I Should Be In Bed Right Now

But instead, I'm up cross stitching. I spent my one night off this weekend reading (Tale of Two Biddies by Kylie Logan & Tempest In A Teapot by Amanda Cooper) & stitching. Here's my progress on La Fleur:

Sorry, but as I've mentioned before, photography is NOT one of my stronger skills. Anyway, I'm now approximately a third of the way finished and will hopefully be sending the pattern on to my penpal, Paula, soon!

Swapoween & Stitching Progress

So, I've signed up for another exchange with the Chaotic Goddesses! I'm looking forward to this one too. And a Halloween swap seemed like an appropriate post to share my Chat Noir progress:

I'm about halfway done with the cat itself. Hopefully I'll be working on the border the next time I post a progress update! There should be an update on my SAL piece and La FLeur in the next day or two.

Foodie Friday- Rainbow Thai Chicken Salad

I've had the Panera version of this dish a million times & I love it. This is a pretty good version, but not for you if you aren't the sort of person who hates the tedium of chopping lots of veggies!

YIELD: ABOUT 4-6 SERVINGS
RAINBOW THAI CHICKEN SALAD
This rainbow thai chicken salad is full of amazing colors and fresh flavors that you will love!

PREP: 15 MINS TOTAL: 15 MINS
INGREDIENTS:

THAI CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS:

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1 avocado, diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 (large) carrot, julienned or shredded
1 red pepper, cored and julienned (or diced)
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cashews or peanuts

PEANUT DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (if you are gluten-free, use GF soy sauce or tamari)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
pinch of red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE SALAD:

Toss all salad ingredients together until combined. Drizzle with dressing or toss to combine, then serve immediately.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If the dressing is too thick, add hot water a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire.


***Your Amazoninan Liongoddess says: I leave the avocado out since I'm allergic to it. I also often leave out the mango because it's a pain to work with. Fresh snow pea pods & edamame are good additions. Also thinly sliced radishes.

Time flies...

Didn't get much stitching or reading done over the last week. The CFS & the recurring sinus infection both kicked in big-time & I was doing good to get up & make it to/through my shifts at work, let alone do anything else!

There is a little progress on my SAL pice though. Here's the beginning:

And here's where I am now:

I also matted/framed my LK witch from a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not posting a picture yet because I'm going to include it in my package for the Chaotic Goddesses Swapoween exchange.

Made a trip to the Needle Nest to pick up my special orders. I need to get the three projects I've got going finished so I can start on one of them. The CCN London pattern is calling my name...

Foodie Friday- Bacon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Stone-Ground Mustard and Tarragon

I love a good potato dish. This fits the bill nicely!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fingerling potatoes
3 slices bacon, chopped
3 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
3 teaspoons roughly chopped tarragon
Salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with chopped bacon. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss potatoes and bacon. Season with salt.
Roast another 15 minutes. Toss. Roast another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and the bacon is crisp.
Immediately upon taking out of the oven toss with mustard until combined. Sprinkle with tarragon.

Fall Weather Descended With A Vengeance This Weekend

I love it! I'm sitting here on my couch in layered sweats & fuzzy slippers. I've slept better the last 2 nights than I had in months. And Princess Purrsnickety has deigned to come indoors and be cuddly!

Not much else going on. Dad had a chest pain scare that landed him in the hospital Thursday night, but was allowed to go home after blood work showed no sign of a heart attack and a scan showed no blockages. They think k it might have been a weird reaction to his flu shot earlier in the week. He goes to his cardiologist for a follow-up tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.

I haven't made any progress on my two previously posted cross stitch projects, but I have made a start on this:

For the SAL that I signed up to do, this is the frame for Gold Cottage- part 1 of Country Cottage Needlework's Fall Festival series. I'm hoping to finish (or at least get close) all 5 parts by the time the SAL ends in November!

Until later, dear reader (readers? Is anyone out there?!?)

The Best Workout DVD Ever

So, thanks to my addiction to British TV, I discovered the lunacy that is Miranda Hart. I love this woman- she is a British me...well, sort of. Unlike her semi-autobiograpghical character on Miranda, I manage to keep my clothes on in most occasions.

Anyway, as I was searching for more to watch, I discovered that Ms. Hart had made a workout video. Not just a workout video, but one even a hopeless klutz like ME can do. So of course I had to order it...and the one bit of equipment that it calls for:

Yep! I'm going to maracasize (shut up, it's a thing) my way to fitness! Dr. B will be proud...if he doesn't laugh himself to death first.

Foodie Friday- Slow-Cooker Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken Sandwiches With Bacon and Brussels Sprout Corn Slaw

Welcome to this week's easy dinner!

