LOA

Corporate speak for Leave Of Absence and in this case open ended.

The Morning Star Sky

Because it was so clear this morning when I stepped outside at 5:30 I saw an incredible number of stars.  So many stars that I wanted to identify some of them.  I first checked the weather page because I thought I had seen that kind of information there.  Nope.  On to googling and this was the most promising site but no luck there either as this was the page that appeared...

Notice: Temporary Shutdown of the Night Sky Network

We at the Night Sky Network regretfully has to pass the news that due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not being updated. We also cannot respond to comments/questions. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.

We look forward to resuming our activities once  federal funding resumes.

Your club's Calendars and resources will continue to work, as well as all resrouces and activities.

Thank you, and we apologives for the inconvenience.

The Night Sky Network Team

My first first-hand experience with the government shutdown.  (I think they were heading out the door as they typed this message.)
 

QOTD

"May your projects be many and your frustrations few"

Kara Peterson

Moda Bake Shop

Just a Top

This top has one of my favorite blocks.  Easy to pick only three colors and easy to sew.  It was a BOM at The Cotton Shop a long time ago and in fact it might have been the first BOM they did.  It was in Country French colors but I enjoyed the individual blocks themselves so much that I made several tops using just one block.

I had the idea that this would be a picnic table cloth, the print is geraniums, but it's been sitting around far too long and it's time to move it out.

A Soft Finish

From concrete to quilts, one more for the cabinet.  Everything from The Stash, even the batting!

The focus fabric was left over from another baby quilt.  I don't even remember what that quilt looked like or who it was for but it was for a baby boy.  I still have two strips left each 6x44-ish so I could cut 14 more squares.  More than a yard of the paw print black and white but no more blue dot.  Maybe I will try green next time.  I have plenty of cheery green in The Stash and who knows, maybe I will run across even more of the dog and cat fabric.

Dirty Boys Day 2

Just waiting.  There's actually quite of bit of waiting that goes on.

I had pictured the big cement truck pumping directly into the driveway but they just connect to the hose on the smaller truck.

Kind of like frosting!

They told me when it was ready to scratch in my message.  Got it first try!

They sprayed on a darker grey colored stain that will be be more noticeable when it is sealed.

Once all the additional trucks arrived the actually pouring and smoothing of the concrete only took 45 minutes.  9 yards of concrete!  More waiting time for it to set up a bit before they could stamp.  Now three weeks to wait until it can be sealed and almost a month before I can drive on it.

For the record, the blog titles have not been a cleanliness assessment of the crew, the company's name is Dirty Boys.

The lawn crew also came last night so we are looking pretty darn spiffy!

Dirty Boys Day 1

The Before  (Road base in the foreground left by the landscaper who never returned to finish the backyard)

Part of the "cheering" section.  Snowball or Spot.  Not pictured is big dog Dylan adding the baritone.

They start with sledge hammers to break up the beginning of the concrete so they can use the machine.

"Wallee".  Pretty amazing!

I was surprised to see them picking up awfully large pieces to toss into the bobcat.  The rebar was a pain.

The rebar needed to be cut up and recycled and they also made a trip to recycle all the concrete.  The boys let me hold on to the Wacker for just a minute.  It vibrates and compacts the dirt at something like 4500 lbs per inch.. It has a mind of it's own.

End of day.
Two years ago, a landscaper never returned and left me with two wheelbarrows, 6 shovels, 2 pick axes and assorted other equipment, some of which I couldn't even identify.. I know these guys are coming back because in the background you can see that they left that very large and very loaded trailer overnight!

Food Tools

Torey's daughter puts a recipe in the RS bulletin each Sunday and as I was making dinner last night I thought it would be fun for her to ask what kitchen tools do you appreciate most.  Now I probably thought about it because I cutting vegetables with the fabulous little red knife with the serrated edge.  Victorinox is the brand and it was a Christmas prize last year.  I use it all the time!  During the first month , I cut myself twice.  It's still very sharp (Swisss made) but I am more careful.

The strawberry huller, the olive fork, the egg seperator and the citrus cutter/peeler have gone the way of the DI, however, I use the silicone spatula as a stirring spoon in everything pot on the stove.  I like it better than a wooden spoon.  Mostly though it is in the picture as a reminder that they should be replaced before they start to "chip" and you find a piece of silicone in your food and wonder what the heck is this.

The other tool I use almost daily is the garlic press.  Boy, I love it!  Mincing garlic, even with the little red knife, is not something I want to do.

And my newest favorite is the stick blender.  So efficient, so easy to clean, so easy to store.  I just rearranged a drawer so I could keep it there.  A drawer, fps.

The Problem with NPR

The Sony boom box, from the 90s, for pete's sake, sits on the Ikea bookcase situated between the bathroom and sewing room doors.  I would have cropped out the sewing room but then you wouldn't see that good lookin' dog.

