It's a cracker. That's all.

I've been thinking about protein lately.  Specifically, how to get more of it, without eating more animals.  See, I've been pursuing a primarily plant-based diet of unprocessed whole foods.  Original, I know.  Me and everybody else I know.  Of course! So that's why you are still reading this blog post with the stupid title, right?

So here it is.  I don't want to buy crackers.  They are expensive, and also the dreaded "processed" food, even if they look like compost and a medical doctor invented an marketed them. But I love crackers.  Eating hummus just off my fingers isn't the same.  I think I probably NEED crackers. Ok, want.

And another thing.  You know those health-food crackers in the store?  They almost all have nuts and sesame, to which I am allergic.  Which also underscores the problem, posed in the first sentence of this blog post with the stupid title, that I need protein.  Plant sources.  So here's your cracker.

Amaranth-Flaxseed-Quinoa Crackers

1/3 cup amaranth, ground (you can use a coffee mill grinder, or buy amaranth flour)
1/3 cup flax seeds, ground (ditto)
1/3 cup quinoa, ground (ditto)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each of whole amaranth, whole flax seeds, whole quinoa (raw), and dry roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup water

Yield: 100 crackers
Serving size: 10 crackers

Here's how to make them:
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Mix the dry ingredients together (first seven).  Mix the oil and water.  (Ha-ha).  Add the oil and water to the dry ingredients, and work into a dough. Divide the dough in half to have a workable lump. Lightly flour a work surface and pat and roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into squares.  Transfer the squares to a baking pan.  Repeat the process with the other lump of dough.
From here, you can lightly spray the crackers with water and salt the tops, or add additional toppings of your choice (this will change the nutritional information to follow).
Prick the crackers with a fork, and bake them for 12 minutes.
Now wasn't that easy?

Financial Analysis : This is the equivalent of at least three boxes of special health-food crackers. That saves you about $20.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 319
Fat: 14.54g
Saturated Fat: 1.76g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.25g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5.7g
Trans fat: 0g
Sodium: 705mg
Potassium 372mg
Carbohydrates: 40.29g
Fiber: 8.59g
Sugar: 1.47g
Protein: 10g

Weight Watchers Smart Points: 9

Fringe benefits: High in Omega 3 fatty acids, folate, and calcium.
Also perfectly fine to serve for dinner, with hummus, if you don't feel like making anything else.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to a week.

Electrical cord repair DIY

It's happened to the best of us. You run over your vacuum cleaner cord with the power head.  Or, you have a dog.  In our case, both.  I didn't know how easy it was to repair a frayed cord, especially when it was not just damaged, but completely severed.  When my husband graciously offered to repair the cord on my steam cleaner machine, which had been nearly completely severed by our dog, I decided to make this tutorial video, in the event that someone else could benefit from learning this easy and inexpensive repair.  Or mainly because I would forget how and I might need to read my own blog next time I need to remember....speaking of which...hold on a sec while I check on the dog...ok he's fine.  For now.

Here's the situation:

Nice, huh?  Remind me never to let the dog get bored.

Here's what you need to fix it: 

1. Replacement appliance cord (only required if you are making the cord longer, or plug end is damaged)

2. Terminal Wire connectors

3. Heat shrink tubing

4. Crimping tool

5. Scissors

6. Pocket knife

7. Needle nose pliers (maybe)

8. Hair dryer or heat gun

Approximate cost of consumable supplies:  $3.33
Approximate cost of appliance cord: $10.50

Approximate cost of crimping tool: $9.98
Approximate amount of time: 20 minutes

Step one: 

Remove damaged end of cord, slip heat shrink tubing over one end of either the original cord or the new cord that you will connect.

Step 2: Splice the wires using the terminal wire connectors.

Here's a picture of what you need: 

Here's the video process: 

Splice the broken wires

Step 3: Add heat shrink tubing and finish up

Conclusion...

Isn't he nice???  I know this is certainly not the only video on the web for how to do this, but it is certainly the most entertaining and features the best looking guy. My opinion, but feel free to make it yours.

All the best!

Amy & Craig

The Boots and the Servant

Oh, the word Redeemed!  This is a word that is used so often to describe the event that takes place in the life of any person who chooses Christ.  It means to buy back.  The authority of God to redeem, or buy back the life of this person he created is rarely questioned by that individual.  But may I suggest that our status of redemption and the identity that comes with it is often assaulted by others? I think this can be adequately portayed in the following allegory.

