Thankful

We’re working on a project for the month of November.  I had read an article recently about someone who had embarked on a month-long gratitude project, writing down things he was thankful for every day.  At the end of the article, it gave ideas for how to do the same thing yourself with your kids, and it seems like it said something about making a tree…but now I don’t remember exactly what it was, just that it was the springboard for my own idea.

Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.  Colossians 2:7

I decided to make a giant tree on posterboard and then have each family member cut out leaves in a personal color.  AJ chose orange, DJ chose green, I chose yellow, and my husband had to take brown (we’ve somehow used up all of our red construction paper).  Now, for each night from now until Thanksgiving, we’ll each write down one thing we’re thankful for.  You can’t write down the same thing twice, and you have to think of what to write on your own.  The first two nights, AJ was thankful for her unicorn and her bat ring.  Last night it was MAMA. :)  DJ has written down Mama, Daddy, and Jesus so far.  I’ve written down AJ, DJ and my husband.  The hubs is behind and needs to catch up already!  Here’s a partial close-up.

We’re enjoying the project so far, and I can’t wait to see the tree when it’s covered with 104 leaves by Thanksgiving Day.  We decided last night that a lot of leaves will have to be stuck on the “ground” by then!

Other things I’m thankful for:

• Homeschooling.  Even though we have our “days”, and if you homeschool you probably know what I mean, it’s mostly a great experience for all of us.  I love not having to rush around in the mornings and take kids to school.  I also love the notion that in another few years, there will be no evening homework, because we’ll get it done during the day!  What a concept!

• Hobbies.  I’ve been loving the knitting lately.  I’m past the sleeves on my featherweight cardi now and can’t wait to finish!

• Fall.  It’s such a relief, after the heat and heaviness of summer in the south.  I took the kids out for a walk the other day to collect pretty colored leaves for a notebook, and we enjoyed the cooler sunshine so much.  I’m also thankful that we live in a quiet neighborhood where we can head out the door and wander around and feel safe.

One more fall photo for fun.  I love this time of year!

What are you thankful for?

Wet

It has been so wet here lately!  Even the mushrooms are growing mushrooms!

In progress

A little peek at the knitting…

The advent sock garland is almost half finished. I’m taking color cues from nature, Christmas, my kids (so far they have “designed” one sock each), and from Beth’s pretty socks. Many of the stripe patterns are fibonacci patterns (1-1-2-3-5), which looks really nice with three colors.  The pumpkin/white/purple at 10:00 (below) is one example.

I’m also working on my Featherweight cardi. I never thought I would get this far, because it’s laceweight. Black laceweight. And it has to grow big enough to fit me. But, I’m hanging in there, and I’m only 10 or so rows from dividing for the sleeves!

Checking in

It’s so funny; I feel a need to post something here, but there’s not much to post and I don’t have any photos.  For some reason, it bugs me to write a pictureless blog post!  Maybe it’s just because I like pictures so much.

I’ve been busy working on the Christmas stocking advent garland that I mentioned in an earlier post (Ravelry link); I think I have 12 socks done?  In which case, I’m halfway through!  Not bad.  By now  I’ve totally got short row heels memorized.  Which is good, because that’s what usually slows me down in sock knitting.  These are little socks, knitted in worsted weight, so it’s really satisfying to knit them.  A sock in an hour and a half–can’t beat that!

I’m also desperately needing to start sewing AJ some dresses for church.  She has one or two things that can pass for fall if she wears them over a long-sleeved tee, but she needs new stuff badly.  Finding the time to sew has been tough lately, though.  I’m training for a half marathon too, so some of my free time is being used up by running right now.  I ran a 7-mile training run on Saturday and felt like I almost ran my legs off afterward. :)  I’m looking forward to running a 10K next weekend with the same friends who are running in the half with me in December.  I’m really looking forward to it!

And then there’s Halloween.  I really wanted to make the kids’ costumes this year, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.  Time is too short–even shorter since we need them by next Wednesday for Trunk or Treat at our church.  AJ wants to be a dog (a “soft” one, specifically—which made me want to sew her a little suit out of Minkee SO badly!).  I’m not sure what DJ wants to be, but I’m willing to bet he’ll go for Batman or whatever we see at the stores.  And there’ll probably be dog costumes somewhere.  Sigh.  I wish there was time to do everything…I have way too many hobbies!

I love beans, part two

My husband has spent a lot of time deer hunting this week, which means dinnertimes have been just me and the kids…which also means I’m not cooking much.  Usually during hunting season, D & A and I will have leftovers, “silly nights” (plain old cereal), sandwiches, or homemade pizza for dinner.  I’m looking forward to Big Daddy getting home before dark again so I can cook something hearty. Like a big old pot of beans and some cornbread!

I wish I had some photos of this meal.  It’s SO good.  I’ve planned to take them before, but in the distraction of dinnertime, I always forget.  Just close your eyes for a moment, and imagine the fragrant, soupy beans and yummy white rice and steamy cornbread.  (Hungry yet?)

Okay, so first the beans.  This recipe is from a very entertaining cookbook called Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader.  Although it’s been several years, I’ve read most of the books in her Mitford series, and the characters are so lovable and real, I feel like I know them.  And the food!  Possibly every chapter mentions a meal of some sort.  Every character has a favorite food (Orange Marmalade Layer Cake!), and you just can’t go wrong with a novel full of real characters who love to eat.  The cookbook is full of recipes for dishes that are mentioned in the books, with some of the author’s favorite recipes included as well.  She says that the pot of beans is one of her favorite things to cook while she’s writing (the other being a roasted chicken).  I personally like to cook these beans on Wednesdays, when we have to eat like senior citizens at 4:45 in order to get to Wednesday night activities at church on time.  I just start them after lunch, let ‘em cook, then whip up a pot of rice and some cornbread right before early-bird time.  I do one thing differently than the recipe, though.  Instead of using regular paprika, I use smoked paprika.  It makes the beans taste like there’s bacon in them, or maybe a smoked ham hock.  My husband, the original meat-and-three devotee, doesn’t believe me when I tell him these don’t have meat in them.  I also make a few other changes, and they’re noted below.

Jan’s Pot of Beans

adapted from Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader

• 1 lb. mixed dried beans, picked over (I use cranberry or yellow-eyed beans)
• 3 TBSP unsalted butter (I use 1 TBSP; no need to get crazy with the butter)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion (I just use one big onion and don’t bother to measure)
• 3 cloves minced garlic (I skip bc we’re not huge garlic fans)
• 1 TBSP dried rosemary (I use 2 tsp)
• 1 TBSP dried thyme (I use 2 tsp)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ham hock (I omit this because of the next ingredient…)
• 1 TBSP paprika (Smoked!!!)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt (or kosher)
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• chopped Vidalia onions, for serving

Okay, I guess I change almost everything in the recipe.  That’s just me.  Anyway, you quick soak your beans by rinsing them, putting them in a pot with enough water to cover, bringing them to a boil, and boiling for one minute.  Then you turn off the heat, cover, and let them sit for one hour.  Drain and set aside, cleaning out your pot for the next step.

Melt butter and olive oil in the pot over medium heat.  Saute onion (and garlic, if you like that) until soft.  Add beans, enough FRESH water to cover (don’t use the old water or you’ll be sorry later), herbs, paprika and pepper.  Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are just tender.  Add water as necessary–you’ll want the beans to be soupy.  Add salt at the very end to taste.

I serve these sans Vidalias, and only my hubs uses Tabasco.  I ladle them into bowls, top with an ice-cream scoop of cooked white rice (a la the lunch lady), and serve with my mom’s buttermilk cornbread.

Comfort food at its finest. :)