Friday, September 19, 2008

When I grow up


This is what I want to be able to quilt. I just love quilts that are crazy, messy with colors. Isn't this beautiful? I was able to find the free pattern, so I'll keep it in my folder of "some day I'll do this" projects.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I'm learning


To sew, that is. Here are the pajama bottoms I made today. I had to adjust the length to make them a bit more pleasing to my husband (yes, that means shorter), and I still don't quite understand the instructions, but happened to make it work anyway.

Disclaimers:
*No, my armpit isn't hairy, it just kind of looks like it in the picture. However, it is evening, and I haven't shaved in over 12 hours, could just be my five-o-clock shadow.
*In spite of the fact that I have lost ZERO pounds since being pregnant, I did want to show that I am looking a bit better. And my boobs look good in this shirt. Is that vain?
*I can't figure out why all the pictures I upload to Blogger look funky. The color is never quite right, it just never looks as good as it does in Lightroom. I don't know what my problem is.
*I don't know what's on the floor behind me, I'm just hoping it's not a hairball from the cuties on the bed.

I'm putting my sexy self to bed now. Hairy pits and all.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Per your request

My cute little loaf pan is a gift from my mom. It's Le Creuset and she got it at TJ Maxx for a great deal. In fact, I have several bakeware pieces she's gotten for me and I love them all.

The recipe is from my Healthy Cooking magazine (my favorite recipe magazine).

Makeover Pumpkin Spice Bread

With less than half the fat and just one-fourth the calories of the original recipe, more people can feel good about eating this fall favorite. Heidi Figiel - Bridgeport, W. Virginia

SERVINGS: 32

CATEGORY: Low Fat

METHOD: Baked

TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

  • 2-1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour, and you couldn't even tell)
  • 1-1/3 cups cake flour (I didn't have cake flour, so I just used bread flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup canola oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Transfer to two 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Growing Bread

Claire never ceases to humor me with her cute little sayings.

*Tonight I baked Pumpkin Spice Bread (in my cute new loaf pan) and Claire declared that we were "growing bread".


*After dinner, while eating a doughnut, Claire says, "Not bad, not bad at all."

*When she goes outside to pick a tomato she comes back to say, "My own red, ripe, juicy tomato plant."

*We've started the phase, "What's this, mommy?"

*And my favorite, "I love you, mommy."

(I took a quick break from making market bags to whip up this cute little hat for Claire)