Regular posting to resume soon ... stay tuned!

::: this is the room that will be the sewing/TV room.


Hello dear readers,

Well, the movers finally arrived yesterday and the furniture has been moved in. I've been blessed with two days off from school plus a weekend, the majority of which has been/will be spent nesting into things here. Organizing, putting away the mess. . Nursing this cold? swine flu? sinus mess? .... reading ... knitting ... planning, always planning. menus, trips home to New England, a weekend in Chicago, train rides. I have to figure homework in there at some point. I really like that I'm looking forward to going to work these days. I am blessed to be working with a wonderful woman who heads the classroom. I am grateful to have a job as a teacher. It makes getting up early easier.

So the home doesn't quite feel like "home" yet .. there is furniture now, but it feels like I'm sleeping in someone else's home.

I've been too tired/overwhelmed/sickish to take or post many pictures, but I assure you I have a ton saved up. I've been making delicious meals lately ... an amazing pear/butternut squash/ginger soup, saag aloo (vegan creamed spinach, an Indian dish), pumpkin/chocolate chip bars, and zucchini chocolate chip bread. Up next: vegan enchiladas and thai-curry pumpkin soup. Soup is best this time of year.

It's looking like washcloths and scarves are the items I'm knitting up for Christmas this year. Easy peasy and not too time-consuming. I also scored a bunch of handcrafted/locally made gifts at the art fair a few weeks ago where I found my new apartment, too!

I realize I promised you a look at my finances/plans regarding that a while ago, but progress on it is slower than expected (but still good!). I am delighted that my credit has somehow vastly improved over the last couple of years, and it's jumped about 40 points ... and it's VERY close to being "good" credit on a scale of poor-fair-good-very good-excellent.

When I had my sewing lesson, I made a drawstring pouch!! I am excited because this is one of the materials I needed to make for my Montessori training materials-making assignment. However the sewing machine needs a repair so no playing around with it for a while. In the meantime, can you all (those of you that sew) enlighten me as to what kind of table/chair would be best for this work? And other basic supplies I'll want to be having around? That would be oh-so-helpful.

I hope you all are doing your best to stay healthy and not stressing too much about the holidays (remember it's not about that!!) and enjoying every moment of gratitude you find in your daily journey. I know I am.

Be well out there (and thanks in advance for any sewing advice you can give me!),

Karen

all goes ....

i now have the Internet set up in the new place ... just about everything is over here in big messy heaps, save the furniture, which will be here next Saturday, Halloweeen. Recovering from the stress of moving and too much takeout ... and a possible VERY mild case of swine flu that involved a yucky cough for 2 weeks. definitely on its way out.

went to a very healing-feeling yoga class this morning. possible sewing class next Friday, and a concert by one of my favorite bands.

things are good here ... sorry for the lack of posts as my life's been relatively upside down and i work to release the anxiety.

hope you all are well. beautiful warmish fall day here, and tons of color in the trees!

peace,

karen

That's right, I'm a fighter.

How's this for a breakfast to combat whatever this nastiness (sore throat, cough) is that I've contracted?

Echinacea tea
smoothie: soy blueberry yogurt, orange juice, agave, flaxseeds, frozen blueberries
two eggs with an avocado
500 mg vitamin c
bilberry extract
garlic extract
2 zinc/elderberry lozenges

I'm stuffed.

tonight: if i'm feeling fine, going to a vegan multicourse dinner cooked by a chef from Connecticut, where I'm from! Can't wait.

for now, moving more stuff into the new apartment. pictures soon.

hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

On meals.

Make the time.


::tonight's dinner, eggs with leftover roasted potatoes and chickpeas, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese, and two slices of gluten-free girl's miracle bread with olive oil and salt. That's Throat Comfort tea in the background, as I'm getting something gross ....


I think it's always important to come home to a hot (generally) meal, no matter how tired you are. Having lived by myself for a long while now, I realize that making the time to cook and then plating the meal properly (I'm not talking fine china here, just food on a plate with a fork and napkin), with a pretty presentation, makes the transitions easier: from the work day to being home again, the most natural expression of "me."

