What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?
This week I have been working on the embellishments for the cat throw. With a total of 80 squares in the blanket, there are quite a lot of embellishments to make. I have bundled them together according to type, to keep them organised until I can sew them on. (I photographed these on my lap, and you can see a sleepy Ruby photobombing at the top.)
Planning the arrangement of the embellishments is quite a complicated part of the project. I laid out all 80 squares on the floor a few weeks back, and photographed that layout.
After this, I bundled each “column” of 8 squares in order, to keep all the squares in order and to make the eventual assembly of the blanket easier.
I decided that the best way to plan what embellishments were required, and where they should be placed to give as random an effect as possible, would be do make a digital mock-up. To do this, I made at least one representative of each embellishment, and photographed them, saving them in png format so that they had transparent backgrounds, as follows:
“Many cats” refers to a pattern I found online, entitled “Many Cats Crochet Square Pattern.” I made up several of these little cats, following the pattern, and then adapted the pattern in order to produce some that were slightly larger. In the photos, I have cut the tails off, because for the purpose of the digital mock-up I wanted to keep things simple – it’s the body of the cat that is important for placement on the square; the tail remains loose and unattached. The other embellishments are mostly from patterns for crochet cat coasters.
Making just one of each colour and photographing them, I could make digital repeats on the layout. I have made a chart showing the different designs and their colours, in two sections. The top section shows the embellishments I have already made, and the bottom section shows which ones I still need to make.
This chart is a Word document and I can update it as it changes with the progress of the work.
Having photographed the examples, I proceeded to add these photos with their transparent backgrounds onto the photo of the layout of the squares. The ones framed in red indicate that those embellishments which remain to be made. Any squares without red frames are either those squares which already had cats incorporated into them when they were being made, or embellishments that are now made and ready to be sewn on. This photo will be the plan I shall refer to when attaching the embellishments for real.
Obviously all these embellishments (apart from the paw prints) are going to require embroidery, to create the cats’ facial features. This digital layout, in association with the chart, is for my information so that I know what I need to make, and what will go where, but it does also give you an idea of what the finished blanket will look like with all its embellishments.
As you can see, there is still quite a lot of work to do.
Food
More on my new juicer
I’ve made some more juice, including a delicious batch of carrot and apple.
Almond milk
I have made some more batches of almond milk, with the same resulting coarser pulp. I found that the milk made with the juicer is retaining more of the fine pulp than before, which tends to settle out at the bottom of a drink. When making the last lot, I poured it through the nut milk bag into a bowl, and the small amount of pulp retained in the bag was very easy to wring out, unlike trying to squeeze out the entire pulp content of a batch of milk. This is a very small extra step that I am happy to do.
With the first batch of pulp, I made some of my hummus which came out extremely well – it has what my hubby calls a more “rustic” look! The pulp is quite soft, though, and the only difference is a slightly crunchy texture – not quite as obvious as the difference between smooth and crunchy peanut butter. The hummus came out thicker and drier than usual, because the pulp is drier than I’ve managed to make it before, but the original recipe does say to add water, so next time I shall add a little, but probably not as much as the recipe says because I don’t like the hummus too wet. I want to try one or two other things to see if I can get the same smooth texture as before, though, because my hubby said he preferred the original hummus to the crunchy version.
I think I am right in saying that a few weeks ago someone requested the recipe for the hummus. I’m afraid I can’t remember who it was!
Recipe of the week
Almond Hummus (Raw Nut Pulp Hummus)
I have adapted this recipe as follows:
- Olive oil – omitted. Not necessary (high calorie density, low nutrient density).
- I use 1/2 tsp of garlic powder instead of a garlic clove, mostly for speed and convenience.
- Using the amount of water stated makes the hummus much too wet in my opinion – I prefer a stiffer, spreadable hummus. When I was using pulp from my old (pre-juicer) method of making almond milk, it was pretty wet so I didn’t add any water at all. Using the drier pulp, it does need some, and I have yet to determine exactly how much – it’s just a matter of personal preference really, but add it gradually – easy to add more, impossible to take it out!
I make this regularly, and it’s really quick and simple – just a case of mixing all the ingredients together and storing it in a box in the fridge. We have it at least twice a week, and a couple of my recipes call for hummus, so I use it for cooking too. Really healthy, and excellent for those watching their weight if you omit the oil.
