The temperatures are already dropping and I am a little concerned that our summer will end sooner than normal this year. Don't get me wrong, we are still definitely in the summer heat, but we have usually had more of it in the 13 years I have lived here. Our common two weeks of over 100˚F weather has turned out to be more like eight or nine days, and the weather shaman are already saying that it should be down in the upper 80s by the end of this week. There's a little bump up after that, but my experience with their prophecies is that they tend to be more extreme (either hot or cold) than they really are. There also is a little wishful thinking on their part, looking for excitement, perhaps, that causes them to predict these highs and lows when the patterns show something else. Even our high temperatures of the past week were consistently a couple/few degrees lower than their grand predictions.

Tomorrow the Dormition Fast begins. We are going to try to keep it a little this year. Please pray for us. We have a couple events that will keep us from following the fast completely, and we are starting a little more lax, including eggs and dairy and fish, but will be prayerfully struggling within our strength. I have a study to do on the Dormition, and it looks like our family will actually have time to do it together, at least this week. Without prayer and almsgiving, fasting is just a diet, so please pray that we can grow in our spiritual lives over the next two weeks.

Speaking of diets, pineapple may not be doing as well for Jerome as I said. However, like the milk, the trouble began during our most extreme weather of the season, so we may put this on hold and return to it. That means extending the testing period. At this point, I am praying that he gets most or all of the food back by the end of the year.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Joseph of Arimathea
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Sweet Cardamom Bread with Butter (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Braised Round Steaks, Jasmine Rice, Chickpeas and Potatoes, Salad, Shortbread Cookies
• Monday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Home Canned Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew, Tortilla Strips, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Coconut and Craisins, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fried Rice and Vegetable Stir Fry, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions and Peppers, Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetables Jalfrezi, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Dominic
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Araka Me Saltsa* (Greek pea and potato stew with dill and feta), Egg Noodles (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Tahina Breakfast Bites (made with grain-free granola for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans Taco Bowls, Cabbage Salad, Fruit
• Saturday - Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
  Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Balela, Crackers (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit

Labels: Family, Fasting as a Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:30 PM 0 comments

This has been a busy and fantastic week for me, with regards to my knitting anyway (the scrubbing of the kids' rooms continues and the repairs Rich is doing continue). I published Baladi as part of Malabrigo Yarn's Quickies Program, and I couldn't be prouder. Through the end of the day August 1, 2022, you can receive 20% this pattern on either PayHip or Ravelry with the coupon code Country, as well.

Yasmina's mittens are finished, and I have started my first SAL project! This weekend, I hope to finish this cute little vintage cap and put to use one of my pretty brooches or pins that largely sit in a box in my room.

Remember that tomorrow is the last day of my bundle being on sale with the coupon code sal2022 - that code is good through 11:59 pm PDT July 29, 2022. You can find my bundle on Ravelry and the same five patterns are in a collection called 2022 SAL in my PayHip store, where the coupon will also work for you.

We've been so busy with the home excavation that I have only read a little more in X Saves the World. It should be ready for review next week, though. Stay tuned!

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: Around the World Stitch Along, Books, Design, FOs, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 3:04 PM 0 comments

They say it's your birthday! It's my birthday too, yeah!

Since my birthday fell on a Sunday this year, there wasn't really a lot we could do to celebrate. Also, Amira was away until today, so we didn't even have all the kids at home. Rich and I were able to go to a fun lunch outing yesterday, which was a great break from all the drudgery of cleaning and repairing we have had to do the past two weeks. Our kitchen sink vent was leaking out the bricks and through our stairs to the patio, into the girls' room, and there was a pinprick leak in the hot water pipe. This was because of a huge - two feet - blockage in the pipe backing things up. The good news was that we already had almost everything out of the girls' room as we were scouring it and rearranging furniture.

