Sewing the Cambie Dress, Part 2: The Real Deal!

Tags

cambie dress, flamingos, sewing

I won’t make you wait in suspense. The finished product:

Now, on to the details!

I cut both layers at size 12 (unaltered), then took them in the necessary amounts at the shoulders, side seams, and darts. The thing that amazed me most was that when I went to sew the dress and lining together…they fit! Perfectly. That never happens to me, no matter how carefully I cut things. I always have bits that don’t line up, and I fully expected this to be the same way, particularly since it was dependent on me taking in both layers exactly the same. I must have done a darn good job of my alterations, because I had no trouble putting it all together–no funny tucks or anything.

Since I knew my seam allowances would be enclosed underneath the lining, I didn’t trim them down. You can see how wide they are, since I sewed the side seams at 7/8″.

Here’s where I deepened the dart…I just drew it in where the pattern had it marked and then sewed outside that line at about 1/8″. I had some trouble with the side seams on the dress…the first time I sewed them, I accidentally put the two back pieces together instead of sewing the front piece to a back piece. That took some seam ripping, especially since I had to rip out and re-position the pockets a couple of times. Ugh.

I’m not entirely sure the pockets ended up positioned correctly. I matched the side seams of the skirt to the notches on the waistband, but they seem rather far forward. Is it just my imagination?

I’m very pleased with the zipper. I do love invisible zippers, and I really like how this one fit together with the lining so that the insides are all covered up neatly. I like things that look finished on the inside as well. It wasn’t difficult to do, either, especially not with the photo tutorial on the Sewaholic blog.

Pretty on the outside (and see how the waistband matches?)…

…and pretty on the inside!

It seemed like there were miles and miles of gathering. Turned out great in the end, but not before I caught part of the waistband while sewing down the gathers. Of course, that occasioned more seam ripping and left some rather unsightly holes in my waistband.

The waistband was apparently destined for trouble. I did the very last step on Sunday morning before church, which was “stitching in the ditch” underneath the waistband to stitch the lining to the dress. I did a really beautiful job of it from the top side; my stitching was invisible from the outside and hid nicely in the “ditch.” Then I took it off the machine and looked at the inside….

Yup. It was all lined up wrong and my waistband had a lovely line of white stitching right through the middle on the inside. Sooo…more seam ripping. And more unsightly holes.

I fixed it by sewing the seam allowances together on the inside where no stitches could possibly show…more time consuming, but no more seam ripping either!

Isn’t this dress lovely on the inside? I love the lining contrasted with the waistband of original fabric, and how smooth everything looks.

The gathered sleeves were kind of annoying, but they look great. I like how they aren’t quite straps but they aren’t quite sleeves.

Ok, let’s talk hems. Am I the only person ever who never hems things as deep as you’re supposed to? Maybe it’s just because I’m slightly taller than average, but I find with most patterns that I don’t want the hem much shorter than the unfinished length. Of course, I could solve this problem by cutting my skirt pieces a bit longer to start with….but it never occurs to me that early on. Generally, I try it on and find that the hem is already hitting me pretty close to where I want. So I disregard all the 1-inch skirt hems that are out there and do a narrow hem on just about everything. Including this dress.

So that the lining wouldn’t show, I went ahead and hemmed it at 1″, but did the dress itself at 5/8″. (Often I do just 1/2″, but 5/8″ is a little easier.)  I forewent my love of hand hems for the convenience of the machine…I couldn’t face hand-hemming that much skirt, with both the dress and the lining.

Ok, now for the gratuitous dress pics. For once, my husband was around when I was ready to photograph my creation, so I got something better than self-timer shots!

You can see the lining sticking out here…this is partly because of the wind and partly because I hadn’t fixed the waistline yet. Remember how it wasn’t lined up when I stitched the layers together? The lining was pulled down a little too far before I redid that.

Yes, I realize the shoes aren’t quite the right pink for this dress. But I wore them anyways.

