New Bride Chicken Curry

The story goes that the cookbook author’s mother-in-law was a new bride in India and this was her first cooking experience-- after killing and butchering the chicken… it is really fabulous…

New Bride Chicken Curry

4 T canola oil

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

2 t finely grated garlic (about 4 large cloves)

1 ½ t cayenne

½ t turmeric

¼ t cumin seeds, finely ground

1 cup plus 1 T hot water, divided

3 medium tomatoes, minced (2 cups)

3 pounds chicken parts

¾ t sea salt

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t sugar or honey



Heat the oil and sauté the onions until they turn dark brown. Mix the garlic, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin with I T water to make a thick paste. Add to the browned onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir constantly over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break up, about 2 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t scorch.

Add the chicken and mix to coat with the spice paste. Stir over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Add the vinegar and honey, simmer for 1 minute, and then taste. Adjust the salt, sugar, and vinegar if needed. This curry should be sweet and sour and spicy-hot. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 6.
 
This is from this cookbook and the cookbook is really fabulous (I halved the salt like I do in all of her recipes, though):
Pin It

Oilcloth Tablecloth

I had been meaning to make an oilcloth tablecloth but just recently acquired oilcloth I actually liked looking at enough to put in the middle of the house! This is from the Amy Butler LOVE line, and I love it! Ha ha.  This line of oilcloth is supposedly PUL, and I do feel that it is different than other oilcloth I have since it feels like more of a cotton knit than a plastic (for lack of better words to describe it).  It does feel different than solid Fabrite PUL I have used to make diapers with, though.

To make this tablecloth, I brought my two yards of the fabric to the table. I measured how far off the edges it fell, then cut the length such that it would fall over the ends the same amount that it fell over the sides. I hemmed all of it.

So easy to make, and so easy to keep clean! My husband initially thought it looked like it belongs in a bad Italian restaurant, but has since turned a corner.

Pin It

The chicks are here!

The chicks are here! They are now 3 1/2 weeks old, and are really big. They only have about 1/3 of their bodies covered in fluff, and are feathering out nicely.
We had them in a brooder box inside, and just moved them outside to the newly constructed coop (the run is still under construction). When they were inside, they were living in a cardboard box with a vinyl floor and newspaper under a heat lamp. They are in total luxury now, with mulch bedding, and big roosting bars. They even got some chicken scratch this morning (ie pounded rice we had laying around), and pecked at it happily.
They have figured out how to use the ramp to get in and out of the backyard, although I have seen them sliding down it and then flying the last little bit. They seem to understand walking up it. They also seem to like standing in the doorway looking out.

We got three different breeds: Barred Rock, Aracuna, and Rhode Island Red. This should give us a multi-colored egg basket.

So far, the Barred Rock seems to like being handled more than the others. They are all growing at different rates. They travel in a flock together around the garden, and sleep in a big pile.

Pin It

Suspenders

We have a wedding coming up and I had thought I would dress the little guy in a tie and suspenders. I finished the tie ages ago (see earlier post), and just finished the suspenders this week. They took so long because I needed to have 4 suspender clips and 2 vest buckles (so I had to shop twice since I counted wrong in my head the first time).







I followed this tutorial, and translated the Moda-speak into inches.

It was a PITA to turn the suspenders, and if I were to make these again, I would just iron them closed and topstitch all around and save myself (ok, my husband- I did half of one and got way too frustrated to finish) a bunch of time turning them.





I also didn't stitch them together in the back as she suggests, because they are so so so long.  I guess this will be his only pair of suspenders for a long time.  I am going to safety pin them together in back when he wears them out.

I liked her use of the vest buckle, though, and I tried it with D-rings before trekking back to the store for vest buckes, and it wouldn't have worked; plus, they look really snazzy.

Pin It

Darker Bedroom Curtains - Amy Butler Fabric + old sheets

As summer is upon us, it seems to be too light in the evening to go to sleep early. Our old curtains were light white canvas, and I liked that they let the light through. But in the interest of sleep, something had to be done.

These are made in two layers, and attached at the top only. The old sheets are navy blue, and happened to have a slit on one side that the existing rod fit through nicely. All I had to do to make them was hem the Amy Butler fabric on both sides, then fold it over and stitch it just below the slit. The block of navy on the front side of the curtain is at a different height on each curtain. After cutting the first layer and attaching the blue, I hemmed the bottom.

I like these so much that I think I may re-do more curtains around the house.
















....and now, off to tidy the room... I do like how the offset blocks work together, though...


Pin It

Pattern Review: Wallet-Sized Reusable Shopping Bag Tutorial

What a fabulous idea to have a shopping bag that folds into itself and then becomes a wallet-sized object to fit into another bag (like a purse).  I was seduced by this tutorial, which I found on this list of shopping bag tutorials. 

