In few words: I am a stay-at-home mom, music-lover, blogger, podcaster, knitter and crafter who loves to cook and take photos while doing all of the above.
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I’d like to say that I made some amazing mixed-media piece to end this little challenge with a big finish. But I didn’t. I baked a humble loaf of white bread. Simple and somewhat Zen.
Bye everyone! It’s been great creating with you!
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Noah’s Ark
This is a little handmade Noah’s ark set that was a Christmas gift from my parents when my daughter was a toddler. I like the folk art quality of it. I can’t help but start matching up the animals, two by two.
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Funky Drugstore Glasses
I gave in and got some magnifying glasses for my recently-less-than-perfect eyesight. I can’t read the lyrics printed on most CD’s anymore. And so it begins. Orthopedic shoes aren’t far off; I can feel it.
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Nothing better than a big pot of chili when the snow is coming down (yet again!)
1 average size green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 lb. ground beef
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-16 oz. can tomato sauce plus one can of water
2-16 oz. cans of beans – light or dark red kidney beans, black beans or any combo you like
Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
If preparing on the stovetop, heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. (*If you will be simmering this in a crockpot, you can just use a skillet.)
Saute green pepper and onion in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until softened, approximately 10 minutes. While vegetables are sautéing, measure all the spices and combine in a small bowl.
Add garlic to vegetables and sauté 1 minute. Add spices and cook 1 minute more, stirring to prevent burning. Remove vegetable mixture from pan and set aside. (*Or place into crock pot.)
Brown ground beef. Drain excess fat, then add vegetables back to soup pot. (*Or add beef to crockpot.)
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Add beans. Bring to a simmer, then let cook slowly for 2 hours. (Or simmer 3-4 hours on low in crockpot.)
Top with shredded cheese and serve. Serves approximately 6-8.
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Financial Responsibility
Today I made piles and piles of receipts as I entered them in the computer. Mind-numbing, but provides a certain satisfaction when bank statements are reconciled and bills are paid.
Tomorrow: Chili!
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Today we recorded the March episode of our monthly podcast. It is a blast to do; and this time we cracked ourselves up so much that I literal rolled on the floor laughing. Literally. I have the carpet burns to prove it.
The photo is what the recording looks like in Garageband.
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Carousel
Because my daughter had a dance performance at a local mall I had to venture inside. There was an indoor carousel near the food court. I love that it is a horrible combination of crazy color combinations and shiny surfaces. This picture hurts my eyes - and it expresses how I feel about being in such a loud, crowded place.
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Today was all about making people feel comfortable. We are hosting a study group in our home and tonight was the second meeting. It is a little stressful entertaining people you have only just met. I worked hard to get the house presentable and have tea and coffee and biscotti for everyone to eat. But because I’ve given up stress, I just lit a few candles, and gave up worrying how it would all go.
PS - I actually even had fun.
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Vegetable Beef Soup
This is a soup I made up. Great on a day when the snow is coming down in huge fluffy flakes - like today!
1 lb. Beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes ***
1 cup onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Brown meat in a small amount of oil in a large soup pot. When meat is partially cooked, add onion and celery. Saute until meat begins to brown and vegetables are softened. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Add 4 cups beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the soup pot. Simmer slowly until vegetables are cooked.
*** I like to use 1 lb. of diced left-over pot roast instead of the stew meat. If you do this, skip the 1 1/2 hour cooking time for just the meat, sauté the celery and onion and garlic alone and then combine all the ingredients and let simmer.
This works well in a crock pot – because you don’t have to really watch it. Just brown the meat and onion and celery on the stove and then add to the crock pot. Simmer on high for the first 1 1/2 hours if using stew meat. Then on low a few hours until the vegetables are done.
Also made bread to go with it:
And Biscotti:
Other two recipes are copyrighted, so can’t print here… I am so tired… too much cooking…
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We had yet another snowfall so I went over to the park to take some pictures. Too cold to hang out very long…
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Today I made a binder for my new organizational system. It is a small thing, but it is going to save my life. I have too many things in my brain and it is making me tired. This will make all ideas recordable and more importantly retrievable.
I just read Getting Things Done by David Allen and am applying his system. Not just for executives!
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We went ice skating this afternoon. It was 35 degrees and windy, so we wimped out after an hour, but my daughter was in heaven. Next to dancing and ponies, skating is her new passion.
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These are my “Crazy Socks.” I’ve done one pair of socks on 2 circulars before, but this is my first real pair. I am up to where I need to do heel flaps and stuff, so I’ll have to pay attention and get out the instructions to keep going. For a girl who wears either white or black socks each day, these are going to be a bit of a change. I like to mix things up once in a while.
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Coasters, Coasters, Coasters!
I have been knitting up a storm. I got permission from the pattern designer to sell the coasters on Etsy, so I am very excited to get a good stock done before I set up a store there. I am getting a bit tired of this colorway, as much as I love it. I will have to branch out and get some new shades if I am going to stay interested!
I’ll do another set and then get them felted.
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I have cast on for a scarf. I have been knitting coasters like crazy and needed a break from that. This is in pretty shades of brown and olive with some verigated striping. I only have 6 rows done so far, but it’s a start.
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Today I made something other than just a photo. I did the first draft of the script for the March episode of our monthly podcast. Apparently I don’t know how to spell “insert.” Oh well. Spelling isn’t everything!
I took another photo when I went out to lunch with my husband. They had pretty red roses on the tables for Valentine’s Day, and I thought it was an interesting shot of just his hands and the flowers.
And finally, last night my 9-year-old daughter made all her valentines to hand out to her class.
They are really cute so I snapped a photo. She use horse stickers for most of them and had some sort of horse-themed cute saying on each one. She’s an over-achiever that one.
Does it seem like I am trying to make up for my lame attitude yesterday? Yes, I believe so.
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Thyme
I dragged myself out into the cold today to try to get a photo in my herb garden. This is the only thing that is the least bit green. I think I have photographed everything inside the house. Thirteen days and I’m out of stuff. It’s going to be long month.
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Hot Chocolate
Snow days - not so fun for the parents. This day has kicked my butt. Before I curl up under a rock I am posting photos of my coping mechanism: food. I resorted to sugar in the afternoon. It helped a little.
Below is lunch which also eased the day along - Tortilla Pizza. We just top a flour tortilla with a thin layer of sauce, then cheese, then whatever topping we want. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly. It gives a nice, thin, crispy crust. If you add vegetables it actually is good for you. A shot of Kaluha in the hot chocolate ain’t bad either. Too bad I didn’t think of that.
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Retro Teapot
I inherited this teapot (which has a little matching creamer) from Neil’s Grandmother Johnson. It is just so cheery, yet cool and modern. I use this often when I brew loose tea.
I couldn’t decide which photo to post, so I’ll post this one, too:
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Sagwa Ingalls Wilder
Today I made a mockery of my cat. OK, my husband did it; I just recorded. Our cat is named Sagwa, hence the title. There is also dialog that goes along with it:
“Yeah, life gets kinda tough out here on the prairie.”
It had been a long week. What can I say?