From the back.

It was a bit windy outside!

I’m pretty much in love with this dress. I wore it to church the day I finished it (in fact, I got up and hemmed both layers and did the waistline stitching–that was later removed–just so I could wear it to church), then again last Thursday for my high school concert. (This is the only concert of the year where I don’t wear my black performance dress, and it felt so good to wear something different and springy!)

It fits beautifully, which was my goal. I still like the fabric as much as ever. It’s super comfortable–the gathered skirt leaves lots of room for movement. The pockets are super convenient. The silhouette is flattering. I’m looking forward to trying the other version of the dress, which has an A-line skirt. My only worry is applying my fitting alterations to the skirt pieces that have hip pockets…it might complicate things. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime…flamingos!

Sewing the Cambie dress, part 1: The Muslin

Tags

cambie, fitting, flamingos, muslin, sewing

I have a confession to make. When it comes to sewing I am impatient and I hate fitting. This is kind of a bad combination, since part of the fun of sewing is producing something unique and beautiful that actually fits you. Before I learned much about fitting, I had some interesting results.  My first major project by myself, when I was about 14, was a shimmery blue formal dress, of the standard empire waist-with-sleeves look. Very nice, lots of good sewing practice…and rather over-sized.  I did wear it several times (for piano recitals, etc), but I always kind of appeared to be swimming in it. What I eventually learned is that, for some unknown reason, the large pattern companies add a vast amount of unnecessary ease to their patterns, so you end up with things that look like maternity wear if you’re not careful.

Another time I made a gored skirt and thought I would outwit the fiends at Simplicity by simply cutting a size smaller…alas, that pattern was actually true to size. Fortunately, we had enough fabric that I was able to re-do it, and my mom and I just had matching skirts (she’s smaller than me).

I’m lucky. My body is pretty evenly proportioned, so I don’t have any standard alterations for things like a short torso or large bust or anything like that. Most of the time (particularly if using a Simplicity pattern), I can just cut a size smaller than the size that matches my measurements, and if necessary I take things in or let them out a bit. Actually taking the time (and fabric) to make a muslin of something and then fitting it properly is a task for which I am generally too lazy!

Over the last several years, though, my sewing knowledge has grown exponentially. Through reading the forums at Sense & Sensibility, checking out sewing blogs, and perusing my Reader’s Digest Guide to Sewing, I have learned a ton. I still think fitting is a pain in the rear (hello, I want to get on with actually making something pretty, dangit!), but I have a better idea of how to do it so that it works the first time. Key to this process is making a muslin, which is essentially just a test-version on which to do all your fitting changes before cutting into the real fabric.

I’ve been eagerly planning to sew my Cambie dress for a few months now, and with two spring concerts upcoming, I thought it would be a good occasion for something fun to wear.  More than anything, I want this dress to be just right. For one thing, it’s a lot of work to do a fully-lined dress with a big gathered skirt and pockets and not have it turn out just right! For another, I just love the fabric I chose and I’d hate to see it wasted.

Remember this? Flamingos make me happy.

I knew a muslin would be necessary. The dress is fully lined, so it wouldn’t be easy to just take it in at the side seams if it didn’t fit quite right. Also, I had a feeling the Sewaholic pattern sizes don’t match me exactly. I cut my Hollyburn Skirt at a size 12 and it was a little big, but according to my measurements size 10 was too small. So I decided to cut a 12 and take it in from there.

I followed these excellent instructions from Tasia at Sewaholic for making a musilin of a dress bodice. (I didn’t think it was necessary to bother with all that fabric for the skirt; gathered skirts are very forgiving in terms of fit!)

Muslin pieces, all cut and labeled.

I followed the directions to a T, even basting around all the seam lines to make it obvious where they will hit. The big “lightbulb” moment was pinning in a zipper…previously when trying things on, I’ve always just tried to pin them closed, which is super awkward and hard to get the correct placement. This made it so easy, and much more accurate.

