Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

Forget the Girl Scouts, go for homemade and control what you put into them.

If  you have a little one to help support, these are great when the boxed ones run out.

I love dipping yummy things in chocolate, here is my trick:

Ingredients:
12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (not recommended for milk chocolate, 
you can do a 50/50 mix of the chocolates with good results).
1 tbl shortening (butter is not recommended)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Favorite Goodies to dip (sturdy potato chips, pretzels, peppermint sticks)
Use goodies big enough to remove easily

Preparation:
Place wax paper on two cookie sheets or serving trays
Place chocolate chips in a shallow microwavable dish
(I like using my glass pie dish)
Microwave for 30 seconds
Add shortening
Microwave in 10 second increments, stirring with a knife each time.
After 3 – 10 second increments add vanilla extract.
Continue 10 second increments until smooth, but not liquid.
Using a knife and fork….
Place one goodie at a time in chocolate, flip with utensil if needed.
Remove with fork
Use knife to make sure the chocolate is not to thick.
Place on wax paper.
Continue until chocolate has been used up.
Place trays in refrigerator to cool.
When cool place in a tight container, store in a cool spot or just in the fridge.

Dipping alternative:
Hold goodie on one edge
Coat goodie with chocolate except for the side with your fingers.
Place on wax paper and continue.
Gives a clean spot to hold the goodie both when preparing and when eating.


For the Thin Mint Cookies:
Add 1 tsp peppermint extract to the melted chocolate

Dip in Vanilla Waffers

Monochromatic mood

I am someone that really enjoys the look of whimsical things...fabric, toys, objects of all sorts.  Problem is I just can't work them into my living space unless I go all the way with it, that would take a lot of time and money to things that I really want in the space and it would always feel in a state of Unfinished.  Lately I have been thinking how cool it would be to have my house looking like a vintage fairy tale.  Since I tend to be 5-10 years ahead of what is out there I will just have to wait and join aboard then if I still want it.

That brings me to how I end up focusing my energy, in a monochromatic way. 

I am an apartment dweller, that means I usually don't paint my walls because I don't want to paint them back to plain when I decide to move.  I really like that our current place (which is almost like a condo with the set up) has walls in shades of off-white toward the beige side.  I love natural earthy colors so this works right into one of my favorite things - Tea Dyed Fabric!

I love the vintage look of tea died fabric that it is rare for me to have any white fabric in the house unless it is in the stack waiting to be dyed.  When I stumble upon other goodies that could be tea dyed I pop those in there too, such as hankies, doilies, used dryer sheets and lace.  If it will hold the stain it will go in the pot!

Anyway, this weekend I was playing around with fabric, wanting to find a groove for working on some art quilts.  Played around with some hand dyed blues and burgundy with some prints... not feelin' it.  Then I opened my drawer with all the tea dyed goodies and started sorting through... Yup! That's it!

Enjoying the natural look of things I tore the fabric and started layering.  

After the bottom layer was stitched into place, using a couple thread colors, I decided since I was using tea dyed fabric I needed the coffee stain thermofax screen image.  

Using screen printing for surface design is soooo easy and fun!  The screens are reusable for a long time as long as you clean them so cost is pretty low.  Fibra Artista has great screens available and will even do custom screens (I have some of my Oma Doll image)

Well, the paint is dry now so back to the machine...

See you soon with a posting on what happens next  =)

Knitting Socks... I just can't stop

Knitting socks… challenging and rewarding

I like the firm stitch of crochet for toys, but sometimes I want to feel the rhythm of knitting.  I only need a couple scarves and pairs of mittens.  Granted I live in the Mitten State (Michigan), I can only wear one at a time, unless we hit sub-zero which is not normal for us.  I find I always need socks though.  Store bought socks just don’t hold up well and never keep my feet warm enough.  Knit socks are magical!  Toasty toes and they are holding up well. 

I originally started socks in the cuff down method, being intimidated by the toe up process.  I was the cast on/off that scared me more than working the heel/gusset.  I found I was always worried about running out of yarn and making my socks just a touch too short for my feet.  I have concurred my fear of the toe up method and LOVE it! 

Socks, Socks, Socks, Socks!

Fiberlishous Weekend

Wool and Wine Tasting... mmmmmm

Sounds delish in soooo many ways,

let me count the loveliness.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

I was on the hunt for color this time and I did rather well, with a couple warmer tones of burgundy and dark orange for to sooth my love of autumn colors.

I have been all out of fibers and really wanting to spin, so I wasted no time and got to work on this beautiful blue and green superwash merino called Henrietta.  She is in a ball right now just to stretch out the fibers a bit more, she will be wrapped as a skein and put into my luulla shop soon  =)

Isn't she lovely?

I have been working hard to make sure I am not over-spinning the yarn and I am really happy with the outcome.  Once I get her wrapped back up as a skein I will show her off again.

Counter Transformed

As some of you may know the row counter by Clover is a Bright Neon Green

Well, that just doesn't work for me.

So I got out the Martha Stewart paint, sharpie markers, loctite glue and some gear and got to work changing it to something more presentable for daily wear.

Here is the result.

I find myself putting it on when I go to break at work when I knit some rows on the current sock on the needles, and I just keep it on for the entire day. 

Some people have thought it looks like an owl as it hangs around my neck. 

Sure, that's cool, better then the Neon Green !

Time for a Yummy break =9

It is time for the Winter Restaurant Week here in Ann Arbor.

One of my mottos is: You have to eat, you might as well enjoy it.

That being said, restaurant week is a time to pop in to a new restaurant and give them a try, or just take advantage of a great deal at one of your favorite foodie hang outs.

We try to make a stop at two or three places every restaurant week.  

Yesterday (Tuesday) we stopped in for dinner at Argiero's.  We were not interested in starters and dessert so we ordered right off the regular menu and enjoyed our favorite dishes.  I even had lunch for work today.

Today (Wednesday) we are going to Conor O'Neill's, they have one of the BEST deals for the participating restaurants.  2 for $25 dinner that includes a shared appetizer, beer sampler and dessert, we each get a Full Entree.  The first time we went restaurant week to Conor's I was expecting them to make the entrees a smaller portion, but no, it is the full entree.  Great Deal!  Rob likes Kate's Shepards Pie (actually a cottage pie since it is beef) and I usually get the Veggie Boxty.

Thursday we are going to our regular weekly hang out at Jerusalem Garden, BEST Middleastern food in town!  They are right next to some crappy construction so we want to make sure they continue to be supported during this time.

Haven't decided on Friday's food adventure yet, but there is always something good to be had in A2

Eat, Drink, and be Merry!!

It's Log Log Log

So when I was creating the goodies to put on display at the hospital this last fall I realized I needed a cool place for the Amigurumi Frogs to hang out.... Enter Log!

I did a quick search online to see if there were any designs to get me pointing in the right direction... Nope.

This is what I came up with:

I did the main structure of the log and then cut batting to the length of the log, rolled it back up and put inside.

I capped the ends added a nub off the side that I crocheted separately then stuffed with polyfill and stitched into place.

I created some circles of moss and then added those on too.

And for those of you who desperately want to sing it....

The Lyrics to the Ren and Stimpy Log Song:

What rolls down stairs
alone or in pairs,
and over your neighbor's dog?
What's great for a snack,
And fits on your back?
It's log, log, log

It's log, it's log,
It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's log, it's log, it's better than bad, it's good."

Everyone wants a log
You're gonna love it, log
Come on and get your log
Everyone needs a log
log log log

*whistle*
LOG FROM BLAMMO