Best of (2009 Edition)

As 2009 comes to an end, I am quietly reflecting on what was a great year for me and a not so great year for others.

Scott and I had so many adventures this year. We went to Portland many times to see his family and Lincoln City a few to visit more family there. We also went to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Hawaii. I also went to Washington DC, Phoenix and Los Angeles for work. It was a grand year for travel and as someone how loves flying, I got plenty in.

I also learned to cure bacon, can jam, made three quilts and knit so many socks that my hands almost feel off (in a good way).

And the best part was getting engaged to my favorite person in the whole wide world. I had been hoping and proding for some time but was actually surprised when Scott proposed.

Now I can't wait for 2010! It will be year I get married, go to Europe and run the Portland Half Marathon. So many adventures await me!

You can see the entire Flick "Best of 2009" set here.

Crabby Baby Pants

My co-worker is pregnant and she's decided to not find out the sex of the child until he/she arrives. Now I love this idea but also found it difficult when I was planning what to make for her new addition.

Luckily a friend suggested the Cargo Pants from Knitty which led me to remember that I had some Rowan All Seasons Cotton laying around and that I had picked up a onesie this Summer at a craft fair (I figure people are always having babies and this one was super cute!). When I pulled out the yarn and the onesie, I was in for another treat! The crab applique on the onesie perfectly matched the color of yarn that I had and they were all pretty uni-sex.



Then I got a third treat, the quickness of this knit! I cast on for this project on Friday at the DMV, I knit most of the first leg while waiting there (oh the torture!) and the second leg that night. I then knit up the remaining bits of the pants on Saturday (my birthday!) and sewed the elastic piece in today. All in all about a 2-day project! I did decide to leave off the pockets but I think they would be adorable on the pants too.

These might become my standard baby knit project. They are just adorable and a bit more of a statement than a hat. I am however going to also knit a hat for this present, I have yarn and time left so I might as well.

French Toast Bliss

I'm not huge fan of French Toast but Scott really enjoys a good breakfast of French Toast. I decided to make him some this morning for some pretty selfish reasons. I wanted to take photos of the breakfast for my Food A-Z project.

Scott was pleased with his turn of luck and enjoyed his breakfast while giving me feedback on the photos I took of our breakfast.



I used a recipe from my go-to cookbook, The McCall's Cookbook which is sadly out of print. My Mom has a her own copy and used it to make most everything when I was growing up. I found my own copy in an antique store years ago and snatched it up before the owners could realize what a treasure they had in their store.

Without further adieu, here is the French Toast recipe.

Mc'Call's French Toast

2 eggs, well beaten
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar
dash of salt
dash of nutmeg
6 pieces of day-old white bread slices (I used challah bread)
butter
maple syrup

I also used powdered sugar for the topping.

1. In a shallow dish, combine eggs, milk, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Whisk together.

2. Add bread slices, one at a time, to egg mixture; let stand about 30 seconds on each side to coat completely.

3. In medium skillet, using about 1 Tablespoon butter, saute bread slice until golden on each side. 1 1/2 minutes in all.

4. Serve hot, sprinkled with powered sugar and nutmeg and covered with maple syrup.

19 Days of Birthday Wishes!

I decided to celebrate my Birthday Month with 19 days of wishes since my birthday is on Dec. 19th. So far, I've had 6 days of great wishes. Today my favorite one was granted. I found the most amazing, creepy present at the Urban Craft Uprising.



I got a pink and brown TWO-HEADED DEER! I love them!