I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

The feast of Saint Joseph is also this week, who is a particular patron of our family. We love the Holy Family, and Rich especially loves Saint Joseph. I love that the feast of Saint Joseph is the first day of the "week" which ends with the feast of the Annunciation. It is fitting that the bethrothed share this week.

We are eating simpler meals and cooking as much as we can from our pantry and freezers, and filling in with fresh produce. The oranges this year have been fantastic. We certainly appreciate these simple foods so much more during fasting seasons. We are breaking the fast a little this week with some dairy for the feast of Saint Patrick, and we will do the same for the Annunciation. Then, we will have Laetare Sunday two weeks from now. Those breaks are a blessing. They allow us to fast within our strength. We had a little eggplant this past week, but the kids were asking where all the eggplant was, as we were in Lent, and they were looking forward to all the eggplant. So, tonight's dinner is eggplant again, and I'll find another way to fit it into our menu this week or next week.

We are praying quite a bit during this Lent. Between what is going on in the Middle East, and what is going on in this country, as well as many friends with cancer and other health issues, it is a praying time and Lent is the perfect time for that. Please pray for us, and we will pray for you. May your Lent strengthen you.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Lenten Tropical Muffins with Peanut Butter, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Zaalouk*, Rice, Sides/Salads/Fruit brought by Parish
• Monday - Feast of Saint Patrick
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Nut Raisin Bread (GF for Jerome) with Peanut Butter, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Colcannon Fish Pie, Steam Sautéed Peas with Garlic and Tarragon, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Apricot and Coconut Cream Overnight Oats (in jars for Jerome and Yasmina), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Florida Style Black Beans, Rice, Cubed Mangos
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Joseph
  Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Bananas (Apples for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Fish Stew*, Bread, Chopped Salad, Blackberry Sorbet Bars
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Cuthbert
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Thai Coconut Rice Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Toast, Grapefruit, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Date and Orange Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Fluffy, Vegan Peanut Butter Pancakes (GF for Jerome) with Apricot Preseves, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta Trapanese (GF for Jerome), Garlic Bread (with Olive Oil - GF for Jerome), Salad, Sliced Oranges

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:20 AM 0 comments

Bissilla literally means peas, technically, you would call this bissilla ou rouz, peas with rice. The Italians have risi e bisi, which is similar and also completely different, but I digress. This is such a simple recipe and produces something truly delightful. It really isn't much to look at, honestly, but it really is delicious and satisfying. It is one of the times that using frozen vegetables is really just as good as using fresh. Most of the time it is made with meat, either stewing beef or lamb, or ground beef or lamb (as more of a short cut), but this vegetarian version is truly good on its own, not just as a substitute. Besides all of that, it is super quick to prepare, making for a fantastic weekday meal. This is stewy, not soupy, and is always served with rice. I start cooking the rice at about the same time I start heating the skillet for this dish.

olive oil, or fasting friendly oil for sautéeing (use half butter - clarified butter, or sammen/samneh, is really best - and half olive oil when it isn't a fasting season)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes (optional, but really not)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 ounces tomato paste
2 pounds peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup water
2 bunches fresh dill, finely minced
juice of one large lemon, strained

Heat a skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add a generous swirl of oil, or oil and butter, and add onions. Sauté for a few minutes, then add garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper, and black pepper. Cook for a minute or two.

Add tomato paste and cook well with aromatics for another minute or two. Stir in the peas, tomato juice, and water, and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, simmering uncovered for about 10 minutes, until reduced and thickened.

Just before serving, sprinkle with dill and the juice of the lemon. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Serve with hot rice.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:25 AM 0 comments

It is more that I know I am making progress than that I seem to be able to see it. You can see that I've started the sleeve on Amelia's sweater, and I finished one of Madelyn's socks. Actually, I have started the second one, as well, but made a mistake at the beginning of the cuff, so I have gone back on that. Likewise, I cast on for a new design, but then didn't follow my own directions and forgot to use a provisional cast on when I started it. So, out that came, as well. Since we were away from home at that point, I didn't have any spare yarn to use, then we came home and it was the weekend, so I worked on finishing the first sock and getting the first sleeve started.

Today, it is nearly half way through Malabrigo March, and I haven't even started a single thing. I have two projects planned, one which I didn't plan to finish this month, anyway, but the other I really want to complete.

In the background, I have five patterns I'm writing, in various stages of completion, two for publication in magazines, three for independent publication - plus a scarf pattern that will be a freebie for my subscribers next year.

I have done very little reading this week in either The Dress Doctor or The Joy of Yarn. We had a busy end of week, plus the time change, plus a birthday, plus a neighborhood dinner, and I'm still trying to catch up on my rest.

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, MalMarch, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:03 PM 0 comments

There are many beautiful icons of the Temptation of Jesus, but this painting by Duccio captures the essense of our Lenten journey with Christ in the desert. After being driven to the desert to fast for 40 days and be tested (not as a trick or pop quiz, but to model for us and to teach the way we make our spiritual battle), He commands Satan away, with the angels waiting to attend Him.

Spring is starting to catch up here, too, and Rich is working hard to finish pruning the fruit trees before he loses his chance. I've rearranged some things on the menu, and will post the recipe for the bisilla on the blog this week. Also, this week, we have the first birthday of the year in our household. The kids keep growing up, and it is bittersweet. We love to see the adults they are becoming, but miss their little faces and voices.

Please pray for us, and we will pray for you. May you have a holy and blessed Lent.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Bread, Chopped Vegetables and Olives, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mediterranean Braised Vegetables, Rice, Fruit/Sides/Salads brought by Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Fried Cauliflower, Arabic Style Rice Pilaf, Taratoor, Depression Era Wacky Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean Chili, Chopped Onions, Cilantro, Avocado and Jalapeno, Fried Corn Tortilla Strips, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk, Dried Raisins, Blueberries, Cranberries and Cherries, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kung Pao Broccoli and Cauliflower, Garlic Fried Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Bissilla* and Rice, Shatta, Salad, Sliced Cara Caras
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Mussels with Jasmine Rice, Stir Fried Peppers and Onions, Orange and Date Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Lenten Pancakes, GF Lenten Chocolate Chip Pancakes for Jerome, Fruit Plate, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Pasta (GF for Jerome) with Tomato and Eggplant Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread (with olive oil), Fruit Plate

