Cheeseburger soup

There's something wonderfully nostalgic about handwritten recipes.  But the thought of having recipie cards flying all over my kitchen gives me a headache.  I'd loose them all.  So I started a recipe book for my kitchen!  It has music notes on it, so I'm trying to think of a clever name for it, like "Kitchen Symphonies" or "Dinner Music" or "Songs For the Tummy". I'm still brainstorming..... 

But here's one of my favorite handwritten recipes.  The last time I made it was the first time I made it, and it was a huuuuge hit.  It filled up the entire crockpot and it was all gone that same night!  Everybody loved it.  And I think you will to! 

Here's the recipe, taken from my personal cookbook!

Start out with onions, garlic and ground beef. Brown all together in a skillet, then drain and add it to the crock pot. 

Veggies!  Peel the potatoes and cut them bite sized.  You can use whatever potatoes you'd like; red, russet, white, etc.  I use white potatoes.  I also added celery, two stalks.  Celery is a superfood, and I think the crunch represents lettuce on your burger.    After they're washed and chopped, add to the crock pot. 

Then add the broth, salt and peppers, and ketchup.   I used probably about double the amount of ketchup than the recipe states. I always use a lot of ketchup on burgers, so I figured I should add extra to the soup.  The recipe calls for mustard but I don't add mustard, and I wouldn't even think of it!  Up here in New York we don't put mustard on burgers!  Yuck!     Mix it all up and cover for like 5 hours on high, 10 hours on low. 

About an hour before dinner time, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add flour and milk and whisk it all together.  Take pan off the heat and add cheese. Add to soup after it's all melted. 

 

I think I may need a bigger crock pot! 

The cool thing about this being cheeseburger soup is you can make it taste like most cheeseburger varieties!  Like turkey burgers? Use ground turkey meat instead of ground beef.  Or add mushrooms and use Swiss cheese for a Mushroom & Swiss Classic.  You can top the soup with cooked bacon crumbles, chopped pickles, or extra cheese.  Personally I like the way it is right from the pot.  :) 

I hope you enjoy this soup if you do try it! 

~the craftmeister 

Kitty siblings & new dining room

It's normal for human siblings to act like one another - but I think it's pretty cool when cat siblings start showing similarities.  I've heard Gordo mimic Puffin's meow, and Puffin mimic Gordo's grunt. The other day I was snapping pictures of the two kitties check out my new dining room set, and I got a picture of Puffin strutting.  Here's the cool thing - I have a picture of Gordo strutting almost the same exact way when I first found him in Rosedale!  

Okay, so there are some differences, but I still thought it was pretty funny.  Here are some more pictures of my dining rom set!  I have a dining room!!  

"Pub height" table and chairs, the table can open to 9 feet! The cabinet in the back matches a piece we have in the kitchen, and it's now full of Mader heirloom china. 

Here's a shot from a different angle

Anybody recognize the centerpiece? ;)   There's a wine server in the back with drawers and matching details. 

I love having a real dining room!  I can't wait to have many awesome meals in there with my family.  Holidays are going to be a lot more comfortable!  <3

What Have You Been Up To?

Are they over yet....?

Is it safe to turn on the radio.....?

Is it safe to go shopping again.....?

Can my electricity bill go back to normal now......?

HOLIDAYS!!!  Am I right?    

I was really busy crafting things for presents, and I didn't even finish them entirely.  I had to give my sister a picture of her nearly completed blanket, and my sister-in-law got to see the blanket for her new baby and then she had to give it back to me so I could finish.  I didn't make any cookies this year, and my neighbors didn't get cards or goodies in their mail box like they did last year.

Oh well.

Wanna hear the kicker?  I'm STILL not done with the blankets....

But now that they are not a surprise anymore, I can share a few pictures with you!

On I Love Yarn Day 2013, I posted a few pictures of a picture afghan my mother made for me.  In case you don't remember, here it is again!  - With Gordo making a cameo appearance.

