I made the dogs a new bed

I think it is safe to say that Pebbles likes it. I couldn't get a good picture of both dogs on the bed - Huck Finn is the most camera shy dog I have ever met.

I know that dog beds can be bought all sorts of places and that they are pretty cheap. I made my own since I was sick of throwing away the cheap ones. After three years of dog beds that just didn't live up to my expectations, I knew I wanted a soft but solid core - if it is just fluffy stuff it all goes to the corners leaving beagles basically sleeping on a piece of fabric on the floor surrounded by soft stuff. They don't like that. I also wanted a water and smell resistant cover under the outer cover. I think my reasoning here is pretty clear but I will tell you - beagles are nasty little creatures. Cute but nasty. I also wanted it to be durable. I wash this thing (at least) once a week so it needs to stand up to that kind of wear and tear.

I bought a length of 3 inch thick foam from Joann's. I bought it when it was on sale 50% off since it is wicked expensive. I wrapped this in quilt batting to make it softer. I used a shower curtain liner to make the interior water and smell resistant cover. This is sewn shut and is not intended to be removed. Before sewing this shut, I stuffed poly-fil in on both sides of the batting wrapped foam to make it even softer. Beagles like soft. I bought a washable decorator grade cotton fabric in a neutral print since I am a neutral kind of fabric buyer. I made the piping which was probably the longest part of this project - cutting that much fabric on the bais and piecing it together and then wrapping it and sewing with the zipper foot. I decided to make both covers gussetted to lessen the strain on the seams. All in all I am very pleased with this dog bed. I think I spent close to $75on it but if it lasts more than a year, I will come out ahead. My thinking is that I can always cut open the water and stink proof cover and restuff it and make a new cover since the foam core seems to be holding up really well. I also am considering making another bed for the living room where they currently have a basket with a blanket and trying egg crate foam bed topper for people for the core of the bed.

let's talk soup

It's hard to believe that I actually kept cooked beef tenderloin in my freezer for 4 months. It's even harder to believe that I actually used it to make something after 4 months. Normally, I just trow it out after 2 months in the freezer. In these tough economic times in which we live, I am living by the motto of "waste not, want not." I also live by "live and let live" but that's another story for another blog post.

I thought it would be fun to make vegetable beef soup from the leftover meat and by fun to make I actually mean fun to eat. I love soup. Especially in the winter months. It's good, easy, filling, inexpensive and comforting.

Vegetable beef soup - 8 servings

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks of celery, cleaned and sliced
1 large sweet onion, large dice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 28 ounce can of diced peeled tomatoes
6 cups of beef stock - homemade or boxed - I try to buy the low sodium stuff when I buy the boxed
1 14 ounce can of green beans, drained - I try to buy the no salt added
1 cup of uncooked, medium pasta shells
1 pound of cooked lean beef - I had tenderloin leftover from something else, but top round would work as well
1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, celery and herbs de Provence. Cook stiring often until tender - about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and beef stock. Let this all simmer for about 15 minutes before adding the pasta shells. Add the salt and pepper. Once the shells are cooked - about 9 minutes - add the canned green beans and cooked meat and allow to warm through in the soup about 5 minutes. It's so good with crusty bread or corn bread or grilled cheese (sharp cheddar!!) sandwhiches.

the one where I endeavor to start over...

It's a new year, so I firgure it's a chance to breath some life and love into ye olde blogge. I hope everyone had a fabulous 2010 and that 2011 is even better. 2010was a good year for my little family. We moved to a lovely new town in a lovely new state for Lenny to start work at a lovely new church. The Beagles are both healty and happy and playful and cute. While my health in 2010 was less than what I had hoped for, I managed to avoid hospital stays and that makes me happy.

Concerning food for New Year's Day, I grew up eating blackeyed peas and rice and pork chops. Lenny always had sauerkraut with potatoes and sausage. I think each is supposed to bring good luck and money which is cool. We are having the sausage with kraut and potatoes since it just seems like a good idea. I am not a huge fan of sauerkraut honestly. I can't say that I dislike it but I can only eat small amounts at a time and always with sausage and mustard. I do love mustard of all kinds. Right now we are still in our pj's watching the Rose Bowl Parade which is just carzy for us since it is noon!

