I’m proud to announce the Beedle The Bard Paper Piecing Design Challenge that will be taking place from today, May 20 until June 23, 2009 on my Livejournal Community, hp_paperpiecing.
Go read all about it and see the FANTASTIC prizes!
I hope to see you there!
Talk to me!
Mmmm, pizza!
With the changing economy, ordering pizza for a family of four has been out for quite a while. What to do, what to do? Well, make our own damn pizza!
Since I started making my own pizza, pizza family night has become a tradition every Friday. We watch t.v., eat pizza, and just laugh and talk together. Pizza night makes the world go round!
This is my own recipe for pizza dough, made to satisfy that pizza craving without crashing my wallet.
Make Your Own Damn Pizza (Crust!)
Hint: Use a stand mixer if you’ve got it! You can also do this by hand, it just takes a little longer.
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl). Mix wet ingredients together, adding slowly to the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Slowly add additional flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky. (It usually takes me about 1/2 c.)
Knead for approximately 5 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook in a stand mixer).
Allow to rest for about 1 hour or until double in size.
Punch down and split in half, forming two balls of dough. Allow to rest while preheating oven and preparing pizza pans or baking sheets.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Oil two round pizza pans (12 – 15″) or baking sheets with olive oil. Using your hands, slowly stretch one ball of dough to cover pan.
Just keep working with it and it will eventually cover the pan. It will shrink a little after you stop working with it, but that’s okay. As you’ll see in the “after” photo, the pizza will plump right up to the edges! Repeat for the second pan.
Add toppings of your choice. I recommend 3 tablespoons of Exquisite Pizza Sauce or sauce of your choice.
Mozzarella and feta with pepperoni or Canadian bacon are my favorites!
Cook for 18 – 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Optional: for a crispier crust, remove pizza from pan and cook directly on the oven rack for the last 5 minutes OR cook the pizzas on a pizza stone.
Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Makes enough for 2 12-15″ pizzas, which serves four nicely. Enjoy!
All told, and depending on toppings, it costs between $8 and $10 to make two fresh-from-the-oven pizzas!
Add your Sewhooked photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!
Deep in the wilds of my backyard lives the ferocious Quiltus Turtleus, called Turkle by his friends.
His markings are wholly unique and set him apart from all other Quiltus Turtleus.
A canny camera person can get quite close to Turkle, just watch out for the super massively strong jaws!
Quiltus Turtleus are known for their pointy and exceptionally cute tails.
When forced to show his belly, Turkle will display a fierce purple leopard print, frighting off predators for fear of a badly dressed…oops, this a “G” rated blog!
Ancestry of the Quiltus Turtleus, decended from the Quiltus Buttericktus Family.
Happy crafting!
I love making bread, any kind of bread. Yeast bread, savory or sweet quick breads. ANY bread. It makes my house smell like home and feeds my family.
This Applesauce Raisin Bread is slightly sweet and is lovely toasted with butter. Enjoy it as a desert or with your coffee.
I think I’ll have another piece right now!
Applesauce Raisin Bread
Preheat oven to 350°
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in spices, sugar, raisins and oatmeal. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs with vegetable oil and applesauce. Add to dry ingredients and stir until moist, being careful to not over-stir.
Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool for at least 1/2 an hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post.
Talk to me!
One of the most constant requests I’ve had over the years is for a video tutorial showing how I design paper pieced patterns.
Putting together a pattern is a step by step process, but designing is not. It’s artistic and intuitive. Even so, there are some basic techniques that stay the same every time you start a new pattern.
The absolute best advice I can give you is practice, practice, practice!
This is how I do it. In the next two videos, I’ll walk you through, step-by-step, my own process. Both videos are real time.
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
If you make any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.
Happy crafting!
Rice.
It should be one of the easiest things in the world to make. And it is, really. Mainly, because I’ve started cooking it in the microwave.
Seriously! It works brilliantly and you can tweak the rice to go with whatever you like.
Rice In The Box
Add all ingredients to a round casserole dish with a lid. If you don’t have a round casserole, you can use a flat-bottomed round vessel with plastic wrap on top. Poke holes in the plastic for venting.
Microwave for 5 minutes on high, then 15 minutes on 50%. Leave the rice in the microwave for at least five minutes. Remove the lid carefully – there will be steam, so be careful.
Fluff with a fork or spoon and serve!
Variations:
Use chicken, beef or veggie broth instead of water, reduce salt to 1/4 tsp.
Add to cooked chicken
top with veggies or sauce
Use rice cooked with water for Rice Pudding!
My Mom’s Rice Pudding
Instructions: Boil rice and milk over low heat, stirring often so you don’t scorch the milk. Slowly add eggs, sugar and vanilla, stirring constantly. * Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole. Mix spices and sprinkle on top. Place dish into a larger pan containing ½” water.
Bake 35 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees (F) or until knife inserted near edge comes out clean.
*optional – you can skip the oven and continue to cook until it’s a thick consistency. It gives the pudding a slightly different texture, but it’s still delicious!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post.
Holy geek-out, Batman, the new Star Trek movie comes out this weekend!
Star Trek is my first fandom. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I have very clear memories of being a child and seeing the Wrath of Khan at a drive-in theater. I was 9.
How big is my ST love? My first website, built back in 1996, was Star Trek themed. I told you, I’m a BIG geek, and proud of it! Fandom is such a fun thing to be a part of and I’m excited to post this Starfleet Symbol pattern in honor of the new movie. Go, enjoy, geek out!
Find this and loads more free paper pieced patterns archived on sewhooked.
Check out my Star Trek crafts flickr group. (As though you needed more proof of my supreme geekiness!)
If you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.
Happy crafting!
Now it’s your turn!
Sewhooked 