Energize!

I am not usually one to read horoscopes, but a friend of mine reads hers daily and on occasion I will go peek at mine. --

You could power cities with your mental energy today! On the off chance that you're not hooked into the power grid, try instead to do some good for the world at large. You've got all night!

Hmmm... Mental energy seems to be the only sort of energy I am running as of late. I've been trying to harness is for the power of good, what a struggle THAT has been! *giggle*

I have been thinking about everything I need to do this year, and the deadlines some of them have. The majority of things I do ARE for other people. But... is it enough? Is there something more I could be doing? Maybe... most likely... probably... yes.

I'm going to use the day to figure out what else I can be doing. I have to hand it to the person who wrote the horoscopes today... I -do- have a lot of mental energy today.

Nurse Furball Says...

Domestic Goddess and Diva are too sick to blog today.

Introducing... Our Newest Addition

About a month ago I had placed an online order of a major store chain. Apparently someone in the programming department is in trouble because the $90 item selling online for $12.50 was a mistake. I knew that it was too good to be true... but sometimes you just have to try!

Imagine my surprise when I got an apologetic email from the store, offering me a $50 online shopping credit! It only took me a minute to figure out what I would apply it towards.

I am sure I will be posting some pics of culinary creations created in this SOON! Right now, I am GIDDY about getting a $99.99 slow-cooker for FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE -- I think it may actually make the food taste better...

On a Stick...

Today I ventured out in to the snow to return the video rentals and on the way home I stopped at the drug store for a few "snowsentials". Snowsentials, you know, the things you like to have when curled up under a blanket on a cold day. While walking through the aisles I saw it... the pan that makes cake -- on a stick!

It is a well known fact that food on a stick is just BETTER. Maybe it doesn't taste any different than it's plated cousins, but, come on... it's food... on a stick!

I don't know if I will actually get around to making them tonight, I was thinking about surprising Diva with one in her lunchbox Monday and I know that "Elvis + snow + snacks = 0" especially if said snack is of the small and sweet variety.

That being said, for your viewing pleasure (a video I did not create, upload, or lay claim to) the ULTIMATE food.... on a stick -- JOSE!

Another Great Voice, Forever Silenced

It is common knowledge that I worship the original Diva's... Eartha, Billie, Etta, Aretha. There is something honest, a DEEP DOWN TO THE BONE sort of connection when I hear them sing.

Etta James sang one of my favorite songs, and one that I sing to Elvis often. In honor of Ms. James, I present for your listening pleasures "At Last".

** note, I did not make this video

It's Freaking Cold IN Here...

So put on all your clothes
With a little bit of brr brr
a little bit of brr brr

I can't begin to tell you how cold it is in the house right now, and the sad part is, we HAVE heat and it IS on! I've never had to turn the heat on ever... until recently. Last year our condo was a constant 80 degrees, not so great for the summer but it was more than welcome come late fall, winter and early spring. The condo association replaced the water heater a few months ago and nothings been the same since. A little birdie in a high tree told me that it wouldn't matter what people turned their dials to, the highest that will come out is 70. Great, wonderful, I would LOVE for it to be 70 in here. Why the heck is it only 64 in here????

It's hot chocolate time. The BIG mugs too, none of that itty bitty teacup stuff today. Elvis and Diva are on their way back from school, stopping at Redbox for some movies. The kettle is already pre-boiling so I can just give it a warm-up when they arrive.

Did I mention... it's snowing?

They said it was suppose to start around midnight, according to my watch, they are 10 hours off. They also said it will be 3" - I hope they are better with accumulations than arrivals! Diva was already wondering if there will be school tomorrow. Everyone is hoping for a snow day Friday. There's something exciting and wonderful about watching the two of them enjoy a snowy day.

I guess having them have fun together in the winter wonderland outside is worth the near frostbite I am dealing with inside.

Say NO to SOPA!

Cluck-off!

With a cluck-cluck here, and a cluck cluck there, here a cluck, there a cluck, in my oven goes the cluck cluck...
Can you guess what dinner will be tonight? If you guessed pork chops, sit down before you hurt yourself...

