Happy Halloween

Ignore the mess in the background - I was Dark Rey inspired by Star Wars, Curt was some kind of 70's construction foreman (walked around with a clipboard as well)

Weekend pictures

Heading to Virginia

My favourite cousin in the entire world, and second favourite relative only behind John, Norman's(well the world calls him Bill) daughter Kristin is getting married!  So we'll be down at the Winterham Plantation for the ceremony.

Sorting Hat

Pumpkin

The Village Uncle

The Village Uncle and Imaginary Retrospect by Nathaniel Hawthorne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I don't know, I think I'm not literarily savvy enough to appreciate this,



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Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Haven't read a comic book in while, saw 2 episodes of Firefly a couple years ago - keep meaning to look for it on Netflix or Hulu to watch the rest.



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Changed up a recipe - shocking.

I was muddling through Pinterest, watching an  evening drain away, and I saw a fantastic sounding recipe.  

www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa  an Enchilada Bake.  It is healthy and meatfree, so I saved it.  Then when I got ready to make it, some changes happened.  First, I had about 1/3 pound each of ground buffalo and chorizo leftover in the fridge, I add mushrooms to just about everything, and I had some leftover rice in the fridge as well.  Also - something about a Tex-Mex casserole that just screams "I need fritos!"  So here's my version, a bit less healthy (buffalo though is a very healthy, very lean red meat choice)(can't really defend the chorizo except it has so much flavour) 

1/2 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
1 cup no salt added chicken stock
drizzle olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion- fine diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup ground buffalo
1/3 cup ground chorizo (remove casing if stuffed sausage)
1 cup diced baby bella mushrooms
2 fire roasted jalapenos diced
1 red pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
juice and zest of one lime
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 handful chopped cilantro
salt/pepper
1 can low sodium black beans - rinsed
3/4 cup cooked rice
1 can hot red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup roughly crushed fritos
sour cream and guacamole if desired


First, using stock prepare quinoa per package directions. Preheat oven to 350.

In large skillet, heat olive oil, add onions, garlic, buffalo, chorizo and mushrooms to start to brown, breaking up the meat.  Add peppers, corn, juice, zest and spices.

While skillet cooks down a bit (not more than 5 minutes) Stir beans, rice and cooked quinoa together , breaking up clumps.  Add mixture from skillet, sauce and 1/2 cheese.  After stirring together, pour into pre-sprayed 8 x 13 glass pan.  Cover with foil, put in oven for 20 minutes.  Remove foil, top with rest of cheese, put back in oven for 10 minutes more.  When fully melted and bubbly, remove from oven, top with crushed  fritos, let cool until no longer the temperature of the surface of the sun, serve. 

I topped mine with sour cream and guacamole with tomatillos.  
 

 

The tail is done!!!

As last time, the finished pictures are after the break- just hit "more" to see them.  I made several changes to the pattern - see my Ravelry project page if interested.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Beginning of the book is a little slow, but it is fascinating how Margaret Sanger (the woman most known for fighting for birth control rights) and her lesser known sister influence the creator of Wonder Woman. While Wonder Woman is often seen as the creation of the women's rights campaign, she was created by a man who pretty much failed at everything he tried to originally do in the world of psychology, and used his psychologic background to try to defend the comic against it's critics. He married one woman, unofficially married another (who had almost completed her PhD, but dropped out to be the nanny of his legal wife) slept and lived with a third on and off. He had children by the first two, the children of the mistress never knew he was their father. He took credit for the scholarly work both women did, hired male artists when there were more than enough experienced women who could have taken the job, and although he was a verbal proponent of women actually being superior to men, and predicted a female president (albeit in 500 years) he treated the women in his life as subordinates not equals. He had a bondage fetish, which showed up in Wonder Woman being captured and fettered in every story usually by page 3. And even though Wonder Woman is a super hero and has these amazing powers, she always seems to get herself overpowered by men.

Her truth lasso was inspired by the lie detector test proven inaccurate that Moulton proposed, her bracelets by the bracelets his mistress wore.


While I think I'm going to bury my head in the Lynda Carter and forward versions of Wonder Woman - it is kind of sad to realize that woman haven't really come that far since the 40's. Sigh.



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Ended up with Saturday off..

 So I dragged Curt out to sit in obnoxious bridge traffic (hate the  Mid-Hudson bridge)

 Made some new friends

 It was a gorgeous day!

 Waited in line for probably 40 min for a lamb sandwich that was oh sooo worth it.

Yes, you guessed it- I went to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Show.  I only bought one skein of yarn (really hadn't been planning to go, so no yarn budget) but I had a fantastic  time !

Hate trying on dresses!

and I'm going to have to wear real shoes and makeup foe a wedding as well!!

A Tail

So, somebody  (who will remain nameless - but most of you can probably guess) wanted a mermaid tail snuggle sack.  I'm crocheting it, with Bernat Blanket yarn.  Very snuggly.  Very turn off the heat I'm hot kind of warm.  I did screw up and have to rip back, for some reason after decreasing to 48 and 40 I missed the FIVE rows of HDC and only did ONE row of HDC in the middle - it came out way to short for a supposed grown woman.  

I did change a few things in the pattern (shocking I know) I did the crochet cast on where you do the chain and the first row of HDC at the same time.  I saw it on the show "Knit and Crochet Today" awhile back, but they did chain and SC.  I also joined in the round and made it as a tube to avoid that seam later ( and telling myself the seam in the bum would be uncomfortable)  I'm 4 rows from seaming the bottom and then just have to make the fins, but I needed to take a picture for one of my Fraggles - so since I haven't finished anything recently I thought to post an update.  I am putting the pictures below the break line so if said person sees my post she won't look ( I don't think she looks at my blog - but just in case - we have a rule if she sees a gift before it's given she can't have it - so no point in taking chances!)

Rise of the Rocket Girls

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I wish I could give this book 10 stars!! Love the book. It is the story of the Jet Propulsion Lab, thus the story of missiles and exploring the solar system. It is a story that wouldn't be possible without the brilliant women who did all the actual math and physics to make it happen, and who then led the way to computer programs used by the missions. They won a battle against gender discrimination (for their time - and clearly not the war) managed to make the working mom prototype work at a time when only 20% of women worked after having children. NASA, the space programs, the planet owes these women a debt of gratitude.



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Montauk Daisies

Make me happy!

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband by Melissa Mayhue

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Really rough morning, escaped to 13th century Scotland for a couple hours, finished the book. Liked it enough to request the next in series,



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Adam's Image

Adam's Image by Debbie Macomber

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Originally published in 1985, so maybe that's why I don't like it? The concept of a woman (successful in her field) repeatedly letting some guy break her heart, and it's ok because he has self image/self worth issues? F that.



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Seriously, I'm a huge, huge Macomber fan.  Not this book though

Can someone explain this connection????