by Kat | Oct 20, 2016 | General, Words
Welcome to Think Write Thursday!
This week Carole and I are eager for you to Tell Us About the Best Breakfast You Ever Had:
If you asked me, I would absolutely say I am not a “breakfast eater” my usual for a major portion of my adult life has just been coffee.
That being said, I have had some stellar breakfasts in my life.
While my mother could not be classified as a cook at all. I simply loved those mornings when she made CoCo Wheats. What child would not like chocolate for breakfast, right? If she asked what I wanted, it was always my first choice!
As an adult I remember going out for breakfast on a weekend morning and having the best omelets at the Elbow Room (sadly, no longer there) in Saugatuck. They were so good, just packed full of such good things, each and every one of them!
I also have fond memories of incredibly different breakfasts in other countries – my favorites were in Scotland where I learned that I simply love steel-cut oats. This is a hearty, stick-with-you breakfast that I have long tried to replicate. I think I come close with my oven roasted version, but replicating the ambiance that is Scotland…Yeah, that is not so easy to do!
However, I think my absolute favorite breakfast is this; My Great-Aunt Marian’s Baked Pancake. The first time I had this I was about 6 or 7 years old when we went to Lansing, Illinois to visit Aunt Marion and her husband, Uncle Fred. She made Baked Pancake for breakfast and it was so elegant and beautiful – topped with powdered sugar and freshly sliced strawberries. This was unlike anything I had ever had before. It was so puffy and custard-y and buttery. It seemed to just melt in my mouth. In my child’s mind, my Aunt Marion seemed to be magical, creating such an incredible breakfast.
After that, my most requested breakfast was Aunt Marian’s Baked Pancake – but none were ever the same as hers.
I have made Baked Pancake a number of times in my life and each time I fondly remembered that very first time in my Aunt Marion’s simple home. For me, food is an incredible tie to the roots of my family and sadly I have not made Baked Pancake nor thought about Aunt Marian in a very long time.
Perhaps it is time to dust off my recipe and make Baked Pancake again soon – in fond and loving memory of Aunt Marian.
P.S. Are you ready to take the plunge and write creatively on Thursdays? Sign up now and join us!
by Kat | Oct 19, 2016 | General, Making
There has not been a lot of knitting around here this week. However, there has been a good deal of knitting anticipation.
Like this, and this. Knitting ennui has been vanquished!
But, I hope to have the Honey Cowl done later today. I only have about an inch more to knit, so that is entirely doable!
There has been a good deal of reading though, thanks to Audiobooks and a bit of insomnia.
I finished listening to Clara read Knitlandia and I really enjoyed it in this format!
I began listening to The Girl on the Train, I am not yet sure how I feel about this book as I just began yesterday.
I finished The Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum. (I am not reading these in order, which I may come to regret) It was a curious way to write a murder mystery. I won’t say more as to not share any spoilers, but I am not sure I really liked the manner in which the story unfolded.
Last night, I began reading He Who Fears the Wolf by the same author. I think that I will like this book a bit more than Harriet Krohn.
I have not gotten much farther in The Year of Living Danishly as I haven’t had any time to sit down to read during the day at all. I hope to correct that before this week is over. I need to get it finished, because it is due back to the library (always a good incentive to sit down and read!)
Do you have any “must finish” books this week?
by Kat | Oct 18, 2016 | General
One recipe that really grabbed my attention when I read Ruth’s book this past summer, was a recipe for an apple cider braised pork roast.
Ruth calls for a big bone in pork shoulder roast – and a recipe that feeds 6-8 people.
Now, for a household of two this might not be the best choice, however a pork tenderloin would be just about right!
Now to adjust the recipe to work for such a small cut of meat.
Serves: 2 with leftovers!
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 1 onion, halved and then sliced in slivers
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers to insert into the pork
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 cup Hard Cider (I used Angry Orchard)
- 1-ounce Crown Royal Maple Whisky™
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
This is finished in the oven after browning the meat on the stove top, so I used my Staub™ all purpose pan.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Cut several slits in the pork loin and insert the garlic slivers. Salt and pepper the meat on all sides
Place the pan on the stove over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and the pork loin. Brown the meat on all sides and remove from the pan. Add the onion to the pan and sauté to soften a few minutes. Add the cider and the whisky stirring to loosen the fond from the bottom of the pan. Add back the pork loins, cover and place in the oven.
Cook approximately 35-40 minutes, or until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 145° F.
