So close, on the edge!

Ok, so maybe the title was a bit dramatic. 

But what I'm referring to of course, is my blanket!

I've now crocheted together 80 squares, 8x10 rows.

Here it is more laid out for viewing purposes:

I've actually surprised myself and immediately after crocheting the final rows, I began sewing in the ends!! I know, no procrastination on a not-so-fun job, I can hardly believe it myself! ;) 

Seriously though, why must I procrastinate about everything that's even just a little tedious or irritating to take care of? 

Phone calls are the worst!

Anywho, I've even started work on the border today after I got the last ends sewn in. Woohoo!

I am so into this blanket now, it's ridiculous.

I want to work on it until it's done and I can hardly put it down!

By far, my most favoritest ever crochet make. ♥

This week saw us back at Ikea. I haven't been there since maybe November? 

Of course, I walked away with an orchid. How could I when they were even on sale?!

We also got some baby proofing items for our mobile little one, new curtains (the living room ones barely cover the window as we found out when the sun shone for 2 hours a couple weeks ago), and a new duvet cover. We've been using the Christmasy red blanket from my parents since November and now that it's getting brighter and the snow is gone (!), spring is on our minds. Time to lighten up!

This was the cheapest of the three contenders and now that we have it in our room, we are happy we went with it. 

Hubby especially loves it, and I have been teasing him about liking "French country" style stuff. ;)

My sister got Miss Muffin a tea party set. :)

But I think the cat is more interested in it than Muffin since she's been stealing pastries every chance she can get!

So that's about it. Just mainly wanted to share my progress on the blanket!

(and obviously my pretty new orchid)

See ya around soon!

Maybe next time, I'll have one more completed blanket under my belt! Woot!

Thanksgiving 2013

OK, so I have some catching up to do... 

Thanksgiving was SUPERB. I must say, I blew my own socks off with how good the food was!!

I had roasted and pureed and frozen a pumpkin earlier this fall from our garden bust since I was making two pumpkin desserts, I knew I had to get more pumpkin. Since they don't sell convenient canned pumpkin here... the process is always the same. This time I used a "red kuri squash" or "Hokkaido pumpkin" as they call it in Finnish.

It was the most vibrant orange that I had to take pictures. 

I saved some seeds in case we can grow some of our own...

The table was festive. Thanks to my sister for lending her tablecloth! 

 

Green bean casserole. The mushroom sauce was delicious and the crispy onion topping even more so!

The recipe can be found here from smitten kitchen

 

Whole turkeys here cost more than anyone was willing to spend so I opted for a turkey roulade (recipe here from the cozy apron.

I was unpleasantly surprised at the grocery store when the turkey filet section was cleared out. So we went with good ol' chicken breast. I think because I wasn't able to buy skin on breasts, the chicken was a little dry. I could have and should have not had them in the oven for the full time. But hey, hubby and I didn't care as we prefer dry chicken. I know, weird. 

Anywho, the recipe made a really delicious main course and I would eat this and make it a 100x again.

(Didn't hubby do a good job of rolling those up?)

 

This got a little torched in the hub-bub of the last 30 minutes. But this is a sweet potato sage butter casserole. My sister and her husband went nuts for this and it's the one casserole I made two of because I knew it'd be popular. We love our starchy carbs in this family. 

Martha's recipe here. 

By the time everything was ready, we all charged at it ravenously so I forgot the picture of the stuffing but you can see it in the corner on the left of the plate there. And the cranberry sauce was orange scented and super yummy and fruity. I used frozen lingonberries since they were cheaper than cranberries and it turned out just fine. I also reduced the sugar somewhat. 

Martha's orange cranberry sauce here.

Martha's cornbread stuffing here

(I omitted the chestnuts and instead of baking a cornbread, I bought a nice loaf of gluten-free bread)

Dessert was the traditional pumpkin pie. My nephew has said many times that it's his favorite so I took it seriously. I don't think I mentioned it before in this post, but everything you've seen has been gluten-free because of my dad's celiac disease. 

Hence the pie crust looking so dark. I didn't burn it! It is made with half buckwheat flour and half gluten free flour mix. Gluten free pastry doughs have been my downfall many a time baking for my dad, so I was pleased to make a half way decent one! 

Finns can see the recipe I used here at pirkka.

It's tough to find a recipe without evaporated milk and canned pumpkin! (things we don't have here)

 

The grown-up dessert was a pumpkin creme brulee. I'm really into them right now since I splurged on a set of ramekins and a brulee torch a couple months ago. 

These were a SUCCESS and we all practically licked the ramekins clean. 

Recipe here at love and olive oil

All of these recipes and the ideas for the pie and table setting can be found here on my thankgiving pinterest board. 

 

And because no post is complete without a flower picture, here is my amaryllis that was in perfect bloom for the occasion. It's already wilted now. But it was glorious while it lasted!!!

 

Ah, now on to Christmas feast plans...

Cheese party!!

Decorating for fall with gourds grown at our garden.

(The garden is so severely neglected it breaks my heart. But at least my gourds are here to cheer me up!)

Sunday we had an out of control cheese party. 

I say out of control because we had a lot of cheese (6 kinds!) and only 4 people eating it. 

We gorged. 

It was yum. 

 

We had a Dutch gouda, some kind of swiss and a French Saint Morbier (or whatever it was called... it was the least favorite!)

 

Blue cheese, goat cheese, brie. 

 

The rest of the brie was encased in puff pastry along with apricot jam and walnuts. 

Super yum!!

 

We had so much fun and I'd definitely like doing it again! 

Especially the baked brie!

On my table in June...

I have been lucky to get such pretty flowers this June. Having a baby AND a birthday in the same month, wonderful. :)

Not to mention the flowers from our garden. Summer really is the best season here! Beauty inside and out!

Pansies my parents brought me in the hospital. I loved looking at them almost as much as I did my little newborn. :)

Peachy roses and carnations at home.

Pansies on my birthday cake. (made by my mama and hubby)

Tangerine orchid on my nightstand from my husband ♥

Peonies!

Pink carnations.

Those orange carnations lasted almost THREE weeks! 

The pink ones are still going strong.

The nasturtium and tomato have exponentially grown. Every time I look out there they're taller! 

I had to take a picture the other day of our neighbor's "suicide kitty". This cat gives me a heart attack almost dail.

More birthday and baby flowers :)

I started this post July 4th... And just now am posting it!! 

...must try to be a better blogger...

Zinnias!

AAAAAHHHHH!!! ZINNIAS!!!!

They're such simple flowers, yet so gorgeous! Those colors are just outta this world! 

Crazy beautiful. ♥

Cuteness overload alert!

I'm the mama so I'm allowed to say that they're the cutest I've ever seen. :) 

Most adorable lady bug outfit. 

Manta being so sweet. 

 

Those are the cutest "shoes" ever. And the cutest leg rolls.

 

And this is the sweeeeeeeetest bear who ever lived. 

 

Awwwwww...!