Rambling Thursday...Some Of This & Some Of That...Placemat Purse & Cinco De Mayo Recipes!!!

Placemat Purse

Fold placemat in half with the right sides together.

Stitch 1/2" from the edges on both sides of your bag. Backstitch at the top and the bottom to increase the durability - these are the areas that get a lot of wear and tear.
Make the bottom of your purse by pressing the seam down on the corner that you just sewed, forming a triangle. Sew across this triangle of fabric about 2" from the point.
Turn the bag right side out. For handles, you can use the purchased kind and simply follow the instructions enclosed with the handles. You can also purchase belting in a matching color and sew 2 pieces on, matching length and making sure to center the handles appropriately.
Want to add more of your own personality? Sew on old buttons, beads, or even pin your grandmother's brooch on the front of your new bag!


Instructions For Placemat Tote or Purse Using Two Placemats

Materials Needed:
2 placemats
2- 50" pieces of cotton webbing
fabric to get 2 pockets 9" by 8"
2- 18" long, 5/8" wide grosgrain for ties
Step 1:
Cut two pockets out of fabric 9" wide by 8" tall. If you are working with fabric scraps, you can adjust the pocket's height. You don't want to adjust the width as that will put your webbing straps too close together. Don't forget you could also piece your pocket.
Step 2:
Fold top of both pockets over 1/2" twice to finish top. Topstitch 3/8" below top to secure.
Step 3:
With right side of pocket facing the right side of the placemat and the pocket upside down, place pocket on placemat. Find center of the placemat (by folding in half) and align it with the center of the pocket. Stitch pocket along bottom to placemat. Repeat for other side.
Step 4:
Stitch webbing to placemat covering sides of pocket. Stitch both edges of the webbing up to the top of the placement. This forms your handles and covers the raw edges of your pocket. Use the ribs of the placemat as a guide to keep the webbing straight. Repeat for other side, ensuring the webbing lines up at the of the placemat.
Step 5:
With right sides together, sew placemats together at sides and bottom. Match the webbing at the top and adjust the placemat position if necessary. Use a 1/2" to 5/8" seam allowance and don't forget to backstitch (reverse) at the top- this is where the tote will get the most stress.
Step 6:
This forms the bottom of the purse. Take one side seam you just sewed and place it on top with the top of the bag toward you (the bag is shown upside down). Force the bag to flatten with the bottom of the side seam forming the top of the triangle. Stitch across the triangle as shown, 1 1/2" from the point of the triangle, which will make a 3" stitch. Again, make sure you backstitch. It's too difficult to open up the seam allowance, so just turn the seam allowance to one side or the other. Do the same on the other seam.
Step 7:
Turn bag right side out. Your bag is now basically finished except for the tie closure. Center the 5/8" between the straps on the inside of your bag. Fold under the raw edge and stitch. Do the same on the other side. Simply clip the grosgrain to length in a diagonal to prevent fraying..

Primitive Labels For Your Jars

You must check out blue*cupboard*primitives olde labels...They are awesome and make your jars look so prim...They can also be used on boxes and seed bags..

Here are two recipes to celebrate Cinco De Mayo

Black Bean, Zucchini & Tomato Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chunky salsa plus more for serving
1 cup drained black beans
1 zucchini - shredded on box grater
8 flour tortillas
2 cups mexican cheese
DIRECTIONS;
Combine salsa beans and zucchini. spread mixture over tortilla. top with cheese, cover with another tortilla
Heat pan over medium heat. brown on both sides (about 4-5 minutes per side).
Keep them warm in a 170 degree oven while you cook the rest.

Battered Fish Tacos with Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber

INGREDIENTS:
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons salt
12 ounces beer
3 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber, recipe follows
Directions
Fill a large pot with oil halfway up the pot. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Preheat grill.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Slowly whisk in beer until thick, but not runny. Dredge fish in remaining flour first, then dunk in the batter. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper-toweled lined plate.
Meanwhile, grill tortillas on grill.
Serve fish in tortillas topped with Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber.

Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber:
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 large red onion, medium dice
1 large Vidalia onion, medium dice
1 English cucumber, medium dice
1 habanero chile, seeds removed, minced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. Add onions and cucumber and continue to cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat, add chile, and transfer to a bowl. Let cool slightly then chill covered, for at least 1 hour.
Toss in the tomato and cilantro, 5 minutes before serving.

