A little of this, a little of that!

Time to say good-bye

2009-11-30T22:04:00.003-05:00

Well Friends,

I've had a run at blogging and I enjoyed it, but I think it is time to shut things down here. I hardly post anymore and I just don't have it in me much anymore. Thanks to all who read and commented and let me know they liked what they read. Maybe one day, I'll get the blogging bug and blog again...

Jenny

SICK OF MAINTAINING!!!

2009-10-20T12:49:00.003-04:00

Man, I have been so lame when it comes to WW the last few months. I've not done well at all, though I haven't gained much either. What I've gained, I also lost, so I've pretty much maintained. But that's really since APRIL and that is just crazy. And I've attended meetings, I've weighed in most weeks and so I've been doing it, but ignoring all the rules.

This week, I went back in and bit the bullet and weighed in. I'm back up to 186.8 pounds. Sigh - I have no one to blame but myself. But in a way, this has motivated me too. I've gotten back on track and am going to do my best to keep it that way.

I had a busy day on Saturday with Church and when it came time to eat out with friends, I got what I thought was the healthiest choice, I ate what I thought was a reasonable portion and packed up the rest to take home. I tracked everything. I tracked most of the Sunday's food (what I could remember) on Sunday and Monday. I tracked Monday and today so far.

Even though my walking buddy was sick, I picked up her dog (Foster) and my dog and we all went walking. We did 4 laps around Duncan Park and 1 lap around the parking lot. This was to get me and Foster another lap. Foster was having nothing to do with one more lap around the track so I walked him around the HUGE parking lot and letting him think we were trying to find the car. (I wonder if I can do that again) It was funny, he wasn't taking any chances once we got back to the car. I opened the hatch to get something and he jumped in and climbed over the back seat to get into the back seat. I had to get him to get out just so he could drink some water. Silly boy.

This weekend will be a challenge for healthy eating as I will be spending the weekend with the Yarnsters at SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival). My splurge meal will be Friday night. We are going to CARRABA'S. I love that place!!! I hope they have Sausage & Lentil Soup. But, I'll just make sure to do a lot more walking around the arena and grounds to keep up some exercise and I'll be careful with breakfast and lunch. Though that too depends on what is served at SAFF.

I can agree to this

2009-09-03T09:22:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine sent this as a funny, but you know, its not too far off the mark. I modified the list to be more fitting to my personality.

This may be the best living will I've ever seen

I being of sound mind and body do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artifical means.
Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead politicians who couldn't pass ninth grade biology if their lives depened on it, or lawyers/doctors interested in simply running up the bills.

If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:

Glass of Wine
Sex
Margarita
Apple Martini
Lasagna
Mexican food
French fries
Chicken fingers
Chocolate
Pizza
Ice Cream
Steak
Chocolate
Sex

It should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes, let the "fat lady sing" and call it a day.

Occasionally, the news is good

2009-08-22T08:27:00.002-04:00

I was waiting on hubby this morning and half watching the news. Until a story came up and a Puppy Caravan. It appears that Georgia excels in one more bad thing - we have the 4th highest number of abandoned pets. Well, someone is doing something about it. It appears that there are is a shortage of rescue pets up north so the Georgia Puppy Caravan comes to town. They are bringing food and supplies for our shelters and we in turn are giving them our rescued dogs that are in dire need of homes.

Here's more

http://www.animalrescueflights.org/georgiapuppycaravan/

THANK YOU!!!!

Homemade Bread

2009-07-29T08:53:00.004-04:00

Mom was not a woman to make homemade bread. Matter of fact, none of my friend's moms were either. So, where I got my love for homemade bread, I don't know. Now most of those who know me know I am NOT PATIENT. So making bread for me is a trial because of all the steps and waiting. Beer bread was a great experiment but because I don't know beer and therefore, don't know the major ingredient, it was a bit frustrating. And it made Thunder24 very, very carb crazy.

Well Thunder24 - LOOK AWAY NOW. There are no pictures, but lots of description.

OK - I was listening to the Splendid Table Podcast months ago and they did an episode with these two bakers that just came out with a book called - Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.

And they gave us the master recipe on Splendid Table. (see link) My interest was perked and I tried it with some success, but I put it it in the back of my head and, of course, forgot about it. But not before I put it on my wish list on Amazon.

Almost a year goes by and I remember it and I go out and get the book. I make the master recipe, give it to my hubby and he's in love. He used to make his own pizza dough when he worked for PieWorks Pizza and when he stopped working there, he forgot the recipe and any recipe he looked at didn't "look right". Well, lo and behold, in the book is a pizza dough recipe and he's hooked. And now he's making bread from this book too.

All the recipes make about 4 loaves of bread. And the dough can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can also freeze some of the dough to pull out and defrost overnight in your fridge and then when you are ready to bake with it, you let it rise like you did before and bake away.

If you leave the dough in your fridge, you can use it to make whole loaves or you can use it to make mini loaves, Naan, Pita, flatbreads, pizza, rolls or ... It boggles the mind.

This past Sunday, I made the Challah recipe from the book. I took one bite and said - "I can't believe I made something this perfect." And we promptly ate almost the whole loaf.

Since my interest was still perking away, I started surfing Yahoo Groups and ran across a Yahoo Group for this topic and in their archives is a Nutella Challah recipe. Now this I can't wait to try.

But I have to because when I made the Challah dough on Sunday, I "used up" the rest of the dough. I braided up two loaves and froze them and the 3rd loaf is dedicated to making Pecan Sticky Buns. I did this so when I got that call from church that asks me can I make something for a potluck, I can pull that bread down and volia. Or those sticky buns. Can you just imagine how well that will go over??? They'll be swooning in the aisles.

If you like homemade bread. My recommendation - go out and "get" the book. I wouldn't go so far as to say you can have fresh bread in 5 minutes, but their method lets you take already prepared dough in your fridge, let it rise on the counter and then bake it.

By the way - the Master recipe is not the recipe you use to make Challah. There is a master Challah recipe in the book and it may also be on their website.

"I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike"

2009-07-18T20:39:00.002-04:00

Hubby had to go to Raleigh a few weeks ago for work and so he visited my family and came home with my mom's bike for me. So, we went riding once and tonight, I needed to exercise, so I packed my bike into the Fit and took off for Duncan Park.

I did 10 laps around the track and 4 laps around the parking lot. The lot probably a little bigger than the loop around the track, but it also has a slight incline to give it a little more of a climb and then a lovely little coast.

I'm not sure how many miles it is, but I rode for about 30 minutes.

Back on the WW Wagon

2009-07-18T18:39:00.003-04:00

April, May and June were crazy between vacation and preparing the house for Mom to come and do our re-org, well, I was very busy and didn't want to really deal with my weight goals. I stayed mostly on track and only gained a few pounds during that time, but the last few weeks, things have been feeling very out of control. And, we had trips and other things happening and the next thing I know, I've missed at least 3 weigh ins and my eating habits were much worse. I did good for breakfast, but dinner and lunch were not so much. I knew I hadn't gained too much because my smallest sized pants still fit, just more snug.

So, I decided on Thursday it was time to put my life back in control very many ways. I decided I would go back on wagon and weigh in on Saturday and just deal with any of the weight gain. So, I went this morning and weighed in and GUESS WHAT! I have only gained 2 pounds.

I also tracked my food today. I had a healthy breakfast (though late because I went to the 9:30 WW meeting and I don't eat before meetings). Since my breakfast wasn't till about 11am and I was going to Panera to knit with the Yarnsters, I decided that lunch would be the Largo Lowfat Strawberry Smoothie (5 points). It is surprisingly filling. Publix has a special this week on Ranier Cherries and I had LOTS of those to nibble on today. Mmmmmmmmmm. And dinner was Tilapia cooked in a tomato "relish". Basically its cooked fresh tomato, onion, red pepper and mild banana pepper. Then, when its mostly soft, you add the tilapia (frozen filet) to the skillet, top it with the relish and let it cook. Mix a little of the relish with some cooked brown rice and throw in a salad and you've got a great meal.

So I have just a few more points for the evening and I'll call it a day.

Home Repair 2009

2009-06-22T12:29:00.002-04:00

We've had this house for about 6-7 years. We haven't had much done except what had to be done. And its time.

So this year we did the following:

1. Cleaned out the house, installed new shelving in garage and closets. Purged a lot of shit we don't use anymore.

2. Got two trees chopped down, the tree canopy thinned, and underbrush cleaned out. Still more work to do on underbrush and back yard.

3. Got the septic tank pumped out. Technically, its the right space from the back of the house, but we now know that we cannot build out to that side of the house. Hall County Ordinances say that the septic tank cannot be within 10 feet of any structure. Also, it is buried too deep, so we had to get an extension put on the top of the pump out.

4. Working on the sink hole.

What's on our big ticket items to be done - Well, we are working on the list. So I'll tell you more as we finalize it.

A sinking feeling

2009-06-22T11:53:00.008-04:00

Back around the early fall, hubby called me outside to show me where our land seemed to be sinking into the earth. Normally, it wouldn't bother me, but this was VERY close to our house foundation.

We kept an eye on it and noticed over the past months that the hole was getting worse and was sinking further back along the house line and into the back yard. And it was sinking enough to cause fissures in our land instead of just a slight depression. It was also near where we thought our Septic tank sat. I also noticed that our neighbor had a few holes forming too. Well, this couldn't be good. I happened to be out in the yard one day and saw the neighbor and asked her if she saw what was happening and she said yeah and they were keeping an eye on it too. She also said she had a son-in-law that did dirt work and could probably help us out. Well, that works for me and we called him. But, other priorities came up and we put it off until this weekend.

Around 9:30 a dump truck full of fill dirt and truck hauling equipment showed up. The dump truck released its load and that's when the real work began. We asked them to dig up the hole a bit to see if we could find what was causing the settling.

1 foot down - nothing
3 feet - nothing
6 feet - nothing
8 feet - Pay dirt! (sorry - couldn't resist the pun)

This is what we got

He kept digging and digging and finally reached the bottom

If you look at the foreground of the next picture, the first pile of dirt is what we had dropped off. The pile that you see beside the machine is what he pulled out of the hole and way in the back is the debris pile. Oh and we told Sammy Boy - don't get any bright ideas about digging holes to "help".

And here is a picture of the final debris pile.

This picture doesn't even begin to convey how big this pile is. The debris pile is probably about 20 feet long. It is on a slope, but if I stand behind it - it is over my head (I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall). There are stumps there bigger than me. There are pieces there that have to weigh at least 200 lbs. Some of that dirt contains smaller logs and tree pieces and cannot be put back into the hole without filtering it which he can't do. So it doesn't go in the hole at all. Mike and I might be able to do some of it over the next two weeks, but if it stays this hot - no freaking way.

But we aren't done yet.

So, he starts filling in the hole with the dirt we have and guess what, we need more dirt. At least another dump truck full. He's going to set that up, but it will be at least 2 weeks before he can come back and fill in the rest of the hole and pack it down. Packing it down is very important. We don't want loose dirt that will sink with the next good soaking. We want SOLID EARTH.

Because the debris pile is so HUGE, we have to have it taken away. If I were less ecologically aware, if I had a different moral compass, I would have them push the debris (since its mostly tree debris) back into our woods. But due to its amount of stuff and because there is a creek below our property. Something that big rolling into the ravine and, most likely, into the creek would probably not only damage the ecology of the creek, but also cause flooding to the people in the lower sections of the neighborhood. People who moved to the lower area to enjoy the creek feature.

So, our guy is arranging a dumpster and he will come back with ANOTHER machine that will pick up all the debris and pile it into the dumpster. They will then haul it away to the landfill. At least most of that debris is wood and it will degrade over time, so I'm not filling the landfill with awful stuff that will last forever.

So that is the current saga of our sink hole. I'll let you know more when we get it done. (Hopefully)

Getting my house in order - Literally

2009-06-08T07:24:00.002-04:00

We have a small house and sadly, a small kitchen. Except for the master bedroom, we have small closets and things are just not laid out really well. The sunroom off the back of the house is awful because it is single pane glass and it is expensive to heat and cool - so we are generally lucky enough to use it 2-3 months out of a year. It makes a great room for our cat.

We need to organize and we've put it off because

1. We had too much stuff and not enough place to store it all.
2. I wanted to organize, but I didn't have enough money.
3. The garage is awful and full of junk and we didn't even like going in there much less the thought of cleaning it was daunting.

Mom to the rescue. She also has a small house and storage for her is about the same. Small closets and everything. She has a slightly better kitchen layout, but she doesn't have a garage and we do - though we couldn't use it for the mess it is in. I've told her several times, I wish I could organize things like she did. In November, she told me that she would come and visit (in June) for a week and help us get our house in order. But first we had to solve a few problems.

Problem one - Too much stuff. Time to purge.
Problem two - we needed to clean the garage because that was where we were going to have to organize to for most of our non food stuff.
Problem three - Put an outlet in on the other side of the garage so we can put the drink fridge and little freezer on that side (closest to the kitchen)
Problem four - money. I need to save some money.

When Mom told me she was coming, I took a long hard look at my spending habits. I gave her my slush fund debit card and asked her to hold onto it for me until she comes back. I saved over $1500 dollars during that time and in April, when she visited for work, she gave it back to me and I used it to pick up stuff we needed before she got here.

Over the last month, we purged tons of stuff. Clothes, furniture, junk, trash and who knows what. We've visited the Landfill (sorry), trash compactor, recycling center, Goodwill and friends. Yesterday, Mom and I finished sorting stuff and got the last little island of junk in the center of the garage cleaned out and made a trash run. And we have an appointment for the electrician on Wednesday.

We put in some shelving, we made plans for where we wanted things to go and that is going great.

We went to IKEA and Lowes and Target yesterday. Mom and my Mom in law are playing today or shopping or whatever they want to do.

My Hubby is off in Tupelo (on my orders) visiting Granny and they are having a blast. Granny may not let him come home.

All is going well and I've learned already so much from this. I'll tell more later and post pictures later.

Visions of Vegetables Dance in my Head

2009-05-14T14:51:00.004-04:00

Well, I finally get to do it. I never thought I could. I've finally gotten to join a CSA.

What is a CSA - well, its Community Supported Agriculture. Go here for more info and to find a CSA in your area. Basically, my church has decided to plant a very large garden and for a season's fee, I get vegetables every week of the harvest season. All vegetables will be organic. It will be healthy and yummy. I've always WANTED to do this, but most of the CSAs in my area aren't all that close or they have pick up times and locations that just don't work with my work schedule. So, I haven't been able to do this. But all of that has changed and it makes me THRILLED to pieces.

I have so many ideas for the veggies.

I'll make veggie broth, so in the deep dark winter (ha) I can make some marvelous soups and stews and ...
Grilled Veggies!
'Mater Sandwichs (aka Tomato Sandwich)
BLT's

Do you have a favorite veggie recipe - Please, share!!!!!

Oh my - there are so many things to think about and plan.

And, on top of that, I have a place I can compost all the vegetable peels and stuff.

Visions of Veggies Dance in my Head.

Family Angst and Facebook

2009-05-13T11:14:00.006-04:00

I had another post here and I've decided that I wanted to not remember all the GORY details and so I'm editing it to take out the e-mails and some other things.

You see, I was on Facebook. I've been on it for a few weeks and was tooling my way around and playing with all the features. I was finding friends and family on it and seeing what was happening. I was really surprised to see just how many of each side of my family was really on it.

I learned what flair was and was playing with it before Mother's Day and sent out some Happy Mother's Day flair to all of the women on my friends and family lists that I knew were moms. I couldn't send it to my Mom as she is not on Facebook. I didn't send it to my MIL because we were in the middle of the friending process. I had sent my friend request and she had not yet friended me. Therefore, no flair.

So, life goes on in its happy way - I'm not on Facebook everyday all the time. Just when I have time during the workday. Maybe a little in the evening, but not a lot. Therefore, I am not always current with what's happening.

Just before or after Mother's day, I get an e-mail from my MIL's boyfriend. Why didn't I send her Mother's Day Flair. I figured it was a reminder and we hadn't completed the friend process, so I just let it go. And I was going to see her on Saturday and Sunday, so I could wish her Happy Mother's Day in Person.

As it turns out, we had a lovely day on Sunday only. She wasn't feeling well and wanted to meet us half way for lunch and a day out.

So imagine my surprise when I get an e-mail from my Aunt in law. She was upset with me because I hadn't sent MIL Mother's Day Flair. And that I had hurt my MIL's feelings.

Side Note - Sound like High School Angst - Sally sent Judy a note, but not me - Waaaaaaa!!!

I immedately send MIL an apology for not sending it and explaining why. She e-mailed me back and we were OK. But, I was still pissed off with R. What business was it of her and what right did she have to chastize me in any way. She judged me without the facts or even asking why. She was upset about other bad things happening in her sister's life and I was the easy target to take it out on. E-mails go back and forth and so far, nothing is resolved other than she thinks I'm making too much of it. No apologies, no recognition of the hurt she caused, just me making too much of it. As if I'm an irrational child.

As Anne told me - I should take the high road - but you know what - somestimes, taking the high road only allows other people's bad behavoir to continue. And I take this high road all the freaking time. I stuff down the little hurts and insults. I take the big ones too. I help whenever and wherever I can. There are times I go and visit Hubby's family when I don't want to. I do it because its the "right thing to do" or to "not upset the family" or "It will make her/him happy". Countless hours of vacation have been spent on HIS family and not mine. Granted his are closer and some of the family trips are GREAT opportunities. But sometimes I just wonder - Is it worth it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

So you know what. I'm not going to do it anymore. My family is now my number 1 priority. Time to visit my family and take trips to see them. Go to Arizona to see my Cousins and their baby. Go to New Jersey and DC and Raleigh to see my Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and their families. Time to go to THEIR weddings and christenings or what ever. Just time to give them TIME.

That's not to say my Hubby can't spend time with his family, it just that I'm choosing to spend MY time with MY family. They can go on just fine without me.

Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face - maybe - but then again - maybe not.

While we were in Georgetown South Carolina

2009-04-29T15:31:00.004-04:00

We visited several LOVELY places.

Joyfilled Garden and Gifts and Prena Knits Yarn store

I wasn't planning on going to ANY yarn stores while visiting in North Myrtle Beach. I had plans to go to Stitches South and knew that if I had ANY money to spare after vacation, then I would want to spend it there. Besides, I had been to all area ones and while there is one I will always go and visit, I had to save that money. I didn't even go and look up to see if there were any NEW yarn stores in the NMB area. So, when we drove into Georgetown and parked and started to stroll down the sidewalk of the main street, my eye was immediately drawn to the word YARN. So we walked in and the store is HUGE, but not packed. There was even a doggie to greet us. I believe it was a cocker spaniel and she was old and sweet. She does a few things that I really, really liked.

If she saw I was interested in a yarn, she ENCOURAGED me to find a needle and try knitting with that yarn. HUH??? just pull out a bit and start knitting? But what if I hate it - am I obligated - nope.

In the back was a basket of yarn balls. These were label with the yarn brand, name and yardage left over and price. Maybe this is from the balls that people tried out, maybe this was yarn left over from samples knit for the store, but what ever it was from, I could see where this would be a great idea because we always need some odd color for a project, but do we really need 220 yards?

Because the store was not packed floor to ceiling you could really see the yarn. And she had some great stuff and it was all so tempting. I did fondle a ball of sock yarn and when she told me the price, I put it back down. It wasn't expensive (to me) but it was more than I wanted to spend at that time. We were about to leave and hubby saw that I wasn't checking out and my hands were empty, so he went and bought it for me. So, what did I get? Berroco Sox Metallic - I think in in the Guava colorway. Bless his heart!!!

Goat Island Grill
So then we went to lunch at the Goat Island Grill. No, its not on an island, I didn't see any goats nor did we see any on the menu but they did grill some things. Actually, it was a wonderful meal and we got to sit outside which was right off the waterfront area. Funny thing happened, a cat came wandering in. Wow, did that bring back memories of Italy. It was nothing in Italy to be eating and have cats wander in and out of the open areas. No one cared here or there.

I would love to go back and visit Georgetown again. There were some neat stores to shop in and plenty of pretty places to walk.

