Quick Up-cycled shirt

I love up-cycled shirts.

A little ribbon. A little ruffle. I'm good to go.

Here's a quick one I came up with.

I pleated the ribbon kind of randomly on the sewing machine.

Pin the ribbon in place and stitch in place. Be careful not to stitch the back of the shirt to the front. I added another smaller ribbon randomly pleated around the larger loops.

I love it!

I've been up to somethin'...

I've decided that I have Crafting ADD.

Nothing negative or against those who really have the disease.

I have relatives that do.

But I am constantly thinking of new projects. Usually before the one I'm currently working on is finished. And I usually have more than one project in production phase.

And I almost never ever make the exact same thing twice. I should. Some stuff turns out pretty good if I do say so myself.

I've also gotten lazy and haven't got the camera out while I'm working so here is a smattering of recent projects. Trust me, it's a real SMATTERING!

The doll bed came from Grandpa last Christmas.

I made the doll blanket for her bunny doll.

I made this ballerina for my little girl for her birthday.Shoes too.

I made this purse kind of out of my head. No pattern. I love the birdie fabric I found. Perfect spring combination.

This purse idea came from all the super cute ruffled bags out there. I thought I'd try my hand. I think I still may add a flower where the ruffles converge.

I made this "Chain's of Love" wall hanging as a gift for my parents. I saw the hand design in the Airport in Phoenix, AZ. I love how the hands make hearts. I hand stitched the names of all my sisters on each pair of hands.

I made this wreath for the Makia craft contest. Just like the other one I made.

Since I had some flowers left over, I decided to make this pillow.

Next are some beaded hair pins. I found them on the Martha Stewart craft site and made mine a little different.

These are flowers I made similar to the wreath ones only on a smaller scale. I glued a large clip on the back with felt to hold it together.

During a crafty Skype date with my sisters, I made this headband with ribbon flowers, felt and hand stitched beads.

Lastly are a couple of shirts I did. Just get two shirts, cut up one into strips, make the ruffle and sew it on.

Thanks for letting me share. I've already got a head full of new projects. I can't wait to show-and-tell.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

I'm on a mission.

My Husband and I recently watched a YouTube video talking about the differences between the American and Japanese diets.

I'm paraphrasing, but the US diet has about 47 different things in it. The Japanese has about 113 different things. Big difference.

So I'm trying to try new things.

My sister also challenged me to provide her with some Pressure Cooker Recipes that she can use. I love my pressure cooker. SO quick and easy.

You can find them here.

I have a Kuhn Rikon which is a great pressure cooker too, but there is something to be said about an electric one. I can set it and walk away.

No babysitting.

Anyway here's a recipe I tried the other night. The goal was 2 fold.

Use the pressure cooker and incorporate more variety of foods.

It was very yummy, even my most picky-est eaters loved it.

Chicken Cacciatore

Dice up the following:

2 cups onions or leeks

1 medium green bell pepper

5 button mushrooms, or another favorite variety

I turned the Pressure Cooker on to Saute. If using a regular one, place on stovetop and turn to medium-high heat.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil

Put the onions and peppers in and stir frequently to saute about 2 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms.

Next you can do this two ways:

One:

place 3 lbs bone-in skinned chicken breast, or thighs or a combination on top of the onion mixture.

Pour 2 cans tomato sauce over the top of the chicken.

Lock lid in place. Bring to pressure and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure come down naturally.

Cook 12 oz spriral pasta according to package directions.

Or Two:

After adding mushrooms, add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. and 12 oz spiral pasta. Cut up boneless chicken breast or thigh or a combination. Place on top of pasta and onion mixture. Then top with 2 cans tomato sauce.

Lock lid in place. Cook under high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release.

Next add:

1 can black olives sliced

2 Tbsp fresh or dried parsley

1 1/2 hands-full mozarella cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Stir well to melt cheese.

Spoon onto plates, and top each serving with additional parmesean cheese.

So quick and yummy!

Easter Breakfast Casserole

My family loves this breakfast casserole. It would be perfect for Easter Brunch, or a Tuesday morning during Spring Break. Either works.

Breakfast Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cube up about 1/3 to 1/2 a loaf of bread.

(any kind works, homemade, store bought, my personal favorite it the Apple Streusel bread from Costco but I don't buy it very often. A cinnamon raisin bread would be yummy too. Whatever you have on hand.)

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

Spread the cubes evenly in the pan.

In a separate bowl combine the following:

1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk together like this:

Pour milk/egg mixture over the bread trying to cover most of the bread cubes.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped nuts over the bread.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

We like it with a little maple syrup drizzled over the top and some fruit on the side. Maybe a little hot chocolate too.

Sooooo Yummy!