Monthly Archives: February 2014

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie & chicken broth

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The other day I saw a photo of  Bisquick chicken pot pit and of course that made me want to make one. I’d never made it before. Thankfully the recipe isn’t too complicated and I had all the ingredients on hand. It turned out really pretty and mighty tasty.

Here’s a link to the recipe: Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie

Here’s my adjustments and changes to the recipe:
I used Pict Sweet frozen vegetables
I used 1% milk
I used Egg Makers (liquid eggs)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
I baked my chicken pot pie in a deep baking dish (about 8-inch x 2-inch deep). I didn’t think any of the pie plates or pans I have would have worked very well.
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The recipe calls for cooked chicken. It didn’t specify how to cook it. I needed to make some broth anyhow so I took care of 2 food stuffs at once and boiled the chicken with some herbs, onions & sweet peppers. The chicken turned out beautiful and tasted really good. It worked great for the pot-pie. I was going to make chicken salad with part of it, but my husband and Shelibean decided that it was the perfect snack to nibble on in front of the tv. lol

Even though I used skinless boneless chicken breasts, I still strained the broth 3 times through 8 layers of cheesecloth.
(Then the next day it occurred to me that I should have used a coffee filter to strain it through. It would have been less work. I hope I can remember the coffee filter the next time I make broth.)

I let the broth cool and pour one cup portions into square plastic containers then freeze them. I take the frozen broth ice cube out of the plastic container and put them in vacuum pack bags, date them and put them in the freezer for future use.
I love the way these look.
(Does that make me odd? lol)
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We use alot of broth in recipes and since salt is a problem in the processed foods, salt-free homemade broth is a welcomed staple to have on hand.

The sun is shining and the temps are warming up. It’s 57°, if the wind would stay calm, it would be a lovely day to go for a walk and look for signs of green.

I’m so happy to finally dare-to-hope that maybe Spring-like weather might be here soon.

Hope you all have a lovely day!
🙂

spcr1

A few clothes-pin hints for yarn & looming

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IMG_7474My above photo is some of my left over yarn wrapped around clothespins. I did this to show that I think it’s a neat idea. This idea could be used for embroidery thread, yarn, ribbon, twine or most anything stringy to help keep them neat and tidy.
I searched and tried to find the original poster for this idea. Unfortunately that website is gone now, so here’s a link to the next to the oldest one I found: factorydirectcraft

IMG_7178My favorite stitch in loom knitting is the e-stitch or e-wrap stitch. It’s makes a rib type pattern and I like the look of the finished project.
The e-stitch is simple since it’s just wrapping the yarn around a peg. It can be used for cast on as well.

However, the most irritating and frustrating thing about using this simple stitch is if you let it loose for a nano second while wrapping the pegs , the yarn will spring to life and unravel like a joyous snake of rebellion.

I resolved the unraveling issue, sort of. After I wrap several pegs, I put a clothes pin on the yarn sort of between a couple of the wrapped pegs and then continue on wrapping. I move the clothes pin along as I get further around my loom.
If you use this method you may notice that the clothes pin overlaps the pegs on some looms.
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This next tip comes from an idea sparked by my Bff. I complained about when I was looming, if I had to leave my loom to do something else like housework, when I’d come back to looming, I couldn’t remember if I was going left or right. I ripped out more than one project because of this memory lapse.
My Bff shared with me that she had resolved this issue by using a pencil gripper to set down on a peg a dozen or so ahead of the way she was going. That way whenever she sat down to loom again she knew which direction she was headed.
I didn’t have any pencil grips, but I did have other things that would work just as well.
*Use something that can’t be knocked off the loom peg: stitch marker, clothespin, safety-pin or a pencil gripper
Place it on a peg several pegs in front of the direction you are going in, move the clothes pin along as you go further around your loom.
If you use this method you may notice that the clothes pin overlaps the pegs on some looms.
clothespinmarker

These are things that work for me, they may not be right for you, but I wanted to share them anyway.
I hope some of the tips maybe helpful in making your crafting adventures more enjoyable.

Wishing you all a sunshine filled week.
🙂
spcr1

misc thoughts & hints for yarnies & loomers

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t6027t6028

This blog post is a few miscellaneous thoughts and hints for yarnies like me. I hope one of them  may help make your yarn crafting adventures more enjoyable.

