April 6, 2012 · 3:21 PM

Fruity Pebble Bunnies for Easter

Fruity Pebble Marshmallow Bunnies - from plain to fabulous

Surprise! I really hadn’t planned to post two stories in one day, but the kids are coming for Easter this weekend, and I wanted to share the bunny treats I made for the grandkids, Jonah Bear & Lilly Bug. These bunnies are fun and colorful and are as much (or as little) work as you want them to be.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 13-oz. box of Fruity Pebble cereal
1 10-oz. bag of miniature marshmallows
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 bunny shaped cookie cutter
1 pkg. of white melting chocolate for coating
Various frostings & candies for decorating

To start, place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat; continue to cook, stirring often, until the butter just starts to brown lightly. Add the marshmallows and beat with a whisk until completely melted and smooth; whisk in the vanilla extract and remove the pan from the heat.

Pour in the cereal and using a heavy wooden spoon (because it’s sturdier), stir the cereal into the marshmallow mixture until all of the cereal is evenly coated. Pour the cereal mixture into a 13″ x 9″ baking pan that has been lined with parchment or waxed paper. Using a flat spatula, press the cereal mixture into the pan until it is an even thickness throughout. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Once set, cut into bunny shapes with the cookie cutter.

Once your bunnies are firm, melt the white candy coating over a double boiler (or place a metal mixing bowl over a saucepan of boiling water) and stir until the candy has melted. Once it is mostly melted, switch to a whisk and whisk the melted chocolate until smooth. You don’t want any lumps when you’re dipping.

Next, choose how you wish to candy coat your bunnies:

1. To drizzle, spoon the melted candy coating into a plastic bag, pressing it down into one corner. Snip the very tip off the corner with a pair of scissors, and in a back-and-forth motion, drizzle your bunnies with melted candy coating. Allow them to cool completely.

2. To coat your bunnies, place one bunny onto the center of a large fork. Hold the bunny over the bowl of melted candy coating, and using a small ladle, spoon the melted candy coating evenly over the top of the bunny, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Once the excess chocolate has stopped dripping, transfer the bunny to a sheet of waxed paper and gently slide him off the fork. Allow to cool completely.

Next, decide how you wish to decorate your bunnies:

1. For chubby bunny cheeks, cut a mini-marshmallow in half forming two equal circles; attach with a small dab of melted candy coating or frosting.

2. For sweet bunny noses, attach a tic-tac candy just above the cheeks using a color coordinated frosting.

3. For pink bunny tongues, squeeze a little pink frosting from a store-bought tube of decorator frosting.

4. For the easiest eyes on the planet, buy a package of candy eyes from craft or baking stores. My sister gave me a package along with Bakarella’s Cake Pops cookbook, and I’ve been dying to use them. Hey, Sis! Look! I made bunnies!

5. For ears, you can pipe an outline using a small tube of gel frosting, or pipe a fatter line of pink frosting and use a toothpick or skewer to fill in the ears.

6. For whiskers, dip the tip of a toothpick or skewer into black gel frosting (I buy it in a small tube; Wilton brand) and simply poke the toothpick into the cheeks for whisker marks. If you want to get fancier, use dip the tip of the skewer or toothpick into the black gel frosting, lay it along the edge of the cheek, and pull outwards, drawing a whisker line as you go.

Jonah Bear & Lilly Bug are going to love these!

And there you have it. Colorful, fruity, marshmallowy bunnies – just in time for Easter. We here at Casa NanaBread wish you and your family a very Hoppy Holiday weekend. I know. That was corny. But I did it anyway.

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April 6, 2012 · 6:55 AM

In Search of Bluebonnets

It’s wildflower season in Texas, which means bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush and all of their colorful friends have come out to play. One of the most scenic drives in the Houston area is called the Texas Independence Trail and last weekend, The Complete Package and I grabbed Ziggy and hit the trail. Here’s a glimpse of what we saw along the way. A little piece of Texas, just for you.

I love this fun tractor mailbox. I want to ride it into the sunset and just keep going. It reminds me of ‘Mater from the Cars movies, which just makes it that much more fun. Remember how they’d sneak up on tractors and honk, and the tractors would moo and then fall over backwards? I love that part.

