Monday, December 15, 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I spent last weekend immersed in activity. Saturday, LittleLinoleum and I drove to South Pasadena so that she could work her weekend shift at Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint. Needless to say, I don't generally have any knitting and crochet students this time of year due to crazy holiday schedules, but simply dropping Lena off at work, going home and returning to retrieve her is pretty much out of the question due to distance and traffic. So, I use my student-free waiting time at the store to work on knitting and crochet projects, while chatting it up with the customers and Samantha (store proprietor). It's a nice way to spend the day and I'd like to believe that LadyLinoleum Jr. will look back fondly upon our Saturdays together.

I spent Saturday evening behind the spinning wheel while in front of the tube watching Christmas flicks (Little Women and It's a Wonderful Life), gas log blazing, lights twinkling on the tree(s), the hubs and I making the most of our quiet evening at home.

Sunday morning was all about a bit of baking on the kitchen front and a little assembly on the fiber front. From the kitchen emerged popovers, of which I forgot to snap a photo, and from my living room based textile mill half of new diamond shawl woven from some of my crazy handspun took shape. Pictures to come of the shawl. It's a wild one to be sure, lots of metallics embedded in the yarn. I'm quite happy with the results!

Then it was back to the kitchen for another round of making eats. This time I tried my hand at homemade marshmallows!



I never fancied myself a concoctor of confections, but marshmallows were surprisingly easy with Alton Brown as my guide. (Love that guy!) In fact, making 'mallows is nothing more than creating a syrup, whipping the syrupy mixture up with some gelatin until the final product is thick and sticky, yet airy. It's pretty fast and relatively simple if I do say so myself.


Marshmallow sugary syrupy base.


Curing mallows in a pie pan.

The most difficult aspect of the recipe process is trying to get the 'mallow mix from the stand mixer bowl into its final resting place, the pan. Wow, sti-cky! I won the battle however, and the mallows look superb. Tonight, I plan to coat my masterful marshmallowy goodness with chocolate. Mmmmm!

The hubs and I rounded out our Sunday with friends at our annual outing to Merry Tuba Christmas! (LittleLinoleum is currently too cool to attend this much loved *by the rest of us* tradition.) Sans child, we began the evening with a fabulous friends-filled dinner at Far Niente, then headed over to the Alex Theater to partake in a bit of musical majesty that only 150 tubas playing Christmas (and Hanukkah) carols can provide.



It was awesome. Incidentally, this year marked my fifth Tuba Christmas and, thankfully, the event always manages to kick my hibernating Christmas spirit into gear.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

9 comments:

PurpleBecca said...

I love Alton Brown too! I've been wanting to try the marshmellows, and they look georgous!

Batty said...

Yum, homemade marshmallows! Those look so big and fluffy, I hear they're wonderful and nothing like the store-bought stuff.

Claire MW said...

Oh Wow, I've never seen so many tubas in one place at a time. What a blast that must be. I would love it. Especially if I took some homemade marshmallows with me to eat while I listened!

Natalie said...

Look at all them tubas! If 150 tubas blaring carols in your face doesn't get your spirit up I don't know what does. Oh yeah I do. Homemade marshmallows! They look insane and some hot cocoa with a fresh and tasty marshmallow would be very good on this stormy evening.

Robin (RsIslandCrafts) said...

Everyone seems to be making marshmallows this season! I need marshmallows :)

Anonymous said...

OH do I have some mallow lovers at my place that would LOVE to try makin' those~WAY COOL! and *THANK YOU!* for visiting me~I always smile when I see your name!!!! You make my day! (((((HUGS))))) sandi

Treasure Ann said...

Your marshmellows look great. I might try that recipe. Looks like the Merry Tuba Christmas was fun. I know you had a great time.
What are you baking and crocheting for gifts? I'm half way through my crocheting gifts, but time is running out. Only 7 days until Christmas, I hope I can finish in time.

Anonymous said...

We attended our first Tuba Christmas this year and will definitely go again next year. It was amazing! I'm going to try the marshmallows with some vegetarian "gelatin".

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