Cute Stripey Baby Hat

This hat is basically the same as the Blueberry Hat posted earlier but alternating three rows of two bright colors. It knits up fast and the colors make it a cheery venture!

Cast on 80 stitches DK weight cotton yarn on #5 - 16 inch circular needles.

Knit three rows of your first color and then change yarns and knit another three rows. Repeat until hat measures 5 inches long, unrolled. Keep alternating colors

Begin decreasing, changing to double pointed needles when necessary:

Row 1: Knit 8 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 2: Knit entire row

Row 3: Knit 7 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 4: Knit entire row

Row 5: Knit 6 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 6: Knit entire row

Row 7: Knit 5 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 8: Knit entire row

Row 9: Knit 4 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 10: Knit entire row

Row 11: Knit 3 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 12: Knit entire row

Row 13: Knit 2 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 14: Knit entire row

Row 15: Knit 1 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 16: Knit entire row

Row 17: Knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Continue to decrease until about 9 stitches remain and and knit to about 1 inch long. This is a bit of a juggling act - but your fingers can do it! Draw end of yarn through last loops and knot on inside.

Garbanzo Portabello Strogonoff

Eureka - this creation was tasty. Wonderful flavors and textures. Who needs beef anyway?

Garbanzo Portabello Stroganoff

Olive Oil
2 cups Cabernet or other dry red wine (half for the cook!)
1 large red onion minced
12 oz sliced portabello mushrooms
2 cup cooked garbanzo beans
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream

Saute the onion in olive oil about 2 minutes then add 1/2 cup wine and cook it down until it just coats the onion with no additional liquid. Add the mushrooms and do the same. Repeat with the garbanzos. Salt and pepper to taste and then add sour cream. Serve on egg noodles or brown rice.

Quilt Shops

My first quilt project was a brown and cream log cabin. I ended up giving it to Larry Aitkin for being so generous in his teaching of Anishinabe culture when I was designing displays for the Forest Service Office in Cass Lake. In the 1990's I got in the habit of making a quilt a year, but lost it when I moved to Milwaukee in 1999. Being retired now I have got the itch and have been working on my "stash" and working on a few squares. I feel almost in a meditative state with time to wonder and think about color. I truly delight in picking fabrics.

Best Quilt Shops so far...

• Piecemakers Quilt Shop in Hackensack, Minnesota
• Fabric Patch in Ironwood, Michigan
• Material Matters in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
• Main Street Quilters Bozeman, Montana
  

Add to my list!

My Milwaukee Favorites

My Milwaukee Favorites

• Alterra Coffee and especially Alterra on the Lake's lattes
  
• Bartel's Orchard for apples, pears, strawberry picking and garden plants
  
• Beans and Barley for breakfast, lunch or dinner
• Biking north along Lakeshore Drive or along the River Road
• Boulangerie DuMonde bakery in Cedarburg for baguette and croissants
• Brady Street for lunch/dinner and shopping
  
• Coquettes for dinner
• Chicago day trip (or overnight at Hotel Monaco) via Amtrak
• Farmers markets in the summer
• Fox Point Garden Club for native plants and Concordia Herb Fair in May
  
• Garden Room and Anaba Tea Room for tea, garden supplies and it's rooftop garden
  
• Italian Bakery on Brady Street for their cookies
  
• Kopp's icecream (Vanilla!)
  
• Lacke & Joys for outdoor equipment
• Kohler Art Center and Design Center day trip in Sheboygan
• Milwaukee Art Museum
• Mineral Point WI day trip
• Past Basket in Bayside - great dishes and linens
• Rhama's on Silver Spring for yarn
  
• Schlitz Audubon for hikes along the lake or when your lucky with snow xco skiing
• Third Ward for lunch/dinner shopping
  
• Whole Foods cheese and produce

Tell me yours...where ever you are.

Black Beans

I don't have a photo of black beans, so how about our water bottles? I woke up the first morning at the Porkies and they looked so colorful. And precious since we boiled river water diligently the night before. Do you think I should I start a label of photos "taken in pajamas"?

