Infinity scarf

I find so many beautiful infinity scarf patterns, I want to make them all! I figured after making so many things for other people, I would make myself something! I picked one of the lovely infinity scarf patterns I had collected.

I think this stitch looks so intricate and fancy but it was super simple to do! 

You can find the pattern here.

This scarf works up in no time!

Christmas Gifts!

These are a couple of the Christmas gifts I made this year. Now that Christmas is over and I won't ruin the surprise, I can post them!

Here are some stars to hang on the tree.

Here is a lovely infinity scarf. I love the houndstooth pattern!!

Here is a fun fox hat.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that this new year will be filled with joy and laughter!

Toddler Cowl Scarf

I've been wanting to make a scarf for my daughter for awhile, and since I'm finished making Christmas presents, I was able to finally make one!

I happened to have some lavender bulky yarn sitting in my yarn stash to use.

 I used a 9mm hook and chained 40. Make a loop by slip stiching to the first stitch being careful not to twist it. Chain 2 (counts as double crochet). Then double crochet in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch. Repeat for a total of 9 rounds.

You will end up with a rectangular block. This is super simple to make and works up very quickly.

Cheesy ham and potatoes

Here is a recipe I use when I buy a big smoked ham and have leftovers to use up.

The original recipe doesn't have the extra veggies in it, but I love veggies with cheese sauce so I figured they'd taste great added in. I had a frozen mix with brussel sprouts. Brussel sprouts are extra yummy with cheese sauce! But you can use any frozen veggie mix you have on hand.

I steam the frozen veggies and add them in at the end.

 

6 cups potatoes (peeled and diced)

2 cups cooked ham (cubed)

1 small onion (chopped)

2 Tbsp butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup flour

1 cup water

1 cup milk

 

Boil potatoes until fork tender. In a large dutch oven or heavy pan sauté onion in butter and oil until translucent. Add flour and seasonings and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze slowly with water while whisking. Then slowly add the milk while stirring. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Add ham and cook for a minute to warm ham. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Add the potatoes after draining them. Add veggie mixture if desired.

DIY Pumpkin Purée

Last time I made my own pumpkin purée, I peeled the pumpkin, chopped it up and boiled it, then purred it. It was so tedius that I never wanted to do it again! 

But I found a new method, that makes it so much easier! It's so much cheaper to make your own pumpkin purée then buying canned pumpkin. If you know a farmer that has a big garden and plants pumpkins, I can almost garantee you that you can ask for a free pumpkin. My step-mother plants pumpkins every year and so many grow that she has a hard time giving them all away!

To make your own pumpkin purée, follow these easy steps.

First, wash your pumpkin to remove any dirt/mud.

Then cut the pumpkin in half.

Then remove the seeds and scrape out all the stringy bits with a metal spoon. Place pumpkin cut side down in a roasting pan. Fill pan with a couple cups of water. 

My pumpkin was so big I could not fit both halves in the same roasting pan.

Bake pumpkin in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes until pumpkin is tender. 

Scrape out pumpkin flesh and purée in a food processor or blender.

Freeze purée in the amounts of your choosing. Keep in freezer for up to 12 months. Thaw and use in your favorite pumpkin recipes as needed!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

I had bought some zucchini for a new recipe I wanted to try, but didn't end up getting around to it. I didn't want the zucchini to go to waste, so decided to try a zucchini cookie recipe.

The batter seemed a little crumbly to me, I was worried they wouldn't work out, but they ended up being delicious! 

The cinnamon adds a bit of a warm taste, making these cookies perfect for this fall weather!

Ingredients:

1 cup, butter

2 cup, granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

4 cup, all purpose flour

2 tsp, baking soda
2 tsp, ground cinnamon
1 tsp, salt
2 small zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
2 cup, semi-sweet choc chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt gradually, mix well. Stir in zucchini. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon unto cookie sheet with 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let stand 2-3 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely.

Cheddar Ham Soup

In an attemp to save money, I bought a 2kg smoked ham and tried to make as many meals out of it as possible.

Here was one of them...

Cheddar Ham Soup

2 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups water

1/2 cup slices carrots

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

In large saucepan, combine potatoes, water, carrots, and onion. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 mins or until tender.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Slowly add milk, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir into undrained potatoe mixture. Add ham and peas, heat through.

Really easy and quick to make. 

With that ham I was able to make a total of 6 suppers and enough leftovers from each meal for my husband to take to work for lunch the next day. I made 2 soups, each of which had enough leftovers for lunch for my daughter and myself as well as my husband! The other soup was the crockpot corn chowder I blogged about early.

One of the recipes I used was for ham and cheddar pockets and that gave me enough leftovers to freeze for 4 lunches for my husband. You can find that recipe here. I also added chopped green onions to this. Serve with salad or side of veggies!

  So in total, one 2kg ham made 6 suppers, and 13 lunches. For around $17 for the ham, I'd say that was pretty good bang for my buck!