Ever seen the film, My Neighbor Totoro?
This 20-year old film is still amazingly undiscovered by far too many people. It's from the great Japanese film animator Hayao Miyazaki. Almost all of his films are wonderful, but this one is quite special. If you are steeped in Disney, it is much more low key and quiet than those films, but the adventure is more real and palpable than in our familiar animated features. That clip is in Japanese, but the film is available in a dubbed English version. My 10 year old son was sure he'd hate it, but then got caught up in the imaginative sequences and it's a favorite for our family. I was going to post the clip of the scene where the little girls are waiting for the bus with Totoro, but it's so charming, I don't want to give it away.
HERE are the opening titles which have cute animation. This morning I made a connection... that singer is the singer on the potty training song, "She is a Super Duper Pooper".
Today our plan is to get up the rest of the Christmas decorations except the tree, eat something homemade for supper and watch Totoro together.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Holiday Treats
Thanks to my good friend Susan for her annual cookie package! Yum! My fave is the peanut brittle, but everything is delicious.
Here is what I made yesterday for my Dad (and Mom). They don't read this blog, but these treats are never really a surprise to them.
First are these fantastic Herbed Cheese-and Cracker Bits. The recipe is from the Food Network's Paula Deen , and actually are not made with butter (her recipes almost always have a half or whole stick of butter in them). Actually I think these are the sort of thing that is either repellent and disgusting to some, or savory and delicious to others. Members of our extended family fall into both camps. We love them and I only make them for special holidays and the Super Bowl. My parents love them and every gift list they always put down that they want those "yummy salty crackers". The oiliness soaks in over time. I use canola oil so they are sort of healthy, right?
This recipe is from the Food Network, but I'm going to write it up here for you. If you can't find cheese Ritz Bits, I think you can substitute oyster crackers:
Herbed Cheese and Cracker Bits
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
2 (9 1/2-ounce) boxes cheese crackers (recommended: Ritz Cheese Bits, not peanut butter flavor)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (1-ounce) package salad dressing mix (recommended: Hidden Valley Original Ranch)
1 heaping tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
Place the crackers in a large sealable freezer container. In a bowl, mix the oil, salad dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, and celery salt. Pour this mixture over the crackers, cover the container, and invert it to coat the crackers with seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the container every so often to keep the crackers coated. Let the mixture come to room temperature before serving. Store in the covered container in refrigerator.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondly, I went into granola production. My Dad gets the largest container of it. It makes the house smell like delicious cinnamon and vanilla. Although there are a lot of ingedients in granola, it is not difficult to make. It keeps for a long time and makes a great gift. Seriously, I think the key to granola is being generous with the nuts. I'd say I put in like 3 cups of various types. This batch has almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts.
Susie’s Granola
Part 1
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar ( I prefer dark)
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey (Also try maple syrup as a sweetener)
2 T. cinnamon
2 T. vanilla (add when removed from heat)
--------
Part 2 (Approximate measurements)
5 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant or quick cooking)
1 cup wheat germ (or ground flaxseed or both)
1 cup salted sunflower seed kernals
1 cup (or 2 or 3cups) chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews) more = better
Also add whole grain cereals as available. I like All Bran or Fiber one
--------------
Part 3
2 cups or more dried fruit as desired (cranberries, raisins, cherries, dates, apricots, bananas, apples)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In your very biggest mixing bowl, stir together cereals and nuts.
Heat liquids with cinnamon until hot and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly. Spread in large baking pan or jelly roll pan. You might need to use 2 pans. Cook at 325 for 40 - 50 minutes stirring every 10 minutes until nicely toasted. (Cooking time depends on amount of mixture and type of pan used) Don’t overbrown or the flavor will be off!
Remove from oven and add dried fruit. Stir as it cools to break up clumps. Mixture hardens as it cools. Sometime during the cooling process I transfer the mixture back into the very large mixing bowl because it is less messy to stir this.
