Knitting & Losing

December 30, 2007

My sleep schedule is all messed up and I'm feeling out of sorts because of it. Yesterday we got up late, I didn't get cleaned up and dressed until 2 p.m. I did the grocery shopping, it was good to get out for awhile. Then we made Beef Fiorino which I was hungry for (recipe to follow). After dinner I was so tired and wanted to nap for just 1 hour. But it ended up being a 3 hr. nap and I've decided I'm not a good napper. Not for the 20 minute power nap anyway. Or even an hour nap. So then I was up and couldn't get to bed.

Beef Fiorino

1 round steak or top round steak, trimmed of fat
bacon, about 3-4 slices, fried and crumbled
2 cups minute rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can mushroom pieces, with liquid
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley

Cook bacon in large pan, take out to cool and crumbled. Season round steak
with salt and pepper on both sides and over high heat, brown steak, about 2-3
minutes on each side. Place round steak on cookie sheet with large piece
of heavy duty foil on top. Mix rice with all other ingredients and place this
mixture on top of steak. If there is too much rice, put leftover in a separate
baking dish. Wrap steak around rice and seal not too tightly. Bake at 350 for 1
hour.

I've found podcasts and I'm loving them. I got an ipod Nano for Christmas and I guess I've heard about podcasts but really didn't get it until now. I've been downloading meditations and knitting podcasts and I have some guided meditations that I'm really enjoying. One is specifically for weight loss and emotional eating. So, if you know of any cool podcasts, please leave me a comment re: that, I'd love to know about it.

The plan for New Years Eve is to go to my best bud's house and we're going to have a Prime Rib dinner with her famous garlic bread and then we're going to sit in the jacuzzi with some champagne! Ohh, I can not wait.

I have to work tomorrow and I'll be alone which is fine with me. It will be very quiet I am sure.

I finished the possum merino foliage hat on Friday evening but I haven't taken pics yet. It's a tad big, but that is OK with me because I don't particularly like hats that are binding. I'll post pics later.

I've been thinking about what I want in the year 2008. I really do not want to make resolutions, they don't work, but there are goals and things I am still working on.

The biggest being my weightloss, that is an ongoing thing for me. Another thing I decided is that any socks that I make are going to be for ME! Yep, I've decided to be a selfish knitter. I have one pair of my own handknitted socks and they have seen better days. So this is going to be the year of socks for Mitchypoo! I may work on hats or scarfs or other small items for others, but the socks are mine! I'll have to start a log I think.

It's also going to be a year of decluttering and I'm going to start going thru my boxes in the garage from my move over 2 years ago. Time to decide what stays and what goes.

I also have some business ventures that I want to work on and start. It's going to be a great 2008! I just feel it!

Happy New Year to all of you! I wish you a happy and blessed 2008!

Labels: recipe

December 27, 2007

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.
Lose a lot of weight, the majority of my weight.
Set up an online yarn store.

Soup
With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?
Tweety Bird

Salad
What time of day (or night) were you born?
I was born at 5:16 a.m. on a Sunday.

Main Course
Tell us something special about your hometown.
I live near beautiful hills.

Dessert
If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?
A personal letter from Oprah would be cool.

Labels: Friday's Feast

Thursday Thirteen #40

Thirteen things Mitchypoo received for Christmas! My thankful list.

An Ipod Nano in "Blue" but it's really my favorite aqua color! I'm having so much fun with it!
A Mary Engelbreit wall calendar.
A spa set that has a neck wrap, heated slippers and hand mitts. Very cool.
2 plaid flannel nightgowns.
A Cashmina robe.
A gold flat snap wallet.
A silver and turquoise ring. A work of art.
The book, Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl McPhee.
A CD~ Frank by Amy Winehouse.
A pink and gold bag. I am thinking I'll use it as a laptop case.
Cat slippers.
Chanel No.5 perfume
LAMB L perfume by Gwen Stefani

...and there was more! I am blessed! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! And it isn't about what you got or how much, it has nothing to do with that, it's the feeling you get, the love you give.

Labels: Christmas, Thursday13

December 26, 2007

A Very Merry Christmas!

Before the destruction ensued.

We put the tamales on the stove to steam while we opened gifts. Then I made a pot of Jingle Bell Java with the beans that my Coffee Swap pal Janice sent and that was good coffee. We also opened a bottle of champagne and put a sliced peach in each glass.

Here's Mamacita looking at her very own cookbook that I put together for her with a lot of her favorite recipes. This was the project I worked on because I had a deadline to get it in time for Christmas. Mamacita said it was the greatest present she ever got. I am so impressed with this company and it's what I've been looking for for Mom. Her copy has 57 of her recipes and each book you purchase you can add 100 recipes. The quality of the book is really nice. Check it out at Tastebook.

