the secret is out!


The super secret gifty project has been gifted! Little Maddie doesn't look too thrilled about it, in fact she looks a bit scared, but I think she was having a stare-down with the cat.


Overall, I am quite happy with this project. The stitch pattern is gorgeous and the yarn is very soft and knit up nicely. It washed up well too, which is important for baby items.


My only complaint is that I didn't make it to the right dimensions. It is quite wide, and stretches width-wise. After I'd knit about 8 inches, I considered frogging it and casting on with fewer stitches, but didn't because it had taken me a long time to knit that much. I couldn't imagine starting over! But it would have worked out better in the end. As I was getting close to finishing it (waaaaay past the deadline of Maddie's birth in October), the blanket seemed huge but still not square and I thought it would go on forever. At some point I had to make the call to cast off.

As a bonus, I knit faster now that I've done this blanket.

Details:
Pattern: Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
Yarn: Bernat Satin Solids in Banana, about 5.5 skeins
Started: September 2007
Finished: February 2008

party inspiration.

I randomly found this post on the Snapdragons blog (isn't that what the internet is all about?) and it has inspired me to host a meze party. Wouldn't that be a perfect get-together for the bellydance girls? Or for my non-dancing friends, as I had been considering having a party at which I would perform for them - nothing outrageous, just one or two songs, it would be good practice for me - and this menu would fit the theme very nicely.

I would omit the meat dishes, of course, and probably scale down the number of dishes so that I didn't go crazy trying to prepare everything. But can I just say - YUM!

Snapdragons: Meze party how-to
More photos found here: Meze, the morning after

jury frivolity - finished!


I finally got around to sewing up the Frivol (Ravelry link) hat, which I knit while on jury duty in mid-January. To be honest, I thought it would be too small and that's why I was putting off finishing it. If it's not sewn up, no one will know that it's too small! I used the same logic with the Lululemon pants that I got for Christmas - they looked too small, so I put off trying them on because then I would have to return them. Turns out they fit perfectly and I love them. Same with the Frivol hat - it fits T-man just fine! Now I have to make one for myself...

Pattern: The Frivol Hat by Debi Tuttle
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen
Needles: 4 mm

I also did the finishing on the secret gifty project (weaving in the ends). It just needs washing and blocking, but the true challenge will be making a date with the recipient to actually hand it over! We've had some scheduling issues these past few months.

sock kal starts on monday.

Two posts in one day? Hell yeah. It's feast or famine with my blogging.

I am sooooo excited to be start my first knitalong with the For the Love of Socks yahoo group. We are knitting 2 socks at once on 2 circular needles. No more second sock syndrome! (if only they were toe-up... next time) I took the opportunity to do a little online shopping, since I don't have two matching sets of circs, and bought a few skeins of sock yarn too. Nothing crazy. It was my first online shopping experience and it sure was easy! And not as guilt-inducing as shopping in person. Weird, non? I love browsing and fondling the yarn in shops, but the purchasing part can be stressful. Maybe because it's so hard to decide what to buy! Anyway, I am looking forward to receiving my package in the mail.

let it snow.

It has snowed a lot here in the past week. Usually it melts before we get the next dumping! I have to admit that I like the snow... sure, it's a pain trying to get to work, but I don't drive so I don't care if the roads are bad. The streetcar zooms along on its track. My main annoyance is all the "condo people" that don't dress properly for the weather (heels? hello?? have you looked outside?!) and then crowd on the streetcar instead of walking 2 blocks to the subway station. They usually block the doors to get out too. Grrr.

Yesterday I walked to and from dance class and troupe practice. I really hustled to troupe practice, since two other troupers were going to take TTC and we were having a little race (in my mind, anyway ha ha). One other girl ended up walking too, and we beat the TTC rider by a good 5-10 minutes. Trudging through the snow was a real workout, and there were some icky moments when the wind was blowing right in my face. But mostly I felt great! The snow was so beautifully white and fluffy and I felt alive.

T-man let Roxy outside on the deck last night while I was getting ready for bed. She is such a snow cat! She was chasing snowflakes and not bothered at all by the cold and wet. There is a reason for all that fur.

TGIF.

Sorry about the lack of posts this week! I haven't been all that busy. Just uninspired, I guess. The lack of caffeine is to blame! There have been some rough days this week, but I'm feeling pretty good today. Lively and awake.

OK, so the only item that I can cross off my list from last weekend:

• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Pretty sad! I went shopping for fruits and vegetables in Kensington Market, but I didn't wash and prep them, and that was the whole point. Alas.

Here is a picture of the living in the midst of the stash organization. It was a mess, and truth be told, it's not totally cleaned up yet. cringe

There were a few unfinished projects in the stash pile. One crochet purse that is done except for attaching the handles, and the handles are ready to be attached. I found one finished wine cozy and one that needs embellishment. All the parts for a Pasha the Penguin.

It was fun to photograph and document everything. Not sure if all of my yarn counts as "stash" since there are lots of little bits of things. I put aside some of the bits and bobs to donate, and I'm already working on a few charity projects.

Looking forward to the For the Love of Socks knitalong that is due to start on Monday! My first KAL. The theme is 2 socks on 2 circs, but I might try 2 socks on Magic Loop, otherwise I'll have to buy some new circs. (which wouldn't be so bad, I kinda want to do that anyway!)

to do this weekend.

Crafty...

• Finishing - sew up jury Frivoli hat, weave in ends on the gifty project, weave in ends on the work socks
• Darn the heel of my first toe-up socks (I think a moth got to them - found the hole the first day I wore them! grr.)
• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Other stuff...

• manicure and pedicure
• buy lots of fruits and veggies and prep them all in the fridge (after dance class on Sat.)
  

