Thursday, October 31, 2013

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

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


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

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


Monday, October 28, 2013

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


Friday, October 25, 2013

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
 


Thursday, October 24, 2013

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
 
 
 


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

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


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

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


Monday, October 21, 2013

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
 


Friday, October 11, 2013

if only...

 
"If I only had a brain."
~b


Thursday, October 10, 2013

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
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

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, October 8, 2013

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
 


Monday, October 7, 2013

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


Thursday, October 3, 2013

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


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

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


Tuesday, October 1, 2013


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