Saturday, January 9, 2016

Just like Great used to make

Banana Bread recipe just like my great grandmother made.  

I love this one,  I make it all the time so hertz the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup of sugar (can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes (check at 50 minutes) at 350°F (175°C), or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove the banana bread from the pan. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren't crumbly.)

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/#ixzz3wmg1vcLd

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Chicken Bacon Ranch Zoodle Alfredo

Also known as Low Carb Slop!

So this wasn't the prettiest dinner in the world but it was one of the tastier ones.  Even better it was a one pot meal, I can't say the prep was as easy but sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad.

I'm in week one of a Keto Diet and so far doing well but other than eggs I'm at a lost and oh have I eaten some eggs this week.

So I thought of the ingredients that I had in my fridge and thought I know what I can make, I have chicken, I have bacon and I can make some homemade ranch easy peasy.  Tossed it all on some zoodles and VOILA!  Slop was born.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breast chopped to small chunks
4 Slices Bacon diced
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Green Onions
10 Baby Bella Mushrooms Sliced
2 Zucchini
Garlic
1/2 small onion diced
1 tablespoon of Penzy's Shallot Pepper (or similar seasoning)

Directions

Brown bacon and chicken, onion and mushrooms and cook until brown.  Spiralize zucchini put add to skillet.  Cook down until liquid has evaporated from zucchini (could take a few minutes)
Add 2 chopped green onions to skillet.   Mix Shallot pepper with sour cream and then add to skillet once zucchini is cooked.  Mix all together and serve.

I highly suggest chopping all the veggies before cooking it will make life easier, especially the zoodles they take forever.

ENJOY!!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Perfect for a cold New England day.   Not to mention it takes next to no effort.

Ingredients:

2 CANS of Corn

2 CANS  of Creamed Corn

1 1/2 cups milk

1 slice Bacon 

1 small onion chopped 


Directions:

Chop onions and bacon add to crock pot.  Turn crock pot on high and cook onions and bacon for about 30 Minutes.  (You can brown in other pan, this makes one pot meal)

Add corn and milk reduce heat to low cook for 8 hours on low.  

Enjoy!


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Chunky Monkeys!

*Materials
 2 stands of worsted weight yarn held together
 * Size 11 needles, or size needed to get gauge
 * Stitch marker and small stitch holder

 9 stitches and 20 rows to 4inches in garter stitch
 K: knit, P: purl; K1: knit 1 stitch, P1: purl 1 stitch;
 Sts: stitches; tog: together
 Finished mittens are 9.75” long and 4 1/2 ” wide.

Cast on 24 sts in A.


K1, P1 for 1st row. (right side)
Continue in rib pattern (K1, P1) until cu! measures 2.5”, ending with a
wrong side row.
K one row, dec 3 sts evenly across sts by knitting two sts tog 3 times,
like this: K3, k2tog, (k6, k2tog) twice, k3 (21 sts)
Continue in garter stitch for 9 more rows.
For left thumb, insert a marker in the 10th stitch to indicate thumb.
For right thumb, insert a marker in the 12th stitch.
K one row, increasing (see suggestion below) on either side of stitch
marker. (23 sts)
K one row.
K one row, increasing on either side of stitch marker. (25 sts)
K one row.
K to 3 sts before marker, place next 7 sts on a small holder (this holds
the increased thumb sts and one stitch on either side). Join to
remaining sts and continue knitting row leaving stitch holder in front
of the work. (18 sts)

For stripes:
Switch to Color B, knit 6 rows.
Switch to Color A, knit 4 rows.
Switch to Color B, knit 6 rows.

Continue in garter stitch until mitten measures 9”, ending with a
wrong side row.

K2 tog across row. (9 sts)

Use a darning needle to pull yarn through remaining sts, gathering
tightly to close.

thumb shaping:

Using Color A, pick up 1 stitch before thumb sts on holder (knit
through the back of the loop to avoid holes). Knit across 7 thumb sts
from holder, and pick up 1 st after thumb sts. (9 sts)

Continue in garter stitch for 7 rows.
K2tog at beg and end of next two rows. (5 sts)

Use a darning needle to pull yarn through remaining sts, gathering
tightly to close.
finish:

Sew seam of thumb together with the mattress stitch. Weave in all ends.
Return to top of mitten and sew seam of mitten closed using the mattress stitch. Use Color A to sew the seam of the mitten done in Color A . Use Color B to sew the seam of the mitten completed in Color B.

Weave in all ends.

Block.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Flowers flowers everywhere

I found this pattern years ago and I love it for a cute little accent.

So here's an easy pattern to use over and over again.

CO 40 sts
Row 1: K1, BO 6 (you should have 2 sts on your right needle)
K1, BO off 6 (you should have 4 sts on your right needle) K1, BO off 6 (you should have 6 sts on your right needle) K1, BO off 6 (you should have 8 sts on your right needle) K1, BO off 6 (you should have 10 sts on your right

Friday, November 7, 2014

Kimono Poncho...err I mean Cabled Cardi

I found this picture online for an awesome poncho but sadly the pattern was in Japanese and it looks a little small so I'm recreating it so I can knit one myself.



