Thanks guys!  For a more veggie friendly option you could probably just cook the black beans with the taco seasoning somehow.  Hubby says it's better the next day.  lol

Hey there everyone!  I came up with this tonight for dinner and thought I'd share the recipe.  Hubby and I both love Mexican food but eventually you get sick of the same old same old, so I threw some stuff together.  We thought it was pretty good.

Mexican Mac & Cheese

1 pound (or close to it) ground lean hamburger
1 package of taco seasoning
1 box of pasta (I used shells because that's what I had)
1 jar of salsa con queso
1 medium size can of black beans
about 3/4 of a cup of frozen corn

Brown the hamburger and add the taco seasoning and water as called for on the back of the package.  Meanwhile boil the pasta until it's done.  In a colander drain the black beans and put the corn on top of the beans.  Then dump the pasta on top to drain it and heat up the beans and corn.  Put the pasta/beans/corn mixture back into the pasta pot and add the salsa con queso.  Mix in the hamburger and serve.  This made a LOT for hubby and I.  Looks like we're both having leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

I thought I'd join in too.  I just started my shawl yesterday, but having no kids and not being able to work till I get permanent residence here in Canada... well let's just say I have a LOT of time on my hands.  lol

I'm doing the snowdrop pattern too, but I'm making some modifications.  Basically I'm doing a different edging and I'm using misti alpaca laceweight and US size 2 needles. I'm going to have to do more repeats of the snowdrop pattern to get a shawl that's big enough.  Here's what I've got so far (7 snowdrop repeats across)



I put a piece of paper behind where I have it pinned out so you can see the pattern.

Great sweater.   

I'm from the US too and only just discovered Christmas crackers after spending my first Christmas with my DH's Canadian family.  Seeing 8 or 9 adults sitting around a table wearing paper crowns and playing with the toys was hilarious.  Wish I'd taken a picture....

Wow those are so pretty!

Thanks!

So I finally finished my first sock, after ripping it out three times till I got the right size (apparently my mother doesn't wear woman sized socks, she wears 8/10 year old size socks).  These were made on size 7 needles (ribbing) and size 8 needles (the rest of the sock) with bernat berella 4.  I love the colors of this sock.  I can't wait to start the other one, but since I misread the instructions I need to buy another ball before I can start.  Anyway, on with the picture....



And, because I needed practice working with the dpns again after so long, I made my hubby a psp eating monster.  Size 8 needles and caron simply soft.  Oh how I love this yarn.  I just started a pair of fingerless gloves with it and my mom crocheted an afghan for me with it.



And with his "brains" poking out.

Oh good.  I don't have a newborn available to measure, nor will there be any in the family for at least a year or two, so I was beginning to get very frustrated.  lol  Thanks a lot.   

I've found I can whip up one of these things in a day or two of knitting...  http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTtychus.html  They're even faster if you only use one color.  Plus the short rows keep things interesting.  I've already made one for my hubby and I'm on the last section of one for my dad for a late christmas present.

Sorry Lothruin, didn't mean to be a knitter-zilla, I'm just really frustrated.  It's been a long, tiring day, and I'd just love to figure out where to start the decreases for this &*%# hat so I can go to bed!  lol  Any idea how much of a brim she's talking about on there?