Rejoice! And again, I say, rejoice! This is our little break in the darkness as we prepare for the Light to enter the world. This is a reminder that our fasting and preparation are in joyful expectation of the Lord who has come, and who is coming. He will redeem the earth and resurrect the faithful to life. This is not a fast of strict penitence, but of self examination and preparation to meet our Savior with joy. We are still in the Advent anticipation, and still busy with fasting, praying and almsgiving, but are also taking time to remember the happiness that awaits us in His Incarnation and return in glory. Life got in the way of our getting our tree and putting it up with lights for Gaudete Sunday, but we are going with Alexander and Autumn and Amelia to get trees for both our houses together. We will do the normal Christmas Eve decorating of the tree with the older kids next week.

We had a Christmas party to attend last night and broke the fast for the law of hospitality. We ended up coming home with two smoked turkey carcasses. Since we tend to loosen or break the fast on Sunday evenings with our parish family, as most are not required to keep the fast, we decided to make a creamy, smoked turkey soup to share for dinner.

This whole Advent has been racing. Regardless, Christ will come and come again. May your fast be fruitful, so you may welcome the Christ Child in your heart and home, and prepare for His coming in glory!

• Sunday - Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday
  Breakfast: Cranberry Bars, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Creamy Smoked Turkey and Vegetable Soup, Pinto Beans, Coleslaw, Olives, Doritos, Crackers and Cheese Dip, Mandarin Oranges
• Monday
  Breakfast: Lenten Tropical Muffins with Almond Butter, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Green Salad, Rolls, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Dried Fruit and Brown Sugar, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Toast, Sliced Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Braised Italian Green Beans and Potatoes, Rice, Pomegranates
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Sliced Mangoes
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Burritos with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potato Curry and Jasmine Rice to break the fast after Liturgy
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Falafel, Sah'awiq, Taratoor, Khoubz Araby, Olives and Veggies, Fruit Plate

Labels: Advent, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Gaudete, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:29 AM 0 comments

Surprise! The stockings are not finished, but they are so close. I'm really making too many things at once. I am well over my three project at a time limit. Besides these two stockings, the little baby vest, and the baptismal gown (finishing all the ends and crocheting the button bands and loops and sewing buttons on it), I also have a scarf design for my newsletter subscribers to finish and get written and ready in time for the January issue and an almost finished mitten pattern that I really want ready for beta knitting at about the same time. So, no pressure or anything.

I changed both stocking patterns a little bit to match my own style of knitting and sensibilities. The vest is really perfect the way it is, and I love its construction. I may start making some other pieces in this same way for myself.

We finished Emma today, and our kids finally like some of the characters. I picked up Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages last night, and I am determined to finish it by the end of the month. It is an interesting book, and it has been on loan to me forever. I am closing my eyes to any other books! I realized, too, that the book book actually ends sooner than I thought, because the majority of the book is actually recipes at the end, and ways to make/use dairy products.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:27 PM 0 comments

I know the picture says peace. We don't know why. Peace is the last Sunday.

We are in the second week of Advent and this week has fewer major feasts. It is still during the lighter part of the fast, however. It has been a good Advent thusfar. It seems more preparatory, and everyone is doing well, I think. We haven't even started our Jesse Tree meditations, though we are doing our Advent wreath and readings each night.

The weather, on the other hand, is atrocious. The cold has finally set in and we had freezing rain, plus a few light snow days. I am counting the days until spring, already, though I should be grateful for the milder winter we've had. It is regularly about 20 to 30 degrees warmer during the day than it normally is at this time of year. It's just that that is still frigid.

Rich is helping me re-inventory our home and also make room in freezers, so we can finally get those muscovies butchered. That will help in multiple ways. Also, a former commissioner here mailed some Meyer lemons from his new home to us, and I am going to use every bit of them, if I can. Aside from what you see here, all of them will be zested and the zest added to sugar and salt, separately, for fun seasonings later. Blessed fast!

• Sunday - Second Sunday of Advent
  Breakfast: Spiced Prune Cake (GF for Jerome), Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Split Pea Soup, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts brought by Church Family
• Monday - Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, Theotokos
  Breakfast: Tunisian Shakshouka (using sweet potatoes), Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Toast, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Portuguese Spicy Rice, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta Trapanese, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Dried Cranberries and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Rouz Bukhari, Tourshi Makhloot, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Lucy
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Kalamata Olives, Toast, Mandarin Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Spicy Peanut Noodles with Vegetables, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Breakfast Burritos, Fruit, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cake

Labels: Advent, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 3:22 AM 0 comments

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

I have another French designer for you this week! Chloé of Tisserin Coquet is a new designer to me. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry and her own website.

Since she is new to me, I asked for her designer story. Almost all of us became designers because we couldn't find a pattern we needed, or wanted to change something on a pattern, or had an idea we just couldn't see in the patterns available to us. For Chloé, it was that she had a friend selling yarn. She had received a new colourway of Filcolana Arwetta and did not have any idea of how to showcase it for the biggest upcoming yarn fair of the year in France. Nothing she tried worked. Chloé suggested that she should make a sock with it, as it would be lovely paired with a plain light one and with a motif such a broken rib stitch. Her friend dared her to write it up and that’s how Premier Flocon (her first pattern) was born. She fell in love with pattern writing from this and hasn't stopped since then. She especially likes helping knitters realize that they can knit whatever they want and that the magic is in their hands. "They don’t have to be experts to try brioche, socks, lace, all the scary things. Exactly as the saying, if there is a will, there is a way and you just have to find the pattern/teacher/tutorial that speaks to your brain to help you learn the technique."

