Tag: bread

Knitting

Spinning Sunday #3, Snickerdoodle!!

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I’m still giving Violet a good workout, but she never complains and is always ready to work….Thank you  Violet!

I finished Satisfied With Summer and did a test ply with Poppies but it didn’t suit my taste and so will remain a single for now.

Satisfied with Summer

Finn Top

Three Waters Farm

I got started on this lovely Rambouillet also from Three Waters Farm……

Summer Palette

Moving on, I totally forgot that I committed to bring something sweet to pottery class this morning and so was up and baking snickerdoodle bread early.  It smells so good!  I think I’ll keep one back for Mr. iknead, sweets for the sweet and all that. 😊💓

Oh, for heaven’s sake, how could I have forgotten to finish this post and publish? Must have been the fumes from the baking Snickerdoodle bread……

He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened. © Lao Tzu


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Knitting

FO Friday 09/13/13, Face The Facts Friday, Whaaaaa…..

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I’m again hooking up with Tami’s FO Friday blog and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

FACT FACING

If you’ve been sort of keeping up with my sock project the last week or so, you’ll know I started a pair of Blue Day socks last week, knowing full well that I didn’t have enough yarn to complete them.  Even with my little feet, I just couldn’t shake that feeling that I was going to come up short.  No problem, I can always get more yarn.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  I started these using Fiesta Yarns Baby Boom, in the color Sweet Pea.  Yeah, I saw that I’d paid a LOT for this one skein, especially when you’re talking just one sock of a pair, but still, sacrifices can be made.  The ONLY skein I found after hours of internet searching was $47.00!!!  As much as this Sweet Pea stuff floats my boat, $47.00 for a sock???  Not even in loonyhoot’s world can that be justified.  So, I gritted my teeth and completely frogged Blue Day and plan to use – thanks to better judgement and a deeper stash dive – some great sock yarn I remember buying on Etsy.  I even remember the color name – Civil Disobedience and, I have a lot of it.  Plenty for Blue Day and maybe then some.  No decision on different sock pattern, but it’ll happen.

OFF THE NEEDLES

I finished the Diagnonal Lace Cowl from Classic Elite Yarns, just in time for today’s post.  It took just under one ball of Mini Mochi, color number 113 (no name, just number).  I probably could have squeezed a few more rounds in, but being paranoid because of the abovementioned sock thing, I decided to give myself a little wiggle room.  My fingernails thanked me.

I think its official name is Lacy Rib Cowl.

HEAD SPINS

Here’s what I learned today spinning:  cotton spins up differently than wool.  Duh.  It felt completely different, it took a different “hand” I suppose you’d call it and seemed to be a little more nubby; that could have been, really, that I’m a newbie spinner and nothing I’ve spun up yet is what you’d call smooth.  It’s getting better, but smooth?  Nope.  Luckily, the person I bought my wheel from threw in a couple of bags of raw fiber – one of wool and one of cotton, giving me a lot of chances to practice and try out different things.   I’ve spun my way though them both, glad that she was generous enough to include them.  I see a serious roving/fleece stash building – especially after the festival in Greenwood in October.

Spun cotton

Spinning wheel Violet and I are becoming better acquainted all the time, I’m learning her quirks and she, mine.

IN THE OVEN

It’s a few degrees cooler this morning and I’m revved up and ready to do some baking, hopefully Cinnamon and Sugar Pull Apart Bread and/or Snickerdoodle Bread.  Unhappily, I can’t seem to be able to buy cinnamon chips here in LR.  I found a package once, at the Stuttgart Wal-Mart.  I suppose I could order a couple of packs online and the recipe I have includes a recipe for the chips, but I think the store bought ones are better (for once).

MAMA

She continues her decline with her dementia.  I miss her and would love to occasionally be met with a smile and an I’m happy to see you instead of the now normal vacant stare.  I do know that this is the disease and all that, but a little bit of responsiveness can keep me going for quite a while.  There are some days I terribly dread visiting and I wonder how long – for her and for me.  What do I pray for??

Sorry for the Debbie Downer….

For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.  Harry F. Banks

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Knitting

FO Friday 06/14/13, Best SIL Ever, Too Hot To Bake?

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Linking up with Tami’s FO Friday blog today.

