In the Kitchen On the Needles

Updated: Vanilla Pudding recipe at end of post.

Creating.

There has been a lot of that going on around here

now that the weather has significantly cooled.

I have kind of been obsessed with this vanilla pudding.

It is so smooth and tasty.

I ripped the recipe out of  Everyday Food

and have made it several times already.

Simple ingredients and so much more tasty

than a boxed instant pudding.

And the piece de resistance,

warm vanilla roasted pears on top.

And this salad. Looks a bit messy but oh the flavour.

It couldn't be simpler either.

Quarter and seed some Roma tomatoes.

Chop an onion and some garlic.

Put the works on a roasting tray, drizzle with

olive oil. And sea salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 mins or so at 375.

Take the hot stuff an mix with fresh spinach.

That's it.

And this recipe. Broiled tilapia cod with a coconut curry sauce.

Need I say more? Recipe here.

This spinach salad with pear, bacon, cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese.

Fig and balsamic dressing.

I LOVE blue cheese.

This Hutterite chicken. Oh my. So delicious.

I slow roast it. An hour per pound. Yes really.

It is moist and tender and so wonderful.

Recipe here.

And the best roasted veg you will ever eat.

Potatoes, crisp on the outside, perfectly done on the inside.

Parsnips, carrots, onion.

Thank you Jamie Oliver.

I will never make a poor roasted potato again.

The secret? Parboil the veg first.

And on the needles...

Hats. Lots of them.

This one is  a silk cotton blend and is not at all warm.

I was disappointed. More of a fall and spring toque I guess.

 

This merino wool hat. Warm as can be.

I like the fold over brim.

Extra warmth for the ears and with

my short hair I need that.

Athena's merino wool hat to match her sweater.

So cute on her. I made two more of these plus

another ribbed one for my three lovely granddaugthers.

  

And last, this oh so expensive Alpaca hat.

I got the wool locally from an Alpaca farm just down the highway.

It knit up so nicely, not counting the wool pieces

that were always all over my skirt and chair.



 

But, it kind of bothers me a bit.

A tiny bit itchy on my sensitive skin.

So, little miss A gets it. She wanted it after all.

It is kind of nice too since it was from Aria, her favorite

Alpaca at the farm. The one she pet and fed.

Thank you hat model Athena.

So I have been doing a lot of knitting including some secret "holiday"

knitting that I can't mention here.

Now I am just awaiting my wool shipment from Knitpicks.

So I can get on with the projects I have planned.

I really hope it comes in the mail tomorrow

because we are having lots of snow and way below

normal temps this weekend.

The perfect weather for knitting!

(And cooking of course.)

Classic Vanilla Pudding

1/2 cup sugar

3 T cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks

and add to saucepan.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium high until mixture thickens and is bubbling. 8 to 12 minutes. Reduse head to medium low and cook, whiksking 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

Press plastic wrap directly against surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate 3 hours, or up to 3 days.

To serve, whisk until smooth.

Coffee flavour

Add 3 T instant espresso powder along with sugar and cornstarch.

Reduce vailla to 1/2 tsp.

Butterscotch

Replace granulated sugar with 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Reduce vanilla to 1/2 tsp

Chocolate

Add 1/4 cup cocal powder with sugar and cornstarch

Reduce vanilla to 1/2 tsp

Lemon

Add 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest with sugar and cornstarch

Omit vanilla

Whisk 2 T fresh lemon juice into chilled pudding before serving.

Recipes from Everyday Food.