Apron Strings and Knitted Things

Newborn Baby Bonnet Pattern

2012-02-17T11:54:00.001-08:00

I've had a lot of friends having babies lately. This has been my number one gift. I just love these sweet bonnets on a newborn face. I've also sold them on my etsy page with a matching newborn cocoon.

First I cast on 30 stitches with a thicker yarn on size 8 needles.
Row 1- knit
Row 2- purl
Row 3- knit 1, k2tog, knit accross, k2tog, knit 1
Row 4- purl
Row 5- knit 1, k2tog, knit across, k2tog, knit 1
Row 6- purl
Row 7- knit
Row 8- purl
Row 9- change to baby yarn, I like to use a double yarn just to keep the thickness consistent.

Keep going with knit (rs) and purl (ws) until you reach 4 inches.

Then bind off and leave a long tail to stitch up the back of the bonnet with.

Cut long strings with all three yarns for the braided ties.

Or just buy it here!!

on the needles and on the stovetop tonight...

2012-02-15T15:00:00.001-08:00

hot pink ala Cyndi Lauper and black scarf

Loaded baked Mashed potatoes, Bacon layered Meatloaf, Garden Green Beans, Pear Crisp from my canned Pears

Shayne was VERY excited about it!

A Very Pinterest Valentines

2012-02-14T17:04:00.001-08:00

Source: etsy.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: allrecipes.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

in the kitchen today

2012-02-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

Breakfast today was my take on Martha Stewart's egg and bacon cups. She says to roll out the bread and cut it with cookie cutters to make it fit the muffin tin perfectly. I decided to just cut the bread in half and make the cups into hearts.

Then the bacon in a heart shape

And the egg in the center.

Baked for 25 minutes at 375

Lunch today was leftover Chicken Pesto Lasagne. No one complained about leftovers of this. It was wonderful! Especially with the white sauce I made to go over top to mix with the pesto and make it even creamier.

Dinner tonight is homemade tortillas.

Inside the tortillas is maple and bacon cured beans, chicken, tomatoes and cheese. Baked at 375 for 20 minutes.

Bebe skirt

2012-02-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

I've made a few pairs of the Pickles Pants . They are so cute on little diapered bums! I was knitting for a friends sisters the other day and thought up a way to change the pattern into a skirt. So this is what I came up with- the Bebe Skirt.

Cast on 44 stitches in a round. Knit in stockinette for an inch.
And then in the direct front of the skirt, make two holes for the drawstring to go through. I use a k2tog.
The next round, make a stitch where you lost a stitch on the round before.
Knit another two inches in stockinette.
Then for one round, make a stitch after every stitch you knit. (knit 1, make 1)
Knit in stockinette again for another two inches.
Then to make the ruffled edge, knit in the front and back of each stitch.
Knit two more rows and then bind off.

Roll the top of the skirt down and sew a hem for the draw string to go through. I usually sew it with the draw string inside so I don't have to weave it through later.

Tuck in all the loose bits of yarn with a plastic needle.

I use a crochet hook to make the draw string, but you could certainly use a knitting stitch too.

The great thing about this skirt is it will fit from newborn until probably about one year with a pain of bloomers.

chicken for cheap

2012-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I've been determined to cook healthier and cheaper this year. Yeah, the other day I fried bread in crisco... but overall I really am trying to feed the family wholesome meals that won't kill my wallet.

I was buying too much ground chuck because it's the cheapest protein source that is quick and meaty. So this year I'm looking to use more chicken and dry beans in my cooking. Chicken can get so expensive though! So I have been buying the whole chicken and cooking it down into useable portions.

I put the whole bird in the crock pot and fill it half full of water. I quick chop some onions and garlic, maybe carrots and celery if I have them. I put in dried sage and thyme from the garden and I let it go all day.

After about 8 hours the chicken is fully cooked and super moist and flavorful. The hardest part if then taking all the meat off the bones. I usually try to keep the breast meat intact for one meal and then use the rest of the meat for another meal; usually something calling for shredded chicken. Then I put the bones back in the crock pot and let it go a bit longer for stock. I just use a ladle and get the liquid out of the pot. This usually makes about two quarts of stock. This can then be used for soups or for making more flavorful rice. The bonus for me is that the fat all rises to the top so I can skim it off and have a lower fat chicken stock than you'd find in the grocery.

Just thought I'd share in this experiment. Anyone have a better way to go about it?

Color me Loved

2012-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

More early Valentine's! This time for Isaiah and Lil G (the boy who hangs with me). I took all the old crayons from the big crayon bucket and melted them down. I found silicone muffin pans in a heart shape at Target for a buck- perfect for this!! Especially because I'm not sure they will be food friendly afterwards... they are still soaking so we shall see on that.
I broke the crayons into littler bits and put the pan in the oven at 180. It took over an hour for them to melt down. You don't want to rush it or you'll just get grey globs. These are bright and colorful and will make a perfect after nap craft!

Early Valentines- Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

2012-02-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

I love wednesdays. Everyone is home for dinner on wednesday and we all eat together. There is something magical to a family dinner and I try to make it special every time (even when it's most times we're all home). Today for dessert I made Blueberry Oatmeal cookies with pink sprinkles in honor of valentine's day coming up.

The recipe:
1 stick butter and 1/2 stick margarine creamed with 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of raw sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1 egg. Once mixed well, slowly add 1 3/4 cup flour and 2 Tbs flax seeds.
By hand then mix in 2 cups of rolled oats and 1/2 to 1 cup Blueberry freezer jam.

Roll out into balls and bake in a 375 oven for 12 minutes. At the 6 minute mark, I sprinkled on the sugar. Let them cool on the cookie sheets and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Fry Bread

2012-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

I have had a mad craving for fry bread lately. I made it as doughnuts a few autumns ago but I wanted it as a real dinner food. So I slow cooked some beans and rice with good mexican spices and caramelized onions and got my fry bread on!

The basic dough recipe is:
4 cups of all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water

Mix by hand until a dough forms.

Yes, I love my family. And yes, I try to cook healthy. But fry bread needs to be fried in crisco. It just has to be done.

Kneed the dough out and break into 12 small breads.

Drop them gently in the hot oil. The nice thing about frying in crisco is that is spits less than regular oil. But, don't do what I did and dip a bit of my finger in the oil with the bread. That doesn't feel good.

