I can now say that I know what it's like to experience tropical rain. After having the remnants of Hurricane Lowell (from the Pacific) train over us for several days and the leftovers of Hurricane Ike (from the Gulf) roar through us on the heels of that, I didn't think the rain would ever stop. They weather forecasters told us that after Ike got out of here (about 5 pm on Sunday) that the rain would stop. Well, it didn't. (Wouldn't you love to have a job where you can be wrong most of the time and still have a job? LOL!) We continued to get rain showers through Monday afternoon.
Our rain gauge holds 5 inches. We emptied it twice! I can only remember once when we had 5" of rain spanning two days. The total just for Saturday alone was over 6 inches in 24 hours. That broke the all time, 24 hour record for rainfall. We got even more on Sunday. The total at our house as of last night was almost 12 inches!
Our home is on land that slopes down from the road. When we had our driveway put in they angled it so the water would drain away from our house. Well, that works as long as you don't get torrential rains. By Saturday morning, water starting seeping into our basement. Given the rate the rain was falling, hubby and I knew we had to do something to divert the water from the house or we would have a flooded basement. I helped where I could though hubby did most of the muscle work. A tarp was placed over one section by the house to keep water from pouring into that vulnerable spot. Hubby angled it so it would drain off where it wouldn't do any harm. He dug out our driveway drainage spot so it would funnel off water into the center of the yard. Both places in our home's foundation where the water came in needs to be fixed so they won't leak again. Though I hope we don't have these kind of rains on a regular basis.
By Sunday, the ground was saturated and water began coming in a little more seriously. Hubby, clad in a hooded rainsuit, dug a deeper hole by the driveway to collect the water streaming down our drive. Another tarp was added to the other one to protect a larger area from overflowing gutters. They simply aren't meant to handle that much water at once. He bailed water out of one of the flower beds in front (where it had collected to a depth of 3 inches) saving us from more basement flooding. I helped him get things when he needed them and worked on sopping up water with towels and rags downstairs. Afterwards, we set up fans to dry the rest of it up. Thankfully, we managed to keep most of the water out. Hubby may have had some little boys dream day of playing outside in the water and the mud, but it wasn't his idea of a good time. He was defending his home from an unwanted intruder!
Several times on Sunday our electricity blinked off and on. At one point, I heard an explosion nearby that hubby said was probably an electric transformer blowing up. It wasn't ours. I had my fingers crossed we would not have to deal with a power outage too.
Others in our area weren't as successful in keeping the water out of their homes. Our next door neighbor bailed 150 gallons of water out of his basement! The local news carried stories about more flooded basements, apartments, streets, etc.
Needless to say, not much got done over the weekend other than dealing with water and watching the radar on the Weather Channel.
Tuesday, September 16
Friday, September 5
What to work on next? -- updated
I wish I knew the answer to this question. My list of things to do is reaching mammoth proportions. Where should I start?
1) Go shopping for paint and wall cabinets for the bathroom remodel?
The paint colors are picked out. Needs to be picked up. Cabinet shopping would require going 3 or more places. It's Friday and a Notre Dame home football weekend. The traffic is bad because there are way too many people in town. I'd better wait until next week.
9/8 went to Lowe's and Home Depot looking at cabinets. I'm underwhelmed by the selection.
2) Look for a cardigan pattern for the yarn I bought yesterday?
O-Wool Balance in denim blue, 1100 yards of worsted weight. I want a shorter cardi with 3/4 sleeves. Something fairly fitted with some detailing but not tons. No cables as they make me look fluffer than I am. I browsed patterns last night without any luck. Need to move onto something else. The right pattern will eventually turn up.
9/17 I turned up a cute hooded cardi on the Drops website. I think I even have enough yarn in my stash to make it!
3) Knit more cat toys for Pet Refuge's toy jar?
A friend told me today that it is totally empty. They're supposed to call me when it gets low but they never do. Sigh...major guilt trip. Kitties need toys! I'd like to recruit some knitters to help make toys. I've even offered to give them some yarn and the patterns. No takers.
9/17 I've been crocheting little spidee toys from this cute pattern. I leave a long tail at the end, stuff with a little catnip, and sew them closed. I contacted the designer for permission to make and sell these for charitable purposes. She said it's ok.
4) Work on the new shawl design?
