Joyful Abode

Mrs. Dragon tagged me a while ago, and I’m supposed to give you 7 facts about myself.

So here we go:

The Rules
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

My Tagger

My tagger was Mrs. Dragon, who makes some pretty nifty cards with flowers on them!

My Answers

1.  While I am a huge proponent of decluttering and I’m firmly an anti-clutter person, I am addicted to office supplies! When the guy and I moved in together, he had a shoe box of office supplies, and I had a big Rubbermaid bin full. That’s not including the dozens of empty binders and brand new folders (hey, I’m a teacher). I downsized a little, and consolidated our things, but we still have a LOT of office supplies.

2.  Speaking of my downfalls… I can organize almost anything, but I cannot keep my paper stuff under control. I have piles of papers in various stages of action… and I thought I had it contained, but now I know I’ve lost it again.

3.  For a long, long time, I was afraid of cooking meat. I never knew if it was done, and I’d worry about overcooking it in fear of leaving it too raw (chicken, pork especially). After 2 months of being married and cooking for a man, I’ve lost that fear. I can cook anything!

4. I did not really start cooking and baking until college. I could make basic stuff, and deal with a lot of pasta, but baked goods weren’t my thing. This is mostly because my little sister was “The Chef in the Family” and doesn’t share the kitchen very well. So if WE wanted to bake cookies, SHE baked them and maybe let me stir the dough like a little kid. But dang… those are some fiiiine cookies.

5. Autumn is my favorite season, and this is evident in my color choices for many things (mmm…pumpkin, sage, goldeny, salmon). I also love Autumnal flavors like chai, pumpkin, and gingerbread year-round. But I do enjoy hot summer days on the beach. Pensacola’s good for that.

6. As much as I love writing in Joyful Abode, I can’t stand paper-and-pen writing. I also never liked writing papers for school, cover letters for job applications, or any other “official” writing. It was such a pain… I’m not a slow thinker (haha) or typist, but a 1-page paper could easily take me an hour or longer to write.

7. I’m living proof that you can get a guy by semi-stalking him. Maybe I learned that from my oldest sister… hmm… She’s living proof too. And we’ve got some great guys. Ever wonder why the good ones got snatched up so quickly? Stalkers.

I Choose… (and if you haven’t visited these, DO… they’re fantastic)
1. Love and Olive Oil
2. Not Martha
3. Pink of Perfection
4. Montessori by Hand
5. CraftLog
6. SouleMama
7. Make Your Own Damn Dinner!

YAY! It has arrived!

And even though she posted a spoiler post, I didn’t look. I resisted the temptation. And it was all a surprise EXCEPT for the photo album, which she accidentally revealed in a more recent post.

Anyhow… I had SO much fun opening it and touching all of the contents. The guy made fun of me because I was quite literally squealing at the goodies. My very favorites are the place mats and the handmade cards. Love love love them.

I may take Earl to work (preschool) with me, so he can be the new class pet. Even though pandas aren’t bears, I could call him a bear and it would go with “B” week (which is this week).

Thank you so much Jennifreckles!!!

Meet Rosaria. She is in perfect condition. Pink flowers adorn the apron, ties, and pockets, while a parade of flower carts march across the hem. With a design like this, Rosaria is sure to make any day sunnier.

Could this fabric get any cuter?

Hop on over to Joyful Abode @ Etsy to check out my other aprons, too!

Last week, we had this delicious summery meal. We decided that the crab salad is so beautiful and quick that it would be perfect for a party someday. We could serve it up with some of those tiny toasts, or crackers. Or get big lettuce leaves and wrap some of the salad in each leaf, securing with a toothpick.

The crab salad is made with imitation crab, but can be made with the real stuff too, of course! It has bacon in it, so I used the bacon grease in the bottom of my cornbread pan. You pour it into the bottom of the pan and then add your batter while it’s still hot. So delicious! (That black stuff isn’t burned… it’s bacon remnants. Mmm…)

And now for the recipes…Yum!

Crab Salad

You Will Need:

• bacon - 10 slices or whatever you’ve got
• 1 pound of imitation crab meat, or real crab if you’re splurging
• a couple cups of frozen green peas
• 2/3 cups of mayonnaise, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of honey

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until evenly brown and crisp. Set aside on paper towels to drain. Use the grease in your cornbread!

In a large bowl, flake the imitation crab meat. I used my hands, because that was easier than trying to use a fork. Mix in the peas.

Stir onion powder and honey into the mayonnaise, then mix into the crab mixture until blended.

Crumble or chop your bacon and add it to the crab mixture. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled over a bed of lettuce.

Honey Cornbread

You Will Need:

• bacon grease
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Dump your (still hot) bacon grease into a 9×9 inch glass baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, oil, honey, and eggs. Stir to combine. It can be a little lumpy.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Shelly Scarf
This scarf is a companion to The Professional Hat.

Materials:

• About 200-250 yds worsted weight yarn
• Size K/10 1/2 hook (6.5 mm)
• yarn needle (optional for weaving in ends)

Gauge:
13 sts = 4”
Notes:

Shell: 5 dc all in same stitch

To Begin

Ch 19.

Row 1: 4 dc in 4th ch from hook, sk 4 chs, *shell in next ch, sk 4 chs; rep from * to last ch, 3 dc in last ch, turn.

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 4 dc in first dc, work shell in 3rd dc of each shell across to last shell, 3 dc in 3rd dc of last shell, turn.

Rows 3-68: Repeat Row 2. Add or subtract rows to make the scarf longer or shorter.

Finish off.

Tassels: Cut 60 equal-length pieces of yarn. Separate into 10 6-piece bunches. Attach 5 bunches, evenly spaced, to each end of scarf.