Let them rest and drain a bit on paper towel. And then serve with beans and rice, sour cream and shredded cheese. We are all so full! I said, before dinner, if everyone ate well I'd make more as doughnuts for dessert... but we're so full no one wanted them after all!

enjoy! xoxo

baby cocoon

2012-01-31T06:11:00.000-08:00

I just had to share this knitting order I finished last night. I've seen many pictures of these baby cocoons floating around pinterest and etsy but hadn't had anyone ask about them yet. I'm so glad I finally got to play with this! It turned out super cute, especially with the matching bonnet. Gonna have to make another I think!

Loaded Mashed Potatoes (baked)

2012-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

These might not need a recipe... but they were so good I thought I would just put it out there.
I peeled and boiled a 5lb bag of michigan potatoes, just to tender and then mashed them by hand. To this I added a stick of butter, a pint of sour cream and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. I also added turkey bacon that was cooked until very crispy and then cut into little pieces.
I put this into an oven safe bowl and covered it with foil and baked it at 375 for 20 minutes. Right before serving, I put it under the broiler for a few minutes until the tops of the potatoes started to brown.
Dinner was so good that the whole family was silent! That NEVER happens!!
I served this with turkey bacon layered meatloaf and green beans from our garden last summer.

Molasses Oatmeal Cake

2012-01-29T17:35:00.000-08:00

Something about winter, and especially this winter, makes me crave molasses. I got this oatmeal cake recipe a few months ago and it seemed the perfect vehicle for adding molasses to yesterday's menu.

In a big ceramic bowl, I put in one cup of oats, 1 cut up stick of butter and 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Pour the water over top and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
To this I added 1 cup of raw sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup molasses. Stir together and then add 1 egg, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix this and then add 1 1/3 cup flour and stir until just mixed.
Pour into an oiled cake pan and bake st 350 for 40 minutes.

tangerine soaked, raw sugared, dehydrated baby carrots

2012-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

and I have to say- they are awesome! Next time I will make much more! They are the perfect little guilt free, sweet snack.

fruit and veg in the dehydrator

2012-01-26T06:24:00.000-08:00

It's hard to keep the family full of fresh vitamins all winter long, even with the freezing and canning I do in the summer. Another way to get the kids to eat plenty of real nutrients is by making apple chips. I found apples really cheap at the grocery this week so I bought a few bags and got them in the dehydrator.

I've found the trick to be to slice them really thin and not to rush the process. It takes a few days unless you can afford one of the high powered dehydrators. Apples take at least two full days. Bananas take three or four.

Next up, though, is carrots soaked in tangerine juice and a little raw sugar. I'll let you know how it goes.

xoxo

Peach Shortbread Bars

2012-01-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Christmas too but that time I used blueberry jam. This time I wanted a real taste of summer since we're in the deep january freeze common to Michigan.

The shortbread dough is
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
4 sticks of butter
2 cups of sugar
4 egg yolks

Cream the butter, sugar and then eggs. Add dry ingredients until just mixed. Seperate into 2 rounds, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until hard (at least 2 hours).

Preheat over to 350

Line a 9x 13 pan with foil (this helps the bars pull out of the pan). Grate the frozen shortbread dough to cover bottom of pan. Spoon in your filling (I've been using freezer jam that I made over the summer). Grate more frozen shortbread on top.

Bake 50-60 minutes and then let cool on a wire rack. Use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

never enough cowls

2012-01-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Cornmeal Parmesan Crackers

2012-01-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

A week ago, we can down with a nasty stomach flu bug. One by one, we all went down with it. So all week everyone had pretty sore bellies. I was tired of feeding the kidlets store bought saltines, so I made these cornmeal parmesan crackers.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp of brown sugar or raw sugar 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (milk plus 1 Tbs vinegar)
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Mix, in that order, like any bread dough. Wrap it in cheesecloth and put in the fridge for a bit. Roll out and cut into shapes.
Paint on an egg wash and sprinkle sea salt on top.
Bake 15-20 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheets in the 350 degree oven.

Naan bread and Butternut Squash Sauce over Pasta

2012-01-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good with yeast breads. I think maybe I'm just not patient enough to let them rise properly. But naan bread is one I can make. Add a Tbsp of yeast and 2 Tbsps of sugar to 1/2 cup warm water. Let is sit and get foamy (5 minutes, max). To this add 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup clarified butter. Kneed this with enough four to make a good dough; about 3 minutes. Put it in an oiled bowl and let it sit an hour.

For the pasta sauce, I started with 2 onions, sliced, cooked slowly in butter until very soft and carmalized. I added garlic, 2 tsp rosemary and 2 tsp salt. To this I added a jar of the butternut squash I grew and canned this fall. And then 3-4 cups of half and half. Don't let the creamer boil- or scorch or the flavor will be changed. Once the squash is re-softened and the creamer is warm, put the sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Once it is smooth, add 1/4 cup onion and chive cream cheese.

Mix this with your pasta of choice in an oven safe dish. I put fried onions over top before baking (20 minutes at 400)

After the dough rises, make 6 seperate loaves and put them on oiled cookie sheets. These bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Finished dinner- it was amazing!!

wavy scarf

2011-12-19T11:56:00.001-08:00

I took a break from all the charity knitting I've been doing to make myself this Scarf. Of course, I couldn't stick to the pattern. I cast on with size 7's and did the first two increases with those needles but then switched to 9's when I did the last group of stitches. Also I did 4 rows of the first 120, then I did 5 rows of the 240 and 6 rows of the 480. I really like how it turned out. I didn't get it done in time for the party I was making it for, but I'm sure it will be worn and I'm going to make another in a sparkley white.

Glazed Pear Cake

2011-12-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I wanted to make a "dump" cake with some of the pears I canned this fall. I was getting so frustrated looking for recipes online because every one of them called for a cake mix instead of giving a recipe for making a cake. So I pieced a recipe together and it worked out great!
First I greased the bundt pan and lined the bottom with drained pears (save the syrup!!) For the cake I used my basic muffin recipe and just added some spices (2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp each of ginger and nutmeg).
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
mix and then add:
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup pear syrup
1/4 cup cooking oil
Pour this over top of the pears and bake at 350 for 20 minutes (may take just a bit longer)
Let it sit for a few minutes and then un-pan it and let it cool completely.
The Glaze:
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a sauce pan. Add 2 Tbsp pear syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir and bring just to a boil. Then add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and let it boil for one minute. Pour this over the cooled cake and serve.

mod podge christmas + button ornaments

2011-12-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

I found this vintage "little Golden book" at a resale shop and picked it up over the summer. I had an idea for some Christmas ornaments and today put the pieces together.

