Ice Cream Sundays - {mascarpone}

Have you ever seen that movie called Two Weeks Notice with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock? (If you haven't, you should - it's really cute.)  Anyway, there's a scene in the movie in which Sandra Bullock's character gives Hugh Grant's character a slice of cheesecake, & after taking a bite, he promptly declares, "there's something amok with this cheesecake!"  And then she tells him it's tofu cheesecake.

Well, there's something amok with this vanilla ice cream......it's not really vanilla, it's mascarpone!  But it seems like it should be vanilla, by the way it looks, and the general flavor.  But there is a definite cheesy aftertaste, and if you didn't know ahead of time, you'd declare something amok indeed!

I liked this recipe, from my absolute favorite The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.  However, if I make it again, I would use a better quality mascarpone.  The one I purchased was just your ho-hum average mascarpone.  I will venture into the fancy cheese area of the grocery store next time, because that is a very important ingredient here, so I won't skimp again! 

On a side note, the recipe for mascarpone ice cream is tucked away in a note on the creme fraiche recipe page.  This is another great thing about the book: there are recipes and variations tucked in all over the place, so there are actually way more recipes than it first seems (and there are a ton to begin with).

-Cheryl

Knitty, Winter 2012

I have the biggest news to share: I have a pattern in the Winter 2012 issue of Knitty, which just came out yesterday!  I'm so excited!!!  And what's more, my pattern (and DD) are featured on the cover!

Here is the link to Knitty - you can see more pictures, check out the pattern and also see many other gorgeous patterns - this is a great issue!  I'm already brainstorming ideas for Franklin Habit's Templeton Square challenge.  

I started the afghan last December, in an overambitious attempt to knit the Bachsters something each for Christmas.  Well, DD's Christmas gift ended up being a Springtime gift, but that's ok.  She really enjoys her afghan and snuggles under it every night, which makes this knitting mama very pleased indeed.

I used Plymouth Yarn De Aire, which is light and lofty.  I really hate heavy blankets, so I wanted this one to be light and airy - and it is.

I tried a few different borders, but none of them seemed right.  I liked the look of picot, but didn't like how much yarn a picot bind off used, and wasn't happy with the crochet picot I tried.  After setting down the afghan for a few days, I came up with a French knot picot, basically putting in one knot after another.  I love how it turned out!

When it came time to choose a name for the pattern, "Hibernate" seemed like a fitting one.  Snuggling under a soft, warm blanket seems like the perfect thing to do on a cold Winter day.

-Cheryl

Book Nook - Mason-Dixon Knitting

Mason-Dixon Knitting  Outside the Lines: patterns, stories, pictures, true confessions, tricky bits, whole new worlds, and familiar ones, too by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne:

 

It's been a while since I wrote about a knitting book here, and since I have something big in the works (knitting-wise....check back for more on that), this is a great time for me to dust off one of my favorite knitting books!

My parents actually bought me this book for a present, I think it was for my birthday last year.  Neither of them knows a thing about knitting, so I was pretty impressed that they picked out such a cool book to give me.  First of all, it's a really fun book to read.  Some knitting books are all patterns, with a brief intro before.  But flipping through this book feels like making discoveries, and seeing what fun is in store around the corner.  You'll find titles such as "The Steek: Part of Nature's Plan" or, "A Perfectly Good Use of a Law Degree."  There are lots of patterns, from classic socks and sweaters to eclectic mop covers and knitted cuffs for your rubber gloves.   And, of course, stories.  Ann shared a story about entering a sweater in the county fair, and I also loved her story about her family stocking pattern (and the beautiful updated pattern she provides - I must make that.  6 of them, to be precise, which includes one for the dog).  And there are random bits of fun scattered throughout the book, like a look back at Ann & Kay's personal styles over the years, or "Fair Isle Cam."  I read the entire book from cover to cover because it was so enjoyable and fun.  It certainly lives up to its sub-title!

I thought as a proper thank you to my parents for giving me the book, I would make them something from it: the mitered hanging towel on page 141.  I made one of these for my parents, and one each for my Mom's two sisters.  And then I made one for us.  I just love this pattern!  Want to see some pics?  Here's the post!

I also really like the Metropole knitted coat; the Flapotis scarf is lovely (and I have some of the recommended yarn, Touch Me....you just can't stop petting it!).  And the stockings - maybe I'll get to those before next Christmas!

-Cheryl

Ice Cream Sundays - {cookies & cream}

Late in the summer, I made cookies & cream ice cream, which turned out to be one of our top favorites!  The recipe I used is from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.  If you like making ice cream at home, you must check this book out (and start with cookies & cream!).  I'm keeping this recipe in a safe place, because I know the need for a crowd-pleasing ice cream will come up again, maybe at the next birthday party or family get together.  Or movie night with DH - really, the opportunities are endless!

I followed the recipe exactly, using Newman's Own cookies and 2% milk instead of the usual whole milk.  Good thing I made a double batch: we devoured it!

