Did you enjoy Valentine's Day yesterday???

February 14 is a special day in the Gray family. Not only is it the day to express your love for the special ones in your life...but it's also my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's anniversary. It was #24 this year and we hope they have many more wonderful years together.

Jasmine and I came into the shop yesterday for 2 reasons. One, I had a class to teach. And secondly, Jasmine wanted to show off her new Valentine's dress. She looked so adorable. It got me to thinking of why I would spend my time making her an outfit that was not intended for warmth, but just to see how cute she would look. I think part of the reason is because I love that little girl. She means the world to me and that's one way I can show her how much I care. Some people might argue that dogs don't really know that you are expressing love to them by making them garments. But I somehow feel like she knows why I do it. She really is a smart dog, you know. Anyway, she'll probably be wearing her Valentine dress for at least the rest of this week. So if you'd like to come in and see for yourself just how cute she looks, she'll be glad to prance around in it.

And my sweet husband sent me a potted plant of miniature red roses. I put them in the display window so they could get some sun. I love to stop and "smell the roses". And if I don't kill them, then maybe Paula's husband will show me how to take care of them in the yard. He grows LOTS of rose bushes and would be just the person who could give me some help.

Last week's Super Ball Party was so much fun. I think everyone enjoyed searching through the many skeins of yarn for just the right colors for their Magic Balls of Yarn. Then we sat down and learned about different joining techniques to make our Potpourri Scarfs. And AnnHara won the Magic Ball with all of the prizes inside. Here's a photo of my Potpourri Scarf.

Melissa made this wonderful taco dip that I just had to share with you. She slimmed down the calories, but I sure couldn't tell. It was yummy!

Skinny Taco Dip

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese

8 oz. reduced fat sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning

16 oz. jar of mild salsa

2 cups shredded lettuce

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Black olives, sliced

Mix together with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa with the taco seasoning until well blended. Spread this mixture in bottom of glass cassarole dish. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese & black olives. Serve with chips. Enjoy!

Well, I hope you have a wonderful week enjoying all of this nice weather. And feel free to stop by The Yarn Haven any time to "feel the fiber".

What a strange weather week...

This week has definitely been a challenge for us as we dealt with snow and ice. My grandkids, of course, loved being out of school a couple of days. Ariel could hardly stand it until she got outside to make snow angels and play in the snow. And then the ice on the trees was so beautiful...but dangerous on the roads. It made driving much more challenging for me this week. I felt I was creeping along as everyone else flew by me. Sorry, but having another accident was not what I wanted this week. I was on high alert when driving.

I wanted to share with you a finished project I completed this week. This is Stephen West's Slipped Rib scarf. I used Filatura di Crosa Aliseo yarn and it made a lovely shawlette when paired with a pretty shawl pin.

Cindy brought in several items to share. First of all, she made this sweater out of Louisa Harding Albero. The pattern is in Andra Knight-Bowman's book, "Easy Cable Knits for All Seasons.

Then she brought in a boatload of socks she had made over the summer. She used Swedish Yarns Raggi, Opal 6 ply and Berroco Comfort.

Patty's Coquille Shawl out of Crystal Palace Mini Mochi was so pretty. I need to make me one of these.

She also made a garter stitch entrelac scarf out of Skacel Opus 1. Very nice.

And Barbara's Pi Shawl from this past Summer's Lace KAL was simply breathtaking. I did the same shawl, but used a DK weight cotton. Barbara was brave and used a lace weight merino yarn.

Also I wanted to share this recipe with you. Lin brought in these yummy tasting turtles to one of the class Christmas parties. They are wonderful and quick to make. I might have to make some of these for the Gray clan this Christmas.

Sweet & Salty Turtles

Place an unwrapped Rolo candy piece on a small round pretzel. Bake for 5-6 minutes in a 175 degree oven until the rolo is melted. Place a pecan half on top of the Rolo and let it set.

And before I close, I had to share this photo of Ariel...and her Daddy...and Jasmine. Ariel had made her own set of reindeer antlers out of paper towels and a headband. I love the way she is so creative.

Hope your Christmas plans are coming together nicely and that your knitting and crocheting projects get finished in time!

Show and Tell Friday...

