I had so much fun making the stitch markers over the last week I decided to make a few more, PLUS! I made some earrings. They weren't that hard, in fact, it was almost easier to make the earrings because I didn't have to deal with split rings.
I did change one thing from my first set of stitch markers - I used a stronger T-pin for the silver markers. The first ones I used were not as strong as I had thought and the wire bent too easily if tugged on. Not good. So I will be going back and swapping those out.
I experimented with making a collage - it looks like the stitch markers are attached to the earrings, but they're not. I think if you clickity-clickity you can make it bigger.
A pinch of book summaries, a dash of recipe reviews, and some talk about the weather, with a side of chicken.
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Knitting Project #26 - Seed Stitch Surprise Dishcloth
Dee from Tangled up in Sticks and String made this dishcloth and I just loved how it looked. She very kindly linked to the pattern and since then I've knitted up two. I did shorten the pattern by 2 rows, it was just getting too big for a dishcloth in my opinion. By doing so, I was able to get two cloths out of one skein of Sugar n Cream solids.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Recipe Review from 2/16/09
Another really good week for recipes.
This isn't a new recipe for us, but a variation on one I've made before: Turkey Alfredo Pizza, Ckng Lght, Nov 2001.
I used Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza crust; wilted my own spinach (I had some leftover), and used chicken instead of turkey. The Husband thought it was even better as leftovers the next day.
Moroccan Country Bread (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 4.0
I linked to the recipe in the title - this posting was getting a bit long. Very easy to make, especially with a stand mixer. I did substitute about 1 1/2 cups of WW flour for white. Following the directions, I let everything mix in the stand mixer until the dough formed a lovely ball. I then hand kneaded for about five minutes. Probably a bit longer than the recipe called for, but I couldn't resist. This made three beautiful boules. I froze one for a later date and saved two for the week.
Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Onion and Pine-Nut Topping (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 5.0
This was fantastic! A bit labor intensive so not the best for a week night dinner unless your Sous Chef can start this before you get home. I forgot to buy sweet potatoes, but I had one butternut squash left from last years garden so I subbed that. Diced squash, parsnips, carrots, olive oil and seasonings are all tossed together and baked for 30 min.
Meanwhile, I started the couscous - I subbed Israeli couscous for regular because I don't care for regular. When finished, this is tossed with chickpeas and set aside to keep warm.
Lastly, thinly sliced onions are caramelized with a bit of honey and tossed with almonds (I didn't have any pine nuts and I skipped the golden raisins). Then everything is assembled. Delicious! Absolutely delicious! I could have eaten this all week. This made enough for two dinners and one lunch when served with the bread. Lucky Hubby got the lunch...
Guiness Beef Stew (Irish Pub Ckbk) 4.0
The Husband made this and it was a delightful winter stew. Some background here - a couple years ago I made a beef stew that called for a red wine. I mistakenly used a Cabernet Sauvignon, which completely overwhelmed the recipe, and I had to force myself to eat the whole pot over the next week (I couldn't justify throwing it out. Wasteful!). The unfortunate side effect of that incident was that I have not liked beef stew since then.
This, however, was perfect. He used a Chocolate Stout from Black River Falls, WI; venison steak cut into cubes and the veggies as called for: parsnips, turnips, and carrots. The venison (or stew meat) is lightly seared with chopped onion. Beef broth is added to the pot and the meat simmered. Recipe called for simmering for 60-70 minutes (!) but he cut it back to 30 minutes. Then the veggies are added and cooked till tender-firm. A bit of a roux is mixed into thicken the sauce and everything is served over mashed potatoes.
Do you know, I couldn't tell you the last time I made mashed potatoes. I'd almost forgotten how delightful they are. We both thought with some adjustment to cooking time (or even doing this in the crockpot) this would be a nice recipe to make again.
I finished the week by make a fresh batch of yogurt (needed to use up some milk before it went bad) and a fresh batch of granola. I skipped the raisins in this batch this time - they get tough and chewy. I tried craisins to see if they stay softer longer.
And to use up the rotisserie leftovers...and the extra pie crust from the quiche last week; and the slightly freezer-burned veggies in the freezer) I made this Chicken Potpie from Ckng Lght. It's made on the stove top with the "crust" bakes in the oven. I like this one in particular because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand, it only makes 3 servings, and you can keep the "crust" crispy until you combine the two. I really dislike soggy crusts.
Have a great week!
This isn't a new recipe for us, but a variation on one I've made before: Turkey Alfredo Pizza, Ckng Lght, Nov 2001.
I used Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza crust; wilted my own spinach (I had some leftover), and used chicken instead of turkey. The Husband thought it was even better as leftovers the next day.
