Episódios
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Let’s set the scene. It’s December, 1946, and it’s beginning to look a lot like a disappointing Christmas at the Fort Hamilton, NY military base. No Christmas tree, no decorations for eight-year-old Mom waiting to disembark with her two sisters and mother for Heidelberg, Germany where they will join their father, then serving as an Army intelligence officer. The only gift? A pair of mittens for each girl handknit by their grandmother, wrapped and waiting on the bedstand Christmas morning. The disappointment of a handknit gift is what Mom decides to share on our knitting podcast. We can’t make this up.
"I have wished many times over the years that I had asked our mother more questions when she was still with us. Eight-year-old me was disappointed in such a sparse Christmas, but I now realize how difficult that time was for our mother, and I am grateful for what she managed to do under the circumstances. I wish I could tell her that.”
Janet Lewis Klein, "My Strangest Christmas"
Thankfully, it does not end there. Her older sister didn’t remember the mittens, but she did remember the stocking filled with candy hanging at the end of the bed. Which version is more true? Perhaps the Christmas miracle here is that both are true, and it takes a family to reconstruct the whole story. But that little detail changed the story for Mom and what it meant to her. As she says, “Our memories are unreliable. Thank heavens we grow up.” This is why we need each other, and why we share these memories and mis-rememberings.
We hope you find some time over the holiday season to share some memories with family too, and maybe make some new ones. And Mom, we are grateful for all you have given us over the years, but it was a C and H Pure Cane Sugar ad, not Hawaiian Punch.
Check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Shear delight is the only way to describe our conversation with the wonderfully talented Christina Kading, who began her career as a second-generation sheep-shearer at the age of 8 ("I was born on top of a sheep!"). What's so hard about sheep shearing, you ask? First there are the kicking animals who don't necessarily want a woolcut, even though they have it growing out of their ears and eyeballs. Then there's the sheer physicality it demands, second only to jackhammering. And finally there's all the sexism, the men like Gary in Pennsylvania who didn't think Christina--a woman!--could shear his alpacas. Step aside, Gary, and let Christina Kading show you just how capable she is. She can do so much more than shear Gary's alpacas, though that alone would be enough--she's an accomplished artist, working in wood and wool, and a mixologist to boot. Try out Christina's recipes for a Jade Gimlet and an Espresso Martini--they are divine concoctions to warm up and refresh on a cold winter night (or day).
"Just because we are women, and we are gay, doesn't mean we are not capable of shearing an alpaca."
Christina Kading
We met Christina at Rhinebeck where she was selling her rugs, hand-made from the unwanted wool from her shearing. Her designs are wonderfully geometric and coincide with the wood tabletops she makes using pyrography, a technique of inscribing designs with fire. Her fascination with lines and shapes began in her high school math classes (as a way to avoid learning math), but that has blossomed into beautiful art informed by sacred geometry, the sense that we are all connected through universally shared lines, shapes and patterns.
We hope you enjoy our conversation with Christina as much as we did--we learned a lot, and it is true that "sheep-shearers are just irresistible. . . we just hypnotize people with our loving, gentle, sheep-shearing skills. I don't know what it is, but it gets them every time." So grab a Jade Gimlet or Espresso Martini and take a break from the holiday chaos to tune in for a great conversation with a fascinating artist and sheep-shearer!
Check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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We're back--we hope you missed us! And we brought scissors, and we are not afraid to use them in spatchcocking a turkey for Thanksgiving. "Spatchcocking?" You may well ask. It's not just a word for removing the spine of the turkey to make for a wonderfully evenly roasted bird in half the time--say goodbye to over-cooked, dry breasts and under-cooked thighs (the turkey's, that is). But it's more than that as chef, teacher and cookbook author Kim O'Donnel explains in "Spatchocking: A Culinary Term for Our Times." Written in 2022 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but perhaps even more resonant today, O'Donnel reflects on her own freedom to make choices that have shaped who she is.
