Dyer In the Rough - Adventures in Life & Knitting

Recipe: Bunless Burgers

2012-03-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

As discussed in Episode 14 of The Pagan Knitter podcast, my recipe for a bunless burger.

Bunless Homemade Burgers

Ingredients
Patties:

1lb/454grams ground meat (any of the following - chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, ostrich)
1 small white or yellow onion, skin off, grated fine
1 cup bread crumbs (homemade or store-bought, or finely crushed taco or potato chips)
1 whole egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
handful of fresh or dried herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram (play with combos of these)
1 heaping teaspoon of fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
optional spices - cumin, garlic powder, fresh garlic (2 cloves, finely minced), paprika, chili powder

Burger supports:

Lettuce leaves (Romaine, Red or Green-leaf - you want large leaves for holding the patties)
Optional veggies to add to your burger: tomato slices, avocado slices, sprouts (alfalfa or sunflower), sauteed red onion, sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper, hot peppers, or others that you love in a regular burger.
Mayonaise, or other condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, relish.
Sliced cheese (for melting on patties)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to thoroughly mix.
Form six or seven patties.
Cook on bbq or on stovetop in a frying pan, for seven to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Lay a large leaf of lettuce on a plate. Spread any condiments onto leaf. Place a cooked patty onto leaf, and top with other veggies. Top with another large leaf. Wrap loosely. Consume (messy but tasty!).

Recipe: Nutty Granola

2012-01-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ursa's Nutty Granola
(adapted from the Organic Granola recipe from the Planet Organic cookbook)
I like to use as much organic ingredients in this recipe as possible.

3 cups slow-cooking rolled oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds (or 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds, whole or roughly chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts
3/4 - 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey & agave nectar
1 cup dried fruit - raisins, blueberries, cranberries, chopped apricots

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Add the maple syrup, honey and agave nectar. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

Divide mixture onto two cookie sheets, place both in oven on two racks (both in the middle area). Bake 1-2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Rotate the two sheets between the two racks. When nuts and oats are toasty brown, remove from oven. Let cool. Place in airtight container, add berries, close the lid and shake container to mix.

Enjoy with milk as a cereal, with yogurt, or dry as a snack.

Feel free to try other nut and/or seed combinations in this blend.

That time of year...

2011-12-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

In January of this year, I made a post of a movie from YouTube called "Filmography 2010". The creator of this amazing mash-up of movies from 2010 is Gen I, and she lives in Vancouver (I think).

Ms. Gen I has done it again with another movie mash-up - this one, oddly enough, is called "Filmography 2011".

Enjoy.

So Funny!

2011-12-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Found this little video through another blog. Oh dear - funny, and true!

Beautiful Boy...

2011-12-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

This brought tears to my eyes...

A young man, raised by a lesbian couple, addressed the Iowa House of Representatives in February 2011. Here are his words:

Doctor Who fun

2011-11-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

I found this video through Ravelry yesterday. It's a fun amateur song & dance from the cast and crew of the TV show "Doctor Who", as a send-off to the 10th Doctor played by David Tennant. Gave me a giggle or two...

NaNoWriMo (Rebel!)

2011-11-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

That's right, I am a rebel. A NaNoWriMo rebel.

You see, most of the NaNoWriMo participants are writing novels. It is "National Novel Writing Month", after all. But I am working on my screenplay, thus the "rebel" part.

Having decided to follow the NaNo mandate to concentrate on writing for the month of November, I decided to see if I could complete the first draft version of the entire second Act of my script (the largest part of the story). It's about time I get this baby written! Besides, much of December will likely be a write-off, with my boys home from school for some of it, and the usual busy-ness of that month (all the holiday feasting/baking/celebrating...).

Is anyone else writing this month - novel, screenplay or otherwise?

With a calm joy, whilst typing at my kitchen table, with a view of golden maple leaves and grey skies out my window,
Ursa

How baby pumpkins are brought into this world...

2011-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

I found this on Twitter today. Priceless!

Makin' Ice Cream

2011-08-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last year, my mother bought us a used ice cream maker she had found at a thrift store. We thanked her, but hadn't used it at all, until a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not sure what prompted it, but it suddenly occurred to me that we should give it a try. I didn't have a manual, so googled the type of ice cream maker (fairly old), and found that some kind soul had scanned the manual and put it into a .pdf.

We then gathered together the ingredients for Vanilla ice cream...

...eggs, whole milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract.

and vanilla beans - scraped out of their pods. My own touch, as I love having real vanilla beans in vanilla ice cream.

We then mixed the ingredients together,

poured them into the main cylinder casing (which had been sitting in our freezer for 24 hours...

and stirred.

And stirred....

The actual stirring wasn't much, but the time frame in which a few stirs were administered every few minutes really stretched out.

