This is for the lover in you . . .

The tea lover, that is . . . 

It's no secret that I love tea and my very favorite type of tea is chai.  Many tea companies (including my favorite company Not Just Tea) now make chai and you can pay a pretty penny for a box of twenty tea bags.  But really all traditional chai is is a spiced black tea.  

I've thought about making my own chai for a while not but never really got around to it.  Until today when my sister, who loves chai as well, called me to ask for the ingredients to make it at home since paying $5 a cup for it at Starbucks is not a good look.  So I googled and came up with this:  Awesome (and Economical) Chai concentrate.  Now, I have lots of black tea around here which I don't like to drink because it's pretty bland on it's own so I was excited to give this recipe a try.  

Awesome (And Economical) Chai Concentrate Recipe #34713
by rsarahl
1 day | 5 min prep

SERVES 30 -40, 14 oz concentrate

1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or grated nutmeg
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
strong black tea or herbal tea (regular or decaf)

1. Pour condensed milk and spices into the blender and blend on high speed for a few seconds until the milk looks evenly "flecked" with spices.
2. Pour mixture into a clean jar or container with a lid.
3. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
4. Alternatively, pour mix into ice cube trays and freeze.
5. To use concentrate: Brew a strong black tea or strong herbal tea of your choice.
6. Stir in 1 frozen concentrate cube or 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of chai concentrate mix per cup of freshly steeped tea.
7. Frozen cubes will keep up to one year in the freezer if you pop them out of the trays and store in a freezer bag.
8. Concentrate will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Okay, admittedly, I didn't wait 24 hours.  I just shook it up and put some in my tea.  (I used two tablespoons but I'll bet that by the time I let it sit for the recommended 24 hours, I won't need as much).  It was delicious!  It tastes *just like* some of the brands I've tried at a fraction of the cost.  And had I actually used condensed milk, I'm sure it would have been a little piece of creamy, wonderful tea heaven.  :D

Photo Credit:  "how about a heavenly cup of Chai this Sunday afternoon" by uteart on Flickr.com

A Hat for Z1

One key difference between making hats when crocheting versus knitting is the direction.  The vast majority of knitted hats are started from the brim and worked up to the crown.  Most crocheted hats, on the other hand, are worked from the crown down.  I prefer this top down construction for a number of reasons but most especially because you can control the size of the hat a lot more.  Also, if you're not sure if you have enough yarn to complete a project, it doesn't matter as much because you can stop wherever and have a finished hat. 

The vast majority of patterns for knit hats are bottom up.  A while back I found Karlchen, a pattern for a top down hat.  Well, it's not really a pattern but a schematic for making a top down hat.  I decided to give it a try to make a little quick hat for Z1.  I had this lovely red yarn lying around--the hubby lost the yarn label (this is what happens when a guy takes up crochet--he has no idea what's so important about the label) so I haven't a what it is but I have 2 balls of it.  It was wonderful to knit with--really lovely.  I used one ball for this hat.  

I did a very simple stitch alternating between 5-6 rows of stockinette and 5-6 rows of moss stitch (a sticth which I really like).  I had wanted to do some kind of cables but I had a very hard time figuring out how to do it.  I will admit that when it comes to designing in knitting, i.e. creating my own stuff without a pattern, I have a really difficult time.  This was one of those instances where my inability to design was frustrating and so I went with something basic and simple that wouldn't stress me out.  One thing that my knitting needs to be is relaxing. 

But I'm still itching to do some cables. 

And just like I refuse to knit sweater's flat (i.e. in pieces) I refuse to go back to knitting hats from the bottom up.  It just doesn't make sense to do it that way . . . well, at least not to me.  So since there are precious few hat patterns incorporating cables that are knit from the top down, I have to bite the bullet and learn at least rudimentary design in knitting or at least figure out how to convert some bottom-up patterns I like to top-down construction. Shouldn't be too hard, I hope. 

I think I hear Elizabeth Zimmerman calling but I don't want to answer!!

