Treasure!!

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I had a great day this past Saturday. I got together with two of my sisters and we did some shopping in Juneau and Mayville, Wisconsin.  In Juneau, we stopped at a neat resale store called “Junio’s”.  We found some good deals on books and I picked up some gently used maternity clothes. I have really come to appreciate dresses while pregnant. I don’t usually wear dresses too often, but they are so liberating with my baby bump!!
After lunch, we ended up at “Carriage Haus Shops” in Mayville.  This store, I think you would call a co-op of small business owners who sell a variety of goods: artists, crafters, resalers, antique sellers, etc. It was here that I found the neatest thing. I bought this little ceramic cat, squatting down on all fours. He is a tape dispenser and the tape goes over his head as he ducks down.  I am not a big cat lover, in fact I am a dog person. But, the shape, colors, usefulness, and price of this little guy was simply perfect. I had to have him!!

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My Treasure!

It was wonderful to get out and treasure hunt. I’m inspired with new ideas and perspectives.  I want to create someone’s next treasure!
Happy Monday, Everyone! 😀
Missie

Homework: Cloth Diapers

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It has been horribly humid in Southeastern Wisconsin the past few days.  We spent a good deal of time outside over 4th of July weekend and it was draining on the body.  It has been nice staying in the condo since Monday, stitching Sock Monkeys and working on my Etsy Shop.

When I feel my inventory of crafty items is in good order, I will need to attend to a new, important project: cloth diaper making.  I have been doing my homework on this subject, and goodness, there are so many web sites out there on cloth diapering!!  There are so many patterns and tutorials.  You can buy fitted cloth diapers from crafters, ebay, or distributors.  People sell used cloth diapers (I had NO idea that was “a thing”).

For my first daughter, I used all disposable diapers.  I tried cloth diapering in the beginning, and it did not go well.  We used the prefolds with the plastic pants and they always leaked.  Little did I know then, we were probably using diapers that did not fit correctly.  I had NO time on my hands, much less time for leaking diapers, so disposables were the thing, the EXPENSIVE, bad for the environment thing.  Over the years I have tried to cut down on disposable everything.  I maybe buy one roll of paper towels in a year, MAYBE one.  We use and reuse dish rags and towels at my house.  I am not willing to clog up landfills with thousands more disposable diapers.  So, I’ve been reading many different web sites, trying to find the easiest way to make diapers that will not leak.  I have gathered old t-shirts, other shirts, etc. but I will need to get to Joann Fabrics soon for a few more things.  When I get a few made, I will post a picture of my creation.  They may not be pretty, I just need them to work!

Off to work I go!

Happy Day, All! 🙂

Missie

 

Happy July 1st!!

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Happy July 1st everyone!  Nothing monumental happened today, but at least the weather was truly beautiful.  If every day had weather like today, my attitude would be significantly more cheerful.

I started a new sock monkey today and am determined to finish it in less than a week this time.  I finished a Socktopus this morning and it is posted in the giggleFritz shop and Etsy Shop.  That Socktopus should have been for sale last week, but I did not make myself sew on the last leg and apply his face.  Well, done, done, done.  It’s time to get hoppin’!

Last week I sent in my registration papers for this year’s Coffee Break Fest craft fair in Stoughton, Wisconsin.  It is my favorite craft fair of the year!  I am a little bummed I won’t be able to sample the coffee in the contest this year (no caffeine, Prego Girl!!).  I love the people and the car show and hope it’s a great Festival this year.  Oh, and no rain!

I am off to catch the rest of the Milwaukee Brewer’s game and some Duck Dynasty with my husband.

Enjoy the rest of your July 1st! 😀

Missie

Final Day of June

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Here we are, the final day of June.  I have heard so often lately, “Can you believe it?  We are almost done with June, 4th of July is coming up fast!  June went so fast!  Before you know it summer will be over!”  I wish time would go more quickly.  On this final day of June my husband and I attended a funeral.  My daughter had “the last straw” with a horrible coworker at her job.  There is just an overall feeling of gloom, too many “downs” that outweigh the “ups” this month.

I don’t mean this post to be such a downer.  I am actually looking forward to a fresh start in July.  So, here’s to making July a better month, one that I wish would last so much longer!

Enjoy the rest of your “Final Day of June”!

Missie 😀

 

Makin’ Some Strawberry Jam

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I ended up getting some strawberries picked last Saturday with my daughter and sister.  The berries this year are fantastic!  We had nearly 20 lbs picked within an hour.  We cleaned and ate a bunch on Saturday, made a total of 5 batches of jam (20 pints), and had leftover berries for a pie and frozen sugared strawberries.

Cooking Jam Smells Wonderful!

 

Finished Strawberry Jam

Here’s the recipe I use:

Strawberry Jam

2 quarts strawberries

6 cups sugar

Prepare jars, lids, and rings.

