My Mom, baking and a stormy weather....

My mom is coming tomorrow!  Hurray!  We are planning to bake up lots and lots of goodies while she's here.  There is also finally some snow headed our way, which will add to the fun.  I will try to take a good bunch of photos and will return to share all the delish recipes. 

Feeling inspired this evening by my

freshly cleaned office and by the lovely video on etsy.com about Dotty Angel. 

holidays.....

I've felt very festive today.  Had the Christmas station on in the car, little missy and I meandered about the decorations at the store and I had to really try to not bust out the tree this afternoon.  Think that might come tomorrow.  Even enjoyed some hot coco and Rudolph on TV tonight.

Our little family had a nice visit in Kansas over the Thanksgiving weekend.  I just love to bake this time of year.  We made caramels, puppy chow, marbled chocolate treats, cinnamon roasted almonds and sugar cookies.  Each of these are really quite easy to make.  I have to say when it does come to baking, when it's easy, it's more fun.  The only one out of the above listed goodies that is well, not really hard to make, but more of just a pain to make is the carmels.  So I thought I'd share these recipes which I've made quite a number of times and they always are a hit....  Enjoy!

Caramels

Better Homes and Gardens Step-by-Step Cookbook 1978 (a great cookbook)

1 cup butter

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

dash salt

1 cup light corn syrup

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Butter a 9x9x2-inch pan; set aside. 2. Melt the 1 cup butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan.  Add sugar and salt; stir thoroughly.  Stir in corn syrup.  3.  Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly.  4. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat to 245(firm ball stage).  This will take 12-15 min (Or what feels like FOREVER...) 5.  Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  Pour into butter pan.  6.  When cooled, cut into squares (and be prepared for total aggravation when it sticks to your knife like crazy!  If anyone out there knows a better way to cut carmels, please let me know!)  7. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap (about as equally aggravating as cutting the carmels...)  Makes about 2 1/2 Pounds.

Now...

The part of this recipe that is a pain is the stirring forever, being sure not to over cook them and ending up with carmels you can't even chew.  I do tend to do the water test as they cook.  This is to take a cold cup of water and dribble a bit of the carmel into the water.  Pick it up out of the water after it has cooled and see if it balls up.  If it's still runny and really mushy keep cooking, if it is nice and chewy - stop! 

The other part is the cutting and wrapping.  One thing is for sure though - the heavenly taste of homemade carmels is to SOOOOO GOOD!  And that makes it all worth it.  Oh and I'd say this is one to do with out the help of kiddos - a large pot of bubbling scary hot goo is not great around the kids.

There is also a recipe for Eggnog Fudge in this cookbook on page 320 that is also to die for.

Puppy Chow

9 cup Chex

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put cereal in large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour over Chex cereal, put into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar and shake well to coat.

This one is easy peasy - Little Missy had fun helping with this one.  And it's super quick too - ready to eat right away!

 

Marbled Chocolate Treats

I got this recipe from a friend at a holiday recipe exchange.  I've made it almost each year.  I did change it a little bit.  The original calls for baker's chocolate, I like to use milk chocolate chips.

You will need:

13x9 inch pan

foil

enough Graham crackers to cover the pan

bag of chocolate chips

peanut butter

white chocolate chips

Line your pan with foil.  Break the graham crackers in to odd shaped chunks (this is so there is a crack between each of them for the chocolate to hold them together) and line the pan with the grahams.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt 3/4 the bag of chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter (you could use chunky if you wanted) at 30 second increments till melted.  Pour over graham crackers.  Melt 1/3 the bag of white chocolate chips same as before.  Use a spoon to drizzle the white chocolate over the milk chocolate.  You can leave it as is or run a knife through the chocolate to marble them for a nifty look.  Place the pan in the freezer till they are hard and can be broken into pieces.  Remove from pan and break random pieces and store in an air tight container. 

These are really easy like the puppy chow is.  You just have to wait a bit longer to enjoy them!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

I got this recipe from  my Mom, where she got it... well we'd have to ask her. 