Oh, btw, Z1 loves the hat and is wearing it right now.  :D

My No-tomato Challenge

Z1 is totally anti-tomato.  If a dish even looks like it may have tomatoes, he's not touching it with a 10 foot pole.  As luck would have it, the majority of my dishes feature tomatoes!  So the challenge has been to cook things that he'll actually eat like split pea soup and honey baked lentils.  I needed to come up with one more tomato-free dish and was inspired by the same mama who showed me some sewing tips to make a curried pasta dish with chickpeas (which Z1 loved when he had it at her house--even asked for seconds).  So here's a quick breakdown of what I did today and it was really good.  I was quite proud of myself and Z1 willingly ate.  

Curried Noodles with Chickpeas

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic finely diced

1 tbsp ginger finely diced

1/2 cup light coconut milk (I get mine from Trader Joe's)

1 cup vegetable broth (I use one cup water + one cup veggie broth powder)

7.5 ozs. long pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

salt to taste

Boil pasta according to directions until al dente.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add the onion.  Saute for 2 minutes until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for one minute more.  Add the spices and stir until they kind of clump up.  Deglaze your pan with the coconut milk and the vegetable broth.  Add salt.  Continue to heat until sauce starts to bubble then add your chickpeas.  Cook for 5-7 minutes so that the chickpeas absorb some of the flavor.  Add the corn and the peas and cook till they are soft.  Then add your pasta and stir to coat it.  Taste.  Add more salt if needed.  

This dish took all of 20 minutes to make.  I had my cooked chickpeas ready (I cooked a huge pot a few weeks ago and froze them in 2 cup portions) and my coconut milk ready (I froze half of the milk from the last can I used).  Everything else was pretty handy already.  I love that it was so quick to put together and actually tasted . . . really good.  If it were a little more salty and maybe a little sweeter (more corn or a dash of sweetener), I'd say it was restaurant-esque.  :)  Sorry for no picture . . . I'm tired today. 

Did some sewing

So one of the mamas at the homeschool playgroup I started a few months ago sews and offered to show me a few things.  To say that this mama totally opened up the door for me to begin seriously sewing is an understatement.  I was reminded of something:  the tools of the trade make the trade possible.  Honestly. 

I've sewn before.  I made a mei-tai (ABC) for Z1 and hemmed some things and made pillows and all that but it has always been a laborious, super time consuming task.  Such an undertaking.  Such a struggle.  Why?  I didn't have the right tools! 

So this mama showed me some basic things I needed and I will be well on my way.  I found a kit with everything required on Amazon:  a cutting mat, rotary cutter and acrylic quilting ruler.  This eliminates cutting fabric with scissors and using chalk to get a straight line.  Also, she taught me about a magnetic seam guide which helps you keep your work straight when pushing it through the machine.  I'm sure seasoned sewers are like, "Well, duh!"  But really, it's like the novice crocheter not knowing that the key to crocheting is the tension . . . you can crochet without it but . . . it ain't pretty. 

Anyway, I turned out a pillowcase in two hours!  The kids were wide awake and I had to stop every so often and still!  Unbelievable!!

And would you believe as I'm writing this post . . . the same mama calls and offers me . . . a wheatgrass juicer and everything needed to grow wheatgrass since they are moving back to Ireland in a week or so and can't take it.  No more expensive shots from the health food store! 

Oh, let me be a blessing to someone the way she has been a blessing to me!

The sewing session also brought up some sad feelings for me.  My mother sews and crochets but never taught me--I taught/am teaching myself/learning as an adult (and grateful for my teachers who are coming to me so easily).  It was actually a little disconcerting the feelings that came up because I struggle with not being wanted/being a disappointment.  Maybe I will work up the courage one day to ask why she never taught me these things.

And while I'm on the topic of craftiness, the crochet class I proposed to a local college over a year ago is a go if I can get one more student in the class.  Keep your fingers crossed!  This is as close as I've ever gotten! 

Photo Credit:  "Sewing Kit" by mrjoro on Flickr.com

Eat.Pray.Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert . . . is one of those books you wish you never read just to have the pleasure of reading it for the first time over and over again.  It may actually change how you think and how you look at things.  Needless to say, I loved it!  The book was pretty long but well worth each and every page.  I don't toss around the word "gifted" all that easily but Gilbert is a rare gem.  I mean, her writing is captivating.  She's hilarious yet down to earth.  It's a wonderful balance a deep metaphorical truths and comedy.