Chloé hails from Rhone-Alpes in France and I can't help but think that her beautiful environment must influence her designs. Her designs are mostly accessories like socks, mittens and mitts, shawls, cowls, and hats, but there are a few garments for adults and children, as well. Here are some of my favorites from her portfolio.

Aerial

Hanging Gardens

Première Neige

Not Bothered by the Cold

Houx

I encourage you to take a look at the rest of her portfolio. She is an intriguing designer to me, and takes a clear interest in the details of her designs. Those details distinguish her work and give them a depth that isn't always found in patterns.

Labels: Design, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:56 PM 0 comments

So, I didn't finish either stocking and I am hurrying and scurrying. I do have a little extra time on one of them, however. The other one really should be finished by tomorrow, and that is not going to happen.

Because of the stockings, I haven't made much progress on my Rock Skipper for the Gift Along, but I do love it in this color.

I thought we would finish Emma by Thanksgiving, but we are still reading. Perhaps this next week, it will be finished. It has been a challenging week. I haven't read anything in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages this week, because of the lack of brain space. However, I have read another of the LDS mysteries, and started a third. I'm still not quite thrilled with them, they are a little closer to Enyclopedia Brown in the reveal, but it is light and easy to read right now.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:08 PM 0 comments

Blessed Fast! Happy New Year! Advent is shorter again this year, and later than normal.

Because of our evening church situation, we are a bit more lax on the fast on Sundays than we otherwise might be. You may see dairy on weekends and major feasts. Also, the Advent fast is a little lighter, in general, as there are many fish days, and more wine and oil days. We try to fast within our strength and do the best we can, knowing that the point is the spiritual training and not the fast itself. The fast was given to us as an exercise and blessing. The only reason I share how we fast is so you know what to expect from meals and recipes during this time, if you are looking for ideas, or if you need to avoid some of the things we will be eating.

The West's fast is more lenient and shorter than the East's, anyway. Our family walks the line between those. Our general rule is close to the Orthodox, but we will relax more for Saints Barbara and Nicholas, including egg and dairy those days, and on Sundays, except for the final two weeks of Advent. We will be avoiding meat, fish (most days), eggs and dairy (with the exceptions I mentioned already), wine and olive oil on most weekdays. Shellfish is always permitted, so when we find that at a good price, we definitely eat it. I share this with you as an encouragement. We strive within our strength, and our family situation. We have discussed how to handle this with our priests and our local priests, and are considering also people we feed who don't generally follow the fast as much. Fasting and abstinence are such good tools that God gives us through the Church, and I encourage you to try to fast with the Church. It is not as useful to pick and choose, but rather to strive for your church's rule with such accomodations as necessary for health, age, and situation. Talk to your priest. If you don't have a priest, find one and talk to him.

This week has three major feast days in it, which makes the entrance into Advent a little easier. This is a blessing to us. Another blessing is that our tomatoes that were pulled from the garden and put in our honey room are still ripening and so we are still getting fresh tomatoes. That is a treat in December. Our home is well stocked and we will not have to buy a lot of groceries, except for some produce, dairy products, and cleaning and pet supplies. That will make our life simpler, as well. One of the ways the fast teaches us is by forcing us to pare down our lives a little.

Please pray for a holy Advent for us. I pray that your fast will be fruitful, and that you welcome the Christ Child in your heart and home, and prepare for His coming in glory!

• Sunday - First Sunday of Advent
  Breakfast: Sausage and Egg Burritos, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Vegetable Soup, Rice, Pies, Parishioners bring Sides/Bread/Salad/Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Zaalouk, Olive Bread, Tomato Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cashew and Vegetable Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saints Barbara and Clement of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Mesfouf with Cream, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Acorn Squash, Potatoes and Onions, Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Saffron Buns for St. Barbara's Day
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato, Pepper and Onion Hash, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Pico de Gallo, Corn and Flour Tortillas, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra
  Breakfast: Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas' Day, Chocolate, Fruit and Nuts, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Samak fil Furun (Arabic Baked Fish), Fried Cauliflower with Parlsey and Pine Nuts, Taratoor, Basmati Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Ambrose of Milan
  Breakfast: Hoe Cakes with Maple Syrup, Pomegranates, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanish "Foolish Eggs," Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Honey Cake

Labels: Advent, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:47 AM 0 comments

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

The designer I am showcasing this week is Christine Roy of La boutique de Jeanne. Her patterns can be found on Ravelry.

She is a delightful French designer, from Bretagne. Largely her designs are accessories, with lovely texture. She designs in a mix of both knitting and crochet. There is also a good mix of items for men and women, as well as babies and children. Here are some of my favorites from her portfolio.

