Halfway There

Today is June 30th.  The last day of June.  This is RIDONKULOUS.  How are we already halfway through the year?!  This is simply not possible.  I clearly must have dozed off from February through May.  I mean, that's the only explanation, right?

You know what I did with my all too quick weekend?  A whole lotta nada.  We did all the usual stuff like mow the yard, do a good straightening up of the house.  The Husband and Son cleaned out the back of our garage.  Which our garage is more of a huge storage building.  Stores everything, but the car.  Neil was less than amused to have to be out of bed before noon and actually doing physical labor.  He kept trying to escape with excuses like, "I need to grab something to drink."  Then I would come inside and find him holed up on his bed with his computer in his lap playing games and I'd have to drag him, kicking and screaming, back outside.  Not literally though because he's bigger than me.  At his basketball physical last week, he was 5' 9" and 122 lbs.  He bests me in height by 8 inches and he still has a couple of years of growing left in him.  Crazy.

I did a bit more sewing this weekend.  I made the youngest a cute little purse.

It sewed up so quickly!  I could easily make two or three a day.  Definitely going on my list of items that I could potentially sell.  Except I'm out of interfacing and seriously don't want to drive 35 miles to buy some.  Pencil this in on the calendar as just another thing I need to do!

Currently {june twenty seventh}

a)  I forgot to post yesterday.  The youngest is down with the sickness.  Again.  It's croup.  This is the fifth time she has had it in her short (almost) three years.  This was the first time I'd taken her to the doctor for it though.  I don't like giving the kids prescriptions and would rather use more natural ways to treat issues, but it was painful to watch/hear her struggle to breath at night and the coughing... oh it was bad.  So now I'm trying to learn/learning a way to get her to take the liquid steroid he prescribed.  Because it tastes like ass.  Not that I would know what an ass tastes like, I wouldn't.  I'm just guessing.  But after the first half a dose, she was adamant about it being yucky and I only managed to get half of a second dose into her before bed.  Just that little amount helped tremendously though and she was able to sleep all night with no coughing fits.

b)  I have been making clothes like a mad woman!  I haven't been sewing as much as I did when she was younger, but organizing that cabinet with all my fabric stash inspired me to sew a few things.  That and I couldn't for the life of me decide on a good knitting pattern.  Suggestions for patterns for both sewing and knitting are welcome at any time!  *hint, hint*

c)  Loving the recent weather!  It hasn't been quite as hot or humid these last few days.  Great weather for getting outside and making mud cookies.

d)  I just finished reading Under the Dome by Stephen King.  I haven't watched the show at all.  I still haven't decided if I will or not.  I was kind of disappointed with the ending.  I just kind of saw it as anticlimactic.  I don't want to give away any spoilers for anyone who hasn't read it or is currently watching the show because I HATE IT when people do that.  Like when you have DVR'd something and the next day all yo' Facebook friends are all...  "ERMAHGERD! JOFFERY DIED FROM POISON!  I LOVE THE PURPLE WEDDING!!!!"  and you are sitting there.... getting... pissed... because you haven't had the chance to watch it yet. So.... I won't say anything else about how this book ends.  Let's just go with it's out of this world.

e)  I have been smelling all the clean laundry!  I am putting the new washer through it's paces.  It's like heaven for a housewife.  All the things are truly clean and smell so much better.  The weather has been great for hanging the clothes to dry too.  So fresh and so clean, clean!

Currently link up is hosted by Harvesting Kale and OT & ET.

next weeks themes:

managing, missing, thinking, creating, looking

Bubble Butt

I haven't done much sewing since last year.  I didn't realize just how much the youngest has grown in that year until she tried to wear a little dress I'd made that was no longer a dress, but long shirt instead.  I had finished my last knitting project and after spending hours (yes, really... hours) trying to decide on a new project, nothing jumped out at me.  The sewing machine was calling instead.

I was a little worried before I began this pattern, Bubble Shorts from PeekABoo Pattern Shop.  According to her measurements, I should have made the 12 month size, but I just couldn't make myself do that.  I know she is skinny, but she's almost three!  I'm glad that I went with the 3T size.  The elastic waistband in the back was easy enough to adjust.  As well as the cuffs on the legs.  And these are the reasons why making your child's clothing is awesome! Adjust-ability.

