KnitB4Sleep

More Craftiness

2011-09-04T19:36:00.003-04:00

Another craft I saw in Douglas, MI, and other places, has been jewelry made by glueing pictures to Scrabble tiles. I have been scouring thrift stores for Scrabble games to no avail, but yesterday I found a Quoridor game at the Goodwill in Paw Paw and thought those pieces would work just as well for now, maybe even better!

With something called Diamond Glaze, some bails that you glue on the back, and some pictures cut out of magazines, put between clear packing tape, and glued onto the game pieces, I have some new necklaces

I'm Craftier Than I Thought

2011-09-02T13:18:00.004-04:00

When my cousins were visiting, we went to Douglas and Saugatuck, MI where I bought a handmade ring. After buying one, I got the artist to tell me how she made it and I came home and made a whole bunch of them for myself. It is a super easy and fun project, somewhat similar to the Bottlecap Necklaces that I made with my nieces. I used expandable ring blanks that fit ring size 6 - 8. Unfortunately I think they might be too big for my nieces but I plan to see what I can do about that.

You just use a craft hole punch (I think mine is about 1/2") and you punch out circles from pictures, magazines, scrapbook paper, or whatever looks cool. You glue it onto those clear marbles with a flat bottom that people use to fill glass vases and you glue that onto the ring blank. I am still experimenting because a few came off so I covered them with glue and hope they will stick. You can also use Modge Podge but I don't have any so I used strong, craft glue (Durabond) that dries clear.

In the meantime, I am having fun making and wearing these fun rings!

Old Home Day (Part 2)

2011-08-14T22:22:00.004-04:00

Also on Saturday, I went to a White Sox game with Laura, who I've been friends with since I was a little kid, and Tim, who I've known since about 1988 but who lives very far away in the distant land of Canada. We used to spend nearly ever summer weekend together in Chicago that year so it was such a blast to hang out at a White Sox game with them.

Thanks to Laura's employer, we had seats on the Fan Deck with all the free food and drinks we wanted. It poured rain resulting in a rain delay, but we are hopeful people and the game finally started after they uncovered the field. I cheered really loud every time our team got on base, which probably annoyed real baseball fans, but it was more fun than I anticipated! I'm grateful to have such great friends.

Old Home Day

2011-08-14T22:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had breakfast with my friend, Barb, who I haven't seen since 1988. We went to grade school, Junior High and High School together until she moved away. We lost touch for many years and reconnected thanks to the wonders of Facebook. It was so much fun to get together after 23 years! Funny how we're both wearing purple.

Interchangeable Bottlecap Necklaces

2011-07-27T23:27:00.005-04:00

When my nieces visit for 2 weeks in the summer, I always try to find something crafty to do. It's tricky to find something that both of them will enjoy doing and so I was excited to find instructions for Charming Magnet Necklaces in Family Fun magazine. My nieces said that it was hard but fun and it has provided hours of entertainment already, and we are making more tomorrow for them to give to friends. The fun thing is you can make as many bottlecaps as you want and they are interchangeable with the magnetic necklace!

Supplies:

Ribbon, elastic or other roping for necklace

1-inch metal washer
Strong, non-toxic glue (such as Wledbond Universal)

Small, super strong, 3/4 inch craft magnet

Clear packing tape

Glue stick

Artwork, magazines, photos, scrapbook paper
Cardstock
1-inch circle hole punch

Metal bottle caps

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Glaze or Glossy Accents clear, dimensional embelishment

Scissors

Findings/fasteners (optional)

Spray paint (optional)

Step 1: Spray paint the back of the bottle caps, if desired

Step 2: Loop the cording through the washer

Step 3: Glue the magnet to the washer

Step 4: Punch out 1-inch circular pictures from photos, magazines, artwork, etc.

Step 5: Glue circles to cardstock

Step 6: Punch out circles again

Step 7: Apply layer of packing tape to front and back of circles and cut them out.
Step 8: Put a layer of glaze into bottlecaps and press circles into them. Let dry.

Step 9: Fill bottlecaps the rest of the way with the glaze. Remove any bubbles. Let dry overnight.

Little Purses for Dinner

2011-03-13T17:18:00.005-04:00

Tonight I made Steamed Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao). They are like little purses of Chinese Pork.

It's always exciting when dough rises like it is supposed to. They looked so small before I steamed them so I thought I might eat 2, but after steaming they puff up much bigger. They are quite yummy too.

What Does a Snow Day Look Like?

2011-01-18T11:38:00.004-05:00

We finally got our long-awaited snow day today! Unfortunately, since it was really a sleet, rain and ice day, I didn't go out and practice my cross-country skiing. Instead, this is what the day looked like:

Early call from coworker telling me I didn't have to go to work.
Couldn't go back to sleep because I was too excited about not having to get up.
Made a pot of tea and watched the early news and the Today Show.
Cleaned the kitchen.
Rescheduled the home visits that I was supposed to have today.
Studied for my school social work class.
Finished knitting a gift for someone awesome.
Built a fire in the woodstove to offset heating costs on this day at home.
Made another pot of tea.
Started knitting a black, raglan sweater for myself using the Knitting Fool website that creates a pattern (for free) after you enter your measurements, gauge, etc.
Ate lunch and did more knitting at the Red Brick Coffee Shop with a friend.
Mailed a package of clothes to my godson.
Received my snowshoes in the mail!!!
Got a haircut.
Made Hoisin Chicken and Parsnip Mashed Potatoes.

I'm not listing these things to gloat. I'm just grateful for this gift of an unexpected free day. I needed it.

My Snowy Life

2011-01-08T09:21:00.003-05:00

Snow makes me happy. It's a necessity for me. It's part of why I like it here in Michigan, in the snow belt where we know all about "lake effect snow." I ran the snowblower after work yesterday but you wouldn't know it this morning. My paths are hidden under a few more inches of snow.

I like how the snow looks like it's snaking around the items left on my back porch.

My garden looks cozy under a blanket of snow (below).

I try to keep the birds fed.
Yesterday I saw 4 cardinals in this tree but they are shy this morning.

Winter Gardening

2011-01-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it's not quite gardening but thanks to encouragement from my cousin Suzanne, I am growing sprouts in my house! It's very exciting. I bought a sprouting lid that fits on a Mason jar and I'm growing alfalfa sprounts in there.

I also bought a tall tupperware at Goodwill, poked some holes in the bottom, and I'm growing mung bean sprouts in there. I started them 3 days ago and have been rinsing them twice a day and I think they are about ready to eat! The bean sprouts taste almost like fresh peas from the garden, although not as sweet. I plan to try them in a Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad recipe this week. Fun!

Facebook is Overtaking Blogging

2010-12-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I haven't posted on my blog since August. The reason is that I find it so much quicker to post updates and pictures on Facebook. So, although I'll probably post on here again, the best place to find me is on Facebook. It's taking over the world.

Oh, Deer

2010-08-31T20:54:00.004-04:00

I looked out my bathroom window one morning last week and saw a deer! When I stepped outside with my camera I saw 2 more. I've seen their tracks since moving here a year ago but haven't ever caught them hanging out in my yard until now.

