A Frugal Idea as Old as the Hills

I needed a little rug for in front of my sink

soooo....

I had a couple sets of sheets that were

just for wrapping furniture or 

'just in case' moments.

I cut them into strips,

sewed the strips together,

then rolled the whole mess into

a bowling ball:)

The next part was the best part.

I gave it to my mother who crochets.

It was returned to me in the form of a rug.

How perfect is that?

This rug was made with 4 queen bed sheets.

The strips were cut about 1.5".

The finished rug measures about 17"X40".

I do have another one that is round so

your options are not limited to squares and rectangles.

If you crochet, this would make a 

great Christmas gift.

I try not to decorate other people's houses,

but these are to be walked on so

if it is getting muddy by the back door,

you know it's working.

One other tid-bit,

if you can find all cotton sheets,

you can dye them.

If they are cotton/poly,

the dye won't take so you should find

a color that you like as is.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches 

Candied Citrus Zest Recipe (like Airheads)

Right in time for Halloween.

I have had this recipe forever

and finally got around to giving it a whirl.

They look just beautiful.

Recipe:

1 pink grapefruit

4 oranges

6 lemons

6 limes

8 cups cold water, divided

6 cups sugar, divided

1. Using a vegetable peeler (I used a paring knife) peel

rind from fruits trying to include as little of the bitter white pith

as possible.  In a large saucepan, cover the zest strips with

2 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil; drain and rinse zest

under cold running water.  Repeat procedure two more times,

using fresh water each time.

2.  Return blanched zest strips to the saucepan.  Cover with 4 cups 

sugar; add remaining 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce

heat to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until zest is

translucent in color, about 10 minutes.

3.  Remove from heat; cool and drain.  Lay strips on a wire rack

set over parchment paper.  Allow to dry for at least

4 hours at room temperature.

4.  Toss zest in remaining sugar, coating completely.

Transfer to an airtight container.  Store at room 

temperature for up to 1 month.

Warning: when I ate them, I made a

"Kodak face."  I am not the sweet/sour 

sort of candy lover.

My son thinks they are great.

(They resemble the Airhead candy)

Also, when I tried to use a potato peeler,

I had issues so just used a paring knife.

They also make a great centerpiece though

I think they might be gone by the weekend:)

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Do You "Prepare" for Winter?

Around here, we prepare for winter.

Though there are a few more things 

I would like to see finished up before the snow flies,

I am beginning to ease up a bit.

Over the past couple months,

we have been working in the garden

in order to stock up.

And I am actually glad to say that I think

my love affair with my pressure-canner

has come to an end for the season.

I finished stacking the wood this morning.

There is still some bark mess to deal with,

but the wood is in order.

I dug a few spuds this morning as well.

I'm not sure why it is that digging spuds

makes me feel so successful.

Maybe it's because you have to trust

that they are there even when you can't see them.

Most of mine still have green plants 

so it might be November before I get to dig more.

I also pruned my tomatoes,

having just learned about that this year.

A dear friend told me she had finished

pruning hers.  It sounded so funny.

I told her my plants were loaded

with green tomatoes.

She said if you prune all the 'tops'

and any new growth,

the plant will feed the tomatoes better.

We will probably get one more salad

worth of lettuce from the garden

as it is beginning to bolt.

I feel pretty fortunate.

We haven't had to buy lettuce since June.

I just planted some in with a house plant

to see if I can get some to grow inside.

No matter where you live,

it's probably a good idea to be prepared

for at least a couple days

of no power, closed roads, or whatever

might come about.

If you have a barbecuer,

make sure it has propane (if it's that kind:)

It's still possible to cook on it in winter

~just not as much fun as in summer.

And last but not least,

don't forget water...

that one's pretty important.

All done?

Time for a cup of hot cocoa.

Yum.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

~Morning People~

We are morning people.

Here's part of the reason why...

Mornings have been just beautiful.

The bear have destroyed one of our 

old plum trees. (Rotten buggers)

There are trees all over the mountains.

Why do they have to attack this one?

Just about the time is starts looking normal again,

they tear into it.

These little wild plums make

the best jelly.

So many things to admire in the mornings.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

~*~Autumn Table Topper~*~

Just another small finish.

As soon as my table cloth gets out of the dryer,

this will go on our table.

This is actually my second ~

Last year I made a table runner.

I really should pick another season,

but autumn is so cozy.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches