Hey everyone, remember the gorgeous Jenna Claire diaper bags that I mentioned in the latest episode?  Well now I have a special discount code for you.  Plug in the code MTV20 at checkout, and receive 20% off of your total order!  Offer is good until December 31st, 2007.  They have handbags too for those who have no need for a diaper bag, so check them out! 

(BTW, I'm not getting anything out of this endorsement -- I'm just really taken in by these bags, and I love supporting independent woman-run businesses.)

On The Wheel: Spunky Sampler (superwash Merino), being spun up into a bulkly two ply.  What should I do with it all?  (Probably about 700+ yds)
On The Needles:  Beaded project (secret test knit), Loksins!, rainbow knee-socks, Februrary Baby Sweater On Two Needles (Elizabeth Zimmerman Knitter's Almanac), Sahara (short sleeved version in Berocco Denim Silk) by Wendy Bernard of Knit And Tonic, Central Park Hoodie from KnitScene fall 2006, Button Me Up by Laura Chau of CosmicPluto (who also designed the hoodie Roam for Knitty fall 2007).

Queued up to cast on for next: Hemlock Ring Throw with Cascade Ecological Wool (available for free download in the sidebar of The Rainey Sisters blog), Textured Tunic from Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel.

Announcements:

1. Cupcake Club at Quelle Erqsome.  Go join in at the Flickr group!
2. Ravelry  (If you’re on there, find me at FaithAnne)
3. Annie Modesitt – Red Carpet Convertible pattern for donations towards expenses brought on by her husband's critical health crisis.
4. Brand new knitting bag, appropriate for guys or girls over at Tom Bihn.
5. JennaClaire gorgeous and fashionable diaper bags, etc.
6. Cindy “fitterknitterâ€? designed great graphic: Hey! This Is Your Grandma Knitting!  Visit her Café press shop to check it out.
7. New(ish) podcast: Knitters Uncensored
8. Stacy of Sheep In The City has a new Etsy shop with gorgeous handcrafted jewelry.
9. Design contest for Pattern A Day 2009 calendar:  Submit your knitting or crochet patterns to knittingpatternaday.com and learn more about the submission requirements and contest. The contest deadline is December 15th, 2007

Fiber Tale: Green Gables Socks (Diagonal Rib by Ann Budd from Interweave’s “Favorite Socks�)

Book reviews:
Fashion DIY by Carrie Blaydes & Nicole Smith, published by Sixth & Spring Books
Lacy Little Knits by Iris Schreier, published by Lark Books
Knitting Beyond The Edge by Nicky Epstein, published by Sixth & Spring

Some of my current reads in the cooking blog world:
Cupcake Bakeshop
How To Eat A Cupcake
Baking Bites
Evan’s Kitchen Ramblings
Audrey Cooks
She Paints The Kitchen Red


Today’s recipe:  Corn and Black Bean Salad
(Recipe to come)

Hey everyone!  I know it's been a long time.  New episode will be up soon!  In the meantime, pop on over to my blog to see what I've been up to lately: http://flashbangfibers.blogspot.com

Today, I have two great reasons to celebrate: I am 27 years young, and exactly a week ago I gave birth to our daughter, baby L.  (More details about the baby and lightening fast birth at my fiber blog.)

My parents gave me a gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe (what a great idea!), and my mom made us a cake using my Aunt Terry's famous carrot cake recipe.  This has been served at numerous weddings, as well as hundreds of birthdays in my circle of friends through my childhood.

It's difficult to describe without using much hyperbole, but I will tell you that it is moist with carrots, crunchy with walnuts, and the cream cheese frosting is rich with shredded coconut.  The balance of all the ingredients together make, as far as I'm concerned, the perfect confection.  I don't know how Aunt Terry managed to get it just so right, but God bless her!

Celebrate with us by making your own!  This cake stays good for at least a week in the refrigerator, and can even be made into cupcakes instead.  Just bake them for about 20 minutes instead.


Aunt Terry's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together in medium bowl:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional, of course)

Combine in large bowl:
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups corn oil
1 lb finely shredded carrots

Add dry ingredients to wet.  Mix with hands (to release moisture from carrots).

Pour into one 10" tube pan, or three 8" layer pans.  Bake at 350 deg. until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  (Approx. 1 hour for tube pan, 25-35 minutes for layer pans.)

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 lbs confectioner's sugar (1-3/4 cups), or sweeten to taste
2/3 cup shredded coconut

Blend together with electric mixer.

When the cake has cooled completely, ice and top with 1/3 cup coconut and more chopped walnuts, if desired.

Enjoy!

This episode was recorded pretty much in one pass, so I'm sure there are things that could be a bit more polished, but....I'm posting it anyway!  Hope that you all enjoy.  I'll be taking a 6-8 week "maternity leave", and will be back in June (or maybe a little sooner).  For now, you can follow all of my adventures at my blog.  Be sure to subscribe to the blog feed so that you'll be the first to know about the new baby!

Online store name-dropping:
The Loopy Ewe
Spunky Eclectic
Paradise Fibers

Patterns mentioned today:
Argosy (pattern here)
Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker
Fiber Trends Baby Basics Hat and Booties
Easy Toddler Socks (PDF download)

Finger Knitting Tutorial

Blog Spotlight:
Charles Lifestyle and Knitting

Knit-Alongs:
Knitty Bloggy Baby Bumpers (hosted by Alison of The Blue Blog)
Spunky Club Blog
And then two that I completely forgot to mention:
Favorite Socks Knitalong
Lace Style Knitalong

The Stephanie Pearl McPhee "Harlot In The Park" event on these podcasts:
It's A Purl Man (Episode 32)
Let's Knit2gether (episode to come)

Today's listener feedback question:
Recipes with alchohol!  (Same from last episode, because I don't have any responses yet!!)

Stick a pin in the Frappr map, and upload a picture!

Book Reviews:
Lace Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd
Favorite Socks edited by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow


I'll miss you all!  See you at the blog!  http://flashbangfibers.blogspot.com

Hi everyone!  I'm working on the next episode, which will hopefully be posted sometime this week.  In the meantime, shouldn't you be shopping?  You could always use more yarn, right?  I need your help to clean out my stash!

Here's a few things that I realized I don't need when organizing the other day.  All items are listed for sale on eBay.  Clicking on picture will take you to the auction:

robably a few moreSince the baby has now gotten so big, my lungs don't have a whole lot of room anymore.  Many appologies for the sometimes slow dialog and stops to take a breath.  I hope to get in at least one more show before this baby is born!

Pics of our time in Kaiserslautern.

Online shops mentioned today:
- The Knitter (free shipping, no minimum order!)
- Heather's Etsy shop, Little Peeps, and what she sent me.
- Spinning Bunny in Ithaca, NY
- The Manly Yarn contest is being held over at A Work In Progress.  Win some sock yarn from Katie's shop, Yarn Love!
- Golden Fleece by New World Textiles (discontinued) at Paradise Fibers

Blog spotlight:
Numenna - Nan Annun: Knitting My Way Into The West by Elemmaciltur ("Star Sword Master" in Elvish)

Abigail of the gorgeous stitch markers.

Patterns I talked about:
- Meathead Hat pattern (will only be available until Thursday, March 8th!)
- The Husband Socks, my own (developing) design with the Fleegle's provisional cast-on.
- Inca Snowflake Hat from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson
- Icarus Shawl from Interweave Summer 2006

Sort of new podcasts:
- Unwound with Kelli Robinson
- Ready Set Knit with Steve and Kathy

Knit alongs mentioned in this episode:
- Create-along being hosted by Julia and Marnie
- Wonderful Wallaby flickr gallery
- No End In Sight Ripple Along hosted by Dawn
- No Sheep KAL
- Victorian Lace Along (sign ups are closing out soon!)

Books reviewed:
- No Sheep For You by Amy R. Singer
- Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby

Check out the Victorian Lace Today fashion show on Episode 9 "Stitches East" of Let's Knit2gether.

Upcoming book reviews will include Lace Style and Favorite Socks.

Swap out your stash at the Knitty forum, swap-o-rama, baby!

Listener feedback question(s):
Crumpet recipes?
What's your favorite way to include alchohol in your cooking?

Stick a pin in my Frappr Map!  (And be sure to include some sort of a picture!)



Peas And Carmelized Onions Over Pasta

Today's recipe is very much a "whatever you have in your pantry will be good" kind of pasta dish.  You may not like the way I've written it up, but I assure you, it is to set you free.  =)  Use as much or as little of the following, and trust your instincts.  You really can't go wrong.  It is my very favorite "nothing to eat" meal: Sundried Tomatoes and Peas with Carmelized Onions over pasta. This is my "famous" improv dish, which relies entirely upon grocery staples with a long shelf life. I ALWAYS try to keep on hand: Onions, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn, and pasta.

