Etsy: Hello Kitty Hat

Now for sale in my Etsy shop! Select any color for the bow and trim.

Hello Kitty hat listing

Etsy: Cabled Flower Hat

This cabled hat comes with three flowers (your choice of colors and styles) that easily attach to the button on the hat. Visit my Etsy shop today!

Cabled Flower Hat (child)

Cabled Flower Hat (adult)

Etsy: Angry Birds Hat

A favorite among children and adult alike, this Angry Birds hat is available in any color you would like. Just visit my Etsy shop!

Angry Birds Hat

Recipe: Salisbury Bean Steak

This is a great meatless recipe which can also be made entirely from food storage items!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans beans (I used 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans)
1/8 C water
1/2 C Bisquick
1/8 C dried minced onion
salt and pepper
2T olive oil
2 C brown gravy, prepared from mix

DIRECTIONS:
1. Rinse and drain the beans. Use a food processor or blender to cut up the beans (add the water first). I like to stop while there are still some larger pieces, to give it a bit more texture.
2. Transfer beans to a large bowl and mix in Bisquick and onion. Season to taste. Shape mixture into 6 oval patties. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet pan over medium heat. Coat each chilled bean patty in a thin layer of Bisquick. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Pour brown gravy over patties, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans (we used dehydrated mashed potatoes and canned green beans, which we heated up while the patties were simmering).


We liked the texture of the patties (the first time I tried, they completely fell apart), but thought we should season the beans more. I'll have to update this when we figure out a better spice blend.

Recipe: Nilagang Manok

So, I decided it was time for me to fully embrace my heritage and learn how to cook some Filipino food. Every time I have ever visited my grandparents, I have had this chicken-cabbage soup. I never even knew what it was called until I decided to try to make it! Well, I looked at several different recipes and made some adjustments to get it as close to Grandma's as I could. It turned out to be a huge success, and now I can help pass along some culture to my quarter-Filipino children!



INGREDIENTS
2 T olive oil
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C ginger root, minced
8 C water
1 stalk celery, broken in three pieces
1 bay leaf (or 1t chopped bay leaves)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast meat, cut up
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken leg meat, cut up
3 C cabbage, sliced
1/2 bunch green onion, cut into 2" pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
patis, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook 2-3 minutes or until onion begins to look translucent.
2. Add water, celery, bay leaf, and chicken. Bring to rolling boil; reduce heat to low and cook 30 more minutes.
3. Remove celery. Add cabbage and green onion. Season with salt, pepper, and patis, to taste. Cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cabbage and green onions are soft.
4. Serve on rice with patis.

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I used sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Growing up, I always had it with white rice, but I made brown rice because I'm trying to be healthier.

Pattern: Ruffled Purse

MATERIALS
worsted weight yarn, any color
I/9 (5.5mm) crochet hook
plastic snap (optional)
material for lining (optional)

SPECIAL STITCHES
pair Xdc = pair of crossed dcs [skip 1 stitch, dc in next stitch, then dc in skipped stitch]

Xdcdec = crossed dc decrease [skip 2 stitches, yarn over, insert in next stitch, yarn over and pull a loop through, yarn over and pull through two loops; yarn over, insert in next stitch, yarn over and pull a loop through, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through all three loops. yarn over, insert in first skipped stitch, yarn over and pull a loop through, yarn over and pull through two loops; yarn over and insert in second skipped stitch, yarn over and pull a loop through, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through all three loops]


PURSE
Rnd 1: Ch 28, sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1sc in each of next 25, 3sc in last ch. Working along bottom of starting chain (do not turn), 1sc in each of next 25, 2sc in last chain, sl st to join. (56sc)

Rnd 2: Ch1, 2sc in same stitch as joining, 1sc in each of next 25, 2sc in each of next 3, 1sc in each of next 25, 2sc in each of next 2, sl st to join. (62sc)

Rnd 3: Ch1, sc in same stitch as joining, 2sc in next stitch, 1sc in each of next 26, [2sc in next, 1sc in next] twice, 2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 26, 2sc in next, 1sc in next, 2sc in next, sl st to join. (68sc)

