“I Ate the Whole Bowl” Guacamole

I happened upon this recipe when I was in the mood for some fresh guacamole...I have made it about six times in the last two weeks, it is the best snack!  

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe avocados

¼ cup Salsa

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

¼ tsp. Garlic Salt

Tortilla Chips

Mixing Bowl

Spoon

Cut the avocados in half, spoon the “meat” into a bowl, discard the nut. Mash the avocado to your desired consistency.  

Then add the salsa, 

garlic salt and 

lemon juice.  

Mix it well and eat!  

If you can manage to not eat the whole bowl you are my hero!  Enjoy!  Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Amy L.  

Bulbs in Bloom

Spring has started early here in Minnesota, I have already been able to cut tulips out of my cut-flower bed!  Spring flowers are some of my favorite of the entire growing season.  They are a sure sign of warm days ahead, their colors are bright and they are amazingly fragrant!  Recently, while shopping at the local market I noticed some forced spring bulbs for sale.  I couldn't resist buying a few pots of my favorite spring flower:  Hyacinth.  Their fragrance is very powerful and I would describe it as a mix between antique rose and lilac.  The scent of the Hyacinth blooms quickly filled an entire floor of our house and I have added one more garden chore to my fall list:  forcing bulbs.  It turns out that if you mimic winter, the bulbs will bloom indoors!  Here's how:

Tools:

Flower bulbs: Hyacinth, Tulip and Daffodil work best

A pot that is at least 6in tall

Potting soil

Bulb fertilizer (optional)

A cool, dark place

12 weeks

Start by filling the pot ¾ of the way full with potting soil.  Press your chosen bulbs into the soil as close to one another as you can get without allowing them to touch (make sure they are right-side-up) then lightly cover with another layer of soil.  Water thoroughly.  If watering causes the soil to settle and expose the bulbs just add more soil.  Find a cool dark place.  The best spots would be in a crawl space, a cool basement or your refrigerator.  You don’t want to put them anywhere that is less than 35 degrees F or above 45 degrees F and make sure it is dark! If you need to, you can place a paper bag over the pots. 

Once you have found the perfect spot leave them undisturbed for about 12 weeks.   For timing purposes, it is best to “plant” your bulbs in winter for spring enjoyment but you can really do it anytime.  If you want to transplant your bulbs into the garden, you must wait until the fall.   Once you have reached the 12 week mark it is important to acclimate the bulbs to warmer temperatures slowly otherwise they will burst into blooms but die off before they have a chance to open. 

The best way to acclimate them, for example, is if you have them in the basement move them to the base of the stairs for a day, then to the top of the stairs for a day, etc.  Move them one day at a time until you get them to the desired spot. As a note, however, do not expose your plant to full sun until the foliage has turned green.  Once you have acclimated your bulbs to a sunny spot continue to lightly water and give your pot a quarter turn every other day or so otherwise your bulbs will flop over because they will naturally reach for the sun.  Once the bulbs bloom you will be able to enjoy them for several weeks. 

If you plan to transplant your bulbs into the garden trim off then spent blooms but leave the foliage!  This is important because the leaves are where the bulb gets its energy to bloom.  Keep your trimmed bulbs indoors and continue watering them until you can transplant them outside in the fall. I hope you give it a try because after a long winter, especially like the ones we can have here in Minnesota, beautiful flowers can help those "teaser" weeks between when the snow melts and the flowers bloom a little more tolerable!  


Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Amy L. 

5-Star Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake!

Last summer for a friend's birthday I made this amazing vegan chocolate cake.  I made it again for a potluck we went to this past Saturday.  I love this recipe so much I thought I would share it.  If you are feeling brave, give this recipe a try, trust me, it will quickly become your favorite.  Enjoy!!

Ingredient for the cake:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 teaspoons mint extract**

**you could replace the mint extract with vanilla, raspberry, orange or any other extract that you would enjoy with chocolate, just make sure to replace the same flavor in the frosting!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt)

Stir in wet ingredients (water, vegetable oil, vinegar and mint extract) Mix evenly until batter is smooth.  Break up any lumps. (The batter will naturally bubble from the vinegar and baking soda)

Cut out two rounds of waxed paper to place in the bottom of your 8" cake tins (give a light spritz of cooking spray to the sides)

Fill both tins evenly with batter and place in middle rack of oven

Bake for 40 minutes**

**Begin the "toothpick" test after about 30 minutes.  If there is minimal moisture on the toothpick pull the cake out of the oven.  You do not want the toothpick to pull out clean because your cake will continue to bake as it cools and it will become too dry.  If there is still a lot of moisture on the toothpick put the cake back in the oven for 5 minute increments.  

