A Crafty Yarn

While delicious, the tiramisu did not change Keressa's mind...she's moving back home. :-( I'm gonna miss her but I'm glad she's doing what will make her happy.  We had a girls night for her last night in town...our whole shift got the night off work which is damn near impossible with a group of dispatchers! There was wine! :-)  There was not a corkscrew...but there was wine...and many, many shots...

One of my favorite people in the world, who happens to be a coworker, really loves tiramisu.  She'll be leaving us soon so I thought I'd ply her with her favorite treats to make her want to stay! This was my first attempt at tiramisu...It WILL be happening again!  Easy to make and absolutely delicious!  Tiramisu 4 large eggs, separated 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 16 ounces mascarpone cheese 1-1/2 cups brewed coffee 1/2 cup dark rum ( I used The Kracken ...because it's amazing!) 40 store-bought ladyfingers 1 cup heavy cream cocoa powder bittersweet chocolate In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in mascarpone until incorporated. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold in beaten egg whites into mascarpone mixture. In a small bowl combine coffee and rum. Dip ladyfingers into coffee-rum mixture and lay in rows in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch dish. Spread half of the mascarpone cream on top. Make one more layer ...

My attempt at beef jerky...with questionable success :-) I looked at about a dozen recipes for beef jerky and I wound up combining the 2 that I thought would most appeal to us. One roast called for bottom round roast and the other called for a tri-tip roast. A standard in jerky making is that you want the least amount of fat possible so once I cut into the tri-tip (on the right) I was surprised at how much marbling there was. I mixed the marinade recipe, added the meat and poured it all into a bag...I put it in the fridge and flipped the bag every few hours. After 24 hours of marinating I put a single layer, well spaced apart, on the dehydrator trays. The manual said that it could take up to 2 days but mine was done after only 20 hours...slightly over done actually. The flavor is really good...not quite what I was going for but I'll try a different recipe next time. Also, the tri-tip was much too fatty for long term storage. If I were making this jerky to store I would de...

During the past year, and especially the past several months, my focus has been on what to do with the rest of my life and what state/city I plan to do it in. I've considered Seattle and Minneapolis since I would have family in both. When it comes right down to it though I have lived in Arkansas for longer than I've ever lived anywhere else and the thought of leaving here makes me very anxious.  The lease at this house will be up in April and I'll be looking for a new place to rent. It has served its purpose as a place of transition but I'm ready for a place that has a washer and dryer and a bit more space. It's exciting to think of moving into a place with a few more conveniences and one in which I haven't gone through such massive upheavals as I have in this one.  The only thing is...I'm so damn tired of moving! When I was in Wisconsin my mom and I tallied up the times we've moved and my count is over 50. I've lived in 21 different houses in Wis...

Capricorn Horoscope Nov. 5, 2011 Tremendous internal changes, intense effort, relentless determination, compulsive and irrational drives, and strong assertion of your will are the key issues during this time period. This is a difficult time period when you want to make intense changes. This transit can last for a number of weeks.

I’ve always been intimidated by bread making. I’ve made plenty of muffins and quick breads but when it came to anything that required yeast I wouldn’t try it.  However, thanks to my new addiction to Pinterest, I saw these jalapeno cheddar rolls and had to give it a shot! This is what it looked like while I was waiting for it to raise...nerve wracking I tell you!! And this is what they looked like when they were done! Not afraid to say that I'm pretty proud of myself! http:/8

I’m addicted to Pinterest! If you haven’t seen it, check it out: Pinterest   It’s essentially a group of personalized bulletin boards… a great way to keep track of the things that interest you on the internet. Everything from articles and videos to recipes and jokes can be pinned. It’s also a great way to see what inspires your friends!  Anyway, it was from Pinterest that I got the idea to make a wine cork jewelry holder. I reused a picture frame and wine corks that I already had so it cost nothing at all. The picture frame was gold. I covered it in black paint and distressed the edges when it was dry. I removed the glass, covered the cardboard backing with textured cardstock, and hot glued the corks to it. I think it’s pretty cool!