little turtle knits » recipes

Day 12(ish): Warm Heads + Warm Bellies…

ltkmama — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:28:42 +0000

I got so close to finishing up the 12 Days of Christmas {crafting} with a bang….and now here it is a week later when I’m posting the final day. Best laid plans, right?

We’ve got more snow today, though my boys were quite disappointed that the 6″ or so only rated a delay for school, instead of a day off. I’ve been absolutely freezing all day, so undertook to warm myself with help from the oven. What better way to warm up than with some potato soup?

Smashed Potato Soup

adapted from Cooking Light; Serves 6

Ingredients

8 baking potatoes (about 5 pounds)
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
6 slices bacon (I prefer applewood smoked thick cut)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 T cornstarch
5 cups milk (whole or 2%, or any combination of both)
3 cup chicken stock
1 cup shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream cheese (or neufachtel cheese)
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 onion, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Pierce potatoes with a fork; rub with olive oil and bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Coarsly mash half the potatoes, and dice the remaining. (Alternately, if you’re in a rush you can wrap the potatoes in plastic wrap and microwave approximately 10-12 minutes or until tender)

While the potatoes are cooking, cook bacon in a large dutch oven. Remove bacon once browned and crisy, add chopped onions and butter to pot and sauteed 5-6 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add flour to pot, stir to mix well. Gradually add milk, then stock, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, cream cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese, keeping 1/4 cup aside for garnish.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup green onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). . Sprinkle each serving with cheese and a tablespoon of sour cream. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

(frugal note: I use dry powdered milk mixed with water and a can of evaporated milk instead of fresh milk)

Serve with iceberg salad and cornbread and you’ll have the same dinner we are

The final pattern for our Christmas {Crafting} adventures is a new one, Katie Jayne. I’ve been wearing mine pretty much every day, none stop since Christmas. It’s a comfy, perfectly slouchy toque that covers even the worst bad-hair-from-dry-air days.

With a tubular cast on for a nice stretchy edge, this hat works up jiffy quick with worsted weight on oversized (US 10.5) needles. The texture pattern is embarrasingly simple, but looks complex. Clever shaping maintains the stitch pattern look as you decrease for the crown.

Sample is knit with Berroco Jasper, which I adore for it’s subtle color shifts that make fabulous stripes with no effort on my part! Katie Jayne is only $3.00 until Friday, January 14th. Don’t miss it!

Day 7: Cocktails + Moonlit Nights…

ltkmama — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 01:00:42 +0000

(bonus points if you’ve now got that song stuck in your head. I’m sorry)

When I was a kid, New Year’s Eve always meant going with my Aunt + Uncle to their annual party with lots of friends, cousins, and food. My parents got an evening out alone, and I got to enjoy a night with kids I saw only that one night a year. I remember one particular party, I must have been around 8 or 9, where the grown ups were all drinking these muppet blue drinks in tall glasses that I thought looked so sophisticated and grown up. I made a promise to myself that when I was grown up, I’d have sophisticated drinks like that on New Years Eve at a big party just like my Aunt + Uncle’s.

Fast forward many ahem, several years, and now my idea of New Year’s Eve perfect is a quiet night playing board games with my family, and my head hitting the pillow long beore my neighbors start hitting the pots and pans at the stroke of 12. (what is the deal with that?!) OF course, I never did quite let go of the idea that New Year’s + cocktails go together like Peanut Butter + Jelly. So today, I present my favorite cocktail concoctions.

Lavender Tonic

1.5 oz gin (Tanqueray Rangpur is my favorite) (or vodka, if you prefer)

4 oz tonic water

2 T lavender simple syrup

Mix gin and simple syrup in a rocks glass. Fill with ice, and finish with club soda. Garnish with lemon wedge and rosemary stalk.

Lavender Simple Syrup

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

4-5 T lavender buds

Bring water + lavender to a boil, add the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain lavender from liquid. Keeps in fridge for up to 1 month.

