Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Score

I just stumbled onto a goldmine by the name of Vintage Printables. I can and will spend a loooong time browsing through their massive collection of public domain antique images that you can download and print!







From this album.






From this album.
 
 
 

Thursday, March 18, 2010

DIY Fabric Storage Bins




If you're into spring cleaning and organization, these DIY fabric storage box instructions might be right up your alley:
1. Surlepetitchemin's box, made with this tutorial from Sew4Home.com
2. Pink Penguin's fabric basket
3. Jezze's no-interfacing storage basket
4. Urban Nest's cereal box storage bins
5. Kargrrl's square-bottomed canvas bucket

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

It Worked!

My sewing machine and I bonded tonight. I was able to make a ruffle shirt. As always I decided to just wing it instead of follow the instructions, but I don't think it turned out too poorly.

I started out w/ 2 Tshirts (I got them @ Down East for $5). I cut the sleeves off one (I basically couldn't bring myself to cut up a perfectly good shirt, but the ruffles would have worked a lot better if I had used the back of the shirt instead of the sleeves).

I then cut 2" strips. I was planning on this shirt having 5 ruffles, but with 2" strips I was only able to fit 3.

Then I sewed one line down the center of each strip, using the longest stitch available. Pull 1 of the 2 threads tight and work towards the center of the strip.

My hubby borrowed the camera at this point, but I then pinned each strip to the shirt and sewed, going over the loose stitch with a regular one.

TaDa

Things I learned

The ruffles need to start out double as long as you want them in the end.
Be careful when using the reverse stitch, with the stretchy fabric the sewing machine can get stuck on one spot and cause holes etc.
This shirt looked a lot better on the tiny Asian chick in the tutorial.
This pattern isn't the best if you're busty.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Holy Cuteness!

Paper lunch bag hydrangeas. Are you kidding me?! Brilliant.



Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Next up: T Shirt Refashions



Tutorial


Tutorial



Tutorial



Tutorial



Tutorial

Monday, February 15, 2010

Recipe Swap

As requested, below are the recipes that were shared on Saturday. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie
2 cups cooked chicken, pieces
3 cups frozen peas and carrots
4 large potatoes, diced
chicken broth
pie pastry
cornstarch to thicken (3-4 T in ½ cup water)

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Cook veggies in chicken broth. Reserve 2 cups of broth from veggies, drain the rest. Add 2 cups of broth back into veggies. Add chicken to veggies. Bring to a boil and add cornstarch mixture, stir until thick. Fill pastry with potatoes and the veggies/chicken mixture. Top with crust, flute, cut slits in top. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.


Cowboy Delight
4 cups macaroni noodles
½ lb hamburger, cooked
1 can drained tomatoes
1 can creamed corn
½ t salt
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated cheese

Mix all. Pour into greased baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.


Chicken Stuffing Casserole
1 pkg chicken tenders, cooked and cut into pieces
4 cups egg noodles, cooked
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 t salt
1 pkg stove top stuffing (chicken)

Cook stuffing. Mix chicken pieces, noodles, soup, milk, and salt in a greased baking dish. Top with stuffing. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.


Crock pot Potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 t paprika
1 t pepper
4 medium potatoes, sliced
1 cup grated cheese
½ lb hamburger, cooked (optional)

Mix soup, paprika, and pepper. Arrange potatoes in crock pot in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with cheese. Spoon soup mixture over cheese. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender.



Taco Soup
2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 cans (4 oz) chopped chilies (optional)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 can (16oz) pinto beans, rinsed/drained
1 can (16oz) lima beans, rinsed/drained
1 can (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed/drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg (1oz) ranch dressing mix
1 can (14oz) hominy, drained (heidi uses corn)
3 cans (14oz) stewed tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
frito lay scooper chips (optional)

In a large dutch oven or kettle, brown beef and onion. Drain any fat. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Top with cheese and serve with chips if desired.


Chicken Divau
6 chicken breasts
2 pkgs frozen broccoli spears
2 cans cream chicken soup
½ cup mayo
2 T lemon juice
½ T celery powder

Veggies, chicken, sauce, cheese – 25 minutes or longer at 400°.


