Life doesn’t even seem to slow down and the weather can’t make up its mind- warm, cold, wet, dry, windy, humid. Lots of new and exciting things are coming up for me, so here’s a quick look ahead:
*We have planned our garden and have some really solid landscaping ideas to make our house a little more interesting
* I’ll be working at the Austin SXSW musical extravaganza and I should be finding out any day now what shows I’ll be working at. I have a training this week!
*I’m taking a sewing class next weekend- watch out fabric stores!
*Three weeks until spring break!
So now to rewind. I haven’t updated in a few weeks, so I’m behind in telling you about my new recipe per week project. Last week is was polenta with mushroom gravy. This week it was pita with goat cheese and roasted asparagus. Since the weather got nicer, I was feeling perky enough to try two new meals this week, so I also made tomato and spinach soup with gnocchi.
Crafting hasn’t really happened, unless you count planning the garden and landscaping, which I do, because it’s hands-on and creative.
I finished The Awakening but totally forgot about the book club. I’m about a quarter of the way through Finn. I plan to finish most of it tomorrow (making that two books in two weeks, so I’m exceeding my resolution). I might tackle Lonesome Dove next. It’s long, but since I did two this week, I might be able to extend my expectations to 3 or 4 weeks, especially with vacation coming up.
I tried three new workouts this week- 2 new yoga classes and then I did a mix of stairclimber and elliptical this week. I’ve also been trying out new weight equipment at the gym. I joined the Self Challenge again this year, hoping to reinvigorate my interest in working out and eating right. So far it’s working like a charm. Whenever I keep a food log I always reach for fruit, rather than candy, so I don’t have to write down 17 snickers minis in a public forum.
I worked for a few hours on my cable scarf. It looks the same as last week, only a few inches longer. It’s taking forever, as all knitting does for me. A coworker is having a baby, so I’ll start a crochet blanket soon to make me feel more productive.
I picked up my gray shawl and once again started it over because it had so many dropped stitches. After restarting 5 times, I gave up on it for now. So I decided to teach myself to make cables. I’m starting with a simple scarf pattern. It’s really easy and the cable is looking great.
I’ll likely finish American Wife today (only 50 pages left), and I think I’ll start on Wally Lamb’s The Hour I First Believed. But in recounting what I read this summer, I forgot to mention Tana French’s In the Woods. It was a thriller-type novel about a detective who, as a child disappeared with two friends and was the only one to be found. He is assigned to the case of child murdered in the same woods where he was lost. Great story, quick read, though only a meh ending.
Parent conferences are half over. Tomorrow I have 6 more, then Thursday I have one in the afternoon, then I’m done! Only 2 weeks until fall break!
It smells so yummy. I think it will taste great on some lettuce with some tortilla chips. It’s red, green and yellow peppers and onions in large pieces- mixed with olive oil, canned corn, and red wine vinegar- black beans rinsed and drained. Salted and peppered to taste. So not exactly kitchen cooking, but definitely kitchen prep work.
The pattern is from Blankets, Hats, and Booties to Knit and Crochet by Kristin Spurkland. I used lightweight organic pima cotton. I’m working on a matching hat, but it’s not turning out the way I’d like right now. Maybe I’ll post it later if it magically fixes itself.
For SuperBowl Sunday stayed in. I assumed we’d make a pizza and drink beer, but the husband had different plans. He wanted to do a theme-dinner- anything that can be dipped. So we cut up veggies- carrots, turnips, celery, had chips, cheese, cheezits, pretzels, olives, mini pickles, pita bread. I made two dips- guacamole and salsa ranch dip, and we bought some olive hummus. It was quite a spread. I was eating raw veggies and dip almost all week for lunch.
At school we watched the Inauguration with the kids. It was an amazing experience to share with them. They couldn’t quite grasp how historical an event they were watching, they were excited and attentive regardless. A parent brought in Obama cookies. I think they’re crazy- the image is laser-printed onto the frosting. That can’t be good for you!
I’m nearly finished with my first time-intensive cross-stitch project. I’m finishing up the shadows and then I need to outline everything. It’s looking really nice, despite the many, many errors I made in counting.
I’m still working on the sci-fi books, but I did manage to finish three other books. 
I also read Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. I’ve never read anything by her, but this book was on mega-discount a while ago, so I picked it up. It was totally contrived and mostly uninteresting. It’s the story of a twelve year old who moves from New York to rural New Hampshire after the death of her mother and baby sister. The father becomes a recluse. One day they find an abandoned infant in the woods and then meet the mother and blah blah.
This morning, I started and then finished Brief Intervals of Horrible Sanity by Elizabeth Gold. She’s a published writer who took a job at a “progressive” high school in Queens in 2000. She went in in February after 3 other English teachers quit. Her story is interesting and, at times, hysterical. I laughed out loud at this part:
This weekend we’re headed out of town. Yay!
I worked a little on my mom’s afghan. I added a golden yellow color, because I realized two skeins in that I didn’t have enough green. I haven’t picked it up since I’ve been back to school; with conferences, mid-year assessments, and report cards coming up I’ve been stay at school late.
I have been all about food, though. Food is one area where I don’t slack! A few weeks ago I made cabbage rolls, inspired by 
I also reintroduced myself to the Sunday Farmer’s Market. I LOVE citrus and ’tis the season, right? I could wax poetic about Cara Cara oranges, Oro Blanco grapefruits, Satsuma mandarins, Meyer lemons. Here’s my fruit basket from on excursion:
Kalrabi, Cara Caras, Pink Lady apples, persimmons, bananas, avocados, oh yum!
It’s carrots, cukes, and sliced turnip, with kalamata olive hummus, wheat pita, hard boiled egg, and left over lentils. I’m attempting a “beefless stew” from The Cooking With PETA Cookbook tonight. I’ve never made stew, but anything that holds all my favorite roots and tubers is worth the work!
