Startitis Strikes

August 29th, 2007 by caitlyn

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My knitting mojo has returned full force! I cast on for four new projects this month using the yarns in the photo.  After a long period of feeling very blah about knitting, I am excited about it again and it feels great.  Three of my projects are far from finished, but I’ll have some in-progress photos soon!

Peach Crumble

August 16th, 2007 by caitlyn

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Last week I baked a Peach Crumble, which was essentially another version of the Plum Raspberry Crumble I made in July. I liked this one much better as it wasn’t nearly as tart as my first attempt.

Modifications:
:: 3 medium-large peaches in place of plums
:: omitted raspberries
:: increased amount of white sugar mixed in with peaches. I eyeballed this, but instead of 1/6 cup I probably added almost 1/4 cup.

I am curious about whether you all remove the skins from peaches prior to baking, and if so, how? I used a knife to score the bottom of the peaches with an X, and then immersed them in boiling water for 1 minute. The skin wouldn’t budge. I’ve read in multiple places that this is the way to remove skins, but it didn’t work for me. Perhaps it was the type of peaches? I used tree ripe. But the skin didn’t bother us so we still liked the crumble a lot.

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Next time I hope to show actual knitting content!

Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken

August 3rd, 2007 by caitlyn

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Recipe from Simply Recipes. Easy + Delicious = Definitely A Keeper.

Modifications:
:: used 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
:: marinated chicken for several hours
:: low-broiled for 10 minutes each side
:: will double marinade next time as the reserved marinade is excellent with the chicken and even over rice.

Chocolate Biscotti

August 1st, 2007 by caitlyn

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Recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours. As you may have noticed, I am a tad addicted to her book right now!

This very chocolate-y biscotti reminds me of a brownie, except harder. My initial reaction was slight disappointment. There wasn’t anything wrong with the biscotti, but it didn’t make me swoon and exclaim that it was delicious. However, after a couple of days the flavor grew on me, so perhaps this is one of those items that tastes better overnight.

I baked the original recipe in the book, but I came across a few very talented and inspiring food bloggers who modified it with success. You can find them at Cream Puffs in Venice, Tartelette, Veronica’s Test Kitchen, Jumbo Empanadas, Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, and La Mia Cucina.