Sixteen for 50 - In which I confess I am odd and also that I use the word "crapshow"

I like to take things that people say, even just once in passing, and mull them around in my brain, sometimes for years.  One time - it could have been 10 years ago or more - a particularly opinionated member of my book club said something to the effect of people either like cooking or they like baking but they do not like both.  At the time I thought, I must be an oddball then. I like both baking and cooking much as I enjoyed both my creative writing and language classes, as well as my math classes.  Each stimulates different parts of my brain and personality.

Baking requires precision in measuring and following directions whereas cooking allows for some flexibility and adjustment for taste preferences.  You can cook "on the fly" and mix up something for dinner with some seemingly mismatched ingredients and a little improvisation.  If you were to try baking the same way, using approximate measurements and substituting ingredients with what you have vs. what the recipe calls for, a cake or some bread may be produced but it might not have the desired texture or taste.  You cannot, for example, use about the right amount of flour, or substitute baking soda for baking powder in equal parts (I know - even the dog wouldn't eat the baking SODA biscuits I once made).  You can use handfuls vs. pinches of cheese and substitute chicken for ground beef and still come up with a tasty meal.

Baking produces all manner of sweet treats, which I LOVE.  I like that it is precise and that there is science behind it, like math.  The right temperature of water activates the yeast and the yeast interacts with the sugar and makes the bread airy. There is a correct way of doing it with predictable results.  Cooking lets me improvise and use what I have and a little knowledge of what kind of ingredients taste great together.  Cooking is like writing a poem or an essay - try this word here and a sprinkle of that phrase there.  Even if it is not exactly what you thought it would be, it is almost always palatable, though perhaps not something you would try again.

Reflecting on the book club friend's statement, and knowing her better now than I did back then, I believe she likes cooking, not baking, and is inclined to project her preferences as truths for others as well.  And probably I am a little odd, as well.

I started this post a week ago, then didn't finish because I was having trouble figuring out what I wanted to say, plus I may have used up my creative allotment for the weekend with scrapbooking.  I had every intention of finishing on Monday but the workweek was, to put it nicely, a crapshow. I was supposed to be spending most of Monday-Wednesday at a virtual conference but ended up putting in long hours putting out a fire and then dealing with all the "feedback" related to that.  I did learn some interesting things at the conference and am happy to have 40+ days to be able to re-watch sessions I was not as attentive as I would have liked to have been and to watch other sessions that ran concurrently to the ones I attended.  Here I am now with a book review, 2 new recipes, a couple of the scrap book pages completed, and a shot of the red baby alpaca triangle scarf.

Book 15

I love Tom Hanks, just absolutely adore him and I have for a very long time.  Once, more than 20 years ago, my sister made me a Tom Hanks collage with a million pictures, big and tiny, of Tom in various roles (including Woody from Toy Story).  The man could read the dictionary, and I would buy a ticket to watch.  I think he is funny and smart and entertaining.  He has played a wide array of roles since I have been watching back in the Bosom Buddies and Splash days.  All this is just to say that now I have read his book of short stories Uncommon Type. It was... pretty good.  Some of the stories I liked better than others, as with most short story collections.  And I enjoyed reading to see when and how a typewriter would figure into almost all of the stories.  He has some fun and original ideas and characters, and the writing style was engaging.  I don't think I need to own this book (I got it at the library) nor read it again, but I am glad I read it.

Recipes 15 and 16 - File these under "sometimes you need a drink"

It is E's birthday weekend.  He started it off on Thursday night with some of his delicious homemade guacamole and fresh baked chips, plus margaritas.  The margs were new-to-us recipe, so I will share it with you here: 

Original Margaritas

1 oz Cointreau

2 oz blanco tequila

1 oz fresh lime juice

Combine all in a shaker, add ice, and shake.  Pour into a salt-rimmed margarita or rocks glass.

The next drink was his birthday dinner "signature drink" and was a secret from me, other than that it contained vodka and pineapple juice, and that we may have had it at a martini tasting on a cruise.  Considering that we have been to multiple martini tastings (and none for the past 5 years or so), I couldn't think of which drink it would be.  It turned out to be a lovely pinkish colored "French Martini" and we are also now proud owners of a beautiful bottle of Chambord.  This was a fresh and fruity martini and would taste delicious on the deck in the summer.

French Martini

2 oz vodka

1 oz pineapple juice

1/4 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur 

Combine all in a shaker, add ice, and shake.  Pour into a martini glass.

These recipes may be a little bit of a cheat for me since I am the baker and the cook but not the bartender/mixologist at my house.  Try them and see if you can forgive me.  

Scrapbooking

I spent a Friday evening in a Zoom craft time and completed a whopping one page.  Since my table and supplies were all dragged out and set up, I continued on my own Saturday and Sunday.  7 pages completed that weekend, finishing the 2014 Glacier/Yellowstone trip.  Then I made some cards.  Here are 2 of my pages made.

Knitting

A little scarf I made for myself.  It was a pretty easy (Free!) pattern I found here.  I didn't care for all the blah blah blah repetitiveness of the blog and the 12 million pop-up ads before the pattern, but I guess that is the price you pay for a free pattern.  I used the idea behind it and adapted for how I wanted it to look.  Basically - start with 1 stitch. At each row (except the rows you do a drop stitch pattern), yarn over (YO) and knit across.  Occasionally throw in a drop stitch pattern section

Row 1 - Insert  needle into first stitch knit-wise. Wrap yarn around needle two times then pull yarn through as if to knit. Repeat this with each stitch across the row.

Row 2 Knit the 1st knit stitch, slide the yarn overs off the needle and continue to knit each knit stitch, sliding the yarn overs off the needle across the row.

The pattern lady says to do this 4 times but I didn't like how it looked when I did it just 2 times in a row so I had 1 time every few inches.

You continue until about 42" across or until you run out of yarn.  Towards the end, I measured my yarn before and after a row to guesstimate how many rows I could knit before binding off so I wouldn't be caught without enough yarn.  It was a good trick and I ended up with about a foot of yarn to spare.

