name afghan

a woman at my church was due to have a baby girl which she and her husband had already decided on a name for (faith marie) so i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out something new. to make a name (or any image you can graph) you just need to graph the letters out and keep track of open vs. closed stitches as you travel across each row. it is tedious to keep your graph with you as you crochet, but it was worth the effort as this afghan turned out just as i hoped it would. i finished off the edging with a scalloped effect for a little bit more interest.

ham casserole

this dish started as a way to pull foods together for pre-packaging for toddler-on-the-go meals and is now another family favorite.
all measurements are approximate as i don't measure as i cook.
in large skillet combine:
2C diced ham
1 1/2 C sweet corn
1 1/2 C frozen peas
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 C milk
cover skillet and simmer until potatoes are softened (approx. 15 min) add 2 Tbs. cornstarch (to thicken soup base) and mix well.
put entire mixture into 9x13 pan and place biscuits on top. i used a herb and cheese frozen biscuit from schwanns but any frozen biscuit would do. bake @ 375 for appros. 20min. dish each serving with a biscuit and eat as a potpie or biscuit and gravy style. i peppered my own plate which made it wonderful. the kids could not get enough of this.


(yes, thats a frizbee she is eating out of, works great!)

chicken and squash spaghetti

this dish is a new favorite. i was given a GIANT butternut squash and tomatoes fresh from a local garden and felt the need to put them to use pronto. (all measurements are approximate as i don't measure as i cook)
start by peeling and dicing squash into 1/2 - 1" cubes. this squash was so big i only used the neck for this dish. dice tomato and 2 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
get your pasta into boiling water now because cooktimes are about the same for pasta and other stuff. in large skillet combine chicken, tomato, squash, approx. 2 cloves of chopped garlic, and a wee bit of e.v.o.o.. saute until chicken is cooked through and squash is soft. (approx. 8-10min.)
drain pasta and add chicken/squash mixture. add as much parmesan cheese as your tastes demand and enjoy.
(this was still amazing reheated as leftovers)

hot iron sleeve

i am getting ready for an 8-10 day trip where i will be needing to look nice for at least one evening. as a hairdresser, i "can't" accomplish this without my flatiron. soooo . . . . as i am busy dealing with prepping things for a house, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 adults to deal with this trip, i found time to make a hot iron sleeve. this was my first time working with insul-bright, but it wasn't a big deal at all.

crochet hook rollup

crocheting is a family thing. both my sisters are addicted, too. my little sissy just had a birthday and i was stumped on a gift for her, so i made her a crochet hook rollup. i didn't get pictured of hers, but ended up making one for myself as well.

basically this is a rectangle with slots stitched in for the hooks and elastic loops on one end to hold the whole thing together when rolled up. after i thought this was finished i realized that the hooks could slide out the top if not enough hooks were in it to created tension on the elastic straps, so i added a flap to cover and hold the hooks into place.

sleeves

my little big girl, mack, loves to wear dresses. most of her wardrobe consists of tanktop or t-shirt dresses which is wonderful for hot, but pretty soon that girl is gonna have to start wearing some leggings and a sweater to keep warmer- but she has issues with sweater buttons and zippers- she just cant leave them alone!! so i made her some sleeves. basically just make a long rectangle (as long as one sleeve, across the back and then another sleeve length) then stitch the sleeves together up until where the armpit would be. i added a few rows of edging stitched around the opening so her armpits were covered. and when you make something for one kid, ya gotta make it for the other. so kayla got sleeves, too.