I got my hair cut yesterday, and my stylist told me that after he goes grocery shopping, he immediately washes the fruit and cuts up the veggies so that everything is ready to eat. Eureka! That makes it so much easer to grab a snack. I already know that prepping food in advance saves so much time, but when do I find the time to prep it? Hopefully this will become a new habit.

knitting pics!

Work socks

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern
Yarn: Patons Kroy socks in Norfolk Blue and Krazy Stripes
Needles: 3 mm dpns
Started: December 26, 2007
Completed: January 25, 2008

I still need to weave in all those ends... can I still call it a FO?

knit.1 jumper

This photo is terrible - it doesn't reflect the true colour of the yarn, which is a mottled olive-y green, which I quite like. This looks like barf. You can see the pooling in the yarn, WTF?! Hopefully it's not too noticeable when I wear it.

The pattern is from knit.1 magazine Summer 07. Yarn is Lionbrand Homespun in Mediterranean. I knit most of it in the car on the way to Grand Rapids, MI on Saturday. Yay for road trip knitting!

withdrawl.

I moved on to the next phase of caffeine reduction today, and boy do I feel it. I mixed my coffee half and half with decaf and I have a caffeine withdrawl headache. Ugh.

first FO of 2008.

The work socks are done! I finished knitting them today at lunch. I still have to weave in all of those ends (ugh) and block them... one sock looks quite a bit larger than the other! Hopefully it all comes out in the wash, so to speak. Pics to come.

De-stashing news: I don't have a huge stash, but I do have a lot of acrylic yarn. It's not good stuff, and I don't really want it around but didn't know what to do with it. Thanks to Ravelry, I have some options for de-stashing, in a charitable fashion! The CAMH is looking for yarn donations for their craft group, and a woman in Nunavut put out a call for baby hats and blankets for her local hospital. I look forward to sorting through my yarn bins and bags and letting some stuff go. Unfortunately it will be next week, as I'm going to Michigan this weekend for a family function. I hope to get a lot of knitting done on the 6-hour drive, if I don't get carsick. :)

updates.

• I was not selected to be a juror. My panel was called for two cases, but my name did not come up for either of them. Phew!
  
• The Jury Frivolity hat is knitted - I just about finished it while at the courthouse and knit the last two rows at home. Now I just have to sew it up... that may take a while. :)
• Work socks will see some action today. I brought them to the office to knit on lunch break.
• The secret gifty project has been cast off!!! (but I haven't cut the yarn yet)
• I cast on the knit.1 tunic first mentioned here. My gauge is off so cross your fingers.
• Caffeine cutback is coming along. I'm going VERY slowly. First I just cut back to one cup of coffee in the morning. I did that for about a week and a half. Now I'm starting to mix decaf into my coffee grounds, about one third decaf, two thirds regular. The first day was OK, but subsequent days have found me a bit sluggish. (I'm on day four.) I would like to use a grain coffee substitute as suggested here but haven't been to a store that carries it yet.
  
• I bought a new bellydancing costume yesterday! It's an Indian-style skirt and halter top, so not a "real" costume, but I think it will do nicely for the performing opportunities that may be coming up this summer. Something casual but still shiny and festive.
  

jury frivolity.


Not a great photo, but here is my jury duty Frivoli hat for T-man. (If it fits. I didn't swatch.) Note the plastic needles. The court clerk asked me how I got my knitting past security! Oh honey, ask and ye shall receive! (information, that is) Knitting in public is a great conversation starter... although most of the time I just want to knit and not talk about it, I try to be a good craft ambassador.

Pattern: The Frivol Hat by Debi Tuttle
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen
Needles: 4 mm

cheating on the work socks.


I have been working on the work socks not at work. I took them home and have been knitting the second sock while relaxing on the couch. Yes, it's cheating, but I didn't have time to knit them at work! The second sock would never be finished! So now there is some progress.

special assignment.

I am doing my civic duty and attending jury duty, or rather jury selection. I wasn't selected today and thus spent most of the day sitting in a large room with many other bored people. To be repeated tomorrow. And perhaps every day this week.

My coworker warned me that there would be many hours of waiting around, so I brought a book to read: The Thrive Diet.

I finished it.

I even read the appendices and resources section! (I was desperate.)

Tomorrow I will bring a book and some knitting. I checked with Security and metal needles are a no-no, but plastic are OK. He wasn't sure about wooden needles, and started to get a little weirded out by my questions at that point. LOL. I will need to start a new project, maybe a hat (pdf) for T-man.

ravel away!

I just got invited to join Ravelry! Yay! I only signed up for the waiting list a few days ago. Oh, I will be spending sooo much time online....

Username: lanicraft

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - coffee only, since I was running late
snack - two energy balls
lunch - leftover curry veg and rice
dinner - cold perogies (leftover from Sunday night)
Updated to add: the rest of the Haagen Dazs and some tortilla chips before bed

output:
walked to work
bellydance class 6-7:15 pm
troupe practice 8-10 pm

I'm cutting back on coffee... today I had 1.5 cups at home and didn't take my travel mug to work. Not sure that I want to totally quit, because I really like drinking coffee! But I'm going to cut back for a few days and then try to give it up altogether for a few weeks. I know, I don't sound very confident. It's to protect my ego if I fail. :)

This article started me thinking about it, particularly this part:

I also feel that caffeine blocks too much of my intuition and creativity. I miss subtle sensory input, and my thinking becomes too linear.

I am a very linear thinker. It's not a bad thing, but I would like to expand my creative side. Also, I want to see if there will be a change in my energy levels throughout the day. I'm so tired in the evenings. If there is something to do (like troupe rehearsal), I have energy for it, but otherwise I tend to to nap on the couch. That time could be spent knitting or reading or cleaning or ....

