Potato Leek Soup

It's chilly and rainy here in central Texas the perfect weather for a pot o' soup.

Potato leek soup is one of my favorites--it's quick and easy and rich and creamy. I like to make this soup with either red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, they are less starchy than russets. As for the cheese, use what you like--cheddar and swiss both work well, but I prefer to use Gruyère. Here's my basic recipe for this vegetarian classic.

Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 leeks, white parts only sliced and rinsed well

3-5 cloves of garlic minced

5-6 medium potatoes cut into hunks

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed

5 cups vegetable broth or stock

1 cup milk

1/4 lbs. of cheese (about 1 cup grated)

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottom stock pot. Add the leeks and cook until tender. Add the garlic, potatoes, thyme and toss. Add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until the potatoes are very tender. For a more rustic soup mash with a potato masher or for a creamier texture puree with an immersion blender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, milk and chives. Season with salt and pepper.

serves 4-6 generously

Enjoy!

Two New Sock Patterns

I'm pleased to announce two new sock patterns! Both patterns were written for knitting the socks on two circular needles, because that's how I roll.

First up is Plain Jane - Plain Jane is a simple stockinette sock for women. The pattern has been written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. It is written for a woman's size 8 foot, but instructions are included for a custom fit. I recommend a jazzy self-striping sock yarn to make Plain Jane anything but plain. They are shown here in Knit Picks Felici.

Next is Adam's Rib His & Her Sock - A fantastically comfortable ribbed sock for women or men. The pattern was also written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. The "Hers" socks is designed to sit higher on the calf, and is therefore wider. The "His" version is narrower through the calf, and longer in the foot. They are shown here in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.

Both patterns are available on my website. Enjoy!

Everywhere I Look I See Orange

As a part of the "Take More Photos Project -2010" I present to you the color orange...

Nandina

Dalahast Horses

Bird House

Nandina

The Take More Photos Project 2010

I don't usually get all resolution-y at the New Year; I do like to think about goals for the new year and reflect back on the passing year which I did in the previous post. However, on New Year's Day I spent some time looking through the photos I've taken recently and I resolved to make 2010 the year of taking more photos.

I can't commit to something as regular as a "365 photo project", or even a "Wordless Wednesday" project like you see a lot of bloggers do. But I can, and have, made a wee New Year's resolution to do a "Take More Photos Project" and I intend to share the results here on Right Out Loud.

For the first installment I pulled together some of my favorite photos from the recent past. Mostly they're from 2009, although a few may be slightly older than that but are none-the-less some of my favorites. Enjoy them! And stay tuned for the next installment of "Take More Photos Project -2010".

Spanish Governor's Mansion San Antonio, TX

Old Church San Antonio, TX

Spanish Governor's Mansion San Antonio, TX

Leona's Chimayo, New Mexico

Alpaca

Chimayo, New Mexico

The Guthrie Theatre Minneapolis, MN

Green Roma Tomatoes

Parsley Eater

Gerbera Daisy

Garden Toad

Hummingbird

Brunch

Herbs

Farm Fresh Eggs

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Aaron Johnson

The New Year Post

This is the post where we look back on 2009 and look ahead to 2010.

I know for sure that the biggest change in 2009 was The Boyfriend losing his job and our decision to relocate back to Minneapolis. The house here in Austin is still on the market and we haven't moved yet. This means we know for sure one thing 2010 has in store for us is The Move. I think I'm doing pretty well with this change--I'm sick and tired of the house being on the market and the constant cleaning and interruptions that go with it, but I'm also looking forward to the house shopping on the other end, and the return to Minneapolis. Minneapolis is home, it is where my family is, and it's great city.

As a knitter 2009 saw the successful launch of ElizabethCarls.com. And the inclusion of my designs on Patternfish.com. I started my affair with sock knitting, self-publish several new patterns, and taught several workshops. I finished a plethora of projects, but sadly did not finish my gift knitting in time for Christmas.

2009 was the year I became a "Texas Gardener". The Boyfriend and I built the Kitchen Garden back in March. I wrote about the whole process here on the blog and for the Oct/Nov issue of Texas Gardner Magazine. The garden was pretty much a huge success. I'm still eating the pesto and the baba ghanouj I made and froze.

