mortiz049

Some people call it zig zag, some people call it ripple or wave, the new trendy name is chevron.  Whatever you call it, its a classic look that I just love.  Most often ripple patterns are made from simple basic stitches such as single crochet or double crochet so they are a great pattern for beginners that are ready for something more than row after row of the same stitch.  Some ripple patterns take motifs from other classic patterns, such as granny ripples or V stitch ripples.  This pattern is borrowing from the cobble stitch pattern. The cobble stitch (sometimes called griddle stitch) is simply alternating between single crochet and double crochet.  As you come back again with row two you put double crochets into the single crochet and single crochets into the double crochet.  The resulting stitch is thick, textured, and solid. I wanted to incorporate the texture of the cobble stitch into a ripple pattern for a scarf.  I love the result.  The s...

Here is my favorite recipe for hamburger and hot dog buns.  I don't always have luck when I make homemade bread but this recipe has never failed me.  These buns are soft with a delicious olive oil flavor.  They are very simple to put together.  I usually don't proof my yeast, is not necessary unless you think your yeast is old or dead.  Also, this recipe only requires a single rise so its only about 20 minutes of hands on time to make.  You can add an egg wash and top with sesame seeds if desired. Ingredients: 1 cup warm water 1 package of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) 2 TBSP honey or sugar 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1 egg 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 - 2 cups all purpose flour Mix the first six ingredients.  Add the whole wheat flour and mix.  Knead in the all purpose flour until the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elasstic, about 8 minutes.  Form into 8 buns and place them on a silicone mat lined cookie sheet.  Let rise in a...

I love this recipe. It is delicious, quick and made with simple good-for-you ingredients. My family loves it.  It is a basic recipe that is so versatile.  I usually serve it warm for dinner then I have the leftovers cold for lunch the next day.  Its good both ways.  You can add diced chicken, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, or all three. Ingredients (4 servings) 1/2 pound of frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture 2 TBSP lemon juice or to taste 1 avocado 1/2 pound whole wheat spiral pasta (or any pasta you like) Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil to taste *optional* Cook the pasta is salted water according to package directions. In a food processor, blend together the spinach, avocado, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil if desired. Stir spinach and avocado mixture into cooked and drained pasta. Serve warm or cold.

I had a bunch of dried roses collecting dust on my mantel.  They were given to me years ago.  I used the petals from these dried flowers to make these rose beads. These were very simple to make and the beads are very fragrant and beautiful.  I love the natural texture and earthy color. The beads will shrink as they dry so be sure to make the beads larger than you want your finished beads, and make the whole larger as well. If your beads seem crumbly or crack easily as you are forming them, you may need to add a bit more water.  I just dip my finger tip into a bowl of water and use that small drop of water to smooth over any rough or cracking areas. Thanks so much for stopping by.  If you are making rose beads yourself, leave me a comment.  I would love to know what you plan to make from them.

This braised red cabbage side is delicious and so simple to make.  It goes great with all sorts of German or Pennsylvania Dutch meals.  Pork chops, bratwurst, kielbasa, but also roast chicken, chicken fried steak, just about anything. I like to add star anise to my red cabbage.  You can also use caraway seeds, fennel seeds, or omit them entirely.  You can also adjust the sweet and sour flavors to suit your preferences.  I like mine to be a bit more sour than sweet. For this recipe I used: 1 medium red cabbage, quartered, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings or half moons 1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and sliced 6 TBSP apple cider vinegar or to taste 3-4 TBSP sugar or to taste 1/2 - 1 star anise pod (optional) 1-2 TBSP canola oil salt and pepper to taste In a large stock pot, heat the canola oil.  Add the onions, salt and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the cabbage and fry for about 5 minutes...

Perhaps its an over idealistic notion but I hope to be able to make a handmade gift for my child(ren) each year for Christmas.  For my little one's first Christmas I made her a very simple fabric doll.  It is lopsided and simple but I loved making it for her and she has loved playing with it. This year I decided the gift I wanted to make was a set of wooden blocks.  Only problem is, I don't know the first thing about making wood toys.  I looked online and most instructions are geared towards hobbyist and wood workers with a workshop to rival Santa's elves.  I don't have many tools of my own, but luckily my dad does.  I used his tabletop mitre saw and carpenters square.  Making blocks usually requires you to rip cut, or cut the board lengthwise, to get small narrow pieces.  That is difficult to do and usually requires a table saw.  Instead I found long narrow hobby boards that didn't need to be rip cut.  They are made of nice hardwood. ...

This hat turned out so cute.  I made it just for personal use but I thought others may like to make one as well.  Like so many of my patterns, this hat is worked in a continuous spiral.  It is so much easier than joining rows and makes for a seamless hat.  I made this hat in classic Santa Claus colors but you could make it in any color combination you like. This pattern is written with US crochet terms.  You may want to use a stitch marker or a scrap piece of yarn to make the start of each row.  I find its easy enough without stitch markers, so long as you can finish a row before putting it down, and keep track of which row you are on if you do need to set it down.  I have put the stitch count at the end of each row so you can double check yourself as you go. You will need about 3 ounces of worsted weight yarn in the main color, 1 ounce or less of contrasting color, size H crochet hook (or a similar size would also work), a pom pom maker or a way to ma...