Snowing lightly outside right now

I have no idea what the evening hours will bring.  So far, it’s just snowing lightly and accumulating a little bit.  Right now, it’s nothing to worry about, but eventually, the snow will become heavier and the winds will get stronger and we will get one heck of a snowstorm.  We could possibly get a foot of snow and will probably have a snow day for school tomorrow.  I don’t get to stay home, because I have to work at my clinic job, but I bet the clinic closes early, too.  We’ll have to wait and see.

I finally found my Lands End sweatpants.  I haven’t known where they were, for months and with the cold weather upon us, I wanted an extra option to wear to my school job, to keep me warm, since we are outside with first graders, for 20-25 minutes.  I’m so happy!

I need to get caught up on my dishcloth pictures.  Some on my camera need to be downloaded.  I”m so behind.

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Wordless Wednesday

wordless2

Lakefront on 7-15-09

Wordless Wednesday

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Trying to catch up now!

We had a great 4th of July, spending most of the day with friends. We watched the parade, then went to my girlfriend’s house for a cookout. We ate yummy burgers and then went outside to make and eat s’mores. In the afternoon, we went to a short patriotic play, poking fun at the electoral process, ate Chinese for supper and then went to the fireworks.

We’ve also been watching a monarch caterpillar, in the house. Yesterday, he changed into a chrysalis and we missed it! One moment, it still looked like a caterpillar and later, he was green! LOL! We know more, what to watch for now, and will pay closer attention!

I also needed to get caught up on posting my KAL dishcloths. I had both May and June cloths to post here! I’ve just been so busy.

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Yummy Summer Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad with Blueberries

Blueberry Vinegar:

1 cup fresh blueberries
2 cups white vinegar
2 T. sugar

Salad:

1 (9-oz) pkg. frozen French-cut green beans, thawed
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts(about 1-1/2 lbs.)
3 cups cooked spiral pasta (cooked without salt or fat)
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup, plus 2 T. plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup plus 1 T. reduced-calorie mayonnaise
3 T. blueberry vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Lettuce leaves (opt.)

Blueberry vinegar: Place blueberries in a sterilized 1-qt. glass jar. Combine vinegar and sugar in a non-aluminum saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour vinegar mixture over blueberries. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 days. Strain blueberry mixture through several layers of cheesecloth into decorative jars; discard blueberries. Seal jars with a cork or other airtight lid. Yield: 2 cups

Salad: Place green beans between paper towels and squeeze until barely moist. Combine green beans, chicken, pasta, blueberries, celery, green onion and oregano in a large bowl. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, blueberry vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl; stir well. Pour over chicken mixture; mix gently. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (about 1-1/2 cups)

Cooking Light March 1995 (I think.  Can’t find magazine issue anymore and can’t verify online, either.)

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American Girl Addy’s Recipes

I was in a panic tonight, when I couldn’t find the recipes online anywhere.  Then I remembered that I had the original recipes saved in my recipe box.  Sometimes I forget it’s there and I should remember, because there are lots of yummy recipes in it!

Addy’s Ice Cream (came with the ice cream freezer)

Ingredients:

4 T. whipping cream
1 tsp sugar

Equipment and supplies:

measuring spoons and cups
spoons
2 cups ice cubes
plastic bag
towel
hammer
salt

Directions:

1. Wash the canister, lid and dasher in warm, soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly and allow them to dry completely.

2. Keep the whipping cream in the refrigerator until right before you need it. Measure the 4 tablespoons of whipping cream into a measuring cup and add the sugar. Stir the mixture until all the sugar dissolves.

3. Insert the dasher into the canister and pour in the whipping cream and sugar mixture. Cover the canister with the lid and place it in the wooden bucket. Put the canister and bucket in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place 2 cups of ice cubes in a plastic bag. Wrap a towel around the bag and crush the ice by hitting it with a hammer. Keep crushing the ice until it is broken into very small pieces.

5. Remove the canister and bucket from the freezer. With a spoon, pack a 1/2-inch high layer of crushed ice around the canister. Sprinkle a layer of salt over the ice.

6. Alternate layers of ice and salt until they reach the top of the canister.

7. Attach the wooden crosspiece and crank of the ice cream freezer.

8. Tun the crank rapidly. Keep turning until it becomes difficult. to turn (about 10-15 minutes). Remove the canister from the bucket and wipe the salt ice from it.

9. Open the canister, remove the dasher, and spoon the contents into a dish.  Your ice cream is ready to eat. It’ll be softer than store-bought ice cream — but delicious.

