Knitting Insanity

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to make things and I tend to take the hard road on many things.  For years, I crocheted tons of hats in all shapes and sizes.  Then one day I decided I needed to branch out, so I started knitted.  This really did not go well.  As my husband would ask, "Is crocheting the one where you watch tv while working or the one where you curse a lot?"  After much cursing, going back to the store for help and starting over, I finally started to "get" the knitting.  See, here is a hat and a scarf.

So now you must know what happens next.  I thought I needed to try something a little harder plus I needed to make this wonderful hexagon blanket pattern I had found for my friend Shruti.  Her baby is due at the end of November and she is having a girl.  The beginning of this pattern did not go well.  It starts off with multiple double ended needles which looked like a giant jigsaw puzzle to me and I had decided to use some funky mixed color yarn I had.  After finally getting the multi-needle thing to work (that would be try number 3), I decided that my masterpiece looked more like a birds nest than a baby blanket.

So, being the wonderful person I am, I started over again.  This time I went and purchased a smoother yarn, and it was soooo soft.  This looks more like it, don't you think?

Well, after I got it onto the round needles things went much better.

In fact I finished this entire blanket on our 4 day trip to the beach.  I think it turned out cute.

If you want to try it, you will need this book:  http://www.amazon.com/Welcoming-Home-Baby-Handcrafted-Way/dp/1416206272

Pancakes

I recently discovered some pictures that I thought were lost.  I am so happy.  My camera completely bit the dust in the middle of the Pancake Pantry.  It felt like a tragedy, because I really loved that camera.  It was the perfect shove-in-your-pocket, go-anywhere, great-zoom-in-small-box camera.  To make matters worse, it was right when Ella received her first Pancake Pantry pancakes.  Since Ella was allergic to eggs, breakfast restaurants were pretty much out.  Last year, she outgrew her allergy to cooked eggs.  As a little celebration, we headed for the pancakes. This is us waiting in line on a cold morning before Christmas.  Hoppie is trying to warm Cameron, then Jack wanted to get warm too.  And you know, Ella couldn't be left out of the group snuggle.

Then I took a few in restaurant.

These are the ones I thought were lost.  In my infinite brilliance, I decided to save the sd card from the broken camera.  Unfortunately, it did not occur to me to put is some place I would actually remember.  From there on out, I used my phone.  I love my phone too.  Great in these emergency photo situations.  Especially since I was able to capture the special moment, the arrival of the bear shaped chocolate chip pancakes.  Yum!

Ella loved every bite.  I am so glad I finally happened upon the sd card.  Are you just dying to know where it was?  Ahh, in the new camera.  And since the new camera is smarter than I am, it had tucked them away in a separate "not mine" folder.  Luckily, I needed to read the card directly last time I imported photos and there they were.

Lemon:Aid

Ella has been selling lemonade for the Blood:Water mission, which drills wells or creates a sustainable water source in African villages.  If you want more info on this visit:  http://www.bloodwatermission.com/

Anyway, back to the lemonade stand.  We received a kit for the Lemon:Aid program in the spring and Ella has loved using it.  I had to laminate our second sign, because the first one was a victim of sticky lemonade fingers.  Ella is an excellent saleswoman.  She has recruited helpers.  This is Eva helping in the summer.

Then, Jack has helped multiple times.  But, Ella is also happy to man the stand by herself.

The last time we were in Florida, we could not get small cups.  This meant that Ella only had the $1 size of lemonade available.  Ella spent about 3 hours singing her lemonade song and running in for refills.  Toward the end, two men pulled up in a golf cart.  The man in the passenger seat leaned out and asked, "How much is the lemonade?"  Ella informed him that it was $1.  He asked, "Isn't that a little expensive?"  Ella looked right at him and firmly said, "I'm trying to build wells in Africa, here."  The man in the drivers seat replied, "We'll take two."  That's my girl!

The beach, it's all about the sand...

Each year we go to the beach.  I know we are totally spoiled, because we don't go once, but two times.  October is our shorter trip, but the weather is always amazing, so we cram all sorts of fun into those few days.  When we are driving down, I could not tell you what the activity of choice will be for the kids.  Each time it is something different.  We have gone down and hardly used a shovel, because it is all about the waves that year.  Last year was definitely the year of the boogie boards.  The adults were exhausted from chasing the kids in the waves and negotiating boogie board ownership.  Last summer, it was the kayaks and yolo boards.  This trip, we were back to the basics, sand.  And I mean really basic, because the goal was not a monstrously large castle, but a hole.  Dig, dig, dig, go catch a fish, dig, dig, dig, find a shell, dig, dig, dig, find a little friend named Kayla, dig, dig, dig, you get it.  

And why all this digging a hole in the sand - to find water.  Really cold water.  Definitely more fun than just jumping in the ocean.  :)  Well, at least they found it.

Cameron went with the more traditional route and made a sand sculpture.  Because it was all about the sand this year. 

