So, I've changed locations for a little bit. I'm still working on Prettyish Wilderness, but I'm on the picot bind off and have found the right spot for the beads, finally. This will go to my auntie here.

Where is here? Jeddah, Saudi Arabia For the first time in 46 years, I am visiting here again. There are some relatives who haven't seen me since then, some have seen me more recently, and some even further back than that.

This was my first view of the Red Sea!

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:47 PM 0 comments

Blessed Fast! Happy New Year! Advent is not too long this year, though we are approaching the longer times next year and the year after.

Because of our evening church situation, we are a bit more lax on the fast on Sundays than we otherwise might be. You may see dairy on weekends and major feasts, and on some weekdays in the first part of Advent. Also, the Advent fast is a little lighter, in general, as there are many fish days, and more wine and oil days. We try to fast within our strength and do the best we can, knowing that the point is the spiritual training and not the fast itself. The fast was given to us as an exercise and blessing. The only reason I share how we fast is so you know what to expect from meals and recipes during this time, if you are looking for ideas, or if you need to avoid some of the things we will be eating.

The West's fast is more lenient and shorter than the East's, anyway. Our family walks the line between those. Our general rule is close to the Orthodox, but we will relax more for Saints Barbara and Nicholas, and on Sundays, except for the final two weeks of Advent. We will be avoiding meat, fish (most days), eggs and dairy (with the exceptions I mentioned already), wine and olive oil on most weekdays. Shellfish is always permitted, so when we find that at a good price, we definitely eat it. I share this with you as an encouragement. We strive within our strength, and our family situation. We have discussed how to handle this with our priests and our local priests, and are considering also people we feed who don't generally follow the fast as much. Fasting and abstinence are such good tools that God gives us through the Church, and I encourage you to try to fast with the Church. It is not as useful to pick and choose, but rather to strive for your church's rule with such accomodations as necessary for health, age, and situation. Talk to your priest. If you don't have a priest, find one and talk to him.

This week has two major feast days in it, which makes the entrance into Advent a little easier. This is a blessing to us. Another blessing is that our tomatoes that were pulled from the garden and put in our honey room are still ripening and so we are still getting fresh tomatoes. That is a treat in December. Our home is well stocked and we will not have to buy a lot of groceries, except for some produce, dairy products, and cleaning and pet supplies. That will make our life simpler, as well. One of the ways the fast teaches us is by forcing us to pare down our lives a little.

Please pray for a holy Advent for us. I pray that your fast will be fruitful, and that you welcome the Christ Child in your heart and home, and prepare for His coming in glory!

• Sunday - First Sunday of Advent
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Nut Raisin Bread with Cream Cheese, Bacon, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Parish Providing Dinner
• Monday
  Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetable Frittata, Green Salad, Bread, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Cod in Cream, Baked Potatoes, Sliced Watermelon, Applesauce for Jerome
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Dried Fruit and Brown Sugar, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Shorbat 'Addas, Bread, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saints Barbara and Clement of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Winter Squash, Potatoes and Onions, Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Saffron Buns for St. Barbara's Day
• Friday
  Breakfast: Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas' Day, Chocolate, Fruit and Nuts, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra
  Breakfast: Initial Cookies, Chocolate, Nuts, Oranges, Pomegranates, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tacos de Papa, Avocado Relish, Leftover Beans, Salsa Rice, Frozen Fruit Salad

Labels: Advent, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:41 AM 0 comments

Well, Prettyish Wilderness isn't finished yet, but I hope to have it finished in time to at least block in when I arrive. The bear paw mitts are finished now, and ready for our Old Calendar Christmas with Dominic and Shawn. I will be doing a lot of knitting on the plane, including that jaunty little scarfette I've started.

Also, we had our early Thanksgiving this past weekend and got to see Dominic, Shawn, and Winifred, who is smiling and laughing and has the best dimples ever! This didn't leave as much knitting time as I wanted, but holding Winnie was. way better. We had to say goodbye to them yesterday, but will see them again in January.

As we are all getting ready for holidays, I am offering 25 patterns for 25% off through November 26, 2025, at the end of the day (PST). I have a sale bundle both on Ravelry and on PayHip. Both use the same coupon code, ChristmasJoy, which can be used on any and all of the patterns in the bundle.

I am also holding a Small Business Saturday Sale between the beginning of the day on November 29 through the end of the day December 1, 2025, PST. The coupon code Gratitude will give you $5.00 off a one time purchase of $6.00 or more on Ravelry, and $4.00 off a purchase of $5.00 or more on PayHip.

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, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

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

Blessed feast! Today we remember that Christ is King as the Church year ends. It is a Western, relatively new (instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925), feast that we love. Even the older liturgical calendars emphasize His kingship on this day, so it is really a celebration of what was already remembered. In our world today, that is more important than ever.

This is what Pope Pius XI had to say about its importance:

“If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God.”

Pious tradition in the Catholic and Anglican worlds is to start preparations for your Christmas cake or pudding, too. Because the collect begins with "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord," and continues with "that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded," it serves both as a spiritual reminder and a fun one for Christmas preparations. We are plenteously rewarded when Christmas Day comes and our cake or pudding is ready. As I am away, and am the fruitcake maker, there will be no stirring up or Christmas cake baking this week.

Advent in the West begins later than it does for the East. It is more a Saint Andrew's fast than a Saint Philip's fast. Again, it is a grace from God that it is shorter. We have had so many challenges, so beginning the fasting season more easily, and with a shorter fast is a blessing. The Advent fast is a little lighter until the last week and a half of it. We are still permitted fish, wine and oil on most days, and we, as a family will be having dairy and may be having fish on the weekends to accomodate others and permit some shared hospitality with a culture that doesn't really observe any spiritual preparation or penitence before the Nativity.

