Observations From the Last Two Minutes

Having a blog is like having another full-time job.  I enjoy reading other people’s blogs, the kind with a bunch of pictures with cameras that have micro lenses (another thing I don’t need…yes I have a list).  So for whatever reason I seem to feel better when I have a blog and make small attempts at writing on it.  So, here I am.

It’s fascinating to me watching how my interests change over time.  Right now, its cooking.  I’ve become fully obsessed with Kitchen-Aid stand mixers.  This is partially due to wanting one because I grew up in a kitchen that had one and partially due to the fact that my last hand mixer came to an untimely death.  It was a part of the divorce settlement and it’s not missed.  In fact it’s given me inspiration in acquiring a new stand mixer instead.  As a matter of fact, I bought one this last weekend, which I returned today.  (Costco has a good return policy even though I am not a member currently, I did have a receipt, they did return cash.  I give them about 3 out of 5 stars for non-members, if they had taken the opportunity to try to sell me on membership I would have rated them higher, instead they gave me a mild attitude, but I didn’t have to lug it back to the car.)  Why did I take it back?  Well, even the professional versions of the stand mixers now come with burnished attachments instead of the white coated attachments.  From what I can reasonably assume, some of the wire whisks are not stainless steel since there are specific descriptions of that in their catalog.  Coated and stainless steel are important since those can go in the dishwasher, burnished cannot.  Burnished must be hand washed immediately, as in don’t even let sit in soapy water while you shape the loaf of bread.  Burnished means that if you or some unknowing party (children) stick it in the dishwasher it will oxidize and get a filmy layer of black on it.  I was sad.  I really would like to have a stand mixer.  Now I’m researching which models come with the coated items, I’d prefer not to have to order those on top of the purchase of a mixer.

Now you may ask, why a stand mixer?  The best reason is because you don’t have to hold the mixer.  I always hated that about hand mixers.  Now you may ask, but you don’t really cook and do you remember the last time you baked?  Um, no, I think it was frozen cookies and I somehow managed to mess those up.  Talented.

Part of my inspiration is coming from friends that do cook / bake and from nosing around fine dining for the last year.  I can’t tell you the difference between a $50 bottle of wine and a $25 bottle of wine, but I can recognize a not so good $6 bottle of wine and I have a new love affair with white truffle oil.  Expect more food blogs in the future.

The blanket for The Captain is coming along slowly. Very slowly. I have until April, or college. It will get done.  Eventually.

This is the latest spinning project. It’s coming along well.  It actually looks way better than it’s cousin on the left.  The difference?  The diz on the roving before spinning.  I can’t wait to see how it plys.

Finally, this is paco-vicuna, which I found at an alpaca show this past weekend.  It’s exciting when your friends find fiber / animal shows for you to go with and are just as excited to go as you are.

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