Knitting Link, Recipe Links and Handbag Madness

I changed today's post.  I originally had written something else but after the events of the past few days, I felt it wasn't appropriate.  It breaks my heart the more I read about Nepal's devastating earthquake that took place less than a week ago. The death toll is rising every time I read about it.    But, it really hit home, so to speak, when I read about two young women missing from my home state of Washington.   They were on an around the world trip and were last heard of in the Langtang Valley in Nepal when the earthquake struck.  This could have been my child or your child.  It has to be devastating to the parents who don't know where their loved ones are.  It's made me realize that whatever issues I think I may have in life, they are nothing.  I should have no complaints.  I have so much to be thankful for.  My thoughts and prayers are with all the families are are in despair and have been displaced.

This week was a bit different as my best friend (who is also my husband), was away on a business trip.   It was quiet around here.  Luckily, Lilly (my cat) is always near to keep my company.  And, my children are constantly texting me via Viber.  Do you use Viber?  It's an amazing app. We text all day long.......

I'm still working my on Easy Peazy Shawl which is a super easy pattern but somehow I "forgot" a couple of yarnovers and had to frog like 14 rows!  Maybe it wasn't noticeable, but to me it was.   You can find the specifics on my Ravelry page. I do love using this Berrocco Ultra Alpaca yarn.  It is so soft and has a wonderful colorway.

We have had "hot" temps in the high 80's with Santa Ana winds this week.  The garden is growing and it's so much fun to see it take shape.  Unfortunately, we don't have a dedicated garden area but we do have some flower bed areas which we have used to plant some vegetable plants.  Here's a photo of my cherry tomatoes......

Since my  husband was away, I decided to prepare some curry for myself.  He truly hates "hot, spicy" food.  But, I love hot, spicy food.  Isn't that funny?  Maybe because my dear Mom, who was such a wonderful person, cooked meat and potatoes style.  I love anything exotic.  So, this week I made a sweet potato curry.  Instead of serving it with rice, I ate it with paratha.  I found the recipe online.  I tweeked it a bit; I used 1 1/4 cups chicken broth and 3/4 cup coconut milk and added 1 crushed garlic clove.  I used peas since I didn't have spinach and I added fresh tangerine juice instead of frozen orange juice.  I couldn't find the "yellow" curry paste so I left it out.  It's really one of the best curries I have tasted.  Such a wonderful, fresh taste that's not overpowering.  I did add in 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce to give it a tiny bit of kick!

Speaking of food, I wanted to share with you a recipe for a quick lunch idea.  It's called Tofu Egg Salad. I had 1/2 pound of tofu left over from when I made the hot pot recipe last week.  I didn't follow this recipe exactly; I drained the tofu in the frig for a couple of hours.  Then I chopped it up just like you would for egg salad.  I added in the remaining ingredients; I went easy on the mayo and I served it with crackers.  Oh, and I added a minced shallot to give it some more flavor.  It's really quite pleasant tasting.  You know, I could easily be a vegetarian as I so enjoy making these types of meals.  I prefer vegetarian food; especially when I go out to eat.

I love handbags.  They have been by passion for many years.  And, I probably have spent too much money throughout the years on designer bags that are now lost in my closet.    But, lately my taste in handbags has started to change.   I really enjoy fabric handbags or bags that are  kind of quirky and unique.  This week I saw a "Sak" handbag at Costco.   Do you remember when Sak first came out about 20 years ago?  They are crocheted  bags that are perfect for summer.  I have a small one that I use when I don't want a huge bag.   I've even washed it and it still looks perfect.  Anyway, I found this one at Costco for $29.99!  It was $10.00 off and on the Sak website it retails for $69.00!  I think it will be a great bag for summer.

If you have a favorite pattern or recipe to share with me, I'd love to hear from you. I do read all my comments and will try and answer too :) 

Today I'm linking up with:
Amy at Love Made My Home
Ginny at Yarn Along 

take care,

Pat