Wednesday, August 22, 2007

I'm Back and Feeling Good!


Hello! After the hectic and sad last couple weeks, I left town for a few days and feel much better. My good buddy Joyce, took me up to their cabin in northern Minnesota. We had fun! We ate, shopped, ate, gambled at the local casino, ate, read, ate, took walks, and ate. Their cabin is on a beautiful lake so we also did a lot of deck sitting. We went antiquing at one of the local antique malls where I bought an antique wooden box that is divided into 5 compartments and has a handle. Very cute. And very reasonably priced too! We were also fortunate enough to find aebleskiver irons on a clearance rack! What is an aebleskiver iron you ask?! It is a cast iron pan that makes little donut hole type Danish treats. My grandma used to make them and they were delicious. She had an aebleskiver pan that she bought from Denmark but no one seems to know what happened to it :( I have seasoned my pan but have not actually tried making any aebleskiver yet. Maybe today! Thank you Joyce for being such a kind and gracious hostess, it was a nice quiet and peaceful 3 day getaway that I needed. I missed my sons and the wonder greyhound Summer. Sometimes getting away makes us appreciate all we let behind.



Yesterday was my middle sons birthday, he is the young man on the right with his brother Walker. The top photo is 9 years old, so Tyler is 13, and Walker is 11, Summer the greyhound is a little over 2. The second photo is him and his girlfriend Mariah. He no longer has the dreadlocks...thank goodness! Yesterday my Tyler turned 22. He is my 6'5" baby boy and always will be. We had a birthday dinner and I cooked his requested menu. B-B-Qued baby back ribs, augratin potatoes, cole slaw (recipe below), and corn on the cob. I also made him a strawberry jello poke cake! I haven' t made one of those in years and it was really tasty. I frosted it with Cool Whip and fresh sliced strawberries. Yum. We all pitched in and got him an iPod which he has been wanting (whining about) for months. He was shocked and surprised when he opened it. It was a fun night with family and friends. I am blessed to have 3 wonderful sons and a great daughter! Happy Birthday Tyler!

Nothing new on the knitting front...just plugging away on some socks and I'm going to start the purple cardigan for the SIXTH time...yes sixth! I feel like a moron. The first couple times I read the chart as if I was knitting in the round, and I'm not! It is knit flat! DUH! So I restarted, and then I read the cable row wrong...what is my problem!? Not only did I read it wrong once...but twice! So I started again for the fifth time and was busy talking while knitting and I skipped a row! So now I am going to start once more and get it right, I think! You'd never know that I have been knitting for years if you judged me on this dang sweater! Oh well, live and learn. Or should I say...knit and learn.

Next week Joyce, Janet, and I are going on a yarn crawl! They both work for the school system so their summer is coming to an end. Since we all seem to be off work on the same day we decided to use that to our "yarn purchasing" advantage. We are going to figure out a plan for shopping and lunch. Should be a fun way to end the summer and start looking forward to cooler sweater weather! I think my favorite time of year in Minnesota is September through Christmas. I love the cool fall days, the first snowfall, and the holidays! Can't wait!

I want to leave you with a wonderful cole slaw recipe that is easy, tasty, and has a fresh flavor, unlike slaw made with bottled dressings. This is Joyce's recipe that she found in Taste of Home magazine years ago and it is good! For all you cole slaw lovers...enjoy!

Whisk together:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Pour over one 16 oz. package of Dole cole slaw (or use your own shredded cabbage). Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper. The slaw will look dry but after it sits it gets much more moist. Stir before serving. I usually make this a couple hours before we plan on eating it. It is such an easy recipe and so good.

3 comments:

Janice said...

I LOVE Aebleskiver!! My hubby is 50% Danish (His mom was 100%) and used to make it as well. Yum. WE have a pan, seasoned and ready to go, but haven't ventured to try it on our own! But now you have be craving it!! Happy 22nd to your son. They grow up too fast, don't they??? Sigh. Wish I could join you on the yarn crawl. Sounds heavenly!!

Anonymous said...

I am soooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!
You know how you are so computer and internet and online smart and I am a dinosaur? Well, Jon showed me how to order online last night!!
OOOO LALA! That watermelon striped yarn from FreshIsle was finally available again and I got it! (Can you tell I am excited by all of the exclamation marks I am using!!)
I even got the Kiwi striped yarn. Jon was helping me and when it was done he had kind of a sick look on his face, like he realized this new skill was going to cost him big time. Sort of like when the kids got their driver's liscense and we were excited for them but realized we just gave them the keys to the world. Now I can order online. It's Sunday morning and I am thinking of ordering something before I go to church. Is that OK or is that putting yarn before God? Thanks dear Karen for nudging me into this whole new world of yarns and patterns and blogs.
Woolstock

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