This is a good central location for the radio.  The living room is just a few steps to the right so it booms in there as well as in the kitchen.  Unfortunately, I cannot hear it well when I am at the sewing machine.  Speakers are facing the opposite direction and there is the noise of the sewing machine as well.

The large expanse of black in the foreground is the dog.

So, I resurrected another fabulous radio, an under the counter model by GE.  This was a gift from my sisters in the 80s!  Not only is the sound amazing but it's a clock, a timer and it will start the coffee maker in the morning.
 
Because it is under the counter, the speaker is on the bottom but it has one flat side so we can stand it on end with the speaker facing the sewist.  If I stand in the sewing room doorway, I can even get stereo sound and when passing from one room to the other, I never miss a word.

With the sound situation remedied, it appears that the real problem with NPR is that I don't seem to be able to turn it off.

QOTD

"You cannot kill an idea with a gun, you can only stop them if you have a better idea. And we have a better idea ... You must teach people that law is always better than war."

- Benjamin Ferencz

 After World War II, Ferencz served as a chief prosecutor 
in the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals.

Desert flowers from Google Images

On the Needles 09/06

The shawl looks much the same as it did last week except now there are 35 points on it.  This is the last skein and I am wondering if I will have to add another as there are still 7 points left or 56 rows.  I have plenty of skeins but the pattern did call for 3 skeins or 150 grams . I weighed this yarn remaining and it is 25 grams so maybe it will work out exactly right.

You might be wondering why that rosemary plant is so off center in the pot.  I bought three to begin with and two of them turned out to be lavender even though their tags said otherwise.  The lavender seem to need a little more water than the rosemary.  They died.

On The Needles 08/30

31 points, 11 to go!

A little bit of tinking (unknitting) this week which was successful to a point.  I should know better  when I make a mistake to a.) try to correct it at night when I am tired and the lighting is not good and b.) handing it over to someone else to fix it.  And actually the first mistake was trying to knit and talk at the same time.  Sigh.

I had continued knitting and I went the wrong way so that is what I undid and then I fixed the dropped stitch only I didn't do such a great job.  AS soon as this shawl is finished I am going to spend some time making a swatch to practice "fixes" so that I don't have to have a picture in front of me and still not always get it right.

A Second August GTA!

We had a second opportunity this week to meet the Knit Lit group at Sam Weller Books so we were on the train again.  In a bold move, this time I got on in Provo and Sherise got on in American Fork.  Meeting up was stressful enough that I left the house at 3:20 to catch the 3:50 train.

I was more than a little dismayed to find a train sitting there already.  Many of you will remember my early German train story so I was very apprehensive about just stepping on. However I purchased my ticket and walked to the train to look for a clue.  There is a small electronic sign by the benches and it said North to Ogden 19 minutes. Okay then, that made it clear and I got on.  I had noted the number on the outside of the car so I could relay that information to Sherise and she could find me easily.  However, I got to wondering if there was a derailment and passengers had not made note of the car number, how would they be able to tell first responders what car they were laying under when they called for help.

I had mentally composed a note to UTA when I glanced up:

 Okay then, there it is, the car number as well as emergency procedures next to each entryway on each seating level.

Sherise jumped on seamlessly and the next part of the adventure began because this time instead of going to Salt Lake Central, we had to get off at Murray Central and connect to a Red Line Trax.  No worries, again a seamless transfer and then we just listened for the Trolley Square stop.

Sam Weller Books was on Main Street for years but in this last year moved to Trolley Square which was empty of shoppers much like City Center Mall was when we were there.  I forgot to take a picture of the store and remembered that on the way back to the Trax.

Only a two block walk and this was fun, right on the corner at the sidewalk and part of a gas station...

 The Red Line Trax goes to the U of U and perhaps that explains this or it could be that this is just a fun urban development.

We really enjoyed meeting some new people and hope to get back next month.  I got back to Provo at 10:15-ish.  I had parked in a different part of the lot to make it a short and direct walk to the car:

The second row, under a light and a straight walk from the train

Looking back from the car, the train is center back just to the right of the motorcycle.

(I had to call Sherise when I got home so she would know I made it safely.  What a sweet friend.)

Lunch on Wednesday

I kind of fell behind posting this week not because it was so quiet, just the opposite.  I will catch up today so I am ready for any new excitement.

 Trying to keep up with all the fresh vegetables available right now.  This is a recipe from Mark Bittman in his book VB6 but of course adjusted for one.