There is something exciting about cooking chicken. Seriously, I'm not making this up. Chicken is exciting! There are so many ways to prepare it that you could do an entire year of chicken dinners and have no repeats. Hmm... a year of chicken. I could do it, not so sure Elvis could.

Originally I was going to cook dinner in the slow cooker, but, the morning got away from me. Just as well, it's a bit chilly in the condo today and the oven heat will help with that. Now, what shall I do with 3 split chicken breasts? Shhhhh... I'm communicating with the chicken... Quit looking at me like that... I'm a Chicken Whisperer!

Pineapple... bbq sauce... pineapple AND bbq sauce? Are you sure? Oh... onion and garlic powder too? If you insist... in the pretty pan? Absolutely!

TADAH - through the magic of the internet, I am back. I bet you didn't even realize I was gone. Dinner is in the oven and now I can focus on other things... like my third cup of coffee!

Chilly, Chilly, Chili!

No school today! Sometimes I wonder who is more excited about days off, me or Diva. It's cold - beyond cold actually. It's a "wrap yourself in a bunch of blankets and take a nap" 18f. Diva curled up on the sofa next to me with a book. I suspected there wasn't much reading going on when I started hearing snoring...

I was talking to a friend of mine this morning and she gave me a recipe. Perfect for the cold, chilly weather. I won't make it until the weekend (mostly because I don't have a car or canned tomatoes right now) but it sounded like the perfect thing to pass on. I don't know where it came from originally, she got it from a friend, who most likely got it from a friend...

Chunky Veggie Chili

3/4lbs browned ground beef or cooked cubed chicken (I'm going with the chicken)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced bell pepper
3 cloves of crushed garlic
2 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 cup diced carrot
2 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
32 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz whole tomatoes, chopped
16oz tomato sauce
~ Combine in slow-cooker, cook high for 1 hour and then low for remainder of cooking time

There's Something in My Oven... and it Smells GOOD!

Today I decided to get a bit creative in the kitchen. On the menu was suppose to be mac & cheese with ground meat. *yawn* I knew I had to use the ground meat because I had taken it out the the freezer Saturday morning and it was already thawed.

How to get creative with about 1 cup of "meat mix"...  Meat mix is what I call my OAMC mix. It's not always beef, actually, it's usually never beef - I start out with about 10 pounds of whatever ground meat is $1.99/lb or less. After I have taken the plain meat I need for burgers or specialty dinners, I use the remaining 5 pounds or so and add a bag of diced onions, green peppers, a large can of tomatoes, garlic, whatever spices catch my eye and whatever filler I am using (breadcrumbs, crushed corn flakes, oatmeal, etc). I bag the meat in 1 and 2 cup batches and toss it in the freezer. This batch came from some I made in the early fall. I use it to "beef up" whatever I am making.

Tonight's invention had to use what I had on hand since I don't have a car right now (well, I do have a car, but Elvis has it until his is back from the shop). I also had to make sure that whatever it was, it could be heated in the microwave since Elvis doesn't have a set workday and in really hectic days, dinner is long overdue because he doesn't even stop for lunch. Kissing him hello and telling him dinner will take "about an hour" is not the words he wants to hear. I also wanted to use the dutch oven. I love my dutch oven.

"Tonights Stuff"
1 cup of meat mix (whatever meat you choose, I think mine is turkey)
1 container of cottage cheese
1 cup of rice - uncooked
breadcrumbs
usual suspects of spices (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley)

~ Don't use the rice uncooked, so, if you haven't already boiled or steamed it, make sure you do that first.
~ Brown the ground meat, drain. Add cottage cheese to pan and stir it around a few times to get it mixed around and it will be somewhat "melted". Toss in the cooked rice. (This is where using a dutch oven comes in handy, only 1 pan needed). Cover with breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 for 30 mins

Unbox Boredom!

I wish I had something exciting to post about today.  The sewing machine is still jammed with what was to be a napkin, the checkerboard scarf is still being worked on, I am almost finished watching all the Keeping up Appearances videos. I already went to the bank, the grocery store and the gas station. The food is put away. Brunch is being eatten as I type this.

See?

I'M BORED!

