Entry #11 - Paper Valances and other nonsense

Today started out as any normal day would. (Are you scared yet?)

But then I got a wild hair and decided to make a pattern for the valance I've been wanting to sew for the Dining Room.

I started by cutting the bottoms out of two paper grocery sacks, cutting the side seam, and opening them flat.  Two of them were *almost* wide enough to cover the front of the curtain rod. This would be my pattern paper.

Working with one of the bags, I decided the natural crease near the bottom was perfect to use as a guide.  Then I grabbed a plate from the cupboard and taped a line across it.

 I alternated where the line fell (above the crease/below the crease) all the way down the paper.

I taped the two flat paper bags together and cut away the line.

 (Did you notice that I have a boo-boo?)  :-(

 I opened up both halves and taped it to the curtain rod.

When I stood back I didn't like what I saw. The curves were too drastic.  

I wanted something more subtle.  

Back to the drawing board.

This time I grabbed a pizza pan and placed the tape lower.  
Here, let me put the yardstick across the tape so you can see that I'm barely using the edge of the pan

Oh, and that pink fabric in the upper right of this photo on the right?  That was a fun project I did last week. I need to show that to you later.

 Again, using the crease (the pencil is pointing to it) as a guide I traced around the edge of the pan; first above the crease, then below it.

...all the way down the paper.

 Once I taped this paper valance up, I liked these curves much more. 

But then it was time to start supper.

 So while I was waiting for the beans to boil, I whipped up a batch of haystack cookies.

 These are the easiest no-bake cookies you will ever make.

First, melt a bag of butterscotch chips.

Then stir in some chow mein noodles (about half a bag...or use a can of them) and a couple handfuls of peanuts. I usually make these cookies when I have leftover chow mein noodles after a meal of chicken stir-fry. 

 

 

 Once they are mixed, drop them onto wax paper to cool.  Easy peasy.

I've spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between fixing bean soup and cornbread for supper, measuring and figuring up what sewing materials I needed and digging through my material stash to find some to use as lining/backing for my valance material.

The rain has begun. The weatherman says this will turn into snow overnight. Tomorrow will be a good day to stay inside and sew some pizza-pan valances.  

Unless the boys bring home a deer when they come back from hunting. Then all bets are canceled.

And as for this stash of jeans:

I have another project in mind for them.  :-)

Entry number 10 (no fry fun)

So, as my Mother mentioned in the last post she likes to find random recipes and try them.

Today I will share the No Fry Donuts. 

We posted a Blog teaser Photo on Facebook of this:

As they are yeast donuts they need to rise. 

I didn't get a picture of the glaze, just dipping the donuts.

 (note to self: make double batch of the glaze)

After they have been dipped we set them on a drying rack.

Mind you, we couldn't keep our fingers off of them, they were so good! 

The recipe said it made 2 dozen but we got 3 dozen. 

They taste just as good reheated for breakfast the next morning too. 

Entry #9 - A cookie recipe review - Peanut Cookies

I've been on a cookie baking kick lately.   Well, more accurately: I make a batch of cookies, bake a few and put the rest of the dough in the freezer for later.   Now that it's baking season again, I can just throw a few frozen cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet, toss it in the warm oven while we're eating the food that was just baked in said oven, and when we're done we have warm, gooey cookies for dessert. It's a good plan. :-)

Tonight I made:

Peanut Cookies!
I might have gotten the recipe from here:  http://southernfood.about.com/od/peanutcookiesandbars/r/bl30425q.htm
...but it's hard to say for sure. I collected it a month or more ago along with several other peanut recipes.  I bought a LARGE can of peanuts at Sam's and was looking for recipes to use them up.

I try to make notes on recipes of the date I made it, what I changed about it, who liked it and-if I would make it again, and what would I change?   I put today's date, that I mixed it with a wooden spoon (the recipe says to use a hand mixer) and that I added a handful of chocolate chips.

