ode to sewing

Oh to dream.  I used to sew.  My mom put my sister and I in sewing lessons for a few years and we made bunches of things... and actually wore them!  I have dreams of sewing again one day and who knows... maybe it will be out of a closet.  Check this baby out here. 

What a smart little cookie she is!

XOX

When we were in AZ, my mom saw a cute little craft and wanted to do it, which she in turn helped me and my SIL do as well!

 here's what we came up with!

 We bought the letters (about 8 inch tall paper mached ones) from Joann's with %40 off coupons (did you know you can use an internet coupon and newspaper coupon in the same transaction there? AND the newspaper one can be from a different craft store?! Yeah, talk about awesome. So with Captain Sammy as my shopping buddy, we only had to make one trip to Joanns instead of multiple. Yay :)

We then modge podged the front with some cute Valentinesy scrapbook paper, added some random embellishments that we found in my moms craft supply, added felt to the back and painted the sides a color we wanted! Bam! DONE! Actually it took a lot longer than it sounds with making the paper and felt the exact size and trying to make it perfectly cute with the embellishments, but it was still super fun to do :)

(the back with felt)

 (the sides with paint, they're about an inch thick and you can see some of my embellishments were thick so don't be scared:)

 the final product!

shiver me kimber's on the left.

shiver me kimber's mum's in middle.

shiver me kimbers SIL on right (she did a different version).

 some of the process with my niece helping

new shoes

how freaking adorable are THESE!

 i found them on this post at a beautiful mess from elsie.

she loved these shoes of hers but they were getting old and kinda yucky...

SOO she painted them first with like 2 coats of indoor/outdoor paint and then 3+ coats of glitter paint.

And I absolutely LOVE them! I think I'm going to go out and try to find a pair of shoes to try this on I love it so much!

paint the walls!

I love this idea of these stripes on the wall. not just white and another color but 3 soft colors!

I also like that it's blues for a little boy's room. cute but boyish and playful!

found on design sponge

Better than just socks

Have you seen this look around the block? I personally love it. I think of it like a little bit of fun coming out of them boots!

 Here's an idea of creating some make-shift ones of your own! I'm thinking take the arm of an old cute sweater and playing with it to make a spot for your heel! Cute of what!?

(Here's where I got the idea and pics)

: spawns in the kitchen :

The best recipe book ever when little spawns join the family!  It includes yummy, kid-friendly, and nutritious meals, snacks, drinks, treats, etc. that the kids can participate in preparing!!!  We love it!

C is for Cooking

around the table

So awhile ago, I emailed Captain Sammy this link to this table and said 

"How would you feel about us doing this to our table?"

He abruptly replied back to my email with

"Actually I think we should change it from EAT to FAT because we don't want to get fat"

The Captain is quite a funny man,
EAT or FAT would be great additions on a dining room table eh?

Chicken & Noodle Caesar Salad

This stuff was a huge hit at Jaarrr's birthday party, and is uber easy!

Ingredients:
1 box farfalle noodles
2 bags grilled chicken strips
1 bag romaine lettuce leaves
1 bottle Asiago Caesar dressing (Briannas' Home Style is our favorite)
Parmesan cheese (grated and/or shredded)
Croutons (Caesar style)
4 diced tomatoes (optional)

Note: The proportions are estimated.  You can really do whatever suits your fancy and it can't go wrong.

Boil noodles until soft.  Drain and rinse.  Bake chicken strips on a cookie sheet (covered in aluminum foil) at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Wash, tear, and spin lettuce leaves.  Assemble noodles, chicken, lettuce, dressing, parmesan cheese, croutons, and tomatoes and mix it all together in a large bowl.

I usually leave a few chicken strips, some tomatoes, croutons, and a little of parmaesan cheese for the top so it looks pretty!:)

See!  Totally easy and a makes a great side dish at any party.  Enjoy!:)

we made it!

the yummy pirate eggs like cammy and larry suggested!

except ours did not look pretty at all haha.

i think i cooked it too long

 (i did not take into account altitude), so it like fell apart as i was trying to roll it haha, 

what's an easy way to roll it while it's so hot?

also, we had a vegetarian one...next time we will make sure to add some of that meat.

it needed just that little bit extra something in it and i just knew the meat would've done the trick.

thanks for the recipe!

we will definitely make it again!

mmm, mmm, good!

apparently this recipe for cinnamon rolls is the bomb diggity!

doesn't it look scrumptious!

found via this site

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast 

 

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened

 

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving. 

makes 12 rolls

I hope to make these soon!!!

my life is now complete

i'm drooling.
like a dog.
who just saw the juiciest steak ever.
along with their favorite chew toy.
smothered in warm bacon.

