A Finished Item!

I finished knitting my first baby item!  It is a little wool vest made from a vintage Sirdar pattern.  The knitting was really mindless ( An entire sweater in 3x1 rib?!  On #3 needles?  What was I thinking?!?!) and turned out really cute. The picture makes it look really wonky for some reason but it doesn't look like that in real life.

 

 It is sooooo tiny!  I have forgotten how little babies are!
 I seamed up the vest and immediately started on the next item.  Can you guess what it is?  Here is a hint:  Its a Surprise.

 

 

The yarn is luscious hand dyed merino in a worsted weight from Lorna's Laces.  I cannot believe how soft it is!  I want to knit a blanket out of it for myself!
Off to feed my kiddo who is home sick today.  Hope you all have a lovely weekend! xo

Sushi

At my daughter's school they have Sushi Day every Friday.  She had to miss school one Friday and was very upset about missing Sushi Day.  So we had our own sushi day at home - it was amazing!  I used to be a cook at a Japanese restaurant and the girls who rolled sushi taught me so many invaluable things about making rolls.  The smell of the vinegar-y rice and the nori is one of my favourite smells and oddly nostalgic. 
We made some veggie rolls with omelet, cucumber, carrot and avocado. 

 

We also had some hot smoked salmon and black sesame.  Lil'G was in charge of filling the rolls and I would roll them up. 

 We absolutely pigged out!

Such a super fun day! xo

News....

I told you the other day that I had some news to share.  People who I know in real life already know this.  Our family will be getting a little bigger in June.  We are expecting a baby around the middle of the month!  This is why I have been very absent from this space.  I am feeling really good right now.  I have to take it a little easy because if I don't my back really bothers me.  My job keeps me on my feet for long hours so when I have days off they are spent quietly, usually knitting or reading.  The first few months were very rough with constant nausea and exhaustion. 
I have begun digging out all the baby things I kept from Lil'G and seeing what may be needed.  We are not going to find out if we are having a boy or a girl.  The surprise is half the fun!  We are also planning a home birth so I have been talking to lots of my friends who have had successful home births and getting to know my midwives.  They are so awesome!  I feel like I am in very good hands with these three ladies!
As I mentioned, I have been doing some knitting.  I have just started on the wee knitting.  A bunch of wool is on order (Thanks, Hazel!) and a bunch of projects are in the works.  I thought that in the months to come I would share the things I am making, both for the baby and me. 
We are all so very excited around here!  My five year old is over the moon that she is going to be a big sister. 

 

Knock knock!

 

She likes to kiss my belly and talk to the baby.  It makes my heart just swell with joy. 
Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather!
xo

Hi there!

Oh my...I have been gone for far too long!  Life has been a gong show.
Today I wanted to share a little Valentine's Day craft with you.  I just made the cutest little Valentine for my daughter.  It took me maybe a half an hour.  The results are absolutely adorable!

  

It is a little knitted heart (pattern here) that I glued onto a piece of drawing paper.  The knitting needles are just toothpicks.  Simplest thing ever, providing you know how to knit. 
This is going to be a huge hit. I think I will even make one for the Mister. 
I have a bit of news to share with you all so stay tuned....
xo

Happy Holidays!

      
I would like to wish you all a happy holiday and hope you get to spend it with the people you love!
xo
                                                                          
P.S.  Here is my last Christmas treat recipe.  It was so simple and so delicious!

Holiday Treats - Day 3

Let me just start this post out by saying I have never been a fan of fruitcake.  I actually find it kind of gross. And then I found this recipe.  I read through it sceptically and almost didn't try it.  But then I thought, "Something with that much booze in it couldn't possibly be that bad...."  So I made it. And it was delicious.
The recipe is from an Everyday Food magazine (thank you, Martha!).  A very simple recipe to make.  You don't like fruitcake?  Give it a go, you might change your mind. 

Fruitcake Bars
Recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine
Soundtrack - Hank Williams

1 c. brandy
5 c. dried fruit, coarsely chopped (I used apricots, cranberries, dates, golden raisins and pineapple)

2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. butter, room temperature
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla


Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 13x9 pan.  Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.  Grease the parchment and set aside. 

 

*One year I neglected to do this.  I was sorry I didn't.  Even though I had greased the pan very well, I still couldn't get the bars out of the pan.  Don't skip this step. 

In a medium saucepan, heat the brandy until simmering.  Remove from heat and stir in fruit; cool to room temp.  Stir 1 c. of flour into the brandied fruit mixture; set aside.  
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla.  Add remaining flour and mix until just combined.  Fold in fruit mixture; transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top.  

Bake for 45-50min.  or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 1 hour.  Using paper overhang, lift out of pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (still on paper).  Invert fruitcake, peel off paper and with a serrated knife cut into 24 pieces. Dust with icing sugar if desired.  

   Hope you enjoy these! xo

Holiday Baking - Day 2

Today I am sharing a recipe that I found via a fabulous food blog, Smitten Kitchen.  These cookies are absolute heaven!  I normally do not bake sugar type cookies because I find them so bland.  These are anything but bland with their maple-y buttery lusciousness. The dough rolls out beautifully and is so very tender.  This recipe makes a lot of cookies.  I didn't count but let's just leave it at dozens. 

Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies
Adapted, just a smidge, from the late great Gourmet Magazine
Soundtrack - Bonobo

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup  maple syrup (Grade B is ideal here, but the original recipe suggested that Grade A with a few drops of maple extract would also work)
1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (because it packs more tightly)
1 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add yolk and slowly drizzle in maple syrup. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, nutmeg and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. The dough will be in loose clumps. Gather them together into a tight packet with a large piece of plastic wrap and chill dough for at least two hours (and up to four days) until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. I like to roll out a quarter to half the dough at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge. On a floured counter, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
Arrange cookies on baking sheets and bake for 8 to 11 minutes each, or until lightly golden at the edges. Transfer to racks to cool.

 

 

* I used No.1 maple syrup (Grade A) because that's what I had and did not add any maple flavouring.  I can definitely tell there is maple syrup in these.