Company in the Kitchen

Right now we're baking a batch of our new fall favorite - pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. My family can't seem to get enough of these autumn treats. I suspect this recipe will outlast the season stretching into winter and likely spring.

Often I like to be alone while cooking. It's just easier that way. No step stools. No prying hands. Less mess. But tonight I was feeling accommodating. My youngest daughter joined me for a little kitchen adventure. First she helped unload the dishwasher (and did a great job I might add. I could get used to that kind of help).

Then we baked. In the process we learned the difference between 1 cup and 1/2 cup. We did a little math (if you have one 1 cup container and one 1/2 cup container how do we get 2 1/2 cups flour?).

We also tackled spelling and committed the word C-U-P to memory.

Thanks to my daughter's astute observation I learned that nutmeg looks like a miniature coconut. We both agreed it smelled delectable when grated into the batter.

I taught her the proper function of a Silpat mat and that a small ice cream scoop was perfect for ladling out dough.

She taught me to count to twelve. And now we have 12+12+12 cookies all ready to eat.

All-in-all we had a lovely time. I do believe I ought to have company in the kitchen more often.

Tell me ... do you cook alone or does your family join you? I'd love to know!

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Young Lady ... where have you been?

Last week was Spring break.  We didn't go anywhere.  We didn't do anything.  We simply hung out. We learned to make Huevos Rancheros.   We learned what a couche is and proceeded to fashion one of our own.  We baked ciabatta. We played Yahtzee in the dark.  I finished knitting a sweater and made booties for the new baby down the street.   I bought some material (an old sheet and an old curtain) which will become my summer lounge pants.  We hosted a slumber party complete with movies, manis and pedis. We did a touch of laundry and tons and tons of dishes (created by me and cleaned by the hubbie).  It was a good week.  

Today was the first day back at school.  Back to routine ... ballet, piano and lacrosse practice, work schedules and orthodontist appointments.  Back to "real" life.  

I thoroughly enjoyed our idleness and eagerly await the next spot of time where we have nothing to do.  

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Domesticity

Question: What does one give an eight-year-old girl for her birthday?

Answer: An old sheet. Well - not quite, today’s answer is an old curtain.

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Yesterday morning my daughter greeted me at the door as I came home from work. She was beaming ear to ear. Her new book bag more than met with adolescent approval. It was in demand. Her friend’s birthday was on Saturday. The friend wanted a book bag just like Sis’s. And could you make one pulease? Today? And put pockets in it? And maybe a water bottle holder?

Apparently I am now in the book bag business. This time I followed the pattern to a “T” and made this bag with gussets. The material is a repurposed curtain. I even put in pockets (but no water bottle holder - this time).

We filled the bag with three hardcover books from my daughter’s out-grown book pile. And voila! An inexpensive birthday gift was born.



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I’ve been knitting up a storm in anticipation of the holidays. I’ve made two of these Lucy Bags and am working on a third.



I also knit a little hat; little being the operative word. The pattern is Swell from Knitty.com. This is the second time I’ve knit this pattern and it turned out tiny both times (i.e. it will not fit my twelve-year-old son as I originally intended). I’m guessing this incarnation would fit a 12-month-old child. Only I don’t know any twelve-month-olds and am therefore not sure what to do with it. I lined it with mustard yellow fleece - for kicks and giggles. Maybe I should open an Etsy store...




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Oh - it looks like my muffins are done, wait - let me go take them out of the oven. In the spirit of the season (hooray for autumn!) we whipped up these pumpkin delights. I took Maya’s advice and substituted chocolate chips for raisins. The muffins are worth it solely for the smell wafting through the house but they are also most delicious.


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I love autumn - baking, stews, knitting, crafting; crisp mornings, warm afternoons, cozy evenings by the fire; the sounds of football pouring from the other room. Autumn brings out my domestic side. It's a time to take stock, to infuse the house with cinnamon and apple cider, to gather my family close. Maybe I was a squirrel in a previous life. I'm gathering my nuts for winter. Or, perhaps, I'm simply nuts. I'll let you decide.

How to save six dollars and ninety-five cents

1) Decide to have leftover meatloaf for dinner (gee I wonder why we had leftover meatloaf).

2) Realize you have nothing to go with meatloaf.

3) Examine your pajamas.

4) Visualize yourself catwalking down the grocery isle in your pajamas (yes you wore them all day).

5) Elect to stay home.

6) Go to this website and get recipe for homemade rolls.

7) Gather the ingredients from your kitchen (yes all the ingredients are right there).

8) Make bread; add rosemary while kneading and top rolls with sea salt.

9) Eat dinner; meatloaf sandwiches.

10) Revel in the fact that wardrobe inertia saved you $6.95 on bakery rolls.

Whoo hooo! Early retirement here we come; all pajamas all day!

(For those of you concerned that we're eating week-old meatloaf - not to worry. The baking and consuming of meatloaf occured last Friday, the day after our initial loaf purchase. Just say no to food poisoning!)