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…
I’m saying Twenty-Ten. It does sound more fun. We had a talk about this at my house over the weekend, and my son pointed out that while the shortened version sounds better for even-ending years, the long version sounds better for odd-ending years. So in my house, we’re going with “twenty ten”, but “two thousand eleven”… try it, it really sounds weird to try to say “twenty thirteen”!
My hubs and I are being contrary and calling it “Oh-Ten” just for fun. It’s been 1,000 years since that’s been possible, so we’re going to enjoy it while it’s here. 🙂
I’m making the Shmoes right away. But, I’ll have mine with tea! Twenty ten, for sure.
Shmoes sound great! Tell Danny he looks particularly festive with that marshmallow moustache.
Can I upload more than one shawl? I think I finished three in the third quarter (although admittedly, one was with non-Loopy yarn….)
I like Tammy’s idea of calling it Oh-Ten (or even Two-Oh-Ten). Just to be different. Just for the fun of it.
Thank you, Sheri for carrying the new Sunna yarn. I just started a sock and it’s wonderful to knit with and the Turkish Stone colorway has me mesmorized.
Ooooo so many gorgeous shawls are up! How will we ever keep from voting for all?
I’m saying twenty ten-just is simpler.
I’m really loving knitting these shawls with my yarn from TLE. Getting ready to cast on a Clapotis, in one of my DIC yarns-whoot!
Go see Avatar if you like any fantasy stuff-it’s 2 KUHL!
I like twenty ten.
We’ve been teasing my boss – he’s Brazillian and has been saying “Two thousand oh nine” for all of 2009 instead of saying “Two thousand nine”. We are betting he’s going to say “two thousand oh ten” now. 🙂
Let’s see — two thousand o’ ten!
I have no idea what I will say. I’m just hoping 2010 will be as fun to live through as it is to figure out how to say it!
Shmoes! Very funny. I’ve got a “gourmet” version for you to try: Instead of graham crackers, try sliced pound cake. I make an orange cranberry pound cake that I like to use (yes, I’m fond of over-the-top, why do you ask?). Put peanut butter on the pound cake slices, then chocolate on top of that (I like bittersweet chocolate chips or Symphony Bars, the milk chocolate ones wtih toffee bits in them). Put them on a baking sheet and into the oven to let the chocolate melt. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream or, um, both.
I’m not crazy about marshamallow, but I like PB and choc, so that’s how I came up with this. Actually hardly a S’mores variation, so I’m going to start calling mine Shmoes, too. I don’t have a bake time or temp to recommend, because I usually stick a tray of them into the oven after I’ve turned it off and taken dinner out. Leave the oven door ajar if you’ve used a hot oven for something, because you don’t want to scorch the Shmoes. Just let the remaining heat do its job. By the time you want dessert, they’ll be ready.
The King Arthur test kitchen (www.kingarthurflour.com) includes a blog, and last summer (I think) they posted about using pound cake for S’mores instead of Graham crackers. Since I’m a dreadful cook, I was amazed to see that those experts thought of the same thing I did!
And by the way, I love your shop, your blog, and your yarns. It was the dessert talk that grabbed my interest today.
Now let’s go see what’s new for yarn….
My friends and I in one of our first apartments made candle smores. We used the long taper candles that aren’t scented and bamboo skewers to toast our marshmallows. It was a ton of fun!
Love the Shmoes recipe. I will use it next time all the grand kids come over and are looking for a little something. Bet they will love it. I grew up with smores and this sounds like a more modern version. and more child friendly, no fire and/or pointy sticks in the dark.
I’ll be making these this Friday for my daughter-in-laws 3rd grade class! Last year I made each of her students 2 smores each and they were zinging off the walls. Strict orders this year for only 1 smore per student!! 🙂
“I think the thing with sweaters is that in my mind, they are a much bigger time commitment than a pair of socks. I never stress over sock patterns, because I’ll finish one and start in on another. For some reason, committing to a sweater pattern makes me feel like I can only pick one a year and it makes me indecisive.”
I think like that too. So today I decided to let my inner nerd out for a bit and here is what she came up with. A pair of Monkey socks knit to fit my feet is just under 26,650 stitches of knitting in fingering weight. A Ribby Cardi to fit me is just under 47,500 stitches of knitting in worsted weight. Now, worsted weight may take longer to knit each stitch because it’s heavier and it has to travel around a bigger needle but I don’t think it would be worse than about 25% more effort. So in knitting effort I think a Ribby Cardi would be less effort than 2 and a half pairs of Monkey socks. So if I have proven I can knit a pair of socks in 3 days for Sock Madness (‘course I’m not doing _anything_ else for those 3 days in order to achieve that), in theory that means I should be able to crank out a Ribby Cardi in a week and a day at most. Right?
Don’t hold me to that. LOL But I might try it once I get the knitting queue down to a bit more manageable level.