How to Freeze Corn

....otherwise known as stocking up when fresh corn on the cob is in season and on sale.



This past week or two I've noticed that most of the grocery stores here locally are running sales on corn on the cob.  $.10-.17 per ear.  Most have a limit per purchase too, which I find annoying when there are huge bins of corn just sitting there.  There are 7 people at my house...limit 10 or 12 doesn't even give us 2 ears each.

I work around that though and bring my kids or hubby with to each purchase their limit, OR I go thru the self check-out lanes and do a number of separate transactions.  I think that my kids think I am being dishonest this way.  Maybe.....anyway, I do it regardless.  If I didn't do it that way I'd just come back every day and buy my limit.

In anticipation of canning more vegetable soup in the upcoming weeks, I froze some corn to have it ready to go once I am.



Notes:

• 1 large ear of corn is approximately 1 cup corn kernels.
• I put about 8 cups of corn in each gallon freezer bag and flatten it out as best I can before putting them in the freezer.
• Ball Canning instructions for freezing corn found here.  Info from Nat'l Center for Home Food Preservation.
• I use the Pampered Chef Kernel Cutter (see above) to remove the corn kernels.  This gadget is slick. We love it! Great for kids who have braces and can't eat corn ON the cob.  Just saying....

Peasant Tops

I used to make peasant style tops all the time for my bigger girls back when they were little.  They are super easy and super comfy and really you can use cottons or knits without any problem.

I had to buy a new pattern, however, because it appears that I either gave it away or tossed it, having not used it in awhile.  Most likely the pattern I had was too small of a size currently for even my youngest daughter.  Luckily I found a couple on sale at Jo-Ann's for $1 each in bigger girl sizes.

McCall's 6500
Simplicity 4206  Have to say I preferred this one for the top.

The McCall's pattern was so MUCH wider in the body of the top.  We didn't like that.  And the sleeves were 2 pieces--you can't really see it on the pattern, but the McCall's sleeve has a slit in it.  So if you like that style this would be the one for you.  I did like the length of the sleeve better on the McCall's, but I don't have a problem lengthening a sleeve pattern.   And I did use it for the leggings pattern, just not the top.

For the Simplicity pattern on the first top alone I had to add 3" in length for a size 10.  And even then my daughter would've liked it even longer.

So on round 2 I made the shirt more like a tunic for her to wear with leggings.


She liked it so much she wore it 2 days straight before I told her she had to put it in the laundry.

Details:

• Blue & white floral fabric from thrift store for $1.49 or less--it was about 1 1/2 yds. worth

• Navy leggings from a thrifted knit sheet.  We'll have to make some more before school starts as this daughter refuses to wear jeans of any kind.

NOTE:

I've had a few people ask me about the yardage fabric I get at the thrift store.  I go to Unique Thrift Store near my home and they actually have a fabric section in their store with big pieces of fabric, yarn, patterns, notions, etc.  I tend to go every week just to browse--some days I'm lucky to find good stuff and other times they have nothing that interests me.

Dutch Braid Flower Success

A number of months ago daughter #2 found this picture on Pinterest and wanted me to do her hair the same.



Unfortunately the pin didn't have a tutorial or website to go with it.  Just the pic.

While on vacation the girls were browsing Pinterest with their Aunt Ashlee and found a tutorial for this exact hairstyle.

We watched it.
I tried it once on my daughter's hair and it was a success.


Before this she was contemplating cutting her long hair to shoulder length and donating it.
Not any more.

Amish Buggy Quilt Completed

So it turns out the "technical difficulty" with my new camera was me.
Go figure!
Thanks to hubby for pointing out my error.
He's better about the technical stuff than I am--it's that engineer brain of his.

Anyway, I think I am back in business.
Once again I sent one of my quilts on a journey to get quilted by Lynn.

I took this completed top to our niece's wedding in Nebraska in May. Our parents took it with them to Utah right after that and left it with Emily.  She took it to Lynn where she did a nice job with my quilting request. And then when we were just out there a few weeks ago I picked it up.  Last Wednesday night while everyone was at Church activities I finished the binding and now it is DONE!  Yeah!







Details:

• Finished dimensions approx. 65 inches by 73 inches.
• Blue border cut 2 inch strips
• Brown border cut 3 inch strips
• 7 blocks by 8 blocks--tutorial for block here, though we did 2 1/2inch blocks not 2 1/4 inch.

Rectangle spiral quilting--a little modern touch.

Previous post about this quilt.

{Vintage Style} Bedroom Redo -- Decorative Pillows

NOTE:

Even though Emily has moved to a new blog, this was left in the draft pile and I decided to go ahead and post it while I am figuring out how to pull the pictures off my new camera.

