I had a lovely Saturday afternoon with two good old friends, who were kind enough to remind me that we hadn't hung out since the day after I got engaged. Tempus fugit indeed. They do live ALL the way in Maryland... but I know that's no excuse for hiding in DC and VA for as long as I have. I also heard from my college roommates this weekend, and hope to get together with them in September. I never understood how people could still enjoy friends and never see them- but now I know. Life is very random, and it really does get in the way. The people I see daily and weekly are the ones who are close by- which is sad, because the ones who are far away are no less loved. Geography just sucks when you work full-time and are planning a wedding, apparently. On the plus side, part of my absence from everyone's lives is going to culminate in seeing all my nearest and dearest on our wedding day- so hopefully they'll all forgive me my distance. I definitely need to plan more (small, non-momentous) parties next year.
I think we are at the point in wedding planning where for every item I check off on the to-do list, I have to add three. This is exceedingly unhelpful at feeling any sense of accomplishment. But so it goes.
Besides hanging out with one of my favorite couples, I was mostly relaxed this weekend. I didn't go to the gym (horrors!) because Gym Buddy was out of town. Instead I was half-lazy, half-productive. Saturday morning G and I ran a bunch of errands, getting some of those wedding to-do's out of the way and picking up some prescriptions and some gorgeous farm-fresh eggs and berries at the Farmer's Market in Courthouse. Sunday I made a frittata and ate some berries, and did the laundry while watching Mad Men and cooking up my lemon chicken and potatoes. Dinner was scrumptious, with a Virginia Chardonnay alongside, and then we watched a few episodes of True Blood while I continued knitting nonbloggable thing 2 (only 3 repeats to go!). I was really really hoping to finish thing 2 in August, even though I knew it would take four weeks and it's only been three since I cast on. I was delusional in thinking I could somehow knit 25% faster than before! It's frustrating, because I know the next few weeks are booked solid with activities. All I can do is keep knitting on my commute, and trying to sneak in rows wherever I can. Thing 3 will just have to wait a bit.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
A few things I've learned
I'm still no Martha Stewart. Though the closer I get to being married, the more I seem to be aiming for that kind of perfection. Perfection isn't the right word, of course- I'll never be perfect, and certainly never do it all and look good doing it. But I think I'm taking a particular brand of domesticity to heart. And the domesticity? Definitely I have more of a drive for it than ever before. I guess love and impending marriage can do that to a girl. For the record, none of it has improved my cleaning abilities, or my desire to do any cleaning. Too bad about that. So these are the things I've learned lately, in the domestic sphere. Very Martha Stewart. Maybe you know them already?
1: Baguettes can be sliced into chunks, or into little slices, and stuck in the freezer. They probably should be in foil to begin with, so they don't get freezer burned, but I just threw mine in a plastic ziplock. Pull out just what you need for dinner, wrap in foil, and stick in the back of a hot oven for maybe 20-30 minutes while dinner is cooking. They come out nicely toasted, warm, and incredibly delicious. Almost as good as fresh baked. I think I'll do this FOREVER now I know about it, because I used to waste a lot of baguettes because I know I shouldn't eat too much bread. Now I can buy one baguette, and enjoy it at least 3 times. This counts as a money saving tip, as well as a domestic cooking tip. After all, fresh hot bread makes everything better.
2: Another money and time saving tip that I probably knew about, but didn't bother with, was to immediately process grocery items as soon as I get home. Specifically, I like to buy multi-colored pepper packages at Costco (CHEAP!), and cut them up for use in chili, stews, frittatas, etc. I like a blend of every color, so I cut all the peppers up and blend them together. One package of Costco peppers fills 3 or 4 reusable plastic containers, which is probably a cup and a half or two cups of cut peppers in the end. Exactly the right amount for my favorite black bean chili, or I can take out just a little bit at a time for frittatas and omelettes. I toss the plastic containers in the freezer, a little freezer burn frankly doesn't seem to hurt them. And I don't bother defrosting- the peppers defrost and cook beautifully straight from frozen.
3: Toss leftover chicken carcasses (ie, from rotisserie chicken from the store), leftover veggie bits (celery stalks, carrots, etc), etc., into plastic baggies and shove in the freezer. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, make chicken stock. That's my plan for this weekend, in fact.
4. The very oldest recipes are often the best recipes. Plain old roast beef with carrots and potatoes, ziti casserole, and homemade lasagne with the long-simmering meat sauce are still three of my very favorite meals. And when you eat them, it's like childhood all over again. There are also days when all you can muster the strength to cook is Kraft Mac and Cheese. And that's a perfectly fine option.