OFF THE NEEDLES

Medano Beach Bag

Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton

Ecru and Country Red

This bag is proof that stockinette in the round with two colors CAN be messed up.   I was nearly to the bind off when I noticed that I’d missed a stripe, wrestled momentarily with wanting to frog the whole thing and decided to leave it be.  So, the bag has a unique pattern, designed for easy recognition in case it’s ever in a pile with 20 other red and white Medano bags. :p  My only complaint was that this bag grew so slowly, due to my decision to use number 4 needles instead of the number 7 or 8 recommended.  I do like the density of stitches that the small needles gave me, I’ll just scale the whole bag down a little next time.

YOU SHOULD BE SO BLESSED

Happy birthday to my best son in law ever!  I truly believe he was sent to us (not just to Bigmommy, thank you very much) straight from above.   His gifts of love, faith, positivity, strength, generosity, ideas of fun, common sense, intelligence, loyalty and sense of humor have elevated us all.  (He has a ton more assets but I ran out of fingers.)  Great father, great husband, great friend, great preacher, great man of God – Clefton, you’ve covered all the bases!   We love you!

Clefton and Annabelle

IN THE OVEN

Yeah, it’s pretty hot but I’m baking today anyway.  I think I’ll start with Sundried Tomato Basil Bread using my own fresh basil and maybe move on to something sweet, Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread, maybe.

Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.  William Menninger

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Knitting

Not Your Mama’s Banana Bread

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IN THE OVEN

Just a quick post to share a new take on an old favorite:  Nutella Swirled Banana Bread.  Moist, nutty, with chocolate and banana hints, it tempted me, a dyed in the wool unfan of bananas.  Thanks to Girl Versus Dough for blogging this!

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Each day provides its own gifts.  Marcus Aurelius

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Knitting

Yum

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IN THE OVEN

I’ve gotten a little bit out of the habit of blogging my baking adventures, but rest assured, they continue.  I’m trying to keep my cooking/baking obsession somewhat under control but so far, I’ve not been very successful.  I made a new cinnamon raisin swirl bread the end of last week which I had every intention of taking to Stuttgart and sharing but, naturally, it got left on the counter in the kitchen.  So, we’ve been enjoying it ourselves.  The only real rub is that Mr. Iknead and I just can’t eat the baked goodies fast enough and sometimes they go stale or even moldy.  I think I might start sharing with the neighbors, would that be too weird nowadays?  Growing up, we always shared back and forth with neighbors, but that was then and we knew our neighbors well.  Now, though, we don’t, really, just mostly to wave when we see them outside.  Could this be a sign to break out of my cocoon and reach out?  I think it might be just that.  I’m thinking of banana bread today, that would be a good start.

Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe I tried last night that was so good – it was comfort food and crazy easy – Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak.  Here’s the link.  I fixed mashed potatoes to go with it and it was divine!  Real potatoes, too.  I know what my lunch is going to be!

THE GRANDS

Can you stand a few more pics of the smartest, most beautiful grandbabies in the universe?  I thought you could!

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The Sprout and Me

That’s the Karma sweater I’m wearing.  Turned out well, don’t you think?

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The Papoose and a Cupcake

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Babydiva in her Tutu – How Cute Is That?

Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind.  Samuel Johnson

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Knitting

Getting My Hands Dirty and Bread Love

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GOING TO POT

I’m still love, love, loving my pottery class and look forward to it every week.  Yesterday, we learned about building with coils and how to use an extruder, which is a really quick, easy way to make them.  Takes a little bit more upper body strength than I have, but by standing on a stool and leaning my weight on the handle, I can get the job done.  Here’s my pottery WIP from yesterday – with emphasis on the WIP!  I’m starting to feel more comfortable with the clay, catching on to how it feels when it’s too wet to add details (too wet clay is floppy and will slump and collapse) and then how it feels when it’s dry enough to hold the details or embellishments added.  Cool stuff, I think.

4-15-13

I didn’t get to finish this little pot, I want to flare the sides more and then narrow and smooth the top; since I’m in a class at the Art Center, I can come and go at the pottery studio when I want, not just at class time.  I may go later today and work on it a little more, maybe experimenting some with different sized coils and bases.  I love this!!

FROM THE OVEN

The Sundried Tomato Basil bread was such a success that I want to share it.  This isn’t my recipe, so to give due credit, the original was submitted by girlversusdough on tablespoon.com.  She has a baking blog, girlversusdough.com, one I’ve enjoyed following.