She does not like any undies or pants to touch her belly button.  She will fuss and fuss until she's moved it just below it.

I made these shorts from cutting the fabric to finished product in only one day.  Which is good timing for me given all the breaks in the day I took for toddler snacks, potty times, reading times, general toddler break downs over things like pants touching belly buttons....

They are really cute and sew up quickly so I foresee more bubble shorts in our future.

It's All Wishy Washy

Back in 2008, I was trying to make strides in the energy efficiency department.  We had a very loud, noisy, and less than "green" washer and dryer.  I was GUNG HO EXCITED about buying a new front loading, HE washer and dryer set.

Worst mistake EVER.

I will admit that in the beginning, I was sucked in by it's fancy spinning and near soundless operation.  I told everyone how great it was, how much it cleaned our clothes.  Before long, I started doubting my own words. I started feeling like maybe our clothes weren't getting quite as clean as I at first suspected.

And there were the problems...  mold, mildew, smells.  God forbid you forget a load in the washer.  It would take two wash cycles to get that mildew smell out of them.  And don't even get me started on unbalanced loads.  I had to start leaving the door and detergent tray open to stave off the ickies.  Running a cleaning cycle once a week with  *gasp* bleach.  I started to think this was way more trouble than it's HE goodness was worth!

Then I had a baby and began using cloth diapers.  Cloth diapers + front loader machine = DOES NOT COMPUTE.  I ended up getting lucky and my in-laws were moving into my step-FIL's parents house and they gifted me the old 40+ year old top loading washing machine that was there.  I would use it to wash my diapers, towels, and bedding.  The Husband is a welder/fabricator and his work clothes are filthy so he would use the top loader for his work clothes as well.

On top of all of this, our washer/dryer were in the basement.  I began to dread doing any laundry at all.  We live in an older home so we really didn't think there was anyway we could get them upstairs, but finally we figured out a way to set them up in the back room of our home.  It was long ago a back porch that had been enclosed.  Then....  THEN!!... the washing machine pump began to sporadically work.  Sometimes it would work just fine, others I would check on it only to find the water hadn't drained at all and was half way up the door and the door wouldn't unlock.  If you are familiar with front loaders, you will know that the water never gets that high.  What a pain in the ass.  We would have to remove the back of the machine and smack in the general vicinity of the pump to kick start it.

I was over it months ago, but we didn't have the money for a new washer.  The last straw happened when on Thursday morning, I attempted to wash a single load of clothes.  On Friday afternoon, I finally gave up and took the dripping, soaking wet clothes outside, wrung them, and hung them up on our clothes line.

Saturday morning, I bought a new washing machine.  A Samsung.  Our luck rarely swings to the good (as evidenced in the rest of this post), but Lowe's (the only place we shop) was having an appliance sale!  I was originally looking at one that would match our dryer, but we've been slowly replacing things with Samsung products.  We've had Samsung phones for years, in fact I still have my first flip phone Samsung that was washed and dried, but still worked, in a drawer.  When I saw this washer, it whispered my name.

I was stupid excited.  It's high efficiency and Energy Star rated.  It's actually got the highest Energy Star rating and only uses an average of $18 A YEAR!  It's the same height as our old washer, but a little slimmer. We've only had it since Saturday afternoon, but I have to say that so far, it is performing beautifully.  I even washed a full size comforter in it with room to spare!  Now I can wash all the sheets, pillowcases, and comforters (per bed) at one time instead of having to do them all separately.

 Moral of this story is... DON'T BUY A FRONT LOADING WASHING MACHINE!  This public service announcement is brought to you by a laundry washer tired of unclean clothes.  Good day.

Seedless Watermelon

When I first started this knitting project, I didn't realize that the colors I chose would make Rowan look like a little watermelon.  A little seedless watermelon.

There are so many mistakes.  New pattern, new stitch, new bind off, still fairly new to knitting, and a very active toddler equal mistakes will happen. A few places I should have purled and I knitted and vice versa so the seed stitch/moss stitch pattern is slightly askew in a few places.

The back portion turned out great!  I had all that practice with the front section to help me along.  When I began the new bind off technique for the shoulders, I didn't realize that right sides need to be facing so my shoulder seams are on the outside.  Can't fix it, so all I can say is that now I know what to do next time.  It was an easy to follow pattern and great for beginners.  Plus it's free!  You can't beat that!