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:03 AM 0 comments

This is a recipe I took the basic method from my friend Melissa's book Fasting as a Family (if you don't have this book, get it!), and what I am sharing here is really more of a general outline than a recipe. It is a great recipe, and a remarkably good substitute for scrambled eggs (though it is not the same thing). We make them as is, or sometimes with added vegetables, as shown in the photo.

fasting friendly oil
1 small to medium onion, finely diced
2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned or home cooked) with liquid reserved
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper, to taste
seasonings of choice

optional additions:
minced garlic
roasted red peppers
asparagus
chard, or other greens
whatever vegetables you like in things like this

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add oil and sauté onion to soften, add garlic, if you are using it. Add chickpeas and turmeric. Heat, smashing with a wooden spoon or spatula. If you are using vegetables like asparagus or greens, add them first. If using soft vegetables like roasted red peppers, add them after the chickpeas. Season as you like, and add a little of the liquid from the chickpeas to create a good texture that isn't dry. If you are using jarred roasted red peppers, you can use the liquid from that.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:36 AM 0 comments

I am in a knitting vortex. I've been working on the body of this sweater for an eternity, and it still isn't long enough. However, I did have a chance to hold it up to Amelia, and I am going to make it a little shorter than the pattern says, anyway. I should be able to start the scalloped border today. There was a ton of ease in the sweater, and it is probably intended to be a bit oversized, but if I knit even just a little longer, it will be a tunic on her, and if I use the pattern measurements, it will be a dress. She's pretty tall, too.

Malabrigo March has started, and I thought I'd have some progress to share, but we had a super tangled skein, and I am just getting started on my first project for the event/month.

We have a short trip coming up and I will have some knitting time in the car, so I am looking forward to making progress on both of those, as well as the baby socks for Madelyn, and for Dominic and Shawn's little one.

The full review of You Are Peter is still forthcoming, but I want to put my thoughts together a little better. It was an interesting book, which gives both the Christian East and West many things to consider.

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, MalMarch, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:12 AM 0 comments

These are the last moments of meat for us in the West. Today is Forgiveness Sunday in the East, also known as Cheesefare Sunday (farewell to dairy). The Eastern Church will begin Lent tomorrow. We have a couple more days, because we begin on Ash Wednesday, midweek. Quinquagesima is the 50th day before the Paschal feast for us in the West. We celebrate together this year, glory to God, and we continue to pray, that both East and West will unite to celebrate together every year. The practices of Ash Wednesday are so profound, as are those of Forgiveness Sunday, and I hope that eventually the Church will get her act together and find a way to bring them together in all ways.

I've explained before that xerophagy is the accurate term for Lenten fasting. It means dry eating. We restrict meat, fish, dairy, eggs, oil and wine, which means our food is not as lubricated as normal. There are two strict fast days (no food or nutritive drink) in the West, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. There is an optional strict fast from the evening after the Maundy Thursday service through the end of the Paschal Vigil. In the East, the first week of Lent, from Clean Monday through their vespers service on Wednesday is supposed to be as strict a fast as possible, with the guidance of a spiritual father or mother, and they share the same Triduum fasting, I believe. Aside from that, the earliest rule of the Church is to eat no meat, no fish (with the exception of shellfish - and because of the expense, we eat them sparingly), no dairy or eggs, no olive oil (all oil in a few jurisdictions), no wine (or alcohol). On Saturdays and Sundays, the rule is relaxed to include olive oil and wine, and on a few significant feast days we are able to eat fish, and one day caviar is permitted (Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday, with fish eggs acting as a shadow of the eggs associated with the Resurrection). In the West, we celebrate Laetare Sunday about midway through the fast, and on that day we also eat dairy and egg. None of this is to imply that eating or that any of these foods are bad. They are good things from which we abstain as a discipline to train ourselves, following the example and teaching of our Lord.

This is worship. Worship throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, always means sacrifice. It is not prayer, though that usually accompanies it. It is not singing hymns and songs, though they may also accompany it. It is not homilies or sermons, though they are edifying. It is sacrifice. The sacrifice that Christ offered for us once for all that we join into in the Eucharist. The sacrifice of something good for our own good in fasting. In the West, penance is emphasized, and while this is absolutely a part of our Lenten journey, fasting, praying, and almsgiving are seen more as a discipline Christ gives us through the Church to grow us spiritually. Young children, the elderly, those who have serious medical conditions, those who are hospitalized, pregnant and nursing women, are all exempt. There is no make-up required for these people. Their fast is considered complete. In all cases, fasting or not, we are to keep our eyes on our own plate. We are not to concern ourselves with how someone else is keeping the fast, unless that person is asking us for assistance or support.

Because we serve an Anglican parish on Sundays, we will be relaxing the fasting on Sundays to permit fish, as the parishioners are not required to keep the stricter fasting rules, so you will sometimes see fish on those days. My posts here about how we fast are not meant to show off, they are meants to show the reality of how we live our faith, and (I hope) to give encouragement and meal ideas to those seeking them. Now that all of our children are old enough to keep most or all of the fast, we are trying to live out the Lenten Rule more closely. Nejat is young enough not to be required to keep the fast, so we make sure we plan for her to eat on strict fast days, should she choose that, and she knows that she can eat foods that we cannot if we want to avoid wasting food or if she needs it. However, even she attempts to fast with the Church with us.

As we prepare for Lent, we must prepare for self-examination. So, in that frame of mind, if I have offended you or wronged you in any way, please forgive me and pray for me, a sinner. As for you readers, I pray that this will be a profitable and Holy Lent for you, however you observe it. Please pray for us, as well. Have a blessed fast.

• Sunday - Quinquagesima and Forgiveness Sunday
  Breakfast: Trapeza after Liturgy
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos, Salsa and Mexican Crema, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Sides/Salads/Desserts brought by Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Sausages, Biscuits (GF for Jerome), Grapefruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Koubbeh, Iraqi Koubbat Battatas (safe for Jerome), Taratoor, Harissa, Green Salad with Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
  Breakfast: Cheese Toast with Crudités, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers followed by Treats brought by our Friends, Louqaimat, Fastnacht Kreppel Filled with Pomegranate Jelly, Gluten Free Apple Fritters, Fritule
• Wednesday - Ash Wednesday
  Dinner: Tahina and Date Syrup Sandwich with Sliced Oranges for Nejat
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Sliced Apples (Peanut Butter on Apple Slices for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Bissilla* and Rice, Shatta, Salad, Sliced Blood Oranges
• Friday - Feast of Saints Perpetua and Felicity
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Sliced Cucumbers, Olives, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean Chili, Chopped Onions, Cilantro, Avocado and Jalapeno, Fried Corn Tortilla Strips, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Mejeddarah with Crisp Onions, Toum, Fruit Plate

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Lent, Mardi Gras, Menu Plans, Quinquagesima, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:02 AM 2 comments

This picture doesn't do it justice, and the garlic wasn't quite brown enough because we added the oil left from cooking the tomatoes and it make it a little too wet - don't do that, just add that oil to your dish.