The needed yarn is here. I've charted some ideas for borders. Haven't decided what to do. Also need to knit some samples to see what I like best. Meanwhile, the unfinished shawl is sitting in my knitting basket staring at me every time I walk past it.
5) Finish sorting out all the yarn and books and get rid of some of them?
There is a 2 foot high pile of books in the office and more in my craft room. You all know how much time and how difficult it is to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. The carrot, so to speak, is putting the unwanted stuff up on Ravelry to trade for other books/patterns/yarn. I need to set a goal of going through a few every day. One toe at a time as my hubby says. (Referring to the joke about how do you eat an elephant. That's about the size of this project. LOL!)
9/6 sorted through another pile
9/7 sorted through another pile
9/8 sorted through some more
9/9 donated some of them to the library
9/17 tons listed on Ravelry for sale or trade
6) Start a new pair of socks?
Since I got the 5" Chiao Goo sock needles, sock knitting is fun. The temps are finally starting to cool down a bit. I'll need more socks to wear soon. Then I can throw out all the storebought socks. I should always have a sock on the needles to take with me.
9/6 started with garter square toe from New Pathways book
7) Do something with the two baskets of pears I picked from our tree?
It broke a limb it's so heavy. I've found a recipe to make Pear Jam. Maybe this weekend. Otherwise, somebody had better come and get some of the ones still on the tree!
9/7 told the guy next door to take some of them (please!)
8) Skein and wash some old acrylic yarn so it's in usable condition?
This is acrylic yarn scraps from all over. A lot of it has been stored, is dusty, and doesn't smell the best. You wouldn't believe how much it blooms once washed. I can't wash it rolled up into balls. I can use this to make stuff for the bazaar.
9) Put together the skeiner for my spinning wheel that I bought at Michigan Fiber Festival several weeks ago?
Yep, this needs to be done. It would make skeining up all that acrylic yarn go much faster.
10) Update the shawl list on my blog?
I know, I know, this needs to be done. I have more shawls to add and all the links need to be checked. Anybody want to take on the project of checking all the links for bad ones? This list still gets lots of hits regardless of Ravelry.
11) Update the small yardage list on my blog?
Again, anybody want to take on the project of checking all the links for bad ones? I have more links to add. This list if very popular with handspinners looking for projects to use up small bits of handspun. Feel free to send me links/yardages for patterns for this list.
9/8 Added 66 more links
9/9 Checking links - done through 50s - fixed several - several are dead
9/10 Finished checking links - deleted bad ones - need to add about 14 to replace the dead ones
12) Add more recipes to my cookbook and print out a new copy?
This is an ongoing project started about 10 years ago. I'm overdue to update this with new recipes and changes to others. (My SIL and others have a copy of this and occasionally remind me they would please like an updated copy too. It makes a nice wedding, birthday, or Christmas present.) I hate it when I try out a new recipe; love it; and can't find it again. If I type it into my cookbook on the computer and/or print it out for my printed cookbook, I can always find it. I mark my favorites with a star. I should blog about my cookbook and how it's set up someday.
13) Work on items for the Pet Refuge Holiday Bazaar?
I don't want to go crazy at the last minute doing this again. They're really feeling the financial pinch with fewer donations. Everyone's budget is taking a major hit because of the economy. I've started a box for the bazaar. They told me that the scarves sold well last year. I'm working on some from scraps and leftovers. Two are finished and one more on the needles. I'm thinking about making some kids slippers, hats, and other small items. (Of course, if I use free patterns on the web, I have to contact the designer and ask for permission to make these for charity.) Oh, and cat toys and maybe some cat beds too! I'm nuts! (Want to contribute a handmade item for Bazaar? Contact me on Ravelry for a mailing address. I'll be happy to post pictures and donors names if you do. Hmm, maybe a blog contest if you send something in an item for the bazaar? What do you think? Good idea of bad?)
9/5 working on a design for a crocheted kitty bed, one simple shawl on the needles
9/10 almost finished a simple shawl
14) Finish taking pictures and adding my stash to my Ravelry notebook?
I've been working on this one. Still 3 or 4 bins to go plus my recent purchases. I should take a break from buying yarn and use what I have. (Does trading on Ravelry count?)
15) Package up two Ravelry swaps to mail plus a couple of trades.
I'm working on this. They should all go to the Post Office on Monday.
9/7 Packed and ready to go!
9/8 Mailed!