I'll keep you updated on my progress!

flog for monday.

input:
breakfast - wholewheat english muffin with Earth Balance, coffee
snack - two energy balls
lunch - perogies and cabbage rolls, leftovers from Uke X-mas dinner last night
snack - apple
dinner -two different kinds of curry vegetables served over rice

output:
1 pm - yoga class
walked home from work

sock kal #2.

I've just joined the Sock It To 'Em Knitalong

Woo hoo! Bring on the socks! (uh, no progress to report on the work socks)

flog for friday.

input:
breakfast - banana & strawberry smoothie with soy milk and hemp protein
snack - a donut and an energy ball
lunch - veggie dog and miso soup
snack - chips and dip
dinner - spaghettini with tomato sauce and homemade pizza (T-man made dinner while I napped on the couch!)
dessert - Haagen Dazs Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream

output:
walked home from work

A co-worker brought donuts to the office today... I don't even really like donuts, but I have no willpower!! To further prove the point, I was planning to cut up some carrot sticks when I got home from work, since I'd been looking at those raw food blogs, but what did I have instead? Chips and dip. Ugh. And then tons of cheese on the pizza, and more dairy for dessert.

30-day raw food diet trial.

For reading later...

Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog
The Skinny on January

work sock update.

I cast on for the work sock mate and knit the first stripe, but that's it so far. The idea is to knit it only while at work (it is a "work" sock, after all) but I haven't had time until today. Hmmm. Perhaps I got too excited by the fast progress on the first sock! The second one may take a while to finish....

flog for thursday.

input:
breakfast - granola with soy milk, coffee
snack - date and nut energy ball
lunch - leftover frittata on toast
snack - chips and dip (bad!)
dinner - veggie dog, followed by ice cream for dessert (extra bad!) (but the ice cream is sooooo tasty!)

output:
cardio interval class at 12 pm

T-man and I went grocery shopping at the big grocery store, and again the organic produce selection was slim. Why do they package each organic red pepper in a plastic bag?? That's just ridiculous! Does it "add value" to have vegetables packaged in bags? Grrrr. Anyway, my plan was to buy lots of veggies and fruit but we ended up with tons of carbs: fresh pasta, dried pasta, bread, hot dog buns, rice... We had so many options for dinner that we couldn't decide what to make - T-man had leftovers and I had a veggie dog. Actually he had a veggie dog later on too. Classy.

I want to make carrot soup this weekend (or tonight, but I think we're having nachos for dinner). The cold weather is causing soup cravings.

flog for wednesday.

input:
breakfast - granola with rice milk, coffee
morning snack - dried apricots
lunch - falafels and tabouli (hello garlic breath!)
pre-dinner snack - hummus and pita (more garlic breath!)
dinner - frittata with peppers, spinach, pesto, asparagus & cheese, with toast

output:
walked to & from work, in -20 degree weather! (with wind chill)
I meant to go to the gym but I was confused what day it was... will go today for sure

sock kal.

I have recently joined the For_The_Love_Of_Socks yahoo group. Welcome to any members that have found their way here!

Looking forward to the first sock knitalong - the question is, do I knit the beginner or experienced pattern?

I think I will take the challenge and go for the experienced option. Wish me luck!

pics!

The progression of work sock #1....

December 27 - after the first day

December 28 - after the second day

December 31 - after the third day - finished!

Hanging in front of the computer as I update the blog

Back at home and bound off... but look at all those ends!

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern
Yarn: Patons Kroy socks in Norfolk Blue and Krazy Stripes
Needles: 3 mm dpns

sock notes.

A few notes for myself so that the 2nd sock matches the 1st. I might forget what I did!

- cast on 24 stitches (total circumference is 48 sts.)
- after the short-row toe is complete, knit one row in navy before starting the stripes
- 6 rows per stripe
- heel: knit 3 rows in navy, work short-row heel, knit another 3 rows in navy before striping
- cuff: knit one row in navy, work k2p2 for 12 rows
- bind off using EZ stretchy sewn cast-off

photos?

The photos are on their way. I had a very busy weekend with J&A's wedding and related events, including a visit to the mall (during Boxing week!) to find dress pants for T-man and heels for me.

I didn't make a ton of progress on the work sock on Friday but I *may* get it finished today! And then I can post the entire photo series tonight, instead of partying for New Year's Eve. (not really joking about that either)

stretchy cast off.

I'm posting this so that I can refer to it later... found at Weebleknits. (it was the 2nd result in my Google search)

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Cast off from Knitting Without Tears

Break yarn, leaving a tail about 4 times as long as the circumference of the sock. Thread a tapestry needle.

* sew forward (right to left) through two stitches as if to purl, leave the stitches on. Sew backward (left to right) through one stitch as if to knit and remove the stitch.
Repeat from * until you run out of stitches. Work in tail on the inside of the sock and trim any excess.

Denise's variation for circular knitting (from http://www.socknitters.com):
For the very first stitch only, after you go backwards through it, do not remove it, instead move it to be the last stitch on the final needle. It will then become the final stitch to be cast off. This gives a neater finish to the end of the round.

Via Weebleknits: Stretchy Bind Offs

work socks.

Unfortunately for me, I had to work this week (not the 25th and 26th, but the other days) and there is not much to do. But I have to be there just in case. My manager knows there is nothing to do, so I don't have to pretend to be busy.