This is so delicious and simple to make! It is a traditional Palestinian dish adn literally means garlicked tomatoes and it is exactly that. Traditionally, you take the skin off the tomatoes, but I don't, because I don't mind them. However, if you want to make it absolutely authentically, you should skin the tomatoes after roasting them. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner, with bread, some olives, salad if you want to make a lunch or dinner and fruit if you are serving at breakfast, and a lovely cup of mint tea. We double this for our family, but a good rule of thumb is one tomato per person. You can scale up or down based on that.

4 ripe tomatoes
1 head of garlic, peeled, plus 2 more cloves, peeled and minced
1/3 cup good quality, whole milk yogurt
1 tablespoon tahina
salt, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling the tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons samen (ghee, or clarified butter)

Slice the tomatoes in half, and lay on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil for 20 - 25 minutes or roast at 450˚F for about the same amount of time.

While the tomatoes are roasting, thinly slice all the garlic, except the two for the sauce. Place the garlic, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of samen in a saucepan and cook over low to medium low heat until the garlic is browned and crisp, but not burned. Set aside.

Mix the yogurt with the tahina, and 2 cloves of minced garlic, plus a little salt. Set aside.

Place the roasted tomatoes in a shallow, rimmed dish (peeled, if you want to make them as the original), and roughly chop them. You want chunks of tomato to be discernible. Pour the yogurt sauce over the top and mix together. Just before serving, pour the browned garlic with all the oil and samen over the top and serve with bread.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:15 AM 0 comments

No new finishes on my projects this week, though I have finished two books. I'm working on an adult men's size 10.5 foot pair of slipper socks. They are huge! I keep making Rich try them on, because I am sure they are too big.

Also, I am nearly finished with the body on Amelia's sweater. This weekend should be the end of that, and I hope the beginning of the sleeves. I may cast on a tiny pair of socks for Madelyn, too.

This past weekend, I was able to take a trip with a sit and stitch friend down to Hermiston for a new fiber festival. We didn't take any classes, but we did shop and talk with the other knitters and crocheters there. It was super fun, and we even ran into some friends from our local yarn shop who drove down, too.

For the past several years, I have been super strict about buying yarn. However, both souvenir yarn and fiber festivals are my major exceptions. So, you can see that I enjoyed that this past weekend. There are even two more skeins coming my way, because the dyer had sold out of the color I was looking for, and she is sending them to me!

One more thing! In honor of Malabrigo March, between now and the end of the day March 5, 2025 (PST), all of my individually sold patterns are 25% off with the coupon code malmarch25 on both PayHip and Ravelry. However, if you choose one of the 16 patterns (search on Ravelry or look at the bundle on PayHip) I have designed specifically using Malabrigo yarn, and use the code malmarch30, you will receive 30% off of those!

I have finished Baked Alaska and the kids and I finished Pride and Prejudice. We are watching the 1995 miniseries, the best film version, in my opinion. Even with more missing from the story than the 1980s one, and some of the changes in order and perspective. It captures the spirit of the story better, and is still believable as that period of time. The actors in the execrable 2000s film were never believable as their characters. They were always the actors. We need to decide on our next book, and I will return to my other reading, as well. I think there is a good chance I can read a little in The Dress Doctor tonight, at least.

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, MalMarch, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 5:18 PM 0 comments

It is now Sexagesima Sunday, which just means sixty and refers to the fact that we are within about 60 days of the end of the feast. It is with excitement that we greet Lent, however, even if it is a challenge. This year, especially, as we fast and celebrate East and West together, gives another dimension to the joy of the struggle.

I wrote this last year, but neither Rich nor I grew up with this pattern of fasting and feasting (though with my Muslim upbringing, it was more familiar to me - just with one month of fasting, rather than three seasons of it and a biweekly observance), but now we cannot imagine our lives without it. What is foreign to us now is the idea that our every day, week, month, year, would not be marked by a remembrance of the events in Christ's life. Even though all of us are aware that doing so is not the norm for most Americans, or people in the West, it is always a surprise to the kids when they find that people are eating meat on a Wednesday or Friday, or when they wish someone a Merry Christmas or Happy Easter the day after the feast and have someone answer that it is over. It is a poverty that they don't mark the time this way, and for all the challenges the fasting and feasting can bring, it is such a gift to us, that we can make even what we put in our mouths part of our devotion and worship of God. It imbues meal times, weekly scheduling, all of it, with the spiritual. It is hard and good - perhaps more good because it is sometimes hard.

It is like the Old Testament admonitions in Exodus and Joshua to do something specifically so your children will ask why and what it means. Talking about Wednesdays, Fridays, Advent and Lent, and why we eat differently then, brings the conversations up about Jesus, His betrayal, His Crucifixion, His Incarnation, His Resurrection. It makes every moment of our lives tied to the life of the Church and the life of Christ. In truth, I am sad for Christians who don't do this out of a mistaken aversion to following rules.

Again, the Lenten "rule" is for each of us and not something to advertise or hammer over someone else's head. It isn't a sin to neglect the fast, so much as it is a pity. It means we won't be so prepared. My hope is that our menu plans and the recipes I share help others get ideas and perhaps be encouraged in their struggle. Above all, I pray that you take advantage of these exercises God grants us through His Church.

This past week, things were moved around a bit, so I shifted the lengua tacos to this week. We are still eating much from our freezers, and trying to use up more meat and dairy so we won't have that much left out of our freezers by next week. We are running out of time to eat our dairy and egg and other treats.

We are finally warming up again here, by which I mean that it is now in the 40s during the day. I'll take it. As we will be home this year, we can have our doughnut night again next week, after skipping it last year, which brings everyone great joy.

