Saturday Summary

Hello, Everyone!

I survived last night’s fund raiser! Felt really bad for my friend who was holding the ‘event’, as only 4 people showed up! Needless to say, we had food coming out our ears; she had prepared a great menu of homemade minnestroni soup, cream of broccoli soup, French bread (to dip in the soup), homemade chicken salad to go on croissants, lots of snack stuff like chips and trail mix. Even made two huge trays of brownies (which we forgot about – I ended up bringing a whole sheet tray home!). It was still an enjoyable evening of joking with friends, washing dishes, doing a little knitting (got bored with that) and just hanging out with good people. The event was to raise monies for the leukemia/lymphoma society; her husband and daughter are going to participate in a very long walk in June for this (monies from this event were to help raise some of their support). She’s considering holding another fund raiser in the near future.

Today it’s clear, 52 degrees and sunny – just the kind of day to catch up on clothes washing. Went to the library the other day and picked up three books so I think (in between filling the washer and/or dryer) I’m going to start a mystery book and crochet the border on another afghan.

I did promise you more recipes so here they are:

————-

CRANBERRY CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

4 C. cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. paprika
1-1/2 C. dried cranberries
1 C. chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1 C. chopped pecans
1 tsp. seasoning salt
Ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries,celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour. Serve on toasted bread with mayonnaise, tomato and cheese, if desired, and potato chips on the side. Makes 12 sandwiches.
(recipe: Joan – 1_Comfort_Foods site)

————————-

Brunch Casserole
(overnight recipe)

7 slices white bread, crust removed
1 lb. ground sausage
4 C. shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 C. half and half or milk

Lightly butter each slice of bread; cut bread slices in half. Arrange bread slices in a 9 x 13-inch buttered baking dish. Brown sausage, using spatula to break up. Drain and pat with paper towels.
Sprinkle sausage over bread slices. Sprinkle cheese over sausage.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, dry mustard, and the milk
until well blened. Pour egg mixture over bread, sausage and cheese.
Cover pan with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove foil from pan. Bake casserole for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and lightly browned on top. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes after baking. Serves 8 to 10

(recipe: Joan – 1_Comfort_Foods site)

———————

Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Ham

3 – 3 1/2 lb. ham
1/4 C. honey
1/4 C. barbecue sauce
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pineapple rings, drained (optional)

In slow cooker sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, place ham.

In small bowl, combine honey, barbecue sauce and brown sugar.  Mix well. Pour mixture over ham.  Arrange pineapple over and around ham.  Cover.  Cook on low 4 to 5 hours for a fully cooked ham and 7 to 8 hours for an uncooked ham.
(recipe: Sandy – Marys Recipe Exchange)

—————————

Warm Fudge-Filled Cheesecake

1/2 C butter or margarine, softened
1/3 C. sugar
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. vanilla, divided
2/3 C. chopped pistachios
4 (8-oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
4 large eggs
1 (12-oz) pkg semisweet chocolate mini-morsels
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Garnish: chocolate shavings

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer
until creamy; add 1/3 C. sugar, beating well.
Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until
blended. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and pistachios.
Press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of
9-inch springform pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or
until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with electric
mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add
1 1/2 C. sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a
time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Stir in remaining 2 tsp. vanilla. (Do not over
mix.)Pour half of batter into crust; sprinkle
with chocolate morsels to within 3/4 inch of
edge. Pour in remaining batter, starting at
outer edge and working toward center. Place
cheesecake on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until set. Cool
on a wire rack 1 hour. Serve slightly warm
with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Garnish, if desired. Serves 12.
(recipe: Desserts du Jour - 3/24/11)
----------------------------
Bar-B-Que Biscuits

1 lb. cooked and seasoned ground beef
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup bottled BBQ sauce
1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Separate the can of biscuits;pat each
into a 5-inch wide circle and fit them
into lightly greased muffin tins. Add
BBQ sauce to cooked ground beef;
mix well. Spoon 1 T. of meat
mixture into each biscuit.
Bake 18 minutes. Remove from oven
and top each with grated cheese, then
return to oven until cheese is melted
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Serves 4
(recipe: Sandy - Marys Recipe Exchange)
----------------------------
Orange-Cinnamon Chicken

The flavors of orange with the surprise ingredient
of cinnamon combine with chicken browned in butter
to make a sumptuous yet simple dish
---

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 orange, sliced

Preheat oven 375 degrees F
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook chicken on both sides in hot butter until
golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes;
place chicken into a shallow baking dish.Stir flour,
cinnamon, and orange juice into skillet. Bring
to boil, and cook until thickened. Season with salt
to taste, then pour over chicken breasts in the
baking dish. Cover chicken breasts with orange
slices Bake about 45 minutes or until juices
run clear after breast poked in thickest part.
(recipe: AllRecipes.com)
---------------------------
Zesty Cheese Soup 

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 (10 oz) can premium chunk white chicken, drained
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 lb. processed American cheese, cubed
crushed tortilla chips

In a 3-qt. saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients.
Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with
tortilla chips if desired.
Makes 6 servings
(recipe:  Rhonda Gray - Marys Recipe Exchange)
----------------------------
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine, softened, not melted
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 medium ripe bananas, smashed
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix sugars,
butter, and egg. Sift together flour, baking soda,
salt, and cinnamon and add to butter mixture. Add
vanilla and bananas. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. The centers
will not look completely done. Transfer to cooling
rack.  Makes 4 dozen cookies
(recipe: Sue - Desserts du Jour 3/25/11)
==============================
Hope you're having a great, relaxing day!
Hugs;
Pammie

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How Did You Do?

