Tuesday 30 August 2011

Needlework Tuesday - Gorgeous Red Doily

Needlework Tuesday is open to all readers looking for inspiration, encouragement or who want to share their recent needlework project.. Introduce yourself in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your current post.
I had the best of intentions of writing a post first thing this morning.  I had my photos ready and knew what I was going to talk about, and then I got caught up in a sewing project.  If you remember, last week I told you that I was going to finish my current crochet project and then I would sew.  Well, the doily is done and I had started on all my mending.  The big mending project, which I had been putting off for quite some time, was to repair the curtain hanging in front of the sliding door. 

It needed new pleater tape at the top and then hemming and replacement of the blackout liner.  Once i got started on the project, I didn't want to stop.  I had a few holes/tears from the dog that needed mending, but that took a short time.  A search on the internet found a few guidelines for applying the pleating tape.  I used the one called 'Broken Pencil'.  What took the most time was find the blackout liner.  Seven stores.  I finally found one at Walmart.  The brand name is Eclipse.  I am so impressed.  It blocks out so much more light than the previous blackout liner.  Since I already had the curtain, I bought the one called 'Thermaliner'.  I had to purchase two packages since my window is quite wide, an used 3 of the 4 panels. (I stitched them together on the sewing machine using a zig zag stitch).

I don't have any photos since it's a cream coloured curtain in front of a cream wall.  Very boring.


I finished my second pink doily.  The one that I was re-doing since it was smaller than expected.  I did move up a hook size and off I went.  Well, I pinned it out the ironing board and steamed it to block.  When all was said and done, it was almost exactly the same size as the first one.  Hey mom, I'll have them ready for you when I drop by to visit later in the week.

Last week I introduced you to this red doily.  It's a pattern by Elizabeth Hiddleson.  I used a 2mm hook.  I guess I should have gone with a slightly smaller one.

At this point, start of row 10, it looks rather like a spider.  At the top of the photo you can see that I am just beginning to link together the arms.
 Now I have finished row 18, just 2 more to go.
All finished, in need of blocking.
 Close up, in need of blocking still.You can see that it still has wiggly chains and the points around the outside are not defined.
I made a broadcloth pining template.  Using a Sharpie marker, I drew circles one inch apart  and marked cross lines through the middle.  Next I lined up the centre of the doily with one of the lines and pinned out half.
 All finished. The pattern says it should measure 15 3/4 inches across, mine is just a shade larger than 20 inches.
One final close up.  Note that the chains are quite straight now and the points are pointy.  I still have all the thread ends to hide away, but it's done.

Yippee.  This is my largest doily yet.  I do intend to hook a few more, but for now I need to get more sewing done.  I don't know what I will work on next, but I'm sure when I walk into my sewing area tomorrow, something will jump out at me and beg for attention.
If you are looking for a knitting project, Cheryl over at Grandma Coco's Designs will be starting a knit along on September 6, 2011.  It's called "The Papa Bear Sampler Scarf" and is intended to be worn by a man.  No lacy stitches.  Grab a ball or two of fingering weight wool and knit up your tension square so you'll be ready.  Even if you don't intend to knit the scarf, be sure to pop over for a visit to check out the great drawing that Cheryl did to accompany the post.


What have you been stitching at this week.  Leave a comment with a link to your recent post and I'll add you to our happy group.

Thursday 25 August 2011

A Duty to the Dead: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd

It's 1916 and nurse Bess Crawford has been sent home to England on leave to recover from her wounds.  While there she is determined to finally deliver a message entrusted to her by a soldier who died while in her care.

She is surprised that the family of the soldier receive this message and appear to dismiss it immediately.  Bess is concerned at their nonchalance to what the soldier has deemed a desperately important missive.  Her determination to see this message through and to understand it's importance leads her into a course of events that she could not have imagined.

I was captivated by the character of Bess.  She is definitely the type of person I would choose as a friend and confident.  Not only is she smart and independent, she has a sense of right that won't allow her to let something alone when she knows it isn't right. 

This story had so many twist and turns that I was eager to be finished one page to get on to the next to see what was waiting for me.  I am looking forward to reading more of Bess's adventures.

Author Charles Todd is actually a mother and son writing duo of Caroline and Charles Todd.  They are also the authors of the successful Inspector Rutledge novels.


