Tea and the Benefits of Mushrooms

Today we headed back to school after enjoying a long 4-day weekend.  Our blue skies were blue no more; just hazy and dusty instead.  And the sugar cookies I made on Sunday are gone.  But I managed to save a few so I could join Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for tea.  Twinings Organic Lemon & Ginger has a light zingy flavor that goes well with so many things.

My boss returned today after being in North America for the past month attending recruiting fairs and he came bearing gifts.  Five varieties of dried mushrooms along with a mushroom cookbook.

And a teatowel with scenes from San Francisco.

I can't decide what to try first:  Duxelles Party Toasts; Broth with Mushrooms, Spinach & Scallions; Mixed Mushroom Tart; Wild Rice with Oyster Mushrooms; Wild Mushroom Pizza.  It all sounds so good!

Did you know that mushrooms contain Vitamin D and B Vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin?  That white button mushrooms boost your immune system?  That cremini and portobello mushrooms contain antioxidants?  Or that cooked shiitakes and raw white buttons contain selenium which is good for your bladder?

Along with the health benefits of drinking organic and green teas, I think I shall be adding more mushrooms to my diet, too.

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday!

Blue Skies and Brunch

Today we have beautiful weather and brilliant blue skies.

I met my friends Melissa and Elena for brunch, along with Elena's sister who is visiting from Italy.

Good food, good friends.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.~Marcel Proust

I hope your day is beautiful too!

Two in One

Today is Liberation Day in Kuwait and a day off from school and work.  It's also my 46th birthday.  This year we have a 4-day weekend, then back to school on Tuesday for a short 3-day week.  That's like two gifts in one.

It's been a quiet day. I got my wish for better weather, so hubby and I were able to walk for an hour this afternoon, and Jingles was able to do some exploring on the balcony.

Rather than having birthday cake, I baked up some sugar cookies with sprinkles.  So yummy!

My 13-year old son downloaded sheet music and played the birthday song for me on his saxophone.  He did pretty good for his first try.

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Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes my way.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Dark and Drizzly

 This morning it was hard to tell if dust or rain was headed our way.

Turned out to be rain that would come and go and come back again with blustery winds.

So much for walking weather.

This picture was taken while we were out Thursday afternoon -- when we had pretty blue skies.

Kuwait celebrates its National Day today and despite the weather, we could hear diehard revelers out there honking their horns all day and night.  It can get a little crazy on the roads which is why we prefer to stay home.

So it's been another pajama day with crochet to keep me busy.

 

I made a cover for an empty plastic coffee can that will now be used to hold sugar.  And a sleeve for a jam jar that will be used to hold flowers or plant cuttings.

The wind is still blowing out there but I'm hoping we will wake up to better weather tomorrow.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Lazy Day

My youngest son gave me the title for today's post.  It has been a lazy day indeed.

 A mostly cloudy day spent hanging out around the house.

Yesterday hubby surprised me with a few roses.  He said they were to cheer me up after the car incident.  I saw lots of lovely crocheted roses around Valentine's Day and for some reason thought they would be difficult to make.  But this morning, I crocheted my very first little red rose.  So very easy after all.

I've worked on a few other things throughout the day but have had a nagging headache since I woke up this morning. 

I think I'll be turning in early tonight.   Zack took this picture of Jingles, thus the "lazy day" title.  No one does lazy better than a cat.  

Happy Friday!

Walking Weather

Hubby and I took advantage of this afternoon's beautiful weather by taking a walk.  My first real walk since spraining my ankle in early November. I still can't twist or rotate it without experiencing major pain, but thankfully walking on flat ground was not a problem.

We took our normal walking path and I was surprised to see how so much had changed.  The mild weather this time of year is perfect for plants and flowers.

The sky was ever changing as we walked along for about an hour.

Kuwait celebrates its National and Liberation Days on the 25th and 26th so we won't be getting out in the car much, but hopefully we will have more walking weather over this 4-day weekend.

Hope you are having a wonderful day in your corner of the world!

More Comfort Required

You think your day is going along fine, at least better than the day before, and then your oldest son sticks his head out the window on the way home from school and vomits.  Ugh!  We were in my husband's car today.  Needless to say, there was much cleaning to do once we got home.

You wouldn't think after all that I would feel the need to bake, but overripe bananas were waiting to be used.  1-1/2 mashed bananas, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup honey, 1-1/2 cups wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt.  A dash of cinnamon and sprinkling of chopped pecans for good measure.

And peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were necessary with a big glass of milk. 1/2 cup butter melted; 1 egg; 1/3 cup white sugar; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup peanut butter; 1 cup flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 3/4 cup chocolate chips.  Place spoonfuls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown.

I am finding that risotto is very comforting comfort food indeed.

