Pureed, Dried Fruit- Welcome to My World

So I've been pretty consumed with the NatCroMo portion of March, but haven't really touched much on the NatNutMo (National Nutrition Month) part.  These last two weeks have been NatNutMo'd out the wazoo for me so I've pretty much got fiber of the colon cleansing kind on the brain.  As I mentioned last time, (yesterday? the day before? what day is it? where am I? I want my mommy!) I am making fruit leathers for Children's Day at the Mall. I've been making a LOT of these gigantic oversized fruit roll-ups.  Every day. For the past 10 years.

They are actually very good and quite pretty, if I do say so myself.

Mango Strawberry

Strawberry Mango

I'm actually waiting for another batch (of apple sauce/strawberry/mango) to finish up so I can go to bed.  I have one last batch to run tomorrow and then Saturday I'll finally be able to dole them out to all the sticky faced little buggers at the mall.  (I may have gotten a tad cranky in the midst of my fruit roll-up filled days.)

Something I learned: if you have a dehydrator, instead of using the fruit roll sheet that comes with it, cut parchment paper to fit the racks. You'll be able to peel the fruit roll off a lot easier and you don't have to worry about washing another dirty dish.  Win-win.

Another something I learned: that strawberry mango fruit roll looks so pretty before it dries.  However, once it dries, you won't see the pretty mango anymore- just a large red circle. Still tasty, though. But, if you let it dry for too long, instead of strawberry fruit leather you will end up with strawberry fruit paint chips.  This does not happen with either the mango rolls or the apple sauce rolls, though. 

The great thing about these is that they are 100% fruit. No sugar added. Just blend the fruit and pour. So easy to make and they are really very good! I guarantee that, even if you have a super picky kid who won't touch fruit, they will eat these thinking they are those store-bought, sugary, cavity magnets. They'll never know they are instead eating fiber filled, vitamin and mineral carrying, super good for you, cavity magnets. (Just keeping it real- they are sticky....but soooo good!)

Ok- I hope that dehydrator is finally done. I'm really tired and I truly am getting cranky- my Mister just lovingly told me that he missed me, kissed me, and asked me to go to bed. I yelled at him lovingly replied, "OK! JUST LET ME FINISH MY BLOG!" (Yes- for reals.) I'm a terrible wife.

I'm coming, honey! I'll make you some dried fruit! And a lasagna! Mister? COME BACK AND LOVE ME!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Just a quick check-in: 

1) This Finish Friday!!! was a success- although, technically it was a successful Sewing Saturday since I finished the Watermelon Tote for the auction at my church at 3am. I had to take it to my church by 8:30am Saturday.  My church is 35 minutes away from my house, so I had 4 hours of sleep and am still trying to catch up on my missed slumber. (BTW- it was the most sought after purse and brought in beaucoup bucks at the auction- more than I sell it for in my etsy shop. EEEP! So extremely proud!!)

2) Also on Friday, I was able to make 2 lasagnas for my friend who is recovering from surgery, which is part of the reason I had to sew into the wee hours of the morning. Another part is the whole, "I need clean underwear NOW" thing again. And, finally, the other part has to do with my multiple trips to the grocery store due to my incompetence in reading food labels. FYI: sour cream is NOT cottage cheese and, though some may be able to go rogue and substitute it in a lasagna recipe, I do not mess with my recipe. Ever heard of "Engagement Chicken?"  Well, this is my Engagement Lasagna.  I believe it is the main reason my Mister married me. He may love it more than he loves me. People ask me for the recipe all the time and I politely decline.  This is extremely potent stuff and I take my superpowers seriously. I can't be responsible for duping some poor sap into proposing to his harpie girlfriend. I already duped my poor sap Mister- let them find their own superpower.

3) My Squooshy was long enough! I stubbornly pressed on (and on...and on...) and proved those voices wrong- HA! In your face!! Don't mess with me- I've got superpowers!

4) I'm waiting for some blocking wires I ordered from Amazon so I can block it and then finish what I have in mind for it. Pictures to follow. (The voices are telling me that I've never blocked anything before so what makes me think I'll actually finish this project.  Their kryptonite is strong, but my mule-headedness is stronger.  I hope....)

5) I'm finally almost to the color work portion of my Geekling's blanket! WOOT! I love it! Unfortunately, so does my cat. My Mister found our darling little girl sleeping on it when he got home from work today. Unfortunately, we haven't cut her nails in a couple weeks.  SNAG-O-RAMA.  I resisted the urge to scream and cuss at our little ball of fur (took all my superstrength- may need wool infusion very soon!) and instead figured I should make her something so she can leave my stuff alone. This is a pic of her on a different project from a couple weeks ago:

You want it back? You feel lucky, punk?

6) I've been very busy with work stuff. Every year we participate in the Children's Day at the Mall and it is coming up this Saturday. This is the second year that I'm in charge of the food demonstrations. Last year the theme was the Rainforest (or something like that) so I made the Wild Wraps. This year the theme is Space Buddy Blast (or something like that) so I'm making Astronaut Fruit Leathers. Basically fruit roll ups made in a dehydrator.  Soooo good. Soooo easy to make.  Soooo difficult to keep my Mister away from them. I think it's residual effects from my Engagement Lasagna- makes him want to devour anything and everything that I make.  I told you- powerful stuff.

7) Until after Saturday, I'm going to be pretty busy this week so I don't anticipate much crocheting. I'm going to have major overtime which is good on my wallet but bad for....well just about everything else.  I really can't wait until Sunday.

I'm checking out early tonight. I'm really exhausted, y'all. Superpowers fading....send wool reinforcements.......must....eat......lasagna......

