What's for Dinner? Korean Beef Bowl

Delicious...simple...few ingredients...quick to prepare...top marks in our house last night... : )

Now, this recipe has been around for a few years (at least). I found it at Kitchen Simplicity, but then found basically the same recipe at Six Sisters Stuff, Damn Delicious and Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers. The oldest version seems to go back to Lizzy Writes (May, 2010). Exciting update... Lizzy Writes has revamped her recipe and turned it into Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps!

Note: Korean Beef Bowl takes only about 20 minutes, start to finish! Put on your rice before you do anything else, or it won't be ready in time.

Korean Beef Bowl

Korean Beef Bowl

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used “less sodium” soy sauce)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

1 pound lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic

2 green onions, sliced

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain off fat.

Add garlic and stir for one minute.

Stir in sauce and half of green onions.

Simmer 5 minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onion.

I served this with a platter of raw vegetables, but sauteed green beans and red pepper strips would be nice. Steamed broccoli sprinkled with sesame seeds could be another option.

Delicious!

Take care,

Maggie

PS Be sure to scout around the food blogs listed above. I saw some more tasty recipes I'd like to try!

Learning to Knit? Three Easy Fingerless Glove Patterns!

Maggie's Crocheted
Fingerless Gloves

Well, Mother Nature made her point very clear this week in southern Alberta. 

Yes, she's in charge. 

Snow, sleet and a nasty temperature dip after a lovely late summer weekend.  : (

Maggie's Knit
Fingerless Gloves

My tomatoes are grumpy over my insistence that they wear sheets at night...

...and I'm grumpy about needing to wear a jacket and fingerless gloves! 

I still have (and wear) the two pairs of fingerless gloves I crocheted and knit in the fall of 2012. I love them because they're tiny enough to tuck into my jacket pockets and always have on hand (pun intended).

Link to crocheted gloves here.

Link to knit gloves here.

Looking for my gloves, however, reminded me that I forgot to tell you about a great little pattern I found this summer.  Even better, this pattern comes with a great little video from one of my favourite knitting websites, Very Pink.  Quick to complete, they were a perfect birthday treat for my sister.  If you want to learn to knit, you really need to check out this website and the mitts would make a wonderful first project. 

A great "free" pattern from
Very Pink

For wool I used Malabrigo Rios Yarn (871 Playa). I mention that because it's a wonderful pure marino superwash wool made in Peru.

“Rio means 'river' in Spanish. Malabrigo Rios is named after the four major rivers in Uruguay: Rio Cuareim, Rio Uruguay, Rio de la Plata, and Rio Negro. Each river is represented by one ply. These plies twist together like winding rivers. Rios also signifies the yarn's washability; for millennia, rivers have provided water for washing garments.”

Makes you look at a ball of wool in a new light, doesn't it? If you're looking for wool to go with demin, this is it!

Side note....

My original plan was a little hoodie for my grandson. However, by the time I got through the back, I realized I did not have nearly enough wool. Too late to buy more (and it would have cost a fortune to buy enough). Oh, well. I learned a lesson about yards vs grams and substituting yarns!

Knitting Projects: Baby Hats!!

Hello there! What's in your knitting basket?

Despite the sweltering heat, I'm all about hats these days - tiny baby hats for a precious baby girl due in October! Yes, another grandbaby!

If you're looking for hats, blankets, etc., (knitting and crochet) there are oodles of free patterns at Mama's Stitchery Projects. Directions are clear and well set out.

Basic Ribbed Baby/Child Hat
pattern from Mama's Stitchery Projects

So far, I have two newborn hats tucked away. The Basic Ribbed Baby/Child Hat has instructions for Preemie to Toddler. The Basic Baby Hat is written for sizes Preemie to Teen. For both hats I used Loops and Threads “Snuggly Wuggly”, a machine washable/dryable yarn available at Michaels.

Basic Baby Hat
pattern from Mama's Stitchery Projects

June? Where did you go?????

So, tell me. Where exactly did June disappear?

Blink!!

A lot has happened... trips out of town, some minor day surgery, threat (again!!) of evacuation because of rising flood water... but LIFE IS GOOD!

Have a piece of pie. I'm working on my pie crust skills and turned to Julie for help. Crusts are improving!! I've tried butter, but shortening seems to work better. What do you use? Any other secrets for achieving the perfect crust?