Yusef has been sleeping since we got home this afternoon.  And since the left side of my head feels like it might explode, I think I shall call it a night.

Hope your day is a good one!

Tea and Sweet Things to make it better

Today I'm having tea with Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons.  My favorite Twinings Organic Lemon & Ginger tea along with sheet pound cake, strawberries and sweetened yogurt.  The cake has a lovely hint of lemon that goes really well with the tea.  The yogurt is Activia natural sweetened with a bit of powdered sugar.

Sheet Pound Cake:  1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 5 TBS softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of milk.  Mix together and place in a greased square baking pan in a 350 oven.

I'm thinking I might need more than a piece of cake to make me feel better at the moment.  Maybe some brownies will do.

 On the way out of the parking lot after school today, a big SUV was parked with its backside hanging over into the exit.  I thought, how the heck am I gonna get by without going off the curb.  (Maybe I need some cookies, too.  Recipe found here.)

Well, turns out, I didn't -- I managed to get the first half of my car past, but then scraped the whole backside  and took off one of its tail lights in the process.  I hate when stuff like this happens.  My husband says we can fix the car, but now he will tease me endlessly.  He loves nothing more than to aggravate me.  I should have gone off the curb ... slowly.

So, how's your day shaping up?

Playing With Yarn

I make it a point to play with yarn every single day.

Sometimes projects in mind don't quite work out but evolve into something else, like baskets and bowls.

And a kitty with yarn makes for an evening of cheap entertainment.

Live and work but do not forget to play,

to have fun in life and really enjoy it.
Eileen Caddy

Have a great week!

Leftovers

I have been saving coffee cans for a while now.  Just can't bring myself to throw them out.  So yesterday I gathered up bits of leftover yarn and crocheted a cozy can cover.  Will make a nice gift filled with homemade cookies or a plant.

This evening I started another bowl, using all the colorful yarn bits I could find.  And believe me, I have a lot.

Lunch was leftover parmesan risotto with steamed veges.  Delish!  I love leftovers!

Have a fabulous day!

Is It Just Me?

Why is the new word verification so difficult?  I feel like I need to take a class just to decipher some of those slanted configurations.

 Also, for the past month or so, I've been unable to add or remove blogs from my sidebar.  When I try, the gadget just gets stuck in "saving" mode and never does a thing.  Anyone else having this problem?

Our internet used to be so slow, that I was never able to upload images to Picnik and now that I can, Picnik will be closing down.   Oh well.  Until that happens on April 19th, I will continue to use it.

Change is good, sometimes.  Sometimes not so much.

My quiet weekend is winding down.  Back to school tomorrow.  Hope you are having a good one!

Happy Friday!

My favorite kinda day.  At home, doing what I love.

Crocheting and baking.  

And Jingles doing what she loves.  Spending time on the balcony.  Bird watching.  And taking a cat nap.

We hope your day is enjoyable too!

Some Finished Projects

I have bookmarked so many projects that I would like to try.  So many projects, so little time.  But yesterday I did crochet my first little teacup using a pattern posted at Treasures Made From Yarn.  I'm not always successful with every pattern I try, but this was one very easy!

I continue to save jars and then crochet covers for them ... no pattern required.  I just make it up as I go along.  A few of these were given as gifts yesterday along with matchboxes that I decorated with bits of scrapbook paper and lace.

Another basket, this time with the top folded down

And finally, this was supposed to be a bookmark made with thread but I was using thicker cotton so didn't finish the whole pattern.  Can you tell what the design is supposed to be?

I hope your Valentine's Day was filled with lots of love and sweet surprises!

Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Happy Valentine's Day

Sending sweet wishes your way ... 

With love and friendship, Tammy

Meet Bob

Hello there!  I hope your week is off to a great start!

Our weather has been pretty near perfect lately with cool mornings and evenings and very comfortable afternoon temperatures.

I've only managed a bit of crocheting the past couple of days.  These little pouches are so easy to make and can be filled with small gifts, chocolate or baked goods. 

 If you are in need of some inspiration, you must read the story of Bob, an 82 year old man in Allendale, Michigan who crochets for charity.  I love the article and what he said about crocheting versus an iPod.  I happened upon his story when I came across a new to me blog called Insomniac With a Hook.  She calls Bob her hero.  He truly is an inspiration and a role model.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.  Rabindranath Tagore

Have a wonderful day!

Looking Up

I've never looked at the sky so much as I do now.  This morning's sunrise was so very bright all I could do was point the camera and shoot.

As you can see, it was a perfect day for exploring.

 Last week, Linda at Forever Austine Allen got a gorgeous shot of this month's full moon.  Everyone kept talking about it, but somehow I missed it. The moon is full no more, but still beautiful.

Another day is done and I don't feel like I accomplished much at all.  Some days are just like that.

Hope you are having a great day in your corner of the world.