Sewing a New Kind of Teaching Career

Still in teaching. But really, I like to teach what I like! Sewing! Knitting! You know, fun stuff!
(not to put y'all in a dizzy, I'm still heading back to school between the 12th and 17th of August. Sad panda.)
Anyway my friend Cami sewed for the first time since 7th grade home ec yesterday!


She also practiced pinning, learned to rotary cut, and about 1/4 inch seams!


Look at her beautiful pillowcase!


Who's jealous?
Also I made Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini!


I hallowed out the squash, cooked some sausage, onion, carrot, an celery.


Chopped it up.


Added some Parmesan and stuffed the squash!
No pictures because we ate it all up before I remembered! It was delish! The only thing that would make it better is a dairy light way to make t stick all together. The sausage kept falling out! Any ideas?

Lastly, I finished another skirt!
I wore it to Pinkberry where I met up with some of my co workers from last summer!


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Skirting Around the Issue, and Giveaway 2

My cousin Jacquie and Jenny over at Bobbins and Boys have been making some pretty fantastic clothes. I'll be honest. Clothes scare me. Sure I'm not afraid to try the latest in paper piecing but that's flat. Throw in a dart or a gather and now were talkin three dimensional! Eeeek! BUT they've inspired me. I CAN DO IT! Or at least I'll get poked to death by pins trying!
Well my mom was a clothes making guru. (Sort of comes with the territory of a Home Ec degree) She and I had purchased this grey tweedy fabric together and planned on making some cute "work skirts." As we now know, THAT didn't quite work out. Since I've had this summer to sew I finally dug out the fabric and the patterns and got to work.


I learned a few things along the way....like if one part is going to be bigger than the other let it be the lining because some extra gathers on the inside won't show the way they will on the outside.


I also learned that the invisible zipper foot is my true life BFF.


I learned that lesson a little late.
I also learned scraps can make some cah-yoooot accessories!


I put alligator clips on them so i can wear it in my hair OR if I want to wear it on clothes or a bag I can safety pin my shirt and use the clip to attach it!


I also made an attempt a a full circle skirt... But I made my inner circle cut too big (the middle of the donut) so now I have a full circle gathered skirt. I'm gonna get dizzy spinning in that one!


Yay for pins!
Much to the dismay of my sister and husband my Birkenstocks came yesterday! Yay!


After seeing them in two fashion magazines I disregarded all input from Val and Laura. As Luke says, at least they're better than crocs.
While the gathered full circle skirt began hanging last night to let the bias stretch I started this "Lipstick Skirt". This is my kind of clothes making! It reads like a quilt pattern, and you use your rotary cutter! AND it's FAST!


I had started it at about 6 and finished it by 9:30. Check it out folks. It's called The Lipstick Skirt and it's by Bananafana.
LASTLY
I've got another giveaway! I'm giving away one of my flower clips!


To enter, just leave a comment by 11pm on Monday, August 1st. You don't need to have a blogger account to enter,(check the box to comment anonymously and sign your name at the bottom) just make sure you check back to get me your mailing info if you did win!
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Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream

Ok this is the last ice cream recipe for now I think. This completes the trio as it's totally different from the other two. The mint is somehow lighter than the heavier coffee and peanut butter flavors.
The prep for this one is easy! 3/4 cup half and half, 2 toothpicks full of food coloring gel(green) a teaspoon and some of vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. I don't like cleaning measuring spoons so I don't often use them. (ironic because I have a measuring spoon collection!) I may have had a heavier hand on the flavors so if it needs more , don't hesitate to add.
Put mixture in freezer to get extra cold. Whip half a container of whipping cream. Stop before you get stiff peaks. If it's too thick you get white whipping cream chunks in your ice cream. Weird.
Put the cream in freezer as well. And get your chocolate cookies ready!


Separate 8 oreos and scrape the filling out. If they're warm it should just peel off. After many a broken zip lock bag and crumbs everywhere I've decided I like this cup and Pyrex smashing method. Way cleaner!
Ok put the green mint mix in your ice cream maker. When it gets to half melted frosty add the whipped cream. While you wait, prep your cups. I went lighter on the chocolate and lined the bottom with cookie. Like a crust.


When the ice cream is nice and thick, scoop into cups and top with cookie! Freeze promptly!


