Are you saying “two thousand and ten” or “twenty ten”? I like how Twenty Ten sounds. It sounds way more fun than the longer version. (How can words sound fun? Don’t ask me. I just call ‘em as I see ‘em.) I’m predicting that 2010 will be FUN, because it just sounds like it ought to be a cool year. Plus, after 2009, I think we could all use a fun year. Here are two ways to put some fun into this week:

1. Make some Oven S’Mores. (Or “Shmoes” as we call them. Rhymes with Joes. I don’t know where that name came from, but it stuck a long time ago. Maybe you need a Cuppa Joe and a Shmoe today? These four sure look like they’re enjoying them. I’m pretty sure they’ll be thrilled that I shared this photo with you … )

3 packs of graham crackers (one box, 3 individually wrapped packs inside)
1 pack of milk chocolate chips
1 bag of marshmallows

Line a 12 x 15 jelly roll pan with a single layer of crackers. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers. Top with marshmallows. Place in 250 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (but watch carefully so they don’t overbrown). Enjoy while hot!

Variations: use different flavors of chips – mint chocolate chips are great. Also, you can officially call them Gourmet Shmoes if you top them with raspberries or strawberry slices when they come out of the oven. Seriously.  And if you have leftovers? Store in a container with a lid and zap them for 20 seconds in the microwave when you’re ready for another.

2. The second way to put some fun into your week? Check out today’s Sneak UPdate. We added in more Claudia Hand Painted, Hand Maiden Mini Maiden, Malabrigo Sock/Silk/Worsted, Perchance to Knit Lace, and 2 new Shibui colors – Juniper and Cranberry. Click on See What’s New on the homepage to keep up with new additions to the website. (Did you miss last week’s Sneak Up? Those items will still appear on later pages of What’s New. The new stuff goes up on the front end. You can usually see what has been new in the last 2-3 Weekly Sneak Ups by checking What’s New. As the list grows, the older “new” items drop off the back end in the order that they came in.)

I know that many of you worked hard on putting fun and love into other peoples’ lives during our Random Acts of Kindness contests in December. A big thank you to everyone who participated! The winner of the third and final contest was Susan in California, who won a $50 Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate. We’ll do this again in 2010. You might want to practice up all year long. (That’s my plan.)

Don’t forget to upload your shawl photos for the Fourth Quarter Challenge. They’re due in by 1/7. (Make sure you either link to the yarn you used in your shawl, or leave the information in the notes with your photo. Any shawls made with yarn that we carry at The Loopy Ewe are eligible.) I’ll announce the new First Quarter Challenge next week – and it will be fun!

Sheri whohastowavegoodbyetoWebGuyashefliesbacktoFLtoday.Sad.
MaybeIneedacuppajoeandashmoe…

Did you read all of the wonderful things that people are doing while out and about this season? I love how you’re all reaching out and finding ways to make someone’s day! If you’ve found some kind act to do since last week’s post, please post it in a comment below and we’ll draw a winner next week. (Note – we’ll have one more Random Acts Contest next Monday, so keep watching for opportunities around you.) The randomly drawn winner of last week’s contest is Jenny from MO, who won a $50 Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate. (Yes, we also up the certificate amount for these Random Acts contests, just for fun!)

This weekend, we did our holiday baking. One of my random acts this week was to put together trays of cookies and treats for neighbors. We have several elderly couples on our street who probably don’t do much baking during the holidays, so this is a fun way to share our baking with them. These Oreo Truffles are amazing. I think everyone and their brother made them last year, but I didn’t see the recipe until this year. If you haven’t made them, here is the recipe:

Oreo Truffles

1 package of Oreos
1 package of cream cheese
white melting chocolate

Put the whole pack of Oreos into a food processor and process until it’s all dark crumbs. Add the cream cheese and mix until well blended. Scoop out bite-sized pieces and roll into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes. Dip the balls into melted white chocolate and let them harden on waxed paper.

Note – I tried this with the mint oreos, too. While the taste was good, I had to use two packs of Mint Oreos to one package of cream cheesse, due to the peppermint oil in the flavoring. Not sure I’d make those again.

The cookies in the photo are made with our favorite sugar cookie cutout recipe. We make these for two or three different holidays per year.

