Have Plans For New Years?

... We'll probably be watching the games. And as for New Years Eve... you can see what I'm doing. Typing on my blog.....;-)

I have been working a LAPGHAN. It was suppose to be an afghan. But not enough yarn. When I went back to order more, I found that they no longer have it. One of these days I'll learn to order enough of it...:-) After that is done, I have several things I want to make. I have the pattern for a SNUGGIE. I also need to make Slippers for myself. ( I gave mine away before wearing them. )

In case you missed the game last night, The Bearcats beat UCONN. I just don't remember the score.

I love this Bearcat emblem... Sharp...:-)

~ Susan

My Crocheting Cousin

We had relatives come for the Christmas Season...:-) They came from Huntington Beach, Ca.





When they got here, Britanny just had a little square crocheted... Now look at the blanket she has been working on.

And right now it's even bigger. They have already left for home on the beach... I'll have to e-mail her for a picture of it when she's finished.

Just wanted to share it with you!

Susan

Did You Survive Your Christmas Parties?

...We all did... And yes, Santa brought us what we wanted!!! take a look at some of the food we had.


... First I baked YULETIDE CHRISTMAS COOKIES...

...Then I made my Grandmas Fudge... but I added Cranberries to it.

...Here is the table at Mom's house with Cookies & Appetizers on it. I made Buckeyes, The Yuletide Cookies, The Hot Ham & Cheese Spread , Italian Christmas Cookies & Fudge....sorry, half the food is gone by the time I took a picture. There are only 2 shrimp left on the plate. :-(

I think we all had a great time! After we ate, we went out side.

Here's Michael on our horse Star. I just wish we had snow. We had relatives here from California! And the kids wanted to see & play in the snow.

...And the Christmas Presents I wanted... I wanted this Colander that expands over your sink. Love It!!!

And here it is with the knife I wanted...

If you look at the dates on the pictures of my colnadar & knife, you'll see I got them early. Santa is smart and let me have them early for food preparation. :-)

I hope every one had a great Christmas!!!

~ Susan

Cooking, Wrapping, & Crocheting Slippers

.....I thought I would get a post in before I had to launch the day with more cooking.

.....Then it's onto wrapping presents. The only part of Christmas I don't care for. But it won't take too long... ( I hope)

..... And in between I'm crocheting slippers for our California relatives that are visiting.

..... Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!

~ Susan & Paul

Cats & Dogs & Last Minute Crochet

Good Morning!!!

I have been doing some last minute crocheting. All of the sudden I have to make BRIGHT YELLOW slippers for my little brother, finish a scarf for ME. And sew up the gloves I have been making. Just odds and ends The next thing I want to start on is a Market Bag. I don't know when it would get done though. Too many other things to FINISH.

.....Here are the slippers I made for myself,. Now I need to make a pair in the YELLOW. The yarn is Simply Soft by Caron.

.....And here is my half done scarf... I need more of the yarn to finish it. It's Simply Soft by Caron also.

.....It's SNOWING here!!! ( Hamilton County, Ohio ) It's so pretty! I'll have to take some pictures.

.....And speaking of pictures , I have the cutest picture to post for you. But I have to upload it first. You'll see it!!! ( A little later ) Now here is that CUTE PICTURE I promised you... It's my Dad in their back yard holding Sissy. And Sissy is actually touching her nose to a CAT that lives in their barn.

.....Not sure what I'll be fixing for dinner yet. I have been preparing food from a new cookbook I bought. ( It's one of those Community Cookbooks that have great tried & true recipes in it. ) Last night I made something called ROMAN DELIGHT. Paul & I both liked it. I'll have to post it later today...:-)

A little later: And here is that recipe: I would post a picture of it, but it's all gone. Sorry.

Roman Delight

1 1/2 lb. Ground Beef ( I used 1 lb.)

1 Med. Onion, diced

1 Can Cheddar Cheese Soup

1 Can Tomato Soup

1 soup can of milk

8 oz. Pepperoni, chopped

1/2 tsp Oregano

4 C. Cooked Noodles ( I use Inn Maid)

8 oz. Mozzarrella, shredded

Brown Ground Beef & Onion. Drain & set aside

Mix Soups , milk & Pepperoni in a saucepan..add organo to it. Boil about 20 Min.

Add noodles to soup mixture, then add ground beef and Pour into a casserole. TOP with CHEESE.

Bake at 350 for 30 Minutes

My Note: I'm making this without the pepperoni the next time. It's good with it, but Paul has a delicate system...:-)

~ Susan

Today Is Sissy's Birthday!

... Today is Sissy's 10th birthday!!!

Sissy and I in the kitchen...:-)

~ Susan

Some News From Facebook

......I wanted everyone to know that there is a new link on Facebook for Crocheter's. It's called CROCHET CORNER started by a friend of mine, Sonia Malloni.

And also... This is so cute, I had to share it... Sissy, my Maltese was in my lap when I played this. Her little head popped up and listened..:-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPrpeckBV6w

~ Susan

Had To Write...

