Monday morning I woke up feeling disgusting. At 3am. First I was too cold. Then I was too hot. Then I was too cold again. It was a fun filled few hours until the alarm went off and I announced to Jason and the cats that there was no way in hell I was going to work. I felt like death warmed over twice. The kind with the burnt cheese around the edges.

Later in the morning I scraped myself out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen for some food of some sort and to whine to the cats about how awful I felt. They listened with rapt attention (while I was in the kitchen) but quickly turned their minds to other things. Like sleeping.

I had bought ingredients the previous day for a crock pot recipe I’d seen on All Recipes.com for Chicken and Dumplings that I wanted to make sometime this week and I figured that Monday was as good a day as any. I longed for the warm chickeny goodness that was hopefully going to fill a bowl around dinner time with my name on it.

Being true to self, I not only didn’t follow the recipe exactly, I also didn’t take any photos of the end product, which you’ll just have to take my word for, was awesome.

Here is what I did. I bought a can of cream of chicken and a can of cream of broccoli condensed soups. I also bought a box of chicken stock, three chicken breasts, poultry seasoning, an onion and pack of store brand giant fridge buttermilk biscuits; the ones that are supposed to flake apart.

Dump the soup into the crockpot (I line mine with those crock pot bags because I am lazy), mix it up a bit, plop the chicken in and I rolled mine around to coat them.. which was probably not necessary but I did it anyway. Because I could. Then dump your onion in. I then dumped in some cumin, poultry seasoning, black pepper and about three cloves of garlic. I didn’t really measure how much seasoning I put into it.. I just dumped some in the palm of my hand until it was about the size of a shooter marble and sprinkled it all over the place. Then I covered it all with chicken broth and turned the heat on for 6 hours.

When it got to be on for about 5 hours, I got the biscuits out of the fridge, cut them into quarters and opened the crock pot (which is apparently a no no.. but I did it anyway. I’m a rebel in this way) put them evenly on top of the bubbling broth/soup mixture and pushed them down gently. Replace the lid and let it go for about an hour. My crockpot switches to warm after this and I let it go for another half an hour and everything was still bubbling like crazy. That’s it. It’s ready to eat.

If I make this again I think I’ll break the chicken up before I put the biscuits on top.. I think it’d be better that way, but this is what experimentation is for.

While I was laying on the couch, again complaining to the cats (both of whom were past caring but this point) the doorbell rang and a small box was sitting just inside the storm door.

It was a gift from my dear friend Emilie and a card just to say hello. How she knew exactly when I needed a pick me up most, I’ll never know but her timing is impecable. My little phoenix and I have been spending quality time together ever since.

I finished my second fingerless glove on Sunday. I was so happy! Even though I didn’t exactly follow the directions (I didn’t knit them on DPNs because I can’t [It turns into a frustrating swearfilled mess of pointed wooden objects], and I didn’t knit the thumb on DPNs, I crocheted it) I think they turned out great.

I was able to wear these to the retreat my office went on yesterday where we were in the great outdoors for 95% of the day. The temperature was a balmy 40ish degrees (ie: freezing) and even with three layers on I was a bit chilly.

I knit these flat, seamed them and then crocheted a thumb because I was

Some things that I would change if I made them again without making them on double pointed needles:

• Read up on seaming techniques. Mine aren’t horrible but I’d love to figure out a way to stitch with a needle that would resemble knitting stitches more. or better. Or hey, why not, more better.
• I’d like to knit a thumb instead of crocheting it. Not on DPNs of course, because let’s not get all crazy here.. but I’d knit a small rectangle and hopefully.
• I’d also like to test out another type of wool yarn. I think I’d like to stay with wool or at least a wool blend. After one day of serious use there is some fuzzing (pilling?) from the Paton’s Classic Wool that I used. It could just be me or it could be the yarn but in any case I’d like to experiment with something else.
• Learn about casting on and binding off for ribbed work.. I don’t know if there are different types out there (I think there are) and I’m not sure what is best used in which instance. I would say that I’d have liked a bit more give in the bind off (around the fingers) than I have currently, though it’s not a deal breaker.
• Remember that when working pattern rows backwards, to work them backwards. One of the gloves has the cables all in a row and the other one (which I think is the correct sequence) has the middle one offset from the other two. This doesn’t bother me all that much because they are the prototype experimental version, but next time it’d be swell if they matched. Just sayin.

Aside from those changes, I really don’t have any complaints for the way that I bastardized the pattern. They fit snugly around the wrist, the seam job, while not perfect, isn’t really hideous or noticeable (unless you’re hunting for it) and they do the job of keeping warmth in, especially when layered with a sweater or a hoodie.

Making things harder for myself isn’t something new to me. I seem to do it with everything. I can’t possibly just follow instructions as written because that would be far too easy. Can I follow the same path that everyone else is treading? Nope, I have to veer off into the underbrush, snagging my clothes and getting scratches (and possibly poison ivy) all the while wondering why on earth it’s so hard to complete what it is I’m attempting.

This is something I’ve accepted about myself and yet still halfway through whatever it is I’m trying to do or learn I stop and go “Well, huh. Imagine that.”

Take my latest one of my obessions. Possessing fingerless gloves. Not just any fingerless gloves though. That would be far too easy. No, these have to be a pair of gloves created by Cheryl Niamath for Knitty.com called Dashing. I’ve been obsessed with these from the moment I laid eyes on them. These are the gloves that will CHANGE MY LIFE. Or something. All I know is that I instantly fell in love with them.

I think that I really wanted them because they seemed like a complicated project to undertake. Knitting on double pointed needles (DPNs) was foreign to me. Cables, I had practiced a bit, but never in a project before. What wasn’t to love? I’d learn to knit on dpns, I’d do some cables, and then I’d have myself a fun pair of gloves.

