Barbie is READY for July 4th!

Being a plastic doll, of course, it's so not safe for Barbie to participate in the whole fireworks deal, BUT she can show her patriotic spirit with my line of red, white, and blue outfits!

This year, with the drought in our area and the wild fires further west, my husband and I have decided to forego our normal fireworks display, too. We never have really gone "all out" anyways, so there won't be a huge difference. He does have the night off (Woo Hoo!) so we'll get to spend the whole day together cooking, swimming, possibly eating outdoors if it cools off -- it's been above 100 here lately!

 My menu planned for that day includes sloppy joes and fries for dinner - I know, not my usual culinary treat, but fun for all and fairly American. For dessert, I'm planning a Layered Fruit Flag Salad that looks and sounds delish! I love fresh fruit and this one has layers of pineapple, cantaloupe, blueberries, and strawberries. YUM! The recipe serves a fairly large crowd, so it's better suited to a gathering that just my young family, but I'm sure we'll polish it off in no time!


 I'll be back next week with some recipes and an update on my Christmas in July sale!! Have a great holiday, dolls!!

Jennifer's Favorite Finds

Well, dolls, I am still reeling from this:

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/325551/78/Jennifers-finds-for-kids

At the beginning of last month, I was contacted by Jennifer to do this segment. I was so honored that she would pick me out of so many handmade artisans in the St. Louis area (ok, I'm not technically in St. Louis, but I'm from there!). And now, after weeks of planning and sewing, the segment aired live today!! It's so very surreal. I know that it's just local TV (mind you, the St. Louis viewing area is pretty far reaching!) and not national, but it's still HUGE. Last year when I started sewing doll clothes, it was just to make my daughter happy. And then several people suggested I try selling online, which I fell in love with doing. And craft shows are fun, too. I guess I never really believed I could be very successful. I'm just me. No one special. Right?

Well, I'm still just me, I'm still not very special. But I do have a very special God-given talent to sew and create doll fashions. It feels good to know that I'm making lots of little girls (and moms, dads, and collectors) happy!

So, watch the clip. Tell me what you think. And then shop for that little girl that is special to you! (Even if she is the child within!) To celebrate this momentous occasion with me, use coupon code SHOWME for 10% your purchase now through July 2.

Wookiee Cookies and other fun Star Wars Recipes

My four-year-old is obsessed with Star Wars...

Oliver in his Star Wars Jammies

and for his recent birthday, we had of have a Star Wars theme, of course!

A friend from church learned of this wonderfully geeky obsession and loaned me a family heirloom...

The Star Wars Cookbook: Wookiee Cookies and other Galactic Recipes by Robin Davis

And of course we had to try a couple of these recipes! I haven't gone through the whole book yet, but believe me, I will! Here, I am sharing with you the two that we have tried so far: Wookiee Cookies and Yoda Soda

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c milk chocolate chips

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375

2. Put the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Set aside.

3. Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in another mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat together until well blended and creamy, about 3 minutes. (You can do this with a wooden spoon, but it will take longer.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

4. Scoop up a rounded tablespoonful of the dough and drop onto a baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all the dough. Be sure to leave about 1 inch between the cookies because they spread as they bake. 

5. Using pot holders, put the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

6. Again, using pot holders, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula and place on cooling racks. Let cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

When I made these cookies, I didn't use a wooden spoon, just an electric mixer, until time to add the chocolate chips. Also, I found it best to let the cookies cool for at least one minute on the sheet before moving them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. And I ended up with almost 4 dozen cookies, not just 3!

Ingredients:
3 limes
3 tbsp sugar
1 c sparkling water
1 scoop lime sherbet or sorbet

1. Cut limes in half and squeeze the juice from each half into a measuring cup until you have 1/4 c. juice.
2. Put the lime juice and 3 tbsp sugar in small pitcher. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Add the sparkling water and stir until mixed. Taste and add more sugar, if desired.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up the sherbet and drop it into a tall glass. Pour in the lime water. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Ok, since I'm serving 5 and not just 1, I kinda threw out this recipe. But I kept the basic idea. Here's my version:

Ingredients:
2 L Sprite
1 pint Lime Sherbet
3 limes

1. Run hot water over bottom of sherbet container to loosen the ice cream. Open container and empty into a punch bowl.
2. Pour Sprite carefully over sherbet - it will foam A LOT. Continue adding Sprite until there is no more space in your bowl. Stir to melt the sherbet some.
3. Thinly slice limes and drop into bowl for garnish. Serve immediately.

The kids LOVED it! And, honestly, the hubs and I did, too - It was fun and yummy and perfect for a family of 5 geeks! I hope you get a chance to try these recipes and I hope you love them, too!

Pork Tenderloin Piccata

I made this for dinner tonight and it was so good my husband said, "You can make this as often as you like!!" Which is a pretty big compliment from him!

Ingredients:

1/4 c all-purpose flour

2 tbsp yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 pork tenderloin (approx 1 lb)

1/4 c butter or margarine, divided

1/2 c chicken broth

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tbsp snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt and black pepper in shallow dish. Slice pork into 2-inch thick slices. Using the flat side of meat tenderizer, flatten pork to 1/4 inch thickness. Coat both sides with flour mixture, shaking off excess. 

2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place 3 tbsp of the butter in skillet, swirl until melted. Add half of the pork slices to skillet; cook 3 minutes on each side or until pork is golden brown and centers are no longer pink. Remove from skillet to platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining pork.

