tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66793930893987081392024-03-13T13:34:07.188-05:00Sally StitchesMy life including knitting, crocheting, sewing, cooking, and natural mama-isms.Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-12112148604714098542013-05-14T07:06:00.000-05:002013-05-14T07:06:22.987-05:00Menu Plan Monday 5/13/13<div style="text-align: center;">
Yeah this is a day late LOL</div>
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I planned out only a handful of meals for this week and next (I only menu plan every two weeks because that's how often we go to the grocery store) I did this because my husband will be gone a couple days this week and the other days I work in the evening so really we won't have a lot of meals together this week.</div>
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We received a <a href="http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/" target="_blank">Bountiful Baskets</a> co-op share this past weekend so a lot of the recipes are centered around the produce we received (which was tons of green peppers, lettuce and I went nuts at the grocery store for sale tomatoes and mushrooms. </div>
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I never usually pick which days I'm making which, I just know I have ingredients for these recipes on hand so I can make them any day. </div>
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<a href="http://what2cook.net/2013/03/21/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry/" target="_blank">Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry</a></div>
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<a href="http://dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com/2013/04/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html" target="_blank">Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cheese-on-the-cob-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Cheese on the Cob</a> w/pork chops on grill</div>
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<a href="http://peaceloveandlowcarb.blogspot.com/2012/06/philly-cheesesteak-stuffed-peppers.html#.UXcHsLVwpBc" target="_blank">Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers</a></div>
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<li>BLT's</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/artichokes-with-herb-butter-sauce/" target="_blank">Artichokes</a> (I'm gonna try these for lunch one day, I've never had them before)</li>
<li><a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/151209/blt_grilled_cheese_sandwich_recipe?utm_source=pinterest" target="_blank">BLT Grilled Cheese</a></li>
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To see more of my menu plan recipes check out my <a href="http://pinterest.com/sallystitches/menu-plan-monday/" target="_blank">board on Pinterest</a>!</div>
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xoxo</div>
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SS</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-12934410251887547322013-05-11T10:25:00.000-05:002013-05-11T10:25:22.302-05:00Fashion Fridays - Suspenders!<div style="text-align: center;">
So this is a day late but I figure that's ok! </div>
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The other day as I was in Hot Topic they had their clearance Buy One Get One FREE! PLUS I get my associate discount (from Torrid) there as well. So I found some Jack Skellington ear buds and was looking for a second item. These Hello Kitty suspenders really caught my eye. I was unsure if I could successfully pull them off. Tucking in my shirt, suspenders, hello kitty...it was all a risk!</div>
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I am so so so glad I got them, I may go back for a couple more pairs as well. I did rock them with my Hello Zombie shirt I recevied from my BFF (and I'm unsure where she got it from) and also with my ankle zip stilletto pants from Torrid. Some black flats and a Hello Kitty nerd headband were my only other accessories as I wanted the suspenders to steal the show. Feeling totally chubby and unsure having my shirt tucked in I strolled into work yesterday and everyone loved em!! I got rave reviews on my Instagram and Facebook. All in all I was really pleased. </div>
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Be yourself. That's my only tip from this fashion day. I deal with this on a daily basis at work. Helping women who are considered plus size try to step out of their box of wearing jeans that are too small or too baggy, all black and nothing form fitting. Women need to embrace their curves. Love yourself, even your flaws. I am the worst, I critizie myself terribly. But every now and then I find an outfit I feel fabulous in. Every woman needs that feeling. </div>
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So on that note I will share with you my suspender outfit and then today's outfit for work. To see my daily outfits on Instagram be sure to follow me (sallystitches31) <style>.ig-b- { display: inline-block; }
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Yesterday's outfit consists of:</div>
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HK shirt - ???</div>
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Stilletto jeans - Torrid</div>
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Suspenders - Hot Topic</div>
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Flats - Payless</div>
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Headband - Claire's</div>
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Today's outfit consists of:</div>
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Shrug - Maurices</div>
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Black tank - Old Navy</div>
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Blue cami - Torrid</div>
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Bow belt - Bettie Paige Store</div>
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Skirt - Torrid</div>
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Necklace - Torrid</div>
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Bracelet - Lia Sophia</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-10681309392841679612013-05-07T22:24:00.000-05:002013-05-07T22:24:11.925-05:00Toddler Tuesday - Fingerpainting<div style="text-align: center;">
So now that my little one is turning into a little man I love doing lots of new activities with him. I'm pretty relaxed where I'm not too worried about a little mess or a lotta mess as long as he's having fun and maybe learning something. </div>
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So we've tried painting before but it's mostly been just handprints for projects or feet prints for gifts. I never let him just go wild with paint and he didn't seem all that interested. But now with the weather finally getting nice we can go outside and make a mess. Today was that perfect day. He had a great nap and was in a good mood so we went outside with the paints, a throw away plate for the paints, his huge scribble pad and a few flower pots to paint for mother's day. I had clothes on him that I could care less if they got dirty and really with the crayola fingerpaints it doesn't matter much as it is all washable.</div>
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At first he was a little apprehensive but I demonstrated a little and got myself pretty covered in paint as well. We had a blast!! I even lifted him up and dipped his feet and he walked all over stuff. The driveway looks like a rainbow exploded and he successfully painted a huge picture and two flower pots. Cleanup was a breeze as I just put him in the sink and washed him off. </div>
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I loved it and he loved it. I think we will do a lot more painting exercises. I'm excited to introduce him to paint brushes too to help with his dexterity. I love crafts so so much and I hope he embraces his creativity forever!!</div>
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Here is a few shots from the day!</div>
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Happy Painting!</div>
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SS</div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-27986450558264974812013-05-05T22:48:00.000-05:002013-05-05T22:48:02.304-05:00New Blogging Subjects!<div style="text-align: center;">
So in an attempt to blog more often about the various things that interest me on a weekly basis I thought about possibly having a different idea for each day of the week to keep it a bit more organized! I may not necessarily blog daily but more often! If there is ever an idea you would like to see please let me know! Here are the new ideas:</div>
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<li><strong>Social Media Sunday</strong> - I'll chit chat about new things I see or do on some different social media sites which may include: Instagram, Postcrossing, Facebook, and any of the other blogs I follow.</li>
<li><strong>Menu Plan Monday</strong> - I try to menu plan weekly or bi-weekly so here I will post some of the recipes I will be using along with links to my favorite recipes. This day is all about food!</li>
<li><strong>Toddler Tuesday</strong> - This will be all about toddler activities, recipes and mannerisms. We're approaching the terrible two's in our home so new things are discovered weekly LOL</li>
<li><strong>What I'm Watching Wednesday</strong> - We don't have cable but we do watch Netflix, Hulu and DVD's often. We have a DVD collection of 600+ movies and tv shows so I will use this day to discuss and review movies and tv shows I recently watched and loved (or hated!)</li>
<li><strong>Pin-testing Thursday</strong> - I'm addicted to Pinterest and like to try a lot of the things I find on there whether they are crafts or recipes or home improvement things. This will follow my successes and failures...</li>
<li><strong>Fashion Friday</strong> - I work at an amazing clothing store and have always loved hair and makeup. I will post photos of outfits from throughout the week along with new makeup and hair ideas!</li>
<li><strong>Stitchin' Saturday</strong> - I will update on some of the new and old stitching projects I'm working on. Including cross-stitching, sewing, knitting and crochet.</li>
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I'm very excited to start sharing with everyone the things that interest me the most and hope you follow on the day(s) you are most excited about! Which sound most interesting to you??</div>
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xoxo </div>
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SS</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-1857059721469142562013-02-18T19:00:00.000-06:002013-02-18T19:00:05.259-06:00Valentine's Day Cupcakes<div style="text-align: center;">
I feel like every post lately has started with the phrase "So on Pinterest..." Frankly I eat, sleep, breathe this silly website. I have it on my phone and my kindle and lay in bed scouring new ideas and recipes. It's terribly addicting and I'm not quite sure what I did with my life before it. Now of course I will begin this post with:</div>
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So on Pinterest I saw <a href="http://www.madincrafts.com/2012/02/guilt-free-valentines-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for these super easy quick cupcakes for Valentine's day, so naturally I wanted to try it out. I don't normally used boxed mix or premade frosting but I seriously procrastinated this year and decided to make cupcakes when I woke up on Valentine's day morning....so quick it is!</div>
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I wasn't too convinced with this recipe, lemon-lime soda mixed with boxed cake mix....yeah right there's no way that's gonna turn out! Well it did. It gave the cupcakes a more sticky feel but super moist and lemme tell ya the batter was delicious (and egg free!) I did use premade frosting as well and piped it with a ziploc bag to somewhat seem fancy. They were a huge hit and got devoured at home and work. </div>
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The only problem I had was these need to be treated very much like angel food cake in the oven. I like to turn my pans halfway through baking/cooking times to evenly cook (our oven is old) and when I turned em I did bump them slightly and they all the sudden collapsed in the middle like an angel food cake would...they never recovered. So that was good to know for the future. I may used this recipe again and experiment with different flavors but probably only if I'm bored or in a bind. I enjoy cupcakes from scratch wayyyy too much!</div>
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Here's some lovely pics!</div>
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Toddler approved! </div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-77993732657816396512013-02-17T15:19:00.001-06:002013-02-17T15:19:32.749-06:00Menu Plan 2/17/13<div style="text-align: center;">