Oh, and I'll leave you with a picture from the waterfront.

What I've been up to

2009-04-27T16:21:00.005-04:00

I've been busy on several fronts and I thought rather than tell you, I would show you

For Jane Ellen Candler
Born 4/26/2009

For Baby Spencer
Soon to be born

For Nathan Hartung
Born a few months ago
He'll have to grow into these!

For Jack Candler
Born in January 2009

Wrap or blanket - work in progress
Spaz would like you tho think she was helping model
but really, she just made herself comfortable on the project.

This was taken just before Spring sprung.

This is from our Bradford Pear Tree

Dad's given me a 2 week deadline for taking some picture with my old Macro Lens for a 35mm camera. It will force me to shoot manually than letting the camera decide things.

We'll see how I do.

I've been lectured till they are blue in the face and I've FINALLY listened!

2009-04-27T12:14:00.003-04:00

So, between Slay and Mom and every other weight loss guru, the best way to lose weight is to plan your meals. Shop for what you need, make it ahead of time if you can and then eat on that for a week. Ready made healthy meals. It also makes sense fiscally, because you aren't visiting the grocery store 4 or more times a week buying stuff you don't need or on impulse. I've heard this lecture till I'm blue in the face and I've resisted.

You see, I HATE meal planning. I like to go with the flow. I like to be impulsive about what I eat. And if I have the $$ and the time, I like to walk around the store and figure out what I want. I like experimenting with food.

I also HATE leftovers. And, if I cook it on Sunday, even if it is for later in the week, in my mind, that is a left over. Even if I haven't eaten it yet. It has been sitting in my fridge for some time and therefore, becomes a left over. ICK.

But, I also recently realized that my hubby has a valid point. It is very hard for him to lose weight because his schedule and locations rarely make it convenient for him to find and eat healthy food. So, he ends up eating at odd hours (which leads to binge eating because he's HUNGRY) and eating at quick fast food, candy bar snacks or restaurants that serve big, unhealthy portions. And the only way to help him lose weight is to try to plan lunches for him. Help him with his menu planning and get him into the habit of packing a lunch and maybe using meals from the night before as lunch the next day or during the week. And this wouldn't hurt me either. I eat out way to often for lunch and while I can take the time to eat at healthy places, I'm starting to get very, very tired of the same thing every week. Food boredom is dangerous to weight loss.

To that end, on the way home from the beach, we discussed menu planning and taking in lunches and on Sunday, I looked through a few cookbooks and planned my dinners and lunches for the week. I was going to set the example. I made a menu, made an ingredients list and removed the items that we already had in house. I then took what was left and went to the grocery store and bought ONLY what was on that list. I spent $75. But when you figure that it was making at least 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners, that's comes out to about 14 meals at $5.38 per meal.

Then, when I got home, I did the next step. I prepped some things to make getting the meals made quicker. I made tropical yogurt, I removed the skin and boned 3 pounds of chicken thighs for a crock pot meal (yick and double YICK), I chopped veggies and I washed my new lunch container (LINK - these are so cool and I want more).

Then last night, before we went to bed, we made our lunches. I knew I had 4 Lean Cuisine meals at the office, so I didn't need to pack the main meal. But I did pack the tropical fruit yogurt for breakfast, Tomato and Cucumber Salad for lunch and Carrots and Celery (for snacking and yes, I actually like this).

Tropical Fruit Yogurt
Peel and dice 1 mango, 1 papaya, 1 banana, 1 peach. Put in bowl and add 1 cup of diced fresh pineapple. Add 18 ounces of Stonyfield Farm Plain Fat Free Yogurt, 4 packets of Splenda (or sweeten to taste) and about 2 tsp of fresh grated ginger root. Mix and let sit overnight to blend the flavors.

Weight Watcher Points - 3 (Counts as filling food)
Serving size is 1 cup
1 dairy serving
1 fruit serving

Yogurt is organic, fat free and has lots of the good live active cultures that we all need.

Tomato-Cumber Salad
This is pretty much a southern classic
Quarter 3 Campari tomatos (or grape tomatoes or diced tomato of your choice - the riper the better)
Cut about a quarter of a large cumber and peel it. Slice it in rounds and then half the rounds.
Take a green onion and slice/chop the green part of the onion and add to tomatoes and cucumber.
Season with herbs of choice (Fennel Spice mix and salt)
Add 2 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Add 2 tsp of Red Wine Vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)

Let sit over night and the juice from the tomatos, oil and vinegar make a nice juicy dressing. Drink off what is left over. Its good for you.

Weight Watcher Points - 3 (Counts as filling food)
Serving size is 1.25 cup
2 oil servings (only if you finish the dressing)
2 veggie servings

I had the Lean Cuisine Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken (6 points) for my lunch with the salad.

So, I think I'm doing pretty good. I'm a little higher in points than I wanted to be at this time of day, but, I think I'm doing pretty good because I am meeting the Healthy Guidelines like CRAZY. And I'm eating mainly filling foods.

YAY!!!!!!! Back on track!

Weight update - Before and After the Beach

2009-04-27T11:58:00.004-04:00

I am so close. Many moons ago, I began my weight loss journey at 233 pounds. The wake up call was one day (oddly enough during New Year's weekend) when I was packing to go home and I looked - really looked - at my size 24 jeans and shuddered. Is my ass that big? (No, but my tummy is)

So, I decided then and there to go back home and get on Weight Watchers. I did great and within the year (or less), I lost 60 pounds. I got down to 178 pounds. And then I heard the words that altered my life for the worse - "You look so good, you could stay at that weight". And I took them seriously and gave up. I didn't learn how to maintain that weight, I didn't control my intake and slowly the weight went back on till I regained about 30 pounds. Sigh.

So I finally started again and I've done a so so job up until the last two months and something clicked and I really got serious about my weight. And then I found my first Weight Watchers card and saw what that last great weigh in was and realized how close I was to getting back to that number.

I'm about 4 pounds away from that number.

4 POUNDS!!!!

Once I lose those 4 pounds, I'll be back to losing real weight - not just taking off what I had gained back. I'll be going truly into negative numbers. Yeah, Yeah. I can just hear it now. You've been losing weight and in negative numbers for a long time. But you know - I have NEVER consciously thought of it that way. I have been so ashamed of myself this last year for gaining the weight back and I think in a way, that shame has been holding me back. Once I realized how CLOSE I was to that magic 178 - I realized that I could get completely back on track and really lose the weight needed.

My whole outlooked has changed. I began to look at my clothes again and realized, I had been dressing dowdy again. I had been hiding again. I was ashamed again. And I realized I would soon be on the "losing track" again and I started to dress better, walk with my head up, take care of myself.

All of this realization hit just before going on vacation. And you have to know that vacation with my Dad is not easy. He likes to eat. He likes to eat high on the hog. And it is VERY hard to have healthy low fat meals around him. And, I like that kind of eating too. Its so easy for me to fall into those traps. So, I went to the beach knowing that I would probably gain weight or at least maybe stay even. I would do my best to eat healthy for breakfast and lunch. I would do my best to eat small portions of the high fat stuff. And for the most part, I did. I probably did gain weight. But, the pants that were just fitting when I got there, still fit, so it couldn't have been too bad.

I weigh in on Saturday. I'll let you know what happened. Granted - I am going to eat healthy this week and so I'll either be (at best) losing the weight I gained while at the beach or staying at the same weight from when I weighed in last. (Saturday April 11) I can't weigh-in at Weight Watchers in South Carolina because they are a franchise and do not accept my card or expect me to pay them when I've already paid WW international. And we didn't weigh in this Saturday because we didn't get home till 11am. So, this coming Saturday is my next chance.

And my friend Slay - She's lost 10 pounds while I was gone. She ate right and worked outside quite a bit. WAY TO GO!!!!!!

Great - I'm going to have to "watch" reality TV

2009-04-15T06:47:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Slay, I'm going to have to watch some reality TV. Britain's Got Talent. I've gotta watch to see how Susan Boyle does.

Here is her audition performance

AMAZING

And watch the judges' faces!

AMAZING

2009-04-13T21:20:00.005-04:00

I've gotta say, I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't seen it. I can't get it to fit in my blog page very well, so if you need the link to the page - go here!

Coffee

2009-04-10T15:04:00.002-04:00

OK, So I did go out and get the Starbuck's Via Instant coffee, but I'm using those in case of emergency - kind of. They will come in handy next week.

But, I need to stop stopping at Starbucks every morning or I'll be broke! But, I'm too lazy at night and in the morning to make a pot of coffee (even a half one) for me at home, so what's a girl to do. Drink the free drek at the office or make her own. I've opted to make my own. A long time ago, I brought a coffee pot to the office and its been sitting here collecting dust. I brought it for those nights I have to stay late at the office to work on a proposal.

So, I pulled it out, dusted it off and bought some Peet's Italian Roast Coffee. Sold at Publix.

And this week (or at least half of it) I've been making a pot (8 cupper) and sharing it with co-workers. I get my cup and half of coffee, they come and chat and we are all saving a little money. And let me tell you - that's some darn good coffee!!!!!

Sammy Boy started early for April Fool's Day

2009-04-01T14:05:00.003-04:00

Just look at this face - does it look like a face that would play a practical joke on is beloved owner?
Well don't be fooled like I was.

Hubby was out of town last night. First time in quite a while and so, I was a little edgy. Sammy Boy ALWAYS sleeps in our room and often at the foot of the bed. So, I'm used to him there and quite comfortable with it. And this morning was NO exception.

I say this morning was no exception because at 3:30 AM (this morning) I was woken up out of a very sound sleep by Sammy Boy baying at something outside our bedroom windows. It was dark, so I couldn't see if his hackles were up. The barking lasted for about 30 seconds (seemed like longer) and then he jumped off the bed and went under it - into his cave. OK - Hubby out of town, something outside our bedroom window making Sammy Boy bark. What to do? I sat there and listened. I didn't hear anything. I didn't smell anything unusual, Sammy Boy was calm. Hmmmm - maybe it was an animal making something that got his attention.

So, go up, went to the bedroom door and locked it. You know one of those twist locks. Yeah I know, that won't help against an intruder, but its something.

I crawled back into bed and tried to go back to sleep. Still a little wigged out and trying to figure out should I call the police? Should I call Hubby? Should I call Slay? Well, it is 3:45 am and seems like there is nothing wrong... So, no, I won't call anyone. But what I did do is take my iTouch and e-mail Slay. I asked her to call me at work today at 9am. If I am not there, please call me on my cell and home phone. This way, if the intruder were there and something were to happen to me, someone would be checking on me.

I thought with having someone checking in on me would help me relax enough to fall back to sleep, but nope, I was WIDE AWAKE. And Sammy Boy was laying on the bed SLEEPING!

I pulled out the iTouch again and surfed the App store for free apps and found a few. 4:30AM rolled around and still no sleep. So, I decided, if I was going to be awake, Sammy Boy was going to be awake too. After all, he sleeps all day anyway.

And, I didn't even think about it. Slay thought it was possible I was playing an April Fool's joke on her. Not a chance!

Needless to say, I'm tired today and I have to make communion bread when I get home tonight!

Yep - That's Sammy Boy. Laughing at me!

Addictions

2009-03-27T10:20:00.004-04:00

Several of my family members (close and distant) have addictive personalities.

We have several functioning alcoholics in my family and at least one who isn't. Most of my family has weight issues which means we are addicted to food for more than just fuel. Many in my family smoke. And, I'm sure there are others I just don't know.

So, since I know its in my genes to have an addictive personality I try to avoid certain things. I thought I would write about my guidelines/rules for alcohol, but that really isn't the point of this post. Really, its to tell you about one addiction I have no intention of stopping and that is my addiction to coffee. I LOVE coffee. Not for the caffiene, but for the taste and the aroma.

Almost every day, I stop at Starbucks on the way into the office to get a Grande Coffee. I do not get one of those fru fru drinks. I either get Coffee or I get espresso. Venti if its going to be a busy day. The coffee at the office is ... not very good. Yes, I could brew my own, but as its just me - its sometimes a pain in the but to set up the coffee pot for me. I'm not addicted to Starbucks coffee, its just the most convienent for me to get to. My favorite coffee shop is in Downtown Norcross and they've just changed names and I can't remember it. Its not easy to get to, so I only go there a few times a year. Sigh... They serve wine too. (but that's another story)

But, now Starbucks has done something that may stop me from going into the stores ever again. They have come up with an instant coffee. Instant coffee is usually pretty yucky and I NEVER touch the stuff, but when Starbucks sent out an e-mail to those on their list offering free sample, I said what the heck, let's give it a try. Its called Starbucks VIA. It arrived on Wednesday, I brought it into the office on Thursday and tried it out. The first sample being Italian Roast. And I was VERY shocked at the taste - I seriously could not tell that this was made from instant coffee. It is as good as anything I've had from their stores. This morning I tried the Columbian sample. And while not as good as the Italian Roast - it was very nice.

So then I thought - surely this would not be cost effective for me. Then I did the math.

A grande coffee at Starbucks is 1.85 (with my personal cup) This gives me the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee - so its about $0.92 per cup of coffee.

A box of Starbucks Via hold 12 servings and costs $9.95. So that equals $0.82 per cup of coffee. That's a 10 cent savings per cup.

That's a savings of $32 a year.

I know - that's not much, but think about this too.

There are times I forget my personal cup and I take one of their cups. So that's one paper cup per day into the trash and ultimately into the landfill to breakdown in what ever amount of time. But with the SBVia I can use my coffee cup. Nothing more to throw away (except the pouch). Not a cup, stirrer or java cuff.

Because I prepare my drink at Starbucks and since I like half and half in my coffee, I have to pour it from their container. I try to allow myself only 2 tbsp or less of creamer as it is fattening (but worth it). But, since there is no way for me to measure it, I don't know if I'm using too much or too little. Now either at work or at home, I can measure that out and control it.

I can have one cup in the morning as I prepare to go to work and one cup with KT as we eat breakfast at the office. Then I'm done for the day.

Yep, all of this is justification for me to try this out.

On top of that - I have an offer for free shipping.

A new do - sort of

2009-03-19T14:41:00.003-04:00

Television

2009-03-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

You know, I sometimes wonder why I watch television. There is so much on now that is gross, graphic and just negative. Most of it does not make a person happy or feel better. Most of it can cause stress. Most of it is watching people suffer - reality tv is not real. I just tuned into Hell's Kitchen for the first time. It was awful. But you know what - its no different than any of the other shows of that type. Cooking shows, dancing shows, singing shows, star shows, hair shows, fashion shows, you're fired. Team mates putting each other down. Throwing them off the team. Adversary against adversary. Its the coliseum all over again, just this time, no one physically dies. Why do we put up with this? Why do people find this entertainment?

Its just painful to watch people humiliate other people.

And its not just reality TV. Look at all the cop, murder, forensic tv shows we have. People killing, maiming, destroying, raping, torturing other people. Then, when that's happened, let's cut them open and show what everything looks like inside to the nth degree. Its like each show tries to find ways to out gross each other. Do I really need to know the path of the bullet through the body in all its gruesome detail? Do I need to see green foam coming out of a body, moving under the skin and up from the bones. Do I need to know a wife prostituted herself to her husband's boss so her husband wouldn't lose his job. And then, when her brother in law caught her in the act, she killed him? Do I need to know how a football team raped a teenage mentally retarded girl. Do I need to learn that scritching is something sexually done between two adults in animal costume?

No, I don't.

I'm not saying I want to live in Pleasantville. I'm just wondering if all this is necessary? Is all the detail necessary? Can we not solve a crime without all the gruesomeness. Think Magnum PI. Think MacGyver. And many more.

I don't think so - but - maybe I'm odd that way.

An amazing thing is happening

2009-03-03T14:51:00.002-05:00

And I hope it doesn't stop.

For the past three days - I have been HAPPY. All around, in a great mood, Happy. And grateful. And content.

Its been a great blessing and I am going to do everything I can to nurture this feeling and stop doing things that don't nurture it.
Stop complaining about every little thing.
Look more on the bright side of things.
Thank those who help me.
Help those who need help (in small ways and big if possible).
Try not to let certain people get on my nerves.
Just Leave It

I like being happy.

Geocaching - Georgia Geocaching Association - First Meeting

2009-02-15T15:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I went to a Georgia Geocaching Association meeting. I put my name on the list and am now a member! What does that mean? I have a resource. They have monthly meetings, some are fun, some are learning experiences and some way to far for me to go to without a really good reason.

This past weekend was Ed"Rebel"Handler Memorial Chili Cook-off . What a great way to get introduced to a lot of geocachers in Georgia and taste some very good chili. I followed Slayerette around for about 30 minutes. She was a champ introducing me around, but eventually, I was just overwhelmed and decided to do what I like to do in new social settings. I pulled out the knitting. Generally, it calms me down, gives me something to do, allows me to be social (if I'm working on easy knitting) and can occasionally be a conversation starter or ice breaker. Well, not so much with this crowd, but it did give me something to do and I was able to talk to my seatmates. I met some great cachers and had a great time.

We went after two caches that were in the park. The Forgotten One's and Koo Koo KooKoon. Slay found The Forgotten One's first - I think that was the smallest Nano I've seen yet. Its also a cemetary cache and that is indeed a neat cemetary. Koo Koo KooKoon was TOUGH. I blended so well with the overall growth. That was probably the best camo job I've ever seen. The only way I was able to find it was with a huge nudge from the cache owner, I even found it before Johnnie and Slayerette. Just proves that sometimes the apprentice gets lucky and beats the master.

Then we had the long drive home and spent the rest of my Valentine's Day with my Sweetie. We ran some errands and then came home, ate a simple meal and I crashed out for the night. I had a busy day. (By the way - we had our little Valentine's special the night before. DH took me to one of my favorite restaurants - Outback. I love that Outback Special!)

Resolutions

2009-01-07T09:25:00.005-05:00

I'm not a great believer in New Year's Resolutions. I'm a believer in that if there is something you need to resolve to do, you should do it THEN and not wait for some arbitrary date to start. You want to lose weight and you knew this in November, then do it in November - don't start Jan 1. Need to Exercise more - well, hop to.

But since it seems to be on everyone's mind at this time of year, and much discussed, its gotten me thinking about things I need to do or have been suggested to me. This isn't my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION, it is just a Resolution that came to me after New Year's! (I know, I'm splitting hairs).

MAIN RESOLUTION
DO WHAT YOU LIKE, LIKE WHAT YOU DO.
(Thank you Life is Good People)

I RESOLVE TO KNIT FOR MYSELF.
DH has lectured me every year about my knitting. It appears that things I knit tend to be for other people and I don't have many knitted things that I've knitted for myself. This doesn't mean that I can't knit something for others, just that the majority of my knitting must be for me! I've argued in years past that, the process of knitting is for me, the end product. What I do with that knitted product isn't quite as important. But, I also know that there are things I've given to people, that I wish I had too. (Not that I want to take it back, just want one for me to look at (Hemlock Ring Blanket I made for my mom. I don't want THAT one, but I do want one.)

Projects already in process

Dot's and Dash... It could have been a scarf, but I kept going. It could be a wrap, but who knows, I might keep going and then it could be a throw. This is a fairly mindless project and easy to take to meetings and work on without thinking too much.
Year B Block a Month Blanket This Knit-a-Long project has been started by the Episcopal Group on Ravelry. You knit one block a month for the 12 months of the year. The design of the block is your choice. The color of the block matches the liturgical colors of the year. At the end of the year, you sew all the blocks together and viola, you have a blanket.

Projects to think about

Eastlake Sweater I've wanted to do this, I've had the yarn to do this, I haven't even started. So, by the end of this year - we'll see.
Eastlake Scarf Kind of goes with the sweater
Hemlock Ring Blanket or Pi Shawl I don't know if I'll get to this this year, but if I can, I'd like to do either one this year or next. I think I already have the yarn necessary for this, but I'll think about it this year and if I decide no - then I'll check SAFF in October!

That's a lot of knitting and not all of it easy stuff!

