Miss Originality's Blog

I concede and hereby promise…

gina — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:41:02 +0000

I can remember only one other time in nearly 30 years of marriage when I cooked something so terrible that I wouldn’t let my family eat it. It happened again last night.

We all love American Chinese food. It would be so nice to have it at home now and then. I decided to try to make a chicken stir fry. So I researched several recipes and it seems that my missing ingredient in past attempts has been the oyster sauce. Ewww! but okay…I bought a bottle of oyster sauce at the grocery store and proceeded to follow my recipe.

So yadda yadda, saute the chicken. Blah, blah, cook the veggies. Then make this sauce. 3 T oyster sauce, sugar, ginger, dry sherry, water or stock, garlic, corn starch…Honestly I could not get passed the smell. What was I thinking? Well maybe it needs to simmer a bit. 5 minutes later the veggies are soggy and the sauce still smells. I dished it up anyways.

The guys came to the table, hungry. God bless ‘em, they both dug in. I took a few bites and asked how they liked it. Now past experience with eating whatever I cook has taught these two that they better find something positive to say. Andrew says, “It was better last time” (which consisted of chicken with a bottled General’s Tso’s sauce on it) and Scott says, “It’s okay”. I tried to take another bite and gagged. I said, “Well I think it’s awful! Don’t eat it!” They both released huge sighs of relief and pushed their plates away. “Let’s go out”, Scott says. “Yeah, Qdoba!”, says Andrew.

I couldn’t get the plates scraped, the garbage out and the dishwasher running fast enough. Then I lit some candles and Febreezed the place!

So is it a Chinese conspiracy? The ingredients in the grocery stores are so “off” that we all flock to the nearest “Golden Panda”? Well I don’t care. I will gladly skip any further attempts at “at home Chinese food”. I concede and hereby promise to stick to Italian with the occasional burrito, spanakopita, corned beef and cabbage and various other loosely related to my heritage foods.

Some days…

gina — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:13:36 +0000

Some days are just awful. You know when you get out of bed that you might as well have stayed there. Then there are the days like I had yesterday.

I had a full day scheduled. A doctors appointment was first on the list. While at the doctors; the nurses, receptionist and assistants all just went nuts for my sweater (I was wearing my gray gansey sweater. One of my best efforts, if I do say so). They wanted to know if I sell my knitted items. I handed out cards and told them about the art crawl that’s coming up on March 6th. Needless to say, my head was swelling.

close up of gray gansey sweater

gray gansey sweater

Thus began my nearly perfect day.

I decided while I was on the upper east side of Milwaukee, I would visit my favorite yarn shop. You know, The Loop. I have a link to their blog on my side bar. Anyway, Caitlin, the owner was in and I haven’t seen her in ages. We gabbed and I shopped. As I was checking out, she asked if I ever thought of working there. I casually said, “yes” and “that would be nice” etc. I got into the car and started driving home when reality set in. I couldn’t wait to get home. I called Caitlin and explained that my absorption of new info must be a little slow and that I hadn’t properly expressed my enthusiasm. “YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK AT THE LOOP!!”

After stopping at home, I proceeded to a rather new yarn shop. One I don’t like very much, but they had 50% off cashmere and I needed a few more skeins for a project in the works. While at this other yarn shop, there were some women there, kind of in my peripheral vision. They were obviously talking about my sweater. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t hear all that well. They were not being discreet. One says to the other, “Well I think it’s way too long. It’s ridiculous!” Now what came over me, I don’t know, because normally I walk away from these situations. I turned and said, “Oh my gosh, apparently you don’t know who Miss Originality is. This is one of her latest designs. She is very big on Ravelry and Etsy. Her book is due out this spring”. They stood with their mouths somewhat open and looked at one of the shop owners who was standing by. “Oh yes”, she said, “I love her stuff”. Out the door I went, marveling at the workings of our Divine universe. I called Julie right away!

From there I went to my second favorite yarn shop, Fiddlehead, in Kenosha. Now Fiddlehead is only my second favorite shop because it is much farther from my house. Between The Loop and Fiddlehead, it would be a tie if they were next door to each other. Each shop has it’s own personality and I love that. Also, my daughter works there!! Yesterday was “open knit” night. Well I got there at 2 and we knitted and talked patterns and books and life all day! I finally left at 8, feeling my back cramping up and my wrists getting sore from nearly 6 straight hours of fiber fun.

I was home by 9 and just in time to catch the women’s free skate program on the Olympics. I love the Olympics! Every one of the competitors skated the program of their careers. Amazing!