5. The very newest blogosphere recipes can be just as fun, though. For example, after sampling Gym Buddy's AMAZING chocolate cookies from that infamous 24-hour recipe... well, let's just say I'm on the bandwagon. And speaking of cookies and baking? Bridesmaid J gave me the smartest tip. Spray pam on a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that to scoop up your batter for muffins or whatnot. So effective!
6. I take the idea of going green, at least making an effort, very seriously. And we're making some strides! I've switched to using bamboo utensils at work (cute little package, I can wash them in the restroom after each use, and no more take-out plastic forks). We started using fabric napkins at work, and the cheap ones from Target seem to be holding up just fine. I'd like to make fancy ones but... these will do for now! We also are using cheap-o Costco bar towels for almost everything we used to use paper towels for. Good for the environment, and frankly the house looks nicer without all that paper and trash.
Here's my black bean chili recipe. The general idea seems basic enough, but I did steal the gist of it from All Recipes. It's marked in my recipe box as "G loves!" and he definitely does. I like it best with a bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream, but the dish is vegan on its own. G likes to add some hot sauce, and I sometimes add a little bit myself. It's probably kid-friendly- definitely not too spicy without the added hot sauce. You can substitute almost anything of course- this is chili, not rocket science. The original recipe calls for a jalapeno pepper, but I've still never cooked with them, so I give that a miss.
George's Favorite Black Bean Chili
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced fine
-one package mixed frozen peppers, OR 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
-1 small can sweet corn, drained
-6 plum tomatoes, diced OR 1 can diced no-sodium-added tomatoes. (I use the can, usually)
-1 tsp ground black pepper- cheap stuff is fine
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute other beans as needed)
-1 can low-sodium chicken broth, or 1.5 cups homemade broth
-1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add frozen or fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least ten minutes.
3. Serve hot by itself or over rice.
1: Baguettes can be sliced into chunks, or into little slices, and stuck in the freezer. They probably should be in foil to begin with, so they don't get freezer burned, but I just threw mine in a plastic ziplock. Pull out just what you need for dinner, wrap in foil, and stick in the back of a hot oven for maybe 20-30 minutes while dinner is cooking. They come out nicely toasted, warm, and incredibly delicious. Almost as good as fresh baked. I think I'll do this FOREVER now I know about it, because I used to waste a lot of baguettes because I know I shouldn't eat too much bread. Now I can buy one baguette, and enjoy it at least 3 times. This counts as a money saving tip, as well as a domestic cooking tip. After all, fresh hot bread makes everything better.
2: Another money and time saving tip that I probably knew about, but didn't bother with, was to immediately process grocery items as soon as I get home. Specifically, I like to buy multi-colored pepper packages at Costco (CHEAP!), and cut them up for use in chili, stews, frittatas, etc. I like a blend of every color, so I cut all the peppers up and blend them together. One package of Costco peppers fills 3 or 4 reusable plastic containers, which is probably a cup and a half or two cups of cut peppers in the end. Exactly the right amount for my favorite black bean chili, or I can take out just a little bit at a time for frittatas and omelettes. I toss the plastic containers in the freezer, a little freezer burn frankly doesn't seem to hurt them. And I don't bother defrosting- the peppers defrost and cook beautifully straight from frozen.
3: Toss leftover chicken carcasses (ie, from rotisserie chicken from the store), leftover veggie bits (celery stalks, carrots, etc), etc., into plastic baggies and shove in the freezer. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, make chicken stock. That's my plan for this weekend, in fact.
4. The very oldest recipes are often the best recipes. Plain old roast beef with carrots and potatoes, ziti casserole, and homemade lasagne with the long-simmering meat sauce are still three of my very favorite meals. And when you eat them, it's like childhood all over again. There are also days when all you can muster the strength to cook is Kraft Mac and Cheese. And that's a perfectly fine option.
5. The very newest blogosphere recipes can be just as fun, though. For example, after sampling Gym Buddy's AMAZING chocolate cookies from that infamous 24-hour recipe... well, let's just say I'm on the bandwagon. And speaking of cookies and baking? Bridesmaid J gave me the smartest tip. Spray pam on a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that to scoop up your batter for muffins or whatnot. So effective!
6. I take the idea of going green, at least making an effort, very seriously. And we're making some strides! I've switched to using bamboo utensils at work (cute little package, I can wash them in the restroom after each use, and no more take-out plastic forks). We started using fabric napkins at work, and the cheap ones from Target seem to be holding up just fine. I'd like to make fancy ones but... these will do for now! We also are using cheap-o Costco bar towels for almost everything we used to use paper towels for. Good for the environment, and frankly the house looks nicer without all that paper and trash.
