Baby K's Quilt--One Last Time

It's almost too embarrassing to admit that I have finally finished my baby gift for Baby K, our youngest grandbaby--almost in time for her first birthday. (This sad photo is nearly as embarrassing.) But I post it anyway.

I almost added another border, but the quilt turned out to be about 44" by 44"--she will fit under it for a while still! Lol helped choose this border, which I think sets off the blocks very nicely. And I can stop feeling guilty.

Miniatures Monday--Happy Valentine's Day!

My daughter Care and I had big fun setting up a Valentine greeting--here's hoping you have a great little Valentine's Day!

How to possibly choose just one?

Thrift Thursday--Dollar Store Valentine Project

I've been looking forward to a little Valentine's Day project for the grandkids--ever since Christmas.


I picked up these little plastic boxes of Holiday Gum at the dollar store in December--they hold tape-style rolls of pink chewing gum--then got to thinking the shape of the boxes looked familiar. Sure enough, they were (almost) hearts!


Since then, I've been on the lookout for just the right heart-shaped stickers, and found these foam stickers last week for 50% off at the craft store--$1.50 for a big package.

I had hoped the Christmas stickers would peel off the boxes willingly, but it took some soaking and scraping, and then a dab of Goo-Gone to wipe off the residue. Sticking on the hearts was the fun part! Now to get them in the mail.


Just for fun, I figured out the cost per item--$.25 each for a total of 18. Hmmm.

One Last Bread Machine Post--My Favorite Recipe

Home made bread is a great way to help fill the hunger gaps, as well as the gaps in the food budget--but I may have said that before.

So, enough on the glories of the bread machine loaf--just let me share my favorite recipe, which makes a 1-1/2 pounder.


White Bread for the Bread Machine

1-1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 Tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. non-fat dried milk powder
(or 1 Tbsp. if you use non-instant)
3 to 3-1/3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. yeast

Layer the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients, then the yeast, so the yeast stays dry--especially if you plan to use the delay timer. Be sure you put the paddle(s) in the machine! Press 'start'!

Just a little discussion of ingredients:

Water can be cool--the machine will monitor the temperature.
Oil improves texture and should be mild flavored--canola is great.
Sugar feeds the yeast and helps with browning.
Salt improves flavor and is a control for the yeast.
Non-fat dried milk improves nutrition by making more protein available to the body.
Flour provides proteins for loaf structure and nutrition, and carbs to give us energy. Bread flour is recommended, but I have to admit that I use all-purpose.
Yeast grows to produce the gasses that raise the loaf--make sure it's fresh! (Admission: I was too embarrassed to take a photo of that loaf which went through the entire machine cycle without yeast. Not recommended.)

Don't be afraid to peek at the dough and evaluate it early in the cycle. It should be soft and almost sticky. You can then scrape down the sides of the pan or maybe add flour or water to improve the dough texture. I will admit that I have been known to stop the machine early in the cycle, add flour or water to adjust the dough, and then re-start it. Nothing bad happened.

So, that's it for my Saga of the Bread Machine. But I might not be finished with the subject of the dough.

We haven't even talked about whole grains--any input?

Miniatures Monday--Doll Clothes

Since last Miniatures Monday I mentioned my early love for making doll clothes, this Monday here's an update: I still love doll clothes!

What could be better? Both fabric AND tiny things--together!

You can see that a few of my doll clothes have taken over my dollar store quilt design wall--at least for now. (My apologies for the dark photo--natural light is at a premium in my sewing room.) I do love to be able to see them all together!

I made many, but not all, of the clothes on my wall--some were made by friends, some by artisans, and a few are commercial, but they all delight me!

A Bread Fail. . .ish.

Just when I was about to post my favorite, most reliable bread recipe, I turned out the strange, streaky, and lumpy loaf above. I ran through the trouble-shooting list--accurate recipe? Check. Correct cycle? Check. Change ingredients? Check!

Bread baking is not an exact science, even with a machine--I guess it's still at least partly an art! Different factors can affect the finished product--weather, humidity, accuracy. . .and ingredients.

The only change I could come up with is that I had opened a new bag of flour. Although it's the very same flour I always buy, and the same recipe, results are definitely not the same! But I have to say that 'failure' is relative--this loaf was moist and nicely chewy, and made the best toast ever--think 'large English muffin.'


Now to troubleshoot: big holes and collapsed top say that the loaf couldn't support itself. Either the dough was too wet (or slack), or the protein content of the new flour is too low to build a solid structure.

Since my flour should contain a standard amount of protein and starch from bag to bag, I decided it's probably a difference in the flour's moisture content. Dough too moist = add more flour, so for the next loaf I added 1/3 cup more flour, and it turned out quite nicely--but still just a little different than the bread made from the previous bag of flour!

I always open the door of the machine and check out the dough--nothing bad has happened so far! If there's a ring of dry flour around the edges, I'll poke and scrape it with a rubber spatula at the first of the cycle, so I don't get a streaky loaf like the one above.

When the dough is too soft, I add extra flour as it runs, near the start of the cycle. You should check your machine's manual, but I say be bold--poke and scrape! The dough should be soft and just a little sticky.

**All this brings up another interesting point--I have always made my bread from all-purpose flour, just as my mom and grandmas taught me. Bread machine manufacuters recommend bread flour for best results--bread flour has a slightly higher percentage of protein, for a sturdier loaf structure. Any bread flour experience to share?

Thrift Thursday--Sewing Box Number Two

A second thrift-store sewing box find! Daughter Ib discovered it at her fabulous local community thrift store, and knew it was for me.

The box was in great shape in general--we only needed to re-anchor one string that holds the lid, and re-glue the trim that holds the lining around the top edge. I love the padded satin lid lining and the needlepoint lid!


The wicker box is 13" tall over all, and measures 10" by10"-- from the style I would guess it's from the late 60's or so. The label reads 'Made for J.C. Penney'.

It waits by the sofa, all set up for small knitting projects.