Ricotta and Tomato Pie

It seems to me that a lot of the things I cook need some sort of moisture squeezed out of them. It could just be that yesterday was tofu and today was tomatoes, but still. I know quite a few people who like myself have texture issues. I love tomatoes, but don't ask me to eat the gelatinous seed goop. In order to avoid it, I simply seed my tomatoes by gently poking them with my finger. The goop squirts out. It's oddly satisfying. 

We're growing tomatoes in the garden this year and I have plans for gazpacho. Homemade is so delicious. If you are ever blessed with a bounty of tomatoes and decide to make your own gazpacho, seed the tomatoes and save all of the goop and spare bits. This can all be thrown in the food processor, whirled up, and strained through cheesecloth to get the most delicious tomato juice for the gazpacho. There's your million dollar idea for the day. 

This is what I made for dinner this evening along with a super simple salad and beer bread with cheese in it. There were peas too, but as much as I tried to, I just could not psyc myself up enough to eat them. I hate peas. There is only one way I'll eat them- raw, and straight from the pod while standing in the garden. 

The tomato pie was delicious- and since I gently pressed the tomato slices it was not watery! Brilliant!

The pie, in all its glory. I was gifted a salt and herb grinder from Trader Joe's. Next time I make this I will grind a little more on the top. The Rosemary was a lovely accent. 

Salad- baby lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and slivered almonds.

Beer bread. I stuck some cheese sticks in the middle. It was super tasty. Usually, I use Guinness because it's what I drink, but today there were a few bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale sitting on the counter, so that's what I used. I liked it better. The bread had this lovely sweetness to it. So yummy. 

Beer Bread

3 cups of flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1tsp salt

12 oz beer

1. Mix the dry stuff together.

2. Pour the beer in. 

3. Watch it foam (this usually makes me chuckle. I'm easily amused.)

4. Mix together.

5. Scoop into a 9x5 greased loaf pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. 

You can add cheese or herbs to it if you like, but it's perfectly yummy without anything added. I recommend using a darker beer like a Guinness or Newcastle because they have a depth of flavor that an IPA or light colored beer just can't stand up to. 

Cheers!

Been A Long Time

Recently I have been lamenting the way we've been eating as a family since the twins were born- way too much processed food, way too much food that is high in fat and calories, too little vegetables. I want my kids to have a varied diet and to try all sorts of foods, stovetop and Au gratin potatoes from a box are easy to make, but not what I really want my family eating a whole bunch of. Also, as the lone vegetarian in a house full of meat eaters I generally eat like someone who forgot to put the main dish on their plate. And I'm tired of being that vegetarian. So, last night I actually sat down and planned the next week's worth of meals. It took me hours. I dawdled and doodled. I hemmed and hawed. But I managed to come up with seven meals. 

Tonight we're having orange tofu with broccoli and rice. Super simple.

I'm using a new to me kind of tofu. It's currently under my super heavy cutting board getting all the excess water pressed out. 

It's under there. Really. It is.

Orange tofu with rice and steamed broccoli

1 block of tofu- pressed, then cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 Tbsp corn starch 

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or sesame oil 

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Smear oil on bottom of a 13x9 glass pan.

3. Put corn starch, onion powder, and garlic powder into a bag with the tofu and shake to coat. 

4. Shake off the excess starch mixture and place the tofu cubes in the pan. 

5. Spray the tops and fb the cubes with cooking spray. This way all of the sides will get nicely browned. 

6. Bake 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to prevent over browning. 

7. When the tofu is lightly browned, scoop it out of the pan and place it in a few sheets of paper towels to wick away any oil. 

Orange sauce

1 cup orange juice (I used navel oranges and squeezed them myself.)

the zest of one orange (cut off in strips- you can do this with a big knife. In my opinion it tastes so much better than grated zest.)

