tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190792872024-03-14T07:51:24.324-04:00Creative HomemakerCrafts, Parties Ideas, Recipes, Family Fun, and insight on my daily life.Creativehomemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07345909322227334168noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19079287.post-1264091454519252242017-09-13T09:37:00.000-04:002017-09-13T09:37:04.416-04:00Light During Power Outage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What is the best thing about losing power right after dinner? Eating from my secret oreo stash right in front of my unsuspecting kids bahaha. Unfortunately, there is the whole no lights or entertainment to deal with.</div>
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During our mini one-hour crisis, my oldest gets out some candles and pulled out her Ukulele! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy13vH0PO-8sFRjgeW8GwB4ptub8bPPirAePCB_KZwyExdDNdyxsr2qO3xZPJWLt2nFmm3GxVcpJWGkUMUOYhji7qCX3D05Ju9wA-2Yrdkg_LU2TyYn5bsIgj9iFUz8yMKBcR/s1600/bathtub+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy13vH0PO-8sFRjgeW8GwB4ptub8bPPirAePCB_KZwyExdDNdyxsr2qO3xZPJWLt2nFmm3GxVcpJWGkUMUOYhji7qCX3D05Ju9wA-2Yrdkg_LU2TyYn5bsIgj9iFUz8yMKBcR/s1600/bathtub+light.jpg" /></a></div>
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But then my youngest had to go to the bathroom, and a glow stick doesn't quite have the lumens required to light up the dark bathroom. We talked about the Pinterest post with the old milk jig of water and a headlamp, but those aren't things we have lying around. So here was how we improvised.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKx7hoIbwmxgDOiMDFutdvm_661S7rgF8NKsuwQD6hgs-C9L8rCuwx38ehEfqLLC8JWhwgIrggR003g1pJ5l8yYgvvCoOT7nOmj8Z4uJPoBaMOZKOjWAYp5hNMxNY64VJeyo1/s1600/bathtub+light+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKx7hoIbwmxgDOiMDFutdvm_661S7rgF8NKsuwQD6hgs-C9L8rCuwx38ehEfqLLC8JWhwgIrggR003g1pJ5l8yYgvvCoOT7nOmj8Z4uJPoBaMOZKOjWAYp5hNMxNY64VJeyo1/s320/bathtub+light+2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Here is the break down of it with light. I used an ice tea jug and sank a ziplock bag with an led finger light and rock stashed inside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RTqL_Ts9fKFibNJ_he6A0YsBKalwuzrukxsxivvcardG1lEiTvmqDHytKcNnliIBExw11AI_At8RXOsExosX2ApX7djFFpwaukMMgGjQ21ancUFHxT_7P5pwYg4MJaMf-0f-/s1600/led+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="496" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RTqL_Ts9fKFibNJ_he6A0YsBKalwuzrukxsxivvcardG1lEiTvmqDHytKcNnliIBExw11AI_At8RXOsExosX2ApX7djFFpwaukMMgGjQ21ancUFHxT_7P5pwYg4MJaMf-0f-/s200/led+light.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
These little led finger lights are what you get when you let your husband be in charge of stocking stuffers. I think I've seen them at Target, but really I have no idea where he picked them up.
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My husband is using his GI Bill to go to school, so we are on a tight budget (it was hard to find a job with little work experience). Anyways, I'm rededicating this blog to thriving on a tight budget.<br />
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I have recently updated my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W8f2AYuM_IfI7wZJvYD88VuGq2lDJdRfKo18IAKFLos/edit">Couponing Spreadsheet</a> link on my previous blog posts: <a href="http://www.creativehomemakerblog.com/2011/05/coupon-spreadsheet-template.html">Couponing Spreadsheet Template</a> and <a href="http://www.creativehomemakerblog.com/2012/03/coupon-spreadsheet-update.html">Coupon Spreadsheet Update Again</a>.<br />
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Currently I am working second shift, so my time off is when everyone is gone. Hopefully that means I can keep up my blog a bit more. I make no promises, but as I said before this blog is for my own benefit :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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My husband and I have been married for almost 18 years. The first piece of furniture we bought was this wooden table from Odd Lots. It is amazing it has lasted all these years, esp considering we've moved over a dozen times. We have replaced the chairs a few times, but the table still holds strong. Unfortunately the top of the table shows its age. Raising three kids and being a craft addict has worn down the table top. So this week I decided to resurface it!<br />
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv7qvpQIoybhTo3N1DT0S9DsrR97pj3gbxBebQwr8RwZ947moceDb6UGxafGqC85F86T5zhmjO1mqcNd6i_LAh5ZOSBbuOGU7SXzCsJfrjE8eDqCB9HnClrvxp8DbwCIDHoXI/s1600/table+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv7qvpQIoybhTo3N1DT0S9DsrR97pj3gbxBebQwr8RwZ947moceDb6UGxafGqC85F86T5zhmjO1mqcNd6i_LAh5ZOSBbuOGU7SXzCsJfrjE8eDqCB9HnClrvxp8DbwCIDHoXI/s320/table+before.jpg" width="180" /></a>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52FJu_OdVcip7U3Qmju837YAq7bL58OYNAsvVexaBrdCeaBtLd6oM2mrcGUVzRi9587RzxrEzlk9-MC24SdlQjsQPQNRA772GEdkAmxYsPXBg49C2n2D2yCQ9N6jcQyzWw8l7/s1600/finished+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52FJu_OdVcip7U3Qmju837YAq7bL58OYNAsvVexaBrdCeaBtLd6oM2mrcGUVzRi9587RzxrEzlk9-MC24SdlQjsQPQNRA772GEdkAmxYsPXBg49C2n2D2yCQ9N6jcQyzWw8l7/s320/finished+table.jpg" width="180" /></a>
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To start, I took the legs off the table. Before unbolting the screws I took a picture first so that I could reassemble it properly.<br />
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I applied a stripper chemical according to the package and scrapped it off. This took off the previous finish and helped remove some of the previous stain.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEx_dyMuASid5NYU5jHnDBvYijYYAxIgUDdRZHMAfvEIMMm_KycCBpP7CgW9ksYqak_DEmwPbkOV76HgdHcc497IY7H0v_pBsQjSo9E0Mf9idgMyGhCm-Im8uTVo_n9Bpv6Xw/s1600/stripping+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEx_dyMuASid5NYU5jHnDBvYijYYAxIgUDdRZHMAfvEIMMm_KycCBpP7CgW9ksYqak_DEmwPbkOV76HgdHcc497IY7H0v_pBsQjSo9E0Mf9idgMyGhCm-Im8uTVo_n9Bpv6Xw/s320/stripping+table.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I then just gave the table a light sand with a sanding mouse and reapplied stain. I then applied a few layers of lacquer and a finishing wax to give it a shine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4x2vG77VM_SDBh0UQcqi9yIX7mtvUHYVvwXEj8BuIAvS6_BEMRZdrRm5xbMvixSDIarmVy7hj6EKqpRe1yh8AduDnLod3z01TikYP_DftiRnhZ7hsL_JkbJnM6Z6CxKJ8CVR/s1600/finished+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4x2vG77VM_SDBh0UQcqi9yIX7mtvUHYVvwXEj8BuIAvS6_BEMRZdrRm5xbMvixSDIarmVy7hj6EKqpRe1yh8AduDnLod3z01TikYP_DftiRnhZ7hsL_JkbJnM6Z6CxKJ8CVR/s320/finished+table.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLUmHciof0QSGOCS5768xzm1L9sbvPNtTBf6s4zwoBimtHQKEb2gAqHGePlV8Hpj_P2woo75myKs47fcKFGRAc7A12Ru-qnWaKRoHj1JrXsje6RFhDHbVxZtzVsPsc0cedQru/s640/blogger-image--1249425652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLUmHciof0QSGOCS5768xzm1L9sbvPNtTBf6s4zwoBimtHQKEb2gAqHGePlV8Hpj_P2woo75myKs47fcKFGRAc7A12Ru-qnWaKRoHj1JrXsje6RFhDHbVxZtzVsPsc0cedQru/s640/blogger-image--1249425652.jpg" /></a></div>
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I bought a single issue of <a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/?show_burdafashion_message=true">Burda Fashion</a> magazine, which is a fashion magazine that includes patterns. The above tank top was made with fabric I've had in my stash using one of those patterns.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMi3zNq3hTPKSfV1SuKroPv42R29EsHEeGTmY1zb3W8MU5UPz8a2D91wVPVWCT30yVQczI4k_Lhe7D0kOco3dxGdXlMyYWfUNEDbHrnjAhzwwo0ri1ZcZLgP7DtSFrwGQiIk1/s640/blogger-image-1798222094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMi3zNq3hTPKSfV1SuKroPv42R29EsHEeGTmY1zb3W8MU5UPz8a2D91wVPVWCT30yVQczI4k_Lhe7D0kOco3dxGdXlMyYWfUNEDbHrnjAhzwwo0ri1ZcZLgP7DtSFrwGQiIk1/s640/blogger-image-1798222094.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is a <a href="http://www.hotpatterns.com/">Hot Patterns</a> shirt that I started awhile ago but never managed to finish - thus the wrinkles :/ I got the pattern and fabric from Fabric.com</div>
