August Meeting

The August meeting will be hosted by Mame. Again, hooking is optional based on climactic conditions. 

The theme is going to be "S....for story". The goal is to make something that begins with an "S". Mame will provide "s"teak and "s"alt for the margaritas. Trixie has already signed up for "s"alad.

RSVP by sending Mame an email or commenting here.

How much spaghetti can one safely consume?

The hookers met at Del Grosso's Spaghetti Night for their July meeting. It's a little too hot for hooking this time of year and you can easily tempt a hooker with pasta and the promise of a 45-minute car ride with other hookers. 

Tara, Trixie, Hillary, and Shannon arrived early to see swarms of people lined up for the pasta. You know what a hooker is thinking when she sees people lining up for food. The competitive edge takes over and the hooker tries to deduce the fastest way to get to the prize. And then she thinks, "The sauce must be amazing to warrant this many people coming out in the heat."

The choices were Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce. 

The line moved swiftly and the pasta was well worth the wait. It was a little too much food for one person to tackle, but some of us cleaned our plates only to suffer the agony of being completely full and sick at a humid amusement park pavilion. If you eat that much pasta at home, there are comfortable places to lie in the supine position and wait for the fullness to pass, but I don't think picnic tables are really conducive to that sort of thing.

Hookers Cassandra, Mame and Cindy arrived later with special guests Amy and Gene in tow. Their wait was much longer but obviously patience paid off a second time. Some hookers even managed to put down a funnel cake after the fact because A) who can resist a funnel cake and B) what better way to impress the other hookers than to eat a funnel cake after a mound of pasta?

There were two highlights of the evening for me: 

1. Seeing Trixie saddle up to an older gentleman and use her magical powers of flirting/talking with strangers. I am convinced that Trixie could solve world peace if only the world's evil dictators would start to frequent fleas/yard sales/food joints in the Tri-State area.
   
2. Seeing Cindy and the rest of the hookers get splashed with waterpark spillage on the way to our cars. It was completely unexpected but welcome considering the humidity.
   

Special thanks to the hookers who drove! 

June Meeting: Pastries and Pups on a Rainy Eve

*Hooker notes from Mame, Mary, and Cynthia

First - a big thank you to Jackie for being the host for last night's event. We had a small, but mighty crowd. Mugsy proved to be a worthy playmate to Sasha and it was fun to watch them chase each other around.

Jackie provided some delicious meat pockets and she found the time to make some soup. We also devoured some pickeled eggs and beats, some shrimp crackers, chips and hummus, spinach salad, fruit salad and brownies. (Did I miss anything?)

Cindy continued to work on the afghan for Raymond and I came close to finishing a blanket that will make its home at our Lake place. Cassandra worked on a dish clothe while Jackie and Mary took the night off and just joined in the conversation.

Mame announced the news of a new lake house at Seneca Lake. Her description made it sound like it would be a very relaxing summer home for her and her family. This may also mean the hookers hit the road to give it the official hooker seal of approval. A lake house needs afghans, right? Mary offered to drive but we may need a 15-passenger hooker van.

Our next adventure is at Delgrosso Park on July 2nd for an all you can eat spaghetti dinner. We can figure out the game plan closer to the day.

"Here's to the Happy Valley Hookers.....may hookin' keep you young!"

June Meeting

The June meeting will be at Jackie's house on June 4. Mugsy may make an appearance so he can meet Sasha. You won't want to miss it!

RSVP by sending Jackie an email.

May Meeting: a Romantic Night by the Fire

Four hookers in a Prius made their way to Altoona last night for some hooking near the campfire at Chez Cassandra. It was our first jaunt in Mame's new wheels and we were all taken with the über-high-tech gadgets and the roomy and smooth ride via the new highway. 

On arrival, we were all searching for Mugsy, Cassandra's new pup. Gene was tending the fire but Mugsy and Cassandra were nowhere in sight. Turns out Mugsy was on his walk and soon enough we saw him prancing down the alley on his way to see us. 

Mugsy, like any spoiled rockstar, had several costume changes throughout the evening. He was a huge hit with the hookers and we decided that he needs to have a recurring guest role at future hooker events. He has a hard, street-wise demeanor about him, but is also very calm and self-assured. He knows you like him and he isn't about to turn down food offerings in exchange for his good looks. 

