Thunderstorms, backyard BBQ’s and Summer weddings…….. 

Balsamic Mustard Potatoes (as requested, recipe to follow)

Rustic peach tart with vanilla bean ice cream

More storm clouds

Bride and Groom (Bob and I met when the groom, his nephew, was six weeks old. If that doesn’t make a person feel old, well, I don’t know what does).  

My girl.

More cousins.

This recipe is loosely based on the Mustard Roasted Potatoes recipe from the Barefoot Contessa At Home

• 2.5 lbs small red potatoes

• 1 good sized red onion

• 3 Tbsp good olive oil

• 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard (the more brown and grainy the better in my opinion)

• Approx ¼ cup good balsamic

• Kosher salt

• One tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters depending on their size and place on a sheet pan. Slice the onions into half rounds and mix with the potatoes.  In a separate bowl mix the oil, mustard and balsamic then pour over potatoes and onions.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy outside. Be sure to toss the potatoes while they are in the oven a few times so they brown evenly. About five minutes before they are finished baking I sprinkled them with fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Three weeks into my new ”routine” (I’m using that term very losely at the moment - still hammering out the new routine details) and here are some things I’ve learned and observed. The Good.The Bad.The Different. 

• Over-extended. Over-taxed. Streched way too thin. Boy, was I ever.  Like streched to the breaking point. It’s funny how you don’t even realize it until you are outside of a situation.  
• The house is never, ever “just so.” Now, not only do we live in it even more because someone is always here, I now work here too. The wood floors - don’t get me started (as soon as you sweep them they are instantly dusty. Again.).   
• There is always work to do (see above). I’m starting to find the wisdom in scheduling down time.   
• Want to make lists. No need to make lists. Must make lists.  So.Easy.To.Get.Distracted. For example:  “I really need to tag yarn…I’ll go get the tags (on way to get tags)… “oh look, there’s laundry to fold, let me just get that folded real quick, but, oh. I need to write out those tags”… and on and on. No lists = anarchy.   
• One thing I’m loving about working from home is being able to have random off days with my girl (talk about a very rare treat!). Monday we had crappy weather and Plucky girl didn’t have to work (no power at the coffee shop) so we were home, watched a couple old movies together, laughed and were just silly.   
• I’m not sure why I thought this would change, but I still don’t know what to make for dinner each night. And, the pressure is really on now. Every day around 3:30 Mr. Plucky calls asking ”What’s for dinner…..” so, speaking of dinner - what is your favorite recipe/meal planning website? 
• Not having to get dressed up every morning to head to the office is priceless. Now it’s lounge pants or cotton skirt and a favorite old tee.

So,  all you work from home types – how do you strike a balance? Any advice?  

As you may or may not have surmised from previous posts related to my Plucky girl, she’s is a bit artsy/quirky. Her artsy talents are definitely the strongest in photography and music. When she saw all the yarn laying about the house, she quickly picked up a few of her favorites and wanted to name them. So, I present to you the Plucky Girl line of yarn (dyed by me, named by S). Now if I could just get her to re-skein some yarn for me!

 Jungle Love by Steve Miller Band - 100% Merino Fingering

 Garden Grove, Sublime - 100% Merino Lace Weight (shades of peach, faded tangerine and orange)

 Mr. Brown, by Bob Marley - 100% Merino Fingering (Kettle Dyed) various shades of brown, pale sage and cream.

 Trench Town Rock, Bob Marley (her fave) - 100% Merino Fingering. Shades of vibrant teal with subtle variations of sea green. Very caribbean and fun.

  Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - 100% Merino Lace Weight - Yes, Plucky girl knows this song wasn’t on this LP, but on the Sgt. Pepper LP - but she didn’t want to get that out of her record frame for the photo. I assured her this would work just fine (she’s a stickler for this sort of thing). Shades of blue, silver grey, cream and denim blue.

Ok, I named the next one - I couldn’t help myself.

 Tsarina’s Boudoir - 100% Merino Fingering - Various shades of mauve, pale lilac and silvery grey. Oh so subtle and pretty.

While I wan winding this one, all I kept thinking about was Tsarina Alexandra’s Mauve Boudoir. Odd inspiration, I know, but there you have it - that’s what I see when I look at this yarn.

