My 2nd Favorite Spot

Welcome to My Kitchen!

As mentioned in the blog title, this is my 2nd Favorite Spot in the house. The 1st is my Lazyboy where I do my knitting.

In addition to reading knitting blogs, I've also started reading food blogs. One of them is Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. Today (11/18/09) on Penny's blog, she's have a kitchen reveal and readers can share their kitchens. I'm happy to participate. By the way, Penny, you have an awesome kitchen!

We had our kitchen remodeled 7 years ago. It's a small area, so there wasn't much they could do to the layout; i.e. the stove still had to stay next to the refrigerator. We had the soffits torn out so the new cabinets could go to the ceiling for extra storage. Previously, we had cabinets from the ceiling hang over the peninsula which were also torn out so we could put recessed lighting above the long counter. The pantry cabinets to the left of the pocket door helps with storage also. My talented brother tiled our kitchen floor and mudroom. He's also the one that re-tiled our bathroom this past summer. That's our mudroom entry beyond the pocket door. (ignore the mess on the counter; the photo was taken at a different time than the one above.)
My Favorite Appliance.....

My 2 cast iron pans I'm starting to get seasoned just right and use more. My other pots and pans are Calphalon.

This plaque was my mom's long ago, and now it hangs next to my stove....

Below is my newest cookbook by another food blogger, The Pioneer Woman. This cookbook will certainly get lots of use. There's a lot of practical, delicious meals in there, one of which I made tonight and was a big hit. The white binder holds all the recipes I print off from other food blogs and hope to make one day.


Thank you for visiting my kitchen. I'll leave you with these yummy bars I just made. The recipe is from Taste of Home, Best-Loved Cookies & Bars 2009. They're fudgy brownies with a topping that tastes just like chocolate chip cookie dough.

Two-Tone Fudge Brownies

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Cookie Dough Layer:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

3 TBS milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to batter. Stir in the walnuts.

Spread into greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons over the cooled brownies; carefully spread over top. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Future Artisan

Gus has a class this year in 6th grade called Ancient Civilization. For the past few weeks they've been studying the Egyptian time period. Their project was to build a 4-sided, enclosed pyramid, wrap a "doll" in gauze for a mummy and place it in a "casket" with it's treasures. When Gus first told me about this project, he was thinking about using cardboard to make his pyramid (which had to be at least 6" high). I went beyond that and suggested using glass. He jumped at the idea.

A bit of background here: In another lifetime, my hobby for a number of years was doing stained glass. My brother built me an awesome workshop bench down in the basement, I took classes, bought all the tools and have quite a nice collection of glass. I've since moved on from stashing glass to stashing yarn, but that's beside the point.

Once Gus was committed to doing this pyramid in glass, he just happened to mention that it was a group project with 2 other kids. Great. Well, it ended up that one of them made the mummy & casket, and the other kid made the platform for the pyramid - Gus had most of the work to do.

So after an hour of cleaning off my workbench (including a dead mouse) from years of accumulated junk, we got down to business. Since the triangles needed to be pretty exact in size to fit together right, I cut the glass. I did show Gus how to cut glass with a glass cutter and use the breakers to break the glass on the score line. He thought that was pretty cool how all that worked and experimented on some scraps.

Once the triangles were cut, then his participation started. I showed him how to grind each piece of glass on the grinder - he did that wonderfully with no problem.

Then I showed him how to wrap each piece of glass in copper foil (to which the solder would then adhere to). He mastered that pretty good for a first-timer also.

Next came the intimidating part - the soldering iron. I showed him how to apply the flux to the copper foil and how to hold the roll of solder in the left hand while melting the solder with the iron in the right hand. That was tricky for him, but he marched on like the awesome trooper that he is.

All in all, his project was a one-of-a-kind, and his teacher was impressed because he had never had a student use glass for their pyramid before. The pieces of paper taped to the glass were the 3 student's names written in hieroglyphics which was also a requirement of the project.

One of the sides is a pinkish-clear glass, so you can see the mummy inside (which we super glued to the glass bottom so it wouldn't spill all over the place inside).

He asked me, "Does this inspire you to start doing stained glass again"?

I'll have to give this some serious thought.

