12.08.2013

in a word...

... yummm!!!



had a hankering for good caramel popcorn for weeks now, but it seems to be largely unknown in Canada (aside from the gross Cracker Jacks of our youth, that is)... so i gave up looking and made my own.



i read about a hundred recipes on the interweb, before i drummed up the courage to give it a go.  most recipes seem to rely on some combination of sugar (white and/or brown) and corn syrup, but there were also a lot of recipes that substituted maple syrup for the sugar, and i live in Quebec (where even the snow is mapley), so it seemed like the way to go.  my final formulation was based on this recipe.

[note that the proportions can be easily halved or quartered if you want to make a smaller batch, but the full recipe offers enough for sharing... if there's any left]

n.ayisha's maple popcorn
10-12 cups freshly popped corn (discard unpopped kernels)
1 cup pecans, toasted then roughly chopped
1 cup roasted salted cashews (toasted 3 minutes for a 'freshly-roasted' crunch)
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pure maple syrup

non-stick cooking spray

- if you're not especially good at multi-tasking, get all the parts in place before beginning to make the maple coating.
- combine the popcorn, pecans, and cashews in a large bowl or container that will allow for mixing in the maple topping.  i used a roasting pan lightly-coated with cooking spray to make cleanup easy.
- coat the lower half of a wooden spoon with cooking spray and set aside.
- line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  in a pinch, you can place the parchment directly on a kitchen counter or similar surface.
- in a saucepan, melt the butter on low-med heat, then add the sea salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup, without stirring.  bring to a boil and continue to boil (without stirring) on low-med until it reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer, or until it reaches the hard-crack stage, if you're not using a thermometer (**see note below).  how long this takes depends on how rapidly you're boiling the mixture, but most estimates are roughly 20-30 mins (although it took me nearly an hour at a moderate boil).  keep a careful eye on the mixture as it nears this final stage, as the line between perfectly-done and burnt is a mere blink of the eye.
- (taking extreme care not to spill any of it on yourself) drizzle the maple coating over the popcorn-nut mixture.
- working quickly, toss with the greased wooden spoon (i used two spoons) until the mixture is well coated and the maple coating feels like it's starting to harden.
- spread the mixture onto the prepared parchment and allow to cool for a couple minutes.  it should be cool enough at this point to use your hands to break it up into clusters.
- cool completely and enjoy!!!  store any leftovers in an air-tight container .


** i made this without a candy thermometer, by using the cold-water method (here's a handy guide for making candy without a thermometer). place about 2 cups of very-cold water into a small container.  remove the pan from the heat. using a small spoon, drizzle a few drops of the maple mixture into the water, then reach into the water and use your fingers to form it into a small ball.  (if it doesn't form a ball at this point, skip directly to returning the pan to the heat).  pull the ball out of the water, stretch it (using the thumb and forefingers of both hands), and observe.  the test ball should break apart, producing a "crack" noise when it reaches the hard-crack stage.  if it simply stretches like taffy, return the pan to the heat and continue boiling another 2-3 minutes before testing again.

12.07.2013

the blues...

[in an effort to clear up the several thousand photos i've taken in the past few months, i am (hopefully) going to post a series of entries of recent (mostly knitted) projects.]

i did a marathon amount of dyeing earlier this year, mostly of mill-spun yarns, using a combination of commercial acid dyes and home-sourced natural dyes.  the challenge comes in turning all of that into useful objects.  honestly, i'd be perfectly content to mount them on a wall where i can stare in awe at the interplay of colors, but (apparently) i can't justify making any more fiber purchases unless i reduce the stash a bit.  so, here goes...

 


it all began with a mill-spun combo of wool, alpaca, and silk which i kettle-dyed Caribbean Blue (foreground, above) using Dharma Acid Dyes.  this was the single-most frustrating color ever, and i gave up when there was still dye bleeding after the twentieth rinse.  my wardrobe consists of an array of blacks and greys, so this was a challenge... which i (partially) overcame by striping it with a dark blue (Azul Profundo, to be precise) kettle-dyed, semi-solid yarn by Malabrigo (background, above).

the rose/rouge pattern was written for a lighter-weight yarn, so it took a bit of mathemagic to make it work... but it worked, and i crafted a totally sweet (short-sleeve) sweater....



for moi!!!




as a total aside... i would like to add that the reason why people with cats take so many photos of their cats sitting on random stuff is because it is near impossible to get a photo of your stuff without a cat getting in the way.



i said, "get off my sweater", and she did this...



i give up.  

