by Kat | Apr 18, 2016 | General, In This Moment
I don’t know about you, but it seemed like the weekend sped past.
And, there was no carding completed.
I know.
But, there was so much other stuff that got done, I am almost not upset.
Almost.
There was also no laundry getting done over the weekend so this morning I was greeted by Mount Kilimanjaro – the laundry version.
But, there were days of Al Fresco dining, cocktails, and lots of yard work – even a little bit of sunburn was obtained!
I hope your weekend was wonderful and that your Monday is not harsh!
P.S. Rhubarb experts… do I cut the flower out now, or wait? Help!!
by Kat | Apr 11, 2016 | General, In This Moment
After a very cold, snowy, blowy weekend a milder Monday has arrived. Milder temperatures, softer breezes, and gentle rains greeted my morning.
It was so bitterly icy and cold on Sunday morning I am afraid I may have lost my poppy and yarrow, which were growing nicely and this morning look quite miserable. I could just cry!
But, there was some fun this weekend!!
There was a simple, but delicious Friday Cocktail Supper. A bit of hummus, salami, carrots, grapes, crackers, and Manhattans were perfect to usher in the weekend.
There were new herbs obtained. They smell so much like summer! I am itching to get in my garden, but these little beauties are a nice way to pacify that urge until the weather is more conducive to gardening!
There was some spinning. I think I did a fairly good job of replicating the singles in the Briar Rose Yarn, I won’t know until I have washed the yarn though. I hope to ply and finish the sample skein later today and maybe it will be dry enough to knit a sample with it tomorrow or Wednesday!
And there was an impromptu get away on Saturday night – a change of scenery can have a positive impact! And, confession time – I took knitting, but I did not knit one stitch! There was some discussion of Sheep and Wool in Maryland, and while I know Steve is not overly thrilled about the prospect, I think we figured out an option to satisfy (okay, maybe not satisfy exactly) err, make it work.
On our way home we stopped for lunch at Fathead’s – two words – Buffalo Cauliflower. The sandwiches and beers were fantastic (I mean, a Reuben with Kimchi?? YUM!!) but the Buffalo Cauliflower stole the show! The cauliflower was not at all over cooked, and it was not breaded! I think this might be a fairly healthy option if you are a fan of wings! There was much discussion of how we could replicate this for our Friday Night cocktail suppers. I think we might have figured it out, stay tuned to see.
I hope your Monday is like the weather here today – mild, soft, and gentle.
by Kat | Apr 7, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Eating: The cold weather spell here has me craving baked steel-cut oats, but I was not in a pumpkin mood. However, I had apples and lemons and an idea in my head. I followed the shell of this recipe, but tweaked it as follows: In place of the pumpkin I added about 2 cups of peeled and diced granny smith apples (to which I added the juice of one lemon to keep them from turning brown before cooking). I cooked them until the liquid from the lemon was evaporated and then followed the recipe. Once I had added the liquids and just before I put it in the oven to finish cooking, I added the zest of one lemon – stirring it in thoroughly. In 35 minutes you have a warm and hearty breakfast with enough for leftovers for the remainder of the week! It reheats well and the apples maintain their texture.
Finishing: I, at long last, finished Kirsten Kapur’s 2014 Mystery KAL – just in time to send it to my sister for her birthday. I think it turned out quite lovely and it is my hope that it will make her feel extra special for this birthday. Truthfully, I would love to keep it for myself, however, this will be a rough birthday for my sister and I want her to know that she is well-loved. Aren’t those always the best gifts anyways; the ones you would rather keep?
Watching: I sped through season 2 of Bosch on Amazon Prime and I liked it as much as I did season 1. I am trying to savor season 2 of Hinterland (Y Gwyll) on Netflix, but really – it is such good television! What is not to love? Wales countryside and Richard Harrington make for perfect viewing! The Americans (currently on FX), if you have not watched any of this, season’s 1-3 are on Amazon Prime. It is a compelling drama about the cold war years. And, finally – Grey’s Anatomy…at times I feel like I should have stopped watching this a couple of seasons ago, but yeah. Still there watching! My hope now is that Meredith and Alex will figure out what the writers have been hinting to the viewers.
Anticipating: The new seasons of Turn and Outlander. The weather being consistent – 70 one day and snow the next is no fun at all! The weekend and especially getting back to the regularly scheduled Friday Night Happy Hour (post Easter and Steve’s Birthday weekend).
Attempting: To build this pergola with Steve. The true test of any relationship, how well you build something together…or maybe not, lol. Anyways, all we can do is try! I will be the one trying to keep their mouth shut as well as my ears so as to not listen to whatever Steve yells at me for! LOL
Planning: Something fun and exciting for this summer – you will have to stay tuned, but I think it will be lots of fun!
by Kat | Mar 28, 2016 | General, In This Moment
It was one of those weekends where you need a weekend to recover from your weekend.
There was lots of baking, lots of cooking, a glorious Easter sunrise, and a good bit of eating!
Easter was early this year, but the weather did not make it seem like that – it was 76 in Pittsburgh yesterday. On March 27. Yeah – that was crazy, but eating outside was certainly a treat!
Last night I was ready for bed by 8 o’clock – literally, ready to go to bed to sleep! I tried reading and no dice. I gave up and turned off the light.
You will find me quietly easing into Monday wishing it was Friday, which seems miles and miles away.
Pour me another cup of coffee, I think it’s going to be a long week…
by Kat | Mar 21, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Without bread all is misery. – William Cobbett, British journalist
I am a student of bread. I have taken Craftsy classes about bread. I have read tomes on bread. I have eaten tons of bread – some very good and some not very good.
And the challenge of my life is making very good bread given the limitations of a home kitchen.
I think I make a pretty good crusty loaf of bread – there is always room for improvement, but I feel confident that flour, water, yeast, and salt will result in a beautiful and tasty loaf of bread.
However, not everyone likes a crusty loaf of bread, crazy, I know…but they don’t.
Enter the quest for a good sandwich style loaf of bread.
I found this recipe via King Arthur Flour and have tried this bread several times. My first try did not get much rise…I questioned the viability of my yeast so I ordered new yeast and tried again.
Try number two with new yeast did not result in a markedly different result…
Now, don’t get me wrong – this bread tasted amazing. It was excellent slathered in butter, or toasted and topped with jam or peanut butter, topped with tuna salad, or grilled with cheese.
However, it was not a tall lofty loaf, but rather one that was short in stature.
I took to the internet and searched the King Arthur site to see if I could find an answer and lo and behold, I did! Who knew that my bread pans were the fault?!
The new pans did indeed improve the rise and the end result of two lovely loaves just made my weekend!
There is always room for improvement, but, I am on the right track!
by Kat | Mar 14, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The weekend was over far too quickly, which seems to be a theme in the blog world. Of course, losing an hour did not help. But, it was packed full of good things here at Casa del Katknits…
Things like Friday Happy Hour, which was extra good since Steve made wings.
And, martini’s, of course.
And, there was spinning, or more specifically – plying this gorgeous Dorset Down roving from Sheepspot.
There was knitting and the short rows are getting longer and I am closer to binding off! Which is good because Easter…
There was also lots and lots of basketball, which facilitated the knitting and spinning. Which brings me to Monday Madness and getting my brackets set, and trying to get my internal clock reset.
Pass the coffee, please.
