On My Nature Table

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I’ve been admiring the touches of summer in my house all season long—along with my little nature table area by the patio door—and as summer draws to a close, I just realized that I’d never shared any of it here.

I love decorating for the seasons and surrounding myself with things and colors I like to look at, especially things that remind me of nature.  My seasonal decorating is minimalist in summer—after all, we should be spending lots of time outdoors, right?—and I take a less-is-more approach.  I felt like I made a bigger impact with less, and the few things I do have out have made me really happy to see.

Fresh flowers from the garden are everywhere—on the window sill above the kitchen sink, my nature table, the baker’s rack, the family room mantle, the dining room table and the kitchen island, if there’s room. I save honey jars to use as little vases and made my own leaf decoupage vases, too.

That’s not real basil on the right—it’s made of wool!  For a closer look on how I needle felted the leaves and knitted I-cord stems, go here.  I love saving ordinary household things for crafts, like the wrapper from store bought basil (before mine was big enough to harvest).  I never know when an idea is going to strike!  I purchased the window stars from Harvest Moon by Hand.

I had to move my nature table to higher ground when Nathan became mobile—it’s now on top of a small bookshelf by my patio door.  I took this picture (above) while it was still very sparse—I’d since added a lot more shells and rocks and thought I had taken more recent photos (sorry about that; anticlimactic, I know).  I love how the shells look so casually placed (you’ll have to take my word for it!)—it almost looks natural. 

The knitted wool vegetables are from the book Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits and are made from leftover Knit Picks Swish Worsted Superwash from Nathan’s sailboat sweater (Ravelry link).  The little plate is one of my favorite things that I made in my pottery class last spring.  My other favorite thing is this ceramic nameplate I made in my pottery class, featuring our family name:

I think it’s the best thing I added to my kitchen this summer.  I love it because it’s our family name.  And I love how the glaze sits in the letters so nicely and is so beautifully shiny.  I wish the photo could convey exactly what it’s like in person—the layering of the glaze colors makes a great, old-timey effect that I’m having trouble describing.  You just have to see it!

It’s giving me all kinds of ideas for personalized pieces I want to make when my pottery class starts up again this fall.  Fall, oh how I can’t wait for it to get here!  This time I’ll showcase my nature table and seasonal decorating much earlier in the season.  Promise.

P.S.  I shouldn't forget the steady stream of veggies from my garden.  And I love that they're still coming!

Yarn Along

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Now that my Treasure Pouch pattern is live, I’m able to focus more on my Fall Knitting.  And by Fall Knitting I mean Nathan’s fall jacket, which is Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Tomten Jacket pattern (Ravelry link) that can be found in Knitting Without Tears.

I’m putting in stripes in fall colors, some bright and some subdued, just like in nature, and instead of installing a zipper, I’m making button holes for the ceramic buttons I made in my pottery class last spring.  (See how far ahead I plan my knitting?)  I’d meant to include the buttons in my photo too, but forgot.  I’ll get ‘em next time.  (Can I just say how much I’m looking forward to my pottery class starting up again this fall?  I don’t know when it will—I’m eagerly awaiting the news and sign-up sheet to come in the mail—but I can’t wait to get away for just two hours one night a week.  After a long and hard summer, I deserve it!)

Back to the knitting.  To keep things interesting (garter stitch is starting to wear on me) I’m also working on my Edwardian Boating socks.  The colors of Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in colorway County Fair are still interesting, although knitting the heel flap has caused me to lose the lovely rainbow-order of the little Vs.  Oh well.  Maybe I’ll get it back later on in the sock.

Next on my list is a pair of socks for Nathan in fall colors.  His chubby, squarish toddler feet will need a pair of socks soon, and next maybe a pair of slippers with grippies on the bottom.  Some of our floors are too slick for him to walk around in socks (especially wool ones, which I find to be extra slick), so I think that’ll be our only answer this winter.  I’ll probably design them both, and hopefully soon!  Stay tuned!

I'm still reading An Irish Country Doctor.  I love that it was written by a real doctor from Ireland.  What are you knitting and reading this week?

