#$%@*!!!!

Always listen to your inner knitter.

That is the moral of today’s lesson.

Why you ask? Good question.


I had been so pleased with myself and the Foliage Hat I was working on for my sister’s Christmas Present. I finally had some time to work on it this weekend and I was happily knitting away. I was enjoying the project as it was just coming together so beautifully, much better than the first time I knit the project about 2 years ago. I was thinking that I’ve really progressed as a knitter since this time around was so easy.


Boy was I freakin’ wrong.


As our plane began the descent from our flight back to Seattle, the little nagging knitter voice inside me was getting a little louder: this hat looks small. Really small for my sister. Then when I was just 7 rows from finishing, I really listened to my inner knitter: these needles also look a little small.


But the plane was landing so I just shoved the knitting and my inner knitter aside and went home.


Then, after the bags were unpacked and laundry churning away in the machine, did I dare open the knitting. I pulled out the project. And I pulled out my needle guide. Then I realized my mistake: the size 5 needles were actually size 3!!!


How could this happen I yelled (among other things I also yelled)? The empty size 5 needle package was also in the knitting bag. So where are these needles I wondered aloud? The hubby called this the Great Needle Thanksgiving Mystery.


I called it Really &%*#*%^ Annoying.


Now it’s all about the ripping out and starting over. Only this time, I’ve got the right needles. I’m sure of it. I just bought news ones instead of searching for my missing ones. Nothing like a little retail therapy to ease the knitting nerves.

A random list on a “short, easy holiday work week”

The hat I made for the hubby’s birthday was too big. Thanks Rebecca for the suggestion of washing/drying it. It’ll either shrink enough to fit either him or myself. I was on the verge of ripping it out and starting over. Not good.

 I’m annoyed/insulted that the car dealership only offered me $200 for my beloved car. So it’s only a1999 Plymouth Neon, but it’s been well taken care of, it’s super clean on the inside thanks to my Type A skills and it’s been loved much. They so don’t deserve Leon the Neon.

 If anyone one in the greater Seattle metro area needs a used car that runs well and has a cd player, drop me an email.

 I’ve lost the recipe for the one dish I was signed up to make tomorrow: homemade cranberry sauce. I know it calls for cranberries, sugar and apple cider vinegar. The rest is a bit of mystery.


Note to self: Google cranberry sauce. Don’t wing it for a family holiday dinner (that last quote courtesy of the hubby.)


Got another massive work project dumped on my plate yesterday.


I may be getting an intern next year to help me out. Am thankful that my boss has recognized that I’m beginning to get just a wee bit overwhelmed with work.


I have to write a show script, find a location for another show and deal with a few other fires before my plane leaves in just a few hours. No problem.


Here’s to a happy, healthy Thanksgiving with not so questionable cranberry sauce and a good bottle of wine to recoup from this “short and easy holiday” week!

Happy Birthday to the Hubby!

Today is the hubby's birthday!

But what do you get the guy that eats your "experimental" recipes; puts up with your vegetarian/crazy hippie cooking; installs a new headlight in your car that turns out to be way more complicated than we both thought; doesn't mind when we go to a bar to watch football and I bring my knitting and helps clean the house on a regular basis?

Nothing but a little hand knit love in the form of a new hat:

And an XBox 360 football game. But shhh....it's a secret!

Pattern: Kim's Hats from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in men size
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy worsted in Jungle Cloud

luv.

I am in love with my new yarn. I bought a skein of Malibrigo sock yarn in Stonechat. It will soon be cast on to be become my Ishbel.

That's what all the cool kids at Purly Girls are knitting. I'm loving their Ishbels so now it's time to get my lace knit on.

Fingers crossed. You know my history with the lace knitting. We're not BFF's. More like frien-enemys to say the least.

Some are keepers; others go straight into the compost

For the past few months I’ve been loving my new subscription of Everyday Foods by Martha. I read it on the bus (yes, that’s how much of a cooking nerd I’ve become, I read cooking magazines on the bus). I’ve tried dozens of new recipes and they have all been delicious and quite easy.


