Flower arranging

Pictured are spring flowers arranged in multiple vases placed along a ivy branch.

Spring is almost here. In fact some early spring flowers are already in bloom. We like to bring them indoors as cut flowers to brighten up the house.

One arrangement we made this week was a grouping of vases down the center of our dining room table. This type of arrangement can also be used to decorate a fireplace mantel.

When hosting a buffet luncheon or party this type of arrangement is good for the center of the table where the food will be served from. The varying heights of the different vases will balance out the different serving dishes that are place on either side of it.

We started with a silk ivy vine going down the center of the table lengthwise for our arrangement. Then we placed seven different sized vases along the vine, some in front and some behind it. The vases are all different sizes and shapes but all are narrow in width.

Our vases are all clear glass but other types can be used. Other choices may be all metal such as gold, silver and bronze or all milk glass. For a country look canning jars would be a good choice to use in place of vases.

It doesn’t take a lot of flowers for this kind of arrangement. The flowers we chose for our arrangement included six camellias, three daffodils, three stems of narcissus and a few branches of crabapple blossoms. This gives it a simple and clean look. More flowers can be used depending on the desired effect and style to fit with the room.

Other things can be added to fill out the arrangement such as figurines or other ordainments placed along the ivy at the bottom. A scarf or wired ribbon can also be placed with the ivy between the vases.

For fresh flowers the water should be changed everyday to keep it from looking cloudy. If using silk flowers colored sand can be used in the vases to hold the flowers in place and also add color to the arrangement. When using glass vases the sand also helps keep the glass from looking cloudy, especially if the arrangement is to left in place for a period of time.

For other arrangement ideas there are classes offered at businesses such as House of Design in Red Bluff and at Michaels Stores in Redding and Chico. Ideas can also be found in magazines and on the internet.

We have several silk flower arrangements that we change at least seasonal. Sometimes we change them more often for special occasions or parties. When the flowers are in bloom we try to use them in arrangements around the house also.

For the seasons where the flowers are scarce, using cuttings from evergreen plants work well as decoration. Dried flowers are a good choice to use during the fall months. All arrangements can be kept looking fresh by regularly rearranging them to go along with the seasons of the year.

Noodle making

Pasta machine shown with a batch of spaghetti.

We always like trying new things when it comes to cooking and baking. Back in August of last year we had a dinner party featuring Thai food. Information was posted at our blog on August 18 at the site listed below.

One thing our daughter tried then was making rice noodles. They were not hard but took a little time. So one present we got her for her birthday this year was a pasta machine.

To find pasta recipes she looked online. A website she found that has many good recipes for pasta is bobsredmill.com. She has tried several but the one that is the easiest and is fast becoming our favorite is Bob’s basic pasta recipe. This recipe is more flavorful than basic store bought pasta.

Ingredients are:

1 1/2 cups semolina flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs or 3 egg whites, beaten

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine semolina and salt, add beaten eggs (or egg whites), water and oil. Mix to make a stiff dough. Knead 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Wrap dough in towel or place in plastic bag and let rest for 20 minutes. Roll out to desired thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut as desired.

Bring a large pot of water containing 1/2 teaspoon olive oil to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (approximately 3 to 5 minutes). When making lasagna, no need to boil noodles. Add directly to your recipe.

We found this recipe works up fast. We only kneed the dough until it all sticks together, much less than the suggested 10 minutes. When rolling it out it is more elastic and easier to work with than others we have tried so far.

Also when we want to make the noodles ahead of time we just hang them to dry after cutting them. Our wooden clothes drying rack works as a pasta drier also. We just cover the dowels with plastic wrap before placing the noodles on it to dry.
To use the pasta machine the dough is rolled out flat and then fed through the machine starting at the thickest setting, then decreasing down to the desired thickness. The final time through is to cut the noodles into the desired width.

Our favorite way to eat them is to melt about a fourth cup margarine and add one teaspoon dried herb leaves such as basil, oregano, savory, tarragon or thyme and one teaspoon lemon juice. After the noodles are cooked and drained, just poor the herb sauce over them and serve.