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I downloaded this pattern free off the internet from <a href="http://www.fabric.com/creativity-headquarters-free-pattern-downloads-medina-mini-kaftan-pattern.aspx">Fabric.com</a>, and got got this fabric free. London is really big on reducing what goes in landfills, so there a heavy emphasis on recycling even at a corporate and manufacturing level. Our local council has a place called the <a href="http://watfordrecyclingartsproject.wikispaces.com/">Watford Recycling Arts Project</a> ( WRAP) where companies drop off industrial waste that could be reused. I find loads of fabric there that I am allowed to take for free! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt4dk0y_Dy983nGcUPoR6pgAal08vCFvKxqzngLYpBLYOuTqN_wX_-CruKabl687WNqXDqMzchIr8tusQ5Dj7saJ2Uwnuhy1gMVEdW14Y8_ELJLVLwIheHlQF9Mw_UJ9x8mI/s640/blogger-image--1957879621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt4dk0y_Dy983nGcUPoR6pgAal08vCFvKxqzngLYpBLYOuTqN_wX_-CruKabl687WNqXDqMzchIr8tusQ5Dj7saJ2Uwnuhy1gMVEdW14Y8_ELJLVLwIheHlQF9Mw_UJ9x8mI/s640/blogger-image--1957879621.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here is a bathing suit top and matching board shorts that I made from fabric I got from the WRAP as well. I drafted these patterns myself, so I am pretty proud of them.</div>
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Here is a closer look at the swim suit and board shorts.</div>
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In my daughter's nursery/preschool class there is a birthday almost once a week. Most parents pass out some sort of treat to all the kids as they leave school that day. Other parents go all out and buy a birthday cake. Since my little one is lactose intolerant, she can't enjoy the cake with others. So, I decided for her birthday I'd do something a little special. I made these cute paper pouches that are filled with a small bit of candy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWkKSF5syHrlBJAN-3DvYJopj-Q0Za4nMWCnSrmwdr6kttG6-7ljUFxxJ7k4M9Sskwb31q9TYjT9LeSgZd1Bwo9n0e3Ch765zJbghpBAxhJWM0Hm8BBWPX1ul00_tbcSQzYB0/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWkKSF5syHrlBJAN-3DvYJopj-Q0Za4nMWCnSrmwdr6kttG6-7ljUFxxJ7k4M9Sskwb31q9TYjT9LeSgZd1Bwo9n0e3Ch765zJbghpBAxhJWM0Hm8BBWPX1ul00_tbcSQzYB0/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started off with some label paper that I wrote Happy Birthday and stamped.</div>
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Then I took some construction paper and cut it in half.</div>
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<br />This is the goodies, just some fruit snacks and a small piece of taffy.</div>
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I used the labels to make paper tubes.</div>
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Then I sewed up one side of the tube with my serger. </div>
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After I filled it with the goodies, I sewed up the other side. I just hope the kids like the treats inside ;)</div>
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I thought I'd share with you our wonderful Easter celebrations this year. </div>
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We started off with decorating cookies. My little one here is lactose intolerant, so I baked a bunch of goodies for her to eat so she wouldn't be without sweets.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghT-QT6wwhKkQn9x7KmKtWZY4cR_Vua84XXFzkL8IY7_L8YDXwiCjSEjNbv_0l-DJxU0aVYtTK__7oECdqVFkLE-E0xwKJ19XWJwaawo-_7kXJFa436vaTDA64YBKeSV-RC0Zx/s1600/IMG_4843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghT-QT6wwhKkQn9x7KmKtWZY4cR_Vua84XXFzkL8IY7_L8YDXwiCjSEjNbv_0l-DJxU0aVYtTK__7oECdqVFkLE-E0xwKJ19XWJwaawo-_7kXJFa436vaTDA64YBKeSV-RC0Zx/s320/IMG_4843.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The we dyed Easter eggs.</div>
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I was too cheap to buy the white eggs (which would have cost about $4.50 for half a dozen), so we used brown eggs. I must say I like the more rich tones of the eggs. We got some sort of pearl effect kit which made them shimmer a bit.</div>
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Then the kids went off to find the eggs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U0Nk5L1Njyf0wKF23vL_PFqUZeAChgGOKeFADM_CDgDSmuy1Wh2qh74Aym4ufLU6Wa68WWzHBRFIeBiPlvHTfc_nCEkmAWE7mj2EcqEOjSobz6RHly4rNL63dWQvhPsoyYQj/s1600/IMG_4866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U0Nk5L1Njyf0wKF23vL_PFqUZeAChgGOKeFADM_CDgDSmuy1Wh2qh74Aym4ufLU6Wa68WWzHBRFIeBiPlvHTfc_nCEkmAWE7mj2EcqEOjSobz6RHly4rNL63dWQvhPsoyYQj/s320/IMG_4866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For Easter dinner we got our table top grill out and everyone made their own yummy creations. The kids prefer this to a traditional ham roast or feast, and it is a better way for us to spend quality time together. </div>
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A friend of mine challenged me to make this bunny bread. She found a pic of it somewhere on the internet and wanted to see if I could do it. I made it with an Italian bread recipe.</div>
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I think it turned out pretty awesome!</div>
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Over the summer my kids get very bored. If you look throughout this blog there are tons of ideas of what to do with kids over the summer. As my kids got older, entertaining them has become more challenging. My husband found a virtual summer camp that has got the kids all excited.</div>
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It is from the makers of Make magazine, and they have created what they call "<a href="http://cdn.makezine.com/make/maker-camp/index.html">Maker Camp</a>." Basically they have recruited the interns to produce this virtual summer camp. The kids log into Google+ in the morning to see their project. They have details and videos on how to do the project. Then the kids post on Google+ pictures of their results. The projects range from arts and crafts, science, computers, and really try to reach a broad range of interests.</div>
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Yesterday my daughter made the above gif animation of us having a pillow fight. I was quite impressed she was able to put it all together herself. Click on the image if you don't see the animation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6-Q8KrXV5W5VAu1VW3g8nmS_zrReSKIyxIrT_3QjnNPSChfug8Gc8SL6OGoqfY8lvyzs9r8Z9aAegx5PJj5XBgVij_f8J1LnIYF45a2D3Up695atktzoAfoE9Qr8YpwUPCR-/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6-Q8KrXV5W5VAu1VW3g8nmS_zrReSKIyxIrT_3QjnNPSChfug8Gc8SL6OGoqfY8lvyzs9r8Z9aAegx5PJj5XBgVij_f8J1LnIYF45a2D3Up695atktzoAfoE9Qr8YpwUPCR-/s320/IMG_2743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My husband and I have finished some more ceramic pieces from our date night pottery workshops. We have been having so much fun with these workshops, and as you can see we are learning how to do some many different kinds of pottery techniques.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8nIEesRhBWkzD_K4Vxw6PqDYfefcDdti_ve3fdq_PeVI0YaJm45XgSrRfYuRPE7LxQHNjVaQ-ooAIbWZ2Bfo19CvudxiebF41DkyAR1Is82xXqFuY4pej5gJXQsZQ4IVr6Zc/s1600/IMG_2730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8nIEesRhBWkzD_K4Vxw6PqDYfefcDdti_ve3fdq_PeVI0YaJm45XgSrRfYuRPE7LxQHNjVaQ-ooAIbWZ2Bfo19CvudxiebF41DkyAR1Is82xXqFuY4pej5gJXQsZQ4IVr6Zc/s320/IMG_2730.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are some jewelry pendant pieces I simple rolled out and cut with cookie cutter shapes. Then I took some various textures and added some detail. My favorite is the blue flower that has a nice speckled blue paint on the inside and a pewter colored outer rim. I had another lovely piece, but it broke on me. I was told there is a 30% failure rate for professional potters, so you shouldn't get discouraged if something doesn't turn out. It just so happened that the piece had an air pocket in it, so it shattered.