Sick

So...

I'm sick.

 

Yuck.

 

A nasty little cold and soar throat has been systematically working its way

through my entire family over the course of this past week.

And I finally got it.

 

It doesn't seem to be lasting over 3 days, so I hope to be back up to par

and putting up posts about several finished projects by the end of the week.

I finally finished my the mash-up sewing project that I hinted at here,

and I'm excited to show it to you!

 

First, I need to get better and take pictures.

 

So if it is quiet around here this week,

well, its because I'm taking a nap and marinating in Vicks.

Have a great week!

Asparagus Quiche

Hello all!

Today, I have a wonderful recipe that I would love to share with you.

Would you believe it if I told you I actually didn't get this recipe from Pinterest?!

That's right, I got it the old fashioned way...from a friend!

Well, actually it was a stranger to me, but a friend of my Nana's.

 

To make a short story long,

a couple months back I was staying with Nana while she was going through the worst stages of recovering from a bad car accident.

Her loving and supportive church family was fast and furiously filling her fridge and freezer with meals while she was out of commission.

One of those yummy dishes was a heavenly quiche...I exaggerate not!

Nana and I swooned over it as if it were a delectable three layer cream-cheese, chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter pie (which, if you actually have a recipe for...I'd love...)!

It was wonderful.

 

Through a series of phone calls and asking around,

we finally got our hands on the recipe!

And made it immediately.

 

I have since made it twice...and to be honest, it doesn't taste as outstanding as that first gift quiche did, but it is wonderful none the less!

I can promise you one thing though, I intend to make this as many times as necessary until I attain perfection...and then I'll make it even more.

 

So without further ado, I give you...

 

Asparagus Quiche

 

 

 

*9 eggs

1 1/4 cup half and half

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

2 green onions, chopped finely

*1/2 to 1 c. chopped meat (turkey ham, bacon, ham etc.)

1 can asparagus, large spears

2 9-inch deep dish pie crusts

paprika, optional

parsley, optional

salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Beat eggs.

Whisk in half and half and seasoning salt. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in cheeses, green onions, and meat of your choice.

Drain and chop asparagus, fold into egg mixture.

Pour into frozen, unbaked pie crusts.

If desired, sprinkle lightly with paprika and parsley.

Cover crust edges with tin foil to avoid over cooking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

 

Yields 2 9-inch pie quiches

 

My Notes:

*The original recipe called for 6 eggs- but it didn't fill the crusts, so I used 9 the next time and it turned out great.

** The original recipe called for chopped ham- the original cook said she used Hormel's Virginia Ham lunch meat and chopped it into bits. However, we have a ham allergy in my family, so we used turkey ham the first time and turkey bacon the second. Both tasted great!

Also- the first time I sprinkled paprika and parsley on top, but the second time I omitted it.

Just play around with what you want.

 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

Looking Back: August

Can you believe the last official month of summer is over?!

Next month will be the start of fall!

At least that is what is they teach you in school...here in Texas the months don't

exactly follow the typical seasonal changes.

 

At any rate, we are starting a new month, and in my experience,

these last few months of the year go by faster than all the rest...

kind of like the last quarter of gas in your car goes faster than the first.

 

August was full and eventful for myself and my family,

but sadly we don't have many pictures to show for it! :)

What I do have are some cute pictures of a couple Horny Toads, or Horned Lizards,  we happened upon in our outdoor wanderings.
We have been seeing a lot more of them as of late.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been helping Dad with another big job
and we have been working on a ranch way out in the rugged boonies.
That is where we came across this little guy! 

 

 



It's a baby Horny Toad!
 So tiny!
I have never seen one this small before!
His body, not including the protruding legs and head,
was probably the size of a 25 cent piece!

Here he is in my little brother's hand.
If you stroke their soft underbellies and neck, they will fall right to sleep.
This little guy however didn't like getting his belly rubbed...but he did like getting his head pat.

 

 

Isn't he cute?!

He calmed right down after being stroked and petted a bit... just sit there and fall asleep.

 

Now here are some pictures of what a full grown Horny Toad looks like!

See how bit this fella is?
And he is even in Dad's hands this time!

The big ones look a little more intimidating,
not quite so cute and cuddly,
and their spikes are more firm.
But they aren't really sharp or dangerous.

Their underbellies are soft, just like a toad's.
This one was really fat!
When upset, they puff up...so obviously, he must have been a bit upset.

 

 

Horny Toads are endangered, so it is illegal to keep them as pets.

