Save a Little Time, Spend a Little Time

Darling Daughter's birthday was earlier this week and I made her a stash of healthy, grab and go, Breakfast Bars

In other words - extra time in the morning for her to sleep/get ready rather than prep/eat food as she can just take these with her in the car.

I made a sample batch, pledging to tweek the recipe to her taste then keep her in an ongoing supply.

A bento lunch bag was my idea for wrapping the bars up for giving and I had some natural linen on hand I'd cut off curtains I recently hung in the living and dining rooms.

Off to YouTube I went and found 7 minutes of clear, concise instruction. (The lack of English doesn't even matter!) How do you like the way she sews that thing up?  'Talk about saving time - I couldn't get the machine out in the time that woman takes to stitch her sample to completion. I tried the same approach and it really was quick without hauling out the machine.)

Once Darling Daughter confirmed she liked/would use the bag I started working a decorative hemmed edge around the opening. No sense wasting time on something she didn't really see a use for.

While she likes the bag - she's not so keen on the boxy hem stitch so I'll have to try something else.

Btw I think the cake I made for her is the ultimate Birthday Cake - Jamie Oliver's Hummingbird Cake. Jamie suggests you "bake this thing and get it in your gob".

Good Advice! Great Cake!

The batter contains multiple bananas a can of crushed pinapple and pecans, the cream cheese icing features lime juice and zest but I'd describe the flavour as "Cake"!

I make a lot of cakes and this one, although not much to look at, is the most delicious, well received I've ever served. It's somehow simultaneously, light and tender yet decadent. Just look above at how those big clumps of cake are hanging off the cut edge despite how super moist and lux the thing is.

A word of warning though - if you're thinking of trying this one and getting it in your "gob", take your time - it doesn't look fancy but this one demands care at every step.

I probably spent the time I saved making the Bento Bag baking the cake but sooooo worth it - just look at the smile on the birthday girl's face!

All of it took time away from cabling...

Onward!

Still at it...

I feel close to the finish line on the body of this beast but it remains rather distant.

Skimmed the instructions late last week and took away the notion I had but 11 rows of decreases before the collar shaping...11 Right Side Rows that is. Oooops.

Other than the unwieldy business of picking the thing up over my head to release the twist of the whole garment and then extricate the yarn from its generous folds before I can continue it's quite pleasant knitting.

The shaping is thoughtful and clearly conveyed. I'm finding documenting my passage through them gives nice structure to the process and after many years of working cryptic magazine instructions 8 pages of expansive explanation feel like lying on a King size bed - so much more than I need or am used to and boy does it ever seem like a long way to the edge!

Last night was the monthly craft group meeting. I decided to express both February's Valentine's Day and almost-upon-us March's Maple Syrup season with heart shaped, maple toffee topped cookies. The crushed maple and almond toffee recipe will be a keeper for everything from coffee cakes to mixing into the icing between cake layers to just sprinkling over ice cream but I found the cookie bit to be sub standard. Whatever my objections though, the ladies were, nonetheless, most appreciative recipients!

Its a gorgeous sunny morning with that stormy forecast for later in the day. Hudson and I are off to take it all in before the clouds start to gather.

Thanks for dropping by!

I.O.U.'s

'Cleaning up my year end photo files and realized I never showed you the incredible fit of the PJ pants Curlerchik made for me! We can tell from the combo Santa/Hat/Beard this was Christmas morning as we finished opening gifts.

Can you believe she made these using only my measurements? We have never even met! She's amazing! (And generous too don't you think?)

And anyone remember my tale of  the Chocolate Mint Cake?  Here it is with all four layers iced and its structural "truss" ribbon keeping the slices from tipping backwards under the weight of their own frosting...

The truss is held in place with a toothpick you can just see peeking out from that mint leaf on the side.

In the end it traveled beautifully in rush hour traffic in my little standard transmission car and arrived at its destination looking just as it does above.

Despite the trouble I had I'm very glad to have pre-sliced it. I was able to take my time with a clean, wet, sharp knife for each slice which gave me sharp cuts and ease of serving at the actual dinner.

There, all caught up! Thanks for dropping by!

Craft Group Tonight!

Lots of knitters belong to "Stitch and Bitch" groups.

The group I'm in is more "Gather and Gush".

This group's varied, prodigious and inspired show and tell cause all manner of well deserved gushing.

The bar is high with these ladies! So this month I thought I'd up my game with the evening's sweet treat. Rather than my usual cookies I decided on a Cranberry Filled Braid.

...lovely colours of the sweet-tart filling - post chop/pre cook (Granny Smith and Orange (both with skins on) and Cranberries too!

Then the magic of working with yeast!

...the yielding rebound of risen dough under the pin.

...pretty pinched edges

...braid 'em all up

...Easy!

...a final rise, 20 minutes in the oven, a bit of drizzle and...

Ta Da!

Oh come on, you might say, how bad can my knitting show and tell be? Well first of all, I realized this morning looking at my Ravelry page, 7 of my last 8 FO's have been gifted away over the two months since our group last gathered.

Leaving me with recent knitting monogamy's yield of a correct and gauge-accurate/ladder-free partial sleeve. Riveting!

Thank goodness a bit of yeast and a couple of hours can fill my basket with something a little more exciting!

Thanks for dropping by today!

Progress On the Mitts

I think I've worked out a formula for the Thank You Mitts.

'Started the decreases later and began on front and back on two outside rows before commencing decreases on the side closest to the "trigger finger".

Once left with 8 stitches (16 total) I added one row straight and plan to graft the fingertip to yield a wee bit of width at the top of the fingers.

While all of it's fresh in my mind I've cast on for the second mitt planning to do thumbs and grafting on both mitts at the same time.

