End of One Month and the Beginning of Another

The end of this month actually came much to quickly. I did manage to get my goals for this month finished (but just).

I managed to cook 4 new recipes which turned out to all be keepers!!! I also managed to organize all the loose recipes I had hanging around the house. I am hoping to continue with making at least 3 new recipes a month, but the recipe organization is done for awhile (I do plan on going through all the magazines I have collected and culling out the recipes I am interested in, but that will wait for a few months).

Now I get to set some goals for this month. It is getting a bit harder as I have taken that new position at the church, but hopefully I will still get them done (keeping my fingers crossed)

February being a short month means I am going to have to work that much harder to meet the three goals I have for the month.

1)     I plan on getting a bit more done on the rug I started at the beginning of last month (this will more than likely be an on going goal for the next little while).

2)     I am going to work on organizing and using up items in my sewing/craft room. I have a pattern cut out (has been cut out for over a month now) and in order to get my room looking nicely organized I need to sew it up.

3)     Last but not least.

I am taking this yarn and making 10 scarves (one is already on my needles). I am then going to put them on my Facebook page and see if there is any interest in purchasing them. Might as well see if I can make a bit of extra cash doing something I love. If these scarves go over well I plan on making some Infinity scarves, mittens and fingerless gloves.

So those are my goals for the upcoming month. Wish me luck.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thursday Tid Bits

I am later than usual putting up a post, mainly because the class I led this evening went a bit longer than planned. That's okay though as I learned a great deal about the participant which is always a good thing.

This is the second winter I have brought in this plant to spend the winter.

It is finally developing flowers!!! But those aren't the only things it is developing. I took a good look at some of the branches today and there are some mighty evil looking thorns developing as well. In fact I caught my sweater on them which is what made me notice them in the first place. Could be a bit of a problem transplanting it later on.

Harvey won a Poinsettia for me at his company Christmas Party at the end of November. I thought for sure it would be history by now. Look.....

Still going strong. I wonder how long I can keep it alive as I notice a bit of yellowing creeping in.

I managed to finish the brown ruffle scarf late last night.

Now I just have to mail it to Harvey's sister. It should fit in an envelope quite nicely.

I have started another one and am going to post it (and hopefully a few others) on the family site on Facebook to see if anyone in the family is interested in buying one. I would like to see if I could actually sell them.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

Almost the end of the month and time to start planning next month's menus. I did quickly plan something for Feb. 1 st though.

Monday

Leftover Baked Spaghetti and salad.

Tuesday

Leftover Turkey made into something scrumptious...Time to try a new recipe I think.

Wednesday

Chicken wings or perhaps Chicken Breasts. Baked. Rice, and frozen carrots (perhaps the leftover salad)

Thursday

Clean out the fridge night

Friday

Fish Fillets, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Saturday

Steak baked in Mushroom Sauce, mashed potatoes, and frozen beets.

So there they are, my menus for the upcoming week. Hopefully they will keep my loving carnivore very happy.

Everyone have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

This is what our weather was like this morning.

In fact this looks pretty good compared to what the roads and visibility were early this morning. The RCMP were even closing roads around Regina, pretty sure they opened up once the day lightened up and the winds dropped.

However we are once again in a deep freeze. Heck, we are tough prairie folk and will survive this as we have other bad weather.

I finished all my household chores today as I will be subbing at one of our schools tomorrow. I have even got part of my lunch ready to go for tomorrow. I also have the extension cord in the car to plug in at the school. Just need to get there early enough to use it.

There were very few brave souls at Mass today. Harvey and I felt bad for the group that was raising money to go to Peru on a mission trip. They were having a brunch downstairs, so after Father Brian specifically said that he saw Christ in those people that supported the mission trip, we went downstairs to offer our support. I am glad that we did. Many did not and so it is doubtful that they even made enough to cover their costs. I know it was storming, and the temperature left a great deal to be desired, but spending a bit on a lovely brunch and knowing that you are supporting the youth of our parish was priceless.

I have put aside my rug project for a little while. One of Harvey's sister's wants to buy one of my ruffle scarves. I posted the shades of brown I had, she picked one and so I started it today. I think I may make a couple of them and then see if anyone in the family wishes to buy one. If that works out, I may just start an online shop to sell a few of my knitted items. Could be a nice little sideline for me.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Winter Weather Strikes Again

Lately it seems that as soon as the temperatures rise and the winter seems to become bearable, we end up with snow. After the snow Arctic winds blow in and cause drops and very low temperatures with mind and body numbing wind chills. This is what we have to look forward to tomorrow, just in time for me to sub all day at one of the schools. Tomorrow is supposed to be the worst as far as temperatures go and then by the weekend things are looking up a bit.

