winter garden walk

finally, a nice hard frost. this morning it covered every surface. not quite the snow I'm hoping for, but lovely nonetheless.

on my hollyhock, hibiscus seed heads, oregano and sweet autumn clematis.

blogoversary

my blog is having a birthday next month. to celebrate, how about i give YOU a gift? 
do you know ree drummond, the pioneer woman? that woman is everywhere these days. i have one slightly used copy of her wonderful cookbook, pioneer woman cooks.

it is chock full of man-pleasin' recipes, pw's amazing photographs and tidbits of life on the ranch. 
you want it? leave a comment by midnight, december 31st EST and on new year's day i will pick a winner. it could be YOU!

wordless wednesday

sew cute

i was sketching a simple rag doll the other day - round head, triangle body, skinny legs. i knew i wanted felt hair but sketching wasn't helping so i went to the internet for inspiration.  

i stumbled upon  retro mama and fell in love with greta. i spent hours figuring out how to execute this dolly on my own.

i made pattern pieces, rifled through my stash and the very first 'lissa doll was born.

once i get kim's actual pattern, i know i'll be able to work out the kinks of assembly. this little girl is formidable. don't let the cute fool you.

i already know of four girlies who would love their own. i fear this is about to get out of control.

karen bower at Rock Red Shoes posted this pearl today.
she rocks. red shoes or not.

"You are not your bra-size, nor are you the width of your waist, nor are you the slenderness of your calves. You are not your hair color, your skin color, nor are you a shade of lipstick. Your shoe-size is of no consequence. You are not defined by the amount of attention you get from males, females, or any combination thereof. You are not the number of sit-ups you can do, nor are you the number of calories in a day. You are not your mustache. You are not the hair on your legs. You are not a little red dress. You are no amalgam of these things.

You are the content of your character. You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful and desirable not for the clique you attend, but for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one. You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries." 

— Unknown

rubberband man

justin & timmy

i needed a rubber band today. i knew ken had some in his office. i looked up and there was justin's rubberband ball. he was so into rubber bands one year ashey gave him boxes FULL for christmas. i think it was his favorite gift. i don't remember any others, only the laugh we all shared. 

thanks for the picture, cristi. i sangged it from you .:)

actual knitting content

knitting up this sweater for girl-child. i am loving it! started ten days ago and i feel like i'm almost done! i know i'm not, but still. digging how easy the pattern is to follow. the yarn is so soft and i love the construction - top down, raglan sleeves and the cabled ribbing is so nice! i know i just spoke in a foreign language to my non-knitterly friends. my apologies. but for those who do understand, check out this amazingly easy pattern by amy swenson.

yarn is by elann, peruvian sierra aran. pattern is mr. greenjeans.

no winter lasts forever

 no spring skips its turn. 

walking outside today, my spirits were lifted by bits of spring i saw everywhere - birds  chirping happily in the trees, flowers pushing through the sun-warmed soil, blooming in spite of frosty temperatures and me with my baby-friend, both of us happy to be outside, playing in the sunshine. 

today marks a year, our first year without justin. everyone is asking how we're doing. ashley and i both agree - we are no more sad today than yesterday. one year doesn't hurt any more than 364 days. losing someone you love just hurts. every day. but today, noticing spring all around in the company of a small child whose whole world is filled with wonder made me hurt a little less.

 quote  by Hal Borland

hallmark holiday

my husband calls valentine's day a 'hallmark holiday'. i'm pretty sure he hates it, but he does love me, so this morning i was surprised with chocolates galore and sweet nothings found in cards stashed all over the house. for valentine's day. he did good. 

this is such a rare occurrence for him (ha!) that he requested public recognition for his deed.

so here you go, babe. thank you for the cards and the chocolates and the extra ten pounds i will most certainly gain from your generosity. i love you!

and a little history of valentine's day, just so you all know.

glad we don't celebrate valentine's day like the ancients did - i'd be slapped with bloodied goat strips! chocolates are a much better way to show your affections, don't you think?

my own recipe

eta: in thinking about this recipe, i decided it's really more of a pilaf, as the brown rice never creamed up like a good risotto rice would. so, for the instructions, i would cook the rice according to directions, seasoning the water with the turmeric. cook the vegetables in a little olive oil until tender, adding kale and beans last few minutes just to wilt the kale and warm the beans.

i can't wait to make this again.

olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
a few handfuls of baby carrots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups brown rice
turmeric
water
salt & pepper

sauté onion and carrot until onion is cooked through, browning slightly. add garlic, cooking just a bit. you don't want to burn it. set the veggies aside in a separate dish to add back later. add rice to the pan and just enough water to barely cover the rice. cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. when water cooks down, add a little more. keep adding water until rice is tender. i did this for twenty minutes, then added more water and put a cover on the pan, reduced the heat to low and simmered for another fifteen minutes. i would probably add back the veggies before this last simmer. i cooked mine from the beginning and the carrots were mushy.

i season with salt and pepper at each step - first the cooking vegetables and again when i add the rice. the turmeric was a surprise. i was looking through my spices, smelling as i went and the turmeric spoke to me, adding great flavor and color.

when the rice was tender, i added a scootch more water, made a little well and cracked an egg on top. popped the lid back on and cooked till the whites were done but the yolk was still soft.

for my nanny family, i would add kale and white beans at the end. i think it would be great with any vegetables and the beans add protein. what a great meal! healthy, hearty and good.

i impressed myself. i don't cook like this. i find good recipes. and today? i guess i did just that.