trick or treat!

 

~b



challenges

 

I'm always open to a new challenge.

And this cathedral window pin cushion provided me with that.

 

 

I learned early on when reading a new pattern...

just follow the next instruction.

Don't read ahead and get confused.

 

 

What a great gift these will make.

One can never have enough pin cushions can they?

~b



play football

Tonight is the first round of football playoffs

between our current home team...

the green and white Kiotes

versus the old home team...

the blue and gold Spartans.

 

It will be hard to decide who to cheer for?

 

 

That me on the right wearing Mr. b's

 blue and gold letter jacket our senior year.

 

Everyone better have a warm jacket tonight...

because I was scraping ice off the windshield this morning.

 

GO TEAM!!

 

~b



weekend with the grands...

The granddaughters and I had to make the most

of our short weekend together...

 

 

We squeezed in some crafting

and a lot of coloring.

 

 

There was only one egg lost on the floor in the making of this meatloaf!

 

 

I made the mistake of digging out this old witch hat...

because then we had to play witch

(which I have to say is more fun than being the troll)

and make my magic potion smoothies.

 

 

At what age do kids STOP liking to do dishes?

~b



farmer barb

Here's a few new prints on my sewing table

that I may have to hide from the granddaughters tomorrow...

 

 

You know I can't resist fabric with chickens on it.

 

 

I have bibs in mind with all of these

but I hope to have enough left over for a zipper pouch...

or two.

 

 

See what I mean about hiding?

 

Tomorrow my name tag says

"Grandma"

and I can't wait! ~b

 



My soup kitchen

It didn't take me long after eating this soup at Olive Garden

to come home and find the recipe and make it.

 

My new favorite soup with gnocchi.

 

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

1 c chicken breasts, cooked and diced

4 T butter

4 T flour

1 quart half and half

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1 c celery, finely diced

 

2 garlic cloves, minced

 1 1/2 c carrots, finely shredded

1 1/2 c onion, finely diced

1 c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 T extra virgin oil

 1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

freshly grated parmesan cheese - optional

1 pound potato gnocchi - I purchased frozen at WalMart

 

Directions: Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat. When the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. When the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach and seasonings. Simmer until soup is heated through.

Makes 6 servings.

 

There is a lot of steps involved in the making of this soup...

but you will feel like a chef while making it

and will know you ARE a chef when tasting it.

And I will be adding gnocchi and thyme to all my chicken soup from now on.

~b

 

 

 



Spice

I have been feeling all things pumpkin this month...

 

 

Fall is also the time to dig out my Celtic music.

 

 

Decorating for fall is all about nature.

 

 

I cast on for this sweater this morning...

A sore foot is a good excuse to sit and knit don't you think?

 

 

Pumpkin spice coffee and knitting just go together. ~b



snow on the pumpkins

There was more than frost on the pumpkins

when we left North Dakota Sunday morning...

 

 

Today would be a good day to stay home

and do a little sewing project.

Or maybe another embroidery project?

 

 

The granddaughters will be here this weekend

so that means finding a easy sewing project for us.

They love grandma's sewing room!

 

I'm thinking about little pocket hand warmers filled with rice?

 

 

Saw these on etsy...I love etsy.

I wonder if grandpa has a pair of heavy denim jeans

 he might donate to our cause?

~b



working vacation

Can you guess what these names have in common...

tumbleweed, graham cracker, briarwood, wheat toast,

burnt spice, honey kissed, rocky coast, blue bayou,

bird's egg blue, Dante's ridge, khaki shade and ecru?

 

 

If you guessed paint colors you got it right.

(Who thinks up these names anyway?)

And we used every one of these colors!

 

We had a marathon painting session

 at daughter knit and pearls last week....

along with other chores.

 

 

And today I'm trying to find my groove here at home once again.

 

~b

 



if only...

 

"If I only had a brain."

~b



north by north

We are looking forward to heading way up north Saturday for a week.

 

It will be a working vacation...

Daughter knit and pearl and her CEO bought a house

 and it needs a little brightening up.

 

Wish our son-in-law luck...

in-laws for a week?

 

I am looking forward to a change of scenery...

and if you've never been to North Dakota,

and this is almost to Canada,

it's a beautiful state.

 

 

I will try to post a North Dakota picture everyday while we are gone,

of course this will only happen with the daughter's help, hint hint.

 

The son-in-law hasn't promised me a moose picture but he

says there has been one hanging out on the south edge of their town.

 

It's a beautiful fall day here in the middle of South Dakota.

:) b

 

 

 

Nana's apple cake

Fall is also apple season...

and with all the great rains we received this year
 apples are plentiful.

 

How about this cement bowl?

Thanks Mr. b.

 

I always have a few apples that need to be used up

and today I'm hungry for Nana's apple cake.

It's actually a copycat recipe of

Tastefully Simple's expensive box cake.

 

Nana's Apple Cake

 

cream -

1/4 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

 

combine dry ingredients and add to above -

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

 

add -

3 c. chopped tart apples

1/4 c walnuts (optional)

 

Grease 8x8 pan. Bake 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.

Serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

 

This recipe makes a really stiff batter...

 

 

...but that's okay

it bakes up beautiful.

 

 

I like to make my own caramel sauce...

it's so easy

 and I just happen to have a carton of cream nearing it's expiration date.

 

Are you familiar with the saying

"Never trust a skinny cook"

well...

you can trust me!

 

Oh ya...

 

 

it's a wonderful life here today.

~b

 

 

 

 

 

 



Tuesday ramblings...

Mr. b bought me the Wizard of Oz on dvd.

 

 

Guess he thought it's time to get rid of my vcr version?

But what a classic.

 

 

A zipper pouch to match the purse my sister bought from me.

Well, actually it's a trade we are making.

 

 

I love soup season.

Especially tomato basil...making it and eating it!

 

 

Our cat Pearl follows us around everywhere.

Even stepping on her doesn't get her out from under our feet.

 

 

On my Netflix...

how in the world did I get hooked on Breaking Bad?

I'm more of a Downton Abbey girl.

 

~b

 



In the jungle...

the mighty jungle

 

 

This tiger will be sleeping be tonight

under his new quilt.

 

 

I am so happy to have this past project finally completed.

 

 

Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh

 

I don't exactly know why it ended up on the shelf,

maybe I was afraid to machine quilt it myself?

 

 

It was a challenge but it turned out rather sweet after all.

Ee e e um um a weh

~b



snow?

It has been raining cats and dogs here all morning -

 1.5 inches with a chance of snow tomorrow.

 

 

Definitely a second pot of coffee kind of day.

~b



cat drugs

Saw this cute idea for a cat toy on etsy...

 

 

one of the squares is filled with catnip.

or as I call it... cat marijuana.

 

 

And yes...our cats like marijuana.

 

 

Maybe not as much as our daughter's cat Maggie.

 

I made one for the granddaughters cats also.

Is it legal to send cat marijuana through the mail?

~b



...a good time to indulge in some candy corn.

~b