I'm not huge on big deal birthdays for me, anyway, but I still enjoy being wished a happy birthday and doing something fun. Generally, I still make my own cake and dinner, unless there is a special place I want to go, just because I know what I like to eat. This year my gift was that a fantastic restaurant in town was catering that lunch event, and since both the folks putting on the event and the caterers know us and our family, and there were over 500 smoked tri-tip and smoked turkey sandwiches left over, plus tons of cookies, they sent us off with a couple boxes of both. Even our family cannot eat that many sandwiches, however. Rich suggested that they give some to the firefighters, then we took some to the tanker base firefighters and the air traffic controllers and a few of the FBOs on the field. We brought home 42 out of the 108 sandwiches with which they sent us to share with our church family and our family, and to make sure that we had something really tasty that I didn't have to prepare. I'm just hoping that the rest were distributed to other staff from the company hosting the event, and the catering company, rather than thrown away.

It's supposed to be pretty hot this week; the hottest it's been so far this summer. I love the heat, because I am exothermic. I throw heat, and don't conserve it at all, which is why winter is so miserable for me. People are acting like it's some huge heat wave, but it is cooler than, or right around, the temperatures it has been here during this time of year for the past 13 years. It is called summer. What amazes me is that the weather shaman are foretelling that it will cool down a little next week, rather than staying in these temperatures for another week or two, like it normally does. This means that not only are all the fans out, but we are putting in the window air conditioning units tonight. We have three that we put in the living room, utility room, and our bedroom. They really do help keep the upstairs, and the rest of the house, cooler. We don't put them in until the weather shaman predict that we will have more than two days over 100˚ in a row.

In other news, pineapple is going well for Jerome. What a strange sentence. Anyway, he only has a few five more testing cycles before he is either completely back to normal or at least with only one or two more foods he cannot have. We're in the home stretch now. At the end of the year, we should have a better grasp on what his diet will be.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Bacon, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Smoked Tri-Tip and Smoked Turkey Sandwiches, Salad, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lemon Cookies and Cowboy Cookies, Black Forest Cake (attempting to make it gluten-free)
• Monday - Feast of Saint James the Apostle
  Breakfast: Breakfast Sausage and Home Fries, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Koosa Mahshi (stuffed zucchini), Rice, Harissa, Duqqus, Chopped Salad, Apricots
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Mother
  Breakfast: Blueberry Scones (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Almond Butter, Cherries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Muffroom (from freezer) over Rice, Duqqus, Green Salad, Moroccan Orange Honey Cake
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions and Peppers, Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Eggplant Gyros with Turkish Flatbreads, Sliced Veggies, Roasted Olives, Cherries
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Yogurt with Blueberries and Cherries, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizza Party
• Friday - Feast of Saints Mary and Martha
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kusheri, Green Salad, Apricots
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Oranges

Labels: Birthday, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:46 AM 0 comments

In two days the sale for the SAL begins, this time with 31 designers! If you are able to join our Ravelry Group, or follow our Instagram feed and participate there, we have games and prizes as well as access to our designers in both places. The sale is available for anyone who wishes to purchase, but we would be so happy if you joined us in the event, as well.

Each designer has a bundle of five patterns that will be on sale with the coupon code sal2022 from 5:00 pm PDT July 22, 2022 through 11:59 pm PDT July 29, 2022. You can find my bundle on Ravelry and the same five patterns are in a collection called 2022 SAL in my PayHip store, where the coupon will also work for you. The actual knitting and crocheting begins Monday, July 25, 10:00 am PDT and will go through August 25, 2022, at the end of the day (also PDT).

We have quite a few new designers this year, and I am hoping to find more baby patterns to make for Amelia. I hope you will play along with us and tell your friends! We were really excited to be able to do this for a third year, and hope that other designers will join us next time.

On to my actual work in progress. Here are Yasmina's mittens so far. I am trying to get them off my needles before Monday, so I can cast on and have fun with the SAL. I'm not that far from finishing, and I have knit night tomorrow, so I hope to have finished photos for you next week. The cabling on these pulls in so tightly, and between that and her extraordinarily long hands, it makes these look like something out of a house of mirrors, but I promise they fit her well.

