One Kernel at a Time

The never-ending diet.....

2012-02-05T19:07:00.003-05:00

So, for most of my adult life, I have tried one diet or another. Many times the weight loss was dramatic, but the lifestyle did not change, and the weight gain was traumatic. Now, at 57 years old, I'm thinking that, even though I am not unhappy about my weight or the way I look, I am not happy about my lack of mobility. I want to be able to walk more easily, and to keep up, or at least pretend I can keep up, with my grandchildren.

Well, what am I going to do this time? I don't know for sure. I will not commit to saying I'm going to follow this diet or that diet. But I have been looking around the web for some easy to make recipes that might just be healthier and consequently lead to some weight loss. To that end, I will share what I find with my readers. If you have a site you like, please leave me a comment about it. Maybe two heads will be better than this one and I can make a dent in this weight battle :)

Here is the first site I'm excited about. Emily Bites is a blog where the author has retooled recipes to work with Weight Watcher's point system. Click on the button and have a look around.

Pincushion giveaway

2012-01-13T08:10:00.000-05:00

Susan is having a giveaway and wants you to join! It's easy to do. Just visit and leave a comment to enter. You can find the contest here!

Heads up!

2011-08-31T21:24:00.002-04:00

Sew Beautiful magazine has some of the best and easiest to follow tutorial videos. I hope you can learn something new. I know I have! What an easy way to accessorize. I have tons of those pony holder bands and stacks of scrap fabric. I'm so ready to make these :)

Click on the link to visit the Sew Beautiful website.

Rickety, rickety rocket...what have I got in my pocket?

2011-08-31T21:17:00.000-04:00

What a great idea this is! I've recently purchased a Brother SE400 emroidery machine, and I think this project wil give me a good reason to practice using it. I'm also in the process of making dresses and blouses for my 8-year-old granddaughter....a secret pocket sounds just right for her!

And what about using this technique to add a pocket to the inside of a purse or backpack? No zipper! Leave me a comment with suggestions of how you would use a secret pocket. Hope you enjoy :)

Really nice trim to make

2010-12-29T11:59:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this when viewing another video. I really like the way the trim looks at the bottom of the dress, so thought I would share :) Hope you like it, too!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

A wintery giveaway

2010-12-11T10:19:00.001-05:00

Isn't this the cutest snowman? You could win this in the giveaway at By Your Hands blog. I visited for the first time today and enjoyed looking around. There is also a button on the right to go to the site. Get your entry in!

Free postcards for our troops

2010-12-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

Since 2006, Xerox Corporation has provided free postcards for our troops overseas. The cards were designed by children, and they are printed and shipped by Xerox. All you need do is visit this site to chose your card and place your message.

Please take a few moments to visit and send a card to make a soldier feel loved and appreciated this holiday season!

Favorite sites - Tipnut

2010-11-01T18:43:00.000-04:00

I've decide I will periodically do a post of my favorite sites. This time it is Tipnut, a wonderful site full of tips and links to some great things. Today I followed their link to some vintage kitchen prayers, recipes and stories. The following is one of my favorites:

How To Bake A Cake: Charming Recipe Story

You’ll find this popular recipe story in a variety of old cookbooks. That Johnny, he’s a busy boy!

■   Heat oven. Grease pan. Crack nuts. Get your bowl, spoons and ingredients. Remove 18 blocks and 7 toy automobiles from kitchen table. Measure 2 cups flour onto piece of waxed paper. Get sifter out of cabinet. Remove Johnny’s hand from flour. Wash flour off him.

■   Measure out 1 cup more flour to replace what is now on floor. Put 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt in the sifter. Get dustpan and brush up pieces of bowl which Johnny has accidentally knocked off table.

■   Get another bowl. Measure and sift ingredients. With spoon work 1/4 cup of shortening against side of bowl. Answer doorbell. Return to kitchen. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening off him. Add one cup granulated sugar gradually. Answer telephone. Return to kitchen. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening and sugar off him.

■   Get out an egg. Answer doorbell. Return to kitchen. Mop up floor. Change Johnny’s shoes which are all eggy. Get another egg. Beat. Remove toy automobile from bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with egg, 3/4 cup milk and one tsp. vanilla. Answer knock at back door. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening, sugar, flour, milk and vanilla off him. Beat…mixture that is…Take up greased pan, find it has 1/4 inch layer of salt in bottom. Look for Johnny, who has disappeared.