I haven't been able to make a menu plan for quite a while since we separated and I'm mostly living at my parents house right now but we did one this paycheck because I've been spending more and more time here and it's just always a money saver for us to have meals ready. And I miss cooking a lot! So I made our plan for two weeks (I only picked 6 meals and a dessert since I won't be here every night and leftovers usually happen for us) made our shopping list and we went grocery shopping. Always stressful. But all in all we got quite a bit for a decent price.</div>
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How I go about picking recipes is I will look through the grocery ad (we like to shop mostly at one grocery store) and then scour Pinterest and past recipes we've used and try to pick stuff that is on sale or that we can use out of our pantry/freezer. I then make a huge master list of all the ingredients needed for every recipe organized by category (meat, dairy, frozen, etc) THEN I go through our cupboards and freezer to mark off what we already have. Finally I make our master grocery list with what we need along with other items we may get (snacks, breakfast foods, etc)</div>
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It makes me feel so much more organized when we get to the store. I know what aisles I need to go down and know what I need to get and we rarely if ever get anything not on our list because we know the foods we're buying we can make meals out of. It cuts down on stress sooooo much!</div>
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I don't necessarily plan meals for certain days as some days you just don't feel like what's on the menu but I do know I have ingredients in our house for at least 6 homemade meals and a dessert that will last us most of the week. Which also cuts down on unnecessary grocery trips throughout the week which also can add up money wise. So with that said here's my menu for the next couple weeks with links!</div>
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<a href="http://cookingwithcrossbones.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-first-meatloaf.html" target="_blank">Meatloaf</a> with <a href="http://justaddasliceoflove.blogspot.com/2011/12/crack-potatoes.html" target="_blank">Crack Potatoes</a> (halved recipe)</div>
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<a href="http://lovinfromtheoven.blogspot.com/2009/09/orange-jello-salad.html" target="_blank">Orange Jello Salad</a> (already made and it's so yummy!)</div>
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<a href="http://trickschefs.com/showthread.php?tid=1212" target="_blank">Tacos in Pasta Shells</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-creamy-ranch-pork-chops-and.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes</a></div>
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<a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/cheesy-chicken-and-rice-bake/" target="_blank">Mexican Chicken Casserole</a></div>
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<a href="http://queenbeecoupons.com/crockpot-slow-cooker-lasagna-soup/" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup</a></div>
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Homemade Pizza (no link for this)</div>
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Follow my <a href="http://pinterest.com/sallystitches/menu-plan-monday/" target="_blank">Menu Plan Monday</a> list on Pinterest to see past recipes I've used as well!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-70410224621602858112013-02-13T23:19:00.002-06:002013-02-13T23:19:55.566-06:00Til Death Parts Us<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Til Death Parts Us</em></div>
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That was the last line of my wedding vows which was 4 years 4 months and 9 days ago. Since then we have dealt with a lot (as any couple does) which includes cancer (he was diagnosed 4 months after our wedding and beat it!), buying a home, having a baby, changing jobs, money issues, personal endeavors, and sick parents. These every day things can really weigh on a marriage and if your foundation isn't strong it can crack and even break...this happened to us. Despite being together for 5 years before we were married we never really had to deal with much stress until after we got married (oddly enough), we then realized we're not as strong of a team as we thought we were. We got comfortable, complacent, bored, and stressed...in other words we let real life take over and said bye bye honeymoon period. Now what?!</div>
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About a year and a half ago I left. With a 4 month old. I just couldn't do it anymore and didn't know what else to do. I'm not going to go into details but it was a wake up call for the both of us. For the last year we have bounced back and forth from being together and separating leaving us currently in a separated (but working on it) stage. We are finally talking to a family/marriage counselor and it seriously has worked wonders but we definitely still have the days where we struggle. You fall back into your bad habits and in our case that creates a volcano that blows! BUT this time we both have made a conscious decision to stick through it. We will make this work. Forever. </div>
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Today was one of those days. Voices were raised, names were called (which is never helpful) and fingers were pointed. We both were at fault for our actions. It made me stop and think why do we do this to each other?! So in an effort to salvage some hope that marriage can work I put out a question to my personal Facebook and my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/stitchinsally" target="_blank">Sally Stitches fan page</a> </div>
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<strong>"If you could give a newly married couple realistic advice about how to make it work for a long time what would it be?"</strong></div>
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The response was overwhelming. So here are some of the responses I received...I will be listing just first names so you know whether men or women wrote it. Please share with me your comments and ideas!</div>
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Communication is key --Nate S.</div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999812}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999812}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999812}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Being happy is more important than being right --Dave S.</span></span></span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999842}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999842}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999842}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">For better or worse - see it through!! --Jean S.</span></span></span></div>
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<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999854}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999854}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999854}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">It's okay to go to bed angry; sleep it off and generally once you're rested things don't seem that bad. Often they seem stupider than you thought the night before, and you can laugh at it. --Megan F.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999867}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999867}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999867}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">When upset with each other tell each other one reason you love them - "even though I am upset with you one thing I love about you is..." --Melissa A.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999941}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999941}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999941}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. In most cases they're not acting out of malice, and you'll avoid a lot of arguments if you don't assume they are. --Eowyn C.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999963}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999963}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999963}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">If you cannot talk about a hot button topic to resolve an upset in the moment, give it some time. Respect for each other will keep you together, the ability to let something rest until cooler heads prevail will keep love lasting. I don't always like something my spouse does/says but I've never lost love or respect for him and I try to remember that in those moments where life tests me. --Nina S.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999965}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999965}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_24999965}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Don't be a**holes to each other. Haha. How's that for honest. --Kari B.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000051}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000051}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000051}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Financial peace does wonders to prevent stress and fights --Lee W.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000062}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000062}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000062}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Don't take everything so seriously! Allow each other to have their own space, not everything needs to be done together. And get rid of any ideas that come from books or movies...neither are realistic nor practical. Have fun! (Works for us...almost at 28 years!) <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000204}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000204}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000204}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">We must be lucky, I can only remember maybe three arguments over the last 28 years, otherwise smooth sailing...gotta let the small stuff go. --Karl S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000095}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000095}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000095}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff --Nikkie S.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000179}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000179}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000179}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Communication!!! And remember that not every couple communicates the best the same way. Some do better writing things down, some better in the moment in person, some better after cooling down away from each other for a few minutes then talking in person. Every couple is different but knowing how each other feels about things and figuring out how to work with each other on those things will help a lot!!! --Farren G.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000283}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Treat each other kinder than you treat others. Most folks resort to the opposite. If you wouldn't talk to your boss or a new friend that way, don't talk to your spouse that way. Also, wake up every day and think of one thing you can do to make your spouse happy. It doesn't have to be big, or romantic... Clean off the kitchen counter, pay the bills, wear that shirt he likes. --Jen P.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000876}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000876}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000876}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Learn each others love language. We all give and receive love differently and most times we show people love in the way we need to receive it ourselves. --Chloe C.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000969}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000969}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25000969}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">My mom and dad have been married for 49 yrs and I just asked my mom the secret to their success not long ago and she said Forgiveness, but whole hearted ..when you forgive you let go and move on. My dad says if you can figure out money and sex it's smooth sailing because somehow you'll never have enough of either one. --Tammy R.</span></span></span></li>
<li>Don't think your spouse can read your mind. Talk, don't assume. --Elina S.</li>
