Friday Night Sew In

Well, at the last minute I found out about the "Friday Night Sew In" (thanks, Claire), and so used it to finish something I started in August.

This outfit is a present for the relative in Denver. It's the same green I used for a top in Faye's sewing challenge in April. The fabric is incredibly soft. To be fair, this was finished except for the straps, top and bottom. The jacket wasn't finished; it was just a bunch of pieces. I have one myself, and realized that a sleeveless dress in Denver in September isn't the best idea, so added the jacket to the gift.
Then, I realized that I had about 1/4 yard left from something I made in early August (and have never even photographed), and that it would make a good scarf for this outfit, since the greens are the same. So here it is.
The UPS man will take this away on Monday, and I feel like I accomplished something!

Instant Roasted Root Soup

Have you seen these products? I found them in the "big box pay-to-get-in" store a while back.

I know a "real" cook isn't supposed to use anything like this or bouillon cubes. So maybe I'm not a real cook. I can live with that. Nonetheless, when I saw these, I was intrigued, and bought one in each flavor. They are actually better tasting than bouillon cubes or powder (although just as high in sodium).

So, on to instant soup. When I'm in the middle of my day, doing whatever I do, I don't want to make elaborate preparations to eat. And without Thor, I'm finding myself with little bits of leftover food that I won't throw away, because I'm too "frugal" (or just plain cheap. Whatever). So I thought I'd try a really fast food on this fine, sunny, 49 degree day.

INSTANT ROASTED ROOT SOUP

1/4 cup roasted roots
2 tbsp canned mushrooms
10 ounces boiling water
1 tsp beef base
2 tbsp diced beef, optional

Dice the veggies into small pieces, spread on a microwavable plate with the mushrooms, and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until hot. Put the beef base in a cup (preferably a fun cup like my Pooh cup), add the water and stir, then add the veggies. If you have a little leftover beef, microwave it for about 10 seconds, and add it. Let the soup stand for a minute for the flavors to blend, and enjoy with some crackers or a slice of bread.

To take this to work, just follow the directions, putting your soup in your Superman Thermos. You can do it while you wait for your coffee to brew, and you'll thank me around noon.

What do you mean, you don't have a Superman Thermos? Don't you want everyone to know just how wonderful you are?

Happy weekending, everyone.

Roasted Roots

It was cold and rainy last night, and I wanted something cooked in the oven to keep me warmer. I had tried this back when we had a couple of cold days in late August, and it was a big hit, so last night this joined roast beef on our plates.

ROASTED ROOTS

2 redskin potatoes per person, plus 1 or 2 for the pot
1 to 2 carrots per person
2 medium onions
4 stalks celery
minced garlic
olive oil
kosher salt
paprika

Wash all veggies. Chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks. Peel the carrots, if desired, or just cut them into bite sized pieces, also. Coarsely dice the onions, cut the celery, mince the garlic, put them all in a roasting pan and mix together. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture, then sprinkle with a small amount of kosher salt and a liberal helping of paprika. Roast at 350F for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
The idea for these potatoes came from this cookbook (I changed it to suit me), which was a gift from the relative in Denver. She just adored this cookbook, and she thought I would, too; I wondered just how anyone could take seriously a 240 page cookbook that contains "Over 60 Recipes!" But it was nice of her to think of me.

And, in honor of Thorsday, I might point out that I made these in August, before our boy took ill, and he loved them. So you have the Canine Seal of Approval, too!

Garden Tuesday: Purple Flowers

These are the first flowers which have bloomed in our yard since we lost Thor. I'm so glad I spotted them this morning!

New Toy

Somehow, I ended up on the email list for Woot. They sell lots of great stuff, just not generally stuff I want. But about 10 days ago, they had something really weird: A Singer sewing machine and serger for $350. I let it go by, but I mentioned it to my dearly beloved as an oddity.

He immediately said that I should have bought the set, so I could have a second serger, thus having one loaded in white and another in black thread. He was insistent, so I ultimately ordered just a serger from a different web site. It arrived Friday.

I set the new serger up over the weekend, and took up looking for a project I wanted to take on. We got flu shots at the end of last weekend, so I spent the weekend feeling like whipped crap. I thought about sewing, and I have some ideas, but nothing concrete. But I'm blown away buy the fact that my dearly beloved wanted me to not have to fuss with the threading circus which is a serger.

Actually, I think it was his way of mourning Thor. He's trying to buy all of us more stuff to show how much he loves us. I do adore my man.

September 11, 2001: I will never forget

They never understood that they could not destroy us by attacking. America is our spirit, our perseverance, and, most of all, our love of freedom. We have the freedom to do whatever we wish, to rise from poverty to greatness, to work as much or little as we please. They can never destroy our freedom.

God Bless America. God Bless our military and first responders. And today, shed an extra tear for the families and friends of those who died on September 11, 2001. I will never forget.

First Day of School

I ordered Mark's 7th grade course last spring, when Calvert School was having a big sale on their curriculum. I love their curriculum, which includes detailed teaching manuals (so I feel competent)! In any event, we don't open the box until the start of the school year. I want the books to be as fresh and exciting as possible. So, here's the student, inspecting his books.