Store in an airtight container. It can also be stored in the freezer. Eat with fruit and yogurt or as a healthy cereal. Yum!
Here is what I made yesterday for my Dad (and Mom). They don't read this blog, but these treats are never really a surprise to them.
First are these fantastic Herbed Cheese-and Cracker Bits. The recipe is from the Food Network's Paula Deen , and actually are not made with butter (her recipes almost always have a half or whole stick of butter in them). Actually I think these are the sort of thing that is either repellent and disgusting to some, or savory and delicious to others. Members of our extended family fall into both camps. We love them and I only make them for special holidays and the Super Bowl. My parents love them and every gift list they always put down that they want those "yummy salty crackers". The oiliness soaks in over time. I use canola oil so they are sort of healthy, right?
This recipe is from the Food Network, but I'm going to write it up here for you. If you can't find cheese Ritz Bits, I think you can substitute oyster crackers:
Herbed Cheese and Cracker Bits
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
2 (9 1/2-ounce) boxes cheese crackers (recommended: Ritz Cheese Bits, not peanut butter flavor)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (1-ounce) package salad dressing mix (recommended: Hidden Valley Original Ranch)
1 heaping tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
Place the crackers in a large sealable freezer container. In a bowl, mix the oil, salad dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, and celery salt. Pour this mixture over the crackers, cover the container, and invert it to coat the crackers with seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the container every so often to keep the crackers coated. Let the mixture come to room temperature before serving. Store in the covered container in refrigerator.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondly, I went into granola production. My Dad gets the largest container of it. It makes the house smell like delicious cinnamon and vanilla. Although there are a lot of ingedients in granola, it is not difficult to make. It keeps for a long time and makes a great gift. Seriously, I think the key to granola is being generous with the nuts. I'd say I put in like 3 cups of various types. This batch has almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts.
Susie’s Granola
Part 1
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar ( I prefer dark)
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey (Also try maple syrup as a sweetener)
2 T. cinnamon
2 T. vanilla (add when removed from heat)
--------
Part 2 (Approximate measurements)
5 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant or quick cooking)
1 cup wheat germ (or ground flaxseed or both)
1 cup salted sunflower seed kernals
1 cup (or 2 or 3cups) chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews) more = better
Also add whole grain cereals as available. I like All Bran or Fiber one
--------------
Part 3
2 cups or more dried fruit as desired (cranberries, raisins, cherries, dates, apricots, bananas, apples)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In your very biggest mixing bowl, stir together cereals and nuts.
Heat liquids with cinnamon until hot and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly. Spread in large baking pan or jelly roll pan. You might need to use 2 pans. Cook at 325 for 40 - 50 minutes stirring every 10 minutes until nicely toasted. (Cooking time depends on amount of mixture and type of pan used) Don’t overbrown or the flavor will be off!
Remove from oven and add dried fruit. Stir as it cools to break up clumps. Mixture hardens as it cools. Sometime during the cooling process I transfer the mixture back into the very large mixing bowl because it is less messy to stir this.
Store in an airtight container. It can also be stored in the freezer. Eat with fruit and yogurt or as a healthy cereal. Yum!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Doughnuts and Rankin/Bass
Jelly doughnuts sounded like a better idea than they actually were. Oh well. I've always wanted to make them and now I have!
Overheard in the kitchen: "I hope I don't get one with the jelly in it..." I'll stick to regular doughnuts next time...or cream puffs... Those are easier and really delicious.
I'm feeling kind of badly that I'm not really crafting for gifts this year. I've done a few ornaments to give away, but other than that, I've given myself a pass this year. Fall was a bit heavy on the crafting for me with 2 craft shows and a couple of swaps to co-organize. I didn't even take the Handmade Pledge. I do handmade so much all year that I guess I need a pass this time. I also don't want to dictate to my loved ones that they have to do handmade if that isn't their thing. We always exchange treats and cookies and that definitely counts as handmade.
