Monday, March 14, 2011

Happy Pi Day!

That's right, 3-14 is Pi day, because pi is 3.14 (rounded up that is). 

So in honor of Pi, I plan on making a...you guessed it...PIE!!!

Today's pie is a true classic.  It may be different that what you would expect.  I bet you have all the ingredients on hand, so a special trip to the store won't be necessary.  However, I suggest you don't let the name fool you...this is one tasty pie. 

VINEGAR PIE
Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 9" pie shell
Melt the stick of butter.  Mix together sugar, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and melted butter.  Pour into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean.  Let cool and slice and enjoy with a big glass of milk or cup of coffee.

Ahhh yummy.  Trust me and give this classic pie a try.  You'll be amazed.   


Thursday, March 10, 2011

SMAWL 7th Annual Animal Fair - Mark Your Calendars


Two Crafty Women will once again join forces with Frannie's Grannies to participate in a local event, the 7th Annual Animal Fair presented by SMAWL.  It will be held at the St. Mary's county fairgrounds on May 7th.  We will have handmade afghans, pet harnesses, and various beaded items available for purchase.  Bring your furry friend and participate in all that the Animal Fair has to offer. 

Isabella is hoping to make an appearance as well! 

You can find out more about SMAWL here.

You can check out Two Crafty Women's website here.



Monday, March 7, 2011

Chocolate Soup

Do you like Chocolate Pudding?  Chocolate Mousse?  Chocolate Pie?  Chocolate Cake?  Well then, how about the newest sensation that is sweeping the fancy schmancy restaurants' dessert menus??  That's right, Chocolate Soup!!!

You can make your own variations to this basic recipe:

Chocolate Soup

Ingredients
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 ounces dark chocolate(or bittersweet chocolate), finely chopped
  • 2 ounces baking chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Frangelico or Godiva chocolate liqueur

Garnish

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts or almonds
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Stir in the chopped chocolate until well blended.  Remove from heat and whisk in the liqueur.
Whip the cream until frothy, then add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip until the cream holds soft peaks. Fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate.  Place a large scoop of the whipped cream in the center of each serving bowl and pour the warm chocolate soup around the whipped cream.


Thursday, March 3, 2011

For the Readers

I love to read.  I always have, for as long as I can remember.  I was in pre-K and already reading.  I remember my father getting called to the school being chastised for teaching me to read, after all that was a teacher's job.  He said he didn't.  I don't know how I learned to read, or when, but I've always been a reader. 

I used to win all the library reading challenges in school.  It wasn't difficult for me.  I thought it was great to get rewarded for something I did naturally. 

However, being a voracious reader has it's disadvantages.

Over the course of the years, I've spent a lot of money on books.  I've also been fantatical about no matter where I lived or what I was doing, the first thing, the most important thing, was to get a library card. 

Authors, with the possible exception of James Patterson, just don't put out books quick enough for me. 

I also run the frequent chance of picking up a book to read that I've read before.  I can't remember by title alone if I have read the book, until I'm halfway through the first chapter.  Sometimes I don't mind re-reading the book, it's like discovering an old friend.  But other times, my mind is impatient and wants to devour some new material. 

I've read the gambit, romance, action, thrillers, cookbooks, non-fiction, history, political...heck I even read the role call roster sheets from the Civil War once. 

I'm explaining all this to you, to introduce my favorite bits of technology that has made this reader's life a very happy place to be. 

My newest love is a Nook.  My darling husband bought me one prior to us traveling to the Dominican Republic last year.  His motives were probably selfish, as he had more luggage space that way.  However, my husband is a technology fiend.  I know he did his research and there are tons of e-readers out on the market, but he chose the nook.  It was a wise choice.  His reasoning was that he can pop the cover off, change the battery himself, upgrade memory and a million other tech like things without paying to send it back to the factory to be refurbished...in short, it's technical.  But the other reason he chose it, was because after investigating all the e-readers on the market he said I would never have a problem reading any format, whereas some e-readers are limited.  He was right.  I can read any format, and can download audio books as well.  I can check out e-books from my local library and purchase books from anywhere, and the free books available online are unlimited!!  I've noticed at times the library will have two versions of an e-book.  One format will have a ton of people on a wait list, while I can zip through to check-out with the other format.  Oh, the best thing about an e-book library - I can visit from the comfort of my home in my pajamas!  Happy Happy Day.  I could rave on and on about my nook, but honestly, it has more features than I need, and I would be wasting your time.  If you've been on the fence about getting an e-reader, procrastinate no longer. 

My next great embrace of technology comes in the form of a website, Good Reads.  Even if you do not have an e-reader, this website is a reader's dream come true.  You can chat with your favorite authors, find out when new books are coming out, chat with other reader's in a forum atmosphere, get book recommendations, swap books with others, enter contests for advanced reading copies of new releases, search for any book that has ever been published, and more...One of the most important features to me is my virtual library.  There I can track the books I've read and the books I want to read.  I'll never pick up a book again that I've already read.  It also helps me keep up with which series I'm reading and where I was.  I can make notes to myself, and even give reviews.  A book nerd can get lost on this website.  It's also seemlessly compatible with your facebook account.  Another great feature is a section for e-books.  A quick search for a book will let you know if a book is available in e-format.  If it's free, you can download it right then and there without searching the rest of the internet.  If it's not free, it will provide you with a list of venues where you can purchase the e-book and how much it costs with each vendor. 

I do want to share one more thing about Good Reads...I recently entered a contest for an advanced reading copy of a book, and I won!  I'm eagerly awaiting this new book via parcel post and will review it for Good Reads and you as well.  The book is "Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue" by Kathyrn Atwood.   


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Droid Test

As I was driving into work this morning, I snapped this picture. It proves that the days are getting longer and that Spring is around the corner!


A Rambling Blog

I realized today I'm horrible at blogging.  I have good intentions.  I mean to post something, but then I think "oh I have nothing to say" or "I don't have any pictures to share" or "I don't have enough time". 

Since blogging was one of my New Year's resolutions, I really need to get on top of my game.  So I read up on blogging and how to blog successfully, and well after a ton of articles it all boils down to "be yourself".  So I'll be me and just ramble on about the trival details that interest me.  There are a myraid of topics to cover and perhaps I'm painting myself into a corner by trying to focus on my crafty nature.  Well no more.  From this point forward, be forewarned that there is no telling what direction my wandering mind will take us.   

I also realized that I don't have to take a picture to share a picture.  There are billions of graphics and pictures out here on the internet that I can use to pretty up my posts.  I like this one today:
It just screams adorable and snuggles and love.  And I am giving all of you readers an internet ((HUG)). 

I also had a good/bad thing happen to me recently.  My wonderful droid phone kind of crashed and had to be restored to its' factory settings.  Though it was a PITA, in the process I updated and uploaded some new things or newer versions, and guess what...Blogger is much friendlier now on my droid.  I no longer have the excuse for not having the time to type out some thoughts to share...I can share anywhere that my droid is.  How very exciting.  I think, though I'm not positive, that I can upload pictures from my phone.  This is indeed a miracle if it works.  Look for a "test" of this feature soon.