Still Mad About March

Yes, I've been paying attention to College basketball.  It's been a very exciting yr.  It is the one place that gender biases are disregarded. Where you are just a fan.  It is primal challenge meets challenger. The game keeps you engaged, doesn't matter who's playing, men or women. You want a winner and a looser with a robust passion that rivals the gladiator days. It's time for the finals. Strap on you helmets, grab your weapons.  It's time for battle.  My team, straight through, UCONN!!!!!

On a lighter note, I've begun a large knitting project.  An afghan for B.  It is 160 sts across.  40"x50" ribbed pink and purple fiesta of knit,purl. While I'm very excited about finishing something larger than scarf or pot holder, I am a tinsy-winsy bit scared of 160 stitches of knots.  The margin for errors is large and wide.  I'm holding steady though.  Taking my time.  Using stitch markers and paying attention. My knitting mentors are wise, like Mr. Miyagi, and I do as instructed, like a good Danielson (ah Karate Kid, reminds me of my youth).  This project uses two different colors.  I'm learning to carry the unused string up the side.  Not as easy as it sounds.  Master Rene reminds me to see the finished blanket, to beeee the finished blanket (can you hear the sound of running water, see us sitting in a beautifully manicured meadow, serenly knitting...). Alright, enough with the bad 80's movie comparison.  I'll update Project Afghan soon.

April is nearly around the corner.  For us that means birthdays.  We have at least one a month for the next 5 months (actually we have a birthday every month but, May's, June's, July's,Aug's and Sept's are close together).  The great thing about birthdays are crafts. I like to package gifts. I've recently taken to making them too.  Sure it takes a little time and preparation, but the results are worth it.  It says love.  To start us off this birthday season is our niece in UT.  She'll be 8 this year.  She's a sweet little girl with a wild streak, and we love her dearly.  Our gift this year is homemade.  I wanted to do something that B could do too.  Enter decoupage.  Glue, paper, sissors.  Easy, peasy.
I went to Michael's picked up a wooden letter, Mod Podge glue (though I think you could use any kind of white craft glue like Elmer's, thinned out a bit, for similar results), and a couple of glue brushes. We used oragami papers from our own craft box.  We cut and pasted.  We let it dry for about 15 minutes.  The results were great.

Friday night was a Date night for B and me.  On the menu was fresh pizza, mousse pie with grahm cracker crust, mommy and me dance party and cheesy movies.  We had a blast staying up late and "rockin'out" (she says).

Hello lovily...

I'd like to add a new element to my posts called Things I Love.  No set format just things I love and why I do. This weeks list:

Crazy Straws-
This week B made me breakfast one morning.  A tasty cold tortilla with nutella and a glass of day old coffee (bless her heart) served with a blue twirly straw.  Hmmmm... I thought.  Cold surgary stale coffee... weird unnaturally blue plastic...She was so proud of herself, how could I say no.  I'm now convinced that everything is better with a crazy straw in it.  

Movies from the late 80's & early 90's-
This week I did Grease, Dazed and Confussed, Say Anything, the Princess Bride,  Pretty Women and...Dirty Dancing (yes I did, guilty pleasure #1 I think.  I used to own the sound track too!!!ahhhahahhh).  So good it's bad.

Seriously...watch it again.  Leave it running while you keep reading.

Loose powder blush-
I'm fairly light on my make-up and  have been recently playing around with blush and brush of the drug store variety.  I love it.  Shimmery, soft and adds just a tint of color.  It's a great way to look natural, but not be.

The Library-
I love the library.  Everywhere I've lived a get a library card straight away (Yes, I do have quiet a few).  It really is a gateway to the imagination.  Books, movies, music, printers...you name it the library has it.  I got all my "How-to" knitting books from our local branch.  My recent obsession with Patti Smith...fueled by the library. Craft and cook books...that's right, the library.

Lastly...

Blood Oranges-
Beautifully analogous, sweet, and fragrant.  Oh...and you can make creepy orange smiles with them.  Fun with food never gets old.

Thanks for reading.

J

Spring please come soon. We need you.

Oh boy, purling.  I was not sure about this. It started off really badly.  I know it's knitting but it looked like a bunch of knots.  If I knit with only knit stitch it's still knitting, right? I decided it might be better to try it after a good nights rest (that and J kept asking me to, "listen to this!" as he read aloud from Craigslist rants).  The next day I read through a couple of books and gave it another more focused try.  I DID IT! I did a seed pattern for several rows.  I decided I did not like the look of it so I gartered for 2 rows and then switched to K2 P2 for couple of rows.  Yeah!!! I made a great swatch.  I'm going to start on a blanket next week.  This week I'll be making as many different pattern swatches as I can, just to try them.  I have also discovered that I really do need to be sitting up, comfortable and focused. I make less mistakes that way.