In the end, the ice cream needed overnight to freeze completely. It turned out tasty, though not as "creamy" as I had hoped, given all the cream we used.

Our next attempt will be chocolate :-)

When knitters go flash mob...

2011-08-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 is up!

2011-08-03T02:43:00.001-07:00

Head over to The Pagan Knitter blog for the new episode, and also for a chance to win some squishy sock yarn...

Episode 1 - The Maiden Voyage

2011-07-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

My first podcast episode is up! Now in iTunes. Libsyn (my host) has a page where you can download the first episode, or you can listen in the box below.

I also have a blog for the show here.

Still here

2011-07-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be quiet on the blog - I'm working on things. Finally finishing my first (tester) podcast episode too, and finding out about what to do to get it going/hosting, etc.

Will keep you posted :-)

A tidbit for today

2011-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

My favourite line in this sweet, sad song: "Tell me now, where was my fault, for loving you with my whole heart?"

Mumford & Sons is a great UK band - I highly recommend these boys :-)

A love affair with Guernsey...

2011-07-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

I find myself in the throngs of a love affair. Not with a man. Not with a person, in fact.

No, it's the lovely island country of Guernsey that I have suddenly become enamored with.

You see, I entirely blame Martine of the iMake podcast for starting this fascination. She is a born & raised Guernsey resident, and still lives, works and crafts there. Since discovering her podcast, I have become more intrigued by the island, and have also been learning something of a place I knew so little about.

How is it, for instance, that I did not know about the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II? I knew all of Europe had been involved or affected by WWII, and certainly much of the UK was left mangled (London, especially). Yet the the Channel islands were somehow left out of the equation for me. Strange.

I think it's been this time period - the German occupation - that has really stirred up my interest. It doesn't help that I have, at Martine's suggestion, picked up the audiobook version of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society novel, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, and am listening to it this week. The story is set in post-WWII, with a young female writer corresponding with Guernsey residents about the German occupation. The entire book is written in letters. It really is a lovely read. It's the kind of story I wish I had thought of first.

However, all of this has stirred my creative pot, and I, vastly experienced screenwriter that I am (not), have come up with an interesting story/movie idea. I shall put it aside for now, as my current project requires my attention, but I shan't forget about it.

Beware the Jungle Cat

2011-07-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Exit stage left: the loud, needy, but sweet Marucho.

Enter stage right: the silent wisp of a black panther.

Meet our new kitty, Little Nips.

We picked her up at the same cat shelter (Cat's Cradle) here in Victoria, where we found Marucho. Marucho has, incidentally, found a new home with some friends of mine, where he very happily is the centre of attention, and can come and go outside as he pleases. He is a content kitty there, and I'm pleased to have found him a loving pair of "parents".

Little Nips was found as a stray near a local movie theatre, a week before we adopted her. She is two years old and tiny - only 5.5lbs, slender, with sleek, short black hair. Yes, she is pure black - not a trace of white, brown or gray. I had to lighten both of these photos so that the details of her face where more visible.

And no, your eyes do not deceive you - our Little Nips has a short tail. A "Pixie" stub. She was born that way. It's very cute to see her waggling the stump like a black bobble-head as she walks. It will also thump on the window pane when she gets excited over a view of birds nearby, rather like a dog's tail.

She came to us healthy, fixed and with up-to-date shots. There is some minor gingivitis along her gumline, but the vet has us using a special "dental" cat food for her, so that should get cleared up soon.

She is definitely a playful cat - very kitten-ish. We four humans in the house all take turns dancing a bit of string or a squeaky mouse around her. Our other cat, Sarah, took to her much better than she did with Marucho. We wonder if it's because Little Nips is so small and not threatening. Little Nips and Sarah play quite a bit - chasing and batting at each other. They rarely hiss at each other, and we separate them if they do.

We have had her for a month now, and overall, I am thrilled with how this has all gone down. Our second choice of cat suits us perfectly, and the first choice has a great home of his own too.

P.S. Little Nips doesn't meow. Or so infrequently that I almost forgets that she has a voice box. I love a silent cat :-)

Get a handle on this!

2011-07-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Twitter or have friended me on Ravelry, you may soon notice that I have changed my "handle" on both of those sites. I was, until tonight, "GaiasColours" for both. Since I am shutting down the Gaia's Colours business, and now no longer needing the name for social networking, I figured it was time to find a different handle.

So I am "The Pagan Knitter".

This will also be, should production go ahead, the name of my upcoming podcast as well.

Hope you are having some lovely summer weather and fun with friends!

best,
Ursa

To podcast or not to podcast...?

2011-07-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

That really is the question I am tossing about in my brain these days.

