Baby Alpaca Yarn

This is the final purchase of yarn for me this year ::sigh:: the yarn was on clearance for only $ 3.99 a hank, I couldn't resist and have the perfect lightweight cardigan pattern for it. I promised Mr. Deepend that I would not buy anymore yarn until I put a dent in the current stash, I have promised this before and failed with panache, but this time it has to be a commitment. Mr. Deepend's company is reducing salaries yet again, but keeping the employees and still paying for health insurance, which in a way is a double edged sword. You are thankful for not standing at unemployment and having health care, but also trying to figure out how to be able to pay for all the things you have without going broke or dipping into the savings every month to compensate.

I've been carrying it around with me to work and back(in my knitting bag I knit at lunch time) so I can touch it, I just can't believe this fiber is so so soft and lovely. I can't wait til I start the new cardi, as I have finished my Hermia sweater that I wanted to wear for Thanksgiving, and I can! I'm so excited that I completed it, well it needs hemming, washing, iron (I want to kill the acrylic) and button, but really it's finished ;0)

I hope everyone has a great weekend, don't eat too much candy!!

Thoughtful Thursday

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-6

Pictures taken at Henscratch Farm Vineyard and Winery, Lake Placid Florida

Sopa de Res (Beef Soup)

SOPA DE RES (BEEF SOUP)

Ingredients:
½ each chopped of green Pepper, red Pepper, Vidalia onion
1 tbsp of minced garlic
½ tsp of fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp of extra Virgin Olive Oil:
3 tbsp of Badia Complete Seasoning or ( 1tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder,
ground cumin, crushed bay leaves, parsley)
½ tsp of kosher salt
2 baking potatoes peeled and chopped
4 stalks of corn on the cob
3 malanga peeled and chopped
2 semi ripe plantains peeled and chopped
6 carrots peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1.5 lbs of Stew Meat
1 cup of Dry White Cooking Wine (Vino Seco)
1 pkg of curly vermicelli noodles (fideos)
1 cube beef bullion
3 bay leaves

Take the meat and corn and put it in the crock-pot until the meat is fork tender
(about 4 hours) of course this can be done on the stove, but since I do this in the
morning before going to work I leave it in there for 8 hours on low.

In a large stock pot put in the garlic, olive oil, seasoning salt, pepper
and cooking wine, bring to a boil

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery , add two cups of beef stock from the crock-pot and the beef bullion
Stir in the bullion until it dissolves add the bay leaves

Add in all the root vegetables, potatoes and malanga
The malanga pictured here in its unpeeled state is a root vegetable starchy and much like a potato, but milder earthy taste.

Then add the rest of the beef stock, beef.

Cut the corn in half or
quarters and add to the stock pot.

Cook on med high until all the vegetables are tender about 45 to 55
mins.
Add the plantains and noodles and cook until the noodles are soft.










Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and Cuban bread.

I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF

I try to keep my knitting out of the weaving blog, but I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

I found this pattern for Christmas Ornaments on Ravelry, and really its so cute, I just couldn't say no. I made the handles from jewelry wire, and used left over sock yarn, which were my only changes to the pattern. The knitting needles are glass beads on toothpicks as the pattern prescribes, I'm knitting one for each of the ladies at Knit Group, I don't know if I should put brooch pins on the back of them or not so I have not sewn in a cord for hanging them on the tree.

Rag Crew Sock Rug

A while ago I posted about taking my guys crew socks and collecting them, having three men in my house gives way to lot of used socks that get holes in the toes or heels. At first I thought I would knit something with the rag ball, but I soon figured out its too large a fabric to do that and size 17 knitting needle are too uncomfortable for my rather small and chubby hands. What's girl to do, well, maybe experiment with woven rag rug.

I warped my loom with my 7.5 dpi heddle, and threaded every other slot, I figured I needed the spacing to accommodate the knots and thickness of the "sock" yarn. Once I was happy with the threading and tie up, I then thought "oh my God" I don't have one of those nifty rag rug shuttles. So I came up with this gem, she was a really beauty, and after crazy glue, glue gun and rubber bands she was ready to go! But, duh, it doesn't fit in my shed, I failed to realized that she, my beloved, CVS inspired shuttle was a bust. Oh well that was not going to deter this effort, especially after cutting up what I felt was a trillion sock loops. I wound my sock loops on to my regular shuttle if only a few feet at a time, the best part was that I could tie the one end to the new warp and continue.

After about 2 hours, I was done, the rag rug came off the loom along with a gazillion (really not exaggerating on bit) fuzzy stuff. into the wash and dry. And out popped this amazingly soft and fluffy with out the fuzzy stuff rug.

And a close up of the weaving and nobbles

I'm in love and so are my feet.

Reed 7.5 dpi

Warp= Elmore Pisgah (Peaches & Creme) 4 ply - dye lot - 180 Peppercorn Ombre 300yds.

Weft = Used Crew Socks cut into loops.