In the Great Granny Crochet Book by The American School of Needlework, published in 1979, there is a whole chapter for picture afghan patterns. My mother planned on making one picture afghan for each of her kids.  My brother's was made first, when he was a baby.  He was born in 1979, so that blanket was probably the first thing my mother made from this book.  He still has it to this day, and is saving it to one day give to his children.
 

This photo is from The Great Granny Crochet Book by The American School of Needlework, 1979 edition.

                                                  

My sister Heidi got a carousel horse themed blanket, and my sister Ingrid was to receive a blanket fashioned after her two kitties.  My mom was working on Ingrid's blanket when she got ill.  She changed the pattern colors from two white and grey cats to one black cat and one orange tabby, Davin and Pumpkin.  As beautiful as unfinished art is, I decided I'd do my best to try to complete the blanket.  The finished product was supposed to be Ingrid's Christmas present.  But instead, she got a picture wrapped up of it.  I'm almost done with it... there's a lot of squares to sew together!  After I complete it I'll snap a few pictures and post it up so you all can see.

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their second child in February (Woo Aquarius Nephew!).  I was learning the chevron stitch, and I thought it would make a great foundation for a baby blanket!  Once they found out they're having a boy, I had a perfect idea in mind.  With David's blanket as inspiration, I decided to make a few roads and then attach appliques of cars and ambulances (my brother is a paramedic).  It's taking me a long time, but I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out so far!

                               

                                 Pardon the unfinished ends

So there's a look at what I've been working on.  And I've gotten a request for a granny square tutorial, so be on the look out for that in the next few weeks!

Stay warm out there!
~The Craftmeister

Pet Stocking

Growing up, all us kids had personalized stockings.  My parents picked out stocking for us with a cool design or character on it, and my mother wrote our names in glitter.  I always liked that tradition, and I would love to continue that tradition when my husband and I start our own family.  Right now though, our pets are our family.  And like kids, they each have their own personality traits and different looks.  I wanted to make truly unique stockings for my furry kids that captured their spirit.  

All of these stockings were made with felt and lots of love. 

Henrik: The crazy eyed, always excitable Australian Shepherd.   

Gordo: The happy ginger cat.

And Puffin:  The princess kitty.

 After creating these stocking and posting them on facebook, they were so well received!  People loved them!  So here's a few more that I've created...

Vegas: The pampered Mini Schnauzer.

Unfortunately, I don't have a complete picture of this stocking

 

Toby: The playful and doofy lab mix.

                

 

Lucky: The Cutie Yorkie.

               

This stocking was made with a combination of felt and yarn

    

Molly: The Poised Mini Poodle.

                         

 

Kayto: The shy American Eskimo .

              

 

Cosmo: the playful American Eskimo mix (Kayto's brother).

            

Cosmo has light beige spots by his ears, I created that effect by using tea as a dye.  It worked well and it smells yummy!

Callie: The sassy and silly tortoiseshell cat.

So that's what I've been working on for Christmas and why I haven't been posting.  If you'd like one of these personalized stocking for one of your furry kids, let me know!  They are $20 a piece and I do require a week or so to create them, so place your orders for next Christmas now!

Hope everybody is enjoying their holidays!  Here's a bit of holiday cheer I made for my kitchen while making some Broccoli & Cheddar soup - recipe coming soon!   ;-)

Broccoli stem and carrot peels    Ho Ho Ho!

Stay crafty!
~The Craftmeister

Honey or Sugar Banana Bread

Remember in the 90's when Bread Makers were huge?  There were infomercials, huge displays at the department stores, all promising a machine that could make a whole loaf of bread and not take all day!   The Maders had one too.  My parents made all sorts of bread, and it made the house smell awesome.  I thought about them the other day and so I was inspired to make some Banana Bread.  Well, that and my bananas were looking too sad to eat, but just right for baking.

Dan and I picked up some Wildflower honey from the farmer's market in Warwick, NY.  It's some damn good honey.  I wanted to find a recipe that used honey in it to give the bread an extra boost of flavor.  Unfortunately, when I had found a recipe I couldn't get the jar of honey open.  The honey got under the lid and made the top stuck to the jar.  So after looking at other recipes, I adapted the honey recipe to a different recipe - one with sugar instead.