16) Pick veggies in the garden.
If I don't do this today, it has to be done tomorrow. Squash are pretty much dead. Cucumbers are done. Beans are drying out for dry beans. Corn is done. Potatoes are dead though it's too hot to dig them yet. Winter squash is getting there. Tomatoes and peppers are still coming in. I'm not sure what of the cool weather stuff the deer didn't eat.
9/6 Picked the winter squash as the vines are dead. Got 10!
17) Freeze tomatoes.
Yep, more of these to get ready to go in the freezer. Have you checked the price of canned tomato products lately? Yikes! I heard that when they had the salmonella scare earlier in the year, that they destroyed a lot of the tomato plants in the US. That probably means fewer canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, etc. and higher prices on what is available.
9/5 Gave some of these away. Have more to pick.
9/17 The rain split all the tomatoes. I don't know if there will be anymore.
This is getting depressing. I'd better stop tormenting myself. I'm not even including all the lovely household chores and other demands on my time.
1) Go shopping for paint and wall cabinets for the bathroom remodel?
The paint colors are picked out. Needs to be picked up. Cabinet shopping would require going 3 or more places. It's Friday and a Notre Dame home football weekend. The traffic is bad because there are way too many people in town. I'd better wait until next week.
9/8 went to Lowe's and Home Depot looking at cabinets. I'm underwhelmed by the selection.
2) Look for a cardigan pattern for the yarn I bought yesterday?
O-Wool Balance in denim blue, 1100 yards of worsted weight. I want a shorter cardi with 3/4 sleeves. Something fairly fitted with some detailing but not tons. No cables as they make me look fluffer than I am. I browsed patterns last night without any luck. Need to move onto something else. The right pattern will eventually turn up.
9/17 I turned up a cute hooded cardi on the Drops website. I think I even have enough yarn in my stash to make it!
3) Knit more cat toys for Pet Refuge's toy jar?
A friend told me today that it is totally empty. They're supposed to call me when it gets low but they never do. Sigh...major guilt trip. Kitties need toys! I'd like to recruit some knitters to help make toys. I've even offered to give them some yarn and the patterns. No takers.
9/17 I've been crocheting little spidee toys from this cute pattern. I leave a long tail at the end, stuff with a little catnip, and sew them closed. I contacted the designer for permission to make and sell these for charitable purposes. She said it's ok.
4) Work on the new shawl design?
The needed yarn is here. I've charted some ideas for borders. Haven't decided what to do. Also need to knit some samples to see what I like best. Meanwhile, the unfinished shawl is sitting in my knitting basket staring at me every time I walk past it.
5) Finish sorting out all the yarn and books and get rid of some of them?
There is a 2 foot high pile of books in the office and more in my craft room. You all know how much time and how difficult it is to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. The carrot, so to speak, is putting the unwanted stuff up on Ravelry to trade for other books/patterns/yarn. I need to set a goal of going through a few every day. One toe at a time as my hubby says. (Referring to the joke about how do you eat an elephant. That's about the size of this project. LOL!)
9/6 sorted through another pile
9/7 sorted through another pile
9/8 sorted through some more
9/9 donated some of them to the library
9/17 tons listed on Ravelry for sale or trade
6) Start a new pair of socks?
Since I got the 5" Chiao Goo sock needles, sock knitting is fun. The temps are finally starting to cool down a bit. I'll need more socks to wear soon. Then I can throw out all the storebought socks. I should always have a sock on the needles to take with me.
9/6 started with garter square toe from New Pathways book
7) Do something with the two baskets of pears I picked from our tree?
It broke a limb it's so heavy. I've found a recipe to make Pear Jam. Maybe this weekend. Otherwise, somebody had better come and get some of the ones still on the tree!
9/7 told the guy next door to take some of them (please!)
8) Skein and wash some old acrylic yarn so it's in usable condition?
This is acrylic yarn scraps from all over. A lot of it has been stored, is dusty, and doesn't smell the best. You wouldn't believe how much it blooms once washed. I can't wash it rolled up into balls. I can use this to make stuff for the bazaar.
9) Put together the skeiner for my spinning wheel that I bought at Michigan Fiber Festival several weeks ago?
Yep, this needs to be done. It would make skeining up all that acrylic yarn go much faster.
10) Update the shawl list on my blog?
