From Aura

Single Crochet Beanie Suitable for 3 to 5 year Olds.

2012-01-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

I have completed the pattern for this single crochet beanie which will fit children ages 3 to 5. This beanie is worked from the top to the lower edge using single crochets. This is the beanie that I use to make the Angry Bird hats I've been making lately. My favorite yarn to use is by I Love this Yarn available from Hobby Lobby.

I went online to find instructions on making crochet ribbing.

Classic Elite Yarns has a fairly good tutorial to add this finishing touch.

Here

The first time I followed these instructions, I found that I was not achieving the snug result I was after so I simply skipped 1 stitch when working the single crochet decrease.

Today I worked on two Angry Bird Hats which I'll be shipping next week and took a few more pictures of how I sew the pupil to the eyebrows: Turn the eye brow so the wrong side is facing you and join the pupil making sure that the right side of the pupil is away from you. Work two slip stitches to attach the pupil.

Join the white of the eye by whip stitching catching loops on the back of they eye brow.

Begin:

Finish

Now sew the pupil to the front of the white section:

The beanie pattern is....

Crochet Beanie Single Crochet

Black Bird will be finished tomorrow.....

Good night to all.

Angry Bird Mania Craze

2012-01-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

Every year I make hats for my grand kids. I heard about the popular Angry Birds game sometime last year. When you have grand kids you find out about these things. So my daughter hinted that they would be thrilled if I made Angry Bird hats.

I followed the instructions from Teresa. Her crochet video tutorials are very helpful. I do usually end up making changes. Her hat pattern turned very large so I did make some modifications. I also thought the beak was too large so I simply decreased the amount of rounds. I found a crochet beanie pattern for kids that worked out well using worsted weight acrylic yarn I Love This Yarn and hook H.

I also changed this pattern by adding ribbing which I think provides a good fit for kids.

Let me mention that Angry Blue Bird from the game looks different. I tried to make his with the red part under the eyes. My daughter and the lady who ordered this Blue Bird did not like it either....so I made him with gray angry eye brows. Daughter said that the bird with the red under the eyes looked like he was on drugs.

I just finished these two yesterday and they will be shipped soon to another contact from my daughter's photography clients. I have already made changes to the eyebrows so the birds don't look as super super angry.. These two are for 4 year old boys so I decreased the beak size and......

added a little fiberfill stuffing to the beak.

Sewing the beak is a bit tricky and it helps to get up close to the eyes.

Angry Black bird was received with much happiness by Laurie's kids. Glad the boys liked them.

This is one of the first Angry bird hats I made for my grandson Taite. Notice the beak is a bit larger and also flat. Do add some fiberfill if you make one...L O L...Taite also got excited and stretched his hat. He really wants to be an Angry Bird.

Angel Card using a very old stamp, Old book print....

2011-12-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

I found all the supplies I needed to make this year's Christmas Card at home. I really like the look of old book print so I stamped the angel image using Stazon, which is a permanent ink. I noticed my pad was dry so I re-inked with regular water base ink refill. It worked fine. These water colors go back a few years.

Once again I'm incorporating the use of manila tags. Plain tags just look too PLAIN....so with the use of the close to cocoa stamp pad, I burnished the edges.

The JOY word was made with a Dymo Label maker. The button Spare Parts Fasteners are neat but you could also use buttons. It's all about saving time around Christmas because there is just too much to do.

And you are done. I did use wrinkled ribbon, also purchased on Etsy a while back. Finally the tag was glued to the card itself and a sentiment stamped on the bottom. Super easy and quick.

May this Christmas season fill your heart with JOY.

Fall Crochet Projects

2011-11-20T18:06:00.000-05:00

I have been quite busy as I expected to be at this time of the year. Shortly after I started working at my new location my coworkers fell in love with the Crocodile stitch neck warmer I made so the orders started pouring in. I first saw this neat crochet stitch while browsing and pinning on Pinterest. I was determined to learn and after watching a You Tube video over and over I succeeded. The pattern itself is not hard to make but it is complicated to write...LOL. I have made so many of these Crocodile stitch neck warmers that the pattern is in my head.

I made my neck warmers with the super soft acrylic yarn I Love this Yarn available from Hobby Lobby. It's available in quite a variety of colors. The wooden button came all the way from Singapore, purchased through an Etsy seller.

I learned the crocodile stitch by watching the Yarn Muse. As I said I watched and watched so don't give up. It is a very rewarding stitch to learn and works super fast!

I have also made quite a few fingerless mitts. I did come up with the pattern myself which is in draft form. If you are fortunate to own a smart phone, these work great as they keep your finger exposed! This was my first pair. I did not work these using the single crochet chainless foundation which creates a better finish. The Zinnias I grew from the seeds a coworker gave me did wonderful. I have already collected buds to save some seeds for next year.

The crochet flower is removable and it indicates which is the left and right mitt. I have already changed the flower which is now smaller.

Some work in progress. I got a request to make fingerless mitts for a young person who likes skulls.

We are enjoying a wonderful Fall with mild temperatures here in Charlotte. Today I did noticed that quite a few of the leaves are gone signaling much cold weather is on its way. Speaking of fall I've also enjoyed cooking and baking with pumpkin. I picked up a new [to me] and wonderful product from Trader Joe's which I tried this morning with some Neufchatel cheese. If you like Apple butter, you will like this one too.

Well, back to the works in progress and perhaps an episode of Dead Zone on NetFlix.

My First Pair of Toms Shoes

2011-11-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have fallen in love with Toms shoes and really like their part in the mission to provide shoes for needy children around the world.. I was delighted that the Corduroy style did fit my narrow foot. Some of Toms shoes are a little loose on me. I think one of those Dr Scholl soles might help me with some of the styles that are loose. I wear size 6-1/2 and these fit me perfectly. I can also wear them with socks. I was surprised that even though it is a flat shoe it still provided some support.

My Toms are black so I thought I could add a little something by crocheting something cute. What could be cuter than a little Owl. I used 100% cotton yarn. I have lots of remnants left over from other projects ( lol. Owl Cell Phone cozies)

The crochet applique is secured by using a very small alligator clip I purchased from an Etsy seller. As you can see the white alligator clips measure around 5/8".

The Finished Owls:

Even though this is a very small and quick project, you will need to know how to make a single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, slip stitch and also how to make a picot stitch.

The pattern is here.

Paper Yoyos

2011-08-28T17:11:00.000-04:00

Making Yoyos using paper is quite simple. Cut out a circle shape. Place a smaller circular shape inside the circle. I used a glass pebble [not perfectly circular] Make folds to cover up the smaller circular shape. I made a smaller yoyo and glued a button to the center. Glue the small yoyo to the larger yoyo using glue.

I used the yoyos to decorate my favorite Manila tags. I am fascinated by the look achieved using graph and yellow notebook paper. I used the zig zag stitch on my sewing machine to secure the first layer of paper, the ribbon and lace. Just use what you like [no rules here]. Amazing things happen when you get paper wet. I sprayed with water the leaf shape, wrinkled and after it dries you can glue to the tag.

Recognize the business reply postcard which can be found in magazines.

You can't go wrong using stuff you already have around your house.

Lace and fabric go really well together. This yoyo was made from scrapbook paper. Make small pleats as you sew the lace to the tag. A stapler is also very helpful to secure other layers.

Have fun creating from materials you already have in hand.

Cool Driver

2011-08-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

Caleb looking cool behind the wheel.

Birthday Card from President Obama

2011-08-20T11:43:00.003-04:00

GeoTagged, [N38.52148, E75.14852]

My father in law who turns 90 tomorrow received a birthday card from the White House.

He served the United States during World War 2. He loved receiving this special greeting.

My Father in Law's 90th Birthday

2011-08-20T09:54:00.001-04:00

Today we will be gathering with family to celebrate Markell's 90th birthday.

I remember when I first met him during his visit to Panama and that was more than 30 years ago. I can see where my husband gets his gentle temperament. He has not changed and remains a very kind and sweet man. You have heard some people get grumpy.,,,well not Markell.

T Shirt Tutorial

2011-08-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

Finally got to work on embellishing a very inexpensive T-shirt I found at Hobby Lobby. The instructions I followed are from Blue Cricket Design.

I cut the pieces in two sizes: 4-1/2" and 3-1/2" square.

Fold each piece twice and cut on the fold

Your pieces should look like this:

On the wrong side of the knit material stitch wide apart to gather each square. Tie off each end. Sew smaller piece on top of the larger piece.

Cut some pieces in leaf shape and pin to your shirt planning where you will put your flowers.

Then sew using your sewing machine from one end of the leaf to the other.

I found it easier to stitch by hand just taking each flower using 2 stitches. As you can see mine came out really ruffly. Plan on stitching some single flowers if your like less ruffle drama. The next one I make will have fewer flowers.

Wow! these pictures really show my natural hair color (gray) I had stopped coloring a few months ago and now the hair color is gone. I decided to stop coloring after reading about dark color dyes. What can I say...it's life and I'm already used to this new look.

Have a blessed week.

Andrea Turns 28

2011-08-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

My beautiful daughter Andrea turns 28 today! As the saying goes: "Time Flies" Happy Birthday special one and may you continue to celebrate many many more surrounded by your boys {Caleb, Taite and Owen} and Travis. Here she is doing what she does so well - taking pictures.

The summer Andrea was six and growing some new teeth.

Andrea looking cute during the summer of 1987. She was 4.

Keep smiling - You are a blessing.

Paper and Fabric Tags

2011-07-31T21:03:00.001-04:00

Chances are you already have everything you need to make these paper and fabric tags.

You can make your own tags with cardstock. I am in love with the manila tags and have a good supply from my last order. To make the paper flower all you need to do is cut several circle shapes using a punch or by drawing a circle using a round lid to trace the shape. I used book print from a discarded book. You can cut several circles at a time. I like to use decorative brads to hold the circle shapes together. The ones I used simulate a mini button and I purchased them from Hobby Lobby. You will find them in the Scrapbook Department. Once you have all the layers together held by the brad scrunch the layers up. If your paper is a bit thick you can even spritz some water. Place the paper flower unto a scallop circle shape.

