Issue 2 : March / April 2008
Fr o m T h e Pat c h
at C ou nt r y V i l l a g e The Weed Patch Celebrate the death and Resurrection of Helping Make Your House a Home Christ this Easter, for He is our salvation! Country Village
Mark 16
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In This Issue Owner’s Corner :: The Patch’s Blog News from The Patch Essay Contest Winning Entries New Essay Contest! Craft :: Handmade Greeting Card Recipe :: Chicken Noodle Soup, Asian Style
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Th e We e d Patc h
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Owne r ’s C or ner : : C ra ft s , Rec ip es and Pro duc t s o n T h e Weed Pat c h B l o g ! By Janene Tindall
Do you love the From The Patch newsletter? Do you enjoy reading about new products in the store, delicious recipes, or craft projects and ideas? Then you’ll love The Weed Patch blog! What is a blog anyway? It is basically an online journal that anyone can access via the Internet. Blogs are dedicated to cooking, crafting, sports, politics, knitting, pets, anything you can think of. Blogs create communities by connecting people with similar interests all over the world, putting them in contact with each other through the blog, where they can learn, share ideas, and make friends. With the appearance of a regular website, blogs contain entries in order of post date, with access to all past blogs in archives. You can also read any post dedicated to your topic of choice by selecting a category from a list. On August 19. 2007, The Weed Patch started our very own blog, with topic including recipes, crafts, new products, holidays, events, and lots more. With several entries posted per week, you can enjoy a steady stream of articles and photos, just like you receive in the newsletter. Through our blog, we’ll keep you posted on new products that go up in the store or on the website, special events or sales. We’ve got crochet patterns, cooking how-to’s, and stories about holidays or special places, all with colorful photos. Sometimes we just write a casual entry about what’s going on in our lives, with Benjamin, or share pretty photos. Occasionally we’ll post a themed series of blogs, such as our A-Z Advent leading up to Christmas. Starting with December 1, we posted a daily blog entry focused about one thing we love about Christmas, from A to Z. Posts included A is for Advent, B is for Baking, C is for Crafts, and so on. In the near future, we plan to do a similar blog series to help carry you through the cold dreary winter months, which we are calling Alphabet Soup – a series of entries sharing a soup recipe featuring an ingredient representing each letter of the alphabet. If this all sounds good to you, then come on over and visit us today! You may access our blog via our website – there is a button on the top left that says “Check Out Our Blog.” Or, you may access the blog directly by visiting this website address: www.theweedpatch.typepad.com. And when you visit, be sure to leave us a comment – let us know what you like, what you wish to see more of, or even share your own ideas and stories! We look forward to hearing from you!
T h e W e e d P a t c h’ s M o n t h l y R e c i p e S h e e t Re c i p e : C h i c k e n N o o d l e S o u p , As i a n S t y l e By Janene Tindall
2 tsp olive oil 1 sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly into ½ rings 1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally (1/4” thick) 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced 2 red Thai chiles, minced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 6 cups chicken broth 1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 3 T fish sauce 1 tsp brown sugar 12 fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or dried, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, then squeezed dry) Juice of 1 lime 1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast 5 oz Rice Noodles 1 T peanut butter 1 tsp chili oil 3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
The ingredient list in this asian-inspired chicken noodle soup may seem daunting at first, but all can be picked up in your local grocery store. You’ll find fish sauce and rice noodles in the asian section. 1. Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrot, potato, red chiles, and garlic, and sauté another 5 minutes, or until potatoes start to soften. 2. Add chicken broth, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and lime juice; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are almost done. 3. Add cooked chicken, peanut butter, and rice noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the noodles are done. 4. Stir in cilantro and chile oil. Transfer to warmed bowls and serve hot.
M a k i n g M y D r e a r y W i nt e r C h e e r fu l . . . How do I make my dreary winter cheerful? The cold dark winter months are my official “get caught up on scrapbooking months!!” On January after all the Christmas decorations are put away and the house seems bare, I designate the dining room table as scrapbooking headquarters. I organize and lay out all the colorful papers, stickers, scissors, and miscellaneous scrapbooking tools. Then the fun part, going through all the pictures from the past year. Birthdays, holidays, special moments, last summer’s vacation. It always brings a smile to my face to see how much the kids have grown and all the run we’ve had as a family. Everyone in the family loves to pass by the table to reminisce happy memories and accomplishments. It also motivates everyone to begin making new and exciting plans for the upcoming year. Definitely a bright spot in a dreary winter! ~ Kristi McKibben, Kenmore
Congratulations to our three winners, Kristi McKibben, Becky Cole, and Stacy Bell on submitting the winning entries in our Newsletter Essay Contest! Each has been awarded a $25 gift certificate to The Patch for their winning contributions! Want a chance to win a $25 gift certificate yourself? Submit you answer to the following question in essay format, and get that chance! For our May / June Newsletter, tell us:
“My Favorite Spring Recipe Is...” Send in your essay along with your name, address, phone number or email address the store.