I don't even have making dinner to look forward to tonight. Elvis is once again taking over the kitchen to make some chicken dish a co-worker was talking about. It must be a "guy thing" secret recipe because he won't tell me what's in it.

Oh, I know! I'll make some Cake Box Cookies!!!

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls.
Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake 12 minutes.

Keeping up Appearances with Antifriggatriskaidekaphobia

I'm not entirely sure if that was a word before, but it is now. Today is, Friday the 13th (start creepy music now). I never understood why people think there is something scary or evil about the date.

I happen to enjoy Fridays and think that 13 is a rather lucky number. Maybe it's because I have a habit of rooting for the underdog. Maybe it's because I like to be different. Maybe it's because I think the number looks cooler than the others.

Today has been a lazy, yet productive day so far. It's payday (although there is a week missing from his check - waiting to hear back on the manager on that one). The bills have been paid for the month, the car is being fixed (and they found more damage than before, but the insurance is picking up the difference) and we should have it back by the end of next week, the roads are wet, but not icy and I don't have to leave the house today. Sounds like a perfect day to me - lounging around in jammies and knitting. (I know I sound like a slug... sitting around in jammies... but, tell me who wouldn't want to be able to lounge around on a cold winters day!)

I haven't been making much progress on the scarf though, I get a row in here or there but my focus has been on Keeping Up Appearances. I really love that show, there is something about Hyacinth. I'm a lot like her in a lot of ways. Always wanting whats best... not always knowing how to go about it. If you have never seen the British comedy series before, you should. Check your PBS listings, or go to Youtube (you have to start with the first episode).  I can only imagine the look of shock and disgust on Mrs. Bucket (that's BOUQUET to you) with my "common" leisure attire.

Slip-Sliding Away

I woke up this morning, just like all other mornings before this one. Padded in my slippers to the kitchen to start the coffee and noticed that there wasn't enough sugar for a cup. Scrapped the coffee idea until after I drop Diva at school. Turned on the local news and started the kettle for cocoa.

Little did I know, running silently under the newscasters was the school closing and delay listing! Had I seen it, I would have raced to the window to properly prepare for the days outing... ice skates would have worked.
Twenty-five minutes of sliding, mumbling, white-knuckling, and reassuring Diva that all is well and singing along to the radio - we finally made it, 9 miles away.

This is NOT the Retreat I Planned!

I woke up this morning excited about a craft retreat a few of us on FV are doing from today until Saturday. Elvis is working, Diva is at school... I broke out the sewing machine after cutting material to make the fabric napkins I had been dreaming about all week!

I was 3/4 done on the first one when the rebellious machine ATE the napkin. Yes. ATE IT!!! It's jammed in so good that I had no choice but to cut it away and give up. I have no desire to take it apart right now, so I put it away... little strip of fabric peeking out of the well and all.

Back to knitting.

Birds Nest Pendants

I've been plugging away at the checkerboard scarf, about 90 rows in to it, I call that a commitment! Knitting is cheaper than therapy, and let's be honest... who's going to harass a woman holding 2 long, sharp sticks???

Last night I decided to give wires a go. I have been coveting the birds nest pendants friends of mine made. *sigh* Oh how I wanted one. I dug out the beads and some wire. After starting to work on the first one, I realized it was a little thicker than I should have used, but, it just meant a little more work.

My camera is AWFUL. I am checking off the days until I can get to the store and get a new one! (Elvis has my car for the next 2 weeks, thanks to the dipstick who hit him... scroll back to read THAT story)
I tried to get a good picture of the ones I made, but the pics are so grainy, it could be anything.

On Second Thought...

Shortly after taking the photo of the staggering rib scarf, I changed my mind about what I wanted. I was talking to a friend of mine about the scarf I made her last Christmas... she's still talking about how much she liked it.