The story is based all on her spiritual journey which translated into a physical journey.  For someone like me, who doesn't like to travel, all the traveling she does is mind-blowing but somehow reading this, I realized a dream of mine that I had long buried and that (surprise!!) involves traveling (albeit to one very specific place). 

It's wild that at the exact same time I was reading this book, the writer of one of the blogs I follow and love, quoted something from this very book.  I could hardly believe it.  But as I read on, I found myself actually pulling quotes from the book and writing them in my journal.  I mean, words to live by.  Gilbert is a seeker, like I am, so I felt a real kinship.  She knows a lot and takes a lot from different traditions (so it's not like the quotes she writes are generated by her).  Despite the varied sources of her wisdom, somehow everything comes together  for her at that end so cohesively and seamlessly that it's stunning.  She comes to different conclusions than I have (although, admittedly, I haven't come to any definitive conclusions) and makes different assumptions/holds different beliefs about God but her sincerity and strength of faith made me want to hear what she had to say, want to really understand the world through her eyes. 

I couldn't help but to notice (at times) the privilege that comes to Gilbert by virtue of being White, pretty and wealthy (she received a $200,000 advance for the book).  But she also seems to realize this, i.e. she seems self-reflective and seems totally aware of social dynamics and how she fit in (her privilege).  I couldn't fault her.

The single most powerful thing I pulled from the book?  Well, I know it's my mission in life to help people.  More specifically, to be a resource.  I often wonder how I will do that.  What I was reminded of in a powerful way is that the first step to doing that is to become fully happy, i.e. make sure santosha is fully established in my life.  When I "get out of the way," I free up the world just a bit which opens the door.  

I've been chanting nam-myoho-renge-kyo for over a year now.  After reading this book, my approach has been totally different.  It's all about mindfulness.  Single mindedness.  What was I doing before?  I've gone from struggling to do 5 minutes to feeling disappointed that I have to stop to attend to my babies or workout or go to work!   

And yoga?  I'm inspired to keep pushing, to keep deepening my practice.  It's worth it!

I almost didn't want to like this book.  Cliche and all that.  You know, Western fascination with all things Eastern and new age.  And Gilbert is very Western-minded and approaches her world from a Western vantage point.  And, I will willingly admit, it is very self-absorbed but I kind of think that was the point.  It's like my blog . . . you really should expect it to be focused on me.   But . .  . It is a really great book (which reads more like a really long article in that there's no serious "I'm writing a novel" undertone").   I'm keeping a serious eye out for a copy at the thrift store although eventually, I'll probably buy it. 

Two FOs: Old Shale Scarf and Monkey Socks (Finally)

Old Shale Scarf (Ravelry Link)

 

  

  

This was a wonderful knit.  The pattern was so easy that I memorized it in minutes yet the results were beautiful.  I started February 3 and finished February 26 which means it took me less than a month to complete which is an achievement! I used Knit Picks Gloss Sock Yarn, which is a merino wool/silk blend, in the Dolphin colorway.  It took two skeins although I could have stopped whenever I wanted to.  I hope the recipient loves it as much as I loved making it.

Monkey Socks (Ravelry Link)

 

 

 

  

  

  

I'm trying very hard not too be too critical of the job I did on these socks.  After all, this is my first attempt at sock knitting.  Perhaps I should have selected a more straightforward sock to work on as my first but that's neither here nor there.  I do know that from here on out, it's my destiny to knit simple socks.  It was just a nervewracking experience especially since I was using 8" double pointed needles instead of 6" or 4" sock needles.  It was awkward to knit these--the needles were too long and I felt the yarn was too fine for even US 2/2.75mm needles.  Anyway, these socks took me a very long time to complete:  I started February 18, 2009, and finished yesterday--over a year to complete.  But, I'm happy to say, they are finally, FINALLY, done!!  Wahoo!!  These socks are incredibly warm.  I used Regia Silk with is a wool/silk blend.  I purchased 4 skeins but I only used up 3.  The colorway is 181 and I love the mix of colors.  Reminds me of the beach.  Which is great because it's cold as anything these days and I would give anything to be on a beach right now!

So there it is:  not one but two completed projects!  I'm not sure what to knit next but I think I want to do another hat.  I'm also thinking of frogging my Sideways Grand Cloche to use the yarn for something else.  It's just too big on my head and, frankly, I think I look silly in it!