Some of you might recall last autumn (here, and here) that I was toying with the idea of starting a podcast. Well, guess what? I now have a microphone and pop screen filter (new toys!)

It's the Snowball Microphone by Blue Microphones. This was mentioned/recommended by the gorgeous Kate of A Playful Day podcast in the UK.

So does this actually mean that I'll start a podcast? The short answer: maybe.

My recording set-up:

It's a decent space and come the night, when my boys are in bed, I can have the quiet I would require.

I guess the main reason I have been still debating with myself about doing this is simple - can I keep it up? The starting is the easy part. The initial enthusiasm and ideas and desire to "try something new" will be enough to get me going, and likely keep me going for a while.

But then what? I've heard that many podcasters run out of steam after six months, a year, maybe two. Is is worth starting this, getting a schedule and a following of happy listeners only to fade out after 15 episodes? Will it become like my indie dyeing business (Gaia's Colours) where the very idea of dyeing of yarn or spinning fibre is akin to having a tooth pulled at the dentist (oh, did I just admit that outloud? I guess I'll have to do a wee blog post on that another time)?

Should I even bother when I know that I won't be willing to keep it up for the long term?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Oh, and just in case you are curious, I have an almost completed first episode - a tester, if you will - that I can and might put up here sometime soon, to get some feedback, etc.

Now, off to knit...

The Joy of a Ripe Mango...

2011-07-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a mango person, but this was so perfectly ripe and delicious!

P.s. Happy Independence Day to my American friends and followers!

Our weekly produce pilgrimage...

2011-07-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year - the weekly trips to local farms and farmer's markets.

Many of you may know that I love local and organic produce, and try to support local growers and suppliers as often as possible. Last summer I started a weekly pilgrimage up the peninsula with my two sons. Every Thursday or Friday we would pack into the car, and head up to visit Madrona Farms (which is quite close to us), Sun Wing Farms, Oldfield Farms and Silver Rill Farms. We didn't hit each one every time, but usually had specific farms in mind for specific produce. Silver Rill is the place to get corn (amazing & sweet), Oldfield is the place for berries (all kinds), Sun Wing had fab green beans, cucumbers and tomatoes, and Madrona has lovely dark leafy green, plus wonderful, sweet baby carrots and new potatoes. We come home loaded with our cloth grocery bags full of fresh-picked lovelies.

Today was our first trip of the summer, and we stopped at Babe's Honey too (which is sadly shutting it's doors). Here is some of the loot from the afternoon:

Not pictured above are some new potatoes, asparagus, wee yellow zucchinis, red and white onions, plus the rest of the honey and a few chunks of beeswax.

These tiny beauties below didn't last long - they were washed and steaming in a pot less than an hour after getting home. I have kept the greens for steaming with chard later, but I couldn't resist the beets themselves. With some butter and a little salt and pepper, the dark purple jewels are now in the bellies of myself and my husband. It's great to think that just eight hours ago, they were still sleeping underground. Talk about fresh!

For dessert, my sons and I had to try strawberries with the Babe's honey. Oh my....

(Yes, those are a couple of drops of honey on their downward journey to my fingers.)

What a great way to celebrate Canada Day!

A Word, O Scribe?

2011-06-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been following my blog from the early days (all of one year - I know, not that long), and will have read a few posts mentioning a screenplay idea I had, and that I was planning on writing a script. I also talked about being a newbie at this and that I'd have to learn about screenwriting to get this project up and running, not to mention, completed.

Now, for those of you just joining us, or those of you ahem several family members, who have been asking "What's this I hear about a screenplay?", or "You are writing a screenplay? What's it about?", here is where I get to esssplain, sort of. This is also a good way to update, as I last posted about this in late October of last year.

So, just what is this all about?

Yes, I am writing a screenplay (Wiki definition, plus other terms/links), currently on the first draft. I have finished Act I (there are three in a standard script), and have started Act II.

I have a screenwriting mentor named Brian Paisley, who is local to Victoria. We meet usually once a month, starting back in the fall of 2010, to go over what I've been working on. We started by putting together the full outline, including most of the main scenes and sequences. Using this framework, I now get to work, bit by bit, writing action and dialogue until I have a completed script.

After I complete the first draft, I will take a little break, then come back to the story with "fresh eyes" to refine it and make it a second-draft script. If more polishing is needed after that, then it will be done. Once Brian and I feel it's ready to be shown around, I'll post it to InkTip (a great site where screenwriters and industry professionals can make contact, can search or post scripts, etc.), and also look around for any applicable producers in BC/Canada who might be interested in seeing my story. It's all a bit of a mystery to me after that. Up in the air, really. Things could sit, or move - who knows..?

In the meantime, I write.