Makes about 4 tablespoons of ice cream

LOL! It’s a lot of work for 4 tablespoons of ice cream, but we did it once and it was good!

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We also have the cast iron spider, for making Sweet Potato Pudding.  I recall that was delicious, too!  LOL!

Sweet Potato Pudding

Addy and her mother used the recipe on the front to make sweet potato pudding. Try their recipe or use this modern version for baking your own pudding.

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes or yams, boiled until tender
1/3 cup butter
2 T. white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Shortening to grease baking dish

Equipment:

2 large mixing bowls
Vegetable peeler
Fork
Large wooden spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
12″ by 8″ baking dish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. When the boiled sweet potatoes are cool, peel them and put them in a mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork.

3. In the other large mixing bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Beat until creamy.

4. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and stir until well mixed.

5. Slowly add the beaten egg, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until well mixed.

6. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and stir.

7. Grease the glass baking dish and pour in the mixture.

8. Put the baking dish on the lower rack in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until set. Allow the pudding to cool before serving.

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Addy’s Spider:

You can make a pudding for Addy, too. First season the her spider according to the directions on the back of this card. Mix up the modern recipe for sweet potato pudding. At step seven, put some of the mixture into the greased spider, too. Put the spider on a cookie sheet in the top rack of the oven. Bake Addy’s little pudding at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until set.  Be careful when you take the spider out of the oven. It will be very hot.

Seasoning the Spider:

Ask an adult to help you season the spider before you use it the first time. Seasoning helps prevent rust.

Here’s what to do:

1. Use mild soapy water to wash the spider. Rinse and dry.

2. Put the spider on a cookie sheet in a 300-degree oven until the pan is warm, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove the spider from the oven. Spread solid vegetable shortening over every part of the pan, inside and outside, with a paper towel.

4. Put the spider back in the oven for 45 minutes.

5. Remove the spider from the oven. Be careful because it will be very hot. Let it cool for a few mintues and then, whilte it’s still warm, wipe off the shortening with a paper towel.

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Addy’s original recipe

Peel and grate three sweet potatoes, pour on them nearly a pint of cold water, add flour, large spoonfuls of brown sugar, one large spoonful of butter, season with ginger. Bake for about 3 hours. (copied from recipe card that came with spider)

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Yay! Smoking ban coming to WI!

I”m so excited. Restaurants and bars will have to be non-smoking, as of July 2010. Why so long? I have no idea. Seems we could stop smoking tomorrow and it wouldn”t hurt me at all. In fact, it would make me happy and healthy! I don”t go to bars, because I can”t stand the smoky air. I go to Perkins, but make sure they seat me FAR from the that infernal smoking room. Usually at Chili”s, we are behind the glass windows and protected from the cigarette smoke, but last time, we were closer to the aisle, so I was breathing smoke from the bar area. UGH! I will be beyond thrilled to be able to go out to eat, fresh after a shower, and not come out smoking like an ash tray. I will also be thrilled to be breathing cleaner air.

Unfortunately, the smoking ban won”t protect me from people who smoke in their cars, and then the smoke finds my car. Ugh. It won”t protect me, from people nearby, at the fireworks, who choose to smoke, too.

Personally, I don”t know how people can even afford to smoke. Cigarettes are expensive. I”m glad we don”t have to find room in our budget for them.

On a happier note, it”s a beautiful day in the neighborhood today! It”s in the 70”s and the sun is shining. It”s my favorite kind of weather! We still could have a chance of rain, but until about now, it”s been gorgeous! (Looks cloudy where I can see out the basement window.

Looking forward to my knit night tonight. Thought I would have my moebius finished but had less knitting time, than I thought I would. Oh well. That”s what I”ll be working on. I have two dishcloths I need to photograph. Should take my camera upstairs with me, when I go pick up Emily from school.

Yummy Bean Veggie Wrap from Funky Bean for lunch today. I haven”t had one in a while. Took about 20 minutes to drive there, wait for the order, and drive home. Should have called in my order first and then drove over there! LOL! Next time, I”ll try to remember that.

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Mid-April KAL and Some Flower Pictures

The mid-April KAL was called April Showers and designed by Deborah C. Tilley. It does look like falling rain. The yarn is Sugar””””n Cream Faded Denim and was knit on US 6 needles.  My Moebius wrap is getting ever wider and getting closer to being done.  The picture here was taken on 4-24-09, but I””””ve made significant progress since then.  The kids had a blast dying eggs on Easter Sunday, before Sarah went back to school.  The eggs were boiled on the Saturday before, but we ran out of time, then. I””””ve also enjoyed watching the flowers grow and bloom.

