Next Project: Quilt!

I am getting a little gutsy in my sewing and decided to try my hand at quilting. I found this quilt-a-long on I Have to Say and thought, "I could do that!". So here is a little preview of the fabrics I have chosen:

They are all Amy Butler, but from a few different lines. I think it is going to be really cute. More photos coming soon as my quilt progresses :)

Fresh Salsa à la Jeanine

My crafty mom is always finding cool new recipes. She has a very... shall we say... accepting palate. She can usually be found throwing this and that into any given recipe just to see if it works, or to use up what she has on hand. She throws beer into a lot of things. Random.

She gave me this recipe titled 'Quick Salsa'. I don't know where it came from, but the batch she made the other weekend was so good I immediately started a mental grocery list.

Here is the recipe she handed to me... can you tell she's a lefty?


These aren't necessarily the usual suspects....

** Update! Sept. 12th ... My mom clarified this weekend that when she said "Italian Style Tomatoes" she really meant the Roma tomatoes. NOT Italian seasoned tomatoes. Oops. It still tasted pretty good :)




juice of 3 limes
1/4 c. olive oil
1 jalapeno (seeded or not)
1 bunch of cilantro
1 small red onion chopped
1 can of whole peeled italian tomatoes (drained)
salt to taste

Pulse together in the food processor. That's it!

I added some garlic to mine because my husband and I both love our garlic :)

This is what my tomatoes looked like- I couldn't find whole Italian tomatoes, so I just used the diced ones. They're going to get pureed anyway, right?

Give everything else a rough chop. Even though it goes in the processor, you don't want any big chunks getting away from you.


This is what you get!


Its bright and tangy. Sticks nicely to a tortilla chip. This happened to be dinner for us tonight....

More Boxy Pouches

I am in love with these pouches!~


I made a bunch back in July for some of my girlfriends, but never got around to posting pics. My camera broke while I was in mid-photo-session, so I only have close-ups of a few. I am working on getting a new camera, possibly a DSLR, so if you have any input or advice, please leave a comment!



I love the classic look of black and white on the outside, with a burst of color in the inside:


This one was for my friend Sara who loves owls. I think it is one of my favorites:

You may recognize the Amy Butler fabric of this cutie:

And a reverse of the one above- burst of color on the outside, a nice neutral gray on the inside:


I didn't get a close up of the oil cloth one (top right in the group shot) but that one was made by request from my friend Serene who adores the bold colors and fruit themes of oil cloth. It was white with yellow polka dots on the interior. Very classic.

I will post some pics of these guys filled so you can get a feel for how big they are. I keep mine in my handbag and it holds quite a bit- a few chapsticks, lip gloss, matches, neosporin, 3 or 4 pens, hair ties, etc with plenty of room for more. I just think they are so handy to keep all of those small items in one place. no more fishing for a bobby pin or hair tie at the bottom of that hobo!

My Favorite Coleslaw

I love this spicy lime-peanut coleslaw on a hot summer day. It is mayo-free, so it is light and tangy with fresh flavors from the lime and cilantro and a great crunch from the cabbage and peanuts.

It is a breeze to fix up, most of your time will be spent juicing the limes and dicing the jalapeno.

Recipe is adapted from Epicurious.com:

1 cup peanuts, raw and unsalted
1/2 of a large head of cabbage, or 1 bag of Trader Joes shredded green cabbage
1 basket of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (keep the seeds if you like it hot!)
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
the juice of 3 limes (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Roast the peanuts in a skillet for 5 to 10 minutes until golden and toasted. Shake the pan every minute or so and keep a close watch on them, they will burn if left too long!



While the peanuts are going, juice the limes and chop the jalapeno.

Whisk the olive oil into the lime juice and add the diced jalapeno. Add the salt. This is your dressing.



Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the cilantro.



I like to leave a few of the cilantro leaves whole.



Quarter the head of cabbage and remove the core. Slice into thin shreds.... or just use the already shredded kind from Trader Joe's if you're short on time.... or just lazy :)


Combine the cabbage, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl.




Drizzle the lime & olive oil mixture over the top and toss to coat. Add the cooled peanuts just before serving. They will lose some of the crunch if you add them too early. Taste and add more salt if desired.




Serve with your favorite BBQ chicken or have as a simple supper. It's the perfect summer dish!