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Pie in a Jar

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Another simple yet thoughtful gift for Mother’s Day: a pie in a jar!
This took me just a tad bit longer than it usually takes to make a normal pie due to the fact that I was stuffing pie crust into a jar and not just laying it out in a plate. I think it was well-worth the extra ten minutes though, don’t you?
Here are some pics and quick instructions.
1. Use the pie crust and filling recipes of your choice
2. Stuff your jars will the crust; I found using a spatula helped. Also, I used the large size canning jars, but you could easily make these in the tiny ones…it would just make more!
3. Add your pie filling of choice. I used apple.
4. Top with a bit more crust, and be sure to cut a vent.
5. Screw on the top and freeze. When you want a pie, just set it out for about 10 min while your oven preheats to 350 F, then bake for 30-40 min uncovered. Keep an eye on it so that the top doesn’t start to burn!
The big jar!

Filling of choice. I don’t normally leave the skins on my apples, but I wanted some extra vitamins this time.
Decorate and freeze!
Now my mom and mother-in-law can have pie on demand without any of the hassle :)
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Edamame Hummus with Homemade Tortilla Chips

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Mike and I are having burgers tonight, but I’m jazzing them up a bit. My affinity for dishes featuring whole, (mostly!) fresh, in-season fruits and veggies increases exponentially when summer begins to arrive. This dish features edamame beans and a twist of lime. We’re planning on topping the burgers with the hummus as well as scooping it with the tortilla chips. Mangos for dessert. Mmmm summer!
Hummus Ingredients:
14 oz edamame beans
feta
s & p
juice of one lime
paprika
garlic
evoo
water
Directions:
1. Boil beans and remove from shells; I gave mine an ice bath afterward to preserve color
2. Add rest of ingredients (minus water) to taste (sorry…that’s how I cook!)
3. Add water as you blend to loosen mixture up to your desired consistency
4. You might have noticed the capers. I added a few for some brine. It’s optional, of course.
Tortilla Chips Ingredients:
1 pkg of tortilla (I used whole wheat)
Veg oil
Paprika
Cumin
Lime zest
salt
Directions:
1. Cut each tortilla into 8 pieces
2. Lightly coat with veg oil (a couple tbs usually works)
3. Sprinkle with rest of ingredients to taste
4. Bake at 350 F for 7 minutes, flip, bake 7 more

Like I said, mmmmmm summer.

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Plastic Bag Holder

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This is another easy sewing project that I managed to put together in about 30 minutes. Ok, realistically it took me about 2 hours, but I was making lasagna, eating Easter candy and fixing a mystery problem (read: user error) with my sewing machine. It’s hard work staying at home :) I’m sure you have seen these before, and if not, there are tutorials all over the Internet. I know what I’ve seen, and it’s the underside of my mom’s sink, so she got one for Mother’s Day, and my mother-in-law got one too! Here is how I made mine:

Materials:
Kitchen towel
1/2 width elastic (cut 7 in strip)
Ribbon or small piece of fabric for loop

Step One:
Cut a 7 in piece of elastic and pin to one of the short side of your dish towel. I started at one side and stretched it across, pinning it the whole way. When you are done, it should be bunchy.


Step Two:
Sew the elastic onto your towel. I sewed a bit, stretched a bit, sewed a bit, stretched a bit, etc.


Step Three:
Using the long sides of the towel, sew right sides together. Then, turn it right side out.


Step Four:
Some people sew a piece of elastic into the top…not me. That’s extra work. You can also sew a piece of ribbon or string to the un-elastic top of your holder so you can hang it. My towel already had a little hook on it, so I took advantage of it.

Step Five:
Stuff with bags and hang.


Well, that’s it. The underside of my sink has never looked so organized (not that anyone ever looks down there). I’m going to go enjoy looking at my new creation and try to figure out why it’s ok for strangers to pet my belly…yeah…that happened today…

Have a good one!
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Donut Pillow

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I found this cute, comfy confection at skiptomylou while looking for inspiration one day. It is the perfect gift for my niece who will readily tell you how much she loves donuts.

Now, as you know, I have no idea how to sew…yet! Up until recently, I didn’t even have a machine. But, by the magic of Facebook and the kindness of my cousin in Chicago, I came into a great old sewing machine that was perfect for the job. I have been fiddling with it, and this was my first project (I waited to post it as my niece’s birthday was this past Thursday). So, please excuse the mistakes here and there, and just follow the tutorial, ok?

