Sunday 27 September 2015

Recipe: Swedish Meatballs

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law. I've made it many times and it is a favorite. Can never go wrong with meat balls, they go with anything.


Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. salt
parsley

Shape into tiny meat balls and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Sauce:
3/4 c. water
1 tbsp. soya sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch

Mix and simmer a few minutes. Pour over meat balls in a casserole. Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes.

Friday 25 September 2015

Free Pattern Friday

I will post a free pattern every Friday.  Sometimes it will be one of mine, and sometimes it will be someone else's that I have crocheted.

Why I crochet:  My husband likes to watch TV in the evenings as a way to relax and unwind.  I can’t just sit on the couch and stare at the TV, I get bored.  About 6 years ago I was talking to someone about crafting and she mentioned that she made scarves for the homeless with a knitting loom in the evenings while watching TV.  Awesome!  So I decided I would purchase some yarn and a crochet hook and do the same.  That was many many skeins of yarn ago, and my crochet hook collection has grown immensely…. LOL

 We moved 9 months ago, and I had some difficulty finding a place to donate items too.  Met a wonderful woman in Valemount who crochets dolls for sick children (will have to see if I can feature some of her dolls one day).  She also has an aunt who volunteers at a homeless shelter and also a shelter for abused women in another town.  They will take whatever I crochet!  WOOHOO!!!  It makes me happy to have found a place to donate my items.  I figure that even though you are homeless, or in need of help you should still have nice warm handmade items to remind you that someone does care.

FREE PATTERN:  


The yarn I used came in a huge bag of yarn I purchased from someone who didn’t want it any more.  I have never used this yarn or even seen it in a store or online.  It’s 100% acrylic, but quite soft and light.  Not usually what I crochet with.  But it’s what I have on hand.  



Couldn’t find a pattern I liked, so came up with this one.  Hopefully you can understand the instructions.  I have never tried to write out a pattern before, for someone else.


The Whimsy Darlene Infinity Scarf





Materials: 
150 g of Yarn – any worsted weight yarn will work. 
If you make it larger or use a different size hook you might need more or less yarn.
6mm (J 10) hook & 5.5mm (I 9) hook
yarn needle for sewing

Stitches used:
SLST (slip stitch)
DC (double crochet)
SC (single crochet)
V-stitch (DC, CH 1, DC) in same stitch
Cluster (3 DC in ch1 space)

Instructions:

With the 6mm hook: Chain 181 (or mutiples of 3 +1)

Switch to 5.5mm hook to continue.

Row 1: SC in 2nd chain from hook and in each stitch across.  SLST into first SC,  taking care not to twist the chain.

Row 2: DC in each stitch around, SLST into the top of the first DC or the round.

Row 3: Chain 4, DC into same stitch (first V-stitch made, Chain 4 makes the DC plus CH1).  [*Skip next 2 DC, V-stitch in the top of the next DC*], Repeat around and SLST join into the 3rd stitch of the beginning CH4.

Row 4: SLST into CH1 space, Chain 3, 2 DC in same space (first Cluster made).  Do a Cluster into each CH1 space around.  Join with a SLST into top of the first CH3.

Row 5: SLST into the top of the next DC (center of Cluster), CH4, DC in same stitch (V-Stitch made), [*Skip 2 DC, V-Stitch in next DC*] around , join with a SLST into CH3 of the first CH4 in the row.
(V-Stitches should be in the center of each Cluster)



Rows 6 – 11: Repeat rows 4 & 5, ending with row 5



Row 12: Chain 3, DC in the next stitch and every stitch around.  Join with a SLST to the top of Chain 3.

Row 13: Chain 1, SC in same stitch and every stitch around. Join with a SLST into the first SC.

Fasten off and weave in ends.


I really like the look and feel of this pattern.  And it’s easy to do :)
If you have any questions feel free to ask!  

Have an Awesome Day my Friends!






Monday 21 September 2015

Mushrooms

Over the past week or so I have been helping my husband stain the decks around the lodge where he works.  Noticed all the different types of mushrooms growing on the property one day and took a bunch of photo's with my phone.  Wanted to take the camera along, but kept forgetting it at home.   We didn't have such large ones on the farm in Manitoba!  You will notice the toe of my husband's boot in one photo.  Gives you an idea how big they are!











Does anyone know what they are?  Some are huge!

Have a Wonderful Day My Friends :)







Friday 18 September 2015

Crochet Fun

CAL's (Crochet A-Long) are very popular it seems.  I haven't joined any before because they are usually large projects and you have to buy a whole lot of yarn before you even know what you are crocheting!  My aim is to use up my yarn not to purchase even more.  Though I have purchased some in the past couple of weeks for some projects.... lol  Just can't help myself.

One of the CAL's I have joined is the Holiday Stashdown Crochet-a-long .  They promote it as a CAL where we can use what we have in the 12 smaller projects we will be doing.  Awesome!!! My kind of projects...... small and quick.... lol

Directions for the first project were posted the past Monday.  It was a hat and I have the yarn for it!  In fact, as I was looking through all my bits of yarn I found a bag of pink yarn with a finished pair of mittens in it and enough yarn to do the hat and a matching scarf.  These will be donated to charity.


 

A friend I have made here has a relative that works at a Shelter for Abused Women.  I will get a box of crocheted items ready to donate there.  This will go in that box.

My friend also put me together with someone from the local food bank. They will take any crocheted items I can make and add them to the Christmas Hampers.  So I've been busy crocheting hats, cowls and scarves for them as well.


I am Happy Happy Happy!  It's so nice to have found a place to donate items :)


Have a Wonderful Day my Friends :)



Monday 14 September 2015

So.... I Have Started A Blog

I'm not quite sure why I have started a blog.... lol   Not sure I have a lot to say.  But I guess we will find out.

My husband and I moved to Valemount British Columbia from the very flat prairies of Southern Manitoba in April.  It's been quite a switch living in town after living on the farm for 26 years.  And the scenery is very different too!  


The views are amazing here!




Love the Mountains :)


My blog will be about living in a small town in the mountains, crocheting, cooking and anything interesting I can come up with.  

Hopefully it will be somewhat entertaining :)