Leave the cakes in their pans until they are cool to the touch  

Once they are pans are cool to the touch remove and place on racks until they are completely cooled!  **This is important because if you attempt to frost a cake that is still warm you will get crumbs in your frosting. 

As the cakes are cooling it's time to make the frosting!

Ingredients for frosting:

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon mint extract (or preferred flavor)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan thoroughly mix dry ingredients (sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt)

Whisk in water, oil and mint extract

Heat over a medium flame until it begins to boil gently (do not let it get to a rolling boil or the frosting will become hard) 

Boil for about 1 minute

Remove from heat and let cool briefly

Stir until your frosting begins to form peaks

Let cool completely before you frost your cake **This recipe yields enough frosting for 1 layer cake but I prefer to double it, you can never have enough frosting! 

Cake Construction and Frosting Tools:

One 10" cake plate, stand, or decorative dinner plate

waxed paper cut into four thick strips

bread knife

butter knife

mint leaves

cooled frosting

Directions:

Take your four strips of waxed paper and place around the outer edge of your chosen plate 

 Use bread knife to "level" both cakes 

Munch on cake scraps

Place first cake face up onto center of plate

Spoon about a quarter of the frosting onto the center of the cake

Use the back of the butter knife to spread the frosting from the inside to the outer edges

**As you frost make sure to turn your plate as you spread, NOT your hand

Place second cake face down onto center of bottom cake

Using the back of the butter knife frost the side of your cake first holding your knife perpendicular to your plate.  Remember to turn your plate to frost, don't sweep your hand

Once you have completed the sides, add the remaining frosting to the center of the cake and begin to spread it outwards by turning your plate  

Round over the edges and you are finished!  

Gently pull the waxed paper out from under the cake and admire your clean plate

**Frosting a cake takes practice, if you find you are displeased with the look of your frosting job or you want to add some texture, use the back of a spoon to make swirls all over

Take a few fresh mint leaves a create a "bloom" in the center of your cake

  Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve;

Enjoy!

The wonderful thing about this cake is how well it keeps.  If I have leftover pieces after a dinner party I will wrap each piece individually in saran wrap and then wrap in tin foil.  Put all pieces into a freezer bag and leave in the freezer for up to six months.  If you decide that you want a piece of cake for dessert or you have some unexpected guests, pull out the desired number of pieces, unwrap and let thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes. 

**Keep in mind that this cake is a "healthier" version of a usual chocolate cake as it is cholesterol free, however, it is by no means a "diet" cake because it still contains sugar.

Time to Refresh

Good morning readers!  I have to admit, I have been dragging my heels in trying to come up with a blog post.  I find myself receiving more and more commission work, which is wonderful and my knitwear business was the original reason for starting this blog in the first place.  However, I find myself falling further and further behind with my writing because my projects are very time consuming in nature.  So I am writing to say that I will be branching out in my writing!  I originally assumed that I would be successful in blogging because I had very specific topics I was planning on writing about and typically I am someone that responds well to boundaries.  Ironically, my creative process cannot be hindered by parameters.  Apparently I find it stifling.  So maybe this announcement is to reignite my muses, and I need only say it to myself, but I feel a sense of responsibility to my readers and owe you a heads-up on this game change.

So from now on I will write about whatever I feel like.  If I am in the mood to ponder the Temperance movement's influence on prohibition in 1920s America I'm going to write about it.  Or if I'm in the mood to share a wonderful recipe I made, I'll write about it.  I may possibly even write about beauty and fashion...or health and well-being and I will definitely be writing about my home, my knitting, salvage projects, the gardens, and other exciting experiences.  I have an eclectic array of interests and will share whatever I am inspired by.  This shift could possibly be driven by the change of seasons...it is definitely spring here in the Midwest and I am feeling hopelessly optimistic, or it could be that I have broken through some barriers in my personal life and I am feeling wide open to the creative energy of the world. I have no idea where it is going to take me but I definitely don't want to ignore it.  I hope you will still read my posts from time to time and find them informative, inspiring, or at least interesting.  Now that I have gotten these thoughts out of my head hopefully I can sleep as soundly as my snoring husband is right now!  Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Amy L.

Lavender: Oh! How I Love Thee

For Valentine's Day I knit a little heart shaped sachet filled with lavender buds for my husband to keep at work..that way he can engage in a little aromatherapy whenever things get chaotic.  I decided to make one for myself to keep in my bag.  Using lavender is a great trick to relieve tension or anxiety.

For this project I use size 8 double-pointed needles and a crochet hook (for "stitching") size H8, some left over worsted weight yarn with two strands held together and about two tablespoons of dried lavender buds.

This sachet is pretty easy and can be done in about an hour.  Knit up 2 hearts and use a crochet hook to slip stitch around the edge to join the two pieces.  Just before you finish stitching add the dried lavender then finish off the edging.  I cut a long tail to make a loop for hanging.  When you need to, pull out the sachet, take a deep breath and feel your stress float away! 

