Has it been so long as this? So long since I sat down to write here in my corner? And even as I write this, a difficult psychology exam rudely beckons me away. It diverts my words away to human behavior and Freudian theories and the stages of life. Though psychology (and much of what I'm currently learning) are forever interesting, I would like to find more time to share here the little goings-on and makings that happen in between the homework, kids, commuting, and day-to-day living.
You wouldn't know it from my pages, but I still pursue my creative interests----I must, lest I run mad into the woods to knit in silence and subsist on pine needles and berries. (Kind of hard to do this time of year).
So here goes... I am in a knitting phase. Knitting leaves is my newest passion. This wonderful pattern, Saroyan, captured my attention and it's oh so enjoyable to relax and knit for a bit and watch delicate leaves appear between my fingers... When I'm done, I might make another.
And baking. Of course. I was immediately stricken with the urge to run in the kitchen and make crackers when I found this recipe in the newest King Arthur Flour catalog. I am smitten with those expensive, gourmet Dr. Kracker crackers and the thought of reproducing them for much less expense was appealing. They turned out quite yummy, though I found it difficult to force the seeds into submission to stay on the cracker when broken apart. I plan on tweaking the recipe a bit. Nonetheless, they were yummy with a dip of hummus.
Grinding. As usual, I found yet another reason to love my Vita-Mix blender. I had a bag of dried corn in the cupboard, but no cornmeal. The evening's meal of hearty soup called for a side of cornbread so I tried out the dry grinding capability of my blender with very yummy results! The cornbread tasted so fresh and crunchy! Yum!
And for the cornbread, I used the recipe in my newest favorite cookbook: Grand Central Baking Book. Thanks to Sarah's recommend, this book has not left my kitchen counter from the day I received it. The Dutch Baby chart, the clover rolls, many yummy cookies, and so much more make this one a must-have for the baker!
Added later: The top photo is of little pastries I made during the holidays. They consisted of rough puff pastry (made from the Grand Central book) and the filling from these pastries. I cut the puff pastry into rounds with a fluted biscuit cutter, filled with about 1/4 C. filling, sealed the edges, poked holes in the top, applied an egg wash, and dusted with cinnamon-sugar. I cannot remember the baking time but bake in a 350-degree oven until bubbling...