Enter the portable knitting project. The secret gifty project is now too big to carry around, so I started a pair of socks: striped toe-up on 3mm dpns using Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock pattern. I knit the short-row toe at home on Wednesday night, and finished the foot and heel at work yesterday. Yay! I'm cruising along. Maybe I'll finish an entire sock in 3 days - then another 3 months to knit the mate. ha ha.

Imagine if I could knit at work every day? Not all day long, just a few rows in between other tasks. That would be great!

Stay tuned for pics!

post-christmas blues.

Ah, Christmas. So much stress and anticipation and then.... well.... bah humbug.

This year my family decided not to exchange presents and to bring food instead. It's a great idea - we can avoid the shopping craziness and take some of the cooking load off of my mom. No one knows what to buy each other anyway. However, it didn't turn out quite as I envisioned. I'm not all about the presents, but opening them gives us something to do. And the other people in my family don't looooooove food the way I love food. So dinner was OK. Kind of like a normal dinner. No one was excited about the fancy desserts from Dufflet, except for me and T-man. (and I forgot the leftovers at my parents' house - must pick those up! They won't eat the delicious little cakes and tarts. Oh they are so delicious!)

One thing I don't like about my parents' new house is that the Christmas tree is in the dining room, not the sitting room. So after we eat, we go to the "great room" to chill but there's no tree. There may have been some decorations up, but I can't really remember.

Sorry to whine! I have even more complaints but decided not to share them all. :) I just wanted the holiday to feel special, and it didn't. :(

And I missed watching White Christmas! I love that movie!!

fry up hat and bag.


I have found the pattern for the elegant and classic Fry Up Hat and Bag, otherwise known as English Breakfast Egg & Chips. I had bookmarked a copy of the pattern but that site is gone... I was very sad. Not sure why, as it's not something I'm particularly interested in knitting, although I think it's freakin' hilarious.

The site has several patterns for other knitted foods too.

Via Kristen's comment on this post at Slowknitter.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - toast and coffee
snack - half a croissant, mini bagel with cream cheese, fruit salad, and mini bran muffin from building's holiday breakfast
lunch - leftover risotto
dinner - falafel
snack - potato chips after rehearsal

output:
walked to and from work
weight class at 12 pm
troupe rehearsal 8-10 pm

flog for monday.

input:
breakfast - smoothie with banana, blueberries, soy milk and hemp protein
snack - almonds
lunch - risotto with butternut squash and peas (last night's dinner)
snack (at work) - an orange
snack (at home) - rest of the smoothie and a handful of potato chips
dinner - spinach patty sandwich with cheese, Vegenaise, relish and mustard. And more potato chips.

output:
walked to work - in the crazy snow!
yoga class at 1 pm
private session with Roula at 6 pm

love it.

101 Handmade Gift Ideas
101 gift ideas that you can easily and inexpensively make yourself

sri.

Some links for future reading. I need to get on the investment train. I even have a financial planner lined up!

Socially Responsible Investing: Part 1 (Money and Values)
Socially Responsible Investing, Part 2: Some SRI Options (Money and Values)

a coupla food pics.

This is my lunch from November 28.

Dal and steamed broccoli from December 3. Before.

And after. Yes, that's T-man throwin' horns in the background.

flog for thursday.


input:
breakfast - toast with almond butter
snack - almonds
lunch - navy bean and vegetable soup with pasta (farfalline - so cute)
snack - salsa and leftover tempeh & black bean burrito filling with Charras
dinner - more soup, but added pine nuts and parmesan

output:
step & scupt class at 12pm
walked to and from work

where are the pics?

I have a ton of photos to post, but I haven't been on the computer much at home, so I haven't downloaded them from the camera. One day I'll post a whole slew of pics and it will be glorious.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - cereal with soy milk, coffee
snack - carrot cake cupcake (not homemade - someone brought them into work)
lunch - leftover burrito: tempeh & black bean taco scramble topped with chopped onions and peppers, wrapped in a flour tortilla
snack - pretzel with mustard (thanks MP), banana
dinner - apple and a tofurkey sandwich

output:
weight class at 12 pm
bellydance class at 6 pm
troupe practice 8-10 pm

flog for friday.

input:
brekkie - coffee and cereal with soy milk (yes, a decent breakfast!)
snack - some goodies from the United Way bake sale
lunch - fajita leftovers from Wednesday night
snack - ummm 2 Timbits that Rr. brought into work
dinner - veggie stir-fry with tofu, served over noodles

output:
rest day! I'm sore from yesterday's workout and generally tired.

flog for thursday.

input:
breakfast - coffee, miso soup
snack - almonds
lunch - dal and perogies. A weird combination but it was OK.
snack - peanuts, potato chips later on
dinner - spinach patty sandwich on a cheese bun with lettuce, Veganaise, mustard and relish

output:
step & scupt class at 12 pm

I think I'm getting a cold, so I've been eating Vitamin C tablets like crazy. It helps that they taste yummy. Germs, go away!

T-man and I went grocery shopping after work and got a LOT of stuff. It was expensive. Mostly good food but the organic produce selection was slim. Remember when the big stores had lots of beautiful organic veggies? As if they bought up all the best-looking stuff and left the rest for the smaller stores? That's not the case anymore. I will be buying my produce at the lovely and friendly Food 4 Life in Kensington Market. Which is where I should be going anyway. (and I usually go there for produce, they have a great local selection!)

re-look at the re-focus.

Back in October I listed a few good habits that I wanted to re-establish when I returned to my office job and regular schedule. I still feel rather disorganized, so it's time to review those goals and remind myself of them.

1. Food - my eating schedule is better than it was, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I haven't been planning meals for the week. I still come home from work and scarf down whatever I can get my hands on. (see Monday: dill pickle chips and a cornbread muffin)

To do: 1) Pick a day to sit down and plan 3-4 dinners for the coming week. Preferably on a day when I can go grocery shopping. 2) Make some healthy snacks and/or have smoothie ingredients on hand (fruit, rice milk, juice).