The tags background consists of a small piece of rectangle fabric which I cut out using my pinking shears. Sew unto the tag using a Zig Zag stitch. Use little pieces of lace and ribbon to embellish your tags. It is fun to make pleats and sew them as you do this. The wrinkled seam binding I used is from the Etsy seller Annie. Stamp your sentiment and simply staple to the tag.

This mini manila tag was made by placing on top of a slightly larger piece of fabric.

Remember that anything Handmade conveys a special message of
L O V E.

Eggplant Goodness

2011-07-22T19:56:00.000-04:00

I have always heard that eating purple vegetables is nutritious. I did a little reading about eggplants and found out that the skin is good because it supplies dietary fiber. To a chef an eggplant is a vegetable but to a botanist it is a fruit. I also learned that the Eggplant which belongs to the Nightshade family andcontains toxins in its early stage of growth. So never attempt to cook and eat a very small eggplant as it can cause illness. On the other hand a fully developed eggplant contains the phytochemical monterpene which is helpful in preventing the growth of cancer cells.

Some other benefits of Eggplants:

Low in calories and sodium

3-1/2 ounces(100 grams) supplies plenty of minerals:

21.4 mg of calcium

13.0 mg of magnesium

248 mg of potassium

22 mg of phosphorus

Eggplant Rounds

Cut the eggplant in slices about 1/2 inch in thickness. The eggplant is like a sponge. To draw out some of the water for quicker cooking, spread salt on both sides of the eggplant slices and place on a paper towel or on a colander. Cover with another piece of paper towel. Wait about 30 minutes, rinse the salt and.....

blot the liquid using the piece of paper towel. You might use more than one piece.

Place the eggplants on a cookie sheet or use your Pampered Chef bar pan if you have one. Slightly oil the surface using olive oil. Spread pesto on the eggplant round, and add tomatoes, slices of Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 25 minutes.

I used the Cilantro pesto I made a few weeks ago, but store bought pesto or home made basil pesto will be good too.

It's a Heart....No it's a tomato

2011-07-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

The Roma tomatoes are yielding a bumper crop. This morning before going to work I found a neat one.

...shaped like a heart. This is the result of two Roma tomatoes fusing.

It is wonderful to walk out in the garden every morning and see nature singing. This is a very tiny variety of a sunflower. I bought a package of mixed sunflower varieties and only two plants sprouted. That is why I'm saying it's a tiny sunflower measuring no more than an inch and a half.

Before blooming it looked like this:

The Hens and Chics are doing much better than last year.

The Mandevilla took a while to bloom.

Made me smile when it finally opened.

Coming soon:

Recipe to make Eggplant Rounds.

Enjoy the beauty of Nature.

Super Easy Star Shape Cloth

2011-07-17T18:35:00.000-04:00

I found a very enjoyable crochet pattern and suitable for a beginner. The pattern was originally created by Elizabeth Ann White for Bella Crochet and is called Little Star.

I like it in black cream and red.

The pattern can be reduced if you'd rather make coasters.

If you have not yet created an account with Ravelry you are missing more than you can imagine. It's a wonderful source for both free and for sale patterns.

Here is the link to this wonderful pattern:

Little Star Dish cloth or Wash Cloth

5 Ingredient Ratatouille

2011-07-13T20:54:00.001-04:00

I found the easiest Ratatouille recipe in Claire Robinson's 5 ingredient Fix. Our eggplants have matured enough to be picked so I decided to try this very easy to make Ratatouille.

To make it you will need:

Easy Ratatouille

1 medium red onion chopped

1 large eggplant or 3 small ones cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Sea salt and pepper to season

A few tomatoes{the recipe calls for 1 large one} I did not think that was enough and since I have a lot of Roma tomatoes, I used at least 6. (about 4 cups chopped)

1 tablespoon small brined capers plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar.

Heat some olive oil and then add the onion and cook until softened. Add 2 cloves of garlic minced. Add the chopped eggplant, season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring every few minutes until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, capers and caper brine and continue cooking until very hot and the tomato is just beginning to break down, about 5 minutes more.

Note: The original recipe calls for garlic infused oil; I just used 2 garlic cloves minced a cooked in the olive oil.

I absolutely love the flavor the capers impart in this easy Ratatouille. Do not skip this ingredient.

I used about 3 cups chopped roma tomatoes from my garden.

Roma tomatoes I picked a few days ago from the garden.

Me and Carla resting a few days ago after doing my gardening chores.

This was a refreshing lemon/blueberry water. I would love some right now to tell you the truth.

See you around....and may you continue to enjoy your summer as much as I am enjoying mine.

When Life Gives You Lemons {Make Lemonade}

2011-07-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

Recently I came across a large bag of lemons at the Harris Teeter where I shop. (2.97 for the bag) which is a rare find. Lemons don't really keep fresh for a long time, so that is why I made lemonade.

Perfect Lemonade

6 Large lemons

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 cups cold water

Make a syrup by mixing the 3/4 sugar with 1 cup very hot water. Allow this to cool some.

Squeeze the lemon juice.

In a pitcher mix the lemon juice with the sugar syrup.

Add 4 cups of cold water. If desired cut some lemon or lime thin slices and add to the lemonade.

Serve with crushed ice.

I read a little about some benefits and facts about Lemons.

1. Lemon juice should never be ingested by itself as it can damage the teeth enamel.
2. It is an excellent body cleanser: Mix lemon juice with cold water and add a little honey. Take it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
3. It will help get rid of any intestinal worms.
4. It is a diuretic which means it helps maintain the kidney and bladder function.
5. Lemons contain vitamin A and natural vitamin C.
6. It contains more potassium than apples or grapes which is beneficial for the heart.

I'm sure there are lots more reasons to make lemons part of your diet.

Powerful little fruit, isn't it?

Cilantro Pesto

2011-07-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

Cilantro ranks high on my favorite herbs. The problem is it does not last long fresh. You can eat Cilantro fresh by adding it to a salad. It is also a key ingredient for making Guacamole. I recently found a recipe for Cilantro Pesto. All the ingredients sounded delicious and I was not disappointed. The recipe is a little bit of work since it involves roasting, and removing all the leaves from the Cilantro bunch is time consuming. One Cilantro bunch will yield approximately 3/4 cup which is a small amount considering the work. The taste however was all worth it. I also like this recipe because it requires the use of walnuts instead of the traditional Pine nuts which are more costly.

Begin by cutting off leaves from the stems. This process is time consuming. Rinse well.

You will need two Poblano Peppers. These are not hot and spicy like Jalapenos.

Roast the peppers under your broiler until charred. Turn several times until all sides have been exposed to heat. Remove and put in a covered container. The peppers will look like this after you take them out of the broiler.

Peel them off and chop.

I like to eat this pesto just simple by spreading it on Chapati flat bread.

Put a small amount on Black Beans.

Use the Cilantro Pesto to enhance the flavor of your vegetables.

To make the Saute Corn and Zucchini. Cook in a small amount with Olive oil. Add about 1 teaspoon of the Cilantro Pesto during the cooking process. It's delicious.

I really liked the Pesto in this doctored Palermo Pizza. Spread some pesto and bake your Pizza following the instructions.

I like to keep a small amount of the Cilantro Pesto for use during the week. Cilantro Pesto freezes well. Freeze in ice cube trays or a small container.

2011 Fourth of July {Remembering Kevin}

2011-07-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

It's time again to celebrate living in a free nation.

As soon as I got up this morning my son came to mind.

He has been serving our Nation and is currently stationed in Qatar but will return soon to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. We have not been able to celebrate 4th of July with Kevin in at least 3 years.

He is missed more than he'll ever know.

Spoke to him via Gmail chat and he is in good spirits.

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July

{Thoughts of You} Tag

2011-07-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

This dragonfly tag is sure to please the recipient. The dragonfly's body was constructed with re-purposed wool and the wings are made from chinese book print. I actually sewed around the dragonfly body using the blanket stitch. This was a bit tedious and I don't think it makes much of a difference due to the small scale. I had started it so I went ahead and finished--ending with a sore neck.

I am really enjoying using the wrinkled ribbon which adds a bit of color and dimension to this tag.

Head over to Annie 42 and Etsy seller if you like the wrinkled ribbon. I have been very pleased with her supplies and the prices can't be beat. She also ships super fast.

You will find the pattern to cut the body and the wings here: Dragonfly body and wings.

Accordion Fold Butterfly

2011-06-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

To make this accordion fold butterfly you will need 2 square pieces of paper in two different sizes. A 4 inch piece of pipe cleaner and a safety pin. For small butterfly cut one piece 2-1/2 square and the larger piece 2-3/4 square. Burnish paper edges using a dauber and a brown ink pad.

2- Accordion fold each piece.

3 - Using an awl puncture the two folded pieces in the middle. Join the two folded pieces and insert the safety pin through the layers. The safety pin will become the butterfly's body. Apply a little glue where the two pieces join. Take a 4 inch piece of pipe cleaner and insert through the hole on the top of the safety pin. Let dry. Open folds as desired.

4 - Mount butterfly unto a scalloped circular shape and apply a little glue to hold in place.

5 - Embellish adding other papers or decorations.

6 - Mount the finished butterfly unto a tag.

Another pretty tag I created this butterfly slightly smaller.

Japanese Camellia Crochet Pillow

2011-06-19T21:48:00.000-04:00

I am really pleased with the result of this crochet creation. I really like the texture that was created by making the shell pattern on the top circle shape. I was inspired to create this pattern after seeing a similar pillow design on Pinterest. I liked the design just not the way the shells had to be sewn to a circle fabric base.

I used Vanna's Choice worsted yarn in the Dusty Purple color and a size H hook. The center of the pillow is embellished with a variety of buttons in different sizes.

Origami Shirts

2011-06-16T10:12:00.000-04:00

This is a fun card to make using a rectangular piece of paper. I love the look of printed book paper so this is what I used to create these little shirts. Check out your library for discarded books. I use books that have discarded due to poor condition. There are quite a few video tutorials on You Tube to create Origami shirts. I watched this one.

Supplies: Scrapbook paper, notebook paper, magazine paper, book print paper, card stock, wrinkled ribbon, button brads, glue stick.

Use the scrapbook paper or the book print paper to create eye pleasing layers. I like to recycle mail or magazine paper to create the little banners. Cut small pieces of the notebook paper to write down your sentiment.

To make the tag you will need to cut your paper to measure: 2-3/4 inches by 5 inches.

