Jack Frost Visits Minnesota

Yesterday morning I awoke to the most beautiful sight! Everything outside was covered with a heavy layer of white, sparkly, frost. In the cold weather this happens when there is excessive moisture in the air and it causes frost to form. All the trees were covered with white, it looked like they had been sprinkled with glitter. I took pictures as I walked the greyhound but the pictures don't do the frost justice. I guess you'd have to live in a cold climate to realize the beauty, I am one of those fools that like winter...what can I say?

I dragged the hubby shopping yesterday much to his chagrin. I have to admit, he was better than usual. He actually liked shopping at Home Goods (T.J. Maxx) and even bought a couple presents for co-workers and ME! I think he bought me the wine glasses I was oogling. They are awesome! Blue hand blown glass that fades to clear with tiny flowers right in the glass. I'm hoping that's what he was paying for when I wasn't supposed to be watching! I managed to pick up a few things at the mall but still can't find one kitchen item I want. I guess I'll have to order online and hope it arrives in time. I got hubby the new Dean Koontz book. He's read everything that man has written. I've read quite a few and really enjoyed them...recently I've read, The Husband, The Good Guy, and Intensity. Like a dummy, I read the first few pages of this new book and now I'm wondering if I should read it before I give it to Steve for Christmas! Would that make it a "used" book? I also bought Paula Deen's biography "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" for a friend at work. She loves Paula and I thought she might like to read about how she got started in her cooking career. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to read and knit all that I want!

With Christmas just around the corner I am starting to bake (I really should finish shopping, clean the house, finish Mariah's mitten!, wrap the presents I do have, and put up the tree!). Last night I made the ever popular Saltine Toffee. I know that everyone in the world has heard of this recipe and made it...but for those of you who aren't fortunate enough to know this recipe...here it is!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (NO substitutions!)
1 cup packed brown sugar (light OR dark, doesn't matter)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tube (1/4 pkg of 16oz box) saltine crackers
1 12 oz bag choc chips (I use milk choc)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray with non stick coating, like Pam. Lay the saltines in pan in single layer covering the bottom. Bring butter and brown sugar to rapid boil and start timing...boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Slowly pour over the saltines and spread to cover all the crackers. If the crackers get out of line just move them back into a single layer using a fork. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with choc chips. Wait 5 minutes and spread melted chips to cover, sprinkle nuts on top if desired. Cool in frig until hard and break into pieces. Wonderful, tastes like a Heath candy bar. I have read that a lot of people use the saltines without salt on top, and that some use unsalted butter. Either way, these are a favorite around here!

I have decided that I want to knit the Central Park Hoodie, which I understand is all the rage on the internet now. Interweave Knits has made the pattern available for download for $5.50 and people are freaking out! They feel that the price is way excessive since this pattern was offered in one of their Knitscene magazines. I guess it is a bit high since it is a download. No paper, ink, or postage involved. Anyway...I think I will plop down my hard earned $5.50 and buy the pattern. I am a little bit concerned about the yardage requirements. I thought there was a type-o since the largest size requires 3660 yds of yarn!! I want to knit the 52" bust that requires almost 3000 yds at 17 spi! This is so weird. I've never seen a sweater, even with a hood, that requires that much yarn! I emailed Interweave and they said it's correct. Now my problem is...I don't have enough of any one yarn in my stash to knit this since the yardage is so high. I almost don't believe them and want to try and knit it with what I have, but I'm afraid I'd run out right in the middle of the dang hood! Anyone out there knit this beast yet and have any pointers?!

I haven't blogged for so long that I feel a bit chatty! I got my hair cut a couple weeks ago. I told the cutter I wanted it shorter in back than the sides. It felt like she was shaving my hair in back up to the center of my head! I was a little nervous but it turned out pretty cute...or as cute as my hair can get. Since menopause my hair has started to thin and this makes me nervous. Not so much as to be noticeable to anyone but me...but still, I have this image of myself, years down the road, as an old lady with blue, thin, hair and a shiny scalp showing through! Let's hope that I'm wrong, wrong, wrong. So, after I got the crazy cut I came home and colored my hair, which I do every 6 weeks. I used Loreal this time instead of my usual Clairol and I think I like the color better. I am hoping that it doesn't fade as badly as Clairol does. After 6 weeks with the Clairol dye my hair is a completely different color than I started with. Oh the joys of being 55!

Well, fellow bloggers, time to get that tree decorated. The kids call it a Charlie Brown tree, and not in a nice way! I bought this tree 3 years ago when I moved into this house. I wanted a narrow tree that looked real and was "rustic" looking. I like my little tree. It's cute, and old fashioned looking, and yes...a bit Charlie Brownish. When I get it decorated I will take a pic and let you decide if it truly deserves to be called a Charlie Brown tree.