Awhile back my MIL gave my girls these lovely heart pillows straight out of the 80's.  They loved 'em... me, not so much.  

When we started talking about redecorating, the girls wanted to incorporate the pillows along with everything else we were doing.  I told them the pillows could stay only if I could recover them.  Reluctantly they agreed.  

 To do this, I basically cut the seem open on the pillows, detached the ruffle, and used the old fabric as my pattern.   I even reused the pillow stuffing inside.   Worked perfectly.   

I think they are greatly improved!

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts about my adventures in room redecorating.  Follow along with me as I attempt to transform my girls' room into a vintage inspired beauty.

New toy

The night of our crazy storm a couple weeks ago hubby and I had gone out for dinner and then also went and bought myself a new camera.  I'd been saving and looking and received some unexpected "grandma money" and so I finally did it.

However, with no power for 4 days immediately after my purchase and trying to get ready for girls camp, I didn't really get a chane to try it out and enjoy it until we went on our trip.  Too many other things happening in between that time.  I also had to wait on the zoom lens until I got back because it wasn't in stock. Bummer! I sure could've used that lens on our trip. Oh well....

Now I'm trying to figure out how to pull the pictures OFF my camera to post some things. Something isn't quite working right.  Not sure if it is me or the computer or what.  So I haven't forgotten about blogging, I've got pics in my camera and posts in my brain that I can't seem to coordinate together.  I am hoping hubby can help me here tonight.

In the meantime I hope everyone is enjoying their summers.
We've had beautiful weather and been going to the pool.
Gotta enjoy the last couple weeks before everyone is off to school.

Glow Bracelet Mania

One of the activities "planned" for the annual 4th of July Bash held at my Aunt Gayle's in Provo was to provide glow bracelets for the kids once it got dark.  Well, at least 3 of us cousins brought a number of packages to share with the 30 or so kids (ages 1 to 18) that were in attendance.  After all was said and done we figured out that we had 400-500 glow bracelets to distribute.


This is a portion of the family crew.

Who would have guessed that this would turn out to be the hit of the evening?

They were making all sorts of creations.




Playing ring toss like games with each other.
Even the adults were getting into it.


There might have even been a bit of hoarding going on.

So here is that group shot minus the flash with all those glow bracelets together.



This is definitely on the "keep" list for next year's party.

Thanks Tiffany for the pics.

Striped Skirts

Love stripes.
Here are few of the projects that I've put together in the last weeks or months that involve stripes.

A knit chevron skirt for daughter #3 that she wore on Easter.


Did my neck binding technique on the hem of this skirt because once again I had limited amount of fabric and with matching the stripes I could only cut it so long.  We wanted every inch we could get.


I think she might be wearing it sideways in this picture......hmmmm.

Red and blue maxi skirt for daughter #2

We chevroned her skirt slightly based on how much fabric we had and the fact that she wanted it flared and not straight.  Had she wanted it straight we wouldn't have done the chevron style.


When she wore this outfit to Church for the first time she said it was the most comfortable skirt E.V.E.R.
I don't doubt it.
Inspired by this post
Fabric find at the thrift store for $3 or less.

Gardener's Sugar Scrub

Well, I'm back in town.
Whew!
Arrived yesterday evening and today I am trying to recover while doing laundry, sorting 2 weeks worth of mail, grocery shopping since the fridge and cupboards were bare, and generally just pick up and put away all our stuff.

So in the meantime, here is a quick post about an easy gift idea or try for yourself idea.

Last Christmas my sister-in-law Ashlee sent me a little jar of this gardener's scrub.
It sat for awhile until a month or so ago when I had been out in the garden and my hands were a mess.  I remembered her little gift and used some to clean up.

Wow!
Got the dirt off easy-peasy and made my hands so soft.

The kids got wind of it and have since used it for dirty summer feet and greasy bike chain hands with equally awesome results.  Once they found the jar it got used up quickly.

While stopping off in Wyoming last week on our way back home Ashlee was nice enough to give me 3 more jars....and the link to the recipe.  I'm so excited.


pic from onegoodthingbyjillee.com

Seriously, make some up and try it.
Your dirty hands and feet will be so happy!

Gardener's Sugar Scrub

Tall Girl T-shirts

In case you who read this blog haven't figured out by now, we grow 'em tall around here.  I'm 6' 2", daughter #1 is pushing 6' 1" and daughter #2 is 5' 9" at almost 14 yrs. old.  Son #1 is 12 and 5' 6"....anyway, the point is we expect to have tall kids.

We happened to come across these tall girl problems on Pinterest.  We laughed and laughed as we read them as most of them we have experienced first hand.  Or at least thought.  I have always worn heels and always will, much to the chagrin of many people.  Sorry, don't care.  When hubby and I were dating one of his roommates was seriously bugged that I wore heels.  He told me straight up, "You don't need to wear heels."  My response to him, "What do you care?  I'm not dating you."