3. Add broth, lemon juice, zest, and garlic to skillet. Heat over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Add remaining butter to skillet; swirl until melted. If desired, sprinkle parsley over pork. Carefully pour sauce over pork slices; serve immediately.

U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 280, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 105 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 25 g, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

We served ours with mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese with lemonade to drink. I sliced the lemon (after zesting it) and added to the lemonade for looks and a little extra punch. It was sooo yummy! And really quick, too. From start to finish, it took approx. 30 minutes to make. I hope you get the chance to try it and I hope it's yummy for you and your family, too!

St. Louis Trip and Dance Reunion

Hello Dolls!! This week has been an interesting one, that's for sure!!

I spent Monday finishing preparations to head to St. Louis - I dressed 15 of my best dolls in their outfits for the Show Me St. Louis feature and packed them in boxes. We only planned on spending the day in St. Louis, so I didn't need to pack much in the way of clothes for us, but since we were going out Tuesday night, I did pack some nicer clothes for that. I laid out our clothes for Tuesdays trip, and packed up the car...

My husband works the night shift at a local factory, so he got off and arrived home around 7:15 Tuesday morning. By then, the kids had already been up for awhile and I was doing some last minute things to get ready. We headed out around 8, stopping for breakfast and gas. We made only 30 minutes before a small voice from the backseat said, "Mommy, I gotta pee!" So we stopped and had all three kiddos get out and take a potty break. The rest of the trip north was fairly uneventful. I dropped my dolls off with Jennifer of "Jennifer's Favorite Finds" in St. Louis and then headed to my home town.

It's been almost 10 years since I lived in the St. Louis area and things have really changed. We come back to visit every now and then - but mostly we just visit family, very rarely do we revisit places or meet up with friends. This visit was for doing just that. Since my husband had worked all night, he needed sleep so I dropped him off at my grandpa's house. From there, the kids and I went to Steak 'n' Shake to meet up with an old girlfriend, Barb.

We had lunch and the kids were very well behaved! I was so proud! It was so good to see Barb again and catch up. Mostly though, I wanted to share her with my kids so they could know one of the most important people in my childhood. Barb and I became friends when we were 8 and went through a lot together - she is the one who introduced me to my husband 10 years ago. And even though we only see each other once a year now, my children need to know her.

Me & Barb in 2007

After the meal and some chatting, the kids and I headed back to my grandpa's home to rest and get ready for the evening out. My grandparent's have cable so the kids kicked back and watched the Cartoon Network for a couple hours - a rare treat for them. I woke my sleepy man up in time for an early dinner and then we all dressed up and headed out....

This year marked 10 years since I last danced in a recital. It also marked 56 years that Denoyer Dance has been open. This is the studio that I grew up in, the teachers there formed who I am and how I move. During my time there I learned tap, ballet, jazz, musical theater, swing, and Mexican folk dancing. I also learned about music, poise, grace, laughter, movement, and practice. I spent 14 years dancing there and the last two of those years, I was a teacher's aid to preschool classes. So, Tuesday night we went to Denoyer Dance Studio's 56th recital. It was a wonderful night - I saw teachers that I hadn't seen in years, fellow students that danced with me and are now teachers, students I had taught who were teens.... I couldn't believe it!! But the absolutely best part was halfway through the show when my almost-3-year-old daughter turned to me and said, "Mommy!! They is so pretty! I want to dance like that, too..." Talk about a proud moment - thank goodness there is a studio where we live now, because otherwise, I'd be making a two-hour commute every week for her to take lessons in St. Louis. 

Unfortunately, the night had to end and we had to drive back home. I was left feeling a little homesick for my old studio and wishing I still had my tap shoes to put on and putter around the house in. But I'm looking forward to the fall when Kari will be (finally!) old enough to start lessons of her own. 

This coming Tuesday, my Barbie clothes will be featured during "Jennifer's Favorite Finds" on Show Me St. Louis. It airs at 12:30 pm central on KSDK 5, if you live in the area. I will post a link here once the powers that be have put it online. I'm so nervous!! 

Have a great weekend dolls!

New Gown to be Revealed....

... but not today!! As some of you may know, I was contacted last month to have some of my Barbie clothes featured on a semi-local television program, Show Me St. Louis, during a segment called Jennifer's Favorite Finds. I am sending her 15 outfits complete with accessories - 13 for Barbie and 2 for Ken. Included will be a brand new gown....

I'm not revealing much about the gown today, but what kinds of gowns do you like? A-line? Imperial waist? With a train? Fairy tale? Long or short? With a slit? Tiered? Peplum?

There really are so many silhouettes that a gown could have! Which is your favorite?


I'll leave you with a few to look at and a hint for my new gown...

 

 One of these last four is closest to the gown that will be revealed on air... 

but it's not dress #2.

Stay tuned on June 19th to see what the gown will look like!

How To Dress Your Doll - Jumper

Good Saturday afternoon, Dolls!! I have finally listed this adorable patchwork jumper for Barbie! It comes with a fun beaded necklace, too. I thought the dress itself was a little complicated so, I posted a tutorial on how to dress your doll. Follow the links to see how this jumper goes on differently than others...

Barbie's Boutique Basics: How To Dress Your Doll - Jumper: 

And click here to view the jumper in my shop!

Have a great rest of your weekend!