I RESOLVE TO EXERCISE CONSISTENTLY.
Yeah, I let myself slack off too much and don't keep at it. I already walk with Slay on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, so that's good, but I need to exercise on other days too. I don't want to join a gym, I want to do this without that expense. We have a Wii, we have WiiFit and that works great, but I want something a little more challenging on the Wii - I think I know what to get for that.

I RESOLVE TO MANAGE MY MONEY BETTER
I HAD a slush fund. I used it for buying yarn and other fun stuff. It was kind of my gift to me. But recently, I decided to let that fund sit a bit and collect so that I can use it for some home improvement ideas that the Mom's and I are going to do in June. One night I was walking with Slay and we did the math and realized that I would have a shit-load of money at the end of that time and that was when I realized just how much money I have WASTED in the past. OMG!!! So, after June, that money will go towards paying down a credit card and will also go for paying my way to SAFF in October - Though I will not be spending as much money at SAFF as I have in year's past. I will not be buying a spinning wheel and I will not be buying a weaving loom. Once SAFF is over, I will start planning on what to save for in 2010. We need flooring in the living room, we probably could use a new washer & dryer or a new dishwasher, the Air Conditioning Unit will eventually go, we may add on to the house, it could be a downpayment on a car for DH, it could be for our trip to Washington State. Who knows - but it will be useful and NOT WASTEFUL!

GEOCACHE WISELY
I want to geocache and go after good caches. There is nothing wrong with lightpole caches, they have their place. But, I want my caches to be memorable for all the right reasons.

A good walk
A nice view
A good challenge
Time spent with friends, Hubby and GeoDogSammy

I don't care how many I get, but I want them to MEAN SOMETHING in the end. Because for me, it really isn't about the numbers. If I only end up with 12 caches next year, that's fine, as long as they are worth it.

I RESOLVE TO ... CHURCH
I don't know what I want in this place. I don't want to be so involved in Church that I don't get over committed and unhappy. But, I want to be more a part of more. But I want to be smart about it. I want to choose wisely and do what is important.

I want to do EFM. I need to look into that.
I am interested in being a Lay Eucharist Visitor. I need to look into that.
I want to do the silent retreats when offered (next one is Lent)
I want to do the preparing for your Death program. (also during Lent) This just lays out my wishes and allows me to start saving for those DH or family can ignore those wishes if they chooses, but at least they will have that CHOICE.

So there you have it. Resolutions for the year. Plans made. I don't think they are unobtainable and on Jan 7, 2010 I will report how I did.

A Recipe to try out - Sizzling Rice Soup

2008-12-19T13:00:00.003-05:00

My friend (KT) and I went to a "Chinese" restaurant on Wednesday night and tried something neither of us had tried before - Sizzling Rice Soup. It was YUMMY. And so light. So, both of us being people who like to cook and deconstruct food, we decided that we must find a recipe to try at home.

Not an easy task.

I surfed, I found some, but none looked exactly like we had. So, I kind of glommed a few together, used my cooking know how and came up with this recipe to try out.

I'll let you know how it goes.

“Sizzling” Rice Soup

Ingredients
4 large dried black mushrooms, stems removed
1 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (about 6 oz)
1 1/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled, grated or thinly sliced.
4 ounces shrimp
1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced
1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, sliced
5 cups chicken stock or broth
1 Cup of reserved mushroom liquid (see instructions)
1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked brown rice - crispy (see instructions)

Instructions
Cover mushrooms with hot water and let soak for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve 1 cup for the soup. Cut mushrooms into quarters.
Bring Chicken stock/broth to boil and add sliced chicken and ginger to pot. Cook till chicken is blanched (or just changed color).
Add mushroom liquid, shrimp, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and simmer for a few minutes.
Add soy sauce, rice wine, salt and pepper. Keep hot until rice is ready.
Take cooked brown rice and sauté in a skillet (sprayed with cooking oil spray) until rice is crispy. Or, you can deep fry it in oil until brown. Or you can used a fried rice cake that you purchase at Asian food stores.
Put soup in serving bowl, add rice to soup and serve.

Rant & Rave

2008-12-04T13:38:00.005-05:00

OK, I'm going to go off on a rant here! Just warning ya!

So, this morning I go to the grocery store to pick up a few items for my morning breakfast at work with KT. While there, I run into a co-worker picking up dog food, collar and leash. I ask him why. It turns out that a little dog has strayed into our office park and one of the managers picked him up and brought him in. Poor little tyke. It is obvious he has been loved and cared for. His tail has been docked, his dew claws removed and over all, he's a sweet dog. Scared, cold, hungry, thirsty.

This is him

I understand that all people do not see dogs as family.

I understand that some see dogs as only outdoor critters.

I understand that times are tough, forclosures are happening.

But what I don't understand is ABANDONING YOUR DOG! This is a creature who depends on you for the basic necessities. It isn't a creature used to being in the wild (urban or woods).

When you get a dog it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to take care of it. And if your life is in the shitter, then it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find a home for the dog. (Or any other animal you choose to adopt)

Dogs are not trash.

They are not disposable.

They are RECYCLABLE. If you can't keep them, pass them on to someone who can.

End of Rant (and that's me being nice).

Now for the rave - as in Rave Reviews - Something to be happy about.

So, the manager that brought this little one in out of the cold has possibly found a new home for it. A few others popped up with possibles and this little one will be saved.

So sad that many will not.

Please, spay and neuter your pets. Please do not abandon your pets. You may not think of them as family or furkids or anything other than an outdoor pet, but they are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY - Put your Big Girl Panties On And Deal With It!
-------------------------------------------
12-9-08 - Just an update - It appears our little fella has a home. He is a house dog that got out and got lost. Our manager took him to the vet and thankfully the owners had put a microchip in him and they found the owners. He was reunited with his owners yesterday and as it turns out - was only lost for about a week.

So, all's well that ends well, for this guy. But the problem is still out there!!!!!
------------------------------------------

Sick of being sick

2008-11-11T08:50:00.003-05:00

Its a long post, but its been a week... Despite this cold, it has been one heck of a week.

It all started the day after Halloween. (All Saint's Day) I started to get a little tickle in the back of my throat. Monday rolls around and I'm at work and my throat starts hurting like the dickens. My friend (who is also coming down with this) assures me it is a short duration kind of cold. (Yeah, right). So I take Tylenol Sinus and hope for the best. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - More of the same but each day a little worse. Ohh - I found out on Tuesday night - Ice Cream is NOT a good thing to eat when you have a cold.

One of my friends at work won a breakfast and massage for her and her co-workers from Caribou Coffee. SWEET. So the day for the massage was Thursday. Not thinking about it, I walk in for my appointment, get my upper back massaged for a wonderful (and painful) 15-30 minutes. Muscles are not so kinky anymore. I drink lots of water to flush those nasty toxins and think - ahh - life is good. Thursday night - I take a turn for the worst. I can't speak, I cough up several lungs, I'm parched and can't get enough water and am just miserable. Hubby goes out and gets me lots of drugs, gets a new filter for the humidifier and puts me to bed. Just before I drift off he says - "You aren't going to work on Monday are you?" My only answer is - "We'll see how I am in the morning." Friday morning rolls around - I am not better, I can't talk and my head feels like it is 10 pounds heavier. I can barely breath through my nose and when I try breathing through my mouth, I cough. Sigh... I agree with hubby that I should not go into work. That I will stay home and rest.

So hubby puts me back into bed with instructions to stay there. He's going into the office and telling my boss, friend and co-worker I am not coming in. (We both work out of the same office - he's just rarely in it) I last in bed about another 10 minutes after he leaves. I can't sit still. I go out to the living room and try to find something to do and rest. I play a little Nintendo DS and realize I need coffee. I don't have any coffee in the house to make. I need coffee. So I get out of my pajamas, load up the dog (Sammy) into the car and go to the local Starbucks. Ahhh - I can now be awake and sick at the same time.

I get home and realize that sitting still is still not an option. I can't settle. So I go and pull out the meat for the Teen Taco Dinner on Sunday night to cook it into taco meat and realize that its Grey. Uniformly grey. Well, I may be sick, but I don't want others to be sick, so I throw that away. Get back out of my pajamas, put Sammy back in the car and go to Publix and pick up three pounds of ground beef. Bring it home and proceed to make three batches of Taco meat. mmmmm - makes good chili for hot dogs too. Then I make non-fried re-fried beans and by the time that is done, Hubby is home (he took a half day and came home early) and firmly puts me in my chair and tells me to STAY THERE. I am supposed to be resting.

So, I sit in front of the TV, finish knitting my hat for the class on Saturday and rest for the rest of the day. I think I'm in bed by 9:30.

Saturday, I've gotta go teach the last session of Magic Loop Hat. I get there early and help Jan set up the store with the new Malabrigo Sock yarn she just got in. Damn - I just went on a sock yarn diet. I'm not allowed to purchase any of this goodness. The class starts and I can't believe it, but the pattern's math is all wrong. Mind you - I knit this hat once already and it came out fine. But when the class and I sit down to do it, the math is all wrong. I am not a math wiz, so I don't have a clue how to fix this one. So Jan, sits down with us, figures out how to fix it and while she and one of my students are knitting it up, I'm helping the other two with their problems with Magic Loop. By the end of the day, we have a pattern for all the students to finish their hats, we send them on their way, Jan rings me up and sends me on my way and I go and do a little retail therapy at Kohl's.

Hubby comes and meets me there and we go across the street to Publix to pick up the ingredients for slow cooker beef stew. That will hit the spot on Sunday afternoon. By the time we get to Publix, I have hit the wall. I have no more energy, my voice is almost gone and I am toasted. So we get done shopping and hubby takes me home and puts me to bed.

But do I get to rest on Sunday - Nope - I've got a big day on Sunday too.

I wake up Sunday morning feeling much better (Its amazing what a night of prayer can do). I still have voice issues and some breathing issues, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. But I have to be here at church today - Why, well, I have to read the Epistle, the Assistant Bishop is here to do Confirmations and Baptisims and there is a tea after. And I need to be back at the church at 5:30ish to set up dinner for the teens (remember the taco meat).

I'm feeling so much better that Hubby and I decide that after I get back from Church, we would geocache in the nearby park and see if we can get at least one of the puzzle caches in there. So we go after GC1CRV2 - Attention to Detail cache. Man, is this one a doozie. First, figuring out the cooridnates for this one takes some work. Then finding the cache at the coordinates is even tougher. Especially if you are not sure you have the RIGHT coordinates. But we eventually found the cache and won the day. Hubby and I (at two different times) had also attempted the first part of GC1CJC6 - What's in your Bag? multi-cache. So we decided to go after leg 2. As it happens, the coordinates I had were typo'd and while I was going off in one direction, hubby and Sammy head off in the other. I eventally realize I'm not going the right way and hubby is searching for me because I have the pen necessary for him to write down the next set of coordinates. And the right GPS to input those coordinates. So we go back to part 2, get the new set and go after part 3. Now a few people have said that part 3 is missing and so we look, and look and look and cannot find it. That doesn't mean its missing because the guy who has placed this cache is SMART and TRICKY. So, its more likely that we just can't find it. We'll try another day.

So after getting home from geocaching, I get ready for the teen dinner and help set that up. Talk a little about the knitting group at the church and then A decides to tell the teens about my other hobby. Geocaching. They all look blank. So I go into my speil about what is geocaching and their faces get brighter and brighter and they think I'm cool. (or what ever the word for that is now) So it appears that I may be taking the kids Geocaching soon. Or, I might set up some caches around the church and teach them that way. Hmmm - Need to come up with a presentation or something to explain it.

OK - I'm almost done. Am I better - do I still have a cold - you betcha. But, I do come into work Monday - I survive, I go to the Chiropractor for an adjustment and then head home to pick up my knitting for the knitting group meeting. I get home and realize - I am not going back out. My head is hurting, one eye is weeping and I am tired. By 8:30 I am in bed and attempting to go to sleep.

And today - well, we'll see what today brings. I'm at work and I have walking plans with Slay tonight and probably will toddle off to bed as soon as I get home from that. Wish me good health soon. I am SICK of being SICK.

Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival Report #1

2008-10-27T09:41:00.004-04:00

I know, I've been a BAD blogger! I haven't posted in a long time. To atone for my lack of blogging, I give you FRISK!

At the start of SAFF - Frisk (as I named her) was 3 days old and she was the HIT of the festival. That's right - not the yarn, not the roving, but FRISK! Frisk is a baby pygmy goat and her momma had her and two other little ones and because she was the first she kind of got seperated from her momma and her momma wouldn't accept her back once the others had been birthed. So her momma was one of the lovely ladies who worked the main entrance of SAFF. When Frisk came out to play and frisk, (Look frisk up in the dictionary and you should see a picture of this little girl) and it would be like magic because out of thin air would be all these people come to watch her play. We would ooh and ahh and all threaten to take her home. She was even cute when she peed and got a standing O for it.

The other interesting thing is my friend YarniArni got a knitting tattoo. Yes, he loves knitting so much he decided to tattoo his body with the difficulty scales from Knitters. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of HIS tattoo, but I can post a picture (from the owner of the blog Yarn Ball Boogie) of one that is LIKE his tattoo.

His is located on his leg and I got to WATCH him get tattooed. I can't say it instilled much desire in me getting my own. He cussed like a sailor (though not at me or the Tattooist) and sqeezed my hand nearly off. (well, he squeezed pretty hard). The Tattoo was done at Man's Ruin by Tattoo Artist Heather. It was . . . Educational . . .

Anyway - I'll actually post about what I bought at SAFF later. I've gotta take pictures and get links so you can ooh and ahh over the loveliness and then maybe go out and get your own.

A knitter's rant

2008-09-15T13:47:00.003-04:00

Let me first say, this pertains to anyone who crafts for their own pleasure. So, if you know someone who paints, draws, crochets, quilts, spin, please keep this in mind before you say the absolute worst thing you could say to MOST crafters.

I knit. (duh) Some would say I'm addicted and they would probably be somewhat right.

I love the feel of the needles in my hands and the yarn going through my fingers.

I love the simple projects that keep my hands occupied and my mind active, so I can have a conversation with a friend without having to take my eyes off of them or have to pause a conversation so I can count or fix a mistake.

I love the complicated patterns that make me think, that stretch my skills and make me a better knitter than I was when I started. I love it even when it doesn't turn out and I frog it back. I love it when I make a mistake so bad, its easier to start completely over. I love it when its finished and I gasp at the loveliness of it. And wonder at the fact that this came from MY hands.

I love the community of friends that comes with it and the fact that most of us would not have met or have nothing much in common besides knitting. I have met very few mean knitters or knitters I don't like. I've met very opinionated knitters, but usually they can back it up with YEARS of experience and knowledge.

What I don't like about knitting is often when you show something to someone who is a non-knitter or even a non-crafter, the first thing out of their mouth is

"Why, that is so nice, you should make lots of it and sell it".

I know that that is their way of praising my handiwork and telling me they appreciate what I have done, but I they would just stop and THINK about how that sounds.

They are asking me to take something that brings me mountains of enjoyment and fun and turn it into a JOB. They are saying that I should stop knitting for my pleasure and knit for work and money. That I should stop knitting for friends and family and sell my knitting to complete strangers.

Invariably, the best way to answer this question is to explain how much it would COST to knit such an object. First you ask them - how much would you pay for that item? Generally they would say - $30-50. Sound generous - think again.

Example: I am working on knitting a teddy bear for a friend. This bear is roughly 10-12 inches tall.

Just taking in account the cost of the materials and labor - this bear would cost (i.e. without markup for profit)

The cost of the yarn is $5.00.
I've used probably about $1.00 for the stuffing (stuffing is cheap)

Federal Minimum Wage is $6.55/hour for UNSKILLED labor. I would like to think my skills rank further above that.

On average, I have knit probably 10 hours in this bear already and probably have at least another 5 hours to go. I am not a fast knitter. So a total of 15 hours for this bear.

So the cost of Labor for this bear is $98.25.

Materials and Labor cost is $106.25.

Now, take into account it is STANDARD practice to take a third of the cost and add that to the total so a person can make a profit.

$140.60

Yep - you heard me right. And that isn't even including overhead such as lighting (I need to see to knit), gas to pick up the yarn, the gas for when I needed to consult with another knitter to help me through a rough patch on the badly written pattern, the cost of the pattern (this one happened to be free) or any of the other misc. costs that small businesses have to come up with.

This bear could easily cost $200.

And she wants to offer me $50?

This is why I don't want to make my knitting a business. I don't want to have to worry about money and am I getting paid enough because quite frankly no one will pay over $200 for this bear. I wouldn't!

Most people don't understand the cost of a craft or art. They think its cute, they think its quaint, they think its a cheap way to get out of giving someone a REAL gift. They wonder why I am doing such an "granny" type craft. (If only they looked at who is really knitting these days, they would be shocked) Some women (die hard feminists) think I am betraying my sex because I enjoy such a hand craft. That it tells people I want to be subjugated by my men folk and told what to do. (As if...) But generally most people, they don't value what I am doing.

And before I was a knitter - I was one of these people.

Don't get me wrong - not everyone I meet falls into this category.
I can't tell you how many times people have seen me knitting in public and have asked me questions, have said, I wish I could do that or any number of complementary things.

The funniest is when they say, I wish I had the patience to do that. Ha! I do this not only because I enjoy it, but because it gives me something to do when I am in situations where I need patience to get through a situation. Or something to keep my hands busy so my mind can pay better attention.

And the best thing ever is when someone comes up to us in the knitting groups and they say, would you teach me and we say yes and they sit down and start learning and the next thing we know, they come in with a completed project and its just wonderful to see the sense of accomplishment it brings them. And to us.

So the next time someone gives you a hand made item, thank them and know that it was crafted with love and good intentions. And if you love what they gave you, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't tell them that they should sell that love or good intentions.

And if you hate it. Then smile and put it away somewhere or take it to Goodwill or somewhere.

A Little Incentive

2008-09-11T15:30:00.005-04:00

Let's admit it and be BRUTALLY honest - I got fat. At one time a few years ago - I weight 233 pounds. Size 22-24 clothing.

Yup - That's me!!!!!

This is the only picture I have with me being that heavy! YIKES!

I got on the Weight Watchers Bandwagon and with much effort and success, lost almost 60 pounds. But I got complacent and regained 30 pounds. I got re-committed and lost 25 of those 30 and got rebellious and tired of it all and stopped caring. Sure enough - I regained the 25 pounds. Was I concerned - Nope.

Well, when we went to see Granny a few weeks ago - I got to stare at my face quite a bit when the sun visor was down. I was NOT HAPPY with what I saw. I was getting fat again. I was FIRMLY in size 18W and almost out of them. They were getting tight.

So again, I've recommitted and am trying to get back into the swing of things with Weight Watchers.

To that end, I am now writing down all of my food in a WW journal and so is KT at work. She and I are going to exchange journals once a week. We will hold each other accountable. And its working REALLY, REALLY well. I had a bad day on Tuesday - today isn't looking any better. I thought I had really blown this whole week. I didn't want to admit it to myself or to KT. But, a promise is a promise (And KT would give me mucho hell). So, I wrote it down and came to find out - yes, I did have a bad Tuesday and today wasn't going to be great - but I had not blown the whole week. I was still within "parameters".

So, I decided to pull out the handly little ticker again and see where I am in my original goal.

Original weight - 233 pounds
Weight 9/6/08 - 204.2 pounds (weigh in day)
Next Goal Weight by October 10 - 196.0 pounds

I'll set a new goal after that.

Motto: Put your big girl panties on and deal with it
Motto: Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
Motto: Ewes not fat; Ewes Fluffy (pin given to me by YarniArni)

The Lost is Found!

2008-09-08T11:08:00.002-04:00

Its sometimes the small things you lose that drive you the craziest. In this instance, its a bunch of small things lost. Namely - my knitting gizmo bag. You know, the odds and ends that you need for knitting.

Well, about a week ago I lost mine. I knew it was SOMEWHERE in my house (I really need to clean that house), I just couldn't find it. And it was driving me crazy. I'd be at a group meeting and need a pen - did I have one - nope. Or, I'd drop a stitch (gasp) and no crochet hook to pick it up. I think I would have driven them crazy if I didn't do something about it soon.