I did realize one important thing while finishing up these two projects:  I am not a stash knitter/crocheter.  I have a whole bunch of odds and ends yarn in my yarn bin that I've collected at thrift stores, yard sales or that folks have just given to me.  Apparently, I'm not creative enough to figure out what to do with it.  It just sits there and collects dust setting off my allergies something awful when I'm looking through it trying to find inspiration for another project or trying to find something that would work for a pattern I like.  I realize that the way I like to go about things is to find the pattern I like and then find a yarn that I can work with (that usually means quality yarn that's still affordable which means I buy from KnitPicks a whole lot).  Of course, there will sometimes be leftovers from projects which I don't mind but I am not the kind of crafter who buys yarn in hopes of finding a project for it.  Nope, the project is what dictates the  yarn.  I hope I remember that!

Piercings, Part Deux

After I posted yesterday about wanting more piercings, I realized that like everything else, piercing has been a real journey in my life.  

Growing up, my parents were more strict Christians.  Many things in the Bible they interpreted literally, including the way women should dress and be.  As such, my mom never wore make-up or jewelry of any kind and only wore skirts so we, the girl children did the same.  That meant no nail polish or necklaces or earrings.  That's why we never had our ears pierced. and even though my mom's ears were pierced, she did not wear earrings.   Really, these things led to me feeling more different than I already was (as a first generation Nigerian-American).  I really felt deprived and couldn't wait to do all the things forbidden to me.  

I was still living at home when I got my first piercings at 18.  I went through great lengths to keep it a secret.  When they finally found out and blew up about it, I breathed a sigh of relief.   It gave me permission to keep going.  As they've gotten older, though, my parents have relaxed a bit in their views and my mom will wear jewelry and makeup in moderation.  She still only wears skirts.  And they are still not cool with the fact that my baby brother has both his ears pierced.  And I'm pretty sure they'd freak out if they knew my sister has a tattoo and my I am planning on more piercings.

I couldn't help but notice the irony that my spiritual journey took me into a trodition (tradition) where for a woman, there was a standard about how she should look.  In RastafarI, women generally keep their heads covered outside the gates (home) and especially at Nyabinghi Ises (worship service).  They wear long skirts or dresses and most avoid wearing pants or will wear pants underneath a skirt (which is what I would do during the winter months).  Most sistren also avoid makeup and are minimalistic on the jewelry or won't wear jewelry at all.  The point is to be beautiful just the way the Creator made you, to avoid vanity and to focus on the things in life that really matter such as living purely and  righteously.  There is also an emphasis on avoiding unnatural things that can be found in most makeup (including animal product and chemicals).  Of course, since RastafarI is a way of life and not a written-in-stone religion, there's lots of variation amongst Rasta people about the rules and the way they are interpreted.

In the Nyabinghi Guidelines (which I couldn't find online), it clearly states that piercing ears is unacceptable and goes against the will of Jah.  Since the house I trodded with was Nyabinghi, this was a source of conflict for me since my piercings are so important to me.  I really love them.  I tried for a while to go without earrings but it felt . . . wrong.  Like I was forcing myself into a box.  Still I worried what ones and ones who noticed my earrings would think and say.  I sometimes covered my ears with my headwrap. Finally, I just let it go.  If someone thought I wasn't true in my trod because I had my tragus pierced, whose problem was that?  Certainly not mine.  

I remember going back to Nigeria for my grandfather's funeral a few years ago.  Everyone up until then had been kind of horrified that I had so many piercings (some in strange locations).  My grandmother just kind of looked at them and looked at me and kept it moving.  Didn't even phase her.  I thought that was telling:  how easily she was able to discern what is really important.  

So at this point, I'm quite comfortable with my piercings.  Every so often I read somebody's blog or an article about how more natural, in-tune, spiritual people shouldn't pierce (or tattoo for that matter.). But I remind myself that it's my body and that it feels good to me--I like this way of decorating my temple-- and that the Creator is within in me too . . . so if I'm in tune and listening, I'll know what I should stay away from and what I should embrace, thank you very much.  

