Even more apron patterns...

Skully flames, oilcloth, leather, knitted, log cabin patchwork, you name it.

Gusset Skully/Flames Apron (they don't show skullys but specifically suggest them in the apron directions):

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_5275315,00.html
Log Cabin Patchwork Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_5275213,00.html

Knitted Strawberry Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_5495820,00.html

Vintage Dishtowel Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_5089794,00.html
Craft Paint Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_5208377,00.html
Vintage Style Apron (very easy)

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_natural_homemade/article/0,2025,DIY_13767_5527070_02,00.html
Plastic Shopping Bag Apron (this one’s on the far edge of crunchy crafty) ;-)

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_clothing/article/0,2025,DIY_13751_5404592,00.html

Oilcloth Utility Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_clothing/article/0,2025,DIY_13751_5404681,00.html

Leather Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_needle_arts/article/0,2025,DIY_13768_5162756,00.html
Scarf Apron

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_clothing/article/0,2025,DIY_13751_5208231,00.html

Staying overnight

Kiddo announced that they wanted to stay at our house all week. Okay with us...they are much more peaceful and easier to get along with when they do. A relative calm settles over the home. Very, very cautiously optimistic about the possibility of kiddo finally getting psychiatric care. I know, I know, don't go kickin' the dog. Lord, I thank you for this possibility...

Two more bits of apronage... :-)

http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/happy_homemaker/

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_sewing_other/article/0,,HGTV_3330_1369348,00.html

The first one is the "Hi Honey I'm Home" apron that you can use fat quarters for if you want.

The second one is a pillowcase apron.

I guess I'll have to try these out! :-)

Comfort food that is actually healthy...

Anyone else have a church cookbook? The Midwest is where I originally hail from, and there are lots and lots of greasy but yummy casseroles available there. My childhood church published a cookbook and I found a gem there...and altered it to some degree, of course. You can eat this without guilt! It is quite good...and you can, of course, chop your own veggies, but I made this as super easy as possible. Goes together very quickly.

Rice Casserole

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (I use 93/7 that I get on sale and pull out of the freezer later, or the lowfat ground turkey (not all is low fat, so check your label). Also, those soy crumbles or soy breakfast sausage would probably be just great.

1 bag (10-16 oz???) chopped onions, celery and peppers...I got mine from K-Roger...;-) --throw them in with the ground beef while it's browning.

1 small bag of precooked brown rice (or just cook up a couple cups)

1 large can (i.e. around 28 oz) tomatoes--I used the aseptic pack kind with the basil, oregano, and thyme in them because they were on super cheap closeout)

Mix all together. If you like more tomatoes, add them...

Add herbs and spices (I used an all purpose herb seasoning, and the healthy salt substitute stuff, and pepper).

Put in a dish you have sprayed with vegetable oil spray. A 2-3 qt casserole dish is good. Bake at 350 for an hour.

It sounds very basic, but it is quite yummy! Hubs enjoyed it a lot...and so did I.

Market...

Whoa, nobody there. The drought has really hurt the vendors and traffic as a result, and it continues to do so. I had a decent day though, largely because a few regular customers came and bought quite a bit. I'm grateful. It's also gratifying to get nice comments about my stuff...making and selling stuff is always kind of putting yourself "out there" so to speak so to get repeat biz is always encouraging.

Prayer list...

This morning I was waiting at the physician's office to have my stitches removed, the word "benign" ringing pleasantly in my ears. Before I was called in, the door to the examination rooms opened and someone who is dear to our family emerged. I said "hi there ________" before I even stopped to think. Then I saw that person's spouse (whom we do not know) behind them. The person acknowledged me, said "nice to see you", but in their ashen face and desire to leave the offices as soon as possible, I knew that the news couldn't have been good. The last time I had seen that person they had remarked that they would be having a routine screening test similar to mine soon, and apparently that news had been unsettling to say the least.

With all due respect for this person's privacy, if you happen to stumble upon this blog now and again, please pray for this person. I may not mention their name, but God knows it full well. Please pray for their entire family. To say that I know some of what they are going through now is an understatement. It's almost like living through it all again, in a way.

This week's potluck...

...has been cancelled.

With that in mind I will post the recipe kiddo (yep, kiddo!) cooked for us last night. You know the drill if you are a mom or play on on TV like I do, you end up doing about as much work helping them, but I am proud of them!

Kiddo got the hankering for chicken "with tomato sauce and cheese on it". Told them that this was "Chicken Parmiagiana" and we had all the materials needed if they wanted to cook it.

This was a variation from the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook...

You would usually use breaded chicken breasts, but kiddo just used plain ones to save carbs and fat. He put some leftover pizza sauce in a greased 9 x 13 pan, then partially layered the thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts in the pan, then put some parmesan cheese on it. Then he dumped some spaghetti sauce, basil, and garlic on the chicken breasts and topped with some leftover shredded romano.

Then we baked it at 350 degrees, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees. It could take you half an hour, or maybe longer. I'm guessing 45 min might be more like it if yours aren't thin cut but check it periodically with a meat thermometer and that way you won't be disappointed with raw or overcooked chicken...

Ours didn't quite look like this picture I borrowed off the net, we didn't mess with the parsley, although that would have been nice!

Bunches and bunches of apron tutorials...

http://mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Aprons

Now off to work for me, later gator! Tons of work to do today.

It's a challenging life

Today and yesterday have been quite a climb once again. Two different cars with day-filling problems, and a family situation (not hubs, kiddo or I) of grave concern. The spiritual weight lifting continues. Very exhausting. Market was a low turnout situation, sales weren't that great, but it did keep my mind off stuff for a little while, and I'm grateful for that.

I needed this

Our pal over at AKAPastorGuy posted this quote from the VeggieTales impresario (Phil Vischer) , and I am diggin' it big time as it suits our life to a T:

"If God gives you a dream, and the dream comes to life and God shows up in it, and then the dream dies, it may be that God wants to see what is more important to you - the dream or him. And once he's seen that, you may get your dream back. Or you may not, and you may live the rest of your life without it. But that will be okay, because you'll have God."

http://www.akapastorguy.blogspot.com/

Don't stay away from joy...

Enjoy the stuff you CAN enjoy and don't stay away from joy just because you can't understand some--many--of the things going on in your life. Be thankful and grateful for what you can be thankful and grateful for.

Thanks, David Jeremiah...I needed to remember that.

A couple good things: my hubby and kiddo. Also pleased that kiddo self-advocated about a class change they wanted to make, and sounds like probably successfully so...a positive development. Kiddo worked out a schedule change because they wanted to be in a more challenging class. Gotta love that...

Craftiness right under my nose

The fabulous Mason Dixon Knitting has an outpost here in Nashville, but I had no idea that they actually had a knitting group that gets together at the public library. I do not have time for this, but hope to go soon as they do awesome stuff and do things that people of all skill levels can tackle.

I must do this. This would be good and therapeutic for me. Okay, it's a goal and I'm gonna work on that. This would be a very good thing for me. Maybe if I keep saying that I will get the message. I'm kind of slow on this kind of thing.

If you like cool knitting patterns go see their site (listed on my sidebar) or get their book. It's super nifty.