Good Morning, it is sunny and only -4 this morning. That means we have made it through the worst and can now talk about it. No frozen pipes, kids off school 5 days in a row and we are all still civil.
We ventured out into the cold yesterday when I needed crochet thread for a christening gown I am working on. An emergency? In my book YES. I only bought one ball, not knowing if I would like working with #3 thread , rather than baby yarn. I love how it looks and now can't wait to finish it. I am then going to try and make a slip for this delicate vintage pattern Christening gown. I bought the pattern from an Etsy shop ,
As I stitch away I can see my Gram smiling from ear to ear. She crocheted almost her whole life. We grew up in things she made and our babies all came home in her sweater sets, got Christened in her gowns and off to school in her hooded sweaters. She could look at something and just figure it out, I wish I was that talented.
I do have a few new things up my sleeve and if I finish my blanket squares and a few orders I can start on three new puppy hats, a chow, bassett hound and yorkie. I have to make myself finish before I can start more. I also have a lamb and baby bird drawn out and waiting to be hooked. I may have to forget cleaning house, have leftovers and just stay up later to get this all done.
I am off to sit in the sunshine and work on projects, stay warm and safe and have a wonderful productive day!
That about describes the weather here in Wisconsin. School has been called off because of the extreme cold and will be closed again tomorrow. That means , " can I have a snack will be said about fifty times and constant chatter by two little girls. I on the other hand am busy finishing up some orders and working on my square a day for Crochet Mood Blanket 2014, on Facebook. I have also joined http://www.ravelry.com/groups/crazysocks--friends square a week crochet along. I am using up all my odds and ends and will use the blankets for raffle prizes at our family Christmas next December.
Orders seem to come in spirts, the minions were hot around Halloween, just before Christmas I was busy with fox hats and now, Boston Terrier hats. One of my customers was nice enough to share this photo with me.
I am trying to work up a few new items for Valentines Day and then onto bunnies and such for spring and Easter. Luckily I can sit in front of a sunny window and try to not think just how cold it is outdoors.
To warm the kitchen this morning I treated everyone to these Donut Muffins. The kitchen was warm and smelled wonderful. Now to get a pot of soup simmering and a loaf of bread in the oven and we should be good.
To keep up with whats new in the shop and some of our favorite recipes follow us on Pinterest. You can also find us on Facebook, they we try to share more photos and exchange ideas for new fun hats and other clothing items.
I( don't understand why I am not getting as much done as usual. I make a list, I have a plan and then.......alot of nothing! Now, could it be that two little boys, three chicken , a duck, a mom cat and her three kittens, two puppies, a bichon and a border collie are all trying to make me nuts? Possibly. I understand we are all excited about the chickens, great but must I stand guard all day? Have you ever told a guy just what you wanted , they nod in approval and then go off and do it their way? That is what happened here. I showed Joey a plan for a portable chicken coop, he said, " no problem" That should have been my first sign things were going to go badly. What I got instead was an open top chicken playpen! So, the boys climb in , the cats jump in and I spend my day chasing things around! Now, all of this would probably be much different if the chickens were bigger and could peck them once.
But, today is going to be different! The boys spent the night away so I woke up this morning alone in my bed. Feeling a little more rested, I grabbed a cup of coffee and let the chicken out. ( they are kennel trained) Fed and watered them, fed the cats and the dogs are waiting patiently. It is a bit chilly this morning so hubby was nice enough to make cocoa wheats. I am not a breakfast person, but couldn't resist. Teenagers asleep, house quiet I will finish up posting and get some work done!
Yesterday I bought a pattern from Whimsical Warmth and did get that hat finished.
The weathr is supposed to get hot for the next few days so I think I will cook a few things today so we can reheat and eat, instead of me heating the house up more. I hate to turn the air conditioner on.
I had better run and get started before someone else comes home or another animal appears. Maybe instead of the barn we should build an ark!
I am finally going to make myself something using the African flower pattern, here is a great post to learn how to connect all of them
My go to place to look for patterns is Ravelry , give it a try . You will be amazed at the amount of free patterns as well as some of the newest for sale patterns available.
Last June we moved into the house and all the space was amazing......then winter arrived and we froze. The furnace does not heat the whole house and the propane bill was almost four times what we paid at the old house. With all that in mind hubby has decided he wants to move...where? That is yet to be seen, since the place he wants needs some major rehab. He has purchased an old barn and about four acres of land. The barn is amazing, yet needs much work. I can close my eyes and see a big country kitchen and all the bedroom space, a loft for the grandkids to come stay and the thought of not a neighbor in sight. The question is, where to stay until the barn is livable. That to be would mean the roof fixed, wall closed and water and electric run with my number one must have ...a bathroom! Hubby claims to have a plan that he will hopefully share with me. If there werent so many of us I would say get a camper , park it and live there while you work. The rest of the family is not so keen on that idea. There is an artesian well and beautiful views from all four sides. I am ready for a change.....sounds of chicken and the morning rooster wake up call. A goat of two grazing in the pasture and maybe I can grow something! That part is questionable LOL.
