Reeses Cheesecake, anyone?

I love a good cheesecake, and Matt is obsessed with Reeses...so here's a good union.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it looked a little TOO rich. That's the tricky thing about sweets...I love them but often they are just too rich. I decided to tweak this recipe a bit to see if it would make it a little less sweet. Instead if a brownie crust, I went with a traditional crumb crust made from Oreo Cookies. I undid the cookies, scraped out the icing, and then I crushed them in my handy dandy food processor. I used about 2 c. crumbs and mixed in 3-1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted.

Before you add crust to pan, I wipe butter around the bottom and edges of the pan. When I put the crumbs in the pan, I press firmly so that it's really packed in there and goes up the edges about 1/2-1 inch.

I put the crust in the oven at 350* for a few minutes. After taking it out of the oven, I sprinkled a package of Reese's minis onto the crust.

At this point, I wrap my pan in tinfoil and place it in a water bath. That means that you place your cheesecake pan wrapped in foil into a larger pan, such as a lasagna pan or roasting pan, then add about an inch of water. I don't really know why we do this, but it's what I was taught and I keep doing it because my cheesecakes have all turned out delicious.

Then I prepared the batter. Is that what you call the inside of a cheesecake? 

I used the filling recipe from Pinterest.

2 lbs cream cheese, softened

5 eggs

1-1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. Creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. Heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp. Vanilla

Put crm chiz in mixer, mix til softened. Add one egg at a time. Add sugar, then pb, then cream, and lastly vanilla. As you go through those stages, it is often an odd consistency, but as you continue to blend, it smooths out. Then pour into the pan (we're using a springform pan, as always).

Bake at 325* for 90 minutes...yep, that's a long time! 

After you take it out, let cool for about an hour. You can then run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan. I often don't have to do this step, as it kind of shrinks away from the pan as it cools.

I removed the pan and let it cool in refrigeration over night. The next day, I made the topping. Again, I didn't want it to be too rich, so this recipe makes a ton! Heat 1/4 c. Heavy cream, add 1 c. Choc chips. Allow chips to soften in cream and whip it up! Drizzle over top of cheesecake! Then cut 7 Reese's in half and dip raw edge in topping and place around edge. 

When it's all done, it looks like this! 

Yummmmmy!

Shaggy, ruffly, tshirty scarf

I found this amazing scarf idea on Pinterest. The moment I saw it, I needed to make one that worked for my team (maybe teams)!  The idea came from this webpage. 

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/other/oh-for-the-love-of-scarf-make-a-t-shirt-scarf.html#_a5y_p=849828

I didn't follow her instructions exactly though...

Here's what you need:

-3 tshirts

-sewing thread

-stich-wich and heat n' bond.

Here's what I did:

Bottom: cut tshirts into 8" strips across (this makes circles, but then you trim the ends and it made for 23" sections). I cut 2 strips of white, 2 strips of white, and 8 strips of black.

Tops: sewing the strips together with a backstitch at the ends. I sewed 2 sections of blue in the center (approx. 40") then on each end of that, I sewed white sections (23") and then black sections on those ends (18")--so altogether it measures 140" x 8". I like my scarves long! Especially when the fabric is thin, like tshirt fabric. This way, I can wrap it multiple times!

Once the strips are sewn together into really ling strips, you can start to decorate them!

Above: cut out the paw print (or any mascot symbol) using heat n' bond. Adhere. Cut around the pieces and adhere to the scarf pieces by peeling off the paper backing and pressingg with an iron. I sewed around the edges of each piece as well so that a.) it looks cool, and b.) they won't fall off!

After that, I cut 1" strips to sew onto scarf end portions. I spaced them out about an inch apart. Then I zig-zag stitched them on making sure to get through all the layers. Lastly, I sewed all the way around the perimeter with a regular stitch. 

I just LOVE it! I am so excited to get my team spirit on! Go Cougs!

Colorful Chairs & Valance

COLOR!!!