For this pie I used 3 cups rhubarb and 2 cups strawberries and increased the cornstarch to 1/4 cup. It's still runnier than I'd like. I keep seeing references to tapioca. Does that do a better job of thickening the juices?

Ttyl,

Maggie

PS  Oh, my!!! In honour of Canada Day tomorrow, Julie's baking Maple Bacon Butter Tarts... Life can't get any better!  : )

Lumpy Foods and Sippy Cups - the latest on Infant Nutrition

Recipe coming soon.... : )

This week I've been working on a sugar-free, healthier version of an oatmeal muffin for the little kidlets in my life. I've played around with banana and also made an apple raisin version. It's still in the “research” stage, but I hope to share the results sometime soon.

Rather timely, I thought, when I read this article in The Globe and Mail by Becky Blair, a registered dietician. If you know someone with little ones, pass along the link. Becky also shared a Government of Canada link for an excellent article on infant nutrition (birth – 24 months) – worthwhile reading for any new parent.  

  

Happy Weekend!

Maggie

Bullet Journal

Do you keep track of “everything” on your phone? Do you have one of those little calendar notebooks in your purse? A calendar on the fridge? Scraps of paper? Sticky notes? Sheesh! I've tried them all.

Different systems worked for different stages... pre-kids, the crazy years with kids, the post-kid era, but I must admit I have been floundering a bit for the last year or two.

Yes, I managed to stay on top of appointments and important dates, but everything else (a good website, a crochet pattern, a recipe) was on scraps of paper. Grrrr! Scraps of paper that were lost sometimes before they were used. Notes that would float to the top when I was looking for something else, then disappear again.

About six weeks ago, I discovered Bullet Journal. There's nothing to buy. (The notebook in the picture is one I had in the house.) It's a quick system to learn and it keeps track of not just “calendar” type information, but all the other STUFF!! So far, in my journal I have recipes, patterns, ideas, notes from a few gardening talks I've attended, etc., AND, everything you record can be easily found with the index system you create as you go. No scraps of paper!

Anyway, watch the video, go through the website and check it out.

A few observations...

... The notebook I use has lines rather than graph paper as suggested. That's a personal choice, but I prefer lines.

... The book's elastic band? Perfect! Marks my “today” page and also keeps the book closed in my purse.

... I'm finding it easier to set up all the “day pages” at the beginning of each month and record the other things on the pages between months. I use a whole page for each day but Saturday and Sunday share a page.

... I still keep my grocery list on the fridge – it's not always me who picks up groceries. This system will work for you, but it is not one that can be referred to by multiple people. The fridge calendar is still needed if that's important in your family.

... I have some sticky notes stuck on the inside of the back cover. They're still useful.

... You still need to be diligent about recording tasks and events if you want the system to work. Neat printing and concise entries are also important.

Have a great day!

Maggie

Kids Read: Michael Morpurgo and Michael Rosen

Our monthly KidLit meeting last week was great fun, in fact, a particularly good time!

By the way...

The book passed on to me for this month was Outlaw by Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse. The story of Robin Hood, it was a very entertaining read and I would highly recommend it to any young person about 9ish to 12 years old who is interested in adventure, historical fiction, etc. You can read Michael Morpurgo's summary on his website.

But back to our meeting...

Each month we have a theme, usually chosen by the host. This month was “Poetry”. Everyone brought something to share.

I chose Michael Rosen. I don't think I've ever run into a kid who is not familiar with We're Going on a Bear Hunt! (Oh, that's a great book to read to a little one!) Here's a link featuring Michael reading this book.

I landed on Michael Rosen by accident, however. I didn't know this fellow was so funny. I wish I'd realized this when I was teaching. His poetry is free verse and he has quite a few on YouTube. So entertaining to watch as Michael is a real performance artist. You NEED to google a few:

No Breathing in Class!

Chocolate Cake

In the meantime, here's a sample poem of Michael's...

Where Broccoli Comes From

Not many people know

That broccoli grows in the armpits

Of very big green men

Who live in the forest

And brave broccoli cutters

Go deep into the forests

And they creep up on the

very big green men.

They wait for the

very big green men

to fall asleep

and the broccoli cutters

get out their great big broccoli razors

and they shave the armpits

of the very big green men.

And that's where broccoli comes from.