So, I had resigned myself to re-building a gizmo bag. I bought a measuring tape (no where near as good as old faithful) and a new pair of scissors (same kind as my original), I found a stitch and row markers, a few tapestry needles and bought a compact calculator (for that higher math thing) and started making due. But I hadn't had a chance to replace the more essential tools. See picture below. This has been what I have been missing. (note - Calculator is new)

What are all these things.
Tape measure (white square item), pens, crochet hooks, scissors, cable needle, harmony needle tips (size 5 I think), row counter, measurement book, pink and blue cases hold stitch markers, The green/orange tin holds an eraser, tapestry needles, emergency lifeline, needle locking tool and a few stitch markers, my table tent name tag, a brand new calculator and the bag itself. All essential knitting tools!

But you want to know how you are seeing these items today - Hubby found the bag. I was driving to work, thought I left my wallet at home (it was really in my knitting bag) and called hubby (who was still at home) and asked him to look for it. In the process of looking for it, he found my bag. When he called me to tell me that he found my bag, I almost cried. (I was pretty moody this morning) When he brought me my bag, I kissed his face all over and thanked him and hugged my bag. I was so happy and he had his chest all swelled out. He deserved it - he has made my knitting life so much happier and better.

Summer Knitting or What I knit this summer

2008-09-08T09:18:00.006-04:00

What have I knit this summer, well check out this picture below.

There are a few more items that I have knit that aren't shown here but that is mainly because my camera (piece of crap) lost a little bitty plastic piece in the battery area and any battery that went into it did not sit correctly and the camera would act like a vampire and drain that sucker like it was STARVING.

So Hubby finally took pity on me and on Friday he got me a new camera. I am now a HAPPY owner of a Nikon D40. Its more camera than I need (now) and I hope to grow into it. The main reason we got this was hubby allowed me to use his camera in Ireland to take pictures of flowers and other textury kind of things. I love macro/micro kind of pictures and I hope to one day be able to afford a micro lens for my new camera. Hubby has a D40, but he likes to take scenic shots and other kinds of special effect shots so we have two very different styles. The best thing is that now that we have the same type of camera, we can share lenses. To see pictures that Hubby takes - follow this link. He has some great pictures he took of Ireland (and our other travels) posted already.

A new Project

2008-09-02T16:52:00.001-04:00

If you look over to the right side of my blog, you'll see a new picture. This my friends is a new project that a fellow knitter told me about. I'm going to try it out.

Its called Socks for Soldiers and well, its pretty self explanatory. I will be knitting socks for soldiers. Navy soldiers in particular. I've ordered my kit, (which comes with a really cool bag) and as soon as I get it, I'll be knitting away.

Who knows - I may use this as an example for my class. A pattern that is written for Double pointed needles and I'll be knitting it Magic Loop.

Sometimes Life Gives You Lemons And Lemonade

2008-08-26T15:32:00.003-04:00

OK, I KNOW some people have the worst time with HMO type medical care. I've HEARD the horror stories. But for me - It has been a walk in the park.

Any time I have been sick or needed to get in to see a doctor - I have been able to within 4 hours. I'm not talking throwing up or broken bone kind of sick - I'm talking sniffles, sneezes, general colds etc... General malaise that has just gotten beyond bearable or toughing it out. Its when I finally admit, I should really go see a doctor and get some meds.

Since hubby has been home off the road (more home than away that is) I've gotten used to him being home. I've gotten used to his noise and his presence and I sleep like a baby. But lately, he's been traveling again and I do not sleep like a baby. It take forever for me to go to sleep and then I sleep badly and wake up very, very cranky. I work very hard on being pleasant at work and usually fail. But then he comes home for a few weeks and I sleep like a baby again and I forget.

This past weekend, we had to sleep in two twin beds - across the room from the other. That wasn't so bad. But I slept like crap. Yesterday, he hit the road and I came home, played video games till 11ish and then proceeded to lay in bed wide awake for hours.

This has been going on for too long.

So, there are the lemons - lots of lack of sleep, grumpiness and the whole moody thing.

Lemonade...

I called the Dr. office at 11:00 - I very nicely told them that "I need a refill on my prescription for Ambien (that I've let lapse for over 2 years) and I need it NOW, if at all possible". My regular doctor was out of office today so they got me in to see a doctor at 2:40. I was taken to the waiting room at 2:50 and talking with the Dr. at 3pm. I was back at work with generic Ambien in hand by 3:20.

GENERIC AMBIEN. WOW - I didn't know it had been made generic. So what used to cost me $105 for a 30 day supply now only cost me $10.

Lemonade! The best in the world.

So, let's re-cap - sleep problems galore
Got in to see a doctor in less than 3 hours from calling them
Didn't have a long wait in the waiting room
I had a doctor who listened
Got a script for what I needed
AND only had to pay generic price!

Priceless!

More Caching

2008-08-20T22:14:00.004-04:00

After work tonight, I went out to my favorite coffee shop and met my friend Cheztree to deliver her fix (Knitpicks order) for the month. We started to pull out our knitting and I mentioned that there were at least 3 caches nearby that we could do if she wanted to give them a try. (She has never cached before).

So off we went in search of:

Gone to Pot - Traditional Cache - Urban Micro - Bison Tube - YIKES. DNF. Too many muggles, too little time. I actually tried twice. Once when Cheztree was with me and once after she left. Funny thing happened. I pretended I was impatiently waiting on my hubby (this was after Cheztree left) and when a couple passed and looked at me, I made some statement about waiting on someone and not having my cell to reach them. Meanwhile, I'm really pacing around Ground Zero looking for the bison tube. They commersated with me and walked on. I sat down where I thought is was and waited for them to get a little further away. Next thing I know, they are back and offering their cell phone so I can call my hubby and check up where he was. Well, not wanting to cause even more of a silly scene, I called hubby and confused the heck out of him. I was so hoping he wouldn't pick up.

Fields of Stone - Traditional Cache - Urban small - Found. This one was pretty and Cheztree got to see her first cache. It looked like a really big capsule pill. FUNNY. From the name, I thought this was a cache in a cematery. Well, kind of...

Welcome to Norcross 2 - Traditional Cache Urban Micro - Bison Tube - Found. This was my first bison tube that I've found. Fortunately I had tall Cheztree with me. The cache was much higher than my 5'4" could do - even with my arms streched. I was able to get it down with a stick, but if I had been by myself getting it back up - well, I would have been a great comedy. As it was, I got it down and ran off the spiders present, signed the log and Cheztree got it back up for me.

So, Cheztree seemed to enjoy it and may have us introduce her two nieces to the game and take them out caching in their area. So, not only am I closer to catching up with Hubby's count but I might have brought 3 more friends into the fold!

Current Count
GeoKnitFit - 87
Therelybare - 94

Seven more to go!

Deadline to catch up with therelybare - 10-09-08

Deadline to hit 100 - 10-18-08

Pray for me - Or, maybe for my students

2008-08-18T20:22:00.004-04:00

Well, its official, I'm taking the plunge into teaching a knitting class. Yep - you heard me. I'm going to teach students how to knit socks on one circular needle. Otherwise known as Magic Loop for all you non-knitters out there. (Just google it - tons of links).

One of the knitters in the knitting group I attend has recently opened a yarn store in Clarksville, Georgia. It is my favorite yarn store in Northeast Georgia, and it is called Twisted Skeins. She already has one teacher teaching socks on double pointed needles (DPNs), she teaches socks on two circulars, and so she needed someone to teach Magic Loop. Since I magic loop just about everything I knit in the round, well, said, I would try. I made sure I could actually do the pattern and understand it pretty well, and since I think I understand it, I told her I would do it. So, on September 20, 27 and October 1st, I will be teaching at Twisted Skeins from 1:30 - 3:00 pm.

To make extra sure I understand what I am doing, I have started another sock in Magic Loop, but this time, I'm designing my own pattern and that too is a first. I've never designed ANYTHING and I'm desiging a SOCK. Granted, its in worsted weight yarn and on size 5 needles, but still - A SOCK. And I've only knit 3 pairs of socks in my life. One sock of a pair from the first sock pattern I knit, 1 pair of Pedicure Socks, 1 pair of regular socks and one sock as a sample for the sock class (no picture - sorry). So, I'm not what you call an expert on socks.

Wish me luck and pray for my students.

Geocaching Galore

2008-08-15T09:37:00.004-04:00

Yes, I actually have a hobby outside of Knitting. I know - Shocking! Its called Geocaching. I'm GeoKnitFit.

Geocaching is (pronounced geo-cashing) is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS unit can then try to locate the geocache.

Yep folks - that's right - its a high tech scavenger hunt. Its the only game that uses multi-million dollar satellites to find little and large caches. It is fun!

As of this week - hubby had left me in the DUST. At the beginning of this week, I had 67 caches and hubby had 86 caches. I knew he was ahead of me - but 19 caches ahead, and come to find out - he's gotten 5 more this week while in Savannah. So I have to get 24 caches to catch up.

So I made a plan. I am going to catch up this week while he is away. I'm going to get up early and hit the urban caches that you have to hit when they aren't busy (because you can't be caught by a non-cacher) and I would cache at lunch and I would cache in the evening. Well, I've had some successes and I've had some failures and I've had some where I have just said - Not right now.

Here's how its gone so far!

Tuesday before work
California Dreamer - DNF (did not find)
Where's Ilya? - DNF

Tuesday Lunch
ALT Code (Puzzle Cache & Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - FOUND! 1 of 24

Wednesday before work (got up at 5:45am)
California Dreamer (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro)- FOUND 2 of 24 (Got it this time)
Minty Fresh (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro)- DNF

Wednesday Lunch
Forgotten Tragedy (Virtual Cache & Traditional Urban Micro) - FOUND - 3 of 24
Has Anyone Seen My? (Puzzle Cache) - DNF - Didn't have my portable GPS to add in the extra coordinates needed.

Wednesday Evening (A big push)
William's Mill 1 (Traditional Cache - Micro) - FOUND 4 of 24 (Premium Membership required)
William's Mill 2 (Traditional Cache - Ammo Can) - FOUND 5 of 24 (Premium Membership required)
William's Mill 3 (Traditional Cache - Cool Ammo Can) - FOUND 6 of 24 (Premium Membership required)
William's Mill 4 (Traditional Cache - Ammo Can) - FOUND 7 of 24 (Premium Membership required)
William's Mill 5 (Traditional Cache - Micro) - DNF - I accidentally skipped it and too late to go back. They'll fine you $100 0 if you are there after they close the gates. Not worth it! (Premium Membership required)
William's Mill 6 (Traditional Cache - Small) - FOUND 8 of 24 (Premium Membership required)
Cost Cutter Braselton (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - FOUND 9 of 24
Agent Orange Dacula (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro)- FOUND 10 of 24
Puppy Dog Feet in Concrete (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - FOUND 11 of 24
What's in your Bag (Multi-Cache) - DNF - Too many muggles and I'm just too tired to pursue a multi cache right now.

What an great evening of caching. GeoDogSammy (Yes, Sammy has his own account) even got to go with me! William's Mill is a really neat park in Gwinnett County but requires quite a bit of hiking even without following the trails.

Thursday before work
WAY Too Tired to cache this morning.

Thursday Lunch
River Road Cache - DNF - lots of yard waste possibly covering the cache
Cutie on Five Forks - DNF - Way to busy to cache without being caught
Mimosa - (Traditional Cache - Urban Small) FOUND - 12 of 24 (WOO HOO - half way there) - picked up Earthcaching is Cool geocoin.
Bryan was Tall - DNF - The cache owner assured us that there was not need to worry about non-cachers (called muggles) being here - WRONG - it appears they were working on the area and having a lunch break.
Jewel-e's Diamonds (Traditional Cache - Ammo Can) - FOUND 13 of 24

Thursday Evening
Cost Cutter Buford - Hamilton Mill (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - FOUND 14 of 24

Friday before work (up at 5:45 am)
Minty Fresh (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - Finally found - 15 of 24
Where's Ilya? (Traditional Cache - Urban Micro) - Finally found - 16 of 24

So, I'm not caught up, but I'm darn close and you know what - I'm going out a lunch today and probably this evening. Maybe, but Sunday, I'll be caught up.

I think I'm going to try for some in Downtown Norcross.

And next weekend, we will be going on a trip to Mississippi and we plan on stopping in on Tennessee and Arkansas and caching there to add two more states to our state list.

Our next big milestone - 100 caches. We are going to go back to where it all began for Hubby - Myrtle Beach, SC. But that will have to wait for October. We'll get to take a month off once we get back from Mississippi. I think I'll need it.

A Knitting Blonde Joke

2008-08-13T08:43:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the blond joke - but since its also a knitting joke, I have to pass it on.

A Highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window and turned on his bullhorn and yelled, 'Pull over!"

'No!" the blonde yelled back - "Its a scarf!"

No more swaps

2008-08-04T15:01:00.004-04:00

Well, I've hesitated about posting this, but I am soo ticked off right now and rightfully so. I wasn't going to post about this. I've tried to take the high road with this and chalk it up to a "learning experience". I've tried to not let it bother me. But dang it - I put a lot of effort into my end of the bargain and THIS IS WHAT I GET?

Back in May, I signed up for the Keepin' it Cool Summer Dishcloth swap this summer. I fulfilled my end of my swap. My partner LOVED what she got. Do you know what I got.

NADA!
ZIP!!
ZERO!!!
ZILCH!!!!

Its been almost a month. Packages were supposed to arrive by July 11th. And I haven't got anything.

I know there are people out there who flake out. Its to be expected at some point in time. If someone does flake on you, you are supposed to tell the organizer. So I e-mailed the organizer of the swap. Sometimes the organizer will arrange for angels to step in and fill in where a partner fell down. It really is that common that someone will flake out in a swap - that you have to ARRANGE for a possible flake.

So, I while I waited for a reply from the organizer about my flaky partner, I see a post go up on the board that everyone should have got their packages by this date and announces the winners of prizes. And amazingly enough - I am a winner!!! Hey, this may turn out to be a good swap after all.

So I e-mailed her again about the failed swap and to ask her what I needed to do about the prize. Do you know what I get in return.

NADA!
ZIP!!
ZERO!!!
ZILCH!!!!

Yes, that's right. Not only did my partner flake on me, the swap organizer flaked on me. My partner never returned one of my follow up e-mails. And, I can't track her down in any way because it was secret and I don't have her e-mail address or raverly id. The organizer never returned ONE of my e-mails.

I e-mailed her again today, I told her how upset I was about being flaked out on by my partner and by her. I wonder, will I get a reply? I doubt it. If she does, I'll let you know the resolution. If she doesn't, I'll post that too.

This is enough to throw me off the idea of ever participating in a swap again.

Same Day - 8:30 pm - Update - I finally heard from the Swap hostess and she has gotten me an angel. Many thanks to the angel and many thanks to the hostess for getting back to me.

A day off

2008-07-22T21:39:00.003-04:00

Let's face it - work has been HELL lately.

I've had two proposals to do for the past month. That's not much you say - it is when you are working under the premise of a constant deadline. Its due today - no, now it is due in two weeks. So I start working on the other proposal - and then it gets pushed back. No worries - now I go back to work on the 1st proposal. The cycle repeats over and over. So we got Proposal #2 done last Wednesday. I had two blessed days of quiet at work last week. Then yesterday and today it started all over again! Proposal #1 is due by Thursday AM. Sigh. I sat in a meeting today from 9:30 - 11:30 and 1:00 - 5:00. Sheesh.

So yesterday I decided that I need a day off on Friday and I'm going to take it. I deserve it and so I told my boss. No problemo!

What am I going to do with my lovely day off. First I'm going to wake up and have a nice leisurely breakfast. I know I won't be able to sleep in, so I'll probably be awake by 7am. Can't help it no matter how hard I try. So I'll get up, have breakfast and head out to Twisted Skeins. I'll spend the morning with Jan and friends knitting, helping out at the shop and just having a great time. Well, my mother in law also lives just down the road from the store, so I figure when she wakes up and decides to join me at the store, we can hang out there, maybe go have some lunch and spend the day together - I don't get to do that often.

I have to be back in the home area by 5pm because I'm on volunteer call and I can't be more than 15 miles from our central location. So, I thought maybe I would see if any of the regular knitters from our local knitting group might like to meet me in Gainesville somewhere for some dinner and knitting. And then, after I've worn myself out with all that knitting and fun, I'll come home and spend the rest of the evening with my hubby (who will hopefully be on the mend from a week of on call that has been pretty bad) and then fall into bed, one happy woman.

Maybe, just maybe, I can get my Moderne Baby Blanket or the Hedgie done. Sorry, no pictures yet.

Something to look forward to while I get through this week. One more day of Hell and then one more day of work and I'll be FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Fiber Funny

2008-07-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

A friend sent this to me and I just had to post it.

see more dog pictures

For Spazzmanda & Susan

2008-07-17T15:34:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to post these two pictures for Spazzmanda and our friend Susan.

These are donkeys that we saw at the Muckross Traditional Farms in Ireland. When I saw them - I make sure that Hubby got some pictures of them for the two of them. You see, Susan already owns some little donkeys and I think one of Spazzmanda's goals for her life is to live someplace where she can own some of these little ones.

So here you go ladies, enjoy!

Politics

2008-07-04T07:19:00.000-04:00

I usually don't talk about politics because I don't know enough to argue effectively. And generally, the person who wants to argue is doing it to argue or change your mind, so no matter how well I argue, its pointless.

So, I'll let this explain why I am NOT voting republican this year.

Summer Dishcloth Fun - Topic of the Week

2008-07-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

This is the last one.

Here's this week's topic: Go check out one other person's blog who's answered some of the weekly topics.. find someone you have something in common with, who posted a really cool cloth pattern, or who 'calls' to you for some other reason, and post about them on your blog sharing why!

Well, I checked out some of the blogs and realized that it might be dangerous to view too many, since I might stumble on my secret partner's blog and she may have posted info about what she knit for me. So, this was a bit of a quandry.

But fortunately, I stumbled across AnnMarie H's blog. Her blog was great to read because:
1. She lives in Australia and it was great to view Summer through her eyes. Especially since its winter for her there right now.

2. She like my favorite Dishcloth Knit designer - Knits by Rachel. Still need to go buy some of those patterns!

Funny Starbucks Stories - #1

2008-06-26T10:45:00.004-04:00

In talking with my secret partner in the dishcloth swap, I have found out she does Starbucks too. She loves Americanos so I challenged her to try my favorite. But before I tell you what my favorite is, I'll tell you how it became my favorite.

So a few years ago, I had to go to my hometown about 7 hours away. I was going by myself (well, SammyBoy was coming with me too - But Hubby was meeting me in SC since he was working there that week and it made no sense for him to come home, only to go back through the same area he was just at). Anyway - I wasn't in a major rush, so I packed up the car and drove to the local Starbucks to get an iced coffee for the road. It was around 9am so when they told me they were out of Iced coffee, I was a bit disappointed. But glory be, they told me that if I came back in about 20 minutes, they would have some ready. So, I figured, what the heck - no major rush, so I went home and came back 30 minutes later. Well, they had a rush in between and never got around to making the iced coffee. Talk about disappointment. So, I figured, what the heck, I'll get something along the way.

Then they asked, had I ever tried an Iced Americano. No, I didn't even know what that was. So they kindly explained that it was shots of espresso and water over ice. What the heck - let's give it a try. Anything was better than nothing at a start of a trip.

Wow - that was MUCH better than Coffee. And that became my standard order for quite a bit. But as time progressed I asked for more and more room (i.e. less water) and the barista saved me again and said, "Have you ever tried just the shots on ice"? "Why no, I haven't, but lets give it a try." So they made me a three shot espresso on ice and I've never looked back since. Except to up the espresso to 4 shots.

During the winter - I have Quad espresso (4 shots) in a short cup. During the summer, I have a Iced Quad Espresso in a tall cup. Standard order that even my sweet hubby can order for me. (He doesn't drink coffee, and knows a Caffeinated Jenny is a happy Jenny.)

So there you have it - My favorite drink is a Quad Espresso and that only changes how its served.

