Got mine today! Annie's Attic - View Stick

Use this View Stick to make reading your crochet and knit patterns easier!

The View Stick attaches directly to your page, keeping the magnifier in place and your hands free! Two red lines highlight the line you're on. There's no magnetic board needed and it's made for both left and right hand use.

Visit the store where I found mine! Visit store: Gotta Notion

You can also find them here: Annie's Attic - View Stick

I'm 2/3rd's of the way up the calf of my Wisconsin Winter Socks for Sharon.

I also received a set of Clover Large Stitch Holders, which I need for the pocket flap of my Wonderful Wallaby. Life is good when there is knit and crochet yarn art ~

Ravens For Halloween Doily

I recently ran across a doily made by a Yahoo member and immediately fell in love with it~ I researched and found an issue with the pattern, "Doves in Flight".
This one was made by catrazzy8 in a Halloween theme, perfect!

Ravens For Halloween Doily | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I started on mine, and have got this far today. I'm going full-blown Halloween colors, per DH's instructions :)

I also started on a pair of Wisconsin Winter Socks by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams , for a friend who is undergoing chemo. I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Multi and Print, colorway Autumn Print.

It is my hope that these will keep Ms. S's. Crossing Guard feeties warm during our cold Wisconsin Winters, and to lessen the effects of the chemo.

Kodak 1922 Kodachrome Film Test

Particularly interesting are the hats and hairstyles of the day.

Chemo Coaster of the Month: Dainty Pineapples

Last  night I finished and blocked the 3rd in the series of Chemo Coaster of the Month:

Dainty Pineapples by Shobha Govindan

Leisure Arts #2395, Thread Coasters to Crochet

I've started "Tea Time" by Shobha Govindan for #4 in the series, which will be done in two-tone pinks and maybe a purple.

Tonight I fixed something new, quick and easy, for dinner, Birdseye Steamfresh Rotini and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce. I added a second bag of  Broccoli with Cheese Sauce for extra veggies,and served it alongside chicken flavor steamed long grain wild rice. It was a perfect, light meal for a perfect mild late-summer evening.

Igor enjoyed a bowl of rice after a hard day of playing Frisbee.

Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe - MyRecipes.com

*Note: Shown using grated beets. When using pureed beets, the cake will be more red, like a Red Velvet Cake. 

Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 pound beets (about 2 medium)m pureed
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 
  Frosting:
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, peel beets using a vegetable peeler. Grate beets, using the large holes of a grater, to measure 2 cups.
Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add beets; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper, and cool cake completely on wire racks.
To prepare frosting, beat orange rind, vanilla, and cream cheese with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting; top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle nuts over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

312 (30% from fat)

Fat:

10.5g (sat 3.3g,mono 3g,poly 3.6g)

Protein:

4.5g

Carbohydrate:

51.2g

Fiber:

0.7g

Cholesterol:

34mg

Iron:

1.4mg

Sodium:

198mg

Calcium:

65mg

Simple Limoncello Recipe

Simple Limoncello Liqueur

• 15 lemons

• 2 bottles (750 ml) 100-proof vodka or grain alcohol
• 4 cups sugar

• 5 cups water
  

Wash and dry the lemons.
Zest lemons, making sure not to cut into the pith.
Combine one bottle of vodka and the zest to a 1-gallon mason or other glass jar. Save vodka liquor bottles and clean them thoroughly for later re-bottling.
Store the infusion in a cool, dry place 2-4 weeks. The longer the zest sits in the vodka, the more vibrant the color of the liquid.
next step (after 2+ weeks):
Combine sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil; cook until thickened to make a simple syrup. Let this mixture cool and add to the limoncello mixture.
Add the additional bottle of vodka, and let sit for another 2 weeks.
Step 3 (2 weeks later...):
When done aging, strain out the lemon zest and bottle the limoncello in the reserved vodka bottles.

Keep the limoncello in the freezer and serve icy cold.
Other uses:

• Add to a vodka tonic for extra zing!
  
• Add limoncello to a fresh mint mojito to make a lemon mint mojito.
• Add to lemonade or iced tea.
  
• Pour over fresh fruit salad.
• just have a limoncello shot as a treat~

bon apetite!

Doilies Inspired By Nature

I have always loved creating doilies from ideas that sprout from my perennial gardens.

Poinsettia Coaster

Black-eyed Susan

I recently found a doily by Kathryn White that just struck me as nearly the most perfect doily ever!

Stargazer Doily by Kathryn White

I have a beautiful Stargazer Lily that comes back every July, and have plans to put this on my To-Do list next!

In the meantime, I have a new WIP goal. My next-door neighbor will be beginning a series of chemotherapy sessions, beginning tomorrow.  I am going to make her a new coaster for each session she completes, and present them to her after each session, one at a time.

Maybe this will brighten those stressful days while she's undergoing the chemo, while adding little accents to her glass shelves she is now assembling for a new wall-shhhhhhhhhhhh, Mum's the word!! ;)