"D" is for...

DARN IT!!!!

I was happily knitting along when the increase was encountered...6 more stitches...12 more stitches...

My needles are too short.

So are my legs, but that's another story altogether.

Thinking I was being clever, I thought I could squeeeeeeze the stitches on and hold them with my finger as I neared the end of a row. It worked for a while and then I noticed something else. I was running out of yarn. I know I'm supposed to knit a 4x4 swatch to check my tension, but it honestly seems to be a waste of time even though I read, "Even a variation in half a stitch makes an obvious difference in the finished size."

Blah blah blah...darn it. I used more colourful language (to match the wool, you know), but for family readers and almost eight year olds with a propensity for over-the-shoulder lurking, we'll agree that I said, "Darn it!"

I purchased one size smaller needles (yes, they are longer) and will commence frogging this item. "Frogging" is my favourite knitting word...know what it means? Think ribbit ribbit ribbit. Got it? Try rip it rip it rip it. Ahhhh...now you've got it!

Now try to guess what I'm knitting!

"C" is for...

CHICKEN

I love chicken. Alright, I love the versatility of chicken. I don't really love the skin, the bones, the rubbery texture of microwave-defrosted chicken, the wiggly bits that require trimming...you get the idea.

The trouble is, as much as we love chicken around here, I don't have a great go-to chicken recipe. Each and every time I take chicken out for dinner, I spend an inordinate amount of time searching my recipe books and the internet for THE chicken recipe. Part of this problem stems from the fact that I really dislike repetition in my cooking. Many a time we have sat at the table with a delicious meal in front of us - a meal we ALL like - and Mike will comment, "This is so good! Guess we won't be having it again for a while..."

Last night that pile of frozen chicken breasts was magically transformed into coconut curried chicken. With tomatoes. The leftovers consist mostly of a pile of tomatoes, a little sauce, a spoon of rice and maybe if I dig really deep, a piece of chicken. But they all liked it...see you in a few months, coconut curry chicken. But what a great recipe to cook the night before my "C" entry, eh?

The rest of the family adores chicken legs. "Drumsticks, drumsticks!" they beg in the meat aisle at the supermarket. I cannot think of anything chicken I would rather NOT have...well, chicken wings are right up there, actually. I do have some chicken thighs (wiggly bits picked off before being put in the freezer of course) and perhaps I will get them in the slow cooker in time to produce this:

Baked Chicken with Mustard Barbecue Sauce (from 300 Slow Cooker Favorites by Donna-Marie Pye)

12 skinless chicken drumsticks (I used thighs)
19 oz / 540 mL can tomatoes - drained
1/4 packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Place chicken in slow cooker stoneware.
2. In a blender, or food processor, puree remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 7 hours or on High for 2 1/2 to 4 hours until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.
4. For a thicker sauce, transfre chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil gently until reduced by half, or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve over chicken.

"B" is for...

BOOKS

I ventured solo to the library yesterday for the first time in ages. I usually spend time with one or the other of the girls while one or the other of them is dancing across the street. Jordan is still too sick to be out in public, so off I went. A full 45 minutes and I didn't step foot in junior fiction, flip through the orange binder of kids' DVDs or touch the carousel teeming with Raffi and his cohorts. Freedom.

I looked through each and every CD and came home with Blue Rodeo's "Small Miracles" and Loreena McKennitt's "To Drive the Cold Winter Away". I checked out the entire "NEW FICTION" section and lingered over some old favourites deep in the stacks without once hearing, "Mom, can we get....?!" Liberating.

In the end, I came home with only 3 books - okay I ordered one on inter-library loan, too. Oh, and I bought one from the $2 used rack. Fairly ambitious for the next 3 weeks, but there are always renewals, right?

Testimony - Anita Shreve

The Bone Cage - Angie Abdou (written by a friend of a friend)

Signora da Vinci - Robin Maxwell

The Sportswriter - Richard Ford (coming soon, I hope)
All Aunt Hagar's Children - Edward P. Jones (a good score for $2 if I do say so myself!)

There were some disappointed faces when I came home without anything for them, but then I pointed out the basket teeming with their library materials and they agreed that it should last them ... until next week.

"A" is for...

ADVENT CALENDAR

When I was little, I was always so excited by the cardboard and chocolate advent calendars that marked the beginning of December. A chocolate with breakfast? Should I save it until after school? The surprise of what shape was hiding under each flap continued to amuse me well into my teen years (though I was far too cool to admit it, I'm sure).

Since Maya is unable to indulge in chocolate, I have been wanting for a couple of years now to make an advent calendar that will (hopefully) become a family heirloom. Sadly, I always think of it around the last week of December. This is what we fashioned last year (not my own idea...I believe it came from Craftzine's fabulous website)

While the idea of chewing a piece of gum each and every day in December definitely appealed to the girls, I longed for something a bit more traditional.

Our local quilt shop has a birthday sale every year where you are offered a one time discount equivalent to half your age the week before & after your birthday. Let's just say that my discount is getting significant enough that I couldn't resist! Along with some great spring fabric for a quilt for myself, I picked up a panel for an advent calendar. With the flu nipping at our heels, we stayed in on Sunday and I managed to get all the little pockets sewn on in one go!!

This still leaves the sashing and quilting to do, but I'll get to that - hopefully before November 30th! Jordan is already planning the goodies we can put in there...

A rocket scientist I am not

I can sew. Nothing fancy or complicated, but I can sew. I can also read a pattern thanks to Miss Eppinger in Grade 8 Home Economics. Once upon a time, I spied a great book in the bargain bin at (I admit it) Wal Mart. I had visions of crafting Halloween costumes for the girls for years to come. It sat on our shelf, moved to Trail with us and now, 5 years later, I endeavoured to make my little Maya a "bat hat" that she spied in there. Piece of cake, right? The book did come with a"Full-Sized Pattern Sheet" after all. The singular "sheet" should have alerted me to the fact that there might be more than one pattern on a page. I was not prepared for what I saw when I opened that sheet...

Holy smokes! I found the pattern, highlighted it, but still had to tape it to my kitchen ceiling flourescents to trace it out. The directions were simple enough, though, and my little bat looked just as cute as a bat can be - see for yourself!

The witch was store-bought this year as I couldn't have bought the fabric for the price we got the costume for. She was a beautiful witch, if I do say so myself...