The House of Kent

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Netflix Stars - Juno

3.9 (almost 4!) stars -- T and I enjoyed it, L hated it. It was original, funny and touching, and definitely worthy of the Oscar nods. But Jason Bateman's character was a bit unexpected and disturbing.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Slow Cooker Thursday and Crockpot Challenge - Cornbread

This is from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery, Revised edition, 1995 (ISBN: 1-55788-217-7) - Page 209 I liked the addition of 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and only needing 2 tablespoons sugar. I also used skim milk instead of just "milk." When I flipped through the book trying to find a recipe for today, I thought this would be a great opportunity to use the Rival Bread Baker container, hiding in the

back of my pantry. It goes perfectly in the Model 3355 (5 quart?) crockpot, but alas, I never got around to replacing the cracked plastic lid which Rival was using at the time. Time for Plan B -- the 6 cup Corning Ware baking dish, which just fit in "Big Bubba." Mabel says to put 2-3 paper towels on top of the baking dish, but I figured I'd use the matching lid, just skewed slightly. I'm also a little leery of cooking on High 4 1/2-5 hours. I'll do a check at 3 hours. The newer crockpots get and cook hot faster, even on the Low setting. I'll soon find out and report back if I should have used the Low setting instead. . .

It was done at 1 hour, 45 minutes on HIGH. The edges were slightly darker, as if baked in the oven and very yummy. Success, but watch your time and your crockpot! Start checking at 1 1/2 hours, at least the first time you make this to be on the safe side.

CORNBREAD

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup milk

Grease a 6-7 cup baking dish. In a bowl, stir all dry ingredients together. In a small bowl, beat together egg, oil and milk. Pour liquid ingredients into cornmeal mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Place dish in bottom of slow cooker. Cover with 2-3 pieces of paper towel. Cover and Cook on High 4 1/2-5 hours or until firm. Serve warm. Update: Mine was done to perfection on High at 1 hour, 45 minutes.

The chili powder makes it look pretty...

Get off the computer and get sewing - or "What am I working on today?"

Another Burda, a trial run of the skirt View D of Burda 7789 for L, which is also featured on the back cover of the May 2008 Burda World of Fashion issue. (Maybe even me, too, if it doesn't make me look like a horse's patootie. I figure if my size is included, Burda is betting it will be OK.) A trial because she's in school right now and I quickly measured her waist to knee and will hope I hit the right length. If not, no biggie, this was a cheapy cheapy Jo-Ann's Red Tag fabric investment of only $2. Is this not the cutest Summer skirt ever?

Hello Kitty Sewing Stickers

25 puffy Hello Kitty sewing stickers from Sanrio for only $2.50! They go with my Hello Kitty sewing pencil. My favorite is the one in the upper right corner -- HK has a needle in one paw, fabric in the other and is winking. I think all sewists should adopt a winking acknowledgement of our sewing skills, don't you?

Where's my check?!

Wondering where your Economic Stimulus check is? Tired of shaking out the advertising circulars with the horror of tossing it in the garbage by mistake? The IRS has a table which will give you a better idea when to expect your check. Thank goodness I not only married up the alphabet but also up the SSN.

Garden Update!

Here's two of the newest additions:

Nicotiana "Merlin Mix" -- I love this warm seashell pink, it reminds me of my grandparents' house bathroom, tiles in this shade of pink accented with black. Martha used this pink in her Christmas collection a few years ago, too.

And Euphorbia "Diamond Frost" This was the last of the bigger pots and for just a few dollars more than the smaller ones, a better deal and impact. Even Mike himself said, "you'll really enjoy this one!"

Not pictured: Cleome "Sparkler White" and Turnera "White Buttercup" They are still blog boring green leaves.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Van Morrison, "Bright Side of the Road" 3:47

Literally - I was about 30 minutes into treading, thinking (whining) "gosh, 10 moooorrrrreee minutes...!" and boom-o, the power went out! Then came back on with error code messages on the tready. A sign this was good enough for government work today. Little did I know the transformer blew up across the street, knocking off the power again a few minutes later and only coming back online an hour ago, per update from T who worked nearby. Who also said, "did you know the A/C was off, too?!" Sorry!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

It pays to do the Biz Rate survey!

No, I didn't win the $25 giveaway (yet, still waiting to hear), but the comments you post on the Biz Rate site actually do get read by the businesses, at least by Bobbi Brown. I recently ordered the Hydrating Eye Cream online to save gas and traffic time. I know, $40 - but it's a small price to pay to avoid my eyes swelling shut and to maintain my youthful (cough) appearance by going cheaper. I commented that I felt badly I just missed their free shipping promotion by a few days but liked the fact they included free samples you can choose...so the relatively low shipping compared to other merchants - $6 - was pretty well offset. Today I get an email from Bobbi Brown saying they read my Biz Rate comment and were going to credit my card the $6 shipping charge. Wow! Unexpected and thereby endearing themselves to me now and in the future. Now if I could just get $14 back for the pineapples. . .

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The Perils of Peggy the Punky Pineapple Picker

I've either had an incredible run of luck which is now catching up to me, or the pineapples right

now are punk. Four in a row, four different stores (2 Costco's, 1 HEB, 1 Super Target), I've managed to pick and buy four rotten pineapples! At an average of $3.50 a pop, that's four gallons of gasoline I could have bought instead. And trying to return them? I'd burn the refund money in gas and tolls. For now I'll stick with blueberries and raspberries in my smoothies instead.

