Magical Bean Pot

If any of you are familiar with Celebrating Home products, you probably know about their "Bean Pot", pictured below, that you can cook just about anything in.  It is stoneware and can go in the freezer, fridge, microwave or oven and is dishwasher safe.  Yes, I realize this sounds like an ad, but it really is an amazing addition to any kitchen because it makes cooking so much easier.  I am going to use mine to make a "Chocolate Lava Dump Cake" to go with Christmas dinner.  It is called a "Dump Cake" because you dump the ingredients into the pot, mix it and bake it.  So easy!  I am including the recipe below.

Chocolate Lava Dump Cake

You will need:

1 box chocolate cake mix

ingredients listed on cake mix box

1 can chocolate frosting
Powdered Sugar (optional)

Bean Pot

Place all cake mix and ingredients in Bean Pot and whisk, stir until blende.  Drop 5-6 heaping tablespoons of frosting on top.  Place lid on pot ( if your microwave is small, flip the lip upside down).  Cook on high for 8 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  If additional cooking time is needed, do it in 1 minute intervals.  Let set for 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.  CAUTION!  It will be very hot!!  Serve alone or with ice cream.  Enjoy!

Look out spirits, here we come!

Gomez got me an EMF detector for Christmas, so now we can really go do some investigations!  We hope to be able to join a local group to cut our teeth and learn a few more things.  I will keep you posted! (No pun intended!)

Christmas is already here!

Merry Christmas!  I hope everyone is with family and friends and feeling loved, warm and contented.  Being in Arizona with my family we are definitely warm...62 degrees on Christmas Eve!  Seeing all the family at my brother's house last night was so much fun, with everyone eating until they were about to burst and teasing and poking fun at one another.  There was not a dull moment! 

Gomez, the pack 'o pups and I wish you all a very merry, blessed Christmas and hope that the love and spirit of Christ carry you through the new year with health, wealth and happiness!  (And, yes, our tree is black!) 

New Knitting Project

Fall is here and with it the desire to be cozy and nothing is cozier than knitting and having your project warm your hands and lap as you work.  My friend from the fiber arts group I belong to, Babs, taught me how to do this amazing double-sided knit stitch that allows you to basically knit two pieces of fabric together at the same time.  The result is an ultra-warm garment with a "pocket" to trap air that warms up when worn providing insulation.  (Babs, I try to keep my blog anonymous, so that is why you are referred to my your favorite nickname. ;-))  I am currently making my inaugural project with this method for my mother's boyfriend and I have to say I want to keep it for myself!

Not too bad for my first try! I will try to post the how-to later.

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

After trying to get used to this whole blogging thing, I am wondering if it is really worth it.  I mean the time and energy it takes, even every so often seems quite wasted if no one reads or looks at it, right?  Isn't the whole point of blogging for people to read it?  Since I am not interested in making an income or advertising my little place here I will just suffice it to be my online outlet to get things out of my head and in writing.  If people happen to read it, so be it.  If not, oh well.  At least I have a creative outlet for my mind.  If you like my blog, let me know.  If not, let me know how I can improve it.  I am only a novice after all.  Thank you to my sister-in-law, K, for helping me set it up and get started.  You are amazing and I do not know how you do all that you do.  I love you more than you know.   Ciao for now!  I WILL be back!

Ahhhhutumn...

Autumn.  My favorite time of year, heralded by a crispness in the air, cooler temperatures, changing leaves, candy corn and, of course, the anticipation of Halloween, or as my Auntie Karen says, my"high holy days".  There really is no other time of year that makes me feel the way I do at this very moment, almost giddy with child-like excitement and wonder.  The place where I grew up was, in alot of ways, like the town of "Perfect" in the Walgreens ads that were out  a couple of years ago.  Fall meant thinking of and making the perfect costume and going to the annual Halloween carnival to play games, participate in the cake-walk and enter the costume contest.  My dear, late brother used to design and make me the best costumes!  They were so good, in fact, that I won "Best Costume" for my class every year but one!  Trick-or-treating was safe and always with good friends in the the little village that was near our school.  Sadly, the village no longer exists, but the memories will always remain.  I can still feel the brezze on my skin and see the leaves dancing as we went form house to house. Oh, how I miss those days!  To have them again would be great, but now as an adult I have found ways to instill that spirit into the season by decorating the house and having a big bash for all of our friends.  This year may be just a small gathering with our intimate friends and children, with all the goodies and trimmings I can manage, but Halloween will be celebrated in some way.  Off I go to enjoy the scents and sights that are already here and, maybe even break out the decorations!

