Look, I Made This: Simple Zip-Up Shift Dress

So this dress has been several months in the making.  My Aunt Betsy was so generous the last time I was visiting with her and let me pick through her fabric stash!  I came home with almost a whole tub full of fabrics in all kinds of patterns and colors!  I am very excited to get going on some other projects, including a linen button-up for Jess and some more dresses and skirts for me.  I promise to take lots of photos and throw in some tutorials.

Ignore my glamour shots...awkward. 

As for this linen dress, I am crazy excited to finish it and be able to wear it.  I didn't use a pattern or anything, I just used a dress I already had as a pattern.  However, when I first finished it, it was a litttttle too tight.  Rough. Life.  However, I just tried it on again and it fits soooo much better than it didn't when I finished it and took the photos, so I am much happier than before!

This was 100% a trial and error.  Trust me, there were some errors.  The seam-ripper was my friend!  So, is there a better way to create a dress?  VERY likely.  Did this way work? YEP!

So here's what you need:
2 yards (roughly, depending on your size) of main Fabric, I used linen, but you could probably use anything.
2 yards (see above) of lining fabric, I used a really thin muslin because I wanted it comfortable
Matching or coordinating thread
Ruler
Fabric pen
Pins (lots and lots of pins)
Tape Measure
Zipper, mine was long, like 20" or something, but you could use a shorter one, I think.
Scissors
Sewing machine & basics
A dress (or top, just elongate it as needed)

Before we get started, I would like to urge your to go ahead and iron all of your fabric very well.  It will make tracing, cutting, pinning, sewing, and basically everything so much easier.

SO, let's go!

Lay out your fabric and trace your favorite dress or shirt, or whatever pattern you are using, onto the fabric.  I did my lining first, then continued to use that as the pattern.  Cut out four pieces of fabric for your front and back, two lining and two regular fabric.

Next, line up your front piece of dress fabric with the front piece of lining fabric, making sure that dress fabric is right-side-out.  The lining likely doesn't have a right or wrong side, so no worries about that.  Do the same thing for the back pieces.   Pin together well.  Next, lay the dress pieces together right-sides together, so the dress pieces will be touching and the dress will start inside-out.

Sew the top of the straps, just to keep it from slipping around.

On the back piece, measure and find the center of the BACK piece (make sure it's the correct one, typically the neckline will be a bit higher), and make a line down the back.  This is where the zipper will go.  I went ahead and cut the piece fully in half, but you can just cut down however long your zipper will be.

Now, measure and find the center of the FRONT piece, IF you want a notch-V in the front. Cut that slit, fold to get ready for the hem.

Finish the edges of your neckline and armholes.  I folded (and ironed!) each edge under 1/4", then another 1/2" and then double stitched.  You can see in the photos below.

Now, do the same thing for where you cut your back piece for the zipper, just to make it easier to to work with when installing the zipper.

Attach your zipper per the instructions.  It is pretty easy, just pin it underneath the seam, and zip it up using the zipper-foot attachment on your sewing-machine.  There are plenty of tutorials around if you need a video to help, this was one of the more time-consuming parts.

Next, it's time to sew up your sides!  Lay flat, smooth out, and maybe iron again. Lay pieces right-sides together, making sure the seam on the top of the straps are actually at the top and are even.  It is hard to describe, but I think you know what I mean.  You just want it to lay even when it is finished.

Sew the edges together!  Be sure to measure everything here to make sure you're sewing the same amount of fabric on each side.  I suggest measuring out the same amount from the zipper and from the center of the front to be sure.

The last step is to hem the bottom! Mine was a little long, so I folded up 5/8" inch, ironed, then folded in another 1" and stitched there.

All done! Ha, don't worry, this actually took me about three months to finish...so it wasn't "that" easy. If you can finish in a shorter amount of time, I commend you! I got a little frustrated.   All in all, I am very satisfied with the final product.

I mean, please, look at this gorgeous pink linen!
What girl wouldn't want a dress made from this? 

Love it! It fits much better than when these photos were taken.  Maybe I'll retake them sometime...maybe not.  Either way, I'm very proud of myself!

Crockpot Salisbury Steak

Yay, more comfort food! 

So I have always been a fan of Salisbury Steak, and this sounds weird, but I like more "cheat" recipes and for some reason I really liked the ones served at my high school... Why? Probably because I hate mushrooms and usually "real" Salisbury steak has mushroom gravy, thus, cutting corners and removing the mushrooms actually improves it in my opinion.

Gravy, for the win. 

The "steak" itself is really just a glorified hamburger...but I am a fan of anything that comes covered in gravy!  This recipes adds some really simple ingredients together to make for a very hearty, flavorful, and delicious (not to mention easy) meal.

Now, just a few caveats here: I am using venison because I desperately want to deplete our stash before the season rolls around and we have another 40lbs to deal with. Problems of living with an avid hunter.  Venison is extremely dry and bland, so while it is healthier, it is not the most flavorful of meats.  Therefore, I used a whole package of onion soup mix versus the half suggested for beef, and I also added beef bouillon powder for flavor.  I don't think it will overload your salisbury steak if you do this with beef, but just so you know why it is included in my recipe.  I would probably forgo the beef bouillon if it were just beef.  But you could use turkey to make it healthier and add it for flavoring!

Crockpot Salisbury Steak & Gravy - 7 points/steak+a few ladlefuls of gravy.
1 lb Ground Meat
1 packet Onion Soup Mix
2 tablespoons Milk
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Beef Bouillon Powder/Paste
Flour, for dredging
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 cans Cream of Chicken (or mushroom, celery, homemade-flavor, whatever)
1 package Au Jus Gravy Mix
3/4 cup Water
Cooking spray

Simple, straight-forward ingredients. 

