tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80726400694762486362024-03-02T04:21:05.220-06:00LilyquiltQuilting, Cooking, and Stay-at-Home Mommy-ing Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-43451463282700194632014-02-04T19:57:00.003-06:002014-02-04T19:57:42.036-06:00Hulk Birthday Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I can't believe my oldest, Buddy, is 4 years old! Of course, like most four-year-old boys, he loves superheroes, so this year he requested an Avengers cake. After searching around on Pinterest, I decided that a Hulk cake would be the easiest Avenger to create in a cake design. I know, that's not a very good reason to choose your son's birthday cake, but I justified it by telling myself that I have a 5-month-old baby, so I don't need to spend hours on a cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last year, Buddy requested a <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/spider-man-birthday-cake-tutorial.html">Spider-man cake</a>. And, he's already told me that he wants a Hawkeye cake next year, and that his little brother would like an Iron Man cake for his birthday (in October).</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb_OuaJRvYHwZtl-NbG-1eC9ob6pX-I2vDVstYY8aMg8vhIfyRRblgX-BHCcpHv5OqI3-9W58MHnk36uHJUNu8HD3txtHEWxt2h9MIr463fvcERF-6acTu3q10R5ofypaNdnSVpWzbRT5/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb_OuaJRvYHwZtl-NbG-1eC9ob6pX-I2vDVstYY8aMg8vhIfyRRblgX-BHCcpHv5OqI3-9W58MHnk36uHJUNu8HD3txtHEWxt2h9MIr463fvcERF-6acTu3q10R5ofypaNdnSVpWzbRT5/s1600/2.JPG" height="481" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To start I made a regular two-layer cake and coated it with bright green buttercream. I piped on the hair and face with a writing tip using black icing. For the teeth, I used a basketweave tip backwards, so the teeth look smooth with jagged edges. Then I piped Hulk's eyes in green icing with a writing tip. Super easy for how awesome it turned out!</span></div>
<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-5353841845477276692014-01-28T23:24:00.001-06:002014-01-28T23:35:28.770-06:00Teacher Gift: Class Signature Quilt <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've been so bad about posting all my quilt finishes recently. I don't want to forget this signature quilt, because I love this idea for a teacher appreciation gift! The customer convinced all the parents in her child's kindergarten class go in together for a gift. Rather than everyone buying a small (and often rather useless) gift, they all went in together on these awesome quilts! The customer picket out and bought the frog fabric. Then she secretly had all the kids in her child's kindergarten class sign it in two different places with a fabric maker, then sent it to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To assemble the quilt, all I did was add borders with corner squares. I wanted the focus to stay on the center panel and the adorable 5-year-old signatures, so I kept the piecing simple and used solids for the border. After basting, I added teacher's name and the year with fusible web. Then I appliqued with a zig-zag stitch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iHMbQPNPFLU/UbqNueBUGuI/AAAAAAAACu0/KbEgMo0Ex1U/s1600/a6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iHMbQPNPFLU/UbqNueBUGuI/AAAAAAAACu0/KbEgMo0Ex1U/s640/a6.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I outline-quilted the border and corner squares. I also highlighted all the signatures with quilted boxes. Then I decided it needed more quilting, so I outlined some of the fun frogs, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j4Je5_yQido/UbqNuaDsejI/AAAAAAAACuw/GkkNWym8hgI/s1600/a7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j4Je5_yQido/UbqNuaDsejI/AAAAAAAACuw/GkkNWym8hgI/s640/a7.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love how the outlined signatures turned out! The back really shows off the effect of the random-box quilting:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I also made a similar wall-hanging sized quilt for the teacher's aid the same way as the larger quilt. I just added hanging tabs, and did a turn-out and topstitch finish on the edges rather than binding. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_ELrwE5SIE/UbqNmyWzFzI/AAAAAAAACug/QukmwGYGoe8/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_ELrwE5SIE/UbqNmyWzFzI/AAAAAAAACug/QukmwGYGoe8/s1600/a3.JPG" height="598" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-64649205261155870312014-01-28T22:57:00.002-06:002014-01-28T23:34:58.596-06:00Gender Neutral Thank You Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When I was pregnant, I knew that we'd get some new-baby gifts. So, I whipped up these gender-neutral thank-you cards when I had a burst of nesting energy in the last weeks of my pregnancy. Now that we know that BT is a boy, it's a little weird to think back to just a few months ago when we were guessing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wanted these to work whether we had a boy or girl, so I used red/yellow/brown for the colors. They were ready and waiting to be sent when I had the baby and couldn't do any crafting for a few months. I also kept them really simple, with no ribbons, buttons, stitching that you usually see on homemade cards It was nice being able to crank these out assembly-line style in under an hour!</span><br />
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-37428758919967044412013-12-07T13:23:00.001-06:002014-01-28T23:37:25.161-06:00Great Grandma's Bow-tie Quilt--Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWPk18LAe1o/UqNyReLsIUI/AAAAAAAAC40/CGtrPjEvfsE/s1600/c1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWPk18LAe1o/UqNyReLsIUI/AAAAAAAAC40/CGtrPjEvfsE/s640/c1.JPG" height="564" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Drumroll please....ta-da! I finally finished this baby quilt using my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html">great-grandma's quilt blocks</a>! It may have taken me months and months to get started , and I had to <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/06/great-grandmas-bow-tie-quilt.html">let go of my perfectionism</a>, and I had to teach myself how to hand-quilt, but it's finally finished! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love, love, love this quilt. I love the fabrics and the fabric choices Great-grandma made, and how different they are from ones I would normally choose. It's not a matchy-matchy quilt. I was even able to find a large piece of fabric in her stash, which I used for the backing and binding. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbO1bpY-A-I1WGzxcS5lYynaFmucQO9zSpzXpaQHm5-K6IWogXhgrghOE4vkTITHxMQvWJtCbS4GtAcArPkbA2f0aOGMVkAvVOB6858JV6a6L28Bbu7xM6YV5qK2YYEi5E7WAhhxDDQqX/s1600/c3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbO1bpY-A-I1WGzxcS5lYynaFmucQO9zSpzXpaQHm5-K6IWogXhgrghOE4vkTITHxMQvWJtCbS4GtAcArPkbA2f0aOGMVkAvVOB6858JV6a6L28Bbu7xM6YV5qK2YYEi5E7WAhhxDDQqX/s640/c3.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love how the hand-quilting looks great with these blocks, it really makes this quilt and helps create a vintage scrap-quilt look. I decided that this quilt was already busy enough without complicated quilting </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(and, I admit, this was only my second quilt doing hand-quilting, so I didn't want to try anything too ambitious). </span>I just did simple outline stitching about 1/4" from all the seams. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHCUrE0rcMg/UqNyTjsOwKI/AAAAAAAAC5A/upu9jg2l_3w/s1600/c4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHCUrE0rcMg/UqNyTjsOwKI/AAAAAAAAC5A/upu9jg2l_3w/s640/c4.JPG" height="464" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So far, BT loves it, too ;)</span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></b></i>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-65778379590708965762013-11-25T14:14:00.002-06:002013-11-25T14:14:58.442-06:00Crochet Block Stitch Baby Blanket <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OOhMsa9WnUnbkP-CGqSBNfXP60xMMwAwXkSQ3ngDcVLDfn7xpXCEofRN6wRu1ZbdCm5BOgu3n2LeQjaDv3pEvv5Rh1xpOHU88_v1SOsZOPUhoVUxJ5WFpqhkDtrNWusZO_9eq2lCKIuw/s1600/a6a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OOhMsa9WnUnbkP-CGqSBNfXP60xMMwAwXkSQ3ngDcVLDfn7xpXCEofRN6wRu1ZbdCm5BOgu3n2LeQjaDv3pEvv5Rh1xpOHU88_v1SOsZOPUhoVUxJ5WFpqhkDtrNWusZO_9eq2lCKIuw/s640/a6a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I actually finished this project before BT was born, but I've been a little busy (translation: crazy busy, with barely contained chaos and dirty dishes piled everywhere) with three little ones and haven't recorded any of my projects recently. </span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xBKlg-7Kx4/Ueg6tOb3VII/AAAAAAAAC0A/OxN0gBavY0M/s1600/a5a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xBKlg-7Kx4/Ueg6tOb3VII/AAAAAAAAC0A/OxN0gBavY0M/s640/a5a.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love how this blankie turned out! I found this <a href="http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Crochet/block_stitch.htm" target="_blank">block stitch pattern</a> and thought it would look so cute in pastels, with just a little white peeking through between the double crochets. Since we didn't find out the gender of the baby, I wanted this blanket to work for a boy or girl, so I used pink, blue, and green for the colors.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> And, it actually turned out just like I pictured it. That definitely does not always happen, so I am super excited! </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izr81UPplpE/Ueg6xVKhw9I/AAAAAAAAC0M/B4c2ea7jHig/s1600/a7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izr81UPplpE/Ueg6xVKhw9I/AAAAAAAAC0M/B4c2ea7jHig/s640/a7.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The other two boys
