Battle of Wills

Merit Badge (for rolling with the punches) by leemeszaros
Its no secret that the women in my family are incredibly stubborn. Last night was the ultimate showdown of stubborn-ness too- the battle of wills between the crafty chick and the shop-a-holic. (No, they aren't both me.) Here's how it all happened...

Yesterday evening I was at my mom's house using her sewing machine to finish up a birthday gift for my younger sister. I end up staying late and as I am gathering my stuff to leave my older sister, the shop-a-holic, mutters "Dang. I have to go back to the store for the 3rd time today. I forgot to get something for the potluck at G's school tomorrow." Because it is the last day of preschool for my niece there is a potluck, which my sister forgot about until 8:30 pm. This is where I come in.

"Why don't you just find something here to make and bring?"
"No, I was going to bring fruit. Even though a couple other moms are bringing fruit too."
"Then bring something different, don't go back to the store again."
"We have nothing in the house I can bring, trust me. I have to go to the store."

I don't think so. A crafty person can make anything for a potluck out of what's in the cupbboards. So I take G by the hand and we go looking in the pantry for a potluck item. "Ooh! how about we make this?" G was pointing to a huge container of breadcrumbs. Tempting, but no. These were sitting next to a box of graham crackers which looked much more promising. I handed the box of graham crackers off to G and kept looking. "Cover them with frosting and call it good" shouts my Mom from the dining room (Who, by-the-way, will eat frosting on anyting and everything- even carrots.)

With the graham crackers I can make a pie crust if only I can find a filling of some kind. Score! I find a cheesecake flavored pudding and hand it off to G. Meanwhile my sister is pacing the floor saying "This is never going to work. I am just going to the store." While she is busy debating whether to grab her car keys I throw the crackers into a gallon-sized freezer bag and hand G an ice-cream scoop and tell her to smash away. "Am I just like Food Network? I'm a cooker girl!" Yes, just like food network, only without the cameras or the ingredients.

As we're melting the butter for our pie crusts my sister informs me that the party is finger foods, so I might as well stop. Since pie is not finger food she has to go to the store anyway. Will the store hurry up and close already? Problem solved- I sent G to the cupbord to find me a muffin pan instead. Mini cheesecakes are great finger food dessert. An ancient muffin pan and no cupcake liners made things interesting, but with a little tin foil and scissors we called it good.

To make pudding into a pie filling, just add less milk when mixing it up. I also added whipped cream to the filling to make it fluffy and sliced some berries for the top. Mini cheesecakes all around! These rested in the refrigerator overnight and viola! The crafty will is stronger than the urge to hit the store for the 3rd time! The secret is that my craft conscience sounds a lot like Tim Gunn "Make it work," and while I don't sew that great I think he would be proud of both my mini cheesecakes and my pillows (for my younger sister's bday which is today!)