I am going to take a break until after the first of the year.  I have gifts to finish and blog work to do and I don’t want to bore you with either one.  So please accept my very best and most heart-felt wishes for joyous, blessed and safe holidays.  I will see you all again on January 3, 2005!

Part of the holidays is food, sweet and savory - all kinds of food.  Today I want to share a sandwich I discovered a couple of weeks ago.  It’s probably only new to me, but I have fallen hard for it and, as usual, can’t keep quiet about a good thing :) I get so used to eating prepared foods that I sometimes forget how good and how intense fresh food can be.  This is my Christmas sandwich named for colors and because of the season in which it was first made.

The ingredients are simple:

Christmas Sandwich (makes 2)

Tuna salad (or turkey breast)
1 ripe avocado
1 ripe Roma (Italian plum) tomato
Slices of red onion (as much or as little as you prefer)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pieces flat bread (sub rolls would probably work just fine too)

First, make your tuna salad to whatever specifications you prefer.  I like a bit of chopped sweet pickle (a spoonful of drained sweet relish works nicely too) but I don’t have any at the moment so I left it plain.  You can add chopped celery and/or onion - whatever you like to have.  Once it is mixed, set it aside.





I like the old fashioned small, Haas avocadoes - about the size and shape of a small pear.  In the markets in my area there are usually these plus at least one that’s quite a bit bigger (with a pit the size of a child’s fist).  The larger ones tend to be sweeter and while it’s not a bad flavor, I prefer the mild nuttiness of the Haas.  Use whatever suits you or whatever you’d like to try.  Look for one who’s skin has darkened slightly and who’s flesh yields to slight pressure.  If you’re anything like me you’ll want to make this sandwich when you get home and not have to wait three days for the avocado to ripen.  Oh, and if you do pick up an avocado that’s less than ripe (for future use) leave it on the table or the counter.  Don’t put it in the refrigerator.

Roma tomatoes are great for sandwiches because they’re less juicy and more meaty than regular tomatoes.  Look for a nice, deep red color and again, if they need to ripen, leave them on the table or the counter.

I love red onion though I only recently realized that it can be used raw with relative impunity.  It has a good, hefty flavor, but doesn’t have the effrontery of a raw yellow cooking onion.  I generally look for a small one as cut onions have a limited life-span and you won’t be using the whole thing for two sandwiches :)

Okay, now you want to cut things up.  Don’t try to peel the avocado yet.  Take your knife and run it around the lengthwise (top to bottom) circumference of the thing.  Make sure your knife is going right down to the pit.  Then turn the avocado and do the same thing so the second cut crosses the first (at the top and bottom) at right angles.  Now, insert your knife into one of the cuts on the side and pry gently.  The quarter slice should pop right off the pit.  Do this all the way around until your fruit is free.  You should be able to peel the skin right off easily but if you run into a persistent sticky bit, just run your knife tip between the skin and the flesh until it comes loose.  Your avocado should be in quarters.  Cut each of these pieces in half lengthwise.

Trim off the stem end of the tomato and stand it on the cut end.  Cut it into lengthwise quarters and then cut each of these in half - just as you did with the avocado.

For the onion - I found a useful trick for handling that.  Partly it was a hint from Diane following the Pasta Fagioli post.  She recommended keeping onions in the refrigerator and trying, if possible, not to slice off the root end.  What I also realized is that there’s no need to peel the thing for just a couple of slices.  Just cut your slices and pull off and discard the outermost ring.  All set!  Then put the remaining onion into a plastic bag, cut side right up against the plastic, seal and put back into the refrigerator.  It will stay useable for several days this way but I wouldn’t try to keep it more than a week.

Now, lay out two pieces of your favorite flatbread.  Here I’m using spinach but tomato is equally luscious - or just plain if that suits your fancy.  Play to your tastebuds :) I like the eye appeal of the colored breads but anything you like will work just fine.

If you’re using turkey breast, spread some mayonnaise over the surface of the flatbread and then place two or three slices of turkey on the bread, roughly in a line down the center.  If you’re using tuna salad, spread it on in the same way - in a swath down the center of the bread.

Now place 4 of your avocado slices and 4 tomato slices on the turkey or tuna.  Scatter red onion over all.  Lightly salt and use the pepper mill generously.

Turn the bottom third of your flatbread up over the filling.  Then, starting at one side, roll the sandwich up. 

