A food post!

If you don't watch it, I am going to turn into Eva & Kelli with my food posts! Of course, to be like the two of them is definitely a good thing!

Last night we celebrated David's new contract with a new TV Station in town with a nice dinner.

We had Crispy Scallops with Chipotle Tartar Sauce and Green Papaya Salad. Of course, we washed it down with a nice bottle of Moet White Star Champagne.

The recipe for the scallops came from my latest Womans Day Magazine (2/14/2006).

1. Mix 1/2 cup bottled tartar sauce, 2 T chopped scallions, 1 T orange juice and 1.5 tsp. chipotle hot pepper sauce in a small bowl.

2. Put 1 lb fresh or thawed frozen sea scallops , 3 T yellow cornmeal and 1/2 tsp. each salt & paprika in a plastic food bag; shake to coat.

3. Heat 1 T oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook 3 minutes, turnign once until golden and just cooked through. Serve with sauce.

Knitting Monday!

I got this lovely book from Katie as a prize for a contest on her blog. It has some really cute patterns in here and they all look like they would knit up very quickly! Thanks Katie!

Socks seem to be the rage to knit at the moment and so I thought I would try my hand at knitting them again. I haven't made a pair in a couple of years. I found the last bits of a skein of Lion Brand Magic Stripes in my stash. I weighed it and calculated and thought I would have enough for a pair of footie socks.
Um....not exactly. Ironically, when I ended the first sock, it was exactly at the spot where the stripe repeat started for to cast on the new sock.
Oh well, I may see what else is in my stash that could make a pair of footies. You can find the pattern here.

2006 JDRF Promise Ball

We attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Promise Ball fundraiser last night held at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale.

There were many silent & live auction items, including this table that David & I were eyeing but resisted buying because we had nowhere to put it!

However, David and I chatted with the artist Andrew & his lovely wife, Bobbi.
We also ran into Susan & Bill Heywood. Susan was the executive director of the Scratch & Sniff Foundation in Phoenix.
We also ran into Linda Herald & her friend, Stacie.
Here is the high point of the evening for both of us but REALLY BIG for David.

Do you recognize anyone in this photo? It was taken in London at a party for Bruce back in 1977.

From left to right: David, Barry Manilow & Bruce Johnston (of the Beach Boys)

Bruce wrote Barry's #1 hit "I Write the Songs".

Well, here is David & Bruce looking at the old photo! A group shot.
A concert shot with Mike Love to the left and Bruce Johnston to the right.
As charity events go, I have to tell you that we left around 10:15 pm (late for these kind of events) and a lot of people were still on the dance floor "rushing" the stage. It was a great concert and a nice venue to in which you could get that close to the band.

Friday Knitting Round Up

This photo come my friend Kristina. Her MIL got her this felted bag and a pair of rainbow socks for Christmas. I like the shape, although Kristina says that the lining is square and so it doesn't give as much space in the bag as one would think.
This little "tit bit" is on its way to Texas. I have discovered that the i-cord nipple just doesn't cut it on anything over a B. I had this cute button in my stash and it seemed like it would make a pretty addition.
I got my slutty (I mean slubby) yarn from ebay. On ebay, it looked like it was a dark green but it is acutally more like a dark turquoise, which I LOVE even more. That is 3,900 yards of slubby lace weight.
I think I am going to make this spiral shawl. It is from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson. This pattern is interesting without being too much because slubby yarn doesn't really lend itself to a fancy pattern. Sorry about the photo....can't seem to take a good one of a book with my camera.

Hurt Book Sale at Interweave Knits

I don't know if you knitters & crocheters out there have heard about this sale but Interweave is having a hurt book sale with 50-70% selected titles.

The link is here.

I saw the Knitter's Stash for $9.98! I love this book.

Happy shopping!!!

And, I want to make this from the new issue coming out!

Tuesday Knitting

I made this "Tit Bit" for one of the ladies in my prayer shawl group and we "fitted it" yesterday while the kids were at their AgroGymnastics class downtown Chandler.

