Every Picture Tells a Story, Don't It??

I have lots of pictures today! New batteries in the camera and it was just begging to be used, so I did!!

First, here are a batch of vegan cupcakes, chocolate with chocolate "butter"cream frosting. I cut one in half so you could see how moist and rich they are. Okay, that is a lie. I cut one in half so I could eat it, and it was delicious! My daughter made them, and she used Z Trim in the cakes and in the frosting and didn't even tell me! I couldn't taste a difference at all.

Here are three loaves of Sesame Whole Wheat bread, rising nicely, almost ready to bake. Should be delicious with dinner tonight. I don't know what dinner will be, but as long as there is freshly baked bread, it will be good. Actually, dinner will probably be a soup from:

this book, Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons by Nava Atlas. Nava is one of my favorite cookbook authors. I own several of her cookbooks and every recipe is easy to prepare and enjoyed by the entire family. This is the new, updated edition of Vegetarian Soups. She has made all of the soups vegan and there are 20 new recipes from the original edition. Here are some recipes I've tried: New England Clam-less Chowder, made with baked tofu and soy or rice milk, creamy and delicious; Curried Red Lentil Soup, with sweet potatoes and swiss chard, a wonderful combination; Chickpea and Tahini Soup, very rich and spicey; Mock Chicken Noodle Soup, made with baked tofu, as good as the original; Potato Soup with Pink and Green Beans, I liked it, but not a family favorite; and Chickpea and Bulgur Stew, classic, Italian flavors, hearty and filling. Highly recommended. At the beginning of the book there are a few recipes for vegan staples, like tofu sour cream. At the end of the book are a few quick breads and muffins you can make to enjoy with your soup. Are you hungry yet? :-)

I turned the heel of the Jaywalker. I love turning the heel; it's like a little miracle every time I do it. Now I just have to speed through the gusset decreases and down the foot, to the toe. It's kind of drizzly out right now, and cold, a perfect night to stay home and knit!!

I love this cable pattern. It is from Fiona Ellis' book Inspired Cable Knits. I really love many patterns in this book, very inspiring. I want to take this cable pattern, which is on a yoga bag, and was inspired by vrksasana (tree pose), (can you see it?), and put it on something else. It's still in the "thinking" stage right now, but stay tuned!!

Monday is the day I try to stay home, get caught up on laundry, do some cleaning, bake if I had time. I was able to do all these things today, so it was a good day, overall. Last Monday, I worked on my online banking, and I discovered a charge I couldn't identify. After much digging and many phone calls, it turns out that someone used my husband's credit card number. I just want to warn you about this. It is very common, so check your statements often and don't let anything slide. At first, I saw a charge for $19.95, and I figured I must have bought something and forgot. But when I saw the $68.95 charge, I knew something was fishy. We caught it right away and the bank refunded our money and canceled our cards, but it was inconvenient. Still, I feel fortunate that the damage wasn't worse.

Today, I was working on a bill from our dentist. I called the billing office with a question and I was so insulted! This is not the first time I've been told, "We bill your insurance company as a courtesy," as if I should be thanking them or something. I am the customer; they should be thanking me for my business and accomodating my needs... am I wrong here? I did have to set her straight on this one! I was irritated for a while, but I'm over it.

Okay, the bread is in the oven and smells heavenly. Time to work on the soup!