love, love, love their blankies that I crocheted for them, so hopefully
BT will, too. I love seeing them enjoy the things I stitched with
love. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As you can see, the older boys were having fun during the photo shoot, so this blanket it already kid-approved. It was hard to get them to but the blankie down so I could get a few pics. </span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfHqFUd_5rwrIyfAosxU4Pl61neOR01k1Pnr1WIN-rNn3tD3eLwzMrIDlGTNAHj4D_elCLVEqSrHta8UnBm31_bNv6EJ2luIZOUX7CaCUohX335WawSUONIx-8iqDUwI6r5dFZTNUFs8v/s1600/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfHqFUd_5rwrIyfAosxU4Pl61neOR01k1Pnr1WIN-rNn3tD3eLwzMrIDlGTNAHj4D_elCLVEqSrHta8UnBm31_bNv6EJ2luIZOUX7CaCUohX335WawSUONIx-8iqDUwI6r5dFZTNUFs8v/s640/a2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I mostly followed the <a href="http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Crochet/block_stitch.htm" target="_blank">block stitch pattern</a>, with a few modifications. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For materials, I used a
size G crochet hook and Caron simply soft yarn (medium weight 4), one
skein each of white, soft blue, soft green, and soft pink. Finished size: 36" x 32"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When I tested my gauge, 4" = 5 groups of 3 dc. To modify the pattern, you just need to chain a multiple of 4, plus 3. Then, you can make this pattern any size you want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> With green, chain 171, turn. Sc in 2nd chain and in each chain across, turn. Continue in block stitch pattern, starting with Row 3. Continue working in block stitch, working the chain rows in white. Work the dc rows in green, pink, blue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I finished the center with a row of white, then worked a row of sc around the entire blanket. Then I finished with a simple <a href="http://yougogirl.typepad.com/you_go_girl/2010/03/crochet-like-crazy.html" target="_blank">scalloped edging</a>.</span><br />
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-34065900355589355102013-07-29T22:22:00.002-05:002013-07-29T22:22:43.528-05:00Half-Square Triangles Tutorial: Eight at a Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzt922RSMEnjLLj6UFQHG4f73cGY1bM7rO8gKzw_cIDqR9MHmh19bA_Wz1p9LOUMHkXs4yESaLzf25nom7b-SCBCRgzG5FOzd7o_bbFmDHB1TM1ZMqzJcdJA60UjlE9XpIHGZ0ZkgPiDQ/s1600/a2a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzt922RSMEnjLLj6UFQHG4f73cGY1bM7rO8gKzw_cIDqR9MHmh19bA_Wz1p9LOUMHkXs4yESaLzf25nom7b-SCBCRgzG5FOzd7o_bbFmDHB1TM1ZMqzJcdJA60UjlE9XpIHGZ0ZkgPiDQ/s640/a2a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A few months ago, I wrote a tutorial on making <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/10/half-square-triangle-tutorial-two-at.html">half-square triangles two at a time</a>. That technique works great if you only need a dozen or so. However, I had plans to make a baby quilt entirely out of half-square triangles, and I wanted to make them more efficiently. I discovered a way to make eight at a time, which worked great for a project where I needed so many.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The quilt is all assembled, and I'm so excited, it looks awesome! I just basted it, and it's next in line for hand-quilting after my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/06/great-grandmas-bow-tie-quilt.html">great-grandma's bow-tie blocks quilt</a>. Now, I have to share how I made all these half-square triangles without losing my mind.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GcFAP8nHeZijzGgxazZpZGnChTy6zWPzrTcmP2o9iySHctA2VsoyZbQHpLFu0_dHRIXY67dvQwHNBunpr6mUnl8f6-wOOjU19LBqPAdfvFgr86p-DM8S3GfYbnWHrd2o-9BCxhtZMZSI/s1600/a1a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GcFAP8nHeZijzGgxazZpZGnChTy6zWPzrTcmP2o9iySHctA2VsoyZbQHpLFu0_dHRIXY67dvQwHNBunpr6mUnl8f6-wOOjU19LBqPAdfvFgr86p-DM8S3GfYbnWHrd2o-9BCxhtZMZSI/s640/a1a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. First, from both fabrics cut squares double the size you want your half-square triangles. (I'm using white and blue fabrics here.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wanted my squares to be 3" in the quilt, so I needed them to be 3.5" before assembling. I like to make my half-square triangles half an inch larger than I need them so that I can square them up first, so I made them 4" square. For 4" half-square triangles, I cut 8" squares from both of my fabrics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Next, mark sewing and cutting lines. I usually mark the lighter fabric so it's easier to see. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">On the wrong side, mark the middle of the square both horizontally and vertically. Then draw diagonal lines from corner to corner. Pin your two fabrics right sides together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oz1agoN8VuQ/UfcmFCxA8mI/AAAAAAAAC3A/_6f832-iQAk/s1600/8a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oz1agoN8VuQ/UfcmFCxA8mI/AAAAAAAAC3A/_6f832-iQAk/s640/8a.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Sew 1/4" away on both sides of both diagonal lines. You should have 4 stitching lines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(oops, I forgot to take a pic before cutting, but you can see my stitching here)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT14hwe0bqEn7YLbj3ItWdcB-3WWeFC3uFmrui1VUG9DSw2dnefxV5omAXRi_GVwaYLel2fSK_8yglXXHXPdULMxrCcDujYNLhzVhSufnDQQeJ3LNits5I7htCLC313SsJNjmfV3inZti/s1600/8b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT14hwe0bqEn7YLbj3ItWdcB-3WWeFC3uFmrui1VUG9DSw2dnefxV5omAXRi_GVwaYLel2fSK_8yglXXHXPdULMxrCcDujYNLhzVhSufnDQQeJ3LNits5I7htCLC313SsJNjmfV3inZti/s640/8b.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 4. Cut on all four marked lines. You should now have 8 triangles with stitching on the long side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le5ECsI9mEQ/UfcmFmsiIkI/AAAAAAAAC3E/HXtClKyH5TA/s1600/8c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le5ECsI9mEQ/UfcmFmsiIkI/AAAAAAAAC3E/HXtClKyH5TA/s640/8c.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 5. Open up your triangles and press the seam toward the darker fabric. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. Use a rotary cutter to trim all the squares to the correct size. This is easiest with a small square ruler that has a 45 degree angle marked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Line up the 45 degree angle along the triangle edge. It's important to line up the angle so the points of your triangles match when piecing them together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Trim a little from all four sides to square it up. Here, I'm trimming to 3.5". As you can see in the picture, you won't be trimming off very much and you might be tempted to skip this step. <i>Don't skip it, </i>or your patchwork will be all wonky and very frustrating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mv3nFXm1UL4/UfcnHBzPIGI/AAAAAAAAC34/uDduKdd4B5Y/s1600/square1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mv3nFXm1UL4/UfcnHBzPIGI/AAAAAAAAC34/uDduKdd4B5Y/s640/square1.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One half-square triangle ready for piecing! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYhNHaZrouMrxHQEiUxqELoIwkgT7wmZCBubgOZmkLj_IJ-Ej1fhJ7ixxmPiF_6Bclbw4LeOUWrF-nlG5m_FVKfzEhA8PtaClM7-EIWpOTSsKz3Uwf2iGKxO3oLBtS6PnO7n_9wpE63_c/s1600/square2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYhNHaZrouMrxHQEiUxqELoIwkgT7wmZCBubgOZmkLj_IJ-Ej1fhJ7ixxmPiF_6Bclbw4LeOUWrF-nlG5m_FVKfzEhA8PtaClM7-EIWpOTSsKz3Uwf2iGKxO3oLBtS6PnO7n_9wpE63_c/s640/square2.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Even making these eight-at-a-time is quite a bit of work. But, they make beautiful patchwork! I can't wait to get to work on the quilting.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDahNNkXxaBt76nobsOPZx4qKZHMyqzMXroBPyKTgEmMFexkVpzKtgA-qmIz4YKz14WJkngp5ehjKtxFbW0EnNBLwr1TDHVB8T0aejs5Mh11o6oP5AZ2-mK89N_h30gXKhD9rH9BsBMW5n/s1600/a3a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDahNNkXxaBt76nobsOPZx4qKZHMyqzMXroBPyKTgEmMFexkVpzKtgA-qmIz4YKz14WJkngp5ehjKtxFbW0EnNBLwr1TDHVB8T0aejs5Mh11o6oP5AZ2-mK89N_h30gXKhD9rH9BsBMW5n/s640/a3a.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-90415755331902117212013-07-22T13:08:00.002-05:002013-07-22T13:08:41.208-05:00Cloth Baby Wipes Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8YLFp9YsykA/Ueg281vrv2I/AAAAAAAACy8/LgCJ1SvwKQI/s1600/a5a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8YLFp9YsykA/Ueg281vrv2I/AAAAAAAACy8/LgCJ1SvwKQI/s640/a5a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We've been using cloth wipes for several years now, and we love them. No chemicals, they don't dry out skin, and they're super cheap. Sometimes I think we save just as much on wipes as we save on diapers, especially when I had a breastfeeding baby. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Since we were already using cloth diapers, using cloth wipes is actually easier than disposables. We have the whole diaper system set up anyway. I just have a spray bottle of water at my changing table, and I moisten the wipes I need at each diaper change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJwFd7kuXDeGQ-dVUD2DsL-Ku7J1Oo4Yb5rXLI5mYuc_pr6nzhIQXS4PbRbye3RoggLI339HPN3o8Ot7kAXlPuOfZniBWnyYJUIMW4W_Zr-H7TrP6OtlWM1BehmS-F_XPAvADaCijR10n/s1600/a4a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJwFd7kuXDeGQ-dVUD2DsL-Ku7J1Oo4Yb5rXLI5mYuc_pr6nzhIQXS4PbRbye3RoggLI339HPN3o8Ot7kAXlPuOfZniBWnyYJUIMW4W_Zr-H7TrP6OtlWM1BehmS-F_XPAvADaCijR10n/s640/a4a.