Since we have been scouring the girls' room and moving furniture in the kids' area downstairs, we have not done a lot of reading in Chronicles of Avonlea. I'm more than halfway through X Saves the World, though, and I think that some of the criticisms he has leveled against other generations are starting to show themselves in ours, but in slightly different ways. He is a precise and funny writer, and I appreciate the references he makes and the clever imagery he uses. (There is vulgarity and profanity in the book, however).

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: Around the World Stitch Along, Books, Design, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:18 AM 0 comments

We have a busy Sunday, but most of our week is going to be relatively relaxed. Our neighborhood is having its summer picnic, I have my sewing day, and a theater in our area, which also serves pizza, is having a free movie we can take the kids to see. Other than that, it is reading, resting, and weeding and continuing to clean the girls' room. Did I mention that we are overhauling it, and the main shared space between the kids?

It is finally gleaning season here. Our spring and early summer have been very strange and a lot of things just haven't been ready. We are ready now. So, even though the late freezes killed off all the cherry blossoms save five which turned into cherries for us, we have gotten loads of cherries through our gleaning group, to eat fresh. I should bake more with them, too.

Jerome officially has peas back, which is fantastic, and we start of pineapple tomorrow. After that, the only things we will be testing that he would miss are oats and wheat. Everything else on the list is something he can easily live without, so while we are hoping that they all go well, if he has to live without bananas, oysters, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, and lima beans, it will be fine.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Bacon and Cheese Crumpets (Gluten-free bread for Jerome), Cherries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Fricassée, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham, Horseradish-Dill Potato Pancakes, Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill, Cherries
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Ham and Potato Hash, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham and Beans, Arepas, Salad and Fruit or Dessert brought by study group members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Almond Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kusheri, Chopped Salad, Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Chorizo and Eggs, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Muffroom (from freezer) over Rice, Salad, Moroccan Orange Honey Cake
• Friday - Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions and Peppers, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Harissa, Duqqus, Khoubz Araby (Turkish Flatbreads for Jerome), Veggies, Kalamata Olives, Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Steaks, Loaded Baked Potatoes, Grrilled Crookneck Squash, Cherries and Apricots

Labels: Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:32 AM 0 comments

We make our own cookies and cakes and snacks, for the most part. We also keep foods like dried fruit, nuts and seeds around for snacking, which is evidently a Middle Eastern thing. These are simple snacks and treats we can have so if someone has the munchies, that person is not deprived, but we are not spending exorbitant amounts of money on prepackaged chips and popcorn and so on, while ingesting all the weird ingredients so many of those include. We also make some of our own candy (and almost never buy candy except for chocolate, and for occasions like Saint Nicholas and our Pascha basket).

This post will cover the truly simple treats. There are fancier cookies, candies, cakes, and snacks that I can make, but I am talking about the ones you can whip out in a few minutes, or keep on hand, so when the kids are antsy, or you have unexpected guests, or you have a sweet or salt tooth going on, you have something at the ready. Before I get to recipes, I will also share with you a list of things we keep at home on a regular basis to have for snacking.

We always have seasonal fruit available and on the table in one of two large bowls/platters that we keep on the dining room table at all times. The kids know that they can come and eat any of it at any time. This fills them up if they are hungry, gives them something sweet if they are looking for that, but is still healthy. We keep loads of dried fruit at the ready at all times: Dates (which are full of iron and fiber, which is especially good for our girls and me), apricots, cherries, cranberries, pears, apples, sultanas (golden raisins) and peaches. Occasionally, we will have dried mango or other fruit, but the others are what we keep on hand all the time. Since we have no real nut allergies here, we also have peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, roasted watermelon seeds (fis-fis), and roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) that are all pretty much free for anyone to eat at any time. Again, sometimes we have mixed nuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, and so on, but those are more occasional. The kids know that they can grab a handful of these to snack on at any time, and they are full of protein and good fats to fill them up and satisfy them.