Were you a “stay up until the wee hours to watch the Royal wedding” (OR) did you sleep in (like me) and watch it all the next day? I don’t know exactly what it is about all the pomp and circumstance that fascinates me – obviously I’m not from royal blood and won’t be inheriting any estates or castles in the immediate future, but I find it interesting to observe the behaviors and requirements for living ‘royal’. I know quite a few of my friends were very much ‘into’ staying up to watch all the goings on (I’d rather sleep) and discussing all the key points (a) her gown – sleek and stylish or big & poofy  (b) bouquet: small or large (c) her hair: up or down or a variation of that (d) ‘the balcony kiss’ (enough said about that one). My thoughts on that whole thing? I couldn’t imagine being in the crowd at the Abbey and having to STAND through three verses of both hymns AND throughout almost the entire ceremony! The absolute LENGTH of the entire walk from entry doors to the altar at Westminster – oh, my goodness! If her knees were shaking, it didn’t show – but that’s quite the endurance walk, for sure! (Most of us, having done the  bride’s entry walk SURELY didn’t have to walk THAT FAR! I also found myself being a bit of a ‘crowd watcher’ – noticing the hats (mostly) of the attending ladies; from the demur, elegant ones to the totally ABSOLUTELY ridiculous, obnoxious ‘things’ worn by two of the royal first cousins of Prince William. One looked like a tan version of the Olympic Rings! (Can’t imagine having to sit BEHIND them – you couldn’t see a thing for the immenseness of that hat!) Well, enough of my grousing – it’s not my worry. Just glad that the entire ceremony went by flawlessly and that there were no dangers/interruptions, etc. to ruin their day.

Sorry I haven’t written lately – no good excuse, really. It’s been my ‘normal’ week of knit group, special needs group and babysitting my grandson. Tonight I’ve volunteered to help a friend in the kitchen during a crafting fundraiser, so that ought to be fun. I’m taking my knitting for ‘afterwards’ when my shift is done. The event is going from 4 p.m. – 12 midnight (can’t imagine anyone wanting to be there for the entire time, but I’ve been told that some scrapbookers are very dedicated. This one is a ‘bring your own crafts, enjoy the food and large working spaces while supporting a good cause’ thing.

Think I’ll give you some recipes in my next post; have to get ready to leave for the big crafting event. I will say that I’ve ‘put out the vote’ to my knitting group about whether they want to stay at the new church location or go back to Panera Bread. (Have received two requests before hand to consider going back – seems it’s been a matter of concern to several people in the group and they felt they needed to let me know before people just ‘up and left’!). So far, the vote is largely to return to Panera; that’s fine with me – just trying to keep the group together.

Enjoy your day!!!

Hugs;

Pammie

More Recipes

While perusing my emails today I came across more tasty sounding recipes that thought that maybe you might like to consider one or more for your Easter feast. (Just found out our Easter evening will be much simpler – Oldest son, his girlfriend and our grandson won’t be coming – both son & girlfriend have to work – that’s the ‘breaks’ of working the FOOD service industry on a big holiday . l . sigh). Here’s the recipes –

————

Cheddar Mushroom Potatoes

4 med potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup*
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven 400 Degrees F.
Arrange potatoes in a greased casserole
dish. Sprinkle with cheese. In bowl,
combine soup, paprika, and pepper. Spread
over cheese. Cover and bake 45 minutes.
Uncover, and bake 10 minutes longer.

*change soup to suit, celery or chicken

(recipe: Lou – Recipe du Jour 4/1/11)

--------------------------------

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Portabellas

4 whole portabella mushrooms
2 T.fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
2–3 links mild Italian chicken (or pork)
sausage, 8 oz
1 (8.8-oz) pouch pre-cooked brown rice
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 C. whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 C. tomato basil pasta sauce

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes.
Place sausage in pan; cook 3–4 minutes,
stirring to crumble sausage, or until no pink
remains. Remove pan from heat.Stir in rice,
parsley, both cheeses and cream cheese. Fill
mushrooms with sausage mixture; place on baking
sheet, stuffing side up. Bake 10–12 minutes or
until hot and cheese has melted.Place pasta
sauce in small saucepan on medium-high; bring
to a simmer. Serve sauce with mushrooms.

(recipe: Publix Apron’s Simple Meals
as featured on Recipes Du Jour 4/1/11)

---------------------------

Asparagus Casserole

4 cans asparagus spears, reserve juice
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 hard boiled eggs
Grated cheddar cheese, enough for 2 layers
Saltine crackers
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix mushroom soup with enough asparagus juice
to make it creamy. Set aside. Layer 2 cans of
asparagus spears on bottom of large casserole
dish. Slice and layer four of the hard boiled
eggs on top of spears. Gently spread 1/2
soup mixture on top. Crumble saltine crackers
on next layer to the desired thickness. Cover
with a layer of cheddar cheese. Repeat all
layers except the cheese. Bake 30-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and add last layer of cheese.
Return to oven and bake until cheese is
golden brown.
(recipe: Lou – Recipes du Jour 4/1/11)

-----------------------------------
Millionaire Salad 

1 small package (3 oz) cream cheese
3 T half-and-half
1/4 C. mayonnaise
2 T, lemon juice
dash salt
2 T. sugar
1 C. diced pineapple
1 can (about 11 oz) mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 C. halved maraschino cherries
1/2 C. green or red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 C. miniature marshmallows
1 C. whipping cream, whipped 