• Sunday - Sexagesima, and the Feast of Saint Polycarp
  Breakfast: Mthouamat Banadora*, Tamis, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lemon Za'atar Chicken and Potatoes, Rice, Brownies brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saint Matthias
  Breakfast: Potato, Chorizo and Vegetable Hash, Toast, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta bil Bayd, Rice, Loubiyeh bi Zeit, Harissa, Chopped Salad with Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette, Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Alexander of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Grapefruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans and Rice, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos, Salsa, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Chocolate Cherry Pudding
• Friday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins, Brown Sugar and Coconut Milk, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Veggies and Olives, Taratoor, Naan, Harissa, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint David of Wales
  Breakfast: Ricotta Fritters with Maple Syrup (gluten-free for Jerome), Bacon, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tacos de Papa, Avocado Relish, Salsa Rice, Raspberry Almond Shortbread

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Sexagesima, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:49 PM 0 comments

I finished Rich's mitten, and all I have left to do on the knitting part of these is to weave in ends and block. All, I say. The pattern is still mostly in scrawls, so that is my next task.

Rich has the house and kids all himself this Saturday, as I am heading out on a trip to a new fiber festival in our area. One of my friends from my sit and stitch and her daughter and I will be driving down for the day and seeing what there is to see and shopping. I anticipate quite a lot of knitting time for Amelia's sweater, in the car and while we are there, too. Although I do plan on purchasing yarn there, I'm going to try to keep in mind what I actually use the most of while shopping, which should restrain me a bit.

Between then and now I will be writing up this pattern to get it to my technical editor, and also finishing another design, for men, that I've been knitting for a friend of ours. I thought it would be a great freebie for my newsletter subscribers, since the one I intended for this year is taking me a bit longer than anticipated. It is a pair of toe up, thick, men's boot or slipper socks with a heel that works in both directions, and some interest on the cuff. It will be available in four sizes, from men's small to extra-large, and can be knit quickly, which is a plus when making men's items! If you are interested in getting this pattern for free, exclusively through next year, please sign up for my newsletter with the link below. If you already subscribe, you will see a note about this soon.

After finishing these projects, I will likely still be working on Nafas (and will just shift that to next year's newsletter bonus), and plan on starting a tiny pair of socks for Madelyn, and two projects for Malabrigo March. One is a design, that I have had on my mind for a long time, and the other is a jacket I have also wanted to make in forever. The hat will be in Arroyo in Matisse Blue and Sunset, and the jacket will be in Rios in Aniversario, a particularly magenta version. The jacket is definitely for me, but I am not sure if I will keep the hat or offer it as a gift.

Except for a couple paragraphs, I haven't even read out of Baked Alaska. We are nearly finished with Pride and Prejudice, though.

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 @ 2:24 PM 0 comments

This is Septuagesima Sunday, the 70th day before the final day of the Paschal Octave. We are now in the countdown to Lent, Holy Week, and the Paschal feast.

Jerome said something this past week which I hadn't thought about before, that perhaps because he had grown up with the pattern of fasting and feasting of the Church year, that he didn't find the Lenten fast as challenging, it was more like a long Wednesday. There is something to that, though it is the spiritual exercise that is the hardest part. The food is a tool, not the point of what we do.

Even though the "rule" is for each of us and not something to advertise or hammer over someone else's head, I share our meal plans and how we eat to help others get ideas and perhaps be encouraged when the struggle is too difficult. If you already keep the fast, I hope you can grow in it even more, and if you don't, I pray that you take advantage of these exercises God grants us through His Church. In the intervening weeks, we are scaling back the celebratory foods, meat and dairy, and getting ready for the fast. We are using what we have in our freezers and pantry, for the most part, too, so we will have room for all the feasting foods at the end of the fast.

Our church family is really taking care of us and they are providing the dinner for Sunday, which is a huge gift to me. Usually, I do not get much rest on a Sunday, and this permits me to do so. This week also has a tiny break in it, and we are taking it. It's been frigid and a bit difficult time here, and I need the respite - I think we all do. We are supposed to warm up to the 40s this week, and I cannot be more grateful for it. Spring cannot come soon enough for me.

• Sunday - Septuagesima
  Breakfast: Leftover Snack Tray, Cupcakes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Salsa Verde Braised Pork with Corn Tortillas, Coleslaw and Queso Fresco, Split Pea Soup
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Sausages, Biscuits (GF for Jerome), Grapefruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Cubed Pineapple
• Tuesday - Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese with Chopped Vegetables and Olives, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce, Rice, Roasted Broccoli, Salad, Chocolate Cherry Pudding
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: El Bulli Bean Soup, Bread, Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Toast, Sliced Cucumbers and Tomatoes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken and Celery Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Gluten Free Persian Love Cake
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Instant Pot Thai Vegetable Curry, Jasmine Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (GF for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheeseburgers, Pickles, Potato Wedges, Sugar Cookies

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Septuagesima, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:48 PM 0 comments

Tartar sauce is so easy to make, and is really so much better than the gloppy stuff you get in a jar. If you make this, you will likely never go back to the premade version.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup finely minced shallot or red onion
1/4 cup chopped capers
1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all of this in a bowl or a jar, and serve.

Cocktail Sauce

Again, this is so simple, and really delicious.

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt, to taste

Mix in a bowl or jar, and serve.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:01 AM 0 comments

Please remind me that I will not remember what my scribbles and cross outs meant the next time I want to put off writing a pattern in my template. I have spent nearly two weeks on something that should have taken two or three days, and on top of that, I still have to decipher the pattern into intelligible English for others to use. But, the knitting is nearly finished, and I do love the project. Since Rich is my normal photographer, we have to figure out how we are going to take modeled shots of this mitten trio. Any suggestions?

Rich asked if I thought I would have these finished and blocked by our Valentine's date. It's slightly possible, but unlikely. However, I would love to be able to wear them out as we walk, and I love that he was looking forward to that.

So, I haven't read much in The Dress Doctor at all. We ended up with a rather challenging, busy, going everywhere kind of week. This hasn't been great for my read a real book at night plan. I finished Très Lèches and started the next one in the series, Baked Alaska. I have a kind of morbid curiosity with these books. We are more than halfway though Pride and Prejudice, and it is delightful sharing the humor and revelation with my kids. I do not think I will read Lady Susan to them, though if they want to read it, that will be their choice.