I think they were probably scheming how to get into my vegetable garden, but so far they have stayed out.

You may recall that a year ago a big pine tree fell on my front flower bed. Here it is a year later, fully recovered.

Here is the hibiscus we bought a year ago at the flea market. The flowers are HUGE!

Zinnias are my personal favorite.

Celebrating 40

2010-08-10T18:22:00.006-04:00

I turned 40 on August 4. Although most of my friends are older than me, 40 still seems so much older than 39. We had a party in my backyard with homemade popsicles, taco salad and 2 amazing cakes: a 4 layer cake with strawberry filling and buttercream frosting from the bakery at The Red Brick and a Chocolate Mocha cake made by my sister-in-law. My friends, Christy, Kevin and Kate came from Kansas for the party. Rodney and Carmina came up for the party and to pick up their 2 kids who have spent the past 2 weeks up here with me and my folks. My aunt, uncle and cousin came from Ontario and an old friend came from Indiana. It's been an awesome 2 weeks off from work. Thanks to everyone who made it happen!

Check out this watermelon that cousin Suzanne and Aunt Gladys carved!

My Dad and a Drill Can Fix Anything

2010-07-09T23:32:00.003-04:00

I'm beginning to think that my Dad and his drill can fix anything. Today he figured out a way to mount a 9 foot umbrella on my deck so that I get shade over pretty much the whole deck. Yippee!! Here are the pictures before I painted the deck in the 92 degree heat of the day last weekend and a picture of the shady deck today.

Tea Garden

2010-06-27T17:40:00.003-04:00

Anyone who is around me these days knows how much I enjoy a good glass of iced tea. I am always searching out places to buy loose leaf tea so I can try new combinations. This year I decided to plant a "tea garden" of herbs that I could use to make my own tea.

I planted:

chamomile

bee balm

lemon balm

pineapple sage

pineapple mint

lemon thyme

orange mint

catmint

lemon verbena

geraniums

It is finally taking off and today, because I was bored, I decided to try to make some tea with my herbs. I crushed 2 tsp lemon balm, 1tsp lemon verbena and 1 tsp spearmint. I poured about 1 1/2 cups boiling water over them and steeped for 12 minutes.

I was afraid to try it, but it is actually very refreshing and I haven't noticed any negative side effects...yet.

That Was Some Storm!

2010-06-21T16:58:00.003-04:00

A big storm blew in Friday night. I should have listened to the newscaster who said to secure everything outside. All of a sudden straighline winds blew up and it started to pour. I saw my lawn chairs flying around outside. It didn't last long, but I did hear glass breaking and figured it was just my recycling blowing over. Turns out it was the window in the door to my basement. No big deal. I seldom use the door anyhow.

The power went out for about 12 hours, which is pretty short around here. Usually it goes out for a day or 2 at some point during the Spring or Summer. I lit candles and read a book and went to bed early. Nothing wrong with that.

Yummy Pork Vindaloo

2010-06-12T22:44:00.004-04:00

I wanted to make this last week but forgot to buy coconut milk when I got groceries. I finally made it tonight. Yum!! It's just spicy enough for me. You can add another 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper if you really like heat but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it then.

Pork Vindaloo
1 1/2 TBSP grainy mustard (I couldn't find this, so I used Dijon mustard)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp gound tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1tsp red wine vinegar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion in 1/2 rings
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pound pork cut in bite-size pieces
1 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup water

Combine mustard, cumin, tumeric, cayenne, salt and vinegar. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir fry until translucent. Add garlic and fry 30 seconds. Add spice paste and fry 1 minute. Add meat. Fry 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to boiling then lower to simmer for 60 minutes. Serve over rice. (I was afraid it wasn't thickening enough so I mixed about a tsp of cornstarch with a little water and added it. I probably should have waiting until it was done cooking because it probably would have been fine.

The picture might not look appetizing, but it was oh so good!

Spread the Word

2010-06-12T19:16:00.009-04:00

My folks are selling their RV. It's parked in my driveway now because I get more traffic on my road than they do at their cottage. If you know of anyone looking for an RV, send them my way! Tow truck not included.

It is a 2000 Sunline Solaris, M-2653 Series. 27' x 8'. Maximum weight is 7,000 pounds. Microwave, stove, oven, AC/Heat, shower, toilet. Queen size bed in bedroom. Dinette turns into bed. Couch turns into bed. It's nice and clean inside. Asking price is $5,000.

If someone you know is interested, have them send me an email at auntiebonita@yahoo.com.

Summer Day

2010-06-06T18:40:00.002-04:00

I found this poem in the newsletter from The People's Church, the Unitarian Universalist church that I attend sometimes. I really liked it and then realized it was by Mary Oliver, a favorite poet of mine.

The Summer Day (by Mary Oliver)

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth
instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous
and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms
and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Keeping Away the Deer

2010-05-05T19:57:00.003-04:00

My folks helped me put up a 7 foot high deer fence for my vegetable garden. Although I've heard that deer fences need to be 10 feet tall, I think that all these posts will scare away the deer. The fence itself is almost invisible, but it's there. So far I've planted broccoli, cabbage, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, lettuce, thyme and one row of beans because I just couldn't wait until the last frost. Hopefully after the upcoming frosty weekend I can plant some other things.

The potatoes and onions are coming up. I might have to cover the potato plants this weekend.

I found some nifty garden decorations at the Dollar Tree. Everything there is really $1! I bought windsocks and swirly things to keep the deer away as well. The sun was just for me.

The View Outside My Window

2010-05-05T19:44:00.003-04:00

This happened a month ago, but it's still exciting. My bay window sill was rotting away and the mechanisms on the side windows were broken so badly that I had to actually go outside and pry the windows open and then go outside and push them shut.

Now, thanks to 1-800 HANSONS I have a new bay window. I still smile every time I open and close them from inside my house. :)

Cook Some Yummy Shrimp

2010-05-01T20:16:00.003-04:00

I've finally learned how to cook shrimp. Here is a yummy recipe for Garlic Shrimp Linguini.

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked linguini
1 TBSP butter
1/4 cup white wine
2 TBSP grated Parmesan
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

I use frozen shrimp and like to thaw them and pull the tails off but you can cook them with tails on and each person can remove them before eating. Cook linguini according to package instructions. when linguini is half cooked, melt butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add wine, cheese, garlic and parsley. Simmer over low heat for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium high and add shrimp. Cook about 4 minutes. Drain pasta and put in a large bowl. Pour shrimp mixture over top and mix in. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Warming Up Any Way We Can

2010-03-23T17:27:00.002-04:00

I drove to Kansas for a few days with my folks so we could spend time with my nieces during their spring break. Usually it is 10 - 15 degrees warmer down there than in Michigan, but this time it was cold! In fact, the sleet and snow came down the night before we were to come home. The roads were horrible, especially in Missouri, and we decided to stop driving when even the trucks were going 35mph. The heat was off in our hotel room when we arrived and I snapped a photo of my Mom trying to warm up under the curtains billowing out from the heater.

