A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.

Shootin' Fun!

Shootin' a Remington 1858 New Army black powder revolver . . . smokey, shootin' goodness!

Take a Look . . . at Kitchenaid Stand Mixers

Anyone who is a regular reader of my blog knows my opinion of the Kitchenaid stand mixer.  I love it!  I use it for almost every cooking adventure I undertake.

I started out with the Kitchenaid Classic 250-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, which I received as a gift about 10 years ago.  It is still one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.  At that time, I liked to cook but I wouldn’t classify myself as a “power user”.  I used it often to mix all manner of things . . . cookies, mashed potatoes, etc – you know typical everyday cooking stuff.  And it was fantastic for those run of the mill chores. 

My husband, who is the number one benefactor of my gastronomic creations, bought me attachments for the mixer.  The slicing, shredding attachment worked great – nice for grating cheese and slicing hard veggies and shredding stuff.  However, making pasta was beyond the ability of the Classic motor’s capacity – it nearly overheated within minutes.  Ice packs weren’t entirely effective at keeping the motor cool – yeah, I actually tried it.

As my culinary skills and quests expanded . . . the Classic mixer, although awesome, was no longer able to keep up with my growing needs.

Shortly after this discovery I received the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer  as a present from . . . can you guess who?   OH MY GOODNESS!  A seriously remarkable tool . . . powerful, versatile and a fantastic conversationalist . . . okay it doesn’t talk but it can do almost anything else.  I have used it to make butter, bread, pasta, cakes.  With the proper attachments . . . it slices, shreds, juices, stuffs, mixes, kneads, and stirs.  It’s powerful enough to handle every challenge I’ve chucked at it.  It’s large enough to handle the biggest recipes I’ve thrown into the bowl . . . 4 loaves of bread, dozens of cookies.  I’d be hard pressed to find a meal or other cooking project that doesn’t benefit from the use of the mixer. 

My opinion, for what it’s worth (my friend), is that every kitchen needs a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.  Now, don’t go thinking I have room in my kitchen for all the latest and greatest appliances . . . although I really don’t have the counter space real estate for the mixer to have a permanent home . . . it does, nonetheless.  I use it THAT often.  I would ditch the microwave oven before I’d ever consider packing away my Kitchenaid. 

I don't have the grain mill, pasta roller or ice cream maker attachments yet . . . hint hint.  Just sayin'.  :-)~

You know what would be really cool?  A heating element for the mixer for making stuff like hollandaise and chocolate and gravy and whatnot.  Someone needs to get working on that.

Cher LOVES her Kitchenaid Stand Mixers

The following videos show me making butter, jam, zucchini bread and applesauce with my mixer . . .

Billy Michael & Fred Ball playing live at Seecamp in Milford CT - by Cher

Seecamp Tech Session - Recorded and Edited by Cher

Bonus feature . . . Light my fire

Bonus feature . . . Leaf Peepin' the Kanc

Fall is my favorite time of year . . . the colors, the brisk air, my wedding anniversary . . .

We went to the White Mountains to celebrate our anniversary . . . enjoy a snapshot of our ride on the Kancamagus Highway . . .

'X' Marks the Spot - Part 1

Cross-stitch is a skill I learned as a child.  It’s a pleasurable distraction that is useful as well as beautiful.  It is a form of embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture.

 When I was learning I did a form of cross-stitch called stamped cross stitch.  This is where the pattern is printed on the fabric and the stitcher marks the ‘X’ over the outline.  It is easy and doesn’t require a lot of thought.

Now that I’m all grown up and enjoy more of a challenge, I prefer counted cross-stitch.  With this form, the stitches are counted across a blank canvass using a pattern and color chart to make the desired image. 

I generally buy a kit with the fabric and floss and pattern all together in one package.  Although, I have made my own patterns with success. 

Cross-stitch is usually carried out on an even weave fabric called aida cloth; which allows for stitches are uniform size and appearance. Cotton floss is the most common embroidery thread made up of six strands that are only loosely twisted together and easily separable. Sometimes other specialty threads are used for accents and embellishments.

To start, find the center of the graph. Most patterns show this with arrows or a bold line. Next, find the center of your fabric. An easy way to do this is to fold the fabric in half vertically and "pinch" with your finger to make a small crease. Open the fabric, fold in half horizontally and make another "pinch". Open the fabric up. The two creases will mark the center of the fabric. It is easiest to start at the center of the pattern.

To begin stitching, bring the threaded needle up from the back of the fabric leaving about a 1" tail of thread behind the fabric.  There is no need to knot it.  Stitch the next 5 or 6 stitches over the tail. Clip off extra thread. To end off, weave your needle back through the last 5 or 6 stitches and clip the thread short so as not to leave a loose tail.

There are two methods methods for stitching.  I’ve used them both and have no real preference for either.  The first method is to work a row of half stitches (////), then work back (\\\\) to complete the X's. Use this method for most stitching. The second method is to complete each X as you go. Use this method for vertical rows of stitches.

It is important that all the X's are crossed in the same direction. That is, the top thread of the X should always slant in the same direction (either \ or /). It does not matter which way they slant, but if they are mixed the finished piece will look uneven.

Do not pull the thread tight.  Relax and enjoy making the pattern.  Your stitches should lay flat on your fabric and not distort the holes or the fabric.

Sometimes a color will have only a few stitches and then "jump" to another area. Most of the time you should end off and start again, other times you can carry the thread along the back. Just jumping from area to area is easier than starting and stopping, but sometimes the thread will show through.

When your stitching is complete, wash in cool water using a mild liquid detergent. Rinse well. Do not wring, but roll in a clean towel to absorb most of the water. While still damp, place face down on a terry towel. Place another cloth on top of the needlework and press lightly with a warm iron. Let dry. Then frame or finish as desired. 

Bonus feature . . .

Bonus Feature . . . filmed by my husband and I.  Edited by yours truly . . . fun stuff!