Revealing

I remember very clearly the moment when my sister, Reva, told me she and Michael were going to be married. I'd met him once or twice, but not really gotten a chance to get to know him well. But I'd seen the way he looks at her, the way he treats her like she's the most amazing person ever and the way they sort of revolve around each other. I was so happy for them!



Then I got to thinking about ways I could express my love and happiness. I wanted to give them something unique, something no one else would give them. I didn't want to pick something off a gift registry (although I will admit to buying a bridal shower gift off the registry), so I turned to my favorite hobbies.



I was kicking around Ravelry.com (if you knit or crochet or have any interest in either, I can't recommend this site enough) when I saw "IT." In that moment, I knew this was the one, the gift I really wanted to give them. IT was an afghan made up of columns of alternating cables. One patterns is called the XOXO cable and is exactly what it sounds like - stacked X's and O's, made by cabling. The second cable is far more complex and appears to have several strands weaving in and around each other, with "rings" made by wrapping the yarn around the cables. I don't know what the name of this cable is, but it is gorgeous.








So here it is, the big reveal. I was so excited to give it to them that I failed to take any better pictures. LOL So please imagine this with the ends all woven in and blocked enough to straighten the edges. The color is a bit deeper green in real life, with just a hint of grey.

Below are some interesting tidbits about the afghan, so read on, if you're curious.

Started March 30, 2010, completed knitting on August 17, 2010, finished weaving in ends and blocking on September 13, 2010.

Total time to knit: 4.5 months

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease (wool and acrylic blend) in color #177, Loden

Needles: 40 inch bamboo circular needles in size #10

Yarn used: 13.5 balls of yarn or 1.58 miles

Stitches per row: 296

Finished size: 4 feet wide by just shy of 6 feet long


Times Pookie and I snuggled under it, in progress, to read: countless


You may recall that several times during the making of this afghan, I was cranky about it. I got overwhelmed quite a few times and nearly gave up on it once or twice. But each time I got fed up with it, I reminded myself that this was meant to be an expression of my feelings for my sister and her new husband, that it wasn't always easy, but it would be worth it.

It's kind of funny, I hadn't considered how much my family would have to give for this project, too. When I was ready to start, I figured out (with Bryant's help) how many rows I'd need to finish each day to be done with the knitting before our vacation Labor Day weekend. And some days I made my goal, but some days, life got in the way. As the wedding got closer, I had to put up to 8 rows a day into it, leaving me very little time for anything else. I can't tell you how many times The Boy made dinner or Scooter helped Midge with his schoolwork and any number of other similar situations. So while I did the actual knitting, every single person in this family helped. And no one complained. They all seemed to understand how important this project was.

And when I put that very last stitch in place, my heart swelled with pride. I'd actually finished a massive project! I'd actually mastered this complex cable on only the second project I'd ever used cables on (the first being a pair of socks for my Gram last year - not a lot of cables and nothing complex there)!

So Reva and Michael, I hope this blanket will keep your bodies warm and the love and happiness I knit into it will keep your hearts warm. We love you.

Menu Plan

I probably should have posted this earlier in the day, but I've been busy and am just now getting some sit down time with my computer (I'd actually typed this morning's post yesterday).

A while ago I asked you guys how you felt about structured blog posting and the general consensus seemed to be that you wanted some structure, some randomness. To that end, I'd like to start doing a menu plan post on Mondays and a recipe or two on Wednesdays. We'll see how that goes for a couple of weeks and make changes as necessary.

So here's my menu plan for this week (bear in mind that I do my menu planning two weeks at a time, but I'll be posting only the current week's plan).

Monday:
B - Cereal or eggs, milk
L - Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
D - BLTs and fresh veggies, blondies

Tuesday:
B - Skillet Breakfast
L - Broccoli Casserole
D - Brats, potato salad, baby carrots

Wednesday:
B - Pizza
L - Cold veggie pizza (the kind on crescent roll dough with the cream cheese "sauce" layer)
D - Pepperoni Rolls, chips
I know, unhealthy in the extreme, but we enjoy the occasional all pizza day.

