The food blog theme seems to be continuing around here.  If you’re dieting or don’t like dessert, just move along (and if you don’t like dessert, I can’t imagine why you read my blog).  Knitting content will continue as soon as I have something new to share (and no, I don’t think another inch on a plain sock is interesting enough to share).  I saw this recipe at Smitten Kitchen last Friday and it looked so good that I stopped at the store on my way home from work for a couple of things I needed to make the cake and we had pound cake for dessert.  I had never made an actual pound cake before this one (i.e. no leavener except the air you beat in and the quantity of ingredients), but SK’s recipe is so clear that I didn’t have any trouble.  Plus, the strawberry coulis is wonderful.  It’s made with fresh strawberries and just tastes like summer, which is always a good thing this time of year.  If you’re looking for a great cake (that is really easy) for dessert or a party, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one.

Some recipes are so basic that it seems silly to post them on the blog, but I made Chicken Bake the other night, so you’re stuck reading about it.  Chicken Bake is exactly what it sounds like.  It’s chicken, cream of chicken soup (with a little bit of sour cream), and stovetop stuffing … baked.  It’s always a hit around my house because it’s a basic meat dish.  There are no frills, no “weird” ingredients (like vegetables!), and it’s great reheated for lunch.  Don’t get me wrong - this dish would be fabulous with some mixed veggies of your choice thrown in, but it isn’t going to happen at my house.  That’s all I’m saying.

Chicken Bake

• 1 package Stove Top dressing of your choice (I’ve used chicken, herb, whatever suits your fancy or is on sale works great)
• 1/2 stick butter, diced (that’s 1/4 cup for you people who like to know those things)
• 4 boneless chicken breasts (we like extra meat so I use a package of boneless thighs too to add a little extra flavor and boost the total weight of meat in the recipe)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (you could absolutely use cream of mushroom or celery even)
• 1/3 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.  (Did you know that slightly frozen chicken is a whole lot easier to cut than thawed chicken?)  Put the cut-up chicken into a 9×13 pan.



3. Mix stuffing with 1 2/3 cups water and stir in diced butter.



4. Mix the condensed soup with the sour cream.



5. Spread the soup mixture evenly over the top of the chicken.



6. Top with the fluffed stuffing (dressing … whatever you call it where you live).



7. Bake 30-45 minutes (depending on how frozen your chicken was when you started because you really don’t want raw chicken in the middle - it’s gross).  Sometimes I even broil it for a few minutes to get the stuffing nice and brown and crispy - I think that makes it better.
8. Enjoy it for dinner and then take it for lunch for a few days because it’s really just as good reheated in the microwave (and how many things can you say that about?)

The weather here has been warm - “unseasonably warm” they say.  While it’s been fabulous to be able to go outside with a light jacket and no hat or mittens, the reality is that it won’t last.  The weather people, in all their infinite wisdom, say we should expect snow next week.  I hope they’re wrong, but they’re probably right.  We don’t really have spring in Wyoming.  We have winter and summer - not spring and only a couple of weeks of fall.  Anyway, despite knowing that it won’t last, the warm weather has made me think about the yard and gardening and all of the grand plans I have that I never really get around to.  I think I’ll make a list this year and see what we can actually get accomplished over the next few months.  Raised beds are on the top of my list, but we’ll see what kind of buy-in I can get on that idea.

I took your wise advice and have been working on Butterfly.  I set the armhole steaks and am in the process of decreasing for the armholes.  I find that I have to pay really close attention with the decreases so I don’t forget to do them, so it’s been slow going, but the end is in sight.  In addition to finishing Butterfly, I started a basic sock - mindless stockinette stitch is a nice balance to the headache-inducing Butterfly.

This is Trekking Pro Natura (their 75% superwash wool, 25% bamboo) and 2.25mm dpns with 64 stitches (ala Yarn Harlot)(that picture makes it look like there are ladders, but in person it doesn’t seem that there are - hmmm).

Last weekend I made The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever!  It is so good, and so easy.  You should make it tonight.  You’re loved ones will thank you.  Trust me.

It is so moist and rich and delicious.  I love everything about it.  I’ve also heard that it makes great cupcakes, so I’m going to have to try that soon.

