Chicken Pillows (aka Chicken Packets)

Here's a great Once-A-Month Cooking Recipe (also known as freezer food storage).

Chicken Pillows (Packets)
2 cups chopped chicken or 1 large can chicken
3 to 8-ounce cream cheese, to liking
green onions or chives, if desired
2 tablespoons milk
salt to taste
2 cans crescent rolls
1/2 cup crushed crouton crumbs, (optional)
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

Mix chicken, softened cream cheese, green onions, milk, and salt in a medium bowl, (mixing with hands works best) to make filling, (can be frozen at this point for later use-thaw before using). 

Roll out the crescent rolls into the triangles.  Fill on triangle with mixture and then place another triangle on top.

Mash the sides together with a fork.  Continue with all the rolls.  Place on baking sheets and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve either hot or cold.

I prefer to pinch two triangles together.  

Place the filling on one end.

If desired, dip each packet in melted margarine or butter.

Coat with crushed, seasoned crouton crumbs.  Place on baking sheets and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve either hot or cold.

Here's the triangle pillows.

Here's the packets.

Feels Like Christmas Pecan Mocha Fudge

This is my favorite fudge recipe (recipe follows tutorial).  I'm pretty sure I found it in Southern Living Magazine,  (when they used to have real people submitting recipes).  I like using mini loaf pans so that I can cut the fudge in slabs to give as delicious gifts.  I also prefer to use decaffeinated instant coffee.  I've tried caffeinated and it didn't taste as good.  But I'm not a coffee drinker, (just love the aroma)!

*First line 2 mini aluminum pans with foil (as shown) and butter them (or you can spray with vegetable spray).  Lining the pans as shown helps you to lift the fudge out of the pan easily. 

*This is the time you want to roast 1 cup of chopped pecans (1/2 cup if you want one loaf to be without nuts).  Roast pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

FYI:  I have kids who refuse to eat nuts in their fudge!  (And some folks can't eat nuts).  So my first pan is filled completely with the fudge mixture before I add the toasted, chopped pecans.  Then I add the pecans to the remaining fudge mixture and pour it into the second pan which will be filled completely also.  

*Combine (5-ounce) can of evaporated milk, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter--cut into pieces, 2 tablespoons decaffeinated coffee granules, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 12 marshmallows in a 4-quart, heavy saucepan.
*Cook over medium heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, 10-15 minutes or until sugar dissolves and marshmallows melt.  (If your stove cooks a little hot, you can adjust the temperature to a little lower).
*Bring to a boil.  Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees (soft ball stage).  If you don't have a thermometer, you can keep a glass of water nearby and drip some of the mixture into the water.  If it balls up into a soft little ball, the mixture is ready.
*Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 c. semisweet chocolate morsels until melted.  Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 c. toasted, chopped pecans, (if desired).  Spread immediately into pans.

Cool completely.

Lift fudge from pans.  Slice fudge into 1/2-inch slabs.  Yield:  1-1/3 pounds. Delicious!

Coffee-Pecan Fudge

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces
2 T. instant coffee granules
1/8 t. salt
1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk
12 large marshmallows
1 c. semisweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped pecans, toasted
1 t. vanilla extract
Combine first 6 ingredients in a 4-qt. heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10-15 min. or until sugar dissolves and marshmallows melt.  Bring to a boil.  Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees (soft ball stage).  Remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate morsels until melted.  Stir in pecans and vanilla.  Spread fudge immediately into 2 aluminum foil-lined, buttered 5-3/4 x 3-1/2 inch mini loaf pans.  Cool completely.  Remove fudge from pans.  Slice fudge into 1/2 inch slabs.  Yield: 1-1/3 lbs.
Note: Lining the loaf pans with aluminum foil and buttering them makes it easy to remove uncut fudge from the pans in one piece to slice it.

