Yeah I finished one of the Jaywalkers a while back. I'm working on the 2nd one. I find it's hard to take a good picture of socks on your feet. Is there some kind of trick to this?
On a side note, the snot came back.
This time it is attacking Chris too. Here's to hoping this Zicam shit works. Serious-ly. We went to the mall today and I didn't buy ANYTHING. I must be sick.
Posted by jen at 04:37 PM |Comments (1)
Yes, the delightful potato chip cookie. It sounds weird, but when you take that first buttery, crunchy, slightly salty, sweet bite, you will be hooked!
I use UTZ potato chips, but you could probably use any thin chip. My mom and aunt have been making these since I can remember!
Preheat oven to 350
Cream butter in mixer. Add sugar, egg and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Add flour one tablespoon at a time until just combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Fold in potato chips by hand with spatula or wooden spoon.
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake approx. 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a minute or two before removing to rack to cool, or they will crumble.
I had to make two batches because the first batch didn't come out right, so good luck! I have no idea how many cookies this makes. I think about 24. They're really good.
Let me know if you make them and how you like them.
:)
Posted by jen at 11:09 PM |Comments (4)
While I wasn't putting the Christ back in Christmas...
I baked cookies (potato chip, russian tea cakes (?), chocolate and butterscotch chip, spritz) and made cream puffs for my mom.
I became deathly afraid and paranoid of the stomach virus going around, thereby washing my hands 20 times a day.
I went to my mom's for Christmas Eve where I got: Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, Cash, gift cards and underware from my family.
Chris and I slept in my old bedroom (now my nephew's bedroom) and I thought it was weird.
We exchanged gifts and Chris got me an ipod dock with speakers for the kitchen because I really like to listen to music when I cook. He also got me a bag for work since I've been complaining that I want one for a while. We're going to also purchase a gift together - a new digital camera. I got him some manly face stuff from Kiehls, a laser level, and books.
We spent Christmas day with Chris's parents and had a huge breakfast and watched six of our 9 neices and nephews on his side open gifts. There were minimal tears from the kids and a few incidents of bashing each other into walls. I got China from his parents and gift cards and a potato peeler that I asked for. I also got a few cookbooks.
All in all it was a really good Christmas!! I hope you had a happy holiday!
Posted by jen at 05:58 PM |Comments (5)
I'll be taking a little bloggy break on my entirely too short Christmas Vacation. Have a happy holiday!
Posted by jen at 10:45 PM |Comments (4)
I saw Hugh Laurie on a repeat of Ellen this afternoon. I love the show House. I also love that Hugh Laurie does such a good American accent that you'd never know he's English.
I also like it that our friend Shawn bears such a striking resemblance to Hugh Laurie that it's hilarious.
Ironically, Shawn's wife is a doctor. I'm sure that's the incorrect use of the word ironic, but I don't care. If you think House is paying you a, well a house-call, it's actually Shawn, and he's at your house because you called the Best Buy Geek Squad. He can see your porn. He can see it.
Posted by jen at 10:17 PM |Comments (2)
So according to Stacy,Edys Grand Light Peppermint Ice cream is the bomb. She's raved so much so that I had to go out and try it. What better cure could there be for winter woes?
And try it I did! I didn't want to buy the whole half gallon of ice cream, but that was the only size they had. It is soooo good, Stacy! You're right. And I've only eaten it twice so I don't think it's adding too much to my holiday eating binge.
It cheered me up and put me in the spirit so much that I made my first batch of Christmas cookies for this season:
Those are the kind made with a cookie press. Yummers. I am also going to make Russian Tea Cakes, Oatmeal Lace Cookies, and Potato Chip cookies. Oh I love it.
After eating my cookies I was inspired to knit on my Jaywalker. I am almost done the toe. Yay! I will finish this sock, then immediately cast on for the next one.
I worked a 13 hour day yesterday! Isn't that FUN? Do you see my excessive use of exclamation points!!! That's to counteract the bitterness! :) See I even am using smiley faces!!! :) :) :)
Posted by jen at 08:15 AM |Comments (16)
My winter malaise seems alleviated after this weekend. And I will will tell you about it later since I had to go to work early today. But for now I thought I'd move the bummer entry about my malaise down the page a little with some ridiculous images found on google image search.
I don't know what this last thing is. I think it's an overgrown guinea pig. The webpage is in german (I think) and very odd.
Happy Monday!
Posted by jen at 07:52 AM |Comments (3)
Things causing my winter malaise**:
1.) The weather. I always think I want a winter wonderland when in reality - I want the carribean. I'm Filipino people! Our homeland is practically on the equator.
2.) A certain pair of socks. I've nearly finished one and it's been like pulling teeth getting it done. This may be due to the mailaise or it may be causing the malaise. I'm not sure. It's a chicken and the egg type of thing.
