Book Review- Star Wars Ice Sabers Cookbook

When you buy this cookbook, you get the really cool ice saber molds and that's probably enough for a lot of you. Because the ice pop molds are really just that cool.

The book has 30 recipes for frozen treats. There are only 3 recipes for ice pops in Darth Vader Red, Obi-Wan Blue and Luke Green. The rest of the book is easy to make recipes inspired by the movies.

My daughter, who has strong cooking skills, really likes Chewie Chocolate Cheesecake Pops. This is one of the recipes that doesn't look like something from the movies, but each step is explained well and they are easy to make. A basic chocolate cheesecake without a crust is baked, frozen, cut into pieces and dipped in chocolate.

Sometimes the tie between the movie and the dessert is a catchy, rhyming or punning name such as Bananakin Splits or Tauntun Bon Bons. Other desserts like Ice Cream Clones look like something from the movies. The Twin Suns Sherbet Bombe is my favorite visually, it's simple to make and stunning. The name that had me laughing out loud is the incredibly refreshing citrus Mos Icely granita which is also my favorite recipe in the book.

So a fan, especially a younger fan who is learning to cook, would enjoy the cookbook. The recipes are simple and really nice for a hot summer day. The recipes are clearly written by author Lara Starr, and the photographs by Matthew Carden are just delightful, featuring lots of action figures with the various desserts. It's a soft cover book in full color.

The molds! One cup of liquid is enough to fill all 4 molds with a couple tsps left over. The molds stand easily in a fridge and the pops release easily after running a bit of warm water over the mold. They are fantastic, and I think even adult fans won't be able to resist crossing ice pops at least once.

 The recipes use American volume measurements.

Published by Chronicle Books- check out their Facebook page for contests and more information about their books.

The green pops above are not a recipe from the book. The Luke sabers from the book are a lot brighter green. The pops shown above are my own recipe- Mint Matcha Tea Ice Pops

You can get the set using my Amazon.com affiliate link. I'll make a small commission if you use the links below which helps pay for this site.

U.S.A. U.K.
I received a complimentary copy of this book to review, I received no other compensation, and my review is my honest opinion of the book. You can read more about my review policy here.

Quick to stitch kerchief crochet pattern

I love bottom up techniques for kerchiefs and shawls because everyone likes a different size. Some people like them tiny, just a scrap of a triangle. TG and I like them wide enough to trap back the side of our hair behind our ears. This one is one of my favorite techniques because it works with nearly any yarn or thread for shawls or kerchiefs.

You will need:

• size H hook (5 mm)
• size I hook (5.5mm)
• worsted weight yarn- my example is done in Bernat Mosaic in the Psychedelic colorway
• scissors
• yarn needle

Pattern is in American terminology.

Stitches and abbreviations used:

• chain = ch
• single crochet = sc
• double crochet = dc
• slip stitch = sl st

Repeat ** means to repeat what is between the asterisks.

Chain 9, sl st to join

Row 1: ch 5, sc in ch 9 ring, ch 3, dc in 5th ch from sl st in in ch 9 ring. (2 loops)

Row 2: ch 5, sc in ch 3 from previous row, ch 3, sc in ch 5 from previous row, ch 3, dc in 3rd ch on the ch 5 from the previous row. (3 loops)

Row 3: ch 5, sc in first loop of previous row, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in last loop, ch 3, dc in 3rd ch on the last loop of previous row. (4 loops)

Each row works the same way, starting with a chain 5 loop that is joined with a single crochet in the first loop, and ch 3 loops all the way across to the last loop which is ch 3, double crochet in the 3rd chain of the ch 5 from the last row. Each row increases the loops by one. 

So when you get your triangle big enough for your kerchief- for the one above, it was 22 rows, then you put on the final row.

Last row: ch 1, sc in same stitch, *ch 3, sc in next loop*, repeat ** across, on the last ch 3, sc in 3rd stitch from ch 5 loop on previous row.

Single crochet border and ties-

Switch to I hook- Ch 1 to turn. working down the sides of the kerchief, sc in last sc of previous row, work 2 sc in each space until the bottom corner. Do 5 chains in bottom corner, then 2 sc in each space up the other side. When you get to the first sc in the last row, sc in that.

Chain 50 or 60 (depending on how long you want your ties, I did 60) then slip stitch back up the chain. Do another sc in the last sc of previous row. Sc in each stitch across the top of the kerchief. When you reach the last sc, chain 50 or 60, sl st back up the chain, then sl st to join to the first sc on the round. 

Weave in all ends.

This is what it looks like from the back-

And this is what a shawl looks like worked using the same technique. This is one of my favorite shawls! Sorry, can't help you with that pattern because so far, I've been completely unwilling to count stitches to figure out how I made it! 

Santa Claus Printable Boxes

It's July, which means it's time for a Christmas in July printable. This one is for a Santa box that's 3x3x1 inch. Click on the images for a bigger version, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, and glue.

When I was a little girl, one of my mom's biggest pet peeves around the holidays was trying to find dolls with darker skin and dark hair and eyes. I've never forgotten her determination that I would never have only blonde haired, blue eyed dolls. Because Native American dolls were always pretty stereotyped, the end result was a collection of gorgeous, handmade dolls in a rainbow of skin tones. I haven't done every skin tone possible on this set, and if you want something specific, just email me or leave a comment to let me know. Santa, no matter what the origins of his story are, should be a universal symbol for people who celebrate Christmas.

Happy Christmas in July!

Summer photos and staying hydrated with Coke® products

This post brought to you by Coca Cola. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's summer, and Anchorage, Alaska has had such wonderful weather it actually made the national news.

It gets to be about 10 am, and the sun starts calling me, to work in my yard and garden, or to go out hiking and exploring, go bird watching or go to the zoo. Just anything to be out in that gorgeous summer weather.

It's easy to get very busy, and to forget to stay hydrated. Sam's Club has you covered with Coca Cola products at great prices.

So if I can't enjoy the water like this happy seagull-

I can enjoy a bottle of Dasani® while taking photos.

My daughter likes Vitamin Water® and Powerade®, my son has been wild for Fuze® for years and he likes their ice tea too! NOS® has electrolytes and caffeine for lots of energy for hiking and other outdoor sports.

It's so important to stay hydrated, and having great tasting options will make it easier. It's easy to slip a bottle into a backpack or bag.

Really, it hasn't been hard to remember to stay hydrated on the very warm days. I know a lot of you don't consider 70 degrees warm, but for a family completely acclimated to Alaska like mine is? 70 degrees is very warm. You perspire to keep cool, and lose so much liquid that way. Drinking something nice and cold helps you feel cooler too.

The winters last so long that I'm loving the very warm days that start at 4 am and end around 11 pm. I'm loving gardening and having to water my thirsty plants twice a day. If they need it, I do too.

Speaking of plants, Coke® products use plant based plastics in their bottles!