Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Craft On: O Christmas Tree
Well, I should be finishing up one of two designs I put on the backburner, but I started this little, scrappy tree garland instead. It will be a great decoration come winter. My plan is to make another set in different tones and alternate the two, and make them gifts. Notice that the tree trunks are made with the leftovers from the adult sample of Jamal.
However, I did get Jamal published, and I have a great discount if you want to try it. Jamal is now available on Ravelry and on PayHip (it will be on LoveCrafts shortly).
Through September 1, 2024, there is a tiered coupon code: Use JamalIntro on PayHip or Ravelry for the first 10 purchases and receive 75% off, the next 10 purchases will be 50% off, and all purchases after that are 25% off. There are still some of those discounts available! (And if you are paying attention, there are really double available, because of being on both those sales platforms).
The kids and I began reading Emma this past week, and I am reading a little in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages. On a recommendation from a young woman at church, I also began the delightful autobiographical novel Everthing Sad Is Untrue (A True Story). It has so much I relate to in it, and much to make one both laugh and cry. It is light reading, as it is aimed at young adults and kids, but it is good reading.
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, Faith and Morality, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns, WIP, Yarn Along
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Menu Plan: August 25 - 31
"Holy Spirit, inspire me. Love of God, consume me, on the true path, lead me. Mary, my Mother, look upon me, with Jesus, bless me. From all evil, from all illusion, from all danger, preserve me."
"Always remember to love your neighbor; always prefer the person who tries your patience, who tests your virtue, because with them you can always gain merit."
"The proud person is like a grain of wheat thrown into water: it swells, it gets big. Expose that grain to the fire: it dries up, it burns. The humble soul is like a grain of wheat thrown into the earth: it descends, it hides itself, it disappears, it dies; but to revive in heaven."
"It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will."
~ Saint Mariam Baouardy (Mary of Jesus Crucified) ~
We have two birthdays this week: Mariam and Shawn. We won't have Shawn with us this week, and I suspect it will be a little more subdued than normal. Please offer all the prayers you can for her this week. Not only is it a birthday week, but it is a nameday week, as well. The feast of Saint Mariam Baouardy is also this week.
I'm not a superstitious person, generally speaking, though I do roll up my car windows to make sure it won't rain. However, that whole troubles come in threes thing has come twice, and now we have had three other challenges/difficulties, and at this point, I am hoping that is the third set of three, and that we will be set for a while.
Fall weather is definitely here. Wind and rain, much cooler feeling air, and I even wore a sweater yesterday - with long wool socks. We still have temperatures in the 70s at the height of the day, but our evenings and mornings are feeling frigid. In a couple months, we will long for temperatures in the 40s, but for now, they feel quite cold. The air conditioning units are still in the windows, in a nod to a slight superstitious hope that I will keep the alleged heat spike predicted for the end of the week at bay, but our windows are almost all closed, and the fans have been off all this past week.
We have so many ducks and geese to butcher! We are still cooking mostly from our freezer, and cooking it down so we will have room for them. When it is cool enough, there will be a couple weekends of pretty significant poultry harvest. Our Gleaning Club and even our garden are keeping us well stocked in beautiful produce. Except for potatoes and onions, we haven't had to buy produce in a few weeks. We are using what is fresh and in season, and it is delightful. This is one of the bright lights in our challenging time.
