anyone out there?

If you can read this post, would you please leave me a comment saying so?

Yesterday a reader let me know that there was some sort of flag for malicious content on my blog! Apparently something I'd linked to in the past was the problem. It was a crafty website, of all things!

I've gone through and removed those posts, which made me sad, but I don't want the links to cause problems!

I'm so sorry if this affected you in any way, being linked to my blog! I don't understand why these things happen though!

So, can you see this? Are you getting weird notices when trying to access my blog??



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how clever

I went grocery shopping yesterday, and was in the banana isle and came across this!






A bag filled with ripe bananas, ready to be baked into bread! Not only that, there is a recipe right there on the bag!

What a great idea, I think. The bananas probably can't be sold otherwise when too ripe.

I almost bought a bag, but it's been way too hot to bake these last few days!

What have you found at your grocery store lately?




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Location:New Jersey Ave SE,Washington,United States

new aprons from Scarlet Threads!

Scarlet Threads has new aprons! Here are a few peeks of the new line for 2012.  The styles are similar to previous aprons, but these need names too! 

We're running a naming contest all week long. You should enter! 

Why?

Well! I'll tell you!

If we choose your suggestion, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free apron of your choice! Also, just for participating, you will receive a code for 50% off your next purchase! That's a good thing, right? Extreme couponers would certainly approve  ;)

Aren't they lovely?

vintage floral above

art deco above

If you'd like to enter, please go to our facebook page or to the blog!

There are two more that I didn't show a picture of, so go HERE to see them! This naming contest will continue all week, with each being debuted each day, and you can make a suggestion for each, should you wish! While you're on the facebook page, please "like" the page. Also, are you following @ScarletThreadFT on twitter?? Tweet about the contest too!

Of course, perhaps I should do a giveaway with one of these....right!? Which is your favorite? 

lentil soup!

Last weekend, I made lentil soup!  For several days, I'd been thinking about it, for some reason. Do you ever get an idea in your head, and then not be able to focus on anything else until you've done that? No? Just me? Oh dear...  ;)   Well, this time, it was lentil soup. I found a recipe that sounded terrific, and my decision was made for me. I went out to get the things I'd need, though some of them I already had. Apparently I had thought about making this earlier, because there were two unopened bags of lentils in my pantry! 

The recipe called for chopped onions, celery, and shredded carrots. I admit, I don't like onions much- I like them cooked in things, but not on their own, and NOT raw! I found this Mirepoix at Trader Joe's, which was a container with chopped carrots, onions, and celery, and the perfect amount of each! The best part? I think it was $2.49, which is less than it would have been if I had bought all three individually! 

As I went to open this package of sausage, I realized that its best buy date was well past the date I was cooking with it. The package was still sealed, but had been in the fridge, not freezer, so I was hesitant to use it. I had some kielbasa in the freezer, so I used that instead. 

First up, crumble the kielbasa in the bottom of a pot, with some olive oil. Brown it up, and once it has cooked, remove from the pan.

Add the veggies to the pan, let them cook through, stirring as needed. Add minced garlic. The recipe I used called for cumin and red chili flakes. As I was cooking, I realized I was out of both. Oooops. I used black pepper and maybe something else. Now I don't remember, hehe! 

Add the kielbasa (or sausage!) back to the pot, and add the chicken stock. After rinsing the lentils, add those to the pot too. 

Let the pot simmer at low, uncovered, for about 45 minutes and soon, your lentil soup will look like this-

Pour yourself a glass of wine, butter a piece of bread or two, and add a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese to your bowl of lentil soup, and then sit back and enjoy a really delicious dinner!

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Original recipe found at Joy the Baker.

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Lentil Soup

makes a big pot of soup.  serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound spicy chicken sausage, uncased

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 cups uncooked French lentils, rinsed

8 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese, olive oil, and bread to serve

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil.  Add the uncased chicken sausage and cook, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks.  Sausage should finish cooking in small chunks.  Remove from pan.

Add a touch more olive oil if necessary.  Add onions, celery, and carrots.  Cook until the onions are transluscent, about five to seven minutes.  Stir occasionally.  

Add the garlic, cumin, and chili flakes, and cook for one minute more.

Add the sausage back to the pan.  Stir to incorporate.  Add the lentils and chicken stock.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve soup with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and good crusty bread.  Soup will last, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.  Soup also freezes well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't have eight people living in my house, but I had enough to last me most of the week! Yes, I ate the same thing for dinner four nights in a row...what of it?! This wasn't a bad thing! Steve was away last week, so it was just me. You could certainly skip the sausage if you are not a meat eater, or add spices for variety (curry, anyone?!). Lentil soup is so versatile, and so comforting, I think. Despite it being June, and so hot here in Washington, DC, I do love soup for dinner! The funniest thing about this, was that my mother made lentil soup the same night! We had no idea that the other was making it, until we spoke that night after dinner! Too funny!

What is your favorite soup to eat? To make? 


I've posted this at Scarlet Threads blog today too! Stop by there!

ettiquette?

As I mentioned, my sister is engaged and planning her wedding for this November. She and Scott, her fiance, are working on registries. They had set one up at Macy's, and then found that several things had been discontinued, so over the weekend, they went to work on them.

Here's the situation-

They went to Bed Bath and Beyond to do a registry there, and before, she checked the Macy's list to see which items were still needed, and also which things should be deleted from

Macy's and add to BBB, based on price.

Side note- apparently Macy's has an app that emails you everytime someone buys from your registry?! How awful, I think!

Meanwhile, the Macy's app showed that someone bought the set of everyday glasses and the silverware that they registered for. Apparently the buyer in question is the best friend of my sister's best friend's sister (does that make sense?). So, Bethany's best friend is A, A's sister is B, and B's best friend is C, who bought these two things from the registry.

Bethany, of course, knows C, and they are friendly, but they are certainly not friends. C was at A's wedding, and we all saw her then, but that was the last time, and that was almost three years ago. Bethany and C certainly don't talk often, maybe the occasional facebook note, but nothing more. We can't imagine that C would think she would be invited to the wedding. Bethany has sent out save the dates, but C didn't get one, obviously, and they were sent out a month ago, and mentioned on facebook, so C would likely have seen that post, knowing they had gone out and then she didn't receive one at the time, or since!

It just seems so strange that C would buy Bethany a gift, and buy two things, at that.  Bethany said that she was planning to delete that silverware, as she later learned that it isn't great quality and out mother suggested something nicer. So, they added a different set.

Now Bethany is feeling weird that C bought them stuff, and isn't sure what to do. Should they return them? She doesn't think that she can ask A or B about it, because it is an awkward situation.

It just seems to be really strange to both of us!

Have you ever been in a similar situation? What would you do if you were Bethany? Is this the strangest thing you've ever heard????