Frimas Cowl

Passe-Partout Cowl

Creamy Guernsey Hat

Winterlude Baby Hat

Easy Daisy Doily

If these designs intrigue you, take a look at the rest of her portfolio. Her designs are often inspired by her regional traditions and local design. She creates beautiful textures and shapes and loves to help others succeed in their crafting.

Labels: Design, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:57 PM 0 comments

Blessed feast! Today we remember that Christ is King as the Church year ends. It is a Western, relatively new (instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925), feast that we love. Even the older liturgical calendars emphasize His kingship on this day, so it is really a celebration of what was already remembered. In our world today, that is more important than ever.

This is what Pope Pius XI had to say about its importance:

“If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God.”

Pious tradition in the Catholic and Anglican worlds is to start preparations for your Christmas cake or pudding, too. Because the collect begins with "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord," and continues with "that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded," it serves both as a spiritual reminder and a fun one for Christmas preparations. We are plenteously rewarded when Christmas Day comes and our cake or pudding is ready. The fruits will be stirred up - we soak them in bourbon - and the cake itself will be mixed up and baked by the end of the week.

Advent in the West begins later than it does for the East. It is more a Saint Andrew's fast than a Saint Philip's fast. This year, it is even shorter because the Nativity is on a Wednesday, so the fourth Sunday of Advent is the day before Christmas Adam. Again, it is a grace from God that it is shorter. We have had so many challenges, so beginning the fasting season more easily, and with a shorter fast is a blessing. The Advent fast is a little lighter until the last week and a half of it, we are still permitted fish, wine and oil on most days, and we, as a family will be having dairy on the weekends to accomodate others and permit some shared hospitality with a culture that doesn't really observe any spiritual preparation or penitence before the Nativity.

Our meals this week are about clearing our fridge and making room in our freezers. The folks at church have graciously responded to my plea that they take over the meal today, so I can focus on Thanksgiving preparations and some preserving to make that room in our freezers. Because of our situation with church, we do not keep the fast as completely on Sundays, and so there will not only be fish on those days, but possibly meat. We will use the turkey carcass from this year to make a soup of our Thanksgiving leftovers next Sunday and that will wrap up Thanksgiving.

This is the first year in a long time that I have ceded some of my control over all of the Thanksgiving meal, and then two of the families that normally come won't be with us. However, we will have other families and friends, and that is exciting. So, our menu plan only reflects what I am making or know for sure is being brought by others. There will be more! For one more year, we will have all our kids around our table, which makes me rejoice. I know that will not always be the case.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Sour Milk Griddle Cakes, Lemon Curd, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Creamy Taco Soup, Salads, Sides and Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Chorizo Hash, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Chile Verde, Red Chile Rice, Sautéed Zucchini, Peppers and Onions, Corn Tortillas, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Blueberry Yogurt, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: French Onion Soup with Gratinéed Croutons and Gruyère Cheese, Green Salad, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mejeddarah with Crisp Fried Onions, Marinated Cucumbers, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Thanksgiving
  Breakfast: Farmer Breakfast Casserole, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Deviled Eggs, Chex Mix (some will be made Gluten Free), Relish Tray, Herb Roasted Turkey, Bourbon Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Sweet Potato Rolls, Pumpkin Pies, Cranberry Cherry Pies, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies, Apple Pies, Pear Mincemeat Pies, Nantucket Cranberry Pies, Wine, Eggnog, Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
• Friday
  Breakfast: Pie and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers and Snack Tray
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Casserole, Green Salad, Pies

Labels: Christ the King, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Thanksgiving

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:17 AM 0 comments

The Indie Designer Gift A Long is underway on Ravelry and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. This year I am highlighting some of the designers on my blog, as well as in my Instagram feed.

One thing I enjoy about this event is getting to make projects from someone else's designs, that I do not have to work out or calculate or chart or anything. One of my projects this GAL is from Linette Grayum. I have made her designs before, but come back to them because of her intelligent and interesting construction and clear, lovely patterns. Her patterns can be found on both Ravelry and PayHip, and she has a sale bundle on Ravelry for the Gift A Long, as well.

Here are a few of the items I have made from her patterns over the years:

Scheelite Mitts

Acropolis

Togetherness Cowl

The project for this year's GAL is her Rock Skipper. I will be making it in a bright, electric purple Polwarth superwash wool, from a local dyer.

Her designs are usually inspired by nature and are really well written. I honestly believe her work is a hidden treasure, and I would like more people to know about it. She does a lot of traveling around the country (and sometimes around the world) and does so much outdoor activity and camping. She manages to capture nature, sometimes in obscure places, and amplify its beauty. The way she constructs her pieces is always so smart and creative, and usually as seamless as possible, which is a plus to me. She is not only a fantastic designer, but a friend. She is a homeschooling mother and a great baker, too! You can subscribe to her newsletter here, and follow her on Instagram, as well.

Labels: Design, FOs, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:58 AM 0 comments

The baptismal gown will not dry! Curse you winter! In the meantime, I am working on this stocking, and hoping to have it finished before Thanksgiving. The color on this is more of. a reddish violet, it looks more maroon in the picture. Once the gown is finished, finished, finished, and the stocking is completed, then I will permit myself to cast on something new. There are a lot of deadline knits/crocheted projects that I am starting to get a little nervous about, but I have over a week to finish most of them.

