Snowing again - just shoveled and it's coming down again. At least the sub-zero stuff is gone for a while. The grandchildren got ice skates from Pappa for Christmas and they were able to come over on Sunday and skate on the outdoor rink by my house. They did great - took a chair with them until they got their balance and then took off. I babysat last night and they were so excited to show me the rink their Dad had shoveled off for them on their backyard pond. It looks great and now they can just go out their back door and get some use out of those skates.

There is nothing better than hearing, "I love you, Nanna".



I watched Logan for them while they skated with the older two. I have not had him by myself for awhile so it was a treat for me. He was very happy to be the center of my attention and would come up and take my hand when he wanted me to do something with him, like I wasn't always beside him, but he's very cute that way, leading me around. I'm used to it!, being led, that is.

Anyway, I was over at their house the other night and their mom was giving them some crackers, Logan got his first and Josh was just standing next to him watching and Logan turned to him and growled! What a kid, he doesn't say much yet, but he manages to communicate just fine.

I found a couple fake furs at consignment shops last week but they smell of perfume. I tried to have them drycleaned but they wanted to send them to a furier to have them cleaned for $30. We didn't pay that for them to begin with. Anybody got a good idea how to get the odor out of these lovely jackets?



I went to New Prague today to bring over new Encore colors and some Alpaca from Plymouth. We are trying to get a few people involved to use the backroom for classes. My knitting, felting and spinning classes, stamping, cooking, etc. I'd like to see it become the place in New Prague to take classes. We'd all chip in on the rent and everybody would win. I sure hope it works. We are scheduling classes for the end of January for Knitting and we'll see how it goes.



Finished a hat out of the new alpaca last night. I thought it would be for Jenna but it's too small for her. I dug around downstairs today and found some bulky alpaca from Blue Sky and I think this will work up better for her.



Adios!

Plum Pudding

Happy to have the holidays behind us. It was so much fun and so very busy that it feels good to sit still for awhile and knit.

First of all, my sister arrived last Tuesday. Went directly to babies house. Home that evening to keep my sister warm; it was below zero and she had just arrived from Phoenix. Wednesday was baking day. I had promised plum pudding to "B" for his family gathering. I have never made this before. I got Shirley's recipe and then I found a True English pudding on Epicurious Recipes.

So, I soaked all the fruit in brandy for 4 days, then you add the dry ingredients, put in molds, steam for 6 hours. So, I did all that and realized the 6 hours would mean waking up at 2:00 pm to take them out of the oven. You can steam in the oven or on top of the stove. Well, the water had evaporated from the pan when I took the cakes out of the oven, so they baked a little. I tried a bite and it tasted like sawdust. The Old English recipe was not working.



The next morning I woke up and used Shirley's recipe which is:

Fruit I soaked: Raisins - 1 cup

Figs - 1 cup chopped

Chunky apple sauce - 1 cup

1 T candied orange peel

1/2 cup crisco

1/2 cup molasses

8 oz. of rum



Dry ingredients from Shirley's recipe:

2 eggs - well beaten with 1/2 cup milk or cream

2 cups flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mace

1/2 tsp alspice



I emptied four cans I had in the pantry - 8 oz. and this filled three cans a little over half full.

Covered with foil and tied with string. Put them in a big pot on the stove and steamed for 3 hours.

You can check to see if they are done with a knife.



I made a hard sauce to go over the top:


White Hard sauce:
1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 cup soft butter (unsalted if you have it, I didn't)
2 tbsp. Brandy or rum
1 tsp. organge peel
You should keep this sauce warm to pour over the cake when eating it.

This worked - "B" said they ate it at his family gathering. My sister has a recipe that she used years ago and she will send it to me.

After mixing up the Plum pudding I went on to making Dan his pumpkin bread and "pupcakes" for Ellie on Christmas Day with Pink frosting.

Then I did a chopped salad for Marge and Dick's that evening. I love chopped salad.

Recipe:
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 - 15 1/2 of can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained
1 - red and 1 green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup fennel (if you like it)
1/2 cup crumble feta cheese (3 oz)
2 oz. thinly sliced and diced genoa salami
1/4 cup sliced Kalamata Olives
You can also add chicken or anything else you like in salads

Dressing: 6 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 small garlic clove, minced

Enjoy!

I am currently knitting a hat for Jenna and a scarf, Tina needs mittens and Dan found a sweater he likes. It's Drops Design - free pattern - Pullover in Alaska - I'm using Karabella but it looks gorgeous.

Dan bought me a new camera for Christmas - it's a Nikon Coolpix L18 - it's RED! I love it!! I have no new photos yet, however.