I finished sewing a simple dress today and pulled out the vest to get started on tomorrow. Slowly but surely my messy sewing/craft room is being set to rights.

My sister in law requested a brown ruffle scarf that she would like me to make and is willing to pay for. I found these balls of various brown shades and posted a picture for her to choose one on Facebook. I believe that she would like one made with the brown and gold yarn. I think it is time to take a little break from my rug making project and perhaps whip up a few of the scarves. I think I will post them on Facebook and see if I have any takers.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

End Of The Week Blues

The title of this post may be a bit misleading. I don't feel sad, in fact just the opposite as I have slowly but surely been getting used to the new ministry and have a few more bookings for subbing at the schools.

What I am a bit sad about is this.....

Our falling Canadian dollar.

While a less than stellar exchange rate will help our exports, it does nothing for the cost of everyday living. Since Harvey is now retired and we live on our pension plus our retirement savings and any extra money I bring in, this could cause a problem in a few months.

News casts are already warning us about increased costs from food to heating and fuel down the road. This could make what we thought of as being a relatively good retirement a bit of a struggle. Actually we are probably much better off than the majority of Canadians as we socked as much as we could into RRSP's and GIC's. I worry about others who were unable to do this.

Over the past couple of years I have watched food prices rise as well as basic heating costs and electrical costs. I think it may be time to go over the budget once more and see where we can cut even more.

Thank heavens we already garden, thus saving on frozen veggies over the winter as well as potatoes and onions.

Once this ministry is done at the church at the end of May, I will not be driving as much and so will be back to saving on fuel as well as mileage on the SUV which means fewer oil changes and less maintenance costs.

Holidays could be curtailed or a bit less spent.

Gift cards and coupons will be used even more.

Life will carry on, and all will be just the way it was meant to be.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thursday Tid Bits

 

First off I would like to thank Lin at Uggabear Cottage for nominating me for this award. These awards are given to new bloggers to increase readership (not that I am really a new blogger, but I guess with only 23 followers I qualify).

Now I will answer the questions she posted.

1.  Why do you blog?  (An oldie but goodie!) I blog more as a way of keeping a journal of what my days are like. I also find it a great way to meet new people from around the world and get to know them just a bit better.
2.   At what age did you discover you loved being creative? I have never really considered myself creative in the true sense of the word, more a putterer trying my best to add a little beauty to my world.
3.   What is your most recent creative endeavor? My most recent creative endeavor is the rug I have been posting about.
4.   Do you like warm weather or cold?  Why? Hmmm, lets just say I like warmish type weather more than cold. If it gets too hot or cold I just want to hibernate and get very sluggish.
5.   What is your cheapest meal? My cheapest meal is probably a German dish that my mother and grandmother made called Glace. All it is, is flour, eggs, potatoes and onions. I think the whole meal only costs about $2.00 and feeds at least 6 people.
6.   Do you like to use brights or pastels in your crafting? I am more an earth tones person with some jewel tones thrown in for contrast.
7.   How did you come up with your blog name? My first blog was named In the Land of the Living skies and when I was locked out of it for some reason I just added the II after the name. The main part of the name comes from what is written on our car plates. As we are so flat (prairie girl here) the sunsets and sunrises are just beautiful. The sky is so big that the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky is constantly changing.
8.   Is anyone else in your family creative?  Who? My Mom was extremely creative. She could take a piece of fabric or a ball of yarn and make something wonderful.
9.   Do you prefer books or ebooks? Can I say that I love both? I read a great deal and enjoy the easy access to hundreds of free books that owning an ebook gives me. However that being said nothing can take the place of actually holding a physical book in my hands. The smell, the texture of the pages, and the weight of a book just can not be replaced.
10. What is your favorite type of vacation...hotel, camping, cruising, etc.?  My favorite type of vacation is one where I can hike, relax with a good book or some handwork and you can do that pretty much on any kind of holiday.

Now on to what needs to be done next. 

• Inform the person who nominated you whether you "accept" the nomination or choose to "decline".
• If you choose to accept the nomination:
• Write a blog post announcing your nomination and include a link back to the blog that nominated you.  
• Answer the 10 questions the nominating blogger posed to you. 
• Also within the blog post list 10 blogs (with under 200 followers each) that you nominate and list the questions you would like them to answer.
• Notify the 10 blogs you nominate of their Liebster nomination. 

