Goulash and Paprikash recipes

I've been working hard on the book, and now I think it needs to rest a day.
So this morning I put together a crock pot of Hungarian Goulash off the back of a package of Kluski noodles.
VERY simple, and not a tomato in sight. Important since my citric acid allergy is in full swing.
Our family made "Hungarian Goulash" by frying out hamburger and onion, and sometimes peppers, then adding tomato sauce and elbow macaroni. It was tasty, no doubt, but didn't resemble the recipe I found on the Kluski.
For this recipe, I fried out lots of thinly sliced onion. The recipe said to cook until translucent, but I love the taste of caramelized onions so I let them get a bit golden brown.
The recipe said to add 1 inch chunks of a 1.5 pound beef roast to the pot, but I decided to brown that out, too. Instead of using beef broth (the broth we have on hand has tomato in it) I just used some water to get the fond off the pan after browning the beef. Our beef roast was over three pounds, so I am doubling the recipe.

We had Hungarian paprika on hand, (spicier than the standard Spanish paprika, more readily available here in America) so I added a bit more than two tablespoons to the pot, along with a little salt and a lot of black pepper.

That was it for the recipe: Onion, Beef, Paprika, Water and Broth, but in place of some of the 4 cups of liquid (minus 1 cup for deglazing the pan) I used a cup of chicken broth left in the fridge, about a half cup of leftover spiced wine, and a little bit of the beef bouillon Oscar bought, mixed with water. I'll put it over the kluski noodles, of course, but I think it would taste fine over rice, too.
I think this will make lots and lots of meals in the freezer. (We freeze individual portions, for Oscar to take to work, and for me to have at home)
Edited to add: I added about 3 TBS of brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, because I like it tangy. Woudl also have been delicious with orange juice added.

I know my description doesn't make for easy cooking, so I've linked to a similar recipe I found online.
HUNGARIAN GOULASH
I think I'll try a recipe for Chicken Paprikash in a few months (after the Hungarian Goulash is gone). Here's a ink to that, as well: CHICKEN PAPRIKASH although I think I'll forgo the fudgcicle, and we'll leave out the sour cream.
(image at top is another photo Oscar took while in Florida. The orange of the hibisicis reminds of the the goulash :-}

Full Stop: Writing a book

I am writing a book. After my weekend at Convocation, it's sitting up and begging to be written.
I shifted focus from fiction to non-fiction, and this subject grabbed on with all hands and is tugging at me, wanting to be born.
I have been working on it about 4 days now and have the chapter headings, the rough draft of the preface, and a needed survey set out.
Today is a day for letting it cook on the back burner, so I will spend it doing household stuff and knitting.
I'm diving back in tomorrow, and sketching out the chapters more thoroughly, outlining the research needed.
One goal is to have the survey all ready to send out by Monday, and to begin fleshing out chapter one by Tuesday.

It feels great to have this fire in my belly again.

Progress on Warm Woolie KAL sweater

When the knit along is finished, Christiane plans to put this together as a free PDF pattern for use with Warm Woolies knitting.
I am loving it so far!.

I plan to make two sweaters at once, to give me color variety :-}

Wonderful, marvelous, magical

The new chair came into its own this past weekend.
And it helped me rediscover myself, as well.
I have been a hermit, increasingly cut off over the past 5 years.
This weekend, with my trusty steed, I whizzed around, made easily a dozen new friends, and spent major quality time with old friends.
Oscar was able to go do his thing, I went and did MY thing (it has been YEARS since I could do anything on my own. YEARS!!!!) and then we had just as much fun when we met afterward and shared our adventures.
So much happened. I will write about it over the next little while, but first to get through today and tomorrow.
Today I will be spending with Miralax, tomorrow under anesthesia for the procedure, then recovery.
But the effort of getting to Convocation was so worth it.
My life has changed again.
Blessed be :-}

P.S. My friend loved her shawl :-}

Tulips and Cat Bed

Oscar bought tulips for both of us, for Valentine's day. They are really cheering up the living room :-}

On another note, I was attempting to make a nice crocheted bag for holding yarn (designed by Lisa Gentry).
As sometimes happens when I try following a pattern, my hands went on and did their own thing. I think Buddha was subliminally urging me on to make a cat bed instead. I will make the yarn bag, it is a perfectly fine pattern. I'll just wait until there are no cats in the room.

