Catching Up on Cooking and Housekeeping

The weather has been much cooler this week, and I have been doing more cooking and cleaning. Yesterday I made artichokes. My mom always cooked them this way, and they are delicious. You cut them in half, and lay them cut side up, in a casserole or baking dish. Generously pour  vinaigrette and fresh lemon juice over them. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil, and bake for an hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

I turn them over and let them marinade in the salad dressing. They keep well in the fridge, and taste delicious either hot or cold. You can dip the leaves in mayonnaise.  They are just delicious. I love making my mom's recipes. They remind me of her; she was such a good cook. I'm sure she would be happy that I am continuing to cook and bake her favorite dishes.

Yesterday afternoon,  after I got home from my knitting group, I got the urge to do some housework. I vacuumed, dusted the living room, and scrubbed the bathtub with my homemade liquid soap and baking soda. I also did a quick mop of the kitchen floor with the swifter and white vinegar and water spray.  I took a nice warm half bath, and soaped myself with a new bar of homemade She Butter Goat's Milk Soap. It felt so good this morning to get up to such a clean house. It was so nice and  peaceful as I enjoyed my morning coffee. I realized that I was getting very down on myself about letting the house go. It wasn't awful, but it feels so pleasant and healthy when it's spick and span. I'm going to invest more time in the chores that I have been neglecting, and make them a priority. I can always reduce the time I spend on line. I tend to loop between Etsy, the blog, forums, and Facebook.         

I've realized that I need to cut down on my knitting time, too. I love it, but I can knit less hours per day.  Today I washed Lana's bed, and the sheet that I keep on top of my bed, in case she sneaks up there. (which she  did today when I went to Costco.) I put out some old linen sheets on her bed and on mine, while ours are on the clothesline, drying. The hot sun does a nice job of bleaching them.  I made a pot of cream of broccoli soup, and another batch of chicken broth. I reused the carcass for a third time,  and added more vegetables and herbs. Lana is eating her kibble again. I pour a cup of chicken stock over it, and tuck in a few small pieces of chicken that have fallen off the bones.

I discovered that I made an error in my vintage sweater. The front has more stitches than the back, and I was following the increases for the back. I will have to rip it out quite a ways...just like I did with the baby blanket last week. Oh well. It's only knitting. I wish I had read the pattern more carefully. The vintage patterns are written differently. It's good practice.  It's such a relief to not be frying in the heat anymore. I am going to drink some chicken broth, enjoy a pot of fruit tea, and spend an hour or so knitting. Thanks for stopping by; I hope you are doing well.