We celebrated Father's Day today... This year was bit unceremonious. Though I did bring coffee to bed for my Darling and gave him a present. I guess everyone was tired from the Fair yesterday and today's catering. I stayed home with Tuomas. He was bit restless. Rest of the day I was playing with my new mobile, downloading bunch of stuff on my laptop and coverting mp3s to format that my mobile understands... finally I can have ringtone I want/like and I think I can guarantee that there won't be many with same tone as I.... Jpop rules!

I seriously need contact lenses.. Tuomas took  my glasses twice today. Though itsy-bitsy fingermarks are cute, I'd still like to see, and have my glasses fitting me... I just need to go to optician first. It's been three years from last time and I think my vision has changed somewhat. Not much but enough to notice it. 
Lol, Tuomas can  be overly cute. He bite me few times with his tooth and dan it did hurt when he hit it right. But the concentrated look on his face... I was laughing like  maniac...

There was that Mass today too.. Didn't go. I was thinking to listen that on the radio. But you know me, I forgot. And I was advertising it so much... yeah well, shoemaker's child don't have shoes...

Strange question, but since I've never felted I thought I'd ask. My mother-in-law bought two sweaters in Ireland that are wool. She wasn't thinking about it and washed them in hot water, might even have dried them. Since she couldn't wear them anymore she gave them to me.

How hopeless would it be to frog a sweater that's been lightly felted? One of them still has the yarn visible as yarn, it's just really fuzzy yarn. Would the yarn itself be so damaged or changed by the heat that it would be pointless to use even after I unraveled it? I'm a little afraid of the answer, but give it to me anyway.

The other one I don't think can be unraveled, it's a little too far gone I think. I'm thinking of felting that one all the way and cutting it up into panels to make a bag or something. I don't have a clue what to do with it other then that.

Hello all I'm back with another lactose free recipe. I actually found it in Dairy-Free Cookbook by Jane Zukin. I added my own twist by adding nuts to it.

( click her for banana yumminess  )</div></div>

I have yet another question/problem.

I'm currently working on this pattern:
http://knitwits-heaven.tripod.com/pocket_book_slippers.htm

I've been slipping the first stitch on each row, but I'm finding that the edge is not very stretchy at all. Does slipping the first stitch make the edge less stretchy? Should I unknit and knit the first stitch on every row? How can I make this stretchier?

Also, I'm making these for my grandma, who wears size 10 or 11 shoes. Do you think these will fit her? Should I try to add some stitches to the pattern?

Many thanks! You guys are always ridiculously helpful & awesome.

Hi. It's my friend's birthday today, and we're having a small party tomorrow. She asked me to make her a pecan pie, and I've heard her and my dad say a good pecan pie should have a shortbread crust. I've looked at this thread: http://community.livejournal.com/bakebakebake/2450545.html and various tips throughout BakeBakeBake and I haven't seen any mention of a shortbread crust. Most just say 'one pre-made unbaked crust'. Is the shortbread crust just how people THINK it tastes, or is there a way to make a crust from crushed shortbread/ baked in place like how lemon-bars are? I'm a bit confused by this possibilit, but would like some input. It's my first time trying to make a pecan pie ^^;

I just seem to be under a cloud of bad luck in the past week or so. I won’t waste time by divulging sad details, but the thought of Christmas being less than 8 weeks away has been a definite comfort, since it really is the most wonderful time of the year to me. Endless baking, being with my family, Bing Crosby on repeat… it’s just a happy time. And although I should be focused on Thanksgiving and that menu in the near future, I can’t get Christmas off my mind, or the classic flavor of gingerbread, which is so quintessentially Christmas to me. So I looked through my “To Cook” list I have posted on my fridge (it’s long, trust me) and saw these way down near the bottom.

I love gingersnaps but most of the time end up playing with recipes to make them, well, less snappy. I’ve always been a fan of those “extra soft” versions of store-bought chocolate chip cookies (it’s practically like eating raw cookie dough, mm) so the idea of a soft ginger cookie piqued my interest quite a bit. Also because they have two very unconventional ingredients in them: molasses and Dijon mustard. I know, I know, most people are going to scrunch up their face and say “WHY?” but trust me when I tell you – it adds this smoky, mysterious flavor layer to the cookies that gives it an extra zing without tasting at all like actual mustard.

