Crappy Picture Post

I couldn’t decide which picture was crappier, so you get both.  Lucky you!  We made ourselves sick on this last night.  We ate too much.  A few notes:  I couldn’t find the pre-cooked noodles, but I did find the same Yakisoba Noodles over by the Ramen Noodles that were in a microwave dinner box.  I used two boxes and only cooked the noodles and veggie packet in the microwave to use in this recipe.  I threw out the flavor packets.  Also, I used Teriyake Baste & Glaze in ours.  I browned the chicken in a little oil first and then drained off the oil before adding the Teriyaki Baste & Glaze.  Since that sauce is so thick, I had to add a little water a couple of times to keep it from burning to the pan.  It worked out fine.  I used a can of sliced water chestnuts, 1/2 of a red bell pepper, and a package of fresh, pre-cut veggies from the produce section because I’m lazy.  Thank you, Teresa!

This was a really fantastic recipe.  It’s from Teresa Kasner and you can find it here:  Teresa & Dayle’s Chicken Yakisoba

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The pattern I’m using for the ripple afghan is available for purchase on Ravelry.  Find it here:  Churchmouse Vintage Crochet Blanket.  I love this pattern and I’m glad I bought it.  I had seen it before but was being cheap and wouldn’t buy it.  Why do I do that?  I’ll gladly pay $5 for coffee and Starbucks, but I hesitate to pay that much for a pattern.  I never claimed to be smart.  Oh wait…yes I did.  It’s right there in my profile.  Ha-ha-ha.  By the way, the pattern is for a baby-sized afghan.  I chained 240 for an adult-sized afghan.  I’m using various worsted yarns and a size J hook.  That will seem like too long of a chain at first, but once you get through Row 2, it will shrink up considerably.  Mine is 50 inches wide before the border.

I’m a busy bee so I have to go now.  Be happy and smile.  Bye now.

 

New Stuff/Q&A

 

I started yet another project…a new ripple afghan in six colors.  It goes pretty fast and I like it.

Oh, and a Granny Ripple Purse using my favorite Snowflake yarn.  This is just the base.  The ripples haven’t started yet.

I left the house for a couple of hours today and my work inbox exploded.  Guess I’ll be working the rest of the week instead of goofing off…dammit.  It was fun while it lasted.

Q&A

What do you use to block your squares?  Now I use Fabreeze.  I used to use a little Downey mixed with water and it worked well, but Kate told me she uses Fabreeze, and it works great too without having to mix anything.  That Kate knows what she’s doing.  Just pin your dry squares (or whatever) out straight, spray them, and let them dry.  I usually rub the wetness in with my hands so it doesn’t just sit on top, and then turn on the ceiling fan to help them dry.  If I want some stiffness, like for a doily with ruffles that stand up, I use a little spray starch and let them dry.

To Debbie H in Ohio:  You are the sweetest thing!  Thank you for your really nice comment.  You made my day that day.

You’re not Irish, are you?  Well, it’s possible I do have some Irish blood in me.  My maiden name is Neal, which mostly likely was O’Neal at some point, but I don’t know that for sure.  I may have just made that up.  I do have red undertones to my hair no matter what color I dye it, and I have fair skin and had freckles as a child.  I certainly have the temper of a stereotypical Irish person!  LOL.  I unintentionally named both of my boys Irish names, Aaron & Shaun, so maybe there’s something to it.

Bye!

The Mundane

When The Captain saw a picture I was posting below, he said…

HIM:  You don’t have to blog every detail of your life.

ME:  Yes, I do!  That’s what people like to read.  They like the little details about what you eat, what you make, what you cook, what you do with your day, etc., even if it’s laundry.  As long as you have pictures, it’s all good!

HIM:  Oh.

ME:  And I don’t blog EVERY detail.  I have never blogged about our sex life.

HIM:  ~ Eyebrows raise…silence…crickets chirp ~

ME:  I only blog about fantasy sex, like with David Letterman.

