Monthly Archives: April 2016

May Calendar Pictures …

pizap.com14513501492571Wall calendar on the left is pretty May flowers. I added the picture of the ship the Mayflower along side of it because April showers bring May flowers… <groan> :)

pizap.com14617117705941  Desk calendar on right is of the ship the Mayflower.

Mayflower/Plymouth, MA


Escape the Boredom!

Okay, so this post will be just a bit different.

Our friends are  opening a new business downtown and we’ve gotten to spend time with them as they’ve brought their creative vision to life.

Have you ever heard of an “Escape Room”?

The concept is simple: you and a small group of friends enter a room with a theme and are completely immersed in  a puzzle-solving adventure. The clues are not overly simple and you have to work as a team to achieve the final puzzle and “escape” whatever danger that room has lurking.

Timing-wise, it takes about an hour.

Although we had never tried it before, we had a blast finding all of the different clues and figuring out what they all meant. I loved that we got to have the kids spend time being entertained by using their brains! And working together!

I know I’m totally biased, because we got to spend the afternoon with some of our favorite people right on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, and then follow it up at the new  Mexican restaurant, The Bebedero. We don’t usually get to spend a day in town like that, and I’m hoping we’ll make time to do it more often.

If you’re local, you can check out the website for the Escape Room HERE.

Afterwards, you can checkout The Bebedero because HOLY COW it’s amazing.

 


Unorthodox

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What’s the most unique thing you’ve ever used a book for? (Emergency door stop? Insulation? Building blocks?)

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!


Spring Cook Out …

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Montclair, New Jersey


An Edinburgh State of Mind

Maybe it’s because at this time last year we were gearing up to go to Edinburgh. Maybe it’s because right now the weather is rainy and cool and it reminds me of our time there.

Either way, I’ve been missing Edinburgh a lot recently.

Since I can’t just hop on a plane and go back right now, I figured the next best thing would be eating like I’m there.

On our second full day we had lunch at The Edinburgh Larder Cafe, right off The Royal Mile.

It. Was. Amazing.

It had been on our itinerary thanks to Pinterest. I’d spent quite a lot of time pre-trip researching the best non-touristy places to visit and eat, and this place had come up as a local favorite while still being close enough to where we’d be that day. It was a rather bitter and windy day, and Neve was particularly grumpy about it. The Larder’s warm and cozy interior was such a welcome respite.

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Neve was so grateful for it she wanted to camp there all day.

I wish I could remember what Neve and Maddie ordered, because they were both very happy, but honestly I can only remember the deliciousness that was my order: Curried Potato and Pea Pasty.

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It came with a side salad and some red cabbage slaw. So good. With some HP Sauce and a Thistly Cross Cider, are you kidding me? Tastebud heaven.

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Since we’ve been back stateside, this has become a staple dinner item for us.

You don’t need a really specific recipe for it, since it’s so simple. But this basically nails it:

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To make a big batch for my family (and everyone here eats at least 4), I boil up a whole bag of potatoes and mash them with butter and cream.   Then I throw in salt and curry powder to taste. Then I throw in some frozen peas. They don’t need to be thawed, since the mixture will end up in the oven.

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I use two packages of Puff pastry.  You could make your own, but it’s an awful lot of effort.

I roll each sheet out so that I can cut 9 to 12 equal squares out.

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Each square gets a spoonful of the potato mix and some eggwash to seal it up.

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Fold it over, brush with more eggwash, and pop a cookie sheet of them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden.

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Don’t forget the HP Sauce!

 


Tagged: food, Trips

End of April Update! WIPs, Craftsy, VKL Pasadena

Sand Ripples Shawl (2)Hey everyone!  April was a crazy month, wasn’t it? Two patterns released (Sand Ripples (shown on the left)– informal KAL here — and Caridwen), a couple WIPs that are still WIPs, and filming the Craftsy class!

The Craftsy class — tentatively titled Custom Colorwork Techniques: Mitts — is due for release early May.  You can still enter to win the class (contest ends just before the launch date, so don’t wait!) here.

beg edgingI’m on the edging of the Cumbria shawl. It’s a knit-on edging, which I always love; I love how it eats up the live stitches from the main body. Short of having to frog and re-knit, when you knit, you always make steady progress, but it’s nice to see it so succinctly.

The edging includes a simple two-colored cable close to the main body, and a lacing outer edge.  I wanted to continue the garter stitch edging of the main body (you can see that on the right), which was fun to work (plus I like how it looks).

I’m planning on finishing the Cumbria shawl before going back to the Reticule shawl, so nothing new to report on that one (I started it as my travel knitting for the Craftsy class trip — much more portable!).

Vogue Knitting Live in Pasadena is coming up in the middle of May — I’m planning on doing a meet and greet / signing at the Yarnover Truck on Sunday the 15th. Anzula is doing a trunk show and they’ll have a ton of my samples. Come say hi!