As for me, because of my travels and because of the people hosting me, I will be suspending my fast, and simply doing the best I can do. Missing Advent observances with the family is one of the hard parts of my trip, actually. They have said they will facetime me when they do the evening readings and prayers with the Advent wreath and candles. I am so grateful for our electronic and internet connections that keep us in touch.

Because of our situation with church, we do not keep the fast as completely on Sundays, and so there will not only be fish on those days, but possibly meat. The parish is being so gracious in taking over meals while I am gone. Even tonight, I am doing fairly minimal cooking while they do the bulk of it. Since we had our family Thanksgiving yesterday, we are eating all the lovely leftovers this week. So, even my dinner tonight is made up of foods we have already prepared.

Again, please pray for our family as we get ready for a short separation. I'm so happy to have another year with all of our kids around our Thanksgiving table. One day that will not be the case, and we are prepared for it, but I am happy to have them here now.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Christ the King
  Breakfast: Pie and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Casserole, Salads and Sides brought by Parishioners, Leftover Pies
• Monday - Feast of Saint Clement, Pope
  Breakfast: Leftovers and Snack Tray, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini (Small Gluten-Free Pan for Jerome), Green Salad, Leftover Pie
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: After Thanksgiving Soup, Leftover Sweet Potato Rolls, Leftover Pie
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta Trapanese (Gluten-Free for Jerome), Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Thanksgiving
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Salsa, Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Bissilla, Rice, Leftover Desserts
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free Tortillas for Jerome), Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Dirty Eggs, Toast, Bacon or Sausage, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham and Pinto Beans, Gluten-Free Cornbread, Last of the Leftover Desserts

Labels: Christ the King, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:41 AM 0 comments

Our early Thanksgiving is this weekend, and I am super excited, but also a bit stressed about it. I have made this meal every year except for one in 29 years, but somehow making it a few days earlier is throwing me off a bit. I'm even having our guests bring most of the side dishes. We will have it and enjoy it.

This week, Jerome gets to eat soft food with chewing! I am so excited. He still can't eat crunchy foods yet, but is looking forward to eating more normally. I'm giving up my control on the meal and all the salads and vegetable side dishes are being handled by our guests. They are bringing the hors-d'oeuvres and sparkling cider, too. Someone may be making a gluten-free dessert, as well. This year's new pie experiment is the maple sugar pie. We really loved the pear mincemeat pies last year, but I'm not sure if I can get decent pears right now. I will have to think ahead a bit next year so we can have it again.

We are all looking forward to seeing our family this weekend. Dominic and Shawn are coming with Winifred, Alexander and Autumn will be here with their girls, and we will have some family friends and church family over to share in our feast. Winnie just started smiling, and we are thrilled to see her do it in person!

Our church family is really taking care of so much for us Sunday evenings, and will be doing all of it while I am gone so Rich can only worry about the kids and the service. This trip is the longest I have ever been away from Rich since we've been married, and this is the longest I've ever been away from the kids. I'm super excited for the things I will see and experience, but a little sad that they will be missing out on my adventures. I will take plenty of photos, but they aren't exactly the same. Please pray for them while they try to manage everything without me - especially for Rich!

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Margaret of Scotland
  Breakfast: Saudi Masoub, Fruit, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Carne Guisada, Salsa Rice, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit/Dessert
• Monday - Feast of Saint Hugh of Lincoln
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit Platter
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Leftover Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins (Scrambled Eggs for Jerome), Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: H'ejazi Mqalqal, Rice, Duqqus, Pluots (Applesauce for Jerome)
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
  Breakfast: Vegetable Potato Hash Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Pluots, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Sausage Patties, Home Fries, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roast Racks of Lamb, Basmati Rice, Roasted Cauliflower, Basbousa
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful, Duqqus, Toast, Fruit Plate, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mejeddarah, Crisp Onions, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Blintz Casserole with Sour Cream and Raspberry Preserves, Farmer's Breakfast Casserole with Hot Sauce, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Devilled Eggs, Herb Roasted Turkey with Bourbon Gravy, Wild Rice Dressing, Sweet Potato Rolls, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Salad, Corn Dish, Green Vegetable Dish, Side Dish with Peppers, Apple Pies, Pumpkin Pies, Pumpkin Custard for Jerome, Maple Sugar Pies, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies, Key Lime Pies (one GF for Jerome), Marionberry Pie, Cranberry Cherry Pies, Nantucket Cranberry Pies, Wine, Sparkling Cider

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen, Thanksgiving

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:40 AM 0 comments

Progress is being made on both Prettyish Wilderness and on Katrin. The ship has sailed on having the pattern ready for this year, there was just too much for me to do in preparation for my trip, but I hope to have it all written and edited, and ready for tech editing in the new year.

Nothing has moved on the bear paws, which I need to get on right away. I'd like to be able to put them to bed and have them set aside for Winnie's Christmas. Between the tedium and my aging eyes, I have to work on it in full light when I am not tired at all.

Speaking of gifts, I have decided that I suddenly have more time to knit than I ever have before, and that I am faster than I ever have been. So, I'm trying to make a ton of small gifts. I've made no promises, but we'll see how far I get. In my defense, there will be plenty of time in transit for me to knit. Against me, however, is that I'm trying to make most of them before I even leave. I also plan to make at least one crocheted snowflake with some little charms I have attached to them.

My copy of This Is Marketing was returned to the library before I finished it. I've been listening to the Harry Potter series with my husband at night while I wait for my book to return to me from its hold.

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, Family, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:23 PM 0 comments

We are quickly approaching Thanksgiving and we will get to have our whole family around the table, which is wonderful. We will have some friends, as well. Since we are having it earlier than the holiday, I feel a bit more pressure about it, but it will be delicious and good, no matter what.

There is so much for me to do as I prepare for leaving the family for my trip. I am menu planning meals that will be easy for them to make, making sure there are assignments ready, and trying to get everything finished for our church and co-op that need to be in place while I am gone and before I get back. Plus packing and getting things together for travel. It's a lot.

