Twin Hats

2/13/07 Edited to add above photo. I "wrapped" the hats in translucent chinese take-out containers (50 cents from Michaels!)





While watching the Super Bowl, I finished up the second hat for twin girls that were born last Thursday. They each weigh about 5.5 lbs so I made the newborn size. They are made out of Cotton Ease (sugar plum / banana cream / pistachio and bubble gum / vanilla/ pistachio) and I used a pattern from the book Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson (LOVE this book!)

Super Bowl Yarn sales and other stuff

Many of the yarn stores near me had Super Bowl sales today. I found some great deals last year but didn't buy much today. I picked up this beautiful purple cashmere merino blend (50% off!) from which I intend to make myself a pair of cabled fingerless gloves.

Also picked up some Paton's wool at Michael's for my International Tote Exchange partner. I'm attempting Nicky Epstein's Felted Rose Bag. This pattern looks tricky. Hope I can do it!

I finished my daughter's fingerless gloves last weekend. I was not crazy about the fit on me. They were a little loose.

Debbie sent me her recipe for chicken lasagna which I made yesterday. YUM!!! It has a white sauce, spinach, mozzarella and parmesan in it and was delish. Plenty of leftovers for another dinner! I also went on a cookie baking binge and made chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. These recipes are my absolute favorites. Both are chewy cookies.


I also made a new chili recipe yesterday that we'll eat while watching the game today. It contains sausage and ground beef and is a bit spicy. It's called Boilermaker's Tailgate Chili.


And finally, a puppy picture. On the left is Martini and on the right is Herschel.

Grease - You're the One That I Want

So those of you who view regularly know I'm a closet reality TV watcher. Yeah, the kind that sheepishly admits I love to watch real life people on TV rather than sitcoms or dramas. Well, how cool is this.... One of my BEST FRIENDS in the world, Linda, has a daughter on the new Grease show!!!! Her name is Kate Rockwell and she is spectacular!!

Here is her picture (yeah, it's teeny tiny but I stole it from the website!):

So people, go watch her!!!! You can actually watch the episode on the NBC website or it will be replayed on Super Bowl Sunday. Last Sunday was the first show where contestants performed and Kate was declared to have the "best voice of all contestants" by the judges. She received huge applause from the audience while she performed. WATCH and VOTE!! Linda and my other best friend will be in the audience for the next live show (pooh! I'll be visiting my parents and can't go with.)

Rice Pudding

One of my favorite comfort foods is rice pudding. I saw this made on TV a few weeks ago and it looked delicious. I tried it yesterday and it IS delicious! I omitted the fruit compote on top but I bet it would be wonderful. Rice Pudding Copyright 2006, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger Episode: Good Comfort

2 cups water 1 cup Arborio rice 3 cups vanilla soy milk 1/4 cup sugar Pinch salt 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized, heavy, ovenproof saucepan. Add the rice, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is nearly cooked. In a large bowl, whisk the soymilk, sugar, and salt. When the rice is cooked and still hot, add the soymilk mixture and cinnamon stick. Cover, place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pudding will be slightly liquidy; the liquid will continue to absorb into the rice and thicken as the pudding cools. Distribute among 8 bowls, drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of the condensed milk. Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Nutrition Information Nutritional Analysis per Serving Calories 175 Carbohydrates 36 grams Total fat 2 grams Saturated fat 0.5 grams Protein 5 grams Fiber 0.7 grams Sodium 59 milligrams

Alphabet MeMe

I saw this on Jennifer's blog and I'm bored at the moment.

The Alphabet Meme:

A - Available or Taken: Taken

B - Best Friend: I have multiple best friends. Paula, Linda, Lisa, Ann, Denise. I rely on each for different things and each completes me in some way.