Photo Credit:  "god bless me;" by m o d e on Flickr.com

Itching for some more piercings

I really love piercings.  I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I was not allowed to pierce my ears as a child.  I recognize that but nonetheless.  

When I hit 18, the age of consent, I immediately got my ear lobes pierced.   Then I got another piercing in the cartilage at the top of my right ear.  Then another in my tragus.  Then I got another piercing in each one of my lobes.  If I didn't have allergies, I would have gotten my nose pierced.  (Boy, can you imagine sneezing 33 times in a row and wiping your nose and blowing and all that allergy bull-excrement with a nose piercing?  Not pretty!)

But I don't feel done yet!  Recently I've been feeling the itch to get more!  I definitely want a piercing in my right ear rook.  And another piercing in each one of my earlobes.  (Here's a guide to ear piercing.)  So that's three more piercings.  I've mainly had my other piercings done with a gun but this time, I'm going to go get them done with a needle professionally so I need to save up the money. I'm going to get them all done at the same time.  Probably soon.

I thought by now I'd be thinking about tattoos but honestly, they don't appeal to me much.  I don't know why.  I love to see them on others but the process of getting them on myself is the deal-breaker. But if I did get one, it would be a lotus flower on my ankle and/or probably some kind of artwork in tribute to my babies.

Hell's Kitchen

I recently started watching Season 10 of Hell's Kitchen on Hulu.  I actually love watching cooking shows and competitions and, I'm a little ashamed to admit, I really like this show.  Why am I ashamed?  Well, because it's crass.  

The basic premise of this reality show is that a group of chefs compete to become the head chef at an exclusive restaurant.  This season, it's the Borgata.  They go through grueling tests of their cooking skills and endurance.

Except most of the time the real test is how much bullshit they can take from Chef Gordon Ramsey.  

(The hubby and I laugh because our joke is that if you want to add legitimacy/an air of seriousness to any reality tv show, all you have to do is add a Brit!  The accents are killer and Ramsey's is no exception.) 

Anyway, Chef Ramsey spends most of his time hollering at the contestants.  I mean, really hollering.  He screams constantly and hurls insults every 15 seconds.  He calls folks all kinds of names like "Fat Cow" and "Stupid Bitch" literally in their face while spitting and frothing at the mouth.   And the contestants just have to take it.  

What's even more hilarious (and ridiculous) to me is that he's doing all this while the chefs are trying to cook.   Of course, this frazzles the chefs and makes them lose focus.  Then he yells some more at them for being frazzled and losing focus.  Often he asks, "What are you doing?" And the chefs respond, "I don't know Chef!"  Which sends him kicking and screaming and spitting and telling them to "Piss off".   Most of the chefs are novices--far from professionals.  But even the most professional and experienced chefs probably wouldn't be able to perform with this dude yelling constantly at them in this extremely distracting and disconcerting way.  But what's very interesting is that many of the contestants say that they are learning a lot on the show and I'm curious as to what they possibly could be learning while constantly being yelled at and insulted.  Ramsey doesn't seem to teach anything to them (except maybe once or twice) and basically spends most of the time telling them how awful they're doing or complaining about how they are trying to make him look "styoopid".  I mean, he's rude for the sake of being rude and that is probably what pulls in the ratings.  People like to see him just acting totally inappropriately. 

Still, I like the show.  I like how the chefs handle having to work on teams but knowing that there will only be one winner.  I love trying to figure out who Ramsey will kick off the show.  I like the tenacity of the chefs.  I love the creativity of the dishes (when they are allowed to make their own dishes).  I like the drive I see.  I love the cooking. 

There's a look-alike show that comes on NBC I think.  The host is supposed to be a kinder, gentler sort of fellow (complete with a British accent).  Maybe I'll see how that one goes. 

Unlikely Expressions of Self-Love II

As mothers of young children, it's often easy for us to relegate ourselves to last on the list.  We realize that our children need us for every little thing and it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time.  It doesn't matter if we are stay-at-home mothers or work-out-of-home mothers, the time we have to focus on ourselves is limited.  

I find it encouraging to do little things that don't take much time that express to myself that I love myself.  I wrote about one unlikely expression of self-love a few months ago.  Recently, I've incorporated another unlikely expression of self-love.