And that something new is likely to be something chosen from the amazing 221 Gift A Long designers! I am participating as a designer again this year, and always look forward to and enjoy making other designers' patterns at the end of the year. Chatter has started on Ravelry already, and you can follow along on Instagram, as well. (Though, is anyone else frustrated that IG is getting rid of the ability to follow hashtags? Now, I will not be able to see all the posts regarding the GAL!) Please join us in the fun and camaraderie in whichever way you can. There are games and prizes, hundreds and hundreds of participants to chat with, learn from, and admire. You will have access to all the participating designers, who will be happy to answer any of your questions and help with your projects. Make a gift or two for the holidays, or make something for yourself!

As a participating designer, I have a bundle of 20 patterns on sale on Ravelry, beginning tomorrow at 5:00 pm / 1700 Eastern Standard Time (2:00 pm Pacific Standard Time) through the end of the day (EST) November 27, 2024, using the coupon code giftalong2024. Because I know some people have trouble using Ravelry, I also have the same bundle of patterns on sale at my PayHip store, with the coupon code giftknitting for the same duration.

We are getting closer with Emma, I have finished both Double Grudge Donuts Doughnuts and Lemon Tart and I've gotten a tiny bit of reading in on Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages. I'm not sure what I think of the Lemon Tart/Sadie culinary series. It is written by an LDS author, from an LDS publisher, and that is fine. However, it gets some non-LDS things, not quite wrong, but a little off. Also, I started the next book in the series, and she identifies American scones as a deep fried item, which is only true in Utah, and makes the main character say disparaging things about tea, rather than just drinking her peppermint tea and being happy.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:55 AM 0 comments

It is almost the New Year in the Western Church! Next Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King and stir up Sunday, so I will be gathering ingredients to prepare for our Christmas cake.

We, again, had some schedule shifts last week, so there are a couple repeats this week. Because our co-op is finished for the season, we have more time freed up, which I am honestly glad to have. Our week begins with a visit from the bishop of our diocese in the Anglican Church where Rich helps serve. We are really happy to have his support and visit with him.

This is our last week before Thanksgiving, and since I dry brine ours, I need to get one out of the freezer so we can do that with enough time for it to be properly seasoned and ready for roasting on Thanksgiving. I also will be roasting some of our own turkey parts (necks and so on) to turn into extra stock for gravy. Some of the preparation I can do this week includes making the sweet potato rolls up to shaping, then freeze them, so they only have to thaw and rise, then be baked after the turkey is out of the oven.

For those of you who have been praying for our family in our troubles, may I please offer great thanks? We have had some wonderful moments of hope and encourgement over these past few weeks. There is still a long road to travel, but it has been good to have some obvious improvement. Thank you.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Steak and Eggs, Sliced Apples, Milk, Leftover Hot Cocoa and Coffee
  Dinner: Fancy Take Out Pizza, Red Potato Salad, Salads and Desserts by Parishioners
• Monday
  Breakfast: Spiced Prune Cake (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Chorizo Hash, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: French Onion Soup with Gratinéed Croutons and Gruyère Cheese, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Mussels with Jasmine Rice, Stir Fried Zucchini, Peppers and Onions, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday - Feast of The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice, Roasted Zucchini, Mandarin Oranges
• Friday - Feast of Saint Cecilia
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: White Bean and Squash Soup, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Clement of Rome
  Breakfast: Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Greek Style Spare Ribs, Basmati Rice, Lemon Potatoes, Sautéed Mushrooms, Sliced Oranges

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:41 AM 0 comments

I am half way through the neck, then I need to crochet the button band and loops, weave in ends, block and sew on buttons. It's nearly finished!!!

There are two secret projects I am working on at the moment, though I suppose only one of them is really a secret. One is the Saint Nicholas stocking for Shawn (you can see the first few stitches up there), and the other project is a secret. Amelia's stocking is also on needles, and I would like to have it finished soon, but I have until a couple days before Saint Nicholas as a cushion.

I'm trying so hard not to cast on anything else, until I finish both the gown and the secret project. After that, I don't mind having a few items on needles or hooks.

We are two thirds of the way through Emma with two weeks to finish it. Tonight will probably be the night I finish Double Grudge Donuts Doughnuts. The next book in the series comes out Thanksgiving week, and I have it on hold, but I might get a chance to get back to Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages in those couple weeks.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 5:02 PM 0 comments

We are in the countdown to the Feast of the Nativity now. It is three weeks from the New Year in the Western Calendar, and the beginning of the fast (at the end of this week) on the Eastern Calendar (unless you are Old Calendar). It is time. We need this time of prayer, self-examination, fasting, confession, and almsgiving. I don't know about you, but I don't think I do enough of any of that. Tomorrow is also the feast of Saint Martin of Tours, a Christian Roman soldier and, later, bishop. His charity and faith are inspiring.

Last week, Rich made sure I could go on a two day spiritual retreat to learn about women saints. It was fantastic! I was hosted by a couple families from the church, who fed me beautifully, and were so generous in their hospitality. I learned so much, had the time and space to pray well, and really gained a great deal.