A poor, pathetic, worn out pair of boots is thrown on the curb and makes its way into a flea market.  The owner of the market puts a very discounted price on it, and sets it out.  The boots are dirty, smell bad, and they have been in a lot of places that many people haven't ever gone.  They have been used by people that had the worst intentions for the boots.  They were torn, beaten up. Most people thought they had a good likelyhood of carrying a disease, too. They made people uncomfortable because they thought, if they wanted THOSE boots, you, know, they would really require a lot of attention, care, and repair.  And still even after that, well, they had this history, and who wants to be connected to that. It was too risky, I mean the boots might just fall apart when you least expect it.  After all, no one needs that kind of unreliability. Bottom line: these boots were just not suitable for polite society.  No wonder they were so cheap!  People reasoned that maybe some boots were just unsalvageable, and if ever any were, these were they.

One day a servant of a wealthy man came through the market and noticed the boots. He told his master about the boots, and the master came to see them. Tears filled his eyes when he saw what had happened to them.  He told the owner of the market that he wanted them.  Not only that, he wanted to pay the full price for the boots as if they were brand new.  He carefully picked them up, and brushed off the dirt and saw what he was looking for. Yes, these were the boots that he had made with his own hands so long ago.  He remembered with grief the day that someone had ripped them from his house, and how he had looked for them, and they were gone. With tears he recalled how much he loved those boots he had made, and how much he wanted them back no matter what.  They were special.  He had made many things, but these were one of a kind.  He had never made any other boots just like these, and there was no detail on them that he didn't place there on purpose. No wonder that wicked person wanted to steal them!  This wealthy man was so overjoyed to bring the boots back into his house.  Some of his servants rejoiced with him, too, the ones who knew the master's heart.  They were glad to see that the master of the house had them back, and had proudly displayed them in his mansion.  They even helped the master, as he toiled night and day to fix the damage that had been done to the boots when they were in the wrong hands. They often came by and oiled the scratches and rubbed out the rough places.  They could see the beauty of those boots coming through more and more each day.  The master had to rip off the sole and replace it.  That really hurt him to do, to see the boot so exposed like that, but there was dirt underneath that needed to be cleaned out.  The new sole was hard to get used to, and some of the other servants called the boots "phony." When the master heard people saying that, it made him cry.  They just didn't understand how much he loved those boots he had made.

Those other servants were not so happy to see those boots back in the house at all.  Especially one in particular.  This servant had left those boots on the porch one night, not bothering to bring them in, figuring they didn't really matter much anyway, and after all, he likelyhood anyone would take them was slim. This servant thought nothing about kicking the boots around even when they were in the house.  "They're just boots!" the servant thought.  "The master of this house has thousands of them!"  This unkind servant talked to other servants and some agreed with him that the boots really didn't matter that much, that when the master needed boots, he could certainly use another pair.

Day after day, the master toiled to restore the boots that he had purchased. The wicked group of servants decided that they had something to say.  They had seen enough of this work on a single pair of boots.  They decided to get together with as many of the other servants as possible, and tell them what REALLY HAPPENED with those boots. They got together in a group and began whispering about where those boots had been, and all the rotten things those boots had been exposed to, and all the filthy people who had touched them.  They talked about how "some damage is just permanent"  as if to imply that even the master who had made the boots couldn't fix everything. They discussed how "some things just have consequences" and surmised that it might even be WRONG to try to care for those boots.  More than anything, they just didn't want their hands dirty, and they had every right to feel this way. The servant who left the boots out, and the other servants who saw them out and did nothing about it, really felt guilty of how they had mishandled the goods of the master, and the boots coming back into the house were an awful reminder of that. But it was so much easier to get rid of the boots than to deal with what they had done. So they talked and talked about how horrible the boots were, talked about where they had been, and tried to make sure the other servants thought twice about caring for the boots or loving them. But all this did nothing to help the wicked servants feel any better about themselves, or the choices they had made. Even worse, the master overheard them saying one day, "The master ought to just throw those boots in the fireplace!" The master was furious with the servant and took his position and influence away. This infuriated the servant, and one day, he took a pocket knife and drove it into one of the boots and tore it badly. He spat on the boots and took out his aggression on them because of all the trouble and embarrassment those boots has caused him, all these years, hearing the master cry over the boots and halfheartedly helping the master look for the boots - even though the servant had spotted the boots occasionally, he never brought them home; he just gossiped about all the rotten places he had seen them. The master went about healing the damaged boots, grieving over the wicked servant who had injured them. He appointed special servants, who had loving and compassionate hearts, to watch over the boots until the damage was restored. The master knew it would take time. He also knew that he needed to make the boots stronger, to withstand any further mishandling. It hurt him to know that the damage that was done in his own house was worse that what had been done when the boots were lost.