Thursday:
B - Eggs to order, toast, milk
L - Grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh broccoli florets
D - Mini cheeseburgers, cole slaw, chips

Friday:
B - Lazy Granola, craisins, milk
L - Stir-fried green beans
D - Spaghetti, broccoli, garlic toast

Saturday:
B - Eggs/toast or cereal, milk
L - Pizza
D - Bean and sausage mush, fries (this is much better than it's name would suggest)

Sunday:
B - Cinnamon Bun Pancakes
L - Sandwiches
D - Sweet and sour meatballs over brown rice

I do allow the kids to substitute one meal a day, if they don't like something I'm making, but only if I've made it before and they haven't liked it or if they try two bites before deciding they don't want it. We do not allow them to simply say they don't want something, they are required to try it (and we hold ourselves to that rule as well).

It's pretty rare that they sub for dinner, but occasionally they do at lunchtime. Midge is especially picky, so he likes to eat pb & j whenever I'm making anything he's not sure of (or anything that involves potatoes, as he doesn't like them unless they're Frenched and fried).

So there you have it. Hope you all enjoyed this little glimpse into our eating habits (although, this is a particularly unhealthy set of menus, so please don't judge). Let me know if you are interested in any of the recipes.

Release

You might not know this about me, but I'm a very emotional girl; I feel things deeply and cry often. However, if the situation calls for it, I can hide my emotions or choke them back enough to get through. I may go days or even weeks with that knot of pent up emotion hiding deep inside, growing a little bigger each time I swallow my feelings.


Life will go on and I'll deal with things as they come. I'll easily handle things like Pookie falling down the stairs and needing minor medical attention, having to call the furnace guy because the damn thing won't light (again) or having my favorite 9 X 13 Pyrex dish shattered.


I'll laugh at Pookie's crazy 4-year old logic, trade snarky comments with The Boy while we race in Mario Kart and generally just enjoy my life, forgetting about that ever-growing ball of emotions.


But then I'll drop a stitch while knitting or my floss will tangle as I'm stitching or I'll burn a batch of cookies and all those emotions come rushing back to the surface. This morning, it was a broken bottle of nail polish. I didn't cut myself or spill polish all over, I simply cracked the bottle and my heart cracked, too. I sat on my kitchen floor and cried out all the stresses of the past few weeks. Then I cried because my baby looked more like a man than a boy when he was standing up (in a tux!!) at my baby sister's wedding (and when did she get old enough to be married?). I cried out every little bit of pent up fear, anger, uncertainty and stress I'd been holding onto.

And when I was done I could breathe deeply again.

Seasoning Life

Garlic Bread Seasoning

1/2 C powdered Parmesan cheese (like the stuff in the green jar)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp parsley flakes

Combine these and mix them well (no one wants a big mouthful of garlic powder). Store in an airtight container. I use a lot of this, so I make a huge batch and store it in a well cleaned salsa jar. When I get low, I just dump a bunch more in and shake it up to mix the old with the new.

My two favorite uses for this are in pizza sauce (recipe below) and on garlic toast. I slice up a couple loaves of French bread and spread on a mix of softened butter and this seasoning. Sprinkle on a little mozzarella and stick those slices under the broiler for a minute or two and they make the perfect side dish! I also use this seasoning to make garlic breadsticks, seasoned pizza crust, etc...

Pizza Sauce

6 oz tomato paste
6 oz water (just use the empty tomato paste can)
3 Tbsp garlic bread seasoning
1 tsp granulated sugar or honey
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Empty tomato paste into a mixing bowl and slowly add water while whisking to combine. Add remaining ingredients and whisk again to combine. Allow to sit until ready to use. Makes enough for two average size pizzas.

I usually just whip this up before I start working with my pizza dough (either frozen and thawed or quick dough). I let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes, but a little less or more won't make a difference. This does refrigerate pretty well, so if you don't need the whole thing, store the rest up to a week or freeze for up to three months. It's also great as a dip for breadsticks or pepperoni rolls, if you heat it up or serve at room temperature.

Taco Seasoning

4 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp paprika (I use sweet Spanish paprika, but feel free to use whatever you like or have on hand)
2 Tbsp cumin
4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine all and store in an airtight container.

I use 1 Tbsp per pound of meat, but feel free to use more if you like more spice.

Fajita Seasoning

1 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 1/2 - 3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chicken or beef bouillon granules
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin

Mix all and store in an airtight container. Again, I use about 1 Tbsp per pound of meat.

This seasoning is good on chicken, beef and pork. I'm sure you can use it on other kinds of meat, those are just the ones I've tried. I almost always make this with chicken bouillon, regardless of the kind of meat I'm going to use. The chicken flavor is mild enough that it just blends in.

