Yarn Stash

Well, here's my true confessions moment.  This is Yarnageddon.  The Stash.  The Wooly Mammoth.  The reason I am no longer buying yarn.  (Until the pile is gone....)

In my defense, I work with senior's and a lot of this yarn has been given to me by dear little ladies who can no longer wield the hook or needles.  Who can turn down good yarn?  Not me, obviously.

I finished the wool-eater afghan last night, (six skeins gone!)  and am considering my options at the moment.  I found some beautiful black mohair in the pile, and think my next project will be a scarf for Jackie, Stacey's mum, who is visiting from Moncton right now.

Happy Hooking!

Recipe - Egg in a Hat

This recipe is as humble as it gets.  My youngest loves this dish beyond reason, and used to sneak down to Grandma's house and ask her to make him one.  Also known as 'Toad in a Hole' by some, but as one wise 12 year old said last night, who wants to eat a toad?

All you need is eggs, bread and butter.  Along with a frying pan of course, and a small round cookie cutter or very small glass.

Butter the bread generously on both sides.  Cut out a circle from the middle of the bread.  Place on a hot frying pan, and crack an egg into the middle of the bread.  Don't forget to nestle in the little rounds of buttered bread in your pan as well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Fry for a while on one side, then flip to the other side and let it cook a little longer.  When both sides are golden brown, slide it on to your plate, and top the egg with the bread round (or hat).  I usually cook eight at a time on my big griddle, which is non stick, so the butter on the bread is enough to fry the egg.  If you're using a frying pan or cast iron pan, it probably wouldn't hurt to throw a little butter in the pan before you add the bread and eggs.   

If you are very health conscious, you can fry the egg in a ring of sliced green or red pepper.  Very pretty.  I'll stick with the original, though!

**Disclaimer - The eight servings on the griddle are not just for me! 

Tip Tuesday - S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g your Fabric Softener

My brother always used to say 'hard times in the Maritimes' whenever he'd catch me complaining about something.  Well, it's hard times all over right now, and any way I can make things stretch and last a little longer is a good thing! 

Here's a tip for making liquid fabric softener last a loooong time.  Instead of pouring in a capful during the rinse cycle, grab an old cloth or mismatched sock, and dab a splash of fabric softener on it.  Then throw it in the dryer - voila!  Instant dryer sheet!  I can make a bottle of fabric softener last for a really, really long time doing this.  Another tip for fabric softener is to cut your dryer sheets in half, to make a box last twice as long. 

If you're one of those super organized types, write the date you open a bottle or box of detergent, dryer sheets or fabric softener.  Then you can figure out roughly how much you consume, and use that for long term storage calculations. 

Laundry is boring, but important.  I have a sign in my laundry room that says:

"Laundry Today or Naked Tomorrow"

Truer words were never spoken.

Family Activity - Reminiscing

It's important for kids to have a sense of belonging, and one way to instill that in them is by sharing family stories.  A connection with their parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents can be made by sharing family stories.  If you're lucky, you'll have old photos to go through with them, which trigger lots of memories.  Another good way to reminisce is by topic, such as:  games we played at recess, how we got to school, what we ate for lunch, who our best friend was, what our nickname was, what was our favorite book as a child, etcetera.  I've taken groups of seniors (80+) to meet with grade 1 classes, and it's amazing how the children are interested in finding out what was different about their childhoods, and what was the same (apparently ring and run/ding dong ditch spans the generations!)  Making links between the generations is very important.  It helps children to have deep roots.  Have fun, and reminisce with your children!

Review-Granny Square Love by Sarah London

My dear mother sent me a Chapters gift card for Christmas, so I got to browse through the book store, which is always fun.  I decided on this book, Granny Square Love, by Sarah London.  So far I have made her pattern for a hot water bottle cover, and I love it! It's a very bright colored book, she is not afraid of color, which has been giving me courage to try bolder color combinations.  There are patterns for seat covers, pillow cushions, a tea cozy, afghans, and many many more.  If you are hunkered down for the winter and have odds and ends of yarn in your stash, this is the project book for you! 