I think it is the dogs' favorite time of year, too!

 

Gomez always goes for a traditional Jack-o-lantern and I try to be a bit different.

15 Years and Counting

This last week saw the arrival of our 15th anniversary and it was cause for some reflection and reconnection.  Time really does fly when you are having, er, fun!  Most of  the time we manage to squeeze in some fun!  Life really is easier and more fulfilling when you have your best-friend/soul-mate at your side.  I don't know what I did to deserve Gomez, but I am glad I did it!  What an amazing, kind, generous, sweet, loving, loveable, intelligent, corny, strong, wise, self-sacrificing soul he is!  My in-laws are amazing, too!  Always ready to help and love each other, no matter what.  I am so blessed to have them in my life.  (If any of you read this, I mean it!  That means you, too, Clan F!) 
It is disconcerting, however, when people you have not thought of in years no longer have a name that flashes right into your head and you have to search for it.  We are both searching for a couple of them a few days later, but they will eventually come back at 3 AM with the frustration of not being able to sleep. 
We reminisced about meeting each other and those who filled our lives then, as well as our sweet little girlillas who left us way to soon.  RIP Liffy and Nellie!  We love and miss you!  It is astounding that life changes so much and so drastically!  This has been a great exercise is perspective and really has made me thankful for the people who are now in our lives, whether it be everyday or less often.  Eash one of you means so much and I hope you know it.
Here is to the last 15 years and, hopefully to at least, 50 more!

When Gomez goes away, Morticia plays! (With Artisan Bread!)

My sweet man was called away on business and while he was away I dabbled in the kitchen arts, yet again.  I love the ladies in my fiber arts group!  So many ideas flying around, but this one I caught and have managed to try!  Artisan Bread sounds scary, but it isn't.  One of our group members brought a great book for another member to peruse and after I looked at it, I went online, found the dough recipe and instructions and whipped up a batch of dough.  The first baking attempt taught me that baking stones, sadly, do not last forever.  Mine was 10 years old and had enough "season", i.e., old oil and butter in it to smoke up the house.  FUN! NOT!  My second attempt was with an overturned cookie sheet with parchment paper and the results were incredible!  Crusty on the outside and chewy, soft goodness on the inside!  Yum! 

Subsequent attempts have been even better and the lucky few that have received a round all said it was really good and I think one even said it was "amazing"!  If anyone is interested in trying it, let me know and I will get you the link to the recipe.  It is super easy!

Thanks to my great friend, Miss K., for the unselfish gift of a Pampered Chef baking stone to help my efforts.  It works perfectly!

Mesa Verde with the Nieces

Another summer, another vacation with the "Girlillas"!  Mesa Verde was incredible!  Loved the architecture and learning about the ancient culture.  Can't wait to go back!  By the way, Barbara A., I know where you got your southwestern giftwrap!  Does Teec Nos Pos, Arizona ring a bell? :-)

Long time, no blog...

Spring has never arrived and summer is trying to come forth and I have not blogged in quite a while.  Let's see what my brain spills forth...
My latest endeavor is cheese making.  This afternoon will be my first real attempt at it, but my friend, K,  and I took a class last Saturday and it was fascinating.  We found that it is not unlike making soap in many ways, but it is quite easy as long as you pay attention to what you are doing.  The class taught us how to make a 30-Minute Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Cream Cheese and Ricotta.  My challenge is to now try to make them with goat's milk instead of cow's milk.  I will post my results as they come.

Round 2 of the "Crud" is upon me and I have to to cancel a trip to my mom's this weekend and stay house-bound.  Nothing like not really being able to do anything when you are the type to ALWAYS be busy with something!  Hopefully by Monday I will be mostly back to my old self.

The drop-spindle spinning is coming along nicely.  I have spun around 200 yards of wool in a color combo called "Burning Bush" and it is quite beautiful.  Pillow covers for my couch are what the future seems to be holding for it.