Then I went to make it, and found it easy to make, although mine isn't quite as nice as the one in the tutorial.  I skipped the bias tape in favor of hemming, and think the bias tape is probaby the way to go to keep the curve looking sharp and to give it more of a "wallet" look when it is folded up.  My pocket is also not right in the middle, so either I wasn't careful to follow the directions or the spacing was off slightly.  The tutorial gives really detailed placement instructions, so maybe it was me.

This was a good project to use some of my leftover fusible interfacing with, and to use my iron again with (I fell in love with both while recently making a toddler blazer- see earler post).  The strap length is okay-- but I think I could make them slightly longer next time. 

All in all, the bag is a good size and the instructions were easy to follow and informative.  I liked how she added curves to the bottom of the bag, and how she dealt with the inner seams was a new way for me (she folded them up and sewed them together).  I did skip this, though, in favor of overcasting the inside edges; but, it is always good to learn new methods.

That's a good idea-- to just make a pouch... Pin It

Two more Swim Diapers - training pants pattern

It was high time for my little guy and his buddy to get new swim diapers. This time, I decided to use a training pants pattern, knowing that all you need to do to make a cloth swim diaper is to use PUL (or another waterproof fabric) on the inside and a cute and quick-drying fabric on the outside. I wanted to use a training pants pattern instead of a diaper pattern because I wanted it to fit more tightly.

I opted to use this training pants pattern, which is for waterproof training pants. I cut the outer and PUL out of the basic pattern.

On the top swim diaper, I left all four sides open when I turned it. Then I added FOE and snaps to one side and sewed the other side shut.

On the bottom swim diaper, I left two open and closed two of the tab ends. On the snap side, I just turned and topstitched and attached the snaps. On the other side, I sewed it shut like I had done with the other side. I did this because my FOE never looks entirely tidy on the snap side, and I end up with a lot of zig-zag stitching to cover the ends and make sure they don't fray.

That being said, the top one is the one my little guy has been using, and I like it a lot. It has held up really nicely and he even gets compliments. I think the bottom one hasn't been used yet, but I do like the pin stripes.

Pin It

Dish Towels

I was at the fabric store and there was a really long line. Bad news for me which meant I made an impulse purchase of some dish towel fabric. It was narrow, and two sides were already finished. All I did for these was cut four of each at about 17" wide and hem the other two sides, and add my label to each.

I think they are a little too small to make a good dish towel - SADLY! But they make good cloth napkins, so I think that is what I will re-purpose them into.

And I will try to stay a little more focused at the fabric store...

Pin It

Starburst Applique T-Shirt

I had always wanted a pair of pinking shears and finally went whole hog and spent the $12 the other day. I have been pinking away at my seams and this T-Shirt is the result of some scraps and my new shears.

The edges of the cotton fabric are pinked and then sewn on close to the edges. I quite like the design. Too bad it is still TOO COLD to try it out.

Pin It

Toddler Blazer and Tie: Kwik Sew 3697 and Little Londyn Little Guy Ties

We have a special wedding coming up in May, and I wanted to make the little guy a special outfit.

I started this project thinking I'd make he and daddy matching ties, and found the Little Londyn's Little Guy Ties pattern for sale on Etsy. It has a "big daddy" extension piece so I would only need to buy and figure out one pattern. Well, I found the directions a bit confusing and ended up with a tie that was twice as thick as necessary. Daddy saw it and swore he hated the fabric. Now the tie is narrower, but way too thick. It is also sized 1 to 3T and is a bit long for my guy. Stay tuned for if I decide to have him use it, or make another, shorter one by modifying the pattern, or if I just make a bow tie (also available in this pattern). I got some cool silk to use for the matching ties, but I have grown quite fond of this cotton print.

If I would make this pattern again, I wouldn't use any interfacing (it calls for it on just the front piece). I also would just use a really plain fabric (like an old sheet or some cheap flannel) for the interior lining, since only a tiny tiny bit peeks through at both ends.


I bought two patterns and looked at a third when trying to find a blazer or suit pattern. I bought Simplicity 8442 then realized the jacket has no collar. So then I looked at a Burda pattern which was for a blazer and suit pants and didn't end up buying it because I haven't used Burda before and thought the project would be hard enough without trying to figure out a new brand of pattern (I can't seem to find the pattern number). It did go down to 2T, and include pants, which were selling points for me.

I ended up using Kwik Sew 3697, which is sized for ages 4 to 14. I copied it down to 80%, hoping to make it 2T and ended up getting the sizing just right.

I made it out of denim, thinking the first pass at something isn't ever that great, and I wanted him to wear the third version of it to the wedding.
Well, I have now used tracing paper, my iron (ahem), fusible interfacing, my blind hem foot, made a dart, know what a welt is and how to install one, and how to make a machine-sewn buttonhole and sew buttons using my machine.

All in all, it was an educational project, although it took a really long time, and I think I like it in demin and am not sure I need to make two more versions before the wedding!

Oh, and my little guy likes the buttons on the sleeves.







Pin It