where we belong

Yesterday I prepared this wonderful quiche for lunch along with a sea salt, pepper and herb blend.  The only change that I made to the quiche recipe was to substitute whole milk for the heavy cream.  It was fun cooking something delicious and colorful for our midday meal because it meant I could photograph it.  I'd share more recipes and pictures of food but I'm a lousy photographer (if I can't get the shot on manual setting I don't take the shot) and all of my night time food pics turn out terrible.. Admittedly, these aren't the best either but they are much better than the evening ones.. trust me.

I've been knitting away at this simple little sweater from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  I know it's not pink but I picked up the beautiful Olive colored Debbie Bliss cotton at a yard sale last summer and was waiting to know the sex of the baby before using it.  I've also cast on for the hat from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, the set is a size six to nine month and should fit next  late winter/early spring.

Me knitting, Larry working on antler mounts, the piano and the guitar making a joyful noise in the hands of these musicians...  We all have hobbies and interests that bring us pleasure and satisfaction after the schoolwork/work is done for the day.

We picked up my parents at the airport last night when they returned from 2 weeks on the Mediterranean. Hillary welcomed her husband home this morning after a month working in Alaska.  I'm breathing easier knowing that everyone is home safe and sound.  I think I'm beginning to paint a clear picture of my belief that everyone belongs at home.  It makes me squirmy when people aren't where they belong.

Last weekend we got Cory settled into his new apartment (still in the valley... not where he belongs)!  ;)

Blessings, Debbie  

dishcloth with a twist

Next week I'll have a picture of this shawl that I knit for Erin for Christmas.  Today I have a picture of Audrey in the first thing I made that wasn't a dishcloth.. years ago.  It's a.. ginormous half a dish cloth! Funny thing is, when I saw the pattern for Erin's shawl in November I excitedly printed it and ordered the yarn. Fast forward 2 months and Audrey has dug this gal out of the dress up box to wear while doing her schoolwork. Hmm.  Cozy drape.  Extra large.  Plenty of length to wrap around, tying the ends behind her back..  Just sayin'.

Here's the simple dishcloth pattern that when knit (only the first half) with bulky yarn on say, size 11-13 or so needles becomes this version of the Christmas shawl.

*********************************

co 4

k 1 row

k2, yo, k to end of row

repeat previous row until you have 42 stitches (more for shawl, just keep going until it's as wide as you like)

bo (for shawl)

(if you're making the dishcloth do not bind off and continue)
k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end of row
repeat previous row until you have 4 stitches
bo      

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Last week I mentioned that my nose has been in cookbooks.  One of the recipes that has been landing on our table often is soft pretzels.  I've actually toyed with the idea of making a Youtube video on making these (they're that easy and that much fun!) which is just crazy since I HATE to be the other side of a camera.  But today as I was expertly twirling the dough I just felt.. well.. expertish.  :)

Yes, I know.  I should have had some finished pictures.  They really are impressive.  It's just that once out of the oven, Audrey can't keep her hands off of them and before I can think to grab the camera she's polished 'em off!  She'd better be careful or pretty soon that extra large shawl isn't going to fit around her anymore. You're thinking that she has some help aren't you?  ;)  

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along
Blessings, Debbie

sunny side up

Egg on my face... er, egg on his face... umm...  Here is egg face.  Some days... this is as good as it gets.  Enjoy your day!

  ~Thanks Erin, for the creative cooking and the clever photo.

Blessings, Debbie

precursor to an apple marathon

I'm not quite ready to commit to canning or freezing but we girls were more than eager to dig into the box of apples and fill this house with the aroma of fall.  Some of the crisp, juicy Jonagolds and Melroses were peeled, sliced, cored and set to simmer with sugar and cinnamon for a thick applesauce, while a crust was prepared to recieve the rest.  We coaxed our boy over with the promise of dinner and pie if he would bring the ice cream.  Now I sit at this computer feeling deeply satisfied.  Satisfied that comfort food really is a comfort, that my girls are going to be rockin' wives and that we are blessed with appreciative men (you know the old adage, the way to a man's heart...).

~~Debbie

simple snack

When my kids were younger (because they didn't know any different), it wasn't a problem getting them to eat whole wheat bread... and the crust.  So, this has been a simple and somewhat healthy snack solution growing up in our house.  As a rule that is what you will find around here... simple.

Cinnamon Toast ~ Bread, butter, cinnamon sugar.  Under the broiler on low for about 3-4 minutes.

