Pasta, Chocolate, a new shawl and an adorable little man...

Winter has finally arrived, but not really settled in yet. There are still patches of green & brown poking up through the snow, even though there is ice on the steps. Rather ambivalent for Ohio.

I whipped up a few more good dishes this week, the best of which was Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Tomatoes & Olives. Healthy, tasty and pretty! (excuse me while I install PSE on my new computer)...

I've also become interested (obsessed?) with Mexican chocolate of late. I've heard a lot of buzz about how good it is, and then I saw a recipe in my Zoku book for pops made with it. So I went online to MexGrocer to order some. I've never ordered food ingredients on line, so wasn't prepared for the fun I would have just browsing through all the merchandise. I ended up with 2 brands of Mexican chocolate (Abuelita & Ibarra), a disc of chile chocolate, and one of salted almond. Also a vanilla blend & some Agave syrup. I tried the first cup of chocolate and it was definitely good. Well, if I'm going to make something special (especially if it's a traditional ethnic dish), I need the right tools. I read about canella, cinnamon sticks made from the bark of a West Indian tree. Also I was assured in my research that I couldn't make really authentic Mexican hot chocolate without a special whisk, a Molinillo. A search for both of these brought me to the Gourmet Sleuth. Well, the rest is history...

I haven't tried it with the new tool yet, but I'll report when I do!

You may recall that I want to be more creative (just make stuff!). I dug out a crochet pattern for a shawl designed by one of my Facebook/Ravelry friends, Deneen StAmour. It's called Hippie Chick and I've loved it since the first time I saw it! The best part is that it was a stash buster! I didn't have to buy one thing for it! I had the perfect yarn & of course the hooks...which is all it took. It's perfect because it's long & warm & makes me feel like I'm back in the late 60's!

And of course there have been the best days, playing with Lucas. Needed a better storage solution for his tiny room (which he has to share with Grandma's clothes, dresser & yarn stash), so got one of these. Karen & Josh found it at Target for their place, so I got one, also. It is so nice to be able to just lift out a bin with all the pieces together in one place.

I'll end with a few shots of the little guy at work...a joyful sight, even when he's on his head!

See ya later!

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

This time of year, I always get on a cooking kick. It goes with the whole healthier eating thing, I guess. And lately, for me, I've realized it's just another form of creativity. Over the past few years, I've stocked my kitchen with handy appliances, wonderful pots, and wicked knives. And my Microsoft One Note is full of recipes culled from the web. There are lots of good blogs out there. Maybe later I'll write a blog about all the gadgets that have made cooking soooo much easier and more fun and maybe one featuring some of my favorite culinary web sites.

So New Year's Day, we did our traditional sauerkraut & kielbasi. I, of course, eat only the kraut & smashed 'taters. That was followed the next day by Hoppin' John . I figure we have all our "prosperity" bases covered for 2012. I did forget to burn my bayberry candle on New Year's Eve. But I did burn one on Christmas Eve, so we should be good to go.

Yesterday I made Korma. I was introduced to this by my lovely neice Nicole who writes the blog Killer Blog From Outer Space. I've played around with it several times, so this recipe cited here is just sort of a guideline. Like Nicole, I used coconut milk and the creaminess is unbelievable. No beans in this one, but lots of brown rice...so the effect's the same. I'm not much of a fan of most brown rice, but this was really good. It's called Texmati. It's an American grown (Texas, to be exact) long grained brown basmati. It takes about 30-45 minutes to make, but it is well worth the wait.

Tonight is was Rachel Ray's Veg-Head Chili from her Veggie Meals book. Now, Rachel's a little too "cute" for me (I would rather hear Lucas scratch the black board than hear her talk about "makin' sammies"). But this is a really good Chili. And there's enough left over for Frito Pie for lunch tomorrow.

So I've been very satisfied with my efforts thus far, and Gary cleans his plate (sometimes twice), so that's always a good sign. Now tomorrow is his turn. Then I want to try Vegetable Pad Thai. I went crazy at Whole Foods and bought all these sauces & spices for stir fry and such. Actually, I had delusions of making lettuce wraps! So anyway, I have the ingredients for the sauce, so it won't be that much of an investment.

So...what have you made good lately?

...and miles to go before I sleep...

I've made some fairly easy resolutions to bring in 2012. Oh, I'll be trying the usual: eating better, losing some weight, exercising more, being more financially responsible...but those are things I should be doing anyway, and that I try every year. They no longer merit resolution status!

You see, the last 2 years have been rather difficult. I mean, I hate to complain about my life, as it's a damn good one in general! But we've been through a difficult pregnancy with my daughter (which resulted in the 2nd best thing that ever happened to me), my husbands diagnosis, treatment (stem cell transplant) & remission of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, my total knee replacement, and now I have something growing in my breast that shouldn't be there. So I've tried to keep things on an even keel here, but one thing I know suffered!