Mame and I got a row or two done on our afghans just to say that we actually hooked. Most of us were just content to eat mountain pies and enjoy the evening's spring air and the tickling flames of the fire. Jackie debuted her red, white, and blue felted purse. We were all *highly* impressed with how it turned out and can't wait to see how she ends up doing the handles.

It wouldn't be a hooker meeting without sensational food, and the campfire classics really hit the spot last night. Cassandra had all the fixins for mountain pies of the pizza and dessert variety. She also had stuff for s'mores. Jackie made some excellent samosa-like pastries that were like fishballs with dough on the outside. Needless to say I could have eaten 10 of them. Amy supplied refreshing cold beverages in a cooler and Trish made one of her famous Big Ole Salads® with homemade dressing.

Much love out to the hookers who couldn't make it! 

Mugsy-fan for life,

Hooker Tara

May Meeting this Wednesday

Just a gentle reminder about our May meeting, this coming Wednesday at Cassandra's house. If weather permits, we'll making mountain pies outside on the fire. 

April Meeting a Cut Above the Rest

I never thought the hooker meetings could get any wilder, but when you add men and knives into the mix, it most certainly does flare up a bit. The first portion of our meeting was dedicated to a Cutco Knife demonstration by Craig's friend, Ben. I was a little worried for him at the beginning but he dealt with our cackles, questions, and sexual innuendo with aplomb. Please add a comment here if you want to share a favorite memory of the evening. (Just click the "0 comments" or "__ comments" link at the end of this post.) 

I think my favorite moment was when Trixie pulled out a ruler to measure Ben's big knife because she didn't believe he was telling the truth about its length.

There were lots of tasty treats and drinks on hand. If you have a recipe to post or want a recipe for something you tried at the meeting, just let me know and I'll post it here. 

Some hooking did get done after the knife demo...but it was just Trixie, Mame, and I getting a few rows done before calling it an evening. Mame needs to finish up a few of her open projects before she is allowed to buy new yarn for something new. She has ventured into sweater territory which is very impressive if you ask me. Trixie is still working on a baby afghan with wonderful blue hues. I have started an afghan with celery green and antique cream yarn. It may take years to complete but it should be beautiful when it's done. 

Here is a PDF of the Plastic Bag Tote instructions that Jackie sent to us. I scanned in a color version so it is easier to read and you can see the end result.

The next meeting is May 7 at Cassandra's house. Hope to see you all there!

Hooker Tara

April Meeting

Mame will be hosting the April Meeting. The evening will feature a Cutco demo from a gentleman named "Ben."

Lord help him in a room full of hookers with knives.

Mame has stated that the demo is just for him to get credit for doing it...so no pressure to buy anything unless you are in need of a sharp serrated knife.

Feel free to post a comment here (just click the link right below this sentence that says "0 comments" or "# comments") or RSVP to Mame over email.

March Meeting Notes

The hookers were donning their finest last evening for our March meeting. The Cowboy themed worked out for everybody...especially Trixie who was sporting a cowboy hat that would probably stop traffic down south.

This guy on the right was not there, but we did have some good discussions about men and related topics that I'm not going to post on a public forum such as this.

The nibbles included:
Weiners
Veggie Tray
Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper/Raspberry Jam
Iceberg Wedges with Homemade Ranch Dressing
Steak Bites and Chicken Bites with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce
(The only difference to this recipe is that I marinated the meat in equal parts oil and soy sauce with the juice of 1 lemon and 2 cloves of minced garlic for 24 hours beforehand...I've made it without marinating it and it's not as good.)
Crockpot Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar cheese toppings
The Most Amazing Cornbread Muffins Ever
Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Macademia Nut Cookies
Puppy Chow

Projects:
Mame was working on a beautiful brown shell stitch afghan that we were all lusting over.
Jackie was working on a red/white/blue knitted purse that is going to be cute as a button when it's done!
Shannon was plowing through a phenomenal blue varigated lap blanket for her brother. She is amazing all of us with how quickly and tenaciously she picked up hooking.

Thanks to all the hookers in attendance and special warm hugs out to the other hookers who couldn't make it!

Yours in the hook,
Tara

Hook/Knit a Helmet Liner for the Troops

Thanks to Kimberly for passing this along!

