Side Dishes.

About a year and a half ago our family started switching to Slow Food. It has been a rather difficult and interesting journey.

One of the main principles on which we all focused was understanding the beauty of food. We stopped fast food and chain restaurant eating (Well, at least 2 of us did. One still has the office-peer-pressure of the drive-thru to work through, but he is getting there). We stopped box-mixes and ready-mades. Everything was cooked from scratch- excepting certain staples like pasta, pasta sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

The second thing I focused on was heritage foods (since I am sole cook for my family this was all on me). Since ingredients from my heritage aren't available (pumpkin, maple syrup, molasses, squash, cane sugar, cornmeal) I went with the heritage of my new home. My mother-in-law kindly gave me her cook book from 1970-something, all in Dutch, so I can learn the traditional recipes as well as improve my vocabulary.

And now, after a full year, I have a chance to reflect on how this has changed our family.

• Switching to only real butter (bye bye margarine!) hasn't increased our cholesterol levels. In fact, tests we took before and after the switch shows our levels going from "a bit on the high side but still normal" down to "safely in the normal range."

• We have become "from scratch" snobs. It is really rather funny to hear a 10-year-old use the phrase "that offends my palate" when asked if she wants a happy meal. Whipped cream from a can is disgusting- and yes, both myself and the child regularly turn down desserts because we find the chemical taste of pre-processed-anything repulsive. The husband graciously offers to eat our share, just to be polite and not wasteful. What a martyr.

• There is a heightened sense of flavor. It's rather fun to be able to play in the big leagues and actually pick out the individual seasonings. We use words like: balance, nuance, and subtle when discussing a dish and actually know what we are talking about. Heck, it's rather fun just discussing a dish in the first place.

• Dutch people come to me, the non-Dutch person, for "real, honest" Dutch food. I joke I make the best hutspot in the world. I do a darn good erwtensoep. About the only thing I won't cook are Dutch pancakes and Dutch pie crust. The American in me just won't allow it. Besides, I need to keep some of my heritage alive as well. It's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

• You are more adventurous in eating foods. We no longer scan a menu desperately trying to find something familiar. The words "surprise us" have come out of our mouths at a restaurant on more than one occasion. We have all eaten sweetbreads. And liked it.

• You are more adventurous in cooking foods. I remember the first time I made coq au vin. I was nervous, I was scared, and then I realized how simple it was. Same thing with rack of lamb. Now, if I can only master an angel food cake I will be truly happy.

• You can't exchange recipes. It's amazing the number of people who give you a recipe telling you to start with a boxed cake or brownie mix. Or add such-and-such brand sauce packet or stuffing mix. You would be amazed at the number of from scratch recipes that have ingredient lists that are anything but. Most people don't realize that "Bisquick" isn't a staple- it's a boxed mix. These same people aren't thrilled with my "it takes how long?!!?" recipes that I contribute, either. I found it best just to avoid the exchanges.

Here we are, on Old Year's Day ready to head into 2010. My contribution to the neighborhood potluck? Several liters of from-scratch eggnog. Better get cracking, I only have 7 more hours to go until party time and need every minute of it.

Slow food is certainly that.

Christmas Recap

I hope your holidays have been fabulous, and will continue to be so right through New Year! For now, I would like to share some of my favorite Christmas moments with you.

Moment One:

My daughter received a stapler and tape dispenser for her new desk. I am one who believes in "completing the deal" so she also received a roll of tape and a box of staples. Both of which I wrapped as additional stocking stuffers. Here she is opening the package of tape, and laughing. Her next words were "Tape? Who wraps tape?!?! Oh, wait, apparently my mom does...."

Moment Two:

I purchased a wooden salt-and-pepper shaker set in the shape of a mustache for my husband who, by the way, hasn't been without his real mustache since puberty. I love how my family gets my odd sense of humor.

Moment Three:

Candlelight dinner followed by candlelight dessert- featuring my "all-American" apple pie. This was my triumphant moment. Normally my pie crust is a cross between lead and wood glue. This one was flaky, crisp, and perfectly browned. Words cannot express the joy from my pie-crust victory.

Go on, click on the picture for that zoomed in view!

Merry Christmas!