Being creative! I used to always be making something, whether it be on the needles or hook, or being slathered with glue and glitter. Now I don't do that all that often. This Christmas, I made a few cards and realized how much I miss it!

So that's going to be my resolution this year: being creative in some way every day. That includes taking pictures, sewing something, finishing an afghan, knitting a new shawl, take some classes somewhere, catch up on some scrapping...whatever.

And that in turn means spending less time on my computer...unless it's for some type of creative pursuit. Perhaps I should say "staying off FB", the greatest time suck ever introduced to woman-kind!

I'll also be making a goal over on Goodreads. Last year I had the same goal (to read 50 books) and made it to 43. So I'm trying for 50 again this year. That's book a week, with some wiggle room for the really long ones, like Under the Dome (1072 pages, and I have the hardback copy!) or The Wise Man's Fear (that comes in at a whopping 994 pages!).

Last but not least (and perhaps the most difficult to do) will be to blog again. You can see by looking back at my "archives" (my piddling posts hardly deserve such a lofty word!), that I've tried that one before. But, I'll find a new design, get some cutesy widgets, and start linking it to Facebook so maybe a person or 2 will read it.

Win some Shimmerz Pearls!

Wow! This is pretty cool!

So much happened...

...in the brief 3 1/2 months that has passed.

Many of my regular readers may follow me on Facebook, so you know that Gary was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) and is enduring chemotherapy, and I had a total knee replacement and am enduring PT (Pain & Torture). The baby is wonderful. Christmas was nice...low key but a wonderful time of family & friends. And it's cold!

I always say I'm going to try to keep up with the blog a little more. That's all I can say...I'll try... I'm feeling a little more creative lately, so maybe that will inspire me to share my time a little more with my readers. (There aren't that many!)

Following are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Evidence of my latent geekery - The Tardis. It's a USB port that Gary got me for Christmas. I love it, as it makes Tardis-like noises when you plug in a cord! Oh, and for those of you who don't know about Dr. Who...well...I'm sorry! And for those of you who do...can you wait for the new Doctor?! David Tennant will be hard to replace, but I'm open-minded! Russell Davis hasn't failed us yet!


Himself...getting so big...


Me...opening a total Christmas surprise...a nifty little Netbook! It will be so great for crops...and I can surf in bed! LOL! And off to the side you can see a portion of my newest "best" friend...the walker...odd that I haven't named it yet!


Lucas loves his Grandpa! (note the lack of beard...and if you see close enough...eyebrows)...



Karen & Josh cuddling their other baby...

Bits and Pieces...

Just checkin' in to say hello and catch up a little.

We had a little scare with Lucas, as he lost weight from the time he left the hospital to his first check-up. So Karen started (sadly) supplementing with formula. The lazy little guy! He just loves to cuddle and sleep! They have to wake him up in the middle of the night to get all his feedings in! But he gained weight and all is well! He's such a sweet little guy! Here are some recent photos.

Nakey is good!

I love this one!

Karen's caption for this one: "Concerned baby is concerned because he is only a week old and already wearing old man pants!"

Big eyes!

He loves his bouncy chair!



Found this on Etsy and had to buy one for Lucas! Can't wait to see him in it!
Make it so!


Gary had his first chemo session last week. 3 days worth! It went well. No side effects yet. Three more weeks till the next session.

Do you buy an Entertainment Book every year? Would you like to win a free one? Click on the 5 Minutes for Giveaways button in my sidebar and sign up! Good luck!

A few yarny creations -
This is a baby size afghan made from 9" squares received in a swap on Ravelry. I love it and I think Lucas will too. I did another one that is a big bigger - 12" squares...big enough for a floor blanket for him to play on. But Karen accidentally took it home before I could photograph it. It's all different bright colors and textures.

A pumpkin hat. I hope it fits! If not, though, it was easy enough to make, so I can donate this one and whip up another one for him.


And while you're here...go here...and vote for Alphie. You'll be voting to win money for A Place to Bark, which you know is one of my favorite places to donate. If Bernie wins, she'll be able to hire someone to help her with all the awesome work she does! It just takes a minute. And he is a cutie!

Well....till next time...

It's a boy!

He's finally here, and beautiful he is! Since many of my readers have already seen him, I'll make this short and sweet for now.

Lucas James came to our world at 8:08 pm on 8/18. He weighs 6 pounds 13 ounces and is 20 inches long. And he is absolutely perfect.


We are, of course, all totally smitten!

And now that I'm done worrying about him & Karen, and Gary is on the mend, maybe Scrapbook Mojo will return! I miss him!

