Bit by the Knitting Bug...

So last Christmas I was bit by the knitting bug... again. 

Four years ago I had learned to knit when my sister was expecting my nephew Jayden.  My teacher? Our dear friend Gina.  She was an awesome teacher and even inspired me to make a blanket for my family's new addition.   I work so hard on that blanket and after five long months it was complete.  I don't think I had ever been proud of anything I had ever made...  but this time was different.  I would stare at it in amazement as I would look at it and think... I made that! 

Now I'm the first to admit that Jayden's blanket was the furthest thing from perfect.   It has holes, a few dropped or picked up stitches, and I'm sure there is a salsa stain from a late night knitting episode... I too was amazed after finishing it that it ended up having four even sides. 

But to me that blanket was (and continues to be) the best thing I have ever given my little nephew.   

Jayden's Blanket

Sadly, I put my needles down after that and didn't pick them up till a year ago. 

I had just found out that we were expecting and was starting to "Nest".  Gina suggested knitting.  But only being a few weeks I was hesitant to start knitting for our little one.  So... I started knitting for our friend Faride.  At the time Gina and Faride were both expecting little boys in March.  After taking 3 years off it was kind of hard to remember what to do but (like riding a bike) I got the hang of it again. 

I remember riding back from Kevin's Aunts house in Jacksonville knitting and being so happy.  With each stitch that I knitted I said a little prayer for Faride's little boy.  By the time we made it home I had made some major progress.  I continued to work on that blanket all throughout "Jack and the Beanstalk".  I would knit on the train to the theater, before the show, backstage during the show, and on my way home.  My goal was to have it done before he was born.  I was doing so well... and then I hit a snag.  Well, more like I ran out of yarn and I couldn't find more that would match.    

* Note to self - buy more than one if doing a blanket.    

   

Well, to make a long story short... my mom finally found some yarn that sort of matches but poor Faride's little boy is still without his blanket.  

Good news is that I have still been knitting in the process.  

After Ainsley was born our friend Alisha (Jack's mom) asked if I knew anyone who knew how to knit and could teach her.  I of course suggested my knitting mentor Gina.  Seriously... what can't that woman do?  :) But after telling her that Gina taught me Alisha just said "well why don't you come over and we will have a knitting day".  Why not!  So Ainsley and I headed up to Broward and I taught Alisha the basics of knitting.  And like the two nesting moms that we were we sat there on a Saturday night knitting.  

       

When we were at Michaels getting knitting stuff for Alisha I found these two fun colored yarns.  I thought they were a change from my baby blues... and I was inspired to make a Stroller Blanket/ Burp Cloth for Jack.  (The green matches his Monkey room)  

I came up with a basic pattern and within no time I had a little blanket for Jack.     

Jack's Stroller Blanket

 I liked it so much that I decided to make one for Ainsley...

Ainsley's Stroller Blanket

After finishing these two stroller blankets I started working on a new blanket for another new mommy.  (I can't say who because it's a surprise).  I am kind of doing the same pattern but every other row is 10 instead of 5.  And it will be a little bit bigger than the other two.    

I can't believe how much I am enjoying knitting.  I love to sit there and knit while Ainsley is sleeping in my lap.  Not only is it something that I get to do for myself but I feel like I am able to accomplish something on the days where the baby will only allow me to hold her.  And I am proud to say I have become a pro of knitting and not stabbing the baby with my needles. 

But now it feels like I have knitting on the brain.  And thanks to an article in Knit Simple I am now addicted to the works of Susan B Anderson.  I even rushed out to Borders and bought another knitting magazine: Knitting Today.  I am inspired to knit other things like: baby hats, toys, Christmas items, etc.  

I have also found these great books by Susan that are just perfect for the new knitting crazed mom that I am.  There are so many neat things that I would love to make but have no clue on how to knit them...  All I can knit is a blanket....

I just need to set up another teaching session with Gina.  Hummmm... maybe I should set up a little lunch for us moms... a Knitting Lunch... cause I have the Knitting Bug!    

  

A Cry for Crock-Pot Recipes...

I admit it... I am a Food Snob!  I can sit for hours upon hours watching the Food Network.  I daydream on a regular basis that I live next door to Ina or Giada and I'm always invited over to try their recipes.  Hey... a girl can dream right?!     

Well, the other day (while on Facebook) I noticed a friend of mine (Laurie) from college was inquiring for some new Crock Pot recipes.  To quote her "I need something other than beef stew".  OMG!  My feelings exactly! The amazing this was the 18 comments she quickly received .  One of the comments actual stated "I realize how many women in their early 30's just got in on this crock pot conversation and I wonder if this is what the 50's were like minus Facebook".        

This made me think about my own crock-pot recipe collection.  And the fact that I only had two recipes that were worth sharing.  Sad!  I have 2 recipes that are staples: 

1. Pot Roast (same recipe that my mother always made)
2. Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

But that is it!  How can I have been cooking with this thing for 12 years and only have 2 really good recipes?  Is that all I ate?  No wonder I hide it after a few months of cooking with it.  I got bored!   

Since this "Cooking with Baby" adventure started I have been looking for new Crock-Pot recipes.  My criteria? Simple!  It has to be delicious.  And... most importantly it has to keep me excited to cook with my crock-pot.

