Monday, November 29, 2010

Recipe: Cranberry Apple Pie - reversed.

Do you happen to have a 12 oz bag of cranberries? An apple left over from making the Thanksgiving Apple Pie? How about a couple of eggs, some sugar, and a cup of flour? Then you can make this delicious and easy upside-down pie. Or crumble. Not sure what to call it. The original recipe that I worked from called it a crustless pie, but it really isn't crustless.

some frozen cranberries were added to the dish for styling purposes only


1 10 inch pie plate, sprayed with vegetable oil spray (or buttered, as you like).

1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over, and patted dry.

2/3 cup of sugar, divided. CAVEAT:  I like my cranberries to retain some of their tartness. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups sugar.

1 Northern Spy apple, peeled, cored,  and cut into pieces the size of cranberries.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread the cranberries in prepared pie dish, top with apple pieces; sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle with walnut pieces. Set dish aside and make topping. It only takes a minute and the fruit won't draw too much juice.

Cream together:

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar (add more here if desired, up to one cup, but I'll tell ya that's making it way sweet.)

Add 1/2 cup canola oil (or other taste-neutral vegetable oil) and blend well.

Add 1 cup flour and blend well. I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour blend, but any flour, wheat, white, will do.

This will make a thick batter. Spoon batter on top of fruit mix in pie dish, distributing evenly.

Bake in 325 degree oven for one hour.

Let it cool a bit before digging in.

I can't have dairy, but I imagine a dollop of whipped cream on top would go great with it!

Enjoy. :)

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

How to stop holiday shoppers in their tracks.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

I'll go, if they'll have me

Thank you everyone for your lovely and encouraging words. I saw many of you this weekend too who came to the market on Saturday and the holiday open house today. Everyone is wanting me to go. It lifted my heart to hear so much praise and encouragement.

It will cost me and my yarn about $3000 to go to the Sock Summit, stay for 5 days, and come back. That does not include the actual stock I am bringing- just transportation/flights, hotel, and booth fees. I will not be taking any classes.

But I am convinced now that it will be worth going. I have 9 months to plan, plot, prepare, and best of all, dye lots and lots of lovely yarn. :) Meanwhile of course, there will be other shows to go to, yarn shops to supply, the etsy shop to maintain.

I'll be putting in my application this week, making hotel reservations, and getting the (yarn) ball rolling for Sock Summit 2011! Sample knitting will begin after New Year's, who's ready to jump in with me?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

should I go or should I stay?

Just came home from knit night at the Spinning Room. Full of wonderful conversation and knitting.

Still in the middle of trying to blog about everything I saw in Germany last month.

Now I have an email from the Sock Summit organizers, asking me if I want to be a vendor again next year (they are giving vendors that attended last time first dibs). I have 5 days to decide what to do.

Should I go? Not go?

One the one hand, business wasn't as great as most vendors were expecting. On the other hand, I myself am much better set up to prepare and be ready. I had a blast while I was there, I met the most amazing people,and I am not just talking about all the knitting celebs. I feel like my yarn is good enough, and I have much more to offer as far as variety and color.

Please, gentle readers, give me questions to ask myself for the next couple of days, things to consider, pros and cons to mull over. (Aside to my bookkeeper: the booth fee stayed the same.)  Do I cross the continent again to be part of Sock Summit 2011? Should I go, and represent the fair state of New York?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Coburg

On Tuesday, October 26th, 2010, my parents took me on a daytrip to Coburg. We parked in a Parkhaus in the center of town and made our way through narrow streets

 across a Marktplatz





 and after a bit of shopping (no yarn!) we had lunch in a Gasthaus.


After lunch, we hiked up to the Fortress Coburg. If you are not into historical buildings or fortresses built over several centuries, which were destroyed, restored, renovated, made accessible to the public and that house numerous historical artifacts and an art collection, don't bother reading on. ;)















one of two courtyards

my mom in a watch tower

view of the valley below


an airfield across from the castle



chapel and building which houses historical artifacts



portrait of Martin Luther, who lived here for a short while








capturing a dramatic parting shot as clouds moved in


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

interlude

spilled wine


embers
just peachy
silver lining
memories of summer

sophisticated
Lest you think I only jet around the world all the time, I have been busy dyeing the new watercolors sock yarn (75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, 460 yds/100g). Today I managed to style and photograph a few, put them up on etsy, label them, and later will go to The Spinning Room to make a delivery. Trumpet Hill is getting theirs on Friday morning, Rochester's Yarn Boutique the beginning of December. I have several more colors such as greens and teal and past midnight...I must ask you to check back here to see them!

I will also be at the Troy Farmers Market every Saturday until Christmas, and on November 21st, I will be at my friend Ricky's Annual Holiday Open House in Delmar (deets to come).

For the Tight Knit/Farmers Market I will bring a selection of all of my yarns, including a colorful sale bin! I hope to see all my local fans there starting this Saturday at 9 am!


Saturday, November 6, 2010

a special day

The morning of Saturday, October 23 looked like this:

 By Sunday morning, the sun was trying to come out. We went to church service in a new building I hadn't seen, the Martin Luther Haus.


My parents after the service. The pastor thanked God for their enduring marriage in a special prayer.

both of them 72 years young!
 Then we were off to a restaurant to meet with relatives and have a proper celebration. The hot meal is served at lunchtime in Germany, followed by dessert. The meal may have involved some of this:


My cousin and I got a kick out of this item on the dessert menu


which looked like this cute little thing - it's creamy sweet yogurt with lots of cream and strawberries.



The afternoon brings the coffee hour, always around 3 pm. This restaurant served all the tea and coffee and cream and sugar etc, but we brought our own cakes (my mom and I both have celiac so bringing our own cake was a good thing). This one is a carrot cake (different from the American kind - it is filled with red currant jam and topped with dark chocolate glaze) made by my mother. Decorations are in marzipan...yum.

My sister's mother-in-law made this one. Papaya cream cake as far as I recall. It went fast.


Of course there was more wine later on, too. :) It was good to see everyone in one place, celebrating. One of the gifts my parents received was a gift certificate to ride in a hot air balloon - I may just have to go back there to witness it!!