Wilma on Wednesday -- Mississippi Mud Cake

These weekend, our son will return to being college boy, and we head south to Macon to move him and his belongings into the dorm. He'll be a junior, so we've done this before, but it's a new school for him, so some of it will feel like the first time. Plus, he took this past year off (a "super fun gap year" in his words...do you hear the sarcasm?). Of course, it was not really super fun as he came to grips with his diagnosis of bipolar I disorder and how to live with it successfully.


Anyway, that explanation is the long way of saying that it was time for a special dinner. He's definitely a steak and potatoes guy (as is his dad), so that was the main course menu. For dessert, I had him choose something out of his great-grandma's cookbook. Well, he doesn't really care that much about sweets, and was kind of annoyed by the question I think, and so... he just picked one.


Usually, I think this is known as Mississippi Mud Pie, and I suspect there are as many recipes for this as there are cooks in Mississippi. Nevertheless, my Michigan born and raised grandmother had this in her collection. Basically, it's layers of yumminess, and I've done this as kind of a pictorial recipe. Enjoy!


In a 13x9 inch pan:


1st layer:
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 stick of margarine (that's 1/2 cup, or 8 oz. or 8 TBSP)


Mix and pat in pan. Bake at 350 deg.F for 25 minutes:

2nd Layer:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar


Whip together and pour (or spread) on first layer:

3rd layer:
1 3 oz. package instant chocolate pudding
1 3 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
3 cups of milk


Mix and pour over second layer (I used a hand mixer, and beat the mixture 2 minutes as suggested on the pudding package):

4th layer:
Spread cool whip on 3rd layer and grate 1 Hershey bar on top (I used a Cadbury milk chocolate bar and only needed the first row of 3 squares... I kept in the fridge to make grating easier):

Keep in refrigerator (covered) until ready to serve.

A side view:

Sooo delicious! But very sweet.

The Thing About Vintage Patterns

The thing is... you can become obsessed by them. Not actually using them, mind you, but simply acquiring them. And I don't mean shopping for a specific pattern or style and paying a pretty penny for them.


No. I'm talking about happening upon a pattern stash at a garage sale, or an estate sale, maybe a flea market, and getting a bunch for a steal. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had mostly struck out. Now, I'm not an "every weekend" kind of garage saler, so I suppose my luck might be better if I was. But I do usually scan the newspaper on Thursdays to see if any listings mention sewing. I guess you might say that my obsession is kind of haphazard.


Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago I hit the jackpot! There were at least a couple hundred patterns, probably more and all for 20 cents each. Yes. I was picky though. I didn't buy the whole lot, but went through each box and picked the best ones. I have my standards! Only a couple from the 1980s, and no children's patterns (there were a bunch of those). It turns out I picked the most from the mid-1960s.


Anyway, I plan to use a few, and trace a few more, but I'm putting the rest in my Down the Street etsy shop. And all for reasonable prices. And, please feel free to use that coupon listed over in the side bar, sewingblog15, for 15% off everything in the shop.


Enough reading... here are a few of my favorites!

Wilma on Wednesday -- Spicy Fiesta Chicken

I went back into the main dish section of Grandma's cookbook and decided on Spicy Fiesta Chicken. Full disclosure: I actually gave her this recipe. Who knows when, but I got it from one of my Southern Living Cookbooks. So I've made it before, but it has been a long time. Also, since it's kind of "my" recipe, I took some liberties, which I'm trying not to do to Grandma's originals.


First the recipe. I've put in italics next to the ingredients any changes that I made on Sunday.


Spicy Fiesta Chicken


6 boneless chicken breasts (I used only 3)
4 eggs, beaten (used only 1)
1/4 cup green chili salsa (I used Pace Picante Sauce, Medium)
1/4 tsp salt (left this out)


Combine eggs, salsa and salt in a shallow bowl and set aside.


2 cups fine bread crumbs (I used 3/4 to 1 cup)
2 tsp chili powder (1 tsp)
2 tsp ground cumin (1 tsp)
1-1/2 tsp garlic salt (I used about 1 tsp garlic powder, + a little salt)
1/2 tsp ground oregano (left this out)


Combine dry ingredients
Melt 1/4 cup butter in 13 x 9 pan (I used 2 TBSP in a 8 x 8. Melt it in the oven while it's preheating)


Dip chicken in dry ingredients, then egg mixture, and then back in the dry ingredients. Place in pan and bake at 375 deg. F for 30-35 minutes, turning once.


Serve with sour cream on each chicken breast, placed on a bed of lettuce with fresh green onions, cherry tomatoes and avocado. (Just used the sour cream. You will notice in the picture, all those pretty vegetables and garnishes were not used.)

Do you ever make one of those meals, that when it's served up you say, "wow! That's a brown meal!"?


Moving on... it was delicious. I served it with some ready made 90 sec microwave Uncle Ben's Spanish rice and Ranch Style Beans.

Ranch Style Beans are one of those foods that I ate as a child, and they always make me think of childhood dinners. They are different than southern baked beans. The yummy kind made with brown sugar and other great ingredients.

Self Stitching Again

I've been on the fence, fellow sewists, about the Self Stitched September. I made it through Me Made June quite successfully, but I haven't done a lot of sewing this summer. Or rather, it seems like I've sewn a lot, but don't have much to show for it.


