A Little Gift

It's finished!  After blogging about my knit washcloth last night, I stayed up to finish it.  I blocked it today and here it is.

This is the detail along the edge.

I took out the soap I bought from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market - the ones that looked like dessert.

Then I folded up the washcloth and with some pretty ribbon, I tied it to the soap.

I can't wait to give this away as a gift!

"It isn't the size of gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it."  Eileen Elias Freeman

Knit Washcloth

Two good things about sitting outside for four hours watching baseball on a beautiful fall day are getting to watch my son play two really good games and having some uninterrupted knitting time.  Well, almost uninterrupted......I had to put it down to cheer once in a while!

I started this simple washcloth at the beginning of the first game and by the time the second game was over, I was over half finished.

This is a simple pattern that is knit from corner to corner.  I am using an Ultra Pima 100% cotton yarn from Cascade Yarns.  I'm currently using the beige color but I also will make a couple of washcloths out of an off white color.

With a size 6 straight needle, I cast on 4 stitches.  Row 1:  K2, YO, K to end of the row.  Row 2:  repeat row 1 until there are 44 stitches on your needle.  This is the increase section of the pattern.  I followed this pattern until I had 64 stitches on my needle.  This will give me about a 9" square washcloth.  (A 44 stitch washcloth would be the size needed for a baby washcloth.)

Once I got to 64 stitches, I started the decrease section of the pattern.  Row 1:  K1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end of the row.  When I get to where I only have 4 stitches on my needle, I will bind off those stitches and the washcloth will be finished.  I could use another four hour baseball watching day!

"A day without knitting is a like a day without sunshine."  -Unknown

Cute Places to Visit in NE Minneapolis

So, today did not go as I had planned.  I had wanted to get up early, and head to Shakopee, MN (Canterbury Downs) for the Fall Junk Bonanza.  I had decided to go by myself and had a few things that I was hoping to find:  a funky stand for my gazing ball, a frame or tray that I could turn into a chalkboard and gloves made out of old sweaters created by my cousin's sister-in-law.

I got up later than I had wanted but sleeping in on a Saturday is not a bad thing I kept reassuring myself.  As I was getting ready for the day, my oldest son thought it would be funny to scare me by jumping out from behind a closed door yelling, "AAAHHHH!!!"  He got a scream out of me but then he felt really bad and gave me a big bear hug.  It's not often I get hugs from this kiddo so I forgave him pretty quickly for almost giving me a heart attack.  After my heart stopped racing, I was able to finish getting ready and head out for the Junk Bonanza.

Shakopee is about a 45 minute drive from my house so you can imagine my disappointment when I finally got to the entrance after fighting the pouring rain and wind with my "inside out" umbrella, realizing I did not have any cash, a cash card, my credit card or my driver's license.  I had taken my wallet out of my purse last night when I went to the Coon Rapids High School Homecoming football game.  I did not want to lug around a big purse while in the stands and I had forgotten to put the wallet back in my purse.  So.........I turned around and drove the 45 minutes back home only to get home and realize that I indeed DID HAVE my wallet.  I had forgotten that I had taken it out of the pocket of my sweatshirt when I got in my car after the game last night, then put it in the center console of my car.

Instead of driving the 45 minutes back to Shakopee, I decided to to do something a little close to home.  There is a neighborhood in NE Minneapolis, about 10 miles from my house, that I had been wanting to visit.  What a great little two block area this is (St. Anthony Parkway and Johnson Street).  I found yummy donuts and pastries at Sarah Jane's Bakery.

I have a sick 14 year old son at home today and I knew these would be sure to put a smile on his face.  Nothing tastes better when you are sick than a few glazed donuts!  Besides sweet things, they had all types of breads and buns.  The smell when I walked in was heavenly.  Here is a link to the bakery's website.  www.sarahjanesbakery.com

Across the street from the bakery is a very cute little coffee shop called The Coffee Shop NE.  They serve a very wide variety of drinks - hot and cold.  They also have sandwiches, snacks, soups, salads and breakfast items.  There is a cute little sitting area with a few small tables in the front of the coffee shop but they also have a back room that is larger with more tables and some comfy chairs.  I got a White Chocolate Mocha to go but I will definitely be going back to try out their food and some of their specialty drinks.  Here is a link to their website for more information.  www.thecoffeeshopne.com

Next, I walked down the sidewalk to a cute little shop called Crafty Planet.  Anyone looking for some very unique fabric?  This is definitely the place to go.  They also have embroidery patterns, pillow case kits, yarn, sewing patterns, and books and magazines on knitting, crocheting and sewing.  They offer all sorts of classes too.  It has a real urban/hip feel.  This is the link to their website.  craftyplanet.com  (They have an on-line store for those of you who can't make it to their Minneapolis location.)

Here are the goodies I purchased from Crafty Planet:  a skirt pattern, thread, elastic, interfacing and fabric.

I am going to make the skirt third from the left.  It's made with eight panels and an elastic waist.  I love wearing skirts and can see myself make many of these.

This is a close up of the fabric I chose for the skirt.

I thought it would be great for fall and it matches the knit vest and I am finally finishing.