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We have a whole bunch of wipes already, but some of them are getting pretty worn from constant use. Plus, we have a newborn on the way, who will go through plenty of wipes, so when my mother-in-law gave me some flannel scraps, I knew the perfect project! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Maybe I shouldn't get this excited over poop rags, but these were free, which I love. And, they're so easy to make, I whipped out this whole batch in no time. I hate all my unfinished projects sitting around, so it felt good to finish <i>something</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get sewing</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Cut your flannel into 9 x 8 inch rectangles. Don't worry about making it perfect, they are just wipes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">They look a little big, but flannel will shrink, and you do <i>not</i> want too-small baby wipes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Di5r-M5QR7M/Ueg25yieF0I/AAAAAAAACys/oQd2hstaHMs/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Di5r-M5QR7M/Ueg25yieF0I/AAAAAAAACys/oQd2hstaHMs/s400/a3.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. If you have a serger, you can just serge the edges. If you have a regular sewing machine like me, choose an overlock stitch. You can see I used stitch "M" on my machine, which shows a little pic of this kind of stitch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vNFoeyerbNk/Ueg22sf9PmI/AAAAAAAACyU/zhYiBz_gDlk/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vNFoeyerbNk/Ueg22sf9PmI/AAAAAAAACyU/zhYiBz_gDlk/s400/a1.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Sew around the edges of all the wipes. Your needle should be just off the edge of the fabric on the right-hand side. Overlap the stitches where you start and end, and backstitch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkHEJQZF7Yo/Ueg243bEQxI/AAAAAAAACyc/0SaBZ8LSj5k/s1600/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkHEJQZF7Yo/Ueg243bEQxI/AAAAAAAACyc/0SaBZ8LSj5k/s400/a2.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Done! It's not the prettiest sewing I've ever done, but hey, they're for my baby's bum, so good enough :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
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Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-71076581515234724432013-07-15T14:33:00.003-05:002013-07-15T14:33:44.237-05:00Lazy Mom's Way to Make Greek Yogurt<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've really been on a yogurt kick this month. First, I posted how to make <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/07/homemade-yogurt-in-crockpot.html">homemade yogurt in a crockpot</a>, then about my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/07/frugal-homemade-yogurt-starter.html">frugal yogurt starter</a>. Now, I've discovered a lazy way to make Greek-style yogurt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Let me start by saying that I've known an easy way to make <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/09/homemade-greek-yogurt.html">homemade Greek yogurt</a> for awhile. But, it does involve dirtying a few dishes and a cheesecloth. I'm getting lazy now that I'm pregnant with my 3rd, and even that seems like too much work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last week I scooped my yogurt out of the container all on one side, leaving a mountain and a valley. When I came back the next day to get more yogurt, presto! The valley was full of whey, leaving Greek-style yogurt behind. All I had to do was pour off the whey. (If you're worried about all your yogurt falling out into the sink, you could also draw off the liquid with a turkey baster.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Amj_lxotk0U/UeBJEwUA4_I/AAAAAAAACxE/hNauyJ5NcFk/s1600/c1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Amj_lxotk0U/UeBJEwUA4_I/AAAAAAAACxE/hNauyJ5NcFk/s640/c1.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's not quite as thick and creamy as real Greek yogurt, but for zero work and time commitment, it's pretty good!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7EF-3-17S0/UeBJE1ilA1I/AAAAAAAACxI/pZIkzgRsHm4/s1600/c2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7EF-3-17S0/UeBJE1ilA1I/AAAAAAAACxI/pZIkzgRsHm4/s640/c2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-15651806008400924202013-07-06T14:29:00.001-05:002013-07-06T14:29:06.938-05:00Frugal Homemade Yogurt Starter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-refOA2JtVW8/UdTMQEpK-oI/AAAAAAAACwk/EqBEy8gnGNc/s1371/a4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-refOA2JtVW8/UdTMQEpK-oI/AAAAAAAACwk/EqBEy8gnGNc/s640/a4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My family loves yogurt, but I just couldn't fit it in our budget to buy yogurt every week. Especially since the good stuff, without tons of sugar and other junk, is really expensive. Then I started making <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/07/homemade-yogurt-in-crockpot.html">homemade yogurt in a crockpot</a>, and it's delicious and cheap! Now we can enjoy yogurt every week--we love it topped with fruit, in our <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/09/tropical-ice-cream-smoothie.html">smoothies</a>, or made into homemade frozen yogurt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When I first started, I just bought a container of plain yogurt at the store and saved a little to use as my starter. Then I saved several tablespoons of my homemade yogurt to use as a starter for the next batch. However, after about 3-4 batches, the saved starter wouldn't work as well. Then I'd have to go back to the store and buy more yogurt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Next, I bought some Yogourmet freeze-dried yogurt starter packets. The upside is that they make tasty yogurt, and it only takes 4-5 hours (versus 8-10 hours for store-bought yogurt as the starter). The downside is that they were expensive--about five dollars for six packets. I didn't want to have to keep buying expensive starter, that defeated the whole point of making my own yogurt. So, I devised this plan to make dozens of batches from that one box. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">First, I made a batch of yogurt with a Yogourmet packet, following the packet directions. When it was finished, I saved some in the fridge to use as the starter for the next week. I also filled an ice cube tray with yogurt. Each cube held about 2 tablespoons of yogurt. I froze the tray, then popped the cubes out and stored them in a Ziploc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhDLdRGb41PB4fRHFDbj7ymJpVsnNNxZbCNV-HvMhBgFAtZ3E11f8fa15QHdoIJo3PN2HwfYXSF-W8lP12xQvsi9HzWZjNSChQJ0i-u1T_iyupO-KhFnQoPokUjz66UAuPErqOqgNq6tg/s1169/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhDLdRGb41PB4fRHFDbj7ymJpVsnNNxZbCNV-HvMhBgFAtZ3E11f8fa15QHdoIJo3PN2HwfYXSF-W8lP12xQvsi9HzWZjNSChQJ0i-u1T_iyupO-KhFnQoPokUjz66UAuPErqOqgNq6tg/s400/a3.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the next several weeks, for my starter I used the yogurt I'd saved in the fridge from the previous batch. But, after several batches my saved starter didn't work as effectively. Then I pulled out several frozen cubes. I put them in a little glass bowl and let them thaw at room temperature. <b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b> Do not microwave the cubes</b>, you will kill the bacteria and your yogurt won't culture! Also, yogurt that has been frozen and thawed looks really weird and watery for some reason. Don't panic, just use it like regular starter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nzY8t4i8OM/UdTML_rdKPI/AAAAAAAACwU/PYSaITkUplk/s1154/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nzY8t4i8OM/UdTML_rdKPI/AAAAAAAACwU/PYSaITkUplk/s400/a2.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After the yogurt was ready, I saved some in the fridge to use as a starter for the next week. For the next several weeks, for my starter I used the yogurt I'd saved in the fridge from the previous batch. When it started to lose effectiveness, I pulled out more cubes from the freezer. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Having frozen yogurt cubes was also convenient when we went out of town on vacation this summer. Before we left, we just ate up all our yogurt. When we came home, I just pulled several starter cubes from the freezer to make yogurt.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As you can see, this method will allow me to make several months of yogurt from just one freeze-dried packet. So far, I've had the starter cubes in the freezer for about 2 months and they still work great. The freeze-dried packets should last over a year since I store them in the fridge. I'm hoping to make about a year's worth of yogurt from that one $5 box! Sometimes being frugal is so fun :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-7783553849085416992013-07-03T20:53:00.000-05:002013-07-06T14:41:34.832-05:00Homemade Yogurt in a Crockpot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-refOA2JtVW8/UdTMQEpK-oI/AAAAAAAACwk/EqBEy8gnGNc/s1371/a4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-refOA2JtVW8/UdTMQEpK-oI/AAAAAAAACwk/EqBEy8gnGNc/s640/a4.JPG" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My family loves yogurt, but the good stuff is really expensive. I tried once several years ago to make my own, but without success. (Picture chunky milk rather than creamy yogurt...it wasn't pretty). Then I found this awesome <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/04/making-homemade-yogurt-2.html" target="_blank">tutorial on Keeper of the Home</a> for making yogurt in a crockpot. I've been making weekly it for months now, and it works great! (You can also check out my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/07/frugal-homemade-yogurt-starter.html">frugal yogurt starter tutorial</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Since it's well-written, I follow the tutorial closely and only had to make one modification. I make my yogurt in a glass container rather than directly in the crockpot. This simplifies the process: when the yogurt is done culturing I can just put the glass dish in the fridge, rather than clearing a whole shelf for my huge crockpot. Plus, I don't have to clean yogurt off my crockpot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I was worried that the heat from the crockpot wouldn't transfer well enough if I just set the glass dish inside. So, I add about 1 inch of water and the glass dish to my crockpot when I turn it on, and I let them heat up with the crockpot. <b>Make sure you don't stick a cold glass container into hot water, or you can crack the glass.