some yumminess this week

We had a great week of eating well. With the food deliveries, Ben actually made more than enough, so we were lucky enough to enjoy the meals. The gnocci were awesome on Tuesday night, the "sauce" was light. fennel, carrot and leak with a good garlic base and olive oil.... so good. We paired it with a Ravenswood Zinfindal and it was fantastic. Pardon the bad photo, again at night, so no sunlight.

On Thursday for lunch we had more falafel. Oh so good. We were impressed with how well they held up all week and heated up nicely in the oven.
Fridays quick lunch took us back to an all time favorite in a pinch quick 10 minute meal or less or Fancy Raman- said like they are a super hero around here. For such a special occasion I took out my rosewood chopsticks, which we don't use often enough.

And with this past christmas we are always reminded of the thoughtfulness of family everyday when we make up our own lattes at home! And of course a chocolate chipper right out to the oven. I made a half batch on a craving on Tuesday, so we had fresh cookies all week every day with a latte... we feel spoiled, aknowledge and embrace it. It is really so wonderful to have all that you need.

My Amazing Husband

Here's some good press that Ben got last week. Things are going incredibly well in catering world and we are really optimistic about its potential. I am so proud that this is my husband and this is what we dream of doing... Hope you are able to read it, click on the individual pictures for larger images.

In anticipation of the food nanny deliveries tomorrow this evening was spent making gnoccis- they are f-bomb good. We used Green Mountain Potates which are just so good and using a few recipes as resources came up with this great one:
2 lbs potatoes, cooked in tact with skin on until just knife tender
Cool, peel and mash
Add about a tsp of Olive oil, salt and pepper to season
Slightly whist 2 eggs, add to potato
Gradually add about 1.25 cups of flour- until it isn't sticky but still has some tackiness to it.
Cut and roll on fork, boil for three minutes!!!

So good! Plus we only needed four pounds to deliver tomorrow and I made 5+, so we have dinner for Tuesday.

Hope you are all well.

Kate

So I did a bit more hair cutting this weekend. I am still adjusting. Feel a bit like mushroom head and need to trim things up a bit more. This is definitely the shortest it has ever been, accept that initial growth thing as a child. Also some fun with picasa filters.

holiday gifts revealed

So, I spent a fair amount of time knitting this past fall resulting in about 20 hand knit felted bottle cozies. They turned out great, I used up a load of scraps from my wool knitpic stash and there are super fun to use and they really work at making you cooler... for sure, I used one at my brothers new years eve party, you know a younger crowd of somewhat preppy people, and holy cow, I felt just so cool! The pattern I made was really easy and I loved using the magic loop and my adi turbo size 7 circulars. I ended up crocheting the bottom and then picking up stiches on my needles and knitting around. They took a bit longer to felt than I anticipate and a few were pretty close to not fitting, but they worked are delivered and at least on outward appearances were somewhat well recieved.

The next mass production give away were what I called my Tree Jingle Jangles. I started with this pattern from the small object steno pad and while I thought the table top tree was great, we just don't have space for table top clutter, I had though about trying an ornament strung, but then it was screaming for a bell, which lead to chains of three of them. They adorned our door this holiday season and were handed out to lots of my favorite people.

And this was a season of some aprons. Asher had my cousins little girl in the holiday exchange so we made her an apron and by we I mean either Asher was on my lap for the duration of the sewing or Ben was solo on child care duty so that I could get sewing done.... so all things were made by all of us in one way or another. The brown aprons were made for my brothers. And my mom got one as well. They turned out great, or so I thought. Abby did mention she already had one, but hopefully she will still get some use out of it. I hope that my family gets use out of them as well.

Hope everyoneis well, the boy has just crawled on my lap and we don't type well together, so I better post this and play.

Well Happy New Year

Sorry I am a bit late, but I am going to start with a holiday wrap up. We did a lot of baking the days leading up to Christmas and now through the wonders of photoshop I can show you several pictures in one.

So here are our baked goods, i made three huge cookie platters and the pear tart is from a catering gig ben had the week before.

Presents lined up awaiting hats...

A fun skirt that needs to be worn with pants, whipped up for the holidays last night. Still trying to decide if I like it, or it I would like it more if you couldn't see my lets through it, like maybe it needs a black lining.

A fun collage from picasa, just playing, will probably be tons of posts today.

The new Kitchen work space

So things are going well in catering world and Ben got a new toy which he better love! The guys came over yesterday and helped move the 400 lb beast into the kitchen and get it hooked up. We can now cook on 6 burners and bake more cookies than ever at one time, that wasn't a true amount, but as our last oven didn't really circulate heat well, I think this bad boy will cook 4 times as many cookies in the same amount of time. Just think of how my holiday baking productivity has increased? Full sheet trays of cookies that could be 4 dozen and lots more for when making mini's I could probably get 8 dozen spritzers on there. I can't wait for all the baking to commence. I am on cookie dough duty through the weekend and will be baking next weekend.

holiday gifting

Oh, I love the holiday season. I am hoping that I haven't overwhelmed myself being too ambitious. I feel as though things are going pretty well but am starting to feel the time constraints of Christmas Eve being only two weeks away!!! Holy cow!!! Coming so soon. 14 days- that's it. Hope everyone is still enjoying the countdown. Here are a few peeks at some of the things I have been making.

The Ice Storm

Instead of snow in these parts we were slammed with some freezing rain, slick sidewals and roads and all that goodness. While the during kinda sucks, the aftermath of such an event is absolutely beautiful. It is loke everything is covered in glass, and as things move, the whole world becomes a windchime.

Makings of a Saturday Night

It was a cold,freezing rain sort of day here, I wish is were atypical for central Illinois winters, but unfortunately not. Ben got called out of work, due to weather and reservation cancellations, so we had a night at home. And we both wanted pizza, it was the type of night and day for that matter, when ordering out would have been fabulous, but we didn't want some poor delivery dude having to drive in such weather, so we decided to make dough and pizza for the first time since Asher's birth!!! Could not believe it had been so long! Pizza's always been my go to meal, I feel that I make a damn good one, so for it to have been sooo long seems ridiculous, but there you have it. Pizza dough, rolled out, brushed with an olive oil, sage, chiles concoction, topped with brocoli from our garden, feta from WI, red peppers from Jon, red onion from our garden, don't forget the salt and pepper before the final layer of cheese, also from WI.
We used the Moores whole wheat pastry flour, which is fabulous and unfortunately only had enough yeast to single the recipe, so no frozen dough for in pinch pizza making. But it was yummy gulped down with a nice bottle of beer- good eats for a night in.
And then a night of crafting: This old sheet found at an estate sale
Turned into this lovely spring feeling skirt. It is fun and a bit twirly, I love it.

Oh Holidays

Have I mentioned how excited I am about the holiday season? So with Thanksgiving done and being awesome the lighting up the world decorations are comeing out. Our houseplants are decorated with my childhood ornaments and some more recents, the lights are waiting to be strung, the menorah is out, the christmas turkey is in the freezer, cookie and gift lists are made and our annual solstice party needs to be planned. My crafting at the moment is finishing up these placemats thate were started before Asher, and now just need bias tape around the edges.