Homemade Food

I love to cook and try new things.  My kids are always willing to try my experiments into the culinary unknown.  Most things turn out well, but some - like my never-to-be-made-again Tangerine Chicken - are best forgotten.  My cookbook collection is always growing and usually grows a few volumes around the holidays. 

This year's additons:

I've already made several fun recipes.  My favorite has been the Chocolate Cake in a mug from Homemade Winter.  You mix all the ingredients into a mug and microwave it.  Presto... chocolate cake for one.  It does make a bit of a mess and explodes out of the mug and then settles back down.

 

                                             

 

 

It was so much fun, I made one for everyone in the house.  Six mugs full of single serving chocolate cake.  (And yes, my Christmas decorations are still up.  Not letting go... yet)

 

I also made some pumpkin muffins from my favorite baking book, The Village Baker's Wife.  So good that some disappeared while they were cooling. They have completely disappeared now.  I need to make more for breakfast tomorrow, and to start on some croissants for Friday morning's breakfast.

 

 

                                 

 

 

We need something to keep us warm here in San Diego.  The temperature went down to 23 degrees last night.  Tonight will be another wintery evening.  I'm going to put bottled water on the front porch and see if I can make ice.  Will let you know tomorrow.



Happy 2013!!

It's been over a year since I ventured on to this site.  I'm back.  Hopefully for good.  I took a much needed break. Life has been too crazy to describe. 

The highlights of the last year:

• I took a cruise with my mother (only my mother). It was heaven!
• Isabelle graduated to the next class in preschool. 
• Sock making took a back seat.  Only made four pairs.
• Arielle graduated from college with a Bachelors in Game Art and Animation.
• Started working out at the gym everyday for an hour to keep the stress gremlins away.
• My nephew Robbin married his dream girl.
• Visited my family in Tennessee
• Michelle joined the Robotic Club at school. Her team won 2nd for the first time in years!
• My mom looked a horrible disease in the eye and made it back down - thankfully.
• Arielle and boyfriend Ryan moved in and happily are still here.

There is much more...

But I'm moving forward, of course, with a fresh pair of socks on my needles.

Almost a Year in Socks

I have surprisingly kept on track with the knitting goal I set at the beginning of the year. I'm currently working on October's pair, so I'm already ahead of schedule.

I already posted January's, so here are the rest:

February

March

April

Modeled by Arielle

May/June

July 

August

September

I have to confess that I cheated a bit in May and June with itty bitty socks. Below are my October socks. Just barely started, but it's unreal for me to be this ahead of schedule.  I hope I can keep it up - at least until the next project catches my eye.



Hawaiian Meatloaf

Before I sat down to enjoy my meatloaf the other night, some great news came my way.  My wonderfully talented daughter, Arielle, is on the Dean's List!  I'm so proud of her.  Her future is so bright.  It will be exciting to see where all this takes her.

So, before I start going on and on about my fabulous daughter, because I can go non-stop - yes, she's that awesome, here is my meatloaf recipe:

Hawaiian Meatloaf       

Combine all of these in a mixer.  (I like using a mixer because it mixes much better than using my hands):

1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 pound hamburger
1 egg
1/2 cup of canned crushed pineapple (save the juice for the sauce)
1 finely chopped onion
2 tsp pineapple juice (from can)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix until well blended.  Transfer to a metal loaf pan and cook for one hour at 350-degrees*.
Take out of oven and pour sauce over the top.


Sauce   

Combine in a saucepan:

2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Heat on medium low until thick and bubbly.  Pour over the meatloaf and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes.

I served this with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn on the cob.  Not our usual dinner, but this was sweet comfort food at its best. 


*I always put two pieces of bread, usually the ends because no one in my family eats them, underneath the meatloaf.  It soaks up all the grease.  Just remember to discard them before you serve the meatloaf.

Downhill

My year has not improved much. Without going into it too far - because most of it is not my story to tell- I am at my peak with disasters and medical emergencies.  The good news about being on the peak is there is only downhill ahead of me. Hopefully, it will be smooth and I won't land on my face.

