We are approaching a major milestone in the Anderson household.  I've had this jar of crushed red pepper for at least 5 years and we've very nearly finished the entire thing!  You can tell it is old by the dated appearance of the label.  I've always been interested in baking but I didn't really become interested in cooking until Dave came along.  It really motivates you when you're cooking for someone other than yourself.  I love garlic and herbs and spices, always have.  I scoff in Chinese restaurants when items on the menu are marked "spicy" because I don't think they are necessarily spicy.  To me, garlicky does not equate to spicy.  It has only been in recent years that I've begun to appreciate heat in dishes, and heat and spicy are not the same thing.  Heat is just heat.  As someone who has been raised eating a bland, Scandinavian diet of "white food" (so called because the food is always bread/rice/pasta/butter/cream/potatoes...i.e. STARCH) this is a major accomplishment!

 You can see the bottom of the jar!!!  We've managed to use this up even though we have also recently discovered Sambal Oelek which is fresh red pepper paste and we even buy the 18 oz. jar of that!  Who knew we were such spicy people?!?  I have the next 2 days off and plan to spend some time fooling around in my kitchen as well as working on some last minute knitting.

This is some bead knitting that had been abandoned in my bead knitting tin.  I am hoping to finish it and enter it at the Washington County Fair next week.  I love these 0000 needles I got at the Nordic Needle in Fargo a few years back.  This will be a simple drawstring bag once finished.  Hoping to post pictures of the finished bag soon.  Have a great weekend!