Here's my black bean chili recipe. The general idea seems basic enough, but I did steal the gist of it from All Recipes. It's marked in my recipe box as "G loves!" and he definitely does. I like it best with a bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream, but the dish is vegan on its own. G likes to add some hot sauce, and I sometimes add a little bit myself. It's probably kid-friendly- definitely not too spicy without the added hot sauce. You can substitute almost anything of course- this is chili, not rocket science. The original recipe calls for a jalapeno pepper, but I've still never cooked with them, so I give that a miss.
George's Favorite Black Bean Chili
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced fine
-one package mixed frozen peppers, OR 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
-1 small can sweet corn, drained
-6 plum tomatoes, diced OR 1 can diced no-sodium-added tomatoes. (I use the can, usually)
-1 tsp ground black pepper- cheap stuff is fine
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute other beans as needed)
-1 can low-sodium chicken broth, or 1.5 cups homemade broth
-1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add frozen or fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least ten minutes.
3. Serve hot by itself or over rice.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Plum Cake
I made Smitten Kitchen's Dimpled Plum Cake recipe over the weekend. I used golden plums (orange? whatever they are), instead of the deep purpley gorgeous plums she used. I also used my KitchenAid for the very first time while mixing the dough. First, I have to mention my love for that appliance. The KitchenAid is the best thing ever. The dough came together, with zero effort on my part, in a beautiful harmony of flavors and ingredients and oh my goodness is it fast. Also? I found the whole thing delightfully easy to clean up afterwards. I can't believe I never used it before. It was a gift before I moved in with the fiance, and when I moved back it somehow ended up in our pantry in the basement. He brought it up for me to play with this weekend, and it is now installed in a corner of the kitchen counter, where it will stay in all its breast-cancer-pink glory until I die. Or at least until we remodel the kitchen.
I didn't take any photos of the finished cake. I wasn't sure it worked at first. I thought it seemed a bit undercooked, and it didn't really look like the picture from Smitten Kitchen. I thought I'd destroyed it by using the KitchenAid, instead of mixing with a hand blender. But two nights ago, we braved it. Tried the plum cake, with a little bit of whipped cream on top.
It's heaven. Make that recipe, now. It took me literally ten minutes to throw together (with the KitchenAid's mixing help), and only forty minutes or so to bake. Even using different plums, it is the most delectable sweet treat I've had in ages. It tastes of caramelized fruit, and summer. It tastes like George's love for me, and my love for him.
In other words, it came out differently than expected, but absolutely perfect in the end.
I didn't take any photos of the finished cake. I wasn't sure it worked at first. I thought it seemed a bit undercooked, and it didn't really look like the picture from Smitten Kitchen. I thought I'd destroyed it by using the KitchenAid, instead of mixing with a hand blender. But two nights ago, we braved it. Tried the plum cake, with a little bit of whipped cream on top.
It's heaven. Make that recipe, now. It took me literally ten minutes to throw together (with the KitchenAid's mixing help), and only forty minutes or so to bake. Even using different plums, it is the most delectable sweet treat I've had in ages. It tastes of caramelized fruit, and summer. It tastes like George's love for me, and my love for him.
In other words, it came out differently than expected, but absolutely perfect in the end.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Nonbloggable thing two
I'm about at that point where the second nonbloggable project is beginning to be both cool and a slog at the very same time. It's big enough now that I can truly admire my work, and to have some nice drape while I'm knitting. At the same time, I'm not quite halfway through the repeats, and I certainly have the stitch pattern memorized, and I'm pretty much done. Ready to move on with my life, and get on with other things. Oh well, nearly halfway done is definitely progress!
I have this desire to knit sweaters. Things that are cute. Things that are warm and cuddly and appropriate for my new/old office, where business casual is the order of the day. The job change is brilliant thus far, and I'm ecstatic to be back downtown again. There are some trade-offs, of course- my commute is longer, and if I oversleep and miss the 8:04am bus I end up not getting a seat on the train, not being able to knit, and generally being stuffed like a sardine for 45 minutes. Oh! And the commute bumps up to at least a full hour, instead of 45 minutes or so. But I'm not complaining exactly, because on the mornings when I do get up in time and make my early bus I have so much blissful knitting time. SEVEN rows of lace, at the very least, just in the morning commute. For some reason the evening commute isn't as productive, knit-wise, since I can't always get a seat or such perfect conditions in my favor. But I'm adjusting. And of course the evening commute is longer than it used to be, but since I now get on metro ahead of Metro Center (the main transfer point), the cars are blissfully uncrowded for a stop or two, so again... I am able to sit down, take a load off, and knit knit knit my way home.
