Foodie Friday

Can you believe that I'm actually posting on Foodie Friday about food and that I have a recipe to share? I suck, I know, I just don't have a lot in my repertoire. At any rate, I bought two cartons of blueberries on sale at my grocery store the other day. I like them fresh but Geof doesn't. I decided to make a blueberry cheesecake, a sweet compromise. It's actually in the oven as we speak...er I mean as I type. I found the recipe online and it was super easy...I'll have to let you know later if it tasted any good. Now, on to the recipe!

Blueberry Cheesecake
12 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 graham cracker pie crust

Blueberry Topping
4 c. blueberries
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 tbsp. cornstarch (+ 2 tbsp. water)
1 tbsp. lemon juice

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and sugar well. Turn into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Blueberry topping: Combine blueberries with sugar and water. bring to a boil. Soften cornstarch in 2 tbsp. water. Slowly add paste to berries. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice. Spoon warm glaze over cooked cheesecake. Refrigerate.

..About an hour later..
I still haven't tasted it, but I did add a couple pictures. Another thing, I have probably a little over a cup of the blueberry topping left over. I used 9 inch store bought pie crust, maybe the 10 inch would have been a better option. I'll keep the leftover topping, I'm sure it will be good on biscuits, ice cream, etc.

Curtains!

So I want to make curtains for my bathroom now. What is it with this latest curtain-making obsession? Anyhoo, I started sewing using some fabric I had on hand, but ended up not really liking them all that well. I originally had planned on crocheting curtains for my kitchen and bathroom but could never find a great pattern. That is until I opened my email inbox the other morning and found this beauty...
The sad part is that it is knitted and my knitting skills aren't quite ready to tackle something like that just yet. I'm still in the dish cloth phase! Anyone interested can download the pattern from Knit Picks.

I was looking for some patterns this afternoon for some decorative crochet edgings. I want to put some along the edge of the shelves in my hutch that's in the kitchen. I moved the top part back into the house today. It was in the shed for a while...well, since the last time I was in full on "nesting mode"...I told you I had a problem! At any rate, this is the only set of patterns that I liked, particularly the one pictured on the top in yellow. Perhaps the pattern could be modified to create the same look as the knitted curtain? The real question is if I have the patience to do that. We'll see but I'm not going to hold my breath!

Show and Tell

I think I've been stung by the sewing bee. I finished sewing a table runner and new curtains for the kitchen a couple days ago. I've been waiting for a nice sunny day so I could take pictures but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. Instead here are some crappy pictures for you! I think you'll get the gist at least.

First up, here's the table runner I made to go on top of Geof's toy storage thingy.

Top row (l-r): Corner detail without flash, "Action" pose with flash,
Bottom row (l-r):"Action" pose without flash, Detail in fabric leftovers


And now for the curtains..

Top row (l-r): Curtains above kitchen sink and most accurate representation of fabric color, Same curtains without flash
Bottom row (l-r): Back wall of kitchen and a sleeping cat, Fabric swatches and two birdies who really serve no purpose but look cute.



Here's the layout of my kitchen with the new curtains. I'm no seamstress so they're nothing fancy. I like the views from the windows so I didn't want to cover them too much. I am pleased with the results anyway. I've been nesting lately and needed the change. The curtains that were up before were made from the same fabric as the lining from the Chic on the Halfshell purse.

A change will do you good

Change is good. The last few weeks have found me in a nesting sort of mood. No, I'm not expecting a visit from the stork...I think it's just a delayed urge to Spring Clean. On my mental list of things to do is to sew some new curtains for my kitchen. I'm a little less than half way finished and I've also started a runner for a hand-me-down storage unit for vinyl albums which currently serves as Geof's toy storage. I hope mentioning my current projects has jinxed me...which tends to happen. Remember the Seafoam vest? Updates and pictures to follow soon...hopefully!

Need a good laugh?

I've started another blog centered around me trying to lose weight...which is a lot harder and a whole lot more humbling than I expected. Here's the link if you're interested.