C -Cake or Pie: Pie (cherry or peach, please)

D - Drink of Choice: Non-alcoholic – iced tea; Alcoholic – lemon drop martini

E - Essential item you use everyday: toothpaste

F - Favorite Color: purple

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: bears

H - Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio now; grew up in Newark, Delaware

I - Indulgence: a pedicure or better yet, a massage

J - January or February: January – good relaxing, nesting month for me

K - Kids & ages: 3 of my own, 2 step – 19, 18, 16, 15, 12

L - Life is incomplete without: knitting

M - Marriage Date or Most Memorable Date ( and why): wedding date 3/13

N - Number of Siblings: 3 brothers

O - Oranges or Apples: orange (clementine specifically)

P - Phobias or Fears: snakes and driving off a bridge

Q - Fave Quote: "My goal in life is to be the sort of person my dog thinks I am." – Emerson Quillen

R - Reason to Smile: my dog’s nose sticking out from under the covers

S - Season: Autumn

T - Tag 3 or 4 People: Allison, Janice, Karyn, Monica

U - Unknown fact about me: If you don’t already know it, I probably don’t want you to!

V - Vegetable you don't like: lima beans

W - Worst Habit: I’m a Messy Marvin

X - X-rays: Not counting mammograms and dental x-rays, I had my first ever in November when I broke my arm. Probably 6-8 since then.

Y - Your Fave Food: crabs – the kind from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia steamed in beer and Old Bay

Z - Zodiac Sign: Aries (First day of spring – hooray!)

Thursday Smorgasbord Post

Just some ramblings today. First, isn't it wonderful... this knitting/crafting internet community? I have met so many sweet people. Before Christmas, I was reading In the Bag blog ( she creates THE MOST BEAUTIFUL bags!!) and noticed some homemade notecards she had received. I love love love stationary (stationery? can never remember which is correct) and ordered a bunch of notecards from Karyn at Trail Mix Designs for "girlfriend" Christmas presents. In addition to sharing a love of knitting and sewing and wishing we could quit our jobs to sit around and craft all day, we both enjoy reading (she's a high school librarian - very cool job!!) So out of the blue last week, I receive this package and it turns out to be a gift from Karyn. She sent me this very funny book (started reading it last night, Karyn and it IS really funny!) And yesterday, she sent me a little note on one of her beautiful notecards (go buy these notecards, peeps!!) Isn't it so much fun to receive something besides bills and credit card solicitations in the mail?!!!

Physical Therapy - I don't know if anyone who reads this blog is a Physical Therapist but you people are EVIL. E-V-I-L !!!!!!! Started my sessions yesterday and ummm.... OOOOWWWWW! So happy to have to do this twice a day for the next 6-8 weeks.

A Doggie Post - My puppies experienced their first romp in the snow Sunday. I wasn't home to take a photo but here's a cute one from a few months ago of them cuddled up together on the couch while I was knitting.










Cooking - I have been craving salmon for the last few days. I found this awesome sounding recipe at Epicurious.com (great source of recipes; includes recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet) and I think it will be dinner tonight! Rice pilaf and some fresh steamed green beans on the side.

Happy Thursday to everyone!

GRILLED SALMON WITH LIME BUTTER SAUCE

Just a sprinkle of zest and a dab of lime butter sauce beautifully highlight the flavor of grilled salmon.

6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest

6 tablespoons lime butter sauce

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

Cooks' Note: If you aren't able to grill outdoors, salmon can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.

Makes 6 servings.

LIME BUTTER SAUCE

It takes only 5 minutes to make this fantastic sauce. Once you see how versatile it is — it works perfectly with the grilled salmon and the grilled corn — you'll want to make it for a whole host of your summer favorites.

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Cooks' Note: Lime butter sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir before using.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Gourmet

July 2006

Ian Knauer

New Finished Projects

I finished three projects over the last few days. One is the Ballband Bag that I've talked about so much. I started this one as part of a KAL for Let's Bag It right before I broke my arm and was bummed to watch everyone else finish their bags. I used Paton's Merino Wool in turquoise and brown. I love the way it felts - very little fuzziness - and you can't beat how economical it is! I think the normal retail price is $5.99 for 200+ yards but it's frequently on sale at the Michaels and JoAnns kind of stores for $3.99. I am donating this one to a school auction that my friend is chairing.

The next object finished was my oldest unfinished project. I started knitting in November 2004 and my mom gave me a beginner's projects book from Leisure Arts that had a couple dishcloth projects in it. This one is a plaid design that uses slipped stitches to make the pattern. This project cracks me up because there are a TON of mistakes in the first half of it (look closely at the bottom half) as I tried to figure out what I was doing. (Stitches that were not slipped properly; stitches that didn't line up with each other; yarn held in front rather than back, etc.) Before starting this project, I had only made a couple of garter stitch fuzzy scarves. Rather than tear it out, I'm keeping it as is just for the fun memories of getting started. Oh.... plus.... it's only a dishcloth! LOL.

