A Walk At The Lake

This winter has been unusually warm, even for Central North Carolina. We've had many, many days in the mid to upper 60's.
One day, a few weekends ago, it reached 70*. We took advantage of this warm day to take a walk at Salem Lake.


They've partially drained the lake to do repairs on the damn but it was still a great place to walk.



We had to start at "end" since there were runners doing a half marathon at the other end.

We walked about 1 mile to the bridge (which was as far as Evan could handle that day).

He loved seeing the train bridge in the distance. He knew what it was the instant he saw it.

It was a great way to get out and get some exercise. I think we'll have to go again this weekend if the weather holds up.

Coconut Milk Chocolate Pudding (Dairy-Free)

Not much can beat homemade chocolate pudding. This pudding is so delicious that you'll never miss the dairy. It sets up pretty firm so if that bothers you, use the smaller amount of cornstarch.

Coconut Chocolate Pudding
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 Tbsp cornstarch (depending on how thick/firm you want the pudding)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3.5 ounces chocolate chips (Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips are non-dairy)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, maple syrup, and the salt (just) to a simmer over low heat.While that is heating, in a separate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.
When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the cornstarch mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the cornstarch slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.
Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding.

Sausage, Cabbage, and Pasta Dinner

This simple supper is a perfect winter meal. It's hardy, filling, and so flavorful!

Ignore the fact that I used napa cabbage above. DON'T use napa cabbage.. it cooks down too much.

Sausage, Cabbage, and Pasta Dinner

1 pound kielbasa
cabbage (about 1/4-1/2 a head of cabbage, shredded)
1-2 Tbsp.Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
cooked pasta (about 2-3 cups)

In a large skillet (with a lid), brown sliced sausage (plus a Tbsp or two of oil or lard if you need it) until the sausage is well browned and there are lots of brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The brown bits on the bottom of the pan are important because that will make your dish very flavorful.
Once the sausage is done cooking, add the cabbage and cook with the lid on until the cabbage is just tender, stirring occasionally. When you stir, try to scrap up the brown bits from the pan and mix them into the sausage and cabbage. When the cabbage is tender, stir in the Dijon mustard and check your seasonings. The sausage may be salty enough that you don't need to add much salt, if any. Add pepper to taste.
Add cooked pasta and stir it all together. Check seasonings again. Serves 4-6 people depending on how much cabbage and pasta you use.

Baby Sam

We're were so happy to welcome a new addition to Jon's side of the family. Jon's brother, Ken, and his wife, Valarie, gave birth to little Samuel a little over two weeks ago. Last weekend I got to visit with him while I was visiting my Aunt Linda (who lives close to Ken and Valarie). He's so tiny and looks a lot like Ken and Jon's dad.

I held him while he slept. I love all the faces babies make while they sleep.

Tiny baby hands.

I knit up a few new hats after I realized the other hats I had knit him would be too big for a while. I used the same Knit Picks Stroll that I knit his sweater set in for both hats. The hat on the left is the Squash Baby Hat from One Skein Luxury Wonders and the hat on the right is just a basic preemie beanie and I made the rim longer to be able to be folded up.

Valarie with Sam.

Ken with Sam.

I was glad to be able to spend some time with my little nephew. The kids are excited for him to get old enough for them to play with them.

Welcome, Samuel!

Jon's Roller Coaster

Jon's surprise gift from me this Christmas was a K-Nex Roller Coaster kit. Jon loves roller coasters so I thought he'd like to have one of his own. A few days after Christmas, he spent 8 hours putting it together.

The pieces are teeny, tiny. Surprisingly, the kit was rated for ages 9 and up. Not sure what 9 year old would have been able to put this one together.

Jon loved it though and he snapped these "time lapse" picture to show his progress.

Almost done!

He did it! What a cool coaster! It works perfectly and it's so fun to watch the little car zip around the track. I see on Amazon that there are a ton of these coaster kits. Maybe this could become a yearly tradition.

MLK III

My sister and I went to our Aunt Linda's house last weekend for the 3rd Annual MLK (Must Love Knitting) Weekend. We couldn't wait! A whole weekend of great food, great company, lots of knitting and movie watching, and lots of catching up with each other. Linda took us to two great knitting shops nearby. Here, Linda was trying to help Katie decide what to knit with a beautiful teal Malabrigo silky blend yarn she fell in love with.

Here's the yarn I bought at The Yarn Club. I bought some Vintage in pink for a baby set I'm knitting for one of my mom's friends who is expecting her first granddaughter. I bought some black Vintage to finish a sweater I'm knitting for Evan. See that crazy yarn with all the different colors? I fell in love with that sock yarn and all it's wonderful colors. That yarn is on it's way to becoming a pair of socks... for me!


After we shopped, we went to visit our Grandma.

Katie and Grandma



Me and Grandma

Though she couldn't quite place who we were, she definitely recognized us as someone she knew and she was very happy to have us visit.

We took her for a walk through the hallways and we stopped so she could play Chopsticks on the piano.

The lobby has a wonderful aviary. I love watching the birds fly around. This little guy is so pretty.


