YUMMY for the TUMMY

Yep, you guessed it! This post will be alllll about food. Maybe I should eat something BEFORE I start posting yummy goodness…..

These will all be recipes that I WANT to try, not ones I have tried. And they can all be found on my Pinterest boards!

Are you stuck in a cooking rut??? Well, I am…. I get soooooo tired of cooking the same old crap, day in and day out….. SIGH….. It makes me hate cooking! I really love doing the BIG meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas but even they are getting to be too much of the same. I need some NEW things to cook! And thanks to Pinterest yummies are easier to find than ever.

Anyway! On to the YUMMIES!!!

Chicken Tortilla Bake by Homemaking Challenged

It looks SUPER easy and SUPER yummy!! I think my tribe will like it.

Chocolate-Banana Pudding from Recipes.com

OMGosh!!!!!! Just OH MY GOSH!! Why have I never thought of this before???? But I think I would leave out the pecans… BLECK!!!!!

Truffle Pie from the Deen Bros.

And now I am drooling on my keyboard…. That is going to be a definite for Thanksgiving!!!!

I wish I could climb into my computer screen!!!!

Mini Mexican Pizzas from Dashing Dish

Minus the olives, please and thank you… LOL

This looks like another family pleaser. Quick, easy and cute!

Heaven, thy name is Oreo Caramel Brownie Bombs!!!!

Let’s say that again. OREO. CARAMEL. BROWNIE. bombs. OH MY GOSH!!!!

Do not try licking your screen… it just makes a mess and tastes yucky. You will just have to trust me on that….

Dorito Chicken Casserole from Quick and Easy Recipes

Yep, another HAVE TO TRY recipe. I love finding new recipes for chicken! We eat a lot of it around here but I get sick of the same old casseroles. And you know kids will eat anything with Doritos in it!!! LOL

No, I don’t remember saying ANYTHING about healthy….. LOL

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Icing from Use Real Butter.

Now THAT would be absolutely PERFECT for Thanksgiving.

That’s OK, you can thank me later….

This site has 40 Breakfast Casserole Recipes!!!

Awesome for Sunday mornings or holidays!!!! And who says you can’t have breakfast for supper?????

Asparagus Gratin from Apron Appeal

Now, wouldn’t that make a different side dish?? Tired of green beans, carrots and peas?? Try that recipe out!

Classic Baked Ziti by Budget Savvy Diva

Tired of spaghetti and lasagna?? Try out baked ziti!

Taco Pie by BS Recipes

YUMMMMMMY!!!!!! A new way to do an old favorite. If you are tired of cooking tacos but the kids love them, here is a way to do something different but still keep the same taste! More or less… LOL

Pie Fries from Heather’s French Press

This is pure genius!!! Genius I tell you!!!! I can see it coming in handy for families like mine, especially. You have a ton of kids and they all like different pies… Here ya go! LOL

Top 5 Freezer Meals from Joyful Momma’s Kitchen

I have wanted to start doing some of this. I think it would realllllly be a blessing. Some days you just do NOT want to cook. When one of those days happens, just pop one of the pre-made, frozen meals in the oven!!

Slow Cooker Pork Chops by Eat Cake for Dinner

This is what I will be making today. I have made it one before and it was AWESOME!!!!!!

We are trying to use up all the meats we have in our freezer before moving day…. Almost there! LOL

Ok… OK!! So you really want something healthy… SIGH….. Here you go! 52 Quick and Healthy Meals from Greatest

Brownie Cookie Candy Goodness from Couponers United.

I have friends who have tried this and they have raved about how awesome they are. They would have to be, wouldn’t they???? LOL I can’t imagine them NOT being awesome.

Bacon-Cheese Pull Aparts from Food.com

OH MY GOSH… those look soooooooooooooo good!!!! I need to start making my store list!! LOL

OK, so I think that’s enough yummy goodness for one day. I am now starving!!!! LOL

I will be back to sewing today. I finished Snoopy and will be mailing him out this afternoon. Now it’s time to start on Cailey’s Tinkerbell costume! I need to have it finished by Sunday night for the Halloween party at church!  Wish me luck!

The Hocus Pocus Skirt Tutorial

 

Here is it! My Big Idea… LOL I like it… It didn’t turn out EXACTLY how I wanted it to, but I’m satisfied… There is one part that I will probably go back and change, though…. I was trying to go for a multi-layer effect so instead of sewing the lace ON TOP of the underskirt hem, I sewed it to the back… I think I am going to grab my BFF , Sally the Seam Ripper, and go back and do that part over. It would look much nicer that way, I think….