So imagine my surprise when I tried the latest one from the November issue called Beef Stew. As you know, I’m a sucker for a soup recipe and I figured I’d try a meat one for the hubby. But I gotta say, I had my doubts from the beginning.


Now I will admit here, that some of this is partly my fault. I forgot to take the stew meat out of the freezer before going to work that day. I tried to thaw it out before I started cooking it, but I only got part of it thawed and it was getting late. The recipe does take a while so I figured what the hell, and just started cooking. That wasn’t the only problem. The stew base was really a soup base and just so watery. I tried adding garlic. This recipe didn’t call for any garlic and that should have been my first clue. I’m always skeptical of any recipe that doesn’t have garlic because it’s so good….why not have it? I also tossed in some of my standby soup seasonings. Nothing. Didn’t help.


The hubby came home. I explained my concern. He was now concerned as he’d never really seen me this concerned over a meal that I hadn’t even eaten yet. We talked about alternatives. There really weren’t any and besides, I was determined not to let this recipe get to me. I powered on and made the rolls to go with the stew. The same rolls I make all the time. For some reason, they turned out not finished on the inside, and after tossing them back in the oven, I nearly burnt them trying to finish them.


We sat down to eat dinner, both of us filling up on the unburnt portion of rolls. The stew meat was chewy and bland. The “stew” was even blander. The hubby dumped a bunch of his favorite seasonings in his bowl which didn’t really help my self esteem. Or the soup.


In the end, we called this recipe not so good to say the least. Neither of us finished our helping. I was feeling bad for all the time, money, food spent on the recipe, but really, it wasn’t good.


But I managed to cheer myself up with a big bowl of popcorn and by watching Glee that night. And those two things made for quite the tasty dessert.

For Hannah and Olivia

Project: Kim's Hats

From: Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy

Color: Butterpeeps

For Hannah

For Olivia

Raveled project here.

Out of whack

The work life balance has been a little out of whack lately to say the least.

But, my big work project that has consumed my life for the past month is finally finished and behind me (and it was a HUGE SUCCESS if I may say so)!

Now, it's time for a little R & R, catching up with old friends that luckily are very patient with me and understand when my life gets ahead of me. It also happens to be getting into one of my favorite times of the year: holiday season. I'm ready to cozy up on the couch with a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, my knitting and the hubby (ok, so he really doesn't like to get cozy when I'm knitting....something about errant needles....).

I'm ready to get back in touch with my life, my family, my friends, my knitting and my home.

Thanks for your patience everyone.

I've missed you.

I call it the Quick-Easy-Healthy-Homemade-Soup-Despite-Not-Much-Cooking-Time

Or I call it the Haven't-Eaten-Enough-Veggies-In-A-While-Soup.

Whatever name you use, this soup rocks! It's super quick to toss together, even when you've got a totally crazy schedule. All you need are a few pantry/fridge staples and a little creativity and an appetite and you're set!

2 cans of Low Sodium/Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can white beans
a bunch of carrots cut up
a few Yukon Gold potatoes cut up
1 or 1/2 of an onion (I like the sweet ones, but really any kind work)
handful of orzo
a few crushed/chopped garlic cloves (or if you're really pressed for time - toss in some garlic salt)
salt/pepper/seasonings to taste

As you can see, I'm not big on measuring. It really depends on how many are eating the soup or how many days you want to take this to lunch. The thing I love about this soup is how versatile it is. For example, I've made it with Veggie Broth and tofu; zucchini makes a lovely addition as does chicken, sausage, whatever you've got on hand or are craving. Tonight I also tossed in a handful of spinach just for some extra goodness!

Serve sprinkled with parmesan, warm bread and enjoy!
*Sorry for the crappy pic, but my camera died when I went to take the pic. Since I didn't want it to get cold, I just used my camera phone. It doesn't take the best pics.