I tend to prefer salty snacks, and will go for corn chips and salsa, Chex mix, salted nuts, or popcorn, if I have a choice. I do enjoy the sweet treats, as well, but mostly have a salt tooth. My kids, with one exception in Jerome, almost always will go for the sweets. As for the corn chips, we shallow fry our own frequently, in a neutral oil, after cutting corn tortillas into large strips or wedges. When we lived on the airport before, our friends at the restaurant would let us use their fryer to make them, and Rich would run up to the restaurant with a bag of tortilla pieces, and come bag with hot, fresh, salted chips for whatever meal or snack we wanted.

Here are some snacks and treats I have already shared how to make on the blog:

• Chex Mix
• Brown Sugar Shortbread
• Stovetop Popcorn
• Rice Krispie Treats
• Mock Turtles
• Cashew Brutal

This recipe is so simple that even a child can do it. Really. I have made my own sweetened condensed milk for this, but have found that the Mexican brands of sweetened condensed milk contain only milk and sugar. While they may not choose the same quality of milk or sugar we would, that is a compromise I am willing to make. This is so versatile, too, because you can use peanut butter chips for part of the chocolate chips to make it peanut butter fudge, or mint chips, or whatever flavors you like. Sometimes I put crushed toffee on the top, or peppermint bark, to make it pretty and tasty.

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
16 oz chocolate chips (3 cups)
4 oz unsalted butter (1/2 cup, one stick)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)

Greast a 9 X 13 inch pan and set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter. Stir to mix well and combine.

Stir in vanilla extract, and 1 cup of walnut pieces (if you like them). Pour it all into a greased pan and chill to firm it up, then cut into 1 inch cubes and serve.

No Bake Cereal Treats

Here is another simple, sweet treat that a child can make. It does use the stove, but even a young child can make these with supervision. The recipe calls for rolled oats, but I have substituted cheerio type cereals and think that puffed rice cereal would also work. I've even heard of people using chow mein noodles in something like this. This one also works well with vegan butter and either coconut or almond milk, so it can be a good treat during the fasts. You could use almond butter or sun butter or some other nut or seed butter, too.

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 - 3 1/2 cups rolled oats (or other cereal)

Line a sheet pan with waxed or parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute, stirring.

Reduce heat to low and stir in peanut butter, until smooth and thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Stir in oats last, starting with the smaller amount and checking the consistency.

Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Extreme Frugality
Bargain Getaways
Cultivating or Curating Abundance

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:05 AM 0 comments

We finally have gotten a bit of hot weather here. It still isn't too bad, but it is finally summer. I had the opportunity to knit Yasmina's mittens at a lovely garden graduation party on Saturday and a little more on Sunday. They are not quite three quarters of the way finished, but probably will be that or more this weekend. I've been knitting away on Yathrib, because I didn't want to go to the sleeves until I had finished this skein of yarn, but it was only started a little bit before dividing the body from the sleeves. So, here is my progress. Today, I worked on it at a LYS sit and stich, and I should have gotten a photo there, but didn't think about it until I was long gone. Yathrib has a false seam, both because I think it looks good, and because it gives a reference point for the knitter when working the decreases. The yarn is fantastic, and I am still super happy with it.

Very little progress on the baptismal cap, which I really need to work on. It would be awesome to finish the mittens first, then work on the baptismal cap and gown for Amelia. I'm hoping to make those my major projects in August, along with a few more baby patterns from the Around the World Stitch Along (we have a Ravelry Group, too, if you can join that). The sale begins next week with the announcement of our participating designers and the full event starts on July 25. This week, though, is a lot of behind the scenes work, getting all the participating designers' information straight and making sure all entries are correct, putting together the sale bundles, and making ready for the sale.

We are slowly working our way though Chronicles of Avonlea, but have had to take another break this week because we found we had to take everything out of the girls' room and clean it. Hard. We are still not finished and we started Monday. I'm enjoying X Saves the World still, but with the exhaustion I'm not reading as much as I would like. Some of the figures he picks as emblematic or iconic are, but I don't share all of his enthusiasm about them all.

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: Around the World Stitch Along, Books, Design, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:33 PM 0 comments

We have a lot of wonderful feast days this week. There is supposed to be a celebration on Tuesday for the patronal feast of our local Orthodox church, which we hope to attend, and a midweek Eucharistic service, as well.

