Speaking of Time, Safety and Happiness–3/10/2016

Good morning and welcome back!!!!!

For most Americans, daylight saving time 2015 ends at 2 a.m.Sunday morning, when most states spring AHEAD an hour.

The federal government doesn’t require U.S. states or territories to observe daylight saving time, which is why residents of Arizona, Hawaii,  Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands don’t need to change their clocks on Sunday.

This is a very controversial topic.  Many people look at it as an inconvenience, unnecessary and just a pain in the backside.

Others welcome it, and wish it would last year round. I would be on this side of the table. For me the more daylight the better. I love a bit of extra evening sunshine.

So, don’t get to church or to work an hour late?  Change those clocks and alarms and while you are at it, change the CO2 and the smoke alarm batteries!!!! Better to be safe!!!

Oh, and if you remember, will you really feel that you missed an hour of sleep?

Although, those of you who have babies in the house– their physiological clocks are the only thing that matter to them and if they are hungry no clock is going to change that feeling, and if you put them to bed at their normal time chances are very good they will be up at their normal time, although it will look on the clock like it is an hour later than usual!!!!

Enjoy the Spring….You will be Falling Back on Sunday, November 6, 2016!!!!!!!

SPEAKING OF TIME………

Where have the last three years gone?????????????  Seriously, it has been three years since I have posted, here, but I am back and enjoying this, again.

Over the last three years, I have dealt with a very painful knee, got it replaced, did all the therapy I was told to do and now, that knee is like brand new….feeling very grateful for that.

Then, I got really, really busy with Dance Studios recruiting my work, and then costumes, costumes and more costumes, as well as memory and memorial quilts and pillows from loved ones’ shirts, and baby items, etc. in addition to all the usual alterations.  The best and most important thing that has happened over the last three years is three weeks ago, today, I was blessed with another grandmiracle!  Alton has the cutest little dimples….I am madly in love, all over again and so blessed to be well, happy and have all these grandmiracles.

So, what have you all been up to for the last three years???

Thank you, for being here and I hope you will leave a comment and continue to follow because I am back to stay, God willing!

I will be posting pics of recent work and also taking orders, of course, of anything you can possibly think of, because we all know, If YOU can imagine it; I can make it!   So, if there is something you have been searching for, thinking of, wishing you could find, let’s talk.  Leave a comment, or email me at slavetomyneedles@comcast.net

Happy Spring….go forward and be productive!

~Louise

Swedish Bread, Tea Ring or Braided Bread 08/29/2013

Swedish Tea Ring, Braid or Bread

By, Louise Laferriere

No, it is not Christmas yet!!!!  However, I have had this post in my draft folder and yesterday a friend asked for it, so I am posting it today and may post it again over the holidays…Hope you enjoy!

Today, I am going to share with you an old family tradition in our family at the Holiday Season and again, at Easter time.

I learned it from my grandmother who learned it from her grandmother and never has a Christmas or Easter happened without this tea ring and its plainer but gorgeous braided version being on my holiday table.

I have given these breads as gifts throughout the years to new neighbors, as house-warming gifts, as well as hostess gifts at holiday parties. They are always a hit!!!

Ingredients:

½ C Melted butter

2/3 C sugar

1 tsp. Salt

2 ¼ C Hot milk

1 Egg, well beaten

2 tsps. Almond extract

1 Package yeast

9 C Flour

Instructions:

This recipe will yield 2 loaves of Swedish Bread or 2 Swedish Braided Breads or 2 Swedish Tea Rings.  I usually make 1 Braided Bread and 1 Tea Ring.

Mix butter, sugar, salt and hot milk in a large bowl and let cool to lukewarm.  Stir the yeast into ¼ C warm water and let it stand for five minutes to dissolve.

Add the dissolved yeast, egg, almond extract and 4 C flour and mix well. Add 4 more cups flour and mix well.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead for a minute or two and let rest for 10 minutes, adding the remaining flour if dough is too sticky. Resume kneading until smooth and elastic. Put dough in large buttered bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

Punch down and knead for a minute or two, divide in half (each half will make one loaf, one ring or one braid).

Swedish Tea Ring;

Roll and shape one of these two halves into a long thin roll. Using a rolling pin and an un-floured board, roll it into a thin rectangle, about 7” x 16”.  If it sticks it may be easily lifted with a knife.

Spread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, ¾ C raisins and ½ C chopped walnuts (I left out the walnuts due to a family member’s allergy).

Starting with the long side, roll like a jelly roll.

Join ends to form a ring.  Place on a buttered cookie sheet. 

Make perpendicular cuts, with scissors, about 1” apart and spread open, so that one side falls flat.

