Fabulous Find Friday For March 29th

Living in Amish country has so many perks.  Not only do we have a abundance of bakeries specializing in good old fashion treats, quilt shops full of handmade items, buggies tied to lamp posts at the local Walmart and bulk food stores where you can get staples (and candy!) at low prices, but we also have friendships with these knowledgeable people who have been living off the land for generations.  Several years ago some of our Amish friends told us of a seed company that they bought all their seeds from.

 After tasting the wonderful corn from their garden we knew we needed to try some of these seeds for our garden.  Berlin Seed Company is located in Berlin, Ohio and has the highest quality seeds with wonderful germination.  Plus they have "Incredible" corn seed.  That's really it's name, "Incredible", and it does describe the corn we have gotten every year since.  The only thing bad I can say about this company is that you can't order online, duh, it is Amish!  That meant that every year I needed to drive to Berlin to get my seeds (hardly a huge problem since I usually stopped at my favorite fry pie bakery on the way).  I could also order on the phone but that meant I had to find my catalog, which I am always losing.  So when I found another company that loves Berlin Seed so much they have an online store that carries them, I knew this would be great for me (I can now order seeds and officially start my garden without ever having to get out of my PJ's) and for those of you who don't live in Amish country!  You're welcome!  Direct Garden Seeds carries all my favorite seeds, including Incredible Corn, Amish Paste Tomato, and so many others.  I placed my first order this morning!  Click on the link to order yours too!

Diana

Foot Print Cookies

 Need a quick baby shower cookie?

Here is one that is soooo easy to decorate, only uses one color and doesn't require a new cookie cutter (at least for me).  I used a flip flop cookie cutter, I know you all have one, and a few hours to bake and decorate.  I am actually using these cookies in Primary on Sunday as a reward for the children for following in Christ's foot prints.  For a change of pace I used candy flavoring (cherry) instead of the lemon juice I normally use in the icing.  Really good! For the recipes for the cookies and icing go here.   Diana

More on Google Reader Demise

First take a deep breath.  Now for the bad news.  If you are like me and follow all your favorite blogs on Google reader, the end is near.  Seriously.  Fortunately there is a way to save all those blog updates as long as you do it BEFORE Google reader goes down.  For more info on what to do go to Polka Dot Chair's article.  She has really done her homework and answers reader's questions.  I have already made the change, added my blogs and follow buttons(took less than 10 minutes) and considering my near nonexistent computer tech knowledge, that was way easy.  Just one thing I learned REAL quick once I started using Bloglovin, if you click on a blog update, view the blog and then later go back to the unread list, that post disappears and won't come back.  It has marked it as read and takes it off your list.  Here is what you need to do.  When viewing the blog, either mark the post as a "liked post" (a heart at the top of page appears and turns red when you click on it) or mark the post as unread---after you close the blog post, you will see the that that blog's update on your bloglovin page looks kind of grayish.  At the bottom of that update is the option of  "mark as unread".  Click on that.  Both of these options keep the posts archived for you.  I especially like the first option of "liking" the post.  Now I have a quick way of finding that cool sounding recipe or sewing tip.  I also really like that larger photos and the option of folders.  Just keep saying to yourself "change is good, change is good......"  Good luck and get set up soon......just saying......
Diana

Bloglovin

Be sure and follow us with Bloglovin (button on the side) because google reader is going bye bye!  It's easy to switch over! 
Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2357091/?claim=9duutf8mmbr">Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Ran Out of Swiffer Sheets

Obsessed with my new hardwood floors.  Can't walk on them with outdoor shoes (they might have gravel trapped in the treads that might scratch the floor.  Can only walk on them with special indoor shoes (pink flats with grey trim) or socks on.  Must dry mop when the light hits floors just right and you can see dust.  Can only use the special-read that as expensive- cleaner we bought from the store that sold us the floors.  All furniture must have thick felt pads on legs so they slip and slide when you try to sit on them.  Soooo, when I ran out of pre-moisten Swiffer sheets for the kitchen and bathroom tile floors I decided to forgo their harsh cleaners that always seem to dry out way before the job is done anyway and make a much gentler cover that could also be used on the wood floors.  I am all about keeping it simple.......... So I knitted a cover.  I had to run to the store to get a cute shade of green that would match the Swiffer.  It only took a couple of hours, if you don't include the time it took to knit and then undo the first two tries.  Plus I recorded the each and every step so I could make more of these.   Like I said, keeping it simple.