Fifty for 50 Tally

Books completed – 15 (7 more in progress)

Recipes tried – 16

Blog posts published– 16

Miles walked in April - 37.25

               Miles walked year-to-date –166.21

Scrap book pages completed –19

Hats donated – 20

Hours volunteered – 0

Until we read again,

Hallie

Thirteen for 50 - A Yarn about Yarn, plus Cat Poems, and Creamy Pineapple Deliciousness

Thank you for all the kind words and support on my last blog post.  I love that you are reading it and enjoying!  I hope I'll be inspired to have another post like it again some day.  

If you are concerned about my walking goals not being met, don't worry - I figured that the winter months would be a little low and will catch up with higher mileage months the rest of the year.  I am on pace for 50 in March - just need about 4 more in the next 3 days which is very doable. I told E I wanted to walk 3 miles today - we ended up with a tiring (for me) 3.7.

The Knitting Grandmas (& Friends!) group that I make the baby hats with has developed a connection with a women's correctional facility in the area.  There is a group there that knits and crochets (and teaches others to knit and crochet) blankets that they then donate to shelters.  I don't know the whole backstory of how we got connected but they accept yarn donations for their projects.  Occasionally the Grandmas (& Friends!) will receive yarn that we can't use for baby hats (we have been advised to use only a certain brand and type of acrylic yarn due to allergies, softness and ease of washing), so we then pass that yarn on to the correctional facility group.  Once word spread, people started donating entire boxes and garbage bags full of yarn and our group became kind of a yarn pipeline.  Our weekly email last week, telling us how many hats we had turned in for the week (108, none of them mine), also said if you are planning to donate to the ladies in prison, we should bring it in on Monday because there probably won't be another pickup until 2nd quarter.  This prompted me to gather all my yarn in one place, write down what I have and how much of it I have, and weed out the stuff that I am not likely to use.  Most of what I am donating is either smaller amounts, too small for any projects I will do but good for the bright colorful blankets the women make, or yarn that I picked up for free somewhere along the way that I am just not going to use (color, type of yarn, etc.).  I came up with a large plastic bagful to donate (bigger than a Target bag, smaller than a kitchen garbage bag.  I thought you might like this picture of a bunch (but not all) of my yarn in one place.

I also found the giant first-ever sock which reminded me again that GAUGE MATTERS, one random granny square (I was teaching myself the technique), and a part of what appears to be a knit flower where I was trying to figure out how the petals work in stockinette or garter stitch (they curl up in stockinette and look much better in garter).  It only has 2 of the petals, though, so made me really think about what it was supposed to be.

I'll drop off hats and yarn tomorrow, so we'll count and post about those hats next time.  I think I have maybe 6 to drop off?

Book 12

I finished another book of poems - Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot.  Because poetry is best read aloud, I read a few of them to my cat Zeke.  He seemed bored (slept through most of it) but maybe that is because these poems are about cats, not for cats.  These poems are the basis for most of the songs in the Broadway musical Cats, which I saw in NYC when I was 18.  We had amazing seats for this show, in the orchestra pit area so right up front and close.  I loved this show so much and only partly because I was already familiar with the music by the time we saw it live.  I liked how the cats/actors moved, and their costumes were really cool too.  As I read the poems, I had a little trouble because I wanted to sing them instead. Some of them show their age, and every time I cringed a little, I had to remind myself that they were published in the 1930's, very much a different time.  Overall I enjoyed the book, though, and love how he captures the very different personalities of cats in the characters like Rum Tum Tugger, Macavity, and Skimbleshanks.

Recipe 12 - Dole Whip

I will confess - I have never had this at Disney, but I did have it once from the work cafeteria and that is kind of the same, right?  Back when we used to have a frozen yogurt shop at work instead of a coffee shop, they gave out samples of Dole Whip.  I raved about it to E, who somewhat surprisingly likes pineapple, and then several times he stopped by my yogurt shop but Dole Whip was not in stock.  Finally, I found an easy recipe that seems true to the spirit of the real thing - no dairy.  Pineapples were on sale so I had E pick one up, and then made him cut it up and freeze (I am bossy, I know).  This was a good version of it, though I added some pineapple juice because it was too thick.  From Holderness Family (whose videos I also enjoy).

2 cups frozen pineapple 

1/3 cup coconut milk (I was surprised to find the can of coconut milk solid when I opened it - apparently it does this at room temperature?)

3 Tbsp maple syrup (there was an incident at my house that may or may not have been kind of a sticky mess - I got part of the measured amount into my blender)

1 tsp lemon juice (I forgot this)

1 tsp lime juice (I forgot this too)

1 pinch salt (guess what?  I forgot it)

Put all ingredients into blender or food processor (I used my Ninja because that is what I have for both blender and processor, and because it works well on frozen stuff). You may have to stop and scraped down sides (I did several times before I added in the juice which helped loosen it up some).  If you want to be fancy, you can put it in a plastic bag and pipe into dishes. (I put mine in plastic bag and then in freezer because we weren't ready to eat it yet and it makes 4 servings and we were only eating 2 of them.  I scooped out with ice cream scoop and we have some left for another evening.)

That's it.  Simple, tasty and fast.  If you don't like or have coconut milk, you could swap in another type of milk.  Honestly, I couldn't taste the coconut nor the maple, just the creamy delicious pineapple goodness.

 Fifty for 50 Tally

Books completed – 12 (5 more in progress)

Recipes tried – 12

Blog posts published– 13

Miles walked in March - 46.07

               Miles walked year-to-date –123.86

Scrap book pages completed –12

Hats donated – 16

Hours volunteered – 0

Until we read or eat again,

Hallie

Two for 50 – And so the adventure begins

 

Despite the troubling chaos mid-week, or maybe because of it, I tried to focus back on what I can control.  I kept walking, started reading a childhood favorite to escape, tried a new recipe, and kept my fingers busy knitting a new baby hat.  It didn’t stop me from asking “what the holy hell is going on???!” repeatedly but it helped some. 

Fifty for 50 Tally

Books completed – 0 (3 started)

Recipes tried – 1

Blog posts published– 2

Miles walked in January –16.5

                Miles walked year-to-date –16.5

Scrap book pages completed –0

Hats donated – 0 (3 ready)

Hours volunteered – 0

 

Recipe One - Smoky Chicken, Tomato, Brown Rice, and Corn Soup

It is the soup time of the year and I LOVE soups.  This recipe came from a grocery store magazine called Real Food that I picked up, apparently, in Fall 2009.  I have been meaning to try it ever since. I’ll enter it here as published, my comments or changes in parentheses.  Capital T = tablespoon, small t = teaspoon.  We liked this soup and would make it again – it was easy, very flavorful, and a nice winter dinner served with breadsticks or biscuits.  All the main ingredients are usually stocked at my house.