So this week they've been showing those Rankin/Bass Christmas specials on television. Maybe we have the writer's strike to thank for this nostalgic programming. When I was a young kid in the 1970s, when these television specials aired every kids watched them and talked about them at school the next day. My own children don't seem to be as excited about them, but here is my favorite scene from "A Year Without a Santa Claus". I honestly used to cry at the end of Frosty the Snowman when he melted away. My dad reassured me: "Don't be sad, Susie. He'll be back again someday."
I need to add this song to our holiday song sheets. Maybe we are total geeks, but Christmas Eve, we sit under the tree and sing all the Christmas Carols we know. My parents and their friends are church choir people and its something of a tradition. The singing of my totally tone deaf, rhythm impaired husband is officially "charming".
Overheard in the kitchen: "I hope I don't get one with the jelly in it..." I'll stick to regular doughnuts next time...or cream puffs... Those are easier and really delicious.
I'm feeling kind of badly that I'm not really crafting for gifts this year. I've done a few ornaments to give away, but other than that, I've given myself a pass this year. Fall was a bit heavy on the crafting for me with 2 craft shows and a couple of swaps to co-organize. I didn't even take the Handmade Pledge. I do handmade so much all year that I guess I need a pass this time. I also don't want to dictate to my loved ones that they have to do handmade if that isn't their thing. We always exchange treats and cookies and that definitely counts as handmade.
So this week they've been showing those Rankin/Bass Christmas specials on television. Maybe we have the writer's strike to thank for this nostalgic programming. When I was a young kid in the 1970s, when these television specials aired every kids watched them and talked about them at school the next day. My own children don't seem to be as excited about them, but here is my favorite scene from "A Year Without a Santa Claus". I honestly used to cry at the end of Frosty the Snowman when he melted away. My dad reassured me: "Don't be sad, Susie. He'll be back again someday."
I need to add this song to our holiday song sheets. Maybe we are total geeks, but Christmas Eve, we sit under the tree and sing all the Christmas Carols we know. My parents and their friends are church choir people and its something of a tradition. The singing of my totally tone deaf, rhythm impaired husband is officially "charming".
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Winter is here!
Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends and readers! I hope to make jelly doughnuts today to celebrate. I used up all the potatoes over the weekend making latkes, which make my family swoon with joy.
We have a glorious snow here in Chicagoland today. It's been snowing all night long and we have about 6-8 inches of really light fluffy stuff that is still coming down. I don't live in a particularly rural area, so the kids still had school. Today we learned that neither of their boots fit, although the snowpants are fine. I promised to go out today and find the right sized boots. I am a procrastinator about stuff like that...
Witness the scene in the backyard. It's all white and still, and if I feel like lounging in it, we still have the hammock out. Indeed, I neglected to pick up the cushions from the patio furniture, so if we want to have a picnic, we can still do that too...
I do love the snow. We lived for a few years as transplanted midwesterners in San Antonio, Texas. We recall that period of our life as an adventure, but man, the weather stinks in San Antonio. It's hot practically all the time. We left there for West Michigan and when it started snowing the first time, we thought we were in heaven. Summers there felt like air conditioning compared to the Texas heat.
I get little butterflies of excitement about the snow. It's a beautiful blanket of quiet and the light seems to come from all around. I even like shoveling it, since thank goodness we have a short driveway, and I need the exercise. I can of course be thrilled about the snow since any driving I do will be optional. I hope the kids get to play outside at school. It can be pretty hard to get anything done when all the kids can think about is the novelty of new fluffy stuff outside.
SInce it's that time of year, I have to post this song which everyone has seen, but it's still fun:
We have a glorious snow here in Chicagoland today. It's been snowing all night long and we have about 6-8 inches of really light fluffy stuff that is still coming down. I don't live in a particularly rural area, so the kids still had school. Today we learned that neither of their boots fit, although the snowpants are fine. I promised to go out today and find the right sized boots. I am a procrastinator about stuff like that...
Witness the scene in the backyard. It's all white and still, and if I feel like lounging in it, we still have the hammock out. Indeed, I neglected to pick up the cushions from the patio furniture, so if we want to have a picnic, we can still do that too...
