Sew A Fleece Baby Sleep Sack

I [heart] sock monkeys!

So when I was at Hobby Lobby one day and saw this awesome fleece sock monkey fabric, I HAD to buy some even though I had no crafts planned at the time. A couple months later, I had the brilliant idea to make a sleep sack for Connor.

I took one of his sleep sacks that he currently used and traced around it to create my own pattern. I enlarged it a little and made it significantly longer so he could grow into it. (They grow too fast!)

I added a 1/4 inch seam allowance around the whole thing so I would have room for seams.

The cheating way to make the sack symmetrical was to just draw one half of it and then fold the piece of paper and cut it out.

I pinned the pattern to the fleece and cut it out. I did the same thing for the front side of the sack, but cut the neck hole a little bigger.

I'm embarrassed.
Well, I must have been really tired back when I made this because I don't think I took photos of the rest of it! But the idea was adapted from the Make It and Love It tutorial. Mine is similar, but I simplified it and didn't use bias strips. Anyway, the little cutie is happy to be wearing his sleep sack and modeling it for you!

I figured the sock monkey would make a nice prop!

The blog post is not complete without a little Kitty in it :)

Low-Fat Baked Onion Rings & Dipping Sauce

Who doesn't love onion rings? And that sauce they serve at restaurants is amazing! But after eating a bunch of them, onion rings can make you feel a little guilty about indulging. Not these! They're baked and low fat! Let me warn you that the onion rings have some prep time so you'll need to plan ahead. The sauce takes 2 minutes to whip up.

Adapted from Food.com

Baked Onion Rings
Ingredients:
• non-stick cooking spray

2 peeled onions

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 -3 egg whites

3/4 cup nonfatbreadcrumbs or 3/4 cup lowfat breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/simply-the-best-baked-onion-rings-82297#ixzz1EbbKGMO7

• 2 large onions
• 3/4 c flour
• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 c breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning (I made my own with equal parts of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme)
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Slice the onions width wise and then break them apart into rings.

Pour the flour into a shallow bowl, the egg whites into a second, and the bread crumbs and spices into a third. (Pie pans work great for this.)

Dip each onion ring into the flour, then the egg whites, and then the bread crumbs.

Place finished onion rings on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until crispy.

2 peeled onions

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 -3 egg whites

3/4 cup nonfatbreadcrumbs or 3/4 cup lowfat breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/simply-the-best-baked-onion-rings-82297#ixzz1EbbKGMO7

2 peeled onions

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 -3 egg whites

3/4 cup nonfatbreadcrumbs or 3/4 cup lowfat breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/simply-the-best-baked-onion-rings-82297#ixzz1EbbKGMO7

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From All Recipes.com

Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1/2 c mayo
• 1 T ketchup
• 1/3 t paprika
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t oregano
• pinch of pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve cold.

Yum! Great snack and guilt-free!

Braided Fabric Coasters Tutorial

Ok, I'll admit it. I eat in my craft room while I work! Yep, right next to the sewing machine! Sometimes I get Hubby to come in and hang out on the bed while I work, so we'll often have snacks while we work. I get nervous that cold drinks will ruin my desk and dresser, so coasters were in order!

Of course, you know me and everything MUST match, so I used the same fabric from my tissue box cover and curtains. I cut 1/2 inch strips of fabric and used some Elmer's glue to attach strips together. The length of fabric you'll need depends on how big you want your coaster to be. These would also be great for hot plate trivets and you would obviously need more for those.

I took 3 strips and tied a knot at one end.

Then I started braiding the fabric. You can pin the knot to something to make it easier to braid or just hold it in your hands. Memories of those friendship bracelets from day camp, right?

Once the braid was done, I glued the ends together.

For me, it was easier to make a few braided strands and then attach them using glue to make one long braided piece.

Starting at the knotted end, I slowly rolled the braided fabric around to form a circle. I used glue to keep the coil from falling apart. Make sure to let each application of glue dry before continuing to coil or it will fall apart.

And keep coiling and gluing...

Until you get the size you want. It's easy to glue more braided fabric on to the end if you want a bigger coaster.

Once I was done, I glued the ends and trimmed the edges.

Thirsty, anyone?

DIY Sew Baby Legs

I'm a little late to jump on the baby legs bandwagon. I didn't really understand the point unless you had a girl who wore dresses or were a SAHM who needed something quick to dress your baby in. But since so many people were raving about them, I decided to give them a try. Luckily, it was a really quick project so it took less than 10 minutes to make a pair!

I found a pair of knee-high socks in some boyish colors.

Then I cut each sock on both sides of the heel. The top section will be for the baby legs and the bottom part will be for the cuff.

On the bottom section, I cut off the toes to end up with a short tube for the cuff. (You can throw away the heel and toe sections.)

Using the small tubes for the cuffs, I turned them inside out and then sewed a straight line down one side about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Then I folded each one in half.

With right sides together, I placed each folded cuff on top of the unfinished edge of the baby legs.
A few pins held the pieces in place.

It was bit of a challenge, but I was able to stretch it enough to sew around the cuff.

The baby legs are turned right side out and they're ready to go!

You can also cut the baby legs shorter before you put them together if they're too long for your baby, but I just left mine long. Long legs run in the family so I'm sure these won't be bunchy for long!

Thumbs up from Connor!

Guest posting with a new craft!

Stop by Mom on Timeout to see my braided fabric coasters!

Thanks for letting me share my crafts with you!

Light & Yummy Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese is a favorite in our house and we don't make it nearly enough. While I love me a really fattening and cheesy kind, I feel guilty for eating the whole pan! This lighter mac & cheese is a little less guilt-ridden and it tastes fabulous!

Adapted from Debbie Does Dinner Healthy

Ingredients:
• 16 oz. box of elbow macaroni
• onion/garlic puree (see below)
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 10 oz. cheddar cheese
• 12 oz. non-fat greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper

Onion/Garlic Puree :
Combine 1 large sweet onion, 8 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover bowl and microwave for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.

Mac & Cheese:
Preheat oven to 425.

Cook macaroni according to box instructions. Drain and put aside.

Pour onion/garlic puree, dry mustard and cayenne in a pot and simmer, stirring often. Whisk in the cheese until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt. Toss with the macaroni and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper. Bake for 10 - 13 minutes until top is golden brown.

Pig out! : )