Because of that absence, though, I had not prepared some of the things necessary for our Saturday dinner and forgot to ask the family to do it while I was away, so we just did it Saturday, switched dinners with tomorrow's, and we will have the pork belly tacos tomorrow night. The younger kids want to do the lantern walk again, and the weather isn't so frigid and windy, so I think we will do it.

I'm kind of trying to streamline breakfasts now. You will see a lot of repeats on breakfasts over the next few weeks and months. I'm mostly rotating through several easy, quick breakfasts. We are having more complex or interesting breakfasts on weekends, though. Our meals will be slowly turning into abstinent and fasting more frequently. Fortunately, fish is permitted during most of this fast. If you do not observe Advent or the Nativity Fast in advance of the feast of the Nativity, may I encourage you to dig a little into either Western or Eastern Tradition about it, and slowly start praying, fasting, offering alms, and putting that with the study of the Holy Family, the Incarnation, and prepare yourself for His coming? Then, you can celebrate fully for all of the Christmas season (which begins late Christmas Eve, and ends on February 2).

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Not Texas Chili, Jalapeño Cheddar Bread, Toppings/Sides/Salads/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saint Martin of Tours
  Breakfast: Fried Halloum, Saint Martin's Day Almond Crescents (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Habanero Pork Belly Tacos, Ranchero Beans, Mexican Rice, Salsa, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (GF for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Greek Style Spare Ribs, Basmati Rice, Lemon Potatoes, Sautéed Mushrooms, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Caponata and Pasta (GF for Jerome), Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cream of Jalapeño Soup, Crackers (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mejeddarah, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (GF for Jerome) with Cream Cheese Drizzle, Chorizo Patties, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Harvest Potluck - bringing Summer Squash Casserole (small one w/o crumbs for Jerome), Limoncello Zabaglione

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:45 PM 0 comments

The baptismal gown only needs one more repeat on the second sleeve, and the garter stitch cuff, then the neckband and buttons with crocheted loops. Hooray!!! I started Amelia's stocking, too, and am a bit further than this photo shows. I think I need six more repeats of the cable pattern to start the heel. Let's see how much progress I can get on both of these over the weekend. Also, I have a secret project that I am hoping to have finished before Thanksgiving. And some finishing work on two projects that are completely knit and crocheted.

Also, I have released TWO patterns this past week, and they are available on all of my sales platforms. These are great projects for gift giving, and are quick to make. The headband can make three from one 100 g skein of aran weight yarn! I hope you enjoy making these as much as I have.

H'ammaam is a five piece spa set and can be purchased on PayHip, LoveCrafts, and Ravelry.

Shallal is a quick to knit headband (I think it took me about four hours in total - including adjusting the pattern and so on - to make one), using simple short rows for shaping and flowing cables for interest. It can be found on PayHip, LoveCrafts, and Ravelry.

We are more than half way through Emma and, I think, on track for finishing before Thanksgiving. I have finished Deck the Donuts and Cinnamon Twisted, and started the next book in the series.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:49 PM 0 comments

This was such a busy weekend for us. Between the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, a couple of our kids going to a teen retreat in Idaho, a memorial for a friend and neighbor, and going to liturgy at a church an hour and a half away this morning for a Saints Alive feast and celebration, we have been on the go in every direction you can imagine.

We had a lot of winners last week for dinner. The Colombian beans, Croatian soup, and Spanish farmer's rice are all going to be seen on our menus again later this year and into next year. However, I'm finding that we are needing quicker, simpler breakfasts even than what I have been planning, so I am streamlining it even more. Also, I am trying to plan for leftover uses to stretch the budget and make cooking time easier at night. For instance, we have roast pork on the menu for tomorrow, but I know there will be a little left, so it will go into the fried rice the next day. I tried to make enough rice this weekend that I wouldn't have to cook any Monday for the dinner Tuesday, but we went through it all pretty thoroughly. Soups, stews, and legumes are still showing up a lot, as they are warm and filling and good for the family purse. Speaking of which, our Grocery Outlet had these Spanish tuna burgers, made with real food, for less than $4.00 per pound, which is a screaming deal. Even considering that we are paying for the other ingredients at that rate, it also means that all we have to do is to heat it up in a skillet or in the oven, so that seems like a win to me. We bought a lot of them.

Since we had freshly butchered chicken, I used it for a meal this past week and that meal is going on next week's menu. This next weekend is the first (and maybe only) weekend since we last butchered. We have about seven muscovies on death row, destined for the freezer. I'm also trying to sell about 10 to 12 of them. If you live near us, let me know if you are interested. We do not want to be feeding this many all winter, so we are keeping a few for breeding and eggs, and the rest will become meat or get sold. The meat will be lovely in meals come January, though we may try a little this month, too. Thanksgiving will be taking up a lot of the menu at the end of this month, and then the Advent fast begins. We may slip in one muscovy dinner before all of that.