The reason I haven’t done this as a Recipe of the Week is that most people don’t have access to almond pulp unless they are serious whole-food plant-based people who are already making their own nut milks, so it probably has minority appeal. Anyway, whoever you were, who asked for this recipe, I hope you enjoy it! We eat it on Matzah crackers, and on my home-made bread and it’s really delicious.
Ice cream from the juicer
On Saturday I used the mincer attachment for the first time, to make some banana ice cream. This is a very simple recipe which you can also make in a blender (preferably a high-speed one) – it’s basically just frozen bananas.
I buy quite a lot of bananas and let them get pretty ripe, when they become a lot sweeter. I don’t like the flavour of them to eat as they are, preferring slightly under-ripe ones, but for sweetening, ripe ones are ideal. An alternative natural sweetener is dates. You can add sweetness without adding any refined sugar. I like to keep a supply of frozen bananas in the freezer. To prepare them, I cut them into quarters (sometimes a recipe requires half, or a quarter of a frozen banana) and lay them out to freeze, and once they are solid, they go in a bag. This way they don’t all stick together.
I have a recipe for banana ice cream which is simply a couple of frozen bananas, with some plain non-dairy yoghurt and some almond butter added, but you can make it with just the bananas. The mincer attachment on the juicer makes the ice cream beautifully. You can add other fruit and berries if you want. You have to make it just before you eat it, because if you freeze it, it will go solid.
Here is the juicer all set up and ready to go, with the mincer attachment installed. It looks very similar to the juicing attachment, but it has only one outlet. The juicer has two: one for the juice and the other for the pulp, but the mincer attachment is not about separating the juice from the produce, but simply macerating it. The bowl is also somewhat smaller, and it has its own feeding tube/lid. In this photo, you can see the auger inside the bowl, and the larger outlet. Beside the machine I have laid out the ingredients: plain soya yoghurt, almond butter, frozen banana and some chopped walnuts for garnish.
In the next photo you can see the machine in operation, and the ice cream emerging through the outlet. The white stuff coming out is the yoghurt.
Once it is done, it just requires a quick stir to finish blending the ingredients (not too much or you will melt it), and then it’s ready to serve.
Ready to serve, with a garnish of sliced banana and chopped walnuts.
Two frozen bananas makes enough ice cream for two. If you are making this in a blender, it’s not really feasible to make a smaller quantity than this because there won’t be enough for the blades to blend properly. I have yet to experiment with a single frozen banana in the mincer attachment of the juicer, but I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be successful. I prefer this method of making banana ice cream to making it in the Vitamix, because it is a lot easier to get it all out of the machine. The Vitamix jug is quite deep and you have to scrape the ice cream from around and under the blades, and if you take too long about it, the ice cream starts to melt.
It was absolutely delicious.
Yoghurt dessert
I had some yoghurt I wanted to use before Tuesday’s Tesco delivery, so using the Vitamix, I blended up a whole tub with a few remaining frozen raspberries. To add a bit more flavour and some sweetness, I added a ripe banana to the blend, and also some ground chia seeds to thicken it up.
Here it is, ready to eat, with a topping of plain unsweetened soya yoghurt, some hulled hemp seeds and a raspberry.
Another dish I made this week is a Middle Eastern favourite – Quinoa Stew with Squash, Prunes and Pomegranate served on a bed of millet. Here it is, with a garnish of pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, accompanied by a mixed salad. Good nosh.
Nutrition
Pulp Fact (Not Fiction) – the nutritional benefits of almonds
There is a lot of nutritional goodness in the almond pulp that results from making almond milk. Some of the nutritional value of almonds carries through to the milk but the bulk remains in the pulp, so it is a shame to throw it away. Among these nutrients are Vitamin E which is an antioxidant, unsaturated fat which reduces LDL cholesterol, and minerals such as manganese, potassium, calcium, selenium, magnesium, iron and zinc. It is also rich in protein and fibre.
There are many health benefits to be obtained from almonds and other nuts. Studies have shown a two-to-three times reduction in the risk of breast cancer amongst women who regularly eat nuts, and almonds help with the management of blood sugar levels. They help with weight loss, being a sustaining snack, and they are beneficial for bone health.