This & That Junk Drawer Wednesday Headache Pillow & Old Milk Carton Bird House Tutorial!!

No matter what is happening in your life, know that God is waiting for you with open arms!!!

The Headache Pillow

This is made from a really cute fleece scarf I found at a thrift store.

Materials Used:
fabric (I used this fleece scarf, which has 2 layers of fabric. You could use pretty much any kind of fabric that you want.)
scissors
stick pins
sewing machine or needle and thread
rice
dried lavender or lavender essential oil

Directions:

1. Cut a rectangle about 8"x6" (or whatever size you want). Since I had a double-layered scarf, I just cut the end off. It's about 4"x6", with three sides already sewn.

2. Pin the sides you will be sewing, right sides together (wrong sides out).

3. Sew by hand or by machine (I don't have a sewing machine, so mine is done by hand. Since it's so small, it doesn't take very long). Be sure to leave at least 1" open on the end to pour the rice in.
4. Flip inside out so the right sides are now facing out.

5. Mix about 1.5 cups of rice with a handful of dried lavender or a few drops of lavender essential oil. Pour rice into pouch. It helps to use a funnel.
6. Fold about 1/4" of the opening into the pouch to hide the edge (make sure it's flush with the outside edge of the pouch), pin, and sew up the opening.

And now you have the Headache Pillow. You can warm it up in the microwave, or put it in the fridge or freezer, depending on how you like it or need it. Place over your eyes when you have a headache. It's nice when you don't have a headache too.
You can make this bigger and use as a heating pad for cramps or body aches or just to warm up your bed on cold winter nights! I'd probably leave out the lavender though.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Squares

Mix together:
1-1pound box of confectioners sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 sticks butter or margarine, melted
1-17 or 18 ounce jar of peanut butter
Press onto the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
Melt together:
1 stick of butter or margarine
1-12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pour and spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter mixture in the baking pan. Refrigerate for a few hours and cut into squares.

Birds and the Bees - Make It

Where do baby birds come from? Your backyard, if you put together this DIY birdhouse, blueprint courtesy of craft-maven and stationer Art School Girl, Amy Rowan. Cardinals, sparrows, and robins are currently looking for places to crash, so instead of tossing your OJ or soy milk cartons (cardboard + paper = 41% of the city's waste), use 'em to build a bird crib. Here's how you do it.

Old Carton Birdhouse
2-3 hours

What You Need:
2 half-gal milk or juice cartons
About 4 yards masking tape
Craft knife (like an X-Acto)
Pencil
Ruler
Rag (yep, that old 'N Sync tee'll do)
Brown, nontoxic Prism paint (other earth tones optional)
Small paintbrush (optional)
Awl (or other hole-making tool like a protractor or upholstery needle)
4 inches string or twine

1. Rinse out the carton and let dry. Cover the outside of one carton entirely with masking tape, wrapping it horizontally so it looks like siding on a house.
2. Create an awning to keep the rain out: Using the craft knife, remove (and recycle) the top, triangular part of second carton along edge. On the remaining lidless piece, use pencil and ruler to mark a cut line 2.5 inches from the top, and cut horizontally around to remove (and recycle) the bottom piece. On this center piece, mark a diagonal line along two opposite sides and cut along line, creating a hollow wedge.
3. Using tape, affix the wedge to the front of your birdhouse (see photo) then cover the awning with tape to match the rest of the house.
4. Using the rag, rub brown paint into the tape to give it a weathered-wood look. (Brown's best for keeping pesky predators - like your cat - away.)
5. About 4 inches up from the bottom of the house, front and center, trace the carton's round cap (or a quarter) and carefully cut out a hole with the blade.
6. Using the awl, punch several holes in the bottom of the carton to keep any water from collecting there. Then poke a hole into the very top of the carton (where you would open it if it didn't have a cap) - be sure not to pierce the roof itself. Attach a 4-inch piece of twine and hang the house at least 6 feet from the ground on a sturdy branch.

Sixteen Weeks Down That Road Again-Pickle Recipe & Mother's Day Gift!!

Much better luck this week...Lost three pounds...I can live with this...Had to buy a new outfit today as my old clothes are falling off of me...Went down 2 sizes...Nice feeling, but still have a long way to go...I ask for God's help everyday and he is so good to me...Always there!