So there you have it - my favorite spice mix recipes. I hope you'll try these out and tweak them to fit your taste buds and those of your family.

Um, yeah...

So I had the kids doing some artwork today and when I was looking over it, I had to smile. Pookie draws the most ridiculously adorable people - they have huge heads and crazy hair and he always draws feet, but rarely hands.

I noticed that one of his people was a bit, um, different than the rest. It was the typical big head, no hands person, but with a little something extra. When I asked him about it he said, "Oh, that's my penis. I wanted to draw it because I like it."

I nearly died laughing.

Unrelated Ramblings

I know, I know, I was supposed to post vacation pictures over the weekend... I got distracted.

And right now, I just don't feel like digging through those gazillion photos, so instead, I'm going to write about completely unrelated things.

The Project: Those of you who know me well are aware that The Project has taken up the vast majority of the last six months of my life. On a daily basis I spent up to five hours on it (and that's in addition to school, chores, cooking and the rest of my regular life) and finally, after what felt like a million years, it is complete. I'm not going to reveal it quite yet, though, and I'll tell you why - because I'm just too stinking busy! Between the usual stuff and Bryant's job change and my baby sister's wedding and everything else, I simply don't have the time to write a post that would do justice to such a large and deeply personal project. I expect to be posting about it early next week, so please be patient just a tiny bit longer.

Knitting: I started a scarf for myself - it's a farrow rib pattern, so very simple and squishable! The yarn is gorgeous, a deep purple that shows flecks of reds and blues when the sunlight catches it. But, then I put that on the back burner for two reasons. 1. I'm not a scarf person. I just don't feel comfortable in them. I think they're quite beautiful and some people (Mandie and Reva, I'm looking at you) make them look effortlessly stylish. I'm just not one of those people. 2. I have what might be considered a mountain of gift knitting to get done, some for Christmas, some for other occasions.

And, behind all of those other projects, I still have Zoe's socks going. They sit in my Mario lunchbox, waiting to be grabbed on the way out the door. They're perfect grab and go knitting, so they travel with us quite a bit. They've been to the beach, to Mayfield, several parks and Bryant's office this summer. One of them is ready to have the heel turned, the other is still in the leg portion, but they are both coming along nicely. I suppose one of these days I should just sit down and focus on them - I could probably have them done in a weekend if I focus.

Cross Stitch: When I finished The Project, I headed straight back to my first crafty love - cross stitch. I'm currently working my way through the "Amid Amish Life" trio from Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, 1987. No, I'm not a procrastinator...

I have finished the first one, "Hanging the Quilts" and am currently working on the second smaller panel, "Tending the Garden." The two outer panels are the same size, about 9 X 14. The center panel, "Visiting the Neighbors," is 14 X 14 - I haven't started that one yet, although I did buy enough fabric to do all three. I'm probably about a third of the way through the second one, so I feel like I'm making good progress.

Cooking/Baking: I've tried a few new recipes lately, but nothing really worth posting. I made crusty baguettes, but they weren't as good as I would have liked, so the quest continues for a perfect recipe.

I got up a few days ago and realized I was completely out of taco seasoning, fajita seasoning and nearly out of garlic bread seasoning (I have no idea why that was on my mind first thing in the morning) so I mixed up some more of each. By the way, do any of you use a homemade blend of seasonings for those things? Or other things? I love blending ingredients myself - I can control the sodium level, which is super important to me and I can tweak the spices to create a blend that's perfect for my family. If anyone's interested in the recipes I use, leave a comment and I'll post them.

School: I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about it lately, like our current system just isn't doing it anymore. And that's something I love about homeschooling - I can change it up whenever I need to. So I'm looking at a few options, little things that I think might make it a little smoother and easier for all of us.

The Boy, by the way, is doing extremely well with his new school. He's completed his first subject with an overall grade of "A" and is halfway through his second subject with a cumulative grade of 100%! Go ahead and take a moment to imagine my proud Mom face...

Reading: I'm currently reading "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Actually, the copy we have includes the first 5 books from the increasingly incorrectly named trilogy - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Young Zaphod Plays it Safe. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend at least giving it a shot. Douglas Adams' sense of humor is highly developed and his writing style is unique.