I do love the snow. We lived for a few years as transplanted midwesterners in San Antonio, Texas. We recall that period of our life as an adventure, but man, the weather stinks in San Antonio. It's hot practically all the time. We left there for West Michigan and when it started snowing the first time, we thought we were in heaven. Summers there felt like air conditioning compared to the Texas heat.
I get little butterflies of excitement about the snow. It's a beautiful blanket of quiet and the light seems to come from all around. I even like shoveling it, since thank goodness we have a short driveway, and I need the exercise. I can of course be thrilled about the snow since any driving I do will be optional. I hope the kids get to play outside at school. It can be pretty hard to get anything done when all the kids can think about is the novelty of new fluffy stuff outside.
SInce it's that time of year, I have to post this song which everyone has seen, but it's still fun:
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Work Areas
I can't possibly be the only person who is fascinated with the way that people organize their work areas.
This is my beside craft area. It was actually my husband's suggestion to get the basket shelving available at Ikea and use those in this area for storage. I like to work here, because it is really comfortable and the lighting is excellent during the day when I've got the house to myself. If you are highly motivated, you can click on the photo to see the version where I labeled all the areas and drawers.
I tuck my embroidery floss bin under the bed and have 2 drawers for wool/rayon blended felt, 3 drawers for yarns, organized by fiber type, and 2 drawers for miscellaneous storage of little patterns, beads, glues, google eyes and stuff like that. Acrylic felt is banished to a less convenient cabinet across the room. I'm trying to get my husband to agree that we should get a set of dressers for this room. We have plenty of closet space for our clothes, but think of the craft storage possibilities!
Here is the bin I use for my floss. It is organized by color in 2 organizer bins I found at Ikea. There is room on the bottom for my hoops and embroidery needle storage. I've tried them, but I don't like using those wind up bobbins. I prefer to keep my floss in their paper sleeves.
This is my sewing area, also known as the dining room. My husband has to shove aside my projects to use this area as his office if he gets home early from work. The lighting makes it look dreary, but really that is a pleasant window and the light is usually good. I didn't photograph it, but my 7-year old daughter also has a work table of her own in this area where she colors, cuts, and glues her special projects.
I didn't photograph the basement where I have all of my fabric stash. I'd prefer to have just one work area, but I guess this set up allows me to be part of the family instead of hidden away in a glorious craft studio.
Here is my wonderful, fantastic sewing machine. She's a Husqvarna Viking Lily 550 and is about 9 years old, I think. She has a bunch of computerized stitches I never use. She works like a dream!
We purchased her the one year that my husband got a really good bonus. The company wasn't used to people actually earning the bonuses, so they restructured the system and employees earned useless company shares instead of cash. We saved carefully and used the rest of the small windfall for my graduate school degree, and occupational and speech therapy for our toddler-aged son.
We've been flirting with the idea of purchasing a bigger house, but there really are many advantages of being a family in a smaller space. This house is bigger than our first house and WAY bigger than the 2 bedroom home where my grandparents raised 5 happy children. My dad and his 2 brothers had to get roll away beds out to sleep in their living room every night. Our children have their own rooms and we seem to negotiate our shared spaces well.
We decided to finish our basement, stay more organized, and spend some of the money we'll save keeping our current mortgage on a bi-weekly cleaning service and the kid's college fund.
This is my beside craft area. It was actually my husband's suggestion to get the basket shelving available at Ikea and use those in this area for storage. I like to work here, because it is really comfortable and the lighting is excellent during the day when I've got the house to myself. If you are highly motivated, you can click on the photo to see the version where I labeled all the areas and drawers.
I tuck my embroidery floss bin under the bed and have 2 drawers for wool/rayon blended felt, 3 drawers for yarns, organized by fiber type, and 2 drawers for miscellaneous storage of little patterns, beads, glues, google eyes and stuff like that. Acrylic felt is banished to a less convenient cabinet across the room. I'm trying to get my husband to agree that we should get a set of dressers for this room. We have plenty of closet space for our clothes, but think of the craft storage possibilities!