This week is a bit too busy for us to be back to a restful time, but it is busy with good things. Next week, though has nothing major planned, and only one day that I have to be out of the house, and I am looking forward to some reading and study with the kids and some rest for all of us.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Bacon and Cheese Crumpets (Gluten-free bread for Jerome), Grapes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tray Kofta with Potatoes and Tomato Sauce, Lemon Herb Rice, Harissa Carrot and Chard Salad, Moroccan Orange Honey Cake
• Monday - Feast of Saint Benedict of Nursia
  Breakfast: Sausage and Vegetable Hash, Sliced Canteloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ropa Vieja, Cuban Yellow Rice, Salad, Kiflice, Fritule
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
  Breakfast: Cereal and Milk (Gluten-free Granola for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons (Gluten-free for Jerome), Salad and Fruit or Dessert brought by study group members
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Veronica
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions and Peppers, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kusheri, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Egg Burritos with Salsa and Sour Cream, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetable Beef Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Bonaventure
  Breakfast: Ful, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Harissa, Canned Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Chickpea Salad in Lettuce Cups, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Buttermilk Syrup, Bananas (Sliced Apples for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Nacho Pizza (Gluten-free for Jerome), Chopped Salad, Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato

Labels: Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:04 AM 0 comments

Brazilian Cheese Rolls

My friend shared the recipe she uses for these, and I modified them so they would work with Jerome's diet. Obviously, I doubled the recipe, but I think half of this quantity would be plenty for a smaller family.

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 cups tapioca starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss, low-moisture mozzarella, or similar cheeses)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
extra cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
chopped herbs to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease 48 mini-muffin cups (our mini-muffin tins range from 12 to 24 cups, and we use about 42-45 of them) and set aside.

Place eggs, milk, oil, tapioca starch, and salt in blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add cheeses and pulse a couple times.

Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle with any toppings you like.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool a few minutes in pan. Remove from pan and serve warm. They are also fine served room temperature, and can be stored in an airtight container.

Mascarpone Berry Cake

I made this cake for our Independence Day picnic potluck, and came up with a few ways I would change the method on the cake and the frosting. You can use any fresh berries you like, so you can customize it to whatever is in season or on sale where you are. Since the cake uses only egg whites, you can use the yolks to make a custard sauce or an ice cream, or save them for scrambled eggs.

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened for only 15 mins
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
zest from 2 large lemons
6 large egg whites
2 cups pastry flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
1 cup fresh berries
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Frosting:

16 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, well chilled
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
zest from 1 large lemon

Filling:

3 cups fresh berries

Making the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line three, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the parchment and sides of the pans.

Soften the mascarpone cheese for 10 to 15 minutes only. It can separate if left out too long.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, softened mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the batter, alternating with the milk, then whisk gently but thoroughly, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.

In a small bowl, toss the mixed fruit with the cornstarch until the fruit is well coated. Add the fruit to the batter and fold in gently. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the comes out clean. Remove the cake layers from the oven, cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Mascarpone Frosting:

While the cake is baking, prepare the cream frosting. Place the mascarpone or cream cheese, and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for a minute, until the cheese is smooth and creamy. Slowly mix the heavy cream into the cheese mixture, then raise the speed when it is fully incorporated.

Add the confectioner's sugar and the lemon zest and beat well to blend. Keep the frosting refrigerated until you're ready to assemble the cake.

Assembly:

To assemble the cake, first level the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife, if needed. Spread a very generous amount of mascarpone frosting between each layer and add a mixture of berries between the layers.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting on the outside of the cake, then refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Smooth additional frosting over the top and sides, then garnish the cake with berries. The cake can be eaten right away, or refrigerated overnight.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:00 AM 0 comments

The beta knit is ready! Would you like to knit this hat pattern in the infant/toddler, adult small, or adult large size, especially (but there is room for child/teen and adult medium, as well)? I am holding the beta knit now, and am looking for knitters to make the pattern to show other color choices, sizes, and yarns. My purpose in this is to create some publicity for the pattern, as well as showing how other people are able to make it, and their choices, as mentioned before. The pattern is already tech edited, so I am not needing corrections on the pattern, though, of course, if you find something missed, please do share that with me. Because I am looking for some publicity, I do ask that you either create a Ravelry project page with photos, or post on Instagram or Facebook, using specific hashtags and tagging me, so I can see them and share your work. Please e-mail me with which size you are interested in knitting and your username on Ravelry, Instagram, and/or Facebook.

