The Art of Craft 2012

I just signed up....I had to wait until Hubby got home...double check his schedule. :) I'm so excited....I've missed out on everything else. The line-up of teachers is awesome.....Kaari Meng, Charlotte Lyons (and you know I just love her), Anna Corba, Molly Meng, Pam Garrison, and Michelle Jorgensen. Boxes, bracelets, beeswax and more. Go here to read her blog post www.frenchgeneral.blogspot.com and here to just go ahead and sign up www.frenchgeneral.com . You can just take a class or two or the whole kit and caboodle. But hurry sign-ups are limited to 30 people a class. Twenty nine since I signed up for the whole kit and caboodle. I'm so excited....oh, I already said that. :)

Thanksgiving in Vegas

We drove up to Vegas to join my parents for Thanksgiving. :) Don't think I got out of cooking entirely...okay, baking...Pops requested pumpkin pies and date nut bread. We stayed at the Embassy Suites-Las Vegas. The swans live in the lobby.....Priscilla and Elvis. Hubby and Jr went sight seeing on the Strip on Thanksgiving. My parents took wee one to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay. I fell asleep watching the National Dog Show.....I woke up in time to see a terrier take it all. :) That night we hit a buffet for dinner (with all of Vegas it felt like). Friday, I got to hit a few thrift stores and snagged some awesome stuff for the shop. Jr and Hubby hit went on the Strip again and then we all went to the Hard Rock for dinner. Hubby and I hit the casino not long after that.....oy, things have changed in casinos since our Honeymoon. I felt like a total dumbass. We all went home the next day and we stopped for a potty break in Wikieup and took advantage of the photo op. I hardly took any photos....I just relaxed. It's nice to travel, but it is nice to get home as well.

Last Friday Night

We made calamari. Jr has been picking out some form of sea creature for me to fix every week for the last two months or so. This week he picked squid....yummy....for them...not me. It wasn't as bad as touching the baby octopus. We used this recipe: www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Calamari/Detail.aspx . We added 1/2 Tablespoon of Parsley and 1/2 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder as well (the first reviewer suggested it). Hubby and Jr were very happy with the results. Still not fond of deep frying...the popping and sizzling scare the hell out of me. It was pretty cool...you could add a clump of squid into the oil and the rings would separate. It doesn't take much to get me all excited.
In other news......I stocked the shop with a whole bunch of Christmas goodies. I've still got a few more things to photograph and list...I was on a roll on Monday with the photos until my battery starting dying on me....argh. I'm still blah about no Silver Bella this year....I would be on my way to Omaha right now. Bummed..so bummed. I've got a few swaps to keep me occupied....White Christmas Tags, ABC Pages, and a stocking. I need to dig my sewing machine out of the garage...it has been there for almost a year. I need to clear off a space for it first though. :) I used up almost all the apples from apple picking....10 gallons of apples is a lot....it made 5 cobblers, 4 crisps, and 5 pies. That was 68 cups of sliced apples. Oy. I think I ate one slice of apple pie. Too many apples....yes, you can have too many apples. I learned the hard way. :)

Crafting Christmas- Amy Powers Style

It's out...the newest Inspired Ideas issue. It's happy and bright...just like Amy. If you'd like to know more...go here: www.inspireco.blogspot.com/ , but if you are ready to pony up the $3.99...go here: www.amy-powers.com/mag/christmas2011subscribe.html . All sorts of fun stuff in this issue (including two stocking ideas). Yes, I already ponied up the cash. :)

Crafting Christmas- Little Pink Studio Style

Cerri is going to have tutorials and a stocking swap and all sorts of fun stuff this holiday season. I signed up for the swap.....I've never made a stocking before...should be interesting. :) She is only taking 20 people, so if you are interested head over. www.littlepinkstudio.typepad.com

Wiener Schnitzel and Home Made Fries

I suck...no picture....too busy frying the fries. :) The wiener schnitzel recipe came from the book "Tender at the Bone" by Ruth Reichl. Really good book...she has two others as well. If you like food, you'll like her books. They aren't cookbooks...memoirs. The home made fries are what our Mom makes...she just cuts potatoes into thin pieces and fries them in vegetable oil....yummy....even better when she makes them. :)

Wiener Schnitzel

1 1/2 pounds of veal cutlets
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup finely ground bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
6 Tablespoons butter
1 lemon

Pound each cutlet thin between two pieces of waxed paper.
Place flour in a flat dish or plate large enough to hold cutlet. Place beaten egg in another dish, bread crumbs in a third. Season each with salt and pepper.
Dredge cutlets in flour. Dip into beaten egg. Dip into bread crumbs until thinly but thoroughly coated. Place on waxed-paper-covered platter and place in refrigerator for about an hour.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in large skillet. When sizzling, brown cutlets quickly on each side until golden. Remove to platter.
Melt remaining two tablespoons butter in same pan. Squeeze lemon juice into butter, stir, and pour over cutlets.
Serves 4.

It was pretty good...my lemon was a little big, so it was very lemony. Use a smaller lemon or half a lemon, if you don't like too much lemon flavor. I sprinkled Pommes Frites Wurzsalz on the fries after they were done frying. It is a cool seasoning from Germany...they put it on their fries. Or you can just use salt (I did that on the ones for the wee one).

Happy Birthday, Zombie Boy!

Today is his birthday..happy, happy. He is such a big boy. He still won't tolerate wearing a costume, but he wore a ton of fake blood last night. :) He had a little container of body parts to carry around with him. He finally "gets" Halloween and he went trick or treating. His Dad said he did great and was very well behaved. I passed out candy (as usual....even when pregnant to the gills...which I was with both boys....I am the candy passer outer). This is a busy week for us...Halloween and two Birthdays. :)

P.S. I don't do the decorating for Halloween....I like cutesy, not gorey. :)