A wonderful weekend!

Lynn J and I had a wonderful weekend. We ate, we stitched and we ate some more. A few cocktails were involved and we accomplished a lot of stitching as well. Lynn even snapped a picture of Caleb trying to get in on the stitching action! It was very cute, if not hard on my pattern. And just before leaving Lynn took a great shot of Caleb and I so I thought I would share.

I promised Lynn I would post the recipes I used so here goes, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures so you will have to take our word that all of it was good. Hamburger Soup From: Taste of Home's, 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

1-1/2 pounds ground beef 2 cups diced onion 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced celery 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 can (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1/4 cup margarine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

In a large saucepan or soup kettle, cook the beef, onions, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

In another saucepan, melt margarine over medium-low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until mixture turns golden brown. Carefully stir into soup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I took a few detours from this but it turned out well. I didn't have crushed tomato so I used diced and in the end added a can of tomato paste to get that tomato flavour. It also turned out a lot thicker than a soup, closer to a chili which was really good with the fresh buns I had purchased. Caleb LOVED it and is still helping me eat up the leftovers.

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I made a throw together version of these, I don't measure anymore and just throw it together but here is the recipe I found!

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns From: All Recipes SUBMITTED BY: Shannon "Easy over night cinnamon buns that are gooey and rich." Original recipe yield: 20 servings PREP TIME: 10 Min COOK TIME: 25 Min READY IN: 15 Hrs

INGREDIENTS 20 unbaked frozen dinner rolls 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 cup raisins 1/3 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS Lightly grease a 10 inch Bundt cake pan. Place frozen rolls into pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding mix, ground cinnamon and raisins. Pour melted butter over rolls. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave overnight at room temperature. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake rolls for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Turn rolls out onto a serving plate and serve warm.

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And last but not least was the cake I served with a slowcooker roast for supper. I put a piece in the bottom of a bowl, added a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce!

Apple Spice Snack Cake From: Taste of Home's, 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) spice cake mix 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

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And now for the stitching news! Here is a picture of what I accomplished during the weekend. It is a pattern by Sisters & Best Friends called Happily Ever After and it is being stitched on Silkweaver's Spring Garden, 28ct Cashel Linen with Crescent Colours and Sampler Threads for my brother and his wife-2-be. No before shot, it was a brand new start.