Name it & Win > My Vintage Pyrex Cozy Pattern

Boy, I've been busy. I know, what else is new? So many fun things are coming soon including a new line of jewelry designs and my first line of sewing patterns! I'm working on dividing lillyella into two 'divisions' (I feel so important), working on new logos, new websites, a new blog.

But in the meantime I'm just gonna jump right into a peak at my line of patterns to make insulated carriers for vintage pyrex dishes. I've wanted to create these for awhile now and am so excited to finally be here. 

As usual, I'm stumped on a name, so who remembers my Name Game? it was always so fun (and successful!) so, let's get it on! 

Read on to learn more about the pattern and leave a comment below with your name idea or ideas (limit 2 per person). If I pick your name, you'll win copies of the entire line of patterns and maybe even a piece of vintage pyrex :)

These carriers are made with an insulated inner layer, like a pot holder, so they keep hot food hot and cold food cold and are perfect for transporting to a picnic, potluck or dinner party. They fold up flat for easy storage and snap together tight on the sides and top to securely hold the dish.

The first pattern released will be for the 475 and 474 round casserole dishes and then for the 043 and 045 oval casseroles, the 024 bowls with two lid styles, the divided one and a half quart casserole dish and the rectangular space savers.

I have a handful of ideas but none have really screamed at me yet, so I'm excited to see what all your creative brains come up with! The contest will be open thru Friday, August 29.

If you have any trouble leaving a comment from a mobile device, you can email me your entries to nicole@lillyella.com or you can enter on my instagram post starting tomorrow (Aug 26). 

Thank you and have fun!

In the Kitchen: Crockpot Tikka Masala

I'm a HUGE fan of indian food. Especially in the form a buffet when I can consume copious quantities of a variety of dishes. This recipe is one of my favorites, but even if you haven't tried much indian cuisine or think everything is overly seasoned with curry, be adventurous and give this a try. Trust me, it's different! The longer my husband and I are together, the more adventurous he gets with his eating, but even he, who would never willingly go to an indian restaurant, has this recipe close to the top of his favorites list.

The ingredient list may look daunting, but this recipe is easy and I love the flexibility. When the husband is around, I make it with chicken, vegetables and potatoes and that is how I have shared the recipe below. When it's just me, I typically leave out the meat. You can also make it with just the chicken alone and no vegetables.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 T fresh ginger, minced

1 (29 oz) can of tomato puree

1 1/2 C plain yogurt

2 T olive oil

2 T garam masala spice mic

1 T (slightly heaped) cumin

1.5 t paprika

2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t black pepper

1 t cayenne pepper
~

6 skinless chicken tenderloins, cut into large chunks* (optional)

2 -3 potatoes, diced (optional)
2 bay leaves
~

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed, optional)

~
1 cup heavy cream

2 T cornstarch

~
chopped fresh cilantro, for topping

Place the first twelve ingredients (thru the spices) into your crockpot and stir to combine. If making with chicken and/or potatoes, add them now (raw) and stir gently to mix in. Add the bay leaves and push down into mixture.

*The chicken will get very soft while cooking and start to shred apart, keeping the raw pieces a bit large than 'bite sized' helps keep them together better. 

Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).

When done, whisk together the cream and corn starch and pour into the crockpot along with the peas and chickpeas and gently stir. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve over basmati rice with fresh cilantro and a side of naan and enjoy!

This meal makes a ton of food, but we eat it two or three times over a couple weeks and I freeze the rest. The consistency is a little different after freezing and reheating, but it doesn't affect the taste at all.

> Click here for a printable recipe card

tutorial: modifying a two way metal zipper {perfect for the noodlehead cargo duffle}

I've been doing a really good job accomplishing the goals I set for myself lately (probably because they have all been crafty and fun, but… still counts for something in my book). I saw the nooodlehead cargo duffle bag pattern last year and immediately put it on my to-do list. With holiday gifts finished and the encouragement (and 24/7 on-call help) of my friend, Sandra, it was game on!

I hope to finish my bag this week (update: finished my first one, pics below, more to come!) and will write more about the project then, but in the meantime I wanted to share a little tutorial. While browsing pictures of other peoples' bags, I came across this post on Thread Riding Hood on how to modify a two-way zipper to open from the center, but it only applied to a plastic zipper and mine was metal.

Since I had extras, I decided to try an experiment which happily ended in success! (Those are the best kind of experiments, aren't they?).