In a bowl, mix together your first five ingredients.  Heat oil in skillet to medium heat.

Form 4 patties. In a bowl, mix enough flour (about 1/4-1/2 cup) for dredging and salt and pepper to taste.

Dredge patties in flour.  Sear about 45 seconds on each side in hot skillet.

Sear about 45 seconds on each side in hot skillet.

Lay or stack in lightly greased crockpot.

In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken, au jus mix, and water.  Pour over patties.

Cook on low 4-5 hours. 

That's it!  Seriously...Serve with a yummy baked potato or mashed potatoes - or anything else to share in the gravy-deliciousness.  It is easy to double, triple, etc. if you are feeding a crowd, too.  As for just the boyfriend and I, we just make the four and have the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Sweets & Treats: PB Temptations & Whale Pillow Pet DIY

Ok so I'm going to slightly combine two posts here.  The Peanut Butter Temptations are mine, my mom and I have been making them for years.  They are seriously simple, so I am not sure why I don't make them more often...oh wait, they're loaded with sugar, peanut butter, & chocolate...yea, that's why ;).

Still kind of melty...yum! 

The second is just a photo and the link to an adorable sewing project: a DIY whale pillow pet!  I found the link on Pinterest and just knew I had to make one.  Now that she has opened her gift, I can show you the one I made for my friend Lexi's baby shower!  Impossibly adorable.

So cute! 

First things first, Peanut Butter Temptations
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Peanut Butter, creamy
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cup Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups

Straight-forward ingredient list. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a mini-muffin pan, or use a nonstick one.

Cream together sugars and butter.

Add peanut butter, then add the egg and vanilla.

In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place in mini-muffin pan openings.

Bake 8-9 minutes, meanwhile unwrapping the plethora of peanut butter cups!

As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, press a peanut butter cup down into the center.

Allow them to cool, move to a cooling rack to finish up.

Enjoy!

Make a Whale Pillow Pet!
Meet this adorable, cuddly little Whale!  I made this one for Lexi's soon-to-be daughter Liliana, but I have a feeling there will be more of these in my future for all the little ones in my life.  I just followed Hannah's directions here, and it turned out like a dream.  Start to finish it only took me just under two hours, and that included cutting out the pattern, so in the future it will be less time.  I chose to forgo the eyes since it was for a newborn and I (with some input from my friend, Haley) decided that I liked the "softness" of it plain.  I used snuggly flannel fabric so it would be extra cuddly.  I plan on using more of her tutorials, she has tons of stuffed animals that are precious!

Jamison is for scale, this fluffy guy (or lady?) is pretty big! 

Amazing Tomato Soup

So if I were being honest, I would call this Amazing, Creamy, Fire-Roasted Tomato, Basil, Parmesan, and Vegetable Soup....but that is a mouthful, so we will just go with AMAZING Tomato Soup.

I pinned this recipe from Jen at Carlsbad Cravings a while back and thought, "hey this looks pretty good, I've never made tomato soup before, maybe I'll do that soon."  I read the reviews and everyone was raving.  So, Labor Day weekend came and I was home alone (Lucky Jess was in Florida golfing and lounging), so I thought I'd make a pot of soup to eat on for a few days.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Seriously, this soup was nothing like I've ever had before.  Do not get this confused with your canned tomato soup that is smooth and velvety.  This soup is chunky, textured, and delicious.  Did I mention it is delicious?  I kind of wanted to try it out before I sprung it on Jess as a dinner, because he's not big on dinners that are meat-less, but I think he might be ok with this one. 

It was incredibly filling, but if you lowered the portions a little & served it with a piece of hearty french bread and a salad, mmmmm, amazing! I feel like you could add some more vegetables, too, maybe spinach or broccoli? We shall see, this will definitely be made again, like SOON.

I halved the original recipe and it made almost exactly 6 cups of soup, which if you're doing WW, that is 5 WWP+/cup.  I split mine up into containers (home alone and eating on it for days) with one and a half cups soup for 7 points, which is very filling and I actually couldn't always finish it.  So, one cup may be enough, depending on how much you eat. 

Amazing, Creamy Fire-Roasted Tomato, Basil, Parmesan, and Vegetable Soup
2 stalks Celery, finely minced
2 medium Carrots, finely minced
1/2 medium Onion, finely minced
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
15 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon dried Basil (I couldn't find fresh on late notice, fresh is probably better as per the original recipe)
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup Milk (room temperature)
1/2 cup Heavy Cream (room temperature)

Don't let the large ingredient list throw you, so worth it.

Mmmm, fresh vegetables! 

I used my food processor to finely mince all my vegetables (and peel the carrots or wash them really, really well), including the tomatoes.  However, you could do it by hand to your size preference. 

This seems a bit blurry and verrrry orange! 

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add vegetables and saute for 5-6 minutes. 

Sautéing the veggies. 

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

I ran my tomatoes through the food processor, too, but you don't have to.

In a separate pan, melt butter over low heat and add flour.  Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes.

Be careful not to scorch it. 

Add in 1 cup of soup and stir well until thickened.  Add another cup of soup and repeat.

It will thicken almost immediately. 

Return thickened soup back to pot and stir well for several minutes, or until the soup is all thickened. 

Steamy!...I need a new camera...

Add parmesan cheese, stir. 

I think you could even diminish the parmesan if you want it even
lower fat, but it adds such a great flavor. 

Add milk/cream combo, whatever you are using.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

It is best if your milk is room temperature or slightly warmed. 

You can serve with additional parmesan or fresh basil.  Enjoy! 

Yum! 

Just LOOK at this texture.  It is amazing.  Simply amazing.

Ok, I'll stop now.  But go make this soup!