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RnRcEPFXZ7M/UdTQrinYIGI/AAAAAAAACww/ADwPlp5MLVA/s1282/a5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RnRcEPFXZ7M/UdTQrinYIGI/AAAAAAAACww/ADwPlp5MLVA/s400/a5.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When you add the yogurt starter to the milk, add the starter to the milk <b>before</b> pouring it in the pyrex. Otherwise, the milk sloshes everywhere if you try to stir in the starter in such a small bowl. Then I loosely cover the glass dish with its lid, so that the condensation from the crockpot lid doesn't drip into the yogurt as it cultures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Now you can make your own super-easy homemade yogurt in a crockpot! And if you like your yogurt super thick and creamy, check out my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/09/homemade-greek-yogurt.html">super-easy tutorial for making homemade greek yogurt</a></span>.</div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span></div>
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-15847552361225960892013-06-18T14:11:00.002-05:002013-07-03T20:11:33.129-05:00Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqjQyzG0P7k/UbqHj9Xup0I/AAAAAAAACsQ/R9LokPI7bHo/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqjQyzG0P7k/UbqHj9Xup0I/AAAAAAAACsQ/R9LokPI7bHo/s640/a3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'd been making my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/04/honey-wheat-sandwich-bread.html">Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread</a> a lot when my husband asked if I could make some hamburger buns. I decided to use the dough from my sandwich bread, and just form it into buns (rather that loaves) at the last step. It worked great! I get to use my super-easy dough recipe, and we have delicious buns for burgers and our favorite <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/pulled-pork-in-crockpot.html">pulled pork</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_Dx4d72PewGKTqkLpof-uJF1JOihyphenhyphenX9BCRda3Og8OtDevKfMA_TOW9Eb98pQx4WBkqdBA_hFHvtK6ivgwWI9G-Q-4I_zl81f-9cvtNy3OMJ3IFWv7NM-yYw55XY1KWtF-uinTlz6Kse6/s1600/a4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_Dx4d72PewGKTqkLpof-uJF1JOihyphenhyphenX9BCRda3Og8OtDevKfMA_TOW9Eb98pQx4WBkqdBA_hFHvtK6ivgwWI9G-Q-4I_zl81f-9cvtNy3OMJ3IFWv7NM-yYw55XY1KWtF-uinTlz6Kse6/s640/a4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>What you need</u>: for 16 buns </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 Tbs yeast</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 Tbs oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup honey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5 1/2 cups bread flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cups whole wheat flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 1/4 tsp salt </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get cooking</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1.
Combine yeast and water. (You can sprinkle with 1/8 tsp sugar to help
activate the yeast). Let sit about 5 minutes, until foaming. Then add
oil and honey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2.
Combine flours and salt in a stand mixer. Use the dough hook
attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the yeast
mixture. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Note: if you don't have a stand mixer, you can still make this
simple dough. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture as in step
2. Mix slowly until well combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and
knead about 6 minutes by hand until dough is smooth and elastic. Then
continue with step 5.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Increase mixer speed to medium for 3 minutes. Then turn off mixer and let dough rest 5 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead about 50 times by hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double,
about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. On a
lightly floured surface, divide dough into 16 equal parts and form into balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpeOolheASo/UbqHj3rLj4I/AAAAAAAACsU/UtC169PPvqs/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpeOolheASo/UbqHj3rLj4I/AAAAAAAACsU/UtC169PPvqs/s400/a1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">7.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just turning golden. I bake mine on a preheated stone, but you can also use a cookie sheet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8.
Remove from pan and allow to completely cool on wire racks. Store on
the counter for up to 3 days in an airtight container. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I like to slice them and freeze in large Ziplocs for up to 1 month. (They probably freeze longer with no problems, but at our house homemade bread rarely hangs around that long).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_MD7l29Ol3nnx0UAUmcewpWmvAIidyBbiWxeq7qGr-4FahB8R_AvgjtvdYovDqZ33i5VjJ51VzbHtjore8jDSHsCa3gxYOn4zTn6KkuxYKJCjv3IfZOAalOjgtyp5C-jGDxG5QAn_Z24/s1600/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_MD7l29Ol3nnx0UAUmcewpWmvAIidyBbiWxeq7qGr-4FahB8R_AvgjtvdYovDqZ33i5VjJ51VzbHtjore8jDSHsCa3gxYOn4zTn6KkuxYKJCjv3IfZOAalOjgtyp5C-jGDxG5QAn_Z24/s640/a2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-46010286556159627222013-06-02T14:19:00.001-05:002013-06-02T14:19:36.840-05:00Great Grandma's Bow-Tie Quilt<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0vE0nUPnHo/UauWvMKUk-I/AAAAAAAACrg/lL8oHkv1hE8/s1600/b2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0vE0nUPnHo/UauWvMKUk-I/AAAAAAAACrg/lL8oHkv1hE8/s640/b2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A few months ago, I posted about my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/great-grandmas-quilt-blocks.html">Great Grandma's quilt blocks</a> that I wanted to assemble into quilts. Finally, I've made some progress on the first one. I have the bow-tie quilt top all finished, and it's ready for basting and quilting! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Usually,
sewing a few squares into rows would be easy-peasy. However, it turns
out that these blocks are not all the same size. I don't know
why--maybe the fabric has shrunk or distorted after years in a box? Or
maybe they were never exactly the same size? Maybe that's why Grandma
never used them ;) </span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jnAziCTE48I/UauWwqEMEzI/AAAAAAAACrs/G5iBwCcUKRk/s1600/b3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jnAziCTE48I/UauWwqEMEzI/AAAAAAAACrs/G5iBwCcUKRk/s640/b3.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Whatever the reason, each block was slightly
different, enough that trying to assemble them into neat rows with
matching corners was soooo frustrating. I did a <i>lot</i> of seam-ripping (and a
moderate amount of venting to my patient hubby). What I finally had to do was insert a few small patches, as you can see in the pics, to make the blocks fit together. Then I had to give up trying to make the seams match perfectly and just go with it. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVHoqVunR7U/UauWwFskVHI/AAAAAAAACrw/YgCrZK2C0LQ/s1600/b1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVHoqVunR7U/UauWwFskVHI/AAAAAAAACrw/YgCrZK2C0LQ/s640/b1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I think it's going to be an awesome baby quilt for our new baby. We didn't find out the gender, and I think that this quilt has enough pink, blue, and every other color that it will be perfect for a little boy or girl!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Linked up at some of <span style="font-size: x-small;">the great blogs on my sidebar</span></span></span></span></span></span><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-91216610431181296162013-05-28T20:53:00.003-05:002013-05-28T21:03:53.436-05:003 Deceptively Simple Steps to Teaching Kids Chores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpWA6Y8AXg8/UYlN0DGv7DI/AAAAAAAACqU/wzzfmVWdoZE/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpWA6Y8AXg8/UYlN0DGv7DI/AAAAAAAACqU/wzzfmVWdoZE/s640/a1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In case you missed it, I recently wrote about <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/05/teaching-kids-chores-in-3-simple-steps.html">3 simple steps to teaching kids chores</a>. Here's a recap of the three steps:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. <b>Demonstrate</b>. Show your child how to do the process, explaining as you go. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. <b>Supervise</b>.