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, Romance and Relationship, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 3:23 PM 0 comments

We are in a brief respite of ordinary time - no major fasts or feasts. We are approaching Lent, in about a month, but for now are living in what is the normal, quotidian, routine. There is a little feast for Saint Valentine in the west this week, but as it is a Friday and Rich and I don't want to bother with breaking the fast or fitting in with the crowds, we think we will go out on a different day instead. There is a new Indian restaurant in town, and aside from wanting to try it, anyway (we've heard excellent things about the food there), we want to give as many immigrant and minority businesses our money right now.

This week's menu is making use of our freezer supplies, pantry stash, as well as the produce we have found on sale. There is a lot going on this week, and we had to switch this Saturday's dinner with last Saturday's, because the kids are making it. There's a certain aptness to serving German Sausage and a Middle Eastern Cake on that day. At least, in our house, there is.

This is one of the coldest weeks of the year, and we are getting through it as best we can. I am rooting for the spring and sunshine with all my might.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Waffles with Struesel Crumble and Butter Sauce, Bacon, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizza, Sides/Salads/Fruit brought by Parishioners, Kar' Assaly (Egyptian Pumkin Custard Pie)
• Monday - Feast of Saint Scholastica
  Breakfast: Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fish Bites (Tuna Burger for Jerome), Tartar Sauce*, Roasted Onions and Squash, Sliced Apples
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Wheateena with Cinnamon, Brown Sugar and Milk, (Cheese Grits for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Dakbokkeumtang (Spicy Korean Chicken Stew), Jasmine Rice, Kimchi, Mandarin Oranges
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Clam Strips with Cocktail Sauce, Crab Cakes, Baked Potatoes, Orange Slices
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake with Yogurt and Honey, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos, Salsa, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Mango Cubes with Lime Dressing
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Harira, Harissa, Tamis, Chopped Mediterranean Salad, Cubed Pineapple
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Onesimus
  Breakfast: Sour Milk Griddle Cakes (GF for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Broiled Bratwursts, Sauerkraut and Onions, Baked Potatoes with Butter and Sour Cream, Gluten Free Persian Love Cake

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:51 AM 0 comments

I made quite a bit of progress on Amelia's sweater this weekend. It has been set aside until this upcoming weekend, while I work on Nafas and Basbousa during the week. The socks are still only in the cast on phase. This scarf is taking me a longer time to make than I anticipated. In some ways, this is fitting. Nafas means self in Arabic, but it comes with a sense of dignity and honor. I am meditating on that sense as I knit. There are a lot of interesting parts to this design, but most of it is relatively meditative and allows deep thought. Oh, and don't be fooled by that picture. That is a 40 inch needle with about 400 stitches on it, all bunched.

I have finished You Are Peter and wanted to get into another non-fiction book. I have a lot to say about this little book, and I think I will give a further review or summary later. Today, I am starting with The Dress Doctor, written largely by one of my favorite designers, Edith Head. I'm trying to do reading from real, physical books at night. I also started the next in my most recent mystery series, Très Lèches. We are about a third of the way though Pride and Prejudice, which goes at such a quick pace because of all the humor in it.

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 @ 11:19 AM 0 comments

Today is the last feast of the Infancy Narrative of the Incarnation. It is the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple. It is the close of the Christmas season. From now on, all of our feasts and fasts will have to do with His adult life or glorified life in the heavens. It is the day that the Blessed Mother would have come back to be ritually cleansed from childbirth and brought back into the life of corporate worship, and the day that Jesus would be presented and "bought back" as the first born son who opened the womb. This practice is preserved in the Church today, through the service of the Churching of Women (which is still found in all Anglican traditions, as well). In the East, both Orthodox and Catholic, it is the teaching for women to rest at home with their babies for the first 40 days, to heal, to care for their babies, and to be served. On the 40th day, they are brought back into the church for prayers and blessings, and it is common to perform the baptism for the baby that day.

It is the day of the prophecies of both Saints Anna and Simeon, and so is also called the Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple. It is a fitting conclusion to the Nativity season. We do not have the words of Saint Anna, only that she spoke of Him to all were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Clearly, she knew who Jesus was. I love how they both recognized the Lord immediately on seeing Him.

The Church teaches us that Saint Simeon was a scribe, and that in his work as a scribe he attempted to "correct" the Isaiah passage which prophecies of the virgin birth, since no person could be born that way. In the moment that he tried to scrape out the word virgin and change it to wife, he noticed that his hand was being held back by an angel. That angel whispered to him that he, himself, would see its fulfillment before he died. Saint Simeon spent the rest of his life waiting to see this fulfillment. Because of this, we have not only Saint Simeon's words of prophecy, but we pray his prayer every night at evening prayer:

This year, we have a bit of time between the end of Christmas and the beginning of the countdown to Lent. There are two weeks before Septuagesima! This gives us a bit of time to have normal time before the fast begins. I must admit that I am looking forward to that time of fasting, though. It is always a time of growth, though sometimes not in the direction I thought it would be.

Again, I thank you for your prayers and ask for yours. We have had a lot of friends lose their fathers in the past two weeks. It is that time of our life. Having lost Rich's father over 12 years ago, we know the sorrow they are enduring, and we do not look forward to losing the rest of our parents. It's been a sobering time because of that. Please pray for us, but also pray for our extended family.

• Sunday - Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple
  Breakfast: Ricotta Fritters with Maple Syrup (gluten-free for Jerome), Bacon, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Potato Soup, Sides/Salads/Bread/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saints Blaise and Genviève of Paris
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Turkey Sandwiches with Gravy Dip, Potato Wedges, Pickles, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Cornelius
  Breakfast: Sausage Breakfast Scramble, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini, Green Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Agatha, Martyr
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Honduran Red Beans and Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Titus
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: King Ranch Turkey, Salsa Rice, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos with Avocado and Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean, Corn, Pepper and Avocado Salad, Corn Chips, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Butter Sauce, Bacon, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Onions, Baked Potatoes with Butter and Sour Cream, Lemon Ricotta Cake

Labels: Blessed Virgin, Christmas, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Presentation, Purification, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 6:37 AM 0 comments

Now, listen, I know "weird" meats are a thing for people, but these are delicious. I never advise lying to people about what you are feeding them, but encourage folks to have an open mind because tongue, heart, and cheek meat are just muscle. They are inexpensive and delicious. Right now, inexpensive meat is a great thing. Also, beef tongue makes the best corned beef and pastrami, if you are into making your own charcuterie. This is how much I make for our family, which even smaller than it was, is still larger than most families, so you may want to cut this in half. Or not, and put the leftovers in the freezer for a night when you want tacos and don't have time. You can leave out the hot peppers if you don't like them, but they are tasty and don't add a lot of heat. Conversely, you could use a pepper like a poblano or two Anaheims, rather than jalapeños or serranos. I like to serve these with ranchero beans or black beans or refried beans, and salsa rice or Mexican rice. We like to serve fruit with most meals, so some sliced oranges or pineapple chunks (fresh or canned or thawed from frozen) or mandarin oranges or mango cubes. If you want to be really fancy, you can make Strawberry Mango Salad (which is really like dessert).