■   Get another pan and grease it. Answer telephone. Return to kitchen and find, of all people, Johnny. Remove his hands from bowl. Wash shortening etc., etc., off him. Take up greased pan; find it has 1/4 inch of nutshells in it. Head for Johnny, who flees, knocking bowl off table.

■   Wash kitchen floor. Wash kitchen table. Wash kitchen walls. Wash dishes. Call up your baker and order a cake. Lie down…

......Author Unknown

Sew challenging

2010-11-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

Like many sewers (when did that become a word instead of seamtress or tailor?) I have a plethora of fabric, notions, beautifully colored threads, patterns and unfinished projects. I went back to some of the oldest projects and decided to begin there and move forward. I bought the fabrics for these stuffed animals (along with the pattern) back in 2001. Yes, you read that right....2001! I am hanging my head in shame....trust me :) The animals have long flat arms so they can be tied around each other in a hug.

The puppies were sent to one of my grandsons, and one set of bunnies was sent to a co-worker's daughter. The other set is waiting to tell me where they want to go.

Kai's puppies

Pink and blue with stars bunnies

Ember's bunnies

Humor break!

2010-10-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

Survey time....

2010-09-19T14:59:00.002-04:00

Please click here to complete a one-question survey on privacy.

Please click here to complete a brief survey on "salty" language.

These surveys were created by me as a result of a disccusion I as having with one of my sons. They are anonymous, so please be as honest as you can on the short essay portion.
I appreciate the time anyone takes to complete these surveys. Feel free to leave comments here on the blog if you have questions or elaborations :)

DIY Dish is back!

2010-09-19T00:20:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite web shows is now entering their second season....the DIY Dish with Kris and Kim! Here is their first episode of the second season.

Be sure to visit their blog to enter the giveaway!

My best model

2010-08-22T23:34:00.000-04:00

My daughter-in-law sent me a picture of my grandson, Kai, modeling his new outfit from grandma. I just love it :)

Keeping cool!

Officially a Gleek!

2010-08-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

I've become a true Gleek...a rabid viewer of the TV phenom "Glee". Yes, I'm a grandmother and this is essentially a show about high school kids trying to feel less a geek than others, but I'm hooked. The music (yes, there's lot of music!) is great. The glee club in the show consists of a kid in a wheelchair, a girl who likes to dress a bit on the goth side and stutters, the football captain, his best bud, three cheerleaders, a couple of pop-lock dancers, a gay guy, an overweight gal, and the ingenue who has aspired to a life in showbiz since infancy.

The director of the glee club is the Spanish teacher, who attended the high school as a student and now relishes teaching. He was a part of the glee club when he was younger and aspires to bring glory back to the school. He truly cares about the kids.

His nemisis is the cheerleading coach, who thwarts his every move to improve the glee club, lest she lose any funds for her cheerleaders.

I have probably oversimplified here, but I love this show. One episode had Mr. Shuester (the glee club director) trying out for the same part as his old rival from high school (played by Neil Patrick Harris). They end up doing a superb duet of Aerosmith's "Dream On". Fantastic!!

I've put several of the songs from this show into my playlist here. The show is currently in reruns, and you can catch the previous five episodes on Hulu for free.

Finally completed a project!

2010-08-14T19:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I managed to step away from Facebook long enough to complete something. I had once made a very small (about 18"x 18") knit blanket for one of my grandsons. He turned out to not really be into blankies, but his newest brother is. Brenley loves to rub his face with the blankie when he goes to sleep, so they call it his "face blankie". I received a phone call about 11 pm on a Friday night two weeks ago. My daughter-in-law said it was an emergency. When I finished with the "who's hurt? what's wrong?" panic, she told me they lost Brenley's face blankie. Horrors! So, I had to make a new one. This one is a tad longer instead of square. But I think he'll like it.

Brenley with first blankie

New blankie

While I was at it, I had begun some summer shorts rompers for his brother, Kai. I decided they should be finished and sent at the same time so they both got something. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I know I feel good that they are finished!

Kai's rompers

Got to get off of Facebook!