I am not big on resolutions but I am going to make an attepmt to blog with more regularity this year. I am told that besides cooing I am really good at organizing and homemaking/cleaning. I take these things for granted actually. I assume that everyone knows HOW to do these things, they just choose not to do these things. I say this to say that I might start blogging more about organizing and cleaning projects along with cooking and the occassional crafty items.

making gobs of whoopie pies

I've moved a lot in my life (4 states in 10 years of marriage) and I'm always enthralled by the local or regional cuisine with each move. We now live in the greater Pittsburgh area. Most notable among the cuisine here is the dentency to put french fries ON things... sandwhiches, salads, etc. It is rather good. The other day I got a sandwich with french fries on it and was given the option of a side with it. I of course picked the onions thus giving me onion rings and french fries... MWAHAHAHAAHA! Anyway, another culinary treat around here is the gob or even gob cake. Also, there are mini gobs. Gobs seem to be whoopie pies which are rather trendy right now. Only, they have never gone out of style in NW Pennsylvania. Reminds me of when Lenny served at a church in Detroit and I was helping to put out the table signs for their "Harvest Dinner" and I remarked and how chic and retro the signs were. Picture a drawing of a 1950's lady with a waistline so narrow Blondie would be jealous serving a whole turkey to her pipe smoking, arm-chair-seated husband. My comment meet with blank stares and a giggle from someone in my age group who grew up in that church. She explained to me that they were not chic and retro, these table signs were original from the 1950's. We had a good laugh at that. Ah, it all comes back around, no?

Anyway,gob cake is a thick rectagular layer cake with frosting only on the inside which is cut into squares. I have never seen a round one, yet. There is a burnt sugar gob that is wonderful. I think that was my first gob cake that I tried when we moved here. Gobs are 2-3 inch cake-like-cookies sandwiched with frosting in the middle. They are fabulous. Mini-gobs are the same as gobs but are a bite size 1 inch version. Here is my first attempt at gobs or whoopie pies if you prefer. (I do prefer whoopie pie to gob. Whoopie pie is just cuter and these are stupid cute.) These are pumpkin with a cream cheese maple filling. I plan to put chocolate chips in some of the filling when I serve these at a women's meeting tomorrow night.



Here's the recipe I used -
Pumpkin Gobs

2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin 1 tsp cloves, cinnamon, ginger, salt
3 cups flour baking soda, baking powder
1 cup oil and vanilla


Cream together sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and drop by tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. Fill when cool.

For the cream cheese filling -
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons of maple syrup

In a mixer, fitted with a paddle, add the cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, lemon juice and maple syrup. Beat until smooth.

overcoming my weaknesses

I am feeling better but I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about biscuits. I have admitted it before that I cannot make biscuits. Until yesterday. I made these lovely, cheddar buttermilk biscuits using Ina Garten's recipe. I really do enjoy Ina Garten. Her recipes are simple, straightforward and they always work out well. These biscuits were really yummy - we had them for breakfast with soft scrambled eggs and sausage and then for lunch with turkey and provolone on them.

I followed the recipe exactly. I was shocked that there was an egg in the recipe - I canp't recall putting an egg in my biscuits before this. Maybe that is why my biscuits were always nasty... I don't know. I am just glad I found this recipe!

sick

I am home sick for a few days with nothing to do but lay in bed and play Nancy Drew games. Beats staying in the hospital.

fabric

I am planning to make a patchwork table runner for Thanksgiving. (Yes, I know there are a few holidays and occassions between now and then.) It is hard for a lot of people to think about Thanksgiving when it is warm outside but lately I have been thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas more often than now. I have been looking at this Martha Stewart Holiday baking magazine from last year over and over and planning which cookies to make this year and how to package them and so on and so on. It's kind of sad.

Anyway, back to the table runner - yes, those fabric there in the picture as a patchwork runner. As fabulous as it is, I don't think the orange fabric will make the final cut. Maybe... I don't know.