F is for...

February.
My favorite month. Yipee!


Food From Flushing.
Who said winter food isn't colorful? A quick trip to Flushing produced this:


and this: (although highly unseasonal, and thus certainly with a huge eco-footprint, cherries in the winter was something I couldn't resist.)

I also bought ingredients for my next long-term South Indian Food project: idli. Where you are supposed to put together this:


let it Ferment and cook it in this:


and come up with Fluffy, white, delicious disks of rice cakes (no photo yet. Still in progress!) I made a batch, which looked right, but due to unforeseen linguistic and technical obstacles (ehm..), it didn't quite taste right. I am determined to make it work, though, so stay tuned.

Finally, here 's a progress shot of my Lettuce coat:


In the pattern, the order in which this cardigan is made is very liberating: top back, top fronts, join together, knit all the way down, add sleeves, add collar, add borders.

Liberated, I decided to switch things around even more (I guess I knit just like I cook: rebelliously), so I am doing things in an even more twisted order: top back, top fronts, join together till waist, sleeves, collar, knit down to hem, add borders.

This way I 'll know exactly how much yarn I have left, so I can make the cardigan as long as I want without the stress of yarn shortages. And as everything is top-down anyway, I can even make the sleeves longer if I decide so - this Freedom is my favorite thing about making a garment this way. And no seams, of course.

Cheese and dough

Last weekend we made bread. It was a "beer and cheese" bread from my bread-recipe bible (sorry, no link this time).


You 'd think that beer and cheese would produce something heavy and yeasty, but the recipe also called for a cup of sugar, which made the end result a bit too sweet for my taste. I have resolved that I like most fermented breads, such as sponge breads or sourdough. We are working our way through the book, however, trying different recipes and sort of rating them, so this try was one more page checked.

I also made courgette and cheese pies. The filling came out great (I added 1/2 pack of tofu that was looking at me from the fridge shelves, and it made the filling very soft and fluffy). I was feeling experimental, so I made a few different shapes to see if I prefer any of them to the usual half-moon / seam on the side type.


Although any of them with the seam on top were good, preventing spillage while cooking, we both agreed that the open baskets were the best idea, both visually and in taste.

Winner!

Here is the sampler. I also liked the two in the center column, bottom two rows. I liked that the tucked-in edges didn't become too dry after cooking.

Bad kitty chronicles

Yesterday, while Seven helped me pick fabrics for some sewing...


... and Sunny minded her own business, sleeping in my closet...


... Skid took matters into her own paws. She likes to burrow under things, and likes to sleep on the loft bed.


Put two and two together, and you have a ripped sheet and a happy cat.

Me, not so happy.

Luckily, there was brownie mix.


And knitting.

Lizard ridge blanket is out again. What's on the sofa is the second to-be-felted slipper on the needles.

Still thinking of food

It must be the late summer / early fall weather we are getting lately. So after I read this post and the hilarious link to which it refers, I have been thinking even more of the visual side of food. That is, not that I am not constantly hungry also, because I am, and that too I blame on the weather change :-)

Summer tree

Armed with my trusty camera, I took some photos of our salad last week, as it just looked too pretty to just eat

Winter tree

As for healthy snacks, today I had L's signature, gourmet healthy snack (as he so humbly refers to it)

Peanut butter on potato bread, with alfalfa sprouts, banana and honey

Yum!

Thinking of food

There has been much knitting and quilting, but no finished objects to show. Sewing is much more active and focused, and allows me little time to think about other things, but knitting is perfect for scheming and planning your next move.

So I have been thinking a lot about bringing my diet (as in 'eating habits' rather than the 'loose weight' definition) to a better place. I have long accepted the fact that good eating habits require serious organisation and discipline, which in turn translate to better energy levels and mood. And this is never more important than when time is tight.

Quick and healthy snacks are always an area that I like to expand. Here is one of my favourite quick snacks: a whole cube of silken tofu cut in cubes, and sprinkled with soy sauce and green onions. I can eat the whole thing in a sitting.


Looking at the beauty of food during its preparation is another way to bring back focus to nutrition at rushed times. So often we just throw together meals with our mind to the next task, that we may loose what's right under our nose.


Moong dal has been another quick dish that is not only pretty but especially comforting. The trickiest part is finding the yellow lentils, but once they are in stock, it is fun to make and tastes great. It's also orange-yellow, and I am particularly attracted to orange-yellow foods


... and mugs. I love looking at orange and yellow when I have my morning coffee.


