Zuppa Toscana

It's a cold, cloudy day . . . the fireplace is flickering, and you're happy to be lounging around the house in sweats and socks with no where to go. If only you had something warm and comforting for your tummy. This is it! :-) It's bacon, sausage, potatoes, cream and kale. What could possibly be better?!?!? Zuppa Toscana with a crusty baguette - it really DOESN'T get any better. I made some minor changes (like cooking the bacon before the onion so I could drain a little of the bacon grease off, and my hubby and I added some red pepper flakes in our bowls to keep from hearing "it's too spicy" from our oldest son). You could change out lots of things to make it healthier, but really . . . why mess with perfection. My oldest son even gave it a thumbs up!

In the Sewing Room - Paintbox Quilt-Along

I decided to make a subtitle for my "Sewing Room" posts on the off chance I actually have time to work on more than one project. I've finished 12 blocks for week two, for a total of 24. Based on the plan Robin and I agreed to, I only need to complete ten blocks a week; with all the unexpected distractions the last couple of weeks with sick babies and kitties, I've learned it's probably better to be a little ahead. In addition to being a little ahead of the game, I think the blocks ARE getting a little more square, so maybe a good portion of the 80 blocks will be straight. The colors on the project are great . . . might just have to keep this one for myself!

In the Sewing Room

Okay, no more pinky promises about writing . . . I'll do it when I can. Last week was a bust for blogging, thanks to a sad, little, sick baby and two sick kitties. Thankfully all are doing better, and I'm hoping for a more personally productive week. I managed to get 10 blocks sewn (finished around midnight last night :-)) and have a two-block-head start on this week. Clearly it's been awhile since I've sewn since I'm pretty sure there are no 90 degree angles in ANY of these blocks, but I'm definitely enjoying the sewing. I've also signed up for a machine quilting class in the middle of February, and I'm so excited I'll be learning something other than stitching in the ditch!

Holy Spaetzle!

I realize some readers (hello, is there anyone there?) may think spaetzle is no big accomplishment; however, while it wasn't a complicated process, I'm patting myself on the back for making something I'd never made before. We had Chicken Paprikash (inspired by an awesome photo and recipe in a recent Saveur), and I decided spaetzle would be a perfect accompaniment. It was . . . and it was YUMMY! I definitely have a love/love relationship with all things pasta (I love it, and it loves to take up residence on my rear end), and this was no exception. I also made a radish salad with a sour cream/dill dressing. On the sewing front, I managed to get two blocks completed last night for my quilt-along, and I'll post photos soon of those . . .

Should Have Been Saturday's Post

My goal was to type something on the blog every day, and I've already missed a day, but Saturday was worth writing about . . . I made some Pumpkin Streusel muffins for breakfast (I'd take a photo now, but they wouldn't look as tasty in the ziploc baggy) and we enjoyed some tasty veggies at dinner from the co-op we just started participating in. I got to spend a few hours catching up with an old friend over lunch too. We talked about career changes we're considering (both of us would like to start our own business in the next year or so); we've both recently moved, so we had lots to share about decorating dilemmas; plus she has two adorable girls so we exchanged mommy stories/advice. She's a great friend and resource for me, and I'm so glad she's moved back into town. I did NOT take pictures of the two of us at lunch, because we both would have hidden from the camera, so I'll just post one of the cutest 7-month old in the whole world. :-) No more skipping days of blogging - pinky promise.

In the Sewing Room

I still can't believe I made it, but here it is, still a few hours left in the weekend, and I've cut all the fabric for my quilt-along (okay, well, at least the fabric for the 80 blocks; there will be sashing and other fabric to cut later, but I'll not think about that now)! That means we'll attempt to get both boys off to bed at a reasonable hour tonight in the hopes I can get started on the 10 blocks I need to sew this week. Having doubted that I'd find time to finish the cutting though and proving myself wrong, I'm feeling optimistic about how much sewing time the week will bring. I hope you're proud of me, Robin (you've probably already sewed your ten blocks, but I'll continue to bask in my success)!

TGIF

So, I need to remember to take pictures of food BEFORE it's eaten! Here's the remnants of what was a lovely German apple pecan pancake we had for breakfast (along with ham that had been boiled a little in apple cider, then I reduced the cider and thickened with some mustard to serve with it). It was a hit, as you can tell by the leftovers, and I'm grateful Cooper's not deathly allergic to nuts :-| It's another rain/cold day which is perfect because Sawyer's playing with his friend Mario (Super Mario, that is), Cooper's getting ready to go down for a nap, and I'm staring at a mountain of laundry, some bathrooms that look like what you might find in an all-male college dorm, and carpet that is a different color for lack of a recent vacuuming. I'm very much looking forward to visiting with an old friend for lunch tomorrow, so perhaps that will keep me singing "A Spoonful of Sugar" while I'm cleaning (and I'm still trying to figure out how that whole "snapping" thing works). Toodles!

In the Sewing Room

So, we bought a new house back in September (with so much space I can almost do my "The Hills Are Alive" imitation of Julie Andrews without falling down the stairs), and the would-be media room has been designated as my official sewing/crafting room . . . at least until the boys are old enough to demand use in its intended purpose. Right now, the sewing table has been relegated to one corner of the room, surrounded by boxes and play areas for both boys in the hopes I might actually get a little time during the day to sew (I know I'm dreaming, but a gal's entitled to have dreams). In an effort to force myself to find a little "me" time and dust off the sewing machine, my dear friend Robin (who sadly lives too too far away) has agreed to do a virtual quilt-along with me. We're quilting along with the Oh, Fransson followers on her Paintbox project although we're just using fabric we love, not sticking with her color theme. We're shooting right now to finish cutting this weekend, then tackle 10 squares a week, hoping to finish along with the other guys. Here's hoping for a miracle! Oh, and here's the fabric I'm using . . . it's Eva by Moda . . .

And so it begins . . .

Today's the day I bite the bullet and actually contribute to the blog I started almost two years ago . . .

It's been a rainy/chilly day, perfect for enjoying some homemade Chunky Monkey Biscotti with a nice cup of coffee. Sawyer and I enjoyed making them, although I think the limitation he has on more age-appropriate milk for dunking makes biscotti NOT so much his favorite cookie. Thank you to Ms. Sugar Plum for sharing the fabulous recipe! (Seriously, you can't look at her site without wanting to get into the kitchen - or at least have someone get in there for you; she has beautiful photos)! Thank you also to Baby Cooper for accommodating my indulgance of a little time in the kitchen.

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