In my naivete’ as a young mother (many years ago), I would often save the pumpkin carving for Halloween night.
Archives for 2009
12 Days of Handmade Christmas {Sweater Stockings} Preview
Welcome to the preview of the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials! Join me next Sunday November 1 and meet one of my favorite {new to me} bloggers. It’s a secret until then but you’re gonna love her. To give you a taste of what’s in store, I thought I’d do a tutorial on how to make sweater stockings from old sweaters.
This particular sweater was one of my favorites {from Gap} for several years and then I accidentally dried it. Its’ colorful stripes are perfect for a stocking.
Any contributors to the ’12 Days’ who haven’t emailed me lately with a post update, please do so. I’m trying to stay kind of organized but it’s not my strong suit.
Sewing machines, fake greens and fried dough
The sale was supposed to start at 8am. By 7:45, 1/3 of my stuff was gone. Just like that. No time to mourn. No time to reminisce. Just gone. And by 11:30, we were packing up a small load for Goodwill and headed to the local fall festival. It was nearly the perfect yard sale. Caiti might dispute that there is such a thing.
In short, I drank too much coffee, ate too much sugar and sold more fake greenery than any person should ever have in their possession. The fake greens ruled the day. Or was it the donuts?
I finally coerced my neighbor Renee to buy my ever-so-eclectic planter. She’s a hard sell. She came back for a second look with her measuring tape and her beautiful daughter Natalie. Natalie must have made her buy it.
And then we were off the fall festival where we saw some talented dancers….
and continued the dietary disaster with chili cheese fries and a funnel cake.
I’m collapsed on the sofa and can’t decide if my headache is from the caffeine, sugar or possibly from the various makes and models of embroidery/sewing machines that are swimming through my head. Should I buy a slightly used Bernina Artista 180 or a brand new lesser model? If you have any advice on which machine I need or would like to comment on the outrageousness of todays’ eats or would like to contemplate buying the last few fake greens,
It’s my Yard Sale and I’ll cry if I want to……..
I found this {and many other wonderful pictures} the other day when I was preparing for the yard sale. And I feel a little like this today. Now I remember why I don’t like having yard sales—-it’s a lot of work and I really like my stuff. Even the stuff I don’t use anymore. And inevitably when I swipe the dust off and take a 2nd look, I wanna keep it.
A man after God’s own heart…..
{glazed apple bars} and a friendly family feud
I found this {glazed apple bar} recipe at Meg’s blog. I will repost it here for the ease of my readers but please visit her site and be amazed and inspired. I am posting it for two reasons. One is because they are absolutely delicious—made with a short bread crust, then a layer of apples, sugar and cinnamon, and then topped with shortbread crumbles. Divine, I tell you. Divine.
But a little family feud {I think I said ‘violent conversation’ on facebook} ensued about whether or not these bars are better than apple pie. To be fair to my husband, he was reared by a woman who makes the best pies I have ever tasted in my life. This woman knows the temperamental nature of pie crust {and dough in general} like nobody’s business. She has a sixth sense about all baked things. She makes comments about the humidity is affecting her crust and the tapioca pearls are not quiet the right size. She is the pie whisperer. So, for the sake of our argument, I think I’m going to have to exclude her pies from this discussion. Because we can only get her pies about once or twice a year. Unfortunately for me, in this battle of the baked goods, he just had her pie a few weeks ago.
Here’s a snippet of a recent conversation about the apple bar/apple pie showdown:
Me: Honey, did you taste the apple bars I made today?
Stevie: {engrossed in his iPhone and watching Glen Beck and therefore doesn’t look up to answer} Um-hum.
Me: Well?
Stevie: They’re alright. {looks up at me, thinking that the ‘alright’ might get him in trouble}. Yeah, they’re pretty good.
Me: Whaaaaatt? Pretty good? Really? Because I think they’re possibly the best non-chocolate baked good I’ve ever tasted. Even better than apple pie.
Stevie: {he laughs uncontrollably} Better than apple pie? Are you kidding me? That’s outright blasphemy.
Me: Okay, well maybe not your mother’s apple pie but it’s better than every other apple pie.
Stevie: Iiiiiii don’t think so.
Me: What bite did you taste?
Stevie: What do you mean, what bite did I taste?
Me: I mean, was it a bite from the edge where there were not as many apples? Did you try a whole piece or just a bite? Did your ‘bite’ have the shortbread crumbles on it or was a stripped down bite?
Stevie: {looking at me and realizing that I’m armed for battle here—-and hoping to pacify me, put this all behind him and finish watching his news in peace} You know what, it was just a bite from the edge. I’m sure the rest of it is just as wonderful as you say.
And to be fair, he did love it once he had the complete apple bar experience. But I wouldn’t let it go. So, I took a plateful of them to the dance studio {where my girls dance and I sit and knit and chitty-chat} and passed them out to get the response of the public at large.
The results of my intense double blind study: woman prefer them to apple pie and men do not.
In fact, one of the men ate the bar, said it was ‘good’ and then proceeded to eat a whole, raw apple. That would not be my first inclination after eating these buttery delicious bars but whatever. Marcus {Steve’s son and self-proclaimed foodie} responded to my facebook update about this ongoing apple battle and said he would be the judge when he comes to visit this weekend. I’m a little nervous. Because Marcus just had the best apple pie in the known world too. But I’ll report the results to you without bias.
I think you should make them and weigh in. {although don’t literally ‘weigh in’ because they have 3 sticks of butter)
Here’s the recipe:
{glazed apple bars}
First you combine 4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt and 2 C. sugar.
Then, cut in 3 sticks of butter. The mixture will be crumbly and Meg recommends you use your hands. I wholeheartedly agree. I first tried my mixer and it didn’t work well. Press about 2/3’s of this crumbly mixture into a jelly roll pan.
Peel, core and slice 4-5 Granny smith apples and layer over the shortbread mixture.
Combine 1/3 C. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon, sprinkle it over the apples.
Crumble the remaining flour/sugar/butter mixture on top of the apples.
Bake it at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes…until it is crispy on the bottom.
After it bakes, let it cool.
Make a glaze with 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. water.