Bat Cave to Cave of Wonders

Wreck room before:









Please note that I have nothing against bats. Or caves. However, I am not a bat and I am comfortable with the idea that my ancestors left their caves and started building their homes to suit.



Wreckroom after:
Light walls, floors are visible.


Dark paneling has been painted. TV is across from Treadmill.


The "Bar." I think I'll skirt the counter so I don't have to look at the plumbing.


Nesting is pretty much complete. Let the hibernation begin!

Politics

I don't like discussing politics. I was raised in a bipartisan home. My father argues with everyone, even if they agree with him. And my mom learned silence years ago.

But I have to say something.

Senator Palin was a brilliant move by the Republicans. McCain has taken a step back and is letting her do all the work. She seems just about perfect. Just rememeber...

...We are voting for the next president. Even if we vote for her, she still won't be Commander in Chief (unless something happens to McCain of course). I know there is a push to help Americans learn more about her (ergo the excessive presstime) but, again, do we want a VP we knew nothing about until 4 months before she took office?

And more importantly, where's McCain?

Just saying.

Constitution Day

My 5yo knows that on school days his job is to get dressed and brush his teeth before he goes downstairs to start his breakfast grazing. This gives me a couple extra minutes of sleep and I don't deal with the out-the-door-scramble later.

Today is Constitution Day. His school has requested all children wear red, white and blue. When I got downstairs I saw my son was wearing blue shorts with white stripes, and a red shirt. I praised him for remembering the day.

He pointed out the logo on his shirt has a little bit of yellow in it.

Infer what you will.

The Tide is Shifting

Somehow, the Ravelympics inspired me to finish five sweaters in 30 days.

Granted, three of them have been hanging out for a while (years) but two of them were completed start to finish.

So as I turn over my Summer wardrobe (as I promised) I will discover that I have plenty of sweaters. Hats for the kiddos is the next order of business, and then maybe mittens.

But then what? How many stunning sweaters does a girl need?

So, I realized My Sewing Room (still can't help but capitalize that) should maybe get some use. I have a quilt, a duvet cover, other household projects in line. I also want a handbag, some nice fitting pants (oh what I wouldn't give for nice fitting pants), maybe some trendy little tops (as opposed to the cotton Ts I'm normally seen in) and a crafty project or two. . .or five.

And my knitting will be reserved for the car, the movie theater, and my SnB.

At least until the next VK comes in.

Makes Me Smile--Without Laughlines

5yo: Clive (our cat) was nine in that picture, now he's ten.
Me: Yes, and soon he will be eleven.
5yo: Why is Clive older than you, me and 2yo?

Daring Bakers-August

Due to a slight snafu with email, I did not get my first DB Recipe until later in the month. Rather than deal with more emails and explainations and excuses and delaying my membership by a month, I just baked.

And then I was done and remembered DH had the camera in another state. I did my best to preserve the remains but here is what was left after three days:

I love how this little creampuff looks like it's sticking it's tongue out at me.

The recipe was actually for Eclairs. I made some of those too, but they didn't make it to picture day. I kept a chocolate filling, but omitted the glaze. I also decided to veganize my filling (though my cream puffs were not vegan). I used a chocolate mousse recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Having a feti$h for Mexican chocolate lately, I tossed some cinnamon, nutmeg and chile powder in my filling--and I am shocked quickly I seem to be moving through chile powder and cinnamon.

I will also take this moment to tell you that I joined DB to challange myself. I'm happy to blog my adventure and post pictures, but I am not a photographer.

What I learned:

• I had never made pâte à choux before. It wasn't hard.
• My mom used to make cream puffs shaped like swans. I may have to pull out those instructions.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds bypositioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets withwaxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip thehandle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in theoven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continuebaking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total bakingtime should be approximately 20 minutes.

Assembling the éclairs:

• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)

• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside thebottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops ofthe éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill thebottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottomswith enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry creamand wriggle gently to settle them.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff DoughRecipe

from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk

• ½ cup (125g) water

• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

• ¼ teaspoon sugar• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour• 5 large eggs, at room temperature1)

In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to theboil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to mediumand start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together veryquickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. Youneed to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the doughwill be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using yourhandmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again donot worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time youhave added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted itshould fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Chocolate Pastry Cream Recipe

from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé

• 2 cups (500g) whole milk

• 4 large egg yolks

• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted

• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.

2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.

3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.

4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.

5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge

Mars vs Venus

Mid June:
Me: I think I want that corner unit in the basement to come upstairs.
DH: Why?

Late June:
DH: A coworker is switching apartments and needs help moving.

