This week isn't really much more relaxing than last week, but at least Rich gets a couple days off of work. We do get to have Dominic and Shawn come visit us, which is exciting, and we are so looking forward to it.

We had a few things moved around with the VBS and other schedule things coming up last week, and we are just going to enjoy them this week instead.

Technically, it is summer, but this year has been super weird. Our spring was really cool for our part of the country, and our summer really hasn't been that hot. We don't even need the fans every day. That is fine, but it means we aren't getting the fruit as early as we normally do. So, we are making do with what we can find. We are getting some raspberries from our canes, and those are delightful. We don't know who ate our strawberries. It wasn't Rich and I.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Butter and Maple Syrup, Raspberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Italian Pot Roast, Croatian Potatoes and Chard, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Cherries
• Monday
  Breakfast: Mesfouf with Cream, Fruit, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Onion Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Pickled Asparagus, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sloppy Giuseppes, Salad, Limoncello Zabaglione
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Besan Chila, Chopped Salad, Sah'awiq, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Independence Day
  Breakfast: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Smoked Spareribs, Cool and Creamy Potato and Pea Salad, Cherry Chocolate Mousse
• Friday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Curry, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mustard, Gruyère, and Prosciutto Rolls*, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tacos de Papa, Avocado Relish, Salsa Rice, Fruit

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 7:41 AM 0 comments

The sample for Jamal is coming along apace. The design has two options, so I will be making at least one pair and a third, to show the variation, even if I don't get the complete second pair made. This is one of the more whimsical patterns I have designed, and I think I like it. The cuffs have the option of either one or two puffy "humps" for both decoration and warmth. So you can make either a dromedary or bactrian camel pair. The word and name that people use and often spell Jamal would really be better spelled Jamaal, as it is an extended short vowel A. The word Jamal, for camel, sounds more like the A in pedal.

I'm going to block this and see if I like the hump as it is, or if I want to change the increases a little. We shall see.

It does not look like I will be finished with the baptismal gown before the end of this month, but that is fine. I will at least be able to count the yardage from it on my race to the bottom challenge.

VBS has really put a crimp in our reading time for Sense and Sensibility, but we are still meandering our way through it. I started Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories, and am about a third of the way through it, but a hold showed up at the library for The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

I really have a love-hate relationship with these books. The author is insufferable. She cannot help but lecture the reader on her modern sensibilities, she is didactic, pompous and condescending, never failing to instruct the reader on what and how to think about that time period. Even the criticisms that people of that time might have shared are not expressed how they would have done so, and the author does not fail to make sure the reader knows exactly what to think, lest we are too stupid to come to the same conclusions she does. It breaks character, interupts the story, and is jarring. The first few paragraphs of the first chapter of this book were dedicated to her scolding lessons, and the most recent chapter I finished has a parenthetical lesson to make sure we don't think the wrong way. She should have written non-fiction essays on this, rather than trying to make a story and force her message on everyone so brutishly. I do like the characters and story, when she can step away from her lecturn, so I keep coming back, but it makes me more and more annoyed each time, and I don't know if my eyes can roll any further without falling out of my head.

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, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:40 PM 0 comments

We are having our belated Pentecost Tongues of Flame Barbecue today, and thus celebrating with our Eastern brethren. We will also be celebrating the Croatian Independence Day on Tuesday, as they are our adopted new country (we hope). Then there is the major feast of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday. Lots of feasting here.

Did I say something about rest and recovery? Just kidding! There is vacation Bible school this week. The kids will be volunteering (and attending), and we will be in and out there, as needed.

