Jessica, over at Happy Together, has this GREAT tutorial for double sided head bands. Aren't they just the cutest? These would be great for any age. They would also be a great item to give as gifts or even sell. ~~~ I bought some bright, spring-like colored cotton yarn for more dishcloths. I
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I love making venison stew in the cast iron dutch oven! Venison Stew Cook on med-high heat for 3-4 minutes, DO NOT OVER COOK: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds venison stew meat When it is just about done add and saute for 1-2 minutes: 2 onions - chopped
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Here is a really good rag rug idea that uses no hooks or needles. On these long cold winter nights this would be a great project, even for the kids! Read more about making rugs here. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitti
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Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask questions about fiber arts in the comment section. You can also link up to your blog po
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I've been working on some crocheted dishcloths that I am bartering for some heirloom seeds with a friend. Have you ever bartered handmade goods? Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can s
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The great thing about being able to decorate cakes is that you get to make special cakes for special people. The body and head of this cake are made of cake. The legs, trunk and hat are made of rice crispy. I used the high ratio buttercream icing for the green and a marshmallow fo
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I think most of us truly desire to have one big happy family, all gathered around the table, holding hands to say the blessing and then to fill our hearts with laughter and our bellies with good food. I think most of us have our own version of the Walton family dinner table in our minds...especi
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I like to keep the table decorated with something fresh and different. Here are some tiny glasses with cranberries, and some fresh herbs form the herb garden; simple and festive! Tonight Olivia served us up Jacques Pépin's Dijon Crusted Split Chicken Breast from his Fast Food My Way cook
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I started this Christmas quilt a few years ago, today I WILL finish the binding...I WILL! :) This pattern is a Gordian Knot. Someday I'll have quilts for each season to decorate my home with. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, kni
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I love unique stockings, they are a great way to package gifts (think homemade candies, cookies, fudge) to give and they can be made very frugally. I've crocheted each of our children a stocking that have been used every year. I love these that have been made from sweaters!
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I'm still working on scarfs here for Christmas gifts. One thing I love about the weather getting colder and the day light hours being shorter is that I spend more time crocheting. :o) I kick back in the recliner, usually with a hot rice pack on my feet, a quilt on my lap and yarn in my hands and the
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Sausage Bread Makes 2 loaves 1 pound of sweet or hot Italian Sausage 1 pound of Mozzarella Cheese 2 pizza or bread dough Italian Seasoning Optional: 1 onion, 1 pepper, mushrooms, black olives Use Italian Sausage. If you cannot get it in bulk, use the links, just slide the sa
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We recently bought some free range chickens from a local family. I love being able to feed my family food that is organic as much as possible. After eating the roasted chicken I saved the bones to make a broth. Today it was cold and rainy here, having the broth on most of the day simmering made it
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A couple pie crust hints: Use a deep dish pie plate (as seen on the left). Roll your dough out thin. Use a little sugar in your dough recipe. Before placing in the oven, use your finger tips to rub some milk on the top, just enough to moisten it, then sprinkle a little sugar. This will hel
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Scarves are great gifts to give for winter birthdays or for Christmas. I'm working on a few for gifts. I started this one last week using this pattern. Scarves are a great way to Give Generously without Breaking the Bank. Here are some other patterns I really like (pictures are
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I love this! This would be great for a boy's room or an entry way. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask questions about fibe
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I LOVE this idea, let your imagination run! Think of keepsakes, small pictures, lock of baby's hair, small map of a special place, special date, names, finger print, etc... Make them smaller for charms on a bracelet, to hang from a pin, or to attach to a ribbon as a bookmark. How about make them
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Our last Domestic Class for the year will be Nov. 15th. This is a FUN class! You will learn how to make live arrangements that will last for weeks, some could last all the way from Thanksgiving to Christmas. These arrangements could be for mantles, table centerpieces, doors or mailboxes. This
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I made this cake in celebration of the baptism of twins at our church a couple of weeks ago. What a sweet time of rejoicing! First I completely iced it with a chocolate almond icing... then using a 104 rose tip I made pink 'ruffles' on the sides. The icing I used I made up as I
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Here is a video clip explaining how to choose the right fabric for your project: Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask questions about
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Last Saturday night we and about 400 other folks went to the Bailey's Annual Barn Dance. The Bailey's farm is just a few miles from where the April 27th Tornado ripped through Shoal Creek Valley destroying many homes and taking the life of one of our friends, and a dozen other people. Although
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A friend of mine asked if I could make her a couple of quilts from her parent's clothing who had recently passed away. I didn't have time, but Olivia was up for it. Our friend didn't care what the pattern was she just wanted the clothes used. Olivia made 2 quilts, one for our friend and on
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I had a delightful time with these families Tuesday at our Domestic Class. Thank you, Susan for driving 2 1/2 hours for this class!!! I am blessed to have met you, I hope we can do it again sometime! [gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]
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Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask questions about fiber arts in the comment section. You can also link up to your blog post or phot
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Next Tuesday for our domestic class we are learning Basic Cake Decorating. Cake decorating has probably been the most profitable skill I've learned. Not only have I a saved a bunch of money by always being able to make our own cakes, but by making cakes for other people as gifts, cak
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I love this lady's tutorials!!! I have learned a lot about maintenance that I did not know. These are a must watch for anyone that uses a sewing machine. There are 5 segments, but it's worth the time! Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Sewing machine basics - videos. C
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Nothing discourages sewing like having issues with your machine. Do yourself and children a favor and learn how your machine works and make adjustments. Know how to use the different stitches. Here is a good site to help you learn the parts, and here is an excellent glossary of terms. What to
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I love silk ribbon embroidery. It is so beautiful. It is perfect for embellishing clothing, wall hangings, pillows, quilts, framed art and bookmarks. I taught our Keepers of the Faith group how to do silk ribbon embroidery several years ago. Here are a few how-to's: How to Thread Your Needl
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Is canning worth it? It depends. Overall I'd say yes, but it does depend on your situation and season of life. You have to consider the cost of supplies, the food, your time and the canned food quality. When you start buying jars, lids, a canner (especially if you buy a pressure canner) an
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We had a GREAT time at the soap making class today. Olivia taught this one. [gallery order="DESC"] Next week's class is Sewing for the Home. Today is the last day to register for that class.
