I'm putting down my hook

Well I'm putting it down because I'm DONE with my wave afghan project!!!  Finally!  And I decided to post it to the Crochet Crowd on Facebook.  The response has been overwhelming!  I have over a thousand likes, countless comments and shares galore! See my post here.  Join the Crochet Crowd here, it's free, and there is soooo much eye candy and inspiration!!!

So without further ado, here is Leslie's Scrap Afghan!

And now that this is done I have started another project, and this time it's NOT crocheted!  Yeah I know!  Wow, but I needed to give my poor hands a small break.  In a few short months I will be hosting a table at a formal tea at church, and decorating my own table!  So I decided to make some place-mats, I used colors that match my decor at home, so I can use them after the tea.

The blue is leftover from my wedding, and the print I found at Wally World, on clearance!  After you cut a front and  a back for each place-mat you want to make you pin them right sides together

Then set up your sewing machine.  It helps to tape off the measurement so you make sure your seams are the same.

Sew up three sides, and part of the fourth, I left my opening in the middle of a side, it will help camoflauge it in the final steps.  Turn them right sides out.

That is as far as I have gotten on them so far, I still have to press them and do the final stitch, more blog on that later!

A feast that will make you "green" with envy

Every year on St. Patrick's day I try to make something "authentic" Sunday we had family over for "bangers and mash" and yesterday I made home made Reuben sandwitches.

They were delicious!  And as a side dish I decided to make fresh potato chips!

Making chips is super easy!  Especially if you have a mandolin, it will make it easier to get everything even and thin!

Once your potatoes are washed and sliced, rinse them off and prepare to soak them in cold water for AT LEAST a half hour.  I learned the hard way, do NOT skip this step!

Once they have soaked, take them out of the water and dry them off!  I found that putting them on a clean dish cloth is easiest, then blotting the top with paper towels.

Get a heavy pot and some good oil, I prefer peanut oil for frying.

The temperature needs to be around 300, you can also use a test chip.  They need to have a good sizzle.

Then once they are nice and browned to your taste take them out and let them cool and drain on a rack.

Salt and eat!  When they get room temp they will be crispy, but they taste great warm too!

Enjoy!