Do you think Gary got a lot of gifts?

Here's some of the aftermath and Gary got a beer making kit! He's making beer next weekend!

Tommy made himself comfortable on the wrappings.

I love this kind of mess! Santa was really generous!

And this was our Christmas dinner! Mamacita outdid herself again. We had the perfect prime rib, cooked to perfection, crisp on the outside and medium rare on the inside.

She also made us twice baked gorgonzola baked potatoes, corn and wheat rolls and a lovely Napa Valley Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon.

We really missed Dad again this Christmas but we talked about him a lot and knew how happy he would be about the great Christmas that we had.

Christmas Eve we made our trip to my Aunt and Uncle's and we had a lot of fun. There were about 17 of us there and we had a Bad Santa Exchange that was fun and then some regular gift openings. Great food, I enjoyed seeing everyone and someone I hadn't seen in years, Annie. She is my cousin's ex-sil, long story but I hadn't seen her in about 15 years so it was great to catch up.

Then Christmas day was exactly what I had hoped for. I stayed in my jammies all day after gift opening. The whole Christmas morning was really special. Then we had our tamales for breakfast and then we played with our new toys. Santa was really nice to me. I got an ipod nano in a cool turquoise color and I just love it. I've been busy downloading podcasts and my new CD by Amy Winehouse, Frank. I also got a spa set, a wallet, Chanel No. 5 perfume, Lamb L Perfume by Gwen Stefani, 2 flannel nightgowns (flannel is my favorite!) and a cashmina robe! There was also a Meditations for Women who Knit Too Much by the Yarn Harlot, a Cat Encyclopedia, a Book all about Christmas including history, recipes, craft ideas, you name it. I got a really cool silver and turquoise ring that is just a work of art, I tried to take pics, but they didn't come out good, so I'll try again, you just have to see it, it's amazing. There was much more and I'm very blessed.

I couldn't help but be a little glad that all the hoopla is now over. But I'm already planning what I want to do for next year!

Labels: cats, Christmas, Pics

December 21, 2007

Today I give myself permission to be prosperous.

There was no post today for Friday's Feast which I'm kind of bummed about...oh well...Merry Christmas! They should tell you before Friday, or find someone else who'd like to come up with questions. For God's sakes, it's like 5 questions...how difficult is that?

Mamacita and I had some homemade yummy pasta last night for dinner. She cooked up some rotelli and small tube shaped pasta together and then we added a store bought sauce... it's Vodka sauce, I think it was this one. We just heated it on the stove, drained the pasta, added the sauce and stirred. We put it in a bowl, added some Parmesan cheese and it was yummy! No meat was needed to complete the meal. We did have some steamed veggies with it.

I also had eggnog last night! Talk about putting you in the spirit, I was making a cheesecake and drinking warm eggnog with Glenfidditch in it! Yum!

Will the day ever end? Geez....it's dragging and all I want to do is leave, pick up my brother and go home and wrap presents. I'm trying to still be in the spirit at work, but it's hard. I did bring in a gift for my bosses and I brought them a coconut cream cheesecake. I gave my guy boss a pair of my knit socks and he really seemed to like them. I gave my girl boss a entrelac scarf and she seemed underwhelmed. It was kind of disappointing to me. She said something like, "how did you know I needed a new scarf"... but I guess I just thought she'd like it more. Here's a link to the scarf if you are on ravelry (and want to see if it's fugly and that's why she reacted that way). I think it's pretty, i guess maybe it wasn't her style, although I made it in that style especially for her. They gave me a card and some cash. It'll come in handy and I do appreciate it.

Oh my, oh my, I received one of Mamacita's gifts in the mail yesterday and I cannot wait to show you because it's something I've looked for and wanted to do for her for a long time and the actual product I found is soooo nice! But just in case she sees this blog I'll have to wait until after Christmas to tell you!

Aw, not fair....Mamacita gets to go home early today from work.....waaaaahhhhh!! I want to go home.

December 20, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #39

Thirteen things on Mitchypoo's Christmas list! (Not that I think Santa is bringing all of this, but it's a WISH list, right!?)

The yarn to make Fair Rosamund
A treadmill. (And the energy to start using it!)
This ring, given by the right man who is able and wanting to commit.
A little handbag.
A Table Loom!
All of this roving to spin!
A $500 gift card to Nordstrom.
This bed.
This boyfriend.
This body.
A Champagne Burmese.
A beach house with a separate room reserved for the cats.

