How-To: Ballerina Sweater

Finished product!

In continuing with the updating of my wardrobe for $0, I decided to make a quick alteration before heading out today. This sweater is a beautiful color and I love the pattern, but the length was super awkward. It was kind of regular length, but not as long as any of my shirts, making my somewhat long torso look stocky. Not cool, sweater.

How-To:
1) Put on the sweater. Look in the mirror and note how much you want to crop.
2) Cut half an inch LESS than you want to trim off (allows for a seam). Err on the side of cutting too little off. You can always make it shorter if the sweater is still an awkward length.

3) Sew a very thin seam along the bottom edge using a ZIG ZAG stitch. This is important so the bottom hem doesn't get stretched out.

4) Try on the sweater. Chances are it's going to look a little funny... too loose around the bottom part. If it does, take in the sides and sew two darts in the back. Make sure to space them evenly:

 5) Trim threads, try on, and adjust anything that looks funny.

Quick Wardrobe Fixes

Not my closet. I wish!!!

I've had the urge to update my wardrobe this week. But my bank account does not have that same urge. So last night I did a multi-closet purge. Every closet, cabinet, wardrobe, shelf and drawer. I decided to pitch everything I don't feel GREAT in. Why would I keep clothing that makes me feel too old, too young, or unattractive? Why do I own it in the first place?

Eliminating clothing doesn't really update anything, does it? So here's what I did...

Exhibit A:
Sweater/shirt that screams "preschool teacher!"

  Snip, snip, whirrr. Off come the sleeves and hems go into the arm holes. Result:

Now I just need a nice button-down to wear under it.

Exhibit B: Flowy dress that is awkwardly stuck between here and the 70s.

Snip, snip, whirrr. Cut four inches off the oversized ruffle and hem. Welcome to 2011, sundress.

Sparkling Lemon Cocktail

My parents have an overachieving lemon tree. Despite it hovering around freezing most nights the past few weeks, this little lemon-tree-that-could has borne over 200 lemons. I kid you not. What the heck am I going to do with 200 lemons? After unloading as many as I could onto friends and coworkers, I had to acknowledge the lemon problem. Get ready, friends. Lemon recipes all over this blog.

It so happens that Cooking Light chose to do a spotlight on meyer lemons this month. Coincidence? I think not.

Taken from their March issue:

• 1  cup  water
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1  rosemary sprig
• 1  cup  fresh Meyer lemon juice, chilled
• 1/3  cup  chilled vodka
• 2  cups  chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled

The rosemary sprig really is key! Such a wonderful addition to an already awesome cocktail. 

Maple Muffins

Sometimes my students get tired of our usual snack rotation. This spontaneous culinary adventure was a big hit with the little ones and the staff members who ate every leftover crumb.

Below I have cut down the sugar from the original recipe, which was so sweet it bordered on cupcakes. Delicious, but I'm hesitant to pump little ones full of sweets.

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (or substitute)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1) Make your buttermilk substitute: one cup yogurt or milk (or almond milk) and one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. 

2) Line a muffin tin with muffin cups.

3) Combine flour, oats, spices, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

4) Whisk buttermilk, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. 

 

5) Add to dry ingredients and stir just to incorporate (do not overmix).

6) Divide batter equally among muffin cups. 

7) Bake until muffins are a beautiful golden brown and tester inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 28 minutes.

Apple Pancake

I'm back!

I made this easy, delicious dish for friends last weekend. Sharing the wealth!

• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2 apples
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 T lemon juice (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners sugar for dusting

1) Preheat over to 400.

2) Slice apples and saute with butter in an oven-safe pan over medium heat.

3) Prepare your pancake batter: milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt.

4) Squeeze lemon juice over apples. Add sugar. Allow to cook for a minute more or so, until apples are tender.

 5) Turn off burner and pour pancake batter over apples.

 6) Bake in pan at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.

 7) Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. Yum!

Deep Clean: The Laundry Room

Someday I will have a laundry room as awesome as the one above. But until then, I'll be grateful for the closet with a stackable washer-dryer I have.