Smoky Chicken, Tomato, Brown Rice, and Corn Soup (gotta love a title that tells you almost every single ingredient)

Use cooked chicken leftover from a rotisserie chicken for this quick, easy and substantial soup.

2 T extra-virgin olive oil (I used garlic olive oil when I discovered I was out of garlic)

1 C chopped onion

1 garlic clove, finely chopped (see above)

2 t smoked paprika (Penzey’s for me, naturally)

1 t ground cumin

1 can – 28 oz – peeled plum tomatoes, with juices (used petite diced because that was what I had)

1 ½ C cubed leftover cooked chicken (used rotisserie chicken I had in the freezer)

3 to 4 C reduced sodium chicken broth (used 3 C water with Penzey’s soup base)

½ to 1 C leftover cooked brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, or other grain (used one bag of Trader Joe’s organic brown rice from frozen section – microwave 3 min and it is cooked, used all of it because I didn’t want a cup of cooked rice hanging around in the fridge)

1 C fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels (Trader Joe’s frozen corn because we always have it on hand)

½ C chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided (I used Boathouse instant fresh herbs cilantro, about 2 T.  They are freeze dried and are as good as fresh once rehydrated, plus do not get slimy in the fridge when you forget about them)

¼ C pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (we did not add these)

1 T minced jalapeno, or to taste (did not have and I don’t love jalapeno.  I did add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes though, for a touch of heat)

2 T fresh lime juice (I used some from concentrate squeeze bottle stuff.  I almost skipped it entirely but after tasting it before and after addition of lime, would definitely recommend it.  It makes the soup less tomato-y one note.)

½ C plain low-fat yogurt (I added a dollop to my serving, but it really didn’t do much so would probably skip it in the future)

Heat the oil in a large, broad soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes (did NOT take 10 minutes - watch this so you don't burn it). Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute (didn’t use garlic but suspect 1 min would be too long for this too). Turn off the heat and stir in the paprika and cumin.

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor (I added mine to the onion and pureed the lot with immersion blender so as to hide the onions).  Add the chicken and pulse once or twice or until chopped into small pieces (didn’t do this because I had cubed by hand). Add to the pot with the sautéed onion and spices. Add 3 cups of the broth and heat to simmering. Stir in the rice, corn, half of the cilantro leaves, olives and jalapeno. Heat, stirring, over low heat. Add remaining cup of broth to thin the soup if desired.

When the soup is hot remove from heat and add lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a spoonful of yogurt in the center of each bowl. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro over the top, dividing evenly (I didn’t do this).

I had 5 generous portions, especially with the additional rice in there. 

 

2020 Highlights and Reflections

Last week, before my blog post, I spent a good amount of time reflecting on 2020 (titled ‘Hindsight 2020’ in my journal – and yes, I felt clever).  I read 30 books, got stuff done at home and in the yard that had been fairly neglected, cooked hundreds of meals.  It was a crappy year in many ways but also had some shimmery parts to it.  I didn’t read as many books as I thought I would – I had trouble focusing for a good part of the year – but I did get 30 read.  I lost weight and ate better than I have in a long time.  I spent good quality (and quantity) time with my husband.  I learned about laundering money (binge-watched Ozark), forensic anthropology (all 12 seasons of Bones) and cattle ranching (Yellowstone), plus various other topics courtesy a variety of streaming services.  I scrap-booked once at a retreat, once at a virtual crop and then a few times on my own. Christmas cards and birthday cards were made AND mailed.  I walked over 800 miles, despite weather and a couple months of back pain that had me doing physical therapy.

Knitting has long been a source of solace for me.  As Elizabeth Zimmerman has said, “Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.”  In April, I knit a cowl of gray soft baby alpaca yarn and called it my COVID cowl.  The pattern was easy to work, and the entire garment was sort of meditation. Then I started a sweater (corona crewneck?) with some yarn I have had for at least 10 years – soft blue wool – and began a top-down seamless crewneck knit in the round, without a pattern (just a general plan). Before summer and gardening season, I had the entire body of it, plus one whole sleeve, done.  And then it sat until about November.  I finished the last sleeve the beginning of December and it fits beautifully.  December found me working with angora rabbit wool to make some fuzzy warm mittens.  They are also are light gray color and the finished product is like plunging my fingers into the cat’s fur.  Warm and cozy – I better not lose them!  My next project will be to make a string to thread through my jacket like I had when I was 5.

Whew!  That was a long post.

Until we read or eat again,

Hallie

Nifty Knitty Gifts

Me with a fuzzy hat.  And E with a fuzzy face.

scarf for a penguin who joined a choir of nuns

To keep my cellphone warm?

Creating: As you may know, I am a nutty knitter.  I like to knit not only traditional items such as blankets, sweaters, scarves, hats, mittens, and socks, but I also love to make kind of quirky things, too.  Sometimes I have a pattern but often I do not.  Sometimes I give these as gifts to people I think will appreciate them.  One such project was a cell phone cozy that looks like a cat.  I made one for my sister (a fellow fan of orange cats) and then had to make one for myself too.  Unfortunately, I now have a smart phone and it is too big for the cozy.  Guess I will need to make a new one!





Are we the only people to top the Christmas tree with a hat?

I also like hats and have given many family members these over the years.  Some of my favorites are the cat hat (again for my sister), Vikings hat for E, and various hats inspired by Scandinavian patterns.  I even made a hat for our Christmas tree.  It didn't start out as a hat for a tree but that is another story...

I've gifted knitted baby hats for countless infants, fuzzy blankies for a couple, and a hooded sweater for a dear friend when she turned one.  I am inconsistent with acknowledging births with knitted gifts and know there are friend who are still "due" a knitty gift.  I am working on it!




Wrister for my sister

Recent knitty gifts for Christmas included fingerless gloves/wristers/wristlets for Mellie who is always cold lately and has been pulling her sleeves down over her wrists.  The yarn is a super soft bulky.  It looks a bit blue in the photo but is actually a purple named "grape".  We found the thumb hole a bit large on the first one so I made it smaller on the second one.



