The Cats and the Mouse Play

 The Cat Silhouette Afghan is finished.  The first photo below shows a closer-up of the right side.  The second photo shows the wrong side.  Someone on Ravelry said this type of crocheting is not reversible because the back is always so messy.  So I had to prove otherwise. 

I finished the crown moldings in the Master Bedroom (except for painting), was all
gung-ho to finish the other last bedroom-- and realized I hadn't bought the moldings for the little bedroom.  My reasoning was: the MB walls are 14 and 11 feet long.  I was sure to make a mis-cut or two, so then those pieces would be useful in the little bedroom, and I would have to buy new longer ones.  But there were no mis-cuts, so I have to go buy some next time I travel.

I had an heirloom restoration to do this week.  Before:

Before:

After:

After:

After:

After:  Good thing the lady had a bit of the original yarn left.

The weather here is weird again.  Spring with raining last 2 days, blizzards today.

I had our priest out today to bless the house, that sheds a realistic light on this old saying: 

Till next time:  Only 4 Saturdays Till Christmas.

Freedom is not Free

Never Forget!

Caution!! Winter Might Be Here!

It has been cold and will be all this week, and there is a bit of snow on the ground.  If that stays, then my outdoor work is officially over (though not finished).  So the "caution" part is that I have to remind myself not to sit and knit without getting up to stretch and thereby tie myself in knots like I did last winter, where by January I could hardly walk.  I know better, but that knitting just takes over my common sense.

You can see that my KnitMeter is much lower than last year's total (I'm not aiming for last year's total, since that had 11 000 yards of cord for the chain mail project, but would like to hit
20 000 metres at least.  So the plan is to make some blankets, since they are fast and eat stash quickly.  With this in mind, I started this kit, Cat Silhouette Afghan, which I've had stashed for many years--no recipient in mind, will just lay it on the spare bed when it's done and see who wants it.   It's from Mary Maxim, the second photo is after 3 evenings' work:

 At the same time, I'm working on a Prayer Blanket for a sick neighbor.  It is crocheted in a (1 dc, ch 1) mesh, in a specific color sequence, then it is woven with double strands in the same color sequence, resulting in a tartan pattern (but not so blurry).  I can weave about 8 rows in 1 hour, so there is lots of weaving left to do.  The ends plus added strands make a fringe in the same color sequence.

After the theatre pictures came in, I sent them to a British knitting magazine, along with some photos that I can't show for now; the editor suggested it would be worth submitting them.  She really liked the sweater, but whether it's accepted or not depends upon the other submissions.  If accepted, I will be working under the influence of adrenaline again after Christmas.

Since I can't work outside now, I have dug out my domestic skills and am slowly getting the house cleaned, am cooking decent meals and doing a bit of baking.  I have purchased all the butter, nuts, dried fruit, etc. for my Christmas baking, which I'm looking forward to.  I play Carols while I bake.  The snow is putting me in that spirit.

And, while on the topic of Christmas, I found this on Facebook today--it will be the thought I leave you with:
Till next time: God bless you.

Cabbage Rolls à la Madame Kubota

 This post was drafted a couple of weeks ago, so some of the tense is off.  Updates are in different-colored font.
The day before Thanksgiving.  Lots of the kids and grand-kids are coming for dinner.  They keep offering to bring something, but I guess it's my own quest to stay independent and "able" that leads me to decline those offers (mind you, some of them bring stuff anyways).  Our menu will consist of (* items are a must or I will be put out onto an ice floe this winter):

 --Turkey, Kubota Man's Mom's stuffing with pork sausage in it, also a roaster of stuffing besides what's in the bird (Our new SIL doesn't eat pork, so the stuffing in the bird will have no sausage),
--*Cranberry-Tomato sauced meatballs,
--*Cabbage rolls,
--*Broccoli salad (small bowl minus the bacon),
--*Raspberry cream cheese dessert,
--store bought pumpkin pie,
-- if our son comes (eats no land animals) he will get some steelhead trout,
-- and scalloped or garlic mashed potatoes.
So I have to put my mind to making the cabbage rolls.  The roaster is about 10" x 13"x 3" deep.  These can also be made with sweet cabbage:  The leaves are removed the same way as I did for sour leaves, and then leave them in hot water till they are roll-able. My neighbors make them with beet leaves also.   My sour leaves are very pliable.  The veins have been removed.
Ingredients:  Cabbage leaves, pearl rice, water, lots of onions (2-3 cups and then another 1-2 cups, chopped), oil, chicken broth powder.

Now I cut the cabbage leaves into triangle/trapezoid shapes.  I can make very small rolls, but generally aim for pieces that measure 3".  If they have holes, I "patch" with smaller pieces.