(Cook’s note, in the last 15 minutes of cooking I added about a cup of halved Brussels Sprouts.)
I served this with a nice big dollop of oven roasted applesauce and it was fantastic! The meal and the applesauce! I had about 8 lbs of apples. I used minimal sugar and butter (1 1/2 tsp and 2 tbsp butter) and it turned out fantastically! I finished it with 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
I highly recommend both recipes!
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by Kat | Oct 17, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Today, I just want to go back in time.
Back to when we were on vacation.
Or at least back to Friday and the start of the weekend. Especially since yesterday was a day of Mary Poppins weather – you know the kind, Practically perfect in every way!
It all just went too fast and this week is full of so many fun-less (un-fun?) things it is looming with a huge UGH.
Someone is making noises that we will need to turn on the AC this week to which I will declare all-out war, and I have no intention of losing! No more AC in 2016. Period! Ha!!
On a calmer note. There was some knitting time this weekend, but no finish on the Honey Cowl. I have about 7 inches (of 11) done. To be continued. (Good thing Sunday was so nice that I did not even miss a cowl!)
This begins the “get my ass in gear and finish the painting in this freaking house” week (okay maybe month, but really – I want it all done BEFORE Christmas explodes in this house!)
And, this is just the tip of my iceberg. Can someone please just hit the rewind button??
How’s your week looking?
by Kat | Oct 14, 2016 | General
I have it bad.
Dissatisfaction? Yep.
Discontent from a lack of interest? Bingo.
I have got ennui in spades.
I am going to attempt to reverse this trend with Thing One, pictured above.
Joy? Oh, yes!
Enthusiasm? Absolutely!
I am so excited about this Honey of a cowl that I want it done yesterday and really I have plans to wear this on Sunday!
The knitting clock is ticking!!
Now, on to the Friday Linkage!
Mary Jane Mucklestone is getting top billing today. Are you wondering why? This might just be Thing Two. Remember the frenzy that was the Bang Out a Sweater Phenomenon? Well, meet Sigla. I am looking at colors right now. Who’s in with me for Bang Out a Sweater, Part Deaux?
That is all I have for the week. I hope your weekend is FANTASTIC! Stay warm and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Oct 13, 2016 | General, Words
First there was 10 On Tuesday:
I am sad to say that I was late to the 10 on Tuesday party, although I had been reading Carole’s blog for a long time I was an infrequent (ok, maybe less than infrequent) commenter and it was not until last November when she inspired me to join her in NaBloPoMo that I finally began actively participating.
Once I started I loved it!! I eagerly awaited the arrival of the weekly email! I was a such religious 10 on Tuesday poster that on weeks that Carole was on vacation, I made up my own Ten on Tuesday posts (here) (and here)!
That being said, every week was not always an easy list of 10 things to write about, however, if I wanted to participate, I needed to get creative! And those bits of writing about something I really did not like taught me to stretch my writing muscle!
When Carole made the decision that 10 on Tuesday had perhaps run its course, a big part of me was so sad! And, I shared those sentiments on her post and imagine my surprise when she and I began a discussion around those thoughts!
A new idea was born:
Welcome to Think…Write…Thursday!
It will be similar to Ten on Tuesday in that you sign up for the weekly emails right here and in return for signing up, you will receive an email prompt (Just like Ten on Tuesday) with a topic for you to write about. Are you ready to have some fun with us? Expand your creative writing muscle? Write about a topic however the creative flow strikes you? (I mean, there are no writing police for blogs and there are no minimum or maximum word counts!)
PLUS, there is this amazing, incredibly loyal, and kind blogging community that Carole has built around her Ten on Tuesday posts.
Won’t you join in and write creatively with us? I really hope you do!
by Kat | Oct 12, 2016 | General, Making
After spending the weekend in Knitting Time out (both me and the sock!) I ripped back on Monday and started the process of adding more inches to the Sock of Doom.
I fearfully began the decreases and stopped. There would be NO MORE RIPPING of this sock. I waited for the Large Footed Recipient to get home from work and try it on before I went any farther.
Sock One is done. Now all I need to do is cast on for the second one.
Perhaps a queuing up of the Gilmore Girls on Netflix (which, by the way, I never watched…) will make the second sock less painful than the first.
In the reading department, I have two books in the finished column:
- Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes by Per Petterson
- The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks
I loved both of them! They were dynamically different but each were fantastic reads. I highly recommend both of them.
