Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Oh, I love Teriyaki Chicken!  And this recipe from www.sixsistersstuff.com is amazing!  Easy too!  Here's the recipe:

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. garlic
1/2 onion, chopped

Cook all ingredients over medium heat until boiling.  Place 4 - 6 frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot.  Pour sauce mixture over chicken.  Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.  Serve with rice.

Scrumptious!!!

Crocheted Hearts

These crocheted hearts are super easy to make and they only take about 2 minutes!  I downloaded the pattern from the internet (sorry, but I can't remember which website).  I made a bunch of these in different colors for my Valentine tree.

Crocheted Heart Pattern

Size D crochet hook
Yarn of your choice - I used Red Heart
(Use any size hook or yarn to change the size of the heart)

All stitches are worked in the first chain.

Chain 4.  Work 3 triple crochet (tr) into the first chain, 3 double crochet (dc), chain 1, 1 tr, chain 1, 3 dc, 3 tr.  Chain 3, slip stitch into center and fasten off.  The slip stitch helps to create the "v" at the top of the valentine.

These hearts are very versatile.  You could make a garland or use them to set off a gift.  Happy Crocheting!

Recycled "Valentine" Tree

My neighbor gave me a small pink table top Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago that she didn't want.  When she gave it to me I thought, "this is the ugliest tree I've ever seen."  I thought to myself, "maybe I can put it in the church yard sale."

After a couple of days though, I thought, "this might make a really cute Valentine's tree.  I took off all the Christmas bulbs, the tree topper, and straightened out the branches.

Over the next few days, after work, I made some valentine's ornaments and re-decorated the tree.  Here is my new and improved Valentine's tree.

Most of the ornaments I made from scraps of fun foam and scrapbook paper that I had lying around the house.  I crocheted some little hearts from scraps of yarn I had.  I'll post directions for the crocheted hearts on another day.

Here are some close-up photos of the tree ornaments -

This ornament was made by gluing a smaller heart made out of fun felt to a larger heart, then adding a button.

The tree topper was made from two different colors of card stock.  This is a danish woven heart.

This is a pink heart made of card stock with different buttons glued on.

Super Bowl Snacks

I can hardly believe that January is almost over.  Before you know it, Superbowl weekend will be here and then all I have to look forward to is months and months of basketball and baseball.  I love football - college and professional.  Last weekend, I was seriously in the doldrums when both the Ravens and the Forty-Niners lost; and, as if that wasn't bad enough, Joe Paterno died.  I admired Joe Paterno and I believe that there are very few men like him left.

So, on to this year's Superbowl.  I plan on doing some serious munching out while I'm watching the game.  I'm tired of the same old chips and dips, but at the same time, I want something that's easy to make and tastes great.  Here are two recipes I'm going to try.

Garlic Parmesan Popcorn (all you magazine 01/12)

3 tbs. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. cayenne
salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, then remove saucepan from heat and set aside.

In a large, deep pot heat oil.  When oil is hot, add popcorn, and cover tightly.  Cook for 1 minute.  Slide pot back and forth until popcorn begins to pop.  Continue cooking and shaking pot until popping subsides, about 5 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and empty popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour butter-garlic mixture over popcorn, sprinkle with parmesan and cayenne, and toss to coat.  Season with salt and serve.

Pimento Cheese Balls*

2 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (5 oz)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (5 oz)
1/4 cup mayo
1 jar sliced pimentos, drained and pressed to remove liquid (7 oz)
1/4 cup sliced scallions
salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

combine cream cheese, cheddar, pepper jack, mayo, pimentos, and scallions in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed.

transfer half of the mixture to a food processor; puree until nearly smooth.  Stir back into other half of mixture until combined.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Chill 1 hour.

divide cheese mixture into 3 even portions; form each into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Roll cheese balls in topping of choice (nuts, bacon crumbles, etc.) and serve with crackers.

* I don't have a source for this recipe.  I cut it out of a magazine, but I don't remember which one.

These sound good, don't they?  Go Giants!

My Dog is Fat

This is my dog, Chopper.  He'll be 4 years old this month.  When I first brought him home two years ago, he weighed 36 pounds.  I weighed him this morning and he weighs 51 pounds!  You know what they say about fat dogs; it's true.  I need to lose weight myself.

Today after work I took him for a walk.  We walked down to the end of the street and back.  Honestly, I wasn't sure that he was going to make it.  But he needs more exercise and so do I.  I've decided that he can't have any more dog biscuits or cream cheese until he loses weight; oh, and no more chex mix or captain crunch.