Zipper pinned in for fitting…genius!

Fortunately for me, my mom was here overnight so she helped with pinning and un-pinning the bodice so I could make adjustments (I told my husband he’s lucky, it could have been him! How do people fit things who live alone…and don’t have a dress form??) I ended up taking in 1/4″ on each side seam:

Conveniently, the alterations were done in different colored thread so they’re easier to see!

…deepening the darts by about 1/8″ at the bottom…

…and taking up the shoulder seams about 1/2″:

I suppose I could have somehow transferred those changes to the pattern pieces themselves and re-shaped the pattern pieces, but I chose to just cut it as-is and then make those adjustments as I sewed.

Next up…the real dress!

In Hopes of Spring

Tags

cobbler, dessert, strawberries

Happy Spring!  Here in my neck of the woods, spring seems like a mere fantasy. We had just enough of it that I started busting out the warmer-weather work wardrobe. Now I’ve been depressedly (is that even a word? It should be…) wearing sweaters and pants again for the last week. I shouldn’t complain; we really need the moisture…I just wish it were raining instead of snowing!

However, a sure sign that better times are coming is an improving selection of fruit in the grocery store. When I visited my parents over the weekend, my mom had just bought a large quantity of strawberries and she made this dessert. I enjoyed it so much, I made it for company this week with my own 3-lb box of strawberries!

(P.S. I love strawberries so, so much. I always forget just how wonderful they are till the weather warms up and they get sweet and amazing.)

Easy Fruit Cobbler (Featuring STRAWBERRIES)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×9 square pan with cooking oil.
2. Fill with 4 cups sliced fruit. Feel free to mix and match. Or like me, use strawberries.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar (you can use brown or white or a combination)
10 tablespoons melted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)

5. Spread over fruit, poking it around a little bit to distribute.

Look at all that buttery, sugary goodness…

6. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until fruit layer is bubbly. Serve warm or cool, with whipped cream or ice cream. Or plain…it’s great pretty much any way!

Finished!

My “Hollyburn” Skirt

Tags

hand-picked zipper, hollyburn skirt, sewaholic, sewing, zippers

For a while now, I’ve been salivating over Sewaholic Patterns. So many pretty designs!  Last month, I finally had a chance to make up the Hollyburn Skirt pattern. Here’s the pattern cover:

You can see it’s a nice basic skirt pattern–4 panels, pockets, waistband & zipper, 3 lengths. I made view B, which is about knee-length, with the button tabs on the waistband.

I like how it hits me at the natural waist, so I can wear it with shirts tucked in or out. Tucked in is nice, because then you can see those fun button tabs!

You can kind of tell in these pictures that it’s actually just a hair too big. I measured my waist and cut a size 12, which was closest. I did baste the skirt seams and tried it on to see how it fit, and it was a bit big, but I mistakenly thought that it might draw in just a bit when I attached the waistband. It’s not enough that I mind, though. I’ll just keep in in mind if I make the pattern again–I would probably take the side seams in about 1/4 inch each and then shorten the waistband to match.

I’m kind of in love with the pockets, too. Why don’t more women’s skirts have pockets? I always want to put my keys somewhere when I’m at school so they’re handy. Or if you want to take a walk and just have somewhere to put your keys & phone. It’s just more practical! The print on the skirt kind of hides the line of where the pockets are, but if you look closely you can see them. Also, they were very simple to sew–as they should be, since this pattern is intended to be easy enough for beginners.

Check out the buttons I found. They match the print really well:

Thoughts on construction:

1. I need a better place to cut out patterns.

This is my little round kitchen table, the only place I have to do these things. It’s round and not too big, so cutting large patterns is kind of a challenge. I have done things on the floor, but it kills my back and I still don’t have a hard surface–the only advantage is that I can lay out the whole pattern! Also, then my fabric picks up hair and lint and stuff off the floor–yuck. Unfortunately, I don’t really have space in my sewing room (or anywhere else) for a decent-sized work table. Someday…someday.

