Monday, February 20, 2012

Sewing Part 1


Well, I have to say for years I wanted to learn how to sew.  Of course I put the cart before the horse and bought a sewing machine about 10 years ago one Black Friday in Walmart.  I thought I could read the instructions and it would all fall into place.  Needless to say I was sadly mistaken.  


Okay, now lets talk about the present.  I have been taking sewing lessons from a woman who is has the patience of a saint.  I went there a few times and she would go over the basics, threading the machine, putting the bobbin in, making the bobbin.  Then I would go home with homework and panic, show up for my lesson and tell her I thought about throwing the machine out the window.  Well I have gotten past that and am working on my first official project, duvet covers for my boys.  (I did have another project I had started on my own and that was an apron that I never finished, and barely started.  Enough said)

This night I was working on sewing ties onto the duvet so that the down comforter will be secure when inside the cover.  That task went off without a hitch, except for the one make I forgot what I was suppose to do there.


Phase 1 Duvet... check.

Phase 2 Duvet... this weeks lesson.

I will keep you posted.


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Zucchini Sticks


One thing I really enjoy as an appetizer out at a restaurant is zucchini sticks, so when I saw them on pinterest I pinned them.  The recipe is from King Arthur Flour and it comes with a great dipping sauce, well it comes with a recipe for the dipping sauce.  The sauce isn't your usual run of the mill marinara for the sticks but a sweet onion sauce, yummy.


I started with the cutest petite zucchini from Trader Joe's, I quartered them and salted them for about half an hour.


Rinsing off the salt, then drying on a paper towel.





Instead of dirtying up another bowl, I put the dried sticks into a ziploc with the egg and shook up the bag.  Then laid them out in a single layer on parchment brushed with olive oil.


Well when they came out of the oven they were delicious, a hands down keeper.  The sauce was good, but I felt like it needed a little horseradish or cayenne for a "zip".  What did I do before pinterest?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Will you be mine?



Valentines day is right around the corner and I wanted to make cards for my husband and two boys.  I recently purchased a heart punch because I had some ideas.  I also found some inspiration from pinterest of course, using paint chips.  You can find lots of shades of colors and they are free.  I took one of each from the red family.