Our really good news is that Jerome will be able to eat our Thanksgiving meal with little difficulty. He will be able to chew, though still told not to eat crunchy foods. Our friends will be bringing the vegetable side dishes, as well as hors-d'oeuvres like devilled eggs, and sparkling cider.

Our church will be handling the meals after liturgy entirely while I am gone, so Rich can focus on the things he needs to do at home and with the services. Tonight, they are bringing all the sides and any dessert for us. We are so grateful for their love to us and our parish in their service.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake, Milk, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Herb Roasted Pork Loin, Sides/Salads/Desserts brought by Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Applesauce, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit Platter
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Martin of Tours
  Breakfast: Saint Martin's Day Almond Crescents (Eggs for Jerome), Bacon, Pluots, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta bi Siniyeh, Basmati Rice, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Potato Hash Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mejeddarah, Crisp Onions, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Coconut, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Ottoman with Rice, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey, Sliced Apples/Applesauce for Jerome, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Çilbir, Persian Barbari Bread, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Carne Guisada, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Fruit Plate

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:23 PM 0 comments

I am not as far along on my projects as I wished to be, but I am making progress. There was a little backtracking on Prettyish Wilderness, but I am back on track now, and I want to have it finished before I leave on my trip late this fall (imagine it is another section larger than it is in this picture - that's where I was before I had to go back). I do love this shawl, and really hope its recipient will love it, too. There isn't a lot of time to work on my projects before my trip, so I am modifying my plans. I wanted so badly to have so many hand made gifts ready, and I'm not sure that will happen. So, instead, I am looking for other gifts and working on the priority ones now. No snowflakes have even been begun.

Al-Qidyssat Katrin min al-Iskandaria is well on her way. I really love the yarn, as well as the growing design. Enough people have asked me to regrade Saint Catherine of Alexandria for women, and it has been on my list forever, so now I am so glad to be making it. This cache-coeur, a hidden heart, with a heart on its back, a cross (your heart) between a shawl and a cardigan seems like the perfect knitting project for the blustery fall days.

Also, do you see that delightful bear paw mitt? It is the most tedious thing I've done in a while, but I am getting there. All the bits are knit. I need to attach all the rest of the paw pads on the other mitt still. I take it slowly, to relieve the tedium.

My reading consists of a book on marketing in the social media world. That sounds super boring, but I've actually found it really interesting. The author comes from a place of respect for clients and customers, and I really appreciate that. So, if you are interested in that kind of thing, pick up a copy of This Is Marketing.

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, Family, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:58 PM 0 comments

On this final day of the feasts and commemorations of Hallowtide, we pray for all our friends and family who have passed, whether we know them to be in faith or not. We ask for God's mercy and justice and that He bring them to His throne. We have no other major feasts this week, and only one big event during the week, which makes our quotidian life a little easier.

Tonight at church, the bishop will be there, along with a priest from the Sudanese church and some of his parishioners, and our deacon. We are having a feast and the parish is really stepping up to bring a lovely spread to celebrate with our clergy.

This is the final week of our homeschool co-op, and we have a lovely potluck planned for our end of session. Since I am still making too much food with another bird out of the nest, I have two days of leftovers planned this week. Lately, it's been once a week, but I know I will be tired after the potluck and just going to use the leftovers for our dinner, and we can supplement with fruit and so on.

Our meals this week are mostly Arabic and Indian in style, but this morning's breakfast was all American. Well, Rich says that by sautéeing peppers and onions and garlic, using hot peppers at all, and fresh tomatoes made it a little less American, but we did eat it with tortilla chips and Doritos, so that saved it. Even if we actually used crema instead of sour cream.

My trip is coming up soon, and I am busy trying to plan meals for the whole time I am gone, so it is simpler for the kids and Rich. I have told him that he will have to make the Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas' Day that I normally make. I am going to miss nearly all of Advent with the family, though they said they would facetime me for morning prayers and our evening Advent wreath lighting and prayers. Please pray for us all, for my safe travel, for the family at home, and that all goes well and smoothly.

• Sunday - Memorial of All Souls
  Breakfast: Nacho Breakfast, Milk, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Garlic Rib Roast, Scalloped Potatoes, Arabic Style Rice Pilaf, Three Green Salads, Macaroni Salad, Fried Chicken, Brie and Crackers, Vegetable Plates, Fruit Plates, Spice Cake, Leftover Halloween Chocolate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Steak and Eggs, Sliced Watermelon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit Platter
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Coconut, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Saleeq, Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill, Pluots
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Onion Curry, Basmati Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Leftover Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins (Scrambled Eggs for Jerome), Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mughlai Paneer Curry, Basmati Rice, Pluots
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey, Sliced Apples, (Fruit Yogurt for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers from Co-Op Potluck
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Sausage Patties, Home Fries, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lebanese Roasted Stuffed Onions, Basmati Rice, Duqqus, Mafrouka

Labels: All Saints, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:22 PM 0 comments

Zaalouk

This is a Moroccan eggplant salad. I know it doesn't seem like it is to the Western eye, perhaps, but as salad (like salsa, sausage, and so many other words we get from the Latin sal), simply means salted, that is what this is. In the Middle East, a salad can simply be something eaten with a meal. So, my laban bi chiyar is a salad, though it is quite wet from the yogurt. This dish is a warm salad or side dish, and it is delicious that way, but we often make a larger quantity of it, and serve with bread and rice and salad (they way you might think of a salad) and fruit for an amazing, and Lenten, meal.

2 1/4 pounds of eggplant
Olive oil for frying the eggplant and for finishing the salad
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger (or replace both garlic and ginger with 3 tablespoons garlic ginger paste)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher flake salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
juice of half a lemon
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced

Peel the eggplant and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a strainer over a dish and toss with salt to drain excess liquid and remove bitterness. Heat a heavy based pot over medium high heat. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into the pot when it is hot and stir in the eggplant cubes, browning, in batches, if necessary. Remove all eggplant from pot.