...I know I've been absent from my computer for a while. We have been busy. And it's also my birthday!!! But we won't mention a number...;-)

I have been crocheting slippers of all things. Seems like a lot of people have cold footsies. Hopefully these will help. I'm using double strand.

... Sissy getting her morning Tummy Rub..:-)

~ Susan

Birthday Party At Tumbleweed ..:-)

...Tonight we had a Birthday Party at Tumbleweed Restaurant. For Paul & I, and for my sister Stacy and for a good friend of ours, Lisa Renee.

Here is Paul and I.

I think I have a picture of our cake.

Good Friends and Good Food..:-) A good time was had by all. :-)

~ Susan

Sissy's Top Step Perch..:-)

... I found Sissy on the top step upstairs. Luckily I could grab my camera to get the picture before she moved.






She is a bit on the shaggy side right now. She needs to be groomed.



... Yesterday I made a homemade Chicken Pot Pie. I made a Cream Cheese Crust for it. I don't think I like that crust. It was a little too heavy. I think we prefer the lighter crust.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies or Pie
Shell crust:

1-2/3 c. flour

1- 8 oz. cream cheese,cold

1/3 c. butter, cold

1/4 t. salt

Filling:1 whole chicken, pulled from bone and chunked

1/3 cup -

real butter

1/3 cup - flour

2 t. minced garlic

1/2 t. salt & dash of pepper

1-1/2 cup - warm water

2/3 cup- milk

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 cup- frozen mixed veggies

3 - individual sized tin pie bowlsFor crust combine the flour, cream cheese, and butter in a bowl. Cut in the cold cream cheese and butter until you have a crumbly mixture. Then starting working it with your hands, kneading until you have a ball of dough: On a floured surface, roll out the dough in to a flat square. Take one of your tin bowls and trace and cut an overlapped piece of dough. Place it into the bowl and softly press it into the corners:

You will get 3 servings out of this recipe. roll out 6 squares for 3 bottom crust & 3 top crusts. Or you will get 1 large pot pie like mine.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour, garlic, & spices till blended.

Slowly stir in warm water, bouillon cubes, & milk. Slowly bring to soft boil & stir constantly for 2 MIN. or til thickened.

Remove from heat & add the frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, celery, & the chicken.

Fill the shells: Put the tops of the crusts over this & seal the edges.
You can use a fork to make a fluted edge. Make a criss cross slit in the center: Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. OR If making 1 large pot pie bake about 30-40 MIN. Watch it carefully so it doesn't get to brown on top.

I got the recipe on the blog called " Mommy's Kitchen."

~ Susan

Go Bengals!!!!!!

.....I'm watching the Bengals game here at home while Paul and Michael are AT the game...:-) That's O.K. ... I would rather watch it at home, stay warm, crochet, get on the computer then maybe read. ... Can't do all of that at a noisy stadium. They are up in the nose bleed section. Oh well, it's still fun.

Sissy in her Bengals Sweater that I made last year!!!

A few hours later....

* we won the game !!! *

~ Susan

My Wrap I made & Miss Devil Eyes...LOL

...Here it is ON me... I love this wrap... It's so Warm & Cozy. And SO SOFT!!! And then look at Sissy...aka Miss Devil eyes. It was fun to make... Easy also. It just took a lot yarn to make it the way I want it.

And here she is...SISSY... Looking right into the camera as it flashes in her eyes. I wonder animals eyes look like that in pictures. (?)

~ Susan

Night Before Thanksgiving Day..:-)

... I had to put this on... every year we like to PREP the turkey the night before... Then it goes in the oven for a few hours, depending on the size.



Here is Paul stuffing the Turkey in the sink...

And here it is ready to go in the fridge over night.. then it goes in the oven tomorrow morning.

... And me? What do I do? I tear up the bread... chop celery, dice onions etc. In other words... I do the prep work...:-)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...:-)

~ Susan

My First Gloves...:-)

What do you think? This took forever. I love Fingerless gloves... but your going to freeze your fingers off if they can't be covered when you go outside... So I made this pattern. It took forever because I wrote all of the stitches down. So I guess it's my own pattern!!! MY FIRST!!!

They are Finger Less Gloves with a little HOOD you pull over the fingers when your going out in the cold. Also, this way I can wear gloves to drive and also keep warm. I like my FINGERS to touch the steering wheel.

See how I have a HOOD over the fingerless part?

The one above is with the little finger hood pulled down. I need better pictures I guess.

The one above is with the little glove hood pulled over the fingers.

~ Susan

My Latest Crocheting

...Here is what I have been working on... First a Wrap I have been making for months. Every time I worked on it, I would run out of yarn and have to order more and wait & wait til it got here to finish it.

It's almost done now. All I have left to do is put the Toggle Closures on it. I want the wooden ones. I just can't find the perfect ones yet.