Anyway! Here we go!

What I used-

2 yards of print for the upper skirt

2 yards of solid for the under skirt

1 old lace curtain LOL

2 old lace valances LOL

1″ elastic

 

I got some new curtains for the dining/sewing room/library and I have been storing the old lace ones in the linen closest. LOL

 

Step 1 -

 

OK, let me first explain about my short legs… They are Hobbit short, people… Seriously. Actually, I have Hobbit feet, too, just minus all the yucky foot hair…. LOL  Anyway, I cut the upper skirt at 23″. LOL S

So, cut 2 pieces, each the width of the fabric.

When you cut, make a curve at the bottom, like in the picture below.

 

 

 

Step 2-

 

I cut the underskirt at 27″. Cut 2 pieces, the width of the fabric and with a curve.

 

Step 3 -

 

I cut 6 1/2 ” off both sides of the curtains. You will need to cut the lace the width of the skirt fabric. So, you will also have 2 sections of lace.

 

Step 4-

 

Next, I cut the ruffles off both valances.  I left about 3″ of the plain lace above the ruffles.

 

Step 5-

 

Sew one end of the lace strips together.  Set aside.

 

Step 6-

 

Now, right sides together, sew ONE side of the underskirt together.

I promise that I ironed that fabric.. LOL I ironed and ironed and ironed and that is just as good as it would get. LOL But, really, I think it’s fitting for a Halloween skirt. LOL

 

Step 7-

 

Now, roll up 3/4″ of the bottom of the underskirt and press. The roll up 1″, press and sew your hem.

It would look MUCH better if you have brown thread… LOL I don’t. I probably should have used black instead of white, though….

Learn from my goof ups!

 

Step 8-

 

Now, fold the 2 0r 3″ that you left above the ruffle over the lace strip, pin and sew together.

 

Step 9-

 

On this part, if I were you, I would pin the ruffle OVER the hem of the underskirt and attach it there, instead of behind…. Again, learn from my many mistakes! LOL

Set this aside.

 

Step 10-

 

Right sides together, pin and sew up ONE side of the overskirt.

 

Step 11-

 

Fold up 3/4″  of the bottom of the overskirt and press. Fold up 1″, press, pin and sew the hem.

This probably would have looked better with the black thread, too… SIGH… Live and learn. Or better yet, SEW and learn! LOL

 

Step 12-

 

Pin the right side of the underskirt to the wrong side of the upperskirt and sew them together with a finishing stitch. (zigzag, overlock)

 

Step 13-

Pin the sides of the overskirt together and sew the side seam. Do the same to the underskirt.

 

 

Step 14-

 

 

Fold over the top 1 1/2″ , press, pin and sew the elastic casing making sure to leave an opening to insert the elastic through.

 

Step 15-

 

Pin a safety pin to both ends of the elastic and insert the elastic into the casing.

 

Step 16-

 

Sew the ends of the elastic together using a zigzag stitch.

Now, sew your casing closed!

 

ALL DONE!!!!!

 

 

Here’s a close up of the bottom!

 

 

 

Please, let me know what you think about this tutorial. If you make the skirt PLEASE let me know!!!!!

 

 

I may be a little quiet the next few days. We are going to be leaving to go to Georgia so The Hubby can check out at least one job, possibly two!!!

 

Fat Quarter Skirt Tutorial

I was perusing the fabric aisle at Walmart the other day when I found PINK PANTHER fat quarters!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!! They were on sale for $5 a pack!!!! So I grabbed 2… LOL I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them though. UNTIL the Cs had a sleepover. Then I knew! Cailey and her 2 BFFs could have matching skirts!! PERFECT!!! And you get a new tutorial!

 

 

 

 

What I Used-

1/2  a package of fat quarter

 

 

 

Step 1 -

 

Take one piece of each design or 3 pieces. Set the unique piece aside (to use as a waist band). Then cut the fat quarters into thirds.

 

 

Step 2 -

 

Take the fat quarter that you set aside for the waistband and cut it into fourths. Set 2 aside for the waistband.

 

 

Step 3 -

 

Go ahead and stack the pieces in the order you want to sew them in.

 

Step 4 -

 

 

Pin your first 2 pieces together, right sides touching, and sew the seam!

I usually do a finishing stitch first and then do mu straight stitch, but I’m weird like that.

 

 

Step 5 -

 

Continue pinning and sewing until you have used all your pieces!

