Sunday, June 7, 2009

The "Oldmops" apron

This looks a little contrived--doesn't it?? Since I don't like to take pictures of myself and nobody lives here to model it for me --except my husband:) I try to find interesting ways to photograph what I have made, but I realize photography is not my "gift".
--This is an apron I sort of "made up" using an old vintage apron I had as a pattern--I have made maybe a dozen or more over the past few years--just laying the apron on fabric and cutting around the parts. But I finally made a pattern and wrote directions for some apron kits we are selling at the quilt shop where I work part-time--The Dusty Attic in Fruitland, MD.
Boy--writing directions is HARD and a well-written pattern is worth the money it costs! Those people who write them deserve every penny!

Life is very busy this month so there won't be too many posts, but check back now and again--I may do a give-away of some "stuff" as soon as I decide what would be good to give.


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Apron Giveaway at "Becoming a Homemaker"

If you haven't clicked on "Becoming a Homemaker" over on the side--you should--a very nice place to visit.
And she is doing an Apron Give-Away--so go check it out!! http://becomingahomemaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/apron-give-away.html
becomingahomemaker

Strawberry Pie Recipe

Here is the pie recipe--from Betty Crocker in the 70's--with a little tweaking by ME!

If you don't buy ready crust:)
PIE CRUST
preheat oven 475 F

for 8 or 9 inch 2 crust pie (or 2 pie shells)
2/3 Cup plus 2 TBS Shortening
2 Cups all purpose Flour
1 tsp. Salt
4 to 5 TBS COLD water

1. Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas. (Never knew what THAT means--but I do cut shortening in thoroughly till no powdery flour left in mix. you "cut" with a pastry cutter)
2. Sprinkle in water and gently toss around with a fork until all flour is moist and dough just about cleans sides of bowl.
3. Gather pastry into a ball--take half and roll out into circle to fit pie plate--Over rolling or too much handling makes crust tough.
4. Lay in pie plate and turn under top edge and crimp. Thoroughly poke holes with fork on bottom and sides (If you have pie weights and know all those tricks--you don't need this recipe anyway--you know what you are doing!) now roll another one--you might as well make two at one time--save it for later:)
5. Bake at 475 about 8-10 minutes until light brown. Cool.

Strawberry Pie filling. FOR 1 PIE 8 or 9 inch
at least 6 cups of rinsed and hulled strawberries( about 1 and 1/2 quarts)
3/4 C. sugar (or 1 cup if berries not too sweet)
3 TBS cornstarch
1/2C. water
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened--optional

1. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a 2 qt sauce pan. Very gradually add the water--to avoid "lumps"
2. Mash enough strawberries to measure about 1 cup. or a little over that.
3. Stir strawberries into sugar mix in saucepan.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly(I don't and sometimes it turns out and sometimes I get LUMPS) until mixture thickens and boils.(Goes from cloudy red to clear)
Boil and stir for 1 minute.
5. Cool--doesn't have to be COLD--just not piping hot--warm is okay!

6.OPTIONAL Beat Cream Cheese till smooth--I add a couple TBS sugar to it
Spread on bottom of cooled pie crust.

7. pat dry a bit the remaining strawberries and fill the pie shell with them.
8. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over the top.
8. Refrigerate for 3 hours--top with whipped cream if desired.



Monday, June 1, 2009

And the Winner is......

zees5!!!
Thank you Thank you--All of you who entered my first Give-Away.
I hope to have another give-away in the near future and by the end of summer I hope to have a shop organized over at Etsy. I am not too computer savvy so these things take a while and I'm making the cake for my son's July wedding (I have to practice recipes first--they want chocolate and peanut butter --for 300!),
Life just gets full and busy!
I tried to visit anyone who commented. That was a blast. I am in awe of the creativity.

I have to be careful not to spend so much time getting inspired that I have no time to sew! Does anyone else have that problem? I call it Vicarious Creativity!
O--I was asked for the strawberry pie recipe--I'll try to get that posted soon, but it basically came from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook with just a little tweaking! It really is good.