Thanks to Sandra Lee on the Food Network I started off with a bang!  Her Chocolate Beef Stew set the bar high!  I had to find more... but where?! 

I think one of the reasons why I have given up in the past on my dear friend, the Crock-pot is because they require special recipes.  And nothing in the "Crock-Pot Cookbooks" I have seen inspired me in the past. 

Today I remembered that I had a jar of Artichoke and Caper Sauce from Tastefully Simple still in our cabinet.  I pulled it down and started thawing that chicken that was in our freezer and when I got home tonight dinner was ready! Tastefully Simple made it... well... Simple!  All I did was cut up some chicken and pour the sauce in the pot.  Set it on low for 5 hours and voila!  And I was amazed how good it was.  

I hopped over to their site tonight to see if they were still selling their Slow Cooker Sauces... (side note: If we would have tried this sauce earlier I might have remained a consultant for them and bought my quarterly quota worth on just those sauces.) I was kind of disappointed to see the Artichoke sauce was not there.  Instead they have a TANGY TENNESSEE™ SLOW COOKER SAUCE. They also have another mini recipe booklet: EASY SLOW COOKER RECIPES VOLUME II  That has over 20 new recipes for delicious comfort foods for your slow cooker. This reminded me that I had Volume I sitting in my cookbook.  Untouched... since I bought it.  

Then I started searching for more of Sandra Lee's crock-pot recipes and I found out she had a whole book dedicated to Slow Cooking!  Jack Pot! 



I am adding these to my holiday gift list! 


(hint, hint Kevin)

:) 



  

And then I headed over to the Crock-Pot website and found out they have an iphone App.  Double Jack Pot! 

So now I have some tools:

1. Sandra Lee's Slow Cooker Cookbooks
2. The official Crock Pot iphone app
3. Tastefully Simple Slow Cooker booklet
4. Online Collection of Slow Cooker recipes via The Food Network

                                                          ... lets see what magic I can make!  

*If you have an awesome crock-pot recipe please share it with me.  You can leave it in the comments section!   

Just call me Samantha... cause I can do Magic!

OK... I really can't do Magic.  But I totally felt like Samantha from Bewitched tonight.  I had dinner on the table in less than 5 minutes after walking in after getting home from teaching tonight.  

I didn't wiggle my nose to make it happen... Though that would have been awesome if I did.  No, my help came in the form of my Crock-Pot!  

Oh that lovely piece of kitchen appliance that so many of us are guilty of putting in  a cabinet and leaving there.  I admit it... I am guilty of that very same thing year after year.  

My mother bought me my very first crock-pot when I was a Sophomore in college living in my own apartment.  I often complained to her that after a long day of classes and rehearsals the last thing I wanted to do when I got home (often around 11) was COOK!  She claimed that this handy little cooker would save me from eating fast food every night.  

I was hesitant to try it.  But I fell in love.  I cooked with it for a few months and then like a sweater during the summer months approaching...  it disappeared. For some reason I stopped using it and put it away.  

Fast forward a few years later I found myself saying that reoccurring line... "the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is COOK!".  So I got inspired to dust off my old friend that had been discarded so many months before.  Sad to say the cycle started all over again. 

These days it seems down right impossible to stand at the stove to cook dinner (when Kevin gets home) because of baby.  Cooking with the Crock-Pot would help curve the Fast Food dinners.  But why did I not jump to rescue my old pal from the hidden corner of my cabinets?  I mean... hello... it would help! 

It got me thinking... Why?  Why don't I cook with it more?  Why do I love it and then just stop?  

And after much soul searching I found the answers:  

1. You have to plan ahead.  Recipes require a minimum of 3-8 hours of cooking time.  So that means 3-8 hours before I want to have dinner I need to know what it is I want to eat.  
2. You have to have a stocked kitchen.  For a couple that pretty much shops for one to two days at a time... If it isn't popcorn, kool-aid, or beer we don't have it in our fridge.  That would take us back to reason #1.  We don't plan ahead.  
3. I'm a food Snob!  I admit it!  I love watching the Food Network.  I am inspired by their personalities to cook AMAZING dishes that are tasty and creative. And lets be honest... Crock-pot recipes are... well... BORING!   

That was until I saw an episode of Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Cooking. (Click here for the shows website on the Food Network)   

She made a Beef Stew with Chocolate.  Yes, I said chocolate!  I immediately thought "Kevin would LOVE that!".  And the amazing thing is she used her crock pot!  A Food Network personality using a crock pot!  The food snob in me was inspired!  So while I was watching her Chocolate for Dinner episode I searched out the contents of my bare fridge.  And low and behold I actually had more than half of the items I needed.  

To make a long story short... (too late...)

The Crock-pot was pulled out from hiding.  Once again...

Now I am on a mission to:

1. Find amazing, Delicious, food snob worthy recipes.
2. Keep my dear old friend of 13 years living on my kitchen counter next to my Keurig instead of underneath in a few months.  
3. Cook more dinners (with Baby in tow) and cut down our Fast Food escapades. 

Wish me luck! 

* Below are links to purchase a Crock-Pot if you don't already own one.  I own one similar to the 4-quart Oval manual.  But if I were to buy one today I would die for one of programmable ones.