Since I cook everything I eat from scratch, I don't have the literal convenience of "convenience foods" when I come home starving. So I do find that without a pretty well-thought-out meal plan, it becomes soooooo easy to just grab something from a local sandwich shop or restaurant on the way home because you are STARVING. The thought of nothing "easy" waiting in the fridge ... is just sad. The solution, especially when you live alone as I do (how often I lament "I WISH I had someone to cook a nice hot meal for me!"), is to HAVE something homemade there, like a large bowl of grain and fruit salad, or a pasta salad, or nuts, or pre-cut fruits and veggies, even if these exist merely to stave off the crazy awful hunger while you cook dinner ... or even to allow you to relax for a bit once you've come home from a long, energy-draining day (I work with preschool age children in a classroom, so I love my job but they do majorly deplete your mental/emotional/physical reserves) before getting down to the business of cooking dinner.

Knowing what will be cooked beforehand alleviates a lot of stress. For a long time, I cooked ALL my meals ahead for the week, simply having to reheat those meals (which I'd pre-portioned, too) on a pan in the stove (I don't own a microwave, that's a personal preference). But some nights ... because I love cooking so much, I think it's okay to save the cooking -- so long as the HUNGER is temporarily satiated -- as a transition to a diffferent, relaxing, element, of your day.

No matter what, I'm coming to firmly believe that sitting down to each meal, whether it's a snack or a big plate o'dinner, is integral to the calming of the mind, to enjoying and being grateful for the food you're eating rather than just sucking it down/inhaling. To slowing down, in general, and focusing, right here, right now, on what's most BASICally important in our lives.


::kitchen sink soup (lentil/vegetable), made for lunches this week

If you live alone, don't eat your dinner as you cook it, don't eat it out of the pan, and at least clean the table you're eating on if you don't yet have the energy to clean the house/kitchen. Light a candle, or keep flowers nearby. This is YOUR time, and you've earned it.


:: roasted Magda squash with homemade tomato sauce "stuffing" topped later with homemade pesto

Menu planning isn't difficult. At some point during the week before you know you'll be doing a food shop, sit down when you feel inspired with a cup of evening tea or hot chocolate. Flip through cookbooks, or browse the Internet to expand ideas you have. Try to eat seasonally, I think it tends to balance you just right when you eat that way. Warms you when you need warm, cools when you need cool. I usually write down a few recipes (some can be simple, veggie stir fry with rice), and sometimes decide what I'm having for lunch and dinner out of that pool for each specific day. Presto, all the thinking taken out of it. A time-and stress-saver. So that after-work time can be spent actually relaxing (and yes, I do think cooking is relaxing, but not running around to the shops mid-week for ingredients or trying to plan when you're starving and tired, oh NO ... trust me, doesn't work, and you'll waste tons of good, hard-earned money on too much restaurant eating, or you'll end up eating crappy PB sandwiches, not that I don't love my PBs and honey on occasion but let's face it that's more of a SNACK....), doing hobbies you enjoy, getting enough sleep, taking a long walk or going to a yoga class.

I said write down lunch and dinner because weekday breakfasts for those who work tend to be simpler/of less variety. And because I'm horrible at waking up to make it. (Again where i fail and get a bagel at the end of my street, grrr) But of course you could make a breakfast menu plan, too. I find that breakfast is hard to pre-make, unless you have baked goods and fruit. I'm actually starting to think that for weekdays, this is a better option for me -- non-breakfast foods -- because I don't like to eat when I've just woken up and I need to be at the school by 7 a.m. and need something portable I can eat at 7:30-45 and not need to reheat. If you have some ideas let me know them, please. Simple is just fine.

Be well out there.

p.s.

:: my homemade basil-walnut pesto came out AMAZING!!!!

p.p.s.

::I'm going to miss this place. I don't have the new place's keys yet, but went over and put my little gnome-man welcome mat out on the porch over there. The first carload of stuff is ready to go, hopefully tomorrow. Hopefully it stops raining. Pouring here.

I almost never post complete pictures of the kids I work with/babysit, because I just feel strange/squeamish about it for many reasons, but I have a feeling I'd be forgiven for this one, and I just couldn't resist the cuteness: enjoy the rarity.



