Thursday, January 31, 2008

We're sick

Stomach virus - 'nuff said...

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

ETL

Y'all probably don't remember this - but about a year and a half ago - I read Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat To Live. I'd just seen a lot of hype about it on the net - y'all know I'm no dieter. But the book was a good (fairly vegan friendly) read. One of the recipes that I loved was for 'Date-Nut Pop'ems'. It's available on the website at http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-date-nut-popems.html - just 2 ingredients - nuts and dates - and YUM! These are better than cookies.

I just throw a handful of each kind of nut in the food processor...

...add a couple of dates and process...

...then pinch them into little shapes...

I keep them in a little jar on the counter until they're devoured - then I make some more...

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Roast Beast

We had a big supper over the weekend with Roast Beast potatoes, rutabaga (the Man-Cub's favorite) and peas - that looks yummy doesn't it...
This was really good - it was Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe and I can't find the link right now...

and then for dessert we made 'Mexican Wedding Cookies' with a recipe from http://www.neaforever.org/recipes.html - they were too soft to form into balls as the recipe directed, and wound up not being really light and crisp - so I'll be playing with this recipe if I make it again...

Monday, January 28, 2008

Strange Pooling

I have been working on my Clapotis, and now that I'm to the straight rows, I'm getting some strange pooling of colors. I liked the colors better on the increase rows - but I'll live with it...

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Derby

Right after church we headed to the school gym for the Pinewood Derby...

The weigh-in - if you look closely you'll see that we're right on the money a perfect 5.0...

All of the cars checked in and lined up...

A much graphited General wins another race - this one against one of his den-mates. The General advanced to the final heat and was eliminated at #7 - we give trophies to the first 5 places - the Man-Cub was quite happy with his car's performance...

After the trophies were awarded the judges award the special prizes. There's a medal for Best Workmanship, Best Paint Job, Most Aerodynamic, and the Man-Cub won BEST ALL AROUND - YAY! He was thrilled!

I always give each of the Cubs in my den a small trophy and a certificate. This year one of the Scout Dads volunteered to make these neat car displays. I designed and printed the labels and varnished the display stands after I put them on. I looks super sitting on the Man-Cub's shelf...

Final Adjustments

Last night we made the final adjustments to the 'General Lee' - glued on the stickers and added a couple of shiny coats of polyurethane...

The Man-Cub drew windows on with a Sharpie (much easier than painting them on)... He even used the fine point to draw a door and handle - then he stuck on the '01' and filled them in with the Sharpie...
...the final coat...
The 'General'

...nice...

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Winter Festival


Every winter Sully's Hill puts on a festival for all the youth to come and hike, ski, craft, birdwatch, snow cave, cook outdoors... And we've been there every year for 3 years now.
And this year they had sled dogs - this team competes every year in the Ididerod and many other races...

The Man-Cub gets friendly with the team...

and they're off - that's not the Man-Cub - they had a 50 lb. weight limit - the Man-Cub was pretty bummed - but we strapped on some snow shoes and headed off on a 'trail-less' hike...

I love a trackless expanse of white...

we're hiking here on a frozen lake - the trees are at the edge of the lake...

We spotted this Eagle's nest in one of the trees - I think I've actually posted this same tree from a summertime hike...

Friday, January 25, 2008

Frozen Dinner Remake

Before I was a vegan - I loved this frozen dinner (not my picture).

Last night we needed something quick for supper and I thought of that dinner - mainly because I had all of the ingredients. And it was really quick and yummy!

That's the last of the vegan cheddar that Mom brought when she came for a visit in October...

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Seriously Chunky Scarf

During the Man-Cub's drama practice - I walk around the room - keeping the peace and knitting. My Drama Club project is a scarf to match Cassady's hat and mittens. It uses 4 strands of Caron Simply Soft as well and it's seriously chunky. I'll post a pattern when I'm done - but it's mostly stockinette stitch with a garter stitch border and a few garter stitch ridges interspersed along the length.

It's an easy knit - but the big needles and fat yarn are hard on my hands...

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

This is cross-posted at the Vegan Cook-a-long.

We got another dusting of snow last night - so everything was pretty and white again but it was 17 below this morning so I decided it would be a perfect day to try the cheesy soup.

I used
1 cup soymilk - I make my own with a Soy Quick soy milk maker - this version was unsalted and unsweetened.
1 can (~15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 vegetable boullion cube - I used Rapunzel No Salt Added Vegan Bouillion
2 bay leaves
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
3 Tablespoons oat flour - I didn't have any oat bran - this was my only substitution
a couple celery stalks, chopped
5 green onions (green & white parts), chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt - my boullion was unsalted if yours is salted you'll need less salt here
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Everything bubbling away - I tasted it at this point and it was so good and pretty that I almost didn't go on with the blending or adding the oat flour...

I didn't have any oat bran - so I put a 1/4 cup of Whole Oats in the food processor and made a sort of flour...

...I served it with homemade rye bread and apple slices - it was wonderful...

