Passion for Food!

Went to visit my best bud last week. She has not seen me in 1 year. Instead of saying to me "you got fat", which certainly would remove her from the 'best friend' category, she said "I think something is wrong with your thyroid. Maybe your matabolism is not working correctly." Is that not the best way to tell your friend that they look fat? Well.... she was wrong. I just eat too much. I LOVE food more than I love yarn.

It would have been sooooo much nicer and easier to have a medical issue. Take this pill and you will lose the 15 lbs. you have put on this year. Not happening. Now the stupid diet again. Marilyn Monroe was not skinny. She never heard of a size "0". What the heck is that???????

So far I have lost at least 2 lbs. The reason I don't know how much I lost exactly is because I did not weigh myself when I came home from my trip. I figured I might cry. I waited a few days until I thought the scale would be a little nicer to me.

My dieting tips:
For the most part stay away from fried foods, mayonnaise, alcohol and desserts.
Exercise - at least 3 times a week.
Eat fruit and vegetables.
Drink Water (my least favorite thing to do)
And the most important of all PORTION CONTROL!

Here is a great new recipe I created (after tasting something at a restaurant) for those of you who would like the scale to be nicer to you:

Creamy Light Teriyaki Noodles and Vegetables
Serves about 8 people who don't want to gain weight (otherwise it serves less)

2 Onions chopped
1 lb. Mushrooms sliced
1 lb. Noodles (I used Penne Rigate - whole wheat pasta would be the ideal selection)
1/2 bottle Soy Vay Island Teriyaki Sauce
6 garlic cloves crushed
1 bunch Broccoli cut into bite size chunks
1 pint Fat Free Half and Half
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Asian Sweet Chili Sauce
Cornstarch

Cook Pasta according to directions on box.
Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Add broccoli and garlic and saute until broccoli is bright green. Add Soy Vay and Chili Sauce. Stir. Add Half and Half. Remove a small amount of sauce and mix with 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch in a bowl. Add that mixture back to pan. Let thicken. Reduce heat to a simmer. Drain cooked noodles and add to the pan of vegetables. Mix together and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with a salad or light soup. This is a pasta dish. You can't eat as much as you want or it becomes fattening (even with the light ingredients). Portion control. Enjoy!

When did I start crocheting? Who taught me?

I was teaching 1st grade in Howard Beach, N.Y. As a holiday gift a student gave me a beautiful handmade red crocheted scarf. I sent her mom a thank you note and expressed how much I loved it. Then I added that the best gift of all would be if she taught me how to do it! She was lovely. Everyday when school ended she would meet me in my classroom with yarn and hook in hand. I told her I wanted to make one of those 'square flower' afghans as my first project. I did not know at the time that they were granny squares but I did know that it was the 'coolest' thing to me. Let's remember this was 25 years ago.
From then on I have taught myself. I never use patterns - mainly because I have no patience to read them! Everything I make is an original pattern that I have created myself or have attempted to copy from seeing something I liked - in department stores, on television, on someone or in a boutique somewhere.
Crocheting and yarn are my passion and I hope to always enjoy it as much as I do now. I often think of the parent who taught me. Hopefully her daughter has as fond of memories of me as her first grade teacher as I do of her mom as my crochet teacher.

Hello Spring Weather

Finished some pretty spring scarves this week. The colors of the season have inspired me to make everything so happy and colorful. They are all irresistible to me. I did keep one (so far)!

Now I am trying to decide what wedding piece I am going to make for the Create Crochet Team challenge. Originally I was planning on making a garter but I want to be slightly different - something that is out of the box. The problem is..... I do not usually think out of the box. Now what?? I am going to look at my yarn for inspiration. That always makes me VERY happy. So much yarn and so little time.... What to make now? Will it be the wedding piece or will I make another pretty scarf?

The computer world is so confusing to me - yet I know I need it to increase my business. So I am TRYING to learn.
1.Set up a fan page. Now what to do with it??????
2.Linking it to facebook. Linking that to the blog. What does it all mean?????

What do I do with all of these links and sites?

Question

How do I promote my shop? That is my challenge to myself. I need to figure out a way to tell more people about my shop.

Sales Success? Sort of!

Okay I watched Julie and Julia the other day and became inspired to try this again.
I sold 3 items on my websites 2 days in a row. It is crazy how excited I get each and every time I sell 1 thing. I LOVE to know that strangers are wearing my scarves - and loving them.
My hubby was not too supportive of my hobby - until it has something to do with him or the kids it's nonsense - but now that I sold several this week he is taking some interest. Although I am sure that I spend much more money on yarns than I have made at this point. This might be supporting my hobby of spending money at Micheal's now (or maybe not yet.LOL)