Things to come, a teaser post

A quick view at Ravelry shows that I have been knitting for 10 years come this fall.

A decade of fiber and creating.
One hundred and twenty months of making things and sharing them.

Some of that time includes spinning.
Some of that time includes designing my own patterns.

Most of that time has been making things and not writing down how I did what I did to make what I made.

The good news is that a new pattern will be written up soon! The first prototype was finished and soon a second test will be done. And then a document and some photos put together. Finally, the results will be published.

The Hoodie Scarf. Coming soon!

In other news I finally went to a local fiber event. I got to attend the Back to Back Wool Challenge.
An annual get together of spinners and knitters to see if they can beat last year's record of time from raw wool to sweater.


The participants used spinning wheels and supporters had drop spindles, wheels, looms, hooks and needles in use all around.



Watching them go has reminded me of my own spinning wheel, terribly neglected as it has been. Soon, it will come back out for use. I will make a new attempt at using all those rovings and batts that I have been collecting.

Sooooon.....

Learning by Doing

Practice often offers its own rewards.





In this case, the idea is to practice knife skills. Particularly, chopping onions.

Have you seen Julie and Julia?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYc2gemLrbY

Practicing knife skills is very important, but what do you do with the mound of onions?

Slow Cooker Sauteed Onions!
3 lbs of onions filled up my cooker. As cooker sizes vary, I suggest not over committing to the number of onions.




I then melted a stick of butter, poured that on top and tossed to coat. BONUS: You can put your cooker on warm and melt your butter as you are cutting onions, reducing the amount of dishes.

 

Here you see the onions after 6 hours of cooking on LOW.

I would go in an stir them every so often, but honestly you can set this part up for while you sleep. They don't need any attention. As you can see, 3 lbs of onions cooks down a lot. 

I did add a pinch of kosher salt to the mix, roughly 12 hours into the cooking time.

Disclaimer: I don't actually like onions.
To make the onions more tasty, I cook them a complete 24 hours. I even prop the lid for a few hours to reduce the juices and really brown those suckers.

Because I started my recent batch during the day, I set them to WARM overnight and then resumed cooking on LOW as I made my coffee.

Yes, your house will smell like sweet onions.
Yes, the onions will be sweeter as they cook.

No, you don't have to eat them as is. But if you want too.... I mean, I guess... if that is your thing and all. Not judging.


Today I will portion up the onions into an ice cube tray for frozen small portions that can be added to any meal (thus, cutting down on future cooking time) and slightly larger resealable bag size for bigger dishes.
These things are very usable and much loved.

I say that because last time I made this I had taken a full 3 cup plastic tub to a friend's house as my contribution to thanksgiving dinner. An event I did not even get to attend due to other events, but when I did show up to collect any leftovers, it turns out there were none.
All my friend did was thaw them and set the bowl of onions out. Every shred was consumed.


So, knowing that this is a recipe that doesn't go to waste I will continue to make this every so often. Which means I will continue to get practice at my knife skills.

- - - - - - -

So, I have decided to move toward advertising on this blog.
This will start with a link for signing up for Amazon Prime.

Why go Prime?
My personal reasons include getting a discount on a lot of stuff, FREE 2 day shipping (on prime items) and the movies.
Honestly, the selection of instant watch movies and shows on Prime is worth the cost of the annual membership. If you break it down, it is $8.25 per month to watch things that other streaming video sites often don't have.

That is why I signed up.
You can try it out for free and check out the streaming selection or just enjoy discounts and 2 day free shipping.

30 Day Free Trial for Amazon Prime 

Damned if it didn't happen again.

Sorry about that.....
So, how about an update?


First, the cooking side:

Pictured on the left, two pounds of strawberries sliced up and I-don't-know-how-much frozen berry mix from Trader Joe's, covered with about a quarter cup of honey.
This was placed in the slow cooker, put on low and stirred occasionally over a 4-6 hour time.

The result is a tart and tasty fruit compote that can be added on top of anything.
It is even better warm, but you can chill or freeze it to keep it around.
Bonus: Add some cream cheese and use it as a spread on biscuits.

It has been received with much love by my partner. Often, with a quick request for more.

During the time I have not been blogging (or knitting), I have been studying photography.
I have a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MariMixedArts
There is an etsy page for signed prints, as well as other sites for direct ordering prints.

While I have not been knitting, I have been moving (again).
And happily, I have acquired a new bed that has drawers attached. And those drawers fit all my yarn with room left over.

I believe this means I need more yarn.
You agree, don't you?

Another post about FOOD!

Even though I do have knitting projects I am working on (as well as other bits of creating), I find myself inspired to post recipes right now.

I blame Pintrest.

