tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22179769668892789982024-03-05T03:20:29.358-08:00Children of EveEvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-1570883730343377762019-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:002019-01-25T11:42:51.338-08:00I have been Instagramed <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTN-V_yMLWFtS64QcKr1RwuqGBPSba0VFSH9SmW6VLDca8c0BFgaHd_qiFBIy_o5vFe3JODbw8fjORaO3PhH5nFfAD4fFQ5KjCGh4xX_B1QkUMHj-2GDlpSu5n7vvroxwcEvrAojCa2IR/s1600/Winter+Mama+Doll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTN-V_yMLWFtS64QcKr1RwuqGBPSba0VFSH9SmW6VLDca8c0BFgaHd_qiFBIy_o5vFe3JODbw8fjORaO3PhH5nFfAD4fFQ5KjCGh4xX_B1QkUMHj-2GDlpSu5n7vvroxwcEvrAojCa2IR/s400/Winter+Mama+Doll.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is my first Utah winter. We have lots of beautiful snow, but it's different that NY snow. Because of the lack of humidity, it is not heavy, soggy and icy. The roads are dry and we haven't lost power once. Yay!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In NY, it was a pretty common occurrence for us to lose power for a week at a time. For us that meant, no light, no heat, no flushing! Eek!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Besides enjoying this beautiful nature, I have been busy editing that craft/kit book I told you about and I have succumbed to peer pressure and joined Instagram. "Peers" being my family and friends. I am glad to be there, running into old and new friends, getting even more inspiration to make beautiful things. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you would like to connect with me on Instagram:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Children of Eve/ eve crespo</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you do visit me there, let me know you are a blogger friend. I would love to say hello. </span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-53536134017841704662019-01-04T22:08:00.001-08:002019-01-04T22:08:13.770-08:00It's Alive!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ky8OxxAIHgq3KKCKKKn5Sacn1G_pPatTpG5qL6WIfyqG1UnrycN88MrLvVpIpv1CLI5iVtPrecbabWGlmb88aR9AippaA4ObiC1kX7gxE30nvYCycUErOUmt3PfdmRggd6w255jhrXoK/s1600/CUPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ky8OxxAIHgq3KKCKKKn5Sacn1G_pPatTpG5qL6WIfyqG1UnrycN88MrLvVpIpv1CLI5iVtPrecbabWGlmb88aR9AippaA4ObiC1kX7gxE30nvYCycUErOUmt3PfdmRggd6w255jhrXoK/s400/CUPS.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So</span><span style="font-size: large;">on after we arrived in Utah we went to an outdoor festival with local artists, food and music. My family has a penchant for hand made one-of-a-kind mugs. You know when a mug is right for you, it fits your hand perfectly and feels just right. I love the idea that it is made from the dirt of the earth, just like us. We made our way over to the potter's stand and I found a perfect cup for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After I purchased my lovely cup the potter and his wife offered me some sour dough starter that has been alive in their family since 1891! I made bread with it a couple of times and then parked it in the fridge. Life got busy and I ignored my poor starter for a couple of months. Last night I decided to take a peek at it. Eek! It was not a pretty sight. There was a pool of grey liquid on top that smelled of strong alcohol. I poured off the liquid and fed it with flour and goat milk in the hope that it may come back to life. It did! I left it to feed overnight and in the morning it was beautiful, active and sweet smelling once again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I proceeded to make some pretty tasty sourdough biscuits with it. (That intensely purple stuff is wild blueberry jam I made a few days ago.) I am always amazed at the transformative quality of microbes. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Keep feeding the good guys and starve out the bad guys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">God created our world (and our bodies) to renew itself. It will, if we give it what it needs. When we're in need of even greater transformation, that same God can give us a turn on his potter's wheel. He can take a rancid old thing and build it back up to glorious life again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then the word of the LORD came to me. </span><span style="bottom: 4.5px; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">He said, "Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. </span></span><br />
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-8939757464386364732018-11-13T11:53:00.003-08:002018-11-13T11:53:48.551-08:00my book is happening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">A few months ago a friend told me that her publisher at the <a href="http://thebookshopltd.com/">The Book Shop Ltd.</a> was looking for crafters. She advised me that it was a good time to pitch something if I had any ideas. Oh, I've got lots of ideas...but the timing was really bad.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">I was smack-dab in the middle of moving from New York to Utah. Purging and packing up NY, searching for a rental home in the Salt Lake area, closing accounts, opening new ones. Top that off with trying to visit everyone who is dear to us to say our goodbyes. Pitch a book?!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">What did I have to lose? Besides precious time and my sanity! Having a free hour to kill while waiting for my girls outside their circus class, I sketched out my idea on a piece of paper. I scanned it with my phone and emailed it to the Book Shop Limited, not putting much hope in the outcome.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Two weeks later the publisher called. She had "shopped it around", and Barnes and Noble was interested! They want to turn my idea into one of those craft book/kits. Oh boy! Now I was in trouble! They needed information from me...exact sizes and weights of fabrics and other supplies that would be in the kit. They needed it asap, so they could source it all and see if it would be worth the cost to do it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">As our worldly possessions were being loaded into PODS, I sat on the floor in an empty room with a laptop and sketchbook. Making patterns and seeking out all the necessary info needed to source the kit supplies. All this to say, my book is happening! I made samples and patterns and they have all been enthusiastically approved. Now I begin working with a book designer and an illustrator to lay out the book. I am listed as the author, which is kind of weird to me. Barnes and Noble changed a few things from my original theme, but not much. They approved all of my fabric choices, which I am really happy about because I think that's the one place I was able to throw a bit of myself in. This book has been a real gift, a complete surprise, giving me all kinds of confidence and dreams for the future.</span></div>
<br />Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-42330580475274528452018-09-07T10:02:00.000-07:002018-09-07T10:02:28.427-07:00Why we left New York<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Leaving NY was not an easy choice. My husband and I were both born in NYC, we met at The School of Visual Arts on 23rd St. The city was our playground and source of inspiration. And then we grew up. Our priorities changed, we felt closed in, we needed room to breath. We moved to a suburb and became commuters and had two daughters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As the girls grew we found ourselves needing more nature around us. My interests shifted from concerts and restaurants to mushroom hunting and knitting. My husband wanted more time with us, more time in the woods, but commuting to Times Square everyday left him little time for either. Commuting two hours each way is soul draining. And once he got there he had to fight the crowds of tourists and fake Elmos just to get into his building. After 19 years, he had enough! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Our girls, now 15 and 19 were feeling it too. We all desperately needed a change, we had become stagnant both creatively and spiritually. It was either make a major change or continue to do the same thing day in and day out, which was killing us. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My husband quit his job after 19 years as an Illustrator/Art Director at Nickelodeon and we told everyone that we loved that we were leaving. It was no easy task. Some understood, some felt abandoned. We packed up two PODS and drove across the country with two teens, two snakes and one guinea pig. Off to find adventure and seek our fortune!