We are hoping that the flu passes us by. So far we””””ve been lucky, although Emily and I recently had colds.  Mine is still here, but getting better everyday.  So far, Gary has still been healthy.  Emily is hoping they DON”T have a “flu-cation” from school.  She thinks it””””s bad enough that we have to make up the wintry days on June 12th and June 15th.

Today, the sun is shining and the temperature is in the high 50””””s, which is a huge improvement over last week””””s rain. A few blocks from us, a sewer collapsed, so a major intersection is going to closed off for a month.  Ugh. I hope the time goes fast.

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Finished Dishcloths

Wow, it doesn’t take long to get behind here! I have 5 dishcloths to post.

  • February – Kiss Me (hot purple in Bernat handicrafter yarn on US 7 needles – Lisa Millan of Digknitty)
  • Mid-February – Circle Cloth (Tan Sugar’n Cream and Fiesta Peaches & Creme on US 7 needles – Hakucho)
  • March – Pot O’ Gold (Yellow Peaches & Creme on US 7 needles – Emily Jagos)
  • Mid-March – The Windmill Dishcloth (Aqua Mist Peaches & Cream and Teal Sugar’n Cream on US 7 needles – Sew-Funky)
  • April – Illusion Egg Hunt (White Peaches & Creme, Light green Peaches & Creme, Hot Purple Bernat Handicrafter on US 7 needles – Deborah C. Tilley)

Also, since we happened to be driving through Fond Du Lac today, and stopped at Animal Outfitters to buy some Sam’s Yams sweet potato treats.  Jasmine’s Gotcha Day is in 2 weeks and we wanted to get her a special treat.  You can see that she enjoyed her slice of dehydrated sweet potato.  It is crunchy and has ridges, so it’s supposed to help keep teeth clean.

Sarah got a new cellphone today.  It’s an LG Banter.  It looks pretty neat and takes awesome pictures.  She will have fun with it.

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Tinkering with the blog again

Was trying to get my header image to link back to the front page of the blog and I kept messing everything up. I’ve spent way too much time tinkering with it. Maybe now I can get back to knitting my April dishcloth, and/or cleaning out the fridge, since it is garbage day tomorrow. I did already pick up after the dog, so that’s not staring me in the face, or the bottom of my shoes.

It’s so cold out today. We did reach the 40′s, but that chilly northeast wind took away any semblance of warmth, that that temp might have had. Brrr. DH had to shoot pictures at a soccer game and was just complaining how cold he was. Standing out at recess was no fun, either. I wonder when spring will actually come.

The tulips keep getting bigger and the grape hyacinths are getting more purple by the day. Just imagine the leaves and the green grass we could have, if it would only warm up. Emily and I have planted a whole slew of things to go outside, in May: Zinnias, Cosmos, Coleus, Fennel, Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Lettuce, Poppies, and some others. We also bought some dahlias (pinkish/purple and white) and some Centerfold Lilies, also to go outside, when it’s a bit warmer. I can’t wait!

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Band trip

So, last week, Emily was in Florida. They left for Orlando around 6am on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 to make the 26-hour bus trip. She had fun taking pictures, all the way down there, and at Disney. They were supposed to get to Orlando around 9am Thursday morning and get to have the whole day at the Magic Kingdom. Emily even rode Space Mountain twice! On Friday, they performed a concert. Since it was the first concert of the season, all the bigwigs were there. I hope they sounded good. Then the rest of the day, they were at Magic Kingdom. On Saturday, they went to Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). She had fun there, too, and almost rode Tower of Terror, but chickened out at the last minute. Then at 7:30pm, they left for the LONG bus ride home. I was in a panic all day Sunday, because there was bad weather in Missouri and Illinois and we had bad weather here, too, with some snow and wind. Fortunately, they arrived home safe and sound around 8:30pm central time. What she remembers most about Disney, was how nice all the employees were. She said they all were so happy.

This week has been hard, because Emily has been trying to get caught up with stuff she missed and panicking when she checks Edline and sees less than “A’s”. LOL! Then going to bed frustrated because it all seemed so hopeless. So, she is down to just making up a test, that she will get done on Monday, so she is much more relaxed now.

Also, the solo and ensemble music festival is tomorrow. She is doing a flute solo, flute duet, and flute choir. I think she will be very happy when that’s all done, too.

Last night, she used my Tranquil Mint body wash and I heated up a hot pack for her neck with lavender and oatmeal in it, to help her relax. She was so wound up last night. I just felt so bad.

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