To make the shirt for the greeting card cut your paper to measure: 4 inches by 7 inches.

Have fun making little shirts. They are ideal for men birthday cards or Father's Day cards.

Parsnip Chips

2011-05-30T21:23:00.001-04:00

Made Parsnip Chips this evening and they were tasty and sweet. They are very simple to make. It does help to slice them thin using a mandolin. Season with salt and pepper or you can use any Seasoning salt you have on had. You will need to coat the parsnip chips in Olive oil or Grapeseed oil. Bake in a preheated 375 oven until slightly browned. I baked the chips for around 30 minutes....Check and turn them a few times.

Speaking of Parsnips....here is the knitted lamb I named... Parsnip. Pepper is the black lamb.

Parsnip

A Little Bit of this and a Little bit of ThAt...

2011-05-27T19:47:00.000-04:00

To make this tag all you will need is yellow notebook paper, a strip of paper cut from a discarded book. I come across a lot of these where I work (at the Library), buttons, rick rack, buttons and my favorite things to work with, manila tags and baker's twine. You can actually make your own tag.

Anything goes when you work with paper. Place different layers of paper you like. I decided to crease the narrow strip of text and burnish the edges with a stamp pad to make a paper ruffle. Use a glue stick to secure the layers of paper you will be using. I used regular Elmer's glue to secure the crochet flower and the buttons.

I was thrilled with my recent purchase of manila tags from the Black Door Studio. Wow!! you get 20 tags for only $1.75. I have not tried tea or coffee staining the tags which the seller says works real well.

My other favorite thing I have had my eye for some time now is Baker's twine. Annie42 is where I found the best deal. This twine is excellent quality and I had no trouble crocheting the little Flower. You will need to use a small hook such as a C or E. Give it a try:

Crochet Mini Flower

Wrap the twine around the middle and index finger and make a ring.

Round 1: Chain 1, work 5 single crochet in the ring, join with a slip stitch to the beginning single crochet.

Round 2: Work in the first single crochet [Chain 3, 2 double crochet, chain 3, slip stitch], skip the next single crochet, *in the next single crochet work [slip stitch, chain 3, 2 double crochet, chain 3, slip stitch] Repeat doing this from the * 3 more times. You will end with a total of 5 petals. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning stitch.

To finish off the flower make sure you close the circle in the middle by pulling on the tail. Hide the tails using a yarn needle.

I made this tag before getting the manila tags from card stock.

Incorporate the tags you make in a card.

Keep the supplies you are using to make tags using a cutlery container.

Look around your house and I'm sure you'll be able to find a LiTtLe bIt of ThIs and LiTTle bit of ThAt to make pretty tags.

Paper Bunting Card

2011-05-15T20:40:00.000-04:00

To make this very easy card, you will need scrap booking paper, paper from a discarded book, white cardstock (for the card), glue stick, an awl, a marker with a fine tip, double stick tape, a punch to cut the little flower, a small circle punch to cut the two circles for the flowers and twine.

From white card stock cut a piece that measures 5-1/2" by 8-1/2". Fold in half. Cut another piece from scrapbook paper which measures 4" by 5-1/2". Use small pieces of double stick tape and center scrapbook paper piece on top of the white card. The pennant shape pieces are made from a piece of scrapbook paper and from pages from an old discarded book. Cut this pieces t o measure 4" by 1-3/8". Fold each piece in half using the glue stick to hold in half. Using scissors cut into a pennant shape. Place the four pieces and secure to the card using the glue stick.

Using an awl puncture two small holes right next to the pennant shapes. Do this on each side.

Using a blunt needle thread a piece of twine and tie into a bow.

Embellish the card with flowers cut with a punch and using a fine tip marker write the sentiment.

The Finished Card

Some more cards using the same materials and technique:

I'm Still Knitting Wee Little Critters

2011-05-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has enjoyed a very special Mother's Day. I enjoyed mine doing what I love best these days knitting a Wee Lil Birdie.

This little bird is knitted in the round using double point needles. I really like how the beak came. You will need a basic knowledge of crochet to make the beak. I tried hard creating a knitted beak but found that it was much easier using a crochet hook.

The legs are made by making an I-cord which two stitches in the needle. You can actually attach the yarn to the bottom of the bird and begin knitting. This step eliminates attaching the leg with a yarn needle. To pick up the stitches use a crochet hook and then mount on the double point needles.

After completing the leg I found it lots easier to make the toes also using a crochet hook.

The toes are all hooked to the I cord and are made by chaining three and then slip stitching three. This bird only has three toes.

I hope you do try to make this bird. I must caution that due to all the techniques I use it is not a project for beginners. There is some degree of difficulty.

Here's red birdie made earlier this week.

I have written the pattern and you can download a free copy here:

Wee Knitted Bird

If you have any questions....please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Earth Day Crafting

2011-04-22T19:44:00.001-04:00

I checked out this book and found a neat book to make using the subscription inserts that come in magazines. So this is why I'm calling the post Earth Day Crafting since I am repurposing. The instructions for the Custom Bound Books is on page 64. You can really use any size or type of paper you have on hand.

You will need 10 pieces of paper. Three pieces will be for the pages of the book, Four pieces will work as connectors, two pieces for the title pages and one piece will be used to create the books spine.

Step 1 {Make the pages for the book}

Fold one short end to the middle not creasing the middle section

Do this on the other short side. Fold three pieces in this manner. Your paper now looks like this:

Now fold the short sides again to the middle.

Step 2 {Make the Connectors}

Fold in the same way as for the pages but fold one of the sides overlapping the other side by 1/8 of an inch. The connectors will be 1/8" smaller.

Step 3 {Make the covers} You will need two pieces of paper and these pieces are folded the same way you folded the pages.

Step 4 {Make the Spine} You will need one piece of paper to make the spine. Fold this piece the same way you folded the connectors. Arrange your pieces of paper in order before joining them.

Step 5 - Join the pages to the connectors by slipping the connector into the page making sure all the open edges are all on the same side. Join in this manner:

1 connector, 1 page, 1 connector, 1 page, 1 connector, 1 page ending with 1 connector.

Now join a cover to each side.

Step 6 {Fold the book in accordion style}

The opposite side of the accordion looks like this:

The pages of the book

Step 7 {Use the last piece of paper to make the spine by......

Slipping into the two covers. I applied a small amount of glue to the spine piece facing you.

The finished book.

This little book is perfect for jotting down Memory verses.

I also made a birthday card booklet using this technique. I used 8-1/2 by 11 inches paper. Keep in mind that the connectors will not be seen so you can use paper that has some writing. You can even pre print your pieces of paper to make a mini scrapbook. This I am going to try next. The pretty illustrations on this birthday card booklet are from the Graphics Fairy. For a more finished spine, you can cut a piece of paper and glue to the spine. I used a piece of magazine paper to make the spine strip.

'Till we meet again....

Seed Starters from Newspapers

2011-04-17T20:17:00.000-04:00

Spring Fever has caused me to go on a planting spree! I decided this year to try growing some of my plants from seeds. It really can save you some money if you don't mind the little extra work that is involved. It's actually very exciting to see a plant develop from seed. With a little tender loving care you can be successful. This first picture shows some of my Cherry Tomato Plants. I can't wait for these to grow and start producing tomatoes. The seeds were free and came from the Lost and Found from Mint Hill Library.

To plant seeds you need little containers. I planted the first seeds in March and I was not successful since the temperature in my house was still a little too cool and the plants that began to develop were super thin. The ones I planted in April have done much better. The little seed starter boxes I made were made using newspaper.

Step 1: Cut your newspaper to measure 9 inches square.

2. Fold the paper in a diagonal on all four sides.

3. Fold all four points to the middle where the two previous diagonals intercept.

Your paper should look like this:

4. Divide the square paper into thirds by eyeballing and fold up all four sides.

Your paper should look like this. Don't forget to do this on two sides.

5. This is tricky. Hope you can do it. Fold two sides up along the previous creases made.

6. After folding up first side bring the flap towards the inside of the box

Tuck folded side inside box and use your fingers to crease so flap stays put nicely.

Fold in the same way the other side.

The finished box should look like this. Don't worry if the sides are not super even. You will be using these to plant seeds and once you start watering they will be misshapen anyway.

You can plant these seed starters directly into the ground.

Happy Happy Gardening

Homemade Green Insecticidal Soap

2011-04-10T17:07:00.000-04:00

This winter I noticed two of my plants had Whiteflies, my Jade plant and a Fern. As soon as the temperatures got warmer I moved them outside. At this time of the year as long as it does not get below 32 degree F, plants do Ok if they are put somewhat near the house.

A natural way of treating white flies, aphids, spider mites and scales is by spraying the plant with Insecticidal soap. I had on hand Dr Woods Pure Tea Tree Castile Soap which contains hemp oil, olive oil, tea tree oil, sea salt, citric acid and rosemary extract. Dr Bronner's Castile soap is also all natural and will work well.

Castile Soap is mild enough to use on your face so it won't hurt your plants or pets and will attack the infestation. Here's the recipe.

Green Insecticidal Soap

1 Quart of water

1 tablespoon Castile Soap

Dissolve the Castile soap in the water. Pour into a spray bottle. Label the bottle.

Tip: the Method All Purpose cleaner bottle holds 1 quart of water.

Spray the plant thoroughly preferably early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Place the plant in a shady location during the treatment. Do not spray in a sunny location. Check the plant and repeat spraying after 3 days. If it rains and the rain washes away the soap, you may spray again before the third day.

My infected Jade Plant

A Visit to the Carolina Raptor Center

2011-04-03T20:10:00.000-04:00

The weather was perfect for today's visit to the Carolina Raptor Center which is located inside the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. I had been there more than 20 years ago when the Center which cares for injured birds of prey was being established.

I did not take many pictures of the birds in cages. I did managed to take this one of Mathilda a majestic Great Horned Owl, who is also part of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole exhibit.

We walked the trails and came upon this neat illustration on how to draw an owl. Might have to try that someday.

You could purchase Owl pellets in the Gift Shop. You might wander what these are. I did not know but owls regurgitate what they eat.

A close look at a dissected owl pellet will reveal what they eat. Owls need to consume bird or rodent bones to get calcium. That is why an Owl as cute as they are should never be kept as pets.