Big Foot Autumn Shawl for Jill

At last, I finished, and it was done blocking on the perfect photo-op day :-} (Pattern by Alison Jeppson-Hyde) Edited to Add: The book it's from 'Wrapped In Comfort' is on sale right now at Knit Picks (follow the link on the book name above)knit

Distracted

Warning: the following may be considered TMI:
I had an attempted colonoscopy done in December. The sedative didn't work at all and in fact only eroded my own pain control abilities, so the inordinate (in my case) discomfort of the procedure caused me to, uh, vocalize.
My added discomfort was likely because previous surgeries have left some fairly serious adhesions. To compound my difficulties, the pre-procedure preparation included Gatorade, which has high levels of vitamin C and citric acid. I have since learned any amount of citric acid and moderate amounts of vitamin C give me severe colitis up to and including the shedding of the intestinal lining. Youch.

Avoiding Vitamin C as much as possible, and citric acid completely has gotten rid of most of the colitis symptoms, but other abdominal pain lingered. My doctor asked that I get a colonoscopy, under general anesthesia, as soon as possible.
Since my family has a history of polyps, I agree it's a good idea. The general anesthesia has me a little worried, as I tend to stop breathing, and not rouse when they expect me to. Still, there will be highly trained professionals there to help me get started breathing again, should it happen this time.
I did some research to see if altering my diet, above the "no nuts, seeds or salads three days before" and "liquid diet day before" rules could make that last (purgative) day before the colonoscopy easier, and I found a good resource at Johns Hopkins.
"Colonoscopy Tip 1: Get a head start. Consider lightening up on your food intake two days before the test, avoiding hard-to-digest items such as meat, eggs, nuts, and leafy greens. Instead, eat lots of fiber in the form of vegetables and fruits, or start the liquid diet early, so there will be less to purge. "
I decided cheese was right there in the hard to digest arena, so I am going mostly vegan (no meat, cheese, eggs) as of yesterday. I will still have beef and chicken broth, just no solid meat. I will eat brown rice, tempeh, tofu, apples, and steamed green beans, and lots of other lovely veggies.
I will also start the liquid diet a day and a half before the procedure, instead of one day.

The earliest available appointment is a week from today, the day after Convocation. Yah. The weekend will still be fun, but NOT what I had planned. No solid food from say, Saturday afternoon on.
And I will be going home early on Sunday to drink my gallon of GoLytely (hah, talk about a misnomer).

Dollhouse

I wouldn't have thought of myself as a craft snob.
People should do whatever brings them joy, right?
Just because I adore wool (and other natural fibers) and acrylic literally makes me break out doesn't mean someone else shouldn't use it.
For those of you who are non-crocheters/knitters/fiber folk, there have been heated discussions on acrylic (which some call the anti-yarn, with the same tone as anti-Christ) vs. natural fibers.
If I had been asked, I would have said there is plenty of room for any kind of craft from gluing beer caps to particle board to carving wood into art. (And don't get a 'true artist' started on the craft vs. art debate.)
Live and let live is what I would have said. There can be art or craft found in anything that satisfies the urge to create inside someone.
But I must have had some snooty preconceptions somewhere. I don't have any other way to explain my surprise and amazement when Oscar told me the blue-ribbon-winning dollhouse he saw at the Florida State Fair was made from plastic canvas.
It upset my hidden prejudice of plastic canvas being reserved for toilet paper covers and other fairly useless and not very pretty items. I didn't realize I had a sneer in me for any craft, and I am ashamed of it.
This is an amazing creation. The detail work in each room (do you see the wee chest in the attic? the grandfather clock in the hallway? the runner on the stairs? the towels in the kitchen? the pillow on the couch?) is cunning, charming and delightful.
I don't know who made it, but you can see the care they took with every stitch, and I fell more in love with it the longer I looked.

Dancing Girls

One of the gifts Oscar brought back to me from Florida was a camera filled with images for me to play with. I'll be sprinkling a few of them here over the next while, as I work my way through them.
Today, I want to share photos of two hibiscus. I don't know how he did it, but they look as though they are dancing.

Online Knitting Game

For some reason, I had a sudden yen to search for online knitting games.
I found one!

SUE KNITTING

The instructions are in an Asian language (maybe Korean?) but here is how to play:
When the game loads (you will need Java) click on the pink ball with writing on it in the lower left corner.
The idea is to recreate the knitted object. It will be in pink and red. The pink that is at about 2:00 in the box to the right side of the screen. The darker color will be red, the ball that is in the lower left corner of the box. (see image below)
First, click on the color of the stitch you will be making, for the entire first row it will be pink.
Then use your arrow keys to move the stitches across from left to right. The stitch will jump up to the next row with one extra click when you finish the first row.
The second row is in red, so click the red ball of yarn, then use your arrow keys to move the stitches from right to left. If you make a mistake, your stitch is replaced by an error symbol (see images below)
It is more difficult than you may think to complete the knitting in time.