Moroccan Country Bread (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 4.0
I linked to the recipe in the title - this posting was getting a bit long. Very easy to make, especially with a stand mixer. I did substitute about 1 1/2 cups of WW flour for white. Following the directions, I let everything mix in the stand mixer until the dough formed a lovely ball. I then hand kneaded for about five minutes. Probably a bit longer than the recipe called for, but I couldn't resist. This made three beautiful boules. I froze one for a later date and saved two for the week.
Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Onion and Pine-Nut Topping (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 5.0
This was fantastic! A bit labor intensive so not the best for a week night dinner unless your Sous Chef can start this before you get home. I forgot to buy sweet potatoes, but I had one butternut squash left from last years garden so I subbed that. Diced squash, parsnips, carrots, olive oil and seasonings are all tossed together and baked for 30 min.
Meanwhile, I started the couscous - I subbed Israeli couscous for regular because I don't care for regular. When finished, this is tossed with chickpeas and set aside to keep warm.
Lastly, thinly sliced onions are caramelized with a bit of honey and tossed with almonds (I didn't have any pine nuts and I skipped the golden raisins). Then everything is assembled. Delicious! Absolutely delicious! I could have eaten this all week. This made enough for two dinners and one lunch when served with the bread. Lucky Hubby got the lunch...
Guiness Beef Stew (Irish Pub Ckbk) 4.0
The Husband made this and it was a delightful winter stew. Some background here - a couple years ago I made a beef stew that called for a red wine. I mistakenly used a Cabernet Sauvignon, which completely overwhelmed the recipe, and I had to force myself to eat the whole pot over the next week (I couldn't justify throwing it out. Wasteful!). The unfortunate side effect of that incident was that I have not liked beef stew since then.
This, however, was perfect. He used a Chocolate Stout from Black River Falls, WI; venison steak cut into cubes and the veggies as called for: parsnips, turnips, and carrots. The venison (or stew meat) is lightly seared with chopped onion. Beef broth is added to the pot and the meat simmered. Recipe called for simmering for 60-70 minutes (!) but he cut it back to 30 minutes. Then the veggies are added and cooked till tender-firm. A bit of a roux is mixed into thicken the sauce and everything is served over mashed potatoes.
Do you know, I couldn't tell you the last time I made mashed potatoes. I'd almost forgotten how delightful they are. We both thought with some adjustment to cooking time (or even doing this in the crockpot) this would be a nice recipe to make again.
I finished the week by make a fresh batch of yogurt (needed to use up some milk before it went bad) and a fresh batch of granola. I skipped the raisins in this batch this time - they get tough and chewy. I tried craisins to see if they stay softer longer.
And to use up the rotisserie leftovers...and the extra pie crust from the quiche last week; and the slightly freezer-burned veggies in the freezer) I made this Chicken Potpie from Ckng Lght. It's made on the stove top with the "crust" bakes in the oven. I like this one in particular because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand, it only makes 3 servings, and you can keep the "crust" crispy until you combine the two. I really dislike soggy crusts.
Have a great week!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Knitting Bling!
My co-worker inspired me to make some stitch markers! She was starting her first hat and asked "how do I know where I start?". I didn't have any handy and I've been wanting to give this a whirl for a while now, so I scampered up to Michael's Crafts and figured out what I would need. I picked out some very pretty agate beads, some small split rings, some even smaller rings and some wire. Oh, and I had to buy a craft needle-nose pliers because I had a hunch our utility pliers at home would be missing (it tends to disappear for great lengths of time).
One set of instructions I found online had me wrapping the wire in a little loopy thing, but I found that didn't work for me. It was much easier just bending it over and securing it in the top bead.
It was so much fun I had to go and buy some more beads and supplies the next day! I made these for me:
And these when to my co-worker:
I think I'll be making more over time. Super simple, fun, and it's fun to have something pretty on one's knitting projects.
One set of instructions I found online had me wrapping the wire in a little loopy thing, but I found that didn't work for me. It was much easier just bending it over and securing it in the top bead.
It was so much fun I had to go and buy some more beads and supplies the next day! I made these for me:
And these when to my co-worker:
I think I'll be making more over time. Super simple, fun, and it's fun to have something pretty on one's knitting projects.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Lighthouse, Knife River, MN
The Husband and I didn't have any set plans for Valentines Day, we're pretty low key people and prefer to avoid the obnoxious restaurant mark-ups, lines, and bustle that tend to accompany this day.
Instead, we found ourselves taking a leisurely drive through the country north of Duluth as we wound our way to The Lighthouse Restaurant. The speedy way to get there would be to buzz up Hwy 61, but that isn't as much fun; or to putter up old Hwy 61 along Lake Superior, but we do that a fair amount already.
Now my Folks have already tried The Lighthouse out, and spoke favorably to its ambiance and menu. We arrived at about 1:30p - a bit after any lunch rush, and found the restaurant pleasantly busy but by no means packed. It was a seat yourself time of day and we picked a spot out of the overly bright windows but where we could still see the gas fireplace.