And a year later I’m still without them.

It turns out that knitting on DPNs is not only not for everyone, but it’s freaking hard. So many pointy little bits all over the place. All at once. I think I’ve tried to start these no less than 6 times. I have a feeling that this is going to be a lot like learning to crochet, though that I had to learn backwards. I predict that if I can ever find someone to sit down with me and show me how to do it there will be a lot of yelling at needles and yarn and words will fly that would make a sailor blush. It’s a process. It’s how I function.

Then I thought about buying a pair on Etsy and while there were some really beautiful ones available and they had cables I disliked something about every pair I saw. Too many cables. Not enough cables. Too long. Not long enough. Not the right color. Too dark. Too light… And then I realized that the only way I’d be happy with a pair of fingerless gloves, truly happy, were if I made them myself. Which is sad because it’s so much easier to buy handmade things by skilled people instead of trying to master that skill yourself.

Until I can get in line with everyone else though (those who can do and those who can relinquish complete control of how their perfect garment should look) I decided to experiment. Who doesn’t love a good experiment? I certainly do. And most times they work. Sometimes they don’t, but that’s life right? I’ve nothing to lose expect time by taking this gamble and a pair of gloves to gain if it works out the way I want it to.

So instead of continuing to try and knit these gloves on DPNs (per the instructions and probably the easier, smarter way to knit them) I’ve decided to knit them on straight needles which is interesting because I get to reverse every other row. Which is confusing. And I’ve learned the valueable skill of UNknitting without dropping any stitches.

My knitting is terribly slow. Horribly slow. Grass grows faster than I knit. So to make things more interesting I’ve decided to try and set my deadline for having these gloves done (IF they work out that is) by October 12th. This is a date of our office retreat where we’ll be sitting outside in a pavillion all day. In the cold. Where there will be no walls to block the wind. In October. Where it will probably be around 60 degrees if we’re lucky and possibly wet.

So here is my progress. I’ve almost come to the portion where I’m supposed to put in the extra bit of a different color yarn to make the thumb hole which scares me shitless (Yarn that isn’t tied down to anything! That could fall out! At any moment!!!). How I’m going to make the thumb, I haven’t decided. I may fake it with some crochet. I’m good at doing crochet ribbing and while it may look a bit different, these are for me and don’t have to be absolutely perfect. Just mostly perfect. I’ll most likely end up agonizing over the final product in any event so let’s all just go with it ok? Once this is done, I’m going to attempt to seam them up and make a tube. I’m excited.

I’ll admit something that a lot of my friends probably know about me already. I don’t cook. I CAN cook, I just choose not to. There’s something daunting about the prospect of figuring out what to make for dinner and then executing that plan. Every night. My ideal form of cooking is to wait for inspiration to try some new and exciting dish and to go wild and anticipate the concoction I’ve just created.

When Laurieposted a few of the salads that she’d been making for lunch (That she picked up from the NYT) I was smitten with the idea of recreating my very own California roll salad. And I did. And it was superb. (The jury is still out on Jason fully liking it, but I loved it). Basically you cube a cucumber, dice up an avocado toss in some lump crab meat if you’re feeling frisky and for a dressing you mix some rice vinegar, soy sauce and honey together. It’s tangy, it’s sweet, it was a good dinner. For me. Next time though I think I want to mix some wasabi into the sauce and instead of just a bowl, I want to put it all on a bed of brown rice.

I suppose I have to wait for the desire and the creativity to smack me in the face before I want to venture into the kitchen and boil pasta again. For the umpteenth time. I get bored of the same old thing but I don’t really have any staples that I know by heart to make week after week and it’s so much easier to go to Wendy’s and order a number 6. Since I’ve sworn off fast food, Wendy’s is no longer an option for me and I really want to focus on cooking actual food every night or at least making enough of something (a healthy something!) that I’ll have left overs. Who doesn’t love a good leftover?

Last night I made a quick and easy spinach tortellini soup. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make and when Fall rears it’s ugly head it’s one of the soup recipes that I always turn to. I love to make it in the fall and winter as it’s so pretty with it’s greens and reds and spiciness and with a loaf of cheesy bread (that I did not bake myself. What am I?? Saint Justin!?) it’s the perfect meal. I didn’t say it’s the perfect healthy meal… but it’s perfect none the less in my eyes.

The recipe, which is so open and pour it’s not even funny goes something like this:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp butter (I used a big of olive oil last night instead)
• 1 bag frozen tortellini
• 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach (Let this thaw out a bit so you can saw through it or you could use however much you want. Love spinach? Dump in the whole thing and then you won’t have half a package of half frozen spinach)
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (I usually try to find ones that aren’t full of extra shizzle and seasoned to the hilt, but whatever floats your boat)
• 6 cups chicken stock (I just buy the biggest can I can, dump that in and then fill the can half way with water. Sometimes I throw in a bullion cup too just for extra zip. If there are leftovers the tortellini usually absorb a LOT of the soup so just keep that in mind)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Here’s what you do:

Saute the garlic in the butter (or olive oil if you’re gonna be all healthy about it), then dump your stock and tortellini into the pot and crank that up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn it down to a simmer and add your peppers (black and cayenne) and let that simmer for about 5 minutes. Then dump in your spinach and the can of tomatoes (you can drain the tomatoes if you really want to.. I don’t though) and let it go for another 10 minutes or so.

Bam. You have soup. See how easy? While that was doing it’s thing, I sliced up big fat slices of cheesy bread and smeared them with butter. Hey… I’ve given up soda, alcohol and fast food.. I need a little fun once in a while, right?