The weather is also being a bit odd for us still. Technically, it is summer. Usually by now we are deep in summer, and have been for over a month. However, our highest temperatures are only supposed to be around 91˚F in town (it's lower out where we are), and only for a day. Then it is going as low at the mid 70s, and only once are the shaman predicting anything approaching 90 again this week, and that seems more like wishful thinking. I know it's been fairly hot in other areas, but it's not here.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Salami Egg Cups, Toast Fingers, Sliced Mangoes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Smokey Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce, Grilled Bratwursts, Grilled Hot Dogs, Grilled Marinated Vegetables, Coleslaw, Cherry Gelato and Blueberry Mascarpone Gelato, Perfect Iced Tea for a Crowd, Mead made by a Church member (other sides and desserts brought by Church Family)
• Monday - Feast of Saint John the Forerunner
  Breakfast: Labneh, Za’atar and Olive Oil on Toast (Cottage Cheese for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers from BBQ
• Tuesday - Croatian Independence Day
  Breakfast: Vanilla Yogurt and Blueberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Paštiçada, Gnocchi (Gluten and dairy-free for Jerome), Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Limoncello Crème Brûlée
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: East African Pilau Rice, Ethiopian Cabbage, Sliced Mangoes
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Pepper Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Burritos, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Balela (without the cheese), Tamis, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
  Breakfast: Za'atar Rolls, Çilbir, Fruit, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Onion Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Pickles, Fruit Plate

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:04 PM 0 comments

This is another recipe that began with a wonderful one from the much beloved and missed Fine Cooking. There is a bit of a debate over a ricotta or béchamel filling, but we prefer the texture of the ricotta filling. It is one of several dishes that Rich consistently asks for on his birthday. We have modified it over the years to match our family size and tastes. This is one of the only casserole dishes you will find me making, and it is because it doesn't just re-cook already cooked ingredients. The recipe, as it was given in the magazine, was for three lasagne, but with out family size, we have actually increased the amount of sauce, pasta, cheese, and ricotta filling, and make it in a gigantic pan. This still leaves us only a few pieces for lunches later. You can freeze it, assembled and unbaked, to make at a later time, if your family is smaller and you want to use smaller pans (use disposable foil pans). It also freezes well after it is baked, if necessary, but we have never found that necessary. I have a great vegetarian lasagna that was inspired by that same issue's recipes, which I will also share one of these days.

1 recipe Best Meat Sauce Ever (this can be made a day or two ahead of time - or earlier, and frozen, then thawed to use in the lasagna on the day you assemble)
48 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 ounces fresh basil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
6 eggs
3 pounds thinly sliced fresh mozzarella (if you freeze it a little first, it is easier to slice it thinly enough), or shredded mozzarella (fresh is better, but if you cannot get it or the prize is too high, this works fine)
1 1/2 pounds oven ready lasagne sheets (we buy them inexpensively from Trader Joe's)

Start by making the sauce (unless you made it ahead of time). While it simmers, mix up the ricotta and grated Parmesan or Romano. Take 2/3 of the basil, trim any dried ends of the stems from them, and finely mince the stems, then finely slice the leaves. Stir them into the ricotta mixture. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Mix in the eggs. Set aside, or put in the refrigerator, if you have a lot of time left on your sauce.

To assemble the lasagna, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Set out a deep 12" by 18" pan. Spread a couple ladles of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Lay out the dry pasta in a single layer, breaking it in half, if necessary to fit the pan. Put a two or three ladles of sauce on the pasta and spread to cover. Dollop with a generous amount of the ricotta mixture. Lay out the mozzarella over the ricotta. Cover with another two or three ladles of sauce. Repeat this order until you have room for only the last layer of pasta. I can usually make three layers, then put the final layer of pasta over that.

For the last layer, lay the pasta sheets out in a single layer as before, spread two or three ladles of sauce over the pasta, and cover with a generous amount of the mozzarella. Cover the pan with foil, tenting it so it doesn't stick to the cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. You may want to put your pan on a jelly roll pan so if anything spills, it doesn't spill on the bottom of your oven.

While it is baking, remove leaves from remaining fresh basil, and reserving a couple small sprigs or flowers from the top as garnish. Finely chop (chiffonade) the leaves, and set aside.

Remove foil from pan and bake another 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chopped fresh basil leaves. Allow to rest about 30 - 45 minutes. Garnish with the reserved sprigs/flowers, cut and serve.

We like to serve with a green or Caesar salad and garlic bread.