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Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Don't get grossed out but this one was inspired by the need to use up some smooched melted Reece's Peanut butter cups I
Had forgotten in my purse after the Harry Potter midnight showing!
First take a talespoon of peanut butter a tablespoon and a half of butter and three spoon of cocoa powder and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until all coco powder is dark.


Add 3/4 cup half and half, and a cup of sugar. (I know not what I have pictured but I added more.) Stir an microwave again. You could easily do this stove top but I'm trying to avoid any and all addition to heat in this tiny little apt. Basically you heat and stir to combine. I added a chunk of unsweeted baking chocolate in the process. Then I put it in the freezer stirring it every 15 min or so with the milkshake attachment on my hand mixer.


Between mixes I cut up two packs of Resses (previously Leo in freezer to make for quick and easy chopping.)


Then I whipped some heavy whipping cream. Half a container.
I put the cream and Reeses into the freezer to stay cold. Got the ice-cream maker set up and added chocolate peanut butter mixture. When it got to the consistency of a half melted frosty I added the whipped cream. While it was mixing I prepped my cups.





Starbucks style cup prep!


Scoop, sprinkle more Reeses on top, lid and quickly put in the freezer!


Then enjoy. Luke says this one is the best yet!

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Savory Saturday

There have been several food centered incidents around our place this week. Remember these chips? Well, we've picked our favorite flavor...and we're not so keen on sharing. The result:


Personal bags with our names on them. Sigh. Maybe we'll have to review sharing.
Also, Kimberlee, a new blogging buddy did a nice feature on salads. I roasted a chicken last week and have since been inspired to prepare several chicken salads for dinner. Friday night we had this one:


Romaine lettuce, chicken, strawberries, raspberries, pistachios, dried cherries and craisins with Litehouse Rasberry Lime Vinaigrette dressing.


Tonight we had a chicken Caesar salad with this Litehouse dressing:


And this one is one of my favorites for dipping!


Sorry, I know this sounds like product placement, but I can't keep a good thing a secret! Luke got some coupons after doing a business study on the company in college and I've been loving their products since my first try! ANYWAY
I also made some peanut butter cup ice cream and I must say it is DE-lish! I "made" Luke try it to tell me if I was biased or not. (He was a little gun shy after the last ice cream, he doesn't like coffee.)


Are you sure?


Okay I'll try.


Heeeey, that's pretty good!


Recipe to come tomorrow!

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Paper Piecing

I am in love with it! It's so precise and crisp! The block below was my first experience with it. Faith, at Fresh Lemons, did a great job teaching the concept!


This block below was today's block, by Freshly Pieced and it combined some lovely 60 degree angles which, thanks to two quilts I cursed at, don't scare me anymore as well as some more paper piecing! Yay! Bring on the paper piecing haha.


Here's what they all look like so far:


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This Week Screams For

Ice cream! (Of the home made variety.)


This yummy treat is inspired by my latest favorite Starbucks drink.
The night before combine:
3/4 cup of half and half, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 dessert spoon coco powder, half packet Starbucks via decaf coffee.
The next day:
Mix up mixture very well using blender, mixer, whatever, and put in freezer to start getting very cold. Whip 1/2 a pint of heavy whipping cream. Also put in freezer. Get ice cream maker all set up and pour in flavored mix first. Once the consistency of halfway melted frosty, add "whipped" cream. While ice cream is "cooking" get out cups for serving and caramelize them Starbucks style.





Male sure to put a good healthy dob on the bottom to achieve "upside down ness."


When frosty thick, scoop out portions and put in freezer immediately. I added lids later. It's just that I've found home made ice-cream to get hard in the freezer if let get to melty. Hence the individual sized portions, the whipping of the cream, and the hasty freezing.


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WIP Wednesday- Pot-whatchamacalit-Along

Catching up on my Summer Sampler quilt along. Time for Red and blue! The red and black blocks in the middle are going to be wedding presents for a friend of mine. They're a bit tricky because Luke says a 6 inch pot holder is too small and I say 8 is too bog. So I went with 7...can you saw WIERD measurements? Anyway, from what I can tell by her registry they match her china and kitchen. Cross your fingers it's true or else that makes me one of "those" wedding present givers.




Any clues on how to put loops on a pot holder? (ps. My brain wrote pot sticker instead of pot holder. Maybe it's time for a lunch break.)

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The Winner Is

Send me your address so I can ship it to you!

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