Almonds are very versatile in the kitchen; I buy large quantities of raw whole almonds from my whole foods supplier online and use these mostly for making almond milk. Blanched almonds are almonds that have the brown skin removed. Then there is almond flour – I am now making my own by drying almond pulp in the oven and then grinding it in the Vitamix blender. I use a lot of flaked almonds as a garnish and keep a supply of these both raw and toasted. I adore the subtle flavour of almonds and now much prefer almond milk in my tea and coffee to how I remember it tasting with dairy! My hubby isn’t so keen on the flavour – home-made almond milk is much more flavoursome than bought, and he prefers the bland supermarket version, which I can now get unsweetened from Tesco. It is enriched with calcium and vitamin B12.
The almond is not a true nut; rather, it is defined botanically as a seed. It is one of the most ancient crops known to man and has long been prized for its nutritional value.
The almond tree is significant in the Bible, being mentioned several times. “Almond” in Hebrew is shaqad, from the verb root shaqad, to be ready, prepared, awake. The almond is the first plant to blossom each year in Israel.
This is why Jeremiah was given the vision of the almond branch at the beginning of his prophetic ministry.
Jer. 1:11-12: Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
The Jews love puns and plays on words, and the Hebrew Bible is full of them!
“Raisins and Almonds,” or Rozhinkes mit Mandlen in Yiddish, is a traditional Jewish lullaby – a very beautiful song. I have it on this album on CD. Click on the link to hear the song.
Kitties
Curiosity killed the cat…?
The other day as I was coming down for breakfast, I discovered two great heaps of sick on the stairs (sorry, probably TMI!) – I called my hubby – he’s the one who has the delightful job of dealing with such things! – and while he was doing it, he called me to come and see what was going on.
Just look at those two intense little faces. They were absolutely fascinated, and fixed my hubby with unblinking stares until he had finished! I think Ruby was responsible for it – she’s such a greedy guts and bolts her food, so that sometimes it all comes back up again! As I am always saying to them under such circumstances, (darkly), “You can go off kitties…” When my hubby was a little boy, there was always the threat of being sold to the raggle taggle gypsies when he was naughty. I’ve updated this threat to be more in line with the 21st century, and the direst threat is now “I’ll sell you on Ebay!” – and for a really bad offence, “For 99p!” (Ruby knows full well that I would never do such a thing, though…)
Back to being adorable little dears again:
Ruby sunning herself on the cat tree. (Little Miss Butter Wouldn’t Melt…)
My hubby showing off Lily’s funny little legs.
This is where Lily loves to be – lying over my hubby’s arm, with her little feet cupped in his hand to keep them warm. She never cuddles with me like this. Fortunately I don’t feel deprived, because Ruby loves to lie in my arms and gaze up at me – she and I have a real bond! My hubby and I effectively have one each.
In this photo, Ruby looks all set to slide right off onto the floor.
Clothes
As promised, the last of the Norwegian jumpers, this time a multi-coloured cardigan. It also has quite a bit of gold thread in it, but as per usual, anything gold or glittery never shows up on photos! It has nice gold buttons, and the braid has silver in it.
I don’t wear this one very often as it’s rather fancy, but it’s lovely for Christmas. To show it off, I’m wearing a purple cotton polo-neck, purple socks and red ballet pumps. You can see a bit of the back view in the mirror.
Have a great week, everybody.
Hi Shoshi, your cat blanket is looking great! I like the effect of having some plain silhouettes of cats to contrast with the embroidered ones.
I must admit I was afraid for a moment that you meant it about selling your cats on eBay?.
When we were travelling around France we once worked picking almonds. The farmer was scared of heights so he’d do his pruning at the same time by chainsawing down a branch for us to pick the almonds on the ground. We had to camp in the field where he kept his goats, so it was a challenge avoiding our tent being eaten! Happy days!
Would tahini work with your almond hummus? I always expect it to be in the spread, but I’m not sure.
Anyway, take care, stay safe and happy WOYWW
Hugs
Lynnecrafts 7
Hi There Shoshi! You have your work cut out making all those embellishments – I wonder what project you will start when this one is done!! Naughty kitties, I must say I do not miss clearing up after my cat! Love the colours in your cardi, so bright and cheerful. Happy WOYWW, have a good week, stay well, stay safe, Cindyxx #22
Hi Shoshi.Coming on great – but, yes, you do still have a fair amount of work on the throw. You’ll soon get there though. Well done.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #1
It’s really coming together! Taking a photo is a great way to concentrate on the layout of the squares, much better than in reality somehow. I shall take note of that and do it for my next blanket! The different cat embellishments really add to the overall effect!
