Anisette Liquor Icing

There are two types of cookies I love to make during the holidays and one is Anisette cookies! They do take a while to make due to freezing of the dough, but the best part about them can be added to any cookie recipe and that is the Anisette liquor icing!  This recipe may seem like it makes a lot of icing, but most of the icing falls off the cookies before it drys so you only end up really using half of the recipe.  We always had fun after the cookies were dry dipping our fingers in the leftover icing and sprinkles! I recommend making one batch of icing instead of doubling up the recipe if you make a double batch of cookies.  You can always make more icing later, or you can try to reuse the leftover icing that ran off the cookies if you put parchment paper under the cookie rack! 

Anisette Liquor Icing

* If sharing this recipe please link to this page

Ingredients: 
3/4 Cup of Powdered Sugar/Confectioners Sugar
2 Tbs Water
1 tsp Anisette Liquor

Mix all ingredients together until smooth (I like to use a whisk).  You can either spoon some icing onto each cookie, or to eliminate waste of icing you can also brush it onto each cookie with a pastry brush. Add sprinkles to cookie immediately after adding the icing and let dry.  The icing will dry almost clear.

*You can also add about 1tsp of the Anisette liquor to your cookie batter!

Enjoy!

Tonight we are making homemade applesauce!  I'm super excited! Perhaps I'll post that recipe next!

Crafting Update

I've done more crafting in the past few days now that school is over then I did all semester, and it feels so nice! Over the next few weeks I would love to focus on WIPs that really have been in the works for way too long, and its quite a lot!  I have a shawl on the needles, socks in progress, a crochet blanket with yarn literally everywhere, legwarmers on dpns, three cross stitch projects, a quilt that needs to be quilted, and another quilt in the works! And to add more fuel to the fire I just purchased two new quilt patterns by Johanna Masko from The Workroom (Donut Quilt and Modblocks).

I would love to finish up my Game of Thrones Socks and my Legwarmers by the time spring semester rolls around, but I would also like to continue to work on some other WIPS as well.  I have a few books I would like to read and my mother and I have been interested in trying a new craft, Putz House Making(under our tree we have a little cardboard stereotype).  All in due time!

Over the semester I did manage to finish reading The Fellowship of the Ring and I finished knitting an infinity scarf (just simple garter stitch).

Over the past few days I have been focusing on continuing making my Christmas Quilt from last year and on my Beauty and the Beast cross stitch.  I'm loving my cross stitch so far and I'm sure I will love it even more once I put the backstitching into it, but my quilt is a totally different story.  I am still a fairly new quilter and my piecing is looking very very bad.  Through this Christmas Quilt I have learned that I am a craft perfectionist.  I want to know that I did the best that I could on my quilt and right now the corners are not matching up, my measurements are off, I have even trimmed off spots to make everything fit and it is not sitting well with me.  So I think I need more practice before I move onto a quilt with this much piecing.  I'm very excited for my two new quilt patterns to come in the mail because I think they will be easy enough for me to practice on and I love looking through finished products on Instagram!  I have plans for a Christmas Donut quilt in place of the one I am working on as well as a Space Donut Quilt ( I found super awesome constellation backing fabric that I love)  In the meantime I think I will tink back and start ripping seams in my other quilt and cutting down fabric.  I can use the fabric for something else!

We are getting ready for Christmas over at our house!  I started baking some cookies and I am almost done with my Christmas shopping!  I hope everyone enjoys the holidays!

F.O Quilt Top

I feel like I have done nothing but sew this whole week, which is completely okay! I felt like this was the first week in a very long time where I was able to sit and put in the hours on something that I really wanted to work on.  I've had the squares for this quilt cut for a few months now (since about November) and I finally went out and got backing fabric and started sewing! 

Maybe it is because I haven't sewn in a while, or maybe it's because I used scrap fabrics that were not made of the same materials (some were 100% cotton, others were not) but throughout this project I did have a problem with some of the dimensions being a bit off when I tried piecing everything together.  I would really like to try to work on making my dimensions and cuts more precise.  I also would have liked the outer boarder to bit a bit wider, but I ran out of fabric.  This quilt is quite big already so I am okay with it being a bit smaller now.  

There are some duplicate fabric circles in the quilt and I wanted it to look a bit random so I just made sure that all of the duplicates were not directly next to each other.  In the end I really like how it came out!  Now I just have to pick some backing fabric and start quilting, but I think that will be on the back-burner for a while!  For now I will be just dreaming about the day when I can snuggle up and knit under this quilt!