Here is the bin I use for my floss. It is organized by color in 2 organizer bins I found at Ikea. There is room on the bottom for my hoops and embroidery needle storage. I've tried them, but I don't like using those wind up bobbins. I prefer to keep my floss in their paper sleeves.
This is my sewing area, also known as the dining room. My husband has to shove aside my projects to use this area as his office if he gets home early from work. The lighting makes it look dreary, but really that is a pleasant window and the light is usually good. I didn't photograph it, but my 7-year old daughter also has a work table of her own in this area where she colors, cuts, and glues her special projects.
I didn't photograph the basement where I have all of my fabric stash. I'd prefer to have just one work area, but I guess this set up allows me to be part of the family instead of hidden away in a glorious craft studio.
Here is my wonderful, fantastic sewing machine. She's a Husqvarna Viking Lily 550 and is about 9 years old, I think. She has a bunch of computerized stitches I never use. She works like a dream!
We purchased her the one year that my husband got a really good bonus. The company wasn't used to people actually earning the bonuses, so they restructured the system and employees earned useless company shares instead of cash. We saved carefully and used the rest of the small windfall for my graduate school degree, and occupational and speech therapy for our toddler-aged son.
We've been flirting with the idea of purchasing a bigger house, but there really are many advantages of being a family in a smaller space. This house is bigger than our first house and WAY bigger than the 2 bedroom home where my grandparents raised 5 happy children. My dad and his 2 brothers had to get roll away beds out to sleep in their living room every night. Our children have their own rooms and we seem to negotiate our shared spaces well.
We decided to finish our basement, stay more organized, and spend some of the money we'll save keeping our current mortgage on a bi-weekly cleaning service and the kid's college fund.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Real Vintage Tea Towels
I still haven't figured out the settings on my camera. I went through my vintage linens drawer to photograph my tea towel collection. I LOVE these things.
First, These Days of the Week towels were done by my Grandma N:
She also did these adorable Sunbonnet girls. Up in the closet, Ihave a Sunbonnet Girl quilt stitched for me by my other Grandma McK.
I can't show vintage family embroidery without telling this tragic story. My dear mother-in-law was visiting us and we were talking about how great it feels to clear out the closets and give away things we never use. She said she finally, just the week before, gave the never-been-used days of the week tea towels stitched by her grandmother for her wedding day to the fundraiser rummage sale at the Basilica in Minneapolis. I couldn't temper my reaction. "You did WHAT? I collect those!" I would cherish something made by my daughter's great-great grandmother for her grandmother's wedding day... Dear Nana, mortified, went white and as soon as she got home, she tried to rescue them. Alas... I hope they raised lots of money for the poor! All is forgiven, Nana.. I'll stitch my own tea towels instead. Now I get all the handstitched family things.
Back to the towels. This adorable set was a gift from my Mom who knows exactly the sort of things I like. There is lots of cute blanket stitching on them. There must be 3 or 4 more towels in the pattern set, but this came with only these three:
Four actually, this one was with them and the fabric is a similar super soft linen:
I'm pretty sure these also were a Christmas gift from my Mom. I love the clumsy girl here. My Grandma N used to brag that she never ever broke anything her entire life. Dear Grandma... that is totally preposterous. Mom and I would always chuckle a little about this assertion.
Mom stitched these (or maybe Grandma N) I remember them, we had them out for years when I was a child:
Here's a detail. The vegetables are all cross-stitched:
This one is another family one. Mom used it for years before retiring it to the keepsake drawer. I love the use of rick-rack. It has a big yellow splotch right above the motif, unfortunately.