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg white

1 tsp cold water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 cup whole almonds

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pre heat oven to 250.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Beat egg white in a large bowl, add water and vanilla.  Beat till frothy, not stiff.  Add nuts and coat well.  Mix sugars, salt and cinnamon in another bowl.  Sprinkle over almond and coat well.  Spread in a thin layer onto the pan.  Bake for 1 hour, stir every 15 minuets or so.

This is a great recipe to make before you have company over.  The smell it creates is so festive and wonderful.  It fills the house.  I also really like to make these to give at Christmas time.

Now the sugar cookies we sort of cheated in my book.  They are from a box mix we got at Costco.  They had a sample there and they were SOOO yummy.... I can say I'm prepared to bake 18 dozen cookies now though.....  We did little swirl cookies where you make a snake with the dough and dip one side into sprinkles, then coil it up on the pan.  The other's were just dropped on the pan.

So get to baking!  I hope you enjoy some of my favorite goodie recipes.  These are my go to stand-by recipes for bringing to any gathering.  (and for my 2 readers... I know - you have all these recipes all ready... share them with some one else hehe....)

And there will be more to come....  I'm trying very hard to make dinner these days and would like to share some of the recipes from that.  Hoping I find time between all the the projects to finish up and getting things into my Road 10: Vintage shop (by the way I made the Etsy font page this weekend!! hurray!).  I also hope to add some patterns and tutorials, maybe after the 1st of the year when things slow down a bit. 

Dreams and Goals and Whatnot....

I've been thinking quite a bit these days about what I want to be.  I feel like my time of piddling around with ideas and trying this and that are coming to an end.  Once little missy is in school all day, I'll need to be doing something to contribute to our household income.  Over the last few years I've tried this and that and I'm starting to really really think that as much as I LOVE to make things, making and selling handmade is not my way to go.  It just never seams to pan out for me.  I've made party packs, my very first endeavor, which I ended up making more custom banners than anything.  I found I didn't like having to fill orders as they came in.  It was a lot of pressure to have things made and shipped quickly.  So that one ended.

I started my Road 10 Vintage shop in late 08 and I have been able to keep up sales as long as I work at it.  And so far I feel like this route has been and will be the best type of business for me.  I love the search and the hunt for each treasure out at the estate sales and thrift shops around town.  Even photographing and editing each item can be calming - I get to be in my own little world with my music on and just be nothing else at that time.  I've been working all day at photographing and editing all my Christmas items.  I had a couple sales over the weekend I had to package up and take to the post office.  But I think at the end of the day today I realized I really like this process.  I feel like I am fine tuning it all the time.  My dream for this is to one day have enough steady sales to have it as my official JOB.

As for the handmade shop - I've only had sales to those I've sold to before.  I do wonder about the site I'm using.  I've got it set up through BigCartel.com and I am tempted to move my items over to Etsy to see if they'd do better there.  I worry about the flood of crochet over there, but I have to say I haven't seen any pj pants like mine.  So that could be good!  But the one thing I keep thinking about with my handmade goodies is that I would love to write patterns or a book.  This is one of those things that seams so very very big and hard and complicated to go about.  I need there to be a book at the library called "Gail - this is how to write a book about crafts or crochet... and get paid and what not"  Think it's there?  Bet not. this is one of the more dream like things.

I guess what I've got running through my head is that you only live once, why not go for it?  I suppose the only thing slowing things up now is time.  I don't want to rush away the bit of time I've got with this silly 4 year old around here.  She's been so very chatty and silly these days.  I love it.

Looking forward to the holiday week next week.  We'll be headed to Kansas for Thanksgiving.  Little missy can not wait to see her cousins.  A fun weekend of food, we'll be sure to go see Tangled, I'm going to do a photo session for my brother in law and his family and hopefully get some more crochet done!

Projects....