Other ways to serve noodles is with a spaghetti sauce, pesto sauce or white sauce. The white sauce can be changed to a cheese or curry sauce. We found ideas for sauces in our Betty Crocker Cookbook but other general cookbooks will have similar ideas.
For us it is worth it to get a better tasting product even if it takes a little more time than ready made ones from the store. We welcome readers to share their favorite recipes and cooking experiences with us at the email address listed below.

Model show

Pictured at top is a 1/35 scale American Stewart tank in Russian service, middle are 1/350 scale Japanese battleship Yamato and 1/72 scale Gato class American submarine, bottom are 1/72 scale single engine entries at the Hobby Expo 2008 model show in Petaluma, California.

Last weekend we went to a scale model show, know as Hobby Expo 2008, in the town of Petaluma near Santa Rosa. It was put on by the Santa Rosa plastic modeler’s club, a member of the International Plastic Modeler’s Society, USA. People came in from all over, including many from the bay area, Fresno, Redding, and as far away as Reno and Las Vegas. There were over 100 entrants in the model contest with nearly 400 models. Also there were numerous vendors selling model kits and supplies.

The show opened at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and we got there soon afterward. Attendance was free for non-vendors, so we didn’t have to pay just to look. There were a couple of kits on our list of “would like to get” so we first went around all the vendor tables to see what was there.

We were amazed by how much stuff they had. There were literally thousands of kits stacked high on the tables and some on the floor. Many of them were older kits, often out of production. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the ones we wanted, but we did make couple small purchases – a WWII German ME-262 airplane and a sheet of decals.

After we went over the vendor’s items, it was time to look at all the models that were entered into the contest. There were over 50 categories, including ones for juniors, adults, and some over-all categories. The categories and awards covered just about everything imaginable, from military vehicles and aircraft, to science fiction and even an “unfinished model” category.

The models were all very finely built and clearly showed the many hours of work that went into their construction. Models have come a long way from when we were young and a small kit could be purchased for 50 cents and then assembled in a half an hour. These days, the paint colors and markings are extensively researched and tiny details are faithfully rendered.

One item of interest is how truly international the plastic modeling hobby has become. Kits are being manufactured in many countries that even 20 years ago had no representation at all. They are coming from Japan, Russia, the Czech Republic, and China, just to name a few. Even the kit we got came from Poland.

A whole cottage industry has sprung up making add-ons for various kits. There are conversion parts made out of epoxy resin to make an existing kit into a different version. Small companies produce photo-etched brass and stainless steel parts, usually on a credit-card-sized fret, for fine details such as airplane cockpit parts. The international flavor brings a wealth of creativity and variety to the hobby.

Along with attending the model show, we took a little road trip. It was nice because we actually had not been to Petaluma before. It gives us something new to talk about, new scenery to look at and we can usually take in some different activities along the way.

Petaluma is located in Sonoma County, about 50 miles north of the bay area, on Highway 101. It is on the edge of the Napa-area wine country. There is a lot of beautiful scenery around the town, including acre after of acre of fine vineyards.

We took the freeways going down, but chose to come back along smaller roads, at least until they connected with I-5. We can definitely recommend the smaller roads. Although they are a little curvy and slower than the freeway, you get to experience more scenery.

Party Ideas

Party ideas collected from magazines, newspapers and the internet.

Parties are a lot of fun but sometimes they can be a lot of work to plan. We try to plan ahead by saving ideas when we see them.

As we are reading magazines, newspapers or even on the internet, when we come across a party idea that we like we cut it out or make a copy and save it in our household organization binder. This binder is explained in our January 18 column and is at the blog site listed below.

The latest ideas we used was for our daughter’s birthday. We found a soup recipe in the Relish insert of the Daily News last December. Soups and stews are good choices for special occasions in winter. This one was headlined “Angel Harvest Vegetable and Potato Soup.” We did customize it by adding stew meat to it. And to make it large enough for the number of guest we were expecting we also increased the amount of vegetables and seasonings.

To go along with the soup we made homemade dinner rolls. Then instead of birthday cake we made three pies. One was orange meringue which was a recipe we found in the same Relish insert as the soup. The other two were lemon meringue and kiwi with a crumb topping.

