Sweltering Saturday

This is the type of day that I am happy I live in a cave-like dwelling. My ancient wall-mounted air conditioner has run more this last month than it has since it was first installed back in 1977.

Partly Sunny
90°
RealFeel® 104°



With that... I am going back to knitting -- blah!

Mock Cowl Pattern

My daughter is a non-girly girl, but she does like some flare from time to time. She also likes Selena Gomez. What could be better than a Selena-inspired cowl?

I started searching for a pattern, but no luck. I decided to come up with one of my own! It is a work in progress.

Selena in her cowl
(inspiration piece)

MY SELENA-INSPIRED COWL
Cast on 252 on size 10US circulars
(RedHeart Super Saver in Cherry Red)

Row 1: Knit
Row 2 : Purl
Row 3 :  * K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) across 6 times, K2tog 3 times *
Row 4: Purl
Repeat 1-4 until wide enough (I did 9 repeats - 36 rows)

~I placed markers after every 18th stitch to help remember where I am on the Row 3 work.

The Countdown to Yule is KILLING ME

I have been so busy with cleaning and preparing for the home-school year that I have been slacking in the knitting department...

BIG MISTAKE!!!!!

I have everything in my queue on Ravelry. I even moved stuff over to the 2013 to-do list... but... there are things I --must-- get done this year. Things that are needed. Things I had planned on giving as part of something else. Things I thought "Oh, that's easy, I can whip that up in no time".

Well, that's what I have --no time-- !!!

Technically I have just over 4 months to get it ALL done, wrapped and mailed off if need be. 4 months! FOUR! Thank goodness I have a SMALL list of people.

See what I mean?

I have been working on a "sit-upon" for Diva. She starts Girl Scouts as a Cadette this year and I thought it was something that would come in handy for not only troop outtings but later in life as well. A “sit-upon” is a piece of waterproof material to sit on while resting, eating, or sitting around the campfire.” It's beautiful to look at and makes a nice thick, comfortable place to sit, but UGH... CABLE!

I didn't create the pattern, so credit given where credit due - pattern

If you have a Ravelry account, you can see my queue here. If you don't they are free, they just take a few days to get approved.

The Sickness Continues!

I slept in today - if you can call passing out on the sofa and waking up at 11 am "sleeping in". The last thing I remember is watching an infomercial for some blender of doom. It was late, I couldn't sleep, it could have been anything really. I noticed a slip of sunlight through the curtains and thought it would be nice to make a cup of coffee for Elvis before he headed in to work this morning. Only problem with that is... he was already at work for 5 hours before I managed to stumble in to the kitchen and see the clock.

I'll tell him I thought about it... it's the thought that counts, right?

I cleaned in my sleep. No, I didn't clean the house while sleeping... my dreams were about cleaning and what I wanted to get done. As motivating as it's suppose to be, it was a little saddening when I realized that I actually have to DO them now.

My focus has been the kitchen. The wall cabinets are now shining in their "Yes, they are Ikea cabinets" white. I am going to make Elvis clean "his cabinet" because even on a step-ladder I can't reach it and I am not adventurous enough to dangle over the stove. The difference between the cleaned cabinets and that one is amazing...

Yes, I used vinegar and baking powder. I think I am addicted to it. The bubbles... THE BUBBLES!

I decided to move some appliances around. There isn't a heck of a lot that I can do because there aren't many plugs available. I have more appliances than I have room for and I need to change them around from time to time.

The coffee pot, crock pot, microwave and toaster over get the most use, so they have a permanent home in the valuable real estate known as my counter. The Kitchen-Aid is on the butcher block because it's the only other place I have a plug and it's too tall for the counter and too heavy to lift.

WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN

(well, parts of it)

The largest crock pot and coffee pot are on the small bit over the dishwasher, next to the sink. I don't know what to do with the coffee, sugar and creamer. Eventually I want to get them in to the cabinet above, but for now, they are going to stay where they. Yes, that IS an odd shaped cabinet. It's a corner unit so it's triangular. It was the only design that would give me the storage space and still allow me to have some head room. Since I am short, I had them installed at 16" instead of the usual 18". It's still too high for me, but I can get to most of the first shelf and the front of the second. The dishwasher is original, oddly it was black. I know black isn't an unusual appliance color now, but it was back in 1977 when the condo unit was built. It's on the list of things that need to be replaced. It may be old, but for now, it's working. The frugalista in me can't part with it yet.

