baskets

yesterday i bought some more beautiful baskets form our local basket maker :)

carrot scissor pouch tutorial

need: 

- scissors

- outer fabic

- lining fabric - i like to use ikea bolmull

- ribbon or make your own bias tape ribbon ;)

- for template: carboard paper - cheerios box ;) and ruler

1. make a template (sorry, no photo):

 - outline a "carrot" on your pattern-cheerios-box-paper

aprox. 1,75cm larger than your scissors, then cut out.

2. cut fabric:

- using your template, trace 2 outer-fabric

and 2 lining-fabric "carrots"

- cut 2 pieces of ribbon - 15cm long

3. sew ribbon into place with the "right-sides"(if you're

using prints, etc.) of the fabrics facing each other, then

turn inside out.

   

4.  press(iron) so the lining fabic won't be "showing"

when both halves are sewn together

 5. pin both halves together with the right-sides

facing in (linig facing out)

 

6. sew together - carefuly, since you have 4 layers

of fabic...so you don't make overlapping creases

like i did - luckily it doesn't show on the outside!

7. turn right-side out and topstitch and voila!

apple štrůdl beer dough

yes, beer!!!
...i make apple štrůdl (pronouced stroodle - it's like apple pie but in a roll) almost every week and a friend recommended beer dough to me. at first i was a little hesitant - beer, only 3 ingredients and no egg? but i decided to try it and it was the best dough i have ever tried and i'm sticking with this recipe for good!!! so here it is...only i have 4 ingredients, cause i like mine a little sweet(eventhough the beer makes it sweet a little already i still add a tbs of sugar).

400g flour - i use medium(as opposed to finely) ground
125g softened unsalted butter
200ml beer

1 tbsp sugar(optional)

directions:
mix untill smooth and let sit in the fridge - makes it easier to roll out!

note: i'm sure the taste differs a little depending on the beer - i used Svijany - a czech tradtional type of beer. and i would say it's a bit sweeter than american beer.

apple filling:

6-8 apples of choice (my fave is james grieve!)

2-3 tbsp sugar

cinnamon 2tsp
handfull of chopped walnuts (optional)

crumb topping - piškoty or graham crackers

directions for rolling:
- make a strip of apple filling in 1/3 of the dough, leaving
approx. 4cm of the ends blank(they will be tucked in)
- sprinkle a thin layer of crumbs(i just crush the piškoty
with my fingers) on top - to soak up some of the juice
from the apples, so the roll isn'y too soggy)
- fold over the 1/3 flap of dough
- roll over
- add a thin strip of apple filling + crumbs
- fold ends inward
- fold the remaining flap over the top

glaze:
- glaze with a beaten egg
- make fork holes along the top - to let out excess steam

bake:
- 180° C untill golden brown - approx 20 min

dobrou chuť :)

happy valentine's day!

the boys and the deer eating breakfast :)

stuffed fish

ok, so here are the ingredients ;)...

- lightweight paper

- colors - pencils, crayons, paper, etc.

- scissors

- glue stick

this is a project from my FAVORITE craft book: The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Sayre Wiseman....if you don't have this book, get it!!! - great for making and inspiration! it has illustrated tutorials for tons of creative and educational craft projects, mostly using everyday household items.

fleece knee patches

i don't know what kind of gymnastic acts Ji has been doing at preschool, but lately he has been coming home with a new hole in his long johns and play pants almost every day! and eventhough i love sewing, i REALLY hate mending...well,i guess probably everybody does! and since my mended holes have come home as even bigger holes and plain ol' iron-on patches weren't working very well either, i decided i had to make a more heavy duty kind of solution...fleece patches! i think they're cute and the extra cushioning is also great! hope it lasts!

1. cut out patches                                                                       
2. apply fabric glue                                                                       
3. zig-zag stitch                                                                          
                                                                   

1. didn't have my chalk w/ me, so i just pressed a cup against the fleece and twisted it to the right and left a couple of times to leave a mark- quick and easy! btw - if you want an oval shape patch, do 2 overlapping circles.

2. apply fabric glue (i have a dritz fabric glue stick) to patch and glue on to pants...since the knee area is a pretty tight squeeze to do on the sewing machine (and there was no way i was going to hand-sew 3 pairs of johns!...did that already in the fall), i did glue instead of pinning! 

3. zig-zag stich around patch - voila!

p.s. if your hole i a bit larger, you will want to stitch up the hole before doing the patch, so your little one doesn't catch his toes in it! :)     

MY stirring whisk :)

we put away our christmas tree this week and so i gave the stirring whisk project a try...

and it went pretty well :)

i cut the trunk into sections and then debarked them. since i watered our tree every day, it was still pretty fresh, so it was pretty easy to debark it, plus it made our living room smell sooo nice!

now i just have to carve the date onto it, let it dry out and then give it a nice coat of kitchen linseed oil.

here are my tips:

- try to do this project while the tree is still a little fresh, it makes it easier! with dry trees it might help to put the whisk sections into water for a day or so(like my dad suggested)... 

- cut the side(whisk) branches longer than you need and trim after debarking.

- to make a rounded end i used my gardening scissors to chomp around it - much easier than doing it with a knife. 

p.s. like my fish knife? :) i've had this since i was a kid! almost every kid had one of these...they're not too sharp(only if you sharpen it ;). an they still sell them!

Mezirici chocolate sauce

this is the B.E.S.T. chocolate sauce i have ever had! it's our family's traditional recipe, originally from my great grandmother (so i named it after the town where she lived - Mezirici (pronouced mezyreechee)), but i learned it from my wonderful mom, who always made and makes it to top: our delicious b-day cakes as kids, christmas pastries, crepes with strawberries and whipped cream and icecream sundays! ....or we would just secretly take a spoonful.... :)

                          ingredients:

                          3/4 cup sugar

                          50 ml water

                          125 g cool butter

                          2-3 tbsp dutch cocoa

...you might think that i made a mistake with the amt. of water, but i didn't - it really

is the key to making it "creamy"...if you want it more runny, just add a little water.

1. prepare bowl (heat resistant) with butter - small slices or cubes, add cocoa on top
2. combine sugar and water in a pot, med-high heat, stir until disolved and comes to a boil
3. pour the hot sugar-water over the butter-cocoa and stir until all ingredients combine (1-2min)

p.s. the other day my sis sent me the link to banana icecream, and i'm just "ok" w/ bananas, but this was actually really good(and heathy!) and has just one ingredient! and made a great combo w/ the chocolate sauce...since the icecream is so healthy, we don't have to feel guilty about the chocolate, right ;) ?

pf 2012

wishing everyone  h a p p i n e s s  in 2012 :) !