Had lunch with Shirley and Sandy at Maude's on Sat before the plane ride home. I have a photo of the inside of my old shop. It is now a wine bar. Hard to believe it was a yarn shop.
Sorry I cannot get the photo to scan right now. More later.

188 posts

I cannot believe I have only written 188 blogs since I started. That is shameful. You'd think I would be up in the 300's by now. I will try to do better. It's just that I don't always have much to say, although some people would dispute this theory.

I have been cleaning the house for the last week, seriously, getting ready for my sister's arrival. This may seem strange to some of you, but when I'm creating I don't clean very well so I have to play catch up. My favorite game when I'm at this point is playing the game, "What does not Belong". Remember that game, when you look at a picture and have to decide what does and what doesn't belong, in the picture. Well, this helps me immensely when I'm trying to put things back in order. I look at a room with fresh eyes and it's very clear what doesn't belong. You know what I mean, week old dishes on the coffee table, socks under the coffee table, dyed fleece in my office, you get the picture. Well, today I finally feel I have a grip on the situation.
FKP - Full view of afghans



Close up view
This was a relief. The middle photo is the afghan folded in half, it's really not the skinny. She will be thrilled.

Ellie's mittens, I just have the thumbs left. I actually get anxiety attacks over the thumbs. Does anyone else get that anxious feeling, like will I loose a stitch, make them too short??? Whatever. Did you notice one mitten is different at the top than the other. I will have to rip it out and make it the same. Ohhhhh!

Now, I have to finish Logan's mittens and my Hoodie and I'll feel good.


I am no longer at Uber baby. They were cutting back and moving back to Lyndale so I was low man on the totem pole. Bye Bye Baby.


I'm still working on the catering company and we are making headway. The website is almost up and working, we had an open house on Thursday that went well. I sold another sweater, the sheep one, and kim sold alot of sauces.


Bungee has moved to Java Jacks, 818 W. 46th Street - off 46th and Nicollet. Great Coffee, sandwiches and Gramercy Bakery next door. January 10 1-4 we'll meet again. Hopefully, I'll be able to join again. Boy, I miss those women.
I am not mailing out christmas cards this year. Wishing you all the best of New Years!

Baby it's cold outside...

I have been busy - I'm not ignoring my blog but darn it's hard to sit down and work on the computer this time of year.

Hoodie: I'm up to the sleeves - had to stop to work on sister's afghan and ellie's mittens. I'll get photos of those up here when I finish them but am anxious to get back to my hoodie!

Well, I don't have to tell anybody this but retail is really slow this year. I am working in the Galleria and it is slow during the week. I think everybody is freaked out about the recession. I don't blame them. It is brutal. I know people still have money but fewer than before.

Betsy's Back Porch where Bungee always met, has closed her doors. She was so gracious and kind to let us sit there every other Sat. but the economics had finally got to her and she couldn't continue like so many others. So sad, but we will continue Bungee in January and will post on the website the new location. I am also changing locations in Carver. Carver Creek Drygoods is being used for a new business. Still antiques and furniture but new people will be there in January so I will be open in my House Jan 17 from 10-2 PM for any knitters, weavers or spinners. Stop by and visit.

I am working on a Catering business with a friend of mine and we will soon have her website up and running- I will get a link to her site from mine. If you are looking for great homemade, comfort, original recipes for your gatherings, Garlic Breath Catering, is the place. I'm very excited about this and we are looking for a new space to cater out of plus have women's retreats, showers, family reunions, antiques and knit shop. There are a few places in Carver that we are interested in so I will keep you posted.

Babysat last Friday nite and I'm proud to say, I made cupcakes or "pupcakes" as Ellie calls them with all THREE CHILDREN IN TOW. I wouldn't have taken this on when I was 20 years old so I don't know what my daughter was thinking when she asked me to do this at my current age. Surprisingly her children are so used to cooking with her that they were perfect. Josh loves to break the eggs, I crack them and he "SQUISHES" them, seriously squishes them. Oh, well, what's a few shells.

Logan loved it and Ellies does the pouring. We frosted and sprinkled and ate them with delight and then everyone went to bed and turned out the lights.

Have a great week. More later

Ho Ho Ho

Here we go! I'm really trying not to be a scrooge this year. My house is torn apart most of the time due to crafting. I am involved in so many projects right now that I'm sure which end is up and I hope I don't forget to be somewhere that is necessary, like my job. Nothing, of course, is bringing in much money, which is what I really need. Maybe the government will bail me out?? Never know unless you ask. They seem to have alot of money sitting around.

It sure seems strange when someone, like me, wants a job, wants to work, and cannot get a job to sustain me is unbelievable. I guess I have been quite naive. I do have a small job right now, a possible new business idea brewing with a friend, and some money from my knitting shop and classes so all is not lost, it's just not enough.