The cargo duffle I'm making calls for a 26" coverall zipper, but this tutorial would work on any length two-way zipper for any type of project, as long as the teeth are the same on both sides.

A coverall zipper is made for just that, coveralls, and is a two way zipper designed to unzip from both ends. Since I'm not usually hangin' out in coveralls, I most typically see this type of zipper on coats (which I think is SUPER handy, by the way).

But when it comes to a bag, it's much more convenient to have the zipper open from the center, so here's how to do it. You'll need a pair of side cutters, or similar small wire cutters with a pointy end, and needle nose pliers. (Click on any photo for a larger view.)

I was able to modify this zipper because the teeth are the same on both sides, as I mentioned. I'm no zipper expert, but it's my understanding that this is not the case with all zippers so be sure to check before tearing one apart.

The first step is to remove the stoppers from both ends.

They are clamped down pretty darn tight (which I guess is a good thing) so this was harder than I expected it to be, but it just takes a little elbow grease and patience.

Start by carefully wedging the tip of your cutters under one side of the metal stopper and clipping off little bits of metal at a time. Be careful not to snag or cut the fabric tape.

Keep snipping away until you loosen the clamp enough to pull the stopper from the tape. Once it is free on one side, you should be able to slide it up and off the other side. If it is too tight, repeat the same process of clipping the metal away until it's free.

The stoppers on the other end are thicker, but are also easier to pry off. First wedge the tip of your cutters underneath and try snipping. If the metal is too thick for your cutters, a bit of wiggling and prying should loosen the clamp enough to be able to pull it from the tape.

Repeat on the other side.

Once the stoppers are removed, move the sliders toward opposite ends so the zipper is closed and pull one slider off as shown above. It doesn't matter which one.

The opposite end of your zipper will still have the other slider attached. Keep it on and pull it down to open the zipper a bit.

You will now put the loose slider you removed onto this end (toward the slider still on the zipper) by inserting the ends of the fabric tape into the channels of the slider and pulling it down until it catches the teeth, making sure they are lined up.

And Voila! Both your sliders are back on and your zipper now opens from the center.

Depending on your use for the zipper, this may be your final step, but be aware that the sliders are free to come off either end. If you are not sewing your ends into your project or if you have large gaps, you'll want to make a tack stitch at the ends of the teeth or sew a piece of fabric onto the tape ends.

In the case of the cargo duffle that I'm making, one huge bonus of this modification is that I can take my zipper apart and sew the two sides on independently without having to maneuver around the sliders or deal with the bulk. Go ahead, pump your fist in the air and yell awesome!

If you do this, I recommend marking the ends of your tapes so you can put them back together properly. Technically, the teeth will go back together either way and there is no top, bottom, front or back with this specific zipper, but the length of the fabric tape is different on the two ends so they will be uneven if not matched up the same.

Once you're done sewing, you just slip your sliders back on either end toward the middle and huzzah! Magic.

I hope you find this tutorial helpful! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer them.

Thanks for visiting and happy sewing!

{UPDATE}

Since writing this post I have finished my first cargo duffle, hooray!

I certainly hit a few hiccups along the way and learned some important things to change and modify on the next one, such as adding zipper tabs on the sides, reinforcing the handles and using sturdier interfacing, but for my first bag project EVER I'm so thrilled with the results! I'm almost finished with my second duffle so will share more then.

p.s. I'm lillyellasworld on instagram if you'd like to follow and see my progress!

{Fabrics used: Main body, bottom accent and pocket flaps are Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements - Melange and Ticking Stripe. Pockets and handle accent are Robert Kaufman Quilters Linen in taupe}

2nd Annual Lillyella Secret Santa Gift Exchange!

The thing I love most about the holidays (besides snow!) is giving gifts. I get so darn excited I can hardly contain myself! I hosted this secret santa gift exchange for the first time a couple of years ago and it was tons of fun, so now that I'm settled and back to blogging, it's time to make this an annual event!

So here's how it will work — From now until November 20, I will collect the names and addresses of anyone who would like to participate. Guys and kids are welcome, too (with the assistance of a parent)!

I will then randomly assign each participant the name of a person you are to send a gift to and you will receive a gift from someone else. Only myself and your secret santa will have your information and everything will be secret until gifts are received!

Gifts can be handmade or purchased, should be valued around $20 (before shipping) and gift wrapped. If you'd like to spend more on your gift or if the item you make is valued at more than $20, that is no problem at all as long as you understand that you may receive something smaller.

