Sew God's Grace

We made these treats for Vacation Bible School today.  They turned out so cute--I had to post them. For each carousel, you will need the following: 1 cupcake Frosting Sprinkles Three animal crackers A drink umbrella We let the kids build their own carousels, so for each one we put a large dollop of frosting on the plate along with a plastic knife.  For sprinkles, we liked the idea of each child having their own sprinkle container.  But, what to use? We had used these multi-purpose containers for ranch dressing the day before.  You can find them at Walmart in the paper goods aisle.  Using a single hole punch, I punched two holes in the top of the lid.  Put some sprinkles inside, pop on the lid, and you have your own personal sprinkle container! The kids had a great time with them, from pre-school kiddos to the junior high aged helpers.  Looking for a way to tie this into a Bible lesson?  Well, our verse today was on obedience.  We asked the children if their

Here's a fun recipe that I was introduced to when I married into the Pearce family.  Matt's mom made these for us several times, and I think they are delicious.  As an added bonus, they are quick and very easy! Use minute steaks for these, as many as you need to feed your family. Place a line of mustard down the middle of your steak.  Barbeque sauce is also yummy! Place a dill pickle spear on top. Roll up and secure with toothpicks.  Grill, turning once, about 3-4 minutes per side or until meat is no longer pink. Today the wind was blowing about a gazillion miles an hour, so there was no way these were going outside to get cooked.  I used my George Foreman grill on medium heat.  I cooked them 4 minutes on one side, turned them, and cooked three minutes longer.  I think I could have gone with a little less time, but I like to make sure that meat gets cooked. Hope you enjoy this one!

If you are looking for something for lunch that is simple and is a little heartier than a PB & J, I have a recipe for you!  I got this recipe from my mother-in-law.  It's a great way to use leftover chicken. Here's what you will need: Tortillas Refried Beans Salsa, if desired Shredded cheese Diced cooked chicken Onions, if desired Taco seasoning The amounts needed depend on how big your tortillas are and your own personal preferences.  I had large tortillas and only two 4 ounce pieces of chicken.  I stretched the chicken to make four of these, but I would have preferred to have a little more chicken--something like 12 ounces would have been better. Start by spreading some refried beans on your tortilla. Add salsa if desired and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  (We like the colby and monterray jack blend.) Top with chicken and sprinkle with a small amount of taco seasoning.  If you are cooking chicken just for making chicken bundles, spread the c

I typically don't do anything more with my baked beans than just open a can and heat them up.  However, I found an easy recipe on Betty Crocker, so I decided to give it a try (with a few modifications).  I took it to a barbeque with friends the other night, and it was a hit.  My husband wanted to know who made them because they were really good! Here's the recipe: 1 can (28 oz. ) Bush's Best Country Style Baked Beans 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 oz.) chili beans 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained 1/4 cup ketchup 2 - 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 6 - 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled  (I use pre-cooked bacon, such a time-saver!) Throw all the ingredients into your slow cooker.  Set on low and cook for 2 -3 hours until heated through.  I think this might be a great one to take for church potluck sometime--I may even throw a pound of cooked ground beef in.  Gi

Sometimes it seems like I am making more things for my girls than I am for my boy.  Let's face it, those little dresses are so cute and easy!  So, I was thrilled to find the idea for this monster appliqued T-shirt.  The inspiration for this project goes to my cousin-in-law, Kendall.  She posted a picture on facebook of a T-shirt that she had made for her son (also in Kindergarten).  When I saw it, I knew I had to make one for Evan. Start by drawing your basic design on cardstock.  Then make two copies.  Cut out the body of the monster out of your original drawing, then cut the mouth, teeth, eyes, and pupils out of your copies.  Apply wonder-under to desired fabrics.  Trace the designs backwards onto the paper of the wonder-under and cut out.  Iron on to T-shirt and applique away.  Don't forget to put some tear-away stabilizer on the back of your T-shirt underneath your design. I recommend using lots of pins to hold your stabilizer in place.  This is the largest patter

This recipe is one of our family's favorites.  I found it in a Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking Magazine.  I love the convenience of making the dough in the bread machine.  Here's the recipe: 1 1/4 cups warm water 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup quick-cooking oats 1 1/2 cups bread flour (I use all-purpose) 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast  (2 1/4 teaspoons) In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. If you have good luck baking in your bread machine, select basic bread setting, crust color, etc. and enjoy some bread in about three hours. I, however, do not have the patience to get the hang of how bread bakes in my bread machine.  My few attempts have not turned out that great, so I prefer to make the dough in the machine and then bake it in the oven.  So, select "dough" setting and wait until the dough is ready. I then form the dough i