So after their brief, glimmering moment of fame,

we put both our spiky friends back where we found them.

Though I have to admit, I was really tempted to keep Baby!

 

I hope you all had a wonderful August!

{Refashion} Blue Floral Tunic Vest

Good day, y'all!

I have another finished project to show you.

In all honesty, I have had this one done and hanging in my closet for over a month,

but I have been so busy and I had a hay of a time getting the 'after' pictures done, sooo, yeah...:)

 

I'm not sure if this should really be classified as a 'refashion',

since really, I'm only making a few little fitting changes to it.

Hmmm, any suggestions as to what I should title that kind of a post?

 I'd love to hear what you think.

 

Anyway, here is what I started with...

 

Before

I found this lovely sheer floral vest at the thrift store a couple months back.

Originally, I thought I would chop off some of the length and turn it into a sleeveless top,

but I wore it once just for kicks and fell in love.

 

 

It just needed a few little changes.

These before shots don't show it well, but there were only three buttons down the front which left a big flappy part down the middle...I really felt there needed to be a fourth button.

Secondly, this vest was a little large, so I needed to take it in, including the shoulders which were hanging off a bit.

 

 

 

To fix the shoulders, I added some pretty pleats.

 

 

 

 

And to fix the extra bulk, I made a little gather in the back and sewed it together with a zig-zag stitch.

The stitches are visible, which isn't usually what you want, but I didn't mind.

Probably the hardest part was making the fourth button hole,
this was my first experience making a button hole, so it was interesting.
After making the hole, I replaced all the buttons so they would match.

 

 

 

It amazes me how just a few little tweaks can make such a difference,

especially in the shoulders. I never gave much thought to how the shoulders fit on my clothes before I started sewing, but now I see the difference a good fit makes.

 

I liked it before, but now I love this light, feminine vest...it is a perfect fit.

Have a great day!

More Thrifted Treasures

So, along with a wonderful tea party, chicks flicks and ice cream,

guess what else my sister, Nana, and I did last week?

 

We went to the thrift store.

I know, I know.

I'm kind of addicted.

 

But in my defense, I was going to look for some things specifically,

namely, some pretty fabric for future sewing projects.

 

Here is what I found!

 

 

 

I found three good chunks of lengthy fabric, including a gorgeous deep plaid!!

I love plaids...especially rich, jewel tones.

 

 



 

 

I've been wanting to try my hand at making a fabric belt,

and this pretty metal buckle will help me with that.

 

There were several bins full of dusty, sewing patterns hidden on a bottom shelf,

but my sniffles and cramping calves paid off.

 

 

 

Look at this cute pattern!

For a while now, I've been wanting to make a jumper, like the blue one depicted on this pattern.

I love the full skirts and huge pockets. With the aid of this pattern, I have a winter project in mind, we'll see what happens with that!

 

 

 

Here is another versatile pattern, good for making camis, and those little jackets are cute too.

 

 



The option I'm most interested is, is that light, cute cinch waisted jacket.

How cute would that be as a cover-up for a strappy sundress?

Especially with lace and a cute ribbon tie like they show.

 

 

 

 

This will be a great go to pattern for nice shirts,

I love the short sleeve top with the cute lightly puffed sleeves.

 

 



 

 

This. This. This is the pattern I am most excited about!!

This is a wrap around apron!

It could even be worn as a wrap around dress, apparently.

How great is that?!

 

 



 

 

 After this summer, I decided I wanted a full length apron cover up that I can easily put on to keep my clothes clean when I step out to get eggs, pick stuff from the garden etc. free from the worry of getting my clothes dirty or snagged on something.

I'm excited about this one!

 

So, there you have it.

Are you as excited about the apron as I am?

Or did you like one of the other patterns instead?

 



In the Works...

Before I left to stay with Nana for almost two weeks,

I had just barely started a new sewing project.

There isn't much to show yet, and I have a busy week ahead of me working with dad, so I'm not sure when it will be finished, but I'm really excited about this one!

A mash up of two worlds, this project combines the use of sewing patterns and refashioned leftovers.

 

I'll give you a little preview and show you the pattern I'm working with...

 

 

 

 

This darling vintage pattern, loaned to me by my dear friend Atlanta,

includes pieces for the skirt as well as the adorable vest they term a weskit.

 

I'm so excited! I sure hope it turns out as great as I'm expecting.

And, as to which one I am making, I'll just have to leave you guessing. :)