Accidental Chef: Christmas Gifts of Sweetness

This might be the most important post I ever write ... it's about making Pralines. I don't know much about the other 48 states, but in Texas and Louisiana this is one of the food groups. This isn't my recipe either. My sister-in-law posted it on her Facebook page earlier this month, hinting she'd like some. (Though she didn't want to have to wait until Christmas!!) Since my husband has his third of 4 finals tonight and wouldn't be home until 10 p.m., I thought I'd try a test batch.

*** Note: The recipe was originally posted on I Love Texas Recipes Facebook page in December of 2013. 

It was quite simple ...

Ingredients:

Directions:

I had a lot of fun, despite my 4-year-old having a momentary crisis at the "critical" stage (step 4). The whole process was fun, and except for needing a lot of pecans, I had most of the supplies in my "winter" pantry.

Here's a look at my adventure ...

So really the only thing I changed was using wax paper. There is very little that I use wax paper for because most times you can substitute The Appliqué Pressing Sheet by Bear Thread Designs. While the craft sheet was originally created for fusible appliqué, its non-stick surface has also made it a interchangeable tool for other crafts and cooking.

The Appliqué Pressing Sheet comes in 3 sizes and you can special order a specific size as well. Since my parents' own the company I get leftovers, so as you can see, I have a roll of small pieces. These 3 pieces are slightly longer in width than a butter knife, so I have to us several. 

I spooned the mixture onto the sheet and let them cool for about an hour for the first batch, because I had to make dinner. The second batch was plated after about 30 minutes and sent next door when she brought over Lil Monkey's Christmas gifts we'd been hiding there.

Both batches made 14 Pralines each. When it came time to plate them, they just slid right off. I liked the sheet was study enough so that I could lift it up and check to see if they had cooled all the way though.

Then, I wrapped the extras for my sister-in-law and put them in a container that I am sure she will agree is too small! It only held 8, so I guess I'll put some on a holiday plate for her as well. I'm officially the favorite sister-in-law, at least for now.

** Note: Is The Appliqué Pressing Sheet has been stored rolled, as above, lay it on the work surface with direction of roll facing downward. 

** Note: Once The Appliqué Pressing Sheet has been used with food, it cannot be used on craft projects. 

Until our next cup of tea ...

All That Glitter Isn't Gold ...

I wonder how long it will take me to write this post, because I literally have glitter everywhere on me ... hands, legs, face ... even my eyes! There's like this little glimmer when I look around, maybe its on my eyelash ...

Well, tonight (last night once this posts), I spent the afternoon and part of the evening making pretty, little glittery ornaments for my Pink Christmas tree. Once day, when we finally have a place for this second tree, it is going to be decked out in all sorts of shiny homemade ornaments. 

Last weekend, I braved the after Thanksgiving shopping madness (on Sunday) after my son's play date. It was a well thought out plan because I knew he'd be tired and sit in the cart and play with his LeaPad. I managed to get quite a few things onsale or with coupons. One of them was a variety of mismatched cardboard Christmas ornaments. 

Tpday, I decided to get started on decorating two shapes, the stars and a dreidel sort ofshaped ornament. The plan was quite simple, I would use a paint brush to spread glue onto the ornaments and them sprinkle with glitter and let dry, then do the otherside. It wasn't so much the technique I was using, but the work-surface.

You see that brown matt laying under my supplies, that is a Grip-n-Press by Bear Thread Designs. They actually have a variety of work-surface protectors, but this one was the best choice for this project.

First, the bottom has a non-skid material on it which keeps it from moving around on my table. That is quite important with a curious 4-year-old wandering in and out of the kitchen while I worked. The top side is a non-stick surface. Since nothing sticks to the surface, I poured my glue right on top of it, like a paint palette. Once I'm finished, I can just wipe up any excess with a wet paper towel (or baby wipe) and lt it air dry. Even dried glue/paint/etc wipes right off! Love it!!

To make the ornaments, I just "painted" glue on a small section of the ornaments, then sprinkled glitter over it.

Wht a fun and quick project! The silver stars turned out better than I imagined, and the pink will have a second layer later since I got a really light colored and fine textured glitter. Its a baby pink and the brown cardboard shows through. 

Later, after they dry completely, I will cover with a resin or other protecting agent to make sure the glitter doesn't fall off.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Mommy Humor: When the Crib is Outgrown

Every mommy knows there are a few guarantees in raising children, one of those being that kids will grow. Now there are lots of reasons for keeping stuff beyond its usefulness ...

1. Save it for future children

2. It's still in good condition and throwing it away would be a waste.

3. Hadn't gotten around to taking it to a donation site or give to someone with a child younger.

4. (My weakness) "It was my baby's and I can't part with it!"

