Blocking with pins

This is my first foray into blocking with pins. If life was less, well, life-like, I'd be blocking something for myself, not a gift knit. But, there you go.

The Woodland Scarf adapted from The Woodland Shawl, knitted for my aunt, an artful gift giver.

Gem helped me pin the scarf. He and Sag enjoyed spritzing it with water once it was pinned.

You can see that blocking (which is essentially stretching the wool fiber out while wet...the idea being that it will dry stretched out) really brings out the pattern of the knit.

The edges are going to come out pointy, I fear. If I had more pins...hey, wait a second!

Eureka...I can stretch the pins out to give the edge a more rounded, leaf-like look. Glad I figured that one out before the scarf dried.

We're seeing my aunt and uncle on Sunday. This should be dry and ready to go by then. So excited!

However, I don't think these boards will create an area large enough for me to block my shawl or wrap. I may have to use my bed for those...

MadMenYourself

The Shield

I've been catching up with The Shield. Watching the final season, borrowed from the library, unable to knit while watching because it requires (and rewards) my eyes and mind.

Afternoontime

Ever have one of those days when you helplessly follow your muse? (Every day should be one of those days, by the way.) Today is such a day.

The veggies-in-waiting have been talking to me. So, after the lettuce and radicchio, I moved onto the red potatoes. The vibrant color of the skins forced me to think outside the home fries box and I knew that these babies were destined to be roasted. Gluten-Free Girl has a simple and fabulous roasted tater recipe which pleases time and time again.

We often bake bread to go with spaghetti. Cap makes a great French bread which is a family favorite. Then, there's also the go-to bread: corn bread. I've never been a huge fan of corn bread. It's handy to soak up chili, I like the golden color, and I do have a soft spot for a grilled corn muffin with butter. But, corn bread? Meh.

There's something about it that is...boring. It makes me feel shallow to pooh pooh something as elemental and reliable as corn bread, but there you have it. About a year ago, I got excited about corn bread when I learned from Alton Brown that you can bake it in a cast iron pan.

Today, it was a new recipe that got me excited. It came into my Google Reader from, coincidentally, Gluten-Free Girl. It looks awesome out of the oven, I am looking forward to tucking into it tonight. (I did some subbing. Gem can't do sorghum, so I used garfava flour instead. Also, I used rice milk as my milk.)

Here's a pic of the boys munching on apples (we received Mutsu apples in our fruit share this week---heavenly!) and holding their "whips". Their Indiana Jones play has evolved into learning how to use a whip to do various things. It's been...interesting. :-)

I need to get cracking on the Woodland Scarf for my aunt. I want to block it tomorrow night to give it sufficient time to dry. We're seeing my aunt and uncle on Sunday!

Morningtime

One way that Sag takes after Cap is that breakfast is not essential. He could take it or leave it. Looks like he's leaving it this morning.

Gem is more like me when it comes to breakfast. He doesn't need much, but he definitely wakes with a hunger.

I'm making spaghetti for dinner tonight. Begin pesto (basil from the farm, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, salt) defrost now.

Once upon a time, we made a big move. To make myself feel better (unconsciously) I went to the Kitchen Etc. in Alewife (remember that store?) and bought a lot of kitchenware. We were going to be sharing a kitchen with my in-laws and were newbies in GFCF life. I fell in love with the Zyliss line because 1) I think Switzerland/things Swiss is/are kind of cool; and 2) everything was white. Normally, I am not a white kind of gal. But, Jake's stuff was black and I thought the contrast would help all of us keep gluten contamination as under control as we could.

I bought our salad spinner during this splurge. Seven years ago. And it's still like new. Pristine, even. I love that the kids love to use it and try to figure it out (Swiss engineering ingenuity and all :-)

The lettuce from the farm, as you can see, is gorgeous. I've discovered (something I'm sure many people know already...I can be slow figuring things out) that if I wash and dry the lettuce before storing it in the fridge it last much longer. A week easily. Even more, it is then all ready during the week to build a salad with, add to a sandwich, garnish a kid's lunch plate with, easy peasy.

Into the fridge with you.