This past year has been an interesting one when it comes to food. In 2009 I made a return to eating meat, which is really a much longer story and I should and probably will write about it sometime, but the short version of the story goes something like this: I have be en a non-meat eater for more than 20 years and my reason for abstaining has always been the lack of clean meat. I didn't want to eat all those antibiotics, and hormones, and I certainly didn't want to support an industry that is so destructive to our environment. But in 2009 I discovered Greenling and found myself buying good clean meat for The Boyfriend. Everything was pasture raised, organic, drug free, and local. I could support that. And one day while cooking a clean local lamb burger for The Boyfriend I thought "I'm going to eat this." And I did. And now I can hardly call myself a vegetarian--we still only eat meat a couple of times per week, and we only eat local, pasture-raised organic meat. It's a big change.

2009 was also the year I decided to learn to can, as in food preservation. I did jams when the strawberries hit the farmer's market, and peach sauce when the peaches were in. I also pickled peppers from the kitchen garden. I organized a couple of Soup Swaps in 2009. And did lots of shopping at the Farmer's Market.

As a runner I did the 3M Half Marathon in January, several charity 5Ks, and of course the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in 2009. I've taken on a new running partner and never lace up the shoes without Aaron Johnson at my side. It's nice to have the company.

So what lies ahead in 2010... The Move of course... Minneapolis of course.

2010 promises many new knitting designs, a few new workshops, and the publication of 1,000 Fabulous Hats (which will include several of my hats.)

I know I'll have a garden again in 2010, but it will be in Minneapolis. Which is fine, because Minneapolis is a great place to garden and I have lots of experience growing in the Upper Midwest.

We will of course continue to eat as locally, and as organically as possible. I have started researching sources of local clean meat in the Minneapolis area, and even found a meat CSA, I suspect that 2010 will see us continuing to eat clean and local meat. We will also continue to shop the Farmer's Market, and at our local food co-op.

There is already talk of a canning party with several of my Minneapolis friends. And I suppose there will be soup swapping as well. And I'll continue to post recipes here on the blog.

As a runner I look forward my return to Minneapolis also--I'll never have to run on the road again as Minneapolis is a runner (and cyclist's) dream in terms of paths and green-ways. The Boyfriend and I have said we will run the Valentine's Day 5k at Lake Harriet if we're there. I'm sure there will be plenty of running in 2010.

I'd love to learn to cross country ski, and to make pasta. I'm planning a reunion with my Austin knitting friends--we'll meet the first weekend in October in Taos NM for the Wool and Fiber Fest.

What does 2010 have in store for you?

The Gift of Good Food

Again this year I have made a commitment to handmade gifts. This means a ton of gift knitting, of course. Unfortunately most of my gift knitting is yet to be finished so I'll save that for a later post.

What is finished, and in the mail are some yummy gifts of the edible variety. This year I sent preserves I made this summer to my family - The peach rum sauce, the spiced peach jam, and the two types of strawberry jam.

I also made huge batches of granola to send to Minnesota. Granola is super simple really and when packaged in a half gallon Ball canning jar it makes a pretty snazzy gift. Here's my recipe.

Almond Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw sliced almonds
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup grape seed oil
1/2 honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups dried fruit

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Gentle heat the oil, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir well. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large baking pan. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry goods and toss until coated evenly. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours (or until toasty and crunchy) stir often while baking. Add the dry fruit of your choice after the granola has been allowed to cool.

I prefer raisins, but for my sister who dislikes them I used dried cranberries. I think dried blueberries would be a lovely choice also.

Enjoy!

The Wall of Welcome - A Community Art Project

There's a community art project in my neighborhood - The Wall of Welcome. It's a huge mosaic project put together by local artist Jean Graham. The wall is in the Crestview/Brentwood neighborhood of Austin TX and it shelters the parking lot of the neighborhood business district - the sort of "main street" area you find in a lot of older neighbors in big cities. The little cluster of shops includes a crappy IGA grocery store, an old school barber shop, a pharmacy, and The Little Deli.


The main part of the wall is one large mosaic that depicts some of the history and local lore of the neighborhood. All along the top of the main mosaic and one end of the wall are smaller tiles that were created by community participants. Some were created by local businesses, some by neighbors and residences, and there is one from the elementary school and the fire house.



I first saw the wall long before I lived in the neighborhood when my book group took a little walking field trip to look at the wall while it was in progress.


When I decided to move to this neighborhood and was shopping for a house here, my Dad came to visit from MN. I took him to the wall to show him where I intended to live.


The wall is finished now, has been for a little while I think. I pass the wall frequently on my bike and when I run. I love the wall. It has always made me feel, well, welcome!


Last weekend I walked down to the wall with one of the dogs to take pictures. I thought I should photograph the wall before I leave Texas. It is one of the things I will miss in Austin.