A happy spot in these last few months, is Aslan.  My adopted 80-pound puppy.  I looked in every shelter and humane society for months to find the perfect dog. I finally found him at an Encinitas humane society.  I couldn't have asked for a better dog. He's gentle, patient and so snuggable despite his size. 

He's just perfect.  Aslan helps fill the house with laughter and love.

Since the last year has been dark and dreary, I spruced up the blog.  It needed some happy colors.  This is the same reason why my livingroom is now a bright purplish pink.  (Don't tell Doug it's pink. He's colorblind and thinks it's a dark purple.  Who am I to burst his paint bubble?)

 I'm off to experiment with combining three different Hawaiian Meatloaf recipes for dinner.  I'll post the finalized recipe. Something sweet yet comforting is what I need right now.

Isabelle is Three!!!!

Sad, but true - my baby girl turned three last week.

Isabelle went on many adventures last year and learn some new things, like:

• went camping at Salton Sea, Big Sur and Yellowstone
• learned how to ride a tricycle
• discovered rain won't melt her face off 
• went to Seattle
• started preschool
• lost a great-grandma, grandpa and beloved chihuahua
• learned how to cook scrambled eggs
• discovered she won't go down the bathtub drain
• sat still through a whole movie in the theater, Tangled
• learned her abc's

All she wanted for her birthday was "presents, pink balloons and cake with candles."  What was inside the presents didn't matter much. She was super excited about knee-high socks. 

Unfortunately, her dad was away on a business trip during her birthday, so we had a mini-birthday until he could join us a few days later. 

Fortunately, he was in Tempe, AZ and eating dinner with her big sister Arielle on her birthday.  They both joined us in singing Happy Birthday - on speaker phone - over a flaming cupcake.

Happy Third Birthday my little Isabelle!!!



Knitting Dreams

Sock of the Month Club

I have been dreaming of knitting since Christmas. It's bizarre, but there it is. I haven't been knitting much, but my yarn collection keeps growing. I have tons of sock yarn. So, I've decided to make my own sock of the month club. There is an awesome one online here, but it's a bit too pricey for me right now. Besides, I want to reduce my shelf and baskets full of yarn, not add to it.

January's sock is done and finished in January. Fancy that! Deadlines haven't worked well for me in my knitting past. This gives me hope.

I knitted my own pattern, which is pretty simple except I knitted from the toe up this time. It's my first time. Usually I knit from the cuff down, so I'm pretty pleased with myself. If only the socks ended the same in the patterned yarn. One has a blue edge and one has a purple. Still, they have character and they fit really nice.

My February socks aren't on the needles yet, but they will be tonight. I'm doing the Feather and Fan pattern from Socks, Socks, Socks.

Other Knitting Projects

There is just too many projects on my needles. Every size of needles are taken up with a project. It's so bad that if I want to start another project, I either have to put the needle hogging project on stitch holders (a total pain) or buy new needles.

My goal this year is to slowly free up my needles by finishing my projects. I say slowly because I need to concentrate on one at at time. Otherwise, I just do part of one like a crazed person until I get burned out - which I always do - and go to the next one.

In my office, I have a shelf filled with knitting projects in ziploc bags. I want my shelf back. I'm running out of space for my knitting books. I want to finish all of those before I buy more yarn. Chances of me not buying yarn anytime soon are pretty slim, but I'll try be strong.

I wasn't going to make any resolutions this year (except for getting rid of craptastic things), but it looks like I have a goal.

Fingers crossed

Craptastic

It's not my word, but it accurately describes last year for me. 

• It was craptastic to lose three members of my family
• It was craptastic to lose my dog
• It was craptastic to have my Jeep seriously break down - it will take months to fix
• It was craptastic the way that all of the above added up to a crazed disorganized unfocused emotionally messed up person - that was me

I was not only happy to see 2010 leave my life, but I kicked it hard on its way out the door (slammed and locked it tight).

My New Year's resolution is just to get the word "craptastic" out of my vocabulary.

Bring it on 2011!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Tomorrow, I'm taking off on my first trip by myself in 21 years.  It's a solemn occasion, but I'm looking forward to seeing family that I haven't seen in decades.  And, lucky for me, I'm meeting some new ones.