Review: Highland Knits

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First, the facts:

Title: >Highland Knits: Knitwear Inspired by the Outlander Series

Published by: Interweave Press, 2016

Pages: 111

Type: Patterns

Chapters:

(No chapters, just patterns)

KS: Highland Knits

The In-Depth Look:

It’s true that the OUTLANDER series is a huge hit–and why not? A sexy time-travel romance with Highland flair and great knitwear … what’s not to love?

This collection of sixteen patterns knows exactly how you feel.

Mostly accessories–cowls, shawls, gloves, and so on–this collection is filled with knits with the feel of the fashions in the TV show.

For the most part, these projects all seem quick, easy to get from your needles to your wardrobe in no time flat. A number of them are knit in chunky yarns that knit up fast–and if that’s not historically accurate? Well, it’s stylish and warm, and isn’t that what matters?

You can get your copy at your local shop or by clicking here for Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!

My Gush: Easy to tackle, Highland inspired.

Three Pink Tulips …

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Almost Like I Know What I’m Doing

Now that it seems spring is finally here to stay and not just tease, I’m feeling a little more confident about this year’s garden. There have been a few setbacks: the frost that came through after several weeks of warm temperatures not only killed off the hydrangea’s new growth, but it did a number on the seedlings in the greenhouse on the deck as well. I had hoped they’d be well-protected, sitting as they are in a bright and sunny spot, completed covered in clear vinyl. Alas, not so much. So, seedlings take two are currently in their place, and -for the moment – thriving.

Several years worth of gains and losses in the gardening arena have given me a bit more patience and a bit more knowledge to rectify early mistakes.

Currently there are many, many tomato and herb seedlings growing steadily in their pots. They won’t go into the garden until they are quite a bit bigger, and until nighttime temperatures are a bit warmer.

The past two weeks have been spent getting the larger spaces ready for that, among other things.

I planted three blueberry bushes, two elderberry bushes, twenty crowns of asparagus, and three grape vines (the blueberries were exciting simply because I used our kitchen compost for the first time since starting it in the compost tumbler).

I deep-mulched the smaller back garden with waste hay and composted hay, and so far I’ve put cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon seeds in.

Out in the way-back, we are using a section of the pasture for corn and winter squash. That part of the field needs a fence overhaul if we are going to keep livestock and dogs in it, but it is just fine for gardening. When I took the tractor in to do some tilling, the soil nearly sang to me in its perfection. Three years of composted manure and hay have resulted in a beautiful, slippery, sweet-smelling, black dirt that I am very happy to have for planting.  Those seeds will go in either today or tomorrow. I’ve got a big bag of diatomaceous earth at the ready to hopefully avoid the squash bugs this year, and I’m hoping we finally have a good harvest year!

 

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In the front garden, I’ve carved out space for the ducks, who have made the transition out of the brooder.

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Eventually they’ll get free-range of the entire garden, but not until the chard and the peas are more than just little shoots that would be easily damaged.

The chicks are still in the brooder for now but are getting big and feathering out nicely. Within the next week or two I will put them out in the chicken tractor until they are old enough to hold their own with the general chicken population here.

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And this sweet guy was dropped off this morning with the vet to have his big boy parts removed.


Tagged: Farm, food, Garden

5 manfaat kesehatan dari telur puyuh

Banyak orang tidak menyadarinya, tetapi telur puyuh menawarkan manfaat kesehatan yang signifikan. Bahkan, ada 5 utama yang tepatnya. Mungkin terdengar cukup aneh untuk makan salah satu telur ini, tetapi sekali Anda belajar apa jenis manfaat kesehatan yang mereka tawarkan, Anda mungkin tidak merasa begitu skeptis.

Ketika Anda membaca ini, Anda mungkin bertanya, "Mana di dunia akan saya menemukan telur puyuh dan siapa yang berpikir untuk makan sesuatu seperti ini di tempat pertama?"

Yah, telur ayam selalu telah dikonsumsi untuk makanan, dan dalam beberapa dekade terakhir, para ilmuwan telah menemukan bagaimana bergizi ini adalah. Itu hanya soal waktu sebelum orang-orang mulai menjadi penasaran tentang telur lain juga.

Banyak orang yang makan telur puyuh benar-benar tumbuh mereka sendiri di halaman belakang mereka. Tidaklah sulit untuk dilakukan, dan Anda dapat menemukan banyak tutorial DIY di web yang akan mengajarkan Anda bagaimana untuk membangun sendiri puyuh pena. Banyak penjaga puyuh menyatakan bahwa sekali Anda telah membangun pena, dibutuhkan hanya 10-30 menit sehari untuk memelihara dan mengumpulkan telur Anda akan makan untuk hari itu.