2. Yoga - I've been going to lunchtime yoga (45 min.) but it's rather unsatisfying after the intense 1.25 hour classes at Core Studio. I've only made it to one or two classes at Core in the past month. Going to classes at Core is a lower priority right now, since I'm busy with other activities in the evenings now that it's the holiday season. However, it would be beneficial to work on a small daily home practice.

To do: sneak in a few half sun salutations in the morning, before my brain starts saying "hurry up and get ready for work."

3. Housekeeping - No improvement. The place is a mess.

To do: spend 15 minutes a day cleaning up one room in the house, right after getting home from work or dance class. Only 15 minutes. And rotate rooms, e.g. Monday I sweep the kitchen floor, Tuesday I dust the living room, Wednesday quick-clean the bathroom. Baby steps.

4. Dance practice - this is one thing I have been doing, although I haven't been especially organized about it. Unfortunately, it feels like I've been spending a lot of time going to classes and events and practicing and it's taking away from other areas.

To do: right now, keep the status quo. The previous items take priority.

5. Other stuff - I've been knitting lots, since I have a deadline for the secret project. (which is coming along nicely!) There is never enough time/energy for the crafty stuff, but it's a lower priority.

To do (in general): stop napping on the couch. Not sure how I will manage this, because sometimes I'm just so tired. More caffeine? Sugar? Less of those? I think I need to go to bed earlier. I don't think I'm low on iron or anything because I'm fine when I have to go out, but when I'm at home for the night I want to rest. With my eyes closed. LOL.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - coffee and a Kick Butt Amped Energy Ball
snack - almonds
lunch - leftover dal and rice
snack - two 2-bite brownies
dinner - more dal and rice

output:
bodysculpt class at lunch (weights)
bellydancing class at 6 pm
shimmied it up at FunkaBelly from 8-11 pm

flog for monday.

input:
brekkie - coffee (and some dill pickle chips, but we won't talk about that)
snack - almonds
lunch - perogies with salsa
snack - potato chips and a cornbread muffin
dinner - red lentil dal with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice

output:
walked halfway to work
yoga class at 1 pm
walked home from work

I got on the streetcar this morning because I was running a bit late and the sidewalks were icy (and therefore I wouldn't be able to hustle to get to work on time), but the streetcar was a short turn and there was a HUGE lineup of people waiting to transfer. So I decided to walk the rest of the way.

flog for thursday.

input:
breakfast - two kinds of cereal with soy milk. and coffee, of course.
snack - an Apple Cinnamon energy ball and some almonds
lunch - there were no leftovers to bring since we didn't make dinner last night, so once again I brought quinoa with raw veggies. Once again hastily prepared before running out the door.
snack - apple

There was only a little bit left of the Morning Crisp, so I added the Panda Puffs. Reminds me of Angry Chicken's cereal graveyard. T-man does this all the time, but I usually stick to one type of cereal in a bowl... granola.

output:
walked to work.
step & scupt class at 12 pm.

I'm posting this early, because T-man and I are leaving for Michigan tonight. I probably won't post over the weekend. Have a good one!

the secret project.

I am happy to report that I am just about halfway finished the secret knitting project. Yay! Hopefully it's all downhill from here... and I mean "downhill" as in coasting quickly to the finish, not "downhill" as in bad quality. Hm, I picked the wrong cliche.

I'll try to get some knitting done this weekend. T-man and I are heading to MI to visit the family.

flog for wednesday.

input:
breakfast - coffee, dry cereal (no milk! but it wasn't too bad)
snack - 2 Apple Cinnamon energy balls from the Thrive Diet
lunch - quinoa with chopped cucumber, red pepper and carrot, Italian dressing and topped with a spinach patty
post-work party - bruschetta and onion rings... which ended up being my dinner! yikes.

output:
walked to work, even though it was ccccccold!
yoga class

My lunch was hastily prepared this morning but it turned out well. I made quinoa on the weekend for the Apple Cinnamon bars, so I put some of that in a container and chopped up the veggies to go on top. Normally I don't have time in the morning to fix lunch, so I was stressed but
didn't want to buy lunch from the cafeteria at work.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - PB&J on toast, coffee
morning snack - almonds
lunch - pasta with pesto, ricotta, broccoli & sundried tomatoes (leftovers from Sunday night)
before class - black bean soup and a cornbread muffin
snack between class and troupe practice (a.k.a. dinner) - Greek fries (fries with feta cheese and Greek dressing)

output:
walked to work
bellydance class at 6 pm
OLST practice 8-10 pm


Tuesday nights are going to be busy - I have dance class at 6 pm and then troupe practice from 8-10 pm. I rush home from work, try to eat a little something and head out to class - I'm home for about 15 minutes. There's half an hour between class and troupe so I have time to grab something, but my options are limited. Well, not really, there are a few different places to get food within a few blocks and if E. is driving to class we can always stop somewhere on the way. I'm just really preoccupied with food!

something old, something new.

Some videos for your amusement...

Amar Gamal






Taheya Carioca





More of Ms. Carioca

whoops.

