Famous Dave's and Devils Spit

Did we do anything over Christmas break?  Well yes we did, thanks for asking.  

The boys were just dying to go stay in a hotel so we ventured out to the local Owatonna Holiday Inn and Serengeti Waterpark. Loved the walk-in wading pool! 

I have to say that it was the perfect little getaway without having to travel too far.  On the way we stopped at Famous Dave's next to Cabela's--yes I've dropped a lot of cash at that outdoorsman superstore and so has Huz.  

Back to the BBQ.  Huz and Baran, 7, like their BBQ hot, so they tried the devil's spit sauce.  When they say smokin' hot, they mean it.  Right on the label it says XXX Hot, for Adults only.  Baran is reading labels now.  Valuable lesson learned!

{Don't you love the way I managed to get the Coca-Cola sign in the picture?}

What did you do over Christmas vacation?

I Absolutely LOVE it, she says

I just love getting fan mail--well who wouldn't!  It's great hearing from someone who's enjoying my handmade goods.  Here's a note from a recent Etsy Baby Shower recipient.  Thanks for the note Andrea!

I wasnt sure if I ever thanked you for the towel you made for my son (etsy baby shower) I absolutely LOVE it. We have used it many times and it still looks new! Thanks for being so generous! Andrea

Embellish the New Year

Accessorizing is the current trend.  Give new life to an old necklace, headband or shrug by adding interesting details like a zipper flower.  I love the mix of color and the metal edge which is so eye catching. These are easy to make and don't require a sewing machine so really anyone can make them.  Watch this video for step-by-step instructions by Evange over at IHeartSewing, which is a wonderful sewing supply store.








I'd love to see your finished zipper flowers, post pictures on Facebook!

Ahmelie Featured on Parent Map!

I was so excited to get this note from Jen at Parent Map this week that my burp cloths were featured on their 15 Nursery Must-Haves post!  Here's what they had to say.

Colorful cloths

Ahmelie features these beautiful burp cloths in various patterns and colors for only $17. Made with 100 percent cotton fabric and cloth diapers for an easy peasy wipe up, these adorable cloths are machine washable and can also double as a changing pad when needed. As Ahmelie notes, "Who says function should come over fashion!"

Here are a few other great shops that were featured, The Wood Owl, Sleepy King and Graham Bear Wear!

Colorful baby birdies

The Wooden Owl Etsy store features these adorable birdie bookends ranging from $49.99-59.99 in various bright colors and patterns. Also available in super cute owl characters, these bookends are all one of a kind and handmade with love!

Baby's cuddlers

Sleepy King's stuffed woodland animals are just too adorable not to share... just look at them! Ranging from $28-38, these fuzzy cuddly new friends are made with fleece, wool felt and a fun, patterned vintage fabric. Plus, the eyes and noses are made with child-safety buttons and are attached securely so you won't have to worry about your young teether and any choking hazards. Love these little animals!

Eco-friendly diaper choices

We love Graham Bear Wear's fitted cloth baby diapers! Available in a three- or six-pack bundle, these colorfully patterned cloth diapers come with a snap-down front for healing belly buttons and three layers consisting of a knit outer print, organic cotton velour and hemp/bamboo viscose fleece. The bundles range in price from $37-67 and each newborn diaper fits infants that are between 5-12 pounds.http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWoodenOwl

Thanks Parent Map for including me and I agree, Parenting is a trip!

Guest post: "Girls who sew can eat venison jerky and like it too" by Huzunteit

I'm pleased to be the first "Guest Blogger" for Ahmelie and am going to do my best not to screw this up.  I'm Huzunteit, or the Huzband behind all that's well and good with Ahmelie.

I can't sew, but I can eat.  And I can shoot things.  With arrows.  For just as Ahmelie heads to her studio to crank out some new renditions of modern handmade goodness, so do I head to the deer stand to take in one of my own life "passions".  Nothing says "I can provide for my family" like an arrow through a buck in November.  Ahmelie usually gets so excited after hearing of another successful venture in the woods that she breaks 3 needles on her sewing machine instead of the normal 2.

After a "victory" in the woods, one is left with a lot of meat.  The question then becomes: To process...Or, not to process?  With an Excalibur Food Dehydrator, some fresh venison, a good recipe, and a little free time, you can skip processing at the local meat market and indulge yourself in your very own home made venison jerky.  The jerky below is me:

Here's my latest recipe:

Hot and Sweet Venison Jerky

This jerky recipe flavors the venison with the heat of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes, and is balanced by the sweetness of brown sugar and molasses. The recipe makes enough marinade for five pounds of sliced venison.

1 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of molasses
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of onion powder
2 tablespoons of canning salt
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of Morton® Tender Quick®
1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper


Make sure that the sugar and salt are completely dissolved before adding the marinade to the venison. Marinate at least one day, and up to two before dehydrating.


Now, be aware: the red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper may sprout a new hair follicle or two on your chest.  No problem...that's normal.


Enjoy!

A Tradition, a Gingerbread House and a lot of Sugar!

On one of our snow days we assembled a Gingerbread House decked out in a wonderful assortment of brightly colored candies.  Santa will love this one!  I finally got the consistency of the frosting to be like "toothpaste" as the directions advise and Yeowza! did that frosting dry fast and hold tight.  It was much more fun decorating a house that wasn't constantly losing a wall or having half of the roof slide off.  The boys had a blast adorning it and had very little coordination on design with each other, isn't it cute?!  I love it!

 

Of course we finished it off with me squeezing a large sum of extra frosting right into the boys' mouths, an annual tradition with the leftover frosting.  They bounced off the walls for the next two days.  I hope Santa doesn't chip a tooth on the hard candies!  What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

New "Do" by the Boys

Snow days are great for inside activities--and we've had our fair share of those this winter.  The boys and I sat down to Alvin and the Chipmunks and they decided to fix my hair for me.  Now you have to understand that I grew up in a household with 5 girls so we had plenty of "hair-do" time.  My kids have all brothers so fixing hair is a bit of a new thing to them...

From the back:

From the front:

Do you think they have a future in the hair bidness?