Early July:
Me: I want to bring up that corner unit. I need help though.
DH: (without moving) mm hmm

Mid July:
DH: My buddy needs help moving some furniture so they can refinish their floors.

Three Days Later:
DH: Buddy needs my help moving the furniture back.

Late July:
Me (to mother): I'm going to move this unit upstairs.
Mom: That would be perfect!

DH: I haven't lifted weights for a week! I need a workout.
Me: I need your help moving that corner unit.
DH: I mean a real workout. So why do you want to move it again?

This Week:
DH: Some coworkers had a disaster with their closing and they need help moving their stuff into storage tonight.
Me: ?!?
DH: What?
Me: I don't mind you helping. But I need you to promise you'll help me move that corner unit tonight.
DH: Okay, I'll do it when I get home. (In his head: Why does she seem slightly irrational? Must be That Time.)

Last Night:
Me: Look downstairs! I assembled five shelving units, picked all the toys up off the floor and moved the (250 lb)treadmill.
DH: Why didn't you ask me? I would have helped to move all that stuff.
Me (In my head): Because I don't think we'll still living here in 2015.

The WreckRoom

The gateway to My Sewing Room is an area the former owner set up for bachelor entertaining--perfect for a cheap kegger. There's a sink, and a space for a fridge, wood paneling, and a door that leads out to a patio area. He offered to install the rest of the neon (I kid you not!) and we declined.

We use it a playroom/gym. This is where all toys live when we have to clean and it's where I workout, when I workout.

I realized it was also a disaster area this week. The kiddos have been leaving toys in My Sewing Room because they are playing in it. I sweep all of it out and it comes right back in. I kept asking why until I realized:

They can't play in the playroom because it sucks.

Thus, we move on to the next project--Operation WreckRoom.

End of Summer

Summer is drawing to a close. My kiddo starts kindergarten this week.

Overall, it was a successful summer:

• No one got a sunburn (except DH, while he was telling sea-level visitors to put on tons of sunscreen)
• No one got heatstroke
• No emergency room visits

We also managed to find all the water features in the area and I got a healthy dose of Olympic coverage. Enough to tide me over for 18 months.

Now my favorite season starts.

The Photo Finish and Why Do the Gods Hate Me?

Here is my Ravelympic FO. I love it. It fits nicely. I think it looks nice on me (perhaps not with a green polo) and I intend to wear it a lot this winter.



I was on such a high that I decided to take the opportunity to finish some dusty UFOs that had been lurking in the shadows and came to light while shoveling out my sewing room. I inserted a zipper, sewed some seams, knit a couple gussets for sleeves that were way too skinny for normal women, much less me.

Then I decided my mom had had enough of a head start on her race sweater. I started mine. It's a beauty from VK Fall 2008 that has a voluptuous cable traveling up the back and hood and up the sleeves. This sweater is luscious.

I started the sleeve first because I hate sleeves, well I hate the necessity of knitting two sleeves. I was knitting beautifully and the thing was flying off my needles. No sooner had I thought "Could I finish two garments by the end of the Olympics" when the knitting God(dess)--what is her name?--struck.

The cable is 22 rows, which are repeated as needed. I was supposed to knit 19.5 inches and end on row 1. My sleeve measured about 22 inches on row 1. I would have carried on but that little voice in my head kept nagging. I realized I had altered the cable to fit in an 18 row repeat. Which meant I had done one more repeat than necessary, and had really botched up the whole thing. Don't give me suggestions (unless it involves hard liquor or moments of silence)--It's too late:



I ripped out the cable (not the entire sleeve) and I am reknitting.


My only consolation is that my mom had to restart her sleeve 4 times.

The Meddle Ceremony will be Delayed

I finished my Ravelympic Vest. It has been blocked and the ends are woven in. It has been gently folded and is sitting nicely with the other knitwear in my closet.

But you'll just have to trust me. It seems DH has taken my camera on a business trip. Talk about a gold meddle (mispelling intended).

A formal protest has been filed with the KOC (Knitting Olympic Committee) who will review the situation before awarding medals. I'm sure it will involve a photo finish.

Let's hope I pass the drug test.

School Shopping

Among the numerous supplies needed to send a Kindergartner off into the world:

4 boxes of 24 crayons
1 box of tissues

Shouldn't this be the other way around? I know my child won't go through four boxes of crayons in a year. He hasn't gone through one box in five years. But Tissue? Absolutely.

Out of the Mouths...

I have been joking to a few people about how much fun I have watching the Olympics--especially if the sport might exhibit Speedo-slippage.

I turned on the Olympics yesterday morning and I was explaining how the swim relays work to my kids. Then NBC did another article on Mr Phelps.