This is a family run business, and there were only two waitstaff on for the afternoon. Nobody seemed to be in a rush, it was so very pleasant. I *thought* I ordered a Veggie Sandwich with no cucumbers with a cup of clam chowder, and The Husband ordered a BLT with a bowl of the same soup. What I actually got was the Veggie Rice Burger with a side of fries. I'm still not sure how she got Veggie burger from Veggie Sandwich no cucumbers. Still, I wasn't disappointed as the Veggie Burger was very good. A combination of wild rice and sweet potato (I think, I couldn't really identify the filling), it was very tasty served on a butter bun with lettuce and tomato. I think the Husband liked his BLT, he ate all of it and some of my fries.
Like I said, it was very pleasant. My only complaint was that they did need one more waitstaff. It was just busy enough with the two that it took a very, very long time to get our bill. It's hard to sit and wait when your drinks are empty.
Would we go again? You bet!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Recipe Review from 2/9/09
What a wonderful week it's been again. Though, could have done without the ice storm last Monday and Tuesday, but at least it wasn't as bad as it was for those poor folks down in the South East.
Pesto and Pancetta Egg Sandwiches (Ckng Lght, ??) 4.5
I love homemade "egg mcmuffin sandwiches". These are currently my go-to meals when I get home late on Monday and Thursday from yoga class. However, this variation took the "egg mcmuffin" to new and delicious heights! I couldn't seem to find this in my Ckng Lght magazines or annual but Culinary in the Country posted the recipe here. This was our breakfast on Sunday morning with a side of fresh fruit, yogurt and a grapefruit.
Eggs are lightly poached in little ramekins; or in my case, a bit over poached. I don't quite have the timing down yet. Meanwhile, I deviated from the recipe and fried up a couple slices of pancetta instead of procuttio. A bit of pesto is spread on a toasted English muffin, then layered with the pancetta, egg and all sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper. Delicious!
Fish en Palliote (CI, Mar/Apr, pg 22) 3.5
The Husband made this dish Sunday night for dinner. What a lovely presentation! I can't speak much about the preparation because I stayed out of the kitchen - I have a tendency to "take over" when trying to help. He sort of halved the recipe - some bits got halved and others didn't.
What I think occurred was lemon zest was combined with freshly chopped parsley and set aside. Carrots, green onions, and red onion were julienned and placed in on a sheet of aluminum foil. Butter was mixed with more lemon zest, dolloped on top and the fish placed over everything. Then the aluminum foil was folded up to make a couple of packets and placed in the oven.
I have to say, this bakes up wonderfully. However, with that said, our packets could have used another solid 5 minutes each.
Calzones (Culinary in the Country)4.5
This ended up being loosely based on the recipe linked to above. It was my initial intent to substitute mushrooms for the pepperoni, but when I started the recipe, I realized that I had forgotten the ricotta cheese AND the marinara sauce. Quick action was required as I had the dough rising in the oven and Star Trek on TV. Note to self - start dough BEFORE Star Trek comes on!!
I quick made a pizza sauce with some tomato puree I had on hand. I tossed in some sauteed onions, red pepper flakes, pepper, orgenano and a bit of fresh chopped basil. Sliced up the mushrooms - I didn't have time to saute them to remove excess liquid. Oh well.
Once the dough was done, I divided it into four balls, rolling each one into a circle and topping half with the sauce, mushrooms, red pepper slices and cheese. I sealed them up, attempted to poke steam vents, and tossed them into the oven for about 20 minutes.
These were super tasty. One was plenty for me, but I think the Husband would have been happier eating two. We did save two for dinner the next night, and both of us thought they tasted even better! I know I'll be making these again - I may even make some extra and freeze to have on hand.
Chili Pasta (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 4.5
I made this the other night and want to say that this was indeed a super tasty and satisfying comfort food! I had a couple of modifications - I needed to add extra water, but didn't add any more chili powder as it was already plenty spicy (love that Penzey's medium chili powder!).
I subbed ground bison for the burger. Ground turkey or even TVP would work well.
I forgot to buy beans (two weeks in a row actually) and I forgot to soak some of my own beans (again, two weeks in a row), so I quick subbed some corn. I think I liked that better!
And I used campanelle pasta because that's what I had on hand. I needed to cook it for just tich longer. Not a biggie. Gave me time to clean up the kitchen.
I served it with the yogurt scones from the same issue. Very tasty combination.
Chili Pasta with Beans (modified)
Since this cooks in one skillet, prep and cleanup are a snap. This dish is easy on the budget, too, since it serves six using less than a pound of meat. Top it off with sliced green onions and a shower of reduced-fat shredded cheddar.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound ground sirloin (SUBBED GROUND BISON)
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces uncooked ruote (about 2 1/4 cups uncooked wagon wheel–shaped pasta)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained (SUBBED CORN)
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Muir Glen), undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a LARGE nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done.