I know, I know, this needs to be done. I have more shawls to add and all the links need to be checked. Anybody want to take on the project of checking all the links for bad ones? This list still gets lots of hits regardless of Ravelry.
11) Update the small yardage list on my blog?
Again, anybody want to take on the project of checking all the links for bad ones? I have more links to add. This list if very popular with handspinners looking for projects to use up small bits of handspun. Feel free to send me links/yardages for patterns for this list.
9/8 Added 66 more links
9/9 Checking links - done through 50s - fixed several - several are dead
9/10 Finished checking links - deleted bad ones - need to add about 14 to replace the dead ones
12) Add more recipes to my cookbook and print out a new copy?
This is an ongoing project started about 10 years ago. I'm overdue to update this with new recipes and changes to others. (My SIL and others have a copy of this and occasionally remind me they would please like an updated copy too. It makes a nice wedding, birthday, or Christmas present.
13) Work on items for the Pet Refuge Holiday Bazaar?
I don't want to go crazy at the last minute doing this again. They're really feeling the financial pinch with fewer donations. Everyone's budget is taking a major hit because of the economy. I've started a box for the bazaar. They told me that the scarves sold well last year. I'm working on some from scraps and leftovers. Two are finished and one more on the needles. I'm thinking about making some kids slippers, hats, and other small items. (Of course, if I use free patterns on the web, I have to contact the designer and ask for permission to make these for charity.) Oh, and cat toys and maybe some cat beds too! I'm nuts! (Want to contribute a handmade item for Bazaar? Contact me on Ravelry for a mailing address. I'll be happy to post pictures and donors names if you do. Hmm, maybe a blog contest if you send something in an item for the bazaar? What do you think? Good idea of bad?)
9/5 working on a design for a crocheted kitty bed, one simple shawl on the needles
9/10 almost finished a simple shawl
14) Finish taking pictures and adding my stash to my Ravelry notebook?
I've been working on this one. Still 3 or 4 bins to go plus my recent purchases. I should take a break from buying yarn and use what I have. (Does trading on Ravelry count?)
15) Package up two Ravelry swaps to mail plus a couple of trades.
I'm working on this. They should all go to the Post Office on Monday.
9/7 Packed and ready to go!
9/8 Mailed!
16) Pick veggies in the garden.
If I don't do this today, it has to be done tomorrow. Squash are pretty much dead. Cucumbers are done. Beans are drying out for dry beans. Corn is done. Potatoes are dead though it's too hot to dig them yet. Winter squash is getting there. Tomatoes and peppers are still coming in. I'm not sure what of the cool weather stuff the deer didn't eat.
9/6 Picked the winter squash as the vines are dead. Got 10!
17) Freeze tomatoes.
Yep, more of these to get ready to go in the freezer. Have you checked the price of canned tomato products lately? Yikes! I heard that when they had the salmonella scare earlier in the year, that they destroyed a lot of the tomato plants in the US. That probably means fewer canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, etc. and higher prices on what is available.
9/5 Gave some of these away. Have more to pick.
9/17 The rain split all the tomatoes. I don't know if there will be anymore.
This is getting depressing. I'd better stop tormenting myself. I'm not even including all the lovely household chores and other demands on my time.
Monday, September 1
Honey, it's dripping under the bathroom sink...
How does a simple statement like that turn into this?What was a simple repair has turned into a remodeling project.
It began with the hot water shut off valve under the sink leaking. It has to be replaced. It's hard to work inside the sink cabinet (think contorted on your back) especially when the old shut off refuses to budge. Why not remove the sink and the base cabinet for easier access?
Should I me
ntion that the wall was damaged as it came out? LOL! Since we have to fix the wall, we'll have to paint it. Guess we'll go shopping for paint. Here we are trying to find a paint color that will go with the ugly gold tile in the bathroom. We're going for a bolder color this time.The sink cabinet didn't survive the removal very well. It is being replaced with a pedestal sink that we purchased today.
I've never cared a lot for that faucet. Shouldn't we replace it too? Shiny faucets water spot. So why do they sell so many of them? Luckily, we had purchased a new satin finish faucet for our second bathroom (which still has to be remodeled).
Hubby didn't like the old baseboards so they're going to be replaced too. LOL! We picked out a trim color to paint them.
We might as well replace the wall cabinets too.
The plumber will be getting a call soon.
