How does your garden grow?

With garden season just around the corner, I thought I would get started a little bit.  In an effort to make my garden a littler prettier I decided to start some Hollyhock and Zinnias. 

Oh, and some lettuce too.  

For the most part, when if comes to garden veggies, I go to a local nursery and pick them up.

Here's what I had a couple days ago.

Now, look at these babies grow! Here's today!

My Embroidery Machine!

With all the sewing I have been doing, I started out by showing you my machine. 

Well, my machine is not just a sewing machine

 but also an embroidery machine. 

It's the Brother SE 350.

As I mentioned in my post about just the sewing machine portion of my machine, 

I bought it refurbished off eBay. And I love it!

To switch from sewing to embroidery all you do is switch the foot, and slide on the embroidery attachment. Super Easy.

When you put the embroidery attachment on the machine, the top LCD screen changes to the embroidery settings. Then you choose from there what you want.
 Plus you can buy a card and reader and download more designs too!

The reason I am sharing the embroidery portion with you today is because I used it in making my brown quilt.

Can you tell it's a wedding gift?

It's okay, the couple already got married a couple weeks back and have it!

French Onion and Leek Soup

So, I was given a Leek. And my first thought was, what the heck do I do with it?

What does it taste like?

So, after learning it is similar to an onion I decided to whip up some French Onion and Leek Soup.

Yum.

To make, all I did was put some Olive Oil in a pot, threw in some chopped garlic, chopped onions, and I chopped the leek up too and let it cook down on itself.

Once it's cooked down ( and it will take about 30-45 minutes) add lots of beef broth.  Let simmer for a bit and your done!

This was a hit at our Easter dinner, and I served it with some cheese on top. Yum.

Knitting: Shalom

A couple weeks back I invited you all to knit along with me! 

 Here's where I am at this week.  I made it past my goal of finishing up the ribbing...

and even made it past the arm holes and I am in the home stretch, the body!

I'm hoping in the next two weeks to be halfway down the body. 

I feel the stockinette stitch takes me the longest for some reason...

If your knitting along with me, leave a link! I would love to see your sweater!

Calling All Crafters: 4th Edition

Welcome to Calling All Crafters! 

A place where you can share your craftiness!

This week I am loving...




Suzys Artsy Craftsy Sitcom's
Popsicle Stick Bracelets

AND


Sillycyclones'
Mosaic Monograms
(Perfect project to do with kids!)


Want a button?

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(I have edited the code again for my button, 
if your still having trouble email me and I will send it to you that way!  
allthingsfee@gmail.com)

Here are the "rules":

I want YOU to stop on by, ans share what you are up to, cooking, cleaning, crafting, you name it!

If your not a follower, please become one, this let's me easily find and visit your blog too!

Tell your friends!

Come back next week to see if your great idea has been featured!

Happy Accident!

The other day I was working on a recipe that called for real butter ( which we rarely have in the house) and it needed to be soft, so impatient me said "oh just stick it in the microwave." 

Ugh. Bad idea. I got enough that was still soft and solid but then the rest was all liquid.

To not waste the butter, I put it in a silicone mold I had and wouldn't you know. It worked!
So, on Sunday we will have Bunny Butter with our rolls!

It reminded me of the rose butter mold my grandmother had oh so many years ago!

Have a happy and healthy Easter! 

See you all on Monday!

Salad Organized

It's that time of year again, where I start to eat salad by the mounds. The fresher produce is to die for.  I can't wait for my garden to be filling my fridge and pantry again!

In an effort to get it organized and easier to make a single salad, I have found that if I do all my chopping at once I have less waste in the end.

I found these great storage containers at my local grocery store ( they had a name brand version too) but they are sturdy!  And that made my day, since I am a dropper!

After a couple minutes I had everything chopped and ready to eat. Makes lunch, snack and dinner time a breeze less mess everyday!

And they store nicely in my fridge!

Crochet Class Lesson 4

Wanna granny? 

Well, that's what we are working on today. 

How to make a granny square.  

I edited a real granny square pattern by changing up some of the numbers to be less confusing!  

Need help with Starting and Single Crochet? Double Crochet? Working in the Round?

Here is my edited version of a granny square:

Round 1:

Ch 6, join with sl st.

