Cooking

I'm also have been cooking, I have not been put off all year Living magazine I bought last December planning to do all the recipes (at least the sweet ones, hehe), had already outlined the sweet oranges here, but now I want to tell you about the thumb print of cookies wich are delicious, there are in two versions, lemon and chocolate.

Both are rich but chocolate is a danger, you feel that you are going to a diabetic coma, but can not stop, the filling is smooth and chocolate, well, the original recipes in English are here and here.

Next I'll go with espresso cookies, crackers, muffins cardamom and anise what will happen first?

On the other hand I'm very excited because we already have several participants to exchange Christmas from several parts of the world.

I am preparing my package for my partner from the Sew Liberated exchange, is a woman from Australia, I will make a simple tree sewing and embroidery, I'll send her my recipe Fruit Cake (whether that is not very original but is very rich and it is our family recipe) and am still a little lost in our family tradition. I also want to make an apron, because she likes cooking and perhaps include a copy of her Christmas album Vos en Punto, which is very Mexican and pretty good, too. If you want to include something extra in your packages you can, but is not mandatory.

I promise pictures soon.

New sewing machine, new students, more sewing

All new, and exciting.

Today came a new student who transform this dress into a skirt, too bad I did not take complete picture of the dress before, I think it was really cool.


Also came the San student who made waist bags, she is planning to sew all her gifts this Christmas, just see how beautiful the corn bag is.

Planning bags, detail

And I got a new machine in a rush, is an old Singer Stella, I love it, it sews very well, but needs a bulb. Of course I have to make clear that my very first love is my Brother VX 1140, which will never be replaced as my first and beloved machine.



The first thing I sew in the Stella was a bag for one of my dearest friends.



Amazing there were 6 sewing machines in the room today, I never thought I would get to that point (and half are mine to keep teaching them wherever we go), happy, I'm happy.

Spanish bloggers Christmas Exchange 2009

Hello to all Spanish speaking bloggers who want to get into the Christmas exchange.

The goal will be to send the package on December the 14th.

The package must include:
1 ornament (for the tree) handmade.
1 recipe we like Christmas.
1 card-message sharing what we prefer.

They may include any extras.

Remember that the ornament can be as simple as we wish and in any material, paper, fabric, yarn, etc.. Like that the one I put in the picture is only wrapping paper cut and pasted on cardboard.

Fill the data in the form below to have your email addresses and be able to do the drawing, in a couple of days I'll send your friend information so they can agree and confirm the address, your information is not shared with anyone more.

Click here to go to the form.

Courage, and hopefully something beautiful will come out of the exchange.

I am back

If you want to see the photo click on it, at your own risk, haha.
Foot injured after 14 days

At least we will have classes again, and that makes me happy to see what will come up today.

On the other hand I'm excited because I entered the Sew Liberated Christmas exchange, have you seen the box on the right side?, I've been thinking if we could make for Spanish bloggers.

The exchange is to do:
a Christmas ornament made by hand (any technique)
Christmas recipe
and the description of a Christmas tradition in our family.

Then you send the package to your friend that could be anywhere in the world.

I really like Christmas, I've seen different types of exchanges in other blogs, so we could make our version what do you think? What we put together? Do you suggest?

We can also modify it, proposals?

I will wait for your answers to see if we can pursue, we must move quickly to have ready the packages on time, is not my intention to copy Sew Liberated, I just thought that we have no space on blogs and in Spanish, and we can take advantage of cultural diversity we have among all the latino countries and Spain, and even more Spanish speakers who live in countries with a different language.

I leave the link of the Holiday Traditions Exchange pictures here, they are very pretty.

Visit to the Zoo and accident

So we went to the Zoo on Friday and we had fun, the most important parts on my kid words were the rino, which who is sad because some men lock him (I promess I didn't said it myself) and the Monkey that push his monkey baby and that's wrong, and also the river-fountain were the bears were.

This goings out make me feel I'm the kind of unschooling mother I want to be, even when it is so big effort to go out in the subway for such a long way.

Then, on Friday I fell from a Public Bus, and I hurt my knee, so now I can't walk.

None enter the giveaway

So, I guess this blog isn't very popular or maybe the prize wasn't very attractive, anyway I'm here again to talk about sewing.

The other day I made a pair of sleepers for my son, it was kind of a long process because I was inspired by this pattern, but he's 3 years old, so had to work on making it for his size, first I made those ones, too short on the back, and then, I made those, which were good but the fabric wasn't pretty, and in the end I made the pretty ones, and I'm proud.

Also, I'm knitting a pair of wool socks-slippers, I guess after having him ill I'm obsess whit keeping his feet warm, but also, the winter has arrive here, Mexico City gets really cold on mid November, which always make us scare about the real winter in December, because warming systems are not common in houses but we get as low as 40 F or 5 C and that's really cold for us. I not good making socks, I don't fully understand the patterns, so I invented some strange way of making them.



On Monday I give my sewing class and we got a new classmate, that was interesting. We have so much fun at classes and I have make a lot of friends, I'm going to miss all of them.

