Thursday, October 17, 2013

Autumn Love, Beanie & Recipe

It has been a fabulous fall...and I am loving every minute!




I must say preschool teaching is a bit tiring exhausting!! I am a not getting enough creativity time..Such problems I know!
I had a wonderful visit with my new nephew Sebastian who is now 6 months old and I am going to brag but he is just beautiful inside and out! He is what we call a "Trick Baby" so good he will trick you into having one!
I finished my first beanie for the Beanie-a-long with me with Knitspiring Odyssey . I am planning on doing three for the Autumn. This one is a Halloween beanie which I used a row puff stitches to mimic mini pumpkins using the black,orange and turquoise colorway. I loved it!  It is a simple beanie using double crochet mainly. If you have any questions please email me cause as usual I didn't write down the pattern as I made it... I'll make another one and write the pattern out.
I pulled some heirloom carrots out of the garden and I have never seem the flowers that they bare...I have a new love! Isn't it gorgeous!
( are you noticing a lot of exclamation points ...that's how much I love fall!)

Here is the Stuffed Cabbage recipe for those who asked, I have to scale it down as we made a huge batch.


  • 1 head green cabbage large
  • 2 pounds ground pork, beef or whatever you like ( We used beef,  I prefer pork)
  • 1 1/2 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 large can of tomato juice such as V8 ( I used chopped tomatoes too)
  • 1 package of sauerkraut ( I used artisan  sauerkraut made without sulfites, my husband is allergic)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Brown sugar
  • A good friend to share the day with and reminisce!
 
Core the cabbage and place it in a pot covered with water, bring to a boil, turn it off and keep it covered in the pot until it softens. Mix together meat, rice, onion, and S&P. Start peeling the cabbage leaves apart. Now start to stuff the cabbage leaves about the size of a meatball. Just be sure to make filling comparable to the cabbage leaves as they will all vary in size, leaving enough room to roll and fold the cabbage around the filling. Fill all the leaves. Now grab a pot, I use my Le Crueset braising pot. Layer the bottom of the pot with sauerkraut then start to place the cabbages ...fit them in all nice and snug adding the rest of the sauerkraut. Add the V8 or tomatoes,season with S&P, Paprika about 1 tsp. or so ( I like to use more, huge paprika fan!) and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover and cook for at least an hour at a nice simmer.
I am going to make a vegetarian version of chickpeas, raisins, pine nuts, red pepper...something like that. I'll let keep you posted :-).



Sunday, October 6, 2013

Boo!!!

With some help from mother nature, my house is ready for Halloween!



Just a quick hello and sorry the lapse in blogging, you see I started  to do something I used to do a long time ago ...I"M BACK TO WORK..outside the home that is. UGHHH!!! OK I'm being dramatic (something my mother always says about me!) Actually I am just substitute teaching at my friend's pre school. I teach yoga twice a month there and she needed a fill in here and there, but here and there is becoming most of the week lately! Oh well it keeps me off the streets...well more like out of yarn, fabric and vintage stores ;-).

I just love what I woke up to this morning. Mother nature decided my yard needed more decorations. The mist was just so beautiful the spider webs. Just the finishing touch I needed. I decorate my yard and a few rooms in the house. I will post them throughout the month.

I tried this Pinterest recipe, Deep dish caramel apple pie crumb cake this week for my monthly knitting night which I hosted. Please try it!! Quick and easy and delicious. I would however make or even double the crumb recipe and add flour to the apples.

This "starry skies" stitch is a 9" block that is going off to Andi from My Sister's Knitter for someone who needs a bit off what we call "hugs and love" in our family. It will be added to others to make a blanket to comfort this being.! Ahh yes the amazing Andi strikes again! The girl is AWESOME!!If you like the stitch let me know I will send you the info.

The glass and crystals are from a community flea market that happens at one of our state parks every year. Atsion Day, deep in the Pine Barrens of NJ. Home of the "Jersey Devil"..BOO!!
(And no ... its Snookie !)

Ming

next post I'll have the stuffed cabbage recipe...Promise!