Leafy Cardigan

2010-03-14T13:44:00.003-04:00

I finished my Wallaby sweater! A picture will come later since I need someone else to operate the camera if I'm wearing the sweater. I can post a picture of this baby sweater that I made for a friend's new baby. I like the leaves on the bottom.

Cheap Bathroom Makeover

2010-03-14T13:39:00.003-04:00

I thought my bathroom cabinet needed some cheer. You know those beautiful pieces of paper that scrapbookers get to use? I bought 6 pieces at the craft store and some double sided tape. Now the inside of my bathroom cabinet looks like this:

Beautiful Friends

2010-02-07T16:21:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I went to Lancaster, PA for the 40th birthday celebration for my friend, Beky. We've been friends since college days. Actually, I'm pretty sure we were also in the same cabin at Camp Friedenswald when we were kids, but we really became friends when we lived next door to each other as Freshmen at Bethel College. Our friend, Christy, flew with me from Chicago. These are the kind of friends that feel like family. We covered just about every topic we might need or want to talk about in the 3 days or so that we were together. It is great to have friends who have known me for so long and for whom time and distance cannot separate. I hope each of you are lucky enough to have such friends, and I am grateful to have that type of friendship with others out there as well. Thank you, my friends.

Dinner Ready When You Walk in the Door

2010-01-17T19:24:00.003-05:00

I went to Kalamazoo for the afternoon, but first I put this in the crock pot. It was nice and hot when I got home!

Chicken and Barley
3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken (or 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts)
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 cup pearl barley
1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Place chicken in crock pot. In saucepan on stove, saute onions, celery and bell peppers until softened. Add garlic, salt, pepper and thyme and cook 1 minute. Add barley and stir. Add tomatoes and wine or broth and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Mmmmm...granola

2010-01-17T11:07:00.002-05:00

This morning I made super-easy granola. Yum!

Granola With Almonds
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP vanilla
4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add oats, wheat germ and almonds. Mix well and spread on cookie sheets. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Cool completely.

Santa Must Be Real

2009-12-30T21:08:00.003-05:00

After going to KS, I drove with Rodney, Carmina and my nieces back to Illinois for Christmas with my folks. From there we drove to Michigan for a couple of days and then on to Canada. We made it there in time for one of our favorite Christmas traditions: Christmas Eve service in Baden, Ontario with warm apple dumplings for dessert when we get home. Thanks, Aunt Gladys!

On Christmas morning we were surprised to discover that "Santa must be real because he ate some of the cheese and cookies and drank all of the milk." He even wrote a note to Ember and Cheyanne and SIGNED it!

Cheyanne's favorite present was the pretend ice cream that she got.

Ember's favorite present included body crayons, which were great entertainment on the 22 hour drive back to Kansas.

A Parade of Cookies

2009-12-30T20:53:00.006-05:00

Every Christmas involves lots of travel for me. This year I took the train to Kansas for our Annual Cookie Parade where we get together with friends and bake cookies. It must include peppernuts, or pfefferneusse made with anise. I prefer the small, crispy kind.

They are tedious to make and I don't have any pictures of the finished products because we were too busy gathering and eating them. We had such a variety of cookies in the end that we took some to neighbors and friends, brought a couple tins to Canada, and still have some to finish off after Christmas.

It's Snow Time!

2009-12-04T16:30:00.006-05:00

Be careful what you wish for. The snow is here, and the forecast is for snow on nearly every day for the next 10 days. Certainly a snow day is in our near future...

Now, since this blog is called "KnitB4Sleep," I thought I should include something I've been knitting. This is a baby sweater that my coworker asked me to make for her niece. It was the first lacy thing that I have made, and it was easier than I thought it would be. The pattern is Helena from Ravelry.com.

Mmmmm...Peanut and Curry Chicken

2009-12-03T18:37:00.002-05:00

Peanut Curry Chicken

1 tsp peanut oil
2/3 cup onion
3 cloves garlic
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 TBSP peanut butter
1 tsp curry
1/8 tsp red pepper
black pepper
3 oz tomato paste
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes or until chicken is almost done. Stir in peanut butter, curry, red pepper, black pepper and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over rice. Yum!

Thanksgiving Blessings Again

2009-11-29T11:17:00.004-05:00

Are you still wondering what to do with the leftover turkey and squash from Thanksgiving? I had fun mixing together the leftovers from the fridge, plus a few extra ingredients, to make soup the Friday after Thanksgiving and it was yummy!

Thanksgiving Blessings Soup
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
4 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)
2 TBSP leftover gravy
3/4 cup wild rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 cup squash puree (just put leftover squash in blender with some broth)
1 1/2 cup cooked turkey, cut into small, bite-size chunks
(My turkey had an herb rub on it, so I didn't add other spices to the soup, but you could add 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sage to the soup if you wish)

In stockpot, saute' onion, celery and garlic in oil until softened, then add mushrooms and saute' some more. Add turkey stock, gravy, bay leaf, desired herbs and rice. Bring to boil and cook above a simmer for 1 hour, or until wild rice is cooked. Remove bay leaf. Add squash puree and turkey. Heat until cooked through.

If You Can't Take the Heat...

2009-11-15T11:38:00.003-05:00

Earlier this year I bought a jar of sauce to make Makhani Chicken (Indian Butter Chicken). Basically, you put the sauce in a pan with cut up chicken and simmer. Very easy so, of course, I decided to see how I could make things more difficult by making it from scratch. Although it has quite a few steps, it is not really very difficult and it is sooooooo yummy! It was a bit spicy for my taste, but not too hot to eat and many of you like spicy more than I do.

Makhani Chicken (Indian Butter Chicken)
(Allow 4 hours for marinating)

1 1/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 1/2 TBSP lemon juice, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 1/2 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP + 1 1/4 tsp garam masala (this is a spice)
2 1/2 TBSP melted butter, divided
1 TBSP + 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
2 1/2 TBSP ginger paste (I used grated, fresh ginger)
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP chopped, green chili pepper (you can buy these in a little can)
2 cups tomato puree
1 cup water
1 TBSP honey
1 cup heavy cream

Marinate chicken in glass bowl with 1 TBSP lemon juice, 2 tsp chili powder and salt. Toss to coat and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In the meantime, drain yogurt in a cloth for 15 - 20 minutes. Place in a medium bowl. Add garlic paste, 1 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1 1/2 TBSP butter, 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 1/2 TBSP ginger, 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice and oil. Refrigerate until chicken is done marinating, then pour over chicken and marinate another 3 hours.

(If you want to serve this over rice, this would be a good time to put the rice on to cook).

Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken on grill pan. Bake 15 - 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.

To make sauce, melt 1 TBSP butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP garam masala and saute. Add 1 TBSP ginger paste, 1 TBSP garlic and green chile. Saute until tender, then add tomato puree, 1 tsp chili powder and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add honey and simmer until chicken is done baking. Place chicken in sauce mixture. Continue cooking another 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in cream. Serve over rice.

