"Deglaze" indeed! Rachel Ray had better watch out! Actually you would be fantastic on TV, we need to get you your own show. Knitting, crock-potting, and whatever else strikes your fancy. What do you think?

P.S. Bob is just so darned cute...

almost made it to first, took too long admiring your cat picture.

:)

I found one of those scratchers at Target and it is much-loved here, too. I have to ration it, though; my cats get a little high on the catnip.
;-)

ooo my kitties have the same kitty chaise thingy - it only lasts a few weeks in my house but they love it so I keep buying more.

The mighty crockpot strikes again. And, deglaze? What a great cooking vocabulary word that is!

Happy new toy day to Bob and the gang :)

Mr. Crockpot...better than a man?

We're on our second kitty cat chaise lounge sratcher thingie here. The first one was done in a week, they loved it so much.

The pot roast looks yummy. Maybe I'll invest in a crockpot next. Thanks for the tutorial!

Love the magic loop! It is the easiest way to make socks. And if you get creative, you can do two socks on one needle (if it is long enough)

If I can do socks, you can too!!

Delurking to say...

The roast looks delicious!
I just might make that tonight hehe.

Well...I did the crockpot too. Rather the crockpot is sitting, in the box, on the kitchen table. I figure this is good for starters. This week I will use your crushed garlic, pepper, browning and de-glaze to make something aromatic and tasty. Thank you!! I do love a week-end breakfast with friends...seems to last forever.

Instead of Garlic, use Horseradish next time. Just smear about 2 Tblspns on after the browning (but before the liquid ;-). Long and slow cooked horseradish is like roasted garlic - rich and toasty-tasting, even my dad (the horseradish hater) LOVES this potroast. Mmmm . . .

I'm making Turkey and cranberry-sage stuffing right now in my crock! It's from the "Not my mother's slow cooker for two people". I'm working from home today and I can't wait for dinner, it's starting to smell delicious!!

I have this silly fear that if I start something in the crockpot and go off to work, I will come home to find that my house has burned to the ground.

Otherwise, I'd totally be on board with the crockpot.

I have pork with onions and apples in my crockpot RIGHT NOW because you inspired me with your comfort food tales last week! I can't wait to get home to it, I just hope the cats haven;'t been driven crazy by the smell and joined together to shove the crockpot off the counter. I don't think any one of the 3 could do it individually, but if they join forces I'm done for.

I got a similar scratchy thing at my Target, except it's flat. But yeah, I have to vacuum more often or little bits of cardboard stick to the soles of my feet.

Laurie... definitely try socks! I tried them about 6 months ago, and I love them. They really do look harder than they are and they are so transportable. I go between my dpn's, magic loop and two at a time on two circs method (which I do love, because once I'm done, I'm done, no second sock, and they are truly identical!).

Love the crock pot postings... you're motivating me to pull mine out from the back of the cabinet, especially with the cooler weather. :-)

Can't wait to see pictures of your first pair of socks... just look out, they are very addicting!

Uh-oh, what's a magic loop??

I usually go to Dinah's if I find myself in the Culver City area. Love it!

I keep meaning to write up my generic sock recipe, and then I think "but Wendy and Yarn Harlot and all kinds of way-better-known-than-I-will-ever-be knitters have already done it." But then again, everyone has a favorite recipe for brownies, and potato salad, and pot roast. You've inspired me yet again.

Not that I expect to assockilate you singlehandedly. You've been resisting me easily all this time, but Allison has the advantage of propinquity. Resistance is futile.

(Isn't "propinquity" a great word? It sounds vaguely kinky, but it just means "nearness.")

o.O I would buy my cat friday that thing but he loves his scratching post as just much but maybe when the post is unscratchable anymore then i'll buy it.
o.O I love crock pots!! I make chicken and dumplings in mine!

I highly recommend learning to knit socks. Magic Loop makes them oh so easy.

This is my first time posting here, and I just wanted to tell you how much I look forward to your daily blog. I read them at work in the morning (as I am in the future living here in Japan) and have had to hold back numerous times so my coworkers don't think I'm nuts.

I bought a crockpot this weekend and made a roast but used the beef instead as filling for tamales. I used 4 cans of enchilada sauce, cilantro and crushed red pepper.