2010-08-09T00:40:00.000-04:00

It's been forever since I've posted on this blog. And I can tell you in one word why....FACEBOOK. Ever since a friend told me about the games, it's been a downhill spiral. I find I've just about given up any other hobbies I have. It's a sickness, I tell you! Another friend asked what the draw of games like Farmville is. I couldn't answer. I walk away from that game and am always drawn back as soon as they offer something new, which is every single week! I know when I began to play, it was a creative outlet. I enjoyed arranging my farm and my little YoVille apartment. Then it was time to expand, move into a better house, etc. Along with that came more "things" to decorate with. And, of course, to be able to afford everything, you had to visit your friends/neighbors. This led to becoming Facebook "friends" with complete strangers, all in the name of having enough neighbors to upgrade/expand/make more at the factory.

I've been able to effectively give up YoVille. That is, as long as they don't create more levels :) Now it's FrontierVille. I actually enjoy this game. It's more interactive than the others. You have to complete quests to continue on. There's still a raft of neighbors, again, mostly people I don't even know...but this game is appealing to me more than the farm.

I suppose the fact that I work at home and am at the computer all day contributes to this Facebook craze. But I need to turn it off and get back to my sewing/knitting/crocheting/reading/fill in the blank that I have ignored for waaaaay too long.

Yes, I know one of the last posts I made here was about Facebook, but that should tell you all something :) It's an addiction that I, personally, want to get control of. So, wish me luck! And if you see me on the farm, just wave and pretend you don't know me.....because you probably don't :)

Winter holiday recipes....

2009-11-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

The autumn is upon us, and winter will be right on its heels. So, for all the parties, gift-giving and special get-togethers, I'm going to begin posting recipes here and there. I hope you enjoy them! Let's start with a nice cheese ball. If you don't use the products listed, I'm sure you can improvise with your own brands.

2 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia® Cream Cheese, softened
1 package (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Miracle Whip® salad dressing
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, blend all cheeses with the salad dressing. Add onions and pepper, mix well. Refrigerate several hours.

Shape as desired, then roll shaped cheese in chopped pecans. Serve with your choice of crackers or crusty bread pieces.

Prep time is approximately 15 minutes (not including refrigeration time). Makes about 3 1/2 cups cheese spread. One serving = 2 Tablespoons, approximately 30 servings per batch.

Serving suggestion: Shape like a football, use slices of pimento to create the laces on top and serve up at your Sunday get-together to root for your favorite team!

Do you "Facebook"?

2009-10-31T21:59:00.000-04:00

The ultimate social interaction known as Facebook. Do you belong? Are you addicted? Is it your ultimate gamespot?

I will say that I got reaquanted with some long ago schoolmates, and that's a good thing. But the games can be time-consuming...to put it mildly. I feel like my life has been taken over by visits to fellow YoVillians; hours spent on the farm harvesting, plowing, planting and visiting neighbor's crops; more time making sure my Island Paradise is intact and the animals are milked, eggs are collected and the fruit picked; and lest I forget, the chef duties at Cafe World. There's Country Life, Animal Farm, Roller Coaster Kingdom, Vegas Slots, Lucky Slots, Lexelous, and a miriad of titles from MindJolt.

Sure, you may say "why play all those games?" Well, the addictive nature of the games, along with my propensity to overdo just about anything I enjoy is a match made in heaven for Facebook and their advertisers. While I've been able to ignore the advertising thus far, it's only a matter of time before they creep silently into my brain.

So, why stay? You tell me, and we'll both know :) In the meantime, if you'll excuse me, I have crops to tend to and baked goods to get out of the ovens before they burn. How else will I be able to afford the Cape Cod house? :)

Drop by sometime....but remember to sign up for my crew!

Westward IV....I can't wait!

2009-10-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

Fans of the Sandlot Games' Westward, Westward II and Westward III are all excitedly awaiting the release of the fourth game in this series. The screenshots and trailers show the promise of yet another great game from Sandlot. I, for one, can't wait!

For those not familiar with the Westward series, please visit Sandlot Games and see what you've been missing!

Building towns in the old west and fighting bandits was never so much fun :)

Soup's on!

2009-10-31T20:24:00.000-04:00

I received my package of goodies the other day from MyBlogSpark. If you recall, I'm going to try some Progesso® High Fiber soup. I received the Chicken Tuscany, and I'm excited to try it. The calorie count is wonderful...130 calories per serving, with two servings per can (serving size is about 1 cup). Only 25 calories from fat, and 0 transfat. With 7 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of protein, this soup will be good for my needs. The only drawback I see is the somewhat high sodium mark...690 mg, which is 29% of the recommended daily value.