13. and peace for all and for everyone to feel the Spirit of the Season.

Labels: Christmas, Thursday13

December 19, 2007

Crazy 8's ~ I've been tagged!

I have been tagged by Penelope! I don't remember ever being tagged so this is kind of cool. I'm a little reluctant to tag 8 people only because everyone is so busy right now but I think I will tag people with the caveat that if you want to and have the time, great, and if not, that's OK too. :)

Crazy Eights Tag

8 Things I’m passionate about

Knitting and all things knitty. I really want to find a way to make it into a profitable busines because this is a passion and I know I'd do well if I could share it.
Family. It's important to be involved and available for family. Someday I'd like to have my own family, whatever that ends up meaning.
Reading. I love to lose myself in a book, or learn something new.
Education. I do not think you have to have a degree necessarily but you can always learn things.
Losing Weight and getting healthy. I care about myself and my body and living a healthy lifestyle.
Cooking. I love it. I love learning about cooking techniques and new recipes and eating healthier.
Art. I love visual art, paintings, but I love textile art and the performance arts as well. If I went to get a higher degree I believe I'd get it in Art History.
Blogging~ I guess I'm passionate because I'm on the computer a lot and I like how blogging has enhanced my life.

8 Things I want to do before I die

Go to Venice, Italy and ride in a Gondola under the Bridge of Sighs with my love (whoever he is, I guess I haven't met him yet!)
Have my own business.
Go to Germany, my homeland.
Go to Paris. (guess I want to travel!)
Find a really decent man to share my years.
Have a Burmese cat.
Go to the Grand Canyon.
Have a beach house.

8 Things I often say

Shit!
Tom, knock it off!
Henry, stop scratching on the chair!!!!
Thank you for calling XYZ Company, This is Michele, how can I help you? (about a thousand times a day! or so it seems)
God bless America (Instead of saying GD)
Come on! (To irritating drivers.)
Did you let Intervention tape? (My favorite show.)

8 Books I’ve recently or currently reading

Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair by Laurie Perry
A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
Warriors #1, Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
Hungry Hill by Carole O'Malley Gaunt

8 Songs I could listen to over and over

Hotel California by the Eagles
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
My Love by Paul Mc Cartney
Love is a Losing Game by Amy Winehouse
Anything from Luther Vandross
Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley
A Broken Wing by Martina McBride
Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe by Barry White

8 Things that attract me to my best friends

Humor
Caring
Fun
Thoughtful
Sensitive
Good values.
Talkative
Honest

8 People I think should do Crazy 8s

Labels: tagged

The world is a work of art, and so am I.

Your Elf Name Is...

Baby Snowballer

What's" Your Elf Name?

Thank you, thank you to those of you that sent a cheery email to my friend Jul. She was so touched she did the happy cry. It meant a lot to her and if you are not sure what I'm talking about please read a couple posts back and send her an email if you have it in you! She said she didn't know there was really nice people left in this world. Now she does know they still exist.

December 18, 2007

Fair Rosamund

I found the blog that has a knit version of this beautiful sweater that I can not wait to knit! It's on the blog Stranded on Fair Isle...It's going to be my first project in the New Year. And it may take me all of 2008 to get it done, but we'll see, you never know, I might surprise you and get it done in a timely manner. The plan is to order the yarn in January for sure. Then I may do the scarf and tam to get used to the stranded fair isle knitting and then I'll start the sweater. OOOOOOhhhhh, I can't wait!

I've had too much wine tonight...i'm admitting it. Time for me to go to bed.

But first, here is some pics of finished projects that I wrapped up tonight for Christmas gifts!

Labels: knitting

December 17, 2007

Goodies in the mail...

I have a favor to ask...I have a friend who's having a really hard time right now. She's married and has 3 little girls and she lost her job today. Long story, but she was not expecting this and is really having a hard time. Would you consider sending her a note of cheer? She reads this blog periodically and she hears about all you bloggers and how cool you are and she's even learning how to knit and may join us someday, but I would love for her to know that she is being thought of. If you want to send her a note, please do so at krueger_julie@hotmail.com and you can put in the subject line, From a Friend of Mitchypoo... thank you!

