What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?
Kitty throw
A little while ago I made up the first “column” of squares for the kitty throw, just to see how it would go with the crocheting-together method. This was before I had added any embellishments. Here it is, complete with two very sleepy photo-bombers.
This week I’ve made great progress with the making-up, and have joined several more strips of squares.
Adding the second strip:
Adding the third strip:
Finally, adding the fourth strip:
I am now working on the fifth strip. The blanket is now too large to go comfortably in a carrier bag so I’ve brought down a large cloth bag to keep it in, and the other bits and pieces are still in a carrier bag. It’s also getting pretty heavy! I’m glad I’m not making it up during the height of summer because I’d be getting far too hot underneath it all. I can’t work on the joining up if my hubby is at home during the day because he’s likely to come into the room at any moment and it’s too big to hide away in a hurry. I am working on it after he’s gone to bed, and when he’s out for an extended period – the trouble is, on those occasions I’ve often got other things I have to do. When he’s in and out, I am continuing to add the black edging to the squares and am making very good progress on this, too.
A lovely gift
A few weeks ago, Julia, our WOYWW hostess, mentioned on her blog that her sister had attempted to learn crochet and couldn’t get on with it, and her set of crochet hooks was going begging to anyone who would give them a good home. I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of this lovely gift, which arrived last week. Not only is there a comprehensive set of crochet hooks with lovely soft-grip handles (much more comfy to use than my old metal ones), but there are lots of accessories too – including a knitting stitch counter, a useful pair of snippy scissors, a tape measure, some stitch markers (always need loads of those) and some sewing-up needles, all in a nifty little zipped case. There were also some balls of brightly-coloured yarn, which will definitely get used.
In the picture, you can also see the beautiful card Julia made for me.
Thank you, Julia!
Here is the 3.5 mm hook in use, adding a black border to one of the kitty squares.
Purple Circles jumper
If my hubby is in the room, I am able to work on the purple circles jumper. I’ve done a bit more on the final sleeve since last week. Not too much different from last week so not really worth a photo.
Food
Ginger
This week I bought half a kilo of fresh root ginger, ready to restock my freezer supplies. I have found the best way to have a ready supply of fresh ginger for cooking is to buy this in bulk, peel it, chop it into small pieces and freeze it in a bag. Then, when a recipe calls for a teaspoon of fresh ginger, for example, I just whip one out and chop it up finely. With my chef’s knife and some decent knife skills, I can even do this when the lump of ginger is still frozen. A few years ago I was attempting to chop a piece of frozen ginger, not knowing in those days how to handle a knife properly, and the knife slipped and cut my finger badly, necessitating several hospital visits to have it repaired and dressed. Because they used steri strips rather than regular sutures, there is no scar. It was a very nasty experience, but part of my learning curve!
The best way to peel fresh ginger is to scrape it with a teaspoon. The skin comes off easily and there’s no waste. It also makes a fabulous smell.
Here is the ginger, peeled and ready to chop.
Before I chopped it, I looked at the different shaped pieces and saw animals! It’s Wonky Veg time again Chez Shosh. Here is my Ginger Bestiary.
Life’s never dull in the kitchen.
Here is the ginger, chopped into chunks and ready to freeze.
Nutrition
Gingering yourself up
Ginger is an extraordinary plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. It is closely related to turmeric and cardamom. It has so many different varieties, with flowers that differ so much that it’s hard to believe they are related. It originates in South-East Asia and the rhizomes produce one of the most delicious and versatile spices, which also have numerous health benefits. This warm, distinctively flavoured spice is used in many different regional cuisines including Indian, Chinese, Thai and Western (don’t we all love a good gingernut biscuit?). The fresh rhizomes are usually referred to as “root ginger” but this isn’t strictly accurate – a rhizome is like a potato; it is a swollen underground stem which stores starch and protein, and is capable of producing a new plant. “Stem ginger” is actually the same as “root ginger” but is usually preserved in sugar syrup and derives from a younger, more tender rhizome.
If you leave some root ginger hanging around at room temperature, it will eventually sprout. You can pop it in a pot and grow it.
Nutritional benefits of ginger
Ginger contains gingerol, a substance responsible for most of its health benefits which include aiding digestion, providing resistance to the flu and common cold viruses, and also protecting against bacterial infection. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, and also acts as an anti-oxidant, reducing the effects of oxidative stress which is caused by the presence of free radicals in the body.
One of the best-known benefits of ginger is that it can help with all forms of nausea, including post-operative nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy, and also motion sickness. I discovered that the word “nausea” is derived from the Greek ναῦς naûs, meaning “ship,” so it clearly originated with seasickness! (Don’t you just love etymology…) Not enough clinical studies have been conducted to say conclusively whether it helps with chemotherapy-induced vomiting, but I still wish I had known about this when I was undergoing my chemo. I was given some pretty effective anti-nausea drugs, though. Many people find benefit from drinking ginger tea when they are feeling sick, from whatever cause; it has a soothing effect on the stomach. One cause of indigestion and bloating is sluggish emptying of the stomach, and ginger can help speed up this process.