Speaking of fun, we had a fabulous time getting lost on back roads all day just taking in the sights and doing whatever we wanted. It was so relaxing. The Complete Package thinks we were about 2 weeks early for full blooms, so there’s a good chance we’ll be getting lost in the Texas Hill Country again in a few weeks. If we do, I’ll keep you posted. Between last year’s drought and this spring’s rains, it’s expected to be a bumper crop. Stay tuned!

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April 4, 2012 · 6:46 AM

My favorite new cookbook: America’s Test Kitchen’s “Pasta Revolution”

Pasta Revolution by America's Test Kitchen - it's my new favorite

Let me introduce you to my newest ATK cookbook – Pasta Revolution. I won this little beauty in a random drawing after participating in an on-line chat with Julia Collin Davison of America’s Test Kitchen. I was so excited to receive it. The book is a beautifully comprehensive collection of everything pasta. Chapters include Pasta 101, New Classics, Italy’s Greatest Hits, Pasta for Company (and my favorite – Pasta for Two), Pasta Salads, and two chapters on sauces – Pesto & No-Cook Sauces and Sauces from the Slow-Cooker.

So many choices, so little time

But wait, there’s more! You’ll also find a chapter on Whole Wheat Pasta, specialty pastas like gnocchi or tortellini, and even a chapter on Asian pasta dishes. See? I told you it was comprehensive! Here’s a sampling of what’s inside:

America’s Test Kitchen may just be my favorite series of cookbooks ever. Why? Because they take all the guess-work out of cooking. And by that, I mean you never have to worry about whether a recipe will work or not. Not when it comes from the crew at ATK. They go to great lengths to research and experiment with each recipe. They admit that they fail and tweak repeatedly to bring you the best possible version of each recipe published. I appreciate that.

What you get is a series of foolproof recipes along with a breakdown of what worked and what didn’t, tips on equipment and favorite brands, product reviews, and even shopping advice. When I make a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, I know it will be spot on every single time. When they talk, I listen.

And speaking of vodka, last night I made the Penne alla Vodka for dinner and it was incredible. Seriously scrumptious. What a gorgeous photo!

Here’s the proof. Not that you need it, but I want you to know that I’m totally putting my money where my mouth is. Or in this case, I’m putting the pasta where my mouth is. One forkful at a time. Repeatedly.

ATK's Penne alla Vodka - simple ingredients, tremendous flavor

You know what I loved about this recipe? Everything. It was easy to make. It was packed with flavor. The sauce was perfect, especially when it got trapped inside those little penne tubes. I loved the slight heat from the red pepper flakes. If the vodka is a turn off for you, I promise it does not permeate the dish. It would be fine without it, but it does add great flavor without an alcohol ‘bite’ to it if you leave it in. Which is why they give you tips about which vodka to use. I’m telling you, these guys think of everything.

My overall rating for this dish is a sold 10. I would eat this over and over again. In fact, we’re having leftovers tonight. That rumor that pasta dishes taste even better as leftovers the next day? It’s true. Especially red sauces. And this one warms up beautifully.

You want to see how it turned out, don’t you? You know you do. Here you go. You’re welcome. {wink}

NanaBread's Penne alla Vodka from ATK's Pasta Revolution

If you love pasta or know someone who does, put this one on your shopping list. It is most definitely a keeper. Special thanks to the social media group at America’s Test Kitchen and to Julia Collin Davison, my favorite contributor at ATK. I swear that girl loves bacon as much as I do. We should form a club.

I’m never going to wash my cookbook-flipping hand again.

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April 2, 2012 · 7:10 AM

Oops. He did it again.

Quite possibly TCP's greatest creation yet - Cherry Coconut Pecan Ice Cream

The Complete Package made ice cream again this weekend. I know! He’s totally on a roll this year and it’s not even summer yet. This time he outdid himself. He made cherry ice cream with toasted pecans and coconut. Earth shattering doesn’t begin to describe it. It was more like life affirming. Here’s how he did it:

TCP’s Cherry Coconut Pecan Ice Cream:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 16-ounce jar of maraschino cherries (and the syrup)
2/3 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 cup sweetened coconut, toasted

To start, place the freezer bowl of an electric ice cream maker in the freezer overnight so it’s ready to go when you mix this up. Once the freezer bowl is ready, gather all of your ice cream ingredients.