One medium russet potato

One medium or large cooked beet (peeled)
One large yellow onion
Olive oil 
Kosher salt and black pepper

Peel and halve the onion pole to pole then slice thinly.  Cover the bottom of a large saute pan with oil and heat on medium low.  Add onion, stir to coat and cook for about 20 minutes.  You want the onions to caramelize, brown bur not crispy.  You really just have to keep an eye on them.

While the onions are cooking, peel and and cube the potato.  Add potato to a pot of salted water bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

When potatoes are done, drain and add the beet, cover and wait for onions to finish.  This allows the beet to warm up if it has been refrigerated.  When onions are done add to potato pot, I did not have an excess of oil so I added it as well.  Use a potato masher to mash it all together.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Serve warm.  Yum!  It's really the onions that add the flavor and I might add some garlic the next time.

Fantastic with a grilled B/S chicken breast.

2 of 3

Baby Rain

Lucky aka  Lou or Bean

Missing is Simba, a grey and white Persian similar to Baby Rain but with a flatter face.  I might never get a picture of Simba because he is very shy and was hiding when I went in today.  Lou is my favorite because IRL he has some orange in him not just beige as he looks in this picture.

I'm tending these boys for about 5 days.  It's nice to "have" cats again.

On The Needles 08/23

28 points!

I thought I could get two points done each day.  Ha!  Each row is longer than the one before and now they are getting very long.  This last row has 110 stitches.  I am very near the end of my second skein which is quite exciting.  One more to go.  (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

Finally Red!

This is the first big red tomato!  I have had many red grape tomatoes and even the alleged cherry tomatoes which are suspiciously of the same size and appearance as the grape tomatoes.  Perhaps a case of mis-tagging.

The other night I made a zucchini and tomato fritatta that tasted really great but could have come out of the pan a bit better.  I do not have a non-Teflon-non-stick pan. so had to use a stainless steel pan because of the high heat of the oven.  Might just need a tweak in the process.  It is Martha's recipe and can be found here.

An Unexpected Ingredient

I wasn't sure I wanted to try this recipe with fresh green beans because they are a summer treat.  I'm glad I did!  I hardly changed it but you can find the original here at 101 Cooking for Two.  I have found several good recipes from this site.

Fresh beets simmering to the left

Green Beans and Tomatoes – from DrDan at 101 Cooking for Two

1 lb. fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red bell pepper, cut into a ½-inch dice

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, grated

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 10.5-oz can Rotel mild tomatoes (I used Western Family brand)

1/3 cup ketchup

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dry basil

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add onion, red pepper and garlic.  Sauté about 7 minutes or until onion begins to turn translucent.  Add green beans and cook another 5 minutes then add remaining ingredients.

Stir to mix well, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until beans are tender.  Remove lid and simmer to reduce liquid if desired. 

This makes about 6 cups, maybe more.

 Dr. Dan says this is a great healthy recipe that can kick the green bean casserole with canned soup right off the table. I believe it!  I had it for lunch over brown rice and it was fantastic.  And I bet it would be just as good with zucchini in place of the beans.

Got Zukes?

Actually the title should be Need Zukes because whenever I am asked if I would like some zucchinis, I enthusiastically say: YES PLEASE!!

This recipe gets a thumbs up from me and Torey too!  I love hummus and the only kind I make is a Roasted Red Pepper recipe.  It's nice to have an alternate.  I guess I also could have titled this post as Garbanzos, part 2.  This week I bought the dry kind and they need less soaking and cooking time than most other legumes.  It might be the highlight of the week :-)

Roasted Zucchini and Onion Hummus adapted from Serious Eats

3 to 4 medium zucchini, cut into rough dice (about 4 cups)

1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peels removed

2 tablespoons tahini paste

3 tablespoons lemon juice (I used the kind in the green bottle)

1 teaspoon Tajin (a blend of chili power and dried lime)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Toss zucchini and onion with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until vegetables are tender and browned, about 20 minutes.   Ovens vary and my zucchini was cooked but not browned so I ran it under the broiler for a few minutes.

Add roasted vegetables and all the remaining ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or use an immersion blender.  Process until smooth.  Add a bit of water if mixture is too thick. Taste, adding more oil, lemon, or seasoning as needed.  I added a little more salt and pepper.

Trunk Show

Yesterday, Natalia Bonner was at The Cotton Shop telling us about her quilts, the quilting she does and the books she writes!  Her quilts have lots of negative space which is the modern trend these days and all that negative space makes a fabulous place to show off lots of quilting.  And I was surprised at how soft her quilts were even with all the quilting.  I believe the difference must be that she uses a finer thread and also prefers an 80/20 batting.  The 80 being cotton the 20 being polyester.

Due to the space, these are just snapshots but will give you an idea of Natalia and her work.

All solids... love, love, love!

Her mother made the quilt and she did the quilting.  This quilt won a prize and was featured in a magazine.  It was also in the Springville Quilt show and won a prize there.  One of my favorites, well all those cardinals, who could not love it!?!