HIM:  WHAT?!  David Letterman?

ME:  Yes, and sometimes David Spade.

~ Back door slams and he’s gone ~

Hee-hee.  I know how to shut him down after 20 years.

And, yes, David Letterman.  I don’t know why I dream about him that way, but I have done it for years and years.  Weird.

Alrightee Then…

Bring on the Mundane…

Lunch?

The Ultimate Angus from Arby’s

It’s BIG…

And Delicious.

I ate just a little over half…

The rest is in the fridge for a snack later.

Breakfast?

Marble Pumpernickel-Rye Toast…

With Spray Margarine

I Rye Bread.

Crochet?

I thought I had more of these made.

It’s slow-going with these.

I’ll probably find two or three more hidden under a pile of yarn somewhere.  I swear I’ve done more.

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

I told you it was MUNDANE.

Guess what I want?

I miss my big dogs.

I want a Rottweiler.

That’s right.

I said it.

ANOTHER DOG.

The Captain will kill me.

But only for a second and then he’ll melt into a pile of mush.  He loves dogs as much as I do.  Do you really think he could live with me and not?  Or maybe he just loves me so much he’s willing to put up with it.  Maybe.  If I go missing, check for my body buried in the backyard.

 

I’m just in the thinking stage now.

Thinking HARD.

Thinking OFTEN.

It’s very dangerous when Pammy Sue THINKS HARD and OFTEN.

Stay tuned.

Same as Yesterday

Crocheting & Blocking

In a Rhythm

Mind Wandering

Clearing my Head

Soothing my Soul

Scratching my Ass --

Oops…I ruined it, didn’t I?

Blocking Squares

There’s still nadda happening in my world.  I’ve just been making some of those pink & green squares and some other random squares for nothing in particular.  I decided to block some of them this morning.

I’m watching hurricane coverage all weekend because I LOVE it.  I need a life.  My boyfriend, Shepard, is working today.  That man is a hard-worker.

My other boyfriend, Anderson, has a new daytime show starting September 12th.  Be sure to tune in.  I’ll be sure to remind you as it gets closer.

Sorry, but I’m a big bore right now.  I’m sure that will change soon.

Y’all on the East Coast stay safe!  We are saying a prayer for you all.

I think I need to clarify that the cabin picture in my first post yesterday is not OUR cabin.  We do not own it.  We will be renting it while we are there.  I do WISH it was ours!  Dream on.

New Japanese Book

Pretty Color Crochet and Knit Goods 2

Click on the title to go to the eBay Shop

I got my new Japanese Crochet Book in the mail yesterday.  It’s one of my favorites.  I have bought a couple that weren’t so great, but this one did not disappoint.

 

This is a cute little purse made with 3-dimensional flower squares.  I may already have squares made that I can use for this.  I’ll have to go dig and see.

This is the prettiest hexie blanket I think I’ve ever seen.  I may have to try a few of these hexies and see where it takes me.  It looks like the first three rounds are all the same color scheme, so you could make all of those first without too much thought and then go back and do the last three rounds in different colors.  This is really nice with the bright colors.  Maybe a baby blanket would take too-awful long.

I would probably never make these, but they’re kinda fun to look at.

Some new pillow trim patterns!  This was a complete surprise.  I didn’t know they were in here until I saw them while looking through the book.

And there are many more flowers, a scarf, house shoes, etc.

Fun-Fun Book!

Have a great Thursday…

 

Woo-Hoo!

 

I’m going away for a vacation VERY soon!

This is our cabin.

Jacuzzi, TV, Internet, PLUS…

We can bring our doggies!

~ Happy-Happy-Joy-Joy ~

 

No details until we return, Stalkers!  Hee-hee.

Nothing To See Here

Just workin’ for a living down here in boiling hot Texas.

Y’all have a good one and do a Snoopy happy dance by yourself in the bathroom mirror.  I promise it’ll make you laugh!  It did me.

