A Bookworm Creates

Two blog posts in one week...I know, right?  Part One I've decided to take on a new challenge: marketing myself.  To be exact marketing what I create in order to sell some of the physical products.  Check out the FB and Etsy links in the navigation bar on the right.  I've linked everything together.  It made sense.  Maybe it'll make me actually post on Recipe Thursdays.  Create more and post the how to's and what nots.  Here's hoping that when subbing picks up I don't let things falter.  Here's hoping that this Etsy shop reboot has better results than the first time. Yes, I create.  I create a lot.  I suspect that I have a little bit of ADD.  Yarn. Jewelry. Food.  And now polymer clay.  Oh, and the lesson plans, but that is a bit stagnant as teacher position hunting isn't going very well.   It is October, but I still have to pay the bills.  I'm also feeling like I'm just typing for myself.  It...

My Mama's Chicken and Dumplin's A partial photo tutorial (because sometimes I'm lazy). 1. Gather ingredients 2. Cook the chicken. This might take a while. When finished cooking remove chicken from the pot. Tear or chop. Add chicken bullion or poultry seasoning (best option) to the broth. 3. Mix the dry ingredients together for the dumplings. Slowly add the canned chicken broth or 2 cups of broth from the cooking pot after the chicken is cooked and removed from the pot. Mix well. It should be the consistency of a biscuit dough.   4. Flour the board, counter, or whatever surfaces that you'll be using. Flour your rolling pin too. 5. Dump your dough on the board, knead a little to cost with flour. Make certain that there is enough for still on the board. Roll flat and about an 1/8th an inch thick; it will of up while cooking. Cut into strips about 1.5 inches thick and either square or rectangular in length. 6. Make certain that the p...

One Pot Wonders! My turn to cook dinner rolled around again and I had been searching Pinterest for ideas. No...don't groan. This is NOT Pinterest inspired. This is a one dish meal and a variation on a standby classic. I wanted to limit the carbs and have something that would travel and reheat well for my sub job tomorrow. I call this: I forgot to grab the broccoli before the picture. One Pot Wonder Ingredients: Boneless chicken breasts (used 3) Chopped broccoli (1 bag, but Dad requested more afterwards) 1 smoked sausage Pasta of choice (penne) Sauce of choice (Alfredo) Directions: 1. Start the pasta water. Get it boiling. 2. Cut up the smoked sausage. We tend to pick it out of the meal so I cut the rounds in half. 3. Cut up the chicken into chunks. 4. Cook. The smoked sausage is already cooked, but cooking both brings out the flavor. Stir occasionally. 5. While this is cooking, cook the pasta. 6. About 6 minutes before the pasta is done add the broc...

Okay, maybe it is not really a collage as much as a bunch of scrapbook and cardstock paper laid out and taped to fit in a 12x12 frame. My favorite. I like this frame. It's an easy change frame where the glass pops out. (It's more stable than it appears.) That means you can create what ever design you want, insert a real collage, or your child's artwork! The bigger, wider, or longer the frame means more that can be done with it. The simplicity of the frame (black plastic) means that it will go with almost anything. Nobody will notice the tiny edging of plastic because they'll be looking at what ever it is you put inside it. I also like that all three of my designs fits in side between the glass and the backing. I wouldn't do more than 5 pieces though. Anyway, layout your papers, pictures, ticket stubs, programs, etc beforehand to make certain that it will fit neatly. Tape it down where the tape does not show. Maybe a thin layer of mod podge or puzzle glue,...

A friend asked me, "So, what happened to last week's blog?"  fabric, diy snaps, and snap tool It failed. Simple as that. By now it is quite apparent that I don't like posting the failures. That doesn't mean that I won't try again and I still have to figure out what to do with the fabric...bet that got somebody's attention.   What did I attempt? Another round for the pinterest chronicles: the Bina multi-purpose wrap. I think my gray knit will become a skirt. Or a shirt. Or a pillow...anybody else see where I'm going with this? For tonight there is the pleasure of a double post. This one and the one that follows, although posting makes things backwards. (After writing note: I wrote them both on my kindle, posted them in edit mode in the blogger, and posted them once I had the photos downloaded onto my laptop. I decided to post them in reverse order.) Mom and Dad had seconds! Pinterest, it's what's for dinner. Just...

Potatoes Just simply potatoes. Fresh out of the oven.                                   This is the my result. -> There is quite a difference between the two, but this is what happens when you are given limited instructions (I could only find the ingredients). My oven was busy with the broccoli and chicken bread (previous post - tonight's part 1) so I thought I'd do some stove top cooking and then put it in the oven. The desired results might not have occurred, but they were good regardless. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter Garlic (I used garlic powder) 2 cups Chicken broth (enough to cover the potatoes) New potatoes (I used 2 cans, drained) The steps: 1. Bring butter, garlic, and broth to a boil 2. Add potatoes and let cook 3. Remove liquid (save it...it's flavored broth. Us...

As I wait impatiently for the latest installation of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( www.lizziebennet.com is the official website) web series (we are in literary climax mode and it is driving me crazy waiting for the posts) I thought that I would post this blog that I had written last night on my kindle and was able to copy and paste before getting on the laptop for the recommended pics.  Oh, it's up....false alarm...anyway, The LBD is a you tube web series using Pride and Prejudice as its primary focus.  It centers around 24 year old grad student, Lizzie Bennet, and her 2 sisters (Jane and Lydia - Mary is a cousin and Kitty is a...cat).  It's awesome. And so was the most recent video.  Of course, my closest friends know how I am about Pride and Prejudice . Regardless, here is what I wrote last night.  Late last night.  There might be typos... Yes I'm well aware what this horrible day is: Valentine's day. I think there is actually a St. Right before that.....