On the home front, my better half has made his way down the East Coast to the Sunshine state.  Him being gone so often and for so long has really made me aware of how important a piece of our little family he is.  He does not get enough credit for all he does. We miss him terribly.

In his absence, and in preparation for our departure, we have begun to spring clean.  I do not mind winter that much, but man am I happy to see it go.  B too is going stir crazy.  Her kindergarten class has been confined to the gym for recesses for the last three months.  I could not be a teacher for this reason alone.  Those kids must be going bonkers!
I think we need to clear away the cold cobwebs and the slumber sorrows, and by clear, I mean CLEAN.  We went through the closets and  packed away all but a few winter items and brought out the lighter, prettier ones. We wiped down the walls, washed windows and scrubbed floors.  All while listening to our favorite show tunes.  B is a fan of musicals. A fact I am completely grateful for. This weekend we watched Mamma Mia (Meryl Streep version) 2 times. The girl loves ABBA.  Our musical odyssey also made the ridiculously daunting task of  cleaning her room only ridiculous.  I mean, how does one little girl get so much stuff? She has stuff in stuff.  It took 2 hours to go through her stuff. That is the entire ABBA Gold Album! She's one girl!! Mamma Mia is right!

B getting ready for her big number at the book case. 

As if all this cleaning was not enough this week, I Fonzied the drain in the bathroom sink too.  Yeah, Super Mom.  Actually, I am pretty impressed with my handyman prowess on this one, as it is normally a Super Dad job.  I dumped 1/3 a cup of baking soda down the drain and followed it with 6 cups of hot vinegar (2 cups at a time).  It was gross, but it worked.  I can't take credit for recipe though.  I read an article in this months Cruising World magazine by Connie McBride called, "Viva Vinegar!" She has great ideas for vinegar use, every thing from cleaning solutions(our windows and walls) to tenderizing meat to chocolate cake.  All simple, inexpensive and easy to use.

On that note, dinners were simple, inexpensive and easy this week too.  We are being very conscience of our consumerism these days.  I am spending a budgeted amount on food a week and no more. So the recipes are going to reflect that.  I made a bean soup, with a savory cornbread, heuvos rancheros and salad, fresh pasta with roasted garlic sauce, and French toast with the last of our homemade rustic loaf and a berry reduction.  All from scratch mostly.  I did not lay the eggs, nor grind the flour,nor grow the berries.  I did use dried beans in the soup, fresh veggie stock, fresh baked bread.and berries frozen last fall.

You can call me Mrs.Frugal McDugal in the kitchen.


Thanks for reading and we hope spring is coming your way soon.

March Madness

I had my first knitting lesson on Tuesday at Stephanie's in Jenkintown.  Rene and Stephanie were busy working when I met up with them.  Rene was working on a new scarf with a beautiful flat ribbon like fabric.  It looked as if it could be an embellishment on a Broadway costume.  It was delicate and intricate all at once.  I have knit envy.
It turns out that I have taught myself more than I thought.  I knew how to cast on and knit!! What I needed was pointers on tension and technique.  Holy-moly..
Well, I knit that crazy this week. I could not help myself.  Why did I wait so long to learn this! It is instant gratification. I knit and there it is. No waiting for results.  I can make what ever I want.  I was even able to fix my mistakes (those pesky extra and dropped stitches).  By the end of the week I'd finished one skein of a garter stitch scarf and was reading up on how to add a ball.

145 rows. 22 sts wide (3190 sts!!!)

J (my husband) was home on Monday.  He did the taxes while I knit ( how funny is that sentence). While doing this we discussed dinner.  What should we have?  "We have a rutabaga," I said. "Hmmmm, I'll see what I can do," he said.  This is what he did...

Veggie Pot Pie made with fresh rutabaga, left-over rice, carrots, and green beans.

Here's what I did with it...

J pot pie with arugula beet salad with goat cheese.  

B and I laid low, making "fancy" dinners and doing our favorite activities. Knitting for me and drawing for her.  I got her a sketch book in October when we were traveling up the east coast visiting friends and family.  She's used it as a memory book of sorts. She uses colored pens and crayons and has been happy with them.  Well this weekend I introduced her to charcoals.  It has opened up a whole new world to her. She pulled out some of her art books and started trying to copy the sketches. She has been drawing everything in her view or "Still lifes," she tells me.  The conversations with her have been some of the sweetest and entertaining to date.  She's an Artist, and proud of her messy black smudged hands (in her eyes the sign of a true artist).  I love her perspective on the world around her. It's so simple and good.  It's funny how this little growing person can affect me so.  I wish all the world could be as she is now.  Life would be easier.  We'd get along so well.  We'd have so much fun.  Keep in mind this is coming from a person who wants to come back in my next life as a house cat, just so I can sleep and eat all day.   