 The nearest thing I can come up with to describe the knack of rolling little cabbage rolls, is to compare it to rolling cigarettes by hand (I used to roll them for my dad). You have to snug as you roll.
Once the leaves are drained and cut, I prepare the onions for between the layers, and the rice.
For the onion layers, heat about 1-1.5 c of oil in a saucepan, and sauté the larger amount of onions until clear and soft, if they become a bit golden it's OK.  Put aside.

--Cooking rice for this goes against everything I learned in Junior High Homemaking class.  In my 7-qt Dutch oven I put about 1/2 c oil and fry the second quantity of onions (some folks use chopped bacon, not draining all the fat, and fry the onions in that).  Add 4c of raw rice and stir while frying until some of the rice begins to turn lightly golden. This gives the rice a nice flavor.

Add cool water to cover the rice mixture.  Add about 1.5 Tbs of chicken broth powder (taste and adjust).  Cook on high till it comes to the boil, stir often, then turn down to med-low.  Do not cover.  When water is mostly absorbed (it will look gelatinous), add some more water, but just enough to moisten, not to make it liquid-y--keep cooking and stir often.  It should be very sticky.  When the rice kernels are mostly cooked but the center is still hard, remove from heat.  Stir a couple of times while cooling to let the heat out of the center of the mass.

Line roaster with parchment paper, allowing enough length to cover the top when it is full.  (I forgot to do this, and everything worked out fine)

I'm right-handed, so will describe it that way.
When the rice is cool enough to handle, place a piece of cabbage in the left hand with a tip pointing away from you.

Scoop up a generous teaspoon of rice and "smoosh" it at the base of the cabbage.

Fold in the sides, and begin to roll towards the tip (the rice should be manipulated into a little sausage inside the leaf), tuck as you roll.  A worker to whom we once served cabbage rolls, approved mine since he said, "good cabbage rolls don't come apart if you throw them at the wall". 

 I make them roughly finger-size.

Arrange them in the roaster in an even layer, all oriented the same way.

Make a second layer in the opposite direction.  Spread half the reserved oil/onion mixture evenly over the rolls.  Make 2 more layers in opposite directions, spread remaining onion mixture over the last layer.  Fold parchment over and place lid on.  If I make them ahead I freeze them, but they have to be thawed before cooking (I put them in the spare fridge 5 days before the dinner, along with the turkey which I thaw in the fridge for 5 days).  I allow them 3 hours to bake to finish cooking the rice and soften the cabbage since it is still tough after souring.  When ready to cook, open the parchment and pour in 1/3 cup water, close up and place roaster lid on.  Bake at 300 deg F for about 3 hours.  Some people pour tomato juice instead of (or maybe in addition to) the onion layers.
This is food for the gods, but not for dieters.
Leftover sour leaves can be re-frozen.
3 cups of raw rice will make an aluminum foil lasagna pan of 3 layers.

Lazy version:  Prepare rice as above in a quantity according to your pan size.  (As I re-read this I realized you can just cook regular rice for the lazy version, seasoned with chicken broth or bacon. It doesn't have to be the sticky method at all.)  My daughter uses bacon in her lazy version. Sauerkraut can be used in place of the chopped sour cabbage parts that I use.  Layer the rice, sautéed onions and sauerkraut/cabbage pieces in a baking dish.  Add a bit of water, cover and bake.  If using sauerkraut, it only needs to cook until the rice is soft, if using cabbage pieces, it needs longer.

I've been very busy with other endeavors since the cabbage was packed away.  First of all, there was a wedding dress to hem, bustle the train, and make a few minor modifications, also a flower girl dress to alter.  Of the 5 bridesmaids, one dress was a perfect length and fit, one had only the hem to do, and 3 had hems and alterations in the bodice.

Besides that, on Sept 15 I received yarn to adapt this 1940's style sweater for Theatre Calgary.  The new sweater will be a different yarn weight, have a v-neck, long sleeves, a slightly different stitch pattern as well as a stitch pattern instead of embroidery in the decorative panel.

The play takes place in Holland during the Liberation.  The designer is the same designer who worked on Spamalot at the Edmonton theater,for which I knit all the chain mail.  He chose Christmas red for the sweater with buttons that look like deer antler slices.  I can't reveal close-ups, since I received permission to publish the pattern and am offering it to a magazine, so it cannot be shown on-line.  If it is declined I will self-publish it, then I can show it.  I have asked the theater for some good photos of it on the actress.  See how nicely the tulips play with the red sweater.

