Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

 

 One month has passed since that horrific day in Sandy Hook, when God called home so many of His little angels.  I have no words to express how sorry we felt, along with the entire world.  We wondered, what could we do, in some small measure, to help to make it better?

Then I heard that when the surviving children returned to a different building for class, their PTA wanted to make their new school seem as welcoming as possible.

People were asked to make snowflakes for the PTA members to hang all over the school, turning it into a magical winter wonderland for the children.



Classrooms all over the country began cutting out snowflakes, from construction paper & coffee filters...anything white!  If you google "snowflakes for Sandy Hook" you'll be astounded by their contributions.

 Embroidery Library joined in the effort, by giving away three machine embroidery designs to make these special lace heart snowflakes during one weekend.  They are no longer free, but you can purchase them here.
  



Unlike real snowflakes, these are identical except for size...they come in small, medium & large.  Can you see the little hearts in the pattern? I made LOTS of them and sent them off to Sandy Hook.  The PTA received so many donations that they have since asked people to stop sending them now.  They had enough to decorate the entire town.  

"Thank you to everyone who has donated snowflakes on behalf of the children of Sandy Hook  Elementary School and the community of Newtown. We know that each snowflake represents the emotional outreach of the person making it. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around not just the country but the world. At this time, we have enough beautiful snowflakes to blanket the community of Newtown. Therefore, with regret we must close the snowflake project to further donations. Please take this idea and your snowflakes and create a winter wonderland of your own in your community as a show of solidarity for our Newtown families. Please share your winter wonderlands with us. We would love to share your pictures with the families of Sandy Hook and all the other participating communities. Also please read the message below from the PTA of the Sandy Hook Elementary School for another wonderful way to help. Thank you for your heartfelt and amazing creations and for all of your magnificent notes and kind wishes for the Newtown community."

  I loved them so much, I made a few for myself, as well.  The large one takes over 80 minutes to stitch out    You do them on wash away stabilizer & I could fit several in one hooping on my machine.  You then submerge the stabilizer & snowflakes in warm water until the stabilizer dissolves.

You must leave them lying flat, usually overnight, until they dry but then you are left with these exquisite little lacy treasures.

Stop by The Gazebo House next week to see how I used mine in a Winter tablescape, as a show of solidarity with Sandy Hook & Newtown.  

I'm linking up with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday as well as The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday & Yvonne at StoneGable for Tutorials,Tips, Tidbits. 

Easy~Peasy~Chocolate~Squeezey!!

 Want a really fast & easy dessert that would be pretty for Valentine's Day?  Or just anytime you need something a little bit fancy in a hurry!

 All I did was take a small handful of chocolate chips, place them in a sandwich baggie & melt them in the microwave for less than 1 minute.  In fact, I checked them every few seconds, smooshing (that's a very technical cooking term)  the chocolate around to help it all melt evenly.
 

Twist the bag down until all of the chocolate is in one corner. 
Cut off a VERY TEENY TINY bit of that corner of the bag &
slowly move the warm stream of chocolate across some
vanilla creme horns from the grocery store. They have the most wonderfully flaky pastry with a rich, sweet filling.  
 
 

 We each enjoyed ONE then shared the rest with a neighbor couple & the single guy across the street.  I got them out of the house REAL FAST, but ooooh, they were soooo good!!
 

 Easy~Peasy~Chocolate~Squeezey!!
 
  
I think I need to practice my squiggling a little more.  I was trying to be too perfect...the wilder, the better in this case, I think!

I'm linking up to Yvonne at StoneGable for On The Menu Monday,
Michael Lee at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday &
The Tablescaper for her Seasonal Sunday.
 
Come join the fun & see what others are cooking up. 
Thank you ladies for hosting all these wonderfully inspiring memes each week!  

  

Raggie Scarves

  These are the simplest little sewing projects! 

 They make a real fun gift, if you do them up in your child's school colors to wear to football games.

You just cut 2 (or 3) strips of fleece or jersey knit fabric
 however long & wide

you want your scarf to be.

Stack them one on top of the others.
Sew one long seam right down the middle.

I sewed it twice, just for extra strength.

Cut approximately 1" wide slits
 (I use my thumb to measure)
parallel to the stitching
 on both sides,

right up to the stitching line.

You can use regular scissors but I thought

pinking shears gave it some extra fluff.  

Shake it out & you're done! 

I made several for my own grands & then my daughter decided they would be a great project

for Ms. C's class to do at their Halloween Party in the classroom, after they paraded around the school yard.

 Ms. C's entire class (sorry, but I have to blur their faces)

I cut & sewed all the strips of fleece together and my daughter cut all the strips into scarves, done in the colors of the various schools from the Harry Potter series, as a gift to Ms. C's classmates.