Saturday Chicken Bog

I’ve made Paula Deen’s Chicken Bog recipe at least eight times over the past 3-4 years.  My husband loves it.  I just finished making a pot of it and am eating some as I type this.  YUM!  I used jalapeno sausage this time.  I know he can smell in there while he’s sleeping.  He’ll come stumbling in here in a bit with his nose in the air.

Sorry about the dark picture.

Click for a larger view.

Below is Paula’s recipe with the ingredients cut down to a reasonable amount if you are not feeding a crowd and using boneless chicken.  If you are feeding a crowd, see her recipe measurements HERE.

Chicken Bog

1-lb boneless chicken thighs

1-lb smoked sausage (jalapeno is great if you like spicy)

1 Cup Chopped Onion

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

2 Bay Leaves

4 Cups Water

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 Cup Long-grain Rice

Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.  In a stockpot, combine the chicken, sausage, onion, butter, and seasonings.  Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for 40 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly.  Dice the meat discarding the skin.  Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well.  Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is done.  Remove the bay leave, and return the chicken to the pot.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  (I usually have to add more Lawry’s to make it salty enough for my taste.)

Haircut

Here’s my haircut.  I covered my face because I looked like shit!  She did pretty good.  Of course, she talked me into cutting some off the length.  DAMMIT!  Why do hairdressers always do that?  And then the whole time she was cutting it after she cut the ends off, she kept saying, “Your poor ends!” like I needed to let her cut more.  Shut up, girlie, and do as you’re told!  I don’t know if I told y’all or not, but I darkened my hair about three weeks ago…just in case you were wondering.

Beauty & Humility

I’m going to get a haircut today…or maybe I will get all of them cut.  Ha-ha-ha…Dumb joke.  This is the picture I’m taking with me.  I hope she doesn’t screw it up.  Whatever.  I guess it can’t be much worse than it is now.  I just don’t want her to cut too much off.  You know how those hairdressers are.  Sorry, Aaron! ;)  My oldest son, Aaron, has been in beauty school for a while now.  He graduates in December.  I can’t wait for him to come over and give me haircuts and color and highlights and do my nails, and, and, and…hee-hee.  I’m not a scaredee-cat when it comes to my hair.  I’ll do just about anything.  It’ll grow, right?

I got my nails done yesterday for the first time in a looooong time.  Mine were so ratty and just a mess.  They look much better…

But look at my other hand with the dog bite marks STILL showing after over two months…

Gross!  How embarrassing!

I’m going to go buy a cuff bracelet today to wear on Saturday night so I don’t look like a crack whore at the party.  We’re going to be playing cards, so my hands will be very visible.  Ugh.  I really don’t think they’ll ever completely go away and be invisible, but I’ll be glad when they lighten-up.  Sigh.  Such is life.  Liver spots, moles, scars, wrinkles, sun spots, and the list goes on.  Just hold your head up and act like you’re gorgeous, right?  Right.

Am I depressing anyone besides myself?  Hee-hee.

I’ve got to go get some make-up on.  I’ve read that you’re never supposed to go get a haircut without your usual make-up on.  I guess it makes the haircut look better or something.  I know it’ll help when I’m staring at myself in that gigantic mirror for an hour.

Bye!

Blue Ribbon Apple Cake

Oh me, oh my…

This turned out so delicious!

Find the recipe HERE.

I’m planning on making two more of these cakes tomorrow.  One for a get-together we’re going to on Saturday night and one for a gift for one of my clients.  That’s how good I think it is.  I just sprinkled with a little powdered sugar because I only had about 2 Tbsp of powdered sugar left in my pantry.  I like it with the powdered sugar better than I would an icing of any kind, but I’m planning to gift it with a jar of caramel sauce for ice cream tucked in the basket.  Ooo-la-la!

