Pensive Frog

Can I just say again how cool it is to see Peekaboo Mittens popping up all over the web? I’m beside myself. Anyway, I decided to make myself another pair (I only kept one of the test pairs I made) out of Kureyon. I had a few balls tied up in a [...]

Oh my Lord, have you seen this recipe for Peruvian Caramel filled Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream and Coconut? I must make these, if only because it involves making dulce de leche from scratch! OK, maybe not from scratch, but I’ve always wanted to boil a can of sweetened condensed milk for 2 [...]

So, you wanna make your own space alien bread? Here’s the recipe for your enjoyment, with my adaptations included.
Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread, adapted from the Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook
3/4 C rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 C steel cut oats
1 C boiling water
1/4 C warm water for yeast awakening
2 t yeast
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C [...]

To whom it may concern:
I am writing to express my displeasure at an advertisement aired this morning on Channel 5. I had just finished my bowl of frosted mini-wheats and was contemplating what to prepare for this evening’s repast. Needless to say, my interest was piqued when the following commercial began:
Scene: A [...]

More baking pictures! This one has to be seen to be believed. In a frantic attempt to use up some leftover buttermilk, I again turned to the Macrina Cookbook for a recipe. I settled on the Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread. I made a few alterations to the recipe, namely I only had [...]

My photo posting is a few weeks behind, so I’m only now presenting pictures of my Macrina Buttermilk Biscuits:

I think next time I’ll try to generate a squarer shape, if only to facilitate injecting the warm biscuits with raspberry jam (not shown, because we gobbled them up too quickly!) The special dough folding technique [...]

Brace yourselves, here comes a tangent.
So I made good on my self-promise to make at least one of those tasty recipes: the Macrina biscuits. Oy, they turned out GREAT! The only problem is that the recipe calls for vegetable shortening (AKA Crisco), which of course contains trans fats. Oops, first I [...]

Recipes I simply MUST try:

Foolproof Pad Thai at Chez Pim
Layered carrot cake at Jumbo Empanadas
BBQ candied cashews at Kirsten’s Home Adventures in Cooking.
And add to the list the old fashioned buttermilk biscuits from the Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook.
Oh, I’ve got a lot of cooking to do!

Sometimes TV can be so, you know, fictional. It really burns my biscuit when television shows create scenes and situations that simply aren’t realistic. Like, when the epidemiologists on Medical Investigation traveled to outbreak investigations by black helicopter. Or, how the criminalists on CSI carry guns. Or how Lorelai Gilmore knit [...]

Look, I made some hats for Minestrone Soup’s hat drive for Boston Children’s Hospital! Everyone gather around and congratulate me. Just kidding. I figured since the request was specifically for fun fur hats, I might as well get rid of the fun fur that’s stinking up my stash (not literally) and make [...]

I’m so pleased with the great response to my Peekaboo Mittens pattern! I’ve even seen some finished mittens already - you people are fast! Here’s a cute blue mitten at the Purly Gate, and some great purple ones by Aine D! Amy suggested that I should set up a knitalong, so here it [...]

I’ve been invited to a casserole cook-off, and I’m trying to figure out what my entry should be. Something creative and artery-clogging would be my first choice, and best chance at a prize. My first thought was macaroni and cheese. Something like this recipe for M&C with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. [...]

I discovered something delicious at Trader Joe’s! (No, it’s not the checker on register 3) Freeze-dried strawberries, just like the astronauts enjoy! They’re delectable on my homemade yogurt (still no food poisoning, by the way). They’re light, crunchy, squeaky, and just weird. A whole pint is just one serving, and [...]

I finally decided what to do with my latest batch of Kool-Aid dyed yarn, I just forgot to post a picture! I really dug Grumperina’s Jaywalker socks pattern, and I thought the zigzags might be the perfect complement to this cherry melon sundae yarn. What do you think?

Incidentally, I rarely jaywalk. I [...]

I’m very excited to announce that my first published knitting pattern is now up at Magknits! I give you the Peekaboo Mittens.

Many thanks to Amy, who tested the pattern for me and made a great pair of mittens for herself! I tell you, these mittens are awesome. I’ve been wearing them almost [...]