Because of our very busy weekend, it was a relief to us that the folks at church all pitched in to plan a wonderful dinner so we wouldn't have to do it tonight. In fact, one person explicitly told me that I could send recipes and assignments if ever I needed assistance. One person sent me a text less than a day from returning from Italy to ask what she could bring. We are so grateful for these people who are our church family.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: None (morning Liturgy)
  Dinner: Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea Stew, Rice, Homemade Bread, Cinnamon Rolls
• Monday
  Breakfast: Fried Halloum, Sliced Tomatoes, Toast (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Garlic Herb Pork Loin, Roasted Broccoli, Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream and Scallions, Sliced Apples
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (GF for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Fried Rice, Green Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Persian Potato Curry, Basmati Rice, Tomato Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tuna Burgers, Pickles, Potato Wedges, Torta Dominguera
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Mussels with Jasmine Rice to break the fast after Liturgy
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (GF for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Habanero Pork Belly Tacos, Ranchero Beans, Mexican Rice, Salsa, Fruit

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:20 AM 0 comments

This is such a delicious and simple salad. For your cooked beets, you can boil or steam them, but I prefer roasting them. You can cook them in a pressure cooker. In any case, you want them cooled and peeled, and that can be done ahead of time. This makes a good quantity of salad, so you may wish to halve it, but it does hold in the refrigerator for at least a week and a half or more. You can serve it a few times over that week or so, and not have to make salad each time.

10 medium beets, scrubbed, cooked, cooled and peeled, diced into fine dice
1 large red onion, finely minced
1 bunch fresh, flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher, flake, salt (I use Diamond)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a large bowl, put the diced beets, minced onion, chopped parsley and cilantro, and toss a little.

In a small frying pan, toast the cumin seeds over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 2 - 3 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat once they start to smell toasty. You can grind them completely in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle and only roughly crack and grind them (which I prefer). Allow to cool.

Mix together the toasted cumin seeds, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice into a dressing. Pour over the vegetables and herbs in the bowl and mix well to coat everything. Chill until ready to serve.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:11 PM 0 comments

We got to go to a fun, family party last night, so my Saturday dinner plans are now on this week for Monday. This also means that I will share the beet salad recipe on Saturday, so I can post with pictures.

The weather is making a lot of our life a little more difficult, so we had some garden/produce disappointments this past week that we are mourning. However, dear Rich got a bunch of our birds in the freezer, so they aren't roaming around and we have wonderful meat for the year. This is our first time trying muscovy meat, and we have heard it is almost like red meat. I'm excited to try it. Our neighbors are probably excited not to see so many of our birds wandering. We really need to get more fencing up on the property.

We are eating more soup because of that weather, and I am so happy. I love soup. Part of our preserving our budget is also eating soups (and legumes), and I try to serve soup or stew once a week even in the summer, and at least one meal that is based in legumes. This week, we are having three soups, which is really pushing it for Rich, but he is a good sport about it, and three legume meals (one a soup!), though two of those have meat in them. Rich really prefers soups that are creamy or thick, so at least two of these fit that description. If you are trying to keep your budget well, soups and stews are great. Beans and other legumes are protein and calcium rich foods that are an integral part of many different cultures' cuisines, and can be made in so many different delcious ways. They also have the benefit of being inexpensive and filling - especially if you cook them from dry.

Since this week contains many feasts and memorials, we have a busy time ahead of us. We do celebrate Halloween, as the fun, trick or treat and costume celebration, but we also very much remember all the saints, which is why we celebrate it in the first place. We will be praying for all the souls who have passed, as well, this week. Have a fun All Hallow's Eve, but also please remember why we celebrate.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Spiced Prune Cake (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bean and Bacon Soup, Sides/Salads/Bread/Fruit/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
  Breakfast: Chorizo and Vegetable Hash, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Waraq ‘Ounab, Rice, Harissa, Sah'awiq, Moroccan Beet Salad*, Olive Bread
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hobbit Dinner (Sausage, Potato, Cauliflower, Carrot and Onion Skillet), Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Croatian Roux Soup with Croutons, Salad, Sliced Apples
• Thursday - Eve of the Feast of All Saints
  Breakfast: Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Columbian Beans and Rice, Corn Tortillas, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of All Saints
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Farmer's Rice, Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Comemoration of All Souls
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Drizzle, Chorizo Patties, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cream of Jalapeño Soup, Crackers (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:54 AM 0 comments

The final version of Shallal is knit and finished, but still needs photography. I've made progress on the baptismal gown sleeves, though. I figured out the stitch count for the yarn I am using and how many repeats to work, and now I'm more than halfway through the first one. Oh, and I started Amelia's Saint Nicholas stocking.

There are a few other projects on needles, and a couple on hooks, for grandbabies and Christmas and so on. I've accidentally taken a break from design knitting, but that is because I have one that was giving me trouble that I need to fix and another that is almost finished, but I don't want to pick it up until I finish the problem child.

So, basically I am trying to decide if I should put all the designs on the back burner and work on some of the Christmas projects, especially since I haven't taken my sabbatical months this year the way I normally do, and there are some people whose gifts might be deliverable in person over Thanksgiving, or if I should knuckle down and at least get the problem child finished and edited so I can publish it this year and finish a collection that has been open a little too long. I also have another stocking to knit, and want to get that finished. Though that is for Old Calendar family, which gives me an extra 13 days!

That brings me to the other design project I'd like to have finished: The Pascha basket cover design. 2025 is the next time East and West celebrate the Paschal feast together, and the one after that isn't until 2028. I wanted to make it a knit along, and have it start during Clean Week and end at Lazarus Saturday, with Holy Week and Bright Week being when people can share their pictures and so on of their finished covers. If I don't work on it for 2025, it will go on the back burner for another two and a half years, at least. What say ye?

