A New 'Do

I don't know how many of you have been sucked into the wonderful world of pinning, but I am totally hooked on Pinterest. The other day, I stumbled across something a friend had put up - a bun how-to. If you've been around me at all this summer, you know I'm pretty up-do inept. I'm all ponytails, all the time. Seriously. I think the most complicated thing I know how to do is pigtails, which is only tougher than a ponytail because it's, you know, two of them. :)

Anywho, on a whim, I decided to actually try this one out this morning. You can find the original messy French bun tutorial....here. I wasn't sure if this one would work out for me. My hair is long-ish, a little past my shoulders, but super layered. Thank goodness there's no harm in trying.

Don't worry. I'm getting around to sharing my results. But really, do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hair? Especially when all the excitement is going on in the back? Hard. Don't judge me too harshly.

Oh, wait. First, here are the products I used to dirty up my hair. The original tutorial recommends some Aveda product. I just used the good ol' Suave mousse. I attacked it with the hairspray afterward, so it wouldn't budge in the Louisiana humidity. (It didn't. Hallelujah.) And the only reason I splurge on the Bed Head is because it actually smells good. Hairspray that smells good? Is that an oxymoron of some kind?

Moving on. Here I am. Making a weird face and not sure where to look. Oh, well. It still looks like it might be a ponytail from this angle. Drumroll, please....

Ta-da! Not a ponytail. It wasn't even that hard. Honestly. I was pretty proud of myself, if that isn't already apparent based solely on the fact that I am blogging about it.

Here's another attempt to take a photo of the back of my own head. Totally awesome. I need to come up with a better place to hang the bath mat. Sheesh.

And another. I'm almost not even in this picture.

I had to include this one, because it's the funniest of all. Come on, arms. Stretch just a little longer. I am so weird. At least you can't see down my shirt. Much.

Apples!

It occurred to me that I haven't shared very many of my sewing projects here lately. Neely Bug Boutique has been very, very busy lately. A friend recently asked me to work on a couple of fall outfits for her niece. This is the bottom half of one - my first try at two layers of ruffles on the pants. I adore them. Ruffles are my favorite. I put these together inside-out once, and attached all the ruffles in the wrong order on the first try, but they were worth it. I'm thinking Neely may need some for her first day of school.

Kids Project - Making Butter

We had a bunch of heavy cream leftover from making ice cream last week. In an inspired moment, I remembered this book that we have, 50 Science Things to Make and Do, and got Aidan to help me make butter. It's easy-peasy. All you have to do is pour some heavy cream into a jar, put the lid on tight, and shake! Our book says to shake it for 10-15 minutes. Aidan pooped out after five, and since I was in the middle of making the ice cream, the jar sat on the counter until I was finished and could work on it myself. I shook it for a minute or two before realizing there didn't seem to be much going on inside the jar. I peeked inside, and voila! The butter was ready. Yum! 

Here's a photo of the book's cover. It has all kinds of fun science experiments for kids. I need to remember to break it out more often. If you'd like your own, you can find one on Amazon, or contact your favorite Usborne Books representative. I bought mine a few years ago, so I have no idea if it's even still in the catalog, but your rep should know!

Ice Cream Report

Last week, I tried out two new recipes from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home - Kona Stout and Backyard Mint. I made them before the Fourth, so I figured it would be good to have something more kid-friendly than just the Kona Stout.

Anyway, all that to say, both recipes make great ice cream. The Kona Stout is unusual. It's bitter and sweet at the same time, and the coffee and beer flavors just sort of blend together and you almost you almost can't tell which is which.

The Backyard Mint does not call for green food coloring, or for mini chocolate chips, but I added them anyway. Mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite ice cream, and now I can make it myself!

Now, since the only stout beer I could find was in a six-pack, anybody want to take the rest of these off my hands? Or I guess I can hang onto them when it's time to make more man ice cream.

Peace, Love, and Baseball

I have a friend whose son's little league team is going to the World Series. I was called upon to make fun shirts for several of the mamas and sisters. You have to love a sequined baseball. :) Anyway, here they all are. I've also been monogramming coaches' shirts, and I've got some pillowcases and towels to get started on. Busy, busy week! I'll be putting the Peace, Love, and Baseball tanks up for sale in my Etsy shop, Neely Bug Boutique, for all you baseball fans.

Homemade Sweet Corn Ice Cream

I recently made a new addition to my cookbook collection - Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, by Jeni Britton Bauer. It is lovely. It's been my bedtime reading for the last week, and I've been dreaming of ice cream every night.

The book is organized by season, and I've decided to try and work my way through the summer section in the next couple of months. If I'm feeling up to it come autumn, I may carry on through the book. We'll see. I've got to get through the summer first. Anyway, the first recipe for summer is Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Black Raspberry Sauce. After glancing through the refrigerator, I realized that I had almost everything I needed to make it, so I picked up the last few ingredients and gave it a go.

I used red raspberries instead of black, since I already had them in the freezer. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a black raspberry in my life. A few months ago, I saw white raspberries at the grocery store, and they froze me in my tracks. I had no idea such a thing existed. All that to say, the sauce is delicious with red raspberries.

 

The trickiest part of the whole ordeal was convincing the kids to try it out. I knew if I said, "Hey, kids, want some corn ice cream?" they'd have gone running in the opposite direction. I told them it was called "Red Swirl." Neely loved hers. Aidan tried a few bites before deciding he doesn't like "the red." 

I think it's wonderful! The sweet corn flavor is light and summery, and the tangy sweet raspberry sauce blends with it beautifully. Who knew? Jeni. ;)

I don't think it's fair to spill Jeni's recipe here. Her book is brand-spanking new, and I think you should all go buy one yourself! Come back next week to see what I think of her Kona Stout Ice Cream recipe, which I will not be asking my children to sample.

Comfort Food - Fettuccine Alfredo

Even in the dead of summer, sometimes you just need a little comfort food. This creamy deliciousness is one of mine. The homemade sauce is way better than anything that comes out of a jar, and nearly as good as going out to an Italian restaurant. And just to warn you, it is nowhere near healthy. This is also, coincidentally, the only 30-Minute Meal I've ever pulled off in half an hour. Enjoy!

Fettuccine all'Alfredo

Makes 4 servings.

2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated fettuccine noodles (or linguine if fettuccine is sparse)

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (but let's be honest, it's better with cream)

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring salted water to a rolling boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and melt. Add cream or half-and-half, and stirring constantly, add cheese and cook, 1 minute. Season with nutmeg, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Turn off heat and add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing until sauce coats the pasta evenly. Adjust seasonings and serve.