Yogurt Scones (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09)
Just as Ckng Lght says: These scones are terrific with chili, or you can split them in half lengthwise and serve with sloppy joe sauce.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2.375 ounces whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 large egg white
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in onions. Combine yogurt and egg white, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Pesto and Pancetta Egg Sandwiches (Ckng Lght, ??) 4.5
I love homemade "egg mcmuffin sandwiches". These are currently my go-to meals when I get home late on Monday and Thursday from yoga class. However, this variation took the "egg mcmuffin" to new and delicious heights! I couldn't seem to find this in my Ckng Lght magazines or annual but Culinary in the Country posted the recipe here. This was our breakfast on Sunday morning with a side of fresh fruit, yogurt and a grapefruit.
Eggs are lightly poached in little ramekins; or in my case, a bit over poached. I don't quite have the timing down yet. Meanwhile, I deviated from the recipe and fried up a couple slices of pancetta instead of procuttio. A bit of pesto is spread on a toasted English muffin, then layered with the pancetta, egg and all sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper. Delicious!
Fish en Palliote (CI, Mar/Apr, pg 22) 3.5
The Husband made this dish Sunday night for dinner. What a lovely presentation! I can't speak much about the preparation because I stayed out of the kitchen - I have a tendency to "take over" when trying to help. He sort of halved the recipe - some bits got halved and others didn't.
What I think occurred was lemon zest was combined with freshly chopped parsley and set aside. Carrots, green onions, and red onion were julienned and placed in on a sheet of aluminum foil. Butter was mixed with more lemon zest, dolloped on top and the fish placed over everything. Then the aluminum foil was folded up to make a couple of packets and placed in the oven.
I have to say, this bakes up wonderfully. However, with that said, our packets could have used another solid 5 minutes each.
Calzones (Culinary in the Country)4.5
This ended up being loosely based on the recipe linked to above. It was my initial intent to substitute mushrooms for the pepperoni, but when I started the recipe, I realized that I had forgotten the ricotta cheese AND the marinara sauce. Quick action was required as I had the dough rising in the oven and Star Trek on TV. Note to self - start dough BEFORE Star Trek comes on!!
I quick made a pizza sauce with some tomato puree I had on hand. I tossed in some sauteed onions, red pepper flakes, pepper, orgenano and a bit of fresh chopped basil. Sliced up the mushrooms - I didn't have time to saute them to remove excess liquid. Oh well.
Once the dough was done, I divided it into four balls, rolling each one into a circle and topping half with the sauce, mushrooms, red pepper slices and cheese. I sealed them up, attempted to poke steam vents, and tossed them into the oven for about 20 minutes.
These were super tasty. One was plenty for me, but I think the Husband would have been happier eating two. We did save two for dinner the next night, and both of us thought they tasted even better! I know I'll be making these again - I may even make some extra and freeze to have on hand.
Chili Pasta (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09) 4.5
I made this the other night and want to say that this was indeed a super tasty and satisfying comfort food! I had a couple of modifications - I needed to add extra water, but didn't add any more chili powder as it was already plenty spicy (love that Penzey's medium chili powder!).
I subbed ground bison for the burger. Ground turkey or even TVP would work well.
I forgot to buy beans (two weeks in a row actually) and I forgot to soak some of my own beans (again, two weeks in a row), so I quick subbed some corn. I think I liked that better!
And I used campanelle pasta because that's what I had on hand. I needed to cook it for just tich longer. Not a biggie. Gave me time to clean up the kitchen.
I served it with the yogurt scones from the same issue. Very tasty combination.
Chili Pasta with Beans (modified)
Since this cooks in one skillet, prep and cleanup are a snap. This dish is easy on the budget, too, since it serves six using less than a pound of meat. Top it off with sliced green onions and a shower of reduced-fat shredded cheddar.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound ground sirloin (SUBBED GROUND BISON)
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces uncooked ruote (about 2 1/4 cups uncooked wagon wheel–shaped pasta)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained (SUBBED CORN)
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Muir Glen), undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a LARGE nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done.
Yogurt Scones (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 09)
Just as Ckng Lght says: These scones are terrific with chili, or you can split them in half lengthwise and serve with sloppy joe sauce.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2.375 ounces whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 large egg white
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in onions. Combine yogurt and egg white, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Killing of Worlds by Scott Westerfield
This is book two of the Risen Empire series. We read book one for January's book group meeting. Three of us thought it was super cool - nanotechnology! space battles! living dead! Basically, your classic space opera. One of us felt it was a thinly disguised romance.
In Killing of Worlds we pick right up with Captain Zai engaging the Empire's dread enemy, the Rix. It is his mission to stop at all costs the compound mind on Legis XV from communicating with that ship. The War Council back on the Emperor's home world of Home needs Captain Zai to succeed - Legis holds the Emperor's secret. Oh, this is SO cool! We have pilots flying microships, we have mega canons, we have impossible odds, we have a mutiny!