Whether it is Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Solstice, Festivus, or anything else- I wish you a beautiful, loving, fun-filled and safe one.

Prettige feestdagen!

Felt Frenzy

I took a felting course with some friends of mine last week. We spent the morning learning, had a typical Dutch "bread lunch" (fresh baked bread, cheeses, meats, and sliced cucumbers served with buttermilk), and then spent the afternoon trying out our new found skills.

The ladies in action: Svenje, Grietje, Hinka, and Tanja

It was very fascinating to see just how simple yet time consuming making felt really is. The worst part is the shrinkage- you start off with something quite large but after working the wool you end up with something quite small. So much effort for such a small piece of felt!

Between us, we made felted beads....

Hinka's disco snow ball and my gray-and-pink swirled graduating beads

..... felt covered rocks....

Hinka in action, her completed felted stone, and Svenje's felted stone

.... felted flowers.....

my blue on blue flower

..... and while some of us made panels of felt, Tanja was adventurous and made a complete work of art. Here it is in progress:

It was such a fun day, but hard work rolling, rubbing, and working the wool. While I don't see momfetti going felt anytime soon, I at least know how to make my own- just in case I can't find a piece that particular shade that I so desperately need.

If you are in the Lelystad area, drop Grietje van Wijk a line if you would like to take her felting course, or would like to purchase some of her gorgeous felted objects: grietjevanwijk@planet.nl (her felt portraits are amazing!).

Oh the weather outside is....

I woke up this morning to this:

SNOW!

My daughter's friend arrived promptly at 8, pulling her sled behind her, and the two of them set off for school. Nothing makes the "morning commute" more entertaining than being pulled along by your friend with nothing but laughter and the crunching of boots on the snow ringing in your ears. We live at the top of a "hill" of which they took full advantage. What a way to start the day! I am almost jealous I have to be a grown-up.

The cat refuses to go outside, which is understandable considering what a softee she has become. I think I may scrape up all that is on our deck to make a snow man. Or leave it as it is and make a snow angel. That fresh patch of smooth white is coaxing me to come out and play.

I love how the ground is brighter than the sky. It makes the world seem topsy-turvy....

And do you see that? Right there on the pond? Tracks of some animal! My guess is it's either: a cat, a fox, or one very cold duck. Brrrrr.

I love how the water and sky are nearly the same shade of gray. The only thing that separates the two is a line of white, made by a snow-covered dike. Don't forget you can click on the pictures to see a larger view!

I hope it stays for Christmas!

No Cross Words Between Us

It's not exactly pheasant under glass, but it certainly is a bird of a unique feather! This was truly a labor of love: the better part of 2 weeks, countless crossword puzzles, frustration, failure, near defeat, and finally- would it be wrong to go with this analogy?- like a phoenix from the paper shavings emerged my little nested treasure.

My mother-in-law is both an origami and crossword fan. The idea started with me making a giant banner of little origami birds made out of crossword puzzles. She is very adept with paper, and has folded and created some amazing things. There is always a doubting fear present when making something for someone who is so talented: it seems nothing you create can ever be as good as theirs. At least, this is how I felt after the 12th very frustrating attempt at paper folding. I don't fold, I sew.

I thought, "Well, why not sew instead of fold?" Sadly, fabric birds would be very heavy for delicate banner- so the sewing was a realistic solution, but a banner wasn't. I really didn't want to lose the idea of using a real crossword puzzle as a base material, either. I then remembered the charming "scenes" of nests and birds in candy/cheese dishes that I had stumbled up on a year ago. You never know when an idea is going to inspire you, do you?

Enter the frantic research on nature under glass, paper sewing and nest building. Which, by the way, is minimal at best. I ended up resorting to drawing out the pattern as though it were fabric, attempting to sew it, and then ripping, tearing, and otherwise destroying the paper. Over and over, attempt after attempt, learning a valuable lesson each and every time. By the end of the first week, I really REALLY wanted to make this work and giving up was not an option!

In the end, I had successfully made 1 linen nest, 3 charming eggs out of the crossword clue list, and 1 little crossword puzzle bird with tiny glass beaded eyes. Carefully placed in a glass candy dish with lid to keep it clean and away from the evils of damp. I can honestly say I will never, ever, ever in a million years ever sew a paper bird in a nest again. Ever. This one has my heart, my patience, and a teensy bit of my sanity carefully tucked inside. I think one is enough.