How Sweet It Is

ok, no really.
i just found a food blog that may have changed my life!

these pictures do not even begin to do justice the quantity, variety, and amazingness of all that this woman has done! Seriously, GO NOW and check it out!

M.I.A no more!

I've been loving all the posts from you lately Crazy Cammy!

here's the back section of the cooking tips/tricks I told you about in that one recipe book!

I'll only put the ones that aren't mostly common knowledge :)

1. Use oils wisely: corn, canola, olive, grape seed, peanut, and sunflower for high temps; extra-virgin olive, sesame and walnut for medium temps

2. Never refrigerate tomatoes, potatoes, onion, winter squash and garlic- cold robs flavor

3. Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature before beating

4. Place cheese in freezer for a few minutes before grating- easier to grate and won't stick

5. Ground beef shrinks when heated; place a 1/4 in divot in center of hamburger patties for flat burger (no more ball)

6. Use ziploc bag for marinating- you can massage meat and less risk of contamination

7. When frying or sauteing, heat pan before adding oil or butter. When oil is hot, add food. This prevents sticking and allows for even cooking

8. Grind spices from whole. Whole spices keep longer than ground

9. Ice-cold water, butter or shortening are essential for flaky pie crusts

10. Whip egg whites at room temperature for greatest volume

11. Buy shrimp frozen. It's already been frozen anyway

12. Ground pepper only holds its flavor 3 months- buy whole

13. Kosher salt is best

14. Leave pit in avacado/guacamole to prevent browning- adding lemon juice to guacamole also helps

15. When measuring sticky substances spray measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray

16. When baking, measuring matters

17. Let cooked meat rest before slicing. 5 minutes small cuts, 10 min large

18. Stir-fry toughest veggies first; ie carrots, broccoli & cabbage

19. Crack egg on flat surface to prevent the shell from piercing the yoke when needed

20. Cookies bake most evenly on a baking sheet without a rim

21. If smothering is too spicy, neutralize it with dairy products such as milk, yogurt or sour cream

22. Roll lemon or lime on counter to get juices flowing (or pop in microwave for a few seconds)

23. Cool foods completely before freezing, and freeze in small quantities to avoid ice crystals

24. Add dryer sheet to your dish water as dishes soak for easier clean up

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it?

2. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster

3. Store your open chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

4. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

5. Add a tsp of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. Also, if you add salt to the pan before cooking the ground beef, it won't "spit" at you as much

6. Rubbing alcohol on paper towel gets out permanent marker on appliances/counter top

7. A little hydrogen peroxide on cloth will get blood stains out of clothes

8. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day, they will dry too quickly and will probably streak

9. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on

10. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for 3 hours before burning. The first time you burn a candle- that will be the widest width the candle will ever burn

11. Use conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper and leaves legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up a conditioner you bought but didn't like on your hair

12. To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it with 1/2 inch of Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. Flies will be drawn to cup and gone forever!

13. Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it home, can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and doesn't harm children or pets!

14. To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out!

15. A damp rag, dipped in baking soda works wonders for getting crayon off the wall

16. Weeds cannot grow through newspaper- if you wet the newspaper, layering it around plants overlapping as you go with mulch
17. Broken Glass; use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily
18. To keep squirrels away from plants, sprinkle plants with cayenne pepper. Doesn't hurt plants but squirrels hate it
19. When you buy a container of cake frostin from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes and you can almost double it in size
20. To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. THe increased moisture will keep the food moist and help reheat faster
21. Place a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing nylons. Statci si gone
22. Before measuring sticky substances, fill measuring cup with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't fry cup. Next add your ingredient (butter/peanut butter) and watch how easily it comes out!
23. Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When windows fog pull out eraser, works better than cloth!
24. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic
25. Spray your tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
26. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will kep for weeks
27. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness

Hope some of these tips will be useful!

what's on a pirate's booty

At the women's circle this year for my dad's family reunion, instead of having a recipie exchange (what we usually do) we had a helpful hint exchange- so I think I'll share some of them with my fellow pirates every so often when I feel like it :)

Did you know your G's a bleached white!? Yessiree they are! That's why if you use bleach, your garmies may be turning yellowish! But Shiver me Kimber- how do I get the yucky pit stains out of my my  husband's garmies and other stains?" Use Hydrogen Peroxide! (like a quarter cup or so? I haven't gotten a chance to try it out yet) Yes who knew? That'll get the stains out keeping your garmies a bright white!

Another tip- don't wash white socks with that load- they're dirty and yucky so just wash them with your colored load or something- let's be honest, it doesn't really matter if they're super duper bright white- they're on your feet! Or bleach them with a load of pure/real whites! (i.e.- towels, shirts, pants etc)

Yay for domestified PIRATES!!!

what are some of your laundry tips?