Garden Chowder

A week or so ago, before our first snowfall, we finished our garden harvest for the year. Right now, in the fridge is the last of our carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Only a meal or two and we will have to eat the vegetables that are stored in the freezer and basement shelves.

Our garden did well this year and Thanksgiving is a good time to remember how much good food God provided from the garden.

One recipe I've enjoyed with our fall veggies is Garden Chowder. I've seen this at various places online but I think I first tasted it at my friend Kim's home. I double this recipe since it is great the next day or even good frozen.  Serve with some garlic cheese biscuits!

Garden Chowder

 1/2 chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 cup each diced potato, cau­li­flower, carrot, and broc­coli
3 cups chicken broth (or water with bouil­lon cubes)
1 tea­spoon salt
3 garlic cloves or 1-2 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tea­spoon pepper
1/2 cup flour 

 2 cups milk
1 T pars­ley
1/4 tsp  paprika 

2 cups shred­ded ched­dar cheese 

Saute green pepper, onion and butter until tender in a large pot. Add veg­eta­bles, broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 min­utes or until the veg­eta­bles are tender. Com­bine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan. Allow to thicken at a low temperature. Add the pars­ley and paprika. Just before serv­ing, stir in the cheese until melted.

What Makes A Meaningful Christmas?

Several years ago, I gave a few ideas on making Christmas meaningful. I've been thinking about this topic the last few weeks. What really makes Christmas meaningful? Since each of us has different memories and backgrounds, our experiences at Christmas vary and what makes the season meaningful to me may have no impact on you.

For some, Christmas is a stressful time of too much to do and buy with too little time and money. For some Christmas is time spent with family. For others Christmas is the memories - the sights, smells, fragrance and sounds of Christmas' past. Maybe for some Christmas is a time of trying to forget hurts from the past. Or maybe it is striving to find Christmas joy that has been lacking other years.  Or maybe a comparison game to have as nice of Christmas as others around you.

I love Christmas and have fond memories of past Christmas seasons. But my goal each year is to minimize the stress and pressure that can be part of this season. I want my focus to be on Christ and His coming, both 2,000 years ago as a baby and His future coming.

What does this mean at a practical level for me? (And remember, it may be very different for you!)

1. Minimal decorating. Two nativity scenes, a couple snowmen, and a red candle or so and my decorating is completed. Very little to buy, store, replace, or clean.

2. Simple gift giving. We try to keep gift giving minimal, especially for our children. I enjoy shopping for a few special gifts, but the fact is that we don't truly need anything. A few things, purchased early before the seasonal rush, to show our love but spare us the stress of last minute shopping works for me!

3. Keep the December schedule reasonable. Sometimes that means saying "no" to fun events. Too many plans, with late nights and busy days, are especially hard on children, but adults too need a balanced schedule. After several years of getting sick right after Christmas, we have learned the importance of proper rest. This year, we have the excuse of an early January due date. We are not committing to be present at any late December/early January event. It feels freeing to have permission to say "We may not make it."

4. Focus on giving. I want the bulk of our activities at Christmas on things that are a blessing to others. Focusing on myself is a sure recipe for stress. I have found that by putting priority on those events that focus on others, my spirit is renewed by giving. One annual event I do with our children is to make handmade Christmas cards and take them to a nursing home and sing carols. Looking into the faces of lonely sick people helps me count my own blessings. Try it and see if it is true for you!

5. Plan ahead. This is true every year, but this year it may be even more important. I've been looking at our calendar and trying to make preparations in advance. Shopping completely exhausts me these days. Several weeks ago, I did some extra grocery shopping to hold us through a few extra weeks. Since I knew I would be doing extra baking over the holidays, I stocked up on basic baking supplies. I also picked up extra household items, such as toilet paper. I will need to do some grocery shopping in December, but the list should be shorter, and probably things that my husband could pick up on the way home from work.

But clearing a schedule and planning ahead are only half the equation. We can fill the time we save with useless activity that does little to bring our focus on Jesus Christ. Here is a few things I plan to do this month with my children to focus on the Lord.

