Knitting & Crochet Blog Week Day 1 - Color Lovers

Kicking off Knitting & Crochet Blog Week with a discussion of COLOR! It's my first time getting to participate in Knitting & Crochet Blog Week so I'm excited...let's get started and let's talk color!


I think the season tends to lend itself to my color choices in projects. Being that we've had such an early spring (summer really, it was 80 here as early as March), I've very much been on a bright color kick! Maybe it's the inspiration of the flower popping up outside or maybe it's just the cheery sunshine.

Although based on this picture, it's not a bright colored party in my house until pink and orange are involved so I suppose those are my "bright and cheery mascot colors" :)

Once Autumn hits, I'm sure to go into a phase of burnt oranges, burgundy, plum, brown and cream as that's usually the case! Then winter will likely bring in the blues, purples, aquas, etc to round out the rainbow.


Lately I've seen a lot of projects by others done in various neutral tones or various shades of the same color so you can bet as soon as I catch up on what I'm doing now, I"ll give some of that a try!


I will say when it comes to variegated yarns, I have a hard time picturing how they will work up in certain patterns. So many of the yarns from the big box stores have shorter repeats so finding the right project (that isn't socks, although...one day I'll make socks, I promised myself).

When it comes to picking a yarn for a project, there's three ways for me:


1) I've already got an inkling for some idea in my head that I want to make happen
2) Let's go to the LYS and run around like a mad woman through the aisles holding colors next to each other until I'm satisified
3) Take advantage of the hikes that my husband, daughter and I take and pull the inspiration from nature and our adventures!

Made it Hap-Pin 4/20/12

Have I been MIA? Why yes, yes I have. Besides having family in town and a to list a mile long...I have no excuse :-P Buuuttt....remember that Cheesy Ranch Lasagna I was going to try out? Well I did (that week too)!

Here it is ready to go into the oven. I followed all the directions but as you can see...there really wasn't a significant amount of shredded cheese or sauce to cover my noodles. The recipe also said you were to use already cooked noodles but I've ALWAYS used the oven ready lasagna noodles.

After baking time...

Here's the thing about this. I can't say my husband or myself was thrilled that because there was not enough sauce for the noodles, they didn't properly cook on the edges and nobody likes crunchy pasta...yuck.

I will say the sauce, chicken and noodles (those that were cooked) were absolutely delicious.

My husband and I both agree that it's a dish we'd make again with a few changes:

(1) Make double the amount of sauce
(2) Bake it more like a baked ziti casserole kind of thing instead of layering it all lasagna style
(3) Try it with meatballs instead of chicken

So with those suggestions in mind, I'll definitely be trying it again soon. I"ll let you know how it goes! Until then, check out Shateen's great cookies in her Made it Hap-Pin post on Knit2Together

Pick A Pin 4/2/12

Decided to try more food this week. Found this pin for cheesy ranch lasagna. My husband and I love italian food so this has to be perfect to try!

The pin itself links back to the "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" Recipe blog but she actually got the original recipe and modified it a bit from Real Mom Kitchen.

Sooo....the original blog was chicken lasagna...the pin was ranch and chicken...what will I come up with?

Come back Friday to see!!

Made it Hap-Pin 3/30/12

Posting a few days late but I have a good excuse. Little one has decided that on random nights (generally not consecutive but we'll knock on wood for that) she will wake up screaming and crying at oh about 1 in the morning. She started doing it last week and it would take up up to 2 hours to get her to go back down with her screaming on and off. I reluctantly gave in and let her have a few ounces to drink on a few nights and it settled her back down but we mostly think it's either a)she's getting more teeth (she just got her bottom two maybe two weeks ago) or b)she's doing the "nighttime wake up" that usually comes in anticipation of a big milestone. That next big milestone for her is walking and um, I'm not too sure we're ready for that one yet! She's everywhere as it is! :) But...enough about my little one...I DID manage to get some time to whip up the Jell-O mousse that I was wanting to try! I actually did it in two flavors and both are delicious!

Who would ever think that the simple addition of cool whip to Jell-O would make it taste that much different...and better! (Not that I don't still love Jell-O). The orange pretty much tastes like the Jell-O equivalent of an orange creamsicle...delicious!

Next flavor? Blackberry fusion! Apparently we bought the box the end of last summer and forgot about it but luckily it wasn't expired so...blackberry fusion mousse!

Had to wait to mix this one. My husband insisted on making this batch :)

Yummy pink goodness ready to set up in the fridge for a few minutes!

I kind of want to pour some of this into popsicle molds and see how it tastes but we'll need some more warmer weather for that. The second frost warning in a week is tonight so no popsicles just yet here!

Pick A Pin 3/26/12

Time for Pick A Pin Monday! This week I decided I'd give the home decor a break and try out some food! I'm pretty sure my mom made this for us when I was younger but I personally had never made it: Jell-O Mousse.

The recipe came off this blog but she refers to another blog from where someone else shared it as well. Then come to find out, a somewhat similar version of this is already on the side of the Jell-O box so we'll see!

I've ditched my household blender so I'll be using my Ninja system on this one and my husband and I agreed on trying this with orange Jell-O first and then with some blackberry fusion flavor (raspberry/blackberry).

If all goes well, this may be a favorite summer treat of ours very quickly!

Not going to lie, I don't have a prep picture for this week because I may have already made a flavor of it ;) and was so anxious to try it that the camera was left behind...oops! Making a second batch tomorrow likely so I'll edit with a picture later :)