I got the base of the ornament premade from Joann's. I used the cover of the book, which was harder cardboard, to make the template for the ornaments.

I traced pictures from the book to use as the pictures for the ornaments. I loved how the pages were discolored from age and the pictures were so dated.

I had to make some of the pictures fit by cutting and piecing the pages around. Then I used mod podge to glue the pieces on.

Then I put a good thick coat of mod podge over the top. This has to dry well and then it gets clear and shiney. Repeat for the back side. I tried to have one whole picture on one side and then a picture with the text from the book on the other side.

I also made this button ornament today copied after a picture I saw on Pinterest . I used two pieces of wire thread to thread the buttons together, twisted the top into a hanger and added a bow. I love it!

Canning 3 Sister Stew

2011-10-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I slow cooked pinto beans, acorn squash, carrots and celery over night. Then I added some sliced cherry tomatoes and sauted onions and garlic with sage. I let that cook another couple of hours. Then I added just a little frozen corn (it was all I had).
The "Three Sisters" traditionally are squash, corn and beans. They are named that because they grow well together and use each other to florish (ex.the beans grow up the corn stalk).
I canned this in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes.

Canning Butternut

2011-10-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

I was expecting much more butternut than I got out of this plant, but I heard others say it was a bad year for squash. But I am still looking forward to some Butternut Leek Soup this winter! I wanted to make sure the squash would last so I decided to can them. This is a pretty simple process. I cooked the pieces for about 5ish minutes and then canned them in the liquid they cooked in.

green tomato macintosh apple salsa

2011-10-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

I made this at the end of the season last year with tomatillos too. I cut up the green tomatoes left in the garden.

Added about half as many macintosh apples.

Then onion, twice the garlic a normal person would, and some hot pepper.

I cooked this down with cumin and red pepper flakes and a bit of salt, sugar, and cider vinegar.

fruit salad cake

2011-09-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

I had a can of fruit salad and a need for dessert... And so...
Fruit Salad Cake
1 can of fruit salad
1 cup sugar
2 cup flour
1 egg
2 tsp both baking soda and baking powder
1 tsp salt
Mix it all up and put it in a greased cake pan at 350 for almost an hour.
Xo

this year's headband

2011-09-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

This is the headband of the year. I do a finished edging and a lace inlay down the center. There is a button closure in the back. No sales yet, but a few trades :)

2011-09-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Asain Pickled Green Bean Pickles
1/2 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp seasame oil
3 Tbsp sugar
1-2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
Blanch beans for one minute. Put immediatly in an ice bath. Once cool, pack the beans in a clean jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let it boil 1-2 minutes. Pour brine over the green beans. Let the beans sit in the fridge to allow brine to soak in. (At least one day). Store in the fridge for up to 3 months once open.

pb maple banana oat cookies

2011-09-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

I had some bananas that were on their last day and being the queen of thrift that I am, I had to find a use for them. I wasn't in the mood for banana bread so I looked up banana cookie recipes. Most of them called for a lot of shortening and a lot of eggs and I didn't want that either, so I kept looking. I finally came across a peanut butter and banana recipe that was pretty healthy and pretty simple so I used that as my base.
I creamed 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 stick of butter. Then I added 1 cup of peanut butter. Once it was smooth I added 2 ripe bananas. Once this was smooth I added 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 3/4 cup flour. Once this was just mixed I added a packet of maple syrup instant oatmeal. I mixed this in and then put the cookies on a oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

tomato jam

2011-09-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've heard of people making tomato jam before, but it wasn't d
something I ever thought I'd make. I had a few pounds of cherry tomatoes that needed a home. It was even more than my tomato monster, Isaiah, could eat. If they'd been large tomatoes I would have canned them without a second thought; but what to do with cherry tomatoes? I was scrolling through recipes for tomatoes and came across a few for jam and I thought maybe that would be good, especially with cherry tomatoes. The recipe I did was easy but time consuming. I cut the cherry tomatoes in half and mixed them with three cups of sugar. Then I let that sit for an hour so the sugar can draw out the sweetness of the tomato. When you come back to it there will be quite a bit of fluid. Add to this the juice of two lemons. Now you get all this to boil and then let it simmer until it cooks down. That took me almost an hour. Once its sticky and thick, add the zest of those two lemons and about a quarter cup of roughly chopped basil. It was so suprisingly good!!

Trailer Park Pesto

2011-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'd love to be a gourmet and buy all my food at uppity stores like WFM, but the truth is, I'm broke. And so I do the best I can with what I have. I made some homemade pesto today and I bet those gourmets couldn't really tell the difference!

I put a few handfuls of fresh basil into the blender. Its grown in my garden and some leaves had a few spots, but it still smells amazing!

I don't have money for things like pine nuts. They are so expensive! So I use almonds. I can usually find a bag of almond slivers in the baking aisle for about a dollar. I lucked out and found this outdated bag on sale for 50 cents! You just need about a cup of almonds.

Next throw in some garlic. You could use just a clove or two, but there is no one here to kiss but my stuffed piggy so I'm gonna put in 6 or 7.

You could get some high end parmasean cheese, but honestly, I think the cheapest stuff (in the green shaker jar) works the best. Get the store brand, trust me! You need about a cup of this too.

So then you add olive oil. I would slurge here first if I could. But I can't, so I got my olive oil at the dollar store. It will work just fine. You need about 6 ounces. Maybe more. And then blend! Using a food processor is so much easier but a blender will work.

It will store in the fridge for a week or two or in the freezer for months.

Happy Little "Squirrel"

2011-08-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Up on top of my cupboard I have stored away 35 jars of dill pickled cucumbers and green beans!!

Canning Tomatoes

2011-08-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last year my tomatoes didn't really ripen. I guess there just wasn't enough sun or something. I made a lot of green tomato foods. But this year, God has blessed us with so much sunshine and I have had more tomatoes than I know what to do with! So I've learned the fine art of tomato canning.
First I made ketchup. I have to say it is just the best ketchup I have ever tasted. Maybe the best condiment I've ever tasted. It's just incredible!