Our anticipated grand-baby is developing right on schedule.  Momma has requested a marshmallow quilt (aka biscuit quilt, or puff quilt) in rainbow colors.  And I have my own knitting agenda for that baby.

Master Knitter Level 3 is on hold for the time being.
There will be no Christmas knitting this year (maybe).

And, looking at my Knit Meter, I am way behind in metres of yarn knit this year.  I will have to hurry and make a couple of blankets to get that up--or hurry up and do some Christmas knitting--my mind is devoid of ideas for what to make.

 I'm way behind with the outside work due to the wedding sewing and theater sweater.  So I have to get at that.  The garden and berry patch are top priority.  Then Kubota Man can take off the rototiller.
I'm done he garden and the berry patch, and KM took off the rototiller.  The weather is holding nicely, so I will continue to work on flower bed weeding for as long as I can.
We had a great tomato crop, so there is salsa made and about 75 lbs of peeled tomatoes are in the freezer in 5 lb. bags for good soups and sauces in the winter.  The potatoes, root veggies and onions are tucked away in the basement, and the greenhouse stock plants and some spikes that are being wintered over are needing constant watering downstairs.

Teaching the weekly religion class at the elementary school has begun again--I am teaching Grade 6 this year.
On Friday I am going went (as a volunteer) with Nursing Home residents on the Handi-bus (some with walkers, some with wheel chairs) on a shopping trip to a mall in the city.  I'm looking forward to that. That was a great experience.  Pushing a wheelchair makes walking the ceramic tiles of the mall much easier for me.

Last winter I sat around knitting too much and seized up a lot of muscles in my hip and groin area and legs.  I started to visit a deep tissue massage therapist, and she has done amazing work--but she is moving for her husband's job--that is sad.  I also started physio since my hip is showing signs of arthritis, and the soreness of the muscles has left me weak.  So the physio and exercise I do at home have greatly improved my range of motion, strength and reduced my pain.  That makes me happy, because the more I can move, the better off I am.  It's really important to me to stay off pills and be an active participant in my health.  Tomorrow I am seeing a nutritionist to help me sort out the newest info about healthy fats and oils, as well as what nutrients I have to be sure to ingest to stave off further joint deterioration in that hip.  I am also working on eliminating from our pantry most foods that have unpronounceable chemical words on the labels.  And for 8 Tuesdays I will be attending a basic yoga/walking for fitness class. The yoga will mostly emphasize breathing and stretching, not full yoga.  I won't be continuing with the yoga since many of the poses involve movements that are not allowed with my artificial hip, and for those that require balance I have a problem with the nerve damage in my feet from the 2007 automobile accident.

Today I will leave you with the theme of the current religion lessons:
Till next time:  His love is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalms 

Sour Puss?--no, Sour Cabbage!

The sour cabbage saga begins here:  Linda's Market Garden in Smoky Lake.  The reason it doesn't begin in my garden is that I didn't water the 18 cabbage plants that I had so carefully weeded, so they remained small in our heat wave, and I didn't powder them in time to stave off the ravenous cabbage worms.  We can still eat most of them, but for sour leaves for holubtsi (Ukrainian cabbage rolls), I want large, unblemished leaves.

So I made a little road trip last Saturday with the intention of bringing home 50 lbs of cabbage.  50 lbs was 5 large heads-- the number 5 seemed kind of small, 10 sounded better, so I came home with 100 lbs instead.

Some folks sour the whole head, in new plastic garbage cans (which scares me, cause I wonder if they are food safe with brine),
some do the heads alone, some amid their sauerkraut.  I prefer to take off the leaves and sour the leaves--the process is faster, and it takes less room while they are souring.

What is needed: 
Cabbage, pickling salt, vinegar, lots of water.
A large pot for steaming off the leaves, and I put a vegetable steamer with the stem removed at the bottom.
Two sturdy meat forks, colanders, bowls,  potato masher, clean sink, oven mitts.
Containers for souring the cabbage leaves:  I have a 3-gallon stone crock, and 3 large food-grade plastic pails that I bought from a local honey producer.
Plates that fit into the top opening of the containers, and quart jars to fill with water to weigh down the cabbage below the brine (I used plastic food storage containers this time).
Clean tea towels to cover.
What to do:
1.  Bring the big pot of water to boil, core a few cabbage heads.
2.  Prepare the brine:  Ratio of 14-16 c water, 1 c salt, and  1c vinegar--heat and stir till salt is dissolved.
3.  Carefully immerse the cabbage into the water, cook only long enough to make the outer leaves  limp but not fully cooked.
4.  With forks, carefully tease off the leaves, place in strainer.  When the leaves won't tease off, remove head, allow to cool a bit, and re-cut core.
5.  Put several inches of brine in bottom of pickling container.
6. Place all leaves that have been partially cooked,  flat into container with brine, layer evenly, every so often press down with potato masher, add brine as needed.  As the leaves accumulate and are softened more by their own heat and that of the brine, pack firmly.
7.  Put head back in water to soften the next layers of leaves.
8.  Continue until all the leaves are off the head.  You can pickle the smallest leaves in the heart of the cabbage as well and use them in lazy cabbage rolls.
9.  When the pickling container is full to about 2" from rim,
 put plate in, push down, add brine if needed, add weight and cover with a clean tea towel. Don't let the tea towel dip into the brine, since it will wick the solution out, and you may find a kitchen counter and floor "brined" (ask me how I know this).