Materials Needed:
Tan felt
Dark felt for frosting 
(get as much fabric as you’d like. I made my donut apprx. 18″ in diameter)
Embroidery thread
Pillow stuffing
Sewing skills

Alright, to start, I cut out my fabric to the size donut I wanted to make.
Afterward, I sewed the frosting to the top layer of the tan donut and used embroidery thread to sew the sprinkles. I opted for blue, red, yellow and pink. Classic sprinkles.


With right sides together, I sewed the bottom half of the donut to the top and left just enough space so I could flip it right side in afterward.

I used the sewing machine to sew the opening of the inside hole shut. Afterward, I trimmed it up a bit so it looks pretty!

Then, I stuffed that donut with a bunch of snow and attempted to slip stitch the opening shut. By attempted, I mean attempted. I still need to learn that one even after consulting the expert: Youtube.

Well, there you go. My first sewing project in a long time, and it didn’t turn out half bad. Now, if a two-year-old likes it, I’m in business.

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Fabric Fragment Blanket

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O boy.

Ellie,
Mommy loves you very much. So much so that she went to the store and picked out a bunch of cute fabric and wanted to make you something pretty. 
She thought to herself, “How hard can it be to make a quilt? Just sew a few scraps together and voila!” Mommy was wrong. Let me explain:

First, she thought it would be fun to do a patchwork type quilt with all different size squares and rectangles. So, she cut them out. Turns out you have to be precise in quilting… 
When she figured out how they were going to be pieced, she sewed them all together. Remember, mommy is teaching herself to sew.
 After all of the ironing and sewing, she finally had a blanket for you! A blanket only an infant could love…because you don’t have very good eyesight yet.


Ellie, please remember mommy loves you, and just because she can’t quilt doesn’t mean it wasn’t made with a lot of love. She promises she will not sew you any outfits until her skills improve. If it makes you feel any better, she had a lot of fun trying!

xo

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Good Friday Dinner

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I am starting to make it a point to celebrate my faith throughout the year. I think that while we have many Holy Days and feast days on the liturgical calendar, we could do a better job of making each one special. This book does a great job of helping with that task. I want Ellie to see that our faith is a celebration of thanksgiving for God’s gifts to us. So, keep checking back here for random little things you can do to make each special day in our faith a special day in your home as well!
Now, Good Friday is the last day fasting from meat during Lent, but there is also a special “twist” on what should be served for dinner tonight. I originally read about this in The Catholic Home, but I also found this little blurb on the interwebs!
“In 1440 a page in the prayer book used by Catharine of Cleves depicted St. Bartholomew surrounded by pretzels. They were thought to bring good luck, prosperity and spiritual wholeness. A decade later in 1450, Germans ate pretzels and hard-boiled eggs for dinner on Good Friday – the day of fasting. The large, puffy pretzel symbolized everlasting life, and the two hard-boiled eggs, nestled in each of the large round curves of the pretzel, represented Easter’s rebirth.”
So, break out the Rold Gold (or try this recipe that I worked on today), and crack open those Easter eggs you dyed. Add them to your Fillet O’ Fish, and you can have your own Good Friday feast!



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God’s Greatest Gifts — One Awesome Day

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In the beginning…
“God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.'” Genesis 1:28
Then, in an even more generous gift… 
“For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16 
Happy Earth Day and a Blessed Good Friday. Enjoy them both together, and remember: they are of God’s greatest gifts!

And, if you have kids, try these out: Easter Story Cookies. My mom sent me the article this morning. Yet another reason I can’t wait for Ellen to be here!

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Third Trimester, Here We Come!