So far this is what I have planned out.

CO 90

Ribbing:  K2 P2 for 12 rows

Cable Pattern

K6 P2 K10 P2 K6

Slip 3 sts onto cable needle to back of piece, K 3 K 3 from cable needle
P2
Slip 5 sts onto cable needle to back of piece, K5, K5 from cable needle
P2
Slip 3 sts onto cable needle to back of piece, K 3 K 3 from cable needle

Small cables every 6th row
Large cables every 12th row

K40

K2 P2 for 12 Rows

EDIT:

As of December 10, 2014 this has become a cardigan the stitches are the same but now this will have real sleeves.  I didn't think it was practical so I swapped it up a little bit.

Now I changed it around so it's now split the sleeves at 20 inches casted off 40 stitches on the RS and cast on 40 stitches on the WS.  When I get to the sleeves this is what needs to be done.

Pick up and knit 2 sts at the center armpit gap, working into the piece two rows below the edge, and pm between them. 46 [50, 54, 62, 68, 74, 82] sts
Work in St st for approx 2 inches.

Dec Rnd: Ssk, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. 2 sts dec.
Rep Dec Rnd every 12 rnds until sleeve measures 17 inches or 2 inches shorter than desired length.

Change to smaller needles. Work 2 inches in K1 P1 rib and BO in patt.
Rep with other sleeve.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Friday, October 31, 2014

Do you want to build a snowman?

I wanted to so I did.

I'm saving the pattern in case I need to build him again.

Cast on 68 stitches (made for husbands huge noggin)
Knit hat :)

Now the hard part to knit all the little bits

Mouth,

Cast on 6 with black yarn 6 with white and 6 more with black yarn.
Decrease both sides every knit row for, bind off 8 on last row.

Nose

Cast on 5 with orange yarn
Dec one stitch every other row.
Bind off 1 stitch


Eyes
Cast on 18 stitches (black yarn) using DPN attach don't twist
Knit all rows in white yarn
Row 1 Knit
Row 2 Knit 4 k2g *rep to end
Row 3 Knit
Row 4 dec row knit 3 k2g *rep to end
Row 5 Knit
Row 6 Knit 2 k2g *rep to end
Row 7 Knit
Row 8 Knit 1 k2g *rep to end
Row 9 Knit
Row 10 Knit k2g *rep to end
Bind off

Eyebrows
Chain 8 x2


Head twigs
Chain 10 x3

Sew it all together and wear!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Disney Bound!

It all depends on how you look at it!  All I know is we will be there SOON!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Clouds and Rainbows

I saw a pattern from Knit Picks of a dishcloth with a cloud and rain drops that was crocheted.  Sadly as many times as I've tried I can just not get the hang of crochet but I figured why can't I just knit that.

So that is exactly what I did.  I love the little cloud and thought it was adorable but of course when I do it instead of raindrops I needed a rainbow. If you like the Dishcloth pattern and can't crochet.  I've added a pattern of my own.  I hope you enjoy.

Dishcloth.

Cast on 33

Row 1-4: Knit
Row 5: Knit 3 P to last 3
Row 6: Knit
Repeat Rows 5-6 until finish row 35
Row 35: Repeat Row 5
Rows 37-39: repeat Rows 1-3

Bind off

Finished Approx. 6 1/2 ” x 7” inches.  on size 8 needles.

Cloud and Rainbow.
Cloud
Cast on 7 and knit back
k3, yo, k1, knit back
k3, yo, k1, knit back
k3, yo, k1, knit back
Cast off 3, knit to end, knit back
Repeat Pattern another 4 times so you have 5 points.
Rainbow.
I used a multi color yarn and cast on enough stitches for length of color for this yarn it was 6 stitches and I knit 10 rows

I used Sugar and Cream for the dishcloth and the cloud and Red Heart Super Saver Multi for the rainbow.



Saturday, May 3, 2014

Awesome Circuit without the gym

I found this 13 minute workout and wanted to make sure I kept it close. It's actually really good and I can feel it after only a very short time.   Perform all for 60 seconds each.

1. Still Arm Hold

Keep your hands at your sides, facing your body.
Raise both arms away from your sides like a bird in flight, keeping a slight bend in the elbows and arms no higher than your shoulders. Hold your arms strong (no sagging shoulders!). You should be able to draw a straight line from fingertip to fingertip.
Hold and maintain posture throughout.


2. Alternating Kicks
Stand in mountain pose with your feet hip-width apart, abs tight.
Kick your right leg out in front of your body and at the same time raise your left arm.
Alternate right leg, left arm-left leg, right arm, keeping legs below the hips as you kick and arms below shoulder height as you reach.


3. Butterfly
Stand  feet hip-width apart.
Raise arms with your elbows out to the side and palms facing forward.
This should look like a goal post.
Make a fist and slowly bring your elbows in to touch with knuckles facing away from your face. You should be able to see your manicure.

4. Knee Lifts

Stand  feet hip-width apart.
Lift your right knee as high as you can, but don't go past your waist. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower it. Alternate knees. Stay tall and keep your abs engaged and hips squared.