Now, as for the "What's it about?" I'm glad you asked. Well, here is my draft version logline (a one or two sentence description of the story/the plot):

"Haunted by her father’s untimely death, a young, reckless photojournalist longs to find the beloved Scotland of his youth, but in her search for the truth, encounters those who would rather the past stay buried."

This makes the plot sound, to my mind, rather like a thriller, which the story is not. It's more of a romantic drama. So I will continue to tweak the logline.

While I'd love to spill the full cup of beans in this public venue, you'll forgive me if I continue to maintain some level of secrecy. I am certainly willing to talk about it with friends and family in person, but must keep the rest hushed for now. Sorry, gang. Hopefully once the script is completed and being shopped around, or actually sells, I should be able to give the whole sordid tale.

Speaking of tales, I am off to write while I still have the mojo, and before the root beer & rum starts to kick in :-)

Recipes: Carrot Ginger Soup

2011-06-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the summer heat, I'm serving up a little heat of my own. It may seem odd to post a soup recipe now, but it was by request that I do this.

This recipe comes to us by my husband (who brought you the Apple Fritter Pancakes recipes), who doesn't normally make the soups around here. This one, I finally wrote down as we made it, to find out actual amounts and method.

So here I give you, Carrot & Ginger Soup:

Ingredients:

1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium/large onion, diced
4 stalks celery
1//2 - 2/3 cup finely diced fresh ginger
2-4 cloves minced garlic
8-9 cups of shredded carrots
1- 2 cups fresh, frozen or canned corn (optional)
4-6 cubed, cooked potatoes (optional)
2 to 2 1/2 litres milk - we use about 1 litre whole milk and the rest 2%.
2 tbsps dill, dried
salt & pepper to taste
4-5 tbsps cornstarch
1/3 cup cold milk or cold water

Directions:

Heat approx 3 tbsp olive oil on medium heat in a stock pot, when shimmering, add onion and stir/cook until soft (3-5 minutes).
If adding potatoes, par-boil these in a separate pot of boiling, salted water. Drain and set aside.
Add the celery, ginger and garlic, cook until the celery is soft (7-10 minutes).
Add the remaining olive oil, shredded carrots, salt, pepper and dill to pot. Stir in and allow to cook/soften and reduce (10-15 minutes). The extra oil is to allow the large amount of carrots to cook well and not burn.
Add half of your milk, or enough to just cover the carrots. Set to medium heat. Before the milk goes to boiling, you slowly add more milk (approx 1/2 cup at a time), then heat to almost boiling again. Do this until you have added all your milk or it looks plenty full in the pot.
In a small bowl, add the cold milk or cold water, then the cornstarch. Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add this mixture slowly to the soup, stirring gently. This will thicken up the soup nicely. Serve promptly.

Brave

2011-06-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Those who know me, know my love for all things Scottish and for Scotland itself. So I was thrilled to find out that Pixar's next movie (due late June 2012) is a Scottish tale.

The necessary goose-bump-inducing trailer that had me tapping my fingertips together gleefully, rather like Mr. Burns in The Simpsons:

I'm just a little excited....

New Exercise Regime

2011-06-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

And if I give it enough miles, it'll be Carbon Neutral!

When I asked/told my husband about us buying a push mower, not powered by gas or electricity, but by good 'ol human energy, he gave me that "Really, are you going to actually use it?" look. Yes, he's that expressive, and we have been married for eight years and together for almost eleven.

But I gently stuck to my guns on this, as a push mower is what I used at my family home as a teenager, and I wanted something greener that would also be a good workout for me: cardio plus (hopefully) some killer arms come September.

We picked this bad boy up at Canadian Tire, the last of it's type, with $20 off for missing one bolt/screw that an employee replaced with something else just as usable. I put this together myself and proceeded to mow the small grass patch that is our front yard. It worked great, except for not taking down (but rather, running over) the spindly dandelions that spot the area. I had to manually clip those after. Think I'll try the weed wacker on those next time...

A Thing of Beauty...

2011-06-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

This was supper tonight. It may not look elegant or fancy, but trust me, it is delicious! We have my recently adapted "burger". Since I am mostly staying away from flour-based products including bread, tortilla wraps and buns, lettuce has become my stand-in for enclosing the contents of burgers, sandwiches and wraps. Sometimes it's Romaine, sometimes Red or Green Leaf, and even the odd time has been Collard greens or Swiss Chard. As long as it's large, sturdy, neutral-tasting and green, I'm down with it.
Our favourite home-made burgers include patties (either hand-made by my husband or pre-formed frozen) from a ground meat that can be ostrich, bison/buffalo, grass-fed beef, venison, turkey, or chicken. We then add sauteed red onion, sauteed mushrooms, sliced avocado and tomatoes (all organic), a little mayo and cheddar, wrap it all up, and consume. It's messy and utterly wonderful!

So, what did you have for supper?