Finally, I finished my second oldest unfinished project - a Booga bag in Noro Kureyon. (The Hot Damn afghan project is technically older but I'm not counting it as I'm going to frog it and try a different design.) I still need to insert the straps which I hopefully will do tonight if the bag is completely dry. I posted the before felting and after felting photos. This project will be a raffle prize for my daughter's high school cheerleading fundraiser.



BTW, can you tell what I used to insert into the Booga bag for "blocking"? It's a Rubbermaid cereal container and it is the perfect size for it as well as the Ballband bag.

Yarn Inventory - Ebay sale

I took some time this weekend to sort and organize my yarn stash. Even though I have way more yarn than I need (CottonEase out the wazoo!!!!!), I am still reluctant to part with most of it. I did identify a few "lots" that I am going to try to sell on ebay. If you're interested, take a look:

Linie 95 Summer Mistral – Purple/Red 6 skeins

Cascade 128 Tweed 6 skeins #7610 purpley magenta

Classic Elite Star – Pink # 5189 6 Skeins

Classic Elite Fame Rayon Silk 2+ skeins – purple / blue

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed #01 Black 2 skeins

1/19/07 WOO HOO! SOLD IT ALL!!

UFOs

Oh dear! I didn't think I had that many unfinished projects but I just updated my knitting projects spreadsheet and uncovered quite a few! As you can see, I finished one (the Ballband Bag) of them last night although I may still decide to line it with fabric once it dries... haven't decided yet. The Booga Bag and fingerless gloves are both almost done, too. Both will be finished this week. The Penny cardigan is knit but I need to piece it. I better get busy!

KNITTING PROJECT LIST
2007
Date Started	Date Finished	Title	Name of Yarn
Dec '04	Jan '07	Dish Cloth	Peaches and Cream - yellow, white
Feb. '05	FROGGED	Afghan	Red Heart - white, green, black
Apr '05	Jan '07	Booga Bag	Noro Kureyon
May '05		Cozy	Knitpicks Andean Silk - cream
Mar '06	Jan '07	Fingerless gloves	Wool Ease - cream
Feb '06		Lace Heart Scarf	Kasula - ruby red
Mar '06		Rowan Thunder Sweater	Rowan Plaid
Feb '06		Rowan Penny Cardigan	Rowan Biggie Print - pool party
May '06	FROGGED	Coronet Hat	Wool Ease - cream
Jul '06		Chicknits Ribby Tank	Manos Cotton Stria - turquoise
Jul '06		Soleil	Elann Sonata - green
Sep '06		Shedir Hat	Brown Sheep CF - tangerine
Sep '06		Helix Hat	CottonEase - orange, black, white
Nov '06	Jan '07	Ballband Bag	Patons Merino - turquoise & brown
		Rowan Greta sweater	Blizzard - plum & cream
		Lion Cable Comfort Throw	Berrocco Ultra Alpaca - brown rice
		Cigar Gloves	WOA - pumpkin & nightsky

Rainy Saturday Afternoon Fun

Here in the Midwest it has done nothing but rain for the last few days. Low lying areas are flooding. Basements are filling. Yards are full of standing water. So what's a girl to do? Well, how about call about a crafty friends and invite her over for the afternoon to make keychains and share a bottle of wine. Perfect!

I'm hosting my daughter's cheerleading dinner on Tuesday and it's tradition to give the girls a little something. So my daughter and I decided on grosgrain keychains. They were fairly easy to make. I bought the cheerleading charms and the grosgrain ribbon on ebay and the other supplies included pony beads, split rings and some rayon cording. My friend took on the beading part and I did the sewing and we cranked 14 of these keychains out in about two hours.

Time for Tote Exchange III

It's time for International Tote Exchange III. So how does it work? You will make a tote/purse/handbag for your Secret Pal and a different Secret Pal will make a tote for you. The "totes" can be big or small, knit or crochet, felted or not - whatever you want to make. If you are interested please read the sign-up process, rules and schedule (here) and then, if still interested, send an e-mail as described in the process. SIGN-UPS END JANUARY 24, 2007!!