There are three sizes included in the pattern, 2-4-6.  I chose to make the size 2 even though she is wearing more 3T clothes now.  The top is smidge too large, but she will have room to grow into it.  I'd much rather it be too large to start than already too small to wear.  I haven't yet washed it so I think some shrinking may occur.

Soli pattern found here on Ravelry!

Currently {june 19th}

a) I've been watching the second season of Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones, and I just watched World War Z on Netflix.  Plus a few other smattering of shows here and there.

b) Lots of wearing shorts and tank tops.  It's hawt up in here!  Well, out there it is.  The Husband keeps the a/c so cold that I have to sit under a blanket in our living room.

c) I've been wanting a new purse/bag.  I've been saving up because the one that I loved was $65 +$12 shipping.  In classic fashion, I go to the Etsy page only to see that she is no longer selling those specific bags.  Damn it.  So... I found a pattern!  I liked the $5.95 price tag much better.

d) I decided to purchase that Plum Paper Designs planner that I mentioned last week.  Now I'm waiting not so patiently for it to arrive.  I know that it takes 3-4 weeks for processing, but that is not stopping me from stalking my email.

e) We're having a hard time winning the fight against the weeds/grass growing in our flower beds.  Last year we laid landscape fabric before planting and mulching, but it made no difference.  This year the grass just grew up through it!!  I dislike using commercial chemicals, but I was so very tired of pulling up the grasses every time I turned around.  They haven't worked.  Just add weed pulling to my list of things to do every day.

Currently link up is hosted by Harvesting Kale and OT & ET.

next weeks themes:

learning, making, loving, reading, smelling

Miss Independent

As you may have noticed, there is quite the age difference between my two older kids, Neil and Kaia, and my youngest child, Rowan.  She was a SURPRISE! baby.  Seriously though, they were all surprise babies, but she was a ten year gap in my kids surprise.

Needless to say, she is my baby.  I'm older and wiser this time around.  I used cloth diapers and breast fed her well past the one year mark.  She's mama's girl fo' sho'.  She is spoiled rotten.

On Monday, she went on her very first sleep over at Grandma's house.  I was secretly hoping that she would not want to go.  That she would cry and want to stay with her mama.  She did not.  She was ready to go when her grandma got here and practically put her car seat in the car herself.

I am not ready for her to be the big girl that she has already become.  She will turn three in July and I'm going to soak up as much of the next few years as I can before she's off to school and making friends and having more sleep overs.

I've Got it Rough

I am a proud Kentuckian.  I love finding a new jewel to return to later.  When both of those things come together, I am one happy camper.

This weekend wasn't exactly planned out, wasn't spur of the moment decisions either, but Saturday was spent grocery shopping and yard mowing.  Sunday we forced the grumbling, irritated teenagers out of bed, grabbed towels, blankets, and a cooler and headed out the door.  Our destination?  Rough River Lake.

Usually Rowan is all about the water, all the time.  She wasn't too interested this time around.  She would go in and come right back out.

It was all about building sand castles for her.  Or more to the point, it was all about digging.  Dig, dig, dig.

We ate a picnic lunch and took our time driving around checking out the campgrounds and lodge for future reference.

We took a side trip to Falls of Rough, Ky., the "town proper".  It's unincorporated and doesn't have much, but I'm a lover of all things history.  I've done a brief internet search and it seems many of the buildings burned down a few years ago.  I love these old buildings.  The tales they could tell if those walls could speak.  I hate to see them in such bad shape, but their deterioration makes them beautiful.

Whip It

Yeah, so I just got a KitchenAid stand mixer for Mother's Day.  I've made three things.  Bread, cookies, and...

WHIPPED CREAM.

Oh my dear lord.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Cool Whip, but I don't love what is actually in it.  Things like vegetable oils, corn syrup, and sorbitan monostearate (I don't even know what that is...).  A quick trip through the ever faithful Pinterest showed me I could make my own with far less chemicals and little effort.

Here's how you do it...

• heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar (a friend told me she uses regular sugar and has never had a problem)
• vanilla extract 

Yes, that's all you need.  I have used plain vanilla extract and I've used a combo flavoring I have (it's imitation! *gasp*) that is vanilla, nut, and butter.  I've been toying with the idea of doing a peppermint one... haven't gotten that brave yet.

