It might not look like much, but that’s a Dixie cup of whey sitting on my very own kitchen counter. You know, whey. The stuff you can strain out of yogurt?

Or even homemade yogurt? Because yes, that’s yogurt I made all my very own self. (Well, the yogurt cultures helped.) I tried this the other day, you’ll remember, and ended up with nothing but sour milk. This time it was honest-to-goodness yogurt, so yay for me. I strained it, too, using a strainer and paper towel to get out some of the extra whey, to make it creamier. And it IS. That’s 1% milk, but it’s got that great, creamy texture of Greek yogurt so it tastes more fattening than it is.

I even ate some of it for lunch (and am now waiting to see how my lungs feel after eating all that creamy dairy goodness). The yogurt, I might add, was vanilla flavored. None of us is particularly fond of plain yogurt–though I’m happy to use it for baking–so when I mixed this batch yesterday, I added just a little sugar and vanilla. Just enough to sweeten the yogurt a BIT but not to make it actually sweet.

Oh, and the granola. I made more of that, too. I’ve adapted Susan‘s and my recipes to come up with a hybrid–I’m cooking the different types of ingredients separately, but am still using my crock pot. Actually, today, I used my crock pot and a skillet on the stove. For a cup or so of ingredients, they fit beautifully in a skillet and still cook faster than in a crock pot–and don’t need to be stirred on a cookie sheet in the oven (which makes a mess), or require the oven to be turned on at all.

My problem? We were a lot lower on honey and vegetable oil than I thought. So, by the time I’d finished the nuts, fruit, coconut, and sesame seeds sufficient for a BIG batch, I realized … I didn’t have enough honey and oil for the oatmeal portion that makes up the bulk of the granola. (And, for that matter, I don’t have a bowl big enough to stir all of this together, either.)

So, what did I do? This is where doing the separate ingredients on their own comes in really handy. I took half the nut/coconut/fruit mixture that was all ready to go, and put it into a bag. I’ll save it until the next time I need to make granola, at which point, all I’ll need to do is cook the oatmeal part and then just mix it in with this. In fact, I might do it this way all the time–the nut and fruit part is the smallest proportion of the finished granola, so cooking and blending it on its own is relatively simple, and relatively easy to store–since it doesn’t have nearly the bulk of the finished granola. It’s about 2 cups of fruit/nuts/etc to 5-6 cups of oatmeal. So, I can stash away these couple of cups of granola-blend and, when ready, cook and mix it with the next batch of 6 cups of oatmeal. Handy!

This is the other reason I’m happy that I do not make granola in the oven–my oven was busy!

That’s a loaf of Granola Bread (recipe from the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes book), a Blueberry Crisp (recipe from King Arthur Flour), and a Yogurt Cake (recipe from this site with European weight measurements, via this site which gives them in American cups)

Really, at this point, it’s kind of nice to be OUT of the kitchen!

I came so, so close to finishing my shawl last night. Or, well, I’m guessing there’s another half hour’s worth of work to do, but that’s so close, considering I started this in, what, May? (Yes, May 16th. Thank you Ravelry.)

Tags: General by --Deb
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Well, not my WHOLE day’s worth of food, but Mom and I made a point today of going to Short Hills Mall mostly so I could taste the Forty Carrots yogurt again. I mentioned this last week, when I told you about the frozen yogurt recipe I wanted to try.

I wanted to taste the original first, though, before trying my own.

And, it’s just as good as ever. I like mine with a little Melba sauce and granola. (And, the Melba sauce? I wish they sold this stuff because it’s fantastic raspberry sauce, and since Peach Melba is one of Dad’s favorite desserts, I’d love to have some.)

After we left the mall, we stopped at Whole Foods where I stocked up on more granola-making supplies, as well as some yogurt.

And, yes, I’m trying making my own again. It’s sitting in the thermos on the kitchen counter as we speak.

I also bought some salad greens for supper.

And some heirloom tomatoes. So far as I’m concerned, this is the perfect salad, right here. Nothing else necessary. (Well, some dressing.)

With the salad?

A plain omelet–which I shared with Chappy.

Now–I’ve got a bowl of bread dough rising on the counter, which I’ll bake tomorrow. And I’ll make some more granola tomorrow, too.

So, speaking about John Hughes, the man who made so many movies I enjoyed as a teenager? Check out this beautifully sweet tribute from a woman who became his penpal when she was a teenager and wrote an eloquent fan letter and began years’ worth of letters. SO touching. You really need to read it, whether you liked the man’s movies or not.