These are less interesting, but I did them when I was a teenager. We always visited my Grandparents in Iowa over Thanksgivings. Saturday after the feast was the day I'd do crafty things with my Grandma N. (Friday was shopping day with my Mom. I don't know what the guys did...) This particular year, Grandma taught me stenciling and I went crazy with it. I very quickly ran out of tea towels and raided my dad and brother's suitcases. My brother got a big elaborate stenciled Christmas Goose on his tidy whities and my dad got a little moon.
Finally, someone in the family is going to have to help me remember where these are from. They are possibly from an antique mall...
First, These Days of the Week towels were done by my Grandma N:
She also did these adorable Sunbonnet girls. Up in the closet, Ihave a Sunbonnet Girl quilt stitched for me by my other Grandma McK.
I can't show vintage family embroidery without telling this tragic story. My dear mother-in-law was visiting us and we were talking about how great it feels to clear out the closets and give away things we never use. She said she finally, just the week before, gave the never-been-used days of the week tea towels stitched by her grandmother for her wedding day to the fundraiser rummage sale at the Basilica in Minneapolis. I couldn't temper my reaction. "You did WHAT? I collect those!" I would cherish something made by my daughter's great-great grandmother for her grandmother's wedding day... Dear Nana, mortified, went white and as soon as she got home, she tried to rescue them. Alas... I hope they raised lots of money for the poor! All is forgiven, Nana.. I'll stitch my own tea towels instead. Now I get all the handstitched family things.
Back to the towels. This adorable set was a gift from my Mom who knows exactly the sort of things I like. There is lots of cute blanket stitching on them. There must be 3 or 4 more towels in the pattern set, but this came with only these three:
Four actually, this one was with them and the fabric is a similar super soft linen:
I'm pretty sure these also were a Christmas gift from my Mom. I love the clumsy girl here. My Grandma N used to brag that she never ever broke anything her entire life. Dear Grandma... that is totally preposterous. Mom and I would always chuckle a little about this assertion.
Mom stitched these (or maybe Grandma N) I remember them, we had them out for years when I was a child:
Here's a detail. The vegetables are all cross-stitched:
This one is another family one. Mom used it for years before retiring it to the keepsake drawer. I love the use of rick-rack. It has a big yellow splotch right above the motif, unfortunately.
These are less interesting, but I did them when I was a teenager. We always visited my Grandparents in Iowa over Thanksgivings. Saturday after the feast was the day I'd do crafty things with my Grandma N. (Friday was shopping day with my Mom. I don't know what the guys did...) This particular year, Grandma taught me stenciling and I went crazy with it. I very quickly ran out of tea towels and raided my dad and brother's suitcases. My brother got a big elaborate stenciled Christmas Goose on his tidy whities and my dad got a little moon.
Finally, someone in the family is going to have to help me remember where these are from. They are possibly from an antique mall...
Saturday, December 1, 2007
December 1
It's snowing and the weather is appropriately cozy for this time of year. I sent my kids out in their snowpants to clean up their toys from the yard (yes we are procrastinators, and a little bit messy...)
Happy Birthday to our beloved Nana!
Here's the garland that I made from the pattern by Jenny B. If we had a mantle, I'd hang it from there, but this ledge is where our advent wreath will go and the staircase ledge is where the stockings hang. Our house is one where Santa has to come in the front door...
I used a variety of vintage style red buttons on the little pouches. Now I'm making the little fabric trees posted at The Small Object. So cute, but I have to go down into the depths of the basement to get the best fabric combinations from my stash.
The maid service cost a small fortune. Such a luxury! It was money well spent and I'm really in the Christmas Spirit now.
Happy Birthday to our beloved Nana!
Here's the garland that I made from the pattern by Jenny B. If we had a mantle, I'd hang it from there, but this ledge is where our advent wreath will go and the staircase ledge is where the stockings hang. Our house is one where Santa has to come in the front door...
I used a variety of vintage style red buttons on the little pouches. Now I'm making the little fabric trees posted at The Small Object. So cute, but I have to go down into the depths of the basement to get the best fabric combinations from my stash.
The maid service cost a small fortune. Such a luxury! It was money well spent and I'm really in the Christmas Spirit now.
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