Stitch detail on infinity scarf - seed stitch

One way to wear the scarf

I also made my version of an infinity or circle scarf for an adorable twelve-year-old I know.  I am in the model in the photos, though.  I love the versatility of these scarves and this yarn is super soft (also bulky weight).  My sister-in-law saw the photos of this and immediately placed an order for one of her own.

infinity scarf, unwrapped



Until we knit again,
Hallie






A few of my favorite books - non-fiction

I like books, as you know.  I especially like books related to things I love to do.  Here are some of my favorites, listed by category (Can I also say that I like organized lists??).

Gardening:  I have lots of gardening books.  I mostly like them for the pictures but these are some that I have read and perused time and time again.
Perennials for Minnesota and Wisconsin by Don Engebretson and Don Williams - for those of us who garden in the upper Midwest, we are well aware of the challenges related to our climate.  It is cold in the winter, but blistering hot and humid in the summer.  After paging through many other gardening books, falling in love with particular plants only to find out they only grow in zone 9-10, I discovered this book.  I carry it with me to the garden center, I take it with me to the plant swaps (both to show other people what my plants will look like when they bloom and to look up their plants to make sure they are not horrid undesirable invasive species), I carry it in my gardening bag in case I need to check on a particular plants light or soil needs.  It is well-worn and indispensable.  And it has lots of pretty pictures.  Oh, and I like that the plants are listed by common name but the Latin names are included.  No more confusion about which plant is called "butterfly bush" (there are several - it is best to know the Latin names).
Month-by-Month Gardening in Minnesota by Melinda Myers is another indispensable guide for the northern gardener.  It is divided into sections (annuals, perennials, lawn, veggies and herbs, roses, trees, etc.) and then each section by month.  So if it is September, and I want to know what I should be doing with the cannas, I look in Bulbs, then September, and it tells me what to do with them once I pull them out.  So handy to have everything in one place.  I can never remember which shrubs to prune when or what is the best time to divide which plants. 
Encyclopedia of Flowers by Mary Moody is one that I enjoy even though it is one of them that I find flowers I love only to find out they only grow in Zone 9.  My favorite part of this book is that it is arranged by color, so if I want some red flowers for a hot bed in the front, I can find something I like (and check the zone to make sure it will grow here!).  I also like that this book has full color photos for all the flowers.
I also love Garden Gate magazine - helpful ideas from planning gardens, plant ideas, maintaining gardens and identification of pests and weeds.  And it has beautiful pictures!

Cooking:  I like cookbooks.  I especially like cookbooks with pictures.  I have lots and lots of cookbooks.  These are but a couple.
Betty Crocker's Cookbook - the classic"big red" has been my go-to cookbook since I learned to cook.  Betty has helped me master cream and cheese sauces, soups of various kinds (Corn Chowder is long-time favorite), waffles, biscuits, pizza crust and so many other basic things.  She's not crazy or trendy (not too many tofu recipes in old "big red" which, by the way, is fine with me!), she's just homey and simple.  This book is my definition of comfort food.  And when I got turnips in my CSA and thought, "what the heck do I do with turnips?" I turned to her first.
Taste of Home's Quick Cooking (2002)  I like this one a lot because it was free.  Ha!  Actually, a lot of recipes we use regularly are from this book.  They are quick, easy recipes; the index is awesome (what a geeky thing to say - but so true!) including an alphabetical index for when I know the name of the recipe AND a general index arranged by type of food (e.g., appetizers which are then divided into cold appys, dips and spreads, etc.,) and main ingredients (e.g., carrots, potatoes, ham, etc.,).  I have already posted some recipes from here.
Weight Watchers Pure Comfort: 150 All-time Feel-good favorites - a "diet" comfort foods book - what is not to love?  Pasta dishes, casseroles, sweets and breads, all with easy-to-follow instructions, Points values (old style), and other nutrition info.  These are the tasty dishes that make it easy to watch your diet and get the comfort foods you crave.
Betty Crocker magazines - you know - the little $4 ones that tempt you in the check-out lane at the grocery store.  I only have a couple, but they are well-loved.  Pictures with every recipe, an ever-changing theme (I have Simple Home-cooking which includes casseroles, stews, soups and the like, and a dessert one).  And only $4?  Come on!
Pampered Chef Season's Best - Okay, these are even cheaper than the little BC ones, only $1 but you may need a PC consultant and will probably buy more than just the cookbook.  Pampered Chef has a new one of these little babies every 6 mos.  I have about 10 of them (I used to sell them, remember??) and there are definitely some recurring recipes so they are not 100% new every time, and they do, of course, promote PC equipment.  But I like them and for a dollar you can't go wrong.
I also like Bon Appetit magazine, as I have stated before. 

Knitting: Knitting books are awesome.  They always have pictures (I am, apparently, all about the pictures) and they give me great ideas and excuses to buy yarn.  I love yarn - I like to handle it, I like to knit it, I occasionally like to crochet it, and I apparently collect it.  All my yarn has a purpose and some of the purposes can be found in these books.  Now if I could get around to using that yarn...
Stitch 'N Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller - I bought this one instead of the original Stitch 'N Bitch because I liked more of the patterns.  But now that I look at it, I have only made one thing out of this book and that pattern I adapted for my own use (I made what I call "cell phone cozies" and what they call "Mobile Monsters" but instead of the pig or the rabbit they had patterns for, I made my own orange cats - one for my sister and one for me).  But there are really fun patterns in here that I fully intend to make someday - Bzzz Hat for Queen Bees (a hat that looks like a beehive), Later 'Gator Mitts (mittens that look like alligators), Bunny Hat (for babies - guess what it looks like), Fuzzy Dice (for my hubby's truck - LOL!), and a really cool felted, monogrammed bag that looks like a retro bowling ball bag (Letter Have It).  I guess I like apparel and accessories that look like other objects or creatures.  I also like this book (and the original) for the "knitty gritty" how-to section.  I refer to it when I can't remember all the methods of cast on or seaming.
Knitting for Baby - by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas.  This book has the most adorable babies! And some super cute patterns too.  In addition to the little Harvard Square Cardigan that makes baby look like a little professor, the most beautiful Nordic Snowflake Pullover, and classic Aran Pullover in an un-classic color of green, there are plenty of easy and accessible patterns for blankets, hats, booties and toys.  There is a family of teddy bears that I feel I need to knit at least 7 of them some day (different sizes and colors, of course).