<li>Laugh together --Katie S.</li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25002067}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25002067}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[95].[1][2][1]{comment10151282708010911_25002067}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Forgiveness, don't wait for him to apologize or make a big show of being sorry. Just remember you love him and forgive and forget. --Leah O.</span></span></span></li>
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To be continued....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SzQJ5L0q_z2SZxWGgVK26YVtPdV452ZmF-OCOazh9DxcKIQyrAsmtqM4AdO6bfcA-POmOsletofZh33ukQMSIcT3R1dpJR4GEyu7r9qEsUbG3GRhD_K7fpvtbCiHN47W-usirH-LsMYl/s1600/377_38469485910_8183_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SzQJ5L0q_z2SZxWGgVK26YVtPdV452ZmF-OCOazh9DxcKIQyrAsmtqM4AdO6bfcA-POmOsletofZh33ukQMSIcT3R1dpJR4GEyu7r9qEsUbG3GRhD_K7fpvtbCiHN47W-usirH-LsMYl/s400/377_38469485910_8183_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-78097577191276945212013-02-10T09:57:00.000-06:002013-02-10T09:57:46.629-06:00T-shirt Scarf #1<div style="text-align: center;">
So I've been wanting to try out one of the many Tshirt scarf tutorials I've found on Pinterest. I found <a href="http://margoiscrafty.blogspot.com/2011/01/t-shirt-scarf-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this one</a> was the most simple and quickest. So I quickly grabbed a white shirt that had been sitting in a pile of clothes in my closet that will never get worn.</div>
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I followed the steps in the tutuorial by:</div>
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First cutting the shirt below the armpits (straight across)</div>
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Then cut the bottom hem off making a big tube</div>
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I cut approx. 1 inch strips across on the fold from one end to the other, stopping about 2 inches from the other folded end</div>
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You then pull the ends of each strip to stretch the fabric out</div>
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Gather it all together at the joined end and take a small piece of the cut off hem to tie around and secure it.</div>
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Super easy and quick!! Here's my photos:</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikogOuqAOmnuL7PoJ5do2vSgmzowLambeplMZ99-nO8irBUXPayihMV1YW5tUpWtTT3-mbTooN_N7-uooYb8axc2P2zT3JZDLC1YrqGnOrEzg5Z5sEcco-zTgV3Zc9l0LoMhotc5R24AcQ/s400/IMG_3996%5B1%5D.JPG" width="282" /></div>
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and I figured out I could wear it either long or short (wrap it twice)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSON62ybrRy92vn0TNrRogOS3pybufkLM_IW2AT2A48JWzUYr4-SUTIeWI6SwZhKfKTL_V_jpOZ4Bfci999pCXGuYM8U-EOEnvOqpSDWJkPNoOfXs8pXbt9Lw2N84VpPLkIOEogSHUy37/s1600/IMG_3995%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSON62ybrRy92vn0TNrRogOS3pybufkLM_IW2AT2A48JWzUYr4-SUTIeWI6SwZhKfKTL_V_jpOZ4Bfci999pCXGuYM8U-EOEnvOqpSDWJkPNoOfXs8pXbt9Lw2N84VpPLkIOEogSHUy37/s400/IMG_3995%5B1%5D.JPG" width="282" /></a></div>
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I have some (handmade) flower pins that I might put on to accent whatever outfit I'm wearing that day. I love it! I want to try some of the other various Tshirt scarves I've found on Pinterest, thrift store here I come!!!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-36290858890124492522013-02-08T10:02:00.000-06:002013-02-08T10:03:59.959-06:00Valentine's Day Cards<div style="text-align: center;">
So now that I have a 19 month old I've been wanting to introduce a lot more crafts and I'm finding myself more interested in holidays which is very unlike my old, pre-baby self. This year for Valentine's day I knew I wanted to make a personalized Valentine for immediate family and close friends. So with the help of Pinterest (follow my boards here: <a href="http://pinterest.com/sallystitches/" target="_blank">Amy Hendrickson</a> )</div>
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I had seen this pin:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WLAQuljokRfK6Uik3rDfGogFIS3z28zP7SB-PjtZSP42AdP98AzigcDUGffZQ5ESt3jxcHF-MExFX_sMThHmb3uenzKJ9m0sUuzcMc_OPjZebcVlrZFfYJuJmU66NGyNewByHnj0_z5-/s1600/27f9faf26457ac961b38124e0699dad4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WLAQuljokRfK6Uik3rDfGogFIS3z28zP7SB-PjtZSP42AdP98AzigcDUGffZQ5ESt3jxcHF-MExFX_sMThHmb3uenzKJ9m0sUuzcMc_OPjZebcVlrZFfYJuJmU66NGyNewByHnj0_z5-/s320/27f9faf26457ac961b38124e0699dad4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Link <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31149239@N07/5394744592/" target="_blank">here</a> to original project)</div>
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I had some notecards in my printer paper stash and since his hands are so little yet I was able to fit them on there. Plus we had nontoxic, washable finger paints (Crayola) already. I put him in his highchair without a shirt and we practiced on a few pieces of paper first. He loved it...it got messy but thankfully it was completely washable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOCRFz6Mw5_SdyKRvxEUDii4v_vf1P5V5YJFOAdQUFv1gQfxGBIZMMQEBNaztqVGXh70V1sS1XTYNDiEoCyYZtiw0Ndn8wYS8bZ-DaeyUw1zNhEQIHjfbBYYPdueTuSK-5jpHZG-pEHn0/s1600/64815_410161685738091_605795361_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOCRFz6Mw5_SdyKRvxEUDii4v_vf1P5V5YJFOAdQUFv1gQfxGBIZMMQEBNaztqVGXh70V1sS1XTYNDiEoCyYZtiw0Ndn8wYS8bZ-DaeyUw1zNhEQIHjfbBYYPdueTuSK-5jpHZG-pEHn0/s320/64815_410161685738091_605795361_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And yes he did try eating it...BUT this was a super fun and surprisingly quick project. We made 8 cards. I embellished with some stamps and wrote a quick note on the inside signed with Gabe's name.</div>
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I kind of found a quick system of painting his hands instead of dipping them (he would try to pick up the paint ending in a huge glob on his hand) and then pressing his hand down and doing it all over again. I only did one hand at a time so both weren't messy. We will be using finger paints and hand print pictures a lot I think as he loved it!</div>
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Here's our finished project!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRpZRwjEhJg3PIYUzNv0c2X2t9pEy7AjO0JpH4EuGwH4iqPG4Wdnt-LM0kcZ5DjOfOjSJ8YmmVe9QdDT37OZCDCSinRd5M6gHIs2J3nfIGLn80uhIpwOLkm-X9LYVjBUL0A-yGeV12Ug_/s1600/538079_10151270462395911_850401618_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRpZRwjEhJg3PIYUzNv0c2X2t9pEy7AjO0JpH4EuGwH4iqPG4Wdnt-LM0kcZ5DjOfOjSJ8YmmVe9QdDT37OZCDCSinRd5M6gHIs2J3nfIGLn80uhIpwOLkm-X9LYVjBUL0A-yGeV12Ug_/s320/538079_10151270462395911_850401618_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I really love how they turned out!!</div>
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Happy Valentine's Day!</div>
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(all of my photos are taken on Instagram, <a href="http://instagram.com/sallystitches31/" target="_blank">follow me</a> on there as well!)</div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-87275011468018049812013-02-08T08:37:00.003-06:002013-02-08T08:37:53.704-06:00I'm Back!<div style="text-align: center;">
Well I've been absent from my blog for almost a year and a half! Sorry bout that folks but I've been trying to get a few things together in my every day life BUT I'm back and my goal this year is to blog more frequently. Since I have also taken a hiatus from selling my items on <a href="http://www.stitchinsally.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a> I'm planning on centering my blog posts around the following topics: </div>
<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Motherhood (since I have a lot of mama friends and fans out there)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Being a wife (I have been actively working on my marriage over the last year to make it stronger) </div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Cooking/organizing/house things (pinterest, need I say more) </div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Crafts (because I'm still a crafter at heart)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Money/budgets/saving/etc (because we all hate this topic but it's a part of everyone's life!)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So with that being said I hope you continue to follow my posts, if there is a topic you would love me to write about or review or anything please email me at <a href="mailto:sallystitches31@gmail.com">sallystitches31@gmail.com</a> also please share my blog with all your friends and family if you would like to. </div>
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xoxo</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-29926626580871906982011-09-14T22:41:00.000-05:002011-09-14T22:41:51.397-05:00Getting Ready for "The Big One"<div style="text-align: center;">
Crafting blog!! LOL So I am doing my very first craft show in about 7.5 weeks!! OMG! I have about a million things on my mind! This is supposedly a pretty big show for this area. It is held over opening hunting season so all the wives come to this craft show supposedly. I am sharing the booth with a fellow WAHM to cut costs so her and I have been talking about everything and trying to get everything organized.</div>
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My biggest fear is that I will run out of items. Since all my things are crocheted it takes me a while to make them, especially now with a newborn! AND with going back to work at my day job (even though it is super part time) So instead of saying I'm going to make X amount of headbands or hats or whatever I'm pretty much just going to craft in any little free time I have and then take custom orders if I run out.</div>
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I am planning on bringing my Interchangeable hats and headbands.</div>
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My cupcake and donut pincushions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwwgO7YmbYOfvQkZkkDcAY6_tv4r8_7O0-VzYryv0hZ7LuWy3nO_jxJ_EAk0Y8Zx5Vsv_E0kd99andX9W0bM9W1YkBwowcgoCLqhKDUGzfB_5S9f-rudaql9bdrdn0SBmrLKPEd3E-wOt/s1600/Cupcake+ChocBlue1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwwgO7YmbYOfvQkZkkDcAY6_tv4r8_7O0-VzYryv0hZ7LuWy3nO_jxJ_EAk0Y8Zx5Vsv_E0kd99andX9W0bM9W1YkBwowcgoCLqhKDUGzfB_5S9f-rudaql9bdrdn0SBmrLKPEd3E-wOt/s320/Cupcake+ChocBlue1.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5FbxJmmAizamxiD-TN8lUsdcpiIRAmN2fVBSUVyfLGyILK6iFh2nuT-BkDYVenKGvMi7crVp4Q4TjlElafAB8TkHKrWxPJFqHboKpMAqoYvoBkOz_XW3wMdzV_XK6UBmoXbFRW4CwD9N/s1600/Doughnut+Pincushion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5FbxJmmAizamxiD-TN8lUsdcpiIRAmN2fVBSUVyfLGyILK6iFh2nuT-BkDYVenKGvMi7crVp4Q4TjlElafAB8TkHKrWxPJFqHboKpMAqoYvoBkOz_XW3wMdzV_XK6UBmoXbFRW4CwD9N/s320/Doughnut+Pincushion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hair bows and possibly flowers if I can get some made!</div>
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And then I do plan on having my doily name banners available for show and then take some custom orders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6Ulvpb5b_Pj1MiQ4WUK-P8j-IpCB09NAeYguNwI39HsVlCd2po4r1aodJlJSu5kPeLcLqmJlgPdAWWyludmZ6wPdyHi4DmCJDoPsqdtzUmy8K_IN8IEcQK7usP4b1V9FqnzQ5OoaSpWs/s1600/Name+banner-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6Ulvpb5b_Pj1MiQ4WUK-P8j-IpCB09NAeYguNwI39HsVlCd2po4r1aodJlJSu5kPeLcLqmJlgPdAWWyludmZ6wPdyHi4DmCJDoPsqdtzUmy8K_IN8IEcQK7usP4b1V9FqnzQ5OoaSpWs/s320/Name+banner-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I have 7 weeks to make as much as I possibly can, along with orders and I have 2 giveaways on some blogs coming up this next week or two!!! Oh boy, I hope I survive!!!<br />
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P.S. if you would like to purchase anything you see above just visit my Etsy shop or email me at <a href="mailto:sallystitches31@yahoo.com">sallystitches31@yahoo.com</a></div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-5398119811317512202011-09-14T21:42:00.000-05:002011-09-14T21:52:57.094-05:00Meal 7 - Buffalo Chicken Calzones<div style="text-align: center;">
So I made these at the same time I made the BBQ Beef Cups. These were SOOOO easy!! Since it made about 8 calzones I froze them for a quick meal. Ok so on to the recipe!</div>
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Once again I got my recipe from the <a href="http://www.onceamonthmom.com/">Once a Month Mom</a> website....I promise I'm not addicted...ok maybe I am! She just posted a recipe today that I have been looking for for about a year!!!! Sooooooooo excited for it!</div>