Notice Anything?

Ok. I think I have a problem. What's wrong with these next 2 photos?


Any idea yet?......


Yea, they're kind of missing their mates.
I hope to get that problem resolved this winter. Luckily I do have other socks to wear in the meantime.

In my defense, I have been working on other projects also ~



This little girl's shrug I completed for my niece, Ava's 4th birthday. We're going over to Woodbury, MN next weekend to celebrate. I hope she likes it. She's such a sweet girly-girl that I can't imagine her not liking it.

I'm also working on this for Ava's new sister, Reese.


This is the back (which has been completed since I took the photo awhile ago). Reese will be 1 yr old in January, and this is a size 2. I hope to complete it by her 1st birthday. (Those socks may have to wait a bit longer...)

OK - Cousin Lynn - if you're reading this, you may not want to look any further. This is your Christmas present you asked me to make you.








This is a wrap that Lynn saw in The Black Purl (my LYS). The one she saw was a different color and she asked me to make her one in blacks and grays. It's various weights of yarn, knit on size 11 needles, garter stitch. I completed this in just over 1 week (and I can't get a matching mate done??? FPS)

My last installment of The Loopy Ewe Sock Club arrived today. I have been in this Club for the past 2 years. I just may throw my name back into the hat for a chance to get picked for next year's club. The patterns and yarns that Sheri from TLE chose were awesome. I received colors I would have never chosen on my own. There were a lot of nice patterns, but a few that I know I'll never do (cough. toe-up. cough).


This yarn is "the usual" by numma numma. The colorway is red bartlett pear. I love this color and the yarn is one I didn't have. The pattern is cuff down and one that I would like to do. What a nice way to end a 2 year stint in my first sock club.

OK - I think that's all the knitting news I have for you. I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but I really have been knitting on various things (except for the mates of those pesky socks).

Here's a photo of Gus carving his pumpkin last week,


..... and I never did share with you the sheep footstool I found at our local arts and crafts fair back in early September. I was so undecided about getting this and just stood in the lady's booth for awhile before breaking down and bringing him home to put in front of my knitting chair.


And what post wouldn't be complete without Sawyer's smiling face....

Do you have the One Sock Syndrome, or is it just me?

Show & Tell

Because this was intended to be a knitting blog and a then a miscellaneous family blog, I'll start out with THREE finished projects that I finally wrapped up recently. The two sweaters I started last fall/winter and the socks I started in July. Just to grab the attention of you knitters out there...

Pattern: Winterscape Socks by Kay Redding
Yarn: Shibui Knits, colorway: Seaweed

I made these for Gus's best friend's mom who has witnessed me knitting socks at our boys' baseball games for the past 2 years. She finally mustered the courage and asked me if I would knit her a pair. I graciously obliged and let her pick out the yarn she liked from my stash.


Pattern: Twist by Chic Knits
Yarn: Cascade 220

Modification: This pattern called for either a hoodie or collar. I'm not a hoodie kind of gal, so I did the collar.

Problem: It's too small for me (arrgghh!!)
Solution: Great Birthday gift for my sister (fits her perfectly)

In case you're wondering, Beth (owner & good friend of Black Purl, my LYS) is displaying this for awhile in her shop. It's much more flattering on the headless mannequin than on me.




Pattern: G'Day by Berroco, Book #276
Yarn: Berroco Jasper

Modifications: I did seed stitch instead of ribbing on the bottom, collar & cuffs

Note: This one fits me just fine!



Next time I'll let you know what's in the works now. Let's just say I'm giving sweaters (for me) a rest for while. I need to finish some mates of socks and a baby sweater. My big ambition for this winter's project to start (and hopefully complete) Girasole by Jared Flood. I have the yarn bought, so I'm pretty much committed.

Non-Knitting Stuff:

August 8, 2009 - Greg and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary by driving to Big Bay, MI and stayed at the Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast . Big Bay, MI is 25 miles north of Marquette, MI. Way up in the UP ya der hay. It was a pretty drive (5 hours of knitting time for me) and this cozy room awaited us for 2 nights.
