In the past we have done parties with themes like a Hawaiian holiday. We got this idea from the June/July 2003 Taste of Home magazine. For this party we followed the recipes pretty closely.

The luau centerpiece was fruit threaded onto wooden skewers and inserted into a whole pineapple. The pineapple was placed in the center of a molded blue gelatin ring. Around the gelatin was more fruit. At each corner of the centerpiece were palm trees made out of half a bell pepper for the leaves and carrot trunk, mounted on half a potato.

The dinner included Polynesian meatballs, tropical tossed salad and rice. The drink was pineapple juice with lemon sherbet and ice cubes blinded in. The cake was in the shape of a volcano.

Some birthdays we celebrate with a dinner made up of the birthday persons favorite foods. Then the cake is a fun shape such as a giant hamburger, piano, castle, kite or train.

One idea we have not used yet is a teddy bear picnic theme. This idea came from the February/March 2000 Taste of Home magazine. They had ideas for a “sandwich bear,” “teddy carrot bars” and “beary cute cookies.” The sandwich bear is made using different size round bread and rolls, and then filled with sandwich fixings. The teddy carrot bars are topped with purchased Teddy Grahams. The cookies are round with ears added and for the face two M&M eyes and a chocolate candy kiss nose.

The teddy bear theme could be used for a baby shower or a birthday party for someone partial to bears.

We are always on the lookout for new ideas. Party ideas from our readers are welcome. Please comment below.

Yo-yo hearts

Pictured at left is a finished yo-yo heart on top of the heart pattern, at right are two more finished yo-yo hearts.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. This year we are making yo-yo heart magnets. They are fast, easy and do not cost much to make.

In the past we have made many things out of yo-yos and have done several columns featuring items made from yo-yos. Past articles of items we have made are on our blog listed below. September 2007 featured pumpkins. April 2007 featured angels as well as a photo of other items made in the past.

Heart decorations are used a lot for Valentines and also for weddings. On the internet we have seen examples of yo-yo hearts made by others so we decided to try our hand at making some.

First we drew a heart pattern, about 6.5 by 6.5 inches. Next we looked through our existing fabric collection for those colors suited for Valentines. Then we chose several different fabrics in red and pink floral prints as well as a solid red.

Using the heart pattern we made, we cut out several dozen hearts. Then to shape the yo-yos we sewed a running stitch starting at the top of the heart and going down one side to the bottom. Next we sewed a running stitch down the other side of the heart. We left a tail of thread on both sides. Pulling the threads gathered the fabric, making the shape of a heart. The threads were tied to secure the heart shape.

When sewing the running stitch we do not fold over the edge of the fabric like a hem is done. Many directions say to do this but it makes the gathers thicker and we do not think they look as nice that way. We only fold over the edges if they will show in the finished product. For most projects something is placed over the gathers and they are not seen in the finished product.

Some directions on the internet indicated they needed to make a “secret stitch” at the center top to define the shape at the top of the heart. When gathering our yo-yo hearts the top came down by its self, not needing any other stitching.

To cover the stitching we used decorative buttons. We have a collection of old buttons saved from used garments as well as collections others have given to us over the years.

We used hot glue to hold the buttons in place. Then to finish we hot glued a magnet on the back.

For those who want to use the hearts like jewelry a closing pin clasp could be glued to the back instead of the magnet. The hearts could also be sewed directly onto clothing as embellishment.

There are websites that have patterns and directions they allow to be copied. We chose to make our own as some fuss about using their patterns for profit. We do not generally sell items we make, but sometimes give them to fundraisers to be sold. Making our own patterns just eliminates questions about how we use the things we make. We welcome any one to copy and use any ideas we have shared. If anyone makes a profit from them we will be happy for them. Having fun and sharing with others is our goal.

Learning activities

Coupons, ads, catalogs and magazines can be used as learning tools.

When our children were growing up we were always looking for fun ways to help them learn. Educational materials can be expensive to buy but there are other materials that work just as well.