I added the button because the i-cord just wasn't cutting it. Once it is blocked out, it should look great! She was excited to use it instead of the heavy silicone one so....I will be knitting a couple more for her to use this summer.

In return, she gave me these kitchen towels with the crocheted tops! I love these little towels and actually have 3 that need to be done but I can't seem to motivate to do them so this was a nice reprieve! The are currently hanging in my kitchen!

Red Scarf Project Finished

At least at my house. I dropped them off at Einstien Bros. Bagels and got a free bagel & schmear! The coupon is on the bottom right of the home page.

Yum was it good!

I wrapped the scarves with the FO Knitted Gift Labels I got from here. I used the winter ones but I wish I could figure out how to make some Valentine ones!

And, we have a guest knitter....Diane! She knit these two scarves for the project and sending them from California.

Lemon's, Breasts & Funky Yarn

We got some Meyer's Lemons from Rosie. I have never actually seen them before but I had heard about them so she gave me 6 to bring home.

A little history of the Meyers lemon:
Grown in China for centuries. Believed to be a cross between a mandarin orange, a lemon, and maybe a lime. The U.S. Government's botanical explorer Frank N. Meyer brought plants from Bejing in 1908 to California. In the 1940s, a virus threatened the entire California citrus population. The Meyers lemon was a survivor but also the main carrier of the virus. Most of the Meyers lemon trees were destroyed. UC Riverside scientists eventually developed a resistant tree and again the Meyers lemon rules!

They really are an orange color on the outside...not quite the color of an orange but not really lemon colored either.

The inside.

The Lemon Curd made to go over.....

This cranberry lemon pound cake!

I also knit a Tit Bit for one of the prayer shawl ladies that just had a mastectomy. She was wearing a pale pink one I made as a prototype (it is a bit small) and said she really liked it as an alternative to the heavy silicone prosthesis. I am going to take this one over to her house this week and we are going to stuff to order and then make a pink one and a white one for her to wear this summer.

I also took Hannah to Joann's yesterday because I wanted to pick up some big diameter straight needles. There are times that straight needles are useful and I knew I would never find them at the thrift store!

I picked up this package of Susan Bates straights for a steal because of the candy cane color.

I am using them to make this final scarf for the Red Scarf Project. I had one ball of each color on as you can see at the top but neither is enough for anything so....put them together and it seems like they are just one yarn. I knit 2 rows with each color and it blends them nicely.

This is Trendsetter Aquarias I picked up at Tuesday Morning before Christmas.

And an Obie shot in his glory on the couch! His tummy fur is finally growing in after we had it shaved off because his hair was so matted when we got him from the Humane Society.

Saturday in Review

I started my day at the Prayer Shawl Group at church. I normally think about going either the day after or the wrong Saturday but I got it together yesterday.

Marie makes some of the most gorgeous crocheted shawls! She is a master with using up scraps. Rachel & Marcia were there too but their photo did not do them justice!

After I got home the kids took long naps. Simon nearly 3 hours but based on his behavior in the morning, it was well waranted!

Here they are in front of Rosie & Woody's door. Don't you love the red door??

Bella, taking a snoozer by the patio door.
This pot has inspired me to plant a succulent pot! Doesn't it look great? Rosie said someone gave her a wreath of succulents and when it was looking a bit tired, she poked them in a pot!
Hannah and Simon making music on the piano in the living room!
Look, we almost got Rosie to smile!!! They are across the table from Woody & I at the Golden Buddha.
Woody & I holding up the other side of the table!!!!
This child loves sucking up noodles of any kind!!!
As always, a wonderful evening had by all and a late night. We got home at 10!!!! Simon slept all the way to 6:45. An amazing feat by that child!!!!

Oh Early Saturday Morning!

My days usually start around 6 am, no matter what day it is.....except Sundays, when I get to stay in bed.

So, I got up with Simon and made a nice cuppa! Doesn't that look refreshing this morning?

Here is a dark photo of the Flying V Scarf I made around Christmas 2004 for my friend Kristina.
I really like how the varigated yarn really shows off the V pattern.

