DIY My Little Pony Plush - Part 2

Here's part 2 of the DIY My Little Pony Plush post.  (Click here for Part 1)  Don't forget that the full instructions/tutorial can be found at the original source here.

When we last left off I just completed the head of the pony.  Next step is to complete the body.

You want to start by attaching the hoof (circle) to the underbody.  You will start by attaching the circle hoof at two points.  I took a little short cut because I didn't want to attach 2 points.

I pinned a needled into the 2nd point to hold it in place and started sewing at the first point.  That way I can have more flexibility to the half circle.

DIY My Little Pony Plush - Part 1

Pin Rating: 4

Difficulty: Intermediate to difficult

I LOVE My Little Pony.  I love the fact that they rebooted the series and I enjoy it just as much as I did while I was a kid.  When a friend posted a blog post featured on OffBeat Families on my Facebook page for a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic plush tutorial, I knew I had to make one for myself.  Despite there being a template and instructions - provided by Voodoo Tiki over at DeviantArt this project is more difficult than I expected.  I had made my R2D2 plushie a couple of months ago and didn't have too much difficulty so I thought since this one had a pattern it would be even easier - I was so wrong.  I think the most difficult part of this was being patient.  There are a lot of little details but it's well worth it as it all comes together in the end.  I decided to make my own DJ Pon3 with the fleece I had left over from the R2D2 plush.

Still up for the challenge?  Here's what you'll need.

• Sewing items (Scissors, needle, thread)
• Fleece 
• 2 shades of blue fleece
• White fleece
• Small piece of Black
• Small piece of purple
• Voodoo Tiki Template
• Polyester Fiber Fill
• Knowledge of how to do a backstitch - it's more secured compared to a single stitch when you flip the plush inside out.

Home made Valentine's Chocolates!

Valentine's day is tomorrow!  Do you need a last minute idea for a valentine's gift?  Why not some home made chocolates?  They're quick and easy to make and gives a personalized touch to each piece of chocolate.  So I don't normally make or give out Valentine's gifts but I was watching an anime a couple of months ago (Fruits Basket) and there was an episode about Valentine's Day and White Day and I was determined to make my own chocolates to hand out for Valentines to hand out to my friends.  

So for those who don't know here's a quick recap from the wiki page on White Day.  In Japan Valentine's is typically observed by females to present chocolates and gifts to males to show their affection - in my case friendship.  Handmade chocolates are usually preferred because it shows sincerity    and emotion put into the home made item.  On White Day, March 15th, the reverse happens where the recipient of the gift returns a gift that is typically something white.  It's silly, but I also secretly hope for something in return on White day ^_^.  I blame it on me watching so much Japanese anime although I live in America.   

So here's how I made the Valentine's day chocolates.

• 2-3 different colored candy melts (candy waffers)
• Chocolate Waffers of your choice (I used dark chocolates)
• Peanut Butter Filling and/or nuts for fillings
• Note: I don't have step by step instructions for this but check out the link.  They have to chill for 1 hour so be sure to do this step first.
• Requires: Butter, Pb, powdered sugar
• Zip lock bags
• 1-2 candy trays
• I used the Roses & Hearts from Hobby Lobby

Big thanks for my friend A for the chocolates in bulk and showing me the PB Filling recipe.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Pin Rating: 4.5

Duration: 15-20 minute prep, 30 min bake

When asked to bring a side dish to a friend's house for a weeknight dinner I of course turned to Pintrest.  I was looking for some sort of potato side (something starchy) to go with the protein and I came across some Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes by The Farm Girl and they were delicious and easy to make. 

For this reciepe I only wanted to make a 8 x 8 dish versus the 9 x 13 that they made on the original blog, so I modified it a bit.  I also didn't have corn flakes on hand so I used chex mix.  :)

Potatoes

• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 small yellow onion chopped
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 14-16 oz bag of frozen shredded hash brown (I got it on sale for $1 at Safeway!)
• 1/4 cup safeway

Topping

• 1 1/2 cup chex mix
• 1 Tbsp butter melted

 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Superbowl Sunday!

It's Superbowl Sunday!  Are you ready for today's game?  Who are you rooting for today?  Go Niners!

Need some last minute ideas for some party food?  Try some of these quick bites below.  Spend less time in the kitchen today and more time watching and enjoying the game!

• Pb Chicken wrap
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Bacon Jalapeño Poppers
• Taco Bowls