  We originally planned for the children to do the cutting of one side only,( we cut up the first side for them)  as a class project, but, sadly,  their little hands weren't strong enough to manage the scissors.   My daughter had blisters on her fingers from all that cutting right there in the classroom that day!

Other ideas would be to make them for her 18" American Girl dolls.  

source

If you click on the photo below, you will find instructions on how to make them for 18" dolls.

Have FUN sewing up a quick & easy project!

I'm joining Yvonne at StoneGable  for her

 Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits. 

I will also link up with The Tablescaper for her
Seasonal Sundays.
Come join the fun! 

Pork & Sauerkraut for Luck in the New Year!

 We always have pork & sauerkraut for good luck on New Year's day.  When I saw the recent comments on Kitty's Kozy Kitchen blog post about the same food, I was amazed at how many people had never tasted it or never had it served over mashed potatoes.  That is the only way we've ever eaten it! 

 Funny how different regions of our country have their own customs & traditions. (for example, I've never eaten black eyed peas in my life!) I think this recipe is part Polish & part German.  I know my Irish mother never made for us!

I thought I would share how I make mine each year.  There really isn't a specific recipe for making it but it is very easy.  
I buy the sauerkraut in the bag & open it into a colander in the sink & let it sit while I brown the pork, so that some of the salty brine can drain off.  

I then brown a pork roast in a large dutch oven.  Browning adds lots of great flavor!  
I received some wonderful new Penzeys spices for Christmas  & one of them is called "Krakow Nights". 

 photo credit

 I used it on this pork roast as well as in some beef vegetable soup this week & it is delightful.

After the meat is seared, I add the drained sauerkraut to the pan, allowing some of it to cover the top of the meat.  This keeps it moist during cooking.
I also sprinkle a small amount of caraway seeds throughout the pan & I add about 1 1/2 cups of hot water into which I've disolved about a tablespoon of beef soup base.  You could use a few beef bullion cubes instead but I always have the Sam's Club beef soup base on hand.

I don't add any salt, as the soup base & the sauerkraut have plenty & I'm sure the new Krakow Night's seasoning has some in it, too.  

That is it!  Bake in a slow oven (250º-275º) for 2 to 4 hours, depending on how big your pork roast is.  Check it occasionally to make sure the water hasn't evaporated & add more plain water if needed. 

The meat will be tender & practically fall apart when done.     

We serve it over mashed potatoes & have some REAL Horseradish available for those who dare.

Here are some other holiday dishes I made:  
 

Make Ahead Snowman Cheeseball

 



Christmas Wreath Appetizer

2 (8 ounce) packages crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 broccoli (1 small crown chopped into small florets)
3 stalks celery (chopped)
1 sweet red pepper (cut into various shapes)


1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2 Remove the crescent roll dough from its packaging BUT DON'T UNROLL IT.
3 Cut each tube into eight slices and arrange the slices in a circle on ungreased baking sheet (about 11 inches in diameter -- you can make your circle on a pizza pan).
4 Bake dough wreath for 15-20 minutes or until the dough turns a lovely golden color. Cool for 5 minutes or so before gently removing wreath to a serving platter. Then, cool it completely.
5 In small bowl, beat the sour cream, cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in dill, Italian seasoning and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to spread on wreath.
6 Cut red pepper into festive shapes (circles, stars, etc.) You can make a bow out of the rounded bottom and strips of the pepper (see the photo for example).
7 When ready to assemble, spread the cheese mixture over the baked wreath.
8 Sprinkle with chopped celery.
9 Arrange broccoli florets, celery leaves and red pepper pieces around the wreath to decorate.
10 Attach red pepper bow and serve.


I'm happy to join in Michael's Lee at Rattlebridge Farm for her Foodie Friday party.
Come see what others are cooking up in the New Year! 
I'll also be joining in Yvonne's fun again at Stonegable for her On The Menu Monday.

Happy New Year!!!

We are VERY happy to be saying “Goodbye” to 2012 and  “Hello” to hopefully, a better year in 2013!

We had a bit of a rough 6 months here at The Gazebo House, that kept me from blogging or doing much of anything else, for that matter. (except sewing)  It is my therapy, ya' know!
 


I found time to make reversible bibs for a friend’s twin granddaughters.

I made a Halloween Door hanging for the front door.  This was the first time I ever tried doing ‘prairie points’ on anything.  They were fun!




This 'Lady Ghost' shirt was embroidered for granddaughter, Ms. C.



I did a Dresden Plate turkey on each end of a table runner, for my daughter’s long buffet.
This was the first time I had ever done any Dresden Plate design and I got in some practice with my free motion quilting, too.



