Jewelry Pouch

Can I just say that I love Pinterest?!!  My daughter introduced me to it during herThanksgiving break.  Now, I have to try to limit myself because I can spend all day on there.  I have found lots of fun projects to try, though.

My boss came in to work one day with a cute jewelry pouch that she had purchased at a swap meet a number of years ago.  She asked if I might be able to duplicate it and make them for her daughters for Christmas.  Since I was just getting into Pinterest, I looked there and found a pattern and a tutorial.  If you are interested, visit the page at Sew 4 Home.  They have great projects to use up scraps and make things that are useful and fun.  I think I could spend as much time on Sew 4 Home as I do on Pinterest.  Here is a photo of the first pouch I made.  I reduced the size of the pattern so it is much smaller than the original.

There end up being 8 small places to put your jewelry in so things don't get tangled up when you travel.  It sinches up tight so nothing falls out.  On our trip to Ohio, Felycia and I put all of our jewelry in it and I was able to carry it in my purse for our flight.  No chance of losing things.  Yeah!


This is one I made for my mom while we were visiting in Ohio during the holidays.  It is the bigger one.

Table Runner

I made a table runner for my mother-in-law for Christmas.  My husband helped me pick out the fabric and I pieced the blocks and put them together.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I quilted it on my sewing machine.  My mother-in-law said it was beautiful.  I told her not to look to close because I used my free-motion foot when I should have waited until I got a walking foot or just used my standard foot.  The front looks pretty good, but the back had lots of little nests.  I like making these projects because I learn something new on each one so the next one will be better.

Hot Pads

These are photos of the hot pads I made for my sisters for Christmas this year.  I used foundation piecing and then I learned how to do free-motion quilting on my sewing machine.  I think they turned out great.  Becky and Cristi were both appreciative of my efforts and I was glad to learn some new skills.

Catalina Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe came from the Kraft Foods website.  I was into trying at least 1 new recipe each week for a while and this was a keeper.

1/2 C Catalina Dressing
3 Tbls. lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 lb. chicken breat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb. frozen vegetables (I like Walmart Sugar Snap Stir-Fry blend)
Cooked rice
Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles

Mix dressing, soy sauce & spices in a large skillet until well blended.  Add chicken and stir.  Cook on medium high heat until chicken is done.

Add veggies.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Cover.  Simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice and/or noodles.

This one works in the crock pot, too.  I usually add a little water to cut down on the saltiness of the soy sauce.

Italian Soup

My mom gave me this recipe.  I think she got it from DelMonte Foods.  It's really quick to put together and so good on a cold evening.

1 can each:  Italian Beans, Zucchini in Tomato Sauce, Peas & Carrots, Diced Tomatoes w/Basil &
                   Oregano, Chicken or Beef Broth
Cooked Chicken or Beef
Salad Macaroni (or any small pasta)

You will use chicken broth with chicken -OR- beef broth with beef.  Use vegetable broth for a no meat option.

Open all the cans and dump contents into a large pot.  Add meat.  Bring to a boil.  Add pasta.  Continue to cook until pasta is done.  Season to taste.  So simple.

I don't always have tomatoes with basil and oregano so I use regular tomatoes and a little Italian seasoning.

As a substitute for the canned broth, I will do 2 cups of water with 2 boullion cubs.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is one I made up all by myself.  My mother loves it and I always have to do enough so she can freeze some when I visit her.

1 large can chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 brick cream cheese
Tostitos brand Salsa con Queso
Salsa of your choice
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortillas

Combine the chicken, soup and cream cheese in a pot on the stove.  Heat until cream cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.  Put a little bit in the bottom of a baking dish and spread around to lightly coat.  Reserve about 1/2 cup to top enchiladas.

Lay out a tortilla.  Put a large spoonful of chicken filling in.  Add a spoonful of Salsa con Queso and salsa.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Roll up and place in baking dish.  Continue until baking dish is full.  Use reserved filling to top enchiladas and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Remove foil for last 5 minutes of baking.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

**I hate the clean up so I always use a disposable pan.

1-2-3 Sugar Cookies

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law.  It's my go to recipe when I need a quick dessert because I have it memorized and it's sooooo easy to make.

1 C shortening
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 C flour

Combine shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Combine baking powder and flour the add to sugar mixture.  Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool.  Store in a tightly cover container if they last long enough to save any.

These cookies are good because they stay soft and chewy in the middle but a little crunchy on the outside.