Friday
Nov052010

what a week of spinning does....

I have been really calmed by spinning yarn this week.  It has taken the priority over sewing, though I do hope to start Russell's kilt tomorrow even though it is not on the weekend list.  Things like actually getting to the grocery store and digging in the yard are on the list.  Those small little things that get dropped when life is whirling around you.

But I have been spinning.

I filled this spindle.

I unwrapped the bobbin on to a niddy nod and tied the yarn so it would not tangle.  

And then I used a plastic milk jug with water in it as a weight to let it dry.

And now I have yarn!

I am hoping to get the whole pound of fiber spun.  Russell is going to get a Christmas hat and Danica may too.  I was thinking I needed another shawl.  There is nothing like too many shawls!  Makes me smile.

Thursday
Nov042010

gluten free gnocchi

We actually do not have to eat gluten free anymore.  Russell can digest gluten due to our lovely naturopath.  But his skin does better if there is less gluten in his life.  So I still experiment.  

I like gnocchi and one of my frustrations has been that I had issues making it gluten free.  Not anymore.

Gluten Free Gnocchi

1 pound potatoes (you want a dry, mealy potato, like a russet.  I used yukon golds here and it worked okay)

5 ounces gluten free flour (I used a mixture of amaranth, sorghum, and tapioca) 

1 teaspoon xanathan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

Weigh out a pound of potatoes.  Put them in a pot of water and bring them to a boil.  Cook until you can poke them deeply with a fork.

When they are cooked through, peel them very carefully.  They are HOT!  (okay, so you can wait and let them cool but I never seem to leave that much time!)  Add the salt and butter.

Now mash them.  I actually mash them for much longer then I would mash them for mashed potatoes.  Measure out the flour and xanathan gum.  Add to the potatoes and mix in well.  Take a teaspoon of the dough and make it into a football shape.

Remember, these get bigger when cooked so I go for the small side.  They also work better if you can let them dry.  

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the gnocchi.  They are done when they float to the top.

Here they are ready to eat.  I actually browned them a bit after cooking when I added them to the "fast" pesto I was making (through olive oil, basil, pine nuts, and salt in a pan until bubbling and pine nuts brown)

It was yummy!

Wednesday
Nov032010

frosting for the party

This is how my table looks when it is getting ready for cookie decorating.  There are usually more cookies.  I was still baking when I took this.  I have guests bring sprinkles or candies or anything they wish to put on the cookies.  I even have them bring special cookie cutters and I am always willing to bake more cookies.

I provide cookies and frosting (plates to take home on too).

Here is the frosting recipe:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

1 teaspoon corn syrup (makes it harden faster so leave this bit out if you want slower drying)

2 to 4 tablespoons hempmilk or other type of milk

cake decorating colors.

In a small bowl, put in the powdered sugar.  Add the vanilla and corn syrup.  Start with two tablespoons of milk and mix in.  Add a bit more milk until it is the right consistency to spread or pipe.  If it gets too wet, add more powdered sugar.

At this point add color.  I use the food coloring that is used for cakes.  See that black?  That makes black frosting that does not taste bad.

I am willing to make all these colors if someone asks.  I usually do not have to.

Tuesday
Nov022010

a party around cookies!

We have been cookie decorating parties over the last year.  What does that mean?  That means I make a lot of sugar cookies, cut into all different shapes, and other people come and decorate them.  The adults are really the ones who have the most fun and tendency to go in strange and interesting directions.  We had another one for Halloween.  It was a lot of fun.  

Here is the sugar cookie recipe.

Sugar cookies

1 1/2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, put the butter and sugar.  Cream together until smooth.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.  Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Mix well.

If you can, this dough rolls better if  you can put it in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.  Otherwise, use lots of flour for rolling!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll the dough to a quarter or half inch thickness.  The thinner the dough, the crisper the cookie.

Using appropriate shapes for your event, cut out cookies.  Or you can roll the dough into logs and slice (great to go with tea (tea for me!!!!  no us precious, us.  yes, yes us! that is right, us) And yes, we really do the tea comment around here.)

Bake for 6 to 8  minutes or until the edges are brown.

Decorate to your hearts content and eat.  

I took these into work the day after Halloween, so the cookies were two days old.  A large tin full!  They were all gone by lunch time.  These are good cookies.

Frosting tomorrow!

Monday
Nov012010

tomato soup

We were giving a cookie decorating party this weekend (more on that tomorrow) and I said I would make soup.  It was suggested that I make tomato soup which I can say that I do not particularly care for.  But Russell's eyes lit up when I told him that it had been a suggestion.  It was what his mother gave him when he was sick.  So, I tried.

Here is the funny thing, I have never tasted tomato soup I like so I was just really going by what I thought should be in it.  I had someone eat this soup who does not like tomato soup and another friend tell me it was the best tomato soup he has ever had.  Try it.

Tomato soup

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 pounds roma tomatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, very loosely packed (we had a fresh handful from the garden)

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

2 to 4 cups of vegetable broth, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the olive oil in a large ovenproof pan and put in the tomatoes.

 

Add the onions, garlic clove, and basil.  Sprinkle with the oregano.  Place in the oven and roast about 40 minutes.

It should look like this.  Put a pot on the stove and put the roasted vegetables in.  Pour in about 1 cup of vegetable broth and use an immersion blender to blend.  Or you can use a regular blender.  I needed to use about two to three cup of broth to get the consistency of soup I wished.  You can make it thick or thin.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I served this with homemade rolls.  

This was an experiment and there was barely a serving left over when the pot was scraped!  There were even a few roasted potato and sweet potato chunks blended in left over from breakfast.  This could just be called roasted vegetable soup.  Too bad my eggplant is dying or I would try a roasted eggplant soup.

More experimentations for next summer!