Tags: General by --Deb
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It’s an old picture, but it sure is a cute one!

Brought to you by:

Tags: Chappy, Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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One more bobbin of singles to spin, then one more skein to ply, and I’ll have spun all the yarn that came in my first MVFF share. You know, my two pounds of Cormo from the Spring 2008 Shearing. The one Mom, Chappy, and I went to the Vineyard to witness.

Half of my Cormo I gave to Jessica to dye for me, in the MVFF colors. It spun up into something between lace- and sport-weight yarn, and I’ve already turned some of it into the Fountain Pen Shawl, which I gave to my sister for her birthday in June.

Well, I finished my first skein in November, and now (I’ve lost track of the yardage), but I now have three complete skeins of natural Cormo, and, as I said, half of the last one is spun into singles. I just need to spin the last bobbin.

Isn’t that a pretty pile of yarn? And, let’s see, I signed up for my first share at the end of 2007. The shearing in April, the arrival of the wool, the excitement of having half of it dyed. The Winter Solstice party last December. Susan’s birthday surprise in April and this year’s Spring shearing. Not to mention the revelry on Ravelry, and the fun this Spring of the Lambcam. I had thought that a share seemed kind of expensive, but … I’ve got to say I think it’s more than worth the money. Just think of all the hours of spinning pleasure is in this pile! And that doesn’t even count the knitting part (or the Fall share, still in my closet).

So, thanks again, Susan for thinking of this whole fiber CSA thing!

On an unrelated note?

How sad that John Hughes died! The man behind Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off … I feel like my high school years just died. And … who else remembers the Brat Pack? Check out this New York Magazine article about the “cool kids” from way back when.

Tags: Finished Spinning, General, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard by --Deb
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Well, I tried… All this chatter about homemade yogurt, you know. If nothing else, I know Chappy would like it (he gets some with every meal), so I gave it a shot yesterday. I heated up my milk to just under boiling to kill any nasty bacteria. Cooled it down to 125 degrees, stirred in some of Chappy’s Stonyfield Farms yogurt, poured it into a stainless steel thermos (which I’d scalded with boiling water), and let it sit on the counter for about 5 hours.

First, I must say, my thermos is very efficient. I put it in the refrigerator last night about 5:00, after a quick peek inside, and when I took it out today at lunchtime–almost 20 hours later–it was still warm inside.

Then … what did I HAVE inside? Sour milk. Not yogurt. Not particularly tart and runny yogurt. Not even cultured buttermilk.

Sour milk.

Yuck!

So, the next question … where did I go wrong? Was the milk too hot when I added the yogurt so that I killed the cultures I wanted to encourage? Was the container of commercial yogurt too old? (Its expiration date was 8/26.) What should I do differently next time I try?

What do you yogurt experts think happened? My guess is that I made it too hot. I think I need to treat the yogurt cultures as lovingly as I do the yeast when I bake, without over-worrying about sour milk.

Because, after all, look where that got me!

Have you heard of Freeride bicycling? It’s something my nephew is getting VERY excited about. Check out these videos. My God, even when I used to bicycle every day, I wouldn’t have been able to remotely begin to do this stuff (grin). I’m impressed!

Tags: Baking, General by --Deb
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And so we move onto Pattern Section D on my Maplewing Shawl. The rows are getting shorter, which is a plus. I’m getting awfully close to the end of my 3rd skein of yarn, though, so … it’s lucky I have a fourth tucked away in my stash! I’m pretty sure I’m going to need at least some of it.

Oh, and miraculously, this is pretty close to the actual color, for a wonder.

Hey, remember the ventriloquist who won “America’s Got Talent” a couple years ago? (A show, I assure you, that I don’t watch since I don’t “do” reality shows.) But I saw him on YouTube and was blown away–a ventriloquist that not only does impressions, but who can do impressions of SINGING? Super impressive. Well, he’s got a DVD of his Las Vegas show coming out. (And yes, I know, I groan at most ventriloquists, too, but every video clip I’ve seen of this guy, he’s entertaining and remarkably GOOD, so, you know.)

I wish I had more interesting things to tell you. Been going to work. Been writing book reviews. Been doing some freelancing. Been trying to get someone interested in my book.

Been nursing Chappy, not that he needs it any more. Except for a little bald spot–which may or may not be permanent–where his bug bite was, he’s back to his regular self. Phew!