I missed a few days of food blogging (to be known as "flogging" from now on) and now I'm off-schedule with posting. Will try to get some treats for you online tomorrow - I have a free day with few obligations!

food log for tuesday.

input
breakfast - smoothie with banana, blueberries, watermelon, rice milk and hemp protein
snack - almonds
lunch - veg moussaka (salty, starchy comfort food)
snack - bagel with margarine and more of the fruit smoothie
dinner - finished the leftover moussaka

output
walked to work
bellydance class at 6 pm

food log for monday.

input
breakfast: coffee
mid-morning: raw almonds
lunch: burrito with rice, salsa and beans - whatever was leftover from the nachos
snack: more almonds and an apple
early dinner: half a slice of pizza from Amato's
late dinner: vegetable moussaka

output
yoga class at 1 pm
bellydancing at 6 pm

food log for sunday.

brekkie - half of a Thai life burger from Fresh (I still call it Juice for Life)
lots of coffee and an Advil
late lunch - spring rolls, rice noodles and veggies from a Vietnamese place that my mom likes. She ordered the Pho but of course there is not a vegetarian version.
snack - Teriyaki potato chips, which taste like BBQ and salt & vinegar flavours mixed together, and a couple of "test" perogies
later snack - chips and salsa

Not great, but not as bad as I thought.

knitting update.

I've been working on my secret project, which is a gift that is a month overdue already and will hopefully be finished by Christmas! I finally feel like I'm making progress on it. Unfortunately, no pics until it's been gifted, even though the recipient most likely does not check this site. :)

I've been dying to cast on something new, but so far I've been good... must get the gift done! Then I can reward myself with a new project.

food log for saturday.

input
breakfast - apple
lunch - leftover pizza
dinner - a feast from Fresh (Juice for Life): spinach salad with crispy tofu (yum), Kathmandu wrap and sweet potato fries

output
Vinyasa yoga class, 10-11:30 am. It kicked my butt.
Working at the Food & Wine show from 1-6 pm, on my feet, smiling and talking to strangers... now that's a workout! I totally crashed out after dinner.

food log for thursday.

input
breakfast - granola with rice milk
lunch - leftover pasta from last night's dinner
snack - SmartFood (not so smart) and a smoothie
dinner - nachos with black and pinto beans, peppers, onions, cheese and salsa

pre-melting of the cheese
that's a heckuvalot of cheese!

output
step & sculpt class - I'm so proud of myself for picking up the step choreography "grapevine over the top, mambo cha cha, stomp cha cha cha." It's quite confusing! The woman beside me was off-beat the entire class, which threw me off a little, but mostly I was sad that she didn't have any rhythm. That would suck!

after the cheese was melted
mmmmm nachos

duncan smells.


My shoelace came untied as I was walking to work this morning, and I stopped at this bench to tie it. The graffiti on the bench made me laugh, so I snapped a photo.

food log for wednesday.



input
breakfast - granola with rice milk.
snack - roasted peanuts
lunch - basmati rice with masala veggies
snack - smoothie with banana, O.J., raspberries, hemp protein powder and rice milk
dinner - cheese and spinach ravioli with leek, corn and spinach pesto, topped with toasted walnuts

output
yoga class, walking to work and walking to do errands

how to write a thank you note.

Another great post. I am really enjoying this blog!

The thank you note in 5 steps - Working on Me

a system for keeping in touch.

I stumbled upon these two blog posts which outline a system to stay on top of keeping in touch with friends, family and business contacts (especially good for the latter, but I need it for the former two).

"People drift apart for many reasons. It’s perfectly understandable not to call or make an effort for people you don’t really like, but why do we let people we respect and whose company we enjoy slip away from us? The main reasons are apathy and lethargy; we don’t care enough, and we’re too lazy. Paradoxically, the more secure we feel about a person’s friendship, the less effort we’ll take in staying in touch when distance divides us."

Having a "system" to stay in touch with friends seems a little excessive, but I'm not knocking it - I need a system! Oftentimes I think about calling or emailing someone, but then I forget and when I do talk to them I feel guilty for leaving it so long. Even going through this process would be helpful:

"...you’ll first need to sit down and list all the people you want to stay in touch with. When you’ve done that, decide for each person how often you think contact would be appropriate."

Read the full post here: A system to keep in touch with people - Working on Me

He also has some advice for making that first call: Keeping in touch - emergency repair - Working on Me

Found via Ian's Messy Desk.

I'd rather be knitting.

Work is slow and will get slower as Christmas approaches. I'm starting to browse knit blogs again and seeing that people have sweaters, finished sweaters, sweaters that probably didn't take them a year to make! Sigh.

I need to post more photos!
Just text is rather dry. I'll see what I can do.

food log for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - the usual, granola with rice milk
snack - raw almonds
lunch - more leftovers: dal and masala veggies over rice
snack - almonds, and some potato chips
dinner - masala vegetables with a pita

I'm really tired of the curry dal and masala vegetables at this point. I've been eating the same thing for days! There is still a lot left over - time to pack it up in the freezer.

output:
Great workout today -
15 min. on the treadmill: 2 min. warm up, 3 min. running/1 min. walking x3, cool down
(that's not much running but it's a step up from what I was doing)
weights: I increased my weight level so that I was actually working. No more "easy workouts", it's time to build muscle.
Bellydance class: lots of shimmy walk and three quarter shimmy. Roula worked on my 2nd chakra/lower back and loosened up some energy.

food log for monday.

input:
breakfast - granola with rice milk
snack - some raw almonds
lunch - masala vegetables (cauli, potatoes, carrots and peas with PC tikka masala sauce) and curry dal over brown basmati rice (leftovers from the weekend)
snack - I gulped down part of a smoothie made with bananas, blueberries, O.J., rice milk and hemp protein powder before class (also leftover from the weekend)
dinner - 2 Tofurkey sandwiches on sprouted grain bread with romaine, mustard, Veganaise and one had cheese
before bed - a handful of chips.... so bad!

output:
I walked to work in the morning, went to yoga class at lunch, then bellydance class in the evening.