 

 

Step 6 -

Apparently, I forgot to take a picture of this step… SIGH… Sorry about that!!!! It’s easy, though. You need to gather the top of the skirt!

On my machine I set both of my stitch settings to the largest number and run 2 lines of straight stitches. Then I pull on the bottom thread on one side and gather, then I pull on the bottom thread from the other side and gather.

 

 

Step 7 -

 

Now, take your 2 waistband pieces and sew one end to one end.

 

Step 8 -

 

Now, turn in 1/4 inch at the top and press. Then a 1/4 inch at the bottom and press.

 

Step 9 -

 

Fold in half and press!

 

 

Step 10 -

 

 

Open up the waistband and pin the skirt inside, leaving at least 5″ on each side for the ties.

 

 

Step 11 -

 

Run a straight stitch from one of the waist band to the other. This will leave the ends as ties and enclose the top of the skirt inside of the waistband.

 

 

Step 12 -

 

Fold over the ends of the ties, press and stitch across.

 

 

Step 13 -

 

Fold over the raw edges of the side of the skirt 1/4 inch and press. Fold over another 1/4 inch, press and pin. This will enclose those raw edges.

 

Step 14 -

 

Pin the sides together and sew the seam but be sure to leave 3 or 4 inches from the top of the waistband down. That will leave room for your child to get the skirt on and off.

 

Step 15 -

 

Fold over the bottom of the skirt 3/4 inch and press. Fold over another 3/4 inch, press and pin.

Sew your hem!

 

 

Press and you are all DONE!!!! YAY!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will be making one skirt with a button closure and one with an elastic waistband, that way the girls will be able to tell which one belongs to them.

 

As always, let me know what you think! Was this easy to follow??? And definitely let me know if you make one!! I would LOVE to see the pictures!

 

 

 

 

COOL COTTON CAFTAN TUTORIAL

There I was……Sitting quietly and contemplating the dress I was about to make for myself… When, BAM!!!!! Inspiration struck again! LOL This time my eyes landed on the pink Hawaiian print cotton gauze that I picked up out of the remnants bin at Hancock’s for $2.  That’s when it hit me. It would make the cutest caftan for D!!! So I called her downstairs and showed her a sketch of what I had in mind. She seemed to love it! YAY!!!! I got right to work on it!

I had just over 2 yards of the cotton gauze and used almost all of it. I wanted it to be nice and loose just like a caftan ought to be.

So here is what you will need-

2 yards of cotton gauze

2 packages of coordinating bias tape

That’s it! That’s all you need!

Step 1 -

Remove the cat from the fabric…. It’s started already! LOL

Then measure and while folded, cut to the length you want leaving the selvages for the sides. D liked the thought of the fringy selvages being left on. I agreed. It looks cute that way.

Step 2-

While still folded, cut the neck line. I cut this one in a boat neck style.

Step 3-

Remove the cutesy wootsie kitty from the fabric.

Yes, she is new. LOL I found her today at the dump. Someone had dumped HER!!! GRRRRR!!! She is such a sweet little loving thing! I knew we had to bring her home with us. J1 named her Cloud. She does look a little like a cloud leopard…. LOL

Sorry, ANYWAY!

At this point slip the caftan over the head of the intended wearer and mark up the sides with pins.

Step 4 -

Now, open up your bias tape and pin it around the neckline. Sew it in place. DISCLAIMER This is not the “right” way to do bias tape but I find it works just as well and takes A LOT less time!

Step 5-

Here I took a pencil and drew a straight line where I had pinned the sides. Then I just sewed a straight line down, creating the side seams.

Step 6 -

Time to hem!! This hemming is going to be a bit different…. LOL I SHOULD have hemmed it up before I put in the side seams…… But I didn’t… Sooooo I had to hem it on the right sides. No big deal but not the way it’s “supposed” to be.

Anyway, press, pin and hem!

Step 7 -

Mark where you would like the openings for the ties to be.

Step 8 -

Then I used my buttonhole feature on the sewing machine to make the openings for the ties.

My buttonholer and I are still getting to know one another so that is NOT the neatest buttonhole you will ever see…… LOL  I’m just happy it worked at all!

After you have your buttonhole, use your seam ripper to open it up.

Step 9 -

I took a package of bias tape and measured it around D at an empire waist height. Then I sewed the bias tape together to create a thing tie.

Insert it into the openings and you are DONE!!!

I think it would make a nice pool cover-up or even a pretty blouse with some white linen capris.

I hope you like it and give it a try!!