Some (old) new recipes for you

I remembered I'd posted some recipes over on MySpace and figured I'd share them here. I never go to MySpace any more (does anyone?), so why keep all the goodies over there. Right?


All of these recipes are my own. You can't publish them and take credit for them as your own, but you can feel free to use 'em and share them as much as you like. Enjoy!


From Sept. 9, 2007 (yes, I date things, forgive me my quirks):


Colby Jack Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:
2 heads of broccoli heads, cut up
2 chicken breasts, cut up
1 12 oz. can of cream of chicken and herbs soup
6 oz. of milk (half of the soup can)
garlic powder, season for taste
8 oz. of colby jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place cut up the broccoli and chicken in the bottom of a lasagna pan.
3. Mix the cream of chicken soup, milk and garlic powder in a bowl.
4. Pour soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken and mix to coat.
5. Sprinkle the shredded colby jack on top of the chicken and broccoli mixture.
6. Pop into the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Curry Potato Wedges

Ingredients:
4-5 potatoes, cut into wedges
olive oil
curry powder
chili seasoning (with salt)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 or 400 degrees.
2. Place cut potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat.
3. Sprinkle curry powder and chili seasoning onto potatoes. Toss with hands to coat. Add enough seasoning and spice for your taste.
4. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet and pop into the oven for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft and cooked. Allow to stay longer if you want crispy fries.


From Jan. 31, 2007:


Spinach and Tomatoes


Ingredients:
1 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach
1 tomato
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
basil
salt
thyme (optional)

Directions:
1. Defrost the spinach and wring it in a towel to squeeze out all the water.
2. Cut the tomato into wedges and then halve the wedges.
3. Warm a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly cover the skillet.
4. Toss in the garlic, basil and thyme and stir frequently for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and cook until spinach is warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Toss in the tomato.
7. Add a little more olive oil to coat the veggies and keep the spices from sticking and burning to the skillet. Stir to coat well and let cook until warm.
8. Add salt to taste.
Serves 2-3.


From Sept. 13, 2006:


Late Summer Veggie Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 scallion (small white onion) chopped
1 palmful of thyme, fresh or dried (I used fresh)
2 pinches of chives, fresh or dried (I used fresh)
1 small or medium summer squash
1 cup full of halved cherry tomatoes
1 stalk of celery chopped
1 can of low sodium chicken stock (12-14 oz.)
black pepper.

Directions:
1. Warm a medium pot over medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and then the garlic, onions, thyme and chives.
3. Saute for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add squash, tomatoes and celery. Stir well.
5. Add the chicken stock and season with pepper.
6. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until veggies are to the desired crispness. Then, enjoy!
Serves 2-4 depending on the amount served.

Angry Chicken's emailorder and flowers

It's finally here! Amy Karol of Angry Chicken has posted eMailorder #11 — Potions and Concoctions — and it's ready for downloading.

Amy had asked her blog readers if we wanted a compilation of all her various homemade remedies and goodies. I've been looking forward to it for a bit now, especially the lip balm, deodorant and the shampoo recipes.

In Amy's description, here's what you can find in this new download: Mullein Oil, Shampoo and Detangler, Facial Oil, Eye Compress, Herbal Toner, Vapor Rub, Facial Cleanser, Bugs Don't Like Me Balm, Favorite Tea, Hair Spray, Lip Balm, Baby Bottom Spray, Plantain Poultice for Stings, Magic Tooth Cleaning Solution, Deodorant, and Elderflower Cough Syrup

I'll report back as I give 'em a try.

You can find the eMailorder here. You can buy it using PayPal.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Also, check out this crocheted magnet Nannie made me. My grandma is one of the crafty ladies that retaught me how to crochet when I picked up the hook again a couple years ago.

Ain't it cute? Spring's on the way, folks!

I may make my own copy and post the pattern here for y'all so you can make your own.

Nannie created this cutie using one a friend gave her many years ago as a copy. Her flower magnet has been on her frig for years and she thought she'd copy it and give some away.

Hubby's fingerless mitts

I completed Chris' fingerless mitts last weekend. They turned out much better than I anticipated. I couldn't be happier except if I had used wool instead of acrylic yarn. But Chris asked that I use yarn I already had on hand and, so, acrylic it was.

