Category: Helen

Handmade Monthly-A Kitchen Scarf

2/21/2019

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Hi everyone! It is that time again to make something giftable with our own hands here on Handmade Monthly. This kitchen scarf makes a perfect gift! How do I know? Because I received one as a gift and I love it!

This isn't a scarf to wear in the kitchen to create a chic addition to your wardrobe, although these can be pretty cute. This scarf is so practical and absolutely genius! Of course, by dear friend Anita is the one who taught me about them and gave me one! Anita always comes up with and/or finds absolutely genius ideas. She also gave me permission to share this pattern with you.

You can see her in the collage, and here is my favorite picture of Lindsey modeling the kitchen scarf for you!

Anita introduced me to these before Christmas, so I was able to make some for my sisters and some friends last Christmas. I am going to make more this year for the people that I missed. (Even though these are a quick project, I still couldn't get to everyone!)
Here is the beauty of the kitchen scarf:

You wear them around your neck, so you won't be misplacing your kitchen towel as you bake.
They are handy to use to move something a little too hot to handle bare handed.
You can make them in colors to match the kitchen of the cook!
They are super inexpensive to make. They only require 1/4 yard of fabric and 1 kitchen towel!
They whip up really quickly!
They make a much more impressive gift that just a plain kitchen towel! And, when you get the colors or prints that match the person's kitchen or interests, they feel the love you are putting into this project.

Anita made this blue one for me. She knows I love blue.

So, are you ready to get started on this sweet project? Just click the read more button to get the simple, detailed instructions.

You could make some cute scarves with these Dollar Tree towels!

Look at all of this available at DollarTree!

If you order online, you can get 12 or more in a case! Can you think of 12 people to give these to? I can!

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Apple Blueberry Kuchen

2/19/2019

1 Comment

We have still been having cold, rainy weather here in Phoenix and I've got to tell you that I have actually been enjoying it as I anticipate the approaching summer months. It occurred to me that I had better get some baking out of my system now before we hit those scorching hot days when I won't be turning on my oven.
I like to read April J. Harris' blog. She has some wonderful recipes and this one, a Blackberry Apple Cake, was very tempting to me. Unfortunately, I didn't have blackberries or some of the other ingredients called for in the recipe. But I did have some frozen blueberries and Honeycrisp apples, so I decided to make something similar, but different with the ingredients that I had on hand. The result of that decision came out quite delicious!

The batter is quite thick. It turns purple when you fold in the blueberries! But, after it is baked, it miraculously doesn't appear purple anymore. I used frozen blueberries, but you could use fresh as well.

For ease of removing from the pan after it is baked, be sure to use a greased 9" spring form pan. I made do for years without a spring form pan, but after I got one, I realized how nice they are. I found this great set on Amazon that has 3 sizes of pans plus spatula and smoother at a great price!

You will smooth the thick batter into the pan and then top it with a brown sugar cinnamon mixture and the apples. It looks great in the pan, even before you bake it!

Now, you bake it for 45 min. The aroma is so amazing, warm and inviting! It makes your mouth water just looking at it. Here it is straight out of the oven.

I let the kuchen rest for about 10 min. after coming out of the oven. Then, removed the outer ring and used a long spatula to set it on a serving platter. This is the beauty of the spring form pan. You don't want to flip those beautiful apples upside down and hide them! The long, offset spatula is another tool I didn't know was so helpful until I got one. It is a simple thing, but is such a big help for jobs like this one.

I've had this platter for years, but I will link to another one at the bottom of this post.

This fruity kuchen will make a beautiful dessert or even nice breakfast coffee cake. My husband and I ate dessert first last night! That is one of the beauties of being empty nesters! You can do what you want!

Apple Blueberry Kuchen

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also enjoy these:

6 Delicious Blueberry Recipes

French Style Brown Butter Blueberry or Peach Tarts

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Not Too Hot, Super Flavorful Guacamole

2/7/2019

3 Comments

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This recipe may be too late for the Super Bowl, but if you are like me, chips and guac are good any time! I like to make my own guacamole because a lot of the time, it is too spicy for me and my husband and if I make it myself, I can control the heat. This time this recipe came together so well, I had to share it.
Here in Phoenix, we often get boxes of produce from a local family run produce distribution company. There are a few of these available in the Valley of the Sun and this one has a distribution site very close to Lindsey's house. This past week, they offered a Super Bowl special that had all of the fixings for salsa and or guacamole. LIndsey and I split a box. The avocados included were beautiful and I absolutely had to make some guacamole out of some of them. There were a variety of peppers included in the box, but I knew they would spice things up too much, so I stuck with the sweet, colorful, mini peppers that I already had and gave the hotter peppers away. If you want your guac to be a little hotter, you can change out the type and amount of peppers.

This recipe comes together so quickly. Just mash and chop and add everything together. Bring the seasonings to the level that you like them. You won't miss the heat because the taste is just so good!

Not Too Hot, Super Flavorful Guacamole