Books about books: This is a somewhat odd category and I don't have a lot of books that fit the category but here are a couple.
Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - written by a librarian and organized by category, this book is a resource of what to read next.  It has an index listing authors and books mentioned in the book, so I have often looked up books or writers I have enjoyed to see what else Ms. Pearl recommends.  For example, I love To Kill a Mockingbird, so when I looked it up, I found a bunch of recommendations under topics "Girls Growing Up", top 10 books written in the 1960s, "Southern Fiction" and "What a Trial that was!"  I have started checking off the books I have read in the index, with my apparent goal to read all the hundreds of books mentioned before I die.
Read To Me: Raising kids who love to read by Bernice Cullinan - I know I do not have children, but I bought this when I was a potentially aspiring children's librarian and have used it when deciding what books to get for children of friends.  It is a good resource for books that may help your child learn to love read, and also for read-aloud books for preschoolers to preteens (I admit I copied some of that from the back of the book).  It has tips on how to get started reading to children, how to make reading a part of your busy life, and lists of books for different age groups.
Along a similar vein but with much more extensive lists is Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children: A lively, opinionated guide by Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes.  There are more than 2000 books listed here for children from birth to age 14, with notes on themes (so if you have someone very interested in pirates, for example), reading, listening and interest levels (as you may have discovered, what makes a book good to read is not necessarily the same as what makes a book good to listen to) and also more tips on how pass along the gift of reading to your kids.

Empty books: These are books that started out empty but that I love to buy and sometimes fill.  I have, among others, a book journal (thoughts of books I have read), a food journal (ideas on recipes I have tried and lists of types of recipes (for example, chicken recipes, appetizer recipes, dessert recipes) with location of recipe for easy reference), a gardening journal (what plants are where, how they have done, if I would plant them again, what I would do differently), a knitting journal (lists of projects I could work on if time and interest available, list of needle sizes and types, pattern ideas and sketches.  I could also keep a list of finished projects here but for some reason I have not yet done that.), a wine journal (this one has not yet been started but will someday contain thoughts on wines we have tried - what E thinks, what I think - where we tried them, if we bought them (or would consider buying them or buy them again)), a writing journal (could call this one a "personal" journal but sometimes I just use it for free writing, brainstorming, or other writing exercises).  I think I have an empty book addiction.

So, those are a few of my favorites and this list was in no way exhaustive.

Maybe you have someone on your gift-giving list who might find one of these interesting, or maybe you yourself might like one or two.  If you have opinions on any of these or others you recommend that I might like (or other ideas for my blank book obsession), please let me know.

Happy reading!
Hallie

Obviously I am busy...

I must be busy with many things if I am not blogging much, right?  Just what am I doing? 

Work is getting busier again.  I am also vice president of the local chapter of the underwriters' association this year which means my main job is lining up the venues for our meetings and coordinating all that goes with that (menu choices, getting accurate counts on number of attendees from the treasurer, etc.).  There was a lot of time spent researching, calling, comparing and touring multiple potential facilities for our day-long seminar coming up in May.  I got free coffee and some cookies while doing the tours (on a "vacation" day from work) but otherwise, there is no compensation for this work.  It is not easy to plan events for 150 people!

Our main bathroom shower/tub area is finally complete!  It has been awhile but the tile is in (and looks gorgeous, I think), and the fixtures are installed so we are once again showering upstairs.  I won't even say how long this has been in the works.  If you have been here, you know.  Now we are coordinating with electrician, tiler and plumber to get the rest of the room to look as nice as the shower.  Of course this involves multiple trips to various stores to pick out the lights, vanity, faucets, tile, etc., that we need and also will require a bit of work on our part.  So it is fun and time-consuming.

Here are the other less boring-sounding things I have been doing.

Reading: I am reading a bit.  As of the end of October, I have read 36 books this year.  Or I should clarify, I have finished 36 books this year.  Some books were started last year and took a long time to finish because I would only read them in the car to E.  Here are some I have read but not blogged about with short commentary on each.
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - My choice for book club.  I liked this book a lot.  It is definitely a different writing style than I typically read (hard to describe.  The author is Norwegian, so I don't know if that explains it or not.) and the story/plot was subtle but I am glad I read it and that I chose it for book club so there were additional thoughts added to the ones I had on my own.  The story is told from the point of view of one man, Trond, in two time periods: in the present as a 60-some-year-old-man, and as a 15-year-old after WWII during a particularly life-defining time of his life.
This Must be the Place by Kate Racculia- I don't remember how this one got on my list of books to read but it was a pretty easy read with interesting characters and a plot that kept me guessing a bit. I sometimes like it when I don't figure out what is going to happen and how it is going to go.  The main character is a quirky teenage girl whose mother owns a boardinghouse.  A man they do not know checks in and inadvertently turns their lives upside down and challenges things they thought they knew about themselves.
Candide by Voltaire - I have had this book since college and just read it for the first time, in English, not in French (I think the French version is also around here somewhere.)  I have seen the musical at least twice but the satire in the book is much stronger.  And, yes, the songs did occasionally run through my head while I was reading.
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous - a classic.  Somehow I did not read this in high school like most people seem to have.  I would have been even more freaked out about drugs if I had read this then - it was bad enough I saw the after-school special where the girl jumps out the window after taking PCP.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - This is the one I was reading to E.  So glad I didn't work for Jobs, though I truly enjoy my iPod and admire his genius. 
Marley & Me by John Grogan - Sorry, dog lovers.  This dog mainly annoyed me and I did not get upset or sad when he died.  This was another one we read for Friday night book club.  I think we are done with the series of animal books now. 
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - This is one that had been recommended to me by multiple people over the past couple years.  So glad I finally read it!  I liked the epistolary form of the book.  The characters, time and setting were all interesting.  An interesting time in history told from a unique perspective.  I chose this one for Friday night book club after I had read half of it.  Hope the other members read it!
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan - Current book for Sunday night book club.  Another interesting historical perspective, the same time frame as Guernsey but instead of post-Nazi-occupation of an island in the English Channel, this one takes place in the US.  The story is seamless told from multiple characters perspectives and one of the main storylines follows a young African-American who has fought in WWII on the European front and is now returning to his sharecropper family's home in Mississippi.
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - I remember reading this one multiple times in high school and college but had not read it in a long time.  I don't remember what I liked so much about it back then, but I think I liked it differently on this reading.  And I had Sparks Notes to help understand it more now, too.  And looking back at this list, satire and WWII appear to be the recurrent themes. 



