My Bit of Earth

Bread Like No Other

In addition to bad-ass breakfasts, Sweet Husband has also been learning to make bread.  

At first I was a little skeptical.  We have two fabulous bakeries in Lawrence that aren't overly expensive, and I really didn't believe we could get comparable results at home.  But I kept quiet, largely because Sweet Husband was obviously having so much fun, and I've quickly been converted.

Although he says he's still playing with it all a bit, I'm convinced he's found our keeper--the crunchiest-crackliest-chewiest-lightest-easiest bread you'll ever bake.  (And a big, huge, bear hug to Ms. Kathy Flake for passing the recipe on!)

The great thing about this recipe is that the dough can stay in the fridge for up to a week, actually gets better with age, and it makes about three small loaves of bread.  That means Sweet Husband can mix up a batch of dough over the weekend, and easily break off a hunk to bake as needed through the week.  The smaller loaves mean the bread gets eaten more quickly and is always fresh and yummy!

Valentine's Sacks

For my girlies for Valentine's Day--a little sack o'goodies from my favorite little goodie store, Au Marche. 

The sacks were knitted by moi, with a pattern from One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and some "dishcloth cotton".  (Full details on my Ravelry page.)

The insides are filled with, oh, all sorts of smelly and tasty things--a bit of chocolate and candy, a square of lavender, some pretty smelling soap, some yummy lip gloss....all tied up with a spare bit of ribbon and love!

Trying is...a Bit Trying

So, on the...well, I guess more personal side of things, Sweet Husband and I are trying to have a kiddo.

Only for a few months now, so we're still definitely having more fun than not (yes, that's a euphemism for "lots of strategically timed sex"), but nonetheless, a few things I'd like to get off my chest....

1.  I'm honestly a little surprised that it's taking this long.  Conventional wisdom (read: teh internets) says you should try for a year before you start worrying that something is wrong.  However, I come from a line of pretty darned fertile women, and have spent much of the past ten years petrified of getting pregnant before we were ready for it.  I assumed that without the magic birth control pill to protect me, it would be a matter of seconds.  I feel tricked and a little silly at all the times I--apparently needlessly--freaked out.

2.  It is so weird not to know what's going on inside your own body.  Like, seriously, I should know if there's something growing in my uterus.  Little lights should start flashing or a text message alert should start beeping or...just something.  The not knowing makes me nutty.  My freaking straightening iron has a "ready" light for goodness sakes--is it too much to ask for my lady parts to come similarly equipped?

3.  For as much as I thought it was a pain in the ass, I cannot wait to get back on birth control.  I never realized quite how much it kept me leveled out on the hormones.  This achy, weepy, bitchy, angry person that comes out once a month needs to go back to the depths from whence she came.  Moe and Porter are kind of afraid of her, and--although he's a saint--I don't think Sweet Husband's very fond of her either.

4.  But hey, you know what, if all else fails, there's always this option:

(Picture c/o Marilyn Jane / CC BY 2.0.)

Or even this one:

(Picture c/o Kendrick / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.)

And those aren't so bad, right?  ;)

A Hat Fit For A Baby Brother

I don't often blog about my baby brother.  He's right smack-dab between Sweet Sister and I in age (seven years younger than me, ten years older than her), and actually sort of the typical middle odd-child-out, despite the big age gaps between all of us.  Sweet Sister and I are both very artsy--although each in different ways--while Baby Brother is much more athletic.

Like brothers and sisters sometimes do, we could be very mean to each other growing-up.  I gave him three black eyes by the time he was in kindergarten (in my defense, two were accidental and the third time he told me to hit him).  He once pulled me across the kitchen floor by my hair (my scalp still hurts when I remember it).  

We weren't always such violent little thugs, of course--I still have the book that I read to him before bed every night for six months once, complete with voices and sound effects.  But suffice to say, although I always loved him--and would have defended him to the death to any one outside the family, and vise-versa--it took us both getting a bit older before we really grew to like each other.

