Pin It/Do It #3 - Lemon Fluff Freezer Cookies

One of my duties at work is to oversee the wellness program.  As part of that program, we had a healthy eating/exercise/weight loss competition during February and March.  One of the goals of the program was for the group as a whole - 30 participants - to lose 4% of their combined body weight.  And me made it!  We lost 283 pounds.  As a reward, I promised a healthy lunch for all participants.  When it came time to schedule the caterer, you should have seen the looks I got when I said "healthy, low-cal, low-fat".  And every bid returned with blah baked chicken and steamed vegetables.  That's exactly why people cringe at eating healthy!

So, I decided to do it myself.  I've cooked for 30 people before - piece of cake!  It turned into more of an ordeal than I anticipated, but that was mostly lack of planning on my part. Overall, it was a success.  Here is the menu I served:

Chicken Tacos:

• tortilla
• shredded, seasoned chicken
• lettuce
• tomato
• onion 
• low-fat cheese
• salsa

Apple-Cabbage Slaw from Taste of Home

Pina Colada Fruit Salad from All Recipes

And Lemon Fluff Freezer Cookies for Pin #3 for the May Pin It/Do It Challenge.

Recipe from Keri at Shaken Together

 100 Calorie Lemon Fluff Refrigerator Cookies

2 bags Newton Fruit Thins (30 cookies each) - Lemon Crisp flavor
1 small tub of Lite Cool Whip  
1 cup cold skim milk
1 small box (3.4 oz) sugar-free, fat-free instant lemon pudding mix
1 teaspoon of lemon zest (optional but SO yummy)Whisk together pudding mix and skim milk; allow to set for 30 seconds.  Gently fold in Lite Cool Whip and lemon zest, incorporating the pudding thoroughly.  Place in a piping bag fit with a large star tip.  Pipe approximately 2 tablespoons of lemon fluff filling on one cookie and place another cookie on top, pressing slightly.  Repeat until all cookies are filled.  Place in freezer until filling is set - at least one hour.  

Yield:  30 cookies

My store didn't have the Lemon Crisp flavored cookies so I used Blueberry Brown Sugar Newton Fruit Thins - still delicious!   I also didn't have a piping bag, but a zip lock bag with one corner snipped worked fine.  Be sure you get the zip lock portion actually zipped.  Not saying anything went awry - just a good idea to double check that. *wink*

They were a hit with the crew at work and I think they'll also be a hit with grandsons when they come to visit later this summer.

Learn 5 New Things

At the first of the year, my sister, Teri, challenged her blog readers to learn five new things in 2013.  I chose to learn:

1. Crochet.  
2. Tat lace.  
3. Load/shoot a gun(s).  
4. Camp.  
5. a topic yet to be determined

So far I've marked one off the list - Gun safety.   As I said in my original 5 New Things post, this is not really a "want to", it's a "need to".  I've been around guns all my life.  I do know some gun safety and I have shot, but my knowledge is minimal.  We live in a secluded area and it's a weird world out there - I need to be comfortable with the guns that are in our house. Toward that end, when we spent a weekend with Teri and her husband, Clay, as well as our son, Mitch, the guys got together to teach the ladies the basics of identifying, loading and firing various guns. 

All the details about gauge vs. caliber and double-action vs. semi-automatic may be a bit vague, but I got the gist.  And the shooting portion of our lesson - conducted at a nearby gun range - as actually kind of fun, if a bit frightening.  

We learned about rifles

and pistols

and shotguns

Oh my!

I'm not planning to strap on a holster or even try my hand at trap shooting, but I do feel I could safely load and shoot the guns in my house if need be.

Are you wondering why only the teachers are pictured here and not the students?  Because the picture Dave got of me shooting a pistol was just too embarrassing to post (cause it's my blog and I don't hafta if I don't wanna!) so no fair embarrassing Teri, either.

Next up - Crochet and camping are in the plans for later this month.