The Knifty Knitter cord loom is a fun little gadget. It makes a nice cord with 5 pegs, but if you want a smaller cord you can use 3 pegs.
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Jute or grass twine makes a lovely cord for trivets or even little baskets.
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I find that alot of times my Martha Stewart loom pegs don’t want to stay put. It’s a major irritation.
I first tried yarn stuffed in the holes, then tried bits of paper, then masking tape, they worked but I wasn’t happy with them. Then I tried painter’s tape and I haven’t looked back.
I use a layer(or 2) of painter’s tape over the loom holes.
I use a toothpick to break the tape over the hole and then push the peg in.
This method works really well for me.
loomtape

I had My first experience at rolling a ball of yarn that wasn’t end fed like the 4 ply skeins I usually use.
t0473I got frustrated at first with the skein tumbling and capturing everything including the attention of (our dog) Sheli. He and I got into a bit of a kerfuffle for a few seconds.
I stuffed the skein into a plastic grocery bag and hung it on my arm. I quickly discovered that not only was it protected from Sheli, but it fed easy and rolled beautifully.
I do love accidental discoveries. 🙂
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I bought my first couple skeins ever of bulky yarn. It’s Lion Brand Hometown USA
It’s a bulky yarn and is 81 yards long
I wanted to see how big a square made with 81 yards would be, so I crocheted a solid granny square. I used a size N crochet hook. The square came out to be about 12 inches x 12 inches
I decided to try a regular granny square and was amazed that it too came out to be about 12 inches x 12 inches… I would’ve thought that it would have been bigger. :/
lb81yardsAnyway, this was a pretty good experiment because now if I want to make an blanket of granny squares out of bulky yarn, I can better guess how much yarn I need.
I’m envisioning a big bulky blanket of 12 inch squares. I think it would be fun to try. I may make one sometime.

This is all my thoughts and hints for the moment.
I hope they’ll help make your yarn crafting more enjoyable.

You’re welcome to share your hints if you want too.

Here’s wishing you happy
adventures in crafting!
t6027t6028
🙂
spcr1

Misc Monday

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IMG_7414We were shopping at our local department store and my husband decided that our Shelibean deserved a new toy since he hadn’t got one in a couple weeks (since our toy fake-off plan). So he picked out a fuzzy ground hog type critter that makes a pig grunty sound. Sheli was thrilled to get the new toy. And even though it’s about half his size he played and played with it. He had a jolly romp with it this morning on his favorite rug. I tried to snap a few photos, but they mostly blurred except for this one. IMG_7407We went to an everything-for-a-buck store this weekend. I discovered, They have bags of some sort of moss. I thought it may be something I could use in one of my crafts, so I got a bag of it and put in a little store-tote-basket. After shopping a bit, we went to the check out.
The clerk was having a jolly good time laughing and cutting up with a co-worker and discussing their wonderful food choices at a restaurant they’d been too.
I put the tote-basket on the counter and she began ringing up our items like an other normal checker would do.
When she picked up this bag of moss she did something odd, in a loud rude voice she asks, “You two aren’t going to smoke this are you?” she sternly looks at my husband and at me.
It embarrassed us. I quickly replied in just as loud a snarky voice, “No! I’m going to glue it on a wreath!”
She smirked and repeated in a lower voice, “Glue it on a wreath!”
My husband and I looked at each other and shook our heads, but didn’t respond.
She rang up the moss and in a quieter slightly confused voice she repeated, “Glue it on a wreath?” and she looked at me like she wanted me to explain.
0123meI didn’t say a word. I just smiled and gave her a ‘knowing look’.  I wasn’t about to dignify her rudeness by giving her an explanation.
Anyway, I realize we could have reported her to the company, but we pick our battles carefully. I try to keep my husband from getting too stressed because he’s still healing and recovering. So to me, It just didn’t seem worth wasting a perfectly good day out of our life to teach her some manners.
We laughed about it and let it go.

IMG_7363-2On a more positive note: Back in November when my husband had heart surgery, our 8 year old great niece is a sweetheart and when she found out about my husband having to have surgery she gave him a 4 leaf clover that she’d found and preserved. I bought a frame for it this weekend and have it proudly displayed. We love our great niece and this precious reminder of the sweet innocence of a child sending her Great Uncle an extra bit of luck and love to get well soon. (I edited their names out of the photo. 😉 )

🙂

How was your weekend?
I hope it was pleasant and you had a laugh or two.
Have a great week.

🙂

spcr1