Cute little cardi

I finally got this cute little cardi on the needles! I saw the pattern and finished sweater at Renaissance Yarns and absolutely went goo-goo for it. So much so they were kind enough to take it off the manequin so I could try it on to see what size to make. This is going to one of those sweaters that I wear ALL THE TIME :)
Now, time for more natural yummy goodness.

This trail mix sort of concoction was a snap to make. It is so good AND everything is 100% natural. A great thing when we are making the switch away from commercially processed foods and all the chemicals that go into them. The flavor almost reminds me of Trix cereal as I nibble away.

So here's the recipe

Puffed Corn (found in organic isle at grocery store)

Popcorn (air popped of course)

Raisins

Dried Apricots-cut into pieces with kitchen scissors

Almonds-broken up with a hammer while in a ziplock (great for getting out aggression)

**Mix all this together in a big ole bowl**

1 Cup of Honey (this is a ball park...use enough to coat everything)

2-3 TBSP Butter (organic of course)

**On the stove, heat until runny**

Pour over mixture in the bowl,

Sprinkle Orange Zest generously (I have TONS of this from all the oranges I dehydrated)

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, stirring a couple times. I pulled it out when the popcorn started to turn golden.

VOILA!!! A yummy, healthy snack

It you try it, let me know what you think!!! :)

Our home away from home

On Thursday night we finally got the call we had been waiting 2 months for...our property was ready to sign for! WooooHooo! The camper was loaded within a few hours and we had both figured out a way to cram a whole Friday into a 'get out of town early' Friday.

Off we went...

On the way, I tried to work on the May Lurker Lurker pattern and could not, for the life of me, figure out the stitch pattern I needed to use to create the look I am going for (obviously can't share pictures) so I opted for a washcloth to continue in my 'Green' home conversion.

Did you know how horribly bad sponges are for the enviroment...not only to use, but once they get thrown out and end up in the land fill?! Holey Mackeroley...it really is a snowball, once you learn a little about the Organic or Green movement, there really is no turning back and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Next up is the cotton I dyed up last summer...I think it will make a cute selection of washclothes!!!!

Anyways, this property comes with private beach rights to a beach that has

oysters and clams as far as the eye can see!

It is absolutely incredible and we are so excited!!! We got the most amazing deal ever because the piece of property is mostly swamp, but it has just enough room for plenty of friends and family to join us for all the many camping trips to come. So if ever you are trying to find me on a weekend, this is pretty much where I will be from here on out :)

Right here at our

'Campsite Sweet Campsite'

I invented an hors d'œuvre!

First I started by making my own chips (this picture doesn't show them off well). This idea started with loving salsa, but hating the loads of fat in the tortilla chips. So I take flour tortilla shells and cut them into wedges, dip them in lime juice and sprinkle generously with all kinds of mexican spices. Yummy! Bake at 350 until crispy! Voila, a perfect salsa dipping chip with a fraction of the fat.

Then I make a mismash of yummy mexican fixin's. Black beans, onions, rice, tomatoes, cilantro, ref. beans and whatever else I could find in the cupboard. I would have added jalepenos, but I didn't know if our guests would be hip on that :)

Then on the same pan that I cooked the chips on (which is still loaded with all those great seasonings) I slice a block of polenta into 1/8" pieces and cooked until slightly (slightly, slightly) golden on both sides. Then I loaded them each up with a bit of the mismash.

I cooked that for about 15 minutes...basically until they were warm throughout.

Then topped those with a bit of Pepper Jack Cheese to hold it all together. Popped them back in the oven to melt the cheese......THEN

I poked those chips right in top and served!

They go GREAT with Margaritas too!!!!

Here's to our first sunny day in NW Washington!!!! Yummy!

Plowing the field

Farmer Ken went out to plow the fields. It's already April and normally everything would be planted by now, but we are having the weirdest weather (snow showers!!!) and it's making it very risky to plant anything for fear of freezing!

