A healthy, delicious supper!

(Photo by Taste of Home)

Back in November, I took advantage of a $5 subscription offer from Healthy Cooking magazine.  I have received two issues so far and am very pleased with the magazine.  It has fantastic recipes and some interesting articles.  In the first issue, which was December/January, in the quick and easy section for suppers, I found these two recipes:  Chicken Sausage with Peppers and Cheese Smashed Potatoes.  They were suggested as main dish and accompanying side dish.  I made this meal for my dad (I cook for him several times a week) and also for Mr. T and myself, and we all enjoyed it. 

The only thing I changed with the sausage recipe was to use all orange peppers instead of different colors.  I had been given some orange peppers, and I don't quibble with colors on free food!  In the potato recipe, I had only russet potatoes so used them, and I did peel them as the outsides weren't too appetizing-looking.  And, I was out of shredded cheddar, so I substituted 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese for the 2/3 cup cheddar, reasoning that as it is a sharper, more flavorful cheese I could get by with less.  Both substitutions worked out just fine -- and I must add that no one could taste the cauliflower in the potatoes.   Both of these recipes are "keepers" for me.  Hope your family enjoys these if you try them out!

Weekly Goals 2/5/2012

(Photo taken February 4!)

During the last few days of January, I finally identified some goals for 2012, and I also reached the conclusion that it would be a good idea to set a few weekly goals that would help me to reach the yearly ones.  My intent is to try and do a "Weekly Goals" post every week and also to recap how I did with the previous week's goals.  Obviously I can't post a list of everything I hope to accomplish in a given week; I will just post a few weekly goals that line up with the yearly ones.  So here is this week's list:

1.  Memorize Psalm 19:7-10.
2.  Read one chapter in Essential Virtues.
3.  Exercise 3 to 5 times.
4.  Plan healthy menus; cook healthy meals.
5.  Declutter for 1 hour in computer room.
6.  Make 8 small craft items for gifts or possible sale.
7.  Work ahead on study for next Sunday School lesson.


Now, as to how I did last week.  I only fully accomplished 2 of my seven goals -- planning healthy menus and writing to faraway family.  I partially accomplished 3 of the seven goals, involving Scripture memory, decluttering, and crafting.  I had planned to memorize 5 verses and only managed two, but went on to a different passage for this week to stay with the program I'm trying to use.  I only spent about 15 minutes decluttering and crafted 3 of the small items.  And 2 of my goals -- exercise and reading -- were not accomplished at all.  So I am definitely hoping for a better week this week!

Delightful giveaway at Prairie Flower Farm!

(Photo by Prairie Flower Farm)

Yes, Linda is having another sweet giveaway this week.  She is giving away this delightful set of salt & pepper shakers in the shape of a teapot and teacup.  Aren't they sweet?  The giveaway ends on the 11th, so head on over to Prairie Flower Farm salt & pepper giveaway and get in on the fun!

Teatime Table Runners

Some years ago, my mother gave me a bag of vintage handkerchiefs.  Some had been mine as a child, some had been hers, and I think some are even older than that.  She had kept them in a fabric bag in a dresser drawer all those years.  I just don't believe in doing that with heirlooms -- stashing them away so that no one, not even the person who stashed them there,  ever sees them or enjoys them.   I have always wanted to put these hankies to some good use, and had actually planned to make them into a quilt.  I was so determined to do this that I had found a free pattern I wanted to use and had even bought the fabric for the quilt.  I had even tried sewing several of the vintage hankies into the center of the quilt blocks.   But as much as I wanted to make the quilt, I just couldn't get enthused about the project or get off the ground with it.  I don't know if other people ever feel this way about projects, but sometimes I do.  It just wasn't looking as nice as I hoped, and, truth be told, was somewhat of a boring project.  (Hope my grandchildren never read this, as they are not allowed to use the "B" word.)

This year, I came up with the idea to use some of the hankies to make a table runner instead.  I wanted to make more of these for gifts, so I decided to use the kids' hankies that had been mine as a child in blocks for a sample table runner and see how it all worked out.  I decided to use the hankies as "doilies" or "napkins" under various tea-themed items such as teapots, teacups, etc. which I would applique out of coordinating fabric.  Well!  It took quite awhile, and some time on the part of several craft forum friends, to find enough motifs to use for the tea-themed items, but in the end, I ended up with more than enough ideas.