Charcoal and chalk  by B

Having said this I want to write something about the events this weekend in Japan.  I feel a great sadness for the loss of life there.  I can not imagine what it is like to be missing someone you love in all that chaos.  It makes me want to keep my friends and family as close as possible.  I want to tell them all how much I love them.  How much I value them, how my life is better because and with them.  

We are all in this together.  Help when you can and be kind to everyone you meet.  They are someones loved one.  

xoxo  

J

   

Wicked Good Week

This was a productive week here in PA. We made some seriously great crafts, meal and dances. It all came together and  left us wanting more.

After reading so many books on knitting I can say I finally knitted something!!!! Happiness comes in sts! Thank you to the colorfully titled book "Stitch' n Bitch" for helping me realize my cast-on was wrong. I can also say that what I knitted is appalling, but I love it so. In my knit-bliss I went in search of some yarn. I searched and found a local shop where I met a great couple of ladies. One women was working with this gorgeous purple yarn making a very funky swirly scarf that looked very much like spun sugar. Delicious.   They knew immediately that I was a newbie offered me much advice. I will have my first official lesson tomorrow.  More on that next week.

This weekend was Grandma M's birthday. Grandma has lots of things, so it is always hard to shop for her without getting her the same things over again (chocolates, movie tickets, pictures...) .  B and I decided we would make a gift this year. While searching for knitting books at the local library, I came across the "Martha Stewart Craft Encyclopedia." Of course I checked it out.  I love Martha Stewart.  She's organized, crafty, Type A and a felon.  What's not to love.  Anyway, one of the pictures in the book show a lovely staged room with pretty flowers in these tiffany colored enamel painted vases (blue/green and white).  I thought if I replaced the vases with canning or honey jars these would make a great and useful gift for Grandma. I picked the paints up from Michael's in the model car section.  There were tons of colors to choose from. I choose a pretty blue that I know Grandma will like.  I decided not to let B help with me paint as the directions called for paint thinner.  Not kid friendly.  The directions were to use enamel paint and pour it into the vase. Thin it out with a few drops of enamel thinner and swirl it around the vase to cover all surfaces.  Tip the jar  upside down on a paper plate to let the excess run off.  Let dry for 48 hours.  I  used a paint brush to stir and spread the paint rather than swirling (I could just see the glass slipping from my hands and shattering on the floor).  I also found I needed a second coat of paint after the jars dried for a bit.  The paints are water and  dishwasher safe.  Thought I would not drink out of them.  

We used two small pickling jars.  One filled with origami notes of love and the other with her favorite candies.  

I used the others around the house.  I will definitely do this project again.  

In the kitchen this week the juices were flowing.  Normally I have one wow meal for two not-so-good wow ones.  I loved every thing I made and B said it was like eating at a restaurant every day.  I think by kid standards this is a good thing.

Lets start with the bread.  I let the yeast rise for a good 20 minutes before adding my salt, olive oil and flour.  Once kneaded, I let it rise for about 10 hours with a few beat downs in between. I baked it off late night and let it cool till morning.  The final product was better than I expected.  B having watched this process all day woke up very excited to eat fresh bread.  I came out into the kitchen to hear her say, "Good Morning bread...you  are definitely going to get eaten this morning."  It was one of the best breads I've made to date.

One morning B requested crepes for breakfast.  Hmmmm? Two things come to mind at this request. She obviously does not know what they are and that I may not be able to meet this challenge. So not wanting to disappoint her I researched, planned and executed crepes. I chose a Martha Stewart recipe from her webpage (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/delicious-basic-crepes).


Makes thirty-two 6-inch or twelve 10-inch crepes

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Directions:

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's OK; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

For fillings options (always got to have more than one) we chose Nutella and Rasberry perservers, and Applebutter with a homemade caramel sauce.  How'd they come out...?

She liked them.

Next we wanted to make chocolate chip cookies.  I used a standard tried and true recipe and dressed it up a bit.  I replaced vanilla with real maple syrup and added 1 cup of  1/4 in chunks of marzipan.  Holy-moly were these some good cookies.

Just to show that we did not live on sweets and starches all week here are pictures of one of the meals we had.

B's daddy  (who we don't get to see enough these days) was home for a visit .  We played some serious monopoly and went puddle jumping. We ended the weekend with cookies and Gone with the Wind.

We had a  great week!

Nora The Piano Cat: The Sequel - Better than the original!