The Primitive Roost...

Friday, April 26, 2013

MMMMMmmmmmmmmm.....

Yummy!!!
Home made applesauce!!
I have never made applesauce before...but after buying two 3# bags of Fuji apples at an unbelievable price of $4....i had to do something. 
We love apples...but not that many!! LOL!

I scanned Pinterest until i found an easy crockpot recipe....and when i say easy ...I MEAN Easy!!!

First....i washed all the apples:
Then i peeled them, cored them and cut them into thin slices.
After arranging them into the crockpot...i added these simple ingredients:

The juice of half a lemon..making sure to not get any seeds.

1 tblsp. of brown sugar

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/4 c. of water....

THAT IS IT!!

Let this cook on low for at least 6 hrs....stirring occasionally.
The aroma is wonderful!! 
Open your windows a crack and make the neighbors jealous! 

When its the consistency you like...ladle it into mason jars. This will last up to 2 weeks in your fridge...or you can can it according to your favorite canning website. 

  
  Looks good...huh?!!  So good...the littles got to it before i could get a picture of it...those stinkers...but who can blame them!! 

They love to eat it plain, on toast, in their bowl of oatmeal, on yogurt or cottage cheese!! 
What an easy and delicious way to use those apples and feed your family good wholesome food without tons of sugar and preservatives!!
THese were organic apples...which is good because there are no pesticides, but that's not a necessity because you peel them!

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe..it really is good.
Tomorrow morning i am trying my hand at making strawberry jam....

I bought a whole case of strawberries for only $2.99!!
 You have to love your local fruit market!!!

Until next time, 
God Bless!!

Tonia       
 
    

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Starting a new rug....

There is something so wonderful about starting a new project!! I get excited and find it hard to do anything else but concentrate on it! 
This project has been in the works for about a month now...but i finally have all the wool bought, washed, and cut into strips...
The pattern has been drawn...
And it has been transferred onto the backing fabric..which i chose burlap....
I made a few changes...but that is my artistic right..LOL!!
The edges of the burlap have been treated with Aleene's Fray Stop to keep it from unraveling while on the frame...and now all i have to do is put it on my frame and start hooking!! 
I can't wait!!!
If you look closely, you can see the change i made in the pattern. 
I turned the corners into ribbons....what do you think??
The hardest part of making these rugs is waiting until they are finished to see how beautiful they turn out!
Oh The Excitement!!!!

Well.. i am off to start hooking....my fingers are itching!
Tomorrow i will post about my homemade applesauce in my crockpot simmering as i type! 

YUM!! 
Its part of how i am trying to live a more "prim" life..using less and making more!!

Until then,

God Bless!!

Tonia      
 

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Finally......

Its about time!! I finally finished the toothbrush rug i have been working on!! 
It has been in my rug bag since the middle of November for pete's sake.
 I know you can't tell....but it is the prettiest bright yellow color with some rounds of pale yellow in between!
 It is perfect for spring....so cheerful and bright!
 
  Of course the close-up doesn't help much...my wonderful camera!! 

I love making these rugs...each one is such a work of art. You never know what they are going to look like until you finish them. ...and they are so comfortable to stand on. 
Perfect for the kitchen or bathroom, because they are so durable and machine washable!  Not to mention i make them  from sheets made from cotton...and usually recycled!
Usually when someone buys one and brings it home..i get a call a few weeks later requesting another rug in different colors!! Hee hee!!

LOVE THAT!! I have them all over my house!!

Speaking of that...i will be participating in a local town's garage sale days and will have some of my rugs displayed for sale and to take orders.
The days are May 17th and 18th....i will be on Monroe St....i believe.  Nothing has been set in stone yet...lol.
Oh yea...it's in Carleton, Mi.
Guess ya kinda need to know that..hee hee!

Well...its off to finish so more work today..wish i could say it was crafty work..but today is all about going through my kids and husband's clothes and donating what they don't wear anymore...
wish me luck...i could be accidentally suffocated in the mountain of clothes i'm about to rummage through..LOL!!
                                   
    Not quite that many...but you get the idea!!

Until next time,
God bless!
Tonia                                            

Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter....

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and spent it with their closest family and friends...reflecting on what the holiday really is meant for....

Its not just jelly beans and chocolate bunnies!! 

Or peeps either~~(even though i made this bouquet and i think it turned out so sweet!!)

Its about Jesus sacrificing his life for the sake of ours...there is no bigger gift than that! 
So rejoice...you are forgiven and have been given the gift of a new beginning!!

And God knows we can all use that...So go out and do something good for someone else...and don't expect anything in return...what a great way to give back and pay it forward for what you received!

Until next time, 

God bless!!

Tonia    
 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

MMMMMmmmmmm!!!

I love to get on Pinterest and spend my time perusing all the crafts and such....but my new favorite thing is all the recipes. I have so many pinned that i could cook for weeks and never get through them all!! 

So imagine my shock when i kept seeing all these recipes on Facebook!!!  

It just made a sugar addict like me extremely happy!!! All the good desserts and cookies, and cakes, and casseroles!! 