Part of my package was two large soup mugs and soup spoons. I'd like to offer one set to a reader of this blog. Simply put a comment on this post letting me know if you have ever tried Progesso® soups. The giveaway will be closed on Friday, November 6, 2009. The winner will be chosen by random generator from all eligible comments.

I'll be posting in the next day or two my thoughts on the taste of the Progresso® Chicken Tuscany High Fiber soup!

Calling all quilters!

2009-10-31T20:03:00.000-04:00

Patterns by Sandra is hosting a mystery quilt. New sections of the pattern will be added monthly (mid-month), but the previous month will be taken down. The first part of the pattern was in my email today, so be sure to check each month! You can sign up for Sandra's free newsletter and be reminded so you don't miss anything for this great quilt. Check it out!

While you are at Sandra's site, be sure to look over all the great bag patterns. I'm fond of making bags, so I enjoy it all :)

Where has the time gone?

2009-10-10T01:58:00.000-04:00

Alot has happened in the last year and a half.. My darling grandson Jaiden passed away at the age of 13 months (September 07), my father passed away (April 09) and my daughter was diagnosed with thyroid cancer (June 09). She had surgery two days ago to remove the thyroid, and they found the cancer had spread to her trachea, so they removed part of that, also. My daughter is all of 33. She is too young to have to think about cancer. Hell, for that matter, I'm too young to think about one of my children having cancer.

On a positive note, the memorial we attended for my father wasn't until June 09, but it was in St. Louis MO and was given my his siblings. I haven't seen them for over 30 years. It was a mixed bag of emotions. They had a great itinerary set up for our visit (all four of my siblings were there with me). My aunt, who happens to be quite renowned in the world of genealogy, created a lovely book about the history of our family through my father's generation. We studied it and had a "Jeopardy" style game to see what we learned. My team won :)

They also took us on a fabulous trip to Marion IL to see where our father grew up. We did a nice walking tour of their neighborhood while my uncle narrated about the different places they played and the people they knew. We also went to a museum, which was opened especially for us on a Sunday, and got to see the actual tables and chairs from Snedden's Soda shop, where our father had his first job. The curator even let us go into the roped area and sit at one of the tables to have our picture taken! I felt like such a celebrity :)

The museum was the former home of the jailhouse. It was built in 1901, and was used as a jail until 1975. The front of the building is where the sheriff and his family lived, while the back was the actual jail. The cells were quite small, yet housed four prisoners each. The walls were covered in graffiti from the very prisoners who were incarcerated there. Most of them were only in their late teens, early twenties. To say the least, it was strange but exciting to "feel" the presence of those from the past.

I am now excited to announce I will be a grandmother once again...#9! We know it's another boy (my poor Emily is so outnumbered). I can't wait to see him....late January, early February. I've chosen January 31 as his birthdate because my daughter-in-law had both of her other children on the last day of their birth months. Sounds like a trend to me :)

MyBlogSpark...it's sizzlin'

2009-10-10T01:42:00.001-04:00

So, during my random travels among the web's blogs, I stumbled upon MyBlogSpark. Being the inquisitive type, I clicked to find out just what is is. Quoted from their website:

"MyBlogSpark™ is a fun and exciting group of bloggers that have access to review new products and services and participate in exciting giveaways, surveys and events. The network provides “Sparks” of information directly to its members from some of the best known consumer brands in the country. "

I'm excited to say that I joined and will now be able to bring fun contests, with prizes, to my blog readers. The first will be courtesy of Progresso® High Fiber Soups. I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of my sample and prize pack so I may write a review of the product. Be sure to check back for details of the giveaway. It's starting to cool down in many areas, and soup is a great way to keep warm!

A community for everything!

2009-08-31T12:39:00.002-04:00

I've known about Ravelry for some time now. I even joined because I knit and crochet (I'm carla109). But I had no idea there was a community for people who like to cook! The Mixing Bowl is free to join, and it's full of recipes from folks just like you and me. Bon apetit!

Ooooh! If you could see inside my package!

2008-02-14T17:54:00.003-05:00

My cocoa swap package has arrived! And what a fun package it is. I'm sorry I don't have a camera, but let me put my descriptive skills to the test :) First of all, my buddy has not arrived, yet. My partner, Debbie W told me it is coming in a second box, along with some potato chips! She was so thoughtful in putting this package together. Let's begin!