This past weekend was a busy time. We started our Olympic projects at Melissa's home on Friday evening while watching the Opening Ceremonies and eating Melissa's wonderful food. Kelora brought a couple of desserts...one of which was called "Death by Chocolate". Since she shared the recipe with us, I thought you might like to have a copy.

Death by Chocolate

Serves up to 24 people (or 1 serious chocoholic!)

1 box (19.8 oz) fudge brownie mix

3 packages (4 servings each) instant chocolate mousse

8 chocolate-covered toffee candy bars (1.4 oz. each)...like SKOR or Heath bars)

1 large container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Bake the brownies according the the package directions; let cool. Prepare the chocolate mousse according to the package directions. Break the candy bars into small pieces in a food processor or by gently tapping the wrapped bars with a hammer. Break up half of the brownies into small pieces and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Cover with half of the mouse, then half of the candy, and then half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.

***

Last weekend was also Valentine's weekend. I helped Ariel decorate a shoebox last week for her Valentines. It brought back many memories of making my own Valentine boxes with my mom. My sweet hubby sent me some beautiful miniature daylilies that I have been enjoying all week. I asked him not to get me chocolate this year as I'm trying to drop a few pounds. But that didn't stop me from getting him some yummy Ghirardelli dark chocolate. Since I'm not as much of a fan of dark chocolate as I am of milk chocolate, they won't be tempting for me. Hope you enjoyed getting and receiving some Valentine gifts as well.

For Show and Tell today I have the beautiful Colonnade Shawl that Debbie made from 2 skeins of Feza Cyprus Mohair and 1 skein of Tahki Bunny. I've already picked out my yarn to make this one. Great job, Debbie.

Kori finished her 10 Stitch Blanket. It's a free pattern on Ravelry, but if you take Mimi's class she will give you lots of great tips for making it...including how to knit backwards! Isn't it just simply gorgeous! I've been pondering which colors of Noro Silk Garden yarn I want to use to make one for the shop.

Melissa brought in her doll wearing the dress she knitted for her. She also made the coat and purse. Very creative!

And finally, Aggie finished her first sock using Berroco Comfort yarn and Lisa's I Don't Give a Darn pattern. Way to go, Aggie!

I think we're going to have a heat wave this weekend. Saturday looks to be a great day to wash the car and get rid of all the salt. Enjoy the sunshine!

A Recipe from the Sit 'N Spin Group...

Last Saturday at our Sit 'N Spin group we were missing a few of our regulars, but enjoyed having someone new join the group. We also got to taste the wonderful Chocolate/Butterscotch Rice Krispies treats that Carol brought. They were so good that I thought you might enjoy having the recipe.

Chocolate/Butterscotch Rice Krispies Treats

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. butterscotch chips

4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

2 T. butter

1 T. water

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch chips together. Add the Rice Krispies and mix until the cereal is coated. Take 1/2 of this mixture and put into a buttered 8 x 8 pan. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and butter together. Then add the water and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Layer the chocolate mixture on top of the Rice Krispies mixture in the pan. Then add the rest of the Rice Krispies mixture on top. Keep refrigerated. Cut into squares before serving. (If you make a double recipe...and you probably should since they will go fast... they will fix into a 9 x 13 pan.)

Enjoy!

I forgot...

Tina brought by some wonderful banana bread to one of the Weekly Classes a while back and I thought I had put the recipe on our blog. But evidently I forgot to do so because it simply is not here. So.... here's her wonderful recipe from A Taste of Home magazine. It was definitely the best banana bread I had ever tasted!



















Special Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (8ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 - 1/2 cups of ripe mashed bananas ( about 4 medium)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans

Orange Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Fold in one cup of pecans. Transfer to 2 greased 8in x 4in x 2in loaf pans. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a tooth pick inserted near the center comes out clean.In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients; drizzle over the loaves. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks. Yield 2 loaves.

Thanks, Tina, for sharing this recipe with us. I'm sure I'll be making it for my family in the near future.

Mmmm...Chocolate Muffins...

Last week Marilyn brought by some chocolate muffins for her Weekly Class. They were soooo wonderful, that I asked her for the recipe. She was kind enough to share it with us. These are a great way to add fiber to your diet...and what recipe isn't good if chocolate is added!




















