Margaret's Musings

Back to school!

2008-09-04T09:36:00.007-04:00

Fourth grade for our daughter and freshman year of high school for our son! They were up early, which is necessary for the 9th grader.... his bus comes at 6:55.

Menu Plan Monday (or Tuesday)

2008-09-02T21:54:00.008-04:00

This is a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu (with meat substitutes which enables me to use pretty much any recipe I want). For more menu ideas check out Organizing Junkie .

Wednesday: Red Beans and Rice (in honor of New Orleans which has been on our minds this past week!)
Thursday: Pasta Salad (summer heat returns in time for school to start)
Friday: Slow Cooker Lasagna
Saturday: Taco Salad
Sunday: Veggie Burgers on the Grill

Cockadoodledoo!

2008-08-29T15:22:00.004-04:00

Look what came in the mail all the way from Portugal! I participated in a pincushion exchange at Sew Spun and was matched with Zelia. She made me this adorable pincushion and included an extra little rooster that you see in the back. My dad loved roosters and I love that this reminds me of him. Thank you Zelia! I hope that the pincushion I made for you arrives soon and that you like it.

A quirky finish

2008-08-27T16:49:00.004-04:00

I finished a Biscornu (one of the meanings of this French word is "quirky"). These are such fun pieces to stitch and assemble. Emily over at The Floss Box provided the lovely pattern (I adapted it for the back). It is stitched on Enchanted Fabrics Amethyst Daze 28 ct Monaco (flair) with DMC 762.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-25T10:23:00.003-04:00

This is a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu (with meat substitutes which enables me to use pretty much any recipe I want). For more menu ideas check out Organizing Junkie.

We were gone part of last week (camping at a nearby state park) and so I never got around to planning the rest of the week. I did throw together a couscous dish from items in my pantry which was quite good! This week I asked both kids for suggestions and so have returned to some old favorites. It has started to cool down a bit, but this is still a menu which is heavy on the stovetop/crockpot dishes.

Monday: Soft Black Bean Tacos

Tuesday: Ravioli Stew

Wednesday: Potato Dumplings

Thursday: Pasta Carbonara

Friday: Grilled Tofu with Dipping Sauce

Saturday: Labor Day Bash at Kris'

Sunday: Grilled Pizza

Blogs I love...

2008-08-24T20:59:00.003-04:00

Very nice surprise tonight. I got a blog award from J Rae, one of my Stitching Blogger Buddies.

The rules of the award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on her/his blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

Here are the terrific blogging friends I give this award to:

Peaceful paths

2008-08-22T18:51:00.003-04:00

We went camping with friends this week. One night of cold. One of night of rain.

Great food. Lovely swimming. Fun nature walks. And a new friendship between our daughters.

In search of a good book

2008-08-14T13:14:00.001-04:00

I made this Sunflower Bookmark for RobinB who was my Cross Stitch Crazy Summer Secret Sister. Now that she has opened it, I can post it! It's a Workbasket freebie. I completely changed the colors and stitched in Carries Creation floss on a piece of 28 ct Lugana (Sassy's Hand Painted, Winter Blues) that I found in my stash. I added our initials at the bottom. Click on the photo for an up close and personal look. I'm very pleased with how it turned out and am happy that she likes it too!

Happy 26th Anniversary to us!

2008-08-14T10:17:00.002-04:00

Menu Plan Monday (or Tuesday)

2008-08-12T08:16:00.005-04:00

We're watching the Olympics at our house. And to match the international theme, we're eating from the cuisines of as many different countries as possible! Most of these recipes are from Emeril's There's a Chef in My World (with vegetarian adaptations).

Monday Italy Pasta Carbonara with homemade cannoli ice cream for dessert
Tuesday Greece: Pastitsio
Wednesday Mexico: Tortilla Soup
Thursday Italy Pizza/eat out Italian
Friday India Cauliflower Curry
Saturday Portugal Potato Dumpling Soup
Sunday Indonesia Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

For more menu planning ideas visit Organizing Junkie.

Memory Tag

2008-08-11T09:40:00.002-04:00

Caroline has this over on her blog. Fun!!

So who reads my blog??

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! And if we've never met in real life, leave me a comment of your favorite post I wrote and why it was your favorite.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually really funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Appliances

2008-08-08T17:10:00.003-04:00

Our dishwasher had been a bit temperamental since we moved in. We've been waiting for it to go with a huge flood as the one in North Carolina did not too long before we moved up here. But it kept chugging along. Getting more and more quirky as the time passed. Finally it went out with a wimper and horrid smell of burned out motors. We washed by hand and used the racks to air dry for a few weeks as we waited for a sale at Sears. Finally went out and bought this! (Delivered and installed today.) We won't know what to do with ourselves waiting for error messages that water isn't flowing and contantly checking the soap dispenser to make sure it has opened. The installer asked if we wanted to say goodby to the old dishwasher as he hauled it out to his truck. The kids didn't even want to..... not sentimental at all, huh?

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-04T14:42:00.003-04:00

Continuing my summer without the oven theme! It does help keep the house cool on these sweltering July and August days. This is a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu. For more menu ideas check out Organizing Junkie.