Thanks again for posting what you do, it always puts me in a good mood.

I was wondering when you were going to start knitting socks. If you want to go to 2 circulars instead, get Cat Bordhi's "Socks Soar on 2 Circular Needles". I am a sock knitting addict and I hate dpns so use Magic Loop or 2 circulars depending on which needles I find first. :-)

We bought the kitty chaise at Target this weekend. When I saw it on the shelf I told DH that we had to have it because your cats love thiers. And now our cats love it too. I took some cute photos that I'll get on my blog tomorrow.

Thanks to your recent posts, I've pulled out the crockpot and have a chicken tomatillo stew cooking away right now. Love it that dinner is taken care of. (and lunch for me tomorrow!)

I have thought about knitting socks. My dilemma is, after all that work, I want people to see what I've made (I know, need attention). I outgrew the birkenstock phase about 20 years ago (thank goodness) and I can't see a 40 year old woman wearing striped socks with her shorts or skirt or poking through a pair of sandals. No offense here, but reminds me a a homeless person trying to keep warm.
Are there socks to be made without looking so "homely"??

By the way, if you wear socks that way, more power to you. I just look wierd like that.

I've used both circular and dpn to make socks and I must say I prefer dpn and if you pull the yarn from both the middle and the outside you can make both at the same time.

No second sock syndrom for moi!

Now off to find out what "Magic Loop" means.

Found it here.....

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques

What do you know, I've been Magic Looping all this time and I didn't even know it.

Now I need to figure out an easy toe up method, I know how to start the toe but need to figure out the heel/flap/gusset part. I suppose you just go backwards but it seems a little wierd to do that.

Just thought I'd point out to you that handknit socks are handknits you can even wear in California. Since you need socks anyway, to wear in your fancy boots...handknit socks are not as warm-weather oriented as some other handknits.

I'm just sayin...

Oh, and in response to Pam who wondered about a 40 year old woman wearing handknit socks...um I wear mine with sneakers and jeans since that's what I wear most of the time...my mom wears them with her dress shoes and trousers (I knit fancy socks for her) to work. Handknit socks are very very comfortable, you can make some really pretty patterns and honestly, you don't need to show them off with shorts or skirts (unless you're into that...I never really understood the trend of socks with sandals either...). Plus if you are going somewhere where you know you'll have to remove your shoes (like a friend's house) handknit socks are way nicer than tube socks.

I make lunches for myself just like that all the time! After I get the meat and starch packed into single-serving tupperware, I open a bag of frozen veggies (green beans is my current fave) and just add them right to the container. When I nuke it at work, the veggies cook while the meat & spuds are heating. Brilliant!

I absolutely swear by beer with meat in the crockpot. And actually, I find that the cheaper the beer, the better soup/stew base it makes. Maybe it has more sugar or something. Anyway, it always cracks me up when I go into the grocery store and buy a 40.

And I don't drink!

MMMM--Pot Roast. It is boy's favorite meal. I deglaze the pan with a cup of red wine and then add 2 cups of beef stock (from a box--very handy) and a can of cream of mushroom soup. The gravy is amazing (we're big gravy people here in Yonkers).

I'm going to try it with beer next time. My family and I went to a big fancy pants beer and sausage dinner last week (I know it doesn't sound fancy but I swear it really is) and we ended up spending about a half hour talking to one of the brewers about cooking with beer.

When we were in L.A. last year for my SIL's wedding (we flew out from New York), we stayed in the hotel next to Dinah's. Unfortunately, we never made it past the INCREDIBLE mexican place in Dinah's parking lot - holy god, it was the best chicken taco I have ever eaten. In the course of 3 days, we ate there 5 times I kid you not.

Lunch, dinner, breakfast, hell, we snuck a few tacos in before the ceremony, to tide off hunger until the reception.

Now I'm kinda wishing we had skipped one trip and made it all the way to Dinah's.

Being in SoCal, I like socks because I can wear them almost year round. I mostly wear mine around the house. A pair of hand knit socks, my cozy house shoes, my sweats and a cup of coffee are the best on a Sunday morning!

I don't drink either and I always use beer in just about everything I put in the crockpot. It does taste so much better. And as one Mr. H. Simpson would say, "mmmmmmm, beeeer."