10.  Check daily for scum (rarely happens if everything was done hygienically).  If the kitchen is warm, it is ready in 4-6 days (taste, since sourness is a matter of preference).  It may take longer if it is cool.
11.  When sufficiently soured, drain the leaves.  Now I cut out any thick veins, and save them for lazy cabbage rolls.  I weigh out 3 lbs of  prepared leaves and bag them for the freezer.  That is enough for a meat  or foil roaster of cabbage rolls (4 cups of raw rice).  Then I chop up the trimmings:  veins, leaves that overcooked, ragged leaves--and put them in 1-2 lb packages for lazy rolls.
12.  Freeze.  They keep for years.  And can be re-frozen if an opened package isn't all used up.

What the heck are lazy cabbage rolls?  You can make these with sauerkraut or the cabbage trimmings:  Cook rice as for cabbage rolls, but layer the rice and onions and cabbage (and optional chopped cooked bacon) in a casserole and bake them the same as cabbage rolls.

I bet you thought I would share the recipe for the cabbage rolls--that's a family secret.  But lots of comments to this post might persuade me☺☺

Update:  We now have no cabbage (or kale or brussels sprouts, or swiss chard in the garden)

 Until next time:  When life gives you cabbage, make cabbage rolls!

Time for Self-Discipline

I'm a procrastinator.  I have given myself a lot to do (home renos, huge garden and grounds with many flower beds, Master Knitter, sewing projects,knitting projects......). I tire myself out thinking about it.  Kubota Man says I tire him out when I think out loud about it.

So now, more stuff has been added:  twice daily exercises prescribed by the physiotherapist and twice weekly physio appointments where I'm away for 1/2 a day. And my personal goal of prayer and scripture study.

The first clue that a key element in this is self-discipline, is that I can manage to find lots of time to play on the computer (they are little spurts, but add up).

That takes me back to when I was teaching:  in the classroom there were schedules to keep everything going in a smooth flow.  I had to set short-term and long-term goals. At home, I had a schedule for myself and family for days off, to get the chores done, and still have leisure time.  It was when I retired that I started this popcorn way of doing things:  a bit here, distracted by something there--always very busy, things are getting done, but without organization, nothing got totally finished.  Of course, some of the things are seasonal and influenced by the weather.

So, September is a new year (school year), there are organizers readily available, and I will pretend my life is like in the classroom--by organizing most of my time, I will give myself more free time, and still get lots of stuff done.

I will start with my "curriculum"--the "subject areas" where things need to get done.  Then the terminal goal/date will be set, and a breakdown (plan of action) set up--the individual tasks (daily lessons).

A binder with dividers for "subject areas", must not forget to predict if I need any materials or tools to get this done, and make sure they are available.  And a plan for assessment--did the goals get met this week? What helped them get met?  What got in the way of not meeting them?  What needs changing (called monitor-and-adjust).

Without the plan, today I managed to get the final 3 closet openings (which go right to the ceiling) blocked to support the crown moldings, which will go across the entire wall, including the closet openings. I had painted the blocks already. Today I mounted them and re-mounted the door tracks.
Next I will cut down the bi-fold doors (because they have to clear the crown moldings). That 1.5" that I have to cut off will remove the framing block in the doors;  I've had the new blocks made and pre-drilled for a couple of years.  Then the doors have to be re-stained and re-varnished.

Tomorrow it's off to the city for a dental appointment.  I will stop on the way at the recycling depot and leave behind the recycling materials--the #1 plastic clam shell boxes from fruit take up so much room--rarely are they the same size.  And the newsprint!!  And it's time for a major Costco run. 

I'm excited about making the plan and scheduling the major "to-do" activities.

But maybe this plan is just another procrastination.

I Miss You, Mom

These are all synonyms for love (personified)  Hermi, Omi, Mutti, Mom, Omi-the-Great, Omi-saurus.  ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