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So, where are we? Utah! We love it, we feel peaceful, at home and free. We have been here for two months and have no regrets. We have no idea what lies ahead, but we know that God has directed our path and He will continue to do so. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Now that we are settled, I am free to devote more time to blogging this new adventure as it unfolds. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hope you are finding wonder and joy in unexpected places. Don’t be afraid of change, life is too short. </span></span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-10580339401643794842017-12-25T15:02:00.000-08:002017-12-25T15:02:21.114-08:00MerRy ChRistMas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope this day finds you all well. Happy, healthy and looking forward to the new year and all it has to offer. We experienced a beautiful Christmas snowfall today. It was so peaceful and still afterward. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While opening our presents our power and wifi went out. I could really "hear" the quiet. No humming fridge, no clanging radiators, no Christmas tunes, no tree lights. It didn't matter much to us. We were happy together, opening gifts, chatting and telling each other "This is the best Christmas ever!". We say that every year, and every year we mean it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I found a new focus today that I will carry into 2018. I am going sink into the stillness of winter and listen. I will listen to God most importantly, to my husband, to my children, to my friends and to the birds. I will listen without interrupting, without trying to fix it, without thinking of all the other things I "should" be doing instead of listening. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will be still.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wishing you all </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A Merry Peaceful Christmas. </span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-55514328908900022532017-10-31T07:37:00.000-07:002017-10-31T07:39:25.621-07:00When the wind changes.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Greetings! I am back! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So much has happened since my last post. I will give you the nutshell rendition and slowly peel it away for future posts. First off, we decided to sell our townhouse in April when our already too high taxes were assessed for double. Selling a house is quite a chore. I had to empty it out, it has to be sparse and clean at all times because you never know when an agent will be requesting a viewing or an open house. It sold fairly quickly and we began our search for our next home. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After viewing many homes, we decided to rent instead of buy. We began to feel strongly that we may not want to buy in NY again. Like Mary Poppins, the winds are changing and we want to be free and flexible to go.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We moved into our wonderful rented home in August. It suits our needs so well, my girls for the first time each have their our rooms. The grounds are beautiful, butting up against woods, lots of big rocks, moss and lichens, which I am crazy about.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During the moving/settling process these things occurred:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My younger daughter was found to be Lyme free!! After a year of unrelenting treatment that was amazing news. (This is a story I must unravel for you in future.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My older daughter "graduated", finished her homeschooling. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had no fridge for a month.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My sister and her son came to stay with us because she has a chronic disease and needed help and care.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Almost every weekend we had out of town visitors sleeping here, before we even had furniture. One airbed...and it leaked.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We don't know where we will end up, but for now Halloween 2017 we are all together and well and happy. The foliage is spectacular. I will introduce myself to my new neighborhood as Mary Poppins tonight. My daughter just informed me that she is going to bake some black pretzels.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Life is good and this is where you will find me...until the wind changes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> “The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 </span></span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-79655661904627692017-01-05T19:49:00.000-08:002017-01-06T18:35:50.461-08:00 Hitting 50 with a cold lake & warm knits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes it's nice to venture out when all other sane creatures seem to be hibernating. Today it was a grey 29 degrees. We braved the cold and headed out for a morning hike. Our most frequently walked trail has become new again now that it's frozen over. The swans, fish, frogs and turtles are gone. At least gone from our view. The place that was bustling with constant motion and sound is now still, quiet and mysterious. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It gladdened my soul to see these plants sprouting up in the springtime. In summer and fall this weedy shelter was home to tadpoles and fish. This grass is still beautiful, but in a whole new way. Each stage has a magic of it's own. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My birthday was last week, I hit fifty years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The current "me" feels very connected to this season of the lake. Partly because I was born this time of year. But more than that I see I have changed...yet I still remain completely myself. I think even more myself than ever. I can only describe it as a "truer" me. There is a certain clarity, a peace, even a stillness inside that has come with the years.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9QXOu8JdejvGjR77cwHlUtQ9v_o8lSGvLJ1A93OAkbG-PoWiwIF9wUm7t2c3rIpaL-C3XhwPyoHQt0dOEeLIwp5RKvcyCf-RvqisSYftWJSYUl9YJvL5uPC0sMExVuQd3tcpIAGn4_5k/s1600/Scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9QXOu8JdejvGjR77cwHlUtQ9v_o8lSGvLJ1A93OAkbG-PoWiwIF9wUm7t2c3rIpaL-C3XhwPyoHQt0dOEeLIwp5RKvcyCf-RvqisSYftWJSYUl9YJvL5uPC0sMExVuQd3tcpIAGn4_5k/s400/Scarf.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I am still knitting away. I just finished this scarf, ribs with random bobbles here and there. </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It's a match to this <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2016/01/blizzards-bobbles-and-beans.html">Bobble Hat</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also made these little hats. Hats are instant gratification fun for me to make. They are the only thing you've got to show off when you are bundled up from chin to boots, which I am these days. Each day I can </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">at least</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">have a bit of fun by popping one of these on my bean.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My daughter came along with me to brave the frigid morning, it was actually her suggestion. She was also grabbing the opportunity to snap some photos in the great outdoors for her online taxidermy scene.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hope you are all warm and well and taking on this new year with a spring in your step, discovering and creating beauty wherever you find yourself.</span></div>
