Alive and kicking..

I'm here..

I'm alive..

I've been sewing and creating..

But my connection to the internet.. well, that's another story! Who knew that getting High Speed Internet in the boondocks was such a challenge? This city girl had no clue!

It's also impacting my "city kids" Our oldest misses the internet and last night I made soup and sandwiches for dinner.. I served him his sandwich on a paper towel. His response "Um.. is this a part of our new primitive lifestyle? Serving a sandwich on a paper towel?"

Made me laugh.. and then I replied "If a plate is what you want.. then dishes is what you will do." He giggled.. then enjoyed sandwich as is.

Soon - the satellite dish will be up on the roof and this challenge will be resolved... and I will have pictures and stories to share.

I promise!

Pin It

Lefse... it's what's for Dinner!

Lefse! Have you ever had it? Heard of it? Wanted to try it?

It's a Norwegian/Scandinavian thing. Always around during the Holidays.. YUMMY!! It looks a lot like a tortilla - but it's made from potatos.

I have wanted to make it myself for quite a few years now. But getting all the 'equipement' is harder than I thought. Buying it all new is too expensive for my thrifty blood. So I've been on the hunt at garage sales, used stores.. etc. Still no luck!

So I borrowed the griddle from a friend - she shamefully uses it just for pancakes *gasp*!!

The recipe is from my Sister in Law's - Mother in Law (did you follow that?). It is by far the best lefse I've ever tried!!

Some of the other equipment (besides the griddle) needed are as follows:
Grooved Rolling Pin
Pastry cloth and stocking for the Rolling Pin
Long Tapered stick for turning the lefse
brush for cleaning flour off the griddle between baking.

Now the only thing I actually have is the griddle - but like I said it's borrowed (and she needs it back this weekend). The rest.. I just improvised.

Here are the ingredients that you need:

 8 Cups Potatoes (mashed)
2/3 cup Mazola Corn Oil
2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Carnation Milk
3/4 cup Sugar
3 cups Flour

Start by boiling your potatos in water. Then mash them. Measure out 8 cups and place into a bowl.

Then add the Oil, Salt, Milk and Sugar.

 Allow this mixture to cool completely. Or leave in fridge over night.

 When ready to bake - add your 3 cups of flour and work in with your hands.

Then scoop out a ball and roll out on a floured surface. The size of the ball depends on how big you want each piece of lefse to be. Try to roll as thin as possible.

Also - cold dough is easier to work with so keep in the fridge if you need to.

 Next, place on a hot griddle. I found that 350 degrees worked the best for me. The griddle is dry - no oil of any kind on the griddle. Lefse is baked, not fried.

If you see bubbles - gently poke them to let the air out.

 When bottom is slightly browned.. flip

 When both sides are browned - remove and allow to cool.

But if you are like me.. you can't wait and you spread the butter on while it's warm.

Then sprinkle with sugar.. roll...

 I like to cut mine in half...

 And eat.. Ooooohh.. it's so GOOD!!!!

Making lefse is worth all the work involved.. trust me!

Lefse freezes well. In fact, some lefse lovers claim it's best when frozen and thawed.

There are recipes calling for instant potatoes, but lefse purists consider this blasphemy. Some lefse lovers consider eating lefse with brown or white sugar blasphemy, too. There are many ways to eat it - and everyone thinks that the way they eat it is the only way it should be eaten. And I'm one of those people. I firmly believe that it should be eaten with Butter and White Sugar only!!

But if you are even considering going to the trouble of making your own, you already know how you like it! Pin It

A Whirlwind of a Week!!

Did you happen to see the National Weather earlier this week? There was a hurricane in the upper Midwest. Ok, it wasn't a true hurricane - but it sure looked like one of the radar. When we went to bed Tuesday night, the weather man said "Wind Advisory" for our area. But he didn't say "HOLY SNOW"

 We woke up Wednesday morning to our first snowfall. And when I say "We" woke up.. I actually mean the kids since me and the husband were up half the night because our power went out at around 1:30am. (and didn't come on until this morning.. some 30 hours later!!)

School was cancelled - the kids were thrilled (me, not so much). Since we have been desert dwellers for the past 13 years.. our kids couldn't wait to get out and play and enjoy their first ever "Snowday" home from school.

 They played.. and they played....

Now, one would think that a snowstorm would be the perfect time to get some sewing in. But - without electricity there wasn't much I could do. Made me think that someone needs to invent a battery powered sewing machine!!