- Sunday
Breakfast: Rum Raisin Coffee Cake, Fried Eggs, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Rouz Zirbyan with Lamb, Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad with Herbs, Sides/Salad/Fruit/Dessert brought by Church Family - Monday - Feast of Saint Mariam Baouardy
Breakfast: Breakfast Veggie Crinkle, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Cheese Zombies (Cheese Crisps for Jerome), Tomato Soup, Peach Melba Cheesecake with Almond Crust - Tuesday - Feast of Saint Monica
Breakfast: Yogurt, Toast, Cubed Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Stuffed Dover Sole, Herbed Rice Pilaf, Sliced Nectarines - Wednesday - Feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo
Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas and Summer Squash, Sliced Canteloupe, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Tbikhat Ful, Tamis, Battatas Harra, Sliced Watermelon - Thursday
Breakfast: Steak and Eggs, Toast, Rajas, Corn Tortillas, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Summer Squash, Corn and Egg Bake, Sautéed Garlicky Eggplant and Tomatoes, Broiled Italian Sausages, Fruit Plate - Friday
Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Peaches, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Banadora Maghlieh, Vegetarian Rouz Bukhari, Sliced Watermelon - Saturday - Feast of Saint Aidan
Breakfast: Overnight Slow Cooker French Toast (Scrambled Eggs with Cheese for Jerome), Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Porchetta, Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Summer Squash, Limoncello Zabaglione
Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Name Day, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Craft On: Second Hump
I am actually nearly finished with this second pair of Jamal mitts, in the Bactrian variation. The pattern should be ready for publication in a couple days, and I will have a great coupon code for everyone. (See the link to subscribe to my newsletter below, if you don't already, for the earliest access to coupons and sales).
Besides this, I have started a crocheted scrap yarn basket to use up some bits and bobs of DK and worsted (mostly) yarns that I have had hanging around here for a while. My destash plans are continuing apace. I have only bought about a quarter of what I have used or destashed so far this year, and don't expect to be buying a whole lot of yarn this year.
I finished Knitmare on Beech Street. It was a fun read, and not too Encylopedia Brown in its solution. However, I am a little frustrated with the author. She actually did this in the previous book, but was evidently not satisfied with that and had to mention it briefly again in this book. She proclaimed the "facts" that "everyone knows" about how Easter/Pascha is really a pagan celebration. This is utter nonsense.
The entire theory was created by a 19th century occultist (much like the claims that the feast of the Nativity was a co-opting or secret celebration of Pagan feasts/deities), who made it up whole cloth, and was utterly debunked. However, the accusation lingers, because of angry secularists and the anti-Catholic Protestants who will make partnership with them to get a jab at Catholics. Serious historians, even non-Christians, even non-theists, even non-religious ones, all know this is ridiculous. One does not have to believe that Jesus is God, or that He was raised from the dead, to know that the celebration of the Paschal feast is historic, Christian, and has nothing to do with Germanic or Ango-Saxon/Celtic mythology. For one, it was celebrated long before Christians had contact with those people groups. For another, the whole Easter=Eostre garbage is bizarre, as that is only the word in Germanic languages (German, English, and I think one Nordic language, perhaps, as well), and that "pagan" word was simply the word for the month and season in which the feast normally fell. It is the word for Spring. We don't even know that the word refers to a pagan deity. That is speculation. However, even if it did, that doesn't mean that is what is really being celebrated (or co-opted) by Christians, any more than celebrating the Fourth of July is really a tribute to the Pagan Roman Caesar Julius. There used to be a wonderful website online, footnoted, that gave historic and religious reasons for Christian celebration of the Paschal feast, but it went away. A blog that catalogues most of the rebuttals (from a pagan, no less) can be found on the wayback machine here - be sure to check the links at the bottom of that post for even more information debunking this modern mythology, but I haven't been able to get the footnoted one since the internet ate it (there is one for Christmas that was put out by an honest atheist, which also disappeared, but was preserved by an Orthodox blogger, who added his own devotional text after all the facts and footnotes). However, note that the word Pascha (which is the word, in various languages, in nearly every culture and language for the feast) is derived from Passover. Because Christ OUR Passover is sacrificed for us. Italian, Spanish, French, Romanian, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, ALL languages except for English and German (and maybe that one Nordic language) call this feast Passover. And the eggs? They came from the Passover Seder. The dyeing of the eggs began because of a miracle of Saint Mary Magdalene and initially (and still in much of the world) was not pastel spring colors, but was blood red, because of the blood of Christ. There were also iconic depictions and other decorations (like Pysanky) which developed. The pastel spring colors also come from later tradition that is just fun, and I believe in the 20th century.
