I fixed an awesome paella for dinner tonight. It was one of the recipes from the class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City when I took the Quick and Healthy Cooking class last week, and it was really good. Since I can't follow a recipe exactly to save my life, I made a couple little tweaks. It was REALLY good and REALLY easy. Even picky-eater son liked it (although I had to take out the shrimp on his portion). Non picky eater son and hubby inhaled it, so I'm assuming it passed.
I made a cream cheese pound cake also. However I think the fudge frosting I put on it was overkill. I will make another one tomorrow and just keep it simple with just a dusting of confectioners sugar or a simple vanilla glaze. My goal this week is to make one to send to son in Iowa. The great thing about a cream cheese poundcake is that it freezes beautifully and just waits for company. I will be making cinnamon rolls and homemade pizza on Friday so I can teach the boys how to make them too. One of my goals this summer is to get the boys in the kitchen with me and participating more in their food prep. I love baking yeast breads--there is something really satisfying about pulling a fresh yeast loaf out of the oven and knowing you made it. I'm trying to focus on reining in our spending by eating in a little more than we have in the past. A lot of things--especially pizza--can be made at home for a fraction of the cost of eating out. I'll post a pizza dough and pizza sauce recipe tomorrow. Try it, you'll like it!
A friend of mine from Atlanta emailed me this evening and asked me if I wanted to go to Mexico with her. I am going to get the passport application completed and sent in by next week so I can finally get a passport and travel with her to see her new husband. I have always told her I would go to Mexico with her, so now it is time I made good on that promise.
As far as knitting, I am working on getting some mittens done for one of the boys. I am using a generic Norwegian mittens chart by Hello Yarn and designing a set just for him. I have never knit this type of mitten from a chart, so it is slow going. I should have the hang of it by the time I take the fiddlehead mitten class at Twist in July. I think July is a great month to start mittens. You can make a whole bunch of them by the time Christmas rolls around and even have a couple pairs stockpiled for last minute gifts.
Some of you that know me also know I am trying to focus on budgeting and simplifying here at Casa Crazylife. Cooking at home and making handmade gifts is right in line with that goal. From time to time I will blog a little on those efforts and the efforts to construct and maintain a budget. The reason for this is not a cash crunch, instead I want to learn to slow down and appreciate the many gifts that I have been given. With gas prices going through the roof, I want to really focus on how I use my resources and cash in general. Our grandparents "used it up, made do, or did without". I tend to just buy what I need and contribute to the consumer mind think. I want to change that part of my life and focus on saving both money and resources. That being said, since hubby nixed the idea of getting an alpaca for the backyard, yarn is negotiable..All work and no yarn make for a very cranky girl.
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