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Ok on to this one though :) The <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/the-secret-recipe-club-buffalo-chicken-calzones-from-itzys-kitchen/">Buffalo Chicken Calzones</a> are oh so yummy....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYQ22YLwR14nzHIG3UkL54x5kkan7GOF-VDLcmq9zN31FvgJEHBz5sh2hDjfDO3ragoscXZ9QrV6RiOV4FyeJSK0R2YaJcsGhdOZecs6hYXmW-tLmqDNmWLcnOUy7F7Kc5_KDwKija-Or/s1600/DSC03792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYQ22YLwR14nzHIG3UkL54x5kkan7GOF-VDLcmq9zN31FvgJEHBz5sh2hDjfDO3ragoscXZ9QrV6RiOV4FyeJSK0R2YaJcsGhdOZecs6hYXmW-tLmqDNmWLcnOUy7F7Kc5_KDwKija-Or/s320/DSC03792.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>Ingredients: </strong></h3>
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2.67 cups <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/sliced-diced-chicken/" title="Sliced & Diced: Chicken"><span style="color: #607890;">chicken, cooked and diced</span></a></div>
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0.5 cups ranch dressing</div>
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3 Tablespoons hot sauce (or your favorite buffalo wing sauce)</div>
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1.33 cups <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/sliced-diced-celery/" title="Sliced & Diced: Celery"><span style="color: #607890;">celery, diced</span></a></div>
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1 cup Mozzarella cheese</div>
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1/2 batch of <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/homemade-pizza-dough/" title="Homemade Pizza Dough"><span style="color: #607890;">homemade pizza dough</span></a> (or 2 cans refrigerated pizza dough)</div>
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4 Tablespoons olive oil</div>
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1 teaspoon garlic powder</div>
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.25 cups Parmesan cheese</div>
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<strong>Directions:</strong></h3>
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If making your own pizza dough, mix and allow to rise. When pizza dough is ready, roll into a 2 14×17 sheets (approximately). Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut into fourths with a pizza cutter. In a medium bowl mix together chicken, ranch dressing, hot sauce, celery and Mozzarella. Place chicken filling on each of the 8 squares of dough. Fold the dough over and pinch/seal the ends.</div>
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Place calzones on a cookie or baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until baked and golden brown. Remove and serve.</div>
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Freezing Directions:</h3>
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Follow all directions above including baking. Set aside to cool or flash freeze. Place in gallon size freezer bags and freeze. To serve: Remove and reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or in oven for 10 minutes. Serve.</div>
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So I ended up using canned chicken for convenience. I used about 2 large cans worth, but I measured it in a measuring cup. And then I didn't have mozz. cheese so I used colby jack and it tasted just fine. </div>
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I mixed all the 'innerds' together:</div>
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Then I just used canned pizza dough, rolled it out, and cut it into 4 sections. I plopped some mixture into each section. I do kind of wish I would have rolled out both cans and did the insides all at once because my first batch wasn't stuffed as much as I could've done and my second batch was almost over stuffed because I had to use up the chicken mixture. </div>
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Then you just fold corner to corner and make a triangle. I then rolled and pinched the ends shut. Be careful not to tear the dough!</div>
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Then you just bake!!! Super dooper easy and they look kind of fancy!</div>
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We froze em and just warm em up in the microwave. I dip mine in ranch and it is sooo yummy!!! I will definitely be trying different fillings now that I know how easy it is to make calzones!!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-11583027287094149162011-09-12T17:56:00.000-05:002011-09-12T17:56:32.826-05:00Meal 6 - BBQ Beef Cups<div style="text-align: center;">
So I promise I didn't fall off the face of the Earth! I didn't cook anything for a couple days last week due to work and other things. We had a rummage sale last weekend so my week last week was nutso! I did get some cooking in over the weekend though and we found a couple new recipes that will be used again! I made Barbecue Beef Cups for lunch on Friday and it just so happens they are the featured recipe today on <a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">www.allrecipes.com</a> They were super quick and easy and we gobbled them up! My husband has requested these again already!! </div>
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Ingredients: (I had started to brown the meat and almost forgot to take a picture!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIu_rgGM9_qRfy4vVZaov55FAXiP4swttFlQm8VoF1WnMSl6hY3Hebq6Gen-LyIETW7SZNmEye8ASjFGtU95fTnFS6L23XYYpvPKg8tRCz6bGChXRFndn0HpgPeVRlV_cUfYthya8w83Y/s1600/DSC03790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIu_rgGM9_qRfy4vVZaov55FAXiP4swttFlQm8VoF1WnMSl6hY3Hebq6Gen-LyIETW7SZNmEye8ASjFGtU95fTnFS6L23XYYpvPKg8tRCz6bGChXRFndn0HpgPeVRlV_cUfYthya8w83Y/s320/DSC03790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="ingredients" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<ul>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">3/4 pound lean ground beef</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">1/2 cup barbecue sauce</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">1 tablespoon dried minced onion</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="border-top: #ccc 1px dotted; margin-top: 20px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<h3>
Directions</h3>
<ol>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the cups of a muffin pan. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in barbecue sauce and dried onion. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Flatten each biscuit, and press into cups of the prepared muffin pan. Make sure the dough comes to the top of the pan. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each dough cup. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 3 more minutes. </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I obviously used dried onion once again instead of a real onion. The biscuits were kind of hard to form in the cupcake pan, I may try jumbo biscuits next time. And then I didn't measure the BBQ sauce when I added it to the meat. I just eyeballed it cause I wanted them pretty saucy. I'd say it was probably closer to 3/4 cup. </div>
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Before cooking:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYuOLpLSicQpw2QPB_2LzVoXLxu2ewhDGhT6nC867Ypr9VyspSPjDWkOzDbPd0BZgJ8UrI7H-iw-PAeKKd4wn2Ly8ZHfp9PoNpjodhycEw4pG6s4DpMC9TJqRIxPrKvMrepag96fXxnEj/s1600/DSC03791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYuOLpLSicQpw2QPB_2LzVoXLxu2ewhDGhT6nC867Ypr9VyspSPjDWkOzDbPd0BZgJ8UrI7H-iw-PAeKKd4wn2Ly8ZHfp9PoNpjodhycEw4pG6s4DpMC9TJqRIxPrKvMrepag96fXxnEj/s320/DSC03791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After cooking:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEpIcY8Q7QuZ_KKxiy5uI0kjkBvUbANUiH373eMkC7qAcbGBvLMtMpUSdeUax33Hxx2Qi8FIeDn6KSr0ZfQ_vR2v3hWer2dBAryT__V4UUDGZC7XAapSDoEpm0U7uFBBY8tVKtxiv32Tn/s1600/DSC03794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEpIcY8Q7QuZ_KKxiy5uI0kjkBvUbANUiH373eMkC7qAcbGBvLMtMpUSdeUax33Hxx2Qi8FIeDn6KSr0ZfQ_vR2v3hWer2dBAryT__V4UUDGZC7XAapSDoEpm0U7uFBBY8tVKtxiv32Tn/s320/DSC03794.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
YUM!! I may try taco cups next time by adding taco seasoning to the meat and using Mexican cheese. Topping with sour cream and salsa maybe...</div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-65805564373478501382011-09-05T21:43:00.000-05:002011-09-12T16:15:01.015-05:00Meal 5 - Jalapeno Beef and Corn Bread Pie<div align="center">
So before I write about tonight's dinner I just wanted to say how I can't believe the response I've received from friends that are reading my blog and trying out these recipes. It's so awesome that I'm able to bring a little cooking to their homes! This started out as a challenge for myself and my husband on a mission to eat out less and me hone in on my cooking skills and it's turning out to be something awesome for my friends to read and try as well!</div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
On that note dinner ALMOST didn't happen tonight! I forgot to take the ground beef out of the freezer to thaw until about 15 minutes before I was gonna start dinner! Crap! So I do have this really awesome kitchen gadget that is like a <a href="http://www.atlantisgadgets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24_25_61&products_id=299">cast iron plate</a> of some sort, I honestly don't know what it's made out of or how it works but it defrosts food faster and so I threw the meat on there for a little but and then just fried it halfway frozen! Ooops!</div>
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So tonight's recipe was Jalapeno Beef and Corn Bread Pie. I got the recipe from those recipe cards you receive in the mail and they want you to sign up for them to come every month or so and then charge you oodles of money until you quit. Yup well I did that many many moons ago and decided to dig through them for some recipes. I did find the recipe <a href="http://www.easyeverydaycooking.com/recipes/beef-from-the-oven/jalapeno-beef-and-corn-bread-pie/">online</a> as well but I changed a couple things around of course.</div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="editorial-title">
Ingredients<span style="float: right;"></span></h3>
<ul class="editorial-list ingre" id="ingredients">
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 pound ground beef</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 cup yellow cornmeal</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 cup milk</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">2 eggs</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 tablespoon melted shortening or bacon drippings</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 (8-ounce) can creamed corn</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">3/4 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 large onion, grated</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">5 canned jalapeños, chopped</span></li>
</ul>
<h3 class="editorial-title" style="clear: both;">
Directions</h3>
<ul class="editorial-list direc" id="directions" itemprop="instructions">
<li><div class="numbering">
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add beef. Cook, stirring continually, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes; drain. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="numbering">
2. Grease a 10-inch ovenproof skillet or baking pan. Combine cornmeal, milk, eggs, baking soda, shortening, corn and salt in a large bowl. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="numbering">
3. Spoon half the corn bread batter into prepared skillet. Spread beef over batter. Top with onion, Cheddar and jalapeños. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="numbering">
4. Spread remaining corn bread batter over filling, covering completely. Bake until browned on top and cheese is melted, about 50 minutes. </div>
</li>
</ul>
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Here's all my ingredients:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyPZY3BVazIeWQMyPE7gNXOAs7xAPVh3d9QqDMpEL6Dv_ZhOo2l8Lw02Wp24dpt5NmrpVZo-Fcuu2tvNvC1tgcUOM_WE25busD2Lid-bfSgEA6NW8QhINfw8TQ3fVCD3UKKznzKq4CvVr/s1600/DSC03783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyPZY3BVazIeWQMyPE7gNXOAs7xAPVh3d9QqDMpEL6Dv_ZhOo2l8Lw02Wp24dpt5NmrpVZo-Fcuu2tvNvC1tgcUOM_WE25busD2Lid-bfSgEA6NW8QhINfw8TQ3fVCD3UKKznzKq4CvVr/s320/DSC03783.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="numbering">
Once again I used dried onion flakes instead of an onion because we don't eat onion much AND the smell of em seriously makes me vomit! And then instead of using cheddar cheese and jalapenos I decided to use pepper jack cheese! Yum!</div>
<div align="center" class="numbering">
So I took some prep pictures but they didn't really turn out unfortunately. But you just layer half the cornbread mixture in the bottom of a dish (I think mine was a 1.5 qt?) and I did spray with cooking spray and then sprinkle loose corn meal on the bottom. Then layer the beef which I browned with onion flakes, salt and pepper. Then I used about a cup or so of cheese, just until the beef was covered. And then the rest of the cornbread mixture on top. Now for some reason in the recipe it says to only use 8oz of creamed corn....yeah I dumped in the whole can! What the heck am I gonna do with half a can of creamed corn?! </div>
