Knitting In The North

Fresh Bread

 

 

I'm sitting out the Yarn Along this week - I wrote a final exam last night, and am feeling wiped and a bit brain dead.  Lately, though, whenever I have a day at home, I've been whipping up a batch of bread, and it was the perfect therapy for this morning.

 

A few weeks ago I came across this post, which just makes bread making sound like the easiest thing ever (which it is, really).  It has a great recipe that I've been using, and I find something about the mixing and waiting to rise and the smell of the yeast and the kneading that is so soothing and affirming. 

 

Plus, eating a slice of fresh, warm bread, smothered in butter & honey, is just about the best thing in the whole world.  Yum.

 

Spring Goodness

 

 

Spring seems to have finally arrived here, although snow still lingers here and there, and is likely to show it's face again before the season is out.  Although nothing is blooming yet outside for me, I picked up some lovely yellow tulips to brighten my table.  It's amazing how fresh flowers can improve the feeling of a room.

 

 

 

The other day at the grocery store, I found cases of mangoes on sale, and so I spent my Sunday afternoon chopping and preparing while I mixed up a batch of mango chutney.  It's a favourite in my family, which means I need to start making double batches - out of the four jars that came out of the canner, only one gets to stay with us!  I'm glad everyone loves it so, though.  I couldn't lay my hands on my own recipe yesterday, so I used this one, which is pretty close.  I left the mango chunks bigger this time, because I think it looks prettier in the jar.  This might be kind of silly, since it doesn't seem to stay in the jar very long, but I don't care.

 

I used the last of my regular snap canning lids, and so now plan to try some of these reusable canning lids.  It's bugged me for years that I can't reuse my lids, and I hope these are going to work amazingly well.   Have you tried them?  I'm excited about the lack of waste, but I think I'm going to miss that delicious popping sound as the jars seal.  It's so satisfying...

One Left

 

 

You can always tell when a new cookie recipe is a hit in our house because the batch doesn't last until the next day.  Katie was inspired to do some baking yesterday afternoon, and when I went to sneak a cookie to enjoy with my morning tea, this lone specimen was all that remained (Liam snagged it right after I took the picture, so now I'm sadly cookie-less. Time to do some baking myself, I think.)

 

No matter how busy life is, we like to have a nice family meal together on Sunday, and last night I cooked up some of this amazing pudding for dessert.  While the pudding was still hot off the stove, I put one of these cookies in the bottom of each bowl, and then poured that chocolatey goodness over top.  Oh, Yum.  If you would like some of this richness in your own life, here is the cookie recipe, from one of my favourite cookbooks, Not Just Beans.

 

 

Walnut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter

6 Tbsp sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup walnuts

powdered sugar

 

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add flour, vanilla and nuts.  Roll into walnut-sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet and lightly flatten.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, place on waxed paper and sprinkle with or roll in powdered sugar.  Makes 3 dozen.

Autumn Busyness

 

This is such a busy time of year!  School has started, the garden is getting wrapped up and tucked away for winter, there's firewood to store away, winter clothing to prepare...  You know the drill, right?

 

With three kids in school full-time this year, I made the big decision to return to school myself.  In years past, I had been in the Business program at our local college - when I went in to talk to a counselor, I realized that I simply needed 4 electives in order to finish up, and so I bit the bullet.  My plan before had been to pursue an accounting designation, but frankly, this holds absolutely no appeal to me any longer.  So, I decided to take university transfer courses, in the event that I ever figure out what I want to do when I grow up, and return to school with a degree in mind. 

 

By taking two classes per semester, I'll be finished up by the end of the school year, and graduate with a piece of paper that says I actually accomplished something during these years I've spent at home!  This semester, my courses are English & Psychology 101 - and I'm loving them.  They are both stretching me quite a bit, and I'll admit to the occasional breakdown, when I become convinced that my mommy brain is too old and out of practice to do this.  I'm determined, however, to make it work, and the process, while tough, is really, really good.

 

 

 

On top of school work, the garden is slowly being tended.  The kids were especially impressed with our heirloom carrots  (they're a super cool purple on the outside, but traditional orange inside), while Stuart & I are loving the baby potatoes.  My plans for preserving much of the harvest this year have not panned out, but I suppose there's always next year.  I'm grateful that we have the luxury of putting that off for a year, without our family suffering a lack of food - we are so fortunate here, with our abundance of good food from all over the world!

 

This week, we begin our collection of firewood for the coming winter - it is one of my ultimate favourite outside chores, and I can't wait!  The whole process is amazingly satisfying.  Sitting in front of a fire when it's roaring outside with wind and snow, and knowing that you provided the means to keep the family warm - it's self-sufficiency at it's best!

 

So, tell me!  What are you up to?  Are you preparing for winter?  Or spring? 

Trial Run

 

 

As preparation for the big road trip ahead, we took the kids out last weekend, meeting another family for a camping trial run.  You know, to find out what we're missing (dish washing stuff?  marshmallow roasting sticks?  facecloths?), and make sure everything is in good working order.

