Puzzles

My husband really enjoys puzzles and I like to watch him put them together. On occasion we apply puzzle saver, frame them and they become ART. Does anyone else do this? The current puzzle he is working on is really cool. My mom gave it to us. Here is a link for more great puzzles. Go there, go there now.

Trans Fats

I am studying up on heart health....a bit late. I am going through a book called "Eat Your Way to a Healthy Heart" by Liz Applegate, Ph.D. The posts I make on heart health will be more of taking notes and something I can reference easily by 'category' and 'title'. Maybe it will be a help to you as well.

The first little tidbit of info was on Trans Fats.

Here is what she says:

"these fats are formed when vegetable oils, like corn and soybean are chemically transformed by a process called hydrogenation. The result: a liquid polyunsaturated fat is converted to a solid saturated fat used for making margarines and in processed foods. From a chemists point of view, they behave like saturated fats, but from your body's point of view, they behave like saturated fats. Trans fats, which typically don't occur naturally in foods, goof up the flow of traffic in your arteries. Some scientists feel trans fats are more deadly to artery walls than saturated fats. Sources: Anything made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contains trans fats, including margarine and spreads, chips, crackers, cookies and other processed foods."

In a nutshell: Trans fats are not our friends. Look for foods that have zero trans fats.

Vegetable Wash

1 T. squeezed lemon juice
2 T. white vinegar
1 C. water
mixed

The grapes before washing.

The mixture after the rinsing the grapes.

After I drained the grapes from the wash I put them in regular water to see what else would come off and it looks pretty good.

My first experience with home made veggie wash seemed to be a success.

Dancing Cranes Stole - 2012

Started Jan. 1, 2012 - Finished Jan. 26, 2012
A lace type project knit in sock yarn. Knit in Cascade Yarns Solids.

I Didn't Feel Like Knitting

A week ago today my sister came and got me and took me to the Emergency Room.
Symptoms from the night before and then while speaking with her on the telephone made her jump into action. My symptoms were of the heart attack nature.
She drove over as fast as she could, wishing she had just called the ambulance..because "what if she was too late?" She is so nice!
So, by the grace of God I did NOT have a heart attack. After monitoring me all day they transferred me by ambulance to a hospital in Ft. Wayne. A heart cath. was in order. They wanted to have a look see. It reveals a 85% blockage in the smaller left artery. The doctor put a stent in. I went home the next day via my other sister's chariot.
While having never lost consciousness, I sometimes wish I did. The nitro drip gives a terrible head ache.

My symptoms: @ a week before the 'real' symptoms began I didn't fee like knitting....should have known something was up! The night before I had a big pressure type push on my chest that lasted just a second or two. Sweaty/clammy/light headedness.....yuk. So why did I wait til morning? Don't ask me? I could be a little stubborn. The next morning .....a weird overall feeling, grogginess, light headedness, .... JAW pain.

I am not an expert so listen to your own body when deciding when to go to the hospital. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heart attacks. Men and women's heart attack symptoms are different.

So....anyway...a few nights ago...I cast on for my first cardigan sweater. Knit Picks Indigo Heather Tweed. It is soft. Worsted weight. It is knit from the top down. I realized last night that I don't really like knitting back and forth in rows...I believe I shall join it in the front and then steek it when it is done....it would be my first steek too. Might as well give it a go! If this works out well, I really want to make one in un-spun Icelandic wool.


It is really prettier than this.

Until Next Time.

Coming Home!

Chris is heading home today!

The Big Visit

My beloved has been working in the state of New York since Nov. 2011. He has been home @ 7 days since then. He told a friend he would help him-and he is. Chris is not one to sit around twiddling his thumbs when he isn't working. So he took some little excursions. He worked there for 3 wks in Aug. 2011, so some pics are from that time....the ones that don't look 'cold'.

He walked around New York City.

He made new friends: where he is working. Lily and Sam.

He has had countless meals. He is on the right.

A memorial to 911. I think it is in or new New York City or Staten Island or something.

He is in front of a mural of baseball. Probably someone famous.

He visited Rhode Island-how cute!

He went to Staten Island.

He had french onion soup.

He ate.

In Monticello he visited the Harness Racing Museum.

Took a ferry ride in New York City to see the Statue of Liberty.

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He visited Boston Harbor.

He did lots of laundry.

Dutch Reformed Church near Bloomingburg.

One of his favorite eatin' spots-American Diner.

Bear Mountain Bridge

Chris on Bear Mountain.

Kaaterskill Falls.

Orange County Choppers.

Winona Lake, Indiana-The Island Weaver

Margaret and I drove to Winona Lake last Thursday to have a look around. There really is a lake and it is the home of Grace College. There are some neat shops. It looked like a great place to spend the day walking around. Our specific destination was The Island Weaver. While they sell knitting and crocheting equipment and yarn, they seemed to specialize in weaving. Really cool. What follows is a pictorial of our visit.

Until Next Time!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

This is another recipe from the Cooking Free book by Carol Fenster. The chocolate cake recipe in cupcake form. The icing is from the Betty Crocker cook book. This combination makes for a VERY tasty cupcake.

The recipe says to fill 12 cupcake molds. Well, a couple months ago I dropped a 1/2 pint Ball jar on the corner of my Pampered Chef muffin stone. :( It snapped the corner cupcake well right off. So now I have an 11 cupcake - muffin pan. At first I was sad. But after making the blueberry muffins and these cupcakes in the ELEVEN pan...I find that they are taller and happier looking. So try filling 11 cups instead of 12 and see how it does for you.