My Back-to-School SWAP Sewing Plan

Have you ever heard of a sewing SWAP? Being in the papercrafting world for so long, a swap has a different meaning than in the sewing world. For sewing SWAP stands for Sewing With A Purpose.  And that's what I'm just about to do!  It's Back-To-School time here in AZ.  And I'm trying to be more provident in my clothing budget.  I know, I know... people don't sew to save money any more, but I'm going to give it a try.

It's only been recently, that I've taken sewing up again.  It's been a loooooooong time since I've sewn much.  Really, since I got married.  The last big project I did before this past Christmas was my wedding dress 10 years ago!  Funny how things change.  Kind of embarrasing to say that I have a BA in Fashion Design but haven't sewn a thing in this long.  Sadly, I've probably lost my pattern making skills.  Who knows, maybe they'll come back some day.  I still have all my old school books, so it's a possibility!

Thankfully, I discovered a wonderful pattern company called Ottobre Desgin a few months ago that has really inspired me.  It's a magazine subscription that comes with 30+ patterns every couple of months.  Lot's of adorable children's clothing!

I even dusted off the old serger.  It took a couple of months to find the foot pedal which was in an entirely different box in the garage.  I have two giant tubs of fabric in the garage, as well, just waiting for me to dig into them.  A lot of it is outdated but, hey, it's nearly vintage now!

But I digress, back to my SWAP plan.  Samantha will be starting 2nd Grade in a couple of weeks.  She has to wear a uniform of sorts.  It's more of a very strict dress code than a uniform.  A lot of uniform clothing you can buy around here is either A) not cute/boring (Walmart), B) not unique/everyone else has (Target), or C) too far away for me to shop at/too expensive (everywhere else).  Her shirts have to be plain, have sleeves and a collar, and can be White, Tan, Light Blue, Navy, or Grey.  Her pants/skirts have to be plain White, Navy, Tan, Grey, or Jeans.  Shorts and Skirts have the same color requirements. 

We went through all of her school clothes to see what was still useable for this year.  The answer?  Not much.  When kids wear the same things over and over again it definitely takes a toll on them.  And let me tell you, Arizona red playground dirt does not come out!  Neither does poster paint, marker, dry-erase marker (can't stand that stuff) and a host of other common school stain makers. 

Size-wise, it's a good choice for me to sew clothing for Samantha.  Since Kindergarten, she has grown up but not out.  She's always been very slender due to a combination of being a preemie at birth (4 lbs. 6 oz.), fine bone structure, and genetics (sadly, not my genes).  Her waist is the size of a 1 year old.  I'm not kidding.  She's not to terribly short for her age, however.  That means that normal clothing for her height is massive in the waist on her.  Thank goodness for the advent of adjustable waist pants.  Unfortunately, when you tighten a size 6 pair of pants down to her waist, it's so balloon-y through the hip that it looks more than a little weird.  Lots of her clothing have safety pins in the waist so that they don't fall off her.  That's kind of annoying when you spend $15 on a pair of pants that don't fit.  A funny side note is that she has some capri pants from Kindergarten that still fit her just fine in the waist.  She can now wear them as knee length shorts!  The other problem we have is that shirts that are long enough for her tend to be very large at the neck and shoulder.  So, given Sam's clothing size issues, I figured it was worth trying my hand a making her school clothes this year.  She's still young enough to think that her mom's homemade clothes are cool, so why not?  My pattern making skills have definitely helped me to be able to alter existing patterns to fit her.  For Ottobre, I usually make a size 98 in all the width wise measurements and a size 122 or 128 in the length.  That seems to fit her quite well.  Thankfully, Hailey seems to be about a straight size 110 so no alteration needed there.

Alrighty then, enough tangents, here is my plan:

2 Short Sleeve Shirts
2 Long Sleeve Shirts
2 Long Sleeve T-Shirts (for under the short sleeved shirts in Winter)
4 Pants
2 Jackets/Sweatshirts
2 Dresses/Jumpers
2 Leggings

Hmm.... seems like a lot, huh?  We'll see how long it takes me to get it all done!  Maybe by the next school year.  :-)  My goal is to have at least two outfits done by the time school starts in two weeks.  The rest by the end of August.

Now for the details of the plan with Patterns and Fabrics:

For fabrics, I found several inexpensive pieces and some things I already had to recycle.  The interlock knits, stretch denims and chambray I found at a discount fabric store while on vacation.  The sweater knits and rib knit I found at Walmart on their "Special Buy" table for $1/yard.  I'm recycling an old denim dress and two old pairs of tan/stone pants of mine.  The material is still in really good shape, I just don't have occasion to wear them any more.  Economically, it will definitely be better than investing in the same quantity of clothing at $10-15 per item.