It was pretty cool, because we could go up onto the balcony right below the light, and also into the enclosed glass room where the light is. This is still a working lighthouse. The lens is owned and maintained by the Coast Guard, but the residence is privately owned and there are 7 rooms in the Bed & Breakfast.

The Happy Couple

Gus has been growing gladiolus for the past couple years. Grandma comes over and helps him plant the bulbs and then he's responsible for watering them until the County Fair arrives in early August. It's a matter of timing. A certain number of florets have to be open in order to enter. He won with 2 different glads this year. Below (the red glad) is the ribbon winner.

And to round things out for August, Greg turned 50 years old. The day was celebrated with good friends, adult beverages, a backyard fire and a 6 pound tenderloin on the grill.



And because the title of this post is Show and Tell. What do you think this is?...


Answer: Gus's upper back molar which got stuck in a Jolly Rancher and came out when he tried to pry it off with his tongue. Yes, the tooth semi-loose already.


September 1st: Back to School. Gus started 6th grade at a new school this year. He's now at the Middle School (6th & 7th graders). The next 2 years he'll be an early riser as his bus comes at 6:30 am.







Sawyer says, "It's too early to smile"

(knock, knock) Helloooo, Still With Me?

Ok, chalk the absence up to laziness. I'm guilty. Normally when I take on a project I'm pretty much gun-ho and don't waste any time in getting it done. I've even been chastised and ridiculed about this. But everytime I thought about blogging, it seemed like such a chore. I'm not short on topics, I just made it seem like a lot of work to sit down, upload photos, write text, tweak things, and post. What's so hard about that? Well, now it's September and I have to play catch-up.

I guess after July 4th, came our week-long vacation in Northern Wisconsin. St. Germain to be exact. A quaint little, woodsy town, away from the hustle and bustle of Central Wisconsin. (I see you snickering). We've rented this same cabin at the Cedaroma Resort now for 4 years. And we've booked the same week for next year also.

Our quaint home away from home straight up from the dock.

Gus fished....

and played golf with Dad....

.... and relaxed. Because that's what a vacation away from phones & computers is for.

And Me?....

This was my spot. In the screen porch. Out of the sun and away from the bugs. Here I read "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" and knit on various WIPs. The whoooole week.

While we were away. My loving, talented, generous brother, Mike, demolished and re-tiled our bathroom and we came home to this....

A million thanks again, Mike.

And what would July be if I wouldn't include some Flora

and Fauna....

Next post - August (includes our 22nd anniversary weekend, An 11 yr old gladiolus grower, a 50 yr Old Fart and a Finished Pair of Socks!) I have your interest peaked now, don't I?

Socks & A Salad

TA DAAAAA!! I kitchnered two toes last night. One pair is completed, and the other still needs a mate.

These I called my Baseball Socks because I knit on them at Gus' baseball games. His games are now all done, and so are these socks.

Yarn: Misty Alpaca, Colorway #10; 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 10% Silk, 10% Nylon

Needles: Size 2 DPNs

Pattern: Plain ole' Stockinette

One Marlene sock is done and I'll probably knit the mate while we're on vacation in a few weeks.

Yarn: Madelintosh, Colorway: Tern

Needles: Size 2 Addi Turbos, 16"

Pattern by: Cookie A (featured in Fall/Winter 2008 Knit 1 magazine)

We're going to a friend's house later today for a 4th of July party. I volunteered to make my Fruit Salad, and thought I'd share the recipe with you.

1 small pkg Vanilla Pudding (NOT instant)

1 large can Pineapple Chunks (save juice)

1 large can sliced Peaches (save juice)

1 can of Mandarin Oranges (save juice)

1 jar of Maraschino Cherries (save 1/2 the juice)

1-2 Bananas, sliced

Green grapes (whole or halved, whichever you prefer)

Save all the fruit juices together and measure out 1 1/2 cups. Add juice to pudding mix in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring & cooking until thick. Cool slightly. Slice bananas into pudding, mix and stir to coat. Pour over drained fruit and gently mix together. Bananas will not turn black. Keeps for 3-5 days. Refrigerate until cold enough to serve.

Here's a colorful photo of the bowl I made this morning. I doubled this batch.

(Sneaky 11 yr. old boy's hand not included)