Meanwhile, on Legis, Alexander (the compound mind) is quietly gathering his forces with the help of one lone surviving Rix commando and her hostage, Rana Carter. This is SO cool! Alexander is taking over the little sensor robots at the pole in order to communicate with the ship above while the commando works to set up diversions.
I liked this one because it wasn't full of heavy science, it didn't go into excruciating detail about the why fores and where how's of space battle or nanotechnology or trajectories or computer science. Well, not much...he did delve into some specifics on wavelengths that got a bit tedious at the moment (we were in BATTLE for cripes sake!!). But I forgive the author for that. And for the bits of romance, but even those were somewhat okay because they weren't the main focus of the story.
Sigh. I just love a good space opera.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Knitting Updates
I've been a bit distracted lately - bouncing between several knitting projects, my space opera book (Killing of Worlds by Westerfield), and new recipes. Well, and I've got my usual slew of yoga classes in there too. My poor house has been much neglected! At least the doggie deposits were cleaned up Sunday before today's ice storm.
Since I can't post all the projects I'm working on on the side bar, I decided it was time for a project update.
Husbands Hat. I thought this was done. However, even after blocking, this hat was still too big! Darn it all. So, I am going to rip it out for the third time and do it over in a medium. I'll knit as I rip as to save some time that way. So much for him having a new hat for this winter. Pattern is Ely Hat.
Finny's Hat. Going to make a second one (pattern is Gaugeles Pattern #106 by Cabin Fever) with smaller stripes and with the right count. A co-worker just started one in a lovely pink with a beautiful I-cord. MUST learn how she did that! May have acquire some pink yarn and make some for the little nieces.
Glowing Color's Afghan. The husband hates the term "afghan", so we refer to this as a blanket. Pattern is from Lion Brand Yarn off of Ravelry. This is knit with size 17 needles - can we say dowels?? They are so big that I can't knit for long because the exaggerated repetitive motion bothers my shoulders. Still, I should have this finished up by the end of the month.
Nina's Seed Stich Surprise Dishcloth. Dee on Tangled up in Sticks and Strings just did one of these and I had to make one myself. The counting was a bit tricky at first, lots of purling and knitting and purling and knitting - but I had a quiet 45 minutes (Husband fell asleep) and was able to settle into the rhythm of the pattern. I should have this done soonly too. Can't wait! Must start another!
Socks #3. Are languishing in their little bag. These are the ones I ripped out twice (do you sense a pattern in my world of knitting? No pun intended...) and picked out a new pattern. I just need some time to cast on again.
And I wonder why I'm not getting any reading done....
Since I can't post all the projects I'm working on on the side bar, I decided it was time for a project update.
Husbands Hat. I thought this was done. However, even after blocking, this hat was still too big! Darn it all. So, I am going to rip it out for the third time and do it over in a medium. I'll knit as I rip as to save some time that way. So much for him having a new hat for this winter. Pattern is Ely Hat.
Finny's Hat. Going to make a second one (pattern is Gaugeles Pattern #106 by Cabin Fever) with smaller stripes and with the right count. A co-worker just started one in a lovely pink with a beautiful I-cord. MUST learn how she did that! May have acquire some pink yarn and make some for the little nieces.
Glowing Color's Afghan. The husband hates the term "afghan", so we refer to this as a blanket. Pattern is from Lion Brand Yarn off of Ravelry. This is knit with size 17 needles - can we say dowels?? They are so big that I can't knit for long because the exaggerated repetitive motion bothers my shoulders. Still, I should have this finished up by the end of the month.
Nina's Seed Stich Surprise Dishcloth. Dee on Tangled up in Sticks and Strings just did one of these and I had to make one myself. The counting was a bit tricky at first, lots of purling and knitting and purling and knitting - but I had a quiet 45 minutes (Husband fell asleep) and was able to settle into the rhythm of the pattern. I should have this done soonly too. Can't wait! Must start another!
Socks #3. Are languishing in their little bag. These are the ones I ripped out twice (do you sense a pattern in my world of knitting? No pun intended...) and picked out a new pattern. I just need some time to cast on again.
And I wonder why I'm not getting any reading done....
Monday, February 9, 2009
Recipe Review from 2/2/09
Woot! We had a good week trying out new recipes! Hmm, all my photos came out on the blurry side. Sorry about that! Anyway, check out the great things we made this past week:
Dark Sour Bread (New Book of Bread, Bernard Clayton) 4.5
It seems as if there is a typo in this recipe somewhere, or else we had "user error". I consulted my favorite cooking bulletin board, and it appears as if it's the recipe. The problem came in with Step 2 (below). The Husband ended up with a bowl full of glop, not a "heavy and unresponsive dough" as described. He had to add AT LEAST and additional 1 1/2 cups of flour just to get it to form into a kneadable ball. So it was with dubious trepidation that we kneaded, let it rise and baked it up. Bread can sometimes be rather finicky.
