Holidays « Ms. Cleaver Chronicles

Holidays

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January 23, 2012

Happy National Pie Day!

Posted by Ms Cleaver under A Year in Food, Holidays
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In America, the National Pie Council (what, your country doesn’t have one of those?) declared January 23rd National Pie Day.

Being as we for some strange reason don’t get this as a day off, I had to do my celebrating yesterday in my now-traditional fashion, with a pie-luck!

I made a batch of cherry cup-pies and a chocolate/raspberry pie that I neglected to photograph.

(Note to all bakers out there, when making a recipe for the first time, read the whole recipes before the morning you attempt to make it. I neglected to do this and caught myself running out of time when I realized that my raspberry pie took FOUR HOURS to make due to refrigerating time for the different parts.)

I think I need to make cup-pies more often, they’re adorable and take only a tiny bit more work than a regular pie.

As usual we had a range of savory, sweet, and tart pies. A pie-luck requires at least three rounds to the table and generous amounts of tupperware for the leftovers.

We also got in a fair amount of knitting and Aimee, Chris, and Maggie split up several balls of Jamieson and Smith yarn for our sheep heid knit-a-long. (I’m spinning mine).

So for those interested, here’s a run-down of the pies (if I forgot any my apologies!):

Savory
- Red Lentil & root vegetable pot pie
- Goat cheese and leek egg pie/quiche
- Pizza Pie
Fruit-Based
- Apple Cranberry
- Cranberry Pear Shortbread
- Cranberry Sage
- Cherry Cup-pies
- Chocolate Raspberry
- Apricot Cheese
Cream
- Chocolate Satin
- Butterfinger

With all the leftovers I ended up with – I’ll be celebrating pie all week!!

December 28, 2011

More Christmas Makings

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Christmas, Embroidery, Holidays, Needle-felting, Sewing
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Here’s a few more things I either made in secret (ornaments) or at the last minute (wreath):

Did you do any Christmas making?

December 22, 2011

A Stocking for Steiny and Other Makings

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Christmas, Holidays, Sewing
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I was trying to not to be one of the those crazy pet parents who gets their pets Christmas parents (which seems to be a largely American thing – yes?), but I gave in and not only got Steinbeck a gift, I sewed him a stocking.

In my defense, it only took me the baking time of about 2 dozen cookies to get the whole thing done from conception to completion and it’s totally cute. The fabric was leftovers from my Valentine’s skirt and a wreath I’m still trying to finish up.

In addition to the aforementioned cookies, Ive made my annual batches of dark chocolate mint fudge and peanut brittle.

The goodies are baked, the house decorated, the packets shipped, and the gifts (mostly) wrapped, with three days left, I think I’m good to go!.

October 31, 2011

A Little Bit Country

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Fall, Halloween, Holidays, Sewing
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One of my guilty pleasures in life is Time-Life Music infomercials. There’s something endearing about the standard formula of past-their-prime musician + woman-of-a-certain-age co-host + those 5 second clips of unforgettable hits of the 60s and 70s. On a lazy Sunday afternoon Mr. Cleaver and I will merrily let it run for the full half-hour and our ultimate favorite collection is “The Golden Age of Country.”

My costume this year is a tribute to the Golden Age of Country, the Grand Olde Opry, and fantastic country songbirds of the age like June Carter Cash, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton in all their big-haired, chiffon-clad glory.

I came across Simplicity Pattern 2180 a few weeks back, and thought it would be the perfect starting point for my costume, but it was out of stock in my size. However a kind friend in my knitting circle picked it up for me on a trip to Augusta, so I was in business!!

I knew the dress would have to have a gauzy chiffon component, preferably in a pastel shade and this Jenny Lewis video inspired me to pick up some lace trimming as well. I treated the seafoam-y tafetta-esque base fabric as an underlining, and sewed the two layers together before making the darts/seams/etc. which made dealing with the top layer chiffon a bunch easier.

