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April is National Poetry Month.  US Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo claims, “Without poetry, we lose our way.” William Carlos Williams wrote, “It is difficult / to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably every day / for lack / of what is found there.” In this episode, I share some poems for challenging times.  Thank you to listeners Sue, Nancy and Robin for submissions of poems to read on this episode.  I invite you to find a poem for solace and comfort, or to share poems with others.

• “This Is the Time to Be Slow” by John O’Donohue
• “Gala Melancholia” by Kelli Russel Agodon
• “Woman on a Beach” by Anne Michaels
• “Let Evening Come” by Jane Kenyon
• “How to Survive This” by Barbara Kingsolver
• “Heavy” by Mary Oliver

FIND MORE POEMS

• “25 Ways to Teach and Learn about Poetry with the New York Times“
• Poetry Foundation
• Poets.org

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How to Survive This

by Barbara Kingsolver

O misery. Imperfect

universe of days stretched out

ahead, the string of pearls

and drops of venom on the web,

losses of heart, of life

and limb, news of the worst:

Remind me again

the day will come

when I look back amazed

at the waste of sorry salt

when I had no more than this

to cry about.

Now I lay me down.

I’m not there yet.

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It’s another episode delivered blog style, but this time I do have some photographs and show notes.

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(mask)MAKER

I’ve been very busy with sewing masks for health care workers.  I’m using the pattern from Craft Passion. The outside fabric is scrap cotton; the lining is 100% cotton flannel, and the elastic is 1/4″. These masks are going the LVHN Pocono, my local hospital. So far, the feedback has been enthusiastic.

#silverlining

Found the Bald Eagle AND the nest on my morning walk this week.

spinning

Some spinning I’m doing on my collection of Jenkins’ Turkish spindles: Aegean, Lark and Kuchulu, all dressed with Hobbledehoy battlings.

#powerpantry

I had great success with the oatmeal cracker recipe from the GRAIN issue of Taproot.  We have been enjoying them with cream cheese, chèvre, and savory jams and jellies.  They are a delicious with a heart soup.

I’ve been taking Evan Kleiman’s suggestion of using leftovers as mise en place for the next meal.  There’s a helpful segment about stocking up on staples on the most recent Good Food podcast.

 

 

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Episode 244 was recorded blog style over the course of three days. Please excuse my lack of show notes, as my screentime these days is intense!  I wanted to get some content out to listeners who have let me know that the podcast is a source of comfort.  Keep up with your creative progress on #powerpantry and let me know how it’s going.

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This week, I added the Scalloway Tam to my collection of knits from Marie Wallin’s SHETLAND.  I’ve also been busy with a new sewing project for Spring.  This month we’re discussing sheet pan cooking. I give a number of resources in the episode, but I forgot to mention that this topic features in Issue 37: Spark of Taproot magazine. Look for more on that in the next episode, along with your comments and suggestions.

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The Back Porch

And Scalloway makes FOUR.  This week it was chilly and I actually layered all of my fair isle pieces at once.

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#powerpantry

It all started with a roasted and glazed Brussels sprouts recipe.  After that, sheet pan cooking has been pretty much a weekly event at Yin Hoo.  It’s certainly not a novel idea, but when I learned to cook, stovetop preparations were more common than oven roasting, which was reserved almost exclusively for meats.  But roasting is so great for vegetables, as their sugars are enhanced and their texture is preserved.  I could not find the recipe I learned for Brussels sprouts, but the one below is pretty close.  For the glaze, I like to use equal parts maple syrup, gourmet (not grainy) mustard, and coconut oil.

• Maple Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Magic Spice Blend
• Cauliflower Korma with Blackened Raisins
• Taproot Issue 37: SPARK “Cooking Up and Idea” by Ashley English (I made the spiced drumsticks recipe and substituted tofu)

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And Sew Forth

• Cambria Duster by Friday Pattern Co.
• Woolsey in Alta Mare from Merchant and Mills
• Creativebug Tutorial
• Hong Kong Finish Options: Closet Case Tutorial

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Thanks to recipe ideas contributed by listeners, I have continued to experiment with fruit in savory dishes this week, and have discovered a dish that will go into regular rotation.  It’s the perfect #powerpantry dish, too.  I was invited to write an article for the NJFibershed blog, and I’ll be teaching a deep study of wool course at BLUE: The Tatter Textile Library. Also in this episode: a late-entry #homedecmal project and a Hadley top, plus a beautiful example of the sestina from the recent issue of Taproot.

News & Events

• “A Day on the Farm” published on the njfibershed blog
• Spinning Fleeces from NJ Fibershed w/ Deb Robson — May 29
• Fiber Farm Market — May 30
• A Deep Study of Wool @ BLUE: The Tatter Textile Library

Knitting Projects

• toe-up cotton socks
• Wit Beyond Measure mitts designed by Diana Walla
• Scalloway Tam designed by Marie Wallin
• new toe-up sock cast on

#powerpantry 

The discussion of adding fruit (fresh, dried, preserves) to savory dishes continues on the Ravelry thread.  Based on momdiggity’s suggestion, I tried Ina Garten’s recipe for Chicken Marbella and was thrilled with the results! Next up is Peach Chickpea Curry.

Sew Forth

 

 

 

 

 

Before and after a long-awaited upholstery session.  I’m very pleased with the result, having no experience with this type of sewing.  I used a zipper foot to put fabric around some upholstery cord, cut new foam for the seat, and re-purposed the old cover by turning it inside out to lend a little more stability to  cover.

Off the Shelf

I was pleased to find a sestina by John  Reinhardt in the SPARK issue of Taproot magazine.  An unusual example of formal poetry, the sestina makes use of an ever-changing order of six key words at the ends of lines.  Reinhardt’s use of enjambment gives the form some subtlety and variety.

 

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This episode’s cover art features the fiber art of Becky Stevens.  Her sashiko-inspired wall hanging, More Stories to be Told,  was among my favorite pieces from the Explorations in Felt exhibit at the Hunderdon Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey.

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#powerpantry

This month, I’m thinking about fruit in savory dishes.  This is a favorite combination in winter, because I can use pantry ingredients like dried fruits and preserves.  Fruits can balance spicy flavors and prevent dishes from drying out.  They can also lend a wonderful richness to slow-cooked dishes like tagines.

• Bobotie recipe from Epicurious
• Korean-style Gochujang Meatballs recipe from food52 website
• Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Cinnamon from Epicurious
• 11 Fruits that Fit Perfectly in Savory Dishes from the Morsel blog

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And Sew Forth

• Hadley Top from Grainline Studio