The lunchtime yoga class now feels really short after taking 75-90 min. classes at the other studio. Savasana is 2 minutes long. And the gym is really chilly, I had forgotten about that. :(

Having a smoothie pre-mixed in the fridge was really handy. I am rushed to eat something between work and dance class - I'm hungry, but I have only 10 minutes to get ready and out the door.

raw cookies/energy balls.

You can find the original recipe for my energy balls (original name: Raw Oatmeal Cacao Nib Cookies) on the GreenChefs site. I made a ton of substitutions: almonds instead of macadamia nuts, chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs, rice syrup instead of agave. And I don't form them into cookies - I use my handy dandy 1 oz. scoop to form them into balls.

There are probably a ton of "energy ball" recipes out there... I remember looking for one a few years ago and dismissing them because they called for dates. Oh I was so naive! I probably wouldn't eat a date on its own, but they are so yummy in other recipes.

A big shout-out to Wendy, who first turned me on to the idea of energy balls years ago. Thanks!

food log for Thursday.

brekkie: coffee and granola with rice milk
mid-morning: energy ball
lunch: leftover pasta casserole
pre-dinner: tortilla chips with cheese and salsa
dinner: more pasta casserole

I went to the gym at lunchtime and did my favourite "step & sculpt" class (half cardio step class, half weights). It was fun! But I felt rather jelly-like afterward. I'm not too sore today... yet... I soaked in the tub last night with epsom salts, so hopefully that helps!

I realized that I've been eating mostly vegan this week. And I wasn't even trying! But then I had nachos with cheese. And it was yummy.

food log for wednesday.

breakfast - granola with rice milk, and coffee
mid-morning - banana and an energy ball
lunch - leftover potatoes and kale and baked beans
dinner - pasta casserole with leeks, butternut squash and tofu "cream" (recipe from an old Vegetarian Times)

Lunch was a throw-together-something-what's-in-the-fridge kind of affair today. We ate leftovers for dinner the night before and thus didn't cook. Surprisingly, my lunch was quite tasty! Maybe it's because I was staaaaaarving. I went to yoga class and ate lunch late, around 2:30 pm.

food log for tuesday.

breakfast - granola with rice milk, and coffee of course
mid-morning - banana
lunch - leftover pasta with TVP meatballs and tomato sauce
snack - energy ball before dance class
dinner - more leftover pasta

I went to the gym for the first time in 6 months. I did 10 minutes on the treadmill, just a warm up really. Then some light weights: squats, lunges, lat pulldowns, delts, chest press, biceps & triceps. I didn't want to overdo it on my first day back! I also had bellydancing class in the evening, which was really fun and I feel super motivated.

food log for monday.

breakfast - coffee and my own homemade granola
mid-morning - energy ball made from dates & almonds... will post a link
lunch - potatoes and kale (leftover from last night's dinner)
dinner - big spinach salad and fettuccine with TVP meatballs (Vegan Vittles Better Burger recipe) and tomato sauce with zucchini and green peppers

I got up early! Ate breakfast! Walked to work! Yay me.

i'm baaaaaaaaack!

Here I am, back at the mothership... going through a million voice mail messages since no one picked them up while I was gone. Ugh.

re-focus.

Now that I'm going back to my old job ("the mothership"), I want to create some good habits and routines that fell by the wayside because I was so exhausted by the baking job. I haven't made a decent meal in weeks (and now I'm sick), yoga practice has been sporadic (every 2 weeks... I can hardly call that a practice), the house is a mess and laundry is piling up. I am definitely looking forward to making some lifestyle changes and devoting more time to those activities that feed my spirit and making my home an inviting and inspiring environment.

Number one: feed my body! I was going to put the yoga practice first, but really I need a well-nourished body before I can consider any physical activity. The food log will be resurrected!

Number two: establish a regular yoga practice. Back at the mothership, I'll be taking lunchtime yoga twice a week plus I'm aiming for one class a week at Core Studio. I would really like to create a daily practice, even if it's just 5 minutes.



Number three: get the house in order. Before I left the mothership, I had a good cleaning routine and was happy to have friends drop by. Now I'm afflicted with "can't have anyone over syndrome"! Must get back into that routine. It makes a huge difference when you feel good about your living space.

Number four: establish a dance practice. I've been pretty good about practicing, especially since I have a performance at the end of the month, but it would be beneficial to practice more regularly and be more organized about it. I feel like I've hit a plateau and look forward to seeing more improvement - but it won't happen unless I work at it.

Number five: knitting, reading, arts and crafts. All the fun stuff. Do it instead of sleeping on the couch. Keep in touch with friends. Spend some time with the T-man. Cuddle with the cats. OK, those last two things should be slotted under Number 1.5. I have so many plans for fun crafty stuff but where do I find the time?? Ay, there's the rub.

books books books.

I'm looking forward to reading a lot during my 2.5 weeks of vacation. (I'm technically in between jobs but we'll call it vacation anyway.) I already have several books that are partly read, but I wasn't particularly excited about finishing them so I bought some more!! Hooray for new books!

Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac (I'm already halfway through this one)
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (I really liked Blink)
Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith (Not loving the title, but I wanted a book about the chakra system and Roula has mentioned Anodea Judith's work in class.)

funny girl, but a good idea.

free burma.



www.free-burma.org

phallic dessert.


Just because you're in a nice restaurant doesn't mean they won't serve you ice cream arranged to look like a male body part. Willa was so embarrassed! We all thought it was hilarious!

baby cake!


This is a cake I made for T-bird's baby shower on Aug. 26. (Also her wedding anniversary) It was super easy to make, and uses baby food! You can find the recipe here.