Boy did Linda every clear out her knitting stash! She let Katie and I divide up all the yarn/books/patterns that she no longer wanted! It was like a yarn Christmas! Thanks, Aunt Linda!

There was lots of knitting done that weekend between the shopping and visiting. Katie was trying to be patient with me as I taught them how to do a toe up sock.

Aunt Linda did a great job on her practice sock and has already has a toe done on her real sock! I'm going to be working on writing up my pattern soon.

After her frustrating attempt at a sock toe, Katie worked on a beautiful hat in deep purple tones.

I started my first Fair Isle project (Little Fair Isle Hat). Linda showed me how to hold a second color of yarn with my left hand and switch back and forth using two colors in each row. It was really fun once I got the hang of it.

Katie and I had fun with the camera.

Sunday afternoon, Linda's friend Debbie came over for lunch, knitting, and movies. We had some delicious hamburger soup Debbie made and watched The Help. It was the 4th time I'd seen The Help but I still love it so much! Such an amazing movie.

Debbie also cleaned out her stash to share with Katie and I! We had such fun looking through the beautiful yarns! Thanks, Debbie!

Katie finished her beautiful hat!

I got home and laid out the yarn I brought home. I realized I would need more yarn storage. What a wonderful problem to have! I bought 2 new plastic bins yesterday and total I get to play with my yarn as I reorganize it.

I can't wait for MLK IV!! I love the time with my Aunt and my sister. Such great women to spend a weekend with!

Aunt Edie's Butterfly set

We drew Aunt Edie's name for our Christmas exchange. She wanted a hat and mitten set.... music to a knitter's ears! I knit her a "Butterfly Hat" so called for the butterfly stitch used throughout the hat. The yarn is Purled Llama's 50% alpaca/50% wool. It's very soft.

I knit a basic, rolled cuff mitten and added a butterfly stitch to the back of each mitten so they'd match the hat.

I love the way the hat (and the mittens) turned out. I'm definitely going to put this pattern in the keeper pile.

Socks For My Boys

Before I leave for the 3rd Annual Must-Love-Knitting Weekend with my Aunt Linda and Katie, I wanted to show you some socks I've made recently for Evan and Jon. I knit Evan these stretchy socks from a cotton yarn blended with nylon elastic (Luscious Kollage, in ice blue and pewter). Just a simple, no-frills toe-up sock.

Gotta love a boy who appreciates hand-knit socks!

Before Jon left for the Midwest Band Clinic (in Chicago) before Christmas, he asked for new socks to help keep his feet warm. Again, gotta love a man who appreciates hand-knit socks.

I had to hurry to finish these since Jon likes tall socks.

I got them in done just in time to wash them and let them dry before he left. These were also knit toe-up with Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino. I love this yarn. It is easy to knit with and has a nice, subtle texture.

They kept his feet nice and warm.

Kitchen Matters

A little kitchen related post about some things happening here in the world of food.

Just before Christmas I baked 10 loaves of pumpkin bread to give to neighbors, the mail man, and other people in our lives that I wanted to wish a Merry Christmas.

I wrapped each loaf in 2 layers of plastic wrap and put a bow on top. Nothing fancy but it worked.

The pumpkin bread got rave reviews so I thought I'd post the recipe.

Easy Pumpkin Bread (from King Arthur Flour)

1 cup vegetable oil
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar (I reduced the sugar to 2 cups and it was still very sweet!)
4 large eggs
2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg**
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (I left them out)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional (I left them out)
sugar for sprinkling on top, optional

** I used 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg instead.

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans (if you're making the plain version of the bread); two 9" x 5" loaf pans (if you're adding chocolate chips and nuts); or one of each, if you're making one plain loaf, and one loaf with chips and nuts.
2) In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.
3) Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to combine.
4) Mix in the chips and nuts, if you're using them. To make one loaf with chips/nuts, one loaf without, divide the batter in half. Leave one half plain, and add 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup nuts to the other half.
5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
6) Bake the bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter.
7) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving.
Yield: 2 loaves.

My mom, with her incredibly generous heart, treated me to a shopping spree at Bed Bath and Beyond just before Christmas. Talk about an early Christmas present!!!

Ever since college, I've cooked and baked on the cheapest pans possible. I've been using a very cheap set of non-stick cookware that is several years old and wasn't great brand new... much less many years old. Even though I cook and bake everyday, I find it hard to spend the money to buy quality pots and pans. There's always a car needing repaired, a dentist visit, or clothes to be bought.

I can't thank my mom enough for this amazing gift. The 12" stainless steel saute pan is amazing! I can actually heat up the pan enough to brown meat! The food I make now tastes so much better now that I'm able to develop flavors with higher heat. It's even make cooking more fun then it already was! Thanks, Mom!!

And lastly, a friend of ours gave us 2 deers worth (75lbs) of ground venison (I paid for processing) and now I have a freezer full of wonderful, free-range meat. I used to be against hunting but have now I think it's one of the best ways to get meat for your family. By deer hunting, hunters are keeping down the deer over-population, the animals forage and are obviously free-range making for flavorful, healthy meat, and the animals live their natural life until they're killed quickly. The price is also hard to beat. At around $2/lb., it's half the price of grass-fed, local beef and it tastes just as good!