Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Summer Baking & Sock Knitting

Really what else do I do with my time? I love to bake and I love to knit.

My friend and I made Chocolate Chip Raspberry Crumb Cake and took pictures the entire time =)



Remy made the topping, and I made the batter.



Next we had to defrost the raspberries (yes, I used frozen. They work just as well!). Mixing them in just made the batter look lusciously pink ;-) hehe



Then the final product after cooking. . .



Now, if we were smart, we would have taken pictures after cutting into them. Well we were hungry and wanted to taste the treats =). Haha, I really don't think these made it past the first 2 days of making them. We took them down to our downtown crew and then I gave a bunch to my handsome man. Also my mom and I can't keep baked goods in the house without snacking on them, haha.

I would like to let you all know, my favorite baking cook book is The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook. It has most of the recipes that I love to bake =).

Off to my knitting now,



I've come a long way and I just keep making up this pattern. Once you learn the basics of an article in knitting you can guide your way through the process. I love that about knitting. I love that I can create what I want =). I'm just itching to start that sweater. I just want to finish these socks before hand. Which is silly, but needed because I like to have one project at a time, and not a bunch of unfinished things.

Oh, I'd like to show you a picture of my handsome man =)



I can't even explain how happy this picture makes me. Almost as happy as he makes me =)

Until next time,

<3 Carly

Friday, June 8, 2012

It's Greek to Me =)

I love Greek food, Greek cookies, just all food involving Greek or the Mediterranean in general is fabulous to me. Ask my friends, I'm kinda obsessed.

Anyway, my mother dearest is going on a vacation and the car ride is about 12 hours. Her and her friends wanted so munchies to snack on during the long car ride so I volunteered my baking time to more greek cookies. Something not too sweet, not bitter, not messy, overall a great traveling cookie. They might need glasses of milk or coffee or tea to dunk them in but that's completely irrelevant when they just want something to munch on and not starve during this long trip.

Let me tell you something about the Greeks. They have large families. Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? My dad's family is apparently like that. Big, loud and in each others faces. This is why a Greek cookbook will yield 7 dozen cookies. Hahaha, needless to say, I will be up a little late. Quite alright with me, I'm watching my new movie I got in the mail today, Moneyball =).

If you read up on my blog, you know I'm obsessed with the Best Picture Showcase, and Moneyball was one of my favorites =)

I also got a book in the mail today (I got to go on Amazon). It's Knit Swirl. It's pretty fantastic and I think it'll be a good summer project. I want a sweater and you've all seen my cardigan. I want a sweater. I've been craving a sweater and I think I found a yarn I like at my favorite yarn store (Bloomin' Yarns of course).

Now, I'm finally going to post pictures of my baking! It's all in action now too, currently have a batch in the oven! :)



That is the dough. Now that may not look like a lot, but believe me, it's a sh!t ton of dough. The amount of flour these cookies calls for is insane. I need a kitchen aide Santa!



Now these are just the prep cookies. Normal people would make the cookies this size, but they rise and I like big cookies. I also didn't but a beaten egg painted over the tops this time. I just like them softer.



Here they are cooking! They make the whole house smell lovely. It's mostly butter in there, not going to lie. 3 sticks worth. That's a lot of butter! And then the 5 1/2 cups of flour! Oh this recipe is simple but just tons of things.

Had to take a mini break to change out a batch, just got burned. CAREFUL WHILE BAKING FOLKS!

I already have 61 cookies made, I have 24 in the oven and then 19 left to bake. I yielded 110 cookies, which is way over the 7 dozen, but well worth it. Haha,

Until next time, I'll be eating butter ;-)

<3 Carly

Monday, June 4, 2012

Cookie Monster

So if you remember my last rant of baking, I made Coffee Toffee Bars, Kitchen Sink cookies and I never even got to tell you about my Koulourakia cookies (my favorite Greek cookies). All these cookies were made and consumed without the chance of a camera to capture their delectable looks.

I have uploaded my socks pictures though and very excited to show off my bar socks.



I call them my bar socks because the pattern is from a book for the social knitter, Pints & Purls. I have got countless compliments on them already and I mostly wear them as slippers! Haha

Now these next socks I am working on are much more basic. I just love the yarn, it is so gorgeous that a fancy pattern would just distract from the lovely yarn.



I'm calling them my flirty socks, solely because they are so pink and lovely that I wish to flirt with the yarn =)

Back to my cookie monster title. I am all out of cookies here at the house and I must make more. I've had requests from the Yaya's for their vacation plans and I must fulfill their needs. Now I had a tall handsome helper with my Greek cookies, but I want to surprise him with my next ones. I'll try to get pictures for these this time.

Until next time ;-)

<3 Carly