Add a little more olive oil, the garlic and ginger, and cook for around 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, and pepper flakes and bloom the spices in the hot oil for 10 seconds before quickly adding the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.

Return eggplant to the pot, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. The eggplant should now be fully cooked and tender but should not have disintegrated. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon.

Spanish Style Fish Stew

This is so lovely and simple to make. It is truly delicious, and it is wonderful for a weeknight dinner, or a fish meal during Lent. We rarely have any left over, but it can be gently heated on the stove for lunch the next day. You can adjust the fish and shellfish to what you like or have on hand, we often shift around the ratios based on what we have, as long as you end up with the same volume as the recipe states. This soup tastes remarkably fresh, even when you use previously frozen fish or shellfish (which we do on a regular basis). This recipe serves eight, but is good the next day. It can easily be cut in half, however, if necessary.

4 tablespoons olive oil
6 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
28 ounces canned, diced tomatoes
4 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
2 pounds cod (or any other firm, white, sea fish) fillets, fresh (or frozen and defrosted)
2 pounds shrimp or scallops
2 bay leaves
juice and zest of 2 lemons plus another lemon or two cut into wedges, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
large bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, paprika, and smoked paprika. Cook stirring until onions are softened, and spices are fragrant about 5 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, with their liquid to the pan along with the potatoes, and bay leaves. Turn heat to medium-high, cover pan and allow to cook until potatoes are tender about 15 minutes.

Add cod, cover and cook for 3 minutes more. Scatter shrimp or scallops over top, cook another 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and cod flakes with a fork.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice and zest, and parsley. Serve hot with lemon wedges and crusty bread for sopping up the delicious broth.

Pasta with Clam Sauce

This is another quick meal. It uses canned clams, though fresh would be delightful. I make it either with butter (not during Lent/Advent) or with olive oil on weekends during the Lenten fasts. It is another easy to throw together meal that tastes wonderful, and is good enough for company. Add a salad, some bread, and fruit or dessert, and you are set.

16 ounces spaghetti (can use up to 1 1/2 pounds of pasta if needed)
Salt for pasta water
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or red pepper flakes)
4 (6-ounce)cans minced clams, including the liquid
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more, to serve
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full, rolling boil. While the water is heating, prepare the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, stir to avoid pasta sticking, and set your timer for 1 minute less than the recommended time. Cook the spaghetti uncovered in vigorously boiling water. While the spaghetti cooks, prepare the clam sauce.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the Aleppo pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic just is on the edge of browning. Add the white wine to the pan. Open the cans of clams and squeeze out the clam juice from the cans into the pan as well. Raise the temperature to high and let boil sauce the sauce reduces as the spaghetti cooks. (Put pan on largest burner on high heat to help the sauce reduce more quickly).

As the spaghetti is finishing its cooking, the sauce should be reduced by about two-thirds. Add the chopped clams, and return to a simmer. Then stir in the minced parsley and the lemon zest.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and place it in a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and toss to combine. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with a little more fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.

Shawerma Spice Blend

This is a basic spice blend for shawerma. In general, I use a different one for lamb, but this is excellent for poultry. It works well on red meat, as well, and I use it to season ground meat as a sausage, or on vegetables for a little extra kick.

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your tastes)
1 1/2 teaspoons onion granules
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic granules
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I prefer Ceylon)
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground clove

Mix all spices together and store in a tightly sealed jar.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:56 AM 0 comments

We are entering the three day observance of Hallowtide. While there is fun with Halloween (Hallow's Even), we also remember those of our Christian brethren who have gone before us and are praying at the throne of God on the Feast of All Saints. We pray for the souls of all who have died and ask God to save them on the Commemoration of All Souls (on Sunday, November 2). The dates for these are different in the East than in the West, but that difference was observed even when the Church was unified.

We have had an extended fall here, so while we still have mornings below freezing, our daytime temperatures are still liveable, and our trees didn't get suddenly frozen before they could change colors. I am trying to appreciate that. Fall is difficult for me here, as it is a reminder of the impending misery of winter.

Because of that extended season, though, we have been able to continue putting more food up than we normally can at this time of year. That is a blessing. It is good to remember those blessings. In honor of that harvest time, we are hosting another Melting Pot-Luck as our way of propagating positive interactions with our neighbors. I'm not making the German food this time, just the Arabic food: Waraq 'Ounab, Baba Ghanooj, Khoubz Araby, Duqqus, and maybe Basbousa.

Jerome will be with some friends a state over this weekend, so we are a little freer to make foods with gluten and that don't need to be easily eaten by someone on a no-chew diet. I am also getting ready for a long trip. It is the longest I've ever been away from the kids and longer than Rich and I have been apart since we were married. I'm super excited, though sad that we couldn't manage to bring everyone. Anyway, I'm preparing the house, meal planning, showing Rich how I do the shopping and why, as well as trying to have things ready for the kids while I am gone. I will be home for Christmas, but Rich is taking care of a lot that I normally do. We are having our Thanksgiving dinner the Saturday before Thanksgiving, because of the preparations I need to make for my trip, though. Please pray for safe travel, for my family while I am gone, and that all goes well for everyone.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Breakfast Burritos, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Eggplant and Lamb Casserole with Yogurt Topping, Baba Ghanooj and Tamis, Sides/Salads/Desserts from Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars and Yogurt, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Pineapple
• Tuesday - Feast of Saints Simon and Jude
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Sausage, Toast, Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef, Pepper and Eggplant Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Grapefruit Halves, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Zaalouk*, Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Cheese, Home Fries, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabic Beef and Vegetable Soup, Tamis, Pluots
• Friday - Vigil of All Hallows' Eve
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Cauliflower and Eggplant, Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Pluots
• Saturday - Feast of All Saints
  Breakfast: Apple Bourbon French Toast, Sausage Patties, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pepperoni, Pepper, Pineapple, Olive, Red Onion and Tomato Pizzas (GF Pizza Soup for Jerome) and Leftovers from our Melting Pot-Luck

Labels: All Saints, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:00 PM 0 comments

These are so simple to make, and delicious! They make a good side dish, salad, or topping for sandwiches.