Kitties aren't real impressed with what's going on as you can see from these pics. That's Pookie on his double decker pizza box hammock. He loves it so what you gonna do? Boo is upside down in hubby's chair. I cover it with towels to protect it from fur. The towels are easy to wash, the upholstered chair, not so easy to clean.
In the meantime, t
The wild Opal socks are finished. I've got a couple of new design ideas bugging me. I worked on one of them yesterday.
I've signed up for two swaps on Ravelry. One is the Autumn Sock or Scarf Swap and the other is the Amazing Lace Swap. I've got my swap partner for the first one. I'm starting to collect items for Ja
Our garden is winding down. Most of the plants are dying. I've been freezing tomatoes for use this winter. I have to get out and pick the pear tree. One of the limbs broke it has so many pears on it. As well as giving some of them away, I may make pear sauce, pear butter, and/or pear jam.
So much to do, so little time...
Monday, August 25
Be Kind to Animals
Hurry on over to Ruth's blog. She's having a "Be Kind to Animals" contest. The prizes are some yummy yarn and several knitting patterns. I'm donating one lace pattern and 2 toys patterns to the contest as prizes. The winner can choose which of my knitting patterns they would like.
To enter, post a comment about what you have personally done to make life better for animals on her blog.
Don't tarry, the contest ends August 31st.
To enter, post a comment about what you have personally done to make life better for animals on her blog.
Don't tarry, the contest ends August 31st.
Friday, August 22
Visitors
The month of August is flying by and it will soon be Labor Day. Even though the temps are still warm, we'll soon turn our attention towards fall and cooler weather.
Right now, it's hot here with the temps hovering near the 90 degree mark. We're about 6" under our normal rainfall. We're watering regularly to keep our garden going. Our tomatoes are finally ripening. We finished harvesting the sweet corn last night. Some of that golden goodness went into the freezer for later eating and some of it was consumed by us. Yum! If you haven't had sweet corn that's just been picked, you don't know what you are missing. It is so sweet, tender, and delicious! We've had a running battle with the critters over the corn. Hubby discovered an old method that seems to have kept them out of the patch long enough to harvest the corn. I'm not saying what it is, but it does work! LOL!
Our pear tree is drooping under the weight of the pears. I had to tie up some of the branches to keep them from breaking. Some of that harvest I may turn into pear jam. I found a recipe for it in an old cookbook I have called Make Your Own Groceries. It has recipes in it for making from scratch items that you now to buy in packages at the supermarket. I'll skip the additives, preservatives, chemicals, and such and make my own, thank you. The author also has a second cookbook called More Make Your Own Groceries. I love old cookbooks like this that don't call for using packaged mixes and such to make them.
Hubby's cousin Sue from Colorado was in town visiting last week. She came over with my FIL for dinner on Tuesday night. She's a vegetarian and that's what I cooked. Though we do eat meat from time to time, we eat vegetarian more often than not. For dinner, I served white bean and sage crostini, sweet and sour cucumbers, and a summer squash and rice salad. We finished up with slices of banana bread, zucchini bread, some very sweet canteloupe, and coffee. Yum! There wasn't much leftover when we were done. Now that I've teased you with the menu, I'll post a few recipes.
White Bean & Sage Crostini
1 baguette
3 tb olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1-15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 tb water
salt & pepper
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
Slice the baguette on an angle into 1/2" thick slices. Brush one side with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes until hot and crispy. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil. Add onion, garlic, and sage. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add beans and water; salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes until hot. Mash the beans to make a rough puree (some will still be whole). Top each piece of bread with some bean puree and diced tomato. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: You can substitute other herbs or spices for the sage. (The four of us ate almost the entire loaf!)
Sweet & Sour Cucumbers
2 cucumbers
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 tb vinegar
2 tb sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 tb olive oil (optional)
Peel cucumbers, if desired. If seedy, slice them in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scrape seeds out. Thinly slice cucumbers and onion. Layer cucumbers and onion in a bowl or a jar with a lid. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a little olive oil. Combine vinegar and sugar in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until hot. Carefully stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over cucumbers. Cover; let stand for a bit. Shake it up or stir to blend flavors. (Sometimes I will pour the dressing back into the cup and reheat it to speed the pickling process along.) These fresh pickles get better the longer they stand. Serve at room temperature or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Note: You can add chopped green peppers to this if you like. Serves 6.