Not many people know that.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Share that next time you serve broccoli...

Gross stuff, but kids love it!

Happy Reading,

Maggie

Zone 3 Gardening - 7 Helpful Alberta Websites

Planning to garden this weekend?  We have some major landscaping projects to tackle this spring.  Here are some of the most useful Alberta sites I've discovered.

...from a few years ago.  

Prairie Urban Garden

This is an absolutely amazing site created by the Oldman Watershed Council's Urban Team. Their goal “is to demonstrate the beauty and benefits of having a xeriscaped garden in southern Alberta. Xeriscaped yards utilize native and drought-tolerant plants that naturally thrive in the dry prairie environment that we depend upon, requiring less water, pesticides and fertilizers. They allow homeowners to enjoy a beautiful landscape at home that requires less maintenance, and can conserve water and protect water quality.”

Their home page will link you to information about xeriscaping. Be sure to read the detailed article by the Lethbridge couple who completely redid their front yard – amazing!

Best of all is the section, “Native Plants”. Scroll down to find the PDF entitled, 50 Best Plants for Prairie Urban Gardens in Southern Alberta. Each plant has a brief description and a photograph. For more details about each plant, see the additional links on the “Native Plants” page: Perennials, Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, Grasses and Groundcovers.

Bayberry Garden Design

This is Ann Van de Reep's Calgary garden design and consulting business website. I've bookmarked a great article on ornamental grasses. 

Ann also has an excellent page outlining Calgary gardens you can visit for ideas.

Not Another Gardening Blog

Sue's blog is very easy to read. She has a considerable amount of information on planning your garden. A Calgary gardener herself, she also has a landscape design and consulting business. Each week during the gardening season, Sue posts her Weekly Plant Pick. Check out her Top Twenty Plant Picks for 2013 as well as her Top Twenty for Twenty Twelve. Good photographs and clear descriptions.

Gardening in Canada

“Making the most of Alberta's growing season” is the focus of Pat's website. I especially liked her page on Lawn Care – crabgrass, quackgrass, clover, fairy rings, dandelions and chickweed. That's my lawn! Nice to see someone who doesn't think a jug of chemicals is the best solution.

Bylands Nursery

Bylands Nursery Ltd. has a very detailed list of creeping junipers that I've printed out for reference.

Wildrose Garden and Tree Service

Here's a landscaper from Red Deer with some strong opinions. Read his article, “Ten Best and Ten Worst Shrubs for Central Alberta”.

Northern Shade

An amateur gardener but someone who dearly loves her Edmonton garden. She has a great photo record of shade loving plants.

More Cake, Please! : )

Chocolate Crazy Cake in a Mug
from Sweet Little Bluebird

There was a tasty moment at lunchtime today!

Sweet Little Bluebird is a great website that I check out from time to time.

Earlier this month in a quest to find eggless and milk-free desserts, I came across all of Mary's different versions of Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake. 

I'm familiar with this recipe. In fact, I shared the same chocolate cake recipe in the summer of 2010. My copy came from a book I acquired in the mid-seventies.

Mary has taken that recipe and tweaked it to come up with multiple variations and flavours. (Click here to find links to all the recipes.) We've tried the Spice Cake and Vanilla versions and today, I made Chocolate Crazy Cake in a Mug.

My first try (to see if it worked) was in one mug. It overflowed and allowed no room for ice cream. It also seemed like a huge serving, so today I split the batter into two mugs and that was (for us) just the right size for a little sweet treat without too much guilt.

Take care and have a great weekend!

Maggie

PS In addition to the flavours listed above there's also Lemon Cake, Coffee & Kahlua Cake, S'mores Mug Cake and Coffee & Kahlua Mug Cake.

How to Prevent ACL Injuries

Good morning!

I was listening to CBC Calgary Eyeopener this morning, admittedly with only one eye open as it was before my first cup of coffee!

I did perk up, however, after listening to an interesting discussion about ACL injuries and how to prevent them.

We all talk about being more active. We also need to talk and learn more about avoiding injuries that will have lifelong consequences.

Anyway, here's a link to the PEP (Prevent Injury, Enhance Performance) Program.

“The PEP (Prevent Injury, Enhance Perfomance) Program, developed by the Santa Monica Sports Medicine Foundation with funding assistance from the LA84 Foundation, can significantly reduce the incidence of ACL injuries. The PEP Program is a series of exercises done on the field-of-play before and/or after practice with no special equipment.”

