Recent Projects

Two of my recent projects were booties and baby hats for two of my girlfriends that had a baby and are expecting. I used Ravelry to find the patterns, then found the yarn at String of Purls. SoP is a yarn shop here in Omaha that has some lovely yarns. Not a huge selection, but pretty and soft. They are also very helpful in recommendations and tips. I think that if I didn't work (ha!) I would sit in their shop all day with a cappucino or latte and just knit. I'd probably get carpal tunnel, and my wardrobe would be knit everything. But we don't have to worry about that.

So the booties. These were pretty quick and easy to make. I used 3-ply yarn for each. The first picture it the set I made for baby Camila, my friend Kendra's first child. The second are for my friend Victoria who is expecting her first. I think I like the little, quick knits. I think I made each bootie in about an hour and a half. You aren't constantly picking up and putting down the project. Get it done in one sitting - very nice. The second set was created 40,000 ft in air on my way to New Orleans. The old lady sitting next to me wouldn't leave me alone and kept asking about my knitting, annoying.

So now onto the next project. I am making a winter combo for my sister. We picked out her yarn the last time I was home. I finished the scarf and headband so now I'm working on the fingerless mittens. You'd think that I would have gotten that project finished while recoving from this cold, but my head is so congested that I can't keep track of my stitches and count rows. Maybe there will be a snow storm in April she could use them for....

What's important is how you got there, not what you accomplished

I started to get a sore throat last night. Yesterday evening I started getting a headached at the top of my neck and straight through to my sinuses. I made it through a work out and then out for sushi and drinks with a couple that Justin and I are friends with. This morning my throat felt like what I imagine would be the Saraha desert - burning, dry, parched. So I decided it would be a relaxing morning on the couch with cup after cup of my Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care tea, vitamin C and zinc. While web browsing for some recipes to make on Tuesday for Mardi Gras, I started to flip through the Netflix recommendations based on our recent viewings. One documentary that was suggested was 180' South. It is a film about a man's quest to climb Corcadova, a mountain in Patagonia. I thought of it kind of like Into the Wild, but for South America. Half-way through, Justin has come home from a few hours at work with cough drops and medicine and starts to watch with me. This man's travels and perspectives on life got us more excited about potentially moving to Alaska this summer. Chile has always been a country that is towards the top of my list to visit and explore. This documentary just helped it raise to the top of the list. If you get a chance, check it out. Great film!

http://www.180south.com/index.html

N'awlins

Justin and I watch the show No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and his trip to New Orleans highlighted this restaurant. Open since 1840 and still owned by the same family, we feasted on Oysters Rockafeller, Escargots a la Bordelaise, Crab mous Armandine, and the special Pompano dish with lump crab meat. And wine. And an amazing coffee-brandy drink called Cafe Brulot Diabolique at the end that was lit on fire before serving. We splurged, and it was worth it.

One of the historic rooms in Antoine's

Another room in Antoine's with past years' memoribilia from Mardi Gras past

Past Mardi Gras Queens

2nd largest above ground wine cellar, inside Antoine's. It stretches one whole block, connecting the main restaurant and the bistro/bar a street over. My dream...  :D

Another private dining room at Antoine's

This is somewhere in the French Quarter....

This home along St. Charles Ave had tons of beads still haning from the trees. Apartently there are multiple Mardi Gras parades, but the one along the St. Charles route is one of the biggest.

We visited the Lafayette Cemetary No. 1. Very interesting. Tons of old marble and granite.

Above ground mausoleum.

We had lunch at this bistro in between conference courses - fabulous. Justin had shrimp and grits and an orange brandy drink, I had a muffaletta sandwich with a rich cappucino. The courtyard had quaint landscaping and iron table and chairs. Cute!

Street band

Another street band - the girl playing the wash board was great.

Hurricanes at the original Pat O'Briens. Tasted like fruit punch with rum.

Enjoying our vacation. I mean conference to learn....

My co-worker Jessica, who joined Justin and I in many of our culinary and liquor endeavors.

Bourbon Street

Met up with an old classmate, Kellie. So good to see her!

Made my own Mardi Gras - Hey, it's N'awlins after all!

Minted White Chocolate Cupcakes

I love cupcakes. Everything about them. They are the perfect size, and can take you back to your childhood days of bringing treats to school on your birthday and colored sprinkles. I personally tend toward selections that have a richer taste than powerered sugar frosting, and my last selection was this:

Minted White Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12 regular sized cupcakes

5 Tbsp of fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, lightly softened

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 oz white chocolate, chopped

confectioner's sugar, for dusting

To start, preheat your oven to 350. I have recently discovered that my timer on my over for the preheat is completely off. I have an additional thermometer that hangs in the back, telling me the REAL temp. We've lived in this apartment for 3 1/2 years and I'm now getting the oven temperature right, I'm so ashamed. Anyway, line your muffin tin with papers. Put the mint into a heat-safe bowl, and pour boiling water over the mint and let stand for 30 seconds. Drain off the water (I used it to make tea, yum) and pat the mint dry. Put the mint and suger into a food processor, blend until finely chopped.
Beat the sugar-mint mix, butter, eggs, flour, and baking powder until light and creamy. Stir in 1/2 oz of the chocolate then divide the batter between the papers. Scatter the remaining chocolate of the batter.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and just firm to the touch. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack and lightly dust with sugar once cool.

Now I thought these cupcakes had a texture more like biscuts. Note no moisture in the recipe.. hmm. I might try them next time with just a 1/2 cup of milk or 1/4 cup oil. We'll see. Despite the texture, they were fabulous. The hint of mint and white chocolate are a nice little change up from chocolate, but only occasionally. Let's not get too crazy!