OH MY!!

Well yesterday a recipe for pinapple upside down "little cakes" found its way in front of me on my fb page!

Yummy!!

My husband has been taking care of me for two weeks...all while working seven days a week...God bless his little self! 
Thats one of the reasons i love him so....he takes care of me when i really need him!

And this recipe is exactly how i said "thanks"......
 They look so good don't they??? All sugary and yummy.....
 First you melt 1/2 stick of butter with 2/3 c. brown sugar in a small saucepan...until smooth and creamy.
Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray generously....then place the caramel goodness into the bottoms of each tin. 
Next you place a ring of pineapple on top of that and then top with a cherry.
For the cake:
You can use a yellow cake mix...but i followed the recipe and did this:
Mix two eggs, 2/3 c. white sugar and 4 Tblsp. of pineapple juice...beat for 2 mins.
Sift together 2/3 c. flour , 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Add to wet mixture and beat for another 2 mins.
      
 Fill each muffin tin with the batter until its 3/4 of the way full and bake in a 350 oven for 15 mins. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!!
 
   And Whalllah......you have your little cakes!!
Oh wait.....you have to let them cool for 5 mins. before you invert the pan to remove them...or else they won't
"gel" correctly...like mine!


As you know i have no patience and i just couldn't wait to see what they would look like...LOL!!
Plus i was afraid they would stick...oh well...they tasted GREAT!

Make sure to pour yourself a nice, big, cold glass of milk because these will pack a sugary punch...but oh so good they are!
And don't complain that it only makes 6...because you will not be able to eat more than one for sure!!

Yummy!

Until next time,

God bless!
Tonia        

Friday, March 22, 2013

Primitive Country Chair Pads Oh My....

Today i finished the chairpads i had started for my kitchen chairs! 
They were the perfect craft to do while i'm resting..wink, wink!

I started with 4 pillowcases...then quickly realized that wasn't enough..so went searching in my stash of sheets.
I got lucky!!
Found two that were perfect....i only had to use a little of each...so maybe i can think of something else i can make to match with what is left!!
Then the fun begins!
I ripped them into thin strips (shh...i don't think i was supposed to be doing all that ripping...it was pulling on my stomach muscles..but if you don't tell my dr..i won't either..LOL)
and then connected them and wound them into a nice ball.
And a crocheting we a went!! hee hee

I made four..all mix matchy and early country looking...i ADORE the look!

Don't they look so beautiful?

  The colors are exactly what i wanted...even though i'm sure that will change as soon as i put them on the chairs and one of my littles has a spill!
They look absolutely wonderful with the rest of my prims...and the light colors really add a touch of spring to the decor! 

Total love! 

Now i'm off to finish the toothbrush rug i started months ago and have neglected....another easy craft i can accomplish while i'm "resting"!!

Hee hee!!

Until next time,

God bless!

Tonia 
 
  

Thursday, March 21, 2013

SPRING....Maybe????

Yesterday was the "official" first day of spring...
Not sure where you live...but it sure didn't feel like it here!!

A high of 25 and the wind was so strong it made it feel like 5!

BRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

But this morning...while walking in the door....i noticed something small....and a little green!
What??? 

What could it be????


  Well its hard to tell from my awesome photography skills...but there is some green in there!! 
Now...i know some are tulips, and some are hyacinths....i just can't remember what i planted where!!
So it will truly be a surprise in a few days!!  LOL...

It just goes to show...life DOES go on...no matter what is happening around it!

So get up...smile...and enjoy your day today..because somewhere happiness is blooming and its your job to go out there and find it!!

Until next time,

God bless!!

Tonia    

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Another one down...part 2...

ok....here is the photo of the finished cabinet....
 It holds my music cd's and my phone on top....once again..wish i had a better camera to take pics with! some bloggers have the best photos and i get so jealous!! lol
 

 Here is a closer look at how the chalk paint looks and how i sanded the edges just a bit...i LOVE doing that!!  And i also love the wax...it seals the paint without giving it a shine...
AWESOME!!!

THis is what i use now...its my new favorite craft supply!!
Seriously...the only place i could find this was at Home Depot!
No other store in my area had even heard of it!! Weird i thought...but true story. The people at Aco just kept looking at me like my face was turning green...lol!!

I have been doing some easy crafting this past week...a.k.a...crochet.
I can sit quietly and just work...something i really needed to let myself do!
I made these little pads for my "O cedar" mop. Now i don't have to buy extra pads. I used 100% cotton...the same i use to make my dishrags.
My mop has velcro on the bottom so these just stick right to it. I just had to make sure they fit the bottom just right so the velcro thingys don't scratch my floor. 
Just use and throw into the washing wachine...how easy...and they only took about an hour to do...an expert would have them done in about 10-15 mins.....lol!!

I have also made 2 of the 4 chair pads i'm making for my kitchen chairs. I love them so far. They are all a different color...but from the same color families...mix matchy and i love it!!! 

Gotta go!

Until next time,

God bless!!!

Tonia