Here are the blogs that I am nominating (hope I can find 10)

Dodge and Weave

Living Richly In Retirement

Maggies Project Blog

The Jackson Family

The Small Stuff

Weir Living A Wonderful Life
Bears At Home

Oops only found 7. Hope that is okay. Still looking and will be adding as I find them.

The questions I would like you to answer are.....

1.  Why do you blog?  (An oldie but goodie!)
2.   At what age did you discover you loved being creative?
3.   What is your most recent creative endeavor?
4.   What is your favorite type of craft...fiber or something else?
5.   What is your best money saving tip when it comes to crafting?
6.   Do you like to use brights or pastels in your crafting?
7.   How did you come up with your blog name?
8.   Is anyone else in your family creative?  Who?
9.   Do you love to read and what is your favorite reading material? Fiction or Nonfiction?
10. What is your favorite type of vacation...hotel, camping, cruising, etc.?

Now I have to let the blogs I have nominated them know.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Goal Keeping

In keeping with my goal and sub goal for this month I made a new recipe out of the bag of leftover chicken from Sundays dinner.

 made this soup. So hot and spicy on such a cold night. It really filled the spot. Actually the recipe called for turkey, but since I am in a substituting frame of mind lately (saves time and money), I decided to use the bag of frozen chicken.

This is a keeper and I will be making it again when the feeling for a good hot soup hits.

Here is the recipe

Turkey Corn Soup

2 tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp paprika
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups finely chopped potato
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 cups leftover turkey chopped
13 1/2 oz can evaporated milk
1 cup frozen corn

Melt butter in large pot on medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often until onion is softened.

Add flour and paprika. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add broth, potato, and hot pepper sauce (I had to make my own). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potato is tender.

Add turkey, evaporated milk and corn. Heat and stir for another 10 to 15 minutes.

You can garnish this with crumbled crisp bacon.

Enjoy.

I also worked on my sub goal which was to get all those loose recipes organized. I am happy to say I finished that part of my goal this morning. Ahhh, now I can think of a new goal for next month and a new sub goal that fits in with it.

I have been nominated for an award, but I am still figuring out if I have time enough to accept it. Find out tomorrow......

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

This week has already involved a bit of a change around... And the week hasn't even started yet really. I have some meetings on Tuesday, one at 4 pm and the other at 7pm (need to be there by around 6). I have to pick something easy for Harvey to prepare and get on the table.

So here they are

Monday

Leftover Meatballs in Mushroom Soup, leftover veggies and leftover mashed potatoes.

Tuesday

Smoked sausage and beans (should be easy for Harvey).

Wednesday

Leftover Chicken (going to figure out a new recipe for this in keeping with my challenge this month).

Thursday

Spaghetti and Meat sauce, salad.

Friday

Glace or what I call German Noodles

Saturday

Baked Spaghetti

Sunday

Ham, rice, and veggies to be announced.

This should use a few items up and keep us nice and warm.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

Over the last few days we have had such nice weather that a great deal of the snow we had gotten has disappeared. Things are looking pretty dirty outside right now, but we have now more space to blow any new snow we get in February and March.

Today Father Brian's homily talked about evangelism. One thing he said has stuck in my head and played over and over again as I spent my day doing laundry, starting to clean the sewing/craft room and working on my rug. He said one of our old patriarchs said a true evangelist does not look like they have come from a funeral. I hope that I am spreading the joy of the resurrection and don't look like I am just come from a funeral.

I managed to sew a bit more of the cording on my rug. Here is a new picture to share with all of you.

It is growing and growing, slowly but surely. I will be stitching the sage green section very soon. Then I am not sure which colour I will use next....more burgundy or some more cream. I am leaning to the cream, then burgundy, and then some more sage green.

I hope to share some pictures of my cleaned up sewing/craft room soon. I spent about an hour cleaning one small section of the room and will move on to another section tomorrow. The old small bites of the elephant seems to work the best for me, and working in a circle through the room will help me keep what I already have done ship shape.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Where, Oh Where, Did This All Come From

Over the last month or so (well since about the middle of November), I have been neglecting my sewing/craft room.

I wonder in pick what I need to work on in the living room, throwing stuff on the floor, or even piling new items on every free surface I can find.

This is now what the room looks like.

Items pulled out and placed (okay that's a nice way of saying thrown on the floor. A laundry basket full of who knows what sitting in front of the closet.

