Sunday 10 October 2010

FOOD FOR THOUGHT and a bit of yarn..........


 Good evening all! Hope you have all enjoyed some beautiful October sunshine, wherever you happen to be. It's been fabulously glorious here in East Anglia. Can't you just tell how much I love, adore, need, the sunshine. It's been just the best thing this weekend. A weekend that precedes a busy week of parent consultation evenings on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as the regular Monday and Tuesday 'after school' meetings that take place every week. Oh, how I wish I could win the lottery and give it all up, in favour of a woolly paradise. Now that really is wishful thinking, but it helps to ease the pressure ;).

Knitting has been a necessary evening 'de-stress' this week and Rowan's 'Gayle' by Marie Wallin is coming on a treat. Although there are plenty of cables to contend with, the fabric does grow quickly with the chunky yarn and size 7 needles.  The 'Purelife' undyed pure wool is so beautifully soft; it's a real pleasure to knit with.


I'm up to the armholes on the back!


I need to keep pressing on with this big knit, so that I don't loose the momentum. The youngest Miss Snoopydog would be none too pleased!!!!

I've waited avidly all week for the next installment of the 'Through the Loops' KAL, secret sock pattern. Who would have dreamed, that the anticipation of PART, not even the WHOLE, of a pattern could have caused me so much happiness and excitement ;-) All day on Friday, I thought of arriving home, doing my housey jobs and then settling down to start the leg of my sock. I have to say, I am really liking the pattern so far. There is just enough patterning to keep me interested, but not so much that I have to fire up every single brain cell in my weary brain, in order to avert mistakes. It's looking great so far.........


Last week the rib was completed. This week, the leg has taken shape, Firstly, there is a couple of inches of 'Little Boxes' pattern', which is followed by 'Tiny Trowels'. They really do look tiny garden trowels. I'm loving it!


I've been busy pottering, in the kitchen this weekend too. I don't think I could ever truly admit to being 'busy' in the kitchen. I have my little whims, when I fancy cooking or preserving something, but I'm definitely NOT an avid cook. We've pickled the last of the allotment beetroot  and harvested another couple of kilos of tomatoes. These are now slowly coming to an end, leaving us with plenty of green ones for chutney making.
 I also made a 'Lemon Trickle Cake'. I used to make this years ago, when the children were younger. My son and his close friend always took one back to Uni with them at the start of each term. Then .....shock....  horror..  the 'special' recipe disappeared!  Oh no, I hear you cry. Fear not, the story has a happy ending. Whilst browsing through my 'favourite of the moment' cookbook......


.......I found....the EXACT recipe! Amidst squeals of childish delight, I declared I had to cook one that very afternoon (yesterday). It's delicious!! I think it needed 5 mins less in the oven, but never mind.


Don't ask about the tiny missing 'bite'. Just suffice it to say, I couldn't wait to cut my piece (this was for Miss Snoopydog).

As last Sunday, we are enjoying some roasted vegetables ( red onions, whole garlic cloves, sweet potato, celery, white carrot, butternut squash, swede, with some maple syrup and a little sunflower oil, salt and pepper) with our chicken this evening. I just had to show you as it looked so ....autumny!


Last, but definitely not least, an update on Oscar. The orthopaedic specialist is fairly certain the operation on his shoulder has been successful. He thinkes there may be a similar probelem in his elbow, which is why he is still limping. This seemed like 'good news' as the operation had been successful. He has to go back tomorrow for a CAT scan on his elbow. A scan produces better results for elbow problems, as the joint is more complex than the shoulder. So, once again, I'm hoping everyone will cross fingers and paws, in the hope that the news will be positive and a that a successful outcome can eventually be achieved for him. He has been spending some time mooching about in the garden  this week, which has definitely put a spring back in his step, as he is still on a very restricted exercise programme. It's a good job that he adores playing with all kinds of dog toys, as by doing so, he has been very good at keeping himself amused, at times when one of his humans is busy and isn't there to amuse him! Please wish him well. Have a great week everyone!

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh What a lovely glorious day:)
That photograph almost brought the smell of the fresh air all the way here.
We are having very dry weathet here. makes us want to sleep all the time:(
OHMYGOD!that cake looks just too good.
Could u please give mummy that recipe, if you don't mind please? we are dying to try some.

Of course, all our wishes and prayers for Oscar. Hope everything works out well for him?
wags

Kathy said...

