We spent all day saturday making tamales.  It was fun.   Christmas is about getting together with friends and family and that's what we did.  Friends and family came over and we made tamales.  Sweet, pork, chicken,  cheese, and for dinner chicken mole!  While the tamles were steaming, we ate chicken in mole sauce and rice, drank and talked. The cookies from the exchange a few days earlier came in handy for everyone to snack on.  Everyone left with their tummies full and a full tray of tamales to share at their home.

I think I'm ready.  The presents are all made and wrapped.  The tamales are delicious.  The next three days after work I'll be baking cookies.

 Friday night I soaked the chili's and corn husks.  

Saturday morning I cubed the pork butt and browned it with garlic and onion.  I cut off most of the fat, but did leave some for flavor.

We took the soften/soaked chili's, removed the seeds and tops and placed them in a blender with garlic, onion, salt, and pepper, and blended.  We added that to the pork and simmered about an hour.

For the green sauce, we took the husks off the tomatillos, boiled them until they split and put them in the blender with garlic, onion, and cilantro.  The masa was bought prepared from a tamale shop in East LA. 

You spread the masa onto the corn husk, thinly and evenly.   Add filling: for pork - add meat with sauce and an olive or two; for chicken - shreaded chicken and green sauce; for cheese - we used either queso or jack and a green chili.  Fold, turn up edge, and stack in steamer and steam for a couple of hours.  Until the masa is firm.  Don't forget to add water every so often. WE had three large pots on the stove, and one on the BBQ. 

Posted by sue at 9:36 PM PST

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I've had the last couple of days off... no sewing has been done, but I've been busy.  Yesterday, my sister and I went to a taping of the Bonnie Hunt show... that was fun.  We got a nice gift, a Meile vacuum... I'm not sure what it is with me and vacuums, as I also got one when I was in the audience for the Ellen Show! 

This weekend is tamale making weekend!  Both days.  Today, I went out and gathered the ingredients.  40 pounds of masa prepared, 10 pounds of masa dulce, chilis, corn husks, olives, pork, and chicken.  I'm ready.  This gringa is going to be making tamales with the familia! I'll be sure to take lots of photos.  

Then this afternoon, I took my niece and nephew to the zoo to see the reindeer before they head off to deliver the gifts with Santa and are too tired.. although today they looked fairly exhausted.  I think they must have had jumping class today... at least that's what I told the kids, they were tired from practicing their jumping... you know they have to jump up to fly! Although my nephew argued with me and told me that they don't jump, the wind takes them.  

Anyway, can you spot the monkeys in the photos?

Posted by sue at 10:32 PM PST

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I like to give surprises for Christmas gifts.  That's the fun part.  Not so much something the receiver needs, but something fun and unexpected.   This year I thought sock monkey kits for 2 of my nieces and a couple of my sewing friend.  Someone did a review at Pattern Review for a sock monkey they created and a light went off... http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=34333

so I ordered the book and a dozen or so socks. They arrived in today's mail.   After I received the socks, I noticed that the instructions for sock monkeys are included, so I didn't really need the book, but the book has lots and lots of other ideas for sock animals: elephants, donkeys, etc.   Here's my sock pile and book. 

I looked at the instructions and then made a list of the other supplies needed: embroidery floss, pearl cotton, stuffing, ribbon, pom poms, bells (optional), needles, and a gift bags for my "kits".  I headed to Joann's for the supplies. 

These kits I think will be a fun surprise for some of the ladies at work.  A few of us sew on Wednesdays during lunch, well, actually, I am teaching them sewing, and they are making bags and purses.  I think these sock monkeys will be fun to do after the first of the year... and definitly a surprise.

Posted by sue at 8:40 PM PST

Updated: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 10:21 AM PST

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My name is Sue and I'm a fabricholic!

I think I'm ready, to make a commitment.... I mean I quit smoking 10+years ago, I think I can't lay off the fabric for a while.... I think

Here's what my stash looks like now - a complete disaster

 The reason there are no linens in my closet is because I got rid of all the excess a few years ago so I could store my fabric there!   I mean, how many towels does a couple really need!

I need to NOT buy any more fabric, to purge existing, and organizewhat stays.   My goal by the end of January is to have all this fabric organized

AND neatly tucked away in the hall closet; no where else!   Can I do it?  I'm feeling more confident each day... but, but, but, time will tell...

Posted by sue at 9:03 PM PST

Updated: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 10:18 AM PST

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Another Christmas gift made... this time using leftovers from my jacket.

i made myself this jacket, and had about 3/4 of a yard leftover....

so I made a jacket for my niece.

since I was using less fabric then called for, I eliminated the facings.  The collar was inserted like I would for a shirt with no facings, and the front band was made by extending the center front 2" and then folding it over 1/4" past where the collar comes.  Since the fabric doesn't ravel, it worked.  I had 1 button left from my jacket, so I used it for this.  I also had to make the sleeves shorter to accomodate the limited fabric.  But in So. Calif, a short sleeve jacket is ok.  

Posted by sue at 11:19 AM PST

Updated: Sunday, December 7, 2008 11:25 AM PST

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