Braised Red Cabbage (try green, too!)

You will need:

• 2-5 lbs. red cabbage (I always make a ton for leftovers, and I also feed a small child army)
• ~1/4 cup canola or olive oil
• few pinches of salt
• apple cider vinegar, about 1/4 cup
• pinch of granulated garlic, optional
• vegetable stock (I use cubes, choose your favorite!)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium apple

Begin my cutting your cabbage head in half. You can use every leaf that is not “rubbery” or too stiff. Discard the center white heart. Cut into large pieces, however is comfortable for you.

Peel and cut both the apple and the onion, into larger chunks. Add a slash of oil into a large covered pot. Add onion and cook several minutes, until sizzling. Add apples. Cook for several minutes, until fragrance fills the kitchen.

Add cabbage, handfull at a time. Add a bit more oil, (garlic if desired) salt, ~1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (more if you like a more sour flavor). Stir to coat all cabbage. Preheat oven to 350 F

and cook for about 15 minutes, until cabbage has wilted a bit. The cabbage will not be as vibrant.

At this point you will add the last pinch of salt and ~2 cups vegetable stock. Stir well. You do not need to fully submerge the cabbage in the stock, but you should have enough liquid to see it.

Cover pot and put in oven. You will cook the cabbage for at least 3 hours. Be sure to take out the cabbage to give it a peek every hour or so. You’ll want to make sure there aren’t any leaves stuck to the pot.  You will see that it’s finished cooking by noting how much the cabbage has reduced in the pot. The cabbage will be soft, like a freshly looked artichoke heart.  Serve with pasta, rice, or eat as a snack. (which I do frequently!) You can even eat it cold!

Enjoy!

20/365: Yes we did!, originally uploaded by zen mama.

Thank you to my American friends and neighbors, though I may have doubted our collective willingness to embrace change, you have filled these hearts with joy and hope for a new day. May we walk with unwavering strength and resolve on our long journey… we will not fail.

For my friends and neighbors who did not elect this change, we extend our hands and hearts… that they may join together and unite for our common goals of peace, love, and prosperity for all humankind. More unites us than could ever divide us.

The greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed but the vast majority who sat idly by.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I got some spinning done for a holiday gift!

Funny how the simplest things can clear the fog. My kids have been extra helpful, they know Mama is feeling really low lately. Tonight we’ll bring out the blankets and pillows, spread them across the floor… and I’ll make home made popcorn! yum!

I’m also particularly excited about starting the new round of clubs in 2009. Finally, I can see the end of all the waiting my sock club and a few customers have endured for a *ridiculously* long time. That to me is the most wonderful news I could hope for right now. It means movement. forward. I can have something to look forward to. I really really do enjoy my work and the friends I’ve made in connection with it. Amazing the fiber community is, I tell you.

Thanks for sticking with me and holding me up when I fall.

Blessings of joy and happiness to you!
-a.

… AND today I started the 365 photo project. This is a huge step for me. I can think of few things I enjoy LESS than seeing a photo of myself. I am hideously critical and honestly have just never learned to accept myself in the flesh. This is completely opposite of how I view the world. I cannot (literally!) think of a single “ugly” person. I see beauty everywhere, and yet cannot find it close. There are lots of reasons for this, of course… but the point is that I’m ready to shed the old painful thoughts that continually cut me. I’m taking the 365 challenge! (see Flickr box to your left) I may need a little support…. I’m a skeered!

Thanks for reading, I will try to at least update 2 times per week. And do the 365.

Blessings friends!

-Angelina

New yarn!! Bellissima lace yarns!! The Loopy Ewe will be our exclusive online retailer for this yarn, and it will be in next week! (You’ll have to catch a sneak up, I bet) Here’s your sneak peek… I LOVE doing subtle solids!!