This book is one of Bryant's favorites and in reading it, I've found that I "get" so many of his jokes that I didn't understand before. Things he's been saying for years make so much more sense and are hilarious now!

All the rest: I've been feeling kind of funky lately. Not really bad, just off a bit. At first I thought I was getting sick, now I think I might just be mental. So if I come off as slightly nuts, just nod and smile.

Vacation, Day One

We planned to leave home about 7 for our vacation, so last Thursday the kids got all their clothes for the trip laid out (please ignore all the stuff under the edge of the heaters - I rarely take the covers off to clean them in the summertime).

We hit the road right at 7, munching on Pop Tarts and OJ on the way. The drive was uneventful and we arrived in Mackinac City at 9:30 AM. While we waited for the shops to open we found a small play area for the kids. Just after 10, we started through the Maze of Mirrors - it was so much fun! Bryant stayed outside and I took the kids in, holding Pookie's hand so he didn't freak out. The kids all had a tremendous amount of fun in there and Pookie particularly liked the distortion mirrors at the end. He loved seeing himself overly tall and slim, short and fat, with a huge head and with a huge caboose (something the rest of us don't enjoy quite as much).

We stopped at a store called Enchanted Knights, just across from the Maze of Mirrors. This store is amazing! They sell full suits of armor, swords, knives, dragon statues (big and small), as well as D & D paraphernalia and lots of other "nerd" toys. Scooter found the perfect souvenir for herself - the bunny from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's all cute and snow white, but when you squeeze the clamp to open it's mouth, it's all blood red and full of pointy teeth! She loves it!!

I took the little boys outside to wait while she and The Boy finished shopping and when they came out, Bryant held his hand out in front of me. He'd bought me a ring - a mood ring, to be specific. I've wanted one for years, but it seems like such a silly little thing and a waste of money. I probably never would have bought one for myself, so I absolutely love that he bought it for me - and the ring itself is gorgeous! At first it appears to just be a simple band, but if you look closer, the part that changes colors has sort of random swirls in it, giving it a lot of depth and interest. I tried to take a photo of it, but have you ever tried to take a picture of your own hand? It's surprisingly difficult to get a flattering shot...

We drove to St. Ignace for lunch, just a quick stop at a franchise restaurant we know we like. Then we headed to Sault Ste. Marie to get settled at the hotel. We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, which was pretty nice for what it was. We weren't expecting a luxury hotel, but it was quite clean and the staff were friendly (and they made sure we got adjoining rooms, just like we asked for). They let us check in three hours before the scheduled check-in time, since our room was ready.

After we settled in for a bit we walked around Sault Ste. Marie. We went to a park and then got ice cream.

Yeah, don't be like me. Remember to reset your ISO after you've been taking pictures inside the house at night. LOL

After we played and ate ice cream we headed back to the hotel for some slack-time. We agreed to let the kids watch television while we were at the hotel because it's a vacation, they should get to do something they can't do at home. They were super excited to watch new episodes of Scooby-Doo.

We went to a place called Great Wall for dinner since we all enjoy Chinese food. Unfortunately, it was awful! The price was insane and the food was not great. The food wasn't really even good. It was a disappointment, but not a big deal.

We headed back to the hotel after dinner. We snuggled up and watched television until we were all ready for bed. Pookie did really well that night - he barely banged his head and the other kids all slept quite well.

I'll be writing more about our vacation over the weekend, so keep an eye out for those posts. I've got a gazillion and one pictures to share, as well.

Uncomfortable Conversations

Most everyone knows that if you're trying to keep the conversation cool and casual, you stay away from sex, politics and religion. Those topics are a minefield and will likely cause at least one explosion.



But, did you know there's another topic that is so fraught with danger it should be avoided by all but the most confident and aggressive debaters? I very nearly didn't write this post for fear of opening a can of worms by talking about my feelings on this subject.



Yes, I'm talking about...



about....



*cue the dramatic music*



about brownies.



It seems that most everyone has a love/hate relationship with brownies. They love certain kinds and hate the rest. For instance, some people like cakey brownies, some prefer fudgey. Some people love tons of nuts in them, others can't stand even a single fleck of nut. Some prefer them frosted or flavored by add-ins, while still others prefer a simpler brownie. And that doesn't even take into account people with special diets (sugar free, gluten free, etc...)!