Hey, have you ever tried the frozen yogurt from the Bloomingdales “Forty Carrots” shop? Or from that snazzy new place, “Pinkberrys”? They’re not the sweet frozen yogurt that’s been around for ages, but, instead, real, tangy frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt that tastes like, well, yogurt. Well, I found a recipe I want to try. The part I’m skeptical about? Every time I’ve ever tried frozen yogurt from anywhere OTHER than an actual soft-serve machine, it tastes too icy, not creamy. Still … it sounds tasty!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Today’s mission, if you’re willing to accept it:

Watch episode 1.10 of CHUCK!

Chuck vs the Nemesis

Ah, one of my very favorite Chuck episodes ever. The return of his arch-nemesis, long-since thought dead, his former best friend, Bryce Larkin. This includes one of my favorite lines ever, too (Chuck’s response to “What are you thankful for” at Thanksgiving dinner. Not to mention … Pineapple! A practically perfect episode that I’ve watched way too many times (if such a thing is possible).

Since Chuck isn’t slated to come back for Season 3 until March, that gives just enough time for everyone to watch all 35 existing episodes, one week at a time, to be all set and ready for Season 3. If you don’t have (or can’t beg, borrow, steal, or rent) the Season 1 DVD, you can watch season 1 at the WB.com. And … not only should you watch … but if you Twitter, join in and tweet about it to all your friends.

Tags: General by --Deb
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I laughed when I flipped the page on my 365-day Yarn Harlot calendar this morning…

Because today, for the first time in MONTHS, I went to the movies!

I made a point of having knitting with me, too. I started this sock two nights ago, just to get the toe done and ready for straight stockinette stitch up the foot. Do you see where the bottom edge of the movie ticket is? That’s where the sock was when we left the house. All the rest is knitting I did in the theater while watching the movie.

I finally stopped about 20 minutes before the end because (1) I figured I was right near the heel of the sock and (2) the size 0 metal needles were starting to hurt my fingers. And, hey, between the movie, the previews, and all the screen-filler they had before the lights dimmed, that was about three hours of knitting.

It was otherwise a pretty quiet day. Because of the movie, I didn’t make it to Kim’s parade to see the Squid Hat in person, but that’s okay. My niece is visiting and we all had a nice, quiet morning.

Well, okay, I ran out to get some oatmeal because I accidentally burned a batch of granola last night. (My own fault for forgetting to turn the heat on my crockpot down to low before leaving the room.) And while I was in the grocery store, I picked up some meat and tomatoes to make spaghetti and meatballs. I made the sauce around lunch time, so that it would be ready when we got home from the movie, around quarter to six. All we had to do was boil water for the pasta and it was ready to eat. (Planning ahead is good!)

And, tomorrow morning? Blueberry pancakes. I can’t wait. I love blueberry pancakes!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Here are the books I read in July:

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (318 p) The first book of hers I ever read, about terrorists hijacking a dinner party and ending up trapped with their hostages for weeks, while little by little, they all start to mingle… Fabulous writing, abruptly sad ending.

2. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley (472 p.) The bad part of this book? All the spinning references drive me nuts because I’m not sure the author really understood what a spindle WAS, so her descriptions of the spindle ends doesn’t really make sense. But, otherwise? Lovely retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story.

3. Chalice by Robin McKinley (263 p.) Unique little book, with Mirasol, a wood-keeper, trying to find her way as her country’s new “Chalice”–a position both ornamental and deeply-rooted–during a time of crisis. It’s a YA fantasy and in a totally new world.

4. Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (214 p.)
5. Court Duel by Sherwood Smith (245 p.) A duo of YA fantasy that is mildly diverting at best. I kept wanting to shake the main character for being so darn dense and stupid, not to making massive mistakes just because she insisted on being dense and stupid. Grr.

6. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn (355 p.) Also a fantasy, about Corie, who spends each summer at the castle with her half-sister, and the rest of the year studying to be an herbwoman with her Grandmother. This wasn’t my favorite SS book the first time I read it, but I find it classically charming–it’s got all the classic elements of a good fantasy book–and it keeps pulling me back.

7. Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip (278 p.) Modern day fantasy with one of those alternate “faerie” worlds shouldering up to ours, when the main character returns for her grandfather’s funeral. McKillip is always good, but the whole “faerie” kind of thing leaves me bored–it’s a rare, rare book about that alternate world that can interest me. (And the little bit that the Castle Auburn book touches on it is about as far as I care to go.)

