Saturday, April 28, 2018

Saturday - 04/28/2018

You know the saying "go big or go home"?  Well, I did just that..........my t.v. arrived and it's HUGE!
I had no idea.  I guess, in hindsight, I should have gone to the store and looked at a 50" t.v. instead of listening to the internet calculations.  I don't even need my glasses to watch this screen! 
 There is no room for anything on the dresser except I was able to slip the DVD player behind it.  The VCR has no room.  Yes, I still have an old VCR and video tapes.  It goes so well with my antiques too, don't you think?  Not!  These things are ugly!  I think eventually I will have it hung on the wall in the family room.  These things have little plastic legs and it would take nothing to knock it over....a little earthquake, which we have occasionally, would probably do it!  When I opened the box it said it takes 2 people to lift it.....great!  They didn't tell me that when I bought it.  I managed though....I'm pretty strong from lifting all my life and I still load my own salt n my water softener so it wasn't bad.  I laid it on my bed to install the legs and they even included a screwdriver.  It took me all afternoon to install it and get things hooked up but it works great and has a great picture.  It is nice to not have to wear my glasses for distance as it is easier to do my needlework and not  have to look over my glasses at the screen.  I need glasses for distance but not close up.  I have no idea how you could ever make these televisions look good in my home.  Maybe that's why everyone is going modern again?  I'm actually eclectic in my decorating but this monstrosity is an eyesore.  Color would help a lot...but they're all black...what about yellow or red?  Or white?  Or decorative artwork you could have on the screen when you're not using it?  Come on people (the people that design these).....use your imagination and creativity.  I would definitely pay extra for a t.v. like that! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 I went to Wally World yesterday and was so exhausted I didn't even eat supper and went to sleep before it was dark out!  I spent a lot of time roaming the aisles looking for a few things that I knew they probably didn't have and I finally asked a clerk.  I was out of a lot of staples too which took more time and effort.  Now I know why all these people drive around in those carts....I thought they were disabled but I think they just don't want to end up like a dishrag when they get home! LOL!  I got it all unloaded and put away and then I crashed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I made a nice breakfast this morning though and part of the healthy breakfasts I researched this past week.  This one is Mediterranean Scramble and the recipe is here
I'll be making it again! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm off to do some ironing, update Ravelry, YOP, and try and finish some of my YOP goals for tomorrow!  Yikes!  Plus, I need to catch up with my blog friends and podcasts.  This week has been a douzy, but in a good way!  It's beautiful here and I need to get outside also!  Have a great day!
Happy Trails!!!

Monday, April 23, 2018

Monday - 04/23/2018




 Today I promised myself I would get the recipes I've been making onto this blog!  I have been negligent in staying on top of sharing the good ones with you!  But today's the day!  There won't be a lot of pictures but I have made everything I recommend or share a recipe of and it gets my seal of approval....for whatever that's worth! LOL!
First up is Lime-Spiked Black Bean Dip
This recipe came from The National Pancreas Foundation website when I was trying to eat for pancreatitus whether I had it or not!  LOL!  This dip is so good and healthy for you too!  Win -win!
There are other recipes on the site that I want to try but this is the only one I have made so far.
 The next recipe that I highly recommend and that I have made many times is Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
I love this soup and I serve it with sour cream, shredded cheddar and the broken bits left over from a bag of tortilla chips...........yum!  I kid you not, this soup is a winner and if you don't put too much sour cream and cheddar on it you can call it very healthy too!

 One of my all time favorite meals is Linguine with Roasted Broccoli, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese
As the recipe states it is "quick and delicious"!  I'm not sure what Feta is but I use it in place of goat cheese and I have been known to double the amount!  Yum!

Marsha asked me the other day for the recipe of what I call "blender pie".  I have made this for years as an economical dessert when my kids were growing up and also for a quick dessert for company coming when you have a zillion other things to do!  I also remember Betty Crocker's famous "impossible pies" of which there are many...over 2000!   I haven't tried any lately but they look very appetizing
 The girls are getting restless for their supper now and I must admit I am getting hungry too talking about all this food!
I will ensure these recipes are on my side bar recipe section too within the week.  It's handy for me also to go there for them so I have an added incentive to get it done!
Happy Trails!!!



Sunday, April 22, 2018

YOP Week #43


 What a wonderful week this has been!  It's a cozy day here and I mean cozy.......it started raining last night and it's raining today...........but the main reason it's so cozy is I got a new porch roof this week and so far not a drop of rain has leaked through!  Hallelujah!