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWyeSWPFExwLefc9IH3bjbnHaZ7cHn7ewyW6uF8shKl6NmtxP072o3F5GGuxXzrVpBEz9ufsUrbIdnyQg_UdEsIQbKktCGhrPs4mr9Lt_GQFMRtoaNFxGO1WP2f0hyphenhyphen6ocHkDD/s1600/IMG_2745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWyeSWPFExwLefc9IH3bjbnHaZ7cHn7ewyW6uF8shKl6NmtxP072o3F5GGuxXzrVpBEz9ufsUrbIdnyQg_UdEsIQbKktCGhrPs4mr9Lt_GQFMRtoaNFxGO1WP2f0hyphenhyphen6ocHkDD/s320/IMG_2745.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a bowl that I spun on a potter's wheel. It was the first piece that I successfully made on the wheel, so I am quite proud of it. I love the speckled paint job, but honestly I thought it was going to be a different color. The label and picture made it look more like a tea color with coffee colored specks, but instead it turned out robin's egg. Perhaps the paint labels got mixed up, but I still love it. The speckles are actually blobs in the paint, and when the piece goes into the kilm to cure the blobs explode into the speckled pattern you see here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIj8Js-AJwwBWMICpdocgu-5tPYmWW2K7a82_U5g5xy-iGiqay9VJAZx0p-3uZynY4AF5CUIgZdEkEyqTpKIKiSSrIOqWA4zd5TYraX03THaYTX0RcOVeRN6mU9nGXeiuISzd/s1600/IMG_2746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIj8Js-AJwwBWMICpdocgu-5tPYmWW2K7a82_U5g5xy-iGiqay9VJAZx0p-3uZynY4AF5CUIgZdEkEyqTpKIKiSSrIOqWA4zd5TYraX03THaYTX0RcOVeRN6mU9nGXeiuISzd/s320/IMG_2746.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I finished the bottom with a nice brown color. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5zCY7YjMXLR7CbAFAA17yrz29gQWIbjpAN-yP2GPZ7NzYLQd54f1vKkDvotFtwsXdCfGL-frkgWrxLReLr23f7PfRcu57YvVoKhtIma0t5E9RMcDq8do6rSyk31MHUxGg2KG/s1600/IMG_2615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5zCY7YjMXLR7CbAFAA17yrz29gQWIbjpAN-yP2GPZ7NzYLQd54f1vKkDvotFtwsXdCfGL-frkgWrxLReLr23f7PfRcu57YvVoKhtIma0t5E9RMcDq8do6rSyk31MHUxGg2KG/s400/IMG_2615.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am so proud of this plate! I made it all by myself. When I say I made it, I don't mean I just painted it in some Paint Your Own Pottery place. I actually made it with wet clay, created the polka dots, drew the cool food, and then later painted it.<br />
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My husband and I have been going to a ceramics open studio at the local community center for our date nights. Tonight I got my first piece back, this awesome plate! We also got to try our hand at the potter's wheel. I made an awesome bowl, which I can't wait to see how it turns out. It will be awhile before it is done, but I will post a picture when it is done too :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdwTJb6ug0o77X6klLfY_Or-UrSg5Day01iJ_CcdxbVboY9rwVYyYccqeufnydnZ1VNat2Ihu6Pzct9Ua8322OWzwZLRtdbx_hPwUC8BYBxLKng3uEzlKkvx6vmP0hj84sd4m/s1600/IMG_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdwTJb6ug0o77X6klLfY_Or-UrSg5Day01iJ_CcdxbVboY9rwVYyYccqeufnydnZ1VNat2Ihu6Pzct9Ua8322OWzwZLRtdbx_hPwUC8BYBxLKng3uEzlKkvx6vmP0hj84sd4m/s320/IMG_2623.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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With only 4 sleeps left until Christmas, and since everyone is home all day, we decided to do a Christmas family activity every night until Christmas.<br />
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Yesterday evening we made Gingerbread Houses. Ok they were made out of graham crackers, but they still turned out cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm0cZUOqMqFjGXkmJc1YGRfLvHgVqiV5fjKBHRAM8Z9QeJOwv-bMYDXW6JR2hzSp1MUeHSoQAmDnzDGE6chRDVk5QhzbjHDfqiBWWCzDMHU5T3oI-UXLJYKW61ozoUUbV8-KW/s1600/IMG_2619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm0cZUOqMqFjGXkmJc1YGRfLvHgVqiV5fjKBHRAM8Z9QeJOwv-bMYDXW6JR2hzSp1MUeHSoQAmDnzDGE6chRDVk5QhzbjHDfqiBWWCzDMHU5T3oI-UXLJYKW61ozoUUbV8-KW/s320/IMG_2619.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is mine, and everyone thought mine was the coolest. I used vanilla wafers as a rough, pretzel rods for the door, and fruit roll up to outline the window. My coolest feature is the Christmas tree which I made from a Resse cup base with a candy cane stick through the center. Then I just cut up a marshmallow and dipped it in green colored sugar then iced it to the candy cane.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrg2uadGwE7TwKdIsxsZPiZXYnJ7Xp1d8OIfGGRhdzagIo9W6s_Rf-37Y0VSrwyoOqLMzqVaiUWNUWFvlrwuEXheNhmbEYLkhZZbf5ngmbr5kSlGNz1xMTfm3r4CF1HMLZ1bpK/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrg2uadGwE7TwKdIsxsZPiZXYnJ7Xp1d8OIfGGRhdzagIo9W6s_Rf-37Y0VSrwyoOqLMzqVaiUWNUWFvlrwuEXheNhmbEYLkhZZbf5ngmbr5kSlGNz1xMTfm3r4CF1HMLZ1bpK/s320/IMG_2620.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Lexi's. She made a cute chimney with the pretzel rods and windows out of square pretzels.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpe_mHuLiVDoTANnT9N2Ht-I3f2WbLWZkcHeWbEpCAMfKjbqmNqGr2EpEtQBT_4d4iIUOf1Xm_1fmeOftR2ozT2Q6Kurac-_RhKiJRq2CZmPQHRQASmyG2hq_0mnUInIZXmrh/s1600/IMG_2621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpe_mHuLiVDoTANnT9N2Ht-I3f2WbLWZkcHeWbEpCAMfKjbqmNqGr2EpEtQBT_4d4iIUOf1Xm_1fmeOftR2ozT2Q6Kurac-_RhKiJRq2CZmPQHRQASmyG2hq_0mnUInIZXmrh/s320/IMG_2621.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Neil wasn't feeling very well, but he managed to make quite a happy house. This is actually the backyard with a clothes line and a laundry basket.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_ng84jCjGLtgJbz8tbGVTwhNaa__RFpFVtw32fYdZuWG_Wt5VLWD0e9CRkH9hTUhLdmiJ9cGYK6n4Wa6_V9zDBVwfb07BxY32FrOFCr5D2lYHsr2fv6o0YxQk6gLxrcnjRgC/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_ng84jCjGLtgJbz8tbGVTwhNaa__RFpFVtw32fYdZuWG_Wt5VLWD0e9CRkH9hTUhLdmiJ9cGYK6n4Wa6_V9zDBVwfb07BxY32FrOFCr5D2lYHsr2fv6o0YxQk6gLxrcnjRgC/s320/IMG_2622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ray wanted to go for a England style home. The thatched roof is made from shredded wheat cereal. The round windows are from vanilla wafers covered in fruit loops. The door is candy canes with a knob in the center of the door like they have here. And finally there is a red postal box which was suppose to be close to the end of the path, but it fell over and that is where it ended up. In true English fashion, nothing on this house is truly straight lol. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujiWJPfP5S3MwcEZdC0L4iqUxxNIgLzZ0ULOt97s1a62MM9m_iZkA-anQGa6WyVFTPfx36etbX1umRQRCmFOq1r33kNMsZ5BZa0A-kGxfo6Ftpbe7rFnDCYvOa1wSIhG64Ivn/s1600/IMG_1995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujiWJPfP5S3MwcEZdC0L4iqUxxNIgLzZ0ULOt97s1a62MM9m_iZkA-anQGa6WyVFTPfx36etbX1umRQRCmFOq1r33kNMsZ5BZa0A-kGxfo6Ftpbe7rFnDCYvOa1wSIhG64Ivn/s200/IMG_1995.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_OJZVLwey4Etz9av0Frl3SfXc6QcErQB3v7kJGgAm_3FVWkp0-fEquBhjtUZZLpRa1aALOZttm1tCA0d7k1nn9Nro4jsJNHfIdYa8lSwnKxNo4i4d6_8kHj2SZ2EC56EZIrc/s1600/IMG_2114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_OJZVLwey4Etz9av0Frl3SfXc6QcErQB3v7kJGgAm_3FVWkp0-fEquBhjtUZZLpRa1aALOZttm1tCA0d7k1nn9Nro4jsJNHfIdYa8lSwnKxNo4i4d6_8kHj2SZ2EC56EZIrc/s200/IMG_2114.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MJM2rBFHY08tX9673zEzQ3xIb7WNrg20G4P3BEikvudYMVnxVZEWImnAMN96-k40W2UpFaE8_59fnoSsVwVtvqt2fGGGmjacTSiDc82t_4EQeD2Kz1KqP6usao9T74dMEu2w/s1600/IMG_2150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MJM2rBFHY08tX9673zEzQ3xIb7WNrg20G4P3BEikvudYMVnxVZEWImnAMN96-k40W2UpFaE8_59fnoSsVwVtvqt2fGGGmjacTSiDc82t_4EQeD2Kz1KqP6usao9T74dMEu2w/s200/IMG_2150.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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You may have noticed that I stopped blogging about the treats of the day. That is because I have been working hard to create a new blog dedicated solely to the treat of the day. I think this homemaker blog and my treat blog have separate audiences, so I felt it was best to separate the two early. </div>
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Have no fear, there will still be food related posts on this blog. I still plan to do my food challenges with my sister on here as well as food tutorials. </div>
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Here is the link to my new blog: <a href="http://www.whatstodaystreat.com/">What's Today's Treat</a></div>
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You can follow this blog on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whats-Todays-Treat/145034492266630">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/whats2daystreat">Twitter </a><br />
