for your long weekend

Okay. This way of making salsa is new to me, so I just had to share.
The recipe was in the newest Everyday Food, June '11. Simple, fast and oh, so good. I've made it three times and each time used a different amount of tomatoes and onions. I think it is one of those recipes where you don't have to be specific on the amount of the ingredients and it will turn out great.
So, just put tomatoes (2-6 medium/large), a cut onion (or 1 1/2) 3 jalapeno peppers and 3-5 garlic cloves, unpeeled, on a baking sheet. Broil for about 6 minutes, rotate veggies and broil for another 6-8 minutes. (I take out the garlic after the first 6 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool.
Remove the really charred bits (or not) and toss everything into the food processor or blender. (Except for the garlic skins and stems from the jalapenos. You may want to use less of the seeds from the jalapenos depending on how spicy you like it.) Stir in some chopped cilantro and juice from a lime. If you do not have a lime you can use about 2 TBLS white vinegar. (My friend, Kelsey, taught me that trick.)
Serve.
This weekend.
You won't be sorry.

road trip

I packed up the car and headed to meet friends. A really dear friend from college and some other girls I hadn't met in person but felt like I knew in college.
The blanket made the trip. (Yeah, that's right. I started that in May of '08. That's three years ago, but who's counting.) I knit two rows.
A very special friend was having a very special birthday. She didn't know I was coming. I am smiling now just thinking about me walking into her home. (I did have a big fear that she might not know who in the world I was.)
This picture is so perfect to me. A bit blurry like the evening, like something that happened in a dream. I can't even find the words to describe how I felt. It was just downright awesome. Like each of them.
I also got to meet my college friends twins. I could honestly eat them.
It was one of those weekends. And I feel so blessed to have lived it.

zara

I might feel a little like I am back in Jr. High, but I love it!
Worked bottom up, in the round. A little rib, a little color work, a little plain knitting in the round, color work, (twist, untwist), decrease, rib and voila. You've got yourself a sweater. (Okay, it really wasn't that fast.)
I must admit this looked like it was made for Libby when I finished it. (It was T I N Y !)
However, I didn't panic. (Tried not to.) I threw it (placed it gently) into the washing machine on its hand wash cycle, and then I blocked it (stretched it). That technique has worked for me every time.
I absolutely adore this fair isle pattern. Working on it was just enough to keep it interesting. Although, I just get a little bummed when I have to stop knitting to untwist the colors. And, I may have switched up some of the colors a bit. (Reading the colors, in that bright sun, on the beach, after a beer, may have gotten me a little confused.)
Pattern: Zara
Size: small, 36"
Yarn: Princess by Classic Elite 7 balls #3413 black, 1 ball #3428, 1 ball #3403, 1 ball #3416.
Needles: US 6 and 7

It's been really exciting around here... Libby got off her braces yesterday! Nothing but smiles and mirror checking. I am pretty sure she was smiling in her sleep when I went in for the final good night kiss last night.

Happy Day to you!

repeat

Shoot! Did anyone else on blogger lose their last post? Poof. There one day, gone the next.
May 13, 2008. Ruby and I in middle school bathroom.
In case you didn't stop by here within the last few days, I had mentioned the giveaway of 60 quick baby knits that Nichole was having. She is giving away yarn, too! (She designed the most darling fair isle hat and legwarmers.)
Have a beautiful weekend!

give it a try

Hey! For those of you 60 quick baby knits lovers, I wanted to mention that Nichole is giving away a book AND yarn. So, if you didn't win here, maybe you should try over there!
These photos have nothing to do with that thought. I just needed a photo so looked through the archives.
These were taken May 11, 2009. I loved the bench Monday days. Maybe I should hop on board (or bench) again. I still look for bench goers if I'm out on Mondays. Hoping I will catch someone on a bench.
On this May 11, 2011, I went to teacher conferences, helped the kids tie-dye shirts and got my tomato plants in the ground.
Zara is blocked. Back soon to show.
Have a great one.

mine

The working day of a school nurse:
Circa 1976
I could not love this photo or this woman more. Happy Mothers Day to my awesome mom. Who taught me everything I know. (On and off the needles.)

And people, make sure you have photos of you knitting. Lots of photos. Go now! Sit down, knit and make someone take a photo of you. (I will, too!)

just quick

The two winners of 60 quick baby knits are:
#311 Susan (grandmother of three boys)
Congrats! Please email me your address and I'll make sure the book lands in your hand.

60 quick baby knits

I loved 60 Quick Knits, and I love 60 Quick Baby knits, too. I mean, 60 quick baby knits all out of cascade 220 superwash. How great is that!
There are so many darling patterns in this book, I can hardly stand it. I wish I would have photographed the little sheep pillow. Seriously adorable. There are dresses, sweaters, hats, mittens and blankets.
I always had a harder time finding baby boy patterns than girls. There are several cute ones in this book that I would have made my boys.

I have two to give away. If interested, please leave a comment here before Friday the 6th at 6 p.m. I'll have the random generator choose the numbers.

that green stuff

Spring break did not last that long. We've been home for a week and a day, and I JUST climbed out from all of my piles. We had some of the best weather we have ever had in Florida, and returned to some of the greenest grass we've ever seen.
I cut every last daffodil and brought them inside.
There was a cookie recipe I've had on the brain since Kim emailed me a recipe that Theresa shared with her.
The most time consuming thing was filling the bowl on the cuisnart. When removing the shell of the pistachio, one must put one nut in the bowl, the next one in your mouth. Collecting enough to grind takes some time.
I ended up with about 3/4 cup ground pistachio. The recipe is written in grams so I used this website to convert.
If you know anything about my cookie making, you would know that I am a huge fan of the slice and bakes. So, instead of using a cookie cutter (I blew the whole fine flock thing), I rolled it in a log, refrigerated for a couple of hours, cut and baked. They really are so easy and fast. Which means more time to knit.
I was a HUGE fan of these cookies. I mean, love, love, LOVE. The lemon zest along with the pistachio gives them a fabulous flavor. However, I have two boys that WILL NOT eat anything green in their cookies. Can you believe that! Crazy kids.
Kim also shared this super cool site. Love it. Above are the conversions I used.
Back tomorrow to talk about 60 quick baby knits.