Pre-kids, I used to spend at least an hour a week giving myself a pedicure.  This included soaking my feet, scraping off old skin,  massaging and moisturizing and painting my toenails.  Having good-looking feet was (and is) a high priority to me.  But, as much as I'd love to do that now, it's just not possible.   So recently, I've been taking one minute while in the shower to take care of my feet.  All I do is take a pumice stone to each foot for 30 seconds each.  I do it towards the end of my shower so that my feet are very wet.   Once I come out of the shower, I just apply shea butter/moisturizing lotion and I'm good to go.  It's very simple and over the course of a few days, it has left my feet supremely soft.  Here are some detailed instructions on how to do it properly. 

Sometimes I feel like I need to hurry out of the shower.  I have to cook breakfast.  There are diapers to wash.  Laundry to fold.  Programs we need to get to.  Groceries to be bought.  And the list goes o n and on.  But I have made a habit of talking with myself (not out loud--I haven't cracked up to that extent yet) and ask myself, "Can't you give yourself one minute?"  The answer is always yes.

And I'm sure I didn't spend more than $2.00 for my pumice stone (which is just like the one pictured) at the local beauty store (not $14 like the one I linked to).  

Having soft, touchable feet can be achieved cheaply--both in terms of time and in terms of money.  A wonderful expression of self-love indeed.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie: A Review

Well, I renewed this book with the specific purpose of having it on hand while I wrote this review.  It was due yesterday but I didn't get a chance to return it so it will incur late fines.  This, at least, motivates me to get this review done.  

I honestly wish I could write as in-depth a review as I would like but the life of a mom with two kids dictates otherwise.  Instead of calling this an official book review, I will just write about how I felt about the book.

If you know me, you know I just *loved* Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun.  Now, I have always realized that I am biased in my love for the work because I am Igbo, my father fought in the Biafran War and my mother lived through it.    Her book served as a segue into a discussion with my parents about the war.  For some reason, we really do not talk about their history in Nigeria much.  I sometimes feel as if life started over from scratch for them when they immigrated to the U.S.  Or, more accurately, that life started for them when it started for me--that's how history starved I am.  So Half of a Yellow Sun became a great opportunity to learn about my family's history, the history of Igbo people and the history of Nigeria.  Some of it was painful to hear indeed but some of it was fascinating.  Aside from that, it was just a riveting read.  Adichie, in my opinion, is a gifted writer.  It's an opinion that Chinua Achebe shares as well so that's saying something.

I've also read Purple Hibiscus, her freshman novel, which though not as captivating as Half of a Yellow Sun, was beautifully written and established Adichie as one of my favorite authors.

The Thing Around Your Neck is a collection of short stories which is one of my favorite styles of writing: literary instant gratification is right up my alley.  Right off the bat I will say that I think Adichie is more of a novelist than a short story writer but that is not to detract from her.  The stories in this book are very interesting to read and written in her characteristically charming style.  The plots have as protagonists Nigerian men and women--some in Nigeria and some newly immigrated to the U.S. and some who've been living here for ages, some born here.  I mean, the variety of the stories is stunning.  There's no two ways about it:  Adichie is a creative mind and force to be reckoned with.  I was held by every story and thoroughly savored reading each one.  If forced to pick my favorite story, I'd have to go with "Tomorrow is Too Far" which is about a girl who accidentally causes the death of her brother--a brother who was the favorite child, who elicited laughter from their mother in a way she never could, who was pleasing to everyone.  She (and her cousin) carry the truth of her brother's death.  A runner-up would be "The Shivering" where we catch a glimpse of something very taboo in Nigerian society: homosexuality.  This theme also comes up in "On Monday Last Week".  I was excited to see the topic being handled although since these are short stories, the topic was just broached.  "Ghosts" was also a really interesting read. 

I discovered that two of the other stories in the book I had read before in the New Yorker  Magazine  (and re-read again while reading the book).  The first is "The Headstrong Historian" and the other one is "Cell One".  These were enjoyable as well (worth re-reading) but not the best stories in the book, in my opinion.

Long and short, The Thing Around Your Neck was a fantastic read and highly recommended. 