 

Like every year, I was struck again with the wonder of how much I love to camp with my little crew.  Really, I think the best part is the lack of electronics - no phone, no TV, no dishwasher, even.  Without all the distractions, we can all actually spend time together in a different way than is usual at home, and it's awesome.  

 

 

 

An essential part of the experience, obviously, is marshmallows over the fire, and here is my super duper tip for the season.  (I'm think I saw this somewhere on the internet last year, although where, I have no clue.)  S'mores are super fun, although messy, and I find assembling all the pieces a bit of a nuisance.  Enter chocolate covered cookies (these are store brand digestives).  You just squish that soft, gooey marshmallow right between two cookies, and you're good to go.  (Question - have the marshmallows and cookies gotten sweeter?  I couldn't even finish one this year; too much for this mama!)  Next time - maybe I'll make the marshmallows myself!

 

 

How To Make a Rainbow

Making Liam's rainbow birthday cake was something I've been longing to try since last year around this time.  I first saw the idea here, and then later came across this link at good ol' Martha's.

This is nothing new, obviously, but it sure was fun for us!  I used Martha's cake recipe for the batter.  I don't always have my camera at hand when I would like it, but I did on our baking day - here's how it looked at our place:

 

 

 

 

It's so nice to be proven right - you can never have too many thrifted bowls!

 

 

 

 

 

 You can also never have too many helping hands, when it comes to mixing.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't you just want to squish your hands into all that colourful goodness? 

(Hmmm, maybe that's just me?)

 

 

 

 

 

Like Meg said, even the dirty dishes are happy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...although the finished cakes (and seeing them come out of the oven in one piece!) was happier for me.

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't until this point that I could stop holding my breath,

 

 

 

 

 And the finished cake was a glorious surprise for the guests at the party!  Success!!  (Phew.)
  
 
 
 

Fresh

 

 

With the weather starting to warm up, I find that my baking needs to be done first thing in the morning.  Liam & I tend to be the first ones up around here (I wake to a little voice calling, "Moooommmy, Moooommmy, Mom!  Mom!  Mom!), so once I make a cup of tea and get him settled, I start thinking about what to get into the oven.

 

I read this post over at a Friend to knit with, and thought mini-scones sounded like a great idea.  I couldn't find cinnamon chips here, but butterscotch ones were found acceptable by the kids (with a little brown sugar sprinkled on top, instead of cinnamon/sugar mix).    

 

It's quite nice to have something fresh from the oven in the morning, and getting the baking done like this is guaranteed to make you feel productive.  (You know - "Wow, the kids haven't even left for school yet, and my baking is done for the day!"  or even better, "Here kids, take a fresh scone with you, to eat on the way to school" .  Definite 'Good Mom' brownie points there.)

 

 

Birthday Boy

Things to remember now that Liam is two:

 

• The answer to any question is a definite and very firm NO.

 

• All food must now be consumed in it's "big" form - no more 1/2 bananas, bits of toast, or sharesies.

 

 

 

 

• Having a birthday is all about the cake.

 

 

 

• However, lit candles are very disturbing (as is everyone's sudden undivided attention).

• Bob The Builder is a really big hit.

 

 

 

 

• But no matter how big "2" is, at the end of the day, a soother & a tiger are still absolutely necessary for a weary boy.

 

 

 

 

Oh, Martha!

One of my absolute, most favourite things about blogging is this:  I feel secure in the knowledge that I am not the only person in the world who wanders around in her back garden with a tasty treat on a napkin... not looking for a place to enjoy a snack, but to get a good photograph.  Oh, so reassuring.

 

 

 

 

 

I have a small confession to make - I don't particularly care for Martha Stewart.  I know -  some of you will be appalled, some of you will agree, and some won't care (yet another thing I enjoy about blogging). 

 

Anyway... Martha.  She just kind of bugs me.  And I think what bugs me the most is that she's almost always right about stuff.  Which is why, even though she annoys me, I have taken to trying out her recipes.  Which has led to yet another winner in our household - the Rhubarb Crumb Bar.  This has been such a hit, in fact, that the first pan was gone before Stuart got home from work that day, so I had to quickly whip up another.  (It was a hardship, believe you me.  More cake.  Yikes.)   If you find yourself with some rhubarb and no idea what to do with it, or just like the idea of a sweet but not too sweet treat for your own bunch, you might want to check it out.  Thank you, Martha.

 

Egg Hunting

 

 

 
 

We've had such strangely warm weather, I was hoping to have our Easter candy hunt outside this year, but the frost was thick Sunday morning.  Stuart & I did the honours in the living room and dining room, as usual. 

Much fun was had by all, and the big kids did a really good job leaving the low-lying bits for the younger ones.  Liam was much taken by the yellow Peep he found.  He marched it up and down the coffee table, quacking and cheeping alternately.  It had many hugs, and even one sweet kiss on the beak, before the boy realized that a Peep was good eating, and bit the head off.  (This one will have no trouble with the whole Circle of Life thing, I'm thinking.)

Another Sweet Sunday morning with my crew...