Tuesday, January 30, 2018

A peaceful day of non-achievement, except in knitting. I’m halfway across row 77 of the shawl borders. Perhaps once I’ve reached the centre, I can relax a bit and spend occasional days on the Soutache scarf or Archie’s socks. Or perhaps not – babies can take one by surprise. This one is due in April.

Today’s contribution from the Mindful Chef was Tofu and Carrot Noodle Laksa, and it was delicious. I made it for lunch and kept sipping at it all afternoon; and it’s gone. Tomorrow is Pulled Barbecue Jackfruit and Avocado Salsa.

I originally signed up for Pescetarian. (I hate that word, but can’t think of an alternative.) I think my first three meals qualify as Vegan. For next week the Chef is proposing two fishy meals and one with chick peas for me. I have thrown out the chick peas and opted for steak.

Shandy and Karen (comments yesterday) I take your point. You don’t need to worry about me – I’m not losing weight. I suspect I am sustained by the calories in Weston’s Vintage Cider. We’ll see what happens in Lent, which is currently bearing down on us. I was talking to my Italian tutor last week about coffee-drinking in Italy and she mentioned that she also drank chocolate. That sounded like a good idea, and I’ve laid in a supply. Starbucks has made no inroads in Italy – they don’t care to walk about the streets with take-away coffees.

The new Fruity Knitting is a good’un – Jim and Jen Arnall-Culliford. I wish we could have seen more of the sweater Jim is wearing on his first appearance – a yoke sweater with what may be no more than solid colour stripes. There is indeed something wonderful about yoke sweaters. In the interview, he is in shirt sleeves.

The other (and surprising) omission was the lack of any mention of the forthcoming A-C book, to be launched at the EYF. We shall see. Andrea did say that she and Andrew will be there, in the Podcast Room. I’ll have a look.


Nothing yet this week from the West Highland Way. I even worried a bit, but then went back to last week's incoming emails – Wednesday seems to be the day.

9 comments:

  1. Sorry, Jean, but "Tofu and Carrot Noodle Laksa" and "delicious" do not belong in the same sentence! Actually I can't stand Tofu at all except for a bit floating in miso soup. I'm glad you have some steak on its way.

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  2. Tofu can be quite nice - it takes on spices and flavorings very well - hence its versatility:)!
    The A-C book -is it A Year of Techniques? If so, Mason-Dixon knitting sells it for $37 US or thereabouts. https://www.masondixonknitting.com/shop/a-year-of-techniques/

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  3. Hi Jean! I'm so glad you enjoyed our interview on Fruity Knitting! Jim's striped yoke sweater is my Country Colours design that I did for Simply Knitting (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/country-colours) Unfortunately, as I did it while on staff at SK, I don't own the rights to the pattern, so I can't sell it myself.
    We recorded the interview back in November, and didn't know when the episode would be released, so we focussed on A Year of Techniques. We're sending the new book (Something New to Learn About Cables) to press today, and as you say, it will be launched at EYF (with pre-orders starting around the 19th Feb – when your Fruity Knitting Patreon discount is still valid). Do be sure to say hello to us at EYF! Many thanks again for your kind words. Jen

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    1. Hope I am not being rude by replying to someone else's exchange - but thank you for that!

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  4. I've been travelling and just catching up with the blogs that matter to me. Yours is the top of the list. I do hate those charts all cut up like that. Can you photocopy and cut and paste into one big chart? I have done that on occasion.

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    1. Anonymous3:53 PM

      I agree with your thoughts on rearranging the charts, if one has ready access to a copier. Much simpler to keep one's place while knitting.
      -- Gretchen (aka stashdragon)

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  5. Kay, is it a texture thing with the tofu? Because I've never found it to have much flavor (it's very good at taking on the flavor of what you cook it with), and have always thought my college's idea of how to deal with it (treat it like a piece of meat, so if we had fried chicken we'd also have fried tofu) was a horrible thing to do.
    My mom'd put it in spaghetti sauce (I guess bolognese is probably the closest Italian analogue to our slightly weird American Southern family version) to add more nutrients, and I'd never notice it there. It's always struck me as being more of a helper ingredient rather than a star one.

    And carrot noodles? Is that like spinach pasta or is it carrots cut into noodle shapes and treated like noodles? The former could be okay, the later, nope, unless no cooking of carrots was involved (I cannot stand the taste of cooked carrots. Raw, YUM, cooked, ew). But I'm glad you're having fun with this new culinary adventure, and I wish you could talk my mom into being so adventuresome!

    (She's losing weight because nothing tastes like it used to (thanks old age and the flu of doom!) and I'm constantly racking my brains to try to think of stuff she might like to eat).

    Oh, and if you get any flu symptoms, get thee to a doc ASAP! Mom's now been sick for almost the entire month (she starts antibiotics today and hopefully that'll help) and I'm still recovering (granted, Mom's 80+, but I'm 36 and do not have any immune problems).

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  6. Anonymous2:47 PM

    So enthralled with Italy several years ago that we never even noticed that there were no Starbucks. I almost want to award the Italians the Legion of Honor (or something) for stemming back the tide. And no tofu for me either, I’m afraid. Steak sounds great! Chloe

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  7. So...if you were aiming to shock us with getting your calories from the demon drink, you succeeded.
    Those recipes look like vegan and then some, possibly orthorexia. If you substitute all the carbs for things like lettuce and strips of carrot, it stands to reason that you would have to eat a lot of it to get any nourishment.
    The pork and chicken recipes on their website look appetising, though.

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