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My First Guest Post - All Things Fee

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I'm happy and excited for my first guest blog post ever!  Today I'm guest posting on the crafty blog All Things Fee about knitting for babies and toddlers. I think knitting for babies and toddlers is fun because the projects are super adorable and they knit up really fast.  But the best thing about knitting for tots is that they have no choice but to wear what you put on them, so you know your knitted objects will get lots of use.  : ) 

In my guest post I highlight some of my favorite patterns for babies and toddlers, plus a few non-baby ones. Please visit this fun crafty mama's blog.  Thanks for having me, Felicia!

Surviving with Zucchini and Herb Fritters

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We survived hurricane Irene with zucchini in all forms…well, zucchini bread and zucchini fritters.  On Friday night, well before the hurricane reached us in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Nathan and I were in the garden harvesting a bunch of zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers (yes, they keep coming!).  I also did a better job of tying up my tomato plants—I hadn’t realized how gangly they’d become and just how many tomatoes I have yet to enjoy this summer and fall.  (Yeah!!!)  The plum variety I’m growing is very productive.  I can’t put my hands on the variety just now (did I really throw out those empty seed packets?!) but it’s Johnny’s Seeds’ replacement for San Marzano; those are the ones I usually grow.

Anyway, back to the zucchini.  On Saturday morning while Nathan ate his first breakfast, I got to work baking his second breakfast—a recipe for zucchini bread that turns two cups of grated zucchini into two golden loaves of deliciousness.  The recipe was given to me by a friend, so before I post it I need to figure out where it came from.  I’m not interested in being sued by Ms. Crocker, thankyouverymuch.  It’s very good, although a little oily for my taste.  (It takes a whole cup of vegetable oil!)  Maybe I’ll just develop my own recipe someday instead.

Then we had zucchini and herb fritters for lunch.  Oh. My. God.  I remember thinking that fried zucchini, recipe here, was my favorite way to make zucchini, but I was dead wrong.  Clearly I’d forgotten how ridiculously good these things are!  This recipe takes two medium-sized zucchini, a few eggs, breadcrumbs and whatever herbs you have growing in your garden and turns them into the best damn thing you’ve ever tasted.  And I’m including expensively delicious cuts of meat and crab legs when I say that.  Just look at them!

Fritters reheat well after a stay in the fridge, and I imagine they can be eaten cold.  And since I made all of these zucchini treats under the guise of hurricane preparedness, this was a bonus.  They freeze and reheat well, too.  Hurricane update is after recipe.

Without further ado, the recipe:

Zucchini and Herb Fritters

Serves 3-4 very hungry people, 4+ moderately hungry people

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized zucchini, grated (about 2 pounds)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for frying

Fresh Herbs:

chives, about 1 tablespoons, snipped

basil, about 2 tablespoons, chopped

mint, about 1 teaspoon, minced

Notes: You can use larger quantities of herbs if you have a less finicky husband than I. Also, you can omit the mint if your husband is finicky, like mine.  It’s important to fry these in olive oil (rather than a spray, like Pam) in order to get the edges crispy and the bonus flavor it imparts.  This is a great recipe for zucchini that you’ve let get a little too large (oops!) and seedy—just grate the outsides and not the seedy center.

Grate the zucchini and spread it out on a clean tea towel; press between two tea towels to get out some of the moisture.

Mix the rest of the ingredients and fresh herbs in a large bowl to form a dry batter. Add zucchini to batter and mix well—you’ll have to really get in there with your hands to get an even consistency.  You want a thick batter that holds together well.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan on medium-high.  Place quarter-cup scoops of batter into the hot oil and press them down slightly for uniform thickness and cooking time.  Brown on one side, flip and repeat.  Make sure they’re cooked in the center—they’ll still be moist inside thanks to the moisture in the zucchini.  You’ll probably need to add more oil to the pan in between batches.  And you just may have to test one or two while you’re cooking them!

Enjoy!

P.S. – I’m surprised and happy that we made it through the storm unscathed—we barely had any hurricane damage here.  Our power was only out for about an hour or two, and we had one tree come down that was already half dead, so no big loss.  However, many people nearby experienced terrible flooding and will be without electricity until Wednesday.  My thoughts are with them as they piece their lives back together.

Here are some pictures of local flooding in my area, taken by the newspaper.

Here are some photos taken by my friend Sara in my home state, New Jersey.  She walked all the way up to the Raritan River, which flooded onto Route 206 and just about everywhere else around it.