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We had a great Domestic Class Tuesday when we did rag quilting. Here is one of the students with her bright and happy rag quilt. All she had to do was the snipping part after she got home. Now that is a good day's work! You can see my tutorial for rag quilting HERE! Next week it's S
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Don't forget to check out our Domestic Classes and register on time! Today is the Rag Quilting class. This is one of the easiest quilting classes you can take. Looking forward to seeing some of you there. :) Perfect class for beginners. $15 per person Date: Sept. 13, 2011 Time: 10-2
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This is our County Fair week. I entered this baby hat. I made it up as I went, I think I need to make another one and write down the instructions. To be honest, it is more difficult to write the instructions than it is to just make it. I love fair time! It really motivates all of us to create (
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“Hospitality sitting with gladness.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow We love having dinner guest, but because we live in a small house we have to be creative how and when we invite people. For us having outside gatherings with 2 or 3 families at a time seems to work best, the only thing is we hav
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Last weekend a sweet young couple at our church were married. I made her cake. Learning how to bake and decorate cakes is not only a great way to save money and make money, but it is really a wonderful way to give a special gift. The wedding was beautiful and it was followed with lots of
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As soon as I saw this I knew I needed to make one. Wouldn't it be neat if it were made with tarn (t-shirt yarn)? Not only does this make carrying your dish easier, but it will help keep it warm. Love it! These would make great gifts! Get the instructions HERE! I didn't work on an
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Here is a little ironing humor for you from one of our favorite comedians! You gotta admit, he is so on target with this!!! Here is our whole series about doing LAUNDRY!
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I love getting an idea in my head, or even seeing someone else's projects and thinking how I could make a bit different so that it reflects me. The great thing about learning how to sew, quilt, paint, crochet, play a musical instrument, etc... is that you can take the foundational skills and make th
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I'm still working on my baby blanket I started last week, I should be able to get it done this week. I came across this great way of teaching young children some basic needle skills. Light that fire while they are young, very young! Fiber art is anything that includ
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Last Sunday our church celebrated with a family who was welcoming a new, adopted grandson from the Ukraine. Here is my sweet friend with her 2 grandchildren, as you can tell big sister is so happy to have her new brother! Our small church of 17 families has 5 adopted little ones, 2 fa
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I made these two baby quilts for a couple at our church that are expecting for the first time, and they are having TWIN GIRLS!!! I chose 7 fabrics, you can choose less or more; I think I started with 1/4 yard; then cut 3 inch strips and sewed them together on 1/4" seam. Back Side
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Our banana peppers have done better than any other plants this year. Banana Peppers Cloves of Garlic Mustard Seed Vinegar Sugar Sterilize 2 - pint jars. Keep jars hot until it is time to fill them. Heat up your lids. Pickling Juice 2 cups white v
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One and a half cake mixes in a bunt pan. Bake it. Drizzle on a favorite ice cream topping while it is still warm so it will absorbs it. Add a little more after it cools completely. Easy and YUM!
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We put up green beans a couple weeks ago. now we're working on sweet corn... Oh, how I hate the mess... but I sure do love the results! We've also made pickles... both dill and bread and butter. 20 -30 jars at a time will make this winter e
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Yesterday I announced Olivia's 12 Week Basic Culinary Class, and today I have updated the Domestic Class schedule. Rag Quilting Soap Making Patchwork Quilting Sewing for the Home Hand Quilting Basic Cake Decorating Kitchen Sewing How to Make Live Greenery Arrangement
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Being able to cook well is one of the most important skills everyone should know, especially homemakers. Not only does food fill your mouth with wonderful flavors and your home with rich aromas, but is also meets one of the basic needs of every human-being. Whether in a time of celebration,
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Olivia has embarked on a 60 30 day fast so Emma has taken over most of the cooking in our home, and let me say, she's doing great! The other night she made this wonderful tomato basil soup from scratch. Tomato juice and fresh tomatoes, peeled Roasted garlic and onions Fresh basil,
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Emma and I attended a bridal tea last weekend. It was hosted in a beautiful house and it was full of beautiful ladies and girls of all ages. Everyone came together to celebrate the upcoming wedding of a sweet, young couple. I was asked to make the cake or petit fours. I have tried many time
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Marinades usually consist of an acidic ingredient like vinegar, lemon juice, wine, oil and spices. The acidic ingredient softens the meat causing the meat to act like a sponge and absorb the flavors of the sauce. Marinating is not only for meat, but also fish and vegetables. Marinading Tips M
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Our family's choice:
Character is higher than intellect.
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