Looking for the right kind of breakfast is my next goal. I am trying to get away from my usual sandwich, no matter how brown the bread and how red the tomatoes in it. As autumn approaches I find myself thinking more and more of something warm and more liquid, like oatmeal with an open end to added treats. We just came back from Trader Joe's with bags full of dried fruit and healthy-snack ingredients, so that should help.

Progress on all fronts

I am reaching the end of yarn supplies for the clapotis, which is growing nicely. Love the colours (colourway 148)


It is so much fun to knit it! Although Noro Kureyon is kind of sticky, and the dropped stitches are kind of a pain to drop. Nevertheless, it is one of the most comforting knits I 've had in a long time, and now that it is getting longer I get to enjoy its warmth already.



This glove cuff is now a fully grown mitten, almost 2/3 done, and its little brother is growing alongside (twins!). They will end up being a pair of fingerless mittens with flap, my usual pattern, made as a 'thank you' for a friend who was kind enough to take care of the kitties while I was away. The yarn is Harrisville Design, Orchid Line, and the small amount of silk content makes it a great pleasure to knit with. I am positive that the reason they have grown so fast was a combination of gratitude and the yummy yarn (and the first season of Charmed on dvd).



Another mindless knitting project, these dishcloths are multiplying themselves almost without me noticing! Seriously, I must have been on the phone when I cast on for this one, because I can't remember deciding to start a new one!



I also made some green food. Fava comes in 2 colours, or so it seems. I went for the green version, and it came out quite a success for a first try. It looked seriously sinister when it was bubbling away, all green and steamy! Love it!



I am lucky to have such good friends, who surprise me with goodies despite my lameness in reciprocating.

As for keeping things tidy, so far so good. I noticed that if I have a designated place for something, sooner rather than later it will find its way there. It is the stuff that has been wondering homeless, so to speak, that creates the clutter that seems to solidify. So little by little I make sure to attack the target areas and clear off clutter, to make room for what is actually in use.

Next target: the bathroom cabinet! sigh...

Happy New Year!

Lots of my good intentions over the holidays were fulfilled, some were not. The theme of this trip was digging into traditions: culinary, crafty, family history, etc. Partly intentional, partly just going with the flow. My childhood sounds so unimaginative and boring compared to that of my mother's!!!

Although a large portion of my time was spent in the kitchen, helping in the preparation, consumption and cleaning-up of dishes such as this:

Λαχανοντολμάδες

or this:

Κατσικάκι στο φούρνο με πατάτες & φρικασέ

there was still some knitting. Mostly mindless knitting, so that I wouldn't be too distracted from what was going on around me. What was most fun about it was the setting and company: by the roaring fireplace, listening to stories or chatting about anything that comes to mind. Very often I had the feeling that if I closed my eyes and imagined a source of light other than electricity, I could be part of a timeless gathering.

It certainly was more fun than productive. After many attempts to guess my mother's head size correctly, I gave up and bound off for a neck warmer:


My first attempt at spinning


There is more, but I am keeping it for the next installment. Heh.
Happy New Year!

Catching up

It's been a while since I had anything worth posting about. Life has been busy with... well, life. But this weekend I was inspired, and made a few flowers out of felt.


On Saturday they came in very handy during my 2-hour commute for what should take no longer than 35 min.... I was having so much fun making them on the subway, that I overheard two Italian tourists commenting on how calm I appeared in the midst of frustrated people. The joys of living in the big city.

I decided to applique them on one of the bright green pillow cases I made a while ago. The picture sucks, though - this photo-shoot was a last minute decision, and couldn't wait for daylight.


In other news, I made a spinach pie with ready-made dough and some odd concoction of "Egyptian feta" that bares no resemblance to the real feta. I thought the term was patented... Anyway, it was quite yummy and all that is left from it by now is an empty pan.


Finally, here's a sneak peak of Seven's new favourite FINISHED (no borders yet) blankie. I can see I 'll have to fight for the right to use it. So far, it was almost impossible to do any work on it, as Seven would run and sit on it as soon as I went near it. I have no illusions that she may have wanted to help. She just wanted to snuggle on it. She won the first round, but I can be stubborn too...

D-dinner

I often take photographs of food while I 'm cooking. Especially when I pour myself a glass of wine, put on some music, and approach cooking as something creative to be enjoyed. I like to take time and appreciate the involvement of all senses.

Oddly, taste is rarely the dominant one, as I don't nibble, not even to test food while I cook it. Smell is perhaps what I rely on most when I cook. I also enjoy the feeling of the ingredients as they pass through my fingers, and the close relation with fire that transforms individual items to a unified whole.

And vision, of course.

