A day on the farm

I have been cooking and baking up a storm!!

Wish you all could have seen the whirl wind of mixing and baking and such that has been going on in my kitchen in the last few hours!!!  LOL  My friends Marcia and Caina came by today to help me get ready for the big dinner party tomorrow, and we got more done in a couple of hours than I might haven gotten done all day long.  Marcia is a slave driver and fast with her hands, so she stepped in to mix everything as I chopped some onions, grabbed utensils and ingredients for her and kept Noah occupied playing in the sink with some soapy water and a few mixing spoons and cups.  (He had a blast and by the time we were done, he was drenched from head to toe and my socks were drenched with water he had flung on the floor too!  LMSO  Now, before you say Why would you let him do this??? Listen people, it is just soapy water, and I changed his clothes before his nap, and well, the floor was going to be mopped after all the baking anyway.  LMSO  Now I have one spot of the floor that doesn't need that uch scrubbing.  LMSO)

The girls needed to go to the store for a few items, and they are bringing back 2 missing ingredients that hubby forgot to get me last night while my Noah (he was getting tired after all the water play! *giggles* naps and I keep my eye on the things in the oven.

So far today we have:

1. Made a double batch of hot rolls (they are baked and cooling now.  I will warm them up for the dinner tomorrow)

2.  Made a double batch of pecan pie muffins (which fell apart when we were taking them from the muffin pan, but man do they taste good.  we may make another batch in muffin papers if we still have time)

3.  Mixed up a batch of sweet and sour meatballs (they are in the fridge with sauce awaiting to be cooked tomorrow)

4.  Made a double batch of wrapped little smokies( they are in the oven now and making me sooooo hungry!!  You take little smokies, wrap them in a small piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and then pour a mixture of brown sugar and water over the top..........YUMMO)

5.  Put a large pork loin in the crockpot (with broth and onion soup mix on LOW)

When the girls get back:

1.  Mix up spinach dip and cheeseball

2.  Make cornbread dressing (will bake today and heat up tomorrow)

3.  Mix up green bean casserole (bake tomorrow???)

4.  Make up a seven layer lettuce salad

5. Mix up and pour cheesecakse into a crust

Matthew bought 2 pumpkin pies last night at the store because I told him I had a new recipe I wanted to try on pumpkin dessert in the crockpot.  He wrinkled his nose and said he would buy 2 pies.  LMSO  Isn't he funny?? Oh well, maybe I will try the recipe for Christmas instead.

Well, the smokies in the oven are calling my name.  I think I should go and taste test them before the girls get back. LMSO

See ya later!

Homemade Ideas for a 15 year old: for tcrossland and others

I am having a blast making homemade gifts for my friends and family members this year!!!  How about you guys???  Well recently I posted a blog about homemade Christmas and how our family is cutting WAY back on gift giving.  Some of the reason of course is a tight budget and the seemingly always rise of cost of living expenses.  The other reason??? Because some (not all, don't think I am preaching, because I am not) store bought gifts are thoughtless, and think about it.  Is that person going to use it, or stuff it in a drawer and sell it at their next yard or garage sale?  LMSO

I wanted our Christmas this year to be filled with joy and not fretting over what to give.  I want all the presents we give to be from the heart and for us this year, alot of that means homemade.  I am putting alot of thought into each person's gift and I hope they appreciate all the time and effort I am going into making them as well!!

I had a commenter ask ifI had any homemade ideas for a 15 year old boy, and I thought,  sure, I will just right a blog about it!!

I have a few upper teen and lower twenties guys I am going to be making for, so here are a few of my ideas for them:

1.  A "special pillowcase" with lots of zippered and other pockets in it to carry stuff in.  An ipod shaped pocket of course is a must!

2.  An ipod cozy!!!  You can crochet these, sew them, make them from felt.  Google ipod cozy and you should find many ideas on this one.