She Knits Again!!!

What a difference a week makes! I was such a whiner last Tuesday after my cast came off. First, it hurt like h*ll!! Second, I couldn't move my arm AT ALL! I was soooooo disappointed. "Just be patient," so many people said. Not one of my virtues, let me tell ya!!! But by Friday, my arm didn't hurt as much, my incision healed enough that I could shower without a bag on my arm, and I was allowed to take the brace off for brief periods. SOOOOOO, I spent a good part of the weekend knitting! Woo hoo. I finished a Ballband bag (started 2 months ago) in turquoise and brown Patons Merino. I still have to do the twisted I-cord for the straps. Next, is fingerless glove number 2, which is now about 2/3 finished now. And in the back is a Booga Bag that is now about 1/3 finished. The two bags will be donated to two different school fundraisers and the gloves are for my daughter.

I also did some cooking this weekend. I still don't have enough strength to chop but my helper cut, chopped and opened containers. I made a big pot of turkey chili, which will be dinner tonight (served with cornbread & honey-butter), and two batches of granola (see picture) - Cranberry Coconut and Vanilla Cinnamon Almond. This stuff is awesome!!! I love it with yogurt and fruit.

Winter Food

It was 60 degrees on my drive to work today! January 5th and 60 degrees. Crazy But it's still winter which means soups and stews to me. My 12 year old son has turned into quite a little sous chef and took care of all the peeling, chopping and can-opening for me and together, we made the most delicious soup a few days ago. The recipe is from allrecipes.com. The only change I made was to leave out the carrots (because I forgot to buy them) and when I served it, I put some croutons and parmesan cheese on top. I also needed to add approx. 2 more cups of broth. I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out. I served it with a rosemary olive oil crusty bread and some italian red wine.

Jamie's Minestrone

Submitted by: Jamie Rated: 5 out of 5 by 488 members

Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes Yields: 8 servings

"I created this soup after becoming tired of the excess salt and lack of veggies in canned minestrone. I recalled a great bowl of minestrone that was overflowing with rich vegetables at the 'Sheepherder's Inn' in Sacramento, California. Great with a hearty bread, romaine salad and a nice Merlot!"

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 onions, chopped 2 cups chopped celery 5 carrots, sliced 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups water 4 cups tomato sauce 1/2 cup red wine (optional) 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can green beans

2 cups baby spinach, rinsed 3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup seashell pasta 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping 1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
2.	Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
3.	Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.
4.	Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Spray with olive oil and serve.

Books from 2006

I read some good books in 2006. The following list presents the books I read and the rating I gave them (out of 5). Broken for You was my top ranked book. If anyone has any good suggestions, I'm always looking for new books to read. I am currently reading The Tender Bar, a memoir by JR Moeringer as well as Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton. I like just about any kind of book except for fantasy and science fiction. Historical fiction is probably my favorite. I started Gilead (a Pulitzer Prize winner) but gave up after 50-75 pages (did you ever watch paint dry on a wall? That's how riveting I found this book.) I also tried twice to read Reading Lolita in Tehran and just wasn't digging it!

My 2006 Reads:

Broken for You	Kallos, Stephanie	4.5
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan	See, Lisa	4.5
Weight of Water	Shreve, Anita	4.5
Marley & Me	Grogan, John	4.5
Memoirs of a Geisha	Golden, Arthur	4.5
Memory Keeper's Daughter	Edwards, Kim	4.5
A Million Little Pieces	Frey, James	4
Outlander	Gabaldon, Diana	4
The Constant Princess	Gregory, Phillippa	4
Vanishing Act	Picoult, Jodi	4
A Thousand Days in Tuscany	De Blasi, Marlena	4
Self Made Man	Vincent, Norah	4
The Baker's Apprentice	Hendricks, Judith	4
Devil in the White City	Larson, Erik	4
True Crime 9	Rule, Anne	4
Fourth of July	Patterson, James	4
Where the Heart is	Letts, Billie	4
Eden Close	Shreve, Anita	4
Mary, Mary	Patterson, James	4
1st to Die	Patterson, James	4
Tenth Circle	Picoult, Jodi	4
Crow Lake	Lawson, Mary	4
Jane Eyre	Bronte, Charlotte	4
Friendship Cake	Hinton, Lynne	4
Fat Girl Sings	Wheatley, Sharon	4
Knitting Under the Influence	LaZebnik, Claire	4
Book Thief	Zusak, Markus	4
Sweetwater Creek	Siddons, Anne River	3.5
Susannah Morrow	Chance, Megan	3.5
Madonnas in Leningrad	Dean, Debra	3.5
Shipping News	Proulx, Annie	3
Christ the Lord	Rice, Anne	3
Oh My Stars	Landvik, Lorna	3
Leonardo's Swan	Essex, Karen	3
Wicked	Maguire, Geoffrey	2