All this said I went outside yesterday to find the boys busy. making a chicken tractor.....WHY...because they bought three chicken and a duck! Jumped the gun, I think, but they are here. The dogs enjoy them , the cats were curious and oh how I hoped whatever got BINGO did not come down the hill for a late night snack.
I woke this morning to find them all fine, thank goodness. I did not want to explain to two little boys about missing chickens.
JJ and his chicken Batman ( we don't know boy or girl chicken, but he names everything Batman )
Carsen being brave to let Batman sit on his shoulder
Carsen chicken "DORA"
Dad's girlfriend and Mandy checking out the chickens
The BOYS getting Daddy to hold DORA.
Now let me say when I dreamed of chicken I thought big fluffy hens who lay eggs each day....I will need to be patient I guess. They say be careful what you wish for....In this case I totally agree. All this could have been mush worse, where they bought the chicken there were horses for sale. They could have brought one of those home.
Now between packing to move, college courses,crocheting for the shop...I will be watching two boys, four dogs, cat and three kittens, three chicken and a duck!
Before all this amazing fun arrived I had just finished this cute catepiller set, all it needs is antennaes and it is ready to go.
With chicken on our minds I went to an old favorite for dinner tonight.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour.
Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.
In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.
Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.
Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Well the ground hog here in Wisconsin says an early spring and it sure feels like it outside. The sun is shining and the snow is slowly disappearing. Is this a good thing? Probably not, in the next few months we will hear that the farmers really needed the snow for moisture and the snow related tourism will have taken a big hit. But, I LOVE it. You see, I hate cold weather, yes I did choose to move to Wisconsin but if I had my way would spend it indoors much like a black bear hibernating until spring. So all this sunshine is a treat for me. I also spend a good amount of that time indoors with a two and three year old. We need fresh air and sun as the super heros are growing restless.
Now you might notice that they are in pajamas, that is because we all have had a nasty cough we cannot seem to shake. But, even that will not stop the crime fighting team Equipped with a cape bought on Etsy from http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlemamas the smaller one also has a cape. A Batman mask from years past Halloween and cowboy boots from his Lone Ranger costume, this is not for a photo but how they look every day. We need to go out and play! We all smell like Vicks Vaporub and are watching endless videos of Lassie and the Lone Ranger over and over again.
All the while I am making hats, trying new patterns, ( yesterday I was frog like rip rip rip ) too much Lassie and not enough counting.
I have a new beard pattern in the works which could make for a very nice order, and this time of year that would be great, so I do need to count and find some quiet time to not only crochet but remember to write down what I am doing.
With kids being sent home from school with the flu, this cough and general stuffiness, I just want to fling the doors open and let the germs out! Clear my head and get busy, all that would be possible if the hubby were
not home saying....your letting the cold in! He is clueless!
Visit the Etsy shop and see all the new photo prop and newborn items http://www.etsy.com/shop/GrammasGifts and have a great day enjoying your weather no matter what it is!
Well, the heat has kicked on and there are leaves changing colors down the road, so it really does feel like fall. So I went to one of my favorite cooking sites Pioneer Woman Cooks and found this recipe http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/moist-pumpkin-spice-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ The whole house smells wonderful and the kitchen got warm and cozy. What a way to spend a Friday afternoon.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.
Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.
I have spent the day finishing up orders from the Etsy shop and last weekends Volkfest. Volkfest had wonderful weather and it was nice to spend the day chatting with other Etsy shop owners like Marlene Grahn of Country Soaps by Marlene http://www.etsy.com/shop/countrysoapsbymarlen and Heather Flannery Raabe of HRBea Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/HRBeaDesign?ref=pr_shop_more . An owl, sock monkey, Packer helmet and baby sock monkey are ready to ship. The hippo is getting his final touches and then some of today's orders can be started. It is so nice to see the orders now and not a week before Halloween or for Thanksgiving the turkeys being ordered the weekend before. I don't mind one or two rush orders but I can only crochet so fast and I do need to sleep..
I have purchased a few new patterns in the last couple days and can't wait to start on them. I have some things I'd like to change on the Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Grammasgifts?ref=si_shopand a couple photos to add for new items. So much to do before the boys come back on Sunday.
I am also still working on our Family Christmas event and have gotten some responses but have about a dozen out there waiting. If only we could predict the weather. Many of the family are coming from the Chicago area and you never know about snow that time of year. Of course over the past few years they have gotten more snow than we have up here. It has been quite a few years since we have all gotten together. My Gram was the glue that held us all tight and with her gone we seemed to have slipped up a little. Now is as good a time as any to reconnect and touch base. So, I have decorating ideas I would like to do, the Etsy shop to run and still about a dozen unpacked boxes from our move. As I type this is doesn't sound so bad. I'll get there, but my plan is to do it without getting all frazzled and burnt out like most years.
By the way the phone company finally fixed the wire problem that squirrels made. Thank you....the phone now rings!