Today my Mama taught me how to make pasta sauce. She even grew and dried the herbs herself. I can't wait to taste it! It smelled amazing!

summer harvest

2011-08-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today we got our first red tomatoes! We've had some cherry tomatoes on Isaiah's tomato plant, but these were the first from the main gardens! So for dinner we had sandwiches with tomato slices and a salad with tomato and cucumber from the garden. The cucumbers are amazing, like a whole other plant from the kind in the grocery.
Yesterday I made a bit of cucumber salad:

Cucumber Salad
2 parts white vinegar 1 part water 1/2 part white sugar.
Make enough to cover the cucumbers and red onions. I really suggest red onions. Let sit in the fridge overnight at least.

The pear fairie come today! I found these lovelies on my patio table. They will make a great breakfast.

Also today I knitted this baby hat in Monet yarn. It is so cute. I just need a baby to wear it! Guess it goes into the website market. Baby Knits

tis the season to start knitting...

2011-08-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Not that I ever totally stop, but I've started knitting full time again in hopes of having a big collection before the holidays. My knitting page on facebook needs a bit of an update but you can see most of my work there: Stephanie's Knitted Things. Also this year I'm hoping to do some pre-Christmas craft shows. My friend, Sarah, and I are going to try to go into business together. She is making the scarves and I am making the hats and/or headband to match.
If I have the business level I had last year, I'll be thrilled.

homemade Pesto

2011-07-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

My basil plants have been less than stellar so far this summer so my mom had pity on me and brought me some fresh basil. I made some pesto with it. I mixed the clean basil leaves with almond slivers, much garlic, parmasean cheese and quite a bit of olive oil. I mixed it until fine (I used the blender). It smells fantastic! Tomorrow we will have pasta for sure!! Or maybe pesto and cheese bread! Yum-o! XOXO

K2 P1

2011-07-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is a washcloth I made for my mom. I don't play with the K2P1 pattern very often but it really is cool. Cast on in multiples of 3 as long as you need your project to be. And then K2P1 back and forth and watch the cool ribbing pattern form.

Lemon Cake

2011-07-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

I made this lemon cake for my Mama's birthday party yesterday. I did find the basic recipe online but I had to tweak it and make it my own.
Lemon Cake
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 large lemon (wash it well first)
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
All the juice of the lemon
*preheat to 350
*oil cake pan
Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Add dry ingredients. Add all the lemon juice from the lemon (up to 1 cup). Mix until well incorporated. Bake 40-45 minutes.
Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners suger
Juice of 1 large lemon
Mix until thicker than a regular glaze but still runny enough to run over the cake. Make sure the glaze touches every part of the cake. Let it set before serving.

Garden and Pickles Update

2011-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Pickle making is going well. Right now I'm up to 11 quarts and 19 pints of pickles. All are dill so far. Some are cucumber, some are squash and some are green beans. Isaiah loves the dilly beans!!

The garden is also going well. The squash have slowed down a bit but I think they'll perk back up. It's been 90 every day and it hasn't really rained in weeks and I think it's wearing on them. Here are a few snaps of the garden life:

I love how the cucumbers hide in little cozy spots to grow. They are doing so well!! I'm so excited to have cucmbers that actually grow unlike last year.

This is the first butternut squash to start really forming. I am so excited about them and making soup this fall!

The green beans are also doing well. I think they are so pretty. I love the dainty little flowers that form first. And I love how the vines with come out and attach to me as I'm searching for beans. They are also shy little things, hiding behind the leaves all the time.

The tomatoes are getting there... still green though. Isaiah's plant has been the only one to produce red tomatoes. And he's eaten them all up as fast as he can!

The zucchini leaves are back to looking prehistoric so I think they'll be back soon!

first big bounty of the season!

2011-07-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'd been gone for a few days. When I went to water the garden today a lot had grown! I was so excited to have such a big harvest already. Especially after last year when the ground hogs ate everything.

I decided since there was more than I could really eat and there are cucmbers that will be ready in a day or two, that I would go right into pickles.

(sorry for the picture being turned, this keeps happening no matter what I do and I'm not sure howw to fix it yet. When I do, I'll fix it here)

These are a basic dill pickles with a little garlic and peppercorn. I made a salt/vinegar brine and put them in a water bath for 10 minutes. Yum!!

sharing recipes

2011-07-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

I posted last about my Chocolate Peanut Butter cake with Cocoa Frosting but didn't share the recipe! So here it is:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter

Mix in this order, slowly and just until mixed. Bake in a 350 oven in a greased pan (I used a bundt cake pan)for 30-35 minutes.

Cocoa Glaze
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (I put regular sugar in the coffee grinder and make it)

Over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cocoa and water. Cook, stirring constantly until thick. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating with a whisk until smooth and shiney. Add Additional water (1/2 tsp at a time) if neeeded. Spread glaze oover cake and put in the fridge to harden. It will be like frosting on a chocolate donut.

Also- and I SO wish I had a picture because these were so pretty-
Cinnamon and Green Apple Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 milk
1/4 cooking oil
2 Finely cut up green apples
1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips

Add in order up to the apples/ Mix well and then fold in apples and chips. Put in greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Now I'm off to make Chicken echiladas for dinner and Rhubarb cake for tomorrow! Eat well, friends! xoxo

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Cocoa Glaze

2011-06-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

I offered to make a cake for Andre's little birthday cookout; but, I couldn't go to the store and I didn't have much time. So I made this simple cake with just a few tweeks to make it fancy.

pictures from the garden

2011-06-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

First garden bounty of 2011

2011-06-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

My garden this year is exploding! I'm so glad to be groundhog free this year.

The first bit of produce (other than bunches of chives and basil) was this zucchini. And it was quickly turned into zucchini bread and muffins and also added to some veggie pasta salad.

I love summer!!

Blueberry Custard Pie

2011-05-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am forever trying to make good, healthy food apprear out of empty cupboards and fridges. Sometimes amazing this occur. Sometimes the seed of something amazing occurs. That was tonight. The pie didn't turn out quite right but it gave me the idea for how to make it amazing.
I made a basic shortbread crust and pre-baked it.
Then I made a butter/flour roux and added 3 cups of water to it. Next time I think I need to use less water. And maybe even milk would be better. After it thickened into custard consistency, I added 1/2 cup of sugar. I think I should have added some vanilla here too. Then I added to the custard some mostly thawed blueberries, about 2 cups. I let this warm together off the heat and then added it into the crust. I baked this at 350 for 30 minutes and then let it cool for another 30 off the stovetop. I think it would have thickened better with the cup less of water. It was still good! But next time it will be even better.

