Fun, Fun, Fun...

We took our grandson to The Wild Animal Park in Chittenango, New York last Wednesday...

He had a great time (so did we!).

So many animals; some you can buy food to feed and others, for obvious reasons, are only to look at and take pictures.

A great place to visit when you are in Central New York! We definitely plan to take another trip to visit in the Fall!

Another trip on the Erie Canal...

This time, I took my grandson on the Erie Canal Cruise. It was a beautiful day for the ride and the boat was filled with passengers.

Over the past weekend, I crocheted a crab hat for my grandson to wear and I think he looks pretty darn cute in it. (I'm a little prejudice, I know!)

We sat on the upper deck so we could take pictures. The highlight of the ride for my grandson was when Captain Jerry let him spend some time in the control room.

If you are in the CNY area, this is a trip you should definitely plan on taking. Captain Jerry is very knowledgeable about the canal and he is quite entertaining!

Mia Emily; my new fur baby...

I have to  show everyone the newest addition to our fur family:

This is Mia Emily...a rescue dog; she is about 3 or 4 years old and a real charmer!

Ever since I rescued my first Pomeranian, Gracie, who is now 8 years old, I have fallen completely in love with Pomeranians. They are just so sweet and lovable and make great companion dogs. Gracie loves to sit on a pillow sleeping next to me as I crochet.

Here's the whole gang...

Erie Canal Cruises...

If you live in or visit Central New York, you should plan on an afternoon cruise along the Erie Canal on either the Lil’ Diamond II or Lil’ Diamond III. The tours are run by Erie Canal Cruises and last about two (2) hours!

I took the cruise on July 6th; it was a warm and overcast day, but that didn't put a damper on the ride. Of course, I had to crochet a "special hat" to wear just for the fun of it!

Here is a video of the pictures I took as we rolled along the canal.



I have already promised my grandson a ride in a couple of weeks since he is studying the Erie Canal in school. First, I have to crochet him a hat to wear...I think a fish hat will do!

I will post pictures for sure!

Almost the end of June...

I think I definitely have too much on my plate at the moment. While I haven't been blogging on here, my other blogs have kept me quite busy. I have also been designing some new patterns for my shop. I will definitely try to do better at keeping this up-to-date.

It was a busy Spring doing yard work and adding some plants and ornaments to my backyard to attract the birds, chipmunks and squirrels. It's a chore sometimes to keep the bird feeders full. The hummingbirds are in their glory with the new flowers and feeder we added around our deck.

One of the squirrels that frequents our yard can be seen in the picture below hanging upside down on the new bird feeder my son and daughter-in-law gave me for my birthday. I added a turquoise arrow so you might be able to see him.

I also want to brag about my grandson; isn't he a cutie? This was taken at the school's end-of-year choral and band concert. He sings in the choir.

I can't believe he is almost as tall as I am. Time sure does fly!

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer; it is supposed to be very hot and humid starting on Friday which means I will be spending time in my studio where it is air-conditioned!

Wow! It's been a long time...

...since I last posted!

One thing that is bad about having your own business is that you are the only one that works to keep it going!

I'm looking out my studio window right now and there are actually snow flurries in the air. I took pictures of the snow storm of 2017, but never got a chance to post them. I'll refrain from posting them now because by Monday, the weather is going to take a drastic change; it is reported that it will be in the 70s next week!

I can't wait to get out and start walking again. I just bought a stroller for my two dogs to ride in as I walk. My family thinks I have lost it, but I couldn't think of a better way for my 16 year old Cockapoo to join me while I walk. She is hard of hearing and just about blind, but she has a lot of spunk left in her. I used to walk her on a leash all the time, but I fear it may be a little difficult for her now. With the stroller, I will be able to continue getting her out and about. I will have to post pictures of her first ride in the stroller.

Enjoy the weekend; I will be starting my Easter cooking.

Feeling a little Spring Fever here in CNY...

Look at our weather station this past Saturday...

February 18, 2017 and it's 58 degrees...seven (7) day low was 17 degrees. Oh, my goodness! If only the winter weather was done, but I know we can expect more cold and snow at least through March; that's just CNY weather for you! Actually, March can be quite nasty.

At any rate, I have to share another recipe...this time for Spicy Orange Chicken which I made for dinner on Saturday. (The recipe actually made more than in picture, but by the time I grabbed my ipad to take a picture, everyone had already taken a plateful.)

This was super simple to make and so delicious.

After cutting up the chicken and marinating for a couple of hours according to the recipe, the rest of the meal took less 30 minutes to finish.

I served it with Basmati rice and fresh strawberries.

If you would like the recipe, I have included it in my Pinterest, or just click on the picture to go directly to the recipe found on the Tidy Mom blog.

