pieces and bits: the fifth week of lent

It appears that I'm not the only one stress crafting.  Z, also inspired by the quilting book and a fuller schedule, has started a postage stamp EPP quilt using the miniscule scraps from her other EPP endeavor.  She excels at handwork, her tiny, even stitches rivaling the best machines.  She took time last week to mount the cross stitch piece she designed and executed last spring, and submitted it for the arts festival this weekend.  As soon as the arts festival is over, we will a) breathe a sigh of relief and b) suddenly have an open schedule.   

In fact, we're brimming with art and handicraft ideas chez Pleximama.  There must be something contagious about the emerging plants and blossoms? G has embraced clay-modeling , a hated activitity before this week.  Last year, when we reached the clay unit of our online classes, he would suddenly vanish.  It was his idea on Friday to work with clay, and when we couldn't locate our Sculpey, he begged me to order more supplies.  I did so gladly.  While waiting for them, G broke out the roving and felted a charming little mouse warrior from a favorite book series. When the clay supplies arrived, he and T had to be forced away from their clay to do chores and other schoolwork.  M received a knitting fork for her birthday.  She currently has a ridiculously long yarn snake dangling from the fork that drags over the dirty floor as she moves from room to room.  She is immensely proud.

While the general creative flow of the house is currently humming, the several recent cakes I've made have been catastrophes.  I lost my best vegan chocolate cake recipe and have been struggling to find a good replacement.  The recipes that include a cup of boiling water are just gross.  The Moosewood Vegan Chocolate Cake tastes closest to the one I'm missing, but NEVER mix it in the cake pans like the recipe says.  Disastrous.  One layer of Little M's cake fell completely apart when I upturned the cake pan, and I destroyed the other trying to save it from falling onto the floor.  The frosting was fantastic, though,  and hid a multitude of imperfections, so thank God for that!

On the menu:

~ Roasted Cauliflower Bolognese with this pesto
~ Crockpot 16-Bean Soup

~ Manestra

~ Fried Rice (without tofu)

Some bonus ideas:

A couple of my kids really like hummus and pesto sandwiches, so when I make vegan pesto, I make a double recipe. Z has been requesting hummus for the last five weeks; I made hummus yesterday for the first time this Lent, which must be a record.  She and I also like hummus + steamed veggies + chili oil.  Basically, we reek of garlic.

In our neck of the woods, "tomato pie" is a thing and can be ordered from most pizza shops.  It's cheeseless pizza, either plain or with veggies.  During Lent, it's a staple for youth group activities and other gatherings.  We've had it at least once a week during this busy season of rehearsals and performances.