8. Sword of Orion by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (276 p.) Sci-fi book by one of my favorite writing teams that has promise, except that it has a cliff-hanger ending and it doesn’t look like they’ll ever write the second book, so …

9. Nimisha’s Ship by Anne McCaffrey (355 p.) One of the rare misses for McCaffrey. Nimisha–a society girl by upbringing–designs spaceships instead, until one day, on a test run, her ship gets caught in a wormhole. Um, interesting moments, but not really my favorite. One reading every 10-15 years is plenty.

10. Notes from the Underwire by Quinn Cummings (254 p.) I’ve already told you about this one, and I even interviewed Quinn over at my writing blog. What are you waiting for? Go read this funny book already!

11. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (336 p.) I read this just to get it off my TBR pile and (yawn), now I understand why it remained unread for so long. (See note above about not liking alternate-world Fairy Tales.)

12. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (316 p.) Ditto about the TBR pile, but a yawner for an entirely different reason. By page 100 I wanted to slap every single person in the book, including the narrator, and so I gave up on the rest of it.

13. Bucking the Sun by Ivan Doig (409 p.) One of those family epics, taking place in the 1930s on one of the New Deal’s dam-building projects. Doig is a great writer and this was a good book, but still, family-epics that stretch over years aren’t usually my favorites (Dorothy Dunnett notwithstanding), and the “frame” of the story, of most of it being told in a flashback after two naked bodies were found in a submerged truck, frustrated me. I don’t mind the flashback conceit, but hiding the identity of the two people seemed excessive–like he was trying to keep up the tension about “who was it?” through the entire book, but the flashback chapters were so long (like, 90% of the book), they kept pulling attention away from that, so why not just say who the people were up front?

14. Eventide by Kent Haruf (306 p.) The main reason this stayed unread for so long? The fact that he leaves out all the quotation marks around his dialogue drives me nuts. But, still, Plainsong was so charming … I didn’t much like the sequel, though. Too much abuse, too much violence, too much sadness. Not what I needed this month.

15. What If 2 by Robert Cowley (427 p.) One of my favorite kinds of history book–it tells what really happened, but then asks, but what if, and briefly explores why that one person, or that one telegram affected millions of lives… Each chapter is written by a different historian, and some were better or more entertaining than others, but the book as a whole was intriguing.

16. Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones (375 p.) What if there were magicians in the world, trying to keep things moving in the right direction? And what if one were to die from old age, leaving his young protoge to pick a successor? And what if that happens just as the empire a couple worlds over fell apart and he had to find its missing heir at the same time? And what if it all got resolved at a fantasy-lover’s convention? Yep. Fun!

17. Chuck Comic by Peter Johnson et al. Graphic novel/comic book based on the TV show Chuck–of course!

18. Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones (468 p.) What if there were an alternate universe where there was magic and the king of England travelled all the time and was under attack by a false Merlin (a high governmental post)? And what if Nick Mallory from Deep Secret got involved?

19. Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones (345 p.) Now, imagine another universe alongside ours where magic is real, as are griffins. Now imagine (it shouldn’t be hard) that some entrepreneur from our world took over that entire world and turned it into basically an entertainment park, complete with Tours (guided by real wizards)? Then suppose that that world is tired of being treated as if it weren’t real and wanted to figure out a way out of its contract. Fun and mayhem ensue. Delightful book.

20. Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones (267 p) Sequel to Dark Lord, taking place 8 years later when Derk’s griffin daughter Elda heads off to University to become a wizard in her own right. Also fun and entertaining.

21. To Lie with Lions by Dorothy Dunnett (626 p.) Book 6 in the House of Niccolo Series, where Nicholas finally finds his son and escalates his competition with Gelis into a full-blown war. (And, can I tell you how much I hate how Gelis stomps on just about every good and wonderful moment in his life? No wonder he fights back so viciously.)

22. Silence & Shadows by James Long (407 p.) An ex-rock star, trying to forget his own past, gets named as director at an archaoeological dig, where they make a truly amazing find.

23. Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead (486 p.) First book in Lawhead’s King Arthur series, starting with the story of Charis, who lives in Atlantis before it disappears, and Taliesin, the greatest bard.

24. Socks from the Toe-Up by Wendy Johnson (Reviewed here.)

25. Arctic Lace by Donna Druchunas (Reviewed here)

26. Classic Knits by Marianne Isager (Reviewed here)

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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