Combine cream cheese and 3 tablespoons whipping cream;
add mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and sugar.Combine cream
cheese mixture with fruit, pecans, and marshmallows. Fold
whipped cream into fruit salad. Freeze this fruit salad in
an 8-inch square pan. Serves 8.
(recipe: Sandy - Mary's Recipe Exchange)
-------------------------------
Ham and Ranch Potato Frittata

1/2 lb. ham, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 T. vegetable oil
2 C. frozen hashbrown potatoes with
     peppers and onion, thawed
4 large eggs, beaten
1/3 C. ranch dressing
1/4 C. milk
Salsa 

Heat oven to 375°F
Heat  oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof 
skillet over medium high heat. Add hash browns
and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until potatoes begin
to brown. Add ham cubes; season to taste with salt
and pepper. Whisk eggs, dressing and milk in medium
bowl; pour over potatoes. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until 
eggs begin to set, lifting edges and allowing uncooked 
egg to flow underneath. Place in preheated oven and 
bake15 -20 minutes or until a knife inserted in center
comes out clean.Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges
to serve. Serve with salsa. Serves 4.

(recipe: Sandy - Mary's Recipe Exchange)
------------------------------

Green Beans Dijon

2 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 C. (1-inch) cut green beans
(about 1 1/2 pounds)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
Place beans in a 2-quart casserole dish.
Cover with lid; microwave on high 6 to
8 minutes. Uncover; stir in mustard
mixture; toss well to coat. Cover and
microwave on high 2 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.

(recipe: Recipe du Jour 4/13/11)

===================================
I didn't realize until posting the recipes here that they're
all veggie, except the fritatta - they all sounded really
good to me (but then, I'm hungry right now!). Hope you are
all enjoying a relaxing day; I didn't realize just 'how'
relaxed we were here until one of my son's friends came
over and I had to run & get dressed (at 2 p.m. in the
afternoon! We were all watching: "Rainman" - great movie,
reminds me of one of my former special needs students).

Big Hugs;
Pammie

Knit Baby Stuff!

This morning I finished knit baby block #3, photo’d the baby gifts then wrapped them. Along with the knit ‘stuff’ is a really cute butterfly teething ring and the matching cup & divided baby plate. I think I just might have found a new ‘fun’ thing to knit for baby shower gifts – the blocks!

Baby afghan & 2 prs. of booties (one birth-3 months, one 3-6 months)

Close up of afghan with knit rose

Yellow baby sweater & matching booties

(the color didn’t come out in the photo-it’s bright yellow)

Each block is different on all sides

I tried to make each block colorful; each has some texture also (by using purling it makes ridges – easier for a baby to be able to grip). They are all poly-fiberfill inside so they’re machine washable and very light weight. They were lots of fun to knit; gave me a stretch of my imagination trying to come up with different patterns that were both simple and would fit into just 15 stitches width. The one on the left is white, hot pink and (top & bottom) a sort of sage green; middle is bright yellow, royal purple and the sage green, right one is more baby colors: white, mint green and soft pink (with sage top & bottom). Easy to knit, fun to invent and doesn’t use much yarn! What’s not to love!?

There you have it – today’s a bright, sunny day (50 degrees). Am currently awaiting my grandson’s arrival for an afternoon/evening of non-stop  activity/busy-ness. Dinner is also going to be to his liking: Ravioli – easy to make and it goes a long way.

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Hail, Yes!

Last night around 12:45 a.m. while I was sitting watching tv it sounded like we had a squirrel or large critter trying to climb the outside screen. Our youngest came running downstairs (from his room), middle son came running out of his room and both were yelling: “WHAT’S GOING ON?” It seems we were having a Hail storm, complete with lots of lightening (and thunder, which came a little later). Hail the size of quarters was pelting everything in sight, hence the ‘outside critter’ sound. This continued for 10-15 minutes after which came a torrent of rain which immediately melted the hail.  What a rush!

If you’ve read my blog before you know I’m sometimes ‘besmitten’ with strange ‘out-of-the-blue’ ideas and yesterday another one hit me. Not sure just why, but got the idea that I might be able to knit up some baby blocks. Sounds strange but I thought: “Hey, I could use up some ‘stash’ yarn, it would be a quick project and perhaps fun, too.”  They’re just basically knitting small squares and sewing them together – right up my alley! Well, two blocks are completed and only want to do one more to add to the baby shower gift for Saturday. It’s been fun – I went on my favorite knit/crochet site:

http://www.ravelry.com

and found lots of ideas, then decided to make up my own designs. (By the way, if you’re interested – Ravelry is a free knit/crochet site but you have to sign up for it to get on. There are tons of free patterns, ideas and lots and lots of crafters who love posting their projects. You can ask questions about particular techniques/yarns/patterns, etc. – it’s a GREAT site!  (I knew that this week would be different for me, as I don’t have any of my ‘usual’ things to keep me busy like special needs group, knit group, etc. – See? It only took me a few days to come up with another new project!). Will post photos when I’m done, along with the completed afghan, baby sweater I finished off, and the 3 pairs of baby booties (think that’s all).