Sometimes simple things like magazines, catalogs, the ad papers and coupon pages that come in the newspaper can be good learning tools. First the magazines can be used for making collages for art projects and finding recipes to make meals or snacks. When children help pick out recipes they are more likely to want to help prepare the food and more likely to eat it.

Magazines are also a good resource to use when making cards for special occasions. With Valentine’s Day coming up a card with a large “I,” a picture of a heart and a large letter “U” can say I love you. Other pictures, letters and words can be used to make other messages to give to a loved one or friend. Grandmas and moms would find a card full of flower pictures very special. We think handmade cards are more special than store bought because it shows that someone took the time and thought to make them.

The coupon pages are good for children to learn many skills. First they can learn to cut straight lines when cutting out the coupons. Second they can sort them by category such as snacks, cereals, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, lotions and so on. Then sort them by expiration date starting with the shortest to the longest, so they can practice putting things in sequence.

When making out a shopping list the children can look through the sorted coupons to find ones that match the items on the list. Next they can look through the store ads and find which items on the list are on sale, at what stores and which one has the best prices. All these activities help them learn plus they can feel they are being helpful.

For children learning their alphabet, have them cut out pictures that start with each letter. They can print out the alphabet, one letter per sheet of paper and glue the pictures that start with that letter on them. Those that are learning phonetic sounds can write those sounds on individual sheets of paper and then find pictures that start with those sounds.

Older children that are learning to spell can look for pictures that match the words on their spelling lists. Also cutting out letters and pasting them in the correct order to spell the words is a fun way to help memorize their list.

When the children are done making pages of pictures to match the alphabet, phonics sounds or spelling their words they can be sent or given to grandmas and grandpas. They always like to see what the children are doing.

All these activities are good things to do indoors on rainy days like we have been having. Our favorite is finding a recipe that requires baking. That way the house gets warmed up as well.

Household orgnization

Binder and supplies to create an organization binder.

Organization is one thing some resolve to do better on in the New Year. We are beginning a household organization binder to help us keep better organized.

The important thing is to gather household information in one place so that we do not need to go on a search every time we need a bit of info. Others may use files and some people keep this kind of thing on their computers.

Sections in the binder can be for a calendar, meal and recipe ideas, party ideas, holiday section, projects and to do lists. We use notebook paper to write ideas on and clear plastic pockets to keep clippings of recipes, pictures and other hints in. To separate the sections we use dividers with tabs that say what is in each section.

The calendar section is to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries and other dates that are special. Also notes of ideas for gifts for each occasion. Gifts purchased in advance can be listed in this section as a quick reminder of what is on hand.

The meal and recipe section can include daily meal planning as well as new recipes that we might want to try at a later date. If meals, desserts, breads, fruits or vegetables are prepared ahead and stored in the freezer, a list of what is in the freezer is good to have. That way stored food will be easy to remember and not be forgotten about. A list of canned items on hand is also nice to have.

A party idea section can include menus, decorations, games and other activities to try at a future event. We also list possible themes to use to center all the plans on for specific parties. Then under each theme is a list of food, decorations and activities we could do for each one.

The holiday section is where we keep track of things we have tried in the past with comments on how well we though they turned out as well as ideas to try for the future. Also gift ideas for friends and relatives are good to list in this section. A list of gifts purchased in advance and for who is nice to have as a reminder of what is already done. To not repeat the same type of gift a list of what was given and to whom is a good idea.

Projects and the to do list section is to help keep track of projects already under way and what steps are needed to complete them. Also new ideas of things we might want to do in the future and what items we need to have to do them. Types of projects might include home improvement ideas, gardening ideas or craft ideas.

Each section can include pictures, diagrams and any details that might help with future plans. Just jotting down thoughts and ideas ahead of time can be helpful. An event can sneak up on us but these things can give us a jump start.

Organization and preplanning not only helps with ideas but with the budget as well. If there is a plan and even some items purchased in advance it can save not only time but money. Last minute purchases tend to cost us more than when we shop at sales or can make something ourselves instead of purchasing ready made items.
Saving time and money are both things that make our lives go smoother for us.