I purchased a pound of dried lavender from http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ for $10! The wonderful thing about lavender is that the smell never goes away!  All you have to do is crunch it once or twice to release the smell!  Lavender sachets are great to use in a drawer, keep one on your desk, or throw one in the dryer in place of fabric sheets!

I grow lavender in my yard and use it in as much household stuff as I can!  The easiest thing to do is to cut a handful of it and put it in a decorative jar.  I also use a ton of essential oil:  put about 10 drops of lavender oil in a hot bath, get in and pull the curtain shut..it's like having your very own Turkish spa! 10 drops of lavender oil in 16oz of witch hazel makes a refreshing facial toner that helps fight wrinkles!  

I also make a lavender sheet spray by mixing 2 tablespoons of vodka with 2 teaspoons of lavender oil in an 8oz cobalt blue spritzer (the blue color keeps light from penetrating the bottle which will deteriorate the potency of the oil).  Top off the mixture with distilled water, replace cap, shake and spray on you sheets just before you go to bed! It's lovely! 

I could go on and on about my love of lavender, it is an essential in my life! Take a deep breath and relax!  Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Amy L.

Adventures in Candyland

Today was a great day!  Not only was it sunny and 45 degrees in February but my cousin Lisa and I spent the day indulging in yarn and fiber goodness!!  We drove out to a wonderful yarn and fiber shop in Taylor's Falls, MN (http://www.eweyarns.com/).  The shop offers a wonderful selection of bare and dyed, pure or blended roving and batts.

 

For us, and any fiber enthusiast, to stand at the foot of a table filled with such colorful fibers is equal if not greater to being in a candy store.  The solid colors perfectly showcase the fibers potential to be spun into a showy, bold, statement yarn! 

The creamy blends of the 100% hand dyed merino wool made the desire to buy a few ounces of everything  hard to resist!  The funnest part of spinning with a blended color fiber is that you really don't know what you will end up with.  Usually with my knitting I am meticulous to the very last detail.  Everything is planned and I have a specific vision of the end product.  Every once in a while, however, it is fun to let the yarn lead you.

More and more I am seeing new novelty yarns that are spun with tinsel, beads, sequins, and/or ribbon.  These batts were a blend of hand dyed merino wool and silver tinsel.  Batts are nice and airy.  They draft out very easily which can be a nice alternative to using roving, especially if you are wanting to spin a single-ply lace weight yarn.

This beautiful ball of roving is one of my purchases.  It is hand painted, 100% merino wool.  I bought a little over 12 ounces.  It was my biggest purchase of the day but what can I say?  I am a sucker for green and this blend of colors was absolutely irresistible to me!  I picture this as a worsted weight yarn knit into an over sized cowl that can be wrapped several times around my neck and double as a hood.  

This fiber was equally irresistible to me!  It is 4 ounces of hand painted merino wool and silk.  It is so soft that when I picked it up I knew instantly I would not be putting it back on the shelf!  This would make a wonderful sock yarn. The thought of a wool/silk sock snugly fit to my foot makes me almost wish we weren't coming into spring.  Almost.  

With as much fun as it was today to travel to different fiber stores, touch all of the different fiber blends and to be catapulted into the creative process makes me wish everyday could be as inspiring!

I'm feeling nostalgic and would like to give a nod to the two who undoubtedly passed down their creative genes to Lisa and me.  Our grandparents John and Alice spent many years creating together and selling at craft shows.  She would crochet blankets and doll dresses as well as paint ceramics and grandpa would make jewelry. They will always inspire and will forever be missed!!  Thanks for reading.

Cheers, 

Amy L.  

Accessorize Your Accessories

I just fell in love with a simple yet functional winter accessory:  boot cuffs!  They are knit up on size 13 needles with a bulky yarn in about an hour!  With all of the orders that I have to fill (which is a good problem to have) it is nice to have an item I can cast on and finish quickly...almost like a meditation break.

The possibilities with these little gems are pretty much endless!  You can choose any color, any fiber, any pattern you want.  Cabled patterns would work well on boot cuffs because they offer great structure, but you could also knit these with a DK alpaca in a lace pattern for something more delicate...insert creative idea here.  

With knee high boots being an accessory of their own worn with jeans, leggings, skirts or dresses a boot cuff adds an accessory for your accessory!  If you choose to wear a dress with bare legs these cuffs will help fill in the gap between leg and boot, giving you a little extra warmth.  They could be as long or short as you prefer, this pair in particular is about 7" long but could easily be converted to an ankle-to-knee leg warmer.  

I love finding new things to knit that offer me creative flexibility and boot cuffs definitely fit the criteria!  Hopefully this trend will be around for winters to come!  Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Amy L.