"The right to decide allowed me to become the woman I am . . . The choices that were mine to make allowed me to forge my own path. They've given me the wisdom to know this: Without safe, legal abortion, this country is spatchcocked."
Kim O'Donnel, "Spatchcock: A Culinary Term for Our Times," Lulu Pork Chop, July 3, 2022
But what about Rhinebeck?! While other podcasters might broadcast live from the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, we prefer to wallow in the womb of time and reflect on our experience for a month. What did we conclude? It wasn't just fun, it was joyously inspiring. We met so many designers and knitters we admire--Aimée Gille, Vincent Williams, Patty Lyons, Sarah Schira, Jamie Lomax, Bristol Ivy, Gigi Queen of Orange, the Grocery Girls and Rosann Fleischauer. What about Andrea Mowry? Don't worry, her pattern "Framed" clearly caught the collective fancy this year and was everywhere in all colors and sizes. It was magical to see so many people wearing hand-knit their framed garb on the hill for the meet-up.
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Whether you have an abundance of tomatoes in your garden like Bossy, or bought them on sale at the market like Bootie, you will love this super simple and amazingly delicious recipe. It's great for those back to school nights when you need something fast. And if you prep everything in the morning (your future you will thank you for that), your kitchen will smell wonderful all day. The recipe for linguine with tomatoes and basil comes from the Silver Palate cookbook and we've made a few updates, as always.
Our knitting in pop culture moment is brought to you by Gilmore Girls Season 7 Episode 9, "Knit, People, Knit." We loved how they really got the philosophy of knitting, (if not the mechanics) and the knitting puns had us in stitches ;-)
Bootie and Bossy both have finished objects! Just in time for Rhinebeck!
Please check out our show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Our recipe for this episode is perfect for busy back to school nights: Pineapple Marinated chicken breasts! It's super easy, tasty and you'll probably have everything you need in your larder except the chicken and the fresh pineapple. The leftovers are fantastic too! Bossy first discovered the recipe in the September 26, 2021 edition of the New York Times.
Our Knitting in Pop Culture moment is brought to you by Wallace and Gromit's "A Close Shave" where we are introduced to Wendolene Ramsbottom who owns a wool shop and plays Wallace's love interest. We're also introduced to the charming Shaun the Sheep (even his name is a pun!). From start to finish, it's a treasure trove of knitting puns and simply a delight. We also love Chicken Run where the sheep are knitters. I mean, right?
Happy 90th birthday to our dear Aunt Ruthie who is rocking the poncho that Bootie made for her!
Show notes can be found at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Our recipe for this episode is a summer classic: Gazpacho! Bossy has been making this recipe for many years, as evidenced by all the splatters in her cookbook. It meets all of our criteria: makes a lot, uses one pot, and you have most of the ingredients in your larder. And it's versatile! It's perfect for a hot summer day. We recount our visit to a wonderful yarn shop during Bossy's recent visit to the PNW, introduce our newest feature: knitting in pop culture, and give updates on our projects. Please check out the Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Here comes Janet with her damn four bean salad! This is the first recipe our mom (Hi Mom!) included in the recipe book she gave to us. It's perfect for the summer when you don't feel like cooking or if your kitchen is under renovation like Bootie's. We made it a little more gourmet by using fresh green beans and fresh herbs. So let's celebrate the "thousand extra hands" that we get when we open a can of beans! We discuss the history of industrialized food and recommend the January 3, 1955 issue of Life Magazine, along with a documentary about food and one called "Brandy Hellville and the cult of fast fashion." As always, we give updates on our current crafting projects.
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We have made it to episode 30 and you guessed it, time for another cocktail! This one is from Laylita.com. The melon sangria is a combination of delicious summer melons (your future self will thank you for balling up the melons and making melon ice cubes to have on hand), grappa, honey, and moscato. It's the perfect summer refresher. And there's a nonalcoholic version too. Bootie recounts the joys of her Alaskan cruise and Bossy has a finished object to share.
