Valentine's Day Chocolate Fondue

"When we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither living nor dead, and I knew nothing, looking into the heart of light, the silence." - the Wasteland, T.S. Eliot

It's almost St. Valentine's Day, and love is in the air. Not being Catholic, I don't subscribe to the veneration of saints, but I do think this day requires a little digging into history to understand its roots, and why love is not only restricted to couples. Singles, especially Christians, have no reason to be sad on this day just because they are single. Being unattached is a huge blessing with many avenues of possibility. It should be put to good use, not lamented. So whether you are celebrating with a significant other, or continuing in your season of singleness, what better way to celebrate this day than with chocolate, and lots of it?

You will need:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (better quality, such as Droste or Ghirardelli)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Large marshmallows

Whisk together cocoa and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour in milk to make a paste, and mix together to remove lumps. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from hear and add vanilla. Transfer to a heated fondue pot. Clean and cut the fruit. Serve the fondue with fruit, marshmallows and any other dessert items that can be dipped. Rice Crispy treats cut into small chunks also work well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cauliflower-Broccoli-Spinach Cream Soup

"Of all the items on the menu, soup is that which exacts the most delicate perfection and the strictest attention." - Auguste Escoffier

Soup seems to be made for cold-weather seasons. This is a tasty, comfortingly bland, cream-based soup which my mother concocted. Nothing tastes quite as good as homemade by mom.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 5-6 cups cauliflower, cut up small
• 5-6 cups broccoli, cut up small
• 2 cups chopped spinach (frozen)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery - 4 ribs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 1 stick butter
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes plus 4-6 cups of water
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt 
• pepper to taste

First cook the vegetables in chicken broth: water with bouillon, butter and garlic. Then puree and add cream. Serve hot, with salt and pepper to taste.

Classic Fondue

"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." - G.K. Chesterton

...that's probably because they were in such raptures over it, they were unable to speak. At least, that's my theory, as an English major.

The best way to enjoy cheese (particularly artisan cheese) is melted, with a little white wine, on bread or fruit. They call it Fondue, and if you've never tried it before, you are living an incomplete existence.

Serves: 4 to 6
You will need:

• 1 2/3 cups dry white wine
• 1 lbs. Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 lbs. Emmenthaler cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 ripe pears, cut into chunks
• 2 apples, cut into chunks
• 1 baguette French bread, ripped/cut into chunks

In a large saucepan, add the wine and cheeses, and mix over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the mixture just begins to bubble, but does not boil. Transfer it to a heated fondue or crock pot, and do not allow it to to burn. Place the fruit and bread into bowls, and serve with the fondue, using long-handled forks to dip the bread and fruit into the cheese.

 Serve and enjoy on freezing cold nights with friends.

Knitted Christening Gown, Part 1

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." - Unknown

One of my best friends from college got married last summer, and is now expecting a baby. I offered to knit something for her a few months back, and started browsing through this book.

And while I did find many beautiful, wonderful (not to mention fairly easy) knitting projects for babies within its pages, when I landed on the Baby's Heirloom Christening Dress, a spell was cast. Never mind that it's easily the hardest pattern I've ever attempted and that it's taken a couple of months to get near the end of the first panel - There was no choosing anything else.

The photo from the book

close-up of the first panel

The first panel, thus far

The flowers will be embroidered on once it's finished. My deadline is the end of this summer. So far I'm not panicking, but I'm sure that will come in time! More posts will be forthcoming as significant progress is made.


To be continued...

Luck o' the Irish Cabled Neck Cozy

"We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English." - Winston Churchill

I am part Irish, and I thank God for it. Being the good Irish girl that I am, my favorite scarf project that I ever made was this cabled neck cozy, in a sea-foam green yarn that practically screams "Leprechaun alert!" My forebears would be proud.

the neck cozy

detail of neck cozy buttons

The pattern is from Cabin Fever, #088, and can be purchased here.

Incidentally, it can be knitted in a color other than Irish Green, I suppose. :-)

Enjoy!

Allegro Shawl knitting pattern

"Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure-footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life." - Ann Landers

At the moment, I have no further need to knit shawls. None whatever. One more shawl will probably drive my already bulging scarf/stole/shawl drawer over the edge. So tell me how in the world I can resist this beauty:

*siiigh*

The pattern can be found here.

 Stay warm and classy this winter!

Country Western Breakfast Sandwich

"This country ain't big enough for the two of us, so I'm giving you till sundown to get out of town." - Walter Houston, "The Virginian."

Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of most things Western. But when my favorite local bagel joint introduced a new Western sandwich last year, I not only became addicted to it, but wanted to figure out how to make it at home. It's delicious in the middle of winter.

Makes 2 sandwiches

You will need:

• 2 eggs
• 4 strips of bacon
• one bell pepper, either green, red, orange or yellow, chopped into strips
• one small onion, chopped into strips
• Kraft Chipotle mayonnaise
• Any kind of bagel you prefer. I use Thomas brand Everything Bagel Thins

Cook the eggs however you wish - over easy, medium, hard fried or scrambled. Cook the bacon slices, and cut each in half after they've cooled/drained. Reserve the bacon fat, and cook the chopped onion and pepper in the fat until cooked but not burned. Slice the bagels and spread with mayo. Place the egg on one side of each bagel and top with bacon, onions and peppers, and the other half of the bagels. Serve immediately.