Amazing pre made pie crust from Trader Joes!!

This year I bought pre made pie crusts. Normally I just buy whatever is on sale but this year when I was at trader Joe's i noticed the store brand on sale. So in my thrifty ways I bought this crust and tossed it in the freezer waiting until thanksgiving prep. 
I was totally amazed by the crust when i used it. I actually saw large chunks of butter. Yummy! Amazing! Cooked perfect and was even better tasting!

creamy cauliflower curry soup

1 diced onion
1 clove garlic diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons curry
1 quart chicken stock
1 bag frozen cauliflower
1/2 bag frozen broccoli
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup half and half


Add garlic and onion to pan with butter, cook until  translucent
add cauliflower and broccoli, mix in chicken stock and curry. Bring to boil, lower temperature to simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Use hand blender to puree the veggies. Meanwhile add half and half to flour. Mix until smooth. Add to soup. simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes. salt to taste.

All wrapped up: Tissue pouch

All wrapped up: Tissue pouch: "Thank you to all the people who have commented and become followers of my blog, I really appreciate. It’s..."

Hardwood Blocks - Poplar and Ash-by ADrauglis REVIEW

This year I have done most of my Christmas shopping online. I wanted to get my son blocks, he is 1 now and loves most stacking things. I went to my favorite site for all things good and handmade and found these amazing blocks made by ADrauglis on ETSY. 

The first thing I do have to say, shipping was supper fast. I live in California and this seller lives in Washington DC. I received these beautiful handcrafted blocks in three days, one of those days was thanksgiving. 

The blocks are amazing. Perfect for little hands with very smooth lines and edges. You can see the love and time taken with each block. I know my son is going to spend much time just being interested in the contours and lines of the wood. 

Please check out this amazing artist!ADrauglis

Kozy Chair- Ikea Couch Slipcover-

Kids Kozy Chair McCalls Pattern


When I wanted to get my son a chair for Christmas I looked online all over. The only pattern that really came around when I google searched was this chair. I have no idea when I exactly bought this pattern. But I knew I had stashed it in all my craft boxes someplace in a closet. 
A few days before Thanksgiving when I was in a Holiday crafting mad dash I casually read over the directions from the pattern and cut out the pattern pieces.
The Pattern calls for five bags of batting stuffed inside a pillow form you make first. Then you construct the slipcover. I am not going to do the piping as my own Private rebellion. 
I was thinking about using bean bag chair beans in the chair instead of fluff. Or maybe use clothes sweaters and blankets as fill like I have used to fill other pillows and chair pads.  I am going to use the pattern as a guide then use an old sheet or just scrap fabric as the filler fabric.
For the slipcover I am going to use mix match fabric pieces I have laying around. I bought all these receiving blankets at Target when I was pregnant and then never used them. They are very soft in muted boy colors and are very snugly because they are made of flannel. I will post detailed pics and info as I start yet again another project.

I find that making slipcovers for furniture is fun and not to difficult as long as you can read a tap measure and use a ruler. My husband is an artist so I have random paper all about my house. When I made slipcovers for my two Ikea couches I just kinda winged the first one. The second was made perfect. I bought the KLOBO couch from Ikea which has no slipcover and is constructed from muslin or something similar. The couch is just aching for a cover or spray paint. I haven't spray painted any cloth furniture but was really into the thought of doing this to this couch.

mother would be proud

Gone with the wind fabric Quilting Treasures 

Today while randomly blog-trotting I happened upon this fantastic fabric from Quilting treasures. 
When I was a little girl Gone With The Wind was my all time favorite movie. I am racking my brain at the moment trying to figure out what I need this fabric for.

Amazing apple cookies

• • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup chopped apples
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 
    
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Mix in sugar and egg. Stir in flour mixture, and mix thoroughly. Fold in nuts, apples, and raisins
  • Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on wire rack

Cooking help

Everyone needs a bit of help in the kitchen 

Pumpkin Pie

Pancakes before Turkey

My son loves pancakes. 

Turkey Stuffing

Stuffing Recipe


2 bunches of celery
2 medium onions diced
2 cloves of garlic copped
1 package poultry herbs fresh minced
teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 packages unseasoned stuffing
2 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons freeze dried poultry seasoning. (i used lighthouse brand)
2 cups butter


Melt one whole stick of butter in pan, add celery onion and garlic. toss around until translucent on medium heat. Add fresh herbs and salt and pepper. 
Melt another stick of butter, after that melt the other two. add dried herbs
Meanwhile in large bowl add un seasoned stuffing
After butter mix is melted add all to stuffing. removing dried stuffing if needed and adding it  to bowl when stuffing cooks down. mix stuffing and butter  thoroughly
add chicken stock to moisten. Use less or more chicken stock
Cool for a bit before adding to bird.
Make sure internal temp in bird is 165.

TURKEY BRINE

I purchased a brine pre-made at whole foods this year. This is actually my first year brining my turkey. Mostly because I fell in love with the Honey brine turkey breasts at Wagmens. I absolutely love wagmens. It is really the most amazing grocery on the planet. Now that my family and I live on the west coast Wagmens is about the only thing I really miss. 




When I was 12 or so my mother took us to Half Moon Bay to visit family. There we met some distant cousins. One of these cousins ran a turkey farm, or something like this. I mostly remember my mother grilling this cousin about frozen Turkey. He told her that the frozen turkeys are not really different, the ones with the butter and such are just pumped with the stuff and put in a bag, all turkeys just get a bag change.
Knowing this info I just buy any old special turkey.
This year I ran around to find a 21lb tom turkey from Lucky's a Grocery here in California. 
I bought my bird on Saturday, Tuesday I tossed him in two turkey bags,(bags are in roasting pan) dumped in the brine and about 2 gallons of water. 
Tom Turkey sat in my little fridge 36 hours.

I washed him off. Patted him dry and added my stuffing. Recipe follows. I  also waited until my stuffing was cool to add to my turkey.


Tom turkey cooked for about 5 hours, at 350 or until the stuffing reached 165 degrees.


The brine was amazing and really made a difference. The meat literally fell off the turkey. 

Felt Banners

 For My sons 1st birthday I wanted to do something special.  I was looking around a bunch of handmade websites and came across something similar to what I wanted. 
Th original plans called for looping the top of the felt so that you could pull a string or piece of fabric thru. I just used grosgrain black ribbon and sewed the pieces of felt with black thread just using a basic stitch on my machine. 

After his birthday I took the banners our from the living room and hung them up in his room.
I left about two feet on each end of grosgrain ribbon as scrap so you can easily tie the banners up.
My Son Loves the banners in his room. Every time someone comes over he has to point up and show his guests his colorful wall hangings. 

The Day After Thanksgiving.

Yesterday included a feast that leaves many a night of leftovers.

Sailor Jerry Indian Girl