I’m not going to add any commentary for my selection of this week’s memory verse. It’s just a personal reminder. Here it is:
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop,
than with a brawling woman in a wide house
Proverbs 21:9.
Amen.
It’s a blog hop party!
It’s a party!! Quilting Gallery is hosting another fun blog hop and giveaway. I’ve not been able to quilt since we moved (no iron or ironing board yet) but I still wanted to participate in the giveaway.
I’m giving away two Christmas fabrics. I’m unsure of the exact yardage, but I know they are at least half a yard each.
The two fabrics together
Close up 1
Close up 2
To enter the drawing, leave a comment below. That’s it! And I am happy to ship internationally! The drawing is open until midnight on September 3 and I will draw a winner on September 4. Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win.
If you feel like being extra kind and have a great pizza sauce recipe that you’re willing to share, I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect pizza.
Visit Quilting Gallery on Sunday to see the entire list of blog participants. Happy quilting!
Coming soon: a pizza or two
Hubby and I were chatting today about cooking. I know how to make a few things really well, a lot of things so-so, and have had my share of kitchen disasters. I follow a number of vegan or vegetarian cooking blogs and have memberships at several recipe websites. However, I still have problems putting together a menu each week. We get bored with the same basic menu.
Have you ever heard the theory that too many choices cause a person to be indecisive? That is me in the kitchen. I have aspirations of being a great vegan cook so that I don’t cave when I see a really awesome looking pesto or goat cheese pizza at the grocery store. I want to make lasagnas that taste as good as they smell. I want to stop spending two dollars for a truffle at the chocolate shop! (Well, sort of…).
I asked Jeff what he would like for me to make really well. He didn’t even hesitate.
“Pizza!”
We eat homemade pizza every Saturday night and have for the past two years. It’s a lovely tradition. However, I don’t know how to make a good crust so we buy a premade dough from Whole Foods. My sauce usually turns out pretty well but I never measure the spices so it tastes different from week to week. And we tend to get stuck in the same rut (albeit a tasty rut) of mushroom, onion, and basil as our pizza toppings. I know there are more options!
So, starting with our next grocery trip, I am on a quest to learn how to make the perfect pizza. I told hubby that I don’t want to make pizza just once a week because I will never remember from week to week what went well and what needed fixed. Instead, I want to make several pizzas a week until we find a great one and then incorporate that into our menu.
Does anyone have a great vegan pizza crust or red sauce recipe? I hope we don’t get tired of pizza before I can perfect my pizza making skills!
A Month of Knitting – Week 3
A finish! My first finish in several months. I am so happy!
Sorry for the bad pictures. It’s late, I’m still feeling under the weather, and I don’t think this shawl is very photogenic. While I am happy to finish it, I kind of wish I had chosen a more distinctive pattern. Ah, well. It’s a good starter project. This shawl is very warm and should help keep me toasty this winter. Plus, I love the color!
So what’s next? I get to play with this lovely gray, wool yarn.
My dad requested a warm scarf for his birthday. He even picked out the pattern! In July, when I was visiting my grandfather in Wyoming, my dad and I made a quick stop into a local yarn store and he picked out the color and yarn he wanted. The store didn’t have enough skeins in one color lot, so I made a special order and it arrived just yesterday. Perfect timing!
I’m really excited to be working with such big needles. What fun!
These crazy days!
What a weird few days. On Thursday, I came down with what I think was heat rash. Heat rash! After 14 years of living in Arizona, I move to Washington for two months and end up with heat rash… I guess that’s what happens when you’ve had a ton of 70 degree days and then suddenly switch to 90+ degrees with no air conditioning. I’m just now starting to improve.
We missed a bunch of plans this weekend. On Sabbath, we were going to attend a new church. In the evening, we were going to find a couple geocaches in honor of International Geocaching Day. On Sunday afternoon, we were going to visit the downtown Japanese market to participate in a summer festival. Ah, well. The best laid plans!
Instead, I’ve spent the past four days holed up inside, trying desperately not to itch. I’ve read a few books, worked on my Japanese, knitted, and tried to sleep. On Sunday, hubby bought a mattress cover in an attempt to create an additional layer of protection between the air mattress and the cats’ claws. Interestingly enough, Sunday night was the best night of sleep I’ve had in the past six weeks! I’m not sure if I was finally exhausted enough to sleep for seven hours or if the mattress cover was soft enough to create a decent cushion between myself and the bed. Who knows. I’ll be thankful for the blessings as they come!
I am praying for a good night of sleep tonight and the opportunity to be productive tomorrow. Bible in 90 Days started today and it’s been exciting already. Today’s reading was almost identical to the cover to cover plan, but only because Genesis is already written chronologically. In a few days, I think the plans will deviate quite a bit.
Hopefully everyone else had a very blessed Monday!
A bit of randomness
Vegan frankfurters
Bruno goes crazy for honeysuckle
Surveying his kingdom
Quinoa Taco Salad – Very yummy!
Overzealous at the library?
Reorganized temporary bookshelf
And in other random news… nope, still no bed. We are going to Sears tonight to (hopefully!) exchange the current air mattress.
Because I have been remiss in posting this, here it is. December 1941 by Craig Shirley. I have nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. Terrible editing that yanks you out of the narrative. A supposedly inaccurate portrayal of history. I stopped reading the book half way through because of all the criticisms of historical accuracy. If I am going to study history, I am going to study accurate material. I’ll be sending this book to my father-in-law, who is a retired history professor to see what he thinks of it. Thank you to Booksneeze for gifting me the copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Sorry I can’t recommend it!
I have to end this post with a more positive note. What is more entertaining than a picture of my silly kitty?
Nap time!
A Month of Knitting – Week 2
I haven’t posted lately because I’ve been so tired. We are still sleeping on an air mattress and I don’t think I’m getting more than 3 or 4 consecutive hours of sleep. We figured out our budgeting and determined that we can order a mattress on September 9th. A little less than four more weeks! Maybe once we have the new bed, I’ll be able to get a full night of sleep and have more energy during the day.
Meanwhile, I’ve been diligent about knitting every day. It’s not much but I complete at least two rows each day, roughly 30 minutes of knitting.
I had hoped to complete my shawl this week but fell a bit short. Two inches left to knit!
A Month of Knitting – Week 1
The first week of my knitting challenge is already complete. I knitted every day! Some days were more productive than others, but I knitted at least two rows each day. As the rows keep getting longer, each row takes 10-15 minutes depending on if it is knit or purl.
I had hoped to work on more than one project but my shawl is so close to completion that I’m pushing myself to finish it before starting another.
Bruno supervising my shawl
32″ complete
Three inches left to go
I should be able to complete the body of the shawl this week. Then I just have to add the rest of the border. Today was chilly and I could have used my shawl when we visited the mall. I’m excited about being so close to the end!
Pizza Garden – One Week’s Progress
My pizza garden is getting bigger every day! I love watching the progress it makes.
Oregano
Basil
Mini tomatoes
The other day I only had one tomato plant sprout. Now, all of a sudden, I have three!
This Week’s Memory Text – Proverbs 8:17
I’ve been feeling rather inadequate lately. I seem to go through phases where I wonder if I’m enough for God. If I offer Him enough to make Him want to love me.
I know this feeling, this attitude isn’t Biblical. I know that God loves me. But sometimes I feel like I’m not enough. This week I want to memorize a promise that relates to how I’ve been feeling lately. Maybe it will pull me out of this slump.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me
Proverbs 8:17.