(I found this to be pretty runny, but maybe that is how it is supposed to be. I might thicken it a bit with just a little flour the next time).

Just a Little Ol' Farm Girl

2009-11-14T09:46:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I'm not really a farm girl but I finally found someone to plow up my yard so I can have a vegetable garden next year. After asking everyone in town if they knew someone with a small plow, I finally found someone. He drove his tractor from his house to mine and plowed up my garden plot while I was at work one day. I wish I could have seen him do it and taken a pic to share. He even said he'd disc it up in the spring! He charged me a very small amount. I think he had great fun doing it. I love small towns.

Pasta Fagioli

2009-11-08T18:08:00.002-05:00

This is actually a crock pot recipe, but I didn't have time to do it in the crock pot so I just did it on the stove. To do it in the crock pot, brown the ground beef and put everything except the pasta in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, then add pasta and cook another 20 minutes on high or until pasta is cooked. It is super yummy!

Pasta Fagioli

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, choped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed
32 oz low sodium beef broth
1 jar pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (recipe called for 1 TBSP, but 1 tsp was plenty)
1 small green or yellow summer squash, sliced (optional)
dash of black pepper
1 cup dry pasta (I used Rotini)

If you're not using the crock pot method:
Brown meat and drain well. Saute' onion and celery in a bit of olive oil until onions are translucent. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes (with juice), both kinds of beans, broth, pasta sauce, oregano, Tabasco sauce, pepper and squash. Cover and simmer 30 - 45 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add pasta. Simmer another 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.

Not Quite Julia Child

2009-10-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I am no Julia Child. I just can't bring myself to cook with that much butter...usually. When I saw the movie Julie and Julia, one thing that I really wanted was a kitchen pegboard like Julia had. I couldn't stop thinking how nifty it would be if I could just grab a utensil from the wall when I'm cooking. Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of my parents, I now have a kitchen pegboard.

I wonder what I'll cook next??

Shrimp, Not Soup

2009-10-16T18:48:00.003-04:00

I love to try new recipes. It's very satisfying to make something from start to finish and have it taste good. I am trying to get my mind around the concept that many folks don't like to cook, but I can't really figure that one out. Tonight I decided to try Sesame Shrimp. Very easy and yummy, if you can find chili garlic sauce.

Sesame Shrimp

1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 TBSP orange marmalade
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails off

Combine juice, chili garlic sauce, salt, marmalade and 1 tsp oil. Mix well. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate in fridge for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you wish, you can skewer the shrimp). Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes, turning once. Serve with rice and veggies! Mmmmmmmmmmm...

Soup Weather

2009-10-14T20:12:00.003-04:00

I love soup weather! Tonight it is Tortellini Soup. I used zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, green pepper and onions from my garden. Yum!

Tortellini Soup
(6 servings)

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
(Or buy the breakfast kind so you don't have remove casings. I actually used turkey sausage because I was cooking for my folks).
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
40 oz low-sodium beef broth (very important to get the low sodium kind or it will be wayyyyyyyyyy to salty)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 medium-size green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 TBSP dried basil
2 TBSP dried oregano
10 oz cheese tortellini (fresh, dried or frozen)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Saute sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through. Remove cooked sausage. Pour off all but 1 TBSP drippings. (If you use turkey sausage you won't even have that much, which is fine.) Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven and saute until translucent. Return sausage to Dutch oven. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, wine, basil and oregano. Simmer about 40 minutes. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to a simmer before continuing).

Add tortellini to soup and cook as long as package tells you, or until tortellini is done. Each person can top with Parmesan cheese if they wish.

A Path to My Door

2009-10-04T11:07:00.004-04:00

Since moving here, we have found flat stones all over the property, buried just beneath the grass. Thanks to the energy and creativity of my parents, I now have stepping stones to my front door and stones at the base of my back steps.

I bought one leaf stepping stone from my friend Anne. She does great work. Check it out at everlastingleaves.etsy.com

A Cabin in the Woods

2009-10-04T10:37:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we strapped the canoe atop my car and I hauled it to Indiana to transfer it to Rodney.

We all stayed at a cozy 3 bedroom cabin in the woods and went to the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. Although they don't sell verenike at this sale, we had fun nevertheless. I wasn't feeling well at all for most of the weekend, but I didn't want to miss out on the fun with my nieces.

They had fun bidding at the children's auction and Rodney got a bunch of stuff at the new and used auction. Carmina and I wanted the quilt that went for $2,000.

The girls helped me make homemade waffles for breakfast on Sunday. I could only eat 2 bites but I think they were a hit.

I was sad to see them leave because I won't see them until Christmas. This will be the longest stretch of time that we're apart. I hate it.

Just hours after the last picture was taken, I went to the emergency room to figure out why I was sick all week and all weekend. Turns out that a new medication I was taking caused my sodium to drop dangerously low. They told me to go home and drink pop and Gatorade and eat salty chips. No water for 3 days. Very strange, but it worked!

Retreating

2009-10-04T10:31:00.002-04:00

I went to Women's Retreat at Camp Friedenswald again this year. It was just nice to get away and to be with the women from Community Mennonite. They are my family. Here they are leading a song for the rest of the group.

Can You Smell This?

2009-08-30T12:32:00.002-04:00

I wish I could post the smell of the juice I just squeezed out of my wild grapes. Mmmmmmmmm! Since there's not enough to make grape jelly, I think I'll add some to a smoothie and put the rest in ice cube trays for another time.

Keep the Leftover Pancakes!

2009-08-29T22:35:00.002-04:00

Do you ever make pancakes and find that you have a few leftover? Toss them in the freezer for this sweet breakfast treat!

Overnight Blueberry French Toast
4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cornstarch
Leftover pancakes (torn into pieces)
6 eggs
3/4 cup milk
generous 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

In the morning:
2 TSP butter, melted
Maple syrup

Mix blueberries, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Grease 10 X 15 (or 9 X 13) pan and pour blueberry mixture into pan. Place pieces of pancakes over blueberries. In bowl, mix eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour over pancakes. Press pancakes down to soak them and place pan in fridge. In the morning, preheat oven to 425. Press pancakes a bit to make sure all are coated with egg mixture. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

Chicken Twice Over

2009-08-15T18:48:00.003-04:00

reThis week I made Chicken Burgers with pesto mayo and then chopped up the leftover burgers, mixed in the leftover pesto mayo, added a little more mayo, and made chicken salad sandwiches for Fiber Fest today. Loved it!

Pesto
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP chicken broth
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 TBSP Romano cheese

Place in blender in order listed. Blend until smooth. Add more oil if needed. (You'll only need 2 TBSP for the pesto mayo and you can freeze the rest in ice cube trays to use later!)

Chicken Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (if you can't find it at the store, just grind up chicken breasts in a food processor)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Mix ground chicken, cheese and pepper. Form into 6 patties and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm them up. Grill burgers for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Pesto Mayo
1/2 cup mayo
2 TBSP pesto

Mix mayo and pesto. Put on cooked burgers. Yum!

