Recipe Box

In the last year I have been in a few recipe swaps on swap-bot and the recipes I have received have all been on 4x6 cards, which, it turns out, I think is a terrific size for recipe cards. Problem is, I don't have a recipe box for that size card and the ones at the store are ugly and cost more than I want to spend.
Once again plastic canvas comes to my rescue.



So far only the bottom has been done. I had an idea for how I was going to make the top and realized after I cut out the pieces that is wouldn't work so I will have to rethink that and cut out some new pieces preferably out of the pieces for the wrongly designed top.

The pattern itself was made up as I went along. It is made up of randomly sized log cabin squares/rectangles. Can you see the red centers? Unlike in a patchwork log cabin where you start with the center square and keep adding strips as you go, each of these "squares" were started by stitching a vertical bar on the far left of each motif and then working my way around and in until I only had room for red center.

The box itself is lined with felt and the dividers were cut from card stock I have on hand.

Shhh...

I am at my mom's today and tomorrow. She had cataract surgery this morning and is now sleeping. When they called me in to see her after the surgery (less than half an hour after they wheeled her in) I was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing anything over her eye and was able to see quite well. That was very encouraging for her to be able to experience such quick results and now she is looking forward to getting the other eye done in a few weeks. She asked for the book I was reading and was able to read a line without glasses.

Meanwhile, dh took our son to the doctor today and he is now on antibiotics and allergy medicine. Poor thing.

A Practical Application

First of all, Pastor Dale really needs to preach a sermon on how you can be joyful even though you have won the lottery.
A couple of hours after I posted my last entry about contentment, our son started vomiting blood. Once we got past the initial yuckiness we could see that the source was actually a nose bleed.
Without going into all the lovely detail, I will just say we could not get the bleeding to stop or even lessen even after applying pressure for more than thirty minutes. He was a real trooper, but it looked like an awful lot of blood for someone his size, and so we headed to the emergency room per the instructions we found on medical sites.
On the way there I reminded myself -- several times -- that God is in control and I can learn to be content and that I trust His love and power. Because I was listening to the sermon.
Of course, as soon as we actually walked into the hospital, the bleeding slowed to a trickle and the whole thing was much less impressive than it had been when we set out. That's okay, I'm sure the bill will be impressive. Sigh.
After two hours the bleeding had completely stopped and our son had some color back in his cheeks.
My last thought as I fell into bed was "It's a good thing God is in control, 'cause I can't handle this."
See, Dale, I was listening.

Lifesaver

Today's sermon was from Philippians 4:10-13 and was about contentment.

10But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:10-13 NASB

Pastor Dale said the number one killer in the U.S. is heart disease and that if you went to your doctor and asked him what to do to cut your risk he would say eat right, get plenty of exercise and stop worrying.
Eating right and exercising are things that you can do, you can measure your progress and mark it off on a chart, but how do you stop worrying? By learning contentment.
The opposite of worry is contentment, not happiness. Contentment is not being numb to every situation and it is not based on your situation. Worry is based on our situation. Normally we worry about situations we can't control, but verse 13 means we can be content in any situation because we know Who is in control.

Three things we can do to be content:
1. Stay connected to Jesus Christ. Don't wait for an emergency. Pray and stay in the Word in good times and in bad. God isn't a 'get out of jail free' card.
2. Trust His resources. It is an insult to God to worry. It says we don't quite believe God loves us enough or has the power to meet our needs in the best way possible.
3. Share your story. Others can be strengthened and encouraged by hearing how God has worked in your life.

If you want to hear the actual sermon and not just rely on my summary of my rambling notes you can go here. Who knows, it might just add a few years to your life.

Crocheted Candy Bowls

I belong to a Yahoo group called Holiday Mystery Gifts. They mostly have knitting patterns, but that's okay since I can't keep up with the fewer crochet patterns they have. One of the patterns they put up a few weeks ago is for a crocheted candy dish and I have to say I just love making them. Here are a few.



It is worked with two strands of worsted weight yarn and I like combining a solid colored yarn with a variegated yarn. I think it would also be interesting to try it in thread or to do it all in white but add little bobbles to the sides to look a bit like milk glass. My favorite part is watching the curve form in the sides.

