The teachers' blankets are done!!

Mrs. R's was done before but I did Mrs. D's this weekend. Also trimmed the fringe on both because I didn't do that before.

Mrs. R's blanket:


Mrs. D's blanket:


Both together:






I am so glad to have those done!!

The Youngest Cook

These pictures tell a story ... can you guess what his favorite food is? LOL! And NO, he doesn't have pants on, he's going through a stripper phase. ;) Oh, and he's 28 months. Pretty good for not quite two and a half!











He even put the lids back on the peanut butter and jelly jars! The only thing I did was cut it into quarters for him!

Mrs. R's blanket is done

I just finished it half an hour ago. Look very nice, if I do say so myself. I haven't quite mastered the art of artistic project showing off pictures, so this will have to do!

Finished size, not including fringe: 42" x 60"

Draped over the couch ...


Only two more blankets to go!!

Homemade Hamburger Helper - Swedish "Meatballs"

This is a favorite in our house. To turn it from a lunch to a dinner meal, serve sauce over freshly cooked egg noodles and your favorite homemade meatballs.

1/2 package noodles, cooked according to package instructions (or other pasta, your choice)
1/2 pound hamburger, browned and crumbled (turkey also works)
2 packets brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sour cream

Toss together the noodles and hamburger. To make the sauce, whisk together brown gravy mixes and hot water in medium saucepan. Heat over medium low until bubbling, cook for one minute more until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Toss with noodles and meat. Serve.

Steamed Sweet Carrots with oregano

The combination sounds odd, but it is actually quite good.

2.5 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices
2 tbsp butter or olive oil, or combination of the two
1 cup cold water
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano

Put oil in a large frying pan. Heat over medium low heat for 2 minutes. Add in carrots and water. Stir in salt, then sprinkle with brown sugar and lime juice. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, over low heat, for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat to medium. Continue to cook until liquids are gone, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Add oregano, stir, and serve.

Less than 2 weeks 'til Christmas!

We hopefully go to get our Christmas tree today! I have a lot of projects still to finish, and the kids are making books for people - even Justin is getting into the fun and making pictures for everyone. I have to get our Christmas card letter written today, too, so I can get our cards finished and mailed out.

Let's see - what projects do I have to finish? Three blankets. I'm halfway done with one, thank goodness this pattern works up quickly!

Welcome!

I thought it was about time I started a blog! Seems like a much better way to show off some of my crocheting projects, as well as new recipes I try (or even old ones that should be shared!). And you're probably going to have to put up with stuff about my family, too - I'm a mom and wife, married to Mike & mom to Brendan, Betsy, Andrew & Justin - plus furbabies Cinder and Daisy.

Came across this quiz today ... Which Christmas Carol are you?

I am ...


You are 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'. You take
Christmas very seriously. For you, it is a
religious festival, celebrating the birth of
the Saviour, and its current secularisation
really irritates you. You enjoy the period of
Advent leading up to Christmas, and attend any
local carol services you can find, as well as
the more contemplative Advent church services
each Sunday. You may be involved in Christmas
food collections or similar charity work. The
midnight service at your church, with candles
and carols, is one you look forward to all
year, and you also look forward to the family
get together on Christmas Day.


What Christmas Carol are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

And just so that we remember I'm the crocheting cook, here's the recipe for the cookies Andrew and I made today - this is the best cake mix cookie recipe I've found, not as cake-y (yuck), more like REAL cookies. We made them today with strawberry cake mix & white chocolate chips.

Cake Mix Cookies

Yields 24

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (or your favorite flavor)
2/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, M&Ms, craisins, nuts, raisins, any stir in (your preference)

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, oatmeal, butter and egg. Stir in the chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.