Monkey Two (See'n Giraffes)

I finished my second Monkey Sock just in time to post in this month's Cookie A. KAL on Ravelry.

It really was a pretty easy pattern even for a sock novice like myself.

I used #2 DPN and Fortissima Colori Socka #15 from Skakel which I purchased at a LYS. I think the yarn is a little too busy for this pattern and I will probably use a semi-solid for my next pair.

I do like the reddish brown spots that formed.


They remind me of my favorite African animal, giraffes.

And if you like videos, take a look.

Soup's On

I found this recipe for Curried Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup.

Curry and nutmeg! Very intriguing. I just had to try it and I'm so glad I did.


I really love what roasting does for the flavor of cauliflower and garlic. So instead of sauteing the veggies I drizzled the cauliflower florets and thinly sliced onion with olive oil and popped them into the oven at 375 degrees for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.


I roasted the garlic, whole and unpeeled with the top end cut off, separately by wrapping it in a foil pouch.

Roasting makes the garlic very soft. I just squeezed the uncut ends to liberate the sweet morsels from their peels.

I added the roasted veggies to the pot with all of the vegetable broth and frozen broccoli florets. I brought the pot to a simmer and cooked it just until the broccoli was bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. I then followed the recipe as written, using an immersion blender to puree the soup.

Inspired by Alton Brown, I bought whole nutmeg and a small grater. He says he likes to carry his nutmeg around in his pocket, I keep mine in the jar in the kitchen cabinet.

It was super easy to grate and smelled heavenly. A wonderful addition atop a lovely soul-soothing soup.

Pretty Maids

Not quite 'all in a row'.


These earrings are destined for a walk down the aisle.

Part of a custom order, I am so honored that one of my designs will be a small part of this very special day.

A Sock is Born

I've finished the first 'Monkey' sock.

It's a little big on me but fortunately it fits DD perfectly.


Cookie's patterns look like they are all sized for medium sized feet. I'll have to figure out how to make them smaller or sadly I won't have any socks knit with her patterns.

Monkey See

I'm having a serious case of sock lust.

Triggered by a post by Susan and fueled by the super addictive site, Ravelry, I've been pouring over patterns and yarns.

After knitting my first and only pair of socks a couple of years ago I wasn't sure it was something I wanted to do again. But then I discovered Cookie A. patterns. Wow, these aren't socks they are little wearable works of art.

Following the recommendations of fellow Ravelers, I chose Cookie's 'Monkey' pattern.

I'm off to a good start and will keep you posted on my progress.

Almond, Joy!

I adore Almond Butter, but it's quite expensive both in terms of $$ and calories.

To lighten the load I mix it at least 50/50 with fat free plain* yogurt. I like Stonyfields Organic.

A quarter cup of the yogurt, a quarter cup (or less) of almond butter, a few generous shakes of ground cinnamon, stir vigorously and serve. The addition of yogurt makes the almond butter a light and fluffy delight. I use it as a dip for apple slices, on top of sliced bananas and pineapple chunks and, of course, chocolate.

*I like the tang of the plain yogurt, but if you'd like a sweeter topping/dip, vanilla yogurt could be just the thing.

P.S. I found the MaraNatha Almond Butter at a Whole Foods store, but I see you can order it from directly their website and maybe save a bit of $$.

ACE, Oh!

I made my first ACEO a few weeks ago as part of a team challenge.

I just received my first ACEO from Magdalene Jewels.


It's a watercolor of a tulip in the most luscious red color. Accented by teal blue crystals, it's a lovely gift and the perfect start to an ACEO collection.


It will be nice to have this ACEO to look at when my Red Riding Hood tulips are but a memory.

Thank You, Thank You

Susan has just given me my second Kreativ Blogger Award.

A fellow knitter, I love reading Susan's blog too. She inspires me to try new things.

After reading her post about a pair of beautiful red socks she had just finished, I dug around in my stash and started a pair too.

She also designed and posted a pattern for a lovely little garter.

I so appreciate that you all take the time to read and comment on my blog.

Before I can accept this award I have some assignments to complete. That will have to wait for another post.

Zowie!

Need a gift for that special baby? Two Zany Zebras just might have what you are looking for.

Blankets, clothes, bibs and bags decorated with some of the cutest, most colorful motifs around can be found in this shop.

Want to know more about this shop and its owner? Check out her blog, which is just as cute and colorful as her items.

In a Blue Moon

Amy's having a giveaway on her blog. First prize - this lovely ceramic blue moon pendant.

Just click, comment and cross your fingers.

You can see more of her lovely beads in her etsy shop.

And her other lovely ceramic creations here. I purchased one of her bowls a few months ago and really like it.

Easin' Into Green

'Going green', 'Recycle', 'Reuse', Reduce'.
There are a lot of buzz words aimed at encouraging environmental responsibility. Over several years we've gradually incorporated these ideas into our home.


One More Time
Recycling paper, glass and cans was our first step. Our city made it easy for us, providing the containers and curbside pick up.



Win Some Lose Some
In grade school my kids each got cute re-useable lunch bags. After three lost lunch bags, we reverted to paper bags for my son, but my daughter still uses her original bag.



Light My Life
In sixth grade my son joined SEE, Students for Energy Education. He loved being part of this group. We all learned a lot, including the idea of replacing regular light bulbs with CFL's , Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, to help reduce our energy consumption.



Steppin' Out
My daughter just bought these shoes, made from vegan and recycled materials.



Earth Day is coming. Any plans? I'd love to hear them.

'Waist' Not

Normally I am super irritated when I reach for a box of cereal and find it contains only a handful of crumbs. But as I looked at what was approximately a cupful of Kashi Island Vanilla crumbs, I thought - chicken. These crumbs just might make a nice topping for some baked chicken breasts.

I've always been a pretty frugal girl, even before it was chic to be a 'recessionista'. I often try to think of ways of using whatever I have on hand. So with the addition of a tablespoon of curry powder, a generous handful of fresh chopped basil, and some chicken breasts; what started as a disappointment at breakfast turned into a delight at dinner.

Now the title for this post could be 'Waste Not' but I think this is a pretty waist-friendly recipe, not too high in calories or fat. And I just love puns :)