After having several irregular weekends in a row, we celebrated having just a normal old weekend here at Casa del KatKnits!
There were Rhubarb Mules, mmmmmmmm.
It was nice to start the weekend with something that makes us so happy and relaxed!
We did some Farmer’s Marketing, some IKEA wandering, and some Green House visiting.
There was reading, and knitting, and spinning, too.
While the weather was not spectacular, we did all kinds of things that help in the recharging of body and soul, and makes Monday not the challenge that it wants to be!
How was your weekend?
Buffalo Cauliflower:
Pre-heat oven to 425°F
1 head of Cauliflower, cored and cut up (try and cut the pieces in even sizes so they cook uniformly)
Toss cut cauliflower with 1 TBSP olive oil and 1 tsp of Chili powder and lay on a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until they begin to soften and brown but are not mushy.
Remove from oven and toss with buffalo sauce, serve with blue cheese dip or ranch if that is your preference.
Steve’s Buffalo Sauce:
½ Cup Frank’s Red Hot
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp White vinegar
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Chili powder to taste (add more or less for spiciness)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Dash of celery salt
Steve finds the best way to heat the sauce is in the microwave at 10-15 second intervals on high, stirring as it warms to keep the butter incorporated. You do not want the sauce hot, but just warm enough to combine. If you overheat it the butter separates.
In an attempt to hold myself accountable to the blasted list….
Listening: To Cleopatra, the new album by the Lumineers. It is so good.
Reading: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo and Mink River by Brian Doyle. Still. I know. Hopefully this will be the last post in which I lament to you that I am still.reading.them!
Watching: The final season of Wallander on PBS starring Kenneth Branagh. Need I say more?
Cleaning: The Black Hole of a Freezer. Yes, I am crossing this off the list! Boo Yeah!
Planting: Onions and garlic. Tomatoes and peppers are on deck this weekend!
Harvesting: Rhubarb. Syrup making to commence shortly and it will perhaps be featured in tomorrow’s Cocktail. But, at the very least, there will be Rhubarb Sodas!
Anticipating: Our usual Friday Snacks and Cocktails – life has been busy the past couple of weeks and I have missed them tremendously.
Contemplating: If anticipating Friday Cocktails signifies something. I am not sure, but I am not contemplating any kind of meetings so I think I am okay!
Planning: A summer long knit-a-long for anyone who wants to participate. Details coming next week, stay tuned!
Grateful: That tomorrow is Friday, or should I say FriYAY!
That is my life in a right now kind of moment. What does your right now look like?
On Friday, we headed off early with the thought of stopping along the way to do a little sightseeing. It was not raining in Pittsburgh, however the closer we got to Maryland the darker and more ominous it got!
And, before we crossed the Pennsylvania state line, the rain started.
Hard rain.
Sheets of rain.
Yeah. Stopping along the way was not an option. However, the hotel was fantastic and we were glad to have a dry place to stay for the night.
It did not rain on Saturday even though it looked like it could at any moment. However, the mud.
Oh, man, the mud! Neither one of us planned for the mud! This kept us out of some of the vending areas. Lesson learned, be prepared for anything!
However, we got there bright and early to get in line for a Jenny the Potter mug! And we were successful – not one, but two mugs were obtained! And it was so nice to talk with Decibelle Doughnut and Janie Sparkles Dad, Stephen Houghton, we talked bread. My bread book list has grown by one and I am going to hopefully have some seedy rye guys in my future! Jenny the Potter’s booth was the best place to start the festival!
We went from there to Amy King’s booth. A huge fan girl moment for me – having been a Spunky Club member, and having taken her Craftsy class on spinning. Can I just say that she is more lovely and generous in person!
The line at Miss Babs was legendary.The crowds were not at all daunted by the weather or the mud. It was so nice to be surrounded by people who love fiber, sheep, and wool!
However, I heard that there was a Flat Iron present and I really wanted to see it! It did not disappoint. Oh, man. Want! The footprint of the wheel is so manageable if you live with limited space! I am eagerly awaiting them to be on the market soon!
We saw sheep. So. Many. Sheep!
Almost the best part of the trip was seeing so many different breeds. I even saw some of the Roclans Farms sheep – they won some nice awards with their fleeces at the festival this year and their sheep are really beautiful!
I met up with the group from Sheepspot. Janelle even had freshly spun and plied Perendale yarn from the latest Breed Club shipment! Gorgeous yarn, Janelle!
We headed off to the Fleece Sale and I turned around and before my eyes was Clara Parkes. My mouth engaged before my brain and I said her name perhaps a bit loud. Her manners were far better than mine as she asked me if I was enjoying the festival. Clara, thank you for your being so gracious in light of my star-struck-stupidity! But, really. Clara Parkes, people!