Some of these funny sayings have been made into t-shirts.  We decided to make our own using some of the quotes that we found.

Daughter #1's top favs:

• Tall boys like midgets.
• People tell me I'm tall like I am unaware.
• The weather is exactly the same up here.

We ended up making this shirt.

And for her BFF

She's a good sport.

Organizing swimsuit patterns

Well, we survived the storm of last week.  We finally got power on Tuesday evening.  I had left that morning with my 2 oldest to head out to Church girls' camp.  Then we survived that, with various problems and teen girl drama.  I don't have a lot to post because of all that and we're heading on vacation tomorrow too.  I was hoping to have a couple posts ready for while we are gone, but not sure that will actually happen.  If not, then...I'll just post when I get back.

Here is one little thing I did get done before all the craziness happen.

In the midst of sewing all of the swimsuits I better organized my stash of swimsuit patterns.  They were in this plastic file folder drawer.  It has a locking lid and a handle so I can haul it around easy.  I am still using it, but I changed out the hanging files and used pocket file folders instead.  It contains all the pattern pieces better.

Then I busted out my label maker.  Love that thing!



Now the patterns are categorized (by style mostly) and labeled and I can find which one I want so much easier.

Storm Interruption

This is just a quick note--written while I am briefly hooked up to the internet..

Friday night we had a super storm here in MN.  Hubby and I were out on a date when it hit.  We almost couldn't get home because it was SO BAD.  2 big limbs off one of our ash trees came down into the neighbor's yard, but over the power lines.  We lost power that night and here we are Monday and our home is still without power.  The power guys came and removed the limbs off the lines, but we are not expected to get any until Wed. evening.

Shoot me now!

This sucks!

I had my meltdown on Saturday afternoon.... right before we found a generator at a Home Depot in Bloomington, 30 miles away from us.  Well worth the drive!  And well worth the money at this point. Every thing, and I do mean everything, close by was sold out.  Our neighbor told us where he found his there was fight that broke out over the generators.  Fun times.

I am supposed to be leaving tomorrow for Church girls camp, with possibly still no power.  Not sure if I'll be able to do that.  Can't leave my other kids here in charge of a gas generator while I'm gone.  Could be an even more interesting week.

So, anyway, the point of all this is I probably won't be posting anything any time soon.  Although I did briefly hook up my sewing machine to the generator so that I could applique two more camp shirts for a couple late comers..

If you're the praying type we could use some.  I really need to have power by the morning so I can leave with the rest of the group and know that my kids will be fine too.

Another summer dress for the girl

I don't intend for this to happen (well maybe I do) but it seems that I rarely follow a pattern exactly as directed.  I'm more likely to use it as a base and then embellish it how I see fit....or how my fabric dictates.  I say that because I tend to buy remnant pieces from the thrift store, or end bolt pieces and so I get what I get and then I have to work around it.

That is what happened with this dress.

Had I used a different style and pattern I would've had enough but #3 wanted this particular dress and so I had to "wing it" a bit.  Not enough of the bird print to get the entire dress.  So I substituted one front panel with some red dotted Swiss to make it appear to be an "apron", added an upper band at the empire seam for the apron band and Voila! she is happy with it.





Details:

• Simplicity 5645--used this same pattern for #3's Easter dress in 2012
• Heidi Grace fabric that I probably bought at the thrift store.  Design is "We are Family".
• Topstitched rickrack to each side of the "apron" panel to make it appear more like an apron and not like I had run out of fabric.  

• Added band at empire waist to create the illusion of waistband of the "apron".  It is attached into the side seams and seam attaching bodice to skirt.

• Once again I didn't put elastic in the sleeve hem but added a contrasting band by gathering the sleeve edge onto it.
• Added tiny piping to the faced neckline.  Just sandwiched it between the bodice and facing pieces. And then topstitched it all down.

• Finished the skirt hem edge like I do quilt bindings.  It gives it some body and shape too.

Duct Tape baseball caps

This week has gotten away from me.
We started swim lessons.
Had 2 sports physicals for swim team.
I've been making swimsuits for all sorts of peeps, both others and for my own girls.
I forgot to take pics of 4 of the ones I did for custom orders and already sent off.
It has rained off and on all week.....blech!
However, we did get one glorious day of swimming at our friend Mary Ann's pool.  Thanks!!!

So with the wishy-washy weather here is one of the things my kids have been doing.

My youngest three, mainly my oldest son, are obsessed with duct tape.
We have this cool place called Ax-Man Surplus where you can buy large rolls for $5.
They make all sorts of things.
For awhile there it was lots, and lots, and lots of weapons.