I'm so glad that I've got this now committed to paper... or at least screen.  Now, I just have to get off the computer and start sewing!

Thanks for playing!
Jan

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

Here's recipe #3 for the day: Slow Cooker Swiss Steak.  This is quite possibly one of the easiest slow cooker recipes on the planet.  You can't go wrong with it!  This is my mother's recipe.  I think this was probably my most favorite dish when I was a kid.  It makes a fabulous Sunday dinner.  In a pinch, make little patties of ground beef in place of the stew meat.  I think my kids liked it better that way!  I've also substituted a jar of spaghetti sauce for the tomato sauce with delicious results.

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak - printable version

2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes
1 large (29 ounce) can tomato sauce or tomato puree
salt
pepper

Yield - 8 servings

In a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, place a layer of beef cubes. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper
Spoon tomato sauce over each piece.
Repeat layers of beef, salt and pepepr, and tomato sauce.
Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10-11 hours or on high heat setting for 5-6 hours.
Serve over potatoes.

Perhaps this will become your kids' new favorite!
Thanks for playing!
Jan

Slow Cooker Spicy Sausage Soup

Hidie Ho, Everyone! This is recipe #2 for the day!

I've been making my Spicy Sausage Soup for quite a few years.  It's always a hit!  If you don't like spicy, you could substitute sweet italian sausage for the spicy italian sausage and also leave out the red pepper.  I often make this with the spicy sausage, but leave out the pepper anyway.  My kids don't like it too spicy.

Slow Cooker Spicy Sausage Soup - printable version

1 beaten egg
2 Tbl. milk
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 slice)
1 pound hot italian sausage (removed from casings, if in them)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 () can diced tomatoes
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 pkg. wide egg noodles

Yield - 8 servings

1. To make meatballs: In a large bowl combine egg, milk, bread crumbs, and sausage. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Cook meatballs over medium heat in a skillet until brown on all sides. Drain. 
2. In a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, place beans, tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, and spices. Add meatballs and pour broth over all. 
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10-11 hours or on high heat setting for 5-6 hours. 
4. Add noodles to last half hour of cooking.

Thanks for playing!
Jan

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole

Wow, has it been that long since my last post?  I guess the dates don't lie.  Well, today I hope to make up for that by posting several recipes for you!  So that I can easily index these recipes, I'm going to make separate posts for each one.  Hey, does that make up for a month of no new posts?

Here's Recipe #1 for the day, Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole.  I recently came up with this recipe and we are really enjoying it!  This is my own take on a recipe I found somewhere and photocopied.  Too bad the copy doesn't say the name of the cookbook it came out of.  No matter, I've changed it quite a bit so it's really mine now.

This makes an excellent freezer meal.  I quadrupled the recipe and froze four dishes of this last night!

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole - printable version

1/2 pound extgra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder or taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 cup salsa
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream, light or regular
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese

Yield - 4 servings

1. Cook the ground beef, onions, chilid powder or taco seasoning, and cumin until meet is browned and onions are tender. Drain fat. 
2. Stir in beans and salsa. Set aside. 
3. In a bowl, mix together sour cream, flour, garlic powder, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. 
4. Coat the bottom of an 8x8 pan with a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce. 
5. Place three tortillas in the bottom of the pan, cutting to fit. 
6. Top with 1/2 the meat mixture, then 1/2 the sour cream mixture, and 1/2 the enchilada sauce. 
7. Place three more tortillas on top and repeat the layers. 
8. Bake, covered with foil, at 350° for 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. 
9. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake for 10 additional minutes or until bubbly. 

To freeze: After step #7, cover dish tightly with foil. Place remaining 1/2 cup of cheese in a small zipper baggie. Lay the zipper baggie on top of the dish and cover with another layer of foil. Label and date.

Thawing and heating: Thaw completely. Remove top foil and cheese packet. Proceed with steps 8 & 9 above.

Okay, that's the first recipe.  Let's see how many more I can get posted today! 

Thanks for playing!
Jan

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a few weeks.  Victor and I love mushrooms, so any time I can hide it in a recipe I will.  Samantha usually catches on about half way through the meal.  Then I tell her, "You've been eating them all along, so you might as well finish them up." 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - printable version

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green, red or yellow pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless chicken pieces (breasts, tenders, thighs etc.)
1 cube (1 tsp.) chicken bouillon
1 cup water
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can undrained diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste

Yield - 6 servings

1. Combine mushrooms, celery, carrots, onion, peppers, and garlic in a slow cooker.
2. Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables.
3. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over top of chicken.
4. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
5. Break up chicken pieces with a wooden spoon before serving.
6. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.