In short: Ishtar is not pronounced Easter. Constantine did not Christianize the empire, the Edict of Milan simply made it so that being a Christian was no longer a capital offense against the state. Ishtar's symbols did not involve eggs or bunnies. They were the lion, the gate, and the eight pointed star. The reason Christians have eggs at Pascha (as Constantine himself would have called it, being a Greek speaker) or Easter is because of Passover's use of the eggs, and the miracle wrought by St. Mary Magdalene explaining Christ's blood shed for sin and resurrection. The commemoration of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the earliest celebration and feast of Christian history. If Fes-h'a/Fesih’ (Arabic) was about fertility and sex, there would be much less eating and chocolate and much more sex, to be blunt. Ishtar, after all, did have temple prostitution as part of her cult.
All that said, it was a brief mention in this book, though it had more prolonged visibility in the previous one, and I am assuming/hoping it won't come up in later books. In the meantime, I will be returning to Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages for my evening reading.
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, Crochet, Design, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Menu Plan: August 18 - 24
God has been so good to us over these past few weeks of hardship and sorrow. He has sent so many people to bless us and taken care of even our simplest needs. We are looking for those lights in what feels like a rather dark time right now.
Our gleaning group has definitely been one of those lights for us. The folks running it have really looked out for our family and been generous and thoughtful. There is an abundance of fresh produce in our home, and we are eating such tasty fruits and vegetables.
It is Jerome's birthday this week, which means that we only have four more birthdays left this year. Mariam and Shawn are later this month, then Alexander and Amelia in the fall.
We are going to be saying goodbye to Dominic and Shawn this week, and that is a little sad, but they have great support and a fabulous church family at home.
Last night the winds of fall already blew. It usually comes like clockwork on the Monday after fair, but wind and rain came while fair was still going. I hope that doesn't mean that we will have an even shorter summer, though I wouldn't be upset if we had a longer fall. Fair was so strange this year, with no booth to work, and then a few scary incidents. I am looking forward to a week of rest.
- Sunday - Feast of Saint Helena
Breakfast: White Chocolate Strawberry Cake, Raspberries and Grapes, Fried Eggs, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Spicy Brazilian Coconut Chicken and Vegetables, Rice, Watermelon, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts brought by Church Family - Monday
Breakfast: Homemade Cottage Cheese with Avocado, Cucumber, Cherry Tomatoes and Cracked Black Pepper, Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Slow Cooked Garlic Pork Roast, Yellow Squash, Corn and Egg Bake with Basil, Sliced Canteloupe - Tuesday - Feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Breakfast: Biscuit Breakfast Bake, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Mousakka'a, Arabic Rice Pilaf, Morroccan Beet Salad, Muhallabiyeh - Wednesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Shishito Peppers and Summer Squash, Sliced Canteloupe, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Tbikhat Ful, Garlicky Swiss Chard, Marinated Cucumbers and Onions, Sliced Canteloupe - Thursday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Sausages, Sliced Peaches, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Parsleyed Peppercorn Beef Patties, Rice Pilaf, Buttered Corn on the Cob, Sliced Watermelon - Friday - Feast of Saint Zaccaeus of Jerusalem
Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Peanut Drizzle, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Succotash (Corn, Beans, and Peppers), Rice, Cucumber and Beet Salad, Sliced Canteloupe - Saturday - Feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Italian Beef Sandwiches on Herb and Olive Bread with Fried Peppers and Onions, Corn on the Cob, Fruit Plate
Dominic said that when we pray this prayer, or any other Marian prayers like the Hail Mary, which are based on the text of Luke, we are placing ourselves in the prophecy from Mary's own lips: "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" Luke 1:48
Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Recipe Round Up: Swedish Cardamom Knots, Croissant Breafast Strata, Biscuit Breakfast Bake
These are award winning sweet rolls. I entered them into the fair this year and they got first place. Honestly, I am not sure how Swedish they are, but they are really delicious. They do not take any more time to put together than normal cinnamon rolls, but they are pretty and a tasty alternative.
Dough:
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 large eggs beaten lightly
6 cups bread flour
Filling:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
coarse sugar for sprinkling
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, melted butter, salt and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let stand for about 5 minutes or so, until foamy.
Add the eggs and use a wooden spoon to stir everything together. Add 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time, stirring often until a soft dough is formed. Turn it over into a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Use just enough flour from the remaining cup during kneading until the dough is no longer sticky.