Apa Apakah manfaat utama 5 telur puyuh?
1. mereka memiliki nilai gizi yang terukur

Telur ini kecil penuh sesak dengan vitamin dan mineral. Telur puyuh memberikan signifikan seluruh manfaat kesehatan dengan melengkapi kalsium Anda. Mereka adalah juga penuh sesak kolesterol HDL (kolesterol baik) daripada LDL (yang buruk.).

Mereka terdiri dari kira-kira 13% protein, sekitar 2% lebih dari telur ayam. Mereka juga mengandung jumlah Vitamin A dan B2. Pada kenyataannya, dianjurkan bahwa Anda tidak mengkonsumsi kelebihan vitamin A jika Anda mengkonsumsi lebih dari 10 telur puyuh setiap hari karena Anda dapat overdosis pada vitamin A.

2. mengkonsumsi telur puyuh dapat mempengaruhi berbagai sistem tubuh dengan cara yang positif!

Ada banyak hal yang telur puyuh dapat lakukan untuk tubuh Anda. Beberapa hal-hal ini termasuk, menyediakan tubuh Anda dengan mudah berasimilasi kalsium, meningkatkan kekebalan dan kalsium, dan meningkatkan kadar hemoglobin.

Pasien yang menderita asma dan tuberkulosis juga menemukan bantuan dari puyuh telur. Mereka secara alami mengandung protein ovomucoid yang merupakan jenis protein yang Anda temukan dalam obat antiallery. Mereka juga mengandung lebih banyak kalsium dan fosfor daripada biasa telur juga.

Selain itu, mereka membantu untuk merangsang kecakapan seksual dengan kelenjar prostat dengan zat-zat yang dibutuhkan seperti protein, fosfor dan vitamin. Mereka dapat membantu untuk mengembalikan potensi seksual remaja Anda. Banyak orang yang mengambil obat-obatan yang dipertanyakan dan rempah-rempah yang aneh dari negara lain bahwa mereka tidak tahu tentang dalam rangka untuk mencapai hal ini, dengan telur puyuh, Anda dapat tumbuh Anda sendiri obat yang bergizi, dan tahu persis mana bahan berasal dari.

3. mereka membersihkan dan memulihkan tubuh Anda

Telur puyuh baik untuk menghilangkan logam berat dari tubuh Anda, dan mengambil racun keluar dari darah Anda. Mereka juga membersihkan tubuh Anda dari hati batu, batu kandung kemih dan batu ginjal.

4. puyuh telur tidak akan menyebabkan reaksi alergi

Selain pada dasarnya hypoallergenic, telur ini juga tidak menyebabkan diatheses. Pada kenyataannya, kebanyakan orang menggunakannya untuk melawan gejala alergi. Ovomucoid protein adalah apa artinya ini. Ovomucoid protein adalah bahan utama yang akan Anda temukan di banyak obat-obatan anti-Alergi, sehingga Anda bisa mendapatkan ini langsung dari alam dengan puyuh telur. Konsisten puyuh telur dikonsumsi dapat membantu Anda untuk memiliki sistem kekebalan yang kuat, membuat kulit Anda terlihat jauh lebih baik dan Anda akan memiliki kesehatan yang lebih baik secara keseluruhan. Karena tubuh Anda dibersihkan dari dalam, Anda akan terlihat cerah di luar.

5. mereka membantu tubuh Anda untuk menyembuhkan setelah Trauma

Para ahli percaya bahwa telur puyuh dapat membantu untuk mempercepat penyembuhan setelah Anda menderita stroke darah dan mereka juga dapat membantu untuk menjaga otot-otot jantung kuat.
Beberapa pasien mengalami penyembuhan ulkus dan gastritis setelah mengambil puyuh telur dan beberapa ahli percaya bahwa telur dapat membantu mencegah pertumbuhan kanker dan mengobati diabetes.

Hal yang menarik tentang telur ini adalah bahwa Anda dapat memakannya mentah. Ada tidak ada risiko Salmonella karena suhu tubuh quail's jauh lebih tinggi daripada ayam. Selain itu, mereka tidak dapat menjadi tercemar dan terinfeksi karena mengandung zat yang disebut losozyme. Losozyme membunuh bakteri. Banyak ahli menganjurkan bahwa Anda mengkonsumsi telur mentah atau rebus sebentar untuk kurang dari 30 detik sehingga kuning telur tetap mentah. Kadang-kadang panas dari memasak dapat menghancurkan berharga gizi.

Karena mereka begitu sedikit, Anda akan makan lebih banyak dari ini daripada biasa telur. Anda tidak harus makan lebih dari 20 per hari, namun. Juga, jika Anda makan telur puyuh lebih dari 5 per hari, maka Anda perlu untuk memotong kembali pada makanan lain kaya vitamin A seperti minyak ikan dan wortel. Kebanyakan orang makan 3-5 telur dengan sarapan setiap hari.