In the Kitchen | Apple Pecan Cobbler

Winter has arrived and the boys enjoyed playing in the fresh snow this morning.

We've all adjusted nicely with our new addition and Rollo seems to have settled into life as part of our family - he's a bit bullheaded at times, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for a husky and it usually makes us giggle when we're trying to reprimand him.

We survived the holidays and I finished my knitted projects just in time. I would love to share the photos I took of the 6 hats I knit, but sadly they were all lost due to a faulty SD card, with one super cute exception:

Things have been a whirlwind since the holidays - prepping for the Firefly Fibers Winter KAL & 2015 Sweater Club, we've also added a Sock of the Month at the shop and this month's yarn from Renee of Spun Right Round is pretty fabulous (and queued up for tonight's knitting).

And... some of the ladies at the shop collaborated on a KAL - A Year of Washcloths. It's sure to be great fun with a new washcloth design each month selected by one of the shop knitters - anyone can join the fun over on our Ravelry thread here. Mr. Yarnista even got his own Raverly account because he was challenged by one of the shop knitters - he's BigMikeMike and you should add him to your Ravelry friends.

I've been under the weather for the last few days, but today I started feeling better (thanks to 12 hours of sleep last night) and this morning I was able to spend some time in the kitchen. Back in November, the lovely and talented Julie Asselin posted a recipe for her Apple Pecan Cobbler. As luck would have it, our last CSA delivery included some gorgeous apples, but things got busy and I didn't get to make it. Thankfully the apples held out long enough and this morning we had Apple Pecan Cobbler for breakfast...

Of course, everything is better with fresh whipped cream...

I did leave the skins on the apples and adapted for a gluten-free version with GF oats and substituting GF flour, otherwise I followed Julie's recipe exactly and it was SO delicious!

Speaking of delicious... remember this?

Last winter I made Vietnamese Pho broth from scratch and made a huge batch to freeze leftovers. Tonight, we're enjoying the fruits of that day's labor for supper and I can't wait!

Cheers!

PS - If you're waiting for my new Knitalong, stay tuned... I'll be posting in the VERY near future!

In the Kitchen | Pickles, Curd and more...

Last weekend when I finally started feeling like myself again, I *might* have gone a little off the deep end in the kitchen. Really, I couldn't help it. I was sick and didn't feel like myself for a month and spent about half of it without an appetite. I didn't get my needed relaxing time in the kitchen, but last weekend, I made up for it... First, Marisa of the fabulous Food In Jars blog posted a recipe for Honey Sweetened Meyer Lemon Curd on March 5th and I had hubby get lemons for me so I could make it the following weekend, then I came down with that bear of a cold. While I was out of commission, I literally had dreams about this stuff - seriously, my mouth waters just thinking about it. So, this was on my kitchen 'to make' list last Sunday and I have to say, it is divine! A little bit of patience and time is a small price to pay for the end result of a perfectly balanced tart and sweet lemon curd. Yum!!!Then, not wanting to waste the egg whites from the lemon curd, I had the brilliant idea to make some lightly sweetened coconut macaroons. As they were baking, I dug around and found some dark chocolate bars to melt and drizzle on. These also were DELICIOUS! In my usual fashion, I made these up as I went along since I wanted a VERY low sugar recipe. I'll keep track next time and I can type it up.

Next, I started a batch of homemade yogurt - I've been doing this for a couple years now and I love it! The texture and taste is so much better than store bought.

And then I took a break to spend some time with my new sewing machine (more on that in an upcoming post).

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After sewing success, it was time for supper and I had another Food In Jars recipe that I had to make. Marisa had been taunting me with her Instagram photos of some Spicy Quick Pickled Cucumbers on a salad with lentils and avocado. Again, as soon as I saw these, I knew I had to make them. They are delicious and I've had them 3 times this week!!!

Then, I while I was letting the cucumbers mingle with the flavor a bit, I started a batch of Homemade Kimchi - also from Food In Jars (have you noticed a theme here?). It's been cool in our house so it's taking a bit longer to ferment, but after setting for a few days, I think it's ready to pop into the fridge to enjoy. I can't wait to try it!

It's time for another weekend, I don't have any crazy kitchen plans like last weekend. Regardless, I'm sure I'll find something to whip up.

What's on your 'to cook' list for the weekend or have you made something fabulous lately? I'd love to hear about it!

Happy weekend and CHEERS!

"Almost" weekend...

My weekend begins after a short day on Saturday at 3PM, so Friday is my "almost" weekend. I'm already planning what to pack for my weekend projects and having the realization that I better make final decisions on holiday gifts - yes, I procrastinated horribly... again. I blame the crazy weather this year because it still doesn't feel like Christmas could be anywhere on the horizon with how warm it's been. I'll get everything done. I always do. I haven't cooked much this week, but I did find time to make a delicious meal on Monday - Gremolata & Mushroom Beef Stew. I didn't take any photos because, as delicious as the final product is, visually mine was less than impressive and the photos with the recipe link are awesome for the drool factor. This recipe intrigued me with the curious combination of balsamic vinegar, rosemary and sliced oranges - they are absolutely wonderful together. I cooked it in the crockpot on low for 8 hours instead of the Dutch oven and I added the mushrooms with about 2 hours left, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Yum!

I also found some time to dry some apples. Nothing fancy. I just slice them with a mandolin, dunk in lemon water, lay them out and let the dryer do it's thing for a few hours.

This week I did get some knitting underway for the shop and currently the most exciting project is the Churchmouse Mohair Bias Loop sample in our new Kidsilk Haze Glamour. I'm not big on yarn with sparkle or bling, but this one is an exception and had me anxiously waiting for it's arrival since I ordered in July - it was well worth the wait. I've knit a few more inches since this photo and I'm hoping to wrap this up this weekend so I can share the finished project next week. Cross your fingers for me.

I was out for coffee this morning with a friend at our local coffee shop, Blackwaters Coffee. They have amazing coffee and fabulous food (including treats) and I ended up getting some of their Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans. They are delicious and should help me plow through the weekend knitting!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Cheers!