Knot Sew Crafty

Dinner for One

In Germany, New Year's Eve is called Silvester and on Silvester, everyone in the country watches this sketch about an elderly woman and her butler. I don't really understand how this tradition began in Germany, or in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Faroe Islands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland or Australia, where Dinner for One is also a New Year's TV staple. A 1963 English performance of a short comic play seems an unlikely choice for a German New Year's tradition, but it is, and my grandmother loved it, so I share it with you.

Dinner for One

Things to Remember in 2009

I'm not going to make a list of resolutions, because they'd pretty much be the same ones that I've been listing since I was twenty. Clearly, resolutions do not work for me.

Instead, I'm going to list some things for me to keep in mind in 2009:

Worry is not preparation.

Your reaction is a choice that you make.

Let go

Take baby steps

Be present

You cannot change others, you can only change yourself.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Live your values

Life is not a dress rehearsal.

This too shall pass

and last, but definitely not least,

Breathe (thanks to Amy for reminding me!)

Maybe I'll get this list tattooed somewhere, so I'll never forget. But that would hurt and also I don't know where I'd put it so that I could see it--inner arm, maybe? Maybe I'll just embroider it on a pillow...

As the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Oprah once said, "Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right!"

Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Peace on earth and good will towards everyone!

For the Fourth Night of Hanukkah...

I give you a new-fangled version of The Dreidel Song, by Sasha Baron Cohen's brother, Erran. My kids can't get enough of it, and I find it quite catchy myself.

**I cannot get youtube to embed anything and it is driving me crazy! Anyone have any ideas or tips?

Laurie Colwin's Gingerbread

I spent last night baking Gingerbread and Grandma Jen Cookies for Bea's big holiday party at school. The house smelled amazing and just like the holidays should. I packed every single bit of baked good in Rubbermaid containers to be sent off to the third grade and did not eat even a morsel of it myself! It was pure torture! OK, I did have one cookie, but it was small and a little bit overbrowned, so I really couldn't send that one in, now could I?

I posted this recipe in my third-ever post, but I think it bears repeating because Laurie Colwin was a goddess and because I think that my husband and my sister were the only people reading this blog then:

How to Make Gingerbread (adapted from Laurie Colwin)

1. Cream one stick of sweet butter with 1/2 c. of dark brown sugar. Beat until fluffy and add 1/2 c. of molasses.
2. Beat in 2 eggs.
3. Add 1 1/2 c. of flour, 1/2 tsp. of baking soda and one tbsp. ground ginger. Add one tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves and 1/4 tsp. of ground allspice.
4. Add two tsps. of vanilla extract, then 1/2 cup of buttermilk (or milk with some yogurt mixed in.
5. Turn batter into a buttered 9x9 tin.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until a tooth pick in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
7. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the heavenly aroma that will fill your kitchen.

Laurie highly recommends Steen's Syrup in place of molassess. It's a bit of a pain because you have to order it from Steen's in South Louisiana, but it's worth it for the taste and because the label on the cans is fantastic. Maybe they sell Steen's in supermarkets in the South? I hope so.

Latkes Latkes Everywhere

I had an Italian housemate in college named Rolando Montecalvo who used to make me latkes. He swore that they were Italian and came from his Grandmother's old family recipe. I didn't care where they came from, I just wanted to eat them up! I love them with sour cream, because I love pretty much anything with sour cream, but they are also great with apple sauce.

This recipe is from smitten kitchen, source of all things yummy.

Potato Pancakes [Latkes]

My formula is roughly this: a one-pound russet or baking potato to one small onion, a large egg, quarter-cup of flour, teaspoon of salt and a hefty pinch of black pepper. How many you yield has to do with how big you make them; I aim for small ones (approximately three inches across) and get about a dozen per batch.

But, if you’re not a formula person, here is a more official-like recipe:

1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled
1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil, for frying

In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. You can also keep latkes warm in the oven for an hour or more, if you’re waiting for stragglers to arrive. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until they’re crisp again. Bonus: If you undercooked them a bit or didn’t get the browning on them you’d hoped for, you can compensate for this in the oven.

Snowy Sunday

Various views from our house, as seen and photographed by CMR. Our shovel is broken, but we have deep reserves of hot chocolate, so we'll be ok.

Blog Vows 2009

I hereby vow to:

1. Answer comments. I love and treasure every single comment, but for some reason, I'm terrible about answering them. For those of you who have commented in the past, I beg your forgiveness and promise to respond to all comments in 2009!

2. Stop creating weekly post categories. I keep starting things like "Spanish Words of the Week" and "Frugal Fridays," and then I pressure myself about them and I feel like I'm back in school and I don't want that at all. If there's a special thing that I post about that you like, please let me know and I'll very happily do more of it, but mostly I'm just going to post whatever I feel like posting because I don't need anymore stress or guilt in my life.

3. Take better pictures. I've gotten discouraged over the past few months, because so many bloggers have such amazing photographs on their sites, and I stopped taking pictures altogether. I think a better idea would be for me to learn more about photography and experiment more, if you're willing to bear with me!

And last but not least,

4. Craft and not be shy about showing my crafts, even if, and maybe especially if, they are lousy.

**The picture above has nothing to do with the post. I just have a weakness for old Penguin paperbacks.

Maya's Buttermilk Pie

It is snowing here today and I firmly believe in baking when it snows.

The picture does not do it justice. It is glorious, and it smells like everything good. Maya says I should wait till it sets properly before taking a slice, but I'm not sure I can stand it.

Find the recipe here.

Très Mignon!

I came across this bit of deliciousness in my haze of sickness web trawling:

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.