Well, last night, something I hadn't gotten around to getting rid of came to good use - in an unconventional way. 

My mom came over to pick up some stuff and help me with my (Quiltsmart) Lone Robin border for the next meeting for the Round Robin group. 

In my creative area of our office space, I have Lil Monkey's crib mattress leaning against the wall. I've offered it to 3 soon-to-be moms, who didn't need it for one reason or another. 

So last night, while trying to decide what fabric to use for a border, we tried laying it out with different fabrics and borders I'd been working on to see what combos would work best. While looking for a place to lay it out, my mom saw the mattress and said, "Can we pin it to that?" Laughing, I agreed. 

So, just like that, I suddenly had a display work surface. I'm really going to miss it when we finally get around to getting rid of it.

(** Note: this was not the border chosen for the next meeting. This border is the Diamond Border, part of the Smart-ease series. I absolutely love it!!! I'll post a photo after I reveal at the meeting on Sunday.)

Until our next cup of tea ...

Crafty Kid: Passing the Christmas Torch

Yesterday my husband had his first law school final for the semester, so he didn't get home until nearly 9:30 p.m. After dinner, the Lil Monkey started to get antsy, so I enticed him to clean up so we could make some Christmas ornaments for our holiday gifts (and a few for the tree). 

Now, I am a self-diagnosed with control issues when it comes to crafts and creative stuff for sure. So, I really have to remind myself that doing crafts with him does not have to be picture perfect or even make sense some times. It's about being creative and having fun. He's 4, so there is lots of time for people to put him "in a box" or give him parameters later.

Earlier this week, we had tried to make some reindeer ornaments but didn't get too far because he was getting frustrated with the glue no drying instantaneous! This time, we were making wreaths, from a prepared kit, just like the reindeers. This time, I set him up at the kitchen table, with all of the pieces sorted and said we were going to do an assembly line - I would tie the string on foam wreath and then he could glue the buttons on them. Later we would tie the bows and glue them on. He had no idea was assembly-line was, but said we were working like elves. Ok, elves it is. 

We got quite a few of them done in that last hour before bed time. He event invited his imaginary friends, Stella and Sam, to help us. Then he helped them with the glue and buttons later on so that they would have some ornaments too.

I guess tonight we may try to get some more done. It was fun working on this project and watching him decided what "patterns" he wanted to use for the red and white buttons. We talked about taking the "centers" that we pulled out of the middle and making about half of them Mickey Mouse themed, but we'll see. I'm not sure if he will want to put a photo in the center or not. I'll let him decide when we get to that stage.

While we are on the subject of kids crafts, the Lil Monkey also made these ornaments with my sister, Moo-Moo, when we were visiting my family last weekend. 

I encourage you crafty moms to include your children in activities. Sometimes it hard, I'll admit, because I want something to be perfect. But I always try to keep a spare project nearby so that if he does try to help on a not-so-kid-friendly project, I can give him something to do to keep his creativity inspired.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Getting Out and Enjoying the Farm Life!!

Our Thanksgiving week start off with a bit of activity, but when it came to Thanksgiving Day, we were blessed with calm and quiet. We spent the morning at home with my husband showing the Lil Monkey how to play a few kid-friendly games on the xBox, then Monkey really had a blast with his new Human Body game on his LeapPad when the hubby had to start studying for law school finals which started today (yikes). Meanwhile, I relaxed with a cup of Community Coffee (yum!) and some Pumpkin English Muffins while I watched a few Christmas movies. 

About lunchtime, we dropped off the rental car and headed over to my husband's aunt's house for a great meal and family time with her and her family as well as a few closer-than-family friends (those are the best). While our Lil Monkey decided to be difficult and as picky about what he would eat, hubby and I filled our bellies with a variety of dishes leaving only enough room for a small amount of guilt.

The next day was not so quiet. We aren't even tempted to try Black Friday, so as usual we loaded up and headed to the local Christmas Tree Farm. 

We had quite the adventure. First we trekked out to the trees with the measuring pole and saw, then walked around for a bit looking for the perfect one.  There were some that we small, some that were big. There were even some with birds nests or pinecones in them!! Eventually, we found one that we all agreed was the best and Dear Hubby cut it down. Then we began the walk back to the front of the farm.

Once we had the tree, we had to wait to have it measured and "shaken" (they shake the tree to get rid of all the loose needles and any critters who hitched a ride.) While my hubby stood in line, the Lil Monkey and I decided to go for a hayride. The tree farm is actually two neighboring farms with different trees that work together during the holiday season. The hayride actually takes you out to tree sections and will bring you and your tree back, but we like to walk. We decided to take the ride to see all the different areas in the farm, some that we haven't been to yet. It was lots of fun!