Today we had class too, the results were a blanket and some baby clothes (lot's of baby stuff round here), and also I got some more fabric for Mei Tai, I'm so happy making them and I have a helper now, it's just great every thing goes faster and I know I'm helping a family by paying fair. Also there is a couple of girls that make my staying at home kid very happy.



And, finally, I made myself a belly warmer, no, I'm not pregnant, but still I need my belly warm.

Aniversary Giveaway

So, this week my oldest blog made 4 years, I just can't believe it, so I'm making a giveaway over there, and I taught why not? let's make it also for the English readers, so here it is, a healing pillow with flax seed and lavender.
Just leave a comment and I will announce the winner on Tuesday morning.
Winner choose from here:

Pumpkin Pie

So, Pumpkin Pie is not a very common here in Mexico, but I wanted to make one, and the result was great, I took this recipe, but alter it adding cardamom, pumpkin seeds and nuts.

I love how my kid now helps with the baking and is so interested on it, I didn't tought this was going to happen so soon.

Also I made a pair of sleepers for him, I finally make the right pattern so now I will make him some pretty ones, but at least they fit him.

Good bye Titanic

Yes, Titanic was the name of my car, a 1985 Chrysler Dart K Van.
I owned it for 8 years and, Oh, the adventures we had in him.

Sure I'm going to miss it.

Recovery juice

On Sunday night I went out, my couple stays with my kid and I went to the get groceries, and enjoyed very much. I have no family in Mexico and I'm a single mom, so we don't have any contact with his father family, and he is not going to school right now, so, I don't get much solitary time, I don't think I need a lot, but a little isn't bad, singing Bob Marley while choosing fruits I found a Californian Pomegranate, larger than Mexican ones, and I tought why not? (usually I just buy local products).

I got a lot of apples to include in the recovery diet for my son and then I got the idea of making apple and pomegranate juice (jus 4 scoops of sugar, a quarter of pomegranate, 3 small apples and water in a blender) and I have to tell I'm getting adict to it, it's just great. I also save the pulp to give him as a puree with raisins.

Hard Sunday

So after the doll, we went to the party, give it to the girl, and get back happy an tired, my little one felt sleep while I was looking for the sleepy time story book, and I took this picture, not knowing what's going to be next.

After midnight I start to hear him bread loud, we co-sleep so I just hug him and cover with more blankets, but at 5 he start to cough and have a hard time breathing, so I stand and took him to the hospital, it was pretty stressing because my car doesn't work well and I had another car in front of mine (I live in a building), I was alone and the lights went out when we were about to go out so I had go down 7 floors in the dark.

When we arrive to the hospital he was better, but still it was necessary to put some medicine to inhale and he didn't like the mask so we had to force him, that part was horrible, at some point he starts to ask me for chichi (breast) even we stop it about 2 years ago, then his godmother arrives and he calm a little.

We went out of the hospital, for the medicines, and then home. Where all of us, Alicia (godmother), Aníbal (her couple), my child and me watch Nemo, he felt better and didn't show any sign of illness after, the doctor said it was only some kind of throat infection.


So I'm very grateful that my child is so healthy, because experiences like that are very hard.

So finally on Monday we got to make our ofrenda (altar) for the day of the dead.
Like it?

Doll for a birthday girl

So I'm trying to resucite the English version of my personal blog, I have the Spanish one.
We will see if I blog in both.

I got this pattern long ago, from Make Baby Stuff, and last night it was the day for it.
I love the opportunity that a birthday (or Christmas) gives me to create, and I love when there is a little girl involved since I have a boy and, even when I don't think there should be gender toys, I do have to close some part of my brain when creating for my kid (name dresses, skirts, etc.).
So I tought I was going ti make a dress, but instead I remember this pattern and went for it, I got the first arm wrong because I didn't realize at first that I need to leave some sewing alloance extra from the pattern. But I have to say that I love it, I have invented many dolls, but this one has a great proportion and size, I wish I would had time to make clothes, but I knew of the birthday one day ahead, so this was the result.

I also bought in the Mercado (market) some little clay dishes and wood spoons and a chair.

And here is my sweet little one taking care of the doll before giving it.

Gratitude

What I comented on Soule Mama blog.
I am grateful for...
For the Día de Muertos (Day of the dead) celebration coming, because is my favorite, and all corners, schools and offices are full of color with altars, everywhere, that sure make you feel happy, better than the usual gray city. And I'm grateful capacity of forgiveness from my little 3 years old boy, from who I have so much to learn, and for have found a little school for him, and for him being happy with it, and for the lady who is helping me with my chores in exchange of the furniture that I will left behind when I move, and for the sewer who is helping me with my little baby sling shop, and for hearing these two ladies chatting about how happy they where of going out of the house for a couple of house and work, and for my boyfriend who got fired and that was exactly what he wanted, for our family and friend, and for being able of hugging a sad friend, and for my sewing students, always so motivated.