Sleep came easily once I hit the pillow. Visions of fluffy sheep in many gorgeous colors filled my dreams, happily giving over their coats for my knitting pleasure.

Mood Surfing

gina — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:18:09 +0000

The sky is as blue today as I’ve seen it in a long time. Granted I have been holed up inside shivering and grumbling about winter. I opened the curtains to my office window. From the low vantage point at my desk, I wouldn’t know it wasn’t spring…except for the fact that the trees are bare. Go with it, I’m trying to be optimistic here.

Today I feel good. Really good. I want to paint the dining room, knit a sweater, bake bread, start some seeds. Um yeah, I suspect I’m riding the hormone wave of a nearly 50 year old woman. That’s okay too. I’ve always wondered about the thrill and danger of surfing.

Seriously though, I do feel good. So many of us talk on and on with friends, family, our blogs etc. about when we feel out of sorts I am taking the opportunity to share some “in sorts”.

My son is back in school. Hurray! I know he will find his path there. There are so many great things to learn at a university, including outside the classroom. He really needs this exposure to the big world.

My daughter is also in school. Plugging away at a future career as a Pharmacist. Go Annie! She has also found the temporary job of her dreams. She is working in a yarn shop…close to home! Getting paid to knit! Wow! I am so excited for her.

My granddaughter is awesome, as always. Tomorrow I get to go to her school for a Valentine/friendship party. Then we are coming here to make heart cookies for Grandpa. I love being a Grandma. Can life get any better?

My hubby is also sunnier than usual. I’ve seen his sense of humor more in the last few weeks than I have in years. I have missed that.

I am feeling recharged lately. I have resolved to tackle my algebra phobia and am borrowing a very basic book from Lucy. Scott says every time I design a sweater I am using algebra. Cool! Maybe I can do it. I have also decided that this will be the year when I tackle knitting charts. They have always seemed ridiculously complicated, but Annie says they are not. I will trust her and go for it.

Today I am working on a hollow oak cable pattern in some cashmere I bought recently. I very soft pink. (Yeah, me, pink, go figure.) Hollow oak is a complicated pattern that I’ve always wanted to try. I have also had the insight recently that I can make a sample of something to try a new skill. I don’t need to commit to a huge project of time, money and brainwaves.

Oh the wisdom that comes with age. Maybe it’s the little things we learn with every wave surfed, whether they are in the oceans off Hawaii, or in the oceans of our minds. I’ll ride this one while it lasts and know I will get wet, but there will always be another wave.

Woolie Pulleys and giving back

gina — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:54:32 +0000

I’m usually cold in the winter. I am always bundled up with a good pair of hand knitted socks, a nice sweater and a rice bag. Oh yeah, don’t forget Mason, the ever faithful source of heat/Boston Terrier. But I must admit that it took a little convincing to get me to knit woolie pulleys. I have sooo much knitting to do, the next art crawl is looming (Mar 6th) and my project list if getting bigger not smaller. (whine, whine)

What’s a woolie pulley, you ask? I think the phrase was coined during WWI when the soldiers wore helmet liners made from wool…that they pulled over their heads. It is a style of hat, also known as a balaclava. My nephew, Brandon, is in Afghanistan. It is cold there. Mom and my sister Suzanne came up with this project and idea to make a woolie pulley helmet liner for each of the soldiers in his airborne division. 33 I think we need…some time before it gets warm there.

Woolie pulley #1

I have 1 done and the 2nd almost done. I can crank one out in an evening if I focus. When I am knitting, I think about my nephew and his fellow soldiers. They are without the simple comforts like Mason and a rice bag. And for as much as I don’t agree with the politics of war etc, I do believe these men and women need our support.

Mom has made several, Suzanne is making progress and learning along the way, I have enlisted several friends and relatives to help. We hope to ship a package to Brandon soon. Want to help? Here is the link from Ravelry where Mom found the pattern. There is also info about sending helmet liners to the armed forces and other history about wollie pulleys.

Here is the complete pattern that I have been using.

HELMET LINER KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS

Materials:

Any soft, worsted (100 grams/3.5 ounces) wool yarn that will knit to gauge, such as Cascade 220 or equivalent. (The label should state that for size 7 needle, 5 stitches per 1 inch, and for size 8 needle, 4-1/2 stitches per 1 inch. Approx. 200 yds.)

Only 100% soft wool yarn will be accepted, because our Armed Forces are not allowed to wear synthetic fibers outside the wire. Wool is inherently nonflammable and won’t melt against the skin.

Colors:

ONLY tan, brown, black, charcoal, or combinations of these colors are allowed by our Armed Forces.

