Episode 03 - Chatterbox

Give me time to speak uninterrupted and I will take advantage of it, apparently.  It didn't take long for me to go from deer in the headlights to chatterbox.

Thank you for joining me this week. Grab your favorite beverage and join me and I speak a little bit about everything.

Works In Progress

Lake shore scarf by Mara Jessup. Pattern available on the Knit Picks website.

Needles U.S. 3 (3.25 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll fingering weight hand painted.

Colorway: Great Lakes

 

Vanilla socks on two circs

Needles: U.S. 1 (2.5 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks Felici

Colorway: The Countess

 

I cast on something new: A baby surprise jacket.

Needles: U.S. 5 (3.75 mm)

Yarn: Lion Brand Mandala

Colorway:  Gnome

 

This is the YouTube series I used to guide me for the decreases. 

Spinning

No spinning this week

From the coop

I give an update on Mama Brahma and the babies.  I also answer a few questions about chickens.  

I finally got a decent video of Mama and the babies. Friday, Sept. 28 I let them expand their horizons and they are having fun. 

From the hutch 

A little bit of chatting about Hoss and Feffer. Their winter coats are growing in. We won't be able to bring them into the house many more times.

Barefoot in the kitchen

I tried a new recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese. Recipe turned out well, though I didn't follow it exactly.  I didn't include the Dijon mustard. 

The seasoning process for the new skillet has been started. 

Cinnamon rolls in the freezer and a tip about small batches of frosting.

Book chat

Book - I'm still plugging away with Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.  I'm on page 66 of 341.

Audiobook -  Ender in Exile became available from the library. I'm eager to start listening to it. 

 

Kindle book - Cat Trick (A Magical Cats Mystery, book 4) became available from the library, as well.  

Nature notes

Expecting the first hard frost on Friday, Sept. 28. I'm pulling out the last of the tomatoes from the garden, and a few other things. 

Fall colors are *so* beautiful. Pictures aren't doing them justice. 

 

From the homestead

Watermelon was picked last weekend. 

Hunting update

Coffee talk

New TV shows. What do you watch?

My happiness this week

Rice packs.  A few minutes in the microwave and you have hours of warmth.  

Episode 02 - Up North, eh?

I'm back! I also have plenty to chatter about.  Grab your favorite beverage and come visit with me!

Works in progress

Lake shore scarf by Mara Jessup. Pattern available on the Knit Picks website.

Needles U.S. 3 (3.25 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks. I think it might be stroll hand painted sock yarn.

Colorway: Great Lakes

Vanilla socks on two circs

Needles: U.S. 1 (2.5 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks Felici

Colorway: The Countess

 Books

Audiobook - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I have really enjoyed this story.  The book had a variety of voice actors.  All did a phenomenal job.

Book - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Having a hard time getting into it.  It's a slow start. I'm on page 14 so far. The name of the podcast I mentioned is "Close Reads."

In the kitchen

I made salsa and canned for the first time in a while. I forgot how much I enjoy the canning process.  We have had a bounty of tomatoes this year. This is my private stock.

I've also been using up the zucchini.  I made a zucchini cake, using a Betty Crocker recipe out of the cookbook my sister-in-law gave me many years ago.

 The recipe for this cake is:

Zuchinni cake

It is recommended to mix without an electric mixer.

1 - 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded zuchinni
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Cream cheese frosting

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, or 2 round pans, 8 x 1 - 1/2 or 9 by 9 x 1 - 1/2 inches, with shortening; lightly flour.

2. Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended; beat 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients except zuchinni, nuts and cream cheese frosting; beat 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan.

3. Bake rectangle 40-45 minutes, rounds 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Frost rectangle or fill and frost layers with cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!

Nature notes

Mother nature did not want to cooperate with me.  After recording it started raining.  It's still gloomy as can be.

What makes me happy this week are Thermacells.  This gadget is awesome! Would not have been able to sit out in the deer blind without it.

Thanks for watching!

Brace yourself ... Fall is coming

 

Summer is slowly coming to an end. My son started school after Labor Day. This summer seems to have gone by especially fast.  I have been looking forward to getting him and myself back into some sort of routine.  Much of this summer I feel as if I've been flying by the seat of my pants.

I'm still following the weight loss program I started last year.  I've lost about eight more pounds over the summer.  I'm hitting more plateaus this weight-loss time around.  That's all right with me, however. To-date I've lost 35-plus pounds. Slow and steady.

The entire family is getting ready for hunting season.  I bought my man a new crossbow for his birthday.  He is stoked and can't wait to use it.  He's been spending a lot of time with it, sighting it in and making sure everything is perfect on it.

My son and husband have been setting up the deer stands too, and making sure everything they need is ready.

My hunting prep is a bit easier than theirs. I was going to sit in the same shed as I did last year.  But then a certain someone had their eyes open for a portable hunting blind for me, since I don't go up in the tree stands.  It's a fear of heights.  You understand.

 You can't see me!  I'm so totally hidden!

Hopefully I will have a successful archery opener this weekend.

I think I'm ready to go.

Some humor.

Episode 01 - Hello world!

Hello!  I'm glad you stopped by to watch my first video.  I'll be honest, I'm not sure what to call this yet.  Vidcast, vlod, podcast, video podcast. For sure, this is me, being adorably awkward on camera.

I've been wanting to create videos for about two years. I practiced in front of the camera and I was either like a deer in the headlights, or my mind went blank. Does anyone remember Brenda Dayne's comment about just going for it and making a podcast? I decided to just go for it, and I hit the record button.

I'm playing this by ear, and learning as I go. No set schedule yet.

Enjoy!

Works in progress

Lake shore scarf by Mara Jessup. Pattern available on the Knit Picks website.

Needles U.S. 3 (3.25 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks. I think it might be stroll hand painted sock yarn. I can’t believe I lost the ballband.

Colorway: Great Lakes

 

 

Vanilla socks on two circs

Needles: U.S. 1 (2.5 mm)

Yarn: Knitpicks Felici

Colorway: The Countess

 

Book I mentioned

Fablehaven

 

Good story for the entire family.