Bakerella for President

Seriously.

She makes these look deceptively easy (she and Martha) and I'm here to tell you they are not.

Hers are perfection. Mine? Not so much. First of all, my cookie cutter was a little bigger than I thought. I had to double up the balls. What should be just a bite-sized bit of sweetness now needs a knife and fork. Ken made the mistake of shoving a whole one in his mouth. I expect him to recover completely from his sugar coma but still. "That's enough sugar for a month!" and coming from him. . . don't say I didn't warn you.

Behold, melly's cupcake pop:

Now I know there are those of you who may be ooohing and ahhhing over my little cupcake confection but go take a gander at hers. Go ahead. I'll wait. Sheer perfection. And anyone who can make a cupcake even cuter gets my vote.

sharing the love

While sitting on my back patio tonight with the laptop (it just doesn't get any better), I came across a few new foodie sites and you know I can't keep something like this to myself!

Try The Review Lady
she's got some good looking recipes. she tries it first so you don't have to.

Or click over to RoadFood.com
if you've got a road trip coming up. They'll tell you the best places to grab a bite.

and Tastespotting is back up! I do still check food gawker but TS is the original and I feel somehow loyal. After all, they posted my no-bake cookies. Food gawker couldn't be bothered with me. But I'm not bitter.

I skipped Tuesday's with Dorie this week. None of us are really into blueberry pie. I found another cooking group that uses Barefoot Contessa recipes. If you don't know Ina Garten, shame on you. Surf on over and introduce yourself. I loved the Barefoot Contessa quote the Review Lady used on her blog, "Food is not about impressing people. In fact, it's just the opposite: it's about making them feel comfortable."

Now go cook up some comfort.

socks galore

I've been gifted with hand-knits! Lucky for me, my friend Rhonda-the-wonder-knitter didn't really care for her last socks that rock kit. I -love- them! I love the pattern, love the purple-y goodness of them and love most that she likes me enough to give me hand-knit socks.

Thanks Rhonda. YOU rock!

and some Yarn Love. (ETA a linky where you can get your own Yarn Love per Cami)

I'm starting these for myself but I fear already they're not going to fit. The pink ones were too big and found a home at Erin's. That's fine but I really want these to fit ME. They HAVE to. Or I'll rip them out and make them again. I'm determined to have this pattern in this yarn on my feet! These are looking a little small. Wish me luck.

the colorway is nostalgia. isn't it perfectly lovely?

blog fodder

my very first home-grown tomato!

my boys (minus the boy-child)

apple cheddar scones

I finally gathered all the ingredients to prepare these scones! I started with fresh apples because I couldn't find the dried apples called for in the recipe. I forgot the apple juice/cider so it was back to the store today.

I couldn't take pictures because the battery in my camera died! It was a day full of DOH! moments. I will post a picture later in the week. I've frozen the bulk of the recipe to take down to Clementine's Dry Goods on Thursday. Muh knittahs are gathering and you know we need sustenance.

I will say, as a girl who came from the pacific northwest where the Western Washington (aka Puyallup) Fair was held, these scones weren't all bad. If you're at all familiar with the Puyallup Fair, you know scones.

It's been interesting living in different geographical locations, to see the fair fare different states offer. In Indiana, it's all corn. In western Washington is all about the scones. As a kid, your summer job included the scone booth. As a fair goer, your first stop (after the burger with grilled onions booth) was the scone booth.

So you can see the competition Dorie's scones had to meet. And they're not bad. With sweetened butter they're quite tasty. I think I'd even make them again.

Happy Tuesday!

super freak

all of a sudden i've had this burst of creative energy! i guess now that i think i can sew, i think i can design knitting bags. and while this one isn't perfect it is pretty cool and today i'm amazed at myself.

it's reversible with a draw-string top

and a semi-rigid bottom

the perfect size for a yarn cake and needle(s) for a sock or other small project.

necessity really is the mother of invention! i got tired of toting around a big knitting bag (or worse, a ziploc or grocery sack!) for just a small project. i'm pretty happy with the concept, now to perfect it!

maybe i'll be taking orders!

thanks for the fabric, Cami. Aren't the possibilities just endless??

exercise on demand

should yoga make you sweat?

i scrolled through the exercise on demand the other day thinking i should take advantage of this free gym membership and actually do some of these classes. there's quite a selection - tae bo, jullian and bob from the biggest loser, and yoga. i thought maybe it would be best to start with something relaxing - zen in your den. sounds good right?

well, my zen is a sweaty whore! no wonder i don't like exercising! for those who might say yoga isn't really exercise, come say that to my sweaty, red face!

sewing bloomers

I finished the leg openings on the bloomers today. When I showed them to Ken he said, "Did you know you could do this?" I didn't! They are adorable! I wish I knew a little darling to try them on!

I've got the waistband done except for the elastic. I misread the instructions and thought I needed only 1/4" when I needed 1/2" too.

I am loving these instructions. The garmet is finished so well. They thought of everything. Even sewing a little tab of ribbon in the back so you can tell the front from the back of the bloomers. Too Cute!

And just to keep it real - dinner tonight? Oscar Meyer weiners and potato chips. My man is nothing if he's not easy. No picture though. I couldn't bear. And I didn't even do anything fun with them. My friend Nansi told me about these:

where was this idea when I had small kids at home? they're a bit creepy, though. Don't you think?

give and take and the perfect steak

I make Ken's favorite cookies. . .

Milk Chocolate with Toffee Chips.

and he brings me flowers for no reason at all.
and dinner tonight:

The perfect ribeye. I'm the grill Sargent around these parts.
I think I've mastered the grill. We bought a gas Weber last year for our anniversary. It's hooked right into our natural gas line and I love it! Sure it's a joint gift - Ken fires it up and I do all the cooking.

To get these beautiful grill marks start off with a smokin' hot grill.
For a steak this thick, cooked perfectly medium I put it on the grill for 3 - 4 minutes then rotate it 45° to get those criss-cross marks. Flip after another 3 - 4 minutes and repeat on the other side.
Letting the meat rest for 10 minutes or so really seals the juices inside. Tasty!

berry good/beary good day

I've been a busy girl today!

I joined a charity knit-along on Ravelry. Our bears are going to Mother Bear Project. Such a neat idea! You knit a bear, send it in and the organization sends them to children in developing countries effected by HIV/AIDS. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a knitting project more.

Besides the knitting of bears it's Tuesdays with Dorie! I feel like I'm getting this post in under the wire. Today's recipe is mixed berry cobbler. Beth was the selection committee this week. Nice choice, Beth!

I was skeptical after reading all the posts about this recipe. Seems a lot of the bakers over at TWD didn't care for how the cobbler turned out, so they were fiddling with this and that. I'm a real stickler when it comes to following a recipe and with this one I'm glad I did. The crust was flaky and tender, the berries were just the right sweetness and if I only had some ice cream this would have been the perfect dessert! The day isn't over yet so I'm still hopeful. Wipe the drool off your monitor:

and here is my beary good thing today. . .

before:

and after:

heh heh. I named him Rodger.

Check out this totally worthwhile charity, won't you?

AND there's a crochet pattern for you hookers.