Thanks to my friend Mike Draper for recommending this series.  You can read his review by clicking his name.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

It's rare that I get to read books in a series so close together.  I had just finished listening to Shiver, when I saw that my library had a download available for Linger, so I requested it right away.  Third book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series is Forever, though that will have to wait as it's not available to me yet.

Is it normal for a sixteen year old girl to sit in her yard or stare from her window to watch the wolves in the forest behind her house.  It has been for Grace ever since she was bitten by wolves when she was young. In particular she is watching for that one wolf who saved her from certain death when the rest of the pack attacked.

Sam has kept a watchful eye on Grace since that day she survived the wolf attack.  Whether it was from the forest at her backyard, or from one of his assorted summer jobs, he has been concerned for her.  During this time, Sam has led a most unusual life, boy in summer and wolf in winter.

This is essentially the modern re-telling of a classic tale of a love not meant to be.  Boy wants girl, girl wants boy but circumstances stand in their way.  I found this a fresh approach to a story that could have been very predictable.  I enjoyed the character of Sam.  He never totally accepts his situation, but he deals with it in a mature fashion.  Grace is a bit whiny for me.  She mopes around quite a bit, staring at the forest.  Come on girl, get a back bone.  I would have liked to spend more time with Beck.  He has spent only his adult years changing and has a career as well unlike the other wolves.

All in all, an enjoyable tale. 

This unabridged version was produced by Scholastic Audio, 10 hours 43 minutes.  Read by David LeDoux and Jenna Lamia.

Before I get to my review of Linger, I wanted to share this very cool video of author Maggie Stiefvater decorating an guitar using a Sharpie marker.



The romance continues.

In Linger the story expands to spend more time with Isabel, whose brother had become a wolf, and Cole, who choose to be a wolf rather than die.

For me, the romance took a back seat to the bigger issue of growing up and finding your way.  As we each grow up we have to make choices.  Do we follow our own path or do we listen to our parents and the others around us and follow their led and expectations.  Similar to the wolves, do they blindly accept that the weather gets cold you become  a wolf, or do you take Cole's lead and ask questions to really determine what is happening.  Follow or lead, destiny or choice.

This unabridged audio version was presented by Scholastic Audio, 10 hours 37 minutes.  Read by: Jenna Lamia, Dan Bittner, Emma Galvin, and Pierce Cravens

Be sure to visit Maggie's site for further information and downloads about this series.

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Needlework Tuesday - A study in Contrasts


Needlework Tuesday is open to all readers looking for inspiration, encouragement or who want to share their recent needlework project.. Introduce yourself in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your current post.







 Aren't these colours just scrumptious!  They remind me of fruity sorbets.  Actually they are the wool for a new shawl.  My sister bought me the kit from Knit Picks for my birthday.  What a sweetheart.
 I fell in love with the Season's Shawl as soon as I saw it in their catalog.  Am looking forward to spending some happy time with my needles this winter.  I haven't done anything in lace weight wool before, but hey, I have been crocheting doilies, I know I can do this.
While she was placing the order, my sister knew I had been looking at this book in a local store, so she took a chance and ordered a copy from Knit Picks.   I just love all the variety in here, lots to read and learn.

Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today's Top Crocheters by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss.
I've started a new doily.  I know I haven't shown you the finished second pink one, but I still need to pin it out and steam it to set the stitches.  Hopefully next week.

I selected Red Roundup by Elizabeth Hiddleson from Magic Crochet 47.   I found this nice blog post about Elizabeth at Bella Crochet.
Rounds 1-7
So far so good.

Round 8 is the start of all those spider legs.
Round 9, I have started the edging of some of the legs, near the top of the photo.
This row takes a lot of counting and ripping, I'm sure I'll get better at it by the time I make all the way around.

Last week was busy.  Lots of appointments in order to get son ready to leave for his first year of college.  He's off to study to become a professional photographer.  Wow, never thought that would be his interest, but he definitely has a passion for picture taking.  My sister is kind to have him live with her family again, he lived their for a year of high school, and he is now settling back in with her.  Does this mean that one less child at home will give me more time for stitching? I rather doubt it, but I am willing to go with that belief for the moment, but will keep my fingers crossed.

I hope that you have found a bit of time for your own stitching.  Be sure to leave a comment and link and I'll add your update to this post.