I will be going to Otakon at the end of the month which is super exciting!  I went about two years ago with my friends and I had a great time!  I'm more into video games then anime but I still enjoyed going.  My favorite part of the weekend is seeing what crazy costumes people come up with!  As a crafter I am always amazed at what people can make! I really enjoy seeing the elaborate costumes and I always tell myself that I want to learn to sew garments.  I am working on a Final Fantasy costume for myself that I will be doing with my friend so I need to work on getting that done! I'm taking my time with it mainly because I have no idea what I'm doing.  However, she has been helping me when I have questions so hopefully it will turn out good! Two years ago we did a Sakizou costume which was really intense but luckily her mom helped us with a lot of it!  I would love to do one again one year when I learn more about sewing.

You can find my friend Deanna's Cosplay Page Here

Hope everyone has a good week!

-Jess

Sewing Central!

I've been super excited about my new sewing space!  This morning my dad and I put up my thread holder on the wall and I started sewing away!  I acquired two of my grandmother's sewing machines (one is in the sewing desk and the other on the floor) and I am super excited to learn how to use them, but for now I am using my mother's old sewing machine which I have always used and is the one that comes naturally to me.  So this little space is holding three sewing machines!  

I have a lamp from my Grandpa, a mason jar filled with buttons, an old vintage Disney tin which holds bobbins and a seam ripper, and my little Tokidoki Cactus Cat on the windowsill to keep me company! I wanted to keep the space simple and clean so I can have an easy time sewing.  I'm sure I will add things and change things in the future but for now it is perfect! 

I have been working on quite a few things this summer so far!  I've been wanting to make a cover for my tablet which is the patchwork with the little porcupine on it!  I have also been working on free quilt pattern I found on Pintrest (but for some reason failed to pin so I have no idea where it is) and I have been really enjoying it!  It is leaving me with tons of triangle scraps so I have been brainstorming some ideas that I can use them for.  I am thinking of doing some more scrap quilts with them or maybe try to do some patchwork bags or cup mats for my Etsy Shop.  I also would like to create some notion pouches and Nintendo DS cases for the shop, but these are all just a few ideas!  For now I am happy to have a permanent place where I can go and be creative and sew!  

Garden Update

One of the things I love about gardening, besides fresh food, is the wonderful ability to feel so connected to the Earth! I love digging in the dirt, seeing worms roam around, and watching the slow but steady progress of a plant beginning to form! The other day I saw the first of our little tiny tomatoes on one of the branches and I got so excited!

I am in no way an expert gardener.  I like to try new things and read blogs, books, and ask other gardeners questions.  There is always room to learn in gardening like what type of plants work with others and proper planting times. All of these things come with practice so I am learning as I go!

This year in the garden I planted lots of tomatoes (a family favorite) and they have been growing like crazy along with kale, spinach, basil, and a new to me plant- brussels sprouts! We have had a lot of rain in the past two weeks and it seemed like out of nowhere my little tiny sprouts got big and tall!  I also planted green bell peppers, but just like last year they are not doing too good (they are planted behind the kale in the photos).  Last year I did not get any peppers until late August and we only got about 4 or 5 of them.  If the same thing happens this year I am going to scrap peppers next year and try something new (like corn!!!).

Every morning I wake up, make my coffee, and go out into the garden to check on things.  For breakfast I have really been enjoying egg whites with spinach and kale!  I also mix in whatever else is in the fridge from the previous night like rice or potatoes!  Note to self- the best breakfasts are leftover potatoes and scrambled egg whites with sauteed peas and onions. Delicious!!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer mornings!

Lazy Saturday Mornings and Life Catch-Up

Spring and summer school sessions are officially over for me!  I have not had much time during the past few months to spend on crafting and on my overall "me-time" which is upsetting.  I use crafting as a stress reliever and spending time with my hobbies helps keep me sane! However, now that I am out of school I feel like I have all the time in the world to spend on long overdue W.I.Ps and to spend on completing my never ending To-Do list!

It is Saturday morning now and I forgot how nice it is to sit in bed with a cup of coffee surrounded by my crafts and books!  I am hoping to finish most of the knitting projects I started a while back beginning with the Rikke Hat and I also wanted to add some more squares to my Burrow Blanket.  I have also started the 1001 Book Challenge which has been super exciting so far!  Some of the books on the list I have already read but I do plan on reading them over.  So far this month I have finished A Journey to the Center of the Earth and I have started David Copperfield which I am really enjoying so far.  I am also hoping to read some finance books.  I got a new job which I love so far and I would like to try to be a bit more money savvy!  I have also been spending a lot of time with my friends who I have not seen for months because of school.  We have been going on some hiking trips and going out at night which has been really fun and relaxing!