And the rest…

1.  Yes, we’re going to a couples get-together on Saturday night.  Gah.  At least I bought a new outfit to wear…just jeans and a new shirt, but that should make me feel a little better.  The anticipation of the social anxiety is intense right now.  I think it’s always worse than the actual event.  I’m sure I will sweat like a pig, as usual, because they are from the North.  No offense, but you people DO NOT know how to use an air conditioner properly.  (My husband is from the North so trust me, I know.)  Turn it on full-blast when you are having company, especially if it’s 100 degrees outside.  For the love of God!  Just do it.  I have threatened to bring my own full-size fan this time, and I think I just might do it.  Okay, I’ll stop going on and on.

2.  No crochet for the past THREE DAYS.  Just no time or inclination really.

3.  Not much sleep either for whatever reason.  I just don’t know.

4.  HERE’s a neat recipe that I plan to make soon.  Cool blog too.

5.  There’s a nice inspiration board on THIS BLOG.  (Scroll down for the latest board…it’s not just crochet but MUCH more!  You’ll find tons of places to go explore.)  There’s a button for it in my sidebar too. 

6.  It’s still been over 100 degrees every day in these parts.  Autumn, please hurry the hell up!  Am I bitching again?  Sorry.

7.  I’m closing my etsy shop.  It’s pathetic.

8.  Can you believe I’m going on SIX YEARS of blogging?  I’ve had a couple of marriages that didn’t last that long.  Ha-ha.  (I’m serious!)

9.  I really have enjoyed having my pretty roses around the last couple of days.  Can you believe they were only $5 for the six at Wal-Mart?  It’s true.  Please indulge me and let me show you one more picture…

 

Cooking for Control

I have been baking and cooking myself silly the past two days.  It makes me feel better.  I wonder why that is?  I have been really bossy today too.  I think both things are because I felt so out of control with all the work stuff.  I feel more in control when I can boss everybody around, and I can bake and cook and make things that I know will turn out well. 

Dr. Freud?  Anybody?

Yes, I’m sure I’m right.  Everyone sit down immediately and say I’m right.  Do it now.  See?  I’m Miss Bossy Panties today.

Okay, enough silliness…

Pulled Pork on Hawaiian Rolls

Super-delicious and Super-easy!

Apricot Pulled Pork

1 cup apricot preserves

4 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 large sliced onion

3-lb pork shoulder roast

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt & pepper to taste

Place apricot preserves in bottom of crock pot with vinegar and whisk until well combined.  Slice onion and place on top of apricot mixture.  Rub pork roast with cumin, salt & pepper.  Place in crock pot on top of onion.  Do not add water or any other liquid.  Roast will make its own liquid.  Cover and cook on high 6 hours or on low 9 hours (approximately).  Remove roast from crock and place it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Pull it (shred it) using two forks.  Meat should fall apart easily.  Remove onions from crock with a slotted spoon and place in the dish with the meat.  Ladle remaining juice and bits of apricot over the meat for moisture when reheating.  (Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.)  Serve with BBQ sauce on Hawaiian Rolls.  Place foil over casserole and refrigerate.  Reheat in microwave or bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Shirazi Salad

Delish!  Recipe HERE.

(I used cilantro instead of mint)

(And TWO jalapenos)

The jalapenos do not make it hot if you remove the seeds and everything from the inside before chopping, but they do add good flavor.

I used a LOT of cilantro!

I have an Apple Cake in the oven right now…

BYE!

Happy Tuesday

How beautiful are these roses?

REALLY, REALLY Beautiful!

I had a rough day yesterday.  I was stressed to the MAX over work stuff…mainly just too much of it.  I went to bed stressed and I woke up stressed.  So…

I bought myself these roses.

It worked.

I feel so much better.

Plus, I gave myself a good talking-to and did a little cooking this morning.  Cooking and baking are great stress-relievers for me as long as it’s my idea and I don’t have to rush or worry about impressing anybody.

This is a STRESS-FREE ZONE today.

No Stressing!

Not Even a Little…

Or you will be banned to your bedroom for a time-out nap!

Switching gears now…

I will be trying this and posting a review soon.

And finally, a quick peek at what I’ve been working on.  More info soon…

 

Have a beautiful day.