Target Xmas--90% off

Yippeee! And I didn't even have to miss part of M's birthday (tomorrow) to go!


I got:
BIG packs of red napkins reg. $4.99 for $0.49 each
Gift boxes (robe, shirt, assorted, patterned and plain) $1.99 for $0.19 each
Hershey's Kissables (I'll use the red and white for V-day cookies and the green for St. Pat's day cookies) reg. $2.79 for $0.27 each minus $0.75 each, so less than free!
Coloring/activity books in disney theme reg. $3.99 for $0.39 each
cook square snowflake plate reg. $3.99 for $0.39
Penguin kitchen towels reg. $2.99 for $0.29
Penguin potholders reg. $2.99 for $0.29
Big pack of plastic dinosaurs for M's treat bags reg. $5 for $1.25
Sponge Bob treat bags for M's birthday party reg. $1.99 for $0.19
Tiny black clutch purse reg. $12.99 for $1.29
Cranium Sounds of the Seashore reg. $16.99 for $4.24
1 last roll of giftwrap reg. $4.99 (it's velvety) for $0.49
Far Side Page-A-Day calendar reg. $9.99 for $0.99
3 big plastic glasses reg. $1.99 $0.19 each
2 Xmas tshirts reg. $5.00 for $0.50 each
Xmas jammies reg. $12.99 for $1.29
Santa hats for Suzee reg. $3.99 for $0.39
(several gifts that will not be mentioned here, for 75-90% off)

Regular prices: $193.78
I paid: $19.30

wooo hooo!!!

G's birthday

My husband turned 38--two years older than me for about three weeks--on December 27th. It's always my goal to have the house de=Christmased before his birthday. I mostly succeeded this year!

His birthday brownie:

I hate Blogger

That's all.

I have FOUR posts that are missing important photos and Blogger has let me upload ONE post's worth of photos in the last week.

I thought Beta was going to fix all this!

:(

Project Spectrum... signups open!

I had read so many blogs of last year's Project Spectrum participants, and decided that I really wanted to sign up if they did it again. Well, they are!

sign up here: http://www.lollygirl.com/spectrum/join.php

Don't know what Project Spectrum is? Let me steal the write-up:

Colors inspire. Colors elicit deep emotions and memories. Colors symbolize life events and the changing of the seasons. We surround ourselves with color - in our homes, in our gardens, and even on our dinner plate.The idea of Project Spectrum is simply a celebration of the colors around us, and taking the time to notice them. Participants can dye, crochet, weave, decoupage, spin, build, stitch, knit, paint, scrapbook, construct, sew, quilt, cook, grow, collage, photograph, bake, or bead items in that color group (of course all arts and crafts that I missed are totally welcome as well!).

It is really about expressing yourself creatively - making something beautiful, and creating something unique with your hands. It is also about thinking outside of the box - perhaps taking up a new hobby, or a long neglected one, or finally dabbling in design.

You can choose to make one thing out of the designated color(s) in the two-month span - or twenty things! This is a no-pressure project. You can simply make a photo essay - you carry around your camera with you and post pictures of the color objects you see throughout your daily travels.

Projects can be big or small - whether you plan to tile your kitchen or photograph a blooming tree in your backyard - it is not a race, it is just about sharing your creative work to inspire others and express your spirit!

You do not have to have a blog to participate. If you would like to share your work with others, think about joining the Project Spectrum Flickr Group! You simply have to have a passion for creating and expressing yourself through your work, and encouraging others to do the same. This is a create-along! It can easily work with any crafty obligations you may have - whether they are swaps, planned gifts, etc.

Project Spectrum is about expression and creating beauty with all of the colors of the rainbow - and there are millions of ways to do that! Let's discover them together!