The child primarily does the chore, with you supervising. You correct
and assist as needed, but let him do most of the work. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. <b>Leave</b>.
Your child does the chore on his own, with you nearby so he can come
and ask for help if needed. When he's done, you come and make sure he
did everything correctly. If not, you have him do it again with you
supervising.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This post is titled "3 <i>deceptively</i> simple steps to teaching kids chores" because these three steps seem so common-sense. However,</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">my sinful heart is always getting in the way. These steps look so easy, they deceptively hide the many, many pitfalls we parents encounter. </span>I find myself tripping up in three major ways: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b>1. I get stuck on Step
1, always demonstrating</b>. I'm the one who does all the work, always showing Buddy what to do and
never allowing him to do it himself. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Let's use picking up toys as an
example. Getting stuck at Step 1 means I say, "pick up the
toys" and then I do all the work myself while he watches. Often I find myself falling into this trap because it takes the kids soooo long to pick up the toys themselves, and I get impatient. But this will really backfire in the long run, because even though I may save 2 minutes when he's a toddler and I pick up his toys for him, when he's in middle school and still can't (or won't) pick up his room, I'm sure we'll spend hours and hours on this issue. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b>2.</b> <b>I get stuck at Step 2, always supervising</b>. He can do the chore himself, but I'm always hovering, never trusting that he can do it without me. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">I say, "pick up your toys" and I know he can do it himself, but I hover, criticize, and nitpick. I need to remember the end goal of parenting--teaching my kids so that they can leave my house. That means I need to be willing to let go, a little at a time, and trust him to do things for himself.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b>3.</b> <b>I skip Steps 1 and 2 and try to go straight to Step 3</b>. I expect him to be able to do a task by himself without taking the time to be patient and give him the proper instruction. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">I say, "pick up your toys" to my three-year-old without teaching him what that means or where to put the toys, then I leave the room. He doesn't know how to complete the chore and either ignores me, does a terrible job, etc. Of course, this can lead to all kinds of problems--usually me being angry or impatient with him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I think the main takeaway here is that even if it's frustrating or time-consuming, we do need to teach our kids how to do chores like laundry and cleaning. Remember the end goal of parenting--one day your kids will leave! When that day comes, you want them to be able to do all kinds of everyday tasks themselves. But we also need to remember that teaching them even simple tasks will never be easy, since we're always being tempted to impatience, anger, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fellow parents, where do you struggle the most with teaching kids chores??</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-15745882743062107422013-05-18T13:57:00.000-05:002013-05-18T13:57:08.493-05:00Buddy's Finished Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Welcome, everyone from <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/2013/05/17/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2013/">Blogger's Quilt Festival</a>! If you've never stopped by before, I'm Lily, a mommy with two young sons who loves quilting (and all things handmade). I made this twin-sized quilt for my 3-year-old son, Buddy. He loves being tucked in every night under this special quilt that Mommy made just for him, which warms my mommy heart :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Many of the pinwheel blocks were made by friends at a local quilting group and given to me when Buddy was just a tiny baby. There would have been enough blocks for a baby quilt, but I already had several of those. Instead, I decided to make a twin-sized quilt for when he eventually grew into a big-boy bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I loved these pinwheel blocks made with 1930s reproduction fabrics, but I wanted to make the quilt look a little more modern. I also wanted it manly enough that my son could use it for years to come, which is why I alternated the pinwheels with solid blue blocks. The result was even better that I pictured: a very modern-looking graphic quilt, with pops of color from the 1930s prints.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the quilting, I found a <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/10/geometric-quilting-tutorial.html">cross quilting pattern</a> in a pattern book at the library. (Side note: I returned the book and now can't remember the book or the name of the pattern. If anyone knows, please share!) I love how this pattern was so easy to quilt on my home machine, since it only used straight lines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I decided to make the borders and <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-bind-quilt-by-machine.html">binding</a> with the same blue as the center blocks, to continue the simple, two-color feel of this quilt. I also used a simple blue backing that really showed off the quilting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Many thanks to Amy over at <a href="http://www.amyscreativeside.com/">Amy's Creative Side</a>, this is my 2nd Blogger's Quilt Festival, and it's so fun and inspiring to see the many awesome quilts linked up!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBn7--EUbWc/UZfNrKD8O3I/AAAAAAAACrA/-NKSGBa8Ix4/s1600/Spring-2013-BQF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBn7--EUbWc/UZfNrKD8O3I/AAAAAAAACrA/-NKSGBa8Ix4/s1600/Spring-2013-BQF.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-89577562612555497982013-05-15T13:22:00.000-05:002013-05-15T13:22:18.849-05:00Easy Homemade Meatballs Recipe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZstG00fN05UZ2gGWcUBmC3pYXiGQhWZD3j8H7BbfrDOlt228flhsI4od0Wiezc8xOKk8m4iahUq2DrXLDl575skDPad_W4SZ8Ff0aZSQjeWSiW4PXSFZTJ4Mk3pkHwcFsIGdbMYnFNRBq/s1600/b7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZstG00fN05UZ2gGWcUBmC3pYXiGQhWZD3j8H7BbfrDOlt228flhsI4od0Wiezc8xOKk8m4iahUq2DrXLDl575skDPad_W4SZ8Ff0aZSQjeWSiW4PXSFZTJ4Mk3pkHwcFsIGdbMYnFNRBq/s640/b7.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Who doesn't love spaghetti and meatballs? This is a super-simple meatball recipe--mix all the ingredients together, bake while your noodles are boiling, then pour in your favorite spaghetti sauce. Dinner is served!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>What you need</u>: for 25 meatballs</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 egg, lightly beaten</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 recipe <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/09/homemade-breadcrumbs.html">homemade breadcrumbs</a> (3/4 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 lb ground turkey or ground beef</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp Worcestershire sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp minced garlic (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 tsp ground black pepper</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get cooking</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 1. Mix together the breadcrumbs and egg. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Stir in the meat and spices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Form into 1 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the edges are turning golden.. (I used a preheated stone, so I didn't need to use parchment paper).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-74844080972581832942013-05-08T15:14:00.002-05:002013-05-08T20:15:31.720-05:00Teaching Kids Chores in 3 Simple Steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Teaching kids how to do chores is a pretty universal parenting goal. It's an important goal at our house, for several reasons. I want my kids to learn life skills like how to cook and do laundry. I want them to understand that in our house, everyone works before we play. I want them to be willing to work, and not view Mom as a maid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I used to work in a biochemistry lab, and these were the three basic steps we used to teach coworkers how to do an experiment. After I had Buddy, I realized that I could apply the same steps to teach my kids almost any complex task or process (like a life skill or chore). So, yes, I am teaching my kids like we're in a science lab. My husband can laugh at my mad scientist ways, but I've found this to be a valuable way to think about how to teach my kids</span>. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Three deceptively simple steps to teaching kids chores:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. <b>Demonstrate</b>. Show your child how to do the process, explaining as you go. Make sure to explain what you're doing and why.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For example, if you're teaching how to sweep the floor, don't just sweep and have him passively watch from the sidelines. Have him help a little. Answer his questions. Explain how to hold the broom, how you're careful to sweep all the corners, to not spill crumbs out of the dustpan, etc . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. <b>Supervise</b>. The child primarily does the chore, with you supervising. You correct and assist as needed, but let him do most of the work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. <b>Leave</b>. Your child does the chore on his own, with you nearby so he can come and ask for help if needed. When he's done, you come and make sure he did everything correctly. If not, you have him do it again with you supervising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sometimes it takes a long time for each step, especially with very young kids. I've been working on teaching my three-year old how to sweep the floor for months. For a while, he just watched, or he'd hold the
dustpan to "help" but I actually did the work (Step 1). Then, he got his own child-size broom and
dustpan several months ago for Christmas. Since then he's been practicing sweeping up dirt (Step 2). He actually helps now--I do the major sweeping with a
big broom, then he sweeps up the crumb piles into his dustpan and
