Home & Hearth

Jug of Punch

Posted on by Dan

Bottling Day

Last week it was a Buddhist meditation, this week a traditional Irish pub song—what can I say, I’m a complex (and complicated) individual. I’m bottling beer today, (the 5 gallons of dry Irish stout is technically not punch, but the sentiment is still the same) so it’s only appropriate that I be listening to this.

One evening in the month of June
As I was sitting in my room
A small bird sat on an ivy bunch
And the song he sang was “The Jug Of Punch.”

What more diversion can a man desire?
Than to sit him down by an alehouse fire
Upon his knee a pretty wench
And upon the table a jug of punch.

Let the doctors come with all their art
They’ll make no impression upon my heart
Even a cripple forgets his hunch
When he’s snug outside of a jug of punch.

And if I get drunk, well, me money’s me own
And them don’t like me they can leave me alone
I’ll chune me fiddle and I’ll rosin me bow
And I’ll be welcome wherever I go.

And when I’m dead and in my grave
No costly tombstone will I crave
Just lay me down in my native peat
With a jug of punch at my head and feet.

The Clancy Brothers do a fine rendition of this song.

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Erin (and apple pie)

Posted on by Dan

Erin

Virginia wrapped up another cardigan (even before the keyboard was able to cool down from the previous post). This is “Erin” (from Heartfelt) by Kim Hargreaves, knit using Rowan’s Calmer.

Erin

Like her, I have my hands clasped in front of me (more over my stomach, really), because as I type this, the aroma of baking apple pie wafts through the air and is making me quite hungry.

Apple pie - before the oven

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Apple pie is a staple around these parts, and will continue to be so since a coworker bestowed upon me several bags of Haralsons from a tree in his yard.

I’ve done what I can to make this not so much a treat – instead something that can be eaten as a meal (as breakfast with a cup of coffee is perfect), a dessert or just because. Basically, the apples (about 20 of them) are peeled, cut up and tossed with a handful of chopped dates, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom) and some flour (3-4 Tbsp).

The crust is about 1/3 cup butter (chilled and diced) pressed into 1.5 cups of flour (I also like to add a dash of cinnamon to the crust) and a sprinkling of water to hold it together when rolling out. Roll the crust so that it is quite a bit bigger than the pie pan used. Fill with apple mixture and fold the crust over (like a rustic tart). Bake in a preheated 425º oven for 50 minutes (or until apples are done to your liking). I also like to put a small piece of foil over the opening at the top of the pie to help the apples steam a little. I remove this piece 15 minutes before pie is done baking.

There is debate on if apple pie is better eaten cool or warm. Personally, I like the pie to cool before eating (the apples seem sweeter, and the flavor is more melded). However, if I’ve completely lost my self-control and there is vanilla ice cream in the house… umm, let’s just not go there.

Edited to add:

Apple pie - after the oven

Yum.

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Blackberry Apple Tartlette (and some knitting)

Posted on by Dan

Blackberry Apple Tarts

The search for a sugar-free accompaniment to an afternoon tea continues. This time, I’ve come up with a tartlette that packs a blackberry punch. In this recipe, I cooked down about 3 cups of frozen blackberries and added a cup or so of applesauce (using up some of last year’s canning) and a few dates. Once the mixture was thick enough to hold its shape, I spooned the mixture into crust cups that were made with about a cup of flour (half whole wheat, half white), 1/4 cup of butter, a handful of ground nuts (in this case, toasted pecans and almonds) and just enough water to help it hold their shape while being pressed into the mini cupcake tins. I then baked them for 20 minutes in a 400º (F) and let cool before devouring.

On to the needles…

Norwegian Stockings

I’ve started knitting Virginia some knee-high socks. These are Nancy Bush’s Norwegian Stockings, knit using Smart yarn. Obviously, I’ve only just started these, but I’d like to draw attention to the fact that the posts from here on out will now be focused on life as we like it – full of cancer-free, scratchcrafty goodness.

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Biopsy no. 4

Posted on by Dan

My oncologist phoned us up on Wednesday to ask that I come to the clinic for another bone marrow biopsy. My platelet count had dropped (unexpectedly) which prompted him to schedule the biopsy sooner rather than wait 2 months for a follow-up. So, we went in yesterday (bright and earlier) to add a fourth scar to my lower back. I am getting the hang of these things, but I am very thankful for the availability of drugs like Ativan and Dilaudid (although, Virginia might argue differently, knowing that the stronger the dose, the cornier my jokes become, and they doubled my dose yesterday).

The test that they will use on this biopsy is something called a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Even though the last biopsy showed molecular remission, it only analyzed 500 cells. From what I understand, this test allows for greater accuracy, and will determine to what extent the remission has occurred. The Mayo Clinic labs have a pretty good explanation of the test. My oncologist, in theory, will be able to determine the course of treatment based on the results of this test, if their indeed is a change. Analyzing the marrow this way can allow for early detection of relapse, which will mean quicker treatment. The results, unfortunately, take a week. So, we won’t know anything until Wednesday.

In the meantime, life goes on. I’m feeling better and better, the hole in my chest is healing nicely, and since our bikes are fixed up, we’ve already been out several times. And, what better way to illustrate a return to “normal” than by showing some scratchcrafty goodness…

Keefely Mittens

…like, these Keefely Mittens that Virginia made (pattern by JoLene Treace):

Keefely Mittens

…or, this apricot pie I baked for a friend’s birthday:

Apricot Pie

Normal is good. We like normal.

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