Now, let me show you what my sweet Secret Pal Sassy from Knit, Sh ower and Shave sent me! I'm sorry it took me so long to post pics but I had so much going on this weekend I couldn't take pics until tonight. But would you look at my goodies, she said she was going to spoil me and wowsy, she sure did. K, first of all, there are 2 things not included in this pic because I took them to work. One is an adorable green felted box, perfect size for me to put my business cards in and there is this adorable pink ribbon around the top, it is just adorable. The other thing is a really cute holiday ornament snowman and that greets my customers. I love it! Then in the pic there is 3 skeins of a beautiful silver gray bamboo yarn from Plymouth yarn. I've wanted to knit bamboo and now I have the opportunity. It's such a pretty color and I think I'll have to find the perfect scarf pattern that will show off the yarn. The beautiful yellow, orange, light pink and light green yarn is The Painted Sheep Superwash Merino in the Foot Prints color. It's soft and squishy and I can't wait to knit me a pair of socks out of it! The blue skein is Trekking XXL from Germany and again, it's going to make a nice pair of socks! and THEN there is 3 skeins of Mille Colori from Lang Yarns in this beautiful teal, blue, purple color. I wish you could feel it. Then there is this really cute bag that I will definitely be using to pack a project with me and an adorable red Peace coffee mug that I'll be using soon and a Sundried Tomato Dip that looks yummy, I may take it with us to my Aunt and Uncle's for Christmas Eve. There is a Knitting Notes journal that I'm going to log my projects when I start because I forget. Then there is a cute pink journal and a monogram journal. And...a cute tin of Newman's Own Organics Wintergreen Mints.

And you know the best part about Sassy? She not only is a great pal, generous, sweet.....but she's really nice and I feel like I've made a friend. We seem to have a lot of things in common. Thank you Sassy, you are the best!

So I came home tonight and had a package from Ada in the Netherlands. It is her offering from the Pay It Forward offer. She is a soapmaker and I am so impressed! They all smell so pretty and one of them has coffee in it.

And so here is some varied pics I've taken lately. This is the beautiful pink poinsettia that Mamacita found. I just love it and it matches our tree just perfectly!

Here's some kitty pics of Tom and Henry

Labels: cats, Christmas, Pics, PIF, SP11

My body is always talking to me. Today I take the time to listen.

Busy, busy weekend! And expensive for my poor Mamacita! We had an early Christmas celebration with family friends Saturday afternoon/evening and while getting ready for that Saturday morning Mom had to run to the store. Then she called and she couldn't start her car. So I was going to go get her and then she called again and it started so she was on her way home. So she gets home and the car won't start, won't do anything and the car alarm wouldn't lock or open. I thought it was the car alarm, i tried to reset it. I did get it going, but the car wouldn't turn over. So we had to leave it go for now and get ready for our company. Then we started having plumbing problems, Mamacita was able to take a shower but when I did shortly after, the shower and toilet overflowed....over everything. So then I had to get out of the shower, I didn't even get my hair washed... and then we're sweeping this water out the front door and then my back started killing me from the twisting motion. We had to turn off the water. It was a mess, but we got thru the dinner, had a wonderful time actually. Mamacita made lasagne and we had my best bud's Julie's special garlic bread which is very tasty (read: fattening!) and a green salad, good wine and for dessert Mamacita made a coconut cream cheesecake. YUM!!

So Sunday we got a plumber in who fixed the drain, and although it was expensive the man was very nice and didn't charge Mamacita the $100.00 Sunday Service Charge and then we called AAA and they replaced her battery and all is good!

Mamacita and I went to a dinner together with a group last night, so it was dinner out again but I was able to make a good choice and even with all the eating and festivities I was down this morning on the scale! I had all the regular food but I watched my portions and I ate good early in the day so I could afford it. And last night at dinner I had a nice salad with steak on it. So it's your choices sometimes, not what you eat that makes the difference.

I realized last night that I did not knit all weekend....not one stitch!! And I miss it. My left hand is aching today and I must be having withdrawals or something. I have shopping to do tonight and blocking of some scarves and wrapping and..., so not sure when I'll get some knitting done. I'd sure like to finish Cherie Amour to wear for Christmas but not likely that that will happen. Unless I can find the knitting elves and ask them to help me!

We're getting cold temps and rain tomorrow....but I'm not complaining. No, sirree. I feel awful for those in the snow and cold and ice, the weather seems drastic this winter in some parts.

I have a surprise coming in February! Can't tell you just now...

December 14, 2007

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Make up a word and give us its definition. I made up the word "snowdoober" when I lived in Oregon. You know when it snows and you get the piles on top of fences that just top the posts....that's a snowdoober!

Soup

What is currently your favorite song? Love is a Losing Game by Amy Winehouse

Salad

What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year? An ipod or Knitpicks Harmony Wood Needle Set

Main Course

Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life. White Shoulders or Gardenia remind me of my Grandma Rick. I still have an old bottle of hers of White Shoulders, I'm sure it smells putrid by now.

