April 29, 2010

Not Your Mama's Cookies...Gluten Free

        My twin daughters were recently told by their doctor 
that they should go on a
 "Gluten-Free" diet due to their thyroid numbers.
It seems this is getting more prevalent each day!
I love to bake for them...
So I thought I would give this chocolate chip cookie mix a try...

And I gotta tell you...they were delicious!
The mix was loaded with chocolate chips. 
 You only have to add one egg and 2 tablespoons butter.
 It made 18 large, crunchy cookies!
And only 80 calories and 1 gram of fat per cookie. 
Zero Trans Fat too!
I popped them in this "Chinese Take-Out Box" and...
off we went apartment hunting...snack in tow!





April 26, 2010

~Hey...yo yo~

Isn't it fun to find a craft at a yard sale that was once started by someone else...
...but now gets to be finished by you? 
And the more vintage...the better!
When I worked at the Pine Needle, a quilt shop, we called them "UFO's"...
...unfinished objects...
{the remnants of those quilts we start to make but never seem to finish.}

I was happy to find this little UFO from 1977!
Remember these "Yo Yo Animals"?
It's got all the pattern pieces and some of the vintage fabric circles too.

Yo Yo  animals are still being made today...just a little more up-to-date!



And yo yos are used in so many different ways too...

~in quilts~
~a beautiful garland~

~even a purse~

The possibilities are endless with these little fabric gathered circles....
Have you ever used yoyos in your creations?




April 22, 2010

Pearl had a trip to the Pokie!

Yes, our Little Pearl got picked up by the Doggy Police yesterday...

She was in Doggie Jail for an hour or so...Here is what happened!
All of a sudden I get a call from my husband who is in California for business...
He  tells me that he just got a call from the Animal Shelter here in Oregon.
They have our dog Pearl and she is on her way to the "Big House".
 I had just walked in the front door and hadn't yet realized she was missing.

It turns out she was only about 5 or 6 houses away. 
She was found running with another dog by some neighbors.
They picked her up and called the shelter.   
The other dog got away!
Anyway the officer came and...thank goodness...she has a "MICROCHIP".
That is the only way they found us....because she is so little (4 lbs.) she can barely wear a tag.
Without that chip and the honesty of the finders, we might not have ever found her...


 I raced to the shelter, which was about 30 minutes from my house....it was 5:20 and they closed at 6:00!
I called the officer and she said she would wait for me because, as she put it, 
"This little girl needs to get home!"

When I arrived everyone was so nice. 
They had all agreed that they couldn't put her in a "cell"...
and in fact they said that her feet never touched the ground.   
She was so happy to see me...and needless to say, was exhausted when we got home.
Her "bail" was set at $53.00! 
I paid the fine and she was released to my custody!


I'm not sure how she got out....
My neighbors were having quite a bit of work done in their yard next door.  
I will definitely get out there and investigate!

The "Microchip" saved the day...
So of course I highly recommend getting one if your pet doesn't have it.
The chip, which is the size of a grain of rice, is encoded with a unique code that identifies your pet if lost. Most vets can inject the microchip during a routine exam. 
The microchip can eliminate the need for a collar I.D. tag. 
The Microchip is great protection against loss, theft or separation from mommy or daddy, as the chip identifies both your pet and you as its owner.
 It sure worked for us!
Pearl went "up the river" for a bit...the temptation of the great outdoors was just too much for her...
She succumbed to the calling of the wild world outside our fence.
But in the end she was found to be innocent...a victim of  doggie peer pressure!


April 20, 2010

Redwork for {Rednesday}


Redwork is simple embroidery designs worked in a running stitch
 in either turkey red color or in blue (then called Bluework).
The name Redwork is derived from the red cotton thread that was used
to create this charming style of embroidery.
Since the red color process came from Turkey, Redwork was also called Turkey Redwork.

I recently found these two unfinished redwork projects that I can't wait to complete
and turn into...a pillow, quilt or wall hanging???
Aren't they wonderful?


 In America, dry goods stores sold 6 inch muslin squares
marked with a variety of designs for a penny each.
These "penny squares" are often seen incorporated into
old Redwork bedspreads and linens.
These penny squares were widely distributed in the early 1900s
through the beginning of World War II.

 Redwork is hotter than ever.
 It is definitely attracting the eye of a new generation of embroiderers.


There are many wonderful books out there to help you get started...


Happy "redwork" ...I mean Rednesday!
Visit A Very Cherry World  for more {Rednesday} fun posts!

April 16, 2010

The Hidden Treasure...

I found this Secretary Desk at the Goodwill not too long ago.
It was on a dolly and they were just bringing it out on the floor!
The paint was chipping and it was missing the legs and I wasn't sure where I would put it...
but I grabbed it up...there was just something so lovely about it...and it was only $25!

Isn't she beautiful?
 The front opens up perfectly...
 The doors are covered in chicken wire...
The top has beautiful detailing...

