Like everyone else's family in the free world, mine is slowly if not reluctantly getting ready for Christmas.  Slowly because we're busy (like everyone else) and reluctantly because it just doesn't "feel" like Christmas yet... We did get a crap load of snow a couple of weeks ago but it has completely dissapeared and it's been raining so it feels more like Easter!   I've been good about gifts so far this year though; I started thinking about them early so I don't have to buy shitty, last-minute gifts that nobody cares about!  I'm probably half done shopping and to be fully done by this coming Tuesday (ya,right).     As for the "heart-felt" and "homemade" type of gifts people usually expect from me; keep looking,'cause there won't be many of those this year.....Actually, the most homemade gift I'll be giving this year is one I have planned for my Secret Santa recipient, and I hardly even know that person! Huh, wierd.  Yanywhooooo.  Onto softer and squishier things!  SHOW ME THE KNITTING!   Here are a few projects I'm working on.... This one is what I hope will be the first of a series.  I'm calling this one: "Mouse Mania".  I have sooooooo much scrap wool and I needed to find something interesting to do with some of it and I really don't want to make an afghan!  yuck! I found a sweet and super easy pattern for mice cat toys and I thought it would be fun to knit the mice according to the amount of wool I have; as in the more scrap wool of one type I have, the BIGGER the mouse I can knit!  Ideally, a cat toy should be smaller than the cat playing with it but who doesn't like the idea of a cat toy that is TWICE the size of the cat?!  HILLARIOUS.  That'll show those silly, smart cats who's boss, no? So anyway, this first one in the series is a combination of two yarns: first one is Paton's Classic Wool Merino in "Harvest" on 4.5 mm needles for the body sides and the second is Alafoss Lopi (Icelandic bulky) on 5.5 mm needles for the body base, ears and tail.  The Merino felts well, so I adjusted the original pattern to accomodate the amount of yarn I had.  The original pattern (its' origin is completely forgotten to me) knits a very small mouse cat toy but if you multiply the cast-on stitch number and maintain this same factor throughout, the shape should resemble the "original" mouse, 'cept bigger!  Once stuffed, the bigger mice will make interesting cushions.  I'm thinking that this series project will be a good exercise in trying different techniques and in using yarns I wouldn't use for other wearable projects.   I can't wait to put it together this week and see what my first mouse looks like! Although most projects I'm working on are not finished, I did manage to complete one of them out of necessity.  Paul and I bought an ipad a few months ago and didn't have a carrying case for it so I knit one, much like my laptop bag.   I used the Paton's Classic Merino in "Harvest" (this is where my mouse wool came from).  I didn't have a pattern, but used the same shrinkage percentage results achieved from laptop bag adjusted for the ipad's measurements and it turned out perfect!   I still haven't decided what type of closures I want or need on this bag, but I did add some strictly esthetic, decorative clay buttons in the meantime. Other than knitting and working, I've been cooking and teaching Paul some cooking.  He's doing really well with it and even starting to make his own decisions about flavours and techniques.  I did catch him throwing a whole bunch of mushrooms and potatoes into a stone cold pan the other day though....  wtf?  Who does that? Look at him go!! I have more projects to blog about but this entry is already long enough so I'll keep some for next time... It's 1:30 on Sunday morning and I'm at work until just after 6 and looking forward to a couple of days off during which I'll be shopping, knitting, cooking and possibly even baking, so stay tuned.... Happy pre-holidays everyone!!!  Stay safe, warm and stress-free in the coming weeks!  xo      

So, it's after midnight and I'm at work....  I've been knitting quite a bit lately and will soon have some pictures and details but for now, just a quick recipe... I've been teaching Paul how to prepare and cook a few basic but very convenient recipes and he's become an EXPERT at making poached eggs!  We often have "breakfast" for supper and he's usually in charge of those meals. This week, I thought that we could move past breakfast to lunch and that showing him how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch would be a great idea so that he could prepare it for himself and Skylar when I was working nights.  I gave him an ingredient list: onion, unsalted butter, flour, milk, cheese and elbow macaroni.  "That's it?!" he says.  "Yup!" I says.  When he asked what kind of cheese to buy, I explained: "Oh, it doesn't really matter as long as you go for a medium flavoured cheese with an equally medium firmness and excellent melting properties."  His response: "phmf. is THAT all?!"  I then explained that any medium white or yellow cheese would be fine: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Fruilano...  and even Gruyere for the brave, but to stay away from harder cheeses and that Mozarella would work but it's SUPER melty and stringy and can be hard to deal with.  So, off to the supermarket he went; list in hand, recycled grocery bag in tow and a fierce determination in mind. Aaaaaanyways.... due to some unavoidable scheduling conflicts, I ended up making the mac n' cheese on my own while he was at work.  I had planned on jazzing it up with some cooked and seasoned ground beef but when it came to putting it all together, I couldn't do it!  I chickened out!  I couldn't screw with the dish's integrity so I left the meat out.  Good news:  it was yummy.  Bad news:  Skylar didn't like it.  It's hard to compete with Kraft Dinner.  I tried telling her it was better 'cause it was made with real cheese buuuuuuut....  for a picky seven-year old, real cheese is like a sardine sandwich: a grown-up food and not to be messed with.  (We'll save the sardine sandwich story for another day).   So, for those interested in a hearty, easy as shit, home-cooked cheesefest, follow these few easy steps! In a large pot, boil salted water and cook 1 regular bag of elbow macaroni as per package instructions (I totally overcooked mine so it looked like potatoes n' cheese).  Drain the pasta and use the same pot to make the sauce. •dice up some onion (size and quantity dependant on love of onions, but usually 1 medium per batch works) •sweat the onion in a tiny bit of oil (canola, sunflower, grapeseed or a light olive oil) •when the onion is transluscent, add 1/4 cup of butter (that is correct) and melt over low to medium heat •when the butter is completely melted, add all purpose flour to it, 1 tablespoon at a time until all the butter is absorbed and the mixture comes off the sides of the pot when stirred •cook this mixture on medium heat while stirring it around continuously; don't let it darken or burn •add about 1 litre of milk, in three increments, whisking between each to avoid lumps •cook the onion, butter, flour and milk mixture over medium heat, stirring often until the sauce thickens to a very loose pancake batter consistency •add grated cheese, as much or as little as you want, but the more the better •season with sea salt, black pepper, grated nutmeg and a splash of white balsamic vinegar if you have some *combine the cooked macaroni and sauce and top with anything crunchy (I used untoasted panko crumbs as they do brown in the oven). •cook in an uncovered casserole dish (you might need 2 dishes for this size batch) at 425 F until top is golden brown n' bubbly-yummy!

welcome back!

That's a "welcome back" to myself on behalf of myself, welcoming myself back to blogging! I've not posted in ages things have changed beaucoup! firsties, i'm not married anymore, secondsies, i don't cook for a living anymore and thirdsies,... well.... let's leave some things for another time! I've mostly decided to get back to it so that I can continue documenting and recording craft and cooking projects. Since i've not been cooking for pay, i've been able to turn into a hobby again and attempt some of the culinary challenges of my youth in the comfort of my own home, with nobody standing over my shoulder, judging my every slice and my every stir... have lots of pictures from the last year but mostly will be sticking to knitting and cooking projects. Unfortunately, i can't use the ipad to upload pictures so a bientot until i get around to using the actual computer to do any blogging!