Please keep in mind you will need to ship the item and I'll ask that items be shipped by December 16. Since international postal rates changed this year, it is more costly to ship internationally than it used to be, but it's not difficult to do if you don't mind paying a little extra. 

TO PARTICIPATE:

Please email your name and mailing address to nicole@lillyella.com, subject: Secret Santa. Please also include what country you are in and whether or not you are willing to ship internationally, and if so, to what countries. Feel free to also include information about yourself — likes, dislikes, favorite colors, favorite Etsy shops, your personal style, hobbies, interests etc, or you can just leave it up to your secret santa to totally surprise you!

I will email you the name of your gift recipient, along with all the important details by or before November 28.

Feel free to contact me anytime or leave a comment below with any questions. And invite your friends to join in, too!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

photos © Anthropologie

In the Kitchen: Caramel Apple Mini Pies

For the past ten years or so, my husband and I have gone apple picking on my birthday. The timing is perfect for us (October 15) because our favorite, braeburn, are pretty much the only thing left on the trees. We pick a lot of apples, so many we can hardly carry them all. I think we usually go back for more, too.

I spend the next few weeks making apple butter, apple sauce and apple jelly (my dad's favorite), but we've actually never picked enough to leave room for making pie filling. Honestly, I'm not really a huge fruit pie fan, will the exception of cold soggy tart cherry pie, which any family member of mine will attest to.

This year we will not be picking apples on my birthday, because I've been picking them from my very own trees for the last two months! There are still a few left hanging and I still have buckets around the house and bowlfuls in the fridge, but I've already processed more apples this year than the last ten combined. That meant my first attempt at pie filling! It was almost a debacle. Actually, I think it does qualify as a debacle, but a salvaged one. In the end all it meant was the quarts I intended to have became pints. I've since been on a mission to come up with some mini dessert recipes that someone could easily make with a smaller amount of pie filling, and here's my first! Did I mentioned those are marshmallows on top?

Ingredients
pie crust dough (homemade or store bought roll)
apple pie filling (homemade or store bought can)
caramel baking bits (in the baking aisle with the chocolate chips)
mini marshmallows

Aside from being quick and easy, the beauty of this recipe is you can make just a few or a whole baking sheet worth at a time. Leftover dough and filling can be stored in the fridge to make something else or bake more fresh later.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut 4" to 5" circles from the dough, depending on what size you'd like the finished pies (I cut about 4.5"). Spoon one to two tablespoon of filling in the center (you can cut up the apples if you'd like or need to). Sprinkle the caramel bits on top of the filling (as few or as many as you'd like), then fold up and crimp the edges.

Bake for about 10 - 15 min until the crust edges start to brown. Remove from the oven and cover the top with the mini marshmallows. You can also cut up full size marshmallows if you happen to have those. I wasn't sure if too many would make the pie's too sweet so I went light on them as you can see in the photo, but they were amazing and next time I'm totally piling them on!

Return to the oven for about 3 - 5 minutes until the marshmallows start to puff and brown.

As hard as it will be, I recommend waiting about 10 minutes before serving for the marshmallows to set and the pies to cool a bit because they will be bubbling!

I made a few without the caramel bits and they were excellent as well. You can also drizzle caramel (or butterscotch) sauce over the top in lieu of baking with the bits. Hope you enjoy!

hobby #727 (and a little pillow giveaway!)

I just have to start by reminding everyone that it's October! (As if anyone could forget.) It's my favorite month and the start of my favorite season. Me and summer just don't see eye to eye, I'm an overall better person when the air is cool and there are pumpkins everywhere! I'm extra excited about fall (and winter!) this year because I am finally out of the North Carolina climate and planted somewhere that actually gets cold. I mean single digits and below zero cold. Sorry NC friends, 30° is not cold! :)

So, onto the topic at hand, my newest hobby. I was destined to be a quilter, I could feel it in my bones, it was just a matter of the right time and place to jump in. It was at the top of my bucket list after the move and crazy enough, it all fell into place! I found a local shop that offers classes and took a beginners class about a month ago. Totally hooked! The class project was a 36" square log cabin style quilt. The hardest part for me was choosing fabrics, but I just had to keep telling myself that it wouldn't be my only quilt, so I picked something I loved and went with it.

