Birthday Cake and Goat's Milk

Sorry to all of you on diets, but this week's recipe is chocolate cake. I baked it for my brother's birthday. It is super yummy but I haven't found the perfect frosting so you'll have to figure that out on your own.

Chocolate Birthday Cake
2 Cups packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter (no subtitutes)
2 Cups cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 squares baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 Cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Melt chocolate in double boiler and set aside. Sift together cake flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time to butter-sugar mixture until well blended. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Add cooled chocolate and blend well. Add 1 cup of hot water and blend until smooth. Pour batter into 2 9-inch cake pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray and lightly floured or lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

This cake was yummy and flaky and we still have half of it in the fridge. I leave tomorrow for my trip to the Women's Lambing Weekend at Heifer International. Check back next week for photos and to find out the answers to burning questions like: What is it like to milk a goat? How exactly do you ride a water buffalo? How much can one knitter knit on a train trip to Arkansas?

Quirky Podcast

I've been listening to old episodes of the Quirky Nomads podcast. From their website:

Quirky Nomads Podcast: The story of a family that said, “If the Republicans get any worse, we’re moving to Canada.” And then? They really did.

This eclectic podcast is broadcast five times a week. Monday through Thursday, it’s a 10 minute show featuring listener participation, overheard conversations, stories, and parodies. On Friday, the show is a longer format - anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour - featuring original audioplays, the panel game Quirky Quiz, the Dangerous Film Club, and interviews with interesting people. The show is run by Sage Tyrtle, a writer and homeschooling parent, with the help of listeners and fellow podcasters.

If you don't have an Ipod or other MP3 player, you can listen to it online at http://quirkynomads.com/wp/. Be aware that they don't always use child-safe language. I haven't listened to many recent episodes yet but the older ones have been entertaining. Check it out!

What to Knit Next

I'm pretty far along on my second mitten. I should be able to wear them next week. It's still cold in the mornings when we walk Cheyanne to school. The only snow that's left is really more ice than anything else and very soon that will be gone too. I know some of you have spring flowers blooming already but it's a bit too early for that up here.

I'm wondering what to knit next. I have yarn and a pattern for a sleeveless shell as well as yarn for a sweater for Cheyanne. I haven't settled on a pattern for her yet. I'll keep you posted on what I choose. Can you even stand the suspense? What are you knitting or otherwise creating?

The recipe this week is:
Spicy Honey Chicken - adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tps chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
3 large chicken breasts
5 TBSP honey
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Preheat broiler. Combine all spices in large bowl. Coat each chicken breast with the spice mixture. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Place chicken on pan. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side. Combine honey and vinegar in small bowl. Remove chicken from oven and brush 1/2 of the honey mixture. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken and brush with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 minute or until chicken is done.

Slideshow of 2006 Trip to Alaska

Here is a slideshow of our trip to Alaska last summer. Click on the photos to find out more about them. If you have trouble viewing them, refresh the page. Enjoy!

Flickr Slideshow

Happy Spring T-shirt Project

Today my nieces and I made some t-shirts to celebrate the first day of spring, which I guess starts tomorrow night. I found instructions for the project in the April/May 2007 issue of Wondertime magazine. You will need newspaper, Sharpies in assorted colors (or other permanent markers), plastic cups or empty baby food jars, rubber bands, eye dropper or small medicine dropper, and rubbing alcohol. Put the cup inside the shirt and stretch the rubber band over the t-shirt and cup. Using a permanent marker draw a small dotted (or solid) circle in the center. They recommend placing a bottle cap in the middle and drawing a dotted circle around it but I didn't bother. Drop approximately 20 dops of rubbing alcohol into the blank center of the circle. As the fabric absorbs the alcohol, the ink will spread. Let it dry for 5 minutes. Put newspaper or cardboard inside the shirt and draw stems if you wish. When the shirt is completely dry, put it in a dryer for 30 minutes then wash, dry and wear! We all enjoyed this project and I made one for myself too!

One Hand Will Be Warm

Here is the convertible mitten I have been working on. I used the Memories 100% merino wool yarn from Knit Picks in the color "Rocky Mountain Dusk." They are a bit snug. A number of you have so graciously offered to take them off my hands (pun intended). I think I'll keep this pair. The nice thing about wool is that if I wet it down a bit I can probably stretch it enough to fit just right. I think I'll start on the second one tonight!

It All Comes Back to Gauge

I'm almost done with my first convertible mitten. The flap on the back has been trickier than I expected but I think I've figured it out. The problem is, I didn't do a gauge swatch. If you're an experienced knitter you are probably shaking your head. If you don't knit or you're just learning you might wonder, "Is that really necessary?"

Knitting a gauge swatch involves knitting a test square with the needles and yarn you hope to use. Then you measure the stitches per inch to see if they match the pattern and change needle size if you need to. If you want an item to fit, it is pretty important to check your gauge. I know that, yet I decided to jump in anyway. I'm getting 9 stitches per inch and the pattern calls for 8. That means my mitten is smaller than it is supposed to be. I think I'll be able to wear them anyway. I could knit the second one on bigger needles but I don't know yet. Stay tuned to see a photo of my finished mitten!