Rosemary Gin Fiz

2 oz gin

4 oz club soda

2 T rosemary simple syrup

1 T lemon juice

lemon sliver and rosemary, for garnish

Mix gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in tall collins glass. Fill with ice, and finish with club soda. Garnish with lemon wedge and rosemary stalk.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

4-5 T fresh rosemary (leaves on stalks)

Bring water + rosemary to a boil, add the sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain rosemary from liquid. Keeps in fridge for up to 1 month.

Remember, drink responsibly!

today’s pattern is of the non-cocktail variety, though the Hubster thinks it makes a fabulous name for a drink. The Fuzzy Elf pattern is a fun felted project for warm slippers. Go the silly, pointy toe elf version:

or the more practical, traditional sock slipper version:

The Fuzzy Elf comes in 5 sizes, from infant to adult mens. It is a simple sock, knit on large needles with some ingenious design elements to make it the perfect house elf socks.

Construction
Oversized sock is knit from the toe up, with either a pointed elf toe or traditional rounded toe
Foot features a garter st sole + short row heel for durability
cuff is worked in either a garter foldover with button closure or add-on ribbing after the sock is felted to size

The Fuzzy Elf pattern is just $3.00 – so go grab it now!

Day 5: When Under Attack…

ltkmama — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:38:20 +0000

The Caboose (that’s our youngest) and I are under attack by some rather insipid and invasive little buggers, and both feel like our heads might explode at any moment. Whenever I feel icky, I remember my grandma gently spreading Vapo-Rub on my chest as a child, and that soothing touch (and smell) always made me feel better. So, naturally now whenever my boys are under the weather, I reach for the same soothing comfort (making sure to save some for myself, too!) I’m not comfortable with the petroleum base of the traditional Vapo-Rub my grandma used, so I’ve experimented (a lot!) with homemade remedies. Here’s the current favorite (used liberally today, and now in need of replenishing – as soon as I feel better!)

Bee Better Balm
1/4 cup beeswax
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sweet almond, jojoba, or grapeseed oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
10-15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops tea tree oil
20 drops lavender essential oil

Melt the beeswax, olive oil and 1/2 cup of your other oil choice together (I do this in a pyrex in the microwave, start with 1:30, stir and then work in 15 second increments till it’s all melted). Add the remaining oils, and stir gently to mix, then pour into your container of choice (I use half pint mason jars, they’re easiest to dig fingers into. Rub on liberally when you or your littles are feeling under the weather, and breathe a little easier!

Today there’s two patterns with a “comfort” theme – the Babywearer, and the Stripey Slippers.

The Babywearer is the ultimate comfort for a winter sling baby! Keeps you both covered and cozy, without the fuss of a coat and fitting it over you both. There’s a bunch of lovely projects on Ravelry, including this beauty:

The Babywearer is only $5.oo today, so grab it while the gettin’s good!

Second, is there anything more comforting than a cozy pair of slippers on a cold winter night? Everyone in my family teases me that I’ve got frigid feet, so I’m rarely without a pair of slippers in winter. The Stripey Slippers are fun and quick to knit, and feature a clever construction that will keep the knitting engaging.

Check out all the inspiring projects on Ravelry, and then go grab your very own pattern (just $4.00 today!) and warm up all the soles {souls} in your home.

Day 3: Crafting Comfort

ltkmama — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:28:21 +0000

Sorry for the delay in getting today’s post up for you (I’m sure you were giddy with anticipation!) But when there’s a foot of snow on the ground, mama simply MUST subject the littles (and not-so-littles) to some serious snow snapshots. I had grand plans to pepper today’s entry with adorable pictures of my youngest rascal puffed up like Randy. Unfortunately, I dropped my camera card somewhere between the snow fort and the front door. I’m sure I’ll find it sometime during the spring thaw so, we’ll have to do with imagining Rusty-as-Randy.

After a long morning-turned-afternoon of snow play, there’s two things that my boys require. Hot Chocolate, in vat quantities. Usually, the second thing is Tuna Noodle Casserole (I have no idea how that became a snow day tradition, but since it’s one of my favorite easy meals, I’m certainly not complaining!) Since we’ve got an abundance of turkey left (that’s what happens when you procure a 21 pound turkey when you’re only feeding 8 people – I love leftovers!) So, today’s Christmas {Crafting} is my grandma’s Tuna Casserole, adapted for turkey (in other words, all I did was sub turkey meat for the tuna) I’m not a gambling gal, but if I were I’d bet that there’s more than a few of you with turkey sitting in the fridge and a few wee folks who don’t want another turkey sandwich. This is a great way to use it up in a way that your kids will most likely love!

