Easter Bunny and Square Bows

I really wanted to do a fun fancy dinner for Easter. We ended up hosting dinner for my in-laws and it was a lot of fun. I went all out with a tablecloth and cloth napkins. And yes, I folded them into bunnies. There were a couple sources for them but my favorite was a youtube video from better homes and gardens. My napkins didn't press as well as theirs but I think it turned out fine. I just tied a bow around them to hold them in place.

On that note, I also remembered that I recently learned how to correctly tie a bow. Did you even realize there is a correct way to tie a bow?? I recently started being a den leader for cub scouts and I learned that you should tie a square knot bow and then it stays in place better and also looks better. If your bunny ears end up looking cock eyed then its not a square bow. Your shoes also come untied easier. Since I've started tying my shoes correctly I haven't had to double knot them anymore! It also helps keep my kids shoes on better.

I did use this video when I was trying to figure out how to teach the boys. The best thing I can recommend is if you do seem to be tying to cockeyed, then after you make the first "bunny ear" wrap it around the opposite way. I had always been wrapping it counter clockwise but now I try to remember to do it clockwise. It does depend though on how you start the knot.

The really odd part is my Mom ties her shoes the correct way, but I guess I learned backwards...

P.s. my dinner menu was: Spiral Cut Ham, Rosemary Wheat Rolls, Roasted Asparagus, Onions and Potatoes, a salad my In-Laws brought and Frosty Strawberry Squares (I'll post strawberry recipe soon hopefully)

Valentine's Day

We're a little more settled now and I actually have my own creating space now so I've been jumping back into crafting. I've fallen in love with Pinterest and its become a great source of inspiration for me. Its also showing me that I am super amateur in all of this but I love to dabble and that's the point of this blog right! I got the inspiration for this card from a pin from The Queen's Scene. Looking at her blog a little more I've fallen in love with her style and will probably go to her for inspiration but I don't know that I will ever create anything as gorgeous as she does! I used a couple of stamps I've collected over time and the circut cartridge Storybook.

Diaper Stackers

My mom gave me this great book on how to make basic nursery decor. Its really great because it really breaks things down and makes it easy to sew these cute things. It also teaches basic sewing skills, which I'm still working on. I bought the fabric to make these about a month ago (soon after baby Cole was born) but I kept putting it off for good reasons (cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids). I decided if I didn't do something I probably wouldn't get around to it until they were both in kindergarten :)

So this week on Monday I decided to ignore the apartment and luckily Landon and Cole cooperated and it were low maintenance.  I just would sew whenever they were both content and I was able to almost finish it. It required I little more work on Tuesday but overall it didn't take too much time (less without interruptions) and it was fun to make.Plus I was able to sew it all without calling my mom to figure it out. I am really happy with how they turned out! So if you are looking for nursery decor check out that book!

Landon's 2nd Birthday Cake

I got the idea for this cake from a blog that I follow The Sister's Cafe. I added gummy worms to the idea but it was a big hit. I also just used cool whip instead of making my own whipped topping. Call me lazy...

My mom preferred this to normal cake because she liked the whipped topping frosting better then regular frosting. It was really easy to make and Landon loved it. It was really easy to make which I was looking for since I also have a newborn now!

Cake hint: Don't cook it as long as it tells you on the box. It's much more moist if you just cook it until it starts pulling away from cake pan.

Pajama Pants

I finally got around to finishing these pajama pants! I started them about 2 months ago and have been procrastinating finishing them. I have to make my own pjs because I have long legs and I want long pjs! I ran into a lot of issues while making them also. That's what I get for my first shot alone. Usually my mom is close by for guidance. I still had to call her a few times!

The first problem was when I cut the fabric. I didn't fold the fabric right so I ended up having two left legs.... that doesn't work well. My mom suggested just having one leg inside out, but I'm too picky about my pjs even though no one sees them.

I went back to the store and of course they didn't have anymore of the original fabric I bought so I scraped the original pattern (similar blue with polka dots) and now have it for possible inventive projects (maybe i'll try and make bean bags with numbers.... hmmm...).

Then I was going along fine until I reached the waistband (I know, so close to the finish line!!). I don't know how I did it but I measured the elastic about 6 inches too big.... who even knows. This wouldn't have been so bad, except I had actually sewn the elastic to the pants instead of threading it through. So my hubby was nice enough to take out the stitches (he kind of likes doing that) and I cut down the elastic and went with threading it through this time. Then I finally hemmed them and they turned out pretty good.

The only other thing is I think I used a bigger size then I really wanted, but it just means the legs are a little baggier then I'm used to. Atleast the waist fits now!!!

Bean Bags

I made a set of 10 bean bags for my Relief Society service auction tonight. I had made bean bags for my son a few months ago, so I just used left overs to make them. I also made a bag to put them in using the same template from previous post. I just made a smaller version and luckily it worked out just fine. The only part that didn't work out so well is that the drawstrings were a little shorter then they probably should have been.  It was fun making them and I was glad to be motivated to use my sewing machine again. They also sold for 100 fake dollars :)

Swiss Bread

Don't ask me why its called swiss bread, but this is a recipe I got from one of my culinary arts classes at BYU-Idaho. If you look at the end result it looks amazing, but its actually really simple to do. You can even use your own bread recipe and shape it into a braided loaf. And if your not daring enough to try braiding this recipe, you can always shape it like a regular loaf. I triple dog dare you to try it though :) Your guests will be super impressed. The original recipe is double, but I have a hard time fitting it in my kitchen aid.

Swiss Bread
BYU-Idaho Baking Class Summer 2007

Combine these ingredients and beat until smooth:

· 1 cup scalded milk (heat until just steaming and then cool to 110 Degrees)

· 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (dissolve in 1/4 cup water at 110 degrees)

· 1 1/2 tbsp sugar

· 2 tbsp oil

· 1 cup all purpose flour

Allow sponge to rise until double in bulk (about 30-45 min).Then add:

· 1 egg beaten

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 cup of flour

Mix with a dough hook and add more flour gradually until dough pulls away from side of the bowl (using kitchen aid mixer). Dough should be soft but not sticky.

From this point you can form dough into whatever loaf you would like; directions for braided loaf below. You may have a little extra dough. Then place loaf in well greased bread pan. Brush with weak egg wash of 1 egg and 3 tbsp water. Let rise until about 1 inch over top of pan or double in bulk. Back at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Braided loaf:

Weigh the double into 8 oz portions (you can also just divide loaf into 3 equal portions). Round the balls of dough and then form three 12” rope. Braid the ropes loosely, sealing the ends. (SEE BELOW)

Yield: about 1 loaf of bread (maybe a little more)

Round the balls of dough and then form three 12” rope.

Braid the ropes loosely, sealing the ends

It is a 1 1/2 lb loaf, so I think my pan is and 8 inch pan. Sometimes it can make a 2 lb loaf, depending on the amount of flour needed. Just kind of tuck the ends underneath to make it look nice and even.