Off to a prayer shawl kntting meeting this morning and we are having a Chinese Dinner with Rosei & Woody! Simon is pumped up for "Chinese Food" . Imagine this said with little boy zeal!

Have a great Saturday!

Gifts!

David came home from getting his hair cut this afternoon with this........But, what is inside???

A gorgeous 12 piece (6 serving) tea set.
Up close and personal! I guess we will be having our weekend cuppa in some fancy cups tomorrow!
And there was also a bottle of Armenian Brandy. Mmmm...have to crack that after dinner.
What a nice thank you from Maria & Gary, the owners of Ararat Restaurant in Avondale. It was a thank you to David for having Ron Drake's Congressional Announcement at their restaurant. Hoepfully the increase in business will continue!!!

TGIF

Another couple of days, another Red Scarf for the Red Scarf Project.

I love this pattern. It is a rarity for me to make a pattern more than once but for some reason, I like making this one. Maybe because it is not too boring but it is easy enough to be portable and you can knit it around other peoplen and not make mistakes!

Here's a close up of the V pattern in it. Apparently, that is the end and not the beginning because I always see the V going up but it is pointing down but you get the idea.
I was looking through the Gathering of Lace book yesterday while the kids were at Agrogymnastics. Wow, that is an amazing book of lace. There is really hard stuff that would take MONTHS or more to finish but there is also some easy lace too. I saw a pretty pair of gloves that would love gorgeous in the left over silk I have left from Linda's Lost Points Shawl. Of course, where would I wear them.

Ah well, I have quite a bit more to knit on the Pi Shawl I am working on so I have a little while to decide what to make next.

Last night, Obie spent the better part of an hour trying to get into this box. He got almost 3/4 of the way in but we could never get a photo of it although it was funny to see his face through the plastic covered opening in the box.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention a bumper sticker I saw on the truck in front of me when dropping Hannah off at elementary school yesterday: "I'd rather be spanking the monkey"

Um, is that really a bumper sticker you want on your car with kids?????

Hope everyone has a great Friday!

Knitting Monday

I broke down and bought "A Gathering of Lace" by Meg Swanson from Amazon. I had a $5 gift certificate, free 2 day shipping and money in my paypal account from the sale of my bags. It should be here tomorrow or Wednesday.



I am mulling if I should join the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. I about fell off my chair when I saw the sweater she is going to knit in 16 days. I have knit similar sweaters and they take a long time (a couple of months and I knit fast) but maybe if she knits obsessively in the 16 days, it will get done. We will see what I come up with in my future.

I am going to knit a scarf for the Orphan Foundation Red Scarf Project. I just have to see what red yarn I have in my stash that will determine the pattern. I have a pattern in mind but I may have different red yarn in my stash that won't go along with it.

What a great idea to make a child who has "aged out of the foster care system" feel special on Valentine's Day. Even if you don't get along with your family, you know that they will be there if you need them and these kids have no one!

Ok, off my soapbox again. I seem to be up there a lot lately. Please, take my pontifications with a grain of salt!

Sam's Cafe

We had a fantastic lunch with our friends, Mary & Kelly. In the spirit of good friendship, it doesn't matter how long it has been between visits but when you do get together, you just pick up right where you left off the last time.

Simon & Kelly at lunch. Mary & Kelly brought Hannah & Simon coloring books and crayons to keep them busy at Sam's Cafe at the Arizona Center.

I took photos in the restaurant of the kids trying to fish money out of the fountain but they were really blurry!

Here is a fantastic family photo Kelly took outside of the Arizona Center.

Simon would not look at the camera for love or money after the above photo. He also has a really bruiser image going at the moment. Between the scratch on his left eye and the cut on his lip from yesterday, he is looking a bit like a normal 3 year old boy that is really busy!!!!
In typical fashion, there is not a photo of Mary. Apparently, camera's won't take photos of her!

Mary & Kelly also got Hannah & Simon Christmas gifts they got to open at home.

Princess books & stage for Hannah. Big machines pop up book for Simon.
And finally, a photo of catnipped up Obie in the bag the gifts came in......the cat LOVES catnip. He should be stoned for the rest of the afternoon!