Summer Crochet Poncho

Super easy summer crochet poncho. 

8 oz soft worsted yarn

6:00 crochet hook

This pattern allows you to work as few or as many rows to create the length poncho you are looking for. 

Ch 80 sts for S - L sizes working with loose tension. Sl st into first ch to form a ring. 

Row 1 - Ch 1, Sc in same sp and each ch around the 80 sts. Sl st in 1 st.

Row 2 - Ch 1, Dc in same sp, ch 5, dc in same sp to form a corner *ch 5, sk 3 sts, sc in next st* repeat from * to * until you have 5 ch 5 spaces and 4 scs, ch 5.

**Sk 3 sts, dc in next st, ch 5, dc in same st to form a corner** Repeat from * to * for 5 ch 5 sps and 4 scs, ch 5 then repeat from ** to ** all twice more to complete the 4 sides. You will end with 3 sts remaining. Sl st into top of beginning dc. You will have created 4 corners.

Row 3 - Sl st into ch 5 sp of 1st corner, ch 1, dc in same sp, ch 5, dc in same sp. *Ch 5, sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5* Repeat from * to * until you reach the next corner. **Dc in ch 5 sp of corner, ch 5, dc in same sp** Repeat * to * to next corner then repeat from ** to ** to complete all sides. At end of last side after completing the last ch 5, sl st at top of starting dc of same row. Use a safety pin to mark the end of the row.

Work row 3 for as many rows as you like.

When you've reached the length you desire, cut yarn and slipknot to secure and sew in the end.

This length used nearly the full 8 oz skein. For a longer poncho buy more than 8ozs.

Original pattern from: crazycoolcrochet.com 

Kale Pasta Salad

While we do have a bit of a break today, this past week has been a scorcher! Nothing better than a make ahead dinner salad for those hot summery nights!

And this recipe is pretty versatile... swap in different pasta, meat, veggies and cheese for a different salad everytime!

Ingredients:

1 lb (454 g) penne pasta

2 or 3 large kale leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup edamame beans, if using frozen just defrost and toss in

1 sweet pepper, diced

1/2 cup diced cucumber or 1 mini cuc

handful or 2 cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup cubed feta or cheddar

2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley

1 - 2 cups cooked chicken or shrimp

Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsps white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp chopped onion

1/2 tsp (herbed) salt

2 tsp dry basil

2 tbsps parmesan

pinch sugar

Boil the penne as per package directions and in the last minute toss in the chopped kale. Then drain and place in a large bowl. Add the chicken and edamame.

Combine the dressing ingredients and whirl in a blender until smooth. Pour into the bowl.

Then add the rest of the ingredients.

Cover and chill until ready to eat.

Then take out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving. 

Toss and spoon out onto a large lettuce leaf. Presentation is everything 😉

Makes 6 dinner portion salads.

Brownies with Cream Cheese Swirl

Cheesecake-like filling enhances these already drool-worthy brownies!

And there's another recipe to use up sourdough discard! (Are you tired of seeing these discard recipes yet?) 

Ingredients:

Brownie Batter:

5 oz dark chocolate baking squares

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsps water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sourdough discard

Cream Cheese Swirl:

8 oz (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

For the brownie batter heat the chocolate squares in a saucepan with the butter and vegetable oil until almost melted, then remove from heat and set aside.

Beat the eggs, salt, sugar and brown sugar together, then add the water and vanilla. Mix the cocoa powder and flour together along with the discard and combine with the egg mixture. Now blend in the chocolate from the saucepan.

For the cream cheese swirl beat the cream cheese, then beat in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Pour the brownie batter into a lined 9 X 9" baking pan and drop spoonfuls of cream cheese on top.

Swirl through with the edge of the spoon going across and then up and down. Fancy schmancy!

Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool before lifting parchment out of the pan and cutting into 16 squares.

Then take a test bite!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Sourdough

Soft and delicious and packed with peanuty goodness. These bakery style cookies will really hit the spot! And bonus, you can use up that sourdough discard you've got accumulating in the back of the fridge!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sourdough discard

1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smoothy

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 - 1 cup chips...chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter

Mix together the brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and coconut oil. Add the discard and egg. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the wet in 3 additions.

Finally fold in your choice of chips. I used a dark chocolate chip with some butterscotch and few mini semi sweet chips.

Drop 1 1/2" balls of cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet 2" apart.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Then grab a glass of milk!

Chicken, Potato and Veggie Tray Bake

Super easy to throw this nutritious meal together and you can substitute veggies you have on hand. Also can be easily doubled.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs

1 large carrot, cut in thick slices

2 celery stalks, 2-3" lengths

4 small potatoes, quartered or halved 

1 onion, quartered

5 or 6 garlic cloves, halved

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp soya sauce

1/2 tsp salt

a few grinds black pepper

pinch turmeric

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix the olive oil, soya sauce and all the seasonings together and toss in the vegetables to coat. I use a waxed cereal bag, but a plastic bag or bowl can be used.

Spoon the vegetables into an oiled 13 X 9" baking dish. Now place the chicken thighs in the same bag and toss. Sit the thighs on top of the veggies and sprinkle on more of the seasonings. Make sure there's enough room for everybody! If you double the recipe remember to use a second baking dish.

Bake at 450°F for 1 hour giving the vegetables a little toss part way through so they don't stick to the pan. And spoon any accumulating juices over the chicken while you're at it.

One pan dinner...one easy pan cleanup! 

Sourdough Tea Biscuits

Flaky biscuits for breakfast or dinner in a flash, using sourdough discard in the mix.