Sheri determinedtofinishthenever-ending-scarfbyWednesday’sblogpost

We get a lot of boxes here every day. Big boxes, little boxes, all kinds of boxes. Usually the Elves unpack the big boxes (because those always contain yarn orders). If there are any smaller boxes of undetermined origin, they usually leave these on the counter for me to open later. A while back, I wandered up front to check on something, and while I was talking to the Elves, I opened the small box sitting there (obviously waiting for me. Obviously.). I flipped back the flaps and pulled out …. a sleep mask? Huh?  That’s when Elf Karen said, “Oh my gosh – that’s not for us. The Fed Ex guy left that box here for the Sleep Center people across the hall!” Well heck. That was the end of me opening up boxes just because they were sitting there waiting for me. Obviously. We carefully taped the box back up and I’m pretty sure you couldn’t even tell that it had been opened. (And fortunately none of them are knitters and read this blog.) However, Karen has started leaving me notes on boxes that I ought to just leave well enough alone. I guess she still doesn’t trust me. (Although if those Sleep Center people kept regular daytime hours, we wouldn’t be storing their deliveries. Just sayin’.) Are some of you getting boxes at your house that you need to leave alone and not open up? In fact, I know you are, because we’re shipping a lot of them out there to you as gifts. Don’t snoop.

Today’s recipe is something that Photo Elf Wendy brought in to contribute to the Loopy Kitchen. It’s called Three Hour Granola because if you eat a handful of it, you can stave off your hunger for three more hours until dinnertime. And it’s delicious! A good alternative to all of the holiday sweets. (It’s not low-cal, but it IS healthy, in moderation.) Or a quick gift to mix up and give to friends and neighbors.

Wendy’s Three Hour Trail Mix

2c. old fashioned rolled oats
3 c. cashews, whole
3 c. pecans, whole or halves
3 c. walnuts, whole or halves
3 c. almonds, whole
2 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
(plus any other nuts you want to add)
1 c. flaked coconut, unsweetened
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4c. honey
2c. dried cranberries (set aside)
2c. golden raisins (set aside)

Mix dry ingredients in a large, foil, turkey roasting pan. Add oil & honey,  stir well to coat. Toast in a 350 degree, stirring every 15 mins. until browned.  (Approx. 60 mins.)  Allow to cool completely.   Add dried fruit & store in a closed canister on the counter (with scoop).  Store extras in air-tight containers or Ziplocs.

I absolutely love reading your Random Acts of Kindness comments. I keep jotting down things that spark my imagination, and am continually bowled over by the incredible ways in which you have helped those around you. I hope you all find something to do for someone this weekend, so that we all have a whole new batch of things to read about over coffee on Monday’s blog post. I know that these December contests require you to DO something in order to enter (unlike most of our contests), and you continue to rise to the occasion. You all are amazing.

Sheri whonowhasbothkidshomefortheholidays
andthatcoverseverythingIwant

This is what is going on today. Still. FPS. You may be tired of hearing about how the jackhammers make our building shake, but not as tired of it as we are. I mean seriously, just HOW much concrete is out there to break up? This has been going on since this summer. Today is a particularly high jackhammer-making-the-building-shudder-and-shake day. I think it would be an act of kindness (to our whole building) if I were to go out there and take the spark plugs out of the engines while they are off on their lunch break. (Can someone – as an act of kindness – tell me where to find those spark plugs?)

Speaking of acts of kindness, here’s a heads up on our December blog contests – for the next three Mondays, we’ll be encouraging you to do and share Random Acts of Kindness. This is the third year that we’ve encouraged extra acts of kindness in the month of December (because we know that many of you do them regularly, all year long). By putting the spotlight on it via a blog contest, you’ve told us that it helps you to be more conscious of the little (or big) things that you can do to make a difference to someone this month. Here are the blog posts with Kindness Comments from last year:

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four

If you’re stuck for ideas, read some of the comments on those posts and it will get you motivated and moving forward on the things that you can do. That, of course, is the purpose for sharing your random acts via a blog comment. We know that you don’t do these things to brag about them or to win a blog contest (although we’ll be sending out fun prizes!). When you share what you did, other people get some great ideas of things that they can do as well. So get out there this week/weekend and find someone to bless. Then come back to the blog next Monday and leave a comment to let us know what you did. I love reading all of your comments in these contests. It’s just such a reminder of what an incredible bunch of people you are. Thanks for playing along with us in our December contests from year to year.