11.26.2013

Cruella de Cat...

i am grappling with the (ever increasing) likelihood of having to get new glasses (more than my use-as-needed reading glasses, that is), so staring at my image in the mirror and realizing that i am now up to a whopping FOUR grey hairs (that i can see, that is) has pretty much sunk my mood.  sure, the glasses will probably curb the unbearable headaches i've been experiencing of lately, but grey hair does not cure anything!  although... the thought of Cruella de Vil in sexy-librarian specs does hold some degree of appeal, so this may not be so bad after all.


ah, the joy of living with an artist!


i finally finished carding that alpaca on Friday night and got it all organized into neat rolags, all ready for spinning (quick introduction here on carding fiber and making rolags).  the tiny bit of brown alpaca was blended with the white alpaca and i tossed in a healthy dose of superwash (i.e., washable) Bluefaced Leicester top to add a bit of wooly elasticity to the finished product.  my hands are still aching from all that carding, but... man, was it worth it! that is one sweet looking heathery blend, if i do say so myself.



in typical compulsive fashion, i organized the rolags into four neat layers (note the plastic storage bag lining the container) separated by brown paper (recycled from the ridiculous waste of packing material the good people at Amazon insist on employing)...



and stored them away in a pretty box where i (hopefully) won't be tempted to start spinning...



at least, not until i finish the make-it-up-as-i-go sweater for self (go me!!!).  it is, according to the labels, lavender and silver (although it looks more orchid than lavender)... but i should add that i will do physical harm to anyone who refers to it as purple and white.



i couldn't resist the urge to take a peek inside the box i mentioned at the end of the previous post.  seven-and-a-half pounds of raw (unwashed) fleece!!!  getting all of that sorted and cleaned should (hopefully) keep me out of trouble for a while... maybe.



trust me... i've seen far muckier fleeces.



as if that was not enough excitement for one weekend, i also whipped up a batch of my (new) signature two-bean stew.  chick peas, white kidney beans, and a heap of fresh veggies and herbs, all simmered with a bit of smoked meat (i usually go for turkey, but pork flank was all i could find in the market), and served over rice or with a crusty baguette.  it's the perfect way to chase away the winter chills.



my calico kitty Titty (her royal highness Titania, to you peasants) spent most of the weekend perched on the arm of the chair overlooking my progress.  she was,obviously,  deeply intrigued by all the activity...



when you're elbow-deep in a box of dirty wool, and this is the best response you can muster from your cat, it's clearly time to get a new hobby... or a new cat!



11.21.2013

brown paper packages tied up with string... and things...

pardon my dopey grin.  that's just the afterglow of gastronomical delight.  while the combo of cheesecake and a large cup of tea does not exactly scream lunch to most sane folks, it was all for a good cause.  i swear.  



see, what happened was... i bought a can of that cherry pie filling stuff, and i ended up using only a few spoonfuls, so i was forced to bake something to use up the leftovers, and (being in a low-or-no wheat state of mind) it had to be something i could actually enjoy myself... ergo, cheesecake!  i had to cut a wedge to take a photo while there was still decent light coming through the windows, and, seeing that it would be very difficult to slide the wedge back into its original location without making a huge mess, i was left with no choice but to consume it... ergo, cheesecake for lunch!!!  i love that brand of logic... tasty, tasty logic. 

i wish i had some fancy recipe to offer, but i pretty much stick to the Classic Cheesecake formula, adding and subtracting ingredients as suits my mood.  the current offering contains the juice and zest of 2 limes.  i went for more of a shred than a fine grate on the zest because i like the extra burst of liminess that comes from biting into the bits.


on the other end of things, i have come to terms with the fact that i am one of those people who are more fascinated with process than product in their crafting pursuits, so i have to resort to delayed gratification and downright bribery to get projects completed... which brings me to the cardboard boxes that have served as the proverbial carrot-on-a-stick in recent days.  first there was the box that arrived late last week from Fibre Garden. i did open the outer box to double check that everything was accounted for (a few skeins of bulky yarn that was on sale, some colorful silk fibers for future spinning adventures, and a small box nestled below all of that).  i placed the smaller, inner box on the edge of the table, where i had no choice but to stare longingly at it every time i walked by over the next few days and dream of the moment when i'd finally get to break the seal.



but first, i had finish the blanket i was working on for my friend's baby (who will arrive any day now) and get it sent off in the mail before the kid is old enough to drive.  it seemed like a good time to ship off a few other things that have been piling up over the recent weeks.  so there i was on Tuesday, stumbling up to the post office counter carrying a pile of packages as high as my head, the largest and most special of which contained this assortment of goods for the baby-to-be...



with that done, i could finally tear open the box and start playing with my new hand carders...

