July 11, 2009 - A Lazy Saturday

I did a little bit of stitching after midnight, finishing the triangle areas of the star. I think I'm going to start on the outer border and fill in the squares and diamonds last. I also might switch between the two so neither task becomes monotonous.

I gave myself permission to sleep in today rather than get up early and rush over to the college to meet with the advisor. They will be open until 8pm on Tuesday so I will have all day and all evening to get there. If I went today I'd still be a walking zombie.

I decided to try a new layout for Crossed Purposes. Dummy me didn't save my template before adding the new layout and everything in the sidebars got deleted. My heart went into my throat. As you can see, I've been working all day to restore everything. I hope you like what I've done. There are certainly more features to be added, including friends' blogs and freebie links, but I am still at work gathering all the information needed. I am also going to add a list of finishing tutorials. I have many of them saved in my bookmarks and will share with you the cream of the crop. Please let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see added.

I was in the mood for some quick snacks tonight and decided to make pickled eggs and beets. Debi was on the phone with me as I peeled four dozen eggs and cooked the beet juice and vinegar mixture. She had her phone on speaker so that she could stitch while she talked and Rachel enjoyed hearing our conversation, even adding her own comments, and giggles, occasionally. They both thought it was hilarious that Chet stands and meows at me whenever he hears a can opener meet a can. He expects to get fed every time. Now they know why we call him "Bug." He's good at it.

I layered the beets and eggs in a large plastic container that pretzels or some other snack came in. It has a nice wide neck so it's perfect for the job. I let the beet juice/vinegar/pickling spice concoction simmer away on the stove the entire time. I wizened up this time, too, placing the pickling spice in a coffee filter and tying it closed with the wire from a twist-tie. That way there aren't seeds and bay leaves floating freely in the liquid mixture. I could have fit another dozen eggs in the jug but I think I made enough for Uncle Wes to help himself and still leave me six to twelve during the next two months. We'll see, though! Wessy loves the way I make pickled eggs.

I also told Debi about my favorite way to prepare zucchini and yellow (crook-neck) squash. I slice 6-8 zucchini/squash with my mandolin slicer, cut bacon strips into two-inch pieces, and layer yellow squash and zucchini in a large pot. I spread half- to one pound of bacon on top, add 1-2 cups of water, and set on the stove to boil. Once it's reached a boil, I turn it down to simmer, put the lid on, and leave it for one to two hours. When the squash is translucent and the flavors have melded, I ladle out my bowl and put the rest in the fridge to enjoy later. After the grease congeals on top, I remove and throw it away. There is still plenty of flavor left in that pot! Whenever I want another bowl, I just ladle it out and pop it in the microwave for a wonderful warm treat.

If you haven't already, please sign up for one or more of my giveaways. Christmas in July and the Blogiversary Giveaways are open until the end of the month. I will announce the winners on August 1st.

Jackie, you asked why my giveaways were dated August 1. Newer posts are at the top of the page. I wanted the giveaways to be at the top for the entire time they're open, so that's why they're dated August 1. Posts with July dates will automatically appear below the giveaway posts. See, sometimes there's a method to my madness :-)

Also, I have no way of contacting you. You neglected to leave your email address and your name is not linked to a Blogger profile where I can find an address. Unless and until I have a way to contact you directly you are not entered in my giveaway. I don't mean to me hard-nosed, but I specifically asked for an email address to avoid this problem. I hope you see this and rectify the situation. My email address is in my Blogger profile.