Sommer Designs

About my little outburst...

Thank you for dealing with me, and thank you for the many words of support and encouragement - you are too sweet! I get burned out in December and just want to veg out in January, but it never happens that way. In January, I get a bug that I want to add new things to my line, but then to keep the momentum going in my business, I have to keep selling. It's hard to experiment and prototype when I'm just trying to keep my head above the water - I know, a nice problem to have, but as a one-person operation, a little overwhelming sometimes. I can't complain...I am so happy to be doing something I truly love, and am so grateful that others like my products.

And then when the keyboard died, it was the last straw. I am so, so dependent on the Internet! It's essentially my entire livelihood. My sweet Scott brought me home a new keyboard, that plugs in no less (I'm so done with wireless devices!) and I really love it. That's right, I love my keyboard.

Another thing: I started a separate blog for Dinner Challenge because I really want to keep it going, but I don't want to clutter this space with poorly taken pictures of my dinner. My intent was to make it an open blog where the other participants of Dinner Challenge could also post as guests, and there would be one central location for all the Dinner Challenge recipes. But (always a 'but'), it turns out that my Typepad account does not allow for guests and I would have to upgrade the account (from $8.95 to $14.95 month). I'm not quite ready for that, so that idea is on hold. In the meanwhile, check out Dinner Challenge and the yummy recipe for Chicken Penne in Smoky Chili Cream Sauce.

Excuse me while I have a nervous breakdown.

1. My keyboard died this morning at 6 a.m. PST. It's one of those wireless doodads, that likes to die when I'm mid-sentence typing away on an important email. My life comes to a standstill while I search my secret cache of batteries, only to find that my stash has been discovered and depleted by children who must power a myriad of remote control devices. I am currently using Colin's keyboard, which luckily does work, but only has a 2 ft. cord, so I am stuck at a weird angle.
2. No way you needed to know all that.
3. I just found out that my one and only fabulous, amazing seamstress will be unavailable to help me for the first two weeks of February. She also has her own business as a florist, and damn if I forgot that Valentine's Day is coming up.
4. I have a sh*tload of sewing to do.
5. My month-long web sale is down to the wire: only 2 more days to save up to 40% on select hostess aprons and lavender liners.
6. If you want - use code "EXTRA10" for an extra 10% off your order.
7. Through January 31.
8. I'm going to have a big website update February 1, if I can stay off the Internet.
9. I am working on a dedicated Dinner Challenge blog - details at a later date/time.
10. I am signing off for a few days to get my head on straight and sew.
11. But check back on Friday - because to celebrate my birthday (which is in exactly 7 days, for anyone who is listening) I'll have a little something going on here.

It was a dark and stormy weekend...

We've had some serious weather lately. All last week, and this weekend especially, rain, wind, excruciatingly cold (okay, okay, it wasn't excruciatingly cold). It was a great weekend to curl up on the couch, knit and watch movies. Which, after I finished some bags that have been haunting me all week, I did (more on those later, okay?) (like, tomorrow.).

Don't you just love that afghan? I do. I came across it while browsing Ravelry about a month ago, and fell in love with all the colors - and it looks so warm and cozy! It's the Glowing Colors Afghan from Lion Brand Yarns, and the pattern is free! Never mind that it's sized for a child. I love it. I've spent the last month gathering all the yarn, going from one Michael's or Joann's to another looking for the required Jiffy colors and found all but 3 (I finally threw in the towel and ordered them online).

It's such an easy pattern too - all knit in stockinette stitch with two colors together. You knit the three panels separately, and then piece them together. Even I can handle that.

This was the perfect weekend to get started. I was feeling so lazy, it was gloomy, cold and rainy - all the requirements for a good knitting weekend, right? I had my tea at my side, my dogs at my feet, my cat...outside in the rain refusing to enter the warmth of a sheltered area (she is such a martyr). She'll just sit at the front door and meow, but she won't come in. She'll make us open the door, and stand there with the cold air blasting in, while she rubs against the door jam, but she won't come in. Whatever.

I started on Saturday and finished the first panel yesterday while watching Titanic, which I had never seen from beginning to end. One of my fears and phobias is the water and drowning, so this was a good choice for me. I noticed that my knitting speed increased as the ship was going down, and I started to hyperventilate as people were getting sucked into the dining room windows (did I just spoil anything there? I'm trying to work through a fear, okay, just deal with it). Ohmygod, it was awful. 

But I was mighty quick, and as my heart rate slowed, I was binding off. The only thing, the sides curled in like crazy, so I've set it out and pinned it down on the dining room table. I don't know if I should spray it with water - it's a simple acrylic yarn, does anyone have any suggestions? I started the second panel and am knitting the first and last stitch on the purl side this time, hoping that will stop the curl.