If you like other needle arts, I also found this needlepoint game on a UK site. Nice if you like Hello Kitty.

Warm Woolies Mystery Sweater Knit A Long

If you are on Ravelry, there's a fun mystery Knit A Long heating up.
It's for a sweater sized for a child or teen, for donation to Warm Woolies.
A mystery knit a long (also written as KAL) is fun because you discover what you are knitting as you go.
You are given the basic requirements:
Yarn amount and gauge, needle size, what type of yarn would work best.
(for this one, Aran weight in a medium (not too light or dark) solid color, 800 yards for a child's sweater or 950 for a teen's sweater)
Then next, you are given the first part of the pattern.
At regular intervals, the guide for the mystery KAL sends out the next parts of the pattern, until we are finished.
It is neat to have us all working on the same thing, because if someone runs into difficulties or questions, there are lots of us to ask, and to offer tips.

Mostly when I knit, I work on my own thing, often veering off from whatever pattern I'm given, but it's fun sometimes to shake things up and actually follow the rules, once in a very great while :-} So I'm looking forward to this.

If you are interested, there is still time to sign up before the end date on Friday.
Just go HERE

Every Day Love

As I sit here tonight with the window open, I can hear sirens not too far away. It struck me that a decade ago, when I was with my first husband, my thoughts would have leapt to wondering if they were rushing toward an accident he caused, or a disturbance he was creating while getting drunk, and then the anxiety attacks would begin. All from the sound of a siren unconnected to me.

Tonight, as I heard the siren, my thoughts were instead ones of hoping the cops arrived wherever they were going in time, and that not too much sorrow would come of the incident.

And it struck me yet again how very lucky I am, and how much I treasure my Oscar.

This Friday we will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a hot tub in the early afternoon, with the sun shining down, and lots of splashing around. :-}
Saturday I will make him some Hasenpfeffer. I think I'll call it Bunny Love Stew :-}

And I'll be certain he knows how much I love him, and that I know how lucky I am he loves me too.

Warm Woolies New Contest!

-Last year Warm Woolies had a terrific idea, have knitters send in specified numbers of specified items, and they win a prize. They had a goal of 7,000 items, and received more than 10,000!!!
-This year's contest is similar, but with different items, and differing amounts.

Here are the details:

• We had so much fun with last year’s project we decided to do another! This year we’re focusing on larger sizes for kids ages 10 through 16 -- “10 for 10 by 2010”
• The 10 for 10 by 2010 contest will run from January 1, 2009 through November 30, 2009, and will include pieces received during that time.
• Every knitter who submits 10 qualifying pieces during the contest period will win a prize. One prize per person, please.
• For purposes of this contest, qualifying pieces include: sweaters and pairs of socks that would fit a child ten years old or older.
• Of the 10 pieces, at least 3 need to be sweaters. Please use this chart for sweater sizes: http://www.yarnstandards.com/childsize.html. Remember, sweaters need to provide full coverage and closure. Socks need to measure at least 10” from the back of the heel to the tip of the toe. (edited to add: and 10 inches from the bottom (sole) of the heel to the top of the cuff, per the Warm Woolies Ravelry group. O. W.)
  
• Select your own patterns, just follow the "Guidelines for Knitters"and read over the "Quality Control Information".
• Some free sweater patterns and sock patterns to consider are posted on the Free Pattern Page.
• Prizes will consist of brand new knitting supplies such as needles, yarn, books, patterns, and accessories. The approximate retail value of each prize will be $100. Warm Woolies will select prizes at its sole discretion and will mail prizes to winners.
• You must have a U.S. mailing address to participate.
• Good luck and have fun!

Mail finished pieces to
Warm Woolies
5572 E. Mansfield Ave.
Denver, CO 80237

GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Won't you join me? Even if you aren't interested in the contest, whatever you knit will be put to very good use.
If you don't knit, they would be very glad of even a small donation to help with the cost of shipping these items where they are most needed.
MORE INFO ON HOW TO HELP

Good Day, Sun Shine!

It's 40 degrees farenheit out there!
The sun is shining as hard as it can!
After the negative numbers we had a few weeks ago, this feels fantastic!
I have my favorite lap quilt to keep my legs warm, and the window wide open letting in all the fresh air.
I know we will likely have some more snowy cold before Spring settles in, but there's no harm in celebrating early!
Buddha sat in the window with her nose to the wind, sniffing so hard I could see her sies vibrating from across the room :-}

Lovely Day

Leo stopped by, he's a dear old friend, and we had a few hours of great conversation.
Oscar is in Florida, petting a Highland Cow at the time I called, and soaking up warm (77 degree F) sunshine.

The sun is shining here, too, Spring is only a bit more than a month away.

