My sister recently sent me an e-mail list of wonderful uses for COFFEE FILTERS....

This led me to Google images and come across this fun crafting idea.

This coffee filter garland is an idea from Pam Garrison's craft blog. I love the look...now for more uses for coffee filters, read on....the e-mail from my sister:

The wonders of coffee filters: Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive... Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing (stabilizer). Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds> inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO

One more amazing use by a lovely young prom dress designer.....

Aimee Kick made her prom dress entirely out of coffee filters! Isn't it lovely!

It's all in a day off!!!!

I have had a wonderful day....going to my yoga class, getting mushroom compost on the garden beds, doing laundry and finally doing some ART!!

These are collage pages from a round robin canvas art journal which some of us are doing. [Go to my collage blog to see more about this round robin.] The theme of the round robin is ART SAVES. I've done the first pages and cover for my journal. Now it will travel for awhile then come home to me full of fun, lovely, inspiring pages done by others!

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To keep me going while doing all of this, I was looking forward to having a piece of this Raspberry Polenta Cake from the current [April/May] issue of Hobby Farm Home. The article is about baking in cast iron skillets. It was fun to do. So, we ate a piece or two and the rest is either in the freezer or going to work with me tomorrow to share!

YUMMMM!

It's all in a day's work.....

This gardener's bucket tote is the project of the month I will be teaching this Saturday! Making it was my "day's work" at the shop!

The pattern is in the current issue of QUILT magazine. Using a 5 gallon bucket, it makes a very stable and portable organizer for garden tools, gloves, seed packets, sun glasses, water bottle and so forth.

I chose a drapery-weight, large floral fabric for the background and used co-ordinating striped fabric and green leafy fabrics for the pockets and trim. [Thank-you Macrina, for the bundle of fabrics, some of which are used here!]
I also made a matching smaller tote using a 5 quart bucket.


These instructions are on-line at QUILT magazine's website.

Now I have one of those "day's off" tomorrow...yeah!

A warm Sunday in March, we make a fresh start in the garden...


My art journal from a few days ago. Today the weather was perfect and we were both home from work so we got busy! I started by planting a few herb seeds in potting soil in egg cartons.

Then out the back door to see the remains of last year's "lasagna" garden..

We raked and cleaned for awhile.

Before too long, the surface was cleared of debris and little green weeds. I planted what cool weather veggie seeds I had on hand, beets, turnips and spinach. I don't know if any of these will take off. If they don't flourish, I will replant this with herbs and flowers!

We started a second bed hoping it will have more sun this summer and vegetables will be happy there. Here I am watering down the thick layer of newspapers which is the first layer of a layered "lasagna" garden! It is a windy March day so I am using small rocks to help keep the papers from blowing.

After the newspapers, I added a layer of straw, and brought in topsoil (see below). As soon as the low walls of boards, or whatever go up around this more layers will be added, peat moss, chopped leaves, compost, ashes from the fireplace, mushroom compost (purchased nearby).

In a few weeks, after danger of frost passes, we will buy our plants. I did find one beauty already, for the partial shade garden....this English daisy. She can go outdoors permanently in a few weeks!

I have to say that even if nothing grows very well, the fun of being out on a day like today is truly rewarding already!!!!!

Bits of color!

This is for Cheryl, who gave us the container full of onions etc. last year. The onions are up again and in front of them I planted one hyacinth (can you find it??? still pushing up!) and a dozen pansies.

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My colorful life also includes the progress made on the scrappy granny squares, someday this will be an afghan which may come in handy in keeping those heating bills down....next year.

We learned yesterday that our 25 year old furnace must be replaced..

More bits-- these are snippets of my yarn which I put outside for the birds, don't know if they will use them in nest building or not!

My pinched nerve (or whatever it is) pain in my neck, shoulder, back and arm has returned today :-( Can't figure out what brings it on...
Like ruts in a country road, pain seems to find habitual pathways;I need a way to set up some road blocks or detours, better yet, get that road smoothed out so good energy and health can flow freely!

Working at the computer makes it worse, it seems...and sewing machines too....off to rest now with a new novel...

My own "March Madness"!!!!

This free calendar page is a great visual of how I feel on this fourth day of March!

We have a great forecast, warmer, sunny, not too windy and I have the day off!

It is like an overload of energy and possibilities this morning!

Birds are busily preparing their nests, my house wrens arrived this week! Robins are everywhere....I am tempted to clean and tidy my own nest.

OR, I could make a batch of crepes to have on hand for coming meals....or even try making my own mozzarella. [Yesterday a customer commented to me that her next errand after out store was to pick up a cheese thermometer. I was intrigued and had never heard of such a thing. She told me that she makes her own mozzarella and that it "ONLY" takes 30 minutes. It was an interesting conversation, but I didn't think too much about it....THEN, while running my errands, getting seersucker fabric for more little rompers for my grandson, I browsed the magazines at Hancock Fabric...what should catch my eye but "Make Mozzarella in Minutes"!!! It was in a charming magazine called HOBBY FARM HOME.