Here is the pattern, for all those of you who like to spend hours knitting things you can buy at the store for way less money.  Be sure and use all cotton yarn and size seven needles.  You might have to add or subtract stitches based on the gauge.

Cast on 22.

Row 1- Knit across.

Row 2-Perl across.

Row 3-Knit across.

Row 4-Perl across and at end cast on 24 more stitches.

Row 5- Knit across and at end cast on 24 more stitches.  You should now have 70 stitches on your needles.

Repeat  rows 1 and 2 until the widest area is about 4 1/2 inches long.

Bind off 24 stitches, knit 22 and bind off 24 stitches.  Cut yarn leaving about 24 inches of a tail.

Perl the remaining 22 stitches on the needles with more of the yarn.

Knit 22 across.

Perl across.

Knit across.

Perl across.

Bind off the last 22 stitches.

Your finished piece should look the the picture above.  Fold the two long ends in half towards the center and stitch along edges.  It kind of fits like a puzzle cuz you bring the one inch area that has 22 stitches in towards the handle too.   Hide all the loose yarns and slip onto Swiffer. 

This really does dust well, catching the dirt in the stitches.  Plus you can use it dry or wet and then just throw it in the washer and dryer.

Diana 

Get A Clue Nancy Drew

Have you seen the Nancy Drew fabric?   I was a huge fan of Nancy Drew as a young girl.  I mean, who wasn't.  The girl had her own car, loads of cash, a dashing father and loyal friends.   Plus she got into all kinds of adventures with exciting outcomes.   These books got me hooked on reading, especially of the mystery genre.   ( I like to throw that word into any conversation I can----genre)

 OK, back to the fabric.   Even thought the colors in this line were bolder than I usually work with, I had to have it!  I ordered two charm packages of Nancy Drew and one charm package of Moda's solid in natural.  Plus a yard of the book spine print and 3 yards of the blue and white fabric that looks like the inside cover of the books.   Oh, and a 1/2 yard of red fabric for the binding.......

The pattern is from "Simple Quilts and Sewing" magazine winter issue #127.  I changed up the dimensions to utilize the charm size squares.  The quilting is done by machine on my Elna  as I don't have a long arm :(   Not that I have any room for one anyway.........  but I can dream can't I?

Here is the whole quilt.  It is about 60 by 60 so it is a nice size.  It was sooo fun to make especially because each piece of fabric reminded me of hours spent reading about a spunky girl named Nancy Drew.   

Diana

Cinnamon Spread For Cinnamon Toast

One of our favorite breakfast treats has always been crispy cinnamon toast.  We often have it when cereal just won't do but a full cooked breakfast seems too much.  My husband usually makes it by spreading butter from edge to edge on a piece of bread.  Then he sprinkles cinnamon sugar (we keep a jar of it at all times) and pops the bread under the broiler until the sugar bubbles and the bread gets brown around the edges.  So simple but it is such a comfort food!

I thought I would share with you The Beehive Cottage own recipe for this sugary toast I found a few days ago.  She mixes all the ingredients in a bowl which she can then spread on the bread.  The picture above was my attempt using her tutorial and I must say it is as delicious as the one we make-plus you can keep a bowl of the spread in the fridge for another day.  I especially like spreading the mixture as opposed to the layered way we do it.  I did tweak it by using my food processor to mix the ingredients and then broiling instead of baking the toast.  Not only was it faster but broiling left the underside of the bread soft. 

 

Be a Little Silly

As a treat for our Primary teachers, I made these fun little goodies to remind them to have fun with the children they teach!

I got the bottles at a local craft store and made sweet little pinwheels with paper and straight pins.  Inside each bottle are Nerds.  I tried to fit in mini M&Ms but they couldn't fit down the neck of the bottle!.  The quilt top used as a backdrop?  I'll be posting that later this month!
Diana

New Floors

Want to check out my new hardwood floors?  You can see them HERE.

While it was a lot of trouble moving everything out of the rooms and THEN moving the stuff back in once the installers were through, I sure love the floors!
Diana