It’s not the best sewing job I’ve ever done, I skipped a few steps like the waistband facing and replaced the sleeve cuffs with elastic, but for a Halloween costume, I think it turned out pretty swell. I’m racking my brain for occasions/places I could get away with wearing this dress in ordinary life, because I kind of love it (and I’m definitely remaking the pattern in a more casual fabric at some point).

Mr. Cleaver joined in on a more modern take on the theme, thanks to a cowboy hat from Target and some clothes from around the house. Our first thought was to do a more “rhinestone cowboy” look (like Buck Owens), but this was easier.

We went to a Halloween party over the weekend, where Mr Cleaver claimed to alternately be Toby Keith and/or Hank Williams Jr.

Even Steinbeck got in on the action (he is from Texas after all).

I even tried to keep the pumpkin in the country theme, though it looks more like a Holstein pig than the cow I was going for.

But while we may look country on the outside, inside we’re both still rock ‘ roll.

PS – thanks to Bristol (and her dad) for the loaner cowboy boots!!

February 14, 2011

My Valentine Skirt

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Holidays, Sewing, Valentine's Day
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Happy Valentine’s Day!!

About two weeks ago, I ordered a pretty red dress online and afterward thought it would be great to wear on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, it didn’t show up by Saturday.

Come Sunday, I decided I wanted something red to wear anyway.

Remembering I had some red fabric in my stash (received as part of the same group of fabric that became the granny skirt) and grabbing a simple previously made pattern (Simplicity 2758). I whipped this skirt up in an evening.

It is generally know that I am not a fast sewer.

It was only a through a confluence of positive circumstances that it came together so quickly:

I happened to have all the materials on hand, including the fabric, interfacing, red thread and a sufficiently long red zipper.
I has sewed the pattern before, so the pattern pieces were already cut out and I knew it fit well.
The pattern is basically three pieces: skirt front, skirt back, and waist band. Plus the added strip for the faux bow.
Only two seams to finish!
The material is a faux suede, so I couldn’t really iron it. Meaning, I didn’t have to iron it!
The zipper went in super easily on the first try.

To add a hint of pizazz, I added some top stitching on the waistband and on off-center bow.

And voila! Festive Valentine’s Day skirt!

January 24, 2011

I Think I Ate a Whole Pie Yesterday

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Baking, Holidays, Home, Knitting
[9] Comments

So the day after I moved in, I naturally invited a bunch of people over for my second annual National Pie Day celebration, like you do.

There were knitting quizzes and pie trivia!

There were door prizes!

There was much tea consumed!

There were rows knitted!

And there was a pie per person! (and some creme brulee that snuck in, but who can complain?)

(Counterclockwise from bottom right: quiche (egg pie), shepherd’s pie, vegetarian shepherd’s pie, banana’s foster pie, cherry cream pie, spinach feta and phyllo pie, lemon meringue, and s’more pie.)

In other news, it’s -10° F outside, but the house is warm and there were a pair of beautiful cardinals chirping outside my living room window as I ate my breakfast this morning.

And I have a bunch of leftover savory pies for my lunch. Not a bad start to a cold day!!

December 31, 2009

2009 Year in Review

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Holidays, Uncategorized
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A very Happy New Year from Mr. and Ms. Cleaver!

Thank you for sharing 2009 with us and I look forward to an exciting Twenty-Ten!

December 28, 2009

Christmas in California…

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Christmas, Holidays, Knitting
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…or you really can’t go home again.

Mr. Cleaver and I just returned from an almost week spent at my Mother’s in Napa, California. Our flight out was delayed (canceled and re-booked, really) by two days due to a huge snowstorm on the east coast, but our actual travel was fairly uneventful.

It’d been two and half years since I’d last been back and it was the first time I was truly hit by the fact that I didn’t live there anymore. Though in general Napa has gotten more touristy, with large hotels and tourist-aimed shopping centers being the most noticeable changes, not all that much was different (the Uptown Theatre is still closed, the flood abatement project still isn’t completed, the Cinedome still stands tall, my mother’s favorite restaurant is still the Red Hen, and Butter Cream still makes the best doughnuts in town).