60 percent

Yesterday was arm liberation day. Yes, my Christmas present to me (see the bows!) was removed. (Before you ask... yes, my arm was supposed to be cast that way.)

I had high hopes for liberation day. I'd be chopping and cooking again; I'd be knitting again; I'd be sewing again; I'd wear jewelry again; I would even go back to hooking my bra in the back!! But no.... I was scammed! Scammed, I'm telling you! I have less mobility in my arm/hand than when the cast was on and my whole arm hurts like hell again!!!!! I popped a vicodin last night for the first time in four weeks.

See those little green thingamabobs? That's the pins Doctor Torture hammered into my wrist and arm to secure the bones. Those little lovelies cost $13,000!!!! Plus, $1500 for Doctor Torture's 30 minutes in the operating room.

The final picture illustrates how attractive my hand looks today. It's swollen, scaley, discolored and wrinkly, all at the same time. Nice!

Oh... and the 60 percent? That's the scam. Doctor Torture informed me yesterday I'm only 60% healed, right on schedule. What the heck?????? Two weeks in the brace, then an undetermined number of weeks in physical therapy. So much for applying eyeliner any time soon.

The Weirdness Meme

Tag...I'm it!

I have been 'tagged' by my blog friend, Janice: to play "How Weird Are You?" LOL. I was struggling to come up with things at first ("I am NOT weird at all") but then the dam bust, and weirdness started flowing freely. BTW, Janice, my husband contributed the raving lunatic one. My girls said, "Yeah, you're weird. We're going shopping."

"The Rules: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you have been tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Six weird things about me:

1. I am very organized (some might argue fanatical) when it comes to managing my time but my personal space is very disorganized. When I can’t find something, I turn into a raving lunatic – yelling, cussing, slamming doors, etc. When I lose my “to do” list, it’s especially traumatic!

2. I am afraid of bridges. More specifically, plunging into a body of water because the bridge collapses. I have a recurring dream that include me driving or being driven off a bridge and waking as the car hits the water. My heart races when I have to drive across a bridge.
   

3. I love Good and Plenty candy. I never knew it was weird but people always say, "Ewww, you like those?" when I buy them.
   

4. I have lived in three countries - the U.S., England and Canada. I can’t give blood because I lived in England in 1991-1992 (fear of dormant Mad Cow Disease.) I gave blood for several years before the blood people enacted that rule.

5. Lots of weirdness related to my feet. I can’t stand having bare feet – even in my own house, even in the summer. The one exception is when I’m on the beach. I have to have my feet under covers when I sleep, no matter how hot it is. And finally, I HATE when people put their feet on me, i.e. on the couch, in bed, etc. But after all that… I love to have my feet massaged. Go figure.

6. People think it’s weird that I like to watch reality TV shows. I think because I read a lot and rarely watch TV, people are surprised that reality TV is what I would choose. I enjoy those kind of shows for the same reason I love reading people’s blogs and eavesdropping on people’s conversation’s in public. It gives a glimpse into how other people live their lives and how they interact with others. I find that fascinating. I have to do something else while watching TV – knitting, reading, etc. I just can’t force myself to stay focused to whatever is on, if not.

So now I have to tag six people. They are: Allegra, Autum, Judy, Mandy, Wendy, and Jennifer. I'm going to tag one more person, Karyn, from whom I just purchased THE MOST ADORABLE NOTECARDS!!!!!

I would have also tagged Allison and Monica but I know they have been tagged already!

Merry Christmas to me!