We finished walking the trails with one to spare before the Bird show so we walked back to the car and relaxed in the car. My souvenir Plush Owls perched on the Sunroof look so adorable. I want to keep them but not this time.

The Volunteer in charge of the Bird Show was fantastic and quite knowledgeable of the Daytime Eating Birds of Prey. Here she educates the audience about the Cooper's Hawk.

This Peregrine Falcon is around 7 years old and suffered injury to one of its wings. It's a little sad to see a beautiful bird like this achieve sustained flight. She assured everyone they have a good life at the Center and get quite used to living around people.

Last but not least the Red Tailed Hawk has been a resident at CRC more than 20 years.

The admission to the Carolina Raptor Center is affordable and well worth what you will experience during your visit.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Revisited

2011-04-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

I am still making my own laundry detergent. I made one change in the way I make it so I thought I would revisit this post The only change I made is in the shredding of the Fels Naptha bar of soap. I am now finely shredding the bar of soap using my metal grater. I usually do this while watching TV. Cover your lap with a towel or cloth. If you do not find Fels Naptha soap you can also use Ivory Soap.

Finely shredded Fels Naptha Soap

Recipe

1 Cup of Borax

1 Cup of Washing Soda

1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap

In a glass bowl combine well the Borax and the Washing Soda.

Mix well the Borax, Washing soda and finely grated Fels Naptha. To even pulverize more you may use a food processor.

Store your homemade detergent in a jar. For one load use 1 tablespoon of the mix. Sometimes I use 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled clothes.

This is a super economical recipe. One box of Borax will yield over 9 cups and 1 one box of the washing soda will yield just under 7 cups.

Misty Rain Walk

2011-03-30T20:18:00.000-04:00

I find it very relaxing to take walks during my lunch or dinner hour. The weather has turned cold again and even though it was misting a little bit I managed to get out of the Library building. It's really invigorating to come close in contact with nature especially after 4 + hours of Library work.
Now that I take one picture a day as part of the Flickr Project 365 challenge I always have an excuse to take walks and find subjects to photograph.

Layers and Layers of Termite Damage

Old Pine Tree

This log is completely covered in moss. So beautiful!

This tree Lichen is as bright as it looks. I love the beautiful shade of green.

This walk was particularly special today and it did wonders to refresh me. I'm so glad I did take the walk even on this misty day.

Spinach Lasagna

2011-03-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

Love eating Lasagna but dread the boiling of the noodles. You can skip this step by using No Boiling noodles which are now available in most Grocery stores. I particularly like the Trader Joe's Italian No Boiling -Oven Ready noodles. For this recipe you will use almost all the box. I ended up with four layers of noodles. You can actually have 5 layers of the lasagna noodles if you put less spinach and ricotta filling on each layer.

In a frying pan cook together in a small amount of oil (Canola, Vegetable, Olive or Grapeseed oil) 1 cup of onions and the chopped mushrooms.

For this recipe I used a large container of Part Kim Ricotta Cheese and two 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach. Ragu sauce is not only economical but delicious and available in an array different flavors. I used the Chunky sundried tomato and sweet basil and loved it. You will need two of the 10 oz large jars. Mix the drained spinach, 1 tablespoon dried basil or dried oregano, the entire container of

Ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

As you can see the noodles are layered uncooked. You can prepare this Lasagna 24 hours ahead of time. Sweet! My large baking dish had room for 6 noodle pieces overlapped.

Use a measuring cup to add the sauce. You can actually add less than the cup of sauce per layer. Just make sure to spread the amount of sauce evenly on each layer.

You will be able to put a generous amount of the spinach filling on each layer. Drop using a tablespoon and distribute.

Serve your lasagna with a tossed green salad and garlic bread.

The entire detailed recipe can be seen and downloaded here:

http://www.scribd.com/full/51659233?access_key=key-uxwpp1finx096vdodrc

Sprout my Chia Kitten

2011-03-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

I have been having a lot of fun looking after my first Chia Pet. I even gave the Chia kitten I got for my birthday from my daughter and grand kids a name. Meet Sprout.

The Chia kitten I got for my birthday came with a softie Chia Bear. Here he is looking at the seeds which are soaking in water. The instructions tell you to soak in 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons of the Chia seeds. In reality this is way too much. You only need 1 teaspoon of chia seeds. You have to soak the seeds for 1 hour. Do not go over this amount of time like I did the first time. If you do the seeds will be hard to adhere to the ceramic kitten. As the seeds soak they become gelatinous and this actually will help to spread the seeds on the surface. Use a small spoon to pick up the seeds and spread all around the ridges.

If you leave the seeds soaking for more than an hour, they turn really slimy and slippery. As you can see my first attempt was not successful. I wasted a lot of seeds. Cliff has ordered me more Chia seeds. You can buy them online from Amazon.

Keep you Chia Pet in a well lit space and fill the clay container daily with water. There is a hole at the very top of the clay container. Always place the Chia pet on the plastic tray provided because it will leak water. It also helps to mist your Chia pet with a spray bottle.

As you can see, I had much better results on my second try.

Chia seeds are considered a super food. They can be consumed as seeds or after the seeds sprout. This article provides information about the benefits of including Chia seeds in your diet. Sorry Sprout....I will be eating your sprouts.

This is Sprout without his lush green coat!

Keep the harvested sprouts in the refrigerator.

I added some Chia sprouts to my Avocado Sandwich.

Check this lady's blog for recipes and more ideas.

Breakfast Couscous

2011-03-13T18:36:00.000-04:00

I love to eat Couscous because of its nutritional value but also because it is so easy and quick to prepare. Most people think Couscous is a grain but it really is considered a Pasta. Up to know I've used Couscous in savory dishes and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was cooked in orange juice. I found the recipe I used this morning in the book The New Glucose Revolution Low GI Family Cookbook.

I did not have the exact ingredients but went ahead with what I had and it turned delicious.

This is my interpretation:

Breakfast Couscous

1/2 cup Orange Juice

1/3 cup water

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup Tri Color Couscous

2 tbsp dried chopped apricots

Plain greek yogurt

1 tsp Agave sweetener

2 tbsp toasted unsweetened coconut

1 tbsp whole wheat germ

1. Combine the orange juice, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.

2. Add the chopped dried apricots to the juice.

3. Once the orange juice begins to simmer, add the couscous and turn off the heat. Cover and allow the Couscous to absorb the liquids. Fluff with a fork.

4. Sweeten the Greek yogurt using the Agave sweetener

5. Serve the warm couscous with Sweetened Greek Yogurt and top with the toasted coconut.

If you do not have any coconut you can add: slivered almonds or Wheat Germ.

Delicious and quick!

Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous

2011-03-08T08:26:00.001-05:00

I really like Zahas Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous. It is nothing like the Bulgur couscous used to make Tabbouleh. I like to keep it in my pantry because it's very quick and easy to prepare. It is sold in small 8.8 oz packages and the instructions only tell you how to cook the whole package. I usually cook enough for one serving using 1/2 cup of the couscous with approximately 3/4 cup of water.

The instructions tell you to cook it in 2 tablespoons of oil (I use olive oil or grapeseed oil). Basically you will be browning it and then you add boiling water. It will be ready in 6 minutes. The cooked couscous will be crunchy.

After I cook the couscous I usually sautee onions, mushrooms, peppers or tomatoes. Any of your favorite veggies will do. I added spinach to this recipe.

The yellow peppers and sugar plum tomatoes from Trader Joes were delicious in this recipe.

This delicious alternative to pasta supplies 6 grams of protein per 1/3 cup and it only contains 1 gram of sugar.

Origami Newspaper Pots

2011-03-05T20:39:00.000-05:00

The weather is changing rapidly and has been consistently mild causing all kinds of beautiful blooms. I do hope this continues and we don't get any freezing temperatures. It still could happen, time will tell. We have gotten snow in Charlotte in April. So I thought I would get a head start and plant seeds indoors hence the Origami Paper Pots. All you need is newspaper and a desire to fold....trust me it is therapeutic. It does take time but you will be so proud you did not just recycle your newspaper but repurposed it. I used a small newspaper. If you use the large size you will get two squares from each sheet. After cutting the paper, you will need to square the sheet. Just fold in a diagonal to cut into the square shape. The piece should measure a little over 10 inches square.

Fold paper diagonally on both directions to mark the center. Fold each corner so the points meet the center.

Fold each corner once again in the same way.

Fold up and divide into thirds. (Eyeball the folds) If you want you can use a ruler to make sure the measurements are about the same. Do this folding in both directions.

Once folded into thirds your square should look like this. Don't forget to repeat the process in the other direction.

After folding in this manner in both direction notice you have a grid. The base of the pot will be approximately 2 to 2-1/2 inches.

This is the tricky part but don't give up. You will be folding up the sides to create a box.

This is how it should look once you fold up. Now bring the top and fold it down so it is now inside the box.

After you fold down the side tuck the point inside the box.

The finished box should measure approximately 2 to 2-/12 inches square.

Fill the paper pots with loose soil and place in a pan. I used a rectangular cake pan.

Place around 3 to 4 seeds and cover with about 1 teaspoon of soil. Water and keep moist. I made a tent using the plastic wrap in which rolls of paper towel came. Keep the wrapping loose to simulate a greenhouse.

I planted Cornflower seeds and they sprung fast. This is how the seeds looked two days after planting.

A week later the seedlings look happy although thin. Keep in a well lit location and water using a spray bottle. I squirt them when I see the top of the soil looks dry. You will do this at least 4 times a week.

I will be planting these outside soon. There is no need to take them out of the paper pots. Plant them directly into the ground. The paper will disintegrate.

Cooking Shirataki Noodles

2011-02-13T16:47:00.000-05:00

I finally had the opportunity to cook Shirataki Noodles, an alternative to regular pasta. My local Harris Teeter store only carries this small 8 oz bags. I have seen the white and the green noodles. A co-worker had shared with me she liked the green ones better because the noodles did not smell as strong. I just kept wondering what sort of smell she was talking about. Then I found out. These noodles are packed in liquid and the best way I can describe the smell is -- FISHY. So make sure you rinse real well by placing them on a colander.

Bring water to a boil, then add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. I think they just have to boil for about 2 minutes. The noodles are somewhat chewy.

