We are kind of back in ordinary time now. For a little while, anyway, we will not be having any special feasting.

It is, however, asparagus season, and we are feasting on that this week. Spring seems really to mean it now, which is also wonderful.

A lot of our meals this week are either super quick to make, use the pressure cooker, or use components from meals we made and froze earlier this year. It is about quick and easy this week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Ham and Asparagus Scramble with Mascarpone and Lemon Zest, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Church Potluck
• Monday
  Breakfast: Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mustard Glazed Corned Beef, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Sautéed Asparagus, Fried Eggs, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooked Shredded Pork with Red Chile Sauce, Salsa Rice, Corn Tortillas, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper with Potatoes and Asparagus, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sesame Soy Rice Noodles, Stir Fried Asparagus and Garlic, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Za'atar Rolls to break the fast after Liturgy
  Dinner: Double Decker Grilled Reubens, Pickles, Green Salad, Fruit Plate

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 6:12 AM 0 comments

So, I'm finally finishing a few things, and that means I get to start a new project!

This will become a pair of mitts (maybe two pairs) and they are themed on the How the Camel Got Its Hump story.

It has been a whirlwind week and we've only made a little progress in Sense and Sensibility. I'm nearly finished with Knitting for Anarchists, 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, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:53 PM 0 comments

Alleluia! The Spirit of the Lord fills the world! Oh come, let us adore Him. Alleluia!

This is the second highest feast of the Church year, the birthday of the Church, herself. It is the undoing of Babel, the empowering by the Holy Spirit of the Apostles to spread the Church throughout the world to every people, tribe, tongue and nation, and the first glimmer of the Holy City that is to come. On Pentecost, the first law was given, and on the new Pentecost, the lasting law was given. Glory to God!

It is also a fast free week! No need to plan around Lenten days this week, and that will be a delight. On top of that, we should be getting asparagus this week. It is a good week.

What are your plans for Pentecost?

• Sunday - Pentecost
  Breakfast: Tunisian Shakshouka (using sweet potatoes), Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sausage and Beans, Rice, Red Potato Salad, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Sausage, Potato and Vegetable Hash, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta with Best Meat Sauce Ever (GF pasta for Jerome), Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast Fingers, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Red Beans and Rice, Chopped Scallions, Hot Pepper Sauce, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milky Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Fancy Hot Dogs, Egg Noodles, Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Dakbokkeumtang (Spicy Korean Chicken Stew), Jasmine Rice, Kimchi, Mandarin Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Cream Cheese Pancakes with Butter and Raspberry Syrup, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Broiled Italian Sausages, Chopped Asparagus Salad with Chickpeas and Feta, Sliced Apples
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Korean Style Beef, Jasmine Rice, Stir Fried Asparagus and Garlic with Sesame Oil, Sliced Oranges

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:01 AM 0 comments

This little washcloth will be part of my spa set, and it is such a simple, but lovely, textural design. I enjoy it, even though it is super simple. There are two more pieces I want to make, and then the set will be complete. I'm still not sure if I will be able to make a second facecloth/drawstring bag to make it larger, or if I will need to frog the original to have enough yarn. Are you interested in trying your hand at one or more of these?

My exciting update for the week is that Dahha has been published. It is available on PayHip and Ravelry, and will be available on LoveCrafts soon. Through the end of the day PDT, May 22, 2024, if you put both Nafhat and Dahha in your cart, you will receive 40% off of Dahha automatically (on PayHip, you must put Nafhat in your cart and it will prompt you to purchase Dahha and give you the discount that way). Previous purchases count toward this promotion, so if you bought the hat already, you will still receive the discount on the socks, and don’t need to put the hat in your cart.

We are making our way through Sense and Sensibility at a fairly steady clip. It is a great read for adolescents. Not much has been read in either Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages or Knitting for Anarchists this week. I did pick up a little light reading, though, 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, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

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

Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!

Mother's Day was lovely. As we don't have liturgy until the evening on Sundays, we can sleep in a little, and Rich and Nejat made a beautiful brunch for me. It started with fancy chocolates and coffee that Rich bought and made, respectively, then on to fantastic omelettes with peppers, onions, tomatoes, meat and cheese on the inside that he made, and Nejat made blueberry muffins, which I had with more coffee. The kids brought me some gorgeous flowers so I could wake up to them, and a lovely handmade card, some cookies and candies and other treats. At church, we had a potluck meal and got to share the work and the time together that way.

Nejat's birthday is this week, and she has expressed an interest in doing more cooking, so she is actually making dinner (with help from others) on her birthday! She decided that would be one of the nights she cooked this week. I cannot believe that it has been 11 years since we were so anxious and trying to keep her safe inside while I was in a hospital for nearly a month.

We are almost to asparagus time, and I am looking forward to it. We will make more pickles and eat a ton of it. We may ask a friend to borrow her freeze dryer and preserve some that way. I have heard good things about that method, and we don't love frozen asparagus. What do you think?

