My birthday girl

I'm usually don't post more than once/day. But I couldn't resist posting a candid action shot of my girl in her birthday shirt (it's hard to catch her in a pose...she's gogogo!)I whipped up a cupcake shirt for her. I did the embroidery on the front using my ellure. It's a great little machine and terribly underused, but remember I said I was going to try new techniques and challenge myself so I'm learning to use the ellure so there should be plenty of embroidery in the future. It's far from perfect...I think It's too low. I marked it higher, but got nervous that it was too high and moved it down, should have left it alone. Also I learned what you should do if your thread breaks while you're doing embroidery...after the fact. I had to handstitch a few fill in stitches, but that's ok, live and learn right? Anyways...here she is, my big girl in all her pinkness and cupcake sweetness!

I missed the Monday meal...but I was working on something really cool!

I'll be sure to add a great meal tomorrow. I had a busy day yesterday. It was O's 3rd Birthday. And I also begun a fun and worthwhile rehab project on a sewing machine for the girls I volunteer with.
I'm in the Junior League (I know...who would have guessed it) and I've been teaching a group of girls in my placement how to sew. It's been such a blast and the interest has grown and we no longer have enough machines for everyone to sew on so it's taking us ages to finish stuff. Well, I've decided to donate my extra 401 to them and also posted on freecycle for some machines. I got a wonderful response from a lady that had her grandmothers machine. DH went and picked it up last week. It's an Alden Deluxe ZZ machine. She said her gm loved it and once sold it, bought something else, hated the new machine and then bought the Alden back from the lady she had sold it to . Alden is an American company that distributed Japanese Class 15 clones, it's all metal and in the cabinet I swear it weighs about 70lbs!
Anyways...it was filthy...on the outside...the inside was a bit dirty, but certainly not the worst I've seen (that distinction belongs to my pfaff 260...ugh that was awful). I got out my GoJo, alcohol and dawn soap and cleaned off the outside. It's a wonderful turquoise color. I vacuumed, cleaned and oiled the inside. Replaced the belt and the bobbin tire. I thought I was set...not so fast! It wouldn't go. I had to rewire the kneepedal! Ugh. Anyways, I've run it for a bit and tested out the stitch. Very nice! I'm so excited for these girls to have this machine. They are so excited to learn to sew and so proud of their projects.
I feel so fortunate to be able to be able to make the slightest difference to these girls. They've had very difficult lives. Last week one of them told me about when she lived in the mission (a homeless shelter) and how they never had enough food. I was so sad that I couldn't really think how to respond to that. It's really just a crap shoot really. I'm not any different from them. I just happened to be born in to a middle class family, had the importance of education emphasized to me, encouraged to go to college and just had the advantages of that upbringing...but for the grace of God go I.
Anyway, just want to share my vintage machine adventure. And for any of you out there looking for a great workhorse machine don't overlook that forlorn looking machine in the corner of a thrift store, garage sale or your grandmother's attic. You just might find a wonderful machine that will give you years of pleasure.

The downside of skinny

Ok...skinny might be too strong of a word, but the downside of weight loss is that it's costing me a ton! I've given away 7 large green trashbags of too big clothes. I've been haunting thrift stores trying to keep from being naked. Now I've noticed that my sewing patterns are all too big. I've spent a fortune on these. Sure I can buy more. Of course I can...but you see my point. Being skinny is so expensive,lol. Alright, secretly (not so secretly) I'm thrilled to have this problem. When I think of the health implications of being overweight it's worth every penny I might spend clothing my thinner healthy body.
Now for the fun challenge. If you know me at all you'd know I'm frugal...frugal to the core. I can't see going out and buying a whole new collection of patterns to fit before I reach my goal weight, but I would like to use some of the ones I have. So I broke out Power Sewing and Sewing for Plus Sizes, read up on grading techniques and that's my next sewing challenge to myself. I think it'll teach me a lot about fitting and it'll save me on patternease since I won't be "drafting" a pattern from the ground up. I think this could be fun! I'll let you know how it goes and maybe post a picture or two.