Since I have purchased virtually every single present online this year, I have packages on my front porch almost everyday when I get home from work. I just check the label to make sure they are for me (and not my husband) and set them aside to open later. So on Wed., when I got home from work, I did just that and then headed out for an evening of Christmas errands. Later that night, I picked up the package to take to my not-so-secret gift hiding place and noticed the return address. I was very surprised to see my friend Allison's address. I knew I hadn't "ordered" anything from her so I ripped that bad boy right open and was thrilled to see not one but two wrapped presents in it! I apologize for the poor photo quality (took the pic. with my Treo) but looky what Allison sent me!!!!! A very luscious scarf in shades of purple (our mutual favorite color) and a very cool book of quilted bag patterns. There are some awesome patterns in this book and I can't wait to crank up the sewing machine in January.

Allison, you are such a sweetheart!

A quick note to say thanks again for all the supportive emails and comments regarding my broken arm. I am scheduled to get the cast off and pins removed on January 2nd and the doctor will determine at that time whether I need another cast, a splint or nothing at all. I'll need some PT. I haven't done much knitting as it's fairly painful due to the pins. I'm looking forward to getting the use of my right hand back for so many things!

Car sweater modeled

My co-worker and his wife had their first baby back in March. I made a little hat & sweater with a car design on it. I was so excited that they brought the little guy in today wearing the sweater to show "Aunt Bonnie". Isn't he an adorable little guy?!

Hear me ROAR!

As several of you know so well, I'm not a very good patient (thanks for the supportive emails!) Since my mountain climbing injury (sounds better than what I really did, doesn't it?) ten days ago, I have been out of my house a grand total of 1 1/2 hours (not counting surgery and yesterday's cast trip.) And I'm going nuts!!! Too many fun things that I'm missing out on.

So I'm done with that! Today, I washed my own hair. Applied makeup. Wore pants with a zipper. And several other mundane but necessary things that two handed people take for granted. I also went to work and it felt good to be semi-productive and mildly independent.

But as you can see, the best part is I picked up my knitting. OK, So, I look like a spaz and yes my hand is swollen and yellow, but I can see that I'm NOT going to have to wait 6 more weeks to knit! Hooray! I only knit about a row before I gave up (ouchy!!!!) but this is better physical therapy than squeezing a stupid rubber ball. I not allowed to drive until I can grip the wheel and I have to drive to Indianapolis this weekend so I have to git 'er done! But I work better with deadlines.

My doctor erroneously gave me a higher dosage of vicodin (750mg) and it knocked me out this morning and made me slur my words, much to the amusement of my co-workers. I'm only going to take a full dose at bedtime and if I need something during the day, I'll do half.

So anyway, life is good again. Well, better anyway, and I'm done pouting. This weekend, we will be decorating my Christmas cast with ribbons to make it festive!

So much for hand-knit Christmas presents

Yes, I AM an idiot. Thanks for asking. In a split second Friday night, I completely screwed up my holiday plans. I fell on my sidewalk, caught my fall with my wrist and crack! Broke my right arm (yes, I'm right-handed) just above the wrist in two places. Ended up having surgery Monday night. Hopefully, the swelling will be down enough by next Monday to cast it. And yes, I am right handed.

I am so disappointed. I love this time of year and this really puts a damper on things. No knitting; no crafting; no baking; no driving; no wrapping.

My husband is handling Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully, the kids will help!

OK... That's it for the whining. I know I have much to be thankful for so I'm done feeling sorry for myself. Thanks for listening!

Ballband Bag

Over at Oh Bag Me / Let's Bag it, the monthly bag KAL is a bag designed after the Ballband Dishcloth. Monica wrote up the pattern and made a beautiful bag. I started mine over the weekend and after a false start with variegated yarn, opted for two solids. Here was my progress yesterday morning. (Awful photo taken with my Treo WHILE I was driving to work - bad motorist!!) I did knit a bit more on it last night while watching the Dancing with the Stars finale (Go, Emmit!!) I hope to finish it up this weekend. I'd like to do a similar bag in pale pink and brown. If my daughters seem to like this one when it's done, maybe I'll make one for them.