5yo: Is that the Slippo-speedage? He's fast.

Hmm..there are worse nicknames a swimmer could have.

Environmental Refugees--No Vacancy

Dear mice,

I am sorry you chose my basement as your refuge. I understand the the rain has likely flooded your usual homes and insurance deductibles are a bitch. Nothing sounds sweeter to a soggy mouse refugee camp that warm, dry, Mason de Mountain Mama.

But the cat was here first. It's nothing personal. If I were your size he would attack me too. It's just his way. I did my best to 'catch and release' you into the wild areas were you belong. But by kitty-catch number four, it was too dark and the kitty needs his exercise. And the extra nutrition.

And please don't pull the "abandoned baby" stunt again. It's just too cruel for all involved.

Sincerely,
the management

Olympic Knitting Day 8

Who wouldn't want to knit when the weather looks like this?

I woke up and saw this beautiful drizzle and drank hot tea out on the deck for a couple minutes. Then I packed the kids up and took them to starbucks for hot chocolate (it's been so long since we've had hot chocolate) and went to the craft store for a rainy day project--iron-on transfers and t-shirts. Puddle jumping will be the order of the afternoon.

And I knit:

This is right before the armhole shaping. This means I suddenly have rows that are 40 stitches shorter and they keep decreasing. What is it about armhole shaping that gives me more mojo? My rows are shorter, but that means the futzy end-weaving comes more frequently. Anyway, I am cruising along. At this rate I will be on the neck and arm bands by Monday.

Barring disaster.

Favorite Things Friday: Olympic Moments

My favorite Olympic Moments:



The Men's 400 Relay That last leg is amazing. You can see the adrenaline burst out of those men as they cheer their victory. Mr. Phelps' swimsuit riding a little low on the hips is nice too.

Whitewater Kayaking Finals This is the Olympics at their finest. A man representing a tiny country I couldn't find on a map wins a medal. He is so excited he breaks his paddle and is still jumping around with excitement during the medal ceremony. Who wouldn't want to cheer for Togo after that?

Because Knitting Doesn't Cause Enough Tears

My California connection has just informed me that Trader Joe's has discontinued vanilla paste.

If you see a forlorn mom sitting at Starbucks wearing black and draping half a fair-isle vest over her head like a shroud while jabbing knitting needles through her recipe files you will understand completely I'm sure. Dark chocolate and mochas are always appreciated at a time like this.

Unreasonable Marriage Vows

Goal: Fifteen rows a day. I know I am capable. The real question is if I can be monogamous (to the project--as if!) until the project is finished.

Day 1: Cast-on. Rib (corregated ribbing no less) 17 of 23 rows. Cheer! This will be easy.
Day 2: Finish ribbing and started fair isle. Decide to incorporate Olympic Rings in the design because that would make it harder drive me crazy teach me a lesson look nice.
Day 3: Knit 23 rows but frogged 8. Curse Olympic rings in fair-isle knitting.
Day 4: Spend day at amusement park. Knit seven rows then fall asleep and miss Men's Gymnastics Bronze.
Day 5: Knit 12 rows. Take project to SnB and cruise through 3 rows. Realize I made a mistake and have to frog them. Teach SnB new swearwords. While falling asleep that night remember I am a day behind.
Day 6: Knit 16 rows. Am sick of my colors. The pile of laundry looks big. Decide I should do laundry and maybe cook a fancy, cuban-style dinner. And go out with my family for the evening.
Day 7: Project is definately too heavy. I might get carpal tunnel if I continue to torture myself this way. Fantasize about next project. 5yo requests a new sweater and I seriously consider entertaining request. I am halfway to my car keys when I check myself. Lose count of rows.

Ten more days!

Lack of Dedication

We took the opportunity of having a teenager in the house (and grandparents who are retired) to go to Elitch Gardens.

I haven't been to an amusement park for a while and it was fun. Lots of fun.

However...

I was only able to knit seven of my fifteen Olympic rows last night. I thought I'd be okay but I fell asleep while watching the Olympics. I missed the Gymnast's Bronze too. Not sure which causes more anguish.

Ravelympics

Forgive my terseness. It's nothing personal.

Status Sunday morning:

The reason I ripped out about six rows on Saturday:

Worth it though, don't you think?

Dear Jane Squares

Fanfare

You must forgive my absence.

The Olympics are on. Twice a year I am glued to the television. If this was the only television I watched I would be happy. It pretty much is the only TV I watch.

I also have some guests in town for a few days. Luckily they're easygoing. I am getting a glimpse into the future because one is a strapping gentleman of 14. The first thing he did was set up camp in the kitchen. I am going to entertain myself while he performs the much needed chore of eating all my food cleaning out my kitchen and pantry.