These amazing photos from all around the East coast caught my eye, too.

Treasure Pouch Knitting Pattern

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My latest pattern, a sweet little knitted pouch, is now available!  Click the Buy Now button below for immediate download, download it from Ravelry or purchase it in my Etsy shop.

I hope you enjoy knitting up these little treasure pouches as much as I have.  Nathan’s having so much fun with his, and now I’m starting to think I’d like one to carry as a little purse for ducking in the farm stand or taking a quick shopping trip when I don’t want to carry around a big diaper bag.  Nathan’s been collecting acorns and walnuts in his treasure pouch, and he also likes stuffing his play silks inside and pulling them back out again.

The pattern is written for both Sport and DK gauges with U.S. size 4 and size 6 DPNs respectively, giving you options for two different sized pouches.  The Sport pouch is 6 ¼” wide by 7 ½” high, and the DK pouch is 7 ¼” wide by 8 ¾” high (excluding handle) when empty.

Sturdy but soft cotton was my fiber of choice for its strength and lack of stretchiness.  The pattern takes almost the entire skein of DK yarn (123 yards)—I used Knit Picks CotLin in Cashew, and less than one skein of Sport yarn (164 yds)—I used Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport in Green Tea Heather.

The short icord handle and useful twisted cord drawstring make this little but roomy pouch functional. Picot edging and heart or Xs and Ox motif add whimsy and charm—and extra interest while knitting.  Both motifs work at both gauges.

It’s a fast and easy knit. Please enjoy!

The Great Outdoors ~ Sunshowers and Rainbows on the Farm

~ If you took photos outdoors that you love this week, join in and post a link in the comments!  I'm replacing {this moment} with The Great Outdoors while the weather is warm and we’re spending so much time outside. ~

Don't you just love sunshowers?  There's something so fun, exciting and refreshing about the sun shining while it's raining.

And then you get these:

I captured these image on my cell phone camera.  Not bad, right?  Except for this blurry one, below.  That's where the pot of gold lies: my family.

I'll try to remember these happy images when hurricane Irene comes our way this weekend.  I hope everyone on the East coast stays safe and dry.

Summer’s Home Stretch, Looking to Fall

I love summer just as much as any other outdoors-loving gardener, so I’m just going to come out and say it.  I’m glad summer’s almost over.  And I only feel a small twinge of guilt for saying so.  My garden’s still producing lots of red tomatoes and the zucchini are still doing well…but the demands on a caretaker’s wife in summer are wearing on me, and I’m afraid I’m burning out.  I feel this way every year starting in mid August, but this is the worst case I’ve had yet.  Maybe it’s because Nathan’s crazy toddlerhood is wearing me out and I could use a little help.  Maybe it’s because I’m tired of doing everything myself, by myself, and feeling like a single parent most of the time.

Or maybe it’s because I’m tired of having no family life and interrupted family dinners, or nonexistent ones.  Or maybe I’m sick of seeing my husband dote on someone else’s family while ours feels neglected on the back burner, without a support system nearby. 

It’s hard to describe this feeling—it’s more than just burnout from physical tasks.  There’s an emotional component that can leave me feeling depressed, overwhelmed, lonely, mentally exhausted and almost physically sick—and sometimes wishing for a different kind of life.  One where I don’t have to share my husband with anyone outside of our family.

The straw fields are my favorite view in early summer; by late August they signal that fall is near.  Thank God!

Goodbye, Summer, I am counting down the days.  For, after Labor Day, I’ll get my husband back, and Nathan will have his father back, and we can feel whole again.  And maybe I’ll get to rest a bit.  I’m hoping we can take a mini-vacation to the beach; we haven’t been away together in three years, and Nathan’s never had a family vacation.

Summer is just a few months out of the year; I don’t know how military families do it for years at a time while husbands (and wives!) fight abroad.  Maybe the noble cause does something to offset the strain on the family.  Or maybe the built-in support system and benefits help to make a difference.  It’s quite possible that military wives (and husbands) are stronger—and less whiny—than I am.

I’m looking forward to the extra quality family time outdoors this fall and establishing a new and better rhythm.  Cool, crisp air and low humidity.  The brilliantly colored leaves—and the earthy smell of brown ones.  Collecting acorns, seed pods and whatever else we find that strikes us.