Shape kneaded dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Make the filling. Stir together softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until combined. Set aside.
Punch down risen dough and roll into a 15" x 21" rectangle. Spread the filling on the surface, using a spatula, brush, or back of a spoon to press the filling into the dough. Starting on the short side of the dough, fold 1/3 of it into the center, then fold the other third over to center too, covering the first flap. Briefly roll the pin over the folded dough just to stretch the width out to 12 inches.
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough starting from one long side to the other. The strips should be about 5/8 inch width. You will be able to make 16-20 strips. To assemble the rolls, take one strip, hold one end with your thumb and next three fingers. Wrap the strip around your fingers two times, covering the thumb as well, then pull the dough under and slip it through the opening where your thumb is. Pull it upwards and let it cross over the bun and tuck it in the other side.
Place each roll on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover it loosely with a plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon milk and brush this glaze on the surface of the risen rolls. Sprinkle a little coarse sugar over top of the rolls and bake for about 22-25 minutes, until lightly golden.
I found this recipe on Pinterest, but didn't like everything about how the dish was put together. So, here are my changes.
6 large all butter croissants torn into rough eighths
8 large eggs
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
3 cups whole milk
3 cups grated Gruyére, Emmenthaler, or Jarlsberg cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound bacon cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 small handful chives or scallions, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
Place butter and onions in a pot. Let onions soften, covered, for about 15 minutes over low heat, turning often. Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. When onions turn golden, add balsamic and stir. Let cook for an additional 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove onions from pot and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9×13" baking pan. Spread out torn croissants in pan, and bake for 10-15 minutes until croissants are toasted and crisp. Remove from oven and turn heat off.
While croissants are toasting, cook bacon in a pot over medium-low heat until crisp, about 15-20 minutes. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and let cool in a separate dish.
Sprinkle bacon and caramelized onions evenly over top of the croissants in the pan. Evenly sprinkle half the cheese on top of the strata.
Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add remaining half of the cheese. Stir. Pour mixture evenly over croissants.
Refrigerate strata for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
Sprinkle chives or scallions over the top of the strata and bake for 50-55 minutes, until egg mixture is set in the middle and the top is deep golden brown.
Allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing into servings. Delicious served warm or room temperature.
Biscuit Breakfast Bake
This is another recipe I found online, but it was dependent on pop can biscuits and a lot of things I don't like to eat. So, this is how I make it for our family. I used the basic structure of the original recipe and changed the ingredients.
one recipe biscuit dough, rolled about 3/4" thick
Grease an 11" X 17" baking pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Using kitchen shears, snip the biscuit dough into 1 inch pieces and place in the greased baking pan.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the biscuit pieces in the pan. Sprinkle with the cooked meat and scallions and gently fold in with a spatula. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of everything.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the egg is mostly set (a tiny jiggle in the center is fine) and the biscuits are a little browned. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into servings.
Labels: Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen
12 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage or seasoned ground beef (optional)
1 bunch scallions, finely minced
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Craft On: Plodding
My knitting has been going much more slowly lately, between the sheer exhaustion of everything we have done, recovering from illness, and then the exhaustion of grief. This design was supposed to be ready weeks ago; and then even after modifying that schedule, was supposed to be ready this week. Instead, I am hoping to have it out this month. If you are interested in beta knitting it for me, and sharing photos, please contact me. The design has two options, and six sizes. I am only asking for one mitt to be made of any of the sizes, except the two smallest. Ideally, I would like to have a beta knitter for each size in each variation, which right now means ten knitters, as I have knit the adult medium in one variation and am working on the toddler size in the other.
It is also fair week, and though we still entered things into the fair, it was much less than normal. All of my knits and baked goods got blue ribbons, though (look at Nabati there!), and my peach pie received best in class.
Now for our sorrow and the reason for our grief. (Skip to the bottom, if you do not want to read about sorrow).
Our sweet grandson, Emmanuel Nasrullah was delivered stillborn to our second son and his wife early in the morning August 6, on the Feast of the Transfiguration. His name means God abiding (or living) with us (Emmanuel) and the victory of God (Nasrullah).