Rnd 4: Ch1, sc in same stitch as joining, 2sc in next stitch, 1sc in each of next 27, [2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 2] twice, 2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 27, 2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 2, 2sc in next, 1sc in next, sl st to join (76sc)

Rnd 5: Ch1, sc in same stitch as joining, 1sc in next stitch, 2sc in next stitch, 1sc in each of next 28, [2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 3] twice, 2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 28, 2sc in next, 1sc in each of next 3, 2sc in next, 1sc in next, sl st to join. (80)

Rnds 6-10: Ch3 (counts as first dc in Xdc), dc in previous stitch. Work 39 more pairs Xdc. Sl st to top of beginning ch3 to join. (80dc)

Rnd 11: Ch 3 (counts as first dc in Xdc), dc in previous stitch. Work Xdcdec over next 4 stitches, work 18 pairs of Xdc, work Xdcdec over next 4 stitches, work 17 pairs of Xdc. Sl st to top of beginning ch3 to join. (76dc)

Rnds 12-15: Ch3 (counts as first dc in Xdc), dc in previous stitch. Work 37 more pairs Xdc. Sl st to top of beginning ch3 to join. (76dc)

Rnd 16: Ch3 (counts as first dc in Xdc), dc in previous stitch. Work 2 more pairs Xdc, work Xdcdec over next 4 stitches, work 17 pairs of Xdc, work Xdcdec over next 4 stitches, work 14 pairs of Xdc. Sl st to top of beginning ch3 to join. (72dc)

Rnds 17-18: Ch3 (counts as first dc in Xdc), dc in previous stitch. Work 35 more pairs Xdc. Sl st to top of beginning ch3 to join. (72dc)

Row 19: Sl st in each of next 12 stitches. Ch 1, sc in same stitch, 1sc in each of next 33 stitches. (34sc)

Row 20-30: Ch1, turn, 1sc in same stitch and in each stitch across. (34sc)


Row 31: Ch1, turn, beginning with same stitch sc2tog, 1sc in each stitch across to last 2, sc2tog (32sc)

Row 32: Ch1, turn, 1sc in same stitch and in each stitch across (32sc)

Rows 33-34: Repeat rows 31 and 32. (30sc)

Rows 35-37: Ch1, turn, beginning with same stitch sc2tog, 1sc in each stitch across to last 2, sc2tog (28sc, 26sc, 24sc)

Row 38: Ch1, turn, beginning with same stitch sc2tog, sc2tog, 1sc in each stitch across to last 4, sc2tog twice. Fasten off. (20sc)


RUFFLE
Row 1: Attach to side of first sc in Row 19 with sl st. Ch3 (counts as first dc), dc in same stitch, 2dc in each stitch (or side of stitch) around flap. (116dc)

Row 2: Ch3 (counts as first dc), dc in each stitch across. Fasten off. (116dc)

STRAP
Row 1: Ch 6, 1sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of remaining 4 chains. (5sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 1sc in same stitch and in each of next 4. (5sc)

Repeat Row 2 until strap measures 24 inches. Fasten off. Attach strap to sides of purse next to sc's on either side of Row 19.

FINISHING
I recommend lining this purse if you are going to put any small items in it. I used my KAM pliers to attach plastic snaps. I put the top snap in the center of the flap (near the ruffle), and I put the bottom snap through the lining and yarn where I wanted the flap to attach.

Recipe: Gluten Free Coconut Snickerdoodles

 INGREDIENTS

2 C sweet rice flour
1/2 C cornstarch
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
3/4 C unsalted butter
1 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/4 C shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. In small mixing bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and 1 C sugar. Add eggs one at a time; blend thoroughly between each addition. Add vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
3. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and blend until dough forms. Cover dough and chill for two hours (or over night).
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and 1/4 C sugar. Have coconut accessible in another small bowl.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a circle that is 3/8" thick. Dip both sides in cinnamon-sugar then place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of coconut and another pinch of cinnamon-sugar over the top side of the cookie; pat coconut and cinnamon-sugar down into cookie.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.

(This recipe is based off of these Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles, with the changes that I made.)