Peace,

Karen

oh ... yeah! here's that gluten-free bread recipe, which I believe come's from Shauna's blog (I am lazy to link here, just go to my gluten-free girl link). I'm not GF, but was looking for a bread that would stay SOFT, and this one delivers! I suggest a teaspoon or so of vanilla or almond extract, and baking for only 30 minutes, but here is the recipe as I found it:



GLUTEN-FREE MULTIGRAIN MIRACLE BREAD

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot starch
1/4 cup flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 additional egg whites
1 cup water, room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200F.

Sift the flours, yeast and all other dry ingredients together into a medium bowl. Stir in flax meal and combine.

Combine the wet ingredients in a separate large bowl using a hand-mixer on low or medium speed. When fully combined, slowly add dry ingredient mixture and mix until fully blended, with no lumps. Scrape the sides regularly.

Grease a 9x5" bread pan, and pour the dough into the pan. Turn off the oven and immediately place the pan in it. Do not open the door again, if possible. Allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes. It should rise to the very top of the pan.

Increase heat to 350F and bake for approximately 40 minutes. The crust should be golden-brown. Allow to cool slightly before removing it from the pan to finish cooling. Do not slice until the bread is no longer hot.

This loaf does not need to be frozen, but if there are leftovers after a few days, place slices in airtight bags and freeze.

Moving.

I got the apartment!! (yes, the kitchen was lovely, huge and tons of storage space if a little mismatched cabinets to floor etc, and the bathroom was fine though an ugly yellow and brown tile floor, otherwise it's perfect, perfect, hardwood floors... and TWO closets full of shelves and a stained glass window in what will be the sewing room) ....

...I move in (gasp, what is this whim?!) in two and a half weeks. The movers are reserved for two Saturdays from this coming one, and I have not a thing packed.

More to come .... have I done the right thing? My heart says yes; my head hasn't even had time to comprehend, let alone catch up. Sorry, head.

Sometimes you just move where the energy takes you. Bend with the wind. Here we go again!

Another Simple Sunday.

:: Loca in a patch of morning sunlight


::last waterfront wednesday music festival of the season : (

Although I'm sitting here thinking about how much better I'll feel once my apartment is vacuumed and tidied, I must say that this weekend is going nicely. I'm trying to have a reclaimed "simple sunday" as frugal trenches does. she's really on to something. I've done this for several weeks now, spending 90 percent (or all) of my day at home, not doing anything too taxing, cooking, knitting, reading, hanging out with my cats. In fact, this morning I woke, washed dishes, swept the floor, cleaned cat litter, threw away some old stuff in the fridge, and made coffee.

There is a community yoga class at noon today at my studio, but I think I'm going to save the yoga for tomorrow morning, and spend the day here slowing my mind, and of course ... cooking! Stuffed squash of some sort that I haven't decided upon yet (shall scour Internet for recipes) and pesto to freeze in small half-pint jars. Apparently I missed the last spinach of the season at the farmer's market by a week or two. Oh, well. Shows you what growing knowledge I have ... lol. I was told I could use chard, so I bought a bunch from the usual stand, but ... well, I have my doubts. My other ingredients are parmesan, basil grown at the school where I work, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and walnuts.

We are lucky in Louisville to have a large handful of responsible local bakeries. Yesterday I enjoyed a cherry danish and a date-walnut scone ... must do baking again. I'm having problems when I bake bread. It never stays soft enough and is no fun to eat after just a day, so I'm going to give a gluten-free recipe a try (figure that's better for me, anyway, no? less sludge.) ... those who have used it swear by the taste and soft texture of the loaf. I'll let you know how that works out.

Oh, I have a question. Can anyone answer it? How do you store a block of cheese when you take it out of the plastic it comes in in the store?

So ... what else? Well, yesterday was the much-anticipated annual St. James Court art fair. Many Christmas presents purchased -- some from local artisans (potters, crafters, painters, etc.), some from other independent artists from around the country. Junk food had: portobello mushroom sandwich with field greens and gorgonzola, and french fries. cool, breezy weather and sunshine enjoyed.


