So apparently these posts are an "Annual" thing for me.

So a year between postings. At least it wasn't 2? As everyone is probably aware, tomorrow is the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. It's also the start of the Ravellenic Games. A knitting event during the Olympics. I'm knitting the Lace Ribbon Scarf with this:

It's soft and squishy and yummy. In theory I'll be posting updates over the next couple of weeks on the progress of the project.

Creativity Dump

I love to knit. Most of the time it's a relaxing process that actually helps my brain to engage for other things. Unless I'm trying to do a P3 through the back loop on something while having a conversation. That's just masochistic.

Like virtually every knitter I know, I always have multiple projects going on at once. It keeps me from getting too bored with longer projects and gives me the chance to work with various stitches and fibers. Okay, it probably also has to do with me having the attention span of a five year old on Pixie Stix most of the time as well.

One of the drawbacks of working on multiple projects is that I don't take the time to appreciate when I actually finish something.

So here's a Slouchy Spring Beret that I knit up in Multi-worsted Cotton by Blue Sky Alpaca. The fact that it's green automatically means I knit it for me. That's how things work around here.


The yarn. I bought it at my LYS (Local Yarn Store for you non-knitters), Knit Culture. It's a great cotton yarn and was nice to work with.


The finished hat. I was really happy with how this turned out. It only took me a few days to finish and was a fun knit overall.

Future Attraction:


This is yarn that my mom picked out for a scarf for herself. I'll post progress pics since she already knows (sort of) what the finished product will look like.

Not Quite Martha, But Close

So one of my "things" is that I want to start cooking more. Cooking for me is anything that requires more than picking up the phone or shoving something in the microwave to produce a meal or portion of a meal.

A couple of weeks ago some friends/neighbors came over for food and a viewing of the season premier of True Blood (on a side note, I really need to catch up on this show). We were celebrating T*s birthday and she loves mac and cheese. As it's one of my comfort foods, I got volunteered to make it.

I decided to go all out and not only do home-style mac, but to do one that was a bit interesting as well. After a search on the 'net I came across a Martha Stewart recipe that everyone raved about. I had to laugh at the idea of me going all "Martha Stewart" but decided to give it a shot.

I gathered all the ingredients:



Got the recipe set up on the iPad* and my "helper" in place:



And after about a half hour of slaving (seriously, making a roux/bechamel sauce from scratch is not for the faint of heart) and a half hour of baking:



So changes I made...I don't use black pepper (I have an allergy) but left the other spices in. I used the Peccorino option and a combination of white and yellow sharp cheddar cheeses (Tillamook...YUM!).

Changes I would make in the future: I'd cut the recipe in quarter when cooking for any group fewer than 4 people. Half for less than 10. It makes a LOT. The pan you see is actually one of two. I had to bake a smaller casserole dish as well.

I was also thinking that I might use herbed bread crumbs next time instead of toast pieces. I would definitely recommend using the bread if you make it though. Otherwise the oil from the cheese tends to sit on top.

I will say that it was a huge hit and is still pretty great the next day. It's quite thick. The consistency of a fritatta really. I think it would work well with add-ins like meat and veggies for a true casserole too.

*I can't say how much I love having the iPad for cooking and other things. I have several recipe and "how-to" apps on it, plus I can sit and watch movies on Netflix in the kitchen while I'm waiting for things to cook. I feel justified in the money I laid out for the iPad for this aspect alone. :)

Seems as good a time as any...

I've never been very good about starting things at the beginning of a year or on milestone dates. Sure, I have intentions of New Years resolutions, or making a new start on my birthday. They just never seem to go very well. For whatever reason, the non-conformist part of my brain believes that some random day that means little to me (or anyone else for that matter) is the best day to start something new.

So that brings us to this blog. I've had it reserved for quite awhile now. There were all sorts of "theories" and "intentions" for it, but I couldn't quite nail down how I wanted to use it. That would come from another part of my brain that always wants to know how something is going to turn out before actually trying it. Turns out that this blog is really going to be about getting that particular part of my brain to shut up.

While I don't have any illusions of being a great (or even mediocre) artist, chef or photographer, I still think there's a need inside each of us to be creative in our lives. This blog is really about me documenting the successes and failures of those creative endeavors along the way. Sort of an accountability check rather than any expectation of internet fame or fortune.

So, if you've gotten through the initial ramble (congrats, and "Hi, Mom!") I hope you come back at some point and let me know what you think.