Catching Up At Home

During Christmas (and for a short while afterwards) I took a break from the blogosphere to focus on family and home.  This is a little catch up post to let you all know what's been going on.  Above is a picture I took of our two apple trees in the back yard, and it turned out all silvery, thanks to one of those handy phone apps!  This is where the bird feeders are stationed, and I get a lot of pleasure from feeding and watching the winter birds in our yard.  They like our yard because we have allergies, which means no cats and dogs.

While we were decorating our Christmas tree, one of the kids snapped this picture.  I only discovered it later, but I really liked it!  We had a great Christmas, lots of good food and family fun.

During a trip to Calgary in mid December, we drove by the unfinished Calgary Temple, and Scott snapped this photo.  I can't wait until it's finished!  This Temple has the most amazing view of the foothills and Rocky Mountains.  Breathtaking, actually.

Also in December, Scott and I went to see the Messiah at the Winspear!  Amazing concert, and the conductor, Bill Eddings (I think) was highly entertaining.  They played the complete Messiah, which they don't usually do (in previous years it's been selections from...), which made for a long concert, but following along with the scriptural references they handed out was a very moving experience.

It's January now, so I'm cleaning out closets, making resolutions (I love the word resolve), and (hope springs eternal) have bought my first packet of garden seeds. 

I am also working my way through my yarn stash.  I am currently making this aptly named wool-eater afghan.  You can find the pattern at www.sarahlondon.wordpress.com.  The color choice is rather unimaginative, but as mentioned previously, I have taken a solemn vow to buy no new yarn until I have worked through my existing collection.  So, pink and cream yarn I have lots of, therefore I am making a pink and cream afghan.  I have also made a hot water bottle cover, three scarves, one dishcloth, a net shopping bag, and a book mark.  And barely a dent has been made in the pile.  I think I need a name for my stash.  Something that big is worthy of a name.  Yarnageddon?  The Wooly Mammoth?  George?  Hmmm, I guess I'll have to think about it.  Happy blogging, everyone!

Tuesday Tip Day - Ironing

Here's a great tip for ironing from one of my friends.  When your ironing board cover starts to look worse for wear (scorch marks) and you're thinking of replacing it, keep the old ironing board cover on and just pop the new one on top of it.  It adds extra cushion for the board.  If you keep doing this over the years, you'll end up with a pretty nice pad for your ironing board.  (I have three covers on my board now.)  Waste not,want not, people. 

Playing in the Snow

I hope everyone in the northern hemisphere is enjoying the winter weather, and I envy everyone in the southern hemisphere who is (I am sure) basking in the sun and gardening and swimming and.......

Here's a friendly little fellow one of my boys made a few weeks ago, aptly named 'Snowy'. 

All in One Christmas Post - Recipes, Scrapbooking Ideas, Fun Links, Tips......

Well, my friends, the countdown is on and there's lots for all the Mrs. Claus' to do.  In the spirit of gettin' it done and keepin' it real, this is an all in one Christmas-palooza post.  So, here goes....

Recipe:  Raisin Clusters

1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups raisins

Line baking sheet with buttered wax paper.  Set aside.  Melt chocolate with milk and vanilla in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat when melted.  Stir in raisins.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet.  Refrigerate until firm.  Store in fridge in container between layers of wax paper.  Makes 30 clusters.  This is my dad's very favorite Christmas treat.

Tip of the Week:

If you're making chocolate cakes or cup cakes this season, try dusting the greased cake pans with cocoa instead of flour.  No white flour marks on the cake - yay!