I looked at a good number of fleeces but did not succumb to the temptation. I actually was fairly moderate in my purchases! Outside of the Jenny the Potter Mugs, I only left with a skein of Briar Rose Fiber’s Stella, a batt from ITW, and a very unique skein from Wool out of Wales!
By late afternoon on Saturday Steve was ready to go, so we got in the car and headed back towards Pittsburgh. The drive home seemed to go much quicker than the drive there. I even managed to get a few pictures of the trees in various stages of new leaf growth – a beautiful tapestry of green covering the mountains around us.
On Sunday, the sun was shining brilliantly here and while my Mother’s Day was quiet with all my kids scattered about the country! I did spend some time in the garden in the sun. The temperatures were moderate and the sun felt so wonderful. My herb garden is planted and I also got some eggplant in.
There was even a bit of knitting time later on in the day. The perfect ending to a wonderful weekend!
We had a bit of a wonky weekend – Steve had a work function Friday and Saturday, so there was no usual Happy Hour. It made for weekend that did not feel like a weekend at all, but I did get some reading and knitting done.
Drinking: Iced Coffee – warmer weather makes me very glad because I really love iced coffee to start my day.
Watching: Game of Thrones (along with the rest of the world, I am sure!) and Call the Midwives. Two shows that are the exact opposite of each other, and I love them both!
Contemplating: The Me Made May phenomena – I consider myself a serial maker. I have been a maker as long as I can remember but, do I need a month to point that out to the world around me (or at least my Instagram feed!) I don’t want to take any of the wind out of the sails about those participating, but I think that helping new makers along their way is the approach I would rather take. So, I am going to commit to fostering new makers in their journey and there is a group at my church who want to learn to knit so I am going to help them. Hopefully, by the end of May there will be a new flock of knitters in the Pittsburgh area!
Cooking: All things asparagus – and it is so good! Grilled, roasted, in stir fry, and I am going to try this recipe for Asparagus Pizza!
Anticipating: Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Steve and I are going for the day on Saturday (he is thrilled beyond believe, I assure you!!) I will try to foster his excitement during the week so that he enjoys himself (oh the food! and the sheep!) I might challenge him to a little photo contest, which I am sure he will win!
Planting: Our “safe to plant date” is Mother’s day, so I will be getting more plants in the garden very soon! I have been watching Mr. Knitspot expand his garden beds with great interest. Gardening and the expansion of the garden is one area that Steve and I are in complete agreement on!
That is all I have for this list filled Monday, but tell me – what “right now” thing are you loving?
Nestled between the Lavender and the Butterfly Bush, is a fairy tale nursery in my back yard. A trio of cuteness was discovered residing in my back yard yesterday. Last year there were baby bunnies under our rose bushes – perhaps the same Mom? Anyways, this year they were found in a better spot and it even has a night-light! Weeding this bed will have to wait until the babies are bigger and the nursery is empty.
On the garden front, it looks to be a banner year for strawberries, if the mass of blossoms on my plants are any indicator! This will be very welcome, as the strawberry plants I brought from Michigan did not fare well at all with Pittsburgh winters. Michigan gave them a nice insulating blanket of snow as protection from the frigid temperatures. Pittsburgh does not do the same – snow is a rare commodity here. Add to that temperatures that get much, much colder and my plants did not make it through the winter. A gardening lesson learned – what works one place will not necessarily work in another.
And, thanks to a link that Bonny shared my Rhubarb plant has had its blossom pruned and it has now almost doubled in size! Good thing,because this recipe looks so good and will definitely be debuting in an upcoming Friday Happy Hour.
That’s all I have for today. Have a good Thursday everyone!
The weekend went far too quickly as it zoomed by at practically warp speed! (Beam me back to Friday, Scotty!! That Manhattan was so tasty as were the Friday eats!)
It was a weekend with lots of some…
Some unknitting and some knitting – I had to unknit a few rows of my Pincha, I think I missed a wrap, which created a troublesome hole. No worries though, the unknitting of short rows is not overwhelming. I am back on track now and again breezing along.
Some spinning – I managed to spin quite a bit on my little drop spindle, it helped that the weather was nice for outdoor spinning!
Some gardening – After cleaning up the vegetable beds, I worked some compost in to the soil. I also got my potatoes started in the pots! And, the seeds I started last week are all sprouting.
And… some disappointment – Perhaps that has something to do with eagerly (anxiously even) awaiting the beginning of the farmer’s market only to be overwhelmed with sticker shock… serious sticker shock! And, thinking how ironic that everyone is charging exactly the same amount for things. Hello, I am not paying $5.00 a dozen for eggs!
We were not disappointed in our trip to Janoski’s though. Welcome back, Asparagus! You have been seriously missed!
Outside of that, it is a nose to the grindstone kind of Monday. I have a long list today and some extra caffeine to help me stay focused!