I made the runner for myself this summer, and it turned out quite well even using the cartoon-themed hankies and the brighter colors.  It was a fun summer project.

Half of the more colorful runner

The second half of the colorful runner

 I planned to make two more, one for each of my daughters, for Christmas.  The hankies for theirs are some of the prettier floral designs, plus others.   I managed to get one runner done in time for Christmas, and finished the second one in mid-January.  Now that it is safely in Carrie's hands, there's no more need for secrecy and I can share pictures.

Half of the pastel runner

A simple cup of tea

A cupcake

The other half of the runner

Stack of teacups

Teakettle ~ love the unusual design on this hanky

A simple teapot

Teapot with teacup ~ I got the inspiration for this design from a motif on a child's tin tea set!

Hope you have enjoyed this look at my tea-themed table runners!  I am so happy to have found a use for those vintage hankies so they can be seen and admired at last.

The oldest UFO

Yes, I think this was it ... the oldest unfinished object in my craft room.  I can't tell you what a great feeling of accomplishment it was to finally cross this off my list after 30+ years.

My husband used to love playing chess.  At the time I started this project, he was in the process of acquiring a set of collectible chessmen.  I had seen this nifty chessboard needlepoint rug in a magazine and decided that he needed to have one as a fitting backdrop for his chessmen.  I sent away for the pattern, yarn, and canvas needed.  There were no craft stores in our area then; just a department store or two that did sell craft supplies, but nothing like this.

A closer look at the medieval village border; you can see the color difference in the inner tan border to the upper right.

Partway through the project, I ran out of one color of yarn for the inner border.  I matched it locally as best I could (there were only a few inches to go) and continued on.  And, after a number of years (I can't even remember how many), I finally finished the stitching.  Meanwhile, my husband almost never played chess anymore and has never even used the collectible chessmen now residing in the attic.

This shows a corner motif.  Two are trees, and two are suns.

The rug, folded in a pile with other UFOs, grew old and tired looking as it waited for me to figure out how to finish it.  A couple of years ago I decided to finish it, but it was dusty and creased so I tried washing it.  I figured if it got totally destroyed, I could then throw it away with a clear conscience.  Well, it didn't get totally destroyed.  But the canvas disintegrated on two opposite sides of it into fringes several inches long.  I refolded the rug and returned it to the pile; it obviously couldn't be finished using any simple method.

This year I determined it would be finished.  If nothing else, the grandkids would enjoy playing checkers on it.  So I took it in hand.  The intact edges were sewed down on the back of the rug.  The fringed edges were taped down with yellow duct tape on the back.  Then I cut a piece of light green felt to fit the back and sewed it in place to protect the stitching.  Finally, to tie everything together, I crocheted a black edging around the entire rug. 
 
Finished at last!  Bring on the checkers!

Cinnamon Almonds ~ a healthy snack

The other day I was browsing through one of my favorite Jane Brody cookbooks,  Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet, and came upon a recipe for cinnamon-toasted nuts.  I had bought a bag of wonderful whole almonds at a terrific price a couple of weeks ago, and had been wondering just how to use them other than snacking on them plain.  Jane's recipe calls for both almonds and hazelnuts, and uses double the quantity that I used.  I chose to only make half the recipe because I wanted to be able to use some of my almonds for something else.

I must emphasize that these almonds are not a sweet, glazed type of snack.  They are plain and simple, roasted almonds dusted with cinnamon.  The only sweetness comes from the nuts themselves and the cinnamon.  But you might find, as I did, that they make a satisfying, healthy snack (in moderation, of course) that will help you stick to a healthy eating plan.

Here's the recipe:
CINNAMON ALMONDS
1 cup whole almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400º.  Spread out the almonds on a baking pan.  Sprinkle the cinnamon over the almonds and stir to combine.  Toast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Cool before eating or storing.  I put mine in a little jar and they are retaining their cinnamon flavor nicely.

February 1

... and, in the dormer window by my crafting desk, a somewhat confused Christmas cactus.

(Photo was taken on Monday so it is even prettier now.)

I noticed on Monday that a blossom was coming and turned it so that side of the plant was away from the cold window.  What am I  to think?  This cactus has bloomed at odd times before, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Civil Rights Day and St. Patrick's Day.  Maybe it's a holiday cactus .. it will still be blooming tomorrow on Groundhog Day!  No matter, its cheery color and exuberant blossom brightens up this dreary winter day.