But, now that we're all grown-up, I must admit that it's very nice to have a brother.  He tends to just show-up in Lawrence at the most fun times, always with some story of adventure to tell.  He taught me how to play beer pong.  He introduced me to Dave Mathews, and always burns me a copy of his new CDs.  He's fearless when lighting fireworks.  He helps move my furniture....and he's really become a guy that I'm pretty proud of.

And since I have such a nice brother, and today is his birthday, I decided that he needed something Meryl-made.  And since there are only so many knitted things a college-aged boy will wear, I thought, perhaps, a simple hat was in order.

The pattern is Stephanie Nicole's "A Hat Fit For a Boyfriend" and it's knitted in alpaca.  (Full details.)  I was a little worried that it looked floppy as I was knitting it, but was actually very pleased once I had Sweet Husband try it on for photographing.

Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

Living Without TV

OK, don't panic--we have do have a TV (the appliance).  But for about the past six months we've been living without TV (the activity).

Let me 'splain.

At the old house, we had free cable.  Don't worry, we didn't steal it.  We actually once told the cable company they might want to come shut it off, but they just never did.  

We debated whether or not we'd get cable for the new house, but were so busy dealing with home improvement all summer that it just never got done.  And by the time fall came around, we'd already been without it for three months, so it was like, "Wonder how long we can go?"

Turns out, quite awhile.  We watch a movie on Netflix once a week or so, and catch our favorite shows (mostly Grey's Anatomy and Burn Notice) on Hulu.  But we're honestly probably down to less than three or four hours per week.  The TV is never just on for background noise, and, actually, we don't even have an antenna hooked up, so unless you purposefully put a movie in, it's just static.

I really don't miss it.  I get a lot more done without it, and at this point I'm so used to the quiet that I think having the TV blaring at me all the time would be annoying.  Plus, I find that because I do have to actively seek out things to watch, I end up watching things that actually matter to me rather than just whatever happens to be on.  (We watched The Garden the other night--an awesome documentary, although the ending just sucked!)

Also, I read the book Living Without the Screen not very long ago, and the statistics on brain activity while watching TV are a little scary--in summary your brain is more active when you're sleeping than it is watching TV.  (I additionally thought it was funny how this issue throws together both very liberal families ["We don't want our kids trained to be consumers"] and very conservative families ["We don't want our kids seeing smut"].  Really, if you're interested in the subject at all, or even just a social science nerd in general, you should go check out this book.)

But, all being said, there are some definite social implications to living without TV.  

For example, you will never notice how much people talk about TV until you stop watching regularly.  That doesn't mean you get left out of conversations though.  Most of the time someone in the room is always willing--or actually thrilled--to catch you up if it's necessary that you know what's going on on a TV show in order for you to get the point of their story. 

A bit more awkward are people's reactions when you outright admit that you don't watch TV anymore.  It's almost like it doesn't compute--I mean, everybody watches TV all the time, right?  What's wrong with you?  Why don't you watch TV?

Of course, it does make some things impossible.  Although we've figured out that we can watch KU basketball on ESPN online or listen to it on the radio, I don't think we'll talk our friends into coming over for that for March Madness.  Then again, after last year, I'm not sure we're allowed to host tournament parties anyway (the 'Hawks lost when everyone came to our house, bad juju, can't do it again) so that's not truly an issue.

One thing that really is becoming an issue is that sometimes it feels like we've just swapped the internet for our TV.  (Says the girl who's blogging, sitting next to her husband checking his Facebook.)  We're in negotiations for lessening that as well--limiting the internet to an hour a night?  a whole night with no internet a few times a week?--but it's been difficult to find a compromise because, a) while I'd be perfectly happy to sit and knit and chat all night, Sweet Husband has no similarly portable hobby, and b) while I'm near a computer all day at work (and thus have access to newspapers and the like) Sweet Husband is not, and feels understandably out of the loop without some time to find out what's going on in the world.  