Reupholstering / Painting chairs

Made a new quilted valance to match the bright décor! I had long curtains but they were essentially null and void because of the buffet/counter top I have right in front of the window.

I love sewing/ redecorating. It's my therapy and it's LOTS cheper than therapy! I should know! 

New Kitchen Table

I just joined our community's Buy Nothing Project--a way to give freely things you no longer need and express your needs to see if someone in the group has it to give. My first find is this table and chairs!

I built a table a few years back, but it was my first major carpentry project and it had some quirks. I have been wanting to fix it/ make it a little sturdier. But to add more robust legs was going to cost a fortune. So, I jumped on this table and set out to refurbish it to suit our set-up.

I found this idea on Pinterest. {http://brittaswiderski.com/2013/09/refinishing-101-used-to-modern-dining-table/} I LOVE it. And I already had most of the supplies on hand! Win-win!

I changed it up a bit though. Here's what I did:

Step 1: Clean and Sand (top)

Step 2: Stain (top) & Step 3: Seal (top)

Note: between these layers, you can snd lightly and clean. I put 2-4 layers of polycrylic sealant.

Step 4: Clean and Prime legs

Step 5: Tape and Prime Table

Step 6: Paint!

Let it dry over night.

Step 7: Assemble!

Step 8: Set Up

Voila! Love it! Now for some chairs to match...

The Palouse

I've always said that the top of a mountain, creek side in a quiet meadow, or a beach are the most peaceful places to sit, commune with one's self and one's creator. Over the past year, however, I've driven through the Palouse a few times and every time my breath is taken away with how beautiful and peaceful it is. It's been like a fast acting phone charger but to my soul.

The Palouse is the rolling hills in central&eastern Washington that is atop the Columbia Plateua. It's vegetation consists of tumbleweed, tumbleweed, and more tumbleweed, with some other assorted crops throughout. The sunsets are spectacular, the deer are  majestic against the sub setting backdrop and the old barns and grain silos are a connection to simpler times. I miss simpler times, and I didn't even live in them!  The Palouse is a natural patchwork quilt, cultivated by generations of hard-working frontiersmen and women. 

I still live the ocean and mountain tops, but this Palouse is quickly surpassing some of those sights as the perfect peaceful place!

Western Washington Shop Hop 2014

A couple weeks ago, I was exploring a new quilt shop (well, not new, bit new to me) in Duvall. The woman working was so delightfully helpful! As I readied for my departure, she asked if I was doing the Shop Hop. I asked her, "the huh-what?"  She went on to tell me all about the shop hop and what it consisted of. The more she talked, the more I thought that I had to do it! It sounded like a scavenger huntesque event consisting of 51 stores spread across western Washington. I love a good challenge, so I plotted out my course of action. 

As I had to work on the first two days, I only visited three stores each those two days. I really liked the store in Ballard called The Quilter's Loft. It was there that I saw this beauty! I'm so gonna make it!

The deal is that as one travels from shop to shop, participants receive a quilt block pattern and three pieces of fabric. For many blocks, they provided all of the needed fabric. Others did not. On day three, I drove 275 miles and got to 16 more stores. 

Thankfully, I had a partner in crime that day! Thanks Kim!

I also learned some new techniques and about some cool tools that make quilting a little easier. (Possible Christmas present?-mom?) This one, I learned at Bayside Quilting in Olympia--also a cool store.

Many stores offered their blocks from years past for sale. Some were SO cute, like this little beehive. I got a few along the way, because--honestly--I probably won't do some of the free blocks because they're, well, ugly or too hard. So, I will supplement with some cute blocks I saw along the way.

I also saw cute ideas that weren't meant for the shop hop, but these chickens were so cute I had to remember them!

On day four, I drove another 225 miles and got to 10 more stores! I fell in love with the shop in Freeland, WA on Whidbey Island. They had fabrics I hadn't seen anywhere else and the lady working was so nice!

I had such a blast! I can't wait til next year!

4th of JULY!

My favorite time of year!

New flag wall hanging, banner of Americana themed sayings and mason jars! Love crafting for the home!