I bought the magazine... seems you can also make ricotta from the whey as you do this....and ricotta with fruit would be wonderful in those crepes!] If I had another day off...like tomorrow too, I might just jump in and try!

OR there is the art/sewing studio downstairs, where I could collage, or paint birds,...

OR step out the door there into the garden area and start cleaning up and preparing for planting.

OR I could visit local thrift stores looking for a fun chair to recycle into an art piece for our local "CHAIR AFFAIR" an art auction evening which supports Life Styles a local organization which provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

I guess since there is a deadline coming on doing the chair, I could do that errand.... after the heating and air-conditoning workers come this morning, to do the seasonal check on our furnace and all. And of course, getting to yoga class....

OR maybe the best way to have a day off is just to relax and "piddle", take things as they come and NOT try to accomplish too much ????? Just breathe and BE.

Still baking....I take this to work and share!

I had pumpkin in the freezer from the pumpkins on my porch last fall. Tonight I have 2 kinds of pumpkin bread baking....one "Starbucks" pumpkin bread in the oven, almost done, and another yeast pumpkin bread in my bread machine. The bread machine should start working in the wee hours and have a loaf ready for our breakfast....not sweet and dense like the other one (the quick bread) but warm and good with butter and marmalade I bet!

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You see, I'm trying to clear out other seasons, and make way for spring!

We had very light snow flurries this morning...and daughter Laura, in Atlanta had snow today.

Towns in our state are just a few days away from their daffodil festival....can Spring be so close??? and daylight savings time coming sooner this year too.

Below is the quilt block I designed today for the class I teach. I am lucky to spend my "work" time on creative projects like this!

I see robins everywhere and know it is time to clean out and prepare the garden. I really enjoy thinking about all this....garden dreams....

Of course, using the spade is not my "thing", so it will be an above ground, layered, "lasagna" garden again!!!LOL!

Sunday baking again!

Sour Cream Dark Cherry Coffeecake
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup frozen dark cherries, thawed and drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Turbinado sugar (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-9-inch springform bundt pan.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Put in the vanilla and almond extracts. With an electric mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream, beating until smooth.
Spoon half of the batter into the bundt pan. Add cherries and half of the almonds. Spoon the remaining batter on top, then put the rest of the cherries and almonds and optional turbinado sugar on top.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

I'm making good progress on the Easter dress. The flounces at the bottom are now on. I had planned on making the underneath tier out of a coral cotton fabric, but once I found these butterflies, I knew they should be the choice! Fun!

AS I returned from my shopping for that fabric, yesterday, I didn't see a bent sharp tool lying in the road....immediately, my right rear tire began making a terrible k-thunk, k-thunk noise. I got to my parking place (where I work) and took a look. The handle of the tool was sticking out of my tire!

Hearing of my problem, our gallant sewing machine repair person, Jim, came out to my car and changed the tire. [yeah!!! Jim is getting a batch of cookies when I go back to work tomorrow!]

So, my day off this morning started with a trip to the tire center for the installation of a new tire. Thank goodness for road hazard coverage!!! I didn't have to pay for a new tire!

While I waited, I continued to read "THE HELP". It really is a good read, hard to put down..... so that's all I have done today; I just finished the book and can now start cooking dinner!

I hope to get around to visiting some of your blogs this evening!

Planning some sewing......

This fabric "Good Folks", a line by Anna Maria Horner, is going to become an Easter dress for our granddaughter, Lilia......if the sketch is approved by daughter, Laura.

It is a Simplicity pattern....I think a bit of black trim would set it off just right...we'll see what "mom" thinks...!!!!!

A day off from work!

I've done my errands, attended yoga class, watched a British mystery DVD (while crocheting a granny square or two!), tidied the house (it was even warm enough to leave the garage open and clean a bit out there), planned Easter sewing for the grandkids! I am now contemplating doing some art work with this bowl and pear. Maybe a watercolor, or at least a sketch for a 5x5 acrylic painting. I have some heat on down in the studio and hope to get down there soon!

I'm so thankful that I have a camera to capture this idea just in case I run out of painting time today! I even played a little in Adobe photoshop with "splatter" and "pastel strokes" just to see the "look" I could get... soft and fuzzy, that's what!

Down to the studio now....or I'll never make it!

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Later---I did find a few minutes for a watercolor sketch! Yeah!

Free and easy Valentine!

The February block for the quilt I am designing and teaching. Playful with free motion stitching and embellishment. Lots of textured and decorative threads, even metallic. It says "Love is all there is"

I got off early from work yesterday, and remembering the great hike we had last weekend, we headed out to walk the woods and streets of Eureka Springs before dark. It was not too cold. Mr. Pear took some photos, see the Victorian house below...the town is famous for many like this!

We had a lovely dinner at a pub there and drove home at dusk, or "in the gloaming" ....trees silhouetted against the darkening sky.

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Valentine's inevitably means dealing with sugar and sweets.....I saw this plate from British potter, Emma Bridgewater. Not only is it a pear, but it says, "Don't make pudding, have a pear and cheese". Great advice! However, I love to bake....and before the weekend was over I knew I would want to create a wonderful dessert.