But it wasn’t home – I didn’t remember my way around the roads, my childhood bedroom was filled with boxes of things that weren’t mine, all the art seemed lower on the walls, I couldn’t recall where the pots went in the kitchen, the bakery I once worked in was now a hair salon. I not longer had any ownership of the place as it is, only as it was and it was a sobering feeling.

That said, the weather was beautiful and it was nice to see family (Mr. Cleaver got to meet a lot of my mother’s side of the family for the first time) and friends (shout out to Angie & Steve, Sean, Heatherly & Angelina!). I love that there will always be people in my life that no matter how long it’s been since we’ve talked or seen each other (which is regrettably often too long), we can always pick back up right where we left off – and that’s a comforting feeling.

I didn’t take many photos while on the trip, but I did take a series of shots on Christmas morning when Mr. Cleaver and I visited my neighborhood park (which is, yes, also a city drainage basin). I’d like to point out that Mr. Cleaver is wearing my Christmas gift to him, a Woven Bands Pullover re-imagined as an Elizabeth Zimmerman shirt-yoke seamless sweater knit in Cascade Eco-Wool. Mr. Cleaver loves it, which makes me so happy – you have no idea.

December 18, 2009

S’more Pie: Take Two

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Baking, Holidays | Tags: Baking, peanut brittle, pie, s'more, smores, tart |
[5] Comments

Back on May 14th, 2008 I posted a pie without a recipe or a link to a recipe – it was an attempt that didn’t quite work out and I hadn’t gotten another chance to test out a new version. My brother has not let me live this down. He pretty much brings it up every time we talk.

In general, I just wasn’t all that inspired to give it another try, but then I had the Snicker’s Pie at the Great Lost Bear and found my chocolate filling. That, along with having my company holiday potluck today, gave me enough reason to make a second go. (Oh – and can I say my company’s Christmas potluck includes a fresh raw oyster shucking station and a pound of local shrimp is the parting gift? I love Maine. )

The tart was a big hit at the party - it turned out exactly how I wanted, chocolately without being too much like cake or pudding and a perfect balance of flavors. And so after a year and a half of waiting, here it is.

Merry Christmas, Big Brother.

S’more Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

For crust:
8 to 9 graham crackers, finely ground (about 1 cup)
5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

For filling:
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (not more than 65% cacao if marked)(as always, I prefer Ghirardelli’s)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Topping:
Half a bag of mini-marshmallows

Equipment:
a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) or 9-inch pie pan

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Shift together graham crackers and sugar. Stir in melted butter and press evenly onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes

Make filling:

Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl until frothy, then fold into melted chocolate.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Add topping:
Distribute about half a bag of mini marshmallows on the tart, until the top of tart is evenly covered and place under broiler until marshmallows are golden brown (about 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully and rotate as needed).

Best served when marshmallows are warm and gooey! (If you don’t eat it all in one sitting – and I’d be amazed if you do – it’s seriously rich, store in the fridge. Let sit out until room temperature before eating and if desired, microwave for a few seconds to re-gooify the marshmallows).

In other news, last weekend I made my annual batch of peanut brittle and this photo op was too good to skip, even if my hair is a little crazy and I’m wearing one of John’s flannel shirts.

CHOMP!

In other, other news. I’m off to my hometown of Napa, California for a week come Sunday. I haven’t been back since before I was married! I may not have internet while I’m gone, but I’ll let you know all about it on my return. If you’re a Napa-based reader, send me a email/comment before Sunday – I’d love to meet up!

December 5, 2009

Giving Thanks: Family, Food, and Fun

Posted by Ms Cleaver under Holidays, Thanksgiving
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This Thanksgiving, Mr. Cleaver and I had the pleasure of hosting my big brother Luke and his lovely wife Jen for a few days. I think we crammed two days worth of activities into each one, showed the family some Portland-area highlights and had an all-around good time.