<br />Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-28592726445276107332016-12-12T18:49:00.000-08:002016-12-12T18:53:11.863-08:00palm trees and tumbleweeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Last weekend I visited my friend Holly in sunny California. She is home taking a break from <a href="http://www.girlshouseofrefuge.com/">Cambodia</a>, visiting her family in Cali for the holidays. I don't know when she will be in the states again, so I jumped at the opportunity to spend a few days with her. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It was funny for me to see all the Christmas decorations amidst the palm trees and flowers. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I met Holly's friends and family, ate Mexican food and best of all...chased tumbleweeds! I had only seen tumbleweeds in movies, so it was a big deal for me to experience the real thing. It was really windy and they were rolling all over looking like a crazy creatures. I needed my girls to see real tumble weeds too, so I ripped a couple of small fresh ones out of the dry ground and sent them home to them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Last Christmas my husband gifted me with this decorative critter. When I first opened it I was confused. "Why are you giving me a cow?", was my first reaction. He explained that it is a deer and a very cool deer at that, once you insert branches or flowers for antlers. I have been having fun with it ever since. Oh, the name Milkie comes from the fact that I thought he was a cow. Now Milkie is looking quite fancy with California tumbleweeds for Christmas.</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-1346198544055685212016-11-11T12:14:00.000-08:002016-11-11T12:18:08.731-08:00Loving Fall (and food)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBLhtV4Wh8eYhUhW4O_1WLO1hKSJiJLHpWGFPQcHkYHcwWOl2rCDedeIk568Mg_L8h29aLAOXIc2bbY9TV6Eb5IPLgZlfhUvReimG72r3weHJ8lGFUhacwAa2iTLTTNanDbFGls8uW0KR/s1600/fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBLhtV4Wh8eYhUhW4O_1WLO1hKSJiJLHpWGFPQcHkYHcwWOl2rCDedeIk568Mg_L8h29aLAOXIc2bbY9TV6Eb5IPLgZlfhUvReimG72r3weHJ8lGFUhacwAa2iTLTTNanDbFGls8uW0KR/s400/fall.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beautiful isn't it? Autumn, it's the best. We sat on a rock with friends, eating our picnic lunch. This was the scene before us. Winter is rough here in NY, but I don't think I would ever be content to live somewhere without the four seasons. I'm sure there are people who would disagree. I guess it's what you are used to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The candles are lit. Bringing warmth and light to the table since i</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">t's getting dark early these days. Anything left in the fridge is being turned into soup. "Leftover Soup" is always a hit. I can never duplicate Leftover Soup, but I can make an equally tasty new one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Curries and stews are happening, cosy comfy bowls of warmth. As it gets colder and those beautiful leaves disappear, I put the color on the table. I am a true believer in the effect of beauty and color on our souls. Those gourd candle holders are festive and very simple to make. Just drill the proper size hole and stick your candles in. Bringing natural beauty into the home is easy and very cheap, even free. Grow some gourds (they pretty much grow themselves), pick up some acorns and leaves.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll take any excuse to use the oven, it warms up the house. Just like Leftover Soup, crumbles are popular on my table. Any fruit or fruit combination will work. Frozen, fresh or canned fruits topped with oats, sucanat, butter and flour make for a more cheerful afternoon when that sun starts to go down. The smell of good things baking always lifts up the mood of the home.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't bake cookies that often. Just for holidays or special occasion. Halloween kicks off the cookie baking season for me. I'd rather the kids satisfy their sugar urge with home made cookies rather than the artificial candy that will inevitably appear. To color the gray mushrooms and black bats I used activated charcoal, just like my </span><a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2014/11/halloween-and-black-donuts.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">black donuts</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and </span><a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2015/10/spooky.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">black pie</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I consider the arrival of Fall a worthy enough occasion to celebrate with friends and fall leaf cookies.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am feeling happy, warm, and <i>almost</i> ready to take on winter.</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-30633618935696690022016-10-27T14:38:00.004-07:002016-10-27T14:44:59.520-07:00Autumn Tea Cosies in the shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZXBcI5ccl3PNlG_wqIq7EljIsV6rYHfN-M4JEV5c6TPFaCHTguLAadltCjLC1Q9gD4VjkvoEGenDGL0QvqkYs0FHVFRf81qzXzbXMJU5jhlQ-g9pnmJVOW3DvbGxHNf3w63Yozs5Znj1/s1600/Blog+cosies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZXBcI5ccl3PNlG_wqIq7EljIsV6rYHfN-M4JEV5c6TPFaCHTguLAadltCjLC1Q9gD4VjkvoEGenDGL0QvqkYs0FHVFRf81qzXzbXMJU5jhlQ-g9pnmJVOW3DvbGxHNf3w63Yozs5Znj1/s400/Blog+cosies+2.jpg" width="325" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My fingers are cold as I type this. As soon as I'm done I'm running for another cup of hot tea. Yep, it's that time of year again. The Autumn chill is upon us here in NY. I just finished a batch of Fall themed Tea Cosies. Some for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChildrenofEve">my </a></span><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChildrenofEve"><span id="goog_2037511015"></span>etsy shop</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_2037511016"></span></a></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> and some to be sold at <a href="http://www.florriekayes.com/">Florrie Kaye's Tea Room</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC2hArHf34DnjCM6faBeNfxhE1i3-yZgD4tKQYk4tfHJlgk7KNpGqqmjWlwUZEa28XZ5R6l4tfutmBWcHxa0AnnV9B3NJ2ahNEK5N-0h8lGfVBpB3ggdHFtEFrn6Yrir50a9t6ycQ74gV/s1600/Blog+cosies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC2hArHf34DnjCM6faBeNfxhE1i3-yZgD4tKQYk4tfHJlgk7KNpGqqmjWlwUZEa28XZ5R6l4tfutmBWcHxa0AnnV9B3NJ2ahNEK5N-0h8lGfVBpB3ggdHFtEFrn6Yrir50a9t6ycQ74gV/s400/Blog+cosies+1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> Storybook Houses make me wonder </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">who may be passing in and out of little doors. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Of course mushrooms must pop up before the frost comes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A friend suggested I make some tea cup cosies. I'd never thought of that before, but I gave it a shot. They are pretty cute. I enjoy seeing a couple of these littles on my table even if they are empty. They look like little mushroom houses, bringing a jolly pop of warmth to a chilly day. </span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-81612508421519692032016-10-13T18:39:00.000-07:002016-10-13T18:42:39.698-07:00A Limberlost Tea<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A dear friend of mine just finished reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Girl_of_the_Limberlost">The Girl of The Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter</a>. Limberlost, though published in 1909, is timeless. Porter's obvious love of nature and her wisdom concerning the human heart make it one of my all-time favorite reads.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yesterday I surprised my friend with a Limberlost Tea. We spent a "kindred spirit" afternoon together rehashing favorite parts. I set up a Limberlost table scene. The old violin was my grandfather's, handling it always makes me feel grateful to have had such a grandfather. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are familiar with The Girl of the Limberlost, the objects will make sense. If you haven't read Girl of the Limberlost, I hope this tempts you to do just that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll leave with you a few notable quotes from the book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"To me, it seems the only pleasure in this world worth having is the joy we derive from living for those we love, and those we can help."</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Young people," she said solemnly, "if your studying science and the elements has ever led you to feel that things just happen, kind of evolve by chance, as it were, this sight will be good for you. Maybe earth and air accumulate, but it takes the wisdom of the Almighty God to devise the wing of a moth. If there ever was a miracle, this whole process is one."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“And remember this: What you are lies with you. If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose, among the only ones who live beyond the grave in this world, the people who write books that help, make exquisite music, carve statues, paint pictures, and work for others.”</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"To be patient, to be unselfish, to do unto others as I would have them do to me." "And the oaks?" "They say 'be true,' 'live a clean life,' 'send your soul up here and the winds of the world will teach it what honour achieves.’"</span></i></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-79293741766292681462016-09-22T12:30:00.000-07:002016-09-22T12:31:11.267-07:00September 22, 1991<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DL93yDs2b1i4y_Q1FO9-ohNsbVmj48gaOxcQ160zRMVssr5lixU-5DQxVMVrLlpaGnOHafoEBST0f-R2pfeH-iA3aOCHabVztWqpKeccUO-doPsRzd-OYGnQe86itUHechci7rrA4N3t/s1600/me.