Much to our surprise, the bread turned out really good. I had my doubts when I saw that initial bowl of lumpy brown glop, but DH just kept adding flour till he had a workable dough. Sometimes blissful ignorance is a blessing. This made two chocolaty boules with a light crumb and a beautiful crust. We'd make this again, with the corrections as noted.
Dark Sour Bread
Bernard Clayton
2 c flat beer (12 oz)
1/2 c H20
2/3 c cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 c molasses
2 pkg dry yeast
1/2 c each wheat germ and whole-wheat bran cereal
1 1/2 c ww flour (2 c ww flour)
1 c AP or bread flour (2+ c AP or bread; additional for kneading)
1) In a saucepan, bring beer to a simmer. Add the H20, Remove from the heat and stir in cornmeal, butter, salt and molasses. When it has cooled to 105-115*, add the yeast and stir to dissolve.
2) Stir in wheat germ, bran cereal, ww flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Dough will be heavy and unresponsive. Add white flour, a small portion at a time and work it in with your fingers and a dough blade. (Dough is too heavy for an electric mixer - hook will just spin futilely in the air.)
3) Continue to kneed and work dough by hand, adding white flour if necessary to control stickiness for about 8-10 minutes.
4) Drop dough into (greased) mixing bowl, cover and let rise 2 hours (1 hr 15 min) or until doubled in size.
5) Shape into baguettes or round loves. Your preference. Place on cookie sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
6) Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. (1 hr 15 min)
7) Bake 35-40 minutes at 350* or until loaves are crusty and almost black in color. (Bread was chocolate in color)
8) Cool.
We used Fiber One cereal (maybe should have crushed it?), AP flour, and Lienenkugels Fireside Nut Brown beer. I think this might have done fine in the electric mixer, especially since it was so runny initially that it would have made it easier to add the flour.
Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto Pizza (Culinary i/t Country Blog)
Joe has been raving about Friday Pizza nights and the variations on the Whole Wheat crust he has been using. We tried the crust with the Double Mushroom Pizza and had to agree; simple to make and tastes great. While Friday nights are my "TGIF" evening and I tend to sink gratefully into the couch, we've started our own "Weekend Pizza Nights". Taking another page from Joe's blog we gave this pizza a try.
The crust took just over an hour to make, and that is including the time it took to rise. I was able to prep the toppings: slice the fresh mozzarella, slice the tomatoes, make sure my pesto was still good, and wash dishes in that time. Total baking time was maybe 15 minutes total.
This had a nice bright flavor reminiscent of a Neapolitan pizza. Next week I think we're going to make these Calzones or a variation on them: Two Cheese Pepperoni Calzones. Might substitute mushrooms for pepperoni. We'll see.
Sauteed Kielbasa with Apples (Cuisine at Home, issue ??) 4.0
We picked up our venison on our recent trip to Fergus, and much to our surprise and dismay we found ourselves the recipients of 25lbs of venison kielbasa. Now if there is one sausage I like, it is kielbasa; and if you think about it, 25lbs is only 25 packages. Since it freezes well, I figure no problem! Especially since we stashed most of it in the Folks freezer.
The Mother passed along this recipe quite some time ago, and it seemed fitting for this week. Very simple and quick, with a not overly sweet taste. Unami if you will - savory. My only complaint was that it was not a liquid-y as I thought it would be. Some extra sauciness would have been nice. I served it over plain wild rice with a side salad. It made enough for two of us for two dinners. Perfect!
Dark Sour Bread (New Book of Bread, Bernard Clayton) 4.5
It seems as if there is a typo in this recipe somewhere, or else we had "user error". I consulted my favorite cooking bulletin board, and it appears as if it's the recipe. The problem came in with Step 2 (below). The Husband ended up with a bowl full of glop, not a "heavy and unresponsive dough" as described. He had to add AT LEAST and additional 1 1/2 cups of flour just to get it to form into a kneadable ball. So it was with dubious trepidation that we kneaded, let it rise and baked it up. Bread can sometimes be rather finicky.
Much to our surprise, the bread turned out really good. I had my doubts when I saw that initial bowl of lumpy brown glop, but DH just kept adding flour till he had a workable dough. Sometimes blissful ignorance is a blessing. This made two chocolaty boules with a light crumb and a beautiful crust. We'd make this again, with the corrections as noted.
Dark Sour Bread
Bernard Clayton
2 c flat beer (12 oz)
1/2 c H20
2/3 c cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 c molasses
2 pkg dry yeast
1/2 c each wheat germ and whole-wheat bran cereal
1 1/2 c ww flour (2 c ww flour)
1 c AP or bread flour (2+ c AP or bread; additional for kneading)
1) In a saucepan, bring beer to a simmer. Add the H20, Remove from the heat and stir in cornmeal, butter, salt and molasses. When it has cooled to 105-115*, add the yeast and stir to dissolve.