5 Minute Cushion Cover Tutorial.

These cushion covers are fast and above all, super easy. As long as you can "kind of sort of" sew a relatively straight line, then you can make one. Sewing by hand will take longer (maybe 15 minutes instead of 5?), but it is possible.

Please note that I added an applique Christmas tree design to mine, but this step will not be included in the tutorial. You can add your own appliques, patches, buttons, ribbons, or anything else you can think of to decorate your cushion cover. You can glue or use the double-sided interfacing, but since I am a sewing purist I prefer everything on my pillows to be stitched. I promise to look away if you pull the hot glue gun out.

5-minute Cushion Covers

You will need:

Standard throw pillows or cushions for covering
Measuring tape
Fabric (for a 15-20" square cushion, about half a yard of 45" wide is needed)
Needle and thread -or- sewing machine
Paper and pencil to "do the math" -or- a calculator

Remember! If you click on a picture in the tutorial, you will see a "blown-up" view for a closer look.

Step 1 : Measure your cushion if you don't already know its size. You want to measure from seam to seam to ensure the "face" and "sides" are included in the measurement. Be sure the measuring tape is snug against the cushion but not sinking into it. You will need to measure across the face from top to bottom and from side to side.

Step 2: Math time! You will need to cut out a rectangle of fabric. You can either draw this on wrapping or pattern paper first, or directly onto the fabric itself. If you draw onto the fabric, be sure to draw on the wrong side- you want to hide as many pencil marks as possible. Especially if you are like me and make a teeny error and have to redraw the lines. Here is how to figure out what size fabric rectangle you want:

We are using the two measurements take from step 1 above: height (h)- the distance across the cushion face from top to bottom, and width (w)- the distance across the face from side to side. If you get any part of a decimal in one of your answers below, round up to the next whole number. Ignore that pesky math rule about 4 and under goes down, blah blah blah. For this project, no matter what, just round up. Trust me.

h * 2.4 = height of the fabric rectangle
(height of the cushion, times 2.4)
w + 2 = width of the fabric rectangle
(width of the cushion, plus 2)

For my cushion, I have a 19" x 19" square.
19 * 2.4 = 43.7 Since I have a decimal, I am going to round up to 44
19 + 2 = 21
My fabric rectangle needs to be cut 44 inches by 21 inches.

Now looky there... isn't fabric normally 45" wide? If you do happen to get lucky and be this close to the width of the fabric, then go with it. Round it up to 45"- you will see why in the next step.

Step 3 : Armed with your fabric rectangle measurements you need to cut out your rectangle. To save time and hassle be sure to include the selvage edge into your measurement. It saves you from having to sew a seam. And if you got lucky and needed a 45" tall rectangle, then you can incorporate both selvage edges and save yourself from sewing two seams!

Step 4: We need to make sure both of the short sides of the rectangle are finished. If you don't have a selvage edge, you will need to sew it. Fold half an inch along the short edge, wrong sides together (note: yes, this is the opposite of what you normally do in sewing). Sew a straight seam all along the folded piece.

Step 5 : Place the rectangle on your work surface, right side facing up. Put the cushion "about-ish" in the middle. Gently fold up the top and then the bottom, like you were wrapping a present. There will be an overlap in the middle. This overlap is very important. Without it, we would have to sew pesky zippers into our cover.

oooops. I realized after I finished sewing that I took the picture for this step with the fabric the wrong way.
On your cushion, the messy seam bit will be facing up, not tucked in neatly as shown.

I put a pin in it just to hold it in place so it didn't slip while I did the next step.

oooops. I realized after I finished sewing that I took the picture for this step with the fabric the wrong way.
On your cushion, the messy seam bit will be facing up, not tucked in neatly as shown.

Step 6: You are going to focus on those two unsewn sides now. This was the long side of the rectangle, now folded into "sorta half, sorta thirds." Pin along one side with the cushion still tucked in place. This is a bit awkward and you need to be sure you don't pin the cushion- just the fabric. Once pinned, pull the cushion out (don't forget to remove that "just to hold it in place" pin first!) and with your hands gently push the cushion into a flat square shape.Pin the other side. Sew along both pinned seams.

