sewing for me...just me

Come on fellow sewers, put away every project you are making for someone else and take a moment to make something just for you! You deserve it! I know your sewing tables are heaped with projects for kids, family, friends. They'll still be there tomorrow. Go on and dig into that secret stash of special fabrics you've been keeping for yourself and make yourself a little something special. Like these adorable bloomers...so fun, so cute, so super easy to make!

The pattern is the Madeleine Mini Bloomers from Collette. I've been wanting to make these for quite awhile now so today was the day I put all of my other projects aside and just did it! I adjusted the pattern a bit - I didn't make the buttonholes for ribbon as I wanted to use elastic in the legs for a little more give. I also used a cotton material as I find cotton to be so much easier to work with. I was so happy with the way they turned out - so happy that I made a second pair out of a funky vintage fabric I had laying around.

this moment

love is in the air...

inspired by soulemama

sunday in the kitchen

I've always encouraged my kids to help out in the kitchen. I've been determined to teach them to cook for themselves for some time now and they seem to have successfully mastered a few simple dishes like porridge, pasta, and grilled sandwiches. All these skills will not only serve them well once they fly the coop, but presently gives G and I a little time to sleep in on weekends. Not a bad deal at all, if you ask me. So when Nate asked this morning if he could be in charge of making Sunday night's supper, I could barely contain the 'heck yeah!' that quickly sprang from my lips. 

While he developed a menu...

and began preparing the meal...

I poured myself a glass of wine, took my time making this incredible pie...

and pulled out the art supplies for an afternoon of family craft time before sitting down to a lovely meal that I didn't have to make!

It was plain and simple and just perfect!

sunday in the kitchen

One of the very first things I remember learning how to bake was peanut butter cookies. Finally being old enough to learn some skills in the kitchen was so thrilling. And I'm sure my mother was equally as thrilled to have the eldest of her five children happily take over one of the many large-family responsibilities. It was an exciting new world that had opened up to me.  I had so much fun measuring and mixing and, oh yeah, tasting. Mmmmm, peanut butter cookie dough! I can still taste it even though it has been years since I have whipped up that recipe. I pulled out that old recipe today determined to come up with some acceptable likeness. What I came up with bears little to no resemblance - the butter, peanut butter and eggs all needed to be substituted so as not to kill my food-allergic boy. And 2 cups of sugar? Yikes!

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies
2/3 C tahini
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 C turbinado sugar
1/4 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp hot water
1 1/4 C spelt flour
1/2 C oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
50 g dark chocolate
Mix together wet ingredients - when working with melted coconut oil, ensure all other ingredients are at room temperature. Mix in dry ingredients. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball and place on baking sheet. Using a fork, gently press down middle of cookie. Bake at 350F for about 10-12 minutes - until edges of cookies are golden.


While baking cookies held little appeal for those boys of mine, yelling out 'I'm making pickles' brought that pickle monster of mine running to the kitchen. His eagerness to absorb each step in the process flooded me with those memories of my eagerness to learn how to bake. 

He carefully cut up the cucumbers and forcefully packed that jar full of those crunchy slices. I added a handful of dill, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a pinch or two of sea salt.

He was careful to fill the jar half full of apple cider vinegar and the other half with water. I loosely screwed on the jar's lid and set it on the counter to ferment for a day or two when I will tighten the lid, throw it in the fridge, and hope that they will last the week!

this moment

whoosh!

inspired by soulemama

held captive

I was locked up today - thrown in 'jail'. My crime? Laying eyes upon the secret, 'invisible' fort built by two young warriors. I could have taken them, wrestled myself free. But they were kind captors. They brought me books, they brought me coffee, they even threw a few nacho chips my way. I willingly stayed captive for two whole hours. I felt pampered.

happy new year

The merry year is born

Like the bright berry from the naked thorn.

~Hartley Coleridge

Photo by GZ