Weekly and even monthly cleaning plans don't usually include the laundry room. If you're lucky enough to have a laundry room, even a small one, or a closet with a stackable, take good care of it!

The Washer:
Run white vinegar through the washer. This will sanitize the inside and clear away soap scum.

The Dryer:
Empty the lint trap. Wipe off fuzz with a used fabric-softener sheet.
Vacuum the inside of your lint trap area. 
Wipe the interior walls of the dryer. Use a cloth dampened with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Scrub any linty residue around the trap opening with an old toothbrush, if necessary.

All Appliances: Wipe down the outside of each appliance. Clean the fronts, sides, and tops using Homemade Natural Cleaning Products.

The Floor:
Run a dust mop underneath the washer and the dryer, if it fits. Airborne lint can get kicked underneath the appliances. Then wipe with cleaning solution.

The Dryer Hose:
Run an extendable duster around the inside of the dryer hose, if you have access to it. Or vacuum it with a crevice attachment. Either method will clear away the lint that accumulates on the walls of the hose.

The Backs of the Washer and Dryer:
Clean behind the appliances. If you have a stackable, I would not attempt to move it. On a low setting, with a brush attachment, vacuum the backs of the washing machine and the dryer and the flooring underneath. To reach behind the units, move the machines using appliance wheels or casters (available at hardware stores). Be careful not to stretch the dryer hose. If the hose looks too short, disconnect it first.

The Vents:
Using a brush attachment, vacuum the vents on a high setting. Wipe the vents’ grates with a damp cloth.

Pattern-less Favorite PJ Pants

In real life, these pants do not look like they walked out of the 60s. Something about the camera flash makes them look psychedelic purple.

If you're like me, you have a pair of PJ pants that fits just right. You love these PJs, but alas, they are wearing a little thin. You wish you had another pair. Good news! With very basic sewing skills, you can make a pair just like them.

Prep:
A) First, purchase 1.25 yards of comfy, comfy fabric and one yard of 1-inch elastic. Micro-fleece is wonderful, cozy and very forgiving for the novice seamstress.  Other fabrics work great too. Try not to get something too stretchy if you're just learning, as that can be difficult to maneuver as you're learning the ropes.

B) Get that favorite pair of PJ pants. Turn one leg inside out, and tuck the other leg inside it so it looks like this:

C)  The fabric you bought is probably folded. Fold it into half again, creating 4 layers of fabric.
D) Place your existing pants on the large folded edge of your fabric. Be sure not to place it on the side with raw edges.
E) Cut out two shapes that look just like your pant leg, but leave about 3/4 inch extra down the side, 2.5 inches extra at the top, and 1.5 inches extra at the bottom. This way your new pants won't be too small after you sew the seams. The pieces will look like this:

 Now you are ready to sew! Start your machine engine.

1)  First, roll a nice 3/4 inch hem at the bottom of each pant leg. Sew it. If you are using fleece, use a wide zig-zag or honeycomb stitch so the fabric is still stretchy at the hems.

2) Sew the inseam of each pant leg up to the crotch, again with zig-zag or honeycomb stitch. Make sure to start sewing from the ankle end, so it looks nice and crisp like this:

3) Place the two pant legs together. Using zigzag or honeycomb stitch, sew them together from the top front through the crotch to the top back. Make sure you are sewing them so the inseam can't be seen when finished! If using fleece, overlap one edge over the other and use a zigzag stitch over top of one raw edge.

Trim off other raw edge if using fleece.
4) Create an elastic casing by making a seem that is 1.5 inches wide. Leave an open hole of at least 2 inches to insert elastic.

5) Wrap the elastic you bought around your belt line so it is snug but comfortable. Add 3/4 of an inch to that measurement and cut.
6) Pin one end of the elastic to the center front. Attach a large safety pin to the other end. Use the closed safety pin to feed elastic through hole and around waist of pants.

7) When elastic has been fed all the way around, overlap edges of elastic and stitch together, reinforcing at least once. Make sure the elastic isn't twisted inside the casing.

8) Sew the hole in the waistband closed.
9) You're done!