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Mom's banana bread has been a staple in Bootie's household for forever. And now it's even better with the addition of a little buttermilk, nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut. If you want to take it over the top (pun intended), you can add a crumble or cream cheese frosting. It's so good! Bootie and Bossy give updates on their current projects.
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Our beautiful sister, Melissa generously agreed to come back on because we need more vegetables in our repertoire! Melissa discovered this recipe for roasted tomatoes on NPR and if anyone know who deserves the credit, let us know. The recipe is as simple as it gets--throw a couple of cans of diced tomatoes in a pyrex, along with a bunch of cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper, then run around panic cleaning for before your guests arrive. Melissa also shared her recipe for baked polenta--a total game changer. Melissa also describes some of her current projects.
Bootie and Bossy discuss their mostly failed efforts at spring cleaning (anybody else storing a large box of dirt in their basement?). As promised, you will feel better about your own efforts.
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Even though we are not in her demographic, Bossy and Bootie very much enjoy the food porn on Tieghan Gerard's website, Half-Baked Harvest. We tried the chicken tortilla soup and it is a winner, winner, chicken dinner. It's perfect for those nights when you need a little comfort food because you pulled eight ticks off your dog, got poison Ivan (as Bossy's son calls it), and there's a snow storm, all in the same week!
Bootie and Bossy are embarking on their first official KAL (knitalong) and would love for you to join us!. The pattern is Glymur by Jennifer Weissman and we're both using Treasure Goddess Yarn's Yak Silk DK Treasures.
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The recipe for this episode is Bossy's homemade granola. It's the perfect blend of healthy grains and delicious fruits. Bootie and the rest of the family look forward to receiving the granola every year in her Xmas and birthday packages and now that she knows how easy it is to make, Bootie looks forward to making it herself. Wait a second, this is exactly what happened when Bootie encouraged Bossy to knit! Bootie has been had! Oh well, she can now console herself with a bowl of granola and it makes so much that she might even share with her friends.
Bootie and Bossy discuss the highs and lows of swatching. We highly recommend Patty Lyons' book, Knitting Tips and Tricks, as well as a touching and funny video about what happens when you don't swatch. Show Notes are at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Whelp, Mom is in the hospital again, so it's time for another cocktail! Update: she's out of the hospital and in a rehab where she is making excellent progress! So cheers to that! Bootie first learned about the Bobby Burns cocktail from Darcy Cameron, the owner of Shibui yarn on her blog, Shibui Life. Bootie and Bossy did not have the required Scotch (or Benedictine, or Absinthe, well, ok, Bootie had the absinthe but is keeping the bottle purely for aesthetic reasons), so they used what they had on hand, and it was delicious.
As for Robert Burns, a.k.a. Bobby or Rabbie, he is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and an early promoter of the Romantic movement. When he wasn't farming and writing poetry, he was quite busy fathering children (12!). His birthday is celebrated on January 25th, and many toast him with this cocktail. In addition to writing the New Year's classic, "Auld Lang Syne", he wrote this gem, "The Answer" (can't you just here the Scottish brogue?):
Ev’n thena wish (I mind its power)
A wish, that to my latest hour
Shall strongly heave my breast;
That I for poor auld Scotland’s sake
Some useful plan, or book could make,
Or sing a sang at least.
Bootie and Bossy review the book A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. We loved how he highlighted the fascinating details about beer, wine, distilled drinks, tea, coffee and Coca-Cola while putting them in the context of larger and broader historical trends.
We also give some knitting updates.