The wonderful thing about all this digging and sculpting is that it makes the kids TIRED!

I am already wondering what the great adventure will be about next summer.

Busy

Busy, that does not really cover the state of our life right now.  Thesaurus.com defines busy as "engaged, at work."  Nope, doesn't even begin to cover it.  The average day in the Wright household involves, getting up around 5 am, ut oh, overslept by 10 minutes.  I throw on workout clothes, brush my teeth, and run downstairs to put dinner in the Crockpot and grab lunch from fridge.  This involves chopping everything and packing lunch the night before.  Oops, forgot it was pancake day.  Darn, I defrost pancakes for Ella since she can't have the ones from school.  I head to the car, while David wakes up the kids and gets them to school.  Cameron gets a ride to school on days I workout.  I go to exercise class because I don't want my rear to look like Jello. After a shower, I go to work and have a loony day.  My next job is to pick up Jack and Ella and head home, and, of course, we are running late.  As soon as we get home, I dig a vegetable out of the fridge.  Crud, the broccoli is yucky.  Jack and Ella run around to get water bottles and balls for soccer practice.  Ella can't find her second shin guard and Jack can't find his water bottle.  Gotta go, friends pick Jack up for practice.  I take Ella to soccer, then run to the store for spinach.  David picks Cameron up after lacrosse practice, drops him at home, then runs back to get the boys from soccer.  After practice, we all head home for dinner.  Wow, it is 7 pm and we are finally eating.  Now it is time to study with Ella for her Spanish and spelling tests.  I have to bake cupcakes for a birthday at work, so Jack helps Ella study.  Cameron heads to his room for major homework.  Jack and Ella take turns showering.  David tries to write a little of a grant.  I read to Jack and Ella, then finish my homework for my class.  The homework is due at midnight, but I get it in at 10:15.  Everyone is in bed.  I am tired just reading this.  Surely there is a better word our there, maybe extrobusy, or busymongous, or extreme busification.  Ok, I must need sleep, so see you tomorrow for another busy day in the Wright household.

Asparagus

This recipe is certainly not low-fat or super fast, but it sure was seriously yummy. It is relatively low in carbs, so I am hoping that outweighs the huge amount of cream in there. Next time you have a crowd and asparagus is on sale, give it a try. I wish I had remembered to take picture before everyone devoured it. Oh well, next time.

Asparagus Casserole

2 1/2 pounds fresh, thin, asparagus
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove of garlic, pressed
6 ounces Asiago cheese, grated (by you, not a machine - it tastes better)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1 medium lemon, zest tablespoons, then juice the lemon
8 ounces panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
Fresh ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the last 1/2 inch off the asparagus and toss it out. Cut the remaining stalks into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Steam them in the microwave with small amout of water for 4 minutes, stirring half way through. I had to do this in two batches. Drain and transfer to a 9x13 pan.

Shake the cream and flour in jar until mixed. Pour the cream mixture into a medium sauce pan and heat slowly, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Allow to slowly simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove a small amount of cream and whisk it with the beaten eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the cream while whisking. Add the garlic, cheese, and cayenne to the pan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Slowly add the lemon juice while whisking. Pour the mixture over the asparagus.

In a small bowl, stir together panko, butter, ground pepper, and lemon zest until well mixed. Spread the panko mixture over the asparagus.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ten Things I Learned from the Pioneer Woman

I wrote this last year, but I just ran across it again.  PW is something else.  If only I could manage one single Saturday where soccer did not conflict with her show.  Come on Food Network, put that show up On Demand.

Ten Things I Learned from the Pioneer Woman

10 – There are other people out there that let their unique obsessions drive their activities for the day.  (FYI- I thought of this entire list while decorating cookies shaped like beakers, test tubes, flasks, and atoms for my chemist husband.)

9 – Eating lots of butter makes me happy.  ( So much for the low fat years.  If only we could find that Wii Fit disk.)

8 – Someone else on this earth may have wanted a pig as much as my middle child.  (A pig was just about all he asked for on his Christmas list for 6 years in a row.  Needless to say, he is difficult to shop for.)

7 – I can make toffee that actually tastes like toffee.  (Have not even tried in over 10 years because the previous attempts were THAT bad.)

6 – I really did want a big camera that does not fit in my pocket again, so I can take even more amazing photos than I thought possible.  ( Just looks like a big necklace.)

5 – That I am not lucky in the lottery winning way.  (I have entered every darn contest and won nothing, nadda, zippo.  At least I am lucky in the family, love, and life way.)

4 - I should make cheesecake again, even if I can’t use nuts.  The magic cheesecake is back!  (Everyone just melts when they eat it.)

3 – Baths are a necessity for sanity.  (And the Spongelle sure makes them even better.)

2 – It is ok to love your camera almost as much as your family.

1 – Somewhere out there, another person thinks that she really can accomplish 144 hours worth of tasks in a single day, and does accomplish 72 worth.