Do you change your mind often? Being a woman (and most, if not all of my blog readers are women), that’s in our DNA and we’re allowed to change our mind; and change it often! I’m not one of those type women who change my clothes a million times before going out. Heck, if I changed my clothes three times, that would take care of everything in my closet! For the most part, once a decision is made about anything, thats it . . I’m on to something else. But, two things have changed recently.
First, is cooking! All the times many of you wrote me and said you just didn’t cook as much as I do and had no desire to do so — I couldn’t understand that! But, with Chad gone . . my kitchen has almost been abandoned! I can’t believe how much food that boy must have been consuming! With him not here, it’s almost unbelievable how little food we’re eating and how little cooking I’m doing. I think I like this! Monday night I grilled steaks, made a salad and we had leftover scalloped potatoes. Tuesday night Vince grilled Italian sausage, onions and peppers and we had that as a sandwich. Wednesday night we again grilled steak, I pan fried some chopped potatoes with more onions and peppers and chopped up some leftover Italian sausage in there. Tonight I fixed some frozen chicken ready to heat and eat type thing I got at Wal-Mart. It had pecans, apples and cranberry stuffing and it was GOOD! Served along with a salad and that was it! I have a brisket marinating tonight. I’ll stick it in the Nesco tomorrow and have it with potato salad and baked beans. Saturday we’ll probably have brisket sandwiches or burritos with the leftover brisket. Sunday will be spaghetti & meatballs and I’m thinking I will have spent less time in the kitchen in one whole week than I used to do in a day. Amazing!
Second is my sock knitting. I was perfectly happy to knit plain old stockinette stitch. I never had to count; I could just sit and knit without engaging the brain at all. Until last week! While feeling bad, I was reading through some sock patterns online and thought . . hey, it’s time I ventured out a little and did something with a pattern. I came across Cookie A.’s Monkey Sock pattern. It had a bazillion positive ratings on Ravelry so I decided I’d try it. I figured out the pattern and knitted a whole sock using a yarn that I thought was a bit too bulky even though the gauge worked out almost perfectly. Got it made and decided . . yep, it was too bulky. The yarn was a gorgeous yarn but the pattern was lost due to the color variations of the yarn so I ripped it all out and started again with a different yarn. Here’s my sock and don’t worry . . the second one is already halfway done.
I think I’m hooked on pattern knitting!
pdudgeon says
yep, teenagers do eat a lot. a whole lot!
but just think–the time and money you don’t have to spend cooking can be used for knitting now. love those socks!
Diane says
To be honest I never could figure out what you were doing with all the food you cooked! LOL I often thought how big and full your freezer had to be. When I had three teens living at home I cooked alot, but now I have just the youngest and it is amazing how little I cook. I usually cook 3-4 times a week and then plan “leftover” meals. I will probably never enter the kitchen when he leaves home. That purple sock is great! I really want to learn to make socks.
CJ says
Judy, your sock is absolutely gorgeous! How I envy you this skill!
Maybe now you’ll start doing more cooking by the seat of your pants… and learn to enjoy it! 🙂
Karen says
Love the sock!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Judy says
Wow Judy, I love the sock(s). I was on Ravelry a couple days ago and have 3 new sock designs I want to try. I thought it was time to learn someting new. So I have spent my evenings finishing up a stocking hat, a dish cloth and have one fingerless mitten to finish then I will start the new socks. But first I must see the monkey socks. Thanks 🙂
Your grocery bill is going to drop to almost nothing now! I sometimes miss feeding my boy!
karylsquilts says
kick up your heels ! thats a good looking sock !
I tend to cook lots of hot dishes or soups.. dividing into smaller dishes.
I also cook things that will make something else later. ~K
Marilyn says
Yup, I was waiting for you to discover that you won’t need to cook as much. A nice surprise isn’t it? But just wait. Chad will want to take some food with him before long when he gets tired of what’s offered at college and fast food.
Karen L says
Yup, I couldn’t quite understand all the cooking you were doing……..but then I don’tput alot of effort into what I do in the kitchen. Let’s see with less money spent on groceries…..I think that translates into more money for yarn and fabric.
Karen L
Linda says
Love that sock! My favorite color & such a pretty pattern.