Happy Thanksgiving

For the third year in a row The Boyfriend and I got up on Thanksgiving morning and ran the Austin Turkey Trot. A five mile run with a huge crowd - 14,000 runners this year. It's a lot of fun, the course is fairly scenic and really challenging. I'm pretty sure this is my favorite tradition here in Austin, and one of the things I will miss when we are gone.

I hope to carry on the tradition of running on Thanksgiving morning when we return to Minneapolis by participating in the Drumstick Dash at Lake Harriet.

After the run I cooked for 7 friends. Last year I cooked a turkey for 2, this year I went with a very non-traditional menu - Pumpkin soup, homemade bread, a cheese board, smoked salmon, apples, pomegranates, a beet salad, and the guests brought desserts. Everything was delicious.

And now with Thanksgiving behind us, my attention is turned back to trying to get moved and of course to Christmas gift knitting.

Happy Holidays Y'all.

New Pattern - Laze Knit Hat

I've got a brand new hat design--"Laze". I wanted a hat with a more relaxed style, but not a beret, and I had this fantastic hand-dyed sport weight sock yarn from Black Trillium that I thought, and thought correctly, would be the perfect yarn for such a hat.

Laze is a super soft, slouchy, and stylish knit hat with a wide rib band, purled detail, and it's finished with Kitchener stitch. Knit with merino wool sock yarn this hat is warm, and washable.



I used a "semi-solid" yarn and would recommend you do also. A multi-colored or self-striping sock yarn both pool too much because the circumference of the hat is larger than the circumference of a sock.

I really love the yarn I used from Black Trillium Fibre Studios--the color saturation was beautiful and the yarn was a joy to knit.


Here's the 411 on "Laze":
Skill level: Beginner
Needles: Two U.S. size 2 (2.75mm): 16" Circular
or One U.S. size 2: 16" circular & a set of U.S. size 2 (2.75mm) DPNs
Yarn: Black Trillium Merino Sport Sock
Yarn Requirements: One skein
Notions: Yarn needle, 2 stitch markers, row counter
Gauge: 24 sts. and 32 rows = 4" in stockinette
Size: One size fits most adult heads 20"-22" in circumference

The new design is available on my website and also here on Ravelry.

Masala Chai Lattes and Other Cool Weather Delights

Three words: Masala chai lattes. When I lived in Minneapolis and the weather would get cool my afternoon ritual included a chai latte. I've gotten away from that habit while living in Austin where the weather never really gets all that cool. But lately I've been preparing for my return to the cold and a return to masala chai lattes is included in those preparations.

An aside: "Chai" translates as "tea". To say "chai tea" is redundant. "Masala" translates as "mixture or blend" especially when referring to spices. Therefore "masala chai" means "spiced tea" and is the appropriate way to refer to the beverage more commonly refered to as "chai". Add milk, and you've got a "masala chai latte". Digression over.

When I lived in Minneapolis, I bought my chai lattes at my favorite coffee shop. But now I've decided it would be better--more tasty, more green, and generally just more better to make my own. From scratch. Mostly I've been following the instructions found here at Mahalo, my recipe is inspired by theirs as well--the big differences are cardamom and I make six cups at a time, drinking one mug while it's hot and saving the leftovers in a quart sized canning jar in the fridge and enjoy it iced.

Masala Chai Latte
6 cups of water
20-ish cardamom pods
8-10 whole cloves
8-10 peppercorns
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 a vanilla bean
about a teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
a few slices of fresh ginger root
6 Tablespoons of unflavored black tea (I used Rishi Tea Organic Ceylon)

honey
soymilk

I smash the cardamom, cloves and peppercorns with mortar and pastel, smash the cinnamon sticks with the handle of a heavy metal spoon, and slice open the vanilla bean.

Bring water, and spices to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, add the tea, cover and steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain.

Sweeten with honey while it's hot. Lighten with soy milk when you drink. It's so delicious!



Other preparations for my return to the great white north have been showing up in my knitting. I've been knitting with wool, knitting garments I would never be able to wear if I were staying in Austin. I recently finished the Urbanity Vest by Amy Swenson. I knit the vest with Elann Peruvian Highland Wool. And I can't wait to wear it--it fits, and it's cute.

That blur in the background..? that's Aaron Johnson.

I'm currently knitting Ribby Cardi by Chic Knits. No pictures yet, but I'm also knitting this one with Elann Peruvian Highland Wool. I'm thinking this will be the perfect jacket for those crisp Fall days I love so much. The knitting is going fairly quickly, the real challenge will be all the seaming involved, that may slow me down some. I'll post pictures soon.

I've also been designing some cool weather knits--stay tuned--coming soon: "Laze" a slouchy hat knit with sock yarn. "Adam's Rib" a pattern for his and hers hand knit socks.