Having the experience of the corporal act of mercy in burying our loved one was extremely powerful and cathartic. I think we, in the west especially, have denied ourselves this part of grief and healing. Every one of the men, father, grandfathers and brothers, priest and godfathers, dug the grave and almost all of us, men, women, children, buried our sweet babe. Please keep us in your prayers. Especially our son and his wife.
I will be posting at least one more sample to sell on Instagram, if you are interested. I am also selling stash on Instagram and Ravelry (and you are free to make an offer on any stash that isn't marked for sale, but I may not accept it), and some samples on Instagram. Of course, all my patterns are available for sale at these sales platforms: Ravelry Store, PayHip Store, LoveCrafts Store.Thank you.
I'm reading Knitmare on Beech Street, my prayer book and Bible, and that is basically it. It's still a challenge to read anything else.
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, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Menu Plan: Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Blessed Virgin
Shudder, O ye heavens! and, O earth, give ear unto these words:
God descended once before for our sake; He descends again today for His Mother.
So many times, when people deny honor to the Theotokos, it is really a dishonor to the Lord. Even denying her the title Theotokos ends up declaring that Christ was either not God in her womb, or that He is not God incarnate. It is not intentional, but I think a good question to ask oneself when putting her "in her place" is what does this mean about Christ and His divinity? If it ends up dishonoring Him, calling His divinity into question, or lessening Him, it isn't a good thing. Likewise, so many people say that there is too much honor given her, without actually considering whether or not they honor her enough or even at all. What is just the right amount of honor? Surely it isn't debasing the woman who bore and raised our Lord? Jesus was born a Jew and fulfilled the law. He loved and honored His mother, and as we could not have had Him without her, why would we want that, instead of following His example?
The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke hails her and says that God calls her blessed. Her cousin Elizabeth's unborn son, Saint John the Forerunner, leaps at the sound of Mary's voice, and by this does Elizabeth know and proclaim that Mary is the Mother of her Lord. Mary replies by saying that ALL generations will call her blessed. It is in the Scriptures that we are to bless her, that God Himself magnifies her, so why should we not do the same? How can we do less?
Besides the Dormition feast, it is also fair week, which is a very busy week for us. And besides that we are all in grief. Because of this sorrowful event, we were not home to make most of the meals last week, and some are now on this week's menu.
I had not made an open announcement, because we were waiting for Dominic and Shawn to do so, but we have had a terrible tragedy in our family. Their first son, our grandson, nephew, cousin, Emannuel Nasrullah was stillborn on August 6, the feast of the Transfiguration. We buried him Wednesday. I will not be sharing many photos, just of the grave, but please keep all of us in your prayers, especially Dominic and Shawn, and especially pray for the soul of Emmanuel, that he and many would be brought to the Lord in glory. The feast of the Transfiguration will be forever linked to this in our lives.
- Sunday
Breakfast: Cheesy Potato Hash, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
Dinner: Eggplant Lasagne*, Salad, Strawberries, Blackberry Crumble - Monday
Breakfast: Swedish Cardamom Knots*, Battatas ou Bayd, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Spanish "Foolish Eggs," Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Leftover Treats from the Fair - Tuesday
Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Peanut Drizzle, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Tuna Sandwiches, Carrot and Celery Sticks, Pickled Asparagus, Sliced Watermelon - Wednesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Toast, Blueberries, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Italian Braised Green Beans and Potatoes, Italian Bread, Sliced Canteloupe - Thursday - Feast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary
Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Sausages, Fruit Plate, Milk and Tea
Dinner: Slow Cooker Steak and Guinness Pie, Chopped Salad, Chocolate Velvet Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting - Friday
Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Fruit, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Instant Pot Mixed Lentil and Vegetable Khichdi, Basmati Rice, Nectarines - Saturday
Breakfast: Peach and Blueberry Coffee Cake, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Sauerbraten, Sour Cream Egg Noodles, Torta Dominguera
Dominic said that when we pray this prayer, or any other Marian prayers like the Hail Mary, which are based on the text of Luke, we are placing ourselves in the prophecy from Mary's own lips: "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" Luke 1:48
Labels: Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos
Wednesday, August 07, 2024
Craft On: And the Valleys
These mitts are finished, though they need to be blocked. I have started a pair of tiny mitts to show the variation. Anyway, here are the just about finished, finished, finished mitts with my lovely camel.