I had a great time last week after work I met SJ and we shopped antiques, sales and had a lovely supper together on 50th street. It was so nice to just leisurely walk around and visit for a change.

Saturday, I worked at Carver Creek Dry Goods and met a couple new knitters/crocheters and had a great time watching the shop for a few hours. This weekend we are open from thurs-Sat again and I probably will only be there after or before my other job. This, sadly, will be the last time I will be at Carver Creek Dry Goods. Someone is taking over the whole space upstairs and there will not be room for me. I will continue in New Prague where things are going very well.
I will try to find a new spot in town but until then I'm on hold - I may be open at my house in January but will email everyone the new location.

My sister will be arriving shortly - it will be a busy holiday again. I'm so looking forward to her visit. I need some bonding time.

Received a new box of yarn from Plymouth today - it feels like old times. I love their encore yarn and I think my customer's will too.

Had a massage appt. today. I tripped and fell at the arboretum a couple weeks ago and felt I was really out of wack. Well, M, confirmed it - I was so sore on my left side. My shoulder is better and she doesn't feel it's frozen, thank god, and gave me some more exercises to keep it loose. I'm not sure about my feet, however, I cannot figure out how I keep tripping?? It's usually my right foot, so I'm wondering if it's antrifing (sp?) or something. I still have some planter's faciatis going on, so maybe I'm not lifting it off the ground. Unbelievable, once I trip there is no stopping it - I just go down, usually in slow motion.

ALMOST DONE WITH MY SISTER'S AFGHAN! I have put everything on hold until I get it done. Ellie has one mitten and now she informs me she needs another pair to go with her other hat she found. I need to finish my hoodie cuz I found a couple more sweaters I want to knit. SJ is knitting this very cute vest she found. I sure hope I get back to Bungee in January.

I sure hope you all have a great holiday!

Dec. 3, 2008

Here we go again - nearly Christmas and I'm feeling a little behind already. How does it always creep up on me.

I went downstairs this afternoon - it was already dark - and I was trying to dig out X-mas stuff when the power went out. The basement was black and if you have seen my basement lately, there are plastic boxes of yarn and fiber all over the place, plus tables, ladders, chairs, etc. and I fortunately was able to feel my way back to the washer and dryer, with the dog staring at me like I was crazy, and find the right switch in the dark to turn on some lights. I guess I had too many things on at one time.

I was feeling a little squemish because I knew there was a dead critter somewhere down here. B came over to go to eat and he came down to help me find the dead critter. We found it under the chair and it was a BAT. I have no idea how it got into the basement but when it was still alive and squeaking that is exactly what it sounded like, I was just hoping it wasn't. So we sweapt him up and flushed him down the toilet in the basement, which after B dropped it in said, he couldn't flush it cuz there was no water in the toilet. You can imagine the rest of the conversation, but it did flush and he's gone. (the bat that is, not B).

I have been really busy and not been blogging much lately. I'm sorry but it's difficult to get at this when I'm running in 3 or 4 different directions.
*We are launching the catering business, Garlic Breath Catering, website should be up soon.
*I'm working odd hours at Uber Baby,
* helping with the grandchildren and trying to get my crafts stuff done for Carver Creek Drygoods next week. We are open in Carver this weekend just for Saturday so I finished up two jackets for that tonight.

*New Prague has a list of people wanting classes but then they never respond to my emails so I may just have to set a date in January and have them sign up. I hope it works.

I had my hair cut last Sat and there is this nice older lady that works at the shop and we were all visiting and she said, "there was a rumor going around last week that "B" died (this could be a man's or woman's name). I ran into a guy I know and he said, "Well, B I heard you died?" "I went down to Tom at the Mortuary and asked him if you were there and he said, No, he didn't know if you had died." Well, B, was incensed. So, she went down to the mortuary and said, "Tom, if I had died, you would know, You would have been the one to pick me up, why did you say you didn't know?" For heavens sake, small towns. This is the second time this has happened to her. This really happens in small towns.

One nice thing about working at the Galleria is that I run into old friends alot. Two women came in this week and I had not seen the daughter for at least 10 years. She had moved to Canada and was home for a visit with her baby son. It was so good to see them and catch up a little.

KNITTING PROJECTS:
I am working on trying to finish my sister's afghan this week. I need to finish Ellies other mitten and then back to the sleeves on the Hoodie. That's my update on knitting. No Christmas gifts on my list this year. I'm not going to be pressured into finishing something else before Christmas. No, not going to do it!

Keep on knitting. Call me if you have extra time to knit something for me.