Radicchio. If I spun and dyed fiber, I would totally create and name a colorway after you. :-O !!!

A taste of qi gong

A nice breeze, and windows wide open, after days of days of relentless muggy stillness/stagnant air conditioned air. A night of easy sleep thanks to an herbal sleep aid. Chopin swirling in my ears and caressing my brain. My summer night gown twirling out and around in rhythm. Energy flowing, loosening up the seemingly dead stuff in the nooks and crannies.

Evening

*Sigh* I can't be bothered with the crooked photo.

Common meal tonight was lovely. I made Thai red curry with chicken, cabbage, sweet onion, and onion tops (like scallions). Also sautéed zucchini with sweet onion, garlic and olive oil. Served three different types of rice and sliced Mutsu apples. And water with lemon. Cap baked choco chip cookies for dessert.

I am finding the veggie and fruit shares form the farm deeply satisfying. They taste so good. I have sautéed swiss chard, steamed green beans, and steamed broccoli in the fridge. There are red potatoes and golden plums waiting to be consumed. And lettuce.

I should knit some repeats of the Woodland Scarf, but am tired. It's quiet here. The boys are at the comic book store.

Organizing and purging: the kids' room

That's seven bags of books and two bags of stuffed animals. Not pictured are the two bins and three bags of Thomas trains and accoutrement. (I should mention not all the kids' books are stored in their room. We have a large bookshelf in the living room dedicated to their books, as well.)

They wanted to have a yard sale. I did not. So we have been discussing a compromise and it's looking like I will buy them something they want, said item to be determined (probably a new lego set). And the stuff we're getting rid of will be donated. We talked about charity, but these guys are pretty into money and they'd still like a little something from me, thank you very much :-)

They have been good about sticking to the task at hand and letting go of a lot of stuff. This has not been true in the past (the letting go)... I wonder if it's their age/developmental stage, or whether it's because we are finishing our third year here which has manifested in a certain security previously unknown having moved every two years from Cambridge, then Plympton, then Sacramento.





I organized their comics and magazines and they were psyched to make labels. I love them!

Here they are snuggling and reading a book rediscovered (Big Fat Little Lit). They are so sweet together.

Pockets of bliss

This is the cutting I received when I went to Silke's church a few months ago. I have been caring for it when I can and apparently, that is enough. For now, the lone leaf has become two.

Lunch today. A turkey sandwich with lettuce from the farm and my icebox cuke and sweet onion pickles. The pickles are...perfect. I love 'em. The onions are a surprise. The process eliminates all sharpness and tang, but leaves the seasonings enhanced flavor of the onion. Also, because the brine is added to the veggies after it has cooled, the veggies retain a nice crispy texture.

So far, I've enjoyed the pickles with batter fried cod, in a salad, with basmati rice and sautéed veggies, and now, in a sandwich.

The latest from our stealth refrigerator magnet poet, Sag.

Nerves

The boys were getting on my last nerve and I just made them go into separate rooms to keep the all-around annoyance factor down. Sigh. I just took this self-portrait to cheer myself up.

The weather, sleep issues, energy issues, all factors, no doubt. I am off balance.

Back to the clutter and deadline knitting... (Even a luscious piece of peach pie wasn't enough to keep my mood buoyed for much longer than it took to finish it...)

Pretty leaves

Quiet As A Mouse

I like this video. Long live fairy tales!

And the winners are...

Thank you for your warm and thoughtful comments to celebrate my 1000th post. I truly appreciated them. It's gratifying to hear feedback every now and then because it does sometimes feel like I'm chucking my posts out into the void :-)

Without further ado...Jamie (pictured here with Sag),


Barbra (pictured here with Audrey and their wedding throw),


and Kelly (pictured here with Pippa and me),


will get special thank you prizes this time around. Congratulations! I will begin putting some thought into writing, photo, and knit pieces, respectively :-)

Thanks for the love, people!

Woodland scarf

I have cast on a new project. I'm doing a scarf version of the Woodland Shawl. It feels good to be knitting again. It's been awhile. The yarn is Manos Silk Blend and is a pleasure to the fingers. It has spring and cush, is warm and delectable. 70% merino wool, 30% silk.