The short videos clearly explain the exercises and include teaching points showing both the correct and incorrect way of doing each one.

Please, pass this link along to anyone you know who teaches or coaches young people.

Happy Tuesday,

Maggie

Jean Greenhowe's Rainbow Baby

Maggie's Rainbow Baby
designed by Jean Greenhowe

Look who moved in.  

A Rainbow Baby!

This little fellow was designed by Jean Greenhowe.  

Scroll to the bottom of the "Free Patterns" page of her website to find the Rainbow Babies.

He was amazingly quick to make - part of an afternoon, a movie that evening and some finishing off the next morning.

The only part I didn't like was sewing up the seams.  In fact, by the time I got to the hat, I used double-pointed needles and knit in the round.

Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm)

Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice

Jean Greenhowe is from Aberdeen, Scotland.  She has produced all kinds of original toy designs.  This bagpiper was given to us a few years ago as a thank you gift.  He's part of the MacScarecrow Clan!  Last year I picked up a secondhand copy of the pattern book - way too difficult for me to knit bagpipes!!

I do think the little dog, Scamp, is sweet.  Maybe one day... : )

A Knitting Journey... The Humble Dishcloth

My knitting career began with a "my mother made me" baby sweater - a horrible, ratty looking little thing -  that I knit many years ago when expecting my first child.  That sweater was not a success!

I didn't pick up needles again until my first grandchild was born in 2012.  It was a bit of a challenge, but things began to click and I started making bunnies and puppies, tiny sweaters and hats, and Christmas ornaments.

Maggie's Christmas Bells

I have two rules.  The projects have to be tiny (greater satisfaction when I complete something fairly quickly) and each project needs to teach me something new.  I still consider myself a beginner!  

This past week I decided to make some dishcloths.  I wanted to experiment with patterns and texture.  Making dishcloths also gave me a chance to figure out if I wanted to tackle a bigger project.  The yellow dishcloth and the variegated dishcloth are actually baby blanket patterns.  

After the first two, I was on a roll.  I discovered Laws of Knitting.  Not only are there some excellent video tutorials for a beginner knitter on this website, I found five more dishcloth patterns!  The green dishcloth is "Noni's Favourite Pattern".

Anyway, if you're embarking on a knitting journey, perhaps some of the links above will help!

Happy knitting,

Maggie

P.S.    I made all three dishcloths using Size 4 (3.5 mm) needles and Bernat Handicrafter Cotton.  When I crocheted (two rows of single crochet) around the green cloth, I used a 4.25 mm hook. 

How did I make the baby blanket patterns dishcloth sized? For the yellow one, cast on only 32 stitches. Don't worry about the variegated dishcloth. You knit on the diagonal, so when your triangle looks big enough, follow the decreasing directions.

Need organizing?

So, yesterday there was an email in my Inbox....

Banish Clutter and Get Organized!

A harsh message, don't you think, for first thing in the morning?  : )

It was from Better Homes and Garden and this week the email contained links to articles and slideshows on decluttering, organization and storage.

Top of the list was "Get Your Home Organized", a quick mini-tour of Jen Jones' home, featured on her blog, I Heart Organizing.

I've followed Jen's blog off and on for a number of years.  If you haven't checked it out, you should.  Her "Home Tour" shows in more detail how much she's accomplished with before & after pictures of the different rooms.  She's got some good ideas!

Revisiting Jen's blog gave me a giggle...  This week she's renovating her guest bathroom.  The pressure's on as company's coming in one week, but she plans to "tell all"... 

Why the giggle?  We've got our own little bathroom reno happening...  How many months has it been now?????  

# 97 Kid Play: Food Colouring Activities

Now, today's websites have one common ingredient... 

Food colouring!

A bit messy, true, but take it all outside and enjoy the moment.  Your kidlets will have a great time.

Here are three posts to check out...

First, at The Mother Huddle, see what you can do with vinegar, baking soda and food colouring.  

Next, visit Easie Peasie and learn how to make some beautifully coloured, homemade finger paint.  Again, you only need common kitchen ingredients.

Last, but not least, at Momma's Fun World, there's a list with directions for 45 more activities you can try with food colouring.

Happy Saturday!