Lake Magic - Week 2

Welcome to the lake, Little Lady! It's your first time here. 

You handled it like a champ. 

You got to spend lots of time with Mimi.

And your best buddy (and cousin) was here with you.

In another year, you'll get to eat with us on the porch

and not just watch while we enjoy lunch.

Daddy-O can tell you all about this lake cabin.

And the new cottage.

And how it's all part of your family history.

You liked our shady picnic pavilion

where the little blue pool was ready for you.

Besides being a champion boater and (mostly) a superstar napper,

you won the prize for most splashing. 

  

And all too soon, it was very quiet here.

But there's one thing about this lake place—

it's always here, always...

waiting to say, "Welcome back!"

~~~~~~

And because Barb asked about this...

I think I have made this four times this summer. And it's only mid-July. It's cool and juicy and sweet and salty. A perfect salad for a hot evening on the porch. 

WATERMELON FETA SALAD

1/2 small chilled watermelon, cut into cubes or scooped into balls

juice of 1 lime (more if the lime isn't very juicy)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

crumbled feta cheese

fresh mint, optional

Make this shortly before serving. You could have the melon prepped and stir in dressing and cheese later.

Squeeze lime juice into a small cup. Whisk in oil, salt & pepper with a fork. Pour over watermelon and toss gently. Sprinkle crumbled feta over watermelon. Garnish with fresh mint if available. 

I honestly don't do any measuring for this. Bigger watermelon? Use more juice and oil. (The actual recipe called for 12 cups of melon cubes, juice of 3 limes and 1/4 cup olive oil.) The proportion should be about the same.

The Kindness Of Knitters

Finished with love. ❤️

This little heart marks where Bev's knitting ended and the new knitting started. 

We will mark each project like this, to honor the work she did.

I am moving in slow motion this morning after an intense—but totally wonderful—weekend. Two knitting friends drove up from Atlanta to help make and carry out a plan to deal with all the yarn left when our dear friend Bev passed away a couple of years ago. We had all met at a knitting retreat years ago and attended other retreats together. Knitting retreats are meant for learning new skills and making new friends. If you're lucky, these friendships will last a lifetime.  

This was a fraction of the yarn we sorted. If you knit and are like most knitters, you have accumulated a yarn stash. Likely more yarn than you could possibly knit in your lifetime.

Luxury yarns bought on travels around the globe, souvenir yarns, and yarns bought with specific projects in mind. Those were often bagged along with the pattern and needles. So much yarn. And so many memories. We had fun telling stories and laughing about the experiences we shared. 

In addition to sorting the yarns, these amazing friends also worked to complete unfinished projects, like this colorful blanket. There are multiple names for this blanket pattern, but I like the one that calls it "The Kindness of Knitters Blanket." This one truly is. We are still working on some other projects that could be taken home and finished after our weekend was over. But they will all be done soon and returned to her family.

Porch knitting before dawn.

The first night we watched a movie while the blanket knitting was happening. The last morning the knitted started before the sun came up as we raced to complete what we wanted to do. And in between the first night and the last morning, it was non-stop yarn sorting.

    

 

These knitting friends were also wonderful houseguests. They knew we had a lot of work to do. And to make the weekend easier for me, they brought food. Homemade muffins and fruit for breakfast, butternut squash soup and chicken salad for lunches. 

I made these crackers in case we needed an afternoon snack. (We did.) I have loved these! If you count WW points, an entire sheet of lavash made into crackers is 2 points. I never eat that many at one time.

LAVASH CRACKERS

 1 package Joseph's Lavash Bread

 Pam olive oil spray

 Seasoning of your choice, such as Everything but the Bagel or Ranch

Preheat oven to 375º.

Put one sheet of lavash onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use pizza cutter to cut into cracker size pieces. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with seasoning. Carefully slide parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.  

Watch closely because they can burn easily! I rotate the sheet while baking.

These are so crisp and they stay that way. Such a good snack when you want a crunch in your mouth.

There were nearly as many knitting notions as there was yarn. That was all sorted and packaged in to 40 sets to be used for goodies at a knitting retreat.

And while they were hard at work sorting and counting and packaging, I was busy in the kitchen. We took a break in the late afternoon, sharing good memories of our friend as we shared an appetizer.

These ladies brought breakfast and lunches. My job was to provide dinner. I tried to keep it easy and healthy. All of the food I made is here on the blog and I've linked the recipes. The first night I made Chicken Taco Soup and baked the Artisan Bread that I love. (I originally got the recipe from one of these friends!) 

The next night we invited another local knitting friend to join us for dinner. After the baked brie, I made Tuscan Garlic Chicken, roasted potatoes, watermelon feta salad...and these girls twisted my arm and I baked another loaf of bread!

The entire weekend we felt Bev smiling down on us, chuckling from time to time as we tired to figure out what she was doing...forensic knitting, detective work, mind reading. It took all of our skills. And I am sure that she would approve of how we shared the yarn—some went to friends who knew and loved her, some went to high school knitters who have not experienced the pleasure of using "good" yarn, and some went to knitters with limited budgets for indulging their hobby. Another batch was packaged for use later at an event. My dining room no longer looks like a yarn shop. The table is finally empty! 

 

**If you are looking for the lavash, this is what the package looks like. I found it in the deli section, near the pita breads and wraps.