Obviously you can do a lot with this kind of thing.  You can add condiments or relishes as and if you like.  I don’t use lettuce - that classic sandwich staple (to me, lettuce belongs in salads) - but many people wouldn’t feel it was a sandwich without it.  I’m a huge cheese lover, but for me, the avocado makes this sufficiently rich.  However, if you want to throw on a slice of cheddar or grate on a bit of Parmesan or Asiago, have at!  A couple of strips of bacon probably wouldn’t go amiss either :)

Grab a handful of chips and a bowl of soup and you’re good to go.  Wishing all your tastebuds and appetites a very, tasteful holiday - and leave one of these out for Santa :)

Mornin’ all :) Monday rolls around again and here we are!  It’s snowing here at the moment, the fine, dry stuff that floats around and is easy to clean off your car.  The weather critter says there won’t be much accumulation but the temperatures (around 16ºF) and the wind will make the most of it.

Actually, I’m enjoying it as I’m all snuggled up in my quilt and quite cozy and comfortable.  There’s nothing I need to go out for and the view out the window is pretty (see this week’s sidebar photo to look out my kitchen window) and I have my coffee and my knitting close to hand.  It might not be heaven, but I will take it :)

I got a pair of mitts and half of another pair plus most of a hat (you already know what hat - do you even need to ask? - heheh...) done over the weekend.  The mitts I’ll need for tomorrow and the hat was kind of a surprise project that popped up last Friday.  The recipient needs it by 1-5-05 and that shouldn’t be a problem :) I used some plum colored Cashmerino from the stash and am working it on size 6 (US) needles; it’s coming out splendidly.  I had tried this pattern before with the Cashmerino on size 8 (US) needles and wound up with something so limp and lifeless as to be unwearable.  The smaller needles were the right answer - this hat rocks and it’s going to be very soft and comfy :)

There was more stash acquisition on Friday, just a little :) I went out to my little country yarn shop (I have realized that I have nick-names for the three yarn shops I go to: The mill shop, the little country shop and the little city shop.  I know their names perfectly well, but this is the way I think of them) because I hadn’t been there in quite a while and, kind of, just to visit for a while.  Janet, the owner, is a knowledgeable and humorous person and she has two dogs that are great fun.  Their names are Cassie and Bailey and they are the happiest dogs you ever saw.  Myria and I had only just gotten out of the car when these two avid little faces appeared in the shop door, big grins on one end and furiously wagging backsides on the other.  Don’t know us from Adam’s off ox and they still couldn’t wait for us to come in and play!

I’ve never worked with Encore before though I understand it’s a pretty decent yarn.  What particularly intrigued me is that this Colorspun is supposed to stripe as you work.  Wouldn’t that be fun?  It’s otherwise what I understand regular Encore to be - 75% acrylic and 25% wool.  The strand has a nice, soft feel and the yarn seems to have a nice loft to it.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it works up.





The bright pink is mostly gone because a pair of mitts has already come out of it.  One mitt has been made from the blue and I have one to go.  I like working with this yarn, it’s very soft and cushy and the colors are very beguiling and cheerful :).  If you follow the knitlist, you know washable wools have been under discussion for a couple of days with, in the end, no one thinking a lot of them.  I hope this yarn will stand up reasonably well as I’m using it for gifts.  It’s nice to work with and felt warm and soft but I suppose that doesn’t address the issue of wearability or longevity.





This is the one that has me really champing at the bit.  It’s 45% cotton, 40% wool and 15% nylon - not a bad combination but it was the color that sucker-punched me.  Isn’t that sweet?  It’s entirely possible that I have Christmas on the brain and am simply succumbing to the influence of candy cane décor, but I think this is awesome!  You can see how it works up here.  Peppermint striped feet!  Is that not very cool indeed?  Wheeee!!

We’re indulging in a bit of Mannheim Steamroller this morning and you know, with that and the snow outside and the thought of upcoming, peppermint-striped socks, I believe I’m mildly exhilarated!  Heheh...time for more coffee :)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

This has been a really busy week and I’m feeling a little ragged.  Since any pictures I could show you would only be of things you’ve already seen, I decided not to bore you with still more mitts - which are proving to be quite a popular gift this year :)

I still have more running around to do tomorrow, but right now I’m going to take a nap.  I was lucky to get home from the supermarket without falling asleep :)

Have a great weekend!

Oy - yesterday was a long day :) We were out by 9:30 AM and didn’t get home until about 8:30 PM.  A great deal of that time was spent shopping for Christmas presents and I wore the wrong shoes for walking around in :) My back is still sore.  That’ll teach me although I really should have known better.

The yarn sale was wonderful and thanks to an early gift of cash from my dad I was able to indulge in some lovely stuff!

