hookin' and an easy-peasy recipe

crocheting in the round

I've been so inspired by the many bloggie friends I have who can pick up needles and yarn or fabric and thread, and create something beautiful out of it!
While visiting Lucy, over at attic24, I became enamored with her little birdie ornaments and decided I would try something similar myself.
Well, I got carried away, and wanted to keep going with my crocheted circle, so I am now headed in a bit of a different direction and making a round crocheted pillow.
The photo above will be the top of said pillow, with an old man's navy blue sweater which has been felted (by me!) to be the backside.
Now, I just have to figure out how I want tp connect the two parts!

fresh, homemade naan

The kitchen duties have not been neglected tho, and I had come across a recipe for Naan, (from Allrecipes.com)which is a bread typically served with Indian meals, that I desperately wanted to try.
Naan at my local grocers sells for around $3 for a small bag of about 6.
This recipe makes 14, and I can tell you for absolute certainty, it did NOT cost me anywhere near $3!!!
I did mine on a very hot cast iron skillet, which is recommended in the coments section at the recipe site. They cook up in about 2-3 min., so keep an eye on them!
This was SO good, warm and fresh. And incredibly simple.
I can truly say it was
Easy-Peasy!

coconut chicken curry

You can't serve Naan without some kind of Indian food to go along with it, and my choice for supper last evening was this delicious curry, whose recipe I got from Prudence Pennywise.
The only things I did differently was to not add the raisins and the nuts.
And I used nearly a full can of Lite Coconut Milk.
She strongly suggests you try it with the raisins, but I didn't have the energy to run down the cellar and hunt them up.

Not too spicy, with just a hint of heat, it was the perfect accompaniment to the naan.

I'm smellin' Christmas in the air...how about you?

I've been "beavering", as Dottie Angel would say, busy getting my projects up and running, for it is to be a thrifty Christmas this year. Lots of homemade, handmade, and thrifted presents!

Lots to do to prepare for the upcoming hoilidays, and for heavens sake, Thanksgiving is just 3 weeks from now!
YIKES!

I'll be back right straight, to show you my finished pillow!

xoxo
cindy

PILLOW TALK!

inspirational book

I have been inspired by the sweetest book I requested from my library.
Somewhere out in blogland someone had this book on their sidebar, and anything that has the word "simple" in it's description is one I am naturally drawn to.
Isn't the cover "inspirational"?
(now, if I were that tall and thin, that apron would be right up my alley)
But, alas, I am not.

My 3 button, YES!, I said 3 button pillowcase!!!

So instead, I tried my hand at this linen pillowcase.
Linen being the key word here as I have simply yards of it left from when I had slipcovers made for my sofa 3 years ago.

My handmade linen, 3 button, pillowcase
(did I mention there are 3 buttons on this?)

See how nicely it matches my other pillows and quilt?
And I have heard linen feels wonderful as bedding, all wrinkley and lineney, and such.
I'll find out tonite.

There are lots of simple projects in this dear book, and I believe it could be on my Christmas wish list.

Can you believe I had to make 3 buttonholes for this????

Who would have thought, 6 months ago, heck, even 3 weeks ago, that I could accomplish such a feat?
And I didn't shed one tear.

EASY-PEASY APPLESAUCE!

CHUNKY APPLESAUCE IN SHEET PAN

Armed with a bushel of low-spray Jonagold apples graciously delivered by Ang from Maple Valley Farms, I set out to make a simple applesauce.
No fuss. No muss.
I don't think it gets any easier than this....

Chunky Homemade Applesauce Recipe

• 8 medium, firm apples, such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauties
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• cinnamon/nutmeg to taste
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel, core and dice apples into one-inch chunks. Try to make all of the apples roughly the same size, so they cook evenly.
3. Place apples in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle honey, olive oil, brown sugar and kosher salt over the apples. At this point you may add a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Stir the honey mixture till evenly coated. (this does NOT make a huge amt. of "sauce")
   
5. Spread the apples out in an even layer on a heavy roasting pan, or a sturdy baking sheet.
6. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples are golden brown and soft, but still retain their shape. They will exude their own juices so the pan never really gets burnie stuff on it.
   
7. Remove the apples from the oven and mash lightly. Serve immediately.
8. Or cool. Whatever you like!
   

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

APPLESAUCE!

We are serving this as a side dish to a simple baked ziti.
Supper's almost ready....gotta run!

EDIT.....THIS IS THE BEST APPLESAUCE I HAVE EVER HAD. NOT KIDDING.

TO THE DARK SIDE....

FarmgirlCyn...for now

With separate knee surgeries comin' up after the 1st of the year, I am looking for ways to streamline my life a bit.

