Four 100-yard balls of Classic Elite Waterlily extra fine merino wool, colorway 1927, lot 6209, on size 9 needles
This will be a gift. I didn’t enjoy the yarn as much as I would like, because it split so easily. However, the color variation gave it depth and the stitch texture is great. I’m pleased with the overall result.
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Update: the lower right corner of the scarf looks a little faded. That’s really a dash of sunshine!
This is savory and served warm. Incredibly good.
2 lbs. red new potatoes
olive oil
caraway seeds
dill weed
2 bundles of green onions
1/2 stick butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 can of beef or chicken broth
3 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp spicy German style mustard
small jar of apricot preserves
salt and coarse ground pepper
1 lb. of crisp lean bacon
Fry bacon, cool, and crumble. Set aside.
Select good, firm small new potatoes. Boil until tender yet still a little firm. Slice with the skins left on. Sprinkle with oil, caraway seeds, and dill weed. Add chopped green onions (use the bulb too) and set aside.
Melt the butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of flour and stire. Add broth slowly & whisk until mixture thickens into a thin cream sauce. If it thickens too much, add water to thin down the sauce. Add vinegar, mustard, and preserves. Salt and pepper to sates. Pour small amounts of the hot thin cream sauce to coat the potatoes (there will be sauce left over — too much will make them mushy). Sprinkle bacon on top and serve hot. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a 150 degree oven. Add some of the remaining sauce if the salad dries out.
Makes 12 servings. Weight Watcher points per serving: 6
This recipe made two lovely baguettes. I got it from a Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast packet.
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2.25 cups whole wheat flour
1 envelope Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1.25 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter or shortening
Combine flours in a large mixing bowl. Reserve 1 cup; set aside. Add undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt to flour in mixing bowl; mix well.
Heat water, milk and shortening to 120F to 130F. Add warm liquids to dry mixture; mix well until well blended. Gradually add enough reserved flour to form a soft ball of dough. Turn dough onto floured surface.
Knead (with reserved flour) for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half to a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Roll up length-wise, as for a jelly roll. Grease baking sheets; place each loaf on a baking sheet. Slash top of loaves diagonally about 1/4-inch deep and 2 inches apart. Cover; let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush loaves with cold water. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush again with cold Bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Two friends sent me Christmas presents early: books! Among them were The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges.
I’ve drooled over these for quite awhile. So happy to have them!
My husband is the elf for my brother this year (we each select one sibling to give to). However, he’s insanely busy, as is my brother; my brother doesn’t have time to think about what he wants and my husband can’t go shopping. So, I’m making a knit object for my brother. I’m the helper elf (basically I manage all gifting in our relationship, except for his gifts to me). But I realized today just how much I need to get going for it to be ready by Christmas. And we’re heading out in ten days; I’d like to have it finished by then.
I will not get sucked into seasonal stress, I will not get sucked into seasonal stress, I will not get sucked into seasonal stress, etc.
I started with Sculpey clay, a rolling pin, and cookie cutters.
Then I painted them on both sides. I’m glad I did, because they baked a little too hard on the side that had contact with the cookie sheet. It took several days to do this process because acrylic paint takes awhile to dry. Each piece has two coats of paint and one coat of translucent gold or silver paint (except for the candy canes which are simply white).
Today I added embellishments to both sides and painted the candy canes. Now they just need time for the glue to set.
Voila! Christmas presents!
I would not normally have chosen this colorway. I had a yarn emergency (showed up for social knitting at Purlescence having forgotten my supplies). From first glance it looked boring. As I knit it up, however, it worked into a lovely, subtle array of earthy shades of brown, green, and purple. It will be a gift for someone cherished.
2 skeins (120 meters each) of Colinette Cadenza 100% DK merino wool, colorway Castagna (Nutmeg); size 6 needles; the Yarn Harlot stitch
I made broccoli quiche tonight because it was so cold out. The trick with quiche, I’ve learned, is to use real cream, or at least half-and-half. It makes a custard that holds up well. It looked so darn good when I took it out of the oven that I took a photo of it. The crust is homemade as well.
Want the recipe? It’s from the new edition of the Joy of Cooking, pg. 140.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Prepare a 9-inch pie crust
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup broccoli florets
3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1.5 cups of half & half or heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Blanch and drain broccoli florets. (I used fresh and microwaved them in a closed container for 3 minutes.) Line the pie shell with the onions and garlic and add the broccoli; top with the grated cheese. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until mixed. Pour over the contents of the pie pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the filling is browned and set.
No more sitting at the kids’ table!
This is my first sock! I’m really proud of it. I got a little teary when I was done; I was so pleased with my accomplishment. Now I can make regular socks (this one I’ll use as an ornament). It was knit on size 6 needles.
I’m a knitting teenager now. I’ve learned to knit a hat in the round! (Next week I’ll learn sock knitting and then I’ll almost be grown up.)
I learned how at my friends’ store, Purlescence Yarns!
I had one 91-yard ball of Bouton d’Or Ksar 50% wool/50% camel hair, colorway 612 Veloute left over; I knit on size 9 needles.
3 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun, colorway Corinthian; size 11 needles
Made with the tail end of a skein of Cascade 220; size 7 needles.
I made this tea cozy from Cascade 220 on size 5 needles. It fits a two cup teapot. Now I need to pop it in the mail to my sister-in-law, who has patiently waited for it since June! I used the Lily tea cozy pattern I found at Michaels. I varied the stitch slightly.
Another month, another Snuggle. Yay!