Size 8 – 16” circular needle and double pointed needles, or size to get gauge

Size 6 – 16” circular needles for the ribbing

1 stitch marker.

Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch with the larger needles

Be sure to check your gauge to ensure the helmet liner will fit properly when worn. Even being off 1/2 stitch per inch will make the helmet liner useless, as it will not fit properly. Helmet liners that do not fit cannot be sent to our troops. You may need to use a different needle size to get the gauge listed above. If this is the case, use a needle 2 sizes smaller for your ribbing. Please remember that every knitter is different and every yarn is different… Check gauge with your yarn and your needles before you begin to ensure a properly fitting liner.

Abbreviations:

k2tog – knit 2 stitches together

p2tog – purl 2 stitches together

Neck Ribbing: With smaller circular needle, cast on 84 stitches loosely. Place marker. Join in round and work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 6 inches.

Cap: With larger circular needle, knit 32 stitches off smaller needle onto the larger size 8 circular needle. Leave smaller circular needle in the rest of the stitches. The smaller circular needle will just act as a stitch holder while you complete the cap portion with the size 8 circular and double-point needles.

Cast on 59 additional stitches, place marker to mark beginning of round, join in round, knit even for 4”. (“Knit even” means to knit every stitch).

1st decrease row: *K 11, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Next row: Knit even.

2nd decrease row: *K10, K2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Next row: knit even, meaning to knit every stitch. Change to double point (DP) needles when necessary.

Continue decreases as established until k2, k2tog. After this, decrease every row until a total of 7 stitches remain on the double point needles. Cut yarn 8-9” long, run tail through remaining stitches and weave in.

Face Ribbing: With size 6 circular needle that is still in neck portion, pick up and knit the 60 stitches from the cast on edge of the cap portion.

Join in circle and work k2, p2 ribbing for 1 inch.

On the next row: *k2, p2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Bind off loosely in pattern. Weave in ends.

(The original pattern was designed by Bonnie Long, Knit Wits, 3419 Chatham Rd. Springfield, IL 62704. 217-698-6100. Revised 5/14/2008 by Rachel Kristy. All rights reserved. Copies may be made only for the purpose of donating helmets to our active service personnel. In any case design attribution must remain.)

Completed helmetliners can be shipped to:
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Attn: Ben Kristy
2014 Anderson Ave.
Quantico, VA 22134

If this project doesn’t appeal to you, that’s ok. How about making lap robes or shawls for the elderly? How about little hats for premature babies? How about mittens, hats etc. for the homeless? There are so many in this world with so much, and so many with so little. What about you? Can you give back a little? And think about this…what goes around, comes around. It really does.

Meringue Cookies

gina — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:06:14 +0000

These are great for Christmas. But why only have them once a year? They are so easy.

There is something to the myth about making meringue on a sunny high pressure day. It just works better and doesn’t take as long. I double this recipe in my large Kitchen Aid mixer. I get better results if the bowl is more full.

3 egg whites at room temp

1/8 t salt

1/2 t cream of tarter

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

Beat salt and egg whites until foamy. Beat in cream of tarter. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until very stiff. Fold in vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (I use butter). You can also line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and/or spray lightly with Pam. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

These are also good with 2 cups of chopped nuts folded in.

Crumble these on top of Elegant Lemon French Toast for Lemon Meringue French Toast.

Elegant Lemon French Toast

gina — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:57:13 +0000

Why is it that when I am having “issues” with my picky eaters, I come up with some really yummy ideas?

Try this for Sunday brunch. It’s Wednesday. I had it for breakfast. Why wait for Sunday?

Lemon curd–make ahead

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

1 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a bowl or top of double boiler. Place over simmering water and stir constantly and gently, being careful no to incorporate air. Stir until mixture is pale yellow and thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 7-10 minutes. Stain and cool. This keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Make french toast. I like to use a brioche, pound cake slices, or rustic ciabatta. Arrange the slices on a pretty plate, spread lemon curd generously on the slices. Dust with powdered sugar.

Variation 1: Make meringue cookies ahead of time and crumble them onto the toast instead of the powdered sugar. See Meringue cookies

Variation 2: Use a lemon poppy seed pound cake. And/or before adding the lemon curd, spread a thin layer of canned Solo poppy seed filling on the toast.

Variation 3: Use a nice toasty bagel instead of making french toast. Fold the poppy seed filling into some cream cheese first.

Shall I go on?

Creamed Corn Casserole

gina — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:47:57 +0000

I know, it’s January. The month of resolutions and diets. If that’s where you are, tuck this one away for next Thanksgiving. Otherwise it’s a really great side to just about any roast. Let me know what you think or if you have any modifications.

