Berlin's Whimsy

Adzuki bean natural facial scrub.

Way back when, I bought a natural facial scrub from one of those fancy skincare stores.  It was touted as a "Japanese beauty secret." It consisted entirely of ground Adzuki beans. After moving far from that store, I ran out of the scrub and it slipped from my mind.

Until I bought a bag of Adzuki beans from the natural food store recently and set it next to my blender... Hmmmm, I thought....

I appreciate simple and natural skincare products---they are cost effective and healthy for both our bodies and our planet. This one happens to be the epitome of simplicity and frugality, and it's so easy to make at home!

Just grind up a cup of Adzuki beans in either your blender, coffee grinder, or food processor. Grind the beans until they resemble a very fine cornmeal---almost flour. After grinding, allow the mixture to settle for a moment before opening the lid, as it creates a fine powder.

The mixture is simple to use:  place a tsp of the ground Adzuki beans in the palm of your hand or a small bowl and mix in enough warm water to form a paste. If you have dry skin, add a little water soluble moisturizer to the mixture. Using more water and your fingers, very gently scrub your face and/or body with the paste. Rinse.

You can also use the paste as a mask. Mix it a bit thicker and spread over your face. Leave on for a bit and then rinse with plenty of water.

This article about Adzuki bean scrubs warns against using the paste too often, as it might irritate the skin. However, I have very sensitive skin and I use the paste two times a week with no problems. I suggest seeking out organic Adzuki beans for this scrub, as they are free from residues that might cause skin irritation. They are easily found in bulk at natural food stores, as well as online. (They're also yummy to eat, too)! Here's a tasty recipe...

Swiffer Cover Sewing Pattern

Swiffer Cover Sewing Pattern

Materials:

·        Basic sewing supplies (machine, thread, scissors, iron, etc)
·         2 pieces of terrycloth material (eg. towels), at least 12 x 14” each
·         2 large and colorful buttons, or velcro
·         Tracing paper

 How to:

On a piece of tracing paper, copy the dimensions of the cover using the measurements provided. Using your pattern, cut out two pieces of the fabric. 

Fire up your sewing machine and your iron.

Pin the fabric right sides together. Beginning on one long end of the cover, sew around the entire cover using a ½” seam, leaving a four-inch opening for turning. Due to the bulk and nature of the fabric, it will slide around a lot while sewing so be sure to reset the fabric into place here and there.

Using scissors, clip off the corners to eliminate bulk and clip diagonally into the inner (don’t clip the seams, however!).

Turn the cover right side out, using a chopstick to get into those difficult corners. 

Press the cover into shape with a hot iron. Press the seams under where the opening is.

Topstitch around the entire cover ¼” inside the edge, thus closing the opening where you turned the cover. Topstitch five horizontal lines along the bottom of the cover (this gives the cover shape).

I use buttons for attaching my cover but if you’re leery of buttonholing on terrycloth (and I wouldn’t blame you if you were!), you could use Velcro for attaching the cover. For the perfectionist, you could place a square of stabilizer beneath the buttonhole area for stabilization of the buttonholes----but hey, it is just a swiffer cover, after all…!

Now try your swiffer cover on. Pull it up snug. On the flaps, mark the placement of the buttons and buttonholes----again, you want the cover to be snug, especially if you will be using the cover wet. For example, I placed my buttons 1 ½” from the edges.

Hold your breath and sew two horizontal buttonholes corresponding to your marks and your button sizes. Sew on your buttons.

Put your swiffer cover on and ooh and ahh with delight for now you can swiff your floors in style!

**Note: This cover is reversible. To make it so, place buttons or velcro on both sides of the flaps.

Swiffer Cover and more.

 
I still do more than just cook and bake around here. Sometimes.

That Swifty Swiffer cover in the new Mason-Dixon knitting book looks fabulous but I recently found that I needed a cover fast (I can't stand those throw-away swiffer sheets) and sometimes knitting feels oh so slow...

I whipped up this Swiffer Cover in less than an hour. I used a bargain towel set for this one, but thrifted towels would work great, too! 

A little cutting, a little turning, a little button-holing and voila! A new Swiffer cover! If anyone is interested in the actual measurements and/or a pattern, let me know...