And a sneak peek at tomorrow’s stocking in the store:

In the Knews: I am working on the last inch of some teeeeeny little longies for a swell little scallywag… finishing up and making test pairs for the new pattern coming out this month. Sadly, I had to set my Pumpkin King Jaywalkers aside from pain again. I have ONE whole sock for me, though! woohoo!! I think I’ll try again in a few weeks to see if the pain will get better. It’s so weird how it’s shifted. I used to have no pain on the little needles, only the large ones… now exactly opposite for the last several months. ??? weird.

Also! CALLING ALL FABRIC LOVERS!!! Fabric is the one thing I may just have more of than yarn… and it’s time to set it free! I am auctioning off HUNDREDS of yards of fabric for about 1/4 the cost I purchased it at. Something for everyone, from fashion to quilters. Have a look here  for those…

I also want to THANK YOU all for my birthday wishes. I was not in the car headed west as I wanted to be, but it was a great day none the less.

Have a great weekend ahead, and keep stitching!

Namaste
-a.

Click here for the pattern! It’s super easy, for 3 or 4 sts/inch… lots of yarns to choose from!

enjoy

As it is, there’s still a big move ahead… so I’ve gone ahead and cast on a pair of socks for me. The Pumpkin King Jaywalkers on Lotus Toes. I mean, my birthday is coming up… why shouldn’t I have new socks!?

And in the knews:

Thuja socks for Zen Daddy:

Simply socks in Masquerade yarn by Dashing Dachs for the freshly four daughter:

What are you working on??

This summer started off with a bang, then some shoves, and then a few punches. We were greeted with massive backorders, mill screw ups, several bouts of illness in the house with children and adults, and did I mention the computer loss in June!? So, uh, yeah… that’s what I’ve been doing. What have you been up to!? I don’t have much in the way of Knews, as I injured my wrists, all the way to the shoulder! Tiny needle knitting (my beloved socks!) is out of the question still. ouch. But, I have been able to whip up two pairs of pants for my Em, the bulky yarn and huge needles seem to be gentler on the hands.

Sadly, she’s coveted the other pair, so I don’t have photos just yet. This one is Bart & Louise in the Garden Nirvana bulky, used about 8.75 oz:

 (nothing like a cactus drying rack!)

I have been spinning!! Let’s review, shall we? (go ahead and pull up a chair and get a drink..)

Through The Looking Glass superwash BFL, first navajo ply (THANK YOU ANNA!!!) 

2 ply BFL “Mulberry Bright” by the lovely Carrie of Funky Carolina:

“Splendor” superwash African merino: (super soft!!)

“Pinwheel” Targhee dyed by the ever talented Julie at Selah (bulky 2 ply, you could use this as a pillow!)

“Esquire” Targhee 2 ply, worsted to aran weight. Zen Daddy insists that it is a hat for him. hmmm?

“Hopi” superwash BFL 2 ply, to become socks for one of the sons…

“Neopolitan” BFL by the amazing Georgia Yarn Pirate: (I’m thinking the lace vine hat resized for Em?)

And most recently a test spin of last month’s FotM, Sea Glass superwash merino/Tencel (yum!)

Gosh, that was a lot of spinning!! I can’t wait until I can knit it all up!

So what’s next? Lots of goodies stocking very soon at The Loopy Ewe!! I sent Sheri a batch of Bambewe with many many new colorways!! Here’s just a little peek:

The Twisted ladies should be opening a big box of goodies today! So don’t forget to stop by if you’re in the Portland area! Lots of the exclusive Twisted colorway in both sport and fingering!

Wool Girl will be stocking a great variety of yarns later this month, too!

In store news:  Recently, we made the hard decision to stop taking custom dye orders. Instead, we will focus on keeping our retailers and our own store stocked. Please feel welcome to put in requests for yarns and colorways to be stocked! We’ll even email you to let you know it will be in the store.

Okay, I’ll be better about updating!! Something about blogging when you’re really feeling cruddy just doesn’t jive, and I apologize for the quietness in bloggity land. We’re finally on the upswing, and we have lots of really exciting projects on the horizon… so stay tuned!!

Peace & Blessings~

Namaste!
Angelina
(and the whole Zen crew)