Step 7: Turn the cover inside out, poke your finger into all four corners to make sure they are not "tucked in." Cram your pillow inside the cover. Done!

Now, drum roll please, you are now about to get a peek into the momfetti home! I bet isn't anything like you expected, unless you actually believed me when I said I had an abundance of white. Quick bit of detail: our house is on four floors. This is the second floor (Europe)/third floor (USA) which houses our living room, dining room, kitchen, and patio/deck.

Here you can see 4 of the 5 minute cushion covers, one of the reindeer banners, and part of our tree. Yes, that is a sock-man ornament my daughter and I made together when she was only 3. Like our shocking yellow and blue donkey and sheep paintings?

Moving a bit to the right, we see part of the kitchen, and more of those 5 minute cushion covers, the handmade quilt, and the stockings.

Keep moving to the right (might as well go all the way now) and you can start to understand why it takes me 4 hours to wash the windows in my house. We have a lot of them. You can also see a collection of doo-dads on the floor. This is my daughter's angel collection (one for each Christmas since she was born), with a Santa Claus tossed in on the end for fun.

Want to know where I was standing? Right next to that tree. You can see the little gifts starting to gather underneath there. That big white wall of blankness lights up in color at night. Currently we have it set to bright grass green. And yes, that is my highly disorganized TV area. I don't pretend to be perfect.

And since it has been mentioned before: we have shocking white couches. We also have a 10 year old and a cat. It's no secret how they stay clean. It's pleather, and I am not afraid to use regular dish washing soap on a wash cloth to spot clean as needed (special cleaners, ha! Who needs them?). There, now my secret is out.

Early Gift For Me!

The family went to the Funky Xmas Market at the Weestergasfabriek in Amsterdam this afternoon. It was a "mainly homemade" indoor/outdoor street market focusing on Christmas: decor, gifts, or edible treats. I didn't go to buy, but rather went on a mission. I had two objectives:
(1) to scope the place out and see if I wanted to get a booth next year, and
(2) check out House of Dots (webpage also in English, just click on the Brit flat in the upper right corner).

While there, I tried on two dresses: a brown and pink cupcake dress.....

photo from House of Dots' website. Click on it to see a larger view.

...and a nurse's dress in a toile print....

photo from House of Dots' website. Click on it to see a larger view.

What a heavenly fit! It's not just the adorable retro look you will find, but also satin lining, details in seams (like piping), hidden buttons or fabric covered buttons, and the biggest sash bows. Ever. The price is right, too- for the quality and the craftsmanship I would even consider it a bargain.

Since the husband and I are going to a party this coming weekend, we wanted to go with a coordinated look. I didn't buy either dress- yet- because we are going to see what is available for him. Somehow we both got hooked on the concept of him wearing a corduroy sport coat. The color we find for his coat will determine which color dress I buy, and I only have to wait until Tuesday to place my order. Not only that, but the amazing sales women were also willing to part with a small piece of the material used for the piping/lining so he can have a coordinating pocket square in his sportcoat. How great is that?

The husband suggested I purchase "only one for now" with a little glint in his eye. I have a hunch my second favorite will end up under the Christmas tree. Now, all I have to do is exercise patience for the next couple of days.

Bad news?

The tutorial about 5 minute cushion cases will be delayed. It will be here over the weekend, just not today. I have had about 3 hours sleep and rather than blog I am off to bed for a quick (and by quick I mean 2.5 hours) nap before the house refills with people and I need to resume my role of super mom and wonder wife.

And no, no, nothing bad has happened, no sick children (or sick husbands for that matter) kept me awake all night. It was my very sad and rather pathetic inability to put my video game down and back away from the computer.

Someone needs to remind me I am not 14 anymore.

Super Easy Paper Banner

Remember this banner from yesterday? Now you can make one, too!

don't forget! You can click on these pictures to see a zoomed-in view.

What You Need:

• Paper and color printer (no need for anything special paper, just use what you normally would in your printer)
• Needle and thread -or- a sewing machine
• Scissors
• Glue Stick

Step 1 : Head over to Babalisme and grab a copy this adorable and *free* Reindeer Tag Download and print out 4 copies. While you are there, check out the rest of her awesome blog and be sure to say hi!

