Crochet a case for your iPhone!

When I saw this tutorial to crochet a super easy case for an iPhone, I had to try it!  I know it looks like a sweater, and summer is just getting started, but my phone will now be protected from falls and scratches!

All I did was follow this really easy pattern I found HERE, then I sewed on a big leather button and a hair tie to keep it closed.  EASY! 

Now you make one today!

Recovering outdoor throw pillows

So here are some pictures of a little park bench improvement project I just did. 

I had an old weathered park bench that I painted white and a couple of old throw pillows that I recovered.

My old bench before

The old throw pillows before

First I recovered the piping from the old pillows.  You can find that tutorial HERE.

Then, you can find the tutorial for the rest HERE.

Adding the piping to the pillow material can be tricky, but HERE are some instructions to help.

 

The final bench... I think it's quite an improvement, don't you?

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I found this fun recipe on one of my favorite blogs, HERE.  Try it today!

Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients: 

• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 5 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 1/8 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• Water, baking soda
• Sea Salt

Honey Mustard Sauce:

• 5 ounces creme fraiche (or sour cream)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons dijon or german mustard
• Salt and sugar to taste

 Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/8 cup warm water.
2. Stir in 1 1/3 cups warm water, brown sugar and flour. Beat until smooth.
3. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.
4. Heat oven to 475 degrees.
5. In a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons baking soda to each cup of water. Use enough to fill the saucepan; bring to a boil.
6. Tear off some dough and roll a pencil shape with your hands. Pick up both ends, cross to form rabbit ears and then twist the ends and pull the back to the rest of the loop (making a pretzel shape).
7. Place twisted pretzels in water/baking soda mixture for 15 seconds until pretzel dough is golden or yellow in color. Remove pretzels from boiling water and place onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops with sea salt. 
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown (see picture above).

Honey Mustard Dip

1. Stir creme fraiche (or sour cream), honey and mustard until creamy.
2. Add sugar and salt to taste.

Chicken "Divine" with Homemade Alfredo sauce

Chicken "Divine"

Here is another delicious chicken casserole recipe to feed a hungry family!  I found it here at The Cottage Home blog.  I wanted to make this the other night for dinner, but didn't have any alfredo sauce, so I made my own (I've also included this recipe at the end).

Chicken "Divine"

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
• 1 jar (16 oz) alfredo sauce, such as Classico (or make your own)
• 2 cups (4 oz) grated smoked gouda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 cups cooked penne, macaroni, or orecchiette pasta
• 2 cups shredded roast chicken
• 1/4 cup italian style bread crumbs
• Paprika for sprinkling

Directions:

1. If you are going to make your own alfredo sauce, do this first (see recipe below).
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  
4. Add the onion, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  
5. Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. 
6. Remove from heat.  Stir in the alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the milk and nutmeg.  
7. Then stir in the cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken and mix thoroughly.
8. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. 
9. Top with the remaining cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  
10. Uncover and bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes more. 

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
2. Cut the cream cheese into smaller chunks and add it to the saucepan.  Use a small whisk to mix it until it is smooth.
3. Add the half and half, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley and pepper. Stir together until well mixed.
4. Remove from heat and let it thicken up as it stands, stirring occasionally.

Yum!

How to make cat ears from felt

 

 My daughter's kindergarten class had a day where they could dress up like a character from their favorite book.  My little one chose to be Pete the Cat, a cute story about a black cat who wears a pair of white tennis shoes. 

Materials needed:

• Black felt (enough for two ears)
• Two hair clips or a headband
• Needle and thread

1.  First I folded the felt in half and cut out two slightly rounded triangles. 

When I opened them up, they were the shape below: 

  

 

2.  Next I folded the felt ear around the hair clip as shown.

 

 3.  Stitch the front of the felt to the back right above the barrette so it stays in place.  If using a headband, do the same around the headband, only make sure that the ears are in the right place.

 

 4.  Now, stitch all around the outside of the ear as shown.

 

5.  Make a second ear and that's it!

These were so fast to make and soooo cute on my little kitty cat.

I also made her a cat tail out of black felt with a wire inside it to keep it curled.

Glove Bunny

My daughter and I made this little plush bunny one day when she was bored and we were trying to think of something to do.  The best part - we didn't have to buy anything to make it!

You will need:

• a pair of gloves that you don't mind cutting up
• fabric for making the clothes (optional)
• buttons for eyes and nose
• stuffing
• needle and thread
• scissors

(I didn't take pictures while we were making this, so I have made a paper glove below to help explain the steps.)

1)  For the bunny's head, cut off the glove's thumb, middle finger and pinkie as shown below.  Be sure   to leave a little bit of material so you can turn it in and sew.

2)  Next, turn that glove inside out and sew up the holes.

3)  Use buttons, beads or any other embellishments to make a face for your bunny.  You could probably use a fabric pen too.

4)  Turn the other glove into a body by cutting off the middle and ring fingers and the thumb.

5)  Use the middle and ring fingers to make arms.  Make a cut where the arms should go, turn the glove inside out, pin the arms in place and sew them on.  (be sure not to sew them closed, they still need to be stuffed!)

6)  Sew up the other openings in the glove and turn it right side out.

7)  Stuff the head and body with stuffing and sew them together.

You now have a cute little bunny toy!

Kalter Hund

A friend of mine sent this recipe to me from Germany and I had to try it.

This is a traditional child's birthday cake in Germany, but is more like a fudge since it is not baked or "cakey" like I would think of an "American" birthday cake.  It is very tasty!  Just Google "Kalter Hund" and you'll see some beautiful pictures and variations.  Mine seems a little short and not too many layers.

Kalter Hund

2/3 lb. coconut oil
1/6 lb. powdered sugar
2 oz. baking cocoa
3 eggs (whipped)
1 shot of rum
Flat butter cookies or graham crackers
colorful candies to decorate like M&M's

1. Melt coconut oil. 
2. Add sugar and cocoa and let it cool. 
3. Add whipped eggs and rum. 
4. Spread plastic wrap in a loaf pan. 
5. Pour a thin layer of the chocolate in the pan and top with a layer of cookies.  Repeat the layers ending with chocolate. 
6. Cool the cake in the refrigerator over night. 
7. Turn it out on a large plate and decorate with colorful sweets.
8. Slice it into thin slices to serve.