2. Hand-picked zippers are my new favorite thing.

I have never suffered from a mortal fear of zippers or anything like that, but they really are a pain in the rear. Mine usually come out a little bit crooked, and something always has to be re-done. A few years ago, I learned how to do invisible zippers, which are so much easier and better-looking than the regular kind. However, they’re a little more delicate, and not suited to every garment. Inspired by this post and this post, I decided to try doing this zipper by hand. I have to say, I am a convert. I spent a little more time on this zipper than I probably would have if I’d done it by machine, but I was not at all frustrated by it and the result was so satisfying and neat. I actually really enjoy doing handwork sometimes, and it was much easier to adjust things as I went and to work around the zipper tab. Also, I love the finished effect. However…

3. Ummm…I had to fudge the waistband a little bit.

I placed the zipper according the the notch at the top, as opposed to putting the bottom of my zipper exactly at the bottom of the opening. This left a tiny hole below the zipper, which I didn’t discover till it was basically all sewn in and I didn’t feel like it was worth adjusting for such a small thing. I found later that I really should’ve fixed it, since the zipper was now a little too high and the waistband wouldn’t fold over far enough to tack it to the seam allowance near the zipper. So…I kind of fudged it, as you can see:

4. I tried a new stitch for hemming.

I catch-stitched the hem, mainly because that was the stitch shown on the pattern directions. I could have slip-stitched it just as easily, which is what I usually do, but it was fun to do a different stitch. I really like how the finished stitch looks.

5. I succeeded in making this entire skirt in one day.

I spent most of a Saturday working on it, on and off. I wanted to have it finished to wear to church the next day. Of course, I got to all the handwork in the evening, which meant I was starting the hem at 10:00 (which is usually when I go to bed…ha). I could have just topstitched the hem on the machine, but I think hand-hems just look classier. I think, by the time I hemmed it all and then modeled my skirt with all the tops I could find (because hey, that’s really the fun part when you finish sewing something!), I finally got to bed around midnight. But it was worth it!

I love to read.

Tags

books, reading, what alice forgot

If you ever ask me what I like to do in my spare time, “reading” would always be one of my top answers. I enjoy cooking, sewing gives me a deep feeling of satisfaction, and I love the peace of taking a walk on a sunny day–but I really, really, love reading. Some days that looks different from others–reading blogs on the internet, or reading newspapers, instead of just sitting down with a book. In fact, in the last several months, I’ve not read nearly as many books as I usually would. I miss that. There are so many wonderful books in the world, and little enough time as it is! I don’t want to waste my time NOT reading….if that makes sense.

I am especially happy when I find a book that involves me utterly–I live in the world of those characters, and I disregard things that are also important, like sleep. And housework (but it’s easy to disregard housework). There is nothing like the feeling of inhabiting a book-world for a few hours. When I resurface, I always feel a bit bereft–I formed mental relationships with all those people, and now they are gone and their story is done!

Yesterday I read another book like that. And, in fact, I did read it all yesterday. I went to the library around noon and checked out What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty (I’d read a few good reviews of it). I finished it (all 450 pages) at 12:30 am (hey, it was a Friday night on spring break!).

The premise is that a woman named Alice (duh) falls and hits her head while at the gym, causing amnesia–she can’t remember the last 10 years of her life. In her mind, she is still the laid-back, carefree newlywed pregnant with her first child, not the busy, stressed, almost-forty mother of 3 preparing to go through a divorce with her husband. I won’t add any more here; if you want to find out more check out the page for the book on Goodreads: What Alice Forgot.

I’m not sure why I liked the story so much; I really don’t read many books set in contemporary times and places. I like historical books, or books written long ago, or fantasy, or books written about other places. But it sucked me in and held me there, and I’m glad I read it.

