Been So Lo-o-o-ong

Been So Long was an old doo-wop song from back in the day. In this particular instance I am referring to how long it's been since I last posted on my blog. I blame two things for this lapse: (1) Facebook and (2) Me. When I have a thought, and especially since most of those are food related instead of knitting these days, it's so easy to just post a picture and explanation on Facebook and move on. No need to have more than one thought or more than one picture. And let's face it, I've gotten very lazy and my knitting has suffered.

However, meet France Socks 2014:

The yarn was purchased in a shop in Valbonne, a little town in the south of France, the French Riviera, in September 2014.

Don't be misled by the first picture. I'm only halfway through the foot of the first sock. This is as of this afternoon, November 9, 2014.

I started them when on my vacation after France, a few weeks on Cape Cod with my Snowman in October 2014.

"What? You woke me just to reach your knitting?!!!"

So, that is what I've been doing: traveling, planning, traveling, cooking, traveling, baking, traveling, knitting, not necessarily in that order.

I started this post with knitting content. Wasn't that great since this is a knitting blog? And now I have to move onto highlights of my traveling and cooking/baking because that's what I've done the most.

Our Cape Cod trip in the spring was chilly and full of walks in the forest spotting wild turkeys and walks on the beach. Not actually on the beach because dogs aren't allowed after April 1.

Sorry, tilt your head to the left. I can't seem to rotate these two pictures. Been away too long!

Entrance to the beach. Dogs not allowed on after April 1.

It was so chilly I turned to baking and became obsessed with perfecting a recipe for two popovers.

These did not pop over.

Now these are popovers!

I perfected a lower calorie, lower cholesterol version of the popover based on making smaller portions. You know, sometimes you just don't want to bake half a dozen and be subjected to the temptation to eat them all. (Please note the operative word of my recipe is "lower" not "low.") And the recipe is here. Ooops, no link. It's printed below.

And then there was France. I spent three wonderful, lovely weeks in a villa in St. Paul de Vence, 1.7k from the city. While there I did knit rounds on my Beach Socks 2012. (Yes, I am way behind on Beach Socks.) But mostly I enjoyed the villa, the pool, the meals we cooked pretending to be French chefs, the quaint city of St. Paul de Vence, Nice, Monaco, Monte Carlo and many other towns of the French Riviera. 

The trouble with postings so far apart is I have way too much to catch up on and way too many pictures I want to include. Before France there was more spring and then summer on the Cape. After France there was autumn on the Cape. I'll have to add more in installments or I will lose the few of you who are left.

More next time. (Which won't be as long as it has been.)

BonaFide Knitter

Two

Little Popovers

Lite

I found the perfect little vintage "Pyrex -  Made in France" glass ramekins on eBay, but I'm sure you already have suitable ones or can find very inexpensive ones at Target or Walmart. You will need two ramekins that are about 2 inches high and 3-1/2 inches diameter. (Mine are actually only 1-1/2 inches high.)

Preheat oven to 450F.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 tbs white Egg Beaters 

                                            } ---> or 4 tbs of yellow

2 tbs yellow Egg Beaters

1/3 cup skim milk

1 tbs of melted butter (or substitute) 

Pam (butter flavor)

Mix flour and salt together with a fork.

Combine Egg Beaters, skim milk and melted butter.

Stir wet ingredients into dry and whisk until smooth.

Spray ramekins with Pam and fill equally.

Place ramekins on a foil lined cookie sheet (Your oven floor will thank you!) and bake for 30 minutes at 450F. Then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for 15 minutes longer. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR WHILE BAKING!!!

Best if served at once.