Allison: Crocheting Dreams

Hello, everyone!  I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of my favorite season... Fall!  I, on the other hand, am stuck in almost 100 degree weather, with only dreams of Fall.  In a few months, when the leaves have all fallen, and everyone is sick of gray, ugly days, then I'm sure I'll start my bragging about 65 degree weather in January.  But for now, I'm sad and homesick for the NW.

I was just sitting here at my computer and realized that it's my day to post.  Oops!  This two-kid business is still throwing me for a bit of a loop.  I just ventured to Wal Mart, and was enjoying a few minutes of relaxation before my newborn wakes up and realizes she's still in her carseat and not nursing.

I'm getting distracted... okay... today's post...

On our way home from the store, I stopped to get the mail, and found a package from my good, amazing friend, Chiara.  She had sent Norah this incredible little hat!  What?!  When I moved from Washington she was barely learned to crochet and had only made a couple of blankets.  Now, she could start a business!  It is truly amazing that we can go from not knowing a skill, to being practically an expert in all things related to that skill.  Chiara... I'm proud of you!  And I LOVE the hat!!

If Norah had been awake, I would have used her for the model... not a cup.  :)

A few posts ago, I posted a picture of the beautiful blankets that both my sister, Lisa, and good friend, Jen crocheted for Norah.  I have wanted to learn to crochet for awhile now, and have even ventured to my favorite teacher to learn... You Tube.  But, all it got me was a scarf that didn't quite look right, and another skill to add to my "Someday I'll Learn" list.  But for now, I'll leave it to creative people like Chiara, Lisa and Jen to make my kids cute things.  :)  What do you wish you could learn, but just haven't quite dedicated yourself  enough yet to learn it?

Hope you all have a great week!  Someone go jump in a pile of leaves for me.  :)


Allison

Allison: Crafty Friends and Family

Hello again!  I opened up a new page to write my blog post hours ago.  Then, I put my daughter down for a nap and took one myself.  Needless to say, it's now almost 5 pm, and I'm trying to write a post on crafting, when the last thing I feel like doing is craft.  I know.  I shouldn't admit that.   But I'm almost 39 weeks pregnant and I reserve the right to do nothing but sit around and watch my daughter play in our air conditioned house.

That being said, I thought that today would be a great day to brag about my amazingly crafty friends.  I have noticed a new trend at parties, but more specifically at baby showers: homemade gifts.  I went to a good friend's baby shower a few months ago, and it seemed that half the gifts she received were homemade (including mine, of course).  I thought it was so cool to see what others could create!  So today, I wanted to show off some of the cute things that I've received for my little one on her way.

The blanket on the left was made by Norah's Grandma Lacey.  She's so good about making quilts for all of her new grandchildren, and we love this blanket!  It's so soft and comfy!  I can't wait to see Norah cuddled up in it.

The crocheted blanket on the right with the adorable strawberry was made by my good friend, Jen.  She has some mad skills when it comes to crocheting, and I want to be like her when I grow up.  :)  I LOVE this blanket, and I know Norah will too.

The blanket on the left you might recognize from Lisa's post yesterday.  I LOVE IT!  I am so impressed with how good she's become at crocheting!  I need a lesson.  The yarn is so soft and I can imagine cuddling my baby while wrapped in this blanket from her Aunt Lisa.

The blanket on the right was made by Norah's mom.  Yes... I had to show off my own quilt.  I really enjoyed making this quilt for my baby girl, and really pushed myself, creatively, to try free-motion quilting around the edge.  I hope Norah feels all the love that I put into this blanket.

Can you tell how loved this little girl already is?  Of course I'm grateful for store-bought gifts too.  I can't sew clothing yet, so we appreciate all we received.  I also was given many other heart-felt gifts, which I appreciate more than I can express.  Hopefully this little one is here by this time next week (I'll be induced next Tuesday), and we can't wait to cuddle her and meet our little Norah.  If you don't hear from me next week, I think I have a pretty good excuse.  I'll be doing the ultimate "craft".  :)  Have a great week, and keep the crafting going while I'm gone!

Allison

Lisa: Baby Blankets and Carmel French Toast

Wow, that weekend just flies by, doesn't it?  I never get everything done that I want to in a weekend and now we've got our children's sports events, school and all its activities and a move thrown on top!  Yes, we are moving but just to temporary housing until our new house can be built.  We were going to wait to move until our new house was built before we even put our current house up for sale but some very nice people came up and asked if they could buy it.  Well, long story short, we agreed and have to be out in a week and a half!  I'm trying not to stress out and instead look at this as a blessing!  In the meantime, we are a little busy here!  But really, a full, busy life is better than an empty, boring one, right?!!

So, last week I told you about some projects I completed.  I had to wait until I had mailed them but I can now show the baby blankets I made for the new babies coming to our family!

Katrina and Allison's baby blankets made with a granny ripple stitch!

These were super easy to do with the tutorial found here.  I'm not an amazing crocheter but I found these instructions easy to use and (with lots of photos) they were very easy to follow along with.

All my kids have now asked for a blanket with this stitch for Christmas!  I think I know what I am doing with my weekends from now till then!

Now on to my real post: Caramel Sour Dough French Toast (the longer the name, the better the recipe is what I've heard:)!!

For birthdays around my house, we do requests.  Usually those end up being crepes, chocolate gravy and biscuits or a favorite pancake recipe (and bacon, of course)!  Well, this year there was a request for sour dough french toast which I don't have a recipe for so I thought I'd wing it.  I think in the future, I'll bake these but I'll give you the recipe as I made it.  Warning: These are very sweet and rich!!  Most of my kids only had one piece but they loved them! 

Caramel Sour Dough French Toast

1 loaf good sour dough bread, sliced into 1" thick slices

8 eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, finely chopped

Combine eggs and milk.  Add vanilla.  Place bread cut side down in a large baking dish and pour egg mixture over the top.  Let sit for a few minutes.  Turn them over and let sit for a few minutes again.  All the egg mixture should absorb into the bread.

While the bread is sitting, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and butter.  (If baking the french toast, just sprinkle over the top.)  Next, just dredged the bread into the brown sugar mixture.  You might have to press it into the bread to get it to stick!  I then heated my flat top to 250-300 degrees.    On the flat top, the brown sugar mixture made a nice caramel coating to the french toast.  I still flipped the french toast when slightly browned, like you would with normal french toast.  If baking, heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes or until light brown.  We topped with whipped cream because no birthday can pass without it!  Delicious!

Have great week!

Lisa