Oh I have so many crochet projects I want to make for the holidays.... but I fear I don't have enough time!  My family does a game each year where our gifts must start with the letter of the alphabet we are on for that year.  We are on E this year....  I have my outdoor enthusiast dad and my sister this year.  Since she's one of my 2 whole readers, I can't disclose any ideas for her, (not that I have any good ones yet...) but I'm thinking I'd like to make an Enormous afghan for my dad since he's so tall.  I was inspired by my sweet mom who started an afghan here during her visit this week and found it to be over 10 feet long!  Note: if you up your hook size, it ups the size of your stitches :)  Now, I'm thinking I don't need it to be 10 feet, maybe more like 7 1/2 feet... I just need to find a patter that would work up fast.  My issue is that I keep finding other little projects that I'd like to make as I work on these big projects.....  Anyhow - are you making gifts for Christmas this year?

Road 10: Handmade is now OPEN!

Finally Road 10; Handmade is now open!  I'd been making things here and there for a few weeks and yesterday had a little photo shoot with little missy (not the most cooperative model, but we ended up having a fun time with it).  I plan to keep adding items over time.  I need to take some photos with a few smaller models in some of the little hats and bibs.

I'm also wanting to get another good batch of vintage items photographed soon for Road 10: Vintage so it's stocked and ready for the holidays.

I am really trying this go round to not let myself get too overwhelmed or busy with the shops, to remember to enjoy the little bit of time left with the little one around most of the time.  She'll be off to school all day soon enough!  But, it's so great to have something that is an extension of me, something that let's me show my creativity and express my self.  I think that is really important as a young mom at home.  I think ever since missy was about a year old, I've been working on some sort of shop or idea or way to try and be creative and contribute to our household.  It's a very hard world to break into and I feel like I have so very very much to learn so I can become successful.  But I want to just start small, work out some patterns (all of the items in my handmade shop are patterns I have made up myself).  I think my biggest hope would be to maybe write a craft book of some sort, crochet maybe.

My hubby and I had a wonderful vacation last weekend to Las Vegas.  It was a fun time with friends and nice to be away from the norm for a bit. 

Vegas Strip from the top of the Stratosphere



Had to make a stop by the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop,
didn't see any of the guys from the show, but it was fun to see the place



Enjoyed a HUGE Margaretaville Blender


48oz of yumm! But mine was on the rocks :)

And now it's nice to be back home.  I think a vacation (no mater how nice or fun) is always nice to remind you that home is a wonderful place.

Now we are looking forward to the weekend festivities for Halloween!

The end of the day....

You know I'm sure many many moms out there blog about the hard ships and woes of all that motherhood brings.... I'm about to do the same thing...  while I finish my glass of egg nog (yes, I have egg nog already... I keep my eyes pealed at the store this time of year and the moment I see it, a happy and wonderful little carton will be in my cart with in seconds) and maybe go get another glass of egg nog and listen to some nice slow Great Lake Swimmers (although Pulling On a Line is a bit faster... they are so great.)....

So anyhow - there are just some days where I think, I was a better mom to a baby than I am to this little preschooler.  I had more patience if I remember right.  It's hard some days when you just loose sight of things and that it really isn't a big deal that your kid is doing that thing right now and it will all be fine if you'd just chill out....  But at least there is the reward at the end of the day when that one sweet little thing they will do wipes that slate clean and you are ready for tomorrow.  Little Missy sang me the cutest song this evening called "I am here and you are here" that she learned at school.  It just made me giggle till I had tears.  It was so sweet.

So, a bit of egg nog, maybe a bit more since now my glass is not the same as the one shown above.... and maybe I'll finish up my granny square bean bags (note to self, do not bother trying to take tutorial photos till you've made one and it's turned out...  take photos of the next one...  silly!)  and go watch some funny TV....
because tomorrow is another day.

Good reads for you and your kiddo: Big Plans by Bob Shea & Charlot's Web by E.B. White

Big Plans!  Big Plans I say!

