Sherry from Young House Love has teamed up with Katie from Bower Power to issue a Pinterest Challenge. It is to help you stop pinning and start doing. I’m going to sound a little conceded here and say I’m pretty good at executing a good number of things I pin. Especially dinner recipes. But I also get busy with crafting. I was out of town over the weekend so my time was limited, but I accepted the challenge and this is what I did.
First I figured I’d whip something up on the sewing machine. I love me a good sewing project. I pinned this Latchy Catchy forever ago (51 weeks ago to be exact) and thought heck, I could whip one of those up with scrap fabric I have on hand! I measured my door, made a plan, ignored the fact that I was supposed to be sewing a birthday present (floor cushion), and set to work. I should have just done was I was supposed to be doing (the floor cushion).
It was too big. There was too much slack. So I attempted another version. I made it a little shorter and made the elastic a lot shorter. I made the elastic too short. I couldn’t get it around the door knob. So I scrapped the project and whipped up the floor cushion that needed to get done (which turned out great and the birthday girl was pleased!).
So, back to the drawing board. I’ve been pinning a bunch of exercise stuff. Mostly having to do with how to get rid of my jiggly I’ve had two babies belly, but doing one of those wouldn’t make for a fun post, so I decided to skip that.
I did what I know how to do best and I got out the baking supplies.
I had two unopened bags of brown sugar and 6 bags of chocolate chips in there! I’ve not been baking nearly enough!
And then I decided on a recipe that had no chocolate in it. Something I only pinned 5 days ago. It was fresh in my mind and I couldn’t stop thinking about it! Pioneer Woman’s Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. I had a brand new jar of peach preserves handy so my oatmeal bars are peach flavored instead. PW knows her stuff so I knew these would be good and I needed good after my flop.
The recipe seemed simple and I had all the ingredients on hand, though I don’t have a pastry cutter. I used a fork.
And while doing so I was totally regretting not picking up a dough blender at Home Goods last week. I had it in my cart, but I put it back. I thought it was a unitasker. And Alton Brown says don’t buy unitaskers. It would have come in handy when I made dumplings last week. And it would have come in handy when I whipped up these oatmeal bars, too. Instead I spent 10 minutes smashing to end up with this.
There’s still a lot of butter chunks after all that work. Anyone want to buy me a dough blender?
Anywho, the bars came out great!
I love oatmeal, so these are right up my alley. Cupcake liked them and asked for seconds. Hubby, who typically doesn’t like oatmeal, even liked them. Guess what I’m having for breakfast for the next few days?
OK, Pinterest challenge complete. I’m off to install some shelves in the bathroom. And to make something with some of that chocolate I’ve been hoarding.
What have you pinned and made lately?
Yummmm. Those look delicious. I would never be able to keep chocolate chips in my cupboard long enough to have more than one bag. ha. We are all chocolate feens around here. Bummer that the latch silencer project didn’t turn out. Most of my failed Pinterest project involve sewing myself skirts. They all come out close, but no cigar. I did have a successful Pin project yesterday…it was the Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise. I thought it might be too spicy for the toddler, but she loved it. Here is the link if you want to give it a shot. http://pinterest.com/pin/259097784784457760/
Kim recently posted…Mourning a True Matriarch
You know in the winter I store the chocolate chips in the top of the pantry so I forget about them. In the summer I keep them in the fridge so they don’t melt, which always results in me eating them straight! Thanks for the burger recipe! I definitely want to try them!!
I was hesitant to buy a pastry blender at first but now use it all the time… I mash potatoes with it and it gives me an excuse to make more pie!
I didn’t even think about using it for mashed potatoes! I have a cheap, plastic potato masher that doesn’t work very well, so I suppose I should finally get myself a pastry blender!!! Thanks for the tip!
I have many tools, but one I do not have is a pastry blender. I just use my hands everytime.
Don’t buy a flour sifter, if it comes up, though. A mesh strainer works so much better and is easier to clean. I want to donate my sifter!
Aly recently posted…Stir Fried Chicken, Mushrooms, Snow Peas, and Udon Noodles