Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Allot has been happening lately. Lil one was very very sick with a bad viral that we either got while we were out eating or shopping. Today though I got allot done for the first time in two weeks. I did laundry, swept the carpets and watched cartoons. And tonight I made my first successful pie crust and some really terrific dough for rolls.



As you can see it looks great! I had to break down a couple recipes to get what I wanted. And I also made it so that there was only enough for one crust.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
5 to 8 tablespoons of really cold water

Adding the flour, then the salt, mix with a fork Next add in the shortening and start with around 5 tablespoons of cold water. To get this mixed in properly I know that there are a few different ways to do it and all successful. But even though I have all of those extra tools I used my fork to press the chunks of shortening to the side of the bowl with the flour and did this over and over again till I could tell it was together well.

Put down wax paper on your rolling space and gather your dough in your hands and make it into a ball. Place the ball onto the wax paper and flatten it slightly. Put another piece of wax paper on top and roll to your specified size.

I would love to tell you how I got this in the pie pan and cut the extra off and pressed the sides but I'm afraid you'd roll off your chair with laughter. You'd be better to google it than follow my example. - But once it was pressed down and looking pretty I wrapped it up with saran wrap and put it in the fridge. **Let it settle for two hours or overnight. (Otherwise it will shrink when baking). Not the best I'm sure, but pretty good.



Lol, you can tell I took these on my cell. This dough for rolls was made from the recipe here and if you've made dough before you know when you've got a good or bad mix on how it feels when you make it. This dough is amazing. I can't wait to make it into rolls in the morning! Usually I don't follow instructions for recipes to the T, but I followed this one and I am very happy on how it turned out. I will say that I used two more cups of flour, but all of my bread or roll recipes that I have done I have had to add extra. I think its my house. :)

 I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Our Indian summer



For a couple days this week Pennsylvania had a nice Indian summer going on. My little one was so happy that he was able to wear shorts. We also got to play outside and do more leaf clean up.

He played in the yard while I got to work on a new project. I learned how to do a cable like stitch with crochet.



I found out how to do it from this book I ordered on amazon. I love the ideas it gives me. I have a slight problem with being able to follow patterns. I switch everything around because I don't like to follow the directions down to every stitch. So I started some fingerless gloves with some of what I had learned from reading in the book. I finished them this morning but I don't think that I will be selling them on the etsy. I think they are too chunky. Though the yarn is described as a 4 I think its a 5.

Oh, you read that all the way through? Lol! Yes, my cousin and I have an etsy which I have included a widget to on the right of this page  --> --> --> Take a peek. :)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Reflections on Halloween


Lil one and I really had fun this Halloween. He loved decorating with me outside. We did a full graveyard in the side yard. And he just doesn't get scared by it, he takes it all in fun like I do. So its great. We make fun, and he loved pumpkin head and how I had him peeking out from behind a tree in the woods. I'm just so glad we had a good holiday. :)


I liked it allot. We ended up having quite a bit of loot too. Tee hee. And mumma got to have all the kitkats!

Lil one's pumpkin. 

Mr. Love's Pumpkin.


And the Mumma pumpkin. 

Can you guess where I got the images? lol. 
Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Some bulb planting and a craft area


My little peanut butter^.

Yesterday the landscaping crew came by and did all the yards and then did leaf control!! I've never had this before, the last place didn't do it. But this, they took something to my garden beds and got out all of the leaves! I was incredibly happy. And if I would have known I would have tried to tip them I was so glad that I didn't have to do it when I was planting bulbs.

We had allot of fun planting them and I did cut back one of the neighbors yucca plants because it was in my gardening space. It looked like she was not to happy about it, but I was nice and only cut like nine or ten realllllly long leaves (?) off. All in all, in a little more than two hours we had 4 bags of bulbs planted and I can't wait for spring already for them to pop up.

Another thing happening round here is that I am already getting ready for Christmas. Yay! I pride myself on having all shopping done before Dec 1st and the cards sent the week after Thanksgiving. So that December is just a month to have fun and relax and if I want to pick up something here and there it is out of kindness and not last minute thinking on what could be a gift not well thought through. I bought a swag for the front door, and made sure it was one without lights because I have lights that I want to put on it myself. Also this year, we  bought what is my first time decorating outside with a lit deer. Sometimes I think them tacky but I really like this one. And only one. Lol.

I know I haven't posted in a while, but this girl has been anxiety central. Why, I am not sure. That, combined with a toothache to rival a hurricane. Yhea. But a couple nights ago (like at midnight) I finally conjured up a plan. I have no extra bedroom in this house, and I wanted a desk from Ikea for Christmas because I am tired of having my crafting stuff on two different levels. Up, down, up, down... need a pen, run down, need some card stock, run up. Uuuugh. Well, that has all changed. (taken from where I sit at my laptop)



And I moved my lil ones crafting stuff upstairs too so that when I am working, he can pretend to as well.


Now I feel more organized and more on the ball. Now maybe I can get more done. I like to be organized! It truly makes me happy. :) And because I have all that organized. I have my laptop space cleaned off.



So! Very! Happy! Soon, I'll have a very exciting post indeed about setting up shop! :) Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!!!