I'm sure you can do this with a hand mixer as well, but having a stand mixer is so awesome!  Fair warning only vague measurements are being used.

1) Pour a cup or so (depends on how much whipped cream you need) into the mixer.  On my mixer I turned it up to 8.  Not super sonic fast, but fast.  Mix for a couple of minutes until you have soft-ish peaks and the cream kind of coats the whisk.

2) Add sugar.  I add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, but you can adjust to your liking.  You'll also add in a teaspoon or so of vanilla or whatever flavoring you choose.  Then turn the mixer back on and whip for a few more minutes until you notice that it is becoming more stiff.

M'mmmm.... whipped cream....

I really have nothing to put this on.  I just had about half a carton of whipping cream left in the fridge that was about to go bad.  I like to put a few spoonfuls in my morning coffee.  D-e-l-c-ious.

Now go forth and make the world a little sweeter!

Currently {june twelfth}

a)  We live in the country.  I've been hearing lots of bird sounds.  Over the last few years, I've found a new love of bird watching.  We just keep adding more bird feeders to our collection.  I love just sitting on the front porch, watching the birds, and listening to them chatter back and forth.  Plus we have chipmunks.  They are seriously the funniest little things.

b)  No one has really been hinting at anything lately.  My son has been outright irritated that he had to go to basketball practice two days this week.  For a grand total of 3 hours.

c)  I've been seriously hunting for the right vacation spot.  I'm dying to go to a beach.  The kids are dying to go to a beach.  We can't afford to go to a beach.  I'm trying to find the right combination of relaxation and adventure.  It is not an easy task.  Chris only has 5 days of vacation now.  At his old job, he had a couple of weeks, but many of those days were forcibly taken by the company when it did it's annual shutdown in July and December.  That was ok though because we knew exactly what days we could plan.  Now there are TOO MANY OPTIONS.  I haz the confusion.

d)  I've been hankering for a new planner.  Yes, I know that last week I mentioned my love of Google Calendar and I do like the convenience of a quick glance at my phone.  You see... I'm a habitual list maker.  Lists for EVERYTHING.  Makes me feel accomplished.   Last year I purchased a Much Ado About You planner because I'd been seeing just how awesomesauce her calendars were.  I got it and was instantly in love.  However, two things happened... 1) the calendar ends at the end of August, and 2) she stopped selling planners.  I can't decide if I want this planner from Plum Paper Designs on Etsy or if I want an Erin Condren planner.  So hard to choose!

e)  Hoping for a break in the regularly scheduled daily rain showers.  This yard is turning into a jungle and while I love all those cute little creatures in the yard, I don't like tall grass.  Tall grass has ticks and snacks and all those little creatures that aren't cute.

Bonus:
Currently reading: Under The Dome by Stephen King
Currently watching: Orange is the New Black (Season 2)

Currently link up is hosted by Harvesting Kale and OT & ET.

next week's themes:

watching, wearing, wanting, waiting, winning

DIY Pizza Pockets

Like most folks, I ogle the beautiful pins on Pinterest.  Knowing damn good and well that when I attempt whatever cutesy do-dad I pin, it will not turn out cutesy.  So I ran across a pin for pizza monkey bread and I said, "Ooo! That looks pretty easy.  I could totally do that!"  I clicked it.

Do you know what happened?  Nothing.  It just linked to the photo.  No recipe.  No instructions.  This was a pain in the ass.  I could have just searched for the recipe, but I made the executive decision to wing it instead.  Instead of monkey bread (because I couldn't make it look right in the bundt pan), mine morphed into pizza pockets.

And here is how I made them...

What You Need:

~Canned biscuits in the amount you wish to make
~Pizza toppings of your choice:  pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, cheese, etc.
~Marinara sauce and/or garlic butter for dipping

How to Make 'em:

1.  Separate biscuits.  Take one and roll it out.
2.  Place ingredients inside.  I suggest not using the marinara on the inside.  Every time I've attempted this has ended in an ugly mess that was less than desirable.

3.  Fold biscuit over and pinch the edges together.  Repeat with other biscuits.
4.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 mins.
5.  Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

A few of mine split open because I didn't roll them out enough.  No worries, they still tasted great!