"Burning Bush" before and after spinning





    This yarn may be my first attempt at plying, which is when you take two yarns, similar or different , and spin or twist them together.  This makes a thicker, stronger yarn.                                            

Second Handspun Skein

I have been spinning when I can over the last couple of weeks and managed to come up with a second skein of about 75 yards.  Gomez and I took a daytrip with a friend a couple of weeks ago and went to a fiber arts store where I found some lovely red and brown dyed roving.  I started spinning it and love the resulting yarn I am getting out of it.  The roving is 8 ounces and it will be interesting to see how much yardage I get out of it.  I may make socks out of it!  Here is a sneak peek!

Dyeing Yarn with Icing Colorant

Spinning is fun, but dyeing what you have spun is even better!  My first official skein of yarn came out to around 55 yards.  I used the back of a folding chair to wind it into a skein from my spindle.

 After researching different methods online, I found that Wilton's Icing Colorant can be used to dye yarn and fabric.  Naturally, I drove straight to my local craft store and got a set of twelve Wilton Icing Colors for about $7.50 after using a 50% off coupon I had.  Not too shabby, right?  The main reason I wanted to try this method was because I could easily obtain the needed materials and I can use any utensil that I dye with for food again after I am done.  Wanting teals and purples I mixed up three differnt colors using 1 tsp. colorant to 1 cup water and mixed thoroughly.  I wetted my yarn in a water bath, using 1 cup vinegar as a mordant, for a couple of hours.  You can soak your yarn longer, but I was excited and couldn't wait to get started.  After removing the yarn from the water bath, I used an old towel to roll the yarn in to absorb any excess water and then it was time to dye it!  Painting yarn is my favorite way to dye, so after covering my counter surfaces with plastic, I used a foam brush to paint the skein in thirds, using a different color for each 1/3.  Next I put the yarn into a microwave safe glass bowl, trying not to overlap the colors too much.  I then covered the bowl loosely with cling wrap and zapped it in the microwave for 5 minutes, let it cool completely and then zapped it again for 5 minutes and let it cool a final time.  Keep an eye on your yarn and microwave so that the yarn does not burn!  Mist with water if yarn starts to dry out.  After it was cool I rinsed the skein in cool to tepid water, used the towel again to soak up any excess water and used a clothing hanger to hang it up to dry.  The end result is in the picture below.

I then decided to dye some merino wool yarn purchased from an online company to see if I could change the time in the microwave and also try a "pot" method.  The second skein I spot painted with the same dye colors and let the colors bleed as they liked, then put it in the microwave and zapped it for only 2 minutes with 2 minutes rest time and then zapped  it for 2 more minutes, allowed to completely cool and rinsed and hung to dry in the same manner as my handspun first skein.  The pictures below show the result, which I was very pleased with.

The lower cooking time caused this skein to come out much lighter, but it is still beautiful.

The third skein was dyed in a pot using a method that uses three different colors and dyes 1/3 of the skein at a time.  I was trying for a sunset-like peach, a blue-gray and a gray-brown after this picture my husband took on a recent business trip.  As you can see from the pictures the colors separated and I got pinks and mauves instead!

  

 Colors I was trying to replicate...

Colors I got...

 As a gentleman in his blog I had found on dyeing silk roving said, the great and fun thing about using the Icing Color is that it is not fixed and stable, so you never quite know what you are going to get! 
So, after my experimentation, it my humble opinion that the microwave cooking method is best when using the Wilton's Icing Colorants.  Have fun and enjoy!  Let me know it you have any questions.

I'm spinning! No, really, I am!

The old ways strike again and this time with a vengeance!  Serendipity is awesome!  Several years ago I watched a program called "Knitty Gritty" and they had a segment on learning to spin your own yarn with a homemade drop (suspended) spindle.  As will happen, I completely forgot that I wanted to try it and while walking through our local chain craft store last week I noticed a book about spinning with spindles on the cover.  (I know this was in an earlier post, so forgive me). Naturally I perused it and decided that I was going to finally try it.  After searching all over town and online, I managed to stumble upon a new fiber-arts guild that is starting locally and decided to join and make my own spindle(s).  I even got my poor over-worked Gomez to make me an incredibly ingenious bottom whorl spindle using a dowel, plexiglass and copper wire!  It has been named my "Smudge Spindle" after one of his other nicknames.  It will undoubtedly be my favorite spindle and so far, so good!  I really love spinning and while I still need to hone my skills, it is coming along nicely!  For basically teaching myself by watching videos online and reading about it I think I am ahead of the curve.  The third time (day) was the charm, as I had the breakthough I needed and figured out exactly how and when to pinch and let go of the roving to get the twist into it.  As promised in that earlier post, here is my progress...