2) Stir in wheat germ, bran cereal, ww flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Dough will be heavy and unresponsive. Add white flour, a small portion at a time and work it in with your fingers and a dough blade. (Dough is too heavy for an electric mixer - hook will just spin futilely in the air.)
3) Continue to kneed and work dough by hand, adding white flour if necessary to control stickiness for about 8-10 minutes.
4) Drop dough into (greased) mixing bowl, cover and let rise 2 hours (1 hr 15 min) or until doubled in size.
5) Shape into baguettes or round loves. Your preference. Place on cookie sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
6) Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. (1 hr 15 min)
7) Bake 35-40 minutes at 350* or until loaves are crusty and almost black in color. (Bread was chocolate in color)
8) Cool.
We used Fiber One cereal (maybe should have crushed it?), AP flour, and Lienenkugels Fireside Nut Brown beer. I think this might have done fine in the electric mixer, especially since it was so runny initially that it would have made it easier to add the flour.
Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto Pizza (Culinary i/t Country Blog)
Joe has been raving about Friday Pizza nights and the variations on the Whole Wheat crust he has been using. We tried the crust with the Double Mushroom Pizza and had to agree; simple to make and tastes great. While Friday nights are my "TGIF" evening and I tend to sink gratefully into the couch, we've started our own "Weekend Pizza Nights". Taking another page from Joe's blog we gave this pizza a try.
The crust took just over an hour to make, and that is including the time it took to rise. I was able to prep the toppings: slice the fresh mozzarella, slice the tomatoes, make sure my pesto was still good, and wash dishes in that time. Total baking time was maybe 15 minutes total.
This had a nice bright flavor reminiscent of a Neapolitan pizza. Next week I think we're going to make these Calzones or a variation on them: Two Cheese Pepperoni Calzones. Might substitute mushrooms for pepperoni. We'll see.
Sauteed Kielbasa with Apples (Cuisine at Home, issue ??) 4.0
We picked up our venison on our recent trip to Fergus, and much to our surprise and dismay we found ourselves the recipients of 25lbs of venison kielbasa. Now if there is one sausage I like, it is kielbasa; and if you think about it, 25lbs is only 25 packages. Since it freezes well, I figure no problem! Especially since we stashed most of it in the Folks freezer.
The Mother passed along this recipe quite some time ago, and it seemed fitting for this week. Very simple and quick, with a not overly sweet taste. Unami if you will - savory. My only complaint was that it was not a liquid-y as I thought it would be. Some extra sauciness would have been nice. I served it over plain wild rice with a side salad. It made enough for two of us for two dinners. Perfect!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Knitting Project #25: Guageless Hat #106
I have been in a knitting slump lately. It seems like anything I cast on needs to be frogged out. I cast on a new pair of socks only to rip them out twice. I will assume that I wasn't doing something right with the pattern (Sensational Knitted Socks, Openwork Rib). I decided to switch to a different pattern (Waffle Rib), but I haven't cast on yet. Too frustrated.
So I did a couple of dishcloths to use up some leftover skeins and went out and bought 6 more skeins to have on hand. The cotton skeins don't take up much space, dishcloths are so easy to do, and they are great for small portable projects. The two ended up in the Husband's Dad's wife holiday gift basket.
And so it was I cast on a new hat for the nephew Finny. First go around didn't go so well, and yup, I had to rip it out. I actually ended up throwing part of it away. I stared with #4 metal dps and it was too slippery for the Cascade yarn that I was using. Plus the increases just didn't look good. That was on the drive down to Marshall.
So on the drive to Fergus I cast on again using my #4 wooden dps and it went much better. However, I still am not entirely pleased with this pattern. It's supposed to be super simple (hence "gaugeless"), and maybe it's my inexperience reading and translating knitting patterns, but I've sure spent a lot to time reading and re-reading the directions. To shorten this tale, somewhere I was supposed to have a 110 stitches for an "adult" hat and I ended up with 140. I decided not to rip out again - I'm just going to deal with it as it is.
But I have enough yarn to do a second hat, and now that I've finished one I'll vary the stripe pattern and do it again.
So I did a couple of dishcloths to use up some leftover skeins and went out and bought 6 more skeins to have on hand. The cotton skeins don't take up much space, dishcloths are so easy to do, and they are great for small portable projects. The two ended up in the Husband's Dad's wife holiday gift basket.
And so it was I cast on a new hat for the nephew Finny. First go around didn't go so well, and yup, I had to rip it out. I actually ended up throwing part of it away. I stared with #4 metal dps and it was too slippery for the Cascade yarn that I was using. Plus the increases just didn't look good. That was on the drive down to Marshall.
