Discovery Phase and Fleece

  During what I’ll call the “discovery phase” that I encountered when looking 50 in the face, I decided that I wanted to start sewing again. Sewing was something my Mom taught me to do at a very young age.

   It’s different now. Sewing your own clothing, depending on the article of clothing, sometimes is not very cost effective.  However, making fleece blankets for service projects has become an enjoyable pastime. Initially I wasn’t a smart shopper so the blankets cost more.  I soon became savvy by perusing the sales after the holidays and stocked up. So our bedroom not only became the sewing room but the store room as well.  We are renovating our son’s old bedroom into the sewing room now. It has a closet for all my sale material.

   I use 2 pieces of fleece and serge around it after trimming the edges and rounding the corners. The adult blankets are 3 yards and kid blankets are 1.5 yards. The kid size is awesome for the elderly as a lap blanket as well. They are light weight, warm and no fringes or knots to get caught in the wheels of their walkers or wheelchairs.
  Despite being slightly more expensive, my preference is the nonpill fleece and the cuddle fleece. It has a fuller, richer feel and look to it. When using the cuddle type, I usually pair it with a nonpill piece, serge the edge and then quilt the pieces together. In 2010, I made a total of 70 blankets for gifts, 17 of the adult size and the remainder in the kid size. The kid sizes all went to nursing homes as well as the domestic abuse shelter that winter.
   I just found team fleece on sale for the Hawkeyes, Vikings, Red Sox, Twins, Huskers and Green Bay.  An order has been placed. If you are in need of a gift for anyone, let me know. The blankets can also be personalized. I can email you the pricing once the invoices are received.

INSTRUCTIONS for do it yourselfers:

#2  3 yard pieces of nonpill fleece

Straight pins

Large area on a clean floor

Lay wrong sides together. Pin edges. Use a rotary cutter, mat and straight edge to trim uneven edges. Use a rotary cutter and a rounded template to round the edges.

Serge together using a 3 thread hemming stitch. Finish off the edge by tucking a remnant thread through the hemmed edged and apply Fray Check to prevent unraveling.

Throw in the dryer and tumble for approximately 15 minutes to remove stray threads and fuzzies.

Save the pieces of fleece that you trimmed to even the edges. Tie knots in the ends after cutting into a variety of strip lengths. Then tie the strips together. These make excellent dog and cat play toys.

Healthy, Hearty Vegetable Stoup

   The focus on healthy whole foods has always been in the back of my mind however as time goes on, it becomes more relevant. That's not to say there isn't some enjoyable "not so healthy" recipes out there as well.
   I'm a soup lover. No doubt about it. My brothers say I make "stoup", a thick hearty soup almost like a stew.  In an effort to create a stoup made up strictly of low starch vegetables, bursting with flavor, the following recipe evolved. This recipe makes a large stock pot of soup that freezes well and reheats tasting like the original or perhaps a tinge more tasty as the flavors have been allowed to merge.

Vegetable Soup

This recipe makes a large stock pot of NO fat soup that is very healthy and freezes well. It contains many cruciferous vegetables that are good carb kind. Tastes great with warm focaccia or garlic bread. Leave out the bread and this is an excellent weight loss recipe. Enjoy!

12 cups water
6 heaping Tbsp Watkins Chicken Broth
2 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Celery salt
1 Tbsp Curry
1 pkg of Italian Dressing seasoning (dry)
2 tsp Oregano
3 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 bunches green onion chopped
3 green peppers cleaned diced
1 ea of red/yellow/orange peppers cleaned diced
10 large carrots chopped in food processer
2 medium onion diced fine or run through food processor
2 pkg celery hearts diced
2 pkg fresh mushrooms chopped coarsely
1 med head cabbage diced
2 head cauliflower diced
1 head broccoli diced

2 can Mrs Grimes chili beans
2 cans petite diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
4 cans French style cut beans drained before adding
During the season, you can use the fresh equivalent of the above.

Zucchini, Yellow Squash can also be added during the season. I didn’t add the frozen kind as it would add liquid and take away flavor.

1 large can of pumpkin or the equivalent fresh pureed pumpkin if you wish(add last after the vegetables have been simmered at least 45 min-1 hr)

When all the chopped veggies are in the pot, it seems as though there’s not enough water, DON’T add more!  As the veggies cook, they give off liquid and LOTS of flavors, adding more water will take away the flavor!


   That's my stomp on stoup for today!