Pre-heat your oven to 400F and place your pecan pieces and coconut in a shallow baking pan, spreading them out so they toast evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pecans become fragrant and the coconut is starting to turn a pretty golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Drain the cherries, saving the syrup in a bowl, and chop the cherries into large chunks. TCP quartered his.

While the pecans and coconut are toasting, break the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wire whisk or mixer until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Whisk in the sugar a little at a time and continue to whisk until completely blended. Add the half-and-half, milk and the syrup off the jar of cherries and whisk to incorporate. Then add the salt and vanilla extract and whisk for one minute more.

Once the ice cream base is thoroughly blended, stir in the cherries, pecans and coconut and pour into the freezer bowl of your electric ice cream maker. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, process until the ice cream thickens and/or the machine shuts off. This step usually takes about 30 minutes.

NOTE: If you have one of those old-fashioned crank ice cream makers, just pour the prepared ice cream into the canister and place in the tub. Work your magic with ice and rock salt and get your friends out on the porch to help you crank. Once you can’t crank it without thinking your arm is going to fall off, it’s done. Electric is easier, but cranking is all kinds of retro fun.

This is the torturous part. The Complete Package likes to scrape the finished ice cream into a freezer-safe air-tight container and pop it into the freezer to set up completely. Luckily, he let me sample it before it took a freezer nap. And then we rested. And it was good.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give this a solid 10. Cherries mixed with pecans and coconut are one of my favorite flavor combinations of all time. Dropping all of that into homemade ice cream just makes it sing. Or maybe that was me.

Truth in Development: This recipe is based on a knock-off recipe for Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream Ice Cream Base my husband found on the internet back in 2003. Is it authentic? Who knows for sure. But it’s the cornerstone of every great ice cream he’s ever made, so we’re sticking with it. If it ain’t broke…

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March 30, 2012 · 8:00 AM

Foodie PenPals – Round 2

The Lean Green Bean

March marked my second month as a participant in the Foodie PenPals program. In January, I was matched with Jacqueline from Kentucky. I sent her a nice box of goodies from Texas, as documented here. This time, the person selected to shop for me was from Kentucky. What are the odds? Well, they’re probably about 1 in 300, but I was still stunned when I saw that a Kentucky girl would be returning the favor this time around. My new penpal caught on to it, too. Tara immediately noticed on my January blog post that my first match was from the Bluegrass State. And since this was her first time to participate, it just all seemed so… appropriate. Like foodie fate.

Here’s what Tara sent:

Foodie PenPal swag from the great state of Kentucky

Here’s how I knew we would get along just fine:

Be still my southern heart; it's biscuit mix!

Tara did a great job of picking items made in Kentucky, like this salsa

Salsa was interesting because it was fun to compare Kentucky salsa to our Texas version. Verdict: ours is salty/spicy; theirs is slightly sweet; both are good.

Then there was this gem – coffee laced with Maker’s Mark. Hello, Kentucky!

She had me at booze, but I also love coffee

I especially loved all of her handwritten little notes.

This note explains why she sent Cincinnati Chili.

It turns out this chili is made just over the border from Kentucky. Close enough for me. Plus, I’ve always wanted to try Cincinnati Chili. From what I’ve heard, it’s very different from the chili we make here in Texas. I haven’t tried it yet, but only because we just had a giant pot of Texas chili, and that just wouldn’t be fair. {insert childish giggling here}

Thank you, Tara, for another great Foodie PenPals experience. I thoroughly enjoyed your selections, as well as your written commentary of each item. I didn’t post a close-up of the stick candy, but it is very much like what I grew up eating in NW Arkansas. Thanks for the blast from the past! I hope you had an equally rewarding experience for your first Foodie PenPal exchange.