Cover and let rise again.

Brush with 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tsp. cold water.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

AND:

With other half of the dough, divide into 3 equal parts.

Stretch and roll each piece between your hands until you have 3 long, uniform rolls.

Make a braid with the rolls, pinching the 3 pieces firmly together when you start braiding and again when you finish.

Place braid on buttered cookie sheet, cover and let rise again.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

OR:

With the other half of the dough, shape into a loaf and place in a buttered loaf pan, cover and let rise again.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on rack.  For soft crust, brush crust with melted butter while hot.

Serve, Share and Enjoy!!! 

Louise-Slave To My Needles

Halloween Orders are flying out of here! 08/27/2013

Today, I made two overalls for Halloween.  Two little brothers going on a cruise wanted the blue minion overalls from Despicable Me. Mom didn’t need the mask or head gear and already has the yellow shirt, etc.

They will ship out tomorrow morning!

 

Now, it isn’t quite September 1st yet, but if you have something in mind do not think it is too early to order.  Don’t be the one wishing you had ordered earlier….we might need to allow for shipping of the fabric, then the creating time, then shipping to you and there may be others ahead of you…

 

What do you, or your kids or your family want to be for Halloween?

I am going as a tired gramma with pin pricks in my fingertips.  HaHaHa!!!!!

Have a wonderful week everyone. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

Oh, did you forget to look for the ‘x’ in my shop?  Check the previous post and then go look for it….It is an easy $10, after all.

~Louise

 

God Bless This Family

I know I haven’t been on much, but things are beginning to come back to normal…..

I HAD to come on today to share this with you.  I do not know these people at all, but learned of them through a FB group that I am in for the city where I grew up!

This hurts my heart!!!! So sad! If you can think of any ways to help, I am open to any suggestion.  I am sure they need more than just money.  Whatever ideas you may have, just leave a comment and I will be so grateful! Really hope we can help them.

 

God Bless them and all of you for reading.

I will be back to posting as usual in the very near future, I promise!!!

I am feeling much better and things, like I said, are near-normal, again.

Please, click here to read the story.  Thank you.

~L

 

SPRING Is Upon Us! What Have You Been Doing Since The Holidays?

Well, it is Spring and my last post was a week before Christmas.  I was so scared to look at my numbers before posting this, but  much to my surprise, again, the numbers of views per day continue to soar!!! Thank you, ALL!!!!

As you all know, we were to head to the airport at 5 a.m. on 12/26/12 for a trip to Maui that we were calling our honeymoon (33+ years late).  Well, just five hours prior to leaving for the airport I landed in the Emergency Room with chest and arm pain and shortness of breath.  Now, even if I had gone to the E.R. with just a cut finger I more than likely wouldn’t have made my flight, so you can imagine coming in with these symptoms, I wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. Came home next day, rescheduled everything for first week of March, did all follow up appointments, started new meds and did everything I was supposed to do…things just were not working out and I ended up being scheduled for a cardiac procedure and had to cancel the trip completely.  Being from New England, we really don’t want to go to Hawaii in our summer time…We want to go while everyone here is shoveling and heating!!!  HAHA!!! So, although the problem has not yet been completely resolved, we know what the problem is and I am well on my way to recovery and adjusting to some changes in my life. That said, we will be planning a winter trip, because we ARE going to have this honeymoon!!!

As you can imagine, I have been overwhelmed with medical appointments, procedures and life adjustments since Christmas.  THAT does not mean I haven’t been sewing.  I just haven’t been posting because birthdays have been happening, babies have been born, Easter happened and now it Is Spring and that means lots of alterations….and I can’t wait to get outside and breathe in some fresh air, soak up some sunshine and plant and tend to my garden daily, as well as continue to sew, of course.

I have just posted on my Studio Page things I have created since Christmas….Thank you for taking a look.  As usual, if there is something that strikes your fancy or that inspires a thought for something you would like for yourself, your home, a friend’s gift, an upcoming birthday, wedding, new baby, or holiday that you want a gift for, just contact me.  I am absolutely positive we will come up with a solution for your needs and you will be happy!

I hope to be  more active here and am hoping I am over the peak of this new event and things will begin to normalize now.

Thanks, again, for your loyalties.  Keep checking in daily and I will try to make it worth your time!!!!  Even if all we do is share a little coffee time together on some days.

I hope you are all well and happy and are getting organized for all your Spring Cleaning, inside and outside, as well as planning your garden because before you know it, it will be summer and then we will be talking about canning all the harvested fruit and vegetables you are getting ready to plant soon.

Hoping you all have a very productive day.  Thanks, again, for stopping in and come back soon!!

~L