1 large red onion, sliced paper thin
1 bunch parsley, finely minced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
juice of one lemon, strained
1 1/2 tablespoon ground sumac (plus more, if you like)
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional, but wonderful)

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to blend. Let sit for 2 - 3 minutes.

Taste, and season with more ground sumac, if necessary. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes before serving.

Three Layer Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

This triple layer cake is one of a few cakes I rotate through for my birthday cakes. It is a perfect mix of flavor and texture. This cake combines multiple types of dessert in one: Vanilla cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and a gorgeous ganache. Making it is really a matter of timing, but doesn't take too much time, even so. To make things easier, make the cheesecake and crust on one day and the mousse and ganache on the next day. Cheesecake lasts longer than mousse. Refrigerated, this cake will last up to 3 days but is best eaten the day it is made.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups very finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs (one sleeve of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers or equivalent amount of chocolate graham crackers) - you can pulse in a food processor to crush
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but it does intensify the chocolate flavor)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Make Crust: Pre-heat oven to 400˚F. Set aside a 9-inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar and espresso powder until blended. I do this by pulsing the sugar and espresso powder into the food processor bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and mix (or pulse) until well blended and crumbs are evenly moist. Turn out the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set on a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300˚F.

Make Filling and Bake: Mix the sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and salt until very smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl and paddle frequently (and with each subsequent addition). Add the sugar and continue beating until well blended and smooth. Beat in the sour cream mixture until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just blended. (Don't overbeat the filling once the eggs have been added or the cheesecake will puff too much). Pour the filling over the cooled crust, spread evenly, and smooth the top.

Bake at 300˚F until the center barely jiggles when nudged, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. The cake will be slightly puffed, perhaps with a few little cracks around the edge. Let cool to room temperature on a rack, then refrigerate until well chilled, at least a few hours, or overnight for the best texture and flavor.

Chocolate Mousse:
6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped (use good chocolate)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
3 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, and place over a saucepan containing barely simmering water, use a double boiler, or heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Melt the chocolate and butter together and stir with a whisk until smooth. Add in the espresso powder. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Add the egg yolks to the chocolate, one at a time, beating with a whisk until incorporated. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and continue to beat. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Beat heavy cream in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters until it begins to foam and thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.

Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse but make sure you blend in the cream well. Place the mousse on top of the cooled cheesecake while still in the springform pan.

Cover the mousse covered cheesecake with foil, being careful to not let it touch the mousse.

If making the ganache immediately, place mousse covered cheesecake in the freezer as you make the ganache (the cheesecake should NOT be in the freezer for more than 30 minutes). If making the ganache later, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for a few hours. Either way, the ganache must be cooled before it can be poured on top of the cheesecake.

Ganache:
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or fruit liqueur (I like to use Chambord)

Either heat the cream with the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler, or in a microwave for about a minute and a half. Allow to melt the chocolate without disturbing at first (if using the microwave, you will have to stir a little to see if the chocolate is softened, and if it needs more time, use 30 second increments, so as not to burn the chocolate). Whisk the mixture when the chocolate is entirely soft, and keep whisking long past when you think you have ruined it. It will appear like a wet mess at first, then granular, then it will become glossy and thick. Add vanilla extract, or flavored liqueur at this point and whisk it in as well. Allow to cool almost to room temperature (at least 15 minutes). Pour over chilled mousse covered cheesecake. Chill until ready to serve.

To Serve: Unclasp the pan's ring, remove it, and run a long thin metal spatula under the bottom crust. Carefully slide the cake onto a flat serving plate. Run a thin knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the cake into slices, heating and wiping the knife as needed. I like to serve this with raspberries.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:29 AM 0 comments

It was Amelia's third birthday this past weekend, and I was able to give her her sweater, and she loved it! It made me so happy to see her enjoy it. She told me the bows on the cuffs were like butterflies! There are pictures of her in it which show the scallops better, but I loved her impish delight in this picture (I have permission to share her photos here, and limited permission to share pictures of Winifred - just so you know why the photos I have shared are oriented the way they are).

The bear paw mittens are made (again) and I think they are finally the way I want them. I will work on the claws and pads this week. This is the fifth or sixth iteration of the mittens, though. I will use the same dark brown wool for the claws and pads as I did in the sweater. (That giant flower is one of three from a centerpiece I won at a work related dinner with Rich last night - we also came home with ten! bottles of wine from that dinner).

I began both Al Qidyssat Katrin min al-Iskandaria (Saint Catherine of Alexandria) and Prettyish Wilderness this past week. Well, I restarted the first, and began the latter. I really like the gray of Katrin. It is purple based and has some beige and tan and a little pink in it, so it isn't so one dimensional. The pinks and champagnes in the yarn for the shawl is quite feminine and delightful. Both of these are intended for some of my extended family members. The mittens should be finished by this weekend, I think, and then I will focus more on these two. Prettyish Wilderness will be my evening and weekend knitting.

I read The Rushworth Family Plot and enjoyed it, with the same issues I have had with the other books. She slams modernism into the story, and dithers about whether or not using the words slave and slave holder is too triggering, while missing things like how calling a woman Mrs. Caroline Allerdyce (or Mrs. Fanny Bertram, etc.) would be presenting her as a divorced woman in that time. Even though there were people who dissented from the moral and social norms of the regency era, we know that they did not speak and act the way she portrays. The author simply does not trust her readers to come to the "right" conclusions so has to stop story telling to lecture. She simply cannot help herself, it seems, and also tends to force modernist thinking into all the stories. It constantly takes you out of the world she is creating and the time she is representing, so you never fully forget you are reading a story, and never simply become a part of it. All that said, I still do enjoy the intertwining of the characters from Jane Austen's novels, the futures we get to imagine in these books, and especially the characters of Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy (though I think the autism angle is a bit over the top and forced, much like the rest of the modernist ideals she overlays on the story elsewhere). These books are fiction, and supposed to be stories rather than sermons. I wish modern authors spent as much time on the story telling as they do on moralizing. It is quite possible to get the moral across without being didactic.