You know, I really don’t mind cooking if somebody would just tell me what they want & then clean up my mess afterwards. And, yes, two middle-aged folks at home don’t need nearly as much food as when there’s a young man eating with them. Grocery bills go down too……………..:-)
gina says
Its wierd tho huh? Walt had bypass, kids gone, and I am on a diet!! EQUALS, my poor cooking fetish is drastically dimished!! Love the sox:)
Karleen Taylor says
Great sock, Judy! You have inspired me to start knitting again and I have been teaching myself to do socks. Whew, 4 needles and sometimes feels like 5 thumbs, but progress is being made. Thanks for sharing!
Karleen
Toni says
Noticed the difference in the food consumption, did you? When our oldest son left to go in the Air Force, the food bill cut in half! Mind you, there were still four of us left at home! I could hardly believe it.
carol fun says
I totally understand the cooking situation. When my oldest went off to college our food bills and the amount of time I cooked drastically reduced. Then he returned home ( to go to law school) and I’m back where I started. However, it is nice that he is always complimentary of my cooking and very grateful for home cooked meals.
As for the sock, I love it. I’ve made a pair of these using the pattern from Cookie and then I made a second pair where you replace all the purls in the pattern with knits. Try it – it goes even faster and you still get that great pattern. Right now I’m knitting a sock with the Spring Forward patten from Knitty. com — go check it out.
I love reading your blog — it the first one I check every day.
Have a great weekend
carol fun
Julie (in Arizona) says
Your sock is wonderful — learning to make socks is next on my list!!! I cook less and less with just the two of us. Seems we are eating lighter meals — no bread, pasta or cheese. When I cook, I make double what we need, freeze half of it for the next week. Sure makes my life easier, and gives me more time to quilt and knit. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Reading your blog is one of the first things I do ever morning.
Bobbie says
Judy-Same here-I cook about 3 or 4 times a week-I just can not cook for 2 people and cook like I always have -there was 5 of us , but even then I cooked like for 7 or 8-plenty of food if someone stopped by or the kids brought someone home with them. So now leftovers are being ate-gives me more time for sewing. And about the socks-knitting was one of my 1st. loves and then didn’t do much after about 10 years of it–now I’m at it again-trying to make socks, but keep getting messed up on the heel gusset-I’m using circular needles and have knitted a lot with them, but trouble with the socks. I’m going to try the 4 needles, but I can’t imagine using them. Hugs, Bobbie
Evelyn says
Fancy socks! I always get interrupted so wouldn’t dare try a pattern where I actually had to keep track, LOL. I just rib to the heel and continue ribbing down almost all the way down to the toe. See – just another good thing for having an empty nest – you can knit complicated socks! I am sure you will adjust your cooking/grocery shopping as time goes on. Here we enjoy 1-2 BIG dinners a week adn then I can easily make left-overs with some of it (and run plates over to my next door neighbor who lives by herself and is elderly), add a pasta or pizza night, plus DH likes to have fish at least every other week – there really isn’t too many more meals to think about! Easy. BUT – I still don’t get any where near as much sewing done as you do. Cheers! Evelyn
Marla says
Tried the frozen chicken, stuffing, apples thingie today for dinner for DH and me and your are right, it was good!!
Judy says
Thanks for the link to the sock pattern, Judy. I agree that patterned socks look nicer in plainer yarn so you can appreciate the intricacies of the pattern. And I like your choice better than the one shown on the pattern! Isn’t it amazing how young men can stow away lots of food and not show it?
Judy H. says
You’re making me want to get out my stalled Monkey Socks and work on them. Just lovely!
lori says
Love your sock. Glad the second one in its works, I have never made a “pair”.
On cooking, I have always hated it, but lately I have been trying. I tried stuff peppers the other night. Found red peppers on sale for 5/$1.00 and hamburger clearanced at $1.50 for a pound, can of tomatos, and jar of sauce, and brown rice. I made all 5 peppers, sent 1 home with daughter, I ended up only eating half the pepper, I figure I made 4 meals for less than $4. I have you to thank, I watch how frugal you are, thought I’d try. So THANK YOU Judy
Mary says
Multiply Chad by 2 and you’ll understand why I can’t cook for 2 people! We always have lots of leftovers.