Oh and before you think I am a Starbucks Slut that drinks there every day - let me tell you, from Monday to Sunday, I usually only visit 3 times. Once on Mondays to fortify myself for the work week, once on Fridays to celebrate getting through the week and once on Sundays to get something before church. My husband says I tithe to my two gods on Sunday, God and Starbucks. It may be sacrilegious, but sadly true.

Coffee House vs Starbucks

2008-06-26T10:24:00.005-04:00

So, those who know me know I love coffee. And they also know a great present to ever get me is a Starbucks Giftcard.

Those who really know me that I love Starbucks mainly because they are just about everywhere and generally what I get in Norcross, I get in Raleigh and everywhere in between. (Trust me - I know where every Starbucks that is just off I-85 North and I-40 East between my home and my home town. And now that I have a GPS - I know where every other one is. The quality is fairly consistent. The first thing I usually do when I hit someplace new or on vacation I find out where the local Starbucks are.

Do I love Starbucks coffee - Yes and no. Lately, since they have switched to Pike's Place Roast, I like their coffee and I like their espresso. However, if a local coffeehouse was sitting side by side I would often choose the local coffeehouse. There are exceptions, but that usually only happens after I at least try the local coffeehouse. Local Coffeehouses are not always good. Now that I have a GPS - I'll be on the lookout for more local places.

If I had a great local coffee house that was easy to get to and near the office, I would go to them in a heartbeat. In Atlanta, I have found two coffee houses I love.

1. Northern Star Coffeehouse - they make great coffee (usually organic AND fairtrade). They also have live music every Friday night, wine tasting, wine by the glass or bottle and food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is great and the staff are pleasant. This is kind of near my office, but not near enough that I could go there before work or at lunch. Its kind of a special occasion or the last Friday of every month, I get together with a few knitting friends and knit with them. Usually, I have a glass of wine instead of coffee because I don't want to be up ALL night with caffeine. Though I do limit myself to ONE glass because I will have to drive in a few hours.

2. Cool Beans Coffee Roasters - I found this place through Geocaching. These people roast their own beans and their coffee is GREAT! They take their product seriously. As it takes me at least 30-45 minutes to get to Marietta from the office and an over an from home, so it has to be a fond memory for me.

Time Passing

2008-06-25T13:04:00.002-04:00

Lately, death and dying has been gently put into my life and in a very second hand manner. The church I have started to attend created a memorial garden to bury the cremains of the members who wish to be buried there. They just consecrated it and buried the first person in it on Sunday afternoon. This person's ashes had been in the Altar since 2003 waiting for this garden to be made. So, she was finally "laid to rest".

Our priest also taught a brief lesson on the rites of burial within the Episcopalian tradition and brought home the fact that we all need to have plans written out for our families so they know our wishes etc... Even to the point that we go ahead and make the arrangements and pay the bills now so that our families will not have that added worry. I'm going to look into that. I've always wanted to be cremated. Before Sunday, I couldn't tell you why, just that it seemed a waste to bury me in something that wouldn't rot etc... But he told us that there is a tradition biblically and within the Episcopalian tradition that anything that is holy (vestments, tools, cups etc...) are burned when they are worn out or no longer useful to their purpose and cannot be mended. These are things that have been blessed or made sacred. (Did you know that when an American Flag is no longer in good condition, it is to be burned? - I didn't) Well, since we are tools of God's to do his will on earth, then that means our body's (by baptism and confirmation) are holy and therefore can also be burned. That it is right and proper. OK - so there is my "justification".

Also, I received a comment on a blog a week ago from Mark and he is dying of brain cancer. He has maybe a year to live and is just fighting as hard as he can. He is amazing.

Then yesterday, I learned of a friend's recent loss, her husband died the other day of a heart attack at age 55 and as far as I know, he was in pretty good health.

I was listening to a podcast today and a man was telling a story of this great wine he was given 20 years ago. It was one you would use to celebrate a special occasion. One that would age well. But they held on to it and waited for that special occasion. Many came, but it didn't seem special enough. Then one day his wife started having headaches and she went to the doctor to find out that she had several tumors in her brain and had 4 months to live. They never drank the wine. His moral to the story is value the time you have and celebrate every moment. Don't wait for those special occasions to do something, just do them.

So, go home, hug your loved ones, call them and tell them that you love them, take them out for no reason, even if its something as simple as a trip to McDonald's. Spend time with them - QUALITY time. Turn off the television, phone and computer or anything that keeps you from being together. And take that time to be together. You don't have to do it all the time, every day, but when you have the time, make the time to be with those you love. Go visit that relative in Tupelo Mississippi or in your home town. Don't wait!

Live long, love much, laugh often
Sing, Dance, Feast
Celebrate Life
Life is about finding yourself, Life is about CREATING yourself.

And remember, while you are loving others, love yourself. You are important too and deserve everything you give others.

Summer Dishcloth Fun - Topic of the week

2008-06-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

Well now that Summer has OFFICIALLY begun.. what do you do to beat the heat? A nice tall glass of lemonade? Frozen Coffee? A dip in the pool? What's your favorite way to keep cool this summer as things heat up?

For the past few years, we’ve always gone Kayaking in the summer with my hubby’s sister. Kayaking is a great way to get some exercise and stay cool because if you aren’t doing a speed run, you can steer for the shore, hop out and swim for a bit. Can’t stop? Throw some water over you or if you have a hat, then use it to scoop up water. A wet hat on the head feels great!

But my all time favorite way to beat the heat is to put on my favorite loose dress, lounge in the bedroom (the coolest place in the house) and pull out my knitting. Even better is having iced coffee or tea at hand. And, if knitting is in a lull, watch some TV or read a book. Speaking of which, I must read some chapters of Screwtape Letters. I have Book Club tomorrow night and I’m supposed to have the first 10 chapters read. I’m on chapter 4 – YIKES! Guess it won’t be knitting in bed tonight.

I've been tagged!

2008-06-22T20:45:00.003-04:00

Jacquie at Got Stash blog tagged me (I think) to answer the following questions. Because she is the one who inspired me to start this blog up again, I figured I owe her.

So, here it goes

The Rules: Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. Your answer, of course, is the answer to the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? 1998? I had been married for 4 years, living in Cleveland Georgia, and I was mainly working and having fun with my husband and friends. Nothing much spectacular - just daily life.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? 1. Try to download stuff to my new GPS. 2. Go to Church, 3. Go back to church at 4pm for the bishop's consecration of our new memorial garden and bury first person in said garden, 4. Do the dishes (hubby did them), 5. Knit a dishcloth of my own design for a friend.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Mmmm - Dark Chocolate, Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes, Espresso, ice cream

4. Places I’ve lived: Charleston SC, Raleigh and Greensboro NC, Norcross, Dahlonega, Cleveland, Gainesville and Flowery Branch, GA. So far...

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Pay off our house, my parent's house and my brother's house.

Take them and hubby to Italy for at least 6 months.

Add onto my house and fix some land issues and make it energy self sufficient.

Open a book and yarn store and have a coffee shop attached so I could Knit, Knit, Knit with all my friends.

Travel and spend time with all the family I haven't been able to spend time with.

Last but not least - Donate to my church for their new building.

Now, who to tag. Well, let's see Amanda, Cass, Barbara, Jackie, and Pixie.

Dishcloth Swap Partner

2008-06-20T15:59:00.002-04:00

Dear Secret Pal from the Dishcloth Swap,

I am SOOOOO Sorry! Stupid Yahoo! I am betting you have e-mailed me a few times and for some reason your messages haven't gotten through. I've checked my spam and all of my accounts and
everything and haven't gotten any of your messages. I am hoping that I am giving you enough information about me via this blog.

If you are still having problems reaching me, let me know by commenting here and a secret way to get in touch with you and I will e-mail you another super secret e-mail address I have outside of yahoo.

I couldn't have said it better

2008-06-20T12:44:00.002-04:00

If you are a person who creates ANYTHING, then please follow this link, especially if you knit.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Franklin - You are an absolute GEM.

THANK YOU!!!

Driving in Ireland

2008-06-18T09:27:00.007-04:00

When we first started planning this trip, my DH was very concerned about driving in Ireland. He even went so far to see if they had a driving simulator so he could practice before going out. I pooh poohed this idea and didn't think it would be all that bad.

BOY WAS I WRONG.

The first challenge was the car. We ordered and go a Fiat Panda. I've never heard of such a thing. Fiat - Yes, Panda - No. So what is it? Here is our car.

Cute, isn't it. It is smaller than my Honda Fit, but bigger than a smart car. Hubby said it was smaller than the Ford Festiva we used to have.

Almost all cars over there are small - with gas being 1.39 euro/liter, cars have to be fuel efficient. It was RARE that we saw anything bigger than a Honda Accord over there. Except for the Tour buses. ((shudder)) And it seemed like almost all European auto makers have at least 2 types of compact cars. Shame it isn't that way in America.

Almost all cars over there are stick shift. You can rent an automatic, but those are a premium and cost the moon. Poor Hubby - before the trip, it had been at least 10 years since he had driven anything with a stick shift and clutch.

Ahh - we all know when in the UK - you have to drive on the "WRONG side" of the road but did you know that the driver's seat is on the RIGHT side of the vehicle. That means he had to shift with his LEFT hand. (Not right hand like we do here in the states)

So those differences alone, make driving in Ireland a bit difficult for the new to the area American driver.

Then comes the other things we weren't prepared for:

The most amusing problem (by the end of the trip) were ESCAPEES from the Fields. Yes, sheep. They would commonly escape from their fields and hang out on the side of the road or worse, in it. I had to keep my eyes peeled all the time to make sure we didn't hit one. Because you know, if a knitter (or her driver) hits a sheep, instant bad knitting karma. Even if those sheep are for eating and not knitting.
Roundabouts
Sweeping RIGHT turns
Cars parked on the side of the road which is actually our lane
Tour buses that take up most of their lane and some of ours
Smaller width lanes. Our little Panda fit in our lane with little to spare.
Grassy or bushy walls on the shoulder of the left side of the car that cause BLIND SPOTS.
Two way roads turned into one way roads because cars parked on both sides of the road take up half of each lane. (who goes first?)
Beautiful views that you want to look at but can't because you are watching out for all of the things above.
Roads that are not only narrow, but bumpy, curve A LOT and can change size at the drop of a hat.
A GPS that had a penchant for taking us on even smaller roads than the main roads we tried to stay on. Roads that had grass growing in the middle of the road. Which we found in the long run gave us more spectacular views and a trip that was probably much better because we took the road less traveled.

So, between all of those things above my dear, dear Hubby was white knuckled for the first two days and then spent the next day being a passenger in a car. It wasn't till day 4 that we ventured back out on the road by ourselves (with much trepidation) and by day 6 he was much more confident. By our last days, he was doing just fine and hardly made any mistakes and could almost keep up with the other drivers.

Dear Ireland, Just a suggestion, I think that all "New to Ireland" American drivers should be issued the big red L stickers that they give to the learning drivers in Ireland. This way when an native driver comes up on one of us, they will understand and GO AROUND.

Downpatrick Head - My favorite place I visited

2008-06-17T14:14:00.007-04:00

On June 10th, we were getting ready to wrap up our travels in Ireland and DH said he wanted to go to Downpatrick Head. Mainly because it sounded neat, but also because there is an earthcache there for us to find. (For those who don't know what earthcaches are, follow this link and this link) I was a little skeptical, but since I didn't have anything better to offer, I agreed and boy am I glad I did. It was a little out of the way place. Its not a major visiting place, it doesn't have any information centers or building dedicated to it. Just mileage posts leading the way and a wide open area in which to walk and explore.

This is Downpatrick Head

From the parking area (lower right), walk up the hill to the top of the cliffs and you will see this.

This is called a sea stack. And it is amazing. At one time, the cliff I am currently standing on wasn't a cliff, but attached to that sea stack. But time and wind and sea eroded away the land and it fell away and left that bit of land out there. According to one source,

Some years ago, a helicopter landed several people on the stack; they were the first humans to set foot there for centuries. The party included Dr. Seamus Caulfield and his late father Padraig Caulfield, NT.; Fr. Declan Caulfield, R.I.P.; Noel Dunne, archaeologist; and Prof. Martin Downes, formerly of Castlebar. They camped there overnight and surveyed the surface where they found the remains of a medieval house, cultivation ridges, walls, and a broken quern stone (a stone used for grinding corn). A camera crew recorded the event and a documentary was broadcast on R.T.E. television some time later.

So, in terms of earthly time, that is not a long time ago.

And do you know what? There is another one in the process of being formed. There are two fenced off areas on top of that field. They are about 200 meters apart. If you look down them, you see the sea below. Eventually, the sea will wear away the rock and ground beneath them and it will form another stack. And once, where I stood, will be out in the middle of the ocean.

Why did I love it? Because it was a beautiful area that was relatively unspoiled by anything. It had no pretensions and it gave back so much. You could just feel the age of the earth seeping out of the ground and flying around in the wind. I mean, if those pictures can't convince you, then you will just have to go see it yourself.

And you know what, we wouldn't have found this place if it weren't for geocaching. It wasn't listed in any of our guide books.

Oh, and am I standing in a fairy ring here?

Ohh - and I can't forget to give you this picture.

Summer Dishcloth Fun - Topic of the Week

2008-06-16T22:28:00.004-04:00

Question #2: Living in Atlanta, I know Summer has truly 'arrived' when it begins to get humid. Blech. When I was a kid, I knew Summer was starting the easy way - School was out!! Share with us how you know that summer has truly 'arrived', or something that signifies the start of Summer in your world.

For me, I know its summer when the thunderstorms start barreling through every day. Sometimes that means its Hot, Hot, Hot and they just spring up, but sometimes like it was at the end of May, it seemed we had a rainstorm everyday for weeks. It was wonderful because we so need the rain.

I just love thunderstorms. The power and magnificence of them is awe inspiring. I remember when I was a teenager, I would love to do the stupid thing and go walking in the middle of a thunder storm. I'm not talking when there is a threat of a tornado or major lightening (I'm not that stupid), but something about being out there and feeling the thunder roll across the sky and watching it light up is just cool. As I've gotten older, I've gotten slightly smarter about it. I at least sit on my front porch and watch it from the swing or under cover. But occasionally, when the storms are close to passing and the rain has let up some, but still coming down in at a steady clip, I'll go walking. And its heaven.

I also remember visiting my sweetie when he (briefly) lived in Florida. It was the summer and you could almost set your watch by the afternoon thunderstorm. It seemed to come in every day around 3pm. That was cool too.

TACOS

2008-06-16T06:30:00.003-04:00

I grew up on tacos made from Old El Paso seasoning. So when I get tacos at Mexican joints, I have to admit - they disappoint. They always taste so bland! And being the kind of foodie that I am, I try not to use pre-made seasonings/mixes whenever possible. I've searched the internet for taco meat recipes that give me a taste I like that isn't weird or unreasonable. I mean, tacos should not cost the moon to make or eat.

But when I'm done trying all the recipes on the net, I always come home to what I think of as Tacos and that is Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. I can't help it. Those are TACOS for me.

But, I think I've hit on a compromise for my Foodie and Old El Paso Self. Yesterday for lunch I made Taco Salad and had a new kind of taco meat that was out of this world.

Here's what I did.

Jenny's Old El Paso Taco Salad
1 pound 4% lean ground beef (trying to watch my figure (get smaller))
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - its what I have. Enough to film the pan.
1 package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes w/green chilies and spices (Del Monte)

Heat frying pan and olive oil till shimmering. Add ground beef and cook till brown.
While that is cooking, take half of the can of tomatoes and set aside (that's for another recipe)
Take the other half and put in blender and blend till smooth. You should have about 3/4 Cup of pureed tomatoes.
Add the spice mix and 2/3 cup of tomato puree to the ground beef. Cook till it isn't really, really juicy.

For those of you on Weight Watchers - 1 serving is 4 oz and equals 4 points.

Next, prepare (Or, if you have two frying pan, you can do both at the same time - they both finish about the same time)

Zesty Pinto Beans
1/2 cup Diced Onion
Olive Oil
Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles and spices (from that can you used in the Taco meat that wasn't pureed)

In a frying pan, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat to medium high. Add onions and saute till softened.
Add beans and tomatoes and cook till soft, but not mushy. We want the beans to look like beans, not refried beans.

If you are doing Weight Watchers - 1 serving is 1/2 cup and equals 1 point.

Make your favorite salad for a taco salad. I used spinach, tomato, green chiles. Add 4 oz of taco meat and 1/2 cup of bean mixture. Top with any of your other favorite taco additions. (Cheese, green chilies, jalapenos, sour cream etc...)

YUM!

Summer Dishcloth Fun - Topic of the Week

2008-06-14T17:54:00.003-04:00

I'm behind on this because of the trip from Ireland (more on that later) and thought I had better catch up here.

Topic One - Favorite pattern.
Well, There are two I like and I've only knit one of them. The Bunny Dishcloth and the Dragonfly Dishcloth. I can't remember where I found them, but thankfully, they are on Ravelry now. I am a member of the Yahoo Monthly Dishcloth group, but I haven't knit one in ages. Just too many other things to do. But now that I'm part of the Dishcloth swap, I have incentive to pull out my patterns and knit some. I've been puttering around on Ravlry looking at dishcloth patterns and I've got to tell you - my favorite designer by far is Knits by Rachel. I wonder if she does bulk discounts? My Ravelry queue filled up rather quickly once I found her designs. They are so detailed!

Reporting from Ireland

2008-06-08T12:19:00.000-04:00

Well we made it and it is just amazing and beautiful and all that anyone ever says. However, I have revised my opinion on driving. These roads are crazy narrow and the drivers make Atlanta drivers look sane. Mike says he now realizes how little he pays attention to the road in the US.

If you want to look on a map where we have been, we've been to Killarny, (Beautiful Catholic Cathedral there (St. Mary's)) and a very pretty Church of Ireland. The Killarny National Park. Tried a Guinness that night. (YUCK)

In Muckross (sounds appealing, no?) had a beautful estate called Muckross House and Traditional farms. Think Old Salem. And the formal gardens were wonderful. I've been taking lots of pictures of plants and leaving Mike to take the right pictures. Tell Kun, he would be proud. We also visited Torc Waterfall.

Got to our home base in Clifden/Letterfrack on Friday night around 11:30pm. The sun had just set. REALLY it did. Spent the day in Clifden yesterday had seafood chowder that was to die for. Went to a pub in Letterfrak last night and had Bueley's Cider. (s'ok)

Today we went to Kylemore Abbey/House/Gardens today and then to the town of Westport and that is how I got this message out today. Found an internet cafe.

Pre-Ireland Jitters

2008-06-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

Back in December/Christmas, my father in law and step mother in law surprised us with a very nice invitation. They were renting a house in Ireland and it had 3 bedrooms, would we like to come and stay with them? We talked over finances and came back with a "YES". So we went home, started checking airfares and dreamed of Ireland.

Let me preface this by saying - if someone asked me - "Where would you like to visit outside of the US?" Ireland didn't even make it to the top 10. (Southern Italy, Central Italy, Northern Italy, (Each would be separate trips to do each justice) Sicily, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, Germany, Caribbean). Sure, I would love to visit the UK, but it just wasn't big on my list.

As time progressed, life happened and besides thinking of airfare (and purchasing it), we didn't think too much about Ireland. Until the last two weeks when it started hitting us that we were actually going SOON!

As a knitter, the first thing I told my DH is that I MUST GO TO THE ARAN ISLANDS. It is a Knitters Pilgrimage. He laughed and agreed.

As Geocachers, we plan on geocaching in Ireland, but we were pretty sure we could find many wherever we were, so no major caches to hunt out.

As travelers, we knew we wanted to see cathedrals, castles and other landmarks that are talked about.

But through all of this, excitement was just not there. Until the past two weeks. Packing started to happen, figuring out what clothes to take (still mostly clueless), what Geocaches to go to, what sites to see Many of those things are still up in the air.

But today, today is exciting. Today I was floating around on Ravelry and discovered a link to "Celtic Memory Yarns" and Jo. In a few exchanges Jo opened up not only several knitting/yarn stores to visit, but a few sites to see and the meeting of new friends.