It's definitely a situation in progress, but I think that figuratively tossing out the TV has been, on the whole, a really great thing for us.  

Is anyone else living without, or with limited TV?  If so, how's it going for you?  If not, have you ever thought about it?

(Picture c/o narisa / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.)

Bright, Like the Sunshine

For the past month or so, every tiny shaft of sunlight has felt like a blessing.  From a little before Christmas to almost the very end of January we had almost solid grey cloud cover. 

I'd gotten so used to it, in fact, that the first day the sun really came out, I stared out my window at work for an hour trying to figure out why it looked so "weird" outside.  It was only when a co-worker popped in and said, "Hey, did you notice the sun is out?" that I finally realized the difference!

Perhaps because of the dreariness though, I keep finding myself curling up with bright things inside.

Exhibit A: 

I found this lady last week at our local flea market (delightfully on sale at half-price!).  It's a windmill pattern, and it's just perfectly worn in all the right places.  It might become a picnic blanket this summer, but for now it's the perfect size for couch snuggling.

Exhibit B: 

A big basket of Noro Matsuri.  This is the first time I've ever splurged on Noro, and I'm so happy I did.  I think I'm going to use it to make a bright, sunny little blanket.

Exhibit C:

 

A Destroyed Cowl made in lemony shade of Cascade 220.  I knitted most of this while playing games with family at Christmas time.  It looks a little complicated, but actually it's just straight knitting.  Then when you get to the last row, you unravel a few stitches on each end, which made it more interesting in a "what's going to happen?" kind of way.  The only tricksey part is the kitchener stitch join at the end.  Mine didn't end up completely seamless as it was supposed to be.  I'm also not completely happy with the way it lays (listen to me whine about it), but doubled up around my neck it is at least very warm.

The Chickens Are Coming! The Chickens Are Coming!

 

The big (ship) day is March 29th, which means the babies should be here by April 1st!

I was able to get one of each of four of the breeds that I picked out.  I had to substitute the Blue Wyandotte for a Gold Wyandotte (pictured in chick-form above) because the blues weren't going to be available until May, and I didn't want to wait.

And now, I need some help.

My plan all along has been to name the chickens according to some kind of theme.  I think it's realistic to expect that we may lose one, or have to re-home one, or decide we want more next year, etc., so I want something flexible enough to allow for additions/substitutions/deletions.  

At first I was thinking about a "Queens of England" theme, but so many of them had the same names.  Now I'm considering "First Ladies of the United States", which I like a lot.  They seem to have good, old-fashioned-y chicken names (Martha, Abigail, Mary, Eleanor, and so on), and there are plenty to choose from.  

If I don't find anything I like better, I'll go with that, but I'm wondering if any of you all--my creative readers!--have suggestions?

(Picture c/o cafemama/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.)

Sweet Husband Speaks: Bad-Ass Biscuits and Gravy

Every so often Sweet Husband says, "I should start a breakfast blog."  I always agree wholeheartedly.  The man is one-hundred percent in charge of weekend breakfasts at our house, and is very good at experimenting and perfecting recipes until they're perfect.  (I've resigned myself to being the principal taste-tester...it's a rough job!)  We've even gotten so far as to give this hypothetical blog a name, "The Bad-Ass Breakfast Blog". 

But, alas, Sweet Husband does not necessarily enjoy blogging on a regular schedule, and so the BABB has not been realized.  Meanwhile, yesterday morning--after a particularly nice round of biscuits and gravy--I said, "I'm going to blog about this recipe, it's awesome."

S.H.: "You know, maybe I should get co-author rights on your blog?"

Me: "Um, if you want to be a co-author, you have to write mister."

S.H.: "Well, I could do that...every once in awhile."

Now how could I turn that down?  Especially when he was plying me with gravy?

Without further ado....I give you Sweet Husband!

