Sew God's Grace

So, my three year old and one year old are napping.  My other three are downstairs watching a movie.  I should be folding laundry, but I wanted to get this post up.  It has been forever since I have added anything to my blog, and I decided that it was time! One of the reasons that I haven't posted anything for a while is because we have been busy working on a project.  My kids love to make pies, and we had been talking about the idea of selling pies around Thanksgiving.  So, we decided to give it a try this year.  We have a young man from our church who is currently in Kolkata, India, doing mission work.  He left this August and will be staying there for three years.  We decided to donate our proceeds to supporting him. We spread the word through our church and through facebook, and this Tuesday we delivered the last of our 65 pie orders!  I was so proud of my kids' hard work and determination. When we first started this project, w...

So, do you  ever feel like you are losing your mind?  I do.  More often than I would like to admit, in fact.  I was certain that I had posted a recipe for Stormboli on my blog sometime last year.  I remember taking the pictures and everything.  However, when I looked for the recipe, it was nowhere to be found!  I even did a search and turned up nothing. Consequently, when I made Stromboli the other day, I decided to take new pictures and waste no time getting them posted.  I make this at least once for supper during the harvest season because it is so good and easy to eat while driving machinery.  Stromboli is a great, easy meal that you can customize to your family's tastes.  I put pepperoni on one half for my spice-loving little guy, and ham on the other half for my girls.  Feel free to experiment with your favorite pizza toppings on this one! Here's the recipe: Stromboli 1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed ...

I have always enjoyed learning new things from other women.  When I was little, it seemed like my Great Aunt Connie was usually working on something crafty when she and Great Uncle Keith would come visit.  Under Connie's tutelage, I learned how to do counted cross-stitch and latch hook.  I would sit beside her and watch her hands busily move over a project.  Noticing my interest, she would take the time to show me how to do it, too. When I got married, I got to know Matt's Aunt Sarah, who introduced me to the joy of quilting.  Over the years, she has helped me with many tips and helpful advice.  When Matt and I have visited her in Salina, she and I have laid out many a quilt design on her ping pong table downstairs. So, when she offered to come out to sew during a recent visit, I jumped at the chance.  I had cut the squares and laid out the pattern of a baby quilt recently, so it was a great morning project for us. Lyla was anxious to help, an...

I think that I admitted in a recent blog post that I am not that great at pictures.  However, I am not going to let that stop me from posting this fun and easy recipe. To celebrate Anna's fifth birthday, she requested a tea party with several of her friends.  We have done tea parties in the past, and no matter how much I doctor up the tea with honey, the girls don't drink it.  So, I had the idea to put punch in their tea cups. It was a big success!  I think Anna had at least four cups.  And, despite the picture not showing it very well, it was a beautiful shade of pink. Perfect Party Punch: Raspberry Sherbet Sprite or another lemon-lime soda Pink Lemonade (I used the frozen concentrate and mixed it per the package directions) Pour equal parts of Sprite and Pink Lemonade into punch bowl.  Add small scoops of raspberry sherbet.  Let sit for at least ten minutes so that the sherbet can melt into the liquid a bit and get foamy.  Serve! ...

So. . . I spent more than a little time trying to decide whether to call this "Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken," or "Marinated Lime Grilled Chicken."  In the end, it probably doesn't matter that much, but I sought the counsel of my oldest daughter, who agreed with me on my choice. I love this recipe.  It is so easy and delicious!  It's one of my son's favorites.  Whenever I tell him that we are having chicken, he asks, "Is it the lime one?" The only kink with the recipe is that you have to plan ahead.  It tastes best when you marinate the chicken overnight.  So, throw this into your fridge today and celebrate the fact that dinner is ready for tomorrow night! Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken (adapted from here) 8 - 10 four ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 cup lime juice 2/3 cup olive oil 5 - 6 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use the jarred kind; you could also run 4 garlic cloves through your garlic press if...

So, my oldest is 9, and my youngest is 1.  I can finally say that without cringing!  I say this all the time, but it sure has gone quickly!  These two have birthdays that are just a week apart, so we decided to do a combined party with family. Maddie wanted a basketball cake, and Grant has always been our little monkey, so we had monkeys and basketballs!  I found the monkey cupcake idea here .  I used candy eyes from Walmart and placed some chocolate sprinkles on the top of the monkeys' heads for hair. Of course, I had to make some cake pops, too!  The monkey idea came from my Cake Pops:  Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats  by Bakerella .  I used a mini vanilla wafer for the nose instead of a peanut butter candy wafer. When Maddie requested a basketball cake, I decided it was a great opportunity to try fondant.  I mean, I only needed one color!  I used this recipe and tinted it...

My husband jokes with me that I'm not happy unless I use my slow cooker at least twice a week.  While that may be an over-exaggeration, I do love my slow cooker.  I enjoy the feeling of knowing that supper is in the crock pot at home ready to go.  Right now my kitchen smells amazing because I mixed up some of this spaghetti sauce right after lunch and turned it on low.  That sauce is in there, getting all warm and bubbly and yummy.  For supper, I'll just cook up some pasta for the kids and some zucchini noodles for Matt and me.  Pass the parmesan, please! Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce (adapted from this recipe) 2 pounds ground meat, cooked (use ground beef, pork, sausage, or any combination.  I keep thinking I will try half ground beef and half sausage) 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons each dried ba...