Rice Bags

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Oooh, rice bags .... they are making waves on Pinterest right now.  I would assume it is due to the fact that the cold weather has either started to settle in around some parts or is on it's way.  

Nights have gotten chilly .... really chilly.  Rice bags are the perfect solution to this problem.  They are wonderful to heat up and place under the covers at the foot of the bed a few minutes before crawling in.

They are wonderful on the lap under the quilt that covers my legs while watching television in the evenings or when I am curled up with a good book or while I am knitting.

photo credit

Rice bags are also great pain relievers ... either warmed up or used as a freezer pack, rice bags take away aches and pains oh so very easily.  They mold nicely to the small of the back or around the neck and on the shoulders.  Best of all they make great Christmas gifts!  Easy to make and easy on the budget, rice bags are a gift that everyone will love!

Remember my huge fabric stash?  Well this is another way of slimming it down.  I have done quite a bit of searching for the easiest pattern so they would not become a chore to make and as usual, the good old internet came through once again!  Selina over at Sew We Quilt gave the fastest, easiest and had the clearest instructions.  Making six bags at a time was the perfect solution to sewing them up quickly.

Digging through the stash, I found some odd and end pieces of flannel.  I have a few people in mind to give as Christmas gifts and I was lucky enough to have flannel that suited each person's personality.  The flannel will be used as the 'outer', removable bag.  This way the 'outer' bag can be washed when needed.

Selina mentioned using only 100% cotton for the lining of the rice bags and I found it in an old, flat bed sheet!  

Perfect!  Cutting the fabric for the inner bags and the outer bags, I increased the size a bit .... I never can seem to keep to the exact patterns!  

My outer bag was cut at 24 x 8 inches and the inner bag was cut at 25 x 8 inches.  I thought that was strange the inner bag was bigger but then it dawned on me that once the rice was added, it would actually 'shrink' the bag.  Duh.  Sometimes I am slow on the uptake.

Anyhoo, I cut six outer bags and six inner bags and sewed them up.  So easy! and fast!  

Filling the inner bags was of course messy since I am a born klutz and more rice ended up on the counter top and floor than in the actual inner bag but I wasn't complaining! In under one hour, I had six bags made for three very special people on my Christmas list and I know they will be appreciated.  

How wonderful is that?  Making something homemade for the ones you love and in your heart you know that they will be used and used gladly.

Doing some more searching, I found a cute Rice Bag saying that will be printed on hardback paper and added to the bags.

 The Rice Bag                                                                    

This little pillow filled with rice                                                                                             

Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high,                                                                                  

And kiss those aches and pains goodbye

Apply it to the troubled spot,

The heat will ease the pain a lot.

Or warm those little toes so cold,

You’ll find this nice to have and hold.

Or freeze it for a little while,

And fix that boo boo up in style.

Instead of a compress made of ice,

Use this pillow filled with rice.

    

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Thrifty Thursday

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It's time for Thrifty Thursday ....

I would like you to meet Mr. Rooster .... he was $2.99 ....notice the cute little buttons on his shirt?

and I could not leave without Mrs. Hen ..... love her basket of eggs....she was also $2.99.

They make a cute couple don't you think?  Their new permanent residence?  On top of my grandfather clock.

Have fun thrifting and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Kentucky Fried Chicken

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Who doesn't love the taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken?  I would think most of us do but I also think most of us do not like eating the skin of the chicken because of the fat content or grease content or just plain ickiness factor of it but how can you enjoy the taste of the 'secret recipe' that Kentucky Fried Chicken is so famous for without eating the skin?  Baked of course using boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

This recipe has been hitting Pinterest by storm lately so I had to give it a try.  Wanting to give someone credit for the recipe, I will give it to Amy over at Your Life Uncommon where I found the first link through Pinterest. 

Since I was making baked, fried KFC, I just had to have french fries and salad to go with the meal but instead of store bought french fries, I make my own.

First I peel, wash and cut the potatoes up into french fry size and par-boil them for a few minutes.  I find this makes a big difference in how homemade french fries both cook and taste.  I then sprinkle them with olive oil and salt before baking in a 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Now onto the chicken!