Yarn and pattern books scattered all over the floor. Sure I will be using up the cream yarn on my rug project, but really do I need to leave it lying on the floor???? Christmas bags piled up on top of quilting materials???? What am I doing????

Items piled willy nilly and not in the least bit of order.

Finished projects and yarn piled on top of my drawers of fabric and yarn. It even looks as if I should spend some time straightening up my fabric drawers.

Cut out patterns piled on my sewing machine cabinets and even beside the cabinets, my coat thrown across the chair.

I know what the next few days hold for me. Time to clean up the room, and get things organized once again. I think I will try and spend a bit of time in this room cleaning up and getting a few projects finished up. I have a dress and a vest I can probably sew in the next few days, plus a whole bunch of organizing.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thursday Tid Bits

This morning I started my new position.
I spent some time making lists and picturing how I want my space to look for the next few months.

This is how it looks right now.

My office which is in the last room in the space. I don't have a working phone as of yet, but I am hoping to get one soon. I do have a nice big desk though.

These shelves are in the space leading to my office. Heck a person could even call the area another work space. I am planning to use the shelves to hold items that we will be using as well as refreshments for the participants.

I cleaned these shelves off as people seemed to use it as a storage spot for things they had no idea of where they belonged. I moved everything to the back room and eventually that door will be closed.

This is the room where the participants will be meeting weekly.

There is seating for at least 8 people and there are chairs in another room that I can pull out and use as needed.

Right now I am trying to make the space as welcoming as is possible. Tomorrow I will be bringing in some touches from home to help with the process. Once that is finished I will post some more pictures of what I hope will be an improved space, that is warm and welcoming.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Starting My New Position

Today I had my first meeting with Father Brian. I went over the two programs he wants started, gathered together the main items to start them and got handed these.

My keys to the Community Center, the church building itself and some of the keys to other areas in the church.

Oh, my!!!! So many keys and so much to learn.

Tomorrow morning I am going in to my area (yes I have a whole area just for the programs that I am in charge of) and make a list of what I need to make it more welcoming to those who will be coming to see me.

I also plan on speaking to the two RCIA candidates and getting that program underway as soon as possible.

Wish me luck.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

Another week, another weeks menu plans.

Monday

Leftover Southern Turkey Casserole

Tuesday

Chili and toast

Wednesday

Roast Pork, roast potatoes, roasted carrots and a salad.

Thursday

Leftover Chili on Macaroni

Friday

Pea Soup and egg salad sandwiches

Saturday

Meatballs in Mushroom Soup, mashed potatoes and a salad

Sunday

Roast Chicken, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables

My menu has been changed a bit due to leftovers in the fridge. I did not make the pork roast on Sunday. Instead we had the leftover stir fry. Tonight instead of Chili we are cleaning out more leftovers. Saving money and saving time, two wonderful things in this day of increasing prices and shortages of time in everyone's life.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

This week has gone by so very quickly it makes me think that the old saying about the older you get the quicker time flies by.

It has been a quiet day here on the homestead. I have managed to do a bit of work on my cord for my rug, and hopefully I will be sewing up a goodly portion tomorrow. I have also done some more organizing of my recipes. I am still trying to figure out how on earth I ended up with so many loose recipes. However I see an end in sight and by the end of the month I should have all of them cleared out and gone through.

Slowly but surely I am getting the house cleaned out from Christmas. All the candy is no longer sitting out tempting me. All that nibbling was getting to be a bit much.

Lately Mass has been moving along a bit faster. I don't know why as we leave nothing out and the pews are a little bit more occupied. I love listening to Father Brian's homilies. He always leaves us with a question that makes one want to do better. I only hope that he can stay with us for awhile. I think his homilies are far reaching, making each of the parishioners want to be more Christlike in manner and thought.

I am going to share with all of you the last project Harvey was working on. They are called "Lazy Cats" and he says he knows just where he is going to put them come spring.

Are they not the cutest things you have ever seen? Totally perfect for this cat loving household.

His next project is fixing the tree stands for the church. After that I don't know what his plans are. Hope he gets started on building me the tables and storage cubbies for my sewing/craft room. I do however have a feeling he is going to say I need to get rid of a few items first. Kind of like a general clean up.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Keeping Up With My Monthly Goal

It was a quiet day on the old homestead. I went to the library, and had a bit of a walk. Did some tidying and reusing of items around the house. I have started the "shop at home first" mindset this year. Hope to keep up with it for the entire year.

First off I will share a picture of how far along I am in my rug project.

So far it seems to be coming along nicely. Just hope I have enough leftover yarn to complete it. I really doubt that I could find matching colours any more.