2 beef tongues
1 onion, peeled and cut into four pieces
6 cloves of garlic
2 hot peppers, stems removed
generous amount of salt and pepper
finely chopped onion, to serve
finely chopped cilantro, to serve
diced avocado, to serve
salsa or pico de gallo, to serve
crema, to serve
limes, quartered, to serve

Place the onion, garlic, and peppers in the bottom of the crockpot and place the beef tongues over the top. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook it on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove the beef tongues to a cutting board. Peel off the skin and discard (or feed your poultry), chop it all up put the meat back in the pot with the garlic and onions and peppers. Stir everything around a bit to get the juices and the onions mixed up, and tear up the peppers if you have them in there.

Serve with any of the toppings you like. Shredded cabbage is more authentic than salad greens or lettuce, but use what you have. Enjoy!

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:59 AM 0 comments

Broken Rib Beanie for Madelyn

Jane's Barathea Mitts for Autumn

I love how these look, but there were enough small, annoying errors in the pattern that getting going on them was a little frustrating. Also, the stitch pattern in the cuff was distorted with the decreases, and by the time I realized it I was far enough into the pattern that I didn't want to rip back, but I would have written it a little more elegantly. The pattern is beautiful, though, and I left notes on my project page in case anyone else was befuddled.

Winter Weekend Socks

These are for me! They are so soft and cushy, and I really loved how fast it was to knit them. The project page says that it took me a month, but it was really about six days' worth of knitting time.

Labels: FOs, Homemaking, Knitting

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:54 AM 0 comments

This past week has been a week of finishing. Besides the mitts, I finished my socks that I started in the Gift A Long. Even though, technically, I started them a month ago, it was really only about six days of knitting time on them. I put them aside while I worked on the hat for Madelyn, and then the mitts for Autumn. Now, they are finished, and I am working on Basbousa (as you see above), Nafas (which is going fairly slowly, but steadily), and Crossandra (also up there, in the green). I'm hoping to have all three of those finished relatively soon. The final mitten for Basbousa might be finished by Friday and count toward my January totals, or it might not be finished until early next week, but it is close.

In the meantime, I have just cast on for another heavy weight pair of socks, as a gift to a dear friend, and a late, late Christmas present. I'm going to have to consider when the Presentation and Purification are in the Old Calendar, if I want to offer it as a Christmas present.

My four project at a time plan, and the categories for them, do seem to be keeping me more on track, and feeling less restricted. So far, I am already finished with three projects, and pretty close to finished on the fourth. I will be able to work on another UFO when I finish Basbousa, and another design besides Nafas when I finish that. When Crossandra is finished, I plan to start a red vest for me. I need to find a similar system to work on my sewing projects.

One of the goals of my using up stash and finishing WsIP and UFOs is to clear out a couple yarn bins in my room and have more space to work on my sewing machine in there. That way, sewing isn't as much of a set up and tear down chore, and I can practice more and make more progress there, too. One day, between knitting, sewing, and crocheting, I'd love to have a wardrobe that is mostly handmade. I'm not so sure about making jeans for myself, but with the dearth of 100% cotton denim, that may be a task for the future one day, as well.

I'm just flying through the brain candy books. So, I finished Pumpkin Roll, as well as Banana Split. Since I finished those two, I picked up You Are Peter, and I'm a little more than half way through it. Reading about how East and West both understood the Primacy of Peter, and his Sees, and the development of thought around it is interesting. The move to supremacy comes much later, and I look forward to how the book will explain more. We are about to start Pride and Prejudice. That is my original copy from when I was about 10 years old. We have three copies at home, but this is the one I always return to for myself.

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 @ 8:32 AM 0 comments

It is the last week of Christmas! I am scrambling to get the last of the Christmas gifts sent out to folks. Most of our packages were already sent, but we were waiting for a few things and time got away from me.

This week has another feast of Saint Ignatius, and we love him enough to celebrate him on every single calendar and feast day. He is unique in having been a personal witness to Christ as well as being a successor to the Apostle John. He is both an Apostolic Father and a contemporary of Christ Himself. His witness is powerful and important.

My Sit and Stitch Christmas party is an end of Christmas party this year. I welcome everyone, with spouses and children, and we have a potluck, bring our stitching, and do a yarn/thread/notions/book swap. It's fun and I am looking forward to that. Even if it signals the end of the Christmas season for us.

I covet your prayers and pray for you, as well. Have a blessed end of Christmas and return to Ordinary Time.

• Sunday - Third Sunday after the Epiphany and Theophany of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Chorizo and Vegetable Hash, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooked Moroccan Beef, Basmati Rice, Sides/Salads/Bread/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fish Bites (Tuna Burger for Jerome), French Fries, Baked Potato for Jerome, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Ephraim of Syria
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos*, Salsa, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Mango Cubes with Lime Dressing
• Wednesday - Feast of Saints Vincent and Anastasius
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable and Cashew Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Green Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ground Beef Fried Rice, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos with Avocado and Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Besan Chila, Marinated Vegetable Salad, Sah'awiq, Sliced Oranges
• Saturday - Feast of Saints Ignatius of Antioch and Saint Brigid of Ireland
  Breakfast: Bacon Stuffed Savory Griddle Cakes, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Herb Roasted Turkey, Bourbon Gravy (GF for Jerome and guests), Potato Stuffing, Pear and Pomegranate Pies, Eggnog, Side Dishes/Salads/Desserts brought by my Sit and Stitch Friends

Labels: Christmas, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:28 AM 0 comments

I just finished the knitting on Autumn's mitts, but I still need to weave in ends and block them. Working on Nafas and about to cast on for the Crossandra sweater for Amelia, and I am working on Basbousa again. The plan is to get back to my slipper socks this weekend, too. I love all of these, so it really is a pleasure to work on them. My four project limit is helping and I think will ultimately give me the structure I need, with a little freedom to play, as well.

