Flower Power
KNITTING STUFF:
My friend Miriam told me I should have little side projects for when I get sick of the sweater I'm working on. Well, as you can see, I'm making a lot of progress on these side projects, and not much progress on the sweater. Currently, I have five projects going, plus two more that are going to be started in the next couple of days (Hey, I have to start some graduation gifts!). I think I may have caught Margene's Startitis!
Here is my latest little project. It is a washcloth from Weekend Knitting, accompanied by my little bathroom duck, Pato Otimista (yes that is his real Lladro name).
I used the recommended Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille, which isn't fun to knit with because it has zero stretch to it, but feels nice when it's finished. This is possibly going to be a gift for a family member.
Other projects currently on the needles:
The Om Yoga Mat Bag, which just needs put together.
Super Mittens, missing one thumb.
A sweater for my toddler.
Lucky wrap sweater for me.
Mini socks, also for my toddler.
And today I shall get what I need to make Susan's branching out scarf, an Aggie scarf which will be a graduation gift, and the Fair Isle Jazz Scarf from Scarf Style, which is supposed to be a gift, but probably I will just end up keeping it.
BLOGGING STUFF:
I have added a few new links. I have two new knitting links to fellow Loganites, gracias a Miriam. I've also added Shanda World, the brand new blog of my cute little 13-year-old sister. She's going to hate it that I called her little. Shanda, even though you are entering high school, you will always be my baby sister.
COOKING STUFF:
I am really liking the Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Along with some great recipes, there are tips in the margins to make things easier and point you in the direction of great sources for different types of food. I also love Ina Garten's introduction to each chapter and her chapter on the importance of using really good, fresh ingredients, which can be tricky to find, but are really worth it.
As promised, the Filet of Beef Bourguignon (recipe follows) review:
I had to borrow the pic right out of the cookbook because mine just didn't turn out so pretty. (The tasty food in my kitchen is rarely pretty.) I chose this recipe because the boys at my house like beef, and this did not disappoint. I used some nice beef ribs, as my grocery store did not have a good filet, and it still turned out alright. I also wanted my beef a little more well-done than the recipe calls for so that I could feed it to the little person.
In my opinion, there are three things that make this recipe good: The sauce, which HAS to have the fresh thyme and the wine(Some of my more conservative bloggie readers might balk at this, but I promise the alcohol cooks out!), the bacon, and the pearl onions (I don't know why, they were just tasty with the sauce). And I would definitely serve this with some boiled red potatoes (I got some from my dad's farm). I also served some crusty artisan bread from my local bakery. By the way, you may want to have extra beef stock on hand (mine thickened up a little to quickly). Also, this dish is tastier the second day after the sauce absorbs a bit, so make extras and have leftovers.
Here is the recipe:
Filet of Beef Bourguignon
1 3-pound filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (Burgundy or Chianti)
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme (I actually used two because I really like thyme)
1/2 pound pearl onions
8-10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch thick slices
3 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temp.
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
Cut filet crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Salt and pepper on both sides. Saute over medium-high heat with oil until browned on outside and very rare inside, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside on platter.
In same pan, saute bacon over medium-low for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain all fat but 2 Tbs. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Deglaze pan with red wine and cook over high heat for 1 minute, scraping bottom of pan. Add beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring to boil and cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain sauce and return it to pan. Add onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is reduced and veggies are cooked.
With a fork, mash 2 Tbs. butter and flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 more minutes to thicken.
Saute mushrooms separately in 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
Add beef slices, mushrooms, and bacon to pan with veggies and sauce. Cover and reheat for 5 minutes until heated through. Do NOT overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
My friend Miriam told me I should have little side projects for when I get sick of the sweater I'm working on. Well, as you can see, I'm making a lot of progress on these side projects, and not much progress on the sweater. Currently, I have five projects going, plus two more that are going to be started in the next couple of days (Hey, I have to start some graduation gifts!). I think I may have caught Margene's Startitis!
Here is my latest little project. It is a washcloth from Weekend Knitting, accompanied by my little bathroom duck, Pato Otimista (yes that is his real Lladro name).
I used the recommended Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille, which isn't fun to knit with because it has zero stretch to it, but feels nice when it's finished. This is possibly going to be a gift for a family member.
Other projects currently on the needles:
The Om Yoga Mat Bag, which just needs put together.
Super Mittens, missing one thumb.
A sweater for my toddler.
Lucky wrap sweater for me.
Mini socks, also for my toddler.
And today I shall get what I need to make Susan's branching out scarf, an Aggie scarf which will be a graduation gift, and the Fair Isle Jazz Scarf from Scarf Style, which is supposed to be a gift, but probably I will just end up keeping it.
BLOGGING STUFF:
I have added a few new links. I have two new knitting links to fellow Loganites, gracias a Miriam. I've also added Shanda World, the brand new blog of my cute little 13-year-old sister. She's going to hate it that I called her little. Shanda, even though you are entering high school, you will always be my baby sister.
COOKING STUFF:
I am really liking the Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Along with some great recipes, there are tips in the margins to make things easier and point you in the direction of great sources for different types of food. I also love Ina Garten's introduction to each chapter and her chapter on the importance of using really good, fresh ingredients, which can be tricky to find, but are really worth it.
As promised, the Filet of Beef Bourguignon (recipe follows) review:
I had to borrow the pic right out of the cookbook because mine just didn't turn out so pretty. (The tasty food in my kitchen is rarely pretty.) I chose this recipe because the boys at my house like beef, and this did not disappoint. I used some nice beef ribs, as my grocery store did not have a good filet, and it still turned out alright. I also wanted my beef a little more well-done than the recipe calls for so that I could feed it to the little person.
In my opinion, there are three things that make this recipe good: The sauce, which HAS to have the fresh thyme and the wine(Some of my more conservative bloggie readers might balk at this, but I promise the alcohol cooks out!), the bacon, and the pearl onions (I don't know why, they were just tasty with the sauce). And I would definitely serve this with some boiled red potatoes (I got some from my dad's farm). I also served some crusty artisan bread from my local bakery. By the way, you may want to have extra beef stock on hand (mine thickened up a little to quickly). Also, this dish is tastier the second day after the sauce absorbs a bit, so make extras and have leftovers.
Here is the recipe:
Filet of Beef Bourguignon
1 3-pound filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (Burgundy or Chianti)
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme (I actually used two because I really like thyme)
1/2 pound pearl onions
8-10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch thick slices
3 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temp.
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
Cut filet crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Salt and pepper on both sides. Saute over medium-high heat with oil until browned on outside and very rare inside, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside on platter.
In same pan, saute bacon over medium-low for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain all fat but 2 Tbs. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Deglaze pan with red wine and cook over high heat for 1 minute, scraping bottom of pan. Add beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring to boil and cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain sauce and return it to pan. Add onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is reduced and veggies are cooked.
With a fork, mash 2 Tbs. butter and flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 more minutes to thicken.
Saute mushrooms separately in 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
Add beef slices, mushrooms, and bacon to pan with veggies and sauce. Cover and reheat for 5 minutes until heated through. Do NOT overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
posted by Chef Messy at 6:58 AM
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