This Is The Best & Easiest Pickle Reicpe I Have Ever Made:

From my good friend Terri in Mississippi!
Good morning sunshine! Well, here is my recipe for my pickles. Let me tell u a few things before I give the recipe. I usually get the gallon jar of hamburger slices at Sam’s. I think they are around $3.74. Really cheap. I usually try to get around 4 jars as I want to make a few and might as well do it all at once. The secret to the pickles is to drain them well. When I first made them I learned a few things the hard way. One was draining them. If you don’t the juice will be thin and watery, they r still good, but not like I like. I pour a jar of pickles into a colander and every once in awhile, I shake it to release more juice. Then when I put them into the sterilized jars, until the syrup is done, I constantly turn the jars over and drain them to release the juice. I strive for the least amount of pickle juice. You will see what I mean when u make them. My recipe doesn’t call for peppercorns, but I put a lot in it(I get those at sam’s too), also the garlic, I put a lot of the chopped, as I love a lot of garlic in mine. I don’t use what it recommends. If I have a cinnamon stick, (and no u can’t use craft cinnamon lol lol). I use it, but mostly I use ground cinnamon. I just sprinkle some in the syrup before it cooks. You know what I put in some of mine too, I add slices of jalpenos. And I also have added sliced onions. I tried canned beets and was disappointed as they didn’t taste like I wanted. I think I didn’t drain them enough. You know I think dill pickles are very sour, where the kosher dills are milder. I might have to try the dill once to see how they do, sounds yummy. Also, something important, I have tried the whole pickles and sliced them, but they don’t turn out as good as the hamburger slices. You can try them if u want, but I don’t think you would be happy with the results. Ok, here is the recipe.

Terri’s to die for pickles

1 qt. Kosher dill hamburger slice pickles drained well
2 cloves garlic (I use the jar chopped garlic, and I use a couple tablespoons)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup white vinegar
12 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon (I use ground cinnamon, sprinkled till I get what I want, not much

Combine all but pickles, mixing well and bring to a boil. (I cook till it is like a thicker syrup, watch it run off the spoon). Cool (I don’t let it cool, I spoon right into the jars, running a knife around inside to get the air out of the jar) I have my jars ready with pickles in the jar already, draining them constantly. Process as you would with a water bath. Let jars sit for 5 days before eating, if u can wait that long, lol, I can’t wait. Enjoy!
Let me know when you make them and how they turned out. Hope you have a good day today. Take care.

A Mini Tutorial Just In Time For May Day And Mother's Day:

With May Day and Mother's Day both around the corner, these are a handy and inexpensive little gift.

Start with a 4 pack of bedding plants and try to get a good one, with lots of blooms on it.

Remove from the pots and soak the roots in water. (you can add root starter if you'd like)

Wrap the wet root ball in a paper napkin.

Wrap the wet napkin-ed roots in a piece of Saran Wrap, making sure you have it covered well, so it won't leak.

Select paper to tie up the plant in. Used pages torn from an old book!
You could use scrapbook paper, lace paper doilies, gift wrap, just about anything you'd like.

Chose a wide, ivory ribbon to tie around the plants. Raffia, rickrack, lots of things would work.

Five days later they were still in good shape to plant.
These bundles look so pretty and it is a nice presentation that takes little time or money. Its like a bouquet with a bonus, because they can be planted later and enjoyed for a long time!

Primitive Sugar Cones Tutorial & Chicken Recipes!

How To Make Primitive Sugar Cones Tutorial:
In the Early Colonies, sugar was a very valuable commodity, available to only the wealthiest families. When used, small bits of sugar would be snipped with sugar nippers, or carefully scraped from the cone by the Lady of the house. In order to make the best impression for guests, sugar cones were often brought to the table displayed on a pewter plate or on the family's best pottery.

