Sew Half Crazy

1/31/2012

Splash of color

Heather 1/31/2012 1 Comments

So I don't know if you all remember my master bathroom debacle.

I couldn't decide what color to paint this poor room. It's the last room to be painted in our upstairs, and to make matters worse I wanted it to flow from our bedroom so the color had to work with some existing colors as well. No small task.

Let's add in some more obstacles, shall we?

First this room gets a lot of light. Tons of it. It's so bright that of I decide to take a nap during the day that I have to close the door to this room because of how much light tips room lets in.

Second is that the light source shifts so much that the color paint will need to adapt from extremely light to dusk and evening light and then adjust to incandescent lighting. All of these lights affect how a color is perceived. See those huge windows? Pains in the butts.

So 4 or 5 samples went up on the wall and they may or may not have stayed up on the walls for close to a year. Ugh.

Then I bought paint towards the end of summer - and it sat in the bathroom for months. You see I hate to paint bathrooms. Almost as much as I hate painting kitchens. There is just so much cutting in. Hate. It.

Cue probably the worst time ever to start painting a bathroom - while your hubs is recovering from surgery. While this may not seem like an ideal time to paint it was just what I needed, because it distracted me from everything that was going on, and it provided me time. Win!

So here's the newly painted master bath!

The color is called Homestead Resort Pale Olive by Valspar. I used the paint and primer in one and only used 1/2 a gallon of paint for the entire room. Not to shabby.

The vases are where they are to give an idea of my color scheme. I love how the yellow really pops off the wall.

So that is where I am now. I still need to thoroughly clean this bathroom and finish putting stuff in their spots, but I really love the change of the color so far.

I can't wait to get everything else done!

So what do you guys think?

1/30/2012

My Great, White Whale

Heather 1/30/2012 0 Comments

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming. Yeah...a few days late...

I'm wondering something. Is there a dish that everyone has that evades them, taunts them as they fail at it again and again? I feel like this should be the case because it's true with me. Last week I mentioned how much I love filled-dough dishes. We're talking wontons, dumplings, ravioli, and...pasties. Cornish pasties to be precise. Perhaps it's because I CAN'T GET THEM HERE! They've been around in England for years and years, so why can't I friggin' get a good Cornish pasty in the US? You know the last time I had a Cornish pasty? Thanksgiving two and a half years ago! When I was IN England. Yeah, it makes me a little cranky. It makes me even crankier, though, that I can't get the hang of making them MYSELF!!!

Folks, I have tried. So. Many. Times. So many recipes. And I can't get my little pocket pies even close to the deliciousness that I know and love. It's not the filling, it's the dough. If you don't know, the dough of a real Cornish pasty is soft and flaky, a lot like puff pastry, which I've debated using...I'm getting ahead of myself. First, I used this recipe for the dough because, well, it was new and all the others I've tried haven't had the desired outcomes.

Okay, so here's my setup. Those of you who bake can probably see where this is going pretty early on. I am a very inexperienced baker, however, so I was blissfully ignorant of how this was going to turn out till much later. I'll let you know when we get there.

Egg and shortening in and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Yeah, that sounds familiar. Carrying on...

Now wrap the dough into disks and refrigerate. Also pretty familiar. By the way, how do you like my little specter there in the corner. One of Badger's other names is my Little Hound of Baskervilles, for obvious reasons.

And now roll it out. Crap. That's the moment. This is a pie dough. At least the other recipes I've tried were more like biscuit dough. Dang it...oh well, too late to abandon ship now.

I used the plastic to help me pull the edges up without tearing the dough and bust out my high school sculpting skills to use extra bits to patch holes.

This clearly did not help one of my pies, however. I have never been so pissed off at foodstuffs in my life, by the way, as I was at this dough on Friday. You should have heard the things I was saying to this thrice-cursed dough. It still bothers me...

Sigh, the soft, flaky goodness evaded me again! One day, pasty dough, one day...

Perhaps I'll just phone it in next time and use puff pastry. What you're white-whale-dish?

1/25/2012

Its been a while

Heather 1/25/2012 1 Comments

Yesterday was the first day back at the gym and running in almost two weeks.

Oh how I've missed the gym.

Today was zumba and I think I might have died a little bit, but it felt good. I'm deciding whether or not to go to the gym tomorrow, but I probably will.

I need to get back into my routine, and I really need the me time. :)

See you guys later!

Curled Paper Rosette Wreath

Heather 1/25/2012 2 Comments

Hey guys!

So I told you earlier today that I was going to be sharing something.

And here I am to share!

