The last six months have been a crazy for me but things are starting to level out. We've been expanding the farm and although its alot of hard work, I enjoy not needing to go to the grocery store for food every week. I go once every four to six weeks for dry goods.
My goals for the new year include sharing new money saving ideas and recipes but I also plan on making time to SEW every day. Found a great sew scrap along here: http://www.pleasant-home.com/ I already belong to a 1.5" postage stamp swap group and plan on starting to use them with the scrap along.
I am also going to try to do the "Building Houses from Scraps" here: http://buildinghousesfromscraps.blogspot.com/ I always try to keep up with a few block of the months but never get past april or may (when we get super busy on the farm) and then don't have the blocks to finish up the quilt. So I'm going scrappy this year and this sew along only uses one block. Don't worry, there's an English translation below all of the posts.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Reclaimed Fabric Collection
I have spent the last two days sorting through all of my reclaimed fabric (aka clothes no one wants) and will post pictures in a few days after I finish cleaning off the table tops of misc items.
I'm going to post a few of my patterns as well as sewing hints/tricks. I love to quilt but sewing and mending is what really pays my bills.
I'm going to post a few of my patterns as well as sewing hints/tricks. I love to quilt but sewing and mending is what really pays my bills.
Cooking an entire meal on the grill
Yep I really do cook the entire meal for 7 people on the grill! Tonight its italian herbed chicken (durkee marinate pack), home canned green beans & home grown italian herbed potatoes. Bryces dad cooked broccolli and cauliflower from the garden in the steamer, I added cheese at the picnic table so technically thats not cooked inside my house *big grins*
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tomorrow & SBS postcards
Last scheduled surgery this year is tomorrow (#4 for the year). Girly work tomorrow, please keep me in your thoughts. I've already packed my sketchbook where I've been working on a new sunbonnet sue & sam postcard series, seasons is my thing for now ;).
Hugs girls
Crystal in IL
Monday, April 25, 2011
Homemade Chocolate Cupcake Soap
These are definitely on my Christmas to make list! Easy enough that I may let the teen daughters make them for friends too! Directions are from happyheartsathome.blogspot.com, check out their blog for more cool ideas!
Homemade Chocolate Cupcake Soap
Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover bar soap? Try rebatching it! There are alot of recipes available out there. Although I can make my own soap with lye I think working with premade bar soap (like ivory since its white) would be easier with the kids.
Especially like the microwave friendly recipe that happyheartsathome has shared! Commercial soap drys our family's skin out very quickly in the winter, rebatching soap lets you add moisture back, and it's fun to add your own ingredients and shapes.
Chocolate Cupcake Soap:
Three bars of Ivory Soap 3/4 Cup water
5 Tablespoons olive oil 3 Tablespoons glycerin
3 Tablespoon cocoa powder 3 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup powdered milk 3 Tablespoon cinnamon
Thrift store purchased older tins and other items should be used for this project as you shouldn't cook in them again.
Cut soap up into smaller pieces, place in a glass Pyrex measuring bowl, add water and cook in microwave for about 2 minutes at a time, watch closely for puffing up, stop when it does this and stir, repeat until it is creamy. Add more water and a little of the oil if too dry*. Once it's nice and creamy, add oil and remaining ingredients, stir well, adding more water and oil if too dry. Heat it up more if it's still chunky, and stir. Grease cupcake tins with olive oil, fill and allow to dry overnight. If they don't pop out, try to push them out by hand, or freeze them for a little bit.
Add the frosting after drying the bottoms for a few days.
For Icing:
Cook one bar of cut up Ivory soap in a clean glass bowl in the microwave with about 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon of glycerin. Repeat muffin cooking instructions above. When it gets nice and creamy it's ready to frost. The frosting dries pretty quickly.
*If the soap is too dry, add more water, oil or glycerin than is stated in the recipe.
Homemade Chocolate Cupcake Soap
Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover bar soap? Try rebatching it! There are alot of recipes available out there. Although I can make my own soap with lye I think working with premade bar soap (like ivory since its white) would be easier with the kids.
Especially like the microwave friendly recipe that happyheartsathome has shared! Commercial soap drys our family's skin out very quickly in the winter, rebatching soap lets you add moisture back, and it's fun to add your own ingredients and shapes. 
Chocolate Cupcake Soap:Three bars of Ivory Soap 3/4 Cup water
5 Tablespoons olive oil 3 Tablespoons glycerin
3 Tablespoon cocoa powder 3 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup powdered milk 3 Tablespoon cinnamon
Thrift store purchased older tins and other items should be used for this project as you shouldn't cook in them again.
Cut soap up into smaller pieces, place in a glass Pyrex measuring bowl, add water and cook in microwave for about 2 minutes at a time, watch closely for puffing up, stop when it does this and stir, repeat until it is creamy. Add more water and a little of the oil if too dry*. Once it's nice and creamy, add oil and remaining ingredients, stir well, adding more water and oil if too dry. Heat it up more if it's still chunky, and stir. Grease cupcake tins with olive oil, fill and allow to dry overnight. If they don't pop out, try to push them out by hand, or freeze them for a little bit.
Add the frosting after drying the bottoms for a few days.
For Icing:Cook one bar of cut up Ivory soap in a clean glass bowl in the microwave with about 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon of glycerin. Repeat muffin cooking instructions above. When it gets nice and creamy it's ready to frost. The frosting dries pretty quickly.
*If the soap is too dry, add more water, oil or glycerin than is stated in the recipe.
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