Simple soups and salads.
De-cluttering.
Handmade instead of store-bought gifts.

And...

No more highlights/lowlights in my hair.

My dear daughter Gina, a hair stylist, has been most obliging whenever I have felt the need for a trim, root touch up, or highlights.
But...with the whole first half of next year being spend either in surgery or recuperating from surgeries, I thought it was time to go au naturale.

Yes, in real life I am a natural brunette.

For now.

AUTUMN ACORN SQUASH

Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette
Adapted from Gourmet, October 2006


I found this recipe from Smitten's Kitchen blog, and knew right off the bat it was gonna be a winner in my book.
A bit of a twist on traditional squash sweetened with honey/brown sugar and butter, this is a perfect accompaniment to roast chicken, which is exactly how I served it.

Makes 4-6 servings.

2 (1 1/2 – to 1 3/4-lb) acorn squash

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons olive oil (I used 8)

1 garlic clove (I used 2)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot red chile, including seeds (I used jalapeno)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used more)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise, then cut off and discard stem ends. Scoop out seeds and cut squash lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges. Toss squash with black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl, then arrange, cut sides down, in 2 large shallow baking pans. Roast squash, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until squash is tender and undersides of wedges are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.

While squash roasts, mince garlic and mash to a paste with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a small bowl and whisk in lime juice, chile (to taste), cilantro, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until combined. Transfer squash, browned sides up, to a platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Now, here's what I do differently.

I pierce the squash in a few places and microwave for 5-10 min. on high, or just until I can get the darn thing cut in half w/o help from farmboy! THEN...I proceed with the recipe. I found it STILL took the full cooking time in the oven, but you must be the judge of your own. My oven is on the ka-flooey of late, and I don't have an extra $100 to fix it right now, so the temps vary greatly.

I also used a jalapeno pepper which is a bit milder than the red chili recommended. I would go with a spicier pepper next time, as you really don't use that much of it, and it really adds a distinctive flavor.

I am thinking you are gonna love this!!!

SOAPMAKING 101

Table set up in Jen's garage
Distilled water in pitchers, 6.1oz lye in baggie

CONQUERED.....fear of lye!!!

I have wanted to make my own soap for over 7 years now, but was always hesitant because of the lye factor. The stuff just plain scared me!

My friend Jen, also wanted to make soap.

Two people, working together to make soap, was perhaps the way to go!

So...with some research online, the book I have had for over 7 years dug out, and a bit of planning, we were underway!

Jen, stirring her lye/water mixture

The stuff is caustic, so you need to stand back as your stir the lye into the water and cover your nose and mouth.

My stick blender, mixing the oils with the lye mixture.

We found a local gal who had written an article for our city newspaper last year, so downloaded her instructions and pretty much followed them to a T.
We had a few questions, so I looked her up in the phone book and she graciously answered everything I asked and offered additional help if needed.

Soap poured into wax-paper lined shoe box

So, yesterday, armed with all the ingredients, we made our 1st two batches...one for me, one for Jen.

Cut soap air-drying for the next 4-6 weeks.

I went back to Jen's this morning for the soap-cutting ceremony and to make another two batches.
We figured while it was still fresh in our minds we'd better do it again!

I can honestly say it was not bad at all.

In fact, it is ALMOST easy peasy!

the BIG reveal....get your hankies out!

Laughing so hard I was crying!

I had Avery take my picture with my handmade apron on, and we about fell on the floor laughing.
I know I have gained some weight since my knees went south on me last year, but I am NOT as big as this makes me appear!
This apron was a real challenge for me, as I have never done anything reversible, and as I lamented a couple of posts ago, I have never attempted buttonholes.
Today I completed both.

2 buttonholes, complete with buttons!!!

That's not to say there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of practice, as I think I did 10 practice buttonholes.
And, lest you think I am a complete baby, may I remind you that my old machine does NOT have an automated buttonhole thingy.
I had to read, and re-read my machine manual, and do these buttonholes the old fashioned way!
(now I have to figure out how to do the buttons on the other, reversible side....
perhaps I should read the pattern???)

Avery, who is tall and slender, pulled the sides of the apron in, and it STILL looks big!!!

Ya know, I read that pattern, and I checked the bust measurements against my own, and I was absolutely certain I needed to make the large.
This really is SO big I am wondering if my next one should be a small?

Or perhaps it was MEANT to look like a tent???

Disclaimer: I first saw this apron all done real cute in Amy Butler fabric, on Homemaker Ang. Hers fit her perfectly, tho she is tall and slender and would look good in a flour sack.

Maybe I should call her?