Friday, May 13, 2011

Confession Time

I broke Blogger yesterday so nobody would know I haven't posted for a while. I'm obviously delusional about my powers, since I also thought I'd be finished with my Rock Island shawl by now.


I have progressed to the center part of the shawl, which is all garter stitch, decreasing at the sides and center. Some people get all bug you-know-what crazy over big chunks of endless garter stitch, but I love this--little decreases that make the rows a tiny bit shorter every other row. Before you know it, the decreases will meet in the center, about where the nubbin ball of yarn is in the photo. Then, there's a four-stitch Kitchener bind-off, which I can do in my sleep. Not to brag on myself, but if I can break Blogger, then Kitchener is a slam dunk.

I'll leave you with a tasty little recipe for sangria. It's healthy too, if you consider the fruit. O.K., maybe not exactly healthy body-wise, but mental health is important too, and I feel way better after a glass or two. ¡a su salud!


Sangria

1 bottle red wine—Rioja, Côtes du Rhône, or whatever red floats your boat—doesn’t have to be expensive but not rotgut either

4 oz Cognac—go for something fairly decent
¼ to ½ cup organic sugar, depending on the wine and your particular sweet tooth
1 organic apple, cored, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced
2 organic oranges, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced
juice of two organic oranges
1 organic lime, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced
1 organic lemon, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced
about a cup of fresh seasonal berries
1 cup sparkling water

Mix together all ingredients except berries and sparkling water, and chill overnight. The next day, pour over ice in a pitcher, add sparkling water, and gently stir. Pour into tall glasses and use some tongs to fish out some of the sliced fruits and add to each glass. Garnish with the berries and enjoy!

If you’re not going to serve the entire pitcher right away, I suggest not pouring the sangria mixture over the ice in the pitcher. Rather, once the sangria mixture is chilled, pour each serving over ice in individual glasses, then top off each glass with an ounce or two of the sparkling water. Don't forget the berries and fruit. 


You can certainly can make this without using organic fruits or organic sugar, but you won't get that virtuous feeling. I just like using organic fruits when they are in a solvent such as wine.

7 comments:

  1. Oh good, it's you -- I was afraid the Blogger downtime was my fault! I've spent 3 days in technology hell, or at least purgatory, with the home wireless network and now that the wireless signal is better, one of the laptops is periodically having a coronary attack. It's enough to make me going back to writing on paper with pens, or perhaps talking to people who are actually in the room with me. (Well, maybe not.)

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  2. Well, I am glad to hear it was you loosing my post and yes, apology accepted. A good sangria does wonders! Well, sorry, not for me, with my yeast allergies, but I will toast with you anyway (Happy Hour with a gin&tonic).

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  3. I thought I broke Blogger yesterday, too.......because I promised to post about the Knitters' Guild Brown Bag Exchange (things I gave and thing I received).

    I still haven't.

    I've been running all over hell and back with Little Man for his doctor appointments. I don't have time to blog, much less put laundry away or a myriad of other things.

    Oh well.

    Blogger works now. All is well.

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  4. Here I was, thinking I was the reason Blogger broke! :p
    That shawl is going to be CRAZY pretty when it's done (it's already pretty as a WIP). I personally don't have anything against big portions of garter stitch. Sure, it's boring but what it has in boredom-induction it makes up for in speed and brainlessness of knitting. (I'm not one of those speed-lace-knitting people. *sigh*)
    It's especially rewarding where decreases are involved. ;)
    Do you have an estimate for when this might appear as a FO?

    *also going to have to try that sangria one of these nights the kiddo is not around*

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  5. Well, good to know what the problem was with Blogger. It was YOU!

    Man ... that is some AWESOME power. You reinstated blog postings I had deleted. LOL

    Oh well --- now that it's fixed, I guess I'd better get crackin' on my own blog post.

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