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Melissa reads the chapter "Imperfect Hearts and Roses for Valentine's Day" from her memoire, Match-Liss Tales of Online Dating by Melissa Klein
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For this episode, we interviewed Melissa Klein, who has recently written a memoire about online dating. Melissa is a commercial artist, muralist, illustrator, logo designer, author, and standup comedian who works in a wide range of styles and mediums to reflect her client's vision. And she's our sister!! Our recipe for this episode is a family favorite: French Silk Chocolate Pie, perfect for Valentine's Day. Show notes can be found at www.bootieandbossy.com
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It's snowing in colonial Massachusetts and threatening to snow (mostly large drifts of paranoia) out in the Pacific Northwest so we offer Ina's Winter Minestrone to warm the cockles of your soul, and your belly. It meets all of our criteria: one pot, it makes a lot, and uses mostly ingredients from your larder. Bootie and Bossy do a deep dive into the brilliant short animation Visible Mending by Samantha Moore. Show Notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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Bossy reads a letter she wrote to Bootie the year she gave Bootie her family creche. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
"I just learned from Mom that Aunt Betty made our family creche when she was hospitalized and struggling with a deep depression. I know that was a very dark period in her life. I’d like to think making our creche might have had something to do with her recovery. But I am glad to know this now because it reminds us that out of darkness can come an unexpected light, and after despair can come great joy. That is perhaps the most miraculous part of this story--the essence of grace and all that this season is meant to inspire. Aunt Betty probably had no idea how much that gift meant to us and how many memories it would provide, and it means even more now"
Show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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In this episode, Bossy shares her recipe for a delicious cranberry cocktail, using your leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving (or if you already ate it, Bootie recommends a recipe). Bootie is immortalizing her aunts and mom in gnome form while Bossy is upcycling one of her father in law's sweater. And as always, we share our family stories and for a special bonus you get to hear Bossy speak middle English in an Elmer Fudd accent! Show notes at www.bootieandbossy.com
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We had many (ok, one) requests for our corn bread recipe that goes with the Portuguese Bean Soup from Episode 19. So, our recipes for this episode are corn bread! In terms of knitting, the merits of shawls versus ponchos are discussed. No rats were harmed in the making of this podcast. Ok, maybe one rat but that rat didn't seem to phased and we're guessing its progeny are alive and well.
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That's right, in the name of scrupulous research and purely out of devotion for developing the content of our podcast, Bootie and Bossy made the sacrifice and went to the famous Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival in New York. So we have seen and experienced Rhinebeck's wonders, and we are Rhinebeck virgins no more! We met the knitting celebrities--Andrea Mowry, Adella and Jimmy Colvin, Aimee Gille, and many others--oh my! But what was most inspiring was seeing so many people gathered in one place all wearing their handmade garb and eating cider donuts. We have found our people. It was like walking into a yarn store where all of the mannikins had come to life and wanted to tell you about what they were wearing--like the person we saw wearing a tutu they fashioned out of a fleece crowned by a bodice they knit themselves. As they said, "I wanted to wear something special for Rhinebeck." We say, objective achieved!
"Take the risk."
--Adella Colvin of LolaBean Yarn, Co.
We would add, "Knit who you are."
And with the sweater weather coming on, we share a favorite family recipe for a fabulous fall soup--Portuguese Bean Soup, which meets all of our criteria--one pot, a big crowd pleaser, and it gets better everyday (an especially good thing because it makes A LOT). And where did we get this recipe? Ironically from a place where you will probably never have the occasion to wear a sweater--the island of Kauai in Hawaii, the wettest place on earth. We learn after some hasty research on the Google that Waimea Canyon gets 440 plus inches of rain a year, whereas Sturbridge, Mass gets 42 inches and Seattle a mere 38 inches a year. There, we did it: the only time in history where Sturbridge and Kauai will ever be compared for anything. But who would have thought that Sturbridge is wetter than Seattle? These are the kinds of profound revelations and small surprises we offer in this episode. It's those small miracles that light each day with the sparkle of wonder--we are so glad we took the risk in making our podcast, and we hope you will continue to take a risk in listening! Thank you!! For show notes including pictures of our adventures, go to Bootieandbossy.com
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