Ack! Free Time! What?

You all probably don't know this, but I have many, many jobs. Not in the, like, "I'm a mom who goes to work and is an awesome wife and daughter - oh, by the way, did I mention I play tennis?" sense. Those ladies have my respect, but no, it's not like that at all. It's more like: "Crap, it's 6:45 in the morning. I need to leave the house NOW so I can get to Job #1 on time and, thus, leave by 4 in the afternoon, haul ass way far North, teach for four hours, head home, write that article, edit that article for those people, knit this thingee up (where did I put the pattern?) for those other people, grade those papers, and... Crap! It's 6:45 in the morning again!"

Anyway, given all that, there hasn't been a lot to share with you all. Soon, though, that will change!

For one, you'll be able to see my work and words over here real soon. For all you writers and crafters out there, Yasmin is also looking for submissions. Here, give it a look.

Another project in the works is the completion of the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan. Oh, yeah. Remember that?

Also in line are the writing up of the pattern for Beatrice, and the final incarnation of this as of yet unnamed shawl type thingee.

And after all that, I think I'm going to knit something I can wear with leggings. You see, I had to buy some leggings for this dance class I signed up for. They came in a pack of three, so I now find myself with a surplus of leggings, because, really, how many pairs do you need for one little dance class? My solution is not to take the opportunity to do less laundry, but instead to knit up a tasty sweater to cover my legginged bum and legs a la Debbie Gibson. Or, like Debbie Gibson flashed into a future without acrylic and spandex.

Here are the contenders:

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9. Maybe I should just get out my sewing machine and whip this one up.


Votes? Thoughts? Suggestions? I don't have any uber (where is that umlaut button?) lumpy bits needing camouflage, and I'm pretty short, so all of these will be longer than on the models.

Vegetarian Pho

I know, I know. I've been told many times that vegetarian pho is a contradiction in terms. Still, the fact remains that I don't eat meat, and I don't see why all the omnivores should always get all the pho fun. I mean, really.

For those not in the know, pho is this amazing Korean dish that involves a tasty beef or chicken broth, rice noodles, and oodles of yummy vegetables and fresh herbs. Throw in soy and hoisin sauce to your liking. If that description doesn't quite knock you off your chair, trust me, this stuff is freaking amazing. It's the crack of the soup world.

I've been trying to perfect vegetarian pho for months, often with really disturbing results. Some were sour, others were heavy, all were pretty awful. All, that is, until this batch. With this attempt I decided to simplify: focus on the main flavors. To my great joy, it worked!

Vegetarian Pho



Ingredients:
3 medium heads of garlic
1.5 cups of rice noodles
bunches of fresh basil, mint, cilantro, chives, and/or lemongrass
about a lb. of fresh veggies: broccoli, snap peas, zucchini, onions, bean sprouts, and mushrooms all work well
1 tbs. olive oil
8 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
lime (optional)
Rooster hot sauce (optional)
soy sauce (optional)
hoisin sauce (optional)


Broth:
Cut all three heads of garlic in half, and saute for about 15 minutes in the 1 tbsp. of olive oil. You want the garlic to be golden, but not brown.

Add the 8 cups of water and simmer for up to forty minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Everything Else:
Cook the rice noodles in a separate pot using the directions on the package. Most of the time this will call for cooking the noodles in boiling water for 6-8 minutes.

Just barely steam all the veggies. You want them to be soft, but with a bit of crisp left in them.

Putting it all together:
Put some of your rice noodles in the bottom of a good-sized pretty bowl. Put some broth on top, being careful not to get any huge chunks of garlic; you just want the brothy goodness. Add a handful of your steamed veggies. Throw some fresh herbs and a slice of lime on top. Add soy sauce, Rooster hot sauce, and hoisin sauce to your liking.

Eat with both chopsticks (or a fork, if so inclined) and a spoon. Enjoy!

Other things you might consider adding: steamed or fried tofu, star anise, cinnamon, Chinese 5 spice.

Handmade and Gorgeous

I'm working on a lot of secret projects these days. Secret knitting (You'll get to see it soon!), secret cooking, secret sewing, secret printing. I thought that, given all this secrecy, I'd take this opportunity to share some of my favorite handmade things made by others.

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Photo from A Foothill Home Companion.
This pretty object comes with a ready-made tutorial. Give it a look.

2.

Photo from LeSophie.
Leslie Sopia Lindell's photography is so filled with affirmation and gorgeous shades of blue. You can buy prints here and here.

3.

Photo courtesy of Elista.
I swear, Elista must be part wood nymph or something. I mean, what mere human could create things like that? You can see her paper cutting here and buy it here.