Some things I plan on doing in my free time this summer are :

• Go to the gym more!  I have been trying to utilize my planner and I have been mapping out what days I will be going!  my goal is 12 times a month!  I am feeling more comfortable at the gym and I am actually starting to enjoy my time there!
• Finish a new quilt!  I have had most of the fabric cut for a while however the project has been on hold for a while!  I also have been designing a new quilt, however I would like to finish the one I started first!
• Create some new recipes! I plan on bringing my lunch and diner to work to save myself some money! You all know I love to cook so I would like to create some new recipes that are travel friendly and do not need to be heated up!
• Move out of my room! One of the reasons I have not been crafting as much is because I am in the process of moving into my brother's old room.  I have been cleaning, organizing and throwing out a lot of my items so all my crafting supplies are all over!  I am hoping that I will be able to create a nice little crafting corner in my new room to help inspire me and get me out of my little crafting shlump! I obtained my grandmother'd old sewing desk and I would love to sew my quilt on her old machine! Most of my crafting energy has been put into day dreaming about my new craft space, pinning organizational ideas on Pintrest, and picking out colors for my new space! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!

-Jessica

Roasted Granola

Summer means yummy ice cream, yogurt for breakfast and knitting outside!  One of my favorite toppings for yogurt and ice cream is homemade granola! Once you have ice cream with granola you can never have it with anything else again! Its so delicious!  My granola recipe is so simple, quick, healthy, and only uses a few ingredients. If you are allergic to nuts then you can simply take them out and add in raisins or dried cranberries after you roast the granola!

Homemade Roasted Granola

*If sharing this recipe please link to this page, thank you!

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats (Make sure you do not use quick oats!)

1/4 Cup Honey

1tsp Cinnamon 

1/4 Cup Almonds(chopped/crushed)

1/4 Cup Walnuts (chopped/crushed)

Mix all ingredients together.  It may seem like there is not enough honey at first but just keep mixing until everything is blended together. Spray baking sheet/sheet pan with nonstick spray and add the granola mixture to it.  Make sure you make an even layer of the granola or else they wont toast evenly.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Make sure every few minutes to mix around the granola so the outside edges of the pan do not get darker then the inside of the pan. 

Enjoy! 

School has been taking over my life so I have not had much time to craft.  The main project I have been working on have been these Game of Thrones Socks! The yarn is "When You Play The Game Of Thrones by Nomadic Yarns.  I adore this yarn! The colors are so vibrant, the yarn is so soft, and she even added in a color catching sheet in the package which is such a great little treat!  I will be buying more of her yarn in the future once I save up some money because it is a bit expensive.  I have been working on these socks only on Sunday night when Game of Thrones comes on so I have not made much progress, but that has been my only time to knit lately.  I also snagged two super cute progress markers from Sucre Sucre Miniatures and I adore them! I got a peach (of course!) and a carrot cake one and they make knitting so fun!  I am a very slow sock knitter so having these progress markers to help show me that I actually am making progress is super effective.  I want to buy all of her progress markers!

I am starting summer classes in a few days which will last about 3 weeks and I currently just started a new job which has been super exciting but I am hoping once I get settled down I will have some downtime and I can craft and knit more and enjoy my summer.  I have big summer crafting plans which includes another quilt (which I still never posted a photo of my other finished one) and a few larger knitting projects! I am hoping to blog more too and to add some more episodes to the podcast once I invest in a tablet. I think it will be easier to film and upload but we will see!

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone! I hope you all try the granola recipe and I hope you enjoy it!

-Jess

Early Morning Oatmeal

If I had to chose my favorite thing to eat for breakfast it would be steel cut oatmeal! In fact, I am eating it as I type this! Oatmeal is so versatile and oh so yummy! Some people get a bit turned off by steel cut oatmeal because of the long cooking time, however I have a few tricks to help make the time fly by when it is early in the morning!

Normally once I wake up I will go down into the kitchen and start boiling the water for my oatmeal.  I normally cook just enough for me so 1/4 cup dry oatmeal.  You can easily do the math to figure out how much water you need to boil, but for the brand I buy I use 3/4 C water to 1/4 C dry oatmeal.  Once the water boils I add in the oatmeal and let it cook while I get ready for my day.  By the time you are finished getting ready the oatmeal is done so no time is wasted! It helps to multitask! 