Dessert

Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why? Andy Dick. He's annoying, that voice, he's not so nice to look at, he's not even funny. He's a perv and I see no reason he's in TV or entertainment as he isn't entertaining.

Labels: Friday's Feast

December 13, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #38

Thirteen things about Christmas that Mitchypoo loves!

Christmas carols, music. Tra la la! It's just cheery and it makes me feel good.
People are festive and decorate their houses with bright shiny things!
It tends to bring out the child in you. People wear funny hats to give out presents, people sing and act goofy. It gives you an excuse to be a goof.
Egg nog! I love egg nog even though it's not exactly good for you or health conscious. But I'll have mine hot and with some whiskey in it, thank you!
Tamales. It's the only time we really eat them, unless someone we know makes them at another time during the year. They are so good!
The Christmas Tree. It's so beautiful in the house, with the lights low and the Christmas lights on and the angel on top. So festive and pretty.
People are sentimental. I like how it usually brings out the best in people. They go out of their way to make someone else happy. Or they get so excited to find just the right gift for someone and delight in watching them open it.
You get to be with family. In our busy hustle bustle lives, sometimes we don't get to spend as much time as we want with family but over the holidays we get more time together.
Time for reflection. Time to think of why we really celebrate Christmas or the holidays and what it means to us. And being at the end of the year it makes you think of your past year and what you want in the coming year.
You get to write out a wish list and tell people what you would really like to receive! How cool is that!
Peanut brittle! It's the only time of the year that we make it and it doesn't feel like Christmas without it.
Seeing snow and winterscapes. It's pretty and all....but I'll pass on living in it! I'm a CA girl thru and thru.
Watching children, how excited they get when they have a present to unwrap and then they rip open the box and have to play with it.........NOW!! I love the look on their faces when they are in awe of something and so excited they don't know what to do with themselves!

Labels: Christmas, Thursday13

December 12, 2007

I love experiencing every age. I rejoice in each passing year.

I recently posted about Sinterklaas and I got to thinking about family traditions around the holidays. I had heard from my old boss that she was putting the shoes by the door for her grandkids and she would fill them with candy but I didn't know it was Sinterklaas. Now i know.

So we have 2 of our traditions for Christmas taken care of. The first is that I've ordered our tamales! I'm not sure when this started, I think it was when I worked at a place in the 80's and I did a lot of company functions and ordering of food and one of the girls had a sister who made tamales and we ordered them for work but I also ordered them for our Christmas Eve. And then the tradition became that on Christmas morning after opening our presents, we would have breakfast and it included the left over tamales. And so now, it's not Christmas morning unless we have tamales.

Last year I forgot...someone, I think it was my customer actually, asked if we had tamales for Christmas and I said....oh crap! I forgot to order them. It was like Christmas Eve eve and here is Mitchypoo running around all of East Los Angeles looking for tamales. It was no small feat. Someone told me about this place they use to go to all the time, they had great tamales, so I went there to find it was gone, it was a hair salon now....went to another place, they didn't have any more available. I kid you not, I went to about 4 places before I found somewhere, not our favorite place that had them, and so I took what I could get.

So this year, that same customer came in to make a payment last week, and she asked again, did you get tamales? Um.....no....but it's almost 3 weeks before and I had time, so I went that night after picking up Gary. I told him that we were on a tamale quest and we drove to our favorite place and I was able to order with no problem! So we have a half dozen beef with red chili and a half dozen pork with green chili and a half dozen green chili and cheese! I pick them up on the 22nd because the 23rd and 24th were booked. We in LA take our tamales seriously now, don't we!

So we'll take them and put them in a steamer pot, steam them for about 20-30 minutes and then enjoy! We'll have eggs, maybe a frittata or an egg bake, but the highlight for us is the tamales.

Our 2nd tradition is to have champagne with peaches! Mamacita already got the champagne, we just have to remember to chill it and we always have a can of sliced peaches. We get up Christmas morning, turn on the Christmas Tunes on Sirius channel on TV, turn on the lights, make a really nice pot of coffee (meaning freshly ground beans), open the bubbly, put in the peach slices........and THEN....we can open our gifts! When I was married, I carried on those traditions too and the ex loved it and it made me feel nostalgic and also a little home sick. And I usually got looped because he didn't really like champagne and I'd end up drinking the bottle because it was just us 2. So then the tradition included a serious nap after opening presents! :)

How do you like our pink tree?

Oh, my, look at the pattern I ordered! Is it gorgeous or what!?