The Road Goes Ever On and On...and On...and On....

I'm feeling a little like Bilbo right now.  I've even shaved my feet, but that didn't seem to help.  (Although it did help my Mister not cower in fear anymore when I take off my socks.) I've been working on my variegated project to just git-r-done, but it's a pretty monotonous two-row repeat ripple all done in dc and chain stitches. Since the yarn is sock weight, the length just doesn't seem like it's getting long enough fast enough for the number of stitches in it. I don't even think blocking is going to get the length I was envisioning for it, which means....I really should listen to the voices in my head, just this once, and frog the sucker so I can start all over again. Granted, I'm just obsessive stubborn  dedicated enough to finish it off to see if maybe, just maybe, it will be long enough.  And just to prove those voices wrong so I can laugh in their faces with my sweet, sweet triumph. Victory will be mine, witches! Muahahahahaha!

Ahem.

My other project- my Geekling's blanket- is something I'm very excited about and I can't wait to see it completed.  However, for far too many rows of the blanket, it's a pretty boring length of Tunisian simple stitch.  It will all be worth it (the voices keep telling me) but for now it's a mite bit repetitive.  I can't wait til I start on the color work, which is what is fueling my obsession right now.  "I'm another row closer....another row closer... another row...great googly moogly!  How many stinking rows are there??!?"

So, hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to show you what I've been working on- either a finished variegated project, or a newly rewound ball of Squooshy that I'll auction off on Ebay after stomping on it like a petulant child.  Geekling's blanket will take a little longer, but that one will definitely get finished.

I am already planning for this Finish Friday- I do need to line my Watermelon Tote since the auction is Saturday. I don't think I'll be able to do much more than that since a dear friend of mine has just had emergency surgery and I've volunteered to take her family a couple lasagnas for dinner. (She's married with 4 boys- 3 of them teenagers. Prayers for her are greatly appreciated.  Also for her recovery.)

Take it away, Bilbo.

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
                       J.R.R. Tolkien

Stitches go ever ever on,
Over hook and under me,
By couches where never vacuum has gone,
By cats that always seem to see;
Over projects my hands have done
And through the woolly messes strewn,
Over pillows and my hun,
And under tables all afternoon
                         GegeCrochet

Ask Gege: Adding Tunisian Stitches

I received a question from a blog reader from Canada (welcome, eh!) that read:

"I have started a blanket with the Tunisian stitch.   The dilemma I am having right now is that I did not stitch enough rows.  I am wondering, can I somehow add rows to my already half done blanket?  Thanks for your time." 

I did respond to this reader, but thought, "This looks like a job for...*dun da da dun* Super Gege!"  After images of my glorious cape gracefully waving in the wind subsided, I decided that the only proper way to demonstrate how to do this was via video.  Sooooo......without further ado, here's my first installment of  "Ask Gege"



You can see the last remnant of my Neti Pot mishap, but as you can see, my Monkey's Paw has healed rather well.  I do hope this video helps!  I'll try to do more of these videos for questions that come my way.

Now I'm off to my creative hovel...and to make dinner.  On the menu?  Salmon en Papillote by Alton Brown.  Healthy, quick, easy and SOOOO YUM!

Finish Friday-ish

This Finish Friday!!! definitely was not as successful as the last one.  At least in the "finish" sense. I did want to work on lining my Watermelon bag; however, I found that the auction isn't until next weekend. When given the opportunity to procrastinate, I always say, "Yes, please."  I don't look a gift horse in the mouth. The tartar buildup is disgusting.  Also, I was very distracted by two different projects.

The first one is my variegated experiment that I've been doodling with.  I figured that combining the Squooshy yarn with a solid plum color would temper the color blotches and hopefully calm the uneasiness I was feeling.

AKA: Yarn Maalox

The color changes were definitely a lot subtler and the new yarn matched perfectly. I used a worsted weight wool/acrylic blend with 20% wool. The Squooshy is 80% wool, so combining them gave me 100% woolly goodness. (It's yarn- my math is supposed to be fuzzy.)  Even though I was liking the color, the bulkiness of the combined yarn wasn't feeling right for what I have in mind. I used a J hook at first but the fabric was a little stiffer than I was hoping.  So I frogged it and tried with a K hook. It definitely had better drape; however, it wasn't the same as the light and fluffy feel the sock yarn had.  So, I decided to frog it yet again and start over, yet again, with just the Squooshy.  (Ok, yes I do love this yarn because of the purple color and feel, but I must admit that the name just makes me happy.  Squooshy.  Squooshysquooshysquooshy! It's what Charo would say if you gave her a crochet hook instead of a guitar.)

The second project that had me distracted is one that I'm VERY excited about.  It's my Geekling's baby blanket and I was finally able to buy the yarn for it. I also had to finish planning it out (with hopefully non-fuzzy math), so that took a bit of time.  However, I am pleased to say that I have started it and it will most likely take up most of my time for the next couple weeks. SO EXCITED!

I took the variegated project with me to the movies tonight and, in honor of NatCroMo, I happily crocheted in public while standing in line at Chipotle and while waiting for the movie to start. (We saw Battle: Los Angeles.  Spoiler alert: Los Angeles is saved at the end.  You may rest easy tonight.)  As I mentioned before, I really haven't been crocheting since September, so it really does feel good to have those creative juices flowing again.  Even my Mister asked me tonight, "You have your mojo back, don't you?"  Yeah, baby, yeah!  I got my mojo back!

So, even though I didn't finish a project this Friday, I did check two things off my list: I finished planning the new blanket, bought the yarn, and started obsessing about crocheting it.  Huge win!

Wait.....*counting*. Stupid fuzzy math.

Squooshysquooshy!