“Marilyn” Apron

Tags

apron, pattern review, quilt shop

We have a fantastic little quilt shop in my hometown here, and I always enjoy talking to the ladies that work there. Many of them are avid quilters, but don’t sew clothing nearly as much. (I have made one quilt, but clothing is definitely my forte.) A few months ago, one of the ladies that works there asked me if I’d have a look at an apron pattern. She got it to make it for her daughter, but the instructions were really confusing. She wanted me to look at it and see if I could figure it out.

Several months down the road, we finally got together and she gave me the pattern and we got some new fabric to give it a go. I took it home, read through the instructions a bajillion times, and gave it my best shot. Here are my thoughts.

The pattern:

Pretty cute idea. I made View A.

The result:

Pros:

I love the fabric I used. It’s a quilt shop, so of course it was easy to pick fabric from a line that coordinated, but it’s still fun. I wasn’t planning on using any trim, but I just happened to have the matching turquoise rick-rack and I really like how that turned out. The style itself is really cute, and I liked how the gathering ended up enclosed withing the waistband.

Yes, yes I do realize that I look like I am about 14 when I wear my hair in braids.

Cons:

Ummm, yeah…the instructions are confusing. I sew lots of clothing. I have sewn items of clothing way more complicated than this. But it took me some puzzling to figure out what some of the instructions were referring to. I think the problem was that the instructions are written sort of quilting-style, not like normal garment patterns. There were no pattern pieces, just instructions on how to fold and cut the fabric to get the right shapes. The things I was doing to put it together were actually things that I have done before and that I am familiar with, but they were stated oddly so that it took some thought before I realized what they were actually saying. Also, there were some parts that I just plain don’t think I would have done right if I hadn’t done similar things before.

Also, what is the point of 5 pockets? Or the 2 waistband ties on each side?

The biggest issue I see with this for most people (besides the confusing instructions) is that the bodice is proportioned oddly. Now, I found after I talked to the lady who I made this for that her daughter is proportioned much differently than I am, and this apron will probably work great for her. However…it looks kind of silly on me. I’d shorten up the bodice quite a bit if I made it for myself. It would be helpful if there were some sort of sizing involved to resolve this issue. You can see in the photos that when the waistband is tied at my waist, the bodice blouses hugely. I suppose you could tie the waistband lower, like down at the hips, but I don’t think that would look so great either.

Final verdict:

Kind of cute, but I don’t think I’ll be making it again. I have a feeling there are other patterns out there for this style that are probably better-written.

A New Spring Blouse

Tags

flamingos, patterns, pink blouse, sewaholic

Spring seems to have arrived a week or so early here in Montana, and I am celebrating with new clothes!  For some time now, I’ve wanted to make up another blouse from this pattern:

Back to Sewing: a new dress from an old pattern

Tags

dress pics, sewing, simplicity 3829

I’ve dusted off my sewing machine after a long hiatus, and it’s lovely to be making clothing again. My first project was another dress from a pattern I’ve had for years, Simplicity 3829. I actually don’t really like the example dresses on the pattern cover, but I love the way this dress looks made up. It’s the details of the the fit that make it beautiful, I think: the drop waist, the square neckline, the princess seams, the waistline pleats. It feels good to wear.

I’ve made this pattern twice before. The first edition was in a yellow floral print. I think my mom originally bought it to make curtains and then changed her mind. I love it (especially the yellow), but it’s hard to wear in the winter.

Version 2.0 was a favorite color combination of mine. I didn’t feel like dealing with sewing facings, so I decided to use red double-fold bias binding on all of the edges instead.

For the most part, this was straightforward and easy, but I did have fits trying to bind the inner corners of the square neckline. I finally made it work, though not very beautifully.

If anyone knows the technique for doing this properly, I’d love to hear it. I searched high and low and found tons of information on doing and outward corner (mitering), but never could figure out the inward version.

