web-goddess

Month: December 2011

  • Shared today on Twitter

    Seriously? It’s raining elsewhere in the Inner West? What the hell. I saw some dark clouds on my run, but Chippo has been sunshiney & hot!

    Ploughman’s lunch in the sunshine, complete with @the_snook’s homebrew. @ Chippendale http://t.co/vxBnrKhe

    I think my denial about the Rhiannons is finally over. They’re too big. GAHHH. I guess I’ll frog and start over.

    @drkknits Yeah. I’m deluding myself, I think. If I continue, I don’t think I’ll be happy.

    @drkknits Which is weird, because I’m always way tight. Maybe Cookie is a tight knitter too. 🙂

    Jamie’s Broccoli Pasta, Zucchini & Bocconcini Salad, Prosciutto & Melon. 27:16!! http://t.co/y88A0T4V

    @randomknits Bah. Traditions are overrated. We rocked out on Guitar Hero. 🙂

    Merry Christmas, everybody! Looks like Santa brought us a lovely summer day, finally. 🙂

    I am known for my love of all daggy things, including Christmas sweaters. But this is a step too far, even for me. http://t.co/UzAJJVOD

    @sthcrft @LeanneField I find “graffiti knitting” pretty ugly at the best of times. That one makes me feel sorry for the tree. 🙂

    Bork bork! @the_snook’s gift from his Ma. Love it! http://t.co/TKOe7ryW

    @codepo8 And he’s going to make me chocolate mousse tonight. It’s like a porn film over here.

    @mrs_sockvictim I noticed that too. Ha!

  • Shared today on Facebook

    Merry Christmas, everybody! Looks like Santa brought us a lovely summer day, finally. 🙂

  • Photo Post

    Bork bork! @the_snook’s gift from his Ma. Love it!

    Bork bork! @the_snook's gift from his Ma. Love it!

  • Christmas Craftiness 2011

    Christmas Craftiness 2011
    I just realised that I’ve made a lot of stuff this month that didn’t actually get documented on the blog yet. For posterity’s sake…

    Tree OrnamentsFelt Tree Ornaments
    As in previous years, a group of my knitting friends met up for a “Christmas Tea Party” earlier in the month. We always do a handmade ornament exchange. Rather than knit something, I saw some felt tree ornaments online and decided to sew instead. I made a template out of some cardstock and cut out the front and back of several trees. Then I hand-sewed on a selection of buttons to each front. (I’ve got a box of odd buttons.) Then I sewed the pieces together, sandwiching a piece of ribbon at the top for the hanger and leaving the bottom open. I stuffed each tree lightly with polyfill, then sewed the opening closed. I then trimmed the edges with pinking shears and did some decorative stitching with red yarn. They turned out pretty cute! I was very happy to see them go home with Kylie, who has hung them on her mantle. (In a stunning non-coincidence, I got Kylie’s project: a truly amazing knitted Christmas tree!)

    Nuts & Bolts and Compost CookiesNuts & Bolts and Compost Cookies
    Next up was the December meeting of the Inner City brand of the Knitters Guild, and I was on duty for morning tea. I decided to go with a sweet/salty theme and made “Nuts & Bolts” and Compost Cookies. Nuts & Bolts is basically the Australian equivalent of Chex Mix. (Recipe here.) You mix up cereal and nuts with a packet of soup mix and some spices and then bake it in the oven to get crispy. I also add pretzels to mine. This stuff is addictive! The Compost Cookies were famously created at the Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. (Recipe here.) The idea is that you throw all kinds of sweet and salty things in there: potato chips, coffee grinds, candy, whatever. I used dark choc chips, meringue pieces, Tim Tams, Sesame Snaps, pretzels, and sea salt crisps. They were pretty good! Even though I chilled them overnight, they still spread quite a bit in the oven. (Always happens. I still haven’t gotten the hang of the new oven yet, clearly.) Both dishes were a big hit at the meeting.

    Caramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana CakeCaramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake
    We got some ladyfinger bananas in one of our FoodConnect boxes, so I decided to turn them into a cake. I’d made this Smitten Kitchen recipe before and the Snook really liked it. I actually divided the batter in two and made two smaller cakes this time: one for us and one to take to work. I still haven’t worked out the trick to getting flipping the cakes and getting the caramel out nicely, but the taste outweighs the messiness of the topping. Everybody at work loved it, and the cake I took in disappeared in about 5 minutes!