Here are a few of her suggestions:

"Call in at Muckross House first (and don't forget to check out the
remaindered cones basket in the weaving shop1), and then continue on to
Torc Waterfall half a mile further on (I'll try to arrange a heavy downpour
the day before so the waterfall will be at its best), and then on up over
some spectacular scenery to Moll's Gap and down into Kenmare where you will
be in nice time for coffee at Jam and a little session at Spin a Yarn (tell
your DH that you really want to know his reactions to Irish life, and you
want him to walk around on his own and soak up the atmosphere for half an
hour or so)."

And now, I am sooo sooo sooo excited. It can't be time to go soon enough.

I do so hope we get the chance to meet!

Keepin'Cool in Summer Dishcloth Exchange

2008-05-30T15:53:00.003-04:00

It's that time again, just in case you are wanting to join in the fun and are wondering where to find it. Registration is open now through June 6th.

The Questionnaire

1. Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long? Knit (3+ years) - Crochet (1 week)

2. Do you enjoy using metal, wooden, or some other kind of needle\hook? Wood CIRCULAR needles. I wasn't prepared to love Harmony needles, but really, really do! (Just wish they weren't multi colored) I already own the Metal Options set and will be adding in the Harmony tips as I need to get them. I know DPNs are necessary - but for me, they are necessary evils. I can use them, have used them, but I can do most anything better using magic loop.

3. What are your favorite types of yarn? Any you just can't stand? Alpaca yarn is favorite, but not practical in the south. Wool - Merino or soft wool - not scratchy or harsh wool. Hate Boucle or that type of yarn. I've knitted with Knitpicks Shine and loved knitting it, but it pilled up a lot and smelled funny after being washed. I don't know why, but didn't like it after that.

4. When it comes to cotton, are there any brands you'd love to try and haven't? Peaches and Creme and Sugar and Cream are nice, but I really do prefer some of the nicer, I just don't know what.

5. When you make Dishcloths, do you use them yourself, or tend to give them as gifts? Half and Half

6. Do you have a favorite color? Any that you dislike? Jewel Tones are favorite colors. Not crazy about pastels. Not crazy about varigateds that pool a lot.

7. What color(s) (if any!) are your kitchen and bath decorated in? Burgandy, navy, but we don't usually try to match colors. We get what we like.

8. What are your favorite scents around the house? Lilacs, Jasmine, Gardenia

9. What is your very favorite thing about summer? Laying on the porch swing at night staring up at the stars and talking to my hubby.

10. What is your least favorite thing about summer? Heat and sweat. My favorite temperature ranges in the 70's and in the South, that doesn't stay long.

11. Do you use soap or body wash in the shower? Soap

12. What scents do you enjoy in the bath? Clean and Herbal type scents. Lavender, Sandalwood, Lilac, Jasmine, Gardenia.

13. What is your favorite dishcloth pattern? Don't have one yet.

14. What sort of treats do you enjoy? Sweet or Salty? Sweet

15. Imagine today is one of the hottest days of the year - what do you do to keep cool? Or are you one of those folks who loves the hot weather? Ice cold Sweet Lemonade or Sweet Tea or Iced Coffee by the gallons, PJs on in a semi dark room, fan blowing, AC on and knitting.

16. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy besides knitting or crocheting? Geocaching, Reading, Cooking

17. Do you collect anything (besides yarn!) Nope

18. Are you on Ravelry? If so, share your ID! emjayknits

19. Do you have any allergies? Nope

20. Do you have any pets? One Dog - Sammy; One Cat - Spaz/Squeeker (Her name depends on how talkative she is)

A truely wonderful podcast

2008-05-29T10:42:00.003-04:00

If you are a religious seeker - then this is a podcast for you.

Speaking of Faith

It is not Christian-centric though you will find many Christian topics.

Kristina Tippet will take a topic (Example: Approaching Prayer) and cover it from many different perspectives.

In the case of the example above, she interviewed an Indian singer, a religious translator and a professor from Emory. And I learned so much. All opinions were diverse, but I was able to take a little of each.

So, if you are at all interested in the many different religions of the world and then check it out. And, she has also put out a book by the same name. I've got it to read on my trip to/from Ireland. (That is when I'm not knitting)

Pretty stuff!!!!!

2008-05-29T10:08:00.006-04:00

I've knitted one sweater before. I enjoyed it, but it was a boring pattern and I ended up hating the yarn because it pilled and smelled. And since then, I just haven't had the urge to knit another sweater... until now.

But, I have to wait because its not out yet. If you are on Ravelry - go here and you will get to also make this a favorite and keep an eye on it so you can get the pattern when it comes out.

Oh and if that wasn't enough prettiness for the day - Check out these stitch markers from Jelby.

And who do I have to blame for all of this prettiness and thwarted desire? Cass at Shut Up, I'm Counting. (One of the BEST knitting blogs out there!) She gave away the stitch markers and posted about the sweater. I must thank her and curse her in the same breath. Sigh...

Finished Projects

2008-05-27T22:16:00.003-04:00

I've been a semi busy bee this past year, but I won't show you all of my finished objects since I last posted. LOTS. Go to either my flickr account for pictures or to my ravelry account (emjayknits) for info.

But, I will leave you with these three FO's

Right Twist Cable Rib Socks in Berocco Comfort Sock yarn

Sockblocker Keychain
Matching sock to the one above, just much smaller. made for Geocaching travel bug.

Raveler the Traveler
From Crafty Aliens. Made from Knitpicks Wool of the Andes. Made into a travel bug for geocaching. The wonderful boy posing with Raveler is Sammy Boy. He's so sweet!!!!

I'm Back

2008-05-27T16:57:00.003-04:00

Its been a bit since I posted here. I experimented the last few years with Live Journal and its been nice, but In the end, it was harder for some of my non-LJ friends to get to and post comments there. So, I've decided to come back here again and see how things have changed.

If you want to see what I've been up to for the past year or so, go check out my blog on LJ. I won't repost it all here.

Recipe: One "Pot" Fennel Chicken in Red Sauce

2008-03-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

I've made this recipe in many variations and have written it down in at least two different ways. Here is yet another variation because last night I was feeling pretty lazy and didn't want to mess up lots of dishes cooking my meal. SO, I decided to try this out and see if I can make this a ONE pot meal. I'll be doing it this way more often.

Serves 2

This is a to taste recipe. I don't have the exact measurements for most of the ingredients. You'll just have to play with it.

Olive Oil (abt 1 tbsp)
2 Shallots (can be substituted with one small onion and 1 clove garlic, chopped)
Salt
Fennel Spice Rub (see my other recipes) (if you had to have a measurement, I would say it was about 1 tbsp of the mixture)
1 Can of diced tomatos (regular sized can) - next time I used chopped. I don't want it that chunky
2 Chicken Breasts (I used boneless and skinless)
Baby Spinach (you know, the kind you find in a bag at the supermarket)
Wide Egg Noodles
Chicken Broth (I usually use low sodium broth - Campbell's)

In a non stick frying/saute pan (at least 10" diameter and not shallow) at medium high heat, pour olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add less than you would think because as it heats up it spreads out. If you are using a pan that isn't non-stick, then add more oil. When oil is shimmery (but not burning) add the shallots
Saute the shallots and a few pinches of salt till soft for about 3-5 minutes. A little browning won't hurt. You don't want this to be burnt.
Add the fennel spice rub to the shallots and let cook until very fragrant. (till you smell it) (The salt helps the shallots to release their juices)
Add the tomatoes to the pan and allow to cook on medium for about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken breast cover and cook until the breasts are cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pan. (It is your choice, you can leave the chicken whole and serve it this way, or chop it up into big chunks. Either way, you will be adding this back to the pan.)
If the sauce is not juicy at this point, add some chicken broth and bring up to simmering.
Add the Egg Noodles and cover. You may need to come back and add a little more broth as it cooks. Cook till the noodles are to your favorite doneness. While cooking they soak up the lovely tomato mixture.
Add chicken back to the pan. If the sauce isn't juicy, add more chicken broth. Top with as much spinach as you can fit in the pan and still cover it. You may have to do this in two batches. Cook until the spinach is cooked and then mix in. This will take about a minute for the spinach to cook.

When you add the chicken broth, you are just adding about a 1/2 cup at a time. I just added it till the bottom of the pan looked juicy and loose. The broth is there for flavor as well as to provide a simmering and steaming method of cooking the different ingredients. You could use water, but water doesn't add much flavor.

Pine Nut Cookies and Baked Egg Custard Recipe

2008-02-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

A few years ago when we were in Myrtle Beach we stumbled upon an Italian deli called Toffino's and I discovered a part of my Italian dessert that I had never had. Pine Nut Cookies or Pignoli Cookies. YUM!!!!! Little round balls of love!

Well, each time we go back to Myrtle, I pick up a bag. Well, I decided getting these once a year and sharing them with my family (because I'm a good daughter) is not enough. I set out to find the recipe. I looked in all my Italian cookbooks. Not one had it. So I searched the web. Recipezaar had several recipes and I probably could have used any of them, but I still wanted something from someone with a little more clout and experience. I wanted something from an Italian. So I searched one more place. Lidia's Italy website. And lo and behold, there it was. For those of you who don't know who Lidia is, she is the chef on a PBS show called Lidia's Family Table. She has several cookbooks. She has the chops. and the credentials. Her, I trust!

So, I copied the recipe, gathered the ingredients, and on Saturday decided to make the cookies And then mess them up. The recipe calls for THREE egg whites, but I wasn't paying attention and put in four egg whites. The mixture was much to sticky and wet. But as almond paste is not cheap, I decided to give it a whirl. Fortunately, the extra egg white only made the cookies spread more than they should. The flavor and chewiness of the cookie are spot on. So, next time, I'll pay better attention.

Where to get this recipe - Follow this link.

(Since I followed this recipe exactly (except for that little egg mishap) and it is her recipe, I don't think I'll re-type it here)

Now I'm left with 4 egg yolks and 1 egg (it was the first egg I cracked when trying to get the yolk. The yolk broke before I could get it away from the egg white) What am I going to do? I made Baked Egg Custard! YUM

Baked Egg Custard
3 Egg Yolks
1 egg
1 Cup Milk (I used Skim)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or to taste)
Pumpkin Pie Spice

Combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla.
Beat until well combined, but not foamy.
Place four 6-ounce custard cups or one 3 1/2 cup souffle dish in a 88x2 inch baking dish on an oven rack. Pour egg mixture into custard cups or dish. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice. (or with nutmeg or cinnamon). Pour boiling water into the baking dish around custard cups oe dish to a depth of 1 inch.

Bake at 325 degree oven for 30-45 minutes for custard cups (50-60 minutes for dish) or till a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled.

Serves 4.

(Directions for this recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (You know the red checked cookbook)). I altered the recipe ingredients from their recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Curry

2008-02-17T14:03:00.001-05:00

Recipe: Crockpot Chicken Curry
One of my favorite cooking podcasts is "The Splendid Table". You can listen to this from their website or download the episodes from their website, or you can purchase a subscription of them via Audible or iTunes. If you just search the podcast in iTunes (without purchasing the subscription), you'll only get the call in portion of the show.

Anyway, one caller called in wanting a good source and recipe for her crockpot and the host (Lynn Rossetto Kasper) suggested a curry. She listed a few ingredients and techniques and that hooked me. However, she didn't give exact portions for the ingredients and well, I'm not that sure of myself when it comes to curry, so I kind of sought outside help when coming up with a curry blend. Once I got that down, I put it together pretty much as she said and let me tell you - this was GREAT!

So, here it is. Inspired by "The Splendid Table" and "Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends" cookbook. You'll need to make the curry powder recipe first. Or go out and buy a curry powder blend that you like. (I don't think that means go out and buy Curry spice - I think those are two separate things.)

Pungent Curry Powder Recipe
recipe found in "Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends" ISBN # 0-88266-91-4
4Tbsp Dried Coriander (I used ground)
2 tbsp ground Tumeric
1 1/2 Tbsp ground Cumin
1Tbsp Fenugreek (anyone know where to find this???)
1 1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds (didn't have this on hand)
1 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground, dried red chile (I used chile powder)
3/4 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (didn't have this on hand)

Blend and store in a tightly capped jar away from heat and light

Crockpot Chicken Curry
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil (or neutral flavored oil)
1 large Onion, sliced
3 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
3 Chicken thighs (with bone and skin) (trust me)
Pungent Curry Powder to taste (I used 2 tbsp and would use more next time)
1 can (14.5 oz) Light Coconut Milk
2 cups Trader Joe's Carrot Ginger Soup (or Chicken Broth)
1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes, diced, drained (I used fresh since I had it on hand)

Put onion, oil and curry powder in crockpot and cook on high till onion is soft and fragrant (about 15 minutes).
Put chicken thighs on top of onion mixture and pour in the light coconut milk. Then pour in enough of the soup or broth to cover the meat. (About 2 cups)
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Before serving, take out the thighs. Take the chicken off the bone and shred all the chicken and put back into the curry sauce. Mix well and serve over rice. You could probably add in other vegetables, but I haven't figured out that much yet.

Why the bone and skin chicken thighs. Well, when making chicken soup or just about any other kind of meat stock. Usually stock is made with bones. Because the bones are cooked for that long period of time, it makes soups and stocks richer and gives it a better mouth feel. I also wanted some of the fat from the skin, but I didn't want tons of fat if I had done all of them with skin. It may not make a difference, but that was my thinking when I purchased the chicken. Of course, I was starting to feel sick at this point, so who knows....

Anyway, this turned out yummy and I am definately going to make it again and next time add more curry. Now I need to go out and purchase some Fenugreek and Cardamom. I was missing that when I made the curry recipe.

My philosophy on cooking

2008-01-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

There is a difference in cooking by recipes and knowing how to cook. Both can get you to the same place, but the journey is vastly difference.

When you follow a recipe, you are a product cook. You are looking for an end product. Sure, the journey is there and you can learn along the way, but usually when someone is cooking only from a recipe, they are looking for an end product in the quickest method possible.

Learning to cook is a PROCESS. There is never an end goal. Sure, there is a dish at the end, but its never DONE. Its the experience, the lessons learned and the plans made. Process cooks experiment. They never cook the same thing twice. It may be similar, but not the same. Spices will be different, technique may change which alter the way the food tastes. Process cooks are always analyzing what they cooked or what they eat. How could they make it better? What did I do wrong? Or, if they are at a restaurant, How did they do this? How would I do it? Well, I certainly wouldn't do that!

Am I saying one is better than the other - NO WAY! Each person approaches cooking the way that suits them best.

Me, I'm a process cook. Recipes are only guidelines and suggestions. (except in baking - see previous posts)

Does this extend to other facets of my life. Some. Oddly enough, not to my knitting. I'm not saying I am not creative when it comes to knitting. But I'm generally a follow the pattern kind of girl. I don't often CREATE patterns. But that is a whole other post in the future.

Another food philosophy. Do you eat to live or live to eat?

I'm probably making a gross generalization here - but I bet that most people who "eat to live" are product cooks and those who "live to eat" are process cooks. Of course, many people who live to eat can't cook, but they certainly know where all the great restaurants are! Or marry someone who can cook for them. Or hire someone who can cook for them.

I have at least one friend who is the exception to this general rule. He loves to cook and experiement, but he doesn't really care about the food later. He'll eat it to see if it is good and to feed his body, but its not about the end product. Its about his journey. He eats to live, but he is a process cook.

I have another friend who eats to live, but can't cook (or at least says she can't cook). But since her husband is most certainly a process cook if I have ever seen one. They know who they are!!!

And yes, there is a difference between a chef and a cook. I will NEVER claim to be a chef. But that is a post for another day.

Recipe: Roasted Chickpeas

2007-11-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

This turned out much better than I thought - Though I think I need to roast them longer.

Roasted Chickpeas

POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 50 min (I roasted it for about 1 hr 15 minutes total)
Level of Difficulty: Easy

A low-fat alternative to cocktail nuts, these spicy beans also taste great tossed into salads. Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Ingredients

1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper; toss to coat.
Roast on bottom rack of oven, shaking pan about every 15 minutes, until browned and slightly crunchy, about 45 to 50 minutes. (The chickpeas will still be somewhat soft. Cook longer for desired texture.) Cool before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Beer Bread: Un-Rye Bread and Herbed Beer Bread

2007-08-27T14:15:00.000-04:00

I had more Beer Bread fun this weekend!

First loaf was the Un-rye Beer Bread and it is GREAT. The Beer I used was Newcastle Brown Ale. Otherwise, I pretty much stuck with the recipe as it was written. I LOVE THIS BREAD. I'm not a big caraway seed fan, but I think I liked it because it wasn't paired with rye flour and because the sweetness of the onions. It all complemented nicely. I'm not sure how much the beer played in the taste of the bread, but I know it didn't harm it. brophy didn't like the bread because he doesn't like the caraway. OK - more for me.

Hubby was kind enough to take pictures of this for me.

The second bread was the Herbed Beer Bread. The beer I used with this was the Leffe Blonde ale. Since this was more of a play with your ingredients recipe, I used the following fresh herbs. Parsley (1/2 cup), Sage (1 tsp) and Rosemary (1 Tbsp). For the cheese, instead of using just asiago, I used a blend of asiago, parmesan and romano. brophy and I both love the rosemary bread you can get at Macaroni Grill, so that was kind of the flavor i was going for. I succeeded. This bread will be excellent dipped in seasoned olive oil. brophy did like this bread.

brophy also took this picture for me. Isn't he great.

You'll notice that this bread isn't as tall as the other bread. Its not because the recipe changed, its because the pan changed. That was because each was cooked in different pans. The un-rye bread was cooked in a smaller loaf pan and therefore is taller. The herbed bread was cooked in one that is much wider to accomodate a larger amount of dough. Since I knew we wouldn't be making sandwiches out of the herbed bread, I decided to use that pan. Besides the smaller one was already in the oven with the other bread.

This is great fun, though the organized cook in me is just frustrated to death using an ingredient I haven't a CLUE of its taste or flavor. The adventurous cook in me is going, ok, let's play with beer. I am hoping I'm making good choices. Though I am beginning to wonder if I might as well used Bud.

Baking with Beer - Beer Breads

2007-08-25T14:12:00.000-04:00

In the coming weeks, Beer bread is the goal. Since I know absolutely nothing about beer, I have bought a wide selection of ales and beers. I decided not to use the standard budwiser, miller etc... I want complex beers, beer with flavor. So I bought these beers.

Sweetwater Brewing Company - Georgia Brown - it's definitely one of the finer American Brown Ales. A deep, copper colored, mild brown ale. SGB is accentuated by a slight nuttiness from its malt character. Designed to be a session beer it has a real smooth finish with a subtle hop character. 5.1% alcohol by volume - Note: Used in Cheddar Garlic Beer Bread on 8/25/07 - any flavor from this beer was overpowered by the two cloves of garlic.

Leinenkugel - Honey Weiss - Select Pale and Wheat Malt, cluster hops and a hint of Wisconsin Honey gives this unique refresher a clean, crisp, slightly sweet taste. 4.9% alcohol by volume

Highland Brewing Company - Oatmeal Porter - A deep amber colored American ale, featuring a rich malty body. Cascade and Willamette hops add a complex hop flavor and aroma. This ale is exceptionally balanced between malty sweetness and delicate hop bitterness. Alcohol content: 5.8% by volume

Abbaye de Leffe - Leffe Blonde -Abbey of Leffe blonde beer is a highly fermented beer to be savoured. The ingredients are light malt, corn, water, hops and yeast, which give it a bright golden colour with dazzling reflections. The alcohol content is 6.6 %, the ideal serving temperature 5° to 6 °C. As a bottled beer, it is to be savoured with pleasure, as a draft beer it is thirst quenching. The taste is full, sweet and fruity (with a hint of bitter orange), and the after-taste is powerful and surprising.

Newcastle Brown Ale - Annoyingly, the website won't give me a taste description or Alcohol Content - neither will the bottle.

