Ride. Knit. Read.

Foodstuffs

I spent much of the rainy, rainy Saturday knitting and watching cooking shows on a PBS outfit called Create that I recently discovered on the upper range of the tv dial. Besides spending most of the weekend hungry as a result, I also started wondering about what food or drink others call their favorite. Feel free to share yours in the comments.

Some foodstuffs I hope never to have to live without:

• Andy's home-made tomato sauce
• Ripe brie
• Seared tuna
• Newcastle beer
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Guacamole
• Baguettes (piles and piles, please)
• Sweet peas
• Honeycup mustard

 

I hope to finish a few knitting projects in March. I'm waiting on a skein to finish the Marlo sweater but it should be seamed up quickly once that arrives. In the meantime I intend to knit the remaining elements of the Shawl Collar Cardigan from Jo Sharp's Book 1. My sock-a-month is still going well.  I'm working on a fiery pair now that is well suited to Project Spectrum's theme. In light of all the sweaters in progress I'm allowing myself until April to complete the pair but they have to be done before my first Woolgirl Sock Club shipment arrives.

Friends, I know I have been mostly unavailable lately. Job search 2007-2008 has really taken its toll. It requires so much energy to constantly sell myself and I am the sort of person who has difficulty with any sort of limbo status.

Cherry Blossom-ed

No blossoms to festival this weekend but Sundara sent me some of her Cherry Blossom yarn!

Friday night I met an old friend at the Tabard Inn for drinks. Go! We had our cocktails in a "great gatsby" livingroom lounge with lots of charm.

The rest of my weekend in D.C. was spent in the wonderful company of my friend and her fiance. I'm glad I had the opportunity to spend time getting to know him--I expect they will have a happy marriage. They both have such generous spirits. The weather was pretty crummy for us but we did go over to Georgetown for a stroll. I never realized how much character there is in District architecture. Their maine coon, Orion, oversaw our watching the Red Sox, making brunch, and working on a puzzle.

The flight back through/into a nor'easter was not a good time but at least I wasn't running a marathon the next day. Word is we might finally see sun on Saturday so I'm going for a ride. Here's what the beach near Manchester looked like yesterday:

Domestique

I spent the weekend engaged in various ways with my Le Creuset 5.5qt French (Dutch) Oven.

Generally, I need bandwagons to roll-on-by before I get interested in an activity so it's a good thing this habit didn't prevent me from enjoying the No-Knead Bread spectacular.  This is seriously good bread, folks. I made it for a second try Sat-Sun and it was met with glorious praise from all. It really is as easy as it says. Stir flour, yeast, water until doughlike; ask it to sit patiently for 18-24 hours; drop in dutch oven; bake for 45 minutes. Crusty, toothsome, delicious.

Homemade soup is always a fine complement for a nice boule (or the other way 'round?).  For week-two of my weekly soups routine I managed a healthful and tasty black bean soup. Not quite the smooth texture I like but I'd lay blame more on my submersion blending technique than the recipe, which is in Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. The book has high quality photos and represents a broad selection of vegetable/legume/pulse soups.

I started Ms. Marigold on Friday night but any progress shots will have to wait until the replacement adapter I ordered on 3-20 (!) arrives so ibook can be powered. Am I the only one who thinks 7 days is excessive when shipping costs are over $10?   

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In cycling news: Some nasty crashes in Milan-San Remo.