Perfect Autumn Cookie

I love cookies. Homebaked cookies. I decided to do a little baking over the weekend and made some traditional chocolate chip (if you like them a little chewier / thicker, add an extra 1/2 cup of flour) and I also made a new recipe I've been watching at Allrecipes.com - Soft Ginger Cookies. They were awesome!!! The recipe tells you to roll them in sugar before baking but I thought that made them too sweet. I did the last few batches with just a light sprinkle of sugar on top. If you like gingerbread or molasses cookies, do try these!!! THey are soft and a little chewy - perfect in my opinion!! I also baked some banana chocolate chip muffins that the kids inhaled.

Finally finished the scarf for ISE

Whew! What a slow knitter I am and what a dumb pattern to pick for a project with a deadline! Anyway, I love how this scarf turned out and hope the recipient likes it, too. I mailed it Thursday and it is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. I think I did take some finished pictures but I must not have downloaded them yet. Here it is blocking.

The yarn is an alpaca blend in a lovely shade of pink. It was lace or aran weight so I used two strands together. The pattern came from last year's grocery store booklet - Simple 1-2-3 Knitting Scarves and the pattern is Aran Cashmere Scarf. Coincidentally, the last scarf I made for this exchange also came from the book.

I did take other pictures and posted them. I think they show the stitch definition a little better than the blocking photo.

More Autumn Food

My 15 yr old daughter and I got into a bit of a tiff (code for really bitchy fight) yesterday. Don't know what you all do when you're mad but I either cook or clean (after I finish yelling and slamming cabinet doors.) Yesterday yielded cooking.

For last night's dinner, I made Rachel Ray's Flounder Francese including the garlic spinach and lemon spaghetti. It was delicious but took me longer than the 30 minutes described on the show and wasn't nearly as pretty as hers. My husband loved it but my 12 year old son's reaction was, "Mom, can't you make plain ole spaghetti. I hate this gourmet stuff." (Mad daughter was at practice so she didn't eat with us - she's a vegetarian anyway and would have turned down the fish.)

I also have chicken marinating for Indonesian Chicken Satay and made a batch of peanut sauce for dipping. I used a friend's recipe for the marinade. I'll cook it on the George Foreman and serve it with rice and steamed broccoli/cauliflower.

Finally, I made one of my favorites - Beef Stew - for later this week. I was inspired after watching Paula Deen's show over the weekend although I used my recipe, which makes a very thick stew, rather than hers. I use beef stock, red wine, and V-8 juice in the broth which gives it a really rich, complex flavor. The recipe is quite easy but takes some time to cook and I think it's better reheated after sitting for a day in the fridge. Here is the recipe I've developed over the years:

Bonnie's Beef Stew

2 lb stew meat, cut in 1" pieces
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup flour generously seasoned with seasoned salt and pepper
2 T olive oil

1 can beef broth (low sodium)
approx. 1 can water
1 or 2 bay leaves

2-3 potatoes, peeled, cubed
2-3 carrots, peeled, cubed
8 oz mushrooms, coarsely sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
1 can V-8
1/2 cup red wine (if you don't use wine, use more beef broth)
1 can beef broth (low sodium)

Heat olive oil in dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet. Dust beef cube in seasoned flour (do this on a paper plate for easy clean up) and brown on all sides in skillet. Towards the end of the browning, add the onions and saute until they start to soften. Once beef is browned, add 1 can beef broth, bay leaf and enough water to just cover meat and onions. Cover and cook at 325° for approx. 2 hours. Check a few times to make sure liquid doesn't dissipate; add more water if needed. Beef should stay just covered with the liquid.

Add vegetables and pour in broth, wine and V-8. Add additional wine, broth or water if meat and vegetables are not completely covered. Cook for additional 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not overcooked. If broth is too thin, leave lid off for last 15 minutes or so. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve with hot crusty bread to sop up the good stew broth. I usually serve with a green salad.

[P.S. Daughter and I have kissed and made up. Hopefully, another kid will piss me off because my house REALLY needs a good cleaning!]

A BAD package arrived

Lookey, lookey at what arrived in the mail today!!! I ordered this purse and wallet from the talented Autum and today the beautiful set arrived! I am so thrilled with it! AND she is such a sweetheart that she also made me a matching keychain and tissue holder, which are adorable. And her little personalized tag is so cute.

If you've never checked out Miss Autum's beautiful workmanship, check out her purse gallery . She will make you something of your own design and she also has an Etsy shop.

