The Noro hat is done... and a new one is begun

Daughter and I wrapped it up this morning for her Kindergarten teacher.
We hope she loves it!



Here is the top view:

Sustainable Socks the Done Roving way!

I've been thinking about making some socks. It's a bit of a family joke actually, because my mother used to knit. HiHo once made a pair of socks for an old boyfriend in Stonington. He still has them, but we only learned about them when HiHo died - it was one of those stories that made us all laugh. Why did it make us laugh? Because HiHo only managed to make one sock for my father - Garro never got a full pair. I am thinking about making my first pair of socks, and mustering the courage to start such a feat, I realized that I might have to put down my Noro and move on. Noro does not seem to be washable. I was at the yarn warehouse in Bath called Halcyon on Friday. While searching for washable Noro yarn, I found that there is SOCK YARN! oh my... it's a whole new world out there when it comes to socks. I left with hands empty of sock yarn - but with one skein of bluesy Noro for the next Noro hat I will make. Anyway, after a long wonderful weekend of hockey tournaments, I wandered through Camden Maine and found a yarn store (cleverly hidden as a sweater store - almost tricked me). Low and behold, I found a new Maine yarn company that has some awesome yarns, including a sock yarn!!!!













SO I wanted to give a shout out to the new company I found!!! Done Roving Farms of Charlotte Maine - "Celebrating Rural Living and Folkart Tradition in Downeast Maine" They raise grass fed meats, "Our beef and lamb are grass fed eating only grasses, hay and supplemental minerals . We don't use growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics. All meats are processed at federal inspected butchers, packaged and labeled in this manner as well. We raise all our animals in the same manner while being committed to good pasture management practices to leave the smallest footprint behind on our land. "
I'm pretty excited to see they posted some Done Roving recipes but the best thing I found - A sock Pattern!!!
Looks like I am heading in a new directions, well I guess that will happen after a couple more Noro hats!

Want to make your own yogurt?

I do!
Someday...
I will...
from the milk of my goats.
Anyway...
This nifty article is quite timely!
I've been really into Greek Yogurt this winter.
From The New York Times:

The Minimalist By MARK BITTMAN

A Recipe Secret Wrapped in a Towel

"Producing yogurt cheese is quite simple. It takes a couple of hours, but your presence is required only for minutes. All you do is strain some of the water out of yogurt, until it reaches the thickness you want. For straining, I recommend a colander or coarse strainer lined with a clean cotton dish towel of fairly fine weave, what used to be called flour sack. (Many recipes suggest the use of cheesecloth, but you’d have to use about 10 layers for the same results.) Dump a quart (or whatever quantity you like) of yogurt in there, set the colander over a bowl in the refrigerator, twist or tie the top of the towel, and wait.

To speed the process, squeeze every now and then, or don’t bother. When the yogurt has reached the consistency of sour cream, twist and squeeze once more and scoop out the yogurt, which will have been reduced in volume by about half. (I suppose you could save and drink the yogurt-water, or cook with it, but I don’t.) Store the thickened yogurt in a covered container and use it within a week or so for best quality."

Nuts for Noro

I might need my head looked at.
Those 3 hats are all Noro - Daughter's on the bottom, mine in the middle, and the one in process I am making for daughters teacher. Seriously, tell me your favorite color and I will make you one.
It's a surprise every time. It's a magic show unfolding at your finger tips. LOVE MY NORO!
I'm coocoo for Cocoapuffs, I mean I am nutty for Noro.
Seriously, it's addictive. Take a look at how yummy this is.
ok - horrible blurry picture taken far too close to do this hat any justice, but I don't care - I'm in love... again....


























SP has some pretty tough competition in terms of getting my attention and making me weak in the knees...just one more row... now let me purl... purring as I knit... I'm one happy cat! :D

Great find at the market!

These were PERFECT for my St. Patty's Day meal! They made such yummy potato bundles!
(click on that for the original recipe, but know I am updating it next year for ease of use!)

Anyway... I found these potatoes at Hannaford's.

Sadly, I can't find any more information about them.

They were yummy! So go look for them while supplies last!

SIgns of Spring

I think I have spring fever.
It's not fair, as I should have spent the last few months engaging in all the winter recreations I so love. But the weather has not cooperated.
This morning I had the urge to walk Baby to preschool.
So close, and yet so far on a cold March morning.
I will have to take solace in the fact that I have spring blooming inside, while the outside remains brown, wet, and gloomy.
Soon enough... soon enough.

Finally getting Moo Milk out here!

The best part is my kids ask for it by name!

























Is there any chance you will start selling it by the gallon?

Mmmmm Cheese Iron!

I

was

so

lucky

this

past

week

end

as

I

got

CHEESE from the Cheese Iron.
In fact, I bought some aged Gouda named Beemster!
Pleased... so nice for my once-every-six-month-visit
my favorite store in Scarborough Maine!