Tuna Turkey Casserole

2 tablespoons butter

3 heaping tablespoons flour

1 cup milk, half and half, or light cream (if you’re feeling decadent!)

1 cup chicken stock (or turkey/veggie stock, or water)

3/4 cup shredded cheese (swiss or cheddar)

2 cups chopped cooked turkey (or 2 can solid white tuna)

1 pound wide egg noodles (or any other pasta you’ve got on hand – we’ve used elbows, penne, rigatoni, rotini, etc)

3-4 cups broccoli (frozen or fresh, doesn’t matter!)

2 t kosher salt

pepper to taste

paprika (about 1 T)

Put water on to boil (for noodles + broccoli) while you prepare a bechamel sauce (really, it’s not hard!) preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll add the broccoli to the water once it’s boiling, and cook for 4-5 minutes, then add noodles and cook until the noodles are al dente. Drain and put into a casserole dish.

melt the butter on medium heat in a medium saucepan, then sprinkle the flour in slowly while stirring the entire time (you don’t want the flour to clump) Continue to stir for a few minutes, until the butter and flour are lightly browned. Add about a 1/4 cup of the milk, stirring continuously. It will form a gel-like consistency when mixed; continue slowly adding the milk while you stir. Once all the milk has been added, switch to adding the stock/water in the same manner until it’s incorporated. Turn the heat down to med-low, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens a bit. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cheese, and add the rest to the sauce, stirring well to incorporate. remove from heat and stir in the turkey and seasoning. Pour sauce over the noodles/broccoli, and top with remaining cheese and paprika. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and nicely browned on top. Enjoy!

Today’s Pattern is the Picky Pants, in honor of my friend’s shrieking voicemail this morning that she’s (finally!!!) pregnant. I’ll be knitting up quite a few little pickys for her in the coming months!

There’s over 1600 Picky Pants projects on Ravelry, so go take a peek for some fabulous inspiration. Normally $12, the Picky Pants are discounted 50% today, so they’re a steal at $6!

Fight the Forced Air Balm

ltkmama — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:06:34 +0000

So, I’ve been miserable all day because my face and fingers hurt from the cold, dry air outside and the hot, dry air inside (I swear, my next house is going to have old fashioned radiator heat-I still miss that warm, moist air we had in our Boston apt, and it’s been 12 years since we lived there!)

Anyway, I was cleaning up after dinner and spotted the coconut oil in the pantry and had a spark of an idea. Remembering a post from Amanda earlier this week, I was inspired to whip up some balm-y loveliness. Her concoction was for lipbalm, but I wanted a bit more of a body bar balm, so I played around a bit with ingredients. I just slathered it all over my hands and face and I’m in heaven! thought I’d share in case anyone else is suffering with nasty, gnarly dry skin.

Lavender Honey Balm

5 T beeswax pellets

6 T coconut oil

3 T raw honey (I used some from the Hubster’s Uncle, with the comb still inside)

2 T shea butter

10 drops lavender EO (you can sub with any essential oil you want, I think sweet orange is what I’ll do next)

Combine all the ingredients up to the EO in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over a pot of water on the stove (or, do the quick and dirty method I did, which was to dump it all into a mason jar and melt it in the microwave for 45 seconds, then increments of 10 seconds until it was all melted). Add the EO, and then stir continually until it cools and starts to get opaque (I put the bottom of the mason jar in a bowl of ice water to speed this process up) Pour into tins if you’ve got them. I poured into my silicon mini-muffin pan, and set it outside in the cold (under a towel so no snow got in) until it was set (and pretty much frozen) and then popped them out and stored them in some tupperware until I can figure out a better better storage solution.

My hands feel better already, and prepared to tackle the (long) list of knitted gifties still waiting to be finished!