Ingredients:

1 cup sourdough discard

1 cup flour

5 tbsps butter

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar (3 if you want a breakfast biscuit)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Combine the dry ingredients then add the sourdough discard and 2 tbsps melted butter. Grease a 10" cast iron pan with 1 tbsp butter. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan. Eight spaces them out nicely.

Cover with a dish towel for 10 minutes. Brush the tops with 1 tbsp melted butter and bake in a 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush again with the remaining 1 tbsp melted butter.

Makes 8 flaky tea biscuits

Ready for the dinner plate! Or smeared with jam for breakfast! 

Face Mask Sewing Pattern

Well, it looks like we'll be wearing face masks for the foreseeable future because of the Covid19 pandemic. Might as well have some fun, use colours you like while being comfortable and safe.  

The pattern I used can be found here:
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/

It's a great pattern especially for people who wear glasses. It gives step by step instructions and pictures, with sizes from kids to teens and women and mens. Easy peasy for someone like me who has little experience with sewing. I just wanted to show a couple of things that I did on the masks I made. 

I made this denim one with a channel for the nose wire made of the same material as the liner. And the denim is thick enough that no extra filter is required while still being breathable.

With the cotton mask I used extra wide double fold bias for the channel and I left an opening on the side where a coffee filter or paper towel can be slipped in for added protection.

And here's what I used for the nose wire...the wire band from the top of a  cookie bag. 

That's right! It works great, it's long enough to go across the nose and under the eyes and is easy to slip out when you wash the mask. You could also use pipe cleaner but I didn't have any  (I did however have plenty of cookie bags 😉)

So check out the original pattern, this is just my added two cents 🙂😷

Best Cinnamon Buns Ever

These cinnamon buns are easy to make and even easier to eat. Seriously addictive...you've been warned!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1  1/4 cups milk

4 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

4 1/2 tsps (2 pkgs) rapid rise yeast

2 eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon sugar filling:

6 tbsps butter, for spreading

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps cinnamon

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup cream cheese

2 cups icing sugar

2 tsps maple syrup

1/2 tsp maple or vanilla extract

Place butter and milk in a saucepan and heat until milk reaches 105°F and the butter is mostly melted. You will still see some soft lumps but that's ok.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixer bowl. Pour the butter/milk mixture into the dry mix along with the eggs.

Stir about 2 minutes or just until a shaggy ball forms then cover with dish towel and let sit 5-10 minutes. 

Knead using dough hook for 5 minutes. Or you could of course knead by hand.  I added an extra 2 tbsps flour at this point but the dough should still be tacky/sticky. Form into a ball and place in a large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.

Turn the now puffed-up ball onto a floured surface and flour the top. Gently roll out to about 24 X 15".

Spread the butter all over.

Then combine the rest of the cinnamon sugar filling ingredients together and sprinkle over the butter.

Roll up the dough from the long side gently but firmly and pinch to seal the edge. Mark out 12 equal pieces. Use a piece of dental floss to cut, it won't squish the slice like a knife might. Just slide a length of floss under the roll, bring the ends up, cross them over and pull. It makes a nice clean cut.

Place the slices in a greased 13 X 9" baking dish and again cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.  If your kitchen is warm the counter is fine, but if not put the dish in the oven with the oven light on to create a little heat. Once they've risen up remove from oven and take off the plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes.

Cool 10-15 minutes. While waiting prepare the frosting. Cream the butter and cream cheese together along with the maple syrup and extract. Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Slather the frosting all over the top of the cinnamon buns.

 

Cut and serve while warm.

Enough pictures! Get in my mouth! 

Mussels with Garlic

Nothing says summer like a mess of mussels and corn on the cob! Victoria Day weekend in Canada is the start of summer, but this year will be different because of the Covid19 pandemic travel restrictions. We'll just have to find summer pleasures where we can, like in this plate of mussels!

Ingredients:

2 lbs mussels

1 tbsp of olive oil or bacon fat

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

2 tsps minced garlic

1 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp tomato paste

pinch of cayenne 

pinch of black pepper

fresh parsley

Rinse the mussels in cold water and set aside. Heat the olive oil or bacon fat in a large pot. Add the onion and red pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Next add the wine and bay leaf and cook until the liquid is reduce by about half. Add the tomato paste, cayenne and black pepper.

Then add the mussels to the pot, stir, cover and cook 5 minutes. That's all it takes for the mussels to cook and open. If you have any that are still closed discard those ones.

Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.

That's summer right there!

Cinnamon Coffeecake

This mile high coffeecake is nicely cinnamon-y with just the right amount of tanginess from the sourdough discard. If you don't have discard flour and water may be substituted but you will lose a bit of that distinctive tangy flavour.

Ingredients:

Crumble Top

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 tsps cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 tsps cinnamon

Cake Batter

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla

1/2 cup plain yogurt 

1 cup milk

2 tsps lemon juice

1/2 cup sourdough discard (or approximately 1/4 cup each water and flour)

1 tsp salt

2 tsps baking powder

2 cups flour

Get all the components of this coffeecake ready. 

For the crumble top stir the melted butter and brown sugar together. Then add the flour and cinnamon and stir until crumbly. Set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar filling just stir everything together and set aside.

Now for the cake batter... first mix the plain yogurt, milk and lemon juice together and set aside for a minute. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the eggs and vanilla. Now add the yogurt/milk/lemon juice along with the discard, salt and baking powder.

(Note that if you don't have sourdough discard you could use about 1/4 cup of both water and flour to substitute keeping a cake batter consistency, but you won't get that nice tang in your coffeecake)

Finally add the flour, mix well and pour 1/2 the batter into a greased 8 X 8" baking pan.

Distribute the cinnamon sugar filling evenly then pour the remaining batter in.

Sprinkle the crumble topping. 

Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on rack an hour before cutting into squares.