I'm stopping in Philadelphia first.   The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are on my agenda. My fingers are crossed that I can get there before I leave.

Then, I'm off to New York with my Father and Ollie.  It's a full day of family togetherness, and I'll probably plop into bed at the end of the day - blissfully exhausted.

I'll be home before the kids are out of school on Monday.  It's going to be a great weekend with lots of pictures.  New York is so beautiful in the Fall.

Happy first day of Autumn!

I'm Back into the Groove

Many things have happened since my last post.  Some good - some bad.  Some that has pushed me in a different direction, and some that can't be undone or repaired.  Big changes are coming my way...

Meanwhile, a few things that's happened...

1. Michelle exited 7th grade, and is now the big "man" on campus with all the other 8th graders
2. Isabelle has learned to talk in full sentences, "I didn't do that mommy."
3. Arielle is almost a junior in college with a 3.7 gpa
4. I have faithfully speed walked three miles 5 times a week for four months. And gone to the gym about three times a week. Thinking about joining the local tri-athalon club. I would love to finish one.
5. We took a much anticipated trip to Yellowstone with Linda, Bob and Miranda.  (But without Robbin and Arielle - felt a little strange.)
6. We took a trip up Highway 1 to Big Sur, and took a John Steinbeck tour through Monterey
7. My Jeep had a complete overhaul, so now the brakes actually work and it has air conditioning.
8. My Grandmother passed away at 91-years-old

Here are a few photos I've taken over the past months (I'll add some slide shows later of my Yellowstone and Big Sur trips):

Isabelle's Birthday present

Michelle petting a bat ray at Sea World

Miranda, Michelle and Isabelle in Yellowstone

Isabelle at Pebble Beach

Isabelle's 2nd Birthday Present

It's Official - They are the same height

Michelle talked Arielle into going on this ride with her.
They are in the back

Isabelle, Michelle and Arielle at Ragged Point

Michelle dressed up for Comic Con

Michelle keeping Temp warm in San Simeon

Some Belated Motherly Bragging

I have great kids. I've always known this, but every once in a while other people recognize it too.

Arielle has done the impossible...she has earned a 4.0 in her first semester of college.  She has been working her bum off. This semester she's taking Japanese and Fencing (among other classes of course). She is, in short, amazing.

Michelle has become an honor student at her middle school, and was awarded with a trip to Legoland.  She hung out all day with her best buddy Ian and his awesome mom Connie.   She is the Student of the Month for April.  Here she is accepting her award from her principal.

Isabelle has always been very smart.  She's talking in five word sentences now and knows colors and recognizes some words like Disney.  Her cutest quote this month:  "Shut up Temp. Baby Ryder is sleeping."  Temp was barking and our neighbor's baby was taking a nap.  At barely 2-years-old,  it's amazing that she links all of these things together.

A little bit more gushing - then I promise to stop (for a while anyway). 

I'm so lucky to have these wonderful daughters!

I found my camera cord (obviously), so here is Isabelle passed out in her high chair...

This is a picture I took at the zoo a few days ago.  That lion lazily turned its head and stared right through me.  I seriously had the instinct to run, even though a really thick piece of glass was between us. I smudged the background a bit because it was a chained fence that took away from the picture a bit.  It was eerie.

Grossly Unorganized

I can't find anything in this house!!  It is so time for some seriously spring cleaning!  I did manage to clean out a shelf in my linen closet where I found 15 bottles of lotion - which is weird. 

Anyway, back to not finding stuff...  I cannot find my camera cord that connects my camera to the computer, so I don't have any pictures to share. 

It's good because no one can see how behind I am in my birthday socks and shawl making.  But, bad because I can't share an adorable picture of  Isabelle passed out in her high chair after an adventurous day consisting 10 minutes of coloring fun with a red sharpie pen and then getting her potty chair seat stuck on her head.  Poor thing still has vaseline on the back of her hair and red scribbles on her shins.