3.) Unusual increase in consumption of snacky-poos. The following are in the conference room at work right now: macadamia nuts, cookies, chocolate, pepermints, and various things that you would find in a gift "tower" or gift "basket." I have eaten them all
4.) Lack of time for usual Christmas activities. I usually am baking or giftbasket making or whatever, but I've been working late and working hard and it's been eating into my time. Damn my need to support myself and not live in a cardboard box!
5.) General lack of anything witty to post about and lack of witty things to put in the comments sections of your blogs. My blog mojo is MIA right now.
Things that will cure my winter malaise:
1.) A redesign of www.thebiglug.com! The husband has agreed to it people! After the holidays
2.) Working on the special order scarf I am making the husband.
3.) More yoga and less snacky poos
4.) Planning a vacation. Where? When? I'm not sure, but I need one.
5.) Sucking it up and stopping my whining! Yes! I will stop complaining now!
**The definition of malaise says it's often the sign of sickness. Am I suffering from theblahsitis? Lackofblogmojoitis? Seasonal blog disorder? Whine-o-ritis?
Posted by jen at 02:24 PM |Comments (6)
So everyone loved my coffee table! I know at least one other person who owns this table. It is, as you may have guessed, from Ikea. That's right. This lovely table only cost me $100. Well it says it costs $100 on the website, but I think it actually cost me $75. I also have a matching bookcase. Ah, Ikea. I love thee.
I got the baskets from target and the rest of the crap in the coffee table is a mystery.
Posted by jen at 08:13 AM |Comments (3)
I know I have been a little slack in posting lately. I blame the weather.
I will do a separate post with a jaywalker update and explain a.) How I managed to screw up the heel rows and b.) how I am knitting them slow as molasses and c.) how I'm not sure I love them which will d.) surely put me in knitblog siberia as it seems that everyone else loves them.
Anyway - this weekend was my annual holiday party with the five girls I shared a dorm suite with in college. Before we met up at one of the girl's houses, we went back down to campus (it was on the way) and checked out our old dorms. I don't know if the kids were suspicious of the five still-20-something-alumni wandering around their courtyard, but we sure felt suspicous.
We all attended Rowan University in Glassboro NJ from 1996 - 2000. Rowan was a smaller state school that has gotten a serious face lift since we graduated. We all couldn't get in if we had to apply with today's standards. Good thing for us the bar was lower when we applied. The school is in south Jersey where there's nothing much besides lots of WaWas and farms.
We snuck in our dorm lounge and drew hand turkeys on the wall.
And we smiled and felt old.
Then we went to the party and exchanged gifts and had a good ole time. Its amazing that I've been friends with these girls for 10 years. It's impossible that we'll be 30 soon! It feels like last week we met in the halls of the dorms. Good times.
Posted by jen at 09:08 AM |Comments (4)
Okay - so here's my third and final post for today:
A little tale of woe from yesterday.
I was getting ready to leave the house yesterday and went to grab my keys and lo and behold - they weren't on the key holder thingy we have. Then I checked the dining room table - no keys. Coffee table? Nope. Coat? Purse? Work bag? no, no and no. Chris had already left for work, and I was running late as it was. Calls to Chris, fits of rage and turning over of couch cushions and ripping apart of laundry ensued. I had driven home the night before and made it in the house so they had to be somewhere!
Now, I do have a spare key. BUT...My car is wonky and sometimes I set off the alarm without even trying and the only way to turn it off is with the remote lock thingy - which was missing. So using the spare key was off limits because I kept having visions of myself as "that person." You know this person. They're the one in your neighborhood/grocery store parking lot/parking garage who set off their car alarm and for some reason beyond your understanding - they can't turn it off. I did not want to be that person.
Finally I realized I was not going to find them without making myself way too late for work. So, I called my friend to come get me and take me to work (I work 3 minutes from my house).
Chris was kind enough to pick me up from work last night. Before he came to get me he called from the house. I asked if he found my keys and he said "The key mystery was solved and I wouldn't believe where he found them."
In his coat pocket.
Yes people. He stole my keys.
While I'm sure it was an accident, I have a sneaking suspicion he may be trying to drive me to the brink of craziness so that he can file for a no-fault divorce. I'm going to start wearing my keys around my neck like I did in elementary school.
Posted by jen at 01:11 PM |Comments (1)
So Scout tagged me to do this meme where I show you where I knit!