As promised...Mom's Monday Meal

This recipes is something simple and savory for the crockpot or slow cooker. I love the slowcooker. I love that you toss a bunch of stuff in there, turn it on low and before you know it you've got a delicious hot meal that you didn't spend all day slaving over. Who wouldn't love that?

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken A Go Go

1 whole chicken (or you can use breast or whatever parts you have)
1 can of Cheddar cheese soup
2 can of any other variety of soup you like (cream of broccoli, chicken, mushroom...)
1/2 cup of heavy cream (you can use milk too, but I'd use a bit less)
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 small chopped onion (you can cook the onions before if you like, but I don't)
Season with salt and pepper to taste (for an extra kick you can try season salt, season pepper or whatever spices you like)

For a bit more nutritional value you can add a bag of mixed veggies the last 30mins to 1 hr. of cooking

Spray slow cooker w/cooking spray. Place chicken inside. In a separate bowl mix your soups and cream together, pour it over your chicken. Add seasoning, onions, and garlic powder. Cook on high for approximately 6 hours. Don't lift lid while cooking.
Serve over rice or egg noodles for a delicious one pot feast.

*Please note that you need to know your slow cooker. I have a newer one and it is pretty hot compared to my older one, so I tend to cook things on low for longer and check it.

Enjoy!!!

Freezer Cooking Revisited

So...last week I mentioned I wanted a return to basics. So to that end I've planned out my menus for the next 2 weeks. I've been planning my menus for the last couple of years and it really does help, not only in terms of budget but in eating out. I also used to cook meals in bulk to freeze and have on hand. I had gotten away from it, but I started back up last week and have made this part of my routine. Hoping to shake up my old menu routine I decided to do an online search for some freezer friendly recipes. Allrecipes yielded some great options. I also found tons of site that supported this type cooking as a way to feed your family healthfully. So I think I'll share a new recipe each Monday, tune in tomorrow to see what the offering is.

The Homemade Home Project

That's my name for what I'm about to do. It'll be a process, a project, a way of living from here to eternity...I hope. For the last month I've been using an online program called mvelopes to help me budget. We have a nice income, but I really feel that we spend impulsively and needlessly and need to be more cognizant of our finances. Well, it's a big wake up call. I knew we spent a ton of money eating out. But jeez we spend a ton! So I started thinking about why that is and what kind of life I want for my family. The why happens when there's poor planning, I'm tired, I'm sick or just don't want to cook and because I know that we have the money and I can just "pick up something". But that money could be going to savings or a fun trip...anything else. Our chest freezer is jammed full of food, yet this week we ate takeout 3 times for dinner and once for lunch and that's not including the fact that A. eats out for lunch every day at work. So, I tweaked my housework schedule to include not only meal planning (that was already on there), but preparing 2-3 freezer meals/week. That way I'll have a store and when I don't feel like cooking or have a busy day I can pop something out of the freezer and into the oven. Today I made 3 meals. One for tonights dinner and 2 to freeze. I'm also going to use my crockpot more. I use it a few times/month now, but I want to use it a few times a week.
Now, why homemade home project you ask...it's because I want to get back to basics. I want to nurture my family with less processed, commercialized, prepackaged crap. I want them to know that I take pride in the food and things I make for them. I want them to know that every time I take my hands to prepare something for them that It's like a hug and a kiss. I'm not just talking about cooking either. I'm pledging to make our home a place that nutures them at all times, that is gentle and welcoming...where their creativity and happiness dwell. I want our homemade home to be the place that is always dear in their hearts and stays with them as they are out in the world now and forever. That's my project, that's my pledge. To use my love, skills and care to continue to create the kind of home I want for my family.

Bummer...they all fall down

So last week everyone in my home was ill. Kids home from school, dh home from work, you know the whole "we're sick" scenario. Well I thought I had avoided it. Then Sunday at work my throat became very itchy. Now I have post nasal drainage, a head ache and feel overall achy. Yep, you guessed it...they got me! I'm sick too. There goes all my plans for sewing, house cleaning, cooking and generally being Suzy Homemaker. Suzy is sick! She's going to bed!