The Oregon Autumn Cardigan is continuing to grow, but slowly, because I've been busy. When we head out next week, I'll have more time to spend knitting as we drive. Can't do much else. I'll have to pack my good scissors for the other steeks.
We've continued to walk, the dogs and I, putting in 2+ miles a day. About three times a week, Charlie joins us. When he does, Sandy tends to stay right by him.
This is our normal route, starting at our house, walking to the entrance to the trail that's north of us and continuing northwards to Bear Creek Rd., where we turn around, water the dogs (mostly Sandy) and turn around, going back the way we came. Instead of getting off the trail where we came in, we continue south on the trail until we reach the park near the recreation center. Then we turn around again and head back, getting off the trail at the entrance that's south of our home.
We got out the wading pool for the pups. Mostly for Sandy, because he's the water dog.
One of my assignments this week was to get the bed made in the R·Pod. Charlie has found the mattress a little thin for his liking, so he ordered a mattress topper to fit the short queen trailer mattress. We decided to put it under the mattress instead of on top. Some people just replaced the whole mattress, but it would be very difficult to make the bed with a thicker mattress, because you have to pull up the corners while you're kneeling on it. It's hard enough lifting a thick mattress when you can walk around the bed. (The baskets on the shelf are empty right now, but we have plenty of items that will go in them.)
One of the things I did this week was stow away the non-perishable food for our trip. The canned food went under the seat next to the door. The dried food, tea, etc, went over the stove, with the dishes. So I wouldn't forget where I put things, I made a diagram. I numbered each storage location and listed what kinds of things are in each place.
I'm busy now planning menus for the trip. I doubt I'll be able to fit enough meals in the freezer, so I have to have some things that can be cooked on site. We expect not to have electricity (other than our battery or what we can get from our generator), so we won't be able to use our microwave/convection oven. I'm taking the pressure cooker to use like a wet oven on top of the stove. (I did this when we lived on the boat, because our little toaster oven wouldn't have power when we put out to sea.) Some things can be heated up on the stovetop, but if it's something that can't be stirred, I'll just seal it up in foil, to keep the water out, and put it on a rack in the pressure cooker with a cup of water in the bottom (what my pressure cooker requires). Then, when it's up to pressure, I'll cook it for 1/3 of the time I would have had it in the oven for. I should mention that you can't do this with one of those new-fangled hot pots. Those require electricity.
When I was out shopping this week, I "spodded" another R·Pod in the store parking lot. (When you see another R·Pod, that's R·Pod speak for "spodding" it.) I had to take a photo to post in the R·Pod group on FB with the text, "You've been spodded." This looks like one of the bigger models.
We're planning on using the visor we bought. It's sort of an awning that just covers the door and steps, handy if it's raining.
We had a surplus of ripe avocados this week, so I went looking for a recipe that took more than just one. I used three small avocados and added some cucumber that was going to go bad if I didn't use it. This was a good recipe. We'll eat it up long before we go.
We also had this Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Ribollata based on this recipe.
I made quite a few changes for the sake of practicality. Here's my version:
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 large leek, chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 C dried beans
• 1 t dried thyme and/or sage
• 2 1/2 C water
• 4 oz kale, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a 6-quart stovetop pressure cooker set over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add carrots, celery, leek, onion, sweet potato and garlic. Season with salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 20 minutes.
Add dried beans, water and thyme and/or sage.
Seal cooker and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. Cook 30 min.
Rapidly release pressure on the cooker. Open lid and check beans; they should be creamy throughout. If they're still firm, return cooker to high pressure and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer, then check again. (For this recipe, it's far better to overcook your beans than undercook them.)
Stir in kale, then replace lid and return to high pressure for 15 minutes before rapidly releasing and opening the cooker again.
Season with additional salt to taste if needed.
Then I made a big pan of Baked Macaroni with Cabbage, a favorite of ours, because I needed to use up the cabbage; it was getting to that part of the cabbage where you can't pull off individual leaves anymore. I'll package up some of that to take along, as well as a big pot of lentil soup. Eat some, freeze some.
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What's in The Doll's Storybook: In A Hole in the Sky, an all-new story in The Doll's Storybook, we relive an old folk tale and learn some science from Mandy.
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