Sunday, October 10, 2010

CANDY VAN

There's nothing better than to hear the "Ice Cream Van" drive around the neighborhood playing happy tunes on a hot afternoon.  Yep, you know what I'm talking about.

This afternoon as I was working on the computer, I heard the most happiest tune playing in the distance.  Sounded like the tune of  "It's A Small World" and the tune seemed to get closer and louder at the same time.  Then I heard all the excitement outside....."It's the Candy Van!",  "No, it's the Bubble Gum Van!",  "Not, it's the Ice Cream Van!"......We all ran out of the house and look at what we found waiting for all the neighborhood kids.....the cutest little brightest yellow "Candy/Bubble Gum/Ice Cream/Treat (and so on) Van" with every ice cream and sweet treat you can imagine:


Just in time to cool down during a hot Hawaiian afternoon.  Here are the yummy treats before they were gone:

Yummy rainbow snowcone

Layered pop ice cream sprinkles treat
 We all get excited whenever we hear the Ice Cream Van come around.  It's always a pleasant surprise as it shows up unexpected and always at the perfect time.  Apparently we are one of the lucky ones that the van comes thru our street.  Word got out about the van making its way around the neighborhood only to find out there were only a few that knows about it.

Thanks for coming!  Come back again!

Did the "Candy Van" visit your neighborhood lately?

Friday, October 8, 2010

RECIPE REVIEW - PESTO

This week is fall break for most schools in our area and so school kids are home and my refrigerator is working over time!  For lunch my daugher wanted to eat one of her favorite things, pesto....Yummy!  Told her I'd help her make it if she picked the basil and get the rest of the ingredients out....which brings me to today's post.....

This is a picture of a book my mom picked up at a recent garage sale and let me tell you, it contains lots of old-school homey comfort food!
 

Recipe Book Front Cover
 
Inside Front Cover and first page

My recipe library consists of about close to 200 cook books and believe me, every page of those books have been read and  many of them recipies tried and became our family favorite.    I remembered seeing a pesto recipe in this book and thought to put my other pesto recipes on the side and give this one a try.

PESTO SAUCE

Ingredients:  4 garlic cloves, 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup parmesean cheese and 1/2 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in a processor except the olive oil

It should look something like this.  With machine running, slowly, add oil through feed tube in a slow, steady stream until mixture is the consistency of thick mayonnaise.
This sauce can be stored in a refrigerator for several weeks.  It is good on soups, salads, pasta or french bread.
 
We tossed our sauce with 1 lb. al dente penne pasta then added some shredded smoked turkey just for the heck of it.

Served it on a romaine lettuce w/a few peices of baguettes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar...
Glad my daughter made the suggestion for pesto!  We all sat around our dining table dipping our little slices of bread and ate our lunch....Yep quality time at the table eating what we all helped to prepare is definitely priceless!

Recipe review, thumbs up!  How can you go wrong with fresh ingredients and great company...

What did you make for lunch?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

PRACTICAL BAG

Do you flickr?  Well, I do...it's a place where people showcase photos and there are a bunch of ever-so-talented people that share their pictures and creations in all areas that you can think of.  In one of my "groups", a rainforest catch all bag caught my interest as it is a rather large size and the simple style of it, well, I found it attractive.   Well, that's when my hunt for a copy cat rainforest bag started and found this cute PRACTICAL BAG pattern from Grand Revival  at Emerald City Fabrics on e-bay:
Pattern front

Practical Bag
Used some  left over fabric from another project.  It is another perfect project for the beginner sewer.  I always look for beginner/easy patterns as I consider myself an "advanced beginner" until I can master a few more things w/out struggles (i.e. zippers, etc.).  With just two pattern pieces and  only four fabric pieces total, this baby was cut and finished in record time.  However, there are two things I did outside of the instructions which was was fuse woven interfacing on the exterior fabric to support the weight that the bag will carry as well as add an interior pocket as I find myself in need of pockets in all of my bags.  LOVE this! I'm afraid to use it, I might dirty it (wink)!
Interior pocket of Grand Revival's Practical Bag

Grand Revival Practical Bag
Do you have a favorite PRACTICAL BAG of your own?

Friday, October 1, 2010

DAY BAG

Have you heard of Nicole Mallaieu?  Well, she's a talented bag designer out of Australia and I visit her blog, YOU SEW, girl! for valuable tips on constructing the perfect project.  In one of my flickr groups, I saw a bag made from one of her patterns and it was aboslutely simple and so chic.  Had to make one....(of course!)......Here it is, the DAY BAG made out of the last of my daughter's Japanese Fabric from her GIRLS TOP and BACK TO SCHOOL BAG projects. 

I went ahead and added a few "blings" from CREATIVE CRYSTALS randomly adhered them around the fabric to give it that extra "bling".

This was my first time making an interior zipper pocket and a zipper gusset on the top rather than a magnetic clasp. 


The directions were very easy to understand and this Day Bag is probably one of those practical bags we all should have.  I had fun with this, finished it in one afternoon.  My fear of zipper has lesson with this project.  Thank you Ms. Mallaieu for sharing your wonderful tips and making your wonderful patterns available! 

Ya think I can get away using this as a "night bag"?