Kitchen Marathon

During my second round being sick as a dog, I didn't get much accomplished in the last week.  But I was very proud of myself last night; I stayed up late to do dishes and cook.  Luckily I am almost healed.  I accomplished:

• Baked 2 pumpkins (for baby food and baked goods)
• Roasted pumpkin seeds (coated with sugar, salt, cinnamon, and olive oil)
• Steamed and froze batch of zucchini (for babies and me)
• Cut up and froze a ton of green onions
• Dishes Dishes Dishes

Go Me!

Oldest UFO Completed

 It took me a while to decide how to finish this quilt.  The top would fit a double bed but I just didn't want to spend that much time quilting it.  I thought about cutting it in half and doing 2 quilts in order to make the process easier.  And I thought about cutting it down a bit and using the extra for scraps.

In the end, I chose to cut it in half, using half as the backing and half as the top.  The binding was done partially with trimmed ends from the top and for the rest I used a fabric I'm just not that into anymore. 

It's a lap quilt now.  Finished after 10? 15? years.  The girls like it a lot.

One of My VERY Old Unfinished Projects

At first glance you might deem this a very mismatched, ugly quilt top.  And for a long time so did I, which is why I never finished it.  This is my very first quilt top I made YEARS ago.  I don't even remember how old I was--Jr. High? 

After moving all my stuff out of my parents' home I discovered this quilt top.  All these years later it doesn't look so ugly.  The mismatched corners don't bother me.  It has character.  It is part of my sewing past. 

What I've learned from this quilt...

1. Don't give up.  If a project isn't going like you want it to be, push through, call it a practice round.  But don't stop reaching for your goal.
2. Start small.  I remember sewing this and thinking, "This is too small; quilts are supposed to be bigger."  I should have made a small quilt and went larger as I gained experience. This one was originally a queen size, there are some chunks missing so now it has been trimmed to a double.  For the life of me, I can't remember why I cut pieces off the quilt.  What did I make???
3. Quilts can be anything you want them to be.    
4. Plan first.  I quilted with these fabrics because they were what was in the house.  I didn't particularly enjoy them together but I wanted to sew.  It's better to wait and sew with fabrics you enjoy than to do a project with materials that don't feel right.  You won't be happy with the progress and it might end up like this quilt top--unfinished over 15 years later. 

Petal Bag of Different Colors

Another petal bag completed!  I love this color scheme. 

Buttons!

Here are a few of the fabulous buttons I've been making with my new professional grade 1.25" machine.  I've been using mostly found images from old magazines and a couple books.  I found an extra copy of a Where's Waldo book so I scanned all the pages into the computer and printed off a few.

I've been working on simple sketches and playing with my babies' pictures in photoshop.  I definitely need to make some baby buttons!

It is HERE!!!!!

Look, they're practically dancing with joy, too!!!  My button maker has arrived.  I can't open the package just yet, must wait for feeding time.

Inside the first box are 2 little boxes...

Ta Da!

Baby Bib Complete!

Finished the bib during nap time!  Love it when things turn out as good as the picture inside your head.  It kind of has the shape of a heart; I should try this with red fabrics.

First Granola Bar Recipe

This is my variation of one from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup applesauce (4 oz)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Place a piece of parchment paper in a large pan, grease lightly.  Firmly press granola mixture in pan. 325 degrees for 20 min.  Let cool 10 min and cut into bars. Best after refrigeration. 

Guacamole Recipe

1 avocado (minus a few small chunks for babies to nibble on)
1 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL sour cream
1 tsp mayo

I measured by eye so it is not exact.  This was my tastiest batch of guacamole yet!

All this in One Night

This was a big cooking day.


 Guacamole







 

My first time making granola bars!  I'm tired of buying them from the store.  We buy-minimum-4 boxes a month.  This is a basic batch.

Here they are right out of the oven.  I used parchment paper; just had this feeling the pan would be very messy.  Tried them warm and cooled.  MUCH better after they are refrigerated. 

