~Christmas Napkins~

Something I rarely do is seasonal crafting or sewing. The reason is that I think of seasonal crafts, and come up with awesome ideas, but then I forget about the project until two days before the holiday. At that point, I have more pressing matters, so I say, "next year".

I recently acquired a piece of fabric which had six panels on it. Perfect for napkins! I cut them out on Sunday afternoon, and sewed them after church. It was a nice little project and I'm glad to have them done now and in a stack next to my linens. Waiting for Christmas. That's better than saying, "next year!"

Turning up the hem was so easy - the panels were edged with green fabric, so it created a line for turning.

Once when I was a teenager I sewed on Sunday afternoon, and then told one of the older ladies at church about my sewing project. She told me that for every stitch I sewed on Sunday I'd have to pick out with my nose in Heaven. Somehow I don't believe her. ;-) These napkins made for a relaxing project on Sunday, so I'm not going to worry about picking stitches out in Heaven. :D

~Sewing Up a Storm~

I've been busy sewing. It seems I've turned a corner and my time spent in making is usually at the sewing machine, not with knitting needles.

I made these three things in March. It was still cold, but I didn't want to sew something that would only get used for a month or two. So I turned to summer sewing.

A nighty made from a thrifted pillowcase:

A peasant dress:

And a twirly skirt:

The best part of all three of these projects is that I used fabric and supplies I already had on hand. I'm trying to sew through my fabric, but there are two problems: 1) I then have scraps and my scrap bin is full and 2) I just acquired a hefty stack of fabric so I now have way more projects in sight!

All three of these are for my daughter. She especially loves the skirt!

I have some more projects to share - stay tuned. :)

~Lemon Garlic Linguine~

Yesterday I purchased linguine on an impulse, and then when I got home I decided that we should have it for dinner. So I went on Pinterest and searched under "linguine" and settled on this recipe.

Only I changed it all up, so it is my recipe now. ;-) I added garlic, added more cream, and cooked my sauce. While I can pull up a chair and eat my fair share of cookie dough, I can't stomach the thought of adding raw egg to a dish on purpose (though the hot pasta probably heats it sufficiently). Cooking the sauce also thickens it slightly.

half pound of linguine
2 T. butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 egg yolk
zest of one lemon
juice of one half lemon
3 small garlic cloves, minced
salt
pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook your pasta according to directions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce in a small sauce pan over very low heat. Melt your butter, add the half-and-half and then whisk in the egg yolk before the cream gets hot. Add lemon zest, juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue whisking until it has heated through and has thickened slightly.

Add to cooked, drained pasta, coating thoroughly. Stir in Parmesan (you can certainly use fresh, but I just used the pre-grated Parmesan.)

And then: enjoy. Kevin liked it, a lot. But he said that he did not get quite the spiritual experience that I had. All through dinner last night, I was thinking about making it for lunch today. And I did. Yuuuuum.