Easy Peach Cobbler

2011-05-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

I found a fruit cobbler recipe on Allrecipes.com that I tried today using the peaches my mom and I canned last summer.
You melt 1/2 cup butter and mix it in with the peaches and the syrup. Put that into a greased baking dish.
Then you mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, dash of salt and 1 cup sugar. Then stir in 1 cup milk. Pour that on top of the peaches.
Put it in a 400 over on the upper rack for 15 minutes until it starts to brown, then put it on the lower rack for 20 minutes to finish baking. Serve warm.

Banana Bread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-04-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

I was going to make these the other day but was thwarted by the stomach flu. I'm glad I waited though- the idea I had for the frosting was worth the wait!

I just used the basic Betty Crocker recipe for Banana Bread. To make these more like cupcakes, I use a little more banana and I add cinnamon. So they are softer and a bit more satisfying.

I wish I would have measured the ingredients for the frosting- but it was basically: 1 glob of shortening, an equal glob of butter and a bigger glob of cream cheese. I mixed this with a pinch of cinnamon, maybe a 1/4 of brown sugar and of white sugar. I beat it in the mixer for quite awhile, maybe 3-5 minutes, until it got very airy.
Oh My Goodness, it is so good. I licked out the bowl, licked the spoons, and ate the extra. I never ever do that!!

check out this chick

2011-02-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some old pictures and found some of when we first got the chicks. Look at how much Soup has grown!

Valentines

2011-02-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

I had no idea you could make cookies out of just peanut butter, eggs and sugar! And they are so yummy!
I made these with 2 cups of crunchy natural peanut butter, 2 eggs from today, and 1 cup of sugar. Mix well and roll them out into balls on the cookie sheets. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
After they got out of the oven, I used a little spoon to make a heart shape in the cookies.
After they cooled 5 minutes, I filled the hearts with homemade raspberry jam.

Candy Apple Bread Pudding

2011-02-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

I had a loaf of Irish Brown Bread, a jar of Candy Apples, and an overflowing Egg Basket. I also had an insanely bad headache.

And thus Candy Apple Bread Pudding with Ice Cream was for dinner in our house tonight.

I cut the loaf of bread into inch pieces. And also cut the candied apples in similar sized pieces. I put these in a bowl with 1 cup of raisins and set aside.
In another bowl I wisked 10 eggs, 1 cup milk, the syrup from the apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. I poured this over the bread and apples and let it sink in. Then poured all that in a greased baking dish. I put a few pats of good Irish Butter on top.
I baked this at 400 for about 30-40 minutes.
Serve warm with Ice cream and have happy kids at dinner time! xoxo

oatmeal banana cinnamon raisin cookies

2011-02-05T15:05:00.001-08:00

So, Solstice was supposed to have a talent show tonight... and I was supposed to donate a batch of cookies for the Middle School to sell to raise money for their Washington DC trip... so even with no sleep and a sick sick baby boy... I made some awesome crunchy granola cookies (her school is pretty crunchy)... and then the blizzard hit and the talent show was cancelled so we get all these yummy cookies for ourselves!!
Oatmeal Banana Cinnamon Raisin Cookies
Cream 1 stick of butter with 1 small banana and 1/2 cup both white and brown sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking poder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon. Then add 1 egg. Slowly add 1 3/4 cup flour and then 2 cups oats. mix in 1 cup raisins and drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Watermelon Jam

2011-02-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight we broke out some Watermelon Jam and it was awesome!!
Over the summer my mom and I were thinking there should be a way to can melons and then I came across this recipe for watermelon jam. The spoonfuls I tasted while canning were wonderful but the finished product now that it's set and jelly like- even better!!

Scarf Patterns are so much fun...

2011-02-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

... I've got another one...

summer preserving/ winter eating

2011-01-26T16:39:00.000-08:00

Peach Freezer Jam Cookies

1 stick of butter creamed with
1/2 cup brown sugar
Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

add in 1/3 to 1/2 cup peach freezer jam
then slowly add in 2 cups of flour.

Bake 12-15 minutes at 375.

Little taste of summer in the dead of winter.

This was the biggest experiment with the green tomatoes last summer. Tonight I finally opened a jar of the pickled green tomatoes. And I really loved them!

My official pickle taster said he wanted to drink them. I'll take that as a thumbs up.

It's a really funny taste though, the tomatoes are all pickle as you eat them but then have a strong honey after-taste.

Warm hand muffs

2011-01-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

I was looking through old issues of knitty online and came across this great pattern for a hand muff that uses up all the little bits of yarn leftovers from other projects.

And since we are in a massive cold spell right now, I thought this would be the perfect project for a hibernation weekend.

I mostly followed the pattern listed. I kept a black yarn running all the way through the whole project, adding and subtracting as needed.

I also added a layer of felt in the middle. Maybe in Vermont two layers of knitting are enough to keep your hands warms, but in Michigan, I thought a layer of felting would be a good idea to catch some of the wind.

~ leftover bits

~all laid out

~with the felt sewn around

~stitching up

~stitching up

~right side out

~final project!!

Cinnamon Buns

2011-01-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

I had some brown sugar frosting left over from Zucchini Bread Cake the other day (the recipe for the frosting is with Pumpkin cookies). I kept meaning to make cinnamon rolls to use up the frosting with so this morning I got up a little early to make them before Solstice went to school.
To make the dough- heat 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup margarine in a little sauce pan. Don't let the milk scold, just heat and let the margarine melt.
In the mixer put 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 pack of yeast, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Add 1/4 cup water and 1 egg (I love my fresh eggs!)/ Then slowly add the cooled down milk and margarine mixture. This will be a pretty wet dough. Add another cup or 1 1/2 cups flour in small batches until the dough starts to form, then kneed it on a floured board for a few minutes. Let rise. Then roll out into a rectangle. The middle is 1/2 cup margarine melted with 1 TBSP cinnamon and 1 cup brown sugar. Roll it up, seal the end and cut it into 12 buns. Let them rise again. I cooked them in greased muffin tins- 20 minutes at 375.

Isaiah loves potato soup

2011-01-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

just a pretty picture

2011-01-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

my egg basket

2010-12-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

A wonderful Value World find!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus cake... fail

2010-12-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to make a red velvet cake. They are so beautiful. So I decided to make one for the Paquin family Christmas. I searched the internet for a recipe and came up with a highly rated recipe from Food Network.

And it was beautiful...