Chili is one of those things people feel passionately about.  Everyone has their favorite recipe and some people even dislike it.  I’m personally not sure about those people, but hey, whatever.  My favorite chili recipe is one I’ve adapted from a recipe in the “Daddy of ‘em All Cookbook,” which is now out of print.  It has a lot of meat, which I think is what makes it stand out from other recipes, but that could be just because we like meat around here.

You start with 1 pound of ground pork and 1 pound of chorizo.  Brown those in your chili pot and make sure you break up the chorizo as it browns because it tends to be a bit clumpy.

While those are browning, chop up 1 onion.

When your pork and chorizo are done, transfer the browned meat to a plate lined with paper towels so it can drain.  Wipe out your pot (no need to wash it), add the onions & ground beef

Brown the onions and beef in the chili pot until the onions are tender and the ground beef is no longer pink.

Transfer your browned beef to another plate lined with paper towels to drain (you don’t want greasy chili!).  Wipe out your chili pot and then put all of the meat back into the pot.  Add 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 4 oz. can of v-8 juice, a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies, 1 bottle of beer (any that you like is fine - you can substitute water, but it really isn’t as good), and 1 tbsp chili powder.

Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp chili powder.

Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add pinto beans.

Simmer until heated through or until desired consistency (I usually give it another 30 minutes).

While your chili is simmering, you have time to make cornbread.  I use The Pioneer Woman’s recipe because it’s a good basic cornbread and oh so yummy.  I think the key to good cornbread is baking it in a cast iron skillet - nothing’s better!

Follow your meal with a couple of Smitten Kitchen’s delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

And then you lay on the couch and groan and beat yourself up for eating so much, but it was so good, you can’t feel too bad about the whole deal.

Daddy Of ‘Em All Chili

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound bulk chorizo sausage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 6 oz. can V-8 juice
• 1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 1 12 oz. bottle beer
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 3 16 oz. cans pinto beans

1. Brown ground pork and chorizo in chili pot, stirring until crumbly; transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain.  Wipe out chili pot.

2. Brown ground beef and onion, stirring until crumbly; transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain.  Wipe out chili pot.

3. Place meats pack in chili pot.  Add tomato sauce, V-8 juice, green chilis, beer, and 1 tbsp. chili powder.  Mix.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

4. Add remaining 2 tbsp. chili mix.  Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Add beans.  Simmer until heated through or until desired consistency.

6. Serve with grated cheese, chopped onion and cornbread.

I love practical knitting projects.  One of the best things about knitting is that when you need a new hat or mittens, you can make yourself some.  The same logic applies to a yoga bag.  I thought about buying one, I thought about sewing one, and then I decided to knit one.

This is the Serenity Yoga Mat Bag from Knit Wit (Ravelry link), which I checked out from the library.  I’m trying really hard to not buy knitting books and magazines unless there’s more than one pattern I really, really like.  I have so many on my bookshelf that I’ve never even knit from - it seems like such a waste, although I do enjoy looking at them.

I used 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon in color 164 and 1 skein of Brown’s Sheep Lanaloft in Sea Fog (Ravelry).  I modified the top by knitting a 3 stitch i-cord rather than a single crochet chain for the drawstring and I didn’t use a toggle closure, but just tie it in a bow.

The strap is knit in linen stitch, which is very firm, but it still stretched out a lot when I started using the bag - probably 5 or 6 inches - and I’ve only used it 4 times since I attached the strap.  I’m not sure how much more it will stretch and how the bag will wear over time, but it wasn’t a huge investment, so if I have to end up sewing or buying one, it won’t be a big deal.  It was a little hard to get my mat into the bag in the beginning, but the bag itself has stretched a bit and it’s now easier to get my thick mat in.

Now I have to decide on my next project.  I have some Peace Fleece from KPixie in a great jade color that I want to make into an EZ Seamless Hybrid ala Jared and Diana.  I also have the Seeded Cable Cardigan (ravelry) from Sensual Knits that I have the back and 1/2 of the first side done on - I’m doing that in an ivory Cascade 220.  And there’s the always-in-progress Butterfly from Jade Starmore to finish - it’s about half done now.  I could also cast on for a new pair of socks since I don’t have any on the needles, but I thought I should decide on a sweater project before I decide if the socks are a good idea right now.

At this point I think I’m leaning towards Butterfly and maybe a pair of socks as my portable knitting.  It would be great if I could get that vest done before summer so I can wear it a bit this year!  What do you think?