Of Whining, Dining & Grey Poupon

You didn't believe that bit about "Dining & the Grey Poupon, did you? Whinin' & chowin' down on our favorite foods is more like it...chuckles.
First, the whinin'...Poor Goodman, if he heard me whine once about not havin' enough time to start these mittens with the Patons SWS yarn all over again, he must have heard it twenty times. (Did you guess they were mittens?) Ah well, I surely believe he'll be rewarded someday for his patience with my knitting dilemmas. They did turn out well, I think, even though the stripes are not identical as I'd hoped. (This picture really makes them look huge.)Here they are complete with a crocheted "keeper cord", modeled by their new owner, Punkin' #2. She was still oohing and ahing over their softness. :)
Now, a little peek at some of the dinin'...
Here's a tasty spread that we made for our family get together, Salmon Party Log. It's in the Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks circa 1972, the first cookbook I ever owned and still my favorite.
Simple little ham & Swiss sandwiches made with Artisan French Bread from the deli at Walmart. A fancy-dancy name for white bread made without shortening, don't you think.A quick and very tasty bean dip, recipe below.
Fiesta Bean Dip

1 large can refried beans
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 jar Pace salsa
3 small cans sliced black olives
12 ounces sour cream
6 ounces grated fiesta cheese

First, add one to two ounces of water to beans to make them spreadable, then mix refried beans with the packet of taco seasoning mix. Spread beans on a large serving dish making a little raised edge around the outside edge with your spoon. I do this to help hold the salsa in check so it won't weep allover the serving dish. Spread salsa over the beans keeping it inside the raised edge. Sprinkle the olives over the salsa. Spread the sour cream over the olives. Top with the grated cheese. Serve at room temperate with your favorite tortilla chips.
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Remember my blackberry jam makin' extravaganza last week? Well, I had two cups of blackberry juice left over, which was not enough for another batch of jam, so I used it to make blackberry syrup to have with pancakes. Mmmm, mmm was it good. :)
Hope your still enjoyin' lots of holiday cheer, Y'all.
We have leftovers that will last all weekend, most likely, and that'll be just fine with me as I have a lil bit of knittin' lined up for the next few days.