Little Missy and I have loved this book for ages now.  We haven't read it in quite a while (which we really must do soon - I enjoy reading it to her - I love books like that), but the other day a friend of mine told me how much her kids LOVE this book and they read it all the time.  It's a great read - very fun to read aloud and quite a few laughs to be had.

I think I some times forget about all the great books on her own bookcases.  We get such HUGE stacks from the library so we have fresh reading.  But we did pick something off Missy's shelf this evening - we've started reading a chapter book - Charlot's Web.  We did start this once before, but I think she was a little bit too young yet to keep her attention.  I'm very much looking forward to reading this one all the way though.  And I must admit, I can't recall reading this myself...  surely I did at some point, but it was long ago. 

Anyhow...  I'll be going now.  Off to start some work on an idea for bean bags and granny squares...

Easy Peasy Dishcloth Pattern

Tomorrow I will attempt to teach a sweet friend or two how to crochet.  I'll be using a pattern (my very first and very own pattern) for an Easy Peasy Dishcloth.  I'm hoping that it will be a great way to teach how to chain, single, double and half double crochet, as well as slip stitch.

Crochet somehow came very naturally and easy to me.  It just makes since.  It is really all just a variation of two things - yarn over and pull through...  I can remember being at my Grandma Van's house along with my cousins and we would all be making chains.  I sort of remember a beginning of an afghan some where in my early teen years, but it never got too far.  So my mom showed me this past Spring the basics and since then I haven't been long with out a hook and yarn in my hands.  It's become something I really adore.  So with that, I'll share my pattern for the Easy Peasy Dishcloth!

Easy Peasy Dishcloth

 by Gail Winters

H hook

100% Cotton Yarn

Ch 27

Row1: SC in 2nd Ch.  SC in each Ch across.  Ch 2, turn.

Row2: DC in 1st SC.  DC in each SC across.  Ch1, turn.

Rows 3-18: Repeat rows 1 and 2

Row19: Sc in 1st DC.  SC in each DC across.  Ch 2 turn.

Edging:

*HDC, Ch1,

Sl St

in SC,

Sl St

in next SC*

repeat from * in each SC across and around the edge of the cloth.

Finish: Weave in ends

Enjoy - please share with others and share with me if you make one!!! 
Happy Crocheting All!

Tutorials to come.....

I am looking forward to working up tutorials for some of my favorite projects.  Some are shown below and I'll have more that will include vintage button pins and jewelry, crochet bags, hats and sweaters...


Ratty Tatty Denim Bib
with Appliques




Girl's Apron with
Adjustable Neck Strap



Another Ratty Tatty Bib




Upcycled Sweater Bag




Tomorrow I'll be posting on how I made this really fast and easy fleece blanket using a really great blade for my roatary cutter called a Skip-Stitch blade.

Crochet Edging for a Fleece Blanket
using a Skip-Stitch Blade

So stay tuned.....

Aspens in the Fall

I simply love this time of year.

Little Missy and I took a drive to the hills today to enjoy the beauty of the aspens as the leaves turn.  It was a very lovely drive with a very lovely little girl.

On another note....

I hope to work on creating a tutorial very soon on how to make this bag

from an old sweater and vintage fabric.

Good Reads for You and your Kiddo

Tonight Little Missy and I read Mr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flat. 

It was a good one - made us both smile.  Recommended reading for sure.

Enjoy!

The Dottie Angel Challenge....

So I just adore Dottie Angel.  I like how she writes and I like her style and would have LOVED to attended the Dottie Angel Workshop that is happening in Seattle this weekend. 

Well she has a Dottie Angel Challenge of the utmost kind.   I've been giving this thought and trying to decide if it is something I would be capable of for a whole year.  I think it would be an interesting adventure to buy only handmade and secondhand.  I've been trying to think of anything I absolutely wouldn't be ok with buying secondhand.  I know my #1 follower (my mom) - (I know!  Amazing that I have a fan.... oh wait isn't your mom always your #1 fan? - thanks though mama! I love ya!)  Anyhow, my mom will not buy used shoes and then to think of it... what about undies!?!?!?!?  I don't think I could do that one.  Maybe I'd just have to hope that what I've got will really hold up for the next year or maybe stock pile them before the challenge start date.