I steamed apples for the babies.  We have enough applesauce but the girls need chucks to nibble on. 

Cooking for Baby is a great guide.  My apples took about 16 minutes to cook over the book's 10-12 min.  Some of the pieces seemed overcooked and some were still slightly crunch (perfect).  

The extra containers were put into storage in our NEW chest freezer in the basement.  It has already come in so handy.  I'm storing the extra homemade baby food down there, meat, pizza, ice packs and ice cream maker all found a home in the downstairs freezer. 

Heads to Fuzzy to Sew

I've been sick this week--can't stop coughing.  Eventually, I realized it wasn't getting better so I went to the doctor.  The prescription and mucinex are really doing a number on my head.  For a couple hours after I take them my head is so fuzzy.  The easiest way to describe it as slightly drunk.

I am working on a petal bib--trying to expand my petal bag technique to more things.  I made progress until I came to a point where I would have to think.  My head is too fuzzy for that.  What should I make as the bib closure?  Velcro, tie, or button?

Button Maker is on the Way

There is a financial rule stating Wait 24 hours before making a big purchase.  Well, I've waited years before buying a button maker.  I finally made the splurge!  It is on it's way. 

I accidentally bought the more expensive one.  And yes, I do mean accidentally.  There are 2 websites that sell button makers; I researched and picked out the one I wanted months ago.  I hopped onto the site I remembered as being the one and made my purchase.  Instead of rechecking both sites as I should have done, I went with a faulty memory.

Now, you're probably thinking I should have canceled it and reordered but there are 4 reasons why I did not.  I thoroughly reviewed the 2 beginners packages (again) and noted these differences:

1. I just like my machine better.  It looks more comfortable to use--having a better angled handle and a comfort grip on it.
2. The more expensive web site now offers a lifetime warranty too.
3. It comes with design software and 2 discs with graphics.  I've already tried designing buttons on photoshop and it's really hard to size them correctly.  This way I won't have to tinker excessively with sizing.
4. The circle cutter in my package is sooooo much better looking than the cheaper package.  

I spent $70 more than I would have had I been paying attention.  We'll chalk that up to me being sick.  Now, if I had truly regretted my mistake I would have tried to cancel the order.  But in the end I'm happy with my purchase and EXCITED.  

Notebook

New Petal Bag

New petal bag in the works.  Trying a different color scheme this time.

All those leaders and enders...

All those leaders and enders I've been collecting from my sewing projects...

                                                          
They finally became something...


It's a small piece, only about 5 inches total.  The colored squares are all scraps; the center has 2 leaders/enders. What will it become?  Perhaps a doll quilt or a decorative wall hanging.  I'll see where this takes me.

Etsy Store Updated

I'm finally satisfied with my Etsy Shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chariot71226

I have 9 listings: 5 paintings of my grandpa-in-law's, 2 fabric yards, 1 purse, and 1 pattern for my purse.  I'm so excited!  The first couple days I was checking the # of views every couple hours. 

Still only that one purchase from a while back.  Fingers crossed!

Rooster Plushie

The second plushie I made for the girls was inspired by a magazine picture in Craft.  This plushie is more complicated than my first and I-Baby likes it a whole lot better that plushie #1. 

The white fabric is slightly see through; I used scraps to stuff the rooster and you can just barely see the patterns peeking out.  Another quick project so my girls could have a new toy.

First Plushie for Babies

This is a quick plushie I made for the babies during a nap.  It only amused them for a few minutes.  I think I need to make arms and legs for it, give the babies something to hold onto. 

The beginning and onward...

Don't Touch the Tip Jar

This post is about money.  I love money.  I love discussing money, hearing people talk about money, reading about money, and (of course) having money.  It is also a very sensitive subject for me.  I will give you 2 examples from my job at the Coffee House.  
1. One of the fastest ways to tick me off is by taking money from the tip jar.  People leave money in there for the Baristas because they think we deserve it.  It doesn't matter if YOU believe in tipping at the coffee shop; it's still our money.  It is NOT (NOT NOT NOT) a 'take a penny, leave a penny' jar.  