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DL93yDs2b1i4y_Q1FO9-ohNsbVmj48gaOxcQ160zRMVssr5lixU-5DQxVMVrLlpaGnOHafoEBST0f-R2pfeH-iA3aOCHabVztWqpKeccUO-doPsRzd-OYGnQe86itUHechci7rrA4N3t/s400/me.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On this day Sept. 22., (1991) Billy Graham preached to an estimated crowd of 200,000 people in Central Park. His largest event in North America. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> My then boyfriend, now husband took this picture of me there on the <a href="http://www.centralpark.com/guide/attractions/great-lawn.html">The Great Lawn</a>. The Spiderman duffle bag was what he toted his camera equipment around in. Cameras couldn’t fit in your pocket in 1991! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Were you there?</span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-64314632919846620382016-09-14T20:05:00.002-07:002016-09-14T20:12:34.801-07:00Cambodia and Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauuu5NYOk41ZDFBfjnhbime9zZC2ahtFB39ZrlFK72TpOqIxO0xnXgREW_hyphenhyphen3p4-EnOaLWC4mCFnvQ1YJr1yObUNMnoNCCrj0OQZ19U5QFZ8hWYD3Xb00ev_aU9hxZAb3b4SJ0Fg_th_r/s1600/CAmbo+Bikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauuu5NYOk41ZDFBfjnhbime9zZC2ahtFB39ZrlFK72TpOqIxO0xnXgREW_hyphenhyphen3p4-EnOaLWC4mCFnvQ1YJr1yObUNMnoNCCrj0OQZ19U5QFZ8hWYD3Xb00ev_aU9hxZAb3b4SJ0Fg_th_r/s400/CAmbo+Bikes.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am back! Back to blogging. Back from Cambodia. I went to Cambodia this summer with a team from my church who also happen to be some of my closest and dearest friends. We brought 900 lbs of medicines, hygiene items, baby clothes and jewelry making supplies. I was especially excited to visit my friend Holly who I have mentioned before. She runs a home for vulnerable young women in Phnom Penh called </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.girlshouseofrefuge.com/">‘The House of Refuge’</a></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The rehabilitated girls at Refuge make jewelry to raise funds to live without ever having to return to their old lives which usually involved sex trafficking. Unfortunately it is the norm for the poor people to sell their young daughters to pay off family debt. Holly rescues girls from different places, but one way is street outreaches. This is when you go out at night to the red light areas, speak to the girls, and offer them a new life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLwE2z46e7GAxqmzxNK5r-DojgqX49jK3S1525dz45VWNyZ4ihNK2vsOSLCESFd8WpZqBp_wabopXxU8HXDjzy22xsdKSI7RMqdGpRq-vLAm2XJYKV-WNAuGxqjtDhoCKWmdOWr_XXjkg/s1600/Cambo+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLwE2z46e7GAxqmzxNK5r-DojgqX49jK3S1525dz45VWNyZ4ihNK2vsOSLCESFd8WpZqBp_wabopXxU8HXDjzy22xsdKSI7RMqdGpRq-vLAm2XJYKV-WNAuGxqjtDhoCKWmdOWr_XXjkg/s400/Cambo+Temple.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much prostitution centers around the temples, such as this one. We split up to cover more ground, each of us had a Khmer (Cambodian) girl from Refuge to translate. The girls who are rescued are so brave and eager to go out to the brothels and streets to help others. One girl did come home with us that night, which was beautiful. My heart broke though for the countless girls who didn’t.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favorite place has got to be the province of Kampong Cham. I fell in love with the place and the people. They are living in a kind of poverty that we don’t know here in the US. This is a small “village” that is actually the dump. The garbage trucks dump the trash, the people here sort it and the trucks pick it up another day and pay them a pittance.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR-b2bh5sN-ba9wgZD9Do_sv4ML-sxMrwSSGF1u4Fbi8Rv9hIGN5bnxQ4MB2tHcDz1_incqmj216JgpM-yVjygBHx9XbWeIdePvLReWTgR4n1K2tXO6Ir0aGZFD_CNPb9x_QakG2nmt7x/s1600/IMG_7742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR-b2bh5sN-ba9wgZD9Do_sv4ML-sxMrwSSGF1u4Fbi8Rv9hIGN5bnxQ4MB2tHcDz1_incqmj216JgpM-yVjygBHx9XbWeIdePvLReWTgR4n1K2tXO6Ir0aGZFD_CNPb9x_QakG2nmt7x/s400/IMG_7742.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Such Beautiful children! Dirty and scarred from playing in the trash, but ever eager to flash you a playful smile. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They are malnourished and are in great need of clean water and medicine. We hooked up with a local church that makes weekly visits to bring food and supplies. For these people the church is their lifeline.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This beautiful woman was left in the dump by her children. She lived through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_genocide">Khmer Rouge</a>. I asked her how she survived, I know they killed everyone who had a defect and she is blind. She says they spared her because she could cook! Everywhere we went we heard amazing stories like this. I so badly wanted to take her home, take care of her, and hear all of her stories. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy7ZtKUpJQiQCDiItVTjBM-HvZQjbqwHsqcUni2c4uGNsx4epXr1tATJiseVWLhpeSLAjlOodZPV8Lw_F8Vw_4D120WZqCcXQD-ReGx7R_vubBe6pivfL2QGLBucC6K1EJ81-289jR_F0/s1600/13686517_10210086398936982_2321315417030442918_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy7ZtKUpJQiQCDiItVTjBM-HvZQjbqwHsqcUni2c4uGNsx4epXr1tATJiseVWLhpeSLAjlOodZPV8Lw_F8Vw_4D120WZqCcXQD-ReGx7R_vubBe6pivfL2QGLBucC6K1EJ81-289jR_F0/s400/13686517_10210086398936982_2321315417030442918_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We got the word out that we would be having a medical outreach at the church near the dump. Many people came, for 6 hours we nonstop served the people. I was helping out my friend Jodi who is a chiropractor, she told me where to rub, massage or tap. She had 5 tables set up with patients and a long line out the door! It was hot and I should have been exhausted, but it wasn’t that bad. Once you get a patient you just want to do anything to help. Many people walked away who hadn’t walked in years! Crooked people stood and walked! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jodi said never in her practice would one treatment cause results like that. It was all God. We prayed with and for all the people we treated. Many people renounced Buddhism and walked out with Jesus after witnessing his power. Truly amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were able to get into a prison and a hospital. The Aids Ward at the hospital was my most horrible memory, it just makes you feel so helpless. I didn’t take any pictures because I think it wrong. We asked them if they wanted prayer, that we could give them. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the prison we had to leave everything electronic at the gate, all phones, cameras. Pictures are a no-no. They offered the prisoners the choice to come talk to us, sing with us and study the bible. We also brought gift bags of </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hygiene</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> products.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was all emotionally and physically draining, but great! I definitely want to go back and stay longer. I continue to support my friends who are full time missionaries with encouragement and finances. They are doing amazing, life changing work and it is not easy!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, it is very hot and humid and it floods… There are bugs. I even ate some. (Yep)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But, Cambodia is one great adventure that I highly recommend. You will overlook the uncomfortable parts because the people will touch your heart and hopefully you will be able to touch theirs.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My daughter's Cambodian Adventure </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2013/11/adventures-of-elf.html">HERE</a></span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-34199150211101205932016-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:002016-07-04T16:30:35.442-07:00Back on the Blogging Road....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #660000;">HeLLo Everyone and Happy Fourth of July! Sorry if any of you kindhearted folks worried about my absence from the blog world. I am just fine, I just lost touch with blogging. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">It all started back in March, when my two lovely friends, Holly and Alicia came to visit us. They are missionaries who run a home for "at risk" girls in Cambodia called <a href="http://www.girlshouseofrefuge.com/">House of Refuge</a>. Please visit their site and support them if you can. I know firsthand that the work they are doing is legitimate and is saving girls lives.