savoy062

When I saw the Harvest Bites pan by Nordic Ware at William Sonoma I had to pick it up.  Seasonal or novelty kitchen items are rare in my kitchen.  I try to stick with multipurpose items, the basics, but this pan was just too much to pass up. This basic spice cake recipe was printed on the packaging for the pan, I adjusted the cake to be dairy free as well as up the spice flavor.  I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup almond milk 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs

Have you heard of Teal Pumpkin Project?   Its a great way to include all children, including those with food allergies or dietary restrictions, this Halloween.  I did not have food restrictions as a child, but I do now and it just plain stinks. Missing out on candy is bad enough, but to miss out on the run all together?  Its a double whammy! I hope the Teal Pumpkin Project takes off and becomes a new normal.  It's not any more bother or expensive than buying candy.  There are all sorts of inexpensive holiday treats and trinkets.  You can find little toys, bubbles, pencils, stickers, glow sticks and the like at dollar stores, party stores, craft stores, Target, or mail order catalogs.  There are some really fun things to buy, but I like to make instead of buy whenever possible.  I also have a closet of craft supplies to use. I looked all over Pinterest, Google, and Youtube looking for fun little crafts I could make for my Halloween goody.  I made up 5 things that I thought kids woul

Too many recipes for Salisbury steak include cream of mushroom soup.  This is a dairy free recipe for Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy from scratch.  I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: (makes 4 servings) 1 pound lean ground beef 1 egg 1/2 cup ground oats or bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated or minced onions 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley a dash of Worchestershire sauce salt and pepper to taste 1/2 - 1 TBSP vegetable oil or other fat for pan frying 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (crimini or baby portobello are my favorite) 1 small onion sliced into rings or half moons 2-3 TBSP flour 1-2 cups chicken or beef broth 1) Mix the first 7 ingredients, I mix with my hands until thoroughly combined.  Form into oval patties.  If you have time, refrigerate the patties for a few hours, this prevents them from falling apart when you fry them. 2) When its time to cook, heat fat in skillet and pan fry the patties until well browned.  Add a splash of water and cover the skillet to allow the steam to fully cook the

A large and slouchy bohemian inspired market bag with a pretty flower band detail.  With this market bag you can bring home all the goodies from the farmers market, or use as a beach bag or shoulder bag. This pattern uses US crochet terms.  If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will do my best to help you out. To make this bag I used three 2.5 ounce balls of Sugar and Cream yarn, a size G crochet hook, scissors and a tapestry needle. Bottom of the bag Rnd 1: Ch 8, sl st to form a ring, ch 4,(acts as tr here and throughout) 23 tr in ring, sl st into top of beginning ch 4 to join (24 tr) Rnd 2: Ch 6, *tr in next tr, ch 2, repeat from * around,sl st in the 4th ch of beginning ch 6 to join.(24 tr and 24 ch 2 spaces) Rnd 3: Ch 1, 2sc in the ch 2 sp, *3 sc in the next sp, repeat from * around, sl in the ch 1 to join. (72 sc) Rnd 4: Ch 4, tr around, st st in the top of the beginning ch 4 (72 tr) Rnd 5: Ch 6, * skip 1 st, tr in the next st, ch 2, repeat from * around, sl st into

When I was pregnant I had dreams of making all sorts of things for baby and myself.  Nesting hit me hard but most of my time was spent in the kitchen.  One thing I was able to craft for after baby was nursing pads.  I made some from pretty green flannel and I made some from some old ratty t-shirts.  I thought the flannel ones would be so comfortable and soft and most importantly...a pretty green color.  As it turns out, the flannel would stick to tender spots and leave lint.  They were also a bit stiff  and generally were the last I reached for.  The old ratty t-shirts that had been washed countless times were perfectly soft, perfectly lint free, and perfectly flexible.  After more than a year, I still use them every single day. I made them with four layers of fabric.  I found that it was the perfect thickness, thin enough to double up when needed, but substantial enough to stand on their own once things settled into a routine.  I do not include a waterproof layer in these pads.  I nev