Coveting my Foreman

Sunday, January 24, 2010

I’m not much of a cook. In truth, I think I cook about as well as I knit. As long as I have clear instructions to follow, I can typically generate the dish attempted. My plating skills leave much to be desired, but that’s an art form unto itself.

My cooking is somewhat limited by the palate of my household. Hubby has several requirements: no onions, minimal garlic, no fish (unless we’re talking Gordon’s fish sticks), no sour cream, and a host of other random limitations regarding texture, complexity, and ingredients. I should mention that bell peppers and eggplant are on the barred list. My limitations are compounded by a child that has taken to eating the same lunch every day (cheese on sourdough with mayo) and has decreased his veggie intake to nearly zero portions. A sane person can only eat so much pasta with red sauce or white sauce.  I love macaroni & cheese as much as the next soul, but enough is enough.

It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools, but sometimes I wonder if my lack of cooking ability is in any way connected to what I actually have to work with.  We have new appliances (purchased when we moved into the house 4 years ago), but the stove is electric.  I'm definitely a bigger fan of gas stoves, though having a smooth glass top burner is much easier to clean.  The real bane of my existence is the oven.  Every time I make a lasagna or a chicken pot pie, the juices overflow and create havoc.  This happens so often that I now have a routine.  I prep my kitchen with some strategically placed fans, and when the smoke begins to billow, I close off the kitchen from the rest of the house, open up the slider and the windows, and set the fans to HI.

Early on, I tried to block the drips.  I laid a sheet of foil on the bottom of the oven as a barrier.  To my chagrin, the foil melted to the bottom of the oven.  Who knew self cleaning ovens were so much trouble?  On another occasion, I wrapped the bottom of my pie dish with foil, hoping it would catch the overflow.  Result:  The bottom of my chicken pot pie crust didn't cook.  Gross. 

The only appliance that has never failed me is my trusty Foreman Grill.  I stole my parents' grill years ago when my father abandoned it for a sandwich maker.  The grill is a tiny little thing and can barely handle two chicken breasts.  The non-stick coating had long since worn off,  and I needed more capacity.  Also, it wouldn't hurt if the gadget did more than grill.  What about a waffle maker, or even a griddler? 
So, this Xmas, I started researching all-in-one presses.  I was dazzled by the Cuisinart Griddler - Costco was carrying one for the holidays and there was even a coupon.  I had read that the model Costco offered tended to get scorching hot on top, so I looked into the next up model.  The price difference was around $50, but I figured the holiday discounts would be in my favor.  Alas, I was wrong and missed my window.  In any case, my hubby mentioned that he had seen some bad reviews on both models, so I started looking at other brands. 

The obvious occurred to me.  If I'm replacing my Foreman Grill, why not replace it with another Foreman Grill?  I zeroed in on the GRP90WGR Next Grilleration with 5 Removable Plates.  Sadly, it only comes in red.

I kicked the idea around for over a week, finally made the ultimate commitment on Amazon and hit the Place Order button.

My first major meal consisted of 4 steaks and zucchini and asparagus spears.  We ate the leftovers for three days.  It came out better than my BBQ, faster, and easier cleanup.  Pork chops only take 10 minutes.  This weekend, I made waffles.  I think this week I'll get some pizza dough at Trader Joe's and test out the deep dish pizza recipe.  

I'm definitely in love with my new Foreman.  Of all the things I've thrown my money away on, the Foreman Grill is already proving to be a worthy investment.  I'm hoping this is not just a first flush of appliance lust but the beginning of a long lasting relationship.

Dismembered Bodies

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A few months ago, I bought Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard, a book about knitting items that actually fit your body. I have only glanced through it, but the concept is rather earth shaking for where I am as a knitter. I have knit one sweater for myself, and the fit is horrible. The picture in the book, Stitch 'N Bitch, is very flattering on the model. On me, it’s just a giant fuzzy box. I thought I had done something wrong, but it’s actually a very natural phenomenon. The pattern is a tunic sweater with no side shaping. A more advanced knitter would intuitively understand that for a project to have a shape, you need to knit the shape into it. Custom Knits actually discusses altering patterns to make them more flattering and how to read patterns without getting duped by the model shot.

