Campbell's Skillet Sauces - Marsala

So today's post isn't about a new recipe really, just a review of a product I tried for dinner the other day.

(Picture from Campbell's website <www.campbellsauces.com>)

Campbell's Skillet Sauces, the Marsala variety. 

In theory, the Campbell's sauces seem like a great simple meal for busier evenings - brown up meat, stir in sauce, cook for a few minutes and serve over pasta or rice. Tada.

Well, the result wasn't quite what I had hoped. I obviously didn't expect Italian restaurant quality sauce for a few bucks in the supermarket aisle but this still didn't near my expectations. The color and consistency wasn't like any other Marsala sauce I've ever had and the taste just wasn't what I was expecting. I wouldn't recommend the product to anyone else.

Ah well- it was a pretty cheap and easy meal.  But I wouldn't consider getting again. 

Crocheted Scarf

So for Rachael's Week 1 of her 52 Weeks, she decided to learn how to crochet.

My grandmother taught me to crochet back when I was maybe 10 or 11.  I didn't do much with it then.  In college, I picked up the practice again but stopped again around finals time.  Then last year for Christmas, I was really short on funds so everyone (Mom, Dad, Brother, Boyfriend, his Mom) got a homemade scarf instead.  I began to work on one for Miss Rachael, but then started a new job and things got crazy so I stopped again.

Since I know how to crochet, Rachael came over and I taught her the basics- chains, single, half double, double, and half triple stitches galore.

And for the first time in about 9 months, I picked up crocheting again.

It may be cheating to have just finished something previously started but ah well.

It's an infinity scarf done in a pattern I'd found on Google.  I have no idea what it had been called or how to find it again.  If I find it in my history, I'll definitely post it because I think its a gorgeous pattern.

Here's a brief description but is in no way a decent tutorial or such:

I used Caron Simply Soft black yard.  I got 2 rolls which were 2 skeins worth each and used most of it.  The yarn suggests a size H-8 5mm hook but I used a G size instead because it was working better for me.

To start, you chain to an amount that when you subtract 2, is divisible by 3. So I chained 26, because 24 is divisible by 3. After chaining your bottom row, you chain 4 extra to account for the height of the stitches you'll use for the next row.  You skip those 4 turning chains, and SKIP 1 ADDITIONAL STITCH.  Then do a triple crochet into the next hole (the 2nd one you'd ordinarily use).  Then do another triple into the one after that (the 3rd).  Next, do a double crochet into the first hole- that one you skipped in the beginning.  It create these looping clusters that I think are absolutely adorable.  Repeat til the end of the row and then do a regular triple crochet to king of form the ends on either side of the bracket.  Repeat for rows 2 through however long. I made 8 clusters across and I think it ended up being 80 rows long - bringing the scarf to about 5 feet.

<- Finished, folded up





Close up of Clusters->






Last night, Rachael finally received her very belated Christmas gift.  I'd feel worse about how belated it was if she ever got me anything :-P (she claims she did but I'm going to continue to poke fun at her anyway)

52 Weeks

One of my closest friends, Rachael, has decided to embark upon an adventure for the next 52 weeks.  Every week for the next year, she wants to try something new.

Her reasons for wanting to do this aside, I think this was a completely amazing idea.

I know when I first made this blog about 7 months ago, I was claiming to want to try more new recipes and wanting a place to keep them all.  Well clearly - that didn't end up panning out as well as I'd hoped.  In my defense, it's been a crazy 7 months.  Sorted out relationship issues, my supervisor quit work without notice, moved twice in 2 months, tried searching for a better job - lots on my figurative plate left not as much time to pay attention to what was actually on my literal plate.

But not this time.

I've got about 2,000 pins on Pinterest (yes, I know I'm excessive) of recipes and craft ideas and just about everything else you can imagine.  And anytime I flip through them, I feel discouraged by my own lack of trying to actually do any of them.

But not this time.

I may not end up following Rachael's one different thing a week, every week, for a whole year thing.  But she has inspired me to try to.  I just know that I always feel loads better after completing a project or trying a new recipe.  So rather than just sit around watching TV, I hope to try to actually accomplish something, if only trying a new recipe or crocheting a hat.