As for my other knitting, I am still plugging away at Yathrib, working on Yasmina's mittens, and getting started on the baptismal gown and cap for Amelia. Basically all of my knitting for the next year and a half is going to be about Incense Route, Amelia, and a few gifts for the family (and our small church family). There are six designs outside of the Incense Route collection that I would like to get out in that time frame, as well, but two are already knit and written.

The kids and I are about half way through Chronicles of Avonlea, going at a slower pace this summer. I'm laughing at X Saves the World a little before I go to bed at night. It is actually a thoughtful book, though I don't agree with every conclusion of the author, but he writes with quite a bit of humor.

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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

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

Happy Independence Day, a day early! We are excited to celebrate tomorrow, and will also be celebrating our graduates over the past couple years. It's a long overdue party. We have a birthday this week, and that will be loads of fun, too. We are now more than halfway through the family birthdays this year.

Thank you for your prayers. Jerome's skin is actually, after all this time starting to look a little better, even with hay season on and even with the summer heat and aridity. It took a friend returning from six months at school seeing him and remarking on it for us to notice as well. He's still struggling, but he is improving. Glory to God!

Between the food testing and the braces and the fasting and feasting, we have been adjusting a lot of meals and menus. We are still eating largely out of our freezers, and it's been a good thing. The folks at church are so good and take care of each other. This week, we decided to go in together for a charcuterie and fruit dinner. It's perfect for the hotter weather we are finally starting to see. I took my own advice and said yes when we were offered a few boxes of asparagus last weekend. That gave us a lot of tasty side dishes through the week. One of my friends, who comes to knit night, brought over cherries from her tree, which were lovely and delicious. We are truly blessed with abundance and love by God.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Snack Tray, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Smokey Hangtown Fry (Gluten-free and with Shrimp for Jerome), Sweet Potato Home Fries, Mixed Berries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Graduation Party (Amira's and all the ones in our family that we missed because of Covid, plus our almost daughter's) and Independence Day Potluck - Bring Cool and Creamy Potato and Pea Salad, Berry Mascarpone Cake
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Stuffed Dover Sole with Wine and Cream Sauce, Herbed Rice Pilaf, Salad and Fruit/Dessert brought by study group members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leblebi (Moroccan Chickpea Stew), Rice, Green Salad, Koulourakia
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Cranberries and Coconut, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Reuben Sandwiches (Gluten-free for Jerome), Pickles, Red Potato Salad, Fruit
• Friday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions and Peppers, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potage Parmentier, Brazilian Cheese Bread*, Green Salad, Chocolate Cloud Cake with Chantilly Cream
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Graduation Party for Friend - Bring Blackberry Hazelnut Crumble

Labels: Birthday, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 4:46 AM 0 comments

Leila Marie Lawler talks about curating abundance, and I love that concept. She frequently shares how she does this, by saving bits and bobs from her other cooking and meals so she has a freezer stocked with things that will help her put food on the table or a snack out for guests and how she preserves her harvest so she can quickly have a gift or a treat in a different season. In many ways, this is how I run my kitchen, also. So much of frugality is a mindset.