Wow! I don't think I've gone this long without a some kind of post! Those of you who know me, know that things have not been the best around here. Bad things happening: Gary had major surgery & has been diagnosed with lymphoma. How do a healthy, sports-loving, active man go from being vital and alive to one have Parkinson's Disease & lymphoma? And he's lost 35 pounds so is so...thin.... It breaks my heart! But we're dealing with it. I've become the housewife/cook I once was as well and a nurse maid. I must say though, that for a week and 2 days post-surgery (consisting of having alien things removed, and part of his bowel sliced & re-sectioned), he is doing amazingly well.
The good thing is that we are on baby watch. The last few month it appears that both Karen and the baby are much more healthy. She finally gained some weight...a whopping 9 pounds! I think I gained that my first month! And the baby, although small, is still in the safe range. Measurements say he is verging on 7 pounds, but they say these can go 2 pounds either way. Once she hit 36 weeks, they took her off all restrictions, which has done wonders. As it stands, if he doesn't make an appearance on his own by the 17th, they'll induce. Her due date is the 20th and they don't want to go past that. So in approximately 10 days, our status will be elevated to Grandparents!

All my creative abilities have been channeled to knitting and crocheting little sweaters, hats, and burp cloths. And I'm in 6 different blanket square swap groups! These are perfect though, because they're all small, uncomplicated, and can take my mind away for a while. I haven't scrapped or stamped. I try. But it just won't come. I'm sure when I have new baby pictures, it will all click again!

A little hat made from bamboo yarn

This is called Baby Yoda. How could I not knit this?!

Another sweater. I have little sailboat buttons to put on it.

Something I made for myself. I haven't used it yet because it really should be lined. But here it is!

And an "upstairs" blanket for the babe.

So that's it for now. Sorry it's not more exciting...but there it is. I'm off to make some orange roughy for dinner!

Shout-out to Tombow!

Not to long ago, I participated in a blind study for some adhesives. I don't even remember how I got involved. But they sent me several different shipments of adhesives. I used them for several days, sent back what I didn't use, and then filled out some on-line surveys. They said they would send me something in return for my assistance. I didn't expect much, and when a month passed by, I figured I really wasn't going to get anything. It didn't' really matter, though, as I hadn't invested anything but a little bit of time.

Then yesterday a box came from Tombow. It had all this in it:



There was also an envelope, revealing that the products I had used were from a new line by Tombow. AND...in the envelope was also a Visa gift card for....are you ready?!...$75.00! I was totally shocked and very, very impressed! Never did I expect to get such a generous gift!

So thank you to Tombow! I am truly impressed.

Here it is...

Another rough week (for me...everything's fine with Karen!) But finally here are some shots from the shower. Some of the photos are a tad blurry because I didn't have the flas on, so my apologies for that! And the place was sort of dark for photography. None the less, some fun memories were preserved.

The happy parents-to-be. Josh attended the shower and was such a big help to Karen. She said she never would have been able to get through all the packages without him. He even managed to intercept a card that he knew would make her cry!

Ginny & Nicole came early from Pittsburgh to help me set up. That was much appreciated, as I wasn't feeling 100%!

The decorations looked good. A fun, different theme for a baby shower!

There were lots of guest, but the best were friends and family!

And thanks, Kelly, for taking the pictures during the "opening"!

Lots of great gifts! And enough money and gift cards to finish up the nursery!
Karen asked Josh to pick out their diaper bag, as she figured he'd be carrying it most of the time! So it's a nice Eddie Bauer! No man purse for him!

And of course, the obligatory belly shot!

It was a great time, but I think we're all glad it's over. Now it's just waiting for the baby to arrive! The doc thinks it could be by the 2nd week in July, but Karen doesn't think so. We're hoping he holds on a few more weeks! She's almost through week 31. Just a few more, Baby!

Friday's Favorite Five...

It's been a rough week for me: migraine w/ER trip Saturday; back spasms Tuesday; servere bruise on my leg; Gary's not been himself on the new meds...all the more reason to think back on 5 good things that happened this week!

1. Going to the La Bella Vita with Karen.

But for the first time since her wedding, we had a girls day at the salon: manicures (I did the hot wax dip); facial waxing (I no longer have Andy Rooney's eyebrows!); hair cuts; new polish. Unfortunately, neither of us had our cameras, but G. says we look good! And he is totally unbiased!

2. Making the centerpieces & favors for the shower.
Click on the picture of the treasure chest so you can see the treasure map under it. I love the way they all turned out! What do you think?



3. A garden on my porch.
I physically can't garden anymore, but this year I've put a little patch on the little porch! There are 3 tomatoes (Italian Plum, Bush, & Hillbilly), 2 peppers (Best Belle sweet green, and chocolate pepper), and lots of herbs (cilantro, chives, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley, dill...and more I can't recall right off).





4. A creative mess.
Although I hate the cleaning up part, the mess is a sign I've been creating a little this week, and I love that!

5. Blue sky, sun in the clouds, warmth.


"God's in His Heaven and all's right with the world."