1. Read the Christmas story from Luke 2.

2. Sing Christmas carols. Light a candle and turn off the lights and sing softly.

3. Gather the bathrobes and act out the Christmas story with your children.

4. Bake cookies, and share them with someone who blessed you this year.

5. Use a plastic nativity scene to help your children retell the Christmas story.

6. Learn the story behind some of the famous Christmas carols.

7. Sing carols to some shut-ins.

8. Listen to  Handel's Messiah. Look up the Scriptures that the songs were written from. This year we plan to use this Advent series with our family.

9. Read a favorite Christmas book. (Last year I listed our favorites for children, more for children, older children, and adults.)

10. Find ways to serve others who have less than us. Many ministries have special Christmas projects. My children have enjoyed assembling school packs for children.

These are just a few ideas. There are lots of Christmas ideas online - more than a person can ever do in one month. But I loved Shari's Advent of Quiet for sane ideas this month. Or maybe this just shows that I'm in the nesting mode! Anything with "quiet" and "home" just sounds good to me.

What are ways that you plan to keep December focused on Christ?

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving

I wonder how many other cooks are stirring up good smells in their kitchen this morning in preparation for tomorrow?

This is the first year we have held a Thanksgiving meal at our house. Last year we were in North Carolina for Thanksgiving. A couple of my brothers have plans with their wives' family but usually my parents invite whoever does not have plans, to share Thanksgiving at their house. Since I have eight siblings, even if a few are missing, there is still enough for a table full.

This year Ed and I decided to host the meal here. My mom and sisters are bringing all the cold food which only leaves me with the hot food. With my energy level these days, I knew I could not hold a kitchen marathon. But with a little planning, I thought it would be very doable.

The first decision I made was to NOT look for any new recipes. I love to try new things, but that takes time - and then brings stress while wondering if the new recipe will turn out. There is a reason some of my mom's recipes are classics. I would stick with the recipes I have made dozens of times before.

On Monday I cleaned out my fridge. My goal was to make one recipe each day. Monday it was stuffing, Tuesday I made the mashed potatoes, and today I'll put together the green bean casserole. They will await in the fridge.

I began thawing the turkey on Monday. Tonight (Wednesday) I'll rub the turkey with a curry rub and begin the slow roasting overnight. I'll pull the turkey out of the oven about an hour before we eat to give time for the stuffing and green beans in the oven. The mashed potatoes will heat in the crock-pot. The only tasks for Thanksgiving Day will be to set the table, carve the turkey, and make the gravy.

If others were not bringing the dessert, I would have chosen something like pumpkin roll that I could have made and frozen last week. Or at least frozen the pie crusts ahead of time.

You probably already have your recipes planned, but if you want to check out mine, here is some links to my mom's classic Thanksgiving recipes.

Easy Roast Turkey
Curry Turkey Rub
Stuffing 
Green Bean Supreme
Sweet Potato Casserole
Pumpkin Pie

And here is the make-ahead mashed potatoes that I made yesterday.

Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes

5 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
garlic powder and onion powder if desired

Cook potatoes until tender. Drain, mash, and add warm milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Cool and cover. Refrigerate and use within two weeks. Or seal tightly and freeze. To reheat, bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees or in crock-pot for several hours.

I'd love to hear what you plan for Thanksgiving - especially how you reduce the last minute stress!

(Ugly) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dad always said that ugly cookies tasted the best.

And these pumpkin cookies may fit that category. They certainly can't be described as cute -  but then, maybe looks are not everything.

My sister gave me this recipe for soft moist pumpkin cookies and my children (and me) are loving them. This makes a large batch - great to stock the freezer. We actually think they taste best straight out of the freezer.



The (Ugly) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

3 cups mashed pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
6 cups flour (I used half whole wheat.)
2 T baking powder
2 T cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 T. baking soda
3 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg well. Mix in all other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.

How to Sew a Cape Dress - Sewing the Dress Together

I always consider cutting out the dress pieces as the worse part. After it is cut out, all the decision making of what size, style is done. To me, the sewing is the fun part as the dress emerges from a pile of fabric.