This is one of my go-to recipes.  My kids really like it, and it's quick and easy.  I adapted the recipe from one on Allrecipes.com found here. Here's what I did. Quick Salisbury Steak 1 pound ground beef 1 egg 3 tablespoons crushed Ritz cracker crumbs (6 crackers) 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I omit because we are not an onion family) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat George Foreman grill to medium. Mix all ingredients except ground beef. Crumble ground beef over the top and mix until just combined. Shape into 6 oval-shaped patties. Place on George Foreman grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned and meat is no longer pink in the middle.  If you don't have a George Foreman Grill, just brown in a skillet. Meanwhile, mix one can cream of mushroom soup with 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Place a small amount of gravy in the bottom of a 2 quart

I love pillowcase dresses; they are so easy and fun to make.  While I have never actually made one from a pillowcase, Matt's aunt Sarah showed me how to make them with fabric.  When I found this owl fabric at Walmart the other day, I decided I needed to make it into a pillowcase dress.   I found a coordinating fabric at a local quilt shop to use for a border and for bias tape  I bought 5/8 of a yard to make a 4 1/2 inch border and bias tape.  You could also purchase bias tape, but I always have trouble finding one that matches well.  I bought 5/8 inch ribbon to use for the tie on top. First, measure your little girl to see how long you want the dress to be.  If you are not using a border, simply add 2 3/4 inches (This measurement is for the seam allowances I used. If you do your casing/hem differently, you will need to adjust).  Line up your selvage edges of the fabric on your cutting mat, and cut this length of fabric.  I then turn my fabric and cut off the selvage ed

I think I have mentioned before that I am not a morning person.  I don't like to get out of bed!  As such, any recipe that can help me get breakfast on the table for my four hungry kiddos is a welcome find. My sister-in-law Joni mentioned that she had baked eggs in muffin tins.  Hmmm. . . I did a search and found out how on allrecipes.com.  Here's what I did: First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Then grease your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.  I cracked open 8 eggs intending to make 8 mini omelettes.  I ended up with 9 of them.  I think 10 would get you to a dozen.  I poured in a little milk.  (As Grandma always did, I just "eye-balled" it.  I would say I put in less than 1/4 cup.)  Then I added some cheese and sliced up ham.  (Again, I just threw it in--about 1/2 cup or so.)  Mix well.  You could add any omelette ingredients here that you like.  I would love to add some mushrooms, tomatoes, and chopped spinach, but my crew would turn up its no

Lately I have been in a chicken and sandwich rut with meals.  Recently, reminiscent of the former Wendy's commercials, my husband asked, "Where's the beef?"  Well, today we had some. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, Lois.  With only a few ingredients, they come together very quickly.  Also, my kids love them! Mexican Meat Cups 1 pound ground beef 1 15.5 ounce can chili beans 1 can sloppy joe sauce or package of sloppy joe seasoning, 1 6 oz. can tomato paste, and 1 1/4 cups water 1 - 2 cans refrigerated biscuits Shredded cheese Chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and salsa if desired Cook ground beef.  Add chili beans and sloppy joe sauce and keep warm.  Roll out biscuits or flatten with palm to about 4 1/2 inch diameter.  Place on reverse side of muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 7 - 8 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve meat sauce in biscuit cups.  Top with shredded cheese and additional toppings if desired. I cook my meat in th

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I had seen any of those "bandana dresses."  I had not, but I was intrigued.  So, I did a Pinterest search to find one.  How cute and fun!  I used this tutorial to make the dress for my two year old.  I love that you don't have to do any hems--makes for a fairly quick project!  Plus, my husband even commented on how cute they were. I thought the dress would be a little too short for my four year old, so I decided to make her a skirt instead. First, I measured her to see how long I wanted the skirt to be.  I cut the bandanas and placed an overlock stitch on my cut edge.  I used this edge for the top of my skirt.  Then I did my shirring stitches.  For shirring, I like this tutorial.   I used this technique for both the dress and the skirt.  I put ten rows of shirring stitches at the waist for the skirt.  Then I just stitched the two bandanas together for the skirt.  You could also make a casing at the top and put elastic in i