Winnie the Pooh baby blanket - Part One

Quite awhile ago I purchased this pattern: (Click on the pictures to see a larger size)

The instructions for this pattern are to make a blank afghan and then cross-stitch the design onto it.

So, I made a few of the blanks and stored them for when I wanted to gift a blanket, all I would have to do would be the cross-stitching.

Well, the other day, I took one of the blanks out and started to cross-stitch the design but I wasn't pleased with the result.  Too much white showed through, the blanket became distorted (and was not stitching tightly), and the bulkiness of the stitched area was unpleasant.

I decided to start over and crochet the design as part of the blanket.  I will have to stitch the outline but that won't really distort or add bulk.  I'm almost halfway done (I'll post an update when finished).

Much better!

Craving Chocolate

What does one do when one craves chocolate but is too lazy to go to the store? Make brownies, of course!

Remember last fall when I canned some winter squash? Well, it works really well as a fat replacement in boxed brownie mixes. So, I took this:

 

Which ended up as a plate of these:

 

And, then I ate this (with vanilla Greek yogurt):

 

Acorn Squash Almond Brownies 

1 package brownie mix
1 egg
1/2 jar pureed acorn squash (pumpkin works, too)
A handful of nuts, I used blanched sliced almonds (1/2 cup, approximately)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix all ingredients. Pour into a greased (I use Pam) 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool for 5-10 minutes.