My goal is for us to finish Emma before Thanksgiving. I really thought we could finish before the end of the month, but life keeps throwing stuff at us that makes our time more compressed. Normally, when we are reading something like this, we read three to four chapters at a shot, and lately it's been more like one or two. Deck the Donuts is still my brain candy reading, and I like it, but even that has been a little more time than I could take recently. It should be finished by my next Craft On post.

Hooray! I was able to pick up Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages and read a little more. Again, I don't agree with all of her conclusions, but her information is fascinating, and the history she gives is fantastic.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 5:05 PM 0 comments

We celebrated Amelia's birthday this weekend! She is growing so much and we love her more each day.

I keep thinking we will be finished with the preserving, but there always seems to be a little more. We still have tomatoes to finish and a little more apple pie filling to make. The apple scrap vinegar is a great side product from all the peels and trimmings. And we'll probably smoke some more tomatoes and make more tomato powder.

Our week was challenging and some menu items were moved around so we have repeats this week. We also were given a bounty of eggplant, and used some on Friday, and will be using more this week. If we still have some, I will turn it into caponata for the freezer and pull it out when we need a quick Lenten meal.

Also, I know I was supposed to share a recipe this weekend, but we didn't get it made, so I didn't have a photo, and I thought I'd wait until I had a picture of it for you to share. We are trying again this week, and I should be able to make it because we don't have the weird appointments and schedule shifts that we did last week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes and Maple Syrup, Bacon, Grapes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta and Potato Stew, Sides/Salads/Fruit brought by Parish Members, Leftover Birthday Cake
• Monday - Feast of Saint Hilarion the Great
  Breakfast: Spiced Prune Cake (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pepperoni Pizzas with Peppers, Red Onion, and Tomato, Green Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal Muffins with Cashew Butter, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cream of Jalapeño Soup, Crackers (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint James of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Breakfast Tacos with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Moroccan Lentils with Eggplant and Cauliflower, Rice, Moroccan Beet and Onion Salad*, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas with Egg, Chorizo and Diced Tomatoes, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bacon Cheeseburgers, Potato Wedges, Pickles, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saints Crispin and Crispian
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Farmer's Rice, Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Savory Parmesan French Toast with Hollandaise Sauce, Fruit Plate, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Waraq ‘Ounab, Rice, Harissa, Tomato Salad, Fruit Plate

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 4:21 AM 0 comments

I have finished all of the H'ammaam spa set and the prototype for Shallal. Now, I am working on the second, final version of Shallal and the pattern is all written. That feels good after a tough time getting my thoughts together.

Besides that, I am making progress on the baptismal gown sleeves, and hope to have both sleeves finished in just a couple weeks.

We are more than halfway through Emma. I've finished two more happy, little, doughnut murders, and I'm on the sixth in the series, Deck the Donuts, which precipitated a bizarre dream involving a former colleague of Rich's bringing us a pre-decorated, fake Christmas tree, and another bringing us three more. Which were upside down. Then meeting up with Colin Firth who came over for snacks and drinks. And could speak Arabic. It's been a hard time and my brain is doing weird things. I still haven't had a doughnut, though.

I got to read a very little in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, but then we had more difficulties and I couldn't think enough to engage with it.

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 4:58 PM 0 comments

The peppers are finished! We still have a lot in our fridge, but we are using them in cooking. Unless we get another crate, we are finished with freezing and drying them. We are still working on apples. I want to get enough applesauce and dried apples and apple scrap vinegar made so we only have apples to fill a couple drawers in our produce fridge. I still need to make the salsa, though, and we are going to smoke some more tomatoes to preserve and turn the skins into more smoked tomato powder (which is fantastic in rice dishes, soups, sauces, added to meatballs, or in sour cream based dips). We also just picked up 50 pounds of yellow onions and 25 pounds of red onions which store really well, so mostly they are just going into storage for us to use over the next few months, but we are also going to dry (outside) some of the yellow onions to put into an onion dip mix that I will be making as part of our Christmas presents this year.

This week is the anniversary of Rich and my first date. It is 30 years since we count our first date. I don't remember if I've shared that story here, but we started that night not on a date and ended it on a date. Since times are tight, we are using a bunch of gift certificates that we have to have a progressive lunch date. Then, I am making a special dinner for us at home.

God is so good to us. With all the continually rising prices, He keeps providing for us in markdowns at the store, things we need from our gleaning group, and even produce that is still coming from our garden. One thing I have learned, too, is that apples that aren't that great (sorry, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Gala apples) can be made much better through drying them. I don't know why, but even the most bland and sad apples taste really good when dried. So, that's your tip for what to do with apples you aren't thrilled with and don't want to waste. Also, I was surprised to find that Honeycrisp apples, which are really tasty fresh and taste more than sweet enough, need a little sugar when turning them into applesauce. I've never added sugar to applesauce before using Gravensteins, Yellow Transparents, and Fujis, but this year we had a lot of Honeycrisps from our gleaning group, and when I cooked them down, they just didn't taste as sweet as those apples usually do. It is only a little sugar, and I am using brown sugar, but about a quarter cup to about 25 apples seems to be enough.