I am also doing a Ravelympics project--cast on during the opening ceremonies, be done by the closing. I'm doing a fair-isle vest and it's enough of a challenge that I can complete it in 17 days without obscenely neglecting my children.

But I fear I may obscenely be neglecting my blog. When I think about it, I'll post pictures of my Knitting.

Rumors, Heresay, Bunk

There is a rumor circulating that someone went to the Colorado Speedway to watch the races. The claim is that this particular person was knitting and eating a slice of Filbert Gateau while watching race cars crash and smelling exhaust.

You can't pin this on me. Would I do such classy pursuits as knitting with good wool and dining on European cakes at such a lowbrow locale?

I plead not guilty.

Whipping, Beating, and other Foodie Pastimes

One thing I noticed about the DB challenge were the numerous "DO NOT OVERMIX/BEAT/BLEND. Wise words to be sure, but I noticed a number of people having problems with the buttercream.

You probably underbeat.

I did an experiment a few months ago because I had some extra cream and thought it would be fun to make butter with the kids. I wanted to see how long it took to overwhip the cream. I whipped for about 15 minutes before I got butter. The cream stayed in a usable consistency for about 8 minutes. This is good to know, as before I was so scared of overwhipping my cream that I usually had more of a puddle than a dollop.

I have never beaten eggwhites so long that they collapse, but it seems a worthwhile experiment. Next time I make hollandaise, I may do just that. Then I'll have a handle on how long soft peaks are soft, stiff peaks are stiff and when destruction is eminent

Anyway, you cooks out there might want to try the same thing just to watch the changes that occur. You may find it takes longer to overbeat than you thought.

And your buttercream might be more successful.

Daring Bakers-July

The July Challenge for Daring Bakers is a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream. I don't know how DBs choose thier recipes, or how they choose the person who chooses the recipes, but you can follow the link above to get the recipe. I cut, paste, deleted all the info I didn't need and ended up with a three page recipe. That is a challenge! I'm still amazed I haven't found this group before.



Whenever I make a convoluted recipe I assemble all my ingredients to get a quick visual. Not only do I find out quickly if I have enough of everything, but it also gives me a picture to post here. This batch of ingredients is deceptive, most of them get used two or three times, as there are six different parts to this cake.

Another picture to entertain while I blather:



I immediately decided not to veganize. First of all, there were a million eggs and a fair share of cream and butter. Second, with all those eggs, I was in for a mess wih my altitude adjustments anyway.

Altitude adj for approx 5000 feet:

• Increased oven temp 15 degrees
• There were seven yolks and five whites--I used all seven whites.

The cake rose beautifully and (sigh of relief) stayed risen. It was perfectly risen--no dome or sinkage at all! And for some reason, no picture at all! The assembly was straightforward, though there were lots of steps.

New to me:

• I've never successfully toasted nuts before this. Usually there are more cinders than nuts. I had to keep my wits about me (ergo I made the cake last night when everyone was in bed)
• I've never made this kind of buttercream. It came out light and fluffy and perfect. I still don't like buttercream.
• Never made praline, or praline paste. It was surprisingly simple.

I prepared everything last night except the ganache, which I made this morning (and put in my coffee, and debated puring on my eggs, and considered bathing in, but I digress). I had a dark chocolate ganache on my wedding cake (which my mom made) so there is a special place in my arteries heart for ganche.

Voila!

Like my cakestand? The idea has potential--you could stuff a couple pretty flowers or berries in the wineglasses. I especially love the way my 5yo sauntered into the picture wearing only his underwear. All sorts of classy around here, let me tell you.

It's Not Easy Being ???

So, the grand finale of a tour of Brown Sheep is shopping in their Seconds store. These are the yarns that didn't make the cut. They may be off dye-lots, have lots of knots, discontinued, whatever. Of course, the yarn is sold at a discount.

The astute of you may notice a significant trend in my new stash entrants:



The other ladies in my group were giggling at this. I felt no need to justify. I know what I like.
But then my mother said

"You should see her house!" My face turned from sheepish (no pun intended) grin into mild horror.

Exhibit A: Yarn-"Cactus" Living Room Paint: "Olive Oil"


Exhibit B: Yarn "Pistachio" 5yo Bedroom: "Corn Husk"


Exhibit C: Yarn "Peridot", 2yo Bedroom "Grasscloth"

I did have a sweater's worth of a burgandy-ish color. My mom and I found a pattern we both liked and decided to each make it (as a race). When I saw the color she picked (a wine-y color), we knew we needed to switch one (we mean to swap on occasion). The only other color that appealed was, of course, green.