...but it pretty much just tasted like shortening and butter. :(

baking on a lazy day

2010-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

I started the day with muffins; half grape jelly and half mom's pear jam.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting (via Heather Teddy)

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
cream together
Add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
mix well
Add:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon.
mix well, then add 1 cup raisins
Drop on cookie sheets, bake 12 minutes at 375
Frosting:
Combine 3 Tbsp butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a sauce pan. Heat until just bubbling, 1 minute. Let this cool for 15 minutes, then beat with 1/4 cup milk. Add enough powdered sugar to make spreading consistency, about 2 cups. Beat until smooth; frost.

Megan's Wedding Hankie

2010-11-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

I used to cross stitch a lot. Turns out I'm not so into it anymore... but it worked out okay. This is a Cherry Blossom pattern (which is her wedding flower) and her new initials M.M.T.

apples to candy apples to candy apple pie (with ice cream)

2010-11-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

Last winter I had a surplus of apples and so ending up making these candy apples. This year, I had to go out of my way for the apples, but I knew Christmas was going to need these apples again.

4 lbs of apples, cored and sliced into rings. Let them soak in water with either lemon juice or fresh fruit.

The syrup is 4 cups of sugar in 2 cups of water, 1 box of Redhots, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 TBSP whole cloves. Let the syrup simmer until the candy is melted and then add the apples and let them cook for 5 minutes.

With the leftover syrup, I cooked down the bits of apple not good enough to can as gifts (tops and bottoms, etc). I cooked it for about 15 minutes. Then I tempered it with some butter and added a splash of vanilla. I put this in a shortbread pie crust and baked for 30 minutes.

scarf patterns are so much fun, I've got another one...

2010-11-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is the lace pattern I've been using for scarf orders. It's basically the same idea that I used to make the freedom skirt. I love how the sides are both so detailed and yet so different.

more cookies!

2010-11-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

Trail Mix Cookies
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
mix together until fluffy
add:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
carefully mix in 1 cup trail mix (I used one with chocolate chips and "m&ms".)
Makes about 3 dozen, bake at 375 for 12 minutes.

Honey Molasses Whole Wheat Cookies

2010-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Another day that just needed cookies and yet the cupboards are bare... so this is what I came up with and I'm glad I did, they are great!
Cream 1/3 cup shortening (butter would probably work) with 1 cup sugar. (Next time I'll try a combo of white and brown sugars) Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Then 1/4 cup of molasses and honey (in whatever proportion you have). Add 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger. 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or to taste, I love nutmeg). Then slowly add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and mix until just mixed.
Makes 24 cookies, bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. They are like molasses cookies but a little crisper and sweeter.

Pickled Eggs

2010-10-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

Pickled eggs seemed like the logical conclusion to my obsession with making pickles all summer and the chickens really kicking production into high gear. So since I can't sleep in past 7 anymore, I got up and made pickled eggs this morning.

Fill a clear/sterile jar with peeled, hard boiled eggs, 1 sliced onion and 1 peeled clove of garlic.
In a sauce pan, heat just to boiling: handful of dill seed, handful of peppercorns, 1/2 handful of mustard seeds with 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup water and a few teaspoons of pickling salt.
Pour this mixture over the eggs and put the lid on tight. Let it cool on the countertop for the afternoon and then store in the fridge.
All the websites say not to store them in the cupboard anymore... but people did for years so I'm sure it's fine. As I'll probabaly be feeding most of these to my 2 year old, I'm gonna store them in the fridge just to be safe.

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Sorry I haven't been posting as often lately! I've started a knitting business and it's keeping me so busy! Come see my facebook page here .

Red apples / Green tomato / Tomatillo Salsa

2010-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

I made the best salsa of all time today. I don't mean too proud or anything, but seriously, it is that good.
At the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk this morning Megan was telling me about this apple salsa she bought at the cider mill. She said it was good, but it could've been better. And that got me thinking...
I just harvested the garden out yesterday so I had a bowl of tomatillos, I still had a few green tomatoes and I had a few apples left from the farmers market. I also had chili peppers, onions and garlic. I whirrled all that in the food processor. And then put it in a saucepan with about a cup of vinegar, kosher salt and 2 tsps of cumin. I cooked it down for about 10 minutes.
And Oh. My. Goodness.

apple carnage

2010-10-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Rachel brought me the most amazing gift today! An entire bushell of apples! I was just thrilled and totally blessed by this gift.
This is a small amount of the apples before...

This is the carnage afterwards...

I made 9 quarts of Apple Sauce- 3 cooked with cinnamon sticks.

I also made those Green Tomato Pickles! I have no idea what to expect but they look good! They are made with dill seed, peppercorns, garlic and a salt water/vinegar brine.

I also made an apple crisp, corn bread and jambalaya! So much for a sick day!

best bread and best cake ever

2010-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wanted to bake bread but didn't have all the ingredients to any of my usual recipes so I made a mish-mosh of a few of my favorites and it is SO good! It is a mix between basic white bread, muffins, and corn bread.
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
I've been mixing in some fresh herbs lately, once I made it with cheese and chilis.
It's so light and muffin-like and yet bread-y too.

The Green Tomato Bread is Ahhhhhh-mazing. Oh my goodness, it's so good! I made a brown sugar, cinnamon and sour cream frosting. I can't stop eating it!

Green Tomatoes

2010-10-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy gave me two bags of green tomatoes. I was so excited!

I was especially excited because I wanted to make this Green Tomato Cake. I haven't tried it yet so you'll have to wait for the review on how it tastes!

Next this morning I made a big batch of green tomato salsa. I put some extra peppers in since the other salsa was pretty mild. This batch will go in the freezer.

I really want to make these dill green tomato pickles but I ran out of jars! Bummer!

today I canned salsa and baked cookies

2010-10-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

More molasses cookies, this time minus the almond butter (it's gone).

This Salsa Verde is like the salsa I made before but this time I put hot peppers in it. Smelled great.
And the combo of smells hanging in the house tonight is amazing.

almond butter molasses cookies

2010-09-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've never blogged from my phone before but I had to share about the cookies I made today. I didn't have much in the cupboards but wanted something warm and yummy. So I found almond butter and molasses and thought they would go well together. I searched a bit online but couldn't find anything. So this is what I made:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup each white sugar, brown sugar and molasses
Cream these together then add 1 TBS vanilla and 1 egg
Then add 1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.
Mix until just mixed and then put rounded tablespoons of dough on ungreased cookie pans. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
There is something about the almond butter and molasses combo that tastes kinda chocolatey. Yum.

fall fun

2010-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

Tie-One On wrap with my beautiful gift yarn.

