Moving

OK - is there anything worse than clutter at home?

Yes. Clutter at work. It just doesn't pay to be a pack rat who regularly changes offices.

Which I will be doing again one week from today.

And, all this organizing and cleaning up at work means absolutely no organizing and cleaning up at home.

Ack.

Pimento Cheese

See the little red pepper looking thing? It's a pimento. I had grand plans for growing pimentos and being able to make my own pimento cheese this summer for sandwiches.

However.

The pimento plant had other ideas. I only got 4 ripe pimentos (pimenti?, pimento?), and they were only ripe in the last week.

I've gotten over the pimento cheese thing at this point, it seems summery. Now I'm thinking Fall couscous with butternut squash.

The best laid plans of mice and me...

Fall Color

I am a big fan of sweet potatoes. I am a big fan of balsamic vinegar. This dish, which I made for my BIL's birthday lunch, married the two plus chili to make some yummy roasted sweet potatoes.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter (I later decided 1/2 stick would be just fine)
2 tsp salt (start with one and taste as you go)
1 tsp chili powder
5 large sweet potatoes, cut in cubes roughly the same size


Heat balsamic vinegar and butter over med high until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced. Add brown sugar, salt and chili powder (or your favorite spices - we decided rosemary would have been good, as well as cinnamon and cumin).

Peel and cube 5 large sweet potatoes and put in baking dish (the larger the better for optimum caramelization). Pour reduced vinegar/butter mixture over potatoes and roast at 350 degrees for about an hour. Stir occasionally to distribute the tangy goodness.

The result is a tender bite of potato with a subtle tang and warmth from the chili powder.

Enjoy!

Pimento Red

Here's my plate/bowl from glass class last weekend. The background was pimento red. Keep in mind that I said my circles were like saw blades - the fact that the edge is smooth is a testament to the instructor who fire polished the edges.

Anyway, I liked my patter and color composition. I was worried about how that yellow would look.


Sorry for the photo quality - I had guests off and on all weekend and only remembered to take a photo last night around 10 pm. When it was raining. Again.

I think I may be taking the intermediate class. Just as long as I can do square bowls. And plates.

Mixer Lust

Several years ago, my brother and his wife gave me a white Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer. It has a red stripe. I love my mixer. I think I've had it for almost 10 years, and it's just getting started. My most recent serendipity is that I realized I could use the dough hook and make the best ever meatloaf without having to get ground beef under my fingernails [shudder].

Did I say I heart my mixer?

KitchenAid is celebrating 90 years today, and I couldn't resist showing you where the mixer started - courtesy of Chefs catalog online.




Consider this a KitchenAid testimonial. If you don't have one, there's a hot little red anniversary number with your name on it!