I bought the yarn at Modern Yarn's store closing blow out sale at 40% off and would not have had it in my stash at the ready, otherwise. At the time, I bought it because of the silk content, the color was one I knew I'd be able to use in gift knitting ("Olive" is much richer and a shade or two darker in real life), and it was a good opportunity to test drive a yarn I'd heard positive comments about.

The inspiration to cast on came from my Auntie Makiko's impending NYC visit. She is Momoko's mother, married to my mother's brother, Takio. Takio and Makiko are coming this week and we will be gathering with the clan next Sunday for dinner. I haven't seen them in many years.

Auntie Makiko has given me really lovely and beloved gifts over the years (including this, my favorite, knitting bag). There's an art and heart to that kind of gift giving. So, I decided I wanted to give her something special when I see her.

Hopefully, I will finish in time. I thought I had two weeks, but that dreamy-ness was dashed this morning when I realized that, in fact, I have one week.

P.S. Cap and I watched "Whisper in the Dark", a Japanese animation film from the vaults of Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki's studio), last night. It was incredibly romantic and sweet. There were many moments at which I felt like my adolescent, and current, souls were being mirrored. It also had some unexpected unschooly messages about learning which was cool to see.

P.P.S. I saw "Punch-Drunk Love" recently. Wow. Challenging, but worth a look if you want to see Adam Sandler in a completely different type of role, have an interest in a character study of someone who is incredibly shy, smart and sensitive, and who is seeking redemption via love despite being somewhat damaged by love, and/or can handle moments of acute discomfort/pain tucked into long stretches of meditative cinema.

Oh my

I was very happy to spot these two colors (the last one of each) in the Malabrigo Sock Yarn cube. I think Ulmus will look gorgeous and to my taste, color-wise. Hmm. It may inspire me to dance some flamenco, once I have this baby wrapped around me. My discount at the anniversary sale was 20%.

Cap and I don't often collaborate in the kitchen. We're both oldest siblings. We like to do things our own way and thrive when independent. But, I asked for his help today because I wanted to make a peach pie and he is the master of pie crust. (Half the peaches were from this week's fruit share and the other half were Jersey peaches from Whole Paycheck.)

So, he made the crust and I made the filling and look at this beauty. We still make good looking babies together :-)

Heaven.

P.S. I forgot to dot the inside of the pie with soy butter and it still came out great.

Peach Pie (adapted from/inspired by Pete Bakes!)

2 lbs peaches (6-10 peaches, depending on their size)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs soy butter, cut into bits
rice milk, as needed
Cap's pie crusts (adapted from Erica's mom's recipe)

1. Peel the peaches: bring a pot of water to boil and drop peaches into it, a few at a time, for 10-30 seconds until skins loosen. plunge into a bowl of ice water and slip the peels off. Pit, slice and toss skinned peaches with the lemon juice.

2. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch and toss the peaches in the mixture. Pile into the ready pie crust, slightly higher in the middle. Dot with the bits of butter. Roll the second pie crust on top and crimp edges of both crusts together to seal.

3. Brush the top crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut two or three 2-inch long vent holes in the top crust.

4. Place pie plate on a baking sheet (to catch any peach filling that bubbles out) and bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until pie is golden brown. Cool on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature.

Cap's GFCF Pie Crust (adapted from Erica's mom's recipe)

(Cap says increase all ingredients by 50% and expect to use more oil than is called for.)

Makes top and bottom crusts for a 9-inch pie.

2 cups GF flour mix (he uses Bette Hagman's formula scroll all the way down for it)

1 tsp salt

Mix flour and salt.

Measure 1/2 cup vegetable oil (we use safflower). Add 6 Tbs milk (we use plain rice milk). DO NOT MIX THE LIQUIDS.

Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix with a fork.

Divide the dough in half.

Place first half in the pie plate (we use glass) and work the dough into the shape of the plate (on the bottom and up the sides). Add more oil if the dough starts to crumble/break apart.