I had on hand Sun Dried tomatoes in oil which are good in anything you cook. Chop at least 1 cup of the tomatoes and add some of the oil. Take two cloves of garlic and mince or chop finely. That is all you need. I guarantee you will not smell the original fishy smell.

Cook the sun dried tomatoes and the garlic together for a few seconds. Add the drained Shirataki noodles and combine well.

Season with salt, pepper and add Parmesan Cheese.

Shirataki noodles are an alternative to cooking regular spaghetti noodles. They claim to be guilt free so really just good if you are trying to eat less carbohydrates that cause weight gain. Next time I will try the green Shirataki noodles. I bet they would be delicious with some fresh spinach and garlic.

This small bag will yield two small servings.

Fetching Fingerless Gloves

2011-02-10T09:54:00.001-05:00

Fetching Fingerless Gloves
Originally uploaded by DulceKnits

These fingerless gloves are just too much fun to knit. This pair was made using Cascade 220 wool. When I saw this color I fell in love with it. The yarn itself does not feel too soft but it's ok for these gloves.

I did change the pattern since my hands are small and my wrist is very thin. My husband is always talking about my huesos ( bones)....lol....

The pattern for Fetchings is here:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fetching

Bird on the Branch

2011-02-10T09:36:00.001-05:00

Bird on the Branch
Originally uploaded by DulceKnits

I was really surprised to see this bird perch itself immediately above where I was standing.

The first thought that came to mind was: "Please don't poop on my head." They do that a lot, you know.

I selected this picture for Project 365 (One Picture a Day).

I'm finding out you can never go wrong taking pictures of trees.

Unfelted Hearts

2011-02-06T12:16:00.001-05:00

Unfelted Hearts
Originally uploaded by DulceKnits

I present to you my 2011 Knitted hearts. I really enjoyed knitting these two heart Milagros and hope I will be able to make some more. I always seem to run out of time to give them away on Valentine's Day. The pattern is the book Gifted Lovely Little Things to Knit + Crochet by Mags Kandis.

The pattern is super easy and the heart is knitted flat (using two needles) size U.S. 6 (4mm)

This will be my first time doing the felting process on something that has been stuffed with polyester fiberfill. I will probably used the washing machine to do the shrinking (felting) process since it is less time consuming.

The neat cool picture effect was created using Picnik.

Interesting Walk in the Woods

2011-01-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows that walking is good for you so yesterday after lunch I used the last 25 minutes of my lunch hour and walked through the woods near the University City Library.

Cute Critter....A little unusual to encounter one in plain day light. I was told by a co-worker that he could have been rabid. He did not make any attempt to attack. He was soaked and wet from all the rain. I was delighted to have met him.

Reporting from the UNCC woods this has been:

Heart Healthy Granola

2011-01-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

A co-worker from University City Regional Library shared with me a Granola recipe that does not contain oil. It turned out very good. I did make a few changes to her original recipe. Instead of using brown sugar, I used only 1/4 cup of Agave Natural sweetener and Maple syrup. If you decide to use brown sugar in this recipe you will need to add 3/4 cup. I have even been able to get Flavored Agave Syrup at Marshalls. For this recipe I used Blueberry Flavor Agave Syrup but the plain Agave Syrup Sweetener would work just fine.

If you are watching the amount of sugar you consume, Agave Nectar is better for you since it scores lower on the Glycemic Index (17Gl) so it will help by not raising your blood sugar. As with anything especially a sweetener use Agave in moderation and just enough to sweeten your coffee for example. This sweetener is super sweet. Read more about Agave Nectar sweetener here.

You can download a copy of my recipe from this site

On My Birth Day

2011-01-20T18:05:00.000-05:00

Enjoyed a wonderful and very special birthday in the company of my sweet husband Cliff who decided to take the day off. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Hibachi Grill in Matthews. Tried something new some kind of stuffed seafood shell. Not really sure what I was eating but it was good.

The weather was perfect for a walk. I don't mind taking walks as long as the temperature is the the 50's...very appropriate since today I turned 55...lol.. I knew I'd be having cake...later on in the afternoon. So I walked briskly.

Cliff got me the cutest wee little cake -- and we both enjoyed it!

I brought the mail in after my walk and to my surprise a birthday card signed my UC Library co workers had arrived. It was really nice to enjoy my cake while I read all the sweet birthday wishes. The picture below is the one I submitted for my Flickr Project 365. It is a little bit of a challenge to take a picture a day but so far I'm still doing it. I have also met some very nice people that participate on the Project 365.

Thanks everyone for making my birthday so special.

Snow Day Crafting

2011-01-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

A coworker shared with me a neat way to recycle Christmas cards. You can also use pretty scrap book card stock. This craft works better with cards that are not too thick. This makes the folding easier. The snow scene book mark was made using a Christmas card. The other two were made with scrap book paper.

It's all about being green and frugal.

Surprise a friend who likes to read by giving them one of these.

Thank You Marilyn!

The instructions on how to make these is here.

When It's Cold Outside I make Soup

2011-01-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Today was the perfect day to make soup! I absolutely loved staying home today thanks to the snow and had a productive day.

I made Carrot Pumpkin Soup.

You will need Olive oil, pureed pumpkin, carrots, potatoes and celery.

I used about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to cook the chopped onions and red bell pepper. While this is cooking season with curry powder and black pepper.
You will add some garlic at this point but be careful not to burn it.

Next add the chopped potatoes, celery and carrots. If you have zucchini on hand you can also add some.

I used store bought vegetable broth and there is no need to add salt because this broth already contains sodium. This soup is very quick to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Cliff likes to add some more heat using Texas Pete Hot sauce.

Click on the the following link for the complete recipe.
Carrot Pumpkin Soup

After making the soup I had 1/2 can left over of the pureed pumpkin so I made Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread. A word of caution. I watch how much sugar I eat so this bread may not be sweet enough for you. Feel free to add more of the sweetener you use. The Bread turned out so pretty with the addition of pumpkin seeds and cranberries.

As I waited for the New Year....

2011-01-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

I waited for the new year watching a few episodes of X Files (Season 7 now) and knitting. The perfect project to end the year knitting was a coffee cup sweater/cozy.

I knitted this cozy using No. 6 (4.25 mm) knitting needles and Worsted Weight Yarn.

How cute is this....found some teensy weensy little buttons for eyes. This cozy has 4 owls instead of the 5 in the original pattern. I also decreased one row making the owl, otherwise the cozy would have been too tall for my mug. I changed the ribbing to be knit 1, purl 1.

The cozy is joined at the bottom has a button closure. Cozy slips on with the button closed. This pattern is available free from the Knitphomaniac in Ravelry.

When you are done drinking your coffee or tea.....display your beautiful creation as I did.

At around 10 pm on New Year's Eve, I decided to join the Knitting Help Party and continued knitting the night away instead of watching the ball fall. It was fun even if I did not win any of the prizes. Thanks Sandy for organizing this fun knitting event. Sandy designed a Coffee Cup Sleeve to commemorate this New Year's Eve Party. You will find the pattern on Shandeh's blog as she is known in the Knitting Help community of knitters. To make the cozy I used Size 6 needles instead of the size 7 suggested in her pattern and it worked just right. This cozy fits a large paper cup.

Here is the completed Coffee Cup Cozy designed by Sandy.

Wish you all a Happy New Year in every way. May your life be touched and enriched by the One who holds our life in his hands....The Lord Jesus Christ.

Food For Thought

2010-12-31T10:53:00.000-05:00

The New Year 2011 begins tomorrow and it's time to make resolutions. Merriam Webster defines resolution as the process of resolving, determining. I don't have a long list of resolutions but as I turn a new leaf and the New Year begins I would like to try new ~~foods~~ super foods and add them to my diet. These are some foods I intend to add to my diet in my quest of staying healthy.

I learned today that you can't get antioxidants from supplements only from the foods you eat.

1. Chia Seeds - Who would have known you can consume these. These are the seeds used in making Chia pets.The site GET CHIA LLC even offers free shipping, just in case you can't find these locally.The site also features recipes. I have never had a Chia Pet....maybe I will now.

2. Black Rice. This rice will turn dark purple after cooked due to the anthocyanin antioxidant content. It also supplies minerals including iron. Look for black rice at your local grocery store or an Oriental supermarket.

3. Pistachios - Wow I had no idea Pistachios were so good. They are delicious too. Pistachios supply fiber, vegetable protein, antioxidants, carotenoids lutein zeaxnthin which fight macular degeneration that results in blindness as we age. This power nut is easily found at your local grocery store.

4. Teff - a nutrient fiber. This is a gluten free whole grain which will add to your diet, fiber, protein, calcium and iron. A mere 1/4 cup supplies 6 grams of fiber. I'm thinking of adding Teff when I bake quick breads or muffins.

5. Cherries - Love, love cherries in any form. You can eat them year round frozen or dried. They are good for any age group but especially for women in the 50's group like me going through the dreaded menopause. Cherries are packed with antioxidants and even contain Melatonin which will help you sleep better at night. I'm definitely snacking on these at night.

6. Brussels Sprouts. I already eat these at least twice a month. I really need to eat more though since they contain more vitamin C than any vegetable. They help your body produce Collagen which in turn will help your skin look younger. This green power food also supplies fiber and folic acid.

Good Morning America listed these and a few other super foods that will make a difference in a woman's life. Read the story here and take charge of your health by adding some or all of these to your diet.

So what good foods are you planning to eat during 2011?

Happy New Year to all!

City of David Card

2010-12-20T08:02:00.000-05:00

This is a very quick to make card I made using the Stampin' Up City of David set. I used the very inexpensive blank cards with the circle punched I purchased at AC Moore. I think you get about 7 cards for $1.00.

I stamped the Bethlehem stamp and the sentiment on scrap book paper cut 1/4 inch shorter (length and width).

Stamp Mary and Joseph on the lower right side of the front. Punch two holes underneath the circle opening. I used the markers and the watercolor brush to paint the stamped image. This is a very easy technique. I love the softer finish of watercolors. Simply pick up ink produced by the marker using the watercolor brush.

The Dollar tree has hemp cord. 30 yards for a $1.00.

Cut the hemp cord about 17 inches long and thread gently through the two small holes to make a bow.

Knot the two tails for a finished look. Trim ends.