2 Tbsp corn starch 

3/4 cup vinegar (rice or white)

1/3- 1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground ginger (fresh would be nice too)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. Mix the corn starch into the orange juice.

2. Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the rest of the ingredients.

3. Bring to a gentle bubble and reduce until nicely thickened. 

4. Toss the tofu in 1/4 cup of the sauce and gently heat in a skillet. 

I served the sauce in a bowl on the side so everyone could have as much or as little as they wanted. 

Here's the lowdown: 

The tofu was nice and firm with a crispy coating. The sauce was sweet, fruity, and mild. It was tasty on the tofu, as well as on the broccoli. If I wasn't cooking for three small children, I would have added an nice shot of sriracha. I liked it. Rob liked it. The wee ones liked it. That being said, it needs a little tweaking. But more on that later. 

There are no leftovers. Ok. There are two broccoli florets and about a cup of rice, but that doesn't count. I used one block of tofu, two large broccoli crowns (about 3 cups), and two scoops of rice in the rice cooker (I have no clue what this translates to). Rob and I each had 1/3 of the tofu- the rest was split between the babies and Liam. Violet and Eliza can feed themselves now, and it is wonderful. They sat in their highchairs, happy as can be, and ate everything I put in front of them. Then, after they were done they went over to Rob and stole all of the broccoli in his bowl! 

I'm looking for a recipe for takeout Orange Tofu/ Orange Beef. Whatever. This is not that recipe. I want to recreate scrumdidilyumptious sweet, sticky, saucy perfection. Every recipe I find online calls for Chinese five spice- I find this concoction to be offensive. I have no idea what is in it, but there is no way on Earth that it's in my favorite takeout. No. Way. Stop fibbing, Internet. Stop fibbing. 

Oh, one more thing. My tofu... It was grey. 

But tasty. 

Terribly Terrific

I would like to discover who coined the phrase "terrible twos."

Preferably before they did so.

That way I could either stop them from doing it, or give them a good, swift kick in the shin.

I just don't understand what is so terrible about two. Are there temper tantrums? Sure. Are there communication problems? Sure. Are there crying fits, arguments, battles of will? Sure. Did all of that happen this morning before school? Yes. It did. But, and this is a big deal, all of those things are good things! It means that my child has his own opinions, feelings, thoughts, ideas.

I have to say, I love two! I love the too wet kisses. I love the giant bear hugs. I love coming home to a little boy who hurls himself into my arms. I love when he says, "Liam miss you Mommy." I love when we have a Liam and Mommy day. I love how he kisses his own boo boos and how he kisses my forehead when I have a headache. I love the way he is with babies- so gentle and enamored. Two is an amazing age and I wouldn't want to change a bit of it.

 

Excited!

Sweet! Blogger has an iPhone app! Who knew? (probably a lot of people) It's been a gajillion years since I actually posted anything with actual content on my blog. I keep writing blog posts in my head, but not actually writing them for the interwebs.

So here's what I've been up to for the past (almost) year:

Absent Minded

I've neglected my blog, this I know. I'm sorry, blog.

If you have any questions about my patterns or just want to drop me a line, I'm therowantree on Ravelry. It may be a little while before I'm able to post much here as I get very little computer time.

Also, I can't believe my baby boy is 11 months old!

a post? what?

This post from August somehow never got published... I often fail at the Internet.

Last night I had a dream about going to a yarn shop to get a skein of Three Irish Girls Springvale Worsted in Willowbark to make the Hawthorn hat and mitts from the newest edition of Twist Collective. I had to fight off zombies, ninjas, and robots all while carting around my baby to get to the shop and get the yarn. My dreams are epic. :)

So what do you think of the combo?

Two posts in a week?