Sundried Tomato Basil Bread

1 cup warm water

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp chopped dried basil

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add 2 cups of the flour and all other ingredients to the batter and mix with dough hook until just combined.  (I used the paddle attachment and it turned out fine.)

2.  Add remaining flour 1 tbsp at a time until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

3. Remove dough from bowl and place in a clean, lightly greased bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

4.  Punch down risen dough and shape into an oval, stretching from the top of the loaf to underneath the bottom.  Place shaped loaf in a lightly greased 8×4 inch loaf pan.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Once dough is ready, bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  So good!

Thanks girlversusdough for sharing this recipe, it’s delicious!

The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.  William James

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Knitting

Think Out of the Breadbox

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THE TOMATO BASIL EXPERIMENT

Babymama and I went to lunch earlier this week and I had my first taste of tomato basil bread and now I’m hooked. I’ve baked bread off and on for years – mostly traditionals- whole wheat, rye, white, etc. so today, I’m stepping out of the breadbox (a little baking humor) and trying my hand at a Sundried Tomato Basil Bread recipe that I found on the Tablespoon website.

Success!  Simple recipe, great flavor.  This one’s going in the recipe box to be baked again and again.  With cheese, fancy mustard and smoked turkey  – two words – different and delicious!  Such a pretty loaf!

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.  Buddha

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Knitting

FO Friday 03/01/13, A Stash Tour

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OFF THE NEEDLES

It’s finished and is all I’d hoped for and more!  Introducing –

Etched Rio Wrap!  TA DA!

I love it – it’s the perfect weight (not too hot, not too cool), the perfect color (love caramel), it stays put (not falling off one of my narrow to the point of almost nonexistent shoulders or the other) and the drape (OMG).  After some initial misbehavior on the yarn’s part, we came to an understanding and this project truly became a labor of love.

STEP UP, STEP RIGHT UP

After reading a post on uknit2, I decided to document my stash status and share a little of it here.  At the moment, it’s relatively neat and more or less organized, sock yarn, sport weight, lace weight, bulky, you get it, you’re a knitter but the more I looked the more odd I thought part of my stash was.  Here, you be the judge.

Stash as of 2/28/13

Sock Yarn

Stash as of 2/28/13

Sport Weight

Stash as of 2/28/13

Odds and Ends

Here’s what I think is sort of odd

Stash as of 2/28/13

A Ziploc/Shopping Bag Stash

Actually, come to think of it, it’s not odd at all that I hoard ziplocs and shopping bags.  After all, fiberphiles use more ziplocs than anyone else on the planet and for your safety, don’t get between me and a nice, heavy, handled shopping bag.  I won’t pretend to speak for other crafty types, I’m trying to stick with what I know – but no, it’s not odd at all, it’s more than a little smart, green and best of all, frees up more bucks for my fiber fixation.  So, strike the odd.  Smarter than the average bear, us fiberphiles.  I rest my totally turned around case.

IN THE OVEN

Not yet, kneading takes more than a little energy and I’m still promising Mr. Iknead to take it easy, but soon, very soon there will be fresh bread.  I knead it (get it?)!  I know, I love a corny play on words.

Fly by Tami Amis for more FO Friday treats – you’ll be glad you did!

Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.  Will Rogers

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FLASH – Bigmommy and the babies are in town and are headed over!!  Pics and report tomorrow!  Yay, getting a little lonesome!

Knitting

Hit and Run, FOF 02/01/13

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OFF THE NEEDLES

They’re finished!  The Phloem Socks are finished, with ends woven in, tried on, pictures taken and finally, shown off for this week’s FO Friday.

This one shows a little more detail.  Turned out well, I think.

ALMOST ON THE NEEDLES

OK, let’s see –

Towels in dryer – check

Beds made – check

Banana bread in oven – check

Fire started – check

Fancy coffee in cup – check

Dishwasher loaded and running – check

I swatched my newest project last night, Etched Rio Wrap in Metalico Gold Dust, got close enough to gauge, wound the six skeins and I’m good to go.  I love the excitement of a new project, this must be what opening night on Broadway feels like!  Oooh, there’s my cue!

Sorry about the hit and run blog style this week, I know you understand, it being a new project and all.

What lights a fire under you?  Shopping for yarn?  Looking at patterns?  Winding?  Admiring someone else’s project?  I’d love to know!

Head on over to Tamis Amis for lots more FOF love.

