Earth Hour

On March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. I’ll be turning out the lights to show I care about our planet and our future. Join me by signing up for Earth Hour at www.EarthHour.org.

This will be my third year participating in the event. Hope you all join me for an hour of knitting by candlelight. I am going to try out a couple of solar lamps I have too.

Happy Knitting! (in the dark)

That Daybook thingie

For today Monday, March 22, 2010

Outside my window ... Sunny! Lovely day.
I am thinking... major plans for this blog. Maybe Wed? Defiantly by spring break.

I am thankful for... a relatively clean house.

From the learning rooms ... lots of things, but it is all related to my future plans for the blog. I won't tell you!

From the kitchen... granola

I am wearing...Purdue sweatshirt and cut off shorts.
I am creating... I know that I want to make this soon!

I am going... work on lots of changes for this blog.

I am reading... Casting On. (actually, the book got set aside for a while)

I am hoping... it will finally stay warm.

I am hearing... the soft hum of my computer, the whir of the space heater, and Trooper grunting!
Around the house... small amounts of laundry. vacuuming. I plan on spinning and knitting this evening.

One of my favorite things... my spinning wheel.

A few plans for the rest of the week: shopping of the JH swap.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Demon dogs!

The little guy is Trooper, aka "Pooper." He is new here, but getting along fine.

Link I want to share: Crochet instructions (opens as a pdf)

Video I want to share:



This makes me want to learn Russian!

Happy Knitting!

Crock Pot Kool Aid Dying

I experimented with the crock pot method of kool aid dying. I am please with the results (not so much with the picture). I used Lamb's Pride worsted. I wanted something spring-like, a meadow in bloom-ish?

I think I will use this to make a couple of pairs of my Toasty Fingerless Mitts pattern.

Happy Knitting!

Beware the Ides of March!

I didn't have any students today (teacher record day), so I didn't get to give a quiz or anything for them to beware of.

I missed Pi Day yesterday.

Yummy fruit and nut breakfast bread

I love hearty breads with fruit, nuts, and whole grains. This is a bread machine recipe, but it would make a very nice loaf using traditional bread baking methods.

1/3 cup hot tap water
1 teaspoon white flour
2 teaspoons yeast
couple drops of honey

Place these ingredients in the bottom of your bread machine. This is my bread machine version of proofing the yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

1 cup milk, room temp
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil (I use canola)
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups unbleached white flour (I use King Aurthur)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 rolled oats
1/2 coriander
1/4 nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt

put these ingredients in your machine in this order. I use the basic setting on my machine. My machine as a delay buzzer for adding nuts and fruits. I wait for that before I add:

zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup dried mixed berries (I get these on the snake aisle at Walmart. Look for something that has no added sugar)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 crushed pecans

Let the machine do its magic.

This is a very hearty, comforting bread that is great as morning toast. Enjoy!

If you make any of my recipes, please leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.

I am wasting time on Youtube

This is what I want!



I love the Garden Girl!

Daybook

For today Monday, March 8, 2010

Outside my window ... little gray. Still snow on the ground. It should be warm enough to melt today.

I am thinking... major plans for this blog. I am giving any hints, but the plans are in the works for a new an improved Molly Knits Sweaters.

I am thankful for... Mondays off.

From the learning rooms ... lots of things, but it is all related to my future plans for the blog. I won't tell you!

From the kitchen... something vegetarian

I am wearing... still in pink PJs.

I am creating... yarn. Finishing a Lady February sweater for my DD whose birthday was in February.

I am going... work on lots of changes for this blog.

I am reading... Casting On.

I am hoping... that state testing will run smoothly this weak.

I am hearing... Mitters desperately meowing at Sly to pet her with his foot. I know, right?

Around the house... small amounts of laundry. vacuuming.

One of my favorite things... Trooper sitting on my feet to keep them warm.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Shhhh, super secret changes. Look for them in about 2 weeks.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

I am sharing a link to a cool tutorial I found for kool aid dying in a crock pot.

Happy Knitting!

Stale Bread Crumb Cookies

This is a very versatile recipe for a basic coco cookie using stale bread crumbs. It has been a while since I have made it (my kids are grown), but thinking about it now, I think I will make some tonight to use the lefter ends of the bread I have. BTW, I only eat whole wheat bread, so I know that works really well. I am sure white is fine, but I have never used it. I did sneak a few stale cake doughnuts in these once. That was really good.

1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/4 cups sugar (these are really nice with a combination of white and brown sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk (you can use water or another liquid)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup melted shortening (for a lower fat version that is tasty, try apple sauce. Peanut butter works too and is YUM OH)
2 cup bread crumbs (I use the food processor to make these really fine)

1. Sift together dry ingredients
2. Combine wet ingredients and add to the dry mixture
3. Add melted shortening (or apple sauce or melted peanut butter) and bread crumbs
3. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with paper or silicon liner.
4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until done.

Don't tell the kids about the lefter ends from the loaf of bread.

Daybook

For today Monday, March 1, 2010

Outside my window ... little gray, but the sun is trying to shine. Still snow on the ground.

I am thinking... about what it will feel like to not be sick.

I am thankful for... that I actually feel human today. Still sick, but better.

From the learning rooms ... to sick to think.

From the kitchen... don't feel like cooking. Sick

I am wearing... nasty sweat pants, tee shirt, old ratty sweater.

I am creating... lots of snot.

I am going... to go crazy if I don't get better soon.

I am reading... Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

I am hoping... that I will be well enough for work tomorrow.

I am hearing... Trooper grunting.

Around the house... I don't even want to think about it.

One of my favorite things... Vick's Vapor Rub.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Not being sick.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

I have no pictures at the moment. Sorry. At least I am blogging regularly.

Happy Knitting!