Gah! I was just at Target today and completely forgot that I'd heard about the cat scratcher being from there. Another time, I suppose. I bet our cats would love it!

I crock-potted too this weekend.

3-4 frozen chicken breasts
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 jar salsa (15 oz.)
frozen corn (about a cup and a half? whatever a can's worth would be)
chunk of cream cheese (add at the end)

Cook on high for 4 hours (watch the meat temp)
Shred the chicken up
Drop a chunk of cream cheese on top; when it melts, stir it in.

Yummy in a tortilla!

I made pot roast yesterday too. It was delish. And I deglazed. We are practically twins!
Socks are easier than you think. Really.

My dad made an amazing turkey breast with potatoes and carrots yesterday in the crockpot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/ErinLindsey/Food/DSC01401.jpg

We ate it with some Stovetop stuffing (cornbread flavor) and some biscuits that I made in the oven (Southern style biscuits that I bought in a bag at the store)

We apparently dont have any flour in our house, so he couldnt make gravy from the drippings in the crockpot, so luckily we had a jar of Boston Market turkey gravy in the pantry.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/ErinLindsey/Food/DSC01403.jpg

Our next crockpot meal will be pork chops and apples.

To psychomom (love your name):

Thanks for the insight. I've only been knitting for about a year and the only pictures of socks I've seen in patterns is people wearing them with sandals or with a shorter garment. It's cute on the younger kids, but not me. I guess I thought it looks pretty time consuming (with all the stripes and patterns I've seen) and to wear them under pants seems like a lot of work that isn't going to be seen. Now, if they are as comfy as you attest to, that's a different animal. I LOVE comfort!

Do you have any advice for a first time sock maker? Pattern, yarn, size, etc???

Thanks. Pam

Also to Psychomom - if you go to wendyknits.net and go to free patterns, she has toe up sock patterns with both slipstitch and gusset heels.

Laurie, inspired by you, I crocked some turkey breasts with salsa, and DH and I lived on soft turkey tacos this weekend. We just piled the yummy shredded turkey on a warmed up corn tortilla, added a dollop of non-fat refried beans (from a can of course) and some shredded lettuce. They were delish!

Thanks for all the crockpot pointers!

Better Than Bouillon is a thick soup-base paste that comes in a jar, isn't too high in sodium and is worth trying.

socks also are worth trying. for your first pair, i suggest using some leftover worsted wool (or blend that's heavy on wool) and size 5 dp needles. follow the socks 101 tutorial, no matter how wacky some of it sounds. but make the top ribbing only 6 rows long. you'll wind up with comfy ankle-high socks that are great with crocs.

Okay, was the badminton player named Stan Hales (R. Stanton Hales)? The just-retired president of my college was a champion badminton player AND a co-author of a badminton book AND has California connections. If so, I think we qualify for 6 degrees of separation.

I, too have Succumbed to the Siren Song of the Sock, and am trying to make my 1st 2 pairs. I found some of the skinny little self-striping yarn on sale, and am trying to do them on size 2 dpn's - it's like waltzing with a porcupine! Went and bought a size 2 set of circulars, and am substituting it for one of the straights, and it's helping a bit. But I can't imagine trying Magic Loop on the size 2's. Cord is stiff, and stitches so tiny - can you slide the loop thru?

Then I went and bought a bulky blend - Patons Chunky Tweed - 30 wool/ 70 acrylic. Am trying them on the size 6 dpn's, and it's much easier - fewer, larger stitches, and points don't stab as much. I'm using a boot sock pattern , but went up on the needle size - I want them to be slipper socks, just to wear around the house, and be big enough and stretchy enough to go over other socks. Hope they're worth the time and effort!

ADDENDA -

Geeze, you closed out the Beret thread too soon!

So, my belated comments:
Laurie2: re; Prototype Beret reminded you of ex. Does that mean he was too small, and slightly misshapen? - YIKES!!

Seriously, though, I think it would felt up into a darling mini Kitty Pi (Kitty Tart?), which could be given to somebody with a new kitten, or donated to a shelter.

Hat Models - In that last picture, he looks like the love child of Primat the Conehead and Joel McHale of The Soup - in a GOOD way.

Cute hats, cute family - CUTECUTECUTE!!