Catching Nature

2009-08-07T07:55:00.003-04:00

My nieces have been here all week. My Mom and I met Rodney in Missouri and brought the girls back with us. The week has flown by and we've enjoyed spending quite a bit of time outside in this fantastic Michigan summer.

Ember and I like to sit on the dock and try to catch minnows. We're not usually too successful.

Cheyanne and Ember also like to look for frogs, toads and salamanders and keep them for pets until bedtime. The found 5 salamanders, 3 frogs and some toads one day.

Yesterday we jumped the waves at Silver Beach in St. Joseph, MI. It is a big beach with soft sand way out into Lake Michigan. The waves were just the right size for us yesterday. I didn't get any pics, but we have some great memories.

Nostalgia

2009-07-29T12:18:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about moving is finding little bits of nostalgia.

My Little Dumplings

2009-07-25T14:20:00.003-04:00

After having Chinese Dim Sum dumplings in Chicago's China town in January, I have been searching everywhere for them. Wei Wei Seafood Palace in Grand Rapids is the only place I've found that comes close and they only have seafood options. I decided to try and make them myself. I'd read that they are very difficult to make, but I figured I could handle it. Wrong! The dough is made with wheat starch and potato starch and is very sticky. When I added more dry ingredients it just dried the dough out and overall it was a very tedious process of rolling out the finicky dough and stuffing the dumplings with chopped up shrimp, pork and veggies. As I was working, I said I would never make them again. But, when I ate them, they tasted just like I remembered. I think I'll play around with different dough recipes.

After forming the dumplings, I put them in a vegetable steamer lined with cabbage, since I didn't have a bamboo steamer.

I've found a great book called A World of Dumplings and I hope to try out some of their recipes.

Purple Beans??

2009-07-19T16:53:00.003-04:00

I've grown green beans before and I don't remember the flowers being purple. They are quite pretty, but I hope the beans aren't purple.

I've never grown cabbage. I hope they are doing okay. They are just really leafy right now and I hope they develop nice cabbage heads and that I'll know when to harvest them.

While Carmina and the girls were here, we picked cherries. Yum, yum! I don't think we were supposed to CLIMB the trees, but I'll bet Carmina found some good ones up there.

We had to pick carefully because many of the cherries were moldy because of heavy rains we had the week before. A day later I went to a different farm with beautiful cherries. Not a moldy one in sight. I guess I know where we'll go next year.

Old Fashioned Things

2009-07-13T09:44:00.003-04:00

You know how expensive those photo booths are these days? Well, we found one for $1 at The Children's Museum in Chicago. My Mom came up with the dollar and my nieces and I goofed around for the photos. Fun!

Act of God

2009-06-19T14:22:00.003-04:00

Well, in the previous post you may have seen my new flower garden that I spent many hours toiling over. During the night, we had a terrible storm. I could hear the wind and rain pounding against my bedroom window, so I went to sleep in the guest room for fear that a tree might fall on me. When I opened the living room curtains in the morning, this is what I saw:

Actually, these pics were taken from the road, but you get the idea. Lots of trees and power lines down today. Feel like after a tornado in KS. I cancelled my visits and am hoping they'll call this an "Act of God" day so I can still get paid. You'd be surprised how much it costs to get a tree removed when it's already on the ground.

Been Too Busy To Blog

2009-06-13T21:23:00.007-04:00

Looks like it's been ages since I posted here. I finally have high-speed internet again so maybe I'll be a better blogger. I've also been busy buying a house.

It ended up needing much more work than I really anticipated, but it is almost in order now. My parents, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and one cousin came to work on the house over Memorial Day weekend and for the next week while I went to work to pay for everything. My coworkers came to help me move in. I really couldn't have done this without all the help. I'm so grateful to everyone!

My Mom sewed curtains for all of the rooms.

Berry

2009-04-27T20:18:00.002-04:00

This is Berry. My Mom found out that his owners were moving and needing to find him a home so she volunteered me. He's pretty cute. My folks bought him this great pen so he can be in the yard and they also built an awesome hutch for him to live in.

He was pretty worn out after his first day in the pen and he seems to be using his hay-filled tube as a pillow inside the igloo my parents bought him. I think he might be spoiled already.

Easter Chocolate

2009-04-10T15:45:00.004-04:00

I love Easter because it is an excuse to make chocolate Easter nests with candy eggs inside. Yum!

You can find the very easy recipe at the Enchanted Learning website.

It is definitely a Good Friday today because I found out that I am getting the house I've been wanting. Check it out at Realtor.com!

Under the Kansas Sky

2009-04-09T09:56:00.006-04:00

I am in Kansas for Spring Break! They have blue sky here. And sun!

We went on a walk on the Sand Creek Trail. In college, we used to find our way through the tall grasses and trees, cross a bridge over Sand Creek and have parties. Guys with walkie-talkies would help us find our way. The bridge is still there but now a beautiful nature trail leads right past.

I'm having a blast with my nieces and I drove to see Jacob and his Mom. Great fun!

Here's a video for those of you not on Facebook. Why aren't you on Facebook?? :)

Flood

2009-03-14T09:01:00.003-04:00

Boy, have we had rain! I've been arguing with my Mom since I moved here about whether or not the woods next to the cottage are actually a swamp. I'd never been back there when it was flooded, so I thought it would be a great place to put a cabin. I guess I was wrong.

While it rained over 2 inches last weekend, I left the moon roof WIDE open on my new vehicle and soaked the seats and floor pretty good. The cup holders were full to overflowing. Thankfully nothing seems to have been ruined in that mishap.

Laughing Cow

2009-03-06T20:07:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things is Laughing Cow spreadable cheese. Sometimes I take it with crackers and some fruit for lunch. Or, I put it on an English muffin with some egg for breakfast. Yum!

Tonight I made Nutty Stuffed Chicken. The recipe calls for almonds, but I used pine nuts and it was very tasty and sooooo easy!

1/3 cup light garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds (or pine nuts), toasted and coarsely chopped
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cheese, nuts and parsley in small bowl. Set aside. Slit chicken through thickest portion of east breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 1 1/2 TBS nut mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You may secure with a wooden pick. Place in casserole pan and bake for 45 minutes.

New Wheels

2009-03-06T19:44:00.004-05:00

Also in February, I bought a new vehicle! Many of the roads and lanes that I drive down for work are mucky and full of deep ruts. I listened to my poor little Ford Escort get scraped up underneath and sometimes wondered if I'd be stuck in the mud or snow and have to call someone to get me out. My new Ford Escape is much higher and I feel much more secure on the bad roads now! I really would have like a different color, since every car I have ever owned has been red, but it was the only one that was in my price range and had 4WD.

Reconnecting in God's Country

2009-03-06T18:40:00.006-05:00

My folks and I drove to Kansas recently to visit Rodney, Carmina, Cheyanne and Ember.

It was much warmer there than in Michigan and we soaked it up. Those who live, or have lived there, lovingly refer to Kansas as "God's Country."