If you use this pattern to make a Shelly Scarf, please post a link to your blog entry or your photo in the comments. I’d love to see it!

Contact me if you’re interested in using my patterns to create items to sell to raise money for charities. You may not sell items made from these patterns (even if you change them slightly) without my permission or for personal profit. Please refrain from republishing my patterns to other websites (including blogs), but feel free to link to this website!

Click here for my other patterns.

The Professional Hat

This cap is based on the red cap from the movie “The Professional”. However, I have changed my original pattern a bit (added a row of shells) in order to make it longer. To obtain a more movie-consistent cap, omit one row of shells. In order to make the hat more like a beanie in length, add two rows of shells.

This hat is a companion to the Shelly Scarf.

Materials:

• About 150 yds worsted weight yarn
• Size K/10.5 hook (6.5 mm)
• Yarn needle

Finished Size:
To fit 20-21” or an average adult woman
Gauge:
13 sc and 14 rows = 4” (10 cm)

To Begin

Ch 4, sl st in first ch to join (note: you can also start with a magic ring).

Round 1: Ch 1, 6 sc into ring, sl st in first sc to join - 6 sc.

Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around, sl st in first sc to join - 12 sc.

Round 3: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in next st; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 18 sc.

Round 4: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 2 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 24 sc.

Round 5: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 3 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 30 sc.

Round 6: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 4 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 36 sc.

Round 7: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 5 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 42 sc.

Round 8: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 6 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 48 sc.

Round 9: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 7 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 54 sc.

Round 10: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st. sc in each of next 8 sts; rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join - 60 sc.

Now you should have a hexagon measuring about 6” across. If your hexagon is too big, unravel a row or two. If it’s a little bit too small, add a row or two. If it’s way too small, then start over with a bigger hook and concentrate on keeping your tension looser.

Round 11: Ch 3, dc in same st, *sk 2 sts, 3 dc in next st (1 shell made); rep from * around, ending sk last 2 sts, dc in first st of rnd, sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-3 to join – 20 shells.

Rounds 12-13: Ch 3, dc in same st. *sk 2 sts, 3 dc in center dc of next shell; rep from * around, ending with dc in first st of rnd, sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-3 to join.

Rounds 14-16: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st in first sc to join – 60 sc.

Finish off. Weave in ends.

If you use this pattern to make a Professional Hat, please post a link to your blog entry or your photo in the comments. I’d love to see it!

Contact me if you’re interested in using my patterns to create items to sell to raise money for charities. You may not sell items made from these patterns (even if you change them slightly) without my permission or for personal profit. Please refrain from republishing my patterns to other websites (including blogs), but feel free to link to this website!

Click here for my other patterns.

Meet Petunia. She’s adorable. Her flower pot is a pocket, and due to some very minor wear at the top of the pocket, she is listed at the bargain price of 6 dollars!

And this is Quinn. She’s one of my favorite vintage finds. This color blue is just the most cheering thing… and the flowers are darling. I love the shaped waistband on this one (just like on Petunia!) and the sort-of scalloping at the bottom.

Hop on over to Joyful Abode @ Etsy to check out my other aprons, too!

Recently, through blog-hopping (you know, when you click links in people’s blogs to other blogs, and you end up somewhere with no idea how you got there?) I found a delightful blog called Jennifreckles Crafts. I love seeing other people’s projects, so her adorable crafts have really caught my attention. For instance, could this be any cuter?

So, recently she posted and said that whoever commented would be entered in a drawing for this adorable apron. (I LOVE her son’s face… and the really cute fabrics at the top of the apron.)

And guess what? I won! I’m so excited! (That’s my name - Joyful Abode - on the strip of paper.)

She also made a spoiler post with the contents of the package (there’s more???). I haven’t looked, because for a girl who doesn’t much like surprises… I think one now and then might be healthy. So look if you want, but DON’T TELL ME.

And go read her blog too. It’s as cute as its name sounds.

So, Joyful Abode is all about my trials and errors into the domestic domain. Mostly I’ve had successes, but every now and then I make ugly carrot cake muffins or something.

Tonight, WE (the man and I) made another error. It wasn’t the green bean casserole, which was fantastic and delicious…

It was the steak. We got a ton of bottom round steak because it was on sale, and we seriously shop sales now. Well, last time we made it it was pretty tasty, but a bit overdone. We thought we’d just grill it for less time, and it would be better this time. Right? Wrong.

The flavor was good… but I guess bottom round steak wasn’t meant to be rare, or something. The texture was kind of weird… I guess because it’s a pretty tough piece of meat in general.

So… what can we do with the steaks in our freezer? We have a ton of them, so we’ll need lots of good ideas and recipes. What on earth do you do with a thin tough-ish piece of meat? Stew? Fajitas? Anything? Anyone?… Help?

Buffalo Chicken is so delicious. I went through a several-month-long period of craving it so badly that every time I drove past a Chili’s restaurant, I drooled.

It’s probably because my best buddy Meagan and I used to go to Chili’s and order a buffalo chicken salad, then splurge on an exploding chocolate volcano for dessert. And now that she’s at vet school in Massachusetts, and I miss her… I’m longing for good times with buffalo chicken. And her.

Or… it could be that it’s just so darned good.

Anyway, I asked my older sister Jessica if she knew how to make a good buffalo sauce for chicken. She gave me the simplest, most delicious recipe! Melt some margarine, then stir in a generous portion of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. It’s not tobasco sauce… it’s cayenne sauce. It’s so delicious. Mmm.

So I like to cut up my chicken into little chunks so there’s more surface area for the sauce. Then, I just flour them and cook them in a pan, turning once. Then toss them in the sauce and throw them on a salad. With Ranch dressing. Mmmmmmmmm….

Are you drooling yet?