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">I had the best time showing them NYC and getting to know them more intimately. Alicia ended up staying with us for an extended couple of months. My family and I fell deep in love with her and she has become a daughter/friend/sister to us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">During that time I just didn't think about blogging. And after they left...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"> I was out of the habit, I felt so disconnected from the blog world. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">I started thinking things like, "why blog?". Questioning my motives. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Why blog?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">I am blogging again because I like it! It's that simple. I love the connections I've made with other bloggers over the years. The inspiration I have borrowed from fellow bloggers is amazing. You never cease to bring new and wonderful ideas to my attention.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatdLf-9-UPH-AYDa3oiGoesSXXqeYTviyX_KkhQYsjzAyY5ptEegv66-BOGFgpknIIla2D_mhu5nb6yspXPhDcuo9TkrxHKo59rIbswt1RT7Z8t0-TGWyij_WgzV68EhpF6aJN9GMK7P2/s1600/Me+on+the+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatdLf-9-UPH-AYDa3oiGoesSXXqeYTviyX_KkhQYsjzAyY5ptEegv66-BOGFgpknIIla2D_mhu5nb6yspXPhDcuo9TkrxHKo59rIbswt1RT7Z8t0-TGWyij_WgzV68EhpF6aJN9GMK7P2/s400/Me+on+the+road.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"> I can honestly say that my entire blogging experience has been a positive, happy journey and I've missed it and all of you who keep me inspired and keep my creativity moving forward.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">All this to say, I am heading back down the blogging road and I am very excited to be back. I'm looking forward to taking unknown paths and falling down some rabbit holes with you.</span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-58181308248951503452016-02-08T12:56:00.001-08:002016-02-08T12:58:47.879-08:00a fighter's hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXefWW3nGuynEbtIcXLOrweJYaNOalfdmaM7-zv3nHZSYXdQv90Naz60lFQx9sBfBnRV1UxYK-udsfBpQJbdyxNSgsMTuPVmdBjUummPX_svMf1r32r1ToiS0aS4_xfFGehaHBtaUJf_VV/s1600/Red+HAt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXefWW3nGuynEbtIcXLOrweJYaNOalfdmaM7-zv3nHZSYXdQv90Naz60lFQx9sBfBnRV1UxYK-udsfBpQJbdyxNSgsMTuPVmdBjUummPX_svMf1r32r1ToiS0aS4_xfFGehaHBtaUJf_VV/s400/Red+HAt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">About this time last year I posted <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2015/02/prayer-hat.html">The Prayer Hat</a>, about my dear friend and her battle with cancer. She was losing her gorgeous hair and I made her what I consider a gentle, healing hat. It was slouchy, soft and the color reminded me of a dull cloud.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A year has passed since that hat. More operations, more chemo, more battling. More Prayer. When I love someone and feel helpless to fix their pain, I pray. I pray to God for their healing and I pray for an idea of something that I can do to ease that pain or sadness. For me the answer usually comes in the form of an image of something I can make for the person. Whether it's a doll, a shawl, a meal, or a hat. Praying through the entire process of creation is such a good way to pray. You not only devote that time with your head and your heart, but you also dedicate your hands to the task. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This new hat is a strong, non apologetic screaming red. A fighter's hat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you can, please say a prayer for healing. You don't need to know her name. Just call her the beautiful red hat mommy. God knows who you're talking about.</span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-15789726573836661262016-01-25T09:02:00.000-08:002016-01-25T09:02:43.378-08:00blizzards, bobbles and beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUWI1FySZ1gWJxzkAQgHKuSdHNDdutFwB5r50VhhQdoVtDYygYJz2iSbXd5HZUM4MnAazRp9VgW9_OpaZRaSP_bTccwY1nuv5rYVMie5IeFyBaY0OdYGnm-nDaItEsXxYovZmm3u50JQk/s1600/Bobble+Brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUWI1FySZ1gWJxzkAQgHKuSdHNDdutFwB5r50VhhQdoVtDYygYJz2iSbXd5HZUM4MnAazRp9VgW9_OpaZRaSP_bTccwY1nuv5rYVMie5IeFyBaY0OdYGnm-nDaItEsXxYovZmm3u50JQk/s400/Bobble+Brown.jpg" width="297" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’m sure you all saw how NYC got slammed with snow and wind this past Saturday. It was convenient to be snowed in on a weekend. We were ready for it. I planned to knit, bake and enjoy the beauty of the snow. Which I did. I made another bumpy hat. This one is less slouchy and more bumpy. My daughter modeled for me, much better than those weird angled selfies!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y2NK5rj7deCBdAVbU9gsBiWQSFaRojkIo-ByA3RVGMcGyQt8KC-rw9RVI8RE3DVqCR62eXeFNno8D916SKkuVv6QtgEhn98w2rbQWjTcH8y1q1Ut0_mGEZr2Wi6ADgwXOpCyIAvnhjGH/s1600/Bean+ONE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y2NK5rj7deCBdAVbU9gsBiWQSFaRojkIo-ByA3RVGMcGyQt8KC-rw9RVI8RE3DVqCR62eXeFNno8D916SKkuVv6QtgEhn98w2rbQWjTcH8y1q1Ut0_mGEZr2Wi6ADgwXOpCyIAvnhjGH/s320/Bean+ONE.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bean Cake. I found a garbanzo bean cake recipe in an old Mexican cookbook. Folks today are baking with beans for GF and other health reasons, I was surprised to see it as an old fashioned, traditional cake. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">The basic recipe:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">2 10oz. or 1 19 oz. can garbanzos </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">4 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp. baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bake at 350 degrees in a loaf pan for about 50 minutes</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have been tweaking and messing around with this. It is very adaptable to all kinds of flavors. You can add a grated apple, banana, vanilla, lemon, coconut, ginger, espresso powder, cocoa, cinnamon...you get the idea!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSopoMx0vDtVW-bBY4cX2wKdcz04pw2GyCidkMsBR6wYt1zLbclveRvpdw6cIkz3IXaYnMZ8iQ0yOU3SwjEUzF1NRl8gfNJSSKc_XcJjhBrPUKJNpKuOnj6xqPw5ZZn7-LRo1DAiLUNMqh/s1600/Bean+TWO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSopoMx0vDtVW-bBY4cX2wKdcz04pw2GyCidkMsBR6wYt1zLbclveRvpdw6cIkz3IXaYnMZ8iQ0yOU3SwjEUzF1NRl8gfNJSSKc_XcJjhBrPUKJNpKuOnj6xqPw5ZZn7-LRo1DAiLUNMqh/s400/Bean+TWO.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9z-wvC3G0c0rBJcZfSUGvEYRG-8KYUNzPncmrFrs3waXAWANXYrQI9sIOThCsPfu7Wewjvd8Vc3LFlCMGjFunFS39vyy0dBiX3HvBJSb2dW5PCy5aR0aMwggzV7TYuKB-BQpyZhd0d55/s1600/Bean+TWO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I also made a chocolate one with black beans instead of garbanzos, it was really good and less “beany”. The garbanzos do have a distinct flavor that some people won’t like. I have tried white beans and they are milder. If you are trying to hide the fact that you are eating beans go with the white or black beans over the chick peas.</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-30327129078176405052016-01-14T16:43:00.000-08:002016-01-14T16:43:17.535-08:00freestyle booble hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN6fY9ojS4UjLqwcreHc4nuWhgHDid5wYOWUqQe50tMdWG-aGA5CaVX-DwaY-DLDYguLI9_HOd1eKJyRPbiuCjLRJiEaR_WqaOI1rEEsji-exnsmqFRWxzESrJkjYelo0hZCeB40UA8aP/s1600/Hat+Selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN6fY9ojS4UjLqwcreHc4nuWhgHDid5wYOWUqQe50tMdWG-aGA5CaVX-DwaY-DLDYguLI9_HOd1eKJyRPbiuCjLRJiEaR_WqaOI1rEEsji-exnsmqFRWxzESrJkjYelo0hZCeB40UA8aP/s320/Hat+Selfie.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2016/01/birthday-sweater-2016.html">that fussy cabled sweater</a> I had the urge to knit something without a pattern or plan. What began as a wide scarf ended up a slouchy hat! As I was knitting I realized that I have a wide large scarf from last year that looks pretty much the same. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I ripped it out and started a hat. I wasn't having enough fun with it, so I started throwing in some random <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2011/01/bumpy-lumpy-neck-warmer.html">bobbles</a> to make it interesting. As soon as it was finished I tried it on and took this selfie. Which doesn't do the yarn justice at all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6v1eCV1UKhF-0xUfRXSzz3xP_8laQ95EAgqEFtY9MFlRBs0xXq6kzTVCNAyOK32xg3Vm5rnjxtFgZVaVk1gNhnlLlaKmJWUtavIlapUO3xLNpjHKTh93hO_5GwyKl_9oaGjvpe_KKIEu/s1600/Hat+on+Bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6v1eCV1UKhF-0xUfRXSzz3xP_8laQ95EAgqEFtY9MFlRBs0xXq6kzTVCNAyOK32xg3Vm5rnjxtFgZVaVk1gNhnlLlaKmJWUtavIlapUO3xLNpjHKTh93hO_5GwyKl_9oaGjvpe_KKIEu/s320/Hat+on+Bird.jpg" width="242" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In need of some natural light, I went outside and popped it on the bird feeder. You can see the delicious color and the bumpy bobbles much better.</span></div>