If you know Jesus, you are his treasure.  Don't let any servants in the Master's house convince you otherwise.  You are redeemed, and Jesus paid full price for you.

 Be watchful of how you treat God's treasures.

 "If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him." I Cor.3:17   

Halloween - Why not make it a BLESSING?

 

 

Ahh!  The time of year so many little children look forward to!  Candy.  Dressing up!  What's not to love? Well, for many Christians, there is a lot not to love.  This, however, is NOT a blog post about that.   What I would like to do, instead, is offer you something.  Something FREE.  Whether you participate in the holiday itself or you don't, most of you will have people knocking on your door on October 31st.  Depending on your personal preferences and convictions, you will either hand out candy, turn your light off and ignore them, or plan to be somewhere else. 
This year, my son Josiah and I set to creating a Halloween tract and we are offering it to you as a free download.  You can give candy and give them something far more valuable and lasting, too.  The GOOD NEWS of eternal life.  I know there is no shortage of tracts for Halloween, and each writer brings his or her own personal character to the presentation.  We hope that you will like ours, and more importantly, if you don't have a tract to hand out, we hope that you will use ours.  At this time of year when so much focus is on death, our hope is that you can use this opportunity, when dozens of people will literally come to you, to share the good news of LIFE. We also hope that you will include your name and contact information on the back before handing them out.  Be a blessing! 

If you prefer to have a printed copy of this booklet, please contact me at ajboberg@yahoo.com.  We ask for a donation of $2 per copy to cover the printing and mailing costs.

Download our free PDF version here  and BE A BLESSING!

Bias Binding Tutorial

Now and then I find a great use for my fabric scraps. And by that I mean not very often. Usually it's a time consuming something-or-other that doesn't really benefit me much.  This is different --it passes my test for purposeful use of scraps!  Here's part 1:

I have fits with commercial bias tape, for various reasons. It's expensive. It may not always match exactly, or come in the width I want. I may want a different fabric than plain cotton, to give a garment a fancier look (how about silk?), and these specialty tapes aren't readily available.  I thought making my own bias tape was never really my cup of tea. I detest cutting long strips of fabric from a pattern piece, especially on the bias. That's why I was so thrilled when I discovered this technique. With a little math and geometry, you can EASILY make about 3 yards of bias tape, with any fabric of your choosing, from a 10 X 10 square of fabric. YES, 10 X 10. That's smaller than some of us even bother to keep. I've posted this video to make it all really easy to follow. Here I demonstrate how to make 1" tape (1/4" wide when double folded). You can use the same technique to cut wider tape, and use a larger square.

Here's part 2:

 

Now wasn't that easy?!

The Men's Vest

What goes into a fine men's vest from Amy's Top Stitching Co.? I created this article to explain the process, quality, and workmanship that goes into our custom men's vests. 

The apparel business is competitive and sometimes complicated.  American designers are competing with cheap foreign labor and coping with escalating costs.  Finding true customer oriented designs and high quality workmanship at a respectable price can be challenging.  This has always been our mission at Amy's Top Stitching, and we are shameless perfectionists about it. 

The Patterns

Our vest patterns are custom drafted individually for each customer.  Each customer provides his measurements, and a pattern is drafted up and his own file is created.  Our patterns adhere to strict classic menswear standards.  Our welts are exactly 1" high and set at a 78 degree angle.  Front break points, and angles and waistline contours are hand drafted and carefully checked and measured.  Front darts are contoured and placed based on customer dimensions, with the welt pocket carefully centered over it, at the perfect distance from the hem to accommodate the pocket depth.  Standard ease allowances are used, to be adjusted later according to customer preference at the fitting.  Finally, patterns are checked against standard measurement charts and proofed. 

The Fitting

After the first draft of the pattern is complete, a muslin model (or toile) is created and sent to the customer for fitting.  A perfect fit is achieved by using digital photos and the customer's own advice about the fit. Much time is spent evaluating the photos, and modifying the pattern. We consider this a very important step, and we do this even for children's vests.