carefully throws them away (Step 3). I consider this Step 3 for him, since he can do his part of the assigned chore without me watching. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For my kids, by the time they're three years old I expect them to do one or two simple chores without direct supervision. By the time they're school aged, I'll expect them to do quite a few tasks correctly, in a timely manner, and without me telling/showing how to do it every time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Check back in a few days, I'll be discussing where I trip up teaching chores.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-90600485553799043102013-04-29T15:19:00.000-05:002013-04-29T15:43:56.770-05:00Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I have been searching for the perfect sandwich bread recipe since I first started making homemade bread about 5 years ago. I tried multiple recipes, but they were always lacking something. They were either too small, too soft, too dense, or too much work!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Even after learning how to make great bread like <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/04/simple-dinner-rolls-recipe.html">homemade dinner rolls </a>and <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekend-homemade-pizza.html">homemade pizza crust</a>, I still didn't have a good sandwich bread. We've been buying cheap Aldi's bread with lots of corn syrup and preservatives, yuck! So, I tweaked, adapted, and increased a basic bread recipe to come up with this delicious honey wheat bread. It's simple, and is the perfect size and texture for sandwiches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish. But don't panic, almost all of that is rising and baking time. All you have to do is the initial mixing and kneading (and if you have a stand mixer, this is done for you), shape the dough into loaves, and pop it in the oven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>What you need</u>: for 2 loaves </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 Tbs yeast</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 Tbs oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup honey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5 1/2 cups bread flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cups whole wheat flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 1/4 tsp salt </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get cooking</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Combine yeast and water. (You can sprinkle with 1/8 tsp sugar to help activate the yeast). Let sit about 5 minutes, until foaming. Then add oil and honey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Combine flours and salt in a stand mixer. Use the dough hook attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the yeast mixture. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Note: if you don't have a stand mixer, you can still make this
simple dough. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture as in step
2. Mix slowly until well combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and
knead about 6 minutes by hand until dough is smooth and elastic. Then
continue with step 5.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Increase mixer speed to medium for 3 minutes. Then turn off mixer and let dough rest 5 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead about 50 times by hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. Divide in half and let rest 5 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. Meanwhile, grease the bottom and 1 inch up on the sides of two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">7. On a lightly floured surface, push one piece of dough out into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Starting with a short edge, roll the dough into a log shape. Place seam side down in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the 2nd half. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cover top with foil the last 20 minutes so the bread doesn't over-brown. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">9. Remove from pans and allow to completely cool on wire racks. Store on the counter-top for several days in an airtight container. Or, wrap tightly with foil and freeze for up to 1 month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-13395901476174025582013-04-17T15:14:00.001-05:002013-04-17T15:14:19.961-05:00Simple Dinner Rolls Recipe<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wA7FLr00UlY/UW737H5HN3I/AAAAAAAACoU/3t7-ChAicB0/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wA7FLr00UlY/UW737H5HN3I/AAAAAAAACoU/3t7-ChAicB0/s640/a3.JPG" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Mmmmm, I love homemade bread. And my husband loves it even more. I don't think I can overstate how much he loves bread. To him, a multi-course gourmet dinner is not a complete meal without dinner rolls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am a victim of my own success in the kitchen, and we are now food snobs: since I have started making these rolls, we can barely stand eating rolls from a can or plastic bag. They just don't have the delicious flavor and texture. I always try to keep a stash of these delicious dinner rolls handy, so we can eat them with our <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/11/chicken-soup-from-scratch.html">chicken soup</a>, <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/11/homemade-ham-and-bean-soup.html">ham and bean soup</a>, or just about every other dinner I make. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love this recipe because it's so simple. Many dinner roll recipes have you heat milk, add eggs, let the dough rise overnight, etc. Compared to those recipes, this one is very basic (similar to my <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekend-homemade-pizza.html">simple pizza crust</a>). I like to make a double batch and freeze half. That way we always have rolls on hand, just as convenient but much more delicious than a can-o-rolls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>What you need</u>: for 12 rolls </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 1/4 tsp (1 package) yeast </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup lukewarm water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/8 tsp plus 1 Tbs sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp salt </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup milk</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <u>Let's get cooking</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Add 1/8 tsp sugar to water. Mix in yeast. Let sit about 5 minutes, until beginning to foam.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Meanwhile, mix sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour in a medium bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Add milk to the yeast mixture. Stir into the flour mixture. Stir until well combined. Dust a flat surface with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead until dough is smooth. Form into a ball.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsb7mPb0BQJr8JoS3ds8-RzxvVadDrfO5L7Zytc9IMb0gzu4Mv32aupjyfzLsNeokAcxhkF0DOuLhzhyphenhyphenQNnxKXshPUONAuszf3pqnQYJ_oBwkrYpyajF_jYRmeRyXxrnt3xk_SY1Guxxs/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsb7mPb0BQJr8JoS3ds8-RzxvVadDrfO5L7Zytc9IMb0gzu4Mv32aupjyfzLsNeokAcxhkF0DOuLhzhyphenhyphenQNnxKXshPUONAuszf3pqnQYJ_oBwkrYpyajF_jYRmeRyXxrnt3xk_SY1Guxxs/s400/a1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I like to knead my dough on a plate. Then, when I'm done I can put the plate in the dishwasher--no mess!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. Shape dough into 12 smooth rolls. If you like pillowy soft rolls, place them in a well-greased 9 x 13 glass pan to rise. If you like golden brown rolls, place them 2" apart on a floured surface. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If you're baking in a glass pan, bake 15-20 minutes until the tops are turning golden. I like to bake my rolls on a preheated pizza stone for about 15 minutes. Then they're golden on the outside, but still soft inside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After they're completely cool, store in an airtight container 1-2 days on the counter. Or, put them in ziplocs in the freezer and they save at least a month. I don't think I've ever had them sit in the freezer longer than that. They usually disappear in a few days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar</span></span><br />
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Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-54231370331991412852013-04-11T21:47:00.002-05:002013-04-11T22:05:19.041-05:00Reversible Two-in-One Little Girl Skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As we all know, I have two little boys, so I always love a chance to sew for little girls. One of Buddy's friends turned three, and I whipped up this fast and easy skirt for her. The beauty of this skirt is, it's actually two skirts in one! I've made skirts similar to this one before, and it doesn't take any extra effort to make it reversible, just a little careful planning (which I have conveniently done for you). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Another advantage is that this skirt is double layered. Many little-girl skirt patterns are not lined, they just use a single layer of cotton fabric. In my experience, a single layer is too see-through to make a good skirt. Last time I made a similar skirt, I lined it with white cotton. Then it dawned on me: if I had used patterned fabric, the skirt would be reversible! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This skirt is a great beginner project, it's really just a few straight seams and comes together quickly. The hardest part is deciding which two cute fabrics to use! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I made mine for a three-year-old, the final measurements were 18 inch waist and 11.5 inch length. It's pretty easy to adjust the measurements, though, if you're making this for a younger or older girl.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>What you need</u>:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fabric A, cut 14" by 42"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fabric B, cut 11.5" by 42"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">19" length of 3/4" elastic </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Coordinating thread, I used Coats and Clark All-Purpose</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>If you want to adjust the skirt length</u>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cut Fabric B the desired length. Then cut Fabric A 2.5" longer. For example, I wanted an 11.5" length, so I cut Fabric B 11.5" x 42". Then I cut Fabric A, 14" x 42". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the waist, I just added 1" to my final measurement for the elastic. I wanted an 18" waist, so I cut my elastic 19". </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get sewing</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 1. Pin the 14" ends of Fabric A right sides together. Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. You should now have a tube. Press the seam open. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Pin the 11.5" ends of Fabric B right sides together. Sew with a 1/2" seam