3.  A  T-shirt quilt!  This is one I am using for my hubby this year.  He has a collecton of old (and very well worn, little pinholes in them, etc.) Christian T-shirts that he will not let go of.  I have bouught him new ones and he loves the new ones, but he still wears the ratty ones.  To get them out of circulation, I am going to cut the designs out, sew them together with fabric strips and make them into a blanket.  This one will be a 9 t-shirt quilt, but if your boy has many many t's....then make them into a twin sized cover or larger.  (This is an excellent idea for a boy going off to college to display his quilt on his bed at college!!)

4.  A fleece scarf or fleece blanket.  You can buy all kinds of fleece now, some with college team logos on them even.  Find out his favorite team and buy some fleece and sew up a scarf or blanket, or if you don't sew, cut you can blanket stitch or just cut and fringe the ends!  Let him show off his team spirit with a wonderful homemade gift.

5.  A blue jean blanket.  I am making one of these for my 22 year old nephew.  He recently married my neice and he is a farm boy through and through.  I think he will love the blanket and of course I am making it big enough so he and his new wife can cuddle under it together.  I have been collecting jeans from friends and family as they clean out their closets, and buying bags full at the thrift shop for only 10 cents a piece, so this is a cheap present. 

As I said before, some of these presents I have intentions in making before Christmas for presents, so when I get them done, I will post pics of them on my craft blog:  www.homesteadblogger.com/craftypudding

Feel free to visit my posts there anytime to get ideas or inspiration for your own craftiness!!!

The Day After Dinner: Not What You Would Expect

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family yesterday.  It was hosted by my brother and SIL, so she did alot of cooking and everyone brought a dish.  Needless to say, I was thrilled I didn't have to cook for all the people that were there, approximately 35!  The house was crowded, and when our Noah walked in and saw everyone, he turned around and walked right back out. LMSO  He was a little overwhelemed with everyone wanting to say hello to him, and was very clingy at first.  But after dinner, everyone cleaned up and the gang spreads out in the basement (the men who watch the football game on the big screen, which usually turns into the men who fall asleep in the recliners. LOL), the kids on the main floor playing Wii and the women in the dining and kitchen area talking and laughibng, some of the littlier kids playing outside on toys or in the sand, or at the table in the sunroom playing with playdough, and a few upstairs playing computer games.  By then Noah found some toys and was making himself at home and visiting with everyone!!

Today, I am making one of hubby's all time favorite meals.  What he doesn't know is that I love making this meal because it is so darn easy!!!  LMSO  We call is Cheesy Potatoes and Ham.  I put one bag of shredded potatoes in the crockpot with 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup and 1 can of milk and stir.  I add chunks of thick sliced ham and let it cook.  I some back every once in a while and stir it, but that is basically it! LMSO  SOOOO easy!  Tonight about supper time, I will pop some crescent rolls into the oven and some peas on the stovetop and we will be done!! TA-DA as Noah would say.

I am making a super easy dinner tonight because I am cleaning today and tomorrow and cooking in the evenings getting ready for hubby's family Thanksgiving celebration this Sunday.  They will be coming to our house (thank goodness....if you have read my blogs any, you know I don't like their messy house and refuse to eat my MIL's cooking due to the uncleanliness and lack of cooking abilities the lady has) and I will be cooking everything.  Matthew's sister asked last night if there was anything she could bring and I said sure, bring some pop and a small bag of ice! LOL  We rarely ever have pop in the house, but his family drinks it constantly.  It is simply something we don't buy and I won't spend money on, so this way she can pick out the flavors her family drinks and I figure before the day is over, we will definately need more ice for drinks.

Tonight (after hubby gets home with a few crucial ingredients from the store.  He is working today, so the house is nice and quiet.  LOL  I can't seem to get my cleaning done when he is here!  Are any of you like that?) I will make the spinach dip and cheeseball and refrigerate.  And sometime today or this evening I plan on making pecan pie muffins (I chate pecan pie, but I adore these muffns!!! YUMMY! ), a bundt cake and a plain cheesecake (toppings will be available). 