Step 2: Cut each tag out. This process is even quicker if you bribe your 10-year-old with a mini-bounty bar left over from Halloween to do it for you. Or you can use one of those fancy-schmancy circle/tag cutters scrapbookers have.

Step 3: Pair up the tags. You will have 2 sets of 2 each reindeer and 2 sets of happy thoughts (Joy, Ho Ho Ho, etc). This process takes longer if you first flip them all upside down, scramble them up, and play a spur-of-the-moment memory game with the aforementioned 10-year-old, but sometimes the long way is the fun way.

Step 4: Glue stick the backs of one of the pairs of tags together. Be sure that the tops of the two sides match up as close as possible. If you are like me and are saddened to discover you beloved glue stick was not recapped after the last use and therefore little more than a whiteish-yellowish brick, you can use regular white glue (also called school, Elmer's, or PVA glue) and either a small paint brush or q-tip (cotton bud for those outside the USA) to apply a thin layer. If you get a bit over zealous with the glue, like I did, they will warp and look like mini soft tacos. Just put a heavy book on them for about 5 minutes to flatten them back out.

Glue all the other pairs of tags in the same way.

Step 5: Time to sew! Thread up your needle or machine. I used plain, normal thread in white. If you are doing this by hand, here's an easy method: don't measure off a bit of thread like you normally do- just thread the needle and leave it attached to the spool. You don't need to knot the banner at any time, so as you sew the tags you simply unwind the spool as you go, gently sliding the sewn tags down the thread as you do.

Step 6: You need a piece of thread a few inches (6-8 is good) long to start. This is the "extra" thread at the end of the banner and helps keep the first (or last) tag from falling off. Stitch a straight line across the very top of the tag, being sure to start and stop at the edges. You will probably sew through a bit of the antlers but we are just going to live with that. There is no need to back-stitch or otherwise knot the thread.

Step 7: If you are sewing by machine, lift the foot and pull the tags out a few inches. You decide how many, but make sure you are consistent and the gap is always the same.

If you are sewing by hand, just slide the tag down to make room for the other tags. You will sort out the gap later.

Step 8: Sew the second tag the same way as the first. Keep repeating steps 6 and 7 until all tags are sewn. I like to mix-up the pattern a bit and not keep it red-green-red-green.

Step 9: If you are sewing by machine, pull off a final section of thread, the same length you did at the start of the banner, and cut the thread.

If you are sewing by hand, unwind the spool of thread a significant amount (about 4-6 feet), and slide the tags down gently. It's good to start at the "free end" of the thread with a gap and then the first tag, leave another gap of your choice (about 4-6" inches is good), then the second tag, gap, third tag, gap, and so on, working your way along the thread towards the spool pushing the extra tags farther along- until you need them. Once all tags are evenly spaced, leave another bit of thread equal in length to the one at the start, and cut the thread.

Your banner should be sewn to look something like this:

-----X-----X-----X-----X-----X-----X-----X-----

Step 10: Hang your banner! We attached ours to our light fixture, but you could also swag in a window or wrap around a tree. If you do hang yours near lights, be careful there is enough distance between the banner and the actual light source- paper near hot bulbs can spell fire! And none of us want that!

Haul Out the Holly................

My handmade Christmas is coming along nicely. It is really hard decorating with cute and cuddly when your house is cold and modern. "Minimal Chintz" doesn't exist. "Monochromatic Country" doesn't exist. "Anti-Clutter Clutter" doesn't exist. Time to start making my own rules.

Featured in this shot here are:

• handmade stockings (instructions below)
• 5 minute cushion covers (instructions will be in Friday's blog)
• A quilt hand made by my daughter's Godmother that we pull out and cuddle under every year

Featured in this shot are:

• A bit of my tree
• Reindeer banner (instructions will be in Thursday's blog)
  

All of these projects are: available for free from the Internet, quick, easy, and perfect for the beginner.

How I Made Our Christmas Stockings.

Step 1 : I went to Craft and Fabric Links and downloaded all four pages of their free pattern. I printed them out and taped them together. They have a tutorial to follow, but I found a few short cuts. Keep following along to see what I did.