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, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:34 PM 0 comments

We have a fun beginning to our week, with Amelia's birthday. The rest of the week is full of school and housework and eye appointments. Such is life. The cold is setting in, and I am trying to accept that with peace.

Since Jerome is still on his soft food, no chew diet, and I'm trying not to make entirely different meals, we are also eating mostly soft foods (though we eat our fruit whole, and have parts of meals which are different than his). It looks like, if all goes well, he will be able to eat more normally by Thanksgiving. We are praying for no more set backs, and he is being especially cautious because of having had to go back into the hospital for another surgery once. This is one prayer concern. Another has to do with a family member in trouble. God knows the trouble, but in your mercy would you pray for this person in our family, as well.

The harvest season is basically over here. We are putting up what we can, and enjoying the end of the harvest. We've already had a week or more of temperatures below freezing in the mornings, and I'm trying to bear it. Please pray for me.

In the meantime, Rich has been working on our oven and stove, so it is all working correctly again. The folks at church have taken over the meal for tonight, which is wonderful. I certainly appreciate their generosity.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Potluck Trapeza, Bring Chicken and Rice, Grapes
  Dinner: Green Chile Chicken Posole, Tortilla Chips, Lime and Cilantro, Sliced Watermelon
• Monday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars and Yogurt, Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sauerbraten, Sour Cream Egg Noodles, Pluots
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, Chopped Tomatoes and Cucumbers, Kalamata Olives, Toast, Plums (Applesauce for Jerome)
  Dinner: Thai Style Ginger Chicken with Eggplant, Jasmine Rice, Pluots
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Grapefruit Halves, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Persian Eggplant Stew, Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday - Feast of Saint James of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Feta, Home Fries, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese (GF Cheese Sauce over Baked Potato for Jerome), Sliced Watermelon
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey (Strawberry Yogurt for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Mahshi, Rice, Duqqus, Plums
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Turkish Menemen, Shawerma Spiced Sausage Patties, Toast, Pluots, Mint Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabic Beef and Vegetable Soup, Baba Ghanooj, Tamis, Sliced Watermelon

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:56 AM 0 comments

Crossandra is finished! Well, I still need to weave in ends and block it. When I can share a picture of Amelia in it, I will.

The bear paw mittens are knit, but I might have to make them a touch longer, so they will fit her in the winter, before making the paw embellishments and claw embroidery. In fact, I might just make a whole new pair of mittens, and save these for another baby at another time.

I'll be casting on Saint Catherine of Alexandria again tonight or tomorrow. If you are interested in beta knitting this design (which is a regrade for women's sizing of the pattern I made for babies and children), please let me know. I will have a beta knit as soon as I have the sample made and the pattern back from my technical editor. Because of when I want to release the pattern, the beta will not require you to make the entire garment, but there will be bonuses for those who do.

I've finished 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is, of course, a subjective list, and certainly not inclusive of all things which we've lost or which have changed, but her insights into what is gone and how it has changed our world is the best part.

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. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:32 AM 0 comments

We have another busy week ahead of us. Tuesday is the anniversary of our first date, and Rich and I will have our own celebration. It's been 31 years! There is also a set of meetings Rich has out of town, and I will be coming with him for the day and get some knitting time in as well as running errands in places we don't have here. Sadly, one of our events this week is the memorial for a dear man who was involved in the air show here. He is missed by all who know him.

Harvest season is wrapping up here, and we are so blessed. I've made and canned enough salsa for us for about three months, and I will be making more this week. The weather has turned, though, and we wake up cold now. I'm trying to appreciate that we had such a long and beautiful fall, but the winter is creeping in now.

We attended the Anglican Diocesan Synod and returned yesterday in time to attend our pregnancy resource center dinner. What an inspiring speaker we had! We are so encouraged and continue to pray for those in crisis pregnancies.

We so appreciate your prayers for Jerome. This surgery was much less complicated and went more smoothly, but it is still surgery, exhausting, and comes with its own privations and difficulties. Please pray for him any time you think of us.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Cornbread, Grapes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hot Chicken Salad, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts
• Monday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars and Yogurt, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: H'ejazi Mqalqal, Roasted Cauliflower, Rice, Duqqus, Sliced Nectarines
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Salatat Battatas ou Bayd, Tamis or Persian Barbari Bread, Strawberry Yogurt for Jerome, Plums, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Saleeq, Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill, Nectarines
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Tomato Dal, Spiced Roasted Cauliflower, Basmati Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Vegetable Breakfast Hash, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Split Pea Soup with Ham, Tri-Colored Braided Bread, Fruit Plate (Apricot Sauce for Jerome)
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey (Strawberry Yogurt for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Persian Eggplant Stew, Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Green Chile Pork Stew, Rice, Plums (Applesauce for Jerome)

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Romance and Relationship, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:20 AM 0 comments

After starting and restarting the bear paw mittens over four times, I finally got a grip on the sizing and increasing/decreasing. I hope to have them mostly finished by this weekend.

Crossandra is also almost finished. We have a church synod this weekend, and I should have a lot of knitting time there, which will be great for all that i-cord I need to make on the sleeves. It needs to be finished by the end of next week, ends woven in, washed and blocked, all of it, for Amelia's birthday.

Technically, I have begun Saint Catherine. However, I am not happy with the fabric, so I will be restarting it with smaller needles. That will also require recalculating the numbers for all the different sizes, though.

One more reminder, that since I finished Saint Patrick, I am seeking beta knitters. If you are interested in beta knitting this shawl, I would love your help. Please e-mail me for more information.