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:
3/4 cup bourbon or good-quality whiskey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 garlic clove, grated
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dark molasses
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (light will work if you don’t have dark on hand)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (I had to remove the skin myself) **Y'all know me- I used breasts instead**

For the slaw:
2 ears corn
4 tablespoons low-fat mayo
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (1 teaspoon if you like it on the spicy side)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded brussels sprouts

For assembly:
6 pretzel buns
12 slices cooked bacon

DIRECTIONS

Cook the chicken: In a bowl, whisk together all of the chicken ingredients except the chicken until smooth.
Add the chicken to the slow cooker, pour the sauce over the chicken, and toss it all together. Secure the lid and cook on high for 3 1/2-4 hours (or low for 7 hours) until chicken is fork-tender and falling off the bone.
When the chicken is done, use a spoon to skim the grease off the top of the sauce. Remove chicken from the sauce and shred the meat. Discard any bits left in the sauce. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce. Set on warm until ready to serve or let cool and place in an airtight container.

Make the slaw: Grill corn on an outdoor grill, grill pan, or over a gas burner until slightly charred. Cut from the cob and let cool.
In a small bowl, combine the mayo, vinegar, sugar, sriracha, and salt.
Toss together the corn, brussels sprouts, and dressing in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sriracha.

To assemble: Add a generous portion of chicken to each bun, top with bacon followed by slaw.

This week's odds & bobs

So I forgot to mention 3 of my favorite birthday presents last week.

1. I got a new slow cooker! I've been struggling with my finances (again/still) and making a concentrated effort to cook/eat at home instead of the fast food habit I'd fallen back into. I'm pleased to say it's been working AND I've lost another 5 lbs. Having the slow cooker & crock pot helps a lot with that. I throw something together in one of them when I get home from work, go to bed, and have a nice meal ready when I wake up later!

2. These sheets. Forgive the unmade bed, note the Loki pillow, with the normal Tom Hiddleston pillow peeping out in the background. 😉

Yes, they're a sort of tiedyed fireworks pattern. Made out of super soft jersey material.

3. I didn't feel like unmaking the bed to get a picture of the best gift. My parents got me the memory gel mattress pad that I'd been wanting. OMG, that thing is like sleeping on a cloud! I never like to wake up and get out of bed as it is and that thing makes me want to LIVE in my bed permanently.

So that's those. Next we have a shot of my IKEA shower curtain (I spent part of Labor Day scrubbing my bathroom & putting it up) and the pillowcase I'd bought there. (also went to the Joann's Fabric Labor Day sale and scored the pillow form dirt cheap!)

Last, but not least, my cross stitch projects. I've done a bit more on the cat (it might not look like it, but trust me, I did a good bit) and started Sweetheart Tree's Teenie Tweenie La Fleur on a random evenweave mini in Carrie's Ltd Edition silk Not Slate.

I've taken another break from Facebook, and it helped me realize that I was spending WAY too much time on it. I've gotten back into my stitching, been reading more again (that was the first sign that something needed to change- I was barely reading and that's just NOT me), and will probably blog a bit more frequently.

Ta ta for now!

Foodie Friday- Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Found here, this is a pretty good & easy meal. Leftovers reheat tolerably well.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 ounce taco seasoning
2/3 cups water
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces enchilada sauce
4 1/2 ounces chopped green chiles
1/3 cup sour cream
8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 1/2 ounces goat cheese
1 cup chunky salsa
3 green onions, sliced


Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.

Add taco seasoning mix and water; mix well. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, enchilada sauce, and green chiles; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream.

Spoon ground beef mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up; place seam side down in ungreased 12-by-8-inch (2-quart) baking dish. Spoon bean and enchilada sauce mixture over filled tortillas. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until cheeses are melted and casserole is thoroughly heated. Spoon salsa down center of casserole; sprinkle with green onions.

Something else from my vacation

After the better part of a year collecting flosses, fabrics, and patterns but not actually stitching anything, I *finally* got my stitching mojo back! All it took was a request for help from a pen pal in Mexico. She wanted some hand dyed floss that was prohibitably expensive for her needlework shop to order for her, so she asked if I could help her get them. I could have ordered them online, but decided it was way past time to visit the Needle Nest again.

Well, not only did I walk out with Stella's floss, I left with a bag of goodies for myself. And when I went back a week later to pick up the flosses that Miss Harriet was out of & ordered for me, I left with another bag of stash. However, THIS time I went home and started stitching again!

Here's the result:

Lizzie Kate's I Can Drive A Stick, done on a random piece of Aida in Sullivan's black & Presencia 1152. The pattern calls for all black, but I liked the idea of a pop of color & orange seemed the most fitting!

Then I started this:

Art House's Chat Noir. Despite the fact that this looks suspiciously like Zuul from Ghostbusters, this *will* be a cat when I'm done. 😉

Then I lost my mind and signed up for a fall themed stichalong to start next weekend. Pictures will appear as I progress...I hope!