Myria has been using the Arucania Nature Wool crocheted mitts as the temperatures plummet around here.  She likes them, but they’re a little short for her and they’re much more my color than hers.  As Cashmerino was 30% off yesterday and as they had the exact, perfect “Myria” color, I scooped up a couple of balls to custom make her her very own pair.





The Inca 100% alpaca was so soft I could hardly believe my fingers.  I picked up these two skeins with the idea of making my dad a really nice pair of mittens.  I made him some last year out of Woolease and have felt guilty ever since that I didn’t use something better although, of course, he insists they’re just fine.  They’re also grey :( I hope to convince him that this deep red is a reasonable “guy” color and I know the alpaca will keep his hands and fingers warmer than the acrylic/wool.  I also think the color of the alpaca is incredibly beautiful - but I won’t mention that to dad as he’d probably decide it wouldn’t be appropriate for him!

The Royal blue yarn is Schaeffer “Anne” which was 50% off.  It’s a hand painted blend of superwash merino, mohair and nylon.  It is intended to make me a luxurious pair of socks.  This yarn makes me feel sinfully indulgent but I can’t wait to work it up and see how things turn out.  I would never have been able to even consider something this sumptuous if it hadn’t been on sale and feel humbly lucky to have run into it.  It will make maybe the only really nice socks I’ll ever own - but at least I’ll have the one pair :)

This stuff was in the get-rid-of-it bin - just the two hanks and I had never heard of it before.  It’s a bulky, 70% cotton, 30% acrylic blend.  The colors are very pretty - one hank is a pastel blend and the other is a teal blend.  It has a nice feel and, though I don’t yet know what I’m going to make of it, I’m looking forward to using it.





This was also in the get-rid-of-it bin and I was delighted to find it.  I have used the Spotlight cotton before and it is lovely, soft stuff.  As near as I can tell, it is also pretty colorfast.  This will keep me in washcloths and dish towels for quite a while and be fun to work with into the bargain - who could ask for more!

I may have mentioned that the shop is moving after Christmas and I had been worrying that it was going to move, like 50 miles away.  It’s not!!  In fact, it’s new location will be almost close enough for me to walk to.  Way cool!  It will be a lot better for them too.  Their current location is on the edge of the downtown area and, because of all the one-way you-can’t-get-there-from-here streets, is almost impossible to find.  It’s amazing they managed to do any business at all!  The woman in the shop also mentioned the possibility of there actually being enough room in the new place to have a table where people could come in for an hour or so with their knitting and sit and knit/chat/whatever and she invited me to come and do that :) We exchanged names (amazing how friendly you can be with someone over time - in a place like this - and never know their name), and wished each other happy holidays.

From there we headed up the coast to our hairdresser in Maine.  It’s always a pleasant trip and was especially nice yesterday with bright sunshine and clear skies - though the temperatures never got out of the 20s all day.  Myria’s hair is very long - waist length and never needs much more than a trim to the ends and the bangs.  My hair is much shorter and I’m trying to grow it out a bit.  That means that every time I get my hair cut, Mark (my hairdresser) has to figure out what to do to make it presentable for the next 6-8 weeks while retaining as much length as possible.  And he does it - I don’t know how, but he does it.  The man is an absolute wizard with the scissors.  I go in looking like the wrath of God and come out looking like a decent, respectable middle-aged lady (Ha!).  And yesterday, I came out not even looking terribly middle-aged!

After that was lunch and then the shopping battles.  The battles were won, thank goodness, but very tiresome and I’m glad they’re over for the most part.  We also acquired the extended version of Return of the King which we probably watch this afternoon!

As we were going home, I was thinking about my conversation with Lynn - the woman at the LYS.  I’m not a religious person.  And, to my shame, I often present a fairly cynical façade to the world.  It’s a defensive measure, I suppose.  Yet, I seldom feel that way at all.  One of the reasons I like this time of year so much is that it gives me an excuse to really wish someone - even someone I only know casually - well.  That is how I really feel most of the time.  I can’t seem to manage the “have a nice day” thing because that has passed into satire and sarcasm - nobody believes that anyone really means it any more.  But now, as we approach winter and the various festivals with which it abounds, it’s all right to sincerely and deeply wish someone well without fearing that they’ll think you’re making fun of them or that you’re nuts :)

Okay, I am nuts but I do sincerely and deeply wish all of you very well indeed.