First I sew up the darts (if using) in the bodice and cape.

 

Then I sew the bodice front and back together at the shoulder seams and do the same with the cape front and back. I like to hem the sides of the cape at this point.



Next I sew the bodice and the cape together at the neckline. I don't use any facings, which makes assembling so much easier. But sewing the cape and bodice together does take some different thinking. Typically when sewing, the fabric pieces are put together with the right sides of the fabric together so that when the seam is turned, all the seams will be inside.



But when sewing a bodice and cape together, place the right side of the cape against the wrong side of the bodice. When the seam is turned, the raw edge will be between the bodice and cape and will be hidden in the neckline.



Next I trim and clip the seam allowance at the neckline to allow it to turn smoothly, and stitch the seam allowance down against the bodice. This makes a smooth neckline with no visible stitching on the cape.

 
 

 Using a basting stitch, I baste the cape to the bodice at the waistline and in the back where the zipper will be inserted.

 

Sometimes I have had trouble with my cape gaping. I have found that if I pull the corner of the cape just slightly into the waistline, it helps with the gaps.

 

Next I finish the sleeves, stitching up the arm seam and finishing the cuffs however I chose for this dress. You can wait until the sleeves are sewn into the dress to finish them but I find it much easier to work with the sleeve before it is attached to the dress. On this dress, I made a simple pleated cuff.

Next I stitch the side seams of the bodice and insert the sleeves. I like to stitch my sleeves with double seams (just stitching twice around the arm hole) since sleeves tend to be a stress point that I have to mend often if not reinforced.



It is beginning to look like a dress! Almost done!

Next I sew the side seams of the skirt, inserting pockets if desired. Prepare the skirt to be attached to the bodice, with pleats, gathers, or however.

 

 For this skirt, since I wasn't using a skirt pattern, I pinned the skirt to the bodice at the side seam and center back and front. Then I measured even pleats in the front and back to pull in the fullness of the fabric.



After I was satisfied with the way the pleats looked, I stitched the skirt to the bodice. This is another spot I like to double stitch to avoid mending it later.



Next I insert the zipper. I like to use invisible zippers because then if my stitches are wocky, no one can see it.

Hem the skirt and it is all done!



And the final result.

Just in case you are curious...this photo was taken months ago. Right now I could never zip up this dress.



This is what I'm looking like today at 32 weeks!

How to Sew a Cape Dress - Cutting out the Dress

I'm one of those talk-with-their-hands people. I'm not sure how to describe a project with only words and few photos. But I'll dive in and hope you ask questions for anything that is not clear.

Yesterday I shared that my pattern started with a purchased pattern that I tweaked and adjusted for me. I strongly encourage you to try out your pattern with scrap fabric before using your good fabric. You probably won't need to make a whole dress - just the bodice. The frustration of completing a dress then finding it does not fit is a frustration to be avoided at all costs!

To make a cape dress, you will need a pattern for the  front and back bodice, a front and back cape, a sleeve, front and back skirt, and pocket, if you wish.

Bodice and Cape

This is my bodice pattern. I like to use wrapping paper to make patterns. It is easy for me to see which patterns go together if I cut one pattern from Christmas paper and another from blue checks. As I adjust a pattern, build up the neckline, add to a side seam, or whatever - a pattern can have so many notes and additions that eventually I trace off a new pattern. I like to date the pattern so I know which version is the latest.




For my cape pattern, I use my bodice pattern. I fold in the sides making an almost straight line from the shoulder to the waist and use this for cutting out the cape.

To cut out the bodice, both the front bodice and the front cape pattern is placed on the center fold of the fabric so that when it is unfolded, it is one piece.

The back bodice and back cape pattern is not placed on the fold since it will have a zipper up the back.

Sleeve

You can use about any sleeve pattern you like as long as the sleeve hole in the bodice and the sleeve top are the same dimensions. A gathered or pleated sleeve is easier to adapt to various dresses. A fitted sleeve has to fit more perfectly.