Have fun selecting your paper to stamp the City of David, Bethlehem. (the birth place of Jesus Christ Lord and Savior)

Jesus is the reason to celebrate the season. May His wonderful gift of love touch you in a special way this Christmas. Receive the gift of Salvation this Christmas.

Hair Adornments

2010-12-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

I found a new Etsy shop and I just had to share my new hair adornment. It's cold and gray outside so when you are feeling blue wear a feather. This morning at church I got a compliment as soon as I walked in. My DH said I now had a bird brain. I also wore a crochet headband I made as a neck wrap and got some nice compliments at work yesterday and today at church.

Chase the winter blah days away and wear a feather. It will lift up your spirit.

The feather slides through a metal head band. I am planning to order more feathers from this shop in the future but if you are interested in getting your own feathers head over to this Etsy Shop.

Mooseltoe Creations

2010-12-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

When I saw the cover of the book Mooseltoe by Margie Palatini I was automatically drawn to it. One of my goals at work was facilitating a children's craft program. I love to craft and immediately saw great possibilities and inspiration by reading the book. I think children books are not only for children, most will agree. The illustrations in this book are fabulous and the story itself is very funny.

I was hoping the children would respond to this story the way I did. I'm not totally convinced they really liked the story as much as I did. Maybe the strange super long moose's mustache was too much for them. I told them we would be making our own mooseltoe creation and they did get excited about this.

The trick to crafting with children is to keep it simple since they have a shorter attention span. For the crafts they used, construction paper, markers, glue stick, scissors, beads, foam stickers and googly eyes. They cut out the moose and embellished it using the foam stickers and stringing beads.

I told you the moose had a super long mustache.

This one glued the mustache upside down...kind of makes the moose look mad....lol.

Mooseltoe with the right side up mustache.

Asel begged me to use stamps...I let him stamp a star on the back of his cards.

I was worn out after this program. I'm really glad the group was small. I have a special appreciation and respect for my coworkers who work around children 40 hours a week. Still it was a fun change of pace and allowed me to experience and share my love of crafting and creating with children.

My Little Christmas Tree

2010-12-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

For some reason, I did not get totally excited about doing much Christmas decorating this year. Now that I work at University Regional the time I spend at home has shrunked but it would be terrible to skip this part of Christmas all together. So I found in the attic some of my little artificial trees and did a little decorating. The decorations for the tree that is sitting on my living room side table are the knitted birds I made this summer.

I dusted the mantle and decked it with the Charlie Brown trees and the Christmas cards I have received. The gnomes are out again this year.

So there is no reason to skip Christmas decorating....

Holiday Mug Sweaters

2010-11-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

When the weather gets cold I crave warm drinks....among my favorites, coffee, Chai and Green Tea (Peach flavored) I am pretty pleased with the way this Mug sweater turned out. It was knitted with two strands of worsted weight yarn.

The sweater wraps around the coffee mug and will also fit regular paper cups as well.

More Christmas Coffee Mug Sweater cheer in Green

Coffee Mug Sweaters sure to warm someone....and the price is right...

$10.00 each.

Busy Time of the Year for Me

2010-11-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Being crafty is rewarding but at the same time exhausting with all that goes on at this time of the year. There are cards and gifts to make, orders to fill, cooking and baking to be done for events, programs at the Library to plan, etc...etc...

I try my best to keep things simple and quick. I found some very inexpensive cards during my shopping trip to AC Moore. I could not resist especially since I had already used all of my hand made cards. The quality of the studio g cards was not really very good since the paper what I would call thin card stock. With the 25% discount these 8 blank cards cost under a $1.00. I was determined to make something pretty and I was not disappointed. Just wish the card stock would have been a little thicker.

I found everything I need for this card at home.

This is the easiest bow you'll ever make. Just knot and trim to the desired size.

The water color was done with Stampin' Up markers and the water color brush. I stamped the angel on the inside of the card.

To add some color to this plain white card, I simply added a border made from scrapbook paper. I did cut off 1/2 an inch to the front of the card and used a glue stick to glue the border.

The next cards were made at a friend's house....They took much longer to make.

It's beginning to feel....like Christmas.

Spiral Crochet Creations

2010-11-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

I always learn something new from my friend Connie.
Right after viewing the tutorial for making the Pinwheel Coasters, I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed. I downloaded the free pattern from Redheart and have been inspired to make round cloths.

Connie's tutorial is excellent so check it out. Just click here for Part One. Click here for Part 2.

My Pinwheel Coasters

The crochet coasters are super quick to make and I think someone special on your gift list would be thrilled to get these. I told you I got into working round shapes, the next cloth was made by working single crochets.

I'm a fan of dishcloths and I have to say that I tend to like the round ones the best. I have uploaded the pattern for the cream color cloth to Scribd if you'd like to give it a try. These cloths are super fast to make and can easily be made in any size. The pattern is here.

The smaller ones make great face scrubbies.

Happy Crocheting....

Cozy and Headband Fever

2010-11-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

I recently replaced my mugs for all white ones to be uniform. These mugs have been begging me for a ~~cozy~~ mug sweater more like it. The mug sweater is still in the design stages, I'm not totally satisfied with what I came up with. It's actually really neat to hold a mug with a sweater not to mention that coffee or tea should stay warmer longer. I just love touching yarn, so why not while holding my coffee or tea.

These mug sweaters are special. The mug sweater was knitted using Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn The wool patch bears the initial of its owner. I'm thinking anything short that strikes your fancy can be put on the little patch which is made from re-purposed wool.

El cafe is the word for coffee in spanish.

I've also been having the head band fever and during my daughter's last visit I was thrilled she agreed to be my model. This Ooh-La-La Head Band was crocheted with acrylic yarn and it's very stretchy to accommodate different adult head sizes. The neat feature about this head band is that the flower is detachable.

This head band can also be worn as a neck warmer. I like my neck protected from the cold but get too hot wearing turtlenecks indoors so I know I will enjoy one of these this winter.

My daughter likes the one tone headband in Linen tone. The owner of the Hazelaid saw on of my headbands on Andrea's blog and asked her if I'd be willing to make a trade. This sounded neat, so I will be getting one of her Baltic Amber healing necklaces and I will send her the head band pictured below in earthy tones. I will also be including an extra flower for this special lady. My three grandchildren have been wearing her Baltic Amber necklaces which can help with teething. I really think Owen drools less when he wears his necklace not mention he looks adorable. Make sure you read about the benefits of these healing necklaces.

Ooh-La-La - That's it for now.

Crochet Appliques

2010-11-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Figured out a way to make a crochet monkey applique. I have been making crochet slouchy hats an I will use my appliques to embellish and add whimsy. One of my co-workers asked me to make a monkey to attach to the hat. I have lots of small amounts of yarn and making these small creations provides an instant gratification.

What do you get when you put a cute monkey applique on a slouchy hat worn by the cutest grandson? I'm short for words to describe how adorable he looks even if this hat is really intended for girls but I could not resist letting my grandson Taite model it.

Here's my beautiful daughter modeling one of my slouch hats. I just really like this design because it does not mess up your hair as other tight hats or beanies do. You can't really see it, but there is a butterfly applique on the side.

And here is Caleb...He was not too happy to wear the hat. Still I think he looks so sweet and I like the one ear showing and the other one hidden. Caleb is my beautiful 6 year old grand son.

Here's some cute japanese inspired kitty appliques...sure to add whimsy to one of my hats.

This cute wee owl was crocheted with white yarn. The yellow part of the eyes is actually vinyl.

I am sharing this pattern which consists of two oval pieces.

You will find detailed instructions to make this Wee Owl here:

Wee Owl Crochet Appliqué

Picasa Collage Creation

2010-11-08T08:51:00.001-05:00

Remembering Beautiful Isle of Palms

This 3 picture collage was created using the Picasa Picture editing Program.

Go to the create option and choose picture collage.

Baked Chile Relleno

2010-11-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

Chile Relleno simply means Filled or Stuffed Chile. I order this dish at my Favorite mexican restaurants such as Azteca or Monterrey. Searching online for a recipe I discovered that deep frying is involved to make Chile Rellenos. Eating out can get you into trouble because the food is delicious but oh so rich in fat. The peppers commonly used for this dish are the poblano peppers. The link also includes a recipe.

You will first need to roast the chiles. Since I had never made this I just used three poblano peppers and put them in my toaster oven to broil. The heating element is quite close, so you will have to keep an eye on the peppers and turn as the skin gets charred. If you have a gas stove, you can also roast the peppers over the flame. I may just try this method next time to see if I can achieve a more even roasting. Allow the peppers to get black on all sides if possible. The peppers will look burned, but that's how they're supposed to look. Put them in a brown paper bag and seal. Leave them sealed for at least 10 minutes. If you do not have a brown bag, you can also use a bowl with a lid. The steam will help to remove the pepper's dark skin.

Peel off the dark skin.

Carefully cut a slit along one of the sides of the pepper and remove as many seeds as you can using a small spoon. Peppers will be soft and mushy. Set aside.

Add about a tablespoon canola or olive oil to a pan and saute about 1/2 cup of chopped onion. You may also had 2 cloves minced garlic.

Once the onion is cooked add about 1 cup of your favorite cheese. Cheddar, Colby or Monterrey Jack work well. Turn off the heat.

Using a spoon fill your chiles with the cheese mixture. Place the chiles in a lightly greased pan. I used my Pampered Chef toaster oven stone pan. Bake in a 350 oven until the cheese melts. Remember the peppers are already roasted so this baking should take about 8 minutes or so.

To make a sauce for the chiles. Use a small can of stewed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes. The stewed tomatoes that I used were a tad sweet, but that is all I had in my pantry. Process only the tomatoes and discard the juice. In a frying pan, cook about 1/4 cup onions, 1/4 bell peppers in hot oil. You may add 2 cloves minced garlic too. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then 1/4 cup of half and half or cream. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

The Sauce

Almost forgot to say: the Poblano peppers are not spicy. They are mild. This recipe was a little involved but as you can see low in fat and nutritious. So make these on a day when you are not tired. I will definitely make a larger quantity next time.