I'm about 40% through 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet. Since each chapter is a short essay on that one thing we have lost, it is a pretty quick read, and easy to pick up and put down at night. What I appreciate the most is her reasoning behind what we have lost and what it has done now.

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. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:54 PM 0 comments

This is yet another busy week for us. Jerome heads in to surgery again, not as extensively, but still rough. Alexander has his birthday this week, and the diocese for our Anglican parish is holding its synod this week.

We will be back to a no chew diet for Jerome, which is hard, but we hope this will be the end of the surgeries. Since he and Rich won't be here for dinner tomorrow night, I am making something that Jerome can't eat and something that Rich won't like, but the rest of us will like. The meals for the rest of the week are all either suitable for Jerome's diet or adaptable to it.

Again, we welcome your prayers, and hope you have a wonderful week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Waffles and Cider Syrup, Bacon, Plums, Coffee, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Cottage Pie, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts
• Monday - Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Guiness Beef Pot Pie, Salad with French Herb Vinaigrette, Theodore Roosevelt's Clove Cake
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Raisins and Cinnamon, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Cauliflower, Bacon and Cheese Soup, Plums
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos (Hash Mashed for Jerome) with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Tomato Dal, Roasted Cauliflower, Basmati Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday - Feast of Saint James, Apostle, son of Alphaeus
  Breakfast: Salatat Battatas ou Bayd, Tamis or Persian Barbari Bread, Strawberry Yogurt for Jerome, Plums, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Split Pea Soup with Ham, Tri-Colored Braided Bread, Fruit Plate (Apricot Sauce for Jerome)
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey (Lemon Yogurt for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cuban Black Beans and Rice, Salsa, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Philip, Apostle of the 70
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Green Chile Pork Stew, Rice, Plums (Applesauce for Jerome)

Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 8:50 AM 0 comments

She was beautiful, of course! I finished the gown in time, and even found the right buttons for it. I started a headband for her based on the gown pattern, because I knew I wouldn't have time to make a bonnet, but didn't get her head measurement in time and just guestimated, so it was too small. It is on Shawn's wrist in that photo.

My other projects are the bear paw mittens (which I have started 4 times!) to match the bear sweater, and finishing Crossandra, which is nearly there. I am finishing off the second sleeve with its box pleat and scallops, then will work the neck and make the little bows on the sleeves. I keep trying to make the mittens too large, but I think I have them at the right size now. The bear sweater and mittens are for Winnie at Christmas, and Crossandra is for Amelia's birthday. I do also want to start both my re-graded Saint Catherine of Alexandria and the Prettyish Wilderness Shawl.

Just a reminder, since I finished Saint Patrick, I am seeking beta knitters. If you are interested in beta knitting this shawl, I would love your help. Please e-mail me for more information.

My reading is slowing down right now, but I am enjoying a book recommended by a friend, 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet. It is a bit nostalgic, a bit revelatory, and has prompted me to think of those things I would reckon as lost from that time before.

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, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:52 PM 0 comments

Since this is late, I'm just hoping it will help people in retrospect. Yasmina will be elsewhere Friday night, so we are taking that opportunity to eat shrimp, as it is not her favorite.

We have Jerome's name day this week, and we are seeking the prayers of both Saint Jerome and you, as we get ready for his next surgery. One of the plates in his jaw has sprung and it will need to be removed and replaced.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Potatoes, Peppers and Onions, Sausages, Toast, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Sandwich, Soup, and Salad Bar, Ice Cream
• Monday - Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Bagels, Figs, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Fried Chicken, Lobster Bisque (for Jerome), Fruit, Vanilla Cake
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Jerome
  Breakfast: Breakfast Hash with Queso Fresco, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Middle Eastern Lamb Bowl with Eggplant and Rice, Duqqus, Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Feta, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Eggplant Shawerma Bowl, Duqqus, Fresh Tomatoes, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Tomatoes, Bacon, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Papas con Chorizo served with Salsa and Sour Cream, Plums and Peaches
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast and Honey (Yogurt and Jam for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Stir Fried Shrimp and Vegetables over Jasmine Rice, Plums and Applesauce for Jerome
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Raisins and Cinnamon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles (GF for Jerome), Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill, Plums

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Name Day, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:05 PM 0 comments

The baptismal gown is knit, with ends woven in, and bathing. There is still blocking to do, and then I will sew on the buttons. She is finished! I will share finished, finished, finished photos after Winnie is baptized.

Next on my list are to knit the bear paw mittens to match the bear sweater, finish Crossandra, start a Prettyish Wilderness shawl (by Linette Grayum) for my aunty, and start the adult sized Saint Catherine (which I hope to have ready for beta in a month or so). I will be casting on the mittens tonight. They might even be finished by the end of tomorrow night or Saturday.

Just a reminder, since I finished Saint Patrick, I am seeking beta knitters. If you are interested in beta knitting this shawl, I would love your help. Please e-mail me for more information.

I've finished The Murder at the Vicarage, and am still reading here and there with other books. The Murder at the Vicarage was such a wonderful book. I've watched the Miss Marple shows and love them, but reading the books is so much better. This will not be my last Miss Marple read. The story has so much more depth than the television renditions, and the characters are much more full.

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, Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:43 AM 0 comments

This is a super busy week for us. We have our homeschool co-op beginning, plus getting ready for Winnie's baptism.

Jerome has had a health setback, as a piece of the hardware in his jaw has popped out and he will need more surgery. It is not as extensive, but is still fairly serious. This also means he is back to a no-chew diet. Please pray for him and for us.