Now, as you all know my goal this month is to make at least two new recipes. I just made my second tonight. This one used up a bag of my leftover turkey. Both Harvey and I really liked it. Has a pretty good kick to it, and now that I have made it once I think I figured out some add ins that are not in the recipe.

Here it is before I put it in the oven.

Here it is when I took it out after 1 1/2 hours baking.

Next time I make this (and there will be a next time) I plan on adding mushrooms and chopped green pepper.

Here is the recipe.

Southern Turkey Casserole

2 tbsp margarine or butter
1 medium chopped onion
3 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1 cup uncooked rice
2 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups tomato juice
14 oz can tomatoes broken up

Melt margarine in large frying pan on medium. Add onion (this is where I plan on adding chopped green pepper next time as well). Cook for 5 to 10 mins or until onion is softened. Turn into greased 3 quart casserole.

Add next 8 ingredients (think I would add a can of mushrooms at this point). Stir well.

Pour tomato juice and the tomatoes over top. Stir, cover. Bake at 350 F for about 1 1/2 hours until rice and cabbage are tender.

Serves 6. Actually I think it is more serves 4 generously.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did if you decide to give it a try.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Oh My 38 Years

Today is our 38th Wedding Anniversary. Where did the time go??? It seems like just yesterday we met.

Some long ago pictures from our wedding day.

Signing the register, my how young and happy we look.

Pictures at the photographers. We took what seemed like thousands.

Cutting the cake at our reception in the basement of the church. The more I look at these old pictures the younger we seem.

This still hangs on our wall. It has been moved in the last few years from our living room to the bed room but still hangs proudly where we can see it every day.

 

I would not change a thing.

Today Harvey came home with my anniversary flowers. This year for the first time the roses were not yellow but a creamy white. Love them.

 Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

News

Late today I received a phone call from Father Brian. I was offered and accepted the position as Parish worker for the next 4 1/2 months. I don't know whether to be excited or terrified as this is way out of my comfort zone. I have always worked better with youth, yet this will be with adults primarily. I suppose I could have a few young people going through the RCIA program, but that is highly doubtful.

I start the position on the 15th of this month. Father Brian says he will have things such as a time line set up for me. Hope everything goes alright. Tomorrow I go to the police station to get them started on my Criminal Record Check. It will be clear (unless they get me mixed up with someone else).

See you all tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

The start of the next week and things are looking good. I have a couple of leftover meals planned and since I am trying to do at least 2 new recipes a month I am looking at finding something new and exciting for the leftover beef and the leftover turkey.

Monday

Meatloaf, rice and mixed veggies.

Tuesday

The leftover beef roast.... I think I have everything to make this.....

Tomato and Beef Pasta. I don't have fresh tomatoes, but pretty sure I can drain some frozen to use. I also do not have chili paste, but I am sure if I use chili to taste things will be okay.

Wednesday

Clean out the fridge night.

Thursday

Pancakes, kind of a breakfast for supper deal.

Friday (our 38th Wedding Anniversary)

Steak, mashed potatoes, peas, and a salad. I may even get energetic and make a chocolate mousse.

Saturday

The leftover turkey and another new recipe.

Southern Turkey Casserole. I will have gone to the store and so will pick up some cabbage, and tomato juice. I think what I have is way too old and should be tossed. That will teach me to overstock some items.

Sunday

Pork Roast, mashed potatoes, and corn.

I plan on coming around and visiting everyone a bit later. Now I get to move on to getting the tree down.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

The wind was howling today and the wind chill was at a life threatening -52 C at times. The perfect day to stay in and stay warm.

However I was a lector at 10:30 Mass so it was out of the house I had to go. Today Harvey drove me and dropped me off at the church. He came home as he was not feeling at all well (think he managed to catch whatever it was that Kris had). He then came back to pick me up after I finished cleaning up and speaking to Father Brian.

Father Brian has started a new position at the church. It is temporary, and very part time. However it did catch my interest. The person who gets the position would be opening the church on those weekends that Father Brian is gone. The least of this positions ministries. Father Brian is calling the position....Parish Worker

The Parish Worker would also be in charge of this.

Using information from Father Brian and a set of DVD's from the Archdiocese to facilitate the class. We would be leading the Initiates on a journey into the faith.

Other ministries that the Parish Worker would be looking after is an after Alpha Program especially set up for the Catholic Faith.

They would also look after scheduling the Lay Presided Services when Father Brian is on holidays.