The microwave and toaster oven are on the counter that makes the L from the one the coffee pot is on. (Pardon the crumbs in the toaster oven, I hadn't cleaned it when I took the picture) I think corners are a waste of space, especially when you are short and can't reach in to them. Originally I had the microwave sitting kitty-corner. It looked okay but it took up a lot of space and things managed to hide behind and beside it. The toaster over use to be next to the coffee pot because I was lugging the crock-pot out almost daily. There is another corner cabinet above the microwave, next to it is a double door dish cabinet and then an over the stove/vent cabinet. The stove is on the right just out of the picture. The bottom corner has a swing door and 2 wire lazy-susan racks. Next to that, cabinet at the bottom right corner of the picture is a triple drawer unit.

That's the end of the official counter space in my kitchen. I will post more pictures later and eventually a picture of the whole thing.

I know I should be thinking up some wonderful dinner for Elvis tonight because he got stuck doing mandatory over-time today (his day off) and will come home exhausted and starving from a hard days labor... but, I'm thinking pizza. I know, I know... but, I just cleaned the stove!

Sign of the Apocalypse?

So... here I am again. A bit later than I had originally planned, but hey, I never claimed to be perfect. What have I been doing all this time? What's with the title you say? I've been (insert drum-roll and grab your desk) cleaning.

GET OFF THE FLOOR!

I told you to hold the desk, don't blame me if you tripped over your jaw and fell on your backside. The shock that I, The Domestic Goddess, spent the last few days cleaning is a shock to anyones system... especially mine.

I'm pretty sure there is something written somewhere about this being a sign of the end of times. I woke up the other day -wanting- to clean the slider. Seriously. I didn't even drink a cup of coffee until after I scared the neighbors. I was in my pajamas at the time. Epic I tell you. 

If only it stopped there... The dishes were done, the toilet was scrubbed, the kitchen sink shone so much I needed sunglasses! If it's not a sign of the Apocalypse, it's a sickness I tell you! The butcher block was cleared off and scrubed down. The fridge was cleaned, inside and out. More dishes were washed because I started taking things out of the bottom cabinet to give them another washing because I felt they got "dusty" sitting down there.  The stove was scrubbed down, the vent was cleaned and the filter replaced.

The stove, vent and cabinets are the bane of my existence. I would rather scrub a port-a-potty than deal with the fine layer of ick that seems to accumulate on those 3 things. I don't fry -ever-, I barely even pan-cook meats. I bake most things because I hate the smell of oil in the air. White cabinets, white vent, black stove. Could I have picked worse colors for a kitchen? As a whole, it looks great (from a distance)... titanium gray walls, white cabinets, black sink and appliances.

I have tried just about every product on tv, on the store shelves, online, reccommended by complete strangers when I grab them by their ankles begging for the secret to ridding myself of this greasy plague...

Sometimes the old ways are best. I am proud to say that I have conquered the beast that has overtaken my kitchen! How? As I was standing and glaring at the stove it came to me... -the solution- Well... I suppose I could tell you. Volcanoes.

Yes, volcanoes. Vinegar and baking soda. I sprayed the stove-top generously with straight white vinegar and let it sit about 15 minutes. Sprinkled some baking soda over it and stood there in amazement as this concoction began to bubble. When it finished its magic, I took a soft sponge and wiped it all up. A quick cold water wipe-up and .... (sit down, seriously... I'm not going to finish until you do....... )

Sitting?

Okay.... it was CLEAN! It was a bit trickier on the vent, but I sprayed it and then when it was time to add the baking soda, I put it in a small bowl, added a small bit of vinegar and turned it in to a gluey substance that I brushed on with a silicone basting brush.

That's all for today... I have a pile of clothes with my name on it... 

Wow... 4 Months... REALLY???

As busy as my life has been, I felt as if something was missing. I am happy with my family, my home-life, even came to terms of my defeat by Mount Laundry... The bills are paid, the pantry is full, the closets (and baskets, and the corner of my room) are full of clothes.
-- Something was still missing. My outlet. MY BLOG!


So, with that, I bring you the months of March, April, May, June and up until today in July. Bare with me, it may take a little while.


My life so far -- in a nut shell...
March - Um, I wish I could tell you that something out of the norm happened, but other than warm weather and sunshine... nothing really.
April - Diva had school vacation. It was good to have her home during the day. It was better having a break from the daily school runs.
May - Mothers Day was great. Flowers, balloons, breakfast in bed and Diva made me a serving tray.