I am listening to Clara read Knitlandia to me; I am about halfway through and I am thoroughly enthralled!
I begun The Year of Living Danishly and I also started reading another Karin Fossum novel – The Murder of Harriet Krohn. No thoughts on either yet as I am just a few pages in on both.
However, the reading might have to wait because on my task list for today is to turn these beauties into an oven roasted applesauce.
What’s on your agenda today?
by Kat | Oct 11, 2016 | General
Leaves turning. Early fall farmers’ market. I’ll buy apples, pork, kale, squash, and spend the weekend dancing in the kitchen. Cant’ wait. ~ My Kitchen Year, Ruth Reichl
Last summer I was fortunate to have read Ruth Reichl’s book, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life. To say I loved it is an extreme understatement. And, inspired by Ruth – Tuesdays here at Casa del KatKnits are going to have a new focus.
Each week I will share with you a recipe from her book, or a recipe inspired by her book. Because that was what really came through for me in My Kitchen Year – being inspired.
To kick it off this week is the perfect Ruth Reichl inspired fall supper:
Pumpkin Ravioli with Turkey Mascarpone Sauce
Now, if you want easy – this is it. I get my pumpkin raviolis from a small local market and they are so good and are only available in the fall. However, if you are inspired to make your own – please, by all means do!
Turkey Mascarpone Sauce:
- 24 – 36 pumpkin ravioli (I used 6 raviolis per serving)
- 1.5 pounds ground turkey (I used 93-7 Turkey)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 – 8-ounce container of mascarpone
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 to 1.5 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, minced (reserve 1 or two leaves for topping the pasta)
- Grated parmesan cheese
Serves: 4-6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to prepare the ravioli.
Brown the ground turkey, seasoning it with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. When the turkey is almost browned, add in the fresh sage and cook for a minute, until it begins to soften a bit. Once the turkey has browned add in the mascarpone, stirring to combine. Add in the half and half and the grated nutmeg – stir to combine and simmer over low heat a few minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
While the turkey sauce simmers, cook the ravioli – following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain the ravioli well before dishing up and topping with the sauce.
Sprinkle the pasta with the reserved minced sage leaves and some grated parmesan cheese.
This is really such a super easy dinner to make. It is done in less than 30 minutes! I hope you enjoy! I would love to know if you try this!
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by Kat | Oct 10, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The weekend just FLEW in my neck of the woods, which could be directly related to the amount of rainy weather that filled the days.
There was no outdoor cocktail hour because it was raining so hard. This also put the kibosh on a backyard bonfire, however, the indoor Tapas were excellent!
Saturday we had a successful trip to the local farmer’s market, managing to get in and out in between raindrops as well as a bit of retail therapy. (Yay for indoor activities!)
There was not much knitting, but there was some reading – although I did not finish any books.
There was a tiny bit of spinning though – this Whitefaced Woodland from Sheepspot is just amazing!
Today, I think will spend part of the day ripping back that darned sock while I catch up on Poldark. I hope you have Monday off, and if not, then may it be one you can ease into and it is over before you know it!
by Kat | Oct 7, 2016 | General
Most of the time a short week is a good thing – but a short week after a vacation was perhaps not the smartest idea. My list barely has a dent in it! (However, laundry is almost done and yogurt is made!)
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea to get one of Steve’s socks for length so I could perhaps finish sock numero uno yesterday. That might have worked if he cut his toes off. Seriously, I thought about suggesting it for more than half a second! Today will find me ripping back the toe and knitting another inch (really, I am knitting WAY more than an inch and hoping they will be just a bit too big!!) Promising him and his size 14 feet a pair of hand knit socks was perhaps the most epic disaster of my knitting life. Really. I will persevere and finish these suckers, however painful it is. And trust me, it is plenty painful! I am trying to avoid the urge to put these socks in Knitting Time Out.
Rather I am going to focus on the beauty that is the Frankfort, Michigan beach.
Instead of feeling bogged down like these poor benches, buried up to their necks in sand!
How about a double dose of Friday Links?? There has been plenty of good stuff over the past couple of weeks:
That is all I have this week. Tonight, there will be a Grand Traverse Distillery Manhattan or two to usher in FriYAY and Steve is taking a half a day – so while it is technically not a “long weekend” it will be starting a wee bit early! The weather is calling for a backyard bonfire too!
I hope your weekend is fantastic, see you back here on Monday!