Fragrant Vintage Ornaments

Satisfy your handcrafting urge by making Fragrant Vintage Ornaments.  Though mostly made from items in your pantry, these ornaments are not edible.  This recipe makes about 12 ornaments.  They can be used for tree and package decorations, bookmarks, necklaces, pins, and/or drawer fresheners.

First combine 1 cup of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves and 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg with a whisk in a medium size bowl.  With hands, work 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 tablespoons of Aleene's Tacky Glue and mix with hands 2 to 3 minutes to make a mildly wet dough.  If it is too dry and another tablespoon of applesauce.  If it is too wet add a little more cinnamon.

Divide ball into four balls and knead dough like Play Doe.  Keep the other balls of dough covered with a damp cloth until you work with it.  This is a good time to pass out dough to as many as 8 children by dividing into 8 pieces.

Placing the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll or pat to 1/4 inch.

Take off the top plastic and cut dough with cookie cutters.  When doing this project with children, cookie cutters with few corners works best.

As long as the dough has been well kneaded and not rolled too thin, the dough should be easy to peel away and reused.  The cutouts can be gently peeled off the plastic and placed on a cookie sheet.  I like to line my sheet with parchment.

Using a straw, make a hole at the top of the ornament, but not too close to the edge.  Place in an oven no more than 200 degrees for 2-4 hours, turning over halfway through.  Or place in a sunny window on a cooling rack turning over time to time to ensure even drying.  This could take up to 4 or 5 days.

When ornaments dry, you can insert ribbon--cut to 22-inch lengths--through hole and tie ends into a knot.  Tie another length into a bow around first ribbon near ornament top.  Ornaments can be decorated with opaque paint markers found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.  I used white Puffy Paint to make it look like royal icing.

Candy Cane Reindeer Ornaments

Reindeer Ornaments would make cute table centerpieces for parties or to decorate side and coffee tables.  I like to decorate my tree with them and then give the reindeer out to visitors (especially children).  You need mini red poms for the nose, mini googly eyes (I could have gone up one size on both), and brown pipe cleaners.  Also Aleene's fast drying craft glue keeps the eyes from sliding, and don't forget the box of candy canes!  This is a pretty good project for kids.

First cut a pipe cleaner in half (unless you want really big antlers).  Making sure the candy cane is in the middle of the pipe cleaner half, twist the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane crook.  Then fold the pipe cleaner in 45 degree angles about two or three times (more for larger antlers).  Put a bead of glue on the back of the antlers behind the twist so that the antlers stay on tight.

Next glue a pair of googly eyes to the candy cane making sure they touch each other.

Add a red pom for a nose.

Setting each into a cup is a good way to help them dry safely.  If you made your antlers large, they can lay flat on a table.  Now read Imogene's Antlers by David Small (hilarious!  He also wrote George Shrinks):

Pioneer Handkerchief Dolls

"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers."

In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adult, I liked to go to local arts and crafts festivals.  The best one I ever went to was the Watermelon Jubilee in Ft. Deposit (Greenville), Alabama.  I bought an ink drawing by a local artist that I eventually framed, and a Handkerchief Doll.  I thought it was the most darling thing I ever saw.  I really didn't notice much about its construction until I read an article in the July 1992 Friend magazine by Judie Fordham.  She actually gave step-by-step instructions on how to make one.  This is something I wanted to share with my daughters as part of the many pioneer things I love.

Materials:

Man's large white handkerchief

1-1/4 yards, 1 inch wide colored lace or eyelet

a ruler

a  needle and thread the same color as the eyelet or lace

scissors

embroidery needle

pink and blue embroidery thread

stuffing

4 pieces of narrow ribbon 10 inches long

Sew a row of lace along one edge of the handkerchief.  Sew a second row slightly above the first.

On the opposite edge of the handkerchief, find the midpoint, then measure in 3-1/2 inches.

Embroider a pink French knot for the doll's nose.  Make two blue French-knot eyes 1/2 inch above the nose and about 1 inch apart.