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My sister has been asking me to make a video tutorial on how to make a yeast bread from scratch with no special equipment. In this video I walk you through how to make dinner rolls that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe is actually for hamburger buns, but I think they make delicious dinner rolls as well. I found the recipe for <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hamburger-buns/">hamburger buns on Allrecipes</a> website.</div>
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You start off by adding your liquids and yeast. Let that set for 5 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Then mix the dry ingredients in with a wooden spoon.</div>
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<br />Once well mixed, turn the dough on a floured surface.</div>
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Knead the dough by stretching the dough length wise, folding it in half, and then pressing down in the center with your hands. Next rotate the dough, fold in half, and press down again. Continue this process for about 10 minutes.</div>
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Once the dough is kneaded enough, the dough will have a bit of a stretch to it. At this point you will form a dough ball by tucking the edges of the dough on the bottom side of the dough ball.</div>
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Place the dough ball in a greased mixing bowl and cover.</div>
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Let rise for an hour and a half, or until it has doubled in size. Next you will take your fist and punch in a downwards direction in the center of the dough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHVuKYYcvoteHMSOFZa8qShcNUCo4XhkWgpRSiz8y80hsfzSDR-NAdb-npdg9ZoK1waHb1w5kENuINMtKLGvuqs9TxaEu3QmKje09lqtQhlHcvxcq_nsgxrEAmeTd9rQSCZO3/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-20+at+09.15.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHVuKYYcvoteHMSOFZa8qShcNUCo4XhkWgpRSiz8y80hsfzSDR-NAdb-npdg9ZoK1waHb1w5kENuINMtKLGvuqs9TxaEu3QmKje09lqtQhlHcvxcq_nsgxrEAmeTd9rQSCZO3/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-20+at+09.15.09.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Divide the dough up into small balls to create the number of servings you wish to create. For hamburger buns, you will probably make about 8 larger balls. I made 16 dinner rolls with this recipe. Once the balls are formed, cover and let rise for an hour.</div>
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Bake the rolls at 350º for about 30 minutes. At this point you can add </div>
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some sesame seeds if you are making hamburger buns</div>
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You can top the finished rolls with butter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERbCDyr5QH5oXx02Pq_4xBXjfBxmYFEUgjHMyIjgQTyBU5ptY88tSnj3wOzkY19wqFlwkmeDnI6aVYTdr6tVuZ8EoeNIRAnXnzMEHXSKGAX-xhyphenhyphenHChoEvJgscd0byHrIhYNYo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.12.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERbCDyr5QH5oXx02Pq_4xBXjfBxmYFEUgjHMyIjgQTyBU5ptY88tSnj3wOzkY19wqFlwkmeDnI6aVYTdr6tVuZ8EoeNIRAnXnzMEHXSKGAX-xhyphenhyphenHChoEvJgscd0byHrIhYNYo/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.12.12.png" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxb846ZsLq8P9bKW7eYNNXxkvQ1qUz0DexQ33mmJxEhQKIiPrMY9QtpeGct0II2VlyY8a-x_ZLs-OSPOtIm7TnaK8zfv3l3sQcqeeCztk0ZExDb49Gs7CRgq9KcU8Acx4Td9j/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.13.25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxb846ZsLq8P9bKW7eYNNXxkvQ1qUz0DexQ33mmJxEhQKIiPrMY9QtpeGct0II2VlyY8a-x_ZLs-OSPOtIm7TnaK8zfv3l3sQcqeeCztk0ZExDb49Gs7CRgq9KcU8Acx4Td9j/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.13.25.png" width="93" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oGzGVU-Kp-leFVrBMR_SyfSQUFeem-vkg_EJxNFDw0YePGFWk-QwfaLe0BTV_UsDrCjRWAbQSnKvOU3RBk_vt0-AmmWwjNG2YUZWz8A2wrCSGvY5Mkx2fQqxWIgKxXm6Vxxg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.15.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oGzGVU-Kp-leFVrBMR_SyfSQUFeem-vkg_EJxNFDw0YePGFWk-QwfaLe0BTV_UsDrCjRWAbQSnKvOU3RBk_vt0-AmmWwjNG2YUZWz8A2wrCSGvY5Mkx2fQqxWIgKxXm6Vxxg/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.15.54.png" width="126" /></a></div>
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I have been wanting to try a Hot Patterns pattern for awhile. I really liked the fact the pattern comes with three shirts since it was a bit of a pricey pattern. However, I liked the trendy look of the shirts and I am trying to update my wardrobe.<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHlAX6czQkHVoGXB2h-2d2VNJ274otKsMF2lSIkyNvSR9C6LHWlKlhIuvcK6zlas8z6P67hjQsaLVaORQc3e14KBP8aQhvVzIAwi-r80iJy3u4lRWnWg8KG1MOq8BMiW0AuOk/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></div>
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This is the pattern I used from <a href="http://www.hotpatterns.com/products/HP-1089-Classix-Nouveau-3-Graces-T%252dShirts.html">Hot Patterns #1089</a> and the website has videos on construction techniques and pattern variations that you can do to alter the shirts to make different looks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqw7B0keb9b1ZUoMbel6t9qxpOFyEGRjTUWHVTdI9NGdrOdykmmUncJy9Di52sboC0mbDNDrS1fM-FNmZ4VRW01Q4DBHR33JMiUM3chpwjKV6cKmBotJP6ejtpV4iGSkZqSR-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.44.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqw7B0keb9b1ZUoMbel6t9qxpOFyEGRjTUWHVTdI9NGdrOdykmmUncJy9Di52sboC0mbDNDrS1fM-FNmZ4VRW01Q4DBHR33JMiUM3chpwjKV6cKmBotJP6ejtpV4iGSkZqSR-/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.44.56.png" width="293" /></a></div>
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The cowl neck variation was the easiest to make. </div>
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I made all the shirts as long sleeves because it gets very cold here. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22tuHBGhGBDhj8wDVvj1kAE75od317P2QQHUgRPVSgXpwmGptk7UBkKKlhuBUTTlEA-5VeBoiUnOl5V1asYgZP46MFs9le0_lrIE8FZCo3Be4vKsC03XXLY2BcIVJboytJOfM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22tuHBGhGBDhj8wDVvj1kAE75od317P2QQHUgRPVSgXpwmGptk7UBkKKlhuBUTTlEA-5VeBoiUnOl5V1asYgZP46MFs9le0_lrIE8FZCo3Be4vKsC03XXLY2BcIVJboytJOfM/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.45.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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This cross-front version was very challenging. I had to take it apart a few times to master this shirt, but in the end I figured it out. I think it would have been much easier if I had my dress form with me. However, the Hot Patterns website provides a very good video on how to assemble this shirt. I had to watch it in sections and pause it while I sewed. I consider myself quite the advanced seamstress, but I had never tried a cross-front shirt before and as I mentioned it was harder than I thought.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZc43ggV_Xh9k9yGzpARvxGlmuJBj9HRUd5JWnvo9Hkxe0s8MWXoKjVDSmB2n6Zomvu_T-syOry9OsQY62IdwgN_axT6MDvHBr7JqXhzzsufhfqv2iV5EHHoK6bvkRnUgfGjAz/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.48.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZc43ggV_Xh9k9yGzpARvxGlmuJBj9HRUd5JWnvo9Hkxe0s8MWXoKjVDSmB2n6Zomvu_T-syOry9OsQY62IdwgN_axT6MDvHBr7JqXhzzsufhfqv2iV5EHHoK6bvkRnUgfGjAz/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+19.48.33.png" width="273" /></a></div>
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Finally we have the loop front which was a little difficult, but after watching the videos I was able to get it right. All of these shirts I made with fabric I ordered from <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gwFdMRzcafY08TMRP-2ADFGAZnu6DEAX3FCuQ0Na_PcNrX1RFcaYiSVgVM1UmG1xz4cpUc0qTZJYElE2FowuQI7kJ9G3e10_wntxQK3FiPhi9RSgqAaoxQPVhUDo_03j0c5o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.15.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gwFdMRzcafY08TMRP-2ADFGAZnu6DEAX3FCuQ0Na_PcNrX1RFcaYiSVgVM1UmG1xz4cpUc0qTZJYElE2FowuQI7kJ9G3e10_wntxQK3FiPhi9RSgqAaoxQPVhUDo_03j0c5o/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.15.02.png" width="206" /></a></div>
