Something Fun for He and Her

One of the 4th grade teachers at our school is having twins!  A new baby girl and baby boy are expected in early December.  I decided to make a little welcome gift for the babies (and to secretly practice my upcoming Grandma skills), but instead of knitting booties, I made some shoes.  So fun and although so tiny, it was easy. I truly felt like the elves in the Shoemaker and the Elf fairytale.  I made them overnight!

This is for SHE: Pleated toe MaryJanes in pink and purple polka dots

This is for HIM: Baby loafers!

And for THEY:  Stylin' little soft shoes (lined with super soft terrycloth)  The belt and buckle have velcro underneath the buttons.  Hard to tell in the photo, but the soles are only 3 inches long.  Teeny tiny, but I bet they'll still be too big when the twins are born.

  The pattern was free and found at a blog called schwinandschwin.blogspot.com.  John suggested that I make another pair for GUS (MaryJanes for the front paws and loafers for the back??)

Woof and Bow Wow!

New doggie treat cookie cutters!  I have a couple of good recipes for Gus's treats.  By "good" I mean that he eats them in one gulp.  Who knows what they really taste like. 

I have noticed that, much like his owners, Gus has a bit of a "sweet tooth."  He like the treats made with peanut butter, pumpkin, and honey a little better than the savory ones made with beef from baby food jars.  The last time I made the pumpkin treats, he actually sat by the oven door waiting for them to finish baking.  YUM??

Culinary Success!

Have you ever had a meal that was so good that you tried to replicate it at home?  This has been an on-going challenge for me since 2009!

When John and I were in Tortola a few years ago, we stopped by a roadside cafe on our last evening on the island.  We had been trying to explore local cuisine and get a real taste of the Caribbean and we hit the jackpot in a couple of local "dives."  John took a picture:  a simple chicken dinner with beans and rice, fresh veggies and plantains.   What made this meal delicious was the ginger sauce over the chicken and the sweet plantains.

I have been trying to make the ginger sauce for almost two years and I think I finally have it!  The grocery store had plantains in the banana section, so it was time to give it once more try.

Not a very pretty food picture, but trust me, it was yummy.  Tomatoes from the garden, lightly fried and very sweet plantains, rice and peas, and grilled chicken covered with the ginger sauce.


Here's the recipe:

3 inches of minced fresh ginger.  (sorry, I didn't measure in tablespoons)  I suppose this part would be "to taste" anyway.
2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup apply jelly (provides great consistency and makes it more "sauce" than "juice")
1/2 tsp (probably more) salt
red pepper flakes - I didn't measure
dash of sesame seed oil - not much - and this could be left out.  I sort of wish I would've stopped before this.  I just thought it needed "something"  eh...not so sure, but you can't take it out once it's in! No harm, it just sort of "clouded" the ginger.  (that's when I added more!)

Pulverize it in the food processor for a few seconds.  This is great on chicken, fish, or pork.  It tastes just like the islands!  We brought home a bottle of Pussar's Ginger Sauce and I used that as my comparison (until it was gone!) My latest version is a bit sweeter and not as vinegar-y as I remember, but highly recommended!

Tomorrow night:  talapia (and more ginger sauce!)

For Tillie

New Bulletin Board

Okay.  It's not the most original idea, nor the prettiest, but it does cover up an ugly spot in my room.  On one side (the far side) of the room, I have acoustical tiles on the wall with choral risers in front. From time to time, I would decorate the railing with a monthly theme or decoration, but it really didn't work very well.  It was too difficult to keep up with the changing seasons or theme.  Also, as the children stood on the risers, the decorations would invariably get torn or knocked down. They're kids.  That's what they do!

So, in a last minute fit of "inspiration," I traced out a large map of the United States and started filling in "states" with musical instrument shapes.  I am not a good "draw - er" (as kids would say) but I can sketch out some basic instrument shapes.

I put up a title (although it was crooked when I took this picture) and voila!  I have a bulletin board for the year.  Maybe if I get extra inspiration and time, I'll redo it for next year with colored instrument states (instead of using the only black marker I could find at the time)

The children have all noticed and commented.  They like that we live in the state of "TUBA"near where Lake Michigan might be on the map.

Pretty in Pink

A new knitting project for a friend at school who just announced that she will be having a baby girl in December.  The color scheme is wasabi, honeydew, bone, tulip, drift, petal and raspberry.