Best Cheesecake Ever!....

image from Betty Crocker

     Or at least that's what my dad says. I consider him a definite test of the food that I cook! This cheesecake uses a cake mix for the crust. It's delicious! In the recipe, it says lemon pudding, it is calling for the premade cups of pudding.....like in a pack of 4. They hang on racks near the jello.
     Make sure to let your cream cheese soften ALL the way! I learned that the hard way. I mixed it all in, but it was clumpy, so I decided (genius that I am) to run all the liquid batter through the sifter.....ok, ok, I can hear you laughing from here! Anyways, I don't recommend it! Do as I say, not as I do...please....for your own mental health! ;)
     The cool whip on top is easy and tastes really good. I piped little puffs of it all over the top. Really looks good for presentation.

So You Think You're Crafty?

That's right! I'm competing again! Go check out all the awesome crafts at: SoYouThinkYoureCrafty.blogspot.com!

Menu Plan 3/7-3/14

Photo by Miehana

     So it's been a long week! I'm finally on spring break, and I am SOO ready for a break! I worked out in the yard with Dad for 5 solid hours yesterday. I did a total of 26 wheelbarrow loads of mulch all by myself! Needless to say, I am SOOOOO SORE TODAY! I feel like an old woman! Note to self: get more exercise!

     So anyways, I plan to do a good bit of sewing this week....and sleeping! And cooking! I found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. You can find it on Dash of Sass. I plan on making a couple of batches this week. I found that if you freeze them in a log shape they are extremely hard to cut (maybe because I didn't let it thaw). So I plan on rolling them into balls and "flash freezing" them (freezing uncovered for 10 mins or so and then bagging) instead. Yum yum!

     So this week we have in the freezer:

one meal's worth of chicken

small pot roast

1.5 lbs beef

We also have lots of leftover spaghetti and meatballs left and plenty of uncooked rice. Oh...and noodles...lots and lots of noodles!

Soo....Here's the plan!

Dinner 1: Firehouse Enchiladas (with green sauce this time!)

Dinner 2: Spaghetti (using leftover meatballs)

Dinner 3: Hamburgers and French Fries

Dinner 4: Chicken Quesadillas

Dinner 5: Chicken and Rice in the oven

Dinner 6: Homemade Pizza

And of course the cookies! So that's it for this week!

Trash to Treasure

     I whipped this cute skirt out last night. I serged everything but the waistband, and that is only 'cause I can't do a flet serger seam (called a flat-felled seam maybe?). I finally got the serger to gather the way I want. It took a lot of fiddling around. I'm not completely happy with it, but it works. :D I can't wait until spring! It is a fun skirt to twirl in too!
    Now the reason it is trash to treasure is that this fabric was a sheet from Salvation Army (which, btw is a lot nicer than Goodwill). It only costs 3 bucks! Score! :D I'm wanting to make a circle skirt as well and a sheet would be perfect for that. It is plenty wide enough and cheap as well!
     Now I'm off to work on a crinoline some!

P.S. I was going for a 2:1 ratio on each layer, but that didn't work out real well. I couldn't get enough control on my gathers. So I just gathered it as much as possible.
P.P.S. My tension on my sewing machine is shot. Kinda upset about it. I've got it rigged up for right now, but still is very frustrating. I don't know if it can be fixed or not. We'll see.......It's just not holding tension at all.

Dress Ideas

     It's getting to be spring time again....sort of. It's not anywhere warm enough yet, but I can still dream!

     This dress would be really cute! It's got a fairly full skirt (maybe a full circle?), and I would make the version in the top left (minus the bows). Some embroidery added to that would be cute too! When I was looking at this dress in the pattern book, I think that the embroidery around the midriff is actually some lacey appliques! Those would be really easy!

Update: Forgot to add that this is Mccalls 5094.

Butterick 4919

     It's finished! Finally! I think it looks pretty good.

 I added the ruffle. It snaps together in the back with a little snap. Not sure why the zip looks so wrinkly. rgh.

 The neckline was way too low originally, so I think this was a good way to fix it....not that I'm biased or anything.

 Full Length Shot ^^. This pattern has a full circle skirt, which I have discovered is really not fun. It was hard to get it even all the way around. I guess you shouldn't be able to notice that much though.

 Midriff Detail ^^. The ties cross and then tie in the back.

     So I have learned that I really don't like working with slippery fabrics that much. Give me some good ol' cotton any day! I used polyester satin too...and it's REALLY staticky. I have a slip on in these pictures, but I'm planning on making a full circle (or close to it) skirt sometime soon. I think I might make a crinoline to go under this too.
     If you are making this pattern, here's some advice: The bodice is super confusing, but follow the directions exactly to the very end. The bodice front and back never actually connect. the bodice front wraps behind and closes with hook and eyes. Then the zipper covers that, then the ties, that are connected to the back, wrap around the front and tie in the back. It makes sense once you wear it, but until then it is rather confusing.

     I can't wait to wear this sometime!!!!
To see other posts about this dress:
B.O. Anyone?
Butterick 4919 - Part 2