My new Apron

So I was waiting for the fabric for the lounge pants to come in the mail and in the mean time I decided I needed an apron. Because I make big messes in the kitchen and am forever dirty!

I looked at a few in stores and they were ugly, I found one through Thirty-One that I really liked but it was kind of pricey and I know I can make one on my own!

I found a free pattern tutorial online for Classic Apron and bought some fabric. I didn't use Micheal Miller fabric that was shown but I have bought some of it from Fabric.com and I really like the quality and prices!

I prewashed it so I can get it dirty and throw it in the wash when I am done. I used it tonight and loved it! I am loving being creative!

Butterfly Cupcake Cake

Right before I had my second child, I got it in my head that I wanted to bake cakes and make icing from scratch. As I got further into it and the more pregnant I got, I lost interest as I do with a lot of things it seems. Well this past weekend was my niece and brother-in-law's birthday party, so I volunteered myself for the making of the cake! I always preferred making cupcakes, so I decided to try a cupcake cake!

I couldn't decide if I wanted to do Chocolate cake or Vanilla, so I did both! The Chocolate recipe turned out great, the Vanilla wasn't my favorite. Well for another birthday, a friend of mine and I made tie-dye cupcakes and I really wanted to do that again. I seperated the batter into two bowls and colored each with Wilton's icing dye. I'm not sure about that but it worked! Then spooned in each color layering them.
And baked for the appropriate time.

After they were baked and cooled, I made a Buttercream Icing. I have decided that the amount and consistency of what I made was good for spreading NOT for fancy decorations, which was my original intention. But it kept melting off the sides if I made it too high, so I either need to tweak that recipe or give up icing making. I haven't decided yet!

Then I lined the cupcakes together to make the shape of a butterfly and decorated accordingly.

I was never great at writing with icing but I would say I did better then I have done in the past!

This was fun for me! I wouldn't want to do it for a living but I am glad I can do it for birthdays and other occasions. My kitchen just isn't set up for regular cake baking/decorating.

Pillowcase Dresses

So this summer I have been tapping into another creative side. I have pulled my sewing machine out of my closet and got back to work. I had a string of little girl birthday in May, June and July. I found a free pattern online and bought some fabric (I shop at Hancock Fabrics because they are the closest fabric store that always has sales and good prices) and got to work. Before I knew it, I was out of birthdays and 8 dresses done!

I could pretty much do those in my sleep and I'm ready for another challenge. So I am starting Lounge pants for my boys. I found that tutorial for pants and fell in love! Plus Jackson feels left out because all these girls are getting dresses and I haven't made him one yet. I keep trying to tell him dresses are for girls. So I bought some Transformers fabric and will make pajama pants to practice with the pattern.

But on the side, I will be making curtains because my house needs a little color! I started with the kitchen to practice.

Maybe I'm taking on too much at once but just I'm excited that I can do all this! I will have to learn to prioritize my projects.

Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Italian Bread

So I made some Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Italian Bread the other day and it was fabulous!!! (Click link for Recipe)

The only thing I did differently with the bread was I used Bread flour instead of All-Purpose flour because it just tastes better. There is science behind the different ingredients used, if your interested these people helped me understand.

And the Rigatoni I topped with mozzarella cheese before serving.

Shelf life of Food

So I have been researching the shelf life of food because its one of the problems of big shopping trips. I buy everything at the beginning of the month but will it all last?

Well I found the site, Stilltasty.com it has almost every food and its shelf life.

Some important ones are:

• An opened block of cheddar cheese is good for about 3-4 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
• Open Liquid Coffee Creamer is good for 2 weeks in fridge
• Opened or Unopened Milk (whole, skim, 2%, 1%) Refrigerated is good until 1 week after sell by date
• Chicken Breast & other pieces, if refridgerated, lasts 1-2 days but if its frozen will last for 9 months
• Table Salt keeps indefinitely

Newest Adventure in Potty Training

So as you have read previously in Adventures in Potty Training and Latest Adventures in Potty Training, Potty training has been a fight that I hope goes much easier with Andrew but I don't know if I'm that lucky!

While going potty isn't a fight anymore and he stopped peeing in the bed at night, Now we are having aiming issues. Ah, the joy of little boys! I need to do the Cheerios trick but I keep forgetting to put some by the toilet. But he doesn't get it in the toilet every time. I feel like I am forever cleaning puddles from behind it! And if you don't know the cheerios trick basically drop on in the middle of the water and tell him to shoot at it. But I haven't had cheerios and now I do, so I am going to go right now and put a ziplock bag full on the back of the seat. Aiming training begins today!

Another annoying thing is, he keep taking his pants all the way off and running through the house half naked after hes is done, yelling "Mommy, I went!" And it doesn't bother me at home but we go to his friends' house a lot and they are girls. Not appropriate for my child to run through the house with no pants or underwear on with little girls around! I do love my children but this stuff is ridiculous! I guess he won't learn if I don't teach him....

Freezing Meat

So I was at a seafood place buying.. well, seafood, and the lady there was telling me about a way to preserve frozen meat (or fish) without having to buy a vacuum sealer.

Basically, after you have portioned the meat, wrap it tightly in cling wrap (or saran wrap... whatever you prefer) then place it in a good freezer bag (I can always find Ziplock Freezer Bags coupons and deals) and freeze until needed.

The picture of the meat below was frozen about a month or so ago. It has only a little frost on it, no freezer burn, and the color change thing I was complaining about in Bacon Cheeseburgers is NOT A PROBLEM! :) Also, defrosted like a breeze.