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I spent about a month knitting this shawl. I don't often pick patterns with an intricate design, but I really liked the look of it in the picture. I found the pattern at our local farmers market, and I was curious how different a British knitting pattern differed from an American pattern. While there were a few words phrases that were different, it wasn't very difficult to figure out what they meant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR1zzhCinAIg7JCM1T_LB2_4mtpfQcVBPj6bXhzYhprGOnqjGQrbCvdKr3QxXdUNp6k4_KiuIibQjJBRk0MwY-Y9n8VqzLUFvtbNfc9ZFfR0QZdcilp3hwgMv1xoOxcXsPd4m/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.16.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR1zzhCinAIg7JCM1T_LB2_4mtpfQcVBPj6bXhzYhprGOnqjGQrbCvdKr3QxXdUNp6k4_KiuIibQjJBRk0MwY-Y9n8VqzLUFvtbNfc9ZFfR0QZdcilp3hwgMv1xoOxcXsPd4m/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-11-18+at+18.16.09.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I must admit that it turned out very nice. The pattern shows through nicely and it looks great on. This will help keep me warm in the winter when we walk down to the tube station.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Zlo5lqYRIITF055SvuXurvQzjngyMSYLqXpUnwCOuwL11j7L0PYoToZAPcu-vJ9cZjtxeGn1N16Q5BFzo7B3_qb-WuN9xT3SXUHqMA2pv5Cs6W0wOIKBEAqbDPYEvqjQDDq9/s640/blogger-image--1797669347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Zlo5lqYRIITF055SvuXurvQzjngyMSYLqXpUnwCOuwL11j7L0PYoToZAPcu-vJ9cZjtxeGn1N16Q5BFzo7B3_qb-WuN9xT3SXUHqMA2pv5Cs6W0wOIKBEAqbDPYEvqjQDDq9/s640/blogger-image--1797669347.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brownie Bites dipped in Mint Chocoalte</td></tr>
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I used a basic brownie mix and a brownie pop mold. When they cooled down I melted some <a href="http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes-by-product/baking-pieces.aspx">Hershey's Mint Chocolate Chips</a> and dipped the tops of it in the melted chocolate. I then topped it some green sprinkles for a minty appearance. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmj5feDyIJXQNzL6Xzmk1akOenAt3LTHISJproniA96hp80MZTfD24fcLjINM0aww78BrFCqvJztyvMfZu8GTKsGqCUiRhmv5QLLHElfx5ZDpdHcOTQA2gdSkUAyecs4RufnF/s640/blogger-image-504570261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmj5feDyIJXQNzL6Xzmk1akOenAt3LTHISJproniA96hp80MZTfD24fcLjINM0aww78BrFCqvJztyvMfZu8GTKsGqCUiRhmv5QLLHElfx5ZDpdHcOTQA2gdSkUAyecs4RufnF/s640/blogger-image-504570261.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Toffee Chips</td></tr>
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I had made some toffee chip cookies earlier and they stuck to my cookie sheet. I was brave and decided to try Chocolate Toffee Chips, which I had much better results. These cookies are delicious and they didn't stick to my cookie sheet!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98AI3QbgZfphCnE48aDA6r3MGJ0WytWRW48agHdyIUsgQj8ugkshstUrXiNDby2eFwAIi8bsgKfka2jq62QjFQzGcMcvuMK6N7W2IzArero4z0rsB9HZoFnvDv2p6UvcWrfX8/s640/blogger-image-512273834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98AI3QbgZfphCnE48aDA6r3MGJ0WytWRW48agHdyIUsgQj8ugkshstUrXiNDby2eFwAIi8bsgKfka2jq62QjFQzGcMcvuMK6N7W2IzArero4z0rsB9HZoFnvDv2p6UvcWrfX8/s640/blogger-image-512273834.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Cupcakes with Vanilla Creme Filling and Caramel Icing</td></tr>
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I made these cupcakes that I filled with a homemade vanilla custard. I tried to add some whoppers to the custard, but I don't think it really got much of that flavor. I then iced it with caramel icing and drizzled chocolate on top. These were super yummy!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNxt7SMZVQv5uaon37uuK4BvZyCxQU5PJiwIpTwlrqS8qrbanFCqhg3QBBj3T8GVRa_kRy6YYMLeiZR7PWVtugP_CRoo6Ps7Pljg__B93qE_-dl1KTfcBzo8fZVEOIlvU5_IE/s640/blogger-image-1853217440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNxt7SMZVQv5uaon37uuK4BvZyCxQU5PJiwIpTwlrqS8qrbanFCqhg3QBBj3T8GVRa_kRy6YYMLeiZR7PWVtugP_CRoo6Ps7Pljg__B93qE_-dl1KTfcBzo8fZVEOIlvU5_IE/s320/blogger-image-1853217440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Buttery Yumm Chex Mix</td></tr>
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I decided to make a chex mix this week because my family likes to snack on chex cereal every once in awhile. I tried the <a href="http://chex.com/recipes/RecipeView.aspx?RecipeId=47314&CategoryId=342">Hot Buttered Yum Chex Mix</a> recipe on the Chex website. Personally I thought this was great, but for whatever reason nobody else has been eating this. Perhaps because there is still yummy cupcakes left.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D5ga_prZXlI2F0ppd4YOopo3PNIKiabqLl2mNSHLuoXMJezyNIGMfWhHbkAOyhzyeNRDl3nC6euSnbOR6JIpuy5dpynUMuarlY6bNnoI5p1_gOxZKkVT4UYAGGb7YhttT8sR/s640/blogger-image--900245610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D5ga_prZXlI2F0ppd4YOopo3PNIKiabqLl2mNSHLuoXMJezyNIGMfWhHbkAOyhzyeNRDl3nC6euSnbOR6JIpuy5dpynUMuarlY6bNnoI5p1_gOxZKkVT4UYAGGb7YhttT8sR/s640/blogger-image--900245610.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerbread</td></tr>
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<div>
Since it is Friday, I thought I'd make something easy. So I tried a recipe from the cookbook that came with my bread maker. This gingerbread recipe is a quick bread recipe that worked out nicely in my bread maker. I think next time I might double the recipe because the loaf of bread it made was very small.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Last month my sister and I did a challenge of making healthy soups and salads. We had so much fun doing it, that we decided to do a challenge every month. This month we decided to do a casserole challenge. Keep a look out for our Healthy Food Challenges each month.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpE9tRGzhjbjwCBG5hWf-S8BoRRdRUUTsCb6EPPj49tnTxgnfGgI1LpgnSXwmMTqW44YXu90I43ZuT-PsSNonrXed2m7evfZ9rQkh1zTXnwXwGFUalzUIzXUL0HXJlPguMtS-/s640/blogger-image--1611575534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpE9tRGzhjbjwCBG5hWf-S8BoRRdRUUTsCb6EPPj49tnTxgnfGgI1LpgnSXwmMTqW44YXu90I43ZuT-PsSNonrXed2m7evfZ9rQkh1zTXnwXwGFUalzUIzXUL0HXJlPguMtS-/s320/blogger-image--1611575534.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monday: Egg and Veggie</td></tr>
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For the egg casserole, I chopped up bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini and filled the casserole dish two thirds full of veggies. Then I mixed in enough eggs to cover it all. Then I added just a small handful of cheese.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtueseKWxZ1m-XETk6ZD8rlwS3wWsasmetaDwO4s1lTavJ73wxJSXkEI_c5YO0ZtfJ3mdEL1DIhBXjwamFYf9srDJMTrsaJTF7otlP14yen9AvEGigHtxl6-4nyWZhVJgrl3tS/s1600/IMG_1887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtueseKWxZ1m-XETk6ZD8rlwS3wWsasmetaDwO4s1lTavJ73wxJSXkEI_c5YO0ZtfJ3mdEL1DIhBXjwamFYf9srDJMTrsaJTF7otlP14yen9AvEGigHtxl6-4nyWZhVJgrl3tS/s320/IMG_1887.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuesday Mexican</td></tr>
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The Mexican casserole has tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and beans. I mixed in some sour cream to blend it all together and some cheese to hold it together. Then I topped it with crushed tortilla chips. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsV02mG_CGQzXyCUoxShFjBhzcXHdKWzpBPYjG6BHQAAFyb4UMa4zsnxCcA4Rn11ImYZaMN1NkRwhHiqUbT0OKYfw5iRkK7f3ze15QrQ3pPh6gOwjdARbj66TQ7geYXUeKRnY/s1600/IMG_1877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsV02mG_CGQzXyCUoxShFjBhzcXHdKWzpBPYjG6BHQAAFyb4UMa4zsnxCcA4Rn11ImYZaMN1NkRwhHiqUbT0OKYfw5iRkK7f3ze15QrQ3pPh6gOwjdARbj66TQ7geYXUeKRnY/s320/IMG_1877.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wednesday: Spinach and Rice</td></tr>
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The spinach casserole has carrots, celery, onions, and of course spinach. I put in some cooked rice and cheese. A spoonful of cream cheese helped bind all of this together to make one yummy casserole.</div>
