Send Out the Dogs

No, on second thought, don't. I'm not really lost, I've just gotten lost in things I like to do. Case in point, I remade the onion soup we enjoyed at my sister's last week. I knew my husband and kids would love it. This was a two day affair that began some time after spinning yesterday. I roasted the bones and vegetables as a base to make a rich stock and let that simmer and reduce for about 5 hours. Today, I caramelized the onions and married that to the stock and then topped it with toasted french bread and smothered it all in aged Gruyere. There wasn't much left to show but empty crocks.

To top off my weekend in the kitchen, I made a pate brisee (pie crust with French technique). The pie is apple and as soon as I'm done writing this, I'm going to be getting a piece of that. I used Michigan McIntosh apples and it looks and smells delicious. I need to work on my pie crust techniques, but what the heck, I'm just proud it didn't come out of a box.


I finished the Every Way Wrap for the Sticks on Fire KAL. I'm ahead of everyone else, but I think I chose the easiest piece. It's pretty enough and the stitch definition using Cashmerino Aran is beautiful, but the way it looks as a whole? Not so much. It's good enough to snuggle in and if I could stop having hot flashes this week, the weather is perfect for this.



Of special note are the bags under my eyes. I wake up every morning and the bed linens look like someone has held a monumental battle there. I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm hot, I'm cold. By morning, I'm twisted in the sheets and have to think of ways to get untwisted. If I had to get out of bed in a hurry, I'm not sure I could.

We can't blame my nights all on my hormones though, because Dan Brown should shoulder a little responsibility, too. His villain is a bit creepy. This is the second book I've read this week (not including cook books and Fine Cooking Magazine. The first was Rules of Vengeance, by Christopher Reich. It wasn't bad, but not my favorite. Maybe I'm tired of his main character. It felt good to do something besides knit for a change. I don't know where I found all the time to do this, but perhaps it's the lack of having my own computer. I plan to remedy this in a few days.


I'm thinking this is what's next for my needles. This pattern, Pretty as a Peacock, is one I picked up at the Michigan Fiber Festival in August. I'm betting that although it's lace, it'll knit up quickly in sport weight yarn. My special order Louet Gems came in last week and I'm itching to cast on. I didn't see a color that spoke to me, so I ordered the yarn in a natural color. My spinning friend Sara will do the honors of dying it for me.

Those are my excuses for not being around much. As a whole, it looks like I've been fairly industrious and perhaps now, I've earned a piece of that pie.

ETA--OMG! Jacques Pepin may hit me over the head with his rolling pin for the appearance of my pie crust, but he'd be alright with the taste: heavenly, buttery, flaky and rich. Yum. I'll work on the looks.