Step 2: I decided all the padding was way too much of a commitment for me, so I skipped the fusible fleece. That little loop of ribbon wasn't going to cut it, either. First of all, I needed to tie our stockings on to the banister railing, not hang it on a hook. Second of all, we really pack our stockings and all those chocolate, oranges, nuts, and little surprises are pretty heavy. I instead cut out a long strip of fabric about 30" long and 2"wide to make the hanger.

Step 3: Time to start sewing! I matched up each front of the stocking with its piece of the lining, and each back of the stocking with its piece of the lining. Being sure to keep the right sides together (facing each other), I sewed on the wrong side (or the back) of the fabric. Starting at the top, I stitched down one side, around the foot, and back up the other. I didn't stitch across the top. And I also resisted all temptation to put the stockings on my feet and walk around the room in them. Maybe.

Step 4: I clipped the seam allowances all the way around, then turned each stocking piece right side out and ironed it flat. Next, I tucked in the top to make a sort of cuff, but turned inside instead of outside. I tucked all the way around. Once the cuff was in place and all the frayed messy fabric edges were cleverly hidden inside the stocking panel, I ironed it flat and top-stitched (sewed along the top, pretty close to the edge). Now I had 6 stocking halves, all nice and neat with no frayed bits. 3 facing one way (fronts) and 3 facing the other way (backs).

Step 5: I used some pieces of felt left over from my felt play set project, and free-handed our initials directly on them. I cut one set out in red, and one set out in green. The green set is a teeny bit larger than the red- about 1/8". Using only the "front" stocking pieces, I layered the felt pieces and did a quick stitch through both layers to sew them in place. This I did by hand. I wasn't especially careful with my stitch size. I thought the irregular stitches made it feel more old-fashioned and homey.

Step 6: Time to sort out that hanger. Ever do fabric origami? I ironed each long strip of fabric so it was nice and flat. It was still on the ironing board in front of me, right side down and wrong side facing up. I folded it in half (along the long side, so it was 30"x 1" looking) and ironed in a nice crease, then unfolded it again. Using the center crease as a guide, I folded the bottom edge up to the middle, and the top edge down to the middle. The two rough frayed fabric edges now met up in the middle along the crease. I ironed it again to make 2 new creases. Lastly, I folded along that middle crease again, matching up the newly made top and bottom creases. It made a sandwich of fabric- 4 layers deep- with the rough frayed fabric edges tucked way inside. I ironed again. Then once more just for good measure.

I top stitched along all four sides. Yes the little ends will fray (they are starting to already), but for now I am ignoring it. I took the long fabric strip and folded in half, and stuck it where I thought it should go on the stocking. I think this unit of measure is called "looks about right".

Step 7: I matched up each front stocking piece (with the strap pinned in place) with it's back. I matched it up exactly how I thought it should look in the end- with the lining in the middle. I knew that stitching then turning then pressing was going to be a nightmare- so I didn't bother with it. Instead, I just top stitched the same way I sewed in the third step above: along the side, around the foot, and back up the other side, leaving the top open. I went back and forth over the hanger part a couple of times to make sure it was really sewn in and extra strong.

You can see in all the pictures above, the little bit of stitching around the outside of the sock. Because I was going for the old-fashioned handmade look, this stitch just added to the final look.

I made all 3 stockings, start to finish, in under 2 hours.

And Only One Broken Needle!

I am quite pleased with myself today. So pleased, in fact, I actually skipped around my living room singing the smurfs' theme song, but with my own lyrics: "I made a mes-sen-ger ba-a-a-a-aaaag. I am the quee-ee-een of mes-sen-ger-er bags!"

Taa-dah!

Under the flap is my favorite 3-angled pockets design. The main pocket has a big-metal-toothed recessed zipper, which was quite the nightmare to put in. Several stab wounds and one broken sewing machine needle later, it was done. I can honestly say that I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this project, but fortunately not the bag itself. I had the band aid box and the facial tissues on stand-by. I am if nothing else, prepared.

I am in love with the lining fabric- I used it everywhere I could. Even inside the back of the bag's peek-a-boo zipper compartment.