Today’s recipe is the moistest, most delicious chocolate bundt cake that I’ve had in a long time. I hope you enjoy it!

Sinfully Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake (I can never say “Bundt Cake” without thinking about My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The movie. Not my own wedding. That wasn’t Greek. Or big. Or fat, for that matter.)

1 yellow cake mix
1 large box of chocolate instant pudding
1 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup water

8 oz. container of sour cream

1 bag of mini chocolate chips (I couldn’t find minis, so I used the regular ones)

Mix the first 6 ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Fold in the sour cream and  mix well. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

Pour into greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes. (The original recipe called for 60 minutes. I have made it twice and had to bake it for 80 minutes before a knife inserted into the middle came out done. So just check on it as you go along.)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy! (Or make the chocolate glaze from this bundt cake recipe that I shared last year. Today’s recipe came out moist-er, but the glaze on that other recipe was really good, too.)

Sheri enjoyingtropicaltemperaturestoday.40degreesandsunny.

… what I’m doing this weekend? I’m heading to Chicago for a Girls Weekend with College Girl, my favorite friend Janice, and her daughter K (who is not an official niece of mine, but I love her like one.) I’m also stopping by Dream in Color today, so maybe I’ll have some photos for you on Monday.

… when we’ll have Wollmeise in again? Good question. I’m not sure. But I knew you were wondering.

… who won last week’s random drawing blog contest? Two people – Patricia in OH and Kathryn in MN. Prizes are in the mail already!

... when our annual Random Acts of Kindness contests will start? Next week! Watch for something randomly kind that you can do between now and then, so that you’ll have one to share.

... how to get a copy of my favorite mitts pattern by Jessica, if you’re not on Ravelry to get it there? She wrote it up in a blog post for you!

… about my favorite new pot pie recipe is? I’m glad you asked. It’s this Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pie.

4 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
(or Cream of Chicken, or Cream of Potato)
1 large bag of frozen, chopped broccoli (thawed)
1 can low-fat Crescent Rolls
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Durkees French Onions
(I use the big can, because I like them.)

Mix chicken, broccoli, soup, 1/2 can of onions, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and add crescent strips:

Roll out crescent rolls into one big rectangle (pinching seams together) and cut into 6 strips, lengthwise.  Put 3 long strips lengthwise on top of the casserole. Cut remaining 3 strips into 6 shorter strips and put these on top in the other direction.

Return to oven for 15 minutes.  Add the rest of the cheese and onions to the top of the casserole and bake 5 more minutes.

Deliciousness.

Got anything else you’re wondering about? Or anything I need to know about you? I’m wondering ….

Sheri it’ssupposedtobeCOLDinChicagothisweekend

I have to get over this “let’s find the best recipe with a chocolate and peanut butter combo” phase. No good can come of it, there are not enough people in our house to benefit from it, and it takes away from the knitting time. But first, let me just share one more with you. Then I’ll stop. (Um, unless someone has another recipe that I need to try?) No, really – I’ll stop.

Peanut Butter Dessert

1 pk. brownie mix (for 9 x 13 pan)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pk. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 oz. carton of Cool Whip
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Prepare and bake brownie mix as directed. Cool completely.

Mix vanilla pudding mix and 2 1/2 cups cold milk, beating at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in powdered sugar and peanut butter and whip well. Spread on cooled brownies.

Melt chocolate squares in microwave for 1 minute (on high). Stir until all bits have been dissolved.  Put frozen Cool Whip in microwave for 1 minute (on high). Mix chocolate and Cool Whip together and whisk well to blend. Pour over pudding layer and spread evenly.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Store in refrigerator.

This what I had for dinner last night. Well, there might have been soup, too, but this is the thing I remember most. The chocolate and peanut butter dessert. Mmmmmm….

My Traveling Woman Shawl is done and ready to block. Now I’m on to Mara with Madelinetosh Worsted and another pair of Cabled Mitts with Lorna’s Laces Worsted. (Worsted weight – a knitter’s best friend when gift knitting must get done. And Lorna’s and Madelinetosh must have the most wonderful worsted yarns on the planet. Seriously.) I’m also contemplating Colonnade with Lorna’s Laces. Elf Donna is making one up out of LL Worsted and it is gorgeous. A Must Knit.

Sheri inthemoodtogetapuppy.Pleasetellme
whythat’sareallybadidea.WHclaimsitis.Idon’tbelievehim.