Just some winter pics

I have been incredibly busy, between 3 kids, 2 classes, my brother and hockey. I haven't done much more than work work work (and search for MooMilk). I am feeling pretty overdone and tapped out - what spare time I have is spent TRYING to take care of me with a little exercise. I feel pretty out of touch with my blogging world, but hopefully soon I can find a balance in my busy life (read - hockey ends at the end of the month) and get back to the more important things to me.

I'd like you to think that we live in a winter wonderland - but really it's been a winter drought. So, in the hopes that you picture myself white a wonderful - here's a few pictures from when it recently was!
See
that
house?
It's
mine!
That's
how
far
from
the
road
we
are
and hence why we have nothing but dial up.















These are the snowshoe/cross country ski tracks we have going all around and about our house. And yes, that is Dear Daughter on her way home from the bus stop. Yes just like cable and high speed internet, the school bus also STOPS at the end of the road.
There's a large sled hill next to the house. But when I am home with the youngest and he wants to go sledding, it's really hard to be folding laundry or washing dishes AND being at the sled hill. So this year, my adoring husband came up with an EXCELLENT solution right outside the front door.
Why

didn't

we

think

of

this

sooner?









I call this a Boy Sandwich...




























Really, it took us 6 years to discover that we could sled in our own front yard!? Geesh!

White on White on White

I have an iPhone.
It's my only camera.
JUST in case ANY ONE notices that my pictures can be grainy when inside, or blurry at times, this is why.
I am working on resolving the camera issue. I promise but it will take some time.
Anyway, this was something I saw while on my snow shoe loop. The white snow, the white end goals, and steam rising up from the ice rink where Puck Stopper spends his life. I stopped and observed. It was a really neat moment in the approaching dusk.















Maybe my iPhone didn't do the moment justice.
Maybe my pictures insult your eyesight.
Maybe no one actually cares.
All I know is I love what I am doing and it makes me happy.

Thank you Howard Zinn!

Our nation lost an amazing teacher yesterday when Howard Zinn suffered a fatal heart attack. I drew this picture on July 17th, 2001 when I was fortunate enough to have Howard Zinn as a professor for the day during a graduate school practicum in Boston.

My whole morning has been hijacked by my need to reflect, opening my old journal - rereading, rediscovering, and finding a renewed sense of encouragement to be the change I want to see in this world.

In case you don't know who Zinn is, or only know about him through People's History of the United States, click here to go to an article where there are three different videos of him speaking.

I think I am pleased to make one discovery today - that Zinn just wrote an article called "Obama at One" in the February 1, 2010 edition of The Nation. In it Zinn says,
"I' ve been searching hard for a highlight. The only thing that comes close is some of Obama's rhetoric; I don't see any kind of a highlight in his actions and policies....

I think people are dazzled by Obama's rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president--which means, in our time, a dangerous president--unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction."

So thank you Mr. Zinn.

I think I will start pushing.

Really not pleased with Hannaford.

There is still no MooMilk at Hannafords.

Daughter was VERY disappointed on Saturday.
























Can't you tell?

The really annoying part is that ALL OVER the milk cooler are signs boasting how they buy locally! See... this was today's!
Well
why
not
buy
the
organic
milk
from
THIS
state?

Seriously?
How about all those local artisan cheese makers?
How about all those year round salad green farmers?
Watch out Hannaford because this crazy lady with an iPhone has her eyes on you!

My evening drain board.

Every school night (except for Friday or Sunday)

my drain board looks something like this:

Welcoming MooMilk - Maine's Own Organic Milk!

http://moomilkco.com/
Maine's own organic milk company, a dynamic adventure in the dairy industry is coming to Maine store shelves this weekend. So move back to CT Organic Cow, cionara Horizon , go back to the Organic Valley's of Vermont; here comes Maine's Own Organic Milk!!!

I think this venture calls for our families return to the organic milk market. A few years ago, I made the switch to hormone free Oakhurst in order to save money. Now Oakhurst is helping bring Maine organic milk to my local Hannaford.

MooMilk Story

"Press Release: MOOMilk arrives in Maine dairy cases this weekend Maine's Own Organic Milk -- MOOMilk -- will be available in grocery store dairy cases this weekend throughout Maine, and in selected stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Produced by 10 Maine family organic dairy farms in Washington, Aroostook, Penobscot and Kennebec Counties, the milk will be trucked by Schoppee Milk Transport of Holden to Smiling Hill Dairy in Westbrook for processing, then distributed by Oakhurst Dairy of Portland and Crown O' Maine Organic Co-op of Gardiner. That makes it the only organic milk available in Maine that is produced, trucked, processed and distributed exclusively by Maine family businesses."

I am pretty excited to know that it is distributed from an area less than an hour from my house.

"The milk will be trucked by Schoppee Milk Transport to Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, where it will be processed on an organic production line now being installed. It will be packaged in half-gallon paper cartons under the MOOMilkCo’s own label, which will include the use of Farm Bureau’s “Maine Produces” logo. The milk will be homogenized and pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, and sold in retail grocery stores in Maine and New Hampshire. It will be available in whole, two percent, one percent and skim. Cream, half&half, butter, yogurt, ice cream and other products may become part of the mix in the coming years. In the meantime, these byproducts will be organically certified and sold into the wholesale market."

