Hyperventilate!

Three new Sandra Betzina Today's Fit Vogue patterns are debuting!Vogue 1085 - Tops - Voted by my sewing buddies as the one most likely to come home first with me. (one look and I know I'm going to add extra length!)

Vogue 1096 - Pants (cute legs, but what's up with that waistband?! Guess you need to wear it with the 1085 top or the 1097 jacket.)

Vogue 1097 - Outer jacket/coat (if only I could find the perfect fabric for it, otherwise-pass)

Vogues go on sale for $3.99 at Jo-Ann's January 29/31. Leave a 1085 in the drawer for me!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

It's that time of the year! Find your favorite Girl Scout, or she will find you, to place your order. You can also call the Cookie Hotline, 1-888-GSCOOKIE. Booth sales begin February 20 with the cookie-buying season ending in the Houston area March 29. Remember, they freeze well, too!

Let's see what a good Girl Scout and Girl Scout mom I am. . . From the top: Lemonades, Thin Mints, Caramel DeLites, Thanks-A-Lot, Shortbread (I still call them Trefoils), Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Peanut Butter Patties (I think they used to be Tag-A-Longs in my area. They are my favorite along with the classic Thin Mints), and New! Reduced Fat Daisy-Go-Rounds. Different Council regions may have different bakers and different names for their cookies. There's a cookie for everyone -- even if you can't eat them, our soldiers and food banks will take them. Whatever you eat or donate, all are good and help support the Girl Scouts. Visit the official Girl Scout Cookie Program website for more information, FAQ's and fun trivia!

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Nut Loaf Bread

I was trying to find a recipe for the extra cans of evaporated milk from Christmas fudge-making and the after holiday sale-priced pumpkin in the pantry. This recipe from the Nestle Very Best Baking website used both deliciously!

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Nut Loaf Bread

I used chopped pecans on the top and made three small loaves to gift, eat and freeze. The smaller sizes only took 40-43 minutes to bake instead of over an hour for a 9 x 5 loaf pan. I like it because it calls for only 1 tablespoon of oil (I used canola). You can also cut the fat further by using the fat free or 2% evaporated milk versions. Verdict: Very yummy! Pumpkin-y, but not too sweet. I'll definitely make this again, especially for the Holidays 2009.

In Progress: Vogue 1071

If progress can be measured by threading the serger, sewing machine and winding bobbins to make another Sandra Betzina hoodie, Vogue 1071. Digging through the stash bins (piles, let's be honest here) counts, too - right?

Oops! What's for Dinner?

Having a just don't want to go to the store day and wondering what to have for dinner? Next time you are at Costco, buy a set of the boneless/skinless chicken thighs to store in the freezer and the Simply Natural Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce to keep on hand.

One package of thighs is good for four servings. Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the crockpot , and then place the (defrosted) thighs on top, covering each layer with a little more sauce, using about 1/2 of the jar. Crock on Low for 4 to 6 hours. When they are done, heat the remaining sauce from the jar, cook the spaghetti, add a green veggie and you're set. To avoid additional fat, I don't use the sauce from the crockpot but instead start fresh with the remaining unused sauce. It's a 28 ounce jar, so you'll have enough to spoon over the spaghetti. I really like this Simply Natural pasta sauce. Not only is it organic, but it has less salt, sugar and fat than even the Healthy Choice version. Pay the extra dollar plus change and get this instead. Costco has it in a 4-pack for around $8. Good to keep on hand when you want a thick sauce. It really made the chicken thighs very flavorful and the house smell great. I shall name this "Italian Chicken Thighs"

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Michelle Williams, "We Break the Dawn" 3:56

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Here's another recipe from "The Ron Paul Family Cookbook," I had posted a peanut butter cookie recipe previously. These are also called, "Black-Eyed Susans." This is a slightly different peanut butter cookie base, which seems to go better with the Hershey Kiss. I switched them one time, and both just tasted off. The recipe was originally from Ron's wife, Carol's mother. I've tweaked it a little - subbing 1/4 cup of the flour with white whole wheat and using the new Smart Balance shortening sticks. We were able to score a couple bags of holiday Hershey Kisses hidden away in the Christmas markdown aisle yesterday. It definitely pays to look behind the stacks of candy cane boxes! Keep your Kitchen Aid mixer happy and make a batch.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Kiss

Cream:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Add:

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat well

Add:

1 3/4 cups flour (of which 1/4 cup is white whole wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Beat well

Shape a rounded teaspoon into balls (roll in sugar-optional). Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes in 375 oven. (rotate sheets at halfway point). Remove from oven and press chocolate kiss (unwrapped) into each ball until edges of cookie crack. Bake an additional 4 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 48-55 cookies.

Money Monday - Fewer gets you further

Be open to trying new recipes and new variations of favorites. While I love my original Taco Soup Recipe, I just discovered a new "Southwestern Soup" recipe in the January 2009 issue of Southern Living. Same taste genre - beany, taco meaty...but calling for fewer ingredients. Fewer ingredients = fewer dollars spent. And additional bonus - fewer calories!

An added note: Southern Living has great recipes and a cool website. You can tell it is a sibling of Cooking Light magazine. If you like one, you'll probably like the other.