...Here I have it on my chair. I love it. It's a Dark Blue from Knit Picks. It's called Planetarium. Pima Cotton Yarn. SO SOFT & WARM.

Check out the little collar on it. This is the first time I made one. Easier then I thought.

Next is the Back View draped on my chair.

~ Susan

Last Nights Crocheting...

......Here is what I made last night. The U.C. Bearcats colors!!! By The Way... they won again!!! So did Ohio State Buckeyes!

I made these with Black & Red Cotton yarn. I need to make more of the striped. I like it best.

...And here I am waiting for Sissy to attack...LOL She gets anyone who is on the floor.

...She didn't attack ME... she decided to go to Paul instead. He had pretzels for her.... Little stinker, she always goes to whomever has the food.

~ Susan

Who Sends Crochet, Kint Or Other...

... Good Morning!

Who here sends Crochet, Knit Or other Types of items to our Sailors, Soldiers or Marines? And what do you send? So many times you hear on the Radio or T.V. to send blankets, gloves, scarves ETC. ETC. to them because it's so cold there. ( I thought it was hot. Shows you what "I" know..LOL )

But most of all... what address to you send things to? What address or group is reputable? I'm in a giving mood I guess... I just don't know where to send things.

~ Susan

44 Days Til Christmas

***** 44 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS *****

I got this in my e-mail today... I thought I would share it with all of you...:-)

~ Susan

Looking For New recipes...:-)

Hello All!

Just like every year when Holidays come around, I start hunting for new recipes I can try out on our family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I get the magazine called " Food & Family" ... Kraft puts it out for 6.99 a year. They have great recipes to try. (Tonight I'm trying Lasagna Roll Ups. )

I have to get going to the Library & Store soon. Then a few mounds of laundry to tackle. And speaking of laundry, try the new Downy. It comes in a dark ( black ) bottle. It smells WONDERFUL. And I'm one of those who didn't even use to use Laundy Softener before. I saw it in the store and smelled it and LOVED IT!!! Try it...:-)

~ Susan

Good Morning!!!

~~~ Good Morning ~~~

I'll be popping in and posting more later...:-) O.K. I'm back.

...There just isn't too much to write about right now. I'm just crocheting a bunch of Christmas Present bags.. Now figure that one out...LOL When I'm done, I'll post a picture of one.

I'm using up some of my stash to make odds & ends. It's either that or give more to the library for the kids to use. I may do that again also.

... I like that picture. Sissy & Michael. I like the way Sissy is watching Michael watch T.V.

~ Susan

My Christmas Tree Skirt..:-)

Here it is...


~ Susan

Happy November 1st!!!

... Happy November First!!!

I'm ready to go shopping. We picked names today as of whom we are buying for , for Christmas.... I love it!!!... So, anybody want to go shopping? ;-)

~ Suan

Colors Of Our Neighborhood.

***** Colors Of Our Neighborhood *****


...I rode around in my car and took these pictures a couple of days ago...



This one is from our Community Center...
And this tree just looked pretty.

My husband riding one of our many horse trails...:-)







Quite Serene..;-)

































I tried to put some words in this one... It says, " Once Raked, Leaves Are Great To Hide Under on Halloween Night "





~ Susan

Blackberry Pie For Michael...

... I was baking again tonight... This time the Blackberry Pie is for Micahel to take when he meets Kerstin's parents this weekend. I hope they like it.

... I'm also crocheting a Christmas Tree Skirt... Now I'm putting Red Bows on it.

~ Susan

Blackerry Cobbler... So Sweet...:-)

...Tonight I felt like using some of the Fresh Blackberries that Michael's girlfriend, Kerstin gave me. They are from her Mom's back yard... They are so sweet just plain with a little sugar on them.



















Thanks Kerstin... :-) Please Tell your Mom thanks for me...:-)


...Now back to my crochet...;-) Just had to take a little time out to bake. I'm making a little blanket for Sissy to keep on our Family Room Sofa. She needs a new one. Then I'll be making some dog sweaters.

~ Susan

Shiny Clean Mustang...

Tonight I watched my husband wash our sons Mustang ... The look on his face spoke volumes. It's our sons car... but he remembers when he had his Mustang years ago. Look at this. Men and their big expensive toys...LOL

~ Susan

Last Nights Party...:-)

Last night we had a Halloween Party / Pumpkin Cook Off. And no, I didn't win the Pumpkin the Cook Off.

Here are some pictures...:-)

The first one is of my Brother Billy.





Cy, Stacy, Sherry, my husband Paul in the plaid shirt & hat and myself in purple shirt next to him. And Billy in front.

2 pictures of Michael & Kerstin and Kerstin's little dog...:-)































~ Susan

Happy Sunday!!!

...Happy Sunday..:-)

Last night we had our first freeze of the season. You can see the left side of our back yard is all thawed out since the sun is warming it. But the right side that the sun hasn't touched is still frosted. I was hoping to catch the SILVERY color it has... but this camera just isn't catching it.

~ Susan