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Right before putting in the oven:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlEo7DbmPtfXTWpheu2dVgWNuQsen-IDwKVi2o0duZNFKA-y9XzYXlfm98YatQPQV56q3mysMg4tcI1wFfx4yrlsq9C-5vJAMcc36EH1da6z_VfqhoSt5nfk1ePfUAA99V9l_G2tQIVX0/s1600/DSC03787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlEo7DbmPtfXTWpheu2dVgWNuQsen-IDwKVi2o0duZNFKA-y9XzYXlfm98YatQPQV56q3mysMg4tcI1wFfx4yrlsq9C-5vJAMcc36EH1da6z_VfqhoSt5nfk1ePfUAA99V9l_G2tQIVX0/s320/DSC03787.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="numbering">
And out of the oven:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcm93Ttr9rleTKIQrEj0UNEDf5ClePCIG8TRQHm2ZebJ-P63bHBTmNk3K9Ws8Bv0nx49FguBrmjCD9BHeqfSpEt8KpH35usm5dMnUxcWOVf4TsWemRLJ3L5mip8zMu_3wthjQ0jBjXkc3/s1600/DSC03788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcm93Ttr9rleTKIQrEj0UNEDf5ClePCIG8TRQHm2ZebJ-P63bHBTmNk3K9Ws8Bv0nx49FguBrmjCD9BHeqfSpEt8KpH35usm5dMnUxcWOVf4TsWemRLJ3L5mip8zMu_3wthjQ0jBjXkc3/s320/DSC03788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
And it did taste as good as it looks...I am a corn bread-aholic so anything with cornbread to me is awesome. The meat was a different kind of texture and then the pepperjack cheese added just the right spicy flavor! We also drizzled honey on top of our pieces which was perfect, a little sweet with the spicy! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ILzQReJlJH1x2WbrVjA3fl73bM3B16mEBHVqv4mZkHUgohfh7bgT-fi89YLND6yjy8-81bkhRoysTxSOVHkcZhaQwblRUJ28wKmFj5ZK6Qms7rBsCfJahLsVGd0kGb_4aQ0RkqZJV8VZ/s1600/DSC03789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ILzQReJlJH1x2WbrVjA3fl73bM3B16mEBHVqv4mZkHUgohfh7bgT-fi89YLND6yjy8-81bkhRoysTxSOVHkcZhaQwblRUJ28wKmFj5ZK6Qms7rBsCfJahLsVGd0kGb_4aQ0RkqZJV8VZ/s320/DSC03789.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Yum!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-1238619815686794042011-09-04T22:19:00.002-05:002011-09-12T16:16:57.911-05:00Meal 4 - Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff<div style="text-align: center;">
Yummm this is one of my favorite recipes. It's good comfort food for us in this house. And I'm a sucker for a slow cooker meal! This recipe comes initially from one of my FAVORITE recipe websites, <a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">http://www.allrecipes.com/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here is the link to the actual recipe: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-beef-stroganoff-i/detail.aspx">Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And then these are some of my modifications I make:</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
Use 2 cans of Golden Mushroom Soup, more sauce and make sure to use the Golden Mushroom, the flavor is just right for this recipe.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
Add a beef bullion cube</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
Add a spoonful of sour cream</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
I use dried chopped onions opposed to an actual onion as neither of us are big on onion flavor</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
I saute mushrooms about a half hour before it's done and add them in.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">
Cut the time to only about 5-6 hours at the max on low heat</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So here are all my ingredients:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJ9j9d1qREW2VqOgoyVgBAcKp7l06rRpRIT2v0Jbk2KkK_Nx6n2Q6V6KU1-A2akiVzEvRW2WqnPmvWmvocxNkSPk_YsZO-wMVBQtcWUA6iCcxy821-7T8NKDgimBCeFRsqE-0ofuc9W_n/s1600/DSC03778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJ9j9d1qREW2VqOgoyVgBAcKp7l06rRpRIT2v0Jbk2KkK_Nx6n2Q6V6KU1-A2akiVzEvRW2WqnPmvWmvocxNkSPk_YsZO-wMVBQtcWUA6iCcxy821-7T8NKDgimBCeFRsqE-0ofuc9W_n/s320/DSC03778.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">
I put the meat, soup, Worcestershire, dried onions, bullion cube, cream cheese and sour cream all in my slow cooker. I used a 4 quart size and it was just fine.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXxW_UGqLDwS2esRDCBQLsnGeFNWXawAMgO3R468Qk9OVPprTCwIQB8GkrWbzsIt76pz0qTkjBIerIjwzSige4Al51iWF5ojK8slEmisL0aM2BMZOrVrHQ8Fw9goaA9gusFr0k22FhC1g/s1600/DSC03779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXxW_UGqLDwS2esRDCBQLsnGeFNWXawAMgO3R468Qk9OVPprTCwIQB8GkrWbzsIt76pz0qTkjBIerIjwzSige4Al51iWF5ojK8slEmisL0aM2BMZOrVrHQ8Fw9goaA9gusFr0k22FhC1g/s320/DSC03779.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>
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I would check on it occasionally, unfortunately after only probably about 3 or 4 hours it was boiling and starting to burn in my crockpot so watch it carefully!!! I actually just turned it down to warm and left the cover slightly ajar to cool it a little while I sauteed the mushrooms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-O8NbE8c9nahNU1QWdk0zYD1mzzyBuwlF-hgztZh4HNr8ztFhSogkOi40te4DCtJw4nFcIakD6cq04QzYbAjWaU1yJPbi-0dzhKXmsU-x0QXXY4v3ceJulYiGfCDq6MDeMdev_MG49yY/s1600/DSC03780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-O8NbE8c9nahNU1QWdk0zYD1mzzyBuwlF-hgztZh4HNr8ztFhSogkOi40te4DCtJw4nFcIakD6cq04QzYbAjWaU1yJPbi-0dzhKXmsU-x0QXXY4v3ceJulYiGfCDq6MDeMdev_MG49yY/s320/DSC03780.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>
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Mmmm how I love sauteed mushrooms...I can practically smell them!!! Once those were done I just mixed them in with the rest of the stuff.</div>
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Then right before we were gonna eat I made the egg noodles to serve with it. I made about half a bag whatever that is! LOL I boiled them for only about 5 minutes so they didn't get too mushy. I then just dumped them in the slow cooker. Sometimes I leave them so people can dish their own noodles and sauce but then you always run out of one or the other!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP__3SrHN8k34O6pDjPPQEGGKUa67clLDKcWf3Z5zVkc8nQk5kVzfPr62xUHle9MkroiMW_10zvwFQJ9qpNUp356WoS_LsbUq6znxo-QfoktIYkppAm_wdsSzy-iaeeUnzGXlyDEBOrbm/s1600/DSC03781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP__3SrHN8k34O6pDjPPQEGGKUa67clLDKcWf3Z5zVkc8nQk5kVzfPr62xUHle9MkroiMW_10zvwFQJ9qpNUp356WoS_LsbUq6znxo-QfoktIYkppAm_wdsSzy-iaeeUnzGXlyDEBOrbm/s320/DSC03781.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>
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I mixed them around and did put the cover back on just for a couple minutes for the noodles to soak up some of the sauce! Yum!</div>
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Then we scooped it into bowls and put another dollop of sour cream on top. </div>
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We gobble this stuff up. My hubby and I are suckers for mushrooms (as you're probably finding out!) and you can't get better than some good hearty food!</div>
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We had a ton left over, we both wanted seconds but were stuffed after our first helping. So we now have enough for lunch tomorrow and then some!</div>
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This will always be a go to recipe for us, it's nice on a chilly night which tonight was! Fall is coming fast! I hope you try out this super easy, yummy meal!!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-38705023726203225432011-09-04T21:54:00.000-05:002011-09-12T16:16:39.413-05:00Meal 3 - Fake Em Out Ravioli Lasagna<div style="text-align: center;">
So this was actually last night's dinner, I just didn't have a chance to write about it yesterday. So I ended up making a lazy mans lasagna. I got the recipe out of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Campbells-Cooking-Companion/dp/B004A14WWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315190064&sr=8-1">Campbell's Cooking Companion</a> cookbook which I must say has a ton of good recipes in it! So I decided to make the 'Fake Em Out Ravioli Lasagna. </div>
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There's only a handful of ingredients...pasta sauce, ravioli, and cheese.</div>
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Ingredients</h2>
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Serves: <span class="bold yield"><strong>6</strong></span></div>
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<li class="ingredient"><span class="name">Vegetable cooking spray</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 (25.6 ounce) jar</span> <span class="name">Prego(R) Italian Sausage & Garlic Italian Sauce</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1/2 cup</span> <span class="name">water</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 (30 ounce) package</span> <span class="name">frozen regular size cheese-filled ravioli</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 1/2 cups</span> <span class="name">shredded mozzarella cheese</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">2 tablespoons</span> <span class="name">Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish</span> </li>
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">2 tablespoons</span> <span class="name">Chopped fresh parsley for garnish</span> </li>
</ul>
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Preparation method</h2>
Prep: <span class="bold"><span class="preptime"><span class="value-title" title="PT10M"></span><strong>10 mins</strong></span></span> | Cook: <span class="bold"><span class="cooktime"><span class="value-title" title="PT55M"></span><strong>55 mins</strong></span></span> </div>
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Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. </div>
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Stir sauce and water in large bowl. Spread 1 cup sauce mixture in baking dish. Top with 1/2 the ravioli, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup sauce mixture. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mixture. Cover baking dish. </div>
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Bake 35 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbling. Uncover baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. </div>
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Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley. </div>
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I used whatever pasta sauce I wanted. The prep on this seriously took me like 5 minutes! I found the best way to do the sauce since you mix it with water was I took a large (4 cup I believe) pyrex measuring cup and put the water in first and then mixed in the sauce. Then when it says to pour 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan it's super dooper easy to measure out!</div>
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I arranged the raviolis all nice and pretty :)</div>
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Then you just layer it like the recipe says.</div>
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Don't forget to put the foil on the pan! I had put it in the oven and then re-read the recipe and had to quick take it out and cover it. Then this is the yumminess that became dinner!</div>
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I then just made some quick garlic bread while this sat for 10 minutes. Now my hubby said it was just ok, he's not a fan of red pasta sauce so I'm assuming that's what the main problem was as I thought it was good. Nothing too exciting about it but it's tasty. We both had seconds! And it heated up nicely the next day for lunch!!</div>
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So all in all maybe not my best recipe so far but it was fast, easy and tasty!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-5865209099983855882011-09-02T19:25:00.000-05:002011-09-12T16:15:53.874-05:00Meal 2 - Shepherd's Pie<div style="text-align: center;">
So tonight I picked this <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/shepherds-pie/">Shepherd's Pie</a> recipe once again from the <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/">Once a Month Mom</a> website (I promise not EVERY recipe is from there! LOL) Super easy recipe, would've been even easier if I would've used instant potatoes but I love homemade mashed potatoes!</div>
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Here's all my ingredients and the recipe:</div>
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<h3>
<strong>Ingredients: </strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>1 pound ground beef, browned</li>
<li>1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of chicken or mushroom soup</li>
<li>12 ounces frozen corn (or other veggie of your choice)</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>0.5 teaspoon pepper</li>
<li>0.5 teaspoon garlic powder</li>