Tomorrow will be a day to clean the rooms I didn't get cleaned up today  (LOL), and to prep things for Sunday morning to be popped in the oven.  I will prep some little smokies (we wrap them in bacon, and put them in the crockpot with a little water in the bottom and sprinkle brown sugar over it all....they are delicious!!!!!!!! Addictive!!!), and sweet and sour meatballs (along with the dip and cheeseball and crackers will be appetizers).  Then I will put a pork loin and vegetables in another crockpot.  I also plan on making green been casserole, stuffing, seven layer salad, and hot rolls, several of which I can bake off and reheat or at least prep on Saturday.

For desserts we will have a chocolate cheesecake, a regular cheesecake, the bundt cake, a pumpkin dessert thingy (crockpot), and of course I will eat the pecan pie muffins as a dessert!  LMSO

Sounds yummy doesn't it??? Of course I am making WAY too much food.  But that's ok, because some can be eaten for leftovers on Monday and Tuesday.  Other things will be frozen for a leftover night later on in the following week.  None will go to waste!!!  (Hope it doesn't go to waist either!!)

I was very careful yesterday not to overeat (becky helped by grabbing my fork and pushing the pumpkin roll away as I was practicially drooling on it wanting a second piece! LOL), and I will do my best to do the same on Sunday!!!  So far, since the whole diet thing started, I have lost 22 pounds (took a month off to not push myself so much in October, and I am glad I did!!), and I don't plan on gaining any during the holidays!!!

More Crafty Goodness: A Small Fabric Dollhouse

Hello all.  I have been at it again.  Crafting and sewing up a storm.  LOL  These following things are for a swap in which we craft or sew things for each other's children.  I was so excited to see the tutorial for the dollhouse on my partner's wish list that I decided to make her one as well as one for my neice for Christmas.  The felt items were also on her wish list, one for each child. 

So, here are the pics!!

These are the three felted notebook covers and pencil pouches she requested. 

And here are some pics of the fabric doll house I made for her little girl!!  This is the front of the house with a front door (and a bluebird above it), and window made from felt added on.  The red on the top is the ribbon handles.

Here is the side of the house.  As you can tell it closes with loops (made from small hair ties) and buttons. 

Here is a picture of the house opened up to see the inside.  The green portion is to resemble the garden outside.  How cute huh???

And another pic of the whole house!!! 

Interested in making a fabric dollhouse for a sweet little girl in your family??? Here is the online tutorial I used. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/08/fabric_dollhouse_tutorial.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954     In some areas it was a little hard to understand what she was talking about, but I can honestly say I muddled through.  If anyone is interested in making it, and gets confused, please feel free to message me and I can see if I can help!!!

I seriously want to be a littl girl so I can make myself one to play with. LMSO

The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Believe it or not, I decided to watch Oprah today (I don't normally watch her, for my own reasons), and heard a wonderful idea on there from a viewer today.   The viewer spoke about not spending alot for Christmas, buying what you need when you need it throughout the year, and the only present they both really wanted, was time with the other!  How sweet is that.  I would have to agree this year.

In fact, the spoiled little rich girl (that would be me), in the last several years has become very practical.  Matthew and I even spoke about buying each other useful gifts this year.  On my list is a new electric can opener.  How silly huh???  You would want one too if someone (hubby) had taken your only hand crank can opener to work with him to open his canned soups for lunches.  Now the house, came with a hand crack can opener on the wall, but it is for the HUGE cans, and it barely works on normal sized cans.  It is enought to make a person scream!!

So, back to the idea on Oprah.  The viewer told how they enjoy the Twelve Dates of Christmas together.  They choose 12 days in which they will spend time together.  Some dates are eating out, but others are as simple as builing a snowman, or baking and decorating cookies together.  I loved the idea.  So I brought it up in conversation tonight over supper with hubby and he surprisingly loves the idea.  Of course, that doesn't mean he is off the hook for the can opener though. LMSO

So what frugal, or even free ideas are you all planning for this Christmas.  Everyone is tight this year it seems, and the economy doesn't look like it is changing before then, so what are you doing differently this year???

We are cutting way back on presents, making alot of homemade presents, giving homemade gifts such as apple butter, salsa, breads, etc.  We are taking the dip in the economy as a chance to teach our family that Christmas isn't all about Black Friday, the perfectly wrapped present, the most expensive electronics, the name brand this or that!!!