February / March
Blue, White, Gray

April / May
Green, Yellow, Pink

June / July
Red, Black, Metallics

August / September
Brown, Orange, Purple

I'm hoping to knit at least one thing each two-month period, and do at least one other crafty-kinda project. Won't you all join me and we can encourage each other??? :)

Christmas Day

Over a week late (again Blogger wouldn't let me post pics...), but here's the Christmas wrap-up...

The tree, surrounded by gifts:

Santa's gift to the three kids:

C. and T.'s reaction to the Santa gift:

All three kids opening a gift (Whoonu):

The aftermath (mess) of the gift opening:

M's drum set (yes, Grandma got her a *drum set*!):

Uncle S. playing Simpson's Operation while Grandpa looks on:

T. and Uncle S. in their maroon shirts and jeans, reading "Oh, Yuck!":

Some great gifts that each of us got:

C: iPod nano Red 4 GB (has all the music she likes and her pictures, and isn't half full yet; and $10 of the purchase price goes to fight global AIDS)

T: MarioGolf for GameBoy; Star Wars Lego for GameBoy; several Prima Pokemon strategy guides; Calvin & Hobbes book; "Oh, Yuck!" book

M: drum set (did you need to ask?) and Dora's Talking House

me: new car stereo with auxillary input so I can plug my Dell DJ straight in and not have to use the stupid FM transmitter that never works!!!

G: tons of new, fancy-schmancy golf balls

everyone: the Cranium game "Whoonu" which has been played multiple times every day since we got it!

Xmas Eve

When my brother and I were growing up, we got to exchange our Xmas gifts to each other on Xmas eve (it helped cut down the excitement somewhat and allowed us to sleep a bit better Xmas eve night!), so we've continued that tradition with my kids.

The sibling exchange:
C. gave T. two stuffed Pokemon characters
T. gave M. a green Mega T-Rex
M. gave C. a Ty stuffed emperor penguin
C. gave M. a Backyardigans bath set
M. gave T. a "Look Inside the Frog" book
T. gave C. portable speakers for her iPod

and then the kids opened their new jammies (another traditional gift so we have cute pictures the next day ;)):



and then they crawled into bed to sleep sweet dreams before Xmas day:

Gifts for a Knitter

Yes, I do have all sorts of wonderful, glee-filled pictures of my adorable children being spoiled rotten with Christmas gifts. And yes, I *will* get around to posting them and listing cool gifts that they (and I) received. But before I forget, I wanted to link to this post written by The Yarn Harlot. I do realize that Christmas is over, but I have a birthday coming up in January, so...

Letter to a Non-Knitter

Day 3--MUCH better!

Still some dark spots on her face:



but her back and belly are almost totally clear:



And she feels better! She got about 14 hours of sleep, so that might have been the key!

Day 2 of the allergic reaction

M. did not sleep well Monday night (between us, in our bed, so I could monitor her breathing) and when she woke up, the rash was even worse:



So I took her back to the doctor. We have a prescription for prednisone (which I hope to not have to fill, as the last thing I want right before Xmas is a kid whose immune system is compromised), and were given the go-ahead to use T's prescription Zyrtec once a day to see if that, in combination with the Benadryl, would help with the rash/itching/swelling. After one dose, it seemed to help--at least with the itching. I hope we're on the mend...

TJ's Masala/Paneer sauce

Since both Susie and Stefaneener highly recommended Trader Joe's Masala and Korma Simmer Sauces, I couldn't wait to try them. Unfortunately, my cold prevented me from being able to taste for so long that I wasn't able to try them right away. I was pretty happy with this meal, though.

Masala/Paneer Sauce

1 jar Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce
1 cup water
1 package Paneer (Indian cheese)
1 T olive oil
1 onion
1 cup frozen peas
cooked rice

Cut paneer into small squares and saute in olive oil until lightly brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add chopped onion to remaining olive oil and cook until tender. Add jar of sauce and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and heat for about 10 minutes. Add in the paneer and frozen peas and heat through. Serve over rice and with pita, heated in a frying pan.
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Homemade Paneer

I looked all over for paneer, which you can supposedly buy pre-made, but had no success. I found a recipe online and made it with the free milk I got at the grocery store this week, thinking no harm in trying. It turned out really good!