Final Rug Measurements after wash = 24" x 28"

Thoughtful Thursday

Philippians 4: 6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Picture was taken of my mom's birthday bouquet a gift from my younger brother and his wife.

TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA (Spanish omelet)

My kids liked that I blogged the last receipe and suggested I do it at least once a week, so that they could have it online when they wanted to look something up. (we'll see about that, maybe twice a month).

Tortilla Espanola
Spanish Omelet

Ingredients:

½ each fine chop of green pepper, red pepper, Vidalia onion (the Cuban Trinity of Cooking)

1 tbsp of minced garlic

½ tsp of kosher salt
½ tsp of fresh cracked black pepper

2 tbsp of extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 cubed baking potatoes fried in canola oil.
2 Spanish chorizo diced (optional)
1/2 cup of diced ham (optional)

Omit the meat for a veggie version and mushrooms can be added

Fry the potatoes in canola oil
Stir fry the peppers, onions garlic in the olive oil, add the chorizo and ham salt and pepper. Until the peppers and onions are soft and cooked through, the chorizo has fat and coloring in it and it will turn all of the food a reddish paprika color .

Add the cooked potatoes and mix

In a separate bowls, break eggs and separate the whites from the yolks

Beat the whites until they are frothy but not peaked, this will make the omelet fluffy.

Then add the yolks and beat until combined


Add to the sauteed mixture

After the eggs cook for 10 mins on medium heat then it’s time to turn the omelet over, this is always a fun part because you can wind up dumping the mixture in the sink.

Put a plate larger than the pan over the top of the pan, flip the mixture on to the plate (over the sink)

Then carfully side everything back onto the skillet scraping the plate.

Once the other side cooks for 10 minutes your ready to enjoy.

I made two tortillas yesterday one with just potatoes (in the flip pics) and one with everything I have some picky eaters so one had to be mild.

Since it's avocado season here in South Florida, I made an avocado and tomato salad to go this this squeezed some fresh lime in the salad and that was all she wrote.

Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose and Garden

I usually start a small container garden this time of the year and reading Leigh's homesteading blog inspired me this year. We had our first cold snap this past weekend, it was 60 degrees when we got up and it never got passed 79 degrees with the wind whipping about, it was great I loved it.The white buckets are from our laundry detergent, we go through these at the rate of 1 every 1.5 months, with five of us at the house there's a lot of laundry. I save some for this reason, this was my reuse. The blue bucket my son brought home from his job these were re-purposed paint buckets. Mr. Deepend drilled drain hole at the bottom of all the bucket and I got to work.

The one's with the wire ring are my tomato plants, the bottom bucket is sweat basil, the top white is chives and the other is curly parsley.

This blue bucket has rosemary in it.

The final pic is of the recycled planter, I have waiting for more dirt for dill and lavender. I also have some green pepper seeds I saved as I was cooking the other day and want to plant these and see if they will grow and produce.Mr. Deepend promised his brother we'd bring some tomatoes for Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I don't think we will be able to the plants don't even have flowers, he's not a gardener, but a wonderful assistant.

Cut it off!

I've been working on some hand manipulated weaving with the pickup sticks, it's been interesting and fun but rather slow.   I don't feel as inspired as I should and instead of just grining and bearing it attitude I taken towards this warp, I decided that I should just cut my losses and move on to somthing I want to work on. After all if I'm not enjoying myself why weave just to trudge through a warp?  Na, life's too short for warps that make me feel un-creative.

Thoughtful Thursday

Find out who you are and do it on purpose. - Dolly Parton

Picture taken at Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, FL

Cuban Picadillo

Since I don't have any weaving to report, I thought I'd share my recipe for Cuban Picadillo (Ground Beef in Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

1 ¾ lbs of Lean Ground Sirloin
½ each fine chop of green Pepper, red Pepper, Vidalia onion
1 tbsp of minced garlic
3 tbsp of Badia Complete Seasoning or ( 1tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, crushed bay leaves, parsley)
½ tsp of kosher salt
¼ cup of pimento stuffed olives
1 small box 1 ½ oz of raisins
1 small can of tomato sauce.
¼ cup of extra Virgin Olive Oil
Optional:
2 cubed baking potatoes fried in canola oil.
Take these and chop in the food processor or fine if you don't mind small chunks of peppers and onion, the spoon is full of fine minced garlic. ( my kids hate chunks of green stuff so I mince)

Put the olive oil in the pan along with the peppers, onion and garlic saute until soft

Add this wonderful seasoning and the Kosher salt.

the can of tomato sauce

Add the sirloin and cook until brown

Add the olives and raisins, cook for another 10 mins.

Variation: Cut up in to cubes 2 baking potatoes fry in canola oil and add to the cooked picadillo, mix.

You can serve this over cooked white rice or stuffed into Cuban or French Bread. If you like spicy food although not traditional, you can add hot sauce to taste.

I didn't add the potatoes because I'm planning to a Shepard's Pie filling with this batch.