Meat Loaf
3 slices of bread, crumbled
1 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup minced onion
1 t salt
1 T worchestershire sauce
1 ½ lbs ground beef
6 slices bacon (optional)

Mix the bread, milk, egg, onion, salt, w. sauce together in a bowl. Then mix in ground beef using wooden spoon or hands. If using bacon, put 3 slices in loaf pan, put meat mixture in next, then top with other 3 slices of bacon. Cook at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serves 6.


Stew Juliene
1 lb ground beef
2 T butter
1 med onion, chopped
4 med carrots, cut 1” thick
2 med potatoes, cut 1” thick
4 stalks celery, cut 1” thick
1 t salt
½ t oregano
¼ t pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can green beans
1 cup water

Cook on electric frying pan. Brown ground beef in butter in pan until crumbly. Add onion and brown lightly. Add veggies on top of meat and add seasoning. Add water, cover. Cook at 225° for about 15 minutes. Pour soup and beans over veggies. Stir gently, cover, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Serves 6-8.


Barbecue
1 lb hamburger
1 onion, diced
½ cup ketchup
1 bay leaf
shake ground sage
1 can tomato soup
ginger
shake curry powder

Brown onions and hamburger. Add ketchup and other seasonings.


Chicken- Broccoli Casserole
1 pkgs frozen broccoli
2 cups cubed chicken, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo
1 t curry
1 t lemon juice

Cook broccoli, then layer in bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Layer cut chicken/turkey. Mix the rest of ingredients to make sauce and spread on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. (Use ½ recipe sauce for small casserole using either kind of soup).


Italian Chicken
1 lb chicken
½ cube butter
1 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg italian dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
Put chicken, butter, and dressing in crock pot. Cook til done (4 hours on low, 2 on high). Pull out chicken and shred. Put back in pot. Add cream cheese and cream of chicken. Warm through.

Boil chicken about 20 minutes. Cool. Shred. In a pan, warm cream cheese, cream of chicken, and Italian seasoning. Add chicken. Warm through. Put on rice.


Southwest Chicken with Rice
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can salsa (regular size)
cheddar, pepperjack cheese

Mix beans and corn together. Layer salsa, chicken, salsa, bean/corn mixture. Cook on high for 4 hours. Once there is a half hour left, add cheese.


Apricot Chicken
8 chicken breasts (or tenders)
1 cup Catolina (Russian or California) dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 t curry powder (optional)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Crock pot: Place chicken in crock pot. Mix all ingredients over chicken. Cook on low for approx. 6 hrs. Serve over rice.

Oven: Place chicken in cassorle dish. Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Serve over rice.


Popcorn Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts (I only use 2)
2 eggs
½ cup flour
2 cups corn flake crumbs (about 8 cups corn flakes)

Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. In blender, grind down corn flakes. In a bag combine the flour and corn flake crumbs. Cut chicken into 1” cubes and dip them in the egg mixture, then into the flour bag. Shake well. Refrigerate chicken in the bag for an hour. Fry in oil til done. Serve over salad with sliced almonds, corn kernels, and Chinese noodles.

Dressing: mix all ingredients and chill.
9 T honey
4 T white vinegar
4 T mayo
3 T grey poupon


Munstrella Chicken
8 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs
1 can mushrooms
½ lb mozzarella cheese, grated
½ lb munster cheese, grated
1 cup chicken broth

Dip chicken in egg batter, then roll in bread crumbs. Brown in buttered skillet. Place in baking dish, top with mushrooms and grated cheese. Pour broth over top and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil for last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Serves 8.


Taco Soup
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 lb hamburger, cooked
1 onion, diced, cook in hamburger
1 green pepper, diced (optional)
1 pkg taco seasoning

Put all together in crock pot or pan. Cook on low for 6 hrs or high for 3 hrs. If cooked on stove in pan, cook on medium heat for ½ hour. When serving, add: sour cream, tortilla chips, olives, and cheese.


Shaved Ham
1.5 lbs deli ham
½ cup ketchup
½ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
worchestershire sauce
1 t dry mustard
½ cup diced onion

Combine all ingredients. Cook at least 3 hours on low in crock pot.


Lemon Chicken
Chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
¾ cup water
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup lite soy sauce
3 T spicy brown mustard
½ t pepper

Beat together. Pour over raw chicken breasts. Let sit in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.


Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
1 lb chicken
1 onion, sliced
½ cup bbq sauce
¼ cup water
1 T brown sugar
1 french baguette (16-20”)

Cook chicken and onions in skillet – med/high 8 minutes. Add bbq sauce, water, sugar – stir, reduce heat to medium. Cover, cook 7 minutes or until chicken cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, shred with fork. Return to skillet. Stir until evenly coated w/ sauce. Cut baguette into 4 pieces, fill w/ chicken mixture.


Six Week Bran Muffins
In large bowl comine-
7 cups raisin bran flakes (bran flakes)
5 cups unsifted flour
2 cups sugar
5 t soda
2 t salt

Mix well and then add
4 cups milk blended with 2 T vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup molasses
4 beaten eggs

Mix well again. Store in fridge. When ready to bake, fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Batter will keep in fridge for 6 weeks.


Tortilla Chicken Pinwheels
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
½ cup chopped lettuce
½ cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup chopped/minced red bell pepper
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
2 T low fat sour cream
1 T hot red pepper jelly
3 9” flour tortillas

In medium bowl, combine chicken, lettuce, cheese, green onions, red pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, and red pepper jelly on low speed with electric mixer. Spread 1/3 cream cheese mixture over 1 side of tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/3 chicken mixture leaving a ½ inch border at the top just cover w/ cream mixture so you can seal it closed. Roll up tightly jelly roll style. Wrap tortilla in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining. Refrigerate 2 hours. Trim off ends and cut into 8 slices, serve cold. (Red pepper jelly should be found near the ketchup in the condiment aisle.)


Ground Turkey Vegetable Soup
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 can kidney beans
¼ cup rice
2 can stewed tomatoes
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 T parsley
1 t salt
¼ t basil
1/8 t pepper
1 cup French green beans

Brown meat, onion, and garlic in large pan. Add 3 ½ cups water and all ingredients except green beans. Heat to boiling and simmer 40 minutes. Add green beans during last 10 minutes. Serve with warm rolls.


Pop-Up Pizza
Refrigerated biscuits in a can
Pizza sauce (homemade or bought can)
Cut rolls into 4 pieces and set in bowl with pizza sauce
Put in a 9x13 pan after rolls are coated with sauce.
Put toppings on top. (ham olives, etc. – pinapple is too wet, don’t use it)
Bake at 350 covered with tin foil for 30-40 minutes until rolls are done. Take off cover last few minutes to melt cheese.

Pizza sauce:
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 t oregano
2 t basil
½ t garlic salt


Chicken Quesadillas
1 lb chicken, cubed
1 can Campbells cheddar cheese soup
10 flour tortillas
½ cup thick and chunky salsa

Preheat oven to 425. Cook chicken in non-stick skillet til done. Add soup and salsa and heat through. Spread about 1/3 cup soup mixture on half of each tortilla within ½ inch of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes or until hot. *Good with fiesta rice.


Salmon Patties
1 12oz can salmon
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
5 saltines, crushed
1 egg
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 t butter
½ t Worcestershire sauce

In bowl, combine all but butter, mix well. Shape into patties. In skillet, fry patties in butter on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.


Cranberry Chicken
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 cup creamy French dressing
1 12 oz can whole jellied cranberries
4-6 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless

Combine onion soup mix, French dressing, and cranberries. Place chicken in baking dish. Cover chicken with cranberry dressing mixture. Baked in a 9x13 pan on 350 for 60 minutes. Serve with rice.


Spinach-Artichoke Party Cups

36 small wanton wrappers (2.5-3.5 inches square)
1 small can (8.5oz) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
½ pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained well
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup mayo
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 325. Spray mini muffin pan lightly with nonstick spray. Press on wonton wrapper into each cup; spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake about 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove shells from muffin pan and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.
Meanwhile, combine artichoke hearts, spinach, cheeses, mayo, and garlic in med bowl; mix well.
Fill wonton cups with spinach-artichoke mixture (about 2 t). Place filled cups on baking sheet. Bake about 7 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately. Makes 36.
If you have leftover spinach-artichoke mixture, place in shallow ovenproof dish and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly. Serve with bread/crackers.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Freebies

After scouring the internet, I've found a lot of stuff about meal planning... and some of it is pretty cute...



 
 



 





- meg