Recipe Report - Spicy Pasta With Sweet Potatoes

This recipe appears on page 188 of the November 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I'm not sure what happened to October; like the month itself, the BHG issue just disappeared. Anyway, I chose this recipe because it involved some of my favorite ingredients, including sweet potatoes, peanut butter, cream cheese and Sriracha hot chili sauce, all mixed together with rigatoni. It was fairly quick to make (about half an hour). The sweet potatoes and green onions had to be chopped (DH did the chopping for me, which made the prep even faster!), but otherwise there was very little prepping to do.

The verdict? Very tasty. Spicy, rich, and filling. I was in the middle of savoring the fruits of our labor (with a glass of Creekbend white wine from Oliver, a local winery), when my cell phone rang. Thirty Cub Scouts were waiting at the door to the museum; I had agreed to do an after-hours tour and forgot! Oops! Off I ran--when I got back an hour and a half later, a quick warm-up and the casserole was still delicious, even though my boys had deserted the kitchen for their electronic toys.

I wish I'd made this crocheted stingray...

...but I didn't; it's the work of one of the many volunteer crocheters who made a whole coral reef to teach kids about the need to protect our environment (there's even a section of the crocheted reef that's dead, with trash tangled up in it). I happened onto the Indiana Reef in September during a visit to the Indiana State Museum to see the Titanic exhibit (fabulous, by the way--two thumbs way, way up!). Here's a link where you can find out more about the Indiana Reef:

http://www.indianamuseum.org/about/newsroom/newsitem.asp?newsid=24

Crochet was the first needlework I learned how to do and it still has a special place in my heart, although I have to agree with the site whatnottocrochet.wordpress.com that crochet can be really tacky in the wrong hands. My mom and dad are moving and unearthing treasures from the distant past every day, so I'm hoping for the rediscovery of several crocheted outfits I made in high school, particularly a purple pantsuit made of worsted weight acrylic. Stay tuned for that one.

In other news, I survived another October at the museum, and with huge effort and massive expenditure of time we managed to raise about $2000 from our two fundraisers, just about what it cost us to pay for the routine annual maintenance on our heating system. Sigh.

This morning DH and I celebrated my relative freedom from fundraising responsibilities, and some gloriously warm and sunny fall weather, to do some outside work on our little property in the country. I ripped out or mowed down thousands of weeds taller than myself before declaring just before noon that I was finished for the day. He's full of energy (of course) and making noises about going back tomorrow. We may both require Ben-Gay and ibuprofen just to make it out of bed in the morning, but oh, well, it's exercise.

A very cute little yellow kitten attached itself to me while I was working outside. Unfortunately I hadn't brought any snacks (well, fortunately for me and unfortunately for the kitten). I'm thinking tomorrow I should raid Mr. Fuzz's and Vickster's private stash; I'm sure they would agree to sharing with those less fortunate than themselves.

I resisted naming the little guy, but one more morning of pulling it out of harm's way every five seconds and I might succumb. This kitten has zero survival skills and likes to sleep on the big truck tires and play with the weed whacker. Really, kitty, didn't your mother teach you anything?

Talbots "Final Sale" in More Ways than One

During the 20 years I was in the Foreign Service, I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on clothes from Talbots. There were lots of reasons why I loved my Talbots clothes (nice quality, beautiful fabrics and colors), but the most important was that they always fit. I am short and overweight and those WP sizes really worked for me. I have always liked to sew my own clothes, but with two kids, a 24/7 job, and a need to occasionally sleep, it was great to be able to rely on Talbots to provide my professional wardrobe. The clothes weren't cheap, but I tried to take advantage of the sales, and the sight of a red and white box in the mail always made me happy.

I knew something had changed a couple of years ago when I ordered a pair of jeans on sale that was way, way too tight, made for a different species of creature altogether. We're talking tight from the knees up, and wouldn't button at the waist. I never got around to sending those jeans back, nor did I magically shrink to fit them, so after they had hung several months in the closet I dispatched them to a thrift store where some short person with skinny everything hopefully found them useful. Still, I didn't lose faith in Talbots, which had outfitted me so well for so long, and I picked up a pair of black embroidered capris last year that were cute and comfortable. I have already worn and washed them to death.

I reasonably assumed that whatever the fit issue was with the jeans, it had been solved, and a couple of weeks ago I ordered three t-shirts and another pair of black capris, these denim and spandex, on sale. The total, with shipping, was $125.15, which wasn't especially cheap, but hey, Talbots has my size and the mall, forty minutes away in Bloomington, doesn't.

Well, as you have probably guessed, the black capris, like the jeans a couple of years ago, were designed for no woman alive. The crotch length suggested hip-huggers, but the waist was cinched in at least two sizes too tight and scooped down in the front. The waistband wasn't contoured in the back and stuck out awkwardly. The lower hips fit well, but that waistband cinched me in at an awkward place and created a double muffin top that no t-shirt could hide.