Our friend, Naomi, created an Ultimate Hopscotch course in the driveway. My nieces had fun figuring it out with their friend, Kate, the next day while I posed with my friend, Christy in our nearly matching outfits. She has a belt on, though, and we have this joke that if you wear a belt then you are dressed up. I'm much more casual.

Virtual Pet - Just My Kind

2009-02-24T09:33:00.002-05:00

Check out my new virtual hamster in the sidebar to the left!

Mandating Decency

2009-02-15T09:58:00.002-05:00

Michelle Obama visited the Even Start program of one of my former Bethel classmates recently. While there, she said this:

"I mean, no matter what you do, you can't pass a law that makes somebody do the right thing, right? You can't pass a law that makes a parent read to their child every night. You can't pass a law that you treat your neighbor with respect and decency. You can't pass laws like that. You know, that comes from all of us deciding in our own communities, in our own individual lives, in our own families, who are we going to be." - Michelle Obama

That really touched me. Sometimes I wish we could pass laws that parents would sit down and play with and talk to their kids. I wish we could pass laws that parents would treat their children with the respect they expect back from their children. I wish we could pass laws that people would treat their neighbors with decency and respect, but these things can't be mandated. They have to come from within. Thanks, Michelle, for reminding us of that.

For the full transcript of her visit, and photos of the adorable kids she met, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/.

Living with Hope

2009-01-31T21:53:00.003-05:00

I realized this week that for the first time in my life, I feel proud of a U.S. President. I know that Obama has a long road ahead and we are expecting great things. I am just grateful for the positive steps he has already taken and for the hopeful presence he has brought to the White House. I feel that he has a better understanding of things that matter to me and I appreciate his approach. Looks like my nieces have a positive image of him as well. I imagine that Ember took a peek at Cheyanne's picture before drawing her own. I love 'em!

Good Sport

2009-01-19T07:04:00.012-05:00

Last Thursday we had snow day #3. I got the call very early in the morning and by 7:15am I was on my way to Chicago, listening to my new favorite song by Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet.

My friend, Ashish, came to visit me for a few days from Texas. We met up in Chicago and have been staying at my parents' condo while they are vacationing in Florida. He arrived last Thursday, on the coldest day in Chicago in a decade. Until the day before his arrival, he didn't even own boots, hat, scarf, and gloves. Friday morning when we were headed to Chicago on the Metra, it was minus 17F ACTUAL TEMP!

He was a real good sport, though, and we bundled up and headed for the city. First stop: Sears Tower.

Then we headed to the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building for lunch. The view was phenomenal, but the food not so great. We loved the experience anyhow.

The next day we checked out the Field Museum, ate dim sum in Chinatown and went to a Jerry Douglas concert at The Old Town School of Folk Music. An amazing day!

We've been using the Metra and CTA buses and trains most of the time with one cab. I'm having fun getting to know my way around Chicago after a couple decades away.

Too Snowy for School or Work

2009-01-13T20:28:00.006-05:00

Today was Snow Day #2 for this school year! I slept late, warm and cozy under the beautiful duvet cover that my Mom gave me for Christmas.

I made some muffin mix and pancake mix for my company who is coming this weekend.

I made some Kool-Aid playdough thanks to Kristin's recipe.

I cleaned the kitchen, ate Spaghettio's for lunch, cleared as much of the snow as I could before I froze, knit a bit, and worked on my schedule through May. I need another snow day to finish up around here.

There Is Snow

2008-12-27T10:52:00.003-05:00

My, oh my. I haven't posted since November. I've been very busy with work, trainings, fulfilling knitting requests, getting ready for Christmas, and clearing snow. We've had well over 40 inches already.

We drove to KS the Saturday before Christmas and returned to the cottage on Christmas Day to icy snow blocking the driveway. It was a team effort to clear a way in. Here is me doing my part.

Leftovers a New Way

2008-11-29T18:17:00.003-05:00

Still wondering what to do with all that leftover turkey and stuffing? These are unique and yummy!

Turkey and Stuffing Burgers
1 1/2 cups leftover roast turkey
4 cups leftover cooked stuffing
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450. Grease jelly-roll pan. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse turkey until chopped. In large bowl, combine turkey, stuffing and eggs until well mixed. Form into 8 mounds. Place them 2 inches apart on pan and flatten mounds. Roast 20 minutes, without turning over.

The Perfect Toddler Sweater

2008-11-28T18:41:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it isn't perfect, but I combined 2 patterns to make the right sweater for my coworker's little boy. She was sweet enough to post about it. CLICK HERE to take a look at her darling boy in his holiday sweater.

Winter Wonderland

2008-11-21T15:40:00.002-05:00

I am beginning to really understand the meaning of "snow belt." I haven't gotten the snow blower out yet, but probably will need to very soon.

Give Him a Chance

2008-11-21T15:34:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went to Fair Oaks Farm in Indiana while Rodney and Carmina were looking at houses in Kansas. We got to see a baby calf being born. Ember and Cheyanne were mesmerized, and a little grossed out. When the calf came out, he didn't move for awhile and the grown-ups in the room were a bit worried until he raised his head and we breathed a sigh of relief. He kept trying to get up while the mama was licking him off. The girls got a kick out of this:

Classic Toys

2008-11-21T15:28:00.005-05:00

My nieces visited recently for our 3-night Slumber Party Weekend. We visited the Kalamazoo Valley Museum which is FREE!! They currently have a toy exhibit where I learned that Mr. Pototohead use to be just plastic parts that you could put into a real potato (or other fruit or veggie). Who knew? Here is a clip of a toy that Ember enjoyed:

Crafty Chica

2008-11-02T19:12:00.005-05:00

My new favorite magazine is called Craft: transforming traditional crafts. The newest issue had the idea of making postcards from cereal boxes. Genius! I have been trying to write to my nieces and get them to write back to me, and this will be a fun way to do that!

2008-10-25T21:11:00.003-04:00

Last week I started full-time at the school district. It is actually 2 different part-time jobs, but they agreed that makes me full-time! I also found out that my brother, sister-in-law and my beloved nieces are moving to Kansas. So, now I have less time off and have to travel 5 times the distance to see them. I am glad that my brother has a job but I am very sad that my nieces will be so far away. Here we are on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

This One Needs a Home

2008-10-25T20:31:00.003-04:00

The other day when I was raking leaves I was approached by this sweet little tabby cat. He/she was meowing and meowing pitifully so I stuck some leftover ham in my food processor for him and he gobbled it up. He's been around ever since and I can't keep him. Although I've always lived with cats, I know I am allergic and really don't want cat hair around here. Can anyone take a cat?

The Circus Was in Town

2008-10-05T22:56:00.001-04:00

Wow! Kristin guessed the mystery picture right away! It is the top of a circus tent. We got to watch the elephant raise the circus tent this summer. I'll try to post a few more pics later.

Sarah is Creepy

2008-10-05T16:36:00.004-04:00

I was cleaning up the vegetable garden beds yesterday and turned up a salamander. It freaked me out when she skittered out from the dirt and I ran and grabbed the pet box to put her in. I bought some wax worms at the pet store. I hope she lives until Friday so my nieces can see her and then set her free.