T-man and I are now craving PC Crunchy Cubs cookies - we bought two packages yesterday!

banana, banana, go go banana.

I made banana bread yesterday, but I forgot to take a photo of it and now it's sliced up! It turned out perfectly again, and virtually jumped out of the pan. This time I added walnuts and chocolate chips.

You can look at the photo from last time. It looks exactly the same, except I didn't make muffins.

still crafty.

Even though I haven't been blogging about it very much, I am still being crafty. The ribs and lace tank is chugging along - only the straps to go! And then I have to shape the back, which is a sneaky way to add more knitting time to the project. Hurumph. If it fits well enough, I might just make it a halter. I am not excited about knitting 11 inches of stockingette on 18 stitches (9 per strap).


I already have plans for two new projects! One of them is a gift, so I can't blog about it (even though I doubt the recipient looks at this site). I've already knit a test swatch for it and cast on the first row. The target completion date is end of September. The next project lined up is a tunic from the summer issue of knit.1 magazine.


I already have the yarn too! I love going to Michael's and buying inexpensive yarn... I also love shopping at my LYS but always feel guilty over the price. This pattern only uses 3 skeins - that seems unreal. At first I reached for a reddish pink shade, then I remembered that I already have a sweater-dress/tunic in pink. So I opted for a mottled green and taupe colour, "Mediterranean".


Time to get knitting!

new appliances.

Oooooo new housewares are so much fun! Yesterday T-man and I went to the Bay and bought a new coffee maker (our old one conked out a few weeks ago)...


The only feature that I really wanted was a programmable start time, so that coffee will be ready for me in the morning. Mmmm coffee. It came with a re-usable "gold" filter, and it was on sale! 50% off!! We were about to buy a different one, and the customer service rep pointed out that the Kitchenaid models were on sale.

I also bought a slow cooker...


I've wanted one for a while. I picked up a cookbook way back in April! There are so many models that it was hard to choose. This one is pretty basic: only three settings, no timer, but it's not too big. As you can see in the photo, it's already in use too! T-man is so happy that these two new items are already out of the bag, out of their boxes and made to feel at home. (I tend to leave new things in the bag and set aside, to save their "newness". It's kind of weird.)

Dinner is simmering away right now! It's "Arroz non pollo" from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson.


It's not a magic time-saving tool, because you still have to prep all the veggies. But it moves the prep time to either the morning (ha ha ha) or the night before. Instead of coming home from work, cleaning up, making food and then eating, the new schedule will be come home from work, eat, clean up, prep food.

monster cookies.

Last weekend I made these cookies. Unfortunately, I did not take pics and now there's only one left! The first batch was a little overcooked, but the second batch turned out well. I was happy to be able to use natural peanut butter in a cookie recipe - the last time I made peanut butter cookies using a conventional recipe, it was a disaster. Ms. Pattycake and I had a little discussion about it, and she uses a "just peanuts" type of peanut butter and thus encouraged me to try this recipe.

The cookies were good. I didn't love them... perhaps it was the honey... next time I'll use maple syrup for a sweeter cookie. And next time I'll take photos!

carrot cake cupcakes.

These are not very pretty, but they taste(d) good! (There's only one left.) Vegan carrot cake, baked into cupcakes with a basic margarine-icing sugar-vanilla icing. The margarine is unfortunately not vegan. I used spelt flour instead of all purpose, since I didn't have any all purpose flour, and they did not rise especially well. No matter, it makes a nice flat surface for the icing!

Naked

Dressed

I should consider taking a cake decorating course - my icing sucks. I tried to get fancy and make curly cues using the spreader, but that obviously didn't work. Ha! Perhaps I didn't use enough icing... I had to ration it since I made a smallish batch of icing. Other cupcakes that I've ogled online have a huge pile of artfully swirled icing. But man! That's sooooooo much sugar. But it looks so nice.

My cupcakes are for eatin', not for lookin' pretty.

knitting progress.

The ribs and lace tank is coming along, slowly but steadily. I find it hard on my hands to knit more than two rows at one time: small needles + cotton yarn = RSI. (yeah, I'm making excuses, so what?)

the awesomest cupcakes EVER!

From VeganYumYum, Knit Night Cupcakes.

knitting update.


I haven't been working on the ribs & lace tank very much, but I've made *some* progress over the past month. It might be ready by fall...

This is the last post for today. I've been making up for lost time!

sha-na-na-na, ba-na-na.


Yummy delicious banana bread and muffins. This is Pam's recipe, and we've been making at work with mixed results. Either the oven temperature is not right or there's too much liquid, but whatever the reason it's been sticking to the pan and falling apart or sinking in the middle. I tried it at home and it turned out perfectly. Then I made it at work using the full recipe for the bundt (no muffins) and it popped out of the bundt pan like nuthin'. I did a little dance in the kitchen because I was so happy. No lie!

It really tastes good, even after being frozen and defrosted. It seems like a lot of sugar (2 cups for the bundt, 1 cup if you make a 9x5 loaf) but doesn't taste sugary or overly sweet. Just sweet and delicious. I had a small piece today and had to go back for seconds!

camping poker.

I'm not a poker player, in fact I don't play cards at all (especially not Canasta ahem), but I've watched World Poker Tour on TV and liked it. While we were camping I had a quick lesson and lo and behold! I won the pot. (it paid for our campsite) Beginner's luck, baby.

The winning hand

The booty

camping food. edited

This is a yummy chili dog that I made while camping at Grundy Lake earlier this month. Vegetarian chili (thanks Michael!), veggie hot dog, grated cheese, and chopped onions and peppers on a poppy seed bun.

coming soon.

Updates coming tomorrow! And photos.