Tuna Sandwich

When we have extra hamburger or hot dog buns or rolls, my daughter starts hinting that she would like me to make those tuna sandwiches with the cheese and green peppers. The funny part is that she always takes every last piece of green pepper out no matter how small I try to make the pieces.
Once, when dh was out of town she asked if we could have the sandwiches and even though we didn't have green peppers we decided to make them anyway. Mistake. Of course, I missed the green pepper but so did dd, because even though she takes them all out they do leave some of their taste in the sandwich.
Anyway, this is not one of those exact recipes, just something you throw together and adjust based on what you have on hand -- just don't forget the green pepper.
Mix together 1 can of tuna, drained; about 1/3 of a green pepper, chopped; 1/3 - 1/2 lb. of cheddar cheese, cut in small chunks; and enough mayonnaise to bind it together. Use the mixture to fill buns or rolls. Put on baking sheet and put in oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven gets to that temperature the cheese should be melted and they are ready to eat.

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On another night this week I made breakfast for dinner and once again I made biscuits. I am not the world's best biscuit maker but this time I tried J.P.'s Big Daddy Biscuits and I have to say, those were some tasty biscuits. I will definitely be using that recipe again. I did use butter instead of shortening and I was very careful not to over mix or knead the dough. If you are looking for a good biscuit recipe, do give this one a try.

Finished Angel Ornament

Last month my mom invited me to go with her to a meeting of the Needle Arts Guild. Many years ago I was a member, but had to give it up when we moved to our current neck of the woods. This is where I learned to do counted cross stitch, pulled thread work, trapunto, blackwork, sashiko, Brazilian embroidery and even tatting.
Anyway, it was so good to see some faces I had not seen in more than 20 years, to visit and to see what they were working on these days. One of the best parts is that they have a table where everyone can share their current WIP's and finished projects.
The October meeting featured a stitched and beaded angel. It turns out it was supposed to be a two part lesson, but I will not be able to be there in November, so I just winged the beading part and this is what I came up with:

Two Favorite Quotes

The world is fairly studded and strewn with unwrapped gifts and free surprises . . . cast broadside from a generous hand.
-- Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk




It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and an corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare . . . There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
-- C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

How to Crochet

So now you want to make crocheted potholders, too, but alas, you do not know how to crochet and as much as I would be willing to teach you (in which case you would learn to make a bunny pin, because that is what I teach people when I teach them to crochet), it is possible that you want to learn right now, and you don't know me and you don't want to make a bunny pin, you want to make a potholder, for crying out loud!



In case you don't know, You Tube is a wonderful resource for how-to videos. Just type in what you are looking for in the search bar on the page and it will give lots of videos to choose from. If you sign up (it's free), you can keep a list of favorite videos. A word of warning: this site has all sorts of videos.

Anyway, I chose this video from a host of how to crochet videos there, because it is the only one I could find where the person demonstrating holds their yarn the way I do. It always feels awkward when you are first learning something, but the trick is to find the way that works for you.

If videos don't work for you, you can also learn to crochet here, here and here.

Once you learn you can make more than just potholders. You can make dolls simple and complex and just plain cute, bookmarks and book thongs, cute little birdies, and fortune cookies to name a few things.

Crocheted Potholders

Originally uploaded by janberckmans

Ever since I saw this picture on flickr I have been wanting to crochet some round potholders. Go ahead and click on the picture and it will take you to this pictures page on flickr. Just above the picture it will list some options available to you. If you click "all sizes" you will be able to choose a larger image to view, so you can see more of the detail. It appears to be part of an art exhibit.

Anyway, you can see some of the patterns I have been looking at here, here, here, and here.

I want to do them in multiple colors, maybe even changing color with each round. It makes me nervous though to think of trusting something like crochet with all of its holes with protecting my hands so I think I will have to put some sort of filling between the layers.

I don't think I will be making enough for an art installation, and I am very sure that my husband would not be impressed me covering up all the beautiful tile work he has done in our kitchen with crocheted potholders, but it is nice when the necessary things are also bright and cheerful.