Monday Tortellini with Cream Sauce and Peas
Tuesday Orange-Glazed Tofu Triangles with Sesame Rice
Wednesday Crockpot Lasagna (slow cooker)
Thursday Curried Cauliflower Soup with Chutney and Cashews (slow cooker)
Friday Pasta Salad
Saturday Grilled Pesto Pizza (we're having a bumper crop of basil this year)
Sunday Black Bean Soup (slow cooker)

Christmas in July!

2008-08-02T14:46:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to stitch one of the sections of Prairie Schooler's Button Up for some time now. The Christmas in July ornament exchange over at Cross Stitch Crazy was the perfect opportunity. I stitched it on opalescent fabric and left out the background (sky and snow). Stitched with DMC (slightly different from floss called-for in the chart). I hope that my match likes it. Thank you to Jason for the photography (I tried and failed).

That's an Aleph

2008-07-31T12:28:00.003-04:00

I'm helping out with a quilt to commemorate a friend's daughter's Bat Mitzvah. I decided to do Hebrew letters for her Hebrew name and the name of a girl she is remembering at this event. I got the letters from Kooler Designs. Now I DON'T know Hebrew (chose Latin for my "ancient language" in div school rather than Greek or Hebrew). So I was going on faith that I had my letters right. I was sitting at taekwondo stitching the border and a little boy came up and said "That's an Aleph." He's probably 6 and is always interested in what I'm stitching. He's very good at looking at my charts and telling me what color I should do next and can find patterns amongst the symbols. So he was very pleased to be able to tell me what I was stitching! Good thing, because I didn't know. Here are both quilt squares before they were mailed off. These are stitched with DMC on 28 ct evenweave.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-28T16:44:00.003-04:00

Another oven-free week. This is a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu (using soy-based meat substitutes at times). More menu ideas.....

Monday Spaghetti and "Meat"balls

Tuesday Vegetable and Rice Salad

Wednesday Tortilla Soup

Thursday Broccoli Stirfry with "Chicken" Strips over Pasta

Friday Orange Glazed Grilled Tofu over Sesame Rice

Saturday Soft Tacos

Sunday Burgers, Grilled Corn, and Dilled Potato Salad

Monday Tabbouleh with Chickpeas and Feta

Happy Birthday to my beautiful 10 year old daughter!

2008-07-27T13:04:00.002-04:00

Dance as if your happiness....and life..... depend on it.

2008-07-22T18:04:00.002-04:00

One of our browsers opens to the Astronomy Picture of the Day. Today was not far off nebulae or stars but this. I love it!

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Stumping Verizon.......

2008-07-18T17:58:00.002-04:00

Monday we're going to get router Number THREE for this month. Internet was down again today. Friendly Linda at Verizon walked me through fix-its and I've finally managed to plug Jason's laptop directly into the wall and get service. I'm not so good at the laptop......even with keyboard and mouse I've stolen from my desktop (can't plug desktop into the wall because cable is too short). So you'll just have to wait for my TWO cross stitch finishes I want to show you!!!

Menu plan whatever....

2008-07-15T13:55:00.004-04:00

An oven-free week because it's hot again. This is a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu (using soy-based meat substitutes at times). I got my own copy of Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (giving the library back their copy finally!) and so will be trying out recipes from there for the next few weeks. More menu ideas.....

Monday Tortellini with Vodka Sauce and Pine Nuts

Tuesday Soft Tacos

Wednesday Five-Layer Vegetable Strata with Pesto (slow cooker)

Thursday Gnocchi With Sage Butter and Garlic

Friday Tempeh Étouffée (slow cooker)

Saturday Tortellini Salad

Sunday Grilled Pizza

Monday Vegetable Lasagna (slow cooker)

And for dessert: Mint Chip Ice Cream

Welcome home!

2008-07-15T13:33:00.003-04:00

My best friend in North Carolina finally bought her dream cabin by a lake. I made this as a housewarming gift. It's from Prairie Schooler's Prairie Lodge (a few minor changes and lettering added beneath). Stitched with DMC on Enchanted Fabrics. I sent it to her for her birthday last week. Here ends my secret stitching..... for now.

Something old something new something borrowed and....I Do

2008-07-14T20:34:00.003-04:00

Two special friends got married last spring (she's like a daughter to me..... inside joke....). I decided that this wedding needed stitchy commemoration and chose a wedding sampler for them. Borrowed "I Do" by Bent Creek (one of my favorite designers!) from Megan and selected my over-dyed flosses (similar to what was called for, but my own interpretation--a mixture of GAST, Weeks Dye Works, and The Dye is Cast). I stitched it on natural linen banding and finished it as a wall hanging. It took me past their first anniversary to finally finish it (I'm not the founding member of the Slow Stitchers' Club for nothing!), but they received it today. I'm very pleased and hope that they are too.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-07T09:36:00.003-04:00

So my Menu Plan Monday is a "Week in Review" instead of "Coming Attractions." I am planning, just not blogging it! Stay tuned for this week.

Last Monday Pesto Pizza

Tuesday Ravioli with more fresh pesto

Wednesday Tortilla Soup

Thursday Black Bean Burritos

Friday Burgers and bell peppers on the grill, potato salad

Saturday Ravioli with garlic and broccoli

Sunday Out for Indian Food

I scream, you scream....

2008-07-04T22:13:00.003-04:00

Chocolate truffle ice cream on meringues. Excellent.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T20:30:00.003-04:00

We hold these Truths....