A few doors down from us is a sweet family and a couple of their kids came by looking for odd jobs to earn money. So for the last year the little girl weeds each week. After Mr Ken got the "field" plowed she and I went out to pluck the last of the weeds. UGH-with all the rain it is a goopy mess! This may sound strange...but after everything is all weeded and plowed, it is the prettiest dirt ever!So now our fingers are crossed for the sun to stick around for a little while, or at least that the snow has stopped passing through, because we hope to have some of our garden planted this weekend.
Tomatoes, jalepenos, potatoes, onion, squash, lettuce, sugar peas, carrots, zucchini, pumpkins, garlic....I love fresh produce!!!!
This year I am going to try a little canning! It would be nice to have our own vegetables year round!!!!

Oh how I love a finished project posting in the morning!

I kitchenered the heel closed on the second sock last night and now have a finished pair of socks just for me!

These socks are made out of the Middy and, as those of you who have knit with the Middy already know, they are sooooo squishy soft!

The pattern is an 'ostrich plume' all the way up the sock...it was a simple stitch but it looks sooo cool going up the entire length of the socks.

I wanted a pair of socks that came over the point where my calf curves in (just below the knee)...I got a little impatient and figured I was already there (but still had yarn left) and cast off. Shame on me, because these lovely socks come just to the widest point on my calf! Just a few more rows and I would have had the exactly lenght I was going for!!!! Shame on ME!!!! But I love them anyways!!! :)

So there's one project finished and even better I have a SECOND finished project to post this morning!!! Yep, I finished two projects last night! :)

I finished the crochet wrap! And I LOVE IT!!! OMG...look at all these colors! (Did you know I am a color loving girl?!) So bright and happy!!!

A few of my fellow knitters from my Stitch N Bitch group now what to learn crochet because these cute rows of flowers are soooooo pretty!

This wrap is going to be perfect for grabbing something to keep warm, being snuggled up in the house, or when I need to run to the mailbox and we continue to have bizarre snow flurries in April!

The yarn for this wrap was of course Duet Sock Yarn, in the DK weight. Each skein did three complete rows, which would make it great to use up scrap after a finished pair of socks and just do one row of each color!

Oh how I do love finished project postings in the morning!!!!

Do you know what this means??????

I am not saying when or if these have gone out...

But Lucky Lurkers.....Start Lurking!

March Lucky Lurker

I can safely guess that all the Lucky Lurker's recieved their final installment of Lucky Lurker Yarn of the Month Club.

I was really excited about this pattern because it was an oppurtunity to show that Duet Sock Yarns aren't just for socks! Duet Yarns are great for any pattern that has a coordinating color as an accent...what's even better is when a pattern does call for a coordinating accept, Duet Yarns have the accent color that you can be certain is a perfect pair!

This scarf was inspired by a number of vintage magazines and patterns I had been flipping through lately. The scalloped edge and brooch like flower helped create the perfect look.

I hope this inspired a few lucky lurkers to try out some non-sock patterns with their duet yarns...maybe a baby item, a pair of gloves, a doggy sweater, whatever has caught your eye!!!

I offer apologies in advance if this adds to the Duet addiction!!! :)

Happy knitting!

Oprah exposed Puppymills!!!

Last week, one of the greatest things happend on the Oprah show...

She exposed Puppymills and where puppies in a petstore come from!

As you know, I passionately want to help stop puppymills...but it is a huge battle and without everyone first knowing where puppies in a petstore come from, it's a battle that is tough to fight.

Last week on the Oprah show, millions of viewers finally learned where those cute little puppies in a petstore come from and it wasn't pretty!!!!

I am sooooooo thankful that so many more people now know about puppymills.

It was a difficult show to watch because I have researched all the details of what happens to the poor breeder dogs. I had to walk away from the television to stop the tears as they showed the horrible abuse that goes on.

Female dogs with tumors from feeding their hundreds of puppies, filthy conditions, chains that had grown into the necks of dogs, dogs that couldn't bark because a pole was shoved down their throat, dogs that didn't know how to walk because they had never touch a piece of ground in their life.

I hope this is the first in huge steps to stop puppymills and the sale of puppies in petstores.

If you had the oppurtunity to catch the show, I hope you now understand why you get the puppymill brochure in your package when you order from me.

The only thing that needs to happen to stop puppymills is never to buy a puppy from a petstore...no matter what!!!!

A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OPRAH FOR HELPING IN THIS FIGHT!!!