This recipe couldn't have been easier.  I'm guessing that it took about half an hour from printing the recipe, mixing, baking, then eating.  It calls for oil instead of shortening, so I don't think they would freeze well because it makes a soft dough that wouldn't harden in the freezer.

 I used my small cookie scoop. The recipe said it makes 3 dozen and that's what I got.

 They don't spread while baking.  

Oh! Have you guys discovered the joy of parchment paper yet?  I don't know why it took me so many years to try it.  I love the stuff! I slide the paper off the cookie sheet and set it aside to cool off while the cookies are cooling; then I slide the cookies right off the paper to finish cooling on a wire rack then use the paper again on the now-cool cookie sheet.

So, back to the cookie review: it makes a decent cookie.  Texture-wise, it's not chewy like a typical chocolate chip cookie.  Crunchy. Firm. Stacks well.  Not too sweet. The chocolate chips added a touch of sweetness.   I won't make these often, but it's great to whip up at the last minute.

Later I'll share a couple of new chocolate chip cookie recipes that I tried.  I will be making a walnut-apple cookie recipe soon, too.

I know you all are wondering, so I will put your mind at ease.  Yes, the stray cat is still hanging around. He went nuts today when he smelled tuna at lunch time. Because, you know, it was warm out and the windows are open. And tuna smell carries! So does the sound of a can opener.  So anyway, being the softy that I am, I let him have the can.  He would like to come inside to look for more tuna. And a can opener.  So far we've been able to keep him out.

Not that he isn't being persistent.

And he politely (read: noisily) asks every time you look outside to check on him.

Entry #8 (The rest of the Zebra Party)

Ok, I have summed up the rest of the part in one last post 

I didn't get pictures of the process in making the cake, 

I was at work while Mom and Dad did it. 

But, it's a Zebra Cake!!

We decided it would be easier to melt the icing 

and pour it over the top. 

This was only half the icing, 

we figured if we didn't let this much of it set up before putting the rest on

 we would end up with a plate of frosting instead of an iced cake

 

Now we can pour the rest of the frosting on. :)

 

While mom is finishing the cake Dad and I go outside a put up the decorations

And since my mother would not appreciate a picture of the cluttered back porch on here,

this is the best picture I got of the back. 

And these are the front porch decorations.

A better picture of the sign

The doorway in the Dining room 

(the Steelers game was on in the background, and may I add that we won) 

Ran out of pink zebra balloons, had to use the yellow 

The finished cake! 

The drink bar in the background is a bookshelf covered with table cloth,

it has more of the black ribbon and zebra ribbon taped to the front in different lengths.

All 23 (yes, zebra print) candles

It is at this time that I would like to say 

that I did, in fact, blow them all out with one breath

The inside of the cake was done to look like zebra print

And it was served on zebra print plates 

with chocolate swirl ice cream!

Just in case you didn't catch it, the theme was pink zebra print ;) 

What will we blog about next?!? 

I haven't had my coffee yet....... oh yeah, here's a seven layer dip for your enjoyment!!!

I have soooo been falling behind on the birthday party updates

 soo....to make it up to you, HAVE SOME DIP!!!

Everyone LOVES momma's 7-layer taco dip. It never lasts long, 

which is why we couldn't make it all the night before. 

That being said, lettuce begin. :D

Behold, mamas dip tray (It needed rinsed out)

Start with a can of re-fried beans and spread it (layer 1!)

This is a mixture of 1 block cream cheese and 1 container of sour cream (layer2!) 

Layer 3 is salsa of your choice, as much as you want (we buy ours at Sams)

layer 4 is CHEESE!! (I love cheese!)

We use the whole bag..

Layer 5: Peppers from the garden! I would say green but ours turned red. 

Layer 6 is green onion. :)

Sorry, no conveyor belt noises this time

Isn't it so pretty?!?

For the final Layer we finely dice a tomato (yes, from the garden)

Then serve with Tortilla chips.

 (notice it didn't even last long enough for me to get a picture.

MAN, that stuff is going quick!

I better go get some before it's gone!