Knitting Today: Blue Bird of Happiness

 Last week our Book Group discussed Indigo Girl about a girl in South Carolina in the 1700's and the beginnings of the culture of indigo here.  It was suggested that the treats be blue.  I wanted to have a few blue decorations also, but had absolutely none.  

While browsing through Ravelry.com I saw a Blue Bird of Happiness pattern!  It was so easy to knit.  I did only knit one at the time but planned to make more.  No time. And now have moved on to other things.

This is hard to see here, but for a variety of reasons, I am not putting in a better one.  You will probably note that, as usual, I did not make a face/eyes on this guy.  I thought I might use some light blue yarn for eyes but did not get to it before Book Group.

Indigo Girl is a worthwhile book to read.  At least all of us at Book Group who read it did really like it.

Fun Stuff: Jewelry Making

 Years ago our daughter made me some French ear wires to use for making earrings.  I made a pair that I really loved.  About three weeks ago one of those earrings was lost.  I thought it happened when I took a nap with my earrings on.  Nope.  Could not find that lost treasure anywhere in the bedroom, bathroom, workroom, no place at home.

Fast forward to today.  We are having Book Group at our house.  We read Indigo Girl.  It was suggested that if we had a favorite blue treat, that would be the thing to bring to share.  I had decided to make blue punch: Gallon Blue Hawaiian Punch, 2 liters 7-Up, 12-ounce can frozen lemonade made up.

AND I thought I should make some blue earrings!  I did not have any blue beads. I also did not have a crimper tool that I needed to use to make stitch markers...so off to Michaels I went.

This is what I made:

You will notice that I used split rings instead of jump rings to put things together.  It works but is not great.

AND THE BEST NEWS:  when I was putting the packages in the car after shopping the sun was shining brightly into the car and there on the floor hooked to the foot mat in the back seat was the red earring!  The lost is found!  This makes me so happy.

Immediately upon finding it, I put it in my ear.  (I did not have earrings in even though some people I know and love dearly have told me I should not leave my room in the morning without being duded up...I am not at all high maintenance even though some people suggest that it would be a good thing.  Maybe some day.  Well, now I have blue earrings...!)

Munchie Monday: Lemon Curd Tarts

 Just a quick note about finding recipes, and presumably anything else, on the Internet:  don't bet your life on those things!

Last week we had Book Group.  We had read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  I thought a nice little plate of lemon curd tarts would be just the thing for a treat to share.  This is the recipe I found on the Net:

Lemon Curd

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup white sugar (If I was to write the recipe I think I would have said "granulated sugar".  That was the first clue...)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

The directions said: Combine lemon juice, sugar, eggs, butter, and lemon zest in a 2-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles.

That is it.

This is what I did...I put the ingredients (except the lemon zest since our lemons were just slightly past their prime zest-making spot) in the top of a double-boiler since I know myself to be easily distracted during the stirring part of cooking projects.  I did whisk forever.  Well, I put a time running to be sure. After 5 minutes the the curd was not even remotely thickened so I cooked longer.

After about fifteen minutes I dumped out the boiling water, dried the bottom saucepan then dumped the lemon mixture into the saucepan.  I cooked longer until it was bubbling a tiny bit and semi-thick seeming. I put the curd through a stainless steel strainer in case there were any bits of egg white hiding in the sweetness. It turned out that even though I could not see any egg white, when I strained there was a small amount.

After dipping a spoon into the "sauce" and finding the spoon well-coated with lemon lusciousness, I licked it clean.  It was SO TASTY!  But not very thick. Well, not at all thick as I had expected it to be.

I had made some darling little pie crust cases for the lemon curd tarts.  All right, I did NOT make the pie crust, I got some refrigerated crust from the store but I DID cut it up with a cookie cutter into little rounds that I shoved down into the bottoms of mini muffin tin reservoirs. I baked them at 400 degrees F. for ten minutes then pulled them out of the oven.  They would have been prettier if I had left them in longer to get them nice and brown, but I did not dare.  Burning, or as I like to call it, chocolatizing, baked goods is a real danger at our house.

So what was I going to take to Book Group for treats since these babies were not going to make it?  (I did fill five little shells with the very thin lemon curd.  They were tasty but not right so I could not bring them.  I do have some standards!)

What I did was toast some whole wheat bread, cut off all the crusts, spread some rather dry egg salad which did not have much personality (we had made the egg salad when we had company coming for lunch where I was concerned they might not like the rich robust egg salad I like with lots of onions and spices...), sliced some green queen olives and put on top.  This was rather boring, but edible and something to bring and share with the other ladies.

A funny note:  when I got back from Book Group meeting, I discovered that Dear One had eaten all the little empty tart cases!  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  I asked him if he liked them.  He said, "Sure."  How funny is that?!

A final note on the lemon curd:  I had put the thin lemon curd in a ceramic bowl and put it in the refrigerator...after licking another spoon of the deliciousness.  The next morning the lemon curd was lovely and thick and perfect!!!  That internet recipe never mentioned you needed to chill the heck out of it...

Live and learn.  And maybe don't wait until the afternoon of an event before making treats.  Perhaps make a test batch the day before just to try them out.

Food Today: Cream Cheese reprised

Because the last cream cheese was good, but not great, I decided to try things somewhat differently this time.

At 5 PM I combined 1 gallon whole milk with 2 cups cultured buttermilk in a large clean stainless steel pot and set on the cover.  The plan was to let it incubate for 4 hours then heat the milk to 180 degrees prior to adding 1/4 cups cider vinegar to release the casein.

Instead I let the milk sit overnight on the counter.  At 9 AM I started raising the temperature slowly.  In about half an hour it was at 180 degrees.  I shut off the heat and removed the pot from the stove. I added 1/4 cup cider vinegar and stirred for one minute with a long-handled clean stainless steel spoon.  The protein began precipitating almost immediately but I continued to stir.  After one minute, I covered the pot and let sit for 15 minutes.

Now it was time for draining.  I put a  damp "flour sack" kitchen towel into a large colander in a larger bowl in the sink and carefully poured the curds and whey into the kitchen towel.  (The "flour sack" kitchen towel is easier to come by than good butter muslin.  I got this one at the King Arthur Store.) The draining process was discussed in the previous cheese post so I will skip it here.

After the curds had hung for an hour, I divided in half and put into two glass bowls.  To the first bowl I added 1 teaspoon Krazy Mixed Up Greek Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon each: granulated garlic, powdered onion, dill weed, and kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (because I had it!) and 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream.  I stirred the seasonings in well, covered, and refrigerated for the flavors to meld.

To the second bowl of curds I added all the same seasonings PLUS one giant clove of garlic put through a garlic press.  After stirring it well together, I put it into the food processor (Cuisinart) for a couple of minutes to "whip", then put back in bowl, covered, and refrigerated.  Well, I had a taste...it was really good, really garlicky...just the way I like it!

Tonight I am going to Book Group.  I am going to take both bowls of flavored cheese and some baguette slices so the ladies can taste this and give me their opinions.  Whenever I attend a function where food can be served, I think "GUINEA PIGS"!!  It is very useful to have people tell you what they think...as long as you have a very thick skin.  After all, you want their actual opinions, not what they think you want to hear.  Those opinions may not be flattering nor comforting, but they will potentially help you make something better next time.