To see what I sent my March match, go to For the Love of Kale blog written by my new Foodie PenPal Heather. I’ve already heard that the coffee cup that was included didn’t survive the journey. That’s a bummer. Heather is vegan, and I confess I went into it with zero experience picking out things for a vegan diet. I just kept reminding myself of her hint of “nothing with a face.” You should have seen me browsing grocery aisles, picking up items and asking “does this have a face?” It was fun and educational, to say the least. Fingers are crossed that she liked everything in her box!

If you are interested in participating, click this link to the Foodie PenPals homepage. Remember, you do NOT need to be a blogger to participate. You just have to love food and the opportunity to make new friends. Who knows…. maybe I’ll draw your name some day! And that’s part of the fun. You never know who you’re going to be shopping for, or who will be sending you a box of goodies until the list comes out. I hope to see some of you on it soon!

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March 28, 2012 · 3:40 PM

It’s 85F in Houston this week. Must be time to break out the flip-flops!

It’s always warm in deep south Texas, which explains why we are a flip-flop culture. All across the ‘Southern Coast’ casual flip-flops are our footwear of choice, especially in the summer when temperatures top 100 degrees. I can’t speak for everyone, but my clan likes them cute and cheap. If we can score a nifty pair for under $15, we’re as happy as clams. It also helps us justify having a closet FULL of them. I’m not joking when I confess that I usually have at least a dozen pair of flip-flops in various closets at any given time. I have them stacked in my bedroom closet. I keep them in the coat closet downstairs so I can throw them on for a trip to the grocery store. I stash a pair in the little niche in my kitchen so I can run out and grab the mail each afternoon. And it’s not just me. Most of my friends and family collect them the same way we collect nail polish, sunglasses and souvenir t-shirts.

Imagine my surprise when I received a pair of flip-flops from my dear friend Kirsten from Michigan. Her BFF Jennifer started a company making flip-flops from recycled blue jeans and she convinced her to send me a pair. How cool is that? As much as I love the shoes, I also love the story behind them. Jeans Gone Green creates unique flip-flops made from blue jeans that go unsold at thrift and resale shops. After the unwanted jeans are collected, they’re turned over to Grand Traverse Industries in Traverse City, Michigan, who in turn provides jobs for those with special needs or limited job opportunities. Their employees cut and prepare the denim for a team of artisans and seamstresses who design and create one-of-a-kind footwear. And we’re not talking about plain cheapo flip-flops, folks. We’re talking high-end footwear embellished with Swarovski crystals. No kidding. These are not my run-of-the-mill sporting goods store flip-flops. These are by far the swankiest flip-flops I’ve ever possessed.

Another nice touch is the packaging. No clunky cardboard shoe boxes here! Jeans Gone Green packages their footwear in handmade denim bags made from portions of the jeans not used in their shoes. The long, narrow shape makes the bags a perfect size for reusing as wine bottle totes, a e-reader bag, or a beach bag for a rolled towel, a tube of sunscreen and a bottle of water. When they say they recycle old denim, they really mean it. I just love that.

As a bonus, the owner (Jennifer) offered to set up a discount code for readers of this blog. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself, visit the Jeans Gone Green website and use the internet promo code NANABREAD to receive a discount. This offer is only good for purchases made on their website, not in stores. And speaking of stores, the company is rapidly expanding, including into stores across Texas. Don’t forget to look for them in a boutique near you. For your convenience, they have a “Where to Buy” link on their website, but if you can’t find them in your favorite shop, ask for them! They’re partnering with new shops all the time. Here’s the scoop on the company:

Jeans Gone Green
http://jeansgonegreen.com/
Traverse City, Michigan
“Good People – Good Things”

Special thanks to my friend Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic and Jennifer of Jeans Gone Green. What a wonderful surprise, ladies. Thanks so much!

Note: This post was written of my own volition. I was not in any way solicited, compensated, or reimbursed to promote Jeans Gone Green and/or their footwear. These were simply a gift from a friend. I am sharing them with you because I loved them and thought you might, too. Furthermore, I will in NO WAY be compensated or reimbursed for any purchases made using the NANABREAD discount code. That has been offered by the owner of the company as an unsolicited gift to readers of this blog. You are in no way obligated to make a purchase. If you do, it may help to note that mine ran a little small, so you may wish to order a size larger than you normally wear.

