It's really good.....I promise...

Here is a recipe worth posting and it's really healthy too. It's made from one of my favorite veggies.....cauliflower! The name is Curried Cauliflower Soup and it's from Vegetarian Times. It's so easy and delicious. It's definitely a keeper for my family.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tart apple; peeled, cored, and diced
1 tbsp curry powder
1-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cups veggie broth
1 tsp honey
1 tsp rice or red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in pot. Saute onion. Add apple, curry powder, and garlic. Saute for a minute or so. Add cauliflower and broth. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from burner and let sit for 20 minutes. Put soup into blender and puree until smooth. Place back into pot and add honey and vinegar. Serve.

**The curry powder makes the soup have a little kick so you can add 1 tbsp of yogurt to your bowl of soup to help ease the spice.

Cute craft....no sewing required!

Have you seen those cute canvas wall hangings for rooms in your home? I love them. So, I got an idea in my head to try to make some for Jubal's room. I have heard of using styrofoam sheets as the base of the hanging. I went to the craft store to buy some but I changed my mind very quickly when I saw the price of one sheet: $5.99. I wanted to make four so you do the math. So I walked around trying to find an alternative. Sure enough I found a pack of 4 cork boards and the price was so much cheaper. It even came with mounting strips to hang the boards. I love it! So here is step by step how I made these cute little wall hangings for Jubal's room. If you are looking for something fun, easy, and cute to make for your child's room or even your own, this is a great way to do it! Get your creative juices together and make your own custom made wall art.

Supplies you need:

Fabric scraps of your choice
Glue gun
Rotary cutter or scissors
Ruler
Iron

Cut out your fabric to fit onto the cork. This cork is 12 x 12 so I cut my fabric piece 14 x 14. This gives you room to wrap it around the edges of the board. Iron the fabric so that it is wrinkle free.




Place the cork onto the wrong side of your fabric piece and center it the best you can.





With a glue gun, dot some glue on the corners and fold the fabric as shown.




Glue the sides




Turn over to see how cute it is!



Hang on the wall the way you like it and you are finished.
Easy peasy!

Chicken fun

I remember the days when my mom would buy a whole chicken/turkey and I would watch her prepare it for dinner. I would usually start feeling nauseous seeing the giblets being taken out and the raw meat in her hands. I never thought I would try it myself one day. Well, here is proof that a girl's gag reflex can stay subdued......I bought a whole chicken the other day and actually cooked it. As I was washing it off and holding it in my hands I knew my mom would be proud. Smile.

I was at Ingles shopping for basic things and I saw that they had Tyson chicken on sale. If you look closely at the picture, with a magnifying glass ;), you will see that the chicken I bought was only $3.45. I had to do a quadruple take on it. (The meat guy probably thought I was crazy...no comments please....) You can't beat that price for dinner plus a couple more bucks for potatoes, carrots, and an onion. Perfect.

In case you have never cooked a whole chicken, it's really easy and I highly encourage my fellow carnivores to try it. It's so easy too. All you have to do is wash the chicken off with cool water, pull out the giblet bag and plop the chicken in the crockpot (or roaster).

I made a concoction of spices. It included thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. About 1/2 tsp each, give or take. Rub it on the chicken.

I also made a broth from an Edward 'N Sons "Not Chicken" bouillon cube. I thought it was funny since it's an imitation chicken broth and I was using it on REAL chicken ;)
No, I have not been cooped up in the house too long.....

I added potatoes, carrots and an onion. Pour 2 cups of Broth over all the food. You may need to add water to cover the veggies so they will cook evenly. Do so at your discretion.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on High for about 4-6 hours. You will enjoy a delicious tender chicken for dinner. The fun part is you can create more dinners with the left over chicken and broth. Have fun!

In the works....

**Deep Breath*** I decided to try my first quilt. I have wanted to do one for a long time but have been intimidated by the whole process. Since I have gotten a little more sewing experience in the past year, I thought I would give it a try.
We got a new bed for Jubal after Christmas so this has been a perfect chance for me to have a go at making a quilt. I got the top done today and am very pleased with how it's turning out. I will post when I get it completely finished. I used some really cute fabric designed by David Walker called Robots. The design is adorable and fun. Let me know what you think!

Note the pirate ship in the middle ;0)

I am nutty for butternut!

Here is a great recipe I found on the food network website. We really enjoyed it so here is the recipe! Let me know what you think if you try it.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 C. chicken/veggie stock (If you like a thicker and creamier soup, 5 cups would be better)
Dash nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter. Add onion until translucent. Add Squash and stock. Cook 15 - 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Take squash chunks out of liquid and blend until smooth. Stir squash back into liquid. Add spices until desired. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.

*To add more flavor, saute 2 chopped cloves of garlic with onion.

Whew!

I thought I would post something quick since it has been super long since I have entered a post. I have missed having the time to share my life here but the holidays were just a whirlwind. I had an incredible opportunity to sew for a friend that needed some help with a lot of her orders on Etsy.com. It came at a perfect time to buy my new machine that I posted about before and I had a little extra to pay for some christmas gifts. Here are the pillowcases I helped with.

If you like them, head on over to her website and order one for valentine's day. They are super cute!
We had a wonderful christmas visiting our family and having some fun memory makers.
I started my new class today in Anatomy and Physiology. I am taking this class to prep me for nursing school so that I don't have to take it when I take the nursing classes. I will have enough on my plate with those classes.
So hopefully life will slow down a bit and I can start posting again.
Thank you for your patience!

Long time

It's been a long time since I have entered an entry. Life has been crazy!!! Here are some highlights of the last few weeks.
- God has provided some work for me with a new sewing job (temporary) and it's paying for my new Baby Lock sewing machine. Praise the Lord for His provision.

- I have been using some of my extra time making gifts for the giving season of Christmas. I will post some pics after they have been given.

- My application is in for nursing school. Gasp*** Breathe***

- Volunteering in Jubal's school. I love it!

- And the last big adventure...drum roll please..... taking care of my husband who had an appendectomy Monday night. He got to come home yesterday and is on the mend. Whew! That was a wild ride. I am so glad he is feeling better.

Poor guy

Incisions on the belly

What have your latest adventures been?