And the removable insert is still intact  (many are missing from these old desks!)



After getting the desk home I began to examine it more closely...That is when I pulled out the insert to find a hidden treasure...and envelope was lodged behind it...could it be the thousands of dollars that Grandma had stashed away years ago?...

NO OF COURSE NOT...

But there were three large old  index cards inside the envelope that were hand written on.

The writings explained all about the painting of the desk, the process used, how she had not quite completed it and detailed instructions for doing so.  She wrote how her dad had moved the desk in when the rain was pouring and one of the legs came off.  The logical place to put it, she wrote, would have been in one of the drawers, but dad has no idea where he put it and she has looked everywhere for it.  She knew the paint was beginning to crack and peel and apologized for not being able to repair it.  Then she wrote this...

It says, "Did you find my mongram on the front pull down drawer leaf hidden among the flowers?  This was Effie's secretary.  I took it even before she dies but she never saw what I did to it."

And there is her monogram, just where she said it was...Can you see it?


"MLM" right there in the center of her tole painting...I don't know her name, she didn't sign the cards...
but her brief writings caused me to know her nonetheless.

You can see for yourself that the paint is cracking and peeling...and there are some unfinished spots...but one can easily look past these flaws and see the beauty in the piece.  And after all, don't these imperfections just offer more character?  Indeed they do!

But the day will come when the yellow will no longer  match with my decor and the cracking and peeling will be defects rather than just "character".
My husband forsees this day coming rather soon and looks towards restaining or painting it.  He is probably right...
But it is hard to strip away the  history and the story of  "MLM" and her creative labor, especially when you realize how hard she worked on it.
I know however; with all things the memories are not in the object no matter what monetary worth it may possess or the amount of hours it took to create it.
The memories, although initially generated from the handiwork, remain because of the story behind the creator;  her spirit and motivation.
We may hold on to a quilt that is falling to pieces because of the recollection it triggers and the warmth it seems to give our soul, but the truth is...after the quilt is gone..the feelings are forever captured in our hearts.

 

April 15, 2010

TAX DAY Freebies and Discounts...


Here are some great FREEBIES and DISCOUNTS  for Tax Day
 Hope this makes the day a bit more fun!

Pick up a free taco from Taco Del Mar on April 15 when you share your name, email, and zip code. You can opt out of its newsletter if you want and still get the freebie.

Get a free cup of coffee at Starbucks when you bring in your own reusable mug on April 15.

Mc Donald’s on the other hand is offering a “buy one, get one free” tax freebie deal for their Southern Style chicken sandwich this Tax Day 2010.

IHOP, the breakfast food chain is offering a tax freebie 2010 by letting kids eat free from 4pm to 10pm for the entire month of April. Wow! This would save you a lot of meal expenses for your kids!

Maggie Moo's is giving away free slices of its new Ice Cream Pizza from 3 to 7 p.m. April 15.
near you!
Snag two free cupcake bites from Cinnabon from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 15. While supplies last.

Munch on a free cookie from Subway.

In the South, select Whole Foods stores are making April 15 a tax-free shopping day. So far stores in AL, GA, NC, SC, TN are participating. To find out if your Whole Foods is in on the deal, go to its Web site and scroll down to find your local store is in on the event for April 15.

Get 15% off your food tab at P.F. Chang's on April 15. Excludes alcohol and any happy hour deals. Join the restaurant's warrior card program to get the deal.

McCormick's and Schmicks has dinner and drink specials on April 15, then a CPA appreciation event Friday, April 16. 

If you know of any more freebies please tell us all about them in your comment!

ATTENTION: Here is another one.
The Deal: With a Jamba Juice coupon you can buy any drink from the Jamba Juice menu and get one FREE!

The Time: Between 4/12 and 4/25 but make sure your location is participating.

April 13, 2010

mangia...in 10 minutes!

Mangia {EAT}

This meal can be ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta...really!

FIRST: Put some salted water in a pan~pour yourself a glass of wine or cup of coffee to enjoy while waiting for the water to come to a boil~then add the pasta.

NEXT:  Put some olive oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic oregano, pepper and any other seasoning you like.  Also add some olives (I used a bistro blend) and some fresh spinach leaves ( I don't measure)
Stir and Saute for a couple of minutes. The spinach cooks very fast!


NOW:  Add some plain Greek yogurt (just about 1/3 cup) and a little milk (1/4 cup) Stir again.






Is the pasta ready yet? 
Yes?... well drain it and dump it into your pan...


Don't forget the Parmesan Regianno and Toss!

Dinner is ready...really...
Mangia!




April 12, 2010

Topsy Turvy Cake...

MY FIRST PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE!

I know...I know...you're saying ~ "What took you so long?"
I don't know...I just never made one before...



But it turned out great.. delicious and "light"...
Here is the link to the recipe Martha Stewart


Now take a look at this pineapple...
WARNING...this is not for the "faint of heart"... 
~kinda creepy~



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