Sew What!

We had our second session last night. Carolyn has named the class Sew What! I like it! The girls did a great job on their projects. I taught them how to make a coin purse with a zipper. We were surprised that their new Singer sewing machines did not come with a zipper foot. The new Brother did and I had a couple of extra zipper feet that we shared. They have already bought fabric and started on projects of their own. I am so proud of them! Those of us that do sew keep lamenting how no one sews anymore. Maybe it is because they have no one to teach them. I challenge you that sew, find someone who wants to learn and teach them. You will find it to be a very rewarding experience. Now go help others catch the sewing bug!

Crock Pot Pork Chops

I found a recipe on my friend's blog and tried it today. The original recipe is called Crock Pot London Broil and can be found at  http://www.cooks.com

I used a package of boneless pork chops instead of the london broil.
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 pkg Italian dressing mix
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups water

Put all of this in the crock pot and cook on low overnight. It has a wonderful flavor and the broth makes a yummy gravy.

Body Scrub

I have used a salt body scrub in the past and it seems to work really well. The only drawback is it seems to be insanely expensive! I found a couple of recipes and tried today.

Sea Salt Body Scrub
1/4 cup sea salt
2 - 3 Tbs oil ( I used grape seed oil - you could use apricot kernel oil, EV olive oil, etc.)
A few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance ( I used eucalyptus)

Coffee Body Scrub
1/4 cup ground coffee (a good way to use grounds that have become stale)
1/4 cup sugar - white or brown
2 Tbs EV olive oil
I added a dash of vanilla for good measure!

They say the caffeine in the coffee is good for your skin. Helps prevent cellulite and varicose veins. Both scrubs are good for circulation if you scrub in a circular motion.

Body Whip

Our fantastic A-Ha Secretary shared a recipe for body whip a few months ago. It is wonderful stuff! I tried a different version today. This is what I used.

1 large bottle of Vitamin E lotion
1 large tub of petroleum jelly
3 travel-size lotions (I used some I bought on sale at Bath & Body Works)

Combine Vitamin E lotion and petroleum jelly in a bowl. Whip with an electric mixer till fluffy. I split this mixture into 3 bowls. I poured a different scented travel lotion into each bowl and whipped again with the mixer. Each batch made about 2 cups of body whip.

The original recipe calls for a bottle of baby lotion instead of the travel-sized lotions. If you make just one scent, you can just mix all 3 at once. This is a good way to make your favorite lotion go farther.

Busy Week

This is going to be a busy week. I worked at the Adams post office today. Then I made a big batch of hashbrown casserole for tomorrow. Our church is providing the lunch at the MSC at Goodwell. We are serving ham, potatoes, green beans, fresh bread, and dessert. We usually have around 200 join us for lunch.
Tomorrow evening I have an election board meeting and a 4-H Federation meeting. Wednesday we may go pick up our planter. It is down close to Amarillo. We will take the semi, two pickups, and the flatbed trailer to get it home.
Saturday I work at Turpin post office. I would also like to do some more work on my kitchen and we need to get the green house built.

1st Sunday Dinner

Every first Sunday of the month we have dinner after church services. Everyone brings dishes of whatever they choose to make. There is always lots of variety and plenty of food! I took bierox, cornbread salad, and  cream puffs. That was my first experience with a vanilla bean. Thanks Amanda! Katie made chocolate pudding which we topped with the same whipped cream I used in the puffs. Then she put bunny-shaped marshmallows around the edge.

Sewing Class

This afternoon I taught a group of young moms how to sew. We made dresses along the same lines as the Little Dresses for Africa. You can read more about that project at http://www.nancysnotions.com/text/pdf/LittleDressesforAfrica_pattern.pdf The ladies were excited about making something that would help others. There were four students today and another one may join us next time. The classes are being held at the Oliver Warmer Memorial Library in Hooker. That library holds a lot of programs for the community and is a great place to find fantastic books.
It was a rewarding day for me. The ladies really seemed to appreciate the class but I enjoyed the afternoon and felt like I was the one that received the reward. I am looking forward to our next meeting. They want to learn how to install zippers and create buttonholes! Yippee!