Fall Baking

2010-11-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

My first recipe using Agave nectar as the sweetener turned out good. I have always liked making quick breads because they are the less complicated alternative to making bread. Like everyone else I have a limited amount of time to spend in the kitchen. I decided to try using Agave nectar as the sweetener since I'm trying to eliminate refined white sugar from my diet. In just 3 weeks of making this change, I have noticed a big difference in my weight loss, especially around the waist and stomach.

The secret of making a light quick bread is not to over beat. I use a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the moist ingredients and lightly mix. The mix will be slightly bumpy.

The can of pumpkin will yield approximately 2 cups so you can double up this recipe to get two loaves. You can also freeze the left over pumpkin for future use. This bread is also delicious toasted. I have not tried making the bread with regular milk but I would think it would not make a difference. I used almond milk.

The recipe for this healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin bread is here.

Little Butterflies

2010-10-24T18:42:00.000-04:00

The butterfly on the doll looks larger than its real size. The finished butterfly measures 2 inches at its widest. They are a breeze to make and take so little time. The doll is modeling my latest beret/slouchy hat creation. I hope in the near future to have a real little girl model this hat.

I am very happy with the slouch hat and will definitely wear them once the weather gets cooler. I really like the fact that the fit of this hat is loose so it does not mat down your hair. That can be a problem with wearing some tight fitting hats. I think slouchy hats look good on everyone, don't you think?

I made a video demonstrating how to make a little butterfly. Try it. Your butterflies will make you smile.

The pattern can be found here:

Little Butterflies

On my Needles and Hook

2010-10-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

It's finally getting a little cooler in Charlotte so I've been working on knitting and crocheting hats. This year I'd like to work specifically on the slouch design, which is in my opinion a very comfortable hat to wear. The problem with wearing beanies is that they mat down and mess up your hair. Slouchy hats on the other hand are loose and I think they are very stylish.

On a recent visit to Hobby Lobby I came across a really neat free pattern by Debbie Stoller to promote the yarn Bamboo Ewe.

My first hat came out really slouchy since I used a Vanna's Choice 4 ply worsted yarn. Vanna's yarn is heavy worsted which is slightly heavier and thicker. The second attempt matched the gauge and I'm really happy with the results. I used Karaoke soy silk yarn from my stash.

I loved making this hat so I purchased a skein of Bamboo Ewe in the Lipstick colorway. This yarn is also considered a 4 ply yarn, but is not as heavy as Vanna's. Red Heart has sure come a long way with their yarn. The feel and softness of this yarn is dreamy.

I told you I was into making slouch hats. This will be the crochet version which definitely goes much faster. I could not resist including the pink butterfly to this picture...so we'll see if the butterfly stays or goes. I'm in the process of creating a video which shows how to make this cute butterfly.

My Littlest Pumpkin

2010-10-17T17:17:00.001-04:00

IMG_6505
Originally uploaded by finadrea

Owen at seven months makes us all very happy. We are blessed with such a sweet member in the family. He can sit up straight as you can see and loves to eat most foods introduced to him. Does quite well with his two teeth.

Got Stains??

2010-10-17T13:26:00.002-04:00

I try so hard not to stain my shirts -- but what can I say, it's an going thing with the stains. So yesterday I did some online research and found some green stain remover recipes. I only did a small batch to test if the recipe would indeed be effective. The original recipe called for baking soda but I substituted that ingredient with washing soda. Washing soda is good to treat mustard, chocolate, blueberry, cola, meat, grease spatters and olive oil. Washing soda is available at the Grocery Store. I bought mine at Harris Teeter. Here's the recipe:

Stain Remover

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup washing soda

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide.

These quantities make a small batch. Double the ingredients to make a larger quantity. Mix in a glass container 1 cup hot water, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide. Store this mix in a spray bottle. I put this one to the test right away and it did work on my stained knit shirt.

Note: If you shake mix while it's still warm, it will continue to to squirt without stopping, so wait to use until the mix has cooled down to spray. Do shake the mix before spraying.

I was in the mood for trying recipes and since I ran out of my liquid soap I decided to try making my own.

Using your grater, finely grate about 1/2 a cup of bar of soap. I got my goat milk soap from Heart Creations. Add about a cup and a half of water. Mix will be runny. Pour the mix using a funnel into an empty liquid soap bottle or any bottle that has a pump.

Mixing with a wooden spoon did not quite break down the soap....so I looked around the kitchen and found something I could use.

I used the frother to break the soap flakes --- look how foamy it got....then

It was tricky to get the mix down the funnel. lol.... as you can see. You learn all kinds of things.

I did end up with liquid soap and it's all natural.

Green Cleaning - Two Recipes

2010-10-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

By definition green cleaning means cleaning to protect your health without harming the environment. We benefit from using environmentally friendly products in many ways. Just a few products will yield most of the cleaners or detergents you will need to keep your home naturally clean. Most cleaning products can be made using borax, white vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, setzer water, lemon juice....to name a few.

I started with the laundry soap. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and absolutely love it. It's also a great way to save money.

I have been looking for a recipe to make a general surface cleaner to clean my kitchen counter tops. I found a recipe in this couple's blog: Young House Love. You will love reading some of their posts.

I found the borax and the Castile soap in my Harris Teeter Grocery Store. The other brand of Castile soap out there is Dr Bronner's.

I used Dr Woods Pure Tea Tree Castile soap. The back of the bottle has some wonderful recipes too.

All Purpose Surface Cleaner

You will need:

4 tsp borax

1/2 tsp Castile Soap

4 cups Hot water

I used my 4 cup Pampered Chef measuring cup to mix the borax and the castile soap. Mix well until the mix is well dissolved.

Pour dissolved mix into a plastic spray bottle. I found the 24 oz ones at a Dollar General for $1.00. It helps to use a funnel to pour the liquid into the bottle. Do it in your sink as there will be spills.

Label your bottle.

The next green cleaning recipe can be used to clean your toilet and sinks. The recipe calls for castile soap, baking soda and white vinegar. The recipe is here. To store this cleaning product you will need a plastic bottle with a squirt top. As you can see the baking soda and the castile soap separate....so shake well before using.

Have fun green cleaning.

Another Way to Eat Oatmeal

2010-10-03T09:49:00.002-04:00

Cooler weather has finally arrived which gets me in the mood to cook or bake. I have a confession to make, I eat oatmeal every day. It's one of those foods I grew up eating and love it in any way. I am referring to the Old Fashion Oats which are better and less refined. I have been doing research about eating foods which score low in the glycemic index. These are the foods that have less impact on raising the blood sugar. On the other hand foods with a high glycemic have an effect on the hormone insulin that is released into our bodies. Oatmeal is one of those foods which score low. I am changing some of my eating habits due to the fact that I have a tendency to high triglycerides. This weekend I made a Pumpkin-Almond Granola mix and it turned out pretty good. Even Cliff who never eats oatmeal like it. He put it in a shaker spice jar to keep in the car and snack.

Pumpkin-Almond Granola

4 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 a cup

Dried cranberries or Pomegranates

Combine the 4 first dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the last four ingredients. Pour these into the oat mix and distribute well. Spray a cookie sheet or a Pampered Chef large Bar pan with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You will need to stir the granola every 10 minutes or so. Watch it towards the end so it does not get too dark and burns. Stir the dried cranberries during the last 5 minutes of the cooking process.

Allow the granola to cool completely and store in a jar. Granola is great by itself or you can use it to add crunch to yogurt or ice cream.

I have been using the Agave nectar instead or regular sugar as a sweetener. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener which also scores low in the glycemic index. Unlike artificial sweeteners it does not have an after taste. It actually does have more calories than regular sugar per tablespoon but since it is so sweet you need less for example to sweeten your coffee or tea. Read more about the benefits of the Agave Nectar here.

Visit to the Transportation Museum - Spencer, NC

2010-09-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a wonderful excursion to the Transportation Museum in Spencer NC. If only it had not been so scorching hot. This first week of fall is unlike any I remember. Taite and Caleb were super excited to ride on board Thomas.

While Caleb, Taite and Travis enjoyed the train ride, Andrea cools off with a slushy.

Owen was a super trooper....considering how hot it was. The temperature rose in the mid 90's. This was one of the hottest fall days I can remember.

Owen was all smiles.....and LOVE. At 6 months he is a joy in every sense of the word.

Taite on the other hand confided he did not like one bit the magician.

The Vintage car exhibit was neat...Gas was once that cheap in the 60's.

The Pretty Sights around University City Regional Library

2010-09-26T20:22:00.000-04:00

I have been exploring some places around the University City Regional Library and the best discovery so far is the beautiful lake. It's the perfect place to go for a walk. In order to walk a couple of miles, I do have to plan and leave home earlier.

My first walk was ~~refreshing~~ invigorating... I did end up sweaty...and had to stand in front of one of a fan at work.

I loved seeing the ducks and there really was not much of a mess on the walking paths. The ducks are used to people. I was able to get really close to this one.

Feeding is not allowed.

My goal is to walk on the days I'm not able to go to the gym due to my new work schedule at UC.

Looking forward to more walks......The full circuit around the lake is more than two miles.

Charleston Tea Plantation

2010-09-12T19:40:00.001-04:00

I learned a few things about tea during our visit to America's only tea garden located in Wadmalaw Island. The tea grown in these fields is processed to make black tea, oolong and green tea. We went inside the tea factory and watched a very nice presentation and saw the equipment used in the different stages of tea production. At the end of the 15 minute presentation there was tea for sampling. Truly delicious indeed, just a little pricey at around .80 per tea bag.

The tea is dormant during the winter months but once the warm spring temperatures arrive the bushes take off and thrive in the hot and humid Charleston weather. The bushes are pest free so there is no need to treat using chemicals making this wonderful product organic.

We skipped the trolley ride which mainly took people around the tea farm.

I could not get enough of the majestic large oaks.

Took some pictures nearby the Tea plantation. The grass in the water is everywhere. I'm guessing the reeds is what the locals use to make the beautiful reed baskets.

This boat landing is also in the same area. The quiet and serene conditions and landscape of South Carolina Low country is something we both loved. A boat ride would have been perfect. Cliff said that he'd have to own a boat if we lived in this area.

I'm so thankful we were able to get away and I have no doubt...we'll come back.

Isle of Palms - Charleston South Carolina

2010-09-10T21:53:00.000-04:00

The Isle of Palms is the perfect place to celebrate a wedding anniversary. This year we celebrate our 30 th. Time flies and it's hard to believe we arrived together to this important date. I'm thankful to the Lord for these many years of marriage to my loving Cliff. I wouldn't have it any other way.