So how about you dear readers (aka - mom) - would you do it?

Banana Bread and Team Spirit

So last night we were talking about going to our friends to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game.  Little Missy wanted to know where her pink Chiefs jersey was so she could wear it today.  It's a size 2T so of course it is too small.  She was very concerned that I SOLD it (since to her I seam to be selling every thing these days).  I assured her it was down stairs in her "to save" bin.  So I told her I'd work something up for her to wear as I tucked her into bed.

Here's what came out of it - I had some pink iron on letters and a hand-me-down tank, a couple scraps of ribbon and easy-peasy!  I just followed the instructions on the package the letters came in and tied the ribbons on the tanks shoulder so they can be removed for washing.  I have to say I do like the pink and white better than the Chiefs ketchup and mustard color scheme.  And being all girly and pink and white, you could do this for any team and not have to worry about the colors.

Since we are going to friends for the game, I wanted to bring along food.  I think it is something that is genetic.  You always bring food - or have out food - or offer food.  My Grandma Van always would have a little something out for any visitors.  She kept a well stocked candy drawer for when us kiddos stopped in too. 

Ok - so back to what I was talking about - food - I made banana bread and it smells SO good in this house right now.  My mom is who taught me to bake and to love to bake.  I am pretty sure she has this banana bread recipe memorized.  I have to use the book.  It is the church cook book full of the recipes used for years and years by the congregation I spent my childhood with.  I use this cook book all the time, being they are so very tried and true....

Banana Bread

1/2c. Butter

1c. Sugar

2 Eggs

3-4 Ripe Bananas

2c. Flour

1tsp. soda

1tsp. salt

1tsp. vanilla

nuts - if you want them.... or chocolate chips... or as I like it - just as it is.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and bananas.  Mix in flour, soda and salt.  Add vanilla and nuts or chips or nothing else.  Poor into floured loaf pans and bake at 400 for 1 hour.

Then breath deep and enjoy that delish aroma filling your house. 

I think that's one of the best parts of baking is that wonderful smell - that and eating it!

Happy Sunday all - have a good one!

Hello internet

Well hello there vast world of the Internet.

"Want to be my friend?"

My little Missy (aka daughter) is 4 and she will ask just about any random kid at the park or the store or at our garage sale (where the kid was here for about 3 minutes and we will probably never see them again... but certainly friend material to Missy) "Want to be my friend?"

Well? 

I suppose you might not be as quick to friendship as a preschooler and maybe want to know a little bit more about me and what it is I'm doing here in blog land.

I am a stay at home mom who has a pretty strong creative streak.  I'd love to one day contribute to our little household by doing something creative.  I currently sell vintage goodies in my Road10 Etsy shop.  I also have been taking little orders here and there for handmade bits too.  I LOVE to crochet.  My mom showed me how to get going with it this past Spring and I haven't stopped yet.  I hope to share some of my ideas and maybe a few tutorials or patterns too for you all to try out.  I feel like I'm on a bit of a journey to sort out what it is I'll be when I "grow up".  I've been given this amazing gift to be home with my kiddo and have the time and support to try to become and do something I love. 



My Grandma Van

You may also want to know why my blog is called Visit Road 10.  Well my vintage business is called Road 10:Vintage, I hope to add Road 10:Handmade, but also Road 10 is the county road in rural Colorado that I grew up on.  I was very very blessed with a great childhood, being close to family and always lot of laughter.  My Grandma Van lived next door and taught me to sew, embroider and knit.  She was a very special lady.

So.... let's see... what else.... I suppose I've got more posts to write, better not tell it all now!

Well how about it?  Friends?  Or at least curious followers of my journey to find out how to become.... well I'm not sure yet, a craft book writer? or a super seller of handmade and vintage goodies? or a crochet pro? or all of them?  Either way, here's where I'll share my life and all of it's happening.  Hope you enjoy!