It was one of those Saturdays: A chore list longer than two arms and a couple of teenagers with other plans.

Don't get me wrong: They help out, but sometimes it's after I build a head of steam and chug after them.

This day, I didn't want to.

I wanted to crochet a pot scrubbie.

And why not?

I headed to the craft store, bought a yard of nylon net and a crochet hook, went home and had at it.

A half hour later, having lost myself in cutting up blue and orange netting and churning through it, blocking out all else, my nerves were soothed.

And I had the best darn scrubbie ever.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I said to my family. My 16-year-old daughter rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it the best darn scrubbie you've ever seen?" I said to my husband.

"Yes, it is," he said, rolling his eyes. (He has no soul.)

I put it to work, scrubbing every available pot, pan and grill in the kitchen.

At the end of my whirlwind, I had scratched a couple of things off the chore list and scoured my cares down the drain.

There are lots of free patterns online for making your own scrubbies. The one I used, modified from a pattern on the Web, is below.

That Bree, she likes to clean

Care to wake up to the sound of Bree Van de Kamp Hodge cooing in your ear? Aside from that, you can help people who need assistance.

Go to motts.com and sign up to have Marcia Cross, who plays that desperate housewife, send a wake-up to whomever you like. For each call Mott's will donate a dollar to Feeding America.

"I'm humbled and proud to be working with Mott's to literally wake up America to the fight against hunger and help people get a healthy start to the day," said Ms. Cross.

Holy Rollers

Volunteer pie makers at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Marshall, known as the "Holy Rollers," are turning out the cherry pies for the church's 18th pie sale.

Pies are $10 baked, $9 ready to bake. Order by e-mailing mpcwxfrd@consolidated.net or call 724-935-3316. Last year the rollers made 650 pies in two weeks.

Greek for Easter

The Ladies Philoptochos Society of Holy Trinity Church is holding its annual Easter bake sale. Order 9-by-13-inch pans of spanakopita ($25) or baklava ($30), or plain or sesame sweet bread ($7.50).

Place your order, which must be prepaid, by April 1. Call 412-366-1498 or e-mail philoptochos@holytrinitypgh.org.

Pickup is at the church hall, 302 W. North Ave., North Side, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 8 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 11.

Cake class canceled

The cake class to be held Saturday in South Park has been canceled. It will be rescheduled, says Denise Schreiber of the Allegheny County Parks Department.

Jewish menu at Benkovitz

Benkovitz Seafoods, 23rd and Smallman streets, Strip District, is featuring a Jewish menu beginning Monday through April 16. Enjoy fresh halibut salad, egg salad, spinach-vegetable kugel, salmon croquettes, gefilte fish and more. Call 412-263-3016 or 412-488-FISH (3474) for information.

Students in ketchup contest

Nathan Doverspike, 15, a sophomore at Highlands High School; Ellen Casey, a first-grader at Rowan Elementary School in the Seneca Valley School District; and Keri Silbaugh, an eighth-grader and student at the Monart School of Art in Avella are finalists in the Heinz Ketchup contest to select a design for ketchup packets.

The three are among 36 finalists selected by pop artist Burton Morris.

Vote for your favorite at ketchupcreativity.com/voting.aspx, beginning tomorrow, through Wednesday. One winner will be selected from each grade. Winners will receive $1,000 and their designs will be printed on 19.5 million packets. The winners' schools will also receive $1,000 for their art departments and $1,000 worth of ketchup for their cafeteria.

IUP donor honored

The Council of Trustees at Indiana University of Pennsylvania has named the culinary library at its Fairman Centre in Punxsutawney after Elaine K. Light.

The honor was made in recognition of a $50,000 gift Mrs. Light, of Uptown, made to the center's renovation in honor of her late husband, Samuel R. Light, an IUP trustee from 1965 to 1971.

The center, which is undergoing a $4.7 million upgrade expected to be completed in the fall, houses residential and classroom space on upper floors for students enrolled in the Academy of Culinary Arts.

Taste of Washington

The 3rd Taste of Washington County fundraiser for the Greater Washington County Food Bank will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. next Thursday.

A $50 donation gets you samples of foods from the county's finest restaurants and entertainment at the Holiday Inn Meadowlands.

Reservations: 724-229-8175.

Sauce is a mix of product reviews and food news. Send items to mshrum@post-gazette.com or call 412-263-3027.

Crocheted Pot Scrubbie

PG tested

This is the perfect craft to pursue while watching "American Idol." Vote for Anoop.

-- Margi Shrum

• 1/2 yard nylon net (not tulle)
• Size K crochet hook
  
  

  Cut netting, lengthwise, into 11/4 to 11/2-inch strips. Tie strips together into 1 long strip.

  Chain 4 and slip stitch ends of chain together to form ring. Work 16 double crochets in the center of the ring. As you work, push the tied ends of netting toward the back.

  Slip stitch rounds together. For second row, work 2 double crochets in each space between the double crochets of the previous row, 32 double crochets in all.

  If you like a larger scrubbie, work another row, once again working 2 double crochets in each space. Tie off.

  Make a second scrubbie like the first.

  With wrong sides together, and the tied ends tucked between the scrubbies, slip stitch -- or single crochet, if you like -- around the edges.

  Tie off.

  Scrub something.

  First published on March 19, 2009 at 12:00 am