Ms. Cleaver Chronicles

I sucked with taking pictures this week. I don’t really carry my camera around daily so I missed a couple of things, like my tank of gas and the burger and beer I bought for dinner at my knitting circle this week. Of course now that Mr. Cleaver and  I got new cell phone this week (as well as a new number for me) I have a camera phone, but  alas, that doesn’t help the past, so in addition to the items mentioned above:

All my weekend baking has required the purchase of a new sifter/sieve  from Le Roux Kitchen to combat the clumpiness I’ve been noticing in my dry goods. It worked wonderfully on the doughnut I make this morning. And it was one of the serendipitous purchases where it cost exactly what I wanted to pay. Once I’m out of rehearsal/production (ie late May) I’d like to start doing a series of baking posts, but for now, alas I haven’t the time.

Yoga. 

Thrilling list, I know. 

Today Mr.Cleaver and I went to our first Maine Maple Sunday – for those unfamiliar with syrup production, when it first starts getting warm sugar maple sap is running high, trees are tapped, and on the 4th Sunday in March, local sugarhouse open their doors for tons of syrup-seeking locals.

We headed out to Merrifield Farms because I told Mr. Cleaver I don’t care where we go as long as there are pancakes. We did get some delicious pancakes and sausage and hot dogs and maple baked beans after about an hour wait. It was cold, but it was worth it. 

And while Mr. Cleaver patiently waited in line I got to run around the grounds taking pictures of other people’s children’s enjoying the day. We didn’t pick up any syrup sadly, because one long line was enough, but I hope you enjoy my photos of our little jaunt!

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a creature of habit. This week, with only $2 “whatever” dollars for the pay period and rehearsal every night, by spending fell into pre-designated purchases only – namely Saturday yoga and lunch. 

That said, I did feel the crunch a little  at the end of this week. I didn’t have time to go the bank as usual on Thursday or Friday and really debated about going to an ATM, I held off and made it to the bank about 2 minutes before closing on Saturday and got my money for week 4. I also maybe cheated when last Saturday Mr. Cleaver bought me $6.25 worth of yarn. I told him I’d pay him back, but he’d hear none of it (he’s a keeper, I know). That said, here’s the pics.

The “Wrangler” with some rather intense horseradish mayo and a double chocolate cookie. 

How’s my form?

Week two, and I’ve resorted to paper clips. Making sure all my bases are covered. Including the important “whatever” category.

A yogitoes mat to keep me from from doing a face-plant into my mat during downward-facing dog.

A “Gemini” sandwich from North Star Cafe.

A tank of gas.

One of my ongoing goals this year is to cut as many processed foods out of my diet as I can. I’m looking into ways to consistently make my own bread (I’ve done some work with a bread machine and a friend lent me a copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, which I hope to try as soon as I have some room in the fridge to try it.) and I’ve been figuring out ways to make my favorite microwave and takeout foods from scratch (check back in about a week for my chicken pot pie recipe!). Come farmer’s market season I’d like to look into some preserving.

Along these same lines, I’ve had a recurring thought about only eating sweets that I’ve made myself. Now I have the second-biggest sweet tooth I know and what with my schedule, I though that to only eat home-made sweets meant pretty much giving them up. I’m sure doctors and dentists would think that’s plenty fine, but I like a good cookie, or piece of cake, brownie or slice of pie… you get the idea.

In any case, I’m thinking it’s much more feasible than I originally thought. 

I’m currently working full-time and rehearsing a play about 4 nights and one weekend day a week. I’m pretty busy. But for the past month I’ve found the time to bake every Sunday. 

I don’t own a mixer (I find mixing by hand both bicep-building and relaxing) and my kitchen is ill-designed for any kind of food-making, but I’m getting the job done. And I love putting on an apron from my collection and baking.

A few weeks back it started with “le gateau piege” from Chocolate and Zucchini, a Cleaver house-hold favorite.

Then it was the titular Chocolate & Zucchini cake from the C&Z cookbook, which was dense and moist.

Having good luck with Clotilde, I made the Honey-Spice Loaf from the same cookbook. We like it warm with butter.

Around Wednesday this week I asked Mr. Cleaver what he wanted. He didn’t have any suggestion, so I decided to troll the recipe index on my other favorite food site, Smitten Kitchen, where I came across these:

Homemade oreos!

These are just like the ones in the store, but way better, especially slightly warm. As noted in the recipe, I used the lesser amount of sugar in the cookies, and if Mr. Cleaver had his way, I wouldn’t have frosted any. As it was I only needed half the frosting called for, but I highly recommend them. And some soothing Sunday afternoon baking.

Do you have a favorite baking recipe? Send along recipes and links and I’ll be happy to give them a go!

So one week down. Not a big week for purchases, but I definitely have a greater consciousness about how much money I have in my wallet, what purchases I need/want to make, and when my next pay period is (Thursday if you were wondering).

The run-down for the week:

Saturday morning yoga class at The Yoga Exchange, which is dangerously close to my favorite yarn shop.

In a fit of high school nostalgia, Cake’s Fashion Nugget and some Monty Python Flying Circus from Bull Moose.

A chicken and roasted root vegetable sandwich, extra roots, from O’Naturals between yoga and rehearsal.