Well back to black beans...like water, so basic, simple and so good. Good for breakfast as huevos rancheros, good for lunch as burritos, good for dinner with grilled chicken and peppers, good as a bean and tomato sandwich at midnight!

Black Beans

2 cups black beans
1 tsp salt
2-3 tsp cumin
2-3 tsp cinnamon

Soak the beans overnight in salted water. Rinse in the morning and add twice as much water as beans. Boil until they are tender and mash them a little while adding cumin and cinnamon. These freeze well. They keep well on camping trips. You'll never buy a can of refried beans again!

Camping Checklist

In preparation for a longer trip to Montana I made the following checklist. It worked well for our shorter weekend backpacking trip too - we just narrowed the list and packed in no time at all. Hope this is useful to you as well!

Ten Essentials (Daypack) 1. Extra food 2. Extra water 3. Fleece top, hat and raincoat 4. Map of the area 5. Compass 6. Flashlight, extra batteries extra bulb 7. Swiss Army knife 8. Lighter, or matches in waterproof container, candle) 9. First aid kit 10. Sun and insect protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, bug stuff, hat)

Main Items
Rain cover/tarps
Tent, poles, pegs, groundsheet
Sleeping bag
Sheet/pillow
Sleeping pad
Camp chair?

Cooking Items
Salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, curry, cinnamon, brown sugar
Coffee, tea, cocoa
Powdered milk
Oatmeal, rice and pasta
Olive oil/balsamic vinegar
Stove/fuel (with all accessories & parts)
Cooking pots
Dipping/measuring cup
Insulated Cup or mug
Bowls or plates
Forks and Spoons
Spatula, wooden spoon
Pot scrubber
Dr Bonners Soap
Cutting board, GI can opener, cheese grater, cork screw, coffee press
Potholder
Water purification system (iodine or filter)
Wide-mouth water bottles (two or three each)
Water holder
Ziplock and garbage bags

Toiletries and First Aid
Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss
Deodorant
Lotion
Baby Wipes
Toilet paper in ziplock
Tampax
Laundry soap in ziplock
Cold medicine, cough drops
Ibuprofen and Tylenol
Antacid tablets
Antibiotic ointment
Antiseptic towelettes, wrapped singly
Band Aids
Butterfly adhesive bandages
Roller gauze
Medical tape
Moleskin
Triangular Bandage
Elastic bandages
Safety Pins
Needle, Tweezers
Scissors and/or razor blade
Thermometer

Extras/Repair
Extra lighter
Extra flashlight bulbs
Extra batteries
Extra pack buckles (waist buckle, 3/4" buckle)
Extra draw cord toggles
ThermaRest and tent patch kit
Stove maintenance kit
Tent pole repair tube
Sewing kit (w/heavy duty needle, thread)
Small length of wire
Duct tape
Nylon cord
Clothes pins

Entertainment
Camera
Binoculars
Notebook/pencil
Deck of cards
Art stuff,
Book

Clothing
Boots or hiking shoes
Sandals
Socks
Underwear
Bathing suit
Pants/shorts
Fleece jacket
Shirts (long-sleeve and short-sleeve)
Hat
Warm hat/gloves
Rain coat and pants
Long Underwear

Porcupine Mountains

Lake Superior - There' s nothing like a child's joy running along a beach to express the glory of a sunset. Pete, Davyd, our friend Sue and I trekked 4 miles into the Lake Superior cabin for three days in the Porcupine Wilderness State Park. We hiked along the Big Carp and Presque Isle Rivers as well as Gitchegumee, cooked on a campfire and danced in splendid sunsets. Take a look, I posted our photos on Photo Bucket at: http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn109/berlinfamily/Porcupine%20Mountains/ . Though I have been to the UP several times, I visited the the Porkies last in seventh grade on a family camping trip. Lake of the Clouds was as beautiful as I remember, though all the walls and boardwalks have taken some of the adventure I remember away. I was pleased we could secure cabin reservations just the week before - and at $65 a night the primitive little cottage was a steal for front row seats to splendid sunsets and the rhythm of waves all night. I gained an added dose of relaxation to walk among northern plants once again.