You Know You Knit Too Much When...

you choose what you want to wear for the day based on which hand-knit wool socks you want to wear.

Box Elder Bugs Arrive

My nieces are very excited that the
box elder bugs are back!

Sharing the Warmth of Wool

Here is my sister-in-law posing in the wool sweater that I finished knitting this week. Although it feels more like spring this week, she assures me that it is still cold in the city on her way to work. For yarn and pattern details, go to my First Blog Ever.

The Whole World Did Melt!

That was Ember's (age 2) response to the sudden spike in temps this week. It is in the 40's, maybe the 50's today! The kids can finally see everything they left in the grass before the snow fell. We'll still have a good covering of snow in the backyard for at least another couple of weeks. Ember left a voice message on my blog. Double click on her name in the voice message box and give a listen!

Tonight I am making General Tso's Chicken. It requires a large number of ingredients but it is worth the effort!

General Tso’s Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
5 TBSP dry sherry
1 TBSP + 2 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP oyster sauce
2 TBSP water
2 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil
1 TBSP minced, peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 green onions, chopped
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine chicken, 2 TBSP sherry, 1 TBSP cornstarch and the oyster sauce in medium bowl. Marinate 5 minutes.

Combine 3 TBSP sherry, water, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and remaining 2 tsp cornstarch in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture. Stir-fry until lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, scallions and crushed red pepper; stir-fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add celery and bell pepper; stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in sherry mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens and chicken is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Not Just Socks

I finished the blue sweater I was knitting for my sister-in-law. Check back to see if I convince her to pose for a picture while wearing it. My new project is Convertible Mittens from the book Not Just More Socks by Sandi Rosner. They are the kind with a flap that opens so you can use your fingers and still have warmish hands. I'm hoping to finish them before going to a Women's Lambing Weekend at Heifer International in Arkansas later this month. I can't wait to tell you all about it! I guess we're going to watch sheep give birth, make goat cheese and ride water buffalo. Curious, aren't you?

Never Knit Your Man a Sweater

Some of you may read the title of this post and think, "Wait! Does she have a man in her life? Did she knit her heart out for him and then lose him?" Don't worry. I haven't found the poor guy who will have to respond appropriately to knitted gifts from me. I did find a book called, Never Knit Your Man a Sweater *unless you've got the ring! by Judith Durant. The book gives ideas of projects to knit for a man from [Check Him Out] Coasters to the [Bells Are Ringing] Diamond Classic Cardigan. Judith says, "Here you'll find hats, socks, and mittens that are relatively quick to complete so that just in case you were wrong about your relationship, you won't have wasted too much time." I especially like the [Let's Go Away for the Weekend] Ski Hat and the [He's Moving In] Half-Zip Pullover. If you are a knitter looking for things to knit for a man, check this book out!

Family Videos

Want to see some videos of my adorable nieces? Check out my brother's MySpace page. Unfortunately I think you might have to sign up with MySpace to view them so here are some still pics too.














I also had another idea for this blog and that is...recipes! I enjoy cooking and I don't like to make the same thing twice so I go through lots of recipes. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes make things that we have enjoyed before. This week I tried a new recipe for Grilled Thai Chicken that even Cheyanne (age 5) enjoyed. Since we still have a foot or more of snow on the deck, I didn't use the grill but opted for the oven instead. Here is the recipe:

Grilled Thai Chicken:
1/2 Cup mango chutney
1/3 Cup pineapple juice
1/3 Cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBSP Canola oil
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in half

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken and marinade in Ziplock bag and refridgerate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. Cook on grill, broiler or bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with veggies and rice.

Still catching up

I've discovered podcasts. I actually discovered them last fall and I'm still thrilled about it! Right now I am catching up on old episodes of Cast On by Brenda Dayne. I'm at about episode 17 or 18 now. Just like with the Grey's Anatomy DVD's I watched straight through, I'm worried I will suffer withdrawal when I get through all of the Cast On podcasts. It is a bit strange to knit one thing while listening to someone talk about knitting something else but she plays great music and talks about her life in Wales. I wonder if I could do a podcast...except I'm not much of a talker.

Other Addictions

I have a confession. Besides knitting, I am also addicted to Grey's Anatomy. I checked out Season 1 from the library and I was hooked. I just finished watching Season 2 and now I have to figure out how to find the current season's episodes so I can watch them in order. I really am a Type A personality.

First Blog Ever

Okay, so I don't really read blogs and I don't know if I will want to write one but I'll give it a try. I imagine it will mostly involve updates on what I am knitting since that is my obsession. Is anyone else obsessed with finding every knitting pattern book ever created? We have an awesome library system in Minnesota where I have found nearly every book I have searched for. My newest favorite is Cables Untangled. Although I have never tried to cable, all the knitters assure me that it is easier than it looks. My current project is the Bulky V-neck Pullover by Knitting Pure and Simple. I'm using the Shamrock yarn from KnitPicks. I'm also making a pair of wool socks from 2 skeins of Limbo Mexico that I found for about $1.25 each at a Len's Mill in Ontario, Canada. I've seen them around here for $12 per skein so I think it was $2.50 well spent. That's all for now. I'm going to see how well this works. I wonder if anyone will read it...