While perusing my emails today came across more yummy sounding recipes, so here they are:

———————-

Spinach Casserole

3 pkgs frozen chopped spinach: thawed and squeezed dry
1 (3 oz) pkg softened cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix together spinach, cream cheese, sour cream
and soup; sprinkle liberally with Parmesan
cheese. Pour mixture into casserole or baking
disk. Bake 40-45 minutes.
(recipe: Lou - Recipes du Jour 4/15/11)
--------------------
Golden Glow Pork Chops
 (crockpot)

5 - 6 pork chops
Salt/pepper to taste
1 (29-oz) can cling peaches halves, drained but reserve juice
      (can use slices)
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Ground cloves
8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/3 C. vinegar

Lightly brown pork chops on both sides. Drain. Place in slow
cooker and sprinkle with salt/pepper Place drained peach
halves on top of pork chops.Combine brown sugar,
cinnamon, cloves, tomato sauce, 1/4 cup peach
syrup, and vinegar. Pour over peaches and pork chops.
Cover 7 cook on Low 3-4 hours.
(recipe:  Sharyl - Slowcooker Digest site)
----------------------------
Brownie Crackles (cookies)
Rolling the dough in powdered sugar
gives them their inviting crackled
appearance.
--------------
1 pkg. fudge brownie mix (13-in. x 9-inch pan size)
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. canola oil
1 C. (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners' sugar 

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat brownie mix, flour,
egg, water and oil until well blended.
Stir in chocolate chips. Place confectioners'
sugar in a shallow dish. Drop dough by
tablespoonfuls into sugar; roll to coat.
Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
Makes 4-1/2 dozen.
(recipe: Sue - Desserts du Jour 4/15/11)
-------------------------
Tuna & Pasta Cheddar Melt

1 (10 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
1 soup can water
3 C. uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom Soup
1 C. milk
1 can (about 6 oz.) tuna , drained and flaked
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 T. Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tsp. butter , melted or 2 tsp. margarine 

Heat broth and water to boil in skillet. Add pasta
and cook until just tender, stirring often. Do not
drain.Stir in soup, milk and tuna; top with cheese.
Mix bread crumbs with butter & sprinkle on top.
Heat through.
(recipe: Campbell's Co)
----------------------------------
Easy Cheesy Salsa Potatoes

2  cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1  cup salsa (any variety)
1/2  cup finely chopped onion
1/2  cup sour cream
1    can (10 3/4 oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2  teaspoon pepper
1    bag (24 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes
     (about 8 cups), thawed
1/2  cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4  cup butter or margarine, melted   

Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking  dish or pan. In
large bowl, mix cheese, salsa, onion, sour cream,
soup and  pepper. Add potatoes; mix well. Spread
in baking dish.In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and
melted butter.  Sprinkle over potatoes.Bake 45 to
60 minutes or until cheese is melted and
potatoes are tender.
(recipe: Cream Cheese/Sour Cream site)
--------------------------------
Savory Dill Wrapped Cream Cheese (appetiser)

1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 tsp. fresh snipped dill weed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
Lightly grease a cookie sheet.Unroll dough on lightly
floured surface and press seams together. Sprinkle
one side of block of cream cheese with enough dill
to cover. Place cream cheese, dill side down, in
center of dough. Sprinkle  with more dill to cover.
Bring sides of dough up around cheese block and seal
to completely enclose. Bake approximately 15 minutes.
Serve warm.
================================
I love our Michigan Spring weather - earlier it was
around 40 degrees, gray & gloomy with slight sprinkles
of rain. Right now it's 43 degrees, clear and sunny!
Gotta love SPRING!

Enjoy your day!
Hugs;
Pammie

Grocery Shopping and Potato Recipes!

                                            

After my not wanting to shop yesterday, I certainly made up for it today! Started out at KMart for a new pair of bedroom slippers for me (my old ones are finally worn out) – ended up with 12 pairs of socks (each) for both boys (who needed them – they keep losing them!), some Easter candy goodies and that’s it. Decided to give Meijers a try for slippers (they have a great store, I just don’t like going there – too crowded at ANY hour/day plus I get too tempted to go way over my budget when I see some of their things on sale). Got a pair of slippers AND got tempted and bought a nice salmon-colored top for Easter! No, it wasn’t on sale, but it was calling to me – you know . . . CALLING to me!!! After that went to WalGreen’s which had lots of great stuff on sale – Green Giant canned veggies, canned salmon, cereal, dish soap, more Easter candy goodies, aspirin (buy 1, get one free – at 79 cents a bottle for 100! -that’s a GOOD deal!) – they even have 12 greeting cards for $1.50 a box – got  ‘sympathy’ and ‘friendship’ boxes (can’t beat that price, either!). Next it was off to Kroger’s where I sort of went a little wild – I’ve been trying to stock up on canned/boxed items (just in case the ‘some people are predicting a major economic failure soon’ turn out to be right). Kroger had Kraft boxed mac & cheese for 89 cents a box, Rice-a-Roni & Noodle-Roni $1.00 a box, canned baked beans $1.29 for a big can, and several other items.  By the time I left there I’d SAVED $49.04 ! My husband figured out that I’d saved 25 % just at that store, so he was happy.  Got a nice, spiral-sliced ham with glaze packet on sale, splurged a little on Dearborn hot dogs (they were on sale, too) – my husband & I love them because they’re natural casing – (our kids don’t care for them, but I still hide them . . . hehehe), and a small container of garlic hummus for me (a rarely bought, but dearly loved item). They had green seedless grapes on sale and large pkgs. of fresh strawberries 2/$4 (got 1). I feel like I bought a king’s ransom in food AND saved a bundle, so I’m happy.  On the way home I stopped at our local dollar store and bought 2 large ‘baby shower’ gift bags 2/$2 – I told the owner he’s STILL the best deal in town for gift bags! (Oh, found a really cute plastic baby divided dish & matching cup  for the shower – $1 each at WalGreen’s!).