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To be honest, Thursday was a broccoli and cheese casserole, but it didn't turn out. I thought I'd spare you the sad picture of my burnt casserole. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iCbl6vzBi3TGm82wQMs7RHorXHpUuBZcn5qtP8nZGEcyY5lIoPexOzVAOgZR9z_mGl6_uVwk10PTr-WwhRV4qMTJrOpd074a0bPX66Or73GE3b3_zm6jZ5HSfkWJwE7vJhgw/s640/blogger-image-2021982301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iCbl6vzBi3TGm82wQMs7RHorXHpUuBZcn5qtP8nZGEcyY5lIoPexOzVAOgZR9z_mGl6_uVwk10PTr-WwhRV4qMTJrOpd074a0bPX66Or73GE3b3_zm6jZ5HSfkWJwE7vJhgw/s320/blogger-image-2021982301.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friday: Tikka Masala</td></tr>
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For the grand finale I made a tikka masala casserole. This has egg plants, kidney beans, cannellini beans, tomato, a small can of chicken, and paneer cheese. Then I mixed that all together with a jar of tikka masala sauce.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw36s2epGHOtaZABOaXZa7mURxFo8Kbe1vLEscU5j30ACgL21dZlMn-Yc2H9VM1ydL4i9e8YjOMvvvUand9lFS80grOSsCDHfw1w95ZFZTpxhUrOvZqiT1wv1moLINlNgcPf3Y/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw36s2epGHOtaZABOaXZa7mURxFo8Kbe1vLEscU5j30ACgL21dZlMn-Yc2H9VM1ydL4i9e8YjOMvvvUand9lFS80grOSsCDHfw1w95ZFZTpxhUrOvZqiT1wv1moLINlNgcPf3Y/s320/IMG_1882.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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I had this sweater sitting in my closet for awhile. It fit me last winter, but I've lost a lot of weight over the summer. Everyone wants to go shopping to buy a new wardrobe when they've lost a significant amount of weight, but I hate shopping and well Angie's New Wardrobe is not a line in our budget. So to show off the return of my pre-baby weight I thought I'd take some of my old bigger clothes and make them new cuter clothes. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7BREIrI2cYrnVzdVk3-n0vRnEkZBveLN0Iurc9mm5rC896RfG7kX8AfVHwtxFEVgYRnAEUeVtVnJWUpfS6JdoJfC3_gjfZm7PqkQV4x-5Ri-sT0PBVX0HPT-YQXdsMB9Q1cv/s1600/IMG_1881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7BREIrI2cYrnVzdVk3-n0vRnEkZBveLN0Iurc9mm5rC896RfG7kX8AfVHwtxFEVgYRnAEUeVtVnJWUpfS6JdoJfC3_gjfZm7PqkQV4x-5Ri-sT0PBVX0HPT-YQXdsMB9Q1cv/s320/IMG_1881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
All I did was turn this 3/4 sleeve V-neck sweater into a cardigan. I cut the sweater down the center in the front. Then I took strips muslin and used that to sew a facing on it to it has a nice hemed look that is more stable than just folding the sweater over on itself.</div>
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Then I put some button holes on one side and buttons on the other.</div>
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We save a bit of money every month throughout the year so we have have a nice Christmas. Normally I'd have my checklist of things I felt I had to buy my kids to make sure the gifts were perfect. </div>
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I got myself in a rut of this is how to make a good Christmas. The kids usually enjoyed the gifts I picked out, and most of them where on their wish lists. It was a bit stressful for me to make sure that everything was balanced between the kids, but I got pretty good at it.<br />
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Then last year something changed....we moved during Christmas. This wasn't just a local move, or one of our standard moves to a place a few states over. We are talking major overseas move! Everything had to change as I tried to plan our <a href="http://creativehomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-christmas-in-london-for-first.html">Christmas in London</a>. We had to make our own ornaments because we weren't sure our stuff would get to us in time. The funny thing is that what I pictured to be a disaster of a Christmas ended up being one of the best we had. Ok, we all missed going to a tree farm to cut down our own tree, but we managed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnZpmIJRxyztofa_YVR282mwBcsFM6aJBtKwyvJqsHiubogZrsa9akV8GYQDiZ9ySn5oltDGGFZbhlFsUBBVjMUvNRkEHxt5e0UXtQ7ylmLwIw4T2NCRGfyvCVInGpQOpDv1H/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-08+at+13.06.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnZpmIJRxyztofa_YVR282mwBcsFM6aJBtKwyvJqsHiubogZrsa9akV8GYQDiZ9ySn5oltDGGFZbhlFsUBBVjMUvNRkEHxt5e0UXtQ7ylmLwIw4T2NCRGfyvCVInGpQOpDv1H/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-11-08+at+13.06.42.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-n4i-mplu5aVW2tuy5pqeNp5ZaVE8yQWZHFSLKTvyXaOA4EiqxB_6d2FCHyAViVM5RLZy5B525-w7Ppgc6Uh65NOg4LdjW8WGvwXfQxUCH1jy3T6uh48XOrvIBj4rcrearxW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-08+at+12.13.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-n4i-mplu5aVW2tuy5pqeNp5ZaVE8yQWZHFSLKTvyXaOA4EiqxB_6d2FCHyAViVM5RLZy5B525-w7Ppgc6Uh65NOg4LdjW8WGvwXfQxUCH1jy3T6uh48XOrvIBj4rcrearxW/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-11-08+at+12.13.30.png" width="200" /></a>So how did I manage to buy all my Christmas gifts in time while planning a large move? I recruited help! I made my kids help me with the shopping. Crazy idea huh? It turned out great though. I took our family Christmas shopping budget and divided by five. That gives everyone enough money to buy something for the four other people in the family. The money is to buy gift(s) and stocking stuffers for everyone. We told them to take that money and divide it again by four so that they spend the same amount on everyone. If you wanted to buy a gift that cost more than you have allotted for that person, then you need to convince someone else to spend their money on that gift and go in on it together.<br />
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The results were fantastic. First when the kids saw commercials for the lastest AWESOME toy, instead of saying "I want...I want..." they would say "Don't you think _____ would like that for Christmas?" Then when it came time to open the presents the kids were almost as excited to see how well people liked the gifts they picked out as they were to open their own gifts. Finally, the kids took pride in knowing they gave someone a gift they enjoyed. I thought I had taken away the joy of Christmas by passing the buck on the stressful Christmas shopping, but instead I really think the kids enjoyed it more. So this year they begged me to do it again :) They learned that is truly is better to give than receive.<br />
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PS For those of you who follow my blog(s), you know I have a little 2 year old. We are still doing the fun Santa thing for her until she figures it out. In the mean time Mom and Dad get to decide how she spends her money. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Please leave a comment below to tell me if you prefer this format of showing a week's worth of treats of the day, or do you prefer to see them individually with a break down of how I made them.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1c6CQpwGYRKiWfN4Ts9GmqOIeLAbFm3xqb3Pd7yYTfk9fy_0l6Z-fTfZ0SrD5ttv2Lh82blHM73032sz_z9xsF48zBs49ZiY7aGKVJtDg9M2cAKnlCqhABWDByipG6kCQd51M/s640/blogger-image-1243068233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1c6CQpwGYRKiWfN4Ts9GmqOIeLAbFm3xqb3Pd7yYTfk9fy_0l6Z-fTfZ0SrD5ttv2Lh82blHM73032sz_z9xsF48zBs49ZiY7aGKVJtDg9M2cAKnlCqhABWDByipG6kCQd51M/s640/blogger-image-1243068233.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Millionaires Shortbread</td></tr>
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This should be called the diet killer. It is a layer of shortbread cookie with a thick gooey caramel layer which is topped with milk chocolate. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXUY6-PIR1f3-rkL66It-Nb3qmyMFzeg5tBtDW2WwEQUyAkvI2iCnXo1I2KAk46mSt04cbNY0pEIhBhGwUjyhRopb-CJ6LYGgnA6mm5cJHCoYWKENxK7EFVJC6mUDhUYLKb32/s640/blogger-image-1565596445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXUY6-PIR1f3-rkL66It-Nb3qmyMFzeg5tBtDW2WwEQUyAkvI2iCnXo1I2KAk46mSt04cbNY0pEIhBhGwUjyhRopb-CJ6LYGgnA6mm5cJHCoYWKENxK7EFVJC6mUDhUYLKb32/s320/blogger-image-1565596445.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toffee Chip Cookie</td></tr>