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March 23, 2012 · 3:30 PM

Recipe: Dorie’s Baby Cakes

NanaBread's take on Dorie Greenspan's Baby Cakes


I made my first Dorie Greenspan recipe this week. That’s not a big deal for some people, but it is for me. Fancy French food intimidates me, and I think of Dorie as one of those great French cooks. She writes cookbooks, for God’s sake. Fancy, wonderful, gorgeous cookbooks. Don’t get me wrong – I love eating French food. It’s the making/baking part that freaks me out. Here’s what I learned from Dorie this week: fabulous doesn’t have to mean fussy. This recipe was beyond fabulous, and it could not have been easier. All you need is a handful of ingredients and a few pieces of the right equipment.

On Dorie’s blog this week, she posted a recipe for Almond Baby Cakes. I was intrigued. As I read it, I was amazed that so few ingredients were required. Then I got to the part where she said, “If you play around with the recipe, let me know what you do … please.” Those of you who know me know it takes very little to get me to play with my food. I have a hard enough time sticking to recipes; I’m a recipe fiddler. But when you INVITE me to mess with a recipe, well I just can’t say no. There’s something wrong with my wiring when it comes to stuff like that.

So here’s what I did to Dorie’s Baby Cakes. Instead of almonds, I chose pecans. And since I love coconut, I decided to throw some of that in there, too. Coconut and pecans go together like peas and carrots. Chocolate and peanut butter. Biscuits and gravy. And since the recipe called for a little rum, I grabbed my bottle of Parrot Bay Coconut Rum. Laugh all you want, but God help me if coconut rum & Coke over ice isn’t a little piece of paradise on a hot summer day. So armed with my collection of substitutions and one secret ingredient, here’s how my version of Dorie’s Baby Cakes went down.

The Ingredient Perp Walk - they're all guilty of being delicious

Coconut Pecan Baby Cakes:
1 cup of pecans, halves or pieces
1/2 cup of flaked, sweetened coconut
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut rum

To start, make sure you place an oven rack in the center rung of your oven and pre-heat it to 350F. Using a standard 12-count muffin pan, butter each cup of the muffin tin generously. Using parchment or waxed paper, cut a small circular piece of paper to fit the bottom of each muffin cup. (Hint: I used a small-mouth canning jar lid ring as my pattern.) Place the paper in the bottom of each cup, then generously butter the paper as well.

In a shallow baking pan, I toasted my pecans and coconut for approximately 10 minutes, or until I could smell their lovely fragrance coming from my oven. Dumping them into the food processor with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, I pulsed the pecans and coconut until they were coarsely ground, but not dust. If you have a few pea-sized chunks in there, don’t sweat it.

Using my KitchenAid stand mixer with the whisk attachment, I combined the rest of the sugar with the eggs and beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Turning the mixer off just long enough to add the pecan/coconut mixture, I then turned it back to medium-high and beat for one additional minute. At this point, you’ll want to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turning the mixer back to medium-high, I added the softened butter (you’ll want it to be super soft) one tablespoon at a time. (Note: Dorie’s recipe says to use 5 tablespoons of butter, but I softened an entire stick and lost track, stopping at 6 tablespoons. The extra tablespoon of butter didn’t seem to hurt at all, but next time I will use 5, as directed.) Once the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer to low speed and add the coconut rum, beating just until blended.

The batter will look a little curdled, just as Dorie described, so don’t panic. There’s no flour in this recipe to smooth things out, so just relax and go with it. Why? Because Dorie says so. I used a gravy ladle to spoon equal portions of batter into each of the 12 muffin cups. Each cup should end up about half-full.

Here’s where my secret ingredient came into play. It was this little can of dark chocolate-coated cocoa nibs from my friend Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic. She sent them in a box of goodies earlier this week. I’d never had them before, and my eyes just about bugged out of my head when I tried them. The nibs are crunchy, the chocolate coating is creamy, and together they are simply dreamy. SO when my baby cakes were ready to go into the oven, I sprinkled 10-12 of them on top of my cakes. I left 3 plain, just to try them without the cocoa nibs. BIG mistake. Lesson learned: next time, go all in.