I had considered using Pamela Grossman's "Knucks" pattern over at Knitty.com. I found it through the Elliphantom Knits blog. They look really cool and I figured Chris would dig 'em. (I planned to leave off the embroidery though. That wouldn't have been Chris' style.)

But after printing out the instructions and reviewing them more closely, I passed it over. It just seemed too difficult to tackle. I would have to knit each finger separately and then attach them to the palm part of the glove later. Too much hassle.

I had some fingerless mittens patterns, but they were designed for women's medium-sized hands and were either lacy or too feminine —"Ladylike Lace Gloves" by MK Carroll in "Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker" and "Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers" By Renée Rigdon in "Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook."


So I decided to tackle designing a pattern on my own. I'd already made the crocheted "Ladylike Lace Gloves" for myself and my sister, so I sort of had an idea of how to go about it. Just in case, I studied the techniques for the thumb hole again in both the crocheted pattern and the knitted "Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers" and then began.

I used worsted weight acrylic yarn and four size 7 double pointed knitting needles. My pattern's below and I've posted it on Ravelry. Adjust the needle sizes, yarn and number of cast on stitches to fit for your man's hands. Chris' hands, I suppose, are medium-sized man hands.

Hubby's fingerless mitts
By: E.A. Seagraves
(Credit for the thumb technique goes to Renée Rigdon.)

Materials:
(4) size 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles
left over worsted weight yarn (medium weight/4)

Special abbreviations:
pm = place a stitch marker on the needle after the last stitch knitted
sm = slip stitch marker from one needle to the next
M1 = make one stitch, Insert the left needle under the loop between the stitch just knitted and the next. Pull up a loop and knit into it, creating one stitch.

Directions: (medium-sized man hands)

CO 36 stitches, placing 12 stitches on each of three needles. With fourth needle begin knitting:

Row 1-40 (or the length you want): K4, P4 around

Left Hand:
Row 41: (K4, P4) across 2 needles. On Needle 3, K3, place marker (pm), M1, pm, K1, P4, K4

Row 42: (K4, P4) across 2 needles. On Needle 3, K3, slip marker (sm), M1, K1, M1, sm, K1, P4, K4

Rows 43-47: *(K4, P4) across 2 needles. On Needle 3, K3, sm, between markers knit in front and back of the first stitch creating two stitches, knit across until one stitch left between markers, knit in front and back of the last stitch, sm, K1, P4, K4 (Repeat from * around until 13 stitches total between markers.)

Palm: Rows 48-61: Slip 13 stitches onto a stitch holder. Then continue K4, P4 around (minus the 13 stitches) for 14 rows. Bind off and weave in ends.

Thumb: Rows 48-54: Divide 13 stitches evenly on three needles, such as 4 stitches on Needles 1 and 2 and 5 stitches on Needle 3. Knit around 7 times. Bind off and weave in ends, using the yarn tails to sew any holes left around and between the thumb and palm. (I had holes below and above the thumb.)

Right Hand:
Row 41: On Needle 1, K4, P4, K3, pm, M1, pm, K1. On Needles 2 and 3, P4, K4 around.

Row 42: On Needle 1, K4, P4, K3, sm, M1, K1, M1, sm, K1. On Needles 2 and 3, P4, K4 around.

Row 43-47: *On Needle 1, K4, P4, K3, sm, between markers knit in front and back of the first stitch creating two stitches, knit across until one stitch left between markers, knit in front and back of the last stitch, sm, K1. On Needles 2 and 3, P4, K4 across. (Repeat from * around until 13 stitches total between markers.)

Palm: Rows 48-61: Slip 13 stitches onto a stitch holder. Then continue K4, P4 around (minus the 13 stitches) for 14 rows. Bind off and weave in ends.

Thumb: Rows 48-54: Divide 13 stitches evenly on three needles, such as 4 stitches on Needles 1 and 2 and 5 stitches on Needle 3. Knit around 7 times. Bind off and weave in ends, using the yarn tails to sew any holes left around and between the thumb and palm. (I had holes below and above the thumb.)