*****

My favorite type of food is breakfast food, so over the years I've spent time perfecting it. After many attempts at biscuits, I finally stumbled on to this recipe.  My reason for settling on this recipe over others is the quick and simple procedure for mixing in the fat.  Other recipes want you to cut the fat in with your fingers without getting it too hot.  This never seems to work for me--I always end up with big clumps of fat, or over working the mixture to the point that my biscuits don't rise.  This recipe solves that problem by having you melt the butter and pour it into cold buttermilk, stirring to break it up into tiny pieces.  This is freaking genius!

 

So, now I have what I consider to be the perfect biscuits.  But what about toppings?

Yes, there are jams and jellies, but everyone knows that the ultimate biscuit topping is gravy.

Mmmm gravy....Some call it "food of the gods".   Some give it it's own food group.  Whatever you want to call it, it's amazing.  

My gravy is very simple--no real measuring, so these are just estimates.  This weekend it went as follows:

• 1/2 pound of hot Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons of flour
• 1 quart of milk
• 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
• Salt and pepper

I start by cooking my sausage in a skillet until it's cooked through, and then I break it up into small pieces.  Next, I pour in the olive oil.  (I add extra fat because the sausage I use is very lean.  If you have a lot of grease in the pan skip this step.)  Next, I add a couple of heaping tablespoons of flour into the pan, and stir it all together until all of the oil is absorbed and the sausage is coated in the flour/oil mixture.  At this point the pan should look pretty dry, and you shouldn't see any freestanding oil. 

Let that cook for a minute or two, then pour in the milk.  Keep the pan over medium heat, and stir constantly until the gravy starts to thicken and bubble.  If it doesn't seem thick enough let it cook down a little, and remember that it will thicken as it cools as well.  

Once it's thick enough, you can start adding your seasonings.  I used about a tablespoon of Herbs de Provence and a teaspoon of salt or more.  Measuring is for baking not making gravy! If you're using a milder sausage you might want to put in some pepper too.  

Now break out those fresh biscuits and slather them in some bad-ass gravy!

 

The Kitchen Reader: What We Eat When We Eat Alone

This month's Kitchen Reader book was What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes.  (If the title sounds familiar, I read a review of this book several months ago, and ended up testing the chocolate mousse recipe--divine, I tell you!)

The book is essentially a couple of foodies asking people "What do you eat when you're alone?  When you don't have to think of anyone else?  When your only limitation is what's in your cupboard?"

Some of the answers are a little bizarre--oyster crackers crumbled in milk?  avocado soft tacos?--but that's what makes the book interesting.  Because often it was stuff that I hadn't thought about before, but, now that I have, sounds really yummy.  (Fried potatoes with yogurt sauce anyone?)  I really want to try at least 90% of the recipes in this book.

And, of course, it got me thinking about what I eat when I eat alone.  

Like many of the people in the book my go-to, just-for-me recipe is both a little indulgent and a little bit utilitarian--i.e. made from ingredients that I almost always have on-hand.

What I like to do is make up a single serving of pasta.  When the pasta is almost done, I brown some butter in a sauce pan, throwing in some herb-y goodness if I've got it.  (Thyme, sage, rosemary...really, just whatever.)  Once the butter is brown, I add a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Then I drain the pasta and toss it in the butter mixture for a few seconds, just to coat it.  For toppings, again, it's just whatever's on hand--Parmesan cheese, capers, olives, a bit of preserved lemon....delicious!

Give me some more ideas, guys--what do you eat when you eat alone?

The Never-Ending Notebook

 

A little more book-putting-together, if you don't mind....

I have a big file folder of scrap paper that was getting a little full, so I decided it was time to put it to use.  With my trusty eyelet setter in hand (they're not paying me, I promise, I just really love the little do-hickey), I made several little books, and strung them together on binder rings to make a full-sized notepad.

Best thing?  It really is never-ending.  Because, as each little booklet gets used up, I can take it off the rings and throw it away.  And as I collect new little scraps of paper I can add them to the back.  Very nifty!