Dark chocolate-coated Cocoa Nibs on top? Yes, please!

Bake the cakes on the center rack for 27-29 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the baking process. In my case, I set the first timer for 14 minutes, then turned the pan and re-set it for another 14 minutes, which turned out perfect. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are crispy brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove the pan from the oven and invert immediately. (Hint: I used a flat cookie sheet that was a little larger than my muffin pan. Just turn the cookie sheet upside-down on the muffin pan, then grab both pans with hot pads and flip them both at the same time.)

Baby Cakes so yummy you'll just want to nibble them to death

Gently tap the muffin pan to release the cakes. Once the cakes are out of the muffin tin, give them a few minutes to cool, then remove any parchment paper that may still be stuck to the bottoms, and use a flat spatula to flip them back to their full upright positions. These are best served warm or at room temperature. Even better, serve them with homemade whipped cream spiked with a little vanilla bean paste. That stuff makes everything better, but it is BFFs with whipping cream. Plop a big spoon full on the top and go to town.

Nothing beats homemade whipped cream with vanilla bean paste

If you’re like me, don’t even bother with a plate and fork. Just blob on some whipped cream and eat it with your fingers. The toasted pecans and coconut paired with all that butter and coconut rum makes these dreamy. But the addition of the chocolate-covered cocoa nibs pushed this recipe right over the cliff. I swear I don’t know how these could get any better.

Dorie, you said to let you know if we messed with the recipe, so here’s my contribution. If you try these, I hope you’ll return the favor and let me know. Until then, I can’t thank you enough. These may be Baby Cakes, but they are absolutely HUGE in flavor. And I am totally in love with these little cuties.

Note: this recipe makes 12 baby cakes which can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or frozen in the same container for up to 2 months. Here’s the recipe link again in case you missed it: http://doriegreenspan.com/2012/03/im-chugging-away-on-a.html

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March 20, 2012 · 7:10 AM

This will make you say “Whuuh?”

My husband, The Complete Package, recently sent me a link to a You Tube video. He doesn’t usually do that unless it’s something interesting. As it turns out the video is part of a trend of learning to perform common tasks the “lean way” which just means more efficiently. In this case, it was how to fold a t-shirt. Translation – fewer steps, less time. When I watched it, I immediately said “Whuh???? Wait a second! Replay that!” I’m not going to lie. I watched it a few times. And then I ran straight to my dresser for a t-shirt.

Seriously, you have to see this. Click here to see the video TCP sent. Here’s a link for another version of the same folding technique.

And you know what? It works. Here’s a stack of t-shirts folded the lean way:

Perfectly folded t-shirts folded "the lean way"

If you like to fold your t-shirts into smaller or more compact stacks, you just fold them in half again like so. Still only adds one simple step to the process, and they still end up perfectly uniform.

This technique is perfect for neat freaks like me

I know, I know… it’s not earth-shattering. But you have to admit, it is pretty interesting. And tell the truth. Did you or did you not grab a t-shirt and try this?

PS – Not that I have any knowledge of this type of thing, but hypothetically I’m thinking this would make a great bar bet. Just bet someone you could pick up a t-shirt and fold it without ever letting go of the shirt until it’s done. I mean, who wouldn’t love a free beer? Am I right?

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March 6, 2012 · 7:15 AM

DIY Craft: Zippered Cosmetic Bags

Tired of losing stuff? Need a new bag for your purse or for travel? Want to make a quick homemade gift for family or friends? Well, I have the perfect tutorial for you! Our annual “Ladies Only” family weekend is rapidly approaching so I made these for the ladies. If I can do it, so can you! Same bag; two fun patterns.

Colorful stripes or stylish black & white - both are fun!

Are you familiar with oilcloth? It’s that fabulous retro fabric used mainly to make tablecloths. It has a plastic-coated outer layer and a soft fleecy flannel lining, which makes it perfect for these little cosmetic bags. It’s durable and washable. And if you have a great fabric store in your area, you can potentially find fabulous prints, solids or stripes to work with. You will, of course, need a sewing machine with a zipper foot to create these at home but if you’ve got that, you’re half way there.