One Square Foot

Remember the fun game at http://www.freerice.com/ well I've found another one at

This one is a trivia game and you can submit questions if you want to. I can think of some knitting related stumpers...

My goal is to save 10 feet a day - if I can make myself stop at 10...

I chose to snapshot my screen on the Ender's Game question because I wouldn't have known the answer if Karen hadn't posted about reading the book...

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Cass is having another contest

This one is for her 444th post - Go to http://shutupimcounting.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/444-contest/ and leave a comment to enter...

The Confused Christmas Cactus

Our Christmas Cactus finally bloomed - barely - we've got just two beautiful blooms. It was loaded with tiny buds at Thanksgiving and I was hopeful that it would have a lovely bloom at Christmas, but alas, all of the buds fell off and we have a very meager (but still lovely) bloom...

Monday, January 21, 2008

General Lee = this year's Derby Car

I was so surprised that the Man-Cub chose the General Lee as this year's Derby Car - as I don't think he's ever even seen the Dukes of Hazard. But, oddly enough, the 60s/70s muscle cars are his favorites - it must be a man thing - go figure...

The dremel tool still makes me seriously nervous - so this sanding by hand is much better...

He mixed up just the perfect color of orange-y-red...

I'll print some labels for the 01 and the GENERAL LEE on the roof - I think they'll look better than if we try to paint them...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Clapotis progress

I really have been knitting on my Clapotis - and I finally got to drop some stitches - what fun - dropping stitches on purpose!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Drama Club

The Man-Cub started Drama again this week - this year they're performing a cute play called 'Three of a Kind'.
He's Musketeer #1. The play has groups of three - pigs, wise men, men in a tub, kittens (who lost their mittens), billy goats gruff, and the story revolves around three bears who've lost their baby bear -(Oh my now we're only a pair - this cannot be... we must be three) - you get the idea. Anywhoo, it's the musketeers who are called to save the day - and the Man-Cub is thrilled with his lead part - he even has a short solo to sing - it's a repartee between the 3 musketeers so they each have a solo part and they get to stand together - not nearly as frightening as standing alone for a solo...

Apparently everyone in the room turned around for this photo - except the Man-Cub...

This is the first practice session - it went really well this year - there was a 'lottery' for the parts in the play and mysteriously the rowdier folks didn't get drawn...

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Updated 2007 FO's link

This morning I updated my 2007 FO's link in the sidebar and alphabetized the list (I was pretty 'crafty' in 2007). I'm going to try to keep better track in 2008 - we'll see. I also updated the patterns list. It takes a long time to go back and organize things - it's one of those things that's better done as you go along.

So that was a pretty boring post - I'll have to go take some pictures of my Clapotis - I'm just starting the straight rows - so I'll be dropping some stitches soon - yipee - btw - that's french for lap or lapping.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Seriously Chunky Mitten Pattern

I finished the second mitten and wrote out a pattern. I have driven with them on - these are very warm - but they are too chunky to fit in my pocket when I take them off - I'm thinking about crocheting a long chain and running it through the sleeves of my coat (like toddler mittens) so that I won't lose them...

Using size 13 needles - cast on 18 sts.

Work in K1, P1, ribbing across. Continue ribbing for 12 rows increasing 1 st at each end of last row. (20 sts.)

Work Stockinette st for 4 rows.

Increase for thumb: Knit 9 sts. Increase one st. on the 10th and 11th stitches - I do this by knitting into the front and the back of the stitch – but there are other methods of increasing and you can use any that you prefer – place a marker between the increased stitches - knit to the end.

P10, place marker, P2, place marker, p10.

K10, K1 and increase, K1 and increase, K 10.

P24.

K10, K1 and increase, K2, K1 and increase, K 10.

P26.

K10, K1 and increase, K4, K1 and increase, K 10.

P28.

Turn work and K10 and continue in stockinette st. across 8 stitches for thumb for 6 rows.

Of course if the little bulky bump bothers you, you can transfer the thumb stitches to another needle to knit them, but I just knit them right in the middle.

K2 tog across –


cut yarn at about 18 inches weave through the 4 remaining thumb stitches and pull tight – then using the tail stitch the thumb closed, and still using this tail of yarn k1 and increase 1 and knit to the end.

This is the wrong side...

and this is the right side...


At the end of the row reattach the working yarn and continue in stockinette stitch until the mitten is long enough to cover your little (pinky) finger.


Start decreasing as follows.

Row 1: K 2 tog, knit 6, K2 tog, K1, SSK, knit 6, SSK

Row 2 and all-even rows. Purl across even.

Row 3: K 2 tog, knit 4, K2 tog, K1, SSK, knit 4, SSK

Row 5: K 2 tog, knit 2, K2 tog, K1, SSK, knit 2, SSK

Row 7: K 2 tog, K2 tog, K1, SSK, SSK

Weave yarn through stitches leaving a tail for sewing side seam. Turn right sides together and stitch front to back. Weave in loose ends and turn right side out.

Make another mitten...