Oh. And while I love your crockpot recipes, I need to get a new one. My dad thought he was doing me a favor when he bought me the gran daddy of crockpots. The thing can hold TWO chickens! Who did he think I was trying to feed around here?

I thought there was crock pot deglazing going on. How's that for culinary fancy. Anyway, you had me at garlic paste - salivation. I must get a hunk of meant. Must make beret. Must make pot roast.

I just got a crock pot...I'm gonna make trukey chili for my dinner tomorrow. It's pretty cool.

Hey there - another addition to the fancy-schmancy language: FOND. That is the actual word for those browned bits that you scrape up from the bottom of the pan and have so much flavor. That word must have just been invented because I read it for the first time a few weeks ago, then heard it used in two separate cooking programs shortly thereafter. (Maybe they read the same article in Cooks Illustrated and wanted to show off that they knew that word!) Anyway, so then, "you pour the beer into the pan where you browned the meat, and you deglaze the fond and dump it into the crockpot!" :)

Thank you for your inspiration in so many areas - cooking, knitting, Zappos (!), life attitude. I haven't gotten to cats yet.

To go back to the beret for a moment. I found a quick easy pattern in the book "Charmed Knits" - that has all of the Harry Potter like knitting in it. I made one for my daughter - she loves it - but her friends say it is hideous. I told her it was just because their mom's didn't know how to make one! (was that wrong of me???!) Those mean girls.
Check out the book - you might like it.

Go for the socks! You'll love 'em. Socks are a hand-knit item you can wear year round in California.

If you love cooking with beer, you've got to try this cookbook: Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek. There are lots of stews using different types of beers, and lots of vegetable dishes, too. Just remember that a whole chicken will give so much better flavor than chicken breasts. My husband and I ate out of this cookbook for a month straight a couple winters ago - comfort food at it's best!

I loved the comment about someone taking badminton thinking it would be easy...I too many, many years ago took badminton as one of my college p.e. courses thinking it would be easy! HA! It was taught by the tennis coach. I never knew badminton was a contact sport. I still have nightmares. I also don't think I've ever played it again.

After reading about that kitty scratcher the last time you mentioned it I went out and bought one for my cats. They LOVE it. They can't get enough. The thing is already so ripped up but they just like sitting on it or trying to hide behind it or just scratching furiously!!

Socks are the best portable knitting EVER. They are not nearly as complicated as they look, but they impress people to no end!

I like to use the fine, fingering-weight sock yarns like Patons Kroy (nice and cheap), or Regia, Opal and Socka (all European brands and lovely to knit), on 2-3 mm needles (size 0 to 2 US?). The socks end up about the same thickness as regular cotton terry socks, so I wear them with all my ordinary shoes.

I can't wrap my brain around Magic Loops, though, so I use old-skool double points. I think it adds to the whole HOLY CATS WHAT ARE YOU KNITTING??!? factor :D

Oh I LOVES me my crockpot. You know, it's 17th century cooking with a plug. When the women got off the Mayflower they were putting cast iron dutch ovens on coals in their hearths and leaving them for hours. "Good Ideas Never Die." I'm getting mine out right now too. My scratchy chaise thing is holding up fairly well, as Mistress Evangeline the lady just sits on it; Lilliane-the-Hooligan scratches the heck out of it. We're about to be snowed in again - Crockpot Time it is!

Be very careful of the land of socks...once you start, you'll never be seen without a sock project in your hands. It's that addictive! And much, much easier than it looks. Homemade socks - you'll never go back to the store bought kind.

I never used a crockpot until I got married and my mother in law gave me one. I thought they were only for old people and the 1960's. Booooy was I wrong! Want something super fun to make in the crockpot - http://busycooks.about.com/od/cakerecipes/r/cpfudgepuddcake.htm
Cake, baby. Cake.

Ok, seriously, the mashed potatoes don't make your head hit your keyboard by 2 p.m. at work? Definitely loving the crockpot myself, made chili last weekend that's in my lunchbox today :)
Thanks for the cat scratcher link; may have to investigate that for my little demon.