    Candied Gingerbread MenCandied Gingerbread Men
    I had a wild idea to make gingerbread men for our last day of work before the Christmas break. Of course, the only cookie cutter I own is the state of Michigan (don’t ask), so I had to go on a search for a proper one. Then I had to decide on a recipe. I went with Serious Eats’s Candied Gingerbread Men. It uses crystallized ginger, which I know the Snook likes a lot. He actually did most of the prep for the dough since he was on vacation this week. I cut them out and baked them late Wednesday night. I didn’t have any time to decorate them, but they were still tasty. The shapes were amusingly non-standard, mostly because I suck at rolling out dough and cutting consistent shapes. It was good fun though, and it made the whole house smell like Christmas!

  • RunningBlog: Week 51

    It was kind of a crazy week. I had only three full work days to try to finish everything up at the office, and Spudds was cancelled for the holidays. I still managed three runs though so I’m satisfied with that. The one upside to Sydney’s cold and grey summer has been how pleasant it is to run!

    Dec. 18: 5.02km
    Dec. 21: 5.01km
    Dec. 23: 2.18km (walking)
    Dec. 24: 5.01km
    Total this week: 15.04km (9.4mi)
    Total in 2011: 1022.89km (639mi)

    Only one week to go!

  • Photo Post

    Jamie’s Broccoli Pasta, Zucchini & Bocconcini Salad, Prosciutto & Melon. 27:16!!

    Jamie's Broccoli Pasta, Zucchini & Bocconcini Salad, Prosciutto & Melon. 27:16!!

  • This little light of mine…

    I’m gonna let it SHINE!
    I present to you the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time:

    That kid in the middle, the one raising his arms every time they sing “shine”? That’s my nephew Penn. My sister asked him afterwards if he was supposed to do that. “Nope!” He just felt like it. I love that there was no self-consciousness; he’s at that age where he feels joy and he can just express it without worrying about what’s cool. Isn’t that wonderful? We should all have such moments in our lives. 🙂

  • Photo Post

    Ploughman’s lunch in the sunshine, complete with @the_snook’s homebrew.

    Ploughman's lunch in the sunshine, complete with @the_snook's homebrew.

  • Photo Post

    Feeling festive at work on Thursday.

    Feeling festive at work on Thursday.

  • Shared today on Twitter

    OH FFS. Gmail finally forced me to upgrade to the new theme. I hate it hate it HATE IT. Ick.

    Half price? In my size?! Thank you, Santa Claus! #newdress @ Apple pie fashions http://t.co/A4oYnowa

    RT @henrytapia: @web_goddess Why? // Mystery meat buttons. Stupid importance labels. Avatars on emails. Too much white space.

    RT @marcooda: @web_goddess go to settings, you can revert back. // Woot! Thanks. Reverted. They can pry it from my cold dead hands. 🙂

    @drkknits I’ll gift it back to you next year… 🙂

    @henrytapia Some of that, I grant. What’s the harm in leaving the old version as an option for existing users?

    Waiting in massive queue at Strawberry Hills post office for parcel pickup. FML.

    On the plus side, I think it’s our package from Colette!! @randomknits @Gin_ev_ra

    Got my package. And then the clerk at @auspost Surry Hills managed to lose my drivers license in 30 seconds. Yes, really.

    @knitterjp @auspost Nope. There was a crush of 6 customers, 3 clerks, and a dog at the window. Hoping they find it later. REALLY annoying.

    Correction @auspost. It was Strawberry Hills. Too annoyed to type correctly. No, I didn’t get it back.

    @knitterjp Ooh, holiday is not cancelled? Yay!

    @bellsknits You just have to make new traditions! There’s plenty to like/enjoy about Xmas outside of kids opening gifts (tho that’s fun).

    This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it SHINE. My nephew is the coolest kid ever. http://t.co/pYmUioNk So much joy!

    The good news is, replacement license only costs $23. Still, going back to @auspost tomorrow to see if it turned up. I KNOW it’s there.

    @jezfletcher Guy at work got one. Agree, it’s huge. Must not be marketing to women. I’d need two hands to do anything with it.

    @mrs_sockvictim Run. If you go, I’ll go!

    @Gin_ev_ra @randomknits Okay, how can I get you your patterns? You around the city at all in next 2 weeks?

    Well. @auspost website says Strawberry Hills PO opens at 9am. Yet here I am at 9:30 with the place locked up tight. WTF.

    @mrs_sockvictim @sixandahalfst I’m in the middle of one right now!

    @mrs_sockvictim @sixandahalfst Wet? Sun has been shining in Chippo! Not a bit of rain. Is it raining elsewhere??