Here's a new wreath and my Valentine's Day mantle. I decided to go with the KISS method for my mantle. Keep It Simple Stupid.

All of these flowers and props are things I had, but I love all the reds and pinks. Especially the peonies. Love peonies! They're just so big and fluffy and happy. :) What flowers do you guys like for V-Day?

Here's a close-up of the wreath. I used paper plates for the roses and just some scrap fabric to hang it up. The wreath took a bit to do, but I was able to watch two movies while working on it and it was nice that H slept the WHOLE time. Can you believe it? I got a two-fer movie nap! Yay !

So here's another angle of my mantle and the wreath.

I have to admit that I really like the simplistic look going on here.

See you guys tomorrow!

Heather

Linking up to:

We're back!

Heather 1/25/2012 0 Comments

Well life here is slowly returning to normal. Harrison was discharged from the hospital the day that the hubs went in, which made it interesting for me. Running back and forth between pediatrics and surgery at least gave me my exercise for the day.

On Monday we got a clean bill of health for H. His lungs sound really good and his attitude has returned! While I'm not totally enthused by the attitude thing, but at least he feels good enough to have one. He's still adjusting though. His naps and sleep patterns are definitely a lot longer than they had been, but I will take a long nap any day of the week!

The hubs is recovering. He's doing a little better each day. I can't wait for his post-op appointment though. Too bad its not for some time still. :(

I will be back later today to share a quick change that I did after everyone got home. I had so much energy (both good and bad) that I had to do something. Once I get the pictures taken I'm going to be sharing. :)

I've even started another project and started, very slowly, getting ready to paint a room. :)

See you guys later!

Heather

1/21/2012

Pure Genius

Heather 1/21/2012 1 Comments

Ah, Pinterest, what would we do without it? Well, I wouldn't be neck deep in recipes to try...just chest deep. I've blogged before about the amazing, to-die-for broccolli recipe that I got from there. Well, there's another site that has found me fun new recipes: StumbleUpon. This place is not as fun as Pinterest, but still interesting. One day while I was stumbling, I came up this fabulous lasagna cupcakes recipe. That's right, I said it, lasagna freaking cupcakes. It sounds too good to be true, I know. I've actually had this recipe in my back pocket for a long time, but it was a great coupon for wonton wrappers from Whole Foods that gave me the kick I needed to get this made.

First thing's first, this recipe is completely versatile. I was thinking I would use sausage at first, but I changed my mind and used ground beef instead. Then I decided to add some veggies, so I choose some delicious zucchini. I also used a four cheese blend because that's what I had on hand. If this isn't the most fun throw-together meal, I don't know what is. Don't forget to hit your muffin pan with some non-stick spray.

Don't you just love supermarket shortcuts? I actually almost never use pasta sauce for traditional pasta dishes (I use tinned tomatoes and whatever else I feel like0, but I use it a lot to for random appetizers and, now, lasagna cupcakes. :-) I've also been using wonton wrappers for years because I LOVE me some good filling wrapped up in a bit of pasta or dough. Don't ask me why, I adore wrapped foods. Dumplings, Cornish pasties, you name it, I like it.

Time for assembly. Now, my wontons didn't quite fit the cups, but that's okay because we layered. See my little trick with the glass? That really helps to make sure you get as much real estate our of your muffin cups as possible because it smushes everything neatly. Now, you may not think that two slices of zucchini is much, but the lasagnas are smaller than my fist, so it's actually a pretty big portion of the cupcake.

I apologize for the poor quality of these pics. My camera does not do closeups. It's pretty old, so we can forgive it. Look how fun these babies are, though! Little single serve lasagnas, who couldn't love that?! I promise you, your kids will go crazy for these. Oh! And did I mention that Mike doesn't like zucchini? Except for in these. He's really picky about texture and doesn't like mushy fruits and veggies. The zucchini stayed firm in these cupcakes because they don't have to be cooked for very long. Victory again!

I loved this recipe so much that I made spinach cups with Gorgonzola two days later. Then last night I made a filling of broccoli, cheese, and ham and froze it for later use this week. That coupon is good until the end of March, so I'll be stocking up. Try it, fall in love, change itup, repeat.

1/18/2012

That which Makes us Stronger

Heather 1/18/2012 1 Comments

Over the past several days - I have heard on more than one occasion that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

And I wholeheartedly believe this as well, but this also prompted a facebook status from me that if that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger then by the end of this week I'm going to be stronger than freaking Hercules.

People 'liked' it and it made me feel better.

Then came news this morning.....but I am getting ahead of myself.