I was recently asked the question, "What's on your needles?" And I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk about knitting something you hate. I'm currently working on a pair of socks for myself. The pattern is easy, it looks pretty, and don't have to invest too much brain power into it. I rather like these socks. I like knitting them. However, I also have another project going... the dreaded hat for my mother. I hate knitting this hat. I hated it before I even started it. The hat itself is perfectly fine and I have no issues with the pattern or designer or anyone who chooses to make/wear the hat. But. I. Hate. Knitting. This. Hat. There's no specific reason I can point to that makes me hate the hat, but I do. Oh, I'll finish it (eventually). And hopefully it will fit my mother's head. And hopefully she will like it- she picked out the pattern and yarn so she should like it. So I ask you- Have you ever knitted something that you just detested but you kept plugging away because someone asked you to knit it for them?

Spring Has Sprung!

I haven't been around much lately, what with the new baby and all :) So in honor of Spring and new beginnings, here are some budding greens for your needles. From top left: Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Apple Blossom, Squoosh Fiberarts Merino Cashmere Sock in Bud, Dream In Color Smooshy in Happy Forest, Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Field

Happy Halloween! Happy Autumn!

Autumn is my favorite season- the changing leaves, the crisp air, warm apple cider- I just love it! So in honor of my favorite time of year, here are some lovely yarns in colors that reflect what I see in the beauty of nature all around me during this wonderful season.

From top left: Madelinetosh Vintage in Copper Penny, Ella Rae fingering in Frizzle, Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Goldrush, Alpaca Yarn Company Paca Peds in Harvest, and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Satsuma. All yarn and photos from The Loopy Ewe.

My Favorite Things

Today I have the song Favorite Things from The Sound of Music running through my head. While Julie Andrews' voice and version of the song are incomparable, I recently discovered an interesting version of the song on YouTube by PomplamooseMusic.

So, without further ado, I bring you a few of the things in that song: raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, cream colored ponies, and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, and something I love- a beautiful green yarn.

From top left: Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in Rose, Schaefer Yarn Co Nichole in Cobblestone, Malabrigo Worsted in Natural, Dream in Color Smooshy in Malibu Sail, The Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in Polyphemus Moth, and Dream in Color Starry in Go Go Grassy. All pics from the Loopy Ewe.

Into the Green

These socks are now available for purchase in my Ravelry store.

Twisting the Night Away Socks

This pattern creates a nice and stretchy ribbed sock with a sweet little twist stitch to add a little extra interest. With A Twist would be a great first sock project (or 20th sock project for that matter). They knit up quickly and the twists keep you on your toes. For a cute look, work the cuff, heel and toe in a contrasting color!

Materials
• 1 skein sock weight yarn (350-450 yds depending on length of sock leg)
• Size 2.25 mm needles (US 1)
• Tapestry needle

Gauge
In stockinette gauge should be 9sts per inch- this is with fabric relaxed, not stretched at all.

 

Bluegrass

Today I'm listening to Allison Krauss & Union Station and I'm loving the bluegrass. So I figured I'd find some pretty yarn that is evocative of this music- rich, beautiful blues and greens. I'd like all of these please.

In a circle starting from the top left: Dragonfly Fibers Djinni Sock in Robin's Egg available from The Loopy Ewe; HandMaiden Casbah Sock in Hemlock 2 available from The Backwards Loop; Three Irish Girls in Rhiannon available from Three Irish Girls; Yarn Love in Lagoon, Pagewood Farm Alyeska in Bird of Paradise available from Eat.Sleep.Knit; and HandMaiden Casbah Sock in Rainforest available from The Loopy Ewe.

Hello, Cowboy.

Today I am thinking about old Westerns starring Sam Elliott. Hence the desert color scheme- blue, sand, orange, brown, and hints of green. I think I'll go and watch The Quick and the Dead now.

From left to right: Becoming Art Outlaw on Suave, Madelinetosh Napoli on Tosh Sock, and Yarn Love Tranquil Waters on Juliet.

Inspired

Today I am feeling inspired by a post from last week on Katie's blog, Today I Want, that featured vintage swimwear. It's hot outside and these colors make me feel all cool and happy. I seem to be in love with blue yarn lately.