Now I have to decide what I'm going to cut back on.  A couple of days ago, I was talking to my friend, Mike, about fasting.  He describes fasting as giving up anything that you really like for a given period of time.  Where do I start?  I really like diet soda and popcorn and ice cream.  Actually, I just like to eat and one of my biggest problems is mindless eating while I'm watching TV or doing something on my computer.  I am not disciplined (that's a whole nother blog).  Maybe, I can approach it the same way as my dog Chopper.  I only have to make it to the end of the street and back.  I only have to make one conscious decision not to put something in my mouth.  Then tomorrow, I can make the same decision and before I know it, who knows?  I'm gonna try it and see what happens.

More Free Fun in Florida

Like a lot of people, I had last Monday off.  So did my sister.  It's rare that my sister and I have the same days off; she usually works weekends and I work Monday through Friday.  One of the things that we enjoy doing is hiking.  The great thing is that there are so many places to hike in Florida and they're free and open to the public.  We generally try to find places to hike that we haven't been before.

So I told my sister on Sunday that we were going on an adventure.  I didn't tell her where we were going, only that she needed to dress comfortably and bring water.  Our destination was the Pumpkin Hill Preserve and Yellow Bluff Fort located on the northside of Jacksonville.  On our way, we discovered another park just north of Pumpkin Hill Preserve, Betz-Tiger Point Preserve.  Pumpkin Hill Preserve was one of the fifty things that I wanted to do for my birthday in September.

Betz-Tiger Point Preserve, http://www.coj.net/Departments/Recreation-and-Community-Services/Waterfront-Management-and-Programming/Preservation-Project/Betz-Tiger-Point-Preserve.aspx, is located at 12100 Pumpkin Hill Road.  It's a 548 acre park with 3 miles of hiking trails, surrounded by salt marshes.

When you're there, you can forget that you're in a metropolitan area, because it's so quiet and peaceful.

Pumpkin Hill Preserve, http://www.floridastateparks.org/pumpkinhill/default.cfm is one of the largest contiguous areas of coastal uplands in Duval County, encompassing 4,000 acres.  The park borders tidal marshlands.  There are five trails, ranging in length from 0.75 miles to 3.7 miles.

Yellow Bluff Fort, http://www.floridastateparks.org/yellowbluff/default.cfm, is located on New Berlin Road.  It was never actually a fort.  It was an earthen fortification built by the Confederacy in 1862 to prevent the Union gun boats from attacking Jacksonville.  The park is 1.3 acres. 

It was a beautiful day and we had a really great time, exploring and hiking.  I can't wait until the next time!  What's a favorite free activity that you enjoy?

Coffee Cup Toilet Paper Cover

When I saw this cute toilet paper cover, I just had to make it - http://www.allfreecrochet.com/Bath-Crochet-Patterns/Cup-O-Coffee-TP-Roll-Cover.

Here's how mine looks:

roll of toilet paper and toilet paper cover

side view of toilet paper cover

I slightly modified the way I put mine together, so that's why it looks different, but I'm still happy with the way that it turned out.  My sister loves it and it now sits proudly in her bathroom.

Fried Cabbage & Noodles

This is one of my family's favorite recipes.  It only has a few ingredients and it's easy to make.

Fried Cabbage and Noodles

1 head of cabbage, sliced
5 slices of bacon
1/4 cup onion
soy sauce
egg noodles

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it to suit your own tastes.  If you want to add more bacon or onion, you can.

Fry the bacon until it is crispy.  I usually fry the onions at the same time that I fry the bacon, but fry them separately if you'd like.

Remove the bacon from the pan.  Add the cabbage.

Crumble the bacon and add to the cabbage.  Add soy sauce to taste.  Cover and let cabbage cook down.  While the cabbage is cooking, boil the egg noodles until done.  I used three handfuls of noodles.  Drain noodles.

Mix everything together and serve.

Orange Chicken

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest; one of my friends that I follow had pinned it and it looked so good that I re-pinned it.  Here's the recipe.

1 lb. of boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
olive oil
1/2 tbs. of salt
1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar
3 tbs. of ketchup
6 oz. of frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw)*
4 tbs. of brown sugar

* I used fresh orange juice -  from my oranges on my tree in the back yard

In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup.

Put the flour in a gallon bag and add the chicken.  Shake until the chicken is coated.

Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken.  The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked.

After cooking the chicken, put it in a crock pot and cover with the sauce mixture.

Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours or on high for 2 - 3 hours.  Serve over rice.

Very easy and very yummy!

I Love Books

I love books.  I love the smell of a new book, I love how the pages feel.  I have an E-Reader, but it's just not the same.  There's something about sitting curled up in a chair with a blanket over your lap, and a good book in your hand that you can't get from an E-Reader.