My chocolate "event" yesterday ended well with a successful arrival in one piece at the party but not before some dicey moments after pre cutting when the weight of all that ganache began to pull the slices outwards like a giant Terry's Chocolate Orange.

My solution was an organza ribbon around the whole works held in place by a tooth pick disguised with mint leaves.

Next came a call to my Beloved begging him to come home promptly so I could drive his automatic vehicle rather than my much jerkier, rougher riding standard. I worried the ribbon might not be up to start and stop rush hour traffic across the city.

Disaster averted! Cake delivered and I even got to bring home some leftovers for the guy who lent me his car!

Chocolate Chocolate Everywhere!

Just working on my contribution to the annual awards dinner at the obedience club where I train with Hudson.

Recently voted in after couple of years volunteering to demonstrate my worthiness I want to make a good impression. What better way than with the universal currency of chocolate?

And who better to go to for a recipe than Martha!

(I know, I know, lots of you hate her but if you're used to working with her recipes like I am her recipes have no equal that I've been able to find.)

The cake is laced with sour cream then filled and iced with mint chocolate ganache topped with chocolate mint leaves made by painting melted chocolate onto real leaves then peeling off and applying to the cake.

To be clear the ganache is made with 2 pounds of semi sweet chocolate melted into a litre of boiling whipping cream enhanced with a bit of salt, peppermint extract and corn syrup (for gloss!)

Yesterday I made the two layer cakes and the ganache

Today I am in assembly mode.

As experienced as I am with "Martha" I made two huge errors yesterday both of which yielded a quantity of chocolate on floor, cabinets and counters.

Nothing, however, compared to today. It is on everything...back splash is indeed splashed, coffee maker got hit, its on my clothes, all over the counter, the taps, tea towels, oven mitts, countless spatulas, knives, whisks and sheets and sheets of parchment and waxed paper. Hudson was spared but only just...I found spots on the floor right in front of the dog bed where he's been sleeping.

Aaaand of course I had to "taste" the trimmings I took off the tops to level them out before icing and as I iced the ganache ended up all over my hands - not just my fingers - all over my hands - I've had more than the odd "lick" of ganache so I also feel quite sick with the sweetness.

BUT IT IS GOING TO BE SO WORTH IT!

Darling Daughter has taken my camera with her on a trip we won (Swiss Chalet Dip 'n Win!) So I won't be able to really document it but I'll try to get at least one snap somehow for the record book and to share.

In knitting news I'm continuing to slog along on the thank you mitts. There has been ripping and much un-twining of twined yarns. It is not fun. I can only hope that like the cake it will ultimately also be worth the effort. Unlike the cake I am going on my "recipe" rather than an one developed by a team of experts so the a positive outcome seems much less certain.

Nonetheless...Onward!

Thanks for dropping by!

University Socks FO

Pattern: (63 stitch) Socks 101 by Kate Atherly

Source: Knitty.com

Yarn: Sheldridge Farm Soft Touch Fingering

Colour: Cornflower

Needles: 3mm dpns

Start: October 13 Finish October 17, 2012

As requested by Number One Son himself (modeled by yours truly)- wool socks! I couldn't believe it when he called just to say "Mom if you want to, you can make me some wool socks". 'Seems the heating systems at University aren't quite up to what he's used to! Whatever, I'm just happy to have a chance to convert him from wearing those hateful gym socks day in and day out!

I try to roast a Pie Pumpkin at the start of each week in October - keeping the mashed pulp in the fridge to cook with throughout the month. I made a double batch of Pumpkin Date muffins today. I'l take a dozen down to him with the socks.

His residence is close to the location of the Downtown Knit Collective meetings at Innes College, University of Toronto. I'll be down there tonight for the October meeting so I may as well dash over to his room after the meeting and drop off the goodies.

BTW the meeting tonight is supposed to be kind of a mass workshop. We're encouraged to bring along shawls (who doesn't have a stack of those these days?) and scarves so we can learn how to put the beautiful things we create to best advantage on our bodies and with our clothes.

Hey I'd better go pack some shawls into my bag too - look at the bottom of the program description!

Spectacle of Shawls – Farooq Ikram (Textile Museum, Toronto)

Farooq Ikram is a textile artist who holds degrees in Textile Design from the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan and Fashion Design Pattern Making from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY. He creates one-of-a kind fashion accessories and scarves using non representational forms with varied and vivid colour palettes. His designs are hand rolled and executed on high quality silk, giving a beautiful finish to his line. The accessories are not just functional pieces of fabric, but wearable art. He has worked as an Associate Professor at the National College of Arts and is now employed at the Textile Museum in Toronto. He continues to create and sell his line of one-of-a-kind, hand-painted fashion accessories throughout Canada and the United States.

Audience members are encouraged to bring knitted shawls with them to the meeting, and let Farooq help you display the beauty of the work of your hands. Farooq also encourages everyone to bring fabric shawls and scarves as well– he likes combining colours and textures in his demonstrations.

Maybe I'll see you there! Thanks for dropping by!

Happy Friday!

I'm hopeful for more knitting time at the cottage this weekend than last. This week we have no company and as is always the case, I will have a diligent "helper" in Hudson who is never far away!

I meant to post a link earlier in the week for this Italian Plum Tart on Rosemary Shortbread Crust that I made and we so enjoyed last weekend. The recipe was in the Globe and Mail last Friday so I grabbed it and a wee basket of Ontario prune plums and boy was I glad I did! (btw the Rosemary's influence was undetectable but probably still contributed to the overall flavour - if you try it don't leave it out for fear it will be too strong!)

The crust really is like shortbread so don't try this in a regular pie pan - you need the removable sides of a tart pan to get the thing out for serving.

Tart or no tart, have a great weekend!