You can also cook a larger batch of steel cut oatmeal the night before and heat it up the next morning!  Simply take the amount of oatmeal you want out of the refrigerator, add in a tiny amount of water and fluff up the oatmeal with a fork.  You can microwave it until it is nice and hot! However, nothing beats fresh cooked oatmeal! 

Early Morning Steel Cut Oatmeal

*If sharing this recipe please link to this page, Thank You

Ingredients (Makes 1 serving): 

1/4 C crushed walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp honey

1/2 apple

1/4 C blueberries

1/4 C dry steel cut oatmeal

Optional: You can add in some ground flax seed if you would like as well as a pinch of cardamon.  Sometimes I add these in and other times I do not.

Cook the oatmeal according to the package. While oatmeal is cooking gather the rest of your ingredients.  Dice the apple.  When oatmeal is done cooking simply add in all ingredients and stir! 

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 440.5

Carbohydrates: 62.1g

Protein: 14.5g

Fat: 21.4g

A Few FO's

This week is spring break which meant a lot of knitting time for me!  I wanted to get all of the projects I started off the needles but I only was able to finish 2 projects.

1) First was my Baby Maddie Cardi I was knitting for my cousin's baby!  This was my first sweater and I really enjoyed knitting it!  I feel more confident about knitting a cardigan of my own now!  I found these super cute buttons at the craft store and I thought they would be perfect!  I think they look really cute!

2) The last project I finished was my Mittens.  These took me way longer then they should have, but in the end I am really happy with them! 

I am hoping to finish my pair of socks in the next few days.  I have one more stripe and then I can work on the ribbing of the second sock!  I made a super cute teapot progress keeper as well and I love it! 

National Homemade Soup Day- Simple Stock

Today is National Homemade Soup Day! Soup is my favorite food! It is so versatile, easy, quick, and cheap!  Just stick whatever you have leftover in the fridge into it and you are good to go!  However, all good soups need to start with a good stock or broth!  I never settle for store bought broth.  It is way too expensive and broth can easily be made at home for cheap by using leftovers and scraps.  Here are some of my favorite tricks for making the best homemade stock for your homemade soups.

• Always save veggie scraps! This includes carrot ends and peels, potato peels, onion skins and the root, celery ends, literally everything! Why waste all of these nutrients by throwing them into the trash? I like to save all of my scraps in ziplock bags and I store them in the freezer.  Whenever I am cooking, after rinsing off my veggies, I just stick the trimmings into the bag and when I am done pop the bag into the freezer. 
• Always save bones! Don't throw out your turkey carcass from Thanksgiving, instead freeze it!  Save some money by buying a whole chicken instead of just the chicken breasts.  You get more meat for cheaper and you can use the leftovers on the bone for stock as well.  Freeze all of the bones until you are ready to make stock. 
• Roast or sautee the veggie scraps. This is so important for getting the most flavor out of those scraps.  When your bag of veggie scraps is full either roast the scraps with some olive oil and seasoning or sautee the scraps in a stock pot before you add in the water. This brings out all of the flavor of the vegetables before you get started on the stock.  If you are roasting, when done add everything into a stock pot including all of the juice and then add in the water and boil.  You should roast them for about 20 minutes at about 325 degrees or sautee them until you can smell the onion peels. 
• When making meat stocks with any type of meat you simply strain the stock when it is done.  You will have the bones and veggies left over.  This is where you see the real bang for your buck.  You will see a lot of the meat falling off the bone.  It takes time, but you can easily pull off any extra meat and save it for when you make your soup later.  This happens with chicken, turkey, beef, anything! The rest (bones and veggies) you can throw out.  
• For veggie stocks after your stock is done (I like to boil my veggie stocks for about 30-45 minutes) you strain out the stock and all of the veggie scraps get discarded.  You are left with delicious stock.
• The circle of soup: When you make your soup with your homemade stock don't forget to save all of those scraps from the veggies you put into your soup! Sometimes when making hearty soups you will have enough scraps to make more stock! 

Why make homemade broth/stock? Besides the fact that it is super cheap, helps eliminate waste, and the fact that you know exactly what goes into it, broth also has many different health benefits.  Bone broth is very high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as many other different nutrients.  Veggie stocks also share similar characteristics.  Broth allows many of these vitamins and minerals to be easily absorbed by the body.  

Happy soup making! 

-Jess