allowance. Press the seam open. Your fabrics should look like the pic below: Fabric A is the floral and Fabric B is the yellow gingham.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Turn Fabric B right-side-out. Slide Fabric B over Fabric A, lining up the seams. The two fabrics should be wrong sides together. You should have about 1" of Fabric A showing at the bottom and 1.5" of Fabric A showing on top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 4. To form the bottom hem, press and pin Fabric A on top of Fabric B. Press 1/4", then 3/4". Topstitch 1/8" from the pressed edge. You should be sewing through both fabrics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. To form the casing for the elastic, press the top of Fabric A in 1/2", then 1". Topstitch 1/8" from the pressed edge, leaving a 3" opening in the back. Again, you should be sewing through both fabrics. Use a safety pin to thread the elastic through, making sure it doesn't get twisted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. Overlap the ends of the elastic by 1/2" and sew together securely. Then tuck the elastic into the opening, fold down Fabric A, and topstitch the opening closed. Make sure you don't catch the elastic as you sew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And that's it, six steps and you've made two adorable little girl skirts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar</span></span><br />
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-90019483586615976192013-04-03T13:48:00.003-05:002013-04-03T13:59:39.835-05:00Mistake Quilt...or, Compounding problems through sheer stubbornness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I refer to this as my "Mistake Quilt." I didn't make a tiny, almost-invisible mistake. I make plenty of those on all my quilts, that's part of their handmade charm. No, for this quilt I made mistake after mistake, compounding the problems at each step. And did I stop at any point? No, I kept forging ahead, thinking that somehow willpower and stubbornness would fix it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> My dear husband says it still looks nice but I suspect he's just being a super-nice husband Or maybe he just does not have my refined sense of quilt style, ha! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here's a partial list of the problems with this quilt: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. <b>Using minky fabric in piecing</b>. I hadn't used minky much before this project, and it was so hard to cut and piece accurately. Plus, I forgot that I wouldn't be able to iron the seams flat. Inside this quilt is a mess of disordered seams, yike!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. <b>Not using fabrics I loved</b>. Some of the fabric was super-cheap clearance, and others were ones I had in my stash, and then there's the minky...looking back, I think, why, why, why??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. <b>Making my own pattern</b>. Now, this isn't always a mistake. I love making up my own patterns, and usually it works. But, when trying new things, you win some, you lose some. On top of the other problems with this quilt, this pattern wasn't a keeper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. <b>Not listening to myself</b>. After I put together a few blocks, I was really iffy about this quilt coming together. I should have cut my losses and started a project I loved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. <b>Letting it sit in the closet for three years</b>. After finishing the top, I thought it was the ugliest quilt I'd ever made. Rather than just donating it and forgetting all about it, I put it in my closet. Then, every time I searched through my stash I let it gnaw at me how ugly it was and how I should really finish this project. (I hate stacks of unfinished quilts hanging around).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. <b>Not basting</b>. I've been practicing my hand-quilting skills because I want to hand-quilt two quilts I'm making with my <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/great-grandmas-quilt-blocks.html">great grandma's quilt blocks</a>. Digging through the closet one day, I ran into this quilt (again) and thought it would be a great practice quilt. I wanted to get straight to quilting, so of course I didn't have time to baste properly. But, now I've had so many problems with the backing bunching up while I'm trying to quilt. Note to self: don't skip vital steps!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">7. <b>Hand-quilting minky fabric</b>. That dratted minky, coming back to bite me again! Apparently it's awful trying to hand-quilt through minky, I don't recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The good news is, I only have a few more lines of quilting to add, and then I'll be finished with this quilt! The bad news is, what am I going to do with it?? I don't want to keep it, it's just a reminder of all the problems I've had with it. I think I'll donate it, and a baby girl can enjoy it regardless of how many mistakes I made :)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>-Lily</b></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span><i><b> </b></i></span></span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-48612713985935344152013-03-28T14:04:00.002-05:002013-03-28T14:04:54.011-05:00Homemade Sausage and Cabbage Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGceUY11zlWpR4rEgFrl0_i858mP1nFFUQKCMsbkUUpBmAHDvmxhJO17Hd7Rh7QsrmH6lH-vh4SPdlLDd9gCrsKTFAkzyupEOzDv9rsKrPfsSDTZ8h7T7mkd-GJ4bAkbTCEhNcdDcSEwTJ/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGceUY11zlWpR4rEgFrl0_i858mP1nFFUQKCMsbkUUpBmAHDvmxhJO17Hd7Rh7QsrmH6lH-vh4SPdlLDd9gCrsKTFAkzyupEOzDv9rsKrPfsSDTZ8h7T7mkd-GJ4bAkbTCEhNcdDcSEwTJ/s640/a1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> It's almost April, and Easter is this weekend, but it still feels like winter here. There's still snow on the ground and it has been so cold. I really hope it warms up soon, I can't wait until spring arrives! But in the meantime, I keep making warm and hearty soups for dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This sausage and cabbage soup started out with me saying "I have sausage in the freezer and leftover cabbage...what can I make with that??" I came up with this soup, and to be honest I was a little iffy about it as I was cooking. I was doubting if my family was going to eat it. But, I should have had more faith in my cooking abilities: both of the boys loved it. And my husband gobbled it up and told me that I should add cabbage to my <a href="http://lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/11/chicken-soup-from-scratch.html">chicken noodle soup</a>, too. I don't think I'll be adding cabbage to all my soups, but it does taste good in this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <u>What you need</u>: for about 10 servings</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 oz Great Northern beans, soaked overnight or quick soaked according to package directions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">medium onion, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 carrots, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">12 oz cooked sausage, sliced thinly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 small head of cabbage (about 1/2 of a medium or large head) Remove outer leaves and core, then chop</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 cups water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">14 oz can diced unsalted tomatoes, undrained</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp dried basil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp dried parsley flakes</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Let's get cooking</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Drain soaked beans, then add to a medium pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until soft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. Meanwhile, add remaining ingredients to a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. Drain beans, then add to the stockpot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Enjoy your delicious soup for dinner!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></b></i></span></span><br />
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<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-54294865971149417222013-03-06T13:10:00.001-06:002013-03-08T12:15:24.785-06:00Made-from-Scratch Homemade Chili Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Even though it's March, it was snowing yesterday--and we have about a foot of snow still on the ground! Weather like this makes me crave comfort foods like this yummy chili. It's warm, hearty, and so delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Mmm, peppers, tomatoes, onions--chili has lots of veggie goodness, plus plenty of healthy and filling beans. I like to start with dried beans because I like to control the salt in my dishes, and because I like texture better. But, if you're in a hurry you can substitute canned beans. You can also make it in the crockpot all day and come home to delicious chili waiting for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b> For about 8 servings</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 oz dried kidney beans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 oz dried Great Northern beans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 oz dried black beans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">12 oz ground beef</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 medium onion, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 green bell pepper, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 red bell pepper, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 cloves garlic, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Two 14.5 oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp salt (if using canned beans, I would start with 1/2 tsp and add more if needed)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 to 3 tsp chili powder, to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried basil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">hot sauce to taste</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Note: if using canned beans, substitute two 15 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>Let's get cooking:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Rinse and soak dry beans overnight (or quick soak) according to package directions. Drain beans, then place in a pot with enough water to cover the beans by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until soft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until meat is cooked through. Drain fat. Remove from skillet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. In skillet, cook onions, peppers, and garlic until soft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. In a stockpot, combine the ground beef, onion, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Add the cooked beans and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 1 hour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Slow-cooker directions: Follow directions as above. In step four, combine the ingredients in a slow-cooker. Cook on high for 8 hours or on low 4 hours.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQLME6loLlTRiNwVfJACoixLTPBjm7rAFaI00Pj7uwKUMCYXRgsFZ55boRzkqA9-6bziBmkdBsTuj7YgXaJBotPNtdRshcXpanUI3AQrBmETl6ayRZ2SKmY5KALKLZIXN6d8om42U71o6/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQLME6loLlTRiNwVfJACoixLTPBjm7rAFaI00Pj7uwKUMCYXRgsFZ55boRzkqA9-6bziBmkdBsTuj7YgXaJBotPNtdRshcXpanUI3AQrBmETl6ayRZ2SKmY5KALKLZIXN6d8om42U71o6/s640/a1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Since I
have one- and three-year-olds, I don't make my chili very spicy.