Ok – now on to Potato Recipes! Part of our Easter Sunday breakfast is Onion potatoes; I’ve never made them but read the recipe and thought I might like to do these at home for us. (It appears I’m in a cooked potato mood lately, so here are two yummy sounding recipes for potatoes).

————-

Lipton’s Onion Potatoes 

1 pkg. onion soup mix

4 medium potatoes (about 2 lb.) cut up into cubes

1/3 C. vegetable oil

—

Preheat oven 425 degrees F.

Mix together above items and place in a 9 x 13 pan. Stirring occasionally, bake 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Makes 4 servings.

(Lipton Soup Mix box)

============

Perfect Crispy Potatoes

1/4 C. vegetable oil

3 russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. water

1 T. unsalted butter

—

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

In large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add potato cubes and season with salt & pepper to taste. Saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Turn heat up to High, add water, stir and cover pan with a lid. Steam potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3-4 minutes. (Check every 1-2 minutes to stir potatoes so they don’t stick). Lower heat to medium and saute another 1-2 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat potatoes. Spread potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake in oven until potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 15-25 minutes, depending on how dark you want them. Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and serve. Makes 4 servings.

(recipe: Melissa d’Arbian, Food Network.com site)

==============

We recently had our favorite take-out chicken and their wonderful broasted potatoes (cubes nicely browned and crisp, dripping in seasoned butter) so you can understand when I saw the above recipes it got me to thinking that I’d like to see if I can come close to that recipe (probably the second recipe will come closest). I liked the idea that both recipes use raw potatoes, just cut into chunks – we have those around the house all the time! I like to cut raw potatoes into wedges then sprinkle garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese on them and broil them – my husband and I like them that way but the boys – not so much. (sigh)

I still have one more shopping trip to the drug store but am considering going tomorrow instead – right now I’m in the mood for sitting down and enjoying my Tim Horton’s coffee (picked one up for husband & me – it’s our little ‘treat’) and trying out the new slippers!

Enjoy your day – we didn’t have any snow OR rain today, it’s just grey, chilly (41 degrees) and cloudy, but I don’t mind – I can always put on a jacket and walk/drive in ‘cloudy’ – it’s different if it’s snow or rain!

Big Hugs;

Pammie

Strange Day, But Good

This day began by awakening to the announcement (from husband) “It SNOWED!” Now he wasn’t talking a little bit (which I expected) – we probably got about 2 inches! Ground, car, streets etc. all covered with the white stuff – ugh. Bothered me enough that I went right back to sleep! I don’t know what it is about my mind thinking “Spring” (and knowing in the back of my mind that we probably ‘could’ get more snow)  and then facing it when I wake up – just down right depressing!

That said, it’s been a very slow-developing day. Got up and sort of ‘hung around’, not doing much at all – no energy. I had originally planned to go grocery shopping but that didn’t happen. Finally roused myself around 12:30 p.m. and got dressed, did the dishes in the sink, emptied the dishwasher and straightened up the kitchen then baked a 9 x 13 batch of brownies (just for encouragement – you know how that goes, one needs the ‘encouragement’ of chocolate when one’s ‘down’!) There was a big pile of coupons in the Sunday papers so proceeded to cut them all out (a friend from church works with a group that sends all the coupons to a center that sends them to various military bases for the families there – I guess the coupons there can be used up to 3 months AFTER the expiration date on the coupons – pretty neat!). During mid-afternoon the snow finally melted – roads clear, car clear – did I go shopping? Nope – but got the grocery lists organized for tomorrow, went on line to check grocery store fliers and compare prices so I’ll be ready tomorrow. Are YOU ready for Easter yet? For Easter dinner? In years past I used to look forward to cooking but ever since we began volunteering with the church Easter breakfast, I’m just totally exhausted once we get home and don’t feel like cooking anything! Am planning a pared-down menu this time – ham, some sort of potatoes, green bean casserole, snowflake rolls – that’s about it; don’t even know if oldest son & his family will be joining us. I did notice one thing when looking through grocery store fliers – I didn’t see too many advertisements for varying prices of hams, as in years past. Strange.

Prices – have you been following the price of GAS lately? WHEW! About a month ago I remember paying $3.49 for regular, now it’s almost at $4!!! I saw several signs at gas stations by our church (which is just off an expressway, hence higher prices) for $4.15! That’s crazy! But what can we do, except walk, ride a bicycle, or just not drive? (I say this knowing that this coming Saturday/Sunday I’ll be putting a LOT of miles on my car – sigh).

Just finished dinner – Potato & onion pierogies with sour cream, broiled Polish sausages – filling but here at my house it’s almost known as “Comfort Food”.

Speaking of foods – ran into a few recipes while cutting the coupons that sounded really good. (I don’t usually feature recipes using instant items like the rice, but this one sounded good)

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Apple-Glzed Chicken with Butter Pecan Rice

1 bag Success White Rice

2 tsp. unsalted butter, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)

1/2 T. salt-free seasoning

1/2 C. apple cider

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 C. pecan pieces

1/2 tsp salat

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)

Prepare rice according to pkg. directions. In large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. butter.  Season chicken breasts with salt-free seasoning. Saute chicken 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Add cider and Dijon mustard to skillet and simmer 3 minutes. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce; remove from heat. In medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add pecans and stir until lightly toasted. Add cooked rice and salt; toss to combine. Serve rice topped with chicken and sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

(recipe: Success Rice co.)