Labels: Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 5:52 AM 0 comments

I'm nearly finished with the bodice on the baptismal gown. Not a lot of progress on the mitts, just because I am trying to finish the bodice. I should be more disciplined and take a day on each. Perhaps I will do that this week, and keep the weekends for the gown, as I normally do not do design work on weekends. It would be fantastic to have this finished and be able to count the yardage and skeins of yarn out of my stash this month, too. The sleeves aren't long, so maybe?

Let's see, that will give me another 11 days to finish the bodice and sleeves. Even if the buttons aren't sewn on at that point, I think all the knitting would be complete.

Tomorrow and Friday, I ought to be able to get some work done on Jamal and on H'ammaam. If I work steadily, I hope to have samples for both entirely completed by the second week of July.

We are almost halfway through Sense and Sensibility now. I finished Murder on the Links and rather than returning to non-fiction, I picked up another book of Poirot short stories. It's where I am right now.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

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

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:50 PM 0 comments

Thank God for our church family who are providing such a great meal for tonight's dinner! We are so grateful for them.

All of us are pretty much dead from our schedule last week. We are hoping to get some rest this week. Both the recital and the airshow went well, and we are ready for Rich and Dominic's birthdays now. Rich has given up his Father's Day for the last five years, and his birthday for four of those years, to put on the airshow. So, it was quite a lovely treat that his birthday this year was even after the clean up day from airshow. I have already shared my meat sauce recipe that I use in my lasagna, but one of these days I should actually share my whole lasagna recipe.

This week is a recovery week, and then we get down to summer. This year, summer has come a bit later than normal. We only had temperatures approaching 70 this weekend! That was pretty cold for us. We should have started with the heat at the beginning of May, so we will see what the rest of summer looks like. I just hope that it means we have a longer fall. How is your summer looking?

• Sunday - Father's Day
  Breakfast: Pancakes and Syrup, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages, Fruit, Orange Juice, Chocolate Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Jerk Chicken, Red Beans, Vinegar Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, Asiago Bread, Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
• Monday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Barbecued Chicken and Pork, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Caesar Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Potato and Asparagus Skillet with Poached Eggs, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lasagne with Best Meat Sauce Ever, Green Salad, Garlic Bread, Strawberry Cheesecake
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish "Poor Man's" Potatoes, Green Salad, Strawberry Mango Salad
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Labneh, Za’atar, Olive Oil and Tomatoes on Toast, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Yellow Squash, Corn and Egg Bake, Green Salad, Fruit
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful, Duqqus, Toast, Grapefruit Halves, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Seafood and Scallion Pajeon with Dipping Sauce, Kimchi, Rice, Sliced Apples
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Chilaquiles, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Carnitas, Carne Asada, Pinto Beans, Mexican Rice, Chicken Mole, Tortillas, Salsa, Tres Leches Cake

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:47 PM 0 comments

The baptismal gown is close to finished now! I was able to work on it a bit more last night at the recital, too. And it sounds like they have started the process to get the baptism service done soon. Also, we can now announce that we have two more grandbabies coming in the next 12 months! Dominic and Shawn are having a baby in December, and Alexander and Autumn in January or February! We are so excited. Bring on the baby knits! I have to get more progress done on my projects and designs, so I can make more things for these sweet babies.

Shawn and I have already discussed yarn and project for little Lentil, and I have a few things planned for Lentil and Peapod. I cannot wait to meet them!

Also, I wanted to show my yarn, fabric and notions from Asia. The fabric was all bought in Japan, as was the ribbon, one set of buttons in Tokyo, and one in Seoul. I also bought a razor seam ripper at the fabric district in Seoul. The yarn was from a shop my sister in law scoped out for me before I got there.

We've picked up our reading of Sense and Sensibility. I finished Knitting for Anarchists, and my copy arrived in the mail. I've started reading Murder on the Links as my fun fiction in between the non-fiction. I love Agatha Christie.

