I love getting a second use, third or fourth, from items we usually consider, use once and toss. What decorating ideas can you come up with for these sparkly blooms?
Gift Ribbon Coin Ruched Package Trim
Mini Charm Coin Ruched flowers
You can find the TR700 Jumbo Coin Ruching Guide at many fine quilt shops, instore or online. Check my Website www.laurassagecountryquilts.com for a list of shops I know carry all the Coin Ruching Tools.
Help In The Studio
What is the most helpful hint, tip, hack you have learned for making your studio or sewing space your happy place.
I know for me, when I practice a 15 minute “Fire Drill” once a day, usually before I leave my studio at night, I get so much more real sewing and designing done.
Share your hints in the comments.
Happy Stitchin’
Which Way is Up?
Have you every played that game with King and Queen fitted sheets, Which Way is the Top?
Cut light colored strip into 5 inch pieces.
Fold in half, right sides together and sew side seams.
Turn right side out, press, then use a permanent laundry marker to write TOP or other notation.
Sew or safety pin to the top seam of fitted sheets or any item you want to easily identify the top edge.
Pig in a Blanket
Ask for help heating the oven to 375 degrees, and maybe with opening packages.
1 package of Hot-dogs
A large baking pan
A table knife
A little bit of flour
Parchment paper makes cleanup easy
1 slice of cheese, if you like
The tube may pop open by itself or you may have to gently whack it against the edge of the counter.
Don’t whack to hard ?
Unroll the dough and use the table knife to cut the dough apart following the perforated lines.
Stretch each piece a little bit like in the second photo.
Roll them back and forth to dry them off.
This will make the “blanket” stick better.
Roll up like in the second photo.
Then bring the long tail back over the bare spot on the hot-dog.
With your fingers, pinch the seams together.
Use a table knife to carefully cut a slit in the center of the hot-dog.
Don’t cut all the way through.
Cut a half inch strip of the cheese and insert in the slit.
Then wrap in the blanket as shown above.
Place pan in Pre-heated 375 degree oven.
Bake 12-13 minutes until the blankets are golden brown.
Carefully fold up the parchment you were working on and put in the garbage. You should have only the table knife to wash.
When Pigs are baked, use pot holders or oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven.
Let them stand 5 minutes before eating.
You don’t want to burn your tongue.
Use a spatula or pancake turner to remove the Pigs in blankets from the pan.
Remember to turn the oven off.
If you bake these,and mom makes a salad, you will have teamed up to make lunch or dinner.
Serve with catsup, mustard or ranch dressing.
Individual Peach Cobbler
Fresh peaches make yummy cobbler, fruit on the bottom with a sweet biscuit on top.
1/4 cup biscuit mix (like Bisquick)
1 Tablespoon milk
1/8 tsp lemon juice
Some sugar and some cinnamon
And, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Ask for help because you will be working with a sharp knife.
With the sharp knife, cut a small X in the bottom of the peach and place it stem end down on a microwave safe plate.
Place plate with peach in microwave oven and cook on high 30 seconds. This will loosen the skin. This is called blanching, slightly cooking something.
( If you want to blanch more than one peach, add an additional 10 seconds cooking time for each peach, two peaches take 40 second and three would take 50 seconds.)
While the peach is blanching, fill a medium bowl with cold water (you can add some ice-cubes if you have them). this will help loosen the fuzzy skin and cool the hot peach.
Be careful, peeled peaches are slippery
Then cut the peach halves into thin slices.
Add 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar and a dash of ground cinnamon.
What is a dash? A dash is like one shake only with a little sweep to it.
Stir well again
Place the round on top of the peaches in the dish and press down gently. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp granulated sugar and several dashes of cinnamon.
Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and biscuit is golden brown.
Mom, Dad or the babysitter will appreciate this.
Put a very small amount of dish soap in the mixing bowl. Fill with hot water and wash all the spoons, knives, plates and other items you used. Rinse well and set on draining mat or dish drainer to air dry.
Let it stand about 10 minutes before eating. You don’t want to burn your tongue.
If you have whipped cream of vanilla ice cream, they go very well with Peach Cobbler.
I hope you are all having fun trying new recipes and learning cooking skills.
Next week, Pigs in a Blanket.
Pizza Pockets
Frozen dinner rolls, pizza sauce, sliced pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, cooking spray, a little all-purpose flour, large baking pan, rolling pin and measuring spoons.
but you may make any number you like.
Let’s get started!
Four (4) hours before you want to bake Pizza Pockets, you will need to thaw the rolls and let them raise.
Spray the baking pan with baking spray.
Place the frozen rolls, 3 inches apart on the pan.
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that you have sprayed with cooking spray.
This will keep it from sticking to the rolls.
until they are very puffy and about 3 inches across.
Note:
If your mom or dad make bread dough, you can turn some of the dough into pizza pockets using the size piece you would use for a dinner roll.