And to make things even simpler, this is my cinnamon/sugar shaker.  It's a cocktail shaker!  I love this because it holds a lot.  My old one was vintage aluminum.  It served us for at least 15 years, the last 2 or 3 without it's lid.  I don't know how I lost it... but I did.  It wasn't a big deal, but when I spotted this brand new one at a yard sale for a dollar (with the lid), it was time for a replacement!  I also use the cinnamon and sugar in my cinnamon bread and on coffee cakes...     

She's sleek!  Kinda turns the preparation of my simple fare into something with a bit more class.  Perhaps this upgraded snack needs a new name.  From now on I'll call it... La cannelle pain.  That's French, I just Googled it.  Hmm...I took Spanish...  I think now I'd better Google the pronunciation.  Hard to sound classy with bad pronunciation, oui?

Blessings, Debbie

when the kids are away...

See the blurry spatula?  That blur isn't because my husband is 'Speedy Spatula' when it comes to grilling.  It's because he was cooking in the dark and I had to set the camera on night setting which meant the shutter had to stay open long enough to get the image.  Are we the only lunatics who can't seem to get a meal on the table before 8:00 in the summertime?

I had the chicken marinating for 2 hours in the hopes that we would have dinner at a decent hour this time.  I went ahead and cooked the corn early too, just leaving it in the warm pot to wait.  I sliced the beautiful home-grown tomato (that's 5 now!) early too.  It all just sat there... waiting.  I have a busy beaver hubby who can't seem to stop until he can't see.  Maybe I should just throw blinders on him at 6:00.  I only just thought of that!

The girls are house sitting at the pony ranch, so Larry and I were taking a practice run at being empty nesters.  I really enjoyed the laid back, quiet evening... who am I fooling?  Even from 15 miles away I could hear their voices.  Who invented the telephone anyway?  

"Hi mom, is it raining there?  Because it looks like there's going to be a storm here."

"Hi mom, one of the ponies was mad because we were putting her in the stable without her friend and she kept pulling and pulling..."

"Hi mom, we were watching a show about pregnant ladies having babies.  One lady had her baby and it was sooo ugly.  It looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings.  Later she was sooo cute!"

"Hi mom, can tree frogs swim?"

"Hi mom, Audrey was taking a bath so I used the dimmer switch and turned her light down low, then I put on a movie that had slow, quiet, music...  No, she got mad!"

Ah well, Its' a good thing that their father and I love them so!  Maybe just for fun, I'll wait until midnight and call them.

"Hi girls, what do you think about the current economic crisis... 'kay, bye!"


Blessings, Debbie

today it's jam

Berries!

Debbie Penington 
August 31, 2011

Berries in the berry patch

Berries in the bowl

Berries by the spoonful

I love to eat 'em whole

Berries by the riverbank 

Where pickin' 'em is hard

Berries by the picket fence 

In someone else's yard

I pick 'em in the morning

And I pick 'em after noon

(whispered) 

I pick 'em from my neighbor's 

Only underneath the moon

If berries are your favorite 

And they grow beside the gate

Be sure they are on your side

Or be sure and pick 'em late!

Blessings, Debbie

green beans

My day in green beans pictures.

Final count ~ 16- 3/4 lb. bags of blanched frozen beans.  And 9 quarts of my personal favorite... Dilly beans! It's definitely a start.

Blessings, Debbie

welcome to the jungle

It's no secret that I've been a bit off this season.  Not to mention that so has the weather... Thus, this years tomato's are having to fight it out with the foliage.  I literally filled one of my 2 raised beds with them this year and missed my opportunity to prune the suckers (that's not slang folks, I'm talking about the shoots that grow from the main stem)!

I'm trying to figure out why I bother with them every year seeing as, left to themselves I've never had a healthier harvest.  Well, they haven't been harvested yet.  As you can see they are still green, but they are going gangbusters!  I can just sense the energy they are exuding trying to be red.  When I walk by I can hear a gentle murmur... "I think I can, I think I can..."

The plants are covered with beautiful fruit, and buds.  If we could just hope for an extended summer I think we could eat tomatoes well into the next harvest.  So, I'm hoping to catch a gentle murmur on the summer's breeze, "I think I can, I think I can."

I am so eager for these green devils to be ripe.  I've been thinking about recipes like the ones below all summer...

ElizabethD's Roasted heirloom tomatoes
Jane's Oven roasted spaghetti sauce
Gumbo Lily's Tomato Salad with Croutons
Patti's Interesting recipe

O.K., Patti's recipe has nothing to do with tomatoes.  Just wanted to see of you were paying attention and have a bit of fun!  Patti actually gives me wonderful recipes and ideas.  But I have informed her that this is one I am NOT trying...

Blessings, Debbie