Instead, after we've dished up our chili, my husband and I add hot sauce
to taste. This way, each person controls how spicy it is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Enjoy your hot, hearty, homemade chili!</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily</span></span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the g<span style="font-size: small;">reat blogs on my sidebar!</span></span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-11987656171434361462013-02-28T13:38:00.002-06:002013-03-08T12:15:09.451-06:00Great Grandma's quilt blocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2-r3t7lUZLuxPYGY6ECciiRZmHfl5Bq1zbvlXGfydGO2pJrD0_vRJVQJApAgreRf59D_W7ML2Xys6vS_LmUBIx-RaJdGGMo0mGLieOSc1nYeZjQ0GfcV7PdD83k36REnfUsroUER58f6/s1600/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2-r3t7lUZLuxPYGY6ECciiRZmHfl5Bq1zbvlXGfydGO2pJrD0_vRJVQJApAgreRf59D_W7ML2Xys6vS_LmUBIx-RaJdGGMo0mGLieOSc1nYeZjQ0GfcV7PdD83k36REnfUsroUER58f6/s640/a2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">L</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">ast year, my great-grandma passed away, and since<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b> </b></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hardly anyone</span></span></span></span> in the family sews, I inherited a big box full of random fabric. I really don't know how long it's all been sitting in that box. But, from the vintage look and feel of the fabrics, (not to mention the dust layers on the box) I think it's safe to say several decades. Then, buried in the middle of her stash, jackpot! I found all these old quilt blocks she had made and never put together into quilts. Some of the bow-tie blocks are even hand-pieced. I love thinking about my grandma sewing together these same fabrics and the story behind them--how old she was, what was happening in the world when she made them</span>.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I love this generational connection that quilts can create. I'll be working with these same blocks to finish her quilts years later. And, I plan on making a baby quilt for my next little one, so this quilt will connect five generations in my family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I haven't been doing any quilting or sewing recently, but I've been wanting to start a new project and these blocks might actually get me excited enough to start. I want to make a lap quilt with these white-background blocks. I love how vintage and antique quilts use fabrics and combinations that I would <i>never</i> choose today. Look at the two below: green triangles and red floral? weird brown squares and pick floral?? It's hard to tell if Grandma had really different tastes than I do, or if she was just being thrifty and using up all the fabric she had on hand. Either way, these blocks have a completely different look than I would ever create.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0VZnp3xoQaZ-PKED_pOs_cmsP3fP8Fp3hyphenhyphenhDc1BR7V5Xt-yFILaoHVBYpLXwFeKfs7oUwoFr-017pnNVKti5e0LykNakvF1465WBulBrtYndTfmuZTC0P5d8Ef6bjL0Q_jmdYFRzoaqZ/s1600/a1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0VZnp3xoQaZ-PKED_pOs_cmsP3fP8Fp3hyphenhyphenhDc1BR7V5Xt-yFILaoHVBYpLXwFeKfs7oUwoFr-017pnNVKti5e0LykNakvF1465WBulBrtYndTfmuZTC0P5d8Ef6bjL0Q_jmdYFRzoaqZ/s640/a1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I don't know what to call these blocks. Does anyone know the name of this pattern?? </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">These are some of the squares I want to make into a baby blanket. Again, very different fabric choices than I usually make, but that adds to the charm and beauty of using vintage blocks!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB4pRLMx3f8M4LOvwh1pBxB4c95FG-7W82LSxsDe4qRhQ5r2gkYNDLfD3uR-Qdf2bUnIE9xr7qUIOlY7ctRwAnscuFYx66-A86HZEhMoPdpYB7YC-kGvOb3pfohKw2F0tXRX9XOP2Sbo6/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB4pRLMx3f8M4LOvwh1pBxB4c95FG-7W82LSxsDe4qRhQ5r2gkYNDLfD3uR-Qdf2bUnIE9xr7qUIOlY7ctRwAnscuFYx66-A86HZEhMoPdpYB7YC-kGvOb3pfohKw2F0tXRX9XOP2Sbo6/s640/a3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The slowest part of starting these projects has been planning the quilting. I decided when I first saw the blocks that I want to learn to hand-quilt, to add to the vintage feel. That has taken some time, and I really, really need to keep practicing so that my quilting will do justice to Grandma's quilts!</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">-Lily </span></span></b></i></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-62141983918733918802013-02-25T14:22:00.002-06:002013-02-25T14:27:09.284-06:00Pulled Pork in a Crockpot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6WNYWNEf90/USvCNhu9EmI/AAAAAAAAChk/1qLF0pjIWPk/s1600/Pulled+pork3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="399" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6WNYWNEf90/USvCNhu9EmI/AAAAAAAAChk/1qLF0pjIWPk/s640/Pulled+pork3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I like to cook, but sometimes it's nice to throw everything in the crockpot after breakfast and magically have dinner ready at 5 o'clock. This sweet and savory shredded pork recipe is one of my family's favorites. (It's one of my favorites, too, since it's so easy!) I also love that it has so many veggies, which makes it taste yummy and adds an extra serving of veggies to our dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xzehfuoeHTU/USvCPTM1yUI/AAAAAAAAChw/erngmxxPNNY/s1600/a6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xzehfuoeHTU/USvCPTM1yUI/AAAAAAAAChw/erngmxxPNNY/s640/a6.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Served on hamburger buns, this pulled pork is practically a one-dish meal. To complete dinner, I usually just whip up some sauteed green beans. Easy, fast, delicious, cheap, and healthy--all in one meal!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJqdcMwbxgQ/USvCPbJ9SkI/AAAAAAAACh0/awU9Ga3rOVY/s1600/a5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJqdcMwbxgQ/USvCPbJ9SkI/AAAAAAAACh0/awU9Ga3rOVY/s400/a5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What you need:</span></span></b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 1<span style="font-size: small;">b pork <span style="font-size: small;">roast</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">14 oz can diced tomatoes, und<span style="font-size: small;">rained</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 onion, chopped</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 c<span style="font-size: small;">arrots, diced</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 red bell pepper, diced</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">8 clo<span style="font-size: small;">ves garlic, minced</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp black pep<span style="font-size: small;">per</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbs <span style="font-size: small;">W</span>orchestershire sauce </span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp red pepper flakes</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2012/11/homemade-brown-sugar.html"><span style="font-size: small;">br<span style="font-size: small;">own sugar</span></span></a> </span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp chili po<span style="font-size: small;">w<span style="font-size: small;">der</span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span> </li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>Let's get cooking:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. Add the tomatoes, onion, carrots, bell pepper, spices, and sugar to the crockpot and stir together. Add the pork roast on top.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtBqQns0tdY/USvCLmaVaeI/AAAAAAAAChU/FiU5M0i3E5k/s1600/a2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtBqQns0tdY/USvCLmaVaeI/AAAAAAAAChU/FiU5M0i3E5k/s400/a2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Use two forks to gently shred the roast. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9CZaPn6zB1S7UH3usInjdguf5SRy58XGLJZ8U2Xe_tSdxvicSxn2UYoXCHTozVbdFgoj5rHSo9GBGg-adRwdeAFa6zY7iag-mTw8_xUbsFEGCm5gciWz5v6LFNlZzsZ0QHOtSDWnruiG/s1600/a3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9CZaPn6zB1S7UH3usInjdguf5SRy58XGLJZ8U2Xe_tSdxvicSxn2UYoXCHTozVbdFgoj5rHSo9GBGg-adRwdeAFa6zY7iag-mTw8_xUbsFEGCm5gciWz5v6LFNlZzsZ0QHOtSDWnruiG/s400/a3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that's it, two steps and you can enjoy your<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> delicious pulled pork dinner!</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b>-Lily </b></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar!</span></span>Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072640069476248636.post-47491272747929256022013-02-19T12:40:00.002-06:002013-02-28T12:57:23.270-06:00Should I Homeschool Preschool? Part 4: money<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANr1Rm5tDJ9ikvQE3VewnJR-GEkFVtTYMcMB2LYSPmZQgmpro03kSpduU6OaO6XehnYXiurrUvbB8iIbIdxxsG_rS4PZElv1EyHtF3w0EF_xjQCdbjuSKQuSmQUdCAwJXhc3wywIK-QEN/s1600/ID-10036544+wax+crayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANr1Rm5tDJ9ikvQE3VewnJR-GEkFVtTYMcMB2LYSPmZQgmpro03kSpduU6OaO6XehnYXiurrUvbB8iIbIdxxsG_rS4PZElv1EyHtF3w0EF_xjQCdbjuSKQuSmQUdCAwJXhc3wywIK-QEN/s640/ID-10036544+wax+crayons.jpg" width="640" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My son Buddy recently turned 3, so my husband and I have been deciding whether to send our son to preschool or do preschool at home. In <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/01/homeschool-preschool-part-1.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/01/should-i-homeschool-preschool-part-2.html">Part 2</a>,
I talked about the top two reasons why other moms seem to be sending
their kids to preschool: socialization and time alone for mom. In <a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/should-i-homeschool-preschool-part-3.html">Part 3</a>, I discussed what kids are learning in preschool and how I can easily teach a preschool curriculum at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In this post, I want to talk about one of the major reasons my husband and I decided not to send our son to preschool: money. Let's face it, preschool is expensive. I thought that it was pretty expensive before we started looking into the pros and cons. Now that I know I can easily teach everything at home that my son could learn at preschool, it means that preschool is a luxury, not a necessity, and I think it's </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">extravagant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I looked up some local preschools, and it looks like for 2 days a week, schools charge around $300. So, if I send my son for 9 months out of the year, we'd be spending $2700! And that doesn't include other expenses that aren't included in tuition, such as gas to drive him back and forth, snacks for the class, supplies, etc. Taking an honest look at our budget, we do not spend $300/mo on any other luxury. We didn't even budget "fun money" until recently. After all, we're living on one income since I stay home with the boys, and we don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on luxuries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Remember, this series is about my family and how we've come to the decision not to send our son to preschool. For many families, the pros may outweigh the cons. And, many families may have more discretionary income to spend on school. Those families may decide to send their kids to preschool rather than homeschooling. I'm not trying to be judgmental--I'm just presenting the idea that preschool is not mandatory. Many moms (myself included) automatically think we have to send our kids to preschool without really thinking about whether it's necessary or beneficial. I don't want to make decisions about this much money based on "everyone's doing it". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b>-Lily </b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Other posts in this series:</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/01/homeschool-preschool-part-1.html"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Part 1: <span style="font-size: small;">Why preschool?</span></span></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/01/should-i-homeschool-preschool-part-2.html"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Part 2<span style="font-size: small;">: So<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">cialization</span> and </span></span>time alone<span style="font-size: small;">--my res<span style="font-size: small;">ponse</span></span></span></span></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lilyquilt.blogspot.com/2013/02/should-i-homeschool-preschool-part-3.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Part 3: Academics and curriculum</span> </a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">linked up at some of the great blogs on my sidebar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image courtesy of chokphoto at <a href="http://freedigitalphotos.net/">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></i></span></div>
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Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16856307303683590998noreply@blogger.com5