Red Velvet Cupcakes

Nearly Wordless Wednesday! Yesterday I made some red velvet cupcakes that turned out delicious and today I whipped up my favorite cream cheese frosting to top them. I followed this recipe for the cupcakes over at AllRecipes.com For the frosting I blended 8 ounces of cream cheese, 4 ounces of butter, 1 tsp of vanilla and a couple tablespoons of milk together until everything is nice and creamy. I added enough powder sugar until it was frosting consistency. It was yummy and I hope you are hungry now.

{Happy Baking}

This week’s dinner menu

These are this week’s dinner ideas, let’s see if I actually follow it!

• Homemade quick gnocchi with slow cooker pasta sauce and peas, organic green salad.{Sunday night}
• Teriyaki chicken kabobs w/ organic bell pepper, onion and pineapple. Veggies sushi rolls.
• Lentil rice casserole in tortillas with cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa and lettuce.
• Spaghetti & turkey meatballs in slow cooker pasta sauce, green beans
• Clam chowder, home baked bread and organic green salad.
• Honey mustard chicken, brown rice & broccoli.
• Turkey meatloaf, mashed sweet potatoes and green beans.

Lazy Lace Bandana

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

Introducing Lazy Lace Bandana, a cowl that has the look of a shawl wrapped around your neck but it won’t slide off! It’s a quick(about 4 hours to make) 1 skein knit pattern that looks great tucked under a coat in winter or with an open cardigan in the spring.

You can go with a more elegant look with a smooth solid color or zany and fun with a handdyed singles.

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Available for purchase through Ravelry.com & Paypal.com(you don’t need an account for either, just a credit card for Paypal)

$5    

12 in 12: I’m late

Here’s my “January”. A lightweight floral poly/nylon shell with a wide banded bottom, banded neck and banded armhole opening completely made on my Grandma’s Ruth gorgeous BabyLock serger (Thanks again for letting me borrow it!).

{Me trying to look cute while taking my own photo}

I drafted this shell loosely following a Simplicity cardigan back, cut a 6″ band for the bottom, 5″ band for the neck and 2.5″ bands for the armholes against the grain. I thought it was a 2-way stretch(ha!) but it worked out since it added more stability. This will be great in the summer with it’s loose fit and bright, lightweight fabric.

 

{My attempt to show the whole tank without looking like I have belly full of lunch, fail}

I only paid $2 for this top. Yay for clearance bin at JoAnn’s! I was there buying fabric for a friend’s baby shower which I will do a post on soon.

Goal: 12 garments in 12 Months

I thought I’d share some of this years sewing goals.

Sew 12 garments for me!

I want to fill in my wardrobe with clothes that fit well.

I love shopping. Online shopping. Fabric shopping. Online fabric shopping. So I scored some incredible deals shopping at fabric.com This is pretty ambitious especially since I’m a month behind

All stash fabric are listed in between the “~” symbols.

1. 3/4 sleeve tunic length top  ~black & white checkered rayon knit~
2. Short sleeve top ~shiny gray, red & silver diagonal stripe poly knit~
3. Tank top with Side Ties ~turquoise posh poly knit with diagonal stripes~
4. Cocktail dress ~green rayon-blend knit with gold metallic threads or pink taffeta with black lace overlay~
5. Summer wrap dress ~pink & orange hibiscus print poly/lycra~
6. Cowl necked sweater dress ~purple 3×1 rib knit poly~
7. Paper bag skirt or this skirt
   
8. Pleated & full party skirt ~pink taffeta or satin I can’t remember~
9. Tweed skirt or sweater cardigan ~purple 3×1 rib knit poly for the sweater~
10. Everyday skirt with pockets
11. Swimsuit ~neon green and black swim fabric~
12. Lightweight coat ~black rib for edging~

I also want to sew

• Mesh produce bags
• Headbands
• Scarves
• A purse
• Armwarmers
• Baby shower gifts(I already made a little kimono top)

What are your sewing goals for 2012?

Hungry? You will be.

Thanksgiving was a blast! We hosted the close by family this year(16 in total) at our house. It’s our first Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house and we certainly started with a bang I didn’t get a chance to sneak any pics of the food in but I saw cameras flashing so I guess someone must have been taking pictures.