Not only is the job enjoyable, my commute is actually a joy. I wish it weren't basically two hours of my day, but as long as I'm able to knit and read on the way, I can't really complain too much! In the end, that's how I'm so close to halfway done with nonbloggable thing two. I hope to finish it by the first of September (which would mean a total of about 3 weeks from start to end). And then I can block thing 1 and thing 2 simultaneously.
I went to the Mannings on Saturday last for their Annual Knit-In. It was good to check out the place, though it was a very quiet day- I'm not sure if it was entirely worth four hours of driving. The drive was pleasant, however, and I am glad I went for the first time. I also used my time productively, to plan out nonbloggable thing three- it's not an actual pattern, but a combination of stitch patterns from Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace book. I was very proud of myself for figuring out the math, all on my own with just my cell phone calculator for the trickier analysis. I can't wait to get to work on it- if nothing else, because it will be a NEW stitch pattern to memorize, and a much longer pattern repeat at that. Did I mention that I can't wait to knit sweaters? After all this lace, I'm thinking I'll do the February Lady Sweater out of my MDSW Tess Yarn, and then I'm turning my life over to Kauni:
It calls to me.
I have this desire to knit sweaters. Things that are cute. Things that are warm and cuddly and appropriate for my new/old office, where business casual is the order of the day. The job change is brilliant thus far, and I'm ecstatic to be back downtown again. There are some trade-offs, of course- my commute is longer, and if I oversleep and miss the 8:04am bus I end up not getting a seat on the train, not being able to knit, and generally being stuffed like a sardine for 45 minutes. Oh! And the commute bumps up to at least a full hour, instead of 45 minutes or so. But I'm not complaining exactly, because on the mornings when I do get up in time and make my early bus I have so much blissful knitting time. SEVEN rows of lace, at the very least, just in the morning commute. For some reason the evening commute isn't as productive, knit-wise, since I can't always get a seat or such perfect conditions in my favor. But I'm adjusting. And of course the evening commute is longer than it used to be, but since I now get on metro ahead of Metro Center (the main transfer point), the cars are blissfully uncrowded for a stop or two, so again... I am able to sit down, take a load off, and knit knit knit my way home.
Not only is the job enjoyable, my commute is actually a joy. I wish it weren't basically two hours of my day, but as long as I'm able to knit and read on the way, I can't really complain too much! In the end, that's how I'm so close to halfway done with nonbloggable thing two. I hope to finish it by the first of September (which would mean a total of about 3 weeks from start to end). And then I can block thing 1 and thing 2 simultaneously.
I went to the Mannings on Saturday last for their Annual Knit-In. It was good to check out the place, though it was a very quiet day- I'm not sure if it was entirely worth four hours of driving. The drive was pleasant, however, and I am glad I went for the first time. I also used my time productively, to plan out nonbloggable thing three- it's not an actual pattern, but a combination of stitch patterns from Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace book. I was very proud of myself for figuring out the math, all on my own with just my cell phone calculator for the trickier analysis. I can't wait to get to work on it- if nothing else, because it will be a NEW stitch pattern to memorize, and a much longer pattern repeat at that. Did I mention that I can't wait to knit sweaters? After all this lace, I'm thinking I'll do the February Lady Sweater out of my MDSW Tess Yarn, and then I'm turning my life over to Kauni:
It calls to me.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A case of the Mondays
I finished nonbloggable project one on Saturday, and immediately cast on for number two! So far it's going well, but I have this to note: bamboo needles and nupps are a horrible, horrible combination. So I went on an excursion to find Addi Turbo Lace needles, in a size 4 (I only own a 6). In retrospect, the 6 might have been better, but after finishing the edging and two repeats, it's far too late now!
I went to Knit Happens in Alexandria first, and found my needle there immediately. I investigated some yarn options, but didn't see anything necessary for now, so I headed out. I wandered up the main street, aiming for the new Fibre Space shop that was only a few blocks away. The heat did me in, however, and I went back to my car. Turns out I was only a block from the new store when I gave up, which was a bit sad. I parked (again), and was delighted with what I found. The shop, owned by the former Knit-a-Gogo people, was super cute and I loved the decor. I will definitely be stopping back there again! I succumbed to picking up some Louet Gems. If not to be used on a very near-to-come project, the Gems in fingering weight will make for beautiful stockings. I also got a ball of cotton chenille, because I made a washcloth for Sharyn once and would like one of my own!
