17 "Pending" Entries

I have 17 drafts that I will be posting soon. I have a job in the "real world" now so it's a bit harder to keep up with. Turning the cable off while the hubby deploys, so I should be back at it really soon!

Lots of Stuff Coming Soon!

Instead of instantly posting, when I get an idea, I usually email it to the blog, then log back in later to clarify, add some wit, and publish. It's been VERY busy around my house, with the husband gone to training and all. But I will be on later because my To-Do list of saved posts is getting longer and longer each day!

Bandana Dress

In no way finished, nor ready for sale, this was another attempt at an "easy" pattern I found on the internet (Click here for the original idea). And, again, I didn't follow the pattern. I've decided that I need to add straps, made a couple of mistakes on the hemlines, so this one will be a gift to a friend, on a trial basis to see if kids will actually wear it.

My Husband's Idea of Crafting

We recently PCSed to Hawaii, just over 5,000 miles from the place that I had worked teaching for nearly six years. I have yet to find a job, and no real inclination to find another full-time teaching job, but I've tired of housekeeping relatively quickly. 

So, I was complaining the other day that I have nothing to do around the house, (which is part of the reason that I started trying my hand at pillowcase dresses) and my husband came up with this brilliant idea: I could replace all the velcro on his ACUs.

Initially, I thought that I wouldn't be able to find the green velcro, and that I'd get out of it easy enough, but then we made a trip to Clothing and Sales (he needed gear for NTC, he's going to deploy in a couple of months) and we found the replacement kits.

So I spent an afternoon ripping off old velcro and sewing on new. He thought I'd be happy because I spent time sewing. And happy because we didn't spend money on new ACUs. I guess he doesn't need to know that it felt like work, huh?

A New Hobby: Sewing

I want a little girl so badly. They do not make patterns that are cute for little boys. My little boy wears t-shirts and shorts, and there's not much I can do for his wardrobe.

However, I do have lots of friends who have little girls. And I started an Etsy store. So I thought I'd try my hand at pillow case dresses and other crafts and see if I can make a little side money.

Pillowcase dresses are simple, drawstring over the shoulder sundresses. If done in the original manner, they are very cute, but very simple, and still look very much like a pillowcase.  

I'm not one to do things the simplest way possible, so I have to add all kinds of extras, and the end result looks nothing like the original idea. However, this picture is not the end result. This was me playing with my materials. In fact, this particular pillow case is still in one piece.

Easy Microwave Cleaning

I read somewhere one time that if you microwave a cup of water for a minute before wiping it clean, then it will steam the stuck on bits and you'll be able to get it clean without using a lot of chemicals. Well, I'm here to attest... It didn't quite work that well.

I had to microwave the cup of water for two minutes. But, after two minutes, my microwave was as clean as the day we got it.

Party Foods!

For a friend's Christmas party this year, I  revisited a couple of recipes that are incredibly easy, and completely yummy.

I'm not entirely sure when I started experimenting with quesadillas. I'm sure it was after reading a recipe on the back of a pack of cheese. In any case, I've experimented with turning quesadillas into all kinds of foods - salads, sandwiches, even pasta.

I also watch a lot of Food Network. I've learned a lot about cooking from Food Network. Techniques, shortcuts, spices... The other day, I saw some show where they made crab rolls and other mini foods for a party. In a way, it inspired the quesadillas.

Shortcut #1: Store bought rotisserie chicken.

Cuts the mess. Cuts the fuss. Costs just a couple of dollars more, but saves a whole lot of time. If you happen to have a rotisserie, you could always cook extra and use the leftovers instead.

I used the breast meat, cut it up very fine, added a 16 oz jar of salsa, mixed it well, then let it sit (covered, of course) over night in the fridge. I only let it marinate because I got a little excited about the recipe idea and was a day early in prepping my food for the party. You can easily skip that and go ahead and make your food.

Heat up flour tortillas in whatever manor you usually would use. I buttered them and heated them in a pan on the stove, but it would work the same in any manor. Spread the chicken/salsa mixture on half of the tortilla, sprinkle shredded cheese over the whole thing, and place on a cookie sheet. Melt the cheese in the oven. Roll the tortilla in a log, beginning on the side with the chicken, then set it to the side and let it cool.  Slice it into a bite size pieces, and you have quesadilla rolls.

Shortcut #2: Crescent Rolls

For the mini pies, I used mini cupcake tins.  Roll out the crescent dough from the can on a flat service. I used a plastic cutting board, because you'll need to be able to put it in the fridge/freezer to keep it cool The crescent rolls get sticky as you cut out the. I used a plastic cup to cut circles, pressed it into greased mini-tins.

Shortcut #3: Jarred Preserves

Our Commissary carries several flavors of jarred fruit preserves. They are much cheaper than canned pie filling, and you're very likely to use the leftovers for another purpose later on. However, you cannot always substitute preserves for pie filling. This only works with mini-tins. Anything larger, and the fruit-to-gelatin ratio is not big enough.

After you pinch the crescent roll dough into the mini-tins, add a tablespoon of preserves to the tins. Bake according to the roll directions and cool completely before removing the pies from the tins.