Thursday Homemaker Signing Off...

 Well... Here's the thing...  I got a new job about 6 weeks ago and am now working five days a week again.  It's crazy weird because I'd gotten so used to working four 10 hour days and having my extra day a week off.  While it kinda sucks that I don't have my "Mommy Day" anymore I really love the shorter shifts and getting to spend more time with my family on a daily basis. 
Since starting me new job I haven't been able to keep this blog up.  I'm still doing a lot of the different things I would post about on here but I just haven't had the time to really, REALLY put my posts together.  And being that I don't have my homemaker day anymore I think it's time to sign off.  If you still want to catch up on what I'm doing and stuff I guess you'll have to check out my other blog.  I plan to post my different projects and stuff on there eventually.  
This is the  Thursday Homemaker... Signing off. 

A Baby Blanket...

 I finished knitting my very first baby blanket last week.  Okay...so it's not the first one I started but it IS the first one I've completed.  I made it in very unisex colors -- pale yellow, light gray, and green -- since the baby it's for doesn't want to cooperate. 

Here's my pattern...

On size 10 needles (I used rounds cuz that's what I like for blankets) cast on 80 stitches.

Knit 12 rows

Knit 5, Purl to last 5, knit last 5
Knit

Repeat these two rows until the blanket is as long as you want it

Knit 12 more rows then cast off.

The thing I like about this pattern is that it leaves a lot of room for creativity in color.  My skeins of yellow and green were fairly small.  (I'm not sure exactly how big they were.  They were just soft and perfect of a baby blanket.)  The yellow on each end is one full skein per end and the green portion in the center is two skeins.

The "knit 5" on either end gives a cool border on the sides as does the 12 rows of knit at the start and finish...

I just love how it turned out and am so proud of myself for finishing.  It's inspired me to go back and finish Simon's blanket.  :)

Christmas Ornaments

I've been such a slacker that I haven't gotten around to posting the awesome Christmas ornaments I made this year. (I made a number of gifts but this may just be the only one I end up sharing.  I was just too busy with the holidays to update or post much of anything.)  These were Simon's gift to everyone this year and I may just make it an annual gift in the future. 
I bought some plain glass balls and a bunch of ribbon when we were out shopping the day after Thanksgiving back in November.  The balls are really cool because you can take the top off them and put just about anything small enough to fit through the hole inside for decorations.  I just took some of the Christmas photos I had taken and edited of Simon and put them on the inside.  (Getting them in and looking good took some doing but once I figured out how to roll and unroll them effectively it got easier.)  Then I added some kind of festive bow around the top with some ribbon.  Really easy and the effect is pretty cool.
We didn't put up a Christmas tree or I would have put them on the tree to take pics...But here they are:

 

Christmas Pictures!

I have a number of different things I've been working on or finishing up but because they're Christmas presents I hesitate to post them until after the receivers have gotten them.  So...I'm posting Simon's Christmas pictures!  I took all of these and used the website picnik to edit them.  It's a great site and so easy to use.  I "winterized" a few of them with the snowflake and frosty boarders.  The others were just si

My First Tattoo...

I'll keep this brief simply because I will be posting a full story on my other blog.  (There's a link to the right.)  I just wanted to share a few pics on this blog because I got the tattoo to represent my son.  When I discovered that each month has at least one flower as it's "birth flower" I decided it was a good tattoo idea.  Lily of the Valley is May's flower and, therefore, represents Simon...

Without the color...

The finished product...

Peppermint Bark

I know. I know.  I'm a day late posting but I ended up working yesterday -- holiday pay, baby! -- and getting today off.  So this week, the Thursday Homemaker is coming to you on Friday.  Anyway, our cafeteria operates on limited hours on holidays so those of us that work usually coordinate a potluck of some kind.  We appropriately had a ton of food and today I share my contribution.
I discovered peppermint bark this year and am completely addicted.  I've been buying the Dove dark chocolate version of it and decided that it can't be that difficult to make.  I started by looking it up on my favorite cooking website  and then just chose the simplest version of it to try.  (And believe me...it was good but I will be experimenting with it!)  The recipes is as follows...

2 packages of semisweet chocolate chips
Candy canes (I bought "soft" peppermint sticks at Walmart.)

Put 4-5 candy canes (5-6 peppermint sticks) in a zip-top bag and crush the hell out of them.  I have cheap bags so I ended up with holes in them which works well in a little while.
Using a double boiler melt the chocolate chips over medium heat.  (Be careful not to get any moisture in your chocolate or it will seize up and be useless.)  While it's melting line a cookie sheet with wax paper.  Once your chocolate is melted, take your bag of crushed candy and shake out the tiny particles of "peppermint dust."  If you mix it into the chocolate it kind of infuses the minty goodness throughout the whole candy. 
Spread chocolate on the wax papers -- two bags takes up most of the sheet.  You don't want it too thin. 
Sprinkle the rest of your peppermint chunks across the the top.  I kind of lightly patted the peppermint chips down into the chocolate so that when it firmed up they stuck better.
Place the whole tray in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is solid again -- about an hour in the fridge.
Break into pieces.
Enjoy.

Most of the bark was gone before I left work.  The rest was inhaled by my family rather quickly.

What's for Dinner?

TACO SOUP!!  All I've really been able to work on recently is Christmas presents.  Being that I don't want to post pictures of them yet -- lest some unsuspecting family member come across my blog and spoil their Christmas surprise! -- all I can really come up with for today's blog is my dinner recipe.
I discovered taco soup on allrecipes about 4 years ago and fell in love with it.  It's easy and so, so good.  Tony actually calls it one of my specialties.  I've altered the recipes and don't actually follow one anymore but here are the basics...

Taco Soup
1 lb ground turkey
1 can diced tomatos -- I use the ones with green chiles
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 "can" of water
onion -- I use 1/2 of one cuz my husband doesn't like much onion
1 package taco seasoning
cilantro
salt/pepper/garlic to taste

Brown the ground turkey (you can also use beef if you prefer)
Dump tomatos, rinsed beans, drained corn, and diced onion into a crock pot.  Fill one of your cans with water and add it.  Stir in the package of seasoning.  Once your meat is cooked at it too.  Allow to heat for a few hours for the flavors to mingle.

Add your chopped cilantro and salt/pepper/garlic to taste.

Serve with cheese, salsa, sour cream, chips...or just eat it as is.  Enjoy!