Help

Why is asking other people for help so hard sometimes? Is it pride or fear? Anyone else feel this way?

Cowl and Knitted Necklace

Yay, for posting new items on Etsy!

Thanks to my friend Laura for introducing me to Etsy about a year ago. Be sure to check out her super crafty blog as well as her awesome creations in her Etsy shop.

I just finished working on a pretty blue cowl and a green and blue knitted and crocheted fiber art necklace (my new favorite item in my shop). Even though the worst of winter seems to be past, the cowl is light enough to be worn into late spring. And the necklace would be great with both casual and dressy outfits.

I'll hopefully have some new items for Valentine's Day soon!

CoffeeCoffeeCoffee

I'm one of those people who likes to smell coffee but doesn't really enjoy drinking it. Husband, however, has coffee flowing through his veins. So when we started dating, Husband encouraged me to try some different kinds of coffee to see if he could spread his disease to me. It didn't work exactly as he planned. I still don't like black coffee. However, I do like coffee flavored things and some types of coffee with flavor shots and stuff in them. Husband calls it "yuppie coffee". I call it tasty.

Husband is a coffee snob and likes to buy really good coffee and grind it at home and use the french press. He almost never drinks the entire press himself so whenever he has some left over I steal it and experiment.

Tonight Husband made some Starbucks Christmas Blend and I took about about 3/4 of a mug and added about 2 tbs of Ghirardelli Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix (a Christmas present from a little girl at the preschool I work at!) and a little milk. YUM!

Anyone else like to doctor their coffee like me? Any good ideas?

My Studio A.K.A. The Dining Table

I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to produce more items to post on Etsy and sometimes when I'm crafting I have a tendency to sort of take over certain areas of our apartment. Like the kitchen table.

I guess it's good that we don't often eat at the table...

Chili/Stew

I have been in a real chili/stew mood lately. I love how versatile chili and stew are. You just find a lot of beans and veggies that you love, get some beef or ground turkey if you're a meat lover and throw it all in a pot. Yum! I really enjoy trying new variations and the cold damp weather lately is perfect for this kind of meal. My initial intention this week was to make chili but since I've never actually made "traditional" chili, it didn't really end up as what most people might call chili. But who cares what you call it as long as it tastes good, right? I've made two different kinds this week and while they were both really good the second one was way, way tastier!! Also, Husband approved. He's actually a better cook than I am and a bit of a food snob, so his approval was much appreciated!

The first one was pretty simple:

1 cup lentils

1 lb ground beef

1 can black beans

1 thick slice white onion diced

1 thick slice purple onion diced

3 or 4 stalks of celery minced (optional)

Use whatever spices you like to taste. I used:

garlic

black pepper

salt

cumin

The second chili stew (which I'm enjoying leftovers of right now!) is a bit more involved but still supper easy to make!

1 cup lentils

1 lb ground beef

1 can black beans (I didn't drain these because I like the liquid that they're in)

1 can pinto beans (drained)

1 can dark red kidney beans (drained)

1 can chick peas (drained) (optional)

1 can cream style corn

1 small can original Rotel

about 1/3 of a green pepper diced

Again use whatever spices you like to taste. For this one I wanted it a bit spicier so I used:

garlic

black pepper

cumin

salt

red pepper

red curry powder

For both stews, start with a large pot and bring the lentils to a boil in about 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Once it starts to boil lower the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 15-18 minutes. While that's simmering, brown the ground beef in a frying pan and drain off the fat/grease. Once the lentils are done, add everything else into the pot and continue to simmer, stirring every so often until its all nice and hot. I added about 1 and 1/2 cups of water but feel free to add more if you like it more soupy.

Husband and I like to crunch up whole wheat saltines into our stew as well. Mmmmm....

Anyone else love chili/stew a much as Husband and I do?