Sunday Southern Days

Let Me be clear. I don't sew much. I don't make my own clothes or who up curtains in my free time (yet). This is a very basic tutorial on how a non-sewer can make very inexpensive pillow covers with an hour and some cute fabric. Here we go! First, you have to find a pillow form and the right fabric. If found this fun print at Hobby Lobby. You need the form first to know how much fabric to buy. Measure your pillow's circumference and add 6" for our seams and overlap. Iron your fabric so it's nice and flat before we begin pinning. First, we are going to pin the entire perimeter (all 4 edges), and run them all through the sewing machine to create the hem. Iron the edges again. Lay the fabric right side up and fold two of the opposite ends in toward the middle, overlapping them by 3-4". Measure the new width of the pillow case as it lays flat to ensure its within 1" of the pillow form's width. Depending on how

I was cleaning my kitchen this morning (Hello Saturday) and felt like the oven could use a little refresh. Hosting the holidays was tough on it and there we're plenty of drips and splatters needing attention.  I put together a little concoction using typical household ingredients and it worked perfectly: 1/4 c Dawn 1/2 c White Vinegar 1/2 c Baking Soda Mix in a large bowl, as the baking soda will foam up when contacting the other ingredients. Blend with a fork.  Spread a thin layer on the bottom of your oven and inside the open oven door. Thin is important, since you'll be wiping out all that Dawn later and it's not like you can hose out your oven.  Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes and wipe clean with a damp rag. I use a piece of steel wool to give the inside of the glass door a little extra attention.  No harsh chemicals or smells and the oven looks great. 

This recipe was inspired by the dinner party we are attending tonight -- Southern menu. So what better to make than bread pudding? Ingredients: 5-6 cups cubed Italian bread 7 eggs, beaten 2 1/2 c sugar 2 c milk Topping:  1 stick butter 1 c brown sugar 1 1/2 c crushed pecans Cube the bread and set out overnight to dry out. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Slowly beat in the sugar, then the milk. Pour this mixture over the bread and allow to sit 10-15 minutes.  In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add in the crushed pecans and brown sugar and blend together.  Pour the soaked bread and liquid into the prepared pan and top with the crumble topping.  Bake for 35-50 minutes, until the dish sets up. I like to use a glass dish so I can keep an eye on the bottom of the bread pudding and ensure it doesn't overlook on the bottom.  Serve warm or at room tem