We spent Monday night in Ironwood Michigan and savored some fine pizza from Tacconelli's. The next day it was our good fortune to have the fan belt whistling like a bird, so Davyd an I were toured the Fabric Patch and several great antique shops while Pete had it repaired. We boosted the local economy a bit and had a non-whistling drive home Tuesday evening.

Three Generations of Big Deep Girls

Little Cabin in the Big Deep Woods

Just returned from northern Minnesota after ten days at my mothers cabin. Can you believe we had thirteen people living out of this little cottage? My brothers Greg and Eric and their families and my mom, Pete, Ali and Davyd and I were there the last three days. I always welcome these reunions, even in little cabins where you have to ration showers and battle mosquitoes.

Before and after we visited friends, baked pies, kayaked, swam, knitted, took daily hikes, relaxed in the hammock, fished, Davyd learned to row and drive the motor boat, we picked cottongrass, had bonfires, drew and gathered photos of wildflowers and fell asleep to loons singing. Ali and Davyd told me they were bored a few times and I answered that boredom and creativity sit right next to each other - each presents undiscovered opportunities!

My grandparents had a cabin the my five siblings and I visited when I was growing up. It was much the same. Life was simple and we made our own fun. The sun was warm, the air was sweet and each day adventure and celebration was where ever you decided to find it.

Blast From the Past

February 1835 - I have always dreamed of time traveling and I finally figured out how. The map on the left is from the original land survey of my neighborhood completed in February 1835. If you live in Wisconsin you can go on a fascinating virtual hike of your backyard by jumping in at http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/. Most townships have a general description and a listing of trees along the survey lines of each section. I took my online hike to help decide which trees we would plant in our yard to best match the natural vegetation that would have been here. We chose Swamp White Oak, Basswood and White Cedar.

Garden Babies

Eric and Logan knew the way to my heart when they gave me seeds from Midewin Tallgrass Prairie for a retirement present. Upon receipt last February I felt like I had received a pot of gold. Little bags of precious prairie plants.

We made a ceremony of preparing the precious seeds for stratification - half of them nested in the crisper of my refrigerator through winters end and the rest planted in vermiculite and tucked in a dark corner of my garage. As spring approached we transferred the flats to the garden shed. This weekend it felt as if I was dishing up fragile desert as I moved the tender seedlings from the flats to pots. The Echinacea went gang busters and the Echinops bombed. Tomorrow the crisper seeds go in the ground. Expect another report in August.

Eric and Logan you are aces!

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

"Better to be deprived of food for three days then tea for one" - Chinese proverb.

Another perk of retirement is time to read! Davyd and I now make weekly sojourns to the Whitefish Bay Library. The artwork and murals are bonuses to the great selection of books.

In his book A History of the World in 6 Glasses, Tom Standage artfully weaves the legacy of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola. The history of each beverage is interesting enough, though I also enjoyed thinking about “we are what we drink.”

The story begins with beer about 4000BCE – which naturally followed domestication of cereal grains and pottery - and offered a choice more sanitary then drinking water. I liked the Mesopotamian image of drinking beer out of large urns through straws to avoid sipping debris.

The sophistication of wine, ceremony and politics of tea, ties to academia and coffee and initiation of globalization via bottles of Coke all made this one quick read worth passing on.

The book concludes with an epilogue to water. Safe drinking water is highlighted as key to human rights around the globe and a likely fulcrum for future conflicts. It makes sense that we conserve the most basic of our cherished natural resources. Cheers!

This is the May That Was

This May was one of the most enjoyable months of my life. Relaxing but action packed. I retired May 1, so much of this goes without saying. My retirement gift to Pete was to take the month and do as he pleases, so he spent the first two weeks visiting John, Mary and Anna. I enjoyed the quiet transition at home with just Davyd and I. We rode bikes to school, went bird watching, started a butterfly garden, transplanted ferns, went to the library weekly, baked pies in an unhurried pace that I adore.

I moved Ali home from Madison mid-May. Being away at college does wonders for making one appreciate the pleasures of home. Nic graduated from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago two weeks ago. The ceremony was on a beautiful sunny day in Millennium Park, the speakers and honorary degrees were interesting, we stayed at my favorite Chicago Hotel (Hotel Monaco), had brunch at a delightful restaurant (Bin) and of course this mother was proud.

Most days this month you would have found Pete and I outdoors. We honor our homes prior owners John and Ed daily for the extraordinary landscaping they left behind. The yard/gardens have their ying and yang though. May is the month to battle the garlic mustard, buckthorn and honeysuckle that plague most all of Bayside. We have been chasing ours for six years and it finally seems that we might be winning. I scurry to transplant natives from the Fox Point Garden Club sale each May along with boosting the May apples, ostrich ferns, wild ginger and wild strawberries along from our own yard. Our green house is abust with seedlings that I received as a gift from Midewin Tallgrass Prairie. The Wisconsin Herb Society sale at Concordia the third week of May is always a plus – I seem to be hooked on lavender, thyme and nasturtiums.

I have visited neighbors, gone to more social events, walked the beach of Lake Michigan, baked more pies and had more time with my family in the last month then the last year it seems. Life is good!

Best Salad Dressings

Now I am partial to vinaigrette's, so my bias is showing. Any of these also make a good marinade for grilling. Let me know if you can top them:

Garlic Oil and Vinegar - Thanks John Berlin-Burns

3 crushed cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Hard to believe that this basic recipe is our family favorite. Crush the garlic in the salt and mix well with the oil and vinegar. Best with red leaf lettuce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add a little lemon juice and oregano if you are making a Greek salad.

Dijon Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 balsamic vinegar

Wisk the mustard with the oil and then add vinegar. This is good on greens but my favorite is mixed on chopped fresh vegetables sprinkled with feta.

Gorgonzola Dressing (Thanks to Harbor View)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

The first time I tasted this simple dressing I was sure it had something complicated in it to taste so good. I said "this tastes as good as chocolate cake!" Crumble the Gorgonzola finely in the oil with a fork. Wisk in the vinegar. Delightful on greens with or without garlic croûtons.

Baby Blueberry Hat

Another retirement perk - I have time to knit! And I still remember how! These unseasonably cool May mornings have made sitting under the sun through the skylights the perfect way to start the day. I honor my Grandma B for teaching me to knit and Mary Shedd for perfecting the joy of drinking tea, knitting and chat at Kawishiwi Lab in Ely years ago.

Some of our friends had triplets last month so Ali and I are knitting three blueberry hats. I made the same for Davyd eight years ago after finding the patten in Sweden. Here it is in case you have little berries to celebrate:

Baby Berry Hat

Cast on 80 stitches DK weight cotton yarn on #5 - 16 inch circular needles. (I used a 50gram ball of Rowan cotton glace @ 5 stitches per inch, but prefer a softer Swedish cotton I made the first hats I made years ago.)

Knit until hat measures 5 inches long, unrolled.

Begin decreasing, changing to double pointed needles when necessary:

Row 1: Knit 8 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 2: Knit entire row

Row 3: Knit 7 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 4: Knit entire row

Row 5: Knit 6 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 6: Knit entire row

Row 7: Knit 5 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 8: Knit entire row

Row 9: Knit 4 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 10: Knit entire row

Row 11: Knit 3 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 12: Knit entire row

Row 13: Knit 2 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 14: Knit entire row

Row 15: Knit 1 stitches then knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

Row 16: Knit entire row

Row 17: Knit 2 stitches together until end of row.

For stem, change to green yarn and continue to decrease to about 9 stitches and knit to about 1 inch long. Draw end of yarn through last loops and knot on inside.