The Production

Only the highest quality materials are used in our vests.  We select our vendors and products carefully and inspect every piece, every button.  Fabrics are preshrunk to make them needle ready.  Only high quality tailor grade interfacing is used.  We put as much attention into the inner workings of a garment that are never seen, as we do in the outer parts.  Seams are carefully graded and pinked when necessary.  Each piece is measured and re-measured.  A typical men's vest will have several checkpoints of in-process inspection by a certified QA inspector.  These checkpoints include: marking of the welts after darts are placed, inspection of pockets when complete, marking/placing of buttonholes, and final inspection. The time involved in hand cutting each piece and inspection along the way really shows in the final product.  We use front facings, neck facings and interior pocket facings to add extra polish and class to our vests.  Hand worked detail is also a hallmark of our product.  We find the polished look of undetectable hand stitching much preferable to the top stitched detail of most other vests.  It takes time and patience, but the finished product is well worth it.

Customer First!

We want our customers to know how special they are to us. Our vests have size and care labels, FTC compliant labels, and brand labels.   We package our vests for shipping as carefully as we make them.  They arrive clean and ready to wear, in a garment box lined with tissue paper and inspection signatures.  We remember you, no matter how many customers we have helped.  We always try to send a follow up email to find out how you like your garment. Everything we produce is 100% satisfaction guaranteed.  We're looking for lifetime customers not just "sales." What's more, if you choose to order another vest, using the custom pattern we created just for you, you will receive a $20 discount off the current price.  Our goal is to put custom fit clothing within your reach.

Thanks for your interest in our brand!  Coming soon, our menswear will have a new name: AC Ashworth & Company.  Expect great things!  Same people, same quality, new name!

  

Home Economy? Really?

Clearly, the definition of home economy has changed. Some of us learned to sew in the 7th grade, and that was part of a "Home Ec" class. Sewing is now considered by many to be an expensive hobby. Sure, you can save money by making some things, but not necessarily clothing. When did clothing get so cheap, and fabric so expensive? The vision of the dutiful wife and mother, skilled at the sewing machine, clothing her family for pennies, has faded. Furthermore, as a clothing designer/retailer myself, I see that the money it takes to create a finely tailored garment with quality materials far exceeds the cost of a similar mass produced item for sale at discount retail outlets. And we aren't even considering the labor time! So, how does one convince a person (or herself) that a handmade item is worth the cost and effort?

Proverbs 31 refers to the virtuous woman who "procures a supply of wool and flax" and "works with willing hands"(v.13) "puts her hand to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod" (v.19) and "has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed. She makes her own quilts..."(v.21,22) "She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes." (v.24) How shall we reconcile to modern times this oft quoted scripture, which depicts a respected mother and wife who provides for her own household, the needs of the poor, and also conducts a successful business from home using her own hands to create clothing and quilts?

Scripture is timeless, and unchangeable. God wasn't caught off guard when the economy tanked and the hobby quilters hijacked the fabric industry, driving the prices up, and enticing stores to abandon the aisles of bolts for little piles of fabric squares at inflated prices.

I can still remember when $3 a yard was a lot to pay for fabric, and that wasn't long ago. Now I squeal with glee when I see a tag with that price - until I see how cheap, thin, and off grain it is. Then I usually turn on my heel in disgust....And where is the real linen? Real, 100% wool? And flax....wait....what is flax?

It will take a lot of creativity in these modern times to follow the footsteps of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs; but the scripture is not outdated or irrelevant. Good quality fabric may come from overseas, or take some time and creativity to track down. It may be difficult to find a good price. It will require a skillful eye and a sharp mind to make a profit and a good product. When doing the right thing is difficult or seems futile, that isn't your cue to quit. It's a sign that you need to get smarter. Idle hands (the ones that expect success to be easy and obvious) are the ones that fail.

Sometimes it's important to remember that all is not lost. Overseas factories don't have to overtake the USA in manufacturing, and it isn't time to give up and roll over. They can mass produce what takes me an hour to make. So? Is it quality? NO. Those of us who have seen clothing last for generations know quality. I have a dress hanging in my closet that my grandmother wore in the 1950's. I have worn it, too, and so will my daughter. It doesn't have a "Made in China" tag on it either. Time for handcrafters to stand up for what they do. We don't have to die. We don't have to settle for clothing that falls apart after a few months.

Personally, I'm not listening to the naysayers. I also think arguing with God is pointless.