We are staying at the Sea Side Inn a very nice ocean front motel. We explored the surroundings and took a walk along the beach.

The tide was super low so we walked along the pier.

Palms are everywhere a delight for Cliff who knows all the scientific names. He said this one could be at least 100 years.

I have no idea what this beautiful white flower is called. I called them afternoon glories; they grow in the sand.

Sago Palm beauties

This beautiful bridge is truly a magnificent wonder. We crossed it on our way to historic downtown Charleston.

We took a walk in downtown Charleston. We are planning a visit to the market tomorrow, plus a boat ride.

Not Quite like My Grandmother's

2010-09-09T08:02:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to eat when I was growing up in Panama was "tortillas de maiz". My grandmother made tortillas from scratch like no one else could. These are not to be mistaken with the Mexican corn tortillas. Tortillas de maiz are thicker. The procedure to make from scratch involved cooking the corn (but not from the corn in the cob we get in the US). The kernel looks more like an uncooked popcorn kernel. After boiling the corn she would use a grinder to turn the corn into a dough. The dough was kneaded and then shaped into patties about just under 1/4 inches thick.

In some central american countries they call the tortillas by the name arepas. I found this instant corn flour to make them at Compare Foods. This product produces a pretty tasty corn tortilla in my opinion. I did add some shredded cheese (about 1/4 cup) and about a tablespoon of butter to the dough.

The procedure to make the dough is very accurate and you can mix it adding warm water or warm diluted milk. Do add some salt too.

Just like my grandmother did, I kneaded the dough slightly with the cheese and butter incorporated.

The tortillas are ready to be cooked. I got 6 patties from 1 cup of the mix.

I cooked on a very hot frying pan with a very small amount of vegetable oil. You can use any oil, (such as canola or safflower) except olive oil. Cover the pan as they cook. These corn tortillas can be deep fried but I'm trying to cut back on the fat so I don't use this method. They are delicious though as anything deep fried.

Cook the tortillas first around 5 minutes on the first side, then turn an cook around 3 minutes on the second side. After doing this your tortillas will have a golden crust. For more internal cooking of the masa (dough), I like to continue the cooking process in the toaster oven. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.

Sprinkle some sea salt if desired and more shredded cheese. I love eating the tortillas for breakfast with eggs accompanied by cafe con leche. (Latte) Any left over uncooked tortillas can be wrapped in wax paper and refrigerated. I have not tried freezing them but I bet it would work.

Bethany a Crochet Ballerina Doll

2010-09-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

This is Bethany and she is my first crochet ballerina doll. She was lots of fun to make. The most challenging part was sandwiching the pipe cleaners for the legs and arms. The pipe cleaners allow Bethany to pose as a ballerina. She is so cute. I made Bethany from a pattern I found on the Dolly Donations Facebook Page. Dolly Donations also has a blog with information about their mission of providing dolls for children in need. This site also provides the patterns and tutorials for making the sewn dolls. Since I crochet and knit I thought I would start with Bethany. I have downloaded the pattern for the sewn dolls which look very simple and easy to make.

Dolly's long and slender ballerina legs.

Dolly's pretty face. I just made french knots for the eyes and sewed eyelashes using DMC floss.

The mouth was also made using DMC floss.

Dolly's yarn hair.

Dolly was made using Vanna's worsted weight yarn.

Since Bethany is on the small side, she would be perfect to include in the Operations Christmas Child boxes. Now, I'm starting to get a little anxious....Will I be able to complete all these projects....????keeping in mind that I have a 40 hour job. So many neat projects to make...and so little time.

I know my friend Larissa has made the sewn dolls so I'm sure she'll be able to tell me approximately how long the sewn dolls take to make. I'm tired...so this is it. Good night. Just now heading to read Larissa's latest post about doll making.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2010-09-03T13:28:00.001-04:00

For some time I have had the desire to make my own laundry detergent. I have purchased home made laundry detergent and loved using it. Doing some searches online, I found many helpful sites.

I made the basic powder detergent which requires only three ingredients. Fels-Naptha bar soap which claims to be ideal for pre-treating stains, Arm & Hammer all Natural Super Washing Soda and borax. I found all three ingredients in my Harris Teeter Grocery store. The washing soda is good for removing odors and treating greasy dirt stains such as perspiration and collar and cuff stains, plus food stains (mustard, chocolate, blueberry, meat, grease spatters) and many more stains. The borax is also good to remove stains, deodorizing and it's an alternative to color safe bleach.

For this basic recipe you will use:

One 5-1/2 oz Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap (strange little name, don't you think?)
One cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
One cup of 20 Mule Team Borax
A grater to grate the laundry bar soap
A wooden spoon
A Food processor (to pulverize the mix)

Using the grater, grate the laundry bar soap.

After grating, this is how the flakes look.

Add the washing soda and the borax to the soap flakes. At this point you can use your wooden spoon to mix and mix until the flakes become smaller. I decided to use my small food processor to speed up this process and it worked well.

Store the detergent in a jar. You will only need to use 2 tablespoons according to this recipe. This is a very economical way to wash your clothes. Somewhere else I read that one load will cost approximately a nickel.

The next thing I want to try is to add a scent to the mix. I need to do some more research and reading. Check out this site for even more homemade laundry detergent recipes.

Latest Owl Happenings

2010-08-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

As you well know, I knit owls...and it makes me happy. I keep coming up with ideas and I'm discovering that the possibilities are endless. That is what is so neat about crafting and creating. Once I get an idea or an inspiration my brain begins to work. Recently, Nancy my friend and ex circulation manager at Mint Hill Branch Library said Emma and Marie had requested a purple owl and a blue owl. Nancy is Emma's and Marie's grandmothers.

Chloe and Zoe were made my special request. They were knitted using bright cotton yarn which I'm sure the girls will love. The girls also requested hats, so I designed the newsboy cap. I added the purses. Girl owls need purses, don't you agree?

I have redesigned the talons and Chloe had surgery this morning. The owls stand up on their own.

Chloe after her talon surgery.

Remember the bright eyed blue eyed owl I was working on?

He is finished. I name him Theo and he is ready to go back to Owl school. He wants to get wiser...lol.... He will soon be listed on my Etsy shop. Theo is my first blue eyed owl.

Theo and I would like to wish all those going back to school and all the home school moms including my daughter all the best.

Cooking Green Plantains

2010-08-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

Cooking green plantains is very easy. During my recent visit to Compare Food Latin Market I picked up some. To peel off the thick rind, first cut plantain into 2 or 3 sections depending on the size.

Use the point edge of a knife and cut through the rind. Make at least three cuts in this manner.

Peel off using your fingers.

I just realized I don't have a picture showing how to cut plantain. There are two was you can cut the plantain, in slices no larger than 1/4" thick or in chunks about an inch in thickness. The picture below shows the thicker plantain. In my country these are called Patacones. Puerto Rican's call these Tostones.

To make the Patacones, after cutting in approximately 1" thickness, you will fry in hot oil (vegetable oil or canola oil). You will need to put more or less 1/4" oil in your frying pan. Cook on each side until the plantain changes color. It will not be cooked through yet. Remove plantain chunks from the oil and mash them. If you don't have a masher like mine you can use a clean brown paper bag. Place plantain in between two sections of paper and mash the plantain.

This is the plantain masher I bought in Panama.

The plantain will look like this after you mash it.

After mashing the plantains, return them to the hot oil to finish the cooking process. You will now just cook them for a couple minutes on each side on the hot oil.

Cooked plantains. Sprinkle sea salt or regular salt once they are cooked.

The ones in chunks are semi cooked. Semi cooking makes it possible to mash the plantains.

The easier method of cooking green plantains is to simply slice and fry in hot oil. They cook very quick so keep an eye. Place hot plantains on paper towels. Sprinkle salt as soon as they are done.

It is best to cook and eat your plantains right away. If you do have left overs you can save in the refrigerator but will have to reheat in the oven or toaster oven to restore the crispiness.

Plantains are good to eat and good for your health too. Read more about the nutritional value of the plantain here

Birds of a Feather

2010-08-16T10:26:00.000-04:00

Take a peek at the blue eye Owl which is still a work in progress.

Here are some other winged knitted creatures....

Life size knitted bird.

Yellow Baby Bird. Found this nest during our trip to Bryson City, NC.

Pink baby bird.

~~Blue Baby Bird.~~ or Twitter Bird.

Tried to make a baby bird with feathers on top.

...not sure about those feathers on the top.

Just like the Lord provides for little winged creatures in real life, He will also provide for all your needs.

Man is God's prized creation. He loves you. Trust him with your life and welcome Him in your heart. I did....

Shopping Experiences this Weekend

2010-08-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

I finally made it to the two stores that cater to the Asian and Hispanic community. Our first stop was at Super G Mart International Food. It is located in the old Bi-Lo store on Independence Blvd near Margaret Wallace. There also used to be a Best Buy store in the same shopping center. The majority of the people shopping were orientals...and I was mainly really impressed at the large amount of produce (fruits and vegetables)....some I had never seen before.

How is this for a fruit? It's the Jack Fruit and it's the largest known fruit in existence. Cliff said this one weighed around 30 lbs. Wish I could have sampled some. I intend to read more about this huge fruit. Compare Food also carries this huge specimen. It is sold by the pound.

Not sure if this is a fruit or a vegetable. I think it's a fruit and it's not 59 cents each but the pound.
Read about it here.

The eggplants were so beautiful and quite abundant. I will definitely buy some when I run out. We have had eggplant growing all summer in our garden.

Our next stop was at the Compare Food Store. This is the one I was more interested in going since it carries latin/hispanic food. Their produce section was not quite as large as the first store we visited. The fruit selection was good and they carry my favorites, papayas, mangoes, beautiful limes, plantains, etc...and some fruit I had never seen before. This one was not labeled and I have never seen it in Panama. Very pretty to look at bright and colorful. The spice wall was immense as you can see in the background.

Checking out our items. I only bought items I'm not able to get at my regular stores, such as plantain chips, green plantains, yucca, Masarepa (for making corn tortillas) and papaya. I am planning to prepare the yucca today. I would definitely do more shopping at this store in the future.