He arranged his books on the table for me to take pictures. The Science course has 5 individual books, three of which concentrate on Biology. The first book deals with plants and animals, and they go on from there. Geography this year covers the Western world, which dovetails with the History course, covering the time frame from 150 AD to 1789, including the fall of the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the rise of Christianity and Islam, and China and India. Grammar, Composition and Spelling are what they are, but I love the fact that the Reading course uses great novels instead of the stereotypical Reading books.
I'm not quite sure why Mark took up residence in the box, but he was hollering for me to UPS him to some place more "interesting" than home.

And we can't forget Ryan's first day of school. He hollered at me for taking a picture of him in front of the growth chart: "I'm too tall for this!" So it only goes to 72". So what?
Mark still fits on the chart at 5'4".

One funny note from Ryan's first day of school. The school handbook was modified this year to ban another dangerous thing from being brought to school. No, not guns. Not knives. They were already banned. (Barbecues are banned, too, after my oldest son's best friend brought a small grill to hold a cookout before school on the first day in 2000.) Nope. They have banned Hacky Sacks. Yes, the small beanbags that kids toss around. Can't have those pesky kids having fun between classes, now, can we?

Not Flooded

Just a drive-by post to tell you all I'm not flooded here on top of my hill. We've had at least 6" of rain in the last 3 days, but, as you can see, it's rolling right out of my little corner of the world.

There are places within 10 miles west, 20 miles south and 30 miles north that are under vast amounts of water, but I'm in the hillier section.

School started yesterday, and I'll be back later or tomorrow to tell you about it. It's just not the same without the hairy student.

Book Review

What's wrong with this picture?
It's a great chair. I curl up in in to read, and to watch TV with my dearly beloved. This weekend was cold and rainy, so the girls were doing papers for college, while Ryan read the last of his summer reading list - Don Quixote (the others being The Life of Pi, The Count of Monte Cristo, Le Morte D'Artur and The Good Earth). Mark's friend next door was assigned to read Blood on the Moon: The Story of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and Mark wanted to read it, too, so I bought it. (This was a terrible book to assign to 7th graders. It's rather dry even for an adult, and very long. What was that teacher thinking?). So, while I had company for my reading, I missed the furry fellow who's been curled up beside or in front of this chair for a decade now.

I read, anyway.

THE BIG SLEEP
by Raymond Chandler
copyright 1939

Philip Marlowe is a detective in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Hired by the very wealthy General Sternwood to investigate a blackmail letter regarding one of the General's daughters, Marlowe finds himself looking into a book dealer whose real business is renting "dirty" books, which leads to murder, gambling and speakeasies, ultimately tied to a mobster. At only about 200 pages, this book was a quick and entertaining read. Adding to the entertainment value, at least for me, is that the book did have characters making a few politically incorrect characterizations regarding hypothetical people. This is another from my set of red and blue mystery books, which were a wonderful find from one of my library book sales.

Last, but certainly not least, I really want to thank all of you for your expressions of sympathy regarding our loss of Thor. I am touched that so many of you loved him from afar. And a special thanks goes to those of you who checked in with me afterward to see how we're faring. It hasn't been easy, and, truthfully, I'm glad the weekend was a washout. I think we'd all have been too sad roasting marshmallows without our giant friend looking for his share.

The most adorable puppy ever

Grew up into the best companion ever.
He helped us with our schoolwork.
He joined in our games, as any good family member would
He always made us laugh.
He took care of even the smallest family members.
And always made sure our food was safe.
Ho holiday was complete without Thor.
And he always enjoyed a nice piece of cake.
Everyone loved him more than I can express.
And now he's gone. He took ill Thursday, was hospitalized Friday night, and died about 10 minutes ago of multiple organ failure.

It's the first time he's ever made us cry.

Rest in peace, beloved Thor. May 5, 2001-August 29, 2011

Before the Storm

It's sunny and 75 out there. If the hurricane's coming (and they claim we'll get "at least" 3 to 6 inches of rain, up from 1 inch predicted yesterday), it'll be in and out in a hurry.

Thor's preparation for the hurricane, out on the porch, waiting:
Food preparation: Deviled eggs, sandwich rolls, soup, tuna salad. I guess this means my daughter will stay here an extra day or 2; easier to tolerate power outages here in the boonies than in downtown Philadelphia, right? Note to self: Better buy bottled water and lamp oil. Sure-fire protection against power outages.

EXCELLENT SANDWICH ROLLS

1-2/3 cups warm water
3 tsp or 6 tsp yeast
4 cups flour
6 tbsp powdered milk
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Put the water in your bread machine container or mixer bowl; add the remaining ingredients in the order given, and mix according to my bread tutorial directions. When the first kneading is done, or when the dough has been beaten about 10 minutes in the mixer, shut the machine off, take the dough out, and form into 16 balls, flatten them, and put on a baking sheet to rise. Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes, until the rolls reach the desired degree of brownness. Serve while warm.

I made these rolls for Sloppy Joes last Saturday night, and another batch is mixing up as I write. I'm thinking 3 batches will carry us through the weekend, power outage or not! (Did I show you all my new bread basket blanket yet? Isn't it pretty? Ryan says it's too girly, but I point out that a bread basket is girly.)

There might be some sewing this weekend, depending upon whether I can see or not - the treadle machine works without electricity, after all! While the East coast frets over the hurricane, I hope the rest of you have a wonderful weekend!

Lazy Thorsday

Well, it's raining here. So there's a lot of this going on.

And Thor's girl is up from Philadelphia to help her sister organize for back to college. So there's a fair amount of this going on.

Happy Thorsday, everyone!