Mersydotes

Breakfast on the weekends is a treat!  We tend to eat the same things every morning during the week, so it's fun to make something really good and tasty on Saturday mornings.  I've been going through my recent issue of Bon Appetit, making as many recipes as possible- yummmm!  Here's the most recent one (tofu scramble)- it was really delicious! I love cooking anything that involves frying peppers and onions because it makes the whole apartment smell lively.  Like something good is coming! I didn't have turmeric that would have turned the tofu yellow (I used a bit of curry powder instead), so the final project is a bit blue-ish because of the black beans, but it still tasted amazing with some cheese and salsa in a tortilla! Cheers! ~Mersydotes

Happy Sunday everyone!  How are you?  The morning is bright and sunny here, but I really want to share the dark and glowy lights of last night with you.  I saw a great and very simple idea online for wax paper luminaries, and gave it a shot.  Very easy!  The key, however, is to use electronic tea lights, so as not to burn down the entire apartment!  I've been craving some wild winter weather with blustery wind and epic snowfall.  It just doesn't seem like we've really been through winter yet.  I have the urge to make cocoa and set the luminaries all around and curl up with Penny and some crocheting while listening to the wild blizzard rage outside! See you soon! ~Mersydotes

Good morning and happy weekend!  It's very cold here, but also very sunny, which makes everything optimistic!  I thought I'd share the Mrs. Mersydotes version of finger-less wrist warmers today.  They've been done for a while, but I've only now been able to photograph them.   They are made from a merino wool blend with both a G and an E hook.   I really like the bobble stitch pattern.  I found it here in an Australian magazine called Sweet Living . Hope you have a lovely weekend! ~Mersydotes

Today is a big day at work for Mr. Mersydotes- good luck honey!!!!  And he is looking extra handsome wearing his brand new crocheted hand warmers.  The highs have only been in the 20s recently, so it's good to have something extra to tuck into your gloves and protect your arms from that sneaky gap that always appears between the end of your coat sleeve and the top of your glove. These were made with a chunky wool blend yarn in nice mellow fall colors, with a J hook.  I started with a foundation chain of about 40-45 stitches, and then (after a turning chain of 3), began double crocheting in rows. What I like best about this is the ribbed pattern that came from only double crocheting in the back stitch of each row.  It gives it a nice bit of texture. At the end, I folded the rectangle with the right sides together, sewed up the seam leaving six stitches open for the thumb holes, and then turned it right side out. Tomorrow I'll show you another pair that I made for m

Helloooooo!  Do you remember me?  I've been away for quite a while!  I blame "the creaky bones" and the "creaky bones doctor" for taking away my precious bloggy time recently.  But, I'm so happy to be back and get to share several crochet updates with you!  A quick post today, and more to come over the weekend. For a while, I had been admiring the designs of crochet collars, but I really didn't think of myself as a collar wearing person.  I just wasn't sure it would fit my "style" (whatever my "style" might be!?).  But then, the creative author of the Lulu Loves blog posted an adorable tutorial for a delicate crocheted collar, and I had some leftover purple mercerized cotton (my favorite!), and, well..., I just couldn't resist any longer! I like the look of the slanty winter morning light coming into the living room in these pictures. The collar was a breeze to make, and I think it actually looks fantastic with my blo

Unfortunately, one of the beaded crochet bangles that I made a while back got on the wrong side of a bottle of super glue, which leaked all over it: So repairs were needed!  It took quite a while to cut through the super glue soaked yarn (I guess that's why it's super  glue), and two beads were also lost due to glue exposure.   However, I was able to restring 5 of the 7 beads and re-crochet the bangle- not bad, right?! Now the triplet bracelets are a full set again!  And the super glue is locked away in solitary confinement!

We have now exponentially jumped from being a one-doily household to a two-doily household.  Yikes!  They are so quick to make, and I really enjoy the geometry of the motifs, but I need to proceed with caution, lest the horizontal surfaces of the apartment get overrun! Here is the newest addition to the coffee table: I like making them out of 4-ply cotton so that they are a bit sturdier, and this one was extra fun because it was color-changing yarn.  Neat effect, eh? P.S.  You can find the pattern here . ~Mersydotes

Good morning!  The sun is bright and shiny here, and Penny and I are basking in the rays as I write this post! With so much going on as far as cooking and traveling over the past few weeks, I haven't had much chance to write about what's going on with crochet.  So, it's time to get back to Mersydotes's roots and talk about crochet! Here's what I've been up to: First, I quickly whipped up a sachet following Lucy's instructions from Attic 24 (click here ): It's filled with dried lavender and smells absolutely fantastic!  I'll take it into work today and hang it over my desk so I can smell the clean scent of summer while I work. Also, I've decided to begin another blanket (the first one will be revealed soon- it just needs a finishing touch!).  I'm not much of one for lots of colors all together- I prefer different shades of one color, so for this blanket, I'm doing 5-round granny squares in aqua and sea foam colors.  The co

Here is one of my new year's resolutions: This is going to be a year of fabulous cooking- 2013 will be a culinary extravaganza!  And to get started, I decided to go through this month's Bon Appetit issue, and make as many of the delicious recipes as possible.  That magazine has never steered me wrong, and it's surprising how many recipes they publish that fit with our whole gluten-free, vegetarian vibe. This month's special spread was all about Korean bibimbop, which I happen to really like.  So last night, we gave it a shot, and everything turned out to be absolutely delicious! Here are the components that we added on top of the rice (clockwise): gochujang (not gluten-free, but an easy substitute was sriracha, ketchup, and a bit of miso) sesame sauteed carrots scallion slaw marinated tofu bulgogi (marinated, grilled beef) sesame sauteed zucchini fried eggs And here is my bowl, all done up with all the fixin's! The combination of flavors is fa

We arrived home from the tropics to beautiful farmland covered in snow and sparkling in the sunlight.  I still need some time to digest all the beautiful things that we saw and experienced in Florida before I post all our lovely pictures.  I feel like I'm the girl singing the song, "I still have sand in my shoes..." And what is the perfect balm for a heart that is blue because the end of vacation has come?  Why, lemon curd and strawberries, of course!  I had made the lemon curd before we left on our trip, so it was right here waiting for us this morning- we might be a bit sad to be back home, but at least the taste of home is sweet! Also, just wanted to add a feel-good picture of Penny enjoying the winter morning sunlight!

We've been gone on vacation, but just arrived back yesterday, and I've got so much to post about! First, before vacation pics, here are a few snapshots of Christmas 2012- enjoy! A beautiful and artsy Christmas card from an auntie: We didn't do a Christmas tree this year, but instead made our snowflakes and hearts out of air-dry clay and hung them on our evergreen rosemary bush! Of course we brought out the nativity! Everyone excitedly waiting for the baby Jesus: The wise men (technically, they arrive this weekend, but I took some artistic liberty!): Here he is! Snowman ornaments on an auntie's Christmas tree: White poinsettias: Pralined almonds in festive cupcake holders (absolutely delicious!): Putting together treat boxes for family and friends: What a fabulous holiday- and a very happy new year to all! ~Mersydotes