hoping for a quiet weekend

I think the title of this post says it all.  I am hoping for a quiet weekend.  So far so good.  I spent time in the garden this morning and found lots of seedlings.  We had a lot of heat with little rain most of August and then started to get rain.  This has been a lovely surprise.  It does mean that my weeding does not seem to make as much as a dent because I am much more careful but it does mean that I might get more flowers this autumn.  I was lamenting to myself that I did not get as many flowers as last year.  It looks like I may.  I also ordered seeds for my winter garden yesterday.  Much brassicia.  Now if I can get something started before we leave for Alaska.

The rest of the day I have been working on this sweater.  I am making the sweater up as I go so I took out the back and started it again.  I also finished spinning the rest of the fiber into yarn for it.  I have had such a lovely time at my spinning wheel that I picked up more fiber to spin instead of working on the sweater.  It all has to get done. 

There are other tasks I can do in my rocking chair this weekend that mean projects get done.  It may just be time to sit at my spinning wheel.  I do know the grocery store and the library are errands I have to run.  But that is just part of life.

Hopefully you are having the weekend you hope for.

white bean gravy

I am currently avoiding most animal flesh and bird flesh currently. I am finding that both are aggravating inflammation.  If someone cooks for me, I am grateful.  I say a prayer of thanks and ask for the food to give my body strength.  If I cook for myself or go out, I eat vegetarian or fish.  This is not the first time that a food sensitivity has come into play where animal and bird flesh is not consumed lightly in our house.

But Sunday morning, I received a text "eating biscuits and sausage gravy."  That sounded so wonderful.  Sourdough biscuits are easy, other then just not making too many.  I went for an old trick from the first time around for the gravy.  I cook a pot of white beans and use them as a base.  Then I go from there. 

No.  It is not sausage gravy and I would never tell you it is.  But I will say there is enough flavor that it is a lovely substitute.  It is also one of those recipes that I need to write down for myself. 

white bean gravy

2 cups cooked white beans with cooking liquid

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional (this is just to add more depth)

In a medium heavy pot over medium heat, warm the oil and add the onion.  Let the onion get golden.  Add the salt, pepper, and paprika.  Stir around for a couple minutes until the onion is well coated.  Add the beans.  Add the liquid smoke.  Heat until start to boil.  Blend the mixture in the pot.  You might need to add a bit more water for gravy consistency.

Serve over biscuits.

that bit is done

The quilting is done.  I hope to have the binding on soon then I have to check an address.

I really do not have a lot of words today.  I did not know what I was going to say.  I am sad.  And work is emotionally tiring.  I just wish to come home and hide.  I walked to the grocery store to get milk and chips to go with seven layer dip and realized that my body had reacted to the day with a sore throat.  It was just a sigh especially since this is the first day since about June I could go outside and read my book at lunch comfortably. 

I do have some recipes to share.  I need to write them down for myself!  I have some pictures I need to take so I can share a work in progress and the yarn that I am making for it.  Hopefully, my new crochet hook will arrive soon.  But words.  Those seem to be few and very far apart.  There is a lot of dough being made.  But none of it  is being made into new recipes.  Cronetti.  Biscuits.  Bread.  Some people call that the art of slow living.  I call it sanity.  Words do not have to be said when there is warm bread and tea.  And other people are willing to take it off your hands if you offer it.

More babbling today.  I am sad.

quilting while bruised

After I fell off my sewing bench, I spent a lot of time quilting and listening to an audiobook.  I was in a lot of pain yesterday.  I came home from work and basically did nothing.  A tad to much homemade sangria helped the pain.  But I did not feel like writing my own words and read someone elses. Stray Souls.  I have read it multiple times at this point, always from the library.  If I run across it at a used bookstore, I should pick it up.  It is the litmus test for books I own.

Today, pain is better and the audiobook is almost done.  Just over nine hours of audiobook.  Quilting and spinning are very conducive to listening to audiobooks.

I have also spent a lot of time with my hands in dough.  I find that I am less stressed with what is going on at work.  Today, I was done.  It was the thought of having to network again for a job when I really only wish to make breads, quilts, and garden.  But that does not necessarily pay the taxes on the lands.  But that is what life currently demands.  I will get over it.  It is what I do.

I just have to remember no more klutz moves.  And I might not be so rambly tomorrow.  But I will not promise.

not turkey basting

I was emailing back and forth with a friend this week and he told me that when I talk about basting a quilt it always makes him think of basting a turkey.  I totally understand.  And one night this week, with a bit of sangria, I got this quilt basted.

I have actually been working on it today and I tumbled off my sewing stool as I tried to sit down on it.  I felt like such a klutz.  Now, a couple hours later, I am feeling all the twinges, bruises, and shocks.  I twisted so I would not hit my head or back.  Too many years of figure skating.  I feel like I should be scraped but I found none.  I do know that Monday is going to be interesting moving.  Tomorrow should be okay because it is the forty eight hours out any more that hurts the worse.

But that is me being a klutz.  That is life.