First, because I cannot have sugar, Debbie sent a wonderful canister of sugar free Manehim Steamroller Cinamon Hot Cocoa! My grandson and I have already tried it......and it's so smooth and delicious. If you have never had, do try it. The cinamon gives just a touch of added kick. I would never have thought to mix the two.

Now, I asked Debbie not to go to any trouble trying to find sugar free cocoa, because I have family here that would enjoy whatever she sent. Let me tell you....my daughter is in heaven! Debbie included a canister of Giradelli Double Chocolate hot cocoa and four packets of Land O'Lakes in various flavors. They are mint, caramel, butterscotch and raspberry! I'm drooling just thinking about those lucious flavors!

To feed my knitting soul and my desire to learn to knit socks, I was happy to find not one, but three balls of sock yarn and a set of Knit Picks Harmony wooden DPNs! The sock yarn is a ball of Opal, but the label is in German, so I'll have to describe it to you. I imagine it will stripe as I knit in the lovely colors of aqua, gold, pale red, soft green, black and white. The other two balls are Fortissima Colori Socka Color. They are the prettiest shades of greens and blues, with a touch of white. I found a page that shows my color...it's 9047 Monterrey from the Mexiko Safari Colors.

Debbie also included items from her state of Montana. There is a scrumptious looking jar of Wild Huckleberry preserves and the most fragrant bar of goat's milk soap.

I also received a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle that is a beautiful picture of a sunny beach, complete with white sand, bluegreen water and palm trees. Nice warm thoughts for a chilly winter's day!

I can't thank Debbie enough for making this such a memorable swap for me. I have only ever participated in one other swap, and this will certainly spur me on to do more!

2008!

2008-01-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that not only are we in a new year, but we have almost completed the first decade of this century! I was always amazed that my grandmother had been born just before the turn of the last century. Now I have grandchildren who will be able to amaze their grandchildren with turn-of-the-century stories. I love the circle of life :)

Sign-ups for the hot cocoa swap are now closed. I hope you all got in! This is going to be a fun exchange.

I'm involved in a character building exercise (CBE) on the Knit and Chat froum on Delphi. The omniscient Stashie has decreed there will be no yarn buing, no pattern buying or printing, no needle buying and no other knitting related buying until February 14th. All projects will be made from exisiting materials, but only after completing at least one of our PIGS (projects in grocery sacks)! Well, this will only hurt a little bit, right? :)

We're having a boy!

2007-12-22T18:10:00.001-05:00

There was no doubt about it....the ultrasound showed a baby boy! And all four chambers of his heart were visible, so that worry is over. Now the hard part....waiting for him to be born! He is due May 10th, which seems so far away :)

Whatever will be, will be

2007-12-20T09:30:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting word from my son and daughter-in-law on the outcome of today's ultrasound. Their first child had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and sadly passed away just three months ago at the age of 13 months. Today's ultrasound should be able to show all four chambers of a healthy heart. I know you are listening, Lord. Hopefully, we will also find out if it's a boy or a girl. Stay tuned!

And now for some knitting...

2007-12-10T14:19:00.000-05:00

As I searched for a picture to use as a button for my brand new blog, I came across this awesome knit wonder! It's called the organic popcorn hat. Now, I'm sure it's a hat and mittens, but it looks so cool the way they have it set up.

Speaking of knitting....here's what is currently on my needles. A doubleknit potholder for my aunt in yellow and white cotton. This is my first attempt at double knitting. A biscuit blanket in dark green Lion cotton for a holiday exchange I'm in. A baby blanket in yellow Softee chunky. And various dishcloths from KALs.

I also have a crocheted cloth in progress in an earthtones ombre.

Eventually, I hope to have a digital camera so I can share pictures of my finished work. For now, you'll have to read and use your imagination!

I took the plunge

2007-12-10T10:24:00.001-05:00

Blogging....how long has it been around now? I've never been a trendsetter nor a trend follower. So why am I blogging now? Well, I want to join a hot cocoa exchange, and this is a requirement. So be it! Besides, it might be nice to have a place to kvetch when I feel like it.

The name of this blog refers to my children.....four of them. When they were young, they would argue over who was eating more popcorn than whom. I solved that by telling them they could eat only one kernel at a time. For some reason, it worked. It occurs to me that life can be taken in the same way....one kernel at a time.

Enjoy!