I finished Blame the Beignets and am back with Pumpkin Roll. I know these are silly, brain candy, but the doughnut ones are written better. I'm trying to decide if I will still finish the other series. I'm about a third of the way through You Are Peter. I keep thinking I should just read it aloud to Rich, so we both can finish it. He likes to listen to books, whereas I tune them out unless I have another way to interact with them while listening.

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 @ 3:15 PM 0 comments

This is your weekly reminder that Christmas isn't over yet! We have another two weeks of it!

Today is Madelyn's actual due date, and since they couldn't have the original baby shower date, as she was born the week before, it was moved to today, in between morning and afternoon services, so everyone could attend. Big brunch with loads of food and fun and folks who love their family. Rich was kind of on his own with the rest of the kids at home (the girls came with me) and made a manly man breakfast while we ate quiches, fancy lady salads, fruit plates, mixed nuts, smoked salmon, meat and cheese platters, fruit platters with sour cream fruit dip*, carrot cake muffins, cinnamon rolls, Prosecco, and sherbet punch. It was a good party with beautiful weather and lots of friends and family to share in the joy.

Because of the busy weekend and morning, our church family has generously put together the dinner for after church tonight, which is such a huge gift. We always appreciate their sharing and cooking for us, as it allows me a little rest on Sundays.

We have loads of saints' days this week. Monday includes Saint Sebastian who was famously "grilled" over a live fire by Diocletian and told his torturers to turn him over, because that side was done. Rich once had us make little kofta "men" in honor of him and we grilled them. This is kind of like his suggestion to make skinless hot dogs for the feast of the Circumcision of Christ. He has an interesting sense of humor.

With a holiday tomorrow, Rich gets to stay home and do projects he wants to work on and we get to sleep in, which is fantastic because our whole weekend was rather busy and exhausting. The kids still have some make up school work to do, but mostly it's a relaxing day. We will listen to some of the more obscure (but better, in my opinion) speeches from Martin Luther King Junior, and read and rest. My prayer for you is that you get to rest this week also.

• Sunday - Second Sunday after the Epiphany and Theophany of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Farmer Breakfast Casserole, Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pot Roast with Carrots and Onions, Gravy, Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Beef and Beans, brought by Parish, Plus Leftover Salads, Carrot Cake Muffins, Fruit and Cheese and Crackers from the Shower.
• Monday - Feast of Saints Fabian, Pope, and Sebastian
  Breakfast: Quiche Lorraine and Zucchini, Shallot and Cheese Quiche, Cinnamon Rolls (both ways), Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cream of Poblano Soup, Fried Tortilla Strips and Crema, Salad with Smoked Salmon and Lime Vinaigrette, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Agnes of Rome
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, Olives, Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Spaghetti with Italian Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Faux de Crèmes
• Wednesday - Feast of Saints Vincent and Anastasius
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spiced Samosa Patties, Basmati Rice, Green Salad with Pomegranate Pips
• Thursday -
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Street Corn Nachos with Chorizo, Brown Butter Ginger Chews
• Friday - Feast of Saint Timothy
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Thai Cashew Coconut Rice Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Carnitas, Refried Beans, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Corn Tortillas, Limoncello Zabaglione

Labels: Christmas, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:24 AM 0 comments

So I'm already a little derailed. I forgot how much a new grandbaby and us being sick and beginning the school session again would throw me off of my knitting time. This is the first of a pair of fingerless mitts. I was not going to give myself any hard deadlines for anything but designs this year, but then a birthday party was planned and my idea of just giving this gift when it was finished as a birthday gift was lost. It kind of needs to be finished by Saturday. And that is not likely to happen. It might end up being given on Sunday.

This pattern has given me some fits. It's beautiful, but there are just enough errors in it to make it confusing and difficult to navigate in a few places. It was in a magazine, and I cannot find errata, but I know how sometimes errors are missed or introduced in that whole process.

I am still knitting on the scarf design, and also have a mitten to work on for another design, as well as casting on a sweater for Amelia. The two latter are a bit on standby at the moment.

I put aside Pumpkin Roll for a bit while I started up with the latest doughnut mystery, Blame the Beignets. You Are Peter is next for non-fiction, and I've restarted it.

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 @ 5:10 PM 0 comments

Christ is illumined! Let us shine forth with Him!

It's the last two days of the Epiphany octave, and we are still in the Christmas season. It's been a different Christmastide this year, with the new grandbaby and illness in the house. We are enjoying it, even if it is more subdued.

This week is pretty full, and after a busy weekend this weekend, too. There is a birthday party this Saturday and we are preparing for a baby shower. Plus normal life, schooling, catching up on some things that were not finished before Christmas, and so on.

I pray that your year is filled with blessings and that you can see God's hand in your life. In your generosity, please pray for ours.

• Sunday - First Sunday after the Epiphany and Theophany of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork with Sauerkraut, Sides/Salads/Desserts brought by Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sha Sha Chicken with Scallions, Jasmine Rice, Orange Cranberry Cookies
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (GF for Jerome), Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Bolitas with Bacon and Chorizo, Salsa Rice, Sliced Avocados, Faux de Crèmes
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Dan Dan Noodles, Mandarin Oranges
• Thursday -
  Breakfast: Labneh with Za'atar and Olive Oil, Toast, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice, Roasted Zucchini, Mandarin Oranges, Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Friday - Feast of Saint Anthony of Egypt
  Breakfast: Ful, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Shatta, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Cheese Scramble, Toast (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabic Beef and Vegetable Soup, Tamis, Harissa, Gluten Free Persian Love Cake with Pomegranate Pips

Labels: Christmas, Church Year, Epiphany, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Tales from the Kitchen, Theophany

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:42 PM 0 comments

One of my goals this year is to have a box/bin of gifts from things I have made a little more at the ready, rather than hustling at the last minute to finish gifts for people. I will make things I love and think others will like, and then block and put them in the bin. Likewise, I have taken a little motto for my projects this year: Something Old, Something New, A Design, and From My Queue. This permits me to start something fun and new, but also focuses me on things I want to complete (like designs and UFOs).

I have a huge scarf design (only because it is knit lengthwise) on needles, but this little coral bit of knitting is the swatch for how it is supposed to work. I also have a pair of fingerless mitts for a gift on needles, a third mitten from a sweetheart trio to finish, and a sweater for Amelia to cast on to match her mitts. There's only a deadline for one of those things, and I am feeling a bit better about managing my projects and UFOs this way. We will see if it is sustainable all year.