CREAMED CORN CASSEROLE

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 stick butter

1 T honey

1 T lemon juice

1/2 t salt

black pepper

1/4 c flour

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c grated parmesan

2 bags of frozen corn, thawed

In a heavy fry pan, caramelize the onions with butter, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Stir in the cream a little at a time. Add the milk and the sugar. Stir until thick and creamy. Add the cheese. Place the corn in a 3 qt casserole. Pour the sauce over it and mix in. Cover with the following crumb topping and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

CRUMB TOPPING

2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/8 cup yellow corn meal

1/2 c of coarsely crushed croutons

1/2 c crushed pretzels

1/4 stick of melted butter

Mix the above topping ingredients together and sprinkle over casserole.

I’m still here!

gina — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:45:49 +0000

It has been a crazy few months. I took a seasonal retail job, the holidays came and went and now it’s January. In an effort to follow my own advice, I did slow down. (See the previous post on this blog) That led to letting go of a few things, like blogging. Well, I’m still here!

January always brings a mood of reflection for me. It’s a new beginning. We all know it takes days to develop the habit of writing the new date/year. I try to work in a few other new habits as well. Yeah, we all go through the diet resolution or the quit this or that resolution. A while ago I resolved to quit making resolutions. I make reflections.

I want to think about and be aware of what other people see when they look at me, when we interact. Do they see what I want them to see? Is my body language sending the best “ME” information? What will people remember about me? This isn’t an ego trip. This is about making a difference while I’m still here, this time.

I used to feel insignificant. How can I, 1 person, make a difference at all? I know a lot of people feel this way, and there is much discussion to be heard about how every one of us can make a difference etc. I realized some time ago that what I do every day doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to make CNN headlines and I don’t aspire to be their “Hero of the Year”. I do aspire to make 1 person smile. To ease their burden in some small way. To plant a seed of hope. To share some knowledge I’ve picked up along the way. I know then that 1 person will have a smile to share with someone else. Someone’s shoulders will ache a little less. Seeds of hope grow into big ideas. Maybe that seed will inspire a breakthrough in one of our global challenges de jour.

I want to be the pebble that is dropped into the still pond. The ripples ever widening, reaching all shores…eventually returning to stillness, reflecting.

Slow Down

gina — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:35:04 +0000

Our lives are crazy, hectic, and moving way too fast. We get up in the morning, chug down the coffee, and wind ourselves up for an 18 hour marathon. Then we can’t sleep. Why? Where are we going? What’s the rush? Tomorrow we might take a nanosecond to wonder what happened to yesterday, and all the other yesterdays.

Here are a few good reasons to slow down…

We are coming up to the sloppy driving season here in the midwest. Slow down now, even if it’s just mentally. You will be much better prepared to handle the slippery roads. Even wet roads with all the leave falling are dangerous. Try stomping on the brakes on a city street covered with wet leaves.
When we are constantly in a state of “Go”, chugging stimulants etc, our adrenal glands (responsible for our flight/fight response) are taxed all the time. How can we expect the reaction nature intended in an emergency when we are artificially creating it everyday? This can take a serious toll on the well being of our whole body.
What are we missing? We’ve all heard the expression, “Stop and smell the roses”. At this time of the year it might be, “stop and notice the colorful display that nature has provided”. Next time you are driving, notice the leaves instead of being irritated at the car in front of you that is going slightly less than 10 mph over the speed limit.
When is the last time you used all of your senses during a meal? We drive through and slam down while driving. This doesn’t even qualify as fueling our bodies. We have quick oats and instant mashed potatoes. Ewww! This is filling the “pie hole” because we don’t like the empty feeling. When we enjoy a meal, we see the food, smell the food, taste the food and feel it warming and energizing our bodies. When you slow down and notice what you are putting in your body, you will find that you actually need less calories than you think. You will become full sooner because the whole experience of enjoying a meal satisfies more completely than stuffing down 2000 calories of burger, fries, shake etc. Have you ever noticed that when you share a meal with someone whose company you enjoy; talking as you go, you end up eating way less than you thought you would. The conversation and their company nourishes you and fills you up.
We are all changing, aging and growing every day. I will not be the same person tomorrow that I was today. Neither will our children, or our loved ones. What are they trying to tell you today that you’ll wonder about tomorrow? Stop, look them in the eye and listen with your heart. Do this every day and you will have no regrets.
Productivity is important, yes. As incredible as our bodies and minds are, our expectations for production of goods and services is way too high. Mistakes are made. Care isn’t taken. Quality suffers. How does this effect your “bottom line”?