:: painted by local schoolchildren to benefit a local children's hospital. of course i bought one!


:: now that's what I'm talking about!!

and ....


:: note art fair tents on "street" (not an actual road..there's a green and sidewalk in between the two rows of houses)

i fell in love. with THIS. let's say: pedestrian-only street of historic homes. screened-in front porch with adjacent outdoor patio. hardwood floors. working fireplace. built-in bookshelf in living room. radiator heat! tiny back porch. sewing room. dining room. space for growing veggies and plants. backyard patio. washer and dryer in the basement. sure it doesn't have a parking space ... but that's a detail. i have an appointment to see it tomorrow (i am off from school for the next two days).


:: note ceiling fan inside porch ... and to the right of porch is the entryway to the apt, which opens into a tiny cube of hallway space and what looks like -- french doors! -- that go into the rest of the apartment. To the right of the entry door is a window from the living room that looks out onto the "street" ...




:: note the for rent sign. the deck is not mine, i'd be on the first floor.


it's funny, i've been considering when to move into a bigger place for some time now, and keep saying wait, wait for "the one." i'm pretty sure this is the one (will know for definite tomorrow). it's in a neighborhood i never would have expected it to be in, a neighborhood that doesn't have nearly as much as my current one in the name of restaurants, little shops, etc. But it's still a 10-15 minute drive to it. And less than a mile more to work. You know when you just have that "go with it no matter what" feeling? this is a place i'm almost positive would be *perfect* to live in for the next four years I'll definitely be in Louisville.





Would you do it? Even if it was kind of not what you expected? Part of me is so attached to the little tiny space I've created for myself here, but I do feel on top of myself sometimes. I even made a list of pros for both places, and the new place was quite a bit longer than the old. .... I've told myself if it doesn't work out, I can always come back to the old neighborhood again. But something just clicked with me and this place. Like, seriously, a primal feeling that hasn't gone away since I've slept on it (as I'd half-hoped it would, as it usually does when things like this get stuck in my head).




:: a little peek at the surrounding neighborhood

I'll keep you posted on what happens after I see the whole place tomorrow.

For now: cooking, a walk, knitting, lounging. Reclaiming Simple Sundays. Thank goodness for one day a week, at least, all to ourselves.

oh, and here's how the banana/raisin bread turned out:: perfecto!!





it's finally fall here.

So Tuesday was okay.

Just wanted to share with you the delicious salad I made, post-yoga, tonight (am eating it now, in fact!). I've been craving a simple salad lately ... this satisfied it, for now.



local chard
local sorrel (tried it? very intense citrusy flavor ... delicious!)
california organic carrot, one, grated
shake of black pepper
sprinkling of flaxseed
one large handful walnuts
1 tbsp organic EV olive oil
couple light shakes of organic balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp raisin sauce (this is another gem from the kripalu cookbook; basically you soak raisins in water for a few days and then blend till smooth in a blender or FP)

elemental. back to the basics. feeding the whole of body, mind, and spirit. raw.

now, if only i had some hot ginger tea around here .... supposed to be 53 degrees tonight. oh, well. Will pick some up this weekend.

Weekend plans, aside from the art festival and much knitting of scarf and dishcloths, include the making and freezing and possible gifting of one of summer's great treasures before it's too late: basil-walnut-spinach pesto. Must buy small jars and label stickers. A worthy investment. Best thing: the basil is free, the kids have grown it at school!

Paid for the yoga retreat today. I'm going!

Teaching kids to knit, then getting re-inspired yourself: priceless.

A sewing class is on deck. I've put the wheels in motion.

Look for a post on my new financial plans, soon.

Peace.

We must become receptive to find that peace which we seek.

here i am.

my first stripe ever, on the record! love those fall colors and that soft, soft Nashua handknits yarn.