started at the center and knit in the round

Knitting: Now that the weather has turned cooler and my hands are less dirty from gardening, I have done a bit of knitting.  At E's request I made a baby afghan for the newborn daughter of one of his friends.  It was a simple pattern and turned out even cuter than I expected.  I first read about this one in Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Golden Brown.  This was a book we read when I was in the Knit Lit book club/knitting group a few years back.  When I pulled the book out to get the pattern for the blanket, the discussion questions I had created were still in there including one to provoke discussion about a time when knitting has reformed one's character, either by keeping her out of trouble or by helping her relax or heal. Anyway, my pinwheel blanket was knit with a soft chunk yarn on size 11 circular needles.  I knit while listening at my Mini-Medical School class and while watching TV.  I think the baby was waiting for me to be done knitting because she was a bit late, arriving the day after I finished binding off. Welcome to the world, baby girl!  

Weeding: Not much happening in the garden this time of year but I did finish fall clean up, harvested about 3 dozen potatoes and about 10 pounds of carrots, and helped E with the leaves. 

That is a little bit of what I have been doing lately.  Here's hoping I put blogging as a higher priority in the new year, if not before.

Until we read again,
Hallie

S is for Socks



first complete pair of socks

Creating: Seems like a lot of my recent posts have been "creating" posts.  That's just the way the letters worked out.  In a typical blog post here, one that is not part of the A-Z Challenge, I write about a little of each: reading, eating and either weeding (aka gardening) or creating.  I tend to do more garden posts during the spring/summer and more posts related to knitting and other creative pursuits during the winter.  The nature of the seasons in my little corner of the world. So, what I am saying is if the "creating" posts are not your interest, check back in the upcoming days or read some of the older posts.  There are loads of recipes in here and piles of my opinions on books, if that is more your cup of tea.
Anyway, S is for Socks, specifically hand-knit socks.  I was inspired to try socks when my friend Steph, who had only recently learned to knit, asked me to help her with the socks she was knitting.  I think she was turning the heel, a tricky process when you know what you are doing, and even trickier when you do not.  I had never made socks but can usually read patterns well enough.  So in a not-so-quiet corner at book club, we muddled through it together.  Her socks turned out large and bulky, which was fine because they were to be worn with her ice skates.  I thought, "If Steph can make socks, why can't I?"  And I signed up for a class.

The first sock I made was huge.  I have narrow feet so it was very floppy on me and I never got around to completing the pair.  I bought new yarn, smaller needles and tried again.  This is my first pair, which I now realize has faded a bit because I wear them a lot.  The yarn is self-striping. I am not entirely sure how it works - it might be magic. 


Two at once, toe up, on one circular

As I completed this pair, marking down how many rows I did from top of the cuff to start of the heel, and how many rows until decreasing for the toe so that I could make the second sock the same way, I thought, "Wouldn't it be easier if you could do them both at the same time?"  And as I neared the end of the second sock and saw how much yarn I had left (enough to make another sock or not?  I can't tell!), I thought, "Why wouldn't you start them from the toe, make the bottom long enough to fit the foot, then turn the heel and knit either until you run out of yarn or had them as tall as you wanted?"  And the entire time I was knitting on 4 double-point needles, occasionally dropping a stitch off the end and starting a run in my socks, I thought, "Why wouldn't you do this on a circular needle instead of double points?"  So I searched the internet and found a pattern for two socks at once, toe up, on one circular needle.  Yahoo!  I thought.  And then I tried it.  And I found a new meaning for darning socks.  "Darn socks!" I exclaimed as I chucked them across the room, then retrieved them and ripped them out, time and again.  So I found a class, two socks at once, toe up, on one circular needle and a lovely lady who was a retired kindergarten teacher (and therefore had the patience of a saint!) taught me what I couldn't learn from the internet.  And I have been knitting socks this way ever since.  Last spring, I taught my mom this sock method.  She was a good student, but convinced herself that she didn't remember how once I was not there to help.   Someday we'll finish those socks, Mom.

E's socks

Socks are one of the few things I make for other people as I tend to be kind of stingy with my knitting.  I will only knit for people who I think will appreciate the time it takes to create these things.  E has socks, Mom has socks, my sister has socks.  There are more hats out there than socks and I have made a handful of baby gifts as well, but I like socks.  I want to run around with no shoes on when I have hand-knit socks on my feet so that everyone can see them.  I tend to wear them to book club or other places where I know we will be taking shoes off.  And of course I can wear them to work all the time, since I work from home and almost never wear shoes.

When was the last time you had socks that you wanted to show the world? 

Until we knit again,
Hallie

R is for Raglan Sweaters

Raglan sleeve

Creating: Raglan sleeves are those that extend in a diagonal line in one piece from the underarm to the neckline of a garment.  It may be more clear once you look at the picture.  As I said in one of my previous posts, I am a fearless knitter.  Fearless or not smart enough to know my limits?  Either way, after my Fan and Feather afghan, and my first 2 Norwegian sweaters, I moved on to a cardigan with raglan sleeves.  I had asked my mother for a fisherman's sweater (aka Aran) for Christmas.  Her response was to give me the yarn, needles and a pattern book.  Ummm...thanks?  A do-it-yourself gift - to know Mom is to love her.  It took me years to complete the sweater, mostly because I took a several year break from knitting for no good reason that I have figured out.  I took it out again when I remembered the calming effects of knitting and was sorely in need of some clickety-clacking comfort (at the brink of my own sanity was where I was, but that is a story for another time).  I knit at work, in between cranky phone calls with cantankerous clients at a critically crappy corporation.  It helped some.  And my sweater progressed.  The back, then each of the 2 fronts (because of course I chose the cardigan pattern!), then the sleeves, neckband and button placket grew as I took deep breaths (and my anti-depressants).  I learned many new things - cables, popcorn and twists, shaping, buttonholes, pockets, and then finally seaming.  I discovered that although cables and other "fancy" stitches look difficult, it is all just knit and purl.  I love this sweater and the beautiful wooden buttons that E helped me select.  Someday, I may even knit another one. 