Burda 7795 View A - Top

7795 is finished! I love it! The sleeves run long, I only had to add 1". I did lengthen the back and front 3" total at the two adjustment lines. Just like 7804, you may also want to re-aim the bust darts more upwards. Since I didn't want to rely on "a hook and a prayer" to keep it closed, I added another set of ties to the left side to actually tie the front closed, and I'll wear it with a camisole tank. Burda's directions have you sew the tie on the right side and knot, then sew hook and eyes underneath for the actual closure. When I wore this today (the photo is from last night), I knotted the tie ends so they

didn't look like rigatoni noodles, and I folded the top corners down-making more of a V neckline as in the model photo. The cotton striped fabric is from Jo-Ann's red tag section, they also had it in navy. I plan to make it again out of a cream cotton dobby sheer with silver metallic striping, but I'll leave off the sleeve trim. (I fear it will look too poodle-y.)

The pants pattern the model is wearing is 7966 - I bought that pattern at the same time, I loved the combo idea and the separate pieces for Summer 2008 outfits.

No. 416!

As I walked almost completely around the Barnes and Noble store this morning to get in line to buy Stephenie Meyer's new book, "The Host" and get the apparently very coveted green wristbands for admittance to a discussion and book signing with her. Some people had been camped out since 5 AM! But I must give kudos to Barnes and Noble for handling the crowd so well (how misbehaved can readers get?), assuring us with a clicker that yes, we would be getting the wristbands and books, so everyone was calm and actually having a good time waiting. And smart thinking on their part, they let us into the store early, snaking us around the aisles with even more books eyes center. That's how I came h

ome also with "Pretty Little Potholders" and "Pretty Little Patchwork." They are a continuation of a Lark Books series, which began with "Pretty Little Pincushions."

Read the ending of the Stephenie story here

Monday, May 05, 2008

New shoes!

Nike Air Alaris --->

I thought I couldn't wear Nike, they never seemed to fit right or feel very comfortable during try-ons. But L found these at Academy yesterday and they were perfect! Until I looked at the box - SIZE 11!! She told me she heard you sometimes need to go up a size in Nike. No wonder. It certainly made the difference, wow! Although not vanity sized (trying not to recall the bowling party horrors announcing your shoe size for all to see), they felt great and went the distance.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Duffy, "Mercy" 3:42

Kindness is contagious!

I saw that on a bumper sticker of a car who blocked the driveway and would not let me out of the school parking lot this morning!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

What I'm working on today - Burda 7795

Burda 7795, View A Yet another (See 7797 and 8517) pattern in their 2008 Spring/Summer catalog and my 2008 Spring/Summer Burda sewing marathon with same fabric, bias or straight grain, trim! I didn't realize it also had bias strips until I looked at the pattern pieces and directions. I just saw the ties in the photo and thought they were incorporated as part of the closure, not sewn on top of a separate bias strip to boot!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Netflix Stars - 27 Dresses

3.5/5 Wow, this came to DVD pretty fast, and I can see why. While entertaining for a DVD rental, I'd be a little hacked if I paid the theater ticket price to see it. Cute, sweet, fluff - there were some good scenes. I loved the clothes she wore (not the bridesmaid dresses!), I enjoyed seeing Judy Greer also cast in the movie, she plays the second banana roles so well. I thought she had some of the best lines. And the "Bennie and the Jets" song sure helped to try and erase the memory of Brother Bob's English class ("Only Jesus could get a 100 in my class") at Cardinal Mooney with him singing (hissing?) -- "buh, buh, buh, - Bennie and the Jetsssssssssssss" I swear he didn't know the rest of the right words either...penance!

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

May 8/10 - Simplicity $1.99
May 15/17 - McCall's and Butterick $1.99
Hmmm, are 99c pattern sales a thing of the past now?

Friday, May 02, 2008

Burda 7782 View C - Top

Now here's a Burda if you are petite-r, 7782 seemed to run a little short in length. I added 2" at the adjustment line and another 1" at the hemline and I still ended up not hemming it. (it is cut on the bias) Update 5-3: I did finish it with a serged rolled edge this morning before wearing. And definitely not

"bubbling" it with an elastic casing - er, "internal elastic band."

I liked the front and back pleat detail at the shoulders and the whole bias thing. But I thought it

scooped a little low so I pleated the front up 1/2" at the shoulder seam and sewed through it with a vintage 60's button.

The Asian dragon poly is stashed $1/yard Wally-World fabric, aged about three years - a $2 top!

7782 is a pattern to span the fashion ages...while I think the blouson dresses are cute, I sewed and wore something eerily similar back in the 80's -- but I think the top is still fun for same person 25 years later!

Sarah Jessica Parker for $8.98!

I thought their clearance sale was still going on when I would see the $8.98 on their website, but no -- NEW clothes are $8.98; including Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten Line at Steve and Barry's!

Per the article in the New York Times' Thursday Styles section yesterday; all their merchandise is $8.98 or less. (Somehow I don't think next season's Project Runway will have another challenge with $8.98 as the price point, remember how they sneered at $19.98?) I liked how the article stated, "...the clothes appear well made, several of the Bitten dresses were lined, and the strapless dress is constructed with an internal elastic band to hold it up...." I believe I will now start calling my elastic casings "internal elastic bands" (I always thought casings sound too much like sausage. . .)

And they are going to carry official SATC movie merchandise - what in the name of Manolo, will that be for $8.98?!

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Slow Cooking Thursday and Crockpot Challenge - Chocolate Chili

You can't reside in the State of Texas and not have a chili recipe! And the debate goes on between beans and no beans. L and I like the beans, T does not. We are a Kent House divided. This is the combination and subtraction of many different recipes, but mostly inspired by Betty Crocker and Crockpot Goddess, Mabel Hoffman. And the secret ingredient is: Chocolate!