Okay. So I like green.

The other yarns are for a Christmas present. The roving is for a technique I want to try.

Favorite Things Friday: Foodie Stuff

I have an "exotic" ingredient I couldn't do without:

Trader Joes Vanilla Paste-The last time we found this was two years ago (T.J. being not in my area). DH was in Washington finalizing our moving truck and he called me from the store:
DH: They have Vanilla Paste. How much do you want?
Me: How much do they have?
DH: Plenty. Like 20 bottles.
Me: Buy 'em out!
**pause**
DH: No really, how many?

He came home with six. I'm on my last bottle (serious rationing happening here!).

I've heard William Sonoma carried vanilla paste too, at about $20.00 a bottle. Trader Joe's is far more reasonable. If they are still making it, you have got to try it.

Brown Sheep

I got to go on a tour of Brown Sheep today. This is the second time I've taken this tour and it was every bit as amazing. If you ever have a chance to tour a facility like this, do it.

Things I learned today that make me respect Brown Sheep:
80% of their wool is local (within a two-state radius of Nebraska)
They put in a $hiny, expen$ive, water recycling $y$tem. Between reclaiming 90% of their water and not wasting energy heating subterranean water, it will pay for itself within two years. Not too shabby.

The passion the V.P. (daughter of the P) has is inspiring. She has a mind for business and is forward thinking. At the risk of offending people, it felt strange to find this in rural Nebraska. Her business acumen would be welcomed in any large city.

Alas, I couldn't take pictures. I understand why (I would have been surprised if I could) so you will just have to wait until tomorrow for my treat to you.

A picture of the goods I got in their Seconds Store...

Sewing Room Semi-Final

The sewing room is not 100% complete. But it's about 90%. As I'll probably start using the thing before I get completely finished I decided it might be time to start posting pictures.

As you walk through the door the first thing you notice is

My New Cutting Table

This side (ignore the 'workspace' on top--90% remember?)--note the understorage:


That side:


Turn to the left and you will see

My Wall of Shelving and Inspiration.





I will have more of these frames on the wall because I love the way they look (and I have too many UFOs) but just look at all that empty shelf space.

The next wall harbors a large window (north facing) and what remains of my previous mess. A box of trash, two boxes of stuff that lives in other areas of the house, and a whole bunch of empty bins.

The next corner harbors my personal yarn shop (I'm hoping if my room feels like a store, I won't be as tempted to shop elsewhere.

(Of course I painted the pegboard to match. Do you know me at all!?)

Then you pass a large closet that my husband stores Every-Halloween-Costume-He-Has-Worn-For-The-Past-18-Years-And-The-Random-Cr@p-He-Collects-At-Thriftstores-Just-In-Case. It bugs me, but then again, I have a yarn shop in my room.

Next comes my sewing area:

And finally, another wall of storage (look how much is still empty!).

There is one more crawl space after this. DH puts his camp gear there. I avoid camping and the fact that his entire campsite fits into that space scares me. That is one helluva tiny hotel room if you ask me.

But then again, I have 250 square feet of temperature-controlled space to sprawl in while he's camping.

Love That Pasta

One of my favorite things about being an adult (i.e. not under my parent's roof) is that I can make pasta whenever I want. I love pasta of any kind and DH doesn't even enjoy talian restaurants because I can make the same meals for pennies.

Look at the stunning color of this creation:



Pictures don't so it justice.

I made normal old spaghetti. I pureed some roasted beets with a little soy creamer and sea salt. Then I sauteed the beet greens in olive oil, garlic and chile flakes. I tossed the pasta with the beets. Topped it with the greens. Added a dallop of sourcream and sprinkled with marcona almonds and Fluer De Sel.

Kids ate it (minus the greens). DH did not like it. He has a fear of beets but he did try enough for me to be satisfied that he truly didn't like it. I loved it.

But, oh that color.

Chocolatl

Recently I found an ice-cream maker at a thrift store. It was $4.99 and I didn't get it. As fate would have it, DH needed to go later that week and it was still there. It came home with me.

I have an infatuation with mexican chocolate. Ingredients vary but my favorite is strong on the chile and spices, with a gritty texture--usually from nuts. Today I made heaven. I fell in love. My kids liked it. DH says it's the best ice cream he's had. Better than Ben and Jerry (though I hesitate to type such blasphemy).

My recipe for Mexican chocolate ice cream:

• 3 cups total of cream/milk/half-n-half/whatever you have lying around (I used 1 C. cream, 1+ cups half-n-half and the rest skim milk)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 oz (half package) dark chocolate chips
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T almond meal/flour
• Chili powder (I used about 1/2 t+ and it was spicy but the kids still ate it)
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1/4 t cloves
• 1 t vanilla

Reserve about 1/4 cup liquid and put the rest in a pot and heat gently. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Combine cornstarch and reserved fluid. Add to hot mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and mix in remaining ingredients.

