Getting Ready for Summer BBQ

Grass is green, flowers are blooming, and the invites are out for the summer bbq’s and picnics.  I thought I would share a few new favorites that I tote along to the festivities….

Brickle

This is a fantastic recipe (from Macheesmo blog) that my brother shared with me that is good year round.  It’s delicious & easy to make.  If you are one of those sweet tooth’s that likes a little salty mixed in, this one is a must try. 

Yield: Serves 8-10.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Ingredients:

40 Saltine crackers (one sleeve about)
1 Cup salted butter (don't substitute)
1 Cup brown sugar
1 12 ounce package of chocolate chips
5-6 Heath bars, crunched up for topping

Take your largest sheet or baking tray (make sure it is rimmed) and line it with foil. Then toss down your crackers. Make sure that they don’t overlap. That’s pretty much the only rule. The crackers should fill up the baking sheet perfectly. If you have a smaller baking sheet, then you will obviously need less crackers.

Now the only actual hard part in the whole recipe and it isn’t that hard: making the caramel. Just melt your butter in a saucepan and then stir in your brown sugar. Once it starts bubbling, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir continuously or it might burn.

Next, stick your baking sheet in the oven at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes. The original recipe called for 5 minutes, but mine took 10. Basically, you want the caramel to spread out nicely over the crackers. It should bubble a bit.

When you take it out of the oven, pour your chocolate chips on the tray right away. The residual heat from the oven will be more than enough to melt the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt.

You can use those 5 minutes while the chocolate melts to crumble up your Heath bars. Again, don’t worry about making them even or anything. Part of the charm of this dish is the random sizes of everything.

After 5 minutes, use a spatula to spread out your chocolate and make the chips flat. Then sprinkle on your Heath pieces.

Then just stick this whole thing in your freezer! You have to make sure you give this stuff time to freeze solid. I let mine sit for about 4 hours in there and that was more than enough time.

Then take it out and if your brickle is rock hard, flip it over and peel of the foil which should come off in one full sheet!  Then just bust the stuff up!

The Arnold Palmer

1/2 glass of ice tea and fill the rest of the glass with fresh lemonade.

As you can see it’s not terribly complicated. Get yourself a mason jar, fill it with ice, a squeeze of fresh lemon or some torn mint leaves to garnish and it’s ready to serve.

Jalepenos Wrapped in Bacon

Why not bring the heat in the middle of the hot summer?  This recipe is a summer favorite that I like to bring to represent my roots….jalepenos + bacon = southern.  If your eyes are watering thinking about it, you can always go with the red pepper for it’s sweet finish.  If your mouth is watering, continue with the green…it offsets the juicy bacon famously!

 

Ingredients:

• 25 fresh jalapeno peppers (red/sweet or green/hot)
• 14 -16 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 (16 ounce) packages bacon
• 1 small jar of pimentos
• 1 – 4 oz. can of diced olives

Directions:

1. Cut stems off of peppers and cut them all in half longways.

2. Remove seeds from peppers.

3. Mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, pimentose & olives in a bowl.  Then fill each pepper with filling.

4. Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each pepper half.

5. Pierce each pepper with a toothpick down the center.

6. Place each pepper on the grill until bacon is cooked. 

7. Cool then enjoy!  Keep those Arnold Palmers handy!

Beautiful Spring Colors

Spring has sprung and I have been busy in the shop for the new line of pillows, jakoozies and bags for this year.  Stop by the etsy shop soon to see the new creations!

Technorati Tags: pillows,Amy Butler,Joel Dewberry,polka dots,floral,vine,tote,handmade,sew,jakoozie

Message in a Bag

I created my first messenger bag from an Amy Butler pattern that I could not resist.  It is complete with three zippered pockets, plenty of spacious room for a laptop and magnetic closer.  In addition to the messenger, I have revised my e-reader sleeves to include additional pockets for chargers and headphones.  All items will hit the KitchStitch shop this spring and summer.

Spring Bags Hit the Shop

As our plane touched down from our Christmas trip to Texas, I turned on my phone and received a message from my Etsy shop that I had an order for 6 bags.  The shop is off to a good start for the New Year!  I worked with my new client to select fabrics in blues and greens (as mentioned in a previous post) and she landed on a series, Modern Meadows by Joel Dewberry.  I enjoyed seeing these come together, and hope that their owners love them as much as I do. 

Joel Dewberry,Modern Meadow,Bags,Handmade,Cool Stream,Dogwood Bloom,Acorn Chain,Sunflower,Flower Fields,Picnic Plaid,Travel Totes

What’s in a Headboard

I really didn’t think I’d be pulling out the paint bucket and tools this early in the year.  However, our sad pale blue colorway that once went with our old office did not work for a repurposed guest room, and we were short one headboard.  So, the KitchStitch crew got busy with painting and creating a custom headboard to set the palette.  I’ve seen it time and time again on do-it-yourself shows on how to make your own headboard and it really was that easy.  We picked up OSB board, a french cleat, 1” foam, staple gun and my favorite place to shop for canvas grade material…..IKEA, and got to work.  We wrapped the board with foam and the canvas material and stapled away. 

I am very excited to start my second project of 2012, and that is an order of 6 bags in one of my favorite designer’s (Joel Dewberry) series, Modern Meadow.  I will update once they are in production, but I’m thrilled about this combination and can’t wait to get started:

KitchStitch meets the Big Apple

After moping and complaining of never going anywhere….my sweet husband surprised me in September with 2 tickets to NYC.  I was ecstatic!  I had never been to The City.  We spent a solid month of planning, and also trying to account for non-planned events as well…which can sometimes be the most fun.  Our dear friend joined us in the adventure from Dallas, and both my husband and I had friends in Brooklyn, who joined us for a few events. 

We hit up Rockefeller Center for an NBC tour, and to our surprise the Christmas tree arrived that same morning and workers were busy separating all the limbs and “fluffing” the tree after it was set in place.  We also toured the ‘Top of the Rock’ for incredible views of Manhattan.  To see the island in person was so breathtaking.  To other travel goers I would highly recommend Top of the Rock or Empire State Building observation deck tours at the beginning of your trip, if you are like me and need to get your bearings at the beginning of the trip.  You can then gain perspective on the whereabouts of the different districts and park, to assist in navigation, 

although having a ‘local’ with us was most beneficial for the subway system.  I had been on many trains and subways in Europe, but none so intricate than this system.  Some stations were so weathered and aged that they had true stalactites hanging from the ceiling.  The subways also lends to a people watching haven (which I could do for hours). 

Ah, Central Park.  We spent most of our day just walking and only saw about half of the park.  There were many artists and musicians tucked away off the main paths, spending their weekend showing their work or practicing their latest ballads.  After, our trek we headed over to the Guggenheim for a quick tour of the lobby and gift shop. 

Fashion District & Times Square

The summation of the trip; when will I be back?  It is definitely a city that every American needs to visit…..at least once.

Dog Days of Summer

 

Even though AC in Colorado is not a necessity, when it suddenly goes out….you definitely wonder how those survive without it.  And as Murphy would have it, our AC went out during the two hottest weeks of the summer.  This is nothing in comparison to my Texan counterparts enduring 100+ temps, but we all need to find way to cool off now and then.  Thanks to a baby pool, mister fan and a blender…..we somehow managed.  I also was a busy bee in the studio, creating a few birthday gifts for my favorite client, my mom.  A few purses, aprons and pillows to share!