There are many recipes and methods to create a sugar cone. Following is the EASIEST process to make a replica of a sugar cone for display. There is no cooking involved, so it is fast and easy to do and cleanup is a snap.
Equipment Needed
Mixing bowl
Your mold ~ this can be almost anything that has the shape you want. My favorite molds to use include a large beer glass and a tiny round pan to make the sugar cakes. You can also use old pudding molds, sugar molds (really?)... Small flat plate or pan
Your clean hands -the most important tool you have!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb of Sugar - You can use white, light brown or dark brown or some combination of the three.
Water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix sugar (or sugars) in bowl with your hands to insure that any lumps are removed.
Run your hands under the faucet and move immediately to your mixing bowl. Sprinkle the water from your hands into the bowl of sugar - do this a couple of times.
Using your hands, mix the drops of water through the sugar.
Firmly pack the barely moistened sugar into your mold. It is better to pack a small bit at a time rather than filling the entire mold immediately. This will insure that your sugar is solid in the mold.
Invert your mold over the flat plate or pan to release the molded sugar.
Set aside and allow to "dry" for 24-48 hours (depending on ambient temperature and humidity.) If you make more than one at a time, be sure that you thoroughly clean your "mold" between moldings.
WRAPPING:
Sugar cones were traditionally wrapped in blue paper. Frugal ladies are said to have once soaked said paper - using the resulting blue bath to dye textiles. I have also used white paper, but my favorite wrapping is dyed cheesecloth. Since you can easily leave a portion of the molded sugar visible, the resulting combination of textures is very pleasing visually.

Of course, the more you do it, the easier it will be, but that is all there is to it! Have fun

BRUCE'S POOR MAN'S CRAB CAKES

INGREDIENTS:
16-18 ounces canned chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as parsley and chives, chopped
2 tablespoons green onion tops, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
Pinch salt, optional
Pinch pepper
1/4 cup oil
DIRECTIONS:
Break the chicken up into very small bits. Squeeze all moisture out of meat. Mix all ingredients and shape in 4 patties. I put a sheet of wax paper on a small baking sheet then dropped the chicken mixture into piles. I used my hands to shape each pile into a patty. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry patties 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully, until golden brown on each side.

COCONUT CRUSTED CHICKEN PATTIES

INGREDIENTS:
12 1/2 ounce can mixed white and dark meat chicken, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 egg white
1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
Oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, break up the chicken with your fingers until it's finely shredded. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except coconut, until well blended. Divide into 4 equal portions on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Gently shape into patties with your hands. Mixture will be very soft. Put the coconut in a small shallow dish. Carefully set one chicken patty in the coconut and gently turn over to coat both sides; place back on wax paper. Repeat to coat all the patties. Chill at least 1 hour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry patties 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully, until golden brown on each side.

Makes 4 servings-Can be frozen

Memo: SFGTD Box
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God.
Today I will be handling ALL of your problems for you.
I do not need your help.
So, have a nice day.

P.S.
And, remember...If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself!
Kindly put it in the SFGTD
(Something For God To Do) box.
I will get to it in MY TIME.
All situations will be resolved,
but in My TIME, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it.
Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.
Should you decide to share this memo with a friend;
Thank you. You may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
Now, you have a nice day.

I love you,
♥
God

You Are Important-You Make A Difference!!!

I received this from a friend and thought you would enjoy it!

Who You Are Makes A Difference

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
Using a process developed by Helice Bridges of Del Mar, California, she called each student to the front of the class, one at a time.
First she told them how the student made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community.
She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony.
Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt.
Then he gave him two extra ribbons, and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said,"Well, sure."
The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said,
"Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius."
Then he put this blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes A Difference" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor.
As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
"My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me.
Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook.
He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to."
Who you are does make a difference & I wanted you to know that! I am passing the blue ribbon to you. Have an awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you today..

FishingMinnesota, HotSpotOutdoors & IceLeaders

This Internet Hot Spot started as a hobby.
Rick Paquin (my son) is an Internet developer and marketer with several years experience (old-timer by Internet standards). Outdoors Minnesota was his hobby site (He loves fishing and the people associated with the outdoors).
In January 1998 he decided his hobby had to pay for itself. So, he began marketing Fishing Minnesota with specialized skills and insider secrets.
In one year he improved from 8,000 visits a month to 123,000 plus.
FishingMinnesota.com is the number one midwest based outdoor site according to an independent Internet traffic audit group.
That's right, #1.
FishingMinnesota.com is also the #1 fishing site in the world. He has now cracked 1 million visitors in a month.
Not hits mind you but actual sessions or visits
This is for all you gals
to show your husbands and let them know that there are good things on the blogs for them...Look in the right column and click on the Fishing Minnesota Logo and it will take you there...Once you are there be sure to visit the HotSpotOutdoors.com
"We Have More Fun at The Leading Edge" & IceLeaders.com...

This is my son Rick, his wife Cheryl (she is from Australia) and their son Liam

These were taken at a field trial last weekend, where the dog Millie took 4Th place...It was her first field trial and all the other dogs had professional handlers and Millie just had a novice handler my son Rick...In the picture with Rick and Millie are my grandchildren Bronte, Annabelle and Liam...