Wad up enough stuffing to make a ball 2 inches in diameter.  To make the doll's head place the ball of stuffing under the face you just made, gather the handkerchief tightly around it, and tie it off at the bottom with a piece of double thread.  Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow over the double thread to make the neck.

Sew two circles of lace around the back of the head for a bonnet.  Make arms by rolling the handkerchief at each side of the head and tying in a knot, leaving 1: at each end for hands.

Make three bows out of the ribbon and sew them, equal distances apart, above the lace on the skirt.

The instructions for Handkerchief Dolls is found at the following link:

http://lds.org/friend/1992/07/handkerchief-doll?lang=eng&query=handkerchief+doll

Judie Fordham, "Pioneer Dolls," Friend, July 1992

When pioneer children were crossing the plains,

They didn't have cars, airplanes, or trains.

They walked beside wagons loaded clear to the top

With food, bedding, and seeds for the next season's crop.

There just wasn't room for a toy or a doll--

The wagons were filled with all they could haul.

So Papa's handkerchief became a new toy,

A cherished soft doll that brought lots of joy.

This cute little doll loves to play or just sleep.

She'll brush away tears if ever you weep.

So keep her close by--she's easy to hold--

And pretend you're a pioneer child of old.

HERE is an 8x10 printable of the Pioneer Dolls poem.

These instructions come from Kathy Ballard, "Pioneer Dolls 'Sew' Delightful for Small Stitchers," Country Woman, Jan/Feb 1992

Materials Needed (for one large and one small doll):
1/3 yard of white cotton fabric
Scraps of calico for skirts and scarves
Scraps of lace and ribbons for trims
Thread to match fabric
Knit-Cro-Sheen crochet thread or string
Small amount of polyester stuffing for head
Standard sewing supplies
Body:  Cut one 8 inch square of white fabric for small doll and one 12 inch square for large doll.  To form hands, tie two pieces of string or crochet thread on two adjacent corners about 1/2 inch from ends (see Fig. 1).

Head:  Place a ball of stuffing, the size of a Ping-Pong ball for small doll and the size of an egg for large doll, on fabric square, about a quarter of the way down from the top edge and centered between the hands.
Fold top of fabric over so it covers the stuffing completely; gather together under the head and tie with a piece of string (see Fig.2).  Pull arms out to each side and arrange, then bunch the rest of the fabric together under the arms and tie with another string (Fig. 2).
Skirt:  Cut out a 3 inch x 8 inch piece of calico for small doll and a 6 inch x 12 inch piece for large doll.  Hand-sew a gathering thread along one long edge of the skirt.
Pull up gathering thread and place skirt around doll beneath the arms, where the second string is.  Stitch top corners of skirt together in the back, securing the skirt to the doll at the same time.
Using two or three small stitches, hand-sew the bottom corners of the skirt together.  Trim away any of the white fabric that shows below the skirt.
Hat:  Cut a piece of lace that's long enough to fit over the top of the head, and sew it on for a hat brim.  Or make a scarf by cutting a 6 inch square for larger doll.  Fold fabric in half to form a triangle.  Place over doll's head and sew the ends of the scarf together under the chin.  Stitch to doll to hold in place.
Angel Wings:  For small doll, use a 2 inch wide of flat lace about 18 inches long for a piece of white fabric 2 inches x 18 inches.  Tie into a bow with 2 inch to 3 inch streamers and tack to back of doll just below the head.
Trims:  If desired, you can use lace to trim around the bottom of the skirt and tie scraps of ribbon around the neck waist or hands of doll.

Homemaker's Must-Have Apron

A homemaker’s best friends can be a pair of good-fitting rubber gloves and an appropriate apron.  These are two items I cannot live without!  I even take them with me when camping.  My favorite brand of rubber gloves are Playtex (the purple kind).  

One December, we had a sewing activity making aprons in Relief Society.  My two teenage daughters and I made aprons to wear when cooking or cleaning.  Aprons really save your clothes so I have lots of them.  Because aprons are so important to me as a homemaker, I adapted the pattern instructions so that everyone can see how easy making Sister Becky’s aprons can be.  (See Becky's Like Badge under Cottage Industries, to the right).  This also makes a great gift! 

