Let's Go Hiking

I'm still here. I wanted to see what it was like to not be chained to a computer for two days. I lasted one but overall it was a success.

The Businessman decided it was high time we took a family hike (he used the term 'deathmarch'). Even though I'm not an outdoor girl, I don't necessarily object to hiking. Unless it's 6:30 AM on a Sunday and I'm expected to be ready and there's a severe shortage of energy drinks:



The kids didn't seem to care for the idea either. They at least got to sleep in until 7:00.



It figures. The one day they sleep in.

TBM asked me to make sure the shoes were in the car and I find this:



This tells me he is taking this hike seriously. That's a lot of gear. That quantity of gear implies expectations. Those expectations seem to have forgotten a few things. Like the age of our children, my desire to knit, and the fact that his back is so screwed up right now he is seeing a chiropractor.

A month ago, he would have told you chiropractors are nutjobs.

But it seems the kids had a good time.



The Businessman is still trying to work out the math. 2 hours driving. 3 hours hiking. Total distance hiked: 1.8 miles.

I actually hiked 2.8 miles because Vish decided 1/2 mile in that he needed to go potty. I schlepped him back to the trailhead where he announced he didn't have to go after all. I refused to get him back on the trail until there was some action. He cried. He screamed.

He remembered daddy had the trail mix.

What I Made:

Nary a complaint, whine, or I told you so.

That's one miracle of the requisite three for sainthood.

Homemade Larabars

My favorite blog this month is Curly Top. A darling little lady who is progressing nicely toward world domination with Pbu, a super-easy concoction that has put peanut butter back on my to-do list.

Now she has gone and recreated the Larabar dubbing it the Farabar. And it's so ridiculously simple we all should have thought of it. But she did it first. What I wouldn't give to have the flexible body mind of an 18 year old again.

What I Made:

Though Larabars are my favorite form of energy bar/meal replacement, they are not the prettiest things to look at.


Real Larabar on left, my version on the right.

My dear little curlygirl encourages experimentation. My rif but her method:

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup macadamia nuts
2 oz dates
2 oz dried cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips

I wanted to try white chocolate but there was no white chocolate that met my exacting standards, i.e. it wasn't in my pantry.



Not pretty, but so tasty. If you're a fan of the Larabar, give the Farabar a try. I know there will be significantly fewer plastic wrappers in my trash can now.

My next combo: Cranberry Walnut.

Falafel

This is so not a food blog. It really isn't. For one thing, I don't have the photography skills.

But I do cook. Everyday. So, when I knit at what most people would consider a ridiculously fast pace...


Back and two sleeves. Started July 3rd, 2009.

...it's not realistic to expect a new knitted item every day. Or even a new crafted item.

But I do cook. Everyday.

What I Made:

I have never met a falafel I didn't like. I've made several recipes, and they've all been good.

Then Julie over at Everyday Dish posted a falafel recipe. I had all the ingredients at hand and whipped them up (yes, they are that easy to make).



These are the best falafel I have ever made. I don't know if it's because the batter is smoother than usual. I don't know if it's the deep-frying. I don't know if it's the short time it took to make them. They are awesome.

I packed them up with some tzatziki (made with greek yogurt), tomatoes, cucumber, and pita. Then we schlepped the kids to the college campus to enjoy a free concert. We assembled our sandwiches to our liking...



And ate falafel.

The Businessman said he wouldn't mind if these made it into the weekly menu rotation. High praise for a vegetarian dish.

He might be getting tired of cereal night.

Granola

I have a few food related habits I cannot explain:

• I always buy a head of lettuce when I go grocery shopping, but I rarely make the corresponding salads
• I painstakingly store leftovers, but never eat them
• I cut out and save every granola recipe I find, but then wing it anyway

What I Made:

My favorite weekday breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt, fresh summer fruit and granola



My basic granola:

4ish cups rolled grains (not quick cooking) oats, rye, barley, etc.
1/2 cup brown or raw sugar
1 cup unroasted nuts/seeds--if they are already roasted, add them after the baking

Melt together
1/2 cup butter, Earth balance, canola
1/4 cup liquid sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup)

Combine everything and spread on a cookie sheet

If you want less fat or sugar, you can cut back, or add more grains. I like the browning the oil and sugars provide.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Then check on it. If it looks toasty enough remove it. If not stir it up and check on it every couple minutes. It will be soft when you take it out of the oven. Before it can cool and harden, I remove it from the pan and toss it into my granola bin. A couple good shakes while it cools keeps it from solidifying into a huge chunk. If you want dried fruit and/or roasted nuts, add them now.

Experiments I tried:
Millet-use sparingly, lots of crunch
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
coconut

Strangely I've never tried chocolate. Hmm. May have to rectify that.

Measuring Tape Tote

I plink around Dollar Store Crafts and a few weeks ago they inspired me to make a handbag out of measuring tape.

Trust me when I say this was a much cuter idea than making a belt out of a measuring tape. I am just not going there, no matter how much I need a belt.

What I Made:



I love using the heavy duty snaps to hold it together. I get some sort of freaky rush when I have to use hammers, power drills, or power saws for my projects.

I'm not satisfied with my handles, but these will do for now.

So the question: Is this a perfect bag for small knitting projects? Or should I use it as a gym bag? Lunch bag?

A Little More Green In The World

Green is the new neutral. It goes with everything.

I have suspected this for some time now. Given that flowers are manufactured in every color imaginable yet always have green trimmings.

Green is my favorite color. I'm especially fond of yellowy greens like olive oil, pistachios...

...and Candleglow, the color I painted my sewing room. Several months later, I popped to some html color-key website and created my blog background color. Shortly after that, I realized they were the same color.

I can only conclude green is the color of creativity for me.

What I Made:

A decision.

Given my infatuation with green, it seemed only logical I become one of the founding contributors for a new Green Webventure called Organic Girls. My role is as yet unclear, but I'm guessing I'll be the mom who tries to save the world but only manages to buy organic mac'n cheese, yarn with a recyclable ballband, and handsoap that won't lather. A stretch for me, but I think I can manage. I'll be sure to provide all appropriate linkage as it becomes available.

And, if I just happen to learn something along the way, and pass it on to you, the world might become a little greener.

And I'm all for that!

6th Picture in the 6th Folder

I've been trying to save Sundays for a day of blog rest, but Sweet Mama Jones tagged me with a simple little assignment.

1. Go to your photo folders
2. Select the sixth file folder
3. Open it and select the sixth photo in that file folder
4. Write a story for that picture, post it

Of course, knowing that there are pictures of me doing Wii yoga in this computer, I was a little hesitant to even give this one a try.

Here goes: my pics/sixth file/sixth picture

Phew! It's a good one.



These are my boys from two years ago. I don't know what possessed them to sit in a chair and pose cheesy for the camera. I'm not a sit-for-the-camera-and-pose-cheesy kind of photographer. I'm not any sort of photographer. My Vish is still blond and blue eyed and we still have no idea how that happened. My Yummy is about a foot taller now. The Businessman looks pretty much the same.

Then there's the sixth file/sixth file/sixth file/sixth picture (I have a convoluted file system. I really need to organize).



We were trying to make a Christmas card picture. We gave up after about 2,340,978 attempts.

Feel free to join in the fun. Leave a comment if you decide to do this.