Rikki did a post last week about the socks that she is crocheting.  Great wool that she has selected, can't wait for the photos. Visit her at Rikki's Teleidoscope.

Monday 22 August 2011

A Gentleman Never Tells by Amelia Grey

I can't imagine walking up to a stranger in a public park and spontaneously kissing him passionately.  That is exactly what well bred Lady Gabrielle did early one morning just one week before her wedding.

Viscount Brentwood was honoring a promise to his late mother by walking her tiny Pomeranian in the park.  Last thing he expected was a beautiful woman stepping into his arms and then kissing him with abandon.

Good start to a romance, however, it does get even better.  With various family and future family members both pushing them together and trying to divide them, these two manage to find the time to court each other, discourage each other and work together to solve the mystery of dogs going missing from the park.  This mystery angle is a new one to me in Regency era romances.

I found this a totally enjoyable story that transported me from the difficulties of my summer (a death in my family) and allowed me to be free for a couple of hours.  I would have to say that Aunt Bertie was my favourite character.  Lady and Gabrielle and Viscount Brentwood were both well thought out and developed, but it was the Aunt who had my affection.  She was smart and a bit quirky, but at the same time, she didn't let her beloved niece pull the wool over her eyes.  I think that we all need one of these aunts in our lives.

Author Amelia Grey also writes under the names Gloria Dale Skinner and Charla Cameron and has 23 novels to her name, with more to come.

Thank-you to Sourcebooks for my review copy.

August 24, 2011 - cover photo updated.  Thanks to Sourcebook for the new cover image.

Friday 19 August 2011

What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian

For a god or goddess to maintain their powers, they need followers.  After thousands of years, Tessa, more formally known as Thesan the Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn, has lost much of her powers.  She still maintains those related to her midwifery, but those of the dawn are mostly extinguished.

This has not stopped Charun from attempting to abduct Tessa in order to steal her remaining powers.  In order to protect herself, she has turned to Caligo, a legendary Cimmerian warrior.  As a warrior, Cal learned at a very young age to turn off his emotions.  It comes as a huge and potentially dangerous surprise to him that he is turned on by Tessa.

I enjoyed the multiple story lines: Cal exploring why he has feeling for Tessa, Tessa's dealing of her lose of power, and both of them struggling against Charun's forces.  Even though I learned little of the Etruscans and the Cimmerians, there was enough to explain each of their positions (within the realm of the Gods) and their relations to the other characters in the book. Yes, this is an erotic romance, but rest assured, that a lot of attention was paid to developing the main characters as well as the story lines.  I would definitely read additional works by Ms. Julian.

This is the first book in the Forgotten Goddesses series by Stephanie Julian.
2 How to Worship a Goddess  - due out December 2011
3 Goddess in the Middle  - due out June 2012

Thanks to Sourcebooks for my review copy.
The Obscure Goddess Online Directory
detailed page about Thesan

Wikipedia page about the Cimmerians
Wikipedia page about Charun

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Endurrun Run 2011 - Recipe Round-up


Wow!  The week of racing has crossed the finish line and I am recovering.  While I may not have been running, it was still a race to get all that food prepared and on the table by the time the racers were ready to replenish themselves. The dishes that we prepared were wide ranging to accommodate the preferences and dietary needs of the many participants.  Fortunately, when it comes to food, I enjoy a challenge.  I am lactose intolerant, and am getting pretty good at dealing with that, but when it comes to gluten intolerant or vegan, that's harder.  Judging by the empty dishes and smiling faces, I think that I met both those challenges.

A few of my food stats:
43-60 runners
30 volunteers
6 dozen hard boiled eggs/deviled eggs
200 oz of cooked chick peas
6 large bunches broccoli
1 kg feta cheese
uncounted lemons and limes
1 Mars bar
80 large Freezies

I have had requests for several of my recipes, mainly the hummus and the broccoli salad.  This post is going to be long, so I'll list below the recipes you'll find:

Sweet Potato Hummus -vegan
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus -vegan
Cilantro Lime Hummus - vegan
Broccoli Salad - dairy
Easy Couscous Vegetable Salad -vegan
Citrus Quinoa Salad - vegan, gluten free
Baked Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes and Almonds - vegan, gluten free
Hummingbird cake - dairy free
Raw Vegan Carob Pecan Biscotti
Coconut Pie - gluten free, dairy free

The Great Hummus Challenge

Over the course of the week I made 10 batches of hummus.  Original style hummus lost to a flavoured hummus every time.  After the completion of the marathon, I put the three flavours on the table: Sweet Potato, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Lime.  I'll let the photo speak for it's self.