For fear of repeating my disappointment, I have been sticking to accessories (hats, gloves, scarves, and slippers), and I knit objects following patterns in the strictest sense. Even yarn substitutions are made with much trepidation. I typically will scour Ravelry to see what other people used to verify that a yarn is suitable for a given project. I’ve had one horrible experience where I substituted a yarn for a project (the yarn was recommended by a store employee as suitable for the gauge) and the tank ended up being twice as wide as it should have been. What did that experience teach me? Always check your gauge. Do not knit 90% of the project before doing it, either. This project was a special case because it was all in a ribbed pattern, and it was just really hard to figure out. I kept trying to stretch the finished part over my body, but without pinning it to myself, how could I really tell. Maybe if I had a dress form or even a mannequin, I could have checked the sizing sooner.

I spent a day looking at dress forms on the internet. Starting at $100, I could get a nice Singer adjustable dress form. They come in different colors and seem pleasing to the eye with their uniform shape and fabric. I could totally use it as a decorative piece, and it wouldn’t be an eyesore if left out. My hoarding instinct keeps nagging me that I NEED a dress form.

A much cheaper alternative is the make-your-own variety. For the price of a roll of duct tape and a disposable t-shirt, you can make a mold of yourself.  When all is said and done, making a mold of my body is definitely the more accurate approach. The mold will capture the true placement of the waistline and bust instead of the estimate a generic dress form will give you, even an adjustable one. The downside? Do I really want to stare at my body wrapped in duct tape and mounted on a pole. That is just so Silence of Lambs.

Next thing you know, I’ll be dancing around in a kimono to Goodbye Horses and imagining myself in my special suit. The only place I can keep it is the guest room where it will surely creep out anyone spending the night. Plus, I lose the aesthetic of having something to model my FOs for photo ops. And, I’m still itching to buy something.

An alternative object d’art would be a mannequin. The hubby and I have always wanted one. We used to decorate our old apartment with heads wearing the multitude of wigs we collected over the years. When the baby experiment began, we decluttered and donated the heads to my stepson. I’ve since stolen one back for hat making purposes. Heads are good, but a full mannequin would fulfill one of those muddled childhood fantasies I still carry around with me. When I was thirteen, I saw Lady Beware with Diane Lane about a window dresser that lives in a loft and gets stalked. From then on, I wanted to live in a converted warehouse and decorate my place with mannequins. The warehouse dreams have been squashed by the loft trend. It’s just not cool anymore if everyone is doing it. Besides, I wanted to have 10,000 SF so I could drive my car into it. Not realistic these days.

At least the mannequin idea is still available to me. I can dress it, pose it, take pictures of my FOs and maybe even freak out my elderly neighbors by placing it in the window to stare back at them. If I can find a cheap source of parts, maybe I can collect a large enough stack to make a gruesome display for next Halloween.

So today, I will begin my search of a reasonably priced mannequin in earnest.  Updates to follow.

Anthropologie Inspired Cable Knit Ascot

Saturday, January 9, 2010

I do not shop at Anthropologie. I've never even been in a store, though I'm within 20 miles of one. I think I might be a little intimidated by how cool and artsy everything looks. Or maybe it's too young looking. I don't know. The price tag automatically stops me from entering. But, I can still shop from afar by visiting the online catalog. On one of my window shopping trips across the internet, I spent some time looking through their knit offerings. Lots of sweater coats - too complex to deconstruct based on an online picture - and several scarves. One scarf in particular jumped out at me. The ascot looked like something I might be able to knit. I saved a picture from the catalog. Good thing too because they have since sold out.

I spent quite a bit of time looking for possible pattern matches, but nothing exact appeared. Through trial and error, I was able to piece together my own pattern. This is the first time I have tried to create a pattern of my own. I'm good at following other people's directions, but this is completely new territory.

I did make one change from the original. I did the whole thing in garter stitch instead of making the bow pinch in a rib pattern. I included instructions for both options. Click on the link below.

Anthropologie Inspired Cable Knit Ascot

Feel free to let me know if something doesn't make sense. Some of the pattern was written after the fact. I hope I didn't forget anything.

I think I will try this one again in a medium gray color when I have some time.

On a side note, the whole reason I created this blog was so that I could add this pattern to Ravelry. Just before finishing my upload, I did another search and found that someone else had the same idea, and had deconstructed their own version of the pattern. My only comfort is that the knitter used a worsted weight yarn and the cable pattern is completely different. So I can still say my pattern is original.

A little background

Writing about myself is surprisingly difficult. I enjoy talking about myself well enough, but this is a little weird. Who is my audience? What tantalizing bit of personal information would some random stranger on the internet find interesting? I'm really good at making lists, so I'll just list some random facts about myself. These will be in no particular order of importance.