I love this so much! I have to make it and it'll only cost about $200 for all the yarn and shipping if I buy this exact yarn which I think I want to do. That would be all the yarn for the sweater, tam and scarf! I saw this on a blog that for the life of me I cannot find and desperately want to because she made it and it is GORGEOUS. If I find it I'll post a link for you to take a look.

When I searched for a pic this came up, I think it was based on this painting. It looks like the drapery detail was incorporated into the trim design. I love this pic too. Hmmm, think I have some research to do. So next year is going to involve some fair isle knitting for me!

Labels: Christmas, Fair Rosamund, Pics

December 10, 2007

I'm a lucky girl!

Oh my! I had the nicest surprise when I got home tonight! A package, my final package from my super duper fantastic Secret Pal! It's Laurie or who I affectionately call Sassy. She TOTALLY spoiled me, I mean, the SP Gods were very nice to me! And I'm going to be a schlep and not show you my goodies right now, because I came home feeling like my arms have 20 lb. weight on them. I'm over tired and not feeling well. I have to go to bed, like now. But wait until you see, I'll let you know one thing - I have 8 new skeins of yarn! Yes, 8!! And it's all gorgeous and some that I've never used before but always wanted to. I can't wait to show you! I'll try tomorrow, promise. Thank you Sassy, you ROCK!!

Labels: SP11

December 8, 2007

My gift to you!

Mamacita made a yummy cookie today! We call them Monster Cookies and the recipe is from my Aunt Angie in Minnesota. Aren't they pretty?!

So my gift to you today is the recipe! And if you are a Weight Watcher, they are 4 points each! But worth it if you can fit it in.

Monster Cookies

POINTS® Value: 4 Servings: 74

Ingredients
6 large egg(s)

2 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, with salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, (OK to use salted butter)

2 cup sugar

2 cup unpacked brown sugar

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

4 tsp baking soda

9 cup Quaker Oats Quick Oats Cereal
1 bag M&M's Plain M&M's, Use Red & Green for the Holidays!
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

In a very large bowl, mix all ingredients in the order given. Drop on ungreased cookie sheets with a 2" ice cream scoop. Take a flat bottom glass and flatten them down before baking. Bake for 11-12 minutes at 350. Do not over bake. Makes 6 dozen large cookies. They like to burn easily, so watch after 10 minutes and adjust accordingly. Remove from oven, let them sit for a couple minutes before removing them.

Looky what the mailman brought me today! This is my black walnut yarn and I think I'll have to rename it as the phantom yarn. Because in this pic you see beautiful shades of maroon and red, right? But in real life it is browns and blacks and I do not see any red, wine, maroon, etc. It's still really beautiful yarn and I am trying to control myself and not start another pair of socks. I have so many projects on the needles and I'm working on my own sock pattern that I'm hoping to submit to someone who is starting an online mag. I let you know the details as soon as I do. She asked if I'd contribute and I'm so honored and excited to do so. And I can't wait to show you my pattern! There's so many good things going on right now!

And here's my cow Tom in his cat bed. The life of a cat. If I had a choice, I'd love to come back in life as a pampered cat. I mean really, you just eat and sleep all day!

Labels: cats, Pics, recipe

December 7, 2007

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased? I think it was Cafe Kakuro on my cell phone and I already requested a refund, I didn't like the game.

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe. The Catholic Church.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick? Dr.Phil. It seems like it would be a good place to be.

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way? That you cannot have a marriage without both of you involved and willing to grow and change.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room. I think I've been there before. It has the perfect dim lighting, soothing colors and a fountain to hear the water fall. There is soft mellow music, maybe some nature sounds like thunderstorms and there is a warm, soft bed to relax on. I have a cup of peppermint tea and I smell neroli oil.

December 6, 2007

Holiday Spirit!

I spent the day today listening to Holiday music and it's really put me in the spirit. Even though my boss is bah humbug and admits he's a grouch, he cannot take away my Spirit. And my Thursday Thirteen was about Sinterklaas and it seems everyone TT was about the holidays so I'm really feeling it.

Mamacita and I went shopping tonight and got some more things for our beautiful tree. We also got the kitties a Christmas hat and collar. Tom was not happy about it at all, but Henry was pretty good about it. I hope this remix plays for you so you can see our tree and some holiday cat pics!

I had an email today from my old boss in MN and she is starting a new business venture and she asked me to consider selling my scarves and knit wear thru her. How cool is that? The hardest part will be to figure out pricing. I just hate that part of it because I feel my work is worth something although I know you never get the full amount due and I want my family friend and myself to make money. So how do you do that? I have to work on it, figuring it out.