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<br />Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-71625127808831876562016-01-06T18:14:00.000-08:002016-01-06T18:15:53.517-08:00Birthday Sweater 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwLrfixoxavYmp0BRKv81X21789rBoBoRgZ6LuySpxpfgZDrmpHnALMYcJsErFA314qxmdsOBlPOWqRQABE9GmnFTlBj7PjKdQxAd8JWCNdp6NdoIt3g2cFhRa76gwiTuITUj78rk49rJ/s1600/Sweater+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwLrfixoxavYmp0BRKv81X21789rBoBoRgZ6LuySpxpfgZDrmpHnALMYcJsErFA314qxmdsOBlPOWqRQABE9GmnFTlBj7PjKdQxAd8JWCNdp6NdoIt3g2cFhRa76gwiTuITUj78rk49rJ/s400/Sweater+1.jpg" width="302" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My birthday falls in December. Each September, I get started knitting my next <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2012/03/birthday-sweater.html">birthday sweater</a>. I finished this one in time, but couldn't wear it on my birthday because I just couldn't settle on the buttons. I sifted through my extensive button stash. Not satisfied I ordered some pretty abalone buttons. When I laid them out on the sweater I didn't like it. I realized that with all that cable going on up front I really don't need buttons showing off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* Oh, that deer head in the background was a gift from my husband. Pretty cool! You can stick anything into it to make antlers. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNssJoiwnXZb-oPRd_LZxGPC8BluEK4sl1J4daZDB3FP5halOzw-CjV5_CCbAsSrhEZWTpQggMRsXFV-77oXorhfyeQb4ovaytooJPpVhw_5VilZSFO0NdvB6Y-oBBGVN03x62k8GcPWt/s1600/Sweater+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNssJoiwnXZb-oPRd_LZxGPC8BluEK4sl1J4daZDB3FP5halOzw-CjV5_CCbAsSrhEZWTpQggMRsXFV-77oXorhfyeQb4ovaytooJPpVhw_5VilZSFO0NdvB6Y-oBBGVN03x62k8GcPWt/s400/Sweater+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I finally found buttons that work, simple brown buttons made from coconut shell. The brown is actually the underside of the button, the front is speckled beige. I'm pretty happy with the finish. My thoughts are moving on to the next project. I think it's going to be a very colorful scarf that is much too long and much too wide. Winter temperatures have finally hit NY and I am not used to it!</span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-21268557298174525572015-12-25T19:52:00.000-08:002015-12-25T19:55:41.575-08:00Christmas and a lady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7B_4sCiw0lZpqjgw9b5f4SqsbufPN5UgtIU-ZUtB99TdjUev_9NONkCgW12cFS9h3r6A7Q4S-BEtdzxChixaoE5ZJfGpKUIVlcqXkXiulJnMz7UXwIqcahl5SEf5pj0kl9VEtaKr91W1/s1600/TREE+%2526+MILLIE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7B_4sCiw0lZpqjgw9b5f4SqsbufPN5UgtIU-ZUtB99TdjUev_9NONkCgW12cFS9h3r6A7Q4S-BEtdzxChixaoE5ZJfGpKUIVlcqXkXiulJnMz7UXwIqcahl5SEf5pj0kl9VEtaKr91W1/s640/TREE+%2526+MILLIE.jpg" width="369" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Isn't this rainbow tree beautiful? Such a good idea, and it looks much more amazing in real life. That lady peeking around is pretty amazing too. That's my Aunt Millie. She came to spend a couple of weeks with me and my family. I always liked her, but after spending so much time with her we found that we are kindred spirits.We stayed up each night talking and she shared many stories about her life with me. </span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like how she came to NYC from Puerto Rico as a child and how she met her husband at a dance in Brooklyn. It was just like a scene from West Side Story, he is Italian and even though they were married her father in law never knew that she was Puerto Rican! He assumed she was also Italian and the family kept the truth from him because "it would kill him". That's just one of the crazy things that I never knew. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also found out that Aunt Millie can do anything. She wanted a koi pond. So she built one, with a fountain. She can fix your ceiling fan or your toilet. She is an accomplished seamstress, cook, gardener and has a knack for taking in and nursing small hurt animals. S</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">he's had every type of rodent, fish, bird and cat.</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She once turned her son's closet into a coop for a broken pigeon, she housed an abandoned young hedgehog, she saved a baby squirrel and raised it to maturity. She is sweet, humble and always eager to give.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My girls are as smitten as I am with Aunt Millie. We knew it was a good sign when we picked her up at the train station and she had her guinea pig (Piggy-Woo) with her. She is the first person ever to see <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2015/06/taxidermy-her-new-thing.html">my girl's taxidermy</a> and ask for a lesson. So, my daughter taught Aunt Millie how to skin and mount a mouse. She got a real kick out of it. She told us, "See, you're never too old to learn something new!".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Millie is my Mom's sister so I've "known" her all my life, but I really have never known her until now. It's a shame that it took us so long, but I am thankful that we've connected and now my girls have her wonderful influence in their lives. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This Christmas I found out that there are riches hidden right under our noses. The people in our lives are the greatest gifts we will ever be given, starting with Jesus Christ himself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank God for the people in your life and ask him to to deepen your love for them. Be deliberate about seeking out that hidden treasure that may be right under your nose.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">M e r r y C h r i s t m a s & G o d B l e s s Y o u & Y o u r</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;">s</span></span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-80379410783636808582015-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:002015-11-16T10:43:41.100-08:00Eating Acorns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxMK61BpjwCStHCEhNX_rcCXF_3BnoYjpWU4N-75izjF5lRlnv-L7-HAnef4nutj4hNnALvhOswmQc3AejLZsvit02dty22rkpwW8ZRDl7yACXTkKo_EpgRgG5_bjgcuiIIXHPSJ3OZpX/s1600/Acorn+Forage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxMK61BpjwCStHCEhNX_rcCXF_3BnoYjpWU4N-75izjF5lRlnv-L7-HAnef4nutj4hNnALvhOswmQc3AejLZsvit02dty22rkpwW8ZRDl7yACXTkKo_EpgRgG5_bjgcuiIIXHPSJ3OZpX/s320/Acorn+Forage.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The day I found those <a href="http://childrenofeve.blogspot.com/2015/10/foraging-giant-puffball.html">Giant Puffballs</a> we were actually out collecting acorns. My husband was interested in learning how to make them palatable since we have so many in this area. He is into trees the way I am into healing plants. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The White Oak is the one to collect, they are naturally less bitter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIof8t76HiwTATxgOGGLqf8ENrpFvFm6eo4xaHuRMan5yzvTiZK4xa51nIjw4VyVVEcFFbEjQSH9sjhDKbua651mum5WpXTB80wKEDEtPWyZsjhEWY1HDOJQBMUCiAQDhEUq4kUvWU6fd/s1600/Acorn+Dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIof8t76HiwTATxgOGGLqf8ENrpFvFm6eo4xaHuRMan5yzvTiZK4xa51nIjw4VyVVEcFFbEjQSH9sjhDKbua651mum5WpXTB80wKEDEtPWyZsjhEWY1HDOJQBMUCiAQDhEUq4kUvWU6fd/s320/Acorn+Dad.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">First we froze them, that made the skins come off easier. The skin is the layer just under the shell. My husband shelled them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyRv2n44yFF98jAy0XAyxWuoleF1Io_VVDRQugyn0-VaYTEQaLWPOOL46Ck4SW7Rw1I33iQlpORumgweEc4G3R4kO_bqDKW0NRITnC5d8SzTJyMr1V54_WNLZqIyRGrpJ7_HY4F2aXloG/s1600/Acorn+Jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyRv2n44yFF98jAy0XAyxWuoleF1Io_VVDRQugyn0-VaYTEQaLWPOOL46Ck4SW7Rw1I33iQlpORumgweEc4G3R4kO_bqDKW0NRITnC5d8SzTJyMr1V54_WNLZqIyRGrpJ7_HY4F2aXloG/s320/Acorn+Jar.jpg" width="235" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Next began the process of making acorn flour. There are different ways to do that. First the bitter tannins must be removed. Some people boil the acorns multiple times until the water runs clear. We went with a non cooked method of leaching out those tannins. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">First we ground them up in the wet Vitamix. More water was added to them in a jar and this sat for 24 hours. Each 24 hours fresh water replaced the old until the water was clear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4hsc0Hgxj_SG2UoIQg9zEsX5bgrEoiToRdFLehuv6qFZptmrhgcHsDl1dLAcUikeSQMTUmTO5o6dky5gs5X9cF9QCrAuN-t9_kyd49D__j4qFsyAwrWeEE4TlDnHuBC3RPEhk8nMd8_/s1600/Acorn+Flour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4hsc0Hgxj_SG2UoIQg9zEsX5bgrEoiToRdFLehuv6qFZptmrhgcHsDl1dLAcUikeSQMTUmTO5o6dky5gs5X9cF9QCrAuN-t9_kyd49D__j4qFsyAwrWeEE4TlDnHuBC3RPEhk8nMd8_/s320/Acorn+Flour.jpg" width="254" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Once the tannins were cleared out, we dehydrated the wet acorn meal. I have an Excaliber 4 tray. It came out really nice, nutty and tasty. (I snacked on some.) The grain was quite rough still, so we ground it to flour consistency in the dry Vitamix. It is came out very smooth, with a feel and look of cocoa powder.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aYMINOhIS2axqy5BKXewXhNlhOU-GZh7V7Lw9eW6xeRZ9Zl5-LXB4_BDzw3iUTsy8G6C26-OMIDhMVi0WSKUxuxoyrcuonvm4ni6yfcZ8K41owLY-cdnwMh8DtcJNtoRJ2kos6_TIT15/s1600/Acorn+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aYMINOhIS2axqy5BKXewXhNlhOU-GZh7V7Lw9eW6xeRZ9Zl5-LXB4_BDzw3iUTsy8G6C26-OMIDhMVi0WSKUxuxoyrcuonvm4ni6yfcZ8K41owLY-cdnwMh8DtcJNtoRJ2kos6_TIT15/s320/Acorn+Cookies.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My first test was on some cookies. Some GF friends were dropping by for tea. I grabbed everything that I had that was GF and went to work experimenting. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I kept it simple, much like a shortbread: butter, sugar, vanilla, with cashew meal, acorn and oat flours. They were so good! Even the smallest of humans wanted more, which is really how I judge a "healthy" cookie.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mp6spyMwnzY4i01N1Q-LPgDpWaKBzWikkyW6EwJXV44NwLpCyHINOxkST5r_-Ai_hotjq-hq-WBAeyKIDiSNnO8LQzwyehLULBCkgg4qyalSk7ODCOJ44e64M7LznVm_PVZKwLoaZZg8/s1600/Acorn+Pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mp6spyMwnzY4i01N1Q-LPgDpWaKBzWikkyW6EwJXV44NwLpCyHINOxkST5r_-Ai_hotjq-hq-WBAeyKIDiSNnO8LQzwyehLULBCkgg4qyalSk7ODCOJ44e64M7LznVm_PVZKwLoaZZg8/s320/Acorn+Pancakes.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Next was a recipe from the book <span style="line-height: 1.3;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acorn-Pancakes-Dandelion-Salad-Recipes/dp/0060215496/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447693630&sr=1-1&keywords=acorn+pancakes">Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad, and 38 Other Wild Recipes</a>. A simple classic, p</span>ancakes with butter and maple syrup. The acorn is so mild and nutty. It doesn't have that extra bitter taste that many of the darker grains have.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbEOafl2ryeL7LS6Ka8bvHgWK9GfXM-Ymm4FraqIy_mmLGuaFuSzUPzr3X5Qt7CxQ4jRMG7U_ue_rT25wMp3L7H68VT9Mk2pSYkEy0zykjfXgKfEX4zc1c57a7IzTXLj8ViElU4_zEEz7/s1600/Acorn+waffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbEOafl2ryeL7LS6Ka8bvHgWK9GfXM-Ymm4FraqIy_mmLGuaFuSzUPzr3X5Qt7CxQ4jRMG7U_ue_rT25wMp3L7H68VT9Mk2pSYkEy0zykjfXgKfEX4zc1c57a7IzTXLj8ViElU4_zEEz7/s320/Acorn+waffle.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday's yummy breakfast. I had some leftover pancake batter. I waffled it and topped it with butter and smoked salmon. Again, it came out really good. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Acorn flour is a winner!I love the idea of eating wild foods that man has not tampered with. Everything that fed that tree is now feeding me and my family. It is nutritionally excellent and it is extremely tasty and versatile. Oh, and the acorns were free!</span></div>
Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-70412660170424451982015-10-31T20:43:00.001-07:002016-11-11T12:18:50.446-08:00Spooky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Our Halloween...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJU_mtXMEUhXsgAowbJY54lyaguq65CtoTjBnuf7Hcok6sBZ_hx-rS6scUzTeJFheF8y7ytYrNAL7RW3kphoK_KtCCSRYmil6OjeXT5camdzIfpxPbvgkVAUdKy_-ZuiUjw00ihcD05o9f/s1600/LYDIA+Spook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJU_mtXMEUhXsgAowbJY54lyaguq65CtoTjBnuf7Hcok6sBZ_hx-rS6scUzTeJFheF8y7ytYrNAL7RW3kphoK_KtCCSRYmil6OjeXT5camdzIfpxPbvgkVAUdKy_-ZuiUjw00ihcD05o9f/s400/LYDIA+Spook.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There was a ghoulish girl,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzn8hB514cLVNdKE6_d7RLgRLCxhgp7knNx_EG6Og155VhY6dta8hEXtM_gJQwzwWL26Z6xvsGqSP13ihBnjjX560Takb_Jw816fe7l02IslCIQqSeBhsBSpC7wXuzAj5Dm9GmA_wwf2z/s1600/CANDY+PIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzn8hB514cLVNdKE6_d7RLgRLCxhgp7knNx_EG6Og155VhY6dta8hEXtM_gJQwzwWL26Z6xvsGqSP13ihBnjjX560Takb_Jw816fe7l02IslCIQqSeBhsBSpC7wXuzAj5Dm9GmA_wwf2z/s400/CANDY+PIG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">a guinea pig with bat wings,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6VGkBIwBIqRZu8eVMywz98PygUr8eHvbGAyGH_LgVJpI8UNLl7FxTWIq9emoy2crLiSjCYYSqD9fCNGrpVR_pqB81Gy0T-hWwp-Zr7Yjrbeutcreel9bgS8MYmEFZ-8HE6J1KWTRcl7d/s1600/Black+Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6VGkBIwBIqRZu8eVMywz98PygUr8eHvbGAyGH_LgVJpI8UNLl7FxTWIq9emoy2crLiSjCYYSqD9fCNGrpVR_pqB81Gy0T-hWwp-Zr7Yjrbeutcreel9bgS8MYmEFZ-8HE6J1KWTRcl7d/s400/Black+Pie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and a black pie. </span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-65315507620788987612015-10-26T12:50:00.001-07:002015-10-26T12:50:54.590-07:00 Unexpected Gourds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhoglYVqdHZHN9HWRdkKVtOCMGlJtSbTFXCO7Ij_7SED6bXKuqxaWVZbCWhRNxgLoR7FI2nDo7OMvcCtlhyS7gSsZ002Y6kBUarplqLxDJG-Ckm9IotQcNLCimZ5X6rXXA-J2gthnBliH/s1600/Gourd+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhoglYVqdHZHN9HWRdkKVtOCMGlJtSbTFXCO7Ij_7SED6bXKuqxaWVZbCWhRNxgLoR7FI2nDo7OMvcCtlhyS7gSsZ002Y6kBUarplqLxDJG-Ckm9IotQcNLCimZ5X6rXXA-J2gthnBliH/s400/Gourd+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago this plant popped up outside my front door. It grew very fast and started flowering profusely. Bees were always buzzing around it. They would burrow deep down into the blossoms. We could even pet them and they were so drunk on pollen the didn't even budge. I decided to let it keep growing, for the bees sake. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wQWv0baKPfJHli4Gt1q_ta7gCLEB6uzmAXgzd_QldY-NnYWBkKWxpttG90QsfmwdwY6eDhb5nHJ4WmcqKuWpQNFD8AAIj3y4WR-Xi8o0E6bbuycW-738TgNA_7jLbby2lzO6y6XGGYxP/s1600/Gourd+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wQWv0baKPfJHli4Gt1q_ta7gCLEB6uzmAXgzd_QldY-NnYWBkKWxpttG90QsfmwdwY6eDhb5nHJ4WmcqKuWpQNFD8AAIj3y4WR-Xi8o0E6bbuycW-738TgNA_7jLbby2lzO6y6XGGYxP/s400/Gourd+2.jpg" width="310" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And keep growing it did! Like a magic beanstalk, it grew up the house and into the rain gutter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My home is always decorated with all kinds of nature bits: gourds, nests, pumpkins, shells, acorns, pine cones, insects, feathers, skulls, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When a pumpkin or gourd gets a bit soft I display it outside, that way I can enjoy the beauty a little longer. Apparently, one of last years gourds planted itself at my front door.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEK8Ky3ZPAunWPXxqapiKPo7kwUPZxQj-hS4jHpJdN2I8eMNWje9fKSw_1hETR1xhGXkAUK-luSgK8-bx3bhfdQrDOWylpHtRgDhIG_c25itI7TUK4Q-DGDMreLqrRFfyK4deiyeALPqc/s1600/Gourd+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEK8Ky3ZPAunWPXxqapiKPo7kwUPZxQj-hS4jHpJdN2I8eMNWje9fKSw_1hETR1xhGXkAUK-luSgK8-bx3bhfdQrDOWylpHtRgDhIG_c25itI7TUK4Q-DGDMreLqrRFfyK4deiyeALPqc/s400/Gourd+3.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now we have all these lovely little gourds. We cut them off at different stages so we can enjoy the different shapes. They will end up back outside and hopefully the cycle will continue.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So inspired by the adorable gourds, my daughters decided to capture a couple in watercolor...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO3j03EdqCbxnxKJX1DTQzP43wUssB23LIiC8rG7Z2nu4OY2IDQj5gKddrdslw1JkTwH6kwScqOwyLg5vH0YGQ9pzcXvymp6Z4HPfH0fWmilPv7SNwB6JyoiQcYZbHWu91_TdbTuF2I3A/s1600/Gourd+draw+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO3j03EdqCbxnxKJX1DTQzP43wUssB23LIiC8rG7Z2nu4OY2IDQj5gKddrdslw1JkTwH6kwScqOwyLg5vH0YGQ9pzcXvymp6Z4HPfH0fWmilPv7SNwB6JyoiQcYZbHWu91_TdbTuF2I3A/s400/Gourd+draw+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The Younger</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfwYC7MVWUpSwZ1WHlDlBq_zVHTV7YsTdmIjZOny_vVGF8JBF261qqDnybFwmnJvSBCRkBYNvkdM2-hJ0QBTSTlmtNPWz4CyNKOVTd092uDNC8WRhFp3_8cyQCMG9jO_m4pKhN0mh-xkz/s1600/Gourd+draw2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfwYC7MVWUpSwZ1WHlDlBq_zVHTV7YsTdmIjZOny_vVGF8JBF261qqDnybFwmnJvSBCRkBYNvkdM2-hJ0QBTSTlmtNPWz4CyNKOVTd092uDNC8WRhFp3_8cyQCMG9jO_m4pKhN0mh-xkz/s400/Gourd+draw2.