For Christmas, I received the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, and the Autumn series by David Moody.  I have to admit - I love zombies!  World War Z by Max Brooks is one of my favorite books.

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved to read.  The first book that my mom gave me was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  I think that I still have that book lying around someplace.  I have a tattered collection of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series and the Hobbit.  I have a set of  Zane Grey books from my dad.  I'm a huge fan of John D. MacDonald and I hope to one day have copies of all his books.  I have books piled around my bedroom just waiting to be read.  I love books! 

Another Crocheted Scarf

I'm still on my scarf kick.  I've started crocheting a hooded scarf in lavender.  Purple is one of my favorite colors.  The pattern is very easy but it's taking me longer to finish because I started back to work full time this week - almost 2 months after my car accident.  I start to poop out around 2:00 pm and by the time I get home a little after 4:00, I pretty much just want to rest.  I am hoping that my strength and stamina return soon.  As soon as I finish the scarf, I will post directions and a picture. 

Cascading Potato Chip Scarf

I'm on a bit of a scarf kick and when I heard the words "potato chip" in the same sentence as "scarf", I was intrigued.  It turns out to be a super easy scarf to crochet.

I found the pattern at http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Hats-Scarves-Gloves.  Just search for cascading potato chip scarf.  If you're new to crochet, this is a good project to start with.  I love the blue (Red Heart Blue) against the brown (Coffee Fleck).  Hope you enjoy!

PS - I am now the proud owner of a 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan in metallic blue :)

I'm Off To Buy A Car - I Hope :)

I think that I've found my new car.  I've been doing a lot of research.  I decided to go with a new car because the cost of buying a good quality used car is more than the cost of a new car (or so I read).  I believe it, because I have looked at a lot of cars online and the difference in price is not significant; in some cases, a used car actually costs more than the new model.  OK. 

My primary source of information was  http://www.edmunds.com/.  You can search for new or used cars based on make, design, price, options, etc.  I decided that I wanted a 4 door sedan under $15,000.  I was leaning towards a Nissan because my old car was a Sentra.  I went and test drove a Nissan Versa and I loved it - four doors, automatic, power windows & doors, power locks, 6 cup holders (very important), a big trunk, and lots of leg room. 

Next I went to http://www.truecar.com/ and found out where I could get the best price for a Versa.  I printed off my price guarantee certificate and talked with a salesman who told me that he could give me an even better price and the color I want.  How great is that?

So here's a picture of the car that I want and hopefully, by the end of the day tomorrow, I'll be driving it.

A Simple Winter Scarf

It doesn't get cold here in Florida very often, but we're looking at a second night with a hard freeze - time to cover the plants and pipes and bundle up with a jacket and a scarf.  Most of the time though, wearing a scarf  in Florida is more of a fashion statement.  My daughter-in-law loves anything purple, so for Christmas, I crocheted this simple scarf for her.

It's easy to make and only uses one skein of yarn.  I used "I Love This Yarn" in mixed berry from Hobby Lobby.

Use a size K crochet hook.

Chain 27.

Foundation Row: single chain (sc) in 2nd chain from hook.  1 sc in each chain to end of the chain.  Turn.  You should have 26 single chain stitches.

First Row:  Chain 3 (counts as a double crochet (dc).  Skip first two sc.  In next sc, *(1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc).  Skip next 2 sc.  Repeat from * to last 2 sc.  Skip 1 sc and 1 dc in last stitch.  Turn.  You should have a total of 26 stitches.

Second Row:  Chain 1.  1 sc in each chain to end of the chain.  Turn.  (26 sc).

Repeat First and Second Row until you run out of yarn.  Finish with a 2nd row.  Fasten off.  Scarf measures approximately 45 inches.



Another New Year and I Have to Buy a Car

Today a new year begins.  I looked back at some of my posts from last year and it brought back a lot of good memories.  Although I had some bad times in 2011, overall, there was more good than bad.

This year my first challenge will be to purchase a car.  My car was totalled in the accident that I had on November 15th, so for the first time in almost 7 years, I'm without a vehicle.  Luckily, I don't have to rush my buying decision.  I live close enough to my job so that I can either walk or ride my bike.  I have a lot of friends who will take me to my doctor's appointments and my son will take me grocery shopping.

I know that in order to buy a car, I need to have a budget, I need to know the make and model of the cars that I'm interested in, I need to decide whether I want to buy a new car or a used car, and of course, I have to test drive the cars.  My old car was paid for, so I'm looking at the possibility of having a car payment - yikes!  It's a big decision, but I'm making my decision in steps.