Crafting with Buttons

 

 

 

 

 

Just finishing up some projects this afternoon and I now have a new set of my "button fruit" zip pouches listed in my shop. I love making these cute zipper pouches from felted recycled sweater wool. I added the "cherries" and "grapes" from my button stash, combined with some embroidery  leaves and stems.

Perfect for gift giving, these three dimensional pouches are approximately 9 inches by 6 inches, the perfect size for a small clutch, cosmetic case, and safekeeping small electronics such as a digital camera or iPod. Or use them to organize small items in a larger tote bag!

See these and more FeltSewGood zip pouches here

 

 

Just Peachey!

A summer favorite. . . peach pie made from fresh, ripe peaches.

This pie is just out of the oven and still warm.
I wanted to share this simple and delicious recipe with you.

Peach Pie
You'll need a single pastry crust.
To save time, I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust from my grocer's dairy case.
6 peaches, peeled and sliced
Filling:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix these five ingredients together and pour over the peaches.
Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

When cooled, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy one of summer's best treats!

Fresh Red Raspberry Sorbet

I am lucky to have a place to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in my garden. One of my favorites is the red raspberries which I love to use to make sorbet. But even if you do not have a garden, plenty of delicious fresh fruit is available from your local market or grocery. This is a surprisingly simple recipe with wonderful results.

First, I have to give credit where credit is due. This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living, Sorbets, Sherbets, and Granitas, in the June 2002 issue. If you can find the back issue at your local library, there is much more information about making these wonderful treats from a wide variety of fruits.

Here is the red raspberry sorbet recipe. (You will need an ice cream freezer to make this.) This recipe makes about a quart of sorbet which is perfect for most ice cream machines.

First, to make the simple syrup, prepare an ice bath. You can make any amount of syrup as long as you use equal parts sugar and water. Two cups of each is enough for one batch of sorbet. Combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until all sugar is well dissolved, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl set over the ice bath. Let stand until syrup is well chilled. Any unused syrup can be stored in the fridge.

Place the fruit in the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of water to help it process smoothly. Puree until smooth; pour into a fine mess strainer set over a bowl. (I use this old food mill my Mom used to make tomato juice, but any fine mesh strainer will work) With a rubber spatula, press gently on the mixture to extract as much juice as possible. Don't press too hard or you'll force the seeds through the strainer. Discard the seeds and pulp.

Transfer two cups of fruit juice to a tall plastic container. Add 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup and stir well to combine.

Transfer to an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. The sorbet should be smooth and thick.

Transfer sorbet to an airtight container. Freeze for at least two hours before serving.

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe with raspberries or a fruit of your choice.

Ripe Raspberries

The sweet, delicious red raspberries are ripening in my garden! And I think there are going to be quite a few berries. I wasn't sure what to expect this year, because we moved quite a few of the plants this spring. The berry patch was looking a little sparse early in the season. The last two summers were very hot and dry and last year we had a very late freeze. Although we gave the plants extra water over the summers, I think the weather was a little hard on them and the center of the patch had died out. In April, we moved a lot of newly sprouted canes and condensed the growing area. Since then we've had A LOT of rain here in Indiana. The new canes now appear healthy and will bear fruit next summer.

In the mean time, I should be able to pick enough berries to make at least one batch of my favorite red raspberry sorbet! I'm off to pick berries and in the next few days I'll make sorbet. I'll have pictures and will share my surprisingly easy and mouth watering recipe!