Also, I was immediately inspired by the homemade dish matt idea I saw around the blogs and from A Handmade Home. I used the remainder of the bargain towel set to make one. What a perfect way to show off a fun fabric for the kitchen!

Turn a Shirt into a Skirt.

Finally, finally, my sewing machine returned home! She was put to work immediately. 

While waiting for the repair shop to open, I popped into Goodwill and found an XL Men's polo shirt to turn into a comfy summer skirt. The shirt was a nice shade of green in a stretch cotton.

The idea comes directly from All Buttoned Up.

I cut up the side seams, removing approximately two inches from each side. I had thought I would work the shirt's original little pocket and button placket into the skirt's design but I removed it at the last minute as the skirt would have been too long. The resulting skirt is 20" in length.

I sewed up the side seams, gently sloping inwards to the waist. I used the shirt's original hem for the skirt hem.

I used Angry Chicken's handy-dandy FOE technique to pull in the waist. Though there were a couple curse-word worthy moments using this technique, I definitely will use it again for more skirts---once I got the hang of it, it was fast, simple, and makes a comfortable gathered waste.

Ta-da! (I apologize for the less-than-par reflection photo)! My photo assistants were otherwise occupied today...

Bright Flavors.

I think you will enjoy this pasta dish with its bright flavors. I am an ardent fan of lemon zest in my cooking and I believe these flavors mingle quite well together. 

Lemon-Thyme Chicken Pasta
with Artichokes

• 2 large chicken breasts, thawed
• 3 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped very fine
• Lemon zest from 2 large lemons, chopped fine
• Juice from one lemon (or 3 T.) 
• 1/4 C. olive oil, separated
• 1 T. light Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)
• 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts (I used Trader Joes brand)
• 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pckg. penne pasta
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 C. sliced black olives

Method: Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Place chicken breasts in an oven-safe saute pan. Mix the thyme and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil on chicken breasts and then sprinkle with half of the lemon-thyme mixture. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper and place in the oven to bake until cooked through---approximately 15-20 minutes (but do not overcook!). Let chicken cool.

Place a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Remove chicken from pan and very thinly slice on the diagonal. Set aside.

Make pasta sauce: Add lemon juice and olive oil to the saute pan over medium heat. Whisk the sauce, scraping up any bits of the chicken. Take off the heat and add the remaining herb mixture and mustard, whisking vigorously until the sauce thickens (like a vinaigrette). Drain artichoke hearts and rough chop. When pasta is al dente, drain it, and place in a large pasta bowl. Add sliced chicken, artichoke hearts, olives (if using), and toss with the pasta sauce. Grate Parmesan cheese over the top and add salt & fresh pepper to taste.  

Autumn Recipes

Autumn is my favorite time of the year... Especially this stretch of time between Halloween and Christmas when the anticipation of gatherings between family and friends fills my heart. My house always seems more cozy and welcoming during this time of year, with warm and spicy smells wafting out of my kitchen. 

This post is about a salad that bridges the gap between summer's lightness and winter's heavier meals. It has the crisp and light flavor of greens but they are combined with the flavors that make this time of year so special----holiday spice. The completed salad takes a little preparation but once the components are prepared, the salad is quick to assemble and the ingredients will make a few salads. 

Some of this salad's components are worth making on their own, as well. Within this post are recipes for Honey Spiced Pecans, Simple Roasted Fall Pears, and a White Vinaigrette. Each of these items are a welcome addition to other meals (Spiced pecans can be served with Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie, and ice cream; the pears can make another salad of roasted pears, blue cheese and pecans alone; the vinaigrette is yummy on oven roasted vegetables---such as asparagus and brussel sprouts with blue cheese... ).

Honey Spiced Pecans

16 oz. pckg. Pecan pieces

2/3 C. powdered sugar

1/3 C. honey

3 T. warm water

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. finely ground red pepper flakes

Method: Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large, wide bowl, add all of the ingredients. With clean hands, thoroughly combine the ingredients so that all of the nuts are completely coated---you will need to break up the honey into the warm water, and add more water, if needed. Spread the nuts out onto a heavy baking sheet, lined with parchment and sprayed liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for approximately 15-25 minutes, checking periodically. The nuts are done when they are deep brown and glossy/shiny looking. Allow to completely cool and then break apart into small pieces.