<li>0.5 teaspoon onion powder</li>
<li>2 cups <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/creamy-mashed-potatoes/">mashed potatoes</a></li>
<li>0.5-1 cup shredded cheese (optional)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
<strong>Directions:</strong></h3>
Mix browned meat with soup; season with salt, pepper, garlic power and onion powder–or other seasonings to taste. Layer meat mixture in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Top with veggies. Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions (if using instant). Spoon potatoes on top of veggies. Sprinkle potatoes with cheese (if using). Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and top of potatoes are slightly golden brown and cheese is bubbly.<strong><br /></strong><br />
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So I started out by browning my meat and boiling my potatoes. I used about 10 small to medium sized russet potatoes (which was wayyy more than enough) and peeled them and chopped them to boil. </div>
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I actually had used the pan to saute mushrooms first to throw in the freezer so it still had the mushroom juice left in it before I added the meat. YUM! hahaha</div>
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Then I mixed the browned meat with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and I decided to add in a small can of mushrooms cause we love them so much!! I put it in an ungreased 8x8 pan.</div>
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I then took the corn I cut off our corn on the cobs last night and froze and put it on there. I probably could've put more from another bag of corn but decided against it since we had the mushrooms.</div>
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Then my massive amount of mashed potatoes:</div>
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Then I just layered the potatoes on top and covered in cheddar cheese!! Threw it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.</div>
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And voila!</div>
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Yummy Yummy Yummy!</div>
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My husband pointed out that it's just like my tater tot hotdish (coming later in the month) which it actually is except with mashed potatoes instead of tots and mushrooms instead of green beans! LOL</div>
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But it was very tasty, I thought the garlic powder was kind of strong in taste but my hubby thought it was just right. So I guess just alter the seasonings to your taste. And I'm sure this would be tasty with any kind of vegetable(s) and with instant potatoes, it's pretty fail-proof!</div>
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We did have just a little handful left as we both ended up having seconds, but that will make a good lunch tomorrow!</div>
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Happy dinner everyone!</div>
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Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-62805154004319425562011-09-01T20:43:00.000-05:002011-09-12T16:15:30.999-05:00Meal 1 - Cheese Stuffed Chicken<div style="text-align: center;">
Alright well it is the first of the month which means my newest endeavor of actually cooking supper every (almost every!) night this month. I'm doing this to save money as we were spending around $250 every month on eating out!!! Wayyyyy too much, plus not healthy at all! So I went through cookbooks and websites to find recipes that sounded good. Then I assigned one to almost every day this month (I left 4 days without a recipe for times when we might eat out for something special or make a pizza or I'm not home to make dinner. Then I made my grocery list for the next 2 weeks of menus and went grocery shopping today. I only spent about $30 more than I usually do! So on to the meal!</div>
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Tonight I made <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/an-everyday-meals-with-lawrys-marinade-giveaway/">Cheese Stuffed Chicken</a> which I found on one of my absolute favorite websites. <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/">Once a Month Mom</a>. Which is freezer cooking (see my <a href="http://stitchinsally.blogspot.com/2011/06/freezer-cooking-day-1.html">earlier blog</a>). But they also have recipes on their website and this one I had bookmarked as soon as I had seen it. And boy am I glad I did! It was AMAZING!!!!</div>
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All you needed for this recipe was 5 total ingredients...and I only had to purchase one this shopping trip!</div>
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<strong>Ingredients: </strong></h3>
<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen and I marinated them while they thawed out)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
0.5 cups Lawry’s Seasoned Salt Marinade</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
8 ounces Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded (I had slices that I had to use up)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
0.5 cups ground french fried onion rings</div>
</li>
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<strong>Directions:</strong></h3>
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, basically fillet the breast so that you have to long flat pieces.** Marinate chicken breasts in Lawry’s Seasoned Salt Marinade for 30-90 minutes in a gallon sized zippered bag. Remove chicken and add shredded cheese. Roll chicken and secure with toothpicks. Place bread crumbs and ground french fried onion rings in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken back in the marinade, then place in the crumbs, coating the chicken evenly. Place the chicken on prepared pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 35 – 40 minutes or until done.<br />
**If you are limited on time you can simply cut a pocket in the chicken breasts and insert cheese instead of rolling.<strong> </strong><br />
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So like I said I used frozen chicken breasts and they are always so huge so I only used 2. They marinated in the sauce while they thawed out. I didn't measure the marinade, just poured in what looked good. Then I crushed up a handful of french fried onions and it just happened to measure out to 1/2 cup. Instead of cutting the chicken in half I pounded my chicken. I just left it in the ziploc bag and pounded it with a meat hammer. Since my chicken breasts were so large I then cut them lengthwise to make 4 smaller pieces. </div>
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I then laid the pieces of pepperjack cheese on each piece:</div>
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Then I rolled each one as best as I could, but I didn't have toothpicks so I just held them tight. I didn't need to re-dip them in the marinade as they were super wet. So then I just rolled them in the bread crumb/onion mixture. I could have easily halved the amount of bread crumbs, I ended up throwing a ton of it out.</div>
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Then I placed them all in a greased dish:</div>
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Then popped them in the 400 degree oven for 35 minutes.</div>
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While they were cooking I shucked and boiled some corn on the cob to eat as well:</div>
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I just threw the corn in a pot of boiling water with salt for 10 minutes. YUM!</div>
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Then the final product!!</div>
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And yes it was as tasty as it looks! Mmm I took the pieces with the burned cheese edges and I devoured em!! LOL My husband said the 1st meal was a success!</div>
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This recipe is definitely going in the recipe box. It was super easy and cheap and yummy! Technically the only item I bought was the french fried onions. I had chicken in the freezer, cheese in the fridge, breadcrumbs and marinade in the pantry. And the corn was even free as it was the "free item" at my husband's grocery store this week. So this meal virtually cost me nothing!! </div>
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I then cut the corn off of the remaining cobs and threw it in the freezer for tomorrow night's meal actually. Love it!!</div>
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This is actually turning out to be more fun than I thought it would be...can't wait for tomorrow!</div>
Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-27926287959409878712011-08-30T13:00:00.000-05:002011-08-30T13:00:12.999-05:00The Line-up<div style="text-align: center;">So I have spent the last week going through cookbooks, scouring the internet and asking other people to find some recipes for the month of September. I think I finally have the final line-up! This would be easier if we weren't such picky eaters. We don't really eat seafood so there's no fish dishes and my husband doesn't care for weird/healthy ingredients! LOL But it will be good for us to expand our horizons somewhat and I will get to try my hand at making a bunch of different things. I don't think I'm great at cooking but I can manage. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've yet to organize these recipes so that they make sense in a calendar view so I know what to get at the grocery store and stuff. I plan on making a spreadsheet with all the ingredients so I can kind of use similar ingredients during the same weeks. Thursday will be my shopping day! I'm actually kind of excited for this, I hope to stick to it, I found a lot of recipes that sound so yummy. I only picked out 26 recipes for the month because we may eat out a couple times yet and there's things like frozen pizza or some of the meals I made and froze when I was pregnant.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So here's the line-up in no particular order!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="12" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="width: 276px;"><tbody>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Baked Ziti</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">BBQ Beef Cups</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">BBQ Chicken Pizza</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Buffalo Chicken Calzones</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Cheese Stuffed Chicken</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Chicken Enchiladas</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Easy Chicken Pot Pie</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Fake 'Em Out Ravioli Lasagna</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Herb-Simmered Beef Stew</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Jalapeno Beef & Corn Bread Pie</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Jambalaya</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Lasagna Primavera</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Pumpkin Patch Stuffed Shells</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Shepherd's Pie</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Simple Salisbury Steak</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sloppy Joes</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Taco Pasta</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Tater Tot Hotdish</div></span></td></tr>