 


the double-bed of tiny, sharp pins guarantees that i will injure myself at some point in the not-too-distant future, but that's half the fun.



i added a few drops of wood glue before securing the handles and finished it with a layer of furniture wax followed by a pass with some super-super-fine sandpaper, one more layer of furniture wax, and topped it off with a good buffing with a soft rag.  the wood is satiny smooth and i can't wait to see the patina it takes on with continued use.



there i was, feeling mighty pleased with myself.  i pulled out the bag of white and brown alpaca fleece (not pictured) that i've been holding on to for more than two years now, resisting all temptation to start spinning until i could get them properly blended together, and set to work at said task yesterday.  it was going really well... until late in the afternoon when this arrived...



so, now i have to wait until i've finished carding the alpaca (gonna go through the whole lot twice for maximum blendedness) before i'm allowed to open this new package.  i'm pretty sure there's a whole sheep (or something equally awesome) in there, but that will have to wait for some other day.




9.08.2013

biscuit bacon breakfast...

...bliss!



seriously... that's all it takes to excite me.  and, yes... that is Santa on my mug... in (gasp!) mid-September.  i do like to live on the edge.

8.08.2013

something new...

so... there i was, standing for over an hour in the alleyway on a windy afternoon, with a flurry of plant parts and small winged animals (a.k.a., insects) flying into my hair, eyes, and (occasionally) mouth just to be able to share something incredibly special with you.



it is a slightly crescent-shaped shawl/scarf,, a generous 80 inches wide, with just enough shaping to stay put across the shoulders.   i loved the picots so much along the cast-on border, that i opted to repeat them along the bind off edge.  now, if only i can muster the courage to write up and possibly share my sketchy pattern(ish) directions.  




oh... and if you're wondering what i'm staring at in the first photo, this is the exterior of my building.



at least one of those windows belongs to my apartment, but perhaps i've said too much.  but i did take pictures of my upstairs neighbor's ivy-framed window... because i can't quite decide whether it's creepy or cool.




7.07.2013

Sunday...

i've got super, huuuuge, exciting news, and i'm sharing it here first...



the tomatoes are starting to ripen!!!  seriously... that's as exciting as life gets around here.


after a couple inches of knitting, i transferred the new scarf to a piece of cotton yarn to check that i'd cast on enough stitches (would hate to get all the way to the end, then discover it's not long enough to keep my neck toasty)...




and spent the best part of the day laughing at this...



can't think of a better way to end my post-a-day week.  thank you to anyone out there who actually read any part of it, or just looked at the pictures... or even clicked long enough to realize that you weren't interested in my non-adventures.  [Roberto, your sweater is on the "knitting to get to... once the hottest part of summer's done" list, which should (hopefully) give me enough time to get over my squirrelphobia.]


7.06.2013

Saturday...

i'm not usually a fan of tuna salad, but beer makes everything tolerable, especially on a hot summer's day...



this is one of my recent hand-dyed yarns.  it is a mill-spun, fingering weight silk/merino (50/50) blend.  i spent the last couple weeks daydreaming about a special scarf, and and i got about 25% of the way through constructing it in a different yarn, but that little voice in my head kept whispering, "Philly"... so i frogged the first effort and spent the early part of the morning casting on (would have been quicker had i not opted for (gasp)  girly picots). and, yes.. i always listen to the voice!




the color was inspired by my little kitty, whose coat is a tonal study in grey.  i love semi-solid colors, and i'm rather pleased with this one.  hopefully, i will do it justice...

7.05.2013

Friday...

Montreal's on fire... or so it feels lately.  it's not really the heat, but the humidity that makes even the smallest task feel like a near-exhaustion crawl through the dessert.  i'm trying to harness my recent bout of energy (i.e., mild mania) into getting something productive done, but anything more taxing than going to the fridge to get a cold drink results in a sweat-soaked nightmare... so for now, i'm mostly daydreaming.


it was a sunny day out, so i opened all the windows and curtains (which is significant, as i generally try to maintain a cave-like atmosphere in my surroundings.



the windowsill tomatoes are experiencing an identity crisis, as they seem to think they're vines.  i had to wedge a piece of bamboo into the window frame to tie them to when they outgrew the original stakes and started growing sideways.  the stems are at least 8 feet long at this point, and are tangled together around the bamboo pole (which is more apparent silhouetted against the sunny window)...



and the immature fruit are hanging in chaotic clusters throughout...



these were the first two to develop. i check on them multiple times a day, waiting for the first signs of ripening...



and i spent a few minutes taking photos of a recent dyeing adventure.  apparently my bed is the one place in the apartment that offers true-to-life coloring for taking pictures.  the crazy things you learn when you let the sunshine in!


7.04.2013

Thursday...

still need to catch up on sleep, so i'll try to be brief.  there's much i'd like to say about this meal... but i'll leave that up to the imagination....