Hugs LLJ 2 xxx
Good morning (for me that is..hee hee) Shoshi!! So sorry that I didn’t get round to you last week!! It bums me when I can’t get to everyone. So as I noted on my post, I am going backward this week to try to get the tail end crew before the first end, because that’s where I usually start and then can’t finish!! LOLOL Phew….! Loved your post this week! Lot’s of goodness going on!! So first off….still IN LOVE and more so with the hubby throw that is coming together so wonderfully!! Albeit LOTS of hard work on your part, I might add!! Wow you really do lovely work and your embellishments just make the hit parade!!! Your attention to every little detail really doesn’t go unnoticed and I hope so from hubby as well! Such a true, true labor of love Shoshi! What an amazing gift!!
Your goodies from different apparatuses never cease to amaze me! I love your vigor and creativity for all things whole and healthy!! I soooo wish I could live near you to get in on the creativity! I don’t really know anyone here that loves to eat wholefood like I do, so I’m on my own…well….me and YouTube and Google!! LOLOL Somehow not quite the same if I’d had a pal to share the process with!! So, your pictures will have to do!! 🙂
I have never made hummus from pulp before and will have to do some research on that! I make it quite regulary, but usually with the good ole chick pea, black bean and have even made it from white bean. Probably not quite as healthy as yours either because I tend to use a little olive oil. Your last dish with the quinoa stew looked amazing!!!! I think I was actually licking my lips when I was looking at it! LOLOL That mixed salad looked amazing as well!! Who would need anything more?????
I love almonds and almond butter is one of my fave things. I had no idea that the tree was so beautiful! I may have to try my hand at painting that in my journal!! The song is beautiful!! As my heritage is Sephardic Jews, the song really resonates with my spirit!! In another life time, I would liked to have traveled to the Holy Land, but in these times, I would not even try to do that! It may be safe according to some, but I would never want to tempt that!! So I will have to wait to see the ultimate Holy Land when my Jesus comes back for me!! 🙂
So I am very FAMILIAR with the great heaps of sick!! One of our felines was a GREAT GLUTTON and would on a daily basis leave little presents for me!! I say “me” because no one else would clean it up!! As a matter of fact, what they would do is put a Tupperware bowl over top of it so they wouldn’t have to look at it and leave it for me to clean up when I got home!! Isn’t that just lovely!!????? Got to love good ole mom!! To the rescue EVERY time! LOL Our kitties definitely had favorites and mine was Tigger. He was a sweet boy and loved to snuggle, but Fat Kitty (very properly named) was my one daughters’ cat and ONLY she could touch her for any length of time, that is unless you shook the treat bag. LOL And Baby Kitty, the smallest of our cats, was my other daughters’ cat and she ruled the roost! She shared her affections to whom, where and when she deemed necessary!! LOL Cats are so hysterical to me!!
Love the last of your jumpers!! Those are definitely my colors!! There is no more sweater-wearing in my neck of the woods. Maybe a light windbreaker, but spring has sprung and will soon be so balmy that you can hardly stand to wear anything! Although, it’s a pretty good idea in my case! LOLOLOL
Well my friend, take care and stay healthy….you and hubby!! Have a great rest of your week and weekend!! Until next Wednesday! 🙂
Wow! That cat throw really is a labour of love and still so much to do. It is going to look incredible when finished. Thank you for the interesting information about Almonds – I hadn’t heard the Biblical background to the Jeremiah quote – how fascinating! Happy WOYWW. Take care and stay safe. With love & God Bless, Caro xxx(#12)
That cardigan is fabulous. Wow, what a treasure it is, I can see why you would keep it for special occasions. Beautiful.
Love the kitty photos, and the face at the top of the stairs whilst hubby is cleaning up – priceless. Still, I do like the one where you can see the two of them asleep on hubby, where Ruby is sliding off his knee. Such a lovely photograph of the two of them – the bottom one especially although I love how she places her feet.
But the star of the post for me is the work you are doing as a surprise for hubby. You lost me with all the sketches and tables and photographs but Oh Shoshi, what a work of art it is going to be. I hadn’t realised until the other week that there were going to be cats in one form or another on each square. That is absolutely a real work of art/heart.
Hugsm, Neet 15 xx
Kitties looking well after their mishap on the stairs and the throw is amazing, love your cardigan too. Have alovely week and a very happy woyww, Angela x18x
Glad to see that Miss greedy Ruby seems none the worse for her scarfing food. You are so well organised with the embellishments on that fabulous blanket Shoshi. The banana icecream looks delicious! STay safe. Sarah #6
you are very organised with your plan of the embellishments, and they look fabulous ! I’m afraid I’d get fed up way before now with wanting it done!! love the sound of banana ice cream, yum! Helen #3
Love those paw embellishments. That’s very interesting about the almonds, the flowers are every pretty. Do you think both kitties were looking down checking the job was being done to their satisfaction?
