My friend got me one of those pattern-a-day calendars a while ago, and I've been making strange items from it to send to her in the mail.  The latest is a small bag with an extra long shoulder strap.  I decided to leave off the button closure and used a magnetic snap instead.  The lining is some skull fabric I bought as a fat quarter ages ago.



the inside:


It's not really just big enough for carrying some small items for an evening out on the town.

This one from the television show Heroes and is based on a poster design from: http://votepetrelli.com/


And a bike girl!

So a friend of mine sent me a recipe from the local paper, and I just couldn't resist.  I can't believe I never thought to do this!  I mean I've made marshmallows, and I have a chick shaped cookie cutter and I've never thought to make peeps?  Insanity.

The recipe is online at the newspaper site:
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living/1144437942172890.xml?oregonian?fder&coll=7

Here are some pictures of my finished peeps.

1 package (15) of frozen pre-baked fillo shells
1 cup whipping cream
4 oz. mascarpone
zest of one lime, finely chopped
6 oz. smoked salmon, finely chopped

Whip the cream and mascarpone together to soft peaks. Fold in the zest and the salmon. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Pipe or spoon into the fillo shells.  Serve!

Okay, so they might not be all that hipster, but I like them.

I made these for some friends of mine who moved to Quebec. My French is a little rusty, so hopefully the days of the week are right.  The towels are extra large flour sack towels that measure about 30 inches square.

They're biology/bird-watching nerds, so I used some iron-on patterns for the birds and then freehanded the text. They aren't quite as crooked as they look in this photo.  

I recently tried this cashew loaf which combined a couple of other recipes I had.  I like the flavor, which is reminiscent of thanksgiving stuffing, and the nuts give it, well, a nuttiness. It came out well, but if anyone has any tips for getting it to set up a little better, feel free to chime in.

1/2 lb. roasted cashews
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
1 cup chopped chanterelles or other mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
1 medium red potato
1 T. oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 cup bread crumbs (you might have to make your own)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley
1 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, use less if not kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup water

Saute mushrooms, onion, celery and potato in oil for about 8-10 minutes just to soften vegetables. Add the garlic and sautee for 1 more minute. Combine roasted cashews and garbanzo beans in a food processor. Add vegetable mixture. Stir in dry ingredients. If the mixture is dry, add up to 1/2 cup water. Put mixture into an oiled bread pan. Cover with foil. Bake at 350F for approximately 1 hour. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

I love this fabric!  This is my very first completed article of clothing.  I mostly followed a pattern, but about halfway through, I decided I wanted to add a lining, so I altered the pattern a bit and added a free-hanging lining.  So, I'm about as good at sticking to the pattern as I am at sticking to the recipe.  In the end, things came out okay. 

 

Would it be too weird if I made a matching neck scarf for my dog?

This is my first post ever, so hopefully this works out...

I haven't done any embroidery since I was a kid, but I've been obsessed since I first saw Jenny's website.  I've completed a couple of projects recently.

These are some bistro aprons embroidered as a wedding gift.



These are tea towels, also a gift.  They look perfect on the 1940's wedgewood stove!



Right now I'm working on a full set of days of the week towels!
Thanks, Jenny!