5. Arm Reach March
March in place.
While marching in place reach both arms up toward the ceiling as you draw in your abs.
Lower arms to shoulder height and reach out to the sides
 Alternate reaching both arms up and out while marching


6. Biceps Curl
Stand  feet hip-width apart knees slightly bent and weights in each hand. Hold your arms against your sides with your palms facing inward.
Hold your tummy in, and keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl your forearms toward your shoulders so that you can see your manicure. Pause for a second, and then gradually lower your weights back to their starting position.




7. Modified Jumping Jack.
Stand  feet hip-width apart.

Step one foot out to the side and tap. At the same time, raise your arms above your head and clap. Return to the starting position and alternate side to side at a steady pace.



8. Sit and Lean
Sit on the edge of a chair, feet hip-width apart, with your abs engaged and your shoulders relaxed.

Raise your left arm above your head and slowly lean to the right until you feel mild tension on your side. Don't lift your butt from the chair or lean forward or backward. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to the upright position.
Switch to the other side. Hold for 30 seconds.




9. Sit and Stand
Sit in the middle of a sturdy chair without arms.

Keep your feet flat on the floor with hands on your thighs closer to your knees.

 Lean forward, so that your nose is over your toes, then stand up.

Bend at your hips and slowly lower your weight down while reaching back with your butt and sit back down.





10. Jog Easy in Place
Stand tall and walk moderately in place.

Move to a quicker speed by lifting your feet only an inch or two off the floor for 20 seconds.

Swing your arms from your hips to your shoulders as you jog easy.

Alternate 10 seconds of brisk walking and 20 seconds of easy jogging for a total of 60 seconds.

Feel free to walk forward and back or around the couch or wherever your walk takes you. Then walk to thehall.




11. Wall Pushups


Stand facing a wall with your feet slightly apart and your knees slightly bent. Extend your arms in front of you to the wall with your elbows slightly bent. Keep your abs tight.

Lean forward slightly and place your palms against the wall. Bend your elbows until your nose nearly touches the wall. Push back out to the starting position. (If it is too hard to get your nose to the wall, go a quarter of the way.)




12. Leg Lifts Abduction

Stand  feet hip-width apart. Touch only if you need to balance.
Raise your left leg out to the side in a smooth movement while balancing on your standing leg, and return. (No leaning to the side; keep abs tight.) Do 10 times on the same leg.
Switch legs and continue on the other side.



For 3 minutes, march slowly to lower your heart rate. (Change your tunes to a slower tempo.)

Monday, April 28, 2014

Ewenique Yarn

This year Easter was a little different it was spent together as our family of two.  I still had a fun day and had to dye eggs and have a nice breakfast when we got up in the morning.

But one thing came out of this day, I saw all of the leftover egg dye and thought wow I know what I can do with that dye.  Why not make some pretty yarn. So I did! 
I still don't know what I'm going to do with it yet so it may sit in my stash for a little while.  But I really can't wait to use it because it's so pretty.



Starting yarn

Naked Yarn ready for the dye

The Dye

In the dye

Out of the bath

 Drying in the sun
All rolled up

Final Product

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

It's cookie baking season and I was making chocolate crinkle cookies and Gooey Butter cookies and thought why couldn't I make lemon crinkle cookies so that is just what I did.

1 box Yellow Cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 package of lemon pudding mix
1 cup Powdered sugar (set aside)

Heat oven to 375°F

In large bowl, stir dry cake mix, oil, eggs and pudding until dough forms. (You can use a spoon, I used my mixer)

Refrigerate dough 15 to 30 minutes, or as needed for easier handling. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar.

Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

ENJOY

Makes approx 4 dozen cookies.


Saturday, November 9, 2013

Roasted Butternut Squash and Onion Bread Pudding


This recipe was all about leftovers and for me the leftovers were old bagels.  I had about 5 onion bagels left that I didn't know what I was going to do with, so in my mind I know I always make a bread pudding whenever I have leftover bagels so I thought why couldn't I make a savory bread pudding?  And thanks to Pinterest I came out with this awesome recipe.

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½” cubes (about 2 cups)
1 medium onion, thin sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl. olive oil
½ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 cup lowfat milk (1%)
6 eggs
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (divided)
¼ tsp. pepper
8 cups (1-inch) cubed day-old bagels or crusty bread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line shallow baking pan with foil, spray with cooking spray.

Toss butternut squash, onion, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper in olive oil and spread in single layer on baking sheet. Roast for 20 – 25 minutes until very tender.

(One thing I will mention as a helpful hint, before I cup up the squash I will throw it in the microwave for 5 minutes to soften it up, it makes life so much easier when you try to cut up the squash.)

Spread bread cubes onto a baking sheet and toast along with squash mixture for 8-10 minutes until cubes are firm and crunchy.

Whisk together milk, eggs, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, pepper and nutmeg and sage.

In a large bowl milk/egg mixture, and roasted veggies with bread cubes.

Pour into a 2 Qt. baking dish and bake 40 – 45 minutes until pudding is set and top is lightly browned. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving

Friday, July 26, 2013

Rainbow Cake

I tried my first rainbow cake.  I loved the way it came out and it tastes delicious!

Here is how it went down.