I spent the morning making tahini  (sesame seed paste) as I needed it to make hummus.  It's the first time I ever made either of them but they both turned out and I really like the hummus.  I've had store bought and was not impressed but this is tasty!  I'll be publishing recipes tomorrow.......this is the hummus............
and this is the tahini...............
 Yesterday I cooked orange chicken in the crock pot and had it with oven roasted Brussels sprouts and brown rice.....very good.   Although it was quick, I think there is probably a better recipe for orange chicken out there like P.F.Chang's but for now this will do.
There's not gobs of progress this week because there were the roofers, I did my taxes and I researched and ordered a new t.v. as I have been without one for a few weeks now, plus, I mowed.  The t.v. will be here Tuesday!  I got a  50 inch screen as I kept getting out of bed to see the menu's and/or words on my t.v. .  I also researched  the distance from the t.v. versus the screen size and no wonder!  I was supposed to have a 50 inch screen and mine was 29! LOL!  Hopefully, I won't have to get out of bed anymore to read things on the screen.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FO's - (Finished Objects) - none this week

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 WIP's (Works in Progress) -
1)  I did work some on my 2nd felted slipper and the bottom of the foot is almost done.........it is so dark today because of the rain so I hope you can see things............


2) I finished the 3rd block of 5 for the Frida Kahlo basket.......just need to weave the ends in...........





4) The Land of Sweets cowl was coming along so nicely and then per usual I had to frog and start over so I  didn't make much progress............but I am liking it thus far.............and 2 of the yarns are ones I dyed!  Here are the mini-skeins I dyed in case you missed them............




 5)  Spring Cross Stitch -  didn't even get this out of the project bag this week
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



What's in the Queue -
#1 - Some Valentine's Day socks - I'll be dyeing my own for this!
 #2 - Something for St. Patrick's Day...socks or cowl...not sure.  I think I found a cowl pattern with a Celtic design but I would like socks too!
#3 - Still more washcloths as I have plenty of Dishie and Peaches and Creme worsted cotton
#4 - Some leaf book markers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What I'm "wishing upon a star" for -
#1 - My Valentine and St. Patrick's Day yarns for socks or cowls and mini's for cowl and Granny Stripe Blanket.  I'm thinking I can dye my own now!  How exciting!!!!
 #2 - Susan B. Anderson has her 2 kits back in stock..........The Loopy Sheep
and her Spring Chicken kits  just in time for Spring but where do I get the dough for all these great items?
#3 - my new over the top obsession I discovered from Little Bobbin's mother who does the most beautiful stitchery from Jesse Chorley
I'd like to do her Friendship Quilt  if I live long enough! LOL!  I may try just a little sampler on my own but check out her website for lots of other wonderful and unique items and projects.
#4 - Knitting at the Library Cowl - a pay for pattern on Ravelry.  I'm thinking this may be the year of cowls or slippers....we'll see who wins out! The cowl looks like different shelves of books!  So cool!
#5 - A crochet square blocker either a DIY or to buy.......anyone have any experience with these or recommendations?  I saw this Crochet blocker with instructions to make and it looks pretty simple
You just need wooden shish-kabob skewers and a gardening knee pad.
#6 - Sewing book like Simply Summer Street has
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOP Goals from last week:
***DONE*** 1) Finish dyeing and drying yarn and ball up or skein
***DONE*** 2) Finish Square #3 on Frida basket
***DONE*** 3) Finish first 8 rounds on Land of Sweets Cowl - color #1.  I also did 8 rounds of color #2 and I am on round 5 of 8 on color #3.
4) pin I Spy quilt #2
5) cut binding for my sampler quilt
6) work on Spring cross stitch
7) iron fabric and cut out tunic pieces
8) order bias tape and Swedish Tracing Paper for patterns
9) finish 2nd slipper of my pair
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 YOP Goals for this coming week:
1) pin I Spy quilt #2
2) cut binding for my sampler quilt
3) work on Spring cross stitch
4) iron fabric and cut out tunic pieces
5) order bias tape and Swedish Tracing Paper for patterns
6) finish 2nd slipper of my pair
7) order supplies:  yarn , needles etc
8) do block #4 of 5 on Frida basket
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Podcasts: I need to work on catching up with Stitching The High Notes and other regulars....still.  I did watch Stitching the High Notes Episode #16 so I'm slowly catching up. Hopefully I will catch up a little faster when I have my new t.v.!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To see other fabulous projects from YOP members click here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Happy Trails!!!