Have a great week Angela #17
What a lovely cardigan?! And the blanket with all the bits superimposed on it looks amazing – I can’t wait to see it finished. Funny story – after visiting Zsuko earlier I Youtubed tea bag art and yours was the very first video that came up! That means that you’ve been watched the most out of all of them. I didn’t even know you had made vides. I’ve got it in my list to watch tomorrow. Stay safe and keep smiling, Lisa-Jane #8
Hi Shoshi, sorry I couldn’t visit yesterday – I worked my way down the list and then ran out of time. You’ve certainly elevated the cat throw to scientific levels – I never would have imagined that just sewing the squares together requires so much planning, but I can see why it does! I love all nuts, including almonds. I’m currently feeding our squirrels with almonds (I read that cashews and peanuts are not very good for them, even though they love them) – although too many almonds can be harmful as well so I only give them a few every few days. They’re so cute – how can people think of them as tree rats? Re: cat sick – I think most of us are familiar with that phenomenon! They always go for the carpeted areas! Ruby and Lily are hilarious overseeing the cleanup operation, not feeling guilty at all (a dog would be very different – mind you, a dog would probably have eaten it, yuck!) – the clean-up task always falls to me around here, I’m afraid. In fact, I try to keep them secret if I can, so as not give another reason for hubs to moan about. He’s already moaning too much about Oreo hanging on the door handles. (Apparently, he’s ruining the doors.) He’s even had to change the front door handle to a door knob, cause Oreo kept letting himself in! I suggested that he should install a door bell that Oreo can ring when he wants to come in. A cat flap is out of the question as we don’t want him to bring in all sorts of things. Love the cardigan – you’re right it’s too good for everyday use but perfect for Christmas! Enjoy your week, Shoshi! xx
The kitty blanket and all the embellishments are just adorable! speaking of kitties being adorable…the way they sleep on your hubby is too cute. My one cat izzy does the same, she eats so fast she makes herself sick ~ I get the job of cleaning up unfortunately. Your cardigan has such pretty colors and designs, a real treasure!. The food that you’ve created looks delicious too ~ Enjoy your week! Love, Karen #29
Your detailed cat blanket schematic hurts my head LOL! Such attention to detail! It is going to be wonderful when done and your hubby will be so impressed I’m sure. Love the jumper too! Might have been me who asked about the hummus, but since I don’t make my own almond milk it’s an altogether more complicated process – plus I don;t have your array of counter-top machines! The ice cream looks good, it’ll be summer soon and my daughter adores bananas so filing that away for some hot day. If she doesn’t finish her bunch before the next one arrive, into the freezer they go, so we are always ready!
Crazy week, so late..
Mary Anne (4)
That throw is going to be the most amazing thing on the planet! You are really outdoing yourself! And the planning! Wow!
I love almonds, along with pecans they are my favourite. Especially marzipan!
Your sweater is absolutely gorgeous!
Anyone with cats knows what cleaning up throw-up is like! Especially on carpeting! Inky sometimes eats too fast as well, and up it comes, luckily usually on the hard floor, since we have gotten rid of most of our carpeting. The kitties are especially cute today, your hubby looks so comfortable with them sleeping on him!
Have a great week, Lindart #31
Evening! Sorry I’m so late, I was here, but again must have fogotten to post the comment! Tesco did deliver my oat yogurt, now I’m going to try the almond one too. Hubby (and me) are starting the 5:2 diet on monday, We did start in before, he bought a recipe book, but with me walking dogs all day I got so hungry and ended up munching on kitkats all day! His hospital stay was a big ‘wake up’ for him! (Of course when I told him, I was ‘nagging!’) Kitties look lovely, as they always do! And your knitted jacket is amazing! As so your pussy cat squares throw! So much work!! Stay safe, Keep Crafting, knitting and hugging those kitties Happy Woyww! ((Lyn)) #19!
I remember now! last time, I had to fill in a pop up before it would let me comment…and I think I left that bit!
Hello Shoshi. The cardigan is gorgeous. The throw will be amazing. I certainly would have the patience for it all though. Sorry I am so late. Take care. Anne 28