In fact, pray for us in general. There is a lot going on here.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ranchero Beans, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Garlic Bread, Sliced Watermelon
• Monday
  Breakfast: Breakfast Hash, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Ful, Toast, Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Beef, Tomato and Eggplant Skillet, Rice, Moroccan Beet Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Toast with Tomatoes, Za'atar and Olive Oil, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potato Hash, Blueberry Smoothies
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Cereal with Milk, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Friday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Dinner Out at a Lebanese Restaurant
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Sausages, Toasted Bagels, Hot Chocolate and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizza and Salads, Leftovers from Lebanese Restaurant

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:43 PM 0 comments

Since I last participated in Unraveled Wednesday, we had fair week, Winifred was born, Jerome had major jaw surgery, I went down to help Dominic and Shawn and hold Winnie as much as I could, we have gone to a couple weddings, one work trip, it's has been a busy time. What have I done since I last posted? A lot, actually. I finished the bear sweater for Winnie, which is quite appropriate. I will be working on matching mitts for her, too.

I finished Saint Patrick, which will be published in an online magazine in December. If you are interested in beta knitting this shawl, I would love your help. Please e-mail me for more information.

Because of trying to get Saint Patrick ready for photography, I had a late start on the baptismal gown, but I did start it, and I am hustling to finish it. Her baptism is in just over a week! I'm further along than that photo shows, because it is literally all I am knitting at the moment. When I am finished with this, I will start the mitts.

For fair week, our family made a good showing. Rich even entered some of his plants and produce and won first prizes for all but one (second for his Persian basil - we think because they expected it to look like Italian basil). A couple of the girls entered baked goods and received first place, plus some art work which also won almost all first prizes. I entered several baked goods myself, plus a couple of my finished samples from this past year, all with first prize ribbons, as well.

This past month was a good one for my reading! I finished: Taco USA (except for where he tried to write about religion, he really showed a lot of knowledge; his religious knowledge wasn't so great and caused him to make errors of interpretation, as well), The One and Only GooGoosh, Poirot Investigates, Towards Zero (read it, rather than watch the execrable television series), Regency Etiquette (this was delightful!), and The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris (I enjoyed this, but I hated the marital relationship. It didn't have to be the way it was, but it seems that modern authors need to have bad marriages and broken ones in every story). I'm reading a few things now, both fiction and non-fiction. I'm working through the sad, but important, Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, as well as some more Poirot and Miss Marple, as lighter reading when I need a break from the heaviness of the non-fiction.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

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

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 12:36 AM 0 comments

The day after that, I left on a bus for Dominic and Shawn's to make meals, clean up, and hold Winnie. It was a delight, but exhausting. Also, I learned a lot about people on the bus rides to and from their home. While I was gone, Rich was doing a lot, while also trying to be at work, and the kids at home helped with much around the house and with Jerome. Then, Rich and I had a trip to Canon Beach to be there for our godson's wedding, which was also kind of an early anniversary trip for us, because this year won't be an anniversary trip year. Also, a one night work trip the same week.

We are exhausted. In the meantime, some of the kids' classes have started, and we are easing into our school year beginning (which is the end of September). However, their group science class has started, and our co-op begins soon. So, yes, it's a little busy around here.

Our church family has been amazing, making meals, taking care of things while we are gone, looking out for our kids. They are doing so much to relieve pressure and stress for us. They even provided the dinner tonight, so I didn't have to cook any of the things I had planned and could rest on our day of rest.

We have a couple weeks without too much, but Winnie's baptism is coming up, and that will be exciting and beautiful. Please pray for her, her parents, and her godparents. Also, please keep Jerome in prayer. After a month of good recovery, he may have overdone it and has an infection. It is being treated, but that is now his second round of antibiotics in a month.

• Sunday - Feasts of the Elevation of the Holy Cross and Saint John Chrystostom
  Breakfast: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Street Tacos, Caprese Salad, Custard Puddings, Almond Cookies and Peanut Butter Brownies, Plums
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Veggies, Toast, Cantaloupe Balls, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Pork Chile Verde, Mexican Tomato Rice, Pears, Apple Cider Doughnuts and GF Pear Fritters with Cider Glaze
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Feta, Tomatoes, Za’atar and Olive Oil, Toast, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Zurbiyan with Lamb, Duqqus, Mutawam Kusa, Sliced Watermelon
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash with Salsa, Pluots, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Baba Ghanooj, Hummus, Tamis, Sliced Cucumbers, Olives, Moroccan Beet Salad, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Salatat Battatas ou Bayd, Plums, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Pears, Sliced Watermelon
• Friday - Feast of Saint Theodore
  Breakfast: Egyptian Style Ful, Duqqus, Toast, Sliced Cucumbers, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Turkish Menemen, Shawerma Spiced Sausage Patties, Toast, Sliced Cantaloupe, Mint Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: Lebanese Roasted Stuffed Onions, Rice, Mafrouka

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:38 PM 0 comments

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 often 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?

We are still swimming in produce and leftovers. We have boxes of produce all over our house right now, as we preserve and use it for the family. This will be a little more difficult this week, because we have fair, and because we have a complicated medical procedure coming up, too. Please pray for all of us this week.

The fast ends this week, and we are fasting within our strength, but poor Jerome will really be fasting at the end of this week, and especially needs your prayers. Our family diet is going to change substantially for a little while, as he will be on a soft food diet for nearly two months.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Laurence
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Bean and Corn Salad with Avocado, Corn Chips, Watermelon, Pizza, Green Salad, Caprese Salad, Mandarin Oranges, all from Parishioners
• Monday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Portugeuse Spicy Rice, Green Salad, Yellow Watermelon, Leftover Baked Goods from Fair
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Sweet Potato and Hatch Chile Pepper Scramble, Peaches and Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Curried Paneer, Basmati Rice, Watermelon Salad
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Plums, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Moroccan Spiced Vegetables and Chickpeas, Cous Cous (GF for Jerome), Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Apricots
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Friday - Feast of The Dormition of the Theotokos
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Pears, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Cod in Cream, Mashed Potatoes, Sliced Watermelon, Applesauce for Jerome
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Çilbir, Tamis, Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles (GF for Jerome), Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill, Limoncello Crème Brûlée

Labels: Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Family, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 11:46 PM 0 comments