Knot Sew Crafty

Maira Kalman is In Love With A. Lincoln

More delight from Maira Kalman...

I just love her!

Thanks so much to Wendy for the suggestion.

Drumroll Please...

And the winner of the Mystery Giveaway is...

Lexi of Potty Mouth Mama

Thanks to all who entered and please be sure to check back often because I love giveaways and you never know when I might throw one in just for fun!

My Sentiments Exactly

You can buy this poster and many other delightful posters on Etsy from dazeychic.

Seen on tiny abstraction

**Come enter the Mystery Giveaway!

Does Anyone Remember Top Secret and Real Genius?

Glad to see Val Kilmer.

Even though he's dressed like this:

 

seen on Jewssip

**Don't forget to enter the Mystery Giveaway!

Look What I Found at Goodwill for 50 Cents!

I am skipping-around-the-room happy!  I usually have terrible luck at thrift shops, but last time I went to Goodwill, I found this book.  Do any of you remember the Gnome craze during the Seventies? Secrets of the Gnomes is a follow-up to the original Gnomes book.  The illustrations are so beautiful and poignant, and I remember them in such detail from my childhood.  Bliss.

It is still No-Spend February, but in my defense, I actually bought this book in January.  I do admit, though, that if I found it somewhere today for 50 cents, I'd buy it anyway.  Oh yes I would!  

**Don't Forget to enter the Mystery Giveaway!

Mystery Giveaway!

Oh yes, it is time for a Mystery Giveaway.  In the past, these packages have contained some or all of the following:                                                                                                                         

--Something to sew with --Something to knit with --Something to read --Something to listen to --Something Japanese --Something French --Something vintage --Something pretty --Something useful --Something frivolous --Something mysterious...

Who can say what this Mystery Giveaway will contain?

If you'd like to enter, leave a comment to this post. If you feel like it, you can tell me something that you'd like to see more of on Knot Sew Crafty, but you don't have to in order to enter the contest.

I will pick a winner on Friday, February 27th at 8PM Eastern Standard Time (US). International entrants are welcome!

More Love for Mark Bittman

My love and affection for Mark Bittman is no secret.  

I didn't think it could possibly get any stronger, but it has.  

Mark Bittman has a new book called Food Matters in which he discusses why a mostly plant diet is best for us and for the planet.  The plan that he personally follows is something he calls "Vegan 'Til Six"--very simply he eats grains, veggies, and fruit for breakfast and lunch, and then whatever he wants for dinner.  He describes it further in the book, as well as in this podcast and the TED Talk found here.  (If you haven't seen/heard the TED Talks, you should definitely go take a peek.  Be forewarned that you might get stuck there for a while!)

Mary Beth, of the wonderful blog Salt and Chocolate, is going to follow "Vegan 'Til Six" for Lent.  I don't generally observe Lent, but I'm going to join her anyway, for Lent and perhaps for the rest of my life. Who can say?  The only thing that I will do differently is that I might eat vegan for dinner and whatever I want for lunch, because I'm generally hungrier at lunchtime.  I also don't have Bittman's "problem" of people wanting to take him out to dinner, or inviting him to lavish dinner parties.  Sigh.

Mary Beth is giving away a copy of the book, so go visit her and leave a post by Friday!

**I just realized that this was my 301st post!  Check back over the next few days for a KSC Mystery Giveaway Package announcement...

Happy Valentine's Day

seen on Feministing

Tyler Florence's Black Bean Soup

 Jessica from Turkey Cookies is having a soup swap today and I am contributing a great family recipe for Black Bean Soup.  It's not from my family, but since Tyler Florence is a Facebook friend of mine, I figure that's close enough.  

• 1 pound dried black beans 
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 jalapeno, split
• 1 3/4 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Pick through the beans and discard any debris - wash under cold running water. In a food processor, add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.

Set a large pot over medium heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add the oregano and cumin. Add vegetable puree and saute until just fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Add beans, ham hock, jalapeno, and stock. Slightly cover and simmer for 2 hours until beans are tender.

When cooked, remove bay leaves and take out ham hock. Cut ham meat off the bone, cut into pieces and set aside.

Using a blender or immersion blender, puree just enough of the beans and stock (about a third of the total pot) to thicken up the soup and bring everything together. Season with salt and pepper and fold ham meat back into the soup.

Make the crema by combining sour cream and zest. Serve each soup with a spoonful of lime crema, a squeeze of lime and some fresh cilantro.

Australian Bushfires

I am heartsick about the bushfires in Victoria, Australia, and I want to send my love and thoughts to my beloved Australian bloggers, to all of those affected, and to the entire country of Australia.  I don't know what to say about this horrible, unthinkable tragedy, except that I hope it ends swiftly without any more destruction and death.  I'm not a praying person, but I'm praying for them.

Melbourne blogger Pip has some great ideas of how to help.