By Special Request...

Bazinga!

A lovely woman, who shall remain nameless, was kind enough to request a photo of me in my new hat.  I sort of shun the whole "taking a picture of one's self and posting it on the internet", but as many fellow busy women will relate, sometimes finding someone to actually take a picture of you is darn near impossible!  Plus add into the equation the necessary time to put on makeup, do hair, and not be in pajamas, and it's that much more difficult.
But then comes a thoughtful, delightfully complementary request and my heart goes all mushy...  So here it is.  Me with enough makeup on to not look like I just rolled-out of bed, hair that is clean, if not exactly done, and "not" pajamas.  Oh, and the most important part, the hat!
This also seems like an opportune chance to thank those of you who have been reading...  This started as something for my family, and has broadened to include many new and existing friends.  Days are so busy and fly by, and I appreciate the time you take to share in these diversions.  :)

One Round-Trip Drive to Boston = 2 Hats + 3 Coffee Cozies

The house is quiet, and I'm trying not to eat.  There must be millions who relate to that simple compulsion.  And so I write...

I recently drove to and from Boston with some friends to see Hillsong United.  I have always loved road trips, but these days I don't "sit" very well.  Life has left me with too much to ponder, and pondering can take me to places I don't always want to go.  Reading in the car usually results in a sore tummy, but what else can be done while chit-chatting away on a long drive?  You guessed it...  CROCHET!  Yes, my new-found obsession is the perfect way to pass the time, keeping my hands and mind sufficiently occupied.

The "right" side of Dave's hat.

I chose two simple patterns so that I could still participate in lively conversation.  I had promised Dave (my dear hubby) a hat quite a while ago, and this was the perfect time to fulfill that promise.  He wasn't keen on the hat pattern I made for my brother Sean for his birthday, even without the pom-pom, so I chose a simple single-crochet pattern instead.  I decided to only crochet through the back-loops, which made the hat reversible with two really neat sides to choose from.  If Dave didn't like one side (which he didn't), he could wear the other!

The "wrong" side of Dave's hat, and also his favorite.

I wasn't sure how long it would take to make Dave's hat, but using Lion Brand Thick & Quick yarn and a size N hook, his hat was done by the time we drove out of Bangor!  I was so glad I had brought that second pattern and additional yarn because....  I got to make MYSELF a hat.  My first ever "for me" item!  I can't tell you how excited I was.  I have a few purchased knit items, and since I have started knitting myself, I am often asked if I made them.  Now I'll be able to proudly say YES!

The pattern I used is the same one I made for Sean, but this time I chose to spiral the ribbing, the effect of which is just too cool for words and also added a distinctly feminine touch.  I finished off my hat with a few rows of single-crochet, and voila!  My new hat.  :)

My Hat!

At this point, we were on the drive home, but were by no means home yet.  And I had a bit of yarn left over.  Hmmmmmm.....  I hadn't brought any other patterns, and there really wasn't that much yarn.  What could be done?  Boston Road Trip Coffee Cozies!  Of course we had a coffee cup in the car, so I just fiddled around a bit until I had made the first prototype.  Follow that up with two more, and I'd say that was one very productive road trip.  And we still had driving time left!

Road trips provide an excellent opportunity for self-discovery, but let's face it.  There's only so much we really want to know about ourselves.  So the moral of this road trip story is to bring your hook, and LOTS of yarn!  You'll be glad you did.

Pantry Raid: Last Minute Pork Chops

I think I might have a hoarding gene somewhere in my mix of DNA because nothing comforts me like a well-stocked pantry.  The fridge is perpetually half empty, but ol' Mother Hubbard's cupboard is almost always well stocked.  This is a good thing because that is where most of our last minute supper's come from.  Or maybe they have to come from there for lack of groceries...  A recurring household theme, either way.

Last night's supper was certainly no exception.  The fridge was frightfully empty, and the pantry (*GASP*) was not much better.  Dave had picked up pork chops when he was out the day before, so they had to get eaten up.  The usual accompaniments (i.e. potatoes, rice, frozen veggies, etc....) were missing in action, so what's a girl to do?  My mom used to make THE BEST pork chops by cooking them all day with lots of onions and cream of mushroom soup in the crock pot.  On a very lucky day, we'd have them with egg noodles, but usually we ate them with veggies and rice.  Well, cream of mushroom soup, check.  Everything else, nope, nope, and nope.  Plus I didn't have all day.

After some deep digging through the cupboards (or cabinets, as my builder hubby would insist they are), I came up with something pretty decent.  Naomi ate it without complaining (hurray!) and Dave was suitably impressed.  Success!

Enjoy our latest pantry raid.  It wasn't the first, and certainly won't be the last.  Let's just hope that next time the pantry is more sufficiently stocked!

Last Minute Pork Chops

5 small pork chops
4 small onions
1 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated
water from re-hydrating the mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup acini di pepe pasta (the pasta found in Italian Wedding Soup, Dave's fave)
3 green onions
3 cups baby spinach

Slice onions and saute on medium heat in a large pot with olive oil until slightly translucent.  Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  Move onions to one side of the pot, and add pork chops, browning lightly on both sides.  Drain the water from the mushrooms into the pot.  Chop the mushrooms and also add to the pot.  Add the cream of mushroom soup, plus a little more than one can of water.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and stir well.  Continue to cook with the lid on, stirring frequently.  When the pasta is nearly cooked, add the baby spinach and the chopped green onions.  Check and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve this one pot wonder immediately and enjoy!

Cupcakes Anyone? YES PLEASE!

Patiently waiting...