The last two weeks are always the hardest to get through.  But knowing we’re in the home stretch certainly helps.  The farm will be beautiful this fall.  Even if the fields, well, aren't.

Yarn Along and Contest Winner

You can see that I haven’t made much progress on my Edwardian Boating Socks since last week.  Not because of that little brown strip of garter stitch, but because of these:

These are the results of my latest pattern (scheduled for release on Monday!), and it’s called Treasure Pouch.  What toddler or young child wouldn’t love a soft pouch to collect all of his or her most precious belongings?  I can picture Nathan collecting acorns, walnuts (dubbed green nuts, or as Nathan calls them, neen nuts) and more…although for now he’s been stuffing them with our play silks and happily pulling them back out again.

The pattern is written for two different gauges (sport and DK) to get you two different sized pouches, and you can choose between the heart motif and Xs and Os—both motifs work at both gauges.

As you might remember, I’m giving the pattern away to the first person who correctly guessed what the half-finished product was in last week’s Yarn Along post.  Are you ready to find out who the contest winner is? 

You may have a vague notion that no one guessed “pouch,” so I’ll go to the next obvious choice, which is bag.  A pouch is a bag, just like a square is a rectangle.  Six different people guessed bag, so I’m awarding the prize to the most specific guess, and that was gift bag, by The Evolving Homemaker.  I began designing this pouch as a gift bag that is to be part of the gift.  I intend to fill the green pouch with some other goodies and send it off in the mail tomorrow.  It morphed into a Treasure Pouch when I realized what fun Nathan could possibly have with one!  So the brown one will be his after it comes back from Knit Picks headquarters. 

Thanks to everyone who entered the guessing contest—I had fun reading your guesses throughout the day!  If you’re interested in the pattern, please do come back for it on Monday.

As always, I’m linking up with Ginny on Small Things on Wednesday.

P.S. - The brown strip of garter stitch is the beginnings of Nathan's fall jacket, EZ's Tomten Jacket.  More on that next week!

P.P.S. - I'm still reading An Irish Country Doctor.

Tortilla Lasagna Recipe

So I know tortilla lasagna isn’t exactly a summer recipe, but with all the rain we’ve been having on the East coast, it felt right to bake something.  Plus, I’m not averse to turning on the oven in the summertime, with the advent of air conditioning and all.  As my Seasonal Recipes page grows and I categorize recipes by season, I’ll catalog this one under winter recipes.

If you love Mexican food—or even like it only mildly—you will love this recipe.  The ingredients list alone is mouth-watering…imagine all of these flavors combined!  When I first told my husband about this dish, he made a face, even though he likes Mexican food.  Well, I’ve come to find out a few years later, it’s his favorite thing that I make.  And I make some pretty good things.

It’s not my own recipe—it’s a free recipe published by Certified Angus Beef that I picked up at the butcher counter in our local year-round farmer’s market.  I doubt they’ll mind if I post it here.  If they do, they can just e-mail me and I’ll take it down.  (Please don’t sue me, okay?)  But I can offer some tips and suggestions not included in the recipe.  Recipe first, then tips.

Tortilla Lasagna

Serves 8-10

2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained

1 package taco seasoning

¾ cup water

1 cup chopped green onions

1 ½ cups salsa

12 corn tortillas

5 cans diced green chilies

1 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese  

1 can mild enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combined cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, water and green onions.  Stir in salsa.

Spray 9 x 13” pan with nonstick spray. Place a layer of tortillas in the bottom. Top with a third of the green chilies, ground beef, cheese and enchilada sauce.  Repeat layers twice, using the cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Tips:

1. I don’t think this recipe can really serve 10 people, unless many of them are children.  I’d stick with eight.

2. That said, I halve the recipe for my little family of three and bake it in an 8 x 8” pan and still have leftovers for two the next day. 

3.  When I halve the recipe, I use about a pound to a pound and a half of ground beef (the 90/10 beef is great for this—save the fattier stuff for juicy hamburgers) and just half of the taco seasoning packet.

4. Use mild chilies unless you don’t mind some bites that are hotter than others.  Definitely mild chilies and enchilada sauce for kids (obviously!).  I also use mild salsa, even though I prefer medium to hot salsa on tortilla chips.  I can better taste all the great flavors in this dish without the heat to mask them.