We do not eat "cheap" meals, in the sense that you feel poorer eating them. There is no sense of dearth or lack at our table. Nobody eating here ever discerns a lower food budget. This is because, while we do need to keep to a tight budget, and we are always trying to keep costs down, we value good food, and preparing it with care. Part of that is making sure we steward it well, and don't let it go to waste, using every part that possibly can be used. I talk about making stock frequently (and I know I promised a tutorial, I am working on doing that after braces and on a morning when it isn't too hot), and the way we do it now, it is basically free food. We have a well, so except for the electricity to run the pump, the water is free, everything but a few peppercorns, a couple bay leaves, and some salt are all, literally, scraps from other meals, so for a gallon of stock, we pay pennies. If that. I also save the scraps of pie crust from making pies for quick quiches or hand pies, from our Saint Nicholas cookies as a crumble topping or base for other desserts, hambones for beans and soups, bits of cheese to turn into things like fromage fort, in baked goods, or to top a baked pasta dish, the few scraps of ham the kids don't eat for adding to scalloped potatoes to make a full meal with a salad, and (very occasionally) stow away a few pieces of bacon from a breakfast to keep to sprinkle on soup or as part of the topping of a gratin or baked macaroni and cheese. Having these things in our freezer makes putting a meal on for us on a hot, busy day quite simple, it means we can entertain guests at a relative drop of a hat, it means that we can stretch the meal on our table to allow folks in need to share with us, without putting our own children at risk of deprivation.

I could think of those things as a chore or a hassle, but the reality is that I take pleasure in them. Doing a couple or a few extra steps every now and then means that in the times that we are truly worn down and at the end of our ropes, meals are not a chore. Which means that we don't feel the pressure to buy frozen meals or instant foods, go through the drive through or order takeout from a pizza place. This, in turn, saves us both in our finances, and in our health. Again, so much of this begins in our own minds, rather than a list of tasks. My own attitude about it has transferred to our kids, who now do these things without thinking twice. This is just normal for them, which will set them up for success in their own homes without too much difficulty. So, when I make a pot of beans from dry beans (as I always recommend because of both the price and the quality), I make at least double what I need. The excess gets frozen in quart bags with some of the cooking liquid, so I can easily make a bean dish or soup at a later date. This takes the slightest amount of extra effort, and that, only after the cooking.

Another thing we do to cultivate abundance is to make many of our own condiments, spice mixes, and snacks. I will share a whole snack post later in this series, with more recipes, but again will remind you that popcorn is inexpensive, quick to make (takes the same amount of time as the microwave, costs much less than microwave popcorn, but can be made in much larger quantities, with many fewer duds), and delicious when made on the stove. It takes no extra equipment, and is tasty enough that you can skip the butter, if you are either saving money or reducing how much butter you use. We use a pot with a lid, a shallow layer of oil like safflower or sunflower, popcorn and salt. Put all of that in your pot, with enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot or pan, heat it on high until the first kernel pops, then cover with the lid and keep the pot moving for three minutes or so, until the popping slows to only a few every several seconds. Remove from the heat (if you smell toasting or burning, remove from the heat immediately), and let rest while the last few corn kernels finish popping, carefully pour into a bowl and check to see if the salt is sufficient for you, season with anything else you like, and you are satisfied. These are things that take seconds or minutes, but add value and pleasure to your table. Once you get in the habit of doing them, they become second nature, and there is no going back. Just like with any practice or discipline, unless in the direst circumstances, you probably shouldn't try to do it all at once. However, if you can add one or two a week, and work up to this being the normal way you address your kitchen and table, you will find a great deal of joy and rest in it. We have also found that it helps us not to feel overwhelmed when there is an over-abundance of something (peppers, garlic, etc), because we have ways to turn them into something either shelf stable or for our fridge or freezer that we will use and enjoy.

Condiments, relishes, dips, dresssings, spice mixtures, and snacks we commonly make and use:

• Mayonnaise
• Harissa
• Sah'awiq
• Duqqus
• Shatta
• Toum
• Taratoor
• Salsa Verde
• Avocado Relish
• Salatat Zeitoun
• Cranberry Horseradish Relish
• Red Pepper Sludge
• Dill Pickle Dip
• Chipotle Mayonnaise and Celery Seed Dressing
• Mustard Vinaigrette
• Ranch Dressing
• Bleu Cheese Dressing
• Creamy Feta Dressing
• Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
• Seasoned Salt
• Creole Seasoning
• Advieh
• Chex Mix

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:40 AM 0 comments