Well... it made me want to frog the whole thing and start over... So... without further ado (and, I'm not frogging this one, promise)

My Checkerboard Scarf
use 2 strands held together
US13 needles
Cast on 22 and knit a row
Rows 1-5: k6, p5, k5, p5, k1
Rows 6-10: k1, p5, k5, p5, k6
repeat pattern until you get to the length you want
knit 1 row
bind off

Staggering Around

You may want to brace yourself... are you sitting? Okay, good. I am making something for myself. I was digging through Yarn Mountain last night and put my hands on a beautiful purple. It was originally going to be made in to a hat & scarf gift for Diva's cousin. The more I looked at that yarn, the more I ran my fingers down the soft fiber, the more I was convinced - it's meant for ME.

I grabbed the "yarn bowl" out of the cabinet and some off-white and the newly claimed purple, along with US13 needles. I have seen the fancy yarn bowls, and if I was using expensive yarn on a daily basis, it may be something I would consider spending $40+ on... but then again, if I was buying expensive yarn, who would have the money for a bowl with a hole in it. I also have a "yarn cup" that I use for my kitchen cotton (don't tell it that it's just a recycled peanut butter jar, it feels important).

Now... what to make with it. I wanted something useful. If I am going to make something for myself, it needs to be useful. At first, I thought about a hat. It's winter, hats are useful. I then thought about mittens. I decided on a scarf. Not just any scarf mind you, since it will be purple & off-white, I wanted something a little fancier than a garter or rib.

I was walking in to the kitchen when it hit me. Well, to be honest, I tripped. That little moment made me remember I had a pattern on Pinterest that would work. Staggered Rib! It's subtle, but *I* know it's there. I started it this morning and ignore the craptastic resolution of my camera (I plan on getting a new one for my birthday in a few weeks).

I am hoping to have it finished by Thursday... hey, I have other things to do than knitting you know. I just heard the weather, something about a nor'easter hitting by the end of the week!

No UFO's Here!

Before you think I've gone off the deep end, talking about visiting aliens or anything. UFO is knit-speak for unfinished objects. I finished the dishcloths for Mom and I finished a hat for one of Diva's cousins. Yes, I am talking about Christmas 2012 gifts - NOW you may look at me as if I have gone off the deep-end. I also finished the mistake rib scarf for my friend.

I popped in to JoAnn's to get the wire I needed, hopefully I will get to make the birds nest pendant this week. Also, I bought some earring hoops. I was feeling creative, but as of right now, I have NO idea what I am going to do with them.

I am technically calling these NON-ufos... they just need to be sewed off, as soon as I can find that itty bitty bottle with all my needles.

That Art of Stout

I was looking at vintage patterns this morning. I love the look of the clothes but they don't flatter my figure at all. I think that women of the 1950's have been pressed in to some assembly line form or something because there seemed to be only one style of dress. Itty bitty waist.

The ad is from Lane Bryant in 1957 (they have been around forever, and no shocker, even the "stout" model is stick thin! Some things don't change I guess.)

It's no wonder I haven't been able to procure a pattern in my ample size. You simply weren't "fat" in those days. If this is what "stout" looked like back then... I must be orbital!

An "older" friend of mine said "Back in the day, if you were a fat chick..it made the man look good - meant you were content and happy". I can only image how jovial I would be if size = happiness.


So, now back to dream shopping the vintage patterns and comparing them to something modern, preferably from Simplicity. You will know if I manage to devise something.

Duck & Cover - Man in Kitchen!

It's Friday. Elvis is home. He's in my kitchen - again! I know a lot of people would be happy if someone else did all the cooking. I'm not one of those people - I honestly enjoy cooking. I do have to admit, when he cooks, it's usually pretty good. Granted, we have totally different cooking styles - I, am a Domestic Goddess in the kitchen, able to make everything from abalone to zucchini. He, is a man. That usually means that whatever it is, there is bacon involved. Dinner tonight is no exception.

I should have known that he was plotting his kitchen coup when he asked what was for dinner - before I even had my first sip of coffee. I wasn't remotely caffeinated at that time so I missed the subtle hints. It wasn't until he was asking about peppers, onions, carrots, mushrooms and BACON did I know, he was up to something.

Bacon Bomb - From what I can tell, it's weaved bacon with ground pork, peppers, onions, a bunch of other things... and everything is rolled up and shoved in the oven. I know he's basting it with bbq sauce every 30 mins. I'm sorry I can't post a recipe for you, but I have no clue what he's doing in there!