I did and it was great!

Uhh... I should have taken the picture earlier.

Later that same evening, my wonderful strong husband opened the honey jar for me (some honey from my honey).  The first batch of Banana Bread was so good I figure I'd make the Honey Banana Bread too and let you know how they compared!

Watching me mix

Becca's Banana Bread 

 2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
1 Cup Mashed Bananas (about two bananas)
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Milk
1Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Parchment Paper/Wax Paper

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper (or wax paper).
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl, set aside.  In large bowl combine bananas, eggs, oil, milk, & vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to banana mixture. Mix until moistened. Add chocolate chips.  Pour into parchment lined loaf pan. 

Bake for 60 min or until it passes the toothpick test.  Cool for 10 min in pan, let stand on wire rack for 30 min before slicing.


Honey Banana Bread 

1 3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
1 Cup Mashed Bananas (about two bananas)
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil 
1/4 Cup Hot Water
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Parchment Paper/Wax Paper

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper (or wax paper).  Beat honey and oil together in a large bowl.  Add eggs, mix well.  Stir in bananas & vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt.  Add baking soda to hot water and add to banana mixture.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour into parchment lined loaf pan. 

Bake for at least 60 min or until it passes the toothpick test.  Cool for 10 min in pan, let stand on wire rack for 30 min before slicing. 
  

Honey Banana Bread

Craftmeister's Verdict:
Personally I liked them both!  The sugar banana bread had more of a spicy flavor to it, you could really taste how the cinnamon and nutmeg complimented the bananas. The honey bread was more moist tasting but I think the flavored honey may have extinguished the cinnamon flavor.  Don't get me wrong, they were both delicious!  But delicious in different ways.  If I were to make it again, I'd prob make it with the sugar.  I think with the type of honey I used - locally purchased Wildflower Honey - it didn't taste how I wanted, and the honey isn't cheap. 

I love baking in this weather.  It warms up the house and you don't have to put the heat on!  I got a recipe from my sister in law for Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cider Donuts.  I may have to try baking those next!  

Stay Baking, 
~The Craftmeister

 

The bathroom is no place for...

I'm currently in the process of redoing one of the bathrooms in my house.  It's a small bathroom on the main floor; it's the one that gets used the most.  As some of you may know, I have a modest rubber ducky collection.  Hahaha, who am I kidding!?  I love rubber ducks!  I have devil duckies, cowboy duckies, sheriff duckies, graduation duckies, leprechaun duckies... and the list goes on.  So to match, I painted half of the bathroom a buttery yellow.  The bottom half of the bathroom is covered by white beadboard/wainscoting, so it's not too overwhelmingly yellow.  I was looking for ideas on Pinterest for additional bathroom decor ideas, something kitschy that would compliment the many duckies.  And what I found really, really put me off of bathroom decor.

What is with the passive aggressive signs for the bathroom?

Here are some of the best of the worst....

Wash Your Hands and Say Your Prayers, Because Jesus and Germs are Everywhere! 

If You Sprinkle When You Tinkle, Please Be Sweet and Wipe the Seat. 

My Aim is to Keep This Bathroom Clean, Your Aim Will Help. 

This Bathroom Was Clean Yesterday... So Sorry You Missed It

Changing the Toilet Paper Roll Will Not Cause Brain Damage 

Then there's the many rules on one sign trend that have basically all of the things listed above, but lovingly signed "Love, Mom".  Seriously?  Are people who use your bathroom that dirty that they need stupid reminders in the bathroom?  Or maybe people just think it's cute?  I really don't get it. 

I DO like cute signs in the bathroom.  Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Baths 5¢, Smile, Powder Room, or my personal favorite for a full bathroom.... Get Naked. All perfectly fine in my book!   But don't nag at me to clean behind my ears while I'm on the John.... 

Am I alone in this?

It's a Wrap!