Diva's birthday party was what she asked for... not to have one. We did have a family dinner at a restaurant to mark the occasion though. I offered her a big party with her school friends or a bigger gift. She chose the bigger gift. Here Elvis and I were thinking she would want a flat-screen tv, or something equally electronic. Imagine our surprise when she says she wants the 3 of us to go to Kahuna Laguna? It was FANTASTIC! I could live in the wave pool. Seriously.
June - Diva graduated from the 5th grade, ending her time at the private school she had been attending for the last 2 years. You are going to have to trust me when I tell you she looked STUNNING and much MUCH older than 12 that day. I held it together until they played a video yearbook during the ceremony. I lost it. I admit it. I came prepared with 2 boxes of tissues.
Fathers Day wasn't exactly the bag-o-fun we wanted it to be for Elvis. He was working. By the time he finally got home, he was too tired to be master of his grill. Pizza it was then...

July - BUSY month!!! Our friends from PA arrived late on June 30. On July 1 we went for breakfast, did some local sight-seeing and then headed off to Shrugs to soak up the sun and lounge in the pool. It was hard for me to leave there that day. I knew it would be a week before I saw Diva again. Why? I'll tell you why... July 2, Elvis, my PA friends and I boarded the Carnival Glory for a 5 day out of Boston to Saint John, NB and Halifax NS. (I'll write another post with pictures and details tomorrow.-edit: okay, so I lied, I will get to it, eventually) July 7 is Elvis' birthday. It was also the day we got off the ship. I tried to make it special for him, but not sure how special -getting up at 5:30am to go down to declare at customs, shovel some breakfast in and run around picking up Diva, checking in to the hotel, buying some groceries - really was for him. We did try though. My friend, Diva and I headed to Salem, MA for some touristy things. We didn't stay nearly as long as I thought we would, but it was a great time all the same. My friends headed back to PA on the 9th. I cried. Yes, again. No, I don't cry at the drop of a hat!
That more or less brings us up to today. I have a HUGE secret, but I can't say anything right now... eyes are everywhere and the wrong eyes will ruin the surprise because they share face-space with a huge mouth!

Fledglings

So, I admit... I have been glued to the nest lately. There is something so peaceful about watching the hummers go from eggs the size of tic-tacs to fledglings.


Live broadcast by Ustream

So Much For An Early Spring...

Leaping In To My Day

Happy Leap Day

Today started off strange. My alarm went off at 7am... it's set for 5:45am and 6:01am. Not only did it go off at 7, but when I rolled over to shut the *censored* screeching off, the plug came out of the wall. The option to just lay there "9 more minutes" was taken away from me. Looking back, that was a good thing.

Later, I got a text from Elvis - he overslept. He got up at 6:04. Okay, it's only 19 minutes later than his usual, but it was enough to start his day behind. He made it to work on time, but that was mostly a stroke of luck.

We almost escaped February untouched by snow. Almost. To make up for lost flake-time, the 3-6 inches we were told we were getting has been bumped up to 6-10 inches. Let me tell you how thrilled I am about that.

Ya.... keep waiting, not going to happen!

I decided that the oven needed to be cleaned. Nothing tells you that dinner is ready like having the smoke detector go off. The other night, dinner cooked over and I had to spray the oven last night. I spend the morning with my head shoved in the oven. Literally. I am all of 5'2 and have the wingspan of a T-rex.

So, here I sit with sore arms, a hair style that looks as if I primped in a hurricane, and considering a life without baked items...

Ya... that's not going to happen either! (Although, I had thought about a NuWave oven in the past)

... In a Nutshell

I Don't Ask for Much...

Dear (God, Gods, Universe, Magical Spork of Glittery Goodness - I'm not all that picky)


 -- please grant me patience so I can deal with the people who annoy me because I know if I asked for strength, I'd beat them half to death...

FAIL !!!

STOP!!!! 

Before you continue reading this post... kindly put this on

I set out to post something... anything daily. It sounded like a good idea. Sounded realistic. 

What I didn't count on was actually having to live through the plague I felt coming on back on the 19th. It started off small, then started to drag other parts of my life with it. Sleep. Insomnia. Sleepy insomnia. A stomach with a mind of it's own. A migrane that would taunt me by acting as if it was going to leave me and then come back with friends.