I made several sewing room mug organizers, with matching pin cushions to tuck into one of the spaces.

 
The Snowman coat pins, below, were done entirely in the embroidery machine hoop, then glued onto tea lights poked through a hole made during the embroidery.  The design is from Reen at Embroidery Garden.

This is a Lil’ Twister “Christmas Wreath” wallhanging that I made for our guest bedroom quilt rack.

The fabulous quilting on it was done by Janice Kiser on her long arm machine.
I can only HOPE to get this good someday!
 

My husband had a small stroke back in May, that left him blind in one eye and off balance somewhat.  It could have been SO much worse, and we are very thankful that he is now almost back to normal, sans his eyesight in the right eye.

He had to have laser tacking done to try to prevent the re-growth of new blood vessels, which are fragile and leak easily.  It worked for awhile but later he had to undergo surgery on that eye for an insertion of a shunt to help prevent the build up of pressure that occurs when those new blood vessels weaken and break.  TMI?  Sorry!  We nurses sometimes forget. 

Some of the medicines he was put on to lower the eye pressure made him terribly sick and complicated his care tremendously.  I promise I won’t go into details but there were days when I didn’t have the time or the energy for even a shower, let alone to sit down and blog.  There wasn’t much to blog about anyway.



Besides all that, I fell and injured my right shoulder…(which was sore from tennis to begin with) and being on the computer, typing, was painful, as well as causing numbness.  My dear sweet step-son, ‘the doctor’ whom I adore, has injected it for me and it is MUCH better now.  I am praying that it will completely heal and I won’t need surgery on it.  (possible torn rotator cuff tear)  THAT would REALLY complicate things around here!!

We still managed to have some fun times in the past 6 months.

     We were blessed that my husband survived the stroke and was able to celebrate another Fathers’ Day at that same beloved son’s gorgeous home.

    
My Honey, with his daughter and our daughter-in-law’s aunt in the background.

 

Some shots of various rooms in the home:

 

Even though it rained off and on, they were still able to cook outside and we enjoyed their lovely yard for a little bit, in spite of the weather.

 

Hi Poochie!

Three of my DH’s beautiful granddaughters on the left side, another grandpa from the other side of the family and our daughter-in-law’s sweet brother and his pretty wife.
The big island in the kitchen makes serving such a large crowd more manageable but it is still a lot of work!
 

 I always try to bring a healthy fruit salad, as I have the time to cut it up.

 These marinated green beans with feta cheese and ORANGE tomatoes were DELICIOUS!
I thought the presentation of them in this bowl with the cobalt blue was very eye appealing.

Next year, I’d like to do an orange and blue tablescape...such a different color combination for me.

There was also some fattening but oh-so-yummy potato salad.

  Aren’t these new dishes with the holes for handles fun?

Beets, broccoli salad, beans and another green bean dish rounded out the menu.  Our daughter-in-law is a vegetarian, so there are always lots of veggies to enjoy.


 



 
Ms. C. got to spend lots of happy hours this summer here at The Gazebo House, playing in the hot tub, on my computer and helping me in the kitchen.  One time, we made flip flop cookies,
 

and another visit, we did Rollo treats, too!

In the fall, my older sister, Ms. C. and I attended a quilt show, where I had entered one of my quilts.  We had a wonderful time and my lucky sister WON THE DOOR PRIZE!!! 




This queen size log cabin quilt is SOOOO heavy!  We laughed because she had said “I don't know why I bother.  I never win anything” as she placed her ticket into the box. 

I won a 2nd place ribbon in its size division for my "Scenes of Venice, FL" quilt, seen below.







That is the first ribbon I’ve ever won, (for ANYTHING!) so we were ALL very happy.


I also entered two other quilts, "Winter Welcome", below



 
and the pink & green toile one I made for my daughter for her birthday.

I'm sorry this is so long but I had so much I wanted to share

and I needed to catch up!

I have more but I'll save it for another day.

I hope you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas with your friends and family.

I’ve been watching over your shoulders and keeping up with your lives,

via Google Reader.

I would like to say a special “Thank YOU” to all the blogging friends who reached out to me, here on the blog as well as via email, to check on how things were going.  It warmed my heart to know how much people cared and I was so touched that you would take time out from your busy schedules to do so.

Don't ever believe that "internet friends"

aren't REAL!

Stay warm and be well…play outside in the snow if you can.

It is good for you!

Have a Safe,Happy and HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm joining in The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday meme.  Won't you follow me over there?
I will also link to Susan's Between Naps On The Porch Tablescape Thursday, just to reconnect with all my bloggie friends!