Fruit Dip

This is my favorite fruit dip. I have tried others, but this is by far the best.

8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Soften Cream Cheese. Beat ingredients together. Refrigerate. Serve with fruit cut into bite size pieces.  

Reusable Grocery Bags

So lately i have been making reusable grocery bags from plastic grocery bags. Basically i cut off the handles and the bottom that is holding it together, and then cut it into strips that i then tie together and crochet. it is pretty awesome. I also have been finding what other plastics i can use for this. I have used clothing store bags, cereal bags, ziploc bags, and just pretty much whatever flexible plastic i find. the more rigid of the plastics i will often use as the base for the bag so that it is reenforced. 

Here is a thicker base:

 Here is a top view of a partially finished bag that has a normal base:

And a side view:

 

Once the bag was completed:

The bag standing up:

Top View:

*Note the bag could have fit a lot more, i just put enough to fill it out for the picture...

So anyways... I make the bag by crocheting back and forth, like making a scarf, until the base reaches the dimensions desired, and then i start crocheting around the edges of the base. When initially crocheting the sides of the base i do about 1.5 stitches per every row. I also do a couple of increasing stitches around the corners for the first few rows. You just keep circling until the bag is the desired height, and then it is time of the handles. I determine where i would like them to attach, and then when i reach the inside point of attachment for one i ch 1 and turn. I crochet back the desired width of the handle, and then ch and turn again. I keep going across that strip until the handle is the desired length, and then i slip stitch the handle onto the bag, ending on the outside of the handle, and continue around the bag until i get to the next handle and make it the same way as the first. With the second one i will still continue around until i reach the first handle before i tie it off so that section of the bag does not appear shorter.

These bags are a pretty cool way to upcycle, and to get reusable grocery bags without buying them. You can feel good about yourself stopping the bags from sitting in a dump somewhere. What size hook you use depends on the rigidity of the plasitic and how thick you make the strips,

Cheese Ball

So a couple of years ago I decided to try my hand a making a cheese ball, so i looked up a bunch of different recipes looking for inspiration for ingredients, and then wrote my own recipe using the ingredients that i liked form the various other recipes. It turned out really well. I recently looked it up again so that i can make one for my sister's bridal shower. Anyways here is the recipe.

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1.5 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated onion
2.5 c shredded cheddar cheese
.25 c chopped parsley
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 Tbsp minced thyme

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Shape into a ball and serve with crackers.

It was a huge hit when i made it, and it was the best cheese ball i had ever had, which makes sense since i wrote the recipe based on what i liked from other cheese balls.

Homemade Pancakes and Syrup

These are the best syrup and pancake recipes out there. My mom always made them while i was growing up. She was famous amongst friends and family for them. I literally had friends who told their mom's to start using this recipe when i was a kid. I was taught young how to make them, as were my siblings. This was pretty much the only meal my dad would ever make. My roommate was a stalwart Bisquick pancake maker saying that they were the best, but then she tried these pancakes, and has since reformed. The syrup is thinner then store bought because it uses sugar to sweeten it instead of corn syrup. This means that it is sweeter and tastes better though. Oh and another tip: my mom always butters the pancakes after she flips them on the griddle. this way the butter melts into the whole pancake evenly because it isn't cooling as you spread the butter. So without further ado, the recipes:

Pancakes
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
1 large egg
milk

Mix all ingredients, starting with a little milk and adding until you reach the desired texture for batter. My mom usually does the batter a little thinner then the other pancake recipes, so that the pancakes aren't as thick and floury feeling, but you can experiment and find a thickness that you like.

Syrup:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp maple flavoring

Add sugar to water in a pan and mix as it warms. You want to heat to just under boiling, because if it boils the lost water will cause it to crystallize if you have leftover syrup. Stir in maple flavoring once warm and all sugar has dissolved. Syrup is then ready to serve. We usually store left over syrup in a lidded jar in the fridge.

Another thing my family does is fries eggs to eat with the pancakes to add some protein. We usually put the egg on top of the stack of pancakes and then the yolk will run over the pancakes with the syrup which is delicious. Oh and we never do a single multiple of either recipe, because these pancakes are always in high demand.