Our St. Pat's Dinner and a Couple of Finishes...and a Model

If we're home, I like to make a dinner with corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes.  The best part is the Reubens the next day from the leftover corned beef.  (Although when our kids lived at home, often there wouldn't be enough leftovers for more than one sandwich.)

This year I made the corned beef in the crock pot with some beef broth, carrots, and onions.  I made colcannon (mashed potatoes with cooked shredded cabbage, lots of butter, milk, salt and pepper) and I tried making a new recipe of shortbread that incorporated some ground up oatmeal (in homage of my SIL's native Scotland).

The results were very good and we're looking forward to the Reuben sandwiches for tonight's dinner.

My friend came over the other day to stitch so, instead of working on the new model, I finished 2 French Hens and started 4 calling birds from the Prairie Schooler's 12 Days of Christmas leaflet.  I'm stitching these to be finished as ornaments and it's a sal theme in an ornament a month group.  (I was so close to finishing the calling birds that I finished them last night...will work intensively on the model from here on out.)

I don't think I posted about CCN releasing the last model I stitched...Lovebirds  It's a cute one and worked up quickly.

Happy stitching!

Beautiful Floss Giveaway at Victorian Motto Sampler Floss

Nancy's hosting another giveaway of some of her beautiful floss.  Details below:

Spring Flowers Collection Giveaway

Good luck and....

Happy stitching!

California Dreamin' and Pi Day

I just returned Monday night from a 2+ week visit to my DD's family to help out a bit with our sweet granddaughter while DSIL had some trips planned.  I got to pick her up early in the afternoons from day care and either took her to the nearby park or played with her at home.  I also did some kitchen help, ran errands, went to the grocery store, etc.  I stayed long enough (and DH flew in for) her 1st birthday party.  (We helped with the prep for that too.)  I made some play dough for the party.  While the kids enjoyed it, the "big kids" (adults) enjoyed it even more.  The party's theme was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and my DD made the cutest cake.

She's such a sweetie!  I got to see her first steps (walking independently) and DH taught her how to say "uh-oh!".

In the mornings, I would walk down their (steep, .6 mile) hill and over to a nearby park for a nice walk.  I saw deer, bunnies, and lots of birds there.  If you look carefully in the picture below, you can see a deer.

I didn't have time for much stitching but I managed to finish a couple of PS wips I brought with me.

It was really hard to leave (and I'm already thinking about my next visit there) but, I suppose, good to get home and back to "normal".  I have a new model to stitch that looks to be something I'll really enjoy stitching.

We celebrated Pi Day yesterday for dinner by having some of my DH's homemade pizza we'd frozen and a banana cream pie (with rum-soaked golden raisins and toasted almond slivers) that I made from a recipe of my late MIL.  (I'm going to have to do a lot more walking to make up for that meal!)

Happy stitching!