Being a Resourceful Crafter and save $$$

I know a lot of your crafty people out there are poor like I am. In fact I think it's part of how we become so crafty, not having any money to spend on entertainment so we come up with our own. But I think a lot of people forget that there's this HUGE free resource available to you almost anywhere in the country that contains a lot of valuable info and lessons to learn- your local library. 
  C'mon don't roll your eyes! I mean it, i forgot how cool the library was until I started going there a few years ago to get one or two things that I just couldn't afford and I needed some entertainment. The library has gotten even cooler than it used to be too. Now you can access library catalogs online, keep a wishlist of materials you are holding off on checking out, and reserve your book on hold to show up at the closest library in the county in proximity to your home. YES you can do almost everything online now except pick up your books. Or if you have a husband like mine who has also remembered how cool the library is, sometimes they pick up everything for you :) 
  Now they have all the new books, new cd's, new movies, exercise dvd's, books on cd, magazines, newspapers, computer software- everything! You can't beat it when it's free. I have heard friends tell me that they can't do the library cause they rack up late fees, well hello! the late fees will never amount to the price you pay if you bought all these things in the long run, it's significantly less. And you support the library when you pay the fees, and that leads to more new stuff in the library eventually, so it's a win-win if you think about it. Yes I get late fees, I've ruined a couple books, and I've lost a couple. but I still haven't had to spend anywhere near what I would have if I bought all those cd's, magazines, movies and books. And some of the things I've learned from those books are priceless.
 For example, I check out many MANY new knitting books from library. If they don't have them right when they are for sale, they have them very soon afterwards. Then I just put them on hold, and wait for them. Also this gives me a great way to review all the cookbooks I look at on Amazon.com because i can see if I really like them before I buy them and try out a few recipes. I do the same thing with knitting books, and sewing books too. I copy TONS of cd's from the library that I could never afford to buy otherwise.  
  Seriously if you haven't gone to your library in awhile you should really check it out. I even peruse all the new books on amazon.com to see what's new and what reviews they are getting, then I go into the library catalog and put them on hold if I want to check them out. It's so easy and supportive of your local community AND the environment. If we all stopped hanging out at the local Barnes and Noble and started hanging at the library we would save tons of paper, tons of time and tons of money. It doesn't get any better, or easier, than that folks.

Holiday Treat for my Dogs

I have 3 very cute, full of trouble, dogs at home. I love them like my children and they act like children! ha ha. But on the holidays I like to cook them something special so they can have something nice to eat as well. Sometimes I bake treats or roast beets (they LOVE beets!) and sometimes I pull out one of the fancier recipes I have for dogs. This Christmas I made this for my dogs (and they shared with the neighbor dogs as always!) and I got this recipe from the Three Dog Bakery. It's healthy for them, but a special treat as well. 
 

Slobber Gobbler Loaf

2 lbs lean ground turkey (organic if you can find it)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

2 cloves minced garlic

6 oz. tomato paste

2 tbls parsley flakes

Mix all ingredients except tomato paste in a large bowl. Mash into a large loaf pan and spread tomato paste on top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until cooked through. Serve warm., makes 6 great dane sized slices.
 

My dogs LOVED this and one of them kept looking backwards to see if he was in trouble for eating it even though it was in his bowl! it was so funny.
 

Making my own (homemade) pasta

On friday I decided to take advantage of the extra time I would have over this long weekend and try out the pasta maker I bought 6 months ago. There is this recipe on martha stewart that I had been wanting to try for awhile and so I did. The pasta turned out SO delicious! Although it wasn't as thin or perfect as Martha's but that doesn't matter. My husband even loved it and the filling has some goat cheese in it which he usually dislikes, but he still loved it.

This took me a lot longer than I expected it to though and so we ended up having a late dinner. I highly recommend making this earlier in the day (or any pasta) and cooking it later. It would be much easier! Making the pasta was fun, if you like to cook I think you would have fun making it too.
 

Fresh Beet Pasta Dough 
We used a KitchenAid pasta sheet roller attachment, but you can use any machine as long as you change the settings incrementally. For filled pastas, shapes, or lasagna, it's best to roll and cut out one sheet at a time so that the dough doesn't dry out.

Ingredients
Makes about 1 pound. 
8 ounces red or golden beets (about 2 medium), without greens 
2 teaspoons olive oil 
Coarse salt 
2 large eggs 
1 large egg yolk 
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 
Semolina flour, for storage 

Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss beets with oil and a large pinch of salt. Wrap tightly in a parchment-lined piece of foil, and place on a baking sheet. Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool. Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins. Puree in a food processor (you should have 1/2 cup puree). 
Add eggs and yolk to puree in food processor, and process until combined. Add flour and 1 heaping teaspoon salt, and process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons flour if dough is sticky. 
Place on a piece of parchment and cover with an inverted bowl, or wrap tightly in plastic; let rest for 1 to 2 hours. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with the inverted bowl), flatten dough into an oblong shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine's widest setting (number 1). Dust dough very lightly with flour, and feed through machine. Fold lengthwise into thirds and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat twice on same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity. Turn the dial to next narrower setting. Pass dough through twice, gently supporting it with your palm. Continue to press dough, passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until sheet is almost translucent and very thin but still intact (number 5 of 8 on a KitchenAid pasta roller). The dough will stretch to about 16 inches long. If dough bubbles or tears, pass it through again, and dust with flour if the dough is sticking. 
For farfalle, lasagna squares, or ravioli: Place rolled sheet on a lightly floured surface, and cut into desired shape, using a dry brush to dust flour off if needed. Cook according to corresponding recipe.
For ribbon pastas: Place dough on a drying rack until slightly tacky, 10 to 15 minutes, and then cut into strands using a pasta machine, cutting attachment, or by hand. Drape over rack until strands are semidry and don't stick together, about 20 minutes. Cook immediately, or lay in a single layer on a baking sheet dusted with semolina, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. 