Ingredients:
2 litres of milk
juice of two lemons
cumin powder
salt

Equipment:
big pot
cheesecloth or non-fuzzy dish towel
2 cutting boards
heavy weight (bricks or pot filled with water)

Instructions:
Bring the milk, 1 t. salt and 1 t. cumin to a slow simmer. Simmer for five minutes, stirring constantly and making sure it doesn't burn or boil over.

Remove the boiled milk from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice at a time, until the milk curdles and becomes very chunky. Drain off the whey (non chunky stuff) and wrap the curds (chunky stuff) in the cheese cloth or clean dish towel. You can taste it and see if it needs more salt or cumin, or if you want to add any other seasonings. Squeeze out any remaining whey and then shape it into a flattened rectangle of cheese. Place on one cutting board, then top with a second, and weigh it down (you might want to do this over a sink). Keep the weight on for 1-2 hours, then unwrap the paneer, rinse it, and store it in the fridge until you need it.

Will it never end?

M. woke up in the middle of the night with itchy, raised red spots all over her face, chest, back, arms and legs. Reaction to the amoxicillin, I guess. (G. and C. are both allergic to amoxicillin, so I shouldn't be surprised)

So she's had a day of benadryl (not as raised or itchy, but still red spots) and will start a new antibiotic this evening (it's a sulfa drug--the one that gave ME a bad reaction).

I just want to be done with all this stuff.

(these pictures were taken 12 hours after the rash appeared)

Bloglines dropped me...

Of course, if you're subbed with bloglines, you won't get this feed, but....

It appears that bloglines just caught up with the fact I went to Beta Blogger and it dropped the old feed. So if you were reading my blog w/ bloglines, you'll need to subscribe to the new feed.

Thanks!

Quesadillas; Red beans and rice, mexican style

Quesadillas are such a fall-back meal for our family that I can't believe I haven't posted the recipe before (or maybe I have and couldn't find it). I "created" the mexican rice to get a complete protein into my vegetarian daughter.

Quesadillas

flour tortillas
oil
shredded cheese
whatever else (cooked chicken, bacon, green onions, olives, tomatoes, beans, etc.)

Spritz a tortilla with some oil and lay it in a frying pan. Top with shredded cheese and whatever other items you like. Add the second flour tortilla and spray it with oil. Cook over medium heat until the tortilla is brown and crispy and the cheese is melty. Flip and do the same to the other side. Cut into sixths with a pizza cutter and serve with sour cream and salsa.
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Quick Mexican beans and rice

1 t. oil
1 cup rice
one can chili beans
water
a handful of corn

Heat oil in a pot with a tight-fitting cover. Add rice and saute lightly (to keep it from sticking together as it cooks. Add can of chili beans (with liquid) and eyeball the amount of water to make it (along with the chili bean liquid) equal about 2 cups. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. When rice is tender, stir in corn and heat until the corn is warm, too. Serve topped with green onions.
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Tortilla chips with Fiesta Party Dip from Tastefully Simple

Chicken Paprikash; Knockle; Green Bean Amandine

Thanks again to Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals

Ground Turkey Paprikash
(I didn't use the dill--it seemed to not really belong)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 package, 1 1/3 pounds average weight, ground lean white turkey
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Black pepper
1 cup chicken stock, available in small 8 ounce paper containers on soup aisle of market
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then butter then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and seasonings to the turkey. Cook 5 or 6 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Adjust seasonings and serve over pasta or knockle. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley.

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Knockle

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Green Beans Amandine

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canned Fruit Cocktail

Sickness update

Two people on antibiotics now...