Below is my favorite brownie recipe. It makes cakey brownies with a thin crust across the top (that I adore). These are, in my opinion, the perfect brownie. I've added coarsely chopped mint Hershey Kisses, various nuts, peanut butter chips, caramel or peanut butter swirl and M & Ms, all with excellent results!



Now, I'm not saying that my recipe is perfect for everyone or that my way is the only "right" way to do things. I'm simply saying that for me, these are it. I keep the ingredients on hand and can whip out a batch in half an hour (longer cooking time if I'm doing a double batch, which I usually do).



I have cheated on my recipe a few times to make specialty brownies such as Shortbread Brownies or Irish Cream Brownies, but I always come back to this recipe. I've even gone so far as to adapt other recipes to fit these brownies, like the recipe I found for Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. I didn't want to use a box mix or follow the actual recipe, so I made my brownies and used the recipe as a guide to achieve the peanut butter cup-ness I was going for. And let me tell you something - those little bites of peanut butter and chocolate heaven were amazing!



This recipe is also special to our family for another reason. Bryant's mother gave him a binder filled with handwritten recipes for everything from various pie crusts (his grandmother's recipe) to egg casseroles and appetizers/party foods. Tucked in the middle, this recipe almost didn't catch my eye. It's only a few ingredients and the directions only take up a couple of lines, some of which are smooshed down into the margin and written quite small.



I'm so glad I took the time to try this recipe!



Ronna's Brownies

2/3 C sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 C butter (for the love of all that is good and right in the world, please use real butter)

2 sq. unsweetened baking chocolate

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla



Sift flour together with baking powder and salt (I don't actually sift them, I just mix them up well with a fork), set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or in a saucepan set in a larger pan with an inch or so of water - just get the water to a simmer, but don't let any water get into the chocolate pan). In a large bowl, beat the eggs well and gradually add the sugar, mixing very well. Temper the eggs by adding a bit of chocolate and stirring them together. Add in the rest of the chocolate and stir well. Mix in flour and then vanilla. Bake in a greased 9 X 9 pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 25 minutes. Cool in pan.

I often make a double batch in a 9 X 13, baking them for 35-40 minutes. If you choose to add anything in, do so after adding in the flour mixture.

I won't be offended if you don't try these, I know they aren't for everyone and most people already have a favorite recipe. But, if you're in the mood for brownies and you want to try something new, give these a shot. They won't disappoint.

There's no place like home

Sorry for the bloggy silence here lately - we were on vacation! I'll post more details over the rest of this week, but here's the overview:

Friday: We drove to Sault Ste. Marie (with a few stops along the way), got settled in at the hotel and let the kids watch commercial television while we rested up for the busy weekend ahead.

Saturday: Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point - the whole day was spent on soaking in as much of the natural beauty and history of the area as we could.

Sunday: We stuck around Sault Ste. Marie and went to a couple of museums, saw the locks, hit all the tourist-traps and basically wore ourselves out.

Monday: Got up before the sun and drove back to the Bridge so The Boy, Scooter and I could participate in the 53rd Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk. Then it was time to end the vacation and head home - where we all collapsed of exhaustion.

Essentials

As a Swiss Army Wife, it's my job to be prepared for any circumstance and I take my job quite seriously. For those of you who know me well, this isn't a surprise. My purse contains everything from the typical fingernail clippers and checkbook to a less common flashlight and multi-tool.

As a parent, I am trying to teach my children to think ahead. Before leaving the house, I tell them to ask themselves what they might need on a normal day. Then, what they might need if something goes wrong. And what might not be necessary, but would make the trip a little smoother.

We no longer need a diaper bag, but we do still take a few things with us. We call it the travel bag and it's a perfect grab-and-go solution. For us, a backpack works best. It has plenty of space (you know, for when I'm being a little obsessive and want to pack every single thing we own, just in case), is easy to carry and they come in a wide variety of colors and styles.

Our travel bag includes (but is not limited to) a change of clothes for Pookie, sunblock, a travel size first-aid kit, Tylenol (kid and adult varieties), Germ-X, a small packet of wet wipes, half a dozen or so Hot Wheels cars, a few small books, notepaper and pen/pencils, a deck of cards, the odd field guide or identification book (for trees, flowers, birds, insects, frogs, rocks, etc...) and we nearly always toss a handful of granola bars in on our way out the door.

So my question to you, dear readers, is this: What are your essential items?