This position would enable me to use my Lay Ministry Formation classes to the best of my ability.

If I get it, the position is from the middle of this month until the end of May. Really not that long at all and is only set for 12 hours a week. This means I could still sub in the schools. If I don't get it, that means that there is someone more qualified than I and they deserve to get it. Nothing lost and everything to gain.

I have missed working in the Church over the past few years. I have gotten involved in more ministries and helping in the background, but it is not the same as taking a ministry and working to make it viable and productive.

The position will be filled on Wednesday, so if I hear nothing by then well I will continue doing what I do best. Helping where ever I can, lending a hand to the places most in need of my help, seeing Christ in all members of my congregation.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Friday Storms On The Plains

You would think that living in Saskatchewan I would be used to scenes like this.

The ones where you can barely see down the hill into a valley due to driving snow. Well today actually started off very nicely, the sun was shining, the temperature was rising, and then..... The snow came. It started at about 11 am and continued non-stop until almost 6 this evening. Add in some lovely wind and there were white out conditions on the highways. Time to stay in and curl up.

I did stay in for most of the day. Harvey and I had an appointment with our financial adviser at the bank and so ventured out before the worst of the storm hit. Got our business done in record time and headed home.

Once home I found out that Kurt was storm stayed for another day and night at his friends. Hope he manages to get on the road home tomorrow. I did tell him I want a call when he leaves and a call when he arrives home.

I have a few pictures of my knitting and corking projects to share with all of you.

This is my prototype infinity scarf.

Next time I will make it a bit wider, but I do love the way the knit drapes.

Here is my corking project.

Just a tiny bit of what I hope will be a lovely rug for the dining room. Almost done this cream coloured ball and hopefully adding another colour very soon. I have a ball of green almost the colour of the afghan this is lying on which I will use next.

I have been continuing my sub goal of organizing recipes. I managed to do another small pile of those loose papers I have copied off the net. Some I tried and loved, some just did not strike my fancy. As a friend often says "Little bites of the elephant."

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thursday Tid Bits

Today was one of our nicer days this week. The temperature is rising even as I type this and it will be in the single digits by tomorrow morning. Perfect for a nice walk.

I started with my first goal today. I managed to go through a small stack of my loose recipes. Some did not strike my fancy and so headed into the recycle box immediately. Others got written on the index cards and put in the album.

I even tried a new recipe out. I know I was going to make a stir fry from the leftover pork, but I found a wonderful recipe to use up that leftover pork. The recipe was called Zucchini Pork Bake, but as I must have used up the last bag of grated zucchini in my freezer I subbed grated carrot. Harvey loved it!!!

This is what it looked like before baking. After baking it had a lovely golden crust, but of course as is usual for me I forgot to take a picture.

Sharing the recipe with you here..... With my subs in brackets.

Zucchini Pork Bake

2 tsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped apple (I used one whole apple with peel)
1/2 diced orange sweet pepper (this is my own addition as I needed it gone from the crisper)
2 cups grated zucchini (I used grated carrot instead)
1 cup finely chopped leftover cooked pork
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
4 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled (I left this out)
4 large eggs (I used extra large and only used three)
1/4 tsp salt

Heat first amount of oil in frying pan. Add onion, apple, and diced pepper. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often until onion is softened. Put into a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Turn into greased 9 X 9 pan. Smooth top. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until golden and wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Serve.

Hope you give this a try.  We actually have enough left for another meal. Got to love it when you manage to get a meal cooked ahead.

Thought I would share one more of the ornaments we got while on our vacation. This one was picked up at Roslyn Chapel and is pewter.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Goals, Goals and More Goals

It is the time of the year when I set goals for the upcoming year. I always seem to list more than I can reasonably accomplish for some reason. This year I am breaking my goals into monthly challenges to myself...... If the monthly challenge works the goal should have become a habit and I should be able to continue with that goal for the rest of the year. At least that is what I am hoping.

My goal for the upcoming year is to try one new recipe every two weeks. I get stuck in a rut sometimes and just fall back on the tried and true favorites of my family. This is the goal I am beginning with this month.

Along with this goal a sub goal is to organize all those loose recipes just waiting to be tried into my  recipe books. After all all those loose recipes were at one time things I was going to try.

I have stacks of index cards. Just like this one.

Lots of pens.

And of course I have been collecting these as well.

You know the type of album that you can put those index cards in a pocket.

Hmmm, can you tell I have been planning this for awhile?

I will keep you all informed as to how this is going. Shouldn't be too difficult for me to start off with this...should it?

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.