Searching for the Perfect Shot

'Kay, Noah, give me a smile. I'm taking your picture!

No, a NICE smile, please.

Is it just me, or is this not an improvement? (*snicker, snicker*)

Well, I guess it'll have to do!

Love your silliness, little man!

Planning Ahead

As I was sitting checking my e-mail just now, Jude came up to my desk and noticed the cute little owl baby hat I had finished last night which is now sitting beside my laptop.

"Cute hat," he said. "Who's it for?"

"No one in particular, just yet. I just managed to finally finish it last night," I replied. Noah came over to see what we were talking about.

"Is it for a baby?" Noah asked.

"Yep."

"Is it for when we grow up and have babies, for our babies?" he wondered.

Sometimes Noah makes comments that show he is thinking into the future like this. Usually, they are more along the lines of, "When I am an adult, then I'll like mushrooms." This "thinking of his future children" is a new one.

"Probably, when you grow up and have babies, I will make whole new hats for your babies," I said, giving him a squeeze.

"Or the mom will make the hats?" He stumbled over what relationship he should assign to the mother of his future children--I could tell he was looking for a different word, but couldn't think of it.

"She would be your wife. Maybe she will make hats, but not all moms knit and make things like I do. Some do other things instead, and that's okay. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Maybe I can get her a coat. I'll get us both coats," he said. Why he is planning his wardrobe twenty years in the future, I have no idea. I like that he is already thinking about this so-far-fictional woman in such generous terms, though.

"Will they match?" I asked.

"Yeah. Except hers will be pink and mine will be green."

Cool. I bet he'll get a chuckle reading this post when he's older...

Just in time for... summer?

Well, in amongst all my other goings-on, I have been working away at testing some of my hat designs from this spring. Today, I finally got a knitting pattern into my Etsy store. You can find this at www.mysecretwish.ca.

I have actually made another hat for myself, but am too impatient to wait until I get good photos taken of it before I put this in the store. I will add those photos later.

So, here it is, in all its glory: the Lucy Pevensie Tam! You can also find it on Ravelry here. Go check it out. And then buy it. :-)

Here is the tam being modelled by the adorable Zoe.

 

Knitting has been therapy lately--as I wait, and wait, and wait for our house to be moved. Now that this is done, I guess it is time to start working on the next pattern! (Since it looks like the move will not be until at least next week, now.)

But Lord, I stopped praying for patience a LONG time ago!... :-) 

Okay, done whining now.

Mo' Soup?!

I know it seems like a weird time of year to be making soup, but this recipe, inspired by one from my friend Ingrid M., works well for my summer schedule because it is made in the crock pot. This means that you are doing your frying, etc., in the cool of the morning, instead of the hottest part of the day. Besides, soup nicely complements the salads I am finally able to start making from homegrown lettuce--we had the first home-garden salad of the season tonight. Yippee!

However, there is also a fast version, in case you forgot to plan for the crock pot.

Click on the recipe title to get a downloadable PDF 4"x6" recipe card file.

Red Lentil Soup
Talena Winters ©2011

1 tbsp.butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped fine
6 c. homemade chicken or turkey stock
1 14-oz can stewed tomatoes, blended (in blender)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
¾ cup red lentils
½ c. uncooked brown rice (or, for fast version, 2 c. cooked)
1 tsp. sea salt
Pinch of dried red chilies
Dollop of crème fraiche or cottage cheese, to serve

Crock Pot:
Melt the butter and olive oil together in a medium frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until the onions are limp but not brown. Add carrot and cook for about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to crockpot and add remaining ingredients (except crème fraiche). Cover with lid and cook on high for 5 – 7 hours or overnight.

Stovetop (in case you are in a hurry):
Prepare as above, except use a large saucepan instead of a frying pan. After softening carrots, simply add remaining ingredients except crème fraiche (be sure to use cooked rice), and simmer on medium-low for about 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are cooked.

Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream in each bowl.