To find a recipe, I went to Cornflower's blog...she has great baking ideas and well as knitting and books and scenes of Edinburgh, Scotland. There was a link to Nan's blog with a recipe for a sour cream chocolate cake.

I did have sour cream....SO...I modified the recipe, less sugar, made only half of the large sheet cake as there are only 2 of us (though I will share at work tomorrow too).

Mahogany Sour Cream Cake (Lila's lighter version)

Cream together 1/3 c. butter, 3/4 c. sugar, 1 LARGE egg, 1t. vanilla.

Add 1/4 c. cocoa, 1/4 c. water, 1/2 c. sour cream. Set aside.

In another bowl mix these dry ingredients:

7/8 c. flour, 3/4 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt,1/2 t. baking soda.

Fold into moist ingredients then pour batter into a 8X 8 pan (prepared with baking spray).
Bake 22-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool cake and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

My "frosting" today was mascarpone cheese slightly sweetened and spread on top of the cake.

Final touch, a dusting of cocoa!

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One last delicious Valentine idea.... Ricotta Pancakes from "The English Kitchen" blog.

[OH YES! THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL, with fruit on top!]

A wonderful weekend with two of our favorite people!

Our daughter-in-law, Mary was working near us and we had plans for her to visit this weekend. At the last minute, she found a discount plane ticket and our son Andrew was able to fly down from Minnesota and join all of us. Heaven!
Today, wanting to show the beauties of our area to the newest family member, we drove an hour to the east and hiked a trail back to caves and waterfalls. The ferns and mosses were lovely and the bluffs like walls, rising around the creek bed have given the trail the name "Lost Valley". It was a perfect day....in the high 30's and not windy down along the creek...so we thoroughly enjoyed the 3.5 miles of the hike! A real coming out party for Mr. Pear's new knee!

Now for a cup of warm chai, and to prepare for the Superbowl event. [ I'll be back in a day or so with more photos from the hike!]
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Later----the photos!

With Andrew along the way, (can't miss those bright red gloves!)

With Mr. Pear at Eden Falls.

Half-way on the trail, where it begins to become more challenging....the first waterfall being explored by Andrew and Mary, above.

Shelf lichen!

A mossy bank with snow!

An easy stroll back to the trail head and parking lot....they'll be off to follow other journeys!

Things I am loving at the moment......

1. This quote from an artist-- "I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” — Vincent Van Gogh

2. Yoga! Here is a you tube video of my teachers conducting a class!

3. Wearing red and pink which makes me feel energized and somehow fights off the cold weather!

4. Working on my granny squares....fun and scrappy crochet!

5. Listening to Reggae music which makes me feel I am in a warm tropical climate. [Many happy memories of our daughter's wedding in Jamaica!]

6. Resting and relaxing with a good book or movie. Getting enough sleep.

7.Being mindful of each moment (as much as possible, this takes practice!). Taking care of myself, emotionally and physically.

8. Tazo organic green tea. A favorite now!

9. Dark chocolate, of course!!!! [in small amounts, eaten slowly, melting rather than chewing]

10. Being involved in my community. (Not over-committed, but connected!)

Just finished today is this bear which I "created" for a local fund-raiser. We are given a "cookie cutter" teddy bear in either red, pink or white. We are to decorate it, dress it, make it "real". [I was rather not excited when I saw the flat red bear! Once I got started, he just sort of "grew". I think many of the dolls I make do the same thing...they "grow" themselves!] These are to be auctioned off at a soup supper February 28th.

The flat red cookie cutter bear has now become "Beartrand de la Mer", French sailor extraordinaire! He has a hand knit sweater and bell bottoms. His white beret has a black grosgrain band and a bright red pompom on top. In one hand he hold a miniature eiffel tower and his name tag has an antique picture of a mermaid, of course!

Now off to get some of that rest!

Comforting and uplifting....CHAI!

I was visiting blogs yesterday and read about this recipe on Angry Chicken. It seemed worth a try! So, I am sipping on a cup right now....[I had only one tea bag of black tea in the house this morning....a good ole "Lipton".] Not bad! I'll pick up some Assam tea and enjoy this for the rest of the winter!

Chai Concentrate
Published December 1, 2009 [in the food section of the Oregonian newspaper]
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (enough for 28 cups of chai)
Unlike many brands of chai mix, this one includes the sweetener and the milk. All you add is a mug of hot tea.
Ingredients
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (I didn't add this, no need for more sugar in my opinion!)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

other spices, allspice, star anise, black pepper, ginger, vanilla may be added as well.....
Instructions
Empty condensed milk into a jar or plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Store in refrigerator.
To use: Brew a cup of strong black tea, such as Assam, then add two heaping teaspoons of concentrate or more to taste. Stir well until concentrate has fully melted.
To give: Pour into small jars with lids and tie with an attractive bow, or wrap the jar first. Attach a tag with instructions to keep the mix refrigerated and how to use it.
To keep: Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.