I am totally guesstimating my measurments. Just taste it and adjust as necessary. It should taste a little stronger and sweeter than you like because freezing dulls the flavor.

Chill mixture completely (you may want to put clingwrap on the surface to avoid a 'skin'). Put in ice cream maker per instructions.

Hide from your family. Don't forget the spoon.

Moldy Green Thumb

"Oh, you only need one or two plants. They'll take over your yard if you're not careful. You'd best plant them in a container."

My basil late July.




Everyone else's basil.




That's what it seems like anyway.

In retrospect, what's wrong with basil taking over a yard? I would love to sit in a yard overcome by basil fumes. I could roll around in it and market it as Parfum Pesto.

Foodies would buy it.

Do I Qualify?

I made the Danish Braid that seems to be last month's daring baker challenge. I tried to get cute and make a bow at the end but it didn't turn out the way I envisioned. Luckily it tasted great.

Recipe

Above is my assemblage of ingredients. After I took this picture I thought "Where are my apples?"

So I substituted four hard nectarines for the two errant apples. They dissolved into the filling, but gave it a thick, apple-butter feel.



See the windowpane? That part that looks like a hole is a thin film of well-developed gluten. When you have this, you know your dough is well-kneaded. I substitued a cup of whole wheat flour and my orange zest and cardamom are still pretty coarse, so the windowpane will tear easier than if it were a simple white dough. The warm, spicy scent of this dough is wonderful. The combination of Cardamon and Citrus reminds me of a Chai recipe I have.

Once the dough has been turned, i.e. stuffed with seemingly half its weight in butter and rolled into 54 layers of flaky goodness, it becomes a vessel for many things other than the strudel-like pastry in the recipe. Think crescent rolls, twisted churro-like sticks, and any manner of puff-pastryish concoctions.

This recipe earned a thumbs up from my family. I love that the pastry can stand on it's own without filling or frosting. That said, I think I will try a spicy pumpkin filling in the fall. I might also try a filling of caramalized onions, mushrooms and chard.

Favorite Things Friday: Cities

I haven't done a whole lot of travel. But here are cities I would willingly visit over and over again.

• Seattle, Washington (would live there again)
• Portland, Oregon-if I couldn't live in Seattle, this one is my second pick
• Kauai, Hawaii-I have a dream to retire here and open a putt putt golf course with my DH. Hey if you're going to dream, dream BIG.

Daring Bakers

I was surfing around some vegan blogs and stumbled on one that talked about "Daring Bakers" and had a picture of a beautiful Danish braid. I thought it was from some cookbook and surfed merrily along. A few blogs later, I saw it again, then again. What is this Daring Baker thing?

Turns out, it's a group of people who love baking experiments challenges. They are given a new recipe each month and they make it and then blog about it.

http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/

Why haven't I heard about this sooner? I'm making the Danish Braid as I type (there's LOTS of waiting) and I will post when finished. I hope they let me in.

Sewing Room

Despite DH being out of town, and my Ikea not arriving until today (not their fault--I ordered a tad late), my sewing room is trekking along nicely.

Some slight snafus:

• My cabinets are TALL. When the table was assembled with castors I was able to rest my ta-tas comfortably on it. Seeing as I don't need mammograms yet (but get one if you do) I needed to rethink my plan. Setting the cabinets on their sides will do.
• I need to shave the tops of my wall cabinet doors. I blame this on the previous owner as he refinished the basement and the ceiling is very dippy in places. By the time we discovered this I was unwilling to dismount and remount them. I'll leave the dismounts to Olympic gymnasts this Summer. Hopefully theirs will stick as much as mine.
• I was moving along today during naptime and my power screwdriver battery ran low. It's a simple matter of recharge, but that takes 12 hours. I could use a normal screwdriver but I'd rather save my tendonitis for knitting.

I did some fast and sloppy math. This room is about 250 square feet. I will have all this space just for me. It's selfish I know, but it will be all mine. I hope I can live up to such a trophy.

Squeak

It seems "Jerry" wasn't meant to be a full grown mouse either. After spending the day trying to get him to drink water and enticing him with oatmeal and sunflower seeds--none of which he ingested wholeheartedly--he died during the night. He seemed sickly from the start and it wasn't a surprise.

I'm certain they were from the same litter. I suspect something happened to their mother and these two stumbled out of their nest in desperation.