The nuts will keep for weeks in an air-tight jar and they also make a great gift!

Roasted Pears

4 Bosch Pears (slightly unripe and firm)

3 T. Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, cut into halves, and core the pears (a melon baller works great here). In a bowl, toss the pears with the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment and lay the pears, cut side down, on the sheet. Roast the pears for approximately 20 minutes, or until they are just turning a little brown and are tender. Allow to cool and cut into 1/2-inch dice for the salad.

White Vinaigrette

1/4 C. champaigne vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar

2 T. light dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)

3/4 C. good extra-virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Method: In a bowl, vigorously whisk together ingredients until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you could place the vinegar, mustard, s & p in a food processor and with the motor running, very slowly add the EVOO until emulsified. This dressing also lends itself to adding tarragon for use with grilled fish...

Autumn Salad

1/2 C. Roasted Pears, diced

1/3 C. Honey Spiced Pecans

1 package Mesclun Salad Mix

1/3 C. good-quality blue cheese, crumbled

To assemble the salad: Layer a small layer of greens in a wide salad bowl and sprinkle with half of the blue cheese, pecans, and pears, and then layer another layer of greens over the first. On top of the salad, sprinkle the remaining blue cheese, pecans, and roasted pears. Serve with White Vinegrette.

Staycation Kids Summer Ideas & Activities...

Note: I used this list and your wonderful comments to compile a list of kids' activities. They can be found HERE, as well as by clicking on the link under Resources in my sidebar.

While sewing, I listen to the radio----usually not music but rather NPR, news, podcasts of some of my favorite programs, etc. Yesterday, after a very long stint of sewing and listening, I found myself contemplating flinging, or possibly flailing myself from the nearest high cliff. The news was full of escalating gas prices, increasing food costs, higher unemployment, personal strife, hunger, and generally bad news. This, on top of my own mounting economic problems led me to a very downward spiral... After a bit, I just couldn't take it anymore.

I thought about the upcoming summer for my smaller family of three. 

One of the topics thrown around in the news was the gas price's effects on traveling. You've probably heard the newest vacation term: staycation.

All of the talk about gas prices led me to this: how to make staying at home fun for my kids & I. Basically, I don't want to hear "I'm BORED" all summer long. And though I plan on fully utilizing Crafty Crow as a resource for craft projects, I don't have the resources to purchase lots of craft supplies for the entire summer. I want to supplement my craft projects with activities such as back-yard games, make-believe, camping out, picnics, all without draining my limited resources.   

And this is what I came up with...

OUR STAYCATION SUMMER of FUN!