Beet Ravioli Stuffed with Ricotta, Goat Cheese, and Mint

(i would say serves 2-3 for entree)

3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese (about 6 ounces), drained 
30 minutes (I used lowfat ricotta and it was good) 
3/4 cup fresh goat cheese (about 5 ounces), room temperature 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, plus small sprigs for garnish 
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 
1/2 recipe Fresh Beet Pasta Dough 
Semolina flour or fine cornmeal, for dusting 
2 tablespoons coarse salt 
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Directions Make the filling: Stir together cheeses and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Make the ravioli: Dust a baking sheet with semolina or cornmeal. Work with each sheet of dough just after it's been rolled. Cut sheet in half crosswise, and trim each half to a 3-inch-wide strip. Space tablespoons of filling 3 1/2 inches apart along center of 1 strip. Top with remaining strip, and gently press around filling to seal, working from center out. Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut into 3-inch squares.
Transfer ravioli to sheet, and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining pasta dough and filling. (To store, lightly dust ravioli with semolina, and refrigerate between layers of parchment in an airtight container for up to 4 hours. 
Alternatively, freeze ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet, about 15 minutes, and then pack as described above; freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before cooking.) 

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt and half of the ravioli. Cook, stirring occasionally to separate, until edges are just tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander to drain. Drizzle with oil, and toss gently to coat. Transfer to a bowl, and loosely cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining ravioli. 
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minutes. Divide ravioli among plates (if first batch has cooled, return them to hot water for 15 seconds, then drain). Spoon brown butter over ravioli. Serve immediately garnished with mint.

Peppermint Bark- Good last minute gift for the neighbors

 







  I've made this recipe a couple times during the holidays starting a few years ago. I was making gifts for the neighbors and coworkers that included things like homemade dog treats, ornaments, homemade jam, etc... and I wanted to include something sweet. After seeing the price of peppermint bark at Williams Sonoma I knew I couldn't afford to buy it for everyone but I really liked the sound of it. So I looked for a recipe and I found this one by Paula Deen on Food Network. 
  It was very easy to make and I still requests for it. I just break it into chunks, put into cellophane bags(available at craft store like Michaels) or paper bags and tie with a bow. 
 
Peppermint Bark Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

• Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
• 2 pounds white chocolate
• Peppermint flavorings, optional

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

PEACE Wreath- Neat Idea

Last year i read this article about a lady who had this peace wreath up on her house during the holidays. I think it's really cute but apparently some people in her neighborhood did not like it and the head person of the neighborhood association had a kid who went to Iraq. She said it was offensive and that they were gonna fine her for every day she had it up until she took it down. Here is the article if you would like to read it yourself.

I could not believe that any one would think this was OK!!!! As if saying "Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Men" is offensive! So I went to Michaels Crafts to get supplies to make my own wreath.

I saw some of these wreaths on sale online, they are fresh wreaths made with real pine. They are very nice if you can afford them. I could not. But I could afford a large wreath at Michaels, some fake-bendy pine boughs and some lights. 

I took the original wreath and using the bendy wire parts of the fake pine boughs I attached them down the middle and on the sides to make a peace sign out of the wreath. Try not to let the boughs get "messy" or it's difficult to distinguish the sign. Then I added some sparkly bows I got for 99 cents and wrapped the peace wreath in LED lights. It will last forever and I have it up on the house this year as well. This is my wreath

It cost me less thank 20 bucks to make! So if you have wanted one of these, go ahead and make one. It may be late in the season but it will be in good shape for years to come.

Pumpkin Hat for Babies

OK I knit this cute little hat that looks like a pumpkin for nephew this fall. It's SO adorable on him and it was fairly easy to knit. I got the pattern from a book called "Itty Bitty Hats" by Susan B. Anderson if you would like to find it. Here is Noah at the pumpkin patch for Halloween!

I have been knitting for a few years now. I learned from a book called Stitch N Bitch. I know there are a few good books out there now for beginning knitters though. I am not really a fast knitter though, I kind of knit how I read books, just when I have the time. So i am not sure that I will ever make anything for my store to sell but I still like it and it's something to keep my hands busy when I watch tv. Of course my cats are hard to keep away from it while I knit but my husband helps with that when he is around. A little trick I use is those duster cans you get for cleaning your computer. They are basically air but my cats don't like the noise, so if they get too close I just spray the can a little and it makes this "hisssss" they don't like. Now they all know about the can and I just set it next to my knitting if they can't help themselves. Then they just lay down and observe. My dogs don't like the noise either so it has come in handy!

Right now I am working on a mohawk hat for my nephew. I thought I was being so clever knitting a mohawk hat in baby size. Then I signed up with etsy and I see someone is already making profits on it! Funny thing is a couple years ago I kept planning on knitting a hat to look like a mohawk and I couldn't find any patterns for it so I thought I was being so original! I just kept putting it off though and then the Punk Rock Knits book came out and it had a mohawk hat pattern in it! AAARRRRGGGHH!!! It seems no ideas are new these days....

NEw Blog for all you curious types

Hey all, this took me so long to set up that I will not say much. I am currently trying to decide if all of you knitters prefer open ring type stitch markers or the closed ring type. I thought I was doing well by making them with the flexible rubber rings, I like them, but I'm not sure now... I also have quite a few ideas running through my mind right now! I am getting ahead of myself though because I work during the week I do not have all the time (or money) I would like to make everything I come up with but I try... I need to get back to work! I will post more soon I promise.