The Bachsters had a lot of fun on this in-front-of-freezer photoshoot.  It's not every day that I hand them 3 spoons and have them eat as much as they want:

I also love that this ice cream is all natural (as all recipes from this book, and my other favorite The Perfect Scoop, are).  DD once got sick on a store-bought cookies & cream ice cream and I suspect it was because of all the preservatives, chemicals and yucky stuff that they put in some ice creams (or rather, ice chem).  She remembered that incident and refused to eat cookies & cream ice cream.  That is, until now!

-Cheryl

Thanksgiving sweets ( a wee bit late)

Can you believe Thanksgiving was 2 weeks ago?  I can't.  And I'm sorry to say that I've been meaning to show you some of the yummy treats we had at our family get-together, and I'm just now getting around to it.  Well, my intentions were good at least!

First up is a Thanksgiving tradition with me: pumpkin cheesecake.  It's so, so yummy!  This year, I decided to go all crazy and make graham crackers from scratch, which I used for the crust.  It was a lot of work and a lot of dirty dishes, but so worth it.  The cheesecake recipe is from The New Best Recipe and the graham cracker recipe was from The Craft of Baking.

DH's niece made the cutest spice cake cupcakes that looked like fancy pumpkins.  She has a real talent with cupcakes - look at how picture-perfect these are:

My SIL and her husband made a from-scratch pecan pie.  I've made pecan pie only once in my life, and it was terrible.  I'm not sure if it was my doing (I vaguely remember something about over cooking it) or the recipe (it was pecan pie with chocolate, a rather unusual combination).  Regardless, theirs turned out much better than my first attempt did.  I must get their recipe and give pecan pie another chance!

After the Thanksgiving meal, we all lingered at the table, where the desserts were conveniently placed.  So, I know all these desserts very well because we all just talked and munched on them for hours after the main meal.

I'm thinking we should do this sort of thing all the time!

-Cheryl

Book Nook - Treasury For All Seasons

Julie Andrews' Treasury For All Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton:





When I was recently reading The Family Dinner, the author encouraged readers to read poetry aloud at the dinner table.  This got me thinking about incorporating some poetry in to our bedtime stories.  I love poetry and there are so many wonderful poems for children.  Why had it not occurred to me sooner?  So, shortly after finishing Laurie David's book, I sought out some poetry books at the library.....and this what I found.

Filled with bright, whimsical illustrations by Caldecott Honor recipient Marjorie Priceman, the book is organized by the months of the year.  The latter part of the book contains poems for "other celebrations & special occasions" (birthdays, new babies, etc.).  I loved the way the book is set up, and if you want to find poems about Fall, or back to school or Easter, it's all very easy to find.  There are poems about various religious holidays and lots of secular selections as well.  There are poems that are funny, and some that are more serious.  There are poems by famous writers and/or poets, and there are some authors that I've not heard of.  Some poems are geared toward anyone, some are definitely kid-territory, like "Sand House" or "Half Birthday."  They are all wonderful, and the Bachsters and I had loads of fun going through the book, enjoying the pictures and reading the poems.

The poems are selected by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, who both have poems in the book as well.  I can't help but think how well-chosen the name for the book is: Treasury For All Seasons - this would be the perfect book to keep on a coffee table or nightstand and read it over and over, in every season.

-Cheryl  

Ice Cream Sundays - {tiramisu}

The other day, the Bachsters and I were having a discussion on what our favorite holidays are.  When DD asked me, I sheepishly admitted that one of my favorite "holidays" is my birthday.*  I've always really loved my birthday, even as I approach milestone birthdays that involve black balloons and grim reaper cakes!  So, for my birthday last month, I did a lot of reflecting on which ice creams were my favorites, and which ones were a must for this ice-cream-making-mama's birthday.

Well, caramel ice cream was definitely on the top of the list.  But I've also been really eager to try the tiramisu ice cream from David Lebovitz's excellent The Perfect Scoop.  Tiramisu has always been one of my favorite desserts, and I went through a period when I was making it all the time, for just about every family function.  But it's been a while since I've made or enjoyed tiramisu, and I was intrigued by the recipe.  So, on the birthday list it went!

This is a very boozy recipe, and as you can see by the photo below, it made for a melty ice cream.  But it really did taste like tiramisu, just without the ladyfingers.  I am definitely making it again, perhaps next time substituting the mocha ripple with the fudge ripple - the mocha had a slightly bitter taste (or, maybe I'll just add more sugar to the mocha ripple).  But it reminded me so much of my favorite tiramisu recipe, that I'm thinking I should dust it off and make it, along with this ice cream on the side.  I love the idea of double tiramisu!

What's your favorite holiday?  Please share!

-Cheryl

*Edited to add: I like making a big deal out of everyone's birthday, so I love birthdays in general.  Cake for everyone (and homemade ice cream)....it's a very good thing indeed!