• I'm just past the mid-point of my thirties. Wow, I remember my mother at this age. I've even started dressing like her back then.
• I'm married. We were married in 2001, the day before 9/11. It was at City Hall in front of our parents and a few friends. No one knew about it. So we had a second wedding six months later for the rest of the family and friends. So which anniversary do we celebrate? We manage to forget both equally.
• Kids. I have two stepkids. They live with their mom fairly close to us. They stop in from time to time. I have a little rugrat of my very own as well. He's an experiment that I think is wise not to repeat. He was hatched in 2004. I'm a great stepmom, but full-time motherhood is outside of the scope of my skill set. I'm sure I will have stories about him.
• I work full-time. I'm in commercial real estate. I won't be discussing work here.
• I have a house. I bought a fixer upper at the top of the market. It is my albatross. I will definitely be discussing my home improvement nightmares and subsequent financial woes here.
• I'm a hobby whore. I pick up hobbies, invest in the supplies, hoard actually, and abandon them systematically. I have 50 pounds of scrapbooking paper. I haven't scrapbooked since 2004. I just don't have the time. But one day, I will get to catch up. I can sort of sew on a sewing machine. I can put stuff together when I need it.
• I used to paint. I really want to start again, but the to-do list is so big that I can't seem to get to it. Maybe I'll post some pictures of my favorite projects. I just need some anonymous encouragement. I would like to eventually have a show - if I can get enough pieces finished. I haven't finished one since 2004.
• I'm a knitter. I've been knitting for a few years. I got back into it in 2009 as part of a New Year's resolution to finish some of my projects that were mothballed. The knitting is what brought me here, and I'm sure I'll be talking about it in greater detail later.
• I love food. I'm not a good cook. I try though. I wish my hubby and son were more open to my experiments. I get tired of spaghetti and grilled cheese sandwiches.
• I don't drink. I did in my twenties but the pregnancy broke me of the habit and I don't really miss it. I probably have a cocktail once a month.
• I miss smoking. I have asthma and I know better. But, every now and then I will still sneak a cigarette. Us bad girls have to have our vices.
• I miss shopping. I used to be pretty good at it. Lack of money and a figure worth dressing has led to a decline. I'm not fat, but I'm not tone either. No one's fault but my own. The exercise equipment is sitting and waiting patiently for me in the garage.
• Style-wise, I'm a chameleon. I think I have a dark soul, so I lean toward the goth and alternative, at least in my head. I'll wear what is appropriate for my age, where I live, and what I do for a living, but I secretly wish I didn't. I have learned to conform, but I'm not happy about it.
• I watch way too much TV. Couch potato extraordinaire.
  
• I love to read. I have no time or energy to actually read, so I have found a new love - audiobooks. I listen to at least one book a week. I have a 30 minute commute each way, so I listen while I drive. I also plug in when I'm doing stuff around the house. Multi-tasking.

I think I'll add more as I go along and expand on some of the points above. The reality is this whole blog will be about me in one way or another. Apparently, the vanity of Facebook isn't enough to hold me.

An introduction

As I sit here on my uncomfortable IKEA couch surrounded by blankets and knitting fragments watching the end of Sense & Sensibility, I am pondering the point of starting a blog. According to my husband, I don't have the time to be creating any new commitments in my day. He has a point, though I know the driving force behind comments like that is his desire for less competition of my time. Surprisingly, he thinks I would be good at blogging. So maybe I won't be guilted about this as much as some other things. In any case, I need a place to throw my random thoughts into the ether of the internet.

Should I have a purpose statement? Well, I don't really have a purpose. More like good intentions. So let's list my intentions. These are some of the topics I intend to discuss.

1. All things knitting - patterns I create, my progress and results of projects, general thoughts and experiences related to knitting.
2. Book reviews - I'm in a book club, and I am addicted to audiobooks. My reviews will not be literary. I always hated writing book reports.
3. Topics that currently occupy precious brain space - I will randomly obsess about things. This can vary widely from bathroom exhaust fans to panini presses to how to connect my laptop to the TV. If it's rattling around in there, I'll try to dump it here.

I don't intend on updating this on a regular basis. Only when the mood strikes me. Committing myself to a schedule will be fruitless and setting myself up for failure.

I hope , for those of you who stumble across my blog, that I can provide some useful information and maybe provide a little entertainment to boot.

Welcome to my blog.