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, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 4:37 PM 1 comments

Here we are in the first of a few crazy weeks this summer. We have recital, we have airshow, we have so much going on this week. On top of that, we were able to get another run of asparagus before the season finished, so Nejat and I will be pickling asparagus while everyone else is busy with other things. Each month this summer we have at least one week of chaos. Pray for us.

Since this is such a busy week, we are using some meals and components of meals that are in our freezers to make our lives a bit easier. We are also making good use of our pressure cooker and slow cooker. There are a few repeats, also, or things that were moved to this week because of changes last week. The summer heat has picked up a bit, though it looks like we will get a little respite this week before it really gets hot. Produce will start coming in more steadily and plentifully, though, and I am looking forward to that.

Next week, we basically expect to collapse from our need for rest. Thank God for our church family, who will be providing next Sunday's dinner, so we don't have to worry about that.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Columba
  Breakfast: Eggs in Purgatory, Toasted English Muffins, Sliced Mangoes, Milky Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Shredded Spiced Lamb, Rice Pilaf, Sliced Tomatoes, Cherries
• Monday
  Breakfast: Asparagus and Cheese Scramble, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Eggplant “Meatballs,” Pasta, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Craisins and Coconut, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Carnitas, Salsa Rice, Corn Tortillas and Salad Greens, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sesame Soy Rice Noodles, Stir Fried Asparagus and Garlic, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato and Asparagus Skillet with Poached Eggs, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Yellow Squash, Corn and Egg Bake, Green Salad, Fruit
• Friday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast (no toast for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Cabbage Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Muffroom with Rice, Green Salad, Fruit Plate

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:45 AM 0 comments

Lemons from our friend's tree that he sent us from San Diego

Hello again! It has been a while, I know. This is a post I have been hesitant to share, because I don't want to step on the toes of folks who are truly struggling. I hope I can explain my view without causing offense.

That said, this set of thoughts was brought on by various frugality groups online, and the posts I see there regarding what to cook when you run out of paycheck. My answer is honestly that it shouldn't be that different than what you cook at the beginning of that paycheck. You should have a budget. And your groceries should be part of it. You should not be buying groceries because you have cash, but rather the cash you have should be allocated for the groceries you need. We all have moments of going over that budget, or not being able to afford something, that isn't what I mean, but that you should be stocking your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry for more than the mere immediate need or impulse desire. Unless you find yourself suddenly homeless, or in dire straits because of a catastrophe, even a lost job should not mean that your family is scrounging for food to eat. (And if you are in a terrible situation like these, there are church pantries, food banks, summer meal programs for children, all sorts of resources that you should feel zero shame in utilizing to feed your family - as much as it might embarrass you, too, family and friends, neighbors, are probably more than willing to help you, even a little, even if it is just a weekly dinner at their home, or a one time delivery of groceries).

If you have been reading my blog, or even just these frugality posts, you should already know about how to manage your budget with regards to your kitchen and family needs. So, unless you have been out of work for six months or a year or more, you should have a home stocked with foods your family will eat happily. It's true that you might be low on produce by that point, but you should still have frozen vegetables and storage vegetables like potatoes, onions, carrots, squash, cabbages, and so on, to help add variety to your meals.

So, rather than try to figure out how to make a packet of ramen and a leftover Halloween bag of gummi bears into dinner for your family, check your inventory. See what meats you have, what produce you have, what rice/potato/pasta/bread products you have, and plan your meals around those, using whatever seasonings and fats you have.