I finished another happy, little murder: Blackberry Crumble and I've started the next one in the series, Pumpkin Roll. We have postponed most of our school from this past Tuesday to next Monday, because we were all recovering from illness, so we also haven't started our next book we are reading together. However, I have You Are Peter and The Dress Doctor in line for my next non-fiction reads.

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 @ 8:26 PM 0 comments

Christ is illumined! Let us shine forth with Him!

Today is 12th Night - the last day of the Christmas feast. Normally, I would make a Twelfth Night cake, but we are still recovering from the past week and a half. It would have been a perfect time to make it, though, as whoever found the baby in the cake would be obligated to make it next year.

Our wonderful church family has been providing quite a lot of the church dinners, either by rounding out what we are bringing or providing the meal entirely. It is such a gift to us.

More of us have fallen ill, however, so things are still a bit out of whack here at home. Please pray for us to completely beat this cold. The good news is that, while it hits pretty hard, it seems to go through fairly quickly, too.

• Sunday - Second Sunday after the Nativity
  Breakfast: Waffles (Gluten free for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup and Chantilly Cream, Sausage Patties, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mexican Pork and Black Bean Stew, Rice, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of the Epiphany and Theophany of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Norwegian Griddle Cakes with Buttercream, Bacon, Mandarin Oranges, Milk, Tea, and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Faux Gyros, Naan Bread (GF Turkish Flatbreads for Jerome), Sumac and Dill Pickled Red Onions, Feta, Decorated Sugar Cookies, Peppermint Easy Fudge
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Labneh with Za'atar and Olive Oil, Toast, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Stuffed Roasted Walleye, Herbed Rice Pilaf, Roasted Carrots and Onions, Faux de Crèmes
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kung Pao Broccoli, Jasmine Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Thursday -
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (GF for Jerome), Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Red Beans and Rice, Pepper Vinegar, Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce
• Friday - Feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mejeddarah with Crisp Onions, Sliced Oranges
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Alexander, Bishop of Fermo
  Breakfast: Bacon Stuffed Savory Griddle Cakes, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Osso Bucco, Polenta, Fruit Salad (with Pomegranate), Lemon Ricotta Cake

Labels: Christmas, Church Year, Epiphany, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Tales from the Kitchen, Theophany

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:42 AM 0 comments

Each year, I like to do a recap, a wrap up, of all I have made and read in the year. I will share the update since my last Craft On post, but I will also put that wrap up and the end of this post.

Since my last post, we have had an amazing change! Our newest granddaughter, Madelyn, was born, three weeks earlier than expected. She and mama are well, but of course, everyone's life is a little turned over since then.

During the past two weeks, I did find the buttons for her vest, and I just today finished a little hat for her (which still looks a bit too big!). You can see above that I started a pair of socks in the GAL, and they were quick to make, but I finished the first about the time that Madelyn came into the outside, and life was a little busier after that. Also, I caught a cold from Amelia, while we were caring for her, that it seems she caught from an aunt, and so I've been down for the count since Monday. It is quick moving, but also grabs you pretty suddenly, so while it slammed me pretty hard, I'm also feeling quite a bit better than I was Monday and Tuesday.

Here are my finished projects from the GAL, though the hat was finished after the event ended.

I just finished Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, so it didn't make it on the 2024 list, but it is a good start to my new year of reading.

For my year end review I will start with my books:

2024 Books

• February
• The Mysterious Affair at Styles
• March
• Mansfield Park
• Romans (N. T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides)
• Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2, Chapters 9-16 (The New Testament for Everyone)
• April
• Northanger Abbey
• May
• Charming Colorwork Socks: 25 Delightful Knitting Patterns for Colorful, Comfy Footwear
• June
• Knitting for Anarchists
• Murder on the Links
• The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh
• July
• Sense and Sensibility
• Death of a Knit Wit
• August
• Irish Knit Murder
• Knitmare on Beech Street
• September
• Everthing Sad Is Untrue (A True Story)
• Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food
• Survival of the Fritters
• Goodbye Cruller World
• Jealousy Filled Donuts
• Boston Scream Murder
• October
• Beyond a Reasonable Donut
• Deck the Donuts
• November
• Cinnamon Twisted
• Double Grudge Donuts
• Lemon Tart
• December
• English Trifle
• Devil's Food Cake
• Key Lime Pie
• From Crook to Cook

Now for my finished objects. Technically, I have finished a sewing project, but the buttons are still not on it, so I am not counting it this year.

2024 Finished Projects (knit, crochet, or sewn)

• Adam's Rib, Design Sample and Gift - knit January 12
• Nafhat, Design Sample for me - knit January 21
• Fir Cone Ornament, Shawn's parents - knit January 23
• Midnight Snow Ornament, Shawn's parents - crochet January 28
• Sunshiny Washcloth, Shawn's parents - knit January 31
• Cabled Headband, Amelia - knit February 3
• One Tone Tawashi, Shawn's parents - knit February 6
• Shamse Drawstring Bag/Facecloth for H'ammaam, Prototype Sample - knit March 14
• Altilal wal’Akhdud Bath Mitt for H'ammaam, Prototype Sample - knit April 9
• Dahha, Design Sample for me - knit May 8
• Altilal wal’Akhdud Washcloth for H'ammaam, Prototype Sample - knit May 25
• Jamal (Dromedary), Sample for Me - knit August 6
• Jamal (Bactrian), Sample - knit August 23
• Fir Tree Garland, Dominic and Shawn - knit August 30
• Scrap Yarn Basket, Dominic and Shawn - crochet August 31
• Altilal wal'Akhdud Soap Sweater, Sample for Me - knit September 12
• Shamse Bath Pouf, Sample for Me - knit September 27
• Secret Stripe Hat, Liberty - knit October 5
• Shallal Prototype, Gift - knit October 10
• Shallal, Sample for Me - knit October 18
• Newlywed Kisses, Shawn - knit December 16
• Rock, Skip and Jump, Madelyn - knit December 17
• Cozy Stocking, Amelia - knit December 21
• Spruce Tree Garland Alexander and Autumn - knit December 22
• Bunny Tail Beanie Madelyn - knit December 25
• Baptismal Gown Amelia - knit December 26
• Gauntlet Mittens Amelia - knit December 28

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, Giftalong, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:52 PM 0 comments