This has still been a hard week. We are getting by, though. If you remember our family in prayer, we would appreciate it.
Again, I'm not normally someone who has a hard sell, but if I had enough sales from any of my sales platforms, we could cover the unexpected expenses of an ambulance, overnight in the ER, plane tickets, and so on. If you have ever considered buying my patterns, please do so now: Ravelry Store, PayHip Store, LoveCrafts Store. I am also selling stash on Instagram and Ravelry (and you are free to make an offer on any stash that isn't marked for sale, but I may not accept it), and some samples on Instagram. Thank you.
I've finished Irish Knit Murder and am having a hard time reading anything but Scripture and the Saints 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: Around the World Stitch Along, Books, Design, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along
Sunday, August 04, 2024
Menu Plan: August 4 - 10 Dormition Fast
Usually, I dedicate my prayers during the Dormition fast to the end of abortion. I am still doing that, but I am also praying for some personal intentions for the women we know who are pregnant and their husbands and children. We know two families who are or just did deal with some challenges during pregnancy, and we are praying for all of their health and safety. I invite you to join us in all these prayers.
We have a couple repeats this week. Between fewer people at home and some of us not feeling well, we just haven't been eating as much, so we shifted gears to leftovers a few times. One of the handy parts of a fasting season is that the food we make is generally appropriate for any day of the week.
Right now, we are getting ready for fair week, we are trying to weather the weird growing season/bizarre summer we are having, and hoping we get produce before the freezes come. I'm making a mushroom dish for the family on the Transfiguration because I love them. They were marked down at the Grocery Outlet, and because they like them, I bought a lot. So, they have been having sautéed mushrooms with their lunches and I will make these for them for a Spanish themed Transfiguration feast.
- Sunday - Feast of Saint Dominic
Breakfast: Rum Raisin Coffee Cake, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Southwest Cornbread Pie with Beans and Cheese, Corn on the Cob, Fruit Plate - Monday
Breakfast: Fruit and Yogurt Cups, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Hummus and Baba Ghanooj, Tamis, Vegetables and Olives, Muhallabiyeh - Tuesday - Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
Breakfast: Breakfast Veggie Crinkle, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Spanish "Foolish Eggs," Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Spanish Mushrooms, Torta Dominguera - Wednesday
Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Peanut Drizzle, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Mexican Garlic Soup with Oregano and Fried Tortilla Strips, Salad, Fruit Plate - Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Cottage Cheese with Avocado, Cucumber, Cherry Tomatoes and Cracked Black Pepper, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Cheese Zombies, Green Salad, Chocolate Mint Cookies - Friday
Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Fruit, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Seafood and Scallion Pajeon with Dipping Sauce, Kimchi, Rice, Fruit Plate - Saturday - Feast of Saint Laurence
Breakfast: Overnight Slow Cooker French Toast, Fruit, Milky Tea
Dinner: Salmon Cakes, Portuguese Carrot Salad, Fruit Plate
Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Saturday, August 03, 2024
Recipe Round Up: Chocolate Mint Cookies
These unassuming little cookies are quite delicious and simple to make. Their inspiration was really a deadline for a bake sale and a plethora of mint chips in our freezer. They are super simple, coming together much like chocolate chip cookies, and are a great treat for any time.
2 cups pastry flour
2/3 cups cocoa powder (preferably dark/Dutch processed cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
3 eggs
2 cups mint chips (or mint chocolate chips)
Everyone in America knows how to make drop cookies, but just in case: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line several cookie sheets/jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
Whisk together pastry flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, cream butter with both sugars, until light and frothy. Add in vanilla extract, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in mint chips.
Scoop by 2 tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined pans, about two inches apart (I really put them about an inch and a half apart and they're fine). Bake for 9 - 12 minutes. Let cool a couple minutes on the pan, then remove to cooling rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container. If you have any left. This makes about 4 dozen cookies, give or take a few.
Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen
