C is for cookie . . .

Today was the annual Junior League Luncheon. Since I'm a member I have to make cookies for the event. (Luckily, we have out-sourced the making of the chicken salad. I'll gladly pay for someone else to make that much chicken salad.) Each member has to make 7 dozen cookies for the event.

These little orange semi-circles were a big hit at the luncheon. Of course this is just the start of what they looked like.

Here's how they turned out. Little slices of oranges.

It's amazing what a little orange food coloring and orange flavored frosting and a bamboo skewer can do. I was really proud of these little bite-sized cookies. They were very good and very easy to make.

This next little one is a cookie I came up with a few years ago for the luncheon. It's a mint chocolate cookie. Tastes like a thin mint, without all the chocolate or Girl Scout packaging.

Here's the lonely little green mint cookie. Setting there all alone. No one to play with, not a single other cookie in sight.

But add a little chocolate ganache to our little green cookie friend and see what we come up with.

Lots of green mint chocolate cookies.

Lots and lots of green mint chocolate cookies. It's like an army of little imposter Girl Scouts lined up ready to be oohed and ahhed by little old ladies who want to have a tea party.

And I had to have at least one more type of cookie to take to the luncheon. My momma didn't raise any slackers when it came time to bake for any event. (Even Nancy has Mom make something when she needs a baked good.) These little things are Almond Snowdrops.

They maybe called Snowdrop cookies, but they look more like Snowballs. Kevin had a few right after they came out of the oven.

"These are great warm, can't you serve them straight from the oven?"

Yeah, Kevin and we will pass out the hot towels right after we serve these. I think he just wanted me to make more so he could eat this batch.

In the end I took 146 cookies that were taken to the luncheon. Of course some had to be taste tested before they were Junior League Luncheon ready, but Kevin and the kids are always ready to take one for the team.

Easter Outfits . . .

I'm not too sure how much longer the kids will let me take a group photo. Each year it gets tougher and tougher for them. I think they always look wonderful, but they are getting too cool for this kind of photo.

This was a photo from the first day of school in August of 2008. See Miller isn't too happy to have his picture taken.

First day of school this year. Malorie looks so excited to have her picture taken. I think I may have a theme with her. Of course Audrey is always smiling in every photo.

Malorie was complaining about being cold this morning. Audrey is wanting to smile, but knows we will be taking another photo because of Malorie's complaining. Miller is just looking up thinking what kind of sisters do I have.

And here is the final picture.

Great smile on Miller - check.

Smirk on Malorie's face - check.

Audrey showing her natural self - check.

Maybe next year I can get a decent photo of the kids all smiling.

I"ve been called out....

My friend Tanya checked out my website at Malorie's urging. She checked it out and was surprised on how little content I had put in lately. And needless to say it's horrible. I've been so bad about blogging on knitting, life and everything else. So now I'm going to try to be better.

On the knitting front I've finished a super cute pair of baby booties and will start on another pair here soon. The mommy-to-be loved them. She cried when she received my mom's quilt and my baby booties. (Hormones had something to do with it I'm sure.)

After the booties I might start working with T-shirt yarn again. God knows we have a ton of T-shirts that need to be recycled.

Soon I will have pictures of the booties up and a link to the super cute pattern.

And now I've updated my blog Tanya. So there!

One slipper down, another one to go.

I'm almost finished with Miller's slippers for Christmas. It has taken me looking at several patterns, but I finally came up with my own. It's been kind of hard seeing if the slipper fits and him not figuring out it's for him. I have started telling him that they are for the church sale. I've even pulled a foot out from under his covers to see if the size is correct. This is somewhat worrisome, that kid didn't even move a muscle when I pulled on his leg. I hope no one tries breaking in, he wouldn't flinch.

I'm planning on slippers for Audrey, but am not totally for sure with the whole idea. Frankly I'm getting tired of the Magic Cast-On. I may make some wrist warmers for her. That's going to be what I make for Malorie also. Her feet are growing so fast that I can't even keep up with slippers for her. Thursday at basketball the coaches measured her and she was 5'0". She then proceeded to brag about it at home. "I've only got 6 more inches until I'm as tall as you, Mommy." Hate to break it to her, but she's not gonna get there. I won't allow even if she could. I'm not ready for her to get any bigger. I'll start slipping coffee into her orange juice. She'll never know the difference.

Work on Halloween costumes will be easy this year. Audrey wants to be a rock star and Miller wants to be a punk. I think he only wants this because he is under the assumption that only punks have spiked hair. He really wants his hair spiked up. (You can so tell he lives in a household of mainly women. He cares about his hair.) So for their costumes I just have to pull together a few items we have around the house and we will be done. I think this will be the cheapest costume year ever! Why couldn't the kids want to be something so easy and cheap when we were always broke.

Can't I get anything done?

Oh my, 6 months and no blogging. Horrible just, horrible. We did have a busy end of the school year and a summer that just flew by, but 6 months. OUCH! I've been working on very few projects. Nothing seems to hold my interest in knitting. I think I may start on some slippers for the kids at Christmas, but won't completely guarantee it will happen.

This is the yarn I can 't seem to figure out a pattern for. It's sock yarn, but I just don't want to knit socks out of it. I like the colorway and the self striping of the yarn. No single pattern is calling to me. I did the above with at cast-on of 38 on my favorite size 6 needles. Super easy pattern of k1, *yo, k2tog* 8 times, k4, *ssk, yo*, 8 times, k1. But I didn't like the lie of the end, so I ripped it out. I may start this over again, but stockinette the first 2 rows and then start with the pattern again.

I am working on a sweater for myself, but it is taking me a while to work on it. I am modifying it somewhat. This is the pattern, http://mamallamaknits.com/cardi4.pdf. It is a cropped cardigan, but I want to make it full length. This is the short version. Now imagine mine with a long torso and sleeves. Plus it will be blue.

Now I need to get working on something and actually finish it. I'm so tired of starting things, ripping them out and starting again. I need some closure.

Knitting, Surfing, Blogging, Folding... My Life in a Nutshell

Slowly but surely I'm finishing the baby sweater. Nothing seems to be keeping me interested in my knitting. Maybe it's spring fever, or that I haven't finished anything since Kevin's cowl. I might just have to do a little itty-bitty project to actually finish something.

I've been checking out some different blogs and now I am totally enamoured with The Pioneer Woman. If only I could live like this in the country, homeschooling my kids (But that would totally hinder the education and development of my kids! I know my strengths and I just couldn't get MY kids to do lessons with me.) and cook the yummy stuff she does.

I guess I should go and fold some clothes. The poor kids are without socks and had to dig for them today.

Busy Times, Busy Times

Ooooo, I've been a bad, bad blogger! December was the last time I blogged. Horrible, just horrible. I've done a little knitting, but it seems we've been extra busy at the Unruh house. Between basketball practices and games, my volleyball games, short trips to watch wrestling and volunteer meetings and church there hasn't been a ton of time to blog.

I did finish Kevin's cowl on our way to Colorado to ski. It was super easy. I didn't have a pattern. Just size 10 circs and chunky yarn. Kevin loved it. He said it was really warm and he is even wearing it on the train when it is cold. Here Kevin and Miller are at the slopes with Kevin keeping his neck warm and stylish. The hat isn't my work. Those Nike people make a good ski cap for Kevin's bald head and he really likes it.


Right now I'm working on another baby item. The Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono is getting done again along with a pair of booties for my friend Susie who just had a baby girl. These babies keep cropping up out of nowhere. It makes me wonder where they come from!