I think I maybe should start this post with..."My name is Michele and I am a yarnaholic". Go on....i hear you say it in your head, "Hi Michele". I broke my yarn diet and I succumbed to the temptation and bought some Claudia Handpainted yarn. The color is called black walnut and it looks like this:

I mean, can you blame me? Is it not gorgeous? And it was on sale to boot!

Oh, incase you haven't seen it yet, Knitty is out! I have to make Ice Queen, I just love that. I also like the slippery socks and do you know the designer is a high school student!

Labels: cats, Holidays, Pics

Thursday Thirteen #37

Thirteen things about Sinterklaas that Mitchypoo finds interesting!

I have a new friend in the Netherlands and she was telling me about their holiday traditions. She told me about Sinterklaas, which peaked my curiousity and then I realized that this should also be my tradition as I am Dutch. She is my people! I heard of some of this in Minnesota but I didn't realize it was Sinterklaas. So for your enjoyment... shamelessly taken from http://www.wikipedia.com/

Sinterklaas (also called Sint-Nicolaas in Dutch (pronunciation (help·info)) and Saint Nicolas in French) is a holiday tradition in the Netherlands and Belgium, celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas' eve (December 5) or, in Belgium, on the morning of December 6. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of, among other things, children.
It is also celebrated to a lesser extent in parts of France (North, Alsace, Lorraine), as well as in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, the Czech Republic and the town of Trieste in Italy. The traditions differ from country to country, even between Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve, (December 5) is the chief occasion for gift-giving. The evening is called pakjesavond ("presents' evening"). Traditionally, presents are carefully wrapped, and are therefore called surprises. Also, presents are traditionally accompanied by a poem from Saint Nicholas.
Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus. It was during the American War of Independence, that the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) which had been swapped by the Dutch for other territories, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past.[1] The name Santa Claus is derived from older Dutch Sinte Klaas.
The Sinterklaas fest celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey and became the patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution.
Sinterklaas has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. Sinterklaas carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been good or naughty (zoet of stout) in the past year.
He also rides a white horse (Schimmel-meaning "white horse") called Amerigo over the rooftops. In Flanders (Belgium) the horse is sometimes called "Slecht Weer Vandaag", meaning "Bad Weather Today". This name is of recent creation and was introduced by the VRT television series "Dag Sinterklaas" written by Hugo Mathyssen (1993). In the series Bart Peeters visits Sinterklaas (Jan Decleir) in his castle and finds out that Sinterklaas had gotten a new horse and couldn't think of a name. When Zwarte Piet (Frans Van der Aa) entered Sinterklaas' winter castle, Sinterklaas immediately asked if Zwarte Piet knew a name. Not having heard the question, Zwarte Piet said "Slecht Weer Vandaag", commenting on the weather. Sinterklaas thought Zwarte Piet was actually naming the horse, and the name stuck.
Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) in Dutch (see below for names in other languages). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. This racialisation is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given: Pete's face is said to be "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb down chimneys to deliver his gifts). Nevertheless, the tradition has been accused of being racist, and attempts have been made to introduce Gekleurde Pieten (Coloured Petes), who are coloured blue, red, etc., instead of black. This phenomenon of "Coloured Petes" was introduced nationally in 2006. The explanation given for this was that "Sinterklaas passed through a rainbow with his boat".[2] This effort was widely criticized in the media.[citation needed]
Traditionally Saint Nicholas only had one helper, whose name varied wildly. "Piet" or "Pieter", the name in use now, can be traced back to a book from 1891 [3]. The idea that Sinterklaas has not one but many helpers was introduced by Canadian soldiers who had liberated the Netherlands during World War II and helped organise the first post-war Sinterklaas celebration.[citation needed]
In other regions where Sinterklaas is celebrated, like southern Belgium or Northern France, Saint Nicholas has different companions.
Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November by steamboat from Spain, and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium. His Zwarte Piet helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping centres. After this arrival all towns with a dock have their own intocht van Sinterklaas (arrival of Sinterklaas)
Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it "for Sinterklaas's horse", sing a Sinterklaas song, and will find some candy in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. However, with the advent of central heating children put their shoes near the boiler or even just next to the front door.
Typical Sinterklaas candy is the first letter of the child's name made out of chocolate, Speculaas chocolate coins, a figurine of Sinterklaas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminium foil, and coloured marzipan shaped into fruit, an animal or some other object.
Children are told that Black Pete enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks (roe) or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad.
Children are also told that in the worst case they would be put in the gunny sack in which Black Pete carries the presents, and be taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas is said to spend the rest of the year. This practice, however, has been condemned by Sinterklaas in his more recent television appearances as something of the past. Typical of that time was also the fact that the saint would have the names of every child written down in either his "golden book" (if a child had been good), or his "black book" (if a child had been bad) - very much like Odin's ravens reporting everything in the world to him. The standard joke would be that initially Sinterklaas would not be able to find the name in the "golden book", trying to scare the children. With modern views on child psychology, these practises have been abandoned as well.
Traditionally Saint Nicholas brings his gifts at night, and Belgian and many Dutch children still find their presents on the morning of December 6th. Later in The Netherlands adults started to give each other presents on the evening of the 5th; then older children were included and today in that country sometimes even the youngest on the evening of December 5 (Saint Nicholas' eve), known as Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond (present evening). After the singing of traditional Sinterklaas songs, there will be a loud knock on the door, and a sack full of presents is found on the doorstep. Alternatively - some improvisation is often called for - the parents 'hear a sound coming from the attic' and then the bag with presents is "found" there. Some parents manage to "convince" Sinterklaas to come to their home personally.