For quite some time I’ve wanted a plainer version of this dress more suitable for fall/winter wear (i.e.–not sleeveless and not in an obviously summer print). I didn’t feel like waiting to go to the “big city” to hit JoAnn’s, so it was with delight that I remembered the four yards of plain navy blue cotton at the bottom of my sewing box. I love navy, so it seemed like a perfect fit.

After I had all the pattern pieces cut out and the bodice put together, I realized just how sheer the fabric is. Despite its dark color, it’s really a bit see-through. To fix this, I lined the bodice. I just made a second layer of the bodice (fortunately I had lots of fabric) and stitched it together at the shoulders and side seams. This also took care of my seam finished for the bodice seams–I didn’t even have to worry about them since they were all enclosed. Later, I attached the skirt only to the outside layer of the bodice, then whip stitched the lining down over the seam allowance.

Notice that it is not yet hemmed in these photos…

Nothing else really noteworthy, construction-wise. I hand-hemmed the sleeves and hem, because sometimes I really like doing a little bit of hand sewing. I’m always glad to be done when I finish the skirt hem, though.

I love the fact that I have enough sewing knowledge to do something like add a lining to a pattern and have it work the way I want it to. It’s very freeing.

And a rant about photos….

I love reading sewing blogs, but seriously, how do people get such great pictures of themselves in the garments they’ve sewn?  I have a basic digital camera with a self-timer, but it’s murder trying to find some place to set it up where it gets the right view and the background is half decent. I rarely have anyone else around when I think to take pictures. I’m lucky if I can get pictures that look decent and presentable, much less flattering.

Italian + Mexican = ???

Tags

cooking, enchiladas, italian drip beef, recipes, spaghetti sauce

Italian + Mexican = ????

At the beginning of the month, I tried a new recipe for my birthday. It’s called Italian Drip Beef, it comes by way of The Pioneer Woman, and it is amazing.

Umm, how could something that looks like this not be amazing? (photo from thepinoeerwoman.com)

Check out the recipe here. It’s super easy, I promise.

It uses half a jar of pepperoncini peppers. They are, I think, the secret to the amazing flavor of the meat, but they’re not something that I or my husband would typically just eat out of the jar. So, what’s a girl to do with an extra half-jar of pepperoncini?

Make more drip beef, of course!.

When I made it on my birthday, my parents were around and that meat didn’t last nearly long enough. This time, though, I knew the 3-lb roast would be more than plenty for just my husband and me, so I put some thought into what to do with the leftovers. Not that we couldn’t just eat the meat with a fork at any time of day…because we totally could. But while delicious, that just isn’t very exciting.

What would be a great use for shredded beef? Enchiladas crossed my mind…I haven’t made them in a while and seriously, how can you not love enchiladas? But then I doubted myself. Italian seasoned meat, in Mexican-style enchiladas? Weird. I was not so sure that I wanted salsa and cilantro and onion and sour cream and cheddar cheese and green chiles and red sauce anywhere near my Italian Drip Beef.

Then, it hit me. Tortillas + beef + SPAGHETTI SAUCE + parmesan/mozzarella = ITALIAN ENCHILADAS. I am a genius.

The other vital component of this recipe is spaghetti sauce. Please, reader, whoever you are (unless you’re my mother which means you already take this advice because you’re the one who gave me this recipe), don’t go buy sauce from the store. It’s not like it’s all bad…but it’s probably not as good as the homemade kind. And the homemade kind is really, truly, very easy.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 onion, cut in wedges
1/2 bell pepper, cut in 3 or so chunks (the recipe from my mom said green, but I prefer red/yellow/orange. This time, I made it with mini sweet peppers, because I had a bunch, and they are the bomb)
Several stalks of celery, leaves included
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or, if you are freshly out of that, as I was…1 tsp each of basil, thyme, and oregano)

Combine all ingredients and simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
OR, if you are a working woman like me, throw it all in the crock pot on low and simmer all day! I had my husband turn it off when he woke up around 3:30, so it wasn’t going quite all day.
Remove large chunks (celery, onion, pepper) before serving.

