Super Easy Hat to Knit

This hat takes only 1 ball of yarn ,an excellent beginner project and so quick to make up you can have one match any outfit.This hat is a skull hat that works for ladies ,men........kids too. This pattern was passed on to me from my Mom shared from her crafting group in Florida.Originally from Dovetail Designs do check out their web site.
My Grandson Brayden's birthday is coming up in April , we will be celebrating it on Easter Sunday, this hat seems like one he would like.I used a dark brown wool blend yarn. This hat self shapes into the dome . My Mother made it up in a lovely multi coloured striped yarn that is so pretty, perfect for any trendy lady.

Hat
Yarn; Sport or DK
Stitch;garter stitch (knit all rows)
Knitting Needles; 4.5 mm (7)
Leaving an 18 inch tail of yarn for finishing, CO 90 stitches.
Work in garter stitch, (K every row) for 4 inches.
Next row; (RS) (K2tog, k 13) 6 times , k to end. (84sts)
Next row; K across
Next row; (K2tog,k 12) 6 times , k to end. (78 sts)
Continue as set, dec 6 sts evenly around on alternate rows until 12 sts remain.
With tapestry needle thread 6 inch tail of yarn thru 12 sts on needle , gather and secure.
Finishing; With RS tog. and tapestry needle use tail of yarn at beg of work to sew edges tog from bottom to top of hat. 1 st per knitted st is best, weave loose ends back into work.
There is also a scarf to this pattern. If your would like that I will share that as well.

Lilies

Small things can bring such pleasure..
One of the sure signs of spring in this area is when a local treasure opens , it is an open air flower stand . This tiny stand at the side of the highway is easily missed , yet is full of delightful bouquets. One pays by the old fashioned honour system into a old tin box. Prices went up this year from a whopping $5 to $6
for this bunch, still an amazing bargain. The flowers I have picked up there last and last.
Having fresh flowers in my home is one of my pleasures.

Earth Hour

Will it save the earth ? No.
Will the effort bring attention to this serious issue? Yes .

Are you participating?

Red Hats Luncheon

This month it was my turn to help organize the Red Hats outing. With my partner Beryl we chose The Country Homestead, for a quiche, salad lunch.. Homestead is a fully restored 19th century farmhouse located on a family farm about 10 minutes from Long Point. The homestead is set amid gardens and lawns decorated with gazebos and fountains..unfortunately in March in SW Ontario there was only a hint of the beauty in the gardens.
Luncheon or dinners are by reservation only and the least they will entertain ; parties of 4 or more....
We were greeted by this guy welcoming us in the window which more than made up for the cool spring day.

Each room had touches of Easter , this is the sitting sunroom , love all the egg garland at the windows of this gracious room.
The fireplace was roaring in the dining room , which was accentuated with exposed beams and many treasures of country life.
Love the way the egg garland is tied on the fireplace.

Accents of Easter were scattered on top of the mantle..

On tables
Under lamps;
In baskets;
Simple , lovely festive atmosphere .

Red Hats being seated.
We laughed, drank a bit of wine,played a red trivia game I found on the Internet, ate the oh so good food and topped off lunch with either lemon meringue or coconut cream pies....
One last bunny saying Goodbye on the hall table..
Now to get busy and decorate my home for Easter.

LRW # 21

LRW's challenge this week is to use this picture
to inspire a card.
This bedroom makes me think serene and fresh .
This is the card I made, using watermark to reflect the iron bed then a patterned blue paper to add texture like the throw at the end of the bed , the layers of papers to imitate the layers of bedding , flowers to give the impression of the floral pillows and the leaves to mirror the leaves on the bedside table.

Bright Sunny Early Spring Day!

Bright blue sky , lots of sun; oh my, how nice it looks till one steps outside. Cold and windy. Pretty but gloves and a warm coat are needed. Still I found some encouraging signs of spring.
Chives are up and growing just in time for accents on Easter dinner.

Mums made it thru the winter.

Chinese azalea is loaded with buds..so looking forward to seeing this shrub flower in April.

King Alfred Daffodils are up and budding as well.... What a joy their yellow heads in May.

Frosty Morn sedum ;
Purple Black Knight Buddelia has put on some new leaves.
Lovely day , tho the weather forecasters used that nasty 4 letter word starting with S for the weekend .
Heck ,they have been wrong before!

Portobella, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melt

One of the mushrooms I love is Portobella.The meaty, rich flavour , so good.
Found a recipe at Everyday Food, part of Martha's empire, that uses these great mushrooms.
I have to rave about this recipe, excellent, lots of taste, filling, pretty on the plate.
It serves 4 and prep time about 30 minutes.
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (stalk discarded)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 thick slices country bread
4 ounces Gouda cheese, ( used half swiss and cheddar)
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 minutes; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
I did cut the recipe amounts in half , still yummy.