Presents are often accompanied by a simple poem, saying something about the child or with a hint to the nature of the present.
When the presents are too bulky in size or when the quantity of presents is too large, they have to be snuck into the house while the kids are distracted.
Another aspect of "pakjesavond" are the small poems people make. When children become too old to believe in Sinterklaas, they will be introduced to a different form of entertainment during this night. People will write small personal poems for friends and family usually accompanied by a small gift or candy. This way it is also entertaining for parents and other adults. Students usually write teasing and embarrassing stories for each other. But this is expected and are received in good spirit.

So Happy Sinterklaas to all of you! I hope your holidays, however you choose to celebrate include great holiday traditions. I'd love to hear what your traditions are.

Labels: Holidays, Thursday13

December 5, 2007

Pay it Forward!

I got this from my new friend Ada at Dutchknitting in the Netherlands...

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."

I am in! How about you? ?For the first 3 people that respond I have a handmade goodie I'll send you.

What do you have to do?

Respond on this blog and give your email address so that I can contact you for your address.

Place this on your own blog and also send the first 3 people that respond something handmade.

Labels: PIF, Swaps

December 3, 2007

Cats and food, socks and stamps.

The kitty cuteness, I just can't stand it. Maybe I'll ask for captions on the ravelry group.

Dinner last night! It was yummy. I took a steak and seasoned it. Cooked stovetop in a pan sprayed with Pam and heated to medium high. Cooked 5 minutes on 1 side, 4 on the other, than we took it out and let it rest for 10 minutes. It was medium rare and perfect for us. Then I took field greens and took a prepared raspberry vinaigrette and added about 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard to it. Tossed it along with grape tomatoes. Then added some crumbled bleu cheese and the sliced steak slices.

I hope you can see this. One of the holiday stamp collections is called "Holiday Knits"! So exciting to see knit stamps. So cool!

Here's my first Fancy Sock made with the Peppermint Mocha sock yarn. So yummy. I'm not sure I like the pointy toe, it's a different toe I tried from Vintage Socks. I'm going to try it on first.

Labels: cats, knitting, recipe

December 1, 2007

Freebie!

I somehow bought a duplicate copy of Spin Off Magazine, Fall 2007 and so therefore I'm offering it to whomever first sends me an email with your snail mail or perhaps you know someone who spins and would like a copy. Just email me with their address and I'll be happy to send it. I don't care who it is I'm sending it to, I'd just like it to be wanted. Can you put the subject to "Freebie" so I know it's for that! Thanks!

I'm feeling under the weather today. I'm pretty sure I'm finally getting that cold that's been going around and that I've been talking about getting all summer. I don't think I'll be so lucky to fend it off this time. Unfortunately, it's starting out as an ear ache. I had some running around to do today, and then I got a little Christmas shopping done, but I didn't have the energy to continue.

Then it was home and we have the house being cleaned today, so of course you can't just sit and watch them (because that feels so rude) so I've been cleaning and sorting and now I really feel like crap.

I did go to the Chiropractor yesterday, to one I've never been to. In fact, it's been a couple years since I've been and alleluia, my insurance covers chiro! I'm going for my migraines. After that last one, I have to try this. I really liked Dr.W, we related well and he gave me a good adjustment. He worked mainly on my neck, in fact, I'm sore today from his working on me, it's to be expected I guess. I'm going again in 2 weeks and we'll see from there what I need to do.

I weighed in yesterday and I was down over the 2 weeks and over Thanksgiving but not by much. I was disappointed and know today that I really shouldn't be. So I'm moving on.

And just because he's so cute, here's a pic of our Tommy boy!

Labels: Health, weightloss, WW

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