Once the tree was measured and loaded onto our truck, we headed home. Later that night we turned on the Christmas music, pulled all the decorations out of the attic, and got to work decorating the tree.

It's always such a treat to remember the memories and activites that led to each of the Christmas ornaments joining our collection. I can't wait for the Lil Monkey to have the same experience. 

I am really happy that he is finally at an age where we can make lots of ornaments. Look out family, you're getting some for Christmas!!

I'll share photos of some of ur favorite ornaments later.

Until our next cup of tea ...

The Mis-Adventures of the Holiday Travelers

Well, it has been 1 week and 1 day since my last post, and so much has happen. Some planned adventures, and some not so planned misadventures.

I left off with a post about going home the week before Thanksgiving and showing my son where I grew up abnd making memories wiht my grandma like I did as a child. On Saturday, we had an impromptu potluck gathering of about half of my siblings (well 5 of the 12 of us). My dad and grandmother also joined us. It was so fun to sit around, swapping recipes, tell jokes, and watching the cousins play, something my little guy doesn't get to do since he doesn't have any near us his age. (I have 2 cousins in their early 20s, then he was the next baby, about 16 years apart.)

We grilled G-Ma on her recipe and technique for the Jambalaya she'd made the day of our arrival. Getting her to sit still long enough to write down a recipe, so we all peppered her with questions while she sat and watched us finish cooking. I made notes amid the laughter, and with a little clarification later that day, we ended the weekend with one of G-Ma's secrets. Not bad. Now, I just have to remember to send it to all the sisters, sister-in-laws and cousins.

(I think my younger sister, called Moo-Moo by the little ones - is a kid-whisperer. She definitely has a magical touch.)

The Lil Monkey and I came back home on Monday and turned around Tuesday morning and accompanied my dear hubby to Fort Polk, for some Army-related appointments he had for that day. The plan was to drive up that morning, take care of the meetings and get some uniform stuff he needed and some alterations. We had hoped to meet up with some friends and then head back home the same day.

Unfortunately, about 30 minutes from the Army base, in the back roads of Burkeville, Texas, a deer ran out in front of my husband's truck and though none of us were hurt, the truck was damage beyond being driveable. 

Not to get into the long story of it all in this post, we ended up having to stay overnight at the base - totally unprepared for that adventure. When we finally were able to find a rental car and come home the next day, I realized that we'd have to get creative sharing my Tahoe until his truck was fixed. That meant that blogging was put on the back burner because he has law school finals starting next week and has to study at home instead of the library now, so I have to entertain (and distract) our 4-year-old. 

We did have some adventures which I will get posted this week, barring any more surprises, to include a trip to the Christmas Tree Farm, a Pinterest (Almost) Fail and more.

Thanks for visiting The Teacup Collector's Cottage.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Travel Back Home, Travel Back in Time

These two photos make my heart melt. The first is when my patnernal grandmother met Jamie for the first time at 4 months old. We were living in Florida at the time and had come to Texas for a month to visit family while George was on a trip for the Army. We also made a trip to Lousiana during this time for a week or so where we met my new niece who was a month old at the time.

This second photgraph is from this weekend. George had some studying to do before he could start our weekend activities and so Jamie and I decided to visit my Dad and his side of the family for a few days so he could get it done without interruption. 

Within an hour of arriving, I also learned that one of my grandmother's dearest friends had passed away that morning, it was definitely eye-opening to realize that she is not the young grandmother I still remember from when I was Jamie''s age. It's hard to face the fact that we are all aging and time is not on our side.

Yesterday, we spent quite a bit of time at my grandmother's house, where Jamie played in the same area I did as a child. 

Just like when I was a child, he walked with her to the mailbox to check the mail, something my 11 siblings, 4 cousins and I used to race each other to do when we visited. Of course, we all had the luxury of growing up next door to her, three houses in a row. All together on almost a daily basis.

We also picked acorns, which were HUGE! And she pushed him a little on the old tire swing. We walked around looking at her trees and flowers, inspected the birdhouses and sat on the porch. 

It was truly a memory-making day for him. I'm glad we are taking the time to do this.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Mommy Humor: Carpool Crafts

Yesterday, I posted about being able to get some projects done despite a full weekend and last week I shared a conversation with Quiltsmart Mandy about life with small children and quilting. Some days are easy and some days are a losing battle. 

The reality is that as a mom of a 4-year-old who walks the fine line of independence and not being able to get  out of bed without Mommy's help, I never know if my creative to-do list will pass his approval. While I struggle to figure out a balance with one child, I stand in awe of moms who dod it while being completely outnumbered by a collection of compact carbon copies who can turn a quiet afternoon into a whirlwind with flurries that rival Mother Nature's best efforts.