Smiling Hill has some nice cheese! :D

Where's my pen?

Seriously... I just had it!





















Has anyone seen it?

Since when are pens fans of Hogwarts?

Maybe it's just trying to save Dumbledore!

Ouch!

I noticed this while washing dishes this morning!

Ow!!!
And it's not even where they put my IV in! It's where one of the vampires attacked me!

It snowed for a couple of days...

Yesterday afternoon I gave up on the snow ever stopping and went out with Shane to break the trails, again.

Someone

tell

him

not

to

leave

the

house

in

those

pants.


Or else just keep them in front of me...

as incentive.

OK let's not go there.

In other news, we did the back loop in about 40 minutes and was back in time to meet the school bus. The most exciting part was that as I walked her back to the house and she saw her dear Daddy snow shoeing off into the front field, dear Daughter exclaimed,

"Mom! Let's go get MY snowshoes!"

so we did.
You

would

not

believe

the

amazing

snowshoe

Goddess

that

emerged!




I was wowed. She took off in front of me, breaking track, completely unhindered by her cold ankles from lack of snow pants.
She was gleeful!
She was tough!
She was creative and full of fun!
She wants to do it every afternoon now.
As I drove her to school this morning, I asked her if she wanted me to bring pants and snowshoes to the bus stop today.
Daughter said, "No thanks Mom. I am going to sled first today. Then, after we eat, I want to see how it is to snowshoe at night. Snowshoe in the dark. Yea!"

You might wonder where she got that idea?
Yea well... there's an incredible new luge in our front yard.

Playmobil People get busy!

These people sure get around!




















that's one heck of a feast!

I spent a lot of time in these chairs...

it seems to have been my most comfortable place.
I ventured out today and left the chairs at home.
They've seen a lot of action this past weekend.






















G rated of course!























He's my puzzle piece!

Oh but then there's this guy....

Whiny

Wally

the

one

eyed

wonder.
He made last night just oh so much fun!

My bedside table

I had a little minor surgery on Friday and I spent a lot of time in bed this weekend.
My bedside table made me smile.
















Tulips from H2...
drugs for the pain...
the hottest photo of SP ever taken (our wedding night)
MiMa's bell (to call SP)
the aventurine heart from Erin for H2's birth,
KKs lamps,
a candle from Mush
a dragonfly
and my rock from grad school.

Smiles

I like to cook

and

this

is

my

favorite

kitchen

drawer.

My next Noro project...

will be a hat for me! :D




























I think I will use the same pattern I used for Daughter's hat!

My Noro project for H2

I made this hat, by special request, for my daughter on her 6th birthday. She is so proud of it she wears it inside, not outside, and refuses to sled in it!
























Did I mention how much I am in love with Noro?!

Peas for a Liliputian Army

My project for growing peas inside is working, however it appears to be something not quite sustainable to a human family! :)

Here is one of the Pea Plants growing on my window sill.























Here is another shot of the bounty it is providing! :D

The Squirrel Saga continues

I can't believe the squirrel saga continues.
3 have been exterminated.
We thought they were gone and we could close up the hole, but no... he/she/it/they came back. And so did my nightmares.
We tried glue traps.
We placed them all around the hole.
They worked.
Until the little bugger chewed his way out.
(I was likely listening in my sleep and had a nightmare).
Then there were the rat traps, but I don't think they like our bait.
I'm not sure is SP put up poison on his last trip up there.
I am not sure what he did but it involved a lot of banging.
I bet he squeezed shut the old dryer vent that the squirrels kept getting into in the middle of the night so that we woke up to screamingscratchingscootchingsquirrels in the wall by out heads.
(Did I mention the nightmares?)
Anyway, thanks to good old cousin Lukey we have a new weapon on our side.
I meant weapon when I said it.
Air powered bliss.



















Sigh... this better work.

I am a Turophile.

New Years Eve Supper - Fondue for 15 with cheese as a starter course.
























I know it's hard to believe, but my cholesterol is ideal in every way. Ah to be a fromagophile (aka turophile) with wonderful genetics. Don't hate me. :D

And what did I do with the left over Noro?

Something sustainable of course!!!!





















and something that has made several men declare, "That's adorable!"

Noro... my new love

Someone please stop me... this stuff is far from local.























It's not too expensive.

It's just so much fun.

It's a surprise every time.

I love Noro.

I can't stop knitting thanks to Noro.

Thanks Noro!

Welcome 2010

2010 is here and fortunately life on earth is still as grounded as it was when that movie came out. My apologies for a month long departure from blogging, but the holidays and feasting and wrapping and buying and cooking and canning and a few general health problems have kept me away.
I resolve to get back to the blogging world. Much thanks for patience during my absence. Once I get all my digital music files organized tonight, I will be able to get back to writing and sharing the mountain of finds I have for you (and I just might begin with an awesome Etsy seller!)

Happy New Year all!