<tr><td height="0" valign="bottom"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">Unstuffed Pepper Bake</div></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-65303125829957704262011-08-25T21:55:00.000-05:002011-08-25T21:55:06.937-05:0030 Days of Dinner<div style="text-align: center;">So like many other people we are on a limited budget and we're trying to pay off credit card debt/student loans/mortgage. We have never been good at sticking to a budget....we've tried everything but we always veer off course and end up starting over again and again. We don't make enough money and we spend too much! So along with making yet another budget, trying to find little ways to make extra money and sticking to it all we are trying to cut back on eating out. This has ALWAYS been our downfall, ever since we started dating 8 years ago. Every week we would go to a local restaurant that had 2 for 1 burgers...go out to lunch a lot...go for desert after supper...and so much more! It became a terrible habit of ours and has been the hardest for us to break. I don't mind cooking and my husband loves to grill but for some reason we like to eat out as well. He grew up in a family where they went out to eat A LOT, and they still do. If we ever hang out with his mom or dad it is always going out to eat....unlike my parents who treated going out to eat like something special. My mom made a lot of homemade meals or we always just had simple things like sandwiches, soup, cereal, etc.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So to try and stick with it this time I figured I would make it a game and blog about it, I will share each recipe I use including where I got it from, pictures, and how we enjoyed it. I hope this will keep us accountable. I plan on using recipes of my own, recipes from online and recipes from my oodles and oodles of cookbooks I own. I figure we will have to spend a little more at the grocery store but it won't compare to what we spend eating out. Plus it will go way farther than eating out does. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So to be fair I went through our bank statements to see how much we did spend on eating out. This obviously doesn't include if we used cash but we usually use our debit card. This will include if either of us ate out for lunch or we went out to dinner or ordered in. Then I will compare September's statement at the end of the month and see the difference!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">June: $263.41</div><div style="text-align: center;">July: $204.03</div><div style="text-align: center;">August: $258.07 (so far)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">WOW!! We had absolutely no idea that's what we were spending every month. I'm assuming July was a little less because that's when I had my baby so we didn't go out much the first couple weeks. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So this motivates us even more....even if I spend $50 more at the grocery store we will still come out ahead! I will start the 1st of September which works out great cause my husband will get paid that day so it's my usual grocery day. So as I scour my recipes over the next week leave me a comment with your favorite cookbook or website you get your recipes from!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">See you all in a few days with my dinner plan for the month of September!!</div>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-23058481953513192772011-07-12T23:14:00.000-05:002011-07-12T23:14:12.771-05:00The Birth of Mr. Gabriel John<div style="text-align: center;">Sorry I have been absent from this blog for a while, turns out this baby wanted to see the world a little early! Here is my story.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Thursday, July 7, 2011</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had this day off and spent it running around doing errands, paying bills and ended up getting the last few things I needed for my hospital bag. I was ending the night with a board meeting for my roller derby team and it was a long, long meeting. I was pretty tired and uncomfortable during the whole thing and so we all joked that I would probably end up having the baby that night and we all went on our way. I went home and watched some TV with my husband until we went to bed. I had been having some small contractions here and there but they weren't painful or strong or regular so I didn't think anything of it. We decided to head to bed at about 11:00pm or so and as I laid there I was pretty uncomfortable and still having some small contractions. So I rolled over to watch the clock and thought I would start timing them....the last numbers I remembered seeing was 11:30pm before I dosed off. Then all the sudden at midnight my water broke!! I had no idea what to do and I woke my husband up and said "Oh my gosh, I think my water just broke!!" He jumped up in a daze and said "What? Are you serious?" LOL Well I stood up and sure enough a bunch of fluid came out and I looked at him and said "Yeah I'm serious!" So we kind of wandered through the house cleaning up some of it, packing bags, reassuring our dogs everything was fine and I called my doula to let her know. She said it's up to me when I want to go to the hospital and just to let her know. So I calmed down and started trying to time the contractions but they were just so fast and irregular but they were definitely getting stronger! So we headed to the hospital, which thankfully is only about 6 blocks away, and we were admitted by 1:00am.<br />
<br />
<strong>Friday, July 8, 2011</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">She checked me and I was already dilated to 4cm and 100% effaced. Wow we were gonna have a baby, and it was going to be soon!!! I think we both were in so much shock, but we didn't really have much time as my contractions were getting stronger and faster! By the time my doula arrived they were pretty strong. I sat on an exercise (stability) ball for most of the labor and it helped so much. It was just myself, my husband Derrick and my doula Jen in the room with me and it was perfect. The lights weren't bright and I was able to just do my own thing. Our attending nurse would stop in occasionally to see how I was doing and then would leave us alone which was really nice. The staff was absolutely amazing!! </div><div style="text-align: center;">By about 4:00am (approximately) she checked me again and I was at 7cm already. Contractions were hard and close together. I had a few moments where I didn't think I could do it but I would just power my way through and mind over matter I got through each and every one. I had studied the Bradley Method of childbirth during my pregnancy and it mostly focuses on slow, deep breathing and envisioning the baby moving down and your cervix opening up. I honestly believe it was these things that got me through (besides my wonderful family and friends) and that progressed me as fast as I did. </div><div style="text-align: center;">At some point I ended up on the bed on my side so she could monitor me and my baby and I was getting so close that I just finished laboring there, which wasn't easy but I think at that point it wouldn't have been easy in any position! We finally called our parents at about 5:00am to let them know and my doctor was called in. Wow, this was really happening. At that point all I could think of was that I wanted this baby out of me!! LOL I was definitely feeling the urge to push so my doctor checked me and I was almost at 10cm, but he wanted me to make it through a couple more contractions first which were seriously the hardest thing to do. When your body feels that urge to push it is so hard to tell it not to!! One of the many joys of doing everything naturally is you are able to listen and respond to your body, you have to just give in and let it do it's thing which is so hard!</div><div style="text-align: center;">The parents arrived and I told the mom's they could come in and watch....there were so many people in the room anyway that I didn't notice anyone!! At about 6:00 or so (I'm actually totally guessing at this number!) I started pushing which was honestly the worst part of the whole labor. It felt like it was taking forever but in all reality some women push for hours....I pushed for probably about a half hour. The turning point was when he was starting to crown and everyone said "Oh my gosh! Look at all that hair!!" Then I knew I was close. I will NEVER forget the feeling of him finally coming out. It honestly is surreal and indescribable. We didn't know the gender of our baby beforehand so I was waiting for someone to say something. Then at 6:30am I gave birth to this wonderful thing that had been growing inside of me! Little did I know he wasn't looking the greatest and everyone was preoccupied with trying to get him to respond. I said "What is it!!?" And almost in stereo I heard "IT'S A BOY!!" They did lay him on my chest but he didn't look very good and they took him right away to get fluid out of his lungs and assess him. It seriously was such an amazing moment, my husband was crying and excited and it was just all so special! They brought him over to me to say hi but then whisked him off to the NICU. He was very pale and I'm not gonna lie he didn't look that great, I was so scared but knew he was in good hands. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I got finished getting cleaned up and everything and I am proud to say I only tore a little bit that I didn't need stitches or an episiotomy. We then waited....and waited....and waited. We found out that the labor and delivery had went so quickly that it just took a toll on him and he was just kind of in shock from it all. He had to receive fluids through an IV, was hooked up to oxygen and had monitors on for his breathing and blood pressure. The first time I got to see him it was so hard. I just cried and cried. Here I was, I did everything naturally as possible and he still ends up hooked up to all these machines and medicines. It really did a number on me mentally and emotionally. I still hadn't held my baby and wasn't able to have him next to me. He had been with me for the last 9 months and now he was just ripped from me and I had to try and deal with that. That whole day was really rough for us. We were running on no sleep along with the emotion of having our baby about 2.5 weeks early and now he's fighting for his life. He thankfully responded to a lot of it very quickly showing he's a tough little man. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Saturday/Sunday, July 9 & 10, 2011</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">We ended up spending the weekend in the hospital. He was slowly weened off of the oxygen and held his levels on his own very well. Then they wanted to start breast feeding to see how he did with that. Just as any new mom and baby go through we had a tough go at first but quickly found a groove that worked. We did have AMAZING nurses in the NICU, many of whom were certified lactation consultants which was seriously a god send!! The last thing they were waiting on was his blood tests to make sure he came back with no infections, these also came back clean. Our little man was tough and making a comeback!! </div><div style="text-align: center;">Monday July 11th we were given the okay to take him home. It was seriously the best feeling in the entire world. I still have a hard time believing this cute little guy is ours to keep forever!! My husband and I have fallen completely head over heels for this little 6lb 14oz human being. We have been slowly trying to get into a routine with him but it definitely is a learning process and little Gabriel John is the one calling the shots!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So I know that was super long and if you made it through the whole thing I commend you! In some ways it went exactly how I had hoped/planned and in other ways it didn't. But that's life. We have this healthy, beautiful baby boy out of it and it has changed our lives forever. In a month my husband and I will have been together for 8 years and in about 3 months we'll be married for 3 years...it really is an honor to share this with someone that has been with me through thick and thin, someone I love so much it's hard to say with words how much I love and respect him. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Pregnancy and childbirth is truly something amazing that us as women are allowed to do in life. We need to take those moments and cherish them, I already miss how he felt in my belly even though I have him in person now. I was so eager for him to get here that I sometimes forgot to appreciate what my body was doing. AND it is soooo do-able naturally. Maybe I say that because my labor from start to finish was 6.5 hours long but it was hard and fast and by no means easy. But I did it, we as women are strong individuals and we need to embrace that!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I leave you with a picture of my bundle:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qguQANJvsH3m5WtTT1rajMkorM30rU96pBsPTkBKqHLDeJali2BOLkipX-Q4rTzrNKdLy9wZI85f5tozlWfbbNFH5b5uql5F8tw_zEvq7H-V6QaLyh-_Z6PDwPFwc5W5c7GrWx4ESdB_/s1600/281464_10150239443025911_510105910_7948166_1415657_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qguQANJvsH3m5WtTT1rajMkorM30rU96pBsPTkBKqHLDeJali2BOLkipX-Q4rTzrNKdLy9wZI85f5tozlWfbbNFH5b5uql5F8tw_zEvq7H-V6QaLyh-_Z6PDwPFwc5W5c7GrWx4ESdB_/s320/281464_10150239443025911_510105910_7948166_1415657_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">xoxo</div><div style="text-align: center;">SS</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-6305575081044712332011-07-02T10:31:00.000-05:002011-07-02T10:33:58.307-05:00The Last Stage of Pregnancy?<div align="center">So as I hit the final stretch of this pregnancy I have come across another emotion PARANOIA! I don't know if this happens to everyone or if I am just an exception but I am so paranoid lately. Being as this is my first time I'm sure the paranoia hits more and maybe the fact that I am a control freak and this is pretty much all out of my control at this point, but I may have also just lost my mind....</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Top Paranoia Thoughts:</span></u></div><ol><li><div align="center">We didn't have a baby shower before so we aren't prepared. (Silly I know!)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">Is that amniotic fluid or did I just pee my pants again? (This baby has a nice trampoline in there so that is most likely the answer!)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">I will never have enough cloth diapers. (In all reality I can just wash them and then I will have more, or if it is an emergency I can splurge for disposables....maybe!)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">Was that a contraction or just gas!? (My husband confirmed I was just super gassy last night...)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">If I forgot to take my prenatal pill every day will my baby turn out deformed?? (ummmm)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">Someone told me to get some depends for all the bleeding afterwards! (ummmmm!)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">I don't have any nursing bras yet....do I need em?</div></li>