For each bag, you will need:

1 rectangle piece of oilcloth (8 1/2″ x 11″)
1 heavy-duty 7″ metal zipper in a coordinating color
thread in a coordinating color
1 6″ piece of ribbon in a coordinating color

To start, cut your oil cloth into a rectangle. I used a standard piece of printer paper as my template, since it measures 8 1/2″ x 11″.

Next, cut the rectangle in half to make two equal pieces that are 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. You’ll also need to cut two tabs (1.5″ x 1.5″ square) for the zipper.

Using those small squares, you’ll need to stitch them on each end of the zipper. First fold one side under 1/4″ to create a finished end. Place that end up against the end of the zipper and pin into place. You’ll want to do this on both ends of the zipper, then double stitch into place.

Next, grab a side and fold one long edge under 1/4″. With the zipper closed, center the folded edge along one side of the zipper and pin it into place.

Using the zipper foot, stitch along the folded edge making sure you sew off of both ends. Also note that once you get close to the zipper, you’ll need to remove a few of the pins you just sewed over, raise the zipper foot, and unzip the zipper so that you can get past the zipper head without messing up your stitching. Don’t worry. It’s not as scary as it sounds. The pins you’ll remove to unzip the zipper will be in the area you just stitched, so it’s all good. Once you’ve stitched all the way across one side, remove the pins and do the same on the second side.

Using the same method, sew the second side of the bag along the zipper. Once both sides are stitched on, it should look like this.

Now that your two sides are stitched onto your zipper, you’re almost ready to fold it up and sew it shut. One important tip – before you do, be sure to unzip the bag half way. Otherwise, you’ll stitch your bag shut and the zipper pull will be on the inside. Unzipping that bag is going to be really difficult if the zipper pull is on the inside and the bag is sewn shut. (Live & learn, kids. Live & learn.)

So, once you’ve unzipped the zipper half way, fold the bag in half so that the “good” sides are facing each other and pin it to keep it from slipping as you sew.

Here are close-ups of the zipper ends and how they’re pinned.

See that white peeking out of the ends of the zipper? That’s what those tabs we sewed onto the ends were for. They cover that gap in the zipper so you have a nice finished edge when we’re done. I’ll show you another close-up of that in a moment. For now, start at one end of the zipper and using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew around the three open sides of the bag. If you want, you can stitch around it twice. I just use the “back up” button on my machine and go over those top edges and the bottom corners a couple of times to reinforce them.

Here’s a close-up of those reinforced corners. Snip that corner off before you turn the bag right-side-out to get a good, crisp finished corner.

Turn the bag inside out and using a chopstick or other bluntly pointed object, gently poke the corners (top & bottom) to pop them into place. This is where you’ll be really glad you unzipped that bag halfway. Here’s a closer look at how those corners at each end of the zipper should look. It’s also a good look at how those tabs we sewed on in the beginning come into play. They really do help give a cleaner edge to the finished bag.

One last finishing touch – a ribbon as a zipper pull. It’s not necessary, but it adds a decorative touch and it does come in handy. You’ll need one piece of ribbon in a coordinating color, about 5 or 6 inches long. Fold the ribbon in half to make a 3″ length, then roll the cut ends together and poke them through the little hole in the end of the zipper pull.

Here’s another great tip – use Fray Check to seal the ends of that ribbon and keep it from unraveling. You can find it at fabric stores, and it’s worth keeping around. It really does work. If you wash the bag, retouch with Fray Check.

That’s it! Here’s a look at the finished bag.

If you’re going to use a striped oilcloth, be sure to match stripes when you sew these together. It makes a big difference in how they look once finished.

Same goes for those little tabs you sew on each end of the zipper. If you take a moment to lay all this out before you start pinning, you can even line up the stripes on those end tabs so they match as well. It takes a few more minutes of planning, but it’s worth it in the end. Sometimes, it’s the little things.

One last helpful tip. If you’re going to be making multiple bags, it goes faster if you cut each bag and lay the parts for each bag together. I also stitched all of the tabs onto the zippers before I started sewing bags together. It saved time by allowing me to just grab a zipper and go when I was ready for the next bag.