5. I don’t usually keep green onions in the house and almost always forget to buy them for this recipe.  You can substitute regular white or yellow onions (cooked separately before added to beef mixture) or just skip them altogether with fine results. 

6.  I usually use cheddar instead of Monterey Jack because it’s what I have in the house.  You can nearly double the amount of cheese in this recipe with excellent results.

7.  To shorten time in the oven, preheat to 375 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes with foil and 5 minutes without it.  I take out Nathan’s portion when I remove the foil so his can start cooling down.  He’s a hungry boy and doesn’t like to wait!

I hope your family enjoys this delicious recipe as much as mine does.  Enjoy!

The Great Outdoors ~ In the Garden

~ If you took photos outdoors that you love this week, join in and post a link in the comments!  I'm replacing {this moment} with The Great Outdoors while the weather is warm and we’re spending so much time outside. ~

In between lots of rain, we spent the afternoon in the garden.  I love how the color of Nathan's New York City taxi cab shirt matches my Black-Eyed Susans.  I hadn't realized that they were taxi-cab yellow!

He sniffed a flower and was well-behaved for a time...

Until he started ripping pieces off a squash leaf...

And tried to rip out a flower.

See that guilty face?  He knew it was wrong, but didn't seem to care all that much at the time.

I thought it was cute when he sniffed a squash leaf.

Then we sang while he filled his trike up with toys.

And checked for bugs in his bug-holding container.  (There were none.)

We admired that day's varvest, a few plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and a zucchini, which we had for dinner tonight.

After trying two cherry tomatoes and not liking them, he tried to stuff one into my mouth.  I gladly accepted, but only after getting this shot.  I give him credit for trying tomatoes twice -- I think he wants to like them.

As soon as we came inside, Dada whisked him back out for a walk and to talk business while I made dinner in peace and quiet.

That look totally asks, "Aren't you coming with us?"  He is so attached.  "No, Boo Boo, I'm going to stay home and make dinner now."  And he was fine with that.  And I enjoyed a few minutes alone that afternoon.

Do you like how there's purple loosestrife growing through a warped board in our porch?  I thought so.  Good thing, 'cause this is how we roll.

Yarn Along and Contest!

Those rainbow colors you saw in last week’s Yarn Along post are now woven into the most amazing sock pattern that is doing them justice: Edwardian Boating Socks (Ravelry link).  I love how the slipped stitches are creating a woven-like fabric and interesting checker pattern. These sections charm me even more than the ones with the little Vs on them—those were the showstoppers when I originally chose the pattern.

I should add that I’m pleased with the lovely coincidence of the little Vs appearing in rainbow order.  How did that happen?  I love this pattern, which is much easier to execute than the results would make you think.  : )  I forgot to mention last week that the yarn is Knit Picks' Stroll Handpainted in colorway County Fair.

On the new-pattern-development front, here is a sneak peek of my latest original design:

And I’m not telling what it is.  Can you guess?

The first person to guess correctly will win a free PDF of the pattern on launch day!  So, what are you waiting for?  Leave a comment with your best guess -- contest entries will remain open until next week’s Yarn Along post, where I'll announce the contest winner. 

Don’t want to enter the contest because you’re not sure what this pattern is for?  Afraid you won't want some blobby cotton thing with X's and O'x on it?  Don’t worry—I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.  : )  I swear it'll be much cooler-looking when it's finished.  Thanks for playing along!

On the reading front, I’m rereading An Irish Country Doctor because I still haven’t had time to go to the library.  This was one of the first books I went out and bought after Nathan was born, so it has fond memories attached to it.  The story is good, the characters are great (likable characters really do it for me) and I’m Irish, so I really enjoy the culture and the lingo.

Nathan is still loving Good Dog, Carl, and it’s the only thing keeping him still on the changing table these days.  Thank God for Carl!  I plan on getting other books from the Carl series, one by one to keep him occupied.  : )  The illustrations are mesmorizing for both of us, and it's a fun book to "read" together.

Thank you, everyone, for your encouraging comments on my knitting week after week.  As always, I'm linking up to Ginny's Yarn Along on Small Things on Wednesday.