Relief and Some Sewing Fun

Phew, there's finally been some relief from the crazy heat wave last week. In celebration of the great (and much cooler weather), I decided to sew some little clothes for my munchkin neice. She is just about 2 months old and is the most cutest baby ever (well, I think all babies are the cutest ever!).

Here are the first 2 dresses I sewed. The first one on the left is my absolute favourite. I added a heart applique and butterfly sleeves. I think little babies look wonderful in oversized butterfly sleeves. They look just angelic, don't you think? I added some other interesting details I will explain further in this post. The turquoise dress on the right is a simple peasant dress with embroidery from my sewing machine and a medium sized flower made of this ruffle lace my aunt gave me.

Here is a close up of the turquoise dress. You can see that I just created a spiral with the lace ruffle and it made a pretty cute flower. I hand stitched it to the dress.

Here is a close up of the other dress (my fave!). I just took several scrap fabric strips I had left over from my other projects and sewed them together. Then I cut it into a heart, fused it to interface and zigzag stitched it to the dress. Voila! It's a great way of using up all those beautiful scraps you have laying around but don't have the heart to throw away (I have toooo many!). I also added my niece's name with the sewing machine.

For some added interest, I stitched on this very colourful yarn I had laying around with a simple zigzag stitch. It really helped make the dress look more uniformed and compliments the applique.

This is the back of the dress. I used red bias tape all around the neckline and sleeves to add life to the pale dress. At the end, the dress looked rather frumpy and large so I just added a strip of elastic to the center back. To hide the stitch, I added the same yarn for an interesting appeal. Oh, I also added a tiny heart on the bottom of the opening. I just love tiny details!

This is a simple skirt I sewed and jazzed up with some pink ruffle lace again my aunt gave me. For added colour, I stitched everything in a cherry red thread. I think this would look great with a T-shirt.

Lastly, a dress I sewed with some left over fabric from my sister's outfit. I added a lining to the underside of the top yoke (is that what it's called??). I made the shoulder straps about 6 inches long so that it would be easy to knot them as shown. I sewed the bottom part of the dress over the yoke (?) so that you can see a little ruffle at the top. By the way, I love ruffles!

Here's a close up. Don't you just love the colour of this dress? Overall, the dress looked kinda plain so I added a strip of scrap fabric and spiraled it the same way as the turquoise dress. This one I sewed on with a machine. Since the dress was already sewn, this was a little challenging. I would recommend you add the flowers before you sew up the panels. Or you can hand-stitch it to the dress so you have more control over the fabric. Control is good..for sewing that is!

Sweltering Heat!

Gosh, it's getting pretty hot here! Temperatures hit about 38 C today. We're bracing ourselves for tomorrow. It will feel like about 48 C which is the first in my lifetime. We experienced temperatures like this when visiting the Middle East...and its common at times of the year. However in Canada, this is mighty rare. The worst part is that this heat wave is not going to seize any time soon. It may continue for the rest of the month and maybe continue into August as well.

Global warming and climate change has really made things different and our children will be experiencing things we have never seen before in our childhoods. We need to take action now and make major "green" steps to help this ailing planet. One day, this earth will be handed over to our children to take care of. We need to be an example for the the next generation. We need to become proactive.

Super Duper Easy Chili Recipe

Ok, here's the chili recipe I promised!

It's real tasty and is delicious topped with sour cream and cheddar cheese. Club House is a brand found in Canada. I'm pretty sure its available in the states as well but if not, you'll probably have McCormick or something similar. For international readers, you can find chili seasoning at your local grocery store which would sell North American items (hopefully!) OR buy it online!

So, here's what you need:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup green and red pepper, finely chopped

2 stalks green onions, chopped

4-6 Tbsp Club House Tex Mex Seasoning (

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained (omit if your kids don't like it)

salt to taste

1. Cook ground beef until browned. Add desired amount of chili seasoning, chopped peppers

and onions. Stir frequently and cook until peppers have softened.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, water, beans (optional), and salt to taste.

3. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until chili

thickens slightly. Stir frequently. Serve warm.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream (low fat if you wish), and freshly chopped cilantro (also known as coriander).

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Chili Nachos Recipe

Lightly crisp tortilla chips in the oven by spreading them on a large cookie sheet. Top with shredded cheddar cheese before placing in the oven. Remove once the cheese as melted. Top with salsa, sour cream, and chili. Serve immediately!

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Chili Pasta Recipe

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place into a deep pot. Add chili to the pot and stir until all the pasta is coated. Cover the pot with a lid for about 5 min on low heat. Turn off stove and remove from heat. Serve with cheddar cheese, dollop of sour cream, and freshly chopped cilantro. YUM!

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NOTE: You will have extras so freeze in an air-tight container for those days your little kiddos aren't letting you cook and are wrapped around your leg, screaming, crying...you know those days!

Chilli Pasta Recipe Coming Up!

The other day, I made Chilli Nachos. I must have over-estimated the amount of chilli needed because I had a lot left over. So what to do? We're not too familiar with chilli and my kids won't eat it plain....so I decided to add it to the next day's pasta rather than the typical pasta sauce. Guess what? My kids loved it and so did I! I'll be posting the recipe for the super duper easy chilli soon along with the pasta creation.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the savoury dish for you to enjoy.

(PS. Don't be surprised if your mouth starts to water just about now!)

Have a great day!

This is a sneak peek of what I sewed for my 2 1/2 year old for an upcoming wedding in Chicago. I was pretty impressed with the final result and plan on making the pattern on my Little Smiles Boutique online available next month!

The whole dress cost me a fraction of how much I would have spent should I have bought it ready made. And you know what? It's not that hard. You can do it, too! Can't wait to get this out in my shop. Sewing should be an empowering experience, not a frustrating one.

Here is the finished project. Let me know what you think!

Lovely colour, huh?

A Message to My Followers

Wow, I just realized I have new followers. It just amazing me that people can just find you in this vast world of cyber blogging. I guess its not so big after all. Anyway, thank you for reading this humble blog. I'm just getting in to the mode of posting so bear with me. It may not be regular at first but once I get the feel of this thing, I'll try to post more often.

Well have a wonderful day and I hope to hear from you sometime!

Meaty Chicken Lasagna

Ok so I have a confession to make. I don't really "measure" for these recipes. I don't use a standard measuring device (measuring spoons in particular). What I do use is an actual teaspoon...you know the ones we eat our cereal with. Just thought I would let you know because there is a difference. Eventually I'll convert these recipes to the standard measurements.

Just for your information, most mothers back home never measured their ingredients. I guess I picked up on those little habits...can't help it! Sorry.

1 lbs ground chicken
3 Tbsp oil
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (or 1/2 of each, freshly minced)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp red chili pepper (or to taste; you can omit if you wish)
1/4 tsp corriander powder
pinch garam masala
1 can/jar your favourite pasta sauce
dash Italian seasoning
12-15 lasagna noodles, uncooked (I prefer whole wheat and some spinich noodles in between)
2 cups mozerella cheese, shredded
Parmasean cheese and Italian seasoning for garnishing
9 x 11 baking pan
foil

Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 350 F

1. Add oil to a frying pan. Add onions and saute until light golden. Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground chicken and cook until the meat is white. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
2. Add all the spices and fry the meat until golden and water has evaporated.
3. Sprinkle the ground chicken with a dash of Italian seasoning and pour in your pasta sauce. Let cook on medium until it boils, them reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 min.
4. By this time the noodles should be done. Drain the water.
5. In a 9" x 11" baking pan, pour a little of your prepared pasta sauce and spread. Lay down your first layer of lasagna noodles. Add sauce to the tops of each noodle and top with some cheese. Repeat until all your layers are complete. Do not top your lasagna with cheese yet. Leave it with sauce only. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
6. Take pan out of the oven, uncover and top lasagna with cheese. Sprinkle with a dash if seasoning and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is light golden.
7. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.
8. Cut into squares and serve with your favourite steamed veggies like carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc...and some fresh salad.
   
   Enjoy!