Tomatoes CAN rock all winter long...

Back on Tuesday, when I wasn't doubled over trying to forcibly expel my lungs from my body 500 times a day, that day when the house didn't look like this:

...yeah, that last day when I felt I could tackle a project...that dayI succumbed to my tomato craving.

It hits about this time every year. I start dreaming of those tiny grape ones fresh off the vine. BLTs with a HUGE slice of heirloom T. Big bowls full of tomatoes and basil tossed with some great olive oil and syrupy balsamic. SIGH, what's a gal to do in January in Minnesota?

Nab a bag full of the pathetic pale pink excuses for plum tomatoes gracing the local produce section and f ire up the oven...that's what.

Confused? Don't be. I am here to share the mid-winter key to the tomato-y goodness of your (erm..or perhaps only my) dreams.

Here's what you need: several pounds of plum tomatoes, a head or two of garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt/pepper and a roasting pan.

Here's what you do: roast them. Set your oven to 275ish degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the tomatoes into quarters length-wise. Scoop out the seeds. Throw those away. Put the tomatoes in the roasting pan. Peel a head or two of garlic. Leave the cloves whole. Put them in the pan with the tomatoes. Toss with a couple of chugs of good olive oil, a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. It will look something like this:


Put the pan in the oven. Check on it in an hour or so. Give it a nice stir. Talk lovingly of it's grand aroma. Pop it back in the oven for another hour or so. Try not to salivate all over yourself. Stir it again. Continue until it looks something like this: (really, this takes hours and hours and hours)

The tomatoes will be very shriveled. The garlic will be lusciously golden. They both will be coated with a thick, syrupy sauce. What you have now is a big pan of caramelized tomato/garlic heaven to toss with pasta, dress a bowl of arugula or adorn thick slices of crusty bread. Buon appetito!

I'm sick.

I'm so sick my coffee tastes a bit like pooty.

Pooty with stale cigarettes floating in it.

UGH.

The Eye Candy Post

Lots of pictures for you...very few words. I'm foggy from lack of oxygen again me thinks...yes, #3 and I are apparently facing yet another bout of crud. Darn gooey germy "huggy mommy" demanding teething toddler!

I've been lax in picture posting, so here you go...eye candy. No pattern links now. If you see something you like, lemme know and I'll get it up.

The Mossy Cowl I made Icy for my mom.

The baby's Alpine Boots. (All 3 got pairs for the holidays, but I only have pics of these. My bad. I was just so happy to have them all done...)

Yes, one of the Ripple blankets has actually become a real, functioning blanket. Also for #3 for the holidays.

FINALLY something for me. Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Rainbow, worked up into Chloe Nightingale's big Bobble Headband.

Soaps in Sacks....or how I endured supporting my husband during the Packer's dismal playoff performance this past Sunday.

The first of 2 socks I promised #2.

...and because I don't have nearly enough to be working on right now...

...I started Secret of the Stole ii.

Yes, my name is Dawn and I fully admit that I have a BIG problem.

Vengeful

Yes, thoughts of sweet, sweet vengeance have filled my heart.

The brilliant powers that be that recently decreed that since pediatric decongestants do not actually cure the incurable common cold and some people apparently can neither read nor follow the very clear dosing instructions printed on the package...those powers that be that therefore pulled said decongestants off the shelves entirely, stating that home remedies are just as effective...those very powers that be need to be locked in a very small house alone with a very congested, goo dripping, not sleeping or eating because they are so unfalteringly stuffed up toddler for a week armed with only a steamy shower and a nasal aspirator.

My bet is pediatric decongestant would be back on the market pronto.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I am such a sheep. Saw this thread on the L&V Message Board of Dooooom and of course proceeded to start my own starter. In 10 days, Amish Bread-y wonderfulness shall be mine.

It could be yours too. How-to here. Why it works here.

(and it so should be fermenting away in your kitchen right now. if you haven't had the pleasure before, this stuff is gooooooood. makes the best apple bread evah.)

Finishalongapalooza, Stage Two....

...is apparently denial.

The frog pond projects have been dutifully liberated, are entered in my Ravelry Stash so I stay accountable to them, and are now in happy pretty balls residing in baggies with the patterns they hopefully will be worked into this year.

...but apparently I figure as long as I don't face the mountian of WIPs I unearthed it's ok to start more. Damn sock club. Just look what it made me do:

Mmmm-hm. That is in fact Chery Tree Hill Silky Kid, Peacock colorway. It totally doesn't suit the club's cable eyelet cable pattern this month, but who could resist??? So, I've found a happy lace pattern in Ann Budd's Knitting Socks and am into the first repeat.

Really. It's not that bad. If you consider that I already had the perfect squishy, quick to work up yarn in my stash:
(Dream in Color Classy in Beach Fog) Really. Don't look at me like that. Is one not allowed to purchase sock yarn at sock club with the express purpose of making socks...in this case just not the socks for the club.

So now I have a few more things to finish...who's counting?

Finishalongapalooza, Stage One.

On their latest podcast, the Misses Lime and Violet announced their new marathon "along" for 2008...the Finishalongapalooza. Idea being you actually finish what you have started, freeing up mental ram, hooks and needles along the way, purging your soul of the guilt inherent in stashing languishing projects behind pieces of furniture thus accruing good yarn mojo. Details are still to come for the most part, though there is a thread on their Ravelry board. If you're operating outside of Ravelry, hang on, it shall come...in a big way judging from the banter.

You've most likely gleaned from things laying about here that this is something I need to embrace. Yeah.

So today I started the process of unearthing projects...and about doubled the horrifying list I had in my brain. Made me a bit ill. Decided I must start small or sink forever into despair. Today's baby step is facing the frog pond:

...which really was not as large as I thought it would be. We have"

• one baby hat (the green thing in the corner. great pattern the yarn obscured totally so I never finished)
• the Lisa Souza Violet's Pink Ribbon misty meadow (pattern out of Scarf Style) scarf. (I will never ever finish it and let's face it, pink scarves are not me. This shall be repurposed as socks.)
• 2 pairs of socks from my sock club. One in Tofuttsi (love the yarn, but why oh why did I think I would wear daintily ruffled socks???) and one in Wildfoote (on which I am enjoying neither the yarn nor the cable charts. cables will just have to wait a bit longer it seems). The Tofuttsi I shall set aside for another pattern and the Wildfoote I shall attempt to find a new home.
• In the middle is an Insubordiknit monster hat kit, one of two I bought before I was even knitting...purchased with the express purpose of creating fabulous crocheted versions of her patterns. One worked gloriously (you'll hear about that in Stage 2) but this one not so much. Needs to be frogged and given a new, much more glorious form.
• The pinkish/purplish projects to the leftish are two attempts at fingerless mitts. Neither attempted very well. Now I have some bulky Aisha Celia wool and 2 skeins of Atacama to do something with. SIGH.
• Deep, deep SIGH for the last. The brown mass at the far left is 2800 yards of Ecowool originally destined to be the Cinnabar Coat from Interweave Crochet. About half way through I came to the realization the I don't like wearing fitted coats. Played around with knitting it, but urg, what I was attempting was just not right, and let's face it I haven't been knitting long enough and don't have sufficient garment experience to wing it. Am thinking some of it shall be an oversized pullover hoodie of some sort, worked in the round if I can find such a pattern.....hmmm, now that I'm thinking about it, me thinks there was some sort of crocheted hooded cardi in that same issue of IC...will have to check that out.

So, 8 never to be finished projects unearthed and faced...to be lovingly frogged and rewound in hopes of resurrection. Check.

Next step: face the WIP line-up...shudder.