Winner: Cilantro Lime
Second: Roasted Red Pepper
Third: Sweet Potato


Coriander and Lime Hummus      from a recipe by Louise at Adventures in a Low GI World

1 cup fresh coriander leaves packed
2 cloves garlic
1  19oz can chick peas, rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice, use fresh when possible
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
3 tsp chili sauce
1 tsp ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth.  You might have to add a tablespoon of water, but the coriander adds lots of moisture.  I use Cock Brand Sweet Chili Sauce for Chicken.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus     Adapted from a recipe by Canadian Living Test Kitchen

1  19oz can of chick peas , drained and rinsed
3/4 cup drained and chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar works well)
1/4 cup  fresh lemon juice
1/2  cup tahini paste
2 cloves garlic

Put all ingredients into food processor and process till smooth.  you might need to add a tablespoon or two of water to get a spreadable consistency.

Sweet Potato Hummus      Adapted from a Recipe by Martha Stewart

1 pound sweet potatoes
1  19 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
2 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove

Cook the sweet potatoes in your favourite manner.  I prefer to do them in the oven, but in the summer, the barbecue works wonders.  You can also choose to cook them in the microwave.

Put all ingredients in the food processor and blend till smooth.  You will probably have to add up to a 1/4 cup of water.

Broccoli Salad and Easy Couscous Vegetable Salad


I posted both these recipes together in my Endurrun 2009 Food Update, so click here for that post.

Citrus Quinoa Salad    From Anne Lindsay's Light Hearted Everyday Cooking. 

1 cup quinoa
1 cup diced unpeeled English cucumber
1/2 cup diced figs or dried apricots or raisins
1/2 cup drained canned mandarin orange sections, halved
1/4 sunflower seeds or toasted almonds
2 green onions, diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Dressing:
1 tsp grated lemon or lime rind
3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp granulated sugar
 1/4 tsp each ground cumin and coriander

Rinse quinoa under cold running water; drain (use a fine sieve).  In saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil; stir in quinoa.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is transparent; drain and let cool.
In salad bowl, combine quinoa, cucumber, figs, orange sections, sunflower seeds, onions and coriander.

Dressing: In small bowl, mix lemon rind and juice, sesame oil, sugar, cumin and coriander; pour over salad and toss to mix.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I make this salad using extra orange pieces, lime rind and lime juice.

Baked Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes and Almonds  - this is from Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand.
I tested and reviewed this recipe on my blog just a few weeks ago.  Click the title for the link.












Hummingbird Cake

This is from a wonderful recipe at the Robin Hood Flour site. Click the title to visit the site.   I make it with a basic butter cream frosting using  a lactose free margarine keeping the whole cake dairy free.

Raw Vegan Carob Pecan Biscotti

I can take no credit for this dish.  I make it exactly as I found it at Wayfaring Chocolate.  Hannah did a wonderful job on this recipe and has posted a complete how-to.   Note - 15ml = 1 tbsp coconut oil.


Gluten Free Dairy Free Coconut Tarts  From Simply Gluten-Free


This is stretching me as far from my traditional baking as I can get, but I have to tell you, this was an easy recipe and it turned out perfect.  I followed as close as possible to the printed instructions (click on the title to visit Simply Gluten-Free where you will find a further link to a printer friendly version).  I didn't have Kinnikinnick graham style crumbs.  I used Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise flakes and crushed them to a measure of 1 cup. Crush as fine or as coarse as you like.  I browned my coconut in a frying pan on top of the stove.  I find it easier to keep and eye on them so they don't burn.

Thank-you all for joining me for this rather long food post.  I really enjoyed my week of volunteering and will be back at the races next year with more tempting dishes.  Still looking for new hummus variations to try and a friend has requested a gluten-free, lactose free Key Lime Pie.  The challenges never end, thank goodness.

Sunday 14 August 2011

Endurrun 2011 - Street Party or Race

Don't you just love a great street party.  My neighbours throw the best there is.  Well, if I am to be truthful, it was the sixth race of the series.  It was held on Saturday morning and started ten kilometres away in Elmira, Ontario, which is most famous for it huge one day Maple Syrup Festival in April. You can read more about the festival in my earlier post.

