When you make stuff, there are going to be duds. It's inevitable. But this week I've been on a winning streak.
On the weekend I finally got my act together and finished up another one of Gertie's dirndl skirts. "Dirndl" is a great word, and this is a great tutorial. My skirt looks a little flat in the photo, but it's fuller and pouf-ier when on.
I bought this yellow/grey fabric for a pleated skirt and didn't have enough, but I'm glad it became an incarnation of a skirt after all, and one I'll get lots of wear out of.
I bought this yellow/grey fabric for a pleated skirt and didn't have enough, but I'm glad it became an incarnation of a skirt after all, and one I'll get lots of wear out of.
And stoveside this week, I've had a string of Smitten Kitchen successes. (Sometimes I think that I should call a spade a spade and just rename this website the "Smitten Test Kitchen".) Anyhow, I'm trying to work my way through recipes that I've bookmarked, especially as so many of them have been languishing in my favourites folder for months, or even years. (The oldest of them all? Chocolate babka. What am I waiting for? Seriously?).
So on Sunday, upon returning from a matinee, I was able to crank out both Red Kidney Bean Curry (a perfect combination of easy, delicious and healthy) with jasmine rice, and Pepita Granola (my best granola effort yet; despite the combination of honey/brown sugar/sweetened coconut, this wasn't overly sweet. I found that it needed a mere 15 minutes of baking time and it will now be my new go-to granola recipe).
Then yesterday afternoon there were hand pies. This pastry is just fantastic; it's easy to make, easy to work with, can be used for savoury or sweet, and is flaky and delicious like you wouldn't believe. For my variation on the recipe, I halved the quantity of dough, and made 8 hand pies to get the dough/filling ratio that I was looking for. Instead of peaches (obviously not in season), I sauteed apples with butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and Calvados. My photos of them were really crappy, but rest assured that I died and went to apple-hand-pie heaven.
Next up? Not babka, but indian-spiced vegetable fritters. And dealing with the mess that is my kitchen.
So on Sunday, upon returning from a matinee, I was able to crank out both Red Kidney Bean Curry (a perfect combination of easy, delicious and healthy) with jasmine rice, and Pepita Granola (my best granola effort yet; despite the combination of honey/brown sugar/sweetened coconut, this wasn't overly sweet. I found that it needed a mere 15 minutes of baking time and it will now be my new go-to granola recipe).
Then yesterday afternoon there were hand pies. This pastry is just fantastic; it's easy to make, easy to work with, can be used for savoury or sweet, and is flaky and delicious like you wouldn't believe. For my variation on the recipe, I halved the quantity of dough, and made 8 hand pies to get the dough/filling ratio that I was looking for. Instead of peaches (obviously not in season), I sauteed apples with butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and Calvados. My photos of them were really crappy, but rest assured that I died and went to apple-hand-pie heaven.
Next up? Not babka, but indian-spiced vegetable fritters. And dealing with the mess that is my kitchen.
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