I admit, the Backyardigans are cute. Heck, I even occassionally find myself humming the catchy little showtunes. However, the 576th time through each episode it gets a little old; last night the music from Cops and Robots was the theme music to my dreams.

The problem is that backyardigans episodes are like lays potato chips. Munch can't have just one. Shes fine if she doesnt see it but once you play one episode you must continue to play them until (a) a meal or (b) going out of the house. Needless to say, there are many many snacks and trips to the store around here.

We are starting to feel a little more settled here in Plano. We chose to do a short term lease in an apartment before buying a house here for a variety of reasons and, despite the tiny apartment kitchen, I've actually managed to turn out a couple of tasty meals over the last few days. The other night we had Chicken Breasts stuffed with Hatch Chiles and Pepper Jack Cheese.

My own recipe inspired by the intoxicating smelling fresh roasted chiles available at our local Whole Foods:

Hatch Stuffed Chicken

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Large Roasted Hatch Chiles (see note at bottom)
4 oz Pepper Jack Cheese, cut into small cubes (¼ inch)

1.Preheat oven to 350.
2.Butterfly the chicken breasts. Pound out flat with a meat pounder.
3.Remove the seeds and stem from the Hatch Chiles and place one on each of the flattened chicken breasts. Place 1 oz of cheese on the chiles and fold the breasts in half, enclosing the pepper and cheese. Place in a baking dish and salt and pepper the chicken.
4.Bake for 40 minutes or until juices run clear or a meat thermometer reads 165.

notes:
1.Hatch Chiles are available here in Texas in August and September. If hatch chiles aren't available to you, try using another large mild pepper like a banana pepper.
2.My local market roasts hatch chiles daily. If your local market doesnt, you can easily roast chiles on your grill or a gas burner. Roast up a batch and place them in a small container covered with oil. They'll keep up to a week and are great additions to sandwiches.

I also made Roasted Vegetable Gratin, a recipe inspired by one in Cooking Light (June). I made some additions and changes:

It was incredibly tasty and couldnt be easier to make:

Roasted Vegetable Gratin

Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 red bell pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 large yellow onion
1 medium red onion
1 large tblsp fresh thyme

1 tblsp paprika
2 tblsp olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1.Preheat oven to 400.
2.Chop all the vegetables into ¼ inch slices. Combine in a bowl with the olive oil and paprika. Salt and Pepper well.
3.Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Set aside
4.Spread into a large sheet pan as close to a single layer as possible.
5.Roast for 45 minutes, stirring often.
6.Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until breadcrumbs are toasted.

Mr. Fruitychick took the leftovers to work and reported them equally tasty the next day. This recipe is a total keeper.

Photos taken by my snazzy new Palm Treo 750. I'm still learning the art of the mobile photo so these are less than fantastic. Did you know you can send photos from your phone directly to flickr? Probably. I am so behind the curve on this stuff...this is my first camera phone.

I also updated a few things in the sidebar--my 52 pair plunge total for one. I finished the flourescent socks for Elizabeth (I have a photo somewhere in my email...), the no bake cookie socks and the georgetown socks. Our stuff is split between the apartment and storage right now and I think my socks are, sadly, in the storage category. I'm nearly done on another pair:

Monkey Socks
STR Fire on the Mountain (lightweight? I dont remember)

I bet I'll be done with these in the next few days. They are a quick knit and I'm trying (hard) to be a monogomous knitter so I can start getting a few more things done. I'm predicting I'll fail and cast on for something new but I'm trying, people.

Posted by fruitychick at 10:09 AM | Permalink

I just haven't been finishing anything. I think I have to many things on the needles at the moment...

No Bake Cookies

Did you see the episode of knitty gritty with Cookie A on it? She made some pretty cute socks using STR Heavyweight, which I had not yet tried. So, I ordered up a skein and cast on!

These are super easy and are a quick knit, unlike Cookie A's other sock patterns. There is a leaf pattern on the top of the foot that you can't really see in the picture (or really with the yarn at all--there is a little too much variation in the colors for the pattern to stand out) Since these are way easy to knit and way faster, I've dubbed them the "no bake cookie" socks.

Georgetown, Take 2.

I found this yarn squirreled away in the sock yarn dresser--a sad little sock with only a ball of yarn for a mate. I had already completed one sock but wasn't a big fan and, because I am awful about writing things down when I am knitting, couldnt duplicated it if I had wanted to, so it got ripped and reknit into:

Pattern from More sensational knitted socks--called something like trellis? not sure on that one. Its super easy to memorize though and I am completely loving the look of this sock. The yarn is subtle but yet has just enough color for my taste...

Big Cookie.

We shall not speak of my lack of progress on this sock:

In fact, I am thinking of ripping it and knitting it smaller. The instructions have an option for a shorter sock and I think I may take the easy way out on this one and knit it that way.