Place freshly rinsed, thawed chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins in a bowl of milk for approximately 30 minutes and let them soak.

Next add the following ingredients in a ziploc gallon sized bag or in a bowl .....

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of season all

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons paprika

Mix it all together well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Melt the butter in the pre-heated oven.  

Spread the melted butter around the bottom of the pan.  Lightly spray the pan if needed to make sure there are no dry spots.

Shake the milk off each piece of chicken and shake in the ziploc bag or place in the bowl making sure to completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix.  

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.  Cook for 15 minutes then flip chicken and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Oh so easy and yet oh so good.  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Tuesday's Tip

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This week's tip has to do with Christmas.... *gasp*, yep Christmas.  It is time to organize and look through the gift closet (if you have one) or under the bed or in the basement...wherever you have been stashing those gifts that have been picked up at sales over the year.  Perhaps you went shopping on the 26th last year and purchased a few items on sale or threw a few of those sweaters that went on clearance in the spring into your cart.  Whatever you did, it is the month to get organized so the big day doesn't sneak up on you. 

Now is the time to make a list and check it twice.  

I picked up this little notebook many years ago and it has served me well ever since.  Each year I write down the names of those I give gifts to and will fill their page as I purchase or make them their presents.  It is a system that has worked well for me.  The notebook is small and conveniently fits into my purse or bag.  I never leave home without it.  I can tell at a glance if I already have a gift for someone or if there is one more thing that needs to be added to their gift package......or even if I have nothing for them yet! 

What system do you have for keeping track of those who you will give gifts to?  Do you have a gift closet or are you one who waits until the 24th of December to start shopping?  I am sure we could all learn some new tricks or tips from each other for this holiday season!  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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Cooler weather gets me in the baking mood.  Having flurries for a couple of days the nesting instinct surfaced.  I needed to clean our home, light some candles, bring out the knitting and do some baking.

I have been searching blogs for new recipes and have been trying quite a few of them.  I am a bread lover....banana, lemon-poppyseed, zucchini, cinnamon, chocolate chip....many, many flavors are my absolute favorite so my recipe box is full....time to try one!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake ...... yummmmm just the name conjures up a warm slice with a hot cup of tea on a blustery day reading a book.

Off to the kitchen I went. 

Molly made this coffee cake look so delicious with her pictures, I just had to try one for myself.  Apparently it originally comes from the Taste of Home cookbook...which *blushing* I own a copy and it sits among the other lonely cookbooks on my shelf.

CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

1 cup butter

2 3/4 cup of sugar (divided)

4 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Using a mixer, cream butter in a large bowl.  Add only 2 cups of the sugar (set the remaining 3/4 cup aside) mixing well.  Add eggs one at a time, beat until creamy.  Add flour, baking soda and salt.

Add sour cream and vanilla extract.  The sour cream is what makes this coffee cake so delicious (in my opinion).

Mix the cinnamon into the sugar that you set aside.  Stir until it looks like cinnamon sugar.  

Using a bundt pan.......I apparently don't own one....I thought I did so I used a spring-form pan which turned out to be too small and I had a huge albeit delicious mess on the bottom of my cookie sheet (I had placed a cookie sheet under the spring-form pan in case of overflow which is exactly what happened).

After greasing your cake pan, add a layer of batter, then sprinkle generously the cinnamon sugar.  Repeat this process two more times ending with cinnamon sugar on the top. 

Since my pan was too small I used a small loaf pan for the excess.

Place in a 350 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes then begin checking it.  The cookbook says 60 to 65 minutes, Molly said 53 minutes and mine was around 55 minutes.  It needs to be watched carefully to prevent it from burning.  My little loaf pan was ready in about 45 minutes.

After devouring all the little bits that had overflowed onto the cookie sheet, (I just couldn't resist!!!)  I waited for it to cool enough before cutting into the big cake......oooh, delicious!  

Smearing on some butter and pouring a cup of coffee, I sat and enjoyed the warm cinnamony goodness while watching the leaves spin off the trees in the wild wind.

Take the time to bake up some yumminess soon....you won't be disappointed.  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!