Gimme More Sugar

Yesterday, I enjoyed another journey to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Oaks, PA joined by MrBeans.  For those of you faithful Rotary Cutter followers, you may recall my post on last year’s finds.  This year, I remained focused on holiday gift giving, and didn’t actually buy anything for myself.  (Shocker!)  …Except this little guy:

MrBeans and I met in Southwestern Virginia.  While walking through a street festival one summer, we came up these hysterical mugs created at Tom Phelps Studio, a local pottery studio in Floyd, Virginia.  Since we were poor college students at the time, we didn’t buy one, but I did snag a picture of MrBeans holding two of these mugs while giving his best impersonation of them.  When we walked into TPS’s booth and saw those funny faces again, I was reminded of that beautiful day in the mountains of Virginia, and I knew we had to get one!  So meet Kirby, my new coffee pal.

Chef Jack's Little Apron

Wrapping paper coffee, anyone? 

I didn't think so.  As a preventative measure, just don't let a two-year-old, juiced up on Christmas presents make the coffee!  But do encourage them to be help out, supervised, of course!

Last year, at my sister's request,  I stitched together a two-year-old sized apron for my nephew as a Christmas present.  A super, inexpensive gift idea for a crafty sister!  It's cute and adorable, and he still uses it while helping out  in the kitchen!

At the request, I googled away and found a great free apron pattern online.  (I was still able to find the pattern a year later, and you might even be interested in checking out MB's witty, supafine blog!)  All I purchased to make the apron was one yard of fabric, and I think I still have enough leftover to make a second!

This apron definitely goes in the file as a simple sewing project, and it went together almost too easy to have become such a quality Christmas gift.  Though, never happy with completely following a pattern, I made two apron strings at the top, and two at the sides.  This allows for the apron to be tied with a bow around the neck and the waist for complete adjustment to height and girth.  I also embroidered in the adorable words "Chef Jack" to personalize it for my nephew.  That way, little brother won't try to borrow it.  Another tip, make sure the strings are secure from little tugging hands with some extra stitching.

Don't tell, but I think the next nephew is due for one this Christmas...

Good Coffee, Bad Coffee

Beware:  This is a biased, un-blind taste test. 

I've muscled though this canister of the bad coffee too long to sit in silence.  If I had to describe both the flavor and aroma in one word, it would be "blah."  Unless, I'm smelling the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom that I've infused into the latest carafe.  Then my word might be: "manageable."

It's not that I'm a coffee snob; it's just that I like my coffee.   At Wa-wa I go straight for the "regular."  However, back to being a snob, the basis for comparison in my household is Starbuck's Whole Bean Breakfast Blend.  It was the staple...until I realized I could buy a large can of Maxwell House or Folgers for the same price as a small bag of Starbucks.  As they both sport a label boasting a nice, mild breakfast blend, I decided it was worth giving them a try.  (Immediately, whole bean flies out the window.  Isn't that novel?  No dirty grinder to clean up!)

So here it is:  Maxwell House Breakfast Blend vs. Folgers Breakfast Blend

Maxwell House was on sale first, and therefor, first up to bat.  From my recollection, the Maxwell House Breakfast Blend tasted just like the Starbucks.  (A home run, right?)  One whiff of that sweet aroma and I'm standing at the ready, cup in hand.  Then the first sip, and I've conveniently forgotten being snuggled up in bed, pinned between two cats a mere fifteen minutes ago.  Oooo, the "flavor lock" lid snaps right back into place!

Okay, I think you've caught on to my biased, un-blind taste test.  Refer to the top of this post, and infer how the second half of this taste test proceeded.  Let's just call Maxwell House Breakfast Blend the good coffee, pour a second cup and get on with the rest of the morning...my sewing machine awaits!