It's knitting season

The wind is whipping the trees bare and the cold dampness is seeping into my bones. Washington winter is upon us. Of course it is sad to see the sun fade away behind a thick blanket of gray, however, this means it is time to bring out the buckets of wool and get all your needles in a row. It's knitting season! My first project: arm warmers. It was my first run with size 2 needles and that multicolored yarn that knits up in stripes. Socks are next!

Open your pie hole!

Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie by Ken Haedrich. How could I resist a title like that! I found this amazing book at an amazing little kitchen store in Fairhaven: the Pacific Chef. I could go on about the store, but I'll refrain. Suffice to say it's my consumer kitchen dream come true. Especially because they stock this pie cookbook. My love for Ken Haedrich's simply titled work of genius began when I found it on the shelves of the Ipswich Library in the summer of 2005. So I when I rediscovered it a few weeks ago in Fairhaven, I decided to make the investment. Haedrich's writing is a delight to read and the recipes are easy to follow with a few variation for many of the different pies. And the crusts are perfect! I made a cheddar-crusted apple pie with grannies from our CSA, B-grade maple syrup and a crumble top: a New England special for my Vermonter. Yum! This pie and this book come highly recommended. Check it out at your local library.