I don’t know what made me think of this post this morning. I guess I was making my list for today. While listing, I talked to my daughter on the phone in typical whirlwind fashion. At the same time kissed my husband goodbye, fed the dogs, unloaded the dishwasher and poured another cup of sugared up stimulant. I then went to chat with Julie online. Every day I ask her, “what’s on your list today”. Then I thought, why do I need a list. Why am I forcing a list on her?

I don’t want to hit some old age down the road and wonder what happened to my life. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to do stuff. I’ll probably always make lists. That’s just me. I am going to change my expectations for myself. I am going to enjoy every moment and remember them all. I am going to slow down.

Butter Me Up

gina — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:55:23 +0000

What a great expression. “Butter me up”. Generally “to butter someone up” means to flatter them in an attempt to win favor, or to give them extra attention. This hints to the deliciousness of butter and how much people love it, if they consider being slathered in it as something desirable!

I prefer my butter on a wide variety of foods rather than myself. In fact there are many foods that serve as almost the perfect vehicle with which to carry the butter to your mouth. But first, let’s talk about “good” butter.

All butter is good, unless rancid. Some is better than others. Skip the margarine and various other “spreads”. New medical information has taken the stigma off of butter and brought this wonderful dairy product back to our tables. It can even help you to lose weight! It’s a good fat, really! Let go of the brain-washing. Think for yourself.

Grandpa Iggy had 2 Jersey cows, Bessy and Dolly. I remember him using the separator (to take the cream out of the milk) and making butter that was as yellow as a dandelion. He let the cream stand on the counter for a day or two and thus made cultured butter. It was a little sour. In my adventures in making butter I have found that cultured cream becomes butter faster. Maybe its due to the cream being at room temperature when you start. After the fat came together Grandpa would put it in a bowl and toss it, much like you would while sauteing something. This squeezed out all the remaining moisture which is crucial for butter that keeps well. It also made the butter into a distinctive football shape which he then wrapped in waxed paper. Oh the memories of that farm… Very delicious.

Have you ever gotten fresh whole milk, skimmed the cream and made butter? Seriously, this is heaven on earth. Check out this “how to” from Mother Earth News. You can buy whipping cream and get similar results. You have to try this. It’s a great kitchen project to do with an enthusiastic young cook…say 10-12 years old.

Remember the episode from “I Love Lucy” where Lucy and Ethel decide to save money by making homemade stuff like butter. Ethel comes up from her apartment with her hands firmly wrapped around what looks like a broom stick. She’s been churning butter. Lucy goes through many crazy maneuvers to get Ethel’s hands free. The advent of the electric mixer has taken away the hazards of butter churning!

Butter is used in a few different forms in cooking. Clarified butter, or drawn butter, has been melted and the milk solids strained off. Because of the absence of the milk solids it doesn’t burn as fast and things can be cooked at a higher temperature. I prefer the milk solids since this is where most of the flavor is. Actually, I’d be happy to be the official dumping station for the milk solids for all of you who are clarifying your butter.

Ghee is another form of butter used mostly in Indian Cuisine. It is not the same as clarified butter. Ghee has been cooked longer, all of the moisture is cooked off and the milk solids are caramelized and then removed, leaving the ghee with a very nutty flavor. It also has a longer shelf life at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.

While doing a little research for this post, the most common answer to, “what’s your favorite food to put butter on?”, Homemade bread wins in a landslide. Popcorn follows with a close second. After that, the stats are all over the place from lobster to soda crackers. Here are a few…Oatmeal, corn on the cob, Filet Mignon, biscuits, banana bread, egg noodles, fried apples, garden fresh green beans, Rum (as in hot buttered…) baked potatoes…

We all know how to put butter on homemade bread and I won’t go into bread recipes here, however, I have a popcorn recipe worth sharing. My dear friend Dorothy used to make this great snack…

Dorothy’s Honey Butter Popcorn

1 stick of real butter

3 T honey

Heat just until melted.

Make about 2 qts of popcorn. Salt generously. Place popcorn in a 9×13 pan. (I use a deep roaster) Pour honey-butter over popped corn. Toss until evenly distributed. ENJOY.

I have added almonds and other goodies to this mix. Try a little cinnamon or nutmeg!

Julie (aka Lucy) and I have a running tally of how many pounds of butter we use when I go up there for a weekend. I believe the record is 6 pounds. We made Baklava. Pure butter bliss. Not there was 6 pounds in 1 baklava, we also made other crazy butter laden delights.

When it comes right down to it, butter makes just about everything better. Oh, um, my favorite…shrimp! Yes, with the milk solids still in the butter bowl. And when the shrimp is gone…bottoms up on the butter bowl!