Deadline for submitting an entry:
Winter brings so many fun activities April 2, 2008 and events to look forward to: the Entries must be original and will be judged on creativity, quality, Christmas season, the family traditions, practicality, and originality. Content may be edited for style, and all of the holiday lights and sights, length, and clarity. No purchase necessary. but winter can also bring gray skies and cold wet weather. I don’t let Winner will be announced in our next newsletter. that get me down. I cheer myself from the inside out…the inside of E-Mail :: newsletter@theweedpatchstore.com my home, that is! I love to decorate for any season but winter is my favorite time. I can hardly wait to get out the decorations and start adorning my home and making it merry. The things in my home don’t have to be fancy or expensive but they sure add to a warm and comfortable atmosphere inside. My 2 young children are starting to get excited about and anticipate the fun decorations that come out at this special season, too. Seeing their eyes light up as the lights go on the Christmas tree, the special Christmas books come out, and the snowmen and jingle bells that liven up every corner in our home can brighten any gray sky. So when winter’s chill starts to set in, we happily settle into our cozy, festive home and enjoy the warmth that it provides. ~ Becky Cole, Woodinville Some people may close their eyes and visualize in what they believe to be the very best of all fantasy winters. One could dream of a morning that wakens you to the sight of fresh glistening white snow that has caked the ground and saturated the trees in almost a fairy tale like state. Smoke billows from every chimney and icicles, Mother Nature’s natural decoration, shine and sparkle with the sun. A cold nose has you running to find the nearest tissue and the sound of the snow crunching beneath your feet has you reminiscing satisfied and dreaming about childhood and how days of endless play left you cold and tired but happy and satisfied and dreaming of the new tomorrow. Winter thoughts are like that for me at least. Living in Washington, our state can demonstrate the word “dreary” quite well. I honestly have no tradition or activity I do that brightens my dreary winter. I do however make the season happy by enjoying the small things. Stoking the fire when the frost has hit the ground has me feeling comforted and warm. Turning on the Christmas music while relaxing with a mug of hot cider ready to tire my hands with the happy task of mailing out Christmas cards, sends thoughts of spring and summer into hibernation. And enjoying the natural beauty of the season in what seems at times to be such a silent and breathtaking occasion can be almost therapeutic. This year I have the exciting and special undertaking of introducing my nine month old son to snow in the mountains, showing him the beauty of lights, giving him his first taste of the jolly old man in his bright red suit, and the happy ritual of breakfast on a Saturday morning followed by the excitement of hitting the nearest tree farm and finding that perfect tree. This winter for me will be one that exudes joyful and cheerful times. But in all, winter here minus the many moments of dreary can be a season of hidden beauty and make for very happy memories. Thinking of those small hidden moments has me feeling that my winter season is one that is cheerful for sure! ~ Stacy Bell, Bothell
C r a ft s : : Pe a c h Ro s e C a r d By Janene Tindall
This card can be blank, or personalized for mother’s day, birthday, or a spring greeting. Choose any color scheme • Rose rubber stamp (or flower you like - I picked peach and blue, because this card was stamp of your choice) for my mother-in-law, and that is her favorite. Try pink • Black ink pad (use and green, or purple and yellow! waterproof ink if using watercolors) Instructions: • Cardstock: white, peach, 1. Stamp the flower image in black on white pale blue (or color scheme cardstock. Let dry. of your choice) 2. Add color to the flower image: using watercolor • Peach ribbon, 1/8” wide paints or colored pencils, add peach to the flower petals, • Puffy tape, either in a role, green to the leaves, and brown to the stem. Try a bit of or in dots shading to add dimension – make the base of the petal • Superfine glitter in a squeeze or leaf, where a shadow would be, a little darker than bottle, such as Stickles the tip. • Watercolor paints or colored Add some sparkle – use the Stickles glitter glue to add some glitter to the flower pencils (peach or pink, petals and leaves. Let dry. green, and brown) Cut around the image in a rectangle shape. Using rubber cement or double stick tape pieces, attach image to peach cardstock. Cut out around the image, leaving a 1/8” border all the way around. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a straight line to cut on, or use a personal sized paper cutter (a must have tool for any paper crafter, I’ll just say that now!) Cut standard size sheet of pale blue cardstock in half to create a 5 ½” x 4 ¼” piece. Fold in half to create a card, using a bone folder or back of a spoon to flatten. Attach a small piece of thick puffy tape to each back corner of the peach-backed flower image, and attach to the front of the blue card, as in the photo. To finish, cut a length of peach ribbon, wrap around card, threading under the flower image. Tie closed with a bow. The recipient will enjoy “opening” the card, like a package!
Supplies:
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N o t e s / Re s o u r c e s :
• I got this stamp and ink from Michaels craft store. Joann’s superstore, or any stamping store, will have a nice selection to choose from. • I love Stickles glitter glues, but sometimes the bottle gets clogged with glitter and won’t come out. I like to keep a regular stick pin handy, because if you just poke it in the opening and swirl around a bit, it clears the problem right up! • Craft stores sell little dots of puffy tape that are about 1/8 thick. That works, but I also like using regular 3M mounting tape sold in roles, usually in the office supply section of any general store. It works the same, and is usually lots cheaper.