Isn't it lovely?

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Cornbread Peach Cake

Recipe:
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Mix together in a bowl and then add:
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
Pour into a well greased cast iron pan.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
For the peaches:
Drain the syrup from the peaches into a sauce pan. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla and cornstarch. Start with 1 Tbsp. You might need more. Whisk like crazy while it heats up and keep whisking until thick. Spread this over the cornbread. Then slice the peaches and layer over the top. Add a few pats of butter to make the sides nice and brown and crisp. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

stubborn pesto

2010-09-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me a big bag of herbs, mostly basil and parsley, and I had big dreams of making pesto. But when I got home, I realized the cupboards where bare. I didn't even have olive oil! But I had my mind set on pesto pasta for dinner so I got my thinking cap on and this is what I came up with:
In the food processor I put in 5 cloves garlic, 1/2 red onion, 2-3 big handfuls of basil, 1 handful of parsley, 1/2 cup peanuts, 1 jar mostly drained light red kidney beans, 1/8 cup nutritional yeast and some salt to taste. I whirled it around until saucey. And was thrilled to find out it was good!
I mixed it with a box of cooked pasta, lightly cooked zucchini and fried tofu. And everyone loved it! Even the 9 year old boy! Wow!!

baking with summer bounty

2010-09-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our freezer is still on the fritz so I had a tub of blueberries that needed to be used up. I made a very simple pie- just sugar and a little bit of butter to temper it. It was perfect. Absolutly perfect.

Today my chickens gave me enough eggs to feed the boys scrambled eggs and also make some muffins. Again, I had freezer bounty that needed to be used so I made strawberry jam muffins. Oh my goodness, they rock.

xo

Egg Taste Testing!!

2010-09-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

A double yolk! Bonus!!

It's pretty obvious which is which, isn't it.

I couldn't believe what a difference there was. Maybe I might actually enjoy scrambled eggs now.

pictures from my walk last weekend

2010-09-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Biscuits, Watermelon Juice, Salsa Verde

2010-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Buttermilk Biscuits

Watermelon Juice. I wish I had more jars, I would totally make more jam!

I'd been saving my tomatillas for a little over a week and finally had enough to make into salsa. I used (and midified a bit) this recipe from Stitch and Boots.
Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups husked, cored, and chopped tomatillos
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped jalapenos
1/2 cup white vinegar
4 tbsp lime juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil over a medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary by adding more hot salsa. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered by at least 1″ of water. Bring to a boil and process both 8 ounce and pint jars for 15 minutes.

how big is your pickle....

2010-09-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

....cupboard??

Freezer: Strawberry freezer jam, Strawberries, Blueberry freezer jam, Blueberry Lemon jello jam, Blueberries, Raspberry freezer jam, Peach freezer jam.

Yellow squash pickles, Zuchini pickles, Dill, Bread and Butter, Hot and Sweet...

Pear Vanilla jam, Watermelon jam, Chow Chow, dilly beans, Gardina pickles, basil pickles...

I'm a very happy squirrel this summer :)

headband instructions

2010-09-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've been making these headbands for everyone. Just thought I'd share how they are made.

The headband itself is pretty simple. You can size it in multiples of 4. I usually use 48 stitches in the round, knitting it k2 p2.

The bow starts with being a knitted rectangle. Depending on the size needed, I use 10 or 15 stitches.

Then I stitch up the ends. I suppose you could knit it in the round, but I like using that stitching to help me keep track of the center.

Then I wrap yarn around the center to make the bow. It's pretty simple, but you have to hold it really tight or it will look messy.

I stitch the bow onto the headband and I also stitch the sides so it's not floppy.

Then I tuck in the yarn ends and trim any loose bits. And that's it!

chow chow- part 2

2010-09-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished Chow Chow. I had a ton of green tomatoes in the garden so this was a perfect project for me. I think there isn't quite enough sun for the tomatoes to ripen all the way. It smelled fantastic and tasted a million times better.

pickled watermelon rind part 2, basil pickles and chow chow part 1

2010-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

I had no idea what to expect with the watermelon rinds. It is a mix of cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon in vinegar and sugar over top. It smelled like Christmas. And it's pretty tasty. I'm glad I just did a little and in little jars. I can see it making a good condiment but not something you'd need a lot of.

Basil pickles sounds like they will be good. I made them just like dill pickles but with basil; red onion, garlic, black pepper, vinegar and salt brine.

This is part one of the chow chow that is cooking right now. I got the recipe from a Lallybroch friend: Mairghread Murray. This is from a cookbook called 'Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens' (Nimbus Publishing) -

15 pounds green tomatoes
5 pounds onions
1/2 cup salt
...1 qt. vinegar
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dry mustard
3 cups sugar
cayenne pepper (if desired)

Prepare vegetables and sprinkle with salt. Let stand overnight. In the morning, drain. To 1 cup vinegar add the spices, mustard and sugar, Add to the remaining vinegar and pour over vegetables. Boil for two hours or more and then bottle.

I didn't have just the right spices to I used turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, mustard seeds and just a little red pepper flakes. It smells fantastic.

Peach Freezer Jam, Watermelon Jam, and Pickled Watermelon Rinds- part 1

2010-09-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to get good local peaches, but summer is tick tocking along so I just used what they had at the grocery. It is made just like the other freezer jams and tastes just as yummy.

My mom and I were talking about how we wished there was a good way to can the yummy-ness of summer melons so I began searching. I found this recipe for Watermelon Jam on Foodinjars.com. I didn't have a thermometer so I just boiled and boiled the watermelon puree. During the boiling, I skimmed off the few seeds that were in it and any bigger chunks of melon. I didn't get it perfect, but I like the imperfections of homemade goodies.

A few people in the comments mentioned pickleing the watermelon rinds, so I looked into that. I'm curious what it will be like. It's an odd combination of spices. The rinds have to soak in a brine overnight so I will finish this project tomorrow.

headbands in orange and pink so far...

2010-08-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

My beautiful and amazing sister, Megan, sent me a link to this site wondering if I could copy it. So I gave it a whirl and tada:

reds

2010-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

These heirloom tomatoes are amazing. I can't get over how beautiful they are and how good they taste!