Here is my livingroom. You've seen it before. I usually sit on either couch and knit. Please ignore the mess on the coffee table. You can see that the computer is very close by. There are plants for ambiance and a lovely Target lamp for lighting. The TV is on the opposite wall from the longer couch, so I can watch episodes of Lost on DVD wide-eyed while knitting. You can't see my knitting basket on the floor, but it's there. The phone is also on the same table as the lamp. Sometimes Chris is with me on the couch or he's on the opposite couch. This picture could also be described as:
1.) Where I eat dinner (Yes, I have a dining room table, but we've succombed to eating in front of the television. When we have kids we'll eat at the table like civilized folks)
2.) Where Chris plays video games
3.) Where I watch the Food Network on Saturday and Sunday mornings
4.) Where I spend the most time in my house besides bed
5.) Where I sit and gaze at the christmas tree
6.) Where I sit for five minutes in the morning staring blankly into space and zoning out before work.
7.) Where I read your blogs and where I write in mine.
Posted by jen at 09:28 AM |Comments (8)
I'm doing three short posts today. First, a sock update.
I know that everyone seems to knit these jaywalkers at lightning speed, but they're not moving so fast for me. That said, I made the cuff shorter in fear of running out of socks that rock and I'm onto the heel flap, though I've lost count of my repeats and am now guessing how far along I am! But these are fun to knit and I do love the socks that rocks yarn. So fancy.
Oh and in perusing the new knitty that is up for winter I realize that I had thought that January One was someone else. See, I met many bloggers (for mere seconds)at Rhinebeck (when they would recognize Carrie and I'd be standing near her) and I thought that Cara (January One) was Cassie, who I met for like one half a second when Carrie and I were fondling yarn. Anyway, I will straighten them all out in my head someday!
Posted by jen at 08:18 AM |Comments (3)
Did you know that I joined January One's Jaywalker knitalong? Well I did!
Here's a picture to update you of my progress:
These are knit with Socks that Rock using the magic loop method. Magic loop rocks people. You must try it. I don't know the colorway on this. The band is in a bin in the closet. It may be Rockstar or Xmas Rocks. I have to look it up. I actually have more done than in the picture - about 4 inches worth of pattern repeats.
Continue reading "Socks that Do Indeed Rock"
Posted by jen at 08:31 AM |Comments (9)
Stolen, copied, begged, borrowed, from many!
TEN random things you might not know about me
1. I take my coffee with cream and two splendas
2. I was once lactose intolerant, but am now able to eat dairy in small amounts
3. I have 10 nieces and nephews
4. I love christmas and 24 hour christmas music stations in December
5. I don't like chocolate that much
6. I worked in a hardware store as my afterschool job
7. I like lists and spreadsheets
8. I suck at math
9. I have been trying to lose the same 10 lbs since I graduated college
10. I like brussels sprouts
NINE places I've visited
1. Burlington, VT
2. London, England
3. Yosemite, CA
4. NAPA, CA
5. Tucson, AZ
7. New Orleans, LA
8. Boston, Mass
9. Las Vegas, NV
EIGHT ways to win my heart
1. Don't hold my crabby days against me
2. Laugh at my jokes
3. Compliment my yoga poses
4. Delight in my cooking
5. Make me laugh
6. Do a good impression of a turkey (this only applies to certain people)
7. Be nice to me for no reason (see, I'm easy)
8. Be genuine
SEVEN things I want to do before I die
1. Write a book
2. Have babies
3. Own a house
4. Go to Tokyo
5. Master the headstand
6. Learn to make my favorite meals from my mom
7. own a dog
SIX things I'm afraid of
1. Having babies
2. Losing peeps I love
3. Ants
4. People thinking my house is dirty
5. Getting lost
6. Screwing something up at work
FIVE things I don't like
1. Big chunks of raw fish in sushi (I like raw sushi - but not huge hunks - ugh the texture!)
2. Rude people on the roads!
3. People talking shit
4. People talking in the movies
5. Emeril Lagasse
FOUR ways to turn me off
1. Be a one-upper
2. whine
3. Be a big meanie
4. Be too rigid
THREE things I do every day
1. Drink coffee
2. Kiss my husband
3. Read a book, magazine, or blog
TWO things that make me happy
1. Smiling tiny kids in stores or in public wherever
2. Being home and cozy and relaxed with the pants (term for significant other stolen from Carrie.)
ONE thing on my mind right now
1. Jesus Christmas I should get back to work
Posted by jen at 09:58 AM |Comments (1)
Chris and I put our tree up on Tuesday night. I love Christmas. Can I just tell you I LOVE IT. And I love putting up our tree. I was am still sick and I worked til 8pm that night, but I insisted on putting it up.
We bought a fake tree last year. I know, people hate fake trees, but I don't mind them so much. And this one is pre-lit and perfect and was on sale.
When we first got a tree for our house, about 3 or 4 years ago, Chris's mom gifted us with a lot of ornaments. Since them we've received others as gifts and bought some of our own. I love putting them up and thinking about who gave them to us and how we got them.
Pictures in the extended entry...
Continue reading "O' Christmas Tree"
Posted by jen at 08:27 AM |Comments (9)