I named her Sarah, after Sarah Palin, because I find them both to be quite creepy. The human Sarah winks and says things like, "C'mon now, Joe." This is as she is in the middle of a debate and hoping to be the next VP. The Sarah in my box has beady little eyes and slithers around. Ugh. I'm trying to find at least one nice thing to say about each of them.

Looks Like Paper Folding

2008-10-05T16:07:00.003-04:00

I found this strange and beautiful flower in the garden. I think it was part of a wildflower mix that my Mom planted in the spring. For some reason I think it is called a "paper flower." Does anyone know?

Buyers Beware

2008-10-05T15:56:00.003-04:00

We all went to the Michiana Relief Sale last weekend. I was disappointed that they didn't have verenike, which is just about the best reason to go to the sale in KS. I did find some peppernuts, though. The girls enjoyed the Children's Auction where they had their own number and could bid all by themselves for the things they wanted. It took lots of guts to raise that number high and they both went home with some new toys with all the proceeds going to MCC.

Mystery Pictures

2008-10-04T12:29:00.003-04:00

Here is another mystery picture. I'm thinking this one might be a bit tricky. If nobody guesses it, I have 2 other photos that I can add as clues...

Am I in Trouble?

2008-09-26T13:45:00.003-04:00

When my nieces visited recently I was informed by Cheyanne that they would no longer be making pictures for me. It seems that, although I hung their pictures in a prominent location on my fridge, I failed to anticipate that water dripping from ice cube trays being placed in the freezer would drip onto the valuable artwork and ruin it. I offered my sincerest apologies and begged them to reconsider. Ember immediately agreed to resume making pictures for me. Cheyanne wasn't so quick to forgive. She holds onto grievances much longer than her sister and that's okay. I think she'll come around.

Then I remembered the magnetic sleeves that my friend Beky had on her fridge in Lancaster, PA when I visited this summer. I emailed Beky and we arranged a trade: I would knit her a winter hat and she would buy me some of the magnetic sleeves. The sleeves arrived today and I promptly hung some artwork on the fridge.

I also finished up Beky's hat today. Perfect!

Bright Morning Surprise

2008-09-19T15:24:00.006-04:00

I woke up for work last Monday, after receiving 10 inches of rain while at Camp Friedenswald for Women's Retreat, to see a full rainbow over the lake. It took me quite by surprise!

And the winner is...

2008-09-19T15:24:00.003-04:00

Okay, so the mystery pictures I posted recently are, in fact, a tomato and some pears. Both Christy and Kristin guessed correctly. However, I'm awarding the virtual prize to Kristin this time because Christy posted her comment under the wrong date and she sent her comment approximately 8 times. In fact, I had to actually call her on the phone to tell her that I received the comment the first time and to STOP sending it again! You know I love you, Christy. I am expecting some new pictures soon and I am hoping there are some good mystery pics in there to post. Come back soon!

I've Been Tagged! Are You Next?

2008-09-10T10:01:00.009-04:00

I just realized that I was tagged by Angela in on 8/26/08 and have some questions to answer, so here goes:

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Hmmmm...1998? I think I lived part of the year in the little A-frame house in North Newton, KS until I bought my first house all the way across town in Newton. I was working at Youthville as a Placement Coordinator for children in the foster care system. I think that was also the year that Kristin gave birth to Naomi and I became "Auntie Bonita." I'm sure I spent a bit of time doting over that adorable baby.
2. What are 5 things on your to-do list?
Buy a cake for Cheyanne's birthday.
Buy fruit fly traps.
Take some clothes to Goodwill.
Get some warmer clothes out of storage.
Find a place to put all of the full canning jars.
3. What are some snacks you enjoy?
Dark chocolate covered almonds
Popcorn
Luna bars
4. If you were a billionaire, what would you do?
Pay off my credit card.
Hire a financial advisor.
Make sure the kids in my life have money for college.
Pay off any family debts.
Buy the beautiful house next to the cottage.
Set up a foundation to give away a ton of money!
5. What are 3 of your bad habits?
Making snide comments that I wish I wasn't making.
Staying up late, but not near as late as Christy! (Is that a snide comment?)
Waiting until company is coming to clean, and sometimes not even then.
6. What Places Have You Lived?
Markham, IL
North Newton, KS
Newton, KS
Mt. Horeb, WI
Red Wing, MN
Lawrence, MI
7. What are 5 jobs you have had?
Food Service at Bethel
Nanny
Ski Shop Cashier
Placement Coordinator
Early Interventionist
8. What are 5 things many people don't know about you?
I have a thing for office supplies, especially plastic sleeves.
Sometimes I stay in my pajamas all day and change into clean ones at night.
I like to watch dumb, yet creepy, reality shows like Rescue 911 and Forensic Files.
I like to sleep under my fake down comforter, even in the summer (with the A/C on, of course).
I love podcasts, especially from the BBC and NPR.

Whew! That was harder than I thought. Now I get to tag some of you and you can respond on your blogs if you wish.

Consider yourselves tagged:
Kristin N. E.
Christy S. S.
Beverly B.

A Silly Hat

2008-09-06T15:46:00.003-04:00

I made this silly hat with scraps of yarn. The gauge wasn't right, but I'm making adjustments and hope to perfect this fun hat. Maybe I'll make one for me. Is that too weird? My nieces said they won't wear one of these hats because people will make fun of them. Maybe if I start wearing one they will come around.

Looking for Plastic

2008-09-06T11:13:00.005-04:00

ing
Do you know those zippered, clear, plastic bags that bed sheets come in? If anyone has some lying around, I would love to get my hands on them! They work great to keep my knitting projects all packaged up like a kit so I can just grab one and knit. They really feed my need to be organized. If you have some you can part with, let me know and I'll see how I might be able to get them from you. THANKS.

Charlie Bit Me

2008-09-02T20:26:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen this video on Youtube, you must! It has been viewed over 48,000,000 times and it is so funny!!

Click here: Charlie Bit Me

More Mysteries

2008-09-02T19:56:00.002-04:00

Here are 2 more mystery photos. I think they will be easier than the sun tea. What do you think they are?

Mystery Solved

2008-08-20T23:42:00.003-04:00

The mystery has been solved, although it has unearthed another mystery.

Kristin was sortof right when she thought it might be something with berries, except this one is actually flavored with plums.

Karin put it beautifully when she said it is "a bit like the color of late-afternoon-sunlight-at-the-end-of-summer reflecting on water." That is quite true!

Someone named "Beth" correctly guessed that my mystery picture is...sun tea. The orange object at the top of the picture is the ball holding the loose-leaf tea. Curiously enough, I can't figure out who Beth is. I thought she might be my cousin, Beth, but she denies it. Hmmmmm...

I guess I'm the one left guessing.