Family Activity:  Christmas ABC Scrapbook

  This is one I'm going to start in the New Year, it's an old idea I've had in my Christmas File for over a decade.  Basically, all the Christmas cards that you've kept through the years can be added to an ABC scrapbook.  Get a nice big scrapbook and make sure it has at least 26 pages in it.  Label each page A-Z with the following verses:

A is for angels, with halos so bright, whose carols were heard on that first Christmas Night.
B is for baby, that Christ child so dear, We celebrate Christmas, His Birthday, each year.
C is for Candles that so brightly shine, To give a warm welcome to your friends and mine.
D is for doorway with garlands of green, To make Christmas merry for as far as they're seen.
E is for evergreen garlands galore, We hang at our window, fireplace and door.
F is for fun the whole season long, From trimming the tree, to singing a song.
G is for greetings, a merry hello- With a heart full of love for people we know.
H is for holly with berries so red, To make into wreaths to hang overhead.
I is for ice on white covered hills, Where sledding is fun along with the spills.
J is for jingle bells merrily ringing To the whole world, joy they are bringing.
K is for Kris Kringle, so merrily he stands.  He is who they call Santa, in ours and many lands.
L is for lantern, I'm sure that their light Helped Mary and Joseph, on that first Christmas night.
M is for Mary, her heart full of love For her little son Jesus who came from above.
N is for Noel the angels did sing To herald the birth of Jesus, our King.
O is for ornaments, so shiny and bright, With lights on the tree, they sparkle at night.
P is for packages, presents so gay, All around the tree for our Christmas Day.
Q is for quiet Christmas Eve night, With snow covered hills glistening so bright.
R is for red, the color so gay, That makes all things bright on that one special day!
S is for shepherds who first saw the star Over Behtlehem's manger and followed it far.
T is for trees we decorate so gay, They wait for old Santa to hurry our way.
U is for universe, the whole wide world, Where Christmas means joy to each boy and girl.
V is for Vixen, the lively reindeer.  He always helps Santa deliver toys each year.
W is for wisemen who brought gifts so rare, and fell down and worshipped the Christ child there.
X is for excitement, the best day of the year, We can all hardly wait until it is here.
Y is for young children who love Christmas so, Who teach its true meaning by the love that they show.
Z is for Zeal, real excitement and fun.  May this book help to bring a "Merry Christmas" to everyone!

This is a project to be brought out every Christmas season.  Keep the Christmas cards you receive every year alongside the scrapbook, so whenever little people get restless, you can get them to look through the cards and find new pictures to add to each scrapbook page.  Warning:  this scrapbook is not for moms to obsess over, it is a yearly activity for the kids, so please put your perfectionism aside!  (Unless you want to do one for yourself, of course.  Kind of like how dads should have their own kub kar/pinewood derby car all for themselves.)

Home and Garden:  It's Yarn Season for me.  I can't go outside and dig in the dirt, so I play with yarn and drool over seed catalogues.  Here's a link to one of my favorite crochet pattern websites, it's pretty comprehensive:  Crochet Pattern Central .  I've made two cute hats already and am working on a Mobius Granny Scarf right now.  Confession:  I drooled over yarn at Michael's yesterday, then reminded myself of the pact I have made to abstain from buying yarn until I have used up my current stock, which is shocking.  I think I have enough yarn to cover a bus.  Did you know there are yarn ninjas out there who do yarn grafitti?  Maybe Beaumont will discover a yarn activist when I run out of people to cover in granny squares........

Review:  The Graphics Fairy

This isn't so much a review as a big thank you to The Graphics Fairy.  Her site is amazing, and filled with free vintage clip art and absolutely cute craft projects.  I am in awe.....

Family Inspiration: 

This was written by Toni Young of Calgary many many years ago:

"Remember---

What children really want for Christmas is a warm and close family celebration and a few carefully chosen gifts from people who care about them.

Build up to Christmas has been lengthened, but its ending has been cut short.  When the gifts have been unwrapped, Christmas is over and children are left dazed and bewildered. 

When parents have family celebrations, kids learn there's more fun to Christmas than just unwrapping gifts.  When children have exciting family activities to look forward to, before and after the present-opening, gifts start taking their rightrful place in the festivities."

 

Let It Snow

                              It doesn't take much snow for a little flake to have fun!!