I hope you’ll jump in and try these. They’re fun to make, and don’t really take a lot of effort or time. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. If you make them and post pictures, let me know where I can see them. I’d love to see how yours turn out.

And to my mother, sisters, nieces, daughter, granddaughter and all the ladies who’ll be coming to visit next week – surprise! You’ll be getting one of these. Feel free to call dibs on your favorite – stripes or print. They’ll be filled with swag, and they’re going to go fast.

PS – Do I need to apologize for that nail polish color? It is kind of a spastic, groady green. Sorry you had to see that. I was experimenting for St Patty’s Day. Don’t worry… it’s coming off. It’s true what they say. It’s not easy being green.

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February 29, 2012 · 7:00 AM

My Baby ran her first half-marathon!

My Baby {right} & her friend Lindsay stop for a picture at Mile 3

That’s right. My daughter is a rock star! After running a handful of 5Ks and one 10K, our daughter took on her first half-marathon and not only finished, but did it with a big smile on her face. Seriously… who runs 13.1 miles and still has a smile on her face? That’s right – My Baby!

TCP & the grandbabies bundled up

The Complete Package & I took Jonah Bear and Lilly Bug to the race so they could see Mommy run. Getting them up and dressed at 5:30am was not their idea of fun, but once we were out on the course staking a claim on a great vantage point (& unpacking breakfast snacks), they started to get more excited. It was freezing cold, or at least felt like it, but it was important to us to be there cheering from the sidelines and documenting her first half-marathon experience. It was so worth the cold and wind when the kids saw Mommy running up the street at Mile 3. I have to admit, I got excited, too. Once that first runner and his escort passed, it was a blur of runners for a good solid hour.

Here are a few snaps of the runners we cheered for until My Baby and her friend Lindsay ran past. I was amazed at the diversity of runners.

I don't know this girl, but she gets my vote for "Best Dressed in a Tutu"

This "Beer Run" sign was wildly popular with runners.

Oh, wait…. here they come! Here they come!

Coming into view at Mile 3 - all smiles and pure awesomeness

Hi, girls! We're all so proud of you two! Whoo Whoo!

This is where they stopped to have their picture taken (that first photo above). We were at the bell tower on Cesar Chavez near City Hall. It was a perfect vantage point for the early part of the race, and it was just far enough from the start line that they could shed their outer layer of clothing and leave it with us.

Once they were past us, we gathered up the kids, hit the port-o-potties (TCP has a special place in heaven now for taking 2 toddlers into portable toilets on a race course), took a stroll around downtown Austin, and made our way to the First Street bridge, where we saw the girls cross the river at Mile 8 – still smiling.

Matching hot pink shirts & black headbands made them easy to spot.

I snapped of a few quick shots of them coming across the river at Mile 8 before they spotted our son-in-law and his friend Marcus directly across the street from us. They rode their bikes to the race, and pretty much trailed the girls along the course. It turned out to be a perfect way for them to cheer the girls on, but also mule all the gel packs and energy bars they might need along the route.

My Baby stops for a gel break with her hubs {left} & their friend Marcus

It was right after this point that the kids hit the wall. Jonah Bear was tired and Lilly Bug was frozen like a popsicle. Her little hands were like ice. We agreed to meet the kids later for a post-race lunch and we headed home to give the babies a break and let them thaw out. At lunch, the girls celebrated with giant beers and a platter of carbs. They laughed at the looks they got walking into Pluckers in their full running gear and medals, but who cares? They had an awesome time, and met their goal – to finish together in under 3 hours. Their final time as they crossed the finish line side by side was 2:39:37.

Smile, ladies. You're about to win your 13.1 badge of honor.

I’m no expert, but I think that’s pretty awesome for a first half-marathon, and we couldn’t be more proud. As we celebrated over lunch, we asked our daughter if she would ever shoot for the full marathon. She immediately said, “Oh, no way! I can’t even imagine it!” Then I reminded her that she said the same thing about moving up from a 5K to a 10K, and from a 10K to the half-marathon. Her response? “Good point, Mom!”

So it’s settled. 2013 = 26.2. You might as well dream big.

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