If you want to make meat sauce, add your cooked burger/sausage/whatever to the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes or so to blend the flavors.

So, now that you know about all the elements, time to put together some Italian Enchiladas!

Leftover shredded beef (you could probably use some other Italian-y seasoned meat if you had it around)
1 package of tortillas
1 recipe spaghetti sauce
1 bag of shredded Parmesan cheese (I imagine mozzarella would work equally well, or whatever kind of cheese you prefer in this circumstance)
Pepperoni (if you’re crazy like us)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. (Full disclosure: I didn’t do this, because I never think of it until my food is already in the pan, mocking me as it plots to stick there forever.)

Shredded beef, all ready to enchilada-ize

2. Using tongs (or your fingers, ’cause they’re gonna get pretty saucy anyways), dip a tortilla in the spaghetti sauce to coat. Spoon meat onto tortilla and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (At this point, I asked my husband if there was anything else I should add to this crazy concoction. He suggested pepperoni, so I put some pepperoni slices in two of the enchiladas. If this sounds like you, feel free to add it!). Roll up tortilla and place, seam-side down, in pan.

 

Saucy tortilla, meat, pepperoni, cheese. Yummy.

Random shot of me cooking, thanks to my husband. I always wear an apron, since I like some place to wipe my hands.

3. Repeat until you are out of meat. Highly scientific, I know. I miraculously managed to portion my meat so it filled exactly the number of tortillas that fit the pan, which, I think, was 8.

4. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas in pan. (I didn’t quite use up the sauce–when I felt like there was enough, I set the rest aside to freeze for a later day). Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. If you’re feeling crazy, add some slices of pepperoni.

It kind of looks like a pizza.

5. Bake about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is a little bit bubbly.

Doesn’t this look amazing?

6. Enjoy!

This is seriously making me hungry, just looking at it. Possibly because I need to go cook dinner right now.

My comment on the results:  very tasty. I would definitely make this again, if I had the same leftovers. Or maybe even if I didn’t.

Orange Food

Tags

cheese, mac'n'cheese, pasta

Last week we had a night of orange food…it was delicious! My mom sent me this recipe for that delightful old standby, macaroni and cheese. I improved upon it by shredding up some leftover pork roast and adding that (my husband is not a huge fan of meatless meals, and for the most part, I agree with him! Also…there was a lot of pork roast to eat. In fact, it took us a week to finally finish the thing off!) Result: fantastic!

SUPER EASY MAC & CHEESE

Heat oven to 350
Spray a 7×9 or 8×10 casserole dish
In a medium size bowl combine:
1 ¾ cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth since I had some on hand, and it worked great)
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
¾ cup of half & half or evaporated canned milk
2 tbsp butter cut in small bits
2 tsp flour
¼ tsp Lawreys seasoned salt
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
(I used the Lawrey’s salt, a bit of garlic powder, the pepper, and a dash of paprika–I didn’t have any dry mustard)

Stir all this together. Pour in the casserole. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 15 min. Stir. Bake 15 more min. Stir again. Bake 10 min more. Remove from oven.
Stir in 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese until melted.
Serve immediately.

I particularly enjoyed this recipe because it results in a creamier baked mac’n'cheese. I love all forms of mac’n'cheese, but creamy is definitely my favorite. This is nice because you don’t have to cook the macaroni and the sauce separately.

I peeled an orange to go with dinner…this isn’t really a cooking revelation but I have been enjoying the Cara Cara oranges they are selling in our local grocery store right now. They’re a bit reddish (my husband thought it was grapefruit the first time we had one) and really sweet and delicious.

Question: is it weird that I really only like to eat oranges peeled and in segments? It drives me crazy when they are sliced, because I feel like the pulp always gets stuck in my teeth as I try to rip it from the skin. Peeling and segmenting them is more work but I much prefer them this way.