Day 5: Blogshare

http://neverpayretailagain.blogspot.com/

This blog has TONS of sale info, coupons and tips to save money on almost everything. It's a great add to your bloglines or google reader. Just keep in mind that you may end up shopping for great deals you may not have been shopping for if you didn't know about them. :)

Day 4: My house smells like garlic

Restaurant Style Spinach-Artichoke Dip

4 cloves garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Make a lot -- there will be none left. :)

Day 3: Where I Write About My Hair

I'm getting my hair cut in the next few days and while that may not seem like a big deal, I'm very excited about it. My hair has grown to a reasonable length for short hair and I'm happy to have more options.

I'm considering "inverted bob", but need to do some googling to make sure I have my terms right.

Day 2: Happy

I spent today with my dear friend Wendy at Universal Orlando. I was one of the lucky few who won tickets from the Super Bowl and Wendy is moving next week so we had a girl day.

We had an amazing time!

The lines were short and pleasant. The weather was decent. The company was stellar.

I rode Dueling Dragons, The Mummy and The Hulk in the front row! We brought clothes to change into and went on all the water rides - twice!

It was great and now I'm sleepy.

Day 1: Ease in gently

With a short discussion.

I have over 100 squares of my blanket done.  

Around square 60 I got a better idea of how I could have arranged the colors, but continued with my current plan 'cause both wouldn't work together.  

To my knowledge, no one else has tried my idea.  

I get lots of compliments for how I'm arranging things now, but let me tell you, the new way -- wow! :)

So a few days ago, I said out loud to my dear Wendy that maybe I'd just rip it all out and start over.  Or abandon what I have and start over.

I don't know where these crazy ideas come from, nor have I done them, but I feel like I can't be happy with my already crackalackin' blanket if I continue....

3.5 lbs!!

I'm freaking out guys!  

I was looking for some yarn to finish a stripe -- again! not the greatest guesstimating skills. :)  I wrote to a few Ravelers who had it in their stash

es and kept my fingers crossed.  

One friend wrote back that she not only had the yarn I need, but "some other scraps" she could get together.  Those "other scraps" amounted to 3.5 lbs!!!! of partial skeins and scraps.  Wendy did the math on how many ounces that is, but all I know is that it was one HUGE number.

My blanket passed out when it saw the bag.  I'm surprised I didn't too. :)

Too busy

I've been neglectful with the blogging, which I think is an inevitable part of blogging.  I've been busy with work, missionarying, fundraising, knitting, etc, etc.  

This morning I was mulling over how to get out of my rut and back in the swing of bloggy things -- and I decided to NaPoBloMo April.  I may even start now to flex my blogging muscles, but my main goal is April.  30 days.

In the meantime, Emily enjoys cupcakes:

30 Years!

Happy Birthday to the most amazing husband, daddy, guitar player, scorpion killer, Mario Kart-er, man of God and friend I have ever known. I can't wait to see the amazing things your next 30 years will bring. :)

Love, Megan

Boogers

I haven't posted in 2 weeks! Ick! My sincerest apologies, I've just been working a lot.

My teaching position has turned out to be a whole lot more. In addition to my two knitting classes and a knitting group I'm hosting at the center, I've taken on a lot of administrative work for the center.

It's very rewarding to support such a great place. I love to see the kids and adults who come in for classes. I love the comfortable and positive environment. I love the creativity.

I'll just have to manage my time better so that I don't ditch you all for 2 weeks again. :)

It's Just Like the Oscars!!

I've been nominated, twice!, for a KreativeBlogger Award!!!



I'm so flattered!! Thanks Harriet & Nicole!!

As a new nominee, you are encouraged to:

1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 5 other bloggers.
4. Link to those on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

Here are my nominations, in no particular order:

1. Adrienne -- quite possibly the craftiness lady I have the privilege of knowing.
2. Becky -- who will one day figure out how to knit and run at the same time. :)
3. Ann-Marie -- who is so creative she hosts craft nights!
3. Guinifer -- sock-knitter extraordinaire!
4. Alyson -- whose creativity has spilled over onto her husband!



Um, and that right there, is 85 squares of fabulosity!

I've Been Cheating

I don't know if you've noticed, but there have been quite a few projects making their way through my progress bar badge. Some have only been up for a day, others a few days -- shhh, don't tell, but I've been cheating on my blanket.

It started innocently enough with a gift for a friend. She'd had some things happen to her and she was far away and I wanted to hug her. So I knit her a hug. More specifically a Cashmere Neckwarmer Kim K. But that little baby was on and off the needles and posted so quickly I don't have any photos. Should some turn up, I'll post them. I will say this, the pattern is quick and makes a lovely warmer. :)

Next up was a Slouchy Star-Crossed Beret by Natalie Larson for another far away friend. I did manage to grab a few photos of this one, but all self-portraits so forgive their somewhat crumminess.





Knit out of some buttery soft, wonderful, amazing Malabrigo. Swoon.

Next up, I remembered that my favorite Star Wars fan is having a baby. And we're attending the baby shower this weekend. So what better gifts than a Baby Yoda Sweater by Cari Luna and matching Yoda Hat by Sunshyne Leland?



The hat is finished and needs only the glue application to the ears. It felted beautifully and to just the right size. I used the recommended Patons Merino in Leaf Green.



The sweater is finished being knitted, but the seaming is taking some time. I've never had to seam a sweater and want very much for this to be perfect, so I'm trying to be meticulous. I used Cotton-Ease so it'll be super washable for the mom- and dad-to-be.

Last night I picked up my Scraps Blanket for the first time in almost two weeks and fell immediately back in love with it. I pulled out my yarns that have yet to be knitted and dreamed about how each square will look. I think our "break" might be coming to an end.