Remember my last post where I said the hubs was having surgery this week and H had pneumonia.

Our follow-up visit with our GP ended up with us going over to the ER to get some fluids. He's not eating or drinking. Well not much and even then we have to force - and I do mean force him.

Well in the ER things went down hill, Harrison was admitted to the hospital because his blood oxygen level was averaging about 88. Its supposed to be 98/100, but anything over 95 is good. His level dropped as low as 83 last night, which prompted the obnoxious screaming from his monitors.

They put him on oxygen after doing one course with the nebulizer, and with the oxygen he was doing fine, but what toddler wants to haul around an oxygen tank. So we were admitted, and here we still are.

We met with the pediatrician this morning and because he's still oxygen dependent to get to 96/97 we're staying at least another night, but she did warn us that it could be several days. Fun.

So I've called my family and friends and the enforcements are coming in to help me juggle everything. Hubs comes in tomorrow for his surgery, which is thankfully in the same hospital so I will be volleying between H's room and the waiting room and then hub's room. I am hoping that H and I will be sent home tomorrow so that I can see Dev, but if not - well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Here's my little guy right now -

When he wakes up, his brother has left him a cookie that he insisted upon sharing with him, even though I told him that he could eat the cookie. I did, after all, buy them for him, but he insisted upon sharing with his brother. That, along with all the other kindnesses shown us these last few days, has really humbled me, and I am truly and fully thankful for all the gifts that have been bestowed on my family.

Heather

1/17/2012

What a Week

Heather 1/17/2012 0 Comments

Hey guys!

How was everyone's long weekend?

I'm glad that school is back in session, but I'm not looking forward to this week.

Why, you ask? Well for starters - Harrison has pneumonia, again. This time its been accompanied by a swollen airway. He's been given steroids to help with that but his breathing is still off. Right now he's dozing on my left arm while Disney is on. This makes typing difficult as I'm sure you can imagine.

Secondly, the hubs is having surgery this week. So Harrison can't be around him afterwards, or at least we've been advised to have limited contact between the two of them. Fun times. Hubs will also be out of commission for a few weeks.

So I doubt any creating will happen this week, but if by the off-chance it does then I'll be sure to share it!

See you guys later!
Heather

1/13/2012

Who Needs a Recipe?

Heather 1/13/2012 0 Comments

I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm pretty impressive in the kitchen. :-) Besides the fact that I made fabulous NY strip steaks without any kind of help besides a temperature guide, I made a new food without any help at all. How many of you all out there have ever had quinoa? Ever made it? Yeah, me neither...cooked it that is. I've eaten it once at a restaurant, and I really liked the texture of it. I do believe that once you learn a certain amount about food, you can usually wing it pretty well in most cases. I've been making risotto for a while, and I created the recipe below last week with that. That's when I decided I could do the same recipe with quinoa. It's a grain too, right? That worked for me in this case anyway.

Tomato and Onion Risotto/Quinoa
My original recipe

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
Salt
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cup Arborio rice or quinoa
1 qrt chicken stock
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cup cubed ham (more or less to your taste
Parmesan cheese, optional

Melt the butter in a pot with the oil. Add the chopped onions when the butter and oil is hot. Season with salt and allow to cook on medium heat until the onions are just caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook one minute. Add the rice or quinoa and let cook two minutes. Add all of the ham to the pot.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, pour in one cup of the chicken stock, deglaze the bottom of the pot, and let cook until the stock is just about all absorbed. Add another cup of stock and repeat until all of the stock is gone. Pour the tomatoes, juice and all, in, stir, and let that be absorbed as well. Scrape the bottom of the pan fpr the brown bits as needed. Once all the tomato juice is absorbed, take the pot off the heat and let stand for ten minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

I LOVE caramelizing onions. I love the smell, I love the taste, I love them! It takes a lot of time, but it is worth it.

Meet one of my top ten favorite shortcuts. Tinned tomatoes are great for pasta sauces, roasts, stews, and so much more. I prefer the Italian style over all the other varieties, but they're all good.

Quinoa has such an interesting texture. Look, it looks like birdseed when it's raw. Watch what happens over time, though.

I don't know if you can really see it here (sorry for the crappy quality), but, as the quinoa absorbs liquid, the outer part expands and becomes translucent, almost like tapioca.

Mmmm, tomatoes and ham and chickeny goodness. How can you go wrong?

I don't know because this turned out great! Mike especially liked it. Try creating some of your own original recipes using good, old staples and some new ingredients. Don't be afraid, just keep it simple and you'll be fine. :-)