We picked some raspberries today. The kidlets don't love raspberries as much as I do so we just got two quarts. That was enough to make 6 jars of jam and have a bowl left over.

For dessert I used that bowl of rasapberries to make sugar cakes.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
3/4 cup berries

Cream together the shortening, sugar and salt. Gradually stir in eggs one at a time. Add flour and baking powder. Add milk gradually and beat mixture for 60 strokes until dough is smooth and satiny. Carefully fold in berries. Spoon batter into well greased muffin pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

blue cowl- winter prep.

2010-08-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

close-up view of the blue yarn

I'm not wanting to rush into winter, but I do want to be prepared. So I've started knitting a few things to help me keep warm this winter. I finished this cowl last night. It is a loose neck warmer that can also be used as a hood. It's basically just a big tube knitted in the round (k1 p1).

Using it as a neck warmer...

Using it as a hood...

insert witty title here

2010-08-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Gardenia Pickles and Dilly Beans! Gardenia pickels are cauliflower, cucumbers (from the garden), zucchini (from mom's garden), green pepper (from TC's dad's garden), carrots, and green beans (from my garden). The dilly beans are thanks to my friend Amy who brought me a big bag of beans this morning.

cucumber from the garden

green beans and pea pods from the garden

dinner the other night: fresh biscuits, cherries and green beans. I love summer.

xoxo

Goose berries

2010-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

We went blueberry picking again today with my mom. We picked 15 pounds of blueberries in a little over an hour. When we got back to our house, my mom cleaned and sorted them. We then made a few types of blueberry jam. The first one we had talked about before; it uses blueberries, sugar and lemon jello. I told her we need to call it Damn Jello Jam.(you either get that joke, or you don't) It smelled great but it hasn't set yet so we'll see. Then I made a more conventional freezer jam. The first batch was awesome but the second batch was a total flop. So that batch was turned into some blueberry sauce and I made yet another batch of freezer jam. They are such an amazing color. I stocked up the freezer some more with berries and have just a little out for breakfast tomorrow.

Today was Solstice's birthday! My Goose is 11 years old already. She wanted a chocolate cake, which isn't my favorite but it went well with the bluebrries. The cake stuck to the pan and I thought it was ruined, but Andre saved the day by bringing home a box of pudding mix. I made that and filled in the space between the two cake layers with the pudding. Then frosted it and topped it with blueberries. And we had some of the blueberry sauce on our ice cream. It made a perfect summer dinner!

cowl and pear jam

2010-08-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not only prepping my cupboards and kitchen for winter, I'm also building my supply of neck warmers. I wanted to make this cowl last winter but never got it done. I love this blue yarn, so soft and pretty. I cast on 90 stitches in the round and am knitting it k1p1. So far I love it.

We have a pear tree in the back yard. I am always at war with the squirells over the pears. This year, I picked them a little early and so I won. I canned some a few days ago and today make pear jam/butter. I slow cooked the pears with some bourbon vanilla in the crock pot all day and then processed it this afternoon. It tastes awesome.

more pickles and new sprouts

2010-08-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Making pickles at my moms today. We make dill zucchini pickles, bread and butter pickles and bread and butter squash pickles.

Cucumber sprouts! Take that, ground hog!!!

I love how tomatillas look like Japanese lanterns at this stage.

I picked a bowl of pears to make pear butter with tomorrow.

pickles and pants

2010-08-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Boy shorts I finished today. I didn't end up knitting them rainbow style, I like the stripes more. I think they will make good pajamas.

Canned pears from the pear tree in our back yard. They are cooked in simple syrup with some lemon juice. So good.

Zucchini Pickles

Bread and Butter Pickled Green Beans. Might be good?

first tomato of the year

2010-08-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

and ohhh it was good! Isaiah and I split it :)

summer bounty!

2010-08-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

freezer corn

veggies before---

veggies after!!!

18 jars of pickles: 7 dill, 3 hot and sweet, 5 bread and butter and 3 yellow squash.
I also made zucchini bread and shredded 7 bags of zucchini ready for bread making this winter.

Chocolate Chip Scones

2010-07-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

********************************************************
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup oats
2 eggs
1/2 choc chips (or currents)
Mix it all together - in this order- and put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Mold into a circle and then cut like a pie into triangles. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.

xoxo

tomatos and the end of being poo-free

2010-07-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

yellow tomatoes showing some color.

And these pink beauties.

Day #7 of being poo free and the end of the experiment. I never felt like my hair was dirty, but the texture was making me crazy. I just can't do it. That's why it's an experiment, I guess. This one failed.

my yard

2010-07-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

C'mon! turn red already!

Can't wait to make salsa!

I finally have a cucumber growing! Maybe the groundhog has given up? Doubt it...

This little friend was hanging out by the cucumber plants.

The girls love cheese.

day #6

2010-07-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just don't know... not sure I can keep going!

poo and blue-berries

2010-07-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Poo-free day #5
I don't know about this... I'm feeling pretty greasy today. I wore my baseball hat most of the day. It still feels pretty good but it looks like I have a bunch of pomade in it.

We went blueberry picking yesterday with Megan. We went to the farm in Dexter. I love it out there. I would do anything to live in one of those farm houses on that dirt road. It's so beautiful. As we were leaving we got to sit and watch some deer jumping around in the woods.

So I got a few pounds in the freezer. It was my favorite summer treat to have in the dead of winter last year. We also made bluerries and custard yesterday and muffins this morning.

Three uses for one lemon

2010-07-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

I had a lemon that needed to be used up- and every bit of it was used up!

The first thing I did was use the zest off the entire lemon in my zucchini bread yesterday. I don't usually add lemon but I really enjoyed this.

This morning I used the juice of the lemon in my hair instead of the vinegar. It sure smelled better but it left it a little dull and kinda greasy looking (not feeling though). I think I'm also just going through the withdrawl process from the shampoo.

And then I used the rinds to clean my kitchen and then put them in the garbage disposal which deodorized it and also made the whole kitchen smell lemony!

poo free #3 and boy shorts

2010-07-26T04:29:00.000-07:00

Here is day three. It is a little flatter than usual, but that is actual fine because at this length, it tends to go a little bozo
The only issue I did have today was leaving for church with wet hair. I was very self-conscious that people would think I smelled like salad dressing. I'm sure no one really did, but I was self-conscious of it none-the-less.

New knitting project: boy shorts. I'm going to make them rainbow-y and use up bits of yarn that I don't have enough of for big projects. I'm just on the second color now.