Elizabeth's Flourescant Socks

I am so almost done with these. I need to just wrap them up and deliver them to the new owner. Its only about 2 1/2 more inches of ribbing--surely I can get this done in the next week, right??

if only I could knit as fast as I could buy yarn....

Heres some of the stuff thats arrived at my door recently. Theres some chewey spaghetti, yarn love, dyeabolical yarns, claudia... and thats not even all. I broke down and ordered a sweater kit I've been admiring for ages...

So much for the knit from your stash, eh? I'm going to get back on the wagon though--that was my one get out of jail free card--so no more (non sock) yarn for me until september.

with so many socks in waiting--whats a girl to do?

sigh...cast on for a cardigan... I am never going to get 52 pairs of socks knit in a year if I keep losing focus and knitting sweaters. This cardigan is the dropped stitch cardigan (a little more than half way down the page) from Interweave Knits Spring 2006. I even cast on for it ages ago but, looking back at it now, its way to big for me. I'm planning on knitting this a touch smaller than I normally would so it will fit me as I continue to lose weight. Yarn is Debbie Bliss cotton angora in red.

Speaking of IK--anybody have any idea when the summer issue ships? They have the teaser up on the website but I dont know the date they usually ship... I love the oriel lace blouse and the spiral boot socks....

I also got my new Spunky Eclectic sock club yarn and the second RSC shipment but I'll avoid pictures for those that haven't received theirs yet--I hate to spoil it for someone!!

Posted by fruitychick at 11:40 AM | Permalink

I've been a sock knitting fiend the last few weeks!! I have so many going that it seems like each one is its own little black hole of knitting time and energy but I know that, at some point, the knitting gods will reveal that the hours and hours i've spent working on them this week has actually resulted in progress (despite what my stupid tape measure says). I'm realizing now what a serious undertaking knitting 52 pairs of socks in a single year is going to be....I see a lot of heavyweight and baby socks in my future come next spring.

I finally finished the RSC socks:

All in all, I hate to say it, but I'm not thrilled with these socks. The colors aren't really me and the pattern is a bit of a pain since the cabling makes the cuff of the sock so tight you can barely pass it over your heel. Surprisingly, I do like the garter stitch heel and toe though--maybe not for socks I'll wear with shoes but for nice warm wintery socks, they are great.

I also finished a second pair for the 52 Pair Plunge:

The baby RPM's. These would be modeled by Miss S but she is a little crabby today. These were a super fast knit and I could definately see myself making another pair of these once she outgrows this pair.

I'm nearly done with the third pair:

I'm past the heel turn on the second sock, so I'm in the home stretch. I was hoping to get them done this weekend but it just didn't happen.

The next few pairs are all on the needles already:

a nice plan stockinette sock in "derby girl" from dyeabolical yarns--a great etsy find.

and...

A lacy sock (pattern in "more sensational knitted socks") in the georgetown colorway from Lorna's Laces on size 0's. This pattern is nice--an easily memorizable pattern and it looks really good on (there are yarn overs in the pattern that aren't showing up well in the photo). Its slow going though, what with the 10ish st/inch.

I've also been working on twisted flower but I've only done about four more rows. I'm dying to cast on some monkey socks but I have so many things going at the moment. Maybe once I finsih up the flourescent socks.

I've also done a little stash enhancing--

Thanks lime and violet!!

-----

in other news, the exercise/dieting thing is still going well. Bad foods were finding their way back into my diet so I restarted my food journal to whip my diet into shape. Its so much easier to say no to something or make better food choices when you know you have to account for it in writing. I know it doesnt work for everyone, but it does work for me. I think since last time I posted here about this, I've lost another 4 or 5 pounds--woohoo! I still have a long way to go but I'm making measurable progress and that really helps keep the motivation up.

Posted by fruitychick at 01:38 PM | Permalink

The 52 Pair Plunge has begun!

I haven't actually finished any socks yet (although others have already finished their second pair! Do you believe it?). I'm working on it though. I went through my sock yarn and decided it needed a little weeding and reorganization. I think I'm going to go by color this time instead of brand:

I've also got a few pairs all balled up and ready to go!

And a few on the needles that I'll be finishing soon and adding to the tally!

The Socks that Rock:

and the Flourescent Socks for a friend of mine:

Oh--and I also cast on for Twisted Flower--one of Cookie A's Patterns in Louet Gems light blue color--but I'm only about two inches in, so thats less than exciting. Maybe it will be picture worthy next time!

Happy Socking!

PS--I'll be finishing up the second baby RPM this week and I'll post the pattern in the sidebar! It was such a cute little quick knit!

Posted by fruitychick at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)