There is evidence that ginger can reduce blood sugar and insulin levels (which lead to insulin resistance, and thus to type 2 diabetes) and obesity, which are of course associated.
It has been shown to be beneficial in osteoarthritis, even when applied topically to an affected joint.
Clinical trials for the treatment of dysmenorrhea (painful periods) have shown that ginger is as effective as many NSAIDs for pain reduction. Again, I would have been glad of this knowledge in the past as I suffered agonies with my periods from the beginning until my hysterectomy 25 years ago.
It may also be effective in reducing cholesterol levels, and in decreasing the risk of contracting certain cancers.
Finally, because of its anti-oxidant effects (associated with the ageing process), it is likely that it can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It has been shown to improve memory and brain function in healthy individuals.
So, it appears that ginger lives up to its reputation for being a “super food,” having numerous well-attested health benefits. Are you feeling gingered up now?
Other food
Yesterday I made another batch of a favourite – roasted sweet potato salad. This has a delicious tahini/white wine vinegar dressing. I featured this as a Recipe of the Week back in April of last year.
Kitties
The kitties have been spending quite a bit of time out in the garden. The other day when we were out there having our lunch, there was definitely something of great interest behind one of the patio troughs!
More shameless hussy-ism from Lily.
Our garden
I’m watching the progress of the Clematis montana on the garage on a daily basis. This is how it looked on Monday – about half of the flowers are now open. It is such a prolific plant and I always laugh at my hubby’s original suggestion (when we were at the garden centre buying it – a little innocent looking plant in a pot) that we perhaps needed to get two!! He had little idea just how monstrously big this plant can get! Triffids have nothing on Clematis montana.
Lovely that it is now big enough to train across the arch at the top of the steps. Unfortunately the flowers don’t last very long but while they are in bloom they make a magnificent show.
Here’s a little splash of colour from the patio.
This past week my hubby has bought some trays of bedding plants which have now gone into the tubs and troughs, and we hope to get as good a display of colour as we had last year.
Tesco woes again…
I was extremely annoyed again on Sunday when I was doing my online grocery order. No unsweetened natural soya yoghurt again this week… After the delivery yesterday morning I phoned Tesco to complain about this, and explained what had happened before, that it was in stock in the store but not available online, and after I’d complained, a really nice lady at Tesco HQ had sorted it, and it was back in stock online again. I had hoped this would be a permanent arrangement, and I told her that it wasn’t as if I was ordering the odd pot now and then, but at least six pots per week on a regular basis. She looked at my account and said she’d have another word with them. Meantime, she checked and said they had plenty in stock in the Newton Abbot store (from which we get our deliveries), and that the Tesco Metro in Torquay also had some. My hubby was happy to pop down and get our weekly supplies, so all is well at least for this week. I asked the lady on the phone if she could give me the numbers of the various local Tesco stores so that I could check to see if they had it in stock, should the problem persist, and she said, “Just phone us here – we have access to all the stores and what they have in stock, and we can let you know.” This is very helpful to know. (I checked the Tesco website again last night and it’s back in stock again!!)
Also, they are still saying red grapefruits are not available, and suggesting pasta as a suitable substitution! If you search for red grapefruits, there they are, complete with the heart indicating that they are one of my favourites, but they don’t show up in my favourites list.
And finally…
Cat training.
The kitty blanket is coming along amazingly well and you must be both immensely proud and anxious for it to be done and handed over. I am totally going to buy and store ginger like this now – I am tired of throwing bits away if I don’t get to the tail ends before they go manky. And the sweet potato dish looks good – I love sweet potatoes and I love tahini so what’s not to like? I hate online shopping. Your dilemma is why. Bah!
Have a marvelous day!
ATC backs for the 12th to download on my blog 🙂
Mary Anne (1)
Hi Shoshi, your cat blanket is coming on well! Could you disguise it under a light throw when your husband is about?
I was interested in all the uses of ginger – I love it too. I always have a tea of it if my asthma is playing up. I buy ginger juice (I’m not a juicing expert) but it’s handy.
The etymology of ηαύς is fascinating. I hadn’t thought of that.
I love seeing cats in the garden. We had a frog in the pond one year and seeing our cats jumping whenever the frog jumped was hilarious. We made sure it got back to the pond safely though.
Have a good week
Hugs
Lynnecrafts 7
oh wow! yes, loads to read. Hubby likse putting ginger into the cooking, he does the cooking in this house, he started when I was ill, and that was also when I found crafting, Dawn Bibby on QVC, so, he just kept cooking! Love the cats, lovely to see it all in its glory! The black really works! Love it! Happy WOYWW?! Stay safe, keep crafting and cooking! ((Lyn)) hey, I’m #8 again!
Oh the blanket is looking fantastic, I do love the placement of the different squares and all the embellishments, your husband is going to be thrilled with it! I have those crochet hooks too, they save a lot of wear and tear on my arthritic thumb joints, that’s for sure – what a lovely parcel to get!
Hugs LLJ 6 xxx
Thanks for all the great photos. LOVE those Cat squares, just awesome details. Will be snuggly warm.