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This cookie is very good, but I am not sure I'd make it again. The recipe came on the back of the Toffee Bits bag of chips I bought at the commissary. My problem with these cookies is it was hard to get off the cookie sheet. Once the toffee warmed up it stuck to the pan. I tried parchment paper, but it didn't help. I guess maybe a silpat would have done the trick.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxar6h1-UD7wtlLC7dQ6qgWN0aaOLWXrk3wCHYC8Uymky5NjtQraQylyYZMcCz1f3-brl4-Tr2jy9wkrIby6Iie3TAHEdjTBMV2Xp_zcSO0fJBZH2q8xzk8ScEuYFmxiIb99m/s640/blogger-image--2030953865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxar6h1-UD7wtlLC7dQ6qgWN0aaOLWXrk3wCHYC8Uymky5NjtQraQylyYZMcCz1f3-brl4-Tr2jy9wkrIby6Iie3TAHEdjTBMV2Xp_zcSO0fJBZH2q8xzk8ScEuYFmxiIb99m/s400/blogger-image--2030953865.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon and Chocolate Dunkers</td></tr>
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My friend told me that the Pizza Hut in the states has these chocolate dunkers and challenged me to make them. After looking it up I figured out how to duplicate them, but having never tried them I can't say I got it for sure. My son recommended that I make one cinnamon, which would be good dunked in a white glaze icing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK1GT_WvjAmBTZJbkiHUQ2bBU52K-0mibQE5fKNSSzYKr8MaYwykm5bjBSE8Hr1K6CwAjHheHP1x5YhTqQEF5Dmukh3snvldoG3L2bd4BcYw2qil-fOJMGXYtHHMCC-mTBjiu/s640/blogger-image-1642908664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK1GT_WvjAmBTZJbkiHUQ2bBU52K-0mibQE5fKNSSzYKr8MaYwykm5bjBSE8Hr1K6CwAjHheHP1x5YhTqQEF5Dmukh3snvldoG3L2bd4BcYw2qil-fOJMGXYtHHMCC-mTBjiu/s640/blogger-image-1642908664.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popcorn Balls</td></tr>
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I make these around Halloween time every year. I don't know why, its a lot like Christmas cookies. They have nothing to do with Halloween, except that I make them this time of year.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rQMl2gPgMvCQ84ZmjuGw662qaixnD3cM4QubiCtiMJdvTn4m0OfZ4JLH2o4f4ZM6W6wngydoNHHbUQScG2LBlrgY4KRVw2q7yFYQ3LhTSCelCA0Ao7hxfOuEO87HgvXufWnl/s640/blogger-image--1317907232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rQMl2gPgMvCQ84ZmjuGw662qaixnD3cM4QubiCtiMJdvTn4m0OfZ4JLH2o4f4ZM6W6wngydoNHHbUQScG2LBlrgY4KRVw2q7yFYQ3LhTSCelCA0Ao7hxfOuEO87HgvXufWnl/s640/blogger-image--1317907232.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry Angel Food Cake</td></tr>
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I saw on Pinterest a good recipe for Lemon Bars which just mixes a can of lemon pie filling with an angel food cake mix. I didn't have lemon pie filling, so I tried strawberry pie filling. It turned out very nice, esp topped with some cool whip.</div>
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Learn this neat trick to peel an orange with a spoon. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it. I will apologize for any umms you hear, there are a few in there, but I am working on them. I like making these videos, but I am a little nervous in front of the camera. Once I get good at making these videos, I want to do a series on how to sew. Until then, enjoy this video that will teach you a new skill to impress your friends...ok well maybe not impress, but it is a cool party trick.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9zmf3tIJGQzx9vJLuVV7GGxMTZ5P-Pr8mCDIbnQmfy1VKfY98KSkwLGAOxzfLhjS8lATcNXO5pWpfFuoE8gq5CGk6SHVS2lRAvy041fBW0cM0c9HCEMAP-WNxNPRgHVsLn3x/s640/blogger-image-1336638267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9zmf3tIJGQzx9vJLuVV7GGxMTZ5P-Pr8mCDIbnQmfy1VKfY98KSkwLGAOxzfLhjS8lATcNXO5pWpfFuoE8gq5CGk6SHVS2lRAvy041fBW0cM0c9HCEMAP-WNxNPRgHVsLn3x/s640/blogger-image-1336638267.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DH eating a mushroom eyeball</td></tr>
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We have a tradition where the kids can eat all the candy they want the day after trick or treating. Since we did a trunk or treat on Sunday, we were left at home on Halloween. I have long discovered that if I wanted to get the kids to eat dinner on a day they can have all the candy they want, then dinner has to be awesome. So this year I decided to do a Halloween Themed Fondue Night. It was a big hit!<br />
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We start off with the cheese course. I dyed my cheese green and carved a skull face out of the loaf of bread. Then I made some finger looking breadsticks. I just rolled the dough out into a breadstick and took a toothpick that I dipped in brown food coloring to make the knuckle marks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGIJ2FZSrTREWzBg4FiuyueKVOmATLfMhhlDfnFYleNaAydFV98EH5pNfXtTw9vfIgWYe5K4maAYpL2v52zE0frDbrXK6fx-IVuOUCQMD4i-Bfyv4gCNLRUBQg7RwGIkLeswx/s640/blogger-image-404024506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGIJ2FZSrTREWzBg4FiuyueKVOmATLfMhhlDfnFYleNaAydFV98EH5pNfXtTw9vfIgWYe5K4maAYpL2v52zE0frDbrXK6fx-IVuOUCQMD4i-Bfyv4gCNLRUBQg7RwGIkLeswx/s320/blogger-image-404024506.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Cheese w/Finger Breadstick</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skull Bread</td></tr>
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We then moved onto the meat course. I made some mushrooms into eyeballs by smearing a fingers worth of blue food coloring in the center and then taking a toothpick in red food coloring to make the squiggles. It looked really cool when they where cooking.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Witches Brew (fondue broth)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Eyeballs</td></tr>
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Finally we move on to the dessert round, which is always a buffet of goodies to dip in our chocolate fountain! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert Tray</td></tr>
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I used the toothpick in food coloring trick again to make faces on the marshmallows. Here we have two different kinds of cookies, left over pound cake from earlier this month that I froze, and marshmallows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Fountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CDBCuzmaipWeK7B6f7Xq-GJLlwyBLbGRfUnwWFq5CNQrgucyphO1iiTNO1JSIEA725yzfqgq_NH1Yh-0D_8sstP43A2s67Mo6sQI9J8rernRp5vVyETrPFaFclNosxUpqkqm/s640/blogger-image--1170697222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CDBCuzmaipWeK7B6f7Xq-GJLlwyBLbGRfUnwWFq5CNQrgucyphO1iiTNO1JSIEA725yzfqgq_NH1Yh-0D_8sstP43A2s67Mo6sQI9J8rernRp5vVyETrPFaFclNosxUpqkqm/s320/blogger-image--1170697222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun Marshmallows</td></tr>
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In the end, my kids thought I was evil! They said it wasn't fair to have such a yummy dinner on one of the few days a year they can eat candy unregulated!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtODlR4MYgxKYHrKiGp6mag-w0SbBiTJ1qXg_w2iLZAQbin-IdyK6mtBrK0hoHhhCt6o4rQXxd9L3DKeVDzLuj5JZlA4evMTFGVeqph0JEsec0lovTmdAHEWSrRzb22G0x2K7/s1600/IMG_2123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtODlR4MYgxKYHrKiGp6mag-w0SbBiTJ1qXg_w2iLZAQbin-IdyK6mtBrK0hoHhhCt6o4rQXxd9L3DKeVDzLuj5JZlA4evMTFGVeqph0JEsec0lovTmdAHEWSrRzb22G0x2K7/s400/IMG_2123.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My kids were all ready to go trunk or treating. We were kindly invited to an American Women's club event where it was like a little slice of the states. It was funny because there was some British kids in the mix, and they didn't know what to say. They tried though, they wished us a Happy Christmas, Happy Diwali, I think I even heard a Happy Easter in there somewhere lol. It was good fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX1YJKKAbcBno1NNpqVCu2LBj_G6FrAXQ5wJDM0CcLs_vX8Slr-WU2rVQON4OyTSElxl3g15o_x_GmlevHrqbk76pBvJbAZ2w2_m6IUmC_xITa5PcL90KzjtIjUoZKmVTNFej/s1600/IMG_2130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX1YJKKAbcBno1NNpqVCu2LBj_G6FrAXQ5wJDM0CcLs_vX8Slr-WU2rVQON4OyTSElxl3g15o_x_GmlevHrqbk76pBvJbAZ2w2_m6IUmC_xITa5PcL90KzjtIjUoZKmVTNFej/s320/IMG_2130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since it was an organized club, they told us to bring snacks for the adults. I made some pumpkin muffins which were a real hit. It was pretty easy to make. Just mixed some bisquick, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and a little milk and fried them. I baked it a little more because the pumpkin wasn't fully done. The glaze is powered sugar, cream cheese, and water.<br />