Spring arrives today!

Sunny March Day Walk

The weather , so far in SW Ontario ; has been just sensaional this March. Way above normal temps. 17 C. Bright blue skies , tundra swans flying over, honking as they go by.

Crocus flowering.
Buddy enjoying a walk to the clubhouse pond

and
gazebo.
Could we be in for a very early spring?

LRW challenge # 20

The challenge this week is to use copics, I used the markers I have ...

St Patty's Day Green Lunch

In honor of St. Patrick's Day made an almost all green lunch.
Fresh Broccoli Soup, green grapes and my version of Irish Soda bread.. oh and some green tea.... Yum. It all turned out to be so good........
Irish Soda Bread with Cheddar and Herbs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp. sage

Stir the milk and vinegar together, and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F . Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper ( which I did).
I am using parchment paper more and more lately does a nicer job when baking, no hard or burnt bottoms..
In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually stir the soured milk, cheese, and dried herbs in to flour mixture, mix until the dough just comes together, and turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times, and shape into a round. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an X shape into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 35 - 45 minutes, til golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the top.

Broccoli Soup, Quick and Easy
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped celery and onion each
1 potato, small peeled
2 cups broccoli, fresh
2 chicken bouillon cubes
pepper and salt to taste
Saute celery, onion in large saucepan with a smidgen of oil . Add broccoli and potato , 2 cups of water and chicken bouillon cubes cook until vegetables are tender. Puree in blender. Gently reheat in saucepan .
This soup is very broccoli flavoured , thickens without flour.Can be dressed with either sour cream or fresh chopped green onion.
Put mixture back into sauce pan to gently reheat..
Happy Green Day to you!

2 Easel Cards

On Monday I tried a new card technique making easel cards.
First one;

Second one;
My favourite is the blue one.

Grey Rainy Day

Out the windows today
wet, cool,rainy , grey cloudy skies.

Still all the snow is gone , rather early for this time of the year.
Saw my first robin yesterday but wasn't fast enough to get a photo.

Fresh Apple Cookies

Had a few apples past eating out of hand freshness. Found a recipe on Recipezaar for a spicy cookie using up the unpeeled apples. That cookie recipe used raisins, nuts and a glaze. I wanted more of a pure apple cookie with no glaze.
So with some slightly changed amounts , here is my version.
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk ( or apple juice)
1 1/2 cups apples, chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the flour,salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, egg and milk ; beat until smooth and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
Add in the flour mix to the creamed mixture until thoroughly combined.
Fold in the chopped apples.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes.
These cookies are soft and spicy with a nice touch of apple. A rustic looking cookie but oh so good.

LRW # 19 What part of Moowhahaha don't you understand?

Little Red Wagon's challenge for this week was using fabric . This is my Moowhahaha card.
This is the first time I've used fabric..no stash. Went to the local thrift shop found a bib and liked the whimsy of the cows... Searched on line on how to use fabric. Glued the fabric onto cardstock , let dry overnight. Cut out extra cow and hearts.
One thing about these challenges they make one think and look at items in a totally different way.I do smile at how much of a beginner I am.

Spring Pink Lemon Cupcakes

With the wonderful mild spring like weather we have been having, I wanted to bake a touch of spring. Something with lemon always makes me think of spring.
Lemon cupcakes with pink lemon icing.
This cake recipe is about 60 years old but stands the test of time.
This is a simple fast lemon sponge cake recipe. This cake is not overly sweet.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
6 tablespoons hot milk

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy and lemon coloured. 4-5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in lemon juice, grated rind and flavoring. Add sifted flour mixture gradually while beating; beat only enough to blend. Add hot milk quickly 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended.If not right cake batter texture add a TBSP or 2 of hot milk more till batter is to your like.
Pour into muffin tin lined with paper cups.Bake 350 degrees F for 18-20 min.

Notice my new cutting board ; great for cooling fresh baking, thanks Mom.
Icing;
1/4 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 TBSP. lemon juice
2 TBSP. milk
Combine, tint with whatever food colouring you like (pink for me).

Don't they look like a springtime treat?

Lamb like March---------------So far

March has come in like a lamb in SW Ontario. Warmer than normal temperatures , 12 C. Sun. Blue sky . Saw the first flock of white tundra swans flying over this morning.No snow in the forecast. Some rain this weekend to clean away the winter dirt. One tiny little crocus flowering in the south facing garden.
Snow melting on the north side.
This very early touch of spring is so welcome.

LRW # 18

Using Felt was the challenge from Little Red Wagon this week.
Here is my card.

2 cards for Easter

Made these 2 cards using Digital Two for Tuesday images.

Sign of Spring!

The snow is slowly melting , revealing little green sprigs.

Crocuses !

What a joy to see this little sign of spring to come.