If you can find find frozen mirepoix (celery, carrots and onions) blend, frozen onions and peppers blend, or frozen onions, you can subsitute those for some or all of the equivalent veggies.  I have all three on hand in my freezer at all times which saves me a ton of time on preparation.  Or next time you are chopping up any of those ingredients, chop up some extra and freeze 1 to 2 cup portions in individual freezer bags.

Thanks for playing!
Jan

Slow Cooker Chicken & Butternut Ragout

Last week I was trying to use up some vegetables that I'd received in my Bountiful Baskets order and was struggling to come up with a good use for the butternut squash.  I came up with this recipe to use it like a potato in the slow cooker. It was really easy and quite delicious!

I love butternut squash and so does Victor.  But my girls?  I didn't even dare say the word squash or they think they won't like it.  I don't know why, but I was the same way as a kid.  Samantha came down on Sunday morning and saw me cutting up the big thing. 

"What's that, Mom?" she asked.

"It's Butternut!" I promptly replied

We referred to it as Butternut instead of Butternut Squash throughout the preparation and the eating.  And you know what?  They ate up every bite of it's delicious goodness!  Sometimes it's all in a name!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Butternut Ragout - printable version

1 pound boneless chicken pieces (breast, tenders, thigh, etc.)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seedded and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 (28 ounce) can of baked beans with onions (if using regular baked beans add 1/2 cup chopped onion)
1 (14.5 ounce) can undrained diced tomatoes (chili or italian style)

Yield - 6 servings

1. Mix all ingredients in a large crock pot, placing chicken breasts on top.
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
3. Break up chicken pieces with a wooden spoon before serving.
4. Serve in soup bowls with bread or biscuits.

And that's it!  Only four ingredients that I happened to have in the pantry and freezer.  I love that kind of Sunday morning recipe!  We will definitely be having this the next time we get a "butternut" and I know the kids will be excited!  If you don't have one, you could probably substitute potatoes in it's place or perhaps another kind of squash.  Just don't tell the kids!

Thanks for playing!
Jan

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Stew

Having church at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday makes for a very hungry family when we finally get home around 5:30.  I've been resorting to the crock pot for meals and we are absolutely loving it!  Yesterday we had a mock chicken pot pie that was to die for.  I know if the girls finish their meals at the same time Victor and I do (and without any coaching) then it was a good one.  And if they ask for more? A really good one!  Both of those things happened yesterday, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you today.

I've been known to make a pretty good chicken pot pie in my day.  I don't do it very often because my recipe is a bit on the labor intensive side.  For this crock pot version, I decided to simplify it a bit and use canned cream of chicken soup with milk and sour cream rather than making a white sauce.  This would make a great freezer or "once a month cooking" recipe.  Just mix all the ingredients except for the chicken and pour into a gallon freezer bag.  Freeze the chicken seperately and store together.   Then on the day you want to eat it, just thaw, place it in your slow cooker with chicken and cook as directed.

We served this over "Home Storage Biscuits" (recipe below). There was enough left over for Victor to take for lunch today and for Hailey and I at home, too.   Served over the biscuits, it really does taste just like chicken pot pie!  I'm just sorry that it all was eaten before I remembered to take a picture of it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Stew - printable version


1-1/2 cups Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 (8 ounce) package baby carrots
1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables
1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cubes (2 tsp.) chicken bouillon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. celery salt (or regular salt)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2-3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Yield - 6 servings

1. Mix all ingredients in a large crock pot, placing chicken breasts on top.
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
3. Break up chicken pieces with a wooden spoon before serving.
4. Serve over split biscuits.

Okay, now for those biscuits.  I buy "Pancake and Waffle Mix" in bulk at the LDS Family Home Storage Center.  If you want to know if there's one in your area, check out this list of locations.  Anyway, there's no recipe on the package for anything but pancakes and waffles.  I didn't want to have to buy another mix for biscuits, so I came up with this recipe for biscuits to make from the mix.  This will work for any pancake mix, really.

Home Storage Biscuits - printable version

2 1/2 cups pancake mix (any brand)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil or melted butter
1 egg

Yield - About 9 biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients until a soft dough forms.
3. To make Drop Biscuits: Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. To make Cut Biscuits: On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

I love having a versatile mix around.  I think I'll need to come up with some more recipes for it!

I've got some more slow cooker recipes that I'm working on.  I'll share them another day.  Hopefully, this one will get you inspired to try it!

Thanks for playing!
Jan