Stitch detail

A few years ago, I found a pattern in Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook that I really liked. It is called "Pinup Queen" but no, it does not make me look like a pinup. It is designed, though, to flatter one's curves. I knit it up with a yummy soft angora-blend yarn in light blue. This sweater taught be short-rows which came in handy when I started knitting socks. It has a deep V-neck which tends to get deeper as the day goes so I always wear a tank top under it. Now that I look at it, though, I realize it does not really have raglan sleeves... So it does not belong in this post but since I don't really have anywhere else to put it, and I already took the pictures, I will post here anyway.  Here is an example of "not-raglan"sleeves.

Until we knit again,

Hallie

N is for Nordic Sweaters and O is for O'Brien

My apologies - N could be for "not posting yesterday" and O for "Oscar on opiates".  Quick update before the actual A-Z challenge post - My 12 1/2 year old orange tabby, Oscar, had some extensive dental work yesterday.  I was a bit stressed out because of this and then because I couldn't get him to take his pain meds last night (liquid and the vet had instructed to put the syringe in his mouth - has she met my cat?!) so I was worried the little guy was going to be in pain.  I have now been told that, though it is the less desired method of delivery, I can mix the drugs in a small amount of canned food, so Oscar is now hopped up on kitty morphine.  So... on with the actual post.  Thanks for listening to me be a bit neurotic about my cat.

Sweater #1

Creating: N is for Norwegian (or Nordic, if you prefer) sweaters.  As mention previously in post on Knitting, I am a fearless knitter.  As my third ever project, I took a class to learn how to make multicolored Norwegian sweaters.  Techniques I learned in this class included: knitting in the round (on circular needles and on double points), knitting without a pattern and designing as I go, and using multiple colors.  The sweaters are made from the neck down and are completely seamless.   They are lovely to knit and quite possibly my favorite way to make sweaters.  You can try them on as you go to make sure they fit over your shoulders, and the sleeves are long enough and the body is the length you want it.  The first one I made was rather untraditional colors - Chili Pepper, Turquoise and Cream.  It looks like it belongs in Phoenix or New Mexico.  The average age in my class (not including me) was about 70 and the instructor was encouraging those in the group with gray/white hair to find colors which complemented their silvery tones.  Mine did not match my hair.

close up of yoke - sweater #1

detail at bottom - sweater #1

yoke detail - sweater #2

The class lasted 6-8 weeks and I had all except one sleeve finished for the final class. 

Sweater #2

The second sweater was completed that same year.  I wanted one in more traditional colors and I wanted to wear it to Christmas Festival (choir concert) at my alma mater where Nordic sweaters are more common than any other kind of clothes.  This one, I made a little longer and the sleeves were actually long enough (, the first one is kind of a shortie with 3/4 length sleeves because I got a bit impatient).  It is red, black and snow white.  I really like the little leaf pattern on the bottom and sleeves.  Oh, and in case you are wondering, the little dots of color on the body are called "lice". Appealing name, eh? 

Sweater #3

I knit the third just a few years ago, maybe about 5 years ago?  This one I made with mock-turtle neck and a bit more complex zig-zag design on yoke and on the bottom and also a more difficult snowflake pattern.  Instead of color lice, I simply purled the lice instead, so they are textured instead of colored.  This one reminds me of the ocean, which I live nowhere near. 

Yoke detail - sweater #3

 Reading: O is for Tim O'Brien.  Another Minnesota author (see?  We have more than just Garrison Keillor and John Sandford!), O'Brien is well-known for writing about the Vietnam Conflict.  I have several of his books on my list of books to read someday, but one novel that I have read at least 3 times is In the Lake of the Woods.  I selected this for bookclub I think the first year (so back in 1997) because I had read and loved it and wanted to discuss with someone.  The story centers on a John Wade who has just spectacularly lost an election for senate and retreats with his wife Kathy to a cabin in the woods on Lake of the Woods in northern Minnesota (the little "chimney" that sticks up into Canada, if you look at a map).  He wakes one morning to find his wife is missing.  The story is a combination of flashbacks to his childhood, college years,  and his time served in Vietnam, as well as testimony and evidence from related characters.  It presents several hypotheses on what happened to Kathy.  I won't spoil it for you but if you only read books with neatly-tied-up happy endings, you may find yourself discouraged with this one.  Very cleverly written and engaging to read, this book is also disturbing on many levels, as one might expect of a book about a misisng wife and a former soldier who has seen the atrocities of war up close.  It also has a great feeling of place, the isolation of the big lake and surrounding woods.  I would highly recommend In the Lake of the Woods, and plan to also read If I Die in the Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (memoir), Going after Cacciato (winner of the National Book Award for Fiction),  and novel The Things They Carried.

Until we knit and read again,
Hallie

P.S. We are going to our favorite restaurant tonight for dinner, which could also have been the topic for "N" - Nectar Wine Bar and Bistro.  I have already blogged (and blabbed) about that, though.  Tonight I am going to try the beef bourginon which has never been on the menu before.

K is for Knitting

Maroon, navy and gold hat for my dad

Creating: I love to knit.  I learned how when I was a jeune fille studying in France.  My mother is queen knitter but I had to travel across a large ocean to learn how to knit from a neurotic French woman, Madame Miclot.  It's a long story about why I didn't learn from Mom - ask her about it sometime when you see her. 

My first project was a scarf.  I bought some lovely soft acrylic that matched one of the colors in my jacket, a kind of teal-green sort of color.  Knitting became my form of meditation and relaxation.  By the time I got home, my scarf was 6 feet long.  Turns out, I had not learned how to stop knitting.  Mom showed me how to cast off/bind off.  It wrapped around my head twice and around my neck as well, so I didn't have to wear a hat.  I wore that scarf for years.  I am not sure where this treasure is now - probably packed away somewhere. Surely I would never get rid of it!