If you like beer and can give me some suggestions for beer (or beer itself) that would be appreciated. Fortunately, I can buy some beers by the bottle at Costplus World Market and I'm told at Super Targets. I can get some beer by the bottle at the local liquor store, but they sell them in BIG bottles and I only need 12 oz bottles. Since I don't drink beer, anything else will go down the drain. Sorry - I know that is almost sinful to some of you, but I know it won't keep long enough for me to get it to someone who DOES drink beer.

Cheddar Garlic Beer Bread

2007-08-25T14:09:00.001-04:00

So, again, my favorite Bread blog and Baker have inspired me to make more bread. This time I’m making quick Beer Bread. Cheddar Garlic Beer Bread to be exact.

To get the basic beer bread recipe, go to this post on the Year in Bread blog.

To make this a Cheddar Garlic Beer Bread, I added

3 Tbsp of 2% Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Kraft)
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 12 oz bottle of Sweet water Brewing Co Georgia Brown Ale/beer

For flour, I used King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.

And here it is!

So how does it TASTE?

Well, very nice. I may cut it to ONE clove of garlic as the garlic is a little strong. I definitely can't taste any beer.

Recipe to Try: "Onion Water" Lamb Chops

2007-08-24T14:31:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Few lamb recipes match this unusual Afghani way with grilling. This recipe has become a mainstay for The Splendid Table's producer, Sally Swift, and I will never turn down a plateful when offered. It's an unusual marinade that I've taken to doing ahead and keeping in the refrigerator because almost anything I put in it tastes sensational. So far I've done pork steak, salmon, beef ribs, chicken thighs, and thick slices of onion. Consider making this one of your mainstays; you'll never regret it.

"Onion Water" Lamb Chops
Excerpted from The Barbecue Bible! by Steven Raichlen. Used with permission of Workman Publishing. Copyright 1998 by Steven Raichlen.

Serves 4

Method: Direct grilling
Advance Preparation: 2 hours for marinating the meat

The Afghan name of this dish—o be peyaz—means, literally, "onion water." The lamb chops are marinated in an intensely flavored mixture of onion juice, saffron, turmeric, and chiles. Most Afghan meats are marinated for several days prior to cooking, but these chops can be grilled after a couple of hours. The recipe was inspired by the Khyber Pass restaurant in New York City. The onion juice has a tenderizing and aromatizing effect on the lamb, and it's used throughout the Islamic world.

8 loin lamb chops (each 4 to 5 ounces and 1-1/2 inches thick)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon warm water
1-1/2 pounds onions, peeled and quartered
1 to 3 serranos or other hot chiles, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim most of the excess fat off the lamb chops.

2. Place the saffron in a small bowl and grind it to a fine powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Add the warm water, stir, and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place the onions in a food processor and process, in batches if necessary, until the onions are puréed and quite watery. Transfer the contents of the workbowl to a fine-meshed strainer and set over a large, deep nonreactive bowl and drain, pressing the solids with the back of a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to extract the juice; you should have about 2 cups. Discard the contents of the strainer.

4. Add the chile, turmeric, salt, pepper, and the dissolved saffron to the onion juice. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the lamb chops and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 2 hours, turning several times.

5. Preheat the grill to high.

6. When ready to cook, remove the chops from the marinade and blot dry with paper towels. Oil the grill grate, then arrange the chops on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, about 6 minutes per side for medium.

7. Transfer the chops to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately.

LYNNE'S TIPS

If thick cut chops aren't available in the meat case ask to have them cut for you. Thicker cuts let you get a golden brown and crusty sear on the outside without overcooking the inside.
Keep and eye on the chops as they cook and move them to a cooler part of the grill if the fire flares up from fat dripping onto the coals.

Italiano Bread Update

2007-08-14T14:16:00.000-04:00

No, that's not Italian bread spelled wrong - it really is Italiano Bread. That is a bread with Italian flavorings in it. You can read my first post about it here.

I decided to try this again for my family and friends cookout on Saturday. (I decided it was time to introduce my family to some of my friends) It required us starting the bread dough on Friday afternoon and getting it in the oven by Saturday 2:00. I got it mixed and rising by 3pm on Friday just before my parents arrived. The house was clean, the dough was rising and I was a happy camper because I get to see my Mom and Dad. We go out to dinner that night and brophy starts limping some. He tells us his right knee hurts. Not too bad, but hurts. The next day the pain in his knee is awful. He tried going out to get some errands done and came back white-faced and in extreme pain. So we check his knee and it looks like his knee is dislocated.

Mind you, this is the day of the cookout. The bread is in its final rise and needs to be in the oven by 2pm. Its 12ish. Guests will start arriving between 2-4. Cookout will be served at 7pm. And we need to get him to some kind of doctor. So, I call my friends and cancel the party. We call other family and let them know. I show my Mom the bread recipe and where we are in it and leave it in her hands to finish it and off we go to the immediate care doctor.

An hour later we learn that Brophy has tendonitis. With perscriptions in hand, we head to the closest pharmacy. Even though he's on call this week, I tell him, he is not on-call. He is not driving with that knee, he is not driving medicated and I will not drive him on calls.

By the time we get home, the bread has just come out of the oven. (Time elapsed - 2 hours between the Dr. and the Pharmacy) The house is permeated by the wonderful smell of it. What a wonderful way to come home. Hmmmmmm

And because we are no longer having guests for the cookout - the bread is all ours!!! So many ways to use it. We topped it with White Bean Bruschetta. Mmmmmmm We make sandwiches out of it. Mmmmm But last night I had the best sandwich ever. Smoked grilled turkey breast (2 oz), Smoked Cheddar (1/2 oz) and the bread. OH MY!!! That was HEAVENLY. So simple and minimal and flavorful.

So, please, make this bread and enjoy it! Its so worth the time it takes.

Bread and Pizza

2007-08-06T14:07:00.000-04:00

Its been a bit since I posted about what I've been cooking and quite honestly, I've just cooked normal every day kind of things. EXCEPT for two.

1. Susans Italiano No Knead Bread
2. BBQ Chicken Pizza

Susan's Italiano No Knead Bread

First let me start by saying - I am a wanna be bread maker. I want to make bread. I LOVE homemade bread. But for some strange reason, I tend to make bread about once every five years. I don't know why - It just happens. But lately I've discovered two new blogs A Year in Bread and Farmgirl Fare and they have inspired me to try to make bread again. I decided that I would try this new bread out that didn't require any kneading. That way I wouldn't have to worry about kneading too little or too much. Easy - yes. But please, before you try this - make sure to completely read and understand the instructions.

I made this bread this weekend for a potluck we had on Sunday. Really, it took me 2.5 days to make it. And the fact that it turned out amazing is DESPITE me. I made MANY, MANY Mistakes.

First it calls for a 24 hour rise. So I finished mixing this bread at 7:30 pm on Friday night. Then it rose all night and all day until I got home at 10:00 PM (Yes, more than 24 hours) on Saturday night. I was out with family and had much to do and just didn't get home in time. (I honestly knew I wouldn't).

Then I read a little bit closer to the instructions and it said, if the temperature where you are letting the bread rise is more than the recommended (60-70 degrees) then don't let it rise as long. Whoops.

OH well, let's see what happens next.

Shape the bread and let it rise for 2 hours before baking (3 if your dough is coming out out of the fridge). Remember - its 10pm. I'm not waiting till 1am to put this sucker in the oven. So I put the dough (that I've put more flour on to shape it) in the fridge. I'll get up early (6am) take it out of the fridge and let it rise to for the 3 hours. Then Shape and then bake. I did that and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep much longer, so I was up by 7am. I played around on the computer while waiting for the bread. The instructions also said, turn oven on 1 hour before baking (This gets the baking stone nice and ready). Again, I start reading the instructions better and realize that the bread was supposed to rise shaped. I hadn't shaped it. Sigh. I shaped it, let it rise for the rest of the time and popped it in the oven for 30 minutes.

This smells DIVINE when baking and came out beautiful and we had to let it cool for 30 minutes before we could cut it. BUT, due to timing, we didn't have time to wait for a taste test. We had to head out the door and take care of many things before the potluck. So when did I finally taste this. The first time that everyone else did. Whew - it was WONDERFUL as it smelled. THANK GOODNESS. And I served it with North Carolina Style Vinegar Based BBQ Pork and the two played so well together.

So, please, try this bread and don't be intimidated by it. If it came out this great with all my mistakes, then anyone can do this and still get a good one.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This one was born out of cravings and what was on hand and I can't give you an exact recipe and tastes differ on brand loyalty. But give it a whirl its easy and fun to experiment with. For my veggie friends - this is also great WITHOUT Chicken.

1 package of Martha White Pizza Dough Mix (Or pizza dough of your choice)
Smoked Cheddar Cheese Shredded (Smoked Gouda is a good option too) Its the SMOKED part that is important.
Cabot Jalapeno Cheddar 50% light cheese, Shredded (Adds some heat)
Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Black Bean Salsa (Recipe coming if I haven't already)
Diced Chicken cooked in NC Style BBQ Sauce (I get mine from Smoke on the Water in Greenville, SC)
Your favorite BBQ Sauce (not the same that you cooked the chicken in - you want something thick)
Sliced Red Onion

Bake the dough according to directions.
Top with BBQ Sauce, Cabot Cheese, then Chicken, then Smoked Cheese, then black bean salsa and then the Cheddar Cheese. The layering of the cheese is the most important part. The toppings can really be put on in any order.

Bake according to the directions on the Pizza Dough mix.

Once it is done, let it rest (if you can) for at least 10 minutes. This allows the cheese to gel and not ooze off your pizza onto your plate.

Mmmmmmm

No - this is not Weight Watcher's Friendly. This is a SPLURGE.

Recipe: Lemon Honey Tofu Stirfry

2007-06-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

So I was in the mood for Tofu tonight and remembered hearing about Honey Tofu on the podcast "More Hip than Hippie" (See links on left). So, I took that as my inspiration and changed it around. (imagine that).

Lemon Honey Tofu Stirfry

Ingredients
1 block of extra-firm tofu, 1 inch cubes
Olive Oil for pan
1 cup Yellow Squash, sliced
1 cup Zucchini, sliced
1 cup Red Pepper, sliced
1 lemon,squeezed for juice
1/8 tsp Curry Powder
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
2 tsp salt

Directions
In a small bowl mix the honey, lemon and curry powder. Set aside.

Get a cast iron pan hot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
Add the vegetables salt to taste and cook to desired tenderness. (Salt will bring out the moisture in the veggies and enhance the sweetness of the honey)
Remove the vegetables from the pan.

Add the cubes of tofu to the hot oil.
Let the tofu cook for a while and get crispy on each side, turn it gently.
When the tofu is cooked, pour about 2 tablespoons of honey mixture (+or-) over the tofu.
Note that the honey will thin out and melt.
Next, pour about 1-2 tablespoons of Tamari over the tofu and honey.
You'll notice everything sizzling and splattering - so be careful.

Add the vegetables back to the pan
Turn the tofu and vegetables gently to completely coat.
Let the tofu and vegetables cook for a bit, until it gets to the texture you are happy with.

Cooking Inspiration

2007-05-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

I've been lurking on 100cookbooks blog for quite sometime now and have found it quite inspiring. Today I just bought her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking and will it is just orgasmic.

I haven't had a chance to make her recipes yet, but one can tell by just looking at them that they are going to be MARVELOUS. But the beauty of this cookbook is just a feast for the eyes. The photography is amazing, the illustrations are great and the information is splendid.

You've gotta check this book out.

Also go check her website. www.Heidiswanson.com. She is a professional photographer and her work is beautiful to behold.

I WANT MY DREAM KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recipe: Suisse Mocha Tiramisu

2007-05-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

Suisse Mocha Tiramisu

This one is making the rounds of my Weight Watchers group and friends and they love it. You can also make this a full fat version just by substituting full fat for low or fat free, but you may be surprised at how good this tastes low fat.

1/4 Cup General Foods International Sugar Free Suisse Mocha, divided
2 Tbsp Hot Water
1/2 Pkg (3 oz) Ladyfigers split
3 Cups Cold Fat Free Milk, divided
1 container (8 oz) Philadelphia Fat Free Cream Cheese
2 packages (4 servings each) Jello Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Reduced Calorie Pudding and Pie Filling mix
1 Cup thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping.

Dissolve 1 TBSP of the flavored instant coffee in hot water in small bowl;
Line bottom and side of shallow 1-1/2 quart serving bowl with ladyfingers.
Sprinkle the small bowl of coffee over the ladyfingers

In a mixer or blender, place 1/2 cup of the milk, cream cheese and remaining undissolved instant coffee and mix/blend until smooth. Add dry pudding mixes and remaining 2 1/2 cups milk. Mix/blend until well blended/mixed.

Carefully pour over the ladyfingers and top with whipped topping.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set.

Copyright to Kraft Foods

Jenny's Changes
1. I changed out the instant coffee flavor. Try any of the sugar free blends - like chai
2. I used chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla
3. I topped with strawberries and then allowed people to top with either chocolate or regular Redi-Whip whipped cream from a can.
4. The recipe tells you to use a blender. I don't have one, so I used my mixer instead and it came out just as nice.
5. I accidently bought regular cream cheese and used it. Everyone loved it, but I also loved it when a friend made it with fat free cream cheese.

Other ways I would change this recipe
If I didn't care about calories or fat, I'd use brownies as the bottom layer, put down strawberries, cover with mixture, top with strawberries and serve with whipped cream on the side.

If I wanted to do brownies and wanted to be a little more careful about calories and fat, I would use "No Pudge Brownie Mix" . Make them according to their package instructions. Let it cool completely and then top with everything like I said above.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Spiced Shrimp and Peas Pullao

2007-05-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

Spiced Shrimp

Maya Kaimal

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

May 2007

MAKES FOUR SERVINGS

Prep Time: 15 min (plus marinating)

Cook Time: 5 min

3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, mix together half the scallions, the garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly and seasoning with the salt, until nearly opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue frying until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. Top with the remaining scallions.

Peas Pullao

Maya Kaimal

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

May 2007

MAKES FOUR SERVINGS

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 30 min

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garam masala and turmeric and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring briefly to break up any clumps. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.

2. Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated through.

How did I change this recipe: (Not much change needed)
1. Used Pam in the pan instead of the oil.
2. For the Spiced Shrimp. Instead of using a bowl to mix the spices and the shrimp, I used a freezer bag. It saved a dirty dish.

Recipe: Refried Beans

2007-05-11T14:57:00.001-04:00

Well, I was going to give credit for this recipe to Americas Test Kitchen, but when I went to their website to find the recipe, it was not the one they did on TV. How RUDE! ;)

So here is what I remember I did from their show.

Refried Beans

2 cans of Pinto Beans (15.5 oz can), drained and divided
3 slices of Bacon
1 small onion, minced
1 medium Jalapeno, seeded and veins removed, chhopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Set aside 1 cup of pinto beans.

In a food processor, blend pinto beans until pretty smooth. Set aside

In a frying pan, cook bacon and reserve the fat. Eat the bacon - its not part of the ingredients

Use 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat to sautee the minced onion and jalapeno. When softened, lower the heat to medium low and add spices and garlic and cook till garlic and spices soft. (do not burn the garlic).

Once the vegetables are cooked, add to the pan the pinto bean mixture and the reserved pinto beans. Mix well, let simmer for a few minutes and then either serve as dip or with huevos rancheros.

How I changed this.

Only one change. I used two strips turkey bacon and 1 strip of regular bacon and chopped it up and added half of it to the re-fried beans. This means I don't have enough fat in the pan, but use pam to help that along. This makes this a remarkably low fat recipe.

Recipe: Fennel Spice Rub

2007-05-11T14:34:00.001-04:00

OH MY - I haven't posted this one. THIS ONE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a must have spice rub mix in your pantry.

Fennel Spice Rub

Ingredients

(Makes about 1-1/4 cups)

1 cup fennel seeds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons white peppercorns

3 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions

Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly. When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.

Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

© 2006 NapaStyle Inc. All rights reserved.

How I change the recipe
I won't ever change a thing to this recipe. It is perfection. If you must mess with pefection, you could add more chili pepper flakes to give it a bit more kick. But that is the ONLY suggestion I would consider.

Well, I do double or triple batches when I do this. I make some for the friends that clamor for it.

What do I use this with??
Add it to any tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce to give it an extra umph
Put on top of a chicken breast and let rest for 30 minutes as a rub. Then grill or saute the chicken breast.
Add to the top of a roasted turkey in a clay pot. Mmmmmmmmm heaven.
Add to Ground Turkey Breast and salt and let sit overnight in the fridge. Use this as added meat to a spaghetti sauce, meatballs, or as an italian breakfast sausage.
About the only meat I haven't tried this on is beef.

Lord only knows what else you could use this on. It can only make things better.

Update: 6/1/2009

Do not roast mixture. Instead, keep it mixed and sealed in a jar and when it comes time to use it - roast just enough to fill a pepper mill/grinder. Let it cool and then fill your grinder. Then grind it on what you want it on. This will keep it fresh longer and is much tastier. Also when gifting this mix. Gift it in a mason jar and with a small grinder with the instructions.

Cooking: Basil, Salmon, Spinach and Arugula Recipes

2007-03-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

OK, I've been somewhat creative this week in the kitchen

Basil Tofu Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 C Soft Tofu, drained
1/2 C Fresh Basil Chopped
2 tsp Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Large Garlic Clove

Blend all ingredients in blender till smooth.

Refrigerate after use.

I forgot to measure this before I divvied it up to take to work for friends to try and for my lunch tomorrow, so I don't know exactly how many servings. But it would make 4 very generous servings for sure and probably 8.

The whole recipe is 4 points. I'll let you do the math.

What am I going to use this on? Salad of course!!! But I need to tell you how to do the Salmon first.

Spicy Salmon

Ingredients
1 spray cooking spray
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 pound Atlantic Salmon Fillet, cut into four 6 oz pieces

Mix spices together. Rub salmon with spices (store rest in air tight container) and then drizzle with oil.
Grill Salmon over medium heat, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

6 points

Serve Hot with Season Spinach and Arugula or chill for later use in salads.

Spicy Salmon Basil Salad

1 Generous Handful of Spinach
1 Generous Handful of Arugula (or other green of your choice)
1 Tomato
1 Green Onion
3 Tbsp of Basil Tofu Dressing

Mix in bowl and enjoy.

6 Points

Fresh Seasoned Spinach and Arugula
1/2 bag of baby Spinach
1/2 bag of Arugula
1 spray of Cooking Spray
Season salt (flavor of choice)

Preheat skillet (cast iron if possible) till HOT, HOT, HOT,
Spray with cooking spray and add season salt
Immediately add the greens and cook till soft or cooked.

1 point

Recipe: My New Favorite Chili

2007-02-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

I tried this recipe last night with a little trepidation. Its low fat and lower in calories and usually, for Chili, I don't trust that too much. Also, it didn't use much in the way of tomato sauce so I thought it would be too dry. Well, its not soupy or stewy, but its DELICIOUS!!!

Turkey and Black Bean Chili
Serves 4
Weight Watchers Points - 4

Ingredients
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound ground skinless turkey, turkey breast
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Fat Free
1/4 Sour Cream, Fat Free
1/4 Cup Sliced Scallions

Jenny's Extra Additions
1 small chipotle pepper, seeded
1 tsp adobo sauce
1 small can of green chiles, chopped
These are of course optional

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in spices and let cook for about 1 minute. Add Tomato, and beans..
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Serve with the Cheese, Sour Cream, and Scallions

Servings Size: 1 Cup Chili plus 2 Tbsp with 1 Tbsp Sour Cream and 1 Tbsp of Scallions.

Calories - 242
Fat - 4 grams; Sat Fat - 0 gm; Trans Fat - 0 gm
Chol - 30 mg; Sodium - 767; Carb - 25 gm; Fiber - 8 gm; Protein - 27 gm

Notes:
1 goofed and added only 1 Tsp of the Chili Powder, which in the end, may have been a good thing since I added the Chipotle pepper and Adobo Sauce. If you want more chili powder, then you may want to omit the Chipotle and Adobo Sauce.

I also replaced the sour cream with Fage 0% Complete Yogurt. It is a wonderful replacement.