I hesitate everytime I enter the garage. I have visions of a baby-mouse army that knows my weakness and proceeds to invade the house and eat all my oatmeal.

I'll be Darned

I got my mother to eat tofu. not only eat it, but clean her plate.

I cherish the small victories.

Here's the recipe. In our house we call it Urban Crusted Tofu in honor of my mom.

We're sentimental like that.

De Ja Vous

Guess what I found this morning?

No really, guess. What did I find this morning in the middle of my garage, squeaking and toddling around?

Another baby mouse. Yes I did catch it (I'm a sucker, I know!). I'm also putting the cat in the garage for the afternoon as his instincts are better honed than mine. Me: Oh look at the swee' wittle ears! Cat: Catch. Play. Dispose.

I am a book of hypocrisy. Bite me.

In Memoriam

Out little mouse, Taco, died last night of our monster cat throwing the Kritter Karrier off the countertop in an effort to satiate his catnip munchies and stunning the poor thing to death natural causes.

He was a pleasure for the brief time he joined our family. We will remember fondly his love of oatmeal with sunflower seeds and almond milk. His long naps curled up on the heating pad. and his sweet little ears, whiskers, and feet.

Goodbye Taco. We will cherish the few precious moments we had together.

Now, back to the Sewing Room.

Mice and Men

6:00 AM:

DH: Bye. My plane leaves later today. I'll see you on Thursday.
Me: Bye Mister. I love you. Kiss the boys before you go.

6:15 AM:
DH enters room with something in his gloved hand.

DH: I found a baby mouse in the garage. Do you want it or should I put it in the bushes?
*pause*
Me: I don't really need this now. Put it outside.

Dh gets halfway down the stairs. I jump out of bed. I can't do it. I can't let that baby be killed by a snake (which is, of course, the only other option it has by being freed in the 'wild' at this age). Dh was also feeling a little soft hearted: "He's just all curled up and warm in my glove."

Why this is stupid

• Wild animal=fleas, rabies, plague, etc.
• The whole sewing room project was started now because of mouse droppings in DH's camping gear.
• I have a cat.

Why I'm doing it anyway

• History: I have raised a baby mouse and a baby chipmunk before. I also had another mouse (probably a vole) that didn't survive (I was eight).
• It's just a baby.

We live by catch and release here. Spiders, bugs, any other creatures are shuffled outside when discovered. Except Mosquitos, the bloodsucking vampire larvae that they are. I see a mosquito and compassion leaves me. This mouse, should s/he make it, will be released when s/he is able to eat seeds and leaves. The last time I did this, it took less than a week for the mouse to grow that independent.

My sons are, of course, infatuated.

As is my cat.

Gasp...Pant...Grunt

There is a floor! I can't believe it, a floor! We have been painting, nailing, screwing, lifting, running to the hardware store, craft store, and thrift store, sweating, packing, unpacking, sorting, running to the hardware store...

And it looks great. Not finished yet, but great. Camera is camping with boys. I will hold pictures until the end. Which oughta happen when Ikea shows up with my cabinets. Nope, they didn't make it for the big weekend.

And did you know that paint will dry while you make a quick run to watch $ex and the City at the dollar movies? Hey, a weekend of all work would just be...

A normal weekend actually.

Favorite Things Friday: Sewing Room Organization

I'm a little one track minded today. I'm spending the weekend working on my sewing room. I have been shopping all week for the vision and I'll share my favorite ideas:

• My sewing table is a door. I purchased it from Home Depot for 25 bucks and it already has a hole for my electric cords. I had previously priced out doors without knob-holes and called my mom to see if she still had the drill bit she bought years ago to install a deadbolt. This I where I demonstarte how slow I am. Not only are doors without holes more expensive, but I wanted to put the hole along the edge (against the wall). Luckily I made the stunning mental leap and bought the cheap door.
• My cutting table: I bought 4 15" wide bookshelves which I am bracing together in pairs. I have castors for the shelves and another door to put on top to make a rolling table. The table top is being lined with corkboard (so I can put pins in it) and then fabric my mom found that has a 1" all-over grid with measurements and demarkations. I can't wait to see the end result.
• Art: I found the wooden bars artists use for stretching canvas and painted them white. I will nail the frames to my walls and then add pretty hooks to hang up my works in progress--voila! instant art.
• Fabric stash: I already own Ikea cabinetry for above my sewing machines. I cut foamboard into bolt-sized rectangles and wrapped my fabric stash around them and then slid them into the cabinets. It looks like my own fabric store when I open the cabinet doors.

Oh Yeah...Knitting.

Don't worry, I have been knitting. It's just that I have been driving kids around to their respective activities more.