After that, I was given the yarn, needles and pattern for a fan and feather afghan.  This is a lace-type pattern and it was made with an off-white acrylic.  This afghan is still in beautiful shape nearly 20 years later, and in regular use in my living room. 

orange cat hat with ears - looks cuter on my sister

Did I mention that when I was first knitting, I was in college and, at that time, NO ONE was knitting.  It had not yet become "hip".  There were no movie stars "KIP'ing" (knitting in public).  But it was good for me to knit - I had a very stressful senior year and knitting helped keep me somewhat sane.  And I started teaching others to knit.  There is a good picture of our knitting group, sitting in my dorm room.  Me with my afghan, Bruce with the start of his black scarf and Kris with the beginnings of her scarf.  Bruce was a much better student than Kris.  If I could figure out the scanner, I might post that photo...

When I was a nanny after college, I read about a woman who taught classes on knitting Norwegian (Nordic) sweaters and signed up for her next class.  Having gone to a Norwegian-American college, I had been surrounded by those ski sweaters for 4 years.  I will post more about that class and its results in the future (think "N"). 

I was a fearless knitter. No one ever told me what I was doing was difficult, or that I wouldn't be able to do it, so I didn't know any better.  I didn't know that a large lace pattern afghan is kind of a big undertaking for a second project.  I had never knit in the round or with multiple colors or done many of the other techniques in the Nordic sweater class but that didn't stop me.  My project after the ski sweaters was an Aran knit cardigan with raglan sleeves (more on that later - think "R" for raglan), and pockets, and buttonholes.  Since then I have made socks (see future "S" post), more hats than I can shake a stick at, scarves, mittens, baby blankets and sweaters and booties, prayer shawls, a cellphone cozy that looks like an orange cat, and a scarf for a penguin.  I taught 3 squirrely third-graders and a sedate 4th grader to knit.  I taught E to knit (he made a coaster!).  If you want, I will teach you to knit.  I have met so many friendly knitters (and a couple of uppity snobbish ones, too) and even was part of a knitting book club for about a year - we read books about knitting, yarn and, in one instance, sheep.  I have been known to pick up yarn and needles and just start knitting, not knowing what I am making.  That is how I ended up the the red, black and white hat with tassels that fits absolutely no one, but makes a fine Christmas tree topper. 

 It fits no one but now goes on top of our Christmas tree as a quirky tradition.

Think I am off to make those sticks click for a while.

Until we knit again,
Hallie

What's on the shelf today?

Reading: You may have been wondering what I am reading right now.  Maybe not, but I have noticed there are quite a few people who regularly ask me what I am reading.  And I kind of like talking about what I have on the shelf currently.  ("on the shelf" is not meant literally.  My current books are usually in a pile by my bed or in various rooms in which I have dropped them off after reading a few pages.)

Sunday night bookclub is reading The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.  This non-fiction book tells the history of 4 plants (the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato) that satisfy four fundamental human desires (sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control).  I have finished the section on the apple.  The author shows how plants have evolved to satisfy human needs, and also how the plants have benefited from us as well, asking the question of who is really domesticating whom?  So far, so good. 

The former "breakfast club" that now meets for dinner has been assigned to read Lake of Sorrows by Erin Hart.  This is the author's second book, a follow up to Haunted Ground (aka "the head in a bog" book), and this time involves bodies in a bog.  These books take place in Ireland and are part murder mystery, part romance, part history/archeology lesson.  They are pretty good.  We read the first one for Sunday bookclub a few years back (may have also read the second one - I can't remember off the top of my head) and people seem to like them.  I am kinda of "meh." about them, myself.

Creating:  I made a kind of cool hat for my brother-in-law for Christmas but now realize I didn't take any pictures.  Will have to beg my sister to send some for me...  I tried a new-to-me technique on this hat, which, in retrospect, may not have been the best idea when making a gift for someone.  It turned out pretty well but I was learning as I went.  It was made like a traditional hat in shape but was double knit, which makes it double thickness and also reversible.  I would do my decreases differently next time (the second row of decreases went better than the first) and would finish it off differently, but overall it looks okay, I think. 

A new kind of "creating" has entered my life - creating music on the electric bass guitar E gave me for Christmas.  It is beautiful, shiny and red.  The amp came with headphones so only I have to hear myself practice until I know what I am doing.  I went out tonight to buy a battery for the tuner because I could tell it was not tuned but couldn't hear where it needed to be.  Now the tips of my fingers are sore and I know a little how to play it, at least how to hold it and play some basic notes.  Look for me on tour soon - haha!

Eating:  This was mostly a weekend of other people cooking for me.  I don't mind, really!  E made dinner on Friday (Christmas Eve Eve) - steaks with bourbon thyme sauce and mashed potatoes.  So yummy!  Recipe is from Food Network - recipe says 8 steaks, but after you cook them to medium, you save 4 of them for another meal.  We make 2 steaks (because there are two of us, duh!) but all the sauce because it is super tasty and makes good gravy.
Seared Steaks with Bourbon-Thyme Pan Sauce
Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a large skillet.  Season 8 boneless steaks (ribeye, sirloin, etc.) with salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1 Tbls dried thyme.  Sear 2 minutes per side until golden brown.  Add 1/2 C bourbon and cook 1 minute.  Add 1/2 C beef broth and bring to a simmer.  Cook 2 minutes, until cooked to medium.  Remove steaks from pan and transfer 4 of them to a serving platter.  Reserve 4 steaks for another meal. 
Dissolve 1 Tbls cornstarch in another 1/2 C beef broth and add to pan.  Simmer 1 minute, until sauce thickens.  Spoon sauce over steaks before serving.

Saturday night (Christmas Eve) we had meatballs with E's family.  His mother seasons her meatballs with ginger and nutmeg (I asked - I thought I had detected nutmeg but would not have guessed the ginger).  They are really tasty meatballs.

Sunday (Christmas Day) we had soups with my mom and step-dad.  How I love soup (you may have already guessed that from my previous 2 or more soup posts...)!  We had corn chowder, and a new one - Italian chicken noodle.  As Mom said, it's chicken noodle with Parmesan cheese and basil.  So yummy.  Quite the tasty holiday overall.

Hope your Christmas was tasty as well! 
Until we eat again,
Hallie