I don't care what your reason is:  I don't want to break a dollar.  Do you mind if I just...(as they reach in for a penny).  I don't want 4 pennies back, I just have to have that nickel. 

The only way it is acceptable to take something out of a tip jar is if you leave something BIGGER.  Don't touch my money!

2. The other fastest way to tick me off (and the catalyst for this post) is an assumption to entitlement to anything, especially money.  A certain Regular, we'll call him Professor, has been coming to the coffee house for longer than my 2.5 years there.  So, yeah, I've known this guy for that long.  He is a great story teller, nice man, amazing teacher, and sometimes complains about his lack of money.  Nothing about this man's personal life would lead me to even consider loaning him any amount of money. 


He asks my coworker if he can borrow a dollar.  My coworker doesn't have cash but Professor helpfully suggests there is money in the tip jar to borrow.  He's told to ask my permission since it's my money too.  I want to say "No" but instead I ask him what for.  Professor needs to buy a newspaper for his wife.  It would cost soooo much more if he had to go home, get a dollar, come back, and buy the paper, and go home again.  Can't he just borrow a dollar?  


I hesitate, staring at the money in the tip jar, I don't want to part with it, even 50 cents.  Why do people feel the need to borrow money for something so inconsequential?  Why wasn't he carrying his wallet in the first place?  There's that sense of entitlement.  


Thinking it through, I was about to say, "Take the paper and pay for it later." He's in all the time, would probably be back before close that night.  My hesitation pissed him off.  This was his rant as well as I can remember it:

"Forget it.  Just forget it.  You'll regret it.  I borrowed $2 from Laura and I paid her back $5.  Too late now." He ranted as he walked away, gathered his things, and was out the door.  I stood frozen with shock, my mouth hanging open.  I suppose I've never seen an 80 year old man act like a 12 year old.   

His attitude made me furious!!!  He thinks we're buddy buddy enough to borrow money back and forth?  For me that's what FAMILY does, if necessary.  Money and friendship NEVER mix.  Loaning money ruins relationships, even tiny amounts.                        


This incident is just the topping on the cake!  Professor doesn't pay for anything anymore.  He comes and goes as he pleases, takes up 2, TWO, tables for his work materials and drinks our coffee.  For a while he even was storing his chair cushion in our stockroom.  

Somehow Professor has finagled his way out of paying for coffee.  How did this happen?  Not sure, but it probably began with a few well meaning freebies and the fact that he comes and goes all day long, taking full advantage of the free refills policy.  And at later times during the day we assumed he'd already been in 4 or 5 times and don't charge him.  Or he forgot his wallet one day.  The excuses could go on.  Anyway, he doesn't pay for his coffee and occasional other drinks and he helps himself to the expired bakery.  

So, now Professor has this HUGE sense of entitlement; he doesn't even bring his wallet with him.  It doesn't even cross his mind he might want to pay for his coffee and somehow support the business whose space and internet he's using.  
My first instinct was to avoid him and hate his guts.  But I won't; the mature thing to do is calmly talk about this.  I want to clear the air so I don't feel awkward working with him there.   Wow, this is a long post, but it makes me feel better to write this down.  

One more thing...This man is a professor at a college.  His income is probably 2x's, if not 3x's my household income.  You seriously think it's appropriate to borrow any amount of money from someone making just above minimum wage?  Seriously?  This man knows nothing about our finances, doesn't know whether we can afford to loan even a penny.  The reality is that we went through a very difficult financial time while I was pregnant (on bedrest) and after.  Luckily, we are just starting to get back on our feet, save money for a rainy day, and we are being super careful.  But that's not something I'd talk about unless the subject came up.  


Life lesson: Before you ask someone for money, really think about it.  Do you know the financial status and financial viewpoints behind your friend?  Is that dollar worth rocking the boat of a perfectly calm relationship?