But the one thing that most moms learn from that first week they are tasked with caring for these tiny human being who will one day run the world is multi-tasking. Well, that and how to sleep standing up.

Those early years where your child sleeps so little you think you'll never be able to use those new sheets are just building up your tolerance to sleep deprivation because you have to wait until after the little ones are asleep and the husband has settled into the recliner with the remote control. 

"Night Life" takes on a whole new meaning when it comes finding time to finish a quilt in that magical 3-hours window of midnight to 3 a.m. There's something just so magical about ripping stitches in the moonlight.

As a mom, whether you have one or 10 kids, you learn to treasure those free moments of crafting almost as much as those peanut butter and jelly kisses. 

This year my on started school for the first time and I am learning that getting to carpool a little early not only allows me to pick up my son before the older kids carrying large instruments and big backpacks are released and start to slow down the line, but I have a little bit of free time to work on one (or more) projects that I always have in my bag. That bag may look professional with Media Kits and magazine samples, but along side those lay a bag of sewn Quiltsmart projects that need to be cut and flipped, a needlepoint project that just might be finished for Halloween 2015 or bells that need to be strung on ribbon for a Christmas ornament.

So, I have become that mom in the long carpool line, dancing to cranked up country music with a variety of crafting supplies spread out on the passenger seat while she make Christmas ornaments, teachers' gifts, or cross stitching a kitchen towel or baby gift for a new baby.  I'm that mom that has somehow spilled a bag of beads or managed to get glitter all over the steering wheel because she was dancing AND crafting while waiting for the littlest love of her life to come bounding out of school with stories of his latest adventures.

If I see you in the car in front of me trying desperately to untangle a skein of yarn or chasing a loose spool of ribbon across the car, I'll be sure to offer a knowing smile and nod because let's face it, this may be the quietest crafting time  you have the the rest of the day!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Life and Crafts: A Balancing Act

What a busy weekend we had! It's been a few days since my last post because we really ran around a lot this weekend. Lunch with my parents, trip to a quilt shop where Grammie got to show off the No. 1 Grandchild to her friends, a trip to the store to start our first ever holiday village, with A LOT of input and advice from the littlest among us. Who knew he was such an expert!?!

I was able to get some work started on a variety of projects this weekend, including some work on the next border row for my Lone Robin which is Quiltsmart inspired this year. I can't show you what I am doing, but I can tell you that I am excited about the technique that I am using for this border.

I actually spent a little time throughout the past few days conversing with Mattie and Quiltsmart Mandy about project notes and ideas. So inspirational when you find friends who share the same interests and passions.

There was so much going on event through yesterday and this morning that I am only now getting to sit down and write it all down. In fact, I am sitting here with a fireside seat at La Madeleine, ready to write a book, but I only have time for a blog post or two. Mmm, this tomoato soup is amazing ... Oh, right. I'm on a time limit!!

I also made some Christmas ornaments this weekend and will post as soon as I take photos.

This time of year is filled with so much inspiration everywhere! The past few weeks I have been out delivering the Winter Issue of TEAinTEXAS and I have visited about 5-7 antique shops a week. Just this morning, I visited an antique shop and found a lost treasure that will eventually find a home at my mom's house, but I'll tell you all about it before then.

My list of Quiltsmart projects is growing, but still manageable. There are some quick projects that I will be showing finished soon, and some that will take a little bit more time as my calendar fills with holiday activities. 

Until our next cup of tea ...

Keeping Warm with Christmas Creations

Brr! The cold has finally reached the Gulf Coast with a cold front moving in and waking us with temperatures in the low 40s. While I would've been happy to snuggle under some quilts, we were up and getting ready for the day with only the slightest drag at the prospect of heading out into the chilly winds. 

My little guy fell asleep on the way home from school (45 minute drive most afternoons), so he was slow to wake when I got home. He sat in the biggest recliner and slowly woke up wit the help of a snack and Disney Junior. With my little Monkey settled, I decided it would be a great time to at least get started on the second Quiltsmart Christmas Stocking. 

This time I decided to do a few things different than the last time. I decided to use the same fabric for both sides. I also decided to see how stitching on the cutting line would affect the size since it would add about a 1/4 inch overall. That also meant shifting the hanging loop and remembering to cut about 1/4 inch away from the line.

In 20 minutes I went from a 1/3 yard of Christmas fabric to this: 

Placed side-by-side there was little visual differece, but there was a little more room inside and really, who wouldn't want more room in their Christmas stocking?

Have you tried the Quiltsmart Christmas Stockings? What themes did you choose?

Until our next cup of tea ...