Summer Squash & Rice Salad
olive oil
4 c diced summer squash or zucchini, unpeeled
2 c fresh sweet corn kernels
salt and pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2-3 tbl white or cider vinegar
2 c steamed rice, cooked and cooled (I used more than this.)
Feta or crumbly cheese and diced tomatoes, optional
Place the rice in a big heatproof bowl; set aside. Put 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and slightly soft. Stir in the corn during the last minute or so of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the squash mixture over the rice; mix well. To make the dressing: add a little more olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook briefly (do not burn!). Stir in the cumin and vinegar; let cook for 1-2 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove skillet from the heat. Pour the dressing over the squash and rice. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve warm or refrigerate until serving time. You may serve with feta cheese and diced tomatoes if you desire. Serves 4-6.
Right now, it's hot here with the temps hovering near the 90 degree mark. We're about 6" under our normal rainfall. We're watering regularly to keep our garden going. Our tomatoes are finally ripening. We finished harvesting the sweet corn last night. Some of that golden goodness went into the freezer for later eating and some of it was consumed by us. Yum! If you haven't had sweet corn that's just been picked, you don't know what you are missing. It is so sweet, tender, and delicious! We've had a running battle with the critters over the corn. Hubby discovered an old method that seems to have kept them out of the patch long enough to harvest the corn. I'm not saying what it is, but it does work! LOL!
Our pear tree is drooping under the weight of the pears. I had to tie up some of the branches to keep them from breaking. Some of that harvest I may turn into pear jam. I found a recipe for it in an old cookbook I have called Make Your Own Groceries. It has recipes in it for making from scratch items that you now to buy in packages at the supermarket. I'll skip the additives, preservatives, chemicals, and such and make my own, thank you. The author also has a second cookbook called More Make Your Own Groceries. I love old cookbooks like this that don't call for using packaged mixes and such to make them.
Hubby's cousin Sue from Colorado was in town visiting last week. She came over with my FIL for dinner on Tuesday night. She's a vegetarian and that's what I cooked. Though we do eat meat from time to time, we eat vegetarian more often than not. For dinner, I served white bean and sage crostini, sweet and sour cucumbers, and a summer squash and rice salad. We finished up with slices of banana bread, zucchini bread, some very sweet canteloupe, and coffee. Yum! There wasn't much leftover when we were done. Now that I've teased you with the menu, I'll post a few recipes.
White Bean & Sage Crostini
1 baguette
3 tb olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1-15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 tb water
salt & pepper
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
Slice the baguette on an angle into 1/2" thick slices. Brush one side with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes until hot and crispy. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil. Add onion, garlic, and sage. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add beans and water; salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes until hot. Mash the beans to make a rough puree (some will still be whole). Top each piece of bread with some bean puree and diced tomato. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: You can substitute other herbs or spices for the sage. (The four of us ate almost the entire loaf!)
Sweet & Sour Cucumbers
2 cucumbers
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 tb vinegar
2 tb sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 tb olive oil (optional)
Peel cucumbers, if desired. If seedy, slice them in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scrape seeds out. Thinly slice cucumbers and onion. Layer cucumbers and onion in a bowl or a jar with a lid. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a little olive oil. Combine vinegar and sugar in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until hot. Carefully stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over cucumbers. Cover; let stand for a bit. Shake it up or stir to blend flavors. (Sometimes I will pour the dressing back into the cup and reheat it to speed the pickling process along.) These fresh pickles get better the longer they stand. Serve at room temperature or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Note: You can add chopped green peppers to this if you like. Serves 6.
Summer Squash & Rice Salad
olive oil
4 c diced summer squash or zucchini, unpeeled
2 c fresh sweet corn kernels
salt and pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2-3 tbl white or cider vinegar
2 c steamed rice, cooked and cooled (I used more than this.)
Feta or crumbly cheese and diced tomatoes, optional
Place the rice in a big heatproof bowl; set aside. Put 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and slightly soft. Stir in the corn during the last minute or so of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the squash mixture over the rice; mix well. To make the dressing: add a little more olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook briefly (do not burn!). Stir in the cumin and vinegar; let cook for 1-2 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove skillet from the heat. Pour the dressing over the squash and rice. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve warm or refrigerate until serving time. You may serve with feta cheese and diced tomatoes if you desire. Serves 4-6.
