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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Perfect Winter Activity - Knitting

What to do on cold snowy days, knit, knit, knit! I'm not the best knitter in the world but I like the process, I find knitting relaxing and rather meditative. My sister is a beautiful knitter, making sweaters that actual fit the intended recipient. Several years ago she make me a beautiful icelandic style sweater that I keep up at the cottage and wear on cold days. 

Every year my sister finds us a charity looking for knit items, this year it was the Red Scarf Project. The handmade red scarves go into Valentine's Day care packages to foster care students as they move towards graduation and out of foster care.  Click for more information on the Red Scarf  Project.

Here is my favorite knitting chair…..


Notice how I even managed to find a bag that coordinates with the fabric on the chair, not planned but sometimes things just fall in place. The red yarn even goes with the bag!




 One of the things I love about this yarn is that it is made in Michigan! It comes from Stonehedge Fiber Mill in East Jordan, Michigan. Click on their link Stonehedge Fiber Mill for information about their farm and mill. I'm using one of their Shepherd's wools, which is soft and knitting up beautifully.






Grab some needles and knit up something for yourself, a loved one, or a person in need, it is a wonderful way to fill these winter days. If you are knitting I'd love to hear what you are working on...

Thank you to the ladies over at  Centerpiece Wednesday and Share your Cup Thursdays for featuring my post last week and no-knead bread baking. Please stop by and visit them their links are listed below.


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Bread Baking and Freezing Weather

What to do when your car won't start because it was 13 degrees below zero this morning, bake bread! First can I complain about the weather? During the holidays we were in northern Michigan at the cottage, there was 2 feet of snow and zero temps. We came home from the cottage early because a major storm was hitting back down state and we wanted to get home. Now at home there is more than 2 feet of snow and sub zero weather! There seems to be no escaping the snow and cold this winter! Schools are closed for the second day thru out the area. All I can say is yikes!

A few snow pictures first… One of these might be my holiday card for next year!



Now on to the bread baking…….


This is a no knead bread baking method from Jim Lahey's book, my bread The Revolutionary No-work, No-knead Method. The bread is baked in a metal dutch oven at a high temperature. The loaves come out with a hard crust, they are like a rustic artisan loaf you get at the bakery. Yummy with butter or dipped in oil olive. Not hard to made you just need to let it proof for over 12 hours, I started this process yesterday.


If you want to try your hand at this bread here is a link to the recipe.







What could be better on a cold day then fresh baked bread. I guess some chicken or tomato soup would so good with this, I'd better get busy. I'm still waiting for someone to come a jump start my car.


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