One of the t-shirts was a little loose, one too small and one just right. I decided to send back the capris and the too-small t-shirt. When I looked at the receipt, however, I noticed that the capris were not listed on the return form because, according to the order summary, they were "Final Sale". I had never seen such a thing in over 20 years of shopping from the Talbots catalog, so I called the 800 number on the back of the order summary and asked what Talbots could possibly be thinking, sending out pants that fit no one and marking them "Final Sale".

The very nice fellow who answered the phone explained that Talbots had just instituted the final sale policy recently, because of the large number of returns.
Evidently it occured to no one at Talbots that after a customer has been tricked once into purchasing a poorly-designed, ill-fitting item that can't be worn or returned, she is not likely to purchase anything else in the future. That could solve the problem of the large number of returns, but perhaps not in the way that Talbots management was hoping.

I managed to halfway fix that waistband by inserting a triangle of fabric on both sides to make more room. It wasn't a professional fix by any means, but it does mean that I can wear them with a long shirt and breathe, too. Still, my faith in Talbots is deeply shaken. Next time I'll just go to the mall.

Recipe Report - Indian Chicken Stew

For dinner tonight I made the "Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew" on page 215 of the September 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I changed the recipe slightly, adding a whole box of chicken broth instead of a cup, which was a mistake, because it turned out a little watery, and cooking it for a half an hour in a pressure cooker instead of five to ten hours in a slow cooker, because I don't own a slow cooker, and because I was expecting a ravenous DS home from cross country practice within the hour. As it turned out, I didn't have any curry powder and while I was out in a long line at the local grocery buying a jar, DS showed up and ate a bowl of cereal.

None of that changes the essential result, however, which was really very tasty and nourishing. We ate it with saffron rice, generously prepared by my darling husband. It made a lovely dinner without anything else but iced tea. Mildly spicy, thanks to the curry and ginger, colorful thanks to the red and green of tomatoes and spinach, comfort food with an exotic aroma. Even DS, who was no longer ravenous thanks to the bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats, ate a whole plateful.

And we got a bonus: This recipe came on one of those pull-out pages to be added to our red gingham-checked BHG cookbook for future reference. How great is that? Another success like this one and I will completely forget about the peach and blackberry slaw fiasco.

Free Pattern - Knit Cotton Cardigan for 18" Doll

Like Andy in the Toy Story series, my daughter is now a college student and has outgrown Victoria, her American Girl doll, but I still have fun dressing Victoria every now and then. I've been wanting to work on my knitwear design skills without the pressure of a full-size project, so I designed this classic cardigan for Victoria that goes very nicely with the Daisy Kingdom outfit I sewed up for her last winter. I'm giving you the pattern below, just in case you'd like to make one for one of your own favorite dolls.

Cotton Sweater for 18” Doll


Materials: One ball of Coats “Blau Tulpe” thread or any similar cotton thread
2.5 mm or U.S. size 1 knitting needles
Three 3/8” buttons

BODY OF SWEATER

Cast on 74.
Rows 1-4: k 1, p 1 to end.
Row 5: k all stitches.
Row 6: p all stitches.
Rows 7-20: repeat rows 5 and 6.

Right front shaping:

Row 21: k 10, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 22: p 10.
Rows 23-32: Repeat rows 21 and 22 five times.

Neck shaping, right side:

Row 33: k 1, sl 1, k 1, psso, k to end of row.
Row 34: p entire row.
Row 35: k entire row.
Row 36: p entire row.
Rows 37-44: Repeat rows 33-36 twice.
Row 45: Bind off all stitches, cut thread and tie off.

Right armhole and back shaping:

Row 21: Reattach thread at beginning of remaining stitches on row 21, bind off 14, k 26, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 22: p 26.
Rows 23-42: k odd rows, p even rows on 26 stitches.

Right shoulder shaping:

Row 43: k 7, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 44: p 7.
Row 45: Bind off 7 stitches from row 44, cut thread, tie off.

Neck and left shoulder shaping:

Row 43: Reattach yarn at stitch #8 on row 43, bind off 12, k 7, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 44: p 7.
Row 45: Bind off 7 stitches, cut thread, tie off.

Left armhole and left front:

Row 21: Reattach thread at beginning of remaining stitches on row 21, bind off 14, k to end of row (10 st).
Row 22: p 10.
Rows 23-32: K odd rows, p even rows on 10 stitches.
Row 33: k 7, k 2 tog, k 1.
Row 34: p all stitches.
Row 35: k all stitches.
Row 36: p all stitches.
Row 37: k 6, k 2 tog, k1.
Rows 38-40: repeat rows 34-36.
Row 41: k 5, k2 tog, k1.
Rows 42-44: repeat rows 34-36.
Row 45: Bind off remaining stitches, cut thread, tie off.