How can you do this, though, if you don't have the money for it right now? It will take a shift in mindset and a change in how you plan; it will take knowing what foods you have in your home already. Besides that, my approach is to plan our budget based on the previous check, rather than the current one. So, for instance, we are coming up on our mid-month check and the bills I have earmarked for that check are the ones that are actually due between the first and the middle of next month. This automatically gives us about a two week leeway, should some glitch happen with direct deposit, or should the paycheck have a mistake in it. We can work on getting that corrected or have the check actually deposited, without any bills being directly dependent on it at that point. I also plan a certain amount of money, based on what we have and how we eat, and I set it apart on each check for groceries. That's basic, right? I shop based on that budget, and as I've shared before, I shop first, keeping the budget, and then plan our meals afterward, so I can best use what is on sale and in season and plentiful at excellent quality. Most of my weekly (bi-weekly, really) budget is for foods and products that we can stock up on, rather than on immediate meal needs. I spend probably about 50% on produce and meat that is a good price and can be used over those two weeks and stored in our pantries or freezers longer than that, about 20% on dairy and other food products, about 20% to replace things that we use all the time (like flours, oils, seasonings, etc), as we get down to two or three packages (in our house that means two 50 pound bags of bread flour, two gallons of safflower oil, etc, this will depend on how much your family uses and how), and about 10% on paper/cleaning/sanitary/vitamin products, etc. that we need.

What this means is that, like our budget paying the next check's bills on this one, we rarely actually run out of anything we need. We also keep emergency feminine products, pads and tampons, toilet paper, and we used to keep extra packages of diapers and wipes, in the cars, so if we are out and about we aren't without them, but also if it really comes down to it, we can grab one from there, and use it if we are in dire need. This came in handy during the great toilet paper shortage of 2020. In fact, Rich told me to cover up the TP in our mini-van and maxi-van trunks so that nobody would see them and break into our cars just to get it. I digress, however. Since I have a good inventory of our pantry foods and what is in our freezers, I can plan meals from that, even if we have no fresh produce at all. I do prefer to eat with fresh produce and dairy, and so on, but if we are seriously in an emergency situation, or are just stuck because people have been sick, or extraordinarily busy, and haven't shopped at the grocery store, we still have enough food in our house to feed everyone. In fact, because of how we store food in our pantries and freezers, we really could feed the whole family for possibly a year. At the end of the year, our meals might be a bit boring, but we would be fed and well nourished. And until we hit the six month point, we would still be eating quite well and varied.

One thing I didn't mention was planning for emergencies. We do also keep bottled water, which is not quite enough honestly, so we can drink and cook if some terrible natural disaster or the supply chain breaks down entirely, or our well dries out completely. We do have one local emergency source of water on our property, and for the spring and summer, and into October, we have access to the irrigation ditch, for water for our animals and/or boiling to use to clean and cook. The main point of this isn't that kind of emergency, though. It isn't even really the financial emergency I want to address, but the basic, how to manage our money and our food, so we aren't stuck with bizarre combinations of food just because there are a couple days until our next paycheck arrives.

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
Making Your Own Snacks and Treats
How Weird Is Too Weird? Things We Don't Think of Eating
Fuel Costs
Quick Hint on Eggs
What's in Your Refrigerator (Revisited)
Taking Stock
Garbage Management

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:15 PM 0 comments

Here is my progress on that new project I mentioned before. I ended up ripping back a little, because I thought the length between the increases and decreases needed to be more, but once it gets going, should be a relatively quick project. These are whimsical little mitts, with two options for knitting, and I hope to have the pattern ready for beta knitting in the next week or two.

We had a two week trip to Japan and Korea because of Rich's work. We started in Tokyo, where we have both been before, then went to Nagoya (where Rich went last time, but I stayed in Tokyo to do other things on that trip) and I got to ride on the shinkansen for the first time, then we went to Seoul, which was fantastic. While I didn't buy as much yarn on this trip, I did get a few skeins while in Seoul. I also got to go to a fantastic fabric store in Tokyo, Otsukaya, which was seven floors of amazing, and seemed a little overwhelming until I went to the fabric district in Seoul. It was four buildings, in a city block that could have taken me weeks or a month to get through entirely, and was crammed full of stalls/shops for fabric, buttons, zippers, belt buckles, trims, ribbons, everything you can imagine. We went there so I could find buttons for Amira's coat and found the absolute perfect ones there.

This first picture is a collage from Otsukaya. It is an amazing fabric store with a basement full of notions, and interesting fabrics, displays showing what one can do with them, and really great prices, especially for Tokyo.

