Fibers on Friday

Happy Fibers on Friday! Welcome to this fun party dedicated to knitting, crocheting, and anything else fiber related! Can you put your finger on one of those moments that your heart just swelled up and was about to burst? Well, I can. And it was last week when this party just picked right up where it left off a month ago. Wow! Thank you!

I've done a couple more rows on the shawl, but what I've realized lately is that almost all of my handmade dishcloths have holes in them, so I started a new one. A nice small project to pick up when counting stitches on the shawl just won't work (read:any of the kids' waking hours).

I'm going to make another Cabbage Patch pattern, like this one:

I love the color. So fitting for this nice Florida summer....yeah right@!! It's been raining every.single.day!!! I should just make a grey one. Grey would be more fitting. Oh well....this will cheer things up!

Wordless Wednesday: Moving Boxes Turned Fortress

Meatless Monday! Tofu and Brussel Sprouts

Happy Meatless Monday!! I'm going to re-publish this recipe from back in 2009 because I have no new recipes to share with you, but also because we just made this the other night and it's just sooooo good!!

I was really worried moving to another state that I wouldn't be able to find some of the ingredients that I love cooking with. Ingredients that are easily found at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. We have neither of those stores....bummer. But I did stumble across a co-op grocery store in Pensacola called Ever'man.....I'm sooo thankful I did!! It's awesome! They have tons of bulk items like grains and oats, bulk coffee that is organic and fair trade, bulk greens, even bulk maple syrup and honey....just bring your own container. Nice!

I almost jumped up and down in the isle, though, when I found my favorite tofu I love for this recipe; Soy Boy. They only carry it in the "Tofu Lin" flavor, but it suited this recipe just fine.

reposted:

I happen to like tofu, but if you're a little turned off, this is the recipe to start with! I've been cooking a couple tofu recipes for years. I would do a pan glazed tofu in Hoisin OR Sweet and Sour tofu in the crockpot. But, then my sister turned me on to this recipe on 101 Cookbooks:

Carmelized Tofu

This is a delicious one-pan meal that is super easy.

The first time I made it, I used plain extra-firm tofu, which I pressed and drained. But, a couple of times now I've opted to use a marinated tofu from Soy Boy (which I've only found in Whole Foods). I made it with the Caribbean tofu and also a Smoked tofu. No matter how I've made it, it's delicious. If you use a marinaded tofu, you don't have to press it.....so it's a little easier.

You'll find other recipes and blogs dedicated to the cause at Meatless Monday.

Fibers on Friday: Let's Catch Up!

Happy Fibers on Friday! Welcome to this fun party dedicated to knitting, crocheting, and anything else fiber related! Since it's been way over a month since my last Fibers on Friday party, let's play catch up!

Have you been knitting or crocheting a lot? Or has the summer time routine kept you busy at the beach, or out in the garden, or at the pool?

I haven't gotten very much accomplished on my Multnomah Shawl. Had I not been needed to drive one of our vehicles from NJ to FL during our move, I would have happily knit away the hours as the passenger on our journey. But, that wasn't the case. And my knitting time was sparse with all the camping we did. But, I have made it to the border design, so it's still a fun and interesting knit. It does, however, take me a good 20 minutes to knit one row!! Lots and lots of stitches on teeny tiny needles :-)

I've Got Spots

Ahhhhh! Thank you so much for hanging in there, friends!! My life is finally becoming my life again. It has been a hard, hard month. It started on June 22nd when we left all of our friends and family in NJ and took an 8 day camping trek down to Florida where we'll be living for the next three years. We expected to arrive in Florida and within a few days arrange for our furniture to be delivered. Much to our dismay, however, we had to wait 15 days!! So, after living in a camper for 2 weeks, we got to our new house and had to "rough it" for 2 more weeks. Basically we moved everything we were living with in the camper into the house! Needless to say, even with the sunniest outlook for this summer adventure, our patience wore thin...our moods were shot...our expectations were a little let down...and we were SPENT!

But I'm here now! And I'm settling in more and more every day. I mean, look...I've got spots!!

My knitting spot

Even though it's still surrounded by boxes and the room is barely furnished, I can say I have a "knitting spot". This chair has been set up and is perfect for knitting right in front a huge window that gets great afternoon sun. Ooooh, and note the Sonic cup....I sat and sipped on a Cherry Limeade (happy hour!) the other day.....lovely!

My composting spot

Oddly enough one of the hardest parts of not being settled in is the inability to compost! Is that crazy? We've gotten so use to it, that to throw scraps in the trash or down the sink is just not right!! So, I set up this little micro-compost system to use until we get a big one set up. I just drilled holes in these 5 gallon buckets, added soil and leaves from the yard, and it's all set for fruit and veggie scraps. I'm not sure how well it will work, but I'm happy.

My gardening spot

I bought these kiwi plants on our very first trip to Lowes. I don't even have a designated garden spot, but I purchased these on impulse....no pots, no shovels, no potting soil, no nothing....and I bought kiwi plants! They almost totally croaked while waiting to be transplanted, but I think they'll be ok. I read that they like to be potted for the first year and then set in the ground after that....for now they're in these pots sitting in the middle of my HUGE back yard waiting for other garden surroundings!

So, there you have a look at a few of my new spots. I'm happy to be back and sharing things! Get ready for Fibers on Friday, because I plan on hosting this week!!

Wordless Wednesday: Fire Ants: Yup, We Got 'Em