Laurie--this is my first comment to your blog. I first heard about you on the Knitpicks podcast and decided to start at the beginning and read forward. Whew! It's been a great journey with you and you've resonated with me in many ways. Thank you! This is also the first time I've read comments or I would still be in 2005... I'm looking forward to real-time. By the way, sock knitting is a great portable project, subway knitting at its best!

my mom caused my crockpot to explode. she had a really nice one that the pot part could be used on the stove to brown meat before cooking. hoever, mine was just a cheap $20 and she didnt realize it wasnt stovetop compatible. she was browning onions in it, on the stop when i heard a very large explosion. pieces flew EVERYWHERE! we even found them under the couch and in the hall closet when we moved.
anytime i want to guilt her into buying me something or doing me a favor, i sniffle, mention "Crocky" and wipe a tear away. :p

Here's another variety to try: Put some potatoes sliced approx 1/2" thick (carrots too if you like them - I pretend they count as a green veggie - and 1/2 an onion, cut in large pieces so you can fish them out) under the pot roast and you don't have to make mashed potatoes unless you really want to. Also try a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and some dried basil with the beer. Delish!

I'm sure you've gotten tons of crockpot recipes but if not.... I ran across a great website called savingdinner.com, for around $30 they send you a weeks worth of recipes (and shopping lists) ever week for a year. They have different menus, you can pick from and one option is a crock cooker menu.

OOooooohhhhh ... now I Must Get the Cat Scratchy Toy!! Thanks, Laurie! And thanks for the beer tip on the pot roast recipe, I'll have to try it. Third thanks for mentioning not to use stout, because I would have tried it!

Late commenting on this post, but I had to let you know that we bought a cat chaise at Target.
Me: Oh, Laurie bought one of these and her cats love it. Husband thinks: How much stuff are we going to buy based on what Crazy Aunt Purl recommends? (Look of consternation upon seeing price.) Me: We're getting it anyway.
It's been a huge hit, overtaking the paper bag from REI as the favorite resting place.

Hi! I just finished reading the whole. entire. thing. Whew. It took me like 2 weeks. My neck hurts. Anyhoo, I wanted to say:
1. Definitely try socks, they are really easier than you think and then you feel like you just accomplished something amazing. 2. I have the best slow cooker recipe: put the meat you want (chicken or pork chops or sausage works best) along with a can of diced tomatoes, some chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic (you don't have to chop them) and some basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. It takes like 10 mins in the morning. Then when you are ready for supper, cook some rice and serve the tomato/chicken/whatever stuff on the rice and it is super yummy. and 3. I am so glad you like Canada so much, lol. Any chance of making it up here any time soon?

Anyway love the blog, and really looking forward to reading posts as they occur!

Oh you must try socks. Within 3 months of learning to knit I was making socks, granted they were full of mistakes but they were great. Try them with 2 circulars, magic loop and dpns to know which you like best. They can become addictive.

Love the scratcher, my cat is addicted to it. Thanks.

CRAP!! - just wrote a nice long post, and accidently nuked it - nasty little fat fingers!!

Anyway, bought a book today that looks fabulous;
"Sensational Knitted Socks", by Charlene Schurch.

Gives directions for toe-up, top-down, on 4, 5, or 2 circulars. Fantastic patterns, which could be adapted to other articles.

But best of all - THE MATHS ARE DONE FOR YOU!
She has a series of charts. You take your measurements, do your swatch for gauge, and look it up on the grid - tells you how many to cast on - for ANY size!

Bought a 2nd set of size 2 circulars - will try it out tonite!

First, the cat scratcher thinger - my cat is seriously in love with hers, and someday I will come home to find she's eloped with it. I bought it at the beginning of January-ish, and it's already getting to cob-post-corn status.

Second, the knit socks - may I recommend the Cat Borhdi book that recently came out? It's full of all kinds of great making-socks information, toe-up and cuff-down. I have to say my socks look better after reading bits and pieces.

Ah pot roast. It's the best. Back in the fall I made one and brought it out to the counter to rest. Of course sneaky dog ate the whole thing. About a month later she got VERY sick, not because of my cooking. She was at the vet's for a week and wouldn't eat. It was BAD. I made a pot roast, took her some and fed her by hand. She ate, and is now back to normal. (well the IVs and stuff helped too). So now it has major sentimental value for me now. Plus it makes the house smell so great!

The food is great and all but Harley Bear and Grady Boy think that the cardboard lounge chair is t he best thing ever (and would like to know why I only bought one of them!)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU