Modifying Pants Pattern and Sewing Extra-Long Pants

 Andy wanted some new sweat pants to relax in after work, but we were having a hard time finding extra-tall pants that were not also very big around (2X-3X), so I decided to make him some. I bought cotton sweatshirt fleece at SR Harris and prewashed it.

I made a pattern by starting with a commercial lounge pants pattern and adding in a lot of length in both the leg and crotch length. 

Once adjusting the commercial pattern, I traced new patterns onto new tissue paper.

The finished pattern is ridiculously long, but will lose length with the waistband and bottom hems

They came together pretty fast. I used two rows of 3/4" elastic at the waist, and of course included pockets.

For a second pair, I shortened the waist by 1" front and back, and took in the sides a bit to lower thigh. I made them in a mi-weight French terry that will be comfortable even in warmer months.

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

 This is not the only way to prepare pizza, but it's a nice option, especially if you want a pizza that is especially saucy or packed with toppings, as this is more contained than a flat pizza. 

Standard crust

(makes about 1 lb dough):

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c plus 3 tbsp warm water

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/8 tsp yeast

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 525 F, or as hot as it will go. 

(Note- you can mix crust in a food processor or with a dough hook in a mixer, or by hand with a wooden spoon). Combine flour and salt. Stir yeast and sugar into warm water, let sit 3-4 minutes then add oil. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Process or mix until dough forms a ball, then let rest for 15 min. 

Roll dough out so that it's as big as the bottom of the skillet plus up the sides slightly (10" skillet works well). Sprinkle a little cornmeal (optional) in the bottom of the skillet, then lay the dough in and pat up the slides slightly. Place skillet on the range, and heat over medium high heat until the dough starts to form bubbles and the bottom starts to firm up. Then place your sauce and toppings on the pizza and place in the hot oven for about 10-15 min until brown and bubbly.

Sourdough crust for cast iron pan-style:

3/4 c starter (can be unfed)

1 1/4 c flour

1/3 c water

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and knead just a bit or use the bread hook in the KitchenAid. Put a generous amount of olive oil in the bottom of a 10" cast iron skillet and put the dough ball in, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for several hours, then spread dough into bottom and slightly up edge of pan. Preheat oven to 550. Parbake crust about 4-5 minutes, then top and bake for an additional for 8-10 min (watch carefully). If the bottom is not brown enough, you can cook it on the range for a few minutes to brown it more.

Calico Beans

A classic, always satisfying.

Calico Beans

1/4 lb bacon, diced

1 lb ground beef

1/2 c chopped onion, about 1 small

1/4 c brown sugar (I usually use half of this, or 2 Tbsp)

1/2 c ketchup

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

1/2-1 tsp salt

1 15 oz can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large can of baked beans (21-28 oz can), extra liquid slightly drained

Brown diced bacon and ground beef together, drain fat. Add diced onion until softened. Mix with all other ingredients in a large casserole and bake, covered, at 325 for about an hour.

Grandpa Snyder's Chicken Noodle Soup

 Grandpa Tom's chicken noodle soup is well loved. He's been known to make a big batch and bring it over in an ice cream bucket during times of illness, post-surgical recovery, or recent childbirth. It is so delicious and soothing, with big chunks of shredded white chicken and clear broth.

Place 6 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer about 45-60 minutes, until the breasts are split and cooked through. Remove the meat and let cool slightly on a platter. Strain the broth and return it to the pot. Add additional liquid (about 2-4 cups water with some jarred chicken bouillon with parsley mixed in as directed) to get the volume of soup you want. Add 2 chopped onions, some chopped carrot and celery, and the shredded meat to the broth and simmer about 45-60 min. Near the end, raise the heat so the soup comes to a boil and add some egg noodles, cooking them until done (6-7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

2020 Camping Retrospective

 Having bought our little camper last summer more or less on a whim, it turned out to be a total WIN this year. We had to cancel several trips we had planned due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but camping was still possible (at least after the campgrounds were permitted to open in June). So camp we did, with a total of 7 camping outings this season. We enjoyed some beautiful weather across a range of temperatures (hot days in July, then down to 31 degrees in Custer State park in Oct).

While it still takes time to plan and pack, we've gotten much faster. We left our camping gear out on the main level of the house so it was easy to pack for the next trip. Meal planning and prep still takes a while, but we got faster with that, too. We retained a number of the great foods we tried last year, and added a few more, including baking a from-scratch chocolate cake over the campfire. Andy's big discovery was skillet frying over the campfire (chicken, fish, fry bread). 

June

Lamb's Resort, Tofte MN

Spot 4A, right on the water

Andy loves pancakes while camping

Biking right by Blue Fin Bay

Fort Ridgley State Park

Our site backed right up to the creek

July

WI Dells, Door County (Peninsula State Park), Big Bay (Madeline Island)

KOA, Dells

Peninsula

Angus takes the ferry to Madeline Island

Big Bay

August

Frontenac State Park

September

Cascade State Park

Summit of Eagle Mountain, tallest in MN

Grand Portage Sate Park, High Falls

Cascade

Cascade State Park

Merrick State Park, WI

Pup in pup tent

October

Fort Abraham State Park ND, Sully State Park ND, Custer State Park, SD, Killen Woods SP, MN

Needle, Custer

The new hiking boots are wonderful

Sylvan Lake, Custer

Fort Abraham State Park, ND

Dropping Angus off for winter storage at the MN State Fair. He'll spend winter in the Education building.

A few things we learned this year:

• Don't leave home without 2-3 gallons of drinking water in the car. Store it behind the passenger seat so it doesn't get crushed when Andy rolls his seat back
• Double-bag all meat. Eggs travel in the car, not the camper
• The cooler needs ice every 2 days in the summer
• Don't put bikes on the rack on top of the camper (resulting in emergency bike repair)
• Start the fire at least 30 min before you want to start cooking
• Download your hiking map onto your phone while you still have a cell signal
• Plug the camper battery in to charge at least 24 hours ahead of the trip
• Heating water to do the dishes makes a tremendous difference
• If not a MN State Park, buy firewood before you arrive
• No matter how cold it is, open the top vent in the camper to minimize vapor build up

Trying to Enjoy Making Pie Crust- Getting Closer?

 I've shared my long-standing dislike of making pie pastry, so I don't have to repeat it here, other than to say I was recently sharing my opinion with a friend who is an excellent cook. She suggested I try Julia Child's recipe for the food processor.

I made a double-batch (2 double crusts), which was a lot of volume even for our fairly large capacity food processor, but it did come together and roll out pretty nicely. Last year I bought an extra large silicon pastry mat with circle markers, and that has made the job easier and faster to clean up.

This apple pie turned out pretty good. At first I didn't think the bottom was crisp enough, but I realized that part of that had to do with the fact that I couldn't keep my husband and son away from the pie long enough for it to cool as it should. The pie bird is still a hit as it has really eliminated boil overs.

Apple Pie

I also made two pumpkin pies, using a James Beard recipe my friend also suggested. This involved par baking the crust. It only called for 10 minutes, so I cheated and used foil as a liner but no weights/rice, and the crust really receded into the pan. I had to stretch it out again before pouring the filling. I guess that's why the recommend the weights. Despite that, they turned out deliciously.

Julia Child's Food Processor Pie Crust

Via James Beard

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c cake flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) butter, diced, chilled

1/4 c vegetable shortening, chilled

1/2 c very cold water

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade, combine the flours and salt. Pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and shortening and pulse five or six times to cut the fat into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. With the processor running continuously, pour the water down the feed tube all at once. As soon as the dough begins to form a ball around the blade, stop the machine. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface and dump out the dough onto the plastic, scraping the bowl and the blade with a rubber spatula. Pat the dough into a ball, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Scented Pine Cones

 We were camping in Custer State Park in SD, and I love the pine cones from ponderosa pines. Our campsite was filled with them, so I collected a few to bring home. I cleaned them in running water, then I baked them at 200 for one hour. When I removed them from the oven, some of them looked a little misshapen at the base, but as they cooled they generally resumed their shapes. I put some cinnamon essential oil with a little water into a spray bottle and sprayed the pine cones, then stored them in a large plastic bag for a few days. They make a nice autumn centerpiece.