 Scarlett’s Red Dress - 100% Merino Lace Weight  - Remember in GWTW when Scarlett shows up at Ashley and Melanie’s (Melanie is dying) house in “the” red dress? Oh.The.Scandal. Well, this just screams that dress. Deep, dark, blistering red and crimson. So dark and lovely.

***Edited to Add*** This was actually the dress Scarlett wore to Ashley’s birthday party. Oy. I am off my game the last couple days!  It was a scandal because the  whole town thought they had been caught in an scandalous embrace - when  it was actually a “good-bye hug” as Scarlett finally accepted that Ashley really did love Melanie.  Scarlett wanted to skip the party, but  Rhett made her go, wearing that dress. Thanks Karen!! There is someone out there that is just as (or more) obsessed with GWTW than me!

Lest you think I no longer knit, that is so not the case (In fact, I am missing the needles very much today. But, while skeining up the yarn I have been day dreaming about what to put up in my knit que on Ravelry). Just trying to get as much dyeing in as I can before Thursday when I head back to the day job.

Pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool - Graphite

Disclaimer: Sorry I don’t have a picture of the last tart I made - it was dug into before I could snap a pic. But, rest assured, it comes out beautifully - golden crust, the green from the spinach - big crowd pleaser.  I thought it was about time to post another recipe, it’s been quite a while. We love this and I make it all the time - loosely based on a recipe from Real Simple several years ago - with a healthy dash of  my own modifications. And, because posts are so much more fun when there are pictures to go along with them here is a picture of two of the most handsome men I have ever seen - in my humble opinion…… So, there you have it all in one post - good food, cute babies and knitting content.

Preheat oven to 400 - 

one glug of olive oil in a sautee pan (approx 1 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach—thawed & drained (squeeze all the water out of it you can)

eight ounces of fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/8 of a cup of onions  

1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper

2 ready-made piecrusts (Pillsbury or the like)
a few good size hunks of goat cheese, or 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese or equivalent of ricotta cheese - whatever you prefer and then a bit (to taste) of grated parmesan cheese

1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained (you can chop them or slice them, which ever you prefer)

1 egg, lightly beaten - just to brush the top of the pie crust with and seal the edges.

Place the olive oil in a medium skillet and place over medium heat. Add the garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute, add onions, sautee a bit then add spinach and cook for 2 minutes at this point you can add the mushrooms if you like and the sale and pepper and set the pan to the side.  Coat a large baking sheet (or I use a pampered chef baking stone  - then you don’t need cooking spray) with cooking spray and unfold one piecrust onto the baking sheet. Spoon the spinach mixture evenly over the crust, leaving a ¾” inch border around the edge. Layer your cheese of choice, (I have tried all those listed and I liked the ricotta and goat the best) mushrooms and peppers over the spinach then add your parmesan. Brush half the egg around the border you made on the crust. Place the second crust on top and crimp the edges to seal the brush the top with rest of the egg and cut some pretty slits in the top for the steam to escape.  Bake 35 minutes or so until golden.  

I have served this both hot and cold and what a great dish for all our vegetarian friends out there! People love it! You could even add a few fresh herbs - maybe some basil? That would be great.  Hope this makes sense, if you have questions, please let me know.

You know when you have to bring a treat or dish to pass somewhere and you need something quick, easy and delicious (if it’s pretty that doesn’t hurt either)? This is the ticket. I make this all the time - kids and adults all love it. It’s sweet, but not too sweet.

Easy Peasy Lemon Poppyseed Bread ~

350 degree oven -
1 box lemon cake mix (Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, etc.)
1 box Royal brand Toasted Coconut Pudding
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
½ cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup hot water

Combine all ingredients (add water last after everything else has been added and blended) and pour in prepared loaf pan - makes two loaves in smaller loaf pans or one larger loaf pan like this one - I got mine at Williams Sonoma. Also, I have made mini individual bundt cakes with the Williams Sonoma mini bundt pans. So cute!

Bake for 35 minutes until tester comes out clean.

Sometimes I put a glaze on it ~
2 tbps confectioners sugar
Lemon juice
Blend until drizzle consistency. Or, you can dust with powdered sugar.

People LOVE this. So moist… If you have any questions, feel free to ask.