Koi Cupcakes

I'm bringing treats to work tomorrow - my coworkers have been on me for bringing in cake, so I borrowed an idea from a book I found. I gave the 1st edition of the book my friend, and as I was flipping through the 2nd at Border's I came across this idea. They are just yellow cup cakes and blue frosting, but the decoration makes them so cute!! I bought two bags of circus peanuts last week for me to make these, but some how in the last week the first two bags disappeared... and Justin doesn't like them.
They were a complete cinch to make, one circus peanut on top with an edge taken off for the face, then an other peanut sliced in half for top and bottom, then each cut at a diagonal for the fins. The eyes are peanut butter M&M's, the mouth a Cheerio. They don't look quite as good as the picture in the book, but I'm pretty sure those stay-at-home moms who created the book have more time to dink around and practice these sorts of things. I think if I made these again in the future, more frosting is needed to shove the decorations to help them stay, and maybe only every other cupcake is a fish, the others bubbles or waves? I don't know, we'll have to see!

Week wrap-up

This last week went by very quickly. School is back in session, so Tuesdays for residency go by fast. We taught the students this week about neuro screens, which consists of testing sensation, muscle strength by nerve innervation groups, and reflexes. It is crazy to think back 3 years and imagine myself in that same lab. The PT1's are off to a great start. It's nice to see their enthusiasm and desire to learn, even in some of the simplest of skills.

Other news, I got my Subaru Forester 2.5x!!! I have been needing a new car, mine seemed to find one more thing each day to fall apart. From the suspension, to the electronic sensors, to the cruise control, and lastly the handle to the driver door - it was time. I have been wanting a Forester forever, but can't seem to find too many used ones for sale. Hmm... popular, reliable car maybe?? I was looking for a bit older (just to not have as high of car payments) but Justin wanted me safe. Love him! Even after coming home from the dealership that night he says, "I would have paid a lot more to know you're driving a safe car." Do I deserve this man? :) Anyway, it's beautiful, rides smooth, excellent fuel economy, and I can just start to imagine the adventures Justin and I will have.

Justin has been starting to get a bit more creative in the kitchen these days. He has been taking a few venison tenderloins and curing them. He is starting to experiment with different salt/sugar and spice ratios to have a different flavor of the meats. And they are so delicious and tender! A couple crackers and some nice cheese... And it is pretty cool knowing where the deer was from, that my dad prepared them, and all the work was done without mass production. Justin has been quite proud of his culinary accomplishments, and I'm happy to say that I am enjoying the end result!

This morning for breakfast we had Eggs Benedict with whole wheat English muffins and pancetta instead ham. AMAZING!! Just after finishing, I saw my dad's FB post about eating 10 eggs for breakfast. Justin and I didn't even come close. But our stomachs are quite content with all the buttery lemon sauce and salty pancetta and eggs. Nap time!

Today's agenda is cupcakes. I have a bit of laundry and prep work to do for this week, but it's time for me to get the baking back on schedule. I mistakenly promised my coworkers a cake 2 weeks ago and fell through, thank you busy schedule! So now every day at lunch their asking when the cake is coming. Ok, so no cake today, but cupcakes are on the way. Blog post with pics to come soon.

Chicago

I made a long weekend trip to Chicago this last weekend. I stayed with my good friend Renee and her new fiance, Peter. It was a great escape from the daily routine. Saturday I putzed around a small shopping square not too far from their place and then rode the L into the city a bit further for some more shopping. I noticed a crazy amount of second hand stores - I think Chicago has more second-hand stores per capita then Starbucks in New York. I could tell they have some great buys, but I just don't have the patience to sort through everything. I found a cute little book shop that I bought a knitting book with directions on how to knit little flowers, I'm pumped that you can make them without crochet!! I will now be donning scarves, coffee wraps, baby hats, etc with little cute flowers! I also came across Justin's dream - Gene's sausage shop. This German delicatessen had TONS of selections of, well, sausage, hams, pates, brisquets, cold cuts, you name it. It also had a bunch of other products from Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, and England. I found Justin a book, From Nose to Tail, written by Fergus Henderson. We have been watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, and he hails this guy. Henderson is know for offal, or use of the parts of animals most through out. Not that I'm excited to try many of these dishes, but Justin enjoys reading about them. He was definitely surprised and pleased with his souvenier when I got back.

Among some other sites we had to stop at, the famous bean was one of them. After taking a few pics, we rushed across the street to grab some hot lattes and mochas to warm back up. Unfortunately my brain lapsed and I didn't turn off my flash, so the pics didn't turn out. Guess I have to go back!

I finally finished her scarf!! This was a very long-lasting project, but finally came to completion. Next time I will read the pattern the whole way through before committing to it! Here is Renee showing off the final product.

Renee and I have a tradition of making funfetti cupcakes whenever we get together. In the past we have always just put funfetti frosting on the top, but since I found this fun cupcake decorating book and gave it to her for Christmas, we decided to put our decorating skills to the test and make our cupcakes look like owls. They were fun to make, and actually didn't take that much effort. All we needed was oreos, M&M's (see note below), chocolate frosting, and chocolate covered sunflower seeds. The ears are one half of the orea, the ears are also peice of oreo, then the eyes and nose are the M&M's and sunflower seeds. We initially thought they would be too cute to eat, but then we changed our minds. Yum!

So about the M&M's, the grocery store by their place is primarily hispanic, but also carry a lot of other foreign products. They had M&M's, but they were labeled in a plastic container as "M&M's without the M". Nice.