Wishing you & yours...

Recipe & dinner updates will follow! Hope you all enjoy your day!

T-Day Menu Countdown [part 2]

Fresh Pear Chutney

[again from Cooking Light & another great resource for recipes http://www.myrecipes.com/ which is great when you remember the recipe but can't seem to find it anywhere!]

I did this recipe several years ago as well. I actually think the caramel pecan bun recipe came out about the same time. Either way, LOVE pears. I normally omit the onions - or cut them extra big just because I hate onions but the flavor is ok.

Yield
3 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups chopped peeled pear

Preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Place in a medium bowl; stir in pear.

Nutritional Information [ok, pears are healthy and a fruit, so this is important...]

Calories: 55 (3% from fat)
Fat: 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 0.4g
Carbohydrate: 13.8g
Fiber: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Sodium: 4mg
Calcium: 14mg

From Cooking Light November 1998

T-Day Menu Countdown [part 1]

Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns from Cooking Light.

I made this recipe several years ago and it turned out REALLY well. I'm going to give it a try again this year instead of our usual monster breakfast fare.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

Caramel:
1/3 cup packed dark brown muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Dough:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 2/3 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (about 23 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, softened

To prepare caramel, combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; stir frequently until butter melts. Continue cooking until mixture thickens and becomes smooth (about 1 minute), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour into the center of a 9-inch square baking pan; quickly spread caramel onto pan bottom using a spatula coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pecans; cool to room temperature. Lightly coat sides of pan with cooking spray.
To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in salt.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 5 cups flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Roll dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends). Cut into 16 (1-inch-wide) slices. (A) Place slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan (rolls will be crowded). Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until rolls are light golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes on rack. Place a serving platter upside down on top of pan; invert onto platter. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information [really, they're sticky buns - do you honestly care about nutrition?]

Calories: 232 (21% from fat)
Fat: 5.3g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 4.5g
Carbohydrate: 41.7g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 249mg
Calcium: 14mg

From Cooking Light 2005.

FOR SALE just in time for Christmas

Addi Turbo needles for sale. Sizes are listed below. Plain & simple, I'm not that enamoured with them. Yes, I've spent a !@#$%^&* load on them, but, after using the KnitPicks needles, I really don't like the Addi. So, my loss is your gain!

[Note, the needles are sold AS IS and all together only. That means no picking them apart to get just one! And for the record, I take really good care of my things so do rest assured the needles are in very good condition.]

24" 3mm US2 [bamboo]

24" 3mm US3 [bamboo - though cable says US2 it measures a on my gauge a 3.25mm = US3]

24" 3.5mm US4 [bamboo]

32" 4mm US6

32" 4.5mm US7

32" 5mm US8

32" 5.5mm US9

32" 6mm US10 [markings have worn off cable]

32" 6.5mm US10.5

And...

16" 4.5mm US7 [BAMBOO CLOVER]

24" 6.5mm US10.5 [BAMBOO CLOVER]

32" 12mm US 17 [BAMBOO CLOVER]

Now for the price. Addi's on average are approx $20 each new. Hell, one web site I recently found has the US10.5 for $20.50 regularly & at that price for all the needles, it would be $185!

So... for everything, including the Clover bamboo, $100 + shipping [US priority mail to your address] unless you're military to an APO then free shipping. My guess is shipping won't be more than $10 or so in the US. Tell your friends. First one to email me [just reply to this post] so I can give payment info wins!

Enjoy

New Knitting

I promised & promised to give deatils on my new project & here it is: Fiber Trends Leaf Lace Shawl. The sample looked really pretty in the shop - in a light greenish, mint-ish, blue color. I'm doing mine in navy:

Frog Tree Alpaca fingering weight - color #59 [navy]

Problem is that starting the pattern sucked. What a stupid way to start a pattern:

"Begin w/provisional cast on. Using a crochet hook about the same size as your knitting needle & waste yarn, chain 4 sts. Using shawl yarn & knitting needles, knit up 2 sts in back bumps of crochet chain. Begin shawl on these 2 sts. "

...it took forever to figure out how to rotate, knit up, remove the waste yarn, etc. I even went to the local yarn shop [www.hilltopyarn.com] to have them help me get the damn thing started. Ugh. I guess a new knitting project of lace work isn't ideal when I haven't knit in forever b/c of the carpal tunnel diagnosis last year but eh, why not?!

And on a side note, yes my personal drama is somewhat waining. Not 100% solved, but hopefully not as dramatic. It's quite true, that old saying, when it rains it pours.