Happy Valentine's Day, here's some Soap!

In an effort to not burden any of her classmates with another pencil or piece of candy, last weekend Alison and I made Valentine's Soaps. Very easy and kindergarten-helper-friendly -- you use the microwave.

Let me be clear, you're not actually making soap per se, more like reforming soap. :) Here's the deets:

What you need:



Bar of clear glycerin melt & pour soap
Food coloring
Mold (we used a Wilton lollipop cookie sheet)
Soap glitter
Soap fragrance

What you do:

Melt the soap in the microwave per packaging instructions.
Mix in glitter, fragrance and food color.
Pour in mold, let cool for 20-30 minutes.



Bingo-bango!

RECIPE: Amazing, Easy, Crock-Pot Chili

Perfect for a frosty day, which it isn't today, but it was when I went grocery shopping.

INGREDIENTS:



2lbs ground beef
2 packets McCormick's Original Chili seasoning (I usually do one regular, one low sodium -- they also have a hot and a mild)
2-15oz cans beans (I use one light red and one dark red kidney beans, we've also tried black beans)
1-15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1-12oz can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilis

Brown beef. Drain.
Empty all cans and seasoning packets into Crock Pot.
Add beef to Crock Pot.
Stir.
Cook on low as long as you want -- sometime I'll cook it all day, but you can go as short as one hour.
Serve with cornbread, sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar, etc.

Yum!

The Emperor of Ice-Cream by Wallace Stevens

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring flowers in last month's newspapers.
Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Take from the dresser of deal,
Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protrude, they come
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Work at Home Mom

(click it, there are notes)

Never underestimate the kindness...

...of knitters!

I've been experiencing an avalanche of generous donations for my Sock Yarn Blanket --- it's AWESOME!!

The stripe thing is working out pretty well, except I misjudged how much of the pink/red I had/needed. I got this far:



And discovered I was 2 squares shy and out of yarn. OUT OF YARN!!! And this was one of the lovely donations I'd received.

So I hoped on the old Rav and prayed someone else owned this yarn and I could convince them to share with me. I messaged three people, the only 3 who had it in their stash. All three, lovely ladies wrote me back within 4 hours and said they'd be happy to send the yarn. No cost, I didn't even have to pay shipping.

Sherry in Alaska had replied first and today, I received this:



Wrapped in festive, glittery tissue.

Thanks Sherry!!!

Beat the Cold Chicken Soup Recipe

We've had a handful of overnight, hard freezes in Central Florida, with some chilly days. Wayne and I have come down with the sniffles. I know that if it's this cold here, the rest of the country is probably feeling worse.

Today I'm making my chicken soup from a chicken. While I'm known to heat up a frozen pizza every once and a while, I'm also a big fan of making things from scratch.

Make a pot and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 quarts water, or enough to cover the chicken
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 5 black peppercorns
• 6 cubes chicken bouillon, crumbled
• (1 bay leaf)
• (1/4 teaspoon celery seed)
• (1 pinch dried thyme)

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot combine chicken, water, large onion, celery with leaves, fresh parsley, peppercorns, bouillon, bay leaf, celery seed, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-4 hours.
2. Strain stock, reserving chicken, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Skim fat from top of stock.
   
4. Remove skin and bones from chicken and cut meat into bite-size pieces.
   
5. Return stock and chicken to pot and stir in carrots, 1/2 cup sliced celery, 1/4 cup minced onion, dried parsley, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

We have different opinions on the whole noodles v. rice v. nothing debate, so I usually just make some on the side and add it in a per bowl fashion. If you'd like them in your soup, just add them after the stock and chicken are hot again and cook as directed. Also, ingredients in parentheses aren't absolutely necessary. :)

40 blocks & a class

I've completed over 40 blocks of my Sock Yarn Blanket and still very much in love with it. I'm alternating solid and mis-matched rows and have just started the second solid row. These blocks aren't only finished being knit, but finished -- I wove in the ends. It was a lot of ends.



A few ladies on the Rav suggested keeping all the end scraps in something glass as decoration. I searched high and low, but came up empty with my existing vase supply, but I'm on the look out.



Wednesday was my first knitting class and I think it was a success! I learned a lot about how things are going to have to progress, but feel confident that my little knitters are going to be great!

It's Colorful up in Here!

Those are just a sampling of the wonderful partial skeins and scraps of sock yarn I've received this week. For what?

I'm making Shelly Kang's Sock Yarn Blanket!!!

When I saw it on Ravelry I started thinking about how every time I knit a pair of socks, I always have a bit left over. Sometimes a pretty big bit. I thought I could easily make a blanket out of all my little balls.

Then I started cataloging what I have and discovered that I could do it, but my blanket would be pretty plain and have a lot of some yarns and very little of others. I joined a few enabling groups over on Ravelry and now the mailbox is a very colorful place!

I've also joined two swaps with goodies that will arrive later this month.

Tomorrow: photos of the first two finished rows! Providing I finish the second row. :)

FO: Just in the knick of time

Pattern: Ampersand by Kirsten Kapur

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Atomic #6

Needles: US Sz. 2.5 Addi Turbos, 2-16" circs.



My second pair of Ampersands and I couldn't be happier. This pattern is easy to memorize and creates a great fitting sock. A third pair may be in my future. :)



I bound these lovelies off on Dec. 31st thus meeting my 6 pair goal for 2008! It was a good year of sock knitting.

Put Your Feet Up
FO: Leyburn Socks
FO: Ampersand Socks
Boyfriend Jaywalkers
Sassy Birthday Socks
Just in the Nick of Time Ampersand Socks