Last weekend's stirfry

I rarely follow recipes faithfully. Ingredient substitution is a dangerous habit, but often very rewarding. Most of the times, I have a general idea of how a meal is constructed, and as I cook I rely on my imagination - and the contents of my refrigirator. Don't some ingredients cry out "use me! use me!"?

Last night I made pseudo-quesadilla. I have no idea how one is really made, although I 'm sure a quick internet search would have provided the answer. I just came up with something myself that was so successful, I even decided to share.

Ingredients
1 cup flour (I only had white, but a combination of white & whole wheat would be better)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup water
shredded pieces of chicken (leftovers from a chicken soup)
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly
1 handful sweetcorn
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
2/3 cup cheese that melts well, grated
salt, pepper

1. Combine olive oil with flour, stir with a fork until mixed, and there are no chunks of dry flour (this will avoid lumps). Add the water, little by little, stirring thoroughly. Mixture should be quite runny. Add some salt, if desired. Divide in half, and pour over hot pan, shaking to spread the mixture evenly. Make two, set aside


2. Fry chicken, pepper and sweet corn for 1-2 minutes, until heated through. Set aside


3. Turn fire to lowest possible. Place one of the crepes on the pan, spread chicken mixture on a thin layer, sprinkle with cheese, heavy cream, freshly ground black pepper


4. Place the second crepe over the whole thing, and heat until cheese is melted. Goes well with fresh green salad

Sushi for breakfast

I know it's not supposed to be a good idea, but I absolutely love eating last dinner party's left overs. Especially when dinner looked like that:

From top left to bottom right: sushi rice, eel, crabmeat shredded, mixed with mayonaise, carrot, cuccumbers and perhaps some sauce, nori sheets, salmon, spicy tuna, crab sticks. Yum! There were also salmon flakes, tuna with mayonaise (not pictured), wine, margaritas, and lots of sake. I believe the Japanese must have a saying that goes kind of like that, in regards to sake: when it's cheap, drink it cold. We chilled it as much as we could ;-)

...follwed by green tea and Argentinian sweets (sory, I forget the name. Probably due to the copious consumption of abovementioned sake...)


The company was great, and I had the luxury of washing the dishes listening to live music. Am I the most fortunate girl in the world, or what!

For lack of project photos

Have I mentioned how much I hate sticking wires to my (new and wonderful) camera and computer and downloading photos? I don't know what bothers me so much. Is it the minimal effort of finding the wires, which usually are within arm's length in a drawer? I can't really tell. But I have a feeling that if my computer had one of these slots where you stick the memory card in directly I 'd do it more often. Or maybe I 'm just saying that because my computer does NOT have one of these slots, so it's safe to complain.

In any case, today I 'm all about making lists. ("today?"!!). So here's what I did today on the crafty side:

1. decided on the pattern of the next 2 bags I want to make. I have recipients in mind

2. made a drawing of an image I 've been holding in my mind for several days now. It is what I consider already my favourite spot in my future house. In this beautiful daydream, I am curled up knitting on a cosy sofa, looking at the lit fireplace (indeed!), and looking out the glass panes on the door to my left. The white fence shields me from the neighbours, and all I can see is the rain falling. In the grey light my plants and potted herbs are shining and bright green. -- Of course I have no photo of this. Believe me, your imagination is doing a much better job

3. paid bills. (o.k., this is not crafty, but it had to be done, and I had to mention it)

4. cooked an ingenious combination of what needed urgent use in my fridge, and I 'm quite pleased with the result. Fried onion and bacon, added broccoli and carrots, then orzo (κριθαράκι), water, salt & peper, and some tomato sauce. Boil for 20-30 min., turn fire off, add cheese.

As for the photo of the day, I 'll go with the usual moto: 'When In Doubt, Post Kitty Photo'

Who wants her photo posted today?

I do! I do!

Monomania

It's been one of those weekends. Too hot on Saturday, overcast and not hot enouch on Sunday. So what else can one do in one of those weekends?

Silly question..

The results:

Beachcomber Tunic: back and two front halves: check!

Seven approves

I decided to make all the knitted parts first, and then do all the crochetted parts next. Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that I still don't have the right size hook.
It went pretty fast, despite the occasionally screechy bamboo needles. When I knit without looking, which is most of the time, I guide the needles with my left thumb, but the right tip always rubs on the side of the left needle. The unfinished edge of bamboo needles occasionally sqreech a bit, which I find very, very unpleasant. Hopefully the sleeves will be finished soon and my ordeal will be over.

No other project was even touched during the past week. I really am in a hurry with this project. I did manage, however, to make a very yummy Spanakopita, that was eaten in much less time than it took to roll the dough:

Yum, yum, yummer!