These next two collages are just the tiniest sampling of the thousands of stalls in Dongdaemun Market in downtown Seoul. If you download the Naver App, you can navigate Korea quite well, and it has all the transit information you could need. If you sew or craft in any way, you will want to visit this place if you are ever in Seoul.

While I was gone, I tried to do some facetime readings of Sense and Sensibility with the kids, but the 16 hour difference made it difficult. Now that I am home again, we are reading it together. I'm just about finished with Knitting for Anarchists, and realized that I need it on my shelf, so I just ordered a copy. I think I read it initially, more than 20 years ago, and I really, really love her philosophy, tips and tricks. In fact, I have put to use one of the things in her book in the design for the mitts I am making.

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, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:55 AM 0 comments

"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."

- Saint Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians, paragraph 20, written c. A.D. 80-110

“Take note of those who hold heterodox [heretical] opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes”

- Saint Ignatius' Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2-7:1, written c. A.D. 110

St. Ignatius became the third bishop of Antioch, succeeding St. Evodius, who was the immediate successor of St. Peter. He was a first hand witness of Christ as a child, heard St. John preach when he was a boy, and later became a disciple to him, he was a close friend of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who also was a direct student of Saint John the Evangelist. Seven of his letters written to various Christian communities have been preserved. Eventually, he received the martyr's crown as he was thrown to wild beasts in the arena. He was both a first hand witness of Christ, as well as a direct successor of the Apostles and Apostolic Fathers. His testimony about the Church and the faith are powerful. It is because of the many who took exception to his teachings, who wanted to disprove his existence, or invalidate his writings, that we actually have so much of his work. The more they dug, the more they authenticated his work.

Corpus Christi is another Western, fairly modern, feast, and we unapologetically adore it. It is the celebration of the Real Presence of the Body of Christ in the world. It is a feast of His glorious body, both literal in the Eucharist, and figurative in the Church. I'm not sure if we will be having a procession today, but that is one of my favorite things we do on this day. You have the people, who are symbolically the Body of Christ on earth, displaying, proclaiming and celebrating the Eucharist, which is actually the Body of Christ on earth. We pray and sing hymns and proclaim in word and action that Christ is alive and here with us. He offers Himself in the Eucharist as a gift to us, a medicine for sin and for our salvation. Glory to God!

This is our last week of any kind of normalcy, before recitals and airshow and all of that busy-ness. We have some repeated meals this week, because our schedule was a bit crazy last week and we had things rearranged so here we are.

This last trip to Asia was the hardest on me and Rich of all the international trips we have taken. We got back Thursday afternoon, after more than 28 hours of being up and traveling, and had to stop twice to rest before we could make the drive home. We landed before we left, technically, because of the international time line. When we went to bed, at a decent time, by the way, on Thursday night, we basically slept through most of Friday. We didn't leave our room until around 1:45 pm. In fact, we are still dealing with jet lag a little. This seems funny, because we hit the ground running in Japan, and never really rested when we got there. I will have some photos to share in the coming weeks.

This week's meals are still mostly simple, though I was asked to make falafel soon, so that is on the menu, too.

• Sunday - Feast of Corpus Christi
  Breakfast: Salami, Potato, and Egg Hash, Croissants, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Gumbo, Rice, Pepper Vinegar, Scallions
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Poblano Chicken, Cuban Yellow Rice, Fruit
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Craisins and Coconut, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Double Decker Grilled Reubens (but no bread, for Jerome), Pickles, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Seafood and Scallion Pajeon with Dipping Sauce, Kimchi, Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Egg Breakfast Burritos, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Korean Style Beef, Jasmine Rice, Stir Fried Vegetables, Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Fruit Plate, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Khoubz Araby (Lettuce Wraps for Jerome), Sliced Veggies, Olives, Toum, Taratoor, Harissa, Fruit
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mustard, Gruyère, and Prosciutto Rolls, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Melanzane al Forno, Garlic Pasta (GF for Jerome), Caesar Salad, Limoncello Zabaglione

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

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