Cooking | Love Is All You Knit

Apr 30 2013

Insta April

This April, Joey and I were up to our usual escapades and getting out to enjoy the pretty spring weather a little more. I bought some pretty yarn for a new knitting project, enjoyed some wine on a Friday afternoon at work, and spent some good times with good friends at our favorite bar. We spent a weekend at the Ranch and met my parents’ sweet new cow dog, Camo, and had a fabulously fun time at a Louisiana-style crawfish boil with the band. My friend Felicia and I did a woodsy photoshoot for my new knitting pattern and we came across a snake while trying to get a good shot. I started up my new knitting project while sitting at Redwood Studios and listening to some really great violin being recorded for one of Joey’s new projects. We have had plenty of new bunny sightings in our back yard and one time Henry even sat next to me, the two of us spying on them together. Joey invented a delicious new apple flavored New York Whiskey cocktail for the bar that I named The Big Apple Sour, and I got to listen to a sneak preview of the new Midlake album that is coming out later this year. I marveled at the prettiness of brown speckled eggs in my new egg tray, and had an epic fail when I attempted to bake my own pizza dough. Joey bought me a pretty gardenia plant to cheer me up after the pizza incident, and we spent many an afternoon on the tennis courts having a blast and enjoying each other’s company. And as always, love was all around us.

Tagged cooking, crawfish, dogs, knitting, pizza, tennis, wine, yarn

Apr 01 2013

Insta-March

March was a busy and music-filled month. We kicked things off with the 35 Denton music festival, where Redwood Studios played host to tons of bands over the course of three days, and the next weekend we went to the SXSW music festival in Austin, where Joey played a showcase with Israel Nash. We were introduced to Laura and Israel’s brand new baby and spent a couple of great nights around a giant fire pit while the guys made some great new music. I went to a fabulous ladies’ champagne and tea party, and knitted a new wooly hat while I was sick in bed with bronchitis for a couple of days. We also saw the first signs of spring with budding trees, blue skies and an Easter celebration, where I tested out my crafty cooking skills by dyeing Easter eggs and baking bread. Next up: I’m looking forward to April’s nice weather, Joey’s birthday and getting back into some knitting!

Tagged 35denton, cooking, dogs, eggs, knitting, march, music, spring, sxsw

Mar 31 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Made by Hand: No Knead Bread

I baked a loaf of artisan bread this weekend using the no-knead bread recipe by Jim Lahey, via NY Times and my new enameled cast iron dutch oven that was a gift from my sister and mom. It smelled amazing while baking and it turned out pretty good, but not perfect. The recipe calls for the dough be left to rise on a flour-coated cotton towel for the last two hours before baking, and then you overturn the loaf into the dutch oven, freeing it from the towel. When I did this move, the loaf was still a little sticky and suck to my towel, mis-shaping it a little and creating a big mess out of my kitchen towel. I think maybe I needed a little more flour in that step, but I’ll certainly look forward to trying this recipe again next weekend.

Mar 30 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Naturally Dyed Eggs For Easter

I made a few more naturally dyed eggs for Easter this year using the same method I used last year. For the purple eggs, I used blueberries and for the orangey-brown I used onion skins and a little added paprika.

Tagged craft, diy, dye, easter, eggs, natural

Nov 18 2012

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Antics, Books, Cooking, crochet, Embroidery, knitting, Music, Other Crafty Things, Yarn

Pom Pom Quarterly

Have you heard of the new knitting/craft/food/drink/music/art magazine Pom Pom Quarterly yet?

I came across Pom Pom on Ravelry and was instantly smitten with what these lovely London ladies are doing; this is a beautifully designed/laid out/photographed and printed magazine that is so different than your typical knitting mag.

The patterns are interesting and ones that you’d actually want to knit AND wear and they are photographed and styled so beautifully. Plus, there are food and cocktail recipes, a bit of music love and some great articles that you want to read while snuggled under your favorite knitted throw. (That’s what I did!)

There is a lot more to this great new publication, but I don’t want to show you everything here, because I think you should hop on over and buy an issue or subscribe and support what these fabulous ladies are making. Something this great doesn’t come along too often, but I’m very glad to see that it has.

Tagged art, cocktails, cooking, crochet, embroidery, fashion, graphic design, indie, knitting, magazines, music, photography, pom pom, pom pom quarterly

Apr 07 2012

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Naturally Dyed Eggs

I found a way to make beautiful, naturally-dyed eggs.

Take some small cuttings from around your home- I found lots of clover and little blooms near mine. Make sure to use small plants that will flatten easily onto the eggs. I dampened my eggs so that the leaves would stick nicely. Use raw eggs, as they will cook and dye at the same time.

Cut a small square of pantyhose and stretch around your egg, wrapping the excess fabric with a rubber band.

Cover the bottom of a stock pot with the outer peel of a few yellow onions. Carefully lay your eggs on top and cover with another layer of onion peel. Add enough cold water to cover the top of your eggs, add a few tablespoons of vinegar and a few shakes of paprika. Heat until just barely boiling- you don’t want your eggs moving around too much, and simmer for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another fifteen minutes. Rinse with cold water and carefully remove the wrappings.

Share with someone you love and take time to notice the beauty that this time of year brings.

Tagged easter, egg dyeing, eggs, natural dye

Jan 23 2011

1 Comment

Antics, Cooking, knitting, NYC

An Apple a Day

I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold windy Sunday afternoon than baking and knitting.

I made apple crisp last weekend and it was very very good. The granny smiths made it just a little tart, so I’m making another batch this weekend using gala apples.