Anyway! I do love this pattern and the colors, I might even have time to work on it a little today. My kids are all home from school today; not sick, thankfully - but it's one of those district-wide student free days that are scheduled to torture parents after a weekend of rain. (kidding, Colin, I'm so glad you're home today! We can cuddle. Oh. You're 15 - you don't want to cuddle anymore.)

Also, I have to go make my shopping list. I was on a roll last week with Dinner Challenge, I can't throw in the towel now, can I? I'm going to head over to the Flickr Group right now and see what everyone made recently. I need inspiration.

Dinner Challenge: Bowties with Toasted Walnuts & Basil

Bowties with Toasted Walnuts & Basil - originally printed: Family Circle Magazine, May 16, 1995.

Gather:
1 lb. pasta, any shape
1 cup walnut pieces, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
1 tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tbl. grated parmesan cheese

Prepare: Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Mix walnuts and oil in microwave-safe serving bowl large enough to hold pasta. Microwave, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly toasted, stiring after 2 minutes. Add garlic; microwave 20 seconds. Stir in basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add pasta and combine. Add parmesan cheese & serve.

Note from me: I've made this in the microwave as directed, but last night I toasted the walnuts in the oil in a skillet. The only difference is that you have to watch everything because it can burn. This would be another great meal in minutes. It's good too!

**Whew! It's over and I did it! 5 meals - 5 nights. I planned it, and made it without any subsequent trips to the market. Now, at least I know it can be done! Have you visited the Flickr Group? There are so many yummy looking dinners over there - and everyone has provided links to their blogs with the recipes!

This has been such a great show-and-tell ,and I'm so happy so many people joined me and did this too! If you've been lurking around, please feel free to join in anytime. I'm going to try to keep planning our meals, and now that we have a virtual cookbook to look through, it should be so much easier.

Thank you to everyone who commented and blogged about this and came along for the ride! I hope we can keep it going!

Guess what I'm making for dinner tonight?

Reservations!

Har! Har! Har!

Dinner Challenge: Turkey Chili & Cornbread

Last night was nearly a cop out. Well, depending on how you look at it, it was a cop out. Tuesdays and Thursdays are difficult dinner nights for me because Drew has a class from 4-6 and I have to leave to pick him up around 5:40. This means I have to make dinner around 4:30 or 5 and have it ready, because when we get home, everyone wants to eat NOW.

And, I was planning on another pasta night (can you tell we do a lot of pasta?), but remembered we had the Pasta Salad last night, and rather than deal with a mutiny, I had to come up with something different. We had ground turkey in the fridge, and chili mix in the cupboard, as well as cornbread mix.

Soooooo, as boring as it might seem, I present....my loser dinner of Turkey Chili and Cornbread. All from a mix.

An actual recipe? Okay, people, listen up:

Gather:
1 lb. ground turkey
Lawry's Chili Mix
1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans
1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream, if desired.

Prepare according to package directions.

Cornbread: I used Marie Callender's mix - good to go.

Here's the thing: my family actually likes this cop-out meal.

Another variation of this is to prepare the chili, prepare the cornbread mix, and then put the chili in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish, add a thin layer of cheddar cheese, and then top with the cornbread batter, and bake according to the cornbread directions. It's like a chili casserole.

It's simple, but the kids like it. I can't complain with that.

I'll try to do better tonight.

Dinner Challenge: Szechuan Chicken Pasta Salad

Szechuan Chicken Pasta Salad, origin unknown. Serves 4.

Gather:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breat halves, cut into thin strips
3 tbls. light soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbls. sesame oil
1/2 lb. vermicelli, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup seeded and grated cucumber
1-1/2 cups fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 tbls. sesame seeds

Dressing: recipe follows

Prep: In a glass bowl, mix together soy sauce, sugar and red pepper flakes. Add chicken strips, turning to coat; cover and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes. In frypan, place sesame oil over high heat. Add chicken strips and stir-fry about 5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Remove chicken from frypan and cool. In a large bowl, place vermicelli, chicken, green onions, carrots, cucumber and bean sprouts; toss gently to mix well. Pour dressing over mixture and stir until well coated. Refrigerate 30 minutes, arrange on platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Dressing: In small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup water, 6 tbls. light soy sauce, 3 tbls. peanut butter, 2 tbls. cider vinegar, 2 tsp. sugar and 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes.

Note from me: I hadn't made this in a long time, and totally forgot it was a cold salad. However, if you leave the bean sprouts off until you are ready to serve it, it's totally fine and good warm. This is really good for a potluck or party, and you can even dice the chicken into chunks instead of strips. My kids really like this, so that's a huge plus!