This will soon become my winter coat. I am about halfway through the sleeves (two at a time--try it it's genius) and then I'll just need to seam it, edge it, and block it.



This is one of my finds from Estes Wool Market. A 50/50 cashmere/silk laceweight. Those are reeses pieces for reference. Each of those blasted diamonds is 44 rows. I love it though and I can't believe I've been so monogamous (well, I haven't started anything new anyway). I think I'm only about 10 percent done. I can't wait to see this blocked.

I Told You

I have a fear of snakes. A mind-numbing, crippling fear of snakes. They can be anacondas or baby garter snakes (or worms for that matter) and I will panic.

Remember my post about my husband wanting to take me for a hike in 90 degree weather. I didn't go. Look what they found:


That is a big ol' diamondback rattler. DH didn't take official measurements, but he was about as big around as my 2yo's calf, and much longer.

See, it's a good thing I can't function in this weather. I don't think DH would have enjoyed carrying my inert body all the way back to the trailhead.

Sewing Room Before Pics

The only things I LOVE about my house are 1) the deck and 2) the gigantic basement room that takes up half the floorplan AKA my sewing room.

I have meant to "Do" this room. It is in despirate need of an overhaul. I have no storage (my husband has taken over the two closets for his stuff) and I have been doing my projects out of moving boxes. Brace yourselves, because the following pictures are scary. I can't believe I have been working this way.

Behold my improv bookshelves.

Yikes! (Though that is a mirror, so the mess is techniclly doubled)

This one is nice--I'm storing my serger (which costs more than my two computers together) on a director's chair (which might look familiar to the Adnostic since I took it from her). You can also make out an attempt at organization in the back left corner. Those labelled boxes have preserved my sanity...barely.

Ah, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have spent a year going to thrift stores and garage sales trying to find suitable furniture, but last week I gave up and just placed an order with Ikea. And best of all, my boys are going camping this weekend and my mom is coming up and we are going to make a big push to find the floor.

See look, I've already started. I painted a wall and mounted some (pre existing) cabinetry. After my mom's clever idea, I bought a door to use as my table top (It's not quite in the right place, I need to paint the next wall). I bought some foam board and cut it into bolt-sized pieces to wind my fabric around--you can see some of it in the cabinet.

Cross your fingers for me--I need Ikea to come soon.

The Quilt

Apparantly, people prefer reading blogs with lots of pictures. Not being a shutterbug, I rarely have a camera and I'm convinced that the more pictures I take, the less fun I have.

But on occasion I must please my audience:

Behold my quilt squares. This brings me to six total.

The above is the worst. I hate hand sewing.

This one is okay (it's my second quilt ever, give me a break). Somehow, my final product made it a little under the 5" square size I need it to be. I'll deal with this later.

It's too bad my fabrics don't contrast much here, because this one turned out rather nice.

Hmmm...Boring, but finished.

Somehow my circle became squarish.

I try to do three a week to catch up with my group (who does two a week). But, as you will see by my next post, I have taken a break to do a much needed project.

163 to go!

Too Darn Hot

DH: "Let's get out and go for a hike"
Me: clinging to the A/C vent and eating ice cubes "It's 98 degrees outside"

Then I get the blank look that lets me know I don't belong in Colorado. The one that says "Um yeah, it's Summer. So do you want to go hiking or not?"

Um, not, unless you want to stuff my melting body into clothing, watch the sweat drip off me and then listen while I get nauseated.

I liked it better when I could say "It's hot" and everyone in a 60 mile radius would say "I know! We hang out at the grocery store because they have A/C." or "My neighbor just got an air conditioning unit, let's go take some lemonade over there." or "Let's turn on the sprinklers for the kids and eat a million popsicles while we sit with our feet in the kiddie pool and whine about cooking in this heat."

Or my favorite: "Let's day trip to the ocean"

You can't do that in Colorado.

Wisdom Woes

I finally had my last two wisdom teeth pulled. I have needed them pulled for years but avoid dentists like the plague. I finally cowboy-uped and got it done.

And I do not like percacet. I took a pill yesterday and got so loopy I taught my son how to dial 911 and asked my husband to call me every hour or so. I felt nauseated, faint and dizzy.

But there was no pain.

I decided it wasn't worth the side effects. Only Ibuprofin for me thanks. It's 24 hours later and I still feel icky.

Baby Jane Quilt

I have sewn five squares for my quilt. My camera cannot take good pictures, but I will do my best.

Just thought I might update.

Going Through My Head

Fictional conversation I may have with my mom:

"What's wrong with this sugar?"
"Nothing"
"Why is it a funny color?"
"It's organic."
**Nose wrinkle**