So on the drive to Fergus I cast on again using my #4 wooden dps and it went much better. However, I still am not entirely pleased with this pattern. It's supposed to be super simple (hence "gaugeless"), and maybe it's my inexperience reading and translating knitting patterns, but I've sure spent a lot to time reading and re-reading the directions. To shorten this tale, somewhere I was supposed to have a 110 stitches for an "adult" hat and I ended up with 140. I decided not to rip out again - I'm just going to deal with it as it is.
But I have enough yarn to do a second hat, and now that I've finished one I'll vary the stripe pattern and do it again.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Recipe Review from 1/23/09
Uff. It was a long week on the road - previous weekend was a 5 hour drive to southern Minnesota for a one day drill for the Husband and a 4 hour drive mid-week to Fergus Falls for Ivy's funeral. Plus two late nights for my Monday/Thursday yoga classes. Dinners by necessity were leftovers, but I did manage to squeeze in one new recipe that turned out pretty darn good.
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai (Ckng Lght Jan/Feb 09, pg 94) 4.0
I love Pad Thai, but my conundrum is peanuts and peanut butter are often used in making it (I detest PB.) However, this version had only peanuts and those are easily left off. I also did two other modifications: I subbed udon noodles for the rice noodles because I didn't want to buy a 12oz pkg. Come to find out a 6 oz pkg of udon noodles makes a butt-load of noodles, but those are easily used as leftovers. I like the nuttiness of the udon noodles over the gelatinous rice noodles. And I skipped the fish sauce. I don't make Asian dishes very often and I detest buying sauces only to have them languish in the fridge or pantry for years before I end up tossing them. I'm sure some background flavor was lost, but the over all dish still turned out really good.
The Husbands only comment was it was a tich too spicy for him. I thought it was about perfect. Enough zing to give me a slight case of the sniffles, but not enough to totally overwhelm the flavor of the dish. I'd make this again - good for dinner and as leftovers for lunch.
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai
Plant-based proteins like tofu and peanuts are abundant sources of protein.
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat, firm tofu, drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 ounces flat uncooked rice noodles
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
4 lime wedges
Preparation
1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes, and toss with cornstarch.
2. Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well; set aside.
3. Combine ketchup, sugar, fish sauce, and Sriracha. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Remove tofu from pan.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add eggs and egg white; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add noodles; cook 3 minutes. Stir in ketchup mixture; cook 30 seconds. Add egg mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in onions and cilantro. Place 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each with 1/2 cup tofu and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve with lime wedges
This also wraps up new recipes for January. Total count was 10; making:
Vegetable Burgers CL Annual 09
Three Bean Chili CL Annual 09
Double Mushroom Pizza CL Jan 09
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Culinary in the Country Blog
White Winter Vegetable Stew CL Jan 09
Gnocchi with White Beans and Chard Eating Well Jan/Feb 09
Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken CL Jan 09
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai CL Jan 09
Sugar-Cured Salmon, Charcuterie, M. Ruhlman
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai (Ckng Lght Jan/Feb 09, pg 94) 4.0
I love Pad Thai, but my conundrum is peanuts and peanut butter are often used in making it (I detest PB.) However, this version had only peanuts and those are easily left off. I also did two other modifications: I subbed udon noodles for the rice noodles because I didn't want to buy a 12oz pkg. Come to find out a 6 oz pkg of udon noodles makes a butt-load of noodles, but those are easily used as leftovers. I like the nuttiness of the udon noodles over the gelatinous rice noodles. And I skipped the fish sauce. I don't make Asian dishes very often and I detest buying sauces only to have them languish in the fridge or pantry for years before I end up tossing them. I'm sure some background flavor was lost, but the over all dish still turned out really good.
The Husbands only comment was it was a tich too spicy for him. I thought it was about perfect. Enough zing to give me a slight case of the sniffles, but not enough to totally overwhelm the flavor of the dish. I'd make this again - good for dinner and as leftovers for lunch.
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai
Plant-based proteins like tofu and peanuts are abundant sources of protein.
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat, firm tofu, drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 ounces flat uncooked rice noodles
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
4 lime wedges
Preparation
1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes, and toss with cornstarch.
2. Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well; set aside.
3. Combine ketchup, sugar, fish sauce, and Sriracha. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Remove tofu from pan.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add eggs and egg white; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add noodles; cook 3 minutes. Stir in ketchup mixture; cook 30 seconds. Add egg mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in onions and cilantro. Place 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each with 1/2 cup tofu and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve with lime wedges
This also wraps up new recipes for January. Total count was 10; making:
Vegetable Burgers CL Annual 09
Three Bean Chili CL Annual 09
Double Mushroom Pizza CL Jan 09
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Culinary in the Country Blog
White Winter Vegetable Stew CL Jan 09
Gnocchi with White Beans and Chard Eating Well Jan/Feb 09
Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken CL Jan 09
Crispy Tofu Pad Thai CL Jan 09
Sugar-Cured Salmon, Charcuterie, M. Ruhlman
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