Patterns are like Road maps......

I have found that no matter how you do it, sewing patterns are nearly impossible to fold back the way they came, and then fit back into the envelope! But I was able to figure out some very simple and basic patterns for American Girl Doll clothes, and even follow one enough to make this tent for my niece for Christmas.

Mile had difficulty holding it up straight.

Yes, I know.  I have been extremely remiss in my postings.  The Leupp household has been through the Big 3 "D's": death, destruction and diarrhea (okay, I was looking for another fitting "d" work and this is what I came up with-gross, but no less true).  We have lost 3 very important people to cancer since my last posting, and a for awhile, I just couldn't get to it.  The children have also taken turns getting sick, hence the other "d" word.








Back to POLENTA!

It turns out polenta is an odd kind of substance.  I thought it would have the consistency of cookie dough, but it really is more like, I don't know, cornmeal and left out playdough.  But it wasn't to shabby!  Here is what it looked like before I heated it up (with the parmesan cheese).  Kind of weird, but yummy!

So in other words, the cooking hasn't been to bad.  I went WAY out of my comfort zone this week to attempt some GF crepes, and I am not gonna lie, I was pretty impressed with myself (ok, so out of an entire set of batter, only two came out in one piece, as the rest were sacrificed for the greater good of learning).

 I am actually in the process of trying to get on Pinterest.  Apparently it is "invitation only" and I am doing what I can to convince them that they should let me in.  But I am hoping to get back into the crafty groove of awesomeness with some fantastic ideas from that site (and some yummy dinner ideas too).

you are welcome

In an effort to make you all more well-rounded individuals, I am going to post a brief philosophical epiphany I had the other day.  I am sure it will be as life altering for you as it was for me. Here goes:  Take a look at this ( I am sure your eyes have already found what I am referencing,  the photo).


Now, I know that there are plenty anatomically focused images of Mr. Jason Mamoa to use, but I am trying to be PG (sigh- if you need a good "pick me up" just search Jason Mamoa pics on google. Hello Khal DROGO).  
It came to me that this simple piece of evidence completely refutes most evolutionary ideas on the birth of humanity. Is it possible that Mr. Mamoa could be created by anything but intelligent design?  Can you imagine THAT (look at pic) climbing out of the primordial soup (okay, realistically, not as Conan)?  How could you see this (or Eric Northmen, Jax, or Nelson Leupp) and doubt the existence of intentional creation?!?!  Yes Glory, and Amen!  But I can admit, there are plenty of politicians in the spot light currently who may yet prove the primordial soup idea, but not because of their scientific knowledge (all slimy, stinky and stuff).

Gah!  Out of time.  I will post more soon!

Polenta is Not Cheese..........

I have been checking out cookbooks at the library, and looking online, and through magazines..........
            Cooking really isn't that easy, or really that fun (so far), but I HAVE to do it.   For starters, I have found that Rachael Ray, while slightly irritating, has the best, fastest, and cheapest ideas.  Trying to plan ahead, I sat down today, with Rachael, and the weekly adds (and coupons) to decide what to buy for dinner.  I found a picture that looked really good, and made my grocery list with the ingredients.  That being said, DO NOT go to the store and spend hours in the cheese aisle.  It may surprise you, but polenta is not a cheese.  Actually it is an entirely new scientific element that is strong enough to survive atomic bombing and is a gruel/mush/mash/weirdness-type consistency.  It also does not appear to be completely gluten free-but I am checking into that-  It also doesn't really appear to be good (isn't gruel in really unnerving fairy tales like those found in Brother's Grimm?), but I am going to trust my new friend Rachel.  I will post more on that as I actually have to cook with it this week.  However, in my time within the cheese aisle, I found a cheese called "Drunken Goat Cheese," which begs all kinds of questions (was the goat really drunk?  was the goat-milking-maid drunk?  was it a maid at all?  if the goat was drunk, how did he (oops, she) get drunk? and further, who decided that the cheese made from a goat that was either drunk, or milked by someone drunk, would make good cheese?).


            In other news of misadventure (not related to the cheese aisle), I embarked on my sewing career.  I will post pictures on that tomorrow, as I reveal the mishap of sewing an American Girl Doll outfit with a child's sewing machine that I received when I was nine for Christmas.  Unfortunately, the sewing machine had lost some parts since I was nine, and no longer functioned.  The AGD outfit was also required, by a small blonde girl with attitude, that it match her outfit for school pictures.  Again, I ask myself why I thought this was a good idea.  But, more fortunate, was the phone call from my dear friend Beth, who has a Singer sewing machine she is going to give me, as well as willing to give me lessons on how to not sew my fingers together!

            For those who completely understand my struggles, and who also are ardent escapists, I am going to start reviewing fiction, as I attempt to convert more individuals into escapism.  It may have to be an altogether separate blog, but I will let you know (so you can indulge in some paranormal/fantasy/adventure/every male character looks like Vin Diesel or Jax or Erik Northman or......./and gives up his very existence to win over the strong, independent female character/romance).