The Knitting For Marines project is an on-going effort to make and distribute helmet liners to Marines. Thanks to the overwhelming support that the project received, the Museum will continue to accept helmet liners so that as many Marines as possible can receive one. For those of you who are unable to attend the knit-ins at the museum, both the knitting pattern and crochet pattern are available for download as PDF files. Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may download it here for free.

Only 100% soft wool yarn will be accepted, because our Armed Forces are not allowed to wear synthetic fibers outside the wire. Wool is inherently non-flammable and won’t melt against the skin in the event of an accident and is warm even when wet.

More information here.

March 5 Meeting

The March 5 meeting of the Happy Valley Hookers will be held at Tara's house. The theme is Cowboys in honor of Heath Ledger.

Please RSVP whether or not you can make it. (Either leave a comment here or send me an email.) And let me know if you need directions to my house. 

Arrival time is anytime after 5:30!

February Meeting a Smash Hit!

Thanks to Trixie for a beautiful evening of hooking under a winter sky of lightening and laughter.

The hookers were out in force, 8 of us total. Mame was making good progress on a giant granny square afghan and also teaching two new hookers how to hook. Hillary and Shannon definitely conquered the "chaining" and are well on their way to learning the classic double crochet. (I remember vividly learning from Mame and Trixie and I can still hear "YARN OVER" in my head every time I do it.) Jackie was working on a red, white, and blue purse. Cassandra was making dish scrubbies that are pretty AND functional. Trixie was working on a baby blanket for a yet-to-be-born baby boy. Mary was working on a hat and scarf. Tara (me) was working on a few rows of something that will never get finished (as usual).

I announced the blog officially to the hookers in attendance. Hopefully everyone finds it useful or at least amusing. We learned that H&S's dad gave the "Happy Valley Hookers" a shout-out on his radio show. He had to inform a caller that it was a CROCHET club not the other kind of hooker. Get your mind out of the gutter.

The theme was Mountain Dew but only some of us were able to incorporate it into our goodies, which included:

A huge salad with all the fixings and steamed shrimp (Perfect!)

Bread

Cheese and salsa with chips

Hummus with Triscuits

Sushi (california rolls)

Mountain Dew Salad Dessert (click for recipe)

Apple Dumpling Bake with Mountain Dew (click for recipe)

Klondikes (We were so busy hooking that we forgot to eat the Klondikes, but that made it a windfall for Trixie!)

Also, I mentioned at this meeting to look for 100% wool sweaters that I can make felted sweater bags from...I want to get a lot of practice in making these new bags so find me a sweater and I will felt it and make it into a bag for you. $1 ones from Goodwill are the best!

See you in March at Hooker Tara's house (that's me). The theme is Cowboys!

February Theme

Trixie's theme for February is Mountain Dew. It was discovered that many of us have a silent addiction to the substance.

Please post a comment if you know what you will be bringing!

January Meeting kicks off 2008

The lovely hooker Jackie hosted a meeting at her house in Pleasant Gap. Her pulled pork sandwiches had everyone raving, and were complemented well by some delicious sides, including:

Chips and dip
Veggie Tray
Peanuts (with a story of the clearance-huntress Trixie plucking them from a post-holiday Target sale)
Black Bean and Corn Salsa (recipe below, thanks Shannon!)
Peanut Butter Pie
Strawberries and Chocolate

Black Bean and Corn Salsa Recipe:
One can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
One can of corn (drained)
One can of diced tomatoes (seasoned-we usually use the garlic seasoned ones)
½ cup of salsa
One small can of diced chilies or jalapeños
Chopped cilantro (Amount to your taste)

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Let sit at least an hour or overnight for better flavor! Enjoy with corn chips!

Download recipe in Word format

The range of conversation topics was broad, as always, ranging from the hotness of Mike Rowe to the Dog Whisperer's *shhht* sound. Sasha, Jackie's pooch, kept us amused with her couch-flying forward leaps.

Stay warm and cozy, and remember to send an RSVP to hooker hostess Trixie for the February 6 meeting.

Welcome, hookers!

This is a spot for us to put down our meeting stories, upcoming event details, and general whackiness. 

Love in hooking,

Hooker Tara