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December 22, 2008
memememe
Anne tagged me - here we go!
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was halfway through my sophomore year of college at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I probably still had not decided on my major (eventually I decided on anthropology), but I think at that point I would have already decided that I was going to do study abroad in Spain or Mexico. (I ended up going to Spain because my parents thought it would be safer - little did they know they were sending me to ground zero of the Basque separatist movement, but they don't really bother the tourists, so it wasn't that big of a deal.) I was dating my future husband already... I got engaged a few months later in the spring of 1999.
2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
Work is already over for the day, so here are my exciting evening plans: 1. Clean the guest bathrooms. 2. Put clean sheets on the guest beds. (Can you tell I'm having guests visit for the holidays?) 3. Find my keys. (wishful thinking) 4. Watch How I Met Your Mother. 5. Finish reading New Moon (I'm already in the epilogue)
3) Snacks I enjoy: chips & salsa; almonds; cheese; hard-boiled eggs
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Remodel my house in the arts and crafts style; become a "professional" knitter/crafter; pay for all 96 hours (!) of my husband's masters degree tuition and set up scholarships for other people going to seminary; buy an ark from Heifer International; fund the music and art programs at as many schools as possible
5) Places I have lived: Chillicothe, MO; Columbia, MO; Pamplona, Spain; Springfield, MO
Tagged: Amanda Cathleen, Colleen, Nell, my mom (you can respond in the comments) & my sister
Posted by zarah at 7:14 PM | Comments (4)
December 15, 2008
FO: Building Blocks
Finally, you get to see one of the many handmade Christmas items I've been working on, since I'm pretty sure my 18-month-old nephew doesn't read this blog.
Project Details:
Pattern: Building Blocks from Any Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones
Fabric: My inspiration was the red fabric - Alexander Henry Tumbleweed Tots Red from She's Crafty (a neat sewing, knitting, & embroidery store here in Springfield) coordinated with 3 other cowboy prints from Hancock Fabrics.
Here's a close-up:
Pattern Modifications: the pattern calls for several sides of each block to be patchwork - I thought the fabrics were cute enough without that, so I went the easy route and just cut a bunch of squares.
Time to make: Maybe 6-8 hours of actual cutting and sewing time? It didn't seem hard, but I don't really like sitting behind a sewing machine when I could be knitting, so the project was dragged out a lot longer than it should have been.
Final impressions: SUPER cute. I think these will be used for a long time - first he can learn to stack them up and count them, and in just a couple of years he'll be throwing them at his little sister! (She's currently on the way. Be on the lookout for adorable baby girl projects after Christmas.)
Posted by zarah at 6:44 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2008
The marshmallow factory is OPEN
This year, instead of making Christmas cookies, I made homemade marshmallows. I made 2 batches of plain (vanilla), one batch of peppermint, and one batch that was supposed to be cinnamon, but it didn't turn out very cinnamony.
Most people don't know that you can make marshmallows from scratch. It's actually not hard at all, as long as you have a stand mixer (like a Kitchenaid). I used Alton Brown's recipe, so it's hard to go wrong there.
I tried to document the process, but I apparently didn't get a picture of boiling the sugar and corn syrup. Just imagine a medium pot on a stovetop with a candy thermometer clipped to the side, and boiling sugar mixture inside. Fun! and - be careful! I manage to find a way to burn myself no matter what I'm cooking, and this was no exception.
Next up, pour the boiling sugar slowly into the mixer, where the unflavored gelatin has been patiently waiting. See the steam coming out of the mixer? Whip on high until the mixture is lukewarm - about 12 minutes. (This is where your arm falls off if you have a handheld mixer.) When it's done mixing, it looks just like marshmallow fluff you can buy in a jar. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing.
Spread the marshmallow goo into a sugar-and-cornstarched pan, let set for at least 4 hours, then dump the big marshmallow rectangle out onto a cutting board and slice it up into little squares with a pizza cutter.
Voila! Absolutely delish with hot chocolate - or even coffee!
Posted by zarah at 12:26 PM | Comments (2)
December 8, 2008
Sunlight filtering through
I took the tree picture on my recent vacation to California, on a beautiful walk through Muir Woods. The rocks are part of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument outside Santa Fe, NM. I love how the light looks so similar in them.
Posted by zarah at 9:24 PM | Comments (3)
December 6, 2008
Little Drummer Boy
Over Thanksgiving, my husband decided that our 18-month-old nephew needs to become a drummer. First step? Learning to play on the Rock Band drums, of course! Now I'm trying to find a toy drum set for a Christmas gift that won't drive his parents crazy.
Posted by zarah at 2:02 PM | Comments (2)
December 4, 2008
Gradual Re-Entry
My popular demand, I am back. (Hi Lucy in Chilli!)
But, most of my knitting lately has been for Christmas presents, so I can't reveal them just yet.
What I can reveal is my ridiculously clean hall closet. I cannot tell you how happy I am not to have those Rock Band guitars and drums laying on my living room floor in front of the TV.
My husband and I used to each get a basket on the shelf for scarves, gloves, and hats. One of the hazards of being a knitter/living with a knitter is an overabundance of knitty goodness. Now I've got gloves in the hanging baskets, a scarf bin and a hat bin for my husband, and my stuff stacked over there to the side. I guess I need to add a couple new bins to my weekend shopping list, eh?
Posted by zarah at 10:06 PM | Comments (5)