Anyway, the badge is ready, and I've decided to jump on the wagon again. September here in Atlanta can seem just like August. And July. And June. Hot. But yet, when getting dressed, you are sick of the summer outfits, and ready for fall. There is the added possibility (hope?) that it will get a little cooler as the month winds down. This should provide plenty of opportunities to style outfits that are comfortable during the heat of the day, but still work with the impending fall season, and perhaps a cooler evening or morning.


Plus, Kyle will be back in school, and I'll need to keep busy. So. There you have it. I'm joining in. I've added the badge to the sidebar as proof, but here it is again.



And here's my pledge:


'I, Ellen of  http://itsasewinglife.blogspot.com/, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept '11. I endeavour to wear at least one item that I have either self-stitched completely myself, or have refashioned, each day for the duration of September 2011.'

The Hat

I've been on a quest. A quest for a long time to find the perfect sunhat. Alas, I have a really small head, which makes it difficult. Plus, I find it very annoying to have sunhats blow off, so those cute straw hats with the big brims just never seem to work.


I thought I had found the perfect hat. However, my children gave me such grief about this particular hat when we were at the beach earlier this summer. I wore it every day on the beach anyway because who really wants a sunburned part! Has that ever happened to you? And then it peels? First it's really sore, and then you're combing gross bits out of your hair.


Here's the hat, also known as the Baby Hat.

Yep, the baby hat is the name my kids gave to this hat.


When we got home from the beach, I searched through all the patternmakers for a sunhat to make. This one is the best that I found.

So I made this one. I made the small, which Ms. Butler says should also fit small children. Sheesh. Then, you only use a tiny fraction of the fabric yardage recommended. And no need to buy a contrast for the lining, since you can't actually see it because it's on your head. Those are just some of my gripes.


I didn't use the canvas recommended, but a sandwich of stiff interfacing and fusible batting. I only used the batting in the crown of the hat.

OK, kids... better? I think it looks ok, but I'm really not a hat person, so I feel like all hats look a little foreign on me. Moving on, though, I devised something that addresses the wind problem.

I left small openings in the side seams near the brim and threaded a grosgrain ribbon through. I think it looks kind of cute from the back. Now for the horrifying view. If it gets really windy, I can adjust the ribbon, pulling down the inner bit for this:

Yes, I feel like this looks pretty ridiculous, but hey, I won't lose my hat.


I may have to keep looking for the perfect hat.

Wilma on Wednesday -- Banana Nut Bread

I was hoping to have something different that I'm working on to show today, but alas, it's not quite finished, and as a work in progress, it's just not that interesting.


So. I've decided, in an effort to help me remember to use recipes from my grandmother's collection this year, that I'll designate Wednesday to be the day! Her name was Wilma, so it just works, right? Right!


Today's recipe is one I'm sure I've made before, and you all probably have your own favorite recipe, but I made a loaf of banana nut bread. Mostly because I had 2 bananas just ripe for the mashing! This one is really basic, and I made it just as written (mostly).


Banana Nut Bread


1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. nut meats, chopped
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large)


Mix all ingredients, adding the mashed bananas last.


Bake at 350 deg. for about 45 minutes.




Well, as usual, short on instructions. I always mash my bananas before I get started, so they are good and liquid-y (that sounds yucky) when you add them last. The butter should be softened, I didn't use nuts this time, and I only had 2 bananas (which I never measure, do you?). Oh, and the loaf pan I used was 9" x 5" which is perfect. And that's it. Easy and quick.

Since we're talking recipes, I had my all time favorite food for my dinner tonight, only a baby version. Baby artichokes! [Thomas, if you're reading, you might want to look away.] I've never made the baby ones before, so I did have to google a recipe, and ended up braising them. I kind of combined recipes, so no link, but if you google you'll find lots of options.

One mistake I made was not pulling off enough of the tough outer leaves which didn't effect the cooking, and I just pulled them off as I was eating them. I still have 8 more, so I can perfect my technique!

Another Quick Skirt

It's just me and the dogs this week as Roland and Kyle have gone to North Carolina for a little father/son bonding, so that means SEWING! OK, well, I sew even when they're home, but now I don't have to feel guilty when I don't want to stop and cook them dinner.


I'm still doing some secret sewing, but I managed to make myself another quick yoga skirt. Not too many changes, but a few. I made this one out of ITY jersey and made the waistband a little smaller since the jersey seemed stretchier. I also made it less full, and a little shorter. And, while it seems totally foreign to me, I didn't hem it. But there's one surprising thing I added.

Well, nothing surprising here in the picture (other than it's not the usual "on me" look). But I've been wanting something to sort of "immortalize" my sewing. Quilters put labels on their quilts, kind of like signing their art, and I wanted to "sign" my creations.


So, I placed an order to Etsy seller Baby Jewels, and got me a custom rubber stamp. Woo hoo! I used it in that polka dot top, but forgot to mention it, and for that I simply stamped right on the inside back neck (where a label would go). I used a VersaCraft ink pad, and I honestly can't remember who I ordered it from so that link is just to show you the description.


For the skirt, I stamped on an ivory grosgrain ribbon and then attached it like a label.

TA DA!

The Detoured is part of the name of my other blog (that I seemed to have detoured from posting to), and I just kind of like the word. It's also my general feeling of having to take detours from the life path I'm on. And besides, having the stamp is just fun.