All these yarns are available from Eat. Sleep.Knit. From top left: Dream In Color Smooshy in Beach Fog, SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Saltwater, Scarlet Fleece Painted Merino in Pacific, Yarn Love Marianne Dashwood in Shipwreck, MadelineTosh Tosh Sock in Cove, and Squoosh Fiberarts Ultra Sock in Beach Comber.

Self Restraint... ha ha ha!

That just happens to be Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in the Tomato colorway. And yes, I am such a dork that I just had to compare the color of the yarn to the cherry tomatoes we're growing in the back yard. It is the same color. I always thought that tomatoes were pretty much red, but now I see that they're really rather orange. Although, my favorite tomatoes are purple. Anyway, back to yarn. I love the feel of Tosh sock. I have two skeins in my stash but have not done any knitting with it yet.

I've been on the hunt for some good, true yellows. Not orangey, not greeney, but true yellow. And voila! Madelinetosh does some amazing yellows. Oh, I am so in trouble.

This is Butter. Isn't she beautiful?

And this is Chamomile. Oh, my, aren't you cheeky?

Purl, Purl, Purl

I did not take the above picture- I wish I could make that claim.

Today I am waiting for my monthly shipment of yarn to arrive from Three Irish Girls. Notice how I did not say "patiently waiting." I am anything but patient at the moment- chomping at the bit might be a more accurate description. It's not like I have anything planned for the yarn that is currently in my mailman's bag, I just want to possess it. I want to open the plastic envelope, remove the chocolate brown paper bag with the Three Irish Girls seal on it, break that seal and touch the yarn.

I also have a set of needles coming to replace the one I broke working on the Cattywampus socks. So I have all kinds of knitting goodness coming in the mail. Today I am the long suffering yarnaholic.

The Tale of Cattywampus

One of these tomatoes is not like the other ones.

I believe that all knitting has a story to tell. Sometimes the story is about what was happening in the knitter's life when she or he was knitting the item. Sometimes the story is about the person the item is intended for. And sometimes the story is about the item itself. For example: Cattywampus.

I just finished knitting the first sock of the pair and this is the amount of yarn I have left over. That's 3 grams. Yes, the ball is in fact slightly larger than a quarter. Happily, I was smart and divided the skein into two equal sized center pull balls before I started knitting. Not that this yarn likes to stay in a nice, neat center pull configuration.

Yes, that is a broken needle. When you knit with needles that are slightly thinner than a toothpick, sometimes breakage happens. As it did in this case when I was on the last row of the last pattern repeat. No big deal, I just started using 4 needles instead of the usual 5. I can order another identical set of size 0 (2mm) needles and I'll have extras incase of more breakage.

This is the first sock. I love it. The picture does not do it justice at all. The yarn color is Cattywampus and it is on Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight. It is a delight to work with. The pattern is Nanner Socks by Wendy Johnson. I love it too.

And just look at this bind-off! I mean who wouldn't want to put their foot in that?! I just love JSSBO (Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off).

Thoughts, I'm just full of them

This is Beckon Merino Sock yarn from Three Irish Girls. The colorway is Lagoon. I love this colorway. In fact I love this yarn so much that I am having a really hard time using it. I know, that sounds counterintuitive. But like the Yarn Harlot said, "yarn is forever, socks get holes." I'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist of what she said.

This yarn is currently destined to be knit into a pattern that I have devised. The pattern has a leaf motif, and I need a name for said pattern. I need to stop calling these socks- that have yet to be knit- Leafy Socks.

More Yarn, Please

After getting a quote of nearly $20,000 to replace the cabinets in our tiny galley kitchen I decided that I'd rather spend the money on yarn :) Just kidding. I must admit that this HandMaiden Casbah yarn in Dandelion makes me want to spend tons of money on yarn. I think I need to get my hands on some of it...

http://www.thebackwardsloop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_177_178&products_id=1496