However, just since school has been out last week, son #1 has been making hats.

He was nice enough to make his younger siblings each one too.




Complete with personalization.


And new glasses.






They sort of look like thugs, but they are all happy with their hats.
Daughter #3 even wore hers out in public the other day and got some nice comments from a cashier.

Link to video how-to is HERE

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Father's Day to all!

I hope to post swimsuit stuff next week.

Our Garden is finally IN!

Usually we put our garden in around Memorial Weekend--sometimes sooner if the weather is helpful.  Not this year.  After 21 days of rain in May there never seemed to be a time that we could plant anything.  Finally this past weekend I planted my garden.



The rhubarb (on the bottom left) is going great.  And the strawberries (top right) came back after daughter #3 and I planted them late last year.  I think we got 5 strawberries total last year.

This year, however; things are looking better in the strawberry department.



This other little plot of earth makes me so happy!

This is in the back, off the driveway, side of the house and patio.  This space has been loving the rainy season.  Phlox, salvia, bleeding hearts, hostas, daylilies, and some other stuff I can't remember, but I planted perennials so I don't have to replant every year.  This year I had to divide some of my salvia out.  And next year I may have to do something with the bleeding hearts and daylilies and they are going great guns too.


Last year I found this wooden cardinal somewhere--most likely in someone's trash pile--and added it to the garden.  My kids LOVE cardinals!


I got this rusty water spout from our parents' house over Memorial Weekend.  It was sitting on their patio and had been for some time.  I asked my dad if I could have it and my hubby just rolled his eyes.  Hey!  I've got plans for this baby.

I used the little clay pot that my youngest made for me last year Mother's day and we filled it with some flowers, put it in the water spout, and then added it to my garden space.  I like it's quirkiness there.


So now that the garden is mostly in....bring on the sunshine!

Hot Fudge Cake Recipe--GF and dairy free version

This is one of our most favorite dessert recipes and it is so easy.  We've had to tweak it some with our daughter's food intolerances, but since this has few items we have to alter it makes a good dessert recipe for all of us to enjoy.

Hot Fudge Cake
from Taste of Home magazine.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour  (we have used GF All-purpose flour, WonderFlour***, brown rice flour, and Sweet Sorghum Flour all with good results)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons baking cocoa, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 2% milk (have substituted with both soy and coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cups hot water
• Ice cream or whipped cream, optional (Don't use for those with dairy issues, or use dairy free substitute)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk, oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
• Transfer to an ungreased 9-in.-square baking pan. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and remaining cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over all; do not stir.
• Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve warm. If desired, top with ice cream. 
• Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 piece (calculatd without whipped cream and ice cream) equals 253 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 171 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Originally published as Hot Fudge Cake in Taste of Home April/May 1994, p37

NOTE:
***WonderFlour is not GF, only wheat free, but it can be made on your own by combining equal parts spelt, brown rice, and barley.  I mix it all up together in a large bowl and then run it thru my electric grinder.  You can order the flour online, but it is super easy to do by yourself.

Black Tie Baby Suit

Well, this is the last week of school around here, our local public swimming pool opens on Saturday and I haven't really made any swimsuits for my girls yet.  Life has been too hectic.  It feels like I've just been putting out fires for the last couple of weeks, or maybe months.

I should be making for my daughters, but instead I made another little baby swimsuit.  As I was going thru the stash of swim fabric I pulled out the "little" pieces that I couldn't really use for my daughters.  I had this striped black piece that reminded me of a tuxedo.  And thus was born the black tie (O.K. red bowtie) baby suit.





This suit makes me so happy.

Details:

• Used 3 pearlized snaps (one side--female end--only) as the "buttons" on the shirt.

Snaps on inside of the swimsuit

• 1 1/4 inch wide ruffle.  I ran 2 lines of gather stitches at 1/2" from each cut edge.  Then I went back and used these lines as the topstitch lines when attaching to the body of the suit.
• Topstitched with a small zigzag stitch.
• Bowtie is made from a piece of red grosgrain ribbon. Hand sewn on.
• Used my basic baby racerback swimsuit pattern from Kwik Sew 2512 (discontinued).

Pink Ombre Ruffle Bum Swimsuit

Don't know why I didn't think of this style for a baby swimsuit before......I mean ombre is THE thing of late.

I guess I just needed to find the right fabric (pink swimwear) at the right time ( after receiving another baby shower invite) and at the right place (my favorite thrift store).




Size 2T



This will be heading to Holly's baby shower later this week.  I'm super excited about this little swimsuit.

Seriously, anyone else having a baby girl here soon?!  I might have to make some more of these....they just kill me.

I've got another baby suit coming up tomorrow too. 'Cuz every girl needs at least 2 suits.