Scrooge - 1970 (Albert Finney)

This is my husband's favorite Christmas movie of all time.  Albert Finney plays the title role in Scrooge.  It's a musical version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, so you all know the story.  What makes this movie special is the music, one great show tune after another.  And the best ghost of Christmas present ever!  Plus, Alec Guinness is really funny as Jacob Marley. Our favorite song is "Thank You Very Much", and I tried to link it here from Youtube, but I'm having technical problems with that site, so go check it out if you have the chance. 

Red Berries Covered in Snow

Just as I am decorating for Christmas inside our cozy little house, Mother Nature is also getting festive outside.  Here's a picture I took with my phone a few days ago.  Hope you're all enjoying getting ready for Christmas as well!

Candy Cane Cookies

The other night we were having a vote to see which cookies I would make for Christmas this year, and hands down this is the winner.  Our children absolutely love these cookies.  My mother made these when I was a child, and we always left one of these on the plate for the guy in the red suit, and my children do as well.

Candy Cane Cookies

375 degrees F.
8-10 minutes

Sift together three cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt.  Cream together 1/2 cup shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Add 2 eggs, one at a time, to the creamed mixture.  Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 cup milk.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Divide the dough in half, and to one half mix in 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring.  Mix well.  Shape into candy canes by pinching off a 1" ball of both white and red dough.  Roll each piece of dough out into a snake, take the ends of the dough, and twist together into the shape of a candy cane.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees F.  Let cool a bit first, and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Be careful taking them off the sheet, they'll snap.  If the dough seems a little dry, add a tablespoon more of milk if necessary.

How do you keep from chasing that ball of yarn?

Since snow is on the ground, my interest has turned to the huge collection of yarn I have.  My project is to work my way through it as fast as possible, as I have taken a solemn vow to abstain from buying yarn until I have used up what I have.  Other people have a thing for buying fabric, for me it's yarn.  There you go.

I work with seniors during the week, and one very aged Ukrainian lady named Mary D. loved to knit, but due to lack of agility had given up on chasing balls of yarn around.  Her solution was to get a small mixing bowl and put the ball of yarn in the bowl at her feet.  The yarn was free to turn around as she yanked on it, but never left the bowl.  Voila! 

"Love Notes"

Christmas is all about traditions, and here's a nice simple one that our family loves.  We don't always wait for Christmas to do this activity, because it's always nice to hear kind things.

All you need is an envelope for each family member with their name written on it, and slips of paper for each member of the family (for example, there are seven of us, so each individual would need six slips of paper).  Pass the papers and a pencil or pen around, and have each member of the family write down something they love about everyone in the family.  When you're finished, put the correct slips of paper (labelled with the individual's names) in their envelope, and set it aside until Christmas Eve.  Then everyone can get their envelope and read how much they are loved!

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

I made this dessert Sunday evening, after digging through my old recipe box for something winter-y.  It was very satisfying, and filled my need for gingerbread and caramel sauce all at once.  I can't give credit for this one, as it is one of those old cards that's been in the box for over a decade.

Gingerbread Pudding Cake:

Mix together:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream together:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar

In a mixing cup mix together:
1 cup molasses
1 cup water.

Alternately mix the creamed butter and the molasses water into the dry mixture.  Spread in 13x9 inch pan.  Sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar.  Pour 1 1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1/3 cup melted butter over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-55 minutes or until tests done.  Serve warm.  Cake will rise to the top and sauce will be on the bottom.

I like it with good vanilla ice cream.  Yum!