 

Curious about the menu?

 

~Apps~

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Goat Cheese w/Honey & Cracked Black Pepper

Fresh Cut Veggies

Lots of Fancy Crackers

French Bread

 

~Main and Side Dishes~

A 22# Herbed Turkey (I use the same technique as for my roast chicken but using a turkey size bag and upping the seasonings and veggies.)

Apple & Cranberry stuffing(I think it’s technically dressing when it’s cooked outside the turkey?)

Hubby’s Garlic Yukon/Russet Mashed Potatoes

Whole Berry Corn-free Cranberry Sauce

My Mom’s Delicious Gravy

Dad’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Grandma D’s Famous Dinner Rolls

Grandma D’s Chopped Salad

 

~Sweets~

Mom’s Pumpkin Pie

Mom’s Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cousin K’s Kuken (Pie crust with custard type filling, sometime with toppings)

MIL brought a Chocolate Fruit Tart

 

If I made you hungry I did my job well. Now I must get back to stealth spinning for a long awaited Christmas present that must be done this year.

Happy belated Thanksgiving and happy snacking.

Ivy Tangle Mitts

I have something new to show you!

 

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Ivy Tangle Mitts- Third Installment in Ivy Tangle Collection

Ravelry.com page

You remember the hat and cowl from this Spring?

I couldn’t resist putting the lace pattern into these simple mitts!

Happy knitting

Recipe: Easy Roast Chicken and Chicken Stock

Roasting a whole chicken shouldn’t be intimidating, but too many people psych themselves out before they even start. Cooking a whole chicken isn’t scary and is great for a dinner party. Once the chicken is in the oven you’ll have time to do last minute party prep. Whole chickens are very economical(sometimes a 1/4 cost of cut pieces and you can make a fantastic broth from the bones and clinging bits of meat.), look impressive and have more flavor than boneless chicken. My recipe uses an oven bag so clean up is a breeze, no added fat and it still gets a nicely brown skin.

Ingredients and supplies:

• 1 large plate covered with 3-5 paper towels

• 1 3-4 pound whole chicken

• 1 onion cut into 1/8ths
• 2 carrots halved and cut into 2″ pieces
• Handful of celery leaves
• 1 tsp. of rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 oven bag
• 4 T. of flour
• 1 tsp. of onion powder
• A baking dish that has at least 2″ sides.

Note: the USDA answers many FAQs about poultry handling. From their website: “The USDA recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.”

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash chicken inside and out. Remove any giblets, place on paper towel lined plate and pat dry.
3. Stuff half of the onion and all of the celery leaves inside the cavity. Rub the salt and pepper all over the chicken.
4. Place flour and onion powder in oven bag. Close bag and shake to coat. Set bag in baking dish.
5. Place half of the onion and all the carrots in the oven bag. Set chicken on top of the carrots and onions.
6. Close bag with included tie, cut 6 half inch slits on top of bag.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, turn oven down to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 70 minutes or until chicken is cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees.
8. Let rest for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and serve.

For the chicken stock concentrate:

• The leftover chicken carcass with bits of meat attached, skin, carrots and onion.
• 4 whole peppercorns or use ground black pepper.
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 T. of apple cider vinegar
• Water to cover all

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 12 hours.
3. Using a colander strain meat, skin & bones from broth into a glass bowl.
4. Refrigerate until fat is solid, remove fat.
5. Freeze broth in desired portions.

To use: dilute with water to desired strength. Great to use as a base for homemade soups, cooking rice or anytime a recipe calls for broth.

New Pattern: Turning Point

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Maybe it was the golden tree leaves or an evening chill;
something suddenly makes you realize that the weather has reached a turning point and it’s time for a knitted piece to warm your shoulders.
Turning Point can be worn as a shawlette for that special event, or as a scarf wrapped around your neck every day on the way to work. With quick-to-knit basic lace and sparkly beads for a little challenge; at this weight you could probably knit one for your best friend and one for yourself before winter sets in.

 

Click on the slideshow to see more photos

 

For more details and to see the rest of this wonderful issue of KnitCircus please click here.
Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/turning-point

I-Spy

I hope everyone is having a great summer! Can you spot the little visitor in my backyard?