M's ear IS infected. The protocol for ear infection treatment is to wait 24-48 hours after diagnosis before starting an antibiotic, since most ear infections will clear up on their own. I am on board with this switch in protocol, and we did that when T's ear was infected last month. HOWEVER, you have to remember that this is the kid who broke two bones (a leg and an arm) and neither time complained any more than refusing to use said broken limb. She was SCREAMING and whining and in obvious pain with this ear thing, so I filled the prescription. I think it's already helping and I think (hope) I made the right choice.

And the doctor said that, for me, ten days with my sinus pressure and everything else meant time for an antibiotic as well.

So here we are, ten days of meds and dealing with all the tummy upsets and probiotics... But with any luck, we'll be completely healed by Christmas!

Chicken In a Pot, No Pie Soup

Another Rachel Ray recipe--this one is a real winner!

Chicken In a Pot, No Pie!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 starchy potatoes, skin left on and diced (recommended: Idaho)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery with leafy green tops, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, chopped
1 small bunch pencil asparagus, trimmed of woody ends and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, 4 to 5 sprigs, chopped
Serve with crusty whole-grain bread - a lot easier than making pastry!

Heat a large, deep skillet or a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. Melt butter into oil then add the potatoes, onions, celery and carrots, adding them to the pot as you chop them. Add bay leaf and season veggies with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, cook 5 to 6 minutes to soften them a bit. Add flour and cook another minute then whisk in wine and cook off a minute more. Add stock and put a lid on the pan or pot and raise heat to bring to a quick boil. Slide in chicken and cook 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus and cook 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and add the peas and tarragon. Stir to combine and adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread for mopping.
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Breadsmith Italian bread

My knitting is famous!

I sent pictures of my Flying Spaghetti Monster tree topper to the FSM website and the owner posted them. :)

Check it out: venzaga.org

Mostly caught up (but still sick...)

Since my last overwhelmed post, I've gotten caught up on a lot of stuff.

*decorated inside and out for the holidays
*hosted TWO gatherings (Soup night for several families and C's friend Xmas party)
*have all but 1 1/2 knit gifts completed! (email if you want to peek...)
*cooked some more and stored lots of blog food posts to release one-a-day
*completed the holiday card (email if you didn't get one and want the URL)

However, this cold has completely knocked me on my butt and my house is now trashed. In addition, M. woke up screaming in the middle of the night with a 101 temp and complaints of her ears and mouth hurting. We both have appointments with the doctor this afternoon and I am hopeful that we'll both be better before Christmas.

I'm going to cram a bunch of stuff into this one catch-up post.

Friday M. had her fall zoo class--Penguin Power! This is the last zoo class that I'll be able to attend, as M. turns 4 in January, and the kids can do child-alone classes at age 4. M. was very excited to share all that she learned with C. (the real penguin fan in the family). Here's a picture of M. in the penguin costume she made:

And Friday afternoon was T's school's Winter Concert. It's strange that he's my only kid at the elementary school this year (C. was there last year and M. will be there next year). The third graders learned Carol of the Bells on the recorder! Here's a picture of him the morning of the concert:

Fish Fry

I loved the texture of the tempura batter I used to make onion rings, so I decided to try it on fish. It worked well!

Fried fish

Tilapia fillets
salt, lemon pepper
tempura ingredients
hot oil

Season the fish fillets with salt and lemon pepper. Dip in tempura batter, and then fry in oil until golden brown. Drain well.

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onion rings

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homemade french fries

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salad
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fresh pineapple

Decorating for Christmas!

We traditionally decorate the day after Thanksgiving (and take down the decorations the day after Christmas) but since we were out of town this Thanksgiving, we didn't decorate until the Sunday after. G. put up the outside lights (you can see the boxes and boxes of them here:)

While the rest of us unpacked the indoor stuff.

Putting the tree together:


Last year, at the Christmas clearance at Target, I bought all new indoor lights. I freecycled the old, multicolored ones, and used strands of red and green for the the tree this year. It looks really neat!

Then the ornaments...

And that's the end result!