Gifty

Soooo.... Chris made it into grad school, which means we can't spend any money for the next two years... then we'll be paying back loans, so umm, maybe more than two. Anyway, peeps will be receiving handmade goods for awhile:

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Tammi's Birthday Cupcake:

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Kathryn & Doug's Housewarming Present:

The pattern for Lambkins is here.

I'm working on something...

This is the first garment I've ever sewed... not counting the shorts and apron I made in my 8th grade Home Ec class (mostly because I can't remember a thing about them or the class other than they existed). It's a secret until I finish...

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And a Happy Mama's day to all the mama's out there... We had ours over for brunch yesterday:

I can post this Strata recipe if anyone's interested...

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UPDATE!

Ham & Asparagus Breakfast or Brunch Strata

1 1/2 lbs. Ham (ham steak, not lunchmeat ham, eeew), cubed (you could place this with more veggies for a vegetarian version)

olive oil

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup onion, chopped

6 large eggs, beaten

2 cup 2% milk

2 loaves ciabatta bread, sliced (about 1/2" thick) & crusts removed

2 cups gruyere and/or swiss cheese, shredded

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Saute the asparagus, mushooms & onions in olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) until tender. Mix in the ham.

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Combine the milk and eggs together, mix well.

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Oil a 2 1/2 quart baking dish and place a layer of bread in it. Top with half the veggie/ham mixture and a layer of cheese. Repeat with another layer of bread, mixture & cheese. Cover with a third layer of bread. Pour the egg & milk mixture slowly over the top, making sure to moisten all of the dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Refrigerate for at least an hour- I let mine sit overnight (up to 24 hours).

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Preheat your oven to 350F and bake one hour (until browned and bubbly). Tip: I like to put a baking sheet underneath the rack in the oven to catch any drips.

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Enjoy!

Maggie!

There's a new pup-pup in town! Chris's parents picked up Maggie (AKA Maggie Magnolia, Maggie May, Maggie Mags, Magpie, Auntie Maggie [because she's Laika's aunt now]) last weekend in Grass Valley...

She's a chocolate lab, 7 weeks old now.

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Here she is plotting something sinister:

There are plenty more pics here.

Private Benjamin

A new design:

Private Benjamin

Knit in Artful Yarns Fable: Color #95

The pattern is available here.