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Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice Casserole

1 pkg. Echrich Smoked Sausage cut into bite-sized pieces

2 C. cooked rice

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/2 C. chopped red pepper

1 C. frozen peas (thawed and drained)

16 oz. processed cheese sauce

1 C. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

—

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 9 inch square aking dish or a 2-Quart casserole dish. Combine rice, onion, red pepper, peas and cheese sauce. Spoon  mixture into baking dish. Evenly place sausage pieces into the mixture and top with shredded cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top. Serves 8.

(recipe- Echrich Co.)

————————-

Turkey Bacon and Hash Brown Bake

1/2 pkg. (12 oz.) turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 C. vegetable oil

4 C. Ore-Ida Country Style Hash Browns

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 C. chopped onion

1 C. chopped red bell pepper

8 eggs

1 C. evaporated milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1  1/2 C. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Coat 9 X 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Cook hash browns for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Add vegetables, cook 3-4 minutes. Transfer evenly into baking dish. In medium bowl whick together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in cheese and cooked bacon. Pour evenly over potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are set.Serves 9.

Note: casserole can be prepared ahead of time up. Cover and refrigerate uncooked casserole until ready to bake.

(recipe:  Ore-Ida/Butterball Co)

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Our weather report predicts rain for the next few days (but no more snow) – sure hope that holds true. Like I’ve said before – I well remember the Easter when I was about 8 when we had a really big snowfall – no fun!

Enjoy your week – remember to smile a little, laugh a little and relax when you can!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Kroger’s is featuring 1 dozen eggs for 77 cents this week – that’s a great bargain!

It’s Friday – I Made It!

THINK SPRING!

It’s a gorgeous Spring-like day – sunny, slight breeze (unfortunately only 48 degrees F.) but still really NICE day! The sunshine sort of sparked a (slight) cleaning spree for me – got some dusting & wet-mopping done (now I’m glad that’s over!). It’s a ‘let’s get some ‘stuff” done around here that I wouldn’t normally do – mailed off 3 get-well cards, caught up some special needs group paperwork, that sort of thing.

In my perusing the emails, found some really yummy-sounding recipes which I’ll share shortly. It’s Friday and I’m just glad that today I don’t have anything (that I know of, anyway) scheduled to go to/get done/rush – drive to , etc.  The crazy schedule of earlier this week is finally over – YAY! Went to youngest son’s Parents Show and it was really good – the drum line was excellent (first time hearing their competition routine – WOW!) – they had about 7 marimba’s playing, a ton of marching drums and several bass drums – the kids were amazing! (esp. the one head girl marimba player – professional quality, for sure!). The color guard did their routine and I was a bit surprised, as their coaches had switched up a bit of the routine at the end, but it was very effective. Our son and another young lady were the key players (sort of a ‘lost love, ‘come back to me’, ‘no way – go away’, no – wait – come back! sort of thing, if you can follow that. At the end she dumps him and he yells “NO!” very loudly and that’s the end of the routine. In between is lots of various flags/sabers/rifle work by all involved, all done to music. I know it sounds jumbled, but it worked very well. Their group actually went from class A, to a completely different division AAA ranking, so that’s a big jump in their development. Youngest is, of course, planning on being in Color Guard again next year.   Knit Group (same night as performance) went well – my ‘helper’ held down the fort while I was gone; we did the special collection for our friend who’s husband recently died and I was very proud of all of them for their generosity – it was a large money amount and she was totally caught off guard (I gave her the envelope just before she left and she counted it at home then emailed me. Well done, ladies!

Wednesday Special Needs group found me in charge (last minute) but it was Birthday/Music night and it went well (Whew – sigh!). We had 32 students and about 8 caregivers, so the room was packed and (my job) cutting cake got a little frantic, but it all worked out in the end!

Yesterday (Thursday) found me back to my old routine of babysitting my grandson: 4 p.m. – until his Dad picked him up (anywhere from 7:30 p.m. on, last night it was 8:15). We watched the movie: “Up!” (he’d seen it before, but it bought me a good 1 1/2 hours!!!). It’s a cute movie, (CGI – Computer Generated Imaging) has a good plot line, with a bit of excitement – good for adults as well as children – I’d recommend it!

Last night, also, I talked my husband into us ordering a treat: Chicken King dinner! It’s a local place near us that has the best broasted chicken, broasted potatoes, cole slaw and ribs – we all pigged out and have leftovers for dinner tonight! It’s not cheap, but really good food (and I don’t have to cook tonight, either – another plus!)

Speaking of food – here’s the recipes I promised:

—————–

Sticky Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/2 C. ketchup
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
2 T. Worcheshire sauce
2 tsp. dry mustard

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Place chicken breasts in baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients together, and spoon over chicken breasts. Bake uncovered 40 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
(recipe: Sandy – Mary’s Recipe Exchange)

———————–

Paddy's Reuben Dip (Crockpot) 
"This slow-cooked spread tastes just like the popular
 Reuben sandwich" 

4 pkgs(2 oz ea.) thinly sliced deli corned beef,
     finely chopped
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 can (8 oz) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
Rye bread or crackers

In a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker, combine first five ingredients.
Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours or until cheese is melted;
stir until blended. Serve warm with bread or crackers.
 Yield: about 4 cups.
(recipe: Mary Jane - Recipes du Jour 4/08/11) ----------------------  Banana Mocha Coolers 
1 medium banana, cut into chunks
2 cups chocolate milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules or crystals
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ice cubes 

In blender or food processor, place banana, chocolate milk,
coffee granules and vanilla. Cover; blend on high speed
about 15 seconds or until smooth. Add ice cubes. Cover;
blend about 15 seconds or until blended.
Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.
 (recipe: Joan - 1_Comfort_Foods Digest)  -------------------- Cherries and Cream Rice Pudding  