Solids!  Lime Green!

Be. Still. My. Heart.  ORANGE!

 This last quilt is on the cover of Natalia's first book which is a book on how to quilt on your DSM..Domestic Sewing Machine not a long arm but the sewing machine that might be sitting right on your kitchen table this very minute.  I found the book quite helpful because while my machine is a long arm, it is stationary and I move the quilt much the same way I do on my Bernina (DSM).

It was a delightful way to spend some time on a Saturday afternoon!

On The Needles Friday 8/17

So.  I am just past half way and something has gone awry.  Well, it's  not just something, it's an extra row.  My pin system failed me or more truthfully, USER ERROR.  When I knit outside in the morning I can't use the pins but use pennies instead.  Somewhere from in to out, pins to pennies, I lost my place.

Now I could leave it but it would annoy me and someone would think it helpful to point it out to me when there was nothing I could do to fix it and that would annoy me even more.  So... I'm going to attempt to run a lifeline and rip back to it.  If it doesn't work I will just keep ripping and start over. 

I've got time.  :-)

There should be an Are You Kidding Me Category

Tonight in the Jeopardy category Solve for x, the answer was  30 + X or Douglas Adams' answer to well... everything.  The question, of course, was What is 12?

Truly, I had better get that book out of the library.  The ubiquitous-ness of the whole thing is creeping me out ever so.

An Enrichment Night

Another fabulous evening in the GTA (great train adventure) series!  Sherise had discovered this opportunity for learning and this is the first time we have tried them out.  It was great!

 It's two guys who set up a variety of classes to enlighten those who participate.  Classes as diverse as caligraphy, canning, bookbinding and learning about jazz.  Last night's class invitation was called Hops To It:
 

The logistics were a bit of a concern as the class was up in Salt Lake but mostly because it didn't start until 8 and went until 9:30.  Trains run less frequently after rush hour.  We took the 4:50 train and then the Trax and got off at Old Greek Town.  Walked a few blocks to Tony Caputo's deli and had some very good sandwiches and then walked another few blocks to Granary Row where the class was held.  This was all very close to The Gateway and when we left we decided not to get on at the Old Greek Town stop because it is located pretty much next to a homeless shelter for men and at night that was a tad creepy for us so we walked north to the The Gateway stop where there were still many shoppers as well as visitors to the Planetarium and Megaplex movies.  Totally uneventful and totally pleasant traveling.

There were fifteen people in the class and it was just the right amount to allow for plenty of questions.  We are excited to try this but honestly the bottle caps you use are just plain old grey colored and certainly we could do better than that!

40th Annual Springville Quilt Show

Jan and I went yesterday.  We try not to miss it and we also try to go more than once, not together but to share the beauty and creativity with others.

Visitors get to vote for a People's Choice award and it is very hard to narrow it down to one.  Of course you don't have to sign your name so we say that each time you visit you can vote again.  Also Jan's rule, which is an excellent one, is that if a quilt already has a ribbon then we shouldn't vote for it but let someone else get a prize.

I've Got the Blues, Jan's favorite

 This quilt is a log cabin pattern and the quilter's comment was that she when she was finished she really had very little blue left in her stash.

Blooming Birches, my favorite

This small quilt has small flowers made of felt appliqued on with embroidery.  To the side of this framed quilt is a copy of Robert Frost's poem Birches.

It's a wonderfully uplifting way to spend a couple of hours on a summer afternoon!

Jungle Parrots

 This was an early morning picture and the background blocks look more blue than they are IRL.  The pattern is from an Eleanor Burns book and I made this top many years ago, maybe even 10 years ago.  I remember sewing it during winter because it was a good way to take my mind off of winter!

Here's a close up so you can see the parrots.  I actually gave a try to appliqueing a parrot on one of the green background blocks but it did not turn out well.  And I have yards and yards of the background fabric to use on the back but it seems to be missing.  I am donating a still in the package light green twin sheet that will do for the back in case the real back doesn't turn up in time.  Sigh.

This top is going to be tied by Jan's ward and donated.  Hooray!!

More with Chickpeas

Yum!

 Chickpea and Carrot Salad

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup black olives, sliced thinly*
3 medium carrots, peeled  and chopped about the same size as the chickpeas
2 green onions, sliced

½ cup diced red onion

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, black olives, carrots, onions, celery and green onions.  In a separate bowl , whisk or use an immersion blender to mix the vinaigrette ingredients together.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight to allow flavors to meld together.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

*I used a 3.75 oz can of sliced olives and did not drain them.

WebDeb sent me the original recipe and I did alter it because I thought it needed more crunch.  The tablespoon of cumin is shocking but accurate.  This is a salad I will make often!!