Skirt

Various skirts patterns can also be used with your bodice. Again, a gathered or pleated skirt will be easier to adjust to various bodice patterns. A fitted skirt will have to be carefully measured to find if it fits your bodice. If you measure your bodice pattern at the waistline, subtract the seam allowances and darts, you will know how wide your fitted skirt pattern will need to be.



I often do not use a skirt pattern. For this dress, I cut out a rectangle of fabric, making sure the front skirt was on the fold of the fabric. Since I planned to make a pleated skirt, the top waistline of the skirt I cut one and a half times as wide as my bodice. In other words, if one of my bodice pieces (a quarter of the dress) was ten inches wide, I cut the top of the skirt fifteen inches wide. I cut the bottom a couple inches wider, maybe about 18 inches in this example, and then made the side seam diagonal from the top to the bottom for however long I wanted my skirt.

And I'm sure that description is as clear as mud. Sorry for my limitation with words. Maybe I need to shoot a video!

Next we will look at sewing the dress.

How to Sew a Cape Dress - Finding a Pattern

I love reader's questions. But one question that I get frequently, I never feel that I adequately answer. I finally decided I'd have to do a series of posts in attempt to answer it.
I'm often asked by readers where to find a pattern for my dresses. Or how to make a dress like mine.

There is just no simple answer. I wear what is known as a cape dress. It has an extra piece of fabric (or a cape) over the bodice of the dress. It isn't a pattern that you can find at your local sewing store.

The pattern I use is from several patterns that I have purchased, adapted to a cape dress, adjusted, tweaked, and finally, after over a decade, feel that it fits exactly how I want. I could copy off the pattern and share it with you - but it is doubtful that it would fit you.

Probably the best way to sew a cape dress is to find someone close to your size, and ask for their pattern. Several of you I've been able to direct to a local Mennonite church and a seamstress who could help you. But some of you live hundreds, even thousands of miles from any Mennonite community.

And maybe I should insert here that I am not saying that everyone should wear a cape dress. I believe that according to the Scripture, a woman should dress modestly. You can read more of what I've written on the topic of modesty here. But there are different styles of dress that fulfill the Biblical command of modesty. Many Mennonite churches, including my own has chosen to wear the cape dress and I have learned to appreciate the simplicity of this style of dress, but I'm not at all saying that this is the only way for a Christian woman to dress in a way that honors God. Neither is the cape dress something that you can only wear if you are Mennonite. I have friends who have chosen to wear a cape dress just because they like the style of dress.

So this series is not to condemn the way others dress. I hope this is helpful for those many readers who have written and asked for information on sewing a cape dress.

This series is also not a complete guide to sewing a dress. I'm not sure that I can describe something like sewing with a keyboard. I wish you could just come and spend a day by my sewing machine. I will assume that if you tackle this project you have basic sewing skills. You know how to sew a dart, pleat, and zipper. If you are not to that point in your sewing skills, spend some time with some simpler projects first.

To begin look for a dress pattern at my local fabric store that could be adapted into a cape dress. My goal is to find a dress pattern with sleeves that has a natural waistline with darts for fitting ease. If the neckline is too low, it can be adjusted. If you don't like the sleeve or skirt that the pattern shows, this too can be changed. But a basic bodice pattern is what you are looking for.

The patterns I used for my dress pattern are long out of print so I scanned the patterns of some popular pattern companies to see what is available now. I found two that I think would work.

 http://www.simplicity.com/p-8072-misses-dress.aspx
 http://www.simplicity.com/p-9785-burda-style-dress.aspx

From appearance, both of these two patterns would probably work to begin your pattern making. But I haven't used either of these patterns so don't know for sure and you may find something better.

Another resource I want to mention is Preparing a Cape Dress Pattern from CLP. There is some very good information here, much more than I will share, on adjusting a pattern and sewing a sloper. CLP also has a second booklet on Sewing a Cape Dress which also goes into much more detail than I will. These two booklets are a little dated but still contain a lot of good information.

After you have a basic pattern, what next? The next post will be on cutting out a cape dress.