Here is Liam, Annabelle & Bronte...

Rambling Thursday...Some Of This & Some Of That!!!

Water Bottle Carrier Tutorial

Grab two neckties and stitch them up...it'll work! Rarely has something so simple turned out so cool & usefull.
Materials:
2 neckties, same width and degree of taper (this is important!)
Ruler
Pins
Needle and thread
Sewing machine, optional

Line up the neckties in opposite directions, as shown. Measure 14 inches from the corner of one tie point to the corner of the other point. Mark with a pin.

Pin edges of ties together, overlapping each one slightly over the other about 1/8-1/4" total. *It is important that both ties are the same width and degree of taper for these 14 inches!* Use a wide zigzag to stitch down the center, or stitch by hand. Note: Many ties are cut on the bias, therefore the fabric may give when sewing the length of the tie. Be sure not to stretch as you sew.

Turn wrong side up and fold the ties back on themselves.

Line up the outside edges and pin. (If your ties are different widths or sewn woodgie, the sides will not line up!) Straight stitch the sides

Now all you need to do is decide how long you want the straps and tie the skinny ends. If you'd prefer a neater look, cut off the ends at the desired length and stitch together.

The ties were each about 3 1/4" wide at the widest point, making the sling just right to carry a water bottle. These are really easy to make and so much fun...

PORK CHOPS IN ORANGE SAUCE

Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops (6 ounces each)
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Domino® or C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water
Directions:
Combine paprika and pepper; rub over both sides of pork chops. In a large nonstick skillet, brown chops over medium heat.
Combine the orange juice, sugar, cloves and orange peel; pour over pork. Cover and simmer for 18-22 minutes or until meat juices run clear.
Remove chops and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine flour and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard cloves. Serve sauce over pork chops. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts
One serving:1 pork chop with 3 tablespoons sauce, Calories: 288, Fat:10 g,Fiber:0 g

SAUTEED BABY CARROT MEDLEY

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh baby carrots
2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
1 small yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 small sweet red pepper, julienned
1-1/2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a large skillet, saute carrots in oil for 1 minute. Add squash; saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the red pepper, peas and garlic; saute 1 minute more.
Add water. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, capers, salt and pepper. Yield: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts
One serving:2/3 cup Calories:71, Fat:4 g, Fiber:2 g

RADICCHIO, GRAPEFRUIT AND SPINACH SALAD

Ingredients
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
2 white grapefruits
1 10-ounce head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, pitted
Preparation
Combine vinegar and fennel seeds in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Cut all peel and white pith from grapefruits. Cut grapefruits between membranes to release segments. Stir segments into dressing. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Toss radicchio, spinach and olives in bowl. Add grapefruit segments and dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

SOAP BOTTLE APRON

By Debbie Colgrove
Are you looking for a quick project to spiff up a kitchen or a small house warming gift? Here's one that can be made to match any decor!
The pattern piece includes the hem line for the newer short dish liquid bottles.
Materials List:
Fabric
Narrow double fold bias tape to compliment your fabric
Thread
Sewing Machine
Optional: narrow lace, small buttons, assorted trims
Cutting Directions:
Place the indicated line on the pattern piece on to a straight grain fold of the fabric. Do not cut the fold.
The pattern piece has two hem lengths to allow for the newer, shorter dish liquid bottles and the taller bottles. Cut for the size bottle you will be covering.
Apply trim as desired to the apron front.
Zig Zag or finish the hem edges. Turn up to the wrong sides, a scant 1/4" (or roll the zig zag to the wrong side) and top stitch the hem.
If you are working with a quilted fabric as shown here, you may want to zig zag all of the edges, just to make them more condensed for working the hem and the bias tape later
Apply a length of double fold bias tape, approximately 2 3/4" long, to the neckline edge as shown in the photo.
Trim to match the edges of the apron
Top stitch approximately 10" of the bias tape on itself. Insert the under arm edge of the apron into the bias tape and top stitch. When you reach the end of the "arm hole" sew approximately 5" for the neckline and reinsert the other "arm hole" inside the bias tape, the same way you did the first one. At the end of the "arm hole", proceed to top stitch the bias tape, the same way as the other end, to create the apron ties.
Place the "neck line" over the top of the bottle and tie the apron strings around the bottle...Click on
DISH SOAP APRON PATTERN PIECE

to get the pattern piece.