While this stage is a common distance of 10 km, it is run as a time trial, slowest runner starts first, each minute another runner starts , until the  fastest runner who starts last.  Best part of this race is that it ends right in front of my house.  Oh wait, it ends in front of the race director's house, which is across the street from my house. 
That is the finish line.

Yep, that's my house in the background.

After finishing up marshalling a stop light(the runners didn't have to stop for the light, but quite a number of drives had to wait even on a green for the runners to pass by) at the 1km mark, I raced home to work on food, but since the finish line and the crowd blocked my driveway, I safely parked on the next street.

I liked this image of a few of the 20 or so Gatorade jugs that my neighbour uses in his many races.

This is my lonely water station, I had a volunteer Kyle helping me, just short of the 3km mark in today's marathon.  This later became the 24 km water station as the course was a loop they ran twice.  It was also metres away from the 120 km mark for the cumulative mileage of the week.  Remember, these runners are covering 160 km in seven days of racing, many of them composed of extreme hills.

Tomorrow I'll be back with an update to the Great Hummus Challenge.  You might be surprised by the results, but I have photographic evidence and it speaks for itself.

I'll also summarize the wide variety of food that I prepared, including telling you that I used 200 ounces of pre-cooked chickpeas to make all that hummus.   Recipes and links to previously posted recipes will be included.  While you're sitting there dreaming of your favourite post exercise meal, leave a comment and tell me your favourite race distance and what sport (running, walking, biking, swimming etc).

Saturday 13 August 2011

First Nations Friday - Art work for the Wall

Last week I shared with you art work that you can drink from, this time I will go more traditional and show you what we bought for our walls when we visited Whetung Ojibwe Arts and Crafts Gallery.

The Healer by David Johnson.  I had to borrow this photo from the Whetung website as I was unable to capture a nice photo of my print.
19 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches.  To view more of David's work, click on his name for the link to his page at the Gallery.
 Bird Family by Norval Morrisseau.  In a dream world I would have bought an original piece by Mr. Morrisseau, unfortunately they are priced way above my range.   Fortunately the Gallery still has several of his original pieces on display, so  will enjoy them when I visit.
 Husband was looking for something purple, and this Pendleton blanket was perfect.  This first photo shows the front.  This is a wonderfully thick wool blanket.  64 x 80 inches.
Back view.

Friday 12 August 2011

Endurrun 2011 - ah those aching muscles - Hummus Challenge update

Another 25 km hill run today.  This time at Chicopee Ski Club.  Five loops of a  five kilometre route.  Yes, straight up and down the hills.

So far this week, the runners have covered approximately 108 km.  As you can imagine they must be having some aching muscles.  As a remedy to the pain, all week long we have been joined by the magic fingers wielded by the staff   from KW Health Connection.  Each day they bring their massage tables out to the race and kneed and prod the runners back to optimum condition so they are ready to run again the next day.  Wonderful and friendly people.
 Today I wanted to share a view of the food table.  This is the main after race event.  After such an output of athletics, you have to replenish the tank.  It certainly is a challenge when the runners have also sorts of preferences and dietary restrictions.  We have become fairly adept at dealing with their requests, though I will admit that the most challenging are those with multiple restrictions.  Gluten and lactose intolerance combined with being a vegan  is really making me dig today.  Today I brought baked sweet potatoes along with a quinoa casserole made with vegetable broth and sweet potatoes.  I omitted the Parmesan cheese specified in the recipe and it turned out excellent.
Immediately after the race, the runners are looking for fruit and other foods to help with electrolyte replacement.  The table in the front is their first stop.  We can hardly keep up with the watermelon requests.
The hummus challenge took a turn today.  I brought Cilantro Lime and Sweet Potato.  This first photo is about 20 minutes after the runners started eating.

A few minutes later and the dishes were both scraped clean.  I call this one a tie.  Sunday will be a three way play off of Roasted Red Pepper, Sweet Potato and Cilantro Lime.

I wasn't sure how these flavours would go over, but they are a hit.  It is clear that plain hummus is a washout when flavoured versions are available.