And now for one of the most favorite dishes in my household:

Cheesy Noodle Mix
(It is so loved, that it has to be made in a double batch, but I am posting the original recipe)

Software:
2 cups medium shell pasta
1lb Spicy Italian Sausage(1)
2 cups FINELY(2) shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 can Rotel; Drained
1/2 cup sour cream

Hardware:
1 large pot for cooking pasta
1 skillet for browning sausage
spatula for breaking up sausage and stirring it
spoon for stirring pasta

Step 1: Get that water boiling for the pasta.

Step 2: Remove sausage from the casing, break it up and get it good an brown in the skillet.

Step 2.5: During the sausage cooking, water should be boiling, so add the pasta. Timing usually works that when the pasta is done, so is the sausage.

Step 3: Drain Pasta thoroughly, then add Sausage to Pasta.

Step 4: Add Cheese and mix in.

Step 5: Add Rotel and sour cream and mix that in too.

Step 6: Once it is good and mixed (looking like the picture below), dish and EAT!

Step 6.5: If you made a double batch like I do, remember to get the extra into your storage tubs pretty quickly. If you don't get lunches dished up, even the extra may get picked up for extra helpings at dinner.

(1) the emphasis is placed because I tried it once with a thick shred and it was lumpy. Learn from my fail.
(2)- we have been using spicy Italian turkey sausage, to avoid pork. You can find chicken ones in most markets at the meat counter.

Recipe: Easy Feta Chicken Bake

An easy meal that usually makes more than enough for dinner and a lunch or for the next day.

(I used to make it, when I was single, for work lunches for the whole week.)

Easy Feta Chicken Bake

Prep time: 15 mins 

Software:

1lb skinless chicken tenderloins (or breasts that have been cut to be thinner/longer strips)

1Tbsp lemon juice, divided (or, like me, just grab one lemon and know you will be squeezing it twice)

Salt and Pepper

1pkg (4oz) ATHENOS crumbled Feta Cheese with Basil & Tomato

2 or 3 standard tomatoes diced, or a package of grape tomatoes halved (or quarted, your call)

Lots of fresh Basil leaves

2 cups of rice, your choice of style

Hardware:

1 Casserole dish for baking in

1 knife for dicing tomatoes and shredding basil 

1 Oven; preheated to 350

1 Rice Cooker

Whatever Bento box or resealable containers you want to use for lunches

Process:

Step 1: Arrange chicken in casserole dish

Step 2: Sprinkle with lemon juice

Step 3: Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper 

Step 4: Put Feta on top of Chickens (might need to press pieces into chicken to make them stick, but it doesn't have to be perfect)

Step 5: Place Tomatoes and Basil between chicken

Step 6: Drizzle the rest of the lemon juice in (sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper onto the tomatoes if you want)

Step 7: Bake for 30-40 mins at 350 (until chicken is cooked through)

Step 8: Start rice in the rice cooker

Step 9: EAT!!

Final Steps include dividing up any remaining chicken onto rice into travel containers for lunches.

It is very easy to do.

Not terribly expensive (depending on chicken prices in your area)

It is fairly quick to make.

And it makes more than one meal.

All my favorite things!

Catching up with the times

After a lot of kicking and screaming, I have joined Pintrest.

As such, I have decided it would probably be a good idea to revamp this blog, just a bit. Which is to say, I will be posting cooking and recipe things now as well as knitting things.

Stop laughing.
I expect this will help increase posting frequency.

Seriously, you are going to hyperventilate if you keep laughing that hard.

Anyway.....

I have been knitting lately. In fact, the weather is cooling off and I am itching to start more projects. Alas, I am afraid to let the current project get any downtime. It is a blanket. These things usually take years for me to complete because I get too bored. I am tying myself down to finish this one before starting anything else.

Laughing yourself to tears, now? Really?

Stop laughing and admire the blanket:

And now for something different

In a take away from the normal (although far between) knitting posts, I shall now post a recipe of my own design.

I call it, Rattlesnake Bake (based off of Rattlesnake Pasta from Uno's)

1 box Penne pasta (I used wheat); cooked to box directions
2 15oz jars Alfredo sauce (or 30 oz home made sauce)
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can Rotel
1 small can diced jalapenos (add as much as desired, I did not use the whole can and pickled are better than fresh for this dish)
2 cups or more of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups Panko bread crumbs

In a large casserole dish, place cooked penne pasta, add Alfredo and stir. Then mix in cubed chicken and a mostly drained can of Rotel. Add diced jalapenos as desired for increased heat. Top with cheddar (the more the better) and then add panko on top of that. Bake at 400 or so to brown the panko.

Eat for a week.

Enjoy!