Saturday, July 11, 2009

Baking and Knitting and Vikings Oh my

It's been a busy week here. I finished up my chapter revisions, and I've been working with my final data set. It's a beast, and will take me a bit to work through it, and finding out what it means. However, I decided I have been making myself crazy. All work and no play and all that. For the last few weeks I've been avoiding crafts etc, trying to focus on my dissertation, and I have come to the conclusion that I need a little "crafting as therapy" time. Not so much it interferes with my work, but enough that I quit getting completely stir crazy at 4pm because all I have done since 7 is been chained to my laptop.

To this end I am running (not a craft I know), it gets me out of the house to enjoy the nice weather. The problem is hills. Miami doesn't have them. I live on top of one. Once a week I have committed to running up or down to Golden Gardens. It is like an evil stair climber at the end of a run. Check this out, the terrain a la Google maps. Right there at 85th is where you decend or ascend straight up or down the hill (not on the road).

To go along with all this running, I have been knitting a little, bit. Not a lot, I've started seaming Russell's sweater, and I have a sock on the go. It's been mainly bus and movie knitting.

And I've been baking. A lot. I love baking. I like the chemistry nature of mixing the ingredients, but simultaneously the handcraft nature of assembling the product.
I baked some bread.
I have been working on my texture and technique, especially getting the loaf shape right. I think I might finally have it down for this recipe. Last weekend the farmers market has raspberries, lots and lots of raspberries and (for the farmers market) wicked on sale. I bought a half flat.
Some went into muffins, some went into salads, and some went into this...
Another look:
That's the Brown Butter and Raspberry Tart from the June Bon Appetite. It was wicked easy to make.


And totally delicious. Good use of Raspberries.










As a weekend study break Russell and I headed out to the Viking Day's festival at the Nordic Heritage museum (We live in Ballard....its .....Nordic). The festival was small but cute. We perused, took in some local music and walked home. I'll be checking out the Museum over the winter, there is a large fiber arts community that holds a lot of classes and events there.

Now back to work.

4 comments:

Lori W. said...

Hooray for taking a break! I'm doing the same thing right now...trying to ward off burnout by doing things other than working (though my work is obviously a bit different than yours).

And I'm not much of a cook, but the spousal unit is, and that raspberry thing looks AWESOME. Could I possibly convince you to send me the recipe if I promise that he will make it (as opposed to going into the kitchen myself without adult supervision)?

Fran said...

Yummy! I want a bite of everything!

Abyss said...

The tart looks yummy! I totally want your raspberries- I found a recipes for mixed berry jam- strawberries, raspberries and blueberries...what could be better?
I have been making a lot of crisps- super easy, and light.
I am almost done with the heal on the second sock!

David Iwaniec said...

Beautiful tart!