WIWW: DIY Infinity Scarf

This is “What I Wore on Wednesday.”  I am hoping that once my sister moves to town that she will volunteer to be my photographer.  If this happens, I will no longer have to resort to taking photos of myself in mirrors or precariously place my camera atop a stack of books.  

Scarf: homemade // Sweater: Charlotte Russe // Jeans: Thrifted // Earrings: Christmas gift from my sister //Mirror: originally belonged to my great grandma

I set out to make a scarf using leftover fabric from a curtain project. (I will show you my curtains at a later date.) I just bought my Singer last August and I can count all of my sewing projects on one hand. I am not an expert. I made this up as I went along. 

1. I folded the fabric in half and ironed the crease. I did not want the ugly backside to be visible on my scarf. 

 2. I hemmed just one of the short sides of fabric. Then I sewed the two long sides of fabric together, essentially creating a long fabric tube.

     

     3. After turning the fabric right side out, I tucked the unhemmed end into the hemmed end.

     4. Finally I sewed the two ends together. The end result is a giant fabric loop that I am able to wrap twice around my neck.

     On a side note I did wash the infinity scarf with fabric softener to ensure that I do not look dressed in tapestries. Eventually I hope to learn how to read real sewing patterns, but for now my made up projects are enough of a challenge. If you are looking for a more detailed tutorial I did find more official sounding instructions over at Flee, Fly, Flown. 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Its So Cheri  ~ Bath Bomb Creations ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways

Dad's Birthday Cake

I am not a cake baking/decorating expert, but I do enjoy the creative process of making cakes on special occasions. I shared with you the sea turtle cake I made for my sister in September. 

This weekend we had a small celebration at our house to celebrate Dad’s birthday, which is today. He is a big fan of chocolate so I made him a two layered chocolate cake with chocolate and vanilla frosting.

I used one tub of Market Pantry chocolate frosting from Target to frost the sides of the cake and in between the layers. Being a fan of chocolate myself, I really like this frosting. 

These are my two sneaky ingredients. Target often sells seasonal frosting and then puts it on clearance after the holiday. I like to stock up on this cheap frosting. It usually does not expire for a year after I purchase it.

Unfortunately store bought frosting is not as stiff as regular decorator’s icing.  A professional cake decorator told me to simply mix in some corn starch to the store bought frosting to thicken it up. 

I do not have a measurement for how much corn starch I use. I just keep adding and mixing until the frosting transforms into the desired consistency.

For Dad’s cake I used a Wilton 1M tip to make swirls all over the top. I am happy I decided not swirl the sides, which would have resulted in frosting overload. The top swirls alone used an entire tub of frosting. 

The giant birthday candles are menorah candles that I bought 90% off at Target.

Grandma also attended the birthday celebration. She was quite tickled by my rotary dial phone that is just like hers. 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ The CSI project  ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Its So Cheri  ~ Bath Bomb Creations

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Coastal Charm ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ Under the Table and Dreaming ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims  ~ thethriftyhome ~ itsoverflowing

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate

Guacamole Salsa

I discovered the Frosted Bake Shop’s Guacamole Salsa on Pinterest.

After I received this fancy schmancy food processor for Christmas, I knew my first cooking experiment with the gadget would be guacamole salsa. I did make some adjustments to the original recipe.

Ingredients:


8 tomatillos

1 avocado

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)

½ white onion chopped

½ bunch of cilantro

 

1 tsp. kosher salt

1tsp. lime juice

1 can drained diced tomatoes

I threw in the tomatillos without quartering. (What’s the point in having a big food processor if you have to pre-chop?)

Processed tomatillos.

Next I added the cilantro and the pepper.

I added half of a chopped onion that I froze earlier in the week.

On top of the onion, I threw in the avocado and then processed.

I decided to add the can of diced tomatoes with hope that the final product would resemble salsa more than guacamole. My mom informed me that she is not a fan of avocados and I wanted her to try my version of guacamole salsa.

Once all of the ingredients were blended, I mixed in the salt and lime juice. I also added a few dashes of hot sauce because it didn't seem spicy enough.

I brought the guacamole salsa to game day and most gamers enjoyed my concoction. When I make it again for Josh and I to eat it, I will use three peppers instead of one to give the salsa more kick.

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday ~ The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T. ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Its So CheriTuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Coastal Charm ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ Under the Table and Dreaming ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse,  itsoverflowing ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Baked Croutons

The CSA provided us with a lot of leafy greens this summer. This quick and easy crouton recipe added some extra flavor to our salads. This recipe is much healthier than the restaurant variety since it is made with whole wheat bread and baked with olive oil, instead of the usual deep frying process.

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

1. Use kitchen shears to cut the crust off of the bread.

2. Cut the bread into crouton sized pieces.

3. Drizzle the bread with olive oil. After drizzling, I toss the bread to make sure all sides are coated with the oil.

4. Season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. (Use more or less pepper depending on how much of a kick you enjoy.) I toss the bread again to make sure all sides are seasoned.

 Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

I easily made a salad with our leftover taco lettuce, some capers, shredded cheese, and homemade croutons.

linked: skiptomylou, dittledattle, pinkapotamus, sumossweetstuff, blackberryvine, blessedwithgrace

Apple Pie from Scratch

 Let me preface this post by saying this is the second pie I have ever made. I am by no means a pie baking expert.

I received these two giant bags of apples from my parents and I have challenged myself to use ALL of them. My first thought was to bake an apple pie for Thanksgiving. (which we are hosting at our house)

I intended to use a store bought crust, since making my own seemed too intimidating for this novice pie maker. To my astonisment, they were charging $3 for the prefab version. I could not bring myself to pay that much when I knew I had all of the ingredients in the pantry.

 I decided to do a trial run this weekend. I used the Pie Crust IV recipe found on allrecipes.com. I made two batches of this crust and let it refrigerate while I peeled and sliced the apples. It was surprisingly easy.

I used Grandma Ople's Recipe for guidance on the rest of the pie. (4,200 people gave it five stars, so I figured it would be a good starting point)

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

 

I made a few adjustments to the above recipe. I used Golden Delicious apples instead of  Granny Smith. I tossed the apple slices with a teaspoon of cinnamon before adding them to the pie.

While the syrup was boiling, I added a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and a tablespoon of cinnamon mix.

I used kitchen shears to attempt making a lattice top. Next time I will roll the dough thinner and make the strips narrower. This version was a little too thick.

From scratch means a messier kitchen to clean up, but I did save $3!

Josh said that it was good, so after a few adjustments I will attempt to make another apple pie this Thursday.

linked: sewchatty, dittledattle, pinkapotamus, sumossweetstuff, thegirlcreative, asouthernfairytale, momscrazycooking, thesweetdetails, skiptomylou, nap-timecreations, 33shadesofgreen, forblogs