Tomorrow is a 10 km speed trial (slowest runner starts first, fastest starts last). In the evening we'll gather back together for the traditional pre-marathon pasta loading dinner.  I'll be making two versions of the same dish, one with regular wheat pasta and the other with gluten free brown rice pasta.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Endurrun 2011 - The Great Hummus Challenge

Yesterday was a wicked hill run.  16 kilometres including a hill known locally as 'Horror Hill'.  Not for the faint of heart, and that includes driving up it in your car.  I will acknowledge that the runners were going up the hill faster than the cyclists.  To see the location for yourself, click on the link "Event Photos" and look at the album for Stage 4.

Event Photos

I caught the mom of one of the participants reading.  She was mid way through The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  My sister has a copy of this waiting for me, I just need to clear a few other books out of the house first.
A family member had trust this book in her hand and insisted she read it.  Her other book that she is mid way through is The Land of Painted Caves from the Earth Children series by Jean Auel.



All week long volunteer Ian has been spoiling us with home baked bread.  Actually, he brings his little oven and bakes it on side.  Wonderfully whole grain and totally yummy.  Yesterday I spread mine with  a liberal layer of sweet potato hummus.

Speaking of hummus.  It happens to be one of the foods that most all of the runners agree on.  They want to everyday.  I have become the official 'hummus maker'.  Now, I don't want them getting bored, thus a variety of flavours has been required.  In fact, it's sort of turning into a competion.

The Great Endurrun Hummus Challenge

Sunday

Original   vs   Roast Red Pepper     Winner by a slim margin:   Roasted Red Pepper

Monday - no competition due to site specific issues

Tuesday

Original    vs   Cilantro Lime       Winner by a vastly wide chasm:    Cilantro Lime

Wednesday

Roasted Red Pepper   vs   Sweet Potato with Cumin   Winner by a notable gulf :  Roasted Red Pepper

Friday

Sweet Potato with Cumin   vs   Cilantro Lime    Winner:  TBA

Links to the various hummus recipes can be found at my earlier post: Weekend Cooking - Hummus Variations.

Do you have a favourite recipe or flavour of hummus?  Perhaps you haven't yet tried hummus, if you haven't I recommend that you do.  It comes prepared from many shops now in a wide variety of flavours.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Endurrun 2011 - A very Rainy 30 km

When I went to bed last night it was raining.  Not good knowing that the race on Tuesday was 30 kilometres of hills and trails.  When I woke up this morning, I definitely knew it wasn't good, it was still raining.  After I reconciled that the runners would get very wet, my thoughts turned to the many volunteers who would be standing for hours in the rain, calling out to the runners "Water, Gatorade".  Next I thought of the volunteers like me who would be trying to put together a nutritious and delicious lunch at the same time we tried to keep the bread and rolls dry.  Fortunately I had thought ahead.

On the way home from the race yesterday I stopped at the Lindt outlet store in south Kitchener.  I figured that the volunteers would appreciate a treat on Tuesday.  My daughter helped me select a very large bag of the hazelnut truffles  (0,60 kg bag) and bag of individual wrapped peppermint squares.  I don't know their proper name, but they sure were tasty.

The bag shown is the one daughter and I sampled for quality control.  Had to make sure we were dealing with the good stuff.

For those who didn't like chocolate (are there any such people) I also had baked banana muffins with pecans, and  blueberry oat muffins.

I am curious, do you have any particular food you turn to when the weather is nasty?

Needlework Tuesday - Rainy weather is great for stitching.

Needlework Tuesday is open to all readers looking for inspiration, encouragement or who want to share their recent needlework project.. Introduce yourself in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your current post.

I did get out last week to shop for curtain fabric.  There certainly are some lovely ones out there.  I didn't find what I wanted at that first store though I will continue and see what else I can find.




I am nearing the end of the second version of the pink doily.  It is looking a bit larger.  Won't know for sure till I am finished and I pin it out.  At this point I am ready to begin the 3 last row.  My mom is looking forward to being gifted with these.

Today I received an email from Red Heart about newly available patterns. One is for a lovely crochet shawl.  I have added this on my to stitch list.
What are you up to?  Is it still hot and sunny at your place or has the rain descended making it more desirable to remain inside.

Sarah at Lit and Laundry is already working ahead.  She has started a scary Halloween project.  Be sure to visit and check it out.

Rikki at Rikki's Teleidoscope has posted a review of Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet - The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller.