Snow, Socks and Salad

It finally happened!

We got a whopping 1.5" of snow on Friday night. It wasn't much, but at least it covered the icky dead brown stuff that is all we've been seeing since winter started. We haven't really had a snow that has stuck yet this year. Quite freaky for central Massachusetts! The dogs were all excited and managed to do some running around in it. They are much happier when the measurements are in feet and not inches. We had some good sun also, so the driveway and all the roads are clear - my kind of snow!

The first Broken Cable Rib sock is now on the road up to Burlington, Vermont. I finished it on Saturday and sent it up to Ivy to try on - I haven't made her socks before, so I want her to try it first before I start the second one to see if there are any changes I need to make.

If it fits, yay! If not, she can send me back the first one and I can re-work what needs fixing. In the meantime, I did a little work on Adlebaran. Since I have to rework the gauge and layout of the sock because I'm using a fingering weight yarn instead of sport weight, I did some calculating.

And some swatching....

I ended up knitting the swatch twice as my first attempt on #1 needles yielded a bit too firm of a fabric and a 10 sts/" gauge. With #2's, I got a much nicer fabric and 8 sts/". I used that as my base and proceeded to cast on! This will keep me occupied until I learn the fate of the Broken Cable Rib sock.

The hydroponic garden got a good trim this weekend. Hubby made an incredible niçoise salad with the greens and some ultra fresh tuna steak.

A nice balsamic dressing topped it off. The lettuce was sacrificed for the greater good of our tummies! We only used about half the lettuce, so we have enough for another "harvest" this week. Then, it's on to growing herbs!

The snow on the ground Saturday morning made me in a baking mood. I have been craving scones for a while now, and have tried a few recipes, but haven't been able to find one I really love - until now.

Cinnamon Vanilla Scones
(Adapted from this recipe)
3 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Butter (room temperature)
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs
3 Teaspoons Vanilla

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with a few larger chunks of butter still showing. In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently just until it holds together. Pat it into a rectangle about 8 x 10 inches, and cut the dough into 2 to 3-inch diamonds or squares with a sharp knife. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve warm.