It was a blast! Like anything, learning the basics and having the right tools make all the difference, but I do believe this is a craft of patience and the OCD perfectionist in me doesn't hurt either. I'm still pretty slow at it, but now that I have a space to keep my machine and supplies out, it doesn't matter! I can work when I have time and not stress about it. The hard part will be finishing a project before starting a new one, I already have four new quilts in the works and am out of work space!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

I had a ton of extra fabric strips leftover from my first project so I just kept sewing up more squares! I thought they would make an adorable little pillow, was I right? This also gave me a chance to practice actually quilting a piece on my machine and was my first experience with piping. I lost a chunk of my right index finger, but otherwise a smashing success (I promise, it's not inside the pillow).

I thought it would be fun to give this little pillow away and brighten someone's day! 

To enter, please leave a comment below telling me who you plan to give gifts to this holiday season (family, friends, co workers, etc) and what you are planning to give (homemade or bought). 

Just be sure your first name and email are included in your profile or your comment. I will draw a winner randomly on Monday October 7.

Happy October! ~ nicole

In the Kitchen: One Pan Pasta

My husband recently saw this recipe while browsing my Martha Stewart Living magazine (you can laugh at the visual, I do) and was for some reason obsessed! I could never claim to be mightier than Martha, but I have to admit that I've never been a huge fan of her recipes as they are written. I typically find they are missing something or need more flavor, more liquid, a touch of this or that, so I honestly would have passed right over this one if he wasn't so darn persistent.

It seems to have become quite the rage 'round the interwebs these days and while I read many variations on this recipe, I (more or less) stuck with the original and loved it!

It's simple (one pan, ten minutes people!) and surprisingly fresh and flavorful. I thought it would be dry, and even looks a little dry in photos, but was pleasantly surprised with the amount of sauciness. The taste was different than I expected (sweeter and spicier), but super delicious and easy to modify to your personal tastes, not to mention a beautiful way to put your garden harvest to use! (And an excitement Mr. Wizard type experience for your children, or husband, in my case…)

Here is a link to the original recipe on the Martha Stewart website and below is how I made it, what I learned and how I'll change it next time:

Ingredients
12 ounces linguine
12 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients except the cheese in a large straight-sided skillet or wide dutch oven. You'll need a pan that's big enough for the pasta to lay flat and some room for the liquid to bubble.

Bring to a boil over high heat and continue boiling, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, for about 9 - 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has evaporated. And that's it! You're done! Spoon it into a bowl, top it with loads of grated parm and scarf it up.

I made mini beef meatballs that we mixed in before serving, and husband requested 'those little balls of fresh mozzarella', which I thought was a great idea!

Modifications
The original recipe calls for water and about 2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste). I used vegetable broth for some added flavor and a little water to make up the difference. Four and half cups of liquid worked perfect for me, which is what the original recipe called for. I thought being at a high altitude that I would need to boil it longer for the noodles to be done and may need more liquid, but I did not.

I was worried there would be too much onion (and I always cook with onion) or that the thin slices would be too big (as opposed to diced) but they cooked down nicely and I didn't even notice them.

The 1/2 teaspoon red pepper added quite a kick, so lessen it if you're not a fan of spice (we are!). If you look at the other photos of this dish, you will see the basil sprigs are whole. Not really sure how that works unless they took them out at the end? I chopped mine up so it could incorporate. You can also save some fresh to add when serving if you like it (yum!).

Next time I cook this dish, I will make a few changes…

I love mushrooms, so will add about 6 - 8 ounces fresh sliced along with the other ingredients at the beginning.

It made a ton! Dinner twice (for two) and then some. I think I will use 8 ounces of pasta instead, but keep the other ingredients the same. Most boxes of pasta are 16 ounces, so I measured out 12 for the original recipe, but will use half a box and save the other half for the next time. We typically eat whole wheat pasta which takes longer to cook, so I used regular linguine the first time around and it cooked well. Next time I will try using whole wheat angel hair. The whole wheat will take longer but the pasta is much thinner, so I think the cooking time to liquid ratio will balance out.

I will also wait to add the basil until about halfway through the cooking. I want it to cook with the dish a bit, but I think it looses too much flavor when cooked for the entire time.

Some other variations I read about on other blogs included using canned tomatoes and dried herbs instead of fresh, using chicken broth for the liquid, sweet or red onion instead of yellow and adding additional ingredients such as bell peppers, parsley and lemon slices.

I recommend trying this one close to the original and seeing how you like the flavors and amount of sauce, how the liquid and cooking time works out with your stove, etc and then start making modifications to suit your preferences.

If this is something you've been making for years or have already modified, I want to hear about it! And if its new to you, try it and let me know what you think!