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The Older</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-88714485216300986632015-10-21T13:53:00.000-07:002015-10-22T13:19:07.766-07:00Foraging the Giant Puffball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEg72m76_hRd25JCkViw_DQJiVDSkdOVUxt3TEI5sLe38KV2_W6mqQ1WrkJiuzUVxabIPDo4NPBRdlxCjhHDSgxJGOjFnQD0mo_gXZsYGPjhhGNNGPIYA97NKZ1LqiwWeYGp-DIlDepu5/s1600/Me+foraging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEg72m76_hRd25JCkViw_DQJiVDSkdOVUxt3TEI5sLe38KV2_W6mqQ1WrkJiuzUVxabIPDo4NPBRdlxCjhHDSgxJGOjFnQD0mo_gXZsYGPjhhGNNGPIYA97NKZ1LqiwWeYGp-DIlDepu5/s400/Me+foraging.jpg" width="336" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's a good time for foraging here in NY. We have been getting lots of goodies. Just last week we scored a haul of Chicken of the Woods and Puffball mushrooms as well as white oak acorns and plantain (not the banana!). I needed to get more plantain before the frost to make my healing salves. My husband was after those acorns, he is going to make acorn flour out of them. If I don't eat them all first as a snack!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dNHnE7pBh9jVUqnaVdNjGf_YrPdOyZwGh1bc3Mzsns8WvKb5Az_HkTvldk7WMIagwmBjQ_C8Xm9nB6JXOOscaUw5AKFe01dO_2HOgtJY4pFP-GoYRt9OhyphenhyphensTQwWVAGptrmxsls9-hliV/s1600/PUFF+dirty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dNHnE7pBh9jVUqnaVdNjGf_YrPdOyZwGh1bc3Mzsns8WvKb5Az_HkTvldk7WMIagwmBjQ_C8Xm9nB6JXOOscaUw5AKFe01dO_2HOgtJY4pFP-GoYRt9OhyphenhyphensTQwWVAGptrmxsls9-hliV/s400/PUFF+dirty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This is a lovely white Puffball Mushroom. I set those two brown ones in the background to show you what not to eat. A Puffball is good when it's all white, feels firm and a bit spongy. When they are brown they are past eating and have moved on to their spore making phase. They are quite large and easy to spot. I grabbed two this size, but left a larger one for the next human or animal forager.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xPHGOnxjddbl2pcw3dKay9E7TgozcwPOsMikvqEyvdf3IT35kbq4EK6zp1o84mhzE0jy6Jnca6hDL8DzeOhE01zXzw0R2GIovogmLVnz0xgfdg2DVFpfMBrOCY9biCwceAM0CuXyyPuM/s1600/PUFF+peel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xPHGOnxjddbl2pcw3dKay9E7TgozcwPOsMikvqEyvdf3IT35kbq4EK6zp1o84mhzE0jy6Jnca6hDL8DzeOhE01zXzw0R2GIovogmLVnz0xgfdg2DVFpfMBrOCY9biCwceAM0CuXyyPuM/s400/PUFF+peel.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can see how easy the dirty outside peels right off. You should not eat this mushroom raw. In fact it's best to not eat any <a href="http://www.mykoweb.com/articles/EatingRawMushrooms.html">raw mushrooms</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohuvFfdT0wxvkciGEwqLmW1CkJFifzstpAJuQWHrA_2wPXWYZ7GH1RHO2_S39nM53LSXXCNk8AjdQWgXw7KRsH8rMm6aaMIwpMGVAjMQrt-ilacAMOr0F76Rhl_nrYpHmZSziCareLAkD/s1600/PUFF+tofu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohuvFfdT0wxvkciGEwqLmW1CkJFifzstpAJuQWHrA_2wPXWYZ7GH1RHO2_S39nM53LSXXCNk8AjdQWgXw7KRsH8rMm6aaMIwpMGVAjMQrt-ilacAMOr0F76Rhl_nrYpHmZSziCareLAkD/s400/PUFF+tofu.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I treated the first Puff like tofu, sauteed and seasoned with cajun spices. That's my default way of cooking and it's always tasty. But since I had so much of this mushroom I decided to experiment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE-5cz2Hon6tG8R14P7IDS2kb6E-spGLWPYqw0IlQClTyGzF2N23X5EJUs_CHyoHaTwpIBd4SHiegYALR7XD7no1um1DBMSb8ElnSwA341Lb-p9CWsdW0FmixvYJSK-zk5DjkN4l6Mtot/s1600/PUFF+Parm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE-5cz2Hon6tG8R14P7IDS2kb6E-spGLWPYqw0IlQClTyGzF2N23X5EJUs_CHyoHaTwpIBd4SHiegYALR7XD7no1um1DBMSb8ElnSwA341Lb-p9CWsdW0FmixvYJSK-zk5DjkN4l6Mtot/s400/PUFF+Parm.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> This idea came to me while I was slicing it up. The slices really held their shape, which made me think of eggplant. Puffball parmigiana was born! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmF_Q5if7vVl8sgtAjNMqMxoSfT2p1AqpiXLdHoMJcQTKRFxHKNoIDzTlCf7_f9FVc161zkJ3qIRCHv4Umvk_oBmrNx9482qDL-4PmlMH5HJehirkXFTTl-Rdi0ZrznLVrtevR8cebzPA/s1600/PUFF+parm+bite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmF_Q5if7vVl8sgtAjNMqMxoSfT2p1AqpiXLdHoMJcQTKRFxHKNoIDzTlCf7_f9FVc161zkJ3qIRCHv4Umvk_oBmrNx9482qDL-4PmlMH5HJehirkXFTTl-Rdi0ZrznLVrtevR8cebzPA/s320/PUFF+parm+bite.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here you can see what the inside looks like, the texture was very good this way. There is no poison lookalike for this mushroom, so feel free to forage up some yourselves.</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-69683842096524358922015-10-05T09:28:00.000-07:002015-10-05T09:28:13.856-07:00Fall Food <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53-ZYlkT9zDa-wSQ-RSC5687KZvRNLySzyQjI7OQqydJNn2gmA6Lz1HhZ_raFjjH466lYugSm7Fj4ET8AoVBOYFI3LKE2ZIZaIjPifilOdX81SyzLEO29Qhy7mXZb5DjJmARmuKw-PkMC/s1600/RAv+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53-ZYlkT9zDa-wSQ-RSC5687KZvRNLySzyQjI7OQqydJNn2gmA6Lz1HhZ_raFjjH466lYugSm7Fj4ET8AoVBOYFI3LKE2ZIZaIjPifilOdX81SyzLEO29Qhy7mXZb5DjJmARmuKw-PkMC/s400/RAv+1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fall has hit New York. I have a fire in the fireplace, an ever brewing teapot, knitting projects in full swing, and a mind filled with the tastes, colors and smells of autumn. I recently discovered this one and have already made them four times. Sweet potato ravioli in browned butter with basil. They are so good and very addictive. I make them when I am having company, so I don't eat too many.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9kuyRR1GeT3c4L0ORw5NN2aRTCVnZ2clpuR66nNPI6yd035idpdDSLQC6lQQE442X8rGqhOqwwgXbL84I4VViWNSXyEvzoUY39x8J3rnWjruVWhEr0an_DRf0m8sniK0QobY1W31uHNb/s1600/RAv+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9kuyRR1GeT3c4L0ORw5NN2aRTCVnZ2clpuR66nNPI6yd035idpdDSLQC6lQQE442X8rGqhOqwwgXbL84I4VViWNSXyEvzoUY39x8J3rnWjruVWhEr0an_DRf0m8sniK0QobY1W31uHNb/s320/RAv+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I found them in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Ming-One-Pot-Meals-Affordable/dp/1906868360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444061557&sr=8-1&keywords=ming+tsai">Simply Ming One-Pot Meals</a>. What makes them so easy is that you use pre-made wonton wrappers. I baked up a bunch of sweet potatoes and mashed them up in the Vitamix. I actually do a batch of sweet potato puree each week because I love my sweet potato smoothie every afternoon. When folks get that mid day coffee craving, I get a sweet potato smoothie craving.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I got that over at <a href="http://sweetpotatosoul.com/">Sweet Potato Soul</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukaCxHbsb3GKMfE3R7rhfe192Qq18MW0t-jKfTzeZFhXII-IP-wrtXwT09yrU8wjwuKpzaBpSO7DlmUNowXh9gb69is4yeKYNucvAO4nMIosd0tC0VC4RUc-qJZcC6xeyZsNdznf9bqxH/s1600/Rav+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukaCxHbsb3GKMfE3R7rhfe192Qq18MW0t-jKfTzeZFhXII-IP-wrtXwT09yrU8wjwuKpzaBpSO7DlmUNowXh9gb69is4yeKYNucvAO4nMIosd0tC0VC4RUc-qJZcC6xeyZsNdznf9bqxH/s320/Rav+3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Super easy, I flavor the mash only with ground ginger and black pepper. You must use a little egg was to "glue" these guys together. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When they are all assembled you brown them in salted butter, throw in lots of chopped fresh basil and there it is. Easy to make and way too easy to eat. A great appetizer or meal.</span></div>
<br />Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217976966889278998.post-8828919676181688492015-09-15T06:53:00.000-07:002015-09-15T06:54:54.488-07:00Time to Root<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The bustle of “back to school” is in the air. Even for homeschoolers, there are new books to get, classes or tutors to obtain. With the excitement of new possibilities, new things to learn, new experiences, I will keep my focus on what true education is, a preparation for life. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“In our mountain ravine, just above our swimming pool, a small tree grows on a rock in mid-stream. When the river is in flood and a roaring torrent pours over the little tree, whipping off its every leaf, it stands unmoved. Its roots grip the rock. We wanted the children to be like that. “Give them time to root,” we used to say to our advisors. “We are training them for storms and floods.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-from Amy Charmichael’s Gold Cord</span></div>
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Evehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990844391262748345noreply@blogger.com1