Ch 2, then 2 dc. (first  bundle of dc's)

Ch 3, 3dc (creates the first "hole" and second bundle of dc's)

Ch 3, 3dc ( creates the second "hole" and third bundle of dc's)

Ch 3, 3dc (creates the third "hole" and fourth bundle of dc's)

Ch 3, sl st to join. ( in top of first dc you get to)

Sl st in next 2dc to get to "hole"

Round 2:

Ch 2, 2dc in first "hole"

Ch 3 and 3dc in first "hole" again.

Ch 3 (gets you to the second "hole")

3dc, Ch3, 3dc in second "hole"

Ch 3 (gets you to the third "hole")

3dc, Ch 3, 3dc in the third "hole"

Ch 3 (gets you to the fourth and final "hole")

3dc, Ch 3, 3dc in fourth "hole"

Ch 3 and sl st to join

**Now, you can either tie a knot and be done with the granny square and make a ton to create a blanket or you can keep going**

To keep going:  

Sl st in next 2dc to get to "hole"

Ch2, 2dc in first hole. Continue to Ch 3 and 3dc in first hole.

Ch 3 to get to next hole, 3dc in next hole.

Ch 3 to get to corner hole, 3dc, Ch 3, 3dc.

If you want to change colors your can, or if you want to continue with just one. The bigger it is the bigger the square.  Like this blanket.

Continue around. Here's a visual way to think of this pattern: If you are at a corner you need to 3dc, Ch 3, 3dc.  If you are in a square that is not a corner you just need to 3dc in the hole and Ch 3 to get to the next hole.

Decorative Easter Eggs!

Each year I meticulously or not meticulously blow out eggs to dye.  And that's all fine and good, but then you have to either throw them out, or hope they don't rot by next year.

So after my successful candy corn and conversation hearts, I said why not!

Using the same steps as the corn and hearts, you create your dough.

1 Cup Salt, 1 Cup Flour and 1/2 Cup water.

Then instead of free forming or cutting out my eggs, I used a mold I was given.

I just filled by hand until overflowing...

And trimmed with my bread knife...

And they are ready to go in the oven!

Place on your baking sheet and stick in your preheated oven 400 degrees ( that is now off) and leave in over night!

Paint and enjoy year after year!

Calling All Crafters: 3rd Edition

Welcome to Calling All Crafters! 

A place where you can share your craftiness!

Keep the great crafts coming!
This weeks I am sharing:

Last Minute Mel's
No Bake Lamb Cookies

AND:

An Evergrowing List's
Umbrella Wreath
(I forsee this wreath in my future for summer!)

Wow! I did not think it would be this tough to pick features! Keep the great crafts coming!

Want the Calling All Crafters button?



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(Please let me know if your still having issues with grabbing the button! I have been able to get it to work on my end...)
(If you click right where you need to start highlighting it works, but when you click the center it reacts as if its the button, 
anyone know how to help fix that? So I guess it half works.)

Here are the "rules":

 I want YOU to stop on by, and share what your up to, cooking, cleaning, crafting, you name it!

If your not a follower, please become one, this lets me easily find you and visit your blog!

Tell your friends!

Come back next week to see if your great idea was featured! 

Quilting Week 3: Oops.

So this week I wanted to show you how I would finish my top of my quilt. Well.  That isn't happening. Ugh.

Once I sewed the center circle onto my quilt, I had to remove 4 pieces of it. And that made the outside of my circle not right either.

So, here is how I fixed it!

Instead of piecing the quilt per directions, I went ahead and created an "applique". All I did was pull out the center circle, resew the four pieces back in and iron iron iron all the way around.

 Next I purchased a piece of fabric to be the top, and went to town... 

Sewing it down, slowly along the curve!

Next week I share the front and the binding! Can't wait!

Easy and Fast Sweet Potato Fries

So, this was made on a night where I ruined dinner. 

Bad. 

Like forgot to turn on the crock pot early enough to thaw my meal as it cooked. 

Oops. 

In a mad dash to find something substantial I found sweet potatoes in my pantry, and thought.. Mmmm. Hamburgers and Sweet Pototato Fries, yes Please. So I did a quick search, and found this easy and fast recipe.

They came out awesome! Some crunchy some not!