The Black Apple Dolls

I realized tonight that I completely forgot to post pics of one of my favorite recent projects.  I got the pattern online, and ended up making two at once.  One for a friend and the other for my neice for her birthday.  The blonde one will be my neices in a few more days.  I hope she loves it.  I even have one in the works for myself! LMSO

The new owner of the Christmas apron I made

I recently made a Christmas apron for a swap partner and she finally received it in the mail today.  Here is my friend Ellen Marie in her new apron!!

She is so excited about it, because she found out she will be hosting a large Christmas dinner at her house and looks forward to wearing her new apron while doing so!!!

Some cute wintery shirts I made

I made these two matching long sleeve tshirts for a swap partner who had a 4 and a 2 year old.  The only pic I have is this one (sent it and forgot to take any, so this is one she took) which includes two fingerpuppet kits I inclided in her package for her little girls.

These shirts were SO easy to make.  I just cut the bottom off of the smaller one (it was a snap-crotch shirt), and made the ruffle and sewd it on!!  SIMPLE!  The girls love Dora and they loved their whole package!

And on to the pic:

Decorating the Home for Christmas

Matthew asked me today if I would like his help putting up the Christmas tree.  Then I saw this child like twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face.  LMSO  Sure I said!!! Let's do it.  Last year, Matthew was working so much he didn't have time to help me with the tree and other decorations, and he was rather disappointed when he walked in from work one days to see it up and already done.  I said, that's how my mom always did it, to surpise my dad!!!  He said, but I wanted to help!!!  LMSO

Thankfully Matthew doesn't mind at all digging through the closets upstairs for the tree and boxes (and boxes....I means lots of boxes) of ornaments, on sale wrapping paper, cards and gifts from last year's after Christmas sales, etc.  Matthew put the tree up, and then my job each year is to "fluff" it.  LMSO  That is what we call it anyway.  I spread the branches just right, step back, see something I don't like, tweek it again, etc. several times.  Matthew teases me about it saying I could "tweak" the tree for hours.  I probably could too, except I am trying not to be so controlling and obsessive about it this year. LOL

We have a prelit multi-colored tree, so no fighting with tangled strings of lights here!!  YEAH!  I next hung our "special ornaments".  Let me tell you about a few of them!!  One is a bride and groom, bought the first Christmas we were together after being married.  We wrote the date and such on it.  Another is Noah's first Christmas ornament the year he was born.  We also have a brass house ornament for the first year in our new house.    Then there are the ornaments Matthew's mother gave me the first year we were married.  They are both from Matthew's first Christmas!!!  They are in great condition, but I did put new ribbons on them to hang them by.  We have one that is a small Rudolph water globe, given to Noah with a stuffed Rudolph deer last year for Christmas.  And one of my favorites was given to me several years ago from a friend, is a trio of jeweled crosses with the words, "faith", "hope", and "love" on them.  I also have ornaments in memory of my parents who died a few years ago hanging on the tree.  And one of Matthew's favorites, if the 150 anniversary ornament with a picture of our town on it. 

I found some gorgeous turquoise NON BREAKABLE ornaments this year that I added to the collection.  I didn't get out the broken ones this year in fear Noah won't be able to control himself around the tree this year where we put it.  (Of course part of the tree trimming and decoration, is moving all the furniture in the room to make room! LMSO)  There are very pretty and don't look the like old unbreakable ones they used to have in the stores.  A gorgeous tree skirt at the bottom completes the whole thing.

Then Matthew had fun with a few set of white lights, stringing them up the stair railing.  They are quite bright and add a nice glow to the staircase when they are on!!!!  I will finish everything up tomorrow by fluffling the tablecloth and curtains in the dryer and getting them hung, and hang out the Christmas towels sets for the kitchen and bathroom.

I love having the house decorated for Christmas, but I have to admit the deadline for my crafting and sewing projects seems even closer now that the house is all decked out for the holiday!!!  LMSO  I am glad it will be all decorated for Sunday when we have the inlaws over for Thanksgiving dinner!!!!

A Day for Christmas