                                                  Spinning Day #1

Not too bad for never having done it before.  A bit inconsistent, but worthy of at least a rug!  The roving I am spinning is from Lincoln Long-hair Sheep.  Probably not the best wool, but I bought it locally from a couple who raises the sheep and the price cannot be beat!

                         Spinning Day #2 - On "Smudge Spindle"

It is hard to tell, but the top layer of yarn is much more consistent. Yay!  I am still using the "Park and Draft" method, but I will be able to drop the spindle soon enough!

                                 Full view of my "Smudge Spindle"

My man is amazing!  He had to work some overtime because he had to be in the building while one of his projects was being tested and made this off the cuff!

                                         Homemade Spindles

These were so simple to make using dowels, wooden toy car wheels and, not shown, cup hooks!  To add some character I used some of my rubber stamps to decorate the tops/bottoms of the whorls.  So easy and fun!



On Turning Two Times Twenty

Where does time escape and why does it seem to be so absolutely, mind-blowingly fleeting?  Sunday marked the start of my 40th year on this amazing globe and, as I sit here blogging, I am remembering the original blogger, Doogie Howser, MD, and that I was just a kid when he entered his first thoughts into his computer.  Wow!  Tempus fugit!  30 was really no big deal and, honestly, 40 is no different except that I REALLY do not feel it.  When I write that I do not feel it, I mean not emotionally, mentally and not really even physically.  Plenty of the people in my life feel their age or older, especially physically, but I just don't and I guess that is the perplexing part of this event.  If I live to, let's say, 80, then my life is half lived and if I do not "feel" 40 now, will I "feel" 50, 60 or, if I am so lucky, 90?  This rant takes me to one of my very favorite, albeit anonymous quotes which simply asks, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"  My answer?  25!!  I "feel" 25!  Maybe that is because by the time I hit that age, I got married, had my values and worldview and philosophies about life and being human in place.  I am much wiser now than at 25, but I am pretty much the same person now as I was then, although, if you ask my husband, I have mellowed out about a lot of things.  Thank goodness for perspective and having the ability to learn from my mistakes as well as those of others.  As long as I can continue to learn new things from this life then it will be full of wonder and elation.  Gomez gave me the most beautiful card with amazingly kind, poignant words in it.  One of the things he pointed out was that anything I decide to learn or do I master.  Well, I guess my life is mine to master!  On with the show!

     My beautiful card, "Tristan and Isolde" by Marc Fishman

Living in a small town can be sooooooo frustrating!

Have you ever wanted to try an old art/craft, such as, oh say, Drop Spindling, and you get so excited you cannot wait to get the equipment and supplies and start?  Me too.  However, small town living has thwarted me, yet again!  The local craft chain store does not carry Drop Spindles (but they sell an instructional book on how to do it), and the antique store mistook bobbins for spindles.  UUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!  If I ever get started I will post my progress.  Until then, I am off to search the internet!  Ciao!

Spring is springing...hopefully!

With Valentine's Day looming tomorrow, I look outside at our snow-covered mountains with the sun gleaming off of them and can hardly believe that Winter may actually be coming to an early end this year.  It has been unusually cold this year and temperatures have been in the below zero range for more nights than I care to count.  The dogs will be glad for warm weather so that their oh so favorite sweaters will be packed away until Autumn! 
I am hoping to get all the things done outside this year that have been put off every year for the last few years.  Hopefully I will actually put a timed sprinkler in the square foot garden if I replant this year, so there will be a harvest.  The front and backyards will get fixed up and landscaped in hopes of spending lazy evenings lounging in their glory.  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Here is to hoping!
If you have never heard of square foot gardening, Google it and learn a fun, easy, great way to garden!

Last spring's attempt at a garden.  Is that Sasquatch with his dog?!

                                          

Home is where you want to be...

