...Adventures in Salad Dressing...Part 2...

Liquid Gold

...we eat a lot of salad around here...and by the same token I suppose we eat a lot of salad dressing too...

...I prefer homemade salad dressings to the bottled kind...

...and we love this one...

This is our version of Liquid Gold adapted from Brenda Davis Registered Dietitian...

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

Preparation
Place oil, water, lemon juice, vinegar, tamari, yeast, mustard and flaxseed in blender and blend until smooth.

Dressing can be kept in a jar with lid and refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Scouting for Food...

...it's been a cold and rainy spring...

...and that combined with the fact that there was no coordinator for the Scouting for Food project...

...meant that we didn't get around to doing "Scouting for Food" until the end of May...

...but we did it...on a cold and rainy day...

...and it was still a lot of fun...and we got a car load of food for the needy...

Fougasse...

...I'd been wanting to make a Leaf Shaped Fougasse for quite a while...and we were planning a pasta/marina meal that it would go perfectly with...

...so I got out the recipe book...

...yep...I have more than one...featuring Julia's recipes...I love this one...and I've veganized a lot of these recipes too...but this recipe didn't require any changes...

...I used the dough hook attachment for my mixer...I should have taken a photo of that process as the dough kept climbing up the hook and lifting the mixer...funny...

...but it was a nice elastic dough...

...fun to play with...and shape into a pretty leaf...

...baked and nicely brown it was delicious...

...a new Home Improvement project begins ...and a sleepover...

...the Man has started a (fairly significant) home improvement project...

...with quite a bit of help from Scout...who loved learning how to cut sheetrock...I'm the teacher for that one...as my sweet sister and I have definitely cut our share of sheetrock...right K?...

...this is just the temporary new wall - the baseboard heater and wires are gone now...and the space is ready for the new French Door that will replace the window...there will be a new deck as well - facing East and the only shade that we have here...

...there will be much more to come as the project progresses...

...and really à propos of nothing...except to keep family and friends apprised of every little thing that we do here and that you can see the patched wall in the photo...Scout (and Jack) had a sleepover with a friend...

...a new song...

...it's the first day of summer break and...

...Scout has been figuring out a new song on the piano...do you know it?...I think it's called Poker Face...

...how does he always know I'm back there with a camera...

...and the winner is...

Michelle...

8:08 AM - At Home with Michelle said...Very pretty, and the detail of the work is AMAZING!! LOVE IT!!! thanks for the chance to win it:)

...and because I simply can't just have one winner...

...I've 'drawn' a couple more names (or numbers as the case may be...and you'll both get a little handknit dishcloth...picture here...

...so Mandy from Courthouse Ramblings

"1:20 PM Mandy said... So pretty!"

...and then that crazy Random.org gave me # 14 again and that was Michelle's number...so wierd...

...so I clicked generate again...

...and I got # 28 - which is Debra...

"12:19 PM Debra said I love this bag! It would totally be a Sunday quiet bag for my daughter!"

...and I wish I could give you all something - giveaways are so much fun...

...so XOXOXO to all of you...

...that reminds me...(that's your cue that I'm about to take you on a sentimental journey)...

...of when I was about 8 years old or so...and my Grandma always sent a Birthday card with a silver dollar taped inside (until we turned 18 anyway)...it was such a treat...anywhoo...she had signed the card XOXOXO...with hugs and kisses from her...GrandDaddy...and my uncle (who's only 5 years older than me and still lived at home)...so I had no idea what that XOXOXO meant and I had to ask my Mom...who told me that the X was for the sound a kiss makes...and the O was the circle of a hug...

...and I really felt hugged and kissed once I knew...hope you do too!

Rainy Day Fun...

DON'T FORGET!! Enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!







...we've been having some rainy (and very cool) Spring weather - but that didn't stop some boys from running around playing outside in the rain...

...and getting themselves even more wet...

...his target...

...just happy fun!...

...time to reload...

Click here to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!

...The Tote Bag...How To's and Wherefores...

DON'T FORGET!! Enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!







This is how I made the Tote Bag I'm giving away...

...Using two strands of worsted weight yarn I used one skein of Caron Simply Soft in Orchid and one of Cream - I cast on 50 stitches on size 10 needles - and knit 4 rows...then I worked in stockinette stitch (knit 1 row purl 1 row) for 175 rows...then I knit 4 rows again and cast off...

...then I had this big long rectangle...which I just folded in half and seamed up the sides by single crocheting in about every other stitch with a size E needle - still using 2 strands of yarn...

...I love how using two different colours of yarn like this produces this totally random varigation...

...this is the same seam that I used on the Isabeau Purse and I'm loving it...

...then I knit 3 strands of I-cord over 5 stitches - one using 2 strands of the orchid - one using 2 strands of the cream and one using 1 strand each of cream and orchid...

...then I tied the ends in a knot...

...looped it over a doorknob for some tension and simply braided the three strands to make the handle...then I just centered the braided strip at each side seam and stitched in place...

...the loop was made during the cast off...after I had cast off 25 stitches...I switched to the crochet hook and chained 15...then looped that back through the last cast off stitch with a slip stitch...and then did reverse single crochet back around the loop - joining again with a slip stitch and then continuing the cast off as normal...

...I love the added dimension this gives to the loop...and I added the little twin Sculpy button from my Isabeau button making adventure...

...and there you have it...a really simple, pretty, and sturdy tote bag...

Click here to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway for this bag!

May Giveaway Day!

...so...y'all already know I'm addicted to totes...

...and today I'm going to be giving one away...

...it's a handknit tote - in reverse stockinette stitch...with a braided I-cord strap...

...but it's fully reversible if you prefer the smooth side (normally the front) of the stockinette stitch...

...it has (on the reverse St St side) a handmade button...

...and a super neat crocheted seam...complete with tassels...

...it will easily accommodate a full sized laptop...

...or your latest knitting project...

...or your latest books...

...or use it as a diaper bag for all your babe's things...

...or as a quiet bag - with everything to keep an older child occupied and happy...

...so there you have my humble little tote...

If you'd like to give it a new home just:

1) Leave a comment below:

or for a couple of extra entries - I know you're busy visiting a bunch of giveaways today - you can also:

2) Become a follower...or leave another comment saying you're already a follower...
3) Post about the giveaway on your blog...
4) Tweet or Facebook...

Tweet

This giveaway is open until Midnight CST on 05/25/11.
I will ship internationally, so please everyone feel free to enter!

...the ten mile hike...

...The Boy Scouts are working on their Hiking Merit Badge...

...so they set off on the first of 5 Ten Mile Hikes...

...it was a gorgeous afternoon - with a light breeze - as we stopped in the shade (very few trees on this route) - for a little snack and a brief rest...

...the halfway point - and where we turned to retrace our path - called for another short break and some rock throwing...

...on the way back...notice the ever-lengthening shadows...

...as we hiked back into town in the twighlight - that's the water treatment plant in the distance...

...the full moon was rising and it was after 10:00 o'clock...