And I rarely find fresh Ginger, which I love to use, so these helps on freezing will benefit me when I see it again. I order Tea with it, but fresh is always better. Our weather has not been fit enough for flowers to be blooming yet. Need Rain badly, then SUNSHINE for warmth and for achieving that “Good, Happy” attitude.
Have a lovely week Love your flowers.
I’m always gingered up because I’m a red head! I do use a fair bit of ginger so like you we freeze it in chunks, although we haven’t peeled ours first. Sadly it had no effect on my morning sickness with any of my pregnancies. Stay safe and keep smiling, Lisa-Jane #5
There is a clematis Montana in our little town, over a public building fence, along a wall, up the side of a building and about forty feet along a telephone wire. It’s about four feet deep on the fence and wall, quite the most amazing thing. If it isn’t raining tomorrow, I will walk down and try to get some good snaps. Meanwhile, the blanket is really getting close now, am excited to read about hubby’s reaction now, really well done on keeping it a secret, it’s not easy. I don’t know whether to be impressed at your imagination with the ginger shapes, or slightly concerned!!! ? ?
that blanket is looking fabulous! well done on still keeping it secret – I know you said hubby is very unobservant, but it’s really impressive! I was amazed when I saw on a cookery programme that peeling ginger with a teaspoon is the easiest way – I don’t often buy fresh ginger but next time I must try and remember the trick! Have a great week and I hope you get to enjoy your clematis some more before it finishes. Helen #4
Shoshi…..the Tesco woes had me cracking up!! Pasta???? Really????? Lord help them!!! LOVE, LOVE how that throw is coming along!! You really are having to walk on eggshells!!! LOLOL It will all be worth it in the end. But let me just say, you are dynamite for pulling this off! 🙂 What a great gift you got in the mail! You will surely be putting all that to good use!
LOVEEEEE your ginger bestiary!!! LOLOL I am a HUGE ginger fanatic! I would put it in everything if I could! I like it any way you slice it!! LOL It is such a huge compliment to any dish as well as the nutritional and medicinal properties of it! just love it!
Those little gals of your sure better quit throwing themselves around like they do…the neighbors will begin to talk!!! LOLOLOL They are so stinking cute!! Your Clematis is AMAZING! Who would have known it would take off like that? So beautiful. I know quite a few plants like that, that make a gorgeous display with their blooms for a minute and then they are gone and all you see is folliage the rest of the time! So sad, but I guess worth it for the times that you do get to enjoy the blooms! Looks like your garden is coming along!!
Your “and finally” really got a chuckle out of me because it is sooooooo true! Felines are sooooo unpredictable and predictable at the same time, but I do love them!!
Have a gorgeous rest of your week my friend and many blessings to you! Felicia #27
I had to laugh at the cat training photographs. Your blanket is a real work of art and love. I hope you manage to keep it secret till your present it. I expect the kitties are also enjoying the recent sunshine. Your clematis is fabulous. My husband makes a lovely ginger cake with crystallised ginger, but I wish the pieces were smaller. He puts the cubes in the chopper but they tend to wedge together. Happy WOYWW Angela #16
The kitty throw continues to grow, looks gorgeous. The cat training photographs are brilliant and the info about the Ginger is interesting too. Have a very happy woyww, Angela x14x
Oh Shoshi, I could not envisage how wonderful that cat blanket would look. I tried, but I did not come anywhere near close to how it is beginning to look. If someone made me something like that I would realise just how much that person loved me. I am sure your husband will be close to tears when he is finally given it.
In fact I think it should go on show somewhere before it is allowed to have its final resting place on his chair/knee of whatever. It needs to be seen by a wider audience, as it really is a thing of beauty.
Much like your two kitties, love the photo of them in the garden – I wonder what they were looking at?
Your clematis is beautiful – what are the roots in? I ask because mine did not grow from its pot even though I tried to cover the roots with slates to keep them from the sun.
Have a lovely week – and byj the way, I love ginger and use it in almost everything I cook.
Hugs, Neet 2 xx
Beautiful work on the kitty blanket and it has been a labour of love. I always enjoy reading what you are doing in kitchen and I did have a giggle with your ginger animals. Stay safe and I enjoyed your flowering garden pics while I was sipping my ginger tea 🙂
Sandra de @@
Oh the cat training photos did make me laugh Shoshi. The kitty throw is most impressive and will be even more stunning when you finish it. Hope the Tesco problem is permanently resolved this time. Meow to the hussies. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #3
HI Shoshi, the kitty throw looks every bit as fabulous as I expected it would, love it. Love the ginger critturs too hehehe! And the cat training funny at the end really made me giggle, it’s just so true. Did you find out what your two were after behind the trough? Have a great BH weekend. Annie C #21
I am in LOVE with your kitty blanket! And your kitties! Also have a kitty named Lily who understands what I’m saying but chooses to ignore me lol Elle x (eotc 29)
Wow to the kitty blanket!!
Do you know I have looked everywhere for stem ginger here in Aus and not been able to find it…
It’s a lovely clematis!
Happy WoyWW!
Susan #17