The Wedding Singer

2008-08-20T11:08:00.008-04:00

I went to my cousin, Luanne's, wedding in Ontario over the weekend. No, I'm not singing in the photo. Until last weekend, all 4 of us women on the Shantz side of the family have been single. Now we're down to 3. At the reception we felt we must tell the story of our pact a few years ago. If any one of us wanted to bring a man to the Shantz Christmas dinner, we would contact the other women so they could each bring a man as a decoy to take the pressure off the "real" boyfriend. Well, Luanne must have felt confident enough with her choice because she surprised a few of us by bringing someone to Christmas dinner. We think she made a good choice. Here we are all dressed up for the wedding.
My nieces REALLY want to be flower girls. Unfortunately for them, my cousin has 6 nieces of her own and the littlest one got to be her flower girl. Cheyanne is trying to set me up with her imaginary friend, Mortimer, so they can fulfill their flower girl dream.

Mystery Picture

2008-08-19T23:50:00.005-04:00

This is possibly my favorite thing about summer.
Can anyone figure out what it is?

Another Reason to Knit

2008-08-18T11:46:00.006-04:00

Ooooooh, I'm so excited! I just learned how to set up an online store for myself so I can sell my knitting!!!! Now, I don't really have much inventory yet but I do have a store now so I'd better keep knitting. I have plenty of projects on my list for the people I love, but now and then I'm sure I'll have things to post for sale. Check it out and bookmark it for those gift-giving occasions in your life. :) You can find me at:

knitb4sleep.etsy.com

2008-08-03T16:37:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was such gorgeous weather that I kept the windows open all day and didn't turn on the A/C. Today, however, it warmed up again and I've been inside most of the day. I did venture out to water some plants.

The "babies" that I was given when I came back from Illinois are also feeling the heat. They do have fur, after all, so they have spent the day on the t.v. because it is the closest spot to the air conditioner.

While we've all been keeping cool, I also whipped up a Nano Sock. I needed something to keep my Ipod in while traveling next week and this is just the thing! You can find the pattern here: http://annypurls.blogspot.com/2005/12/nano-warmer.html

I'm also making some homemade peach ice cream with some juicy peaches I picked up at the market. YUM!

Taking Care of My Flock

2008-07-27T16:21:00.004-04:00

When I left Illinois last week, my nieces scrambled to find some "babies" for me to take along. Cheyanne told me that I must take them everywhere I go and "pet them every five minutes." It's a big responsibility. I thought I'd post a picture of what the babies have been up to lately. They enjoy helping me in the garden. I had to put the unicorn in charge of the bunny, though, so he wouldn't nibble anything like his cousins did earlier in the season.

What have I done?

2008-07-27T13:19:00.004-04:00

inMany of you probably know that I am not one to do things very spontaneously. I am compelled to consider all of the worst case scenarios and warn others against them. Well, today I realized that those parts of my personality, which probably drive other people crazy, actually work quite well for me. Unfortunately, I threw caution to the wind today and, well, you'll see...
Okay, so I've been knitting a cardigan for myself since last summer. I've finished many other knitting projects in the meantime, but the sweater has taken way to long. I finally decided to knit nothing else until I finished it. I had decided to make one size large than initially planned. Well, after running out of yarn and buying 2 more balls, I barely had enough to bind off and sew it up. Really, I have only scraps of yarn left. I put it on and, it is WAY too big for me. I was so disappointed, and frustrated, that I threw it in the washer (on hot) and let it go. Keep in mind, it was knit with yarn made of merino wool, alpaca, and silk. I thought it would be fine. Afterall, it was much, much too big. Besides, I'd felted a bag recently that took nearly 6 washings to felt. Well, when I took the sweater out of the washer IT HAD FELTED. Now, if someone else had told me they were planning to do this, I would have warned them to check it every 5 minutes so it doesn't felt too much. I wish I had followed my own advice.

I'm still hoping it will make a nice, and very warm, little jacket in the fall.

All Fired Up for Jam

2008-07-24T15:14:00.003-04:00

It's jam time! Last year we made 5 batches. This year we got an earlier start and made 9 batches! Strawberry, cherry, raspberry-blueberry, plain blueberry, triple berry, and mulberry. The cherry recipe used blackberry liquor which we had to burn off. This caused a bit of excitement as the flames got MUCH bigger than expected and came way too close to the cookbooks! Watch the video...

Chicago Beam

2008-07-24T15:07:00.004-04:00

m
We took the train to Chicago again, as a family, to see the sights. The girls thought the giant "bean" was called a "beam." Can you spot me, my mother and father, Carmina, Ember and Cheyanne in the picture with all the people under the bean?

Music in the City

2008-07-24T14:56:00.002-04:00

Last week I drove to Illinois and took the Metra to Chicago with friends to see the Pitchfork Music Festival Preview show in Millenium Park. With a cool breeze off Lake Michigan, it was wonderful! Some strange music and some good tunes. Lots of flugelhorns.

Bag Lady

2008-07-09T13:11:00.004-04:00

iMy knitter friends here think I am a bag lady. It seems all they see me knitting is felted bags. They think I'll just keep making bigger and bigger bags and that perhaps the next project will be a sleeping bag. Not a bad idea...

Here is the latest one. It is the same patter I made earlier this year, only bigger so perhaps I can use it for my job. The pattern is the Sheep Tote from Fiber Trends.

Bountiful Harvest

2008-07-09T11:50:00.006-04:00

I've been wondering around my yard and picking things to eat: Raspberries, snap peas, shell peas,broccoli...and today I picked my first squash of the season. I'm not a big veggie lover, but I do like veggies fresh from the garden. The peas from the pod taste like candy, they are so sweet.

We're Happy Together

2008-07-06T16:13:00.005-04:00

We threw a 4th of July party weekend here at the cottage. Besides me, 14 people came and stayed for varying lengths of time. 2 sleeping tents, a shower tent and a porta-potty were hauled in. We grilled, ate s'mores, listened to someone play a guitar by the camp fire, picked cherries, went to the flea market, bought 50 pounds of blueberries, and played hard! Some people went tubing or water skiing. 3 of us women even swam across the lake! Thanks for coming! For those of you who couldn't make it, you're welcome anytime!

Life is Sweet

2008-07-06T14:53:00.005-04:00

It is one of our favorite times of the year...when sweet cherries are ready for picking. It only lasts about a week and the trees are weighed down with so many sweet cherries. We picked at Fruit Acres in Coloma, MI. $1.99 per pound for sweet cherries and 75 cents per pound for sour ones. We tasted as many different sweet varieties as we could find and enough sour cherries that it took all afternoon to pit them. Thanks, Mom, for diligently pitting nearly all of them!

Celebrating Hypertufa

2008-06-23T19:44:00.006-04:00

Last week we had a hypertufa party to celebrate the retirement of one of my coworkers. I'd never heard of hypertufa before, and I wasn't convinced it would turn out, but now I'm hooked! Basically, it is a way to create a molded concrete planter using any mold you wish. I used a child's sand toy, and it turned out pretty cool. I'd like to make a big one if I find the right mold. If you click here you can find the general process that we followed. We didn't use the reinforcing fibers they mention, but maybe we should have.

If you are looking for a fun activity to do with friends, try hypertufa! My planter is now curing on the porch.