After carmelizing the thinly sliced onions (sprinkle generously with salt, saute over med/high heat until golden, then turn down the heat and cook the hell out of 'em = 20 min to an hour-and-a-half) and soaking the tomatoes in boiling hot water (only needs to be done if they're not packed in oil), I chop the softened tomatoes up, throw them and some sliced garlic into the large saucepan with the onions, add some spices (whatever's on hand and looks good -- today it'll be dried oregano, marjoram red pepper flakes and thyme, and then I just happen to have some "fresh" herbs in the freezer: basil and finely chopped rosemary, possibly some scallions, but that's totally just guilding the lilly.)

The dried herbs are added a little before the tomatoes to soften and release their flavor, the fresh at the very end so they're still, well, fresh. Then just before I'm ready to serve, I throw in about a cup or so of the peas, corn (if I have any), and toss them with the freshly cooked pasta. maybe I'll even throw in a lightly beaten egg or two, for protein.  If I'm going to do that I temper the eggs first by stirring in about half a cup of boiling hot cooking liquid I've saved from the pasta.  Then I just toss that with the hot pasta and the rest of the ingredients, and they cook through while helping the other things to stick, making every bite sure to be full of sweet and savory goodness.

If you try this recipe, please let me know!  I'd love to hear about your improvisational versions of this from your own pantry.

Well.  I've been working on shownotes for Episode 10 through a week of sick small people and slightly sick me, and I'm almost ready to record.  Unfortunately, it won't be today.  Perhaps tomorrow?  Certainly this week.

I've got a great show lined up, including a pasta dish that reminds me of stone soup, some exciting knit alongs, book reviews for two of the hottest new books to hit the shelves, and my new favorite hat pattern.  I can't wait to get it all recorded!

Thanks to everyone for being so patient, and for those who left well-wishes on the last post.  We are all feeling much better, and had a wonderful relaxing weekend, so things are looking up.

Very frustratingly, my fiber blog has been tagged as a possible "spam blog" by Blogger, so I won't be able to post their until they review it and verify me as a real human being.  So now that I actually have a moment to blog there, I can't.  Gaahhh!!!  Can I slap someone?

Completely unrelated, but has anyone ever tried eating reduced, syrupy balsamic vinegar over vanilla ice cream?

It's late, but it's finally here!  The "After Valentine's Day Special".  No, actually it has nothing at all to do with that holiday at all, but (belated) Happy Valentine's Day to all of you anyway!

Post a review at the iTunes music store to let others know if you enjoy this show!  (Go to iTunes music store, type "The Knitting Cook" into the search engine, then post your review from there)

A thousand thank-you's to everyone who shared their stories and encouragement with me after the last episode.

Today we talk about spinning, knitting handspun, and the proper way to dispose of a tree.

Online yarn shop mentioned in today's show:
Spunky Eclectic fiber club (she also has a sock of the month club!)

Thank you to Jennifer for her thoughtful little gift.

Kathy (AKA Linda) has a new blog address.

Listener Blog Spotlight: Kate at These Are The Knits I Know
(For a chance to have your blog in the spotlight on this show, simply leave a comment about anything here -- I check out all the links, and I feature one blog per episode that catches my eye.)

Stick a pin in the Frappr map and be counted!

Book Reviews:

• Cast On, Bet's Off audio book written and narrated by Jack Olesker
• Color In Spinning by Deb Menz
• The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook by Lynn Vogel

Upcoming book review for next episode:
Victorian Lace Today

ATC swap at Creative Mom Podcast

Check out my blog for upcoming post on photography tips, pics of my handspun mittens, and more.


Today's Recipe:

Blueberry Buckle
Recipe by my mom's neighbor, Barbara.

Preheat oven to 400 (F)

Cream together:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Add and beat until combined:
1 egg

Sift into wet mixture and stir until combined:
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add and stir until smooth:
1/2 cup milk

Fold in:
2 cups blueberries, lightly dusted with flour (this keeps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom while baking)


Crumb Topping

Combine and mix until crumbly:
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)

Pour batter into a greased 9" pan and sprinkle with topping.  Bake about 35 minutes.  Buckle is done when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (topping will be golden brown).

This does work as muffins as well, although it's a little bit tricky to get the sort-of-stiff dough into the little muffin cups.  Also, the crumb topping has a tendency to stick to the edges of the pan -- just be sure to use paper liners if you decide to do that.  Also, it'll only take 25-30 minutes to bake (once again, test to be sure before removing from oven).

Drink with a tall, cold glass of milk or a mug of bitter coffee.

Enjoy!