Block, then sew shoulder seams.

Neck band and collar:

Attach thread to the right front corner. Pull up 30 loops to the shoulder seam, 18 across the back neck, and 30 on the left front.

Row 1: k1, p1 across all stitches.
Row 2: k1, p1, yo, k2 tog, (k1, p1) twice, yo, k2 tog, (k1, p1) twice, yo, k2 tog, work remainder of row in k1, p1 rib. (This makes three buttonholes.)
Row 3: k1, p1 across all stitches.
Row 4: Bind off 25 stitches on right front, work 28 st in k1, p1 rib, leaving remaining stitches unworked.
Row 5: p1, k1 rib on 28 stitches.
Rows 6-10: continue to work 1/1 rib across 28 stitches.
Row 11: Bind off remaining stitches.

Attach thread at beginning of remaining stitches from row 4 and bind off to end, cut thread, tie off.

SLEEVES (MAKE TWO)

Loosely cast on 30 st.
Rows 1-4: k1, p1 to end.
Row 5: k 1, k in back and front of next st (inc 1), k3, inc 1, k18, inc 1, k3, inc 1, k1.
Row 6: p all stitches.
Row 7: k1, inc 1, k to 2nd from last st, inc 1, k 1.
Row 8: p all stitches.
Rows 9-18: Repeat rows 7 and 8 five more times.
Rows 19-22: k odd rows and p even rows.

Sleeve cap shaping:

Row 23: Bind off 5 st, k to end.
Row 24: Bind off 5 st, p to end.
Row 25: k 1, sl 1, k 1, psso, knit to within 3 st of end, k 2 tog, k 1.
Row 26: p entire row.
Rows 27-39: Repeat rows 25 and 26 seven times.
Row 40: p entire row.
Row 41: Bind off, cut thread, tie off.

Sew underarm seam on sleeves.
Sew sleeve into armholes.
Sew on buttons.

Recipe Report - Peach and Blackberry Slaw

I like magazines; I subscribe to several and my mom gave me a gift subscription to Better Homes and Gardens, which is fun to peruse with all its home decorating ideas and recipes. I decided to try at least one idea from every issue, beginning with August 2010. I found a recipe on page 176 for something called "Peach and Blackberry Slaw" that sounded delicious--peaches, blackberries, cabbage and blue cheese--how could it not be delicious?

Well, I'm sorry to report that this recipe is a waste of perfectly good ingredients. DH wouldn't even spoon a bite of it onto his plate. Our son gamely let me dish out a large portion, and after a couple of bites declared, "This tastes like crap," and pushed his plate away. Folks, I slathered mine with blue cheese dressing and finished the entire plateful, but I've had years of experience being a professional food garbage disposal so that's not saying anything.

In trying to dissect what exactly was the matter with this recipe, DS and I concluded that the flavor of the cabbage overwhelmed everything else, there wasn't enough dressing and the dressing, having equal parts of wine vinegar and olive oil, was too acidic. The Wal-Mart peaches were mealy and the blackberries were sour, which, to be fair, is not the fault of Better Homes and Gardens. Also, coached by my darling husband, I shredded the cabbage until it would stick to the wall instead of making nice big photogenic chunks (see my picture above, and if you're still interested, compare it to the photo on page 136 of the magazine).

Am I discouraged? NO! I can't wait to see what's in the September issue!

Check out my Bobbin Lace!

I've been working diligently for the last few days on this bobbin lace yoke that I started a couple of years ago, and just finished it a few minutes ago, so I wanted to share it with you, along with this picture of what it looked like on the bolster. This is one of those projects that I just picked up every now and then, abandoning it for months at a time, but it's my summer to finish projects, and I'm on a roll. Reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin reinforced my desire to finish my current projects and release my imagination for new ones.

The next step is to buy some fabric to make a blouse for this lace to decorate. I love this color blue. The thread, by the way, is Aunt Lydia's. It was part of my friend Stephen Bowman's stash that he let me have when I was enrolled in his bobbin lace class. I ran out of the dark turquoise at one point and he was nice enough to lend me a ball of each color. Thanks, Stephen!

DH is also working hard to finish something--the last bedroom on the second floor of the sheriff's house, along with a tiny, but complete, bathroom and closet. I'll show you pictures when there's something to see. This is the room that used to be my sewing room, so I'm thinking hard about how to make a sewing space that won't look cluttered.

Summer is winding down for our son, and I still haven't figured out what shots he needs to get before school starts. The school system came up with some new requirements, and since our kids got their shots all over the place, it's hard to sort out what they had and didn't have. We're looking forward to getting our daughter back from Texas next week, along with her sweetheart, for some quality family time as the long days of summer come to an end. I hope you are all making the most of the bounty of this wonderful season.