Southwestern Soup

Another winner from the January 2009 issue of Southern Living. You'll find this on page 99 (and on the cover) and if you click here, it will take you to their recipe page. This will become my new go-to recipe when I have leftover taco meat. (My other Taco Soup recipe is good, too, but this will save some money not having to buy the extra ingredients.) I had about 1/2 pound of taco meat, and that was plenty enough. I subbed regular petite diced tomatoes for the ones with jalapenos. I only had one can of kidney beans in the pantry, but one was good there, too. Throw a purple flower-ful of Marie Calendar's Cornbread in the oven and by the time the soup's done simmering, you've got lunch!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

This was the song I was looking for the other day. While I didn't like the movie, I loved this opening song by Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman, "The Little Things" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - "Wanted," 3:26

Who are these people and what are they doing here?!

As you can obviously tell, I have a rather eclectic group of friends and fellow bloggers in the right alley. I thought each week on Sunday I would randomly showcase one from the list and why they are there. I love to discover new blogs, and I think you will enjoy the introduction for new places to visit in Bloggy Land.

This week - Hungry Zombie Couture

Shannon makes beautiful clothes and her skills are impressive. I know she's not only teaching science (high school chemistry yet, more props to her!), but inspiring her students to sew, too.

Apple Pudding Cake

Apple Pudding Cake -- From the January 2009 issue of Southern Living, page 134. (click link for the recipe) You'll also find on the same page their fudgy chocolate pudding cake (Hot Fudge Brownie Cake). But the apple version caught my eye instead. Different! And I'm sorry, as much as I love chocolate, I always think I'm eating unbaked goo.

I used one of Costco's big bubba size Granny Smith apples. If you just have regular medium size, use two. Next time I may even up the apple to two and cut them chunkier. I also used Pioneer's Pancake Mix. First for a home state (San Antonio) shout-out, and secondly it was much lower in fat and sugar than the others. And I used Penzeys Ceylon Cinnamon. The baking dish was slightly larger and more rectangle than the called-for 8" square. It also baked just a little bit faster and you still had a good amount of sauce to spoon over each serving.

Our verdict, everyone loved it and it was immediately torn out of the magazine and put in my recipe binder. It's like a hybrid apple pie/cake/cobbler, without all the fuss. And of course it goes without saying, but I will, serve with a nice scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Light Ice Cream!

Music to Cut By

Sounds dangerous! Sorry to disappoint, no torture tunes here. I just wanted to share some nice music I discovered on iTunes that makes for good background music when you need to concentrate on laying and cutting out your current sewing project.

Varese Sarabande: A 25th Anniversary Celebration - 25 Years of Great Film Music

These were the ones I downloaded for my iPod:

Building the Barn ("Witness") Maurice Jarre 4:59
Peggy Sue's Homecoming ("Peggy Sue Got Married") John Barry 3:26
Suite from Steel Magnolias - Georges Delerue 8:08
Real Rain ("Pleasantville") Randy Newman 4:31
Emma - Rachel Portman 2:58
One True Thing - Cliff Eidelman 2:19

My best recollection is I somehow I clicked through to this when I was looking for Danny Elfman songs. Don't say it, someone already did -- "Who's iPod is THIS?!?!"

"The Moon at night is big and bright..."

Last night's Full Moon was supposed to be the biggest viewable in 2009? Our cold front clouds are always interesting, so those combined with the Moon made for cool photo op around 9 PM.

Sew Cold

Way to start off sewing the New Year with a blast from the past...and the artic? Here's the 2009 version of the Burda 5223 robe for T in a nice flannel from Jo-Ann's - just in time for this weekend's cold front. I know, we're not garnering a lot of sympathy from our more Northern neighbors. But the tables do turn on us in the summer, so it all evens out. I put the facing band on the bias so I wouldn't have to worry about matching the plaid.

Patience is a virtue. . .

For those of you playing along with the home game, today I FINALLY got and deposited the check from the mortgage company to pay for the fence repair from Hurricane Ike!!! Now I will use it for the kitchen floor replacement and plan to wait another 2 months or so to get reimbursed for that money. . .sigh. Pay it forward, indeed. I am psyched about my new floor though and plan to go to the floor store on Monday.

Last Week's Costco Find

Tyson Pecan Crusted Boneless Chicken Breast Tenderloins. These are so great! Priced at $8.99; you get a generous boxful to keep in the freezer for a fast and delicious dinner. I lined a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, quartered some baby potatoes tossed in olive oil and seasoned salt and pepper and started them about 20 minutes before I added the chicken. Heat a can of french green beans in a saucepan with a little minced garlic and you are set. The chicken stays juicy and tender. The praline sauce almost turns chicken into a dessert. Seriously, I'm saving the other packet to put over vanilla ice cream, it is that good.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

DJ Sammy and Yanou featuring Do, "Heaven" 3:55

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

January 11-17 - Simplicity 99 cents
Also...50% off Coats & Clark thread, Red Tag fabrics

January 18 & 19 - Butterick $1.99
Also...50% off rotary blades, notions wall, interfacing by-the-yard

January 29-31 - McCall's $1.99 and Vogue $3.99

If the fabric moves you. . .

. . .or if you move the fabric! Evidently my sewing subconscious is percolating a Valentine's Day project. As I was restacking the fabric bins, I checked inside the "Christmas Red" and found some dual-purpose Valentine-y pieces. Which led me to the "Holiday 1" and "Holiday 2" bins and wondering why I just didn't start a "Valentine's Day" bin... I'm not for certain what to make yet, but I'll let it set for a bit to the side of my cutting table awaiting inspiration.