Recipe: "Egg" Noodles with Goat Cheese and Mixed Green Vegetables

2007-02-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

On the way home tonight, I was listening to a podcast called "Geek. Farm. Life" and they talked about making cheese, mainly from their goats. Did someone say GOAT CHEESE. Specifically Chevre????? Well damn, that did it - Now I must have Chevre tonight. So, what can I have Chevre with - well, let's see what I can find in my freezer, pantry and fridge.....

Chevre (supermarket on way home) - Check
Pasta of some type - Tonight its Yolk Free Wheat Extra Wide Noodles - Check
Tomato - grape type tomatoes on sale at supermarket - Slice in half- Check
Trader Joe's "Greens with Envy" mix - in freezer - Check - Mmmm Edamame, Asparagus, Green Beans, Spinach!!!!!
Baby Bella Mushrooms - Check! Need to be used ASAP

Now, how to prepare this wonderful food. Well, it couldn't be simpler and so quick. I think all told, this took me 15 minutes to prepare

Boil noodles till just al dente. Keep warm while preparing the rest
In frying pan, spray with cooking spary and cook baby bellas till soft.
Add vegetable mix, and tomatoes to frying pan. Cook till vegetables are hot and tomatoes are just juicy and bursting
Drain the noodles completely and add to frying pan and toss to mix.
Put in a bowl and add 1 oz of Goat Cheese (Il de France)
Toss until cheese is coating every noodle and vegatable.
Season it with your favorite spice mix or just salt and pepper and enjoy

Makes two servings of as a side to a salad and grilled chicken breast or one FINE meal for one.

Weight Watcher Points - 3 points per serving or 6.5 points for one serving.

Since Hubby does not like goat cheese, this will often be a meal just for me!!! Sadly, I don't think KH will eat this. Tomatoes are too chunky. But, you don't have to add the tomatoes.

This meal is great because you can alter it to whatever you have on hand. Don't have a Trader Joe's fine - get some kind of frozen veggie mix and use that. Got some vine ripe tomatoes in your garden - perfect. Rather have spaghetti instead of egg noodles - go for it. Have some goat cheese with herbs? Use that instead of plain goat cheese. Have some fresh squash or eggplant or zucchini - mmmmmmm Add some minced garlic to the mushrooms and veggies . . .

Just play with it and enjoy!!!!!

Recipe: Chicken Vegetable Soup

2007-02-04T15:08:00.000-05:00

I am so happily creating in the kitchen again (as you can see from previous posts) and today I wanted soup (cold and windy here). So when I came home from taking Hubby to the airport (Going to Chicago) I came home to make this chicken Vegetable Soup

Chicken Vegetable Soup

12 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup zucchini
1 cup yellow summer squash
1 cup potato(es)
1 cup asparagus
1 cup vidalia onion(s)
16 oz Pacific Organic French Onion Soup
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 cup celery
2 cup water
3 clove garlic clove(s)

Chop all vegetables into chunky pieces and put into a bowl EXCEPT Onion, Celery and Garlic

In a large soup pot (6 quart)Lightly brown onion, garlic and celery till soft. Add Chicken breasts and brown on each side.

Take chicken out of pot and add all the vegtables to the onion mixture.

Chop Chicken into large chunks. Add French Onion Soup (16 oz) and water. Simmer till all vegetables Chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

YUMMY!

Recipe: Japanese Cod with Broccoli Stir fry

2007-01-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

This recipe was inspired by a recipe for Japanese-Flavored Edamame that I found on the Weight Watchers Website.

Japanese Flavored Edamame
Services - 4
Points 1

Ingredients:
5 1/3oz Frozen Edamame, shelled, about 1/3 of a 16 oz bag.
1 1/2tsp sea salt
1 tsp wasabi powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Instructions:
Place a small saucepan filled with water over high heat. Add edamame to pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and drain.
Place edamame in a serving bowl and set aside.
Toss with edamame until well coated.

Yields about 1/3 cup per serving.

Since I was making the edamame for one, I had left over spice mix. So, I came up with this recipe to go with the edamame

Japanese Cod with Broccoli Stir fry

Ingredients:
1 - 6oz frozen fillet of Cod
1 cup frozen broccoli stirfry vegetables
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1/2 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
1 1/2tsp sea salt
1 tsp wasabi powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Hardware:
1 large sheet of Aluminum foil
1 small cookie sheet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make seasoning, mix together sea salt, wasabi powder and ground ginger in a morter and pestle. Grind till fine.

Lay one sheet of aluminum foil on a plate. Layer in this order:
1. Frozen Cod Fillet
2. Sprinkle the spice mix (to taste) over the cod (reserve at least a tsp for later)
3. Put Frozen Broccoli Stir-fry mix on top
4. Sprink with reserved spice mix
5. Pour Soy Sauce and Teryaki over the vegetables and cod.

Fold up sides and top of the aluminum foil to make a pouch.
Bake for 30 minutes or until fish is done.

Serve with Brown rice.

Notes:
Try this with Chicken for Hubby Otherwise, could try this with other vegetables or putting rice down first and then fish/chicken etc...

Recipe: Pinjur Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

2007-01-31T14:22:00.000-05:00

Tonight I didn't know what I wanted for dinner. I knew it would be a chicken breast, but I just didn't know how. So, I checked out my fridge and came up with this recipe. IT TURNED OUT GREAT.

Pinjur Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
1- 6oz chicken breast
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
4 tbsp Trader Joe's Pinjur Sauce
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper
4 - 1/2" slices of Eggplant, peeled
1 Clove of Garlic, sliced thin, not minced or chopped
1 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp of Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Basil (chopped)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (omit for future)

Hardware:
2 large pieces of Aluminum foil
1 small cookie sheet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lay one piece of aluminum foil on a plate. Layer in this order
1. Rice
2. 2 Tbsp of Pinjur Sauce
3. Chicken Breast
4. 2 Tbsp of Pinjur Sauce

Close up foil on top and sides to make a pouch. Put in preheated oven

Lay second piece of Aluminum foil on a plate. Layer in this order
1. large slices of Red Pepper.
2. Slices of garlic
3. Chopped basil
4. Balsamic vinegar
5. Eggplant slices

Close up foil on top and sides to make a pouch. Put in preheated oven

Bake both pouches for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

Plate chicken and rice.

Remove Vegetables from pouch and rough chop. Serve over rice and chicken or as a side.

Notes:

1. I used a frozen chicken breast. It provides the mositure that the pouch needs to cook the meat. If you used a thawed or fresh chicken breast, add water or broth to give it some moisture. You won't need to cook it as long. Check after 30 minutes to see if the chicken is cooked through. Also, check the vegetables to see if they are done enough for you.

2. Omit the olive oil. Not needed.

3. Could replace chicken with fish and I think it would be very good. Though figuring out what fish to use would be interesting. I would probably start with a white fish and then work my way up.

4. 10 point meal, but very filling for one. It would be two small meals for two people. Maybe add a salad or something else light to even out the meal.

5. If I were to guess which wine to serve with this - I would first try it with probably a Pinot Grigio or a Dry Reisling. I think the tartness of either might work well. It might even work with a Cabernet Souvigion. Though again, that is something to experiment with in the future.

6. Not a lovely to look at meal. Kind of brown with bright flecks of red. The pinjur sauce and the brown rice was amazing together.

Calling all Cooks: New Ingredient

2007-01-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

Tofu scares me. Its always been this mysterious thing out there. Something that only vegetarians ate. Something that no self respecing carnivore would eat. And though my friends SWEAR its easy to cook and takes on the flavors of what its cooked in, I was just plain scared of it. I can't tell you how many times I have bought chocolate soymilk and have said - "This time, I will drink this" and found it in the back of my refrigerator 3 months later. (Doing the quarterly purge)

There is hope for me

I now eat tofu and enjoy it, but only if someone cooks it for me. You see, a few years ago, KH introduced me to Coconut Curry Vegetables at PF Chang's and since then, I've explored Tofu (in mostly asian settings). But, only if it was cooked for me. Love Ma Po Tofu (at PF Chang's) love it in egg drop soup, won ton soup etc...

But there is still this one fear to defeat

Cooking with it. I can't tell you how much it irritates me that I've let this fear of cooking Tofu keep me from eating it at home. Its time to stop the madness!

But, you have to understand, my pantry and spices are geared to cooking tomatoey things like Italian, spanish, greek and mexican foods. I am Italian afterall. Its not that I don't like other cuisines, I do, its just I very rarely cook Thai, Chinese, Japanese or other similar cuisines at home. And the frustrating thing is that most recipes I've looked up on the internet (reliable resources too) feature Tofu in mostly asian cuisine. And right now, my budget cannot stretch to go out and buy new ingredients and spices and tools. At least not till the 1st of February.

So, I'm wondering - does anyone out there have any tofu recipes that you just love and are willing to pass it on? I'll take asian ones (for when I have money). OR, does anyone have a tofu cookbook or resource that is just the bestest in the world that they could recommend?

Projects OFF my needles

2006-12-12T09:04:00.001-05:00

So we just had my company Holiday Party on Saturday and I knew I was going to be wearing an outfit in Red and Black. So on Thursday night, I was bored and decided to pull out my "One Skein" book and do the "Felted Clutch" and made it in red and black to match my outfit. The funny thing is I used Knitpicks Coal and Lopi Red which felted great together, but the Lopi was so fuzzy, I had to give it a trim to look good. So here it is, pre-felted and felted.

I probably should have blocked it better, but I felted it on Friday Night before going to a party and had to run out the door right after it was finished. So, but the time I got home (late) and got ready for the party on Saturday, it had already dried and I didn't have time to fix it.

My mother talked me into doing the "Caps to the Capital" a cause for newborn babies.

I knit this in Lionbrand Baby Homespun. So soft!!!!!

And I'm getting ready to cast on for my first socks from Cat Bordi's book. Socks Soar on Two Circulars. I started it on size 2s, but the guage was off and the socks started coming out huge. It really put me in a bad mood on Friday because I knew that I didn't have the money or the patience to wait for size 1's to come from Knitpicks and I definately didn't have the money for Addi's. My Sweet, Sweet Husband asked what would make me happy and without a pause, I said "Addi Turbo's size 1's - 24 inch" and he did it. He went to a LYS (Quilted Hearts) and picked them out (totally impressing the sales lady) and brought them home to me for my knitting pleasure. Which I haven't been able to do YET!!! I have to give him credit too. He didn't even flinch at the price. ($12.50 each) BUT I FINALLY HAVE ADDI TURBOS. See!!!!!

Do I like them - of course! Do I like them better than anything - Nope. I actually like the Knitpicks better. They are more pointy. I was having slow going trying to cast on the other day and just ripped it out so I could start over with a different cast on that would be quicker and not require as much effort with not so pointy needles. It felt almost like I was knitting with Clover Bamboo DPNS. Would I buy Addi's again - if I had no other choice and needed something quickly - yes, but if I had time to plan - I would SO get the Knitpicks ones. Especially if I need TWO of the same size.

Oooh - and I got some other needles. Brittany Birch Size 1.5 dpns. They are smaller than the regular dpns. I got them for knitting my little socks (sock blocker keychain) on. It took about 20 minutes to get used to the smaller size and then I loved them. I have to be careful though because they do bend a bit when I'm tight. My husband said it looks like I'm knitting with toothpicks. That reminds me - I need to take a picture of the sock that came off these needles. More for another day!

New Podcast - From WEBS

2006-12-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

If you have ever purchased yarn from WEBS, they now have their own podcast. Its called "Ready, Set, Knit". I listened to Episode 5 (Track 1 and 2) and its a really neat format. They talk a little about the yarn they had in the store, things that are happening there. They had an guest interview and take a break (End of Track 1) and then after the break (Start of Track 2) they have "Stump Pixie" and she answers knitting questions from people in the store or from e-mails and then just a little more about what is going on in the knitting world.

I liked it and the sound quality is GREAT as it is part of the local Radio Station lineup. No adjusting for volume or static. And, the total podcast (both tracks) took less than 40 minutes so its not a long podcast. The only negative I have about the show is you can only listen to it from iTunes or with a player that takes RSS/XML feeds. It would be great to be able to listen to it from their website.

I'm also checking out another podcast called "TrueYarns". I'll let you know.

Finished One Project Today

2006-12-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

Well, since my last post and kevetching I was actually able to finish the keychain sock BEFORE 5:00 pm.

Woo Hoo!

AAAAAAHHHHHHH - Erg

2006-12-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

I KNOW that when I work at the front desk as receptionist, my first duty is to answer the phones. Because my job is very detailed, I can't do my job and answer the phone at the front desk at the same time. Too many interruptions. So when I work the front desk, I get to knit. So today is one of those days and I was looking forward to knitting some sock blocker key chain socks. Figuring I would be able to get two done and then start working on my socks. But NOOOOOOO. Instead everytime I'm about to do something on the sock, the phone starts ringing off the hook. So I give up, put the knitting away and guess what - the phone stops ringing. But I know as soon as I pick up my knitting that the phone will start ringing again. So I surf for for a bit, check out e-mails and then after about 30 minutes of the phone being mainly silent I think - NOW, I can knit and guess what, the phone starts ringing again!!!!

So, the little bitty sock I was working on in rib pattern got all messed up and I ripped it back to the beginning and started all over again. And the phone started ringing.

So I gave up to write this post and guess what - silent phone. But I betcha - as soon as I finish and pick up my knitting, it will start ringing.

I hate being a receptionist.

O Christmas Tree

2006-12-06T08:34:00.000-05:00

I don't have anything knittnig related to post today (yet) because last night I cleaned out our sunroom (aka storage and cat playroom) and set up our Christmas Tree. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, but it looked so lovely.

And, I even wrapped presents. Well, Kind of. I bought these really neat boxes at Hobby Lobby (They love me there now). This way it looks pretty and I didn't have to wrap a thing!!!!

Today I am the receptionist, so I hope to get some knitting done. So maybe I'll have something for you to see. Otherwise, tonight I have to straighten the wreck that is my living room.

DANG - I forgot to put out the trash and recycling!!!

Dear Yarn Manufacturer

2006-12-05T14:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Yarn Manufacturer,

I've spoken about this before, but obviously you didn't get my message. Please let me tell you I love the puzzle you give me everytime I try to find the end of the yarn at the center of the skein/ball. Everytime the guts of the skein pop out, I just give shivers knowing that I have to untangle the nest of yarn and wrap it around the outside of the skein - thereby defeating the purpose of a center pull strand. I mean, its so meditative to find the ends, unwrap the knots and then wrap it. It makes my knitting seem to go so much faster too. See, here is what happened today and you know, it only took me an hour to untangle it and make it look like the end product.

So now that I've taken care of this, I can finally start working on knitting my first sock. Oops, there goes the work whistle, looks like I have to go back to work at my computer for the next four hours and then wait, I have to go home and clean house for the holidays so I can decorate this weekend. Looks like knitting will have to wait till tomorrow's lunch.

Thanks so much!

What I made for our Knitting Holiday Party

2006-12-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, our Stitch and Bitch group got together for our FIRST Holiday party. It was a blast. I forgot my camera and didn't get to take pictures at all, but if you want to see more, check out Claudia's (from Knitting Without Dog Hair is Not an Option) flicker account to see what a blast it was.

She was also kind enough to take pictures of what I made so I could post them here. Thank goodness.

The first was so fun and seemed to go over so well.

Fun Fur Ornaments.

All you have to do is buy glass ornament balls with removeable tops, take off the top and stuff in your yarn of choice. I used fun fur that I had left over from my fun fur blanket, but you could use any yarn you had leftover.

And I also made two sets of Stitch markers (only one shown)

The other set was made from Scrabble tiles and it spelled out.

SNB NEGA for our group name. (Stitch n Bitch Northeast Georgia)

We had a great time and now I can start taking pictures of the other stitch markers I've made. I've joined a yahoo stitch marker exchange group (Stuff Knitters Want Yahoo Group) and I think this is a blast. I've got a couple sets made.

Stay tuned.

PS - Claudia - how did you know that was my new hobby???

New Camera

2006-12-04T15:01:00.000-05:00

Wooo Hooo, It finally came.

About a month ago, I received reward points from a few managers in my office for a job well done. I was able to exchange these points for items in a catalog and so I got a Nikon Coolpix S9. Well, I had to wait 3-4 weeks for them to deliver it.

Now I've been patient and as of December 1, it was 4 weeks. So I e-mailed the people and they researched it and come to find out, it was delivered on 11/29 and had been sitting in the back because they didn't put my name on the box. How dumb is that! Thankfully, no one took it home with them and the warehouse guy kept an eye on it.

Unfortunately, I don't have any knitting to take a picture. So here is the first picture I've taken with my camera.

Ever had one of these days?

I'll try to take some pictures tonight of our knitting group!

I DID IT!!!!! My First Sock

2006-12-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

YAY! I can't believe I did it. I made my first sock. Granted, it is a test sock and knitted small on purpose, but I did it. CHECK IT OUT!!!!!

Since I couldn't get my pictures uploaded from my camera until today, when I finished the sock on Thursday night, I brought it in and showed it off to all my poor co-workers. None of them knit, but though they didn't get it, they knew I was so happy and proud of myself. They made all the right noises.

I used Wool Ease and size 8 dpns. The pattern came from the sock blocker keychain pattern. (see below)

The only problem I had was when I turned the heel, I kept coming up with too many stitches. Being a newbie with sock patterns, I followed it to the letter. So, I called my friend Daye and went over to her house and knit the pattern with her and it did it again. So she looked at the pattern again, did the math and figured out that there was a problem with the abbreviation and its description.

What does this mean to you?

K2tbl

To me, it means knit the next two stitches (individually) through the back loop. (am I wrong???)

When Daye did the math, she figured out what they really meant was

K2tog tbl.

Once we did that, it worked.

So, once I finished the sock, I wrote the lovely ladies at Felt Up Designs and they confirmed that that was what they meant and they e-mailed me today to let me know that they corrected the pattern for future knitters.

And, since I was on a roll, I did this too. I started and finished this on Friday night.

The pattern and the sock blocker key chain comes from Felt Up Designs. Its about two inches long and the pattern is knit on size 0 dpns. And I did that too, but man, I think I knit tight on that. Next time, I'll try Size 1 or 2 dpns.

Here's Sammy posing the keychain and sock for me.

Fun Fur Blanket Finished

2006-11-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

As you know, I decided back in MARCH (2006) to knit my mother in law a fun fur blanket.

This is a dead easy project. (Double strand 1 strand of fun fur and one strand of matching backing yarn (I used red heart worsted weight). Cast on 20 stitches and knit in stockinette for 20 rows. Bind off. You now have one sqare. Knit as many squares as you need for the blanket size you want. I did a 6 x 6 lapghan and it was 36 squares.)

Until you have to sew the blocks together. Its not hard to sew the blocks together into strips, its just time consuming and a bit boring. The hardest part is finding the stitches BETWEEN the fun fur. (Choose your own best method to sew the blocks together)

So, since my mother in law was coming for a visit during Thanksgiving, I decided to finally to make a good attempt at finishing the blanket while she was there.

So, are you ready

There are two strips resting on the arm of the sofa. Sammy is getting mighty bored watching me sew.

And now, after 8 hours (it seems) is the 6 x 6 fun fur blanket.

And I have to have a picture of Sammy Boy posing with the finished project.

Today, I'm off with some friends to the Main Street Yarn and Fibers in Watkinsville GA to do some shopping and some stitching. Can't wait!!!!!

New Skill learned

2006-11-22T09:19:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo - I took the time to learn a new cast on (for me). Yesterday afternoon while sitting at the boring front desk, I pulled up the Knitting Help webpage and gave it a whirl. I've learned the Double Cast on (aka Long Tail or Continental Cast on)

Man, either I need to strengthen that hand or I don't use those muscles much, because after about 20 stitches my hands felt like they were going to cramp.

So, cast on stitches I know are

Thumb method - Long Tail - taught to me by my mother
Knit on cast on taught to me by Claudia
Single cast on taught to me by Daye
Double Cast on - Long Tail - Learned by myself with help.

All of these can be found on the Knitting Help Cast On area. If you have any problems figuring something out from a drawing (and boy do I) then I highly recommend this site.