Inspiration

Where do you get your inspiration?

Living the same schedule day to day for years can be dull. Some days I feel ok and others like I haven't lived. I know one thing though. I feel alive when I travel. Maybe it's seeing all those new places or maybe because it makes me appreciate home more.

Now that I've got a plan to start some real savings and get rid of debt over the next year, I'm really looking forward to what I can do with that money. One thing is for sure, I need to travel.

Before the year ends i must

In order to make my year productive, I've come up with a list of things to accomplish before the year ends.

Before the year ends, I must:
1. Make an ice cream cake. Decorate it, and take a photo for the blog.
2. Have at least 1 signature dish, that can be made at home on a regular basis and shared with family or sold
3. Finish at least 1 sewing project that can be worn or given as gifts to friends.
4.


...to be continued

On Sewing

I WANT A SEWING MACHINE!

Yes, I hated sewing as a subject back in school.

Now, I'm finding sewing so useful. I've made my very first bag with scraps from my cousin who is an interior designer.
And I'm currently inspired by "i am momma hear me roar" to make this oh so cute bike shirt for kids. Just fitting since I'm due with baby number 2 any day soon.


I also want to make cloth diapers, cloth wipes, more bags, kids clothes etc etc etc! So I'm hunting for cheap practice cloth and more thread.

I made my first sewing projects with just 1 needle and white thread, but here is hoping that I get a machine, so that I can experiment with more projects. I'm leaning towards alteration at the moment, before I even try to make clothes from scratch. I am liking this new hobby. :) Plus I get to save.

Two Steak stew recipes fused

I found 2 steak stew recipes. The first is Cube steak stew from Allrecipes, and the second is Philly Cheese steak skillet from Betty Crocker. So I mixed the 2 together to get this:

Steak and Cheesy Potato Skillet Stew :)
Done in less than 30 min

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter for frying
350g Beef stroganoff strips
Salt, pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Flour for dusting

1/2 a small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small potatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp oil for frying
1/2 cube beef boullion cube or chicken cube
salt and pepper

1 tsp cornstarch for thickening the sauce

Procedure:
1. Heat your frying pan on high. Mix salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle over beef and mix well. Add butter to your pan and quickly sear meat, not too long so that the steak doesn't harden. Remove from pan.

2. In the same pan, add onions, garlic and oil. Add potatoes and brown. If garlic starts to burn, add a little water to the pan. Add stock when potatoes are browned. Season with salt and pepper. Thicken sauce with cornstarch mixed with a little water.

Staying at home with my daughter has always been rewarding. Seeing her milestones, and little strange and comical expressions keep me going. Thanks to my loving husband who can provide for our family and let me stay home. I sometimes miss making and spending money like I used to, but I have grown to like staying at home, making a list and sticking to a budget when doing the grocery, and thinking up new ways to save. Being at home taught me how to make things instead of buy them.

I'm researching more now, and learning more than I ever have. It's kind of because I have to, but I like it. I'm challenged on how to fit things in a budget, how to make my own convenience food, how to sew, how to manage a house. I'd never been the one to decide how a household runs before.

I have baby number 1, turning 4 next week, and another one on the way in possibly 3-4 weeks. I'm going to challenge myself this year by homeschooling our first. Patience bucket, please stay full for the duration of the school year.

How I will handle breastfeeding and homeschooling, I will just have to see. I prefer this to shuttling my daughter to school and having the leave a newborn at home.

Pregnant Projects

During my second pregnancy, I felt the need to make things. So, I started sewing. I picked up some scrap cloth from my cousin the interior designer. Her old swatches made a great start for a little pouch bag. Then I made a tissue holder. Then a bag!

Here is the bag:

Next cookie recipe to try...

Found this on a blog, claiming to be the Famous Amos Cookie recipe. Whether or not it is the real recipe, I still have to find out for myself

Here it is...

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal &
blend in blender
to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
18 oz. Cadbury bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and
vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt,
baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips,
Cadbury bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place
two inches apart on a cookie sheet.. bake for 10
minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 122 cookies..

Have fun..!!