Knot Sew Crafty

Happy Halloween!

Best wishes for a Happy Halloween from Countess Dracula and the Two Little Witches!

Unknown Blogs

Cool idea.

I'm joining up.

November in Black and White

As October draws to a close, I'm going to take some inspiration from Springtree Road's November in Black and White.

I hope that taking pictures in black and white for the month will encourage me to look at things in a different way. For some unknown reason, I haven't felt like taking pictures for a while, and I don't like to post without a photograph. I'm counting on Maya's idea to drag me out of my downward blogging spiral! Come join in, if you want. It starts this Saturday, November 1st.

Pretty Shiny Gadget that Oprah Loves

Oh, how I want one!

**I love books. Love them. I have overstuffed bookshelves and stacks of books all over my house. I consider defacing a book to be sacrilege. I revere books.

I also like shiny gadgets, and I feel that reading a pulpy paperback on a Kindle would be ok, and I'd save some trees, and, did I mention that it's shiny and pretty? And I could read blogs on it, too? And newspapers, therefore saving even more trees?

I could never, ever give up beautifully printed books, but I could give up crappy ones!

Two Lost Souls

I am aware that I've been a lousy blogger lately. Too many YouTube videos. Not enough original content. Generally uninspired and uninspiring.

Sorry!

I hereby vow to post more often and to be more interesting!

Starting, uh, tomorrow...

Until then, however, I leave you with my favorite Tracey Ullman sketch:

Happy Birthday V!

If you have a minute, stop by Springtree Road and see the super-cool thing that Maya posted.

Don't forget to wish V a happy third birthday!

Jessica's Soup Swap 2

Jessica from Turkey Cookies is back with her soup swap!

This recipe comes from Culinate, and I should say that while I intended to make it yesterday, it just didn't happen. I can't wait to add it to my repertoire, though, because I am always on the look-out for good kale recipes and healthy comfort foods. I think it will be dinner tonight.

Potato-Kale Soup
By Carrie, from the Culinate Kitchen collection

Serves 6
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients:
~ Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red or yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
~ Pinch of red chile flakes
1 lb. Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
6 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, washed, stems discarded, leaves finely chopped
~ Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Pour enough olive oil into a large soup pot to cover the bottom.
Over medium heat cook the onion, garlic, and chile flakes for several minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
Add the potatoes, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
Add the kale, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the kale is tender and the potatoes are soft.
Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
(If you like a smoother texture, you can also purée, or partially purée, the soup once the vegetables are cooked.)

Frightening Discovery

Look what I found hiding in a mall a mere thirty minutes away from my home:

Aisles and aisles of Japanese goodness!

Much shinier and more beautiful in person than in my lousy cell phone photos!

Rows of Totoro-inspired products!

And, oh, the Japanese craft book goodness!

I'm swooning just thinking about it.

Quick, somebody hide the credit cards!

**It's the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY. Visit if you dare!

Crafternoon

I just got a delightful book called Crafternoon, which is chock full of project ideas and recipes to help you start your own monthly crafternoons with friends. I've been wanting to do this for a long time anyway, and now I have a good blueprint and some cheerful encouragement to get me started. As a Knot Sew Crafty person myself, I love that the book does not focus on Martha-like perfection, but instead on fun and camaraderie with would-be crafters of all ages and skill levels.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I know the literary agent of the author. I promise you, however, that I would never recommend anything that I didn't like, unless, of course, someone wants to offer me buckets of money. In that case, I promise to use a code word so that you'll know that I'm fibbing. If I ever mention the word "persimmon" and it has nothing to do with food or cooking, you'll know to disregard that post...

India Says

"I'm soaring, flying. There's not a star in Kevin I just can't reach!"

"Let's go to Cape Cod and visit the Kermit crabs!"