So, with my husband at work and the kids forgetting I existed, I decided to shovel the limited amount of concrete that we have. But man was that snow HEAVY... I guess that's why it took the power lines down too. So I just shoveled a path and decided to let my husband finish when he got home (thanks honey).

 And at some point while shoveling.. I think I overheard our dog say "FINALLY, after 12 years, this family realizes that I was meant to live in the snow. Don't they know I'm called an American Eskimo for a reason?!!"

She was so funny! It was the first time in her life that she had ever seen snow and she loved it. She was like a puppy again.

 Behind the house we have a deer feeder. We fill it daily for the deer and it's been fun for all of us.

But since I'm the one that goes down their every day to fill it - I told my husband I want to move it closer to the house for winter. Unless I get a pair of snow shoes.. which isn't likely.

We have even started to name the deer - we have 4 regulars. This one in the picture below is "Mark".

WHY MARK? I'll tell you why! When we were discussing names, my husband said "We should use their markings to help us remember." So our 6 yr old says "Let's call him Mark cuz of his white mark". So here is a picture of Mark..

Here's to electricity!!! Stay warm out there!

Pin It

November Friday Night Sew-In - You don't want to miss this one!!

It's time to sign up for the November Friday Night Sew-in. Commit to some much needed "YOU TIME"

Bobbi and I have a super exciting announcement to make for the November FNSI.. are you ready?

The FNSI Giveaway this month is sponsored by Me and My Sister Designs. Me and My Sister Designs have created many adorable lines of fabric for Moda. If you've never heard of them.. then crawl out of that cave you are living in and click the link and read their blog. They are super fun and funny!

Bobbi and I were lucky enough to meet Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister Designs last January. Their fabric is always bright and fun. And they are also releasing 5 new patterns including a cozy for your iron! So cute! Check them out!

So if you are excited and want to participate in the Friday Night Sew-in this month.. here is how it works.

1. Enter your blog info below. **If you don't have a blog - you can enter the Flickr group link as your URL.

2. Make a post on your blog - letting all your readers know about the sew-in. Spread the word.. we could all use the virtual sewing support and encouragement.

3. On Friday – 11/19/10 - Get your house settled, put on your comfy jammies.. maybe make a cup of tea.. and sit down to work on some of those projects (or anything else that you want to work on.. maybe you want to knit.. or catch up on scrapbooking).

4. Then, sometime on Saturday - publish a post about what you worked on.. show us a picture or two on Flickr. There is a FNSI group on Flickr if you haven't already joined. Totally optional.

And finally - on Sunday 11/21, we will enter all participants into a drawing for the GIVEAWAY!! And it's looking like we will have 4 winners this month! Yes, 4 chances to win!

Pin It

Custom Camera Strap

I'm going to be hanging out with one of my all time best friends this weekend.

We each have the exact same camera - and she's a huge scrapbooker! So I decided to make her a camera strap to surprise her.

The picture quality isn't that great - I had to use my cell phone to take the picture.

I used some scraps that I had of Saltbox Harvest by Deb Strain.

Can't wait to give it to her.. it's something small but I know she's gonna love it. Pin It

I'm all Twisted! And I like it!

Have you heard of the funnest new way to make Pinwheels? I'm hooked!

The creator of this new quilting tool owns a quilt store across the bay in Superior WI. I took a little drive to her Quilt Store the other day. She was so nice and the store was adorable. She gave us a demo of the Lil Twister and I couldn't wait to get home and play with it.

You basically take 5 inch squares - sew them together, add a border.. and then pull out the Lil' Twister and start cutting. Once you start sewing them back together - they look like this. 

I plan to add a couple more squares to this and create a table runner.

You can also use the full size Twister with 10inch squares and make larger pinwheels. I'm going to play with the larger Twister next.. I have a Layer Cake of Verna that's been talking to me. 

What a great way to use some of your scraps too! You could cut 5 inch squares and start Twisting!  

Pin It

Potato Bags

Have you seen them? Heard of them?

My Mom requested these for her and one of my aunts. 

They are for cooking potato's in the microwave. They are also good for corn on the cob and sweetpotatos. Yummm!! Apparently the potatos turn out just like they were oven baked.

They now make special batting just for these bags. It's called Warm Tator and it's free of resins and glues.

I haven't tried one yet.. but I've heard they work great! Have you tried one? Pin It