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As for my kids costumes....Neil is Steve from MineCraft - some online game where everything is in 8-bit graphics so its all pixelated. Lexi is a goth pirate, and Misty is Minnie Mouse. I wish the pics of Misty's costume came out better, but she just loved being Minnie she wouldn't hold still.<br />
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Tonight I'm curious if we will get any trick or treaters.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihX5v644HHlN4VHH7U7KF2nUugrrRYami8pckOfL_VpbwXP1IDJBh5YSxWOdJMu7JnSMNw9xIGbwgs5DbisCC4N_ozDoaj4WJZMwqwioZRXzo1hc3A0ZLBCfAtct37d9XUtULk/s640/blogger-image-1032986144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihX5v644HHlN4VHH7U7KF2nUugrrRYami8pckOfL_VpbwXP1IDJBh5YSxWOdJMu7JnSMNw9xIGbwgs5DbisCC4N_ozDoaj4WJZMwqwioZRXzo1hc3A0ZLBCfAtct37d9XUtULk/s640/blogger-image-1032986144.jpg" /></a></div>
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I was hoping to make tortilla soup today, but I didn't have everything I needed. So I made a mexican salad. I have lettuce, sautéed onions and bell peppers, tomatoes, and topped with ground beef. The dressing is made from lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, and coriander (cilantro). </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I decided to consolidate the treat of the day posts to a once a week entry. It seemed silly to just post a picture and a few every day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Swiss Roll</td></tr>
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My friend said it looked like the side of a skull, but I was really just going for the dark color of the chocolate roll contrasting with the the orange colored cool whip.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monster Sundae</td></tr>
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I made some delicious homemade ice cream that was honeycomb flavored. Then I made some waffle cones. It reminded me of the Happy Ending Sundaes I used to get at Friendly's as a kid.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Chocolate Ghosts</td></tr>
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This was a last minute treat. I got caught up with other things during the day so when I looked at the time I realized I only had 20 minutes to make something. I decided to make some white chocolate ghosts and they turned out pretty cute.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Chip Cookie Witches Hats</td></tr>
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This was probably the favorite treat of the day this week. I put the cookie dough in a jelly roll pan (i.e. a cookie sheet with a lip), and then I cut out the hats with a cool Wilton grippy cookie cutter. I used to collect them, but I gave them all to my sister after my older kids got too big for shaped sandwiches.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Smores Cupcakes and Sponge Cupcakes</td></tr>
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Ok, not Halloween themed, but Neil had a bake sale I needed to make 20 cupcakes for and this was what I came up with. The Chocolate Smores Cupcakes are chocolate cake that I dug a hole out of the center and shoved a huge marshmallow. Then I topped it with vanilla icing and then I dipped it in graham cracker crumbs and put a hershey bar square on top. The sponge cake cupcakes are filled with a rich chocolate ganache and topped with a caramel flavored marshmallow icing.<div>
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If you guys prefer, I can go back to doing it daily where I post pics of what I used to make the treats. Just let me know.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YnUM__rOvLwnaT74iHb0oMNacRlnFfvoYUAr70QiLPLSPqP8wgI0yQHM6IfAwVlyVWqiD4PudWpKLQl_0iJJO2iOpZiE__Eh2CbS0XbWC6RGLDTYzsnLIpUeRIcdALOBmvlh/s640/blogger-image-493886529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YnUM__rOvLwnaT74iHb0oMNacRlnFfvoYUAr70QiLPLSPqP8wgI0yQHM6IfAwVlyVWqiD4PudWpKLQl_0iJJO2iOpZiE__Eh2CbS0XbWC6RGLDTYzsnLIpUeRIcdALOBmvlh/s640/blogger-image-493886529.jpg" /></a></div>
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I've been meaning to make Moroccan Chicken Soup for awhile. So this challenge was the perfect opportunity for me to try to come up with a good recipe for it. </div>
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Here is my recipe: </div>
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2 teaspoon oil</div>
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1 onion diced (or 1 cup frozen chopped onions)</div>
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1 pound chicken </div>
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne </div>
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1 teaspoon cumin</div>
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1 teaspoon paprika</div>
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1 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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1 teaspoon coriander</div>
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1 teaspoon nutmeg</div>
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1 large squash chopped</div>
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2 zucchinis chopped</div>
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3 small tomatoes diced</div>
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3 carrots sliced</div>
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1 can of chickpeas</div>
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1 cup of water</div>
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chicken stock</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAgh6EhGkl5vo2eHgXDp8OyUjxhMRbc_14Gq5WrL5yGSlSw-AXG7ILaYTzlxKxbpmQ0yB5LAeSEV9Fj_Rq_200zjp9r3s7dSZMmpOmi8B2UnjFQklYzINxXVel7zGEmWDlzK4/s640/blogger-image-1329929679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAgh6EhGkl5vo2eHgXDp8OyUjxhMRbc_14Gq5WrL5yGSlSw-AXG7ILaYTzlxKxbpmQ0yB5LAeSEV9Fj_Rq_200zjp9r3s7dSZMmpOmi8B2UnjFQklYzINxXVel7zGEmWDlzK4/s320/blogger-image-1329929679.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It starts with left over chicken and stock from our roast last night.</div>
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These are the spices I joined together to make the Moroccan spice blend.</div>
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And then I have the chopped up vegetables and a can of chick peas.</div>
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It starts off with a drizzle of oil and about 1 cup of onions. I cheat and use frozen onions because I can't stand to chop onions. My eyes just water up too much. The idea here is to sweat the onions rather than sauté them.</div>
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Then add the chicken and spices. You cook this for only about 2 minutes, just to cook the spices into the meat.</div>
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Next add the stock, vegetables, and chickpeas. Also add about 1 cup of water at this point too. Cook it for about an hour with the lid on.</div>
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When it was all done I took half of the soup and blended it because I don't like really large chunks of veggies, but I like some to give it texture. Once your return the blended soup to the pot and mix it all together, I like to serve it with some couscous. You can just put some uncooked couscous at the bottom of the bowl, and as it cools down enough to eat it cooks the couscous in the yummy soup.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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