Ever feel as if your body was staging a rebellion? Ever feel as if it's winning?

Well, that is why I was missing.

Indulging Myself...

Diva is staying at Shrugs tonight. Elvis will have the left-over chicken and rice casserole from last night. Me? I'm having pancakes. Maybe.

I'm watching the tv and I swear, every commercial is for some food or restaurant. I think there is something wrong because I actually said "oh, that looks good" to a burger commercial.
I don't eat meat!!!!

So... in fear that I will do something I will regret later, I am going to make pancakes, with raspberries (that's where the indulgence comes in... humor me).

Oops...

I knew there was something strange, something I was forgetting as I was starting to prep tonight's dinner. I ran through the checklist, everything was there. Chicken, rice, peas, water, milk, butter, sauce... casserole pan.

Even after I popped everything in to the oven, I couldn't shake the "I'm forgetting something, something is wrong" feeling....

Diva and I played a game together... still feeling like I am forgetting something...

THEN it hit me... Oops!

I won't forget NEXT year!!!!

Something to Smile About

It's THAT time of the year - February break. I feel happy to have her home. The house feels so alive when Diva is here, relaxed, having fun.

It does feel weird having no snow. February vacation use to mean building snowmen, having snowball fights, bundling before going outside to play. It's 41 right now. We haven't had snow since October 29 (not that I am complaining).

Thinking back, when Diva was still an "itty bitty", 9 years ago. We were staying with a friend and we got so much snow on Presidents Day that we couldn't let any of the kids go in the backyard in fear of LOSING them!

Just One of Those Days...

Just tired. I don't think I am sick... but I am not feeling very "me" right now. Simple day - making chicken and dumplings for Elvis tonight. I am thinking about toast for myself. The dishes can wait until the morning... ugh.

Wine and Dine

Today Elvis and I had a beautiful outing. We discovered a quaint winery with a fantastic restaurant. We took a tour of the place, complete with tastings of 6 of their offerings. I am not what you would consider a wine drinker, prefer the sweeter things - but I was pleasantly surprised.

We already talked about coming back for a picnic lunch on the grounds (which they encourage, they even open the bottles for you to enjoy on the property) as soon as the days get warmer and the trees return to their happy green.

Lunch was a carrot bisque and half a turkey sandwich with apple chutney and gouda cheese - a scoop of potato salad and two juicy slices of pineapple. It was beyond fantastic... but don't take my word on it, look for yourself!

Pizza Pie

Tonight's dinner came from a cross between craving pizza and not having enough mix to make a crust and having a deep-dish pie crust left over from yesterday's quiche.

It's simple, it's easy, it can be tweak to fit different tastes or use up what's hanging around in the fridge. I'll post what I used, feel free to change it around, and if you do, let me know what you did and how it was.

My EASY Pizza Pie

1 deep dish crust

1 pound ground chicken - browned

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 pepper - diced

1 onion - diced

1.5 cups shredded cheese

1 T olive oil

minced garlic

spices (I used sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, red chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper)

Saute pepper and onion with olive oil in a sauce pan. Add diced tomatoes and spices. Cook on low for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool enough to use a blender to make a sauce. Return to sauce pan, add cooked chicken and cheese. I added more garlic because, that's how we like it. *lol*

Bake 350 for 45 minutes - let cool before cutting

Real Men Bake Quiche!

I must admit, I feel a bit spoiled today. I also feel full!
Elvis brought Diva to school today and returned with ingredients to make breakfast. Not just any breakfast... Quiche!!! He whipped it up and I had to take a pic of it and share it with you all... and yes, that is an Ikea plate.

Super Easy Even Elvis Can Make It Egg, Cheese & Sausage Quiche

1.5 cups heavy cream (or milk)
4 eggs (beaten)
6 turkey sausage links (sliced)
1.5 cups shredded cheese
1 deep dish pie crust

Mix everything together and put in to crust.
bake 350 for 1 hour

Pretty Little Pleats...

I have been trying to find pants for Elvis. He needs a couple of pairs for the cruise we are going on. I thought the hardest decision would be choosing between khaki and dark khaki. Oh boy was I wrong!

Pleats, double pleats, stripes, pinstripes, hounds-tooth, gingham, plaid...

Whatever happened to just "dress pants"? You know, black, navy, gray and if you were "hip" khaki? Flat-front, no cuff, no design... PANTS?

The search continues...