Tons more pics and info at my blog, jonesing for...

( Recipe and more pics under the cut! )

i just joined i recenly started reading the manga and im addicted! i mean its the only manga i ever read where i like almost all the charecters!
anyway im looking forward to being here!

I'm starting my first cable project, the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret, and I'm confused about the way the pattern is written: http://www.ravelry.com/download/20188/free

This part is confusing:

Change to a US Size 11 circular, and work cable pattern as follows:

Rounds 1-4, 6-10 and 12: Knit around
Round 5: *Slip 3 sts to CN, hold to back, K3, K3 from CN, K3 Repeat from * to end.
Round 11: *K3, Slip 3 sts to CN, hold to front, K3, K3 from CN Repeat from * to end.

Work rows 1-12 of the cable pattern one
time (as written above).

I can't figure out if I'm supposed to work 1-12 once or twice. I see that a lot of people in the Ravelry comments have the same problem, but there are no answers. Anyone have any ideas?

So apparently we're a solid week into November. Nobody told me. But a new month means a new theme, and once again we had a lot of people with the same suggestion - so we're doing it: CRANBERRIES! Fresh cranberries are amazing, but sweetened dried cranberries are acceptable too.

And, even more importantly, here's the contest poll for last month's theme. Voting will end either Sunday or Monday night, whenever I can get online, and the winner will receive a 2-month premium account! Here's a link to the community's paypal account if you would like to help support our bakers of epic win:



Poll #1482270 October Theme - Pumpkin
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 157

Pick your favorite post!

EDIT: I didn't add the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie by rowangolightly to the poll. If you want to vote for it, please reply to this comment. I apologize for the fail.

So, yesterday I cooked a whole chicken in my crockpot. I saved the broth, and this morning I skimmed the fat off of it. What, I thought, can I make with about half a cup of chicken fat? I consulted with my sister, the lovely longpig, who suggested (along with some other things) biscuits! Genius! Since all my milk was old, I looked for some buttermilk biscuit recipes to alter, and tried to decide what else to add to make a nice savoury biscuit.

( This is what I came up with... )

9" Chocolate Vanilla Checkerboard Cake, with vanilla syrup, strawberry preserves, Lindt milk chocolate frosting and milk chocolate caramel sauce between each layer.  Covered with Lindt milk chocolate frosting, dark chocolate shavings and milk chocolate caramel sauce.

By virtue of having enough dough in the freezer to make a bottom, my roommate and I have decided that were going to make pie on Sunday. Here's the thing, though... we can't decide what kind. It's down to four: orange, mango, peach, or coconut, which in addition to sounding delicious also happen to be things we already have on hand. Here's idea number 5, though, and this is where I'm looking to you... all of them together!

This is the idea. If we make a coconut filling and add the fruit, it should a) fit better into our only pan (a torte pan) and b) taste pretty awesome (I may or may not be taking a cue from Waitress). But I'm guessing there will be an added moisture factor, so how would you suggest compensating? And do you have any other suggestions, like spices or assembly/structure? I'm down for fooling around but I want it to look appetizing (and not like an aspic) when we're done. Oh, and here's a big one: do you think the orange will make it curdle?

If all this sounds like Frankenfood, please say so. Favourite recipes for one of the four other options would be loved too!

Thanks in advance!

And just for a pic, here's the first thing we attempted, back when apples were in season. Bavarian apple torte, right out of the oven.

...to test out my egg separator, since I had used the popular recipe for Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies at AllRecipes, which calls for an extra yolk.


( But a good excuse, nevertheless! :]  )

November 24th,2009 Is the release date for the

Nana: Uncut Box Set, Vol. 2

It features episodes 12-22 dubbed and uncut If you pre order through Viz web site you can get it for $39.99.
That's $19.99 off the original price, I'm so hitting that up!!!