Thursday, August 14
A tree frog and my toe up sock cast on
We have an unusual visitor hanging around our yard--a tree frog. Aren't these usually only found in the tropics or very hot climates? We don't have a clue where it came from. Hubby has seen it hanging on the side of our house in the evening. Last night, I saw it for the first time. I had the kitchen window open and saw something move outside. I took a closer look and saw this! The tree frog had jumped into the wisteria outside the window! Can you see the green frog in the middle of the picture? It's almost the same shade as the leaves. We've had a number of brown toads around this year but this is the first green or tree frog I've ever seen. We welcome toads in our garden as they help keep the bug population under control.I'm busy designing and knitting a new shawl pattern. This one is a Faroese style with beads. Progress has temporarily ground to a hal
t while I wait for more yarn to arrive. Shame on me for starting this project, knowing that I didn't have enough yarn to complete it. :-( I couldn't help it. This shawl wanted to be knit up in some Miss Babs Bamboo Baby yarn that I bought at the Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair. Too bad it was only a 400 yard skein.In the meantime, I finished a pair of Regia toe up socks I started in March. Yipes! Where has the time gone? I decided to start another pair. Cold weather will be coming ba
ck one of these days. In my stash, I found a partial ball of a wild Opal colorway from a Ravelry trade. I'm lucky that I can knit a pair of socks for me with about 200 yards of yarn. I have a small foot.I divided the yarn into 2 balls and cast on for toe up socks. I've been using 6" Crystal Palace bamboo double points. This time I decided to use some Chiao Goo 5" dpns that I purchased recently at Threadbear. I love these needles!
The first sock flew off my needles in only 3 days! (The other pair took about 3 months! LOL!) I started the second one last night. See how far I am already? These 5" needles are much easier for me to knit with than the 6" ones. They're making it a joy to knit socks instead of a chore.
I've also "uninvented" an easier way to start my toe up socks. For me, it is much less fiddly than any other cast on for toe ups that I've tried. I used to start my toe ups with a crocheted cast on using a piece of waste yarn. When I picked up the stitches on the cast on side, I had to carefully unravel the waste yarn and place each stitch on my needle without dropping any of them. I found it to be slow, fiddly, hard to see the stitches I was working with, and very aggravating if I dropped one of them or had to start over again.
Here's my new twist on a toe up cast on.
With my sock yarn and a crochet hook, I crochet cast on directly onto a dpn. Cast on about 1" worth of stitches. (For me that's 10.)
Knit 5 rows in stockinette (knit 1 row, purl 1 row).
Next you're going to pick up stitches in the crochet cast on. Take another dpn needle, place it under both loops of the first stitch of the crochet cast on edge and pull through a loop of sock yarn. This creates 1 stitch on your dpn. Repeat until you have as many stitches on this dpn as are on the other one. This method pushes the row of crochet loops from the cast on to the inside of the toe where it won't be seen.
You do not pick up any stitches in the end of the rows. Pull the first stitch or two tightly to close the gap around the end between the two dpns. Trust me, this works.
Divide your stitches evenly between 4 dpn needles, if you're using dpns. Now you'll begin knitting in the round. Start with a round of toe increases. Alternate with a round of plain knitting (no increases) until you have enough stitches for your sock.
If you don't know how to do a crochet cast on. You will find pictures and instructions at this link.
Tuesday, August 5
SquiddyCat -- a cat toy to knit & crochet
My name is SquiddyCat. I'm a new cat toy for you to knit and crochet.The toy is knit sideways in garter stitch beginning at the head. It starts with a provisional cast on, is shaped using short rows, and ends with a three needle bindoff. Crochet the legs for a fast finish!
This is a quick and easy knit that should take less than 30 minutes.
Don't be intimidated by the advanced techniques used to construct this toy. I walk you through each technique.
You do have to know how to crochet a chain and slip stitch to make the legs.
Rated: Intermediate or advanced beginner knitter with some crochet experience
Supplies needed:
Size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles
1 double point size 7 (4.5 mm)
Size G or H crochet hook
18 yards worsted weight yarn
Large eye tapestry needle
Poly fill or stuffing of your choice
Catnip
The 3 page pdf file contains written instructions and many pictures showing you how the toy is constructed.
November 25, 2008. The pattern is now available as a free download in my Ravelry pattern store.
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