Whipped Deodorant Butter

I've been using my homemade deodorant butter for over a year now and I love it.  Usually to make it I melt down the shea butter and mix in the other ingredients then let it harden in the fridge.  This works okay but usually the ingredients are not evenly distributed throughout the butter and it's hard.  The last time I made it, I decided that I would use a different method:  my stand mixer.  I got the idea when I was researching curly hair pudding.  [I (briefly--very briefly) thought about growing out my hair. ] So to make the stuff (and I was quadrupling the recipe), I dumped in softened shea butter and started the mixer up (using the whisk attachment).  I then added in all the rest of the ingredients one by one--just as if I were making frosting for a cake.  I let the machine run on high for about 5 minutes and the result was the fluffiest deodorant butter ever.  Everything was evenly distributed and it was light as air.  The clean up was a little intense and required lots of soap and hot water but the product was well worth it.

I wish I had a good picture to show you but I don't.  But here's a site that shows exactly what it looked like.  I'm so pleased with stuff!!

No Exercise Today

The boys have been sick with a cough and runny nose/sneezing and I kind of knew it was only a matter of time before I came down with it. I went to sleep last night feeling a little bit funny in my chest but thought I might be okay this morning. I really wanted to get a strong start to my workout week since last week I was kind of slacking (due to the start of my moon cycle). I popped in Jillian Michael's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism even though I was coughing quite a lot this morning and I had that feeling in my chest (like something was stuck). My breathing was (and is) wheezy too but I thought working out would maybe help to break stuff up. I was mistaken. I could hardly breathe while trying to do the workout and I kept having flashbacks of my recent bout with bronchitis. I pushed for a bit . . . but only made it through one and a half circuits before I called it a day and sat my behind down.

Okay, I admit that my chest really does hurt because of the cough and this tight sports bra is not helping in the least and maybe I should have never even started to workout today. (((Sigh))) So much for my plan to kick it into high gear. I'm disappointed and wondering what this means for the rest of the week.

I really do prefer head colds.

P.S.  Turns out that using all but 10 of my 35 weekly Weight Watchers points and not consistently exercising last week translates into three pounds of weight gain.  Great. 

I-Cord

An i-cord, which is basically a knitted tube with a tiny diameter, can have all kinds of uses. Mainly, I use i-cords as drawstrings. I've always really disliked making i-cords because I've always had to do them using my 8" double pointed needles. Working on only 3 or 4 stitches on a 8" needle is quite awkward. As such, I avoid making i-cords and generally crochet a string. As a person who has no qualms about mixing knitting and crochet, this has always been a fine solution.

I'd heard, though, about French knitting (or spool knitting) a while back and never really looked into it. But when I (finally) visited the new Michael's that opened up five minutes from my house, I decided to pick one up. It took a little while to get the hang of it but once I figured out what was going on, the work flew! Whereas i-cords used to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r., I was able to churn out one of considerable length in 20 minutes. Not bad at all. Another nice thing I learned while figuring out how to use it is that that there are all kinds of neat projects made using I-cords. Just google French Knitting! It's amazing.

The added bonus is that it's kid-friendly so as Z1 gets a little bit older, I can probably teach him to use it.

Photo Credits:
"iPod cozy prototype I-cord" by lasuprema on Flickr.com
"Handcrafted oak leaf with acorn knitting spool" on Grizzly Mountain Arts

Hysteria

I know I'm not the only one that gets a little annoyed at all the hysteria surrounding impending snowstorms. The news gets everybody so incredibly hyped up--as if we all just moved here from Nigeria yesterday. It's the northeast, folks. We get snow! It's pretty much a guarantee. It may snow a lot. It may snow a little. Either way, we could keep it moving, pretty safely and smoothly at that, if these news people would just stop playing on peoples fears and emotions. If it's an issue of preparation, we live in the northeast. One of our hazards is blizzards. Snow should not be a surprise. As such, everyone should have some kind of preparation for a blizzard in the event that our movement is severely impeded. Enough food to keep you for a few days, at the very least. I mean, be prepared so you don't have to scramble around getting prepared. That's stressful. That causes hysteria. And it's never a good look.

Personally, I'm done with the snow and hope this is the last major snowstorm for the season. It's a great day for lots of tea and hot chocolate and some wonderfully warm baked something.

Photo Credit: "Mendon Ponds in a Blizzard" by Dalboz17 on Flickr.com