And a happy mid-week mornin’ to you all.  I have a yarn sale to check out this morning and an appointment with my hairdresser this afternoon - what more could you ask from a Wednesday?  Which is why, in case you were wondering, I’m so offensively perky today :)

I did decide to attempt a tie with the sock yarn.  I looked at the Interweave Knits patterns but wound up striking out on my own anyway.  I was delighted to observe the pattern emerge in an entirely different way than it would for socks (over 9 sts on size 2 (US) needles).  I encouraged the pattern tactilely as well by doing simple, smooth stockinette on the “tweedy” parts and seed stitch on the solids.  I’m not sure where this is going exactly, but it’s an interesting experiment and I’m going to pursue it for a while, anyway.  I do need to borrow a tie from Dad so I can see where to start increasing and how long to make the thing overall.  No, he wouldn’t be interested in it - it has purple!  Heheh…





I don’t seem to be able to stop experimenting with and making little bags.  This began with the idea of a short-row circle.  And then I remembered the clever circular dish-cloth patterns at the Dishcloth Boutique.  This pattern makes 6 short row wedges for a circular cloth; I made 5 wedges and sewed it up.  The tassel is a bit large and it still needs a cord but I’m quite happy with the way it turned out.  It will be perfect for something small and pretty :)

There was a surprise package Monday afternoon from sweet Bron containing wonderful cinnamon sachet (my whole kitchen smells like cookies!!) and a lovely card and this:

She made this especially for my tarot deck and it’s an absolutely perfect fit .  It is so beautiful, and was such a thoughtful Yule/Christmas gift that, of course, I shed tears when I opened the package.  Thank you Bron, for the gift and the time you shared making it.

And that’s all for today folks.  I have to jump in the shower so I can get down to the mill shop for the sale (gotta be as early as possible!) and thence up north to get my locks trimmed.  Hope your days are fun and peaceful :)

I did indulgent knitting this weekend.  Since I am doing o-kay on Christmas presents and since I desperately wanted to work on something that didn’t have a deadline, I gave myself the weekend to play.

I worked on the possible fuzzy afghan strips.  This is looking more and more like a probability than just a possibility.

This is Bernat Boa combined with Caron Simply Soft and worked in garter stitch over 20 stitches on size (US) 10.5 needles.  Those are my Clover bamboo double-points peeking out.  I love them for doing this because they’re so short and easy to manipulate.  All I needed to do is put a point protector on one end.  I ran across the pastels while I was rummaging through the stash a couple of days ago.  I decided that combining it with a cream colored yarn and knitting a few rows of it into the strip at random might be a fun thing to do.





This is Lion brand Fun Fur also combined with Simply Soft.  I also have some brilliant red that would look interesting in this, but might contrast unpleasantly with the pastels in the other strip so I haven’t decided quite what to do about that just yet.  I would like to throw in some kind of random color into the Fun Fur strips as well.  Believe it or not, this makes a very sumptuous feeling fabric, dense and warm.

I wondered about doing this sort of afghan quite a while ago but not quite in these colors.  I imagined using two or three more naturally colored fur yarns, say tawny gold, pale beige and dark brown.  Not that the blanket would look like it was made out of real fur - just that the colors would approximate that look.  But, because of various other projects that didn’t work out, I wound up with a lot of blues and a smattering of a couple of other things.  And those colors will be just fine :)

You’re asking yourself about the crochet square afghan, aren’t you?  I’ve been having thoughts about stitching those squares into a poncho.  There, I’ve admitted it and yes, my head is hanging but there it is.  I haven’t entirely succumbed to the notion, but it’s an attractive one and it won’t go away.  It would be all the things the afghan would have been - personal, luxurious and very warm but in addition, it would be wearable - much more personal.  It’s an attractive idea…

I also started this:

This is the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl from the inestimable and prolific Sarah Bradberry.  I loved this shawl the minute I saw it and have been wanting to make it ever since.  The yarn is Red Heart and I was staring at the colors the other day when I realized they went nicely together and this might work nicely for the shawl.  In addition to the colors in the picture, there is a deep green/blue - spruce might be a good description - that will also be included.  I expect this project to go on for a while as I do other, smaller things...but I’m really liking this, the pattern, the colors - everything about it :) And this one isn’t going to be too small!

Now that the weekend is past, I’ve got other things to think about.  I’ve got three balls of jacquard sock yarn (purples) that have been calling me and they don’t seem to want to become socks.  So I’m considering other possibilities - mittens, hats, maybe a tie or two?  I wonder if it’s time for me to have a go at making real, honest-to-God gloves?  Eeek!  That’s a scary thought!

So how was your weekend?

Addendum:  The blog software was updated this weekend.  As always, please let me know if you experience any difficulties or problems.  Thanks!