Here is a link I found at the Viz's online store:
store.viz.com/Nana-Uncut-Box-Set-Vol.-2/A/B002LII6PA.htm

I've some pretty hardcore training tomorrow (softball!), so I thought that I'd bake some brownies to 'console' my team (totally undoing whatever training we would've gone true, but... we don't care.. :) I've baked these so many times and everyone LOVES THEM. I've never actually gone wrong with these brownies! They're a little bit, actually very slightly crispy on the outside shell (I love that part), and really gooey and yummy and soft on the inside.. Perfect. This recipe actually calls for pecans, but I don't like nuts much, especially in the stuff that I bake, so I totally omitted that part (which apparently makes the Mississippi Mud Brownie more of a normal brownie but.. who's complaining?) My friend suggested adding bananas to it, and waow. So... good....... I got the recipe off a food blog :)  Pictures and recipe under the cut!

On my surfing around this morning, I came across a few things.

1. Today is the last day (for those who have Comcast) to watch NANA ep 12-16 dubbed
2. Comcast OnDemand has put out episodes 17-20 dubbed until the beginning of December (I do believe) and as a reminder, it is $0.99 per episode.
3. Hulu.com has put out episodes 12-22 subbed on their site free of charge like they did for the first 11.
4. Two more voice actors have been seen in the closing credits on the end of episode 22.
( Rest of the list is cut for spoilers )

Seriously! When is chapter 85 coming out. I'm about to explode. It's been 6 months! And I know Ai has been sick, but come on!

thought i'd get your input. this is before ive been able to get my small group together and in costume. do you think we will do well?( pictures ) 

i want to know what this community will think. i will be working on getting newer photos with costume as soon as possible but if you dont think we will fit the part then i will try harder next time.

we are planning on doing this for ohayocon in january.

After neglecting my baby blanket for awhile, I finally finished it tonight! :) Just in time too, the baby shower is on Sunday. I'm so very excited to have finished it, it's only the second thing I've ever made by myself! :) I can't wait to finish my scarf and start on something else.



( Click to see Ryan's blanket. )

I had just started a knitting project the day before yesterday and decided to take it with me to work on between my two classes at college.

I sat down in the library and pulled out my needles and yarn and as I started knitting happily in my own little world, the thought dawned on me: was I breaking school policy/regulations by having something that could theoretically be used as a weapon on campus?

I imagine there have been restrictions in places (are you allowed to have knitting needles and work on projects on an airplane? on a train?) since 2001. . . I looked up information on my college but found nothing. I know "zero tolerance" in CA extends beyond drug and alcohol use.

Has anyone encountered problems taking their knitting needles with them anywhere? To court, for instance? I imagine such things would NOT be ok.

To the younger set: are you allowed to take your projects with you to your schools?

( recipe and (big) pictures below )
/I need a baking icon....

( A mum cake, another photo under the cut )

I made this cake for our 7th wedding anniversary, kinda an anniversary gift to myself (well the new fondant cutters and purple gel food colouring was certainly a gift to myself.) We decorated with purple mums for our wedding so I purple mummed up the cake.

The cake was just red velvet cake, but instead of red food dye I used purple. Just so you know, it is nigh impossible to produce a purple velvet cake by combining red and blue food dye, no matter how logical it sounds. Go straight for the purple. I used white chocolate cream cheese icing to fill the cake and adhere the marshmallow fondant. I've just done links to recipes instead of typing them up since these are recipes already commonly used in the community.

Links to recipes:
Cake Recipe
White chocolate cream cheese icing recipe
Marshmallow fondant recipe & tutorial

Note to Mods: photo resized, sorry 'bout that, apparently when photobucket says it's resized they mean it's exactly the same.

Tonight I was in the mood to bake something quick and easy. A friend suggested cookies, but my cookies for the past two years have turned out crispy and flat. So I went searching for a cookie recipe that does not include butter or margarine (because I was led to believe that was the problem) and found several. But then I realized that I didn't have any brown sugar. So I figured butter was easy enough to substitute and came up with this recipe.

( Quick and Easy Oatmeal Cookies )