Doug took Isabelle to Sea World today because I have the flu (usual for me this time of year) and he wanted to give me some time to myself.  I had three hours of quiet before I had to pick up Michelle from school.   I was a little lost at first, but I made myself a cup of coffee and spent an hour with a pile of magazines.  It was heavenly!  And, then I cleaned the house and caught up the laundry. That had it's rewards too.

Hopefully, I'll find that slippery camera cord and share some pictures soon.

Waving the White Flag

I madly knitted my shawl through the opening ceremonies, and that was about it except for a few rows here and there when I could.  It's difficult to knit from a graph because you constantly have to look at it, and then your kntiting to make sure you aren't messing up.   I left it on the sideboard most of the time, since I walk by it so often.  I'd grab it and do a few rows while I was standing there, then go on to do whatever I was on my way to do.  Sometimes, I could knit after Isabelle went to sleep, but not often. Here it is...

It's pretty, and the lace looks really nice when it's stretched out, but it's not the required 70".

Michelle is only done with the body, but not the arms, legs or head of her dog.  Here she is knitting away...

It's her first time knitting with double pointed needles - which means she's using 5 needles and knitting in a circle.  I'm proud of her for trying.

Michelle and I are going to knit through the closing ceremonies tonight and know we tried our best.  We didn't come close to the Gold Medal.  All we do now is "train" until the next olympics.  The Yarn Harlot faired much better in her knitting, but even she doesn't look like she's going to medal this time around.  We are in good company. 

Top 10 Things I Wish Isabelle Would Understand

1. PJ's are not called bathing suits and should not be used that way
2. It's not safe (for many reasons) to pull the knitting needles out of my lace project and run down the hallway - laughing
3. The television has more than one channel
4. Blankets do keep you warm
5. Rain is made from water - not acid.  The screaming is unnecessary.
6. The toilet brush is not a tool to clean the couch with
7. Batteries don't make everything light up
8. Closing the door so I can't see, doesn't mean I don't know what you're doing.  I'm on to you.
9. Hanging from the ceiling fan only looks fun
10. The sound the cat makes when you step on his tail is not laughter

Knitting Olympics

Michelle and I are entered in the Knitting Olympics at the Yarn Harlot.  Michelle is knitting the dog in this pattern and I'm knitting this shawl.  We have to cast on during the Winter Olympic's opening ceremony and we have to be done before the torch goes out in Vancouver.   It's going to be fun and a challenge to see if we finish on time.  There are only Gold Medals awarded for knitting - meaning you finished, and prizes to randomly picked Knitting Gold Medalists. 

It's going to be challenging for me because I have this project going...

Doug's Birthday Socks, and this one...

Dad Shearer's birthday socks, and this one...

A baby sweater for Doug's Boss's Boss.  He had a baby in September...

I'm a little behind :)  I also just started another pair of birthday socks ( for she that cannot be named - yet ).  I'm hoping the knitting fairies will help at night while I'm sleeping.

On a side note, I have been searching for the perfect Cinnamon Roll recipe to go with the Shearer Spanish Rice.  The two go together, it's weird, but true.  After five years, I have found it!! It's right here.  It has cream cheese inside the dough, which makes it really rich.  The recipe says it makes eight, but I make it into 12. It's just too filling to have any room left over for the Shearer Spanish Rice.

The Opening Ceremonies start in a few hours.  I have a little bit of time to load up on some coffee and do some cleaning so I can sit down and knit like crazy.  Dinner's easy tonight- waffles:)

Lame-ness and Whales

As usual, when I planned Christmas projects to give away, I didn't allow for a realistic timeline.  I'm not sure why I always do this. Maybe I need a distraction from all the Christmas excitement or maybe I think I'm faster than I am.  Either way, there is always one late present.

This year it happened to Arielle.  I crocheted this all the way to Tempe when we picked her up.  I had it hidden in a Trader Joes cooler bag.  She never suspected.  I crocheted furiously whenever she wasn't around, but since I haven't seen my gorgeous girl for awhile, I made sure she was around most of the time.

After Christmas, I pulled it out and told her that it was hers.  I just needed to "finish it up."  On the way back to Tempe, I madly crocheted in the car.  When we dropped her off, it still wasn't finished.