5 cups half-and-half cream
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup long grain white rice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In saucepan, bring half-and-half, white granulated sugar,
and salt to boil. Add rice and stir until combined. Bring
back to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer1 hour 15
minutes until thick and creamy. Remove from heat, stir
in vanilla extract and dried cherries. Let cool to room
temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
Pour whipping cream into a large bowl. With an electric
mixer on high speed, whip cream until noticeably thickened.
Add confectioners' sugar and continue beating
about 2 minutes. Fold half the sweetened whipped cream
into pudding. Use remaining whipped cream as a
topping for the pudding.
Note: If you must, you may substitute milk for the
half-and-half, but the pudding will not be as rich
and creamy. Try experimenting with other dried fruits
such as raisins, currants, cranberries, blueberries,
or a mixture of  dried fruits. Makes 4 servings
---------------------
(I've made Monkey Bread before, but this is a new twist on
the old recipe - sounds really decadent & yummy!)

Hot Fudge-Marshmallow Monkey Bread

 1 T. butter, softened
 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle
      refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
 1 can (10.2 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle
      refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (5 biscuits)
 13 large marshmallows
 1/2 C. butter
 1/2 C. hot fudge ice cream topping
 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
 1 C. sugar
 1 T. baking cocoa

Preheat oven 350°F.
Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with 1 T.
butter. Cut all 13 biscuits into quarters; set aside.
In large microwavable bowl, place marshmallows,
1/2 C. butter, hot fudge topping and vanilla.
Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes
stirring once, until melted. Using wire whisk, stir
until smooth. In medium bowl, stir sugar and cocoa
until blended.Carefully place 1/4 of the biscuit pieces
into hot chocolate mixture, gently folding in to coat.
Add another 1/4 of the biscuits, gently folding in to
coat. Using tongs, remove biscuits from chocolate,
letting excess chocolate drip off. Drop 1 biscuit piece
at a time into sugar mixture; spoon sugar over biscuit
to coat. Layer biscuits in cake pan. Repeat with
remaining biscuits. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture
over biscuits.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until biscuits
are deep golden and no longer doughy in center. Cool
in pan 5 minutes.Place heatproof serving plate upside
down over pan; carefully turn plate and pan over.
Remove pan; immediately scrape any remaining topping
in pan onto bread. Pull apart warm bread to serve.
NOTE: Using fresh marshmallows is key to the success
of this recipe.
(recipe: Joan - 1_Comfort_Foods_Digest)
--------------------------
HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

1 cup onion, diced
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Kraft Cracker Barrel sharp cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 (2 lb.) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 to 1 cup potato chips or corn flakes

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Stir together well the diced onion, sour cream or yogurt,
grated cheese, thinly sliced butter, and Cream of Chicken
soup. Add the hash browns and mix well. Spread this mixture
evenly in a casserole dish and top with crushed chips or
corn flakes. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
---------------------------------
Crockpot Taco Casserole

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
9 (5-1/2-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
8 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans black beans
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 small can corn
1 (2-1/4 oz.) can chopped black olives, drained
Sour cream

Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large skillet brown ground beef with onion and garlic.
Drain well. Stir in taco seasoning, salt and pepper.
Place three tortillas in bottom of the crockpot.
Top with beef mixture, broth, tomato sauce and enchilada
sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. of the cheese, layer three
more tortillas. Top with beans, corn, chilies, half of
the olives and 1/2 C. cheese. Top with remaining three
tortillas, sprinkle with remaining cheese and
olives. Cook on high for 2.5 to 3 hours or on low
for 6 to 7 hours. Uncover crockpot for last 30 minutes
of cooking time. Serve with sour cream.
(recipe: Trish - Cream Cheese/Sour Cream digest)
=====================================
It's been a wild week but I'm finally 'coming around' - Oh!
In my 'down time' yesterday (read that as: "Before Grandson
Arrived") I managed to do the 'finishing touches' (sew on
pockets &crochet borders) on three more Ghana Project
afghans. Current total count on afghans done for that: 283.
Now that all of my baby shower knitting is done I plan on
tacklingmore of the afghans and getting them ready to deliver
some time in June. With that project, it's a 'never-ending'
thing - I still have tons of knitted/crocheted donated
squares to put together. Just got a lovely email from
a church group in another state who wanted to start
donating for the project and I had to nicely tell them
Thanks, but not now - I just can't seem to sew them
together as fast as people want to make MORE squares!
I know - that's a good thing, right? (and yes, I've
heard the "why don't you enlist your knit group in
sewing them?" but I've heard them saying, many times,
"The thing I hate MOST about knitting/crochet is having
to sew the projects together" so I know they just aren't
interested. It's OK - when I started this project I told
the Lord I'd keep on doing it until either He took me home
or I just couldn't do it any longer - so it looks like
I'm 'in it' for the long haul. I really don't mind.

Hope your week and coming weekend are just great!

Big Hugs;
Pammie

The Constantly Changing Schedule

Yep, it’s “Life in the Fast Lane” again this week; several scheduling changes (and re-changes) going on. Earlier in the week I was to fix dinner for a friend who’s husband has been in the hospital ICU for several weeks; not a problem – made a large chicken salad (her request) with homemade garlic bread the evening before only to get the email that her husband died that night. The next day (Tuesday) I wasn’t sure just what to do – call there, go over  or what – tried calling and it went immediately to their machine so I just went. Turns out it was ‘perfect timing’ – they were just getting ready to go to the funeral home to make arrangements and had totally forgotten about me bringing dinner – that worked out just great (Thank you, Lord!). The funeral was this morning and I’ve never been to a shorter service – sad. The wife is a good friend in my knit group and I’m really hoping our members will be extra generous this coming week – I’ve emailed them asking for a cash donation as this family is (and has been) in a very serious financial situation.