Many companies are now offering contests based on "liking" their Facebook page, and Saint John Cupcake Salon took this idea one step further.  When I saw a chance to win a dozen delicious gourmet cupcakes, I just couldn't pass up the chance!  And let's be honest... who doesn't "like" a cupcake?  The owner, Jacqueline Schroeter, wanted to know what we the people like the very most about cupcakes, and all I had to do to enter the contest was to say as much on the Discussion board of the company fan page.  So easy!!!

The bad news is that I didn't win a dozen cupcakes.  But the GOOD news is that I won a surprise consolation prize of a half dozen cupcakes, and they couldn't have come at a better time.  It's no secret to those who know me that I eat my feelings, and suffice it to say that there were some feelings that these delectable cupcakes deeply touched.  :)

There were three white cupcakes, and three chocolate, and it was very difficult to share them.  The white cupcake had a beautifully dense texture, like a pound cake but softer and more moist.  They were frosted in a cool two-tone butter-cream that was silky smooth, not too sweet, and had a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that left me pondering what the secret ingredient might be.  The chocolate cupcakes had chocolate chips peaking out of the top and had a surprise filling of CHEESECAKE!  'Nuff said.  They were perfectly chocolaty and sophisticated enough that I didn't feel too guilty while eating them.

This picture took great restraint to get...  so yummy!

Saint John Cupcake Salon is a local business that will satisfy all of your cakely culinary desires.  Check out their Facebook fan page for lots of beautiful pictures, or email the owner about your upcoming event!

BEST Homemade Bits & Bites

I'm not a fan of store-bought Bits & Bites.  I should on all accounts love those handy little snacks.  Salty, crunchy carbs?!  They are all the things that I love, and I should find them delicious.  I don't know why, but I just don't.

Take One:  Everyone say CHEESE!

A few weeks ago my friend Angela sent us a homemade treat, and of course I was excited!  I was a little less excited when I found out it was Bits & Bites, but I still really appreciated the gesture, and I knew Dave and Naomi would devour them in no time.  I just don't like Bits & Bites.  Even still, Angela had made them, and I wanted to try them just to see what they were like.  Well, let me tell you, that was an "aha" moment even Oprah would have been proud of.  There was no Bits & Bites about it....  It was more like Lots & Mouthfuls.  I honestly couldn't shovel these into my face fast enough!  To give you some perspective, even the pretzels tasted good.  In case you missed that, EVEN THE PRETZELS TASTED GOOD!

Angela was gracious enough to share the recipe, so here it is.  She's unsure of the original source but a friend of hers gave her the recipe years ago.  If you don't like store bought Bits & Bites, or heck, even if you do, TRY THESE!  They are sure to blow your snack-lovin-mind.

Take Two:  Everyone say BITS & BITES!

Lots & Mouthfuls...  er, I mean, Bits & Bites

In a large roasting pan, mix together:

1 box of mini Ritz
1 box of Cheese Nips
4 cups of Shreddies
4 cups of pretzels

In a measuring cup, mix together:

1/2 cup of canola oil
2 tsp of dried dill weed
1 pkg of Clubhouse brand Ranch Dressing mix

Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir well.
Bake at 250 for 10 minutes.  Stir then bake for another 10 minutes.


I cannot even begin to describe how delicious these are hot from the oven, so be sure to try some as soon as they are done.  When we made ours, we used Goldfish crackers, mini Ritz, Crispix cereal, and straight pretzels, but the possibilities are endless.  Angela even suggested making a really huge, extra-yummy, crazy batch by doubling the wet mixture, and also doubling the dry mixture, but using eight different snacks instead of just four.  I am definitely going to try that next time.  Enjoy!

The Name's Bond. Baby Bond.

How do you solve the problem of a stylin' baby Bond who enjoys his formula shaken, not stirred, but can't hold his applesauce-tini?  Take him out in a bib that's as sophisticated as he is and has just the right amount of pomp for any circumstance.

I wrote in an earlier post about how hand-knit and crocheted items have a natural tendency to look girly, so when making anything for a boy, especially a baby boy, it's important to make the items as boyish as possible.  It's every mother's nightmare for someone to come up to their handsome baby boy and say "What a beautiful baby girl!".  I take no chances when making baby boy items, and these bibs are no exception.

The foundation is just the basic single crochet bib I made for Alicia, minus the ruffle, of course.  I searched high and low for just the right thing to applique onto this boy version, and hit the jackpot when I found this necktie applique pattern.  The bow-tie and buttons were a natural choice to create a super cute and very masculine set.  The bow-tie is just a glorified rectangle, and for the buttons I used the cherry from this cupcake applique pattern, sewn on just like, you guessed it, a button!

Small "p" Published... Thank you "Best Health" Magazine!

I say small "p" published because it's a tiny little blurb, about two paragraphs or so, plus a picture of me printed in the "Your Best Advice" section of the March/April 2011 issue of Best Health Magazine.  But still, my words, in actual print, in a media that people pay money for!  Well, no, I didn't get paid, but still!  My words, in print!

You see, this is not one of my every day occurrences, and thus this small dabble in the world of printed word has turned me into a bit of a geek.  And now that I'm "blogging" about the experience, I suppose that would make me a mega-geek.

I had been contacted weeks ago by the magazine editor about this random tip I submitted through their website, which just tickled me pink, but for some reason, after a few email exchanges, I just assumed they had decided not to print the tip.  Then, out of the blue, a family friend sent my sister Kelly an email about seeing my tip and picture in her copy of the magazine, so of course I did what anyone else in the same situation would have done...  I went out and bought copies for me, my mom, and both of my sisters.  :)

Best Health Magazine prints tips from readers from all over Canada in every issue, so head to their website, and share your best advice.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll also be small "p" published someday!