Where to begin? Well, with today, of course! Although it's been three weeks since I've blogged here ... I don't like that, you know. Wish I could be like some of you amazing stay-at-home-moms that have four kids, homeschool, and sew/knit/bake themselves into a frenzy ... believe me, if i didn't have to work at this young age of mine, I'd be right there with you! I do the best I can with the time I do have, I think. Lately it's been difficult, but I'm finally coming into a comfortable routine with the school day and schedule, and my energy is coming back thanks to resuming yoga again. That always makes a huge difference in my life. That, and my near-daily walks, even if they're short. Tonight I have a headache so it was short, about 20 minutes. Sometimes I go for more than an hour. Just depends ... also depends whether I do the 2.5 mile loop at the park or just walk the streets of my adorable neighborhood.


sometimes i just hang out on a blanket ....

Today it only got up to 70 degrees ... for Kentucky, that means fall is here! I was actually excited to wear a long-sleeved L.L. Bean dress (a great thrift find), leggings, striped knee-high socks, and my cowgirl boots ... which the kids loved! lol ....

Things I have planned: live music on the waterfront wednesday night, our town's big art festival next weekend, and a yoga retreat over Thanksgiving at a place called Red River Gorge, which includes a cottage stay, rock climbing, hiking, and vegetarian food. I'll also be attending my very first vegan Thanksgiving dinner at the yoga studio owner's home. ... I can't wait!

I have a lot of pictures from the last few weeks, so I'll try not to be too wordy. The knitting is going here again ... I am doing dishcloths and scarves for this Christmas, and am so excited, as I've taught myself to knit stripes! I also have just received a sewing machine in the mail and plan to take a class on the basics very soon. I must say, all the tiny accoutrements for sewing leave me feeling quite overwhelmed! I'm thinking it can't possibly be as intimidating as it looks ... er ... right?

School is going well. I like the teacher I'm working with. I lead the knitting club Tuesdays after school .... the children have already taught me more than I've taught them!



Cooking is going ... well, it hasn't whipped my kitchen into an urgent, pulsating frenzy yet. The nesting instinct hasn't gripped me fully yet. Actually I am wondering, since I've been trying to keep it simple, if any of you have good salad recipes? As in, not boring ... I like a lot of flavor. I'm open to those making use of grains (there was a bulghur wheat/granny smith apple/raisin salad at whole foods I'm dying to replicate, I think it also had parsley and mint in it?), but am trying to incorporate more raw food into my diet, too. I won't become a raw foodist, it's just not me, I enjoy a wide variety of food too much, but ... yeah, more wouldn't hurt. Any suggestions?




egg salad with vegenaise


yep, sometimes i must admit it's been that way ....

Okay ... sorry this post is kind of drab but I'm feeling headachey and want to soon snuggle up in my warm bed.


me without a headache on another day

Can't wait to share more of my fall with you as it unfolds.


some good friends, who happen to be all in a local bluegrass band


farmer's market bounty .. i'm going to stuff that squash somehow ...


babysitting



around town, barn


around town, festival


dahl and golden basmati rice, from the kripalu cookbook


in love with chard


birthdays




yep, it was cool enough to wear all that today.




two nice goodwill finds



sweet williams ... sorry my pictures have been very lazily and hastily taken, lately.








here are the practice and keep-at-school bags for the first-grade knitters ... i was pretty partial to those fish stickers and the metallic gold marker ... the totes are reusable which i love, too ....

much love to you.

happy to report ...

... that my computer is up and running again, and this blog is BACK!! stay tuned ... i promise to update real soon.

i finally saw Julie and Julia last night. What an awesome movie!! Reinspired me to both cook and blog, which I've really been doing none of lately ..... my energy kind of stagnated ... but I've started yoga, and things are coming back!!

Can't wait to read your blogs again.

Thanks for the patience.

Love,

Karen

p.s. The knitting is un-stagnating, too!!

technical difficulties, grrr.

PLEASE stay tuned for new posts from me soon ... I may be gone for a while, due to a problem I've been having with charging my computer. I'm either going to get a new charger or buy a new computer (hello Apple store!) when my student loan comes in.

I'm well ... waiting for three weeks from now to jumpstart my financial plan. I'm going to save for a house ... among other things.

Walking home to eat an egg for breakfast. Outdoor bluegrass festival tonight.

Peace and promise to be back soon,

Karen