Pickled Salad

Korean BBQ salmon with pickled salad
and red pepper gastrique.

This past weekend went by too fast.  As most weekends do.  Saturday we took our son and his girlfriend out to eat at a local restaurant, Novo Dolce. Today is their one year anniversary!  I had eaten there once before with a friend, but they recently moved to a newer building and I had been excited to check out the new digs.

I was not disappointed. I had their margherita pizza, which is what I had last time.  I know I walk on the wild side.  I can't help myself.  It was delicious.  The Husband had the special of Korean BBQ salmon.  I snuck a bite.  Or two.  It was cooked perfectly and tasted oh so yummy!  The red pepper sauce was HOT, but was balanced out well with the pickled salad.

For dessert we had their made-in-house gelato.  My son and his girlfriend had the chocolate chip and I tried the Fruit Loop.  The chocolate chip was very, very good.  The Fruit Loop?  Not so much. It kind of reminded me of those last few bits of cereal in the bowl.  A little soggy and there are crumbs floating in the milk.  Meh... next time I know to get the chocolate chip.  I definitely look forward to going again.

Next up... Maleficent.  Much better than I was expecting.  I don't really know what I was expecting though. Angelina Jolie isn't one of my favorite actresses, but I enjoyed this role.  It's definitely a movie worth watching.

On Sunday, my dad and husband replaced the battery in my husband's truck.  Then discovered that it was the alternator so they replaced that too.

Somehow this morphed into cleaning up the garage.  I can't remember the last time we actually parked a vehicle in that garage.  It's more like a storage building now.  We really need to spend a whole weekend just disposing of the junk that has accumulated there.  While they rearranged and threw a few things out, I sat in a folding camp chair and supervised.

Rowan procured the services of her sister to dig up and then bury various rocks found in the driveway. This girl loves to dig in the dirt.  She's become fond of worms too.  Usually they are already dead, but she just thinks they are sleeping.

Bling for the Precious

I am clearly not a professional photographer.  But several years ago, I just got tired of having unfocused, blown out photos.  I researched heavily, bought a camera that I wasn't satisfied with, returned it, and ended up buying the Nikon D40.  My Precious.  It wasn't the newest entry level DSLR available, but it was one that was highly recommended for beginners.

I still don't know what I am doing, honestly, and it's been 4 years since I bought the camera.  I read and read how to make the settings work for me and immediately forget it when I get the camera in my hands.  I have the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50-200mm zoom lens.  Both have been excellent lenses, but neither let in as much light as I would like.

I very much like taking photos with all natural, available light.  It's that fear of blown out photos and making people look like vampires.  I mean, we're already pretty pasty around here.  No need to enhance that awesomeness.  Sometimes you need extra light and that pop-up, built-in flash is harsh.  Evil, some would say.  Obviously, we are not millionaires and several months ago I found a solution to buying the external flash that I really wanted.  It's a Photojojo Pop-up Flash Bounce.  It's basically just a mirror that bounces that pop-up flash onto the ceiling or wall.  At just $37, it was a life saver.

But.... I still needed a lens that would open bigger to let in more light.

When my friend had her sweet bundle of joy in January, I snapped a few photos with her camera (a Nikon D90) and non-zoom 50mm lens.  I loved it immediately.  I really second guessed buying the less professional camera and wished I'd got one more similar to hers, but that's a different story.  So she and I were discussing lenses (because we do this A LOT) and after more research and reading, I elected to purchase a 35mm lens.

I went back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to order through Amazon or directly from Nikon.  I really wanted that lens, but I wasn't willing to pay the $21-50 shipping charge for one-day shipping so I bit the bullet and went with the free shipping that Nikon offered.  I ordered on Wednesday afternoon.  On Thursday afternoon the UPS man knocked on my door!  Best free shipping I've ever used.  Apparently Nikon has a warehouse in Louisville, which is only a few hours from me!  Yay!  New lens!

One Down

Heelllloo there!

After what should have been only a few days turned into almost a month, I finally finished this summery, light vest.

I had intended on selling it, but after I finished the front, I knew that I was going to keep it.  I used Knit Picks brand CotLin DK weight yarn in Whisper.  These pictures do not show how gorgeous this yarn is.

I want to buy ALL THE YARN.

