Sari Silk Bolero in my book, Positively Crochet!

A reader who bought my book, Positively Crochet, asked me (on Ravelry) about the back of this bolero. She is making the bolero and said it's going well, once you get used to the yarn. I agree. The book does not show the back of the bolero, so I'm posting this photo. You crochet 2 circles, (left and front) and sew a seam in the back, which leaves a "V" at the bottom back.

Sari Silk Bolero in Positively Crochet

Green Rice Recipe

The recipe is a good way to get your kids to eat spinach. It's delicious, and there aren't many things that cheese can't hide :) It's a good recipe to fix for a pot luck or carry in dinner. If you have one of those casserole dishes that has the heating pack to put in the microwave (to keep the food warm) this is a good recipe for that. My sweet sister, Judy Drewett, from Tx. gave me this recipe years ago.

Green Rice Casserole

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
2 (10 & 3/4 oz) cans of cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup salad oil
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups cooked rice
1 small can evaporated milk
1 & 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cans mushrooms, drained
1 large onion, chopped

Mix spinach and 1/2 can of mushroom soup (or process in blender) Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine oil and eggs and add to cooked rice, along with spinach mixture and remaining ingredients. Turn into greased shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If doubled, this will have to cook longer. Serve immediately.

Italian Beans and Greens Soup

I made this soup and it turned out really good. I adapted it from another recipe and it's quick and easy. In case you want to try it, here's the recipe. I hope you like it!

Italian Beans and Greens Soup

2-3 TB Olive Oil
5-6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
1 medium onion
Escarole, Swiss chard, Kale or Collard greens, chopped
5 cans chicken broth (8-10 cups)
1 can Cannelli beans (white kidney beans)
1 can white Great Northern Beans
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 -2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup dry white rice
Saute garlic, onions, mushrooms and rice in olive oil until brown.
Add broth and chicken. Cook til rice is done (10-15 mins)
Add greens and beans. Cook about 5 minutes more.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Optional: grated mozzarella or provolone cheese to garnish

It's about time!

This is my very first blog and it's about time! I've had a website, http://mjcrochet.com/ , related to my crochet designing career for a few years now, but have been so busy working, that I just never took the time to start a blog. This is exciting to me and I'll try to post what's going on in my life as a designer and just life in general. For anyone interested, I am on Facebook as Mary Jane Perry Hall, and my Ravelry ID is maryjane2. You can also go to Flickr to see many photos of my designs. I'll post info and photos of my books soon!