Wash strawberries and drain.  Remove stems.  Crush berries with a potato masher, one layer at a time until mashed well.  Combine the crushed strawberries and sugar in a large saucepot.  Bring slowly to a boil until sugar dissolves.  Cook rapidly to gelling point (This takes about 25-30 minutes).  As jam starts to thicken, stir often to prevent sticking.  When gelling point is reached, remove pot from heat.  Skim off foam.  Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving a ¼ inch headspace.  Apply two-piece caps.  Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner, OR let jars cool to room temperature, label, and freeze.

I don’t LOVE making strawberry jam, but I like the fact that I make my own.  I only use two ingredients: strawberries and sugar.  In the picture, notice how dark the jam is?  When you make the jam without pectin, it turns a deep red-purple color.  If you use the powdered pectin, the jam ends up a nice strawberry red color.  Either way, it’s good makin’ your own jam!

Have a sweet weekend!  😀

Missie

Weather…or not

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I was supposed to get up early and go running this morning with my sister, followed by some strawberry picking at The Fiedler Farm with my sister and daughter.  However, last night, around 1:30am, it was lightning and rumbling and threatening to storm like mad.  My husband was watching the radar online and the map was a violent rainbow of storm colors.  When I awoke around 6:00am, the radar on my mobile phone indicated we were surrounded by heavy rain and storms and it looked wet and gray outside.  We called off running and strawberry picking just in case.  It never did storm and now it is sunny as can be.  Figures!

Ah well,  I always have enough to do inside the house.  I have overripe bananas begging to be made into muffins or bread, Sock Monkeys to be made, and ever-present household cleaning to  be done.  Hopefully, we will pick berries Monday morning.

Last Thursday, I shared a picture on Facebook of my “baby bump”.  I know, not everyone is on Facebook, and completely respect that.  Here is my picture, for my sweet friends and family who want to know how we are doing, or just get all warm and fuzzy over “baby bump” pictures!

Baby Bump Picture – 21 weeks

Don’t let the rain and hot, humid weather ruin your weekend!  Make it great! 😀

Missie

BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe

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There are days when I am scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook, and don’t look twice at the recipes and food pictures that people share.  Especially when I had morning sickness, those pictures made me green.   Recently, I have been taking notice.

I plan my family’s meals two weeks at a time.  When I make up the grocery list, I use a calendar I print off of the internet from this site: http://www.printfree.com/Calendars.htm  I don’t go grocery shopping until the next two weeks of meals are planned, and I have all of the ingredients I need on the shopping list.  I save those calendars so that when I go blank on what I should make for the next few weeks, I can look back at things I’ve made.  My menu planning has become boring and lame!  I have been in desperate need of new recipes!

I made a recipe last night for dinner called, “Sweet Baby Ray’s Crock Pot Chicken”, from the Facebook page of Dail Stuart.  It caught my attention because my husband and daughter love BBQ chicken and I am always looking for easy crock pot recipes.

BBQ Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot and Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray’s Crock Pot Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce – Lrg for 4-5 qt crock pot

¼ cup vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

  1.  Mix together everything but the chicken.
  2. Place chicken in a 4-5 quart crock pot.
  3. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken.
  4. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

When I made this, I used three thawed chicken breasts in a West Bend brand 4-qt crock pot for 4 hours and it turned out wonderfully.  I didn’t serve these as bbq’d chicken breasts, however.  I shredded the chicken and added it back to the bbq sauce.  I served up shredded bbq chicken sandwiches.  The family loved them!  They were moist and tangy with some heat!  (If you don’t want the heat, leave out the crushed red pepper flakes.)

For a printable version of the recipe, click here: Pulled Chicken Recipe – Printable

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

 

I am so glad I found this recipe!  I have made pulled chicken before and it didn’t turn out very well.  This was very easy and turned out great!  I wonder what I will add to my recipe collection next!

Have a great weekend!

Missie

 

Done, Done, Done!

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Cotton Candy Socktopus – Find it in the Shop! $15.00

9 socks, sewn – DONE!

9 socks, cut out – DONE!

8 legs and a head, stuffed – DONE!

Legs sewn on, face applied, DONE, DONE, DONE!

I have finally completed a Socktopus!  It has been so long and it feels great to have created something new!  Picking out the colors, working my sewing machine, and carefully sewing on those soft, chubby legs.  It’s wonderful to look at it’s sweet  smiling face and be proud of something I’ve made once again.  I almost don’t want to sell it – Almost! 😀

Missie

Patience

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Patience is a virtue. I was not a virtuous person today at all!  All I can say is, it is difficult being pregnant and the mother of a teenage daughter all at the same time.  Most days are fine.  Today was not, but most of the conflict was on my part and my crappy hormones.  I’m such a wiener, so here is a picture of me in front of a wiener truck.

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Tomorrow, I will be more virtuous and less nagging. 😛
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Missie