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.  Demosthenes

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 1/30/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

I’m still plugging along on the Phloem Socks but on the home stretch for the second of the pair.  I really love this pattern and so it will probably show up again on the needles at some point.  Hopefully I’ll have it completed tonight, I so want to start the Etched Rio Wrap, I can hardly contain myself.  Jeez Louise!  I ran out to get a quick pic in natural light and it’s windy and cold.  I bet the neighbors across the back think I’m nuts.  This is what I imagine is going through their heads, “She takes pictures of YARN, for heaven’s sake.  WHO does THAT?”

Phloem Socks from Knitty, Spring 2012

IN AND OUT OF THE OVEN

I made Snickerdoodle bread Monday evening as a special request from Mr. Iknead.  My recipe makes two loaves, a good thing since one gets eaten up pretty much as soon as it comes out of the oven.  It’s addictive, this stuff.  Here’s how it goes:

SNICKERDOODLE BREAD

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. sour cream

1 pkg. Hershey’s cinnamon chips

TOPPING

3 tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy.  Add eggs and mix well.

2.  Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.

3.  Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.

4.  Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter.

5.  Spoon batter into two regular sized loaf pans (about 2/3 full)

6.  Mix 3 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.

7.  Bake at 350 until cake tester comes out clean.  Let cool before removing from pan.

Recipe from Kristyn (Lil’ Luna) on Pinterest – Thanks

NOTE:  If you have trouble finding the cinnamon chips, (like me) in the store, there are several recipes online to make them at

home.

Go to Tamis Amis for more great WIPs.

ANSWER TO WHO DOES THAT QUESTION:  Fiber fiends, that’s who! ; )

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  Mark Twain

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Knitting

FO Friday 12/14/12

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OFF/ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s Simple Skype socks are finished and he loves them!  I decided after finishing the first one cuff down that I would do the second toe up, which is how I usually knit socks.  Like the toe up sock construction better, confirming once and for all that pretty much any sock can be done toe up, I usually just read the pattern from bottom to top instead of the regular way and use the Fleegle heel.  You can see the difference in the picture, the one on the left is toe up.

IN/OUT OF THE OVEN

Another type of FO – I baked seven loaves of pumpkin bread yesterday and once again, my new KA mixer rocks!  I doubled the recipe, bringing the total flour tally to seven cups, total sugar to six cups, with four cups of pumpkin and eight eggs.  KA performed like a champ.  I once tried to double the recipe in my old KA, a totally dumb idea, since I’m still scraping pumpkin off my kitchen ceiling. : p

These are earmarked for friends, I hope to get them delivered today.  Must make list so I don’t miss anyone.

THE GRANDS

Here is the most recent pic of Babydiva and her mommy.  How beautiful are these two??

Check out Tami Ami’s for more awesome FOs.

Joy shared is twice the joy.  Sorrow shared is half the sorrow.  Swedish proverb

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Knitting

FO Friday 12/7/12

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OFF THE NEEDLES

Adamas shawl, as modeled by Babymama aka Katie

Babymama was such a good sport, standing in the rain and chilly temp to model for me.  Is she a great DIL or what?  BTW, This is a Knitty pattern.  Love Knitty, my go to when I need inspiration.

THE GRANDS

Bigmommy called last evening to give us a heads up that the Papoose is going to be in the church’s Christmas Pageant on December 19.  No surprise, she’s going to be an angel.  Can’t wait to see her with her wings.  All this with proper documentation (read pictures and videos ad nauseam to anyone but family), of course.  NOTE:  Wiki defines ad nauseam as “A Latin term for something that has continued to the point of nausea”.

IN THE OVEN

Today’s the day that I get serious about Christmas baking.  It’s been a tradition for years that I start my holiday baking with pumpkin bread with cream cheese spread for friends, with the recipient list growing longer and longer.  I think I ended up baking about 30 loaves last year.  It goes without saying that that’s a LOT of pumpkin and pecans/walnuts.  Lucky for me, I have a hook up for pecans for about half of what they go for in the grocery store, shelled and ready to use.  If you haven’t bought pecans recently, they cost about $8.00 a pound in the store.  I scored ten pounds for $38.00 and can’t help gloating a little.  Pecan pie, anyone?

For more FO Friday offerings, check out Tami Ami’s blog, it’s loaded with FO goodness.

At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.  Thomas Tusser

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