UNLESS

My youngest has become quite obsessed with the Lorax. I swear she has watched that movie every afternoon (after homework, of course) for the past 2 weeks!  One of her favorite things about the movie is the trees. She wants one of her own.

Now given that I can't make an actual truffula tree, I had to get creative so I made her a hoop for her hoopla wall. (Yes, she has her own hoopla wall filled with hoops by various Craftster members and she loves them all!)

We've been having discussions a couple of times a week about the word UNLESS in the movie. Being a teacher, I had to turn this into a learning experience so we've had some serious (for a 6 yr old) conversations about why it's important to take care of our planet and everything/one on it. Needless to say, she's become quite upset over the latest drought because it dried up a local pond which is the home to her favorite duck family. If I'm not careful, we'll be adopting the lot. Either that, or she's going to want to run the garden hose to the pond. ;)

Curried Potato and Lentil Stew

We've been exploring the concept of having more meatless meals in my family. (No small feat when you are married to a Texan!)

I used to make this stew back in my single days. Waaay back when! It's a quick meal, warms you up and reheats wonderfully for lunches. I'm also fond of this dish when I'm not feeling well. It's a great comfort food. :)

Curried Potato and Lentil Stew

2. Add lentils, potatoes and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

3. Add garlic, curry powder and cumin.

4. Reduce to simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the lentils are tender which is around 20-30 minutes. Add/adjust salt and pepper at the end, especially if you used bouillon cubes which tend to be a bit salty on their own.

You can totally switch up the vegetables in this dish to better suit your tastes or the constraints of your cupboard. I used red potatoes because I like the fact that they don't turn to mush like a brown potato can. I've also added bits of turkey sausage to this dish and it was just as yummy!

I particularly love this stew with a good piece of hearty bread or nan! Soooo good!

Enjoy!

Rebus Love!

You've seen them before...those pictures that have a deeper meaning but sometime, figuring it out is not nearly as easy at it should be.

This is my take on a rebus in a hoop!

This piece was very fun to stitch. Other than the box in the center, I just doodled the rest!

Have you figured it out yet? ;)

I've put it in my Etsy for anyone who might be interested!

A new craft: Glass etching!

I've been thinking about trying this for a while and finally found the time and inspiration to give it a go!

Glass etching is AMAZINGLY simple, only I would add that this is not a craft to do around hyperactive children/pets nor in an area that is not well ventilated. The etching cream that I used is not something that you want to accidentally spill or just leave lying around. Etching is relatively fast paced from start to finish and you do need to have easy access from craft table to kitchen sink.

I did a set of wine glasses for a gal who wanted a unisex pattern that was elegant. I found a set of reusable stencils at the craft store in the same section as the glass etching cream. I did look long and hard for a glasses that were not overly bulbous. The more level the area to be etched, the easier it is to apply the flat stencil. Bumps that don't lay down could mess up your design as the cream gets in all of the nooks and crannies.

(I'm not really sure how to get a good picture of these glasses. If you have a suggestion, please let me know!) 

 

Next, I tried cutting my own stencils using Martha Stewart's reusable laminate. I used MS Publisher to play around with my image and then, printed that out. I laid my laminate over the print out, traced with a Sharpie, and then cut it out with an exacto knife. 

This mug was for a different swapper who had a gamer husband. She has already given it to him and he loves it! :D

And now for some of my crafty comments about glass etching:

• I suggest wearing protective gloves during this process. This stuff is corosive and FAST!
• Make sure the sink is clear of used day-to-day glass ware before you rinse off the cream off of your project to be on the safe side.
• Do one glass at a time. There really isn't enough time to assembly line more than one at a time.
• I used a paper plate (always on hand in this house!) to set my open cream container and the stirring stick just to avoid spills/drippage on my craft space. 
• You may need to experiment the first time you do this to figure out how to work out the bubbles in the cream. I used a craft paint brush to spread the cream (didn't hurt it in any way) and I layered the cream on thick.

 Here's an example of what happens when the cream is not thick enough or has bubbles:

This was supposed to be a Texas Longhorn but we nicknamed it Zombie Bull instead. ;)

T in the Kitchen: Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oatmeal

One of my favorite flavors of Autumn is PUMPKIN! I love pumpkin bread, lattes, puddings...you name it, I LOVE IT! When I came across the concept of making pumpkin pie overnight oatmeal, I just had to give this a try. :D

**This makes 1 serving!**

1/2 c old fashioned oats

1/3 c milk

1/3 c. plain yogurt

3 rounded TBSP pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)

3 TBSP brown sugar

1 TSP vanilla extract

1/2 TSP pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. That’s it!

I topped mine with sliced bananas and chopped pecans. YUM!  I’m thinking drained pineapple chunks would also be tasty.

**The amount of pumpkin pie spice in my recipe is for normal taste buds. I LOVE this spice so I actually doubled it in my own oatmeal!**

I use Glad LockWare rectangular containers and make multiple batches at a time. As long as it stays refrigerated, it should keep for a couple of days.

Additional notes:

~I prefer my overnight oats on the thick side. Add more milk or yogurt if you want it thinner.

~You can use vanilla yogurt instead of plain. Just remember that flavored yogurts are sweetened so you might want to use less brown sugar.

~If you have leftover pumpkin pie filling, how could you make it work? The pie filling is sweetened and spiced. I would just omit the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and brown sugar. Try it out and if it’s not spiced enough or sweet enough, adjust a small bit at a time.

A Bit of Blackwork

I know I've been quiet these past couple of weeks. I've started the new school year (Aug. 1st!) and my two kidlets are settling into their new routine with my oldest now in middle school. It really is crazy how time flies....*sigh*

No worries though! I have been crafting! I have things to share with you. I am just now finding the time and energy to do so. :)

Here's one piece that has been finished for a while but not shared with a good reason though.

I was asked to do a mini series on black work as a guest blogger at &Stitches! Wheeeee! I wrote the first post on the history and concept of blackwork. The second contains the pattern and tutorial for this piece.

Closer up...

This hoop is a modern adaptation of free form black work with geometric filler designs. I did the outlines of the hearts in split stitch and then used back stitch on the filler. The larger design was a bit finicky but I showed it who's Boss!

I normally am not a fan of counted work but this hoop was fun, picking out the filler designs as well as seeing the different textures that each filler added to the overall work. Who says that monochromatic work is boring? I might have to do another one soon!