We Interrupt the Crafty to Bring You the Tasty

Not much crafty around here this weekend. I did, however, realize I have had a hobby for years without knowing it: recreating restaurant food at home. I do it all the time: eat something tasty, think hard about it and make a reasonably good facsimile at home. In fact, dinner tonight is leftover-brisket and barley soup, modeled after a smoky beef barley soup at Healdsburg’s Zin (served the day following a barbequed brisket special).

The latest recreation is desserty in nature. We visited our favorite gelato shop last weekend, and I had my latest favorite: Blackberry Cabernet. Not too sweet, more complex than fruit alone, and a gorgeous, sexy, dark berry color (not unlike my fave tonail polish color). This weekend I had a mission: make it myself. I remembered to freeze my ice cream maker bowl and substituted raspberries when I couldn’t nab enough blackberries. It turned out fabulous. It’s smooth and tart and the wine works so nicely with the berries that you don’t know where the berries end and the wine begins. Despite using over half a bottle, the wine was not too dominant. It’s summer: time to break out the dusty ice cream machine and sorbet away!



Raspberry-Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet

18 oz mixture of raspberries and blackberries (I used 12 oz raspberries and 6 oz blackberries)

1 ½ c good quality cabernet sauvignon plus more or water as needed (use something modestly priced but drinkable- I used a Columbia Crest, which was around $7 at Trader Joe’s)

1 c sugar

Juice from 1 lemon

Directions: Bring the 1 ½ c wine and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about ¾ c and remove from heat. Meanwhile, wash berries, then blend with as much wine (or water) is necessary to make a smooth puree. Press the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Add the lemon juice and wine reduction to the puree. Add more wine (or water) as needed to total about 4 cups. Chill thoroughly. Freeze the sorbet according to your ice cream maker’s directions.

Going, Going...

Back went I started working at the X factory, I shared an office with four guys. It almost drove me nuts some days. Trying to get work done in a shared space that was constantly full of people was sometimes really hard and really trying. I won't even go in to the story of the forgotten burrito.

However, after moving buildings, being promoted, and getting my own office, I actually miss sharing a space with so many people. There was always someone there to joke with, to ask a question of, and to throw things at. We were all pretty close in a way you don't get in separate cubicles and offices. At one point, one of the office mates purported to be too distracted by the rest of us and erected a cardboard enclosure around his desk so that he couldn't see us. Later the same day, he proclaimed that he missed us too much and drew pictures of each of us on his makeshift cubicle. The cubicle and his portraits stayed up for weeks.



That said, I was never as happy to leave home for my office on a Monday morning as I was today. It's not that my in-laws or monsters (in fact, we get along okay), but just the crushing feeling of my home being invaded when I have house guests for any length of time. I get irritable. Then I feel guilty for being so irritable. So, my cool, quiet office was just the place for me today. Plus, I had the fact that Mr. Beagle would be whisking his parents off to the airport soon after my return from work. Which he did. Ahhh.

Ready Or Not

Just a quick post before the in-laws arrive for what is sure to be... something. On the bright side, I'll be at work 3 of the 5 days they are here. Yeah, bright side.

Okay, something brighter (in a black yarn kinda way):



The beginning of Rusted Root, rising from the yarn spaghetti that was SoMOD. I've only ripped twice so far. I should work on reading AND comprehending patterns before I start knitting all willy-nilly.

More Fun Than Cleaning the Bathroom

... Lelah. Or, rather, Somewhat Lelah.



Pattern: Lelah by Christine of Knitting for Boozehags
Begun: Summer or 2006
Finished: 6/08/07
Size: eh?
Yarn: elann Esprit (98.3% cotton, 1.7% elastic)
Needles: #9 and #11 bamboo circulars



Mods: The entire top half, that is everything after the lace was loosely based on the shaping from this. The first time around, I did a v-neck ala this, but I started the vee way too early. I'm all for showing a little cleavage, but a vee that showed an inch of flesh below my bra band was a little much. The obscene tank sat in my work basket for about a year until I was fed up enough with the Sweater of My Own Design (SoMOD) that I picked it up, ripped it back, and finished it.
Thoughts: There's not much I can say about the pattern. There are countless examples of it all around craftster. It's cute and pretty universally flattering, although all empire waists make me look pregnant (which I'm emphatically not). I do, however, have comments about the yarn. It is stretchy. Really stretchy. Like, it will probably stretch to twice its free length. It's a real pain to try to maintain a constant gage with. But, since it is so stretchy and a little bit knobbly, it looks okay with a more rustic gage.

Speaking of SoMOD, here's where it was last night:



And here's where it is tonight:



It is now destined to become a Rusted Root.

All right, back to cleaning the bathroom. Mr. Beagle is returning from the conference he's been at all week, and his parents are arriving on his heels for a visit. I've got to make the joint presentable. Well, at least not gross.