1. Picnic Around the World. Oh yeah, having picnics in the backyard could quickly become routine but what if you aren't just picnicing in your own yard? What if you are a family of world travelers (give your family a world traveler name) that just happened to find yourself in another location for the day? For example, your world traveling family is currently visiting the Pyramids in Egypt... What are you eating for lunch? And while sitting out on your picnic blanket, what do you see? What do you smell? What kind of language are those around you speaking? What else do you hear? Write it all down and afterwards have your children go look your location up on the computer. Ask them to compare their assumptions to what they learn.  
2. Spoil your pets. There they are, your pets, craving your attention. My kids love our pets but sometimes they don't always pay enough attention to them. No more! We'll spend a whole day lavishing ONE of our pets with attention: What do they do all day? Where do they go? What do they eat? It will be each pet's DAY complete with homemade treats. 
3. Thoreau's thorough Study. My kids don't have the patience to spend a whole day watching a square grid on the ground like Henry David Thoreau, but we will spend 15 minutes per day for a week, noticing a piece of square earth. We'll measure it, we'll come home and sketch it from memory, we'll make notes at the location. Some of our questions will be: who walked across our square? Have the plants changed? Is the ground temperature different? Are the shadows changing as the days pass?
4. Do You Hear What I Hear? My kids & I spend time each summer laying on our backs and watching the clouds----that's always fun---- but what if we closed our eyes. What would we hear? In a typical day, we so seldom take the time to actually listen...
5. Digging for worms. Need I say more? And no, I won't be touching any worms, but my kids will. ;-)
6. Way Out Back in the Outback: No cheating. Camping in the backyard. But be prepared, once you're out camping in the Outback you can no longer return to the house! 
7. Stars' Stories. We have yet to fully experience the stars-----to understand the constellations, etc. This summer we will. We will each adopt a constellation and study both the astronomical information about the constellation as well as any mythological information about it.
8. Spelling Etymology. "What?" I can hear my kids already. No, not just spelling but etymology: the study of words and their explanations. We'll choose some unusual words each week and ask these questions: How did these words come to be? Where do they fall in our current language as compared to their origins? After we learn about some old/weird words, we'll attempt to use them in a story. That should be interesting!
9. Turn Over the Rock. We'll spend a day turning over rocks and documenting what we find. What are those strange creatures that make their homes under our rocks? I'm sure we'll find a good amount of scorpions, as well as a few Jerusalem Crickets.
10. Hide the Flaming Red Rock. I'm going to paint a rock (the size of a softball) a bright red and hide it somewhere within a certain radius of our house. When the rock is found, that person chooses a baked treat of their choice (we'll make the treats for each other). That person also hides the rock for the next person.
11. In the life of... What do you want to be when you grow up? My kids have their answers and they've only changed a bit since we first began asking them. My son started out with Paleontologist but has slowly evolved into Paleontologist and Writer. My daughter is still holding firm to Vet. But what do people do in these careers? We'll pretend for a day that we are working in that field...
12. The Currency Converter Game. Imagine that our country has implemented a new currency. Our new currency is worth 3-cents in our old currency. One player gathers and makes items to sell in the old currency and the second (and subsequent) players must convert the price to the new currency (which is the only currency they can use).
13. Shade Hopscotch. Sure, my brother & I did this as children out of necessity but what if it's a game? We'll see who can travel the farthest by only jumping from shade to shade.
14. Grind it Up Mystery Mash. My kids love to grind up natural things in an old mortar & pestle. You can often find old mortar & pestles in the thriftstores. Though my kids love to do it all on their own, if you want to make it a game, you can write up "recipes" beforehand and then send them out on a "treasure hunt" for the ingredients (ie, 3 parts berries, 2 parts grass, 1 part yellow flower petals...etc). Safety Warning: Be sure to tell your kids that their mash is not safe to eat!! This might not be a good one for younger kids)...

What about you? Do you have any games & activities for your kids to do at home? I'd love to compile a LOOONG list of ideas to refer back to. I will add the list to the Resources on my sidebar----I'll probably think of more ideas myself and I'll add them to that list as I do... Be sure to check back and if you think of any ideas later on, please email me! It's a LOOOONG summer!   

I'm leaving this blog post up for a couple days so as to gather ideas (hint, hint)! I hope to add my list of summer activities to the sidebar this weekend...

Scrubbie Updates.

 

A couple comments prompted this update to yesterday's Knitted Scrubbie Tutorial. 

SIZE: I found that I prefer my scrubbies in a small square: Cast on only 14 sts and knit until you produce a square (aprox. 3-inches x 3-inches). The square shape makes it easier to get into small spaces and they don't take up as much room around the sink... Oh, and they are fast to knit up, too!!

MATERIALS: Both Mandi & Margie commented on repurposing tulle, netting, and scraps of fabric. And yes, I think the netting from produce bags would work wonderfully for this. Just cut it into strips and away you go! I love this repurposing idea----I'm sure our sisters & moms of the past would have done that same thing.

TULLE VARIATIONS: When you visit the fabric & craftstore, you'll usually find tulle in the bridal department. The tulle I used for the pink scrubbie (above) is called "shiny tulle" and it is rather rough feeling and stiff. Right in that same isle, you'll also find bridal netting tulle like that used for wedding decorations. It's not as stiff as the shiny tulle. This material, knit with cotton, makes a great dishcloth (however, not with as much "scrub action" as the stiff stuff) and a perfect buff for the bath & shower! It's not as rough on the skin. 

And, I must clarify that the scrubbie idea did not originate from me! One of my friend's relatives makes them and gives them to family members.  

Aren't they so fun?! Now, on with the weekend! We have chickens to round up!