All of the fabrics can be the same pattern, or you can go wild.  The fabrics in the following pictures are from my scraps pile.  You may want to start with scraps of fabric for the first apron so you can get the hang of things.  (Your practice apron can be worn to clean the bathrooms or work in the garden).  Here is the materials list:

3 yds. of 7/8” grosgrain ribbon

Matching thread

Approx. ¾ yd. fabric for the Apron Body

¼ yd. for the Pocket

½ yd. for the Lining

For aprons, I like to use a cloth that does not require much ironing.  Wash fabrics according to the directions you will find at the end of the bolt in the store.  Usually washing fabrics with like colors on cold is a safe bet.  Iron the fabric as directed before starting the sewing project.

Cutting Instructions:

Apron Body

Fold the ¾ yd. fabric in half, right sides together.

Cut a 17 inch width (folded) x 27 inch length (folded) piece of material.

With fabric positioned vertically place a pin 1 ½ inches from the cut side of material. 

Using a straight-edge (whatever is handy), and a chalk or marker, draw a slanted cutting line from the pin to the bottom right edge, then cut on line through both layers of fabric.

Next, print off the following two pictures to use as patterns for the curved portion of the apron. 
Print these pattern pieces at Google Docs.  

    

Trim to black lines on each.

 

Place apron pattern top curve as shown along folded side.

Place apron pattern bottom curve so it lines up with the top curve pattern as shown, lined up with cut side (slightly overlaps).

You can tape these two pieces to make pattern piece.  Pin in place and cut through both layers of fabric.

Now is a good time to trace your cut Apron Body onto freezer paper to make a more permanent pattern piece and eliminate many of the steps above.

Apron Lining

Measure 14 ½ from the top left corner of your Apron Body Pattern and fold the bottom half of the pattern under.  Now you have an Apron Lining Pattern.

Cut the apron liner making sure the straight edge of your pattern is on the fold like shown.

Pocket

Cut an 8 x 20 inch rectangle from the pocket fabric.

Sewing Instructions:

Pocket

Fold top ¼ inch to wrong side and press.

Fold top 1 inch to wrong side and press.  Sew top at sides, clip corners.

Turn to right side out, press, and top stitch top of pocket.  

Find center of pocket and mark with straight pen.  Match center of pocket to center of apron, matching up lower edge of apron with lower edge of pocket.Top stitch pocket to apron at pocket sides.  Stitch lines to create smaller pockets now.  Back stitch at top of pocket when sewing.

Lining

Turn lining lower edge under ¼ inch and press.  Turn under ¼ inch again and press.

Stitch lower edge.

Pin lining to apron, right sides together.  Stitch upper apron from top side to top of apron on both sides (sew curves).

Place a pin 1 inch from each end of the top of the apron.  Sew from pin to pin, leaving 1 inch open on each side.  This is where your ribbon will come through.  Adjust opening according to ribbon size.

Finish seams by serging, or zigzag stitching, or using pinking shears.

Turn right side out and press.

Finishing

Turn under apron side and lining side ¼ inch and press.  Repeat.  Stitch.

Turn under apron bottom ¼ - ½ inch (photo) and press, then repeat and stitch.

Ribbon

Mark front of apron 1 inch from edge, (I put a piece of tape on my sewing machine to mark 1 inch).  Top stitch each arm hole edge 1 inch from edge. This forms casing to run ribbon through.

Run ribbon through ribbon casings.

Measure ribbon to needed length by trying apron on, and trim to fit.  Place fabric glue along cut ribbon ends and let dry so ribbon won’t fray.

Now that I’m done with the trial apron, I need to get some fabulous fabric and trim to make the “real” apron.  For another cute apron idea, go to one of my favorite blogs, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ:
http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2010/01/psyched-up-to-serve.html