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This Saturday marks the beginning of my third trimester. I cannot believe that I am already through with the extreme tiredness of first trimester and the honeymoon of second. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about this last part of the whole process: the aches and pains everyone talks about, and then of course, taking care of a human life for the rest of my life…that too.
However, not to sound like I’m bragging, but this pregnancy has been very easy on me. Ellen is a well-behaved fetus, and I have felt comfortable and happy for pretty much the entire thing. My cravings have been few so far: the occasional baked potato crisis, baked beans at 3am and donuts and fried fish for breakfast that one time… I haven’t felt very uncomfortable or emotional either.
The only thing I can really say that has affected me is my brain. Women talk about it all the time: baby sucking brain. And, I am here to say it is all too true. Of course, there are the forgivable and understandable instances of leaving lights on, forgetting to run the dishwasher, leaving my shopping lists at home, etc. But then, there are the more laughable instances that have been becoming more frequent as third trimester approaches. Last week, I tried to flush the toilet with the light switch and scrub a pot out with an oven mitt. Then there are all of the bruises on my hips from running into my dresser everyday. It’s not even really in my walking path. All I have to say is, if this is the worst I have it, I consider myself lucky!
The other thing I have noticed is that my patience and anxiety in certain areas in life are improving — namely the fact that I have stopped myself from freaking out with every little change my body goes through. I was nervous at the start of this journey that I would be on WebMD each night looking up to see how bad I had it, and at first, I was. WebMD told me I had an ectopic pregnancy, a tumor, kidney failure, and liver failure. None of these things were true, of course. Turns out I am just pregnant and weird things happen. So, as the weeks have been flying by, I am learning to sit back, relax and let my body do its weird things. I always keep my doctor in the loop, but he hasn’t run away screaming yet. I’ll take that as a good sign.
So, keep me, Ellen and Mike in your prayers as we enter the last 13 weeks of pregnancy. Pray that the third trimester is as manageable as the first two were.
She will be here so soon, and then I can worry about her instead!
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Wire Name Wall Art

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Mike and I are in the process of putting together Ellie’s nursery. The theme went from dinosaurs (when I was positive she was a boy), to alphabet, to animals to woodland creatures. And that is where we are right now. Woodland creatures. Interesting name, but it makes for a really cute room. So far, my mom and I painted one wall of the nursery a dark sage color. It was leftover paint from my room when I lived at home. Money saver! Here is Mike touching up the sloppy corners we did:

Of course, being on a budget, we are trying to limit what I would normally be spending on redecorating. I have to say, it has led me to some creative options. Try this one out in your own home.
Directions for Wire Name Wall Art
Supplies: 12 gauge wire, wire cutters, any color yarn, crochet hook
1. Grab about 20 ft of 12 gauge wire (don’t go smaller than 14 or bigger than 10 or you will struggle). This length should do about 6-7 letters easily.
2. Bend the wire into your word of choice. This will obviously be in cursive. Don’t worry about perfection just yet as you will have time to fix it later. Just make sure it looks pretty decent.
3. Crochet a chain stitch with your yarn. Create 2 ft. chains instead of one really long one. It makes it easier to wrap. You will need about 8-9 of them.
4. Wrap your yarn chains around your wire word. Tie together ends as you add more chains. Tie off beginning and end to secure when you are done. Now you can adjust the word so it looks just right (remember it is homemade though…don’t stress!)


Here is what your final product will look like. We decorated the name with a few silk flowers to add to the woodland feel.


I was poking around the web and found another example. Look at these directions for more help!


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Bunny Cupcakes

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You can find these all over the web, but they are so stinkin’ cute that I wanted to share them with all of you. I made them for my niece who was slightly apprehensive about eating the cute bunny but enjoyed the cupcake and jelly beans! Even if you don’t have a kid to bake them for, husbands love them too (especially after a nice long run around the neighborhood!). Now, you can go with the homemade version of these, but I opted for the box mix version this time for sanity’s sake.
Ingredients:
Boxed cake mix
White frosting
Green food coloring
Edible Easter grass
Peeps (of the bunny variety)
Jelly beans

Now, I think you can figure this one out, but humor me. First you want to make the cupcakes according to the directions on the box. Simple enough.


While your cupcakes are cooling, add some green food coloring to your white frosting. Make it as dark or light as you’d like. Afterward, perform some bunny surgery and cut those suckers in half.


Once your cupcakes are cooled, frost them and add your bunny. It will look like he is popping out for a visit! I imagine him saying, “Shout out to my peeps!” You can imagine whatever you want.


Add the edible grass around your little bunny dude, and embellish with a few of the Gipper’s favorites.

There you have it. A cute, and super simple addition to just coloring Easter eggs this year.

Happy Easter!
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