I'm watching more TV, and knitting at that shawl.

Good day.

The world would be a better place...

Yesterday I discovered Hulu, a neat place to watch lots of old and new tv shows and movies online.
They also have the tools to excerpt clips for sharing on blogs.

Today when indulging myself in a Nanny and the Professor marathon, I found a terrific knitting clip.




Enjoy!

Working on a Shawl

I'm working on a pretty big project, with a due date.
Last year at Convocation I ran into some old friends, from years and years ago.
They are all special to me, but Jill perhaps a bit more special.
She will be at Convocation again this year, and I want to give her this shawl.
The designer is Alison Jeppson-Hyde, and if you've read her book, you know she is all about giving tangible evidence of love and caring. It seemed appropriate to choose one of her patterns for this tangible, portable hug I want to give Jill.
The pattern is called Big Foot, it's a variation of a Shetland pattern called Old Shale, or Feather and Fan. The yarn is two colorways of Jojoland Melody, Autumn with a bit of green and purple.
It takes me about 20 minutes to complete a row, and I need to rest my hands after every 2 rows. (there are 380-some stitches per row). I have been doing 4-6 rows per day, interspersed with other knitting but with the convention coming up on the 20th, I think I need to work a bit faster. I will try and see today how many rows I can accomplish when I knit mostly on this today. I'm certain I can get it finished, and every stitch will be worth it when she sees this tangible evidence of memory and love.

Rassin' Frassin' Cold!

The (expletive deleted) cold has come back in a new incarnation, this one complete with cold sores, sore throat and with old acquaintances body aches and fever along for the ride.

I think I'll try the starve a cold method, and stick to tea, chicken broth and maybe some apple juice for the next day or two.
(photo today is not mine, it is of an otter mask carving. it looks as grumpy as I feel.)

Gratitude

Thank you all for your comments, and kindness, and encouragement.
It has played a large part in me feeling pretty good about things today.
Hugs to you all.

Diana

Battered Hope

Yesterday served up battered hope with a side portion of reality.

There were definitely good things that happened.
We found a work table that will be the perfect height for anything I want to do at home with the power chair.
We found the exact dresser we wanted, on sale in the as-is section of Ikea.
I was able to get the supplies I needed to put together my Master's application for the Knitting Guild Master's program (now ot knit the samples and write the papers.)

Overshadowing the good things was a big dose of bad.

It will be impossible for me to go anywhere by myself in the van with the new chair until or unless we find some other adaptive technology for mating the chair with the van.
Backing up into the ramp without someone to tell me when I have it right is impossible. The wheels turn even after I've lined myself up perfectly as soon as I move again.
There is less than 1/4 inch clearance for the chair on the ramp side to side, and negative clearance front to back. Actually, enough negative clearance that the only way to load the chair onto the ramp is with my legs overhanging.

We determined this in the worst possible way. I tried driving forward onto the ramp after spending 15 frustrating minutes in the bitter cold backing repeatedly with Oscar trying to guide me from the driver's seat.
As far as I could perceive, The chair was on the ramp, I had raised it to enter, and I was adjusting the legs of the chair to hopefully clear the lip into the van.

When the legs caught at the entrance to the van, somehow the protective flap at the back of the ramp went down. It's possible I bumped the controls in the tight quarters, or it could have been an automatic result of jamming the legs against the lip of the ramp where it enters the van.

The result was the chair tipped backward, suspending me with my head five feet above concrete. The rear tires of the chair were off the back of the ramp. Any movement of the ramp to lower it could have overbalanced the chair.
Oscar tried his best to pull me in the van, but could not get leverage. If he had gotten out to push from the back, the difference in angle as his weight left the far side of the van would likely have tipped the chair the rest of the way off. I am not ashamed to admit that I was terrified.
If not for two Good Samaritans, who pushed me back onto the ramp, I don't know what might have happened. I am more grateful than I can adequately express that they cared enough to save me.

I am still very grateful to have the chair. It will make events like the convention in February possible, and enjoyable. Oscar and I will be able to go to museums and zoos, and lots of other places.

When the weather improves sometime in March, I will be able to go outside, and drive the chair around the neighborhood, and that will be lovely. I will be able to visit the garden, and hope that I will find some way to pull weeds and stuff.

It will take me a little time to get over the hopes that were crushed yesterday, that's all, and to find new hope if we can someday afford some nebulous thing that may make the van work down the road. Liz suggested a rearmount rack like some people use for scooters. That would work, if they make them for my kind of chair. I could maybe use the manual wheel chair for moving from the back of the van to the inside.

We'll find out, and in the meantime I am going to be gentle with my body today. It got kind of messed up when I tried to save myself.