(I like to cover the surface with freezer paper, waxed paper or parchment paper because it makes clean up easier.)
Remember, we don’t want to leave the kitchen messy.?
With your fingers, press the raised dough flat,
then using the rolling pin, working from the center out, roll the dough very thin until it measures 6 inches across.
Note:
If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a jar or drinking glass with straight sides.
leaving 1/2 inch uncovered around the edge.
Use a measuring tablespoon to make sure you don’t get to much sauce.
To much sauce will make a messy Pizza Pocket.
Can you see them hiding under the cheese in the second picture?
Measure 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella cheese.
The cheese will hang out of the measuring spoon a little bit.
Sprinkle over sauce and pepperoni.
Brush a small amount of water all around outside edge of dough.
Then starting at the center of the pocket,
bring two opposite edges together and pinch with your fingers to seal,
then working toward each end, keep pinching and sealing.
Place Pockets bake on the pan you raised the dough on.
Take note of the third picture.
A paper towel, like in the third picture, is handy for wiping your fingers when they get too wet and the dough sticks to them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
When oven is heated, carefully open the oven door and place pan on center rack.
Close the oven door.
Set a kitchen timer for 18 minutes.
Don’t keep opening the oven door to peak or baking take longer.
If your oven has a window, turn on the oven light and watch through the window.
In the sink or dish pan, put a small amount of dish soap and fill with warm water.
Wash, then rinse off the soap, all the utensils you used, rolling pin, measuring spoons, small dishes, even the ruler you used to measure.
Place them in a dish drainer or on a drying mat to air dry.
Wipe any spills from the kitchen counter.
Mom will appreciate the clean kitchen.
If not brown enough, close the oven door and set the timer for two more minutes.
When done:
Use pot holders or oven mitts to carefully remove the pan from the oven.
Use a spatula or pancake turner to carefully remove the Pizza Pockets to a cooling rack.
Wait five (5) minutes before eating.
The filling is HOT!
You don’t have to cut them in half to eat, I just wanted you to see what they look like inside.
Now that you have the basic recipe down, you can experiment with additional ingredients.
Olives
Mushrooms
Cooked Sausage
Cheddar or American Cheese
Just be careful to not over fill or they will pop open while baking.
Leftover Pizza Pockets may be reheated in a toaster or toaster oven.
Microwave…..not so much.
Summer Cooking-Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients 
Utensils
9 x 13 inch pan.
The sandwich bag will keep you from getting to greasy.
Keep stirring.
Keep stirring.
Quickly stir the mixture with the wooden spoon to evenly coat with the marshmallow mixture.
The heavy kettle will be hot, so use potholders to hold the pot.
Quickly scoop all the Rice Krispies mixture into the buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
Use the butter spatula to press the Rice Krispies mixture into the buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
I know, it is hard to wait.
Mom will appreciate a clean kitchen.
Put the kettle in the sink.
Add a small amount of dish soap.
Fill the pan with warm water.
Wash the utensils in the soap water and rinse well.
Set then on a towel or in a drainer to dry.
The kettle will clean up easily after soaking while you washed the other dishes.
This may require strong hands so ask for help.
Package in snack bags or cover tightly.
Don’t eat them all at once, save some for tomorrow.
Recipe:
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
40 large marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine
Tie On Emergency Face Mask
You will need 1 Fat Quarter close-weave, all cotton fabric (18 x 22 inches) and a spool of sewing thread, scissors, and rotary cutting equipment is very helpful
and 4 strips, 1 1/4 inches by 22 inches
Or, if you happen to have some pre-made folded binding on hand, you can skip the strips and cut a third 6 x 22 inch strip.
Seriously, pressing will make your life easier in this project.
Place the center fold at the center of a pleated edge and pin in place through all layers. then use two more pins to secure at the edges of the mask.
This is not a wedding dress!
Just stitch across the tiny end, turn and sew down the open side of the tie, close to the edge. Your machine may be finicky about this step, but go slow and talk sweetly to it, and it should cooperate.
Basted Freezer Paper Applique Tips
Applique shapes are cut from freezer paper and pressed to the wrong side of desired fabric with a dry iron (no steam). Then using needle and thread and a long running stitch, fold the seam allowance around the papers cut edge, creating a smooth fold and sew in place.
Using a contrasting color of thread for basting, makes removal after applique easier. These leaves are ready to be appliqued.
Most applique shapes have curved edges. Convex curves like the piece to the left, gather in easily. Concave curves on the piece to the right, require some clipping to lay flat. Note the clip at the point of the scissors. This clip was made after sewing the basting stitch. Clips should go only half way to the edge in the seam allowance.
Use fine pins or a basting glue to secure to background of applique piece. Applique with matching thread. When done, remove basting then on the back of piece cut a small slit in the background fabric and pull out freezer paper.