A few weeks later.....ta da.   Finally done!  I sent it to her and she loves it.  I kept waiting for "Mom that was lame,"  but it never came.  It's still lame that it didn't get done by Christmas.

Here it is....

 

Sea World

We bought Sea World tickets.  They were having this wonderful sale; buy for one day and get the rest of the year for free.  We are going back today because we can, but I'm not taking the camera.  It's hard enough wrangling a toddler, a stroller, a purse, a camera and a cup of coffee.  Better to leave the purse and camera at home.  Here are a few pictures of our first trip to Sea World this year...

The artic penquins

Is it a seal or sea lion?  Anyone know the difference?

Michelle at the Shark tank.  I don't know why the camera couldn't capture the fish.

Isabelle at the Shamu show

These dolphins were so funny.  They kept jumping up and looking over the rocks.  The dolphins in the next tank were getting fed.

Please think happy thoughts for our wonderful Charlie.  He ran out of the garage tonight, and has not been seen since.  He's done this before, but it always makes us nervous.  With any luck, he'll saunter home.  It's a bit chilly outside.

New Year's Resolution

I don't know about you, but I always try to avoid making resolutions because only about half of my resolutions are ever accomplished, but I guess it's better to have half than none.

So, this year I sat down and wrote down 10 resolutions.  They all started with two words...

Do more crafting with Michelle
Do more knitting
Do more reading
Do more playing outside the house
Do more blogging

Okay those are the fun ones, and probably the 50% that I'll actually do.  But...

Do more cleaning out (a feng shui master would have a field day with my closets)
Do more exercise
Do more doctor's appointments for myself
Do more repair work
Do more yoga

And hopefully while I'm doing more, I'll find 10 more hours in my day.

I don't have a picture for this blog entry, but here are a few pictures from Christmas...

Isabelle in her Yoda hat Arielle gave her

Arielle and Michelle making "gingerbread houses" out of graham crackers and Isabelle painting

She's wearing a dress her Grandma Fink gave her for Christmas

Catch Up

I have been remiss in my blogging. In my defense, my camera is acting up (or my computer is) and it's difficult to pull the pictures off of my camera for the blog. I'm hoping that I'll get some time to investigate and this problem will be resolved soon. I have managed to download some.

So now I have to play catch up...

Halloween

It was a lot of fun. Linda (Doug's sister) and her two teenage children flew in for a few days. They helped put the rest of Doug's haunted house up.

The haunted house was over six months in the making. Doug slowly gathered his materials together, from the plywood to the cheese cloth curtains. He planned, erased, discussed and redrew the plans. We all helped. I painted the front of the house to look like weathered planks. It took me a week and a half to shade, let the paint dry and then "weather" them.

The girls had a lot of fun. Michelle looked like a scary zombie and Isabelle was a cute little Tigger. Isabelle got the "trick-or-treat" down pretty fast.



Here's Isabelle running to catch up with Michelle, Miranda and Dakota.



Click here to see the Halloween slideshow

Michelle's Socks



They are FINALLY finished. Michelle says they feel like rich people's socks. Not sure what that means exactly, but I know it's compliment - I think.

The Garden

The veggie garden has been replanted with lettuce, cabbage and onions. We are already impatiently waiting for our first garden fresh salad.




Thanksgiving

We flew Arielle home for Thanksgiving on Tuesday. Wednesday, we drove nine hours to my father's new home in Lakeport. Traffic was a nightmare, but we eventually got there - hours late.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel on the lake. I woke up on Thanskgiving morning to this...

This view distracted me from my traditional Macy's Parade watching. It was worth it. I wasn't the only one... everyone went outside to enjoy the view and feed the ducks.




I made all of the desserts - of course. The cheesecake really stood out though. Thank you Paula Deen and the Food Network.




It was sooo good that Arielle requested it for her birthday. I wish I could find the recipe online. I can't anymore.

Isabelle had a horrible cold and was a bit miserable. After we went home, we were all sick for about three weeks. But, we are all healthy now; just in time for Christmas.