Ahhhhh... Home and all of the images that the word conjures up.  I am away at my mom's for our monthly visit and it makes me wonder how and why my parents ever moved to the location I am presently sitting.  The answer is known, but still, I wonder, why here and how did I ever manage to survive growing up in such a tiny town?  Survival came from keeping to myself and my tight group of friends and learning early on, as one of my long-time childhood friends so succinctly put it, to stand up for ourselves and what we believe and not take any crap for it.  She is smart, that one! (You know who you are! ;-P) 

They say you can never go home and in some ways this is so true.  My childhood bedroom no longer exists and the room I now claim at my mom's house is not at all like the room I now share with my husband in our home, but as I look around its clutter, I am presented with objects and photos that bring forth amazingly vivid memories.  Some are unpleasant, but most are good, and maybe just a bit warm and fuzzy.  There are photos of those loved and lost too soon, weathered letters from amazing people who thought me alot about life and helped raise me in their own way, and momentos of past trips and happy moments.  I do not like to admit to being sentimental and tender, but, those who truly know me realize that is really and truly what I am like and that my somewhat tough and wisened exterior is a facade of careful construct so as not to be hurt or bruised anymore than I have to be.  See me cuddled up with my pups and it is a dead giveaway.  My daddy once told me that he often worried about me getting hurt because I feel and love so much and so deeply.  He was right and I sometimes wish it wasn't true, but more often I am thankful for it because it means I really, really get to have the "human experience" in this thing called life.

My home is not a building, but rather a feeling that I can wrap myself up in wherever I may be and happiness is self-made, and as Charles Schulz said, it is a warm puppy.

Gomez, CB, Lerler and Sammy, I miss you all, but I will be home Sunday!

Ahhhhh...Sunday!

Sunday, Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and being home with all of my boys and my girl.  What a fantastic way to spend a day!  I think I need to bake some brie and really indulge the senses.  Last week was long and difficult, but I must put it where it belongs, in the past, and look forward to a new, hopefully, much better week.  I am off to see my mom on Thursday and hopefully get a good couple days of work in while I am there. 
I could not have gotten this picture of Magnus and Samson if I had tried for a week, but the stars all aligned perfectly and I got this shot.  It is hard to believe that Samson barely tolerates Magnus based on this picture.  Enjoy!

How to Succeed in Business and not Die Trying

Any of you out there who have been in business for yourselves know that it is tough and challenging at moments.  There are alot of things that cause problems, but, in my humble opinion, accepting credit cards is the most nightmarish problem of all.  So you find a processing company you think maybe you can trust... it is okay, quite a bit more expensive than the salesperson led you to believe (he lied alot), but your clients love the convenience, so you grit your teeth and absorb the expense.  Then you stumble upon another company that is, by all appearance, a godsend, so you give it a trial run.  Saving money means not raising prices, right?  Then enter the hapless victim/client.  You charge her the amount for the item/service she receives, but the processing company hold extra funds to make sure the correct amount goes through.  The client innocently checks her bank balance and finds this extra "pending" amount and freaks out, calls her bank and reports the transaction as fraud.  She then calls you to find out what is going on and you explain the situation and that the processing company does this to secure funds.  Eventually she calls back, says the transaction went through before she reported supposed the fraud, so all is well.
The moral of this tale...Accepting checks is safer than credit cards and a whole lot less expensive!!  And have your Flying Monkeys ready and don't be afraid to use them!!

Happy Tuesday, everybody!
Tish

My Pack O' Canines

Sundays are my favorite day of the week, as it usually means spending much needed down time with Gomez and the pups!  Today was filled with "puppy-skin rugs" all over the living room floor and cooking "Coq au vin" for the first time (I will post the recipe on Morbid Morsels soon).  The meal was great, but being home with my family was better!

Don't faint, everyone, I have a blog!

After a fitful night's sleep I woke up this morning and decided to finally put this blog up.  I know at least one person who may faint (you know who you are, KF), but please do not!  I am going to have fun with this and try to include my take on the world, life, etc, as well as share recipes ala Morticia's Morbid Morsels and craft ideas.  I am also trying to stay as anonymous as possible, so please understand that I will not be posting photos or names of anyone I know and love, however, enemies beware!  The Pack O'Canines and my projects will take center stage in that regard.
The above picture is from our amazing vacation to Tombstone, Arizona in May, 2010.  If you look closely, you will see an orb that was following me.  For you skeptics out there, I have had the camera that took this pic for years and have taken thousands of pictures with it and NEVER had anything like this show up!  I will post the photos from the OK Corral at a later date. The Birdcage Theatre is one of the most unusual and unique places we have ever been and we hope to take the nieces and/or nephews someday.
So, there you have it, my first ever blog posting!