            Now I must respond to some student emails.  The beginning of the semester is always interesting, especially of the online variety.  Fortunately, I have not received any emails written in elvish this semester- things are looking up!  I am always fascinated by students and what they think will dazzle their professors.  Elvish, surprisingly, is not one of them.  I also wonder if students assume that an online professor (while I also teach at the school) is a basement dweller who grades papers when not participating in Dungeons and Dragons, or World of Warcraft.  I might have to post a picture of myself, just so everyone knows I do not prance around in a corset top, wielding a sword with fake fangs- at least not ALL the time.

I don't think so........

As some of you know, Mimi (my daughter) has become quite attached to her American Girl Doll (which is awesome, because I started to worry there for a while when she only wanted to carry around Dead Rosie, and Barfy).  However, it posses a bit of a quandary...... all she wants for Christmas is American Girl Doll clothes.  Now we were lucky enough to receive a catalog of the most freaking expensive clothes on the market- That's right!  AGD clothes. If made larger would be a little bit more that an outfit I could buy at Neiman (did I even spell that right? Not that I would know....) Marcus, and not on sale either!  Holy Mac-n-cheese Batman, this is ridiculous!

In response to this new problem, I am embarking on the journey to make AGD clothes.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I just recently sewed on my first button this past Sunday, and the only reason it works is because there is so much thread wrapped around the stupid thing that there isn't an ice cubes chance (in the bad place) that it could even fit through the whole.  Yes, it looks like a miniature rubber-band ball stuck onto my shorts-but whatya gonna do?

I was quite impressed with some pattern purchases that I made, and I will post pictures tomorrow, as I purchases some fabric for myself (I'm pretty stressed about this), and some thread, and possibly a glue gun (hey you never know what you can do with a glue gun okay)!  Any bets on this one??

In the Beginning.....

God created the heavens and the earth.  And then........
EVE!

Well Eve, thank you very, very much.  No really, I mean that. If she hadn't coveted power, led her man astray, and then lied about it, she wouldn't be the one taking the giant fall of humanity (and women) into sin, and that title would have likely fallen to me.
While I might have coveted a bit of power here and there, led a certain Mr. Loop off the beaten path a time or two, my real womanly short comings need to be stated:
1.  I have absolutely no idea what a person would do with yeast, or how to ultimately turn it into some product called bread.
2.  I couldn't get a sewing machine to turn on if my life depended on it.
3.  If I had to actually cook something from "scratch,"  I would find some Cortisone for that itch.
4.  My thumb is certainly black, if having a green one makes things grow properly.
5.  And if shopping for grocery deals was as easy as shopping for shoe deals, we would have a stocked pantry.

So, as you can see, I am far from the model woman.  Eve and I would probably be great friends.
  
Recently my life has taken an unanticipated turn.  I am going to be a full time wife and mom, not a full time Professor.  I am still teaching a few courses, but nothing like normal.  Why, might you ask?

Here we go....
Last semester my 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with "Delayed Diagnosed Mild Cerebral Palsy."  While in our eyes she is a normal little girl, just very, very small, the changes that came with this diagnosis helped us decided that I should take some time off and focus on helping the four of us get through these new adventures.

I had no idea what that would mean.  The pay cut meant I was going to have to budget for the first time in my existence on earth.  Not only that, but have to "plan ahead." Oh Mercy!!! And the WORST part was we wouldn't have the funds to eat out almost every night.  Someone who lives in this house was going to have to cook.

Basically, this blog is going to chronicle my new misadventures in:
Learning to cook (ugh)
Managing a household (since Mr. Loop is going to be working in another state)
Budgeting (gag)
Finding cheaper and easier ways to supply birthday and Christmas gifts (yuck)
And basically any other things a "Domestic" (that word makes me think of the rise of civilization. First we were hunter-gatherers, then herdsmen who began "domesticating" animals-like cows- and then women. WAIT!  What was that?!?!),  woman would know (I guess that this is a lesson in never saying, "Never.")
It is my basic nature to rebel against these ideas.  I really, REALLY don't want to have anything to do with it. But, since it is bound to produce some hard core amusement from everyone else, might as well be some comic relief.

My first experience in this new foray was to remove my desk from on top of the stove (I know, I know, it's a fire hazard), and actually turn it on.  My first "kid-friendly" cooking adventure was something called Full Moon Mac and Cheese, from Family Fun Magazine.  Basically, it is homemade mac-n-cheese with bread crumbs.  Needless to say, I will not post pictures- but what I ended up having to wash when it was over was:
4 mixing bowls
4 baking pans
2 whisks
3 large spoons
a cheese grater
1 frying pan (long story)
a food processor, and many, many utensils.

The completed project was one 11 x 13 pan of Full Moon dinner.  Alas, I can see this being a long process......