Dinner Challenge: 5 Spice Tofu & Vegetable Stir-fry

5 Spice Tofu & Vegetable Stir-fry - orginally printed January 1994, Bon Appetit Magazine
2 servings - can be doubled (I did).

Gather:
8 oz. firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tbl. vegetable oil
8 oz. mixed broccoli & cauliflower florets (about 3 cups)
4 oz. thinly sliced carrots (I didn't cut the mini carrots)
3 oz. snow peas, strings removed (about 1 cup)
3 large garlic cloves, chopped (mmmm, garlic)
1/3 cup canned vegetable broth or water
1 tsp. five-spice powder
3 tbl. soy sauce

Arrange tofu on double-thick layer of paper towels and drain well. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add tofu in single layers and fry 3 minutes, until brown on bottom. Turn over tofu and fry 3 minutes. Transfer tofu to plate.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat. Add broccoli, cauliflower and carrots; stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add broth and five-spice powder. Cover skillet; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and tofu; toss until heated through.

Notes from the magazine: The key to keeping this vegetarian entree simple is to use precut packaged vegetables. Serve steamed rice alongside.

Notes from me: I was in a serious rush last night, and it was a test of my will to not stop for take out. I did double this recipe, quite easily, and it cooks up really, really fast. The key, I think, is the prepackaged vegetables. I didn't buy them prepackaged, but gathered them pre-chopped in the produce section, only buying what I needed for this meal. I firmly believe in buying prepackaged if it helps me out, even if it costs just a bit more. The rice cooked a rice cooker while I got the meal going.

::If you haven't heard, I started a Flickr group for the Dinner Challenge - all the meals with links to the recipes (or the recipes themselves) are over there! Check it out - join us (I hope you do)!

New Flickr Group: Dinner Challenge!

Thanks to Autum for the suggestion - I've set up a Flickr group for all the dinner photos. Please link to the recipe - it'll be so much easier this way, no?

Please join us if you're interested!

Dinner Challenge: Penne Alla Vodka

Good thing I'm not a food photographer, huh?

Penne Alla Vodka, originally printed in Glamour Magazine, March 1985.

Gather:
1 16-oz. box penne
1 medium onion, diced
4 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 16-oz. can tomatoes, drained (I used diced)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2/3 cup Vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb. ham, diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to label directions. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion in hot butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add vodka; cook 5 minutes. Blend in cream; heat to boiling. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Toss with hot drained pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Makes 6 servings - calories: 580 per serving.

Note: Your choice on the addition of vodka. I believe alcohol does burn off when cooked, so I don't worry about serving this to kids (or, should I? Two of them ate it, and they were fine. Relatively speaking, that is.)

I totally remember when I clipped this recipe! Obviously, it was 1985, and I think I was living in Brentwood with my best friend Karen (who was my college roommate). I remember being so happy to have my own apartment, and I would cook dinners for Scott all the time - long, complicated dinners that cost a fortune in ingredients! Glamour Magazine always had great recipes that were usually 30 minutes or less.

How'd you do last night?

5 Night Dinner Challenge ~ Join Me?

We are in a rut, my friends. I share this with you because, I am sure, many of you are as well. I know you know that I get into trouble many nights when the clock strikes 5 and I have no clue as to what I am going to do about dinner. The frustrating thing is that I do try to plan these things! But 5 p.m. hits and I'm tired, or uninspired, or bored, so we end up eating the same things over and over again. My family has just about had it with me.

The other problem is that [second to our mortgage payment], groceries are our highest expense. Probably because I'm not planning well, and have to run out several times a week, and you know how that goes. Before you know it, a gallon of milk becomes a $85 - $100 bill in the checkout line.

I know many of you must feel the same way, judging from the comments and emails about the recipes I've blogged about. I think we can help each other out, but it's going to take some planning.

I've been clipping magazine recipes and articles and sliding them into those plastic page protectors and storing them in binders for over 20 years. I just came across them again, and there's so much good stuff in there. That recipe up there? It's from the March 1985 issue of Glamour Magazine. I kid you not.

So, armed with this little arsenal of recipe ideas, I sat down and made a menu for the week. Then, I made my shopping list. Easy enough, right?

Here's my idea: I am challenging myself to making dinner every night this week. And it has to be something I haven't made in a long time. Each morning, I'll post the recipe from the previous night's dinner, with a picture, of course. I'm aiming for quick and easy over here.

I'm inviting you to do the same! Join me, and post your dinner recipes on your blogs. Hopefully, we can all get out of this rut and try something different.

We can start a blog dinner challenge revolution! Who's in?

Check back tomorrow to see how tonight went!

ETA: Thanks for the great response! I just wanted to say, don't worry about taking pictures! If you just post the recipe, that's good enough! We all need the ideas ~ the photos are just eye candy! Spread the word on your own blogs -> more recipes = more dinner options!