Really, it was a delightful diversion. I hardly ever drive nowadays, and I enjoyed toodling down to Old Town Alexandria and wandering around. I even managed to find my "something blue" for the wedding. Most of all, I was shocked at myself for being true to my task- the needles were necessary, and the rest was very well-reasoned and inexpensive. And I got to thinking that I bought two skeins of laceweight for nonbloggable projects, and now this- but that's it since Sheep and Wool in May.
Have I turned over a new leaf? Am I no longer a crazy Stasher?
I spent an hour or two on Sunday tidying up the sewing room, and it definitely still looks like I have achieved SABLE status. Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy is mine. Once this wedding is over, I'm rededicating myself to knitting socks, I think- I really do have an awful lot of sock yarn, all over the place!
I went to Knit Happens in Alexandria first, and found my needle there immediately. I investigated some yarn options, but didn't see anything necessary for now, so I headed out. I wandered up the main street, aiming for the new Fibre Space shop that was only a few blocks away. The heat did me in, however, and I went back to my car. Turns out I was only a block from the new store when I gave up, which was a bit sad. I parked (again), and was delighted with what I found. The shop, owned by the former Knit-a-Gogo people, was super cute and I loved the decor. I will definitely be stopping back there again! I succumbed to picking up some Louet Gems. If not to be used on a very near-to-come project, the Gems in fingering weight will make for beautiful stockings. I also got a ball of cotton chenille, because I made a washcloth for Sharyn once and would like one of my own!
Really, it was a delightful diversion. I hardly ever drive nowadays, and I enjoyed toodling down to Old Town Alexandria and wandering around. I even managed to find my "something blue" for the wedding. Most of all, I was shocked at myself for being true to my task- the needles were necessary, and the rest was very well-reasoned and inexpensive. And I got to thinking that I bought two skeins of laceweight for nonbloggable projects, and now this- but that's it since Sheep and Wool in May.
Have I turned over a new leaf? Am I no longer a crazy Stasher?
I spent an hour or two on Sunday tidying up the sewing room, and it definitely still looks like I have achieved SABLE status. Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy is mine. Once this wedding is over, I'm rededicating myself to knitting socks, I think- I really do have an awful lot of sock yarn, all over the place!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Continuing Apace
The endlessness of our summer book club book finally behind me, I'm really enjoying this summer. I'm nearly finished with another Aubrey/Maturin book (best of the series, I think!). And I've finally started making a dent in the book on my bedside table- Mistress of the Art of Death. We selected it as our September book club book, so now I'm guaranteed to finally read it. I don't know why it's languished so long; even 20 pages in I am completely enthralled.
I'm still knitting nonbloggable knitting. I should finish the main section today at lunch, and when I get home and have access to another skein, I'll be able to cast on for the top edging. It's not terribly large or complicated, so I should be able to knit it and kitchener the two pieces together tomorrow. Which means I can cast on for another nonbloggable project! The excitement never ends.
This is, as yet, a delightfully unplanned weekend. G may go to a baseball game or go shoot photos someplace with a friend. I would like to hit up the farmer's market (either in nearby Courthouse, or possibly Eastern Market). I'll get to the gym with my gym buddy on Sunday morning. As for the rest? Just some baking and cooking, a lot of cleaning in the sewing room now that the wedding gown is gone, and of course knitting. I have the first two discs of Mad Men Season 2 to watch, and hope to get through them all while my fiance is out of the house.
All that should keep me busy, but I'm hoping to also do a little sunning on the porch outside our bedroom. I haven't made it out there yet, and it should be nice and hot and sunny this weekend. Perfect for finishing up my latest sea adventure, or getting more into the medieval mystery for book club. What a deliciously summery weekend I have ahead of me!
I'm still knitting nonbloggable knitting. I should finish the main section today at lunch, and when I get home and have access to another skein, I'll be able to cast on for the top edging. It's not terribly large or complicated, so I should be able to knit it and kitchener the two pieces together tomorrow. Which means I can cast on for another nonbloggable project! The excitement never ends.
This is, as yet, a delightfully unplanned weekend. G may go to a baseball game or go shoot photos someplace with a friend. I would like to hit up the farmer's market (either in nearby Courthouse, or possibly Eastern Market). I'll get to the gym with my gym buddy on Sunday morning. As for the rest? Just some baking and cooking, a lot of cleaning in the sewing room now that the wedding gown is gone, and of course knitting. I have the first two discs of Mad Men Season 2 to watch, and hope to get through them all while my fiance is out of the house.
All that should keep me busy, but I'm hoping to also do a little sunning on the porch outside our bedroom. I haven't made it out there yet, and it should be nice and hot and sunny this weekend. Perfect for finishing up my latest sea adventure, or getting more into the medieval mystery for book club. What a deliciously summery weekend I have ahead of me!
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