One apron, two ways

My friend, S, is raising money to walk in the Atlanta Breast Cancer walk this fall and is hosting a silent auction to help. I was very happy to make a few things, which will hopefully sell, to assist.

I found the Shimmy, Shake and Bake apron and coordinating Too Hot to Handle oven mit in Denyse Schmidt's Quilts book. (Side note: I'm still working on the bed quilt. I'm quilting by hand during naptime, so it's taking a while.)

I had a bunch of Paris-themed fabric left over from some other projects, so I started with that. The scale of the fabric pattern worked really well with the piecing for the apron pocket. I was even able to cut the Eiffel Tower out so it worked in the design. And I thought the pink was a nice counterpoint to the black, and also fits with the breast cancer awareness theme.

I also had a bunch of fabric left over from making dresses for The Bean last summer, so I went ahead and made a second set. It's a little more 60's-ish, with the colors and dots, but also fun and funky.

They were really easy and quick to put together, and I was able to use fabric I already had in my stash. I highly recommend these patterns if you want to make a personalized home-type gift for someone.

We'll see how they sell this weekend.

Decorated Purse

Now that we've started to reach the stage where a true diaper bag is no longer necessary, I found myself needing a larger, but not too large, purse. One that will fit my wallet, keys, phone, etc., but also a few diapers and wipes, plus some sippys and small snacks. Target, a mom's best friend, has some, but I wanted something I could customize and make my own.

I found a cute, basic purse at Joann's (mom's other best friend) and decided to have some fun with my Silhouette and the heat transfer vinyl. This two-layer (or even three-layer) design was interesting, but would go with a lot of different styles and gave me a chance to practice layering more.

Not bad for a $10 purse, $3 worth of vinyl and 20 minutes of my time.

Hippy Golf Shirts

My stepmother, J, plays in a golf tournament every year that always has a fun theme. However, it's played at a somewhat stuffy golf course, so you don't want to go too overboard with the theme shirts. Delicate balance, right?

This year, the theme was "Hippy Chick". And since I love my Silhouette, I offered to design the shirts for J and her partner, C.

We figured everyone would go for tie-dye and peace signs, so we didn't want to go there. My dad, D, kept urging me to put a big cannibis leaf on the front. Which, in Colorado, isn't so much "hippy" as "current legal medical alternative".

I did a search on the Silhouette online store for "hippy" and a lava lamp came up in the results. I was delighted. I had pink and silver heat transfer and a bunch of rhinestones. I decided to put the lamps on the backs of the shirts (as a lava lamp between the breasts isn't exactly the most flattering look) and some 60's slogans/golf puns on the front.

I thought it was a great mix of the theme, wearability and appropriateness. J told me the shirts were a big hit and a bunch of people wanted to know how to do them. Let the crafting ripple effect begin!

Good Thing to Know

You can substitute powdered sugar for regular, granulated sugar. 1c regular = 2c. powdered

Yes, somehow I'd run out of regular sugar. No, I don't know how that happened.

Heartbroken

I broke my oven. I think I feel faint.

I was making dinner the other night and when I went to check on it, the door wouldn't open. And it smelled like the oven was on Clean, even though the display read 400 deg. I had an error message on the display and the manual was less than helpful.

I couldn't turn the oven off no matter what buttons I pushed or knobs I turned.

The Boy and I decided to unplug the oven, but when he grabbed the door handle, it cracked into a million pieces (but didn't shatter thanks to the safety glass). So, we turned off the power to the stove from the circuit breaker.

Now, I can survive (for a short while, at least) without an oven, but I can't survive without an oven AND a rangetop. No boiling water, no sauteeing, no pan frying. Imagine it.

After all, if I get an unalterable urge to bake, I can get an Easy Bake Oven and a bunch of lightbulbs.

Strawberry Sorbet

It's summer and that means strawberries are everywhere. I buy a lot of them, for an easy breakfast for me and the girls, so sometimes I'll have a package or two in the fridge, just languishing with nothing to do.





If you have somewhere fun and/or fancy to go, the Red Velvet Strawberry Short Cake is one way to go. Smoothies are another. Sorbet is yet another. And, what a way it is...





As with a lot of recipes I try, this one is from King Arthur Flour. Subscribing to their newsletters and paper catalogues are a sure way to get into trouble. And I mean that in the best way.





This amazing strawberry sorbet can be made as either a more granita-esque dessert or a more traditional churned concoction. I have only made the churned version, but I bet the other way is great, too. It calls for fresh lemon or lime juice, but I had most of a bottle of Key Lime Juice left over from the Key Lime Mousse Pie, so I used that instead. I think it offsets the sweetness from the simple syrup and berries very nicely.

I've made this twice and it's a cooling treat in this crazy, hot summer.

Smoked Turkey and Cheese Salad

Sometimes it's just too hot to cook. On those days, it's much easier to just pull a bunch of stuff out of the fridge and call it dinner. This recipe is perfect for such an occasion. Even better, you can throw the whole thing together the day before, and it tastes even better.

I got this from my stepmother, I have no idea where she got it. My brother says he has some kind of issue with a fruit/nut/meat combination, so he never ate it, but I more than made up for it.

Smoked Turkey and Cheese Salad
* 1 lb. smoked turkey breast, skin removed (I've also used roasted chicken and it's just as delicious)
* 1/2 lb. jack cheese
* 2 apples
* 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved if large
* 1 cup thinly sliced celery
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup cashews
* watercress or fresh greens
* 6 (or more) strips fried, crisp bacon (I'm lazy and use the pre-made stuff)

Tart-Sweet Dressing
* 1 cup mayonaise
* 1/3 cup yogurt
* 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
* 2 tbsp. honey
* salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare dressing first and chill at least 1 hour.
2. Toss the sliced turkey, cheese, apples, grapes, celery, raisins and nuts. Pour dressing over ingredients and toss to combine. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.
3. To serve, mound greens on plate and add bacon bits to top.