Chocolate Muffins
(only 2 points on the Weight Watchers scale if you use a low fat brownie mix)

Ingredients needed:
low fat brownie mix (regular cake box size)
3 cups All Bran (regular noodle-shape ones)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 t. baking powder

Mix All Bran and water together and let it sit for a few minutes. Add baking powder and brownie mix and stir. Put into greased muffin tin. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Great Recipes to Share

A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful candy brought to the Friday Night Knitting Club. It was a peanut butter roll that several of us remembered having at lunchtime in elementary school. It was so good that I asked Judy to share her recipe with us. So here it is...

Peanut Butter Roll

1 (1#) box confectioner sugar

2 T. melted butter

1 t. vanilla

Mix together and add a small amount evaporated milk or 2% milk until mixture is like dough.

Knead well. Roll thin with rolling pin. Spread peanut butter on dough. Roll up like a jelly roll. Let it set and then slice.

One trick that I have learned in slicing a jelly roll is to take a piece of dental floss and lay it under the roll in the place where you want to slice it. Then cross over the ends on top of the roll and pull. This results in the slice not getting smashed down by the weight of the knife.

Then last night Judy sent over some Cranberry Pumpkin bread for our FNKC. Here's the recipe for this wonderful bread..

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2 1/4 cups flour

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 cup dried cranberries

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 c. pumpkin (15 oz can)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat over to 350 degrees. Combine flour, spice, baking powder, and salt in bowl; stir to blend the dry ingredients well. Coombine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil in a mixing bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add cranberries and walnuts, mixing thoroughly. Spoon into two greased and floured 9 x 5 x 2 inch loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on rack.

Thanks, Judy, for sharing these wonderful recipes with us. We not only get some great knitting/crocheting time at our Friday Night Knitting Club meetings, we also get to eat some great foods!

From Scarecrow to Pirate

Last Sunday night as my son was getting my granddaughter's things ready for another week of school, we realized that Monday was Pirate Day. Not sure why we missed that bit of information before, but we had about 1 hour before bedtime to turn my little cutie into a pirate for the next day. She didn't really have anything in her wardrobe that looked like a pirate, so I went looking in my clothes. I finally found a turtleneck shirt that would look very billowing on her...with the sleeves rolled up. We didn't have black pants, but she reasoned that she was a girl and she should have pink pants. I added a scarf for a belt and put on a bandana around the head. She put on some rainboots that a friend had given her last year, but quickly realized that they were so small that she wasn't going to be able to wear them. She looked cute, but I realized that every good pirate needs an eye patch. So I quickly sat down and crocheted her an eye patch...with a hole in the center so she could see. Here's a photo of her the next morning right before we left for school. She was putting on her best pirate face and saying "Aarrgghh". I hope before the next dress up day comes we have a little more warning. I think we did pretty well considering the lack of time we had, don't you.

Speaking of dressing up, Amanda stopped by to show me what she wore to work on Halloween. A lot of people would say that's the reason they have a job...so they have money to buy yarn.

And lastly today, I have another recipe for you from our Friday Night Knitting Club. Carmen brought Mexican Fudge last time and it was delicious. Very quick and easy to make.

You mix together 4 eggs, beaten; 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded; 8 oz. mozarella cheese, shredded; and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies. Dump mixture into a greased 8" x 8" pan and cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool and serve at room temperature. Try it the next time you need an appetizer.

Recipes from FNKC

Folks have been bringing some mighty tasty treats to our Friday Night Knitting Club lately. I thought I would share with you today a recipe for one of them. Marti brought these Chess Bars that were absolutely delicious. You can make them with just about any flavor of cake mix, but I chose chocolate because I am indeed a chocoholic. These are quick and easy to make.





Marti’s Chess Bars
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cake mix (any flavor)
Combine above items and press into 9" x 13" pan (no need to grease pan).

3 eggs
1 box (3 ¾ cups) confectioner’s sugar
1 (8 oz) bar of cream cheese, softened
Combine eggs, sugar and cream cheese. Pour over above mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.

Hope that helps satisfy your sweet tooth this week. Next time I'll share with you a recipe for "Mexican Fudge". Yum!