Pin It/Do It: 10 Minute Table Runner

During a fun sewing day a couple weeks ago, my friend, Jennifer, showed me how to make this quick and easy - yet adorable - table runner.  When I got home and ready to give it a try, I wanted to verify that I remembered Jenn's instructions correctly, so I checked Pinterest and found this pin with clear instructions:

From Amy @ Not Always With Thread

My first table runner was to be a gift so I chose a beautiful Americana print - cause who doesn't like Americana?  A half-yard of each fabric made two runners so I got to keep one.  Funny how that worked out. *wink wink*

I can't say I got a runner made in ten minutes, but it was certainly under 30.  I added top-stitching around the triangular sections on the ends to make them lay flatter.   This is a simple technique that could be adapted to make various sizes and is a great pattern to have at the ready when you need a last-minute gift.

The May Pin It/Do It Challenge: Soap and Skirts

Trish is once again hosting a Pin It/Do It Challenge.  The title says it all - find something you have pinned on Pinterest, and do it.  It can be a craft, recipe, decorating idea, book you want to read - anything you have pinned.  I love these challenges for the motivation.  Dave even gets into it sometimes.

In fact, Dave helped with the first craft for this challenge:  Mason jar soap pump.  The idea came from a post by Julie on Babble, and it's pretty obvious.  Don't know why I hadn't thought of it before.  Drill a hole in the lid of a mason jar, insert pump, fill with soap.  Voila!  

I bought inexpensive soap from the dollar store to get the pump. The original instructions included painting the lid and ring, but I chose to leave mine as they were.  Dave drilled the hole with the largest bit he had, then reamed it to the proper size with a large metal punch.  This worked well because we could enlarge the hole in small increments until the pump fit in snugly.  On our second attempt the drill bit left some jagged edges that Dave smoothed with a Dremel.  This made the hole a touch too large, but a dab of glue handled that.  

My second project didn't come from a pin, it came from my mom.  She spotted these cute "candle skirts" at a friend's house during Christmas, created her own and gave me one to use as a pattern for making more.  The original was intended to use on a medium size pillar candle, but I don't use many candles in my home.  But aha! ..it fit perfectly on a mason jar so I combined the two ideas.  I'm not really a lace-and-bows kinda girl so my version is accessorized with ocean-themed charms in my beach-themed bathroom:     

                                          

Mom's version is created from a rectangle of fabric, laid wrong side up, top and bottom edges folded inward to overlap slightly  The lace is placed over the raw edges and top stitched - joining the edges and adding the trim all in one step.  A second row of stitching creates a casing for the elastic. Insert elastic, sew ends of fabric together and add bow (stitch or glue). 

Since I wasn't using any trim to cover the raw edges, I made a tube from two rectangles of fabric - the back is a coordinating print that is barely noticeable along the ruffle.  I then added rows of stitching to make the casing and hand-stitched the ribbon and charms.  If you would like more specific measurements and instructions, let me know and I'll post pictures of the process.

A second mason jar soap pump, skirtless so far, holds dish soap by my kitchen sink.  Now I'm picturing mason jars and skirts everywhere - holding buttons in my craft room, candy on the coffee table, homemade goodies as a gift . . . endless possibilities.  

Needlework Tuesday

It's time for another installment of Needlework Tuesday, hosted by Heather @ Books and Quilts.  Strike up the band!  I actually finished a project since last Tuesday.    

Prayer Quilts:  The prayer quilt I was making is now complete and has been delivered. (For details on what makes a quilt a "prayer" quilt, see this post from last week.)  The quilt top was pieced by the end of the day last Tuesday then I added a backing made from camo and a wildlife print, and added camo binding. It's obviously a guy quilt.

I am now working on a second prayer quilt - and this project was blessed before it started.   The intended recipient of the quilt requested a red, black and white color palette, so I decided to make the cross from a red/black print and the background from various black/white prints.  I only had two black/whites in my small stash, so I mentioned to Dave that I was going to run to town the next day to get some fabric.  The mention of fabric made the little light bulb above his head flick on - "Oh, you got a package in the mail today.  I think it's more fabric from our 'farmgirl thing'."  

*Aside to audience:  The "farmgirl thing" would be Mary Jane's Farm's Farmgirl Sisterhood, of which I am a member.  Several sisters sent me packages of fabric bits and pieces in trade for my scraps or just out of generosity.  Or, in the case of one over-stocked sister, to maintain peace in her marriage.  So far, I've received four packages with two more on the way. (See this post.)