Your summary of school life gives me the shivers ... I know I've got to face up to going back just before Christmas! I want to retire right now!!! Your aran knitting is just lovely ... my daughter would love that, but it's way beyond my basic level. Poor Oscar is having such a hard time .. we've got our fingers and paws crossed here for a good result.
Have a good week, it's nearly half term!
Love Kathy xxx

Anonymous said...

came back to check on Oscar....glad to hear the shoulder news is good :o) hope the elbow will be good too (you can definitely count on a number of fingers toes and paws crossed in somerset).
my blog is offline at the moment as i can't see myself getting back in the near future, but i have not left blogland altogether, am still here in the wings enjoying my faves :o)
the autumn vegggies look delicicous and have inspired me to bake a similar combo tomorrow...oooh and while the ovens on...a lemon cake perhaps? yes, i think tomorrow's menu is sorted :o)
you are such a clever knitter....and quick! the aran is lovely.
hugs for you and the sweet golden boy xxx

josiekitten said...

I'm impressed with how far you've got with the cabled knitting! It's looking good. And I like your sock - you're further on than me. I need to try and catch up before the next clue! That lemon cake looks yummy - I remember tasting it in your kitchen many moons ago! Hope Oscar is ok - fingers and paws crossed here! Hope this week isn't too awful! xxx

Aussie Maria said...

I love the cable knitting, pity I feel its just too much for me now, because you have started a yearning.
I also love lemon & cakes, so send the crumbs my way, but I bet Oscar gets them
Never tried syrup on roasted vegetables (must try now though ☺ ), I have just started using balsmic vinegar + oil, s&p - mmmm

Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

The knitting looks as yummy as those roasted veggies...
We'll keep our fingers and paws crossed way across the sea hoping for a positive report for Oscar.
Have a great week.
Susan x

kate said...

So many things to think about...

1. Cable deliciousness, oh my!!
2. Sorry to hear the work is stressful. I couldn't be a teacher. We ask too much of them.
3. Lemon loaf, as we call it. My son's favourite.
4. Roasted veg, yum. No one else in the house likes it, they find the veggies get too sweet. Sigh.
5. Sending all good vibes for Oscar.

Hope your week is alright, with all those parent meetings. I wish more parents were more involved with their children's schooling - perhaps then they wouldn't have such unrealistic expectations or delusional ones.

Gabriele Agustini said...

Love your work!!
Wonderful photographs too!
Also love the dog! :)

Teje said...

Hello Ros and Oscar!
So nice to hear Oscar is getting better - we keep our paws crossed!
I'm not at all kitchen-person and prefer to clean when my J.cooks. Your cake looks delicious - any chance to get recipe!?
You have knitted much even busy all the week at school! I love those patterns - after long time doing something else they look so 'welcoming' - perhaps soon I start to knit some plaits, too. Also the figure in your socks is lovely!
Have a nice week! Teje and Nero

bellaboo said...

Bella is sending lots of healing vibes to Oscar. I love anything lemony.Nigella has a lemon cake in her new book which I can't wait to try (I'm hoping someone will give me the book for Xmas!)
We went for our walk on the beach on Saturday and it was like a Summer's day! Have a good week. :o)

Molly the Airedale said...

OMG, where do we start! Your mom's projects are coming along beautifully and that lemon cake looks so moist and yummy and how we love our veges!
We're sending you lots of AireZen, Oscar!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Northern Monkey said...

Sending lots of love to Oscar, I hope his shoulder is OK and his elbow is not too much of a problem. He's such a handsome boy!

I will admit that I have now cast on that mystery sock after seeing it on your blog, it's rather lovely and I am enjoying the interesting but not excessively challenging pattern. It's my second mystery sock pattern and I really enjoy them.

Your cardigan is also looking lovely, can't wait to see how it progresses further.

Tracy said...

SUPER comfort knitting & eating, Ros...YUMMY! SO very glad all is going better for sweet Oscar--sending good, healing vibes his way. Happy Week to you all :o) ((HUGS))

Dominique said...

good luck to Oscar !

Lynne said...

Oh my!! The cardigan is looking fantastic, as are the socks. The trowels remind me of the snapdragons on Ysolda's Snapdragon Beret and Flip-tops (but that could be because I was wearing my beret today!).

Your lemon cake looks yummy, and Team Blackbeard still have fingers and paws crossed for Oscar.

BTW, thank you for the recommendations for the quilting books on my blog, I'll check them out. :)

Anonymous said...

glad he's doing well.

I MUST have that cake.

Stadtwaldvogel said...

The coat-to-be looks very pretty. I like the cables. Your KAL socks are so pretty! I have to admit that I gave up. I am to impatient for so many cables.
Best wishes for Oscar!
Yours, Julia

melissa said...

your cables are simply gorgeous - i am loving them!

i hope that oscar's cat scan goes well. i will keep my fingers crossed for your sweet puppers.

not to be flippant but am i the only one who finds it somewhat ironic that a dog is getting a "cat" scan?