Although my day did not start out as planned, it became a fun day after all!

"The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude."  -Dennis Brown

Pep Fest That Makes the Local News - For a Great Reason

Tonight was Homecoming for my boys' high school, Coon Rapids, MN.  Today, they had a pep rally that ended up on the five o'clock news.  It was for a great reason that they made the local news.

There is a boy who is now a senior, who went to elementary school with my boys.  He has always been in a wheelchair.  Today, he surprised the entire student body of Coon Rapids, by WALKING to the middle of the gymnasium and raising the Cardinal Flag.  The students were crying and cheering and clapping.  They were all on their feet.  It was an amazing display of teenagers giving their support to a special friend.  For those who think that teenagers are all self centered, I give you this link to see for yourself how amazingly supportive an entire gymnasium of teenagers can be.  http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1040623/396/Coon-Rapids-senior-takes-inspiring-steps-at-pep-rally

"It doesn't matter if you play sports or not.  It's about setting goals in your life.  When you're a Cardinal, you don't stand alone."  -Dakota Forness

Fruit Smoothies

My kids are always STARVING when they walk in the door after school.  I try to have lots of snacks for them to eat without ruining their supper.  Today I decided to make them each fruit smoothies.  These are so easy to make and can be whipped up in a hurry.

I start with ice.

Then I chop it up in the blender.

This smoothie was for my daughter so I threw in a couple of handfuls of frozen blueberries.

To this I added about 3/4 cup of orange juice.

I added about a cup of organic vanilla yogurt.

To sweeten it a bit, I added a few Tablespoons of blue agave nectar.  This you can find in a health food store, co-op or the organic section of the supermarket.

I gave it spin in the blender and poured it into a frosty mug from my freezer.

I topped it with a few marshmallows and had it waiting on the table for my daughter when she got home from school.

I also made smoothies for my boys.  The only difference with theirs is that I used strawberries and topped their with whipped cream.

I have made these smoothies with bananas (both frozen and fresh), raspberries, peaches, and a combination of lots of fruit.  I've used milk instead of orange juice and ice cream instead of yogurt.  I pretty much use whatever I have on hand!

"My whole body is sore.  I need a smoothie, some advil and a massage."  -Hanna Beth

School Spirit T-Shirt

It is homecoming this week for both my boys' and my daughter's school.  For part of the celebration, each day of the week is a different kind of dress up day.  For my sons' school, Monday was Class Color Day; Tuesday was Dress Up Day; Wednesday was Sports Day; Thursday is Wacky Day; and Friday is School Spirit Day.  For my daughter's school, Monday was Minnesota Sports Day; Tuesday was Two Peas in a Pod Day; Wednesday was Camouflage Day; Thursday is Pajama Day; and Friday is School Spirit Day.

In preparation for School Spirit Day, my friend Lisa hosted a little t-shirt making party for her daughter and some of her daughter's friends.  My daughter had a blast making a one of a kind School Spirit T-Shirt.  Each girl started with a white t-shirt.  They used letter/number stickers for the words, cut sponges to make a tiger paw (for the Fridley Tigers), and gold and black permanent paint.

After the paint dried completely, Lisa washed them and let them air dry.  Then she took a scissors to each t-shirt and cut off the sleeves, neck and bottom hem.  Lastly, she cut fringe in the bottom of each shirt.

Lisa gave each girl a packet of beads and they added the beads to the fringe.  Some added the beads to all of the fringe, my daughter chose to add multiple beads randomly to the fringe.

Here is my daughter with her finished product.

She can't wait to wear to school on Friday!

"School spirit isn't just about going to the games, it's also about dressing up for homecoming week!"  -Unknown

It's a Stew Kind of Day

It's stew making season and even though it was a little warm today, I had a desire and craving to make some.  I started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, I heated two tablespoons of olive oil in a stock pot on the stove top.

Next I took about 3 pounds of sirloin steak,

and cut it into bite size pieces.

I put a gallon size bag in a bowl.  This helps keep it open and stable while adding in ingredients.  The the bag, I added 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Then I added the bite size pieces of meat.

I sealed the bag then gave it a good shake.

I added the meat to the hot oil, being careful to keep them in a single layer.

While the meat was beginning to brown, I cut up a large onion and added it to the pot.

Once the meat was brown and the onions were soft, I added 14 1/2 oz. of beef broth.

I also added 1 cup of red wine (merlot).  Do not substitute red cooking wine for the merlot.  Red wine gives the stew a robust flavor and if you're worried about the alcohol.....don't be.  The alcohol is "cooked off" and you're just left with a really intense flavor.

For more flavor, I added 1/4 cup of bacon bits (real - no imitation),

a bay leaf,

1/4 teaspoon thyme,

and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

I poured in 1/4 cup of water,

and then I cleaned and diced 6 potatoes which I also added to the pot.

I gave the stew a good stir then turned the oven down to 250 degrees and put the stew in then oven.

I let it simmer in the oven for about 3 hours - until the potatoes became soft.

I know this picture doesn't make it look very appetizing, but it was a HUGE hit with my family, especially my boys!

"Stew's so comforting on a rainy day."  -Dodie Smith