Autum, they are absolutely perfect and I can't thank you enough. I will likely be placing an order for bags for my daughters soon (for Christmas presents.) They love my set!

Chilly Chili Day

Yesterday, I made a big pot of chili to donate to my daughter's school for a teacher luncheon. We were given the recipe so everyone who was cooking would make the same thing and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical because it didn't sound very good. Well, I was wrong. It was excellent and I'll make it again! (I made some itty bitty changes to the original recipe because I thought it would be too salty.)

2 lb ground beef or turkey, browned
1 onion, chopped and sautéed
2 pkg taco seasoning (use the low sodium kind)
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook for 6 hours or so.

Nice to get away

My husband and I went away last weekend to spend a relaxing weekend sans children. He planned the triap and I didn't know where we were headed. We ended up at a B&B called Maple Hill Manor about two hours south of Cincinnati in a small town called Springfield, KY. The B&B was fabulous but the best part .... IT'S ALSO AN ALPACA FARM! My husband didn't even know that part when he booked it; it was a coincidence. I fell asleep before we got to the place and woke up as we were driving up the lane. My eyes got real big and I said "OMG, is that an alpaca?" My husband looked at me like I was crazy because 1) he didn't know what an alpaca was; and 2) he had no idea that yarn is made from them. Oh and another coincidence, I was knitting a scarf from alpaca yarn (the pink aran one) before I fell asleep.

What's especially cool is that the owners, Tyler and Todd, sent their first load of fiber off to a spinner this season and had JUST received the yarn back in. Ummmm..... do you think I bought any????? See the lovely hanks above. Notice how nicely they match the photos of the alpacas themselves? Yup, the yarn was spun from their fiber. Isn't that so cool?! Each "colorway" is named after the alpaca it came from.

The baby you see was just born 4 days before the photo was taken and she was adorable. We got to hold her.

I highly recommend this B&B. Very comfortable accomodations, very friendly, helpful owners and the food was excellent.

Knitting News

I haven't blogged in awhile but I have been knitting. I completed my Tote for the Tote Exchange II and received my Tote, too! The Pink Carpetbag was sent to Jane and the multi colored one was my treat from Judy.

I have not yet received my scarf yet from ISE III nor have I sent mine - you can see the WIP above. I'm just under 30" and it's due in a week. YIKES!!! I'm gonna be late.

And still more Goodies!!!

OMG, when it rains it pours! Yesterday, I arrived home to ANOTHER package!!! LO and BEHOLD, when I opened it, out pops an AUTOGRAPHED copy of the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules!!! My dear friend Allison was lucky enough to hear the Yarn Harlot speak recently and she picked up a copy of the book and had it autographed for me.

I feel so blessed to have met such kind people through our shared knitting interests.

Where's the Knitting

I haven't picked up any knitting in almost a week. I am in two exchanges and keep reading about all the people who are DONE (done people! in the first week, no less) and it's making me feel inept. LOL!

Why no knitting, you ask? Just busy with the kids. Nothing exciting.

But on the plus side, look at what the knitting fairy brought me today! A brand new copy of The Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules. Excellent!!! The knitting fairy is really Becky co-hostess of Caps for a Cure and she sent it to me as a thank you for knitting some chemo caps in August. Isn't that so sweet?!!

Thank you, Becky. I promise that I'm going to start knitting again and will send more caps.

Fun Surprise from Allison

Look what I received yesterday! My friend Allison and I have been admiring the Modular Back pack pattern but it's been hard to find lately. Well, she picked one up and sent it to me as a surprise along with some gorgeous note cards that have my initial on them. Allison and I met as co-hostesses of the International Tote Exchange I (and now II) and have discovered that we have a lot in common. We waste much of our employers’ time everyday sending multiple emails back and forth on very important knitting issues occasionally use our lunch hours to keep in touch via email.

This little package was quite a surprise as I was expecting it to be a pattern she was sending so that we can make the same scarf out of some very cool yarn that she pointed me to (she is a bad bad influence on me.) The yarn is shown here and is called Marjaana in the Jane Addams colorway. The colorways are all named after strong women in history. To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Jane Addams but she was one Rocking Gal!!

Thanks, Allison! You're a great friend!!