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Omelettes, Toast, Blackberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, Salad, Sides/Desserts brought by Church
• Monday
  Breakfast: Leftover Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Blackberries, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Matthias
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Egg Breakfast Burritos, Mandarin Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Tuna Sandwiches, Cool and Creamy Potato and Pea Salad, Pickled Asparagus, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Dymphna
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Coconut, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Shrimp and Vegetable Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Brendan the Navigator
  Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Waffles with Chantilly Cream and Berries, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabic Beef and Vegetable Soup, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean and Poblano Stacked Enchiladas (without the cheese), Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Salami Egg Cups, Home Fries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Red Chile Pork, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Cabbage Salad with Cumin Dressing

Labels: Ascension, Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

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

Dahha is finished! I still need to block and take final photography, but even the ends are woven in (unlike in this picture). Rich had a work conference this week, and I did the final knitting and weaving in of ends while we were there. I have quickly started a washcloth for the spa set, and that little mitt up there is part of the set, too.

I'd like to finish the baptismal gown in the few weeks, but I don't know how realistic that is. We are going on a trip to Japan and Korea in the near-ish future, and I'd like to have this project finished by then, at the latest, so I am only bringing smaller projects with me. There was a rumor that Korean airlines wouldn't allow knitting needles, but I looked and they are not prohibited. Still, I plan to have everything on the needles, so nobody is concerned about them. We never had trouble with my knitting traveling to and from Japan (or Iceland, Ireland, Croatia, France, or Switzerland - I have heard that Mexico and Turkey are not so knitting friendly). I have one project I'm planning that isn't exactly a secret, but not something I can share a lot about right now, either.

The kids and I started Sense and Sensibility and are really enjoying it. Our Jane Austen kick has been a lot of fun. I had them decide between this, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma, even though we have read both of those as a family before, because it has been so long that the youngest never heard it and the oldest could use a refresher. I'm still reading Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, but will likely have to put it down when we head to Japan and Korea if I can't finish it in time. I'm also still working my way through Anna Zilboorg's Knitting for Anarchists. Now I want to find a hard back copy, but they are outrageously priced. I will have our library app with me when we go overseas, rather than the stacks of books, and that will have to suffice.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

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

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:37 PM 0 comments

Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!

The only good part about East and West celebrating separately is that we can celebrate twice. We were able to join the the Orthodox Mission here and celebrate Pascha with them and it was glorious. As we still follow the Western calendar, we are celebrating the Ascension this week. We will try to fly a kite, and eat on a high spot on our property. There are also Rogation Days this week, and a return to the more normal abstinence in our diet. Friday is also the beginning of the Novena to the Holy Spirit whom we await, as the Apostles and disciples did in that upper room.

Nejat has been wanting to do more cooking, so I've let her take one or two night's a week to make dinner either on her own or with some help from us. She has been doing pretty well, too. She's excited to be making more meals and learning more about cooking and it has been a big help to me.

May is a super busy month for us this year, and we have a ton going on right now. I'm trying to plan in such a way that makes life simpler for us all each day. Sometimes this means that we have to rearrange our meal plans, though, and we move things over to accommodate our shifting schedules or needs. We have some of that this week, and probably next week, as well. Spring is finally really making an appearance, though, and next week should bring the first of the asparagus for the year.

• Sunday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Italian Bacon and Romano Pasqua bread, Sirnica, Strawberries, Ham, Hard Boiled Eggs, Orange Juice and Coffee
  Dinner: Agape Feast after Paschal Vespers
• Monday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Ham and Beans, Cornbread (Corn Tortillas for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sausages, Sliced Apples, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Carnitas, Rice, Corn Tortillas, Salsa and Sour Cream, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Soupe au Pistou, Bread, Fruit
• Thursday - Feast of The Ascension of the Lord
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Sausages, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Dakbokkeumtang (Spicy Korean Chicken Stew), Jasmine Rice, Kimchi, Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Coconut, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetable Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mustard, Gruyère, and Prosciutto Rolls, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ropa Vieja, Cuban Yellow Rice, Coconut Custard

Labels: Ascension, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesh'a, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:41 AM 0 comments

I've been holding off on knitting these until I had a chance to take some photos and video of the heel turn method. Today, I finally had the chance to do that. It took four takes, because I kept saying the wrong words to go with the video. Poor Yasmina was about to despair. Also, I am now knitting the second sock on four needles instead of five, because my needle broke, and I am hoping that Knitter's Pride has a good replacement policy.

Anyway, the baptismal gown knits apace, and I hope to have the bodice finished relatively soon. Then it will be on to the sleeves. I need to find some pretty buttons in my stash that will look good with the yarn and cables.

The kids and I have just finished Northanger Abbey and I loved reading it with them! I'm making my way through Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages and started re-reading Anna Zilboorg's Knitting for Anarchists. What a delight this book is! Between her and Elizabeth Zimmermann, I think my entirely knitting philosophy can be found. I do not knit exactly like either of them, and frankly, I am not enamoured with most of Zimmermann's patterns, but the way they think about their knitting helped form how I did. If you have not read them, please do. It is so freeing to treat your knitting this way.

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, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:36 PM 0 comments