Yarn Along

Joining in this week on Ginny's yarn along.  Love seeing what eveyone else is making and reading.
This week I haven't even started my new book World of Pies .  I hope tonight or later this afternoon.  I'm done with crochetting dishclothes to wipe down the table and I think I'm finally ready for a crochet pattern.  I have never followed a pattern and I think now I'm ready.  I feel like I just learned to read a new language.  What do I have in mind? A hat I saw over at Field Wonderful.. I just loved it and read the pattern and I think I can handle it.  I'm hoping this off white Green Mountain Spinnery yarn will work and I have enough.  Wish me luck. 
Can't wait to see what you're making or reading: :)

My pie plate and crockpot are tired.

Ever have one of those days that didn't go the way you planned. Yesterday  wasn't a bad day but an off the blog day internet was down, blogger was not cooperating and more snow to shovel..On the brigher side I caught up some of the kids homeshcooing stuff.  Here is what has been going on in the kitchen.   
After last week's snow we stayed in over the weekend and I just kept the kitchen warm the past few days with the crockpot, the oven and some candles. I was in the mood for making all those winter comfort foods.
Here's why my pie plates and crockpot are tired.



 Made a tomato sauce and let it simmer in the crockpot instead of on the stove for a couple of hours. I have a pretty simple recipe of 4 15 oz cans tomato sauce, 1 diced onion, 1 sliced garlic, 2 basil leaves and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  The sugar is if the sauce needs a little sweetness.  Put it all in the crock pot on high for about 3 hours. 

 There's that hand again trying to get into the chicken pot pie.

 A slice of peach pie.  This recipe is the same as the Cranberry Pie.  Instead of cranberries I used frozen peaches from the summer and omitted the orange extract.  Very sweet.

 Shepherds pie with a ritz cracker topping.

What's winter without chili? I'm finding  it's easy to have something warm simmering on these cold snowy days so there has been a lot of chili lately.

My version of chili:

1 diced tomato fresh or frozen

1 can routelle with chili

2 -15 oz cans tomato sauce

1 medum onion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 can of white kidney beans rinsed

1 can of red kidney beans rinsed

1lb of cooked ground beef (optional)

dash of chili powder

1/8 teaspoon of cumin

1/8 teaspoon coriander.



I apologize if the quantities are a little sketchy. I have been making it enough that I forgot to write down exactly what goes into the chili. If using ground beef cook it in a pan first till it's brown. Otherwise omit it all together. I use about 1 tomato but since it's winter and I don't buy any I have a bag full of diced tomatoes in the freezer and just grab a handful of those. As for the spices. If you like it hot add more chili. The cumin and coriander I'm guessing about 1/8 teaspoon but if you like add more. Put everything in the crock pot and set it on high and cook for about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Enjoy with fresh bread or with a little rice.

Random:

-Phew finally this is done afer 2 frustrating days with blogger.

-I finished reading The Red Garden.  It was awesome perfect for these snowy days when yo want to curl up with a good book you can't put down.

-Hoping to share my chicken pot pie recipe and do a tutorial on Tunisian crochet.

-After all this frustrating internet and snow  as well trying to upkeep the home and my messy library/office I read this post.  My friend sent me the link and I have been meaning to read her blog and realize I have nothing to complain about.

Fussy Internet today.

I'll be back late late tonight tomorrow can't wait to share what was going on in the kitchen.

Friday Moment-We've had some snow..

Come on over to 5 Good Reasons my second post is up.

Yarn Along

Joining in on Ginny's yarn along.

Well I finally made not one but 2 dishclothes and I'm on my way knitting a third one. I don't what to call these things. I just wanted something to wipe down the table and counters and it gave me a chance to try the Tunisian crochet. I apologize the picture isn't so great. I did enjoy making these even though they came out a little crooked I really like that they feel more like a waffle texture. I hope that one day I can do another tutorial on the Tunisian stitch.

What's new for reading material is The Red Garden that just came out yesterday. So excited Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. Her books are also translated in Italian. Hope someday to get some Italian copies to add to my library. For now I'll enjoy her latest.

I'd love to hear what you're making.

New Blog

Well friends I started a new blog. YesI know 5 kids and all that goes on with life and 1 blog already why start another one? This is our first year homeschooling all 5 children. I have wanted to post about it many times and share experiences and ideas but there never seemed to be a good time. I realized this blog is more about crafting, recipes, organizing and any other ideas that pop into my head. The homeschooling just didn't seem to mesh here. So why not start another blog and keep the two separate. I thought it would be easier on the readers for the ones that enjoy reading about homeschooling and related experiences they can click on the button on the right, follow it or pass it along. For my readers that aren't interested in homeschooling and enjoy This Little Kitchen as it is no worries just hope you keep enjoying it.
So here I go come on over and join me over at 5 Good Reasons.

A Very Cold Monday

What have we been doing on these very very cold New England days...

Last week when the power the went out I had to scramble to grab flashlights and candles. Just the day before I was about to get rid of votive candles that have moved me with for the past 20 years luckily I didn't. I didn't have enough candle holders so the next best thing were mason jars.

There was lot of yarn rolling this past weekend and browsing these books for inspiration.

Cozing up with a good book, coffee, my computer, pen and paper.

Random::

I don't really have any Monday links but I wanted to pass along this hand me down knit swap at This Cosy Life she has great idea what to do with those outgrown knits and random projects.

Hope you to are having a cozy Monday :)

Friday Moment- reading when the power went out

Yarn along Wednesday

Continuing along this Wednesday with Ginny's yarn along. I'm still trying out different stitches for a dishcloth. Right now my new favoritie stitch is the Tunisian Crochet. It gives it a waffle texture. I hope I get through 1 dishcloth by next Wednesday.

As for reading I haven't complete my novel but I have been browsing a couple of my favorite Betty Crocker cookbooks. I have had good luck with the recipes but I ignore the weight loss in the titles. A recent recipe I tried is Black Bean Salad from the book on the left. It was little spicy and made a really good lunch with fresh bread.

A note about this recipe it called for 1 tomato but because I got tired of buying tasteless tomatoes last winter, this past summer I diced and froze tomatoes. I took a few from the freezer, thawed them and added it to the salad. When the salad was ready the tomatoes were soft and the juices blended really well with dressing. I don't know if I would do it for a lettuce salad but it was well worth it to freeze them like this.

In the sewing studio & Monday Lists

This is a a very late night Monday post but it's the coldest and quietest time of the day for me. It's too cold to head into my basement and work on some other projects so why not snuggle up with my computer, crochetting and a book. Since last week I'm proud to show you the progress in the sewing studio.

I'm breathing a sigh of relief because it's finally cleaned. Everything has been thoroughly sorted, organized and refolded. Phew!
Part of the sorting was going through my hope chest and seeing what fabrics and unfinished projects were in there. A lot has accumulated without any direction so I decided to leave a list in the basket along with a few items that I have specific projects in mind. It's a place that I can go to throughout the year when I want work on something.
While refolding clothes I found about 5 shrunken sweaters and since it is cold I thought how about turning those sleeves into legwarmers. The same worked for tights that the little one out grew.
Legwarmerss for everyone of all ages.

Now just a quick Monday list of links.

• Don't you just love this kitchen table?
• My favorite post even grown ups like to daydream.
• I want to try these doilies too.
• Love her felted hat .
• I like the design of these doilies I was thinking I should trying different textures and make a few for scrubbing pots.