 When I opened the box I found SIXTEEN black and white prints!  How's that for awesome?  God provided the fabric before I even knew I needed it!  When I finished cutting, there was barely a scrap left big enough to make one more 6" square.  Hopefully this quilt will be finished in time to post pictures next Tuesday.

The sixteen prints in my package,
 plus the two from my own stash.

Quilt by Sarah @ The Last Piece

The Book Quilt:  Regular readers may remember the "book" quilt I'm planning.  It will look something like the picture on the right.  I haven't counted the "books" in the inspiration quilt, but my version requires 396 2 1/2" strips of various lengths.  With all of these remnants I'm receiving, I have decided to use 396 different fabrics. No repeats!  Last night and this morning I went through the latest goodie boxes and cut strips galore.  195 so far!

Table Runners:  Also on today's agenda - the Ten Minute Table Runner.  If you haven't seen this super easy pattern, just Google it.  YouTube is loaded with tutorials.  

Image from Not Always With Thread

 I learned this method from a friend I sewed with last weekend (see upcoming post) and decided it would be the perfect thing for a gift I need to hurry up and get in the mail.  I bought this adorable Americana fabric and, I'll be darned if there wasn't enough to make one for myself as well!  Funny how these things happen.  Hope to get at least one done today.

Camping Fabric:  My sister, Teri, gave me these adorable 10" squares of camping-themed novelty fabric and coordinates.  I have 20 of them in red and aqua.  I'm not sure what I'm going to make, but I'm thinking tablecloth.  I guess they'll just sit there until inspiration strikes.  Anyone have pattern or optional project suggestions?

Also in stitching news, I have a "new" addition to my sewing room:  a 1947 Singer sewing machine.  

My mom had an early 50's model that was very similar.  She used it for about 50 years, but the motor burned out recently and she had to replace it.  When I was a child, she sewed most of her own clothes plus clothes for three daughters - and their dolls.  That machine stitched many Barbie outfits, curtains, prom dresses, cheerleading outfits, Halloween costumes, bridesmaid dresses . . . all with two stitch options:  forward and backward.  

My new machine does run, but I want to give it a thorough cleaning and oiling and possibly replace the power cord.  It's looking a little worn and I don't want to start a fire or shock myself.  The problem is that the sewing portion of the sewing/guest room combo is taking over.  Not that we have guests very often, but when we do, I have to put away the sewing "stuff" to make room for them.  So, project number four for today may be to move the sewing portion to the basement.  There's a lot of space down there, but it's unfinished, so not as pleasant.  I think the advantage of space and the convenience of having the guest room usable would make it worth the loss of sunshine and hardwood floor.  

I have today off, then have to work tomorrow and Thursday, so if I'm going to get even a portion of this done, I better get out of this chair.  What are you stitching today?

Read-A-Thon: The Wee Hours

My read-a-thon was interrupted to run an errand for Dave.  I picked up everything he needed at the store in one town and drove it to the next town to meet him (only 7 miles apart).  We transferred the supplies from the car to the pickup and I headed back to my comfy couch.  But it was not to be - the pickup refused to budge.  To be more specific, it refused to budge in reverse.  "Drive" was still functioning, but not all that helpful when parked at a curb.  So - blah, blah, blah (cause I know you don't really care about the details) Dave got where he was going, blah blah blah, I'm home again.  

I'm caught up on all the mini-challenges to this point (at least the ones I'm still coherent enough to enter) and I'm going to settle into bed with my good book.  It's 1:15 a.m. and we have to be on the road by 8:00 a.m. for a family reunion.

So good night, sweet read-a-thoners.  Parting is such sweet sorrow, but I'll never get out of bed when it is 'morrow. (My apologies to Shakespeare.)

The Casting Couch Challenge

Alysia is making me think tonight!  Her Casting Couch Challenge requires me to imagine a book I've read during read-a-thon is being made into a movie - who would I cast as the main character?  Hmmm.....

I just finished Wonder Show, a YA novel about a teen-age girl who is left at a bleak, prison-like home for "wayward girls".  She runs away and joins the circus to look for her missing father.  I picture the main character, Portia, as tall and lanky with an understated beauty.   Portia reminded me a bit of Katniss from the Hunger Games series - quiet but strong, a tough exterior with a tender heart - so I am casting Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss, in the role of Portia.