August 2009

Since finding out a few weeks ago that we’re having a boy many people have been asking us about baby names and I’m reminded of a funny post over at Failblog.org.  It’s a site that makes me laugh on a daily basis.  Anyway, it is important to remember that although a name is just a name it stays with you forever!  Case in point.  Poor kid! 

 Image courtesy of http://failblog.org

For some bizarre celebrity baby names click here to check it out Cracked.com top 20 list. 

Most nights after working a long day its a challenge to think of something to make for dinner that I haven’t already made a million times!  It’s not that hard when you pre-plan meals but as a good friend says “after work its all about ATC (ass to couch) time.”  So, this week I made an effort and hit the grocery store before heading home. Aha, pre-planning…see! Anyway, I came across this recipe on the Real Simple website and since it’s semi-homemade I thought I would give it a try.

Smoky Chicken Corn Cakes.  Image via Real Simple

All it requires is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, some fresh produce and batter for the corn cakes.  Hell, I can do that!  It’s the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce that give the chicken a nice smoky flavor.  Granted, my version didn’t look nearly as pretty at theirs but they never do!  That maybe because they don’t always use actual food.  Like that sour cream in the first photo that could in fact be Elmers glue you never know.

Anyway, it took me about 35 minutes or so to make and I highly reccomend it!  The best part is there are plenty of leftovers so nothing will get in the way of ATC to watch the Top Chef premiere and Top Chef Masters tonight. 

I’m starting to wonder if the Top Chef Masters final, final round is really tonight!  For the past two weeks I thought the same thing.  Maybe its just me but they’ve been dragging it along.  Producers, please, give out the $100,000 grand prize already! Gaw!

This past weekend we headed down to Table Rock Lake just outside Branson, MO.  It’s been an annual event for quite a few years now (maybe 6) and I look forward to it every year.  The first few years it was an organized camping trip but in the past couple of years we have graduated to a lake house.  There were eleven of us this year and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.  The house had 6 bedrooms, 2 outside patios and access to the lake. The only down side was that it didn’t have a boat dock so we had to drive to the nearby marina.

All the girls at the marina waiting for the boys & the boats to arrive

We rented a pontoon boat (aka party barge) as well as a little speed boat.  The speed boat was a great addition this year.  It was nice to go zipping around the lake and to allow others to go tubing and wakeboarding.  Jason made several successful attempts at wakeboarding which seems very hard and he’s still aching.  Granted getting yanked out of the water at full speed has to take its toll!  I remembered just about everything for this trip except for the camera!  So documenting this trip was a little tough.

Scarf close-up

I was able to take some pics of a project I worked on during the commute to and from the lake.  I finished up my version of the simple scarf tutorial over at Pretty Ditty which came in handy at dusk when the sun started to go down and the wind kicked up on the lake.

I used a lightweight wrinkled linen fabric purchased on Etsy.com

All in all, it was a really fun weekend even if I wasn’t able to drink or participate in any action sports but there’s always next year!

UPDATE: Craft book swap has been moved to Ravelry.com and The Chitterychattery Swappery Swappers group.

I have a few craft books and kits that are collecting dust that could get more use if in the hands of fellow crafters.  I know that we’re all trying to cut back these days so I thought it would be fun to organize a craft book swap.  So, who’s up for trading?

Depending on the response I get I will follow-up with some swap guidelines but here are a few of the selections I have to offer:

Pictured here: The Felted Knit Kit (never used); Lotta Prints; Get Your Crochet On!; One Skein Wonders & Simple Gifts to Stitch

NOTE: If you would like to sign-up for the swap please comment by Friday, August 21st and let me know which craft you’re interested in (sewing, knitting, crochet, etc) and what you have to swap.

This week I was on a mission to make ice cream. It all started when I bought a ridiculous amount of bing cherries at Whole Foods.  I usually don’t buy produce from them because it can be expensive but they had a special on these tasty looking numbers!

The bag weighed in at 4 lbs!  That’s when I thought to myself “What the hell am I going to do with 4 lbs of cherries!” Maybe I could make jam or even a pie but with the ninety degree weather outside ice cream seem more appropriate.

Off I went to Target for an ice cream maker and cherry pitter.  So, this bag of cherries that was such a deal turned into a $40 project!  Ha, classic!

Rival Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker - 1 qt.

The process was pretty simple but pitting the cherries was a little messy, well a lot messy.  By the time I had pitted 12 oz of them it looked like a small massacre had occurred in the kitchen.  I somehow managed to get cherry juice all over the counter, the kitchen wall, and even the framed artwork.  Oops!

The ice cream maker requires that the cylinder base by placed in the freezer overnight so after 24 hours I made a simple custard (1 pint of cream, 5 eggs yolks and 5 oz of sugar) cooked on low to 185 degrees, added the puréed cherries and chilled.  I fired up the machine, pouring in the custard and let it churn away for around thirty minutes.  Once it thickened up I added some chocolate chips at the end and VIOLA!

Straight from the machine it had the consistency of soft-serve so I stuck it in the freezer to harden.  All in all a very tasty treat!  Next up, coffee gelato!  Yum!

Well, the crafting frenzy continues!  A couple of weeks ago I showed some examples of modern quilts and rather than jump into a huge project without a clue (like last time) I started with this Mini Mod Coin Quilt from the Pretty Little Patchwork collection.  It may not look mini but it’s only about 17.5 in by 22.5 in.  As the pattern describes it’s great for a first time quilter.

I was able to cut all the pieces, sew and complete in a few hours over the course of the weekend.  Since I had all the necessary supplies there were no extra trips to the craft store.  YAY! 

I used mostly Amy Butler fabric for the pattern pieces with a few extra matching scraps.  I really like how it turned out and I definitely have plans to make a much larger quilt for the kiddos room.

I’m thinking these robots, rockets and planets would be cute.

Well, I’m not sure how I missed it but I did.  The first post I made to this blog was one year ago last Thursday (July 30th).  Oops! 

Anyway, as I look back (cue the violin solo) I’ve done more than I originally intended.  Well, truth be told, I’m not sure what my goal was when I started out.  I knew I liked to “make stuff” and wanted a place to present it.  So, far I’ve participated in a few organized crafty events, been featured on a couple of popular blogs (craftzine & designsponge) and I’ve discovered many talented people via the blogosphere.  Thanks to all of you that have stopped by in the past year.

I know that my life will change dramatically in the coming year and only for the better.  Who know’s which direction this blog is headed but my goal is to keep creating.  Hopefully I will be able to create some useful tutorials and ideas that will help other crafters as so may have helped me.

Here’s a look back at a handful of projects I’ve worked on this past year. 

1. Craft night at Holly’s - Aka - South City Sweatshop!, 2. Beer Can Hat Revisited, 3. Ruffled Skirt, 4. Rejuvenate your sole(s), 5. Papercutting Project, 6. Holiday coasters-set 3, 7. Completed Button Swap, 8. Sewn spider web card, 9. dHb Buttercup purse, 10. Another Built by Wendy summer top, 11. crochet flower pins, 12. To-Market Purse, 13. Buttoned granny square scarf, 14. cardigan close-up, 15. Cloth Baby Shoes