Since I first learned to knit, I've worked mainly with worsted weight.  If you are newer than I am at knitting or yarn in general, it comes in different thicknesses or weights.  Worsted is kind of middle of the road and this yarn, DK, is a bit thinner/lighter.  I think it's great for more Spring-y/Summer-y clothing.  I even happened upon some buttons that were a perfect match!

On to the next project!

Pattern found here.

Currently {june fifth}

a)  In an effort to get back to loving my camera, I'm snapping what I can of the flowers we have around the yard.  We've made big strides in making our home look pretty so I'm kind of proud of my daylilies.  This is their second year and they are blooming like champs right now!  Also we have some wildflowers that pop up every year right around our porch that are called Ohio Spiderwort.  Strange name, pretty greenery/flowers.

b)  I got the OK from The Husband yesterday to order a new lens for my camera.  We recently acquired a new credit card.  Our first credit card in more than a decade.  We had run into the circle of redundancy.  Don't have credit, can't get card.  Can't get card, don't have credit.  Stoopid.  Finally we built up enough good credit (let's not talk about that bad credit....) to make small purchases with a new card to get that revolving credit going.  So... I'm checking my email like I'm cray cray waiting for that shipping notification.

c)  We are just in the beginning of the Summer break season and I'm trying to get into a groove.  I feel like if I want to get anything accomplished I need to start learning a new pace to get it all done.  I am even considering getting a planner and planning days to blog, days to knit, days to do other things.  Otherwise, I tend to get distracted.  Pretty fuckin' easily actually.  It's like my whole life is Pinterest.

d)  I'm dropping all the stress.  This is a lofty goal, but I've spent far too much time worried about every little thing.  Usually all those things revolve around money.  The lack of money.  The lack of money management.  I'm determined to get it all taken care of and I'm not going to let it pull my hair out in handfuls.

e)  Being even the tiniest organized is saving so much time!  Organized bills, meals, plans, etc.  I've discovered that Google calendar is a huge help.  Different colors for different people, different bills, school days.  I've touted the benefits of meal planning before.  This just makes it easier.

Bonus:
Currently reading:  Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Currently watching:  Bates Motel

Currently link up is hosted by Harvesting Kale and OT & ET.

Guess Who's Back.... Back Again

I'm back bitches!  With a shiny new layout to boot so if'n you're reading in a blog reader or some other reason that you wouldn't be able to see my awesomeness come visit me directly!  Don't forget to check out the new About page!

I've decided to reenter the blogging community with a new outlook and what I hope to be more regular postings.  The last couple of months of the school year were pretty hectic.  In the end, it all went smoothly and I am now the proud parent of a fresh new high schooler and an 8th grader.

So what have I been up to for these past two months?  A whole lot of everything.  Staying true to my nature of being distracted and overwhelmed.

I've been knitting, but not as much as I'd like.  I have three projects going right now.  None of them done. Well, one close to done, but finishing it seems to be just out of reach.  Maybe I'll do that today.....

I've said this before and I'll probably say it many more times in the future.  I have abandoned my DSLR camera.  I didn't mean to do so and it pains me to see it sit on the shelf.  I use my phone far too often.  There was a time when I NEVER left the house without my camera.  *gasp* Who would leave it at home?!  Now I have to dust it off (literally) when I go to use it.  This is part of my new outlook.  At the beginning of the year I vowed to take a photo of my children (at least one of them!) once a week for the whole year.  I have failed miserably at this task.  Miserably, I say.

Reading.  I've made the same goal of 25 books this year as I have in years past.  This year, I am actually tracking on goal!  If you are on GoodReads, look me up (or just click the little yellow circle in the sidebar!).  I love to have new suggestions and see what everyone else is currently reading.

And lastly, cooking.  The Husband gifted me (ok, so I just bought it myself) a new Kitchenaid stand mixer for Mother's Day!  She is pretty and shiny and the most beautiful damn thing I've ever seen.  I've made more whipped cream than I really want to admit, but I'm still trying to find the right combination of recipe and my skills to make the perfect loaf of bread.  Throw your recipes at me so I have something new to try!  It doesn't have to be bread either.  Gimmie your recipes and no one will get hurt. *waves hand like it's a gun*

Here's to returning to blogging and the hope that all goals will be met!