Knitted Dish Scrubbie Pattern Tutorial

  

It almost makes washing dishes fun! Oh, I'll be honest, I love washing dishes----one of the few cleaning chores I actually enjoy. And the little scrubbie fits right within one of my philosophies: if I can make a household chore fun by adding a colorful and charming tool to the task, I'm all for it! 

I must also preface this by thanking Cassi for writing up a tutorial on how to write a tutorial! Very helpful!

 

Knitted Dish Scrubbie

Materials: Cotton worsted weight yarn, such as Peaches & Cream; 3 Yards of medium tulle; a scrap of cardboard or an empty paper towel roll (optional)

Tools: US Size 9 Knitting Needles; Scissors or Rotary Cutter & ruler with cutting mat

Pattern makes one scrubbie that measures approximately 3 1/2-inches x 5-inches

First, Prepare the Tulle:

 

Step 1: I'll warn you, tulle is very unwieldy to work with. I found this method reduces the frustration that can result from handling a big chunk of tulle. Fold the tulle in half lengthwise and then again lengthwise. Carefully lay the "tulle sandwich" on a flat surface and weight it down. Make an initial cut to one short side of the sandwich to even it out and then with either scissors or a rotary cutter and ruler, cut strips of the tulle approximately 1 1/4" wide. You only need approximately 4 strips for one scrubbie, but while you have the tulle tamed, you might want to go ahead and cut the whole thing at once. 

Step 2: Knot each end of the tulle to another to form one long "tulle yarn." An overhand knot works the best. Pull the knot tight but not so tight that it breaks. Cut off the excess. Continue knotting the lengths together.

 

Step 3: I like to wind the tulle onto a length of cardboard or a paper towel roll so it does not become tangled, thus creating my own ball of tulle yarn. 

Make your Scrubbie!

Loosely cast on 15 sts holding both the cotton yarn and the tulle together. 

 

Continue knitting the scrubbie in garter stitch (knit every row). Don't worry about the tulle being straight in the stitches, it'll work itself out...

When your scrubbie reaches 5-inches or desired length, bind off loosely, knot excess thread, and cut the extra (or, make a little loop to hang your scrubbie right at your sink).

 

Now go wash those dishes with a smile! Happy Weekend!

Sewing Fabric Beads.

For my simple curtains, I used the selvages off white linen for the tie-backs. In fact, I use selvages for many things such as tying up packages or for use in kids' crafts. My kids often turn those selvages into reins for horses or leashes for their softies. Selvages have so many possibilities because of their disposable nature and their strength, too...

After peering at my plain tie-backs, I decided they would look even better with some color contrast so I added fabric beads to the ends. Fabric beads are always my go-to choice for adding that little extra something to a sewn item.

I first learned to make fabric beads from the wonderful book, 'Omiyage' by Kumiko Sudo. If you are interested in making special little sewn items, this book is for you! I've owned my copy for years and I continue to turn to the wonderful projects inside for special gifts for others (hmmm, Mother's Day?!).

Fabric beads are simple to make and are one of those crafts easily done by hand in an evening. They can be added to ties of all sorts (even shoelaces)! Here's how I do it:

#1: Tie a knot in the string to be bound in a fabric bead. Just an overhand knot is fine but make sure it is secure.

#2: Cut off the extra string.

#3: Depending on the size of the knot to be covered, cut out a circle of coordinating fabric. A juice cup works great...

#4: Around the perimeter of the circle, press a small hem under with your fingers (creating a crease).

#5: Now with your thread and needle and leaving a long tail, hem that raw edge down along the crease with a long running stitch which you will use next to gather up your stitches...

#6: Gather up the stitches a little to produce a cup shape to your future bead with the right side of your fabric on the convex (outer) side. Before pulling the gathered stitches tight, add the knot to the inside of the bead and then pull the stitches to enclose that knot.

#7: With the same thread, secure the fabric bead to the string by stitching through the entire bead & string back & forth with small stitches (I used a contrasting thread here for these photos but you should use a thread that matches the bead's fabric). If there is any additional bulk in your gathering, stitch that down, as well. When finished securing the bead to the string, knot the thread and cut off excess.

There you have it----a fabric bead!!