So, what to do on a cold, snowy day like today...

I'm not a skier; too old for sledding down the hill; and basically, not a fan of shovelling! So, I did the only thing I could under the circumstances; I made some homemade Chicken Tortellini Soup...

...and homemade Oatmeal Bread....

Yummy...so good! Both were recipes I found on Pinterest and definitely keepers!

You can get both of the recipes by visiting my Recipes from the web that are keepers Pinterest board!

Stay warm CNYers!  The weather forecast is calling for more snow throughout the overnight!  Yikes!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup anyone?

Okay, so there is one good thing about winter in Central New York...the homenade soups, stews and other hearty meals that can stave off the winter chill!

Take for instance this soup that I made on Saturday from a recipe I found on the internet...

Life Made Sweeter is the author of this recipe and they also provide a video showing step by step how to make it.

The recipe is touted as being a copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli soup. I've never eaten at Olive Garden so I don't have a comparison, but this soup is absolutely delicious. Best of all, it is made in a slow cooker so after you do the prep work, you have the rest of the afternoon free to do other things. I love my slow cooker!

I made a couple of changes to the recipe. It calls for ground turkey, but I prefer ground round; I also didn't have any fennel seeds on hand so I just omitted them. I did add the balsamic vinegar which the recipe says is optional, but I didn't add any additional water as I was using it as a topping for some spaghetti squash that I also cooked for dinner.

I recommend this recipe for anyone who loves their vegetables.

You can get a copy of the recipe by clicking on the above picture...enjoy!

Central New York in the Winter...

Two days ago, the temperature was 40-50 degrees; no snow on the ground and almost early springlike weather.

Last night we get bombarded with freezing rain; sleet; and heavy, wet snow. Hopefully, my azaleas will not be affected by this sudden blast of cold weather.

54 days until it is officially Spring, but in Central New York that is no guarantee that this cold, snowy weather will come to an end; I am sure this will not be the last snowfall of the season!

I can't wait for the warmer weather, but until then, the freshly fallen snow sure looks pretty...from inside my home, that is!

Spaghetti Squash...

I have often heard people talk about spaghetti squash, but I never tried it...until this weekend.

Now I know not everyone is a vegetable person like me, but you really have to try it! I made a recipe I found on the internet using fresh cherry tomatoes, spinach and lemon juice & chicken:

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash

It was definitely a winner. Best of all, the spaghetti squash tastes great on its own as a side dish.

Since it is only available in the fall and winter, I will be buying a couple more and freezing small portions to enjoy this summer.

Give it a try...click on the picture to get the recipe on Buzz Feed.

Wow...look at my African Violet flower!

First, of all...I'm back. I hope everyone had a great holiday season.

We had a very busy Christmas holiday at my house. Two of my children were home for all the festivities and there was cooking and enough food to feed a small army! Unfortunately, three of us ended up with the flu, but all are well now.

A while back, I wrote about my new African Violet plants that I ordered from Lyndon Lyon Greenhouse. They have started blooming...just look at the size of the flowers on one plant. It is almost as big as the dark green leaves!

This one is called "Kristi's Spunk"; just beautiful with shades of purples, pinks and blues! What a wonderful way to brighten up my studio during the winter season.

Oh well, the holiday is over...time to get back to work!

For the chocolate chip cookie lover...

Have I got a recipe for you!

I am always looking through Pinterest for recipes that look like they might be worth trying. Recently, I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that called for two (2) packages of instant vanilla pudding. They were deemed to be the "best" by the person who posted the recipe online. So I sent the recipe to my son (who loves to bake) so that he could give it a try.

Last night he made a batch. The writer of the recipe is absolutely correct...these are by far the best!

You can find the recipe on Allrecipes...Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies!

African Violets...

..while somewhat temperamental, they are still one of my favorite plants. I decided to order four (4) more plants from Lyndon Lyon; a local African violet greenhouse.

To be honest, I had thought about travelling to pick out my own all summer long; but time was not on my side. I knew if I wanted to have some sent in the mail, I only had until November 15 without incurring extra shipping fees, so last week I put in my order and received them last Friday.

Aren't they wonderful? They will add a splash of color in my studio and also keep my orchid and Sabi Star Sahara Desert Gemini Rose plants company.

I have been rearranging my studio and my office to make them both easier to work in; still not quite finished, but getting closer to making my space cozy.

As part of the rearranging, I just added a sofa in my office so that I would have a get-away place to hang out while I crochet or knit. No one in my house understands, but anyone who does either crochet or knitting knows how annoying it is when someone interrupts your counting.

The sofa I picked out is a sleeper sofa so it will serve a dual purpose. It will make a great hang-out space when my daughter visits in December as well as give her a place to sleep at night.

By the way, my daughter should be impressed that the orchid plant is still alive and getting bigger. Yay!

"10"

I can't believe it...my grandson is now 10 years old!

We celebrated his birthday last Friday even though his birthday was actually this past Tuesday. I cooked a ham dinner and Uncle Steve baked a Bugs Bunny cake.

Here he is sporting his birthday hat just like the one that I made his Uncle Steve for his birthday!

    

He huffed and he puffed, and he blew the candle out!

Part of his birthday present was bedding and a rug to complete his Nascar bedroom. He can tell you the names of every Nascar driver...past and present.

Here he is happy as can be in his new "digs".

I know I have said it before, but I just love being a grandma!

Pumpkin Cookie recipe...

Fall is definitely in the air...

This morning was quite crisp when I walked my fur babies, but I actually prefer this time of year over the summer heat.

I just about have all my Halloween & Fall decorations out, but this past weekend, I decided I needed to crochet a pumpkin centerpiece from a pattern I fell in love with from one of the many catalogs I get everyday. I could wallpaper the town with all the catalogs I receive, but I just love looking through them for ideas. I plan to use my latest project right through Thanksgiving so I thought it would be worth the effort to crochet it.

When my project was finished, it looked kind of bare just sitting on my table. Not that I don't have a lot of decorations that I could have placed in the center, but to keep the Lawrence household happy, I decided I had to bake some pumpkin spice cookies using a recipe I found on Pinterest.

The recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen soft, cake-like cookies that are absolutely delicious. My family raved about them, however, I must say that they are still talking about the pumpkin coffee cake recipe I shared in my last blog. I might have to whip up another one this weekend.

However, even though they really liked the coffee cake, it looks like there is going to be a "fight" to get the last one of these cookies since they are just about gone.

The best part is that I only had to use half a small can of pumpkin for these cookies which leaves me with the other half to make a pumpkin bread recipe I found on Pinterest.

I love having a weekends-off diet!

If you would like the recipe for these melt-in-your-mouth cookies, click on the picture to be taken directly to the recipe from "The Recipe Critic".

Update on my Sabi Star Sahara Desert Gemini Rose...

So in May I ordered my plants from QVC and they are actually still alive! Yeah! The nights are getting colder so I decided it was time to bring them into my home under my Gro-Light.

According to the pamphlet enclosed with the plants, within 18 months they are supposed to look like this:

Here they are at 4 months:

Hmmm...18 months might be wishful thinking at this point, but they are growing. The one on the right is doing much better than the one on the left, but they were received with one doing better than the other.

Hopefully, being under the light will help them survive the winter months where sunlight is not always abundant here in upstate New York.

I am also pleased to report that the orchid plant my daughter gave me is still alive and sprouting new growth. It seems to be thriving in my kitchen most likely because of the humidity from cooking.

Just a couple more months before my daughter comes home to visit...stay strong little plant...stay strong!

Croissants...

I love the Fall with the colors of the leaves that make for some great pictures (by the way, the leaves in our area are still green). But best of all is the food. Hearty food that I normally would not make in the warm weather like soups; stews; pumpkin pie and apple pie. I froze some blueberries this summer that will make some great pies and cobblers.

I love from scratch homemade food but, have you tried the french croissants from QVC? I think I have already said that I love shopping on QVC (no they don't pay me for an endorsement); I just love the convenience of shopping online.

A couple of years ago, they had a TSV (Today's Special Value for those who don't shop there) that I just couldn't pass up. Authentic french croissants that arrive frozen and you pop in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. My family went crazy for them particularly my grandson. I have been buying them ever since.

Well, this morning I was wishing for some because I hadn't made them all summer. Here they are:

I didn't even bother to take the time to put them on the plate because they won't last long enough to make it worth it.  They are so good with a cup of hot tea!

Hopefully, it won't be long before I can share some pictures of the fall scenery and tempt everyone with some great cold weather recipes!

Another busy weekend has come and gone!

I'm almost finished with my Mr. Frank N. Stein; just need another day or two:

But I have to tell you about the cookie recipe I tried this weekend...Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies:

These are so soft and lemony; they actually melt in your mouth. They were very easy to make; however, I made a couple of substitutions.

The recipe called for organic all-purpose flour...I just used regular all-purpose flour. I didn't have any lemon oil and frankly with 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and 1-1/2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice, it was lemony emough for my taste. I also didn't use the yellow food coloring...I don't need an artificially-colored yellow cookie to figure out it is lemon flavored.

Other than that this is a cookie that anyone would be proud to serve; I think it will be included in my Christmas cookies this year.

Click on the picture if you would like the recipe from Wicked Good Kitchen.

A little cuteness overload...

for a hot, humid summer day.

      

We are expecting thunderstorms later today. Yeah...NOT!