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(to borrow from Soulemama) Right Now I'm...
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95JQFOcuTg]
What are you up to?
Mr. Cleaver and I tried quinoa for the first time this morning, we used the Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe from Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine via 101 Cookbooks and it was definitely tasty and filling. I'm looking forward to trying quinoa in more savory and salad dishes too.
In other news, it looks like spring is finally making it's way to Maine!
On Thursday I finally got around to making my annual apple pies. Technically you could say I made six, but I ended up with two, as four went to my co-workers who came over for a pie-making lesson/afternoon.
I might of eaten pie for breakfast. Twice.
In other news, I've planted about 100 bulbs for the spring, raked some leaves, put the down comforter on the bed, finished my first sweater of the season, and sewed about 70% of my Halloween costume.
Yep. Looks like fall.
[PS - want a sneak peak of my Halloween costume or other projects in process? Check out my twitter account! ]
On Saturday after several weekends of sickness and rain, we finally, finally! made it out for our annual trip to Ricker Hill for apple picking.
And even better, the the pick your own fields at Ricker Hill are dog-friendly, so we took Steinbeck along for his first apple picking adventure.
Steinbeck wasn't really into the apples, and he definitely wasn't into the slingshot.
But he did enjoy the wagon ride, and was very interested in the porcupine we wouldn't let him within twenty feet of.
As for the people, we got a beautiful crisp fall day, great views, a chubby pumpkin and half a peck of delicious apples.
See ya next year Ricker Hill!
After a few days of rainy-day postponement and a bit of waffling, Mr. Cleaver and I made our way to the Cumberland County Fair Friday evening having decided to alternate years with the Fryeburg Fair.
The Fair never really changes, the bunnies and fried dough occupy their same spots each year, but there's something comforting in it's familiarity: in the pig races and livestock pulls, the pumpkins and mums, the earnest 4-Hers and the disaffected teens.
I'm sure one year I'll tire of it, but for now I revel in the contrast of the farm and the ferris wheel, and dream of mini-rex bunnies with fur like velvet.
This Saturday, I headed up to Unity for the Common Ground Fair with Aimee, Eric, and Bristol. While it was a bit grey and drizzly, there were plenty of interesting things to brighten up the day and a good time was had by all. And now, I'm going to let the photos do the talking.
[The tag reads: "Turkey-tail Hat for walking in Snowy Firs, with Goose + Goat families depicted, ^plus one Beaver, and the 24 lb. Raccoon who opened and squeezed through the 5½" x 6" chicken door.]
What are your favorite things to do at the fair??
While Labor Day is the unofficial end of Summer here in the States, the official end of the season doesn't get here for a few more days, which means Mr. Cleaver and I time to sneak in one more excursion under the wire.
We'd wanted to return to the Coastal Maine Botantical Gardens ever since our last visit there, particularly since we were there about a week before the new children's garden opened.
It was worth the return visit. The children's garden was designed based on classic children's books: mostly Maine-based ones like Blueberries for Sal
Miss Rumphis (one of my personal favorites)
and
Burt Dow, Deep Water Man
And a few non-Maine tales were represented as well.
The garden was very interactive with mazes, treehouses, and a playhouse/garden, and interact we did.
We also visited some of the other gardens, and took note of a few plants we'd like for our own garden next year.
It's been two years since my last visit to Fiber Frolic. I've been spinning for nearly two years! I fell for needlefelting! Both of which open my Fiber Frolicking world!
While there were tons of beautiful yarns I didn't pick any up this year (though it was all I could do not to buy this Sweet Bunting Cardigan kit on display at Dirty Water Dyeworks, but since I don't know any babies or soon to arrive babies to knit for I held off).
similarly, I think it was all Aimee could do to not walk off with this 4 week old lamb.
After having been to a number of fiber festivals, it was nice to see some great stuff from vendors I hadn't seen before,like this roving from Purple Fleece, which I didn't pick up and this menrino/tencel braid from Highland Handmades that I did.
I must have been in a whimsical mood on Saturday, because my other two purchases where these charming needlefelting kits Off the Beaded Path (I've already started one) and the frog and bead stitch markers from Enchanted Knoll Farms
Fortunately I still had some funds left over for the superb fair food (gyros and sweet potatoes fries - yes please!!)
After lunch there were more friends and fleeces to snorgle
And look who we found in the rabbit barns!!
Can I say for the record, these fleeces were lovely and make me want to move up to a wheel so I could justify the poundage?? Fiber frolic is such an enabling event, for reals. Good thing I have Tour de Fleece coming up soon, so I can get back into some serious spinning!!
(PS -for another take on this trip, in which my right shoulder makes a cameo- visit Aimee at 52 weeks, 52 hats)
Thanks to taking a few much-needed days off from work and a national holiday, I just wrapped up a 5-day weekend, which was absolutely lovely.
It didn't hurt that after weeks of rain, we finally had a string of sunny and warm days.
Somethings I did
All in all, I feel totally refreshed - exactly what you want from a long weekend.
One of my favorite things about the new house is the absurdly large number of birds that live in the trees in our yard. I've spotted chickadees, tufted titmice, blue jays, cardinals, hawks, grackles (I think), woodpeckers and more. This morning I spotted my first robin. Quite fitting for the first day of spring (and more fitting than the current snowfall).
For today's outfit I pulled out an old sewing project. I had this skirt in the "to mend" pile, but don't remember what needed mending. It might have been that I wanted to hem it differently. I was pleased to discover I had done a really good job lining and finishing this skirt - despite having made it a long time ago (over 2 years!!), before I had started focusing on finishing.
Blue Blazer: LL Bean Outlet
White Tee: Target
Butterfly Wing Necklace: D. Cole Jewelers, gift from Mr. Cleaver
Brocade Pencil Skirt: Burdastyle Alexis, made by me.
Shoes: Bass Outlet
In other news, my Krona knitting patterns were featured today on the Quince & Co. Website. Much thanks to Pam for including me!!
It feels like forever since I've put out a pattern, but I've got something very springy currently in testing and it should be out by April 1st. For at least one reader of this blog it will look very familiar...