<li><div align="center">Baby isn't as active as it used to be, is everything ok?? (Probably, there's just not much room in there anymore....right?!)</div></li>
<li><div align="center">What if I can't 'produce' enough milk? I will only formula feed as an absolute last resort.</div></li>
<li><div align="center">Will I be a good mother?!?? (I asked my husband this question and after many moments of silence he said yes....maybe not the most reassuring answer!)</div></li>
</ol><div align="center">I know a lot of these are so silly and people have said that it all works itself out after baby gets here but I can't help to feel all these crazy things!! I freaked out cause I didn't have one pair of baby socks and thought that might be the end of the world so I went and bought some....so now in the 80-90 degree weather when my baby is born, they will at least have warm feet LOL</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Please tell me I am just being a paranoid first mom!!?</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q2gG8NW94-sZQVq-RJtF1SgvfbtWBhJzdG5o2TuwIpMCjzEdBgGxkF9ad2OCiFaji7xnijkC2xHikXLmAWxNDELpJD2yc3B4CndquTfAHwyDbSqip0GXZjP9cLwjKrNuXXobm5m2-U4H/s1600/261627_10150225899925911_510105910_7796345_2533265_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q2gG8NW94-sZQVq-RJtF1SgvfbtWBhJzdG5o2TuwIpMCjzEdBgGxkF9ad2OCiFaji7xnijkC2xHikXLmAWxNDELpJD2yc3B4CndquTfAHwyDbSqip0GXZjP9cLwjKrNuXXobm5m2-U4H/s400/261627_10150225899925911_510105910_7796345_2533265_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">xoxo</div><div align="center">SS</div>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-36685332607548665142011-07-01T13:06:00.000-05:002011-07-01T13:06:52.775-05:00This Mama's Life: 100 Fan Celebration.<div style="text-align: center;">This Mama's Life has decided to have an an awesome giveaway of a bunch of fun products on her blog. One of my newest products from my "Button Bow Collection" will be in this giveaway! Super easy way to enter, just go to her blog (link below) and read through the directions! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the bows that are up for grabs:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawEYgIuPQUriqUHCv1ieEXxLkEU9nK3aAKghjL6oyBffpXMTV8xnw0c3zd3gR2HTS-oyCFrux2WHf-M69qWpPY7VQJtu1-kdZyAGaOfWGd07kX4sqsV-IgK-6eWLz35PEUuZk-toLg8Zw/s1600/100FanCelebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawEYgIuPQUriqUHCv1ieEXxLkEU9nK3aAKghjL6oyBffpXMTV8xnw0c3zd3gR2HTS-oyCFrux2WHf-M69qWpPY7VQJtu1-kdZyAGaOfWGd07kX4sqsV-IgK-6eWLz35PEUuZk-toLg8Zw/s320/100FanCelebration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The buttons are handmade from another amazing mama and then the bows themselves are crocheted by yours truly. Then they are fastened with an alligator clip by sewing AND hot glue. It's going to be so hard for me to part with these, I am so in love with them!! So if you would like to try your hand at winning these all you have to do is like me on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/stitchinsally">www.facebook.com/stitchinsally</a>) and then comment on the blog linked below!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good luck and feel free to share with your friends!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">xoxo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SS</div><br />
<a href="http://threelittlemonkeysinatree.blogspot.com/2011/06/100-fan-celebration.html?spref=bl">This Mama's Life: 100 Fan Celebration.</a>: "Ok due to the crazy Facebook giveaway rules, we will hold our celebration here on the blog! The pictures of items that are up for grabs are..."Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-2890833664405519922011-06-29T16:46:00.001-05:002011-06-29T16:48:27.283-05:00The Interchangeable Flower Collection<div style="text-align: center;">So I finally was able to get my interchangeable flower crochet hats up and posted on my <a href="http://www.stitchinsally.etsy.com/">Etsy</a> page.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">These are hats that range in sizes 0-3 months all the way to child (3-10 years) all have a button that is attached securely to the crocheted hat and then you choose which flowers you would like to get for your hat. I have two different sets you can choose from, the Basic Set which includes 1 hat and 2 flowers of your choice and the Ultimate Set which includes 1 hat and 7 flowers of your choice! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The sizes are approximate and you should measure your child's head:</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: center;">0-3 months -- 13" cir. 6" height</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">3-6 months -- 15" cir. 7" height</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">6-12 months -- 16" cir. 7" height</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">1-3 years (toddler) -- 17" cir. 7" height</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;">3-10 years (child) -- 19" cir. 8" height</div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;">Circumference is unstretched, they will stretch another inch or so. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So on to pictures and listings!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">All the hats in each size, going from smallest (top) to largest (bottom). Remember the computer may distort colors slightly. From top to bottom the colors are: light green, brown, ivory, black, and violet. The hats can be made in any of these colors OR any of the flower colors!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgcZnhnHZJMXhDfnzAT98H1eJFdzLqyqEOQiZ80W7w7bdkD8DBi3wHBVz_94hyphenhyphenj7x-30UsjCT2XE5fGu1HWyLbFtEOh4zgCQaqZbp5nDR7lEy-eoO-0sXRjbC_mMFeVsspJ0bNTJJChsO/s1600/All+Hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgcZnhnHZJMXhDfnzAT98H1eJFdzLqyqEOQiZ80W7w7bdkD8DBi3wHBVz_94hyphenhyphenj7x-30UsjCT2XE5fGu1HWyLbFtEOh4zgCQaqZbp5nDR7lEy-eoO-0sXRjbC_mMFeVsspJ0bNTJJChsO/s400/All+Hats.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are the current flower choices as well! I will be constantly updating these as I am always picking up new yarn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEify_RtYTZyKyelhde8grriZy3VN1eIN9782ZzkCHjjd9FofG2cfYgMLacR0bUJ1IyvxjNoaGQMA08fozWSgUxPQ1Tl24MB6U8K-_rNh3kc43SWTcdnWcVUjAtqgy1Z4-Bcy4KhFC2bVVt_/s1600/Flower+chart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEify_RtYTZyKyelhde8grriZy3VN1eIN9782ZzkCHjjd9FofG2cfYgMLacR0bUJ1IyvxjNoaGQMA08fozWSgUxPQ1Tl24MB6U8K-_rNh3kc43SWTcdnWcVUjAtqgy1Z4-Bcy4KhFC2bVVt_/s320/Flower+chart1.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQJ-a8rWeOKBVBmXkzCahhk5Km3HYOaOWenbH4PzAGXLEZh3M80mPPW8EBeiEoLgsGZIeqHihoSrflE5WFYjKz4ynbBNdrAPBh4q0aYMG8U-jh541NVqkId1nXEVe_sM2I7ppLgEcGlyb/s1600/Flower+chart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQJ-a8rWeOKBVBmXkzCahhk5Km3HYOaOWenbH4PzAGXLEZh3M80mPPW8EBeiEoLgsGZIeqHihoSrflE5WFYjKz4ynbBNdrAPBh4q0aYMG8U-jh541NVqkId1nXEVe_sM2I7ppLgEcGlyb/s320/Flower+chart2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GLF-Pi63nzKR2DFkxWpceKhQCYEBZiZI4Xi-1syzNaU4mTdvdH8NwKXNiMUw5PT6JS8Kfy0iKURZc78EMWaq9kKVH0a8CSC6MnnaXSFpbHeKybppHVSPbjAPH0fRHeW1q6w751Udy1rI/s1600/Flower+chart3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GLF-Pi63nzKR2DFkxWpceKhQCYEBZiZI4Xi-1syzNaU4mTdvdH8NwKXNiMUw5PT6JS8Kfy0iKURZc78EMWaq9kKVH0a8CSC6MnnaXSFpbHeKybppHVSPbjAPH0fRHeW1q6w751Udy1rI/s320/Flower+chart3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is the 0-3 month hat open just to show how the flower lays.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6-JtYmn5J0X_68k63PmNkejsLbh5HQ8kfYkyzzWPCfSTgFEfDME9Dw1QJI3UD8IOGbF1il4QoARPilSBhIt49k1EEpQ5BZeuoLM2Z0iNKas5q_CMQMR1IvFJnEPG-VXrCZOe10p_160i/s1600/0-3months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6-JtYmn5J0X_68k63PmNkejsLbh5HQ8kfYkyzzWPCfSTgFEfDME9Dw1QJI3UD8IOGbF1il4QoARPilSBhIt49k1EEpQ5BZeuoLM2Z0iNKas5q_CMQMR1IvFJnEPG-VXrCZOe10p_160i/s320/0-3months.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All hats and flowers are made from soft cotton and are made to order so you can customize them any way you want to!! If you are a fellow blogger and you would like to have one as a giveaway contest or review please contact me by clicking the 'Contact Me' button on the top of my blog and I would be happy to work out the details with you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now on to the listings on Etsy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>Basic Set - 1 hat/2 flowers ($15.00 + shipping)</u></div><ul><li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76891907/interchangeable-flower-hat-0-3-months?ref=v1_other_2">0-3 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75548778/interchangeable-flower-hat-3-6-months">3-6 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76893359/interchangeable-flower-hat-6-12-months?ref=v1_other_2">6-12 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76897958/interchangeable-flower-hat-1-3-years-old?ref=v1_other_2">1-3 years, toddler</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76902065/interchangeable-flower-hat-3-10-years?ref=v1_other_2">3-10 years, child</a></div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Ultimate Set - 1 hat/7 flowers ($20.00 + shipping)</u></div><ul><li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76892227/interchangeable-flower-hat-0-3-months?ref=v1_other_2">0-3 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75549300/interchangeable-flower-hat-3-6-months?ref=v1_other_1">3-6 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76899289/interchangeable-flower-hat-6-12-months?ref=v1_other_2">6-12 months</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76898524/interchangeable-flower-hat-1-3-years?ref=v1_other_2">1-3 years, toddler</a></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76902764/interchangeable-flower-hat-3-10-years">3-10 years, child</a></div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you for looking and let me know if you have any questions!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">xoxo</div><div style="text-align: center;">SS</div>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6679393089398708139.post-56843475247274794392011-06-27T12:36:00.001-05:002011-06-27T12:40:13.155-05:004th of July SALE!<div style="text-align: center;">The 4th is only a week away so I have marked down all my patriotic hair accessories so that they can be bought and sent out before the holiday gets here!! Check em out and let me know if you have any questions or comments! Thanks! (Click on the title or photo to go straight to the Etsy page)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76407624/sale-patriotic-crochet-hair-flower-red"><span style="font-size: large;">Red, White and Blue Flower</span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76407624/sale-patriotic-crochet-hair-flower-red"><img border="0" height="262px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-m_Nw721aScIW0SYOBfGwbHVTeoSI6y76GXm3-vRcDUEU5FBfHhJ8ULLGQaAVxpxQkgEVkdRLikbmYc6BSyrPAFhoRXLolNOMsBttdL9pFNjXatSD4rVTO1ZQ9UgKS_6huSoPN4y_X9C/s320/Flower2a.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76408563/sale-patriotic-crochet-headband-with-bow?ref=v1_other_1"><span style="font-size: large;">Headband with Bow</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_122059406" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_goY2pawQfD_2qoqlXIw2qtCkOgZ2_zo3wXkIGACpRqf1V6pUXuZfSqHxgV-VEWzk-uvMneyEnRx0vuMAtnZRYI0J1mAG1t-fJNh78XDoDJfXuL7V_GvndwgbHHV8Ldpi63wund8EemYk/s320/Headband3a.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76408563/sale-patriotic-crochet-headband-with-bow"><span style="font-size: large;">Patriotic Flower</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76448072/sale-red-white-and-blue-crochet-headband"><span style="font-size: large;">Simple Red, White & Blue Headband</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Sally Stitches (Amy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08707694940265235866noreply@blogger.com0