Last night was our local crisis pregnancy center's fundraising dinner. Rich and I attended again (I think we have only missed it one year since living here), and two of our girls helped serve and clear away the dishes. It was a great experience, and we were so proud of our girls for helping. The work they do at the crisis pregnancy center is so crucial to helping men, women and children in need in our community, and we are so glad to help them in their mission. Part of being pro-life is being active about supporting the people in crises who are in a position to choose other than life. Please pray that all life would be welcomed and supported.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Edward the Confessor
  Breakfast: Leftover Roulette, Sliced Apples, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Ouzi Lamb and Rice, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts brought by Church Family
• Monday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Potato Hash with Salsa, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta bil Bayd, Rice Pilaf, Moroccan Beet Salad*, Sah'awiq, Apple Pies and Vanilla Ice Cream
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Spices, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Lemon Pesto Pasta (Gluten free for Jerome), Italian Sausage Meatballs, Truffle Butter Baguettes, Green Salad, Fruit
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Longinus the Centurion
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Bouktouf, Khoubz Zeitoun, Tomato Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Hosea the Prophet
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Papas con Chorizo, Salsa, Sour Cream, Chopped Avocados, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Farmer's Rice, Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Joel the Prophet
  Breakfast: Savory Parmesan French Toast with Hollandaise Sauce, Fruit Plate, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta Bolognese Sauce (Gluten free for Jerome), Green Salad, Torta Dominguera

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Romance and Relationship, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:43 AM 0 comments

This is a general guideline. If you want to change it, you can. Once, we had about three tablespoons of salsa verde left in the fridge, so I tossed that in, too. I use our instant pot type pressure cooker. You could do this on the stove or in a slow cooker, but do sauté the vegetables first. In a pot on the stove, it will only take about an hour and a half to two hours, in a slow cooker, it will take six to eight hours on low. I like lime juice in it, too.

4 cups black beans, rinsed and soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight
Safflower/sunflower/avocado/olive oil
4 small onions, or 2 large, peeled and diced
8 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
24 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 or 2 hot peppers, minced
1/4 cup ground cumin
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3/4 cup tomato paste
28 - 32 ounces diced, roasted tomatoes with their juice
6 cups vegetable broth (or water)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt

Use the sauté function on the pot to heat it up, and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Sauté the onions and peppers until they are soft, then add the garlic and hot peppers and cook a minute more. Add the herbs and tomato paste and stir to blend with the vegetables. Cook the mixture a minute or two. Add the diced tomatoes.

Rinse out the cans (if you used cans) of tomato paste and diced tomatoes with a little warm water to get the last of it and put that in the pot. Add the broth, bay leaves, and salt. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Allow to naturally release for at least 5 minutes, or all the way (they will be softer if you let it release completely), then release pressure. Serve with rice.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:20 AM 0 comments

We are still putting up apples! And peppers. And tomatoes. The freezes have meant that everything is coming in to be prepped for winter. We are supposed to have a carrot glean, and i am looking forward to that, because they store so well without a lot of extra effort on our part. Also, we had an opportunity to buy two 50 pound bags of onions for less money than the three to five pound bags are costing at the grocery store, and we use a LOT of onions. We are hoping for a potato glean. We live in prime potato growing country, and potatoes are usually plentiful. Unfortunately, the flies and black widows are also trying to prepare for winter, so we are killing a ton. We are seeing more black widows in our area than is the norm, which is probably because of our milder winter and weird summer.

Because of our church schedule last week, we were just too tired for our bonfire and Michaelmas dragon, so we did it last night. We had the dragon guts with an almond crumble for Jerome, so he could avoid the bread. We have a family birthday this week, but it is for an adult son who is out of the house, so, we will see what their plans are.

My experiment with freezing the falafel mix and also freezing some of the falafel shaped, then frying them worked beautifully. Both worked equally well, but freezing them shaped and frying from frozen means less work at the fryer. So, now we have a plan of attack for the kebab fest next year.

We are still cooking our way through our freezers and pantries and making room. Also, thank God, saving some money because of this. We hope to stock our freezers with some geese and are filling it with peppers and other lovely ingredients for the fall and winter and early spring. Now that I am not afraid of my pressure canner, I have been canning any new stock we make and using the frozen stock to empty the freezers. This gives us shelf stable stocks to use in our cooking, and frees up even more space in our freezers for other things.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Chorizo and Potato Hash Burritos, Salsa, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts brought by Church Family
• Monday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Toast, Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Thai Style Ginger Chicken with Eggplant, Stir Fried Bean Sprouts, Jasmine Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Korean Style Beef with Patty Pan Squash and Bean Sprouts, Jasmine Rice, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Fried Cauliflower, Arabic Style Rice Pilaf (without the vermicelli), Taratoor, Tomato Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas with Egg and Chorizo, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Green Chile Pork, Salsa Rice, Corn Tortillas, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Florida Style Black Beans*, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten free for Jerome) and Raspberry Syrup, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Wedding Pork (leftover in our freezer), Salsa Rice, Tortillas, Fruit Plate

Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:59 AM 0 comments