When I did my internship back in 2004, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work at a designer jewelry showroom in New York City.  I worked for the designer Chan Luu, she's made jewelry that was featured on the shows Charmed, Friends, and more recently, Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  All of her jewelry was beautiful and handmade with real gemstones.  One particular style really caught my eye, and I went home and played with my jewelry and string until I mastered how to make....

The Wrap Bracelet

Getting Started
You'll need
*Leather cord (Twice the length of your desired finished piece, plus 12 inches).

Cut the cord to twice the length of the desired bracelet size PLUS 12 inches. For example, a 7.5-inch bracelet will require 27 inches of cord. - See more at: http://www.fusionbeads.com/Wrapped-Cord-Bracelet#sthash.HDPFfPmY.dpuf

Cut the cord to twice the length of the desired bracelet size PLUS 12 inches. For example, a 7.5-inch bracelet will require 27 inches of cord. - See more at: http://www.fusionbeads.com/Wrapped-Cord-Bracelet#sthash.HDPFfPmY.dpuf

*A whole bunch of beads, similar in style (if this is your first piece, it's easier to use all the same size bead.  Once you get more advanced you can experiment with different sizes together)
*Nylon thread (or nylon coated thread) Non stretch **Craftmeister tip** I always use nylon thread, or nylon coated thread because over time natural fibers break down.  Items made with silk or cotton thread are very delicate and can fall apart if worn every day.  
*A needle thin enough to fit through your beads
*A button (optional, you may use one of the beads from your selection as a button if it's big enough)
*A clipboard for easy holding **Craftmeister tip** I don't have a clipboard at home, so I used a piece of cardboard and a hair clip.  Totally worked!
*An afternoon free

Fold your leather in half and make a slipknot at the top. Make it sized so you could fit your button through it tight.  This will eventually be your clasp.  For my example I'm going to use one of the beads from my project as the button. I'm also using contrasting thread and leather colors so it cold be seen easier on the tutorial.

Cut about 8 feet of the nylon thread for your project.  If you're not comfortable with working with longer pieces of string, you can use shorter lengths, but you'll need to attach it when you run out.  **Craftmeister tip** Your arm span should be about your height (unless you're Michael Phelps) so I always hold my arms apart as far as they could go and I know it will give me a string a little over 5 feet long.  Much easier than measuring.

Tie the nylon thread in a knot on the left strand of the leather, just under the leather knot.  Slide the knot up to the leather knot to hide it, and clip the knot to the clipboard for easy holding. Slide one bead onto the thread and place it in between the two leather strands.  The bead should be situated so both holes are horizontal. Wrap the thread around the right leather strand once, back to front.  Then thread back through the bead.  Wrap around the left leather strand, back to front.  Thread through the bead again.  This first bead has an extra stitch in it to hold it in place. 

The placement of the first few beads are tougher than the rest of the bracelet because you're setting it up and training the leather how to bend. 

 The thread should now be on the right side under the right leather strand.  Wrap the thread over the leather, strand a bead onto the thread.  Bring the thread under the left leather strand and wrap it over and through the bead. The thread should end up under the right leather strand. 

Wrap the thread over the right strand, thread one bead.  Wrap the thread from back to front over the left leather strand.   Thread back through the bead, pull the thread from under the leather and wrap over.  Repeat until it is the desired length. 



 Try not to lay the beads too tight next to each other, you want there to be room for movement.

You can do it all in one step!

Keep the under-over pattern going. If you switch to over-under your beads will pop and not stay in place.  Try your best to keep the leather straight.  If you stitch with the leater twisted, your finished project will also be twisted.

Continue threading the beads onto the leather until it's at a lenth that you like and that can fit around your wrist as many times as you'd like.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!  I'll be sure to help you with any problems you have.


Feeling lazy? 
 You could order the bracelet seen in this tutorial from me for $60, or you could buy the "real thing" from Chan Luu here.
Please leave a comment if you're interested or if you've tried the tutorial yourself!  I'd love to see what you made out there! 

Happy Crafting!
~The Craftmeister