparagus shavings

-Top with 2nd  tube of goat cheese

-Bake for 12-15 minutes

Since I didn't want sauce to mask the flavors of the
other ingredients, I chose a tasty heirloom tomato as the base.
The Orange Blossom tomato just melts into the crust! 

Crust, resting and getting ready to roll.

Garlic-infused olive oil that I brushed onto the crust before

Everything ready to go!

Pretty as a picture.

Ready and delicious. Bring on the Mad Men, the comfy couch, and my sweetie!

Other Topping Ideas

-Pesto, tomato, and yellow squash

-Gruyere and roasted mushrooms

-Ricotta and roasted broccolini