12 Days of Christmas Ring and Run



It's that time of year again, time to plan the annual Christmas Ring and Run.  We've done this for the last two years in a row, and it's lots of fun to ding dong ditch and run like the wind!  Here's the list that our family uses, there's lots of variations out there on the wide world of web.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…a partridge in a pear tree. Sorry, but we can’t find the partridge, so we are giving you some pears from the tree the partridge flew away from. (attach to a can of pears)
ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…two turtle doves…but don’t’ have any…will candy turtles with a bar of Dove soap do? (attach note to a box or plate of caramel turtles w/ a boxed bar of Dove soap.)
ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…three French hens…well, we don’t have any French hens, so we’re giving you some chicken noodle soup, compliments of the three French hens. (attach to can of chicken noodle soup).
ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…four calling birds…we can’t find those calling birds though! Here are 4 messages they left for you before they flew off! (attach to 4 messages describing what a wonderful person they are)
ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…five golden rings, but sorry, we’re too poor for golden rings, but will some golden pineapple rings do? (attach to can of pineapple rings)
ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…six geese a laying, but we know you don’t really want the mess of six geese all over your house, do you? How about some eggs that they left behind! (attach to a half dozen eggs)
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…seven swans a swimming! OK, we looked for the swans, but couldn’t find them, but we did find some bubble bath they used while they were swimming! (attach to bottle of bubble bath)
ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…eight maids a-milking. Here is some milk we got from the eight maids — we think they must have been milking some brown cows! (attach to a container of chocolate milk)
ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…nine ladies dancing…Here are some canes used by the nine ladies who were out dancing all night! (attach to a nine candy canes)
ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS: your true love gave to you…ten lords-a-leapin’ – here is some “Ben Gay”, which is highly recommended by the ten Lords we saw out jumping around. (attach to a package of Ben Gay rubbing lotion)
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…eleven pipers piping, so here is a pipe of your own, have fun with it, but don’t “blow” the whole day! (attach to a bubble pipe and bubble solution)
ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…twelve drummers drumming, but we figured twelve drummers drumming would take up way too much room, so we drummed up some cookies for you…hope they keep this from being just another hum-”drum” day for you! (attach to a plate of cookies)

We have adapted this list a bit.  For example, on the first day, I always start scouting for a little inexpensive bird ornament and buy some nice real pears instead of canned ones.  On day two I send along chocolate Dove candy and chocolate Turtles.  For the five golden rings, we like to use the big candy Ring Pops.  For day ten, really, who wants to get Ben Gay?  I can't remember what I substituted last year, but I know I didn't send along any Ben Gay or Rub-A535.  Anyway, this is lots of fun, it's a challenge to not get caught twelve days in a row.  Remember to start on December 13th!

Tips - Grandma's Apron

I am wearing an apron right now.  Are you?  I wear aprons every day, because I have learned the hard way the importance of protecting my clothes.  A girl I work with knows this about me, and she brought in a copy of this little story about Grandma's Apron that I thought I'd share with you today.

Grandma's Apron

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears…
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men-folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.
Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I never caught anything from an apron…But Love. (Author Unknown)

In the spirit of 'Keepin' It Real'

In the spirit of 'Keepin' It Real", here's a little confession.  Last time (ok, the last two times) we had a big Cub ceremony where the boys had to wear their sashes, I stapled Josh's badges on to his sash.  *Blush* 

I'd do it again, too.

Carving Angels - Review

My friend, Diane, wrote this wonderful book.  I have been looking forward to reading it for quite a while, and it's turn finally came.  (Sometime I'll take a picture of the 'to be read' pile that's often on my bedside table.)

Carving Angels is a sweet Christmas tale about a retired elf named Papa Adam.  Papa Adam was once the chief woodcarver at Santa's workshop, but lost his vision, retired, and has been living a quiet life.  His little granddaughter brings him a piece of wood one day, and challenges him to pick up his tools once again, despite his handicap.  The two embark on a wonderful journey of discovery that leads them to save Christmas.

This is a lovely story, and Papa Adam's tale of rediscovering his talents and finding out that he still has something to contribute was very inspiring.  I work with senior citizens, and so I recognized the sadness and frustration that Papa Adam felt at feeling like he no longer had a purpose.  Everyone needs to have something to work at, and a reason to get up in the morning. 

Diane, thanks for writing this beautiful story of faith and courage in overcoming obstacles!

Check out Diane's delightful blog at On The Border.