More kool aid dyeing and spinning for me

My finished hand spun yarn

I can't measure how much yarn I have as they are still wet from setting the twist. I can't wait to make something out of them. From nothing to something. This is amazing. I am thinking to make a tea set for Lil and Nay. They will need to share this. One of them will have a plate, and the other one will have a cup! Hope I have enough yarn... .

chicken cordon bleu

This has been my favorite dish ever since I was a kid. I am finally brave enough to give it a try. No recipes again...

Pound the chicken cutlet, roll it up with pruchetto (sp) and Gruyere cheese, dust it with all purpose flour, then egg wash, then bread crumbs. Gently fry the rolls with some EVOO and finish this in the oven.

Watercress with fermented Tofu

DH found a recipe to make this dish. It is in chinese and I have no plans in translating this. Basically, tons of garlic with a couple of fermented tofu. Melt the tofu with the garlic, then add the veggies. Add sugar to taste. And that's it.

Centuries Egg, salted meat Congee

This is my mom's dish. She made the best congee. Keep in mind she is not the best cook, but this congee is really the best. I am very picky with my congee.
First: Marinate the meat and rice with EVOO and loads of Salt. Marinate overnight.
Second: Bring a good amount of H2O and chicken broth to boil, and then, you can add the rice and meat.
Third: You will need to keep stirring after 45 minutes, otherwise, it will stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. You will also need to add the centuries egg.
Once you reach your desire consistancy, that's it!!

I COOK!! Chicken w/ Ginger and green onion

I wanted to have this dish for the longest time. Since we can't find a recipe, I decided to just give it a try! It was so good! I did IT!!

First, add ginger and green onion to a fry pan w/ some EVOO. Well you smell the aroma, you can add chicken, stir fry for a couple of minutes, add 2T of dark soy sauce and a good amount of oyster sauce. Add a little bit of sugar to taste. That's IT!! Super simply and super yummy!

subs

When you have a yummy bread, what would you do for breakfast? My favorite SUB!! Eggie, tomatoie, avacadoie, this time with bacon too. Well, we have some bacon left over from the BLT bake. So... Why not throw them in?

Challah

I got this recipe from my sister. this is so so yummy. I truly enjoy playing with my dough rather than having the bread machine do all the work.

Challah (Braided bread)3 c bread flour1 t sugar1 T bread machine yeast1 c water1 large egg1/2 teaspoon salt2 T unsalted butter1 egg yolk whisked into 2 T spring water for glazeSesame seeds or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top.Add half the flour, the sugar, yeast, and water to the bread machine pan. Process ont he dough setting. Let this sponge stand for 8-24 hours before making the bread. Add the remaining flour, the egg, salt, and butter to the bread machine pan. Process on the dough setting. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few seconds. Cover the dough with the bread machine pan and let it stand for 10 minutes or so. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 16" long strip that's about 1 inch in diameter. Place the first piece on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Lay the other two pieces diagonally over the first, forming a spoke pattern. Form the 3 pieces into a fat braid, beginning in the middle and braiding outward to each end. Tuck the ends under neatly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise until almost doubled in bulk. While the dough rises, preheat the over to 350F. Just before baking, brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash. Sprinkle generously with sesame or poppy seeds, and bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven until the challah is a luscious golden color, 45-50 minutes. Cool on a rack and store in plastic wrap.

Rachel Ray's BLT Pasta bake

I got this from the newest rachel ray's cook book. It is the bacon, leek and tomato pasta bake. This is extremely good and unhealthy. 3 cups of cheese... But we have been eating it for about 3 days. So, it's not that bad.

Mill ends

OK... I ordered 4 lbs of mill ends rovings from www.thesheepshedstudio.com. I haven't ask DH whether I can order them. But, I thought since it's so much cheaper than the others. I can order them. :) Dyes will be my next order. Guess what I did yesterday??? I talked to payroll and have her adjust W4 status to two deductions. So, I will have more $$ to pay for my hobbies.

Spinning

Kool Aid Dyeing. It was so much fun. Although the colors are much stronger and brighter than I thought it would be. But, it was definitely a fun process.

I was spinning for two hours last night. I think there were about 2 oz of rovings. Guess what, I have a blister on the index finger. But, it's all worth it. The yarns are way better than I picture them. However, I am still having trouble drafting the same amount of yarn everytime.

Spinning

I spent a lot of time researching on spinning and dyeing with Kool Aid. I can't wait to get my hands on some Kool Aid and a large zip lock bag or something like that to dye my lovely rovings I received as a birthday present from my "partner in crime." I will take some pics of my b-day gifts hopefully tonight. The spinning part I am still a little bit lost, but I guess if I have my hands working with it, I should be in better shape. I think it will be this weekend before I can touch that...
Other than that, I will be setting up another blog for my Hoover dam trip. It was pretty "dam" cool. The link will follow if and when it is complete! :)

Comfort Food for DH and I -- Beef and Potato~ Japanese Style

Nikujaga (beef and potato stew)

This dish is extremely simple to cook and it's so YUMMY!!! I used flank steak and it was very tender!! Try this out, I am sure you will enjoy this! :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 to 5 pieces each
1/3 lb. beef, thinly sliced
2/3 lb. yellow onions, sliced (about 1/3 inch wide)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
400 cc water (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons or more soy sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons or more brown sugar (to taste)
2 tablespoons sake or white wine
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Ofukuro no aji -- Mom's cooking: This is a typical Japanese dish served at dinner. The main ingredients are russet potatoes, onions, and beef. The flavoring is based on soy sauce and sugar, very common for a Japanese dish.
Directions
Prepare vegetables as described above. Heat a deep pan and add oil and beef. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add onion and potato. Continue sauteing for 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sake or wine. Bring to a simmer half covered. Skim off any foam and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are done.
Source: Noriko's Kitchen

BREAD!!!

Ok, we got our bread machine last nite. (the breadman ultimate) So, at 8pm, we started the process. We made a 100% whole wheat bread from the recipe book that came with the machine. We used the rapid cycle, and I guess it explains why it was so dense. The bread itself was OK... I think my wheat flour was mixed with some of spelt flour that I originally have, so it was pretty wet. But, hey... At least I can explain why it was rather wet and dense. It wasn't a great success and that's why I didn't even bother to take a photo... Sorry...

On the knitting front, I am almost done w/ DH's first sock. The sad thing is... we wear a pair of them. So, one more for me to go.