Roll the other half (top crust) on parchment paper with a rolling pin. Flour the rolling pin only if necessary. Again, add oil as needed to keep the dough pliable.

Color me pickle

I'm making icebox pickles this morning. The cukes, sweet onion, and garlic are all from the farm. I'm subbing apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar (I never use white vinegar...a vestige from back in the day when it was not considered gluten-free) because I'm out of rice vinegar. Wondering if the color will produce sepia-toned pickles... These should be ready for consumption tomorrow. I can hardly wait...

I've also got a batch of turnip pickles going. Yum.

In a bit I'll be heading out to see Vinny (some kinks to get worked out before he leaves for 2 weeks in England). I may stop into my LYS for supplies to knit this in honor of their anniversary sale which will mean a discount for me. Then onto Whole Paycheck for some fish for dinner tonight.

Hope you're having a peaceful weekend.

Quiet

This is what's happening at our place, right now.

Stomach

I saw Vinny on Wednesday and we discovered that my stomach is off. The gall bladder spots were extremely painful which explained the tightness I've been having from knee to hip on my right side.

I'd been hitting the dairy pretty heavily the past few weeks and I think that may have cooled things too much in the stomach. I'm sure there are other energetic factors, as well. I tend to focus on food.

So at the very least I've been practicing Toe Dance, Kick Forward and Kick Back.

But, I have to say, the workout Vinny gave my system really helped. I felt a definite push forward afterward. My mood was better, lighter, I was more open. My stamina yesterday, and the will to persevere at the end of the day, were clear indicators of this positive shift, too.

I woke this morning with a sour feeling tummy, but feel better. Sag read to me from the latest Franklin Richards comic book, I fed myself a hearty protein-rich breakfast (the fava bean spread on toast and a green pepper, onion and egg scramble with homemade pesto [farm basil and walnuts...yum]), and the kitchen is spic and span (minus the floor that really needs a good wash).

Once my food settles I'll practice some more. And I hope to remember to pick up some ginger later...

Before I put my feet up

The Thai curry came out lovely. Onions from the farm, poached chicken, green peppers and tomato. This is a very simple dish to make and has the power to transport you as you eat. I follow the directions on the back of the red curry paste jar.

And I made the Summer Peach Cake. It's very much a coffeecake with peach slices and cinnamon-sugar crumble on top. Sag liked it so much he asked for seconds. Gem liked it enough to nibble at mostly the crumb top while he continued reading The Deathly Hallows (he's almost done with it). Pretty good for a self-professed cake hater.

I am learning that with baking, perhaps more so with GFCF baking, you have to roll with the punches when things don't quite go as the recipe suggests. The recommended baking time for this cake was 25-30 minutes at 350º. It needed an additional 10 minutes at 350º and another 10 minutes on top of that at 325º. It browned nicely around the edge within the recipe time, but the center was wet and wet again. I was relieved when it finally baked all the way through.

We ate it while it was still warm. The texture was light and had a spring to it. The cinnamon in the cake gave it a spicy nuance (Sag said it smelled like gingerbread as I was slicing into it). The peaches softened wonderfully and matched nicely with the crumble top.

I still have a lot of peaches left. Time to search for a pie recipe :-)

From the kitchen

GSomething new to love: fava beans.



When the kids were wee, I used to read them this book about a bean (not unlike a fava bean I learned today). I pulled it off the shelf with great excitement and we flipped through the pages as I showed the kids how truly downy the inside of a bean pod can be.

I also learned today that when preparing fava beans one needs to blanch them. The skin of the bean loosens in that process and once you pop the bean out of the skin, look at what gorgeousness ensues. I mean, really. Really? What a view.

I made Foul Mudammes, an Egyptian fava bean dip. If you dig savory cinnamon with a heat that creeps up on you from the back, this is a dip for you.

I also steamed orange cauliflower (that turned a pale yellow with cooking), bok choy, and swiss chard, and washed, dried, and tore up the lettuce (red leaf and bibb). I still have a Thai curry to make for dinner and if I can push through, the peach cake (didn't get to it yesterday). I have some cukes and turnips I'd like to pickle, too...