Yesterday found us babysitting our grandson all day – that was a bit of a surprise (they came 1/2 hour early) – I thought he had school, turns out they were out of school for TWO weeks Spring break, so that left me with trying to figure out how to keep him amused for an entire day (10:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.). I took him with me to the grocery store and to make a quick trip to pay a bill (that killed about an hour). We rented the movie: “Tangled” (the ‘new’ version of Rapunzle) and we watched it – it was cute/typical Disney. He played with blocks, cars & trucks  and puzzles – we got through the day. I was happily surprised when he ate a huge slice of my homemade pizza (he’s lately been getting picky about eating).

This coming Tuesday’s schedule has been a bit of a ‘bone of contention’ for me – our youngest’s Color Guard Parent’s Show was supposed to be this past Tuesday evening – that would have been just great! We didn’t have anything else on the calendar for THAT night! Change of plans – now it’s scheduled for THIS COMING Tuesday night (my Knit Night!). First it was supposed to be 6:30 p.m. and I made other arrangements with another member for her to be there extra early so that I could unlock the church, set up the coffee stuff & goodies, turn on the lights & up the heat then go to the show while she ‘held down the fort’ until more members came (don’t want to leave the church unlocked and empty while I’m gone).  Then they changed it to 6 p.m. – and shortly thereafter it got changed to 7 p.m.! Will they just cut it out and decide??? I still have to contact the ‘helpful’ member and tell her what time I NOW need her there – crazy! At least youngest son can get a ride to the school – they want HIM there at 6 p.m. (our knit group starts at 6:30).  I guess, if I really think about it, 7 p.m. will work out for me – I can get to the church early and ‘do my thing’ then swing back home to get my husband so we can see the show (it’s only supposed to be about 1/2 hour, total including the Drum Line show!) then I can drop husband back at home and go wrap up the knit group. The only ‘down’ thing for me is this is the night I planned on doing the money donation for our friend who just lost her husband, so will have to have enough time to get that worked out – SIGH . . . big time. (my husband’s comment was:  “Just cancel knit night – you KNOW you can!” . . . NO, I DON’T know I can . . . too many other people involved to just cancel at MY whim!) I know it will all work out – just a bit stressful (as usual for me).

Upcoming in the next few weeks is the Easter preparations for our church Easter breakfast and church service. For the past 3 years my husband and I have helped with the breakfast, me getting to church early Saturday for ‘food prep’ and then helping serving the food that morning before the service – not a problem. This year I signed up for the food prep early Saturday totally forgetting that I have a baby shower (the one I’ve been working on the baby blanket for) that same day at 3:30 . . . not remembering that there’s also the LAST choir practice that night before the Easter program the next morning! ROLLER SKATES! I’ll be needing roller skates to get it all done on time! Am thinking of asking just what time is the food prep Sat. morning before deciding if I’m going to be doing that as well as the shower & choir practice. It wouldn’t be so bad EXCEPT that our church is 25 minutes from our house, the baby shower is about equal that distance from the church and then repeat that with me going back to church for the choir practice . . . WOOF! Lots of running and lots of GAS! We’ll see just how this all plays out.  Am down to just finishing the crocheted border on the afghan; have 3 pairs of baby booties done to go with it. A while back a friend gave me a bag with some donated yarns and semi-finished knitted items in it. In the bag was a really cute yellow baby sweater, minus it’s sleeves. I’m not a good pattern follower but when I looked over the sweater, it’s enough finished for me to be able to just crochet cap sleeves on it, crochet a chain fastener to use as a button closure and then buy a cute button to go on it and VOILA! It’s a done deal! It will go well with the other knit items for the shower! (the baby will be living in Florida so it doesn’t really need a heavy long-sleeved sweater – this one will work just fine!).

Well, that’s what’s going on around here lately. Busy, busy, busy! It’s kind of nice knowing that (other than the funeral) I don’t really have anything planned for today.  Started reading Kitty Kelly’s book “The Royals” – haven’t gotten very far into it yet; I remember the big ‘stir’ it caused when it first came out years ago – will see if it’s good enough to finish or just return to the library. Today is a gloomy, grey and semi-rainy day (43 degrees F.)  so might just be the perfect setting for getting cozy in my recliner with an blanket, my vanilla-scented candle burning and a book to read – we’ll see!

Hope you’re enjoying your day – our only sign of Spring so far is some white and purple crocus (which sort of look like they’ve been frozen – their petals are thin and limp). Spring is just around the corner! (wish the weather would act like it, too!!!)

Hugs;

Pammie

“Special Afghan” Follow-up

As I posted earlier we were able to deliver the special afghan to our friends. Today she wrote a special blog concerning the group’s gift:

http://myjewelthief.typepad.com/myjewelthief_knits/2011/04/hearts-from-the-heart.html

At her site you can see a more detailed selection of photos of the afghan plus a very neat photo of her husband resting on his afghan. On his stomach is the LVAD machine (Left Ventricular Assisting Device) the machine that’s keeping his heart working until such time as he can be put on a heart transplant list.

It’s always great to know that something you did/created/took a small part in helped someone else get through a very tough time in their life.

Just wanted to share;

Hugs;

Pammie